Preparation and Reactivity of Core-Shell Al@CL-20 Composites Embedded with Graphene-Based Complexes as Catalysts.

Incomplete combustion of Al in solid propellants can be effectively resolved by coating of an oxidizer at the microscale. In this paper, Al@CL-20 composites with polydopamine as the interfacial layer were prepared using this strategy. The structure, heat of reaction, thermal decomposition properties, and combustion performances of these composites under the effects of graphene oxide (GO) and graphene-based carbohydrazide complexes (GO-CHZ-M, M = Co2+, Ni2+) have been comprehensively investigated. The experimental results show that the heat of reaction of Al@CL-20 is 6482 J g-1, which is 561 J g-1 higher than that of the corresponding mechanical mixture. The presence of GO-CHZ-Co can further increase the heat of reaction of Al@CL-20 to 6729 J g-1 with a decreased activation energy by about 54.8%. Under the synergistic effect of interfacial control and GO-CHZ-M, the ignition delay time of Al@CL-20-Co decreases from 5.1 to 4.2 ms. Besides, the D50 of the combustion condensed products (CCPs) decreased from 5.62 to 4.33 µm, indicating the combustion efficiency of Al is greatly improved.

Salvia guidongensis sp. nov.: unraveling a critical evolutionary link in East Asian Salvia from Central China integrating morphology, phylogeny, and plastid genomics.

Introduction: Salvia L., representing the largest genus within the mint family, is noted for its global distribution of approximately 1000 species, with East Asia, and particularly China, recognized as a critical center of diversity for the genus. Methods: Our research was conducted through extensive fieldwork in Guidong County, Hunan Province, China, where we identified a previously undescribed species of Salvia. The identification process involved detailed morphological observations, phylogenetic analyses, and plastid genomics. Results: The newly discovered species, Salvia guidongensis, exhibits unique characteristics not commonly observed in the East Asian lineage of Salvia, including dual floral colors within natural populations-either pale purple or pale yellow. Morphologically, while it shares similarities with members of sect. Glutinaria, S. guidongensis is distinct in its floral morphology, stature, and specific foliar traits. Phylogenetic analysis places S. guidongensis in a unique clade within the East Asian lineage of Salvia, suggesting it may serve as an important evolutionary link. Additionally, we explored the plastome features of S. guidongensis, comparing them with those of closely related species. Discussion: The discovery of S. guidongensis not only entriches the taxonomic tapestry of Salvia but also provides critical insights into the biogeography and evolutionary pathways of the genus in East Asia. By integrating morphological and molecular data, we validate the novel status of S. guidongensis and highlight its significance in bridging taxonomic and evolutionary gaps within Sect. Glutinaria of Salvia.

In vitro and in vivo accuracy of autonomous robotic vs. fully guided static computer-assisted implant surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the accuracy of autonomous robotic and fully guided static computer-assisted implant surgery (sCAIS) performed on models and patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was divided into in vitro and in vivo sections. In vitro, 80 operators were assigned to two groups randomly. Forty operators performed forty autonomous robotic implant (ARI group) surgeries and the remaining forty operators carried out forty fully guided sCAIS (FGI group) surgeries on maxillary models, respectively. Each operator placed an implant in one maxillary model. In vivo, 60 patients with 113 implants from 2019 to 2023 (ARI group: 32 patients, 58 implants; FGI group: 28 patients, 55 implants) receiving implant surgeries were incorporated in this retrospective research. The preoperative and postoperative cone beam computer tomographs (CBCTs) were utilized to estimate the linear deviations and angular deviations in two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) space. The Pearson's chi-square test, Shapiro-Wilk test, Student's t test, Mann-Whitney U test and mixed models were applied, and p <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: In vitro, a total of 80 implants were enrolled and significant differences were found between the two groups (p < 0.001): The 3D deviation at the platform of ARI and FGI group was 0.58 ± 0.60 mm and 1.50 ± 1.46 mm, respectively, at the apex was 0.58 ± 0.60 mm and 1.78 ± 1.35 mm, respectively, and angle was 1.01 ± 0.87° and 2.93 ± 1.59°, respectively. Also, except for mesiodistal deviation at the implant platform, the rest linear and angular deviations in the ARI group were significantly lower than those in the FGI group in 2D space (p < 0.001). In vivo, a significantly lower mean of angular deviation (0.95 ± 0.50°, p < 0.001) and the linear deviation at both platform (0.45 ± 0.28 mm, p < 0.001) and apex (0.47 ± 0.28 mm, p < 0.001) were observed in ARI group when compared to the FGI group (4.31 ± 2.60°; 1.45 ± 1.27 mm; 1.77 ± 1.14 mm). CONCLUSIONS: The use of autonomous robotic technology showed significantly higher accuracy than the fully guided sCAIS.

