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Abstract Background Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery (ACDF) is a common technique in treating degenerative cervical spondylosis. This study is to evaluate the changes of cervical muscles after ACDF and analyze the correlation between related muscle changes and clinical efficacy. Methods Sixty-five postoperative patients (single-level ACDF) with cervical spondylotic myelopathy from January 2013 to December 2022 were analyzed. The measured parameters include: the axial section of longus colli cross-sectional area (AxCSA), the volume of cervical longus, the ratio of long and short diameter line (RLS), the cervical extensor cross-sectional area (CESA), the vertebral body area (VBA), and the CESA/VBA. The visual analog scale (VAS), modified Japanese Orthopedic Association score (mJOA), and neck disability index (NDI) were evaluated. The changes in muscle morphology were analyzed, and the correlation analysis was conducted between morphological changes and function scores. Results The postoperative AxCSA of surgical segment (3rd month, 12th month, and the last follow-up) was decreased compared to preoperative (141.62 ± 19.78), and the differences were significant (P

Molecular design principles provide guidelines for augmenting a molecule with a smaller group of atoms to realize a desired property or function. We demonstrate that these concepts can be used to create an optical cycling centre, the Ca(I)-O unit, that can be attached to a number of aromatic ligands, enabling the scattering of many photons from the resulting molecules without changing the molecular vibrational state. Such capability plays a central role in quantum state preparation and measurement, as well as laser cooling and trapping, and is therefore a prerequisite for many quantum science and technology applications. We provide further molecular design principles that indicate the ability to optimize and expand this work to an even broader class of molecules. This represents a great step towards a quantum functional group, which may serve as a generic qubit moiety that can be attached to a wide range of molecular structures and surfaces.

Adjuvant therapy is essential in cancer treatment to enhance primary treatment effectiveness, reduce adverse effects, and prevent recurrence. Small molecule inhibitors as adjuvants in cancer immunotherapy aim to harness their immunomodulatory properties to optimize treatment outcomes. By modulating the tumor microenvironment, enhancing immune cell function, and increasing tumor sensitivity to immunotherapy, small molecule inhibitors have the potential to improve patient responses. This review discusses the evolving use of small molecule inhibitors as adjuvants in cancer treatment, highlighting their role in enhancing the efficacy of immunotherapy and the opportunities for advancing cancer therapies in the future.

Abstract Objective This study aims to compare the clinical effects and imaging data of patients who underwent endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (Endo-TLIF) with those who received unilateral biportal endoscopic lumbar interbody fusion (ULIF). Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 69 patients presenting with typical intermittent claudication and signs and symptoms indicative of unilateral lower extremity nerve root compression, meeting inclusion criteria between April 2022 and June 2022. Among the cohort, 35 patients underwent ULIF group, while 34 patients underwent Endo-TLIF group. We compared perioperative parameters, including intraoperative blood loss, duration of hospital stay, and operation time between the two groups. Pre-operative and post-operative changes in the height and cross-sectional area of the target intervertebral space were also compared between the groups. Finally, we evaluated bone graft size and interbody fusion rates at 6 and 12 months post-surgery using the Brantigan scoring system. Results The ULIF group had significantly shorter operative times compared to the Endo-TLIF group (P 0.05). Furthermore, both groups exhibited postoperative increases in vertebral canal volume compared to baseline (P 0.05). Interbody fusion rates were comparable between the two groups at both 6 and 12 months after surgery (P > 0.05). Lastly, the ULIF group had a significantly larger area of bone graft than the Endo-TLIF group (P

For improving the anti-corrosion performance and durability of waterborne epoxy coatings in high-salt， high-humidity marine environments， polyaniline/boron nitride nanoparticles (PBN) were prepared by the in-situ polymerization of polyaniline (PANI) on the surface of hydroxylated hexagonal boron nitride (BN).In addition， PBN were used as anti-corrosion filler to enhance the anti-corrosion performance of waterborne epoxy coatings.The structure and micro-morphology of nano-particles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).Moreover， electrochemical tests and neutral salt spray tests (NSS) were used to explore the effects of BN， PANI modifications and PBN addition amount on the anti-corrosion performance of waterborne epoxy coatings.Results showed that PANI grew in situ on the surface of BN nanosheets to form a coral-like structure， and the bonding strength of waterborne epoxy coating reached 6.05 MPa after adding 0.50%(mass fraction，the same below) PBN.The corrosion current density (1.99×10-9 A/cm2) of the composite coating immersed in 3.5%NaCl solution after 120 h was reduced by about 3 orders of magnitude compared to that of pure epoxy coating (1.01×10-6 A/cm2).This was attributed to the fact that the addition of 0.50%PBN could evenly disperse in the epoxy resin， fill small gaps in the coating and enhance the barrier effect against corrosive medium.Meanwhile， PANI had a corrosion inhibition effect， which could synergistically improve the anti-corrosion performance of pure epoxy coatings.

