Copper-coordinated cellulose ion conductors for solid-state batteries.

Although solid-state lithium (Li)-metal batteries promise both high energy density and safety, existing solid ion conductors fail to satisfy the rigorous requirements of battery operations. Inorganic ion conductors allow fast ion transport, but their rigid and brittle nature prevents good interfacial contact with electrodes. Conversely, polymer ion conductors that are Li-metal-stable usually provide better interfacial compatibility and mechanical tolerance, but typically suffer from inferior ionic conductivity owing to the coupling of the ion transport with the motion of the polymer chains1-3. Here we report a general strategy for achieving high-performance solid polymer ion conductors by engineering of molecular channels. Through the coordination of copper ions (Cu2+) with one-dimensional cellulose nanofibrils, we show that the opening of molecular channels within the normally ion-insulating cellulose enables rapid transport of Li+ ions along the polymer chains. In addition to high Li+ conductivity (1.5 × 10-3 siemens per centimetre at room temperature along the molecular chain direction), the Cu2+-coordinated cellulose ion conductor also exhibits a high transference number (0.78, compared with 0.2-0.5 in other polymers2) and a wide window of electrochemical stability (0-4.5 volts) that can accommodate both the Li-metal anode and high-voltage cathodes. This one-dimensional ion conductor also allows ion percolation in thick LiFePO4 solid-state cathodes for application in batteries with a high energy density. Furthermore, we have verified the universality of this molecular-channel engineering approach with other polymers and cations, achieving similarly high conductivities, with implications that could go beyond safe, high-performance solid-state batteries.

12,13-diHOME attenuates high glucose-induced calcification of vascular smooth muscle cells through repressing CPT1A-mediated HMGB1 succinylation.

Diabetes is closely associated with vascular calcification (VC). Exorbitant glucose concentration activates pro-calcific effects in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). This study enrolled 159 elderly patients with type 2 diabetes and divided them into three groups, T1, T2 and T3, according to brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity(BaPWV). There were statistically significant differences in the waist circumference, waist hip ratio, systolic blood pressure, 12,13-diHOME (a lipokin) concentration among T1, T2 and T3. 12,13-diHOME levels were positively correlated to high density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol, but negatively correlated to with waist circumference, waist hip ratio, systolic blood pressure and baPWV. Studies in vitro showed that 12,13-diHOME effectively inhibits calcification in VSMCs under high glucose conditions. Notably, 12,13-diHOME suppressed the up-regulation of carnitine O-palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1A) and CPT1A-induced succinylation of HMGB1. The succinylation of HMGB1 at the K90 promoted the protein stability and induced the enrichment of HMGB1 in cytoplasm, which induced the calcification in VSMCs. Together, 12,13-diHOME attenuates high glucose-induced calcification in VSMCs through repressing CPT1A-mediated HMGB1 succinylation.

Genetic analyses identify brain imaging-derived phenotypes associated with the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Brain imaging-derived phenotypes have been suggested to be associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in observational studies, but whether these associations are causal remains unclear. We aimed to assess the potential bidirectional causal associations between imaging-derived phenotypes and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using bidirectional 2-sample Mendelian randomization analyses. Summary statistics for 469 imaging-derived phenotypes (33,224 individuals) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (20,806 cases and 59,804 controls) were obtained from 2 large-scale genome-wide association studies of European ancestry. We used the inverse-variance weighted Mendelian randomization method in the main analysis to assess the bidirectional associations between imaging-derived phenotypes and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, followed by several sensitivity analyses for robustness validation. In the forward Mendelian randomization analyses, we found that genetically determined high orientation dispersion index in the right cerebral peduncle was associated with the increased risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (odds ratio = 1.30, 95% confidence interval = 1.16-1.45, P = 2.26 × 10-6). In addition, the reverse Mendelian randomization analysis indicated that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis had no effect on 469 imaging-derived phenotypes. Mendelian randomization-Egger regression analysis showed no directional pleiotropy for the association between high orientation dispersion index in the right cerebral peduncle and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and sensitivity analyses with different Mendelian randomization models further confirmed these findings. The present systematic bidirectional Mendelian randomization analysis showed that high orientation dispersion index in the right cerebral peduncle might be the potential causal mediator of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which may provide predictive guidance for the prevention of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Further studies are warranted to replicate our findings and clarify the underlying mechanisms.

