Modulating Silver Performance in Electrocatalytic Oxidation of HCHO via SMSI between Ag-Co3O4 Interfaces.

The replacement of oxygen evolution reactions with organic molecule oxidation reactions to enable energy-efficient hydrogen production has been a subject of interest. However, further reducing reaction energy consumption and releasing hydrogen from organic molecules continue to pose significant challenges. Herein, a strategy is proposed to produce hydrogen and formic acid from formaldehyde using Ag/Co3O4 interface catalysts at the anode. The key to improving the performance of Ag-based catalysts for formaldehyde oxidation lies in the strong SMSI achieved through the well-designed "spontaneous redox reaction" between Ag and Co3O4 precursors. Nano-sized Ag particles are uniformly dispersed on Co3O4 nanosheets, and electron-deficient Agδ+ are formed by the SMSI between Ag and Co3O4. Ag/Co3O4 demonstrates exceptional formaldehyde oxidation activity at low potentials of 0.32 V versus RHE and 0.65 V versus RHE, achieving current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm-2, respectively. The electrolyzer "Ag/Co3O4||20% Pt/C" achieves over 195% hydrogen efficiency and over 98% formic acid selectivity, maintaining stable operation for 60 hours. This work not only presents a novel approach to precisely modulate Ag particle size and interface electronic structure via SMSI, but also provides a promising approach to efficient and energy-saving hydrogen production and the transformation of harmful formaldehyde.

Identification of AS1842856 as a novel small-molecule GSK3α/ß inhibitor against Tauopathy by accelerating GSK3α/ß exocytosis.

Glycogen synthase kinase-3α/ß (GSK3α/ß) is a critical kinase for Tau hyperphosphorylation which contributes to neurodegeneration. Despite the termination of clinical trials for GSK3α/ß inhibitors in Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatment, there is a pressing need for novel therapeutic strategies targeting GSK3α/ß. Here, we identified the compound AS1842856 (AS), a specific forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1) inhibitor, reduced intracellular GSK3α/ß content in a FOXO1-independent manner. Specifically, AS directly bound to GSK3α/ß, promoting its translocation to the multivesicular bodies (MVBs) and accelerating exocytosis, ultimately decreasing intracellular GSK3α/ß content. Expectedly, AS treatment effectively suppressed Tau hyperphosphorylation in cells exposed to okadaic acid or expressing the TauP301S mutant. Furthermore, AS was visualized to penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) using an imaging mass microscope. Long-term treatment of AS enhanced cognitive function in P301S transgenic mice by mitigating Tau hyperphosphorylation through downregulation of GSK3α/ß expression in the brain. Altogether, AS represents a novel small-molecule GSK3α/ß inhibitor that facilitates GSK3α/ß exocytosis, holding promise as a therapeutic agent for GSK3α/ß hyperactivation-associated disorders.

The Mid-Term Effect of Preservative-Free Artificial Tears Containing Hyaluronic Acid on Dry Eye Incidence after Cataract Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

The aim of this study is to survey the effectiveness of preservative-free artificial tears containing hyaluronic acid (HA) on post-cataract surgery dry eye disease (DED) prevention. A retrospective cohort study was performed, and patients that received cataract surgeries were divided into either an HA group or non-HA group depending on the artificial tear they used. A total of 37 and 74 eyes were enrolled into the HA and non-HA groups, respectively, after the selection. The primary outcomes are postoperative superficial keratitis and multiple (>3) DED symptoms. The generalized linear model was utilized to calculate the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of primary outcomes between the two groups. There were 10 and 2 episodes of superficial keratitis in the non-HA group and HA group, respectively, and the HA group demonstrated a significantly lower incidence of superficial keratitis (p < 0.001). Moreover, 13 and 5 patients developed multiple DED symptoms in the non-HA and HA groups, and the HA group illustrated fewer multiple DED symptoms (p = 0.024). The lower preoperative tear break-up time (TBUT) was correlated with superficial keratitis in the HA group (p = 0.043), while old age, low preoperative TBUT and ocular surface staining were associated with superficial keratitis in the non-HA group (all p < 0.05). Lower preoperative TBUT was correlated with multiple DED symptoms in the HA group (p = 0.020), while female sex, low preoperative TBUT and any DED symptoms were associated with multiple DED symptoms in the non-HA group (all p < 0.05). In conclusion, the usage of preservative-free artificial tears containing HA is associated with lower postoperative DED events.

