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In this work, we described gas sensors based on the materials composed of hierarchical flower-likeIn 2 O 3 and reduced graphene oxide (rGO), which were fabricated by a facile one-step hydrothermal method. The rGO-In 2 O 3 composites exhibited enhanced sensing performance towards NO 2 through comparison with the pure In 2 O 3 sample. The operating temperature can be tuned by the percentage of rGO in the composites. The sensor based on 5 wt% rGO-In 2 O 3 could work at room temperature with a high response value to 1 ppm NO 2 . 3 wt% rGO-In 2 O 3 composite was adopted for the ultra-sensitivity gas sensor owing to its extremely low limit of detection of 10 ppb with rapid response time to NO 2 . The sensor also exhibited excellent selectivity and stability. The ultra-sensitivity of rGO-In 2 O 3 should be related to synergistic effect of the hierarchical structure of In 2 O 3 and the presence of rGO in the composites, which provided enhanced surface area and local p-n heterojunctions in rGO/In 2 O 3 composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchical rGO/ZnO hybrids with a flower-like morphology of ZnO and flexible rGO sheets were synthesized by a facile solution-processed method. The structures and morphologies of the hybrids were investigated by different kinds of techniques, including X-ray diffraction, field-emission electron scanning microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The gas sensing properties of hierarchical rGO/ZnO hybrids toward nitrogen dioxide were studied via a static system. The response of rGO/ZnO hybrids to 50 ppb NO 2 was 12, which was seven times higher than that of pristine ZnO at 100 °C. The limit of detection could be achieved as low as 5 ppb. The enhanced sensor response was attributed to the presence of local p - n heterojunctions between rGO sheets and hierarchical structure of ZnO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objective: Inadvertent intraoperative hypothermia (core temperature <36°C) is a frequently preventable complication with several adverse consequences. Our study aimed to determine the overall incidence of inadvertent intraoperative hypothermia and its risk factors associated with clinical outcomes in this national survey in China. Methods: We conducted a national cross-sectional study with 30 days postoperative follow-up from November 2014 through August 2015. A total of 3132 eligible patients underwent general anesthesia were randomly selected from 28 hospitals in the nationwide of China. Results: The overall incidence of intraoperative hypothermia was as high as 44.3%, in which cumulative incidence rates of hypothermia being 17.8%, 36.2%, 42.5% and 44.1% within 1 h, 2 h, 3 h and 4 h respectively following induction of anesthesia. All patients were warmed passively by covering of surgical draping, sheets or cotton blankets, whereas only 14.2% of patients received active warming with space heaters or electric heater or electronic blankets. Compared to normothermic patients, patients with hypothermia is associated with more postoperative ICU admit, longer PACU and more postoperative hospital days, but no difference in surgical site infection (SSI) rates or 30-day mortality. Several factors were shown to be associated with decreased risk of hypothermia. They are active warming (OR = 0.46, 95% CI 0.26–0.81), BMI ≥ 25 (OR = 0.54, 95% CI 0.45–0.65), higher baseline core temperature (OR = 0.04, 95% CI 0.03–0.06), and higher ambient temperature (OR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.78–0.88). Risk factors associated with an increased risk of hypothermia included major-plus surgery (OR = 1.49, 95% CI 1.23–1.79), and long anesthesia (>2 h) (OR = 2.60, 95% CI 2.09–3.24). Conclusions: The incidence of intraoperative hypothermia in China is high, and the rate of active warming of patients during operation is low. Hypothermia is associated with more postoperative shivering, increased ICU admissions, and longer postoperative hospital days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A low-cost and environmentally friendly hydrothermal method was utilized to prepare reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and synthesize rGO/α-Fe 2 O 3 composites with different rGO contents. The chemical composition and morphological essence of the as-prepared samples were characterized through multiple techniques. The results indicated that the uniform α-Fe 2 O 3 cubes adhered uniformly on both sides of the crumpled and rippled rGO sheets. In addition, a series of resistive-type gas sensors were fabricated based on the as-prepared rGO/α-Fe 2 O 3 composites as well as pure α-Fe 2 O 3 to compare their gas-sensing properties toward acetone vapor. The composite containing 1.0 wt% rGO exhibited an enhanced gas response and its response time was shortened to 2 s. We attribute it to the extension of electron depletion layers, the change of charge carrier concentration, which are caused by the formation of local p-n heterojunctions when introducing rGO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, Sn4+ doped NiO nanofibers are modified by different contents of Rh 2 O 3 through a facile electrospinning method to improve the gas sensing properties, especially the humidity tolerance, response value and detection limit. The morphological characterization indicates that the hollow nanostructures are still maintained after loading Rh 2 O 3. Gas sensing investigation demonstrates that 6 at% Sn4+ doped NiO nanofibers modified with 6 at% Rh 2 O 3 exhibit the highest response to triethylamine (28.3–20 ppm) with low detection limit (50 ppb) at a relatively low working temperature (165 °C), which are obviously superior to those (16.6–100 ppm, 500 ppb and 180 °C) of 6 at% Sn4+ doped NiO nanofibers without Rh 2 O 3 modification. The response value to 20 ppm triethylamine is only changed about 35.7% as the relative humidity increases from 35% to 95%. The humidity tolerance of the optimal sensor is also improved after Rh 2 O 3 modification including the baseline resistance and gas response changes. Furthermore, the baseline resistances of the optimal gas sensors don't become higher after Rh 2 O 3 modification. These phenomena can be mainly attributed to the improved catalytic effect and increased surface defects caused by Rh 2 O 3 modification. • Sn doped NiO nanofibers are loaded with Rh 2 O 3 species by electrospinning method. • The optimal sensor shows a low detection limit to triethylamine. • The optimal sensor has a low working temperature of 165 °C. • The optimal sensor exhibits an improved humidity tolerance. • Rh 2 O 3 can enhance the content of oxygen defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving charge transportation and interfacial charge transfer in semiconductor photoelectrodes are two critical issues for achieving high-efficiency photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Herein, a combined hydrogenation treatment and cobalt-phosphate (Co-Pi) deposition is reported to dramatically enhance the PEC performance of nanoporous BiVO 4 photoanode. Linear sweep voltammograms show that after the combined treatment, photocurrent density of nanoporous BiVO 4 photoanode is increased for ca. 3 times at 1.23 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), and