Study on the differences and influencing factors of spatial distribution of population aging at township scale: a case study of township research units in Anshun City, China.

An aging population is one of the main features of China's current population structure, and it is a key area that needs attention to achieve high-quality population development. Because of its unique geographical environment, economic conditions, and sociocultural background, the study of population aging in the karst region of southwest China is particularly important. However, there is a lack of research exploring the regional differentiation of population aging and its influencing factors in the karst regions of southwest China. In light of this, we chose Anshun City, located in Guizhou Province's southwest area, as the case study area. We used the Lorenz curve and spatial autocorrelation to study the differences in the spatial distribution pattern of population aging and introduced multi-scale geographical weighted regression to explore its influencing factors. The results show that Anshun City's older people population proportion (OPP) is generally high with more than 7% of the older people there, making it part of an aging society. The OPP appeared high in the east and low in the west in spatial distribution; the older people population density (OPD) revealed a gradually increasing trend from south to north. At the township scale, both the OPP and the OPD showed significant spatial positive correlation, and the spatial agglomeration characteristics were obvious. OPD and OPP have a positive spatial correlation at the global level, and townships with similar OPP or OPD were spatially adjacent. The spatial distribution characteristics of population aging are the consequence of complex contributions such as natural, social, economic, and karst factors. Further, the spatial distribution pattern of aging is determined by a variety of influencing factors, which have different directions and intensities. Therefore, it is necessary to formulate and implement corresponding policies and strategies to deal with the aging problem in the future.

Comprehensive evaluation of antibiotics pollution the Yangtze River basin, China: Emission, multimedia fate and risk assessment.

Antibiotics have attracted global attention because of their potential ecological and health risks. The emission, multimedia fate and risk of 18 selected antibiotics in the entire Yangtze River basin were evaluated by using a level Ⅳ fugacity model. High antibiotic emissions were found in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin. The total antibiotic emissions in the Yangtze River basin exceeded 1600 tons per year between 2013 and 2021. The spatial distribution of antibiotics concentration was the upper Yangtze River > middle Yangtze River > lower Yangtze River, which is positively correlated with animal husbandry size in the basin. Temperature and precipitation increases may decrease the antibiotic concentrations in the environment. Transfer fluxes showed that source emission inputs, advection processes, and degradation fluxes contributed more to the total input and output. High ecological risks in the water environment were found in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. The comprehensive health risk assessment through drinking water and fish consumption routes showed that a small part of the Yangtze River basin is at medium risk, and children have a relatively high degree of health risk. This study provides a scientific basis for the pollution control of antibiotics at the basin scale.

Silicon-Organic Hybrid Electro-Optic Modulator and Microwave Photonics Signal Processing Applications.

Electro-optic modulator (EOM) is one of the key devices of high-speed optical fiber communication systems and ultra-wideband microwave photonic systems. Silicon-organic hybrid (SOH) integration platform combines the advantages of silicon photonics and organic materials, providing a high electro-optic effect and compact structure for photonic integrated devices. In this paper, we present an SOH-integrated EOM with comprehensive investigation of EOM structure design, silicon waveguide fabrication with Slot structure, on-chip poling of organic electro-optic material, and characterization of EO modulation response. The SOH-integrated EOM is measured with 3 dB bandwidth of over 50 GHz and half-wave voltage length product of 0.26 V·cm. Furthermore, we demonstrate a microwave photonics phase shifter by using the fabricated SOH-integrated dual parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator. The phase shift range of 410° is completed from 8 GHz to 26 GHz with a power consumption of less than 38 mW.

