Nitrogen-Based Gas Molecule Adsorption on a ReSe2 Monolayer via Single-Atom Doping: A First-Principles Study

Two-dimensional materials have shown immense promise for gas-sensing applications due to their remarkable surface-to-volume ratios and tunable chemical properties. However, despite their potential, the utilization of ReSe2 as a gas-sensing material for nitrogen-containing molecules, including NO2, NO, and NH3, has remained unexplored. The choice of doping atoms in ReSe2 plays a pivotal role in enhancing the gas adsorption and gas-sensing capabilities. Herein, the adsorption properties of nitrogen-containing gas molecules on metal and non-metal single-atom (Au, Pt, Ni, P, and S)-doped ReSe2 monolayers have been evaluated systematically via ab initio calculations based on density functional theory. The findings strongly suggest that intrinsic ReSe2 has better selectivity toward NO2 than toward NO and NH3. Moreover, our results provide compelling evidence that all of the dopants, with the exception of S, significantly enhance both the adsorption strength and charge transfer between ReSe2 and the investigated molecules. Notably, P-decorated ReSe2 showed the highest adsorption energy for NO2 and NO (-1.93 and -1.52 eV, respectively) with charge transfer above 0.5e, while Ni-decorated ReSe2 exhibited the highest adsorption energy for NH3 (-0.76 eV). In addition, on the basis of transition theory, we found that only Au-ReSe2 and Ni-ReSe2 can serve as reusable chemiresisitve gas sensors for reliable detection of NO and NH3, respectively. Hence, our findings indicate that gas-sensing applications can be significantly improved by utilizing a single-atom-doped ReSe2 monolayer.

Mesoporous and Encapsulated In2O3/Ti3C2Tx Schottky Heterojunctions for Rapid and ppb-Level NO2 Detection at Room Temperature

Rapid and ultrasensitive detection of toxic gases at room temperature is highly desired in health protection but presents grand challenges in the sensing materials reported so far. Here, we present a gas sensor based on novel zero dimensional (0D)/two dimensional (2D) indium oxide (In2O3)/titanium carbide (Ti3C2Tx) Schottky heterostructures with a high surface area and rich oxygen vacancies for parts per billion (ppb) level nitrogen dioxide (NO2) detection at room temperature. The In2O3/Ti3C2Tx gas sensor exhibits a fast response time (4 s), good response (193.45% to 250 ppb NO2), high selectivity, and excellent cycling stability. The rich surface oxygen vacancies play the role of active sites for the adsorption of NO2 molecules, and the Schottky junctions effectively adjust the charge-transfer behavior through the conduction tunnel in the sensing material. Furthermore, In2O3 nanoparticles almost fully cover the Ti3C2Tx nanosheets which can avoid the oxidation of Ti3C2Tx, thus contributing to the good cycling stability of the sensing materials. This work sheds light on the sensing mechanism of heterojunction nanostructures and provides an efficient pathway to construct high-performance gas sensors through the rational design of active sites.

[The imaging presentations of the fallopian canal cerebrospinal fluid leaking]

Objective: To summarize the imaging presentations of the fallopian canal cerebrospinal fluid leaking (FCCFL). Methods: The high resolution CT (HRCT)and MRI materials of 4 patients (4 ears) with FCCFL confirmed by surgery between August 2016 to November 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Among these, there were 2 males and 2 females, their ages ranged from 6 to 69 years. Results: All of the FCCFL were unilateral, including 2 on the left and 2 on the right.Clinically, the patients with FCCFL suffered from clear nasal fluid flow, ear tightness, and hearing loss. On CT, all of the affected ears were depicted markedly dilatation of the proximal portion of fallopian canal(FC), the labyrinthine segment and geniculate fossa were involved in 4 cases, and involvement of tympanic segment in 1 case at the same time. The geniculate fossa in the affected side were significantly enlarged, protruding upwards into the tympanic cavity, with one case simultaneously involving the cochlea. On MRI, the hyposignal on T1WI and hypersignal on T2WI or water sequence like cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were shown in the enlargement FC, without diffusion restriction, and non-enhancing with administration Gadolinium contrast.CSF-like signal effusion was shown in all of the affected tympanum, of which, the CSF-like signal effusion was demonstrated in the area along the superficial petrosal nerve, the right pterygopalatine fossa and the parapharyngeal space. The adjacent intracranial meninges were presented thickening in 3 cases. Conclusion: The imaging appearances of FCCFL present some characteristics:on HRCT, the proximal portions of the affected FC depicts markedly enlargement,especially the geniculate fossa.While they present CSF-like signal, no diffusion restriction, and no enhancement administration, Gadolinium contrast on MRI, accompanying the CSF-like signal effusion in the affected tympanum.

Wide Remote-Range and Accurate Wireless LC Temperature-Humidity Sensor Enabled by Efficient Mutual Interference Mitigation

Inductor-capacitor wireless integrated sensors (LCWISs) featuring untethered and multitarget measurements are promising in health monitoring and human-machine interfaces. However, the lack of a profound understanding of the internal interference hinders the design of the LCWIS, which has a wide remote sensing range and high accuracy. Herein, a mutually exclusive effect of the mutual inductance interferences in LCWIS was revealed and quantified, enabling a design with a wide range of remote sensing (working distance comparable to the single-target device, working radius: 4 mm) and 16% reduced area. As a key to accurate multitarget measurement, a quantified target interference model based on interference decomposition was proposed to understand the target interferences, providing profound guidance for the design of ultra-accurate LCWIS. As a proof, we designed a cellulose-polyacrylate-cellulose LCWIS (CPC-LCWIS) with ultrahigh accuracies (∼1.2% RH and ∼0.18 °C) beyond commercial wired gauges. The CPC-LCWIS with full-coil sensing structures achieved exceptionally high sensitivities (0.36 MHz/°C and 0.25 MHz/% RH). The CPC-LCWIS was validated for health monitoring and human-machine interfaces. The concept studied in this work provides profound guidance for designing a high-performance flexible LCWIS for advanced wearable electronics.

MoTe2/InN van der Waals heterostructures for gas sensors: a DFT study

Vertical van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures have shown potential for gas sensing owing to their remarkable sensitivity. However, the optimization process for achieving the best gas sensing performance is complicated by the heterostructure's reliance on both physical and electrical characteristics. This study employs density functional theory (DFT) to analyse the structural and electronic parameters of a MoTe2/InN vdW heterostructure. The findings of this study indicate that the vdW heterostructure has a type-II band alignment with higher adsorption energy towards NH3, NO2, and SO2 than the individual monolayers. In specific, the heterostructure is well suited for NO2 detection but has limitations in reliably detecting NH3 and SO2 due to longer recovery times. We find significant hybridization between the adsorbate and interacting surfaces' orbitals and a notable presence of NO2 molecular orbitals in proximity to the Fermi level. Additionally, dielectric and work function modulations offer a viable means to develop optical-based gas sensors that can selectively detect NO2. Our research provides valuable insights into vdW heterostructure design for high-performance gas sensors.

