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Purpose: The present study investigated the association between Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE)-estimated cardiovascular risk and carotid stiffening in a middle-aged population using ultrafast pulse wave velocity (ufPWV).Methods: This study enrolled 683 participants without known cardiovascular disease or diabetes mellitus who underwent ufPWV measurements. Clinical interviews, physical examinations, laboratory findings, carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), pulse wave velocity (PWV) at the beginning of systole (PWV-BS), and PWV at the end of systole (PWV-ES) were assessed. Each participant underwent an assessment of SCORE risk based on major cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs), including age, sex, smoking, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and total cholesterol (TC). Crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals and ordinal logistic regression were used. Overall CVRFs were adjusted to assess ORs.Results: cIMT and carotid stiffening in PWV-BS and PWV-ES were significantly different between sex subgroups (all P0.05).Conclusion: Carotid stiffening quantified by ufPWV is linked to SCORE categories, and elevated PWV-ES may aid in cardiovascular risk stratification.

In the current study, we aimed to investigate the network structure of COVID-19 symptoms and its related psychiatric symptoms, using a network approach. Specifically, we examined how COVID-19 symptoms relate to psychiatric symptoms and highlighted potential pathways between COVID-19 severity and psychiatric symptoms. With a sample of six hundred seventy-five recovered COVID-19 patients recruited 1 month after hospital discharge, we respectively integrated COVID-19 symptoms with PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms and analyzed the three network structures. In all three networks, COVID-19 severity and ICU admission are not linked directly to COVID-19 symptoms after hospitalization, while COVID-19 severity (but not ICU admission) is linked directly to one or more psychiatric symptoms. Specific pathways between COVID-19 symptoms and psychiatric symptoms were discussed. Finally, we used directed acyclic graph estimation to show potential causal effects between COVID-19 related variables and demographic characteristics.

Aim Vaccines are vital to ending the COVID‐19 pandemic and we reviewed the data on vaccinating children, and including them in clinical trials, as most of the activity has focused on adults. Methods English and Chinese databases, including PubMed, Elsevier Scopus, Web of Science, CNKI and CQVIP were searched, along with websites such as the World Health Organization and the University of Oxford. Results We identified 44 papers and 16 news items about vaccinating children against the virus, published from 10 February 2020 to 14 July 2021. Child vaccination has been slow and only a few countries have included children in Phase II or III clinical trials. The data on children were much more limited than on adults, but most children were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms and some deaths had been recorded. More clinical trials are needed to assess the safety and efficacy of vaccinating children, as higher vaccination levels can help to build up herd immunity. The percentage of parents willing to vaccinate their children against the virus ranged from 48.2% to 72.6%, with much lower rates for letting them participate in clinical trials. Conclusion Vaccines should be offered to children as soon as their safety and efficacy are established.

The fiber laser has become an ideal ultrashort pulse source because of its cheap structure, high integration, convenient and controllable output direction, which greatly promotes the development and application of ultrafast optics. This paper mainly focuses on the control and amplification of double-hump solitons in fiber lasers theoretically. The bilinear forms and soliton solutions of the coupled Manakov equations are presented, and the transmission of double-hump solitons is discussed. The factors affecting the stable transmission of double-hump solitons are analyzed. The relevant conclusions have important guiding significance for understanding the generation of stable double-hump solitons in fiber lasers.

The effect of ginsenoside Rb1 on D-galactosamine (D-GalN)/lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute liver injury (ALI) is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ginsenoside Rb1 on ALI and its underlying mechanisms.Mice were pretreated with ginsenoside Rb1 by intraperitoneal injection for 3 days before D-GalN/LPS treatment, to induce ALI. The survival rate was monitored every hour for 24 h, and serum biochemical parameters, hepatic index and histopathological analysis were evaluated to measure the degree of liver injury. ELISA was used to detect oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines in hepatic tissue and serum. Immunohistochemistry staining, RT-PCR and western blotting were performed to evaluate the expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), and NLR family, pyrin domain-containing 3 protein (NLRP3) in liver tissue and Kupffer cells (KCs).Ginsenoside Rb1 improved survival with D-GalN/LPS-induced ALI by up to 80%, significantly ameliorated the increased alanine and aspartate transaminase, restored the hepatic pathological changes and reduced the levels of oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines altered by D-GalN/LPS. Compared to the control group, the KCs were increased in the D-GalN/LPS groups but did not increase significantly with Rb1 pretreatment. D-GalN/LPS could upregulate while Rb1 pretreatment could downregulate the expression of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-18, NLRP3, apoptosis associated speck-like protein containing CARD (ASC) and caspase-1 in isolated KCs. Furthermore, ginsenoside Rb1 inhibited activation of the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome induced by D-GalN/LPS administration.Ginsenoside Rb1 protects mice against D-GalN/LPS-induced ALI by attenuating oxidative stress and the inflammatory response through the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Background The aim of this study is to evaluate the implant survival/success rate, gain in alveolar bone height, crestal bone loss, and complications associated with implants placed in the posterior maxilla after osteotome sinus floor elevation without bone substitutes. Methods The electronic databases, such as MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and SCOPUS were systematically and manually searched for publications in peer-reviewed journals. The included articles were subjected to qualitative and quantitative analyses, and the meta-analysis was carried out for single-arm studies. Methodological quality assessment was made for all the included studies. Results The included studies were of moderate quality, with the overall implant success and survival rates of 98.3% and 97.9% respectively. The most frequent intra-surgical complication was sinus membrane perforation, accounting for 3.08% of the total implants with reported perforations. The overall crestal bone loss in patients with immediate implants placed with OSFE after a 5-year follow-up was 0.957 mm 95%CI (0.538, 1.377). Conclusion Within the limitations of this review, it can be concluded that the survival and success rates of implants placed immediately along with OSFE without any bone substitutes are acceptable and show adequate implant stability with less crestal bone loss over 5 years.

