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Minimizing energy consumption, the amount of chemicals used, and secondary wastes is key to achieving a techno-economic approach for recycling spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, we report a vapor thermal reduction approach to converting lithium transition metal oxides (LTMOs) to water-insoluble TMOs and water-soluble Li salts with markedly reduced water and chemical use, and temperature. Compared with the hydrothermal process, the water vapor approach reduces the usage of water and ammonium salts, making the selective extraction happen at

Metallothermically reducing silica to nano-silicon is an energy-effective and straightforward way using low-cost raw materials. Herein, we report a scalable technique to produce nano-Si particles from SiO2 with the assistance of AlCl3, using zinc (Zn) as the reductant, and Zn can be recovered by electrochemical deposition in an aqueous solution. Thermodynamically, the reactivity of metal reductants should be higher than that of Si. However, opposing the thermodynamic rule, SiO2 can be reduced to Si by Zn that is less reactive than Si. The underlying mechanism of the abnormal spontaneous zincothermic reduction reaction stems from the existence of AlCl3 acting as a chlorination agent that first transforms SiO2 into SiCl4, which is subsequently reduced by Zn. Thus, the reaction of AlCl3-assisted metallothermic reduction of SiO2 is herein revealed for the first time, which is termed the chlorination–reduction reaction that obeys the thermodynamic rule. The revealed chlorination–reduction mechanism can explain the reason why the AlCl3 additive can enable the metallothermic reduction of SiO2 at such a low temperature of 250 °C. Moreover, the obtained nano-Si delivers a specific discharge capacity of 1450 mA h g−1 at 2 A g−1 after 400 cycles. Overall, this paper expands the choice of reductants and provides new insights into understanding the AlCl3-assisted metallothermic reduction of SiO2.

Rational design of hierarchical photocatalysts for dye degradation and hydrogen production has been believed as a wise selection for pollution control and energy solution. Herein, we present the design and synthesis of Fe3O4@SiO2@ZnO–Ag core shell microstructures with different ZnO loading amounts. The structure, morphology, composition, optical and magnetic properties of the as-synthesized samples were investigated by several characterization techniques. Photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) and hydrogen evolution under UV light were selected to assess the impact of ZnO loading amount on photocatalytic activities. Photocatalytic results reveal that Fe3O4@SiO2@ZnO–Ag with 15.14 wt% ZnO loading amount shows the best photocatalytic property. The RhB degradation efficiency of this sample was 98.1% after 100 min of UV light exposure. Additionally, the hydrogen evolution rate of this sample was 183 μmol h−1 under UV light illumination. It is also worth noting that these core shell microspheres were endowed with outstanding magnetic response, excellent photocatalytic reusability and chemical stability. The core shell photocatalysts can maintain high efficiency after five-cycles of RhB photocatalytic degradation run. Such features mentioned above made heterostructure Fe3O4@SiO2@ZnO–Ag photocatalysts promising candidates in practical use for environmental and energy challenges.

To investigate the risk factors affecting the prognosis of elderly patients with severe aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). Forty-nine elderly patients with severe aSAH (Hunt and Hess [H-H] grade III–V) were enrolled in this retrospective study. Follow-up was conducted with patients 30 days after discharge using the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), on which scores of 1–3 indicated a poor outcome (n = 32) and scores of 4–5 indicated a good outcome (n = 17). The patients’ general information (gender, age, presence of hypertension, diabetes, or coronary atherosclerotic heart disease, location of ruptured aneurysm, and H-H grade) and complications (cerebral vasospasm, new cerebral infarction, pulmonary infection, liver dysfunction, hypoalbuminemia, anemia, and electrolyte disturbance) were recorded, and comparison between the different outcome groups was undertaken. Univariate analysis was used to analyze the factors associated with different outcomes, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors that lead to poor outcomes. The incidence of all complications increased in patients with higher H-H grades, but without statistical significance (P > 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the two outcome (poor and good) groups in general information and complications (all P > 0.05), with the exception of different H-H grades (P

