Are Socioeconomic Factors Associated With Atrial Fibrillation Sex-Dependent? A Narrative Review.

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most prevalent cardiac arrhythmia, poses a significant public health and economic burden. Although socioeconomic factors such as income and education have been implicated in AF incidence and outcomes, the potential sex-specific associations remained underexplored. This narrative review aimed to fill this gap by synthesizing existing literature on the sex-specific impact of socioeconomic factors on AF incidence, treatment, and outcome. Among these socioeconomic factors, we identified income and education as the most frequently cited determinants. Nevertheless, the magnitude and direction of these sex differences remained inconsistent across studies. The review uncovered that many studies did not include sex in the analysis when assessing the impact of socioeconomic factors on AF. We highlighted that there is a paucity of studies employing sex-stratified reporting and sex interaction analyses, thereby hindering a deeper understanding of these relationships.

Sunlight-Activated Hour-Long Afterglow from Transparent and Flexible Polymers.

Afterglow materials featuring long emission durations ranging from milliseconds to hours have garnered increasing interest owing to their potential applications in sensing, bioimaging, and anti-counterfeiting. Unfortunately, polymeric materials rarely exhibit afterglow properties under ambient conditions because of the rapid nonradiative decay rate of triplet excitons. In this study, hour-long afterglow (HLA) polymer films are fabricated using a facile molecular doping strategy. Flexible and transparent polymer films emitted a bright afterglow lasting over 11 h at room temperature in air, which is one of the best performances among the organic afterglow materials reported to date. Intriguingly, HLA polymer films can be activated by sunlight, and their cyan afterglow in air can be readily observed by the naked eye. Moreover, the HLA color of the polymer films could be tuned from cyan to red through the Förster resonance energy transfer mechanism. Their application in flexible displays and information storage has also been demonstrated. With remarkable advantages, including an hour-long and bright afterglow, tunable afterglow colors, superior flexibility and transparency, and ease of fabrication, the HLA polymer paves the way for the practical application of afterglow materials in the engineering sector.

Unraveling the 2,3-diketo-L-gulonic acid-dependent and -independent impacts of L-ascorbic acid on somatic cell reprogramming.

BACKGROUND: L-ascorbic acid (Asc) plays a pivotal role in regulating various biological processes, including somatic cell reprogramming, through multiple pathways. However, it remains unclear whether Asc regulates reprogramming directly or functions through its metabolites. RESULTS: Asc exhibited dual capabilities in promoting reprogramming through both 2,3-diketo-L-gulonic acid (DKG), a key metabolite during Asc degradation, dependent and independent routes. On the one hand, Asc facilitated reprogramming by promoting cell proliferation and inducing the conversion from pre-induced pluripotent stem cells (pre-iPSCs) to iPSCs through DKG-independent pathways. Additionally, Asc triggered mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) and activated glycolysis via DKG-dependent mechanisms. Notably, DKG alone activated a non-canonical tricarboxylic acid cycle characterized by increased succinate, fumarate, and malate. Consequently, this shift redirected oxidative phosphorylation toward glycolysis and induced MET. Moreover, owing to its antioxidant capabilities, Asc directly inhibited glycolysis, thereby preventing positive feedback between glycolysis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, ultimately resulting in a higher level of MET. CONCLUSION: These findings unveil the intricate functions of Asc in the context of reprogramming. This study sheds light on the DKG-dependent and -independent activities of Asc during reprogramming, offering novel insights that may extend the application of Asc to other biological processes.

Review of Molybdenum Disulfide Research in Slurry Bed Heavy Oil Hydrogenation.

