Escape of an active ring from an attractive surface: Behaving like a self-propelled Brownian particle.

Escape of active agents from metastable states is of great interest in statistical and biological physics. In this paper, we investigate the escape of a flexible active ring, composed of active Brownian particles, from a flat attractive surface using Brownian dynamics simulations. To systematically explore the effects of activity, persistence time, and the shape of attractive potentials, we calculate escape time τ_{e} and effective temperature T_{eff}. We observe two distinct escape mechanisms: Kramers-like thermal activation at small persistence times, where ln(τ_{e})∼1/(k_{B}T_{eff}), and the maximal force problem at large persistence time, where τ_{e} is determined by persistence time. The escape time explicitly depends on the shape of the potential barrier at high activity and large persistence time. Moreover, when the propulsion force is biased along the ring's contour, escape becomes more difficult and is primarily driven by thermal noise. Our findings highlight that, despite its intricate configuration, the active ring can be effectively modeled as a self-propelled Brownian particle when studying its escape from a smooth surface.

Deformation-induced phase separation of active vesicles.

Many active materials, such as bacteria and cells, are deformable. Deformability significantly affects their collective behaviors and movements in complex environments. Here, we introduce a two-dimensional deformable active vesicle (DAV) model to emulate cell-like deformable active matter, wherein the deformability can be continuously adjusted. We find that changes in deformability can induce phase separation of DAVs. The system can transition between a homogeneous gas state, a coexistence of gas and liquid, and a coexistence of gas and solid. The occurrence of deformation-induced phase separation is accompanied by nonmonotonic changes in effective concentration, particle size and shape. Moreover, the degree of deformability also impacts the motility and stress within the dense phase following phase separation. Our results offer new insights into the role of deformability in the collective behavior of active matter.

Constrained motion of self-propelling eccentric disks linked by a spring.

It has been supposed that the interplay of elasticity and activity plays a key role in triggering the non-equilibrium behaviors in biological systems. However, the experimental model system is missing to investigate the spatiotemporally dynamical phenomena. Here, a model system of an active chain, where active eccentric-disks are linked by a spring, is designed to study the interplay of activity, elasticity, and friction. Individual active chain exhibits longitudinal and transverse motions; however, it starts to self-rotate when pinning one end and self-beat when clamping one end. In addition, our eccentric-disk model can qualitatively reproduce such behaviors and explain the unusual self-rotation of the first disk around its geometric center. Furthermore, the structure and dynamics of long chains were studied via simulations without steric interactions. It was found that a hairpin conformation emerges in free motion, while in the constrained motions, the rotational and beating frequencies scale with the flexure number (the ratio of self-propelling force to bending rigidity), χ, as ∼(χ)4/3. Scaling analysis suggests that it results from the balance between activity and energy dissipation. Our findings show that topological constraints play a vital role in non-equilibrium synergy behaviors.

Research on Oil and Gas Adsorption Optimization Based on CFD Modeling and Process Simulation.

In the process of oil extraction and refining, some of the liquid light hydrocarbon components will inevitably evaporate into the atmosphere, causing serious air pollution and safety hazards. This paper is focused on oil and gas adsorption systems to comprehensively optimize key parameters by combining computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling with process simulation, enabling the efficient treatment of hazardous materials. First, a CFD model of the hydrocarbon adsorption process is established to the porous media model by a user-defined function (UDF). Subsequently, the mass transfer process of oil and gas in porous media is successfully simulated to obtain the gas distribution in an industrial fixed bed adsorption tower. The adsorption tank is intensified, and the gas distribution in the tank is improved by optimizing the height-to-diameter ratio of the equipment and the design of the intake distributor. Third, the cyclic two-tank adsorption model of the pressure swing adsorption (PSA) process is established for key parameters optimization. Finally, the operating parameters and conditions of the PSA process are suspected by considering five factors affecting the adsorption efficiency: adsorption time, adsorption pressure, adsorption temperature, feed flow rate, and purge ratio of the washing step.

The associations between dietary flavonoid intake and hyperlipidemia: data from the national health and nutrition examination survey 2007-2010 and 2017-2018.

