Advanced Hollow Cubic FeCo-N-C Cathode Electrocatalyst for Ultrahigh-Power Aluminum-Air Battery.

The exploration of electrocatalysts toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is pivotal in the development of diverse batteries and fuel cells that rely on ORR. Here, a FeCo-N-C electrocatalyst (FeCo-HNC) featuring with atomically dispersed dual metal sites (Fe-Co) and hollow cubic structure is reported, which exhibits high activity for electrocatalysis of ORR in alkaline electrolyte, as evidenced by a half-wave potential of 0.907 V, outperforming that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst. The practicality of such FeCo-HNC catalyst is demonstrated by integrating it as the cathode catalyst into an alkaline aluminum-air battery (AAB) paring with an aluminum plate serving as the anode. This AAB demonstrates an unprecedented power density of 804 mW cm-2 in ambient air and an impressive 1200 mW cm-2 in an oxygen-rich environment. These results not only establish a new benchmark but also set a groundbreaking record for the highest power density among all AABs reported to date. Moreover, they stand shoulder to shoulder with state-of-the-art H2-O2 fuel cells. This AAB exhibits robust stability with continuous operation for an impressive 200 h. This groundbreaking achievement underscores the immense potential and forward strides that the present work brings to the field.

A Whole-Process Visible Strategy for the Preparation of Rhizomucor miehei Lipase with Escherichia coli Secretion Expression System and the Immobilization.

BACKGROUND: Rhizomucor miehei (RM) lipase is a regioselective lipase widely used in food, pharmaceutical and biofuel industries. However, the high cost and low purity of the commercial RM lipase limit its industrial applications. Therefore, it is necessary to develop cost-effective strategies for large-scale preparation of this lipase. The present study explored the high-level expression of RM lipase using superfolder green fluorescent protein (sfGFP)-mediated Escherichia coli secretion system. RESULTS: The sfGFP(-15) mutant was fused to the C-terminus of RM lipase to mediate its secretion expression. The yield of the fusion protein reached approximately 5.1 g/L with high-density fermentation in 5-L fermentors. Unlike conventional secretion expression methods, only a small portion of the target protein was secreted into the cell culture while majority of the fusion protein was still remained in the cytoplasm. However, in contrast to intracellular expression, the target protein in the cytoplasm could be transported efficiently to the supernatant through a simple washing step with equal volume of phosphate saline (PBS), without causing cell disruption. Hence, the approach facilitated the downstream purification step of the recombinant RM lipase. Moreover, contamination or decline of the engineered strain and degradation or deactivation of the target enzyme can be detected efficiently because they exhibited bright green fluorescence. Next, the target protein was immobilized with anion-exchange and macropore resins. Diethylaminoethyl sepharose (DEAE), a weak-basic anion-exchange resin, exhibited the highest bind capacity but inhibited the activity of RM lipase dramatically. On the contrary, RM lipase fixed with macropore resin D101 demonstrated the highest specific activity. Although immobilization with D101 didn't improve the activity of the enzyme, the thermostability of the immobilized enzyme elevated significantly. The immobilized RM lipase retained approximately 90% of its activity after 3-h incubation at 80 °C. Therefore, D101 was chosen as the supporting material of the target protein. CONCLUSION: The present study established a highly efficient strategy for large-scale preparation of RM lipase. This innovative technique not only provides high-purity RM lipase at a low cost but also has great potential as a platform for the preparation of lipases in the future.

Reference-based genome compression using the longest matched substrings with parallelization consideration.