The purpose of this study is to investigate miRNAs' effects, targeting the Wnt signaling pathway, on osteogenic differentiation to provide new targets for diabetic osteoporosis treatments. Twelve male rats were divided into a normal rat group (NOR group) and a model rat group (MOD group). Cluster analysis of differentially expressed miRNAs and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were performed. Primary rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were divided into a high-glucose group and a low-glucose group, and osteogenic differentiation was induced. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining and Alizarin Red staining were used for pathological analysis of the cells. Western blot analysis was used to measure GSK-3β, β-catenin, p-β-catenin, c-Myc, and CyclinD1 expression. Immunofluorescence (IF) was used to analyze the effect of GSK-3β inhibitor (CHIR99021) on β-catenin and CyclinD1 expressions levels in BMSCs. A total of 428 differentially expressed miRNAs were found between the NOR and MOD groups. KEGG analysis showed that the target genes were mostly enriched in signaling pathways, including PI3K-Akt, focal adhesion, AGE-RAGE, HIF-1, and Wnt. qPCR verification demonstrated that miR-124-3p exhibited the greatest difference in expression level. In BMSCs, miR-124-3p overexpression could reverse the inhibited expression of BMSC osteogenic markers, including Alpl, Bglap, and Runx2, induced by high glucose. Western blot analysis revealed that the transfection of miR-124-3p mimics could further reverse the upregulated p-β-catenin and GSK-3β levels and the downregulated c-Myc and CyclinD1 levels induced by high glucose. IF results revealed that BMSCs treated CHIR99021 under high glucose showed the reduced GSK-3β and increased β-catenin and CyclinD1 expression levels. Our research highlighted miRNAs' important roles in regulating the Wnt pathway and provided new information for the diagnosis and treatment of diabetic osteoporosis.

Purpose The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has become a global public health concern; however, relatively few detailed reports of related cardiac injury are available. The aims of this study were to compare the clinical and echocardiographic characteristics of inpatients in the intensive-care unit (ICU) and non-ICU patients. Methods We recruited 416 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and divided them into two groups: ICU (n = 35) and non-ICU (n = 381). Medical histories, laboratory findings, and echocardiography data were compared. Results The levels of myocardial injury markers in ICU vs non-ICU patients were as follows: troponin I (0.029 ng/mL [0.007–0.063] vs 0.006 ng/mL [0.006–0.006]) and myoglobin (65.45 μg/L [39.77–130.57] vs 37.00 μg/L [26.40–53.54]). Echocardiographic findings included ventricular wall thickening (12 [39%] vs 1 [4%]), pulmonary hypertension (9 [29%] vs 0 [0%]), and reduced left-ventricular ejection fraction (5 [16%] vs 0 [0%]). Overall, 10% of the ICU patients presented with right heart enlargement, thickened right-ventricular wall, decreased right heart function, and pericardial effusion. Cardiac complications were more common in ICU patients, including acute cardiac injury (21 [60%] vs 13 [3%]) (including 2 cases of fulminant myocarditis), atrial or ventricular tachyarrhythmia (3 [9%] vs 3 [1%]), and acute heart failure (5 [14%] vs 0 [0%]). Conclusion Myocardial injury marker elevation, ventricular wall thickening, pulmonary artery hypertension, and cardiac complications including acute myocardial injury, arrhythmia, and acute heart failure are more common in ICU patients with COVID-19. Cardiac injury in COVID-19 patients may be related more to the systemic response after infection rather than direct damage by coronavirus.

Emulsified asphalt mixture has the characteristics of convenient construction and durable performance, but its poor early strength and demulsification seriously restrict the popularization and application of this material. At present, the coal gangue produced by coal-fired power plants is generally discarded, resulting in serious environmental pollution. The combination of coal gangue and emulsified asphalt can explore an efficient utilization way for more and more coal gangue and also solve the curing problem of asphalt. In order to give full play to the advantages of existing materials and make rational use of resources, this paper studies the factors affecting the performance of coal gangue emulsified asphalt mixture based on orthogonal experimental design and optimizes its material composition parameters by considering the coupling effect of two factors. The water stability of coal gangue emulsified asphalt mixture is evaluated by the immersion Marshall test. Finally, the strength formation mechanism of coal gangue emulsified asphalt mixture is analyzed from the microscopic point of view. The results determined 7.5% as the optimum amount of emulsified asphalt in coal gangue emulsified asphalt mixture and recommended the best parameter combination of 7.5% emulsified asphalt, 6% coal gangue, and 5% water consumption. With the increase of coal gangue content, the water loss resistance of emulsified asphalt mixture increases gradually, and the water stability of emulsified asphalt mixture can be improved by adding coal gangue. According to the microscopic analysis, the strength of the mixture is formed by the joint action of emulsified asphalt and coal gangue, in which the hydration products of coal gangue and asphalt play the role of cementation and strength together. The ordinary emulsified asphalt mortar mainly contains CaCO3, which mainly plays the role of physical filling.

Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is an important cathode reaction in fuel cells and metal-air batteries. Composites of transition-metal sulfides (TMSs) and nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) are promising alternative ORR catalysts because of their high catalytic activity. However, the agglomeration of TMS particles limits practical applications. Here, a confinement catalyst composed of Co9S8@NC with a flower-like morphology was derived from metanilic intercalated Co(OH)2 through interlayer-confined carbonation accompanied with host-layer sulfidation. The surface of the Co9S8 particles is covered with a few layers of nitrogen-doped graphene, which can prevent the Co9S8 particles from agglomeration and also produce catalytic activity affected by internal Co9S8. Thus, the Co9S8@NC material achieves excellent ORR performance with a half-wave potential of 0.861 VRHE. In addition, an oxide layer on the surface of Co9S8@NC is fabricated shortly after the ORR starts. Further tests and density functional theory calculations indicated that this cobalt oxide layer can increase the electrochemically active area of Co9S8@NC as well as reduce the ORR energy barrier, thereby providing more catalytic active sites and enhancing the intrinsic catalytic activity, thus achieving a self-activation effect during the electrochemical reaction process.

