Fetal heart quantification technique improves the prenatal prediction of coarctation of the aorta: A retrospective analysis.

Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) ranks among the most prevalent congenital heart defects and poses a life-threatening risk if left undiagnosed. Herein, we utilized fetal heart quantification (HQ) technology to improve the prenatal prediction of CoA. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 64 fetal cases with suspected aortic arch constriction, identified through prenatal ultrasound findings between November 2020 and March 2022 at the Department of Ultrasound, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University. According to the follow-up results, these cases were divided into two groups: 35 cases confirmed as CoA by postpartum surgery or induction, and 29 cases initially suspected of CoA prenatally but subsequently ruled out postnatally. Additionally, 88 cases of normal fetuses were randomly selected as the control group. Both conventional M-mode ultrasound techniques and Fetal HQ software were utilized for fetal analysis across all groups. Parameters related to the heart were measured, including fetal 4-CV length, width, Global Spherical Index (GSI), Mitral Annular Plane Systolic Excursion (MAPSE), areas and ratios of the left and right ventricles, as well as lengths and ratios of the left and right ventricles. Functional measurements of the left and right ventricles included ejection fraction (EF), fractional area change (FAC), global longitudinal strain (GLS), fractional shortening (FS), end-diastolic diameter (ED), and sphericity index (SI). Left ventricular (LV)-GLS, LV-FAC, LV-EF, and LV-EF Z-score could potentially differentiate between true CoA and false CoA or normal groups and serve as potential indicators for the clinical diagnosis of CoA. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves indicated that LV-GLS and LV-EF Z-score have the greatest predictive power for CoA diagnosis. The segments 6-12 of FS in the confirmed CoA group were significantly lower than those in the false CoA and normal groups. Fetal HQ technology, by assessing changes in the size and shape of the heart, can provide relatively reliable parameter support for the prenatal diagnosis of fetal aortic coarctation.

The optimal concentration of ropivacaine for transversus abdominis plane blocks in elective cesarean section: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks are commonly performed for postoperative analgesia in elective cesarean section. Ropivacaine is the most commonly used local anesthetic for TAP blocks. Currently, the concentration of ropivacaine for TAP blocks is various, and increasing number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have compared the effects of different concentration of ropivacaine for TAP blocks in cesarean section. This protocol of a systematic review and meta-analysis aims to identify the optimal concentration of ropivacaine for TAP blocks in elective cesarean section. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Databases including PubMed, Web of science, the Cochrane library, and EMBASE will be searched from their inception to May 1, 2024. RCTs that investigated the analgesia of different concentrations of ropivacaine for TAP blocks in elective cesarean section will be identified. The analgesia duration will be the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes will include the analgesics consumption over postoperative 24 hours, postoperative pain scores at rest and movement, and the incidence of adverse effects. RevMan 5.4 software will used for statistical analysis. The evidence quality of synthesized results will be evaluated by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not applicable. The results of this study will be published on completion. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration number: CRD42024496907.

Visible-Light-Induced Silk Fibroin Hydrogels with Carbon Quantum Dots as Initiators for 3D Bioprinting Applications.

Digital light processing (DLP) 3D bioprinting technology has attracted increasing attention in tissue engineering in recent years. However, it still faces significant technical and operational challenges such as cell carcinogenesis caused by prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light and the presence of heavy metal ions in complex photoinitiator systems. In this study, a novel strategy is designed to introduce carbon quantum dots into visible-light-induced silk fibroin bioink as initiators (CDs/SilMA) applied for DLP 3D bioprinting technology. The incorporation of carbon quantum dots facilitates the formation of precise hydrogel structures at 415 nm visible wavelength, enabling the creation of brain, bronchus, spine, and ear models. Replacing heavy metal photoinitiators with carbon quantum dots imparts fluorescence properties to the bioink and enhances its mechanical properties. Meanwhile, the fibroin protein-based hydrogel exhibits favorable properties, such as drug loading, slow release, degradability, and biocompatibility. This is the first study to propose the application of carbon quantum dots in silk fibroin-based bioink. Moreover, the resulting product demonstrates excellent compatibility with the DLP printing process, making it promising for practical applications in various tissue engineering scenarios with specific requirements.

A review of truck driver persona construction for safety management.

