Fixed-Point Atomic Regulation Engineered Low-Thickness Wideband Microwave Absorption.

Atomic doping is widely employed to fine-tune crystal structures, energy band structures, and the corresponding electrical properties. However, due to the difficulty in precisely regulating doping sites and concentrations, establishing a relationship between electricity properties and doping becomes a huge challenge. In this work, a modulation strategy on A-site cation dopant into spinel-phase metal sulfide Co9S8 lattice via Fe and Ni elements is developed to improve the microwave absorption (MA) properties. At the atomic scale, accurately controlling doped sites can introduce local lattice distortions and strain concentration. Tunned electron energy redistribution of the doped Co9S8 strengthens electron interactions, ultimately enhancing the high-frequency dielectric polarization (ɛ' from 10.5 to 12.5 at 12 GHz). For the Fe-doped Co9S8, the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) at 1.7 mm increases by 5%, and the minimum reflection loss (RLmin) improves by 26% (EAB = 5.8 GHz, RLmin = -46 dB). The methodology of atomic-scale fixed-point doping presents a promising avenue for customizing the dielectric properties of nanomaterials, imparting invaluable insights for the design of cutting-edge high-performance microwave absorption materials.

Circulating miR-129-3p in combination with clinical factors predicts vascular calcification in hemodialysis patients.

Background: Vascular calcification (VC) commonly occurs and seriously increases the risk of cardiovascular events and mortality in patients with hemodialysis. For optimizing individual management, we will develop a diagnostic multivariable prediction model for evaluating the probability of VC. Methods: The study was conducted in four steps. First, identification of miRNAs regulating osteogenic differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in calcified condition. Second, observing the role of miR-129-3p on VC in vitro and the association between circulating miR-129-3p and VC in hemodialysis patients. Third, collecting all indicators related to VC as candidate variables, screening predictors from the candidate variables by Lasso regression, developing the prediction model by logistic regression and showing it as a nomogram in training cohort. Last, verifying predictive performance of the model in validation cohort. Results: In cell experiments, miR-129-3p was found to attenuate vascular calcification, and in human, serum miR-129-3p exhibited a negative correlation with vascular calcification, suggesting that miR-129-3p could be one of the candidate predictor variables. Regression analysis demonstrated that miR-129-3p, age, dialysis duration and smoking were valid factors to establish the prediction model and nomogram for VC. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve of the model was 0.8698. The calibration curve showed that predicted probability of the model was in good agreement with actual probability and decision curve analysis indicated better net benefit of the model. Furthermore, internal validation through bootstrap process and external validation by another independent cohort confirmed the stability of the model. Conclusion: We build a diagnostic prediction model and present it as an intuitive tool based on miR-129-3p and clinical indicators to evaluate the probability of VC in hemodialysis patients, facilitating risk stratification and effective decision, which may be of great importance for reducing the risk of serious cardiovascular events.

Controllable Synthesis of Highly Symmetrical Streamlined Structure for Wideband Microwave Absorption.

Highly symmetrical and streamlined nanostructures possessing unique electron scattering, electron-phonon coupling, and electron confinement characteristics have attracted a lot of attention. However, the controllable synthesis of such a nanostructure with regulated shapes and sizes remains a huge challenge. In this work, a peanut-like MnO@C structure, assembled by two core-shell nanosphere is developed via a facile hydrogen ion concentration regulation strategy. Off-axis electron holography technique, charge reconstruction, and COMSOL Multiphysics simulation jointly reveal the unique electronic distribution and confirm its higher dielectric sensitive ability, which can be used as microwave absorption to deal with currently electromagnetic pollution. The results reveal that the peanut-like core-shell MnO@C exhibits great wideband properties with effective absorption bandwidth of 6.6 GHz, covering 10.8-17.2 GHz band. Inspired by this structure-induced sensitively dielectric behavior, promoting the development of symmetrical and streamlined nanostructure would be attractive for many other promising applications in the future, such as piezoelectric material and supercapacitor and electromagnetic shielding.

Wrinkle Structure Regulating Electromagnetic Parameters in Constructed Core-shell ZnFe2O4@PPy Microspheres as Absorption Materials.

