Soot particle morphology and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons formation molecular dynamics during diffusion combustion of three pentanol biofuels.

Soot particles constitute a major pollutant in engine diffusion combustion, posing a serious threat to human health and the atmospheric environment. The employment of carbon-neutral biofuel, pentanol, in engines contributes to reducing soot emissions; however, its effectiveness is contingent upon the position of the OH functional group. This work investigated the soot morphology and microstructural parameters evolution of three pentanol isomers, and explored the influence mechanism of OH functional group positional isomerism on the entire process of PAHs formation at the atomic level.

Assessment of four-dimensional flow MRI for prediction of varices risk in cirrhotic patients.

Objective: This study aims to validate the application of abdominal four-dimensional flow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for cirrhotic patients and quantify its effectiveness in assessing the hemodynamic impacts of cirrhosis to evaluate varices.

Methods: All consecutive patients who underwent MRIs between September 2022 and June 2023 were enrolled. Groups were divided into varicose, non-varicose, and healthy groups.

Association between patent foramen ovale morphology and clinical outcomes following transcatheter closure.

Background: Anatomic variations of the patent foramen ovale (PFO) are commonly observed, yet limited research has investigated their impact on clinical outcomes following transcatheter closure. We aimed to explore the association between PFO morphology and clinical outcomes.

Methods: Consecutive patients with cryptogenic stroke who underwent PFO closure were prospectively enrolled at a single center from September 2019 to April 2023.

Experimental and Simulation Research on Femtosecond Laser Induced Controllable Morphology of Monocrystalline SiC.

Silicon carbide (SiC) is utilized in the automotive, semiconductor, and aerospace industries because of its desirable characteristics. Nevertheless, the traditional machining method induces surface microcracks, low geometrical precision, and severe tool wear due to the intrinsic high brittleness and hardness of SiC. Femtosecond laser processing as a high-precision machining method offers a new approach to SiC processing.

Tunable photo/thermochromic properties of Cd(II)-viologen coordination polymers modulated by coordination modes for flexible imaging films and anti-counterfeiting.

Two photochromic Cd(II)-CPs were obtained based on the viologen ligand using different synthetic routes, named {[Cd(-BDC)(CPB)(HO)]·2HO·EtOH} (1) and {[Cd(-BDC)(CPB)(HO)]·(L)·DMF} (2) (-HBDC = 1,4-benzene-dicarboxylate, HCPB·Cl = 1-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4'-bipyridinium·Cl, L = 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene, and DMF = ,-dimethylformamide), respectively. Due to different coordination modes, the two Cd(II)-CPs show different structures. Compound 1 exhibits a three-dimensional (3D) framework with bimetallic nodes, while compound 2 displays a 2-fold interpenetrated (4,4) net topology.

Advances in molecular targeted drugs in combination with CAR-T cell therapy for hematologic malignancies.

Molecular targeted drugs and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy represent specific biological treatments that have significantly improved the efficacy of treating hematologic malignancies. However, they face challenges such as drug resistance and recurrence after treatment. Combining molecular targeted drugs and CAR-T cells could regulate immunity, improve tumor microenvironment (TME), promote cell apoptosis, and enhance sensitivity to tumor cell killing.

Laparoscopic versus open surgery in obstructive colorectal cancer patients following stents placement: a comprehensive meta-analysis of cohort studies.

Background: Over the past decade, the use of stent placement as a bridge to surgery (BTS) has emerged as an alternative to emergency surgery for patients with (OCRC). However, the optimal surgical approach remains indeterminate. This study seeks to evaluate the safety and feasibility of a combined treatment modality involving stent placement and laparoscopic surgery for OCRC presenting with malignant obstruction.

Rescue angioplasty and/or stenting after mechanical thrombectomy: who can benefit?

Background: Angioplasty and/or stenting is a rescue therapy for mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in acute intracranial large vessel occlusion. This study was undertaken to determine whether rescue angioplasty and/or stenting improves the outcome after MT and to investigate whether outcomes differ by subgroup of rescue indication.

Methods: We performed propensity score matching (PSM) with data from a prospective multicenter registry of patients with acute large vessel occlusion receiving endovascular treatment.

A performance degradation model of nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) O-rings for hydrogen permeation effects under high-pressure.

The integration of molecular chain changes on a microscopic scale to achieve macroscopic performance is crucial in degradation processes concerning O-ring seals. Nonetheless, a comprehensive and compelling mathematical model that can describe molecular chains' material properties and macroscopic material properties simultaneously for O-rings under high-pressure conditions is yet to be established. In this paper, we propose a degradation model based on viscoelasticity and molecular chain statistics for hydrogen permeation.

Ratio of waist circumference to body mass index: A novel predictor of clinical outcome in hypertension patients.

We aim to investigate the influence of waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) on all-cause death and cardiovascular-specific death in patients with hypertension. This prospective cohort study, based on waist circumference and body mass index measurements in patients with hypertension, provided risk estimates of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events. The waist circumference-to-BMI ratio (WtBR) is an anthropometric measure integrating waist circumference and BMI.

CSM-Net: Automatic joint segmentation of intima-media complex and lumen in carotid artery ultrasound images.

The intima-media thickness (IMT) is an effective biomarker for atherosclerosis, which is commonly measured by ultrasound technique. However, the intima-media complex (IMC) segmentation for the IMT is challenging due to confused IMC boundaries and various noises. In this paper, we propose a flexible method CSM-Net for the joint segmentation of IMC and Lumen in carotid ultrasound images.

Effect of laparoscopic complete mesocolic excision combined with immunotherapy and its impact on immune function and tumor markers in elderly patients with colon cancer.

