Effectiveness and safety of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir in kidney transplant recipients with severe kidney dysfunction infected with COVID-19.

Transplant patients face an elevated risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) morbidity and mortality and commonly encounter renal dysfunction. Nirmatrelvir is primarily excreted through the kidneys. The dosage of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (NR) needs to be adjusted according to the degree of renal function impairment. Nevertheless, NR is not recommended for patients with severe renal impairment (estimated glomerular filtration rate < 30 mL/min) due to a dearth of associated research. In this study, we focus on kidney transplant patients and document and analyze the experiences of using NR in individuals with severe kidney dysfunction. This was a retrospective multicenter study that included transplant recipients hospitalized for COVID-19 in five major tertiary hospitals in China from December 2022 to June 2023. The outcomes consisted of the disease progression rate by day 28, individual disease progression events, safety outcomes, information on adverse events (AEs), and the blood drug concentrations of immunosuppressants. Data were presented with descriptive statistics. All analyses were performed using SPSS version 22. In total, 40 patients were included in the analysis. Considering the potential interaction between drugs, all patients temporarily discontinued their immunosuppressants during the NR treatment. None of the 32 moderate patients experienced disease progression. However, among the eight patients with critical COVID-19, unfortunately, two of them died. During the medication period, four patients experienced a total of six AEs associated with NR. None of them experienced AEs with a maximum grade of ≥3. Blood drug concentrations of immunosuppressants were monitored in 22 of 40 patients, and the blood drug concentrations of immunosuppressants did not show a significant increase, but some patients experienced lower blood drug concentrations. Our findings supported the use of NR therapy for the treatment of COVID-19 in transplant patients with severe renal insufficiency. A modified dose of NR was well-tolerated.

Unified Crystal Phase Control with MACl for Inducing Single-Crystal-Like Perovskite Thin Films in High-Pressure Fusion Toward High Efficiency Perovskite Solar Cell Modules.

Perovskite solar cells, recognized for their high photovoltaic conversion efficiency (PCE), cost-effectiveness, and simple fabrication, face challenges in PCE improvement due to structural defects in polycrystalline films. This study introduces a novel fabrication method for perovskite films using methylammonium chloride (MACl) to align grain orientation uniformly, followed by a high-pressure process to merge these grains into a texture resembling single-crystal perovskite. Employing advanced visual fluorescence microscopy, charge dynamics in these films are analyzed, uncovering the significant impact of grain boundaries on photo-generated charge transport within perovskite crystals. A key discovery is that optimal charge transport efficiency and speed occur in grain centers when the grain size exceeds 10 µm, challenging the traditional view that efficiency peaks when grain size surpasses film thickness to form a monolayer. Additionally, the presence of large-sized grains enhances ion activation energy, reducing ion migration under light and improving resistance to photo-induced degradation. In application, a perovskite solar cell module with large grains achieve a PCE of 22.45%, maintaining performance with no significant degradation under continuous white LED light at 100 mA cm-2 for over 1000 h. This study offers a new approach to perovskite film fabrication and insights into optimizing perovskite solar cell modules.

A Minimalist Iron Oxide Nanoprobe for the High-Resolution Depiction of Stroke by Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging.

The precise mapping of collateral circulation and ischemic penumbra is crucial for diagnosing and treating acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Unfortunately, there exists a significant shortage of high-sensitivity and high-resolution in vivo imaging techniques to fulfill this requirement. Herein, a contrast enhanced susceptibility-weighted imaging (CE-SWI) using the minimalist dextran-modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Fe3O4@Dextran NPs) are introduced for the highly sensitive and high-resolution AIS depiction under 9.4 T for the first time. The Fe3O4@Dextran NPs are synthesized via a simple one-pot coprecipitation method using commercial reagents under room temperature. It shows merits of small size (hydrodynamic size 25.8 nm), good solubility, high transverse relaxivity (r2) of 51.3 mM-1s-1 at 9.4 T, and superior biocompatibility. The Fe3O4@Dextran NPs-enhanced SWI can highlight the cerebral vessels readily with significantly improved contrast and ultrahigh resolution of 0.1 mm under 9.4 T MR scanner, enabling the clear spatial identification of collateral circulation in the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rat model. Furthermore, Fe3O4@Dextran NPs-enhanced SWI facilitates the precise depiction of ischemia core, collaterals, and ischemic penumbra post AIS through matching analysis with other multimodal MR sequences. The proposed Fe3O4@Dextran NPs-enhanced SWI offers a high-sensitivity and high-resolution imaging tool for individualized characterization and personally precise theranostics of stroke patients.

