A strategy to enhance the water solubility of luminescent ß-diketonate-Europium(III) complexes for time-gated luminescence bioassays.

Luminescent ß-diketonate-europium(III) complexes have been found a wide range of applications in time-gated luminescence (TGL) bioassays, but their poor water solubility is a main problem that limits their effective uses. In this work we propose a simple and general strategy to enhance the water solubility of luminescent ß-diketonate-europium(III) complexes that permits facile synthesis and purification. By introducing the fluorinated carboxylic acid group into the structures of ß-diketone ligands, two highly water-soluble and luminescent Eu3+ complexes, PBBHD-Eu3+ and CPBBHD-Eu3+, were designed and synthesized. An excellent solubility exceeding 20 mg/mL for PBBHD-Eu3+ was found in a pure aqueous buffer, while it also displayed strong and long-lived luminescence (quantum yield φ = 26%, lifetime τ = 0.49 ms). After the carboxyl groups of PBBHD-Eu3+ were activated, the PBBHD-Eu3+-labeled streptavidin-bovine serum albumin (SA-BSA) conjugate was prepared, and successfully used for the immunoassay of human α-fetoprotein (AFP) and the imaging of an environmental pathogen Giardia lamblia under TGL mode, which demonstrated the practicability of PBBHD-Eu3+ for highly sensitive TGL bioassays. The carboxyl groups of PBBHD can also be easily derivatized with other reactive chemical groups, which enables PBBHD-Eu3+ to meet diverse requirements of biolabeling technique, to provide new opportunities for developing functional europium(III) complex biolabels serving for TGL bioassays.

Observation of the validity of the upper lip bite test in predicting difficult intubation.

The upper lip bite test (ULBT) is considered an effective method for predicting difficult airways, but data on the ULBT for predicting difficult tracheal intubation are lacking. This study aimed to examine the clinical utility of the ULBT in predicting difficult endotracheal intubation. We conducted an observational case-cohort study of adult patients undergoing elective surgery and requiring endotracheal intubation for general anesthesia. Difficult airway assessment was performed on the recruited patients before the operation, including the ULBT, mouth opening, thyromental distance, modified Mallampati test, and body mass index. The primary outcome was the incidence of difficult tracheal intubation. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to compare the performance of variables in predicting difficult tracheal intubation. We successfully recruited 2522 patients for analysis and observed 64 patients with difficult tracheal intubation. When predicting difficult tracheal intubation, grade 2 ULBT had a sensitivity of 0.75 and a specificity of 0.54, and grade 3 had a sensitivity of 0.28 and a specificity of 0.75. Compared with mouth opening, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the ULBT was lower in predicting difficult tracheal intubation (0.69 [95% confidence interval: 0.67-0.71] vs. 0.84 [95% confidence interval: 0.82-0.87], P < 0.05).Clinical Trials Registry: ChiCTR-ROC-16009050, principal investigator: Weidong Yao.

FRET Luminescent Probe for the Ratiometric Imaging of Peroxynitrite in Rat Brain Models of Epilepsy-Based on Organic Dye-Conjugated Iridium(III) Complex.

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures globally, imposing a substantial burden on patients and their families. The pathological role of peroxynitrite (ONOO-), which can trigger oxidative stress, inflammation, and neuronal hyperexcitability, is critical in epilepsy. However, the development of reliable, in situ, and real-time optical imaging tools to detect ONOO- in the brain encounters some challenges related to the depth of tissue penetration, background interference, optical bleaching, and spectral overlapping. To address these limitations, we present Ir-CBM, a new one-photon and two-photon excitable and long-lived ratiometric luminescent probe designed specifically for precise detection of ONOO- in epilepsy-based on the Förster resonance energy transfer mechanism by combining an iridium(III) complex with an organic fluorophore. Ir-CBM possesses the advantages of rapid response, one-/two-photon excitation, and ratiometric luminescent imaging for monitoring the cellular levels of ONOO- and evaluating the effects of different therapeutic drugs on ONOO- in the brain of an epilepsy model rat. The development and utilization of Ir-CBM offer valuable insights into the design of ratiometric luminescent probes. Furthermore, Ir-CBM serves as a rapid imaging and screening tool for antiepileptic drugs, thereby accelerating the exploration of novel antiepileptic drug screening and improving preventive and therapeutic strategies in epilepsy research.

