Experiences of patients living with venous leg ulcers: A qualitative meta-synthesis.

BACKGROUND: Venous Leg Ulcer is characterized by a prolonged course, delayed healing and high recurrence rate. Bringing challenges to patient treatment and care.Patients need to control the negative behavioral factors that affect wound healing and recurrence, which seriously affect their quality of life. OBJECTIVE: To integrate qualitative research related to the disease experience and feelings of patients with Venous Leg Ulcer and provide references for optimizing patient intervention measures. METHODS: We searched databases including Pubmed, CINAHL, EMBASE, Web of Science, PsycINFO, The Cochrane library, ProQuest, CNKI and Wan Fang Data from 2000 to February 2023 to collect qualitative studies on the experiences of patients living with venous leg ulcers. We used the Australian JBI evidence-based healthcare center qualitative research quality evaluation standard to evaluate the quality of literature. After quality assessment, meta-synthesis was used to summarize and explain the results. RESULTS: Sixteen studies were eligible for inclusion, and the total number of included individuals was 146. The perceptions of individuals with Venous Leg Ulcer synthesized three overarching themes and their subthemes: disease cognition (Understanding the cause of VLU,Understanding of VLU treatment, Recognition of VLU recurrence); physical experience (Pain symptoms, Other symptoms); and psychological and social experience (psychological impact, health education, economic burden, social relations, response strategies, doctor-patient/nurse-patient relationship). CONCLUSION: The lives of patients with venous leg ulcers are influenced by various complex and diverse factors. Healthcare professionals must recognize the patient's emotional needs, establish a multidimensional support system, and promote wound healing through patient self-adjustment.

Structure and electronic properties of bilayer graphene functionalized with half-sandwiched transition metal-cyclopentadienyl complexes.

Tuning the electronic and magnetic properties of graphene is a crucial problem in the design of practical on-off electronic devices. Using density functional theory calculations, we explore the electronic and magnetic properties of bilayer graphene functionalized by cyclopentadienyl (Cp = cyclopentadienyl, C5H5) based half-sandwich ligands, CpTM (TM = Sc-Ni). It is found that the adsorption of CpTM ligands can introduce high magnetic moments and open the band gap of bilayer graphene, due to the electron doping as well as the asymmetric charge distribution between two graphene layers. Furthermore, the p-n doping of bilayer graphene by co-binding F/NO2 and CpTM on two external sides of BLG can further widen the band gap up to 366.1 meV. This study proposes an effective way to the modulation of the electronic and magnetic properties of graphene.

The Synaptic and Circuit Functions of Vitamin D in Neurodevelopment Disorders.

Vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency is a public health issue around the world. According to epidemiological studies, low vitamin D levels have been associated with an increased risk of some neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Animal models reveal that vitamin D has a variety of impacts on the synapses and circuits in the brain. A lack of vitamin D affects the expression of synaptic proteins, as well as the synthesis and metabolism of various neurotransmitters. Depending on where vitamin D receptors (VDRs) are expressed, vitamin D may also regulate certain neuronal circuits through the endocannabinoid signaling, mTOR pathway and oxytocin signaling. While inconsistently, some data suggest that vitamin D supplementation may be able to reduce the core symptoms of ASD and ADHD. This review emphasizes vitamin D's role in the synaptic and circuit mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders including ASD and ADHD. Future application of vitamin D in these disorders will depend on both basic research and clinical studies, in order to make the transition from the bench to the bedside.

Activity-Dependent Differential Regulation of Auts2 Isoforms In Vitro and In Vivo.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder of unknown cause, although one hypothesis suggests a potential imbalance between excitation and inhibition that leads to changes in neuronal activity and a disturbance in the brain network. However, the mechanisms through which neuronal activity contributes to the development of ASD remain largely unexplained. In this study, we described that neuronal activity at the transcriptional and translational levels regulated the expression of Auts2 isoforms. The prolonged stimulation of cultured cortical neurons significantly reduced the auts2 transcripts, accompanied by the decrease of FL-Auts2 protein, as well as one of the short isoforms (S-Auts2 var.1). Blocking neuronal activity increased the number of auts2 transcripts but not protein levels. Furthermore, blocking the NMDA receptors during stimulation could partially restore the FL-Auts2 and S-Auts2 var.1 at protein level, but not at mRNA level. Finally, Auts2 expression in the hippocampus was reduced in mice exposed to an enriched environment, a behavior paradigm designed to increase the brain activity through abundant sensory and social stimulations. Thus, our study revealed a novel regulatory effect of neuronal activity on the transcription and translation of ASD-risk gene auts2.

Stratifying ASD and characterizing the functional connectivity of subtypes in resting-state fMRI.

