Effects of different exercise types and cycles on pain and quality of life in breast cancer patients: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To determine the effect of different combinations of different exercise modalities with different training cycles on the improvement of quality of life and pain symptoms in breast cancer patients. METHODS: The databases PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus were searched through a computer network with a search deadline of 23 August 2023. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted data and performed methodological quality assessment of the included literature, and then performed the corresponding statistical analyses and graphing using stata17.0. RESULTS: Thirty-six randomized control trial (RCT) studies involving 3003 participants and seven exercise modalities were included. Most of the exercise modalities improved patients' quality of life compared to usual care, with long-term aerobic combined with resistance exercise [SMD = 0.83,95% CI = 0.34,1.33,p = 0.001] and YOGA [SMD = 0.61,95% CI = 0.06,1.16,p = 0.029] treatments having a significant effect. For pain and fatigue-related outcome indicators, the treatment effect was not significant for all exercise modalities included in the analysis compared to the control group, but tended to be beneficial for patients. CONCLUSION: Long-term aerobic combined with resistance exercise was the most effective in improving quality of life and fatigue status in breast cancer patients, and aerobic exercise was more effective in improving pain symptoms in breast cancer patients.

Self-Management Using eHealth Technologies for Liver Transplant Recipients: Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Liver transplantation has become increasingly common as a last-resort treatment for end-stage liver diseases and liver cancer, with continually improving success rates and long-term survival rates. Nevertheless, liver transplant recipients face lifelong challenges in self-management, including immunosuppressant therapy, lifestyle adjustments, and navigating complex health care systems. eHealth technologies hold the potential to aid and optimize self-management outcomes, but their adoption has been slow in this population due to the complexity of post-liver transplant management. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the use of eHealth technologies in supporting self-management for liver transplant recipients and identify their benefits and challenges to suggest areas for further research. METHODS: Following the Arksey and O'Malley methodology for scoping reviews, we conducted a systematic search of 5 electronic databases: PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. We included studies that (1) examined or implemented eHealth-based self-management, (2) included liver transplant recipients aged ≥18 years, and (3) were published in a peer-reviewed journal. We excluded studies that (1) were case reports, conference abstracts, editorials, or letters; (2) did not focus on the posttransplantation phase; (3) did not focus on self-management; and (4) did not incorporate the concept of eHealth or used technology solely for data collection. The quality of the selected eHealth interventions was evaluated using (1) the Template for Intervention Description and Replication guidelines and checklist and (2) the 5 core self-management skills identified by Lorig and Holman. RESULTS: Of 1461 articles, 15 (1.03%) studies were included in the final analysis. Our findings indicate that eHealth-based self-management strategies for adult liver transplant recipients primarily address lifestyle management, medication adherence, and remote monitoring, highlighting a notable gap in alcohol relapse interventions. The studies used diverse technologies, including mobile apps, videoconferencing, and telehealth platforms, but showed limited integration of decision-making or resource use skills essential for comprehensive self-management. The reviewed studies highlighted the potential of eHealth in enhancing individualized health care, but only a few included collaborative features such as 2-way communication or tailored goal setting. While adherence and feasibility were generally high in many interventions, their effectiveness varied due to diverse methodologies and outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS: This scoping review maps the current literature on eHealth-based self-management support for liver transplant recipients, assessing its potential and challenges. Future studies should focus on developing predictive models and personalized eHealth interventions rooted in patient-generated data, incorporating digital human-to-human interactions to effectively address the complex needs of liver transplant recipients. This review emphasizes the need for future eHealth self-management research to address the digital divide, especially with the aging liver transplant recipient population, and ensure more inclusive studies across diverse ethnicities and regions.

Cross-sectional analysis for lymphedema epidemiology in South Korea by HIRA data: An observational study.