Development and validation of a screening method for difficult tracheal intubation based on geometric simulation and computer technology.

BACKGROUND: The anatomical characteristics of difficult airways can be analysed geometrically. This study aims to develop and validate a geometry-assisted difficult airway screening method (GADAS method) for difficult tracheal intubation. METHODS: In the GADAS method, a geometric simulated model was established based on computer graphics. According to the law of deformation of the upper airway on laryngoscopy, the expected visibility of the glottis was calculated to simulate the real visibility on laryngoscopy. Validation of the new method: Approved by the Ethics Committee of Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College. Adult patients who needed tracheal intubation under general anaesthesia for elective surgery were enrolled. The data of patients were input into the computer software to calculate the expected visibility of the glottis. The results of tracheal intubation were recorded by anaesthesiologists. The primary observation outcome was the screening performance of the expected visibility of the glottis for difficult tracheal intubation. RESULTS: The geometric model and software of the GADAS method were successfully developed and are available for use. We successfully observed 2068 patients, of whom 56 patients had difficult intubation. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of low expected glottis visibility for predicting difficult laryngoscopy was 0.96 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.95-0.96). The sensitivity and specificity were 89.3% (95% CI: 78.1-96.0%) and 94.3% (95% CI: 93.2%-95.3), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: It is feasible to screen difficult-airway patients by applying computer techniques to simulate geometric changes in the upper airway.

Cerebral Small Vessel Disease Is Associated with Motor, Cognitive, and Emotional Dysfunction in Multiple System Atrophy.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) has not been systematically studied in patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA). OBJECTIVE: We sought to explore whether MSA patients suffer from a heavier CSVD burden relative to healthy individuals and whether CSVD has a relationship with motor, cognitive, and emotional dysfunction in patients with MSA. METHODS: This study consecutively recruited 190 MSA patients and 190 matched healthy controls whose overall CSVD burden and single CSVD imaging markers (including white matter hyperintensity (WMH), microbleeds, lacunes, and enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS)) were measured. Of the MSA patients, 118 completed multi-dimensional outcome assessments. Spearman's correlations and multivariable linear regressions were performed. RESULTS: We observed a greater burden of overall CSVD, WMH, and EPVS in MSA patients compared with controls, but not for microbleeds and lacunes. Motor dysfunction and cognitive impairment were significantly worse in subjects with severe CSVD than those with none-to-mild CSVD. In patients with MSA, the severity of CSVD burden was positively associated with motor impairments as measured by the Unified Multiple System Atrophy Rating Scale-II (ß= 2.430, p = 0.039) and Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (ß= 1.882, p = 0.015). Of CSVD imaging markers, different associations with MSA outcomes were displayed. WMH was associated with motor, cognitive, and emotional deficits, while the EPVS in the centrum semiovale, basal ganglia, and hippocampus regions was correlated only with motor severity, anxiety, and cognition, respectively. Similar findings were noted in MSA-cerebellar and MSA-parkinsonian patients. CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant CSVD may be correlated with worse multi-dimensional dysfunction in patients with MSA.

On Bicon-Numbers With Their Basic Properties and Applications in Quantum Systems.

Motivated by the fact that there exists the operation of conjugation in quantum systems, the concept of bicon-numbers is proposed in this article. The bicon-numbers are defined by introducing two symbolic parameters into the set of complex numbers. The basic functions of these two symbolic parameters are specified by an axiom which abstracts the operation of complex conjugation. Basic properties are developed for the operations of addition and multiplication in the bicon-number set. In addition, several different forms are given for bicon-numbers, and the corresponding operation rules are established. By exploring the relations of the vensors in the bicon-number set, the structure of the bicon-number set is depicted, and real matrix representations of bicon-numbers are also presented. Besides, bicomplex matrix representations for bicon-numbers are also investigated in view that the operation of multiplication for bicomplex numbers possesses commutativity property. In addition, the matrices with bicon-numbers as entries are investigated, and state responses of some quantum systems are given within the framework of bicon-numbers.