the onset potential is negatively shifted from 0.53 V to 0.23 V versus RHE. Combined photoluminescence, Mott-Schottky, open circuit potential, as well as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analyses reveal the synergistic effect of hydrogenation treatment and Co-Pi deposition on enhancing the PEC performance of nanoporous BiVO 4 photoanode, facilitating both charge transportation and interfacial charge transfer without aggravating charge recombination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ordered mesoporous Ni-doped In2O3 and undoped In2O3 nanostructures have been synthesized via a nanocasting method, which is an easy, repeatable and friendly route. The structure of the as-prepared product was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), nitrogen physisorption and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results of XRD and TEM revealed the ordered structure of undoped and Ni-doped In2O3. The wide-angle XRD of the samples revealed that Ni incorporation may lead to lattice deformation without destroying the original crystal structure. Gas sensors based on undoped and Ni-doped In2O3 were fabricated and their gas sensing properties were tested. The Ni-doped In2O3 based sensor showed excellent selectivity toward NO2 at the operating temperature of 58 °C and the detection limit was 10 ppb. The response of the sensor based on mesoporous Ni-doped In2O3 was nearly 4 times higher than that of the sensor based on mesoporous undoped In2O3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tungsten oxides with different crystal facet ratios were successfully prepared through one-spot solvothermal approach using alcohol solvents with different C chains accompanied by annealing treatment. The sensing performances for detecting triethylamine have been systematically investigated among the as-obtained WO 3 samples. Benefiting from the unique microstructure with bimodal pores, the highest work function for the low-intensity ratio of the (002) WO 3 facet, the smallest average crystallites sizes and abundant grain boundaries, the sensor based on WO 3 microflowers assembled by tiny nanoparticles exhibits appealing sensing performance including high response, excellent selectivity, rapid response/recovery time (3 s/5 s) to 1 ppm triethylamine and extremely low detection limitation (200 ppb) at 325 °C. • Diverse WO 3 morphologies were prepared by various C chains combined with annealing treatment. • The obtained WO 3 samples were synthesized by one-spot solvothermal approach. • The C2-400 based sensor exhibits rapid response/recovery time (3 s/5 s) to 1 ppm TEA at 325 °C. • C2-400 sample with the lowest intensity ratios of the (002) facet has the highest work function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective detection of triethylamine (TEA) is considerable in view of human health and environment. However, both ppb-level detection and rapid response/recovery speed under extreme conditions such as high relative humidity and wide detection ranges remain challenging for TEA gas sensing. Herein, a facile one-spot solvothermal approach is used to synthesize urchin-like WO 3 -W 18 O 49 heterostructures assisting with glucose modification and PdO functionalization. Benefiting from the hierarchical macroporous structure, synergistic effects, various heterojunctions along with sensitization of PdO, the sensor based on hierarchical WO 3 -W 18 O 49 urchin with PdO and carbon decorating exhibits appealing TEA sensing performance including rapid response /recovery time (1 s/2 s) to 100 ppm TEA at 325 °C, high selectivity, superior anti-humidity property and extremely low detection limitation (50 ppb), which are much better than previously reported TEA sensors. Our research results open a facile pathway for the development of high-performance gas sensors in terms of real-time and ppb-level detection. • Hierarchical WO 3 -W 18 O 49 urchin with PdO and carbon modification was prepared by one-step solvothermal method. • The sensor based on WCP-2 sample possesses superior sensing properties towards TEA at 325 °C. • The sensor exhibits rapid response/recovery time (1 s/1 s) to 50 ppb TEA at 325 °C. • The enhanced sensing performance is ascribed to various heterojunctions, synergistic effect and sensitization of PdO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, ZnFe 2 O 4 pleated hollow microspheres were synthesized by a one-step chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method using NaCl as a green salt template, and successfully used for the detection of acetone gas. NaCl as a green non-polluting and easy-to-remove structural template effectively modulate the morphology and structure of ZnFe 2 O 4. The prepared sensitive materials were observed by SEM and TEM to have dense solid, hollow, pleated hollow and nanosheet structures, respectively. Among them, ZnFe 2 O 4 pleated hollow microspheres exhibited a large specific surface area (185.24 m2/g) and the best sensing performance. Compared with other materials, ZnFe 2 O 4 pleated hollow microspheres presented a response of up to 95.0 for 100 ppm acetone at the optimal working temperature of 200 °C. The large specific surface area and superior surface permeability exhibited by the pleated hollow structure effectively increased the reaction sites and overall utilization of the sensitive material both internally and externally, which resulted in ultra-high response properties to acetone. The ZnFe 2 O 4 pleated hollow microspheres prepared using NaCl green template had excellent acetone molecular sensitivity properties, which is expected to be a promising sensitive material for acetone gas sensors. [Display omitted] • A one-step chemical vapor deposition method was used to synthesize spinel ZnFe 2 O 4 pleated hollow microspheres. • As a green, pollution-free and easy-to-remove structure template, NaCl could adjust the morphology of ZnFe 2 O 4. • ZnFe 2 O 4 pleated hollow microspheres presented a response of up to 95.0 for 100 ppm acetone at the optimal working temperature of 200 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing demand for hazardous gas detections has triggered the enormous efforts for the development of mesoporous materials for gas sensors. Especially, a universal method to synthesize such structure for semiconductor oxides is highly desirable. In this work, ZnO microspheres assembled by mesoporous nanosheets are prepared via a one-step hydrothermal method successfully. It is found that the morphology of ZnO and the thickness of ZnO mesoporous nanosheets, which affect the gas sensing response to ethanol, can be regulated by adjusting the amount of PVP. In addition, this method is also suitable for the synthesis of NiO, CuO and Co 3 O 4 mesoporous nanosheets and the repeatability is excellent. Gas sensing investigation indicates that the gas sensors based on mesoporous ZnO nanospheres synthesized with 3.3 g PVP have the highest response (~58.4) to 100 ppm ethanol at 250°C, which is about 9.4 times higher than that of the ZnO nanosheets obtained without PVP under the same test conditions (~6.2). Furthermore, the detection limit could reach the ppb level with the response of 1.17–500 ppb ethanol. The possible mechanism of the formed structures and the enhanced ethanol sensing