MnFe layered double hydroxides confined MnOx for peroxymonosulfate activation: A novel manner for the selective production of singlet oxygen

Singlet oxygen (1O2) is a reactive species for the selective degradation of stubborn organic pollutants. Given its resistance to harsh water environment, the effective and exclusive generation of 1O2 is acknowledged as a key strategy to mitigate water production costs and ensure water supply safety. Herein, we synthesized MnOx intercalated MnFe layered double hydroxides (MF-MnOx) to selectively produce 1O2 through the activation of PMS. The distinctive confined structure endowed MF-MnOx with a special pathway for the PMS activation. The direct oxidation of BPA on the intercalated MnOx induced the charge imbalance in the MnFe-LDH layer, resulting in the selective generation of 1O2. Moreover, acceptable activity deterioration of MF-MnOx was observed in a 10 h continuous degradation test in actual water, substantiating the application potential of MF-MnOx. This work presents a novel catalyst for the selective production of 1O2, and evaluates its prospects in the remediation of micro-polluted water.

Moderate oxidation of algae-laden water: Principals and challenges

The occurrence of seasonal algae blooms represents a huge dilemma for water resource management and has garnered widespread attention. Therefore, finding methods to control algae pollution and improve water quality is urgently needed. Moderate oxidation has emerged as a feasible way of algae-laden water treatment and is an economical and prospective strategy for controlling algae and endogenous and exogenous pollutants. Despite this, a comprehensive understanding of algae-laden water treatment by moderate oxidation, particularly principles and summary of advanced strategies, as well as challenges in moderate oxidation application, is still lacking. This review outlines the properties and characterization of algae-laden water, which serve as a prerequisite for assessing the treatment efficiency of moderate oxidation. Biomass, cell viability, and organic matter are key components to assessing moderate oxidation performance. More importantly, the recent advancements in employing moderate oxidation as a treatment or pretreatment procedure were examined, and the suitability of different techniques was evaluated. Generally, moderate oxidation is more promising for improving the solid-liquid separation process by the reduction of cell surface charge (stability) and removal/degradation of the soluble algae secretions. Furthermore, this review presents an outlook on future research directions aimed at overcoming the challenges encountered by existing moderate oxidation technologies. This comprehensive examination aims to provide new and valuable insights into the moderate oxidation process.

Integration of nontarget analysis with machine learning modeling for prioritization of odorous volatile organic compounds in surface water

Assessing the odor risk caused by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in water has been a big challenge for water quality evaluation due to the abundance of odorants in water and the inherent difficulty in obtaining the corresponding odor sensory attributes. Here, a novel odor risk assessment approach has been established, incorporating nontarget screening for odorous VOC identification and machine learning (ML) modeling for odor threshold prediction. Twenty-nine odorous VOCs were identified using two-dimensional gas chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometry from four surface water sampling sites. These identified odorants primarily fell into the categories of ketones and ethers, and originated mainly from biological production. To obtain the odor threshold of these odorants, we trained an ML model for odor threshold prediction, which displayed good performance with accuracy of 79%. Further, an odor threshold-based prioritization approach was developed to rank the identified odorants. 2-Methylisoborneol and nonanal were identified as the main odorants contributing to water odor issues at the four sampling sites. This study provides an accessible method for accurate and quick determination of key odorants in source water, aiding in odor control and improved water quality management. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATION: Water odor episodes have been persistent and significant issues worldwide, posing severe challenges to water treatment plants. Unpleasant odors in aquatic environments are predominantly caused by the occurrence of a wide range of volatile organic chemicals (VOCs). Given the vast number of newly-detected VOCs, experimental identification of the key odorants becomes difficult, making water odor issues complex to control. Herein, we propose a novel approach integrating nontarget analysis with machine learning models to accurate and quick determine the key odorants in waterbodies. We use the approach to analyze four samples with odor issues in Changsha, and prioritized the potential odorants.

Isolated non-immune mediated second-degree atrioventricular block in fetus: natural history and predictive factors for spontaneous recovery

OBJECTIVES

To uncover the clinical course of fetal isolated non-immune mediated second-degree AVB and determine the factors associated with the spontaneous recovery for fetal non-immune second-degree atrioventricular block (AVB).

METHODS

A total of 20 fetuses with isolated, non-immune mediated second-degree AVB were prospectively recruited between 2014 and 2022. These fetuses were divided into the spontaneous recovery group (n=12) and the non-spontaneous recovery group (n=8). Maternal and fetal basic characteristics, intrauterine and postnatal outcomes were compared between groups.

RESULTS

Twelve fetuses restored 1:1 atrioventricular conduction in utero and did not recur during the postnatal follow-up period. The residual eight fetuses maintained as second-degree AVB and six of them were aborted due to parental request in utero. Of the two live children with second-degree AVB, one of them progressed to complete AVB at the latest follow up at the age of 34 months, but without any symptoms, heart enlargement or dysfunction. The residual one progressed to complete AVB and was finally diagnosed with type 2 long-QT syndrome. Fetuses in the spontaneous recovery group presented with earlier gestational age at diagnosis (20.0[17.0-26.0] vs. 24.5[18.0-35.0] weeks, p=0.004) and higher atrial rate (147[130-160] vs 138.00[125.00-149.00] bpm, p=0.006) in comparison with the non-spontaneous recovery group. A cut-off value of 22.5 weeks of gestational age and 144 bpm of atrial rate at diagnosis could predict the failure of spontaneous recovery, with sensitivities of 87.5%, 75%, and specificities of 92.0%, 87.5%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The outcome of fetal non-immune second-degree AVB was favorable. Earlier gestational age at diagnosis and higher atrial rate were related to spontaneous reversion for isolated non-immune-mediated second-degree AVB. However, prenatal gene test should be performed for those with persistent AVB to exclude the heritable disorders including LQTS. These findings may provide important references for clinical management and prenatal counseling. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The safety signal detection and analysis of monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 based on real-world evidence - the suitable selectivity for different populations

OBJECTIVE

Bebtelovimab (BEB), Tixagevimab/Cilgavimab (TIX/CIL), and Sotrovimab (SOT) are important agents against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2-Omicron strain. However, due to their short duration of application, little is known about their safety profiles. This research aimed to explore the safety profile of these monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) via real-world evidence databases and data mining tools.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Safety reports were retrieved from the database of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System from April 2022 to March 2023. To detect the safety signal, the disproportionality analysis was performed using the reporting odds ratio method.

RESULTS

SOT had the greatest proportion of "skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders" and "disorders of investigations"; BEB showed significant associations with "gastrointestinal disorders" and "nervous system disorders"; TIX/CIL had the weakest correlation with "skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders" and "general disorders and administration site conditions". Furthermore, there were still other signals related to nervous system disorders, gastrointestinal disorders only caused by BEB. TIX/CIL has been reported solely to be associated with multiple types of cardiovascular disorders. As for SOT alone, signals were strongly related to infusion reactions and hypersensitivity.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, SOT may be unsuitable for allergic patients and may lead to abnormal test results. BEB showed the highest correlations with gastrointestinal and neuropsychiatric events. In addition, its infusion reactions should also be noted. TIX/CIL can lead to a variety of cardiovascular events.

