[Correlation analysis of carotid adipose tissue density and plaque stability in patients with carotid artery stenosis].

Objective: To investigate the correlation between perivascular fat density (PFD) and plaque stability in patients with carotid artery stenosis. Methods: Clinical data of 110 patients with carotid artery stenosis treated at Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing University Medical School from January 2018 to December 2022 were retrospectively collected. Based on pathological results of carotid plaque specimens obtained from carotid endarterectomy (CEA), patients were categorized into stable plaque group (n=51) and vulnerable plaque group (n=59). All patients underwent preoperative carotid CT angiography (CTA) to measure PFD at the narrowest carotid artery. Preoperative levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and other hematological parameters were collected. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with plaque stability in carotid artery stenosis patients. Area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was performed to evaluate the predictive value of PFD for plaque stability. Results: The stable plaque group consisted of 43 males and 8 females with a mean age of (67.6±9.0) years, while the vulnerable plaque group comprised 48 males and 11 females with a mean age of (69.3±9.0) years. The proportions of smokers were 31.4% (16/51) and 50.8% (30/59) in the stable and vulnerable plaque groups, respectively. The proportions of patients with diabetes were 33.3% (17/51) and 52.5% (31/59), respectively. IL-6 levels were 3.46(2.67, 5.34) and 4.51(3.62, 5.51) ng/L in the stable and vulnerable groups, respectively. Mean PFD values were (-69.04±5.35) and (-63.24±6.08) HU, respectively, with maximum PFD values of (-62.90±6.98) and (-56.93±5.90) HU, respectively. The differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that increased mean PFD (OR=1.167, 95%CI: 1.029-1.324, P=0.016) and elevated IL-6 levels (OR=1.489, 95%CI: 1.151-1.926, P=0.002) were associated with vulnerability of carotid artery plaques. ROC curve analysis results showed that a cut-off value of -65.5 HU, the AUC for predicting plaque stability based on the mean PFD was 0.756 (95%CI: 0.667-0.844, P<0.001), with sensitivity of 64.4% and specificity of 74.5%. Conclusion: Increased mean PFD at the narrowest carotid artery is associated with vulnerability of plaques in patients with carotid artery stenosis.

[Research progress on the association between prenatal exposure to air pollutants and hypospadias in the offspring].

Recent epidemiological studies have increasingly found that pregnant women who are exposed to air pollutants (for example airborne particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, ozone, and sulfur dioxide) increase the risk of various birth defects in their offspring, such as congenital heart disease, neural tube defects, cleft lip and palate, and hypospadias. Hypospadias not only impairs the sexual function of infants but also causes major social and psychological problems during their growth period, therefore, the prevention and treatment of hypospadias infant carry substantial public health importance. However, the association between prenatal exposure to air pollution and hypospadias remains controversial. The study reviews the epidemiological research progress and potential biological mechanisms of prenatal maternal exposure to air pollutants such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, ozone, sulfur dioxide, and the risk of hypospadias in offspring. The study also summarizes the limitations of previous research and looks forward to future research directions, to provide scientific evidence for creating a healthy living environment for pregnant women, and reducing the risk of hypospadias in offspring.

[Esthetic analysis of upper lip morphology variation after the cross-arch fixed restoration of maxillary implant-supported prostheses via radiographic methods].

