Impact of corticosteroid doses on prognosis of severe and critical COVID-19 patients with Omicron variant infection: a propensity score matching study.

BACKGROUND: There is lack of research on corticosteroid use for severe and critical COVID-19 patients with Omicron variant infection. METHODS: This multi-center retrospective cohort study involved 1167 patients from 59 ICUs across the mainland of China diagnosed with severe or critical SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infection between November 1, 2022, and February 11, 2023. Patients were segregated into two groups based on their corticosteroid treatment-usual dose (equivalent prednisone dose 30-50 mg/day) and higher dose (equivalent prednisone dose > 50 mg/day). The primary outcome was 28-day ICU mortality. Propensity score matching was used to compare outcomes between cohorts. RESULTS: After propensity score matching, 520 patients in the usual dose corticosteroid group and 260 patients in the higher dose corticosteroid group were included in the analysis, respectively. The mortality was significantly higher in the higher dose corticosteroid group (67.3%, 175/260) compared to the usual dose group (56.0%, 291/520). Logistic regression showed that higher doses of corticosteroids were significantly associated with increased mortality at 28-day (OR = 1.62,95% CI 1.19-2.21, p = 0.002) and mortality in ICU stay (OR = 1.66,95% CI 1.21-2.28, p = 0.002). Different types of corticosteroids did not affect the effect. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that higher-dose corticosteroids may lead to a poorer prognosis for severe and critical COVID-19 patients with Omicron variant infection in the ICU. Further research is needed to determine the appropriate corticosteroid dosage for these patients.

Circ_0008146 Exacerbates Ferroptosis via Regulating the miR-342-5p/ACSL4 Axis After Cerebral Ischemic/Reperfusion.

Purpose: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) has seriously threatened people's health worldwide and there is an urge need for early diagnosis and effective treatment of AIS. This research intended to clarify the regulatory role of circ_0008146/miR-342-5p/ACSL4 axis in AIS. Methods: High-throughput small RNA sequencing analysis was adapted to identify differentially expressed miRNAs between the AIS and control group. The circ_0008146, miR-342-5p, and ACSL4 levels were detected by qRT-PCR. Middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) models were constructed in C57BL/6J mice. Assay kits were used to determine Fe2+ levels and a battery of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation indicators, including ROS, MDA, LPO, SOD and GSH/GSSG ratio. The protein levels of ACSL4 were measured by Western blot. The behavioral function was assessed using neurobehavioral tests. TTC staining was employed to visualize infarction size. Nissl staining was adapted to detect histopathological changes. Receiver operating characteristic curve and correlation analysis were applied to investigate the clinical value and association of miR-342-5p and ACSL4. Results: A total of 44 AIS patients and 49 healthy controls were enrolled in our study. The small RNA sequencing unveiled a significant decrease in miR-342-5p levels in AIS patients. MiR-342-5p inhibited oxidative stress and RSL3-induced ferroptosis after cerebral ischemic/reperfusion injury in vivo by targeting ferroptosis-related gene ACSL4. Circ_0008146 acted as a sponge of miR-342-5p, and overexpression of circ_0008146 increased neurological deficits and brain injury in mice. Circ_0008146 contributed to ferroptosis in cerebral infarction via sponging miR-342-5p to regulate ACSL4. Plasma miR-342-5p and ACSL4 demonstrated significant correlation and good diagnostic value for AIS patients. Conclusion: This study provides the first in vivo evidence to show that circ_0008146 exacerbates neuronal ferroptosis after AIS via the miR-342-5p/ACSL4 axis. Furthermore, miR-342-5p/ACSL4 axis holds promise as a viable therapeutic target and practical biomarkers for AIS patients.

The effect of microvascular decompression of the CN IX-X root entry/exit zone and the ventrolateral medulla in neurogenic hypertension involving the vertebral/basilar artery.