This paper examines the effect of oxidation of asphaltene molecules on the overall polydispersity and rheology of a bituminous matrix. The research hypothesis is that oxidation of asphaltene molecu...

Objective: Acute fatty liver of pregnancy(AFLP) is a rare but very urgent obstetric disease in clinical. It is a common cause of liver failure in pregnancy and often needs to be admitted to the department of critical care medicine because of the rapid development of acute hepatic dysfunction and severe acute renal dysfunction. The etiology and pathogenesis of this disorder is not very clear although there have been many studies on it before. Meanwhile, the relatively high mortality requires a better recognition in order to better guide clinical decision making. Our previous multicentre retrospective study on AFLP demonstrated that total bilirubin and serum creatinine were independent risk factors for perinatal maternal mortality. And we aim to further assess maternal outcomes and risk factors in AFLP patients treated without plasma exchange or renal replacement therapy based on previous data we collected.Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 133 hospitalized patients with AFLP was collected from four Chinese tertiary hospitals during the period between January 2009 and April 2014. One hundred thirty three patients were divided into two subgroups containing patients treated without plasma exchange (PE) or renal replacement therapy (CRT) and patients treated with PE or/and CRT. Logistic regression was used to analyze independent risk factors for maternal mortality of AFLP treated without PE or CRT.Results: The maternal mortality rate was 12.0% in subgroup of patients treated without PE or CRT. And in subgroup of patients treated with PE or/and CRT, the maternal mortality rate was 26.8%. Independent risk factors for maternal mortality of AFLP treated without PE or CRT were direct bilirubin (OR = 1.012; 95% CI, 1.002-1.022) and serum creatinine (OR = 1.022; 95% CI, 1.007-1.036).Conclusion: Although less liver and kidney damage in AFLP treated without PE or CRT, direct bilirubin and serum creatinine remained to be independent risk factors for maternal mortality. Thus, the level of bilirubin and serum creatinine might not be necessary for AFLP to decide whether to give plasma exchange or dialysis treatment.

Although the extensive clinical use of the ADC trastuzumab-DM1(T-DM1) for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) targeted cancer therapy, many patients who initially respond to T-DM1 treatment eventually met the insufficient efficacy issue, which is partly attributed to the decreased amount of surface HER2 caused by HER2 degradation in target cells. In our study, we have engineered a HER2 targeted DNA aptamer-DM1 conjugate (HApDC) that can maintain the homeostasis of surface HER2 on the target cancer cell. These conclusions are supported by determining the efficient internalization of HApDC into HER2 overexpressed BT474 and SKBR3 cancer cell lines and by identifying the membranal HER2 level on HApDC-treated BT474 cells. Consistent with the impressive in vitro properties of our newly developed anticancer agent, DM1 could precisely be delivered to the tumor tissue in BT474 xenografted mouse models, because of the specific recognition of aptamer. Noteworthy, HApDC exhibited excellent in vivo tumor inhibition function with much lower healthy organ toxicity, compared with the free drug, which might be explained by the persistently targeted DM1 delivery, which is attributed to the remaining HER2 levels on cells.

The effects of the alloying sequence and refining time on the inclusions in Fe–9Cr alloy reinforced with Y2O3 nanoparticles were investigated. The size and number of inclusions in the alloys were determined via optical microscopy, and their morphology and composition were determined via scanning electron microscopy. The Y2O3 mainly acted as a nucleating agent in the Si–Mn+Y2O3+Ti alloying process, promoting the precipitation of other oxides, which was beneficial for the formation of Y–Ti–O particles. In contrast, no Y–Ti inclusions were formed when the Si–Mn+Ti+Y2O3 alloying process was employed. In addition, the inclusions in the alloy tended to stabilize after refinement for 5–10 min. This study offers a general pathway for the manufacture of oxide dispersion strengthened steel via a smelting process.

An ammonium chloride roasting approach can convert lithium metal oxides to water-soluble lithium and transition metal chlorides at 300 °C, promising an energy-efficient and environmentally benign w...

