Research on the energy storage performance of laminated composites based on multidimensional co-design in a broad temperature range.

Polymer dielectrics play an irreplaceable role in electronic power systems because of their high power density and fast charge-discharge capability, but it is limited by their low stability in the temperature range of 25-200 °C. Rather than the introduction of one-dimensional fillers in polymers, we used a kind of multidimensional synergistic design to prepare Al2O3-TiO2-Al2O3/PI composites with layered structures by introducing multi-dimensional materials in polyimide (PI). In fact, the composite achieves much higher temperature stability than the pure PI film. The optimally proportioned composite has an energy density of 3.41 J cm-3 (vs. 1.48 J cm-3 for pure PI) even at 200 °C. Additionally, it reaches an impressive energy density retention of up to 90% and maintains an energy efficiency as high as 86% at 400 MV m-1 in the temperature range of 25-200 °C. The multidimensional coordination design is proposed to obtain composite films, and provides a feasible strategy in the study of polymer-based composites with high-temperature performance.

Factors influencing willingness to participate in ophthalmic clinical trials and strategies for effective recruitment.

AIM: To explore the factors influencing individuals' willingness to participate in ophthalmic clinical trials. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was conducted from January to April 2021 among patients and their family members at Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, in Guangzhou, China. The survey gathered data on respondents' willingness, demographic and socioeconomic profiles, as well as their reasons and concerns regarding engagement in clinical trials. RESULTS: Of the 1078 residents surveyed (mean age 31.2±13.1y; 65.8% females) in Guangzhou, 749 (69.5%) expressed a willingness to participate in future ophthalmic clinical trials. Specific characteristics associated with greater willingness included a younger age, lower annual income, higher education, prior participation experience, previous ophthalmic treatment, and a better understanding of clinical trials. With the exception of age, these characteristics were significantly linked to a higher willingness. The primary barrier to participation, expressed by 64.8% of those willing and 54.4% of those unwilling, was "Uncertain efficacy". In terms of motivations, the willing group ranked "Better therapeutic benefits" (35.0%), "Professional monitoring" (34.3%), and "Trust in healthcare professionals" (33.1%) as their top three reasons, whereas the unwilling participants indicated "Full comprehension of the protocol" (46.2%) as the key facilitator. CONCLUSION: This study reveals a substantial willingness to participate in ophthalmic clinical trials and demonstrates the predictive role of demographic and socioeconomic factors. Variations in motivators and concerns between willing and unwilling participants highlight the significance of tailored recruitment strategies. Importantly, the need for and trust in healthcare professionals stand out as powerful motivations, underscoring the importance of enhancing physician-patient relationships, adopting patient-centered communication approaches, and addressing individualized needs to improve accrual rates.

Office-based vergence and anti-suppression therapy for the treatment of small-to-moderate angle intermittent exotropia: A randomised clinical trial.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the short-term (1 week after completion of treatment) effect of office-based vergence and anti-suppression therapy (OBVAT) on the Office Control Score when compared to observation alone in children with small-to-moderate angle intermittent exotropia (IXT). METHODS: In this single-masked (examiner masked), two-arm, single-centre randomised clinical trial, 40 participants, 6 to <18 years of age with untreated IXT, were randomly assigned to OBVAT or observation alone. Participants assigned to therapy received 60 min of OBVAT with home reinforcement once per week for 16 weeks. Therapy included vergence, accommodation and anti-suppression techniques. The primary outcome measure was the comparison of the distance Office Control Score between the two groups at the primary outcome visit (i.e., 17-week follow-up visit). RESULTS: At the primary outcome visit, the OBVAT group (n = 20) had a significantly better distance Office Control Score (adjusted mean difference: -0.9; 95% CI: -0.2 to -1.5; p = 0.008; partial eta squared: 0.19) than the observation group (n = 16). Participants from the OBVAT group were more likely than those from the observation group to have ≥1 point of improvement at the 17-week visit (OBVAT group: 75%; Observation group: 25%; p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: In this randomised clinical trial of participants aged 6 to <18 years with IXT, we found that the OBVAT group had a significantly better distance Office Control Score than the observation group at the 17-week visit. This study provides the first data from a randomised clinical trial demonstrating the effectiveness of OBVAT for improving the control of IXT. Eye care practitioners should consider OBVAT as a viable, non-surgical treatment option for IXT. A full-scale randomised clinical trial investigating the long-term effectiveness of OBVAT in treating IXT is warranted.