With the growing demand for gasoline and diesel fuel and the shortage of conventional oil reserves, there has been extensive interest in upgrading technologies for unconventional feedstocks such as heavy oil. Slurry bed reactors with high tolerance to heavy oil have been extensively investigated. Among them, dispersive MoS2 is favored for its excellent hydrogenation ability for heavy oil even under harsh reaction conditions such as high pressure and high temperature, its ability to effectively prevent damage to equipment from deposited coke, and its ability to meet the requirement of high catalyst dispersion for slurry bed reactors. This paper reviews the relationship between the structure and hydrogenation effectiveness of dispersive molybdenum disulfide, the hydrogenation mechanism, and the improvement of its hydrogenation performance by adding defects and compares the application of molybdenum disulfide in heavy oil hydrogenation, desulfurization, deoxygenation, and denitrification. It is found that the current research on dispersive molybdenum disulfide catalysts focuses mostly on the reduction of stacking layers and catalytic performance, and there is a lack of research on the lateral dimensions, microdomain regions, and defect sites of MoS2 catalysts. The relationship between catalyst structure and hydrogenation effect also lags far behind the application of MoS2 in the precipitation of hydrogen, etc. Oil-soluble and water-soluble MoS2 catalysts eventually need to be converted to a solid sulfide state to have hydrogenation activity. The conversion history of soluble catalysts to solid-type catalysts and the key to their improved catalytic effectiveness remain unclear.

Psychological antecedents of telehealth acceptance: A technology readiness perspective.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has been threatening the healthcare system. In this context, telehealth is a potential solution to deliver effective and safe health care to the public. To facilitate the application and acceptance of telehealth, a good understanding of psychological determinants is of great importance. Therefore, this study aims to examine the public's positive and negative mindsets towards telehealth. A theoretical model was established by employing the technology readiness model and perceived value theory. To empirically test the relationships between constructs, a total of 500 responses from residents in Singapore were collected; thereafter, structural equation modeling was performed. The results indicate that discomfort negatively impacts perceived value whereas optimism and innovativeness positively impact users' perceived value. Further, perceived value positively impacts the acceptance of telehealth via attitude. Demographic factors (i.e. internet literacy, age, education) can also influence certain aspects of technology readiness (e.g. innovativeness, optimism). Moreover, social influence is an important moderator between perceived value and the acceptance of telehealth. The empirical findings enhance the understanding of users' psychology concerning telehealth and provide policy recommendations regarding the development of telehealth to improve public health.

Influence of Density Gradient on the Compression of Functionally Graded BCC Lattice Structure.

In this paper, five grading functional gradient lattice structures with a different density perpendicular to the loading direction were proposed, and the surface morphology, deformation behavior, and compression properties of the functional gradient lattice structures prepared by selective laser melting (SLM) with Ti-6Al-4V as the building material were investigated. The results show that the characteristics of the laser energy distribution of the SLM molding process make the spherical metal powder adhere to the surface of the lattice structure struts, resulting in the actual relative density of the lattice structure being higher than the designed theoretical relative density, but the maximum error does not exceed 3.33%. With the same relative density, all lattice structures with density gradients perpendicular to the loading direction have better mechanical properties than the uniform lattice structure, in particular, the elastic modulus of LF, the yield strength of LINEAR, and the first maximum compression strength of INDEX are 28.99%, 16.77%, and 14.46% higher than that of the UNIFORM. In addition, the energy absorption per unit volume of the INDEX and LINEAR is 38.38% and 48.29% higher, respectively, than that of the UNIFORM. Fracture morphology analysis shows that the fracture morphology of these lattice structures shows dimples and smooth planes, indicating that the lattice structure exhibits a mixed brittle and ductile failure mechanism under compressive loading. Finite element analysis results show that when the loading direction is perpendicular to the density gradient-forming direction, the higher density part of the lattice structure is the main bearing part, and the greater the density difference between the two ends of the lattice structure, the greater the elastic modulus.

Experimental Research on Variable Parameter Forming Process for Forming Specimen of TC4 Titanium Alloy by Selective Laser Melting.

