Promoting oxygen vacancies utility for tetracycline degradation via peroxymonosulfate activation by reduced Mg-doped Co3O4: Kinetics and key role of electron transfer pathway.

Developing cobalt-based catalysts with a high abundance of oxygen vacancies (Vo) and exceptional Vo utility efficiency for the prompt removal of stubborn contaminants through peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation poses a significant challenge. Herein, we reported the synthesis of the reduced Mg-doped Co3O4 nanosheets, i.e. Mg-doped Co3O4-r, via Mg doping and followed by NaBH4 reduction, aiming to degrade tetracycline (TC). Various characterization results illustrated that NaBH4 reduction imparted higher Vo utility efficiency to Mg-doped Co3O4-r, along with an ample presence of reduced Co2+ species and an increased surface area, thereby substantially elevating PMS activation capability. Notably, Mg-doped Co3O4-r achieved more than 97.9% degradation of 20 mg/L TC within 10 min, showing an over 8-fold increase in reaction rate relative to the Mg-doped Co3O4 (kobs: 0.3285 min-1 vs 0.0399 min-1). The high removal efficiency of TC was sustained across a broad pH range of 3-11, even in the presence of common anions and humic acid. Radical quenching trials, EPR outcomes, and electrochemical analysis indicated that neither radicals nor 1O2 were the primary active species. Instead, electron transfer pathway played a dominant role in TC degradation. The Mg-doped Co3O4-r displayed excellent recyclability and versatility. Even after the fifth cycle, it maintained an impressive 83.0% removal of TC. Furthermore, it exhibited rapid degradation capabilities for various pollutants, including levofloxacin, pefloxacin, ciprofloxacin, malachite green, and rhodamine B. The TC degradation pathway was proposed based on LC-MS determination of its degradation intermediates. This study showcases an innovative strategy for the rational design of an efficient cobalt-based activator, leveraging electron transfer pathways through PMS activation to degrade antibiotics effectively.

A new ChatGPT-empowered, easy-to-use machine learning paradigm for environmental science.

The quantity and complexity of environmental data show exponential growth in recent years. High-quality big data analysis is critical for performing a sophisticated characterization of the complex network of environmental pollution. Machine learning (ML) has been employed as a powerful tool for decoupling the complexities of environmental big data based on its remarkable fitting ability. Yet, due to the knowledge gap across different subjects, ML concepts and algorithms have not been well-popularized among researchers in environmental sustainability. In this context, we introduce a new research paradigm-"ChatGPT + ML + Environment", providing an unprecedented chance for environmental researchers to reduce the difficulty of using ML models. For instance, each step involved in applying ML models to environmental sustainability, including data preparation, model selection and construction, model training and evaluation, and hyper-parameter optimization, can be easily performed with guidance from ChatGPT. We also discuss the challenges and limitations of using this research paradigm in the field of environmental sustainability. Furthermore, we highlight the importance of "secondary training" for future application of "ChatGPT + ML + Environment".

Mechanistic insights into ligand dissociation from the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein.

The COVID-19 pandemic, driven by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has spurred an urgent need for effective therapeutic interventions. The spike glycoprotein of the SARS-CoV-2 is crucial for infiltrating host cells, rendering it a key candidate for drug development. By interacting with the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, the spike initiates the infection of SARS-CoV-2. Linoleate is known to bind the spike glycoprotein, subsequently reducing its interaction with ACE2. However, the detailed mechanisms underlying the protein-ligand interaction remain unclear. In this study, we characterized the pathways of ligand dissociation and the conformational changes associated with the spike glycoprotein by using ligand Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (LiGaMD). Our simulations resulted in eight complete ligand dissociation trajectories, unveiling two distinct ligand unbinding pathways. The preference between these two pathways depends on the gate distance between two α-helices in the receptor binding domain (RBD) and the position of the N-linked glycan at N343. Our study also highlights the essential contributions of K417, N121 glycan, and N165 glycan in ligand unbinding, which are equally crucial in enhancing spike-ACE2 binding. We suggest that the presence of the ligand influences the motions of these residues and glycans, consequently reducing accessibility for spike-ACE2 binding. These findings enhance our understanding of ligand dissociation from the spike glycoprotein and offer significant implications for drug design strategies in the battle against COVID-19.