BACKGROUND: A large number of researchers have devoted to accelerating the speed of genome sequencing and reducing the cost of genome sequencing for decades, and they have made great strides in both areas, making it easier for researchers to study and analyze genome data. However, how to efficiently store and transmit the vast amount of genome data generated by high-throughput sequencing technologies has become a challenge for data compression researchers. Therefore, the research of genome data compression algorithms to facilitate the efficient representation of genome data has gradually attracted the attention of these researchers. Meanwhile, considering that the current computing devices have multiple cores, how to make full use of the advantages of the computing devices and improve the efficiency of parallel processing is also an important direction for designing genome compression algorithms. RESULTS: We proposed an algorithm (LMSRGC) based on reference genome sequences, which uses the suffix array (SA) and the longest common prefix (LCP) array to find the longest matched substrings (LMS) for the compression of genome data in FASTA format. The proposed algorithm utilizes the characteristics of SA and the LCP array to select all appropriate LMSs between the genome sequence to be compressed and the reference genome sequence and then utilizes LMSs to compress the target genome sequence. To speed up the operation of the algorithm, we use GPUs to parallelize the construction of SA, while using multiple threads to parallelize the creation of the LCP array and the filtering of LMSs. CONCLUSIONS: Experiment results demonstrate that our algorithm is competitive with the current state-of-the-art algorithms in compression ratio and compression time.

RAGE plays key role in diabetic retinopathy: a review.

RAGE is a multiligand receptor for the immunoglobulin superfamily of cell surface molecules and is expressed in Müller cells, vascular endothelial cells, nerve cells and RPE cells of the retina. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a multifactorial disease associated with retinal inflammation and vascular abnormalities and is the leading cause of vision loss or impairment in older or working-age adults worldwide. Therapies aimed at reducing the inflammatory response and unnecessary angiogenesis can help slow the progression of DR, which in turn can save patients' vision. To maximize the efficacy and minimize the side effects, treatments that target key players in the pathophysiological process of DR need to be developed. The interaction between RAGE and its ligands is involved in a variety of cytopathological alterations in the retina, including secretion of inflammatory factors, regulation of angiogenesis, oxidative stress, structural and functional changes, and neurodegeneration. In this review, we will summarize the pathologic pathways mediated by RAGE and its ligand interactions and discuss its role in the progression of diabetic retinopathy to explore potential therapeutic targets that are effective and safe for DR.

CMIC: an efficient quality score compressor with random access functionality.

BACKGROUND: Over the past few decades, the emergence and maturation of new technologies have substantially reduced the cost of genome sequencing. As a result, the amount of genomic data that needs to be stored and transmitted has grown exponentially. For the standard sequencing data format, FASTQ, compression of the quality score is a key and difficult aspect of FASTQ file compression. Throughout the literature, we found that the majority of the current quality score compression methods do not support random access. Based on the above consideration, it is reasonable to investigate a lossless quality score compressor with a high compression rate, a fast compression and decompression speed, and support for random access. RESULTS: In this paper, we propose CMIC, an adaptive and random access supported compressor for lossless compression of quality score sequences. CMIC is an acronym of the four steps (classification, mapping, indexing and compression) in the paper. Its framework consists of the following four parts: classification, mapping, indexing, and compression. The experimental results show that our compressor has good performance in terms of compression rates on all the tested datasets. The file sizes are reduced by up to 21.91% when compared with LCQS. In terms of compression speed, CMIC is better than all other compressors on most of the tested cases. In terms of random access speed, the CMIC is faster than the LCQS, which provides a random access function for compressed quality scores. CONCLUSIONS: CMIC is a compressor that is especially designed for quality score sequences, which has good performance in terms of compression rate, compression speed, decompression speed, and random access speed. The CMIC can be obtained in the following way: https://github.com/Humonex/Cmic .

Crack Localization in Operating Rotors Based on Multivariate Higher Order Dynamic Mode Decomposition.

A novel output-only crack localization method is proposed for operating rotors based on an enhanced higher-order dynamic mode decomposition (HODMD), in which the nonlinear breathing crack-induced super-harmonic characteristic components from multiple vibration measurement points are simultaneously extracted to compose the corresponding super-harmonic transmissibility damage indexes. Firstly, the theoretical background of the HODMD is briefly reviewed. Secondly, the proposed crack localization method is dedicated which improving the HODMD for multivariate signals by casting the total least square method into standard HODMD and adaptively selecting the order parameter of Koopman approximation by optimizing the super-harmonic frequency vector. In addition, the super-harmonic characteristic components are evaluated and harnessed to derive the damage index based on super-harmonic transmissibility and fractal dimension. Finally, the proposed method is investigated and demonstrated by numerical simulations and experiments. Both numerical and experimental results show that the proposed method is powerful in realizing multi-crack localization for running rotors accurately and robustly in the case of no baseline information on intact rotors. Moreover, the interferences from commonly existing steps and misalignment can also be eliminated.