Nanoscale Dispersion of Carbon Nanotubes in a Metal Matrix to Boost Thermal and Electrical Conductivity via Facile Ball Milling Techniques

Carbon nanotube (CNT)/metal composites have attracted much attention due to their enhanced electrical and thermal performance. How to achieve the scalable fabrication of composites with efficient dispersion of CNTs to boost their performance remains a challenge for their wide realistic applications. Herein, the nanoscale dispersion of CNTs in the Stannum (Sn) matrix to boost thermal and electrical conductivity via facile ball milling techniques was demonstrated. The results revealed that CNTs were tightly attached to metal Sn, resulting in a much lower resistivity than that of bare Sn. The resistivity of Sn with 1 wt.% and 2 wt.% CNTs was 0.087 mΩ·cm and 0.056 mΩ·cm, respectively. The theoretical calculation showed that there was an electronic state near the Fermi level, suggesting its electrical conductivity had been improved to a certain extent. In addition, the thermal conductivity of Sn with 2 wt.% CNTs was 1.255 W·m-1·K-1. Moreover, Young's modulus of the composites with CNTs mass fraction of 10 wt.% had low values (0.933 MPa) under low strain conditions, indicating the composite shows good potential for various applications with different flexible requirements. The good electrical and thermal conductive CNT networks were formed in the metal matrix via facile ball milling techniques. This strategy can provide guidance for designing high-performance metal samples and holds a broad application potential in electronic packaging and other fields.

Efficacy of spesolimab for the treatment of generalized pustular psoriasis flares across pre-specified patient subgroups in the Effisayil 1 study

Effisayil 1 was a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the anti-interleukin (IL)-36 receptor monoclonal antibody, spesolimab, in patients presenting with a generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) flare. Previously published data from this study revealed that within 1 week, rapid pustular and skin clearance were observed in patients receiving spesolimab versus placebo. In this pre-specified subgroup analysis, the efficacy of spesolimab was evaluated according to patient demographic and clinical characteristics at baseline in patients receiving spesolimab (n = 35) or placebo (n = 18) on Day 1. Efficacy was by assessed by achievement of primary endpoint (Generalized Pustular Psoriasis Physician Global Assessment [GPPGA] pustulation subscore of 0 at Week 1) and key secondary endpoint (GPPGA total score of 0 or 1 at Week 1). Safety was assessed at Week 1. Spesolimab was found to be efficacious and had a consistent and favourable safety profile in patients presenting with a GPP flare, regardless of patient demographics and clinical characteristics at baseline.

Outstanding Humidity Chemiresistors Based on Imine-Linked Covalent Organic Framework Films for Human Respiration Monitoring

Human metabolite moisture detection is important in health monitoring and non-invasive diagnosis. However, ultra-sensitive quantitative extraction of respiration information in real-time remains a great challenge. Herein, chemiresistors based on imine-linked covalent organic framework (COF) films with dual-active sites are fabricated to address this issue, which demonstrates an amplified humidity-sensing signal performance. By regulation of monomers and functional groups, these COF films can be pre-engineered to achieve high response, wide detection range, fast response, and recovery time. Under the condition of relative humidity ranging from 13 to 98%, the COFTAPB-DHTA film-based humidity sensor exhibits outstanding humidity sensing performance with an expanded response value of 390 times. Furthermore, the response values of the COF film-based sensor are highly linear to the relative humidity in the range below 60%, reflecting a quantitative sensing mechanism at the molecular level. Based on the dual-site adsorption of the (-C=N-) and (C-N) stretching vibrations, the reversible tautomerism induced by hydrogen bonding with water molecules is demonstrated to be the main intrinsic mechanism for this effective humidity detection. In addition, the synthesized COF films can be further exploited to effectively detect human nasal and oral breathing as well as fabric permeability, which will inspire novel designs for effective humidity-detection devices.

Two-Dimensional Bimetallic Phthalocyanine Covalent-Organic-Framework-Based Chemiresistive Gas Sensor for ppb-Level NO2 Detection

Two-dimensional (2D) phthalocyanine-based covalent organic frameworks (COFs) provide an ideal platform for efficient and rapid gas sensing-this can be attributed to their regular structure, moderate conductivity, and a large number of scalable metal active centers. However, there remains a need to explore structural modification strategies for optimizing the sluggish desorption process caused by the extensive porosity and strong adsorption effect of metal sites. Herein, we reported a 2D bimetallic phthalocyanine-based COF (COF-CuNiPc) as chemiresistive gas sensors that exhibited a high gas-sensing performance to nitrogen dioxide (NO₂). Bimetallic COF-CuNiPc with an asymmetric synergistic effect achieves a fast adsorption/desorption process to NO₂. It is demonstrated that the COF-CuNiPc can detect 50 ppb NO₂ with a recovery time of 7 s assisted by ultraviolet illumination. Compared with single-metal phthalocyanine-based COFs (COF-CuPc and COF-NiPc), the bimetallic structure of COF-CuNiPc can provide a proper band gap to interact with NO₂ gas molecules. The CuNiPc heterometallic active site expands the overlap of d-orbitals, and the optimized electronic arrangement accelerates the adsorption/desorption processes. The concept of a synergistic effect enabled by bimetallic phthalocyanines in this work can provide an innovative direction to design high-performance chemiresistive gas sensors.

A Novel MR Imaging Sequence of 3D-ZOOMit Real Inversion-Recovery Imaging Improves Endolymphatic Hydrops Detection in Patients with Ménière Disease

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The detection rate of premortem MR imaging endolymphatic hydrops is lower than that of postmortem endolymphatic hydrops in Ménière disease, indicating that current MR imaging techniques may underestimate endolymphatic hydrops. Therefore, we prospectively investigated whether a novel high-resolution MR imaging technique, the 3D zoomed imaging technique with parallel transmission real inversion-recovery (3D-ZOOMit real IR), would improve the detection of endolymphatic hydrops compared with conventional 3D TSE inversion-recovery with real reconstruction.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fifty patients with definite unilateral Ménière disease were enrolled and underwent 3D-ZOOMit real IR and 3D TSE inversion-recovery with real reconstruction 6 hours after IV gadolinium injection. The endo- and perilymph spaces were scored separately. The contrast-to-noise ratio, SNR, and signal intensity ratio of the 2 sequences were respectively calculated and compared. The presence of endolymphatic hydrops was evaluated.

RESULTS

The endolymphatic space in the cochlea and vestibule was better visualized with 3D-ZOOMit real IR than with conventional 3D TSE inversion-recovery with real reconstruction (P < .001). There were differences between the 2 sequences in the evaluation of no cochlear hydrops and cochlear hydrops (both, P < .017). All contrast-to-noise ratio, SNR, and signal intensity ratio values of 3D-ZOOMit real IR images were statistically higher than those of conventional 3D TSE inversion-recovery with real reconstruction (all, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

The 3D-ZOOMit real IR sequences are superior to conventional 3D TSE inversion-recovery with real reconstruction sequences in visualizing the endolymphatic space, detecting endolymphatic hydrops, and discovering contrast permeability.