Structure engineering of magnetic-dielectric multi-components is emerging as an effective approach for presuming high-performance electromagnetic (EM) absorption, but still faces bottlenecks due to the ambiguous regulation mechanism of surface morphology. Here, a novel wrinkled surface structure is tailored on the ZnFe2O4 microsphere via a spray-pyrolysis induced Kirkendall diffusion effect, the conductivity of the sample is affected, and a better impedance matching is adjusted by modulating the concentration of metal nitrate precursors. Driven by a vapor phase polymerization, conductive polypyrrole (PPy) shell are in situ decorated on the ZnFe2O4 microsphere surfaces, ingeniously constructing a core-shell ZnFe2O4@PPy composites. Moreover, a systematic investigation reveals that this unique wrinkled surface structure is highly dependent on the metal salt concentration. Optimized wrinkle ZnFe2O4@PPy composite exhibits a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) reached -41.0 dB and the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) can cover as wide as 4.1 GHz. The enhanced interfacial polarization originated from high-density ZnFe2O4-PPy heterostructure, and the conduction loss of PPy contributes to the boosted dielectric loss capability. This study gives a significant guidance for preparing high-performance EM composites by tailoring the surface wrinkle structure.

Engineering Phase to Reinforce Dielectric Polarization in Nickel Sulfide Heterostructure for Electromagnetic Wave Absorption.

Engineering phase transition in micro-nanomaterials to optimize the dielectric properties and further enhance the electromagnetic microwave absorption (EMA) performance is highly desirable. However, the severe synthesis conditions restrict the design of EMA materials featuring controllable phases, which hinders the tunability of effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) and leads to an unclear loss mechanism. Herein, a seed phase decomposition-controlled strategy is proposed to induct nickel sulfide (NiSx ) absorbers with controllable phases and hollow sphere nature. Transmission electron microscopy holography and theoretical calculations evidence that the reconstruction of atoms in phase transition induces numerous heterogeneous interfaces and lattice defects/sulfur vacancies to cause varied work functions and local electronic redistribution, which contributes to reinforced dielectric polarization. As a result, the optimized NiS2 /NiS heterostructure enables enhanced EM attenuation capability with a wide EAB of 5.04 GHz at only 1.6 mm, compared to that of NiS2 and NiS. Moreover, the correlation between EAB and NiS phase content is demonstrated as the "volcano" feature. This study on the concept of phase transition of micro-nanomaterials can offer a novel approach to constructing highly efficient absorbers for EMA and other functionalities.

Video education improves patients' knowledge and satisfaction in treatment of solar lentigines with picosecond 755-nm alexandrite laser: A retrospective study.

Background: Picosecond lasers are widely used in dermatologic and cosmetic practice. In clinical practice, informed consent for laser treatments is critical to ensure patients' understanding of health information. Objectives: To evaluate whether video-based informed consent improves patient comprehension and satisfaction. Methods: The study was performed from August 1 to November 30, 2022. Solar lentigines patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were included. Before October 1, 2022, traditional informed consent methods were performed. In the subsequent 2 months, a video-based informed consent was used as an adjunct to traditional consenting methods. Finally, patient comprehension of relevant knowledge about laser treatment and client satisfaction were assessed. Results: A total of 106 patients were included. The mean number of correct answers in the comprehension assessment in the video-based informed consent group was significantly higher than that in the traditional informed consent group (4.4 ± 1.2 vs. 3.4 ± 1.1, p < 0.001). Compared to the traditional informed consent group, more correct answers in the video-based informed consent group were provided by older patients (3.9 ± 1.2 vs. 2.9 ± 1.1, p = 0.004) and patients with lower education levels (4.1 ± 1.1 vs. 3.0 ± 1.2, p < 0.001). The mean satisfaction score in the video-based informed consent group was significantly higher than that in the traditional informed consent (27.8 ± 5.7 vs. 24.3 ± 6.2, p = 0.003). Conclusion: Video-based informed consent helps patients learn clinical literacy more effectively and improves patient satisfaction, especially in those with lower education levels and older ages.

Dopant Engineering of Flexible MNPs/TPU/PPy Core-Shell Films for Controllable Electromagnetic Interference Shielding.

