Effects of enzymatic hydrolysis technology on the physicochemical properties and biological activities of American ginseng beverages.

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) contains various biological macromolecules, such as polysaccharides, saponins, and proteins, which have various pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hypoglycemic effects. Consequently, the utilization of novel processing technologies developed an American ginseng beverage to meet people's health needs and the preferences of young people. This study was the first to use American ginseng as a primary raw material, utilizing a three-step enzymatic hydrolysis approach with cellulase, pectinase, amylase, maltase, and flavor protease enzymes to prepare an American ginseng beverage. The basic nutritional and active ingredient contents of the product were determined. The antioxidant activity of enzymatic beverages was evaluated by calculating the free radical clearance rates of DPPH and ABTS, and the effect of enzymatic beverages on α-glucosidase activity was also tested. The anti-inflammatory activity of RAW264.7 cells induced by LPS was evaluated by measuring the production of NO, TNF-α, and IL-6 during the enzymatic hydrolysis process. The results indicated that the nutritional components of American ginseng beverage products met the beverage industry standards. Moreover, the application of enzymatic hydrolysis technology had improved the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of American ginseng beverages. In addition, the enzymatic beverage of American ginseng exhibited certain hypoglycemic activity. Consequently, the established enzymatic hydrolysis technology provided a reference for the production of other beverage products.

In situ fabrication of porous polymer films embedded with perovskite nanocrystals for flexible superhydrophobic piezoresistive sensors.

The application of pressure sensors based on perovskite in high-humidity environments is limited by the effect of water on their stability. Endowing sensors with superhydrophobicity is an effective strategy to overcome the issue. In this work, MAPbBr3/Polyvinylidene Fluoride-TFSI composite was prepared by a one-step in-situ strategy to form a flexible superhydrophobic pressure sensor, which exhibited a contact angle of 150.25°. The obtained sensor exhibited a sensitivity of 0.916 in 1 kPa, a detection limit of 0.2 Pa, a precision of 0.1 Pa, and a response/recovery of ∼100 ms, along with good thermal stability. Through density functional theory calculations, it is revealed that the formation of the porosity is attributed to the interaction between the polymer and EMIM TFSI, which further leads to superhydrophobicity. And, the perovskite structure is easy to change under pressure, affecting the carrier transport and electrical signals output, which explains the sensing mechanism. In addition, the sensor performed well in monitoring facial expression, pulse, respiration, finger bending, and wind speed ranging from 1 m/s to 6 m/s. With both the Linear Regression and the Random Forest algorithm, the sensor can monitor the wind speed with an R2 greater than 0.977 in 60 tests.

FT4-to-FT3 ratio is a novel prognostic marker in subacute combined spinal cord degeneration patients.

Objectives: The FT4-to-FT3 ratio (FFR) variations in patients with subacute combined spinal cord degeneration (SCSD) as a potentially useful prognostic indicator are still unknown. This study aimed to investigate the changes of FFR as a potentially valuable prognostic predictor in patients with SCSD. Methods: This study included 144 consecutive SCSD patients who received standard diagnostic and therapeutic procedures between January 2015 and December 2021 and were admitted to the Department of Neurology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University. At the time of admission, we gathered data on all patients' demographics, daily routines, previous chronic conditions, medication histories, and other clinical details. For the purpose of measuring FFR, blood samples were specifically taken within 48 h of admission. The degree of neurological impairment of patients was assessed using the functional disability scale at the time of admission. At 6 months following discharge, the Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was used to evaluate the clinical prognosis. To evaluate the relationship between the FFR and the risks of a poor outcome (mRS > 2), univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was utilized. The significance of the FT4/FT3 ratio in predicting the clinical outcomes in SCSD patients 6 months after discharge was assessed using the area under curve-receiver operating characteristic (AUC-ROC). Results: About 90 patients (62.5%) of the 144 patients had poor outcomes, while 54 (37.5%) had favorable outcomes. Higher FFR at admission was independently linked to higher odds of a poor outcome, according to a logistic analysis. With an optimized cutoff value of >2.843, the FFR exhibited the maximum accuracy for predicting a poor outcome, according to the AUC‒ROC curve (AUC 0.731, P < 0.001; sensitivity, 77.8%; specificity, 83.3%). FFR was identified as an independent predictor of poor outcomes by multivariate logistic regression (OR, 2.244; 95% CI, 1.74-2.90; P < 0.001). Conclusions: We discovered that in patients who had a bad result 6 months after discharge, the FFR had dramatically increased at the time of admission, providing a unique prognostic marker in patients with SCSD.