Tandem Photon Avalanches for Various Nanoscale Emitters with Optical Nonlinearity up to 41st-Order through Interfacial Energy Transfer.

Photon avalanche has received continuous attention owing to its superior nonlinear dynamics and promising advanced applications. However, its impact is limited due to the intrinsic energy levels as well as the harsh requirements for the composites and sizes of doped materials. Here, with a universal mechanism named tandem photon avalanche (TPA), giant optical nonlinear response up to 41st-order in erbium ions, one of the most important lanthanide emitters, has been achieved on the nanoscale through interfacial energy transfer process. After capturing energy directly from the avalanched energy state 3 H4 of Tm3+ (800-nm emission), erbium ions also exhibit bright green and red PA emissions with intensities comparable to that of Tm3+ at a low excitation threshold (7.1 kWcm-2 ). Using the same strategy, effective PA looping cycles are successfully activated in Ce3+ and Ho3+ . Additionally, Yb3+ -mediated networks are constructed to further propagate PA effects to lowly-doped Tm3+ , enabling 475-nm PA emission. The newly proposed TPA strategy provides a facile route for generating photon avalanche not only from erbium ions but also from various emitters in multilayered core-shell nanoparticles.

APOBEC3A suppresses cervical cancer via apoptosis.

Background: Family members of Apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme catalytic 3 (APOBEC3) play critical roles in cancer evolution and development. However, the role of APOBEC3A in cervical cancer remains to be clarified. Methods: We used bioinformatics to investigate APOBEC3A expression and outcomes using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma (CESC) dataset, GTEx, and GSE7803. Immunohistochemistry was then used to identify APOBEC3A's expression pattern. We performed Cell Counting Kit-8, wound-healing, Transwell, and flow cytometry assays to measure proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis, respectively, using the SiHa and HeLa cell lines transfected with APOBEC3A. BALB/c nude mice were used to investigate the effects of APOBEC3A in vivo. The phosphorylated gamma-H2AX staining assay was applied to measure DNA damage. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was applied to explore APOBEC3A-related signaling pathways. Results: APOBEC3A was more significantly expressed in cancer tissues than in adjacent normal tissues. Higher expression of APOBEC3A was associated with better outcomes in TCGA-CESC and GTEx. Immunohistochemistry showed that the expression of APOBEC3A was significantly higher in cancer tissues than in normal tissues. Transfection experiments showed that APOBEC3A inhibited proliferation, upregulated S-phase cells, inhibited migration and invasion, induced DNA damage, and promoted apoptosis. Overexpression of APOBEC3A inhibited tumor formation in the mouse model. RNA-seq analysis showed that ectopic expression of APOBEC3A inhibited several cancer-associated signaling pathways. Conclusions: APOBEC3A is significantly upregulated in cervical cancer, and higher expression of APOBEC3A is associated with better outcomes. APOBEC3A is a tumor suppressor whose overexpression induces apoptosis in cervical cancer.

Genetic liability between COVID-19 and pre-eclampsia/eclampsia: a Mendelian randomization study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the possible causal relationship between COVID-19 and the risk of pre-eclampsia/eclampsia using a Mendelian randomized (MR) design. METHODS: We estimated their genetic correlations and then performed two-sample Mendelian randomization analyses using pooled statistics from the COVID-19 susceptibility/hospitalization genome-wide association study and the pre-eclampsia/eclampsia datasets. The main analyses were performed using the inverse variance weighting method, supplemented by the weighted median method and the MR-Egger method. RESULTS: We identified a significant and positive genetic correlation between COVID-19 susceptibility and pre-eclampsia/eclampsia [OR = 1.23 (1.01-1.51), p = 0.043]. Meanwhile, hospitalization of COVID-19 was significantly associated with a higher risk of pre-eclampsia/eclampsia [OR = 1.15 (1.02-1.30), p = 0.024]. Consistently, hospitalization of COVID-19 were nominally associated with higher risk of pre-eclampsia [OR = 1.14, (1.01-1.30), p = 0.040]. The results were robust under all sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that COVID-19 may increase the risk of pre-eclampsia/eclampsia. Future development of preventive or therapeutic interventions should emphasize this to mitigate the complications of COVID-19. [Figure: see text].

