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Frothers are added in coal and mineral flotation to assist the formation of small air bubbles and stable froth. However, we have found that frothers can also adsorb on hydrophobic and hydrophilic sites of coal particles in flotation. In the current study, the interaction of two widely used frothers with coal particles in NaCl solution was investigated. While focused beam reflectance monitor was applied to measure the aggregation of coal particles, surface tension was measured to understand the aggregation of frother molecules. It was found that the adsorption of frothers on coal particles in NaCl solution was influenced by the NaCl-modified properties of frother molecules and coal particles. The presence of NaCl enhanced the intermolecular interaction between frothers and water and also facilitated the aggregation of coal particles. On hydrophobic sites, the hydrophobic interaction (CH/ π) between frothers and coal particles could be easily replaced by the stronger π/π interaction between coal particles, while on hydrophilic sites, the hydrophilic interaction between frothers and coal particles could be enhanced through ion-dipole attraction. Whether the hydrophobic interaction or the hydrophilic interaction played a dominant role in frother adsorption depended on the ratio of hydrophobic to hydrophilic sites and the formation of hemimicelles of frother molecules.

Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) obtained from the joint synovium of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients exhibit hyperplasia and aggressive inflammatory phenotypes. This study was designed to explore the anti-inflammatory mechanism of IL-6R inhibitor, tocilizumab, in FLS-mediated inflammation in RA from the perspective of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). To this end, we sorted primary FLS obtained from the synovium of patients with RA and cultured them in vitro. The cells were then treated with tocilizumab and subjected to lncRNA- and miRNA-seq to identify the ncRNAs regulated by tocilizumab treatment using bioinformatic analysis and experimental verification. Tocilizumab treatment enhanced the expression of lncRNA MIR31HG and reduced that of micoRNA-214 (miR-214). In addition, miR-214 activated the AKT signaling pathway by directly targeting MIR31HG and PTEN. In addition, the tocilizumab-MIR31HG-miR-214-PTEN-AKT axis regulated the proliferation, migration, and production of inflammatory molecules and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in RA-FLS. Furthermore, co-culture experiments showed that this axis could inhibit the inflammatory phenotype of macrophages and protect chondrocytes. In summary, our study shows that tocilizumab suppresses RA-FLS inflammation by regulating the MIR31HG-miR-214-PTEN-AKT pathway, and presents new insights on RA pathogenesis and potential targets for RA therapy.

Along with the extensive application of energy storage devices, the spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are unquestionably classified into the secondary resources due to its high content of several valuable metals. However, current recycling methods have the main drawback to their tedious process, especially the purification and separation process. Herein, we propose a simplified process to recycle both cathode (LiCoO2) and anode (graphite) in the spent LIBs and regenerate newly high-performance anode material, CoO/CoFe2O4/expanded graphite (EG). This process not only has the advantages of succinct procedure and easy control of reaction conditions, but also effectively separates and recycles lithium from transition metals. The 98.43% of lithium is recovered from leachate when the solid product CoO/CoFe2O4/EG is synthesized as anode material for LIBs. And the product exhibits improved cyclic stability (890 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1 after 700 cycles) and superior rate capability (208 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1). The merit of this delicate recycling design can be summarized as three aspects: the utilization of Fe impurity in waste LiCoO2, the transformation of waste graphite to EG, and the regeneration of anode material. This approach properly recycles the valuable components of spent LIBs, which introduces an insight into the future recycling.

Background Mortality and complications remain high after acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) open surgery and are associated with coagulation dysfunction. Platelets play an important role in the process of coagulation. This study explored the relationship between postoperative platelet counts and 3-year mortality after operation in patients with ATAAD undergoing open aortic repair surgery. Methods Patients with ATAAD who underwent Total Arch Replacement and Frozen Elephant Trunk in Fuwai Hospital from 2011 to 2015 were selected for this study. The perioperative data were collected and sorted through the electronic clinical case system. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors for death within three years after surgery. Results A total of 495 patients were included in the analysis. After correction for confounding factors, decreased postoperative platelet count remained an independent factor that was associated with lower mortality (OR = 0.918, 95% CI 0.853–0.988, P = 0.023). Conclusions The study indicated that decreased postoperative platelet count may lead to increased 3-year mortality, in patients with ATAAD who underwent open aortic repair surgery.

Objective Oligodendroglioma is a rare primary malignant brain tumor that has highly variable clinical outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate demographics, outcomes, and prognostic factors of all oligodendroglioma cases from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database to build a clinical prognosis model to predict survival time of patients with oligodendroglioma. Methods Cases diagnosed between 1975 and 2016 were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Age, sex, race, insurance, year of diagnosis, marital status, tumor location, tumor size, summary stage, surgery method, and use of radiotherapy and chemotherapy were evaluated with respect to overall survival by univariate and multivariate analysis. A nomogram predicting 5- and 10-year survival probability for oligodendroglioma was constructed and validated. Results After data cleaning, 4568 patients with oligodendroglioma were included. At the time of last follow-up, mean survival times among grade II and grade III oligodendrogliomas were 74 and 39 months, respectively. In multivariate analysis, radiotherapy, age, tumor site, summary stage, and surgery demonstrated independent associations with survival in both cohorts. Race and radiotherapy demonstrated independent associations with survival in grade II oligodendroglioma. Sex and chemotherapy demonstrated independent associations with survival in grade III oligodendroglioma. Independent factors in either cohort were selected to build a clinical nomogram. The C-index for the nomogram was 0.738 (95% confidence interval 0.718–0.757). The calibration curves of 5- and 10-year survival rates showed good agreement between the nomogram predictions and actual observations. Conclusions This study was the first to develop a nomogram for predicting overall survival of patients with oligodendroglioma to help clinicians predict patient prognosis accurately and conduct further treatment.

Background Thallium poisoning is rare and difficult to recognize. Early diagnosis and treatment of thallium-poisoned patients are essential to prevent morbidity and mortality. Aim To evaluate the efficacy of treatments and outcomes of five patients with early diagnosis of acute thallium poisoning. Methods Five patients who consumed a thallium-contaminated meal were hospitalized in succession, and underwent clinical examinations such as blood tests and electromyography tests. Urine and blood tests confirmed the diagnosis of thallotoxicosis, revealing the occurrence of food poisoning. All patients underwent detoxification treatment, including hemoperfusion (HP) and treatment with Prussian blue (PB). A 24-mo follow-up was performed to evaluate the long-term outcomes on the patients after discharge. Results Initially, the patients presented with symptoms of acute thallium poisoning including hyperalgesia of the limbs and abdominalgia, which may differ from common peripheral neuropathy. Accompanying symptoms such as hepatic damage and alopecia were observed in all the patients, which further confirmed the diagnosis of poisoning. Treatment with chelating agents was ineffective, while HP and treatment with PB drastically decreased the thallium concentration in the urine and blood. With early diagnosis and intervention, four patients had a good prognosis and no permanent sequelae. One patient developed blindness and disability during the 24-mo follow-up period. Conclusion Identification of incident cluster and characteristic symptoms is extremely important for early diagnosis of acute thallium poisoning. HP plus PB is essential to improve the prognosis of thallium-poisoned patients.