Molecular-level uniform graphene/polyaniline composite film for flexible supercapacitors with high-areal capacitance

To increase the specific capacitance of supercapacitors, polyaniline (PANI) has been chosen as additive electrode material for the pseudocapacitive performance. Here, we synthesize a molecular-level uniform reduced graphene oxide/PANI (rGO/PANI) composite film with high flexibility and conductivity via self-assembly and specific thermal reduction, which performs great potential in flexible supercapacitors with high areal capacitance. Particularly, the electrode of rGO/PANI-42.9% exhibits a high specific areal capacitance (1826 mF cm^-2at 0.2 mA cm^-2), and it also presents a good cycling stability (it remains 76% of its initial capacitance after 10 500 cycles). Moreover, the specific gravimetric capacitance of rGO/PANI-33.3% reaches up to 256.4 F g^-1at 0.2 A g^-1, showing greatly enhanced performance compared with the pure rGO electrode (183 F g^-1). The results of various characteristic analysis demonstrate that electrochemical performance of the as-prepared rGO/PANI film is closely associated with the uniform distribution of PANI in rGO/PANI composite. Overall, our reported method is convenient and environmental-friendly, and could be beneficial for the development of high-performance capacitive energy storage materials.

Fully Flexible MXene-based Gas Sensor on Paper for Highly Sensitive Room-Temperature Nitrogen Dioxide Detection

Flexible chemiresistive gas sensors have attracted growing interest due to their capability in real-time and rapid detection of gas. However, the performance of gas sensors has long been hindered by the poor charge transfer ability between the conventional metal electrode and gas sensing semiconductors. Herein, for the first time, a fully flexible paper-based gas sensor integrated with the Ti₃C₂T_x-MXene nonmetallic electrode and the Ti₃C₂T_x/WS₂ gas sensing film was designed to form Ohmic contact and Schottky heterojunction in a single gas sensing channel. Ti₃C₂T_x/WS₂ has outstanding physical and chemical properties for both Ti₃C₂T_x and WS₂ nanoflakes, showing high conductivity, effective charge transfer, and abundant active sites for gas sensing. The response of the gas sensor to NO₂ (1 ppm) at room temperature is 15.2%, which is about 3.2 and 76.0 times as high as that of the Au interdigital electrode integrated with the Ti₃C₂T_x/WS₂ sensor (4.8%) and the MXene electrode integrated with the Ti₃C₂T_x sensor (0.2%), respectively. Besides, this design performed at a limit of detection with 11.0 ppb NO₂ gas and displayed excellent stability under high humidities. Based on first-principles density functional theory calculation results, the improvement of the gas sensing performance can be mainly attributed to the heterojunction regulation effect, work function matching, and suppressing metal-induced gap states. This work provides a new approach for the design of flexible gas sensors on paper with MXene-based conductive electrodes and gas sensing materials.

[The correlation between reflux esophagitis and Helicobacter pylori infection based on natural population]

Objective: Reflux esophagitis (RE) may be negatively correlated with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, but the conclusion and relevant mechanism is still controversial. This study proposed to explore the correlation between RE and H. pylori infection based on natural population. Methods: From July 2013 to December 2014, 3 940 residents aged 40-69 years were recruited in Linqu County of Shandong Province and Hua County of Henan Province by the whole sampling method. All the subjects underwent gastroscopy, and gastric mucosa biopsy specimens were collected for pathological diagnosis and Warthin-Starry (WS) staining to identify H. pylori infection. Venous blood samples of some subjects were collected for H. pylori immunoglobulin G (H. pylori-IgG) detection. Also, demographic and sociological data were collected. Chi-square test and logistic regression were used to analyze the correlation between RE and H. pylori infection. Results: A total of 359 cases of RE were detected. Excluding RE and other upper gastrointestinal organic diseases, 3 382 cases were considered as controls. Chi-square test showed that WS staining positive rate in RE group was significantly lower than that in control group (P=0.023), but there was no significant difference in the positive rate of H. pylori-IgG between the two groups (P=0.281). There were significant differences between RE group and control group in gender composition, age, body mass index (BMI), smoking, alcohol consumption, education level and mucosal active inflammation. Multivariate regression analysis showed that RE was negatively correlated with gastric mucosa active inflammation [OR=0.754 (95%CI 0.600-0.949), P=0.016], and positively correlated with male [OR=4.231 (95%CI 3.263-5.486), P<0.001], age ≥60 years, BMI≥24 kg/m² [OR=1.540 (95%CI 1.220-1.945), P<0.001]. Compared to those aged 40-49 years and 50-59 years, the odds ratio (OR) of RE in these aged ≥60 years were 1.566 (95%CI 1.144-2.143, P=0.005) and 1.405 (95%CI 1.093-1.805, P=0.008). Conclusion: RE is more closely related to H. pylori present infection. Multivariate analysis showed that RE is negatively correlated with active inflammation of gastric mucosa caused by H. pylori infection, and positively correlated with male, overweight and aged ≥60 years.

High-Performance Visible-Near-Infrared Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Photodetectors via Interfacial Charge-Transfer-Induced Improvement by Surface Doping

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are considered to be promising candidates for next-generation near-infrared (NIR) photodetectors due to their extraordinary electrical and optical properties. However, the low separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers limits the full utilization of the potential of pristine SWCNTs as photoactive materials. Herein, we report a novel high-performance visible-NIR SWCNT-based photodetector via interfacial charge-transfer-induced improvement by Au nanoparticle (AuNP) surface doping. Under 1064 nm light illumination, the as-fabricated AuNP/SWCNT photodetector exhibits an excellent photoelectrical performance with a responsivity of 2.16 × 10⁵ A/W and a high detectivity of 1.82 × 10¹⁴ Jones, which is three orders of magnitude higher than that of the SWCNT photodetector under the same conditions. Importantly, the interfacial charge transfer between AuNPs and SWCNTs has been first investigated using Raman shift statistics at room temperature. Experimental results indicate that the interfacial charge transfer induced by AuNP doping can reduce the Fermi level of SWCNTs and effectively improve the generation and transport of photogenerated carriers, thereby enhancing the photoelectric performance of SWCNT-based photodetectors. We believe that our results not only demonstrate a facile route to improve the performance of SWCNT-based photodetectors but also provide a novel methodology to characterize the interfacial charge transfer between dopants and SWCNTs.