Background: Hyperlipidemia is a worldwide health problem and a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases; therefore, it imposes a heavy burden on society and healthcare. It has been reported that flavonoids can increase energy expenditure and fat oxidation, be anti-inflammatory, and reduce lipid factor levels, which may reduce the risk of hyperlipidemia. However, the relationship between the prevalence of hyperlipidemia and dietary flavonoid intake in the population remains unclear. Methods: This study included 8,940 adults from the 2007-2010 and 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). The relationship between dietary flavonoid intake and the prevalence of hyperlipidemia was analyzed using weighted logistic regression and weighted restricted cubic spline. Results: We found an inverse relationship between subtotal catechins intake and hyperlipidemia prevalence in the third quartile [0.74 (0.56, 0.98), p = 0.04] compared with the first quartile. The prevalence of hyperlipidemia and total flavan-3-ol intake in the third quartile were inversely correlated [0.76 (0.59, 0.98), p = 0.03]. Total anthocyanin intake was inversely related to the prevalence of hyperlipidemia in the third quartile [0.77 (0.62, 0.95), p = 0.02] and the fourth quartile [0.77 (0.60, 0.98), p = 0.04]. The prevalence of hyperlipidemia was negatively correlated with total flavonols intake in the fourth quartile [0.75 (0.60, 0.94), p = 0.02]. Using restricted cubic splines analysis, we found that subtotal catechins intake and total flavan-3-ol intake had a nonlinear relationship with the prevalence of hyperlipidemia. Conclusion: Our study may provide preliminary research evidence for personalizing improved dietary habits to reduce the prevalence of hyperlipidemia.

Triglyceride-glucose index and the risk of stroke in American adults: findings from the atherosclerosis risk in communities study.

OBJECTIVES: The associations between the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index with subsequent stroke in American adults are unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the associations between baseline and trajectories of TyG index with subsequent stroke in American adults. METHODS: A total of 10,132 participants free of a history of stroke at baseline were included. We quantified the association of baseline and trajectories of TyG index with incident total stroke, ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage using Cox regression, restricted cubic splines and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: There were 909 incident stroke cases over a median follow-up of 26.6 years. After adjustment for potential confounders, each unit increase in the TyG index was associated with a 32.1% higher risk of incident stroke. Compared with participants in the lowest quartile of the baseline TyG index, those in the highest quartile had a greater risk of incident stroke [HR (95% CI) 1.254 (1.014-1.552)]. Restricted cubic splines showed that the risk of stroke increased in participants with a higher TyG index, especially when the TyG index was > 8.6. Results were similar for incident ischemic stroke. Compared with participants in the lowest quartile of the baseline TyG index, those in the second quartile had a lower risk of intracerebral hemorrhage [HR (95% CI) 0.494 (0.262-0.931)]. Five discrete trajectories with stable TyG indexes at various levels at follow-up visits were identified, and parallel results were observed for the associations of trajectories of TyG index with outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The TyG index independently predict stroke progression.

Glycopolymers With On/Off Anchors: Confinement Effect on Regulating Dendritic Cells.

Insufficient activation or over-activation of T cells due to the dendritic cells (DCs) state can cause negative effects on immunotherapy, making it crucial for DCs to maintain different states in different treatments. Polysaccharides are one of the most studied substances to promote DCs maturation. However, in many methods, optimizing the spatial dimension of the interaction between polysaccharides and cells is often overlooked. Therefore, in this study, a new strategy from the perspective of spatial dimension is proposed to regulate the efficacy of polysaccharides in promoting DCs maturation. An anchoring molecule (DMA) is introduced to existing glycopolymers for the confinement effect, and the effect can be turned off by oxidation of DMA. Among the prepared on-confined (PMD2 ), off-confined (PMD2 -O), and norm (PM2 ) glycopolymers, PMD2 and PMD2 -O show the best and worst results, respectively, in terms of the amount of binding to DCs and the effect on promoting DCs maturation. This sufficiently shows that the turn-on and off of confinement effect can regulate the maturation of DCs by polysaccharides. Based on the all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, the mechanism of difference in the confinement effect is explained. This simple method can also be used to regulate other molecule-cell interactions to guide cell behavior.