Cognitive control impairment in ax-continuous performance test in patients with schizophrenia: A pilot EEG study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of cognitive control impairment in patients with schizophrenia (SPs) using electroencephalogram (EEG). METHODS: A total of 17 SPs and 17 healthy controls (HCs) were included in this study. We measured the EEG activity, whereas they performed the AX-continuous performance test which consisted of the preparatory phase and the response phase. The MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) was used for cognitive function, and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used for clinical symptom assessment. A univariate linear regression model was used to explore the relationships among behavioral index, event-related potentials (ERPs), rhythmic oscillation power, and score of MCCB and PANSS. RESULTS: A significant difference was found in response accuracy and reaction time (RT) during the preparatory phase between patients and HCs (p < .05). During the response phase, the SPs exhibited longer RT than the HCs (p < .05). Analysis of the ERPs revealed that the amplitude of P3a on BX clues was significantly smaller in SPs than in HCs (p < .05). Additionally, the midline frontal theta power of neural oscillation was significantly lower in the SPs than in NCs both during the preparatory and response phases. The accuracies on BX clues (r = .694, p = .002) and d'context (r = .698, p = .002) were positively correlated with MCCB scores. CONCLUSION: The present study revealed that patients with schizophrenia have deficits both in proactive and reactive cognitive control, with a greater reliance on reactive control during conflict resolution. The neural mechanisms of the cognitive control impairment may involve the inability to engage additional neural resources for proactive control, and a reduction in frontal midline theta power during both proactive and reactive control. The severity of proactive control impairment is positively correlated with an increased tendency to rely on reactive control.

Multiband Signal Receiver by Using an Optical Bandpass Filter Integrated with a Photodetector on a Chip.

Photonic integration brings the promise of significant cost, power and space savings and propels the real applications of microwave photonic technology. In this paper, a multiband radio frequency (RF) signal simultaneous receiver using an optical bandpass filter (OBPF) integrated with a photodetector (PD) on a chip is proposed, which was experimentally demonstrated. The OBPF was composed of ring-assisted Mach-Zehnder interferometer with a periodical bandpass response featuring a box-like spectral shape. The OBPF was connected to a PD and then integrated onto a single silicon photonic chip. Phase-modulated multiband RF signals transmitted from different locations were inputted into the OBPF, by which one RF sideband was filtered out and the phase modulation to intensity modulation conversion was realized. The single sideband with carrier signals were then simultaneously detected by the PD. A proof-of-concept experiment with the silicon photonic integrated chip was implemented to simultaneously receive four channels of 8 GHz, 12 GHz, 14 GHz and 18 GHz in the X- and Ku-bands. The performance of the integrated microwave photonic multiband receiver-including the receiving sensitivity, the spurious free dynamic range, the gain and the noise figure across the whole operation frequency band-was characterized in detail.

Vacuum-Induced Guest N,N'-Diethylformamide Binding in a Metastable Cd5-Based Metal-Organic Framework.

A three-dimensional (3D) metal-organic framework (MOF) of [Et2NH2]2[Cd5(BTB)4(DEF)2]·4.75DEF (1; H3BTB = benzene-1,3,5-tribenzoic acid and DEF = N,N'-diethylformamide) sustained by symmetrical Z-shaped Cd5 secondary building units (SBUs) with an intrinsically metastable host framework has been prepared and characterized. Upon gentle vacuum (800 Pa) at 50 °C, some encapsulated DEF solvates are released, leading to pore-shape changes and Cd2+ coordination geometry distortion. This is followed by DEF solvate migration to only one end of the SBU with concomitant symmetry breaking. Additional time under vacuum promoted further structural distortion and topology changes as authenticated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. This work was initially inspired by unusual gas adsorption isotherms and points to the potentially complicated, nonspectator role of coordinative solvents such as DEF during MOF activation.

Influence of Acoustic Parameters and Sonication Schemes on Transcranial Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption Induced by Pulsed Weakly Focused Ultrasound.