[The changes of blood-labyrinth barrier in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss and the relationship with clinical features and prognosis]

Objective: To investigate the clinical features and prognosis in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) with blood-labyrinth barrier breakdown (BLB-B). Methods: Clinical data of patients with unilateral ISSNHL hospitalized from December 2017 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the results of 3D-FLAIR MRI and enhanced MRI scanning, these patients were divided into two groups, i.e., normal and abnormal inner ear groups. The patients in abnormal inner ear group were further divided into two subgroups: BLB-B and BLB-B with exudation. The differences and correlations among the groups in clinical characteristics, in terms of gender, age, deafness side, basic diseases, dizziness/vertigo, vestibular function, hearing loss degree, as well as classification of hearing curve, and prognosis were analyzed by statistical software SPSS 23.0. Results: Data were collected from 150 cases, in which 68 were male and 82 were female, aged (46.2±14.6) years, including 67 cases with normal inner ears and 83 cases with abnormal inner ears (13 cases with BLB-B; 70 cases with BLB-B and exudation). The dizziness/vertigo incidence, side ratio, hearing loss degree, classification of hearing curve, vestibular dysfunction (vestibular double temperature test, HIT and VAT) and therapeutic effect were different between normal and abnormal inner ear groups (P<0.05). The dizziness/vertigo incidence, side ratio, hearing loss degree, classification of hearing curve, vestibular dysfunction (vestibular double temperature test, o/cVEMP, HIT and VAT) and therapeutic effect were different among normal inner ear, BLB-B and BLB-B with exudation groups (P<0.05). Pairwise comparison between groups revealed that vestibular dysfunction (vestibular double temperature test, o/cVEMP, HIT and VAT) and therapeutic effect were different between normal inner ear and BLB-B groups (P<0.05); The dizziness/vertigo incidence, side ratio, hearing loss degree, classification of hearing curve, vestibular dysfunction (vestibular double temperature test, o/cVEMP, HIT and VAT) and therapeutic effect were different between normal inner ear and BLB-B with exudation groups (P<0.05). There was no significant different between BLB-B and BLB-B with exudation groups. Conclusion: BLB-B displayed by 3D-FLAIR MRI manifestation in ISSNHL patients indicates more serious cochlear and vestibular dysfunction, and worse therapeutic effect.

Vacancy-Rich MoSSe with Sulfiphilicity-Lithiophilicity Dual Function for Kinetics-Enhanced and Dendrite-Free Li-S Batteries

The sluggish redox kinetics of sulfur and the uncontrollable growth of lithium dendrites are two main challenges that impede the practical applications of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. In this study, a multifunctional host with vacancy-rich MoSSe vertically grown on reduced graphene oxide aerogels (MoSSe/rGO) is designed as the host material for both sulfur and lithium. The embedding of Se into a MoS₂ lattice is introduced to improve the inherent conductivity and generate abundant anion vacancies to endow the 3D conductive graphene based aerogels with specific sulfiphilicity-lithiophilicity. As a result, the assembled Li-S batteries based on MoSSe/rGO exhibit greatly improved capacity and cycling stability and can be operated under a lean electrolyte (4.8 μL mg^-1) and a high sulfur loading (6.5 mg cm^-2), achieving a high energy density. This study presents a unique method to unlock the catalysis capability and improve the inherent lithiophilicity by heteroatom doping and defect chemistry for kinetics-enhanced and dendrite-free Li-S batteries.

[Correlation analysis of 3D-FLAIR MRI characteristics of the inner ear and vestibular function in the patients with vestibular neuritis]

Objective: The characteristics of 3D-FLAIR MRI images of the inner ear of patients with vestibular neuritis were preliminarily studied to explore the possible pathogenesis of vestibular neuritis, and the correlation analysis was conducted in combination with vestibular function to provide a basis for accurate diagnosis of vestibular neuritis. Methods: A total of 36 patients with vestibular neuritis (VN) from December 2019 to October 2020 were collected from the Vertigo Department of Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University. There were 36 cases (18 females, 18 males) with unilateral acute vestibular neuritis, 17 cases of left ear and 19 cases of right ear. According to the results of 3D-FLAIR MRI in the inner ears, the patients were divided into the enhanced group and the non-enhanced group (the health side served as the normal control group). The results of vestibular function examination in the two groups were compared. SPSS19.0 software was used for statistical processing to analyze the relationship between the vestibular function and the characteristics of 3D-FLAIR imaging in the inner ears. Results: Abnormal enhancement of 3D-FLAIR was found in 31 cases (86.1%) of the 36 cases, including 14 cases of both vestibular nerve and vestibular terminal organ enhancement, eight cases of superior vestibular nerve enhancement alone, seven cases of vestibular terminal organ enhancement alone, and two cases of cochlear enhancement alone. Observation of abnormal reinforcement of vestibular nerve showed: twenty-one cases of superior vestibular nerve reinforcement, one case of superior and inferior vestibular nerve reinforcement. No abnormalities were found in 3D-FLAIR of inner ear in 5 cases. According to the analysis of vestibular function results, there were 19 cases (52.8%) with total vestibular involvement, sixteen cases (44.4%) with superior vestibular involvement alone, and one case (2.8%) with inferior vestibular involvement alone. Comparison of vestibular function between the five cases (non-enhancement group) and the 31 cases (enhanced group) in the 3D-FLAIR group of the inner ears showed that the CP values of caloric tests in the enhanced group were higher (60.81±3.49 vs 34.12±7.37), with statistically significant difference (t=-2.898, P<0.01). Conclusion: In patients with vestibular neuritis, 3D-FLAIR MRI scan of the inner ear provides visual imaging evidence for clinical practice, considering that the lesion site of vestibular neuritis is not only in the vestibular nerve, but also in the vestibular end organ. Patients with 3D-FLAIR enhanced in the inner ear may have more significant vestibular function damage.

High-Performance Wearable Sensor Inspired by the Neuron Conduction Mechanism through Gold-Induced Sulfur Vacancies

Practical application of wearable gas-sensing devices has been greatly inhibited by the poorly sensitive and specific recognition of target gases. Rapid charge transfer caused by rich sensory neurons in the biological olfactory system has inspired the construction of a highly sensitive sensor network with abundant defect sites for adsorption. Herein, for the first time, we demonstrate an in situ formed neuron-mimic gas sensor in a single gas-sensing channel, which is derived from lattice deviation of S atoms in Bi₂S₃ nanosheets induced by gold quantum dots. Due to the favorable gas adsorption and charge transfer properties arising from S vacancies, the fabricated sensor exhibits a significantly enhanced response value of 5.6-5 ppm NO₂, ultrafast response/recovery performance (18 and 338 s), and excellent selectivity. Furthermore, real-time visual detection of target gases has been accomplished by integrating the flexible sensor into a wearable device.