Configuration and dynamics of a self-propelled diblock copolymer chain.

Active polymers are slender or chain-like self-propelled objects. Synthetic chains of self-propelled colloidal particles are one of the examples, which provide a potential way to develop varied active polymers. Here, we study the configuration and dynamics of an active diblock copolymer chain. Our focus is on the competition and the cooperation between the equilibrium self-assembly due to chain heterogeneity and the dynamic self-assembly due to propulsion. Simulations show that an active diblock copolymer chain can form the spiral(+)/tadpole(+) states under forward propulsion and the spiral(-)/tadpole(-)/bean states under backward propulsion. Interestingly, it is easier for the backward-propelled chain to form a spiral. The transitions between the states can be analyzed in terms of work and energy. For forward propulsion, we found a key quantity, i.e. the chirality of the packed self-attractive A block, which determines the configuration of the whole chain and the dynamics. However, no such quantity is found for the backward propulsion. Our results set the foundation for further study of the self-assembly of multiple active copolymer chains and provide a reference for the design and application of polymeric active materials.

Efficacy and Safety of Oral Anticoagulants in Older Adult Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: Pairwise and Network Meta-Analyses.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral anticoagulants for older adult patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). DESIGN: Pairwise and network meta-analyses. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Patients with AF aged ≥75 years. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane library were searched for published randomized controlled trials and adjusted observational studies evaluating the use of a non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs), vitamin K antagonist, or antiplatelet drug for the prevention of stroke. The primary efficacy and safety outcomes were the composite of stroke and systemic embolism (SSE) and major bleedings. RESULTS: This study included 38 studies enrolling 1,022,908 older adult patients with AF. Results from pairwise meta-analyses showed that NOACs were superior to warfarin for all outcomes, except that dabigatran increased the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleedings. Aspirin was associated with a higher risk of SSE and ischemic stroke than warfarin or NOACs. Results of network meta-analyses indicated that apixaban significantly reduced the risk of SSE, major bleedings, and GI bleedings than warfarin, rivaroxaban, and dabigatran. Apixaban, edoxaban, rivaroxaban, and dabigatran reduced the risk of ischemic stroke and intracranial bleeding compared to warfarin. Dabigatran showed lower risk of all-cause mortality than warfarin and of intracranial bleeding than rivaroxaban. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: NOACs are of at least equal efficacy, or even superior to warfarin. The safety profile of individual NOAC agents was significantly different, as apixaban performs better than the other oral anticoagulants in reducing major bleeding and GI bleeding, whereas dabigatran increased the risk of GI bleeding.

Wastewater surveillance and an automated robot: effectively tracking SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the post-epidemic era.

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has exhibited great utility in the early and rapid identification of SARS-CoV-2. However, the efficacy of wastewater surveillance under China's previous strict epidemic prevention policy remains to be described. We collected the WBE data of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen and several communities to determine the significant effectiveness of routine wastewater surveillance in monitoring the local spread of SARS-CoV-2 under tight containment of the epidemic. The results of 1 month of continuous wastewater surveillance showed that positive signals for SARS-CoV-2 RNA were detected in the wastewater samples, and a significant positive correlation was observed between the virus concentration and the number of daily cases. In addition, the community's domestic wastewater surveillance results were confirmed even 3 days before, or simultaneously with, the infected patient being confirmed as having the virus. Meanwhile, an automated sewage virus detection robot, ShenNong No.1 robot, was developed, showing a high degree of agreement with experimental data, offering the possibility of large-scale multi-point surveillance. Overall, our results illustrated the clear indicative role of wastewater surveillance in combating COVID-19 and provided a practical basis for rapidly expanding the feasibility and value of routine wastewater surveillance for future emerging infectious diseases.

Scaling behavior for the detachment of a self-propelling filament from an attractive surface.

