Radiofrequency coil design for improving human liver fat quantification in a portable single-side magnetic resonance system.

Earlier diagnosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is important to prevent progression of the disease. Recently, a low-cost portable magnetic resonance (MR) system was developed as a point-of-care screening tool for in vivo liver fat quantification. However, subcutaneous fat may confound the liver fat quantification, particularly in the NAFLD population. In this work, we propose a novel radiofrequency (RF) coil design composed of a set of "saturation" coils sandwiching a main coil to improve human liver fat quantification. By comparison with conventional MR imaging, we demonstrate the capability and effectiveness of the novel RF coil design in phantom experiments as well as in vivo liver scans. In the phantom experiment, the saturation coil reduced the error in the measured proton density fat fraction (PDFF) results from 28.9% to 4.0%, and in the in vivo experiment, it reduced the discrepancy in the PDFF results from 13.2% to 4.0%. The novel coil design, together with the adapted Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill-based sequence, improves the practicability and robustness of the portable single-side MR system.

Improved MR temperature imaging at 0.5 T using view-sharing accelerated multiecho thermometry for MR-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy.

The aim of the current study was to improve temperature-monitoring precision using multiecho proton resonance frequency shift-based thermometry with view-sharing acceleration for MR-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MRgLITT) on a 0.5-T low-field MR system. Both precision and speed of the temperature measurement for clinical MRgLITT treatments suffer at low field, due to reduced image signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), decreased temperature-induced phase changes, and limited RF receiver channels. In this work, a bipolar multiecho gradient-recalled echo sequence with a temperature-to-noise ratio optimal weighted echo combination is applied to improve the temperature precision. A view-sharing-based approach is utilized to accelerate signal acquisitions while preserving image SNRs. The method was evaluated using ex vivo (pork and pig brain) LITT heating experiments and in vivo (human brain) nonheating experiments on a high-performance 0.5-T scanner. In terms of results, (1) after echo combination, multiecho thermometry (i.e., ~7.5-40.5 ms, 7 TEs) provides ~1.5-1.9 times higher temperature precision than the no echo combination case (i.e., TE7 = 40.5 ms) within the same readout bandwidth. Additionally, echo registration is necessary for the bipolar multiecho sequence; (2) for a threefold acceleration, the view-sharing approach with variable-density subsampling shows around 1.8 times lower temperature errors than the GRAPPA method. Particularly for view-sharing, variable-density subsampling performs better than Interleave subsampling; and (3) ex vivo heating and in vivo nonheating experiments demonstrated that the temperature accuracy was less than 0.5 ° C and that the temperature precision was less than 0.6 ° C using the proposed 0.5-T thermometry. It was concluded that view-sharing accelerated multiecho thermometry is a practical temperature measurement approach for MRgLITT at 0.5 T.

A Multichannel Flexible Optoelectronic Fiber Device for Distributed Implantable Neurological Stimulation and Monitoring.

Optical fibers made of polymeric materials possess high flexibility that can potentially integrate with flexible electronic devices to realize complex functions in biology and neurology. Here, a multichannel flexible device based on four individually addressable optical fibers transfer-printed with flexible electronic components and controlled by a wireless circuit is developed. The resulting device offers excellent mechanics that is compatible with soft and curvilinear tissues, and excellent diversity through switching different light sources. The combined configuration of optical fibers and flexible electronics allows optical stimulation in selective wavelengths guided by the optical fibers, while conducting distributed, high-throughput biopotential sensing using the flexible microelectrode arrays. The device has been demonstrated in vivo with rats through optical stimulation and simultaneously monitoring of spontaneous/evoked spike signals and local field potentials using 32 microelectrodes in four brain regions. Biocompatibility of the device has been characterized by behavior and immunohistochemistry studies, demonstrating potential applications of the device in long-term animal studies. The techniques to integrate flexible electronics with optical fibers may inspire the development of more flexible optoelectronic devices for sophisticated applications in biomedicine and biology.

EMPROVING outcomes: Evaluating the effect of an ultralung protective strategy for patients with ARDS treated with ECMO.