A digital microfluidic system based on electrowetting-on-dielectric is a new technology for controlling microliter-sized droplets on a plane. By applying a voltage signal to an electrode, the droplets can be controlled to move, merge, and split. Due to device design, fabrication, and runtime uncertainties, feedback control schemes are necessary to ensure the reliability and accuracy of a digital microfluidic system for practical application. The premise of feedback is to obtain accurate droplet position information. Therefore, there is a strong need to develop a digital microfluidics system integrated with driving, position, and feedback functions for different areas of study. In this article, we propose a driving and feedback scheme based on machine vision for the digital microfluidics system. A series of experiments including droplet motion, merging, status detection, and self-adaption are performed to evaluate the feasibility and the reliability of the proposed scheme. The experimental results show that the proposed scheme can accurately locate multiple droplets and improve the success rate of different applications. Furthermore, the proposed scheme provides an experimental platform for scientists who focused on the digital microfluidics system.

The urban geological environment should be the main carrier for the socio-economic system, a comprehensive geological survey and economic evaluation provide the basis for sustainable development of underground space resources. According to the experience of new town planning in China, there is a need for scientific exploration and planning for underground space in order to overcome the limitations of available urban surface space. Through in-depth analysis of geological background in the Beijing area, some typical geological engineering and geo-environmental problems are put forward in this study, such as changing of groundwater level, deterioration of groundwater quality, land subsidence, active faults, hazardous gas and covered karst collapse. In addition, it is necessary to incorporate three-dimensional urban planning into conventional planning practices with a dynamic decision-making process. For Beijing, economic evaluation, including the environmental security, land-use regulations, public finance and risk management of underground space is also forecasted in this study.

Solution-processed organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are much preferred for the manufacture of low-temperature, low-cost, large-area, and flexible lighting and displaying devices. However, these devices with high external quantum efficiency are still limited, especially for blue ones. In addition, the molecular configurations of emitters are usually complicated, indicative of high costs. In this study, two simple-structured thermally activated delayed fluorescent emitters M1 and its polymer P1 were synthesized with acridine as a donor and benzophenone as an acceptor. Solution-processed OLEDs were prepared based on M1 and P1 as doped light-emitting layer, and M1-based doped device could achieve maximum external quantum efficiency of up to 20.6% with blue-light emission.

Group 1 CD1-restricted T cells are members of the unconventional T cell family that recognize lipid antigens presented by CD1a, CD1b, and CD1c molecules. Although they developmentally mirror invariant natural killer T cells, they have diverse antigen specificity and functional capacity, with both anti-microbial and autoreactive targets. The role of group 1 CD1-restricted T cells has been best established in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection in which a wide variety of lipid antigens have been identified and their ability to confer protection against Mtb infection in a CD1 transgenic mouse model has been shown. Group 1 CD1-restricted T cells have also been implicated in other infections, inflammatory conditions, and malignancies. In particular, autoreactive group 1 CD1-restricted T cells have been shown to play a role in several skin inflammatory conditions. The prevalence of group 1 CD1 autoreactive T cells in healthy individuals suggests the presence of regulatory mechanisms to suppress autoreactivity in homeostasis. The more recent use of group 1 CD1 tetramers and mouse models has allowed for better characterization of their phenotype, functional capacity, and underlying mechanisms of antigen-specific and autoreactive activation. These discoveries may pave the way for the development of novel vaccines and immunotherapies that target group 1 CD1-restricted T cells.

Introduction: Pre-transplant irreversible pulmonary hypertension and high pulmonary vascular resistance are generally considered as contraindications for orthotopic heart transplantation due to the high risk of right ventricular dysfunction after transplantation. However, there is no consensus on whether reversible pulmonary hypertension increases the incidence of post-transplant complications and mortality. Case report: A patient with acute heart failure and pulmonary artery occlusion successfully underwent heart transplantation concurrent with pulmonary thromboendarterectomy. Discussion and Conclusion: This case illustrates that heart transplantation concurrent with pulmonary thromboendarterectomy can be performed successfully with meticulous operability assessment, superb surgical technique and careful perioperative management.

Objective To examine whether blocking multiple points of the angiogenesis pathway by addition of sorafenib, a multi-kinase inhibitor against VEGFR2/3, Raf, c-Kit, and PDGFR, to bevacizumab would yield clinical activity in ovarian cancer (OvCa). Methods This phase II study tested bevacizumab plus sorafenib in two cohorts; bevacizumab-naive and bevacizumab-exposed patients. Bevacizumab (5 mg/kg IV every 2 weeks) was given with sorafenib 200 mg bid 5 days-on/2 days-off. The primary objective was response rate using a Simon two-stage optimal design. Progression-free survival (PFS) and toxicity were the secondary endpoints. Exploratory correlative studies included plasma cytokine concentrations, tissue proteomics and dynamic contrast-enhanced-magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI). Results Between March 2007 and August 2012, 54 women were enrolled, 41 bevacizumab-naive and 13 bevacizumab-prior, with median 5 (2–9) and 6 (5–9) prior systemic therapies, respectively. Nine of 35 (26%) evaluable bevacizumab-naive patients attained partial responses (PR), and 18 had stable disease (SD) ≥ 4 months. No responses were seen in the bevacizumab-prior group and 7 (54%) patients had SD ≥ 4 months, including one exceptional responder with SD of 27 months. The overall median PFS was 5.5 months (95%CI: 4.0–6.8 months). Treatment-related grade 3/4 adverse events (≥5%) included hypertension (17/54 [31%]; grade 3 in 16 patients and grade 4 in one patient) and venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism (5/54 [9%]; grade 3 in 4 patients and grade 4 in one patient). Pretreatment low IL8 concentration was associated with PFS ≥ 4 months (p = .031). Conclusions The bevacizumab and sorafenib combination did not meet the pre-specified primary endpoint although some clinical activity was seen in heavily-pretreated bevacizumab-naive OvCa patients with platinum-resistant disease. Anticipated class toxicities required close monitoring and dose modifications.

