Resilient and Tough Conductive Polymer Hydrogel for a Low-Hysteresis Strain Sensor.

Conductive polymer hydrogels are vital in strain sensors, yet achieving high resilience and toughness is a challenge. This study employs a prestretch method to engineer a tough conductive polymer hydrogel with sufficient resilience. Initially, a blend film of polyvinylalcohol (PVA) and ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) is prepared through solution casting, followed by a swelling process to form a PVA-EVOH hydrogel. This hydrogel, with PVA crystallites as crosslinking points, exhibits high toughness. The hydrogel is then immersed in pyrrole and ferric chloride solutions for in-situ polymerization of polypyrrole (PPy), creating a conductive PPy/PVA-EVOH hydrogel. Finally, a 200% prestretch is applied, breaking short chains within the network, eliminating energy dissipation at low strains. This results in a hydrogel with a 100% elastic deformation range, while maintaining high fracture toughness (1700 J m-2 ). The prestretched PPy/PVA-EVOH hydrogel functions as a strain sensor with low hysteresis, providing consistent strain measurements during loading and unloading. This outperforms the non-prestretched sample, which shows inconsistent responses between stretching and releasing.

Global trends and partial forecast of adverse effects of medical treatment from 1990 to 2019: an epidemiological analysis based on the global burden of disease study 2019.

BACKGROUND: The possibility of adverse effects of medical treatment (AEMT) is increasing worldwide, but little is known about AEMT in China. This study analyzed the health burden of AEMT in China in recent years through the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2019 and compared it with the worldwide average level and those in different sociodemographic index (SDI) regions. METHODS: We calculated the age-standardized rate (ASR) of deaths, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), incidence and prevalence attributed to AEMT in China, worldwide and countries with different sociodemographic indices during 1990-2019 using the latest data and methods from the GBD 2019. RESULTS: From 1990 to 2019, the global age-standardized death rate (ASDR), DALYs, and YLLs for AEMT showed a significant downward trend and were negatively associated with the SDI. By 2040, the ASDR is expected to reach approximately 1.58 (95% UI: 1.33-1.80). From 1990 to 2019, there was no significant change in the global incidence of AEMT. The occurrence of AEMT was related to sex, and the incidence of AEMT was greater among females. In addition, the incidence of AEMT-related injuries and burdens, such as ASR of DALYs, ASR of YLLs and ASR of YLDs, was greater among women than among men. Very old and very young people were more likely to be exposed to AEMT. CONCLUSIONS: From 1990 to 2019, progress was made worldwide in reducing the harm caused by AEMT. However, the incidence and prevalence of AEMT did not change significantly overall during this period. Therefore, the health sector should pay more attention to AEMT and take effective measures to reduce AEMT.

Comparative Efficacy and Acceptability of 12 Phosphorus-Lowering Drugs in Adults with Hyperphosphatemia and Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Hyperphosphatemia is associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Drug therapy has an irreplaceable role in the management of hyperphosphatemia. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to compare and rank phosphorus-lowering drugs, including phosphate binder and nonphosphate binder, in hyperphosphatemia adults with CKD. METHODS: We did a systematic review and frequentist random-effect network meta-analysis. We searched in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase from inception to February 1, 2023, for randomized controlled trials of 12 phosphorus-lowering drugs in adults with hyperphosphatemia and CKD. Primary outcomes were efficacy (changes in serum phosphorus) and acceptability (treatment withdrawals due to any cause). We ranked each drug according to the value of surface under the cumulative ranking curve. We applied the Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis frameworks to rate the certainty of evidence. This study was registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42022322270. RESULTS: We identified 2,174 citations, and of these, we included 94 trials comprising 14,459 participants and comparing 13 drugs or placebo. In terms of efficacy, except for niacinamide, all drugs lowered the level of serum phosphorus compared with placebo, with mean difference ranging between -1.61 (95% credible interval [CrI], -2.60 to -0.62) mg/dL for magnesium carbonate and -0.85 (-1.66 to -0.05) mg/dL for bixalomer. Only ferric citrate with odds ratios 0.56 (95% CrI: 0.36-0.89) was significantly associated with fewer dropouts for acceptability. Of the 94 trials, 43 (46%), 7 (7%), and 44 (47%) trials were rated as high, moderate, and low risk of bias, respectively, the certainty of the evidence was moderate to very low. CONCLUSIONS: Magnesium carbonate has the best phosphorus-lowering effect in hyperphosphatemia adults with CKD; considering efficacy and acceptability, ferric citrate shows evidence to be the most appropriate drug with or without dialysis.