To optimize the microstructure and properties of TC4 specimens formed by selective laser melting (SLM), the test program of formed specimens by the variable parameter forming process (VPFP) was designed based on the quantitative parameter forming process (QPFP). The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of the VPFP on the surface morphology, tensile properties, and microstructure of the specimens. The test results show that the surface morphology and tensile properties of the specimens were better formed by the VPFP. The internal holes of the specimens formed by the VPFP were small in volume and occupied a relatively small proportion, and the density could reach 99.7%. When the laser power was 300 W-260 W and equally divided into six hierarchies, the tensile strength could reach 1185.214 MPa by VPFP, but the elongation had no obvious change. The number of secondary acicular martensite α' phases was decreased in the microstructure of the specimens formed with VPFP. With the superposition of the hierarchy, the length of the primary acicular martensite α' phase became shorter, the width became larger, and the width of the columnar crystal ß phase became smaller. The VPFP is used to change the inherent method of forming specimens with the same parameters, which provides a new idea for SLM-forming structures; the test provides data and yields a theoretical research basis for forming the specimens process method.

Pharmacokinetics and Metabolism of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) has caused great concern to public health. Convincing clinical experiences showed that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has exhibited remarkable efficacy in the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of COVID-19. The research on the treatment of COVID-19 disease with TCM mainly focused on the pharmacological effects and mechanistic analysis. However, the TCM's pharmacokinetics and potential herb-drug interaction in the treatment of COVID-19 are currently unclear. METHODS: This review summarizes the pharmacokinetics and characteristics of cytochrome P450 enzyme (CYP450) metabolism of TCM recommended in the Guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (trial version eighth), and meanwhile analyzes the potential interactions between TCM and western medicine. RESULTS: The pharmacokinetics of TCM mainly focused on preclinical pharmacokinetics, and fewer clinical pharmacokinetics research was reported. When TCM and western are both metabolized by CYP450 and coadministered, a potential herb-drug interaction might occur. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of the pharmacokinetics and metabolism of TCM is key to understanding rational TCM use of COVID-19 and developing antiviral TCM.

Dual-potential electrochemiluminescent film constructed from single AIE luminogens for the sensitive detection of malachite green.

Exploiting efficient electrochemiluminescent (ECL) luminogens is crucial for the development of high-performance ECL sensors. Herein, a kind of efficient luminogen (BTPEBT) consisting of benzothiadiazole (BTD) as an electron acceptor and tetraphenylethylene (TPE) as an electron donor was facilely synthesized through a one-step Suzuki reaction. BTPEBT showed typical aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effects with a high solid-state quantum yield of 69.8%. The fabricated solid-state ECL film that is based on single AIE luminogens presented unique dual-potential ECL properties for the first time. The bright ECL of this film could be observed by the naked eye with a satisfactory ECL efficiency of 22.8%. The dense ECL film showed a low electron-transfer resistance, which favors electron transfer among AIE luminogens, electrolytes and the electrode, giving rise to bright ECL emission. The bright ECL film was developed as an ECL sensor for the sensitive and selective detection of malachite green (MG) in a broad linear range from 10-10 to 10-5 M. The limit of detection (LOD) was as low as 7.6 × 10-11 M. Moreover, the ECL sensing platform was further employed to detect MG in a real fish tissue sample with high sensitivity and good specificity. More importantly, the recycled BTPEBT film had good reproducibility for MG detection. The novel dual-potential ECL film constructed from single AIE luminogens provides a promising platform for the sensitive detection of MG in the food industry.

A flexible and bright surface-enhanced electrochemiluminescence film constructed from efficient aggregation-induced emission luminogens for biomolecular sensing.