An efficient strategy of surface engineering is developed to extraordinarily boost the energy density of multiscale porous carbon cloth for aqueous symmetric supercapacitors by optimizing the oxygen-containing functional groups. The operating voltage with neutral electrolyte is remarkably broadened from 1.3 to 1.8 V for electrochemical oxidized active carbon cloth (EOACC), enabling its ultrahigh areal capacitance (1548 mF cm−2) and extraordinary energy density (239.25 μWh cm−2). More importantly, engineering such a functionalized electrode with improved operating potential window is critically hinged on the fundamental understanding of the underlying electrochemical mechanism. The outstanding performance can be attributed to the enlarged ions-accessible specific surface area and created electrochemical active C O quinone-type groups, contributing to the combination of electrical double-layer capacitance and pseudo-capacitance, respectively. More significantly, the broadened potential window is originated from the increase of the onset overpotential for oxygen evolution reaction, induced by the physical barrier of adsorbed Na+ and the kinetic limitations of fast faradic redox reactions. This strategy sheds a light on the understanding of the electrochemical mechanism for broadened potential range, which provides a promising way for designing and engineering carbon-based aqueous supercapacitors with boosted energy density.

Background Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most commonly diagnosed primary non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the spine and can induce spinal compression. Reports of lymphoma arising in bone adjacent to metallic prostheses are increasing. However, to our knowledge, DLBCL arising from a scar after lumbar fusion surgery has not been reported previously. Case Description A 63-year-old man complained of a 2-month history of severe pain in the back and both legs, radiating down to the ankle, similar to sciatica with a past history of L2-S1 decompression and fusion 7 years ago. Imaging revealed an irregular mass in the epidural space and around the internal fixation surgical site, which was initially diagnosed as an epidural infectious abscess. Most of the lesion was completely excised and a detailed immunohistopathologic analysis was performed revealing the diagnosis of a DLBCL. After surgery and chemotherapy, he was discharged without complications. Unfortunately, he died 2 years later because of brain metastasis. Conclusions This case highlights the need to consider malignancy in the differential diagnosis and carefully examine surgical specimens in revision surgery. Further understanding of the role of metal implants in the development of lymphoma is required.

The motion of cladding systems can be leveraged to mitigate natural and man-made hazards. The literature counts various examples of connections enhanced with passive energy dissipation capabilities at connections. However, because such devices are passive, their mitigation performance is typically limited to specific excitations. The authors have recently proposed a novel variable friction cladding connection capable of mitigating hazards semi-actively. The variable friction cladding connection is engineered to transfer lateral forces from the cladding element to the structural system. Its variation in friction force is generated by a toggle-actuated variable normal force applied onto sliding friction plates. In this study, a multiobjective motion-based design methodology integrating results from the previous work is proposed to leverage the variable friction cladding connection for nonsimultaneous wind, seismic, and blast hazard mitigation. The procedure starts with the quantification of each hazard and performance objectives. It is followed by the selection of dynamic parameters enabling prescribed performance under wind and seismic loads, after which an impact rubber bumper is designed to satisfy motion requirements under blast. Last, the peak building responses are computed and iterations conducted on the design parameters on the satisfaction of the motion objectives. The motion-based design procedure is verified through numerical simulations on two example buildings subjected to the three nonsimultaneous hazards. The performance of the variable friction cladding connection is also assessed and compared against different control cases. Results show that the motion-based design procedure yields a conservative design approach in meeting all of the motion requirements and that the variable friction cladding connection performs significantly well at mitigating vibrations.

Background Gastric bronchogenic cysts (BCs) are extremely rare cystic masses caused by abnormal development of the respiratory system during the embryonic period. Gastric bronchial cysts are rare lesions first reported in 1956; as of 2019, only 37 cases are available in the MEDLINE/PubMed online databases. BCs usually have no clinical symptoms in the early stage, and their imaging findings also lack specificity. Therefore, they are difficult to diagnose before histopathological examination. Case summary A 55-year-old woman presented at our hospital with intermittent epigastric pain. She had a slightly high level of serum carbohydrate antigen 72-4 (CA 72-4). Endoscopic ultrasound found that a cystic mass originated from the submucosa of the posterior gastric wall near the cardia, indicating a diagnosis of cystic hygroma of the stomach. Furthermore, a computed tomography scan demonstrated a quasi-circular cystic mass closely related to the lesser curvature of the gastric fundus with a low density. Because the imaging examinations did not suggest a malignancy and the patient required complete resection, she underwent laparoscopic surgery. As an intraoperative finding, this cystic lesion was located in the posterior wall of the fundus and contained some yellow viscous liquid. Finally, the pathologists verified that the cyst in the fundus was a gastric BC. The patient recovered well with normal CA 72-4 levels, and her course was uneventful at 10 mo. Conclusion This is a valuable report as it describes an extremely rare case of gastric BC. Moreover, this is the first case of BC to present with elevated CA 72-4 levels.

Inflammatory demyelination in the central nervous system (CNS) is a hallmark of multiple sclerosis (MS) and its animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Besides MS disease-modifying therapy, targeting myelin sheath protection/regeneration is currently a hot spot in the treatment of MS. Here, we attempt to explore the therapeutic potential of Bilobalide (BB) for the myelin protection/regeneration in EAE model. The results showed that BB treatment effectively prevented worsening and demyelination of EAE, accompanied by the inhibition of neuroinflammation that should be closely related to T cell tolerance and M2 macrophages/microglia polarization. BB treatment substantially inhibited the infiltration of T cells and macrophages, thereby alleviating the enlargement of neuroinflammation and the apoptosis of oligodendrocytes in CNS. The accurate mechanism of BB action and the feasibility of clinical application in the prevention and treatment of demyelination remain to be further explored.