Lymphedema is known to affect as many as 140 to 250 million people worldwide. Approximately 99% of lymphedemas are secondary cases after lymphadenectomy, radiation, or parasite infection. There has been no accurate estimate of the lymphedema population size in South Korea. This study aimed to quantify the epidemiology of lymphedema in South Korea and analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with lymphedema using a nationwide database. This large-scale cross-sectional study included patients who received one of the following three diagnostic codes - Q82.0 (hereditary lymphedema), I97.2 (breast cancer-related lymphedema), and I89.0 (unclassified lymphedema) from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment service between January 2019 and July 2022 at tertiary hospitals, general hospitals, or other hospitals. The demographics of the lymphedema population, medication use, and medical characteristics were identified. Over the last 4 years, the annual incidence of lymphedema has steadily increased and peaked in 2021 with the number 1.85 out of 1000. Of all patients, 81% were located in the upper extremity, and 10.6% had previous cancer. Most patients were diagnosed in general hospitals (53.2%), at orthopedic surgery department (41.9%). On average, lymphedema patients spent 70.17 US dollar for medication and hospitalized for 16.9 days annually after diagnosis. Commonly prescribed medications were Entelon® (Vitis vinifera seed extract) (66.9%), steroids (40.5%), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (26.5%) and diuretics (21.8%). Only 5.7% of patients received surgery and 19.2% received herbal medicine. This is the first study in South Korea to quantify demographic and medical characteristics of lymphedema patients. These results will contribute to a comprehensive understanding of lymphedema diagnosis and treatment in our nation.

Tumor phagocytosis-driven STING activation invigorates antitumor immunity and reprograms the tumor micro-environment.

Immunogenic cell death (ICD) holds the potential for in situ tumor vaccination while concurrently eradicating tumors and stimulating adaptive immunity. Most ICD inducers, however, elicit insufficient immune responses due to negative feedback against ICD biomarkers, limited infiltration of antitumoral immune cells, and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Recent findings highlight the pivotal roles of stimulators of interferon gene (STING) activation, particularly in stimulating antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and TME reprogramming, addressing ICD limitations. Herein, we introduced 'tumor phagocytosis-driven STING activation', which involves the activation of STING in APCs during the recognition of ICD-induced cancer cells. We developed a polypeptide-based nanocarrier encapsulating both doxorubicin (DOX) and diABZI STING agonist 3 (dSA3) to facilitate this hypothesis in vitro and in vivo. After systemic administration, nanoparticles predominantly accumulated in tumor tissue and significantly enhanced anticancer efficacy by activating tumor phagocytosis-driven STING activation in MC38 and TC1 tumor models. Immunological activation of APCs occurred within 12 h, subsequently leading to the activation of T cells within 7 days, observed in both the TME and spleen. Furthermore, surface modification of nanoparticles with cyclic RGD (cRGD) moieties, which actively target integrin αvß3, enhances tumor accumulation and eradication, thereby verifying the establishment of systemic immune memory. Collectively, this study proposes the concept of tumor phagocytosis-driven STING activation and its effectiveness in generating short-term and long-term immune responses.

A Nationwide Report on Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery in 2019-2022: Utilizing the Korean Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Database Registry.

Purpose: The introduction of insurance coverage in Korea has led to a rise in the number of bariatric and metabolic surgeries. This study aims to provide a comprehensive report on the nationwide status of these surgeries from 2019 to 2022, utilizing data from the Korean Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (KSMBS) database registry. Materials and Methods: This study analyzed data from the KSMBS registry, collected from 68 certified surgeons across 58 institutions from January 2019 to December 2022. After excluding non-relevant cases, the final analysis included 7,377 patients. Results: Annually, data for 1,869, 1,934, 1,782, and 1,792 patients were collected from 2019 to 2022, respectively. The rate of revisional operations accounted for 7.1%, 8.2%, 4.6%, and 4.5% of the total cases each year. The most common primary surgery was Sleeve Gastrectomy (SG, ranging from 71.1% to 78.9%), followed by Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB, ranging from 9.6% to 13.4%). The surgeries demonstrated a high safety profile, with a low morbidity rate (0.5% to 0.9%) and a zero mortality rate over the 4 years. Within 2 years post-operation, the Total Weight Loss Percentage was similar among patients who underwent SG, RYGB, and Sleeve Plus procedures. Conclusion: The number of bariatric and metabolic surgeries in Korea has increased significantly since the introduction of national insurance coverage. SG was the most performed primary procedure. All surgical procedures showed safe short-term outcomes and yielded reasonable results upon follow-up, indicating a positive impact of insurance coverage on the accessibility and safety of surgeries.