[Propensity score matching analysis of the short-term efficacy of Kamikawa versus double- tract reconstruction in laparoscopic proximal gastric cancer surgery]

Objective: To compare the short-term efficacy of Kamikawa anastomosis and double-tract reconstruction (DTR) after proximal gastrectomy. Methods: This was a propensity score matched, retrospective, cohort study. Inclusion criteria comprised age 20-70 years, diagnosis of gastric cancer by pathological examination of preoperative endoscopic biopsies, tumor diameter ≤4 cm, and location in the upper 1/3 of the stomach (including the gastroesophageal junction), and TNM stage IA, IB, or IIA. The study cohort comprised 73 patients who had undergone laparoscopic proximal gastric cancer radical surgery in the Department of Gastroenterology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University between June 2020 and February 2023, 19 of whom were in the Kamikawa group and 54 in the DTR group. After using R language to match the baseline characteristics of patients in a ratio of 1:2, there were 17 patients in the Kamikawa group and 34 in the DTR group. Surgery-related conditions, postoperative quality of life, and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups. Results: After propensity score matching, there were no statistically significant differences in baseline data between the two groups (P>0.05). Compared with the DTR group, the Kamikawa group had longer operative times (321.5±15.7 minutes vs. 296.8±26.1 minutes, t=32.056, P<0.001), longer anastomosis times (93.0±6.8 minutes vs. 45.3±7.7 minutes, t=56.303, P<0.001), and less bleeding (76 [54~103] mL vs.112 [82~148) mL, Z=71.536, P<0.001); these differences are statistically significant. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in tumor size, time to first postoperative passage of gas, postoperative hospital stay, number of lymph nodes removed, duration of lymph node dissection, or total hospitalization cost (all P>0.05). The median follow-up time was 6.1 ± 1.8 months. As to postoperative quality of life, the Kamikawa group had a lower rate of upper gastrointestinal contrast reflux than did the DTR group (0 vs. 29.4% [10/34], χ2=6.220, P=0.013); this difference is statistically significant. However, differences between the two groups in quality of life score on follow-up of 3 months and 6 months on the Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) scale were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). The incidence of postoperative complications was 2/17 in the Kamikawa group, which is significantly lower than the 41.2% (14/34) in the DTR group (χ2=4.554, P=0.033). Conclusion: Kamikawa anastomosis and DTR are equally safe and effective procedures for reconstructing the digestive tract after proximal gastric surgery. Although Kamikawa anastomosis takes slightly longer and places higher demands on the surgical team, it is more effective at preventing postoperative reflux.

[Research progress on the role of resveratrol in wound healing]

The difficulty of wound healing in patients is a difficult problem that doctors in all clinical departments may encounter, and there is still no good solution. Resveratrol is a kind of natural active substance, which has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and angiogenesis promoting effects, and is a potential drug to promote wound healing. However, the clinical application of resveratrol is limited due to its low bioavailability. In this review, the molecular mechanism of resveratrol in promoting wound healing and its administration methods in wound treatment were reviewed to provide ideas for the redevelopment of resveratrol.

Novel UV-LED-driven photocatalysis-chlorine activation for carbamazepine degradation by sulfur-doped NH2-MIL 53 (Fe) composites: Electronic modulation effect and the dual role of chlorine

Chlorine activation-inefficient and the generation of disinfection by-products (DBPs) has indeed limited the application of UV/chlorine process. In this study, the typical metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) NH2-MIL53(Fe) were successfully modified with organic ligands containing sulfur functional groups and applied to construct a novel UV-LED-driven heterogeneous chlorine activation system. The generation of intermediate energy levels and the charge redistribution effect on Fe-S bond facilitated the excitation of electrons and realized the effective separation of photohole (hvb+) and photoelectron (ecb-). The involvement of S-NH2-MIL53(Fe) improved the efficiency of UV-LED/chlorine process by 6 times. The effective activation of HOCl/OCl- by hvb+ and ecb- significantly enhanced the yield of HO· and Cl·. More importantly, HOCl/OCl- played a dual role in UV-LED/chlorine/S-NH2-MIL53(Fe) process as a precursor for the generation of free radicals and a catalyst for the enhancement of HO· yield, which could achieve efficient removal of the target pollutants at lower chlorine doses. In addition, the presence of low-valent sulfur species and ecb- accelerated the cycle of Fe(II)/Fe(III) and in-situ generation of HO· and Cl·. The known generation of DBPs in UV-LED/chlorine/S-NH2-MIL53(Fe) process decreased by 37.9% compared to UV-LED/chlorine process. Developing novel UV-LED/chlorine/S-NH2-MIL53(Fe) processes provided a reliable strategy to efficiently purify actual micro-polluted water bodies.

Molecularly Imprinted Heterostructure-Based Electrochemosensor for Ultratrace and Precise Detection of 2-Methylisoborneol in Water

Ultratrace 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB, ∼ng/L) in source water is the main odorant in the algae-derived odor episodes, whose accurate on-site detection will have a promising application potential. Due to the chemical inertness of 2-MIB, sensitive and selective detection of 2-MIB remains much challenging. Herein, molecularly imprinted polymer cavities were polymerized on the heterostructure Ti3C2Tx@CuFc-metal-organic framework to selectively capture 2-MIB, where the heterostructure could catalyze the probe redox reaction of [Fe(CN)63-/4-] and amplify the corresponding current signals. The prepared electrochemical sensor showed higher sensitivity on 2-MIB detection than the reported ones. Excellent stability, reusability, and selectivity for 2-MIB detection were also verified. The linear range and limit of detection of our sensor for 2-MIB were optimized to 0.0001-100 μg/L and 30 pg/L, respectively, performing much better than the reported sensors. Comparable performance to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was achieved when the sensor was applied to real water samples with or without 2-MIB standards. Overall, our research has made great progress in the application of an on-site sensor in 2-MIB detection and well advances the development of molecularly imprinted polymer-based electrochemical sensors.

Predicting reactivity dynamics of halogen species and trace organic contaminants using machine learning models

Reactions of reactive halogen species (Cl•, Br•, and Cl2•-) with trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) have received much attention in recent years, and their k values are fundamental parameters for understanding their reaction mechanisms. However, k values are usually unknown. In this study, we developed machine learning (ML)-based quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models to predict k values. We tested five algorithms, namely, random forest, neural network, XGBoost, support vector machine (SVM), and multilinear regression, using molecular descriptors (MDs) and molecular fingerprints (MFs) as inputs. The optimal algorithms were MD-XGBoost for Cl• and Br•, and MF-SVM for Cl2•-, respectively, with R2test values of 0.876, 0.743, and 0.853. We found that electron-withdrawing/donating groups tended to interfere with the reactivity of Cl2•- more than Cl• and Br•. This explains why MFs are better inputs for predictive models of Cl2•-, whereas MDs are more suitable for Cl• and Br•. Furthermore, we interpreted the models using SHAP analysis, and the results indicated that our models accurately predicted k values both statistically and mechanistically. Our models provide useful tools for obtaining unknown k values and help researchers understand the inherent relationships between the models.

Effects of empagliflozin on progression of chronic kidney disease: a prespecified secondary analysis from the empa-kidney trial

BACKGROUND

Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors reduce progression of chronic kidney disease and the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in a wide range of patients. However, their effects on kidney disease progression in some patients with chronic kidney disease are unclear because few clinical kidney outcomes occurred among such patients in the completed trials. In particular, some guidelines stratify their level of recommendation about who should be treated with SGLT2 inhibitors based on diabetes status and albuminuria. We aimed to assess the effects of empagliflozin on progression of chronic kidney disease both overall and among specific types of participants in the EMPA-KIDNEY trial.

METHODS

EMPA-KIDNEY, a randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial, was conducted at 241 centres in eight countries (Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the UK, and the USA), and included individuals aged 18 years or older with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 20 to less than 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or with an eGFR of 45 to less than 90 mL/min per 1·73 m2 with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) of 200 mg/g or higher. We explored the effects of 10 mg oral empagliflozin once daily versus placebo on the annualised rate of change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR slope), a tertiary outcome. We studied the acute slope (from randomisation to 2 months) and chronic slope (from 2 months onwards) separately, using shared parameter models to estimate the latter. Analyses were done in all randomly assigned participants by intention to treat. EMPA-KIDNEY is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03594110.