After reviewing the problems of supply disruption caused by worldwide public health events, a two-echelon dual-marketing-channel supply model is presented in this paper, whose participants are one ...

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal chalcogenides (TMCs) become more attractive upon addition of a third element owing to their unique structure and remarkable physical and chemical properties, which endow these materials with considerable potential for applications in nanoscale devices. In this work, a RexNb(1-x)S2-based saturable absorber (SA) device for ultrafast photonics applications is studied. The device is assembled by placing RexNb(1-x)S2 nanosheets with a thickness of 1-3 nm onto a microfiber to increase their compatibility with an all-fiber laser cavity. The prepared RexNb(1-x)S2-based device exhibits a modulation depth of 24.3%, a saturation intensity of 10.1 MW/cm2, and a nonsaturable loss of 28.5%. Furthermore, the RexNb(1-x)S2-based device is used to generate ultrashort pulses in an erbium-doped fiber (EDF) laser cavity. At a pump power of 260 mW, the EDF laser operates in a conventional soliton mode-locked region. The pulse width is 285 fs, and the repetition frequency is 61.993 MHz. In particular, the bound-state soliton mode-locking operation is successfully obtained in a pump power range of 300-900 mW. The bound-state pulses are formed by doubling identical solitons with a temporal interval of 0.8 ps. The output power is as high as 47.9 mW, and the repetition frequency is 123.61 MHz. These results indicate that the proposed RexNb(1-x)S2-based SAs have comparable properties to currently used 2D SAs and provide a basis for their application in the field of ultrafast photonics.

The photocatalytic water splitting has a stupendous role to generate renewable hydrogen. However, the overall water splitting reaction is limited by the sluggish oxidation step. Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) has been identified as one of the most promising n-type semiconductors for photocatalytic water oxidation due to its small energy gap and favorable band alignment. Thus, it is necessary to summarize the recent progress done on BiVO4 for the guidance of future research. In this review, we have discussed recent strategies that have been adopted to boost its photoconversion efficiency at three different levels: (1) facet control, (2) morphological control and, (3) interfacial control. The roles of high indexed facets, anisotropic morphologies, and mediator-based Z schemes are comprehensively discussed and the emphasis is given to find the suitable structural, morphological, and interfacial combination of BiVO4 for efficient water oxidation.

Since December 2019, corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a global pandemic, posing a huge threat to human health, and the current epidemic prevention situation is still severe. Hematological parameters directly reflect the damage of SARS-CoV-2 to human blood cells, which can better assess the severity and prognosis of patients infected with COVID-19, but hematological parameters have some differences between adults and children. This article comprehensively reviews the differences in hematological parameters between adults and children after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and provides a reference for the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19.

A prospective study was conducted to compare metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and conventional testing in investigating the pathogens of central nervous system (CNS) infections in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) recipients. A total of 53 patients with CNS disorders after allo-HSCT were enrolled in this study. A total of 35 patients were diagnosed as CNS infections, including 28 viral, 2 bacterial, 1 fungal, 3 mixed infections, and 1 infection with unknown pathogen. Among these 35 patients with CNS infections, mNGS identified 5 patients who were not identified by conventional testing. For the remaining 30 infections, mNGS made concurrent diagnoses with conventional testing in 29, while 1 was diagnosed according to the good response to the antimicrobial treatment without etiological evidence. The presence of Aspergillus detected by mNGS only in one patient was considered false positive due to lack of validation. The sensitivity of mNGS and conventional testing for diagnosing CNS infections post transplant were 97.1% and 82.9%, respectively (P = 0.106), while the specificity of mNGS and conventional testing were 94.4% and 100%, respectively (P = 1.000). These results suggest that mNGS might be a promising technology for diagnosis of CNS infections post transplant. Viruses were the most common pathogens of CNS infections in allo-HSCT recipients.

High-performance solar-blind UV detector with high response and fast speed is needed in multiple types of areas, which is hard to achieve in one device with a simple structure and device fabrication process. Here, the effects of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) with different sizes on UV response characteristics of the device are studied, the Ag NPs with different sizes that are made from a simple vacuum anneal method. Ag NPs with different sizes could modulate the peak response position of the mixed-phase MgZnO detector from near UV range (350 nm) to deep UV range (235 nm), and the enhancement effect of the Ag NPs on the UV response differs much with the crystal structure and the basic UV response of the MgZnO thin film. When high density 20-40 nm Ag NPs is induced, the deep UV (235 nm) response of the mixed-phase MgZnO detector is increased by 226 times, the I uv/I dark ratio of the modified device is increased by 17.5 times. The slight enhancement in UV light intensity from 20 to 40 nm Ag NPs induces multiple tunnel breakdown phenomena within the mixed-phase MgZnO thin film, which is the main reason for the abnormal great enhancement effect on deep UV response of the device, so the recovery speed of the modified device is not influenced. Therefore, Ag NPs with different sizes could effectively modulate the UV response peak position of mixed-phase MgZnO thin films, and the introduction of Ag NPs with high density and small size is a simple way to greatly increase the sensitivity of the mixed-phase MgZnO detector at deep UV light without decreasing the device speed. Published version This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under grant nos. (51872187, 11774241, 51371120, 51302174, 61704111, 61504083, and 61574051), the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (2016A030313060 and 2017A030310524), the Public Welfare Capacity Building in Guangdong Province (2015A010103016), the Project of Department of Education of Guangdong Province (2014KTSCX110), the Science and Technology Research Items of Shenzhen (JCYJ20170818144255777, JCYJ20170818144212483, JCYJ20180507182248925, JCYJ201602261920, JCYJ20170818143417082, and JCYJ20160226192033020), the Science and Technology Foundation of Shenzhen, and the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2017YFB0404100 and 2017YFB0403000).