Aims Cardiac sympathetic overactivation is an important trigger of ventricular arrhythmias in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Our previous study demonstrated that N-type calcium (Cav2.2) currents in cardiac sympathetic post-ganglionic (CSP) neurons were increased in CHF. This study investigated the contribution of Cav2.2 channels in cardiac sympathetic overactivation and ventricular arrhythmogenesis in CHF. Methods and results Rat CHF was induced by surgical ligation of the left coronary artery. Lentiviral Cav2.2-α shRNA or scrambled shRNA was transfected in vivo into stellate ganglia (SG) in CHF rats. Final experiments were performed at 14 weeks after coronary artery ligation. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot data showed that in vivo transfection of Cav2.2-α shRNA reduced the expression of Cav2.2-α mRNA and protein in the SG in CHF rats. Cav2.2-α shRNA also reduced Cav2.2 currents and cell excitability of CSP neurons and attenuated cardiac sympathetic nerve activities (CSNA) in CHF rats. The power spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) further revealed that transfection of Cav2.2-α shRNA in the SG normalized CHF-caused cardiac sympathetic overactivation in conscious rats. Twenty-four-hour continuous telemetry electrocardiogram recording revealed that this Cav2.2-α shRNA not only decreased incidence and duration of ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation but also improved CHF-induced heterogeneity of ventricular electrical activity in conscious CHF rats. Cav2.2-α shRNA also decreased susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmias in anaesthetized CHF rats. However, Cav2.2-α shRNA failed to improve CHF-induced cardiac contractile dysfunction. Scrambled shRNA did not affect Cav2.2 currents and cell excitability of CSP neurons, CSNA, HRV, and ventricular arrhythmogenesis in CHF rats. Conclusions Overactivation of Cav2.2 channels in CSP neurons contributes to cardiac sympathetic hyperactivation and ventricular arrhythmogenesis in CHF. This suggests that discovering purely selective and potent small-molecule Cav2.2 channel blockers could be a potential therapeutic strategy to decrease fatal ventricular arrhythmias in CHF.

Conjugated polymers are of high potential in the development of spintronic devices. In this paper, we report systematic studies on spin transport properties of a semiconducting polymer PBDTTT-C-T in the permalloy/polymer/Pt trilayer using the spin pumping method. Pure spin current with long spin relaxation time is observed via the inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) measurements. Furthermore, spin current is also found to propagate through the blend film consisting of a small amount of PBDTTT-C-T in an insulating matrix. The polymer blend exhibits a remarkably enhanced spin relaxation length (56 nm) and carrier mobility compared to pristine PBDTTT-C-T. From film microstructural characterizations, we propose that the enhanced spin/carrier transport properties are attributed to the formation of interlinked nanonetwork comprising of the PBDTTT-C-T chain bundles in the inert matrix to afford efficient intrachain charge conduction pathway. Temperature- dependent ISHE measurements support the spin-orbit coupling dominated spin relaxation mechanism.

ObjectiveHeart rate (HR) is a risk factor of mortality in many cardiovascular diseases but no clinical studies have focused on the association between HR and prognosis in patients with acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD). This study aimed to evaluate the association between HR and long-term mortality and establish the criteria of HR in patients with ATAAD who underwent total aortic arch replacement combined with the frozen elephant trunk (TAR+FET).Design, setting and participantsRetrospective cohort study that studied all consecutive patients with ATAAD who underwent TAR+FET in the Fuwai Hospital between 2009 and 2015.Main outcomes and measures30-day postoperative, and estimated long-term mortality.ResultsOverall, 707 patients with ATAAD who underwent TAR+FET were followed up for a median duration of 29 months (range, 5–77 months). In multivariate logistic analysis, HR (p80 bpm was associated with an almost threefold higher long-term mortality. HRs ≤60, 60–70, 70–80, 80–90, 90–100, 100–110 and >110 bpm were associated with 3.9%, 4.0%, 3.8%, 7.2%, 9.5%, 10.1% and 14.4% yearly risks of death, respectively.ConclusionsHR is a powerful predictor of long-term mortality in patients with ATAAD undergoing TAR+FET. HR >80 bpm is independently associated with elevated long-term mortality for patients with ATAAD.

Spatiotemporal patterns of large-scale spiking and field potentials of the rodent hippocampus encode spatial representations during maze run, immobility and sleep. Here, we showed that multi-site hippocampal field potential amplitude at ultra-high frequency band (FPAuhf) provides not only a fast and reliable reconstruction of the rodent’s position in wake, but also a readout of replay content during sharp wave ripples. This FPAuhf feature may serve as robust real-time decoding strategy from large-scale (up to 100,000 electrodes) recordings in closed-loop experiments. Furthermore, we developed unsupervised learning approaches to extract low-dimensional spatiotemporal FPAuhf features during run and ripple periods, and to infer latent dynamical structures from lower-rank FPAuhf features. We also developed a novel optical flow-based method to identify propagating spatiotemporal LFP patterns from multi-site array recordings, which can be used for decoding application. Finally, we developed a prospective decoding strategy to predict animal’s future decision in goal-directed navigation.

Oesophageal liposarcomas are particularly rare, accounting for 1.2–1.5% of all gastrointestinal liposarcomas. Surgical resection is the usual treatment. Endoscopic resection is minimally invasive but still controversial. This current case report describes a rare case of a large oesophageal liposarcoma in a 52-year-old male that presented with 10-year history of dysphagia for dry and solid food that was exacerbated by a recent common cold. Thoracoscopic and laparoscopic oesophagectomy was performed. He did not have any dysphagia or dyspnoea 1 week postoperatively. The excised specimen consisted of a polypoid mass measuring 21.0 cm × 5.1 cm. Histological examination confirmed that it was an oesophageal liposarcoma. At 1-year postoperatively, there was no sign of recurrence. Thoracoscopy and laparoscopy can be used to treat large oesophageal masses. Long-term follow-up is required as oesophageal liposarcomas tend to recur.

Background. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have been regarded as an independent prognostic marker for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Its prognostic value, however, in nonmetastatic prostate cancer (NMPC) is still unclear. Purpose. To elucidate whether CTCs can predict the biochemical recurrence (BCR) in NMPC patients following radical prostatectomy (RP) or radiotherapy (RT). Methods. PubMed, Cochrane Database, and Embase and the references in relevant studies were systematically searched. Studies that investigated the correlation of CTCs and BCR in NMPC patients after RP or RT were identified and reviewed. Overall odds ratio (OR) of BCR in such patients with/without CTCs was pooled. We also calculated and pooled overall prevalence of BCR in such CTC-positive patients. Results. In total, 12 studies comprising 1917 participants were eligible for the meta-analysis and showed that the presence of secondary circulating tumor cells (SCTCs) is associated with a higher BCR rate of 59% (95% CI: 22%-88%) in patients with NMPC after RP or RT ( OR = 6.12 ; 95% CI: 2.22-16.85; P < 0.001 ). However, regardless of the presence of primary circulating tumor cells (PCTCs), it has not been shown to be associated with higher BCR. Conclusions. Our research demonstrated that SCTC-positive patients are associated with higher BCR compared to SCTC-negative patients in NMPC. Therefore, it is recommended that NMPC patients undergo CTC surveillance intensively after RP or RT.

