Regulating the Oxygen Vacancy and Electronic Structure of NiCo Layered Double Hydroxides by Molybdenum Doping for High-Power Hybrid Supercapacitors.

Amelioration of nickel-cobalt layered double hydroxides (NiCo-LDH) with a high specific theoretical capacitance is of great desire for high-power supercapacitors. Herein, a molybdenum (Mo) doping strategy is proposed to improve the charge-storage performance of NiCo-LDH nanosheets growing on carbon cloth (CC) via a rapid microwave process. The regulation of the electronic structure and oxygen vacancy of the LDH is consolidated by the density functional theory (DFT) calculation, which demonstrates that Mo doping narrows the band gap, reduces the formation energy of hydroxyl vacancies, and promotes ionic and charge transfer as well as electrolyte adsorption on the electrode surface. The optimal Mo-doped NiCo-LDH electrode (MoNiCo-LDH-0.05/CC) has an amazing specific capacity of 471.1 mA h g-1 at 1 A g-1 , and excellent capacity retention of 84.8% at 32 A g-1 , far superior to NiCo-LDH/CC (258.3 mA h g-1 and 76.4%). The constructed hybrid supercapacitor delivers an energy density of 103.3 W h kg-1 at a power density of 750 W kg-1 and retains the cycle retention of 85.2% after 5000 cycles. Two assembled devices in series can drive thirty LED lamps, revealing a potential application prospect of the rationally synthesized MoNiCo-LDH/CC as an energy-storage electrode material.

In-Plane Palladium and Interplanar Copper Dual Single-Atom Catalyst in Bulk-Like Carbon Nitride for Cascade CO2 Photoreduction.

Dual single-atom catalysts (DSACs) are promising for breaking the scaling relationships and ensuring synergistic effects compared with conventional single-atom catalysts (SACs). Nevertheless, precise synthesis and optimization of DSACs with specific locations and functions remain challenging. Herein, dual single-atoms are specifically incorporated into the layer-stacked bulk-like carbon nitride, featuring in-plane three-coordinated Pd and interplanar four-coordinated Cu (Pd1-Cu1/b-CN) atomic sites, from both experimental results and DFT simulations. Using femtosecond time-resolved transient absorption (fs-TA) spectroscopy, it is found that the in-plane Pd features a charge decay lifetime of 95.6 ps which is much longer than that of the interplanar Cu (3.07 ps). This finding indicates that the in-plane Pd can provide electrons for the reaction as the catalytically active site in both structurally and dynamically favorable manners. Such a well-defined bi-functional cascade system ensures a 3.47-fold increase in CO yield compared to that of bulk-like CN (b-CN), while also exceeding the effects of single Pd1/b-CN and Cu1/b-CN sites. Furthermore, DFT calculations reveal that the inherent transformation from s-p coupling to d-p hybridization between the Pd site and CO2 molecule occurs during the initial CO2 adsorption and hydrogenation processes and stimulates the preferred CO2-to-CO reaction pathway.

RBP7 functions as a tumor suppressor in HR + breast cancer by inhibiting the AKT/SREBP1 pathway and reducing fatty acid.

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence proves that RBP7 plays a significant role in breast cancer (BC). The present study was aimed to investigate the mechanism of RBP7. METHODS: Western Blotting and qRT-PCR were performed for evaluating the expression levels. CCK8, colony forming, xenograft mouse model, wound healing and transwell assays were conducted to examine cell ability of proliferation, invasion and migration. Nile red staining and Oil red O staining were used for testing the lipid. RESULTS: RBP7 was related to overall survival (OS) in patients with HR + BC. RBP7 protein was significantly decreased in HR + BC tissues and cells. RBP7 suppressed HR + BC cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo, and inhibited migration and invasion. RBP7 reduced fatty acid in HR + BC cells by inhibiting the AKT/SREBP1 pathway. CONCLUSIONS: RBP7 may function as a tumor suppressor in HR + BC by inhibiting the AKT/SREBP1 pathway and reducing fatty acid.