Objective: To measure and analyze upper lip morphology variation before and after the cross-arch fixed restoration of the maxillary implant-supported prostheses using cone- beam CT (CBCT) to provide an esthetic objective reference for maxillary edentulous patients. Methods: There were 32 maxillary edentulous patients selected in the Department of Dental Implantology, The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2010 to December 2023. The CBCT data of patients with maxillary full-arch implant-supported fixed prostheses were retrospectively collected before implantation (T0), at the time of radio-guide insertion (T1), and after final repair (T2). The length and thickness of the upper lip were measured and analyzed at each time point, and the correlation between the upper lip contour data and facial esthetic parameters was analyzed. Results: After the final prosthodontic treatment, the length of the upper lip was significantly increased from (21.72±2.84) mm to (24.98±2.93) mm (t=-8.13, P<0.001) compared with that before implant treatment. The widths of the middle and vermilion of the upper lip (Sm-Hm/Ls-UP), were reduced from (13.24±1.41), (12.81±1.67) mm to (11.36±1.67), (10.21±1.69) mm, with significant differences (t=7.79, P<0001; t=9.37, P<0.001). The lower face height (Sn-Gn) was increased from (54.52±4.95) mm to (58.70±4.42) mm, with significant differences (t=-11.05, P<0.001). However, the nasolabial angle reduced significantly from 95.35°± 7.70°to 90.53°±7.28°(t=7.68, P<0.001). The width of the middle of the upper lip with a radiation guide was (10.94±1.24) mm, and it increased significantly compared with that after the final prosthesis treatment (t=-0.76, P<0.05). The proportion of straight upper lip profiles accounted for 59% (19/32), and the proportion of concave upper lip profiles accounted for 41% (13/32) after the final prosthesis treatment. In addition, the results of correlation analysis showed that the nasolabial angle variation was weak and negatively correlated with residual bone height (r=-0.37, P=0.490). Conclusions: After the treatment of the maxillary full-arch implant-supported fixed prosthesis, the length of the upper lip increases, and the thickness of the upper lip becomes significantly thin. The maxillary full-arch implant-supported fixed prostheses support upper lips to improve the patients' side appearances.

Association of clopidogrel resistance and ABCD-GENE score with long-term clinical prognosis in patients with ischemic stroke or TIA.

BACKGROUND: Clopidogrel resistance (CR) is associated with adverse clinical outcomes in acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients. However, whether CR affects the long-term clinical prognosis remains to be clarified. The ABCD-GENE score is a novel risk model that identifies CR in cardiovascular disease patients; its diagnostic ability and application in ischemic stroke or TIA remain to be studied. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic ability of the ABCD-GENE score for CR and analyze the relationship between CR and long-term clinical prognosis in patients with ischemic stroke or TIA. METHODS: From January 2018 to January 2021, 251 ischemic stroke or TIA patients who were treated with clopidogrel for more than three months after onset and maintained the medication until the follow-up time were enrolled, and platelet reactivity was detected by thromboelastography. CYP2C19 gene analysis was performed. Adverse clinical outcomes were recorded from 3months after onset. The median follow-up time was 878days. RESULTS: The prevalence of CR was 33.9%. The proportion of CYP2C19 loss-of-function carriers was 62.2%. The ABCD-GENE score≥10 was independently associated with CR (OR=1.82, 95% CI: 1.02-3.24, P=0.041), and the C-statistic value of the score (as a binary and integer variable) on CR was 0.58 and 0.63, respectively. The risk of long-term adverse clinical outcomes was not significantly different between CR and clopidogrel sensitive groups (12.94% vs. 11.44%, HR=1.22, 95% CI: 0.57-2.62, P=0.603). A similar result was observed between ABCD-GENE score≥10 and ABCD-GENE score<10 groups (10.38% vs. 12.64%, HR=1.19, 95% CI: 0.55-2.60, P=0.666). CONCLUSIONS: In ischemic stroke or TIA patients, the ABCD-GENE score could identify the risk of CR. CR was not associated with long-term adverse clinical outcomes.