Deep medullary veins: a promising neuroimaging marker for mild cognitive impairment in outpatients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Mild cognitive impairment is an age-dependent pre-dementia state caused by varied reasons. Early detection of MCI helps handle dementia. Vascular factors are vital for the occurrence of MCI. This study investigates the correlation between deep medullary veins and multi-dimensional cognitive outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 73 participants with MCI and 32 controls were enrolled. Minimum Mental State Examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment were used to examine the global cognitive function, and different cognitive domains were measured by specific neuropsychological tests. MRI was used to assess the visibility of the DMV and other neuroimage markers. RESULTS: DMV score was statistically significantly higher in the MCI group compared with the control group (P = 0.009) and independently related to MCI (P = 0.007). Linear regression analysis verified that DMV score was linearly related to global cognition, memory, attention, and executive function after adjusting for cerebrovascular risk factors. CONCLUSION: DMV score was independently related to the onset of MCI, and correlates with overall cognition, memory, attention, and executive function in outpatients.

Coupling coordination development of energy-economy-carbon emissions in China under the background of "double carbon".

Based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2010 to 2019, this paper measured the coupling coordination development of energy-economy-carbon emissions and investigated its regional differences and spatial convergence. The research methods in this paper include entropy weight technique method for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution, coupling coordination degree model, Dagum Gini coefficient and decomposition method, Moran's I index, σ convergence model and ß convergence model. The study found that the coupling coordination degree of energy-economy-carbon emissions in China has been continuously improved and has obvious regional and stage characteristics, but it is still on the verge of imminent disorder; the overall difference in the coupling coordination degree of energy-economy-carbon emissions shows a decreasing and then increasing trend, the main source of which is inter-regional differences; the coupling coordination degree of energy-economy-carbon emissions has a positive spatial correlation; except for the Southern Coastal Economic Zone and the Middle Yangtze River Economic Zone, there is no significant σ-convergence and ß-convergence in the coupling coordination degree of energy-economy-carbon emissions system in other economic zones; the coupling coordination degree of energy-economy-carbon emissions changes fastest in the Middle Yangtze River Economic Zone. The innovation of this paper is to measure the coupling coordination degree of energy-economy-carbon emissions and to analyse its regional differences and spatial effects. It is of great practical significance to promote the coupling coordination development and regional balanced development of energy-economy-carbon emissions in China under the background of "dual carbon".

How does authentic leadership promote taking charge: The mediating effect of team social capital and the moderating effect of absorptive capacity.

Authentic leaders are consistent with the expectations of Chinese traditional cultural values for leaders. The purpose of this study is to take team internal social capital (TISC) as the mediating variable and individual absorptive capacity as the moderating variable to explore the relationship between authentic leadership and taking charge. We collected 337 questionnaires from China and used linear regression to explore the influencing mechanisms and boundary conditions. The study results showed that the trickle-down of authentic leadership and the trickle-round of TISC can directly promote employees' taking charge. Further, individual absorptive capacity positively moderated the relationship between TISC and taking charge. Our study provides a new perspective of leadership support for employees to implement taking charge in the context of high-power distance in China. From the perspective of authentic leadership, it is verified that leadership support is a necessary condition to motivate employees to implement proactive behavior. Moreover, compared with the research on the influence of leadership on proactive behavior, team-related and organization-related factors have not received enough attention. According to the social learning theory, we constructed an integrated framework for the first time in which leadership, team, and individual jointly affect taking charge.

Efficacy and Tolerability of Insulin Degludec Versus Other Long-acting Basal Insulin Analogues in the Treatment of Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to compare the efficacy and tolerability of insulin degludec with those of other long-acting insulin analogues (insulin glargine and insulin detemir) in patients with type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus (T1D or T2D). METHODS: Those randomized controlled trials comparing insulin degludec with other long-acting insulin analogues in the treatment of patients with T1D or T2D published on or before August 21, 2022, were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and EMBASE. The efficacy end points were the changes from baseline in hemoglobin A1c and fasting plasma glucose (FPG). The tolerability end point was the prevalence of hypoglycemia confirmed throughout the treatment period. FINDINGS: Data from a total of 20 trials (19,048 patients) were included. The differences in the reductions in glycosylated hemoglobin between insulin degludec and other long-acting basal insulin analogues (insulin glargine and insulin detemir) used for the treatment of patients with T1D or T2D were not significant. However, the reduction in FPG was greater with insulin degludec (-0.370 mmol/L; 95% CI, -0.473 to -0.267 mmol/L; P ≤ 0.001). Throughout the treatment periods of all of the available trials, the estimated rate ratios of overall and nocturnal hypoglycemia were significantly decreased with insulin degludec compared with insulin glargine or insulin detemir in patients with T1D or T2D; the differences in the risks for severe hypoglycemia were not significant. IMPLICATIONS: Compared with other long-acting insulin analogues (insulin glargine and insulin detemir), insulin degludec was associated with a significantly decreased FPG, with lower prevalences of overall and nocturnal hypoglycemia.