Vitamin B12 and iron-rich sludge-derived biochar enhanced PFOA biodegradation: Importance of direct inter-species electron transfer and functional microbes.

Owing to the strong C-F bond in nature and the rigidity of the poly-fluoroalkyl chain, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is difficult to be eliminated by reactive species and microbes in environments, thus posing a serious threat to ecosystems. Vitamin B12 as a cofactor for enzymes, and biochar as the electron providers and conductors, were integrated to enhance PFOA biodegradation. The raw material of biochar was the sludge after dewatering by adding 50 mg/g DS of Fe(III). After pyrolysis under high temperature (800 °C), biochar (SC800) detected high content of Fe(II) (197.64 mg/g) and abundant oxygen-containing functional groups, thus boosting PFOA biodegradation via donating electrons. 99.9% of PFOA could be removed within 60 d as 0.1 g/L SC800 was presented in the microbial systems containing vitamin B12. Moreover, vitamin B12 facilitated the evolution of Sporomusa which behaved the deflorination. Via providing reactive sites and mediating direct inter-species electron transfer (DIET), SC800 boosted PFOA biodegradation. Corresponding novel results in the present study could guide the development of bioremediation technologies for PFOA-polluted sites.

Benefit of Nasal Douche in COVID-19 Patients with Recurrence of Positive SARS-CoV-2 Viral RNA.

Purpose: The purpose was to review relevant clinical data and formulate recommendations supporting the use of saline as a simple rinse for an early reassuring intervention to reduce the occurrence of re-positive COVID-19 patients. Methods: We conducted a single-centre retrospective cohort study, which enrolled patients with confirmed re-testing positive COVID-19 during 7-60 days after discharge from Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen. By one-to-two propensity score matching for age and sex, the control group of those not re-testing positive during the same period served as matched control. Results: A total of 223 patients were included in our study, 94 in re-positive group and 129 in non-re-positive group. The result shows that the rates of nasal douche treatment in the non-re-positive group were considerably higher than that of the re-positive group. And the Ct value of nasal douche group increased faster than that of non-nasal douche group after the Ct value reaching ≥35. Further analysis revealed that the higher the Ct value at the time of readmission, the shorter the time of average Ct values to reach ≥35. Conclusion: These findings suggest that nasal douche is beneficial to shorten the time of virus nucleic acid turning negative, thereby reducing the incidence of re-positive. The prevention and control of epidemics focuses on re-positive patients with Ct values <35.

Involvement of the SIRT1-NLRP3 pathway in the inflammatory response.

The silent information regulator 2 homolog 1-NACHT, LRR and PYD domains-containing protein 3 (SIRT1-NLRP3) pathway has a crucial role in regulation of the inflammatory response, and is closely related to the occurrence and development of several inflammation-related diseases. NLRP3 is activated to produce the NLRP3 inflammasome, which leads to activation of caspase-1 and cleavage of pro-interleukin (IL)-1ß and pro-IL-18 to their active forms: IL-1ß and IL-18, respectively. They are proinflammatory cytokines which then cause an inflammatory response.SIRT1 can inhibit this inflammatory response through nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and nuclear factor-kappa B pathways. This review article focuses mainly on how the SIRT1-NLRP3 pathway influences the inflammatory response and its relationship with melatonin, traumatic brain injury, neuroinflammation, depression, atherosclerosis, and liver damage. Video Abstract.