Filler Mixed Into Adhesives Does Not Necessarily Improve Their Mechanical Properties.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the influence of filler type/loading on the micro-tensile fracture strength (µTFS) of adhesive resins, as measured 'immediately' upon preparation and after 1-week water storage ('water-stored'). METHODS: The morphology and particle-size distribution of three filler particles, referred to as 'Glass-S' (Esschem Europe), 'BioUnion' (GC), and 'CPC_Mont', were correlatively characterized by SEM, TEM, and particle-size analysis. These filler particles were incorporated into an unfilled adhesive resin ('BZF-29unfilled', GC) in different concentrations to measure the 'immediate' µTFS. After 1-week water storage, the 'water-stored' µTFS of the experimental particle-filled adhesive resins with the most optimum filler loading, specific for each filler type, was measured. In addition, the immediate and water-stored µTFS of the adhesive resins of three experimental two-step universal adhesives based on the same resin matrix but varying for filler type/loading, coded as 'BZF-21' (containing silica and bioglass), 'BZF-29' (containing solely silica), and 'BZF-29_hv' (highly viscous with a higher silica loading than BZF-29), and of the adhesive resins of the gold-standard adhesives OptiBond FL ('Opti-FL', Kerr) and Clearfil SE Bond 2 ('C-SE2', Kuraray Noritake) was measured along with that of BZF-29unfilled (GC) serving as control/reference. Statistics involved one-way and two-way ANOVA followed by post-hoc multiple comparisons (α<0.05). RESULTS: Glass-S, BioUnion, and CPC_Mont represent irregular fillers with an average particle size of 8.5-9.9 µm. Adding filler to BZF-29unfilled decreased µTFS regardless of filler type/loading. One-week water storage reduced µTFS of all adhesive resins except BZF-21, with the largest reduction in µTFS recorded for BZF-29unfilled. Among the three filler types, the µTFS of the 30 wt% Glass-S and 20 wt% BioUnion filled adhesive resin was not significantly different from the µTFS of BZF-29unfilled upon water storage. CONCLUSIONS: Adding filler particles into adhesive resin did not enhance its micro-tensile fracture strength but appeared to render it less sensitive to water storage as compared to the unfilled adhesive resin investigated.

Structural and magnetic studies of the frustratedS = 1 kagome magnet NH4Ni2Mo2O10H3.

The strong geometric frustration of the kagome antiferromagnets (KAFMs) can destabilise conventional magnetic order and lead to exotic electronic states, such as the quantum spin-liquid state observed in someS=12KAFM materials. However, the ground state ofS = 1 KAFM systems are less well understood. Spin nematic phases and valence bond solid ground states have been predicted to form but a paucity of experimental realisations restricts understanding. Here, theS = 1 KAFM NH4Ni2Mo2O10H3is presented, which has the 3-fold symmetry of the kagome lattice but significant site depletion, with∼64%site occupancy. Frustration and a competition between exchange interactions are evidenced through the suppression of order below the Weiss temperature|θW|and observation of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic characteristics in the magnetisation data. A semi spin glass ground state is predicted based on the ac-field frequency dependence of the magnetic transition and ferromagnetic signal.

Effect of COVID-19 infection on pregnant women in plateau regions.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to explore the effect of COVID-19 infection on pregnant women in plateau regions. STUDY DESIGN: Data from 381 pregnant women infected with COVID-19 who underwent prenatal examination or treatment at Women and Children's Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region between January 2020 and December 2022 and 314 pregnant women not infected with COVID-19 were retrospectively collected. METHODS: The study participants were divided into an infected and non-infected group according to whether they were infected with COVID-19. Basic information (ethnicity, age, body mass index and gestational age [GA]), vaccination status, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and delivery outcomes were compared. Binary logistic regression was used to analyse the influencing factors of ICU admission. RESULTS: The results revealed significant differences in the GA, vaccination rate, blood pressure, partial pressure of oxygen, white blood cell (WBC) count, ICU admission rate, preeclampsia rate, forearm presentation rate, thrombocytopenia rate, syphilis infection rate and placental abruption rate between the two groups (P < 0.05). A univariate analysis showed that COVID-19 infection, hepatitis B virus infection, the WBC count and hypoproteinaemia were risk factors for ICU admission. The results of the multivariate analysis of the ICU admission of pregnant women showed that COVID-19 infection (odds ratio [OR] = 4.271, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 3.572-5.820, P < 0.05) was a risk factor for ICU admission and the WBC count (OR = 0.935, 95 % CI: 0.874-0.947, P < 0.05) was a protective factor for ICU admission. CONCLUSION: Pregnant women are vulnerable to the adverse consequences of COVID-19 infection, and public health measures such as vaccination are needed to protect this population subgroup.

[Research advances on size selection and vault prediction of posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens].

Posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens (pIOL) implantation has been widely adopted for the correction of refractive errors. Among pIOLs, the Implantable Collamer Lens is the most common choice. The selection of the appropriate pIOL size and achieving the desired postoperative vault to minimize complications has consistently been a focal point in academic research. With the advancement of ophthalmic biometric measurement technology and the application of artificial intelligence in the field of medicine, numerous new technologies and methods for pIOL size selection and vault prediction have emerged in recent years. This paper provides a comprehensive review on the topic of how to choose the pIOL size and predict the vault.

Molecular docking technology and network pharmacology based on Rhapontici Radix-Cremastrae Pseudobulbus drug pair in treating breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Network pharmacology is a bioinformatics-based research strategy for identifying the mechanisms of drugs and promoting drug development. This study used network pharmacology to investigate the mechanism of the Loulu-Cremastrae Pseudobulbus drug pair treating breast cancer (BC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The ingredients and potential targets of the drug pair were searched with Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCSMP). National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and gene cards were used to search the targets of BC. Networks of "drugs-components-targets" and protein-protein interaction were constructed through Cytoscape. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were carried out through common targets. Using AutoDock tool, molecular docking was performed to verify the binding between key targets and compounds. RESULTS: Finally, we selected 6 active compounds from the drug pair. A total of 61 targets were associated with the drug pair, and 15,295 targets were related to BC. 55 common targets were obtained after the intersection. The key targets included Transcription factor Jun (JUN), Heat shock protein HSP 90-alpha (HSP90AA1), and Caspase-3(CASP3). 327 terms were obtained by GO analysis. 78 pathways (p < 0.05) were identified through KEGG analysis. Molecular docking indicated that important compounds combined well with key targets. CONCLUSIONS: Various active compounds, including beta-sitosterol, 2-methoxy-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene-4,5-diol, and stigmasterol, can regulate multiple signaling pathways related to BC, such as the estrogen and prolactin signaling pathways, playing therapeutic roles in BC.

[A multicenter study to test the reliability and validity of the frailty assessment scale for elderly patients with inguinal hernia and to evaluate the value of clinical application].

Objectives: To verify the reliability and validity of the frailty assessment scale for elderly patients with inguinal hernia and to evaluate the value of its clinical application. Methods: A convenience sampling method was used to collect 129 geriatric patients who underwent inguinal hernia surgery from January 2018 to January 2023 in nine hospitals in Liaoning Province. There were 120 males and 9 females, of whom 89 patients were 60 to <75 years old, 33 patients were 75 to <85 years old and 7 patients were ≥85 years old. The 129 patients included 11 elderly patients with inguinal hernia who had recovered from preoperative infection with COVID-19. Statistical methods such as Cronbach's coefficient, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test, Bartlett's test, Pearson's correlation analysis, etc. were calculated to verify the reliability indexes such as feasibility, content validity, structural validity, criterion-related validity, internal consistency reliability, and re-test reliability. Taking the 5-item modified frailty index (5-mFI) as the gold standard, the area under the curve was used to analyze the ability of the two scales to predict the occurrence of postoperative acute urinary retention, postoperative delirium, poor incision healing, operative hematoma seroma, and postoperative complications. Results: The frailty assessment scale for elderly patients with inguinal hernia showed good reliability and validity (valid completion rate of 99.2%; item content validity index of 1.000, and the scale content validity index of 1.000; exploratory factor analysis extracted a total of 1 principal component, and factor loadings of each item of 0.565 to 0.873; the AUC for frailty diagnosis using 5-mFI as the gold standard of 0.795 (P<0.01) Cronbach's coefficient of 0.916, retest reliability coefficient of 0.926), it could effectively predict postoperative acute urinary retention, delirium, hematoma seroma in the operative area and total complications (AUC of 0.746, 0.870, 0.806, and 0.738, respectively; all P<0.05), and prediction efficiency was higher than that of 5-mFI (AUC of 0.694, 0.838, 0.626 and 0.641, P<0.05 for delirium only), but both scales were inaccurate in predicting poor incision healing (AUC of 0.519, P=0.913 for the frailty assessment scale and 0.455, P=0.791 for the 5-mFI). Conclusions: The frailty assessment scale for elderly patients with inguinal hernia is reliable and significantly predicts the occurrence of postoperative adverse events in elderly inguinal hernia patients. The scale can also be used for preoperative frailty assessment in elderly patients with inguinal hernia after rehabilitation from COVID-19 infection.