The final chemical transformation and isolation in the synthesis of an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), referred to as the Pure Step, is often chemically simple but scientifically, operation...

Due to the special working wavelength and superb beam quality, the mid‐infrared fiber laser has a wide application prospect in the fields of biomedicine, military defense, laser manufacturing, atmospheric detection, space communication, etc. In recent years, with the emergence of two‐dimensional (2D) saturable absorption materials, the development of mid‐infrared lasers ushered in new opportunities. In particular, as a potential 2D material, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) with various types has attracted extensive attention from researchers because of its unique structural characteristics and ideal photoelectric performance. In this paper, the preparation, main properties and saturable absorption of TMDs are introduced in detail, and latest research progress of mid‐infrared lasers based on saturable absorbers at home and abroad is described.

Monolayer semiconducting two-dimensional (2D) materials are strongly emerging materials for exploring the spin-valley coupling effect and fabricating novel optoelectronic devices due to their unique structural symmetry and band structures. Due to their atomic thickness, their excitonic optical response is highly sensitive to the dielectric environment. In this work, we present a novel approach to reversibly modulate the optical properties of monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) via changing the dielectric properties of the substrate by laser irradiation and thermal annealing. We chose LiNbO3 as the substrate and recorded the PL spectra of monolayer MoS2 on LiNbO3 substrates with positive (P+) and negative (P-) ferroelectric polarities. A distinct PL intensity of the A peak was observed due to opposite doping by surface charges. Under light irradiation, the PL intensity of monolayer MoS2 on P+ Fe2O3-doped LiNbO3 gradually decreased with time due to the reduction of intrinsic p-doping, which originated from the drift of photo-excited electrons under a spontaneous polarization field and accumulation on the surface. The PL intensity was found to be restored by thermal annealing which could erase the charge redistribution. This study provides a strategy to reversibly modulate the optical properties of monolayer 2D materials on top of ferroelectric materials.

Ternary transition metal chalcogenides (TTMDCs), a novel type of two-dimensional (2D) three-element materials, possess multiple physical and chemical properties and have promising potentials in basic physics and devices. Herein, the usage of WxNb(1−x)Se2 nanosheets as a rising ultrafast photonic device to generate high power mode-locked and Q-switched pulses in a fiber laser is demonstrated. The WxNb(1−x)Se2 nanosheets were successfully prepared by the liquid exfoliation method with thickness less than 3 nm. The nonlinear optical absorption of the WxNb(1−x)Se2-based device was investigated with the saturable intensity of 40.93 MW cm−2 and modulation depth of 5.43%. After integrating the WxNb(1−x)Se2-based device into an Er-doped fiber (EDF) laser cavity, mode-locking and Q-switching laser pulses were formed. In the mode-locked mechanism output, the pulse width is as narrow as 131 fs and the output power is 52.93 mW. In Q-switched operation, the shortest pulse duration is 1.47 μs with the largest pulse energy of 257 nJ. Compared to recent studies, our results showed some improvements. This study suggests that 2D TTMDC-based devices could be developed as efficient ultrafast photonics candidates and widely used in nonlinear optical applications.

Based on the characteristics of the e-commerce industry, this paper proposes the conception of operating intensity and explores the relationships between R&D intensity, operating intensity and firms’ performance. Multiple regression analysis approach is adopted based on the unbalanced panel dataset of global e-commerce listed companies in 49 countries in 2001-2015. Our findings suggest that suitable R&D intensity contributes positively to e-commerce firms’ performance, and with a lag. Operating intensity contributes an inverted U shape to e-commerce firms’ performance. We also find that interaction between R&D and operating intensity’s effects on firms’ performance is positively significant in global samples. In Group 7 sample, R&D intensity contributes positively to e-commerce firms’ performance, but BRICS sample’s is negative. Operating intensity contributes positively to firms’ performance both in Group 7 sample and BRICS sample. Marginal utility of operating intensity on firms’ performance in Group 7 sample is bigger than in BRICS. The results imply that R&D investment of e-commerce listed companies in BRIC countries has not converted to benefit, however it drags down the firms’ performance.

Severe burns predispose to shock and necessitate escharectomy and skin grafting. Previous studies show that mesenchymal stem cells are effective for burn wound healing and immune regulation. In this study, we combined escharectomy and skin grafting after burn injury with stem cell application, so as to examine the immune regulation of stem cells and the effect on the transplanted skin graft. SD rats were randomly divided into normal group, sham group, normal + hUCMSCs group, and normal + SB203580 group. Normal saline, hUCMSCs, and SB203580 were injected into the tail vein of each group, and serum inflammatory factors were detected by ELISA. The expression of p38 MAPK/NF-κB pathway proteins in rat liver was detected by western blot. Skin activity was detected by Trypan blue staining and western blot. Skin graft inflammatory infiltration was detected by histological analysis. We found that hUCMSCs could regulate the phosphorylation levels of P38MAPK and NF-B P65 proteins in the liver to reduce the inflammatory response. These effects could continue to reduce the production of inflammatory factors HMGB-1, IL-6, and TNF-α, and increase the anti-inflammatory factor IL-10. The infiltration of inflammatory cells in skin graft was significantly reduced in the normal + hUCMSCs group, and the macrophages in the hUCMSCs group polarized to the anti-inflammatory M2 direction in 3 days. However, the changes of skin graft activity and necroptosis markers protein RIP3 were not observed. The present study demonstrates the immunomodulatory effects of hUCMSCs on the systemic and skin graft microenvironment after excision.