BACKGROUND: Although stratifying autism spectrum disorder (ASD) into different subtypes is a common effort in the research field, few papers have characterized the functional connectivity alterations of ASD subgroups classified by their clinical presentations. METHODS: This is a case-control rs-fMRI study, based on large samples of open database (Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange, ABIDE). The rs-MRI data from n = 415 ASD patients (males n = 357), and n = 574 typical development (TD) controls (males n = 410) were included. Clinical features of ASD were extracted and classified using data from each patient's Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) evaluation. Each subtype of ASD was characterized by local functional connectivity using regional homogeneity (ReHo) for assessment, remote functional connectivity using voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) for assessment, the whole-brain functional connectivity, and graph theoretical features. These identified imaging properties from each subtype were integrated to create a machine learning model for classifying ASD patients into the subtypes based on their rs-fMRI data, and an independent dataset was used to validate the model. RESULTS: All ASD participants were classified into Cluster-1 (patients with more severe impairment) and Cluster-2 (patients with moderate impairment) according to the dimensional scores of ADI-R. When compared to the TD group, Cluster-1 demonstrated increased local connection and decreased remote connectivity, and widespread hyper- and hypo-connectivity variations in the whole-brain functional connectivity. Cluster-2 was quite similar to the TD group in both local and remote connectivity. But at the level of whole-brain functional connectivity, the MCC-related connections were specifically impaired in Cluster-2. These properties of functional connectivity were fused to build a machine learning model, which achieved ∼75% for identifying ASD subtypes (Cluster-1 accuracy = 81.75%; Cluster-2 accuracy = 76.48%). CONCLUSIONS: The stratification of ASD by clinical presentations can help to minimize disease heterogeneity and highlight the distinguished properties of brain connectivity in ASD subtypes.

Network Analysis of ADHD Symptoms and Cognitive Profiles in Children.

Purpose: Although many studies have reported the cognitive profiles in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the interactions between ADHD symptoms and the patients' cognitive profiles have not been carefully examined through the network analysis. Here, in this study, we systematically analyzed the ADHD patents' symptoms and cognitive profiles, and identified a set of interactions between ADHD symptoms and cognitive domains using the network approach. Patients and Methods: A total of 146 children with ADHD, 6 to 15 years of age, were included in the study. All participants were assessed by the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) test. The patients' ADHD symptoms were evaluated by the Vanderbilt ADHD parent and teacher rating scales. GraphPad Prism 9.1.1 software was used for descriptive statistics and R 4.2.2 was used for network model construction. Results: The ADHD children in our sample showed lower scores for full scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ), verbal comprehension index (VCI), processing speed index (PSI) and working memory index (WMI). Among all the ADHD core symptoms and comorbid symptoms, the academic ability, inattention symptoms and mood disorder showed direct interaction with the cognitive domains of WISC-IV. In addition, oppositional defiant of the ADHD comorbid symptoms, and perceptual reasoning of the cognitive domains exhibited the highest strength centrality in the ADHD-Cognition network based on parent ratings. Classroom behaviors of the ADHD functional impairment, and verbal comprehension of the cognitive domains exhibited the highest strength centrality in the network based on teacher ratings. Conclusion: We highlighted the importance of considering the interactions between the ADHD symptoms and cognitive properties when designing the intervention plans for the ADHD children.

Sizable bandgaps of graphene in 3d transition metal intercalated defective graphene/WSe2 heterostructures.

Controlling the electronic and magnetic properties of G/TMD (graphene on transition metal dichalcogenide) heterostructures is essential to develop electronic devices. Despite extensive studies in perfecting G/TMDs, most products have various defects due to the limitations of the fabrication techniques, and research investigating the performances of defective G/TMDs is scarce. Here, we conduct a comprehensive study of the effects of 3d transition metal (TM = Sc-Ni) atom-intercalated G/WSe2 heterostructures, as well as their defective configurations having single vacancies on graphene or WSe2 sublayers. Interestingly, Ni-intercalated G/WSe2 exhibits a small band gap of 0.06 eV, a typical characteristic of nonmagnetic semiconductors. With the presence of one single vacancy in graphene, nonmagnetic (or ferromagnetic) semiconductors with sizable band gaps, 0.10-0.51 eV, can be achieved by intercalating Ti, Cr, Fe and Ni atoms into the heterostructures. Moreover, V and Mn doped non-defective and Sc, V, Co doped defective G/WSe2 can lead to sizable half metallic band gaps of 0.1-0.58 eV. Further analysis indicates that the significant electron transfer from TM atoms to graphene accounts for the opening of a large band gap. Our results provide theoretical guidance to future applications of G/TMD based heterostructures in (spin) electronic devices.

Half-metallic properties of 3d transition metal atom-intercalated graphene@MS2 (M = W, Mo) hybrid structures.

The energetics and electronic and magnetic properties of G/MS2 hybrid structures embedded with 3d transition metal atoms, TM@(G/MS2) (G = graphene; M = W, Mo; TM = Sc-Ni), have been systematically studied using first-principles calculations. TM atoms were found to be covalently bound to two-sided graphene and MS2 layers with sizable binding energies of 4.35-7.13 eV. Interestingly, a variety of electronic and magnetic properties were identified for these TM@(G/MS2) systems. Except for TM = Ni, all other systems were ferromagnetic, due to exchange splitting of the TM 3d orbitals. In particular, four TM@(G/MoS2) systems (TM = V, Mn, Fe, Co) and three TM@(G/WS2) systems (TM = Mn, Fe, Co) were half-metals or quasi half-metals, while Ni@(G/MoS2) and Ni@(G/WS2) were semiconductors with bandgaps of 33 and 37 meV, respectively. Further quasi-particle scattering theory analysis demonstrated that the origin of semiconducting or half-metallic properties could be well understood from the variation in on-site energy by the transition metal dichalcogenide substrate or the different on-site scattering potential induced by TM atoms. Our findings propose an effective route for manipulating the electronic and magnetic properties of graphene@MS2 heterostructures, allowing their potential application in modern spintronic and electronic devices.