Genetic analyses identify brain imaging-derived phenotypes associated with the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage.

Previous observational studies have reported associations between brain imaging-derived phenotypes (IDPs) and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), but the causality between them remains uncertain. We aimed to investigate the potential causal relationship between IDPs and ICH by a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study. We selected genetic instruments for 363 IDPs from a genome-wide association study (GWASs) based on the UK Biobank (n = 33,224). Summary-level data on ICH was derived from a European-descent GWAS with 1,545 cases and 1,481 controls. Inverse variance weighted MR method was applied in the main analysis to investigate the associations between IDPs and ICH. Reverse MR analyses were performed for significant IDPs to examine the reverse causation for the identified associations. Among the 363 IDPs, isotropic or free water volume fraction (ISOVF) in the anterior limb of the left internal capsule was identified to be associated with the risk of ICH (OR per 1-SD increase, 4.62 [95% CI, 2.18-9.81], P = 6.63 × 10-5). In addition, the reverse MR analysis indicated that ICH had no effect on ISOVF in the anterior limb of the left internal capsule (beta, 0.010 [95% CI, -0.010-0.030], P = 0.33). MR-Egger regression analysis showed no directional pleiotropy for the association between ISOVF and ICH, and sensitivity analyses with different MR models further confirmed these findings. ISOVF in the anterior limb of the left internal capsule might be a potential causal mediator of ICH, which may provide predictive guidance for the prevention of ICH. Further studies are warranted to replicate our findings and clarify the underlying mechanisms.

Necroptosis-related genes allow novel insights into predicting graft loss and diagnosing delayed graft function in renal transplantation.

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is an inevitable pathophysiological phenomenon in kidney transplantation. Necroptosis is an undoubtedly important contributing mechanism in renal IRI. We first screened differentially expressed necroptosis-related genes (DENRGs) from public databases. Eight DENRGs were validated by independent datasets and verified by qRT-PCR in a rat IRI model. We used univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses to establish a prognostic signature, and graft survival analysis was performed. Immune infiltrating landscape analysis and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were performed to understand the underlying mechanisms of graft loss, which suggested that necroptosis may aggravate the immune response, resulting in graft loss. Subsequently, a delayed graft function (DGF) diagnostic signature was constructed using the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) and exhibited robust efficacy in validation datasets. After comprehensively analyzing DENRGs during IRI, we successfully constructed a prognostic signature and DGF predictive signature, which may provide clinical insights for kidney transplant.

Multiple Metal-Nitrogen Bonds Synergistically Boosting the Activity and Durability of High-Entropy Alloy Electrocatalysts.

The development of Pt-based catalysts for use in fuel cells that meet performance targets of high activity, maximized stability, and low cost remains a huge challenge. Herein, we report a nitrogen (N)-doped high-entropy alloy (HEA) electrocatalyst that consists of a Pt-rich shell and a N-doped PtCoFeNiCu core on a carbon support (denoted as N-Pt/HEA/C). The N-Pt/HEA/C catalyst showed a high mass activity of 1.34 A mgPt-1 at 0.9 V for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in rotating disk electrode (RDE) testing, which substantially outperformed commercial Pt/C and most of the other binary/ternary Pt-based catalysts. The N-Pt/HEA/C catalyst also demonstrated excellent stability in both RDE and membrane electrode assembly (MEA) testing. Using operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) measurements and theoretical calculations, we revealed that the enhanced ORR activity of N-Pt/HEA/C originated from the optimized adsorption energy of intermediates, resulting in the tailored electronic structure formed upon N-doping. Furthermore, we showed that the multiple metal-nitrogen bonds formed synergistically improved the corrosion resistance of the 3d transition metals and enhanced the ORR durability.

An Elastomeric Lithium-Conducting Interlayer for High-Performance LATP-Based Lithium Metal Batteries.