OBJECTIVE: Since the initiation of an adult extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) program at our institution, the program has managed well over 200 patients with ECMO in a 3-year time frame. While there is a plethora of research evaluating ECMO for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), few studies have evaluated the impact that ventilator management after cannulation might have on outcomes. We hypothesized that failure to properly protect the lungs after cannulation would lead to higher mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study performed from 1 January 2014 to 8 July 2018. RESULTS: A total of 196 patients were treated with ECMO, 57 of whom were diagnosed with ARDS and treated with venovenous ECMO. The univariable analysis revealed a statistically higher total serum bilirubin and lower total days on ECMO in those who died vs those who lived. During ECMO, higher mean peak inspiratory pressures (PIP) and higher FiO2 were found in those who died vs those who lived. In multivariable analysis, increasing age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.2; confidence interval [CI] = 1.04-1.39, P = .02), increasing mean PIP, and increasing mean FiO2 concentration during ECMO (PIP: OR = 1.40, CI = 1.03-1.89, P = .03; FiO2 : OR = 1.16, CI = 1.02-1.32, P = .02) were all associated with increased mortality. CONCLUSION: Failing to protect the lungs with a lung protective strategy such as the EMPROVE protocol after ECMO cannulation was associated with mortality. For every 1 mm Hg increase in the mean PIP, the odds of dying increased 1.4 times, and for every 1% increase in the mean FiO2 , the odds of dying increased 1.16 times. For lung rest to truly be effective, the lungs must be relieved of the burden of gas exchange.

Anisotropic field-of-view support for golden angle radial imaging.

PURPOSE: To provide anisotropic field-of-view (FOV) support for golden angle radial imaging. THEORY AND METHODS: In radial imaging, uniform spoke density leads to a circular FOV, which is excessive for objects with anisotropic dimensions. Larson et al previously showed that the angular k-space spoke density can be determined by the desired anisotropic FOV. We show that conventional golden angle sampling can be deployed in an angle-normalized space and transformed back to k-space such that the desired nonuniform spoke density is preserved for arbitrary temporal window length. Elliptical FOVs were used to illustrate this generalized mapping approach. Point-spread-function and spoke density analysis was performed. Phantom and in vivo cardiac images were acquired. RESULTS: Simulations, phantom, and in vivo experiments confirmed that the proposed method is able to achieve anisotropic FOV while still maintaining the benefits of golden angle sampling. This approach requires 50% less spokes for elliptical FOV with major-to-minor-axis ratio of 1:0.3, when compared with isotropic FOV with the same undersampling factor. CONCLUSION: We demonstrate a simple method for applying golden angle view ordering to anisotropic FOV radial imaging. This can reduce imaging time for objects with anisotropic dimensions while still allowing arbitrary temporal window selection. Magn Reson Med 76:229-236, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Evaluation of upper airway collapsibility using real-time MRI.

PURPOSE: To develop and demonstrate a real-time MRI method for assessing upper airway collapsibility in sleep apnea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were acquired on a clinical 3 Tesla scanner using a radial CAIPIRIHNA sequence with modified golden angle view ordering and reconstructed using parallel imaging and compressed sensing with temporal finite difference sparsity constraint. Segmented airway areas together with synchronized facemask pressure were used to calculate airway compliance and projected closing pressure, Pclose , at four axial locations along the upper airway. This technique was demonstrated in five adolescent obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients, three adult OSA patients and four healthy volunteers. Heart rate, oxygen saturation, facemask pressure, and abdominal/chest movements were monitored in real-time during the experiments to determine sleep/wakefulness. RESULTS: Student's t-tests showed that both compliance and Pclose were significantly different between healthy controls and OSA patients (P < 0.001). The results also suggested that a narrower airway site does not always correspond to higher collapsibility. CONCLUSION: With the proposed methods, both compliance and Pclose can be calculated and used to quantify airway collapsibility in OSA with an awake scan of 30 min total scan room time. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2016;44:158-167.

Evaluation of an independent linear model for acoustic noise on a conventional MRI scanner and implications for acoustic noise reduction.