Association of Timing of Biliary Drainage with Clinical Outcomes in Severe Acute Cholangitis: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: The guidelines recommend urgent biliary drainage (BD) for severe acute cholangitis, without a clear definition of "urgent". To explore the optimal time, we identified the impact of timing of BD on clinical outcomes in severe acute cholangitis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study of patients with severe acute cholangitis was conducted based on the Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care III (MIMIC-III) database. Multivariable regressions were used to identified the effect of timing of BD on in-hospital mortality, 30-day mortality, and the length of stay (LOS) in hospital and the intensive care unit (ICU) with adjustment for confounding factors. RESULTS: A total of 106 severe acute cholangitis patients underwent BD with a median time of 14.14 hours (IQR: 7.60-32.59). Among them, 67.9% were performed within 24 hours and 80.2% within 48 hours. Median length of stay was 2.65 days (IQR: 1.70-5.12) in the ICU and 7.54 days (IQR: 4.49-17.17) in hospital. The in-hospital and 30-day mortality rates were 13.2% and 14.2%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, every 1-day delay of BD increased 1.49 days of stay in hospital (P<0.0001). Delayed BD (>48 hours) was linked with 5.56 days longer ICU LOS (P = 0.0096), while urgent BD (<24 hours) did not significantly shorten the ICU stay (P = 0.0997). No significant increase was observed on in-hospital mortality (OR = 1.03; 95% CI 0.93-1.13) nor 30-day mortality (OR=1.01; 95% CI 0.87-1.14) with BD delay in this population. CONCLUSION: In severe acute cholangitis patients, delay in BD increased in-hospital LOS. BD after 48 hours was associated with longer ICU LOS. Yet, BD within 24 hours did not significantly reduce the mortality nor shortened the ICU LOS.

Multifunctional organosilicon compound contributes to stable operation of high-voltage lithium metal batteries.

With the increasing demand for high-energy-density energy storage devices, lithium metal batteries have rekindled the interest of researchers due to ultra-high specific capacity. However, the extremely unstable interfaces between the electrolyte and electrodes limit its application seriously. Herein, we introduce an organosilicon compound, 1,3-Divinyltetramethyldisiloxane (DTMDS), as multifunctional electrolyte additive to enhance the performance of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4/Li batteries. DTMDS contains two functional groups: siloxane groups (Si-O) and unsaturated carbon-carbon double bonds (CC). Siloxane groups can capture hydrogen fluoride (HF) in electrolyte, and the carbon-carbon double bonds can form thin and dense passivation layer on both cathode and anode surfaces by polymerization. As a result, the capacity retention of the batteries can retain more than 95% after 500 cycles. This work provides a valuable reference for the design of multifunctional additives and stabilizing the interfaces of high-voltage lithium metal batteries.

A nomogram combining PPARγ expression profiles and clinical factors predicts survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer with poor prognosis. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) is involved in the development of various tumor types. However, its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. Multiple databases including The Cancer Genome Atlas, Gene Expression Omnibus and Kaplan-Meier plotter were used for bioinformatics analysis of the PPARγ gene or protein. Immunohistochemical labeling of tumor and adjacent normal tissues obtained from 125 patients with HCC was performed to analyze the relationship between PPARγ expression and overall survival (OS) rate. PPARγ was evaluated using functional enrichment analyses and Lasso regression was used to conduct a dimensionality reduction analysis of 43 clinical factors for HCC. An OS prognostic nomogram was then established using seven independent risk factors screened via Lasso regression. PPARγ expression in HCC tumor tissues was higher compared with that in normal liver tissues, and its high expression was associated with poor prognosis, as indicated by bioinformatics analysis. However, opposite results were obtained using the clinical specimens. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that PPARγ was enriched in the 'fatty acid metabolism' pathway. Lasso regression identified seven clinical factors associated with prognosis, including Tumor-Node-Metastasis stage, grade, vascular invasion, α fetoprotein, carbohydrate antigen 199, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase and the PPARγ protein. These seven clinical factors were to construct an OS prognostic nomogram. Overall, PPARγ was highly expressed in the livers of patients with HCC and can be included in an OS prognostic nomogram. However, the factors underlying the differential association of PPARγ expression with HCC prognosis in different datasets should be further investigated.

