Cluster-Assisted Mesoplasma Chemical Vapor Deposition for Fast Epitaxial Growth of SiGe/Si Heterostructures: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study.

Co-condensation of mixed SiGe nanoclusters and impingement of SiGe nanoclusters on a Si substrate were applied using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation in this study to mimic the fast epitaxial growth of SiGe/Si heterostructures under mesoplasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) conditions. The condensation dynamics and properties of the SiGe nanoclusters during the simulations were investigated first, and then the impingement of transient SiGe nanoclusters on both Si smooth and trench substrate surfaces under varying conditions was studied theoretically. The results show that the mixed nanoclusters as precursors demonstrate potential for enhancing epitaxial SiGe film growth at a high growth rate, owing to their loosely bound atomic structures and high mobility on the substrate surface. By varying cluster sizes and substrate temperatures, this study also reveals that smaller clusters and higher substrate temperatures contribute to faster structural ordering and smoother surface morphologies. Furthermore, the formed layers display a consistent SiGe composition, closely aligning with nominal values, and the cluster-assisted deposition method achieves the epitaxial bridging of heterostructures during cluster impingement, highlighting its additional distinctive characteristics. The implications of this work make it clear that the mechanism of fast alloyed epitaxial film growth by cluster-assisted mesoplasma CVD is critical for extending it as a versatile platform for synthesizing various epitaxial films.

Cancer mortality risk from short-term PM2.5 exposure and temporal variations in Brazil.

Although some studies have found that short-term PM2.5 exposure is associated with lung cancer deaths, its impact on other cancer sites is unclear. To answer this research question, this time-stratified case-crossover study used individual cancer death data between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2019, extracted from the Brazilian mortality information system to quantify the associations between short-term PM2.5 exposure and cancer mortality from 25 common cancer sites. Daily PM2.5 concentration was aggregated at the municipality level as the key exposure. The study included a total of 34,516,120 individual death records, with the national daily mean PM2.5 exposure 15.3 (SD 4.3) µg/m3. For every 10-µg/m3 increase in three-day average PM2.5 exposure, the odds ratio (OR) for all-cancer mortality was 1.04 (95% CI 1.03-1.04). Apart from all-cancer deaths, PM2.5 exposure may impact cancers of oesophagus (1.04, 1.00-1.08), stomach (1.05, 1.02-1.08), colon-rectum (1.04, 1.01-1.06), lung (1.04, 1.02-1.06), breast (1.03, 1.00-1.06), prostate (1.07, 1.04-1.10), and leukaemia (1.05, 1.01-1.09). During the study period, acute PM2.5 exposure contributed to an estimated 1,917,994 cancer deaths, ranging from 0 to 6,054 cases in each municipality. Though there has been a consistent downward trend in PM2.5-related all-cancer mortality risks from 2000 to 2019, the impact remains significant, indicating the continued importance of cancer patients avoiding PM2.5 exposure. This nationwide study revealed a notable association between acute PM2.5 exposure and heightened overall and site-specific cancer mortality for the first time to our best knowledge. The findings suggest the importance of considering strategies to minimize such exposure in cancer care guidelines. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATION: The 20-year analysis of nationwide death records in Brazil revealed that heightened short-term exposure to PM2.5 is associated with increased cancer mortality at various sites, although this association has gradually decreased over time. Despite the declining impact, the research highlights the persistent adverse effects of PM2.5 on cancer mortality, emphasizing the importance of continued research and preventive measures to address the ongoing public health challenges posed by air pollution.

Printed Self-Healing Stretchable Electronics for Bio-signal Monitoring and Intelligent Packaging.