Non-anticoagulant factors affecting coagulation in the extracorporeal circulation circuit and the development of an individualized regional citrate anticoagulation protocol for hemodialysis: A real-world retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate non-anticoagulant factors that affect blood coagulation in the extracorporeal circulation (ECC) circuit of regional citrate anticoagulation (RCA) protocol for hemodialysis (HD). METHOD: The clinical characteristics of patients undergoing an individualized RCA protocol for HD between February 2021 and March 2022 were collected; Coagulation scores, pressures in various parts of the ECC circuit, the incidence of coagulation, and citrate concentrations in the ECC circuit during treatment were determined, and non-anticoagulant factors affecting coagulation in the ECC circuit were analyzed. RESULT: The lowest clotting rate was 2.8% in patients with arteriovenous fistula in various vascular access. Patients on Fresenius dialysis had a lower rate of clotting in the cardiopulmonary bypass line than patients on other brands of dialyzer. Low-throughput dialyzers are less likely to clot than high-throughput dialyzers. There are significant differences in the incidence of coagulation among different nurses during citrate anticoagulant hemodialysis. CONCLUSION: In the process of citrate anticoagulant hemodialysis, non-anticoagulant factors such as coagulation status, vascular access, dialyzer selection, and operator quality will affect the anticoagulant effect.

Permanganate activation by glucose-derived carbonaceous materials for highly efficient degradation of phenol and p-nitrophenol: Formation of hydroxyl radicals and multiple roles of carbonaceous materials.

Owing to its inertness toward refractory organic pollutants and the release of Mn2+, the use of permanganate was limited in soil and groundwater remediation. The present study proposed an improvement strategy based on glucose-derived carbonaceous materials, which enhanced the potential of permanganate degrading organic pollutants. The glucose-derived carbonaceous material with 1000 °C charring temperature was named C1000, which was exploited in activating KMnO4 for the elimination of refractory organic contaminants. The addition of C1000 in the KMnO4 system triggered the degradation of refractory p-nitrophenol and quicken phenol degradation. Unlike the detection of Mn(III) species in a solo KMnO4 system, the presence of C1000 facilitated the formation of •OH in the KMnO4 system, which was confirmed by the use of quenchers such as methanol, benzoic acid, tertiary butanol, and carbonate. Additionally, the glucose-derived carbonaceous material played multiple roles in improving the performance of permanganate, including the enrichment of organic pollutants, donation of electrons to permanganate, and acting as an electron shuttle to facilitate the oxidation of organic pollutants by permanganate. The study's novel findings have the potential to expand the use of permanganate in the remediation of organic pollutants.

Longitudinal choroidal thickness changes among Chinese young adults with various refractive errors.

Purpose: To determine the characteristics of longitudinal choroidal thickness (CT) and axial length (AL) changes in a group of Chinese young adults with various refractive errors. Methods: In this 2 year prospective cohort study, a total of 291 (314 enrolled at baseline) Chinese medical freshmen aged 18 to 22 years (mean age, 18.7 ± 0.9 years) underwent eye examinations at baseline and follow-up visits, including cycloplegic refraction, ocular biometry measurements, and swept-source optical coherence tomography. Choroidal thickness measurements were performed at nine locations in the macular area. Results: At baseline, the CT and AL was significant differences among groups of emmetropia, mild to moderate myopia and high myopia. During a two-year period, there were significant differences found in the changes of the subfoveal CT (p < 0.001) and parafoveal CT of 7 locations between emmetropia and mild to moderate myopia, and the changes of the subfoveal CT (p = 0.002) and parafoveal CT of 6 locations between emmetropia and high myopia. But there were no differences for AL and SE (p > 0.05). The multivariable linear regression analysis showed that baseline subfoveal CT (per 1 µm) was a significant factor affecting the changes of subfoveal CT (p < 0.001), whereas age, gender, and baseline AL were not significantly associated. Conclusion: The longitudinal change in CT varies with refractive errors in Chinese young adults aged 18 to 22 years over a two-year period. The changes of subfoveal CT were significantly associated with the baseline subfoveal CT, but not associated with baseline AL.