Prospective study of an adalimumab combined with partial enteral nutrition in the induction period of Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND: Adalimumab monotherapy can suppress gut inflammation and induce remission in active Crohn's disease but has some limitations. Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) is recommended for patients with mild to moderate Crohn's disease (CD), but implementation is challenging. AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of adalimumab combined with partial enteral nutrition (PEN) in the induction therapy for Crohn's disease. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was designed and a total of 56 patients with active CD who met the criteria for enteral nutrition (EN) treatment in our hospital were selected. The baseline data of all patients were collected including age, sex and other general information. The changes in fecal calprotectin, C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin(Alb), hemoglobin (Hb), platelets (Plt), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), Crohn's disease activity index score (CDAI), simple endoscopic score (SES-CD) and body mass index (BMI) were compared between the adalimumab combined with enteral nutrition (ADA+EN) group (N = 37) the adalimumab group (ADA) (N = 19) at week 0 (W0) and treatment outcomes at week 12(W12). Additionally, the differences between the two groups before and after treatment were evaluated. Then the ADA+EN group was divided into an adalimumab combined with exclusive enteral nutrition subgroup (ADA+EEN) and an adalimumab combined with partial nutrition subgroup (ADA+PEN) according to enteral nutrition intake. The changes in fecal calprotectin, CRP, Alb, Hb, Plt, ESR and CDAI, SES-CD and BMI were compared between the  ADA+EEN group and the ADA+PEN group at week 0 (W0) and treatment outcomes at week 12(W12). The differences between the two groups before and after treatment were evaluated. To evaluate the effectiveness of the two treatments on patients' quality of life, nutritional recovery and body composition, patients in the ADA+EN group were needed to complete the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ), EQ-5D-5L, the EuroQol visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS) and body composition analysis.A total of 28 patients completed all questionnaires and body composition analyses at week 0 and week 12, including 10 patients in the ADA+EEN group and 18 patients in the ADA+PEN group, respectively. The differences of in IBDQ, EQ-5D-5L and body composition analysis were compared between the two groups at week 0 (W0) and treatment outcomes at week 12(W12). Additionally, the differences between the two groups before and after treatment were evaluated. RESULTS: These investigated indexes such as calprotectin, Hb, Plt, ESR, Alb, BMI, CRP, CDAI and SES-CD scores were significantly different before and after treatment  in the ADA+EN group (p < 0.01). However, fecal calprotectin, Hb, SES-CD scores and Alb in the ADA group were not statistically significantly different from W0 to W12 (p > 0.05). The fecal calprotectin and CDAI scores in the ADA+EN group were significantly lower than those in the ADA group after treatment. The differences in all factors before and after treatment between the ADA+PEN group and the ADA+EEN group were statistically significant (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups at week 12 (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Adalimumab combined with EN are more effective than ADA monotherapy in terms of endoscopy and clinical remission. By comparing the investigated indicators such as calprotectin, Hb, Plt, ESR ,CRP and SES-CD scores, it was proven that adalimumab combined with partial enteral nutrition or exclusive enteral nutrition has the same remission effect in induced Crohn's disease. The combination of biological agents and partial nutrition can improve medical order compliance, psychological burden and quality of life. Therefore, adalimumab combined with partial nutrition can be used as the first-line treatment for CD induced remission.

Unveiling Superior Capacitive Behaviors of One-Pot Molten Salt-Engineered B, N Co-Doped Porous Carbon Sheets.

Heteroatom-doped porous carbon materials with distinctive surface properties and capacitive behavior have been accepted as promising candidates for supercapacitor electrodes. Currently, the researches mainly focus on developing facile synthetic method and unveiling the structure-activity relationship to further elevate their capacitive performance. Here, the B, N co-doped porous carbon sheet (BN-PCS) is constructed by one-pot pyrolysis of agar in KCl/KHCO3 molten salt system. In this process, the urea acts as directing agent to guide the formation of 2D sheet morphology, and the decomposition of KHCO3 and boric acid creates rich micro- and mesopores in the carbon framework. The specific capacitance of optimized BN-PCS reaches 361.1 F g-1 at a current density of 0.5 A g-1 in an aqueous KOH electrolyte. Impressively, the fabricated symmetrical supercapacitor affords a maximum energy density of 43.5 Wh kg-1 at the power density of 375.0 W kg-1 in 1.0 mol L-1 TEABF4 /AN electrolyte. It also achieves excellent long-term stability with capacitance retention of 91.1% and Columbic efficiency of 100% over 10 000 cycles. This study indicates one-pot molten salt method is effective in engineering advanced carbon materials for high-performance energy storage devices.