Integrating self-healing capabilities into printed stretchable electronic devices is important for improving performance and extending device life. However, achieving printed self-healing stretchable electronic devices with excellent device-level healing ability and stretchability while maintaining outstanding electrical performance remains challenging. Herein, a series of printed device-level self-healing stretchable electronic devices is achieved by depositing liquid metal/silver fractal dendrites/polystyrene-block-polyisoprene-block-polystyrene (LM/Ag FDs/SIS) conductive inks onto a self-healing thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) film via screen printing method. Owing to the fluidic properties of the LM and the interfacial hydrogen bonding and disulfide bonds of TPU, the as-obtained stretchable electronic devices maintain good electronic properties under strain and exhibit device-level self-healing properties without external stimulation. Printed self-healing stretchable electrodes possess high electrical conductivity (1.6 × 105 S m-1), excellent electromechanical properties, and dynamic stability, with only a 2.5-fold increase in resistance at 200% strain, even after a complete cut and re-healing treatment. The printed self-healing capacitive stretchable strain sensor shows good linearity (R2 ≈0.9994) in a wide sensing range (0%-200%) and is successfully applied to bio-signal detection. Furthermore, the printed self-healing electronic smart label is designed and can be used for real-time environmental monitoring, which exhibits promising potential for practical application in food preservation packaging.

TSPAN6 reinforces the malignant progression of glioblastoma via interacting with CDK5RAP3 and regulating STAT3 signaling pathway.

Glioblastoma is the prevailing and highly malignant form of primary brain neoplasm with poor prognosis. Exosomes derived from glioblastoma cells act a vital role in malignant progression via regulating tumor microenvironment (TME), exosomal tetraspanin protein family members (TSPANs) are important actors of cell communication in TME. Among all the TSPANs, TSPAN6 exhibited predominantly higher expression levels in comparison to normal tissues. Meanwhile, glioblastoma patients with high level of TSPAN6 had shorter overall survival compared with low level of TSPAN6. Furthermore, TSPAN6 promoted the malignant progression of glioblastoma via promoting the proliferation and metastatic potential of glioblastoma cells. More interestingly, TSPAN6 overexpression in glioblastoma cells promoted the migration of vascular endothelial cell, and exosome secretion inhibitor reversed the migrative ability of vascular endothelial cells enhanced by TSPAN6 overexpressing glioblastoma cells, indicating that TSPAN6 might reinforce angiogenesis via exosomes in TME. Mechanistically, TSPAN6 enhanced the malignant progression of glioblastoma by interacting with CDK5RAP3 and regulating STAT3 signaling pathway. In addition, TSPAN6 overexpression in glioblastoma cells enhanced angiogenesis via regulating TME and STAT3 signaling pathway. Collectively, TSPAN6 has the potential to serve as both a therapeutic target and a prognostic biomarker for the treatment of glioblastoma.

Floods and cause-specific mortality in the UK: a nested case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Floods are the most frequent weather-related disaster, causing significant health impacts worldwide. Limited studies have examined the long-term consequences of flooding exposure. METHODS: Flood data were retrieved from the Dartmouth Flood Observatory and linked with health data from 499,487 UK Biobank participants. To calculate the annual cumulative flooding exposure, we multiplied the duration and severity of each flood event and then summed these values for each year. We conducted a nested case-control analysis to evaluate the long-term effect of flooding exposure on all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Each case was matched with eight controls. Flooding exposure was modelled using a distributed lag non-linear model to capture its nonlinear and lagged effects. RESULTS: The risk of all-cause mortality increased by 6.7% (odds ratio (OR): 1.067, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.063-1.071) for every unit increase in flood index after confounders had been controlled for. The mortality risk from neurological and mental diseases was negligible in the current year, but strongest in the lag years 3 and 4. By contrast, the risk of mortality from suicide was the strongest in the current year (OR: 1.018, 95% CI: 1.008-1.028), and attenuated to lag year 5. Participants with higher levels of education and household income had a higher estimated risk of death from most causes whereas the risk of suicide-related mortality was higher among participants who were obese, had lower household income, engaged in less physical activity, were non-moderate alcohol consumers, and those living in more deprived areas. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term exposure to floods is associated with an increased risk of mortality. The health consequences of flooding exposure would vary across different periods after the event, with different profiles of vulnerable populations identified for different causes of death. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the long-term impacts of flooding exposure.

Identification and coregulation pattern analysis of long noncoding RNAs in the mouse brain after Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection.