A rapid reduction of Au(I→0) strategy for the colorimetric detection and discrimination of proteins.

A gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-based sensing strategy based on rapid reduction of Au(I→0) is proposed. As a proof-of-concept study, the proposed sensing principle is designed for simultaneous and colorimetric detection and discrimination of multiple proteins. In the presence of H2O2, the target proteins could reduce Au(I) (i.e. HAuCl2) to AuNPs with different sizes, shapes and dispersion/aggregation states, thus resulting in rapidly colorimetric identification of different proteins. The optical response (i.e. color) of AuNPs is found to be characteristic of a given protein. The color response patterns are characteristic for each protein and can be quantitatively differentiated by statistical techniques. The sensor array is capable of discriminating proteins at concentrations as low as 0.1 µg/mL with high accuracy. A linear relationship was observed between the total Euclidean distances and protein concentration, providing the potential for protein quantification using this sensor array. The limit of detection (LOD) for catalase (Cat) is 0.08 µg/mL. The good linear range (from 0 to 8 µg/mL) has been used for the quantitative assay of Cat. To show a potentially practical application, this method was used to detect and discriminate proteins in human urine and tear samples. Graphical abstract We report a facile gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-based sensing strategy, that is, "a rapid reduction of Au(I) to Au(0) nanoparticles with different sizes and shapes by analytes that having certain reducing capabilities, resulting in different colours." The proposed sensing principle is designed for simultaneous, colorimetric detection and discrimination of multiple proteins.

Ascitic fluid total protein, a useful marker in non-portal hypertensive ascites.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Diagnostic performance of ascitic fluid total protein (AFTP) concentration remained unsettled. Our aim was to determine diagnostic value of AFTP in differential diagnosis of causes of ascites. METHODS: Seven hundred four consecutive patients with new-onset ascites were prospectively enrolled in this study. RESULTS: In the training cohort, diagnostic performance of quantitative AFTP assay was superior to that of Rivalta test in differential diagnosis of ascites. At the predetermined cut-off value of 25 g/L, quantitative AFTP assay was more useful in the differentiation of non-portal hypertensive ascites from portal hypertensive ascites compared with the exudate-transudate classification, area under curve of receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.958. Quantitative AFTP assay was superior to serum-ascites albumin gradient in the detection of non-portal hypertensive ascites, especially malignant ascites and tuberculous peritonitis. In mixed ascites, AFTP was useful in identifying peritoneal lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Ascitic fluid total protein is a useful marker in non-portal hypertensive ascites; thus, it should be determined in diagnostic work-up of the patients with ascites.

The development and understanding of intracranial aneurysm based on rabbit model.

In modern society, intracranial aneurysms have seriously affected people's life. To better study and treat intracranial aneurysm, animal models are ideal candidates to perform biological research and preclinical endovascular device testing. Rabbit aneurysm model is one of the most commonly used animal models, and the rabbit aneurysms share similarities in histology, morphology, and hemodynamic aspects with human intracranial aneurysms, which is an ideal model for intracranial aneurysm pre-clinical and basic research. In this review, we will summarize the main methods of establishing rabbit aneurysms model and will further discuss the current biological mechanisms of intracranial aneurysms based on rabbit model. Further improvements of rabbit aneurysm model and more deep studies based on this model are needed to provide new insights into studying and clinical treating intracranial aneurysm.

Prognostic factors for ARDS: clinical, physiological and atypical immunodeficiency.