Desorption of a self-propelling filament from an attractive surface is studied by computer simulations and the influence of activity, chain length, and chain rigidity is explored. For the flexible filament, we find three scaling regimes of desorption time vs activity with various scaling exponents. At low activity, the scaling law results from the spiral-like detachment kinetics. And at high activity, by theoretical analysis, the desorption is reminiscent of the escaping mechanism of a super-diffusive blob from a potential well at a short time scale. Additionally, the desorption time decreases first and then increases with chain length at low activity, since it is hard to form a spiral for short filaments due to the limited volume repulsion. For high activities, the desorption time approximately scales with chain length, with a scaling exponent ∼0.5, which can be explained by the theory and numerically fitting scaling law between the end-to-end distance of the "globule-like" filament and chain length. Furthermore, a non-monotonic behavior is observed between the desorption time and the chain stiffness. Desorption time slightly decreases first and then rapidly increases with stiffness due to the opposed effects of increasing rigidity on headiing-up time and leaving-away time. In contrast to traditional polymers, the scaling behavior suggests unique desorption characteristics of active polymers.

Plasma homocysteine levels and risk of congestive heart failure or cardiomyopathy: A Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Although observational studies have demonstrated associations between elevated plasma homocysteine levels and the risk of cardiovascular diseases, controversy remains. Objective: This study investigated the causal association of plasma homocysteine levels with congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy risk. Methods: We performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study of congestive heart failure (n = 218,792), cardiomyopathy (n = 159,811), and non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (n = 187,152). Genetic summary data on the association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms with homocysteine were extracted from the most extensive genome-wide association study of 44,147 individuals. MR analyses, including the random-effect inverse variance-weighted (IVW) meta-analysis, weighted median, simple median, maximum likelihood, penalized weighted median, MR-PRESSO, and MR-Egger regression, were used to estimate the associations between the selected single-nucleotide polymorphisms and congestive heart failure or cardiomyopathy. Results: The MR analyses revealed no causal role of higher genetically predicted plasma homocysteine levels with congestive heart failure risk (random-effect IVW, odds ratio [OR] per standard deviation (SD) increase in homocysteine levels = 1.753, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.674-4.562, P = 0.250), cardiomyopathy (random-effect IVW, OR per SD increase in homocysteine levels = 0.805, 95% CI = 0.583 to 1.020, P = 0.189), or non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (random-effect IVW, OR per SD increase in homocysteine levels = 1.064, 95% CI = 0.927-1.222, P = 0.379). The results were consistent with other analytical methods and sensitivity analyses. Conclusion: Genetically predicted homocysteine level was not associated with congestive heart failure or cardiomyopathy risk. It is unlikely that homocysteine-lowering therapy decreases the incidence or improves the outcomes of congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy.

Insights into aggregation dynamics of NACore peptides from coarse-grained simulations.

Alpha(α)-synuclein is closely related to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). The NACore, a fragment of α-synuclein, is considered to be the key region of α-synuclein that causes PD. The aggregation dynamics of NACores are studied via coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. We find that NACores can self-assemble into a large cluster at high concentrations. The aggregation dynamics can be divided into three stages. The growth kinetics for the first and second stages follows the power law, Smax ~ tγ , with the second stage faster than the first one. The characteristic lifetime for the high concentration is 40 times larger than that for the low concentration, implying the low fluidity. Understanding the aggregation dynamics of NACores is helpful to develop drugs for therapeutic prevention and intervention.

Research Trends in the Application of Artificial Intelligence in Oncology: A Bibliometric and Network Visualization Study.