BACKGROUND: Angiostrongyliasis is a highly dangerous infectious disease. Angiostrongylus cantonensis larvae migrate to the mouse brain and cause symptoms, such as brain swelling and bleeding. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are novel targets for the control of parasitic infections. However, the role of these molecules in A. cantonensis infection has not been fully clarified. METHODS: In total, 32 BALB/c mice were randomly divided into four groups, and the infection groups were inoculated with 40 A. cantonensis larvae by gavage. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and RNA library construction were performed on brain tissues from infected mice. Differential expression of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and mRNAs in brain tissues was identified by high-throughput sequencing. The pathways and functions of the differentially expressed lncRNAs were determined by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) analyses. The functions of the differentially expressed lncRNAs were further characterized by lncRNA‒microRNA (miRNA) target interactions. The potential host lncRNAs involved in larval infection of the brain were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‒PCR). RESULTS: The pathological results showed that the degree of brain tissue damage increased with the duration of infection. The transcriptome results showed that 859 lncRNAs and 1895 mRNAs were differentially expressed compared with those in the control group, and several lncRNAs were highly expressed in the middle-late stages of mouse infection. GO and KEGG pathway analyses revealed that the differentially expressed target genes were enriched mainly in immune system processes and inflammatory response, among others, and several potential regulatory networks were constructed. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed the expression profiles of lncRNAs in the brains of mice after infection with A. cantonensis. The lncRNAs H19, F630028O10Rik, Lockd, AI662270, AU020206, and Mexis were shown to play important roles in the infection of mice with A. cantonensis infection.

Aspleniumguodanum (Aspleniaceae), a distinct new fern species from northern Guangdong, China, based on morphological data and molecular phylogeny.

A new spleenwort species, Aspleniumguodanum, was found and described from Danxia landform region in Guangdong, China. The new species has close resemblance to A.subcrenatum Ching ex S.H.Wu in morphology, but can be distinguished by having plants small, stipes and rachises not covered with fibrous scales, relatively fewer pairs of pinnae, pinnae short, pinna margin weakly biserrate, pinna apex acute and lower pinnae obviously reduced. Phylogenetic analyses, based on six plastid markers (atpB, rbcL, rps4 & rps4-trnS and trnL & trnL-F) of the new species and its relatives, support a close relationship between A.guodanum and A.subcrenatum. Only one population with no more than 50 individuals were found and, therefore, it is recommended to be classified as Critically Endangered (CR) following IUCN Red List Criteria.

Hydromassage of macular hole edges for large and persistent full-thickness macular holes.

AIM: To introduce the macular hole (MH) hydromassage technique as a potentially beneficial approach for the treatment of large or persistent MH. METHODS: This retrospective observational case series comprised 16 consecutive patients (17 eyes) diagnosed with MH. Inclusion criteria involved a hole aperture diameter larger than 600 µm or the presence of an unclosed MH larger than 600 µm following the previous vitrectomy. Standard MH repair procedures were administered in all cases, involving the manipulation and aspiration of the hole margin through the application of water flow with a soft-tip flute needle. A comprehensive assessment was conducted for each case before and after surgery, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) images were captured at every follow-up point. RESULTS: The mean preoperative aperture diameter was 747±156 µm (range 611-1180 µm), with a mean base diameter of 1390±435 µm (range 578-2220 µm). Following surgery, all cases achieved complete anatomical closure of MH, with 13 cases (76.5%) exhibiting type 1 closure and 4 cases (23.5%) demonstrating type 2 closure. No significant differences were observed in the preoperative OCT variables between the two closure types. Eyes with type 1 closure showed a significantly improved visual acuity (0.70±0.10, range 0.50-0.80) compared to those with type 2 closure (0.90±0.12, range 0.80-1.00, P=0.014). CONCLUSION: The MH hydromassage technique demonstrates promising results, achieving acceptable closure rates in cases of large or persistent MH. This technique may serve as an effective adjunctive maneuver during challenging MH surgery.

Ambient fine particulate matter and daily mortality: a comparative analysis of observed and estimated exposure in 347 cities.