Cationic regulation of specificity and activity of defective MCo2O4 nanozyme (M=Fe, Co, Ni, Cu) for colorimetric detection of caffeic acid.

Spinel oxide has great promise in constructing highly active nanozymes due to its tunable crystal structure. However, it still faces the problems of poor specificity and insufficient enzyme activity, which limits its application in the field of analysis. Herein, a series of transition metal spinel oxides were synthesized by cation regulation strategy, and their enzymatic activity and catalytic mechanism were analyzed. Interestingly, FeCo2O4, Co3O4 and NiCo2O4 had oxidase-like activity and peroxidase-like activity, while CuCo2O4 had specific and high oxidase-like activity. Their oxidase-like activities follow the order of FeCo2O4 < Co3O4 < NiCo2O4 < CuCo2O4, which is consistent with their cation radius. The smaller the cation radius of tetrahedral site, the more beneficial it is to increase the oxidase-like activity. The high oxidase-like activity of CuCo2O4 may be attributed to the production of 1O2, •O2- and •OH. EPR results showed the presence of abundant oxygen vacancies in CuCo2O4. Upon the introduction of EDTA, TMB color reaction fades because of oxygen vacancies elimination by EDTA, indicating that oxygen vacancies played an important role in the reaction. Based on the inhibition effect of caffeic acid on the high oxidase-like activity of CuCo2O4, a simple and sensitive caffeic acid colorimetric sensing platform was developed. The linear range for the detection of caffeic acid is 0.02-15 µM, with a detection limit as low as 13 nM. The constructed sensor enables the detection of caffeic acid in caffeic acid tablets and actual water samples, providing a new strategy for the detection of caffeic acid and drug quality control.

Exploring additives beyond phthalates: Release from plastic mulching films, biodegradation and occurrence in agricultural soils.

It is widely recognized that applications of plastic films result in plastic pollution in agroecosystems. However, there is limited knowledge on the release and occurrence of additives beyond phthalates in agricultural soil. In this study, the rates of release and biodegradation of various additives, including phthalates, bisphenols, organophosphate esters, phenolic antioxidants, and ultraviolet absorbents from mulching films in soil were quantified by laboratory incubation. The rates of release and biodegradation ranged from 0.069 d-1 to 5.893 d-1 and from 1.43 × 10-3 d-1 to 0.600 d-1, respectively. Both of these rates were affected by temperature, flooding, and the properties of additives, films, and soils. An estimated 4000 metric tons of these additives were released into soil annually in China exclusively. The total concentrations of these additives in 80 agricultural soils varied between 228 and 3455 µg kg-1, with phenolic antioxidants, phthalates, and bisphenols accounting for 54.1%, 25.2%, and 17.9% of the total concentrations, respectively. A preliminary risk assessment suggested that the current levels of these additives could potentially present moderate hazards to the soil ecosystem.

Advancing Glucose Sensing Through Auto-Fluorescent Polymer Brushes: From Surface Design to Nano-Arrays.

Designing smart (bio)interfaces with the capability to sense and react to changes in local environments offers intriguing possibilities for new surface-based sensing devices and technologies. Polymer brushes make ideal materials to design such adaptive and responsive interfaces given their large variety of functional and structural possibilities as well as their outstanding abilities to respond to physical, chemical, and biological stimuli. Herein, a practical sensory interface for glucose detection based on auto-fluorescent polymer brushes decorated with phenylboronic acid (PBA) receptors is presented. The glucose-responsive luminescent surfaces, which are capable of translating conformational transitions triggered by pH variations and binding events into fluorescent readouts without the need for fluorescent dyes, are grown from both nanopatterned and non-patterned substrates. Two-photon laser scanning confocal microscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses reveal the relationship between the brush conformation and glucose concentration and confirm that the phenylboronic acid functionalized brushes can bind glucose over a range of physiologically relevant concentrations in a reversible manner. The combination of auto-fluorescent polymer brushes with synthetic receptors presents a promising avenue for designing innovative and robust sensing systems, which are essential for various biomedical applications, among other uses.