The trucking industry urgently requires comprehensive methods to evaluate driver safety, given the high incidence of serious traffic accidents involving trucks. The concept of a "truck driver persona" emerges as a crucial tool in enhancing driver safety and enabling precise management of road transportation safety. Currently, the road transport sector is only beginning to adopt the user persona approach, and thus the development of such personas for road transport remains an exploratory endeavor. This paper delves into three key aspects: identifying safety risk characteristic parameters, exploring methods for constructing personas and designing safety management interventions. Initially, bibliometric methods are employed to analyze safety risk factors across five domains: truck drivers, vehicles, roads, the environment, and management. This analysis provides the variables necessary to develop personas for road transportation drivers. Existing methods for constructing user personas are then reviewed, with a particular focus on their application in the context of road transportation. Integrating contemporary ideas in persona creation, we propose a framework for developing safety risk personas specific to road transportation drivers. These personas are intended to inform and guide safety management interventions. Moreover, the four stages of driver post-evaluation are integrated into the persona development process, outlining tailored safety management interventions for each stage: pre-post, pre-transit, in-transit, and on-post. These interventions are designed to be orderly and finely tuned. Lastly, we offer optimization recommendations and suggest future research directions based on safety risk factors, persona construction, and safety management interventions. Overall, this paper presents a safety management-oriented research technology system for constructing safety risk personas for truck drivers. We argue that improving the design of the persona index system, driven by big data, and encompassing the entire driver duty cycle-from pre-post to on-post-will significantly enhance truck driver safety. This represents a vital direction for future development in the field.

Topologically protected entanglement switching around exceptional points.

The robust operation of quantum entanglement states is crucial for applications in quantum information, computing, and communications1-3. However, it has always been a great challenge to complete such a task because of decoherence and disorder. Here, we propose theoretically and demonstrate experimentally an effective scheme to realize robust operation of quantum entanglement states by designing quadruple degeneracy exceptional points. By encircling the exceptional points on two overlapping Riemann energy surfaces, we have realized a chiral switch for entangled states with high fidelity. Owing to the topological protection conferred by the Riemann surface structure, this switching of chirality exhibits strong robustness against perturbations in the encircling path. Furthermore, we have experimentally validated such a scheme on a quantum walk platform. Our work opens up a new way for the application of non-Hermitian physics in the field of quantum information.

Experimental observation of exceptional bound states in a classical circuit network.

Exceptional bound (EB) states represent a unique new class of robust bound states protected by the defectiveness of non-Hermitian exceptional points. Conceptually distinct from the more well-known topological states and non-Hermitian skin states, they were recently discovered as a novel source of negative entanglement entropy in the quantum entanglement context. Yet, EB states have been physically elusive, being originally interpreted as negative probability eigenstates of the propagator of non-Hermitian Fermi gases. In this work, we show that EB states are in fact far more ubiquitous, also arising robustly in broad classes of systems whether classical or quantum. This hinges crucially on a newly-discovered spectral flow that rigorously justifies the EB nature of small candidate lattice systems. As a highlight, we present their first experimental realization through an electrical circuit, where they manifest as prominent stable resonant voltage profiles. Our work brings a hitherto elusive but fundamentally distinctive quantum phenomenon into the realm of classical metamaterials, and provides a novel pathway for the engineering of robust modes in otherwise sensitive systems..

Sensitivity analysis of heat and mass transfer at working face in high-temperature mine.

Thermal damage from heat sources severely affects the safety of deep mine production. Heat and mass transfer between heat sources and airflow leads to the increase of the airflow temperature (AFT), moisture content of airflow (AFMC) and relative humidity of airflow (AFRH). This study aims to quantify uncertainty contributions of the working face parameters on AFT, AFMC and AFRH and find their main contributors. The flow, geometric and physical parameters are chosen as uncertainty sources. Subsequently, Sobol indices are obtained using the point-collocation non-intrusive polynomial chaos method, denoting the sensitivity of each input parameter. It was found that the inflow wind temperature and the wind velocity are two top factors influencing AFT and AFMC, while relative humidity of inflow wind and the wind velocity are two top factors influencing AFRH. In the single factor analysis, the uncertainty contributions of the inflow wind temperature on AFT and AFMC, and relative humidity of inflow wind on AFRH can exceed 0.7, which is higher than those of the wind velocity. The geometric parameters of the working face, namely the length, width and height, and ventilation time are also significant quantities influencing AFT, AFMC and AFRH. Compared to AFT and AFMC, two other significant quantities influencing AFRH are the thermal conductivity of coal and the original temperature of the rock.

CircHIRA sponges miR-196b-5p to promote porcine early embryonic development.