Introduction: Neurogenic hypertension (HTN) is a type of HTN characterized by increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system. Vascular compression is one of the pathogenic mechanisms of neurogenic HTN. Despite Jannetta's solid anatomical and physiological arguments in favor of neurogenic HTN in the 1970's, the treatment for essential HTN by microvascular decompression (MVD) still lacks established selection criteria. Therefore, the subjects selected for our center were limited to patients with primary trigeminal neuralgia (TN) and primary hemifacial spasm (HFS) of the vertebral/basilar artery (VA/BA) responsible vessel type coexisting with neurogenic HTN who underwent MVD of the brainstem to further explore possible indications for MVD in the treatment of neurogenic HTN. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 63 patients who were diagnosed with neurogenic HTN had symptoms of HFS and TN cranial nerve disease. Patients were treated at our neurosurgery department from January 2018 to January 2023. A preoperative magnetic resonance examination of the patients revealed the presence of abnormally located vascular compression in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) and the root entry zone (REZ) of the IX and X cranial nerves (CN IX- X). Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of gender, age, course of HFS, course of TN, course of HTN, degree of HTN, or preoperative blood pressure. Based on the postoperative blood pressure levels, nine out of 63 patients were cured (14.28%), eight cases (12.70%) showed a marked effect, 16 cases (25.40%) were effective, and 30 cases were invalid (47.62%). The overall efficacy was 52.38%. However, 39 cases of combined cranial nerve disease were on the left side of the efficacy rate (66.67%) and 24 cases of combined cranial nerve disease were on the right side of the efficacy rate (29.16%). Discussion: Over the last few decades, many scholars have made pioneering progress in the clinical retrospective study of MVD for neurogenic hypertension, and our study confirms the efficacy of MVD in treating vertebral/basilar artery-type neurogenic hypertension by relieving the vascular pressure of RVLM. In the future, with the development and deepening of pathological mechanisms and clinical observational studies, MVD may become an important treatment for neurogenic hypertension by strictly grasping the surgical indications. Conclusion: MVD is an effective treatment for neurogenic HTN. Indications may include the following: left-sided TN or HFS combined with neurogenic HTN; VA/BA compression in the left RVLM and REZ areas on MRI; and blood pressure in these patients cannot be effectively controlled by drugs.

An improved meteorological variables-based aerosol optical depth estimation method by combining a physical mechanism model with a two-stage model.

A two-stage model integrating a spatiotemporal linear mixed effect (STLME) and a geographic weight regression (GWR) model is proposed to improve the meteorological variables-based aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieval method (Elterman retrieval model-ERM). The proposed model is referred to as the STG-ERM model. The STG-ERM model is applied over the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region in China for the years 2019 and 2020. The results show that data coverage increased by 39.0% in 2019 and 40.5% in 2020. Cross-validation of the retrieval results versus multi-angle implementation of atmospheric correction (MAIAC) AOD shows the substantial improvement of the STG-ERM model over earlier meteorological models for AOD estimation, with a determination coefficient (R2) of daily AOD of 0.86, root mean squared prediction error (RMSE) and the relative prediction error (RPE) of 0.10 and 36.14% in 2019 and R2 of 0.86, RMSE of 0.12 and RPE of 37.86% in 2020. The fused annual mean AOD indicates strong spatial variation with high value in south plain and low value in northwestern mountainous areas of the BTH region. The overall spatial seasonal mean AOD ranges from 0.441 to 0.586, demonstrating strongly seasonal variation. The coverage of STG-ERM retrieved AOD, as determined in this exercise by leaving out part of the meteorological data, affects the accuracy of fused AOD. The coverage of the meteorological data has smaller impact on the fused AOD in the districts with low annual mean AOD of less than 0.35 than that in the districts with high annual mean AOD of greater than 0.6. If available, continuous daily meteorological data with high spatiotemporal resolution can improve the model performance and the accuracy of fused AOD. The STG-ERM model may serve as a valuable approach to provide data to fill gaps in satellite-retrieved AOD products.

Topological regularization of networks in temporal lobe epilepsy: a structural MRI study.