Three-Dimensional MoS2/Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanosheets/Graphene Quantum Dots Hybrids for High-Performance Room-Temperature NO2 Gas Sensors

This study presents three-dimensional (3D) MoS₂/reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/graphene quantum dots (GQDs) hybrids with improved gas sensing performance for NO₂ sensors. GQDs were introduced to prevent the agglomeration of nanosheets during mixing of rGO and MoS₂. The resultant MoS₂/rGO/GQDs hybrids exhibit a well-defined 3D nanostructure, with a firm connection among components. The prepared MoS₂/rGO/GQDs-based sensor exhibits a response of 23.2% toward 50 ppm NO₂ at room temperature. Furthermore, when exposed to NO₂ gas with a concentration as low as 5 ppm, the prepared sensor retains a response of 15.2%. Compared with the MoS₂/rGO nanocomposites, the addition of GQDs improves the sensitivity to 21.1% and 23.2% when the sensor is exposed to 30 and 50 ppm NO₂ gas, respectively. Additionally, the MoS₂/rGO/GQDs-based sensor exhibits outstanding repeatability and gas selectivity. When exposed to certain typical interference gases, the MoS₂/rGO/GQDs-based sensor has over 10 times higher sensitivity toward NO₂ than the other gases. This study indicates that MoS₂/rGO/GQDs hybrids are potential candidates for the development of NO₂ sensors with excellent gas sensitivity.

[Comparison of hip offset and rotation center reconstruction between robot-assisted and manual total hip arthroplasty]

Objective: To compare the differences of hip offset and rotation center reconstruction between robot-assisted and manual total hip arthroplasty (THA). Methods: Patients underwent robot-assisted and manual THA from May to September of 2020 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University were enrolled in this study. The patients included 27 patients (28 hips) in robot-assisted THA (rTHA) group and 29 patients (31 hips) in manual THA (mTHA) group. In rTHA group, there were 16 males and 11 females, with a mean age of (59±13) years. In mTHA group, there were 18 males and 11 females, with a mean age of (63±14) years. Basic information, including gender, age, body mass index (BMI), diagnosis and functional scoring etc, were recorded. In rTHA group, Mako robot system was used for preoperative planning, intraoperative real-time location and navigation. In mTHA group, traditional preoperative template design and surgical procedure were carried out. Operation time and functional scoring were compared postoperatively. Femoral offset, acetabular offset, global offset, rotation center changes in vertical and horizontal directions were measured on pelvis X-ray and analyzed. The correlation between intraoperative feedback of global offset change in robot system and postoperative measured global offset were analyzed. Results: Operation time in rTHA group was (80±10) min, which was statistically longer than that in mTHA group ((58±18) min, P<0.001). With 6 months' follow-up, the Harris scoring in rTHA group was 94.9±2.8, which was statistically higher than that in mTHA group (93.1±2.8, P=0.017), however there was no statistic difference in WOMAC scoring between rTHA and mTHA group (7.0±3.8 vs 7.1±2.4, P=0.840). Absolute global offset change within 5 mm, 5-10 mm and lager than 10 mm were 71.4%(20/28), 28.6%(8/28) and 0 in rTHA group, which were 45.2%(14/31), 29.0%(9/31) and 25.8%(8/31) in mTHA group (all P<0.05). A positive relation was found between intraoperative feedback of global offset change in robot system and postoperative measured global offset in rTHA group (r=0.77, P<0.001). It was found that rotation center changes concentrated in outer upper quadrant in both groups, and rotation center change in rTHA group concentrated mainly in the area less than 10 mm, however, rotation center change in mTHA group was more dispersive compared with rTHA group. Conclusion: rTHA may accurately reconstruct hip offset and rotation center, intraoperation feedback of global offset change may be an effective reference.

The Use of Episodic Memory Tests for Screening in Clinical Trials for Early Alzheimer's Disease: A Comparison of the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (FCSRT) and the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS)

BACKGROUND

Screening procedures for early Alzheimer's disease (AD) trials seek to efficiently identify participants who fulfill clinical and biomarker criteria for AD and enrich for those most likely to experience significant clinical progression during the study. Episodic memory performance is often assessed in screening, but the utility of different memory tests for optimizing screening efficiency and/or rates of clinical progression remains uncertain.

OBJECTIVES

Cross-study comparisons of the effects of inclusion criteria based on performance on the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (FCSRT) or the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) on screen-failure rates for episodic memory and β-amyloid (Aβ) positivity (by CSF or PET) and on subsequent rates of clinical disease progression in randomized participants across three clinical trials in early (prodromal-to-mild) AD.

DESIGN

Secondary analyses of cross-sectional and longitudinal clinical trial data.

SETTING

Multi-center international clinical trials.

PARTICIPANTS

Individuals with prodromal-to-mild AD screened and/or randomized in clinical trials for crenezumab (CREAD, CREAD2) or semorinemab (Tauriel). Cross-sectional analyses of screening data for episodic memory impairment included participants from CREAD2 (n=2897) and Tauriel (n=887) and for Aβ positivity included participants from CREAD (n=1138), CREAD2 (n=1119), and Tauriel (n=483). Longitudinal analyses of rates of clinical progression included participants from CREAD (n=779), CREAD2 (n=773), and Tauriel (n=331).

MEASUREMENTS

Cross-sectional analyses examined eligibility rates per cutoffs defined for the FCSRT (CREAD, CREAD2) or RBANS (Tauriel) and per Aβ positivity using CSF and/or PET biomarkers. Longitudinal analyses examined rates of clinical progression on the Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB), the 13-item version of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog13), and Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living Scale (ADCS-ADL).

RESULTS

Lower rates of study eligibility per episodic memory criteria were seen with the FCSRT (CREAD2) relative to the RBANS (Tauriel), but similar rates of eligibility per Aβ positivity criteria were seen amongst participants with episodic memory impairment per the cutoffs used on either assessment. Similar rates of clinical decline over 18 months on the CDR-SB, ADAS-Cog13, and ADCS-ADL were observed in study populations enriched using the FCSRT (CREAD, CREAD2) or the RBANS (Tauriel).

CONCLUSIONS

Cutoffs for episodic memory impairment on the FCSRT used in the CREAD and CREAD2 studies are more stringent than those on the RBANS used in the Tauriel study, resulting in lower rates of eligibility. However, given that study enrichment with either test yields similar rates of Aβ positivity and clinical progression, considerations beyond these factors may drive the decision of which assessment to use for screening in early AD clinical trials.

A Novel Artificial Neuron-Like Gas Sensor Constructed from CuS Quantum Dots/Bi2S3 Nanosheets

Real-time rapid detection of toxic gases at room temperature is particularly important for public health and environmental monitoring. Gas sensors based on conventional bulk materials often suffer from their poor surface-sensitive sites, leading to a very low gas adsorption ability. Moreover, the charge transportation efficiency is usually inhibited by the low defect density of surface-sensitive area than that in the interior. In this work, a gas sensing structure model based on CuS quantum dots/Bi₂S₃ nanosheets (CuS QDs/Bi₂S₃ NSs) inspired by artificial neuron network is constructed. Simulation analysis by density functional calculation revealed that CuS QDs and Bi₂S₃ NSs can be used as the main adsorption sites and charge transport pathways, respectively. Thus, the high-sensitivity sensing of NO₂ can be realized by designing the artificial neuron-like sensor. The experimental results showed that the CuS QDs with a size of about 8 nm are highly adsorbable, which can enhance the NO₂ sensitivity due to the rich sensitive sites and quantum size effect. The Bi₂S₃ NSs can be used as a charge transfer network channel to achieve efficient charge collection and transmission. The neuron-like sensor that simulates biological smell shows a significantly enhanced response value (3.4), excellent responsiveness (18 s) and recovery rate (338 s), low theoretical detection limit of 78 ppb, and excellent selectivity for NO₂. Furthermore, the developed wearable device can also realize the visual detection of NO₂ through real-time signal changes.