Myocardial fibrosis detected by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has been reported in patients with desmin‐related myopathy, although its characteristics remain unclear. Here, we describe a case of desmin‐related restrictive cardiomyopathy wherein CMR imaging revealed myocardial oedema, ischaemia, and fibrosis in the left ventricle; the different types and processes of myocardial injury were detected by CMR. Middle wall left ventricular enhancement may be a feature of late gadolinium enhancement, and the lateral wall is often involved in cases of myocardial injury. CMR is useful for the early detection of cardiac involvement and the prediction of prognosis in patients diagnosed with desmin‐related myopathy.

In this study, the method of direct modification of conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM) probes using focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) of platinum (Pt) nanowire is presented. This method allows the restoration of broken tips, as well as regenerates the conduction. The length and diameter of the modified tips were optimized by changing the duration time and electron beam current. The tip diameter before modification was measured to be approximately ∼50 nm, and that after modification was measured to be approximately ∼15 nm, which was significantly decreased. The AFM images of topography and current were collected from the fabricated samples with circular array structures using both commercial and Pt nanowire modified CAFM probes. The resistance of FEBID modified probes was obtained using CAFM voltage spectroscopy in the contact mode on a sputtered Pt surface. The results show that the modified probes exhibit a superior spatial resolution and high stability during AFM scans, which provide a significant advancement for CAFM measurements.

Tapping atomic force microscope (TM-AFM) can measure soft samples, which has the advantages of low loss and high resolution, and has been widely used in the characterization of soft micro-nano materials by atomic force microscope (AFM). The phase image in TM-AFM contains sample properties, and it is an important method to characterize the sample by TM-AFM. At present, researchers usually select the frequency near the first resonance peak of the probe to drive its vibration to carry out scanning imaging. However, the phase sensitivity near the first-order resonance of the probe is not high. Therefore, the phase image of TM-AFM is also less sensitive to characterize micro-nano materials. In order to improve the phase sensitivity of the probe, the probe working at the phase resonance peak was selected in this paper to improve the phase sensitivity of the probe vibration and the imaging quality of TM-AFM phase image. The experimental results show that the phase image of phase resonance-atomic force microscope (PR-AFM) can provide not only the surface information but also the structure information of the sample subsurface. PR-AFM can be applied for better characterization of micro and nano materials.

As an intensively studied electrode material for secondary batteries, TiS2 is known to exhibit high electrical conductivity without extrinsic doping. However, the origin of this high conductivity, either being a semimetal or a heavily self-doped semiconductor, has been debated for several decades. Here, combining quasi-particle GW calculations, density functional theory (DFT) study on intrinsic defects, and scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS) measurements, we conclude that stoichiometric TiS2 is a semiconductor with an indirect band gap of about 0.5 eV. The high conductivity of TiS2 is therefore caused by heavy self-doping. Our DFT results suggest that the dominant donor defect that is responsible for the self-doping under thermal equilibrium is Ti interstitial, which is corroborated by our STM/STS measurements.

Pulsatillae radix, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), is often used in combination with florfenicol for treatment of intestinal infection in Chinese veterinary clinics. Anemoside B4 (AB4) is the major effective saponin in Pulsatillae radix. This study aimed to investigate whether the pharmacokinetics of florfenicol in broilers was affected by the combination of AB4. In this study, broilers were given AB4 (50 mg/kg BW), or 0.9% sodium chloride solution by oral administration for 7 days. They were then fed florfenicol orally (30 mg/kg BW) on the eighth day. The results showed that the AUC(0-∞), MRT(0-∞), t1/2z and Cmax of florfenicol were significantly decreased, and the Vz/F and CLz/F were significantly increased by AB4; the mRNA expression levels of CXR, CYP3A37 and MDR1 (except CXR and CYP3A37 in the liver) were up-regulated by AB4. In conclusion, AB4 altered the pharmacokinetics of florfenicol, resulting in lower plasma concentrations of florfenicol, this was probably related to the mRNA expression of CXR, CYP3A37 and MDR1 in the jejunum and liver (except CXR and CYP3A37) increased by AB4. The implications of these findings on the effect of traditional Chinese medicine containing AB4 on the effectiveness of florfenicol in veterinary practice deserve study.

Alarm floods can interfere with operators and may therefore cause or aggravate industrial accidents. A novel algorithm is proposed for pattern mining in multiple alarm floods. Unlike traditional methods which either cannot deal with multiple sequences with time stamps or suffer from high computational cost, the computational complexity of this proposed algorithm is reduced significantly by introducing a generalized pairwise sequence alignment method and a progressive multiple sequence alignment approach. Two types of alignment refinement methods are developed to improve the alignment accuracy. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is tested using a dataset from a real chemical plant.

The laser-interference-induced backward transfer (LIIBT) that occurred during the nanostripe structuring of materials, performed by two-beam laser interference at the ITO glass/silicon wafer system under a normal atmospheric environment. The results showed that the nanostripe structures with nanoparticles (NPs) can be obtained at the laser fluence of 65–95 mJ·cm−2 for the laser duration of 100 and 200 pulses, respectively. The EDX analysis revealed that the silicon element was transferred on the surface of the nanostripe structures. In addition, Raman spectra with the peaks at ~520 cm−1 verified that the crystalline silicon was deposited on the nanostripe structures during the LIIBT process. Furthermore, the photoluminescence (PL) spectrum with the peak at ~395 nm belongs to the In2O3 nanostructure at the laser fluence of 45 mJ·cm−2 for 200 pulses. The peak at ~405 nm corresponds to the silicon nanostructures and it is covered by SiO at the laser fluence of 75 mJ·cm−2 for 200 pulses. The LIIBT shown here would greatly reduce the complexity in the fabrication of the nanostripe structures and give an impetus to the laser-induced backward transfer.

The failure modes of molecular junctions have been only sporadically investigated, but they are important to understand so they can be prevented and molecular junctions can be optimized. Although i...