[Clinical characteristics of children with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infection in Kunming].

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics of hospitalized children infected with the Omicron variant in Kunming after the withdrawal of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) and analyze the risk factors of severe cases. Methods: Clinical data was retrospectively collected from 1 145 children with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection who were hospitalized in six tertiary grade A hospitals in Kunming from December 10th, 2022 to January 9th, 2023. According to clinical severity, these patients were divided into the general and severe SARS-CoV-2 groups, and their clinical and laboratory data were compared. Between-group comparison was performed using t-test, chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U test. Spearman correlation test and multivariate Logistic regression analysis were used to determine the risk factors of severe illness. Results: A total of 1 145 hospitalized patients were included, of whom 677 were male and 468 female. The age of these patients at visit was 1.7 (0.5, 4.1) years. Specifically, there were 758 patients (66.2%) aged ≤3 years at visit and 387 patients (33.8%) aged >3 years. Of these children, 89 cases (7.8%) had underline diseases and the remaining 1 056 cases (92.2%) had no combined diseases. Additionally, of all the patients, 319 cases (27.9%) were vaccinated with one or two doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, 748 cases (65.3%) had acute upper respiratory tract infection (AURTI), and six cases died (0.5%). A total of 1 051 cases (91.8%) were grouped into general SARS-CoV-2 group and 94 cases (8.2%) were grouped into severe SARS-CoV-2 group. Compared with the general cases, the severe cases showed a lower rate of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and younger median age, lower lymphocyte count, as well as proportions of CD8+T lymphocyte (36 cases (38.3%) vs. 283 cases (26.9%), 0.5 (2.6, 8.0) vs. 1.6 (0.5, 3.9) years, 1.3 (1.0, 2.7) ×109 vs. 2.7 (1.3,4.4)×109/L, 0.17 (0.12, 0.24) vs. 0.21 (0.15, 0.16), respectively, χ2=4.88, Z=-2.21,-5.03,-2.53, all P<0.05). On the other hand, the length of hospital stay, proportion of underline diseases, ALT, AST, creatine kinase isoenzyme, and troponin T were higher in the severe group compared to those in the general group ((11.6±5.9) vs. (5.3±1.8) d, 41 cases (43.6%) vs. 48 cases (4.6%), 67 (26,120) vs. 20 (15, 32) U/L, 51 (33, 123) vs. 44 (34, 58) U/L、56.9 (23.0, 219.3) vs. 3.6 (1.9, 17.9) U/L, 12.0 (4.9, 56.5) vs. 3.0 (3.0, 7.0) ×10-3 pg/L,respectively, t=-20.43, χ2=183.52, Z=-9.14,-3.12,-6.38,-3.81, all P<0.05). Multivariate regression analysis indicated that increased leukocyte count (OR=1.88, 95%CI 1.18-2.97, P<0.01), CRP (OR=1.18, 95%CI 1.06-1.31, P<0.01), ferritin (OR=1.01, 95%CI 1.00-1.00, P<0.01), interleukin (IL)-6 (OR=1.05, 95%CI 1.01-1.08, P=0.012), D-dimer (OR=2.56, 95%CI 1.44-4.56, P<0.01) and decreased CD4+T lymphocyte (OR=0.84, 95%CI 0.73-0.98, P=0.030) were independently associated with the risk of severe SARS-CoV-2 in hospitalized children with Omicron infection. Conclusions: After the withdrawal of NPI, the pediatric inpatients with Omicron infection in Kunming were predominantly children younger than 3 years of age, and mainly manifested as AURTI with relatively low rate of severe SARS-CoV-2 infection and mortality. Elevated leukocyte counts, CRP, ferritin, IL-6, D-dimer, and decreased CD4+T lymphocytes are significant risk factors for developing severe SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Resonant plasmonic detection of terahertz radiation in field-effect transistors with the graphene channel and the black-As[Formula: see text]P[Formula: see text] gate layer.