Intrinsically conductive polymers have attracted much attention in the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding field because of their high conductivity and favorable flexibility. Delocalized π-electrons migrating along the conjugated long-chain structures can form a current. Based on this special conductive mechanism, the doping process significantly influences the conductivity and EMI shielding efficiency (SE). However, it is challenging to investigate the influence of the doping process on EMI shielding performance, which would enable the optimization of dopant selection. In this study, dopant engineering was explored for controllable conductivity, EMI SE, and mechanical properties. Polypyrrole (PPy) doped with various dopants serves as a conductive coating owing to its adjustable conductivity and abundant functional groups. Elastic thermoplastic polyurethane was chosen as the porous framework because of its high tensile strength, and magnetic nanoparticles supplied the magnetic loss in the 3D network. Eventually, the composite film showed the best properties when PPy was doped with sodium p-toluenesulfonate. The film exhibited an average SE of 26.3 dB in the X band and a specific SE of 1563.17 dB cm2 g-1 with a thickness of merely 0.2 mm. This film withstood a tensile stress of 16.0 MPa, while the breaking elongation ratio reached 538.0%. After 10,000 cyclic bending, 92.3% of the EMI shielding property was retained. In summary, this study highlights the most suitable dopant for EMI shielding applications and provides a prospective alternative for advanced, flexible, and smart devices.

An Ion-Engineering Strategy to Design Hollow FeCo/CoFe2 O4 Microspheres for High-Performance Microwave Absorption.

Although assembled hollow architectures have received considerable attention as lightweight functional materials, their uncontrollable self-aggregation and tedious synthetic methods hinder precise construction and modulation. Therefore, this study proposes a bi-ion synergistic regulation strategy to design assembled hollow-shaped cobalt spinel oxide microspheres. Dominated by the coordination-etching effects of F- and the hydrolysis-complex contributions of NH4 + , the unique construction is formed attributed to the dynamic cycles between metal complexes and precipitates. Meanwhile, their basic structures are perfectly retained after reduction treatment, enabling FeCo/CoFe2 O4 bimagnetic system to be obtained. Subsequently, in-depth analyses are conducted. Investigations reveal that multiscale magnetic coupling networks and enriched air-material heterointerfaces contribute to the remarkable magnetic-dielectric behavior, supported by the advanced off-axis electron holography technique. Consequently, the obtained FeCo/CoFe2 O4 composites exhibit excellent microwave absorption performances with minimal reflection losses (RLmin ) as high as -51.6 dB, an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 4.7 GHz, and a matched thickness of 1.4 mm. Thus, this work provides an informative guide for rationally assembling building blocks into hollow architectures as advanced microwave absorbers through bi-ion and even multi-ion synergistic engineering mechanisms.

Urinary Proteomics Analysis of Active Vitiligo Patients: Biomarkers for Steroid Treatment Efficacy Prediction and Monitoring.

Vitiligo is a common acquired skin disorder caused by immune-mediated destruction of epidermal melanocytes. Systemic glucocorticoids (GCs) have been used to prevent the progression of active vitiligo, with 8.2-56.2% of patients insensitive to this therapy. Currently, there is a lack of biomarkers that can accurately predict and evaluate treatment responses. The goal of this study was to identify candidate urinary protein biomarkers to predict the efficacy of GCs treatment in active vitiligo patients and monitor the disease. Fifty-eight non-segmental vitiligo patients were enrolled, and 116 urine samples were collected before and after GCs treatment. Patients were classified into a treatment-effective group (n = 42) and a treatment-resistant group (n = 16). Each group was divided equally into age- and sex-matched experimental and validation groups, and proteomic analyses were performed. Differentially expressed proteins were identified, and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis was conducted for the functional annotation of these proteins. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the diagnostic value. A total of 245 and 341 differentially expressed proteins between the treatment-resistant and treatment-effective groups were found before and after GCs treatment, respectively. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that the urinary proteome reflected the efficacy of GCs in active vitiligo patients. Eighty and fifty-four candidate biomarkers for treatment response prediction and treatment response evaluation were validated, respectively. By ELISA analysis, retinol binding protein-1 and torsin 1A interacting protein 1 were validated to have the potential to predict the efficacy of GCs with AUC value of 1 and 0.875, respectively. Retinol binding protein-1, torsin 1A interacting protein 1 and protein disulfide-isomerase A4 were validated to have the potential to reflect positive treatment effect to GCs treatment in active vitiligo with AUC value of 0.861, 1 and 0.868, respectively. This report is the first to identify urine biomarkers for GCs treatment efficacy prediction in vitiligo patients. These findings might contribute to the application of GCs in treating active vitiligo patients.