Incidence of myopic shift and related factors in young Chinese adults.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Myopia is a leading cause of visual impairment worldwide, and myopia progression in young adulthood may worsen this public health issue. BACKGROUND: The aim was to describe the changes in myopia and various ocular biometry parameters, and to determine the incidence and related factors of myopic shift among young adults in China. METHODS: This 2-year prospective cohort study was conducted at the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yet-san University, China. A total of 291 Chinese medical freshmen (314 enrolled at baseline) were followed over 2 years. The participants underwent detailed eye examinations at baseline and follow-up visits, including cycloplegic refraction, ocular biometry measurements, and swept-source optical coherence tomography. Visual fatigue was assessed with the Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey (CISS) using Rasch analysis. Questionnaire on eye care habits and physical activities was administered. RESULTS: A total of 291 study participants (baseline mean [SD] age, 18.7 [0.9] years; 132 [45.4%] male) were analysed. Seventy eight (26.8%) developed a myopic shift (defined as negative change in spherical equivalent worse than or equal to -0.50 D) over a 2-year period. The magnitude of subfoveal choroidal thinning was greater in participants with myopic shift, compared to those without. Axial length increased significantly by 0.12 mm in the group with myopic shift, compared to 0.02 mm in those without the myopic shift (p < 0.001) over 2 years. After multivariable adjustment, visual fatigue (using CISS) was found to be associated with the myopic shift (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Approximately one in four Chinese medical students had a clinically significant myopic shift. Choroidal thinning and axial elongation were observed in young adults with myopic shift. Greater visual fatigue score at baseline was associated with myopic shift after multivariable adjustment.

Load Effect of Automated Truck Platooning on Highway Bridges and Loading Strategy.

Automated truck platooning (ATP) has gained growing attention due to its advantage in reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions. However, it poses serious challenges to highway bridges due to the load effect of multiple closely spaced heavy-duty trucks on the bridge. In China, ATP also has great application prospects in the massive and ever-increasing highway freight market. Therefore, the load effects of ATP on bridges need to be thoroughly investigated. In this study, typical Chinese highway bridges and trucks were adopted. ATP load models were designed according to the current Chinese road traffic regulations. The load effects of ATP on highway bridges were calculated using the influence line method and evaluated based on the Chinese bridge design specifications. Results show that the load effect of ATP on bridges increases with the increase in the gross vehicle mass and the truck platooning size but decreases with the increasing inter-truck spacing and the critical wheelbase. The Grade-I (best quality standard) highway bridges are generally capable of withstanding the ATP loads, while caution should be exercised for other bridges. Strategies for preventing serious adverse impacts of ATP load on highway bridges are proposed.

Static laser speckle suppression using liquid light guides.

Static laser speckle suppression using multimode fibers has practical limitations as the technique requires an extremely long fiber to achieve an acceptable speckle contrast. An effective method based on liquid light guides was developed in this study to suppress laser speckle. In this study, a speckle simulation model of the liquid light guide was established for numerically calculating the speckle contrast without solving the analytical solution of the photon diffusion equation. The obtained simulation results were compared with the experimental results for the dependence of speckle contrast on the required length and numerical aperture with different liquid core types of liquid light guides. A speckle contrast of 12% and a speckle suppression efficiency of 5 was achieved at the end of a 2.4 m long liquid light guide. For the same fiber length, liquid light guides were found to suppress speckle more efficiently when compared to multimode fibers.

Relationships Among Leaders' and Followers' Work Engagement and Followers' Subjective Career Success: A Multilevel Approach.

Using a sample of 52 work teams (52 work team leaders and their 348 followers) in China, we investigated the influence mechanism of leaders' work engagement on their followers' work engagement and subjective career success. A multilevel structural equation model (MSEM) was applied to analyze the survey data. The results of this study indicated that leaders' work engagement positively influenced their followers' subjective career success, and this relationship was mediated by the followers' work engagement. Implications of these findings, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed in the final section of the paper.

Efficacy of Long-term Use of 0.3% Sodium Hyaluronate Eye Drops for Traumatic Corneal Abrasion: A Randomized Controlled, Pilot Trial.