BACKGROUND: Risk factors affecting the prognosis of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in adults were investigated. The aim was to identify new predictors for ARDS patient prognosis, including those with clinical, pathophysiological, and atypical immunodeficiency. METHODS: ARDS patients were retrospectively included. The patients were grouped and analysed according to different oxygenation index grades and prognosis, and factors influencing prognosis and survival were examined. Adolescent patients, patients with typical immunodeficiency and patients who died within 24 h after being diagnosed with ARDS were excluded. The predictive value for mortality was determined by Cox proportional hazard analysis. RESULTS: In total, 201 patients who fulfilled the Berlin definition of ARDS were included. The severity of critical illness on the day of enrolment, as measured by the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score (P = 0.016), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (P = 0.027), and PaO2/FiO2 (P = 0.000), worsened from mild to severe ARDS cases. Compared with survivors, non-survivors were significantly older and had higher APACHE II and SOFA scores. Moreover, significantly lower lymphocyte/neutrophil ratios and leukocyte counts were found among non-survivors than survivors (P = 0.008, P = 0.012). A moderate positive correlation between the lymphocyte/neutrophil and PaO2/FiO2 ratios (P = 0.023) was observed. In predicting 100-day survival in patients with ARDS, the area under the curve (AUC) for the lymphocyte/neutrophil ratio was significantly higher than those for the PaO2/FiO2 ratio alone, body mass index (BMI) alone, and the lymphocyte count alone (P = 0.0062, 0.0001, and 0.0154). Age (per log10 years), BMI < 24, SOFA score, leukocyte count, and the lymphocyte/neutrophil ratio were independent predictors of 28-day mortality in ARDS patients. Additionally, ARDS patients with a lymphocyte/neutrophil ratio < 0.0537 had increased 28-day mortality rates (P = 0.0283). Old age affected both 28-day and 100-day mortality rates (P = 0.0064,0.0057). CONCLUSIONS: Age (per log10 years), BMI < 24, SOFA score, lymphocytes, and the lymphocyte/neutrophil ratio were independent predictors of 100-day mortality in patients with ARDS. The lymphocyte/neutrophil ratio may represent a potential molecular marker to evaluate atypical immunosuppression or impairment in patients with ARDS.

Baseline-Free Adaptive Crack Localization for Operating Stepped Rotors Based on Multiscale Data Fusion.

Crack localization in running rotors is very important and full of challenges for machinery operation and maintenance. Characteristic deflection shapes or their derivatives based methods seem to be promising for crack localization in rotors. Despite the substantial advantages, several critical issues still need to be addressed to enhance the efficiency of this kind of method for practical applications. Two problems are considered in this work: 1. How to localize single or multiple cracks accurately avoiding the interference of commonly existing steps without baseline information on pristine rotors; 2. How to improve the crack localization performance under a noisy environment. To circumvent the issues, a novel baseline-free adaptive crack localization method is proposed based on data fusion of multiscale super-harmonic characteristic deflection shapes (SCDSs). In this method, crack induced asymmetry and nonlinearity of crack breathing are utilized to simultaneously eliminate the interference from the steps without a reference model. To enhance the noise robustness, the multiscale representations of SCDSs are made in Gaussian multiscale space, and Teager energy operator is applied to the multiscale SCDSs to amplify the crack induced singularities and construct the multiscale Teager super-harmonic characteristic deflection shapes (TSCDSs). Moreover, fractal dimension is designed as an evaluator to select the proper multiscale TSCDSs for data fusion adaptively. Then, a new damage index is derived for crack localization by Dempster-Shafer's (D-S) evidence fusion of the adaptively selected multiscale TSCDSs. Finally, the feasibility and the effectiveness are verified by both numerical and experimental investigations.

Submental Island Flap Combined With Reconstruction Titanium Plate: A New Way to Treat Mandibular Osteoradionecrosis.