Pulsed ultrasound combined with microbubbles use can disrupt the blood-brain barrier (BBB) temporarily; this technique opens a temporal window to deliver large therapeutic molecules into brain tissue. There are published studies to discuss the efficacy and safety of the different ultrasound parameters, microbubble dosages and sizes, and sonication schemes on BBB disruption, but optimal the paradigm is still under investigation. Our study is aimed to investigate how different sonication parameters, time, and microbubble dose can affect BBB disruption, the dynamics of BBB disruption, and the efficacy of different sonication schemes on BBB disruption. Method: We used pulsed weakly focused ultrasound to open the BBB of C57/B6 mice. Evans blue dye (EBD) was used to determine the degree of BBB disruption. With a given acoustic pressure of 0.56 MPa and pulse repetitive frequency of 1 Hz, burst lengths of 10 ms to 50 ms, microbubbles of 100 µL/kg to 300 µL/kg, and sonication times of 60 s to 150 s were used to open the BBB for parameter study. Brain EBD accumulation was measured at 1, 4, and 24 h after sonication for the time-response relationship study; EBD of 100 mg/kg to 200 mg/kg was administered for the dose-response relationship study; EBD injection 0 to 6 h after sonication was performed for the BBB disruption dynamic study; brain EBD accumulation induced by one sonication and two sonications was investigated to study the effectiveness on BBB disruption; and a histology study was performed for brain tissue damage evaluation. Results: Pulsed weakly focused ultrasound opens the BBB extensively. Longer burst lengths and a larger microbubble dose result in a higher degree of BBB disruption; a sonication time longer than 60 s did not increase BBB disruption; brain EBD accumulation peaks 1 h after sonication and remains 81% of the peak level 24 h after sonication; the EBD dose administered correlates with brain EBD accumulation; BBB disruption decreases as time goes on after sonication and lasts for 6 h at least; and brain EBD accumulation induced by two sonication increases 74.8% of that induced by one sonication. There was limited adverse effects associated with sonication, including petechial hemorrhages and mild neuronal degeneration. Conclusions: BBB can be opened extensively and reversibly by pulsed weakly focused ultrasound with limited brain tissue damage. Since EBD combines with albumin in plasma to form a conjugate of 83 kDa, these results may simulate ultrasound-induced brain delivery of therapeutic molecules of this size scale. The result of our study may contribute to finding the optimal paradigm of focused ultrasound-induced BBB disruption.

Multimedia fate model and risk assessment of typical antibiotics in the integrated demonstration zone of the Yangtze River Delta, China.

Due to the widespread consumption of antibiotics by humans and animals, antibiotic residues from human and animal excrements are released into the environment through domestic sewage and breeding wastewater, which ultimately affect the ecological environment and human health. In this study, the concentrations of 10 antibiotics in the air, water, soil, and sediment from 2013 to 2019 in Qingpu District of the integrated demonstration zone of the Yangtze River Delta were predicated by developing a dynamic Level IV fugacity model. The influence of seasonal environmental factors (e.g., temperature, rainfall) on the distribution and migration of antibiotics in multi-media was also explored. The simulation results show that the 10 antibiotics mainly existed in water and sediment. The concentrations of antibiotics in air, water, soil, and sediment were 0-7.629 × 10-14 ng/L, 1.187 × 10-10-16.793 ng/L, 1.042 × 10-14-3.500 × 10-11 ng/g and 8.015 × 10-12-14.188 ng/g, respectively. It was also found that the increase in temperature and rainfall can reduce the migration rate of some antibiotics into the water and sediment phases. The flux analysis of the cross-media migration and transformation of antibiotics in Qingpu District shows that advection was the prime input and output paths of antibiotics in the water. Moreover, the prime input and output paths of antibiotics in sediment were sedimentation from water to sediment and degradation. Sensitivity analysis shows that the characteristics of antibiotic emission, degradation rate, and Koc were the most influential parameters for target chemicals. The results of risk assessment based on Monte Carlo method reveal that the overall risk level of antibiotics in sediment was relatively risk-free, and the risk of antibiotics in water decreased in the order of tetracyclines > ß-lactams > fluoroquinolones > macrolides > sulfonamides.

H2O- and ethanol concentration-responsive polymer/gel inverse opal photonic crystal.