High-speed operation and low-power-consumption requirements have accelerated the development of thin-film transistors (TFTs) with exploration of gate dielectrics. In this work, the integration of a...

A scalable two-pot sulfonamidation through the process has been developed for the synthesis of gefapixant citrate, a P2X3 receptor antagonist that is under investigation for the treatment of refrac...

A robust, green, and sustainable manufacturing process has been developed for the synthesis of gefapixant citrate, a P2X3 receptor antagonist that is under investigation for the treatment of refrac...

Background Currently, the novel coronavirus pneumonia is rampaging around the world, 13.2 - 21.3% of patients with COVID-19 infection developed severe or critical illness. Treatment of these critically ill patients is becoming one of the major challenges we are facing. Frequently, more than 10 types of drugs are used simultaneously in the treatment of these critically ill patients, and the combination of many different drugs may easily lead to drug interactions and adverse reactions. Therefore, clinical pharmacist should participate in the optimization of drug treatment programs. Materials and methods A case of a critically ill COVID-19 patient with respiratory failure and diabetes mellitus is used as an example of an analysis of the treatment plan, utilization of combined medications, and the delivery of pharmaceutical care. Results There were some drug use unreasonable phenomena, including the extended continuation of arbidol treatment, the use of broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs, the use of drugs with unproven anti-coronavirus effects. Conclusion Clinical pharmacists should participate in the optimization of drug treatment programs and provide pharmaceutical care for critically ill COVID-19 patients; this can promote the rational use of drugs.

Background: Wound complications are a major source of morbidity after cesarean section (CS) and contribute to increased risks in subsequent pregnancies. In the present study, we aim to investigate the wound healing potential of a kind of oligopeptide compound, mainly derived from the marine fish peptides (MFPs), in rats after CS by biomechanical, biochemical, and histological methods. Methods: Eighty-four pregnant Sprague–Dawleyrats were randomly assigned to four groups, namely the control group and 1.1, 2.2, and 4.4 mg/kg MFP groups, respectively. The MFPs or normal saline of the equal volume was intragastrically administered every morning on the second day after CS. On days 5, 10, and 15 after the surgery, seven rats from each group were randomly selected. The samples of skin wound and uterus were harvested and then used for the following experiments and analyses. Results: Using the CS rat model, this study demonstrated that in the MFP groups, the skin tensile strength, uterine bursting pressure, and hydroxyproline (Hyp) were significantly higher than those in the control group at all three time points (P < 0.05). The formation of collagen and smooth muscle fibers and the expression of CD34 and connective tissue growth factor at the incision site were increasingly observed in the MFP groups (P < 0.05). Conclusions: MFPs have a great potential to accelerate the process and quality of wound healing in rats after CS.

BACKGROUND Hyperuricemia is considered a risk factor for increased postoperative complications and adverse functional outcomes in a variety of orthopedic surgeries. The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the clinical efficacy of patients with different uric acid levels after elbow arthrolysis. METHODS The study included 131 patients with post-traumatic elbow stiffness who underwent arthrolysis between March 2014 and March 2016. All patients were divided into 4 groups based on the preoperative serum level of uric acid (UA). The quartile method was used for grouping patients, including 33 in Q1 (UA

IV–VI semiconductors have attracted widespread attention in basic research and practical applications, because of their electrical and optoelectronic properties comparable to graphene. Herein, an optical modulator based on SnSSe with strong nonlinearity is prepared by chemical vapor transfer method. The modulation depth of proposed SnSSe saturable absorber (SA) is up to 57.5%. By incorporating SnSSe SA into the laser, the Q-switched pulses as short as 547.8 ns are achieved at 1530.07 nm. As far as we know, this is the first successful application of SnSSe in Q-switched lasers. Our investigation not only prove the optical nonlinearity of SnSSe, but also reveal the potential of SnSSe SA in ultrafast photonics.

Transition metal dichalcogenides have been widely utilized as nonlinear optical materials for laser pulse generation applications. Herein, we study the nonlinear optical properties of a VS2-based optical device and its application as a new saturable absorber (SA) for high-power pulse generation. Few-layer VS2 nanosheets are deposited on the tapered region of a microfiber to form an SA device, which shows a modulation depth of 40.52%. After incorporating the microfiber-VS2 SA into an Er-doped fiber laser cavity, passively Q-switched pulse trains could be obtained with repetition rates varying from 95 to 233 kHz. Under the pump power of 890 mW, the largest output power and shortest pulse duration are measured to be 43 mW and 854 ns, respectively. The high signal-to-noise ratio of 60 dB confirms the excellent stability of the Q-switching state. To the best of our knolowdge, this is the first illustration of using VS2 as an SA. Our experimental results demonstrate that VS2 nanomaterials have a large potential for nonlinear optics applications.

In this study, pulsed laser deposition method (PLD) was employed to grow MgxZn1-xO films on quartz substrates. The optimal deposition temperature of 300 °C for MgxZn1-xO film was decided and Mg0.38Zn0.62O, Mg0.56Zn0.44O and Mg0.69Zn0.31O films were grown respectively using MgxZn1-xO targets with different Mg contents (x = 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7). As-deposited Mg0.38Zn0.62O film possessed the mixed-phase (hexagonal and cubic phase) structure, appropriate band gap of 4.68 eV and smaller surface roughness of 1.72 nm, and the solar-blind photodetector (PD) based on it was fabricated. The key features of our PD are the cutoff wavelength of 265 nm lying in solar-blind band, lower dark current (Idark) of 88 pA, higher peak responsivity of 0.10 A/W and bigger Ilight/Idark ratio of 1688, which provide the new idea for the application of solar-blind PDs based on MgxZn1-xO films.

