Tunable and switchable multifunctional terahertz meta-mirror based on graphene and vanadium dioxide.

We design a multifunctional THz polarization modulation meta-mirror integrated with polarization conversion and dichroism functions switched by temperature and voltage. The meta-mirror is composed of two-layered graphene metasurfaces and a layer of vanadium dioxide (VO2) on a gold film substrate. Linear-to-linear polarization conversion and linear dichroism (LD) can be switched by temperature control in the VO2 film and Fermi level adjustments in the graphene metasurfaces, where the polarization conversion ratio (PCR) is higher than 0.9 in the range of 2.89 THz to 4.02 THz, LD value reached a maximum of 0.6 at 3.84 THz, and linear-to-circular polarization conversion and circular dichroism (CD) can also be tuned with ellipticity higher than 0.9 in the range of 2.32 THz to 2.69 THz and CD value as high as 0.71 at 2.45 THz. The proposed meta-mirror is the first THz metamaterial device integrating four switchable functions, including linear-to-linear polarization conversion, linear-to-circular polarization conversion, linear dichroism and circular dichroism. The meta-mirror is a promising design for compact system integration in THz imaging, sensing and biological detection applications.

Theoretical and experimental study on the photothermal effect of palladium nanoparticles based on a finite element model.

Palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) show significant promise as agents for the photothermal treatment of tumors due to their high photothermal conversion efficiency and thermal stability. theoretical calculations were conducted to investigate the electric field and solid heat conduction of Pd NPs with various sizes and particle distances, aiming to achieve the maximum photothermal conversion efficiency during laser irradiation. Subsequently, Pd NPs with optimal size and structure were synthesized. In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to evaluate photothermal conversion. The theoretical results indicated that a peak temperature of 90.12 °C is achieved when the side length is 30 nm with a distance of 2 nm. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the photothermal conversion efficiency of Pd NPs can reach up to 61.9%. in vivo experiments revealed that injecting Pd NPs into blood vessels can effectively reduce the number of laser pulses by 22.22%, thereby inducing obvious vasoconstriction.

Clinical significance of dynamical network indices of surface electromyography for reticular neuromuscular control assessment.

BACKGROUND: There is currently no objective and accurate clinical assessment of reticular neuromuscular control in healthy subjects or patients with upper motor neuron injury. As a result, clinical dysfunctions of neuromuscular control could just be semi-quantified, efficacies and mechanisms of various therapies for neuromuscular control improving are difficult to verify. METHODS: Fourteen healthy participants were required to maintain standing balance in the kinetostatics model of Gusu Constraint Standing Training (GCST). A backward and upward constraint force was applied to their trunk at 0°, 20° and 25°, respectively. The multiplex recurrence network (MRN) was applied to analyze the surface electromyography signals of 16 muscles of bilateral lower limbs during the tests. Different levels of MRN network indices were utilized to assess reticular neuromuscular control. RESULTS: Compared with the 0° test, the MRN indices related to muscle coordination of bilateral lower limbs, of unilateral lower limb and of inter limbs showed significant increase when participants stood in 20° and 25° tests (P < 0.05). The indices related to muscle contribution of gluteal, anterior thigh and calf muscles significantly increased when participants stood in 20° and 25° tests (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study applied the dynamical network indices of MRN to analyze the changes of neuromuscular control of lower limbs of healthy participants in the kinetostatics model of GCST. Results showed that the overall coordination of lower limb muscles would be significantly enhanced during performing GCST, partly by the enhancement of neuromuscular control of single lower limb, and partly by the enhancement of joint control across lower limbs. In particular, the muscles in buttocks, anterior thighs and calves played a more important role in the overall coordination, and their involvement was significantly increased. The MRN could provide details of control at the bilateral lower limbs, unilateral lower limb, inter limbs, and single muscle levels, and has the potential to be a new tool for assessing the reticular neuromuscular control. Trial registration ChiCTR2100055090.

Application Of Multigene Panel Detection In Breast Cancer.

Precision medicine will be the direction of future medical development, especially in cancer diagnosis and treatment. With the deepening of breast cancer-related research, new factors related to diagnosis, treatment and prognosis are constantly being discovered. Researchers combine different factorsto form a multigene panel testing, guiding clinicians' decision-making. The application scope of multigene panel detection is constantly expanding. At present, it has been tried in the prognosis evaluation of lymph node-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancer patients and the early screening of breast cancer. With continuous technological advancement, there will be broader application prospects in the future. The current narrative review was planned to evaluate the recent advances in applying multigene panel testing in breast cancer cases.

Large-scale and stacked transfer of bilayers MoS2devices on a flexible polyimide substrate.