FINDINGS

Between May 15, 2019, and April 16, 2021, 6609 participants were randomly assigned and then followed up for a median of 2·0 years (IQR 1·5-2·4). Prespecified subgroups of eGFR included 2282 (34·5%) participants with an eGFR of less than 30 mL/min per 1·73 m2, 2928 (44·3%) with an eGFR of 30 to less than 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2, and 1399 (21·2%) with an eGFR 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2 or higher. Prespecified subgroups of uACR included 1328 (20·1%) with a uACR of less than 30 mg/g, 1864 (28·2%) with a uACR of 30 to 300 mg/g, and 3417 (51·7%) with a uACR of more than 300 mg/g. Overall, allocation to empagliflozin caused an acute 2·12 mL/min per 1·73 m2 (95% CI 1·83-2·41) reduction in eGFR, equivalent to a 6% (5-6) dip in the first 2 months. After this, it halved the chronic slope from -2·75 to -1·37 mL/min per 1·73 m2 per year (relative difference 50%, 95% CI 42-58). The absolute and relative benefits of empagliflozin on the magnitude of the chronic slope varied significantly depending on diabetes status and baseline levels of eGFR and uACR. In particular, the absolute difference in chronic slopes was lower in patients with lower baseline uACR, but because this group progressed more slowly than those with higher uACR, this translated to a larger relative difference in chronic slopes in this group (86% [36-136] reduction in the chronic slope among those with baseline uACR <30 mg/g compared with a 29% [19-38] reduction for those with baseline uACR ≥2000 mg/g; ptrend<0·0001).

INTERPRETATION

Empagliflozin slowed the rate of progression of chronic kidney disease among all types of participant in the EMPA-KIDNEY trial, including those with little albuminuria. Albuminuria alone should not be used to determine whether to treat with an SGLT2 inhibitor.

FUNDING

Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly.

Impact of primary kidney disease on the effects of empagliflozin in patients with chronic kidney disease: secondary analyses of the EMPA-KIDNEY trial

BACKGROUND

The EMPA-KIDNEY trial showed that empagliflozin reduced the risk of the primary composite outcome of kidney disease progression or cardiovascular death in patients with chronic kidney disease mainly through slowing progression. We aimed to assess how effects of empagliflozin might differ by primary kidney disease across its broad population.

METHODS

EMPA-KIDNEY, a randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial, was conducted at 241 centres in eight countries (Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the UK, and the USA). Patients were eligible if their estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 20 to less than 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or 45 to less than 90 mL/min per 1·73 m2 with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) of 200 mg/g or higher at screening. They were randomly assigned (1:1) to 10 mg oral empagliflozin once daily or matching placebo. Effects on kidney disease progression (defined as a sustained ≥40% eGFR decline from randomisation, end-stage kidney disease, a sustained eGFR below 10 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or death from kidney failure) were assessed using prespecified Cox models, and eGFR slope analyses used shared parameter models. Subgroup comparisons were performed by including relevant interaction terms in models. EMPA-KIDNEY is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03594110.

FINDINGS

Between May 15, 2019, and April 16, 2021, 6609 participants were randomly assigned and followed up for a median of 2·0 years (IQR 1·5-2·4). Prespecified subgroupings by primary kidney disease included 2057 (31·1%) participants with diabetic kidney disease, 1669 (25·3%) with glomerular disease, 1445 (21·9%) with hypertensive or renovascular disease, and 1438 (21·8%) with other or unknown causes. Kidney disease progression occurred in 384 (11·6%) of 3304 patients in the empagliflozin group and 504 (15·2%) of 3305 patients in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·71 [95% CI 0·62-0·81]), with no evidence that the relative effect size varied significantly by primary kidney disease (pheterogeneity=0·62). The between-group difference in chronic eGFR slopes (ie, from 2 months to final follow-up) was 1·37 mL/min per 1·73 m2 per year (95% CI 1·16-1·59), representing a 50% (42-58) reduction in the rate of chronic eGFR decline. This relative effect of empagliflozin on chronic eGFR slope was similar in analyses by different primary kidney diseases, including in explorations by type of glomerular disease and diabetes (p values for heterogeneity all >0·1).

INTERPRETATION

In a broad range of patients with chronic kidney disease at risk of progression, including a wide range of non-diabetic causes of chronic kidney disease, empagliflozin reduced risk of kidney disease progression. Relative effect sizes were broadly similar irrespective of the cause of primary kidney disease, suggesting that SGLT2 inhibitors should be part of a standard of care to minimise risk of kidney failure in chronic kidney disease.

FUNDING

Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, and UK Medical Research Council.

Insights into the fate and properties of organic halamines during ultraviolet irradiation: Implications for drinking water safety

Organic halamines compounds present a significant threat to the safety of drinking water due to their potential toxicity and stability. While Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection is commonly used for water treatment, its specific effects on organic halamines and the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated eight amino acid-derived organic chlor- and bromamines as representative compounds. Our findings revealed that organic halamines have a slow hydrolysis rate (<10-3 M-1 s-1) and can persist in water for extended periods (30-2000 min). However, their disinfection efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus and their ability to degrade micropollutants like carbamazepine were found to be limited. Interestingly, under UV irradiation, the N-X bonds in organic halamines were observed to break, leading to accelerated decomposition and the generation of abundant free radicals. These free radicals synergistically facilitated the removal of micropollutants and the inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms. It is worth noting that this transformation of organic halamines during UV disinfection resulted in a slight increase in the concentrations of nitrogenous disinfection byproducts. These findings shed light on the behavior and characteristics of organic halamines during UV disinfection processes, providing crucial insights for effectively managing drinking water quality impacted by these compounds. By understanding the implications of organic halamines, we can refine water treatment strategies and ensure the safety of drinking water supplies.

The Effects of Human Papillomavirus Status and Treatment on the Positive Predictive Value of Post-radiotherapy 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography in Advanced Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

AIMS

The high negative predictive value of post-chemoradiation (CRT) positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) is well established in head and neck squamous cell cancers (HNSCC). The positive predictive value (PPV) remains under scrutiny, with increasing evidence that it is affected by several factors. The aim of this study was to assess the PPV of post-treatment PET-CT for residual nodal disease when stratified by treatment modality and tumour human papillomavirus (HPV) status.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study in a tertiary oncology centre carried out between January 2013 and December 2019. Patients were radically treated with radiotherapy only/CRT for node-positive HNSCC. PET-CT nodal responses were categorised as complete, equivocal (EQR) or incomplete (ICR), and outcomes extracted from electronic records.

RESULTS

In total, 480 patients were evaluated, all had a minimum potential follow-up of 2 years, with a median of 39.2 months. The PPV of 12-week PET-CT was significantly different between HPV-positive (22.5%) and HPV-unrelated (52.7%) disease, P < 0.001. It was also significantly different between the CRT (24.8%) and radiotherapy-only (51.1%) groups, P = 0.001. The PPV of an EQR was significantly less than an ICR, irrespective of HPV status and primary treatment modality. In HPV-positive disease, the PPV of an EQR was 9.0% for the CRT group compared with 21.4% for radiotherapy only, P = 0.278. The PPV in those who achieved an ICR was 34.2% in the CRT group, significantly lower than 70.0% in the radiotherapy-only group, P = 0.03.

CONCLUSION

The PPV of 12-week PET-CT is significantly lower for HPV-positive compared with HPV-unrelated HNSCC. It is poorer in patients with HPV-positive disease treated with CRT compared with radiotherapy alone.