In response to the critical challenges of interfacial impedance and volumetric changes in Li(1+x)AlxTi(2­x)(PO4)3 (LATP)-based lithium metal batteries, an elastomeric lithium-conducting interlayer fabricates from fluorinated hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (F-HNBR) matrix is introduced herein. Owing to the vulcanization, vapor-phase fluorination, and plasticization processes, the lithium-conducting interlayer exhibits a high elasticity of 423%, exceptional fatigue resistance (10 000 compression cycles), superior ionic conductivity of 6.3 × 10-4 S cm-1, and favorable lithiophilicity, rendering it an ideal buffer layer. By integrating the F-HNBR interlayer, the LATP-based lithium symmetric cells demonstrate an extended cycle life of up to 1600 h at 0.1 mA cm-2 and can also endure deep charge/discharge cycles (0.5 mAh cm-2) for the same duration. Furthermore, the corresponding lithium metal full cells achieve 500 cycles at 0.5 C with 98.3% capacity retention and enable a high-mass-loading cathode of 11.1 mg cm-2 to operate at room temperature.

Dual-specificity phosphatase 26 protects against kidney injury caused by ischaemia-reperfusion through restraint of TAK1-JNK/p38-mediated apoptosis and inflammation of renal tubular epithelial cells.

Dual-specificity phosphatase 26 (DUSP26) acts as a pivotal player in the transduction of signalling cascades with its dephosphorylating activity. Currently, DUSP26 attracts extensive attention due to its particular function in several pathological conditions. However, whether DUSP26 plays a role in kidney ischaemia-reperfusion (IR) injury is unknown. Aims of the current work were to explore the relevance of DUSP26 in kidney IR damage. DUSP26 levels were found to be decreased in renal tubular epithelial cells following hypoxia-reoxygenation (HR) and kidney samples subjected to IR treatments. DUSP26-overexpressed renal tubular epithelial cells exhibited protection against HR-caused apoptosis and inflammation, while DUSP26-depleted renal tubular epithelial cells were more sensitive to HR damage. Upregulation of DUSP26 in rat kidneys by infecting adenovirus expressing DUSP26 markedly ameliorated kidney injury caused by IR, while also effectively reducing apoptosis and inflammation. The mechanistic studies showed that the activation of transforming growth factor-ß-activated kinase 1 (TAK1)-JNK/p38 MAPK, contributing to kidney injury under HR or IR conditions, was restrained by increasing DUSP26 expression. Pharmacological restraint of TAK1 markedly diminished DUSP26-depletion-exacebated effects on JNK/p38 activation and HR injury of renal tubular cells. The work reported a renal-protective function of DUSP26, which protects against IR-related kidney damage via the intervention effects on the TAK1-JNK/p38 axis. The findings laid a foundation for understanding the molecular pathogenesis of kidney IR injury and provide a prospective target for treating this condition.

Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells-Derived miR-21-5p Protects Grafted Islets Against Apoptosis by Targeting PDCD4.

The apoptosis of grafted islets is an urgent problem due to the high rate of islet loss soon after transplantation. MicroRNA-21-5p (miR-21-5p) is an essential mediator of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells-derived exosomes (BMSCs-Exo) during anti-apoptosis, but its effect and the underlying molecular mechanism in islet transplantation remain partially understood. Here, we found that miR-21-5p could be delivered to islet cells via BMSCs-Exo. Subsequently, we demonstrated that miR-21-5p overexpression reduced apoptosis in islets and INS-1 cells, whereas miR-21-5p inhibition enhanced apoptosis. A mechanistic analysis involving RNA sequencing and bioinformatic analysis was performed to determine the interaction between miR-21-5p and its target gene programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4), which was further verified by a dual luciferase assay. In vivo, the grafted islets overexpressing miR-21-5p showed a higher survival rate, better insulin secretion function, and a lower apoptosis rate. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that miR­21­5p from BMSCs-Exo protects against the apoptosis of grafted islets by inhibiting PDCD4 expression. Hence, miR-21-5p can be used as a cell-free therapeutic agent to minimize ß-cell apoptosis at the early stage of islet transplantation.