Objective: Patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) often exhibit neurocognitive disorders; however, we still know very little about the pathogenesis of cognitive impairment in patients with TLE. Therefore, our aim is to detect changes in the structural connectivity networks (SCN) of patients with TLE. Methods: Thirty-five patients with TLE were compared with 47 normal controls (NC) matched according to age, gender, handedness, and education level. All subjects underwent thin-slice T1WI scanning of the brain using a 3.0 T MRI. Then, a large-scale structural covariance network was constructed based on the gray matter volume extracted from the structural MRI. Graph theory was then used to determine the topological changes in the structural covariance network of TLE patients. Results: Although small-world networks were retained, the structural covariance network of TLE patients exhibited topological irregularities in regular architecture as evidenced by an increase in the small world properties (p < 0.001), normalized clustering coefficient (p < 0.001), and a decrease in the transfer coefficient (p < 0.001) compared with the NC group. Locally, TLE patients showed a decrease in nodal betweenness and degree in the left lingual gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus and right thalamus compared with the NC group (p < 0.05, uncorrected). The degree of structural networks in both TLE (Temporal Lobe Epilepsy) and control groups was distributed exponentially in truncated power law. In addition, the stability of random faults in the structural covariance network of TLE patients was stronger (p = 0.01), but its fault tolerance was lower (p = 0.03). Conclusion: The objective of this study is to investigate the potential neurobiological mechanisms associated with temporal lobe epilepsy through graph theoretical analysis, and to examine the topological characteristics and robustness of gray matter structural networks at the network level.

Self-Assembly of Strain-Adaptable Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Substrate on Polydimethylsiloxane Nanowrinkles.

Flexible surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates adaptable to strains enable effective sampling from irregular surfaces, but the preparation of highly stable and sensitive flexible SERS substrates is still challenging. This paper reports a method to fabricate a high-performance strain-adaptable SERS substrate by self-assembly of Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanowrinkles. Nanowrinkles are created on prestrained PDMS slabs by plasma-induced oxidation followed by the release of the prestrain, and self-assembled AuNPs are transferred onto the nanowrinkles to construct the high-performance SERS substrate. The results show that the nanowrinkled structure can improve the surface roughness and enhance the SERS signals by ∼4 times compared to that of the SERS substrate prepared on flat PDMS substrates. The proposed SERS substrate also shows good adaptability to dynamic bending up to ∼|0.4| 1/cm with excellent testing reproducibility. Phenolic pollutants, including aniline and catechol, were quantitatively tested by the SERS substrate. The self-assembled flexible SERS substrate proposed here provides a powerful tool for chemical analysis in the fields of environmental monitoring and food safety inspection.

Pegylated-interferon alpha (PEG-IFNα)-induced interstitial lung disease in a patient with chronic hepatitis B: A case report and literature review.

OBJECTIVES: Interferon (IFN)-induced lung injury is a rare but severe complication. Studies are needed to elucidate the demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, and prognostic features of IFN-induced interstitial lung disease (ILD). CASE REPORT: We report a patient with chronic hepatitis who developed ILD after interferon monotherapy. To further clarify the clinical characteristics of such patients, we searched for cases in which lung injury was documented as a side effect of hepatitis treatment and systematically analyzed all case reports for clinical manifestations, type of treatment, and outcomes. RESULTS: This is a 61-year-old male with a previous medical history of chronic hepatitis B. After 2 months of pegylated-interferon alpha (PEG-IFNα) application, he gradually developed cough and exertional dyspnea. Repeated chest images suggested progressive ILD, and lung biopsy revealed subacute lung injury. The diagnosis of PEG-IFNα-induced ILD was made. Including our case, 35 articles containing 45 patients were involved in our review. IFN-induced ILDs, often with a subacute onset, are characterized by nonproductive cough, dyspnea, and pulmonary infiltrates on chest radiograph. Most patients(62%, 28/45) required additional systemic steroid, and 5 (11%) patients who were co-administered ribavirin died of ILD progression despite steroid treatment. CONCLUSION: Although rare, IFN-induced ILD can lead to decreased lung function, and sometimes become fatal despite intensive treatment. Most previously reported cases were with chronic hepatitis C, and most of the medication was in combination with ribavirin. IFN-induced ILD should be monitored during IFN therapy, and appropriate steroid is recommended in patients with progressive manifestations.

Biology of tongue coating in different disease stages of RA and its value in disease progression.