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α activation can attenuate renal podocyte injury and alleviate proteinuria in rats in a simulated high-altitude environment.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to understand whether podocyte injury is involved in proteinuria after rapid ascent to high altitude and to explore whether hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α is involved in the adaptive regulation of this proteinuria. METHODS: Rats in the experimental group were housed in a low-pressure oxygen chamber to simulate a high-altitude environment (5,000 m). The intervention group was placed under the same conditions as the experimental group and prolyl-hydroxylase inhibitor (PHI) was intraperitoneally injected. The control group was housed in a low altitude environment (500 m). On days 0, 7, 14, and 28, urinary albumin quantification and electrophoresis were performed. The expression levels of CD2-associated protein (CD2AP), nephrin and HIF-1α were detected by immunofluorescence. RESULTS: The medium and large molecule proteins with molecular weights ranging from 63 to 75 kD were present in the urine of rats in the experimental group and that the urinary albumin levels first increased and then decreased with time and the increase on day 14 was most significant (24.58 ± 4.30 mg on day 14 VS 5.13 ± 1.58 mg on day 0). Electron microscopy revealed podocyte lesions in rats in the experimental group. Immunofluorescence results showed that the protein expression levels of CD2AP and nephrin in the glomeruli of rats in the experimental group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.001) and that the expression levels of which in the intervention group were higher than those in the experimental group (P < 0.001). The expression of HIF-1α protein in the renal tissues of rats in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.001) and lower than that in the intervention group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The podocyte injury may be involved in the occurrence of proteinuria after rapid ascent to high altitude. PHI may have a potential role in reducing proteinuria by upregulating local HIF-1α expression in the kidney to alleviate podocyte injury.

Association of bone-related biomarkers with femoral neck bone strength.

BACKGROUND: Femoral neck fractures are the worst consequence of osteoporosis (OP), and its early prevention and treatment have become a public health problem. This study aims to investigate the relationship of bone-related biomarkers, femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD) and maximum load (Lmax), selecting the indicator which can reflect femoral neck bone loss and reduced bone strength. METHODS: A total of 108 patients were recruited from January 2017 to December 2019. Venous blood samples were collected from patients before total hip replacement, and femoral neck samples were collected during the surgery. Femoral neck BMD, femoral neck Lmax, bone-related markers (serum levels of bone turnover markers, protein expression of type I collagen (COL-I) and osteopontin (OPN) in femoral neck) were all measured and analyzed. RESULTS: The expression of COL-I in femoral neck were significantly decreased, whereas other markers were all significantly increased with the decreasing of femoral neck BMD and Lmax (P < 0.05). Among them, serum C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX) levels and OPN expression of femoral neck were increased in osteopenia. In multiple linear regression analysis, CTX and OPN were both negatively correlated with femoral neck BMD and Lmax, and they were independent factors of femoral neck BMD and Lmax, whereas COL-I was independent factor affecting Lmax (P < 0.05). Besides, CTX was negatively correlated with COL-I (ß = -0.275, P = 0.012) and positively correlated with OPN (ß = 0.295, P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with other indicators, serum CTX was more sensitive to differences in bone mass and bone strength of femoral neck, and could be considered as surrogate marker for OPN and COL-I.Early measurement of CTX could facilitate the diagnosis of osteopenia and provide a theoretical basis for delaying the occurrence of femoral neck OP and fragility fractures.

Identification and evaluation of protection effect of B-cell immunodominant epitopes of campylobacter jejuni PEB1.