properties are discussed systematically. • Construction of ZnO hierarchical spheres assembled from mesoporous nanosheets can be achieved by a hydrothermal method. • The microstructure of ZnO and the thickness of ZnO nanosheets can be regulated by simply adjusting the amount of PVP. • The gas sensor exhibits the response to 100 ppm ethanol as high as ~58.4, which is higher than the most reported pure ZnO. • This method is suitable for the synthesis of NiO, CuO and Co 3 O 4 mesoporous nanosheets and has excellent repeatability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensitive and selective determination of H 2 S has been widely reported. However, its gas sensing performance is vulnerable to some special environments such as high humidity. Especially, the sluggish response/recovery time and the unfavorable long-term stability are the main obstacles for H 2 S gas sensing. Herein, carbon modification on coral-like WO 3 with bimodal pore distribution (mesopores and macropores) has been fabricated by one-step solvothermal method. Experimental results confirm that the coral-like carbon modified WO 3 based sensor has excellent H 2 S sensing performance regarding its rapid response /recovery time (1 s/20 s) to 50 ppm H 2 S at 275 °C and the low detection limitation at ppb level. In addition, the anti-humidity property and long-term stability are improved through carbon modification. Overall, the results demonstrate that carbon modification on WO 3 material and facile synthesis method might provide a potential platform for real-time and practical diagnosis of halitosis. • Carbon modification on coral-like WO 3 with bimodal pores was prepared by one-step solvothermal method. • The sensor based on WO 3 -2@C with suitable WCl 6 amount and sintering treatment owns superior sensing properties to H 2 S. • The sensor exhibits rapid response /recovery time (1 s/20 s) to 50 ppm H 2 S at 275 °C. • Low concentration detection ability, outstanding anti-humidity property and long-term stability are achieved. • The enhanced sensing performance is ascribed to the synergistic effect between carbon and WO 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hollow Sn-doped NiO nanofibers are synthesized through a facile electrospinning approach. • The Sn-doped NiO sensor with suitable Sn content (6 at%) shows the highest gas response to triethylamine. • Sn doping concentrations can significantly influence the resistance of sensors in air and in target gas under different RH. • The resistances of the sensor change slightly in target gas under different RH with suitable Sn doping content (6 at%). High stable triethylamine gas sensors under different relative humidity are highly desirable in order to correctly detect the concentrations of target gas. In this study, a series of Sn-doped NiO hollow nanofibers were prepared through a facile electrospinning process followed by heat treatment. Sn doping could inhibit the crystal growth, and the crystal sizes would decrease with the increase of Sn doping concentration. Gas sensing investigation indicates that Sn doping could significantly enhance the gas response towards triethylamine at a relative low temperature. Especially, the gas sensor exhibits the highest response to triethylamine when the doping content of Sn reaches to 6 at%. The response value is about 16.6–100 ppm triethylamine, and it is ∼9.2 times higher than that of pure NiO nanofibers at the same operating temperature. In addition, the resistances of the gas sensors with different doping contents of Sn would change differently in air or in target gas under variable relative humidity. The resistances in target gas are almost unchanged with the increase of relative humidity with the Sn doping content of 6 at%. It is reasonable to speculate that Sn doping can heavily alter the surface state of NiO nanofibers, which is beneficial for the improvement of the gas response and humidity dependence properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pulse laser annealing (PLA) was used to activate Ti dopants in Fe 2 O 3 photoanode. • Ti:Fe 2 O 3 -PLA photoanode exhibits 10.1 times increased donor density after PLA. • Charge transfer at the surface of Ti:Fe 2 O 3 -PLA was two-fold higher than Ti:Fe 2 O 3. Efficient activation of donor-type dopants is important for promoting the photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance of semiconductor photoanodes. High temperature annealing, the most often-adopted method, can active the dopants, but is accompanied by serious deterioration of the conductive substrate. Hence, it still remains a challenge to develop a new method to activate the dopants in semiconductor photoanodes deposited on a substrate that is not resistant to high temperature. Herein, we report a pulse laser annealing (PLA) strategy to activate titanium dopant in hematite photoanodes at room temperature to improve the PEC performance for water splitting. A short treatment with 450 nm nanosecond yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) laser (20 pulses, 30 mJ cm−2 per pulse) causes crystallinity improvement and surface roughening of hematite photoanodes without destroying the fluorine doped SnO 2 (FTO) conductive glass substrate, and results in a 1.85-fold increased photocurrent density (0.484 mA cm−2, 1.23 V vs. RHE) of Ti-doped hematite photoanodes (5% doping level, Ti:Fe 2 O 3 -PLA). The charge transfer efficiency at the surface of Ti:Fe 2 O 3 -PLA was approximately two-fold higher than Ti:Fe 2 O 3 , and a 10.1-fold increased donor density (1.29 × 1019 cm−3) was achieved, demonstrating the potential of PLA treatment for activating doped semiconductor photoanodes at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are implicated in cancer by exerting roles in tumor growth, metastasis, and even drug resistance. The general trends of miRNA research in diverse cancers are not fully understood. In this work, miRNA-related research in colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, leukemia, and brain tumors was analyzed in search of key research trends with clinical potential., Methods: A bibliometric analysis of articles, spanning from 2014 to 2024, was carried out with the major focus laid on four types of cancers. The Co-citation network analysis, keyword bursts, and the collaborative pattern were done in VOSviewer and CiteSpace, respectively., Results: Colorectal cancer had the highest publication volume, with research primarily focusing on gene expression, extracellular vesicles, and non-coding RNAs. Prostate cancer showed a shift toward clinical applications, while leukemia and brain tumor research, though less extensive, highlighted miRNA's potential in early diagnosis and treatment. Co-citation analysis identified emerging research collaborations and key contributors., Conclusion: miRNA plays a pivotal role in cancer diagnosis, biomarker development, and therapeutic interventions. With advancements in non-invasive diagnostics and personalized medicine, miRNA offers significant potential for clinical applications. Future research should focus on miRNA's role in drug resistance and combination therapies to accelerate its clinical translation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2025 Zhang, Song, Chen, Cui, Chen, Zhang, Ji, Wang, Wang, Yu, Yu, Hao and Jiang.)