Impacts of ultrasound-assisted Fenton degradation and alkaline de-esterification on structural properties and biological effects of pectic polysaccharides from Tartary buckwheat leaves.

Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn) leaf has abundant rhamnogalacturonan-I enriched pectic polysaccharides, which exert various health-promoting effects. Nevertheless, the potential relationship between the chemical structure and the biological function of pectic polysaccharides from Tartary buckwheat leaves (TBP) remains unclear. Therefore, to bridge the gap between the chemical structure and the biological function of TBP, the impacts of ultrasound-assisted Fenton degradation (UFD) and mild alkaline de-esterification (MAD) on structural properties and biological effects of TBP were systematically studied. Compared with the native TBP (molecular mass, 9.537 × 104 Da), the molecular masses of degraded TBPs (TBP-MMW, 4.811 × 104 Da; TBP-LMW, 2.101 × 104 Da) were significantly reduced by the UFD modification, while their primary chemical structures were overall stable. Besides, compared with the native TBP (esterification degree, 22.73 %), the esterification degrees of de-esterified TBPs (TBP-MDE, 14.27 %; TBP-LDE, 6.59 %) were notably reduced by the MAD modification, while their primary chemical structures were also overall stable. Furthermore, the results revealed that both UFD and MAD modifications could significantly improve the antioxidant, antiglycation, and immunostimulatory effects of TBP. Indeed, TBP's biological effects were negatively correlated to its molecular mass and esterification degree, while positively linked to its free uronic acids. The findings demonstrate that both UFD and MAD modifications are promising techniques for the structural modification of TBP, which can remarkedly promote its biological effects. Besides, the present results are conducive to better understanding TBP's structure-bioactivity relationship.

Long-term outcomes of a novel fully magnetically levitated ventricular assist device for the treatment of advanced heart failure in China.

PURPOSE: Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are well-established for treating end-stage heart failure, but this therapy is only available to Chinese patients in recent years. The CH-VAD is the first used fully magnetically levitated pump and the most widely used device in China. This study reports the long-term outcomes of a cohort supported by the CH-VAD for the first time. METHODS: From June 2017 to August 2023, 50 consecutive patients received CH-VAD implantation in Fuwai Hospital. Clinical data were collected during follow-up and retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics included a mean age of 47.9±13.9 years, 90% male, and 26% ischemic etiology. The INTERMACS profile revealed 12% Profile 1, 56% Profile 2, 26% Profile 3 and 6% Profile 4. Mean support duration was 868 ± 630 days (range 33 days-6.4 years). Kaplan-Meier survival rate was 96% (95% confidence interval [CI], 85 to 99) at 6 months, 93% (95% CI, 79-98) at 1 year, 93% (95% CI, 79-98) at 2 years and 89% (95% CI, 71-96) at 3 years. 40 patients (80%) currently remain on support, 3 were bridged to recovery, 2 received transplant, and 5 expired during support. Major adverse events included right heart failure (10%), surgical related bleeding (8%), arrhythmia (8%) and driveline infection (16%). Major hemocompatibility-related adverse events were limited to 3 non-disabling strokes and 1 gastrointestinal bleeding. There was no major device malfunction during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: The largest single-center experience with the leading LVAD in China shows high survival with low complication rates, demonstrating the CH-VAD is safe and efficient in providing long-term support for end-stage heart failure patients.

Perioperative multivessel coronary artery spasm and cardiac arrest after cardiac surgery.