Cladding systems are conventionally designed to serve an architectural purpose and provide environmental protection for building occupants. Recent research has been conducted to enhance structural resiliency by leveraging cladding systems against man-made and natural hazards. The vast majority of the work includes the use of sacrificial cladding panels and energy dissipating connectors. These passive protection systems, though effective, have typically targeted a single hazard one-at-a-time because of their limited frequency bandwidths. A novel semi-active friction connection has been previously proposed by the authors to leverage the cladding motion for mitigating blast and wind hazards. This semi-active friction device, termed variable friction cladding connection (VFCC), is designed to laterally connect cladding elements to the structural system and dissipate energy via friction. Its variable friction force is generated onto the sliding friction plates upon which a variable normal force is applied via actuated toggles. Because of its semi-active capabilities, the VFCC could be used over wide-band excitation frequencies and is thereby, an ideal candidate for multiple hazard mitigation. The VFCC in its passive in situ mode has been previously designed to mitigate air-blast effects towards the structure and its semi-active scheme has been applied to wind hazard mitigation. In this paper, a motion-based design (MBD) procedure is developed to apply the VFCC to seismic hazard mitigation, completing its application against multiple hazards. The MBD procedure begins with the quantification of seismic load and performance objectives, and afterwards, dynamic parameters of the cladding connection are selected based on non-dimensional analytical solutions. Simulations are conducted on two example buildings to verify and demonstrate the motion-based design methodology. Results show the semi-actively controlled VFCC is capable of mitigating the seismic vibrations of structures, demonstrating the promise of the semi-active cladding system for field applications.

Significance Deploying coal-bioenergy gasification systems with carbon capture and storage (CBECCS) provides a promising opportunity for China to realize its carbon mitigation and air pollution abatement goals simultaneously. We conducted a comprehensive assessment of CBECCS technology for China, with a focus on plant and fuel configurations (e.g., biomass ratios) and economics, as well as CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions and cobenefits for air quality. We find significant opportunities for carbon mitigation with air quality cobenefits from deployment of CBECCS systems in regions that are both rich in crop residues and facing urgent needs to curb serious air pollution. The study thus provides critical information for policy makers seeking to exploit the carbon-negative energy opportunities of CBECCS technology., Realizing the goal of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 2 °C by the end of this century will most likely require deployment of carbon-negative technologies. It is particularly important that China, as the world’s top carbon emitter, avoids being locked into carbon-intensive, coal-fired power-generation technologies and undertakes a smooth transition from high- to negative-carbon electricity production. We focus here on deploying a combination of coal and biomass energy to produce electricity in China using an integrated gasification cycle system combined with carbon capture and storage (CBECCS). Such a system will also reduce air pollutant emissions, thus contributing to China’s near-term goal of improving air quality. We evaluate the bus-bar electricity-generation prices for CBECCS with mixing ratios of crop residues varying from 0 to 100%, as well as associated costs for carbon mitigation and cobenefits for air quality. We find that CBECCS systems employing a crop residue ratio of 35% could produce electricity with net-zero life-cycle emissions of greenhouse gases, with a levelized cost of electricity of no more than 9.2 US cents per kilowatt hour. A carbon price of approximately $52.0 per ton would make CBECCS cost-competitive with pulverized coal power plants. Therefore, our results provide critical insights for designing a CBECCS strategy in China to harness near-term air-quality cobenefits while laying the foundation for achieving negative carbon emissions in the long run.

Background: Previously, we observed a strong relationship between circulating serum inflammation proteins in relation to lung cancer diagnosis and risk, both in case–control and prospective cohorts. Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening has a high prevalence of false-positive nodules, thus companion noninvasive biomarkers that can distinguish between benign and malignant nodules could have clinical utility and positive impact on patient outcomes. Methods: We conducted a nested case–control study within the National Lung Screening Trial. Concentrations of 30 inflammation proteins were measured on plasma samples of 262 cases and 528 controls using a highly sensitive and analytically validated electrochemiluminescence V-PLEX immunoassay. Results: Comparing the fourth quartile with the first quartile, we found increased IFNγ and IL12/IL23p40 associated with increased odds of a lung cancer diagnosis [OR 1.89, 95% confidence intervals (CI), 1.16–3.09; OR 2.49, 95% CI, 1.46–4.23, respectively]. Confirming our previous observations, we also detected a relationship between increased IL6, IL8, and C-reactive protein (CRP) with lung cancer diagnosis. These relationships were significant after adjustment for age, gender, race, smoking, body mass index (BMI), family history of lung cancer, and previous diagnoses of inflammatory conditions. However, none of these proteins could distinguish between a benign and malignant lung nodule (IL6: OR 1.25, 95% CI, 0.59–2.64; IL8: OR 1.40, 95% CI, 0.70–2.81; CRP: OR 0.98, 95% CI, 0.45–2.12). Conclusions: We have discovered new associations for IFNγ and IL12/IL23p40 with lung cancer but have no evidence that these proteins can distinguish between benign and malignant lung nodules. Impact: Circulating inflammation proteins are unlikely to have utility as companion LDCT biomarkers.

Agriculture is one of the main economic industries of a country. Application of information technologies in agriculture, smart agriculture, aims to realize precision control of irrigation, fertilizer, diseases, and insect pests prevention in the growing of crops. For the sake of obtaining the interest data, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are used to collect the interest data in the farm field and send the obtained data to the servers via wireless communication. Since the WSNs usually operate in the unlicensed spectrum, the available resource elements (REs) are scarce especially when a large number of sensor nodes are deployed in the farm field. To accommodate more sensor nodes and prolong the lifetime of the WSNs in agriculture, relay-aided non-orthogonal multiple access is introduced into the uplink transmission stage of the direct transmission from the sensor nodes to the sink node. Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) can transmit multiple symbols simultaneously on the same RE by splitting them in the power domain and distinguish them according to diverse power levels of different symbols. The average sum data rate and outage probability of the relay-aided NOMA in uplink transmission are theoretically analyzed. The numerical simulation results show that the WSNs with relay-aided NOMA outperforms the traditional OMA scheme in uplink transmission in WSNs in agriculture.

The development prospect of the piezoelectric harvesters mostly subject to its operation bandwidth. This paper reports a piezoelectric energy harvester with the material of the AlN with a broadband of 37 Hz (743 Hz-780 Hz) through the simple method of mechanical limiter. The broadband harvester was packaged by a novel method of wafer-level vacuum packaging which employs two times of eutectic Al-Ge bonding to bond the layers of device wafer, the top wafer and the bottom wafer. And the peak-peak open-circuit output voltage is about 10 V, and an output density is $342.87\ \mu \mathrm{W}/\text{cm}^{2}$ with the size of $0.6\times 1\ \text{cm}^{2}$ . Furthermore, the reported energy harvester is hopeful applied in powering wireless sensor nodes with a wideband vibration frequencies.

