[Analysis of genetic diagnosis results of 1 501 suspected Cases of thalassemia patients from 2020 to 2022].

Objective: To explore the genotypes and frequency distribution of thalassemia in Lingui District, Guilin City, and provide reference for the prevention and control of thalassemia in this area.

Methods: The results of genetic testing for thalassemia in 1 501 suspected cases at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University were analyzed retrospectively. The deletional mutations of α-thalassemia were detected by gap-PCR, the non-deletional mutations of α-thalassemia and β-thalassemia mutations were detected by PCR-reverse dot blot (PCR-RDB).

Fire needle therapy for the treatment of cancer pain: a protocol for the systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Cancer patients frequently suffer pain as one of their symptoms. It includes acute and chronic pain and is one of the most feared symptoms for patients. About one-third of adults actively undergoing cancer treatment suffer from pain related to their condition.

Association between various cathepsins and uterine leiomyoma: A Mendelian randomization analysis.

Emerging evidence suggests a tentative association between cathepsins and uterine leiomyoma (UL). Previous investigations have predominantly focused on the role of cathepsins in the metastasis and colonization of gynecological malignancies. Still, observational studies may lead to confounding and biases.

Capillary effect-based selective sealing strategy for increasing piezoelectric MEMS speaker performance.

To address the serious acoustic performance deterioration induced by air leakage in the low-frequency range and the asynchronous vibration in electroacoustic transduction structures near the resonant frequency, a novel sealing strategy is proposed that targets one of the most widely reported piezoelectric MEMS speaker designs. This design consists of multiple cantilever beams, in which the air gaps between cantilevers are automatically and selectively filled with liquid polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) via the capillary effect, followed by curing. In the proof-of-concept demonstration, the sound pressure level (SPL) within the frequency range lower than 100 Hz markedly increased after sealing in an experiment using an IEC ear simulator.

Flexible CNT-Interpenetrating Hierarchically Porous Sulfurized Polyacrylonitrile (CIHP-SPAN) Electrodes for High-Rate Lithium-Sulfur (Li-S) Batteries.

Sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN) is a promising cathode material for lithium-sulfur batteries owing to its reversible solid-solid conversion for high-energy-density batteries. However, the sluggish reaction kinetics of SPAN cathodes significantly limit their output capacity, especially at high cycling rates. Herein, a CNT-interpenetrating hierarchically porous SPAN electrode is developed by a simple phase-separation method.

Enhanced Energy Storage Performance through Controlled Composition and Synthesis of 3D Mixed Metal-Oxide Microspheres.

Binary transition metal oxide complexes (BTMOCs) in three-dimensional (3D) layered structures show great promise as electrodes for supercapacitors (SCs) due to their diverse oxidation states, which contribute to high specific capacitance. However, the synthesis of BTMOCs with 3D structures remains challenging yet crucial for their application. In this study, we present a novel approach utilizing a single-step hydrothermal technique to fabricate flower-shaped microspheres composed of a NiCo-based complex.

Mendelian randomization supports genetic liability to hospitalization for COVID-19 as a risk factor of pre-eclampsia.

Background: Pre-eclampsia and eclampsia are among the major threats to pregnant women and fetuses, but they can be mitigated by prevention and early screening. Existing observational research presents conflicting evidence regarding the causal effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on pre-eclampsia risk. Through Mendelian randomization (MR), this study aims to investigate the causal effect of three COVID-19 severity phenotypes on the risk of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia to provide more rigorous evidence.

Single-cell transcriptional profiling reveals aberrant gene expression patterns and cell states in autoimmune diseases.

Multiple sclerosis(MS), primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS), and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) share numerous clinical symptoms and serological characteristics. We analyzed 153550 cells of scRNA-seq data of 17 treatment-naive patients (5 MS, 5 pSS, and 7 SLE) and 10 healthy controls, and we examined the enrichment of biological processes, differentially expressed genes (DEGs), immune cell types, and their subpopulations, and cell-cell communication in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The percentage of B cells, megakaryocytes, monocytes, and proliferating T cells presented significant changes in autoimmune diseases.

Should acupuncture become a complementary therapy in the treatment of uterine fibroid: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Uterine fibroids (UFs) are the most common benign tumors in women of reproductive age. The most effective treatment is myomectomy, but there is no long-term or low-invasive treatment option exists. Acupuncture can be used to treat UFs in a variety of ways.

Association Between Dysmenorrhea and Risk of Epilepsy in East Asian Populations: A Bidirectional Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study.

Dysmenorrhea is associated with epilepsy. Existing evidence is mostly limited to observational studies, which are liable to confounding and bias. This study investigated the causal relevance of dysmenorrhea on epilepsy using Mendelian randomization (MR).

Causal relationship between Helicobacter pylori antibodies and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): A mendelian study.

Background: Observational studies have indicated that both Helicobacter pylori infection and the presence of Helicobacter pylori antibodies may increase the risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, the exact association between Helicobacter pylori antibodies and the occurrence of GERD remains largely unresolved. Therefore, this two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study aims to investigate the causal relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and GERD.

A start-stop points CenterNet for wideband signals detection and time-frequency localization in spectrum sensing.

Recently, deep learning (DL) based object detection methods have attracted significant attention for wideband multisignal detection, which has been viewed as an essential part in the field of cognitive radio spectrum sensing. However, the existing DL methods are difficult or very likely fail to detect discontinuous burst signals, not to mention the signals with wide, instantaneous, dynamic bandwidth, and multiple channels. To solve this problem, the present study proposes a scheme that combines the start-stop point signal features for wideband multi-signal detection, namely the Fast Spectrum-Size Self-Training network (FSSNet).

