Comparison of the diagnostic efficacy between virtual portal pressure gradient and hepatic venous pressure gradient in patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the performance of virtual portal pressure gradient (vPPG) and its associated hemodynamic parameters of 3-dimensional (3D) model in patients with cirrhosis.

Methods: Seventy cirrhotic patients who underwent both hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) measurement and vPPG calculation were prospectively collected. The ideal-state model (ISM; n = 44) was defined by sinusoidal PH without hepatic vein shunt or portal vein thrombosis, whereas those not conforming to the criteria were classified as non-ISM (n = 26).

Oral Lactoferrin-Responsive Formulation Anchoring around Inflammatory Bowel Region for IBD Therapy.

Oral formulation is the ideal treatment method for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) therapy, but the mucosal damage and diarrhea symptoms impede the drug retention around the inflammatory region, severely limiting IBD therapeutic efficacy. To address this, an oral astaxanthin (Ast) precise delivery formulation is developed with the selective Ast anchoring around the inflammatory region by the novel lactoferrin (LF)-responsive flocculation. This formulation also heightens the apparent solubility of Ast with the minimized edible safety risks for the edible raw materials.

The lasting impact of the ACA: how Medicaid expansion reduces outcome disparities in AYAs with leukemia and lymphoma.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), fully implemented in 2014, introduced reforms to Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), aiming to enhance health care access for vulnerable populations. Key provisions that can influence health outcomes in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with blood cancers include Medicaid expansion, which covers adults with income less than or equal to 138% of the federal poverty level based on modified adjusted gross income (MAGI), streamlined eligibility and enrollment processes, CHIP and Medicaid integration, and dependent coverage reform. Non-MAGI eligibility pathways based on age, disability, or waiver programs provide alternative routes for Medicaid coverage.

Efficacy of Sound Touch Elastography in Assessing Subcutaneous Lipohypertrophy from Insulin Injections.

Objective: Lipohypertrophy (LH) is a localized complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients on long-term insulin therapy. Sound touch elastography (STE) is a crucial tool in the quantitative real-time assessment of tissue hardness within specific target regions. This study aims to explore the efficacy of STE in evaluating the hardness of subcutaneous LH at insulin injection sites in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus and investigate the correlations between the hardness of LH lesions and various clinical indicators.

Medicaid Coverage Continuity is Associated with Lymphoma Stage among Children and Adolescents/Young Adults.

Lymphoma is the third leading cause of cancer among children and adolescents/young adults (AYAs) in the United States, with later-stage diagnoses often linked to worse outcomes. Continuous health insurance coverage is crucial for facilitating early cancer detection and diagnosis. Among Medicaid-insured children and AYAs diagnosed with lymphoma, this study examines whether the timing of Medicaid enrollment and coverage continuity are associated with stage at diagnosis.

Realizing linear-polarization-decoupled quasi-perfect absorption through mirror-symmetric QR-code metasurfaces.

Metamaterial absorbers (MAs) with irregular structures facilitate the attainment of unique absorption properties, leveraging the extensive geometric freedom. However, a challenge arises from the fact that polarization-dependent spectra do not coincide with cross-polarization. In this study, we introduce a MA featuring a mirror-symmetric quick response (QR)-code structure to achieve linear-polarization-decoupled absorption characteristics.

Piezo-VFETs: Vacuum Field Emission Transistors Controlled by Piezoelectric MEMS Sensors as an Artificial Mechanoreceptor with High Sensitivity and Low Power Consumption.

As one of the most promising electronic devices in the post-Moore era, nanoscale vacuum field emission transistors (VFETs) have garnered significant attention due to their unique electron transport mechanism featuring ballistic transport within vacuum channels. Existing research on these nanoscale vacuum channel devices has primarily focused on structural design for logic circuits. Studies exploring their application potential in other vital fields, such as sensors based on VFET, are more limited.

Development of a xylose-inducible and glucose-insensitive expression system for Parageobacillus thermoglucosidasius.

Inducible expression systems are pivotal for governing gene expression in strain engineering and synthetic biotechnological applications. Therefore, a critical need persists for the development of versatile and efficient inducible expression mechanisms. In this study, the xylose-responsive promoter xylA5p and its transcriptional regulator XylR were identified in Parageobacillus thermoglucosidasius DSM 2542.

Mechanisms of inhibition and recovery under multi-antibiotic stress in anammox: A critical review.

With the escalating global concern for emerging pollutants, particularly antibiotics, microplastics, and nanomaterials, the potential disruption they pose to critical environmental processes like anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) has become a pressing issue. The anammox process, which plays a crucial role in nitrogen removal from wastewater, is particularly sensitive to external pollutants. This paper endeavors to address this knowledge gap by providing a comprehensive overview of the inhibition mechanisms of multi-antibiotic on anaerobic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, along with insights into their recovery processes.