Responsive photonic crystals have attracted much attention due to their strong capability to manipulate the propagation of light in the visible region, but it is still a big challenge to invisibility and mechanical stability. Here, the novel Poly(ether sulfone)/Poly(acrylic acid) inverse opal photonic crystals, which have high mechanical stability and can release visible patterns after wetting with water, are discussed. The Poly(ether sulfone)/Poly(acrylic acid) inverse opal photonic crystals are also responsive to the concentration of ethanol, and the structural color response times increase with increasing ethanol concentration. This design uses the selective infiltration, hydrogen bonding and capillary action of solvent to realize the spectral diversity of reflectance. Owing to the high polarity and hydrogen bonding ability of carboxyl groups, water molecules are adsorbed easily by the poly(acrylic acid) gel. Subsequently, the encrypted information is decrypted due to the redshift of the structural color. Because of its lower polarity and hydrogen bonding ability relative to water, ethanol can impede the absorption of solvent by gel. Therefore, the ethanol concentration can be identified based on the structural color response time. Furthermore, reliable information decryption methods make Poly(ether sulfone)/Poly(acrylic acid) inverse opal photonic crystals potentially uesful as trusted encryption devices.

S-nitrosylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase mediates pressure overload-induced cardiac dysfunction and fibrosis.

Cardiac fibrosis (CF) is an irreversible pathological process that occurs in almost all kinds of cardiovascular diseases. Phosphorylation-dependent activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) induces cardiac fibrosis. However, whether S-nitrosylation of JNK mediates cardiac fibrosis remains an open question. A biotin-switch assay confirmed that S-nitrosylation of JNK (SNO-JNK) increased significantly in the heart tissues of hypertrophic patients, transverse aortic constriction (TAC) mice, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs), and neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts (NRCFs) stimulated with angiotensin II (Ang II). Site to site substitution of alanine for cysteine in JNK was applied to determine the S-nitrosylated site. S-Nitrosylation occurred at both Cys116 and Cys163 and substitution of alanine for cysteine 116 and cysteine 163 (C116/163A) inhibited Ang II-induced myofibroblast transformation. We further confirmed that the source of S-nitrosylation was inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). 1400 W, an inhibitor of iNOS, abrogated the profibrotic effects of Ang II in NRCFs. Mechanistically, SNO-JNK facilitated the nuclear translocation of JNK, increased the phosphorylation of c-Jun, and induced the transcriptional activity of AP-1 as determined by chromatin immunoprecipitation and EMSA. Finally, WT and iNOS-/- mice were subjected to TAC and iNOS knockout reduced SNO-JNK and alleviated cardiac fibrosis. Our findings demonstrate an alternative mechanism by which iNOS-induced SNO-JNK increases JNK pathway activity and accelerates cardiac fibrosis. Targeting SNO-JNK might be a novel therapeutic strategy against cardiac fibrosis.

Notch signaling and natural killer cell infiltration in tumor tissues underlie medulloblastoma prognosis.

Medulloblastoma is the most common embryonic brain tumor in children. We investigated a cohort of 52 Asian medulloblastoma patients aged between 0 and 19 years old, who received surgical resections and post-resection treatments in the Taipei Medical University Hospital and the Taipei Veterans General Hospital. Genome-wide RNA sequencing was performed on fresh-frozen surgical tissues. These data were analyzed using the CIBERSORTx immune deconvolution software. Two external clinical and molecular datasets from United States (n = 62) and Canada (n = 763) were used to evaluate the transferability of the gene-signature scores across ethnic populations. The abundance of 13 genes, including DLL1, are significantly associated with overall survival (All Cox regression P < 0.001). A gene-signature score was derived from the deep transcriptome, capable of indicating patients' subsequent tumor recurrence (Hazard Ratio [HR] 1.645, confidence interval [CI] 1.337-2.025, P < 0.001) and mortality (HR 2.720, CI 1.798-4.112, P < 0.001). After the adjustment of baseline clinical factors, the score remains indicative of recurrence-free survival (HR 1.604, CI 1.292-1.992, P < 0.001) and overall survival (HR 2.781, CI 1.762-4.390, P < 0.001). Patients stratified by this score manifest not only distinct prognosis but also different molecular characteristics: Notch signaling ligands and receptors are comparatively overexpressed in patients with poorer prognosis, while tumor infiltrating natural killer cells are more abundant in patients with better prognosis. Additionally, immunohistochemical staining showed the DLL1 protein, a major ligand in the Notch signaling pathway, and the NCAM1 protein, a representative biomarker of natural killer cells, are present in the surgical tissues of patients of four molecular subgroups, WNT, SHH, Group 3 and Group 4. NCAM1 RNA level is also positively associated with the mutation burden in tumor (P = 0.023). The gene-signature score is validated successfully in the Canadian cohort (P = 0.009) as well as its three molecular subgroups (SHH, Group 3 and Group 4; P = 0.047, 0.018 and 0.040 respectively). In conclusion, pediatric medullablastoma patients can be stratified by gene-signature scores with distinct prognosis and molecular characteristics. Ligands and receptors of the Notch signaling pathway are overexpressed in the patient stratum with poorer prognosis. Tumor infiltrating natural killer cells are more abundant in the patient stratum with better prognosis.