Research on precise lithium battery state of charge estimation method based on CALSE-LSTM model and pelican algorithm.

This paper presents an innovative fusion model called "CALSE-LSTM," which integrates Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), Long Short-Term Memory Networks (LSTMs), self-attention mechanisms, and squeeze-and-excitation attention mechanisms to optimize the estimation accuracy of the State of Charge (SoC). The model incorporates battery historical data as input and employs a dual-attention mechanism based on CNN-LSTM to extract diverse features from the input data, thereby enhancing the model's ability to learn hidden information. To further improve model performance, we fine-tune the model parameters using the Pelican algorithm. Experiments conducted under Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule (UDDS) conditions show that the CALSE-LSTM model achieves a Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) of only 1.73 % in lithium battery SoC estimation, significantly better than GRU, LSTM, and CNN-LSTM models, reducing errors by 31.9 %, 31.3 %, and 15 %, respectively. Ablation experiments further confirm the effectiveness of the dual-attention mechanism and its potential to improve SoC estimation performance. Additionally, we validate the learning efficiency of CALSE-LSTM by comparing model training time with the number of iterations. Finally, in the comparative experiment with the Kalman filtering method, the model in this paper significantly improved its performance by incorporating power consumption as an additional feature input. This further verifies the accuracy of CALSE-LSTM in estimating the State of Charge (SoC) of lithium batteries.

[Calcium Dyshomeostasis and Alzheimer's Disease].

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disease with the main manifestations of progressive cognitive dysfunction,behavioral disorders,and gradual decline of living ability.The etiology of AD is complex,and the pathogenesis of this disease remains controversial.Calcium signaling plays an important role in regulating neuronal activities,including neurotransmitter release,synaptic plasticity,memory storage,and neuronal apoptosis.Increasing studies have shown that neuronal calcium dyshomeostasis is a major pathological factor in the occurrence and development of AD.This article reviews the role and research progress in intracellular calcium dyshomeostasis in AD,including the relationship between calcium homeostasis and amyloid ß,the role of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases in tau phosphorylation,calcium signaling pathways,the relationship between calcium homeostasis and mitochondrial function,autophagy,and neuroinflammation.

Long-term safety and efficacy of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in individuals with obesity and without type 2 diabetes: A global retrospective cohort study.

AIM: We aimed to investigate the long-term impact of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) on thyroid function, cardiovascular health, renal outcomes and adverse events in individuals with obesity and without type 2 diabetes (T2D). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this observational cohort study, we used propensity score matching to construct comparable cohorts of individuals with obesity and without T2D who were new to GLP-1 RA treatment and those who did not receive glucose-lowering medications. In total, 3,729,925 individuals with obesity were selected from the TriNetX Global Network, with an index event between 1 January 2016 and 31 March 2024. The primary outcomes were safety, cardiovascular, thyroid and clinical biochemical profile outcomes occurring within 5 years following the index event. RESULTS: After propensity score matching, the study included 12,123 individuals in each group. GLP-1 RA treatment was associated with a significantly lower risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 0.23; 95% confidence interval 0.15-0.34) and several cardiovascular complications, including ischaemic heart disease, heart failure, arrhythmias, hypertension, stroke and atrial fibrillation (all p < 0.05). GLP-1 RAs were also associated with a lower risk of acute kidney injury and allergic reactions. These protective effects were consistent across various subgroups and regions. CONCLUSIONS: In this large observational study, GLP-1 RAs showed long-term protective effects on cardiovascular health, renal outcomes and adverse events in individuals with obesity and without T2D. Our findings suggest that GLP-1 RAs may offer a comprehensive approach to managing obesity and its related comorbidities, potentially improving overall health and survival in this population.