Carbon dots@noble metal nanoparticle composites: research progress report.

Carbon dots@noble metal nanoparticle composites are formed by combining carbon dots and metal nanoparticles using various strategies. Carbon dots exhibit a reducing ability and function as stabilisers; consequently, metal-ion solutions can be directly reduced by them to synthesise gold, silver, and gold-silver alloy particles. Carbon dots@gold/silver/gold-silver particle composites have demonstrated the potential for several practical applications owing to their superior properties and simple preparation process. Until now, several review articles have been published to summarise fluorescent carbon dots or noble metal nanomaterials. Compared with metal-free carbon dots, carbon dots@noble metal nanoparticles have a unique morphology and structure, resulting in new physicochemical properties, which allow for sensing, bioimaging, and bacteriostasis applications. Therefore, to promote the effective development of carbon dots@noble metal nanoparticle composites, this paper primarily reviews carbon dots@gold/silver/gold-silver alloy nanoparticle composites for the first time in terms of the following aspects. (1) The synthesis strategies of carbon dots@noble metal nanoparticle composites are outlined. The principle and function of carbon dots in the synthesis strategies are examined. The advantages and disadvantages of these methods and composites are analysed. (2) The characteristics and properties of such composites are described. (3) The applications of these composite materials are summarised. Finally, the potentials and limitations of carbon dots@noble metal nanoparticle composites are discussed, thus laying the foundation for their further development.

Rapid and sensitive visual detection of avian leukosis virus by reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification combined with a lateral flow immunochromatographic strip assay.

Considering that avian leukosis virus (ALV) infection has inflicted massive economic losses on the poultry breeding industry in most countries, its early diagnosis remains an important measure for timely treatment and control of the disease, for which a rapid and sensitive point-of-care test is required. We established a user-friendly, economical, and rapid visualization method for ALV amplification products based on reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) combined with an immunochromatographic strip in a lateral flow device (LFD). Using the ALVp27 gene as the target, five RT-LAMP primers and one fluorescein-isothiocyanate-labeled probe were designed. After 60 min of RT-LAMP amplification at 64 °C, the products could be visualized directly using the LFD. The detection limit of this assay for ALV detection was 102 RNA copies/µL, and the sensitivity was 100 times that of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), showing high specificity and sensitivity. To verify the clinical practicality of this assay for detecting ALV, the gold standard RT-PCR method was used for comparison, and consistent results were obtained with both assays. Thus, the assay described here can be used for rapid detection of ALV in resource-limited environments.

Increased Extracellular Water in Normal-Appearing White Matter in Patients with Cerebral Small Vessel Disease.

BACKGROUND: Microcirculatory variations have been observed in the normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) of individuals affected by cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). These variations collectively possess the potential to trigger neuroinflammation and edema, ultimately leading to an elevation in extracellular fluid (ECF). Nevertheless, the specific alterations in ECF within the NAWM of CSVD patients have remained inadequately understood. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical and imaging characteristics of a cohort comprising 129 patients diagnosed with CSVD to investigate alterations in the ECF within NAWM. The severity of CSVD was assessed by total CSVD magnetic resonance (MR) score according to the four imaging markers, namely perivascular space, lacunar infarction, white matter hyperintensities and cerebral microbleed. ECF was evaluated by the parameter free water (FW), ranging from 0 to 1 generated from diffusion tensor imaging. RESULTS: Significant differences in NAWM FW were observed in relation to the total CSVD MR score (p < 0.05). Patients with a total CSVD MR score of 0 exhibited significantly lower NAWM free water (FW) values compared to those with a score greater than 0 (p < 0.05). Similarly, patients with a total CSVD MR score of 1 also demonstrated notably lower NAWM FW values than those with a score greater than 1 (p < 0.05). After conducting multivariate regression analysis, age and total CSVD MR score was independently associated with FW in NAWM (p < 0.001). Further, the total CSVD MR score served as a partial mediator in the relationship between age and FW in the NAWM among patients with CSVD. CONCLUSIONS: ECF in NAWM is increased in CSVD patients, even during the early course of CSVD.