A Subset of Microsatellite Unstable Cancer Genomes Prone to Short Insertions over Deletions Is Associated with Elevated Anticancer Immunity.

Deficiencies in DNA mismatch repair (MMRd) leave characteristic footprints of microsatellite instability (MSI) in cancer genomes. We used data from the Cancer Genome Atlas and International Cancer Genome Consortium to conduct a comprehensive analysis of MSI-associated cancers, focusing on indel mutational signatures. We classified MSI-high genomes into two subtypes based on their indel profiles: deletion-dominant (MMRd-del) and insertion-dominant (MMRd-ins). Compared with MMRd-del genomes, MMRd-ins genomes exhibit distinct mutational and transcriptomic features, including a higher prevalence of T>C substitutions and related mutation signatures. Short insertions and deletions in MMRd-ins and MMRd-del genomes target different sets of genes, resulting in distinct indel profiles between the two subtypes. In addition, indels in the MMRd-ins genomes are enriched with subclonal alterations that provide clues about a distinct evolutionary relationship between the MMRd-ins and MMRd-del genomes. Notably, the transcriptome analysis indicated that MMRd-ins cancers upregulate immune-related genes, show a high level of immune cell infiltration, and display an elevated neoantigen burden. The genomic and transcriptomic distinctions between the two types of MMRd genomes highlight the heterogeneity of genetic mechanisms and resulting genomic footprints and transcriptomic changes in cancers, which has potential clinical implications.

Clinical impact of Wnt5a expression on persistence of acute kidney injury in patients with urosepsis.

Abnormal Wnt5a expression is associated with dysregulated inflammation and organ dysfunction. However, the effect of Wnt5a activation on the duration of organ dysfunction remains unclear. This prospective study investigated the association between Wnt5a levels and persistent acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with urosepsis. Serum creatinine and Wnt5a levels were measured on days 1 and 5 and at discharge in 87 patients diagnosed with urosepsis. Patients with urosepsis were classified into an improving acute kidney injury (AKI) group and a persistent or worsening AKI group according to the AKI stage on days 1 and 5. AKI recovery was defined as a discharge-to-baseline serum creatinine ratio of <1.5. Twenty-eight patients with urosepsis (32.2%) had persistent or worsening AKI, and their Wnt5a levels were higher on days 1 and 5 and at discharge than those with improving AKI. The association between Wnt5a levels and persistent or worsening AKI was maintained after adjusting for age, sex, baseline serum creatinine levels, and disease severity. Moreover, elevated Wnt5a levels were associated with an increased risk of major adverse kidney events. High Wnt5a levels at discharge were associated with unrecovered AKI and participants with AKI recovery had a steeper Wnt5a slope over time than those without recovery, irrespective of age, sex, baseline serum creatinine level, or disease severity. Assessment of Wnt5a expression was helpful in predicting AKI persistence and adverse outcomes in patients with urosepsis. Therefore, Wnt5a may serve as a valuable bio-marker for identifying the risk of persistence of AKI.

Multifunctional hydrogels based on photothermal therapy: A prospective platform for the postoperative management of melanoma.