Lithium titanate nanoplates embedded with graphene quantum dots as electrode materials for high-rate lithium-ion batteries

Anode materials based on lithium titanate (LTO)/graphene composites are considered as ideal candidates for high-rate lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Considering the blocking effects of graphene nanosheets in electrodes during ion-transfer processes, construction of LTO/graphene composite structures with enhanced electrical and ionic conductivity via facile and scalable techniques is still challenging for high-rate LIB. In this work, structures of anode materials based on LTO nanoplates embedded with graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are demonstrated for high-rate LIB. The hybrids can be facilely prepared viain situintroduction of GQDs during the process LTO preparation, which enables a uniform dispersion of GQDs within LTO. This method is convenient, rapid, and can be easily scaled-up. The introduction of 0.05 wt.% GQDs can greatly enhance the electrochemical performance of the electrodes. The electrodes with 0.05 wt.% GQDs deliver a specific discharge capacity of 185, 181 and 179 mAh g^-1at 5, 10, and 20 C, respectively. The performance enhancement is suggested to be due to the synergistic interactions between LTO and GQDs. The strategy as well as as-designed structures of LTO/GQDs show potentials for application as high-rate anode materials in LIBs application.

Noble metal (Ag, Au, Pd and Pt) doped TaS2 monolayer for gas sensing: a first-principles investigation

Two-dimensional (2D) layered nanomaterials have attracted increasing attention in gas sensing due to their graphene-like properties. Although the gas sensing performances of 2D layered semiconductor transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), including MoS₂, WS₂, MoSe₂ and WSe₂, have been extensively studied, it has remained a grand challenge to develop a high-performance gas sensing material that can meet practical applications. Tantalum disulfide (TaS₂), as a metallic TMD with low resistance and high current signal, has great promise in high-performance gas sensing. In stark contrast with Mo and W, Ta has a stronger positive charge, which contributes to a higher surface energy to capture gas molecules. Herein, through calculating the adsorption energy, charge transfer, electronic structure, and work function of the adsorption system with first-principles calculations, we first systematically studied the performance of noble metal atom substitution doping on a TaS₂ monolayer for toxic nitrogen-containing gas (NH₃, NO and NO₂) sensing. We found that the TaS₂ monolayer exhibits excellent NO sensing performance with an adsorption energy of 0.49 eV and a charge transfer of 0.17 e. However, it has a considerable adsorption energy (-0.22 and -0.39 eV) to NH₃ and NO₂ molecules, but a low charge transfer (-0.03 and 0.04 e) between the gas molecules and the TaS₂ monolayer. To further enhance the gas-sensing performance of the TaS₂ monolayer, noble metal atoms (Ag, Au, Pd and Pt) were substitutionally doped into the lattice of the TaS₂ monolayer. The results showed that the values of adsorption energy and charge transfer can be significantly improved, and the electronic structure and work function of the doping system has also greatly changed, which makes it much easier to detect the changes in electrical signal due to gas adsorption. Our work indicates that the intrinsic as well as the noble metal doped TaS₂ monolayers are promising candidates for high-performance gas sensors.

Smoking and incidence of insomnia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the impact of smoking on the incidence of insomnia.

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies.

METHODS

PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and OVID were searched through March 2020. Cohort studies reporting the effect of smoking on the incidence of insomnia were included. We quantitatively analyzed the basic framework and study characteristics and then pooled estimate effects with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of outcomes of each included study using fixed-effects meta-analyses.

RESULTS

This systematic review included six cohort studies involving 12,445 participants. Quantitatively summarized results suggested that smoking could significantly increase the incidence of insomnia (odds ratio [OR]: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.13). Regular smoking was significantly associated with the incidence of insomnia (OR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.13). As for occasional smokers and ex-smokers, the pooled analysis did not indicate a significant association (occasional smoker: OR = 2.09, 95% CI: 0.44, 9.95; ex-smoker; OR = 1.02, 95% CI: 0.67, 1.54). Subgroup analysis by age, gender ratio, and region showed a statistically significant relationship between smoking and the incidence of insomnia in specific groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Integrated longitudinal observational evidence identified smoking as a significant risk factor of insomnia. Considering the limited amount of available studies, more high-quality and prospective cohort studies of large sample sizes are needed to explore details of this association.

Design of p-p heterojunctions based on CuO decorated WS2nanosheets for sensitive NH3gas sensing at room temperature

Tungsten disulfide (WS₂) nanosheets (NSs) have become a promising room-temperature gas sensor candidate due to their inherent high surface-to-volume ratio, tunable electrical properties, and high on-state current density. For further practical applications of WS₂-based gas sensors, it is still necessary to overcome the insensitive response and incomplete recovery at room temperature. In this work, we controllably synthesized high-performance ammonia (NH₃) gas sensor based on CuO decorated WS₂NSs. The optimized p-p WS₂/CuO heterojunctions improve the surface catalytic effect, thereby enhancing the gas-sensing performance. The pure WS₂NSs-based gas sensors showed a low response and an incomplete recovery in the case of NH₃sensing. After the functionalization of CuO nanoparticles, the WS₂/CuO heterostructure-based gas sensor exhibits an improved response value of 40.5% to 5  ppm NH₃and full recoverability without any external assistance. Density functional theory calculations illustrate that the adsorption of CuO for NH₃is much superior to WS₂. The p-p heterojunctions strategy demonstrated in this work has great potential in the design of sensitive materials for gas sensors, and provides useful guidance for enhancing the room-temperature sensitivity and recoverability.

Binder-Free, Flexible, and Self-Standing Non-Woven Fabric Anodes Based on Graphene/Si Hybrid Fibers for High-Performance Li-Ion Batteries

High-capacity silicon (Si) is recognized as a potential anode material for high-performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Unfortunately, large volume expansion during discharge/charge processes hinders its areal capacity. In this work, we design a flexible graphene-fiber-fabric (GFF)-based three-dimensional conductive network to form a binder-free and self-standing Si anode for high-performance LIBs. The Si particles are strongly wrapped in graphene fibers. The substantial void spaces caused by the wrinkled graphene in fibers enable effective accommodation of the volume change of Si during lithiation/delithiation processes. The GFF/Si-37.5% electrode exhibits an excellent cyclability with a specific capacity of 920 mA h g^-1 at a current density of 0.4 mA cm^-2 after 100 cycles. Furthermore, the GFF/Si-29.1% electrode exhibits an excellent reversible capacity of 580 mA h g^-1 at a current density of 0.4 mA cm^-2 after 400 cycles. The capacity retention of the GFF/Si-29.1% electrode is up to 96.5%. More importantly, the GFF/Si-37.5% electrode with a mass loading of 13.75 mg cm^-2 achieves a high areal capacity of 14.3 mA h cm^-2, which outperforms the reported self-standing Si anode. This work provides opportunities for realizing a binder-free, flexible, and self-standing Si anode for high-energy LIBs.