Recently, metal surface plasma technology has been widely used to improve the quantum efficiency of optoelectronic devices, such as ZnO light-emitting diodes (LEDs). In this work, Ag films with the appropriate thickness were prepared by evaporation and annealed, and a layer of ZnCdO films with different Cd concentrations was grown on the Ag films by the pulsed laser deposition method. During this process, the changes in the Cd concentrations caused the near-band edge (NBE) emission of the ZnCdO films to be continuously adjusted in the ultraviolet to green wavelength range by controlling the oxygen pressure. The prepared Ag nanoparticles and ZnCdO composite films were used to study the metal localized surface plasmon (LSP) effect. The results show that the enhanced or reduced photoluminescence intensity of ZnCdO NBE depends on the probability of electrons transport to either the LSP level or the Fermi level of the metal. This discovery provides an important theoretical basis for the preparation of ZnCdO semiconductor LEDs in the future.

Yttrium oxide (Y2O3) has been widely used in metal-reinforced composites, microelectronics, waveguide lasers, and high-temperature protective coatings because of its good physical and photoelectric properties. However, few studies have been done on the nonlinear optical applications of Y2O3 as saturable absorbers (SAs) in fiber lasers so far. Here, a passively Q-switched near-infrared fiber laser using Y2O3 as a Q-switching device is demonstrated. The optical nonlinear properties of the Y2O3 SA prepared by the magnetron sputtering method were measured by the twin-detector measurement technique, and the modulation depth of the proposed Y2O3 SA was found to be 46.43%. The achieved Q-switched laser delivers an average output power of 26 mW at 1530 nm with a pulse duration of 592.7 ns. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the optical nonlinearity of Y2O3 as a Q-switcher for the near-infrared fiber laser, which may deepen the understanding of the optical nonlinear properties of Y2O3 and make inroads into the potential market of optical modulation and optoelectronic devices.

In recent years, the diversity of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) has made them occupy the essential status in the exploration of saturable absorbing materials. WTe2, also an important member of TMDs not only exhibits narrower band gap than MoS2 or WS2, but also has fast relaxation time, thus it has advantages in the realization of broadband absorption and ultrashort pulses. In this work, a WTe2 saturable absorber (SA) fabricated by magnetron sputtering technology features nonlinear absorption coefficient of −3.78 × 10−5 cm/W and modulation depth of 37.95%. After integrating this WTe2 SA into the ring cavity, a 164 fs mode-locked laser is achieved at 1557.71 nm. The laser remains stable about 8 h with an output power of 36.7 mW. The results show the favorable saturable absorption properties of WTe2, and further demonstrate the potential of WTe2 in the realization of ultrashort pulses, which indicates that WTe2 can be regarded as a possible candidate for future ultrafast lasers.

A p-GaN/i-MgO/n-ZnO nanorod array (NRA) heterojunction light-emitting diode has been fabricated. Its room-temperature electroluminescence spectra under different forward biases revealed a strong emission band across the whole visible region, which was blue-shifted when increasing the forward bias. The origin of this visible emission is considered to be related to oxygen vacancy (VO) defects in different valence states, where the blue emission (∼ 460 nm) comes from neutral oxygen vacancy (VOX ) defects and the green emission (∼ 520 nm) from singly charged oxygen vacancy (VO+ ) defects, while the yellow (∼ 580 nm) and red emission (∼ 670 nm) are attributed to doubly charge oxygen vacancy (VO++ ) defects. These VO defects in different states can convert into one another under different excitation conditions, resulting in the blue-shift of the emission peak as the forward voltage is increased.

As an n-type oxide semiconductor, Ga2O3 shows great promise in solar-blind ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors due to its adequate band gap, high absorption coefficient, high thermal and chemical stability, high breakdown voltage, and high sensitivity to UV light. In order to investigate the photoresponse of the Ga2O3 photodetector with different crystallization status, we fabricated a series of β-Ga2O3 thin films on a sapphire substrate via pulsed laser deposition with different deposition temperatures from 250°C to 650°C. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy result showed crystallization enhancement due to the increasing of deposition temperature, and the crystallization procedure started at ∼ 450°C. Optical analysis indicated a blue shift present at the absorption edge (from 4.6 eV to 5.1 eV) with temperature increasing from 450°C to 650°C, showing modulation feasibility in the band gap due to temperature dependence. In addition, all samples showed high transmittance (over 90%) over the entire visible spectrum. Film detectors fabricated by these samples showed high photoresponse and high light/dark current ratio (ILight/IDark) on Ga2O3 deposited at 450°C. Transmission electron microscopy result for film deposited at 450°C showed that the top and bottom regions of films contained both amorphous and crystalline Ga2O3, while there was no crystallization in the middle area of the film, indicating that a combined amorphous-crystalline Ga2O3 film with adequate ratio of crystalline state can significantly enhance the photoresponse while restraining the dark current.

Thin-film transistors (TFTs) based on solution-derived metal oxides hold great potential in emerging low-cost large-area printed electronics. Despite recent impressive progress, these device performances are far behind those of their corresponding vacuum-based counterparts, impeding their future commercialization. In this work, we designed and created high-performance TFTs based on a nanometer-thick (down to 5 nm) crystalline In–Sm–O channel via aqueous solution processing, with a performance comparable to those of existing vacuum-processed metal oxides. The microstructural, chemical, optical, and electrical properties of the ultra-thin In–Sm–O samples as a function of Sm doping content (0–10%) were comprehensively investigated. The In–Sm–O TFTs (5% Sm) on SiO2/Si dielectrics demonstrated state-of-the-art performance, including a high mobility of 21.51 ± 1.33 cm2 V−1 s−1, subthreshold swing of 0.66 ± 0.06 V per decade, threshold voltage of 2.14 ± 0.44 V, on/off current ratio >108, and remarkable bias stress stability. The success of In–Sm–O was attributed to the high quality of the crystalline In2O3 matrix, the ideal nature of Sm dopant in suppressing oxygen vacancies, as well as the ultrathin and atomically smooth nature of the channel layer. Therefore, the aqueous solution-processed ultra-thin In–Sm–O channel is expected to enable the realization of future low-cost, large-area, and high-performance green electronics.