According to the results of the physical model tests, the failure plane of an anaclinal layered rock slope was a linear-type plane at an angle above the plane normal to the discontinuities, and the failure mode of rock strata was bending tension. However, the shear failure occurred near the slope toe, the effects of the cohesion of the discontinuities on the stability of the slope, and the contribution of tangential force to cross-section axial force were neglected in such studies. Moreover, none of the experts had developed a rigorously theoretical method for determining the angle between the failure plane and the plane normal to the discontinuities. This paper was initiated for the purpose of solving the problems described above. With the cantilever beam model and a step-by-step analytical method, an optimization of the analytical method for determining the flexural toppling failure plane based on the limit equilibrium theory was developed and the corresponding formulations were derived. Based on the present computational framework, comparisons with other studies were carried out by taking a slate slope in South Anhui in China and a rock slope facing the Tehran-Chalus Road near the Amir-Kabir Dam Lake in Iran. Furthermore, the sensitivity analyses of the parameters used in the calculation process of the failure angle of the slate slope in South Anhui in China were performed. The results demonstrated that the failure plane and the safety factor of the stability obtained with the presented method were credible, which verified the proposed method. The dip angle of the slope, the dip angle of the rock stratum, and the friction angle of the discontinuities were the controlling factors for the overall failure of the slate slope in South Anhui in China.

The nonlinear autoregressive network with exogenous inputs (NARX) is a recurrent dynamic neural architecture, which is commonly used for input–output modeling of nonlinear dynamical systems. Due to the lack of accurate mathematical model for the performance analysis on surge protective devices (SPDs), with the input of fast rising time electromagnetic pulse (FREMP), the NARX neural network is employed to predict the response characteristics of SPD in this paper. In order to verify the feasibility of this method, SPD test system is set up according to IEC 61000-4-24. The results show that the response curve estimated by the proposed model is in good agreement with experimental results, especially the waveform parameters such as response time, pulse peak, and residual voltage. The good forecasting performance of the network suggests that the NARX model used in this paper has good generalization ability. Moreover, with less measured data it can predict the response of the SPD under different voltage levels that were not yet measured.

The structural stability of Ti3AlC2 under high pressure is important for understanding its mechanical properties. Here, we conducted a high hydrostatic pressure synchrotron X-ray diffraction experiment and no structural phase transition was observed. Like most other MAX phases, Ti3AlC2 showed an anisotropic compression behavior. Most importantly, an anomaly in c/a ratio was observed at 20.3 GPa, indicating that a pressure-induced isostructural phase transition occurred here. Analysis of the electronic band structure and Fermi surface revealed that three bands crossed the Fermi surface under compression, which suggested that this isostructural phase transition can be considered to be motivated by an electronic topological transition. The subsequent Hall-effect measurements reconfirmed this variation of the electronic band at the Fermi surface, which can be regarded as the electronic origin for the observed isostructural phase transition. These results enrich the basic property data of Ti3AlC2 and would benefit the further understanding of this promising material.

Context HuoxueJiangtang decoction (ZY) is a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of diabetes. Objective The protective effect of ZY on renal injury in diabetic nephropathy rats was investigated in this study. Materials and methods Fifty 4-week-old SPF Wistar male rats were selected to construct diabetic nephropathy model rats (DN) group by continuous high-fat feeding for 4 weeks, followed by a tail vein injection of 30 mg/kg streptozotocin for 1 week. The experimental rats were divided into six groups of 10 rats: normal (control), DN, DN + ZY, DN + metformin, DN + metformin + ZY, and DN + metformin + captopril (positive control) groups. Among the groups, 6.25 g/kg ZY, 250 mg/kg metformin, and 17.5 mg/kg captopril were given to the rats by gavage once a day for 16 weeks. Blood glucose, dietary behaviour, biochemical indicators, and gene expression changes were measured in each group. Results Metformin + ZY treatment significantly lowered blood glucose, water intake, urine total protein, urine albumin, urine volume, serum triglyceride, and serum cholesterol levels in the DN group. The pathological changes of kidney tissue showed that the DN + metformin + ZY group had a protective effect on kidney tissue damage. And ZY and metformin + ZY treatments repaired the expression of genes in the DN group. Discussion and conclusion The ZY and metformin combined treatment showed a clear therapeutic effect on kidney damage in DN. This study provides a potential mechanism for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy with ZY combined with metformin.

Burkholderia thailandensis is a clinically underestimated conditional pathogen in the genus Burkholderia, the pathogenicity of the infection caused by B. thailandensis remains poorly understood. According to previous studies, Type-VI secretion system (T6SS) is a protein secreting device widely existing in Gram-negative bacilli. Valine-glycine repeat protein G (VgrG) is not only an important component of T6SS, but also a virulence factor of many Gram-negative bacilli. In one of our previous studies, a unique T6SS vgrG gene (vgrG2 gene) was present in a virulent B. thailandensis strain BPM (BPM), but not in the relatively avirulent B. thailandensis strain E264 (E264). Meanwhile, transcriptome analysis of BPM and E264 showed that the vgrG2 gene was strongly expressed in BPM, but not in E264. Therefore, we identified the function of the vgrG2 gene by constructing the mutant and complemented strains in this study. In vitro, the vgrG2 gene was observed to be involved in the interactions with host cells. The animal model experiment showed that the deletion of vgrG2 gene significantly led to the decrease in the lethality of BPM and impaired its ability to trigger host immune response. In conclusion, our study provides a new perspective for studying the pathogenicity of B. thailandensis and lays the foundation for discovering the potential T6SS effectors.