To provide detail data for Campylobacter jejuni (C.jejuni) vaccine research, this study performed epitope prediction analysis technology to screen the B cell immunodominant epitopes of C. jejuni adhesion protein PEB1 and evaluated the immunoprotective effect. The overlapping peptides were synthesized and B-cell immunodominant epitopes of PEB1 were identified by ELISA. BALB/c mice were immunized with the immunodominant epitopes of PEB1 conjugated with KLH plus CFA/IFA. The titers for immunodominant peptide antiserum against PEB1 were detected by ELISA. The bacterial colonization and the relative expression level of TNF-α were analyzed after the mice challenged with C. jejuni 11,168. The function of antibody induced by immunodominant PEB1 epitopes were performed by opsonophagocytic killing. The results showed that PEB155-72aa, PEB197-114aa, PEB1211-228aa were the immunodominant peptides and could induce strong B cell mediated humoral immunity response. Antiserum from the immunodominant peptides group significantly enhanced opsonize phagocytosis than CFA/IFA group (P<0.01). Both the bacterial burdens and the TNF-α expression level in the immunodominant peptides groups were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.01). Moreover, the immune protective effect of the three immunodominant peptides depended on the B cell immunity response in vivo study. In conclusion, three specific B cell immunodominant epitopes with good immunogenicity and immunoprotection efficacy were successfully identified, indicating that could be used in the anti- C. jejuni vaccine research and development.

Transcriptome profiling of venom gland from wasp species: de novo assembly, functional annotation, and discovery of molecular markers.

BACKGROUND: Vespa velutina, one of the most aggressive and fearful wasps in China, can cause grievous allergies and toxic reactions, leading to organ failure and even death. However, there is little evidence on molecular data regarding wasps. Therefore, we aimed to provide an insight into the transcripts expressed in the venom gland of wasps. RESULTS: In our study, high-throughput RNA sequencing was performed using the venom glands of four wasp species. First, the mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase submit I (COI) barcoding and the neighbor joining (NJ) tree were used to validate the unique identity and lineage of each individual species. After sequencing, a total of 127,630 contigs were generated and 98,716 coding domain sequences (CDS) were predicted from the four species. The Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis of unigenes revealed their functional role in important biological processes (BP), molecular functions (MF) and cellular components (CC). In addition, c-type, p1 type, p2 type and p3 type were the most commonly found simple sequence repeat (SSR) types in the four species of wasp transcriptome. There were differences in the distribution of SSRs and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among the four wasp species. CONCLUSIONS: The transcriptome data generated in this study will improve our understanding on bioactive proteins and venom-related genes in wasp venom gland and provide a basis for pests control and other applications. To our knowledge, this is the first study on the identification of large-scale genomic data and the discovery of microsatellite markers from V. tropica ducalis and V. analis fabricius.

Advanced Nanostructured Anode Materials for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Sodium-ion batteries (NIBs), due to the advantages of low cost and relatively high safety, have attracted widespread attention all over the world, making them a promising candidate for large-scale energy storage systems. However, the inherent lower energy density to lithium-ion batteries is the issue that should be further investigated and optimized. Toward the grid-level energy storage applications, designing and discovering appropriate anode materials for NIBs are of great concern. Although many efforts on the improvements and innovations are achieved, several challenges still limit the current requirements of the large-scale application, including low energy/power densities, moderate cycle performance, and the low initial Coulombic efficiency. Advanced nanostructured strategies for anode materials can significantly improve ion or electron transport kinetic performance enhancing the electrochemical properties of battery systems. Herein, this Review intends to provide a comprehensive summary on the progress of nanostructured anode materials for NIBs, where representative examples and corresponding storage mechanisms are discussed. Meanwhile, the potential directions to obtain high-performance anode materials of NIBs are also proposed, which provide references for the further development of advanced anode materials for NIBs.