BACKGROUND: The past decade has seen major advances in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to solve various biomedical problems, including cancer. This has resulted in more than 6000 scientific papers focusing on AI in oncology alone. The expansiveness of this research area presents a challenge to those seeking to understand how it has developed. A scientific analysis of AI in the oncology literature is therefore crucial for understanding its overall structure and development. This may be addressed through bibliometric analysis, which employs computational and visual tools to identify research activity, relationships, and expertise within large collections of bibliographic data. There is already a large volume of research data regarding the development of AI applications in cancer research. However, there is no published bibliometric analysis of this topic that offers comprehensive insights into publication growth, co-citation networks, research collaboration, and keyword co-occurrence analysis for technological trends involving AI across the entire spectrum of oncology research. The purpose of this study is to investigate documents published during the last decade using bibliometric indicators and network visualization. This will provide a detailed assessment of global research activities, key themes, and AI trends over the entire breadth of the oncology field. It will also specifically highlight top-performing authors, organizations, and nations that have made major contributions to this research domain, as well as their interactions via network collaboration maps and betweenness centrality metric. This study represents the first global investigation of AI covering the entire cancer field and using several validated bibliometric techniques. It should provide valuable reference material for reorienting this field and for identifying research trajectories, topics, major publications, and influential entities including scholars, institutions, and countries. It will also identify international collaborations at three levels: micro (that of an individual researcher), meso (that of an institution), and macro (that of a country), in order to inform future lines of research. METHODS: The Science Citation Index Expanded from the Web of Science Core Collection was searched for articles and reviews pertaining exclusively to AI in cancer from 2012 through 2022. Annual publication trends were plotted using Microsoft Excel 2019. CiteSpace and VOSViewer were used to investigate the most productive countries, researchers, journals, as well as the sharing of resources, intellectual property, and knowledge base in this field, along with the co-citation analysis of references and keywords. RESULTS: A total of 6757 documents were retrieved. China produced the most publications of any country (2087, 30.89%), and Sun Yat Sen University the highest number (167, 2.47%) of any institute. WEI WANG was the most prolific author (33, 0.49%). RUI ZHANG ranked first for highest betweenness centrality (0.21) and collaboration criteria. Scientific Reports was found to be the most prolific journal (208, 3.18%), while PloS one had the most co-citations (2121, 1.55%). Strong and ongoing citation bursts were found for keywords such as "tissue microarray", "tissue segmentation", and "artificial neural network". CONCLUSIONS: Deep learning currently represents one of the most cutting-edge and applicable branches of AI in oncology. The literature to date has dealt extensively with radiomics, genomics, pathology, risk stratification, lesion detection, and therapy response. Current hot topics identified by our analysis highlight the potential application of AI in radiomics and precision oncology.

Research trends in ulcerative colitis: A bibliometric and visualized study from 2011 to 2021.

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease with repeated relapses and remissions. Despite decades of effort, numerous aspects, including the initiating event and pathogenesis of UC, still remain ambiguous, which requires ongoing investigation. Given the mass of publications on UC, there are multidimensional challenges to evaluating the scientific impact of relevant work and identifying the current foci of the multifaceted disease. Accordingly, herein, we aim to assess the global growth of UC research production, analyze patterns of research areas, and evaluate trends in this area. Methods: The Web of Science Core Collection of Clarivate Analytics was searched for articles related to UC published from 2011 to 2021. Microsoft Office Excel 2019 was used to visualize the number of publications over time. Knowledge maps were generated using CiteSpace and VOSviewer to analyze collaborations among countries, institutions, and authors and to present the journey of UC research as well as to reveal the current foci of UC research. Results: A total of 5,088 publications were evaluated in the present study. China had the most publications (1,099, 22.5%). Univ Calif San Diego was the most productive institution (126, 2.48%). William J Sandborn published the greatest number of articles (100, 1.97%). Toshifumi Hibi was the most influential author in the field with a betweenness centrality of 0.53. Inflammatory bowel diseases was identified as the most prolific journal (379, 7.45%). Gastroenterology was the most co-cited journal (3,730, 4.02%). "Vedolizumab," "tofacitinib," "Faecalibacterium prausnitzii," "fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT)," "toll-like receptor 4," and "nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 inflammasome" were considered the hot topics. Conclusion: In UC research, manuscripts that had high impacts on the scientific community provided an evidence base. UC therapy has entered the era of personalized and precision therapy. As research on FMT, anti-integrin antibodies, Janus kinase inhibitors, and anti-tumor necrosis factor drugs continues to grow, their use in the clinical setting may also expand.

Trends in gastroesophageal reflux disease research: A bibliometric and visualized study.