BACKGROUND: Model-estimated air pollution exposure products have been widely used in epidemiological studies to assess the health risks of particulate matter with diameters of ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5). However, few studies have assessed the disparities in health effects between model-estimated and station-observed PM2.5 exposures. METHODS: We collected daily all-cause, respiratory and cardiovascular mortality data in 347 cities across 15 countries and regions worldwide based on the Multi-City Multi-Country collaborative research network. The station-observed PM2.5 data were obtained from official monitoring stations. The model-estimated global PM2.5 product was developed using a machine-learning approach. The associations between daily exposure to PM2.5 and mortality were evaluated using a two-stage analytical approach. RESULTS: We included 15.8 million all-cause, 1.5 million respiratory and 4.5 million cardiovascular deaths from 2000 to 2018. Short-term exposure to PM2.5 was associated with a relative risk increase (RRI) of mortality from both station-observed and model-estimated exposures. Every 10-µg/m3 increase in the 2-day moving average PM2.5 was associated with overall RRIs of 0.67% (95% CI: 0.49 to 0.85), 0.68% (95% CI: -0.03 to 1.39) and 0.45% (95% CI: 0.08 to 0.82) for all-cause, respiratory, and cardiovascular mortality based on station-observed PM2.5 and RRIs of 0.87% (95% CI: 0.68 to 1.06), 0.81% (95% CI: 0.08 to 1.55) and 0.71% (95% CI: 0.32 to 1.09) based on model-estimated exposure, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality risks associated with daily PM2.5 exposure were consistent for both station-observed and model-estimated exposures, suggesting the reliability and potential applicability of the global PM2.5 product in epidemiological studies.

Polyketides with α-glucosidase inhibitory and neuroprotective activities from Aspergillus versicolor associated with Pedicularis sylvatica.

Aspergillus versicolor, an endophytic fungus associated with the herbal medicine Pedicularis sylvatica, produced four new polyketides, aspeversins A-D (1-2 and 5-6) and four known compounds, O-methylaverufin (2), aversin (3), varilactone A (7) and spirosorbicillinol A (8). Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic data analysis, and their absolute configurations were determined by calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and Mo2(AcO)4-induced CD data. Compound 5 was found to exhibit α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 25.57 µM. An enzyme kinetic study indicated that 5 was a typical uncompetitive inhibitor toward α-glucosidase, which was supported by a molecular docking study. Moreover, compounds 1-3 and 5 also improved the cell viability of PC12 cells on a 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+)-induced Parkinson's disease model, indicating their neuroprotective potential as antiparkinsonian agents.

From Quaternary Carbon to Tertiary C(sp3)-Si and C(sp3)-Ge Bonds: Decyanative Coupling of Malononitriles with Chlorosilanes and Chlorogermanes Enabled by Ni/Ti Dual Catalysis.

Transition-metal-catalyzed C-Si/Ge cross-coupling offers promising avenues for the synthesis of organosilanes/organogermanes, yet it is fraught with long-standing challenges. A Ni/Ti-catalyzed strategy is reported here, allowing the use of disubstituted malononitriles as tertiary C(sp3) coupling partners to couple with chlorosilanes and chlorogermanes, respectively. This method enables the catalytic cleavage of the C(sp3)-CN bond of the quaternary carbon followed by the formation of C(sp3)-Si/C(sp3)-Ge bonds from ubiquitously available starting materials. The efficiency and generality are showcased by a broad scope for both of the coupling partners, therefore holding the potential to synthesize structurally diverse quaternary organosilanes and organogermanes that were difficult to access previously.

Value of cognitive fusion targeted and standard systematic transrectal prostate biopsy for prostate cancer diagnosis.

