Diagnostic Accuracy of D-Dimer for Acute Aortic Syndromes: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Acute aortic syndrome is a life-threatening emergency condition. Previous systematic reviews of D-dimer diagnostic accuracy for acute aortic syndrome have been contradictory and based on limited data, but recently published studies offer potential for a more definitive overview. We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the diagnostic accuracy of D-dimer for diagnosing acute aortic syndrome. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library from inception to February 2024. Additionally, the reference lists of included studies and other systematic reviews were thoroughly searched. All diagnostic cohort studies (prospective or retrospective) that assessed the use of D-dimer for diagnosing acute aortic syndrome compared with a reference standard test (eg, computed tomographic angiography (CTA), ECG-gated CTA, echocardiography, magnetic resonance angiography, operation, or autopsy) were included. Two independent reviewers completed study selection, data extractions and quality assessment using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) tool. Data were synthesized using a bivariate meta-analysis model. RESULTS: Of 2017 potentially relevant citations, 25 cohort studies met the inclusion criteria, and 18 reporting the 500 ng/mL threshold were included in the primary meta-analysis. Risk of bias domains were mostly unclear due to limited study reporting. The summary sensitivity was 96.5% (95% credible interval [CrI] 94.8% to 98%) and summary specificity was 56.2% (95% CrI, 48.3% to 63.9%). Study specificity varied markedly from 33% to 86%, indicating substantial heterogeneity. Sensitivity analysis including the 7 studies reporting other thresholds showed summary sensitivity of 95.7% (95% CrI, 93.2% to 97.5%) and summary specificity of 57.5% (95% CrI, 50.1% to 64.6%). CONCLUSION: D-dimer concentration has high sensitivity (96.5%) and moderate specificity (56.2%) for acute aortic syndrome, with some uncertainty around estimates due to risk of bias and heterogeneity. Previous meta-analysis reporting higher specificity may be explained by inclusion of case-control studies that may overestimate accuracy.

Unbiased photoelectrochemical H2O2 coupled to H2 production via dual Sb2S3-based photoelectrodes with ultralow onset potential.

The productions of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and hydrogen (H2) in a photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting cell suffer from an onset potential that limits solar conversion efficiencies. The formation of H2O2 through two-electron PEC water oxidation reaction competes with four-electron oxidation evolution reaction. Herein, we developed the surface selenium doped antimony trisulfide photoelectrode with the integrated ruthenium cocatalyst (Ru/Sb2(S,Se)3) to achieve the low onset potential and high Faraday efficiency (FE) for selective H2O2 production. The photoanode exhibits an average FE of 85% in the potential range of 0.4-1.6 VRHE and the H2O2 yield of 1.01 µmol cm-2 min-1 at 1.6 VRHE, especially at low potentials of 0.1-0.55 VRHE with 80.4% FE. Impressively, an unassisted PEC system that employs light and electrolyte was constructed to simultaneously produce H2O2 and H2 production on both Ru/Sb2(S,Se)3 photoanode and the Pt/TiO2/Sb2S3 photocathode. The integrated system enables the average PEC H2O2 production rate of 0.637 µmol cm-2 min-1 without applying any addition bias. This is the first demonstration that Sb2S3-based photoelectrodes exhibit H2O2/H2 two-side production with a strict key factor of the system, which represents its powerful platform to achieve high efficiency and productivity and the feasibility to facilitate value-added products in neutral conditions.

Enhanced Charge Carrier Dynamics on Sb2 Se3 Photocathodes for Efficient Photoelectrochemical Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia.