Hyperon Polarization along the Beam Direction Relative to the Second and Third Harmonic Event Planes in Isobar Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

The polarization of Λ and Λ[over ¯] hyperons along the beam direction has been measured relative to the second and third harmonic event planes in isobar Ru+Ru and Zr+Zr collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. This is the first experimental evidence of the hyperon polarization by the triangular flow originating from the initial density fluctuations. The amplitudes of the sine modulation for the second and third harmonic results are comparable in magnitude, increase from central to peripheral collisions, and show a mild p_{T} dependence. The azimuthal angle dependence of the polarization follows the vorticity pattern expected due to elliptic and triangular anisotropic flow, and qualitatively disagrees with most hydrodynamic model calculations based on thermal vorticity and shear induced contributions. The model results based on one of existing implementations of the shear contribution lead to a correct azimuthal angle dependence, but predict centrality and p_{T} dependence that still disagree with experimental measurements. Thus, our results provide stringent constraints on the thermal vorticity and shear-induced contributions to hyperon polarization. Comparison to previous measurements at RHIC and the LHC for the second-order harmonic results shows little dependence on the collision system size and collision energy.

Evolution of point defects in pulsed-laser-melted Ge1-xSnxprobed by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy

Direct-band-gap Germanium-Tin alloys (Ge1-xSnx) with high carrier mobilities are promising materials for nano- and optoelectronics. The concentration of open volume defects in the alloy, such as Sn and Ge vacancies, influences the final device performance. In this article, we present an evaluation of the point defects in molecular-beam-epitaxy grown Ge1-xSnxfilms treated by post-growth nanosecond-range pulsed laser melting (PLM). Doppler broadening - variable energy positron annihilation spectroscopy and variable energy positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy are used to investigate the defect nanostructure in the Ge1-xSnxfilms exposed to increasing laser energy density. The experimental results, supported with ATomic SUPerposition calculations, evidence that after PLM, the average size of the open volume defects increases, which represents a raise in concentration of vacancy agglomerations, but the overall defect density is reduced as a function of the PLM fluence. At the same time, the positron annihilation spectroscopy analysis provides information about dislocations and Ge vacancies decorated by Sn atoms. Moreover, it is shown that the PLM reduces the strain in the layer, while dislocations are responsible for trapping of Sn and formation of small Sn-rich-clusters.

Removal of Microcystis aeruginosa by manganese activated sodium percarbonate: Performance and role of the in-situ formed MnO2

Previous studies have found that pre-oxidation of manganese salts such as potassium permanganate and potassium manganate can remove algae in water, while existing problems such as excessive oxidation and appearance of chromaticity. In this study, our objective was to induce a Fenton-like reaction by activating sodium percarbonate (SPC) with divalent manganese (Mn(II)) to pre-oxidize algae-contaminated water. The optimal dosage of Mn(II)/SPC was determined by assessing the zeta potential of the algae and the residual Mn(II) in the solution. Moreover, we conducted a characterization of the cells post-reaction and assessed the levels of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). The disinfection by-products (DBPs) (sodium hypochlorite disinfection)of the algae-containing water subsequent to Mn(II)/SPC treatment were measured. Experiments show that Mn(II)/SPC pre-oxidation at optimal dosage acquired 88% removal of algae and less damage to the cell membrane. Moreover, the Mn(II) acted not only as a catalyst but also formed MnO2 which adsorbed onto the cell surface and facilitated sedimentation. Furthermore, this technology exhibits the capability to effectively manage algal organic matters present in water, thereby mitigating the formation of nitrogen-containing DBPs. These results highlight the potential of Mn(II)/SPC treatment for treating water contaminated with algae, thus ensuring the safety and quality of water resources.

Recent advances in dynamic dual mode systems for daytime radiative cooling and solar heating

Thermal management, including heating and cooling, plays an important role in human productive activities and daily life. Nevertheless, in the actual environment, almost all the ambient scenarios come with the challenge that the objects are located in a quite dynamic and variable environment, which includes fluctuations in aspects such as space, time, sunlight, season, and temperature. It is imperative to develop low-energy or even zero-energy thermal-management technologies with renewable and clean energy. In this review, we summarised the latest technological advances and the prospects in this burgeoning field. First, we present the fundamental principles of the daytime passive radiative cooling (PDRC) thermal management device. Next, In the domain of dual-mode systems, they are classified into various types based on the diverse mechanisms of transitioning between cooling and heating states, including electrical responsive, mechanical responsive, temperature responsive, and solution responsive. Furthermore, we conducted an in-depth analysis of the principles and design methodologies associated with these categories, followed by a comparative assessment of their performance in radiative cooling and solar heating applications. Finally, this review presents the challenges and opportunities of dynamic dual mode thermal management, while also identifying future directions.

[Predictive value of plasma exosomal miR-124-3p for the risk of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion]

Objective: To investigate the predictive value of plasma exosomal microRNA (miR)-124-3p in the risk of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH). Methods: A case-control study. Thirty patients who were diagnosed with CCH (CCH group) based on cranial artery spin labeling (ASL) in the neurology outpatient clinic of Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital from March 2022 to June 2022 and 30 healthy volunteers (control group) were included. Age, gender, smoking history, alcohol consumption history, diabetes history, hypertension, hyperlipidemia history, uric acid, fasting blood glucose, homocysteine and plasma exosomal miR-124-3p expression level were compared between the two groups. Comparisons of categorical variables were analyzed by either χ2 test or Fisher's exact test. If the data of continuous variables followed a normal distribution, they were expressed as mean±standard deviation (SD) and compared by t-test for two independent samples; otherwise, the data were expressed as M(Q1, Q3), and analyzed by Mann-Whitney U test for comparison between two groups. The correlation between cerebral blood flow and exosomal miR-124-3p levels was analyzed by Pearson's correlation. Binary multifactorial logistic regression analysis was used to determine the risk factors associated with CCH, and corresponding odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. P<0.05 was considered significant. Results: There was no significant difference in age (64±8 vs. 60±8 years old), gender (33.3% vs. 30.0%), history of smoking (20.0% vs. 3.3%), alcohol consumption (20.0% vs. 6.7%), diabetes mellitus (13.3% vs. 13.3%), hypertension (53.3% vs. 30.0%), history of hyperlipidemia (46.7% vs. 36.7%), uric acid (288±60 vs.319±67 μmol/L), and fasting glucose [4.99(4.63, 5.91) vs. 5.28(5.09, 6.05) mmol/L] and homocysteine [11.35(10.18, 13.08) vs.11.00(9.78, 13.03) μmol/L] between the CCH and control groups (P>0.05). Plasma exosomal miR-124-3p expression was significantly higher in the CCH group than in the control group [13.08 (8.59, 21.55) vs. 2.85 (1.44, 5.10), respectively; U=169.50, P<0.001]. Pearson's correlation test showed that the level of exosomal miR-124-3p was negatively correlated with cerebral blood flow in the hypoperfused region in patients with CCH (r=-0.932, P<0.001). Multi-factor logistic regression analysis showed that plasma exosomal miR-124-3p was independently associated with the risk of CCH (OR=1.169,95%CI 1.063-1.286,P=0.001). Conclusions: The expression of plasma exosomal miR-124-3p is negatively correlated with cerebral blood flow in areas of low perfusion and is an independent risk factor for CCH. Plasma exosomal miR-124-3p may thus serve as a valid biomarker for CCH risk prediction.

[Construction of a schistosomiasis transmission risk assessment system in Wuhan City based on analytic hierarchy process]

OBJECTIVE

To construct a schistosomiasis transmission risk assessment system in Wuhan City and preliminary evaluate its application effect, so as to promote the rational allocation of schistosomiasis control resources and accelerate the progress towards schistosomiasis elimination.