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a disorder resulting from the retrograde flow of gastric contents into the esophagus, affects an estimated 10-30% of the Western population, which is characterized by multifactorial pathogenesis. Over the past few decades, there have been many aspects of uncertainty regarding GERD leading to an ongoing interest in the field as reflected by a large number of publications, whose heterogeneity and variable quality may present a challenge for researchers to measure their scientific impact, identify scientific collaborations, and to grasp actively researched themes in the GERD field. Accordingly, we aim to evaluate the knowledge structure, evolution of research themes, and emerging topics of GERD research between 2012 and 2022 with the help of bibliometric approaches. Methods: The literature focusing on GERD from 2012 to 2022 was retrieved from the Science Citation Index Expanded of the Web of Science Core Collection. The overall publication performance, the most prolific countries or regions, authors, journals and resources-, knowledge- and intellectual-networking, as well as the co-citation analysis of references and keywords, were analyzed through Microsoft Office Excel 2019, CiteSpace, and VOSviewer. Results: A total of 8,964 publications were included in the study. The USA published the most articles (3,204, 35.74%). Mayo Clin ranked first in the number of articles published (201, 2.24%). EDOARDO SAVARINO was the most productive author (86, 0.96%). The most productive journal in this field was SURGICAL ENDOSCOPY AND OTHER INTERVENTIONAL TECHNIQUES (304, 3.39%). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY had the most co-citations (4,953, 3.30%). Keywords with the ongoing strong citation bursts were transoral incision less fundoplication, eosinophilic esophagitis, baseline impedance, and functional heartburn. Conclusion: For the first time, we obtained deep insights into GERD research through bibliometric analysis. Findings in this study will be helpful for scholars seeking to understand essential information in this field and identify research frontiers.

Global research trends in atherosclerosis: A bibliometric and visualized study.

Background: Increasing evidence has spurred a considerable evolution of concepts related to atherosclerosis, prompting the need to provide a comprehensive view of the growing literature. By retrieving publications in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) of Clarivate Analytics, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of the scientific literature on atherosclerosis to describe the research landscape. Methods: A search was conducted of the WoSCC for articles and reviews serving exclusively as a source of information on atherosclerosis published between 2012 and 2022. Microsoft Excel 2019 was used to chart the annual productivity of research relevant to atherosclerosis. Through CiteSpace and VOSviewer, the most prolific countries or regions, authors, journals, and resource-, intellectual-, and knowledge-sharing in atherosclerosis research, as well as co-citation analysis of references and keywords, were analyzed. Results: A total of 20,014 publications were retrieved. In terms of publications, the United States remains the most productive country (6,390, 31,93%). The most publications have been contributed by Johns Hopkins Univ (730, 3.65%). ALVARO ALONSO produced the most published works (171, 0.85%). With a betweenness centrality of 0.17, ERIN D MICHOS was the most influential author. The most prolific journal was identified as Atherosclerosis (893, 4.46%). Circulation received the most co-citations (14,939, 2.79%). Keywords with the ongoing strong citation bursts were "nucleotide-binding oligomerization (NOD), Leucine-rich repeat (LRR)-containing protein (NLRP3) inflammasome," "short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)," "exosome," and "homeostasis," etc. Conclusion: The research on atherosclerosis is driven mostly by North America and Europe. Intensive research has focused on the link between inflammation and atherosclerosis, as well as its complications. Specifically, the NLRP3 inflammasome, interleukin-1ß, gut microbiota and SCFAs, exosome, long non-coding RNAs, autophagy, and cellular senescence were described to be hot issues in the field.

Obstacle-induced giant jammed aggregation of active semiflexible filaments.

Filaments driven by bound motor proteins and chains of self-propelled colloidal particles are a typical example of active polymers (APs). Due to deformability, APs exhibit very rich dynamic behaviors and collective assembling structures. Here, we are concerned with a basic question: how APs behave near a single obstacle? We find that, in the presence of a big single obstacle, the assembly of APs becomes a two-state system, i.e. APs either gather nearly completely together into a giant jammed aggregate (GJA) on the surface of the obstacle or distribute freely in space. No partial aggregation is observed. Such a complete aggregation/collection is unexpected since it happens on a smooth convex surface instead of, e.g., a concave wedge. We find that the formation of a GJA experiences a process of nucleation and the curves of the transition between the GJA and the non-aggregate state form hysteresis-like loops. Statistical analysis of massive data on the growing time, chirality and angular velocity of both the GJAs and the corresponding nuclei shows the strong random nature of the phenomenon. Our results provide new insights into the behavior of APs in contact with porous media and also a reference for the design and application of polymeric active materials.