Ammonia (NH3 ) is recognized as a transportable carrier for renewable energy fuels. Photoelectrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (PEC NO3 RR) offers a sustainable solution for nitrate-rich wastewater treatment by directly converting solar energy to ammonia. In this study, we demonstrate the highly selective PEC ammonia production from NO3 RR by constructing a CoCu/TiO2 /Sb2 Se3 photocathode. The constructed CoCu/TiO2 /Sb2 Se3 photocathode achieves an ammonia Faraday efficiency (FE) of 88.01 % at -0.2 VRHE and an ammonia yield as high as 15.91 µmol h-1 cm-2 at -0.3 VRHE with an excellent onset potential of 0.43 VRHE . Dynamics experiments and theoretical calculations have demonstrated that the CoCu/TiO2 /Sb2 Se3 photocathode possesses high light absorption capacity, excellent carrier transfer capability, and high charge separation and transfer efficiencies. The photocathode can effectively adsorb the reactant NO3 - and intermediate, and the CoCu co-catalyst increases the maximum Gibbs free energy difference between NO3 RR and HER. Meanwhile, the Co species enhances the spin density of Cu, and increases the density of states near the Fermi level in pdos, which results in a high PEC NO3 RR activity on CoCu/TiO2 /Sb2 Se3 . This work provides a new avenue for the feasibility of efficient PEC ammonia synthesis from nitrate-rich wastewater.

Enhanced Charge-carrier Dynamics and Efficient Photoelectrochemical Nitrate-to-ammonia Conversion on Antimony Sulfide-based Photocathodes.

The photoelectrochemical reduction of nitrate to ammonia (PEC NO3RR) has emerged as a promising pathway for facilitating the natural nitrogen cycle. The PEC NO3RR can lower the reduction potential needed for ammonia synthesis through photogenerated voltage, showcasing the significant potential for merging abundant solar energy with sustainable nitrogen fixation. However, it is influenced by the selective photocathodes with poor carrier kinetics, low catalytic selectivity, and ammonia yields. There are few reports on suitable photoelectrodes owning efficient charge transport on PEC NO3RR at low overpotentials. Herein, we rationally constructed the CuSn alloy co-catalysts on the antimony sulfides with a highly selective PEC ammonia and an ultra-low onset potential (0.62 VRHE). CuSn/TiO2/Sb2S3 achieved an ammonia faradic efficiency of 97.82% at a low applied potential of 0.4 VRHE, and an ammonia yield of 16.96 µmol h-1 cm-2 at 0 VRHE under one sun illumination. Dynamics experiments and theoretical calculations have demonstrated that CuSn/TiO2/Sb2S3 has an enhanced charge separation and transfer efficiency, facilitating photogenerated electrons to participate in PEC NO3RR quickly. Meanwhile, moderate NO2* adsorption on this photocathode optimizes the catalytic activity and increases the NH4+ yield. This work opens an avenue for designing sulfide-based photocathodes for the efficient route of solar-to-ammonia conversion.

Constructing a 3D Covalent Organic Framework from 2D hcb Nets through Inclined Interpenetration.

Three-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (3D COFs) have been of great interest due to their inherent numerous open sites and pore confinement effect. However, it has remained challenging to build 3D frameworks via interdigitation (also known as inclined interpenetration) by generating an entangled network formed by multiple 2D layers inclined with respect to each other. Herein, we report the first case of constructing a 3D COF, termed COF-904, through interdigitating 2D hcb nets, which was formed via [3+2] imine condensation reactions by the use of 1,3,5-triformylbenzene and 2,3,5,6-tetramethyl-1,4-phenylenediamine. The single-crystal structure of COF-904 is solved, and the locations of all non-hydrogen atoms are determined by 3D electron diffraction with a resolution up to 0.8 Å. These results not only broaden the strategy for achieving 3D COFs via interdigitation but also demonstrate that structurally complex extended frameworks can arise from simple molecules.