PURPOSE: To evaluate an independent linear model for gradient acoustic noise on a conventional MRI scanner, and to explore implications for acoustic noise reduction in routine imaging. METHODS: Acoustic noise generated from each physical gradient axis was modeled as the prescribed gradient waveform passed through a linear time-invariant system. Homogeneity and superposition properties were experimentally determined. We also developed a new method to correct relative time shifts between the measured impulse responses for different physical gradient axes. Model accuracy was determined by comparing predicted and measured sound using normalized energy difference. Transfer functions were also measured in subjects with different body habitus and at multiple microphone locations. RESULTS: Both superposition and homogeneity held for each physical gradient axis with errors less than 3%. When all gradients were on simultaneous sound prediction, error was reduced from 32% to 4% after time-shift correction. Transfer functions also showed high sensitivity to body habitus and microphone location. CONCLUSION: The independent linear model predicts MRI acoustic noise with less than 4% error. Acoustic transfer functions are highly sensitive to body habitus and position within the bore, making it challenging to produce a general approach to acoustic noise reduction based on avoiding system resonance peaks.

Real-time 3D magnetic resonance imaging of the pharyngeal airway in sleep apnea.

PURPOSE: To investigate the feasibility of real-time 3D magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with simultaneous recording of physiological signals for identifying sites of airway obstruction during natural sleep in pediatric patients with sleep-disordered breathing. METHODS: Experiments were performed using a three-dimensional Fourier transformation (3DFT) gradient echo sequence with prospective undersampling based on golden-angle radial spokes, and L1-norm regularized iterative self-consistent parallel imaging (L1-SPIRiT) reconstruction. This technique was demonstrated in three healthy adult volunteers and five pediatric patients with sleep-disordered breathing. External airway occlusion was used to induce partial collapse of the upper airway on inspiration and test the effectiveness of the proposed imaging method. Apneic events were identified using information available from synchronized recording of mask pressure and respiratory effort. RESULTS: Acceptable image quality was obtained in seven of eight subjects. Temporary airway collapse induced via inspiratory loading was successfully imaged in all three volunteers, with average airway volume reductions of 63.3%, 52.5%, and 33.7%. Central apneic events and associated airway narrowing/closure were identified in two pediatric patients. During central apneic events, airway obstruction was observed in the retropalatal region in one pediatric patient. CONCLUSION: Real-time 3D MRI of the pharyngeal airway with synchronized recording of physiological signals is feasible and may provide valuable information about the sites and nature of airway narrowing/collapse during natural sleep.

Machine learning-based prediction model for distant metastasis of breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy in women. Advanced breast cancer can develop distant metastases, posing a severe threat to the life of patients. Because the clinical warning signs of distant metastasis are manifested in the late stage of the disease, there is a need for better methods of predicting metastasis. METHODS: First, we screened breast cancer distant metastasis target genes by performing difference analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) on the selected datasets, and performed analyses such as GO enrichment analysis on these target genes. Secondly, we screened breast cancer distant metastasis target genes by LASSO regression analysis and performed correlation analysis and other analyses on these biomarkers. Finally, we constructed several breast cancer distant metastasis prediction models based on Logistic Regression (LR) model, Random Forest (RF) model, Support Vector Machine (SVM) model, Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT) model and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model, and selected the optimal model from them. RESULTS: Several 21-gene breast cancer distant metastasis prediction models were constructed, with the best performance of the model constructed based on the random forest model. This model accurately predicted the emergence of distant metastases from breast cancer, with an accuracy of 93.6 %, an F1-score of 88.9 % and an AUC value of 91.3 % on the validation set. CONCLUSION: Our findings have the potential to be translated into a point-of-care prognostic analysis to reduce breast cancer mortality.

Comprehensive macro and micro views on immune cells in ischemic heart disease.

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a prevalent cardiovascular condition that remains the primary cause of death due to its adverse ventricular remodelling and pathological changes in end-stage heart failure. As a complex pathologic condition, it involves intricate regulatory processes at the cellular and molecular levels. The immune system and cardiovascular system are closely interconnected, with immune cells playing a crucial role in maintaining cardiac health and influencing disease progression. Consequently, alterations in the cardiac microenvironment are influenced and controlled by various immune cells, such as macrophages, neutrophils, dendritic cells, eosinophils, and T-lymphocytes, along with the cytokines they produce. Furthermore, studies have revealed that Gata6+ pericardial cavity macrophages play a key role in regulating immune cell migration and subsequent myocardial tissue repair post IHD onset. This review outlines the role of immune cells in orchestrating inflammatory responses and facilitating myocardial repair following IHD, considering both macro and micro views. It also discusses innovative immune cell-based therapeutic strategies, offering new insights for further research on the pathophysiology of ischemic heart disease and immune cell-targeted therapy for IHD.