Preventing the recurrence of melanoma after surgery and accelerating wound healing are among the most challenging aspects of melanoma management. Photothermal therapy has been widely used to treat tumors and bacterial infections and promote wound healing. Owing to its efficacy and specificity, it may be used for postoperative management of tumors. However, its use is limited by the uncontrollable distribution of photosensitizers and the likelihood of damage to the surrounding normal tissue. Hydrogels provide a moist environment with strong biocompatibility and adhesion for wound healing owing to their highly hydrophilic three-dimensional network structure. In addition, these materials serve as excellent drug carriers for tumor treatment and wound healing. It is possible to combine the advantages of both of these agents through different loading modalities to provide a powerful platform for the prevention of tumor recurrence and wound healing. This review summarizes the design strategies, research progress and mechanism of action of hydrogels used in photothermal therapy and discusses their role in preventing tumor recurrence and accelerating wound healing. These findings provide valuable insights into the postoperative management of melanoma and may guide the development of promising multifunctional hydrogels for photothermal therapy.

Impacts of soil type and drought stress on growth and cesium accumulation in Napier grass.

In our previous study, the decontamination efficiency of cesium-137 (137Cs) by Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) in the field was shown to be variable and often influenced by natural environmental factors. To elucidate the factors influencing this variable 137Cs-decontamination efficiency, we investigated the influences of soil type and drought stress on Cs accumulation using cesium-133 (133Cs) in Napier grass grown in plastic containers. The experiment was performed using two soil types (Soil A and B) and three different soil moisture conditions: well-watered control (CL), slight drought stress (SD), and moderate drought stress (MD). Overall, our results indicate that soil type and drought have a significant impact on plant growth and 133Cs accumulation in Napier grass. Plant height (PH), tiller number (TN), leaf width (Wleaf), and dry matter weight of aboveground parts (DWabove) and root parts (DWroot) in Soil B were greater than those in Soil A. Drought stress negatively affected chlorophyll fluorescence parameters (maximal quantum efficiency of photosystem (PS) II photochemistry and potential activity of PS II), PH, TN, Wleaf, DWabove, DWroot, and total 133Cs content (TCs), but it had a positive effect on 133Cs concentration. The 133Cs concentration in the aboveground parts (Csabove) was increased by MD approximately 1.62-fold in Soil A and 1.11-fold in Soil B compared to each CL counterpart. The TCs in the aboveground parts (TCsabove) decreased due to drought by approximately 19.9%-39.0% in Soil A and 49.9%-62.7% in Soil B; however, there was no significant effect on TCsabove due to soil type. The results of this study indicate that soil moisture is a key factor in maintaining Napier grass 137Cs-decontamination efficiency.

Increased alcohol intake is associated with radiographic severity of knee and hand osteoarthritis in men.

Observational studies have shown controversial associations between alcohol intake and radiographic osteoarthritis (OA). This study investigated whether this association was causal using a Mendelian randomization (MR) study in a population-based cohort in Korean. The study enrolled 2429 subjects (1058 men, 1371 women) from the Dong-gu Study. X-rays of the hand and knee joints were scored using a semi-quantitative grading system to calculate the total score of the hand and knee joints. ALDH2 rs671 genotyping was performed by high-resolution melting analysis. MR instrumental variable analysis and observational multivariable regression analysis were used to estimate the association between genetically predicted alcohol intake and the radiographic severity of OA. Subjects with the G/G genotype had a higher current alcohol intake than those with the G/A and A/A genotypes in both men and women (all P < 0.001). Men with the G/G genotype had higher total knee (P < 0.001) and hand scores (P = 0.042) compared to those with the G/A and A/A genotypes after adjusting for age and body mass index, but not in women. In the observational multivariable regression analysis, each alcohol drink per day in men was associated with increased knee (P = 0.001) and hand joint scores (P = 0.013) after adjustment, but not in women. In our MR analysis, utilizing ALDH2 rs671 genotypes as instrumental variables for alcohol consumption, has shown a significant link between each additional daily alcohol drink and increased radiographic joint severity in men.

Dual Chalcogen-Bonding Interaction for High-Performance Filterless Narrowband Organic Photodetectors.