The effect of various types and doses of statins on C-reactive protein levels in patients with dyslipidemia or coronary heart disease: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Objective: The objective of this study was to measure the efficacy of various types and dosages of statins on C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in patients with dyslipidemia or coronary heart disease. Methods: Randomized controlled trials were searched from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, OpenGray, and ClinicalTrials.gov. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines for data extraction and synthesis. The pairwise meta-analysis compared statins and controls using a random-effects model, and a network meta-analysis compared the types and dosages of statins using the Bayesian random-effects model. The PROSPERO registration number is CRD42021242067. Results: The study included 37 randomized controlled trials with 17,410 participants and 20 interventions. According to the pairwise meta-analysis, statins significantly decreased CRP levels compared to controls (weighted mean difference [WMD] = -0.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] [-1.31, -0.64], P < 0.0001). In the network meta-analysis, simvastatin 40 mg/day appeared to be the best strategy for lowering CRP (Rank P = 0.18, WMD = -4.07, 95% CI = [-6.52, -1.77]). The same was true for the high-sensitivity CRP, non-acute coronary syndrome (ACS), <12 months duration, and clear measurement subgroups. In the CRP subgroup (rank P = 0.79, WMD = -1.23, 95% CI = [-2.48, -0.08]) and ≥12-month duration subgroup (Rank P = 0.40, WMD = -2.13, 95% CI = [-4.24, -0.13]), atorvastatin 80 mg/day was most likely to be the best. There were no significant differences in the dyslipidemia and ACS subgroups (P > 0.05). Node-splitting analysis showed no significant inconsistency (P > 0.05), except for the coronary heart disease subgroup. Conclusion: Statins reduced serum CRP levels in patients with dyslipidemia or coronary heart disease. Simvastatin 40 mg/day might be the most effective therapy, and atorvastatin 80 mg/day showed the best long-term effect. This study provides a reference for choosing statin therapy based on LDL-C and CRP levels.

Global Research Trends in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Bibliometric and Visualized Study.

Background: There are about 10-23% of adults worldwide suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Over the past few decades, there are many aspects of uncertainty regarding IBS leading to an ongoing interest in the topic as reflected by a vast number of publications, whose heterogeneity and variable quality may challenge researchers to measure their scientific impact, to identify collaborative networks, and to grasp actively researched themes. Accordingly, with help from bibliometric approaches, our goal is to assess the structure, evolution, and trends of IBS research between 2007 and 2022. Methods: The documents exclusively focusing on IBS from 2007 to 2022 were retrieved from the Science Citation Index Expanded of the Web of Science Core Collection. The annual productivity of IBS research, and the most prolific countries or regions, authors, journals and resource-, intellectual- and knowledge-sharing in IBS research, as well as co-citation analysis of references and keywords were analyzed through Microsoft Office Excel 2019, CiteSpace, and VOSviewer. Results: In total, 4,092 publications were reviewed. The USA led the list of countries with the most publications (1,226, 29.96%). Mayo Clinic contributed more publications than any other institution (193, 4.71%). MAGNUS SIMREN stood out as the most active and impactful scholar with the highest number of publications and the greatest betweenness centrality value. The most high-yield journal in this field was Neurogastroenterology and motility: the official journal of the European Gastrointestinal Motility Society (275, 6.72%). Gastroenterology had the most co-citations (3,721, 3.60%). Keywords with the ongoing strong citation bursts were chromogranin A, rat model, peptide YY, gut microbiota, and low-FODMAP diet, etc. Conclusion: Through bibliometric analysis, we gleaned deep insight into the current status of literature investigating IBS for the first time. These findings will be useful to scholars interested in understanding the key information in the field, as well as identifying possible research frontiers.