Lifestyle-based nomogram for identifying the Chaoshan inhabitants of China at high risk of Helicobacter pylori infection.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is associated with various diseases. Early detection can prevent the onset of illness. We constructed a nomogram to predict groups at high risk of HP infection. METHODS: Patients who underwent regular medical check-ups at hospital in Chaoshan, China from March to September 2022 were randomly allocated to the training and validation cohorts. Risk factors including basic characteristics and lifestyle habits associated with HP infection were analyzed by logistic regression analyses. The independent varieties were calculated and plotted into a nomogram. The nomogram was internally validated by receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration, and decision curve analyses (DCAs). RESULTS: Of the 945 patients, 680 were included in the training cohort and 265 in the validation cohort. 356 patients in training cohort with positive 13 C-UBT results served as the infected group, and 324 without infection were the control group. The multivariate regression analyses showed that the risk factors for HP infection included alcohol consumption (OR = 1.29, 95%CI = 0.78-2.13, P = 0.03), family history of gastric disease (OR = 4.35, 95%CI = 1.47-12.84, P = 0.01), living with an HP-positive individual (OR = 18.09, 95%CI = 10.29-31.82, P < 0.0001), drinking hot tea (OR = 1.58, 95%CI = 1.05-2.48, P = 0.04), and infection status of co-drinkers unknown (OR = 2.29, 95%CI = 1.04-5.06, P = 0.04). However, drinking tea > 3 times per day (OR = 0.56, 95%CI = 0.33-0.95, P = 0.03), using serving chopsticks (OR = 0.30, 95%CI = 0.12-0.49, P < 0.0001) were protective factors for HP infection. The nomogram had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.85 in the training cohort. The DCA was above the reference line within a large threshold range, indicating that the model was better. The calibration analyses showed the actual occurrence rate was basically consistent with the predicted occurrence rate. The model was validated in the validation cohort, and had a good AUC (0.80), DCA and calibration curve results. CONCLUSIONS: This nomogram, which incorporates basic characteristics and lifestyle habits, is an efficient model for predicting those at high risk of HP infection in the Chaoshan region.

Cognitive status and its risk factors in patients with hypertension and diabetes in a low-income rural area of China: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: The proportion of older people with dementia in China is gradually increasing with the increase in the aging population over recent years. Hypertension and diabetes are common non-communicable diseases among rural populations in China. However, it remains unclear whether these conditions affect the occurrence and development of cognitive impairment as there is limited research on cognitive status and its risk factors among residents of rural areas. METHODS: A multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method was used to select 5400 participants from rural permanent residents. A self-designed structured questionnaire was used to investigate demographic data of the participants. Cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Function Assessment Scale (MoCA). The results were analyzed using chi-square test, ANOVA and multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 5028 participants returned the survey, giving a response rate of 93.1%. Higher education (odds ratio (OR) = 3.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.87-3.54, p < 0.001), higher income (OR = 1.61, 95% CI 1.16-2.07, p < 0.001), and dietary control (OR = 0.66, 95%CI 0.34-0.98, p < 0.001) were protective factors. A visual representation of the relationship between annual income and MoCA score showed an inverted U-curve, the group with an annual income of 6000-7999 RMB had a maximum OR of 1.93 (95%CI 0.12-2.74, p < 0.001). While difficulty in maintaining sleep were risk factors for cognitive impairment (OR = -2.28, 95% CI-4.18-0.39, p = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS: Participants with middle incomes had better cognitive status than those with the highest incomes. Higher education, proper diet control and good sleep are beneficial to the cognitive status of residents in rural areas.

Generalized anxiety disorder among rural primary and middle school students during the outbreak of COVID-19: a multicenter study in three southern Chinese cities.