We propose the terahertz (THz) detectors based on field-effect transistors (FETs) with the graphene channel (GC) and the black-Arsenic (b-As) black-Phosphorus (b-P), or black-Arsenic-Phosphorus (b-As[Formula: see text]P[Formula: see text]) gate barrier layer. The operation of the GC-FET detectors is associated with the carrier heating in the GC by the THz electric field resonantly excited by incoming radiation leading to an increase in the rectified current between the channel and the gate over the b-As[Formula: see text]P[Formula: see text] energy barrier layer (BLs). The specific feature of the GC-FETs under consideration is relatively low energy BLs and the possibility to optimize the device characteristics by choosing the barriers containing a necessary number of the b-As[Formula: see text]P[Formula: see text] atomic layers and a proper gate voltage. The excitation of the plasma oscillations in the GC-FETs leads to the resonant reinforcement of the carrier heating and the enhancement of the detector responsivity. The room temperature responsivity can exceed the values of [Formula: see text] A/W. The speed of the GC-FET detector's response to the modulated THz radiation is determined by the processes of carrier heating. As shown, the modulation frequency can be in the range of several GHz at room temperatures.

[Research progress in stent associated respiratory tract infection].

Airway stents are commonly used to treat patients with central airway obstruction, but several complications have been identified, including mucus plugging, granulation tissue, stent migration, and infection. Stent associated respiratory tract infection (SARTI) has often been neglected by the practicing clinicians. Therefore, we reviewed the available current literatures on the diagnosis and management of stent associated respiratory tract infection.

Real-world implementation of non-endoscopic triage testing for Barrett's oesophagus during COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: The Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) curtailed endoscopy services, adding to diagnostic backlogs. Building on trial evidence for a non-endoscopic oesophageal cell collection device coupled with biomarkers (Cytosponge), an implementation pilot was launched for patients on waiting lists for reflux and Barrett's oesophagus surveillance. AIMS: (i) To review reflux referral patterns and Barrett's surveillance practices. (ii) To evaluate the range of Cytosponge findings and impact on endoscopy services. DESIGN AND METHODS: Cytosponge data from centralized laboratory processing (trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) for intestinal metaplasia (IM), haematoxylin & eosin for cellular atypia and p53 for dysplasia) over a 2-year period were included. RESULTS: A total of 10 577 procedures were performed in 61 hospitals in England and Scotland, of which 92.5% (N = 9784/10 577) were sufficient for analysis. In the reflux cohort (N = 4074 with gastro-oesophageal junction sampling), 14.7% had one or more positive biomarkers (TFF3: 13.6% (N = 550/4056), p53: 0.5% (21/3974), atypia: 1.5% (N = 63/4071)), requiring endoscopy. Among samples from individuals undergoing Barrett's surveillance (N = 5710 with sufficient gland groups), TFF3-positivity increased with segment length (odds ratio = 1.37 per cm (95% confidence interval: 1.33-1.41, P < 0.001)). Some surveillance referrals (21.5%, N = 1175/5471) had ≤1 cm segment length, of which 65.9% (707/1073) were TFF3 negative. Of all surveillance procedures, 8.3% had dysplastic biomarkers (4.0% (N = 225/5630) for p53 and 7.6% (N = 430/5694) for atypia), increasing to 11.8% (N = 420/3552) in TFF3+ cases with confirmed IM and 19.7% (N = 58/294) in ultra-long segments. CONCLUSIONS: Cytosponge-biomarker tests enabled targeting of endoscopy services to higher-risk individuals, whereas those with TFF3 negative ultra-short segments could be reconsidered regarding their Barrett's oesophagus status and surveillance requirements. Long-term follow-up will be important in these cohorts.

Bonding performance of experimental HEMA-free two-step universal adhesives to low C-factor flat dentin.