Postoperative coronary artery spasm, a rare but potentially fatal complication following cardiac surgery, warrants significant attention. This report discusses a 64-year-old male who suffered a severe coronary artery spasm leading to cardiac arrest following surgery. Initially stable, the patient rapidly developed critical ventricular arrhythmias and hypotension, resulting in cardiac arrest 4 h post-surgery. Emergency coronary angiography revealed extensive spasms, successfully managed with intracoronary nitroglycerine. This case stresses prompt recognition and management of coronary artery spasm after non-coronary cardiac procedures, underscoring coronary angiography's vital role in diagnosis and treatment.

Application of Strain Selection Technology in Alcoholic Beverages: A Review.

The diversity of alcohol beverage microorganisms is of great significance for improving the brewing process and the quality of alcohol beverage products. During the process of making alcoholic beverages, a group of microorganisms, represented by yeast and lactic acid bacteria, conducts fermentation. These microorganisms have complex synergistic or competitive relationships, and the participation of different microorganisms has a major impact on the fermentation process and the flavor and aroma of the product. Strain selection is one of the key steps. Utilizing scientific breeding technology, the relationship between strains can be managed, the composition of the alcoholic beverage microbial community can be improved, and the quality and flavor of the alcoholic beverage products can be increased. Currently, research on the microbial diversity of alcohol beverages has received extensive attention. However, the selection technology for dominant bacteria in alcohol beverages has not yet been systematically summarized. To breed better-quality alcohol beverage strains and improve the quality and characteristics of wine, this paper introduces the microbial diversity characteristics of the world's three major brewing alcohols: beer, wine, and yellow wine, as well as the breeding technologies of related strains. The application of culture selection technology in the study of microbial diversity of brewed wine was reviewed and analyzed. The strain selection technology and alcohol beverage process should be combined to explore the potential application of a diverse array of alcohol beverage strains, thereby boosting the quality and flavor of the alcohol beverage and driving the sustainable development of the alcoholic beverage industry.

Destruction of vascular endothelial glycocalyx during formation of pre-metastatic niches.

A special microenvironment called the "pre-metastatic niche" is thought to help primary tumor cells migrate to new tissues and invade them, in part because the normal barrier function of the vascular endothelium is compromised. While the primary tumor itself can promote the creation of such niches by secreting pro-metastatic factors, the underlying molecular mechanisms are still poorly understood. Here, we show that the injection of primary tumor-secreted pro-metastatic factors from B16F10 melanoma or 4T1 breast cancer cells into healthy mice can induce the destruction of the vascular endothelial glycocalyx, which is a polysaccharide coating on the vascular endothelial lumen that normally inhibits tumor cell passage into and out of the circulation. However, when human umbilical vein endothelial cultures were treated in vitro with these secreted pro-metastatic factors, no significant destruction of the glycocalyx was observed, implying that this destruction requires a complex in vivo microenvironment. The tissue section analysis revealed that secreted pro-metastatic factors could clearly upregulate macrophage-related molecules such as CD11b and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney, which is associated with the upregulation and activation of heparanase. In addition, macrophage depletion significantly attenuated the degradation of the vascular endothelial glycocalyx induced by secreted pro-metastatic factors. This indicates that the secreted pro-metastatic factors that destroy the vascular endothelial glycocalyx rely primarily on macrophages. Our findings suggest that the formation of pre-metastatic niches involves degradation of the vascular endothelial glycocalyx, which may hence be a useful target for developing therapies to inhibit cancer metastasis.

Identifying SLC2A6 as the novel protective factor in breast cancer by TP53-related genes affecting M1 macrophage infiltration.