OBJECTIVE: To assess and compare the composition of tongue coating microbiota among patients at different stages of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: A total of 47 patients diagnosed with RA, as per the American College of Rheumatology criteria, and 10 healthy individuals were enrolled in this study. The RA patients were stratified considering their Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28), a composite measure based on the 28 tender and swollen joint count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). The study population was further categorized into active phase group (LMH group) and inactive phase group (RE group) according to their DAS28 values. DNA extraction was extracted from tongue coating samples. Subsequently, the V3-V4 16S rDNA region was selectively amplified and sequenced through high-throughput 16S rDNA analysis. The resulting data were then utilized to ascertain the microbial contents. RESULTS: Significant variations were observed in the tongue coating microbiota of patients with RA during active and inactive phases, in comparison to healthy individuals (p < 0.05). At the genus level, the presence of Prevotellan, Veillonella, Rothia, and Neisseria in RA patients was notably more evident than in the healthy control (HC) group. These disparities find support in existing research on gut and oral microbiota. During the active phase of RA, the relative abundance of Veillonella, Rothia, and Neisseria in the tongue coating microbiota of patients was significantly higher than in those with inactive RA. These findings underscore the need for further and in-depth research on the potential impact of these microorganisms on the progression of RA disease. CONCLUSION: The results substantiate the hypothesis that tongue coating microbes actively contribute to the progression of RA.

The persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in tissues and its association with long COVID symptoms: a cross-sectional cohort study in China.

BACKGROUND: Growing evidence suggests that symptoms associated with post-COVID-19 condition (also known as long COVID) can affect multiple organs and systems in the human body, but their association with viral persistence is not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in diverse tissues at three timepoints following recovery from mild COVID-19, as well as its association with long COVID symptoms. METHODS: This single-centre, cross-sectional cohort study was done at China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing, China, following the omicron wave of COVID-19 in December, 2022. Individuals with mild COVID-19 confirmed by PCR or a lateral flow test scheduled to undergo gastroscopy, surgery, or chemotherapy, or scheduled for treatment in hospital for other reasons, at 1 month, 2 months, or 4 months after infection were enrolled in this study. Residual surgical samples, gastroscopy samples, and blood samples were collected approximately 1 month (18-33 days), 2 months (55-84 days), or 4 months (115-134 days) after infection. SARS-CoV-2 was detected by digital droplet PCR and further confirmed through RNA in-situ hybridisation, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry. Telephone follow-up was done at 4 months post-infection to assess the association between the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and long COVID symptoms. FINDINGS: Between Jan 3 and April 28, 2023, 317 tissue samples were collected from 225 patients, including 201 residual surgical specimens, 59 gastroscopy samples, and 57 blood component samples. Viral RNA was detected in 16 (30%) of 53 solid tissue samples collected at 1 month, 38 (27%) of 141 collected at 2 months, and seven (11%) of 66 collected at 4 months. Viral RNA was distributed across ten different types of solid tissues, including liver, kidney, stomach, intestine, brain, blood vessel, lung, breast, skin, and thyroid. Additionally, subgenomic RNA was detected in 26 (43%) of 61 solid tissue samples tested for subgenomic RNA that also tested positive for viral RNA. At 2 months after infection, viral RNA was detected in the plasma of three (33%), granulocytes of one (11%), and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of two (22%) of nine patients who were immunocompromised, but in none of these blood compartments in ten patients who were immunocompetent. Among 213 patients who completed the telephone questionnaire, 72 (34%) reported at least one long COVID symptom, with fatigue (21%, 44 of 213) being the most frequent symptom. Detection of viral RNA in recovered patients was significantly associated with the development of long COVID symptoms (odds ratio 5·17, 95% CI 2·64-10·13, p<0·0001). Patients with higher virus copy numbers had a higher likelihood of developing long COVID symptoms. INTERPRETATION: Our findings suggest that residual SARS-CoV-2 can persist in patients who have recovered from mild COVID-19 and that there is a significant association between viral persistence and long COVID symptoms. Further research is needed to verify a mechanistic link and identify potential targets to improve long COVID symptoms. FUNDING: National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Key R&D Program of China, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences, and New Cornerstone Science Foundation. TRANSLATION: For the Chinese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Shared and distinct prefrontal cortex alterations of implicit emotion regulation in depression and anxiety: An fNIRS investigation.