The status of nuclear medicine in China: the first official national survey.

AIM/INTRODUCTION: The National Nuclear Medicine Quality Control Center of China conducted the first official survey to investigate the nationwide situation of nuclear medicine in 2020. The survey aimed to unveil the current nuclear medicine situation and its quality control in China. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The web-based survey was conducted and the data was collected via the National Clinical Improvement System (NCIS) of China from 1st April to 31st May 2021. RESULTS: A total of 808 institutes across 30 provinces responded to the national survey. For human resources, there are 4460 physicians, 3077 technologists, 339 physicists, and 309 radiochemists. There are 887 single-photon imaging instruments, including 823 SPECT or SPECT/CT, and 365 PET instruments including 314 PET/CT. Six hundred twenty-four institutes perform SPECT examinations and 319 institutes perform PET examinations. 60% of SPECT scans are bone scintigraphy. A total of 97% of PET scans use an [18F]F-FDG tracer. Furthermore, 587 institutes provide radionuclide therapy services but only 280 institutes have admission rooms. The top three radionuclide therapies are [131I] therapy of hyperthyroidism with 546 institutes, [89Sr] therapy of bone metastasis with 400 institutes, and [131I] therapy of differentiated thyroid cancer with 286 institutes. Finally, for the frequency of equipment quality control per year, there are about 67 times self-test within the department for SPECT instruments and 111 times for PET instruments on average in each province. There are about three failures of SPECT and five failures of PET on average per year in each province. There are 408 institutes (of 624 SPECT institutes) performing quality control of SPECT radiopharmaceuticals, 216 (of 319) for PET radiopharmaceuticals, and 373 (of 587) for radionuclide therapy. CONCLUSION: These results of the first official survey towards current status of nuclear medicine in China are the foundation for the establishment of the quality control management system.

Regulation of Na+-K+-ATPase leads to disturbances of isoproterenol-induced cardiac dysfunction via interference of Ca2+-dependent cardiac metabolism.

Reductions in Na+-K+-ATPase (NKA) activity and expression are often observed in the progress of various reason-induced heart failure (HF). However, NKA α1 mutation or knockdown cannot cause spontaneous heart disease. Whether the abnormal NKA α1 directly contributes to HF pathogenesis remains unknown. Here, we challenge NKA α1+/- mice with isoproterenol to evaluate the role of NKA α1 haploinsufficiency in isoproterenol (ISO)-induced cardiac dysfunction. Genetic knockdown of NKA α1 accelerated ISO-induced cardiac cell hypertrophy, heart fibrosis, and dysfunction. Further studies revealed decreased Krebs cycle, fatty acid oxidation, and mitochondrial OXPHOS in the hearts of NKA α1+/- mice challenged with ISO. In ISO-treated conditions, inhibition of NKA elevated cytosolic Na+, further reduced mitochondrial Ca2+ via mNCE, and then finally down-regulated cardiac cell energy metabolism. In addition, a supplement of DRm217 alleviated ISO-induced heart dysfunction, mitigated cardiac remodeling, and improved cytosolic Na+ and Ca2+ elevation and mitochondrial Ca2+ depression in the NKA α1+/- mouse model. The findings suggest that targeting NKA and mitochondria Ca2+ could be a promising strategy in the treatment of heart disease.