The high heterogeneity of breast cancer (BC) caused by pathogenic gene mutations poses a challenge to immunotherapy, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. The difference in the infiltration of M1 macrophages induced by TP53 mutations has a significant impact on BC immunotherapy. The aim of this study was to develop a TP53-related M1 macrophage infiltration molecular typing risk signature in BC and evaluate the biological functions of the key gene to find new immunotherapy biomarkers. Weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) and negative matrix factorization (NMF) were used for distinguishing BC subtypes. The signature and the nomogram were both constructed and evaluated. Biological functions of the novel signature gene SLC2A6 were confirmed through in vitro and in vivo experiments. RNA-Sequencing and protein profiling were used for detecting the possible mechanism of SLC2A6. The results suggested that four BC subtypes were distinguished by TP53-related genes that affect M1 macrophage infiltration. The signature constructed by molecular typing characteristics could evaluate BC's clinical features and tumor microenvironment. The nomogram could accurately predict the prognosis. The signature gene SLC2A6 was found to have an abnormally low expression in tumor tissues. Overexpression of SLC2A6 could inhibit proliferation, promote mitochondrial damage, and result in apoptosis of tumor cells. The HSP70 family member protein HSPA6 could bind with SLC2A6 and increase with the increased expression of SLC2A6. In summary, the risk signature provides a reference for BC risk assessment, and the signature gene SLC2A6 could act as a tumor suppressor in BC.

Management of incessant ventricular arrhythmias in a patient with left ventricular assist device: a case report.

BACKGROUND: The implantation of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) as a bridge to transplantation or as destination therapy in end-stage heart failure patients is frequently complicated by the emergence of ventricular arrhythmias (VAs). These arrhythmias have been implicated in precipitating deleterious clinical outcomes, increased mortality rates and augmented healthcare expenditures. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a challenging case of a 49-year-old male with a history of dilated cardiomyopathy who received an LVAD. Post-implantation, the patient suffered from intractable VAs, leading to multiple rehospitalizations and hemodynamic deterioration. Despite exhaustive medical management and electrical cardioversion attempts, the patient's VAs persisted, ultimately necessitating prioritization for cardiac transplantation. DISCUSSION: This case highlights the challenges in managing VAs in LVAD patients and the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration. While pharmacological intervention is the initial strategy, catheter ablation may be considered in selected cases when medication is insufficient. In instances of intractable VAs, expeditious listing for heart transplantation as a high-priority candidate is advisable when feasible.

Exploring the therapeutic potential of tonic Chinese herbal medicine for gynecological disorders: An updated review.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Gynecological disorders have the characteristics of high incidence and recurrence rate, which sorely affects female's health. Since ancient times, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), especially tonic medicine (TM), has been used to deal with gynecological disorders and has unique advantages in effectiveness and safety. AIM OF THE REVIEW: In this article, we aim to summarize the research progress of TMs in-vivo and in-vitro, including their formulas, single herbs, and compounds, for gynecological disorders treatment in recent years, and to offer a reference for further research on the treatment of gynecological disorders and their clinical application in the treatment of TMs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Relevant information on the therapeutic potential of TMs against gynecological disorders was collected from several scientific databases including Web of Science, PubMed, CNKI, Google Scholar and other literature sources. RESULTS: So far, there are 46 different formulas, 3 single herbs, and 24 compounds used in the treatment of various gynecological disorders such as premature ovarian failure, endometriosis breast cancer, and so on. Many experimental results have shown that TMs can regulate apoptosis, invasion, migration, oxidative stress, and the immune system. In addition, the effect of TMs in gynecological disorders treatment may be due to the regulation of VEGF, PI3K-AKT, MAPK, NF-κB, and other signaling pathways. Apparently, TMs play an active role in the treatment of gynecological disorders by regulating these signaling pathways. CONCLUSION: TMs have a curative effect on the prevention and treatment of gynecological disorders. It could relieve and treat gynecological disorders through a variety of pathways. Therefore, the appropriate TM treatment program makes it more possible to treat gynecological disorders.