Background: Adverse events (AE) in dupilumab-induced ocular surface diseases (DIOSD) have raised concerns regarding its safety. The objective of this study was to evaluate DIOSD by employing database analysis and clinical case review, along with mechanism analysis., Research Design and Methods: Database AE data were extracted from FAERS from 2017 Quarter 1 (Q1) to 2023 Q1. Disproportionality analyses were performed to identify the risk signals associated with DIOSD. Case reports/case series reported on DIOSD from March 2017 to June 2023 were collected for a literature review. The mechanisms of DIOSD were investigated through disease-gene interaction network analysis., Results: A total of 85 signals related to DIOSD were detected from FAERS. The most reported AE was 'dry eye' ( n  = 3503, ROR 20.32, 95% CI: 19.53-21.14). There were 36 articles, including 201 cases showing the evidence of DIOSD, with an average age of 43 years. About 64.18% patients suffered from severe atopic dermatitis, and 48.26% were reported with a previous ocular history. The mechanisms study suggested that tumor necrosis factor plays an important role in DIOSD., Conclusions: Our findings support that dupilumab use is associated with exacerbation or new-onset OSD. Particular attention should be focused on eye symptoms during dupilumab use.

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease is a significant public health issue. Dapagliflozin has been shown to improve the quality of life for patients with chronic kidney disease. This review aimed to systematically assess the cost-effectiveness of adding dapagliflozin to standard care compared with standard care alone for treating chronic kidney disease., Methods: The relevant studies were searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane from the inception date to June 1, 2024. The titles, abstracts, and full texts were independently evaluated and screened by two authors. Additionally, the economic evaluation studies were assessed independently by two authors using the consolidated health economic evaluation reporting standards checklist., Results: 14 studies were included which were about the economic evaluations of adding dapagliflozin in the treatment of chronic kidney disease. The minimum consolidated health economic evaluation reporting standards score for the studies was 0.77, indicating very good quality. Adding dapagliflozin to the standard of care would be more effective and cost-saving in Mexico, Malaysia, Canada, Thailand, and China. The highest incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of dapagliflozin ($67962.75/QALY) originated from the USA. According to the available studies, adding dapagliflozin to standard of care for the treatment of chronic kidney disease is considered cost-effectiveness from both the healthcare system and the payer's perspective., Conclusion: Adding dapagliflozin to standard care in the treatment of chronic kidney disease is cost-effective from both the healthcare system and the payer's perspective in well-developed countries., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Clinical trial number: Not applicable. Human participant protection: This systematic review was limited to published research and did not involve human participants, and as such, human participant protection was not required., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The presence of malignant tumors poses a significant threat to people's life and well-being. As biochemical parameters indicate the occurrence and development of tumors, tumor markers play a pivotal role in early cancer detection, treatment, prognosis, efficient monitoring, and other aspects. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is considered a potent tool for the detection of tumor markers owing to its exceptional advantages encompassing high sensitivity, superior selectivity, rapid analysis speed, and photobleaching resistance nature. This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of SERS applications in the detection of tumor markers. Firstly, we introduce the SERS enhancement mechanism, classification of active substrates, and SERS detection techniques. Secondly, the latest research progress of in vitro SERS detection of different types of tumor markers in body fluids and the application of SERS imaging in biomedical imaging are highlighted in sections of the review. Finally, according to the current status of SERS detection of tumor markers, the challenges and problems of SERS in biomedical detection are discussed, and insights into future developments in SERS are offered., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Denitrification is an important biological process in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). However, a low carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio limits the availability of organic carbon, potentially reducing denitrification efficiency. This study investigates the impact of sludge-derived biochar on the nitrogen removal of activated sludge for low C/N ratio municipal wastewater. Sludge-based biochar was characterized by its physicochemical properties, revealing that biochar prepared at 400 °C exhibited the highest specific surface area and the most favorable surface functional groups for electron transfer. The results from batch tests showed that adding 4 g/L of biochar dosage enhanced denitrification rates and total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency the most. Sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) experiments further confirmed that biochar dosgae improved the removal efficiencies of COD, NH 4 + -N, and TN, achieving stable values of 97.2 ± 1.2 %, 99.2 ± 0.6 %, and 83.8 ± 2.4 %, respectively. Metabolic and electrochemical analyses revealed that biochar addition enhanced the activity of denitrification enzymes, increasing the ammonia oxidation rate by 12.9 ± 0.7 %, nitrite oxidation rate by 14.7 ± 1.2 %, nitrate reduction rate by 36.9 ± 1.5 %, and nitrite reduction rate by 16.4 ± 0.8 %. The relative abundance of denitrification functional genes (amoA, nirS, nirK, narG, nosZ) increased, and the activities of the corresponding enzymes (AMO, NXR, NAP, NIR) rose by 23±6 %, 53±5 %, 260±15 %, and 55±7 %, respectively. This increase in enzyme activity suggested enhanced denitrification processes, which was further supported by the 60.1 ± 3.7 % increase in electron transfer system activity (ETSA), indicating that biochar acted as an electron shuttle. This study proposes a potential sustainable approach for sludge recycling and enhanced wastewater nitrogen removal under low C/N conditions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Salmonella, a foodborne pathogen poses significant threats to food safety and human health. Immunochromatographic (ICTS) sensors have gained popularity in the field of food safety due to their convenience, speed, and cost-effectiveness. However, most existing ICTS sensors rely on antibody sandwich structures which are limited by their dependence on high-quality paired antibodies and restricted sensitivity. For the first time, we combined multi-line ICTS strips with fluorescent bacterial probes to develop a label-free multi-line immunochromatographic sensor capable of detecting broad-spectrum Salmonella. Salmonella was labeled with the aggregation-induced luminescence material TCBPE, resulting in its transformation into a green fluorescent probe., Results: Using this sensor, we successfully detected Salmonella typhimurium within the concentration range of 10 4 -10 8  CFU/mL with a visual detection limit of 6.0 × 10 4  CFU/mL. Compared to single-line sensors, our multi-line sensor exhibited significantly improved fluorescence intensity resulting in enhanced detection sensitivity by 50 %. Furthermore, our developed multi-line ICTS sensor demonstrated successful detection of 18 different strains of Salmonella without any cross-reaction observed with 5 common foodborne pathogens tested. The applicability and reliability were validated using milk samples, cabbage juice samples as well and drinking water samples suggesting its potential for rapid and accurate detection of Salmonella in real-world scenarios across both the food industry and clinical settings., Significance: In this experiment, we developed a TCBPE-based multiline immunochromatographic sensor. Specifically, Salmonella was labeled with the aggregation-induced luminescence material TCBPE, resulting in its transformation into a green fluorescent probe. Through the multi-line analysis system, the detection sensitivity and accuracy of the sensor are improved. In brief, the sensor does not require complex antibody labeling and paired antibodies, and only one antibody is needed to complete the detection process., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The sharp increase in fungal infections, insufficient diagnostic and treatment capabilities for fungal infections, poor prognosis of patients with fungal infections as well as the increasing drug resistance of fungi are serious clinical problems. It is necessary to explore the implementation and evaluation methods of antifungal stewardship (AFS) to promote the standardized use of antifungal drugs., Methods: The AFS programme was implemented at a tertiary first-class hospital in China using a plan-do-check-act (PDCA) quality management tool. A baseline investigation was carried out to determine the utilization of antifungal drugs in pilot hospitals, analyse the existing problems and causes, and propose corresponding solutions. The AFS programme was proposed and implemented beginning in 2021, and included various aspects, such as team building, establishment of regulations, information construction, prescription review and professional training. The management effectiveness was recorded from multiple perspectives, such as the consumption of antifungal drugs, the microbial inspection rate of clinical specimens, and the proportion of rational prescriptions. The PDCA management concept was used for continuous improvement to achieve closed-loop management., Results: In the first year after the implementation of the AFS programme, the consumption cost, use intensity and utilization rate of antifungal drugs decreased significantly (P < 0.01). The proportion of rational antifungal drug prescriptions markedly increased, with the proportion of prescriptions with indications increasing from 86.4% in 2019 to 97.0% in 2022, and the proportion of prescriptions with appropriate usage and dosage increased from 51.9 to 87.1%. In addition, after the implementation of the AFS programme, physicians' awareness of the need to complete microbial examinations improved, and the number of fungal cultures and serological examinations increased substantially. Statistics from drug susceptibility tests revealed a decrease in the resistance rate of Candida to fluconazole., Conclusion: This study indicated that the combination of AFS and the PDCA cycle could effectively reduce antifungal consumption and promote the rational use of antifungal drugs, providing a reference for other health care systems to reduce the overuse of antifungal drugs and delay the progression of fungal resistance., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The incorporation of two-dimensional (2D) functional nanosheets in polymeric membranes is a promising material strategy to overcome their inherent performance trade-off behavior. Herein, we report a novel nanocomposite membrane design by incorporating MXene, a 2D sheet-like nanoarchitecture known for its advantageous lamellar morphology and surface functionalities, into a cross-linked polyether block amide (Pebax)/poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate (PEGMEA) blend matrix, which delivered exceptional CO 2 /N 2 and CO 2 /H 2 separation performances that are critical to industrial CO 2 capture applications. The finely dispersed Ti 3 C 2 T x nanosheets in the blend polymer matrix led to an expansion of the free volume within the resultant mixed matrix membrane (MMM), giving rise to a substantially enhanced CO 2 permeability of up to 1264.6 barrer, which is 102% higher than that of the pristine polymer. Moreover, these MXene-incorporated MMMs exhibited preferential sorption for CO 2 over light gases, which contributed to an exceptional CO 2 /N 2 and CO 2 /H 2 selectivity (64.3 and 19.2, respectively) even at a small loading of only 1 wt %, allowing the overall performance to not only surpass the latest upper bounds but also exceed many previously reported high-performance nanosheet-based nanocomposite membranes. Long-term performance tests have also demonstrated the good stability of these membranes. This composite membrane design strategy reveals the remarkable potential of combining a blend copolymer matrix with ultrathin MXene nanosheets to achieve superior gas separation performance for environmentally important gas separations.