In this work, we investigate VSe2 for generating femtosecond and large energy mode-locked laser pulses for the first time. Two types of VSe2 based saturable absorbers (SAs), microfiber–VSe2 and VSe2/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), are prepared, which exhibit strong nonlinear optical characteristics with a modulation depth (ΔT) of 22.5% and 1.849%, respectively. In contrast to other transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), theoretical calculations show that VSe2 is a metallic TMDC SA. With the implementation of microfiber–VSe2, conventional soliton mode-locking Er-doped fiber (EDF) laser is demonstrated with an ultrashort pulse duration of 910 fs. Based on VSe2/PVA, a large energy EDF laser is established. The maximum single pulse energy is 25.57 nJ. This study suggests that VSe2 possesses application potential in ultrafast photonics and provides a valuable strategy for the development of TMDC based devices with desirable optoelectronic properties.

Au/MgZnO/nanolayered ZnO (Ga-doped)/In MIS (metal–insulator–semiconductor) structure UV detectors are fabricated by the PLD (pulsed laser deposition) method, and the effect of different thickness G...

Background Post-traumatic elbow stiffness and heterotopic ossification (HO) affects long-term life quality, as commonly in children and teenagers as in grownups. Childhood obesity considerably influences public health because it causes stroke, hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Previous research discussed its clinical complications in orthopedic diseases. However, no clinical research reveals the interaction between childhood obesity and HO after elbow injuries. Hypothesis Obesity might be a risk factor of recurrent HO after elbow arthrolysis in children and teenagers, correlated with the severity of postoperative HO. Methods Fifty seven post-traumatic children and teenagers undergoing elbow arthrolysis were retrospectively reviewed and divided into underweight/normal-weight group (n = 28) and overweight/obese group (n = 29) according to the gender-specific body mass index (BMI)-for-age growth chart. The Hastings and Graham classification was used to evaluate HO recurrence. We also assessed Mayo elbow performance scores and range of motion. Results The mean age, gender, pathogenesis, side of injury, time of injury, follow-up duration were analyzed. Overweight/obese children and teenagers were more likely to develop recurrent HO (p = 0.005) than underweight/normal-weight children and teenagers. A significant difference in the severity of recurrent HO between two groups was confirmed (p = 0.028). The range of motion was improved greatly in underweight/normal-weight group compared with that in overweight/obese group (p = 0.001). Conclusions The HO recurrence difference between two groups confirmed the hypothesis. Although underlying mechanisms are unclear, weight control might promote postoperative and long-term rehabilitation of the elbow joint for children and teenagers. Level of evidence III, retrospective cohort study, treatment study.

Transparent amorphous oxide semiconductor (TAOS) represented by a-InGaZnO (IGZO) has achieved their commercial success in the display industry due to its superior material properties (e.g. high mobility (>10 cm 2 V −1 s −1 ), good transparency and excellent uniformity). However, TAOSs with excellent electrical properties are all n-type due to the particular electronic structures of oxide materials. The absence of high performance p-type TAOS limits the device application such as complimentary circuit and is now the largest drawback for oxide electronics. Here, we propose a low-temperature solution method to fabricate p-type transparent amorphous nickel oxide (NiO). The influence of processing parameters such as annealing temperature, precursor concentration, source/drain electrode, and dielectric layer is systematically investigated to maximum the NiO device performance. The optimized NiO TFT exhibits outstanding p-channel behavior, including a high hole mobility of 6.0 cm 2 V −1 s −1 , remarkable on/off current modulation ratio of ∼10 7 , and good subthreshold swing of 0.13 V/decade. The high performance NiO device is attributed to the synergistic optimization of annealing temperature, channel thickness, source/drain electrodes, and dielectric materials. The properties of our p-type TAOS are comparable with that of traditional n-type TAOS.

SARS-CoV-2 has caused a global health disaster with millions of death worldwide, and the substantial proportion of asymptomatic carriers poses a huge threat to public health. The long-term antibody responses and neutralization activity during natural asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection are unknown. In this study, we used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and neutralization assay with purified SARS-CoV-2S and N proteins to study the antibody responses of 156 individuals with natural asymptomatic infection. We found robust antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 in 156 patients from 6 to 12 months. Although the antibody responses gradually decreased, S-IgG was more stable than N-IgG. S-IgG was still detected in 79% of naturally infected individuals after 12 months of infection. Moderate to potent neutralization activities were also observed in 98.74% of patients 6 months after infection. However, this proportion decreased at 8-month (46.15%) and 10-month (39.11%) after infection, respectively. Only 23.72% of patients displayed potent neutralization activity at 12 months. This study strongly supports the long-term presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in individuals with natural asymptomatic infection, although the magnitude of the antibody responses started to cripple 6 months after infection.