Objective The long-term effect of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) is still controversial. A previous meta-analysis showed no association between new-onset hypertension and entire upper urinary urolithiasis after SWL. Recently, there have been some reports on this topic. Therefore, we aimed to examine the association between new-onset hypertension and nephrolithiasis after SWL therapy. Methods Embase, the Cochrane Central Search Library, and PubMed were used to search for reports on new-onset hypertension and patients with nephrolithiasis after SWL. A meta-analysis of the association between new-onset hypertension and nephrolithiasis after SWL was carried out. The data of relevant research were synthesized and the relative risk was computed. Results Seven eligible studies were included in our meta-analysis. There was a significant association between nephrolithiasis after SWL and new-onset hypertension. The overall relative risk with a 95% confidence interval was 1.21 (1.11–1.31) in a fixed-effects model. Conclusion Our meta-analysis suggests an association between new-onset hypertension and patients with nephrolithiasis after SWL, which is in contrast with the finding of a previous meta-analysis.

Crystal structures activate innate immune cells, especially macrophages and initiate inflammatory responses. We aimed to understand the role of the mechanosensitive TRPV4 channel in crystal-induced inflammation. Real-time RT-PCR, RNAscope in situ hybridisation, and Trpv4eGFP mice were used to examine TRPV4 expression and whole-cell patch-clamp recording and live-cell Ca2+ imaging were used to study TRPV4 function in mouse synovial macrophages and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Both genetic deletion and pharmacological inhibition approaches were used to investigate the role of TRPV4 in NLRP3 inflammasome activation induced by diverse crystals in vitro and in mouse models of crystal-induced pain and inflammation in vivo. TRPV4 was functionally expressed by synovial macrophages and human PBMCs and TRPV4 expression was upregulated by stimulation with monosodium urate (MSU) crystals and in human PBMCs from patients with acute gout flares. MSU crystal-induced gouty arthritis were significantly reduced by either genetic ablation or pharmacological inhibition of TRPV4 function. Mechanistically, TRPV4 mediated the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome by diverse crystalline materials but not non-crystalline NLRP3 inflammasome activators, driving the production of inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β which elicited TRPV4-dependent inflammatory responses in vivo. Moreover, chemical ablation of the TRPV1-expressing nociceptors significantly attenuated the MSU crystal-induced gouty arthritis. In conclusion, TRPV4 is a common mediator of inflammatory responses induced by diverse crystals through NLRP3 inflammasome activation in macrophages. TRPV4-expressing resident macrophages are critically involved in MSU crystal-induced gouty arthritis. A neuroimmune interaction between the TRPV1-expressing nociceptors and the TRPV4-expressing synovial macrophages contributes to the generation of acute gout flares.

Background: Although laboratory tests have become an indispensable part in clinical practice, its application in severity classification and death risk stratification of COVID-19 remains unvalidated. This study aims to explore the significance of laboratory tests in the management of COVID-19.Methods: In 3,342 hospitalized patients with COVID-19, those of mild or moderate subtype were categorized into the non-severe group, while those of severe or critical subtype were categorized into the severe group. Initial laboratory data were analyzed and compared according to disease severity and outcome. Diagnostic models for the severe group were generated on risk factors identified by logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. Cox regression and ROC analyses on risk factors were utilized to construct prognostic models.Results: In identification of patients in the severe group, while age, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase were identified as independent predictors, the value of combination of them appears modest [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.694]. Further ROC analyses indicated that among patients in the severe group, laboratory indices had a favorable value in identifying patients of critical subtype rather than severe subtype. For death outcome, IL-6, co-existing cerebrovascular disease, prothrombin time activity, and urea nitrogen were independent risk factors. An IL-6 single-parameter model was finalized for distinguishing between fatal and recovered individuals (AUC = 0.953). Finally, a modified death risk stratification strategy based on clinical severity and IL-6 levels enables more identification of non-survivors in patients with non-critical disease.Conclusions: Laboratory screening provides a useful tool for COVID-19 management in identifying patients with critical condition and stratifying risk levels of death.

Background:. Aspirin has demonstrated safety and efficacy for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis following total hip arthroplasty (THA); however, inconsistent dose regimens have been reported in the literature. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the safety and efficacy of 100 mg aspirin twice daily with rivaroxaban in VTE prophylaxis following THA. Methods:. Patients undergoing elective unilateral primary THA between January 2019 and January 2020 were prospectively enrolled in the study and randomly allocated to receive 5 weeks of VTE prophylaxis with either oral enteric-coated aspirin (100 mg twice daily) or rivaroxaban (10 mg once daily). Medication safety and efficacy were comprehensively evaluated through symptomatic VTE incidence, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) on Doppler ultrasonography, total blood loss (TBL), laboratory bloodwork, Harris hip score (HHS), post-operative recovery, and the incidence of other complications. Results:. We included 70 patients in this study; 34 and 36 were allocated to receive aspirin and rivaroxaban prophylaxis, respectively. No cases of symptomatic VTE occurred in this study. The DVT rate on Doppler ultrasonography in the aspirin group was not significantly different from that in the rivaroxaban group (8.8% vs. 8.3%, χ2 = 0.01, P = 0.91), confirming the non-inferiority of aspirin for DVT prophylaxis (χ2 = 2.29, P = 0.01). The calculated TBL in the aspirin group (944.9 mL [658.5–1137.8 mL]) was similar to that in the rivaroxaban group (978.3 mL [747.4–1740.6mL]) (χ2 = 1.55, P = 0.12). However, there were no significant inter-group differences in HHS at post-operative day (POD) 30 (Aspirin: 81.0 [78.8–83.0], Rivaroxaban: 81.0 [79.3–83.0], χ2 = 0.43, P = 0.67) and POD 90 (Aspirin: 90.0 [89.0–92.0], Rivaroxaban: 91.5 [88.3–92.8], χ2 = 0.77, P = 0.44), the incidence of bleeding events (2.9% vs. 8.3%, χ2 = 0.96, P = 0.33), or gastrointestinal complications (2.9% vs. 5.6%, χ2 = 1.13, P = 0.29). Conclusion:. In terms of safety and efficacy, the prophylactic use of 100 mg aspirin twice daily was not statistically different from that of rivaroxaban in preventing VTE and reducing the risk of blood loss following elective primary THA. This supports the use of aspirin chemoprophylaxis following THA as a less expensive and more widely available option for future THAs. Trial Registration:. Chictr.org, ChiCTR18000202894; http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=33284