Effect of thickened water swallow training in tube-feeding and dysphagia patients in the acute and early subacute phases of stroke: A quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Thickened water has been widely used in patients with dysphagia who receive oral feeding, but there is little evidence for tube-feeding patients. OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of thickened water swallow training in tube-feeding and dysphagia patients in the acute and early subacute phases of stroke. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study. Hospitalised patients with acute and early subacute stroke who received tube feeding due to dysphagia were recruited from March to December 2021. Patients assigned to the intervention group (n = 23) received thickened water swallow training three times daily until the feeding tube was removed or they were discharged, and patients in the control group (n = 23) received usual care. The main outcomes were duration of tube feeding and rates of weaning at discharge. RESULTS: Patients in the intervention group had a shorter tube-feeding duration (p = .046) and a higher rate of weaning at discharge (p = .017) than those in the control group. Significant interaction effects between time and group were detected regarding quality of life except for the swallowing burden dimension. CONCLUSIONS: Thickened water swallow training is feasible and effective for stroke patients with tube feeding and can shorten the duration of tube feeding and improve the rates of weaning and quality of life. Healthcare providers in nonrehabilitation units should actively conduct swallowing function intervention training to maximise the potential for acute and early subacute phase rehabilitation.

Insights into mechanism of peroxymonosufate activation by Mo single-atom catalysts: Singlet oxygen evolution and role of Mo-N coordination.

Recently, the Fenton-like reaction using peroxymonosulfate (PMS) has been acknowledged as a potential method for breaking down organic pollutants. In this study, we successfully synthesized a highly efficient and stable single atom molybdenum (Mo) catalyst dispersed on nitrogen-doped carbon (Mo-NC-0.1). This catalyst was then utilized for the first time to activate PMS and degrade bisphenol A (BPA). The Mo-NC-0.1/PMS system demonstrated the ability to completely degrade BPA within just 20 min. Scavenging tests and density functional theory (DFT) calculations have demonstrated that the primary reactive oxygen species was singlet oxygen (1O2) produced by Mo-N4 sites. The self-cycling of Mo facilitated PMS activation and the transition from a free radical activation pathway to a non-radical pathway mediated by 1O2. Simultaneously, the nearby pyridinic N served as adsorption sites to immobilize BPA and PMS molecules. The exceptionally high catalytic activity of Mo-NC-0.1 derived from its unique Mo-N coordination, which markedly reduced the distance for 1O2 to migrate to the BPA molecules. The Mo-NC-0.1/PMS system effectively reduced the acute toxicity of BPA and exhibited excellent cycling stability with minimal leaching. This study presented a new catalyst with high selectivity for 1O2 generation and provided valuable insights for the application of single atom catalysts in PMS-based AOPs.

Efficacy of probiotics against dental caries in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Dental caries causes serious consequences and the financial burden of society especially in children with high morbidity rate. Here we carried out a meta-analysis to systematically evaluate the efficacy of probiotics against dental caries in children. Forty-three RCTs were eligible for this meta-analysis after searching the PubMed, Cochrane and Web of Science from the inception through October 2021. Pooled estimates demonstrated that treatment with probiotics significantly reduced noncavitated (dicdas2-6mft) (SMD = -0.18, 95% CI: -0.3 to -0.06, p = 0.002) and cavitated (dicdas5-6mft) carious lesions in children (SMD = -0.32, 95% CI: -0.5 to 0.14, p = 0.0004). Probiotics also reduced prevalence of noncavitated (dicdas2-6mft) carious lesions (RR = 0.8, 95% CI: 0.67 to-0.97, p = 0.02). Salivary Streptococcus mutans was declined after intervention (SMD = -1.17, 95% CI: -1.85 to -0.5, p = 0.0007), while Lactobacillus counts were upregulated (SMD = 1.19, 95% CI: 0.46-1.92, p = 0.001). However, no significant effects in total bacteria counts and salivary pH were observed. Our findings suggest that probiotics especially Lactobacillus could be a promising therapeutic strategy for clinical applications in children dental caries.