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to compare the accuracies of cognitive fusion-guided targeted biopsy (TB), systematic biopsy (SB), and combined TB+SB for the detection of prostate cancer (PCa) and clinically significant PCa (csPCa) in males with lesions detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We conducted a retrospective analysis of individuals who underwent prostate biopsy at Peking University People's Hospital (Beijing, China), with an emphasis on patients with both transrectal TB and SB. The main objective was to determine the precisions of SB, TB, and TB+SB for diagnosing PCa and csPCa. We also evaluated the detection rates of TB, SB, TB+ipsilateral-SB (ipsi-SB), TB+contralateral-SB (contra-SB), and TB+SB for PCa and csPCa in patients with unilateral MRI lesions. We compared the diagnostic yields of the various biopsy schemes using the McNemar's test. A total of 180 patients were enrolled. The rates of PCa detection using TB, SB, and TB+SB were 52.8%, 62.2%, and 66.7%, respectively, and the corresponding rates for csPCa were 46.1%, 56.7%, and 58.3%, respectively. Among patients with unilateral MRI lesions, the PCa detection rates for TB, SB, TB+ipsi-SB, TB+contra-SB, and TB+SB were 53.3%, 64.8%, 65.6%, 61.5%, and 68.0%, respectively. TB+ipsi-SB detected 96.4% of PCa and 95.9% of csPCa cases. These findings suggest that the combination of TB+SB has better diagnostic accuracy compared with SB or TB alone. For patients with unilateral MRI lesions, the combination of TB+ipsi-SB may be suitable in clinical settings.

Advantages of unilateral percutaneous kyphoplasty for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures-a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Data from English randomized controlled trials comparing unilateral versus bilateral PKP for the treatment of OVCFs were retrieved and analyzed, and the results showed that unilateral PKP is a better choice for the treatment of patients with OVCFs, which will provide a reliable clinical rationale for the treatment of OVCFs. PURPOSE: To investigate the advantages of unilateral percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures(OVCFs). METHODS: The systematic evaluation program met all program requirements (CRD 42023422383) by successfully passing the PROSPERO International Prospective Systematic Evaluation Registry. Researchers searched the references of English-language randomized controlled trials comparing unilateral and bilateral PKP for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures published between 2010 and 2023 and manually searched for known primary and review articles. The study statistically analyzed data from all the included literature, which primarily included time to surgery, visual pain score(VAS) and Oswestry disability index(ODI) at postoperative follow-up time points, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA, bone cement) injection dose, cement leakage, radiation dose, and improvement in kyphotic angle. RESULTS: This meta-analysis searched 416 articles published from 2010 to 2023 based on keywords, and 18 articles were finally included in this study. The results of the forest plot showed that unilateral PKP operative time, amount of bone cement used, and radiation dose to the patient were significantly reduced (p < 0.01, p < 0.01, and p < 0.01, respectively), and unilateral and bilateral PKP had comparable cement leakage (p = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.58-1.30), and there was no significant difference in the kyphotic angle between unilateral and bilateral PKP (p = 0.42, 95% CI = - 2.29-0.96). During follow-up, there was no significant difference in pain relief between unilateral and bilateral PKP (p = 0.70, 95% CI = - 0.09-0.06), nor was there a significant difference in ODI (p = 0.27, 95% CI = - 0.35-1.24). CONCLUSIONS: There is no difference in clinical efficacy between unilateral PKP and bilateral PKP, but unilateral PKP has a shorter operative time, a lower incidence of cement leakage, a lower amount of cement, and a lower radiation dose to the patient and operator. Unilateral PKP is a better option for patients with OVCFs.

Real-world applications of the new grading system in lung adenocarcinoma: A study of 907 patients focusing on revealing the relationship between pathologic grade and genetic status.

BACKGROUND: The status of the lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) grading system and the association between LUAD differentiation, driver genes, and clinicopathological features remain to be elucidated. METHODS: We included patients with invasive non-mucinous LUAD, evaluated their differentiation, and collected available clinicopathological information, gene mutations, and analyzed clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Among the 907 patients with invasive non-mucinous LUAD, 321 (35.4 %) were poorly differentiated, 422 (46.5 %) were moderately differentiated, and 164 (18.1 %) were well differentiated. EGFR mutation was more common in the LUADs accompanied without CGP (complex glandular pattern) than LUADs with CGP (p < 0.001). Correlation analysis between mutations and clinical characteristics showed that EGFR gene mutation (p < 0.001), KRAS gene mutation (p < 0.05), and ALK gene rearrangement (p < 0.001) were significantly related to the degree of tumor differentiation, and the KRAS and ALK gene mutation frequencies were higher in the low-differentiation group than in the high and medium differentiation groups. The EGFR mutation frequency was higher in the well/moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma group. CONCLUSIONS: Our study adds to the evidence regarding the role of the grading system in prognosis. EGFR, KRAS, and ALK are related to the degree of tumor differentiation.