Rate control or rhythm control in patients with atrial fibrillation and acute coronary syndrome or percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: Restoring and maintaining sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been studied in clinical trials to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life. Limited data exist on the effectiveness of rate or rhythm control therapy in these patients. Methods: Consecutive patients with AF and ACS or referred for PCI were prospectively recruited in Fuwai Hospital during 2017-2020. The primary endpoints were all-cause death and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs), including cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, non-central nervous system embolism and ischemia-driven revascularization. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regressions were performed to evaluate the association between rhythm/rate control and subsequent outcomes. For the primary endpoints, we used the Benjamini-Hochberg correction for multiple comparisons. Results: A total of 1499 patients with AF and ACS or undergoing PCI were included, with a median follow-up of 34.7 months. Compared to non-rate control, rate control strategy reduced the risk of subsequent MACCEs (adjusted HR, 0.320; 95 % CI 0.220-0.466; p <0.001; *p <0.002) and all-cause death (adjusted HR, 0.148; 95 % CI 0.093-0.236; p <0.001; *p <0.002). Similar trends were observed across all predefined subgroups (p <0.001). In the final multivariate model, rhythm control was not associated with a lower subsequent MACCEs but significantly improved all-cause mortality compared to non-rhythm control (adjusted HR, 0.546; 95 % CI 0.313-0.951; p =0.033; *p =0.044). Conclusions: In this real-world study, rate control strategy was associated with lower risk of MACCEs and all-cause death in AF and ACS or undergoing PCI. Besides, management with rhythm control strategy may improve all-cause mortality.

Corrigendum: Risk of primary Sjogren's Syndrome following human papillomavirus infections: a nationwide population-based cohort study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.967040.].

Ultralow-Energy-Consumption Photosynaptic Transistor Utilizing Conjugated Polymers/Perovskite Quantum Dots Nanocomposites With Ligand Density Optimization.

The photosynaptic transistor stands as a promising contender for overcoming the von Neumann bottleneck in the realm of photo-communication. In this context, photonic synaptic transistors is developed through a straightforward solution process, employing an organic semiconducting polymer with pendant-naphthalene-containing side chains (PDPPNA) in combination with ligand-density-engineered CsPbBr3 perovskite quantum dots (PQDs). This fabrication approach allows the devices to emulate fundamental synaptic behaviors, encompassing excitatory postsynaptic current, paired-pulse facilitation, the transition from short-to-long-term memory, and the concept of "learning experience." Notably, the phototransistor, incorporating the blend of the PDPPNA and CsPbBr3 PQDs washed with ethyl acetate, achieved an exceptional memory ratio of 104. Simultaneously, the same device exhibited an impressive paired-pulse facilitation ratio of 223% at a moderate operating voltage of -4 V and an extraordinarily low energy consumption of 0.215 aJ at an ultralow operating voltage of -0.1 mV. Consequently, these low-voltage synaptic devices, constructed with a pendant side-chain engineering of organic semiconductors and a ligand density engineering of PQDs through a simple fabrication process, exhibit substantial potential for replicating the visual memory capabilities of the human brain.

Improvement in signs and symptoms of severe dry eye disease after dual therapy with high-potency steroids and 0.05% cyclosporine.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of combining 0.05% cyclosporine A (CsA) with high-potency steroids for treating severe dry eye disease (DED). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective comparative case series included 93 patients treated with 0.05% CsA for severe DED. Among them, we included data from 54 eyes of 27 patients who received high-potency steroids in the study group and from 132 eyes of 66 patients who did not receive high-potency steroids in the control group. Data on demographic characteristics, comorbidities, medications and intraocular pressure (IOP) were recorded. The primary outcomes were changes in symptom and sign scores. The ocular surface disease index was used as the symptom score, whereas tear break-up time, Schirmer I test without anaesthesia, ocular surface staining scores and presence of meibomian gland dysfunction were considered as sign scores. Repeated one-way ANOVA and generalized linear mixed models were used to evaluate differences. RESULTS: In the control group, symptom scores decreased from 1 to 2 months and from 2 to 3 months after treatment (p = .002 and .049). In the high-potency steroid group, symptom scores improved during these intervals (p = .003 and .005). The sign score in the control group remained unchanged (all p > .05), while the high-potency steroid group exhibited progressive improvement in sign scores (all p < .05). The high-potency steroid group had more favourable symptom (p = .035) and sign (p < .001) scores than did the control group. However, multiple systemic diseases were associated with poor symptom (p = .025) and sign (p = .014) scores. The risks for glaucoma and cataract formation were similar between the two groups (all p > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Dual therapy combining high-potency steroids and 0.05% CsA significantly improved the signs and symptoms of severe DED compared with 0.05% CsA monotherapy, without severe complications.