Epidemiological characteristics of Chinese paediatric traumatic brain injury inpatients.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of paediatric inpatients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in China. RESEARCH DESIGN: The Chinese Trauma Database (CTD), a nationwide register system based on hospital admission data, contains diagnosis and treatment information for trauma inpatients in over 200 military-managed public-service hospitals in China. Using the ICD-9 coding, the data for children with TBI aged 0-17 years between 2001 and 2007 were retrieved. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: The demographic characteristics, admission time, injury cause, severity and treatment outcomes of paediatric inpatients with TBI were analysed. MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: A total of 26,028 paediatric inpatients with TBI (69.52% male, 30.48% female) were included in the CTD. Motor vehicle traffic (MVT) accidents, falls and assaults were the primary causes of injury. Falls were the leading cause of TBI in children aged 0-4 years, and MVT was the leading cause of TBI in children aged 5-17 years. According to the abbreviated injury scale, 37.20% of the TBI cases were mild, 25.15% were moderate, 24.81% were severe and 12.84% were critically severe. CONCLUSION: Chinese authorities should develop targeted measures to reduce children injuries based on the leading causes of TBI in the different age groups, particularly MVT, falls and assaults.

What is the impact of n-3 PUFAs on inflammation markers in Type 2 diabetic mellitus populations?: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the possible role of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in lowering inflammation markers in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: PubMed, CNKI and Cochrane databases were searched until December 30, 2015; references from papers or reviews were also retrieved and screened. Screening was performed by two independent researchers, and randomized controlled trials reporting the specific n-3 PUFA type, dose, frequency, and duration of treatment, as well as the baseline and follow-up concentrations of inflammation markers, including interleukin 2 (IL-2), interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and C-reactive protein (CRP), were selected for final analysis. Data analysis was performed using RevMan 5.2 software. RESULTS: Eight studies involving 955 participants were included; all reported CRP. Only one included study reported IL-2 or IL-6 while two studies reported TNF-α. N-3 PUFAs significantly reduced CRP concentration compared with control [SMD 95 % CI, 1.90 (0.64, 3.16), Z = 2.96, P = 0.003, random effect model]. CONCLUSIONS: N-3 PUFAs decrease CRP concentration in type-2 diabetes mellitus. However, larger and rigorously designed RCTs are required to confirm this finding and extend it into other inflammatory biomarkers.

The epidemiology of traumatic brain injury in civilian inpatients of Chinese Military Hospitals, 2001-2007.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To investigate the epidemiology of TBI in Chinese inpatients. RESEARCH DESIGN: Civilian inpatients of Chinese military hospitals diagnosed with TBI between 2001-2007 were identified using ICD-9-CM codes. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Demographic characteristics, admission time, injury cause, injury severity, length of stay and outcomes were compared between ICD-9-CM diagnosis groups. MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: In total, 203 553 civilian patients with TBI (74.86% male, 25.14% female) were identified from >200 Chinese military hospitals. TBI diagnoses increased by a mean of 4.67% each year. Admission peaked during the third quarter of the year and October annually. The leading causes of TBI were motor vehicle-traffic (51.41%), falls (21.49%) and assaults (15.77%). TBI was categorized by abbreviated injury scale score as mild in 36.64%, serious in 20.13%, severe in 26.81% and critical in 15.68% of inpatients. The mean length of stay was 17.8 ± 24.1 days. Recovery rate was 93.06% and mortality was 4.14%. CONCLUSIONS: The epidemiological data may contribute to the development of effective, targeted strategies to prevent TBI.

A retrospective comparison of dexmedetomidine versus midazolam for pediatric patients with congenital heart disease requiring postoperative sedation.