Comparison for the effects of different components of temperature variability on mortality: A multi-country time-series study.

BACKGROUND: Temperature variability (TV) is associated with increased mortality risk. However, it is still unknown whether intra-day or inter-day TV has different effects. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the association of intra-day TV and inter-day TV with all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality. METHODS: We collected data on total, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality and meteorology from 758 locations in 47 countries or regions from 1972 to 2020. We defined inter-day TV as the standard deviation (SD) of daily mean temperatures across the lag interval, and intra-day TV as the average SD of minimum and maximum temperatures on each day. In the first stage, inter-day and intra-day TVs were modelled simultaneously in the quasi-Poisson time-series model for each location. In the second stage, a multi-level analysis was used to pool the location-specific estimates. RESULTS: Overall, the mortality risk due to each interquartile range [IQR] increase was higher for intra-day TV than for inter-day TV. The risk increased by 0.59% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.53, 0.65) for all-cause mortality, 0.64% (95% CI: 0.56, 0.73) for cardiovascular mortality, and 0.65% (95% CI: 0.49, 0.80) for respiratory mortality per IQR increase in intra-day TV0-7 (0.9 °C). An IQR increase in inter-day TV0-7 (1.6 °C) was associated with 0.22% (95% CI: 0.18, 0.26) increase in all-cause mortality, 0.44% (95% CI: 0.37, 0.50) increase in cardiovascular mortality, and 0.31% (95% CI: 0.21, 0.41) increase in respiratory mortality. The proportion of all-cause deaths attributable to intra-day TV0-7 and inter-day TV0-7 was 1.45% and 0.35%, respectively. The mortality risks varied by lag interval, climate area, season, and climate type. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that intra-day TV may explain the main part of the mortality risk related to TV and suggested that comprehensive evaluations should be proposed in more countries to help protect human health.

Temperature frequency and mortality: Assessing adaptation to local temperature.

Assessing the association between temperature frequency and mortality can provide insights into human adaptation to local ambient temperatures. We collected daily time-series data on mortality and temperature from 757 locations in 47 countries/regions during 1979-2020. We used a two-stage time series design to assess the association between temperature frequency and all-cause mortality. The results were pooled at the national, regional, and global levels. We observed a consistent decrease in the risk of mortality as the normalized frequency of temperature increases across the globe. The average increase in mortality risk comparing the 10th to 100th percentile of normalized frequency was 13.03% (95% CI: 12.17-13.91), with substantial regional differences (from 4.56% in Australia and New Zealand to 33.06% in South Europe). The highest increase in mortality was observed for high-income countries (13.58%, 95% CI: 12.56-14.61), followed by lower-middle-income countries (12.34%, 95% CI: 9.27-15.51). This study observed a declining risk of mortality associated with higher temperature frequency. Our findings suggest that populations can adapt to their local climate with frequent exposure, with the adapting ability varying geographically due to differences in climatic and socioeconomic characteristics.

Unilateral Biportal Endoscopic Discectomy versus Percutaneous Endoscopic Interlaminar Discectomy for Lumbar Disc Herniation.

Background: As the latest endoscopic spine surgery, percutaneous endoscopic interlaminar discectomy (PEID) and unilateral biportal endoscopic (UBE) discectomy have distinct technical characteristics. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of PEID and UBE discectomy in the treatment of single-level lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Methods: Between February 2019 and April 2022, 115 patients with single-level LDH at L4-5 or L5-S1 received PEID or UBE discectomy. The patients were separated into two groups based on the surgical method used: Group 1 (the PEID group) (n = 60) and Group 2 (the UBE group) (n = 55). Various parameters, including operative time, hospitalization time, fluoroscopy frequency, total costs, complications, visual analogue scale (VAS), and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), were evaluated and compared between the two groups. Results: There were no significant differences in the VAS and ODI scores in 12 months after the operation between two groups (P > 0.05). However, the VAS of lower back pain on the first day after the operation in Group 2 (2.53±0.89) was higher than that in Group 1 (2.19±0.74) (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the operation time and incidence of complications between two groups (P > 0.05). But total costs in Group 2 (43,121±4280) were significantly higher than those in Group 1 (30,069±3551) (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Both UBE and PEID procedures have similar efficacy in alleviating pain and improving functional ability in patients with LDH. However, UBE surgery results in higher costs than PEID surgery.