BACKGROUND: The major public health crisis caused by the rapid spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the large-scale public health measures such as social isolation and school closures enforced by some countries have severely affected on the physical and mental wellbeing of children and adolescents globally. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of the psychological impact and investigate the similarities and differences in the influential factors for generalized anxiety disorder among rural adolescents as a relatively lesser noticed population the outbreak of COVID-19. METHODS: From May 11 to 22, 2020, a total of 1,179 adolescents, including Grade 5-6 in primary school and Grade 7-8 in middle school, were selected by multistage sampling in three Southern Chinese cities (Shantou, Guangdong Province; Hezhou, Guangxi Province; Nanchong, Sichuan Province), and completed the questionnaires including sociodemographic, generalized anxiety disorder, academic stress, coronaphobia, knowledge of COVID-19, and precautionary measures. ANOVA, Chi-square test, Kruskalwallis H test and multivariate linear regression were performed in the statistical analysis. RESULTS: The average scores of generalized anxiety disorder during the past two weeks were 3.43 (SD 4.46), 4.47 (SD 5.15), and 4.10 (SD 4.94) in Shantou, Hezhou and Nanchong, respectively. For the pooled data, academic stress (P < 0.001), coronaphobia (P < 0.001), and precautionary measures (P = 0.002) contributed to the prediction of anxiety scores. Academic stress was significantly associated to anxiety symptoms in all cities (P all < 0.001). Coronaphobia was also significantly associated to anxiety symptoms in all cities (P all < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study highlights the urgent need for researchers and policymakers to focus on the mental health of rural children and adolescents during the COVID-19 epidemic. The adolescents with academic stress and coronaphobia, the greater the risk that adolescents will suffer from anxiety, suggesting mental health counseling and professional family support are needed.

A CT-based nomogram for differentiating invasive fungal disease of the lung from bacterial pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: There is an annual increase in the incidence of invasive fungal disease (IFD) of the lung worldwide, but it is always a challenge for physicians to make an early diagnosis of IFD of the lung. Computed tomography (CT) may play a certain role in the diagnosis of IFD of the lung, however, there are no specific imaging signs for differentiating IFD of lung from bacterial pneumonia (BP). METHODS: A total of 214 patients with IFD of the lung or clinically confirmed BP were retrospectively enrolled from two institutions (171 patients from one institution in the training set and 43 patients from another institution in the test set). The features of thoracic CT images of the 214 patients were analyzed on the picture archiving and communication system by two radiologists, and these CT images were imported into RadCloud to perform radiomics analysis. A clinical model from radiologic analysis, a radiomics model from radiomics analysis and a combined model from integrating radiologic and radiomics analysis were constructed in the training set, and a nomogram based on the combined model was further developed. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was calculated to assess the diagnostic performance of the three models. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was conducted to evaluate the clinical utility of the three models by estimating the net benefit at a range of threshold probabilities. RESULTS: The AUCs of the clinical model for differentiating IFD of lung from BP in the training set and test sets were 0.820 and 0.827. The AUCs of the radiomics model in the training set and test sets were 0.895 and 0.857. The AUCs of the combined model in the training set and test setswere 0.944 and 0.911. The combined model for differentiating IFD of lung from BP obtained the greatest net benefit among the three models by DCA. CONCLUSION: Our proposed nomogram, based on a combined model integrating radiologic and radiomics analysis, has a powerful predictive capability for differentiating IFD from BP. A good clinical outcome could be obtained using our nomogram.

Assessment of Twin Fetal Exposure to Environmental Magnetic and Electromagnetic Fields.

Fetal development is vital in the human lifespan. Therefore, it is essential to characterize exposure by a series of typical environmental magnetic and electromagnetic fields. In particular, there has recently been a sharp increase in the twin birth rate. However, lack of appropriate models has prohibited dosimetric evaluation, restricting characterization of the impact of these environmental factors on twins. The present study developed two whole-body pregnant models of 31 and 32 weeks of gestation with twin fetuses and explored several typical exposure scenarios, including 50-Hz uniform magnetic field exposure, local 125-kHz magnetic field (MF), and 13.56-MHz electromagnetic field exposure, as well as wideband planewave radiofrequency (RF) exposure from 20 to 6000 MHz. Finally, dosimetric results were derived. Compared to the singleton pregnancy with similar weeks of gestation, twin fetuses were overexposed at 50-Hz uniform MF, but they were probably underexposed in the RF scenarios with frequencies for wireless communications. Furthermore, the twin fetuses manifested large dosimetric variability compared to the singleton, which was attributed to the incident direction and fetal position. Based on the analysis, the dosimetric results over the entire gestation period were estimated. The results can be helpful to estimate the risk of twin-fetal exposure to electromagnetic fields and examine the conservativeness of the international guidelines.© 2022 Bioelectromagnetics Society.