A novel green-absorbing organic molecule featuring dual intramolecular chalcogen bonds is synthesized and characterized. This molecule incorporates two such bonds: one between a tellurium atom and the oxygen atom of a carbonyl moiety, and the other between the tellurium atom and the adjacent nitrogen atom within a pyridine moiety. The molecule, featuring dual intramolecular chalcogen bonds exhibits a narrow absorption spectrum and elevated absorption coefficients, closely aligned with a resonance parameter of approximately 0.5. This behavior is due to its cyanine-like characteristics and favorable electrical properties, which are a direct result of its rigid, planar molecular structure. Therefore, this organic molecule forming dual intramolecular chalcogen bonds achieves superior optoelectronic performance in green-selective photodetectors, boasting an external quantum efficiency of over 65% and a full-width at half maximum of less than 95 nm while maintaining the performance after 1000 h of heating aging at 85 °C. Such organic photodetectors are poised to enhance stacked organic photodetector-on-silicon hybrid image sensors, paving the way for the next-generation of high-resolution and high-sensitivity image sensors.

Surface Area-Enhanced Cerium and Sulfur-Modified Hierarchical Bismuth Oxide Nanosheets for Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction to Formate.

Electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (ECO2RR) is a promising approach to synthesize fuels and value-added chemical feedstocks while reducing atmospheric CO2 levels. Here, high surface area cerium and sulfur-doped hierarchical bismuth oxide nanosheets (Ce@S-Bi2O3) are develpoed by a solvothermal method. The resulting Ce@S-Bi2O3 electrocatalyst shows a maximum formate Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 92.5% and a current density of 42.09 mA cm-2 at -1.16 V versus RHE using a traditional H-cell system. Furthermore, using a three-chamber gas diffusion electrode (GDE) reactor, a maximum formate FE of 85% is achieved in a wide range of applied potentials (-0.86 to -1.36 V vs RHE) using Ce@S-Bi2O3. The density functional theory (DFT) results show that doping of Ce and S in Bi2O3 enhances formate production by weakening the OH* and H* species. Moreover, DFT calculations reveal that *OCHO is a dominant pathway on Ce@S-Bi2O3 that leads to efficient formate production. This study opens up new avenues for designing metal and element-doped electrocatalysts to improve the catalytic activity and selectivity for ECO2RR.

Effects of blood flow restriction training on aerobic capacity, lower limb muscle strength and mass in healthy adults: a meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the effects of blood flow restriction combined with aerobic exercise on aerobic capacity, lower limb muscle strength and mass in healthy adults. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: According to PRISMA's statement, we searched Web of science, Medline, Embase, Cochrane library, CNKI, Wan fang, and VIP databases to collect randomized controlled trials on the effects of aerobic exercise with blood flow restriction on improving aerobic capacity, lower limb muscle strength, and muscle mass in healthy adults. The studies were published from the establishment of the database to November 2023. A supplementary search has been conducted on March 8, 2024. Review Manager5.3 and Stata17 were used for statistical analysis. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: A total of 16 RCTs with 388 participants were included. The results of meta-analysis showed: Aerobic exercise with BFR significantly affected aerobic capacity (MD and 95%CI 1.06[0.29,1.83], P<0.05), lower limb muscle strength (MD and 95%CI 7.56[5.80,9.33], P<0.05) and lower limb muscle mass (MD and 95%CI were 3.02[1.63,4.42], P<0.05) in healthy adults. The results of subgroup analysis showed that intermittent pressure was better than continuous pressure (P<0.05). Compared with the elderly, the effect of young and middle-aged was better (P<0.05). At the same time, the training form using power bikes is better than walking or running. Finally, 2-6 weeks, 2-3 sessions per week, 10-45 minutes per session can effectively improve the aerobic capacity of healthy adults. CONCLUSIONS: Aerobic exercise with BFR can significantly improve aerobic capacity, lower limb muscle strength and mass in healthy adults. In the future, the effects of blood flow restriction training on healthy adults should be further studied, and the form of pressure, intervention cycle, frequency, time, intensity and other variables should be further controlled.

Mechanism for Local-Atomic Structure Changes in Chalcogenide-based Threshold-Switching Devices.