BACKGROUND: Emotion regulation deficits, particularly in cognitive reappraisal, are crucial in depression and anxiety. However, research on the neural mechanisms of implicit emotion regulation is lacking, and it remains unclear whether these mechanisms are shared or distinct between the two disorders. METHODS: We investigated the neural mechanisms of implicit cognitive reappraisal in 28 individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD), 25 with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and 30 healthy controls (HC) using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Participants completed an implicit cognitive reappraisal task and underwent neuropsychological and clinical assessments. RESULTS: We found that MDD patients reported higher levels of rumination and lower utilization of cognitive reappraisal, while GAD patients reported reduced use of perspective-taking. Notably, both MDD and GAD patients exhibited decreased activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) compared to HC participants during implicit cognitive reappraisal. Specifically, inadequate OFC activation was observed in MDD patients, while GAD patients demonstrated OFC deactivation during the task. Furthermore, DLPFC activation showed a negative correlation with depression severity in MDD patients, while OFC activation was positively correlated with perspective-taking in GAD patients. LIMITATIONS: fNIRS has limited depth and spatial resolution. CONCLUSION: Our fNIRS study is the first to reveal shared and distinct neurobiological profiles of depression and anxiety in implicit emotion regulation. These findings underscore the significance of reduced DLPFC/OFC activation in emotion regulation impairment and highlight unique OFC activation patterns in these disorders. These insights have potential implications for developing cognitive-behavioral therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation as treatment approaches.

Clinical evolution of antisynthetase syndrome-associated interstitial lung disease after COVID-19 in a man with Klinefelter syndrome: A case report.

BACKGROUND: This study presents a case of rapidly developing respiratory failure due to antisynthetase syndrome (AS) following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a 33-year-old man diagnosed with Klinefelter syndrome (KS). CASE SUMMARY: A 33-year-old man with a diagnosis of KS was admitted to the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine of a tertiary hospital in China for fever and shortness of breath 2 wk after the onset of COVID-19. Computed tomography of both lungs revealed diffuse multiple patchy heightened shadows in both lungs, accompanied by signs of partial bronchial inflation. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid suggested absence of pathogen. A biopsy specimen revealed organizing pneumonia with alveolar septal thickening. Additionally, extensive auto-antibody tests showed strong positivity for anti-SSA, anti-SSB, anti-Jo-1, and anti-Ro-52. Following multidisciplinary discussions, the patient received a final diagnosis of AS, leading to rapidly progressing respiratory failure. CONCLUSION: This study underscores the clinical progression of AS-associated interstitial lung disease subsequent to viral infections such as COVID-19 in patients diagnosed with KS.

The accuracy of electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy compared to fluoroscopy in navigation of transbronchial lung cryobiopsy in patients with interstitial lung disease.

BACKGROUND: Safely implementing transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBLC) in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) requires accurate navigation. Traditional fluoroscopy falls short in reducing the risk of post-procedure pneumothorax. The potential of electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB) as a more precise navigation method warrants further exploration. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted on ILD patients undergoing TBLC. Patients were assigned either fluoroscopy or ENB for cryoprobe positioning. Navigation accuracy was evaluated using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images as the standard. Safety and diagnostic yield were also observed. RESULTS: Seventeen patients underwent TBLC, with 10 guided by fluoroscopy and seven by ENB. Fluoroscopy-guided cryoprobe navigation required more adjustments [9/15 (60%) v.s. 1/9 (11%), p = 0.018] for subsequent TBLC compared to ENB, as confirmed by CBCT images. Clinical characteristics, post-procedure complications, and biopsy specimen size showed no significant differences between the groups. Fourteen patients obtained a pathological diagnosis, and 15 received a multidisciplinary discussion (MDD) diagnosis. In the fluoroscopy group, three patients failed to obtain a pathological diagnosis, and two failed to obtain an MDD diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: ENB demonstrates significantly superior accuracy in TBLC navigation compared to traditional fluoroscopy when CBCT images are used as a reference. Further studies are necessary to determine the value of ENB in TBLC navigation for ILD patients.

High intrinsic phase stability of ultrathin 2M WS2.