The protective role of serum uric acid against premature membrane rupture in gestational diabetes: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Uric acid has strong antioxidant activity, whereas its oxidative damage is closely related to many diseases. We assessed the association between serum uric acid (SUA) levels and premature rupture of membranes (PROM) in pregnant women with gestational diabetes (GDM) in China. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 456 pregnant women were enrolled. Anthropometric parameters for pregnant women were collected within 12 weeks of gestation. Weight gain during pregnancy was obtained from the patients' records. GDM was diagnosed according to 75-g oral glucose tolerance tests at the 24-28th week of gestation, and SUA was determined simultaneously. PROM was identified as the natural rupture of foetal membranes before the first stage of labour. Logistic models were fitted to identify the presence of PROM using clinical characteristics with (Model 2) or without serum uric acid (Model 1). RESULTS: There were differences in BMI, haemoglobin A1c, fasting blood glucose, 1-h postprandial glucose (PG), 2-h PG, insulin levels, triglycerides,weight gain during pregnancy, the rate of macrosomia, fetus birth weight and PROM between women with and without GDM (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, GDM women with PROM had lower levels of SUA compared to those without PROM (P = 0.030). The odds ratio of PROM decreased with increasing SUA levels. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves for PROM based on Model 2 was larger than that in Model 1 (0.86 versus 0.71, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Relatively elevated SUA levels at the 24-28th weeks of gestation were associated with a lower risk of PROM in women with GDM. Therefore, SUA may be a protective factor for PROM in GDM patients. The optimal concentration of uric acid in different diseases and different populations needs to be further studied.

An Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cell with Suppressed Defects by Employing Dithizone as a Lead Indicator.

The defects in perovskite films are one of the most non-negligible factors that can attenuate the performances of perovskite solar cell. This work fabricates defect-reduced perovskite film by using the lead indicator (dithizone) as an additive of perovskite functional layer. The dithizone can retard the crystallization rate of perovskite films, passivate the defects, and enhance the structure stability of perovskite by coordinating with lead atoms. As a result, the device doped with dithizone yields outstanding power conversion efficiency and stability.

[Association of STK39 gene polymorphism with response to hydrochlorothiazide among ethnic Han Chinese with essential hypertension].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of STK39 gene with response to hydrochlorothiazide among ethnic Han Chinese patients with essential hypertension. METHODS: In total 118 patients with essential hypertension were recruited. All participants had received six weeks of treatment with hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg daily. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were measurement every 2 weeks. Genotypes of STK39 rs3754777 and rs6749447 were determined using a SNaPshot technique. RESULTS: A significant difference was found in ΔSBP between individuals with rs3754777 CC, CT and TT and those with rs3754777 CC and CT-TT (P<0.05). A significant difference was also detected in ΔDBP between those with rs3754777 CC and CT-TT (P<0.05). No significant difference was found in ΔSBP and ΔDBP between individuals with STK39 rs6749447 GG, GT and TT (all P>0.05). Relative risk analysis showed that STK39 rs3754777 was significantly associated with BP response to hydrochlorothiazide (OR=0.416, 95%CI=0.189-0.918, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Polymorphisms of STK39 rs3754777 may be associated with BP response to hydrochlorothiazide among ethnic Han Chinese with essential hypertension.

An Interconnected Ternary MIn2 S4 (M=Fe, Co, Ni) Thiospinel Nanosheet Array: A Type of Efficient Platinum-Free Counter Electrode for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

The ternary iron-group thiospinels of metal diindium sulfides (MIn2 S4 , M=Fe, Co, Ni) with a vertically aligned nanosheet array structure are fabricated through an in situ solvothermal method on F-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates, which are employed as one type of platinum (Pt)-free counter electrodes (CEs) in structure-dependent dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). A DSSC assembled with ternary CoIn2 S4 CE achieves an photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.83 %, outperforming than that of FeIn2 S4 (7.18 %) and NiIn2 S4 (8.27 %) CEs under full sunlight illumination (100 mW cm-2 , AM 1.5 G), which is also comparable with that of the Pt CE (8.19 %). Putting aside that the interconnected nanosheet array provides fast electron transfer and electrolyte diffusion channels, the highest PCE of CoIn2 S4 based DSSC results from its largest specific surface area (144.07 m2 g-1 ), providing abundant active sites and the largest electron injection efficiency from CE to electrolyte.