Background The Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology recommends a multimodal analgesia regimen for cesarean delivery analgesia. This study aimed to compare the analgesic effects of tramadol alone and combined with butorphanol or flurbiprofen axetil after a cesarean section. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis based on the electronic medical records of a teaching hospital in China from January 2018 to January 2020. We collected data on demographic characteristics, anesthesia, analgesia strategy, and pain intensity postoperatively during the first 48 hours. Inadequate postoperative analgesia during this period was defined as an NRS score ≥ 4. We also collected data regarding off-bed activity and intestinal function recovery. Participants were classified into three groups according to analgesia regimens. Groups T, TF, and TB received tramadol, a mixture of tramadol and flurbiprofen axetil, and a combination of tramadol and butorphanol, respectively. Analgesic outcomes were compared using propensity score matching analysis. Results Data from 2323 cases of caesarean section were included in the analysis, and 521 pairs were matched in each group according to their propensity score. Compared with group T, The inadequate analgesia on pain at rest and pain at movement was lower in group TF (RR: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.36–0.49, P = 0.001 and RR: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.48–0.69, P P Additionally, the percentage of off-bed activity at 2 days postoperatively was higher in group TB than in groups TF and T (78.7% vs. 68.5 and 78.7% vs. 64.9%, respectively, P P = 0.013). Conclusions Combining tramadol and flurbiprofen axetil could enhance the analgesic effect and be safely used for analgesia after a cesarean section. However, combining tramadol and butorphanol may produce an antagonistic effect.

Yttrium oxide (Y2O3) has garnered some attention in view of its potential to be integrated into a wide range of high-strength structural components, microelectronic and optoelectronic devices. However, the nonlinear optical research of this promising material has not been implemented yet. In this paper, not only the electronic band structures of Y2O3 are theoretically calculated but also the optical nonlinearity of Y2O3 is validated by using the fiber laser as a platform. Meanwhile, the influence of sample thickness on laser performance is further explored by using Y2O3 saturable absorbers with different thickness. Results indicate that Y2O3 not only has impressive optical nonlinearity but also is beneficial to the investigation of ultrafast photons by adjusting the thickness of Y2O3. Therefore, Y2O3 can be used as a potential saturable absorber candidate for in-depth research and application.

BackgroundAFF family genes (AFF1, AFF2, AFF3, AFF4, AFFs) are closely related to the occurrence, development and prognosis of a variety of tumors, but the relationship between AFFs and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is still unclear. This study aims to explore the relationship between AFFs and the prognosis of AML by bioinformatics and real time quantitative PCR. MethodsAnalyze the expression of AFFs in AML patients and AML cell lines through ONCOMINE, GEPIA, EMBL-EBI, and CCLE databases, explore the prognostic value of AFFs in AML through the TCGA database,explore Co-expression and functional enrichment analysis of AFFs through the Linkedomics, DAVID and KOBAS database.We collected peripheral blood samples of 24 cases of AML (non-M3 subtype) and 8 cases of benign individuals, and detected the mRNA expression level of AFFs by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (clinical data comes from hospitalized medical records). ResultsThe results of multiple data sets showed that the mRNA transcription level of AFF1, AFF2, AFF3, and AFF4 in AML was significantly higher than that of normal people. Among them, the high expression of AFF1, AFF2, and AFF3 was statistically significant (p0.05). ConclusionAFF1 and AFF2 are highly expressed in AML. The high expression of AFF1 is significantly negatively correlated with OS, and the high expression of AFF2 is significantly positively correlated with OS, which may become a new target for treatment.

Background: Glucose variability (GV) is one of the common complications in critically ill patients, and studies investigating the role of GV in the prognosis of pediatric patients are scarce in China. And there is no consensus on the measurement of GV. Thus, this study took a prospective, multi-center cohort observational study to identify the ‘best’ index of variability in non-diabetic critically ill children and to confirm whether GV is associated with unfavorable outcomes and whether this association persists after control of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. Materials and Methods: Four GV indices were chosen and calculated in our study, namely, mean absolute glucose (MAG), standard deviation (SD), glycemic lability index (GLI), and another metric-average consecutive absolute change percentage (ACACP), which can be used in the real-time clinical decision. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to identify the potential predictors for the outcome. And the area under the curve (AUC), net reclassification improvement (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) were calculated to assess the predictability of dysglycemia (glucose variability and hypo/hyperglycemia) on the unfavorable outcome. Results: Of the total of 780 participants, 12.4% (n=97) died within 28 days after PICU admission. There were statistical differences in terms of four GV indices (SD, GLI, MAG, and ACACP) between survivors and non-survivors, in which MAG obtained the largest area under the curve and showed a strong connection to ICU mortality independently. Subsequent addition of MAG to the multivariate Cox model for hyperglycemia resulted in further quantitative evolution of the model statistics (AUC 0.651 to 0.681, P=0.001; IDI: 0.017, P=0.044; NRI:0.224, P=0.186). And the impact of hyperglycemia (adjusted HR1.419, 95% CI 0.815-2.471, p=0.216) on outcome was attenuated and no longer statistically relevant after adjustment for MAG (adjusted HR 2.455, 95%CI 1.411-4.270, p=0.001). Conclusions: GV is closely associated with unfavorable outcomes, and may be a more powerful negative predictor of outcome than hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. These findings emphasize the crucial role of GV in PICU children. GV index that contains information such as time, rate of change, etc. is the focus of future research. MAG may be a good choice. Trial registration: Chinese clinical registration (ChiCTR), ChiCTR2000030846. Registered 15 March 2020, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=50760.

An ultra-long phase-sensitive optical time domain reflectometry(Φ -OTDR) that can achieve sensing distance 205.46km single fiber with spatial resolution of 15m is presented to solve the problem of long-distance fiber optic cable monitoring, which use dual-coherent optic source and bidirectional high-order Raman amplification. To the best of our knowledge, this is the record sensing distance using a commercial Raman-line Φ -OTDR system.