Fabrication of Self-Assembled Graphene Oxide Film and Its Application in Aqueous Zinc Metal Batteries.

Fabrication of well-dispersed thin graphene oxide (GO) films (GOFs) has always been a challenge. Herein, a quick preparation method for GOFs was developed using our homemade GO with a large lateral size. The film can be prepared in less than 2 h via a metal framework-induced self-assembly process.

Association Between Medicaid Coverage Continuity and Survival in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Pediatric and Adolescent Cancers.

Purpose: Many patients with cancer do not gain Medicaid coverage until a cancer diagnosis, which can reduce access to early cancer detection and timely treatment, potentially driving inferior survival. Little is known about whether continuous Medicaid coverage prediagnosis through postdiagnosis ( gaining Medicaid at/after diagnosis) provides survival benefits for pediatric/adolescent oncology patients.

Materials And Methods: We identified patients newly diagnosed with cancer at age 21 years or younger in a large pediatric health system between 2007 and 2016.

One-Step Dry-Etching Fabrication of Tunable Two-Hierarchical Nanostructures.

Two-hierarchical nanostructures, characterized by two distinct configurations along the height direction, exhibit immense potential for applications in various fields due to their significantly enhanced controllable degree compared to single-order structures. However, due to the limitations imposed by planar technology, the realization of two-hierarchical nanostructures encounters huge challenges. In this work, we developed a one-step etching method based on inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching for two-hierarchical nanostructures.

[Establishment and evaluation of haloalkane dehalogenase tagged -adrenergic receptor chromatography].

Receptor chromatography is an efficient analytical technique that combines the high separation ability of chromatography with the high specificity of receptors for drug recognition. In addition, this technique offers the advantages of active recognition, online separation, and convenient multidimensional target tracking. This strategy allows target active ingredients in complex systems, such as traditional Chinese medicines, to be efficiently screened and accurately identified.

Assessing ecological status using phytoplankton functional groups in three urban rivers in Hainan Island, China.

The urban rivers, including Changwang, Meishe, and Wuyuan in Haikou City, Hainan Island, are vital water sources for agricultural production and support industrial and domestic activities. Despite the rivers experiencing anthropogenic impacts, limited studies have assessed their water quality. Accordingly, this study assessed the phytoplankton community structure, utilized the river phytoplankton assemblage index (Q index) to evaluate the ecological status, and compared its performance with the comprehensive trophic level index (TLI).

Health Insurance Continuity and Mortality in Children and Adolescents/Young Adults with Blood Cancer.

Background: Many uninsured patients do not receive Medicaid coverage until a cancer diagnosis, potentially delaying access to care for early cancer detection and treatment. We examine the association of Medicaid enrollment timing and patterns with survival among children and adolescents/young adults (AYAs) diagnosed with blood cancers, where disease onset can be acute and early detection is critical.

Methods: We identified 28,750 children and AYAs (0-39 years) newly diagnosed with blood cancers from the 2006-2013 SEER-Medicaid data.

A rare submucosal eminence of the colon.

A 38-year-old man came to our outpatient department with abdominal pain. The computed tomography (CT) scan shows no obvious abnormalities. The colonoscopy showed a submucosal eminence about 0.

[Effect of Plasma Epstein-Barr Virus Nucleic Acid Loads on the Clinical Features and Prognosis in Adult Secondary Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis].

Objective: To investigate the effect of pre-treatment plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA copy number on the clinical features and prognosis of patients with adult secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis(sHLH).

Methods: The clinical characteristics, survival rate, and prognostic factors of 171 patients with adult sHLH treated at Jiangsu Province Hospital from June 2017 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed in this study. Patients were divided into three groups, including the EBV DNA-negative group(<5.

Visualization of Electrooxidation on Palladium Single Crystal Surfaces via In Situ Raman Spectroscopy.

The electrooxidation of catalyst surfaces is across various electrocatalytic reactions, directly impacting their activity, stability and selectivity. Precisely characterizing the electrooxidation on well-defined surfaces is essential to understanding electrocatalytic reactions comprehensively. Herein, we employed in situ Raman spectroscopy to monitor the electrooxidation process of palladium single crystal.

A critical review of comammox and synergistic nitrogen removal coupling anammox: Mechanisms and regulatory strategies.

Nitrification is highly crucial for both anammox systems and the global nitrogen cycle. The discovery of complete ammonia oxidation (comammox) challenges the inherent concept of nitrification as a two-step process. Its wide distribution, adaptability to low substrate environments, low sludge production, and low greenhouse gas emissions may make it a promising new nitrogen removal treatment process.