Post-Traumatic Stress in Vitiligo Patients: A Neglected but Real-Existing Psychological Impairment.

Background: Vitiligo is the most common depigmentation disorder. This disease causes disfiguration and induces psychological burdens, leading to significantly impaired quality of life. Limited research about disease-related post-traumatic stress (PTS) has been conducted in vitiligo patients. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence, severity, and risk factors of post-traumatic stress in vitiligo patients. Methods: This case-control study was performed from January 2021 to April 2021. A survey questionnaire including baseline information, post-traumatic stress symptoms evaluation, life quality evaluation was conducted. According to the severity of post-traumatic stress symptoms, patients were grouped and compared. The logistic regression model was conducted to analyze the risk factors for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Results: A total of 337 patients were included. A 30.3% of vitiligo patients (102/337) in present cohort had PTS and 12.5% patients (42/337) were confirmed for developing into PTSD. The multivariate logistic regression revealed educational level

A Retrospective Study of 105 Patients with Elastolytic Giant Cell Granuloma and a Proposal for a New Clinical Classification.

Elastolytic giant cell granuloma, an idiopathic granulomatous dermatosis, is characterized by annular plaques on sun-exposed areas, and has been termed actinic granuloma or annular elastolytic giant cell granuloma. Many atypical clinical manifestations and lesions involving sun-protected areas have been reported. The aims of this retrospective study of 105 patients were to summarize the clinical and histological features of patients with this condition; to provide evidence for the viewpoint that elastolytic giant cell granuloma is a better term to include all clinical morphological types presenting with elastolysis, elastophagocytosis, and an infiltrate of multinucleated giant cells histologically; and to establish a new clinical classification. The varying clinical manifestations were further categorized into annular, papular, giant, mixed and generalized forms. The pathological manifestations were classified into giant cell, necrobiotic, histiocytic, sarcoidal and mixed patterns. Diabetes mellitus or impaired glucose tolerance were the most commonly identified comorbidities. Oral low-dose corticosteroid may be an effective treatment.

Association Between Peripheral Eosinophilia and Clinical Characteristics of Adult-onset Still's Disease with Persistent Eruption: A Retrospective Study.

Persistent eruption occurs in a subset of patients with adult-onset Still's disease. In our experience, a considerable proportion of these patients present with peripheral eosinophilia. The aims of this study were to summarize the clinical and histological features of patients with adult-onset Still's disease with persistent eruption in the current study cohort, and to assess the association between peripheral eosinophil levels and disease characteristics. A total of 21 patients with adult-onset Still's disease with persistent eruption were included in this retrospective study. Koebner signs, an important diagnostic clue, were found in 85.7% of patients. The proportion of patients presenting with eosinophilia within the disease course was 57.1%. Skin histology revealed infiltration of eosinophils in 90.5% of patients. Peripheral eosinophil levels were positively associated with involved body surface area. Patients with normal peripheral eosinophil counts were more likely to achieve complete remission than those with abnormal peripheral eosinophil counts. Eosinophils may be involved in the pathogenesis of skin eruption. Abnormal peripheral eosinophil counts in these patients may indicate a more refractory disease course.