Aconitum Diterpenoid Alkaloid Profiling to Distinguish between the Official Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Fuzi and Adulterant Species Using LC-qToF-MS with Chemometrics.

The lateral roots of Aconitum carmichaelii, known in Chinese as fuzi, are officially recognized as a materia medica in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and used culinarily to prepare herbal soups. A strategy combining UPLC-qToF-MS analysis of A. carmichaelii and its intraspecies and interspecies chemometrics study was developed to examine the distribution of Aconitum marker metabolites. Four diterpenoid alkaloids were recognized to be important markers in fuzi, and another 15 markers were identified to differentiate A. carmichaelii from adulterant species. The detected fuzi markers, mesaconitine (47) and hypaconitine (51), are known to be the principal toxins in this herb, while fuziline (6) and benzoylmesaconine (25) are associated with its medicinal properties. Additional marker compounds have been detected in other Aconitum species that are useful for identifying adulteration. This study provides a useful resource for detecting traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) adulterants and assisting in the quality control of botanical products in TCM and beyond.

Disability assessment in stroke: Relationship among the pictorial-based Longshi Scale, the Barthel Index, and the modified Rankin Scale.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the correlations among the Longshi Scale, the Barthel Index, and the modified Rankin Scale and the differentiate ability of the Longshi Scale and the modified Rankin Scale to Barthel Index scores. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: The inpatient rehabilitation units of three teaching hospitals in China. SUBJECTS: A total of 343 stroke inpatients were recruited through convenience sampling. MAIN MEASURES: Pictorial-based Longshi Scale, Barthel Index, and modified Rankin Scale. RESULTS: The Longshi Scale was highly and moderately correlated with the Barthel Index and modified Rankin Scale, respectively. The median frequency distribution of the Barthel Index was slightly overlapped between Longshi Scale grades 2 and 3 but was considerably overlapped among modified Rankin Scale grades 1, 2, and 3. The Kruskal-Wallis and multiple comparison tests showed that, among the modified Rankin Scale grades, the median Barthel Index scores did not differentiate between grades 1 and 2 (χ2 = 20.643, P = 1.000), between grades 1 and 3 (χ2 = 60.404, P = 0.070), and between grades 2 and 3 (χ2 = 39.760, P = 0.232). Among the Longshi Scale grades, the median Barthel Index scores did not differentiate between grades 2 and 3 (χ2 = 48.778, P = 1.000), between grades 3 and 4 (χ2 = 57.094, P = 1.000), and between grades 5 and 6 (χ2 = 24.709, P = 1.000). CONCLUSION: Using the Barthel Index as reference, the proposed Longshi Scale has better ability than the modified Rankin Scale in differentiating stroke patients' disability, especially for those with higher level of activities of daily living.

A novel nomogram for predicting survival of patients with poorly differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Poorly differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma (PDGA) is a common adenocarcinoma with less glandular structure in gastric cancer. To date, the factors affecting its prognosis remain unclear. In this study, we establish a novel prognostic nomogram for PDGA. METHODS: We screened the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and downloaded data from PDGA patients who underwent surgery between 2010 and 2015. We explored their clinicopathological characteristics and important prognostic factors such as overall survival (OS), using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses, then constructed a prognostic nomogram using the resulting significant variables to predict the OS. We verified performance of the nomogram externally using a separate Chinese set, and further compared its ability as well as the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system to predict prognosis. RESULTS: A total of 3,887 patients in the SEER database met our inclusion criteria and were therefore included in the analysis. Multivariate analysis showed that age, sex, tumor size, prime site of tumor, T stage, N stage, and M stage were all independent prognostic factors for PDGA. These factors allowed successful establishment of a nomogram model with high predictive power, based on external verification using a Chinese set comprising 632 PDGA patients. The nomogram showed a better discrimination advantage than the 8th edition of the AJCC staging system in predicting OS (C-index of nomogram vs. AJCC staging for SEER set: 0.707 vs. 0.663; Chinese set: 0.788 vs. 0.713). CONCLUSIONS: The nomogram, established herein, was more accurate in predicting the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS of PDGA patients than the traditional AJCC TNA staging system. Successful establishment of a PDGA prognostic nomogram is a further step towards individualized and precise treatment of gastric cancer.