Intermediate Formation of Macrocycles for Efficient Crystallization of 2D Covalent Organic Frameworks with Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have gained significant attention as key photocatalysts for efficient solar light conversion into hydrogen production. Unfortunately, the harsh synthetic conditions and intricate growth process required to obtain highly crystalline COFs greatly hinder their practical application. Herein, we report a simple strategy for the efficient crystallization of 2D COFs based on the intermediate formation of hexagonal macrocycles. Mechanistic investigation suggests that the use of 2,4,6-triformyl resorcinol (TFR) as the asymmetrical aldehyde build block allows the equilibration between irreversible enol-to-keto tautomerization and dynamic imine bonds to produce the hexagonal ß-ketoenamine-linked macrocycles, the formation of which could provide COFs with high crystallinity in half hour. We show that COF-935 with 3 wt % Pt as cocatalyst exhibit a high hydrogen evolution rate of 67.55 mmol g-1 h-1 for water splitting when exposed to visible light. More importantly, COF-935 exhibits an average hydrogen evolution rate of 19.80 mmol g-1 h-1 even at a low loading of only 0.1 wt % Pt, which is a significant breakthrough in this field. This strategy would provide valuable insights into the design of highly crystalline COFs as efficient organic semiconductor photocatalysts.

Isomeric Oligo(Phenylenevinylene)-Based Covalent Organic Frameworks with Different Orientation of Imine Bonds and Distinct Photocatalytic Activities.

Imine-linked covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have been extensively studied in photocatalysis because of their easy synthesis and excellent crystallinity. The effect of imine-bond orientation on the photocatalytic properties of COFs, however, is still rarely studied. Herein, we report two novel COFs with different orientations of imine bonds using oligo(phenylenevinylene) moieties. The COFs showed similar structures but great differences in their photoelectric properties. COF-932 demonstrated a superior hydrogen evolution performance compared to COF-923 when triethanolamine was used as the sacrificial agent. Interestingly, the use of ascorbic acid led to the protonation of the COFs, further altering the direction of electron transfer. The photocatalytic performances were increased to 23.4 and 0.73 mmol g-1 h-1 for protonated COF-923 and COF-932, respectively. This study provides a clear strategy for the design of imine-linked COF-based photocatalysts and advances the development of COFs.

An investigation of the constancy of effect in Cochrane systematic reviews in context with the assumptions for noninferiority trials.

When designing a noninferiority (NI) study one of the most important steps is to set the noninferiority (NI) limit. The NI limit is an acceptable loss of efficacy for a new investigative treatment compared to an active control treatment - often standard care. The limit should be a value so small that the loss efficacy is clinically zero. An approach to the setting of a noninferiority limit such that an effect over placebo can be shown through an indirect comparison to placebo-controlled trials where the active control treatment was compared to placebo. In this context, the setting of the NI limit depends on three assumptions: assay sensitivity, bias minimisation, and the constancy assumption. The last assumption of constancy assumes the effect of the active control over placebo is constant. This paper aims to assess the constancy assumption in placebo-controlled trials. METHODS: 236 Cochrane reviews of placebo-controlled trials published in 2015-2016 were collected and used to assess the relation between the placebo, active treatment, and the standardised treatment different (SMD) with the time (year of publication). RESULTS: The analysis showed that both the size of the study and the treatment effect were associated with year of publication. The three main variables that affect the estimate of any future trial are the estimate from the meta-analysis of previous trials prior to the trial, the year difference in the meta-analysis, and the year of the trial conduction. The regression analysis showed that an increase of one unit in the point estimate of the historical meta-analysis would lead to an increase in the predicted estimate of future trial on the SMD scale by 0.88. This result suggests the final trial results are 12% smaller than that from the meta-analysis of trials until that point. CONCLUSION: The result of this study indicates that assuming constancy of the treatment difference between the active control and placebo can be questioned. It is therefore important to consider the effect of time in estimating the treatment response if indirect comparisons are being used as the basis of a NI limit.

Smart Synthesis of Hollow Microporous Organic Capsules with a Polyaniline Modified Shell.