A bright surface-enhanced electrochemiluminescence film (SEEF) was fabricated from an organic luminogen with aggregation-induced emission (AIEgen) features on flexible substrates. Flexible carbonous substrates including carbon fiber cloth (GCFC) and carbon fiber paper (GCFP) were decorated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) through electrochemical deposition methods, followed by facilely casting AIEgen solutions. The resulting SEEF had a low driving potential of +0.84 V, and its electrochemiluminescence (ECL) was readily observed by the naked eye. The systematic investigation showed that the bright ECL was associated with the promoted electrochemical oxidation and radiative decay of excited AIEgens enhanced by AuNP deposition. Intriguingly, the ECL intensity of the film was linearly enhanced by increasing AIEgen loadings, which allowed tuning of ECL brightness on demand. Moreover, the SEEF was flexible and immune to folding. The ECL intensity rarely changed even when consecutively folding the film 20 times due to the strong interaction between the AIEgen and substrate. The SEEF was further used to sense biomolecules in aqueous media. The ECL of the film was linearly quenched in the presence of dopamine (DA) in the range of 10-15-10-6 M with a record-low limit of detection of 3.16 × 10-16 M. Furthermore, a simple method based on grayscale analysis of ECL images (GAEI) was used for visual sensing of DA. This work provides a kind of novel bright ECL film, useful for the ultrasensitive monitoring of biomolecules in aqueous media.

Comparing different data sources by examining the associations between surrounding greenspace and children's weight status.

BACKGROUND: Studies on the association between surrounding greenspace and being overweight in childhood show inconsistent results, possibly because they differ widely in their definition and measurement of surrounding greenspace. Our aim was to evaluate whether the association of greenspace with being overweight depends on the measurement of greenspace in different data sources. METHODS: Based on data from the school entry examinations of 22,678 children in the city of Hannover, Germany, from 2010 to 14, the association between greenspace availability and overweight was examined. Three different sources of greenspace availability were derived for a set of 51 areas of the city: The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the OpenStreetMap (OSM) dataset, and the European Urban Atlas (UA) dataset. Agreement between the indicators on the quantity of greenspace coverage was compared. The association with children's BMI z-score, including potential interaction terms, was assessed using multilevel regression analysis. RESULTS: Greenspace availability per district area derived by NDVI was on average 42%, by OSM 29% and UA 22%, with OSM and UA being strongly correlated. Only the greenspace availability derived by NDVI showed an association with children's BMI z-score: The higher the greenspace availability was, the lower the BMI. The trend of association was higher for boys and migrant children than for girls and non-migrants and was restricted to the highest levels of greenspace availability. CONCLUSIONS: Associations of greenspace with children's weight status depend on the greenspace measurement chosen. Surrounding greenspace was measured more comprehensively by NDVI. Data sources based on land use categories such as UA and OSM may be less suitable to reflect surrounding greenspace relevant for health outcomes. Potential mechanisms warrant further analysis and investigation.

A tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive nanoplatform for systemic saporin delivery and effective breast cancer therapy.

Intracellular delivery of therapeutic proteins remains a challenge for the success of protein-mediated disease treatment. We herein develop a robust nanoplatform made with a TME-pH responsive Meo-PEG-b-PPMEMA polymer and a cationic lipid-like compound G0-C14 for in vivo delivery of cytotoxic saporin and breast cancer therapy. This nanoplatform could respond to a TME pH to rapidly release saporin/G0-C14 complexes, which could significantly improve the uptake of cytosolic saporin by tumor cells and subsequent endosomal escape, thereby leading to an effective inhibition of tumor growth.

The key challenges and critical success factors of blockchain implementation: Policy implications for Singapore's maritime industry.

Blockchain has the potential to improve the efficiency and transparency of maritime businesses and operations. Nevertheless, few studies have been conducted to identify the key challenges and critical success factors (CSFs) of blockchain implementation in the maritime industry. A case study approach based on Singapore's maritime industry is adopted. Four interviews are conducted to establish the face validity of the survey questionnaire before data are collected from 30 maritime professionals from Singapore's maritime industry. In addition to analytic hierarchical process (AHP), a fishbone diagram and PESTEL analysis are also adopted to organize and discuss the results. The results show that there are six key challenges and six CSFs for blockchain implementation. Using a fishbone diagram, the six identified challenges along with 13 personal concerns are categorized into five dimensions related to people, methods, organization, external environment, and technology. The CSFs are sufficient capital, staff training, ease of local legislation, support from the shipping community, support from the senior management, and professional consultation and assistance. This study implicates marine policy formulation in relation to subsidies and investments, blockchain talent and knowledge acquisition, and workforce training and education to accelerate blockchain implementation in the maritime industry.