Investigate the multipath erasure of nitrobenzene over nanoscale zero-valent-iron/N-doped biochar hybrid with extraordinary reduction performance.

In this study, the facile carbothermal reduction method was enforced using urea as dopant to modify the structure and chemical composition of nanoscale zero-valent-iron/biochar hybrid thereby boosting its reduction performance. Through fine-tuning the N-doped amount, the optimal nZVI/N-doped BC was obtained, which exhibited more active sites (nZVI, persistent free radicals (PFRs), pyrrolic-N) and superior electrochemical conductivity. With these blessings, the electrons originating from galvanic cell reaction could zip along the highway within the hybrid. Taking nitrobenzene (NB) as the target pollutant, the quantitative analysis revealed that the NB reduction and adsorption removal efficiency were dramatically improved by 2.42 and 2.78 times, respectively. What's more, combining the in-situ experimental detection and theoretical calculations, unexpected NB reductive multipath with respect to PFRs and pyrrolic-N accelerating the Fe3+/Fe2+ cycle within the nZVI/N-doped BC system was decoded. The enhancement of Fe3+/Fe2+ cycle improved the electron utilization efficiency and maintained the reduction reactivity of the hybrid. This work raised awareness of the mechanisms regarding the reduction performance of nZVI/N-doped BC elevated by N-doped and the pollutant reductive pathway within the system, uncovered the dusty roles of PFRs and N-species during the reduction process.

Machine learning for predicting the risk stratification of 1-5 cm gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors based on CT.

BACKGROUD: To predict the malignancy of 1-5 cm gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) by machine learning (ML) on CT images using three models - Logistic Regression (LR), Decision Tree (DT) and Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT). METHODS: 231 patients from Center 1 were randomly assigned into the training cohort (n = 161) and the internal validation cohort (n = 70) in a 7:3 ratio. The other 78 patients from Center 2 served as the external test cohort. Scikit-learn software was used to build three classifiers. The performance of the three models were evaluated by sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and area under the curve (AUC). Diagnostic differences between ML models and radiologists were compared in the external test cohort. Important features of LR and GBDT were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: GBDT outperformed LR and DT with the largest AUC values (0.981 and 0.815) in the training and internal validation cohorts and the greatest accuracy (0.923, 0.833 and 0.844) across all three cohorts. However, LR was found to have the largest AUC value (0.910) in the external test cohort. DT yielded the worst accuracy (0.790 and 0.727) and AUC values (0.803 and 0.700) in both the internal validation cohort and the external test cohort. GBDT and LR performed better than radiologists. Long diameter was demonstrated to be the same and most important CT feature for GBDT and LR. CONCLUSIONS: ML classifiers, especially GBDT and LR with high accuracy and strong robustness, were considered to be promising in risk classification of 1-5 cm gastric GISTs based on CT. Long diameter was found the most important feature for risk stratification.

Impact of Decreased Visibility of Deep Medullary Veins on White Matter Integrity in Patients with Cerebral Small Vessel Disease.

BACKGROUND: Based on susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) visibility, deep medullary vein (DMV) scores are related to white matter damage (WMD) in patients with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). However, whether mechanisms are associated with DMV changes is unclear. We examined extracellular fluid (ECF) roles in white matter associations between DMV scores and white matter integrity (WMI) in patients with CSVD. METHODS: We examined magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical data from 140 patients with CSVD. DMV scores (0-18) were assigned on SWI according to DMV anatomic regions and signal continuity/visibility. WMI and ECF volumes were evaluated using free water (FW) and fractional anisotropy (FA) values by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). RESULTS: DMV scores were independently associated with FA after adjusting for vascular risk factors, age, white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume, and CSVD burden [ß (95% confidence interval (CI)): -0.219 (-0.375, -0.061), p = 0.006]. We also observed a significant indirect effect of DMV scores on FA in white matter (mediated by FW in white matter) after controlling for age, vascular risk factors, WMH volume, and CSVD burden. CONCLUSIONS: DMV scores were independently related to WMI and mediated by ECF in the white matter of patients with CSVD.

