A cost-utility study of elective haemorrhoidectomies in Canada

AIM

The aim was to estimate the 10-year cost-utility of haemorrhoidectomy surgery with preference-based measures of health using Canadian health utility measures and costs.

METHODS

Patients undergoing elective haemorrhoidectomies by general and colorectal surgeons in British Columbia, Vancouver, between September 2015 and November 2022, completed preoperatively and postoperatively the EuroQol five-dimension five-level health-related quality of life questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L). Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) attributable to surgery were calculated by discounting preoperative and postoperative health utility values derived from the EQ-5D-5L. Costs were measured from a health system perspective which incorporated costs of hospital stay and specialists' fees. Results are presented in 2021 Canadian dollars.

RESULTS

Of 94 (47%) patients who completed both the preoperative and postoperative questionnaires, the mean gain in QALYs 10 years after surgery was 1.0609, assuming a 3.5% annual discounting rate. The average cost of the surgery was $3166. The average cost per QALY was $2985 when benefits of the surgery were assumed to accrue for 10 years. The cost per QALY was higher for women ($3821) compared with men ($2485). Participants over the age of 70 had the highest cost per QALY ($8079/QALY).

CONCLUSIONS

Haemorrhoidectomies have been associated with significant gains in health status and are inexpensive relative to the associated gains in quality of life based on patients' perspectives of their improvement in health and well-being.

Mechanism of Thermoelectric Performance Enhancement in CaMg2 Bi2 -Based Materials with Different Cation Site Doping

Chemical bonds determine electron and phonon transport in solids. Tailoring chemical bonding in thermoelectric materials causes desirable or compromise thermoelectric transport properties. In this work, taking an example of CaMg2 Bi2 with covalent and ionic bonds, density functional theory calculations uncover that element Zn, respectively, replacing Ca and Mg sites cause the weakness of ionic and covalent bonding. Electrically, Zn doping at both Ca and Mg sites increases carrier concentration, while the former leads to higher carrier concentration than that of the latter because of its lower vacancy formation energy. Both doping types increase density-of-state effective mass but their mechanisms are different. The Zn doping Ca site induces resonance level in valence band and Zn doping Mg site promotes orbital alignment. Thermally, point defect and the change of phonon dispersion introduced by doping result in pronounced reduction of lattice thermal conductivity. Finally, combining with the further increase of carrier concentration caused by Na doping and the modulation of band structure and the decrease of lattice thermal conductivity caused by Ba doping, a high figure-of-merit ZT of 1.1 at 823 K in Zn doping Ca sample is realized, which is competitive in 1-2-2 Zintl phase thermoelectric systems.

Breaking the Minimum Limit of Thermal Conductivity of Mg3 Sb2 Thermoelectric Mediated by Chemical Alloying Induced Lattice Instability

Thermal properties strongly affect the applications of functional materials, such as thermal management, thermal barrier coatings, and thermoelectrics. Thermoelectric (TE) materials must have a low lattice thermal conductivity to maintain a temperature gradient to generate the voltage. Traditional strategies for minimizing the lattice thermal conductivity mainly rely on introduced multiscale defects to suppress the propagation of phonons. Here, the origin of the anomalously low lattice thermal conductivity is uncovered in Cd-alloyed Mg3 Sb2 Zintl compounds through complementary bonding analysis. First, the weakened chemical bonds and the lattice instability induced by the antibonding states of 5p-4d levels between Sb and Cd triggered giant anharmonicity and consequently increased the phonon scattering. Moreover, the bond heterogeneity also augmented Umklapp phonon scatterings. Second, the weakened bonds and heavy element alloying softened the phonon mode and significantly decreased the group velocity. Thus, an ultralow lattice thermal conductivity of ≈0.33 W m-1 K-1 at 773 K is obtained, which is even lower than the predicated minimum value. Eventually, Na0.01 Mg1.7 Cd1.25 Sb2 displays a high ZT of ≈0.76 at 773 K, competitive with most of the reported values. Based on the complementary bonding analysis, the work provides new means to control thermal transport properties through balancing the lattice stability and instability.

[Study on F9 gene expression downregulation and its clinical value in hepatocellular carcinoma]

Objective: To analyze the expression levels of the F9 gene and F9 protein in hepatocellular carcinoma by combining multiple gene chip data, real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT qPCR), and immunohistochemistry. Additionally, explore their correlation with the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma, as well as with various clinical indicators and prognosis. Methods: The mRNA microarray dataset from the GEO database was analyzed to identify the F9 gene with significant expression differences associated with hepatocellular carcinoma. Liver cancer and adjacent tissues were collected from 18 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma. RT-qPCR method was used to detect the F9 gene expression level. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the F9 protein level. Combined with the TCGA database information, the correlation between F9 gene expression level and prognostic and clinicopathological parameters was analyzed. The biological function of F9 co-expressed genes associated with hepatocellular carcinoma was analyzed by the Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Statistical analysis was performed using Graphpad Prism software. Results: Meta-analysis results showed that the expression of the F9 gene was lower in HCC tissues than in non-cancerous tissues. Immunohistochemistry results were basically consistent with those of RT-qPCR. The data obtained from TCGA showed that the F9 gene had lower expression values in stages III-IV, T3-T4, and patients with vascular invasion. A total of 127 genes were selected for bioinformatics analysis as co-expressed genes of F9, which were highly enriched in redox processes and metabolic pathways. Conclusion: This study validates that the F9 gene and F9 protein are lower in HCC. The down-regulation of the F9 gene predicts adverse outcomes, which may provide a new therapeutic target for HCC.