High-potency steroid plus CsA is more effective than CsA monotherapy in alleviating the signs and symptoms of DED.Dual therapy has acceptable safety particularly in terms of IOP and cataract risk.Dual therapy is a viable option for patients with severe DED without contraindications.

Single-Image-Based Deep Learning for Precise Atomic Defect Identification.

Defect engineering is widely used to impart the desired functionalities on materials. Despite the widespread application of atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), traditional methods for defect analysis are highly sensitive to random noise and human bias. While deep learning (DL) presents a viable alternative, it requires extensive amounts of training data with labeled ground truth. Herein, employing cycle generative adversarial networks (CycleGAN) and U-Nets, we propose a method based on a single experimental STEM image to tackle high annotation costs and image noise for defect detection. Not only atomic defects but also oxygen dopants in monolayer MoS2 are visualized. The method can be readily extended to other two-dimensional systems, as the training is based on unit-cell-level images. Therefore, our results outline novel ways to train the model with minimal data sets, offering great opportunities to fully exploit the power of DL in the materials science community.

Computationally designed mRNA-launched protein nanoparticle vaccines.

Both protein nanoparticle and mRNA vaccines were clinically de-risked during the COVID-19 pandemic1-6. These vaccine modalities have complementary strengths: antigen display on protein nanoparticles can enhance the magnitude, quality, and durability of antibody responses7-10, while mRNA vaccines can be rapidly manufactured11 and elicit antigen-specific CD4 and CD8 T cells12,13. Here we leverage a computationally designed icosahedral protein nanoparticle that was redesigned for optimal secretion from eukaryotic cells14 to develop an mRNA-launched nanoparticle vaccine for SARS-CoV-2. The nanoparticle, which displays 60 copies of a stabilized variant of the Wuhan-Hu-1 Spike receptor binding domain (RBD)15, formed monodisperse, antigenically intact assemblies upon secretion from transfected cells. An mRNA vaccine encoding the secreted RBD nanoparticle elicited 5- to 28-fold higher levels of neutralizing antibodies than an mRNA vaccine encoding membrane-anchored Spike, induced higher levels of CD8 T cells than the same immunogen when delivered as an adjuvanted protein nanoparticle, and protected mice from vaccine-matched and -mismatched SARS-CoV-2 challenge. Our data establish that delivering protein nanoparticle immunogens via mRNA vaccines can combine the benefits of each modality and, more broadly, highlight the utility of computational protein design in genetic immunization strategies.

Association of Sleep Patterns and Respiratory Disturbance Index with Physiological Parameters in Pediatric Patients with Self-Perceived Short Stature.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationships of sleep patterns and respiratory disturbance index (RDI) with key physiological parameters (height, body mass index (BMI), bone age (BA), and IGF-1 levels) in children aged 6 to 16 years with self-perceived short stature. METHODS: For this cross-sectional study, conducted from October 2019 to November 2021, 238 children aged 6 to 16 years with self-perceived short stature were enrolled. The primary outcomes of sleep patterns and the RDI were non-invasively collected at home using the LARGAN Health AI-Tech Sleep Apnea and Sleep Quality Examination System, which operates based on polygraphy. Additionally, various physiological parameters, including height, BMI, bone age, and IGF-1 levels, were measured to assess their associations with sleep patterns and RDI. RESULTS: Significant age-related reductions were observed in both the total and deep sleep durations. Children aged 6-9 years averaged 8.5 ± 1.0 h of total sleep, which decreased to 8.1 ± 1.1 h in ages 10-11 and further to 7.5 ± 0.9 h in ages 12-16 (p < 0.0001). Deep sleep followed a similar pattern, decreasing from 4.4 ± 1.1 h in the youngest group to 3.3 ± 1.0 h in the oldest (p < 0.0001). Notably, girls experienced significantly longer deep sleep than boys, averaging 4.0 ± 1.2 h compared to 3.6 ± 1.2 h (p = 0.0153). In a multivariable regression analysis, age (beta = 4.89, p < 0.0001) and RDI (beta = -0.54, p = 0.0022) were significantly associated with body height. Age and deep sleep duration (beta = -0.02, p = 0.0371) were significantly associated with BMI. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate significant age-related decreases in the total and deep sleep duration among children with self-perceived short stature, along with a notable association between RDI and body height and an association between deep sleep duration and BMI. These findings suggest that sleep disturbances in pediatric endocrine patients are intricately linked with physiological growth parameters. The identified correlations underline the importance of monitoring sleep patterns in this demographic to better understand the impact of endocrine disorders on developmental health. Further research is needed to explore interventions that could alleviate these sleep disturbances, thereby potentially improving outcomes for the affected children.