Metallic 2M or 1T'-phase transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) attract increasing interests owing to their fascinating physicochemical properties, such as superconductivity, optical nonlinearity, and enhanced electrochemical activity. However, these TMDs are metastable and tend to transform to the thermodynamically stable 2H phase. In this study, through systematic investigation and theoretical simulation of phase change of 2M WS2, we demonstrate that ultrathin 2M WS2 has significantly higher intrinsic thermal stabilities than the bulk counterparts. The 2M-to-2H phase transition temperature increases from 120 °C to 210 °C in the air as thickness of WS2 is reduced from bulk to bilayer. Monolayered 1T' WS2 can withstand temperatures up to 350 °C in the air before being oxidized, and up to 450 °C in argon atmosphere before transforming to 1H phase. The higher stability of thinner 2M WS2 is attributed to stiffened intralayer bonds, enhanced thermal conductivity and higher average barrier per layer during the layer(s)-by-layer(s) phase transition process. The observed high intrinsic phase stability can expand the practical applications of ultrathin 2M TMDs.

Near-gapless and haplotype-resolved apple genomes provide insights into the genetic basis of rootstock-induced dwarfing.

Dwarfing rootstocks have transformed the production of cultivated apples; however, the genetic basis of rootstock-induced dwarfing remains largely unclear. We have assembled chromosome-level, near-gapless and haplotype-resolved genomes for the popular dwarfing rootstock 'M9', the semi-vigorous rootstock 'MM106' and 'Fuji', one of the most commonly grown apple cultivars. The apple orthologue of auxin response factor 3 (MdARF3) is in the Dw1 region of 'M9', the major locus for rootstock-induced dwarfing. Comparing 'M9' and 'MM106' genomes revealed a 9,723-bp allele-specific long terminal repeat retrotransposon/gypsy insertion, DwTE, located upstream of MdARF3. DwTE is cosegregated with the dwarfing trait in two segregating populations, suggesting its prospective utility in future dwarfing rootstock breeding. In addition, our pipeline discovered mobile mRNAs that may contribute to the development of dwarfed scion architecture. Our research provides valuable genomic resources and applicable methodology, which have the potential to accelerate breeding dwarfing rootstocks for apple and other perennial woody fruit trees.

h-MBenes: Promising Two-Dimensional Material Family for Room-Temperature Antiferromagnetic and Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Applications.

Recently, a new class of two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal transition-metal borides (h-MBenes) was discovered through a combination of ab initio predictions and experimental studies. These h-MBenes are derived from ternary hexagonal MAB (h-MAB) phases and have demonstrated promising potential for practical applications. In this study, we conducted first-principles calculations on 15 h-MBenes and identified four antiferromagnetic metals and 11 electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Notably, the h-MnB material exhibited a remarkable Néel temperature of 340 K and a high magnetic anisotropy energy of 154 µeV/atom. Additionally, the hydrogen adsorption Gibbs free energies (ΔGH*) for h-ZrBO, h-MoBO, and h-Nb2BO2 are close to the ideal value of 0 eV, indicating their potential as electrochemical catalysts for HER. Further investigations revealed that the electronic structure, Néel temperature, and HER activity of the studied h-MBenes can be tuned by applying biaxial strains. These findings suggest that h-MBenes have wide-ranging applicability in areas such as antiferromagnetic spintronics, flexible electronic devices, and electrocatalysis, thereby expanding the potential applications of 2D transition-metal borides.

Resting-state cortico-limbic functional connectivity pattern in panic disorder: Relationships with emotion regulation strategy use and symptom severity.

Cognitive reappraisal is an effective emotion regulation strategy involving prefrontal cortex (PFC) control of the amygdala. Its aberrant functioning is closely associated with panic disorder (PD). However, the resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) between the PFC, implicated in cognitive reappraisal, and the amygdala in PD has not been studied. Thus, this study aims to investigate the rsFC patterns and their association with cognitive reappraisal and PD. This study involved 51 participants, including 26 untreated patients with PD and 25 healthy controls (HC). We evaluated the habit of cognitive reappraisal assessment and the severity of PD using neuropsychological and clinical measures. Resting-state fMRI was utilized to evaluate the rsFC pattern between the PFC, engaged in cognitive reappraisal, and the amygdala. Mediation analysis was performed to explore the role of this rsFC in the relationship between cognitive reappraisal and PD severity. PD patients showed reduced rsFC between the PFC and the amygdala compared to HC. This weakened rsFC was associated with the severity of PD symptoms. Moreover, cognitive reappraisal was negatively correlated with PD severity, and mediation analysis indicated that the rsFC of the PFC-amygdala played a mediating role in this association. Abnormal PFC-amygdala rsFC may play a pivotal role in PD development and/or manifestation and mediate the association between cognitive reappraisal and PD severity, potentially serving as a clinical indicator for monitoring and intervention.