Suppression of Cation Intermixing Highly Boosts the Performance of Core-Shell Lanthanide Upconversion Nanoparticles.

Lanthanide upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have been extensively explored as biomarkers, energy transducers, and information carriers in wide-ranging applications in areas from healthcare and energy to information technology. In promoting the brightness and enriching the functionalities of UCNPs, core-shell structural engineering has been well-established as an important approach. Despite its importance, a strong limiting issue has been identified, namely, cation intermixing in the interfacial region of the synthesized core-shell nanoparticles. Currently, there still exists confusion regarding this destructive phenomenon and there is a lack of facile means to reach a delicate control of it. By means of a new set of experiments, we identify and provide in this work a comprehensive picture for the major physical mechanism of cation intermixing occurring in synthesis of core-shell UCNPs, i.e., partial or substantial core nanoparticle dissolution followed by epitaxial growth of the outer layer and ripening of the entire particle. Based on this picture, we provide an easy but effective approach to tackle this issue that enables us to produce UCNPs with highly boosted optical properties.

Effects of Drought Stress on the Morphological Structure and Flower Organ Physiological Characteristics of Camellia oleifera Flower Buds.

Investigations on the impact of drought stress on the reproductive growth of C. oleifera have been relatively limited compared to the extensive research conducted on its nutritional growth. To study the effects of drought stress on the growth and development of C. oleifera flower buds, we investigated the effects of drought stress on the bud anatomical structure, relative water content, relative electrical conductivity, antioxidant enzyme activity, osmoregulation substance content, and hormone contents of C. oleifera using 4-year-old potted plants ('Huaxin' cultivar) as experimental materials. We observed C. oleifera flower bud shrinkage, faded pollen colour, shortened style length, decreased relative water content, increased relative electrical conductivity, and decreased pollen germination rate under drought stress. As the stress treatment duration increased, the malondialdehyde (MDA), soluble sugar (SS), soluble protein (SP), and proline (Pro) contents, as well as peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activities increased. Moreover, the levels of the plant hormones indole acetic acid (IAA) and cytokinin (CTK) increased, whereas those of salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) decreased, and those of abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellin a3 (GA3) first increased and then decreased. Compared to the control group, the drought treatment group exhibited stronger antioxidant capacity, water regulation ability, and drought stress protection. These results indicate that C. oleifera is adaptable to drought-prone environments. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for the evaluation of drought resistance in C. oleifera, as well as the development of water management strategies for cultivation.

Survival analysis of implants placed simultaneously with lateral sinus floor elevation in severely atrophic maxilla: A 3- to 12-year retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To retrospectively evaluate whether implants placed simultaneously with lateral sinus floor elevation (LSFE) in severely atrophic maxilla (residual bone height [RBH] ≤3 mm) could achieve long-term survival and comprehensively analyze the factors influencing their survival rates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 123 patients receiving LSFE and simultaneous implant placement from 2010 to 2019 and their 123 implants in sites with RBH ≤3 mm were included in this study. Basic characteristics of patients and implants were collected from the medical record system and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were applied to estimate cumulative survival rates (CSRs) and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to detect factors influencing implant survival. RESULTS: The 6-year and 12-year CSR of implants placed in sites with RBH ≤3 mm were 95.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 92.1%-99.5%) and 76.6% (95% CI: 58.1%-100%), respectively. Eight patients presented late implant failure. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses demonstrated that RBH ≤2 mm (hazard ratio [HR]: 20.63, p = 0.000) and smoking habit (HR: 6.055, p = 0.024) were significantly associated with long-term implant survival. Specifically, the 10-year CSR of implants in sites with RBH ≤2 mm (53.3%, 95% CI: 27.5%-100%) was dramatically lower than those in sites with RBH >2 mm (92.9%, 95% CI: 81.7%-100%, p = 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: Implants placed simultaneously with LSFE in sites with RBH ≤3 mm can achieve long-term survival. However, caution is required especially for implantation in sites with RBH ≤2 mm. Besides, the smoking habit is also considered a risk factor jeopardizing long-term implant survival.