Objective. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of reconstruction for bone defects in patients with mandibular osteoradionecrosis using submental flap combined with reconstructive titanium plate. Methods. A total of 23 patients with mandibular osteoradionecrosis were included. All patients underwent surgical resection and immediate reconstruction with submental flap combined with reconstructive titanium plate. The postoperative effects and flap success rate were evaluated with a 6- to 18-month follow-up. Results. Twenty-two flaps were successful; 1 flap suffered from partial necrosis in the distal end, but the patient was treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy and iodoform gauze dressing, and no plate exposure was found after operation in the follow-up period. Conclusion. The use of submental flap combined with reconstructive titanium plate for treating the patients with osteoradionecrosis is a feasible, cost-effective, simple, and safe procedure.

Hole transport layer selection toward efficient colloidal PbS quantum dot solar cells.

The effect of energy level alignment between the hole transport layer (HTL) and active layer in PbS quantum dot (QD) solar cells was investigated. Here, a great variation in device performance was observed when employing different hole transporting materials. Devices using HTLs that could not block electrons only show poor device behaviors, while those employing wide band-gap hole transporting materials with shallow lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energies to block electrons exhibit reduced dark currents as well as enhanced device efficiencies. A power conversion efficiency of 4.4% was obtained by utilizing Poly-TPD as the HTL due to the optimized energy level alignment. These improvements were realized by preventing current leakage and consequent counter diode formation. The efficiency can be further improved to 4.9% by inserting EDT-treated PbS QD film (PbS-EDT) hole transporting materials with higher hole mobility as well as suitable energy levels that can increase the collection efficiency.

Sub-10-nm multicolored gold nanoparticles for colorimetric determination of antibiotics via formation of interlocking rings.

A general approach is presented for synthesis of multicolored gold nanoparticles (GNPs) by Au(I)-mediated generation of interlocking rings in proteins and antibiotics. The Au(I) ions are shuttled from proteins to antibiotics, and this causes the formation of interlocking rings. The multicolored GNPs of different sizes were synthesized in the rings by using the rapid nucleation method. To take the unique colors of GNPs, a functional array was designed for the colorimetric determination and discrimination of antibiotics, specifically of amoxicillin, chlortetracycline, erythromycin, spiramycin, neomycin, thiamphenicol, gentamycin and lincomycin. The method is based on the "three color" (RGB) principle. The color response patterns are characteristic for each antibiotic and can be quantitatively differentiated by statistical techniques. The limits of detection (LOD, at S/N = 3) for spiramycin (Sp) have been calculated to be 0.18 µM and 0.10 µM in water and milk, respectively. The good linear range (from 0.3 to 3.5 µM) has been used for the quantitative assay of Sp in a certified reference material. Graphical abstractSchematic presentation of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) synthesis via formation of interlocking rings in protein and antibiotics. The Au(I) ions mediate protein and antibiotics to be interlocking rings, which are quickly fixed via microwave reaction. The GNPs are synthesized and assembled in the rings.

Interaction between H2O, N2, CO, NO, NO2 and N2O molecules and a defective WSe2 monolayer.

In this study, the interaction between gas molecules, including H2O, N2, CO, NO, NO2 and N2O, and a WSe2 monolayer containing an Se vacancy (denoted as VSe) has been theoretically studied. Theoretical results show that H2O and N2 molecules are highly prone to be physisorbed on the VSe surface. The presence of the Se vacancy can significantly enhance the sensing ability of the WSe2 monolayer toward H2O and N2 molecules. In contrast, CO and NO molecules highly prefer to be molecularly chemisorbed on the VSe surface with the non-oxygen atom occupying the Se vacancy site. Furthermore, the exposed O atoms of the molecularly chemisorbed CO or NO can react with additional CO or NO molecules, to produce C-doped or N-doped WSe2 monolayers. The calculated energies suggest that the filling of the CO or NO molecule and the removal of the exposed O atom are both energetically and dynamically favorable. Electronic structure calculations show that the WSe2 monolayers are p-doped by the CO and NO molecules, as well as the C and N atoms. However, only the NO molecule and N atom doped WSe2 monolayers exhibit significantly improved electronic structures compared with VSe. The NO2 and N2O molecules will dissociate directly to form an O-doped WSe2 monolayer, for which the defect levels due to the Se vacancy can be completely removed. The calculated energies suggest that although the dissociation processes for NO2 and N2O molecules are highly exothermic, the N2O dissociation may need to operate at an elevated temperature compared with room temperature, due to its large energy barrier of ∼1 eV.