Circular RNA (circRNA) is abundantly expressed in preimplantation embryos and embryonic stem cells in mice and humans. However, its function and mechanism in early development of mammalian embryos remain unclear. Here, we showed that circHIRA mediated miR-196b-5p to regulate porcine early embryonic development. We verified the circular feature of circHIRA by sanger sequencing, and proved the authenticity of circHIRA by enzyme digestion test. HIRA and circHIRA were expressed in porcine early embryos, and its expression levels significantly increased from 8-cell stage onwards and reached the maximum at the blastocyst stage. Functional studies revealed that circHIRA knockdown not only significantly reduced the developmental efficiency of embryos from 8-cell stage to blastocyst stage, but also impaired the blastocyst quality. Mechanistically, integrated analysis of miRNA prediction and gene expression showed that circHIRA knockdown significantly increased the expression of miR-196b-5p in porcine early embryos. Furthermore, miR-196b-5p inhibitor injection could rescue the early development of circHIRA knockdown embryos. Taken together, the findings reveal that circHIRA regulates porcine early embryonic development via inhibiting the expression of miR-196b-5p.

Comparison of the effects of ultrasound-guided quadratus lumborum block and erector spinae plane block on postoperative pain in abdominal surgeries: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Ultrasound-guided quadratus lumborum block and erector spinae plane block are widely used for postoperative analgesia in adult patients undergoing abdominal surgeries. This protocol aims to compare the analgesic effects between ultrasound-guided quadratus lumborum block and erector spinae plane block on postoperative pain in abdominal surgeries. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Four databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), will be searched. Randomised controlled trials that compared the analgesic effects between ultrasound-guided quadratus lumborum block and erector spinae plane block on postoperative pain in adult patients will be identified. The primary outcomes are time to the first analgesic request and postoperative analgesic consumption over 24 hours. Secondary outcomes will include postoperative pain scores and the incidence of side effects. RevMan V.5.3 software will be used for data processing and statistical analysis. The Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach will be used to assess the evidence quality of outcomes. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required for this study. Results of this present study will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42023445802.

Topologically Protected Quantum Logic Gates with Valley-Hall Photonic Crystals.

Topological photonics provide a promising way to realize more robust optical devices against some defects and environmental perturbations. Quantum logic gates are fundamental units of quantum computers, which are widely used in future quantum information processing. Thus, constructing robust universal quantum logic gates is an important way forward to practical quantum computing. However, the most important problem to be solved is how to construct the quantum-logic-gate-required 2 × 2 beam splitter with topological protection. Here, the experimental realization of the topologically protected contradirectional coupler is reported, which can be employed to realize the quantum logic gates, including control-NOT and Hadamard gates, on the silicon photonic platform. These quantum gates not only have high experimental fidelities but also exhibit a certain degree of tolerances against certain types of defects. This work paves the way for the development of practical optical quantum computations and signal processing.

A New Method Used to Enhance the SPAIR Image of the Spine MRI.

BACKGROUND: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a handy diagnostic tool for orthopedic disorders, particularly spinal and joint diseases. METHODS: The lumbar intervertebral disc is visible in the T1 and T2 weight sequences of the spine MRI, which aids in diagnosing lumbar disc herniation, lumbar spine tuberculosis, lumbar spine tumors, and other conditions. The lumbar intervertebral disc cannot be seen accurately in the Spectral Attenuated Inversion Recovery (SPAIR) due to weaknesses in the fat and frequency offset parameters, which is not conducive to developing the intelligence diagnosis model of medical image. RESULTS: In order to solve this problem, we propose a composite framework, which is first to use the contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE) method to enhance the SPAIR image contrast of the spine MRI and then use the non-local means method to remove the noise of the image to ensure that the image contrast is uniform without losing details. We employ the Information Entropy (IE), Peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), and feature similarity index measure (FSIM) to quantify image quality after enhancement by the composite framework. CONCLUSION: The outcomes of the experiments' output images and quantitative data indicate that our composite framework is better than others.

Non-Abelian Topological Bound States in the Continuum.

Bound states in the continuum (BICs), which are spatially localized states with energies lying in the continuum of extended modes, have been widely investigated in both quantum and classical systems. Recently, the combination of topological band theory with BICs has led to the creation of topological BICs that exhibit extraordinary robustness against disorder. However, the previously proposed topological BICs are only limited in systems with Abelian gauge fields. Whether non-Abelian gauge fields can induce topological BICs and how to experimentally explore these phenomena remains unresolved. Here, we report the theoretical and experimental realization of non-Abelian topological BICs, which are generated by the interplay between two inseparable pseudospins and can coexist in each pseudospin subspace. This unique characteristic necessitates non-Abelian couplings that lack any Abelian counterparts. Furthermore, the non-Abelian couplings can also offer a new avenue for constructing topological subspace-induced BICs at bulk dislocations. Those exotic phenomena are observed by non-Abelian topolectrical circuits. Our results establish the connection between topological BICs and non-Abelian gauge fields, and serve as the catalyst for future investigations on non-Abelian topological BICs across different platforms.