Smoke and Spike: Benzo[a]pyrene Enhances SARS-CoV-2 Infection by Boosting NR4A2-Induced ACE2 and TMPRSS2 Expression.

Cigarette smoke aggravates severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, they show that benzo[a]pyrene in cigarette smoke extract facilitates SARS-CoV-2 infection via upregulating angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2). Benzo[a]pyrene trans-activates the promoters of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 by upregulating nuclear receptor subfamily 4 A number 2 (NR4A2) and promoting its binding of NR4A2 to their promoters, which is independent of functional genetic polymorphisms in ACE2 and TMPRSS2. Benzo[a]pyrene increases the susceptibility of lung epithelial cells to SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses and facilitates the infection of authentic Omicron BA.5 in primary human alveolar type II cells, lung organoids, and lung and testis of hamsters. Increased expression of Nr4a2, Ace2, and Tmprss2, as well as decreased methylation of CpG islands at the Nr4a2 promoter are observed in aged mice compared to their younger counterparts. NR4A2 knockdown or interferon-λ2/λ3 stimulation downregulates the expression of NR4A2, ACE2, and TMPRSS2, thereby inhibiting the infection. In conclusion, benzo[a]pyrene enhances SARS-CoV-2 infection by boosting NR4A2-induced ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expression. This study elucidates the mechanisms underlying the detrimental effects of cigarette smoking on SARS-CoV-2 infection and provides prophylactic options for coronavirus disease 2019, particularly for the elderly population.

A certain protective effect of vitamin D against dental caries in US children and youth: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: Recent studies reported that evidence of the association between caries and vitamin D was inconclusive. We investigated the relationship between dental caries and serum vitamin D levels in US children and youth aged 5-19 years through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The purpose of this study was to analyze the relations between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin-D [25(OH)D] level and dental caries in children and youth. METHODS: Data were collected from the NHANES dataset performed in 2011-2018. A total of 8896 subjects completed the examination was enrolled. Serum 25(OH)D was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). All teeth examined and caries assessment was conducted by licensed dentists. Statistical analyses included complex samples Chi-square tests, analysis of variance, logistic regression analyses, and restricted cubic splines conducted by R software. RESULTS: There was a nonlinear relation between dental caries and age in youth. Vitamin D showed a relatively stable protective effect when the concentration exceeded 60 nmol/L. There was a dose-effect relation that a 10 nmol/L increase in serum 25(OH)D concentrations was associated with a decreased caries odd by 10%. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested that vitamin D sufficiency may be a protective factor for dental caries.

The association of work physical activity and recreational physical activity with periodontitis in the NHANES (2009-2014).

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between different types and intensity of physical activities (PA) and periodontitis in a nationally representative sample of adults in the United States. METHODS: The data of periodontal condition and PA of 10,714 individuals were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2009 to 2014 and the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). The association between the prevalence of periodontitis and two PAs (work PA and recreational PA) was respectively analyzed and adjusted by uni- and multi-variable logistic regression models. The odd ratios (ORs), adjusted odd ratios (ORad ), and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated as the main outcome indicators. RESULTS: After adjusted by age, sex, race, poverty-income ratio (PIR), diabetes, smoking status, alcohol use, and floss frequency, moderate and vigorous work PAs were significantly correlated with higher odds of periodontitis (ORad  = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.02-1.46; ORad  = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.04-1.89, respectively) while moderate and vigorous recreational PAs were correlated with lower odds of periodontitis (ORad  = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.69-0.95; ORad  = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.43-0.71, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Work PAs and recreational PAs have opposite associations on the prevalence of developing periodontitis and their aggravating or protective associations enhance with the increase of intensity.

Upconversion nanoscopy revealing surface heterogeneity of tumor-secreted extracellular vesicles.

Super-resolution microscopic imaging employing upconversion nanoparticles is applied to reveal the surface heterogeneity of tumor cell-derived small extracellular vesicles, i.e., exosome. The number of surface antigens of every extracellular vesicles can be quantified by both the high imaging resolution and stable brightness of upconversion nanoparticles. This method proves its great potential in nanoscale biological studies.