Reconstruction of Medial Orbital Wall Using Autologous Perpendicular Plate of Ethmoid.

The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of perpendicular plate of ethmoid as material for the reconstruction of medial orbital wall. The main outcome measurement was preoperative and postoperative orbital volume. The authors performed a study including 17 patients who have isolated medial orbital wall fracture (blow-out fracture). All the patients were fixed the defect using autologous perpendicular plate of ethmoid under endonasal approach. The authors compared the preoperative and postoperative orbital volume difference (unaffected orbit, affected orbit) of all the patients, and observed the improvement of diplopia or ocular motility disorders after operation. All 17 medial orbital wall reconstruction surgeries were successful with no severe postoperative ophthalmic complications. Statistically significant differences were found between the preoperative and postoperative orbital tissue volumes for the affected orbit. There was no statistically significant difference found between the tissue volume of the contralateral unaffected orbit and the affected orbit after reconstruction. And postoperative computed tomography showed the implant is in place and there is no medial rectus incarceration. Autologous perpendicular plate of ethmoid proved to be safe and effective in the reconstruction of medial orbital wall under endonasal approach with cost-effectivence, low complication rate, high biocompatibility, and minimally invasion.

Predictors of complete oral feeding resumption after feeding tube placement in patients with stroke and dysphagia: A systematic review.

AIMS: The aim was to synthesise and discuss predictors of complete oral feeding resumption after feeding tube placement in stroke patients with dysphagia. DESIGN: This was a systematic review, following the PRISMA 2020 checklist. DATA SOURCES: Eight databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane, CINAHL, CNKI, WanFang and Vip) were searched for eligible studies from inception up to June 2021. REVIEW METHODS: The JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis was used to guide this systematic review. Any cross-sectional survey, longitudinal study, cohort study or case-control study that explored the recovery from tube feeding to complete oral feeding in patients with dysphagia after stroke was included. Qualitative studies, review articles, case reports and conference abstracts were excluded. Two reviewers independently screened and appraised the studies. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used for quality assessment. Content analysis was used to categorise factors predicting feeding tube removal in stroke patients with dysphagia. RESULTS: This review included a total of 15 studies consisting of 1746 participants, of which 2 were case-control studies and 13 were cohort studies. Four studies were rated as having low risk of bias, and the other 11 had high risk of bias. The factors examined in the studies were categorised into demographic characteristics (age and sex), swallowing function (instrumental assessments and non-instrumental assessments), stroke characteristics (stroke severity, past stroke history and location of the stroke), functional status (cognitive function and physical function) and clinical measures (body mass index, geriatric nutritional risk index, white blood cell count and C-reactive protein level). CONCLUSIONS: The major limitation of this review is the failure to identify predictors of different tube feeding types. Although the current evidence is insufficient to support or oppose the predictive effect of any single factor, these factors are still valuable data for clinical staff that provide information that researchers can use in developing prognostic models. Rigorously designed and high-quality research is needed to further explore the predictive value of these factors. REGISTRATION: This review was registered prospectively with PROSPERO [CRD42021272552]. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Healthcare providers should strengthen the monitoring of swallowing function in patients with stroke to promote complete oral feeding resumption. As the predictive value of the identified factors is still uncertain, large, well-designed, studies are needed to better clarify the importance of these predictors. NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public was involved in the design, analysis, preparation or writing of this review.

The impact of COVID-19 on the value of coastal recreational resource from the perspective of recreational behaviour change: Evident from China.

The Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak took a heavy toll on the global tourism industry in 2020, and affected the value realization of coastal recreational ecosystem service. From the micro perspective, this paper combines travel cost method with contingent behaviour method to obtain residents' actual behaviour and contingent behaviour data, and discusses the impact of the outbreak of COVID-19 on the value realization of coastal recreational resources from the perspective of the change in residents' recreational behaviour in Qingdao, China. Residents are observed to significantly reduce their outdoor activities in response to the COVID-19. The number of visits to the beach decreases by 25.2% when there is an outbreak, and decreases by 0.064% for every 1% increase in the number of confirmed cases, which is used to represent the severity of the epidemic. The asymmetries effects of epidemic situation on residents' recreational behaviour show that the improvements lead to larger and more significant impacts than the deteriorations. The disappearance of the pandemic crisis will provide considerable welfare for the citizens in Qingdao, which reaches to 1.9323 billion CNY/year. If the number of confirmed cases deteriorates to 900, the environmental welfare loss will be 0.3366 billion CNY/year. Additionally, we test the effects of residents' cognitive variables, and find that risk perception can strengthen the negative impacts of COVID-19 cases. Furthermore, the deteriorations in the environmental attributes are found to have stronger impacts on the number of visits than the improvements. This paper provides empirical-support results about the change of coastal recreational value through the evaluation of recreational behaviours in the post-epidemic period, which will give important implications for government's marine ecosystem restoration and coastal management work.

Visual typing detection of brucellosis with a lateral flow immunoassay based on coloured latex microspheres.

AIMS: Treatment and preventive control strategies for Brucella melitensis (B. melitensis) and Brucella abortus (B. abortus) infection differ. A lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) for the rapid typing and detection of brucellosis by using polychromatic dye-doped latex microspheres (LMs) as a labelling material was developed. METHODS AND RESULTS: This LFIA utilizes a double-antigen sandwich method in which the BP26 protein is used as the diagnostic antigen to detect brucellosis infection and the OMP31 protein is used as the identified antigen to distinguish between bovine and sheep brucellosis. Thus, people and animals infected with brucellosis can be diagnosed according to the different colours of the signals displayed on the detection lines. The results indicated that the accuracy of this assay was found to reach 98%, and the immunochromatographic test strip is highly accurate, shows good sensitivity and can facilitate typing diagnosis, among other features. CONCLUSIONS: The established LFIA can distinguish B. melitensis infection from B. abortus infection and produces results in a short period of time while retaining the advantages of LFIAs. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This technology lays a foundation for the development of multi-disease test strips and the establishment of methods for rapid, multi-specimen quantitative detection and is thus of great importance for the development of medical diagnostic technologies.

Prognostic Value of PTENP1 Expression in Patients with Cancer: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Downregulation of PTENP1 was reported in different malignant tumors. However, the function and significance of PTENP1 in the clinical pathology and prognosis of tumors are not very clear. Therefore, we performed this research to analyze and elucidate the correlations between the PTENP1 expression and clinical pathological parameters and outcome of patients in different types of cancer. METHODS: Literature on PTENP1 was retrieved from PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wan Fang, Springer, Ovid, and Medline databases. Pooled ORs (odds ratios) or HRs (hazard ratios) with 95% CIs were utilized to examine the relationship between the PTENP1 and clinical pathological traits and outcome of patients with different tumor types. RESULTS: Eight studies comprising 1,047 patients were enrolled and analyzed in this research. Down-regulation of PTENP1 was correlated with differentiation (OR: 2.57; 95% CI: 1.14 - 5.80), TNM stage (OR: 0.24; 95% CI: 0.13 - 0.43), and LNM (OR: 0.27; 95% CI: 0.14 - 0.52). Moreover, PTENP1 expression level was correlated with OS in the eight types of tumors (pooled HR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.39, 0.61). CONCLUSIONS: Low expression of PTENP1 might predict poor prognosis in patients with various carcinomas. PTENP1 may play an important role as a new prognostic indicator in patients with different malignant tumors.

Hyperdense middle cerebral artery sign predicts favorable outcome after decompressive craniectomy in patients with malignant middle cerebral artery infarction.