3D Fractal Dimension Analysis: Prognostic Value of Right Ventricular Trabecular Complexity in Participants with Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is characterized by progressive myocardial fibro-fatty infiltration accompanied by trabecular disarray. Traditionally, two-dimensional (2D) instead of 3D fractal dimension (FD) analysis has been used to evaluate trabecular disarray. However, the prognostic value of trabecular disorder assessed by 3D FD measurement remains unclear. PURPOSE: To investigate the prognostic value of right ventricular trabecular complexity in ACM patients using 3D FD analysis based on cardiac MR cine images. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective. POPULATION: 85 ACM patients (mean age: 45 ± 17 years, 52 male). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 3.0T/cine imaging, T2-short tau inversion recovery (T2-STIR), and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). ASSESSMENT: Using cine images, RV (right ventricular) volumetric and functional parameters were obtained. RV trabecular complexity was measured with 3D fractal analysis by box-counting method to calculate 3D-FD. Cox and logistic regression models were established to evaluate the prognostic value of 3D-FD for major adverse cardiac events (MACE). STATISTICAL TESTS: Cox regression and logistic regression to explore the prognostic value of 3D-FD. C-index, time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under the ROC curve (AUC) to evaluate the incremental value of 3D-FD. Intraclass correlation coefficient for interobserver variability. P < 0.05 indicated statistical significance. RESULTS: 26 MACE were recorded during the 60 month follow-up (interquartile range: 48-67 months). RV 3D-FD significantly differed between ACM patients with MACE (2.67, interquartile range: 2.51 ~ 2.81) and without (2.52, interquartile range: 2.40 ~ 2.67) and was a significant independent risk factor for MACE (hazard ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval: 1.01, 1.04). In addition, prognostic model fitness was significantly improved after adding 3D-FD to RV global longitudinal strain, LV involvement, and 5-year risk score separately. DATA CONCLUSION: The myocardial trabecular complexity assessed through 3D FD analysis was found associated with MACE and provided incremental prognostic value beyond conventional ACM risk factors. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 4 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 1.

Low concentrations of saracatinib promote definitive endoderm differentiation through inhibition of FAK-YAP signaling axis.

Optimizing the efficiency of definitive endoderm (DE) differentiation is necessary for the generation of diverse organ-like structures. In this study, we used the small molecule inhibitor saracatinib (SAR) to enhance DE differentiation of human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. SAR significantly improved DE differentiation efficiency at low concentrations. The interaction between SAR and Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) was explored through RNA-seq and molecular docking simulations, which further supported the inhibition of DE differentiation by p-FAK overexpression in SAR-treated cells. In addition, we found that SAR inhibited the nuclear translocation of Yes-associated protein (YAP), a downstream effector of FAK, which promoted DE differentiation. Moreover, the addition of SAR enabled a significant reduction in activin A (AA) from 50 to 10 ng/mL without compromising DE differentiation efficiency. For induction of the pancreatic lineage, 10 ng/ml AA combined with SAR at the DE differentiation stage yielded a comparative number of PDX1+/NKX6.1+ pancreatic progenitor cells to those obtained by 50 ng/ml AA treatment. Our study highlights SAR as a potential modulator that facilitates the cost-effective generation of DE cells and provides insight into the orchestration of cell fate determination.

Effects of Nanobubbles on Photochemical Processes of Levofloxacin Photosensitizer.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) stands as an efficacious modality for the treatment of cancer and various diseases, in which optimization of the electron transfer and augmentation of the production of lethal reactive oxygen species (ROS) represent pivotal challenges to enhance its therapeutic efficacy. Empirical investigations have established that the spontaneous initiation of redox reactions associated with electron transfer is feasible and is located in the gas-liquid interfaces. Meanwhile, nanobubbles (NBs) are emerging as entities capable of furnishing a plethora of such interfaces, attributed to their stability and large surface/volume ratio in bulk water. Thus, NBs provide a chance to expedite the electron-transfer kinetics within the context of PDT in an ambient environment. In this paper, we present a pioneering exploration into the impact of nitrogen nanobubbles (N2-NBs) on the electron transfer of the photosensitizer levofloxacin (LEV). Transient absorption spectra and time-resolved decay spectra, as determined through laser flash photolysis, unequivocally reveal that N2-NBs exhibit a mitigating effect on the decay of the LEV excitation triplet state, thereby facilitating subsequent processes. Of paramount significance is the observation that the presence of N2-NBs markedly accelerates the electron transfer of LEV, albeit with a marginal inhibitory influence on its energy-transfer reaction. This observation is corroborated through absorbance measurements and offers compelling evidence substantiating the role of NBs in expediting electron transfer within the ambit of PDT. The mechanism elucidated herein sheds light on how N2-NBs intricately influence both electron-transfer and energy-transfer reactions in the photosensitizer LEV. These findings not only contribute to a nuanced understanding of the underlying processes but also furnish novel insights that may inform the application of NBs in the realm of photodynamic therapy.