Elucidating the impact of oxygen functional groups on the catalytic activity of M-N4-C catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction: a density functional theory and machine learning approach.

Efforts to enhance the efficiency of electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in energy conversion and storage devices present formidable challenges. In this endeavor, M-N4-C single-atom catalysts (MN4) have emerged as promising candidates due to their precise atomic structure and adaptable electronic properties. However, MN4 catalysts inherently introduce oxygen functional groups (OGs), intricately influencing the catalytic process and complicating the identification of active sites. This study employs advanced density functional theory (DFT) calculations to investigate the profound influence of OGs on ORR catalysis within MN4 catalysts (referred to as OGs@MN4, where M represents Fe or Co). We established the following activity order for the 2eORR: for OGs@CoN4: OH@CoN4 > CoN4 > CHO@CoN4 > C-O-C@CoN4 > COC@CoN4 > COOH@CoN4 > CO@CoN4; for OGs@FeN4: COC@FeN4 > CO@FeN4 > OH@FeN4 > FeN4 > COOH@FeN4 > CHO@FeN4 > C-O-C@FeN4. Multiple oxygen combinations were constructed and found to be the true origin of MN4 activity (for instance, the overpotential of 2OH@CoN4 as low as 0.07 V). Furthermore, we explored the performance of the OGs@MN4 system through charge and d-band center analysis, revealing the limitations of previous electron-withdrawing/donating strategies. Machine learning analysis, including GBR, GPR, and LINER models, effectively guides the prediction of catalyst performance (with an R2 value of 0.93 for predicting ΔG*OOH_vac in the GBR model). The Eg descriptor was identified as the primary factor characterizing ΔG*OOH_vac (accounting for 62.8%; OGs@CoN4: R2 = 0.9077, OGs@FeN4: R2 = 0.7781). This study unveils the significant impact of OGs on MN4 catalysts and pioneers design and synthesis criteria rooted in Eg. These innovative findings provide valuable insights into understanding the origins of catalytic activity and guiding the design of carbon-based single-atom catalysts, appealing to a broad audience interested in energy conversion technologies and materials science.

Serglycin secreted by late-stage nucleus pulposus cells is a biomarker of intervertebral disc degeneration.

Intervertebral disc degeneration is a natural process during aging and a leading cause of lower back pain. Here, we generate a comprehensive atlas of nucleus pulposus cells using single-cell RNA-seq analysis of human nucleus pulposus tissues (three males and four females, age 41.14 ± 18.01 years). We identify fibrotic late-stage nucleus pulposus cells characterized by upregulation of serglycin expression which facilitate the local inflammatory response by promoting the infiltration of inflammatory cytokines and macrophages. Finally, we discover that daphnetin, a potential serglycin ligand, substantially mitigates the local inflammatory response by downregulating serglycin expression in an in vivo mouse model, thus alleviating intervertebral disc degeneration. Taken together, we identify late-stage nucleus pulposus cells and confirm the potential mechanism by which serglycin regulates intervertebral disc degeneration. Our findings indicate that serglycin is a latent biomarker of intervertebral disc degeneration and may contribute to development of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Pain behavior and phenotype in a modified anterior lumbar disc puncture mouse model.

Background: An experimental study was performed to improve the anterior approach model of intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). Objective: The aims of this study were to investigate the anterior approach model of IVDD for the cause of death, phenotypes, and underlying mechanisms of low back pain in mice. Method: In this study, we conducted an anterior puncture procedure on a cohort of 300 C57BL/6J mice that were 8 weeks old. Our investigation focused on exploring the causes of death in the study population (n = 300) and assessing the time-course changes in various parameters, including radiographical, histological, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry analyses (n = 10). Additionally, we conducted behavioral assessments on a subset of the animals (n = 30). Results: Transverse vertebral artery rupture is a major factor in surgical death. Radiographical analyses showed that the hydration of the nucleus pulposus began to decrease at 2 weeks after puncture and obviously disappeared over 4 weeks. 3D-CT showed that disc height was significantly decreased at 4 weeks. Osteophyte at the anterior vertebral rims was observed at 2 weeks after the puncture. As the time course increased, histological analyses showed progressive disruption of the destruction of the extracellular matrix and increased secretion of inflammatory cytokines and apoptosis. Behavioral signs of low back pain were increased between the puncture and sham groups at 4 weeks. Conclusion: The improvement of anterior intervertebral disc approach model in mice will be useful to investigate underlying mechanisms and potential therapeutic strategies for behavior and phenotypes. Furthermore, the application of vibrational pre-treatment can be used to increase the sensitivity of axial back pain in the model, thereby providing researchers with a reliable method for measuring this critical phenotype.