[The association of intra-aortic balloon pump with prognosis of cardiogenic shock based on Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions classification]

The study aimed to evaluate whether an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) could improve the prognosis of patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) of Stage C (Classic), Stage D (Deteriorating), and Stage E (Extremis) based on Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) classification. The hospital information database was searched, and the patients who met the diagnostic criteria of CS were included and treated following the same protocol. The association between IABP and the survival of patients at 1 month and 6 months were analyzed separately in SCAI stage C of CS, and stages D and E of CS. The multiple logistic regression models were used to separately evaluate whether IABP was independently associated with increased survival in stage C of CS, and stages D and E of CS. A total of 141 patients with stage C of CS and 267 patients with stages D and E of CS were included. In stage C of CS, IABP was significantly associated with improved survival of patients at 1 month [adjusted OR (95%CI)=0.372 (0.171-0.809), P=0.013] and survival at 6 months [adjusted OR (95%CI)=0.401 (0.190-0.850), P=0.017]. However, when percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting (PCI/CABG) was introduced as an adjusted factor, there was a significant association between survival rates and PCI/CABG rather than IABP. In stages D and E of CS, IABP was significantly associated with an improved survival at 1 month [adjusted OR (95%CI)=0.053 (0.012-0.236), P=0.001]. Therefore, IABP could assist patients with stage C of CS in the perioperative period of PCI/CABG and improve survival rates, and IABP might prolong short-term prognosis of patients with stages D and E of CS.

Development of TaqMan-based real-time PCR assay based on the E1 genefor the quantitative detection of the Getah virus

To develop a sensitive, specific, and rapid approach for the detection Getah virus (GETV), a set of primers targeting the conserved region of the E1 gene was created. The TaqMan-based real-time PCR method for GETV detection was developed by optimizing the reaction conditions. The method demonstrated excellent specificity, and amplification did not occur with the causative agents of all prevalent swine viral infections (CSFV, PRRSV, PRV, PEDV, PTV, and JEV), except GETV. Additionally, upon assessing the sensitivity of the method, the minimum detection limit for GETV was found to be 5.94 copies/μL, which is 10 times higher than that of the traditional PCR approach. Further, the intra- and inter-assay variation coefficients were less than 1%, demonstrating good repeatability. Moreover, GETV was found in 10 of the 20 field serum samples using real-time PCR but only in three of the samples using traditional PCR. Consequently, the first GETV TaqMan-based real-time PCR approach based on the E1 gene was developed for GETV pathogenic diagnoses, and this exhibited high specificity, sensitivity, and repeatability. This assay is practical for the pathogenic diagnosis and epidemiology of GETV.

Design of N-Type Textured Bi2 Te3 with Robust Mechanical Properties for Thermoelectric Micro-Refrigeration Application

Thermoelectric refrigeration is one of the mature techniques used for cooling applications, with the great advantage of miniaturization over traditional compression refrigeration. Due to the anisotropic thermoelectric properties of n-type bismuth telluride (Bi₂ Te₃ ) alloys, these two common methods, including the liquid phase hot deformation (LPHD) and traditional hot forging (HF) methods, are of considerable importance for texture engineering to enhance performance. However, their effects on thermoelectric and mechanical properties are still controversial and not clear yet. Moreover, there has been little documentation of mechanical properties related to micro-refrigeration applications. In this work, the above-mentioned methods are separately employed to control the macroscopic grain orientation for bulk n-type Bi₂ Te₃ samples. The HF method enabled the stabilization of both composition and carrier concentration, therefore yielding a higher quality factor to compare with that of LPHD samples, supported by DFT calculations. In addition to superior thermoelectric performance, the HF sample also exhibited robust mechanical properties due to the presence of nano-scale distortion and dense dislocation, which is the prerequisite for realizing ultra-precision machining. This work helps to pave the way for the utilization of n-type Bi₂ Te₃ for commercial micro-refrigeration applications.

Deep learning for predicting the risk of immune checkpoint inhibitor-related pneumonitis in lung cancer

AIM

To develop and validate a nomogram model that combines computed tomography (CT)-based radiological factors extracted from deep-learning and clinical factors for the early predictions of immune checkpoint inhibitor-related pneumonitis (ICI-P).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty ICI-P patients and 101 patients without ICI-P were divided randomly into the training (n=113) and test (n=28) sets. The convolution neural network (CNN) algorithm was used to extract the CT-based radiological features of predictable ICI-P and calculated the CT score of each patient. A nomogram model to predict the risk of ICI-P was developed by logistic regression.