Efficacy and Safety of Fospropofol Disodium for Injection in General Anesthesia Induction for Adult Patients: A Phase 3 Trial.

Background: Fospropofol disodium for injection (FospropofolFD) is a prodrug that is metabolized into propofol to produce a general anesthesia effect when administered intravenously. Objective: This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of FospropofolFD in comparison with propofol medium/long-chain fat emulsion injections (propofol-MCT/LCT) for general anesthesia induction in adult patients undergoing elective surgeries. Setting: Nine academic medical centers in China. Method: This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, double-simulated, controlled, and non-inferiority trial evaluated 540 eligible adult patients randomly assigned (2:1) to the intervention (20 mg/kg FospropofolFD) or control (2 mg/kg propofol-MCT/LCT) groups. Main Outcome Measure: The primary efficacy endpoint was the success rate, defined as a Modified Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation Scale score of 1 within 5 min after study drug administration. The safety endpoints consisted of adverse events (AEs) related to consciousness, cognitive function, hemodynamic status, liver and kidney function, and blood tests. Results: A total of 347 (96.3%) and 175 (97.2%) patients in the intervention and control groups, respectively, completed the study. The success rate for the primary outcome was 97.7% for both study drugs. The most frequent AEs in the intervention group were abnormal feeling (62.0%), blood pressure reduction (13.5%), and injection site pain (13.3%). No AEs related to consciousness and mental and cognitive functions or serious adverse events were reported. Conclusion: FospropofolFD (20 mg/kg) is not inferior to propofol-MCT/LCT (2 mg/kg) in general anesthesia induction for American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I-II adult patients undergoing elective surgeries. It is safe and effective for clinical use under anesthesiologist monitoring. Impact on Practice Statement: FospropofolFD can produce a general anesthesia effect and reduce the incidence of pain at the site of injection.

Metal-organic frameworks of linear trinuclear cluster secondary building units: structures and applications.

Secondary building units (SBUs) in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are essential from both a structural and performance perspective. While a variety of SBUs, such as paddlewheel CuII2, triangular CrIII3, tetrahedral ZnII4, and octahedral ZrIV6 have been extensively studied, the linear trinuclear SBUs (herein denoted as M3), though frequently encountered, are rarely discussed as a class. A literature survey reveals that M3 clusters are ubiquitous in discrete molecular entities as well as in MOFs. Unlike most other cluster types, however, they have an unprecedented metal diversity and ligand tolerance. The single-crystals of some M3-based MOFs are also sufficiently robust upon guest removal and exchange or multi-step post-modifications to enable catalytic mechanism elucidation. Some of these M3-based SBUs endow MOFs with stability under demanding conditions necessary, for example, in flue gas separation. Herein we review MOFs sustained by this common but under-appreciated class of SBUs and discuss applications of the resulting MOF motifs.

Synthesis and Study of a New Type of Nonanionic Demulsifier for Chemical Flooding Emulsion Demulsification.