We hypothesized that postoperative sedation with dexmedetomidine/fentanyl would be effective in infants and neonates with congenital heart disease and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Children who were <36 months of age, had congenital heart disease with PAH, and had been treated at our hospital between October 2011 and April 2013 (n = 187) were included in this retrospective study. Either dexmedetomidine/fentanyl (Group Dex) or midazolam/fentanyl (Group Mid) was used for postoperative sedation. The main outcome variables included delirium scores, supplemental sedative/analgesic drugs, ventilator use, and sedation time. Baseline demographics and clinical characteristics were similar between the two groups. The Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium scale (5.2 ± 5.3 vs. 7.1 ± 5.2 in the Dex and Mid groups, respectively; P = 0.016) and the incidence of delirium (18.2 vs. 32.0 % in the Dex and Mid groups, respectively; P = 0.039) were significantly lower in the Dex group than in the Mid group. Total sufentanil, midazolam, and propofol doses given during the operation did not differ between the two groups. Group Dex patients required significantly lower doses of adjunctive sedative/analgesic drugs than group Mid patients in the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU; midazolam, P = 0.007; morphine, P < 0.001). In conclusion, we found no differences between dexmedetomidine/fentanyl and midazolam/fentanyl in terms of the duration of sedation, mechanical ventilator use, and CICU stay in children with PAH. However, patients in the Dex group required a lower additional sedative/analgesic drugs and had a lower incidence of delirium than patients in the Mid group.

MicroRNA-630 is a prognostic marker for patients with colorectal cancer.

MicroRNAs are noncoding RNAs that regulate multiple cellular processes during cancer progression. Among various microRNAs, miR-630 has recently been identified to be implicated in many critical processes in human malignancies. We investigated the expression pattern and prognostic value of miR-630 in human colorectal cancer by utilizing cancer and adjacent normal specimens from 206 patients. Quantitative real-time PCR assay was used to detect the expression of miR-630, and appropriate statistical analysis was used to evaluate the association of miR-630 with overall survival. It was found that miR-630 expression was significantly increased in colorectal cancer specimens compared with that in adjacent normal specimens. It was also proved that miR-630 expression in colorectal cancer was associated with tumor invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis proved that increased miR-630 expression was associated with poor overall survival of patients with colorectal cancer. Multivariate analysis proved that miR-630 was an independent prognostic marker after adjusted for known prognostic factors. These results confirmed the overexpression of miR-630 in human colorectal cancer and its association with tumor progression. It also suggested that miR-630 expression might serve as a prognostic biomarker for patients with colorectal cancer.

General fabrication of ordered nanocone arrays by one-step selective plasma etching.

One-step selective direct current (DC) plasma etching technology is employed to fabricate large-area well-aligned nanocone arrays on various functional materials including semiconductor, insulator and metal. The cones have nanoscale apexes (∼2 nm) with high aspect ratios, which were achieved by a selective plasma etching process using only CH4 and H2 in a bias-assisted hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) system without any masked process. The CH(3)(+) ions play a major role to etch the roughened surface into a conical structure under the auxiliary of H(+) ions. Randomly formed nano-carbon may act as an original mask on the smooth surface to initiate the following selective ions sputtering. Physical impinging of energetic ions onto the concave regions is predominant in comparison with the etching of convex parts on the surface, which is identified as the key mechanism for the formation of conical nanostructures. This one-step maskless plasma etching technology enables the universal formation of uniform nanocone structures on versatile substrates for many promising applications.

Comparison of lower extremity atherosclerosis in diabetic and non-diabetic patients using multidetector computed tomography.

BACKGROUND: Lower extremity atherosclerosis (LEA) is among the most serious diabetic complications and leads to non-traumatic amputations. The recently developed dual-source CT (DSCT) and 320- multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) may help to detect plaques more precisely. The aim of our study was to evaluate the differences in LEA between diabetic and non-diabetic patients using MDCT angiography. METHODS: DSCT and 320-MDCT angiographies of the lower extremities were performed in 161 patients (60 diabetic and 101 non-diabetic). The plaque type, distribution, shape and obstructive natures were compared. RESULTS: Compared with non-diabetic patients, diabetic patients had higher peripheral neuropathy, history of cerebrovascular infarction and hypertension rates. A total of 2898 vascular segments were included in the analysis. Plaque and stenosis were detected in 681 segments in 60 diabetic patients (63.1%) and 854 segments in 101 non-diabetic patients (46.9%; p <0.05). Regarding these plaques, diabetic patients had a higher incidence of mixed plaques (34.2% vs. 27.1% for non-diabetic patients). An increased moderate stenosis rate and decreased occlusion rate were observed in diabetic patients relative to non-diabetic patients (35.8% vs. 28.3%; and 6.6% vs. 11.4%; respectively). In diabetic patients, 362 (53.2%) plaques were detected in the distal lower leg segments, whereas in non-diabetic patients, 551 (64.5%) plaques were found in the proximal upper leg segments. The type IV plaque shape, in which the full lumen was involved, was detected more frequently in diabetic patients than in non-diabetic patients (13.1% vs. 8.2%). CONCLUSION: Diabetes is associated with a higher incidence of plaque, increased incidence of mixed plaques, moderate stenosis and localisation primarily in the distal lower leg segments. The advanced and non-invasive MDCT could be used for routine preoperative evaluations of LEA.