Applications of single-cell RNA sequencing in spermatogenesis and molecular evolution.

Spermatogenic cell heterogeneity is determined by the complex process of spermatogenesis differentiation. However, effectively revealing the regulatory mechanisms underlying mammalian spermatogenic cell development and differentiation via traditional methods is difficult. Advances in technology have led to the emergence of many single-cell transcriptome sequencing protocols, which have partially addressed these challenges. In this review, we detail the principles of 10x Genomics technology and summarize the methods for downstream analysis of single-cell transcriptome sequencing data. Furthermore, we explore the role of single-cell transcriptome sequencing in revealing the heterogeneity of testicular ecological niche cells, delineating the establishment and disruption of testicular immune homeostasis during human spermatogenesis, investigating abnormal spermatogenesis in humans, and, ultimately, elucidating the molecular evolution of mammalian spermatogenesis.

Exciton Dissociation into Charge Carriers in Porphyrinic Metal-Organic Frameworks for Light-Assisted Li-O2 Batteries.

Light-assisted Li-O2 batteries exhibit a high round-trip efficiency attributable to the assistance of light-generated electrons and holes in oxygen reduction and evolution reactions. Nonetheless, the excitonic effect arising from Coulomb interaction between electrons and holes impedes carrier separation, thus hindering efficient utilization of photo-energy. Herein, porphyrinic metal-organic frameworks with (Fe2Ni)O(COO)6 clusters are used as photocathodes to accelerate exciton dissociation into charge carriers for light-assisted Li-O2 batteries. The coupling of Ni 3d and Fe 3d orbitals boosts ligand-to-metal cluster charge transfer, and hence drives exciton dissociation and activates O2 for superoxide (•O2 -) radicals, rather than singlet oxygen (1O2) under photoexcitation. These enable the light-assisted Li-O2 batteries with a low total overvoltage of 0.28 V and round-trip efficiency of 92% under light irradiation of 100 mW cm-2. This work highlights the excitonic effect in photoelectrochemical processes and provides insights into photocathode design for light-assisted Li-O2 batteries.

Impact of hydrogen sulfide on anammox and nitrate/nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation coupled technologies.

The coupling between anammox and nitrate/nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (n-DAMO) has been considered a sustainable technology for nitrogen removal from sidestream wastewater and can be implemented in both membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR) and granular bioreactor. However, the potential influence of the accompanying hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in the anaerobic digestion (AD)-related methane-containing mixture on anammox/n-DAMO remains unknown. To fill this gap, this work first constructed a model incorporating the C/N/S-related bioprocesses and evaluated/calibrated/validated the model using experimental data. The model was then used to explore the impact of H2S on the MBfR and granular bioreactor designed to perform anammox/n-DAMO at practical levels (i.e., 0∼5% (v/v) and 0∼40 g/S m3, respectively). The simulation results indicated that H2S in inflow gas did not significantly affect the total nitrogen (TN) removal of the MBfR under all operational conditions studied in this work, thus lifting the concern about applying AD-produced biogas to power up anammox/n-DAMO in the MBfR. However, the presence of H2S in the influent would either compromise the treatment performance of the granular bioreactor at a relatively high influent NH4+-N/NO2--N ratio (e.g., >1.0) or lead to increased energy demand associated with TN removal at a relatively low influent NH4+-N/NO2--N ratio (e.g., <0.7). Such a negative effect of the influent H2S could not be attenuated by regulating the hydraulic residence time and should therefore be avoided when applying the granular bioreactor to perform anammox/n-DAMO in practice.