Vitamin C alleviates rheumatoid arthritis by modulating gut microbiota balance.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by chronic and symmetric in-flammation. Our previous research revealed an imbalance in the gut flora of RA patients and showed that certain gut microbiota can accelerate RA progression by enhancing vitamin C degradation. However, it is unclear whether vitamin C supplementation could improve the gut microbiota to prevent the development of arthritis by interfering with the gut-joint axis. In this work, we aimed to evaluate the effects of vitamin C in regulating the gut microbiota and to elucidate its potential role in the onset and progression of RA in a mouse model, thus providing a basis for the development of new intervention strategies and treatments for RA. In this study, collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mouse models, biochemical, histological and 16S rRNA microbiological methods were used to investigate the role and possible mechanism of vitamin C in rheumatoid arthritis. The results showed that treatment of CIA mice with vitamin C effectively rescued the gut mi-crobiota imbalance and suppressed the inflammatory response associated with RA, and effectively alleviated arthritis symptoms in mice in which levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α were specifi-cally reduced. In conclusion, our results demonstrate the potential of vitamin C as a potential therapeutic choice for RA.

The characteristics of fungal responses to uranium mining activities and analysis of their tolerance to uranium.

The influence of uranium (U) mining on the fungal diversity (FD) and communities (FC) structure was investigated in this work. Our results revealed that soil FC richness and FD indicators obviously decreased due to U, such as Chao1, observed OTUs and Shannon index (P<0.05). Moreover, the abundances of Mortierella, Gibberella, and Tetracladium were notably reduced in soil samples owing to U mining activities (P<0.05). In contrast, the abundances of Cadophora, Pseudogymnoascus, Mucor, and Sporormiella increased in all soil samples after U mining (P<0.05). Furthermore, U mining not only dramatically influenced the Plant_Pathogen guild and Saprotroph and Pathotroph modes (P<0.05), but also induced the differentiation of soil FC and the enrichment of the Animal_Pathogen-Soil_Saprotroph and Endophyte guilds and Symbiotroph and Pathotroph Saprotroph trophic modes. In addition, various fungal populations and guilds were enriched to deal with the external stresses caused by U mining in different U mining areas and soil depths (P<0.05). Finally, nine U-tolerant fungi were isolated and identified with a minimum inhibitory concentration range of 400-600 mg/L, and their adsorption efficiency for U ranged from 11.6% to 37.9%. This study provides insights into the impact of U mining on soil fungal stability and the response of fungi to U mining activities, as well as aids in the screening of fungal strains that can be used to promote remediation of U mining sites on plateaus.

Arachidonic acid metabolism as a therapeutic target in AKI-to-CKD transition.

Arachidonic acid (AA) is a main component of cell membrane lipids. AA is mainly metabolized by three enzymes: cyclooxygenase (COX), lipoxygenase (LOX) and cytochrome P450 (CYP450). Esterified AA is hydrolysed by phospholipase A2 into a free form that is further metabolized by COX, LOX and CYP450 to a wide range of bioactive mediators, including prostaglandins, lipoxins, thromboxanes, leukotrienes, hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids and epoxyeicosatrienoic acids. Increased mitochondrial oxidative stress is considered to be a central mechanism in the pathophysiology of the kidney. Along with increased oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation and tissue fibrosis drive the progressive loss of kidney function, affecting the glomerular filtration barrier and the tubulointerstitium. Recent studies have shown that AA and its active derivative eicosanoids play important roles in the regulation of physiological kidney function and the pathogenesis of kidney disease. These factors are potentially novel biomarkers, especially in the context of their involvement in inflammatory processes and oxidative stress. In this review, we introduce the three main metabolic pathways of AA and discuss the molecular mechanisms by which these pathways affect the progression of acute kidney injury (AKI), diabetic nephropathy (DN) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This review may provide new therapeutic targets for the identification of AKI to CKD continuum.

Influence of humic acid on the bioaccumulation, elimination, and toxicity of PFOS and TBBPA co-exposure in Mytilus unguiculatus Valenciennes.