The Postoperative Visual and Refractive Outcomes of Trifocal and Extended Depth-of-Focus Intraocular Lenses in Patients with Different Biometric Characteristics.

We aimed to survey the potential correlation between biometric parameters and postoperative outcomes after implanting extended depth-of-focus (EDOF) intraocular lenses (IOLs) and trifocal IOLs. A retrospective cohort study was conducted, and patients receiving EDOF or trifocal IOL implantations were included. In total, 36 and 26 eyes were enrolled in the EDOF and trifocal groups, respectively. The primary outcomes of this study were the postoperative uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), uncorrected near visual acuity (UNVA), and spherical equivalent (SE). The generalized linear model was applied to evaluate the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of primary outcomes in patients with different biometric characters. The final UDVA of the EDOF group was significantly better than that of the trifocal group (p = 0.020), and the UNVA and SE did not show significant differences between the two groups throughout the postoperative period (all p > 0.05). In a multivariable analysis, the UDVA was significantly better in the EDOF group than in the trifocal group (p = 0.038). For the subgroup analysis, the high axial length (AXL) value correlated to a lower postoperative UDVA in the EDOF group (both p < 0.05). Additionally, a large white-to-white (WTW) diameter was related to worse postoperative UNVA in the trifocal group (p = 0.042), and a high AXL was associated with higher SE in both the EDOF and trifocal groups (both p < 0.05). In conclusion, a high AXL correlates to worse postoperative outcomes in both the EDOF and trifocal IOLs, and trifocal IOL outcomes could be affected by large WTW diameters.

The Risk Factors for Myopia Undercorrection in Second-Generation (Visumax 800) Keratorefractive Lenticule Extraction Surgery: A Retrospective Case-Control Study.

In this study, we aim to evaluate the risk factors of myopia undercorrection in recipients of second-generation keratorefractive lenticule extraction (KLEx) surgery. A retrospective case-control study was performed, and patients who received second-generation KLEx surgery were enrolled. The cases with myopia undercorrection were matched to non-myopia undercorrection cases with a 1:4 ratio according to age, and a total of 22 and 88 eyes were categorized into the undercorrection and control groups, respectively. Demographic, refractive, topographic, and surgical data were collected preoperatively. A generalized linear model was operated to evaluate the potential risk factors for myopia undercorrection. The uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) at three months postoperation was significantly better in the control group (p = 0.006), and residual myopia and SE were significantly higher in the undercorrection group during the whole follow-up period (all p < 0.001). The UDVA value showed a trend of improvement in the control group (p < 0.001), and the changes to SE and residual myopia were significantly lower in the control group (both p < 0.001). Regarding the risk factors for myopia undercorrection in the whole population and the high-myopia population, a higher manifest sphere power, higher steep keratometry (K), higher topographic cylinder, lower central corneal thickness (CCT) at apex, higher CCT difference and lower residual stromal thickness (RST) correlated to myopia undercorrection (all p < 0.05). In the low-myopia population, only higher myopia and lower RST correlated to myopia undercorrection (both p < 0.05). In conclusion, a high-sphere power and irregular topographic pattern correlated to myopia undercorrection after the second KLEx surgery, especially for individuals with high myopia.