Association of long-term benzodiazepine hypnotic use and prediabetes in US population: A cross-sectional analysis of national health and nutrition examination survey data.

Benzodiazepine hypnotics' effects on glucose metabolism are seldom reported, and the association between long-term (≥4 weeks) benzodiazepine usage and prediabetes has not been studied. This study was aimed to investigate the association between benzodiazepine hypnotic usage for ≥ 3 months and the prevalence of prediabetes. We analyzed cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) during 2005 to 2008, selecting adult participants without diabetes who used benzodiazepine hypnotics for at least 3 months or did not take any hypnotics.

AlN-based piezoelectric MEMS deformable mirror.

An AlN-based piezoelectric micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) continuous membrane deformable mirror (DM) prototype is presented for the first time. Its effective aperture diameter is 5 mm and it is equipped with 25 independently controlled actuators. Owing to the advantages associated with the AlN piezoelectric thin-film technology, attractive characteristics including CMOS compatible fabrication, bidirectional linear and negligible hysteresis actuation, and excellent linear superposition control capability have been successfully demonstrated.

The dynamic TRβ/IGH CDR3 repertoire features in patients with liver transplantation.

Objective: At present, little is known about the immune mechanism of liver transplantation caused by decompensated cirrhosis. Lymphocytes play an essential important role in the immune rejection of liver transplantation. In this study, we aimed to comprehensively analyze changes in complementary determinant 3 (CDR3) repertoire of T cell receptor β chain (TRβ) and immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) in liver transplantation patients and healthy controls (HC).

Metabolomic and proteomic analyses of primary Sjogren's syndrome.

The pathogenesis of primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) has not been fully elucidated. We explored differentially expressed proteins and metabolic pathways in pSS using proteomics and metabolomics. 456 named proteins in total were identified, among which 50 were significantly changed in the pSS.

Research progress on the application of single-cell sequencing in autoimmune diseases.

Autoimmune diseases (AIDs) are caused by immune tolerance deficiency or abnormal immune regulation, leading to damage to host organs. The complicated pathogenesis and varied clinical symptoms of AIDs pose great challenges in diagnosing and monitoring this disease. Regrettably, the etiological factors and pathogenesis of AIDs are still not completely understood.

Electroacupuncture for the treatment of cancer pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Objective: This paper aims to review the current evidence on electroacupuncture as an effective and safe therapy for cancer pain management.

Methods: Five databases were searched from their inception through November 11, 2022. Only the randomized controlled trials that meet the eligibility criteria were finally included in the study.

Characterisation of T and B cell receptor repertoire in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objectives: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with extreme heterogeneity, marked clinically by multi-systemic inflammatory involvement. However, the molecular mechanism of breakdown of self-tolerance is still unclear. T cell/B cell-mediated immune disorders may play a vital role in the pathogenesis of SLE.

Single optical fiber based forward-viewing all-optical ultrasound self-transceiving probe.

All-optical ultrasound probes with fully integrated ultrasound generation and detection functions demonstrate some unique advantages over traditional electroacoustic counterparts. However, due to the lack of an effective solution, the most commonly used method is to assemble two separate functional optical fibers together for ultrasound generation and detection, respectively. In this Letter, an innovative strategy, to the best of our knowledge, is developed to integrate the photoacoustic effect based ultrasound generation and the Fabry-Pérot (FP) interference based ultrasound detection structures together at the end of a single double clad optical fiber (DCF), so as to make a compact forward-viewing ultrasound self-transceiving probe (1-mm diameter).

Comprehensive analysis of B and T cell receptor repertoire in patients after kidney transplantation by high-throughput sequencing.

Purpose: The dynamic immunity of kidney transplant patients has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we explored the repertoire features of B/T cell receptor (BCR/TCR) of kidney transplant patients.

Methods: Using combined multiplex PCR amplification and high-throughput sequencing technique, we analyzed the uremic patients' BCR H chain and TCR beta chain repertoire which obtained 1 day before kidney transplantation (PRE-1), 1 day and 7 day after kidney transplantation (POST-1 and POST-7).

Kinetically Controlled Synthesis of Nonspherical Polystyrene Nanoparticles with Manipulatable Morphologies.

The morphology of nanoparticles plays a critical role in determining their properties and applications. Herein, we report a versatile approach to the fabrication of nonspherical polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles with controlled morphologies on the basis of kinetically controlled seed-mediated polymerization. By manipulating parameters related to the reaction kinetics including the concentration of monomers, injection rate of reactants, and reaction temperature, the monomers could be directed to polymerize on the selective sites of PS seeds, and after the removal of the second polymer, nonspherical nanoparticles with a variety of thermodynamically unfavored morphologies could be synthesized.

3D printing colloidal crystal microstructures via sacrificial-scaffold-mediated two-photon lithography.

The orderly arrangement of nanomaterials' tiny units at the nanometer-scale accounts for a substantial part of their remarkable properties. Maintaining this orderness and meanwhile endowing the nanomaterials with highly precise and free-designed 3D micro architectures will open an exciting prospect for various novel applications. In this paper, we developed a sacrificial-scaffold-mediated two-photon lithography (TPL) strategy that enables the fabrication of complex 3D colloidal crystal microstructures with orderly-arranged nanoparticles inside.

Somatosensory Deficits After Stroke: Insights From MRI Studies.

Somatosensory deficits after stroke are a major health problem, which can impair patients' health status and quality of life. With the developments in human brain mapping techniques, particularly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), many studies have applied those techniques to unravel neural substrates linked to apoplexy sequelae. Multi-parametric MRI is a vital method for the measurement of stroke and has been applied to diagnose stroke severity, predict outcome and visualize changes in activation patterns during stroke recovery.