Association between estrogen receptor alpha PvuII polymorphism and prostate cancer risk.

Accumulating evidence has suggested that estrogen receptor alpha (ER-α) PvuII polymorphism might be involved in the development of prostate cancer (PCa). However, the results have been inconsistent. We therefore performed a meta-analysis to clarify the associations between ER-α PvuII polymorphism and PCa. A comprehensive search was conducted to identify all case-control studies of ER-α PvuII polymorphism and PCa risk. We used odds ratios (ORs) to assess the strength of the association and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to give a sense of the precision of the estimate. A total of 14 studies were found to be eligible for meta-analyses of PvuII variant. Results from this study showed that ER-α PvuII polymorphism were significantly associated with PCa risk under all genetic models in overall population (homogeneous codominant model, OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.11-2.21, P = 0.010; heterogeneous codominant model, OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.06-1.77, P = 0.02; recessive model, OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.02-1.57, P = 0.03; dominant model, OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.09-1.79, P = 0.009; and allelic model, OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.06-1.48, P = 0.010). Further sensitivity analysis confirmed the significant association. In subgroup analyses stratified by PCa type, there was a significant association between PvuII polymorphism and sporadic PCa risk under both Caucasians and Asians. The meta-analysis indicated elected PvuII polymorphism of ER-α was a risk factor for PCa development.

Drought-resistant and water-retaining tobermorite/starch composite hydrogel for the remediation of cadmium-contaminated soil.

The objective of this work is utilizing fly ash to synthesize tobermorite (TOB) with a higher specific surface area and layered structure, and incorporating it into the starch/acrylic acid network to boost the drought resistance, water retention and heavy metal adsorption properties. The water absorption and water retention performance and cadmium adsorption characteristics of tobermorite/leftover rice-based composite hydrogel (TOB@LR-CH) were evaluated by water absorption swelling test, soil evaporation test and batch adsorption experiment. By adjusting the addition of TOB and other synthesized conditions, the swelling property (from 114.80 g/g to 322.64 g/g), water retention (71.80 %, 144 h) and Cd2+ adsorption characteristics (up to 591.36 mg/g) were significantly enhanced. Adding a moderate amount of TOB (2 wt%) provided the most uniform tobermorite dispersion during synthesis, and TOB2@LR-CH exhibited the most stable three-dimensional network and highest proportion of effective TOB. The adsorption behavior of cadmium on TOB2@LR-CH was more consistent with the pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm models. Additionally, the regeneration test results displayed that the adsorption removal rate of cadmium by TOB2@LR-CH adsorbent remained stable after 5 cycles. This study demonstrates that TOB@LR-CH has good water absorption and water retention potential in arid and semi-arid soils, and also has potential application prospects in remediating Cd(II)-contaminated soil.

Validation of the Chinese version of the diabetes health profile to predict the impact of mobile health education on quality of life in type 2 diabetes patients.