Background: To detect and analyze risk signals of the drug-related adverse events (AEs) of 4 gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) (gadopentetate dimeglumine (Gd-DTPA), gadobenate dimeglumine (Gd-BOPTA), gadoteridol (Gd-HP-DO3A), and gadobutrol (Gd-BT-DO3A)) according to the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database and ensure the clinical safety., Research Design and Methods: The AEs that are associated with the 4 GBCAs were collected from the FAERS database from 2004Q1 to 2022Q3. The risk signals were mined using reporting odds ratio (ROR) and proportional reporting ratio (PRR)., Results: 424 risk signals were excavated, in which 151 risk signals were associated with Gd-DTPA, 93 risk signals were related to Gd-BOPTA, 79 risk signals were relevant to Gd-HP-DO3A, and 101 risk signals were associated with Gd-BT-DO3A. The AE signals involved 20 system organ classes (SOCs). Two of the top four SOCs were identical, namely 'skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders' and 'general disorders and administration site conditions.', Conclusions: The safety signals of 4 GBCAs were detected, and the SOCs associated with the AEs of the 4 GBCAs were different. Besides, some AEs obtained in this study were not mentioned in the package inserts, which need more attention and research to ensure the clinical safety.

In the present prospective cohort research, we aimed to explore the serum levels of Acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and its association with 1-year major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). This prospective cohort study recruited 507 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention for the treatment of STEMI at our hospital during August 2019 to July 2022. The serum ACSL4, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and C-reactive protein levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Demographic and clinical statistics were also collected. In addition, all patients were followed up for 1 year, and patients with MACE were defined as poor prognosis group. All data used SPSS 26.0 to statistical analyses. The poor prognosis group had significantly higher age and low-density leptin cholesterol (LDLC) levels compared to the favorable prognosis group (P < .05). STEMI patients exhibited significantly elevated serum levels of ACSL4, tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and C-reactive protein (P < .05). Serum ACSL4 and IL-1β levels in the poor prognosis group were remarkably enhanced compared to the favorable prognosis group. Curvilinear regression analysis demonstrated that ACSL4 was associated with LDLC and IL-1β. Moreover, ACSL4 (B = 0.138, 95% CI 1.108-1.189, P < .001), LDLC (B = 2.317, 95% CI 5.253-19.603, P < .001), and IL-1β (B = 0.061, 95%CI 1.008-1.122, P = .025) levels were the risk factors for STEMI patients with 1-year MACE. This study showed that the serum ACSL4 levels was remarkably elevated in STEMI patients. This study might provide new targets and a comprehensive approach to cardiovascular protection in STEMI patients., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

The all-trans conformation ( β -phase) possesses a significant impact on the piezoelectric polymer polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). Inducing more molecular chain [-CH 2 -CF 2 -] n to form all-trans conformation is one of the biggest obstacles for manufacturing high-performance piezoelectric sensing devices. Herein, the continuous vacuum technology is used to modulate the polarity of binary solvents by the proportion of the lower solvent. The regulated solvent forms a high dipole moment, an interaction between the dipole of β -phase and the dipole moment makes the phase reversal in PVDF. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, piezoelectric constant test and other characterization results show that when the weakly polar acetone and the strongly polar solvent DMF reach a ratio of 4:6, the pure PVDF film possesses high piezoelectricity ( d 33 ∼ -44.8 pC N -1 ) and strong self-polarization. Additionally, the A 4 D 6 device exhibits high sensitivity ( S 1 = 0.182 V/N, 0.5 N ∼ 30 N), driven capability (0.49 mW m -2 ), and reliability during the electrical tests as a pressure device. This work provides an effective and cost-effective route of optimizing the solvent's polarity to improve the piezoelectric characteristics of the polymer., (© 2023 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

Due to the numerous cross-operations and poor information communication, it is easy to cause production safety accidents in traditional assembled steel plants. The transformation and upgrading of smart production in the assembly steel plants is helpful to improve the efficiency of safety management. In order to effectively reduce the safety risks in the production of assembled steel components, this paper integrates policy incentives and safety supervision, constructs an evolutionary game model between the government and assembled steel producers, and analyzes the strategic evolution rules and stability conditions of stakeholders through the replication dynamics equation. Moreover, based on the empirical simulation of the Fuzhou X Steel Structure Plant project, the effectiveness of the evolutionary model incentive strategy setting is verified. The results show that whether an assembled steel plants adopt a smart management strategy or not is influenced by the government's incentive subsidy mechanism, penalty mechanism, the benefits and costs generated by traditional/ smart management, the probability and loss of safety accidents and other factors. The conclusion is important for upgrading the safety management mode, improving the safety production efficiency and constructing the safety supervision system of the assembled steel smart plant., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The surface ligand environment plays a dominant role in determining the physicochemical, optical, and electronic properties of colloidal quantum dots (CQDs). Specifically, the ligand-related electronic traps are the main reason for the carrier nonradiative recombination and the energetic losses in colloidal quantum dot solar cells (CQDSCs), which are usually solved with numerous advanced ligand exchange reactions. However, the synthesis process, as the essential initial step to control the surface ligand environment of CQDs, has lagged behind these post-synthesis ligand exchange reactions. The current PbS CQDs synthesis tactic generally uses lead oxide (PbO) as lead precursor, and thus suffers from the water byproducts issue increasing the surface-hydroxyl ligands and aggravating trap-induced recombination in the PbS CQDSCs. Herein, an organic-Pb precursor, lead (II) acetylacetonate (Pb(acac) 2 ), is used instead of a PbO precursor to avoid the adverse impact of water byproducts. Consequently, the Pb(acac) 2 precursor successfully optimizes the surface ligands of PbS CQDs by reducing the hydroxyl ligands and increasing the iodine ligands with trap-passivation ability. Finally, the Pb(acac) 2 -based CQDSCs possess remarkably reduced trap states and suppressed nonradiative recombination, generating a certified record V oc of 0.652 V and a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 11.48% with long-term stability in planar heterojunction-structure CQDSCs., (© 2022 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is a highly deadly and aggressive tumour with a poor prognosis. However, the prognostic value of RNF169 and its related mechanisms in PAAD have not been elucidated. In this study, we aimed to explore prognosis-related genes, especially RNF169 in PAAD and to identify novel potential prognostic predictors of PAAD. Methods: The GEPIA and UALCAN databases were used to investigate the expression and prognostic value of RNF169 in PAAD. The correlation between RNF169 expression and immune infiltration was determined by using TIMER and TISIDB. Correlation analysis with starBase was performed to identify a potential regulatory axis of lncRNA-miRNA-RNF169. Results: The data showed that the level of RNF169 mRNA expression in PAAD tissues was higher than that in normal tissues. High RNF169 expression was correlated with poor prognosis in PAAD. In addition, analysis with the TISIDB and TIMER databases revealed that RNF169 expression was positively correlated with tumour immune infiltration in PAAD. Correlation analysis suggested that the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) AL049555.1 and the microRNA (miRNA) hsa-miR-324-5p were involved in the expression of RNF169, composing a potential regulatory axis to control the progression of PAAD. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses indicated that RNF169 plays a role in PAAD through pathways such as TNF, Hippo, JAK-STAT and Toll-like receptor signaling. Conclusion: In summary, the upregulation of RNF169 expression mediated by ncRNAs might influence immune cell infiltration in the microenvironment; thus, it can be used as a prognostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic target in PAAD., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wang, Chen, Deng, Chen, Wang, Yan, Wang, Tang, Liang and Jiang.)

Solution-processed solar cells are promising for the cost-effective, high-throughput production of photovoltaic devices. Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) are attractive candidate materials for efficient, solution-processed solar cells, potentially realizing the broad-spectrum light utilization and multi-exciton generation effect for the future efficiency breakthrough of solar cells. The emerging quantum junction solar cells (QJSCs), constructed by n- and p-type CQDs only, open novel avenue for all-quantum-dot photovoltaics with a simplified device configuration and convenient processing technology. However, the development of high-efficiency QJSCs still faces the challenge of back carrier diffusion induced by the huge carrier density drop at the interface of CQDs and conductive glass substrate. Herein, an ultra-thin atomic layer deposited tin oxide (SnO x ) layer is employed to buffer this carrier density drop, significantly reducing the interfacial recombination and capacitance caused by the back carrier diffusion. The SnO x -modified QJSC achieves a record-high efficiency of 11.55% and a suppressed hysteresis factor of 0.04 in contrast with reference QJSC with an efficiency of 10.4% and hysteresis factor of 0.48. This work clarifies the critical effect of interfacial issues on the carrier recombination and hysteresis of QJSCs, and provides an effective pathway to design high-performance all-quantum-dot devices., (© 2022 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Abstract: Our previous study confirmed that cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) leads to acute lung injury (ALI) via inducing high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) release. Recent research showed that HMGB1 promotes pulmonary injury mainly via exosomes transport. Currently, alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) necroptosis has been demonstrated to be involved in ALI. However, it is unknown whether exosomal inflammatory cytokine HMGB1 promotes ALI by inducing AEC necroptosis, and its underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, a prospective cohort study was carried out, in which plasma samples from 21 CPB patients were isolated at four specific time points: pre-CPB, 2, 12, and 24 h after initiation of CPB. Plasma exosomes were extracted via ultra-high-speed centrifugation and cocultured with AEC cell line-A549 cells at increasing concentrations of 50, 100, and 150 μg/mL. Then, HMGB1 antagonist-Box A and mtDNA deficiency ethidium bromide (EtBr) were applied to explore the underlying role of exosomal HMGB1 and cytoplasm mitochondrial DNA in AEC. Western blot analysis showed that plasma exosomal HMGB1 expression gradually increased and peaked at 24 h after CPB. Twenty-four-hour treatment of CPB-derived exosomes at 150 μg/mL for 24 h could induce necroptosis by promoting mitochondrial fission and further elevating cytoplasm mtDNA levels in A549 cells, which was successfully blocked by Box A or EtBr. Most importantly, EtBr significantly inhibited cytoplasm mtDNA downstream guanosine monophosphate (GMP)-AMP synthase (cGAS)/stimulator of interferon gene (STING) signal pathway. Collectively, these data demonstrate that CPB-derived plasma exosomal HMGB1 contributes to AEC necroptosis through the mtDNA/cGAS/STING pathway., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 by the Shock Society.)