Circ_0008571 modulates the phenotype of vascular smooth muscle cells by targeting miR-145-5p in intracranial aneurysms.

BACKGROUND: The dysfunction of human vascular smooth cells (hVSMCs) is significantly connected to the development of intracranial aneurysms (IAs). By suppressing the activity of microRNAs (miRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs) participate in IA pathogenesis. Nevertheless, the role of hsa_circ_0008571 in IAs remains unclear. METHODS: circRNA sequencing was used to identify circRNAs from human IA tissues. To determine the function of circ_0008571, Transwell, wound healing, and cell proliferation assays were conducted. To identify the target of circ_0008571, the analyses of CircInteractome and TargetScan, as well as the luciferase assay were carried out. Furthermore, circ_0008571 knockdown and over-expression were performed to investigate its functions in IA development and the underlying molecular mechanisms. RESULTS: Both hsa_circ_0008571 and Integrin beta 8 (ITGB8) were downregulated, while miR-145-5p transcription was elevated in the aneurysm wall of IAs patients compared to superficial temporal artery tissues. In vitro, cell migration and growth were dramatically suppressed after hsa_circ_0008571 overexpression. Mechanistically, has_circ_0008571 could suppress miR-145-5p activity by direct sponging. Moreover, we found that ITGB8 expression and the activation of the TGF-ß-mediated signaling pathway were significantly enhanced. CONCLUSION: The hsa_circ_0008571-miR-145-5p-ITGB8 axis plays an essential role in IA progression.

High-Power-Density Rechargeable Hybrid Alkali/Acid Zn-Air Battery Performance Through Value-Added Conversion Charging.

Rechargeable Zn-air batteries (ZABs) are considered highly competitive technologies for meeting the energy demands of the next generation, whether for energy storage or portable power. However, their practical application is hindered by critical challenges such as low voltage, CO2 poisoning at the cathode, low power density, and poor charging efficiency Herein, a rechargeable hybrid alkali/acid Zn-air battery (h-RZAB) that effectively separates the discharge process in an acidic environment from the charging process in an alkaline environment, utilizing oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and glycerol oxidation reaction (GOR) respectively is reported. Compared to previously reported ZABs, this proof-of-concept device demonstrates impressive performance, exhibiting a high power density of 562.7 mW cm-2 and a high operating voltage during discharging. Moreover, the battery requires a significantly reduced charging voltage due to the concurrent utilization of biomass-derived glycerol, resulting in practical and cost-effective advantages. The decoupled system offers great flexibility for intermittently generated renewable power sources and presents cost advantages over traditional ZABs. As a result, this technology holds significant promise in opening avenues for the future development of renewable energy-compatible electrochemical devices.

Impact of premorbid hypertension and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors on the severity of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage: a multicentre study.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is widely acknowledged as a significant contributory factor to the heightened risk of intracranial aneurysm rupture. Nevertheless, the impact of hypertension management on the outcomes subsequent to aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH), particularly concerning the severity of aSAH, remains an underexplored area. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis using data from a prospectively multicentre cohort of 4545 patients with aSAH in China. Premorbid hypertension status and the utilisation of antihypertensive medications prior to admission were set as key exposure factors. The primary outcomes encompassed unfavourable clinical grading scales observed on admission. Employing multivariable logistic regression, we explored the association between premorbid hypertension status, preadmission use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors and unfavourable clinical grading scales. RESULTS: In comparison to patients with normal blood pressure, only uncontrolled hypertension demonstrated a significant and independent association with an elevated risk of poor outcomes on the Hunt-Hess scale (OR=1.799, 95% CI 1.413 to 2.291, p<0.001) and the World Federation of Neurological Surgeons (WFNS) scale (OR=1.721, 95% CI 1.425 to 2.079, p<0.001). Furthermore, the antecedent use of RAAS inhibitors before admission was markedly and independently linked to a diminished risk of adverse outcomes on the Hunt-Hess scale (OR=0.653, 95% CI 0.430 to 0.992, p=0.046) and the WFNS scale (OR=0.656, 95% CI 0.469 to 0.918, p=0.014). CONCLUSIONS: Uncontrolled hypertension markedly elevates the risk of adverse clinical outcomes following an aSAH. Conversely, the preadmission utilisation of RAAS inhibitors demonstrates a noteworthy association with a favourable clinical outcome after aSAH.