Threshold-switching devices based on amorphous chalcogenides are considered for use as selector devices in 3D crossbar memories. However, the fundamental understanding of amorphous chalcogenide is hindered owing to the complexity of the local structures and difficulties in the trap analysis of multinary compounds. Furthermore, after threshold switching, the local structures gradually evolve to more stable energy states owing to the unstable homopolar bonds. Herein, based on trap analysis, DFT simulations, and operando XPS analysis, it is determined that the threshold switching mechanism is deeply related to the charged state of Se-Se homopolar defects. A threshold switching device is demonstrated with an excellent performance through the modification of the local structure via the addition of alloying elements and investigating the time-dependent trap evolution. The results concerning the trap dynamics of local atomic structures in threshold switching phenomena may be used to improve the design of amorphous chalcogenides.

Synergistic Modulation of Multiple Sites Boosts Anti-Poisoning Hydrogen Electrooxidation Reaction with Ultrasmall (Pt0.9Rh0.1)3V Ternary Intermetallic Nanoparticles.

Promoting the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) activity and poisoning tolerance of electrocatalysts is crucial for the large-scale application of hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell. However, it is severely hindered by the scaling relations among different intermediates. Herein, lattice-contracted Pt-Rh in ultrasmall ternary L12-(Pt0.9Rh0.1)3V intermetallic nanoparticles (~2.2 nm) were fabricated to promote the HOR performances through an oxides self-confined growth strategy. The prepared (Pt0.9Rh0.1)3V displayed 5.5/3.7 times promotion in HOR mass/specific activity than Pt/C in pure H2 and dramatically limited activity attenuation in 1000 ppm CO/H2 mixture. In-situ Raman spectra tracked the superior anti-CO* capability as a result of compressive strained Pt, and the adsorption of oxygen-containing species was promoted due to the dual-functional effect. Further assisted by density functional theory calculations, both the adsorption of H* and CO* on (Pt0.9Rh0.1)3V were reduced compared with that of Pt due to lattice contraction, while the adsorption of OH* was enhanced by introducing oxyphilic Rh sites. This work provides an effective tactic to stimulate the electrocatalytic performances by optimizing the adsorption of different intermediates severally.

Circular economy approach: Nutrient recovery and economical struvite production from wastewater sources by using modified biochars.

The enrichment of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) in aquatic systems can cause eutrophication. Moreover, P rocks may become exhausted in the next 100 years. A slow-release fertilizer called struvite (MgNH4PO4.6H2O) can reduce surface runoff. However, the high cost of raw material or chemicals is a bottleneck in their economical production. Therefore, incinerated sewage sludge ash, food wastewater, and bittern were combined as the sources of P, N, and Mg, respectively. Sawdust biochar was used to enhance the adsorptive recovery of nutrients. First, recovery kinetics was studied by comparing bittern-impregnated biochar (BtB) with the Mg-impregnated biochar (MgB). Subsequently, the synergistic physical and chemical interactions were observed for P and N recovery. Almost complete PO43-P recoveries were achieved within 10 min for both biochars. However, NH4+-N recovery was stable after 2 h, with 26% recovery by MgB and 20% recovery by BtB. Biochars activated with steam (steam-activated biochar) and KOH (KOH-activated biochar) gave superior activities to those of unactivated biochars and activated carbon (AC) nutrient recovery and struvite purity. Moreover, the activated biochars showed a lower risk of surface runoff, similar to that of AC. Therefore, activated biochars can be used as an alternative to AC for economical struvite production from a combination of wastewater sources.

New Insights into Gas-Solid Interactions of NO2/MoS2 Monolayers: a Comparative Study with MoSe2 and MoTe2 Monolayers.