METHODS

The schistosomiasis risk assessment indicators were collected through referring schistosomiasis surveillance data of Wuhan City from 2014 to 2020, literature review and expert interviews. Indicators within each criterion and sub-criterion were screened using the Delphi method, and a hierarchical structure model was created based on analytic hierarchy process. Quantitative assignment of each indicator was conducted according to relative importance, and the weight and combination weight of each criterion were calculated in each analytic hierarchy framework to create a schistosomiasis transmission risk assessment system, which was used for the schistosomiasis transmission risk assessment in 12 national schistosomiasis surveillance sites in Wuhan City.

RESULTS

A three-level schistosomiasis transmission risk assessment system was preliminarily constructed, which included a target layer, 5 criterion layers and 21 sub-criterion layers. Of all indicators in the criterion layer, transmission route had the highest weight (0.433), followed by source of Schistosoma japonicum infection (0.294); and among all indicators in the sub-criterion layer, S. japonicum infection in Oncomelania hupensis and sentinel mice had the highest combination weight (0.125), followed by prevalence of S. japonicum infection in humans (0.091) and bovines (0.053), snail control by chemical treatment (0.049), positive rate of inquiry examinations (0.048), allocation of schistosomiasis control professionals (0.045), and areas of submerged snail-infested settings (0.041). Of the 12 national schistosomiasis surveillance sites in Wuhan City, there were 5 sites with weights of > 0.8, 4 sites with weights of 0.6 to 0.8, and 3 sites with weights of < 0.6 in 2020.

CONCLUSIONS

A schistosomiasis transmission risk assessment system has been constructed based on analytic hierarchy process in Wuhan City, which may provide a evidence-based basis for health resource allocation and decision-making for schistosomiasis control.

Facile synthesis of Ag/ZIF-8@ZIF-67 as an electrochemical sensing platform for sensitive detection of halonitrophenols in drinking water

Halonitrophenols (HNPs) are an emerging type of aromatic disinfection byproduct, with detected concentrations of ∼nmol L-1 in source water and drinking water. Currently, there are no standard methods for identifying HNPs, and most of the reported methods are time-consuming and equipment-dependent. A core-shell metal-organic framework (MOF) based electrochemical sensor (Ag/ZIF-8@ZIF-67) capable of detecting 2,6-dichloro-4-nitrophenol (2,6-DCNP) is reported in this study. The electrochemical sensor obtains the concentration of 2,6-DCNP by detecting the peak current passing through the sensor. In this sensor, Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) play a key role in electrochemical sensing by reducing nitro groups via electron transfer, and porous structure with a large surface area is offered by ZIF-8@ZIF-67. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) response of Ag/ZIF-8@ZIF-67 was found to be approximately 1.75 times and 2.23 times greater than that of Ag/ZIF-8 and Ag/ZIF-67, respectively, suggesting an ideal synergistic effect of the core-shell structures. The Ag/ZIF-8@ZIF-67 sensor exhibited exceptional sensitivity to 2,6-DCNP, exhibiting a broad linear response range (R2 = 0.992) from 240 nmol L-1 to 288 μmol L-1 and a low detection limit of 20 nmol L-1. Furthermore, the sensor exhibited good anti-interference for isomers and common distractors in water, excellent stability and reproducibility, and high recovery in actual water samples. Our reported sensor gives a novel strategy for sensitive, selective, and in situ detection of 2,6-DCNP in practical analysis.

Information-based continuous nursing on pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus

OBJECTIVE

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a serious pregnancy complication, and women with undiagnosed diabetes mellitus can develop chronic hyperglycemia during pregnancy. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of information-based continuity of care on glucose levels, health awareness, and maternal and infant outcomes in pregnant women with GDM, thereby providing a basis for the clinical implementation of effective interventions for GDM to reduce or avoid adverse outcomes due to GDM.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

One hundred and sixty cases of pregnant women with GDM who underwent treatment in the obstetrics and gynecology department of our hospital from June 2019 to September 2021 were randomly selected as the study population and divided into the control group (n=80) and the study group (n=80). Women in the control group were received with conventional nursing intervention, and those in the study group were obtained with information-based continuity of care on the basis of the control group. Basic clinical data were collected. The levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), 2h postprandial glucose (2hPG), knowledge of health education, treatment compliance scores, and changes in delivery outcomes were compared between the two groups. According to the maternal blood glucose control level, 160 pregnant women with GDM were divided into the better control group (143 cases) and the poor control group (17 cases). The risk factors affecting the level of maternal glycemic control in gestational diabetes were analyzed.

RESULTS

After the intervention, the levels of FBG and 2hPG were significantly lower in both groups than those before the intervention, while the levels of FBG and 2hPG in the study group were notably lower than those in the control group. The health education knowledge score and treatment compliance score after the intervention were significantly higher than those before the intervention, and the health education knowledge score and treatment compliance score in the study group were observably higher than those in the control group (p<0.01). The adverse pregnancy outcomes of pregnant women in the study group were significantly reduced compared with those in the control group (p<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that body mass index (BMI), dietary control, literacy, and information-based continuity of care were all influential factors for maternal glycemic control level (p<0.05). Among the influencing factors, dietary control and continuity of care had clinical value in predicting maternal glycemic control levels in gestational diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

Continuous nursing based on informatization can effectively control the blood glucose level of pregnant women with GDM, improve the treatment compliance of pregnant women and the awareness rate of gestational diabetes knowledge so as to reduce the occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcomes and improve the health level. In addition, BMI and dietary control are independent risk factors that affect the blood glucose control level of pregnant women. Relevant intervention measures should be formulated according to the relevant influencing factors to effectively control the blood glucose level of pregnant women with GDM and improve maternal and infant outcomes.

CpCAF1 from Chimonanthus praecox Promotes Flowering and Low-Temperature Tolerance When Expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana

CCR4-associated factor I (CAF1) is a deadenylase that plays a critical role in the initial step of mRNA degradation in most eukaryotic cells, and in plant growth and development. Knowledge of CAF1 proteins in woody plants remains limited. Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox) is a highly ornamental woody plant. In this study, CpCAF1 was isolated from wintersweet. CpCAF1 belongs to the DEDDh (Asp-Glu-Asp-Asp-His) subfamily of the DEDD (Asp-Glu-Asp-Asp) nuclease family. The amino acid sequence showed highest similarity to the homologous gene of Arabidopsis thaliana. In transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing CpCAF1, the timing of bolting, formation of the first rosette, and other growth stages were earlier than those of the wild-type plants. Root, lateral branch, rosette leaf, and silique growth were positively correlated with CpCAF1 expression. FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) and SUPPRESSOROF OVEREXPRESSION OF CO 1 (SOC1) gene expression was higher while EARLY FLOWERING3 (ELF3) and FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) gene expression of transgenic Arabidopsis was lower than the wild type grown for 4 weeks. Plant growth and flowering occurrences were earlier in transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing CpCAF1 than in the wild-type plants. The abundance of the CpCAF1 transcript grew steadily, and significantly exceeded the initial level under 4 °C in wintersweet after initially decreasing. After low-temperature exposure, transgenic Arabidopsis had higher proline content and stronger superoxide dismutase activity than the wild type, and the malondialdehyde level in transgenic Arabidopsis was decreased significantly by 12 h and then increased in low temperature, whereas it was directly increased in the wild type. A higher potassium ion flux in the root was detected in transgenic plants than in the wild type with potassium deficiency. The CpCAF1 promoter was a constitutive promoter that contained multiple cis-acting regulatory elements. The DRE, LTR, and MYB elements, which play important roles in response to low temperature, were identified in the CpCAF1 promoter. These findings indicate that CpCAF1 is involved in flowering and low-temperature tolerance in wintersweet, and provide a basis for future genetic and breeding research on wintersweet.