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), as flexible and stretchable materials, have attracted considerable attention in the field of novel flexible electronics due to their excellent mechanical, optical, and electronic properties. Among the various TMD materials, atomically thin MoS2has become the most widely used material due to its advantageous properties, such as its adjustable bandgap, excellent performance, and ease of preparation. In this work, we demonstrated the practicality of a stacked wafer-scale two-layer MoS2film obtained by transferring multiple single-layer films grown using chemical vapor deposition. The MoS2field-effect transistor cell had a top-gated device structure with a (PI) film as the substrate, which exhibited a high on/off ratio (108), large average mobility (∼8.56 cm2V-1s-1), and exceptional uniformity. Furthermore, a range of flexible integrated logic devices, including inverters, NOR gates, and NAND gates, were successfully implemented via traditional lithography. These results highlight the immense potential of TMD materials, particularly MoS2, in enabling advanced flexible electronic and optoelectronic devices, which pave the way for transformative applications in future-generation electronics.

Thin boundary layer model underestimates greenhouse gas diffusion from inland waterways.

Inland waters are significant sources of atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The thin boundary layer (TBL) model is often employed as a means of estimating GHG diffusion in inland waters based on gas transfer velocity (k) at the air-water interface, with k being subject to regulation by near-surface turbulence that is primarily driven by wind speed in many cases. This wind speed-based estimation of k (wind-k), however, can introduce substantial uncertainty for turbulent waterways where wind speed does not accurately represent overall turbulence. In this study, GHG diffusion in the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal (China), the first and longest man-made canal in the world, was estimated using the TBL model, revealing that this model substantially underestimated GHG diffusion when relying on wind-k. Strikingly, the carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide diffusions were respectively underestimated by 159%, 162%, and 124% when using this model. These findings are significant for developing more reliable approaches to evaluate GHG emissions from inland waterways.

Public sector's misinformation debunking during the public health campaign: a case of Hong Kong.

For a public health campaign to succeed, the public sector is expected to debunk the misinformation transparently and vividly and guide the citizens. The present study focuses on COVID-19 vaccine misinformation in Hong Kong, a non-Western society with a developed economy and sufficient vaccine supply but high vaccine hesitancy. Inspired by the Health Belief Model (HBM) and research on source transparency and the use of visuals in the debunking, the present study examines the COVID-19 vaccine misinformation debunking messages published by the official social media and online channels of the public sector of Hong Kong (n = 126) over 18 months (1 November 2020 to 20 April 2022) during the COVID-19 vaccination campaign. Results showed that the most frequently occurring misinformation themes were misleading claims about the risks and side effects of vaccination, followed by (non-)effectiveness of the vaccines and the (un)-necessity of vaccination. Among the HBM constructs, barriers and benefits of vaccination were mentioned the most, while self-efficacy was the least addressed. Compared with the early stage of the vaccination campaign, an increasing number of posts contained susceptibility, severity or cues to action. Most debunking statements did not disclose any external sources. The public sector actively used illustrations, with affective illustrations outnumbering cognitive ones. Suggestions for improving the quality of misinformation debunking during public health campaigns are discussed.

Rural-Urban Differences in Vaccination and Hesitancy Rates and Trust: US COVID-19 Trends and Impact Survey on a Social Media Platform, May 2021-April 2022.

Objectives. To analyze rural-urban differences in COVID-19 vaccination uptake, hesitancy, and trust in information sources in the United States. Methods. We used data from a large survey of Facebook users. We computed the vaccination, hesitancy, and decline rates and the trust proportions among individuals hesitant toward COVID-19 information sources for rural and urban regions in each state from May 2021 to April 2022. Results. In 48 states with adequate data, on average, two thirds of states showed statistically significant differences in monthly vaccination rates between rural and urban regions, with rural regions having a lower vaccination rate at all times. Far fewer states showed statistically significant differences when comparing monthly hesitancy and decline rates for urban versus rural regions. Doctors and health professionals received the highest level of trust. Friends and family were also among the most trusted sources in rural areas where the vaccination uptake was low. Conclusions. Rural-urban difference in hesitancy rates among those still unvaccinated was much smaller than the rural-urban difference in vaccination rates, suggesting that access to vaccines may be another contributor to the lower vaccination rates in rural areas. (Am J Public Health. 2023;113(6):680-688. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307274).

The PhenX Toolkit: Measurement Protocols for Assessment of Social Determinants of Health.