Understanding the microscopic electronic structure determines the macroscopic properties of the materials. Sufficient sampling has the same foundational importance in understanding the interactions. The NO2/MoS2 interaction is well known, but there are still many inconsistencies in the basic data, and the source of the NO2 direct dissociation activity has not been revealed. Based on a large-scale sampling density functional theory (DFT) study, the optimal adsorption of the NO2/MoS2 monolayer system is determined. The impurity state on the top of the valence band of the S-vacancy monolayer (MoS2-VS) was determined by cross-analysis of the band structure and density of states, which has been neglected for a long time. This provides a reasonable explanation for the direct dissociation of NO2 on the MoX2 monolayers. Further atomic structure analysis reveals that the impurity state originates from the not-fully occupied valence orbitals. This also corroborates the fact that the Mo material has dissociation activity, while the W material does not. There is no impurity state on the top of the valence band of the X-vacancy WS2 and WSe2 monolayers. Interestingly, NO2 dissociation did not occur in the MoTe2-VTe monolayer. This may be related to the 6s inert electron pair effect of the Te atom. The double-oriented adsorption behavior of NO2is also revealed. In contrast to the MoSe2 and MoTe2 monolayers, NO2-oriented adsorption on the MoS2 perfect monolayer deviates obviously, which is speculated to be related to space limitation and larger electronegativity of the S atom. The oriented adsorption ability of the MoX2 monolayers followed the order MoTe2 (64.4%) > MoSe2 (44.8%) > MoS2 (42.7%), according to the directed proportion. Renewed insights into the adsorption basic data and the understanding of the electronic structure of NO2/MoX2 (X = S, Se, Te) monolayer systems provide a basic understanding of the gas-surface interactions and various future surface-related advanced applications.

A nomogram predicting pneumonia after cardiac surgery: a retrospective modeling study.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative pneumonia (POP) is the most prevalent of all nosocomial infections in patients who underwent cardiac surgery. The aim of this study was to identify independent risk factors for pneumonia after cardiac surgery, from which we constructed a nomogram for prediction. METHODS: The clinical data of patients admitted to the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from October 2020 to September 2021 who underwent cardiac surgery were retrospectively analyzed, and the patients were divided into two groups according to whether they had POP: POP group (n=105) and non-POP group (n=1083). Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative indicators were collected and analyzed. Logistic regression was used to identify independent risk factors for POP in patients who underwent cardiac surgery. We constructed a nomogram based on these independent risk factors. Model discrimination was assessed via area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), and calibration was assessed via calibration plot. RESULTS: A total of 105 events occurred in the 1188 cases. Age (>55 years) (OR: 1.83, P=0.0225), preoperative malnutrition (OR: 3.71, P<0.0001), diabetes mellitus(OR: 2.33, P=0.0036), CPB time (Cardiopulmonary Bypass Time) > 135 min (OR: 2.80, P<0.0001), moderate to severe ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome )(OR: 1.79, P=0.0148), use of ECMO or IABP or CRRT (ECMO: Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation; IABP: Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump; CRRT: Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy )(OR: 2.60, P=0.0057) and MV( Mechanical Ventilation )> 20 hours (OR: 3.11, P<0.0001) were independent risk factors for POP. Based on those independent risk factors, we constructed a simple nomogram with an AUC of 0.82. Calibration plots showed good agreement between predicted probabilities and actual probabilities. CONCLUSION: We constructed a facile nomogram for predicting pneumonia after cardiac surgery with good discrimination and calibration. The model has excellent clinical applicability and can be used to identify and adjust modifiable risk factors to reduce the incidence of POP as well as patient mortality.

Mixing Performance of a Passive Micromixer Based on Split-to-Circulate (STC) Flow Characteristics.

We propose a novel passive micromixer leveraging STC (split-to-circulate) flow characteristics and analyze its mixing performance comprehensively. Three distinct designs incorporating submerged circular walls were explored to achieve STC flow characteristics, facilitating flow along a convex surface and flow impingement on a concave surface. Across a broad Reynolds number range (0.1 to 80), the present micromixer substantially enhances mixing, with a degree of mixing (DOM) consistently exceeding 0.84. Particularly, the mixing enhancement is prominent within the low and intermediate range of Reynolds numbers (0.1