Characteristic profiling of soluble factors in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with neurosyphilis.

BACKGROUND: Soluble inflammatory factors have been investigated in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of neurosyphilis patients with low-throughput technology. This study aimed to illustrate the characteristics of soluble factors profiles in CSF of neurosyphilis patients. METHODS: We measured the concentrations of 45 cytokines/chemokines/growth factors in CSF from 112 untreated syphilis cases, including latent syphilis (LS), asymptomatic neurosyphilis (ANS), meningeal neurosyphilis (MNS), meningovascular neurosyphilis (MVNS), paralytic dementia (PD) and ocular syphilis (OS). RESULTS: Thirty-three differentially expressed soluble factors (DeSFs) were categorized into three clusters. DeSFs scores of cluster 1 and 2 (DeSFS1 and DeSFS2) were positively correlated with elevated neopterin and neurofilament light subunit (NF-L) concentration, respectively. DeSFs scores of cluster 3 were positively correlated with WBC, protein, NF-L and neopterin. Patients with LS, ANS, and OS exhibited an overall lower abundance of DeSFs. PD patients exhibited significantly increased levels of cluster 1 and 3, and the highest total DeSFs score, while patients with MNS and MVNS showed enhanced levels of cluster 2. ROC analysis revealed that DeSFS1 effectively discriminated PD, and DeSFS2 discriminated MNS/MVNS with high accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with neurosyphilis at different stages have distinctive patterns of soluble factors in CSF, which are correlated with immune status and neuronal damage.

Acetylshikonin promoting PI3K/Akt pathway and inhibiting SOX4 expression to delay intervertebral disc degeneration and low back pain.

This study investigated the molecular mechanism by which acetylshikonin inhibits SOX4 expression via the PI3K/Akt pathway to delay intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) and low back pain (LBP). Bulk RNA-seq, RT-qPCR, Western blot analysis, immunohistochemical staining, small interfering RNA (siSOX4), lentivirus (lentiv-SOX4hi ), and imaging techniques were used to assess SOX4 expression and validate its upstream regulatory pathway. Acetylshikonin and siSOX4 were injected into the IVD to measure IVDD. SOX4 expression significantly increased in degenerated IVD tissues. TNF-α increased SOX4 expression and apoptosis-related proteins in nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs). siSOX4 reduced TNF-α-induced NPCs apoptosis, while Lentiv-SOX4hi increased it. The PI3K/Akt pathway was significantly correlated with SOX4, and acetylshikonin upregulated PI3K/Akt pathway while inhibiting SOX4 expression. In the anterior puncture IVDD mouse model, SOX4 expression was upregulated, and acetylshikonin and siSOX4 delayed IVDD-induced LBP. Acetylshikonin delays IVDD-induced LBP by inhibiting SOX4 expression through the PI3K/Akt pathway. These findings offer potential therapeutic targets for future treatments.

Blood pressure in the longevous population with different status of hypertension and frailty.