In this work, novel hypercrosslinked polymer-based hollow microporous organic capsules with a polyaniline (PANI)-modified shell (PANI@S-HMOCs) are prepared by in-situ polymerization of aniline in the porous structure of the sulfonated hollow microporous organic capsules (S-HMOCs). PANI@S-HMOC1, PANI@S-HMOC2, and PANI@S-HMOC3 are made by adjusting S-HMOCs and aniline weight ratios of 4:1 and 3:1, and 2:1, respectively. The characterizations of PANI@S-HMOCs demonstrate that electrostatic interaction between aniline and sulfonic acid groups plays an important role in encapsulating PANI in the pores of the shell. The content of PANI shows an evident effect on the porosity of PANI@S-HMOCs, and an appropriate polyaniline loading amount may increase the surface area. PANI@S-HMOC1 and PANI@S-HMOC2 have higher BET surface areas (529 and 503 m2 g-1 ) than S-HMOCs (424 m2 g-1 ), but PANI@S-HMOC3 has lower BET surface area (380 m2 g-1 ). Based on the structural and textural features, PANI@S-HMOC2 shows good adsorption performance for Cr(VI) from aqueous media (156 mg g-1 , pH = 2, and 27 mg g-1 , pH = 7).

Rapid Detection of Available Nitrogen in Soil by Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

Soil-available nitrogen is the main nitrogen source that plants can directly absorb for assimilation. It is of great significance to detect the concentration of soil-available nitrogen in a simple, rapid and reliable method, which is beneficial to guiding agricultural production activities. This study confirmed that Raman spectroscopy is one such approach, especially after surface enhancement; its spectral response is more sensitive. Here, we collected three types of soils (chernozem, loess and laterite) and purchased two kinds of nitrogen fertilizers (ammonium sulfate and sodium nitrate) to determine ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N) and nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) in the soil. The spectral data were acquired using a portable Raman spectrometer. Unique Raman characteristic peaks of NH4-N and NO3-N in different soils were found at 978 cm-1 and 1044 cm-1, respectively. Meanwhile, it was found that the enhancement of the Raman spectra by silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was greater than that of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Combined with soil characteristics and nitrogen concentrations, Raman peak data were analyzed by multiple linear regression. The coefficient of determination for the validation (Rp2) of multiple linear regression prediction models for NH4-N and NO3-N were 0.976 and 0.937, respectively, which deeply interpreted the quantitative relationship among related physical quantities. Furthermore, all spectral data in the range of 400-2000 cm-1 were used to establish the partial least squares (PLS), back-propagation neural network (BPNN) and least squares support vector machine (LSSVM) models for quantification. After cross-validation and comparative analysis, the results showed that LSSVM optimized by particle swarm methodology had the highest accuracy and stability from an overall perspective. For all datasets of particle swarm optimization LSSVM (PSO-LSSVM), the Rp2 was above 0.99, the root mean square errors of prediction (RMSEP) were below 0.15, and the relative prediction deviation (RPD) was above 10. The ultra-portable Raman spectrometer, in combination with scatter-enhanced materials and machine learning algorithms, could be a promising solution for high-efficiency and real-time field detection of soil-available nitrogen.

Rapid Detection of Different Types of Soil Nitrogen Using Near-Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging.

Rapid and accurate determination of soil nitrogen supply capacity by detecting nitrogen content plays an important role in guiding agricultural production activities. In this study, near-infrared hyperspectral imaging (NIR-HSI) combined with two spectral preprocessing algorithms, two characteristic wavelength selection algorithms and two machine learning algorithms were applied to determine the content of soil nitrogen. Two types of soils (laterite and loess, collected in 2020) and three types of nitrogen fertilizers, namely, ammonium bicarbonate (ammonium nitrogen, NH4-N), sodium nitrate (nitrate nitrogen, NO3-N) and urea (urea nitrogen, urea-N), were studied. The NIR characteristic peaks of three types of nitrogen were assigned and regression models were established. By comparing the model average performance indexes after 100 runs, the best model suitable for the detection of nitrogen in different types was obtained. For NH4-N, R2p = 0.92, RMSEP = 0.77% and RPD = 3.63; for NO3-N, R2p = 0.92, RMSEP = 0.74% and RPD = 4.17; for urea-N, R2p = 0.96, RMSEP = 0.57% and RPD = 5.24. It can therefore be concluded that HSI spectroscopy combined with multivariate models is suitable for the high-precision detection of various soil N in soils. This study provided a research basis for the development of precision agriculture in the future.