T1rho mapping of cartilage and menisci in patients with hyperuricaemia at 3 T: a preliminary study

AIM

To compare and assess T_1rho values of the femorotibial cartilage compartments and subregional menisci in patients with hyperuricaemia at 3 T.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty-two patients were enrolled in the study and were subdivided into two subgroups: 15 healthy controls (three women, 12 men; mean age = 45.3 ± 10.9 years, age range 25-72 years) and 17 patients with asymptomatic hyperuricaemia (two women, 15 men; mean age = 44.4 ± 12.7 years, age range 26-77 years). All patients were evaluated using 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using an eight-channel phased-array knee coil (transmit-receive). Wilcoxon's rank sum test and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were conducted to determine whether there were any statistically significant differences in the T_1rho values of the femorotibial cartilage compartments and subregional menisci between the two subgroups.

RESULTS

Lateral tibial cartilage (45.8 ± 2.9 ms) in the healthy subgroup had significantly lower (p<0.05) T_1rho values than those of all subcompartments of the femorotibial cartilage in the hyperuricaemia subgroup. The lateral femoral cartilage (LF) in hyperuricaemia (54.6 ± 3.9 ms) subgroup had significantly higher (p<0.05) T_1rho values than those of all subcompartments of the femorotibial cartilage except the LF in the healthy subgroup. Significantly higher (p<0.05) T_1rho values existed in the LF of the healthy (54.6 ± 4.7 ms) subgroup in comparison with those of all subcompartments of femorotibial cartilage except the LF in hyperuricaemia subgroup.

CONCLUSIONS

T_1rho values in certain compartments of the femorotibial cartilage in patients with hyperuricaemia are elevated compared to those in healthy patients presumably due to reduced proteoglycan content, to which particular attention should be paid when diagnosing and treating the patients with hyperuricaemia in a clinical setting.

Microwave-Assisted Chitosan-Functionalized Graphene Oxide as Controlled Intracellular Drug Delivery Nanosystem for Synergistic Antitumour Activity

To achieve better antitumour efficacy, it is urgent to improve anticancer drug delivery efficiency in targeting cancer cells. In this work, chitosan-functionalized graphene oxide (ChrGO) nanosheets were fabricated via microwave-assisted reduction, which were employed to the intracellular delivery nanosystem for anticancer drug agent in breast cancer cells. Drug loading and release research indicated that adriamycin can be efficiently loaded on and released from the ChrGO nanosheets. Less drug release during delivery and better biocompatibility of ChrGO/adriamycin significantly improve its safety and therapeutic efficacy in HER2-overexpressing BT-474 cells. Furthermore, ChrGO/adriamycin in combination with trastuzumab exhibited synergistic antitumour activity in BT-474 cells, which demonstrated superior therapeutic efficacy compared with each drug alone. Cells treated with trastuzumab (5 μg/mL) or equivalent ChrGO/adriamycin (5 μg/mL) each elicited 54.5% and 59.5% cell death, respectively, while the combination treatment with trastuzumab and ChrGO/adriamycin resulted in a dramatic 88.5% cell death. The dual-targeted therapy displayed higher apoptosis, indicating superior therapeutic efficacy due to the presence of different mechanisms of action. The combined treatment of ChrGO/adriamycin and trastuzumab in BT-474 cells induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, which ultimately led to the death of augmented cancer cells. This work has provided a facile microwave-assisted fabrication of ChrGO as a controlled and targeted intracellular drug delivery nanosystem, which is expected to be a novel promising therapy for treating HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells.

Room temperature DMMP gas sensing based on cobalt phthalocyanine derivative/graphene quantum dot hybrid materials

In this study, two kinds of cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) derivatives containing hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) and hexafluorbisphenol A (6FBPA) substituents have been obtained. Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) were anchored to CoPc derivatives by π-π bonding, forming hybrid materials. They were employed to detect dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) gas, an ideal simulant gas for sarin nerve gas, and achieved good gas response performance at room temperature. There are strong hydrogen bonds between the two functional group molecules (HFIP and 6FBPA) and the DMMP molecule, leading to their excellent response performance to DMMP molecules. GQDs can effectively increase the electrical conductivity of hybrid materials by π-π bonding with CoPc derivatives. Therefore, the response speed of the hybrid materials to DMMP gas has been significantly improved, and the minimum detection limit is 500 ppb, while maintaining excellent repeatability, stability and selectivity. Laser-assisted irradiation was used to solve the problem of the slow recovery of CoPc derivatives. This result demonstrates that these CoPc derivative/GQD hybrid materials are expected to be the raw materials of the sarin gas sensor.

Laser-Induced MoOx/Sulfur-Doped Graphene Hybrid Frameworks as Efficient Antibacterial Agents

Rational design and scalable construction of antibacterial mediators based on unique graphene architectures with highly efficient antibacterial ability and significant biocompatibility are challenging. Herein, sulfur-doped graphene skeletons uniformly decorated with metal oxide nanoparticles were designed and constructed via one-step laser-induced microexplosive techniques and demonstrated for the first time as highly efficient antibacterial agents. The optical density and flat colony counting methods demonstrated that the as-designed laser-induced MoO_x/sulfur-doped graphene hybrids exhibited exceptional activity inhibition of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Moreover, the bacteria were treated with an impressive laser-induced MoO_x/sulfur-doped graphene colloidal solution of concentration as low as 1 mg/mL for 4 h, leading to an excellent viability loss of 85% for the two bacteria. Cell toxicity experiments proved that the biological toxicity of laser-induced MoO_x/sulfur-doped graphene to pig sperm cells was negligible. The molecular dynamics calculations proposed that the intrinsic interaction with N-acetylglucosamine at the cell wall and the high-efficiency synergistic effect of sulfur-doped graphene and MoO_x played the key role in inhibiting the viability of bacteria. This work provides new insights for a novel structure design and opens up a potential route to construct antibacterial agents with high efficiency for clinical application.