Objective: Propofol-based sedation has been widely used for gastroscopy, but the risk of respiratory suppression in elderly patients should not be overlooked. Intravenous (IV) lidocaine during surgery can reduce the demand for propofol and the incidence of cardiopulmonary complications. We examined whether IV lidocaine reduces the dose of propofol and the occurrence of adverse events during gastroscopy in elderly patients., Methods: We conducted a prospective, single-center, double-blind randomized controlled trial in elderly patients aged ≥65 years with ASA I-II. Subjects were randomly assigned to the lidocaine group (Group L, n=70), who received IV 1.5 mg kg -1 lidocaine followed by a continuous infusion of 4 mg kg -1 h -1 lidocaine, or the normal saline group (Group N, n=70), who received an equal volume of saline in the same way., Results: IV lidocaine reduced the total and maintenance propofol dose in Group L ( p <0.001), with no significant effect on the induction dose. The incidence of intraoperative hypoxia ( p =0.035), emergency airway management events ( p =0.005), duration of gastroscopy ( p <0.05), consciousness recovery time ( p <0.001), and postoperative pain ( p =0.009) were all reduced in Group L. Patient ( p =0.025) and gastroscopist ( p =0.031) satisfaction was higher in Group L. Intraoperative hemodynamic parameters, the respiratory rate, the incidence of sedation-related events and anesthesiologist satisfaction were similar between the two groups., Conclusion: IV lidocaine can significantly reduce the amount of propofol, the incidence of hypoxia and postoperative pain during gastroscopy in elderly patients, with a higher patient and gastroscopist satisfaction., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2022 Hu et al.)

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected people's daily lives, including their dietary behaviors. Using a panel data set of 31 provinces from 2015 to 2020, this study employed two-way fixed effects (FE) models to examine the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on dietary consumption among Chinese residents. The results showed that the COVID-19 pandemic positively affected residents' consumption of grain, eggs, dairy, and white meat (poultry and aquatic products), while it had a negative effect on individuals' red meat consumption in both urban and rural areas. These results were robust to different measures of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the number of confirmed cases, suspect cases, and dead cases. Comparatively, the changes in food consumption induced by the COVID-19 pandemic were more prominent for Chinese residents who lived in rural areas than urban areas. In addition, compared to their counterparts, the dietary consequences of the pandemic were more pronounced for residents living in the eastern region and regions with a high old-age dependency ratio and low illiteracy rate. Furthermore, the estimation results of the quantile regression model for panel data suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic had relatively larger impacts on the dietary consumption of Chinese residents at lower quantiles of food consumption compared with those at higher quantiles. Overall, the results of this study suggested that Chinese residents had a healthier diet after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. We discussed possible mechanisms, including health awareness, income, food supply and prices, and other behavioral changes during COVID-19 (e.g., physical activity and cooking). To further improve residents' dietary behaviors and health, our study proposed relevant measures, such as increasing residents' dietary knowledge, ensuring employment and income, and strengthening the food supply chain resilience during the pandemic.

Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) have a large specific surface area and a complex surface structure. Their properties in diverse optoelectronic applications are largely determined by their surface chemistry. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the surface chemistry of CQDs for improving device performance. Herein, we realized an efficient surface chemistry optimization of lead sulfide (PbS) CQDs for photovoltaics by annealing the CQD solution with concentrated lead halide ligands after the conventional solution-phase ligand exchange. During the annealing process, the colloidal solution was used to transfer heat and create a secondary reaction environment, promoting the desorption of electrically insulating oleate ligands as well as the trap-related surface groups (Pb-hydroxyl and oxidized Pb species). This was accompanied by the binding of more conductive lead halide ligands on the CQD surface, eventually achieving a more complete ligand exchange. Furthermore, this strategy also minimized CQD polydispersity and decreased aggregation caused by conventional solution-phase ligand exchange, thereby contributing to yielding CQD films with twofold enhanced carrier mobility and twofold reduced trap-state density compared with those of the control. Based on these merits, the fabricated PbS CQD solar cells showed high efficiency of 11% under ambient conditions. Our strategy opens a novel and effective avenue to obtain high-efficiency CQD solar cells with diverse band gaps, providing meaningful guidance for controlling ligand reactivity and realizing subtly purified CQDs.