INTRODUCTION: Social determinants are structures and conditions in the biological, physical, built, and social environments that affect health, social and physical functioning, health risk, quality of life, and health outcomes. The adoption of recommended, standard measurement protocols for social determinants of health will advance the science of minority health and health disparities research and provide standard social determinants of health protocols for inclusion in all studies with human participants. METHODS: A PhenX (consensus measures for Phenotypes and eXposures) Working Group of social determinants of health experts was convened from October 2018 to May 2020 and followed a well-established consensus process to identify and recommend social determinants of health measurement protocols. The PhenX Toolkit contains data collection protocols suitable for inclusion in a wide range of research studies. The recommended social determinants of health protocols were shared with the broader scientific community to invite review and feedback before being added to the Toolkit. RESULTS: Nineteen social determinants of health protocols were released in the PhenX Toolkit (https://www.phenxtoolkit.org) in May 2020 to provide measures at the individual and structural levels for built and natural environments, structural racism, economic resources, employment status, occupational health and safety, education, environmental exposures, food environment, health and health care, and sociocultural community context. CONCLUSIONS: Promoting the adoption of well-established social determinants of health protocols can enable consistent data collection and facilitate comparing and combining studies, with the potential to increase their scientific impact.

Visible-Light-Induced Carbene Insertion into P-H Bonds between Acylsilanes and H-Phosphorus Oxides.

An intriguing visible-light-induced strategy has been established for the P-H insertion reaction between acylsilanes and H-phosphorus oxides that, upon a subsequent acidic process, deliver a wide variety of α-hydroxyphosphorus oxides in good yields (up to 93% yield). The metal-free protocol represents a unique example of P-H insertion for C-P bond formation through in situ generation of siloxycarbenes. This methodology features the advantages of operational simplicity, mild conditions, broad substrate scope, and column free in gram-scale synthesis.

Strategic Directions in Preventive Intervention Research to Advance Health Equity.

As commissioned by the Society for Prevention Research, this paper describes and illustrates strategic approaches for reducing health inequities and advancing health equity when adopting an equity-focused approach for applying prevention science evidence-based theory, methodologies, and practices. We introduce an ecosystemic framework as a guide for analyzing, designing, and planning innovative equity-focused evidence-based preventive interventions designed to attain intended health equity outcomes. To advance this process, we introduce a health equity statement for conducting integrative analyses of ecosystemic framework pathways, by describing the role of social determinants, mechanisms, and interventions as factors directly linked to specific health equity outcomes. As background, we present health equity constructs, theories, and research evidence which can inform the design and development of equity-focused intervention approaches. We also describe multi-level interventions that when coordinated can produce synergistic intervention effects across macro, meso, and micro ecological levels. Under this approach, we encourage prevention and implementation scientists to apply and extend these strategic directions in future research to increase our evidence-based knowledge and theory building. A general goal is to apply prevention science knowledge to design, widely disseminate, and implement culturally grounded interventions that incrementally attain specific HE outcomes and an intended HE goal. We conclude with recommendations for conducting equity-focused prevention science research, interventions, and training.

Evaluating Social Determinants of Health Variables in Advanced Analytic and Artificial Intelligence Models for Cardiovascular Disease Risk and Outcomes: A Targeted Review.

Introduction/Purpose: Predictive models incorporating relevant clinical and social features can provide meaningful insights into complex interrelated mechanisms of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and progression and the influence of environmental exposures on adverse outcomes. The purpose of this targeted review (2018-2019) was to examine the extent to which present-day advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning models include relevant variables to address potential biases that inform care, treatment, resource allocation, and management of patients with CVD. Methods: PubMed literature was searched using the prespecified inclusion and exclusion criteria to identify and critically evaluate primary studies published in English that reported on predictive models for CVD, associated risks, progression, and outcomes in the general adult population in North America. Studies were then assessed for inclusion of relevant social variables in the model construction. Two independent reviewers screened articles for eligibility. Primary and secondary independent reviewers extracted information from each full-text article for analysis. Disagreements were resolved with a third reviewer and iterative screening rounds to establish consensus. Cohen's kappa was used to determine interrater reliability. Results: The review yielded 533 unique records where 35 met the inclusion criteria. Studies used advanced statistical and machine learning methods to predict CVD risk (10, 29%), mortality (19, 54%), survival (7, 20%), complication (10, 29%), disease progression (6, 17%), functional outcomes (4, 11%), and disposition (2, 6%). Most studies incorporated age (34, 97%), sex (34, 97%), comorbid conditions (32, 91%), and behavioral risk factor (28, 80%) variables. Race or ethnicity (23, 66%) and social variables, such as education (3, 9%) were less frequently observed. Conclusions: Predictive models should adjust for race and social predictor variables, where relevant, to improve model accuracy and to inform more equitable interventions and decision making.

Implementation Research at NHLBI: Methodological and Design Challenges and Lessons Learned from the DECIPHeR Initiative.