Effectiveness of an Acupuncture Steam-Warming Eye Mask on Dry Eye Disease in Visual Display Terminal Users: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial.

We aim to evaluate the effectiveness of an acupuncture steam-warming eye mask (ASEM) on dry eye disease (DED) in visual display terminal (VDT) users. This prospective randomized clinical trial included VDT users with DED-related features who were randomly assigned to the ASEM group (ASEM for 2 weeks, 20 participants) or the steam-warming eye mask (SEM) group (SEM for 2 weeks, 20 participants). The tear film break-up time (TBUT), Schirmer test, tear meniscus height, ocular surface staining scores, eyelid and meibomian gland exam, subjective symptoms, and quality of life (QoL) scores before and after treatment were collected. A generalized linear mixed model was applied to compare the improvement of symptoms and signs between the two groups. After the 2-week treatment, all the subjective symptoms and questionnaire scores in the ASEM group improved significantly (all p < 0.05), whereas the feelings of relaxation, comfortable, and refreshment did not change in the SEM group (both p > 0.05). The TBUT, tear meniscus height, and meibum quality in the lower eyelid were significantly better in the ASEM group than the SEM group (all p < 0.05), whereas no significant changes were observed in the Schirmer test and ocular surface staining scores. Compared with the SEM group, the ASEM group experienced a stronger feeling of refreshment (p = 0.013), lower sensation of ocular discharge (p = 0.031), higher TBUT (p = 0.045), better meibomian gland expressibility of both eyelids (both p < 0.05), and better meibum quality of both eyelids (both p < 0.05), even after adjustments for age and sex. In conclusion, comparing with SEM, ASEM can improve some subjective DED symptoms, tear film stability, and meibum status in VDT users.

The Presence of Ovarian Cancer and the Incidence of Subsequent Open-Angle Glaucoma: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

We aim to explore the possible association between ovarian cancer and the subsequent development of open-angle glaucoma (OAG) using the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database (LHID) 2000. A retrospective cohort study was executed, and individuals with ovarian cancer were enrolled and age-matched (with a 1:4 ratio) to non-ovarian cancer individuals. A total of 4990 and 19,960 patients were put into the ovarian cancer and control groups. The main outcome was the presence of OAG according to the LHID 2000 codes. The Cox proportional hazard regression was adopted to demonstrate the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of OAG between the ovarian cancer and control groups. There were a total of 241 and 1029 OAG cases observed in the ovarian cancer group and the control group, respectively. The incidence of OAG was significantly higher in the ovarian cancer group than in the control group according to multivariable analysis (aHR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.02-1.37, p = 0.022). The ovarian cancer patients older than 60 years showed a significantly higher risk of OAG compared to the non-ovarian cancer individuals of the same age (aHR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.16-1.63, p = 0.001). Additionally, ovarian cancer individuals with a disease interval of more than two years presented a significantly higher incidence of OAG than the non-ovarian cancer group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, ovarian cancer positively correlates with a high rate of subsequent OAG, especially in elderly persons with a long disease interval.

Prognostic factors in clinical stage IIIA small cell lung cancer: An analysis of a population-based cancer registry in Taiwan.

Lung cancer stands as the primary cause of cancer-related death across the globe. The standard therapeutic approach for lung cancer involves concurrent chemoradiotherapy, with consideration of prophylactic cranial irradiation for younger or well-performing patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate prognostic factors and the impacts of different treatment methods on overall survival for stage IIIA small cell lung cancer in Taiwan. We obtained data from the Taiwan Cancer Registry, which included clinical and pathology data of 579 stage IIIA small cell lung cancer patients from January 2010 to December 2018, for this retrospective study. The enrolled patients had data on age, sex, Charlson Comorbidity Index score, histologic grading, clinical T, clinical N, clinical stage, treatment modality, and overall survival time. We compared overall survival among different subgroups to assess the impacts of these prognostic factors. The five-year survival rate for all patients was 20.57%, with a median survival time of 15.79 months. The data suggest that Charlson Comorbidity Index score, histologic grade, and clinical stage subgroups did not reach statistically significant differences. During the multivariate analysis, age over 70 years, sex, and treatment method were determined to be statistically significant independent prognostic factors. Patients who underwent surgical intervention exhibited significantly better outcomes compared to those who did not undergo operation.. In conclusion, stage IIIA small cell lung cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease. Operation should be considered as one of the alternative treatments in stage IIIA Small cell lung cancer patients.