Enhancing room-temperature NO2 gas sensing performance based on a metal phthalocyanine/graphene quantum dot hybrid material

Metal phthalocyanine (MPc) has a great saturation response value, but its low conductivity and slow response speed limit its practical application. A novel hybrid material composed of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and metal phthalocyanine derivatives has been obtained. GQDs can be anchored onto the surface of MPc nanofibers through π-π stacking. The response to NO2 can be significantly enhanced under certain component proportion matching, which is much better than their respective response to NO2. The introduction of GQDs greatly increases the conductivity of phthalocyanine fibers, leading to a faster response of the hybrid material. In addition, the reproducibility, selectivity and stability of the hybrid materials are excellent, and the minimum response concentration can reach 50 ppb. Ultra-low-power laser irradiation was used to solve the problem of slow recovery of metal phthalocyanine. Overall, we present the advantages of combining MPc nanofibers with GQDs and pave a new avenue for the application of MPc-GQD hybrids in the gas sensing field.

Participation in sport and physical activity in adults with intellectual disabilities

BACKGROUND

People with intellectual disability face a number of barriers to participation in physical activity. This paper aimed to determine rates of sport and physical activity participation in an Australian sample of adults with intellectual disability, compared with rates of participation in the general Australian population. A secondary aim was to investigate factors that may contribute to participation of adults with intellectual disability.

METHOD

Participants were part of the Australian Child to Adult Development (ACAD) study, consisting of a community sample with intellectual disability (n = 305), groups of adults with autism (n = 94), Down syndrome (n = 64), fragile X syndrome (n = 52), Williams syndrome (n = 45), and Prader-Willi syndrome (n = 30). Participation in sport/physical activity was reported over the past 3 months. Rates of participation were reported for adults with intellectual disability and compared with rates in a general Australian population sample. The relationship between participation in physical activity and age, degree of intellectual disability, physical mobility, living situation, socio-economic disadvantage, and behaviour and emotional problems were also conducted.

RESULTS

Participants in the ACAD community sample with intellectual disability participated in sport/physical activity at lower rates than the general Australian population (42% compared with 71%). Having no physical mobility impairment was significantly associated with higher rates of participation. Those with Down syndrome participated in sport/physical activity at higher rates than the community sample with intellectual disability, while no difference in sport/physical activity participation was observed in the groups with autism or other syndromes.

CONCLUSION

Australian adults with intellectual disability participate in sport and physical activity at lower rates than the general population. Having a physical mobility impairment was associated with lower rates of participation. However, people living in supported accommodation were more likely to participate than those in other living situations. Having Down syndrome was associated with a higher participation rate than the community sample.

Inkjet-Printed Ultrathin MoS2-Based Electrodes for Flexible In-Plane Microsupercapacitors

Flexible and wearable energy storage microdevice systems with high performance and safety are promising candidates for the electronics of on-chip integration. Herein, we demonstrate inkjet-printed ultrathin electrodes based on molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) nanosheets for flexible and all-solid-state in-plane microsupercapacitors (MSCs) with high capacitance. The MoS₂ nanosheets were uniformly dispersed in the low-boiling point and nontoxic solvent isopropanol to form highly concentrated inks suitable for inkjet printing. The MSCs were assembled by printing the highly concentrated MoS₂ inks on a polyimide substrate with appropriate surface tension using a simple and low-cost desktop inkjet printer. Because of the two-dimensional structure of MoS₂ nanosheets, the as-assembled planar MSCs have high loadings of active materials per unit area, resulting in more flexibility and thinness than the capacitors with a traditional sandwich structure. These planar MSCs can not only possess any collapsible shape through the computer design but also exhibit excellent electrochemical performance (with a maximum energy density of 0.215 mW h cm^-3 and a high-power energy density of 0.079 W cm^-3), outstanding mechanical flexibility (almost no degradation of capacitance at different bending radii), good cycle stability (85.6% capacitance retention even after 10,000 charge-discharge cycles), and easy scale-up. Moreover, a blue light-emitting diode can be powered using five MSCs connected in series. The in-plane and low-cost MSCs with high energy densities have great application potential for integrated energy storage systems including wearable planar solar cells and other electronics.

[Epidemiological characteristics of human brucellosis in Tongliao city of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, 2004-2018]

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of human brucellosis (HB), evolution and origin feature of Brucella strains in Tongliao city, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region during 2004-2018, and to provide evidence for strategy development against the disease. Methods: Data from the reports on HB in Tongliao during 2004-2018 were extracted from the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention before being analyzed with software Excel 2016. Epidemiologic feature was described, using the number of cases, constituent ratio and related rates. Conventional biotypes methods were used for identification of species/biovars strains while species of six Brucella strains were further verified by AMOS-PCR. Cluster analyze on six Brucella strains were performed with Bio-Numerics 5.0 software and for examining and revealing the genetic characteristics of the related strains. Results: During 2004-2018, a total of 16 704 HB cases were reported, with the incidence rate as 35.41/100 000. The incidence rates appeared as 110.51/100 000 in Jarud Banner and 67.84/100 000 in Kulun flag, which were both higher than the other areas. Most of the cases were reported in the 40-54 year olds, which accounted for 48.75% (8 143/16 704). The number of HB in farmers appeared as 14 873, which counted for 89.04% (14 873/16 704) of all the cases. Male to female ratio of incidence was 2.40∶1. Most of the reported cases appeared between March to May, which accounted for 56.30% (9 405/16 704). Peak of the disease was seen in April. Using the conventional identification method, results showed that the available six strains all belonged to B. melitensis, including three of them as B. melitensis bv.1 and others three strains as B. melitensis bv. 3. Results from the amplified AMOS-PCR showed that all the strains were B. melitensis. The six strains clustered in two MLVA-11 genotypes (111 and 116) and all belonged to the Eastern Mediterranean lineage. Based on the MLVA-16 cluster analysis, results suggested that strains from this study were having close genetic relationship with B. melitensis strains that were from Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces. Conclusions: Human brucellosis identified in Tongliao area was with greater risk in spreading the disease to the vicinity. Our findings indicated that the programs on detection and control of the disease should be strengthened.

Multichannel Room-Temperature Gas Sensors Based on Magnetic-Field-Aligned 3D Fe3O4@SiO2@Reduced Graphene Oxide Spheres

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is considered as one of the ideal sensing materials for high-performance room-temperature gas sensors owing to its large specific surface areas, numerous active sites, and high carrier mobility. However, the sensing performance cannot be maximized due to the inevitable sheet stacking and agglomeration. Herein, we firstdemonstrate multichannel room-temperature gas sensors using magnetic-field-induced alignment of three-dimensional (3D) Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@rGO core-shell spheres. Moreover, the sensing channels composed of spheres can be tailored by changing the concentration of spheres and the magnetic field. Experimental results suggest that the multichannel 3D Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@rGO sensor exhibits an ultrahigh sensitivity of 34.41 with a good response stability and high selectivity toward 5 ppm of NO₂ at room temperature, which is ca. 7.96 times higher than that of the random 3D rGO gas sensor. The high performance can be mainly ascribed to a full utilization of their large specific surface area and active sites of rGO nanosheets. We believe that our results not only contribute to the development of high-performance rGO-based sensing devices, but also provide a general approach to maximize the sensing performance of other nanomaterials.