Purpose: The Diabetes Health Profile (DHP18), initially created in the United Kingdom, currently lacks a Chinese version. This study endeavors to authenticate the Chinese adaptation of the DHP18 and assess the influence of mobile health (mHealth) education intervention on the quality of life of individuals living with diabetes. Patients and methods: The study included 470 Type 2 diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) patients (204 men, 266 women), spanning an age range of 19-79 years, with an average age of 54 ± 12.40 years. Data analysis employed Jamovie and Mplus software. Moreover, test-retest reliability was evaluated in 52 hospitalized T2DM patients through two repeated measurements taken 4 weeks apart. Results: The Chinese version DHP18 scale exhibited high reliability, evidenced by a Cronbach's alpha of 0.88, and coefficient of test-retest reliability of 0.84. Individual subscales also demonstrated strong reliability, ranging from 0.76 to 0.84, with test-retest reliability spanning from 0.71 to 0.74. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) employing a three-factor structure (χ2 = 294.69, GFI = 0.92, TLI = 0.91, RMSEA = 0.05, SRMR = 0.06) validated the scale's construct validity. Notably, there was a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) in the quality of life between Type 2 diabetes patients using mHealth education intervention and those without mHealth education intervention. Mediation analysis revealed that Appraisal of Diabetes (ADS) and Self-Management Efficacy (SED) mediated the effects of Psychological Distress (PD) and Behavior Adherence (BA) on quality of life, both significant direct and indirect effects (p < 0.001). In addition, Dietary Abstinence (DE) displayed significant overall impact (ß = -0.13, p < 0.001) and indirect influence (ß = -0.10, p < 0.01) on diabetic patients' quality of life, though lacking a significant direct effect (ß = -0.03, p = 0.38). Conclusion: The Chinese version of the Diabetes Health Profile Scale meets stringent psychometric standards and stands as an appropriate measurement tool for Chinese T2DM patients, maintaining comparable results to the original scale's structure. The mHealth education intervention yielded a notably positive impact on the quality of life among T2DM patients. Mediation analysis revealed that the three dimensions of the DHP were mediated by Appraisal of Diabetes and Diabetes Self-Management Efficacy, partially mediated by Psychological Distress and Behavior Adherence, and fully mediated by Dietary Abstinence, providing insight into the positive effects of the mHealth model on the quality of life of diabetic patients.

Nonmetallic graphite for tumor magnetic hyperthermia therapy.

Magnetic hyperthermia therapy (MHT) has garnered immense interest due to its exceptional spatiotemporal specificity, minimal invasiveness and remarkable tissue penetration depth. Nevertheless, the limited magnetothermal heating capability and the potential toxicity of metal ions in magnetic materials based on metallic elements significantly impede the advancement of MHT. Herein, we introduce the concept of nonmetallic materials, with graphite (Gra) as a proof of concept, as a highly efficient and biocompatible option for MHT of tumors in vivo for the first time. The Gra exhibits outstanding magnetothermal heating efficacy owing to the robust eddy thermal effect driven by its excellent electrical conductivity. Furthermore, being composed of carbon, Gra offers superior biocompatibility as carbon is an essential element for all living organisms. Additionally, the Gra boasts customizable shapes and sizes, low cost, and large-scale production capability, facilitating reproducible and straightforward manufacturing of various Gra implants. In a mouse tumor model, Gra-based MHT successfully eliminates the tumors at an extremely low magnetic field intensity, which is less than one-third of the established biosafety threshold. This study paves the way for the development of high-performance magnetocaloric materials by utilizing nonmetallic materials in place of metallic ones burdened with inherent limitations.

Real-time detection of gastrointestinal leaks via bismuth chelate-enhanced X-ray gastroenterography.

Anastomotic leaks are among the most dreaded complications following gastrointestinal (GI) surgery, and contrast-enhanced X-ray gastroenterography is considered the preferred initial diagnostic method for GI leaks. However, from fundamental research to clinical practice, the only oral iodinated contrast agents currently available for GI leaks detection are facing several challenges, including low sensitivity, iodine allergy, and contraindications in patients with thyroid diseases. Herein, we propose a cinematic contrast-enhanced X-ray gastroenterography for the real-time detection of GI leaks with an iodine-free bismuth chelate (Bi-DTPA) for the first time. The Bi-DTPA, synthesized through a straightforward one-pot method, offers distinct advantages such as no need for purification, a nearly 100 % yield, large-scale production capability, and good biocompatibility. The remarkable X-ray attenuation properties of Bi-DTPA enable real-time dynamic visualization of whole GI tract under both X-ray gastroenterography and computed tomography (CT) imaging. More importantly, the leaky site and severity can be both clearly displayed during Bi-DTPA-enhanced gastroenterography in a rat model with esophageal leakage. The proposed movie-like Bi-DTPA-enhanced X-ray imaging approach presents a promising alternative to traditional GI radiography based on iodinated molecules. It demonstrates significant potential in addressing concerns related to iodine-associated adverse effects and offers an alternative method for visually detecting gastrointestinal leaks.

Retroperitoneal dermoid cyst complicated with uterine adenomyoma: a case report and literature review.

Pelvic masses frequently originate from the pelvic cavity and are often associated with uterine, ovarian, or intestinal disorders. This report describes the case of a patient with a pelvic mass diagnosed as a retroperitoneal dermoid cyst at our hospital. We analyzed this case and conducted a literature review, to mitigate the risk of misdiagnosis and enhance the treatment of retroperitoneal masses.