BACKGROUND: Malignant middle cerebral artery infarction (MMI) is a life-threatening cerebral vascular event. Early decompressive craniectomy (DC) has proven to be an effective treatment strategy. However, the ideal candidate for DC continues to be debated. PURPOSE: To investigate whether a hyperdense middle cerebral artery sign (HMCAS) provides prognostic value after DC in patients with MMI. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We reviewed clinical information and radiological parameters on computed tomography of 42 patients with MMI who underwent DC. Functional outcome was assessed according to the modified Rankin scale (mRS) at three months as follows: favorable outcome (mRS ≤ 4) versus unfavorable outcome (mRS > 4). Logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of functional outcome after DC in patients with MMI. RESULTS: Age (odds ratio [OR] = 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.78-0.97; P = 0.014) and HMCAS (OR = 7.40; 95% CI = 1.35-40.48; P = 0.021) were associated with functional outcome. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for predicting favorable outcome using the combination of age and HMCAS was 0.882, and the sensitivity and specificity were 0.947 and 0.696, respectively. CONCLUSION: Patients with MMI with HMCAS, as well as younger patients, often showed a favorable outcome after DC in this study.

Low level of complement factor H increases the risk of cancer-related death in patients with small-cell lung cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary cancer is a kind of deeply invasive tumour which is difficult to treat, and its mortality rate is high. Previous research has shown that activation of complement could contribute to the progression of non-small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). However, little research has been done on SCLC. METHODS: Complement factor H (CFH), complements C3 as well as C4 were measured in patients, and the prognostic impact of different parameters was assessed by log-rank function analysis and Cox multifactor models. Besides, we constructed a predictive model based on complement fractions and validated the accuracy of the model. RESULTS: Among these 242 patients, 200 (82.6%) died. The median survival time was 18.3 months. We found by multifactorial analysis that high levels of CFH decreased the risk of death (HR 0.23, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.57, p<0.001), while elevated complement C4 displayed poor prognosis (HR 2.28, 95% CI 1.66 to 3.13, p<0.001). We screened variables by Cox models and constructed CFH-based prediction models to plot a nomogram by internal validation. The nomogram showed excellent accuracy in assessing the probability of death, yielding an adjusted C-statistics of 0.905. CONCLUSIONS: CFH can be recognised as a biomarker to predict the risk of death in SCLC. The prediction model established based on CFH, C3 and C4 levels has good accuracy in patients' prognostic assessment.

Rapid vertical flow technique for the highly sensitive detection of Brucella antibodies with Prussian blue nanoparticle labeling and nanozyme-catalyzed signal amplification.

Brucellosis is a chronic infectious disease caused by Brucella, which is characterized by inflammation of reproductive organs and fetal membranes, abortion, infertility, and local inflammatory lesions of various tissues. Due to the widespread prevalence and spread of brucellosis, it has not only caused huge losses to animal husbandry, but also brought serious impacts on human health and safety. Therefore, rapid and accurate diagnosis is of great significance for the effective control of brucellosis. Therefore, we have developed a rapid vertical flow technique (RVFT) using Prussian blue nanoparticles (PBNPs) as a marker material for the detection of brucellosis antibodies. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was purified and used to detect brucellosis antibodies to improve the sensitivity of this technique. To enhance the sensitivity of serum antibody detection, a single multifunctional compound buffer was created using whole blood as a biological sample while retaining the advantages of typical lateral flow immunoassays. After signal amplification, standard Brucella-positive serum (containing Brucella antibody at 4000 IU mL-1) could be detected in this system even at a dilution factor of 1 × 10-2. The detection limit was 40 IU mL-1, which is ten times that before signal amplification. This RVFT displayed good specificity and no cross-reactivity. This RVFT effectively avoided the false negative phenomenon of lateral flow immunoassays, was easy to operate, had a short reaction time, has good repeatability, and could elicit results that were visible to the naked eye for 2 ~ 3 min without any equipment. Since this method is very important for controlling the prevalence of brucellosis, it holds great promise for application in primary medical units and veterinary brucellosis detection.