NHLBI funded seven projects as part of the Disparities Elimination through Coordinated Interventions to Prevent and Control Heart and Lung Disease Risk (DECIPHeR) Initiative. They were expected to collaborate with community partners to (1) employ validated theoretical or conceptual implementation research frameworks, (2) include implementation research study designs, (3) include implementation measures as primary outcomes, and (4) inform our understanding of mediators and mechanisms of action of the implementation strategy. Several projects focused on late-stage implementation strategies that optimally and sustainably delivered two or more evidence-based multilevel interventions to reduce or eliminate cardiovascular and/or pulmonary health disparities and to improve population health in high-burden communities. Projects that were successful in the three-year planning phase transitioned to a 4-year execution phase. NHLBI formed a Technical Assistance Workgroup during the planning phase to help awardees refine study aims, strengthen research designs, detail analytic plans, and to use valid sample size methods. This paper highlights methodological and study design challenges encountered during this process. Important lessons learned included (1) the need for greater emphasis on implementation outcomes, (2) the need to clearly distinguish between intervention and implementation strategies in the protocol, (3) the need to address clustering due to randomization of groups or clusters, (4) the need to address the cross-classification that results when intervention agents work across multiple units of randomization in the same arm, (5) the need to accommodate time-varying intervention effects in stepped-wedge designs, and (6) the need for data-based estimates of the parameters required for sample size estimation.

Charting the Future of Health Equity Research: Lessons Learned and Future Aspirations for NHLBI's DECIPHeR Alliance.

The Disparities Elimination through Coordinated Interventions to Prevent and Control Heart and Lung Disease Risk (DECIPHeR) research program, supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), focuses on developing and testing sustainable interventions to reduce heart and lung disease disparities. This perspective piece reflects on lessons learned during the planning phase (UG3) and outlines the accomplishments of the DECIPHeR Alliance. The article emphasizes the importance of a biphasic (UG3/UH3) funding mechanism, technical assistance, and collaborative subcommittees in achieving success. As DECIPHeR enters phase 2 (UH3), the article anticipates rigorously planned studies addressing social determinants of health and emphasizes the need for effective implementation strategies and equitable research frameworks. The Alliance's contributions, such as the IM4Equity framework, offer novel approaches to community-engaged health equity and implementation science research. The article explores future opportunities, including dissemination strategies, community engagement, and collaboration with diverse partners, to maximize DECIPHeR's impact on health disparities beyond cardiovascular and pulmonary health.

FGF2 positively regulates osteoclastogenesis via activating the ERK-CREB pathway.

Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) plays crucial roles in the growth and development of several tissues. However, its function in bone homeostasis remains controversial. Here, we found that exogenous FGF2 supplementation inhibited the mineralization of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs), at least partially, via up-regulating the gene expression of osteoclastogenesis. The FGF receptor (FGFR) allosteric antagonist SSR128129E modestly, whereas the FGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor AZD4547 significantly antagonized the effects of FGF2. Mechanistically, FGF2 stimulated ERK phosphorylation, and the ERK signaling inhibitor PD325901 strongly blocked FGF2 enhancement of osteoclastogenesis. Moreover, the phosphorylation of CREB was also activated in response to FGF2, thereby potentiating the interaction of p-CREB with the promoter region of Rankl gene. Notably, FGF2-deficient BMSCs exhibited higher mineralization capability and lower osteoclastogenic gene expression. Correspondingly, FGF2-knockout mice showed increased bone mass and attenuated expression of osteoclast-related markers, which were associated with moderate inhibition of the ERK signaling. In conclusion, FGF2 positively regulates osteoclastogenesis via stimulating the ERK-CREB pathway. These findings establish the importance of FGF2 in bone homeostasis, hinting the potential use of FGF2/ERK/CREB specific inhibitors to fight against bone-related disorders, such as osteoporosis.

The fibroblast growth factor receptor antagonist SSR128129E inhibits fat accumulation via suppressing adipogenesis in mice.

BACKGROUND: AS an allosteric inhibitor of fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs), SSR128129E (SSR) extensively inhibits the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling. Given the metabolic importance of FGFs and the global epidemic of obesity, we explored the effect of SSR on fat metabolism. METHODS AND RESULTS: Three-week-old male mice were administered intragastrically with SSR (30 mg/kg/day) or PBS for 5 weeks. The effects of SSR on white and brown fat metabolism were investigated by respiratory metabolic monitoring, histological assessment and molecular analysis. Results indicated that SSR administration significantly reduced the body weight gain and the fat content of mice. SSR did not increase, but decreased the thermogenic capability of both brown and white fat. However, SSR markedly suppressed adipogenesis of adipose tissues. Further study demonstrated the involvement of ERK signaling in the action of SSR. CONCLUSIONS: SSR may be a promising drug candidate for the prevention of obesity via suppressing adipogenesis. However, the influence of SSR on thermogenesis in humans should be further investigated before its clinical application.