RESULTS

CT score was calculated from five radiological features extracted by the residual neural network-50-V2 with feature pyramid networks. Four predictors of ICI-P in the nomogram model included a clinical feature (pre-existing lung diseases), two serum markers (absolute lymphocyte count and lactate dehydrogenase), and a CT score. The area under curve of the nomogram model in the training (0.910 versus 0.871 versus 0.778) and test (0.900 versus 0.856 versus 0.869) sets was better than the radiological and clinical models. The nomogram model showed good consistency and better clinical practicability.

CONCLUSION

The nomogram model that combined CT-based radiological factors and clinical factors can be used as a new non-invasive tool for the early prediction of ICI-P in lung cancer patients after immunotherapy with low cost and low manual input.

Association between Dried Fruit Intake and DNA Methylation: A Multivariable Mendelian Randomization Analysis

OBJECTIVES

Observational studies have reported associations between dried fruit intake and DNA methylation(DNAm). However, inherent flaws in observational study designs make them susceptible to confounding and reverse causality bias. Consequently, it is unclear whether a causal association exists. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the causal associations between dried fruit intake and DNAm.

METHODS

We performed two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) using the IEU Open GWAS database aggregated data. Forty-three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with dried fruit intake as instrumental variables (IVs) were selected as exposure. DNAm outcomes include Gran (estimated granulocyte proportions); AgeAccelGrim(GrimAge acceleration); Hannum (Hannum age acceleration); IEAA(Intrinsic epigenetic age acceleration), AgeAccelPheno( PhenoAge acceleration), and DNAmPAIadjAge (DNAm-estimated plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels). We used the MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier test (MRPRESSO) and Radial-MR test to identify any level of multi-effect outliers and assessed the causal effect estimates(after removing outliers). The primary causal effects were estimated using inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method and undertook sensitivity analyses using MR methods robust to horizontal pleiotropy.The direct effects of dried fruit intake on DNAm were estimated using multivariable mendelian randomization (MVMR).

RESULTS

Leveraging two-sample MR analysis, we observed statistically significant associations between dried fruit intake with a lower AgeAccelGrim(β=-1.365, 95% confidence intervals [CI] -2.266 to -0.464, PIVW=2.985×10-3) and AgeAccelPheno (β= -1.933, 95% CI -3.068 to -0.798, PIVW=8.371×10-4). By contrast, the effects level on Gran (β=0.008, PIVW=0.430), Hannum(β=-0.430, PIVW=0.357), IEAA(β=-0.184, PIVW=0.700), and DNAmPAIadjAge (β=-1.861, PIVW=0.093) were not statistically significant. MVMR results adjusting for the potential effects of confounders showed that the causal relationship between dried fruit intake and AgeAccelGrim(β= -1.315, 95% CI -2.373 to -0.258, PIVW=1.480×10-2) and AgeAccelPheno(β= -1.595, 95% CI -2.987 to -0.202, PIVW=2.483×10-2) persisted. No significant horizontal polymorphism was found in the sensitivity analysis.

CONCLUSION

Our MR study suggested that increased dried fruit intake is associated with slower AgeAccelGrim and AgeAccelPheno. It can providing a promising avenue for exploring the beneficial effects of dried fruit intake on lifespan extension.

[Patient experience in the implementation of enhanced recovery after surgery strategy after radical gastric cancer surgery]