Valuable elements in lithium-ion batteries is a very significant secondary resource. Based on the recovery and recycling of the spent all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries in the future, we explore extracting valuable lanthanum, zirconium, and lithium elements from the solid electrolyte tetragonal phase LLZO by the leaching with the dilute sulfuric, and then by precipitation methods of double salts and carbonate salt, and recrystallization, respectively.

Dual-phase La0.9Sr0.1NiO3 tubular perovskite oxides exhibit excellent electrochemical performance for H2O2 detection with a wide linear response range of 1–7000 μM, fast response time (t = 0.9 s), good selectivity, and admirable long-term stability.

Background. A tumor occurs because of abnormal cell multiplication caused by many variables like a significant disturbance in the regulation of cell growth and the instability of chromosome mitosis. Budding uninhibited by benzimidazoles 1 (BUB1), BUB1 mitotic checkpoint serine/threonine kinase B (BUB1B), and budding uninhibited by benzimidazoles 3 (BUB3) are key regulators of mitosis, and their abnormal expression is highly correlated with breast cancer (BrCa), sarcoma, hepatic carcinoma, and other malignant tumors. However, the occurrence of BUBs (BUB1, BUB1B, and BUB3) and the development of BrCa have not been systematically explained. Methods. Find out the target gene by looking up literature on PubMed and CNKI. Using the R software, TCGA, GEO, Kaplan-Meier Plotter, TIMER, and other databases, we studied the level of transcription, genetic changes, and physiological functions of BUBs in BrCa patients and their relationship with the origin, development, prognosis, immunity, and drug resistance of BrCa patients. Findings. We found that the high expression level of BUBs in BrCa tissues proposed a poor prognosis. The multivariate Cox regression analysis suggested that BUB1B and BUB3 might be independent prognostic factors of BrCa. In addition, the Metascape functional enrichment analysis showed that BUBs may be involved in the composition of the spindle, chromosome, and other structures and play a role in mitosis, sister chromatid separation, and other processes. Pathway enrichment suggests that BUBs may affect the cell cycle and lead to abnormal proliferation. Meanwhile, we also found that BUB3 can negatively regulate B lymphocytes, and BUB1 and BUB1B inhibit immune responses by promoting the secretion level of checkpoint molecules of the immune system, leading to immune escape of tumor cells. Conclusion. We speculate that BUB1, BUB1B, and BUB3 may be therapeutic targets for BrCa patients and also provide new therapeutic strategies for BrCa treatment.

In order to solve the minimization of a nonsmooth convex function, we design an inertial second-order dynamic algorithm, which is obtained by approximating the nonsmooth function by a class of smooth functions. By studying the asymptotic behavior of the dynamic algorithm, we prove that each trajectory of it weakly converges to an optimal solution under some appropriate conditions on the smoothing parameters, and the convergence rate of the objective function values is o(t^-2). We also show that the algorithm is stable, that is, this dynamic algorithm with a perturbation term owns the same convergence properties when the perturbation term satisfies certain conditions. Finally, we verify the theoretical results by some numerical experiments.

Journal of traffic and transportation engineering : JTTE 8(6), 815-999 (2021). doi:10.1016/j.jtte.2021.10.001, Published by Periodical Offices of Chang��an University, [S.I.]

Burkholderia thailandensis is a clinically underestimated conditional pathogen in the genus Burkholderia, the pathogenicity of the infection caused by B. thailandensis remains poorly understood. According to previous studies, Type-VI secretion system (T6SS) is a protein secreting device widely existing in Gram-negative bacilli. Valine-glycine repeat protein G (VgrG) is not only an important component of T6SS, but also a virulence factor of many Gram-negative bacilli. In one of our previous studies, a unique T6SS vgrG gene (vgrG2 gene) was present in a virulent B. thailandensis strain BPM (BPM), but not in the relatively avirulent B. thailandensis strain E264 (E264). Meanwhile, transcriptome analysis of BPM and E264 showed that the vgrG2 gene was strongly expressed in BPM, but not in E264. Therefore, we identified the function of the vgrG2 gene by constructing the mutant and complemented strains in this study. In vitro, the vgrG2 gene was observed to be involved in the interactions with host cells. The animal model experiment showed that the deletion of vgrG2 gene significantly led to the decrease in the lethality of BPM and impaired its ability to trigger host immune response. In conclusion, our study provides a new perspective for studying the pathogenicity of B. thailandensis and lays the foundation for discovering the potential T6SS effectors.