OBJECTIVES: Experimental two-step universal adhesives (2-UAs) providing a particle-filled hydrophobic adhesive resin with a significant film thickness to hydrophobically seal the adhesive interface were designed and synthesized. This study aimed to characterize their interfacial interaction with dentin, to determine whether the 2-UA formulations achieve durable bonding to low C-factor flat dentin and to measure their water sorption. METHODS: Bonding effectiveness of 2-UAs that combine a 10-MDP-based primer with hydrophobic adhesive resins differing only for filler (BZF-21, BZF-29, and BZF-29_hv) were comparatively investigated with the commercial adhesive Clearfil SE Bond 2 (C-SE2, Kuraray Noritake). Adhesive-dentin interfaces were characterized with TEM. Adhesive-resin disks were immersed in distilled water at 37 °C for 1 week, 6 months and 1 year to measure water sorption and solubility. 'Immediate' and 'aged' micro-tensile bond strength (µTBS) of the adhesives applied in etch-and-rinse (E&R) and self-etch (SE) bonding mode to low C-factor flat dentin were measured. Statistical analyses involved linear mixed-effects (LME) modelling and Kruskal-Wallis testing (p < 0.05). RESULTS: TEM revealed that E&R hybrid layers were more sensitive to aging than SE hybrid layers. Lower water sorption was recorded for all UAs compared with C-SE2. The immediate µTBS of BZF-21 and BZF-29 was not significantly different from that of C-SE2. The 1-year aged µTBS of all 2-UAs was significantly lower than that of C-SE2, except for BZF-29 applied in E&R mode. A significant reduction in µTBS upon 1-year aging was recorded for BZF-21 and BZF-29 applied in E&R mode. A significant difference in µTBS between E&R and SE bonding modes was recorded for all adhesives except BZF-21. SIGNIFICANCE: Experimental 2-UAs with a hydrophobic adhesive-resin design produced± 20-µm thick adhesive-resin layers, absorbed less water and resulted in bonding performance that was more aging-resistant when applied in SE than in E&R bonding mode. The silica-filled BZF-29 2-UA revealed the most comparable bonding performance with C-SE2 in a low C-factor condition (flat dentin).

[The prognostic value of morphological and functional parameters of cardiac magnetic resonance in patients with systemic light chain amyloidosis].

Objective: To investigate the features of morphological and functional parameters of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients with systemic light chain (AL) amyloidosis, and the prognostic values of these related parameters. Methods: The data of 97 patients (including 56 males and 41 females, aged 36 to 71 years) with AL amyloidosis from April 2016 to August 2019 in the General Hospital of Eastern Theater Command were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent CMR examination. Those patients were divided into survival (n=76) and death groups (n=21) according to the clinical outcomes, and the differences in clinical baseline and CMR parameters between the two groups were analyzed and compared. A smooth curve fitting was used to analyze the association between morphological and functional parameters and extracellular volume (ECV), and Cox regression models were conducted to explore the association between related parameters and mortality. Results: The left ventricular global function index (LVGFI), myocardial contraction fraction (MCF) and stroke volume index (SVI) decreased with increasing ECV [ß (95%CI) was -0.566 (-0.685--0.446), -1.201 (-1.424--0.977), -0.149 (-0.293--0.004), respectively;all P<0.05]. Left ventricular mass index (LVMI), and diastolic left ventricular global peak wall thickness (LVGPWT) increased with increasing ECV [ß(95%CI) was 1.440 (1.142-1.739), 0.190 (0.147-0.233), respectively;both P<0.001]. While left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) began to decrease only at higher amyloid burden (ß=-0.460, 95%CI:-0.639--0.280, P<0.001). The median follow-up time was 39 months (range 2-64 months), and 21 patients died during the follow-up period. The estimated survival rates according to Kaplan-Meier curves at 1, 3, and 5 years were 92.8%, 78.7%, and 77.1%, respectively. MCF<39% (HR=10.266, 95%CI: 4.093-25.747) and LVGFI<26% (HR=9.267, 95%CI: 3.705-23.178) were independent risk factors for death in patients with AL amyloidosis after adjusting for other CMR parameters (P<0.001). Conclusion: Multiple morphologic and functional parameters of CMR vary with the increase of ECV. MCF<39% and LVGFI<26% were independent risk factors for death.