[Comparison of the effects and safety of dydrogesterone and medroxyprogesterone acetate on endometrial hyperplasia without atypia: a randomized controlled non-inferior phase Ⅲ clinical study]

Objective: To compare the effects and safety of dydrogesterone (DG) and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) on the treatment in patients with endometrial hyperplasia without atypia (EH). Methods: This was a single-center, open-label, prospective non-inferior randomized controlled phase Ⅲ trial. From February 2019 to November 2021, patients with EH admitted to the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University were recruited. Enrolled patients were stratified according to the pathological types of simple hyperplasia (SH) or complex hyperplasia (CH), and were randomised to receive MPA or DG. Untill May 14, 2022, the median follow-up time after complete response (CR) was 9.3 months (1.1-17.2 months). The primary endpoint was the 6-month CR rate (6m-CR rate). The secondary endpoints included the 3-month CR rate (3m-CR rate), adverse events rate, recurrence rate, and pregnancy rate in one year after CR. Results: (1) A total of 292 patients with EH were enrolled in the study with the median age of 39 years (31-45 years). A total of 135 SH patients were randomly assigned to MPA group (n=67) and DG group (n=68), and 157 CH patients were randomly assigned to MPA group (n=79) and DG group (n=78). (2) Among 292 patients, 205 patients enrolled into the primary endpoint analysis, including 92 SH patients and 113 CH patients, with 100 patients in MPA group and 105 in DG group, respectively. The 6m-CR rate of MPA group and DG group were 90.0% (90/100) and 88.6% (93/105) respectively, and there were no statistical significance (χ²=0.11, P=0.741), with the rate difference (RD) was -1.4% (95%CI:-9.9%-7.0%). Stratified by the pathology types, the 6m-CR rate of SH patients was 93.5% (86/92), and MPA group and DG group were respectively 91.1% (41/45) and 95.7% (45/47); and the 6m-CR rate of CH patients was 85.8% (97/113), and MPA group and DG group were 89.1% (49/55) and 82.8% (48/58) respectively. The 6m-CR rates of the two treatments had no statistical significance either (all P>0.05). A total of 194 EH patients enrolled into the secondary endpoint analysis, including 88 SH patients and 106 CH patients, and 96 patients in MPA group and 98 in DG group, respectively. The 3m-CR rate of SH patients were 87.5% (77/88), while the 3m-CR rates of MPA group and DG group were 90.7% (39/43) and 84.4% (38/45), respectively; the 3m-CR rate of CH patients was 66.0% (70/106), and MPA group and DG group had the same 3m-CR rate of 66.0% (35/53). No statistical significance was found between the two treatments both in SH and CH patients (all P>0.05). (3) The incidence of adverse events between MPA group and DG group had no statistical significance (P>0.05). (4) A total of 93 SH patients achieved CR, and the cumulative recurrence rate in one year after CR were 5.9% and 0 in MPA group and DG group, respectively. While 112 CH patients achieved CR, and the cumulative recurrence rate in one year after CR were 8.8% and 6.5% in MPA group and DG group, respectively. There were no statistical significance between two treatment groups (all P>0.05). Among the 93 SH patients, 10 patients had family planning but no pregnancy happened during the follow-up period. Among the 112 CH patients, 21 were actively preparing for pregnancy, and the pregnancy rate and live-birth rate in one year after CR in MPA group were 7/9 and 2/7, while in DG group were respectively 4/12 and 2/4, and there were no statistical significance in pregnancy rate and live-birth rate between the two treatment groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions: Compared with MPA, DG is of good efficacy and safety in treating EH. DG is a favorable alternative treatment for EH patients.

Southern ocean carbon and heat impact on climate

The Southern Ocean greatly contributes to the regulation of the global climate by controlling important heat and carbon exchanges between the atmosphere and the ocean. Rates of climate change on decadal timescales are therefore impacted by oceanic processes taking place in the Southern Ocean, yet too little is known about these processes. Limitations come both from the lack of observations in this extreme environment and its inherent sensitivity to intermittent processes at scales that are not well captured in current Earth system models. The Southern Ocean Carbon and Heat Impact on Climate programme was launched to address this knowledge gap, with the overall objective to understand and quantify variability of heat and carbon budgets in the Southern Ocean through an investigation of the key physical processes controlling exchanges between the atmosphere, ocean and sea ice using a combination of observational and modelling approaches. Here, we provide a brief overview of the programme, as well as a summary of some of the scientific progress achieved during its first half. Advances range from new evidence of the importance of specific processes in Southern Ocean ventilation rate (e.g. storm-induced turbulence, sea-ice meltwater fronts, wind-induced gyre circulation, dense shelf water formation and abyssal mixing) to refined descriptions of the physical changes currently ongoing in the Southern Ocean and of their link with global climate. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Heat and carbon uptake in the Southern Ocean: the state of the art and future priorities'.

Measurements of the Elliptic and Triangular Azimuthal Anisotropies in Central ^{3}He+Au, d+Au and p+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

The elliptic (v_{2}) and triangular (v_{3}) azimuthal anisotropy coefficients in central ^{3}He+Au, d+Au, and p+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV are measured as a function of transverse momentum (p_{T}) at midrapidity (|η|<0.9), via the azimuthal angular correlation between two particles both at |η|<0.9. While the v_{2}(p_{T}) values depend on the colliding systems, the v_{3}(p_{T}) values are system independent within the uncertainties, suggesting an influence on eccentricity from subnucleonic fluctuations in these small-sized systems. These results also provide stringent constraints for the hydrodynamic modeling of these systems.

Observation of Directed Flow of Hypernuclei _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H in sqrt[s_{NN}]=3 GeV Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We report here the first observation of directed flow (v_{1}) of the hypernuclei _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H in mid-central Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=3  GeV at RHIC. These data are taken as part of the beam energy scan program carried out by the STAR experiment. From 165×10^{6} events in 5%-40% centrality, about 8400 _{Λ}^{3}H and 5200 _{Λ}^{4}H candidates are reconstructed through two- and three-body decay channels. We observe that these hypernuclei exhibit significant directed flow. Comparing to that of light nuclei, it is found that the midrapidity v_{1} slopes of _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H follow baryon number scaling, implying that the coalescence is the dominant mechanism for these hypernuclei production in the 3 GeV Au+Au collisions.

Beam Energy Dependence of Triton Production and Yield Ratio (N_{t}×N_{p}/N_{d}^{2}) in Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We report the triton (t) production in midrapidity (|y|<0.5) Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=7.7-200  GeV measured by the STAR experiment from the first phase of the beam energy scan at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The nuclear compound yield ratio (N_{t}×N_{p}/N_{d}^{2}), which is predicted to be sensitive to the fluctuation of local neutron density, is observed to decrease monotonically with increasing charged-particle multiplicity (dN_{ch}/dη) and follows a scaling behavior. The dN_{ch}/dη dependence of the yield ratio is compared to calculations from coalescence and thermal models. Enhancements in the yield ratios relative to the coalescence baseline are observed in the 0%-10% most central collisions at 19.6 and 27 GeV, with a significance of 2.3σ and 3.4σ, respectively, giving a combined significance of 4.1σ. The enhancements are not observed in peripheral collisions or model calculations without critical fluctuation, and decreases with a smaller p_{T} acceptance. The physics implications of these results on the QCD phase structure and the production mechanism of light nuclei in heavy-ion collisions are discussed.