Hand-assisted laparoscopic versus laparoscopy-assisted D2 radical gastrectomy: a prospective study.

BACKGROUD: The feasibility and safety of Hand-assisted laparoscopic D2 radical gastrectomy (HALG) have been seldom reported, also, benefits and outcomes are not defined. METHODS: We performed a comprehensive and in-depth comparative analysis of the general information, the intraoperative data and postoperative data in the Group HALG and the Group laparoscopy-assisted D2 radical gastrectomy (LAG). RESULTS: The general data of HALG and LAG were no differences (P > 0.05); the blood loss and unexpected injury were similar(P > 0.05); the operative time, the incision length, the number of lymph nodes recovered, the rate of procedure conversion, the amount of postoperative complications, and the length of postoperative hospital stay of Group HALG were prior to that of Group LAG(P < 0.05); there were no differences for the pain score after day 2, the recovery time of intestinal function, the rate of reoperation, the 30-day hospital and readmission rate(P > 0.05); and there were significant linear correlations between the length of postoperative hospital stay and the operative time for both groups(P = 0.00). CONCLUSION: Compared with LAG, HALG had similar features of being minimally invasive and radical in treating gastric cancers, and HALG was safer than LAG.

Tungsten and Boron Codoping toward High Ionic Conductivity and Stable Sodium Solid Electrolyte for All-Solid-State Sodium Batteries.

Sodium solid electrolytes with high ionic conductivity and good interfacial stability with sodium metal are crucial to realize high-performance all-solid-state sodium batteries. In this work, W and B-codoped Na3Sb1-xWxS4-xBx solid electrolytes are prepared by melt-quenching with further annealing. The synthesized Na3Sb0.95W0.05S3.95B0.05 solid electrolyte possesses a high ionic conductivity of 11.06 mS cm-1 under 25 °C and shows significantly improved interface compatibility with metal sodium. Specifically, Na/Na3Sb0.95W0.05S3.95B0.05/Na symmetric cell can stable cycle for 500 h under a current density of 0.05 mA cm-2. In addition, the resultant TiS2/Na3Sb0.95W0.05S3.95B0.05/Na battery exhibits an initial charge capacity of 164.1 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C with a capacity retention of 76.4% after 100 cycles. This work provides a new strategy to realize the high ionic conductivity of sodium solid electrolytes with improved interfacial stability with sodium anode.

Calcium Doped NASICON Electrolyte with Graphite Coating for Stable All-solid-state Sodium Metal Batteries.

All-solid-state sodium metal batteries face the challenges of low ionic conductivity of solid electrolytes and poor wettability towards metallic Na anode. Herein, Na3Zr2Si2PO12 solid electrolyte is doped with Ca2+, obtaining a high ionic conductivity of 2.09×10-3 S cm-1 with low electronic conductivity of 1.43×10-8 S cm-1 at room temperature, which could accelerate Na+ transportation and suppress sodium dendrite growth. Meanwhile, a graphite-based interface layer is coated on Na3.4Zr1.8Ca0.2Si2PO12 (Na3.4Zr1.8Ca0.2Si2PO12-G) in order to improve the solid-solid contact between solid electrolyte and Na anode, realizing a uniform current distribution and smooth Na metal plating/stripping, and thus achieving a triple higher critical current density of 3.5 mA cm-2 compared with that of Na3.4Zr1.8Ca0.2Si2PO12. In addition, the assembled Na3V2(PO4)3/Na3.4Zr1.8Ca0.2Si2PO12-G/Na all-solid-state battery exhibits excellent electrochemical performances with a reversible capacity of 81.47 mAh g-1 at 1 C and capacity retention of 97.75 % after 500 cycles.