Location, Spreading and Oral Corticosteroids are Associated with Insomnia in Vitiligo Patients: A Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo can cause disfiguration, impair the social function of the patients and induce physiological burdens. However, limited research about the health-related quality of life has been conducted in vitiligo patients' sleeping conditions. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence, severity, and risk factors of insomnia in vitiligo patients. METHODS: This case-control study was performed in March 2021. An online survey questionnaire including baseline information and the sleep-related instrument was sent to 762 vitiligo patients. The vitiligo-related evaluation was conducted by online video interview. According to whether having insomnia or not, patients were grouped and compared their clinical and demographic characteristics. The logistic regression model was conducted to analyze the risk factors for insomnia. RESULTS: A total of 409 patients were included. About 49.9% of patients (204/409) experienced insomnia. About 55.9% (114/204) of the insomnia in vitiligo patients was adjustment sleep disorder caused by vitiligo. Development, aggravation, or recurrence of vitiligo were deemed as the first reason for insomnia in 71.1% of the sample (81/114). There were significant differences in age (32.1±4.1 vs 27.9±4.2 years, P < 0.001), the percentage of female (62.8% vs 49.3%, P=0.006) and working in the urban areas (77.0% vs 66.3%, P = 0.017), vitiligo in face and neck (67.2% vs 48.8%, P < 0.001), progression in vitiligo (65.7% vs 49.3%, P=0.001), oral corticosteroids (25.0% vs 16.6%, P=0.036) and depression (5.4% vs 0.5%, P = 0.003) between groups. After adjusting for gender, age and comorbidity, the multivariate logistic regression revealed that vitiligo in face and neck (OR=2.62; P=0.032), progression in vitiligo (OR=2.50; P=0.002), and oral corticosteroids (OR=2.71; P=0.021) remained risk factors for insomnia in vitiligo patients. CONCLUSION: Insomnia is prevalent in vitiligo patients. Dermatologists should identify this condition carefully, especially humanistic factors in social life, and perform individualized "non-drug" treatment.

Urinary metabolomic investigations in vitiligo patients.

Urinary metabolomics is a useful non-invasive tool for large-scale screening of disease-related metabolites. However, no comprehensive urinary metabolomic analysis of vitiligo is presently available. To investigate the urine metabolic pattern of vitiligo patients, we conducted a combined cross-sectional and prospective self-control cohort study and an untargeted urinary metabolomic analysis. In the cross-sectional study, 295 vitiligo patients and 192 age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled, and 71 differential metabolites between two groups were identified. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that drug metabolism-cytochrome P450, biopterin metabolism, vitamin B9 (folate) metabolism, selenoamino acid metabolism, and methionine and cysteine metabolism showed significant enrichment in vitiligo patients compared with the status in healthy controls. In the self-control cohort, 46 active vitiligo patients were recruited to analyse the urinary metabolic signatures after treatment. All of these patients were asked to undertake follow-up visits every 2 months three times after first consulting and the disease stage was evaluated compared with that at the last visit. Folate metabolism, linoleate metabolism, leukotriene metabolism, alkaloid biosynthesis, and tyrosine metabolism were predicted to be involved in vitiligo activity. Our study is the first attempt to reveal urinary metabolic signatures of vitiligo patients and provides new insights into the metabolic mechanisms of vitiligo.

Pigmented linear discoid lupus erythematosus following the lines of Blaschko: A retrospective study of a Chinese series.

BACKGROUND: Linear cutaneous lupus erythematosus is a rare subtype of lupus erythematosus (LE) that develops linear lesions following the lines of Blaschko. Linear cutaneous lupus erythematosus may present as various subtypes of LE, including linear discoid lupus erythematosus. There are few reports about pigmentedlinear discoid lupus erythematosus in the literature. AIMS: We aimed to summarize the clinical and pathological features of patients with pigmented linear discoid lupus erythematosus following the lines of Blaschko. METHODS: Eighteen patients with pigmented linear discoid lupus erythematosus attending the outpatient department of the Dermatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, China, were enrolled in the study. We recorded clinical data including sex, age at onset, disease duration, location and distribution of the lesions, symptoms, trigger factors, antinuclear antibody (ANA) testing, therapy, and therapeutic responses. Histopathological features were also summarized. RESULTS: All 18 patients presented with well-defined brownish pigmented linear or segmental macules or plaques, following the lines of Blaschko. All the lesions were located on the head or neck. Unilaterally distributed lesions were found in 94.4% of patients. Two patients showed low titers of ANA in a speckled pattern. No systemic involvement or progression to systemic LE was noted. The patients were clinically diagnosed as pigmented lichen planus (55.6%), pigmented linear discoid lupus erythematosus (33.3%), and linear morphea (11.1%) before histopathological examination. LIMITATIONS: The study was retrospective and direct immunofluorescence was not performed. Not all patients' information was available and 4 patients were lost to follow-up because their contact information was changed. CONCLUSION: Pigmented linear discoid lupus erythematosus mostly occurs on the head and neck. It manifests as brownish macules along the lines of Blaschko. Differentiation between pigmented linear discoid lupus erythematosus and other dermatoses that have a linear distribution can be difficult both clinically and pathologically, but histological details can help distinguish them.