Abstract Atherosclerosis is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. miR-26 is a potential biomarker of atherosclerosis. Standardized diagnostic tests for miR-26 (MIR26-DX) have been developed, but the fastest progress has been in predicting the efficacy of IFN-α therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, phase 3). MiR-26 slows atherosclerosis development by suppressing ACC1/2, ACLY, ACSL3/4, ALDH3A2, ALPL, BMP2, CD36, COL1A1, CPT1A, CTGF, DGAT2, EHHADH, FAS, FBP1, GATA4, GSK3β, G6PC, Gys2, HMGA1, HMGB1, LDLR, LIPC, IL-1β, IL-6, JAG2, KCNJ2, MALT1, β-MHC, NF-κB, PCK1, PLCβ1, PYGL, RUNX2, SCD1, SMAD1/4/5/7, SREBF1, TAB3, TAK1, TCF7L2, and TNF-α expression. Many agents targeting these genes, such as the ACC1/2 inhibitors GS-0976, PF-05221304, and MK-4074; the DGAT2 inhibitors IONIS-DGAT2Rx, PF-06427878, PF-0685571, and PF-07202954; the COL1A1 inhibitor HT-100; the stimulants 68Ga-CBP8 and RCT-01; the CPT1A inhibitors etomoxir, perhexiline, and teglicar; the FBP1 inhibitors CS-917 and MB07803; and the SMAD7 inhibitor mongersen, have been investigated in clinical trials. Interestingly, miR-26 better reduced intima-media thickness (IMT) than PCSK9 or CT-1 knockout. Many PCSK9 inhibitors, including alirocumab, evolocumab, inclisiran, AZD8233, Civi-007, MK-0616, and LIB003, have been investigated in clinical trials. Recombinant CT-1 was also investigated in clinical trials. Therefore, miR-26 is a promising target for agent development. miR-26 promotes foam cell formation by reducing ABCA1 and ARL4C expression. Multiple materials can be used to deliver miR-26, but it is unclear which material is most suitable for mass production and clinical applications. This review focuses on the potential use of miR-26 in treating atherosclerosis to support the development of agents targeting it.

Objective:. The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic has caused extensive damage worldwide. We explored whether the medical care conduct of patients with psoriasis has changed and whether the COVID-19 epidemic has placed more psychological pressure on these patients. Methods:. A questionnaire survey was administered to patients with psoriasis in the Dermatology Department of Peking University Third Hospital in July 2022. Information about the patients’ general demographics, psoriasis condition, mental state of anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 [GAD-7] score), changes in medical care conduct, and Concerns about COVID-19-Related Risk Score for Psoriasis (CCRSP, a self-designed questionnaire) was collected. Univariate analysis with the Mann–Whitney U test for continuous variables was used in the estimation of statistical differences. Results:. A total of 112 patients with psoriasis completed the survey. Purchasing medicine was the factor that added difficulty for most participants (32.1%). Fewer participants (26.8%) encountered medical registration difficulties than economic and transportation difficulties. Nearly three-quarters of participants (73.2%) reported at least one medical care conduct change resulting from the COVID-19 epidemic. A small proportion of participants (12.5%) thought that COVID-19 prevented them from seeking medical services for psoriasis. The top three items that caused the most concern were psoriasis aggravation resulting from drug reduction and withdrawal because of COVID-19 (44.7%), psoriasis aggravation after infection with COVID-19 (38.4%), and psoriasis-related side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine (35.7%). The GAD-7 score of patients with a high CCRSP (score of >10) was significantly higher than that of patients with a low CCRSP (score of ≤10) (nonparametric test, P = 0.047). Conclusion:. COVID-19 poses challenges and places a mental burden on patients with psoriasis. Doctors should regulate the medical behavior of patients with psoriasis according to their specific COVID-19 situation and help patients ease their anxiety to maintain the stability of their psoriasis condition.

The degradative solvent extraction of low rank coal is the use of solvents to extract low rank coal under mild conditions, through the dehydration and multi-stage separation of the raw coal： the extraction products with no water content, no ash content, high calorific value properties and excellent thermoplastic properties， and low moisture of the extractive residual coal can be obtained. At the same time, the products have practical application advantages in many fields such as coal coking, advanced fuel and carbon material preparation, which have high added value, and the solvent in this technology has the advantage of being recyclable. Therefore, degradative solvent extraction is one of the effective ways to realize the graded fractionated conversion and utilization of low-rank coal. This review firstly introduces the existing low rank coal upgrading methods, and then reviews the development of degradative solvent extraction, focusing on the various influencing factors, reaction mechanisms, existing processes and product utilization of low rank coal upgrading by degradative solvent extraction. Finally, using the "Web of Science core collection" as the data source, the knowledge graph of coal solvent extraction was carved using CiteSpace scientometric software, and the research themes were analyzed to summarize the research directions and predict the research hotspots, providing some reference value for the research of degradative solution extraction of low-rank coal. The comprehensive analysis shows that: the selection of new low-cost green solvents, structural characterization and high-value utilization of extraction products have high research trends, while in-depth research on extraction mechanism and targeted regulation of extractant properties is needed to further promote the process of large-scale production.

Closed, laser-induced optical transitions ("optical cycling transitions") of molecules can be used for state preparation and measurement in quantum information science and quantum sensing. Increasingly complex molecular species supporting optical cycling can provide new capabilities for quantum science, and it is not clear if there is a limit on their size or complexity. We explore Ca-O-L molecular constructs to support the optical cycling center, Ca, with ligands, L, being arenes. We find that L can be as large as coronene (i.e., CaOC24H11) without losing the diagonality of the Franck-Condon factor (FCF). Furthermore, L can be substituted with electron-withdrawing groups to improve the FCF. Larger L, beyond ∼7 rings, can disrupt the diagonality of the FCF by closing the HOMO-LUMO ligand electronic state gap and reordering with the local states on the cycling center. Overall, we find that optical cycling can be retained for arenes, and we offer a principle for their design.