Pre-oxidation coupled with charged covalent organic framework membranes for highly efficient removal of organic chloramines precursors in algae-containing water treatment

Organic chloramines in water would pose both chemical and microbiological risks. It is essential to remove the precursors of organic chloramine (amino acids and decomposed peptides/proteins) to limit its formation in disinfection. In our work, nanofiltration was chosen to remove organic chloramines precursors. To solve the "trade-off" effect and low rejection of small molecules in algae organic matter, we synthesized a thin film composite (TFC) nanofiltration (NF) membrane with a crumpled polyamide (PA) layer via interfacial polymerization on polyacrylonitrile (PAN) composite support loaded with covalent organic framework (COF) nanoparticles (TpPa-SO₃H). The obtained NF membrane (PA-TpPa-SO₃H/PAN) increased the permeance from 10.2 to 28.2 L m^-2 h^-1 bar^-1 and the amino acid rejection from 24% to 69% compared to the control NF membrane. The addition of TpPa-SO₃H nanoparticles decreased the thickness of PA layers, increased the hydrophilicity of the membrane, and increased the transition energy barrier for amino acids transferring through the membrane, which was identified by scanning electron microscope, contact angle test, and density functional theory computations, respectively. Finally, pre-oxidation coupled with PA-TpPa-SO₃H/PAN membrane nanofiltration on the limitation of organic chloramines formation was evaluated. We found that the combined application of KMnO₄ pre-oxidation and PA-TpPa-SO₃H/PAN membranes nanofiltration in algae-containing water treatment could minimize the formation of organic chloramines in subsequent chlorination and maintain a high flux during filtration. Our work provides an effective way for algae-containing water treatment and organic chloramines control.

Predictive models for the aqueous phase reactivity of inorganic radicals with organic micropollutants

Single-electron transfer (SET) is one of the most common reaction mechanisms for degrading organic micropollutants (OMPs) in advanced oxidation processes. We collected 300 SET reactions (CO₃^•-, SO₄^•-, Cl₂^•-, and Br₂^•--mediated) and calculated three key parameters for understanding the SET mechanism: aqueous phase free energies of activation (ΔG^‡), free energies of reactions (ΔG), and orbital energy gaps of reactants (E_OMPsHOMO-E_RadiLUMO). Then, we classified the OMPs according to their structure, developed and evaluated linear energy relationships of the second-order rate constants (k) with ΔG^‡, ΔG, or E_OMPsHOMO-E_RadiLUMO in each class. Considering that a single descriptor cannot capture all the chemical diversity, we combined ΔG^‡, ΔG, and E_OMPsHOMO-E_RadiLUMO as inputs to develop multiple linear regression (MLR) models. Chemical classification is critical to the linear model described above. However, OMPs usually have multiple functional groups, making the classification challenging and uncertain. Therefore, we tried machine learning algorithms to predict k values without chemical classification. We found that decision trees (R² = 0.88-0.95) and random forest (R² = 0.90-0.94) algorithms show better performance on the prediction of the k values, whereas boosted tree algorithm cannot make an accurate prediction (R² = 0.19-0.36). Overall, our study provides a powerful tool to predict the aqueous phase reactivity of OMP to certain radicals without the need for chemical classification.

[Application of endoscopic suturing instrument in laparoscopic gastrojejunostomy]

Objective: To investigate the safety and feasibility of using an endoscopic suturing instrument in laparoscopic gastrojejunostomy. Methods: A descriptive case series study was conducted to retrospectively analyze the clinical data of 5 patients with gastric cancer who underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (Billroth II + Braun anastomosis) at Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University from October 2022 to January 2023. The common opening was closed using an endoscopic suturing instrument. The indications were as follows: (1) patients aged between 18 and 80 years; (2) patients with gastric adenocarcinoma; (3) cTNM between I-III; (4) lower-third gastric cancer and radical gastrectomy is recommended; (5) no history of upper abdominal surgery (except for laparoscopic cholecystectomy). The surgery was performed as follows: A side-to-side gastrojejunostomy was performed with endoscopic linear cutter stapler. Then the common opening was closed with endoscopic suturing instrument. During suturing and closing the common opening, a vertical mattress suture was used to completely invert and close the mucosa-to-mucosa and serosa-to-serosa of the gastric and jejunum walls. After the first layer of suture was completed, the seromuscular layer was sutured from top to bottom to embed the common opening of stomach and jejunum. Results: Laparoscopic closure of the common gastrojejunal opening with endoscopic suturing instrument was successfully completed in all 5 patients. The operative time was (308.6±22.6) minutes, while the time of gastrojejunostomy was (15.4±3.1) minutes. The operative blood loss was (34.0±10.8) ml. No intraoperative or postoperative complications occurred in any of the patients. The first passage of gas occurred at (2.6±0.9) days, and the postoperative hospital stay was (7.0±1.9) days. Conclusion: The application of endoscopic suturing instrument in laparoscopic gastrojejunostomy is safe and feasible.

Molecular insights towards changing behaviors of organic matter in a full-scale water treatment plant using FTICR-MS

The changing behavior of organic matter in a full-scale water treatment process was characterized based on the three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (3D-EEM) and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS). Polyaluminum chloride (PAC) as a coagulant can help to effectively remove soluble microbial by-products-like and aromatic protein-like substances during coagulation and sedimentation, corresponding to tannin and coagulated aromatic regions. The leakage of soluble microbial products during sand filtration resulted in an increase in the intensity of biomass-like regions. Nitrogen-containing compounds have higher weighted average value of double bond equivalents (DBE_w) and the modified aromaticity index (AI_mod-w) than nitrogen-free compounds. Water treatment can preferentially remove unsaturated nitrogen-containing compounds with more O atoms and higher-oxidation-state carbon. The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and UV₂₅₄ were not correlated well with changes in nitrogen-containing compounds due to the preferential removal of nitrogen-containing compounds. This study revealed the specificity of organic matter removal during water treatment, and it was helpful in optimizing treatment processes for various raw water to ensure water quality.

Enhanced formation of haloacetonitriles during chlorination with bromide: Unveiling the important roles of organic bromamines

The formation of brominated disinfection byproducts (Br-DBPs) is an emerging issue in drinking water disinfection because its toxicity is tens to hundreds of times higher than that of chlorinated analogues and because of the widespread presence of bromide in source water. However, the mechanism and pathways of Br-DBPs formation remain unclear. In this study, we used glycine, alanine, and serine as model precursors and observed that brominated haloacetonitriles (Br-HANs) were more likely to be formed than brominated trihalomethanes. The results showed that there is not only one important way to HAN formation in the presence of bromide. We propose that organic bromamines, similar to organic chloramines, play a significant role in the formation of Br-HANs. Both the experimental and theoretical results confirmed that the decay of organic bromamines was faster than that of organic chloramines, which verified our assumption. The effect of the pH was investigated to further confirm the role of organic bromamines. In addition, we found that the formation of Br-HANs was significantly inhibited when monochloramine was used as a disinfectant, because the formation of organic bromamines was blocked. However, the formation of Br-HANs was promoted during the UV/chlorine process because of the faster decay of organic bromamines under UV photolysis. Overall, our study reveals the formation mechanism of Br-HANs and provides an alternative method to prevent Br-HAN formation.

Measurement of Sequential ϒ Suppression in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV with the STAR Experiment

We report on measurements of sequential ϒ suppression in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV with the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) through both the dielectron and dimuon decay channels. In the 0%-60% centrality class, the nuclear modification factors (R_{AA}), which quantify the level of yield suppression in heavy-ion collisions compared to p+p collisions, for ϒ(1S) and ϒ(2S) are 0.40±0.03(stat)±0.03(sys)±0.09(norm) and 0.26±0.08(stat)±0.02(sys)±0.06(norm), respectively, while the upper limit of the ϒ(3S) R_{AA} is 0.17 at a 95% confidence level. This provides experimental evidence that the ϒ(3S) is significantly more suppressed than the ϒ(1S) at RHIC. The level of suppression for ϒ(1S) is comparable to that observed at the much higher collision energy at the Large Hadron Collider. These results point to the creation of a medium at RHIC whose temperature is sufficiently high to strongly suppress excited ϒ states.