Objective: To determine the effect of laparoscopic complete mesocolic excision combined with immunotherapy and its impact on immune function and tumor markers in elderly patients with colon cancer.

Methods: This is a clinical comparative study. Eighty elderly patients with colon cancer hospitalized in the No.

Frailty in relation to the risk of carotid atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events in Chinese community-dwelling older adults: A five-year prospective cohort study.

Objective: To investigate the frailty, as estimated by accumulated health deficits, in association with the symptomatic carotid atherosclerosis and in relation to five-year cardiovascular (CVD) outcomes.

Methods: This is a five-year prospective cohort study. Secondary analysis of data from the Beijing Longitudinal Study on Aging.

MCAS-GP: Deep Learning-Empowered Middle Cerebral Artery Segmentation and Gate Proposition.

With the fast development of AI technologies, deep learning is widely applied for biomedical data analytics and digital healthcare. However, there remain gaps between AI-aided diagnosis and real-world healthcare demands. For example, hemodynamic parameters of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) have significant clinical value for diagnosing adverse perinatal results.

Agrimoniin is a dual inhibitor of AKT and ERK pathways that inhibit pancreatic cancer cell proliferation.

Molecular-targeted therapy has shown its effectiveness in pancreatic cancer, while single-targeted drug often cannot provide long-term benefit because of drug resistance. Fortunately, multitarget combination therapy can reverse drug resistance and achieve better efficacy. The typical treatment characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine monomer on tumor are multiple targets, with small side effects, low toxicity, and so forth.

Effects of plaque characteristics and artery hemodynamics on the residual stenosis after carotid artery stenting.

Objective: Carotid artery stenting (CAS) has become an alternative strategy to carotid endarterectomy for carotid artery stenosis. Residual stenosis was an independent risk factor for restenosis, with the latter affecting the long-term outcomes of CAS. This multicenter study aimed to evaluate the echogenicity of plaques and hemodynamic alteration by color duplex ultrasound (CDU) examination and investigate their effects on the residual stenosis after CAS.

Estimated Burden of Stroke in China in 2020.

Importance: Stroke is the leading cause of death in China. However, recent data about the up-to-date stroke burden in China are limited.

Objective: To investigate the urban-rural disparity of stroke burden in the Chinese adult population, including prevalence, incidence, and mortality rate, and disparities between urban and rural populations.

HRU-Net: A Transfer Learning Method for Carotid Artery Plaque Segmentation in Ultrasound Images.

Carotid artery stenotic plaque segmentation in ultrasound images is a crucial means for the analysis of plaque components and vulnerability. However, segmentation of severe stenotic plaques remains a challenging task because of the heterogeneities of inter-plaques and intra-plaques, and obscure boundaries of plaques. In this paper, we propose an automated HRU-Net transfer learning method for segmenting carotid plaques, using the limited images.

A frailty index based on routine laboratory data predicts increased risk of mortality in Chinese community-dwelling adults aged over 55 years: a five-year prospective study.

Background: Frailty can be operationalized based on the accumulation of deficits using a frailty index (FI) and is associated with an increased risk of adverse health outcomes. Here, we aim to compare validity of a FI from laboratory data with that of the common clinical FI for prediction of mortality in adults aged 55 + years, also examine whether combined FI could improve identification of adults aged 55 + years at increased risk of death.

Methods: Data for this analysis were obtained from the Beijing Longitudinal Study of Aging that involved 1,257 community-dwelling Chinese people, aged 55 + years at baseline.

The RAISE Trial: A Novel Device and First-in-Man Trial.

Background: Currently, standard medical therapies have limited effects on heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), which impacts on the life quality and survival of patients. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the percutaneous radiofrequency ablation-based interatrial shunting for HFpEF with a novel atrial septostomy device.

Methods: A preclinical study in 11 normal domestic pigs and the first-in-man study in 10 patients with HFpEF were performed.

Association of Stroke Subtype With Hemorrhagic Transformation Mediated by Thrombectomy Pass: Data From the ANGEL-ACT Registry.

Background: The role of stroke etiology subtype in patients with acute large vessel occlusion on the occurrence of hemorrhagic transformation (HT) after endovascular treatment is poorly studied, and which factors mediate their relationship remains largely unknown. We utilized nationwide registry data to explore the association of stroke subtype (cardioembolism versus large artery atherosclerosis) with HT and to identify the possible mediators.

Methods: A total of 1015 subjects were selected from the ANGEL-ACT registry (Endovascular Treatment Key Technique and Emergency Work Flow Improvement of Acute Ischemic Stroke)-a prospective consecutive cohort of acute large vessel occlusion patients undergoing endovascular treatment at 111 hospitals in China between November 2017 and March 2019-and divided into large artery atherosclerosis (n=538) and cardioembolism (n=477) according to the Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment criteria.

Combined Approach to Eptifibatide and Thrombectomy in Acute Ischemic Stroke Because of Large Vessel Occlusion: A Matched-Control Analysis.

Background: In patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy (MT), adjunctive antithrombotic might improve angiographic reperfusion, reduce the risk of distal emboli and reocclusion but possibly expose patients to a higher intracranial hemorrhage risk. This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of combined MT plus eptifibatide for acute ischemic stroke.

Methods: This was a propensity-matched analysis of data from 2 prospective trials in Chinese populations: the ANGEL-ACT trial (Endovascular Treatment Key Technique and Emergency Workflow Improvement of Acute Ischemic Stroke) in 111 hospitals between November 2017 and March 2019, and the EPOCH trial (Eptifibatide in Endovascular Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke) in 15 hospitals between April 2019 and March 2020.