Background: Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most widely grown food crops, and its yield and quality are particularly important for a warm-saturated diet. Cold stress restricts rice growth, development, and yield; however, the specific mechanism of cold tolerance in rice remains unknown., Results: The analysis of leaf physiological and photosynthetic characteristics showed that the two rice varieties were significantly affected by cold stress, but the cold-tolerant variety KY131 had more stable physiological characteristics, maintaining relatively good photosynthetic capacity. To better explore the transcriptional regulation mechanism and biological basis of rice response to cold stress, a comprehensive analysis of the rice transcriptome and lipidome under low temperature and control temperature conditions was carried out. The transcriptomic analysis revealed that lipid metabolism, including membrane lipid and fatty acid metabolism, may be an important factor in rice cold tolerance, and 397 lipid metabolism related genes have been identified. Lipidomics data confirmed the importance of membrane lipid remodeling and fatty acid unsaturation for rice adaptation to cold stress. This indicates that the changes in the fluidity and integrity of the photosynthetic membrane under cold stress lead to the reduction of photosynthetic capacity, which could be relieved by increased levels of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol that mainly caused by markedly increased expression of levels of 1,2-diacylglycerol 3-beta-galactosyltransferase (MGD). The upregulation of phosphatidate phosphatase (PAP2) inhibited the excessive accumulation of phosphatidate (PA) to produce more phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and phosphatidylglycerol (PG), thereby preventing of membrane phase transition under cold stress. In addition, fatty acid β-oxidation is worth further study in rice cold tolerance. Finally, we constructed a metabolic model for the regulatory mechanism of cold tolerance in rice, in which the advanced lipid metabolism system plays a central role., Conclusions: Lipidome analysis showed that membrane lipid composition and unsaturation were significantly affected, especially phospholipids and galactolipids. Our study provides new information to further understand the response of rice to cold stress., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Long project cycle and uncertainties are important characteristics of public-private partnership (PPP) projects. Since the introduction of PPP projects in China, the timing of capital withdrawal has become important. With the emergence of risk factors during the course of the project, it will face the problem of investment withdrawal by social capital financial investors. Escalation of commitment (EOC) refers to the erroneous behaviour of project decision makers who do not promptly withdraw from a project when they receive negative feedback and continue to invest resources in the project. EOC not only causes more unnecessary losses but also adversely affects decision makers. Therefore, it is crucial to clarify the impact of EOC on the choice of the exit timing of social capital. This article adopts literature survey method and quantitative analysis method: introducing the theory of maximization of income into the real option model, combining the net present value method with the binary tree option pricing model, constructing the decision-making model to analyze the exit timing of PPP social capital in the context of EOC. Then combined numerical simulation and empirical analysis to verify the effectiveness of the decision-making model, discussed the reasons why the social capital party chooses EOC, and proposes measures for controlling EOC. The higher the degree of completion of the project, the easier it is for the person in charge of the project to make inaccurate judgements about the project due to personal psychological factors, and the easier it is for EOC to occur. Therefore, after setting the minimum goal of the project, the decision maker needs to accurately evaluate the existing value of the project to avoid falling into decision-making errors., Competing Interests: Fiujian Group Co., Ltd. provided support in the form of salaries for Zhou Chuhan. Fuzhou Planning and Design Institute Group Co. Ltd provided support in the form of salaries for Chen Jingyi. There are no patents, products in development or marketed products to declare. This commercial affiliation does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Elaborating the sensitization effects of different noble metals on In 2 O 3 has great significance in providing an optimum method to improve ethanol sensing performance. In this study, long-range ordered mesoporous In 2 O 3 has been fabricated through replicating the structure of SBA-15. Different noble metals (Au, Ag, Pt and Pd) with the same doping amount (1 at%) have been introduced by an in situ doping routine. The results of the gas sensing investigation indicate that the gas responses towards ethanol can be obviously increased by doping different noble metals. In particular, the best sensing performance towards ethanol detection can be achieved through Pd doping, and the sensors based on Pd-doped In 2 O 3 not only possess the highest response (39.0-100 ppm ethanol) but also have the shortest response and recovery times at the optimal operating temperature of 250 °C. The sensing mechanism of noble metal doped materials can be attributed to the synergetic effect combining 'catalysis' and 'electronic and chemical sensitization' of noble metals. In particular, the chemical state of the noble metal also has a great influence on the gas sensing mechanism. A detailed explanation of the enhancement of gas sensing performance through noble metal doping is presented in the gas sensing mechanism part of the manuscript., (© 2021 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

Large-scale and well-aligned in situ growth SnO 2 nanotube (NT) arrays have been synthesized directly on the surface of the Al 2 O 3 ceramic tube by a cost-effective template self-etching method. The morphology of in situ SnO 2 NTs can be adjusted by changing the concentration of urea. The structure and morphology characteristics of SnO 2 NT were examined via x-ray diffraction, BET, and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. A series of detections were carried out to evaluate the gas sensing performances. The results indicated that in situ growth SnO 2 NT arrays sensor exhibited an excellent response ( S  = 20.3), good linearity under the concentration range of ppm level (5-300 ppm), and outstanding selectivity to 100 ppm of acetone gas. Compared with the sensors fabricated by a slurry-coating method, the controllable in situ assembled SnO 2 NT arrays exhibited a more stable structure and easier fabrication process. The high acetone sensing performance might due to the unique hollow structure and favorable orientation growth. The dominant sensing mechanism about the in situ growth SnO 2 NT arrays sensor has been discussed in detail. It is expected that in situ growth SnO 2 NT arrays sensor with the general working principle and controllable growth strategy will become a promising functional material in monitoring and detecting acetone., (© 2021 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

Highly transparent and active Pt-Mo 2 C counter electrodes were successfully fabricated by the strong metal-support interaction, with high dispersity of Pt nanoclusters on Mo 2 C support, which endowed bifacial dye-sensitized solar cells with a rear-to-front efficiency ratio as high as 0.75.

Three novel organic dyes coded as FHD4-1 , FHD4-2 , and FHD4-3 featuring spiro[dibenzo[3,4:6,7]cyclohepta[1,2- b ]quinoxaline-10,9'-fluorene] ( SDBQX ) moieties are designed to inhibit dye aggregation to improve the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The consistent absorption onsets of FHD4-1 , FHD4-2 , and FHD4-3 in solutions and adsorbed on TiO 2 films indicate that these dyes are aggregation-free dyes. Therefore, coadsorption with chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) of these three dyes reduces the performance of DSSCs because no inhibition effect for dye aggregation is needed, but, on the contrary, the dye loading amount is reduced after addition of CDCA., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2019 The Authors. Published by WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The CdS interlayer plays an important role as the seed layer and energy barrier in photovoltaic performance enhancement of CdSe quantum-dot sensitized solar cells (QDSCs). However, the CdS (CdS-CBD) interlayer is generally synthesized by the chemical bath deposition method (CBD) and suffers from excessive Cd2+ due to the poor controllability of interfacial chemical reactions. Here, we employed a sol-gel method to prepare a CdS interlayer (CdS-SG) with a stoichiometric ratio of Cd2+ to S2- on a TiO2 mesoporous photoanode and then fabricated CdSe QDSCs. A power conversion efficiency of 3.37% was obtained in the CdS-SG QDSCs (Cell-SG), which is higher than that of 2.64% in the CdS-CBD QDSCs (Cell-CBD) under AM 1.5G solar illumination of 100 mW cm-2. Charge extraction measurements showed that the Cell-SG contained fewer trap states than the Cell-CBD. A comprehensive study of the electron dynamics based on open-circuit voltage decay (OCVD), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), intensity-modulated voltage spectroscopy (IMVS), and intensity-modulated photocurrent spectroscopy (IMPS) measurements revealed that the stoichiometric CdS-SG interlayer significantly reduced the charge recombination and prolonged the lifetime of photogenerated electrons in contrast to the CdS-CBD interlayer in the QDSCs.

The datasets presented in this article are related the research paper entitled "A Linear Classifier Approach for Identifying Security Requirements in Open Source Software Development" Wang et al. (2018) [1]. This article describes requirements collected from three open-source software (OSS) projects and labels of security requirements. The datasets are made available to support automated security requirements analyzing tools development as well as tools' evaluation.

Background: Sepsis leads to severe acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) that is associated with enhanced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), an ER-anchored protein, exerts antioxidant and protective functions under ALI. However, the role of HO-1 activation in the development of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress during sepsis remains unknown., Methods: Cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) model was created to induce septic ALI. Lung tissue ER stress was measured 18 hours after CLP. The effects of HO-1 on ER stress during septic ALI were investigated in vivo using HO-1 agonist hemin and antagonist ZnPP., Results: Compared with the sham group, ER stress in septic lung increased significantly 18 hours after CLP, which was significantly reduced by pretreatment with the ER inhibitor 4-phenylbutyrate (4-PBA). The lung injury score and the lung wet to dry (W/D) ratio in lungs were significantly reduced in septic rats after ER stress inhibition. Similarly, lung ER stress-related genes' (PERK, eIF2- α , ATF4, and CHOP) levels were attenuated after ER stress inhibition. Furthermore, HO-1 activation by hemin reduced p-PERK, p-eIF2- α , ATF4, and CHOP protein expression and oxidative stress and lung cell apoptosis. Additionally, HO-1 antagonist could aggregate the ER stress-related ALI., Conclusions: ER stress was activated during CLP-induced ALI, which may represent a mechanism by which CLP induces ALI. HO-1 activation could inhibit CLP-induced lung ER stress and attenuate CLP-induced ALI.