Cadmium exposure induced neuronal ferroptosis and cognitive deficits via the mtROS-ferritinophagy pathway.

Exposure to environmental cadmium (Cd) is known to cause neuronal death and cognitive decline in humans. Ferroptosis, a novel iron-dependent type of regulated cell death, is involved in various neurological disorders. In the present study, Cd exposure triggered ferroptosis in the mouse hippocampus and in the HT22 murine hippocampal neuronal cell line, as indicated by significant increases in ferroptotic marker expression, intracellular iron levels, and lipid peroxidation. Interestingly, ferroptosis of hippocampal neurons in response to Cd exposure relied on the induction of autophagy since the suppression of autophagy by 3-methyladenine (3-MA) and chloroquine (CQ) substantially ameliorated Cd-induced ferroptosis. Furthermore, nuclear receptor coactivator 4 (NCOA4)-mediated degradation of ferritin was required for the Cd-induced ferroptosis of hippocampal neurons, demonstrating that NCOA4 knockdown decreased intracellular iron levels and lipid peroxidation and increased cell survival, following Cd exposure. Moreover, Cd-induced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) generation was essential for the ferritinophagy-mediated ferroptosis of hippocampal neurons. Importantly, pretreatment with the ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) effectively attenuated Cd-induced hippocampal neuronal death and cognitive impairment in mice. Taken together, these findings indicate that ferroptosis is a novel mechanism underlying Cd-induced neurotoxicity and cognitive impairment and that the mtROS-ferritinophagy axis modulates Cd-induced neuronal ferroptosis.

Fully printed and self-compensated bioresorbable electrochemical devices based on galvanic coupling for continuous glucose monitoring.

Real-time glucose monitoring conventionally involves non-bioresorbable semi-implantable glucose sensors, causing infection and pain during removal. Despite bioresorbable electronics serves as excellent alternatives, the bioresorbable sensor dissolves in aqueous environments with interferential biomolecules. Here, the theories to achieve stable electrode potential and accurate electrochemical detection using bioresorbable materials have been proposed, resulting in a fully printed bioresorbable electrochemical device. The adverse effect caused by material degradation has been overcome by a molybdenum-tungsten reference electrode that offers stable potential through galvanic-coupling and self-compensation modules. In vitro and in vivo glucose monitoring has been conducted for 7 and 5 days, respectively, followed by full degradation within 2 months. The device offers a glucose detection range of 0 to 25 millimolars and a sensitivity of 0.2458 microamperes per millimolar with anti-interference capability and biocompatibility, indicating the possibility of mass manufacturing high-performance bioresorbable electrochemical devices using printing and low-temperature water-sintering techniques. The mechanisms may be implemented developing more comprehensive bioresorbable sensors for chronic diseases.

A flexible omnidirectional rotating magnetic array for MRI-safe transdermal wireless energy harvesting through flexible electronics.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-safe implantable wireless energy harvester offers substantial benefits to patients suffering from brain disorders, hearing impairment, and arrhythmias. However, rigid magnets in cutting-edge systems with limited numbers of rotation axis impose high risk of device dislodgement and magnet failure. Here, a flexible omnidirectional rotating magnetic array (FORMA) and a flexible MRI-safe implantable wireless energy-harvesting system have been developed. Miniaturized flexible magnetic balls 1 millimeter in diameter achieved by molding three-dimensional printed templates can rotate freely in elastomer cavities and supply a magnetic force of 2.14 Newtons at a distance of 1 millimeter between an implantable receiver and a wearable transceiver. The system can work stably under an acceleration of 9g and obtain a power output of 15.62 decibel milliwatts at a transmission frequency of 8 megahertz. The development of the FORMA may lead to life-long flexible and batteryless implantable systems and offers the potential to promote techniques for monitoring and treating acute and chronic diseases.

In Situ Formation of Conductive Epidermal Electrodes Using a Fully Integrated Flexible System and Injectable Photocurable Ink.