We demonstrated a mode-locked fiber laser based on a novel photonic device that combined optical microfiber coupler (OMC) and saturable absorption materials. The stable ultrafast laser was formed based on the interaction between the deposited Indium Antimonide (InSb) and the evanescent field on OMC. Different from optical microfiber (OM), OMC can directly output the mode-locked laser without additional beam splitting devices, which further improves the integrated characteristics of the fiber laser. The pulse duration of the output pulse is 405 fs at the central wavelength of 1560 nm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that optical microfiber coupler based saturable absorber (OMC-SA) for mode-locked fiber laser is demonstrated.

Water resource availability is the major limiting factor for sustainable development in drylands. Climate change intensifies the conflicting water demands between people and the environment and highlights the importance of effective water resource management for achieving a balance between economic development and environmental protection. In 2008, Inner Mongolia, typical dryland in northern China, proposed strict regulations on water exploitation and utilization aimed at achieving sustainable development. Our study is the first to investigate the effectiveness and performance of these long-standing water conservation regulations. Our analyses found that the regulations drove industrial transformation, evidenced by the decreasing proportion of environmentally harmful industries such as coal and steel, and the increasing proportion of tertiary industries (especially tourism). Following industrial transformation, economic development decoupled from industrial water consumption and subsequently led to reduced negative environmental impacts. Based on these results, adaptive strategies were developed for 12 cities by revealing and integrating their development pathways and relative status in achieving sustainable development. Integration and cooperation between cities were proposed, e.g., a water trade agreement between eastern Inner Mongolia (an economically underdeveloped region with relatively abundant water resources) and central Inner Mongolia (an economically developed region with high water stress). Such an agreement may enable the holistic achievement of sustainable development across regions. By integrating the findings of our research, our study presents a reproducible framework for water-management-based sustainable development strategies in drylands.

Wenjun Liu,1,2 Yufei Liu,1,2 Xiaolin Li1,2 1Department of Human Movement Science in Graduate School, Harbin Sport University, Harbin, 150000, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Sports Science and Health, Harbin Sport University, Harbin, 150000, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xiaolin Li Email 13936305962@163.comBackground: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with a high prevalence of morbidity and mortality worldwide. We investigated the effects of exercise capacity upon respiratory functions, perception of dyspnea, and quality of life (QoL) in patients with COPD.Methods: A total of 512 COPD patients formed the study cohort. They were divided into four subgroups according to the distance walked in the 6-minute walking test (6MWT). We compared respiratory functions, perception of dyspnea, and QoL between groups.Results: Patients who walked > 350 m had significantly better disease-specific QoL scores (p < 0.001) than those of other groups. A negative correlation was found between the walking distance and anxiety, depression, and dyspnea scores (p < 0.001).Conclusions: In patients who walked < 350 m, the reduced walking distance adversely affected respiratory functions, psychological symptoms, and QoL.Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, exercise, quality of life, statistics

Objective. To investigate the expression of microRNA-122 (miR-122) in the progression of chronic hepatitis B virus- (HBV-) infected liver diseases, thus determining the role of serum miR-122 as a marker of HBV-caused liver injury. Methods. Sera were collected from patients with different stages of HBV infection ( n = 63 ) and healthy volunteers ( n = 11 ). And the serum miR-122 levels were detected using RT-qPCR. Moreover, an analysis was applied for identifying the specific correlation of the miR-122 level with HBV DNA, HBeAg, and ALT levels. After liver biopsy, Ishak scoring was utilized for evaluation of the fibrosis stage and the histological activity index (HAI). Results. We confirmed, in the serum, increased miR-122 expression in HBV-infected patients and its highest expression in chronic HBV carriers, based on such comparison between the healthy controls and patients. The correlation analysis results were taken as confirmation of the positive relationship of miR-122 with HBV DNA ( r = 0.354 , P = 0.005 ) and ALT ( r = 0.331 , P = 0.009 ). But no correlation of this molecule with HBeAg levels was found ( P = 0.187 ). In comparison with the HBeAg-negative patients, serum miR-122 expression showed an increase in the HBeAg-positive patients ( P = 0.001 ). miR-122 expression, in addition, was of a significant correlation with HAI, but not with the liver fibrosis score. Conclusion. The peak of the serum miR-122 expression normally occurs in the early stage of the progression from the HBV carrier phase to chronic hepatitis to cirrhosis. This molecule can be considered as a marker for evaluation of HBV-caused liver injury.

Objective: Brain function monitoring technology for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support has been developing quite slowly. Our objective was to explore the data distribution, variation trend, and variability of cerebral tissue regional oxygen saturation (CrSO2) in pediatric patients undergoing ECMO.Methods: Eight patients who received venoarterial ECMO (V-A ECMO) were included in our study. All of them accepted continuous CrSO2 monitoring by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) within 12 h of ECMO initiation until ECMO wean. Differences in the CrSO2 distribution characteristic, the variation trend of daily CrSO2, and the variability of CrSO2 for the first 5 days following ECMO initiation were compared between survivors and non-survivors according to pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) mortality.Results: The percentage of time of CrSO2 p = 0.036; left: 0.40% [IQR = 0.01–1.15%] vs. 30.9% [IQR = 26.92–49.62%], p = 0.036}. Survivors had significantly higher CrSO2 on the first 4 days. Root mean of successive squared differences (RMSSD), the variability variable of CrSO2, was significantly lower in survivors (right: 3.29 ± 0.79 vs. 6.16 ± 0.67, p = 0.002; left: 3.56 ± 1.20 vs. 6.04 ± 1.44, p = 0.039).Conclusion: Lower CrSO2, CrSO2 2 are likely associated with PICU mortality in pediatric patients undergoing V-A ECMO.Clinical Trial Registry: URL: http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=46639, trial registry number: ChiCTR1900028021.