Fluorocarbon Nanodroplets: Their Formation and Stability in Complex Solution Systems.

Perfluorocarbon (PFC) nanodroplets (NDs) are expanding in a wide range of applications in biotechnology and nanotechnology. Their efficacy in biological systems is significantly influenced by their size uniformity and stability within bioelectrolyte contexts. Presently, methods for creating monodisperse, highly concentrated, and well-stabilized PFC NDs under harsh conditions using low energy consumption methods have not been thoroughly developed, and their stability has not been sufficiently explored. This gap restricts their applicability for advanced medical interventions in tissues with high pH levels and various electrolytic conditions. To tackle these challenges and to circumvent potential toxicity from surface stabilizers, we have conducted an in-depth investigation into the formation and stability of uncoated perfluorohexane (PFH) NDs, which were synthesized by using a low-energy consumption solvent exchange technique, across complex electrolyte compositions or a broad spectrum of pH levels. The results indicated that low concentrations of low-valent electrolyte ions facilitate the nucleation of NDs and consistently accelerate Ostwald ripening over an extended period. Conversely, high concentrations of highly valent electrolyte ions inhibit nucleation and decelerate the ripening process over time. Given the similarities between the properties of NDs and nanobubbles, we propose a potential stabilization mechanism. Electrolytes influence the Ostwald ripening of NDs by adjusting the adsorption and distribution of ions on the NDs' surface, modifying the thickness of the electric double layer, and fine-tuning the energy barrier between droplets. These insights enable precise control over the stability of PFC NDs through the meticulous adjustment of the surrounding electrolyte composition. This offers an effective preparation method and a theoretical foundation for employing bare PFC NDs in physiological settings.

Racial disparities in the incidence and survival outcomes in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in adolescents and young adults.

Diffuse large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) is an aggressive subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The disease generally occurs in older patients. Although at a lower prevalence, the disease also occurs in the adolescent and young adult group (AYA). There is paucity of data in the literature on racial and ethnic disparities in the incidence and survival outcomes of DLBCL in the AYA group. The objective of our study is to demonstrate the disparities in these outcomes. Utilizing SEER, we obtained data on patient demographics, incidence, and survival from 2000 to 2020. We observed statistically significant reduced incidence of DLBCL in all racial groups, except the non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander group (NHAPI). The non-Hispanic Black group (NHB) had one of the lowest survival despite showing the largest decrease in incidence in DLBCL. The differences in the survival could be secondary to socioeconomic factors, however other reasons need to be explored. The increased incidence among the NHAPI group mirrors that of large population-based studies in East Asian countries, however, underlying reasons have not been elucidated.

Prognostic value of right ventricular trabecular complexity in patients with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy.

OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to investigate the incremental prognostic value of the right ventricular fractal dimension (FD), a novel marker of myocardial trabecular complexity by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM). METHODS: Consecutive patients with ACM undergoing CMR were followed up for major cardiac events, including sudden cardiac death, aborted cardiac arrest, and appropriate implantable cardioverter defibrillator intervention. Prognosis prediction was compared by Cox regression analysis. We established a multivariable model supplemented with RV FD and evaluated its discrimination by Harrell's C-statistic. We compared the category-free, continuous net reclassification improvement (cNRI) and integrated discrimination index (IDI) before and after the addition of FD. RESULTS: A total of 105 patients were prospectively included from three centers and followed up for a median of 60 (48, 66) months; experienced 36 major cardiac events were recorded. Trabecular FD displayed a strong unadjusted association with major cardiac events (p < 0.05). In the multivariable Cox regression analysis, RV maximal apical FD maintained an independent association with major cardiac events (hazard ratio, 1.31 (1.11-1.55), p < 0.002). The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit test displayed good fit (X2 = 0.68, p = 0.99). Diagnostic performance was significantly improved after the addition of RV maximal apical FD to the multivariable baseline model, and the continuous net reclassification improvement increased 21% (p = 0.001), and the integrated discrimination index improved 16% (p = 0.045). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with ACM, CMR-assessed myocardial trabecular complexity was independently correlated with adverse cardiovascular events and provided incremental prognostic value. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: The application of FD values for assessing RV myocardial trabeculae may become an accessible and promising parameter in monitoring and early diagnosis of risk factors for adverse cardiovascular events in patients with ACM. KEY POINTS: • Ventricular trabecular morphology, a novel quantitative marker by CMR, has been explored for the first time to determine the severity of ACM. • Patients with higher maximal apical fractal dimension of RV displayed significantly higher cumulative incidence of major cardiac events. • RV maximal apical FD was independently associated with major cardiac events and provided incremental prognostic value in patients with ACM.