Nomograms for assessing the rupture risk of anterior choroid artery aneurysms based on clinical, morphological, and hemodynamic features.

Background and purpose: A notable prevalence of subarachnoid hemorrhage is evident among patients with anterior choroidal artery aneurysms in clinical practice. To evaluate the risk of rupture in unruptured anterior choroidal artery aneurysms, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of risk factors and subsequently developed two nomograms. Methods: A total of 120 cases of anterior choroidal artery aneurysms (66 unruptured and 54 ruptured) from 4 medical institutions were assessed utilizing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA). The training set, consisting of 98 aneurysms from 3 hospitals, was established, with an additional 22 cases from the fourth hospital forming the external validation set. Statistical differences between the two data sets were thoroughly compared. The significance of 9 clinical baseline characteristics, 11 aneurysm morphology parameters, and 4 hemodynamic parameters concerning aneurysm rupture was evaluated within the training set. Candidate selection for constructing the nomogram models involved regression analysis and variance inflation factors. Discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility of the models in both training and validation sets were assessed using area under curves (AUC), calibration plots, and decision curve analysis (DCA). The DeLong test, net reclassification index (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) were employed to compare the effectiveness of classification across models. Results: Two nomogram models were ultimately constructed: model 1, incorporating clinical, morphological, and hemodynamic parameters (C + M + H), and model 2, relying primarily on clinical and morphological parameters (C + M). Multivariate analysis identified smoking, size ratio (SR), normalized wall shear stress (NWSS), and average oscillatory shear index (OSIave) as optimal candidates for model development. In the training set, model 1 (C + M + H) achieved an AUC of 0.795 (95% CI: 0.706 ~ 0.884), demonstrating a sensitivity of 95.6% and a specificity of 54.7%. Model 2 (C + M) had an AUC of 0.706 (95% CI: 0.604 ~ 0.808), with corresponding sensitivity and specificity of 82.4 and 50.3%, respectively. Similarly, AUCs for models 1 and 2 in the external validation set were calculated to be 0.709 and 0.674, respectively. Calibration plots illustrated a consistent correlation between model evaluations and real-world observations in both sets. DCA demonstrated that the model incorporating hemodynamic parameters offered higher clinical benefits. In the training set, NRI (0.224, p = 0.007), IDI (0.585, p = 0.002), and DeLong test (change = 0.089, p = 0.008) were all significant. In the external validation set, NRI, IDI, and DeLong test statistics were 0.624 (p = 0.063), 0.572 (p = 0.044), and 0.035 (p = 0.047), respectively. Conclusion: Multidimensional nomograms have the potential to enhance risk assessment and patient-specific treatment of anterior choroidal artery aneurysms. Validated by an external cohort, the model incorporating clinical, morphological, and hemodynamic features may provide improved classification of rupture states.

Improved sinusoidal gating with balanced InGaAs/InP Single Photon Avalanche Diodes.

We report balanced InGaAs/InP single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) operated in sinusoidal gating mode with a tunable phase shifter to reduce common mode noise. This technique enables detection of small avalanche pulses, which results in reduced afterpulsing. For laser repletion rate of 20 MHz at 240 K, the dark count rate for photon detection efficiency of 10% is 8.9 kHz.