Objective: To investigate the experience of patients in the implementation of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) strategy after radical gastrectomy and the factors affecting the treatment experience. Methods: A prospective cohort study was carried out. Patients who were diagnosed with gastric cancer by pathology and underwent radical gastrectomy at the Xijing Digestive Disease Hospital from December 2019 to December 2020 were consecutively enrolled. Those who received emergency surgery, residual gastric cancer surgery, preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy, non-curative tumor resection, intraperitoneal metastasis, or other malignant tumors were excluded. Patients' expectation and experience during implementation were investigated by questionnaires. The questionnaire included three main parts: patients' expectation for ERAS, patients' experience during the ERAS implementation, and patients' outcomes within 30 days after discharge. The items on the expectation and experience were ranked from 0 to 10 by patients, which indicated to be unsatisfied/unimportant and satisfied/important respectively. According to their attitudes towards the ERAS strategy, patients were divided into the support group and the reject group. Patients' expectation and experience of hospital stay, and the clinical outcomes within 30 days after discharge were compared between the two groups. Categorical data were reported as number with percentage and the quantitative data were reported as mean with standard deviation, or where appropriate, as the median with interquartile range (Q₁, Q₃). Categorical data were compared using the Chi-squared test or Fisher's exact test, where appropriate. For continuous data, Student's t test or Mann-Whitney U test were used. Complication was classified according to Clavien-Dindo classification. Results: Of the included 112 patients (88 males and 24 females), aged (57.8±10.0) years, 35 patients (31.3%) were in the support group and 77 (68.7%) in the reject group. Anxiety was detected in 56.2% (63/112) of the patients with score >8. The admission education during the ERAS implementation improved the patients' cognitions of the ERAS strategy [M(Q₁, Q₃) score: 8 (4, 10) vs. 2 (0, 5), Z=-7.130, P<0.001]. The expected hospital stay of patients was longer than the actual stay [7 (7, 10) days vs. 6 (6, 7) days, Z=-4.800, P<0.001]. During the ERAS implementation, patients had low score in early mobilization [3 (1, 6)] and early oral intake [5 (2.25, 8)]. Fifty-eight (51.8%) patients planned the ERAS implementation at home after discharge, while 32.1% (36/112) preferred to stay in hospital until they felt totally recovered. Compared with the reject group, the support group had shorter expected hospital stay [7 (6, 10) days vs. 10 (7, 15) days, Z=-2.607, P=0.009], and higher expected recovery-efficiency score [9 (8, 10) vs. 7(5, 9), Z=-3.078, P=0.002], lower expected less-pain score [8 (6, 10) vs. 6 (5, 9) days, Z=-1.996, P=0.046], expected faster recovery of physical strength score [8 (6, 10) vs. 6 (4, 9), Z=-2.200, P=0.028] and expected less drainage tube score [8 (8, 10) vs. 8 (5, 10), Z=-2.075, P=0.038]. Worrying about complications (49.1%) and self-recognition of not recovery (46.4%) were the major concerns when assessing the experience toward ERAS. During the follow-up, 105 patients received follow-up calls. There were 57.1% (60/105) of patients who experienced a variety of discomforts after discharge, including pain (28.6%), bloating (20.0%), nausea (12.4%), fatigue (7.6%), and fever (2.9%). Within 30 days after discharge, 6.7% (7/105) of patients developed Clavien-Dindo level I and II operation-associated complications, including poor wound healing, intestinal obstruction, intraperitoneal bleeding, and wound infection, all of which were cured by conservative treatment. There were no complications of level III or above in the whole group after surgery. Compared with the support group, more patients in the reject group reported that they had not yet achieved self-expected recovery when discharged [57.1% (44/77) vs. 22.9% (8/35), χ²=11.372, P<0.001], and expected to return to their daily lives [39.0% (30/77) vs. 8.6% (3/35), χ²=10.693, P<0.001], with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). Only 52.4% (55/105) of patients returned home to continue rehabilitation, and the remaining patients chose to go to other hospitals to continue their hospitalization after discharge, with a median length of stay of 7 (7, 9) days. Compared with the reject group, the support group had a higher proportion of home rehabilitation [59.7% (12/33) vs. 36.4% (43/72), χ²=4.950, P=0.026], and shorter time of self-perceived postoperative full recovery [14 (10, 20) days vs. 15 (14, 20) days, Z=2.100, P=0.036], with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Although ERAS has promoted postoperative rehabilitation while ensuring surgical safety, it has not been unanimously recognized by patients. Adequate rehabilitation education, good analgesia, good physical recovery, and early removal of drainage tubes may improve the patient's experience of ERAS.

Mediating Point Defects Endows n-Type Bi2 Te3 with High Thermoelectric Performance and Superior Mechanical Robustness for Power Generation Application

Bi₂ Te₃ -related alloys dominate the commercial thermoelectric market, but the layered crystal structure leads to the dissociation and intrinsic brittle fracture, especially for single crystals that may worsen the practical efficiency. In this work, point defect configuration by S/Te/I defects engineering is engaged to boost thermoelectric and mechanical properties of n-type Bi₂ Te₃ alloy, which, coupled with p-type BiSbTe, shows a competitive conversion efficiency for the fabricated module. First, as S alloying suppresses the intrinsic B i T e , antisite defects and forms a donor-like effect, electronic transport properties are optimized, associated with the decreased thermal conductivity due to the point defect scattering. The periodide compound TeI₄ is afterward adopted to further tune carrier concentration for the realization of an optimal ZT. Finally, an advanced average ZT of 1.05 with ultra-high compressive strength of 230 MPa is achieved for Bi₂ Te_2.9 S_0.1 (TeI₄ )_0.0012 . Based on this optimum composition, a fabricated 17-pair module demonstrates a maximum conversion efficiency of 5.37% under the temperature difference of 250 K, rivaling the current state-of-the-art Bi₂ Te₃ modules. This work reveals the novel mechanism of point defect reconfiguration in synergistic enhancement of thermoelectric and mechanical properties for durably commercial application, which may be applicable to other thermoelectric systems.

Effect of High Molecular Mass Tail in the Mol Mass Distribution of Polypropylene on Injection Molding

The effect of high molecular mass (MM) tail in the molecular mass distribution (MMD) of polypropylene (PP) on injection molding has been studied using injection molded tensile bars from a commercial PP resin and two samples of the above resin deprived of the high MM tail in different degrees by controlled degradation during extruder reaction with an added processing aid named Promax. The central portions of the tensile bars were studied by polarizing microscopy of microtomed sections parallel and perpendicular to the melt flow direction, and by density and birefringence profiles across the thickness of the bar. Mechanical properties and acoustic emission behavior in stretching of these injection molded tensile bars are also discussed. The experimental results show that by stripping off the high MM tail in the MMD the injection molded tensile bar has smaller degree of crystallization, less frozen orientation, improved uniformity across the thickness and the thickness of the skin part is greatly reduced. Better quality of the fabricated articles is to be expected by using Promax with PP for injection molding.

Causal roles of daytime sleepiness in cardiometabolic diseases and osteoporosis

OBJECTIVE

Daytime sleepiness has some association with cardiometabolic diseases and osteoporosis, but it is unknown whether their relationship is causal. This two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study aims to explore their causal relationship.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We included the largest genome-wide association studies (GWASs) associated with daytime sleepiness, cardiometabolic diseases and osteoporosis. 34 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used as the instrumental variables of daytime sleepiness.