Cost effectiveness of nusinersen for patients with infantile-onset spinal muscular atrophy in US.

BACKGROUND: Patients with infantile-onset spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare, genetic neuromuscular disease, do not achieve key motor function milestones (e.g., sitting) and have short life expectancy in the absence of treatment. Nusinersen is a disease-modifying therapy for patients with SMA. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of nusinersen compared to best supportive care (BSC) in patients diagnosed with infantile-onset SMA in the US. METHODS: A de novo economic model was developed with the following health states: "permanent ventilation", "not sitting", "sitting", "walking", and "death". Short-term data were sourced from the pivotal clinical trials and studies of nusinersen (ENDEAR and SHINE). Motor function milestones achieved at the end of follow-up in the clinical trials were assumed to be sustained until death. Mortality risks were based on survival modelling of relevant published Kaplan-Meier data. Costs, life years (LYs), and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were discounted at 3% per annum, and the analyses were performed from a US health care sector perspective. Scenario analyses and sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the robustness of the results to key parameters. RESULTS: In our base-case analysis, nusinersen treatment achieves greater QALYs and more LYs (3.24 and 7.64, respectively) compared with BSC (0.46 QALYs and 2.40 LYs, respectively), resulting in an incremental cost per QALY gained of approximately $1,112,000 and an incremental cost per LY gained of $590,000 for nusinersen compared to BSC. The incremental cost effectiveness ratios did not fall below $990,000 per QALY gained in scenario and sensitivity analyses. Results were most sensitive to the length of survival, background health care costs, and utility in the "not sitting" and "sitting" health states. CONCLUSIONS: The estimated incremental cost-effectiveness of nusinersen from a US health care sector perspective exceeded traditional cost-effectiveness thresholds. Cost-effectiveness was dependent on assumptions made regarding survival, costs, utilities, and whether the motor function milestones were sustained over lifetime. Given the relatively short-term effectiveness data available for the treatment, a registry to collect long-term data of infantile-onset SMA patients is recommended.

A π-Conjugated, Covalent Phosphinine Framework.

Structural modularity of polymer frameworks is a key advantage of covalent organic polymers, however, only C, N, O, Si, and S have found their way into their building blocks so far. Here, the toolbox available to polymer and materials chemists is expanded by one additional nonmetal, phosphorus. Starting with a building block that contains a λ5 -phosphinine (C5 P) moiety, a number of polymerization protocols are evaluated, finally obtaining a π-conjugated, covalent phosphinine-based framework (CPF-1) through Suzuki-Miyaura coupling. CPF-1 is a weakly porous polymer glass (72.4 m2 g-1 BET at 77 K) with green fluorescence (λmax =546 nm) and extremely high thermal stability. The polymer catalyzes hydrogen evolution from water under UV and visible light irradiation without the need for additional co-catalyst at a rate of 33.3 µmol h-1 g-1 . These results demonstrate for the first time the incorporation of the phosphinine motif into a complex polymer framework. Phosphinine-based frameworks show promising electronic and optical properties, which might spark future interest in their applications in light-emitting devices and heterogeneous catalysis.