Background: Previous study have shown that seizures may occur as a result of vaccination. This study aimed to evaluate the risk and correlative factors of seizures in patients with epilepsy (PWE) after being vaccinated with COVID-19 and to provide reference opinions for PWE to receive COVID-19 vaccine.Methods: We retrospectively enrolled PWE patients who were vaccinated against COVID-19 in the epilepsy centers of nine hospitals in China. The binary logistic regression analysis included variables with a P-value less than 0.1 in the univariate analysis.Results: The study included 290 patients, of which 40 (13.8%) developed seizures within 14 days after vaccination, whereas 250 (86.2%) remained seizure-free. The binary logistic regression analysis revealed statistical significance in seizures within three months before vaccination (PConclusions: SARS-CoV-2 may induce epilepsy through an inflammatory cascade. It is recommended to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to seizure-free patients for at least three months before vaccination, and the vaccination is safer if EEG result is normal. During peri-vaccination period, all PWE should be prohibited from reducing ASM dosage. PWE with well-controlled seizures who have discontinued ASM might consider resuming ASM during the peri-vaccination period if their EEG results are aberrant.

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors with desirable bandgaps and high carrier mobility have great potential in electronic and optoelectronic applications. In this work, we proposed α-TeB and β-TeB monolayers using density functional theory (DFT) combined with the particle swarm-intelligent global structure search method. The high dynamical and thermal stabilities of two TeB structures indicate high feasibility for experimental synthesis. The electronic structure calculations show that the two structures are indirect bandgap semiconductors with bandgaps of 2.3 and 2.1 eV, respectively. The hole mobility of the β-TeB sheet is up to 6.90 × 102 cm2 V−1 s−1. By reconstructing the two structures, we identified two new horizontal and lateral heterostructures, and the lateral heterostructure presents a direct band gap, indicating more probable applications could be further explored for TeB sheets.

Objective: We conducted a survey to assess vaccination coverage, vaccination willingness, and variables associated with vaccination hesitancy to provide evidence on coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination strategies.Methods: This anonymous questionnaire study conducted a multicenter, cross-sectional survey of outpatients and inpatients with epilepsy (PWE) registered in epilepsy clinics, in 2021, in 10 hospitals in seven cities of Shandong Province.Results: A total of 600 questionnaires were distributed, and 557 valid questionnaires were returned. A total of 130 people were vaccinated against COVID-19. Among 427 unvaccinated participants, 69.32% (296/427) were willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the future, and the remaining 30.68% (131/427) were unwilling to receive vaccination. Most (89.9%) of the participants believed that the role of vaccination was crucial in response to the spread of COVID-19. A significant association was found between willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and the following variables: age, marital status, level of education, occupation, residence, seizure type, and seizure control after antiepileptic drug therapy. It is noteworthy that education level, living in urban areas, and seizure freedom were significantly related to willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccination.Conclusions: Vaccination is a key measure for the prevention and control of COVID-19, and most PWE are willing to be vaccinated. Vaccine safety, effectiveness, and accessibility are essential in combatting vaccine hesitation and increasing vaccination rates.

Background: Anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) has been successfully used in carcinomas treatment. However, it causes significant adverse effects (AEs), including cutaneous reactions, particularly the life-threatening severe bullous skin reactions (SBSR) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN).Case summary: Herein, we described for the first time a case report of SBSR induced by anti-PD-1 therapy in a cervical cancer patient. In addition, we revised existing literature on anti-PD-1 induced cutaneous reactions. We reported a cervical cancer patient who was treated with four successive cycles of Sintilimab and Toripalimab injections and developed systemic rashes, bullae, and epidermal desquamation, which worsened and led to infection, eventually causing death after being unresponsive to aggressive treatments.Conclusion: Anti-PD-1 antibodies commonly cause skin toxicity effects, some of which may be deadly. Therefore, healthcare providers should observe early symptoms and administer proper treatment to prevent aggravation of symptoms.

Mild-temperature (1000 °C) carbothermic reduction has been proven as an effective way to recover Li and transition metals by converting lithium transition metal oxides to transition metals/alloys and Li

According to field investigations, the failure surfaces of a large number of hard thin-layered anaclinal rock slopes are bilinear-type surfaces, and the overall failure of such slopes is the results of the evolution of cross joints in most cases. In order to realize accurate positioning of such actual failure surfaces, an optimal method, developed by the limit equilibrium theory and the minimum principle of Pan Jiazheng, for searching the bilinear-type failure surfaces of such slopes, was established. The failure surface was considered to be a surface at which the external force triggering the overall failure of a slope was the minimum value. The failure modes (shear sliding and bending tension failure) of rock strata were determined strictly by the failure criteria, and the amount of the failed strata was obtained accurately through a theoretical derivation with justifiable assumptions. The effects of cross joints on the stability of such slopes were taken fully into account. Based on the present computational framework, comparisons with other studies were carried out by taking Yangtai landslide. The results showed that the failure surface obtained with the proposed method compared well with the actual failure surface of Yangtai landslide and the safety factor of the stability of the slope was credible. Through the sensitivity analysis of the continuous ratio of rock strata, we found that with the decrease of the continuous ratio of rock strata, the safety factor of the stability of the slope decreased, and the slope was subjected to shallow damage.