Average and statistical properties of coherent radiation from steady-state microbunching.

A promising accelerator light source mechanism called steady-state microbunching (SSMB) is being actively studied. With the combination of strong coherent radiation from microbunching and high repetition rate of a storage ring, high-average-power narrow-band radiation can be anticipated from an SSMB storage ring, with wavelengths ranging from THz to soft X-ray. Such a novel light source could provide new opportunities for accelerator photon science like high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and industrial applications like extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. In this paper, a theoretical and numerical study of the average and statistical properties of coherent radiation from SSMB are presented. The results show that 1 kW average-power quasi-continuous-wave EUV radiation can be obtained from an SSMB ring provided that an average current of 1 A and a microbunch train with bunch length of 3 nm can be formed at the radiator which is assumed to be an undulator. Together with the narrow-band feature, the EUV photon flux can reach 6 × 1015 photons s-1 within a 0.1 meV energy bandwidth, which is three orders of magnitude higher than that in a conventional synchrotron source and is appealing for fundamental condensed matter physics and other research. In this theoretical investigation, we have generalized the definition and derivation of the transverse form factor of an electron beam which can quantify the impact of its transverse size on coherent radiation. In particular, it has been shown that the narrow-band feature of SSMB radiation is strongly correlated with the finite transverse electron beam size. Considering the pointlike nature of electrons and quantum nature of radiation, the coherent radiation fluctuates from microbunch to microbunch, or for a single microbunch from turn to turn. Some important results concerning the statistical properties of SSMB radiation are presented, with a brief discussion on its potential applications, for example the beam diagnostics. The presented work is of value for the development of SSMB to better serve potential synchrotron radiation users. In addition, this also sheds light on understanding the radiation characteristics of free-electron lasers, coherent harmonic generation, etc.

[A survey on the practice of bronchoscopy in county-level hospitals of China].

Objective: To investigate the bronchoscopy resource allocation and technology application in county-level hospitals in China. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted. In 2021, 12 provinces were sampled from all provinces in China according to the regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the number of counties, in which a total of 291 county-level hospitals were randomly enrolled. Two county-level hospitals which carried out bronchoscopy technology in each province were randomly sampled to investigate the status of bronchoscopy resources, technical application, decontamination and anesthesia by using questionnaires. Independent sample t test or two related sample nonparametric test were used for comparison between groups. Spearman correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation. Bilateral P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: According to the sampling results, it was estimated that in the county-level hospitals, the proportion of those performing bronchoscopy was 11.4% (9.9%, 13.8%), which was significantly correlated with the population in the province (r=0.64, P=0.025) and the regional GDP (r=0.65, P=0.025).The 24 county-level hospitals interviewed were equipped with (1.6±1.0) bronchoscopes on average, and the number of hospitals with electronic bronchoscopes and fiberoptic bronchoscopes was 22 (91.7%) and 6 (25.0%), respectively. Six (25.0%) hospitals performed bronchoscopy every working day. Twelve (50.0%) hospitals had relatively permanent physicians and nurses. All operating doctors had received special training. There was a significant increase in the number of bronchoscopy cases per hospital in 2020 compared to 2019 [140(70, 335) vs. 100(29, 254), P=0.001]. All hospitals used standard cleaning and sterilization workbenches, cleaning agents and disinfectants. Surface anesthesia was available in 24 hospitals, and bronchoscopy techniques under sedation and analgesia were performed in 10 (41.7%) hospitals. Atropine was still used to prevent airway secretions in 2 (8.3%) hospitals,although not recommended by guidelines. Conclusions: There was a large gap between the current status of bronchoscopy technology in county-level hospitals and the standards of the National Health Commission, together with regional disparities. Bronchoscopist training in the standardization and the decontamination work met the requirements. In some hospitals, the use of complementary medicines was not standardized or the sedatives were not given routinely according to the guidelines. We should promote the popularization and standardization of bronchoscopy technology, and strengthen the allocation of related resources in China's county hospitals.