The application of chemical flooding improves the stability of the produced emulsion, which reduces the demulsification efficiency of conventional demulsifiers. To improve the demulsification effect, in this paper, a new multibranched nonanionic polyether demulsifier, FYJP, was prepared by grafting carboxylate based on a nonionic demulsifier. The FYJP demulsifier could generate an initiator through p-tert-butylphenol, triethylenetetramine, and methanol, which was polymerized with ethylene oxide (EO) and propylene oxide (PO) to produce a nonionic polyether demulsifier. Sodium chloroacetate was used to modify the polyether demulsifier to obtain a new type of nonanionic polyether demulsifier. The FYJP polyether demulsifier was characterized by the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value, relative solubility (RSN), and surface activity of the demulsifier, and the demulsification mechanism was analyzed by a microscopic demulsification process test, and the effect of demulsifier dosage on the demulsification effect was discussed. Meanwhile, a dehydration test was carried out. The experimental results showed that the highest dehydration rate of the demulsifier was 94.7% at 85 °C, 100 ppm demulsifier dosage, 50 mL of a W/O emulsion, and 120 min demulsification time. The abovementioned studies show that FYJP is an effective demulsifier for chemical flooding emulsions, and this work promises to provide a reference for future demulsifier research.

S-nitrosylation-mediated coupling of G-protein alpha-2 with CXCR5 induces Hippo/YAP-dependent diabetes-accelerated atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis-associated cardiovascular disease is one of the main causes of death and disability among patients with diabetes mellitus. However, little is known about the impact of S-nitrosylation in diabetes-accelerated atherosclerosis. Here, we show increased levels of S-nitrosylation of guanine nucleotide-binding protein G(i) subunit alpha-2 (SNO-GNAI2) at Cysteine 66 in coronary artery samples from diabetic patients with atherosclerosis, consistently with results from mice. Mechanistically, SNO-GNAI2 acted by coupling with CXCR5 to dephosphorylate the Hippo pathway kinase LATS1, thereby leading to nuclear translocation of YAP and promoting an inflammatory response in endothelial cells. Furthermore, Cys-mutant GNAI2 refractory to S-nitrosylation abrogated GNAI2-CXCR5 coupling, alleviated atherosclerosis in diabetic mice, restored Hippo activity, and reduced endothelial inflammation. In addition, we showed that melatonin treatment restored endothelial function and protected against diabetes-accelerated atherosclerosis by preventing GNAI2 S-nitrosylation. In conclusion, SNO-GNAI2 drives diabetes-accelerated atherosclerosis by coupling with CXCR5 and activating YAP-dependent endothelial inflammation, and reducing SNO-GNAI2 is an efficient strategy for alleviating diabetes-accelerated atherosclerosis.

Synthesis and Characterization of a Novel Multibranched Block Polyether Demulsifier by Polymerization.

Various flooding technologies were applied in the middle and late stages of the oilfield, which made the heavy oil emulsion receive much concern because of its high stability and separation difficulty. In our paper, alcohol molecules were used as initiators and multibranched block copolymers were synthesized through open-loop polymerization technology. A variety of novel modified block polyether demulsifiers with demulsification activity were finally synthesized through water-soluble modification and oil-soluble modification, which achieved efficient demulsification of heavy oil emulsions. Hydrophile-lipophile balance (HLB) values and surface tension were used to characterize demulsifiers. In addition, their demulsification efficiency was evaluated by measuring the amount of dehydration in the separated heavy oil emulsion experiments. The experimental results showed that within 5 h, the demulsification effect of the water-soluble demulsifier is better than that of the oil-soluble demulsifier. When the HLB value of the demulsifier reaches a certain value, the dehydration rate and the demulsification effect reach the highest point. When the amount of demulsifier is 50 µg/g and the demulsification temperature is 85 °C, the dehydration rate of the water-soluble demulsifier X-6 reached 91%, the water quality was clear, and the demulsification effect reached its peak. This work will provide a novel and efficient demulsifier for demulsification and dehydration of heavy oil emulsions.

Xanthoangelol alleviates cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury in rats.