RESULTS

Genetic predisposition to excessive daytime sleepiness was strongly associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease (beta-estimate: 0.610, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.128 to 1.093, standard error [SE]: 0.246, p-value=0.013) and may increase the incidence of type 2 diabetes (beta-estimate: 0.614, 95% CI: 0.009 to 1.219, SE: 0.309, p-value=0.047). We found no causal influence of daytime sleepiness on heart failure, atrial fibrillation, cerebral ischemia, intracerebral hemorrhage, forearm bone mineral density (FA-BMD), femoral neck BMD (FN-BMD), and lumbar spine BMD (LS-BMD).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggested that excessive daytime sleepiness was causally associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease, which may benefit to prevent this disease.

[The effect of Endocrine disrupting chemicals on myocardial fibrosis and related mechanism]

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) an exogenous agent that interferes with the synthesis, secretion, transport, binding, action, or can mimic the occurrence of natural hormones that damage for the balance of homeostasis. Exposure to EDCs results in damage to human health that may persist in the long term. In recent years, accumulative evidence has demonstrated that EDCs also play a pivotal role in the onset and development of myocardial fibrosis, including heart failure, hypertension and vascular stiffening. Studies indicate that EDCs plays the negative effects of the cardiovascular system, however, EDCs-induced toxicity on heart remains unclear. This review summarized EDCs-induced myocardial fibrosis, and discuss the possible mechanisms of myocardial fibrosis induced by EDCs. This paper could provide further understandings for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of myocardial fibrosis.

[Predictive value of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio on admission and before discharge for long-term all-cause death in hospitalized heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction]

Objective: To evaluate the predictive value of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) on admission and before discharge for long-term all-cause death (ACD) in patients hospitalized with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Methods: Patients hospitalized and discharged from hospital alive with the clinical diagnosis of HFrEF in cardiac care unit (CCU) of TEDA International Cardiovascular Hospital from January 2013 to December 2017 were consecutively enrolled. NLR, which was defined as neutrophil counts divided by lymphocyte counts, was measured 1 day within admission and 3 days before discharge to evaluate the prognostic value of admission NLR in combination with discharge NLR for the ACD after discharge by using of multivariate Cox regression analysis. Patients were followed-up until December 2020 or ACD. Results: A total of 368 patients hospitalized with HFrEF were enrolled with an age of (54±14) years, including 79 females (21.5%). During the median (inter-quartile range, IQR) duration of follow-up after discharge of 30 (10, 60) months, 95 patients died, thus, the rate of ACD was 25.8%. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the NLR level before discharge was an independent predictor of ACD after discharge [hazard ratio (HR)=1.143, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.048-1.248, P=0.003] after adjusting for other parameters such as systolic blood pressure on admission and at discharge, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter on admission, and usage of aldosterone receptor blockers at discharge. Moreover, compared to those with NLR level at admission ≤2.25 and ≤2.00 before discharge, the long-term risk of ACD after discharge was nearly doubled for patients with NLR level at admission>2.25 and>2.00 before discharge (adjusted HR=1.968, 95%CI 1.198-3.234, P=0.008). Conclusions: The NLR level before discharge was an independent predictor of ACD after discharge for patients hospitalized with HFrEF. Combining NLR levels at admission and before discharge help to better predictive the risk of long-term ACD after discharge.

Supersolidity in Two-Dimensional Trapped Dipolar Droplet Arrays

We theoretically investigate the ground states and the spectrum of elementary excitations across the superfluid to droplet crystallization transition of an oblate dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate. We systematically identify regimes where spontaneous rotational symmetry breaking leads to the emergence of a supersolid phase with characteristic collective excitations, such as the Higgs amplitude mode. Furthermore, we study the dynamics across the transition and show how these supersolids can be realized with standard protocols in state-of-the-art experiments.

Development and validation of a three-immune-related gene signature prognostic risk model in papillary thyroid carcinoma

PURPOSE

Increasing evidence indicates that there is a correlation between papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) prognosis and the immune signature. Our goal was to construct a new prognostic tool based on immune genes to achieve more accurate prognosis predictions and earlier diagnoses of PTC.

METHODS

The 493 PTCs samples and 58 tumor-adjacent normal tissues were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas database (TCGA). Immune genes were obtained from the ImmPort database. First, this cohort was randomly divided into training cohort and testing cohort. Second, the differentially expressed (DE) immune genes from the training set were used to construct the prognostic model. Then, the testing and entire data cohorts were used to validate the model, and the data were analyzed to determine the correlation of the clinical prognostic model with immune cell infiltration and expression profiles of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes. Finally, an analysis of the gene ontology (GO) annotation was performed.

RESULTS

A total of 189 upregulated and 128 downregulated DE immune genes were identified. We developed and validated a three-immune gene model for PTC that includes Hsp70, NOX5, and FGF23. This model was demonstrated to be an independent prognostic variable. In addition, the overall immune activity of the high-risk group was higher than that of the low-risk group.