The value of LCI-based modified Kyoto classification risk scoring system in predicting the risk of early gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To study and compare the value of the Kyoto classification risk scoring system and the modified Kyoto classification risk scoring system based on linked color imaging (LCI) in predicting the risk of early gastric cancer. METHODS: One hundred and fifty patients with pathologically confirmed non-cardia early gastric cancer by endoscopic LCI and 150 non-gastric cancer patients matched for age and gender were included. Basic patient data and whole gastric endoscopic images under LCI were collected, and the images were scored according to the LCI-based Kyoto classification risk scoring system and the LCI-based modified Kyoto classification risk scoring system. RESULTS: Compared with the LCI-based Kyoto classification risk scoring system, the LCI-based modified Kyoto classification risk scoring system had a higher AUC for predicting the risk of early gastric cancer (0.723 vs. 0.784, p = 0.023), with a score of ≥3 being the best cutoff value for predicting the risk of early gastric cancer (sensitivity 61.33%, specificity 86.00%), and scores of 3 to 5 were significantly associated with early gastric carcinogenesis significantly (OR = 9.032, 95% CI: 4.995-16.330, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the LCI-based Kyoto classification risk scoring system, the LCI-based Kyoto modified classification risk scoring system has a better value for predicting the risk of early gastric cancer, and the score of 3 to 5 is a high-risk factor for the risk of early gastric cancer development, which is more strongly correlated with the risk of early gastric cancer.

Universal scales of electronegativity and ionicity from electron scattering factors.

Electronegativity and ionicity are important but difficult concepts. In this work, we present the universal scale of electronegativity by utilizing electron scattering factors. A mapping of our proposed "scattering electronegativity" with Pauling electronegativity and other electronegativity scales is given. Two new ionicity scales based on electron scattering factors are also proposed and compared with Philips's ionicity and Pauling's ionicity. Although electron scattering factors are based on neutral, free, atomic features, scattering electronegativity and ionicity are able to provide rich charge or bonding information of materials in molecules or solid states. Our newly proposed electronegativity scale satisfies the metalloid band criterion (or Si rule). A new Mg rule and a new concept of critical ionicity gap are proposed, successfully distinguishing between the four-fold and six-fold coordinates in the ANB8-N crystals.

ZnO monolayer-supported single atom catalysts for efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction.

Hydrogen is identified as one of the most promising sustainable and clean energy sources. The development of a hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalyst with high activity is essential to meet future needs. Considering the novel advantages of two-dimensional materials and the high catalytic activity of atomic transition metals, in this study, using density functional theory calculations, the HER on a single transition metal (10 different TM atoms) adsorbed and doped ZnO monolayer (ZnO-m) has been investigated. The Volmer-Tafel reaction mechanisms and strain engineering of the three best HER catalysts are also discussed. The results show that Pt@ZnO-m, Co-doped ZnO-m and Ir-doped ZnO-m with high stability all have a smaller absolute H adsorption free energy than Pt, and the optimal value of Pt@ZnO-m is -0.017 eV. The calculation of the reaction energy barriers shows that the Volmer-Tafel step is favorable. Co@ZnO-m and Ir@ZnO-m have high HER activity, the widest pH range, and acid-alkali resistance. Pt@ZnO-m and Co-doped ZnO-m maintain excellent HER performances in the strain range of -4% to 4%.