Rheumatoid arthritis treated with 6-months of first-line biologic or biosimilar therapy: an updated systematic review and network meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to estimate the effectiveness of first-line biologic disease modifying drugs(boDMARDs), and their approved biosimilars (bsDMARDs), compared with conventional (csDMARD) treatment, in terms of ACR (American College of Rheumatology) and EULAR (European League against Rheumatism) responses. METHODS: Systematic literature search, on eight databases to January 2017, sought ACR and EULAR data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of boDMARDs / bsDMARDs (in combination with csDMARDs, or monotherapy). Two adult populations: methotrexate (MTX)-naïve patients with severe active RA; and csDMARD-experienced patients with moderate-to-severe active RA. Network meta-analyses (NMA) were conducted using a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation using a random effects model with a probit link function for ordered categorical. RESULTS: Forty-six RCTs met the eligibility criteria. In the MTX-naïve severe active RA population, no biosimilar trials meeting the inclusion criteria were identified. MTX plus methylprednisolone (MP) was most likely to achieve the best ACR response. There was insufficient evidence that combination boDMARDs was superior to intensive (two or more) csDMARDs. In the csDMARD-experienced, moderate-to-severe RA population, the greatest effects for ACR responses were associated with tocilizumab (TCZ) monotherapy, and combination therapy (plus MTX) with bsDMARD etanercept (ETN) SB4, boDMARD ETN and TCZ. These treatments also had the greatest effects on EULAR responses. No clear differences were found between the boDMARDs and their bsDMARDs. CONCLUSIONS: In MTX-naïve patients, there was insufficient evidence that combination boDMARDs was superior to two or more csDMARDs. In csDMARD-experienced patients, boDMARDs and bsDMARDs were comparable and all combination boDMARDs / bsDMARDs were superior to single csDMARD.

Fluorene-Based Conjugated Microporous Polymers: Preparation and Chemical Sensing Application.

Conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) with strong fluorescence are great candidates for optoelectronic applications such as photocatalysis and chemical sensing. A series of novel fluorene-based conjugated microporous polymers (FCMPs) with different electronic structures are prepared by Yamamoto coupling reactions using rationally designed monomers. The FCMPs show a high degree of microporosity, decent specific surface areas, and variable fluorescence. FCMP3, which possesses a triazine knot in the network, exhibits the highest specific surface area of 489 m2 g-1 , the largest pore volume of 0.30 cm3 g-1 , and the highest solid-state photoluminescence quantum yield of 11.46%. Chemical sensing performance of FCMPs is studied using a range of nitroaromatic compounds as the analytes. Among the FCMPs, FCMP3 exhibits the highest Stern-Volmer constants of 2541, 4708, and 5241 m-1 for the detection of nitrobenzene, 4-nitrotoluene, 2,4-dinitrotoluene, respectively, which are comparable to the detecting efficiency of the state-of-the-art CMP-based sensing agents.

Synthetic Control and Multifunctional Properties of Fluorescent Covalent Triazine-Based Frameworks.

Conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs), with the virtue of high porosity and optoelectronic activity, are attracting increasing research interest and have been used in various environmental and energy areas. Efficient synthesis and the exploitation of new functionalities are the research hotspots in the CMPs research area. Covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) synthesized by CF3 SO3 H catalyzed trimerization reactions show properties quite alike to CMPs and this method avoids the use of noble metal catalysts. In this study, a series of novel fluorescent covalent triazine-based frameworks (F-CTFs) is prepared using different tetra-cyano compounds as the starting monomers. Both porosity and fluorescence properties of the F-CTFs can be adjusted by the monomer structure. Gas adsorption measurement reveals that F-CTF1 with the largest surface area of 896 m(2) g(-1) shows the highest CO2 uptake of 3.29 mmol g(-1) at 273 K and 1.13 bar among the polymers. Taking advantages of their large surface areas and strong fluorescence, these F-CTFs could be used as efficient chemical sensing agents for various nitroaromatic compounds as well.

Tunable organic photocatalysts for visible-light-driven hydrogen evolution.

Photocatalytic hydrogen production from water offers an abundant, clean fuel source, but it is challenging to produce photocatalysts that use the solar spectrum effectively. Many hydrogen-evolving photocatalysts are active in the ultraviolet range, but ultraviolet light accounts for only 3% of the energy available in the solar spectrum at ground level. Solid-state crystalline photocatalysts have light absorption profiles that are a discrete function of their crystalline phase and that are not always tunable. Here, we prepare a series of amorphous, microporous organic polymers with exquisite synthetic control over the optical gap in the range 1.94-2.95 eV. Specific monomer compositions give polymers that are robust and effective photocatalysts for the evolution of hydrogen from water in the presence of a sacrificial electron donor, without the apparent need for an added metal cocatalyst. Remarkably, unlike other organic systems, the best performing polymer is only photoactive under visible rather than ultraviolet irradiation.