Hyperbolic photonic topological insulators.

Topological photonics provides a new degree of freedom to robustly control electromagnetic fields. To date, most of established topological states in photonics have been employed in Euclidean space. Motivated by unique properties of hyperbolic lattices, which are regular tessellations in non-Euclidean space with a constant negative curvature, the boundary-dominated hyperbolic topological states have been proposed. However, limited by highly crowded boundary resonators and complicated site couplings, the hyperbolic topological insulator has only been experimentally constructed in electric circuits. How to achieve hyperbolic photonic topological insulators is still an open question. Here, we report the experimental realization of hyperbolic photonic topological insulators using coupled ring resonators on silicon chips. Boundary-dominated one-way edge states with pseudospin-dependent propagation directions have been observed. Furthermore, the robustness of edge states in hyperbolic photonic topological insulators is also verified. Our findings have potential applications in the field of designing high-efficient topological photonic devices with enhanced boundary responses.

Correlated optical convolutional neural network with "quantum speedup".

Compared with electrical neural networks, optical neural networks (ONNs) have the potentials to break the limit of the bandwidth and reduce the consumption of energy, and therefore draw much attention in recent years. By far, several types of ONNs have been implemented. However, the current ONNs cannot realize the acceleration as powerful as that indicated by the models like quantum neural networks. How to construct and realize an ONN with the quantum speedup is a huge challenge. Here, we propose theoretically and demonstrate experimentally a new type of optical convolutional neural network by introducing the optical correlation. It is called the correlated optical convolutional neural network (COCNN). We show that the COCNN can exhibit "quantum speedup" in the training process. The character is verified from the two aspects. One is the direct illustration of the faster convergence by comparing the loss function curves of the COCNN with that of the traditional convolutional neural network (CNN). Such a result is compatible with the training performance of the recently proposed quantum convolutional neural network (QCNN). The other is the demonstration of the COCNN's capability to perform the QCNN phase recognition circuit, validating the connection between the COCNN and the QCNN. Furthermore, we take the COCNN analog to the 3-qubit QCNN phase recognition circuit as an example and perform an experiment to show the soundness and the feasibility of it. The results perfectly match the theoretical calculations. Our proposal opens up a new avenue for realizing the ONNs with the quantum speedup, which will benefit the information processing in the era of big data.

Association between diurnal temperature range and outpatient visits for urticaria disease in Lanzhou, China: a distributed lag nonlinear analysis.

BACKGROUND: A growing number of epidemiological studies have shown that daily temperatures are associated with urticaria. However, the relationship between daily changes in temperature and urticaria is unclear. OBJECTIVES: To assess the diurnal temperature difference (DTR) effects on urticaria outpatient visits in Lanzhou, China. METHODS: Urticaria outpatient visits data during 2011-2019 were collected from three major tertiary hospitals in Lanzhou. Daily temperature data from the official website of China Meteorological Administration. Assessment of the relationship between urticaria outpatient volume and DTR in Lanzhou City using a distributed lag nonlinear model. RESULTS: A total of 83,022 urticaria visits were enrolled. There was a nonlinear relationship between DTR and urticaria outpatient visits and a lagged effect of DTR impact. The effects of high DTR on urticaria visits were not seen in all populations but in the male population and in the 15-59 age group. High DTR (P95: 18.2 °C) was associated with a 27% (95% CI: 0.01, 60.53%) and 31% (95% CI: 1.60, 68.99%) increase in the number of urticaria visits in the 21-day lag effect for the male cohort and the 15-59 year old cohort, respectively, compared with 11.5 °C, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that DTR is a potential risk factor for urticaria. The results of this study may provide a scientific basis for local governments to improve preventive measures in the health care system.

Combined Use of Autologous Sustained-Release Scaffold of Adipokines and Acellular Adipose Matrix to Construct Vascularized Adipose Tissue.