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are emerging contaminants which coexist in marine environments, posing significant risks to ecosystems and human health. The behavior of these contaminants in the presence of dissolved organic matter (DOM), specifically the co-contamination of TBBPA and PFOS, is not well understood. The bioaccumulation, distribution, elimination, and toxic effects of TBBPA and PFOS on thick-shell mussels (Mytilus unguiculatus V.), with the absence and presence of humic acid (HA), a typical DOM, were studied. The results showed that the uptake of TBBPA decreased and the uptake of PFOS increased when exposed to 1 mg/L HA. However, at higher concentrations of HA (5 and 25 mg/L), the opposite effect was observed. Combined exposure to HA, TBBPA, and PFOS resulted in oxidative stress in the digestive gland, with the severity of stress dependent on exposure time and HA dose. Histological analysis revealed a positive correlation between HA concentration and tissue damage caused by TBBPA and PFOS. This study provides insights into the influence of HA on the bioaccumulation-elimination patterns and toxicity of TBBPA and PFOS in marine bivalves, offering valuable data for ecological and health risk assessments of combined pollutants in aquatic environments rich in DOM.

Enhancing moisture detection in coal gravels: A deep learning-based adaptive microwave spectra fusion method.

The accurate and effective detection of moisture in coal gravels is crucial. Conventional air oven-drying method suffers from prolonged processing times and their disruptive nature. This paper proposes a deep learning-based adaptive fusion method for multiple microwave spectra to non-destructively detect the moisture content of coal gravels. First, a purpose-built free-space measurement platform is employed to acquire microwave spectra of coal samples, encompassing the magnitude and phase spectra of reflection coefficients (S11) and transmission coefficients (S21). Subsequently, a Monte-Carlo cross-validation-based method is adopted to detect and eliminate outliers in the spectra. Furthermore, a novel feature extraction module is proposed, enhancing the traditional U-shaped network using residual learning (ResNet) and the convolutional block attention module (CBAM) to extract and reconstruct subtle spectral features. Inspired by the high-level data fusion, an adaptive spectra fusion method is then introduced that can autonomously balance the contributions between different spectra. The experimental results underscore the advantages of the proposed method, with narrow frequency intervals between 2.50-3.25 GHz, 3.75-4.00 GHz, and 4.75-5.00 GHz exhibiting superior detection accuracy compared to the entire frequency band, achieving R2 = 0.9034, MAE = 1.0254, RMSE = 1.2948 and RPIQ = 6.0630.

Glucans from Armillaria luteo-virens: Structural Characterization and In Vivo Immunomodulatory Investigation under Different Administration Routes.

Polysaccharides fromArmillaria luteo-virens (ALP) were investigated for structural characterization and immunomodulatory activities. Three fractions (ALP-1, ALP-2, and ALP-3) were obtained with the yield of 2.4, 3.7, and 3.0 wt %, respectively. ALP-1 was proposed as a ß-(1 → 3)(1 → 6)-glucan with a triple-helix conformation; ALP-2 and ALP-3 were both identified as α-(1 → 4)(1 → 6)-glucan differing in their Mw and branching degree with a spherical conformation. The in vitro digestibility experiment and in vivo experiments using cyclophosphamide (CY)-treated mice demonstrated that intraperitoneal injection of α-glucan (1 mg·kg-1·day-1) and intragastric gavage of ß-glucan (10 mg·kg-1·day-1) both effectively restored the decrease in body weight, immune organ indexes, immune cell activities, serum immune marker levels, colonic short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) levels, and Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio in immunosuppression mice. This study provides novel insights into the immunomodulatory activity of α- and ß-glucans under different administration routes, thereby promoting their application in both food and pharmaceutical areas.

Electronic structures and quantum capacitance of twisted bilayer graphene with defects based on three-band tight-binding model.

Twisted bilayer graphene (tBLG) with C vacancies would greatly improve the density of states (DOS) around the Fermi level (EF) and quantum capacitance; however, the single-band tight-binding model only considering pz orbitals cannot accurately capture the low-energy physics of tBLG with C vacancies. In this work, a three-band tight-binding model containing three p orbitals of C atoms is proposed to explore the modulation mechanism of C vacancies on the DOS and quantum capacitance of tBLG. We first obtain the hopping integral parameters of the three-band tight-binding model, and then explore the electronic structures and the quantum capacitance of tBLG at a twisting angle of θ = 1.47° under different C vacancy concentrations. The impurity states contributed by C atoms with dangling bonds located around the EF and the interlayer hopping interaction could induce band splitting of the impurity states. Therefore, compared with the quantum capacitance of pristine tBLG (∼18.82 µF cm-2) at zero bias, the quantum capacitance is improved to ∼172.76 µF cm-2 at zero bias, and the working window with relatively large quantum capacitance in the low-voltage range is broadened in tBLG with C vacancies due to the enhanced DOS around the EF. Moreover, the quantum capacitance of tBLG is further increased at zero bias with an increase of the C vacancy concentration induced by more impurity states. These findings not only provide a suitable multi-band tight-binding model to describe tBLG with C vacancies but also offer theoretical insight for designing electrode candidates for low-power consumption devices with improved quantum capacitance.