Insight into the mechanisms of trichloronitromethane formation by vacuum ultraviolet: QSAR model and FTICR-MS analysis

Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photolysis is recognized as an environmental-friendly treatment process. Nitrate (NO₃^-) and natural organic matter (NOM) are widely present in water source. We investigated trichloronitromethane (TCNM) formation during chlorination after VUV photolysis, because TCNM is an unregulated highly toxic disinfection byproduct. In this study: (1) we found reactive nitrogen species that is generated under VUV photolysis of NO₃^- react with organic matter to form nitrogen-containing compounds and subsequently form TCNM during chlorination; (2) we found the mere presence of 0.1 mmol/L NO₃^- can result in the formation of up to 63.96 µg/L TCNM; (3) we found the changes in pH (6.0-8.0), chloride (1-4 mmol/L), and bicarbonate (1-4 mmol/L) cannot effectively diminish TCNM formation; and, (4) we established the quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model, which indicated a linear relationship between TCNM formation and the Hammett constant (σ) of model compounds; and, (5) we characterized TCNM precursors in water matrix after VUV photolysis and found 1161 much more nitrogen-containing compounds with higher aromaticity were generated. Overall, this study indicates more attention should be paid to reducing the formation risk of TCNM when applying VUV photolysis process at scale.

Beam Energy Dependence of Fifth- and Sixth-Order Net-Proton Number Fluctuations in Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We report the beam energy and collision centrality dependence of fifth and sixth order cumulants (C_{5}, C_{6}) and factorial cumulants (κ_{5}, κ_{6}) of net-proton and proton number distributions, from center-of-mass energy (sqrt[s_{NN}]) 3 GeV to 200 GeV Au+Au collisions at RHIC. Cumulant ratios of net-proton (taken as proxy for net-baryon) distributions generally follow the hierarchy expected from QCD thermodynamics, except for the case of collisions at 3 GeV. The measured values of C_{6}/C_{2} for 0%-40% centrality collisions show progressively negative trend with decreasing energy, while it is positive for the lowest energy studied. These observed negative signs are consistent with QCD calculations (for baryon chemical potential, μ_{B}≤110  MeV) which contains the crossover transition range. In addition, for energies above 7.7 GeV, the measured proton κ_{n}, within uncertainties, does not support the two-component (Poisson+binomial) shape of proton number distributions that would be expected from a first-order phase transition. Taken in combination, the hyperorder proton number fluctuations suggest that the structure of QCD matter at high baryon density, μ_{B}∼750  MeV at sqrt[s_{NN}]=3  GeV is starkly different from those at vanishing μ_{B}∼24  MeV at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV and higher collision energies.

Transfer organic chloramines to monochloramine using two-step chlorination: A method to inhibit N-DBPs formation in algae-containing water treatment

Organic chloramines formed in chlorination of algae-containing water are typical precursors of nitrogenous disinfection byproducts (N-DPBs). The objective to simultaneously enhance the removal efficiency of organic chloramines and control DBP formation remains a challenge. In this study, we report a two-step chlorination strategy for transferring organic chloramines to monochloramine based on the decomposition mechanisms of mono- and di-organic chloramines, which could limit organic chloramines formation and inhibit N-DBPs formation. We demonstrated that two-step chlorination could decrease the organic chloramines formation by nearly 50% than conventional one-step chlorination. Furthermore, two-step chlorination not only blocked the pathway that organic chloramines decomposed to nitriles, but also led to the conversion of organic chloramines to monochloramine. During two-step chlorination of algal organic matter, the organic chloramine transfer proportion decreased by 6.5% and the monochloramine transfer proportion increased by 17.0%. The N-DBP formation, especially haloacetonitriles (HANs), decreased significantly as organic nitrogen became inorganic nitrogen (monochloramine) in two-step chlorination. This work further clarified the process from algal organic matter to N-DBPs, which could expand our understanding of algae-derived organic chloramines removal and DBPs control.

Development and validation of risk prediction models for stroke and mortality among patients with type 2 diabetes in northern China

BACKGROUND

Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Risk models have been developed for predicting stroke and stroke-associated mortality among patients with T2DM. Here, we evaluated risk factors of stroke for individualized prevention measures in patients with T2DM in northern China.

METHODS

In the community-based Tianjin Chronic Disease Cohort study, 58,042 patients were enrolled between January 2014 and December 2019. We used multiple imputation (MI) to impute missing variables and univariate and multivariate Cox's proportional hazard regression to screen risk factors of stroke. Furthermore, we established and validated first-ever prediction models for stroke (Model 1 and Model 2) and death from stroke (Model 3) and evaluated their performance.

RESULTS

In the derivation and validation groups, the area under the curves (AUCs) of Models 1-3 was better at 5 years than at 8 years. The Harrell's C-index for all models was above 0.7. All models had good calibration, discrimination, and clinical net benefit. Sensitivity analysis using the MI dataset indicated that all models had good and stable prediction performance.

CONCLUSION

In this study, we developed and validated first-ever risk prediction models for stroke and death from stroke in patients with T2DM, with good discrimination and calibration observed in all models. Based on lifestyle, demographic characteristics, and laboratory examination, these models could provide multidimensional management and individualized risk assessment. However, the models developed here may only be applicable to Han Chinese.

Enhanced trichloronitromethane formation during chlorine-UV treatment of nitrite-containing water by organic amines

This study explored the risk of trichloronitromethane (TCNM) formation during chlorination of the nitrite-containing water after pre-chlorination and subsequent UV irradiation (i.e., the chlorine-UV process). The competitive reaction between amino acid (AA) and NO₂^- for chlorine produced organic chloramine and reduced the oxidation from NO₂^- to NO₃^-, resulting in a significant enhancement of TCNM in the presence of AA (>5.52 μg L^-1) as compared to the absence of AA (0.42 μg L^-1). The generation of HO^• during UV photolysis of organic chloramines was confirmed. Among the process parameters, pre-chlorination time (from 5 min to 30 min) had no significant effect on TCNM formation; the highest TCNM formation occurred at pH 7 (from pH 6 to pH 8); prolonged UV irradiation time (from 5 min to 30 min) and increased chlorine to AA ratio (Cl₂:AA) (from 1 to 3) decreased the TCNM formation. The hydroxylated, chlorinated and nitrosated products were detected. The quantum chemical calculation results indicated the attack of NO₂^• was more likely to occur at the meta and para positions of benzoic acid (BZA), because of the steric hindrance of the carboxylic group in BZA to the ortho position. Based on the results of the toxicity assessment, pre-chlorination with a higher chlorine dosage could be an effective method of controlling both TCNM formation and acute toxicity. Overall, the results of this study contributed to the understanding of the TCNM formation mechanism as well as optimizing the parameters of the chlorine-UV process to reduce the risk of TCNM formation.

Band-gap and strain engineering in GeSn alloys using post-growth pulsed laser melting

The pseudomorphic growth of Ge_1-xSn_xon Ge causes in-plane compressive strain, which degrades the superior properties of the Ge_1-xSn_xalloys. Therefore, efficient strain engineering is required. In this article, we present strain and band-gap engineering in Ge_1-xSn_xalloys grown on Ge a virtual substrate using post-growth nanosecond pulsed laser melting (PLM). Micro-Raman and x-ray diffraction (XRD) show that the initial in-plane compressive strain is removed. Moreover, for PLM energy densities higher than 0.5 J cm^-2, the Ge_0.89Sn_0.11layer becomes tensile strained. Simultaneously, as revealed by Rutherford Backscattering spectrometry, cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy investigations and XRD the crystalline quality and Sn-distribution in PLM-treated Ge_0.89Sn_0.11layers are only slightly affected. Additionally, the change of the band structure after PLM is confirmed by low-temperature photoreflectance measurements. The presented results prove that post-growth ns-range PLM is an effective way for band-gap and strain engineering in highly-mismatched alloys.