PURPOSE: Traumatic corneal abrasion (TCA) causes damage to both corneal epithelium and the underlying hemidesmosomal junctions. Delayed recovery of hemidesmosomal junctions causes symptomatic episodes. However, there is no recommended treatment for recovery of hemidesmosomal junctions, indicating that a blank period exists in TCA treatment. In this study, the efficacy of long-term use of sodium hyaluronate on recovery of hemidesmosomal junctions during the blank period in TCA healing was investigated. METHODS: In this prospective, randomized control pilot study, 60 patients with TCA were enrolled. The patients were randomized 1:1 to receive 0.3% sodium hyaluronate eye drops for 3 months (HA group) or observation alone (control group) after complete corneal epithelium recovery. The primary and secondary outcomes were the cumulative incidence of major and minor symptomatic episodes during a 12-month follow-up, respectively. RESULTS: Fifty-six subjects (29 in the HA group and 27 in the control group) completed the 12-month follow-up. The 12-month cumulative incidence rate of major symptomatic episodes was 20.7% in the HA group and 18.5% in the control group. No significant difference was found between the 2 groups (P = 0.838). The 12-month cumulative incidence rate of minor symptomatic episodes was 48.3% and 37.0% in the HA and control groups, respectively, with no significant difference (P = 0.397). CONCLUSIONS: Approximately one-fifth of patients with TCA experience major symptomatic episodes again within their 1-year follow-up. Long-term use of sodium hyaluronate in the period of recovery of hemidesmosomal junctions has no benefit to it.

Prevalence of Diabetes, Prediabetes, and Associated Factors in an Adult Chinese Population: Baseline of a Prediabetes Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: To report baseline information of a prediabetes mellitus (PDM) cohort with the aim of exploring related factors for the progression of PDM and its complications. METHODS: This study is an exploratory and cross-sectional analysis of the baseline data from a cohort study. Residents aged 18 to 70 years from Houtang Village, Nanyue Town, Yueqing City, Zhejiang Province, China, were invited to participate between October 1, 2018 and July 1, 2019. Blood samples were collected for analysis, and questionnaire interviews were conducted to assess behavioral characteristics. The study participants were divided into DM, PDM, and normal groups for comparisons based on their blood work, and multiple multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to assess the risk factors for DM and PDM. RESULTS: Data from 406 participants were used in the baseline analysis, with a mean age of 51.2 ± 11.0 years and 160 (33.0%) males. The number of participants in the DM, PDM, and normal group was 58 (14.3%), 166 (40.9%), and 182 (44.8%), respectively. The prevalence of DM was 14.3%, and the prevalence of PDM was 40.9%. The regression analysis showed that older age (relative risk ratio (RRR) = 1.06; 95% CI, 1.01-1.11, P = 0.018), higher systolic blood pressure (RRR = 1.04; 95% CI, 1.004-1.08, P = 0.030), higher BMI (RRR = 1.20; 95% CI, 1.06-3.06, P = 0.004), higher TG (RRR = 1.80; 95% CI, 1.06-3.06, P = 0.029), and higher WBC count (RRR = 1.32; 95% CI, 1.07-1.64, P = 0.010) were significantly associated with a higher risk of DM. Meanwhile, higher systolic blood pressure (RRR = 1.03; 95% CI, 1.004-1.06, P = 0.025) was the only factor significantly associated with a higher risk of PDM. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of DM and PDM is relatively high in this wealthy East China village population. Many modifiable risk factors exist for DM and PDM, which will be closely monitored during our longitudinal observation.

Choroidal Thickness and Associated Factors among Adult Myopia: A Baseline Report from a Medical University Student Cohort.