Van der Waals Electrides.

ConspectusElectrides make up a fascinating group of materials with unique physical and chemical properties. In these materials, excess electrons do not behave like normal electrons in metals or form any chemical bonds with atoms. Instead, they "float" freely in the gaps within the material's structure, acting like negatively charged particles called anions (see the graph). Recently, there has been a surge of interest in van der Waals (vdW) electrides or electrenes in two dimensions. A typical example is layered lanthanum bromide (LaBr2), which can be taken as [La3+(Br1-)2]+•(e-). Each excess free electron is trapped within a hexagonal pore, forming dense dots of electron density. These anionic electrons are loosely bound, giving vdW electrides some unique properties such as ferromagnetism, superconductivity, topological features, and Dirac plasmons. The high density of the free electron makes electrides very promising for applications in thermionic emission, organic light-emitting diodes, and high-performance catalysts.In this Account, we first discuss the discovery of numerous vdW electrides through high-throughput computational screening of over 67,000 known inorganic crystals in Materials Project. A dozen of them have been newly discovered and have not been reported before. Importantly, they possess completely different structural prototypes and properties of anionic electrons compared to widely studied electrides such as Ca2N. Finding these new vdW electrides expands the variety of electrides that can be made in the experiment and opens up new possibilities for studying their unique properties and applications.Then, based on the screened vdW electrides, we delve into their various emerging properties. For example, we developed a new magnetic mechanism specific to atomic-orbital-free ferromagnetism in electrides. We uncover the dual localized and extended nature of the anionic electrons in such electrides and demonstrate the formation of the local moment by the localized feature and the ferromagnetic interaction by the direct overlapping of their extended states. We further show the effective tuning of the magnetic properties of vdW electrides by engineering their structural, electronic, and compositional properties. Besides, we show that the complex interaction between the multiple quantum orderings in vdW electrides leads to many interesting properties including valley polarization, charge density waves, a topological property, a superconducting property, and a thermoelectrical property.Moreover, we discuss strategies to leverage the unique intrinsic properties of vdW electrides for practical applications. We show that these properties make vdW electrides potential candidates for advanced applications such as spin-orbit torque memory devices, valleytronic devices, K-ion batteries, and thermoelectricity. Finally, we discuss the current challenges and future perspectives for research using these emerging materials.

A simple and effective machine learning model for predicting the stability of intracranial aneurysms using CT angiography.

Background: It is vital to accurately and promptly distinguish unstable from stable intracranial aneurysms (IAs) to facilitate treatment optimization and avoid unnecessary treatment. The aim of this study is to develop a simple and effective predictive model for the clinical evaluation of the stability of IAs. Methods: In total, 1,053 patients with 1,239 IAs were randomly divided the dataset into training (70%) and internal validation (30%) datasets. One hundred and ninety seven patients with 229 IAs from another hospital were evaluated as an external validation dataset. The prediction models were developed using machine learning based on clinical information, manual parameters, and radiomic features. In addition, a simple model for predicting the stability of IAs was developed, and a nomogram was drawn for clinical use. Results: Fourteen machine learning models exhibited excellent classification performance. Logistic regression Model E (clinical information, manual parameters, and radiomic shape features) had the highest AUC of 0.963 (95% CI 0.943-0.980). Compared to manual parameters, radiomic features did not significantly improve the identification of unstable IAs. In the external validation dataset, the simplified model demonstrated excellent performance (AUC = 0.950) using only five manual parameters. Conclusion: Machine learning models have excellent potential in the classification of unstable IAs. The manual parameters from CTA images are sufficient for developing a simple and effective model for identifying unstable IAs.