BACKGROUND: Adipose tissue engineering plays a key role in the reconstruction of soft-tissue defects. The acellular adipose matrix (AAM) is a promising biomaterial for the construction of engineered adipose tissue. However, AAM lacks sufficient adipoinduction potency because of the abundant loss of matrix-bound adipokines during decellularization. METHODS: An adipose-derived extracellular matrix collagen scaffold, "adipose collagen fragment" (ACF), was prepared using a novel mechanical method that provides sustained release of adipokines. Here, the authors used label-free proteomics methods to detect the protein components in AAM and ACF. In vivo, ACF was incorporated into AAM or acellular dermal matrix and implanted into nude mice to evaluate adipogenesis. Neoadipocytes, neovessels, and corresponding gene expression were evaluated. The effects of ACF on adipogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells and tube formation by human umbilical vein endothelial cells were tested in vitro. RESULTS: Proteomics analysis showed that ACF contains diverse adipogenic and angiogenic proteins. ACF can release diverse adipokines and induce highly vascularized, mature adipose tissue in AAM, and even in nonadipogenic acellular dermal matrix. Higher expression of adipogenic markers peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha and greater numbers of tubule structures were observed in ACF-treated groups in vitro. CONCLUSION: The combination of ACF and AAM could serve as a novel and promising strategy to construct mature, vascularized adipose tissue for soft-tissue reconstruction. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: The combined use of AAM and ACF has been proven to induce a highly vascularized, mature, engineered adipose tissue in the nude mouse model, which may serve as a promising strategy for soft-tissue reconstruction.

Phase-matched locally chiral light for global control of chiral light-matter interaction.

Locally chiral light is an emerging tool for probing and controlling molecular chirality. It can generate large and freely adjustable enantioselectivities in purely electric-dipole effects, offering its major advantages over traditional chiral light. However, the existing types of locally chiral light are phase-mismatched, and thus the global efficiencies are greatly reduced compared with the maximum single-point efficiencies or even vanish. Here, we propose a scheme to generate phase-matched locally chiral light. To confirm this advantage, we numerically show the robust highly efficient global control of enantiospecific electronic state transfer of methyloxirane at nanoseconds. Our work potentially constitutes the starting point for developing more efficient chiroptical techniques for the studies of chiral molecules.

Machine-Learning Enhanced Enantioselective Single-Shot-Single-Molecule ac Stark Spectroscopy.

Enantiodiscrimination with single-molecule and single-shot resolution is fundamental for the understanding of the fate and behavior of two enantiomers in chemical reactions, biological activity, and the function of drugs. However, molecular decoherence gives rise to spectral broadening and random errors, offering major problems for most chiroptical methods in arriving at single-shot-single-molecule resolution. Here, we introduce a machine-learning strategy to solve these problems. Specifically, we focus on the task of single-shot measurement of single-molecule chirality based on enantioselective ac Stark spectroscopy. We find that, in the large-decoherence region, where the ac Stark spectroscopy without machine learning fails to distinguish molecular chirality, in contrast, the machine-learning-assisted strategy still holds a high correct rate of up to about 90%. Beyond this overwhelming superiority, the machine-learning strategy also has considerable robustness against variation of the decoherence rates between the training and testing sets.

Optimal concentration of ropivacaine for brachial plexus blocks in adult patients undergoing upper limb surgeries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aim of the Study: Brachial plexus block (BPB) is widely used for patients undergoing upper limb surgeries. Ropivacaine is the most commonly used local anesthetic for BPB. This study aimed to identify the optimal ropivacaine concentration for BPB in adult patients undergoing upper limb surgeries. Materials and Methods: PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the effects of different concentrations of ropivacaine for BPB in adult patients undergoing upper limb surgeries. The primary outcomes were the onset time of sensory and motor block. RevMan 5.4 software was used for analysis. The GRADE approach was used to assess evidence quality. Results: Nine studies involving 504 patients were included. Compared to 0.5% ropivacaine, 0.75% ropivacaine shortened the onset time of sensory (WMD, -2.54; 95% CI; -4.84 to -0.24; <0.0001, moderate quality of evidence) and motor blockade (WMD, -2.46; 95% CI, -4.26 to -0.66; p = 0.01; moderate quality of evidence). However, 0.5% and 0.75% ropivacaine provided similar duration time of sensory (WMD, -0.07; 95% CI, -0.88 to 0.74; p = 0.81; high quality of evidence) and motor blockade (WMD, -0.24; 95% CI, -1.12 to 0.65; p = 0.55; high quality of evidence), as well as time to first request for oral analgesia (WMD, -1.57; 95% CI, -3.14 to 0.01; p = 0.5; moderate quality of evidence). Conclusion: Moderate-quality evidence suggested that, in terms of the onset time of sensory and motor blockade, 0.75% ropivacaine is a preferred concentration for BPB in upper limb surgeries. Systematic Review Registration: identifier CRD42023392145.