IntroductionAcute myocardial injury in patients with COVID-19 infection has been recognised as one important complication associated with in-hospital mortality. The potential dose–response effect of cardiac troponin (cTn) concentrations on adverse clinical outcomes has not been systematically studied. Hence, we will conduct a comprehensive dose–response meta-analysis to quantitatively evaluate the relationship between elevated cTn concentrations and in-hospital adverse clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19.MethodsWe will search PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and ISI Knowledge via Web of Science databases, as well as preprint databases (medRxiv and bioRxiv), from inception to October 2021, to identify all retrospective and prospective cohorts and randomised controlled studies using related keywords. The primary outcome will be all-cause mortality during hospitalisation. The secondary outcome will be major adverse event (MAE). To conduct a dose–response meta-analysis of the potential linear or restricted cubic spline regression relationship between elevated cTn concentrations and all-cause mortality or MAE, studies with three or more categories of cTn concentrations will be included. Univariable or multivariable meta-regression and subgroup analyses will be conducted to compare elevated and non-elevated categories of cTn concentration. Sensitivity analyses will be used to assess the robustness of our results by removing each included study at one time to obtain and evaluate the remaining overall estimates of all-cause mortality or MAE.Ethics and disseminationIn accordance with the Institutional Review Board/Independent Ethics Committee of Fuwai Hospital, ethical approval was waived for this systematic review protocol. This meta-analysis will be disseminated through a peer-reviewing process for journal publication and conference communication.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020216059.

The tuned liquid multiple column damper (TLMCD) is a variation of the tuned liquid column damper (TLCD) that includes multiple vertical columns. A new damping system that embeds TLMCDs within reinforced concrete shear wall systems, termed tuned liquid wall damper (TLWD), is proposed, augmenting the traditional structural component with energy dissipation capabilities. The objective of this study is to assess energy mitigation and strength trade-offs in designing TLWDs and demonstrating the promise of TLWD systems in tall buildings through vertically distributed applications. This is done by investigating the performance of the proposed TLWD through the finite element model (FEM) of a simplified representation of a 42-story building equipped with the multifunctional component. A strength model for the TLWD is developed to empower faster performance evaluation on more complex models. Results from the FEM are used to validate the strength model and show that the model could be used conservatively in assessing strength performance. Design considerations are discussed based on the simplified representation. In particular, to improve mitigation performance while maintaining strength, it is found that a single-layer arrangement of the vertical columns is preferred, while distributing the inertia among a higher number of smaller columns. The proposed TLWD is numerically evaluated on a more realistic system consisting of a multi-degrees-of-freedom representation of the 42-story building under stochastic wind excitation. Simulation results demonstrate that the TLWD, used in a vertically distributed configuration through the building, could be used to mitigate vibrations, outperforming a traditional TLCD system with geometric constraints under 20 design wind realization. Results from the numerical simulations also confirmed the design considerations established through the simplified representation.

As the semiconductor manufacturing continues its march towards more advanced technology nodes, design and process introduced systematic defects become significant yield limiters [1]. Therefore, identification and characterization of these systematic defects becomes increasingly important. The design systematic defect analysis is normally done by combining both inline inspection results and physical layout (design) information. In the full flow, from preparing inspection care area to performing systematic defect root cause analysis, utilizing EDA software plays an important role. Especially with machine learning technique combining with OPC feature vector extraction, we can have a more precise analysis of the weak pattern on wafers. In this paper, we will introduce how we utilize these techniques for Process Window Qualification (PWQ), focus mainly on how we perform BFI to SEM down sampling, and full chip hotspot prediction to verify potential hotspots on PWQ wafer in order to obtain an accurate process window, and identify systematic weak patterns with increased SEM defect hit rate.

Bi2GeTe4 is a promising near room-temperature thermoelectric candidate with a low lattice thermal conductivity. Carrier concentration of intrinsic Bi2GeTe4 changes dramatically with tiny Ge content adjustment, leading to a challenge in carrier concentration optimization. To overcome this challenge, we firstly introduce excessive Ge into Bi2GeTe4 to shift the Fermi level deep into the conduction band and transfer Bi2GeTe4 into a highly degenerate n-type semiconductor. Secondly, the embedded p-type Bi2Ge2Te5 secondary phase induces further optimization of the Fermi level and carrier concentration. Finally, the power factor of the as-synthesized Bi2GeTe4-based material is significantly increased from ∼0.08 μW cm-1 K-2 to ∼4.2 μW cm-1 K-2 at 423 K when increasing the nominal Ge content (x) of Bi2GexTe4 from 1 to 1.45. Correspondingly, a high figure-of-merit of ∼0.22 at 423 K is achieved in Bi2GeTe4-based thermoelectric materials. This result indicates our viable stepwise strategy can be used to optimize carrier concentration and achieve high thermoelectric performance of the n-type Bi2GeTe4.

Aiming at insufficient representation of current indicators in transformer health assessment, this paper, using random matrix theory (RMT), motivates data-driven tools to analyze and perceive the spatiotemporal correlation of distribution network transformer equipment operation data, and then constructs high-dimensional statistical characteristics as the representation quantity of equipment health status. Some actual cases are given to show that the proposed feature has a better characterization ability for the equipment health condition with consideration of sensitivity and reliability. The work through the object – data – high-dimensional statistics – health index, on the one hand, to achieve data-driven health assessment, on the other hand, to provide theoretical support and application demonstration for the implementation of big data analytics in the field of power systems.

Limited information is available regarding clinical and biological properties of fatigue in patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD). Patients with moderate-to-severe cGvHD per NIH criteria were enrolled on a cross-sectional study and categorized as "fatigued" if SF-36 vitality score was

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a once-in-century crisis to public health. Although the pathogen for COVID-19, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been identified, the pandemic is still ongoing. The critically ill COVID-19 patients account for most disease-associated death; thus, there is an urgent need to identify prognostic factors that would help determine therapeutic approaches. Methods In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical and laboratory findings in 100 critically ill COVID-19 patients in Hubei Women & Children Healthcare Hospital (Guanggu District), of whom 22 patients died in hospital, and 78 patients survived. Results We found that age, lymphocyte count, and total bilirubin concentration were an independent prognostic factor for critically ill COVID-19 patients. Of particular importance, we observed a significant elevation of myocardium injury biomarkers, including CK-MB, high-sensitivity cardiac troponini I (hs-cTnI), and Mb, in the non-survivor group. These myocardium injury biomarkers appeared to correlate with the time of survival, and two multivariate models have suggested hs-cTnI was a novel prognostic factor with a sensitivity of 75.0% and a specificity of 84.9%. Conclusions Altogether, our study highlighted the prognostic significance of myocardium injury biomarkers in critically ill COVID-19 patients. Monitoring myocardium injury biomarkers would predict patient survival and guide therapeutic strategy.