Extraction Behavior of Acidic Phosphorus-Containing Compounds to Some Metal Ions: A Combination Research of Experimental and Theoretical Investigations.

To provide feasible methods for the extraction of valuable metals from spent batteries or low-grade primary ores, the extraction behavior of some representative acidic phosphorus-containing compounds (APCCs) as extractants is evaluated from the perspective of experimental and theoretical investigations in this work. Aqueous solutions containing five metal ions, Ca(II), Co(II), Mg(II), Mn(II), and Ni(II), were made to simulate leaching liquids, and the extraction of these metals was investigated. A simplified calculated model was used to evaluate the interaction between each extractant and metal ions. The calculation results agree well with the experimental tests in trend. This work not only provides potential extractants for the extraction of valuable metals from spent batteries or low-grade primary ores but also demonstrates the practicability of the simplified calculation model.

Built Environment and Childhood Weight Status: A Multi-Level Study Using Population-Based Data in the City of Hannover, Germany.

In recent years, built environmental characteristics have been linked to childhood overweight, but the results remain inconsistent across studies. The present study examines associations between several built environmental features and body weight status (BMI) z-score among a large sample of preschool children in the city of Hannover, Germany. Walkability (Index), green space availability, and playground availability related to preschool children's home environments were measured using data from OpenStreetMap (OSM). These built environment characteristics were linked to the data from the 2010-2014 school entry examinations in the Hannover city (n = 22,678), and analysed using multilevel linear regression models to examine associations between the built environment features and the BMI z-score of these children (4-8 years old). No significant associations of built environmental factors on children's BMI were detected, but the effect between green space availability and BMI was modified by the parental educational level. In children with lower compared to higher educated parents, a higher spatial availability of greenspace was significantly associated with reduced body weight. Future research should continue to monitor the disparities in diverse built environment features and how these are related to children's health.

Variation of Suspended Particles in the Bottom Layer of the East China Sea with Data from Seafloor Observatory.

The in situ scattering and transmissometry laser (LISST-100X), equipped with an acoustic wave and current (AWAC) meter and conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) instruments over the seabed in the East China Sea, was used to monitor the variation in suspended particles in the bottom sea layer, including particle size distribution (PSD) and volume concentration. The power law approximation was tested to describe the variability in PSD based on the field data. The results show that the power law was robust in processing continuous data, accompanied with the same optimal reference particle size (~63 µm) and little change in the corresponding exponent (~3.4) in both periods. Suspended particles were divided into three types: macroflocs (>133 µm), microflocs (36-133 µm), and single grains (<36 µm). Particle sizes were coarse during the two seasons, with macroflocs representing more than 60% of all the suspended particles, especially in February, when the particle size spectra were usually open-ended. Results from the harmonic analysis method indicate that tidal-induced resuspension and advection are the major reasons for the diurnal dynamics of sediments. Due to the tidal asymmetry in the region, we only found one mode in volume concentration at the moment of maximum velocity. However, the ratios of macroflocs were bimodal, with maximum floods and ebbs in one tidal cycle in February, when the higher mode at the maximum ebbs may be contributed to by the flocculation of finer particles considering the decreasing ratios of finer particles. Due to the enhanced stratification and the clean barrier built up by the Taiwan Warm Current in the southeast corner, the significant daily variation in suspended particles observed in February weakened in September. The influence of waves was uncertain, although the correlation coefficient between significant wave height and volume concentration was about 64% in February.

Self-Amplified Fluorescent Nanoparticles for Rapid and Visual Detection of Xylene in Aqueous Media.