In situ fabrication of wearable devices through coating approaches is a promising solution for the fast deployment of wearable devices and more adaptable devices for different sensing demands. However, heat, solvent, and mechanical sensitivity of biological tissues, along with personal compliance, pose strict requirements for coating materials and methods. To address this, a biocompatible and biodegradable light-curable conductive ink and an all-in-one flexible system that conducts in situ injection and photonic curing of the ink as well as monitoring of biophysiological information have been developed. The ink can be solidified through spontaneous phase changes and photonic cured to achieve a high mechanical strength of 7.48 MPa and an excellent electrical conductivity of 3.57 × 105 S/m. The flexible system contains elastic injection chambers embedded with specially designed optical waveguides to uniformly dissipate visible LED light throughout the chambers and rapidly cure the ink in 5 min. The resulting conductive electrodes offer intimate skin contact even with the existence of hair and work stably even under an acceleration of 8 g, leading to a robust wearable system capable of working under intense motion, heavy sweating, and varied surface morphology. Similar concepts may lead to various rapidly deployable wearable systems that offer excellent adaptability to different monitoring demands for the health tracking of large populations.

A flexible wearable device coupled with injectable Fe3O4 nanoparticles for capturing circulating tumor cells and triggering their deaths.

Elimination of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the blood can be an effective therapeutic approach to disrupt metastasis. Here, a strategy is proposed to implement flexible wearable electronics and injectable nanomaterials to disrupt the hematogenous transport of CTCs. A flexible device containing an origami magnetic membrane is used to attract Fe3O4@Au nanoparticles (NPs) that are surface modified with specific aptamers and intravenously injected into blood vessels, forming an invisible hand and fishing line/bait configuration to specifically capture CTCs through bonding with aptamers. Thereafter, thinned flexible AlGaAs LEDs in the device offer an average fluence of 15.75 mW mm-2 at a skin penetration depth of 1.5 mm, causing a rapid rise of temperature to 48 °C in the NPs and triggering CTC death in 10 min. The flexible device has been demonstrated for intravascular isolation and enrichment of CTCs with a capture efficiency of 72.31% after 10 cycles in a simulated blood circulation system based on a prosthetic upper limb. The fusion of nanomaterials and flexible electronics reveals an emerging field that utilizes wearable and flexible stimulators to activate biological effects offered by nanomaterials, leading to improved therapeutical effects and postoperative outcomes of diseases.

Stable and Dynamic Multiparameter Monitoring on Chests Using Flexible Skin Patches with Self-Adhesive Electrodes and a Synchronous Correlation Peak Extraction Algorithm.

Advances in wearable bioelectronics interfacing directly with skin offer important tools for non-invasive measurements of physiological parameters. However, wearable monitoring devices majorly conduct static sensing to avoid signal disturbance and unreliable contact with the skin. Dynamic multiparameter sensing is challenging even with the advanced flexible skin patches. This epidermal electronics system with self-adhesive conductive electrodes to supply stable skin contact and a unique synchronous correlation peak extraction (SCPE) algorithm to minimize motion artifacts in the photoplethysmogram (PPG) signals. The skin patch system can simultaneously and precisely monitor electrocardiogram (ECG), PPG, body temperature, and acceleration on chests undergoing daily activities. The low latency between the ECG and the PPG signals enables the SCPE algorithm that leads to reduced errors in deduced heart rates and improved performance in oxygen level determination than conventional adaptive filtering and wavelet transformation approaches. Dynamic multiparameter recording over 24 h by the system can reflect the circadian patterns of the wearers with low disturbance from motion artifacts. This demonstrated system may be applied for health monitoring in large populations to alleviate pressure on medical systems and assist management of public health crisis.

Magnetically Levitated Flexible Vibration Sensors with Surficial Micropyramid Arrays for Magnetism Enhancement.

Magnetically levitated vibration sensors possess wide frequency response ranges and high sensitivity. Compared with springs and cantilevers, the levitated magnet suffers no mechanical abrasion, allowing minimized mechanical fatigue after prolonged exposure to vibration. However, magnetic levitated sensors are mostly based on fully rigid components, which are difficult to match the soft and curvilinear surface of the biological tissues and machines. Here, an innovative vibration sensor based on magnetic levitation has been developed. The proposed sensor contains two parallel magnetic membranes, one of which is levitated by magnetic force and connected to a specially designed sensor package. The surfaces of the membranes are modified with micropyramid arrays to enhance the magnetism and integrated with flexible coil arrays to maximize the changes in magnetic flux during vibration. The sensor exhibits a wide frequency response ranging from 1 Hz to 20 kHz and high sensitivity of 0.82 mV/µm at an operating frequency of 120 Hz. Various applications have been demonstrated through bone-conducted speech acquisition, sound recording, human motion detection, and machine condition evaluation. The sensor is one of the first flexible vibration sensors based on magnetic levitation. Its innovative levitated sensing structures may inspire development of novel flexible sensors with soft mechanical moving structures for force and displacement sensing in healthcare and industrial monitoring.