Development of cost-effective counter electrode (CE) materials is a key issue for practical applications of photoelectrochemical solar energy conversion. Kesterite Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 (CZTS) has been recognized as a potential CE material, but its electrocatalytic activity is still insufficient for the recovery of I - /I 3 - electrolyte in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Herein, we attempt to enhance the electrocatalytic activity of kesterite CZTS through element substitution of Zn 2+ by Co 2+ and Ni 2+ cations, considering their high catalytic activity, as well as their similar atomic radius and electron configuration with Zn 2+ . The Cu 2 CoSnS 4 (CCTS) and Cu 2 NiSnS 4 (CNTS) CEs exhibit smaller charge-transfer resistance and reasonable power conversion efficiency (PCE) (CCTS, 8.3%; CNTS, 8.2%), comparable to that of Pt (8.3%). In contrast, the CZTS-based DSSCs only generate a PCE of 7.9%. Density functional theory calculation indicate that the enhanced catalytic performance is associated to the adsorption and desorption energy of iodine atom on the Co 2+ and Ni 2+ . In addition, the stability of CCTS and CNTS CEs toward electrolyte is also significantly improved as evidenced by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy characterizations. These results thus suggest the effectiveness of the element substitution strategy for developing high-performance CE from the developed materials, particularly for multicomponent compounds.

Porous α-Fe 2 O 3 microflowers, which were composed of many nanospindles assembled by large numbers of nanoparticles, were successfully synthesized by calcining the FeSO 4 (OH) precursor prepared through a simple ethanol-mediated method. Various techniques were employed to obtain the crystalline and morphological properties of the as-prepared products. The formation process of such microstructure was proposed according to the morphology and component of the products obtained at different reaction time. Moreover, the obtained α-Fe 2 O 3 was utilized as sensing materials upon exposure to various test gases. As expected, in virtue of the less-agglomerated configuration and unique porous structure, the hierarchical α-Fe 2 O 3 microflowers exhibited higher response as well as faster response/recovery time to acetone when compared with α-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles. Significantly, the response time was measured to be 1s at the low operating temperature of 210°C., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Inadvertent intraoperative hypothermia (core temperature <36 °C) is a frequent but preventable complication of general anesthesia. Accurate risk assessment of individual patients may help physicians identify patients at risk for hypothermia and apply preventive approaches, which include active intraoperative warming. This study aimed to develop and validate a risk-prediction model for intraoperative hypothermia. Two independent observational studies in China, the Beijing Regional Survey and the China National Survey, were conducted in 2013 and 2014, respectively, to determine the incidence of hypothermia and its underlying risk factors. In this study, using data from these two studies, we first derived a risk calculation equation, estimating the predictive risk of hypothermia using National Survey data (3132 patients), then validated the equation using the Beijing Regional Survey data (830 patients). Measures of accuracy, discrimination and calibration were calculated in the validation data set. Through validation, this model, named Predictors Score, had sound overall accuracy (Brier Score = 0.211), good discrimination (C-Statistic = 0.759) and excellent calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow, P = 0.5611). We conclude that the Predictors Score is a valid predictor of the risk of operative hypothermia and can be used in deciding whether intraoperative warming is a cost-effective measure in preventing the hypothermia.

The discovery of conserved sequential patterns in biological sequences is essential to unveiling common shared functions. Mining sequential generators as well as mining closed sequential patterns can contribute to a more concise result set than mining all sequential patterns, especially in the analysis of big data in bioinformatics. Previous studies have also presented convincing arguments that the generator is preferable to the closed pattern in inductive inference and classification. However, classic sequential generator mining algorithms, due to the lack of consideration on the contiguous constraint along with the lower-closed one, still pose a great challenge at spawning a large number of inefficient and redundant patterns, which is too huge for effective usage. Driven by some extensive applications of patterns with contiguous feature, we propose ConSgen, an efficient algorithm for discovering contiguous sequential generators. It adopts the n-gram model, called shingles, to generate potential frequent subsequences and leverages several pruning techniques to prune the unpromising parts of search space. And then, the contiguous sequential generators are identified by using the equivalence class-based lower-closure checking scheme. Our experiments on both DNA and protein data sets demonstrate the compactness, efficiency, and scalability of ConSgen.

A selective and sensitive LC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of five constituents (cimicifugoside H-2, cimicifugoside H-1, 23-epi-26-deoxyactein, cimigenol xyloside and 25-O-acetylcimigenoside) of Cimicifuga foetida L. in beagle dog plasma. The quantitation was performed on a LC-MS/MS with negative electrospray ionization in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. A gradient mobile phase composed of methanol and water was used at a flow rate of 0.4 ml/min. All the analytes and internal standard (20 (S)-ginsenoside Rg3) were isolated from plasma samples by a liquid-liquid extraction method. The average extraction recoveries were 73-74% for cimicifugoside H-2, 89-94% for cimicifugoside H-1, 73-80% for 23-epi-26-deoxyactein, 89-91% for cimigenol xyloside, 87-96% for 25-O-acetylcimigenoside, respectively. The method showed good linearity and no endogenous material interfered with all the five compounds and I.S. peaks. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of all analytes was 0.5 ng/ml. The intra- and inter-day precision of analysis was less than 15% for each analyte at concentrations of 2.0, 50, 500 ng/ml, and the accuracy ranged from 85.8% to 107%. This method was successfully applied to reveal the pharmacokinetic properties of cimicifugoside H-2, cimicifugoside H-1, 23-epi-26-deoxyactein, cimigenol xyloside and 25-O-acetylcimigenoside after oral administration., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A new type of hybrid supramolecular gel derived from a synergetic self-assembling of organic and inorganic components has been prepared through encapsulating a series of polyoxometalate (POM) clusters with ammonium surfactants bearing two alkyl chains. Among the general organic solvents we employed, some of surfactant-encapsulated POM (SEP) complexes readily gel with nonpolar solvents. Proper alkyl chain density, alkyl chain length, and shape of POM are proven to be favorable for fabricating stable SEP gels based on the results of critical gelation concentration and transition temperature from gel to solution. In addition, the shape of POM influences the aggregation morphologies of SEPs, stripes and spheres in gel phases, as confirmed by polarizing optical microscopic and scanning electron microscopic images. X-ray diffractions reveal that all the SEPs in gel states possess similar lamellar aggregation structures with POM layer inside and alkyl chain bilayers shielding from the nonpolar solvent on both sides. The combination of solvent effect, electrostatic, and dipole interaction is thought to be responsible for the formation of SEP gels.

A critical challenge in cancer research is to identify genetic lesions that sensitize patients to chemotherapy. p53, which is mutated in nearly one-third to half of glioblastomas, may be such a lesion. In this paper, we demonstrate that p53 disruption dramatically sensitizes glioblastoma cells to DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor-mediated apoptosis. Using 19 glioblastoma cell lines, including 15 low-passage ex vivo cell lines derived from patients, as well as isogenic glioblastoma cells varying in p53 status, we show that clinically relevant levels of SN-38 potently induce cell cycle arrest and temporary senescence in glioblastoma cells with wild-type p53 while causing massive apoptosis in p53-deficient cells (P<0.0002). We demonstrate that glioblastoma cells with wild-type p53 proliferate when recultured in drug-free medium, whereas p53-deficient cells do not. We also show that p16 protein expression is neither necessary nor sufficient for initiation and/or maintenance of SN-38-induced arrest/senescence. These results indicate that p53 disruption has a dramatic effect on how glioblastoma cells process topoisomerase I inhibitor-mediated DNA damage.