CONCLUSIONS

We developed and validated a three-immune gene model for PTC that includes HSPA1A, NOX5, and FGF23. This model can be used as a validated tool to predict outcomes in PTC.

[PI3K/Akt/mTOR signal pathway in endocrine disrupting chemicals-induced apoptosis and autophagy of thyroid follicular cells]

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are a kind of exogenous chemicals widely existing in the environment, which cause serious harm to the environment and human health. At present, the impact of this type of substance on the thyroid has attracted much attention.This review summarized the effects of EDCs on thyroid hormones, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) /protein kinase B (Akt) /mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) signaling pathway and its role in thyroid diseases, and explore the role of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in EDCs-induced apoptosis and autophagy of thyroid follicular epithelial cells.This paper could provide further understandings for thyroid diseases induced by the autophagy and apoptosis of thyroid follicular epithelial cells.

Fiber Length Distribution in Twin-Screw Extrusion of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites: A Comparison between Shear and Extensional Mixing

New extensional mixing elements (EME) for twin-screw extrusion were applied to compound glass fibers (GF), carbon fibers (CF) or polyethylene terephthalate fibers (PETF) reinforced polymer composites with polymer matrix of polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene oxide (PEO) and the resulting fiber degradation upon processing was evaluated and compared with compounding via shear flow-dominated kneading blocks (KB). Composites structures were characterized in terms of fiber length and distribution, and cumulative length ratio, at five locations along the mixing zone. Although significant fiber breakage was achieved for both configurations, it was markedly lower in composites processed using the EME, because whereas the high shear stress kneading motion in the KB degrades fibers significantly, fiber breakup is significantly minimized by the alignment induced by the EME prior to flow in the high-stress regions.

Roton Excitations in an Oblate Dipolar Quantum Gas

We observe signatures of radial and angular roton excitations around a droplet crystallization transition in dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates. In situ measurements are used to characterize the density fluctuations near this transition. The static structure factor is extracted and used to identify the radial and angular roton excitations by their characteristic symmetries. These fluctuations peak as a function of the interaction strength indicating the crystallization transition of the system. We compare our observations to a theoretically calculated excitation spectrum allowing us to connect the crystallization mechanism with the softening of the angular roton modes.

The significance of Hashimoto's thyroiditis for postoperative complications of thyroid surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is one of the most common immune-mediated diseases. It makes thyroid surgery more complicated and difficult because there may be adhesions between the thyroid gland and surrounding structures. However, it is still controversial whether HT patients carry a high risk for postoperative complications of thyroid surgery. The purpose of this study was to investigate the significance of HT for the postoperative complications of thyroid surgery.

METHODS

A search for studies assessing the postoperative complication risks of HT patients compared with that of patients with benign nodules (BNs) was performed in PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science. Nine studies (20,118 cases, 1,582 cases of HT and 18,536 cases of BN) were identified, and the data from the relevant outcomes were extracted and analysed.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences between the HT group and BN group in recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (RLNP) and permanent hypoparathyroidism (PHP). The rate of transient hypocalcaemia (THC) was significantly higher in the HT group (16.85%) than in the BN group (13.20%).

CONCLUSIONS

The meta-analysis showed that HT only increased the risk of the postoperative complication THC compared to BN. Understanding the significance of HT in postoperative hypoparathyroidism after thyroid surgery would help clinicians perform sufficient preoperative (and postoperative) assessments and to optimise surgical planning.

An Acylase from Shewanella Putrefaciens Presents a Vibrio Parahaemolyticus Acylhomoserine Lactone-Degrading Activity and Exhibits Temperature-, Ph- and Metal-Dependences

Shewanella putrefaciens supernatant was found to increase the virulence factors of Vibrio parahaemolyticus by efficiently degrading its acylhomoserine lactone (AHL). To further reveal the regulation mechanism and its key degrading enzyme, a potential AHL-degrading enzyme acylase (Aac) from S. putrefaciens was cloned, and the influences of temperature, pH, protein modifiers, and metals on Aac were tested. Aac was significantly influenced by temperature and pH, and exhibited the highest AHL-degrading activity at temperatures of 37 °C and pH of 8. Mg2+ and Fe2+ can further increase the AHL-degrading activity. 10 mM EDTA inhibited its activity possibly by chelating the co-factors (metals) required for Aac activity. Tryptophan and arginine were identified as key components for Aac activity that are critical to its AHL-degrading activity. This study provides useful information on Aac and for V. parahaemolyticus control.

User testing to examine patient understanding of pharmacy generated medication labels

OBJECTIVE

To examine patients' and carers' understanding of pharmacy generated medication labels.

METHODS

A user testing questionnaire was conducted individually for 80 participants at 2 hospitals through a face-to face semi-structured interview. Pharmacy generated medication labels from different locations were grouped based on components into 4 different variations. Participants were asked to read and demonstrate understanding of the dose and frequency from 1 of the 4 variations for 4 prescription medications. Twenty participants for each variation were recruited so that demographic characteristics matched between variations.