Research on two-dimensional external magnetic drive method of maglev ball based on force imbalance.

In this paper, an external magnetic driving method of a maglev ball based on force imbalance is first proposed to meet the requirement that the maglev ball is moved linearly in the axis direction of the electromagnetic actuator in the non-liquid environment. This method is expected to be better applied in the fields of industrial and medical miniature curved tube. The maglev ball is a magnetic levitated object. Based on the interpolation algorithm, the two-dimensional stepwise levitation motion trajectory of the maglev ball is designed as the target curve of the motion. The maglev ball can be driven with a large range along a specified motion path. Compared with the 1.0 mm step input, the overshoot of a 0.2 mm step input is decreased by 73.7% and 73.6% in the descending phase and the ascending phase, respectively. Therefore, fluctuation of the step response of the maglev ball is improved by smaller step control. However, the larger the step input, the faster the speed and the larger the levitation gap. Under the condition of a 1.0 mm step input, the maximum levitation gap can be up to 20.487 mm, and the speed of the maglev ball can reach 3.086 mm/s. Compared with static levitation control, the position of the maglev ball is fluctuated severely due to radial runout under motion control conditions, and the position accuracy can reach ±0.03 mm.

Fluorophosphorus derivative forms a beneficial film on both electrodes of high voltage lithium-ion batteries.

Layered lithium-rich oxides, as a series of highly promising cathode material for lithium-ion batteries, attract extensive attention due to their high specific capacity and high working potential (4.6 V vs Li/Li+). However, the poor interface stability of the cathode and electrolyte seriously restricts their practical application. In this article, theoretical calculations, linear sweep voltammetry and cyclic voltammetry results indicate that tris (pentafluorophenyl) phosphine (TPFPP) is a potential dual-functional electrolyte additive to solve interface problems. The TPFPP additive can decompose preferentially on the surface of both electrodes and form uniform and stable protective films, which effectively inhibit the continuous decomposition of the electrolyte and significantly alleviate the dissolution of transition metal ions during cycling. Owing to the above effects, the capacity retention and coulombic efficiency of Li1.17Ni0.25Mn0.58O2 (LLO)/graphite (Gr) cells are improved from 62.6% and 97.7% to 90.6% and 99.8% after 200 cycles at 0.3 C (1 C = 300 mA g-1), respectively. This study provides a wide prospect for the application of lithium-rich materials in the future.

Impact of periventricular hyperintensities and cystatin C on different cognitive domains in the population of non-demented elderly Chinese.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the impact of periventricular hyperintensities and serum cystatin C on mild cognitive impairment to provide a basis for the investigation of the pathogenesis. METHOD: 286 patients enrolled the study and underwent an examination in Shanghai Fifth People's Hospital from June 2017 to June 2018. The participants' cognitive function was evaluated by different cognitive domains using of mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA), auditory verbal learning test, Huashan version (AVLT-H), digit span test (DST), symbol digit modalities test (SDMT), trail making test (TMT) and verbal fluency test (VFT). We measured the levels of serum cystatin C at the department of clinical laboratory in Shanghai Fifth People's Hospital and each subject took an MRI examination in the Department of Radiology of Shanghai Fifth People's Hospital. Multivariate linear regression analyses were used to assess the relationship of cognitive score and the level of cystatin C and periventricular hyperintensities severity. All statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS system. RESULTS: Among 286 eligible participants, 203 (71.0%) were enrolled to further analysis, including 69 male and 134 female (Mean age 67.93 ±â€¯6.19 years). Significant predictors of severe periventricular hyperintensities (PVH) were older age and hypertension. Significant predictors of severe deep white matter hyperintensities (DWMH) were older age only. PVH severity was independently associated with mild cognitive impairment and that the primary impairment was executive function and processing speed. DWMH had no significant effect on cognitive function. Cystatin C only affected the overall cognitive level, and the relationship with WMH severity was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that in the chinese non-demented elderly, the severity of PVH was independent and significant associated with mild cognitive impairment and that the primary impairment was executive capacity and processing speed, while cystatin C may be an independent risk factor for overall cognitive impairment.