Assurance calculations for planning clinical trials with time-to-event outcomes.

We consider the use of the assurance method in clinical trial planning. In the assurance method, which is an alternative to a power calculation, we calculate the probability of a clinical trial resulting in a successful outcome, via eliciting a prior probability distribution about the relevant treatment effect. This is typically a hybrid Bayesian-frequentist procedure, in that it is usually assumed that the trial data will be analysed using a frequentist hypothesis test, so that the prior distribution is only used to calculate the probability of observing the desired outcome in the frequentist test. We argue that assessing the probability of a successful clinical trial is a useful part of the trial planning process. We develop assurance methods to accommodate survival outcome measures, assuming both parametric and nonparametric models. We also develop prior elicitation procedures for each survival model so that the assurance calculations can be performed more easily and reliably. We have made free software available for implementing our methods.

Oligo(phenylenevinylene)-Based Covalent Organic Frameworks with Kagome Lattice for Boosting Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have shown great advantages as photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution. However, the effect of linkage geometry and type of linkage on the extent of π-electron conjugation in the plane of the framework and photocatalytic properties of COFs remains a significant challenge. Herein, two Kagome (kgm) topologic oligo(phenylenevinylene)-based COFs are designed and synthesized for boosting photocatalytic hydrogen evolution via a "two in one" strategy. Under visible light irradiation, COF-954 with 5 wt% Pt as cocatalyst exhibits high hydrogen evolution rate (HER) of 137.23 mmol g-1 h-1 , outperforming most reported COF-based photocatalysts. More importantly, even in natural seawater, COF-954 shows an average HER of 191.70 mmol g-1 h-1 under ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) light irradiation. Additionally, the water-drainage experiments indoors and outdoors demonstrate that 25 and 8 mL hydrogen gas could be produced in 80 min under UV-vis light and natural sunlight, respectively, corresponding to a high HER of 167.41 and 53.57 mmol h-1 g-1 . This work not only demonstrates an effective design strategy toward highly efficient COF-based photocatalysts, but also shows the great potential of using the COF-based photocatalysts for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Advancing unanchored simulated treatment comparisons: A novel implementation and simulation study.

Population-adjusted indirect comparisons, developed in the 2010s, enable comparisons between two treatments in different studies by balancing patient characteristics in the case where individual patient-level data (IPD) are available for only one study. Health technology assessment (HTA) bodies increasingly rely on these methods to inform funding decisions, typically using unanchored indirect comparisons (i.e., without a common comparator), due to the need to evaluate comparative efficacy and safety for single-arm trials. Unanchored matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) and unanchored simulated treatment comparison (STC) are currently the only two approaches available for population-adjusted indirect comparisons based on single-arm trials. However, there is a notable underutilisation of unanchored STC in HTA, largely due to a lack of understanding of its implementation. We therefore develop a novel way to implement unanchored STC by incorporating standardisation/marginalisation and the NORmal To Anything (NORTA) algorithm for sampling covariates. This methodology aims to derive a suitable marginal treatment effect without aggregation bias for HTA evaluations. We use a non-parametric bootstrap and propose separately calculating the standard error for the IPD study and the comparator study to ensure the appropriate quantification of the uncertainty associated with the estimated treatment effect. The performance of our proposed unanchored STC approach is evaluated through a comprehensive simulation study focused on binary outcomes. Our findings demonstrate that the proposed approach is asymptotically unbiased. We argue that unanchored STC should be considered when conducting unanchored indirect comparisons with single-arm studies, presenting a robust approach for HTA decision-making.