Blood pressure(BP) of the longevous population with hypertension and/or frailty was under-investigated. To investigate the association between age, BP, variation of BP, and survival among the old adults with different status of hypertension and frailty, the present study included adults ≥65 years in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (2008-2018), defined frailty using the Fried criteria, and identified hypertension by self-report or SBP/DBP ≥ 140/90 mm Hg. The association between age and BP were investigated using linear regression models. Variation of BP was defined if annual change of BP lower than quartile 1(sharp decrease) or higher than quartile 3(sharp increase). The association between age and BP variation were investigated using multinominal logistic regression models. The association between BP and survival was analyzed using Cox regression models. Among 13,447 adults (centenarian: 1965[14.6%]), age was positively associated with SBP in robust hypertensive elderly but negatively associated with it in frail hypertensive elderly. Annual change of BP was more likely to be increment among the normotensive elderly, but be decrement among the hypertensive elderly, especially among those with frailty. SBP < 120 mmHg was the risk factor of mortality among the frail oldest-old (≥85 years) while SBP ≥ 150 mmHg was that among the robust young-old (65-84 years). DBP ≥ 90 mmHg was the risk factor of mortality both in the robust young-old and the frail oldest old. In conclusion, age and frailty might be the criteria to predict the change of BP to guide the BP management of the longevous population.

Role of Interface of Metal-Organic Frameworks and Their Composites in Persulfate-Based Advanced Oxidation Process for Water Purification.

The persulfate activation-based advanced oxidation process (PS-AOP) is an important technology in wastewater purification. Using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as heterogeneous catalysts in the PS-AOP showed good application potential. Considering the intrinsic advantages and disadvantages of MOF materials, combining MOFs with other functional materials has also shown excellent PS activation performance and even achieves certain functional expansion. This Review introduces the classification of MOFs and MOF-based composites and the latest progress of their application in PS-AOP systems. The relevant activation/degradation mechanisms are summarized and discussed. Moreover, the importance of catalyst-related interfacial interaction for developing and optimizing advanced oxidation systems is emphasized. Then, the interference behavior of environmental parameters on the interfacial reaction is analyzed. Specifically, the initial solution pH and coexisting inorganic anions may hinder the interfacial reaction process via the consumption of reactive oxygen species, affecting the activation/degradation process. This Review aims to explore and summarize the interfacial mechanism of MOF-based catalysts in the activation of PS. Hopefully, it will inspire researchers to develop new AOP strategies with more application prospects.

Predictors of Academic and Fieldwork Performance in Occupational Therapy Students: A Systematic Review.

Introduction: Occupational therapy (OT) educational programs are aimed at enrolling a diverse student population that is likely to succeed in the academic and fieldwork components of the program. Comprehending the array of factors that influence students' learning and academic and fieldwork success is important for university educators. This study investigated the existing literature on predictors of academic and fieldwork performance in OT students. Methods: The search process used in this review included screening, eligibility, and study quality. We searched the PubMed and Cochrane Library databases for literature published in the past 10 years (1 January 2012 to 30 March 2022). As a comprehensive search, the following keywords were used for abstract, title, and keywords sections: occupational therapy student, predictors, fieldwork, academic, academic success, academic performance, fieldwork success, and fieldwork performance. The Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument was used to assess the quality of studies. Results: The systematic review retrieved 14 articles that met inclusion criteria. Most were cross-sectional studies, followed by cohort, retrospective analysis of secondary data, and exploratory studies. Four articles focused on academic success, eight focused on fieldwork success, and two explored both aspects. Promising predictors of academic performance included the admission grade point average and the student's approach to studying. Predictors of fieldwork performance included a graduate record examination score, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal relationships. Conclusion: This systematic review explores predictors of academic and fieldwork success in OT students, which provide opportunities to identify early the learning difficulties of students and assist educators to target modifiable predictors so they can provide high-quality education.

Natural product fargesin interferes with H3 histone lactylation via targeting PKM2 to inhibit non-small cell lung cancer tumorigenesis.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most common malignant tumors. There is an urgent need to find more effective drugs that inhibit NSCLC. Fargesin (FGS) has demonstrated anti-tumor effects; however, its efficacy and the molecular mechanism of inhibiting NSCLC are unclear. Herein, we investigated FGS' inhibitory effects on NSCLC by CCK8 and EdU assays and cell cycle analysis of A549 cells in vitro and in a nude mouse tumor transplantation model in vivo. FGS (10-50 µM) significantly inhibited cell proliferation and down-regulated expression levels of CDK1 and CCND1. Transcriptomic analysis showed that FGS regulated the cell metabolic process pathway. Differential metabolites with FGS treatment were enriched in glycolysis and pyruvate pathways. Cell metabolism assay were used to evaluate the oxygen consumption rate (OCR), Extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) in A549 cells. FGS also inhibited the production of cellular lactate and the expression of LDHA, LDHB, PKM2, and SLC2A1. These genes were identified as important oncogenes in lung cancer, and their binding to FGS was confirmed by molecular docking simulation. Notably, the over-expression and gene silencing experiments signified PKM2 as the molecular target of FGS for anti-tumorigenesis. Moreover, the H3 histone lactylation, were correlated with tumorigenesis, were inhibited with FGS treatment. Conclusively, FGS inhibited the aerobic glycolytic and H3 histone lactylation signaling pathways in A549 NSCLC cells by targeting PKM2. These findings provide evidence of the therapeutic potential of FGS in NSCLC.

Metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived flower-like Ni-MOF@NiV-layered double hydroxides as peroxidase mimetics for colorimetric detection of hydroquinone.

BACKGROUND: Nanozymes are one of the ideal substitutes for natural enzymes because of their excellent chemical stability and simple preparation methods. However, due to the limited catalytic ability of most reported nanozymes, constructing nanomaterials with low cost and high activity is gradually becoming an exploration focus in the field of nanozymes. Heteroatom doping of metal-organic frameworks is one of potential approaches to design nanozymes with high catalytic performance. Due to their multiple valence states properties, V-doped metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived LDH is expected to be a good enzyme-like catalyst. To our knowledge, the V-doped MOF-derived LDH as nanozyme is not explored before. RESULTS: We report the in-situ synthesis of NiV-layered double hydroxides (LDHs) on nickel-based MOF, i.e. Ni-MOF@NiV-LDHs. The MOF surface is covered by 2D nanosheets. This unique structural design increases the specific surface area of the material, enables more exposure of catalytic active sites to participate in reactions and accelerates the electron transfer rate. The Ni-MOF@NiV-LDHs have high peroxidase-like activity able to catalyze TMB oxidation by H2O2 via the generation of •OH and O2•-. Relative to Ni-MOF, the Ni-MOF@NiV-LDHs shows 47-fold peroxidase-like activity rise. It had good affinity to TMB and H2O2, with the Michaelis-Menten constants of 0.12 mM and 0.007 mM, respectively. The hydroquinone (HQ) consumed the reactive oxygen species generated in the TMB + H2O2+Ni-MOF@NiV-LDHs system to inhibit the TMB oxidation. On this basis, a sensitive and rapid assay for determining HQ was developed, with a linear range of 0.50-70 µM and a LOD of 0.37 µM. SIGNIFICANCE: This work provided some clues for the further development of novel nanozymes with high catalytic performance via a strategy of heteroatom doping. And the constructed colorimetric analysis method was successfully utilized for the determination of HQ in actual waters, which has the potential for practical application in the analysis of environmental pollutants.

Development and validation of a simple model to predict functionally significant coronary artery disease in Chinese populations: A two-center retrospective study.

Objectives: This study sought to derive and validate a simple model combining traditional clinical risk factors with biomarkers and imaging indicators easily obtained from routine preoperative examinations to predict functionally significant coronary artery disease (CAD) in Chinese populations. Methods: We developed five models from a derivation cohort of 320 patients retrospective collected. In the derivation cohort, we assessed each model discrimination using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), reclassification using the integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) and net reclassification improvement (NRI), calibration using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test, and clinical benefit using decision curve analysis (DCA) to derive the optimal model. The optimal model was internally validated by bootstrapping, and external validation was performed in another cohort including 96 patients. Results: The optimal model including 5 predictors (age, sex, hyperlipidemia, hs-cTnI and LVEF) achieved an AUC of 0.807 with positive NRI and IDI in the derivation cohort. Moreover, the Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed a good fit, and the DCA demonstrated good clinical net benefit. The C-statistic calculated by bootstrapping internal validation was 0.798, and the calibration curve showed adequate calibration (Brier score = 0.179). In the external validation cohort, the optimal model performance was acceptable (AUC = 0.704; Brier score = 0.20). Finally, a nomogram based on this model was constructed to facilitate its use in clinical practice. Conclusions: A simple model combined clinical risk factors with hs-cTnI and LVEF improving the prediction of functionally significant CAD in Chinese populations. This attractive model may be a choice for clinicians to risk stratification for CAD.