Chronic venous disease of lower limbs in young men at high-altitude: A cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to understand the prevalence of chronic venous disease (CVD) of lower limbs in young men at high-altitude in Xizang, and to provide prevention measures. METHODS: The convenient sampling method was used to conduct a questionnaire survey among males aged 18 to 40 above an altitude of 3000 meters in Xizang in April 2023. The contents of the questionnaire included basic information, symptoms of CVD of lower limbs, protection status and training needs. Multivariate logistic regression model was calculated to evaluate the risk factors for CVD. RESULTS: A total of 350 survey questionnaires were received, and 326 valid samples were collected. The prevalence of CVD of lower limbs (C1-C6) was 37.42% (95%CI: 32.17%-42.68%), the ratio of C0 to C5 were 62.58%, 27.30%, 3.07%, 4.60%, 2.15% and 0.31%, respectively, no one reached C6. The top three symptoms of CVD were lower limb fatigue (18.10%), heaviness (15.34%) and pain (13.19%). 46.01% of respondents were unaware of CVD, and 12.88% of respondents did not have any protective measures of CVD. Multivariate logistic regression showed that age (OR = 1.076, 95%CI: 1.018-1.137, p = .009), preference for spicy food (OR = 1.747, 95%CI: 1.083-2.818, p = .022), unbalanced diet (OR = 1.877, 95%CI: 1.049-3.358, p = .034) and physical exercise (OR 0.610, 95%CI: 0.377-0.986, p = .044) were the independent risk factors for CVD. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided data on the prevalence of CVD in young men at high-altitude and the risk factors for CVD. The findings of this study may facilitate the development of individualized clinical assessments and targeted prevention programs.

Epidemiological Survey of Congenital Heart Disease Among Children Aged from 2 to 18 in Suo County, Nagqu, Tibet.

Lin, Tian, Huaping Jia, Yunming Li, Yongxing Xu, Bei Zhao, Dong Zheng, Hongfeng Yan, Meihui Zhao, Yanlei Li, Liping Xia, Fengxia Zhou, Cuiping Liu, Ke Ma, Ma Mi, and Jianwen Gu. Epidemiological survey of congenital heart disease among children aged from 2 to 18 in Suo County, Nagqu, Tibet. High Alt Med Biol. 00:000-000, 2024. Background: Studies have reported the prevalence of congenital heart disease (CHD) in parts of Tibet, but relative epidemiological surveys are rare. We aimed to explore the prevalence of CHD in children and its relationship with family history in Suo County, Nagqu, Tibet, an altitude of 3,980 meters. Methods: We recruited 4,002 children aged 2-18 years. Subjects underwent a family history investigation, cardiac auscultation, and clinical manifestation examination and then received echocardiographic screening. Results: The prevalence of CHD among children in Suo County was 0.97% (39 cases), much higher than the prevalence at sea level. The most common subtype was atrial septal defect, accounting for 53.9% of CHD, followed by patent ductus arteriosus (33.3%) and ventricular septal defect (12.8%). We also found that children whose mothers had previously borne children with CHD had a higher risk of CHD than those without (p = 0.002); other factors related to CHD during pregnancy, such as smoking, drinking, drug use, and viral infection, showed no statistical differences between children with and without CHD. Conclusions: The prevalence of CHD in children in Suo County is much higher than at low altitude, consisting mostly of simple forms with left-to-right shunt, with rare complex CHD. These results support implementing diagnostic and treatment plans to prevent CHD in Suo County.