A two-stage super learner for healthcare expenditures.

Objective: To improve the estimation of healthcare expenditures by introducing a novel method that is well-suited to situations where data exhibit strong skewness and zero-inflation. Data Sources: Simulations, and two real-world datasets: the 2016-2017 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS); the Back Pain Outcomes using Longitudinal Data (BOLD). Study Design: Super learner is an ensemble machine learning approach that can combine several algorithms to improve estimation. We propose a two-stage super learner that is well suited for healthcare expenditure data by separately estimating the probability of any healthcare expenditure and the mean amount of healthcare expenditure conditional on having healthcare expenditures. These estimates can then be combined to yield a single estimate of expenditures for each observation. The analytical strategy can flexibly incorporate a range of individual estimation approaches for each stage of estimation, including both regression-based approaches and machine learning algorithms such as random forests. We compare the performance of the two-stage super learner with a one-stage super learner, and with multiple individual algorithms for estimation of healthcare cost under a broad range of data settings in simulated and real data. The predictive performance was compared using Mean Squared Error and R2. Conclusions: Our results indicate that the two-stage super learner has better performance compared with a one-stage super learner and individual algorithms, for healthcare cost estimation under a wide variety of settings in simulations and in empirical analyses. The improvement of the two-stage super learner over the one-stage super learner was particularly evident in settings when zero-inflation is high.

Comparison of the Efficacy and Safety of Neuroendoscopic Endonasal Transsphenoidal Surgeries and Intracranial Endoscopic Pterional Approach in Resection of Tuberculum Sellae Meningiomas.

Objective: To compare of the efficacy and safety of neuroendoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgeries and intracranial endoscopic pterional approach in resection of tuberculum sellae meningioma. Methods: From January 2014 to June 2021, 60 patients with tuberculum sellae meningioma diagnosed and treated in our hospital were enrolled and randomly divided into study group and control group. The tuberculum sellae meningioma was removed by neuroendoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgeries in the study group, while the intracranial endoscopic pterional approach was used in the control group. The chi-square test was used to compare the differences of tumor complete resection rate, visual acuity improvement rate, total effective rate at 3 months after operation, and adverse reactions between the two groups. Results: The clinical characteristics of the two groups were comparable (P > 0.05). After surgical treatment, the complete resection rate in the study group was higher than that in the control group (93.3% vs 70.0%), and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.020). After treatment, the visual acuity improvement rate of the study group was 83.3% (25/30), which was significantly higher than that of the control group (60.0%, 18/30), and the difference was statistically significant (χ 2 = 4.022, P=0.045). After surgical treatment, the total effective rate at 3 months after operation was higher in the study group than in the control group (96.7% vs 83.3%), with statistical significance (P=0.041). There was no significant difference in postoperative adverse reactions between the study group and control group (33.3% vs 30.0%, P=0.781). Conclusion: The neuroendoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgeries has significant efficacy and can significantly improve the visual acuity of patients without increasing adverse reactions, which is worthy of clinical promotion.

Study on the Hydrogen Embrittlement of Nanograined Materials with Different Grain Sizes by Atomistic Simulation.

Although hydrogen embrittlement (HE) behavior has been extensively studied in bulk materials, little is known about H-related deformation and the fracture of nanograined materials. In this study, H segregation and HE mechanisms of nanograined Fe with different grain sizes are unveiled, following the employment of classical molecular dynamics simulations. The H segregation ratio increased, but the local H concentration at the grain boundaries (GBs) decreased with decreases in the grain size at a given bulk H concentration. The results demonstrate that H atoms increased the yield stress of nanograined models irrespective of the grain size. Furthermore, it is revealed that brittle fractures were inhibited, and the resistance to HE increased as the grain size decreased, due to the fact that the small-grain models had a lower local H concentration at the GBs and an enhanced GB-mediated intergranular deformation. These results are a clear indication of the utility of grain refinement to resist H-induced brittle failure.