RESULTS

Overall, only 45% of participants were able to correctly understand the dose and frequency presented on all the pharmacy labels presented on medications. Medication labels with standardised timing performed better than other variations with 91% of participants able to determine the correct frequency. The use of numeric figures was understood by 80-90% of participants compared to the use of capitalised text (65-70%). Pharmacy generated medication labels that proposed one step were better understood than instructions that incorporated several steps.

CONCLUSION/PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

The study supports the use of simple, clear and explicit written instructions along with the use of numeric figures in pharmacy generated medication labels to achieve higher understandability in patients.

Achieving High Thermoelectric Performance in Rare-Earth Element-Free CaMg2Bi2 with High Carrier Mobility and Ultralow Lattice Thermal Conductivity

CaMg₂Bi₂-based compounds, a kind of the representative compounds of Zintl phases, have uniquely inherent layered structure and hence are considered to be potential thermoelectric materials. Generally, alloying is a traditional and effective way to reduce the lattice thermal conductivity through the mass and strain field fluctuation between host and guest atoms. The cation sites have very few contributions to the band structure around the fermi level; thus, cation substitution may have negligible influence on the electric transport properties. What is more, widespread application of thermoelectric materials not only desires high ZT value but also calls for low-cost and environmentally benign constituent elements. Here, Ba substitution on cation site achieves a sharp reduction in lattice thermal conductivity through enhanced point defects scattering without the obvious sacrifice of high carrier mobility, and thus improves thermoelectric properties. Then, by combining further enhanced phonon scattering caused by isoelectronic substitution of Zn on the Mg site, an extraordinarily low lattice thermal conductivity of 0.51 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ at 873 K is achieved in (Ca_0.75Ba_0.25)_0.995Na_0.005Mg_1.95Zn_0.05Bi_1.98 alloy, approaching the amorphous limit. Such maintenance of high mobility and realization of ultralow lattice thermal conductivity synergistically result in broadly improvement of the quality factor β. Finally, a maximum ZT of 1.25 at 873 K and the corresponding ZT_ave up to 0.85 from 300 K to 873 K have been obtained for the same composition, meanwhile possessing temperature independent compatibility factor. To our knowledge, the current ZT_ave exceeds all the reported values in AMg₂Bi₂-based compounds so far. Furthermore, the low-cost and environment-friendly characteristic plus excellent thermoelectric performance also make the present Zintl phase CaMg₂Bi₂ more competitive in practical application.

Ulinastatin alleviates mitochondrial damage and cell apoptosis induced by isoflurane in human neuroglioma H4 cells

Isoflurane has been demonstrated to induce mitochondrial damage and cell apoptosis. The isoflurane-induced inflammation may be an important reason for this phenomenon. Studies have shown that ulinastatin (UTI) has an anti-inflammatory effect. Our aim was to investigate whether UTI could attenuate isoflurane-induced mitochondrial damage and cell apoptosis by inhibiting inflammation. Human neuroglioma H4 cells were exposed to isoflurane with or without UTI. The ratio of cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry. β-Amyloid (Aβ) peptide and cleaved caspase 3 expression were evaluated by Western blot analysis. The concentrations of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin 1β (IL-1β) were detected by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Mitochondrial structural changes were detected by transmission electron microscopy. Mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) was determined by 5,5',6,6'-Tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethyl-imidacarbocyanine iodide (JC-1). The activity of the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) complexes I, II, III, and IV was determined by assay kits. UTI attenuated the TNF-α and IL-1β release induced by isoflurane. UTI could also reduce mitochondrial structure damage, mitigate the decrease in Δψm, and improve ETC complexes dysfunction. Furthermore, it decreased cell apoptosis induced by isoflurane in H4 cells. UTI had no effect on isoflurane-induced Aβ expression. UTI may mitigate isoflurane-induced mitochondrial damage and cytotoxicity by inhibiting inflammation.

[Efficacy of minimally invasive pulmonary surfactant administration in preterm infants with neonatal respiratory distress syndrome: a multicenter clinical trial]

Objective: To explore the feasibility and safety of minimally invasive surfactant administration (MISA) in preterm neonates with respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS). Methods: In this multicenter prospective randomized controlled trial, 92 preterm infants with gestation age ≤30 weeks and diagnosed with NRDS were enrolled in 8 level Ⅲ neonatal intensive care units (NICU) in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region from 1(st) July 2017 to 31(st) December 2018. They were randomly assigned to minimally invasive surfactant administration (MISA) group or endotracheal intubation surfactant administration (EISA) group according to random number generated by computer. Infants in both groups received calf pulmonary surfactant preparation at a dose of 70-100 mg/kg. The data of demography, perinatal situation, medication administration, complications, clinical outcomes in the two groups were compared with Chi-square test, Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U test or Fisher's exact test. Results: Among the 92 preterm infants, 53 were males, 39 were females; 47 were in the MISA group (25 males), and 45 were in the EISA group (28 males). The gestational age and birth weight were (29.5±1.2) weeks and (1 271±242) g in all patients, (29.5±1.4) weeks and (1 285±256) g in the MISA group, and (29.6±0.9) weeks and (1 255±227) g in the EISA group. The duration of surfactant infusion and the length of whole procedure in the MISA group were significantly longer than that in the EISA group (60 (18, 270) s vs. 50 (30, 60) s, Z=3.009, P=0.003; 90 (60, 300) s vs. 60 (44, 270) s, Z=3.365, P=0.001). For the outcomes, the incidence of hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) were lower in the MISA group than in the EISA group (36% (17/47) vs. 67% (30/45), χ(2)=8.556, P=0.003; 26% (12/47) vs. 47% (21/45), χ(2)=4.464, P=0.035). Conclusions: Minimally invasive surfactant administration is applicable in preterm infants ≤30 weeks gestational age with NRDS. Although the length of whole procedure is longer than route endotracheal administration, the benefit of decreasing the incidences of hsPDA and BPD outweighs this demerit.