Pollutant detection is of great importance for quality control of drinking water and environmental protection. The common methods of pollutant detection suffer from time-consuming procedures, bulky and expensive instruments, and complicated sample pretreatment. Herein, a type of conceptually new self-amplified fluorescent nanoparticle (SAFN) is constructed based on aggregation-induced emission (AIE) luminogens for rapid and visual detection of xylene in aqueous media. AIE luminogens are self-assembled into SAFNs in aqueous media, which emit efficiently due to the aggregation of luminogen molecules. The SAFNs of AIE luminogens stick xylene molecules from aqueous media through multiple interactions including hydrophobic and π-π interactions. Upon capturing xylene, SAFNs swell, which quench the fluorescence of the whole SAFNs, showing the self-amplification effect. Such a self-amplification effect is entirely different from that of conjugated polymers in the literature. Importantly, fluorescence quenching of SAFNs by xylene can be readily observed by the naked eye, which enables visual xylene sensing. The SAFNs enable rapid and visual detection of xylene in aqueous media with a low detection limit (5 µg/L) in the order of seconds. Given high sensitivity, rapid response, simple and easy operation, and low cost, SAFNs of AIE luminogens present a promising platform for visual detection of organic pollutants in aqueous media.

Long-Lived Room-Temperature Phosphorescence for Visual and Quantitative Detection of Oxygen.

An unconventional organic molecule (TBBU) showing obvious long-lived room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) is reported. X-ray single crystal analysis demonstrates that TBBU molecules are packed in a unique fashion with side-by-side arranged intermolecular aromatic rings, which is entirely different from the RTP molecules reported to date. Theoretical calculations verify that the extraordinary intermolecular interaction between neighboring molecules plays an important role in RTP of TBBU crystals. More importantly, the polymer film doped with TBBU inherits its distinctive RTP property, which is highly sensitive to oxygen. The color of the doped film changes and its RTP lifetime drops abruptly through a dynamic collisional quenching mechanism with increasing oxygen fraction, enabling visual and quantitative detection of oxygen. Through analyzing the grayscale of the phosphorescence images, a facile method is developed for rapid, visual, and quantitative detection of oxygen in the air.

Sensitive and rapid detection of aliphatic amines in water using self-stabilized micelles of fluorescent block copolymers.

A kind of self-stabilized micelles of fluorescent block copolymers are constructed for rapid and sensitive detection of aliphatic amines in water based on capture-report strategy. An amphiphilic triblock copolymer functionalized with aggregation induced emission (AIE) chromophores self assembles into micelles with core-shell structures in aqueous solution. Hydrophobic AIE chromophores organize into cores, where hydrophobic interaction among the AIE chromophores inhibits the micelles from disassembling. The cores of AIE chromophores are surrounded by a corona of water-soluble polymer segments, endowing the micelles with superior dispersibility in water. Water-soluble polymer segments capture organic amines in water due to preferential hydrophobic interactions between them. The enriched amines in the corona subsequently diffuse into hydrophobic cores of micelles, quenching fluorescence of the AIE chromophores. The fluorescent micelles allow rapid detection of aliphatic amines in the order of seconds at a concentration as low as 8 µg/L.

A Data Quality Control Method for Seafloor Observatories: The Application of Observed Time Series Data in the East China Sea.

With the construction and deployment of seafloor observatories around the world, massive amounts of oceanographic measurement data were gathered and transmitted to data centers. The increase in the amount of observed data not only provides support for marine scientific research but also raises the requirements for data quality control, as scientists must ensure that their research outcomes come from high-quality data. In this paper, we first analyzed and defined data quality problems occurring in the East China Sea Seafloor Observatory System (ECSSOS). We then proposed a method to detect and repair the data quality problems of seafloor observatories. Incorporating data statistics and expert knowledge from domain specialists, the proposed method consists of three parts: a general pretest to preprocess data and provide a router for further processing, data outlier detection methods to label suspect data points, and a data interpolation method to fill up missing and suspect data. The autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model was improved and applied to seafloor observatory data quality control by using a sliding window and cleaning the input modeling data. Furthermore, a quality control flag system was also proposed and applied to describe data quality control results and processing procedure information. The real observed data in ECSSOS were used to implement and test the proposed method. The results demonstrated that the proposed method performed effectively at detecting and repairing data quality problems for seafloor observatory data.