Early predictors of bacterial pneumonia infection in children with congenital heart disease after cardiopulmonary bypass: a single-centre retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the early predictors of bacterial pneumonia infection in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: A freestanding tertiary paediatric hospital in China. PARTICIPANTS: Patients admitted to the hospital due to CHD who underwent open-heart surgery. OUTCOME MEASURES: We retrospectively reviewed and analysed data from 1622 patients with CHD after CPB from June 2018 to December 2020 at the Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. Enrolled patients were assigned to an infection group or a non-infection group according to the presence of postoperative bacterial pneumonia infection, and the differences in clinical indicators were compared. Potential predictors were analysed by multivariate logistic regression analysis and area under the curve (AUC) analysis. RESULTS: Among the 376 patients (23.2%) in the infection group, the three most common bacteria were Streptococcus pneumoniae in 67 patients (17.8%), Escherichia coli in 63 patients (16.8%) and Haemophilus influenzae in 53 patients (14.1%). The infection group exhibited a lower weight (8.0 (6.0-11.5) kg vs 11.0 (7.5-14.5) kg, p<0.001). In the infection group, procalcitonin (PCT) (ng/mL: 4.72 (1.38-9.52) vs 1.28 (0.47-3.74), p<0.001) and C reactive protein (CRP) (mg/L: 21.0 (12.1-32.0) vs 17.0 (10.0-27.0), p<0.001) levels were significantly greater than those in the non-infection group. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that weight, PCT and CRP were independent risk factors for pulmonary bacterial infection after CPB. The AUCs of weight, PCT, CRP and PCT+CRP for predicting pulmonary bacterial infection after CPB were 0.632 (95% CI 0.600 to 0.664), 0.697 (95% CI 0.667 to 0.727), 0.586 (95% CI 0.554 to 0.618) and 0.694 (95% CI 0.664 to 0.724), respectively, and the cut-off values were ≤10.25 kg, ≥4.25 ng/mL, ≥6.50 mg/L and ≥0.20, respectively. The sensitivities were 69.7%, 54.0%, 93.9% and 70.2%, and the specificities were 53.5%, 77.7%, 19.4% and 59.1%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, weight, PCT and CRP were found to be independent predictors of pulmonary bacterial infection after CPB. Moreover, PCT was the most specific predictor, and CRP was the most sensitive independent predictor that might be beneficial for the early diagnosis of pulmonary bacterial infection after CPB in patients with CHD.

Chirality-selective topological magnon phase transition induced by interplay of anisotropic exchange interactions in honeycomb ferromagnet.

A variety of distinct anisotropic exchange interactions commonly exist in one magnetic material due to complex crystal, magnetic and orbital symmetries. Here we investigate the effects of multiple anisotropic exchange interactions on topological magnon in a honeycomb ferromagnet, and find a chirality-selective topological magnon phase transition induced by a complicated interplay of Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction and pseudo-dipolar interaction, accompanied by the bulk gap close and reopen with chiral inversion. Moreover, this novel topological phase transition involves band inversion at high symmetry pointsKandK', which can be regarded as a pseudo-orbital reversal, i.e. magnon valley degree of freedom, implying a new manipulation corresponding to a sign change of the magnon thermal Hall conductivity. Indeed, it can be realized in 4dor 5dcorrelated materials with both spin-orbit coupling and orbital localized states, such as iridates and ruthenates,etc.This novel regulation may have potential applications on magnon devices and topological magnonics.