Design and optimization of an SOI-based electro-absorption-type VOA.

A silicon-on-insulator (SOI) variable optical attenuator (VOA) based on the plasma dispersion effect is optimized and realized, and the effects of doping concentration and distance about the VOA's modulation depth and attenuation efficiency are investigated. Two structures of the VOA component are designed to achieve low power consumption, high stability, and high modulation efficiency. The modulation depth of the series VOA scheme reached 60.11 dB, and the insertion loss is only 4.87 dB. Compared with conventional components, our optimized VOA can not only improve the modulation accuracy and efficiency but also reduce the wavelength dependence.

Lack of skeletal muscle contraction disrupts fibrous tissue morphogenesis in the developing murine knee.

Externally applied forces, such as those generated through skeletal muscle contraction, are important to embryonic joint formation, and their loss can result in gross morphologic defects including joint fusion. While the absence of muscle contraction in the developing chick embryo leads to dissociation of dense connective tissue structures of the knee and ultimately joint fusion, the central knee joint cavitates whereas the patellofemoral joint does not in murine models lacking skeletal muscle contraction, suggesting a milder phenotype. These differential results suggest that muscle contraction may not have as prominent of a role in the growth and development of dense connective tissues of the knee. To explore this question, we investigated the formation of the menisci, tendon, and ligaments of the developing knee in two murine models that lack muscle contraction. We found that while the knee joint does cavitate, there were multiple abnormalities in the menisci, patellar tendon, and cruciate ligaments. The initial cellular condensation of the menisci was disrupted and dissociation was observed at later embryonic stages. The initial cell condensation of the tendon and ligaments were less affected than the meniscus, but these tissues contained cells with hyper-elongated nuclei and displayed diminished growth. Interestingly, lack of muscle contraction led to the formation of an ectopic ligamentous structure in the anterior region of the joint as well. These results indicate that muscle forces are essential for the continued growth and maturation of these structures during this embryonic period.

The effects of cardiac structure, valvular regurgitation, and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction on the diagnostic accuracy of Murray law-based quantitative flow ratio.

Objective: The study aimed to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of Murray law-based quantitative flow ratio (µQFR) from a single angiographic view in patients with abnormal cardiac structure, left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, and valvular regurgitation. Background: µQFR is a novel fluid dynamics method for deriving fractional flow reserve (FFR). In addition, current studies of µQFR mainly analyzed patients with normal cardiac structure and function. The accuracy of µQFR when patients had abnormal cardiac structure, left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, and valvular regurgitation has not been clear. Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed 261 patients with 286 vessels that underwent both FFR and µQFR prior to intervention. The cardiac structure and function were measured using echocardiography. Pressure wire-derived FFR ≤0.80 was defined as hemodynamically significant coronary stenosis. Results: µQFR had a moderate correlation with FFR (r = 0.73, p < 0.001), and the Bland-Altman plot presented no difference between the µQFR and FFR (0.006 ± 0.075, p = 0.192). With FFR as the standard, the diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of µQFR were 94.06% (90.65-96.50), 82.56% (72.87-89.90), 99.00% (96.44-99.88), 97.26 (89.91-99.30), and 92.96% (89.29-95.44), respectively. The concordance of µQFR/FFR was not associated with abnormal cardiac structure, valvular regurgitation (aortic valve, mitral valve, and tricuspid valve), and left ventricular diastolic function. Coronary hemodynamics showed no difference between normality and abnormality of cardiac structure and left ventricular diastolic function. Coronary hemodynamics demonstrated no difference among valvular regurgitation (none, mild, moderate, or severe). Conclusion: µQFR showed an excellent agreement with FFR. The effect of abnormal cardiac structure, valvular regurgitation, and left ventricular diastolic function did not correlate with the diagnostic accuracy of µQFR. Coronary hemodynamics showed no difference in patients with abnormal cardiac structure, valvular regurgitation, and left ventricular diastolic function.