High-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) persistent infection is the major cause of cervical cancer. Clinical intervention of hrHPV-associated high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) is critical to prevent cervical cancer, and current treatment is surgery (an invasive therapy). However, some patients refuse to do so for an afraid of potential adverse effects on future fertility or other concerns which creates a critical need for development of non-invasive therapeutic strategies. Here, we report for the first time the cases of non-invasive intervention with REBACIN®, a proprietary antiviral biologics, in clinical treatment of HSIL. From 12,958 visiting patients assessed for eligibility, 18 HSIL-patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia-grade 2, positive of both diffused overexpression of p16 and high-risk HPV were enrolled in this non-invasive clinical intervention mainly due to concerns of future fertility. REBACIN® was administered intravaginally every other day for 3 months (one-course) except during menstrual period, and were followed up for 6-36 months for the examination of high-risk HPV DNA, cervical cytology, and histopathology. After one to three course treatments, most cases (16/18) displayed both the regression from HSIL (CIN2) to normal cervical cytology and clearance of high-risk HPV infection. Further studies demonstrated REBACIN® significantly suppressed HPV16 E7 oncoprotein expression in a human cervical cancer cell line, which is consistent with previous finding that REBACIN® inhibits the growth of tumors induced by expression of E6/E7 oncogenes of either HPV16 or HPV18. This report indicates REBACIN® as a novel effective non-invasive clinical intervention for HSIL-patients as well for high-risk HPV persistent infection, providing a new clinical option for the non-invasive treatment of hrHPV-associated high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, which is worthy of further research on clinical validation and application.

Low-voltage and high-current direct current (DC) power supplies are essential for aerospace and shipping. However, its robustness and dynamic response need to be optimized further on some special occasions. In this paper, a novel rectification system platform is built with the low-voltage and high-current permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG), in which the DC voltage double closed-loop control system is constructed with the backstepping control method and the sliding mode variable structure (SMVS). In the active component control structure of this system, reasonable virtual control variables are set to obtain the overall structural control variable which satisfied the stability requirements of Lyapunov stability theory. Thus, the fast-tracking and the global adjustment of the system are realized and the robustness is improved. Since the reactive component control structure is simple and no subsystem has to be constructed, the SMVS is used to stabilize the system power factor. By building a simulation model and experimental platform of the 5 V/300 A rectification module based on the PMSG, it is verified that the power factor of the system can reach about 98.5%. When the load mutation occurs, the DC output achieves stability again within 0.02 s, and the system fluctuation rate does not exceed 2%.

Objective: To investigate the effect of luteolin on the Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of osteosarcoma cell line U2OS and its molecular mechanism by regulating phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B/nuclear factor-kappa B (PI3K/AKT/NF-κB) signaling pathway. Methods: U2OS cells were treated in different concentrations (10, 20 and 40 μmol/L) of luteolin. MTT was used to detect the effect of luteolin on the proliferation of osteosarcoma U2OS cells. Transwell chamber assay was used to detect the influence of luteolin on migration of U2OS cells. qPCR was used to detect the influence of luteolin on the mRNA expression of Bax, Bcl-2 and Caspase-2 in U2OS cells. Western blot was used to observe the change of p-PI3K, p-AKT, p-IKK and NF-κB proteins. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the influence of luteolin on the protein expression of E-cadherin and vimentim. Results: Luteolin inhibited significantly the proliferation of U2OS cells (P