Association between the methylation of CpG islands in JAK-STAT pathway-related genes and colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Aberrant promoter methylation of CpG islands plays an important role in carcinogenesis. However, the association between the DNA methylation of JAK-STAT pathway-related genes in peripheral blood leukocytes and colorectal cancer (CRC) susceptibility remains unclear. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study of 403 patients with CRC and 419 cancer free controls, and the DNA methylation levels of JAK2, STAT1, STAT3, and SOCS3 in peripheral blood samples from all subjects were assessed using a methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting (MS-HRM) analysis. RESULTS: Compared with controls, the methylation of the JAK2, STAT1 and SOCS3 genes increased the CRC risk (ORadjusted=1.96, 95% CI, 1.12-3.41, P=0.01; ORadjusted=5.37, 95% CI, 3.74-7.71, P<0.01; ORadjusted=3.30, 95% CI, 1.58-6.87, P<0.01). In the multiple CpG site methylation (MCSM) analysis, a high MCSM value denoted an increased CRC risk (ORadjusted=4.97, 95% CI, 3.34-7.37, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: In peripheral blood, the methylation of JAK2, STAT1, and high levels of MCSM are promising biomarkers for CRC risk.

EDTA plasma in glass and polyethylene terephthalate tubes is suitable for measurement of B-type natriuretic peptide on the Mindray CL-6000i.

AIMS: To explore differences in B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentration and stability and evaluate BNP accuracy in different collection tubes. METHODS: BNP concentrations in heparin/glass, EDTA/glass, and EDTA/polyethylene terephthalate (PET) tubes were measured on the Mindray CL-6000i at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 h after collection. Differences were evaluated using Wilcoxon's paired tests and Bland-Altman plots. BNP stability and measurement accuracies were estimated using Kruskal-Wallis H tests and recovery tests. RESULTS: BNP concentrations in EDTA/glass tubes were 31.4% higher than those in heparin/glass tubes and 3.04% lower than those in EDTA/PET tubes. BNP stability significantly decreased in the heparin/glass tube. BNP remained stable in EDTA/glass and EDTA/PET tubes at room temperature for 4 h. BNP recovery rates in heparin/glass, EDTA/glass, and EDTA/PET tubes were 77.46, 86.04, and 88.23%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma in EDTA/glass and EDTA/PET tubes is suitable for BNP measurement on the Mindray CL-6000i.

Association of ESR1 gene polymorphisms with the susceptibility to Hepatitis B virus infection and the clinical outcomes.

Estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) has been implicated in the pathological process of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and is probably an important determinant for gender differences. In this study, a total of 975 subjects including 368 healthy controls, 323 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with HBsAg positive, and 284 HBV-infected subjects without HCC were included. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms of ESR1 (rs2234693, rs2077647, rs2228480) were detected to investigate the correlation between ESR1 polymorphisms and the susceptibility to HBV persistence and the clinical outcomes. The association of ESR1 polymorphisms with HCC prognosis was investigated in our cohort enrolling 376 HBV-HCC patients. The frequency of rs2234693 C allele was lower in chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) and liver cirrhosis (LC) than that in HCC patients in the males (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.41-0.96). rs2228480 A allele was associated with increased risk of LC (AOR = 2.20, 95% CI = 1.06-4.56) in HBV genotype C, and significantly decreased the risk of HCC recurrence (p = 0.010) and ESR1 mRNA level in tumor tissues (p = 0.032). Haplotype C-G-G was associated with significantly increased risk of HBV persistence (OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.08-1.73), while it was opposite for C-A-G and T-G-G (OR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.27-0.62; OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.32-0.85, respectively). These results imply that combinations of these ESR1 polymorphisms may be valuable for the prediction of HBV persistence.

Implant failure and associated risk factors of transcrestal sinus floor elevation: A retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: This retrospective study aimed to evaluate early and late implant loss rates after transcrestal sinus floor elevation (TSFE) and to identify the risk factors related to these failures. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All patients treated with TSFE and simultaneous implant placement during October 2015 to March 2019 were evaluated for inclusion. A total of 802 patients with 976 implants met the inclusion criteria. Clinical and radiographic information was collected from medical records and image software. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards frailty regression models were performed to identify potential risk factors associated with early and late implant loss after TSFE. RESULTS: The 3-year cumulative implant survival rate was 96.9% (95% CI 95.8%-98.0%). Twelve implants in 12 patients were lost before or at the abutment connection, while 24 implants in 24 patients were lost after functional loading. The Cox frailty regression analyses indicated that two factors were correlated with early implant loss: TSFE with grafting materials, and operators with less clinical experience. As for late implant loss, RBH ≤6 mm, male sex, and certain implant brands were associated with a significantly increased failure rate. CONCLUSIONS: Transcrestal sinus floor elevation with simultaneous implant placement is a predictable treatment option in the atrophic maxilla. The presence of grafting materials and the lack of clinical experience of the surgeon were possibly associated with early implant loss, while low RBH, male sex, and certain implant brands tended to increase late implant loss.