Purpose: To report baseline information for a medical university cohort with the aim of exploring related factors for adult myopic progression. Methods: This study included Chinese freshmen students from a medical school in Guangzhou, China. All participants underwent detailed eye examinations, including cycloplegic refraction, ocular biometry and swept source optical coherence tomography. Choroidal thickness (CT) measurements were performed at nine locations in the macular area. Eye care habits and physical activities were measured by questionnaire. Results: The mean age of the study population (N = 307) was 18.8 ± 2.3 years, and 46.3% were male. The prevalence of myopia and high myopia was 92.8% and 21.1%, respectively. In emmetropia (spherical equivalent, SE -0.49D to +0.5D), mild to moderate myopia (SE -0.50D to -5.99D) and high myopia groups (SE <-6.00D), the average subfoveal CT was 300.3 ± 62.1 µm, 219.3 ± 65.4 µm and 194.0 ± 59.7 µm, respectively. In all eyes, the temporal CT was the thickest among all of the locations in the macular area, and the CT was thinnest nasally. Gender, axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD) and intraocular pressure (IOP) were the strongest related factors for subfoveal CT in mild to moderate myopia, while AL was the only significant determinant for subfoveal CT in highly myopic eyes. Conclusions: The prevalence of myopia was high in Chinese medical students. Macular CT was generally thinner in highly myopic eyes. Our study provided baseline information for the medical school cohort, including CT, AL, ACD, IOP and eye care habits.

Formulation, development, and optimization of a novel octyldodecanol-based nanoemulsion for transdermal delivery of ceramide IIIB.

This research aimed to develop and optimize a nanoemulsion-based formulation containing ceramide IIIB using phase-inversion composition for transdermal delivery. The effects of ethanol, propylene glycol (PG), and glycerol in octyldodecanol and Tween 80 systems on the size of the nanoemulsion region in the phase diagrams were investigated using water titration. Subsequently, ceramide IIIB loading was kept constant (0.05 wt%), and the proposed formulation and conditions were optimized via preliminary screening and experimental design. Factors such as octyldodecanol/(Tween 80:glycerol) weight ratio, water content, temperature, addition rate, and mixing rate were investigated in the preliminary screening experiment. Response surface methodology was employed to study the effect of water content (30%-70%, w/w), mixing rate (400-720 rpm), temperature (20°C-60°C), and addition rate (0.3-1.8 mL/min) on droplet size and polydispersity index. The mathematical model showed that the optimum formulation and conditions for preparation of ceramide IIIB nanoemulsion with desirable criteria were a temperature of 41.49°C, addition rate of 1.74 mL/min, water content of 55.08 wt%, and mixing rate of 720 rpm. Under optimum formulation conditions, the corresponding predicted response values for droplet size and polydispersity index were 15.51 nm and 0.12, respectively, which showed excellent agreement with the actual values (15.8 nm and 0.108, respectively), with no significant (P>0.05) differences.

Lead and cadmium-induced oxidative stress impacting mycelial growth of Oudemansiella radicata in liquid medium alleviated by microbial siderophores.

In this study, the effects of siderophores produced by six bacteria on mycelium growth, Cd and Pb accumulation, lipid peroxidation, protein content and antioxidant enzyme in Oudemansiella radicata were investigated in Cd and Pb-containing liquid medium. The results showed that inoculation with siderophore-containing filtrates (SCF) partly enhanced the growth of O. radicata after 15 days, with 0.8-32.4% biomass increase for Cd and 0.7-20.8% for Pb compared to control(s), which lacked siderophore. The maximum enhancement for accumulation were found to be confined to Bacillus sp. FFQ2(s) (26.5%) for Cd and Pseudomonas sp. CY63(s) (158.9%) for Pb. A significant decrease in MDA content indicated that lipid peroxidation in O. radicata was alleviated by siderophores. Besides, antioxidant enzyme SOD and POD activities also displayed obviously decrease in SCF-treated mycelium compared to control(s) treatment, while CAT activity did not present significant change. Protein level in O. radicata treated by SCF increased from 0.3 to 138.0% for Cd and from 10.9 to 107.1% for Pb compared to control(s). Therefore, the present work suggests that microbial siderophores can reduce the toxicity of metals to mycelium and then alleviate heavy metals-inducing oxidative stress in O. radicata.