To explore the effect of remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) on blood coagulation function and cerebral blood flow in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.According to inclusion and exclusion standards, from October 2017 to June 2018, 30 consecutive patients of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage admitted to Intensive Care Unit, Department of Neurosurgery at Xuanwu Hospital, were given remote ischemic conditioning 5 times intervention to each patient within 7 days, and blood coagulation function testing, including prothrombin activity (PTA), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial prothrombin time (APTT), fibrinogen (Fib), D-dimer, and thromboelastogram (TEG, including R, K, Angle, MA, EPL, LY30, A, CI, G, and A30) were performed for each patient before and after the RIC intervention, as well as venous ultrasound monitoring before and after the RIC intervention for detection of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Transcranial Doppler evaluation (TCD), including cerebral blood flow of bilateral ACA, MCA, PCA and intracranial segments of VA, as well as BA and the ratios of MCA cerebral blood flow/terminal segment of ipsilateral ICA cerebral blood flow, was performed before and after RIC intervention; and fresh infarction was evaluated by head CT or MRI recheck after RIC intervention. Thirty cases without RIC intervention of matched age, gender, and Hunt Hess grade with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage were selected to compare coagulation function and cerebral blood flow using TCD with RIC group.(1) Comparing the data before and after the RIC intervention, there was no significant difference for APTT, Fib, and D-dimer (P 0.05), while PTA decreased and PT increased slightly after intervention as well as INR (P 0.05) but all still in normal reference values. (2) Comparing the data before and after the RIC intervention, within TEG parameters, only the R value increased with significant difference (P 0.05) but still in normal reference value, while K, Angle, MA, EPL, LY30, A, CI, G, and A30 had no significant difference (P 0.05). (3) Comparing the data before and after the RIC intervention, DVT was not detected on the pressurized limbs of patients. (4) Comparing the data before and after the RIC intervention, the cerebral blood flow of bilateral MCA, L-ACA, L-VA, and BA increased (P 0.05), while the elevation ranges were all in 25%, and the other parameters showed no significant difference. (5) Head CT or MRI showed no fresh cerebral infarction after the RIC intervention. (6) Compared with the group without RIC intervention, the coagulation function and the cerebral blood flow evaluated by TCD of the RIC group showed no statistical difference (P 0.05) except APTT and D-dimer decreased after RIC but still in normal reference values.RIC showed no obvious effect on blood coagulation function and cerebral blood flow in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage both after the intervention and compared with the non-intervention group. DVT was not detected on the pressurized limbs of patients and no fresh cerebral infarction was detected. This preliminary study confirmed the safety of RIC on blood coagulation function and cerebral blood flow in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, and the application of RIC on patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage needs further study to confirm and validate the safety and effectiveness.

Objective: To study and analyze the clinical efficacy of fixation of the elastic bandage of immobilization of knee-chest position and Pavlik harness fixation in the treatment of neonatal femoral shaft fractures. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted from May 2010 to March 2017 with a total of 37 cases of femoral shaft fracture of the newborn. Among them, 17 newborns with femur shaft fracture were treated using this fixation of the elastic bandage of immobilization of knee-chest position, and 20 newborns were treated utilizing Pavlik harness fixation. All patients were followed up for 24 months. It was compared between the two groups in length of hospitalization, hospitalization cost, the incidence of complications, fracture healing rate and post-operation angulation, rotation and shortening indexes. Results: Compared with the Pavlik harness fixation group, the hospitalization cost of knee-chest elastic bandage fixation group was lower (P

A n-BuLi triggered practical amination protocol of methoxy pyridine derivatives with aliphatic amines was developed. The reaction could finish in 30 min for primary amines and 10 min for secondary ...

M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) and thrombospondin type-1 domain-containing 7A (THSD7A) have recently been identified as target antigens for patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN). The prevalence of PLA2R and THSD7A in the serum of MN patients deserves further investigation. Here, we studied the presence of anti-PLA2R and anti-THSD7A antibodies in patients with biopsy-proven IMN (n = 212), secondary membranous nephropathy (SMN, n = 118), and other kidney diseases (n = 84). The progress of 49 IMN patients [anti-PLA2R(+), n = 27; anti-THSD7A(+), n = 6; anti-PLA2R(−) and anti-THSD7A(−) dual negative, n = 16] who received immunosuppressive therapy was observed for 12 months. Serum concentrations of antibodies against PLA2R and THSD7A were detected using an indirect immunofluorescent assay. One hundred fifty-two (71.7%) IMN patients and 11 (9.3%) SMN patients were identified as anti-PLA2R(+) anti-THSD7A(−). Five (2.4%) IMN patients and two (1.7%) SMN patients were identified as anti-THSD7A(+) anti-PLA2R(−). One of the IMN patients was identified as anti-PLA2R(+) and anti-THSD7A(+). The rate of partial remission was lower in anti-PLA2R(+) patients than in anti-PLA2R(−) patients 3 months (P = 0.045) and 6 months (P = 0.006) after immunosuppressive therapy. The rate of complete remission was lower in anti-PLA2R(+) patients than in anti-PLA2R(−) patients 12 months (P = 0.037) after immunosuppressive therapy. The serum concentration of anti-PLA2R antibodies may be used as a sensitive and specific marker for diagnosing IMN. Immunosuppressive therapy is more effective for IMN patients who are anti-PLA2R(−) than for those who are anti-PLA2R(+).

A mild amination protocol of N-heteroaryl alkyl ethers with various amines is described. This transformation is achieved by utilizing simple and readily available base as promoter via C-O bond cleavage, offering a new amination strategy to access several anticancer-active compounds. This work is highlighted by the excellent functional group compatibility, scalability, wide substrate scope, and easy derivatization of a variety of drugs.