High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Asia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Vitamin D deficiency is a worldwide health problem. However, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Asian populations is unclear. The aims of our study were to investigate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its association with different health outcomes in Asia. Searches for studies published from January 2009 to January 2021 were performed in the MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE, and Web of Science databases. This study was registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42021229841). In total, 472 studies with 746,564 subjects were included in the meta-analysis. The mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) concentration was 49.39 nmol/L; 20.93% of the participants had 25(OH)D levels <25 nmol/L, 22.82% had levels <30 nmol/L, 57.69% had levels <50 nmol/L, and 76.85% had levels <75 nmol/L. This review found that the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Asia is high. The factors significantly related to vitamin D deficiency were gender, age, altitude, region, and specific diseases (diabetes, cancer, fracture, systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE], fatty liver disease, osteopenia, thyroiditis, anemia, hepatitis, metabolic diseases, and dermatitis). These findings may serve as the foundation for more detailed public health strategies and policies on this issue.Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2021.1990850.

Super-resolution microscopy enabled by high-efficiency surface-migration emission depletion.

Nonlinear depletion of fluorescence states by stimulated emission constitutes the basis of stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy. Despite significant efforts over the past decade, achieving super-resolution at low saturation intensities by STED remains a major technical challenge. By harnessing the surface quenching effect in NaGdF4:Yb/Tm nanocrystals, we report here high-efficiency emission depletion through surface migration. Using a dual-beam, continuous-wave laser manipulation scheme (975-nm excitation and 730-nm de-excitation), we achieved an emission depletion efficiency of over 95% and a low saturation intensity of 18.3 kW cm-2. Emission depletion by surface migration through gadolinium sublattices enables super-resolution imaging with sub-20 nm lateral resolution. Our approach circumvents the fundamental limitation of high-intensity STED microscopy, providing autofluorescence-free, re-excitation-background-free imaging with a saturation intensity over three orders of magnitude lower than conventional fluorophores. We also demonstrated super-resolution imaging of actin filaments in Hela cells labeled with 8-nm nanoparticles. Combined with the highly photostable lanthanide luminescence, surface-migration emission depletion (SMED) could provide a powerful mechanism for low-power, super-resolution imaging or biological tracking as well as super-resolved optical sensing/writing and lithography.

A Lower HCC Incidence in Chronic HBV-Infected Patients Recovered from Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Activation of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is an important cause of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). However, the effect of HBV-ACLF episode on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurrence remains largely unknown. Methods: A total of 769 HBV-ACLF patients and 2114 HBV-related chronic liver disease (HBV-CLD) patients diagnosed between August 1998 and December 2011 were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. Of the HBV-CLD patients, 380 received lifetime antiviral treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogues. Propensity score matching was applied to reduce baseline differences between HBV-ACLF and HBV-CLD cohorts. Results: The survival rate of HBV-ACLF patients was 53.6%, 50.3%, 47.8%, and 46.2% at 90-day, 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year, respectively. The cumulative incidence of HCC was lower in HBV-ACLF cohort with 369 eligible patients survived for >90 days than in HBV-CLD cohort with the 380 patients (5.77/1,000 vs. 9.78/1,000 person-years, p = 0.0497). HBV-ACLF episode decreased HCC risk regardless of liver cirrhosis, and in patients without family history of HCC. Multivariate Cox analyses indicated that male, increasing age, liver cirrhosis, and platelet count (≤100 × 109/L) increased, whereas HBV-ACLF episode decreased, HCC risk independently. In the propensity score-matched cohorts, HBV-ACLF episode reduced HCC incidence (10.20/1,000 vs. 4.66/1,000 person-years, p = 0.0326). The area under curve of nomogram was 0.812 for 3-year HCC probability. Conclusions: HBV-ACLF episode decreases HCC occurrence in chronic HBV patients. Older age and liver cirrhosis independently increased HCC occurrence. A nomogram-enrolled episode of ACLF reliably predicts the occurrence of HCC.