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury accounts to be a prime cause of neurological deficit following stroke. This study aimed to explore the neuro-protective effects of Xanthoangelol (XAG) on I/R-induced injury in both in vivo and in vitro models. Our data demonstrated that XAG can shrink infarct size and brain edema in middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model. In addition, XAG was capable of alleviating the neurological deficit in rats that have undergone MCAO procedure. Meanwhile, antiapoptotic activities of XAG against I/R-induced neuronal injury were evidenced and further illustrated that XAG elicits antiapoptotic activities by suppressing excessive oxidative stress via nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 activation. Overall, our study revealed that XAG displayed the potential to be utilized as a neuroprotective agent against I/R-induced neurological injury.

High-speed physical key distribution based on dispersion-shift-keying chaos synchronization in commonly driven semiconductor lasers without external feedback.

We propose a scheme of high-speed physical key distribution based on dispersion-shift-keying chaos synchronization in two semiconductor lasers without external feedback (response lasers), which are driven by a common external-cavity semiconductor laser (drive laser). In this scheme, the dispersion introduces a laser field beating-induced nonlinear transformation to the outputs of drive laser and renders the correlation elimination between the drive and response lasers improving the security of key distribution. Moreover, the commonly driven lasers without external feedback constitute an open-loop synchronization configuration and yield a short synchronization recovery time of a subnanosecond supporting the implementation of high-speed key distribution. With these two merits, we numerically demonstrate a 1.2 Gb/s secure key distribution with a bit error ratio below 3.8×10-3.

Real-world Data on the Efficacy and Safety of Ixazomib-based Therapy in Multiple Myeloma: A Single-center Study in China.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the short-term efficacy and safety of ixazomib in Chinese multiple myeloma (MM) patients in the real world. METHODS: Fifty-nine MM patients who received at least one cycle of ixazomib-based therapy between 1 June 2018 and 30 September 2019 were retrospectively analyzed in Tianjin Medical University General Hospital. Thirteen newly diagnosed MM (NDMM), 13 refractory/relapsed MM (RRMM) and 33 continuous therapy (27 bortezomib peripheral neuritis (PN) intolerant and six maintenance therapy) MM patients were included. The indicated overall response rate (ORR), time to overall response (TOR), and adverse events (AEs) were investigated. RESULTS: The ORR in NDMM was 76.9%, with one complete response (CR), five very good partial response (VGPR), four partial response (PR), median PFS, and TOR were 122 (66-272) days and 49 (22-108) days. The ORR in RRMM was 46.2%, with one CR, two VGPR, three PR, median PFS, and TOR were 79 (28-169) days and 59 (23-88) days. The ORR in continuous therapy MM patients was 100%, with nine stringent CR, 15 CR, six VGPR and three PR, median TOR was 75 (25-141) days. There were no significant differences regarding ORR between patients with cytogenetic high risk and standard risk in three subgroups (all P>0.05). The most frequent hematological AEs were anemia (13.6%) and thrombocytopenia (10.2%). The most common nonhematological AEs were PN (25.0%) and diarrhea (13.6%). CONCLUSION: The real-world data demonstrated that ixazomib-based therapy was generally effective and safe in the short term for MM patients.

One-step synthesis of high photocatalytic graphitic carbon nitride porous nanosheets.

As a metal-free photocatalyst, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has attracted tremendous attention. Preparation of porous few-layer g-C3N4 nanosheets has been proven to be an effective strategy to obtain high photocatalytic performance. At present, most methods are expensive, time-consuming or complicated. Here, a low-cost, facile and environment-friendly one-step synthesis method of porous few-layer g-C3N4 nanosheets is designed by introducing water in the precursor. Straightforward calcination of the precursor, which decomposes to form ammonia, can produce g-C3N4 nanosheets with the assistance of water. Under the visible light (>400 nm), the photocatalytic H2 evolution performance of the so-obtained nanosheets is 3214 µmol · g-1 · h-1, which is 17.3 times of the original bulk g-C3N4. The apparent quantum yield is 27% under the 380 nm monochromatic light irradiation.