Creating single Majorana type topological zero mode in superfluids of cold fermionic atoms.

We explore the topological phase, which involves Majorana type topological zero mode fermions (MTZFs) at the edge, using d-wave superfluid with Rashba spin-orbit coupling (SOC) interactions. The self-Hermitian of this MTZF([Formula: see text]) is similar to that of the Majorana fermions (MFs) ([Formula: see text]). We show that, to realize a single MTZF at each edge in superfluid with d-wave pairing in a Majorana type Kramers Doublet (MTKD) state, it is important to lift both the spin and the Dirac Cones degeneracies. These non-Abelian anyons obey the non-Abelian statistics which may be useful to realize topological quantum computation. We suggest that the topological feature could be tested experimentally in superfluids of cold fermionic atoms with laser field induced spin orbit interactions. These studies give a new possible way to investigate the MTZFs in a two-dimensional (2D) system as compared to MFs in the one-dimensional (1D) nano-wire and 2D system, and enrich the theoretical research on finding non-Abelian anyons in topological system.

Direct observation of charge state in the quasi-one-dimensional conductor Li0.9Mo6O17.

The quasi-one-dimensional conductor Li0.9Mo6O17 has been of great interest because of its unusual properties. It has a conducting phase with properties different from a simple Fermi liquid, a poorly understood "insulating" phase as indicated by a metal-"insulator" crossover (a mystery for over 30 years), and a superconducting phase which may involve spin triplet Cooper pairs as a three-dimensional (p-wave) non-conventional superconductor. Recent evidence suggests a density wave (DW) gapping regarding the metal-"insulator" crossover. However, the nature of the DW, such as whether it is due to the change in the charge state or spin state, and its relationship to the dimensional crossover and to the spin triplet superconductivity, remains elusive. Here by performing (7)Li-/(95)Mo-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, we directly observed the charge state which shows no signature of change in the electric field gradient (nuclear quadrupolar frequency) or in the distribution of it, thus providing direct experimental evidences demonstrating that the long mysterious metal-"insulator" crossover is not due to the charge density wave (CDW) that was thought, and the nature of the DW gapping is not CDW. This discovery opens a parallel path to the study of the electron spin state and its possible connections to other unusual properties.

Investigation of the magnetic dipole field at the atomic scale in quasi-one-dimensional paramagnetic conductor Li0.9Mo6O17.

We report magnetic dipole field investigation at the atomic scale in a single crystal of quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D) paramagnetic conductor Li0.9Mo6O17, using a paramagnetic electron model and (7)Li-NMR spectroscopy measurements with an externally applied magnetic field B 0 = 9 T. We find that the magnetic dipole field component ([Formula: see text]) parallel to B 0 at the Li site from the Mo electrons has no lattice axial symmetry; it is small around the middle between the lattice a and c axes in the ac-plane with the minimum at the field orientation angle [Formula: see text], while the [Formula: see text] maximum is at [Formula: see text] when B 0 is applied perpendicular to b ([Formula: see text]), where [Formula: see text] represents the direction of [Formula: see text]. Further estimation indicates that [Formula: see text] has a maximum value of 0.35 G at B 0 = 9 T. By minimizing the potential magnetic contributions to the NMR spectra satellites with the NMR spectroscopy measurements at the direction where the value of the magnetic dipole field component [Formula: see text] is ∼0, the behavior of the electron charge statics is exhibited. This work demonstrates that the magnetic dipole field of the Mo electrons is the dominant source of the local magnetic fields at the Li site, and suggests that the unknown metal-'insulator' crossover at low temperatures is not a charge effect. The work also reveals valuable local electric and magnetic field information for further NMR investigation as recently suggested (2012 Phys. Rev. B 85 235128) regarding the unusual properties of the material.

Topological phase transition in quasi-one dimensional organic conductors.

We explore topological phase transition, which involves the energy spectra of field-induced spin-density-wave (FISDW) states in quasi-one dimensional (Q1D) organic conductors, using an extended Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model. We show that, in presence of half magnetic-flux FISDW state, the system exhibits topologically nontrivial phases, which can be characterized by a nonzero Chern number. The nontrivial evolution of the bulk bands with chemical potential in a topological phase transition is discussed. We show that the system can have a similar phase diagram which is discussed in the Haldane's model. We suggest that the topological feature should be tested experimentally in this organic system. These studies enrich the theoretical research on topologically nontrivial phases in the Q1D lattice system as compared to the Haldane topological phase appearing in the two-dimensional lattices.