Honeycomb Electron Lattice Induced Dirac Fermion with Trigonal Warping in Bilayer Electrides.

Emergent fermions arising from the excess electrons of electrides provide a new perspective for exploring semimetal states with unique Fermi surface geometries. In this study, a class of unique two-dimensional (2D) highly anisotropic Dirac fermions is designed using a sandwich structure. Based on the structural design and first-principles calculations, 2D electride MB (M = Ca/Sr, B = Cl/Br/I) is an ideal candidate material. The excess electrons of the bilayer MB could be stably localized in the interstitial cavities, constructing a natural zigzag honeycomb electron sublattice that further forms a Dirac fermion. Compared with traditional Dirac semimetals, 2D Dirac electrides exhibited rich physical properties: i) The Fermi surface shows trigonal warping in low-energy regions. In particular, the geometry of the Fermi surface determines the high anisotropy of the Fermi velocity. ii) A pair of Dirac fermions are protected by three-fold rotational symmetry and exhibit strong robustness. iii) Electride MB possesses a lower work function that strongly correlates with the surface area of the emission channel. Based on these properties, an electron-emitting device with multifunctional applications is fabricated. Therefore, this study provides an ideal platform for studying potential entanglement between structures, electrides, and topological states.

Blinding assessment in clinical trials of traditional Chinese medicine: Exploratory principles and protocol.

As one of the key components of clinical trials, blinding, if successfully implemented, can help to mitigate the risks of implementation bias and measurement bias, consequently improving the validity and reliability of the trial results. However, successful blinding in clinical trials of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is hard to achieve, and the evaluation of blinding success through blinding assessment lacks established guidelines. Taking into account the challenges associated with blinding in the TCM field, here we present a framework for assessing blinding. Further, this study proposes a blinding assessment protocol for TCM clinical trials, building upon the framework and the existing methods. An assessment report checklist and an approach for evaluating the assessment results are presented based on the proposed protocol. It is anticipated that these improvements to blinding assessment will generate greater awareness among researchers, facilitate the standardization of blinding, and augment the blinding effectiveness. The use of this blinding assessment may further advance the quality and precision of TCM clinical trials and improve the accuracy of the trial results. The blinding assessment protocol will undergo continued optimization and refinement, drawing upon expert consensus and experience derived from clinical trials. Please cite this article as: Wang XC, Liu XY, Shi KL, Meng QG, Yu YF, Wang SY, Wang J, Qu C, Lei C, Yu XP. Blinding assessment in clinical trials of traditional Chinese medicine: Exploratory principles and protocol. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(6): 528-536.

Machine Learning-Accelerated Discovery of A2BC2 Ternary Electrides with Diverse Anionic Electron Densities.

This study combines machine learning (ML) and high-throughput calculations to uncover new ternary electrides in the A2BC2 family of compounds with the P4/mbm space group. Starting from a library of 214 known A2BC2 phases, density functional theory calculations were used to compute the maximum value of the electron localization function, indicating that 42 are potential electrides. A model was then trained on this data set and used to predict the electride behavior of 14,437 hypothetical compounds generated by structural prototyping. Then, the stability and electride features of the 1254 electride candidates predicted by the model were carefully checked by high-throughput calculations. Through this tiered approach, 41 stable and 104 metastable new A2BC2 electrides were predicted. Interestingly, all three kinds of electrides, i.e., electron-deficient, electron-neutral, and electron-rich electrides, are present in the set of predicted compounds. Three of the most promising new electrides (two electron-rich, Nd2ScSi2 and La2YbGe2, and one electron-deficient Y2LiSi2) were then successfully synthesized and characterized experimentally. Furthermore, the synthesized electrides were found to exhibit high catalytic activities for NH3 synthesis under mild conditions when Ru-loaded. The electron-deficient Y2LiSi2, in particular, was seen to exhibit a good balance of catalytic activity and chemical stability, suggesting its future application in catalysis.