Enhanced Thermoelectric Properties of p-Type CaMg2Bi2 via a Synergistic Effect Originated from Zn and Alkali-Metal Co-doping

Bi-based Zintl phase CaMg₂Bi₂ is a promising thermoelectric material. Here, we report that the high-concentration point defects induced by equivalent Zn doping on the Mg site significantly enhance phonon scattering and then suppress lattice thermal conductivity by 50% at room temperature. Subsequently, partial substitution of divalent calcium ions with alkali-ion doping (Li, Na, K) not only optimizes the electrical transport properties by increasing the carrier concentration but also further reduces the lattice thermal conductivity through crystal disorder. Finally, the synergistic effect of Zn and Li co-doping leads to a high ZT of ∼1.0 at 873 K and an average ZT of 0.6 between 300 and 873 K for Ca_0.995Li_0.005Mg_1.9Zn_0.1Bi_1.98. This work demonstrates an instructive method to reduce the lattice thermal conductivity via doping at the Mg site, which has never been reported in the CaMg₂Bi₂ system. Moreover, high-performance Ca_0.995Li_0.005Mg_1.9Zn_0.1Bi_1.98 alloy does not contain any toxic elements and expensive rare earth elements, which is of great significance for the development of environment-friendly thermoelectric materials.

Oltipraz attenuates the progression of heart failure in rats through inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammatory response

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of oltipraz (OPZ) on isoproterenol-induced heart failure (HF) and heart function. We also explore the underlying molecular mechanism of OPZ.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The rats were randomly divided into four groups, including normal control group, isoproterenol (ISO) group, ISO +100 mg/kg OPZ group, and OPZ group. Hemodynamic parameters, such as left-ventricular systolic pressure, were statistically analyzed. Besides, plasma levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), pro-inflammatory cytokines and antioxidant markers were assessed by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Moreover, histopathological examination was applied to assess the degree of cardiac interstitial fibrosis.

RESULTS

OPZ could statistically improve the hemodynamic parameters of the heart function, and could also obviously attenuate cardiac interstitial fibrosis in ISO-induced HF rats when compared with the ISO group. Besides, plasma level of BNP in ISO +100 mg/kg OPZ group dramatically decreased in comparison with that of ISO group. Moreover, compared with ISO group, OPZ treatment significantly reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Moreover, OPZ treatment remarkably increased the levels of antioxidant markers such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in ISO-induced HF rats.

CONCLUSIONS

OPZ administration may provide experimental evidence for the possible effect of OPZ on isoproterenol-induced heart failure in rats. Moreover, OPZ administration may have potential utility for the treatment of heart failure.

Fate of the Amplitude Mode in a Trapped Dipolar Supersolid

We theoretically investigate the spectrum of elementary excitations of a trapped dipolar quantum gas across the BEC-supersolid phase transition. Our calculations reveal the existence of distinct Higgs amplitude and Nambu-Goldstone modes that emerge from the softening roton modes of the dipolar BEC at the phase transition point. On the supersolid side of the transition, the energy of the Higgs amplitude mode increases rapidly, leading to a strong coupling to higher-lying modes. Our Letter highlights how the symmetry-breaking nature of the supersolid state translates to finite-size systems.

Using latent class analysis to identify money boys at highest risk of HIV infection

OBJECTIVES

Limited research has been conducted to investigate the characteristics of money boys (MBs) in China. This study was aimed to identify the subgroups of MBs based on sexual behaviors, Net-based venue sex-seeking, and substance abuse.

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

METHODS

Convenience sampling was used to recruit MBs from December 2014 to June 2015 in Tianjin, China. Face-to-face interviews were conducted for 330 MBs, and trained interviewers collected data.

RESULTS

The laboratory-confirmed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive rate was 11.52% among 330 MBs. Four classes were identified through latent class analysis (LCA) method: 'relatively safe behavior' group, 'higher sexual risk' group, 'multiple sexual-partners' group, and 'unprotected sex and substance abuse' group, and there is a significant difference based on the HIV status. Significant differences were found in original residence, monthly income, duration in sex trade, employment, history of sexually transmitted infection (STI), HIV testing, knowledge of free antiviral treatment policy, and awareness of free AIDS testing between the four latent classes (P < 0.05). MBs who used Net-based venues to seek sexual partners; who have inconsistent condom use, substance abuse, a longer duration in sex trade, multiple sexual clients, and multiple anal sex; and who were full-time employed had the highest risk of HIV infection.

CONCLUSIONS

The utility of LCA to identify subgroups based on risky behaviors attributes to formulating targeted intervention strategy.