Comparative analysis of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke hospitalization rates in end-stage kidney disease and kidney transplant patients with and without atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) in end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and kidney transplant (KTx) recipients presents challenges in stroke risk management. This study aimed to compare hospitalization rates for ischemic and hemorrhagic cerebrovascular events in ESKD and KTx patients with and without AF.

Methods: Using the National Inpatient Sample (2005-2019), retrospective analysis was conducted on hospitalizations for ESKD and KTx patients with and without AF.

Covalent Organic Frameworks for Membrane Separation.

Membranes with switchable wettability, solvent resistance, and toughness have emerged as promising materials for separation applications. However, challenges like limited mechanical strength, poor chemical stability, and structural defects during membrane fabrication hinder their widespread adoption. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), crystalline materials constructed from organic molecules connected by covalent bonds, offer a promising solution due to their high porosity, stability, and customizable properties.

Ground-to-air aircraft infrared image deblurring based on imaging degradation simulation.

The issue of infrared image deblurring has been a significant concern. However, in some specific scenes, the current mainstream deblurring algorithms based on optimization or deep learning fail to provide satisfactory results. Aiming to address the ineffectiveness of deep learning methods due to the low-cost datasets' unavailability for specific scenes, we innovatively propose a relatively simple full-chain imaging degradation simulation method using ground-to-air aircraft infrared imaging scene as an example, which considers the effects of blur and noise caused by the atmosphere, imaging system, target motion and detector.

Aberration aware feature detection and description.

Feature detection and description are crucial for image matching, as better performance at this stage leads to more accurate matching results, which is essential for subsequent vision-based tasks. However, images captured by different optical systems may suffer from various optical aberrations, especially in off-axis field and out-of-depth-of-field regions, making it challenging for models to extract consistent feature locations and descriptors. In this paper, we propose what we believe to be a novel method for training feature detection and description networks by incorporating optical system aberrations modeled by point spread function(PSF).

Willow catkin template synthesis of NiS@NSC hollow tubes for highly sensitive dual-function electrochemical detection of acetaminophen and Cu.

Public health and environmental well-being have become increasingly threatened by the contamination of pharmaceuticals and heavy metal ions. This study focuses on addressing this critical issue by developing a novel electrochemical sensor for the dual-functional detection of acetaminophen (AP) and Cu. Utilizing willow catkins as a biomass template, a hollow tubular NiS@NSC composite was prepared by simple nickel salt impregnation combined with calcination and sulfurization.

Reactive Oxygen Species-Responsive Pillararene-Embedded Covalent Organic Frameworks with Amplified Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy for the Targeted Elimination of Periodontitis Pathogens.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive drug delivery systems possess immense potential for targeted delivery and controlled release of therapeutics. However, the rapid responsiveness to ROS and sustained release of antibacterial drugs are often limited by the challenging microenvironment of periodontitis. Integrating ROS-responsive drug delivery systems with photocatalytic technologies presents a strategic approach to overcome these limitations.

Acetonitrile-Based Local High-Concentration Electrolytes for Advanced Lithium Metal Batteries.

Acetonitrile (AN) is a compelling electrolyte solvent for high-voltage and fast-charging batteries, but its reductive instability makes it incompatible with lithium metal anodes (LMAs). Herein, 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl-2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropyl ether (TTE) is used as the diluent to build an AN-based local high-concentration electrolyte (LHCE) to realize dense, dendrite-free, and stable LMAs. Such LHCE exhibits an exceptional electrochemical stability window close to 6 V (vs Li/Li), excellent wettability, and promising flame retardancy.

Lithiation Depth Regulation of Silicon Anodes toward Excellent Stability.

Silicon (Si) is an appealing choice of anode for next-generation lithium ion batteries with high energy density, but its dramatic volume expansion makes it a tremendous challenge to achieve acceptable stability. Herein, we demonstrate that no capacity decay is observed during the testing period when the lithiation depth of Si nanoparticles is regulated at 2000 mAh g or below, the fracture of Si anode films is well mitigated under suitable regulation of lithiation depth, and the cycled Si remains particulate without turning flocculent as under full lithiation. In addition, the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) with a LiF-dominated outer region produced under lithiation regulation could better passivate the Si anodes and prevent further electrolyte decomposition than the mosaic-type SEI formed under full lithiation.

A Personalized Music Intervention in Nursing Home Residents Living With Dementia: Findings From a Randomized Study.

Utilizing a randomized control design, this mixed method study aimed to assess the impact of a personalized music intervention on mood, agitation level, and psychotropic drug use in individuals with moderate to advanced dementia residing in long-term care facilities. The sample comprised of 261 participants, with 148 in the intervention group and 113 in the control group. Data were collected from three sources: quantitative data from the Minimum Data Set and the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory, observational data of music-listening sessions, and an administrator survey regarding the lead staff person's perceptions of the intervention.

Alemtuzumab induction is associated with decreased hospitalization rates in pediatric kidney transplant: A UNOS data review for safety and outcomes with common induction regimens.

Background: We hypothesized that alemtuzumab use is safe in pediatric kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) with equivalent long-term outcomes compared to other induction agents.

Methods: Using pediatric kidney transplant recipient data in the UNOS database between January 1, 2000, and June 30, 2022, multivariate logistic regression, multivariable Cox regression, and survival analyses were utilized to estimate the likelihoods of 1st-year and all-time hospitalizations, acute rejection, CMV infection, delayed graft function (DGF), graft loss, and patient mortality among recipients of three common induction regimens (ATG, alemtuzumab, and basiliximab).

Results: There were no differences in acute rejection or graft failure among induction or maintenance regimens.

Fast Interfacial Defluorination Kinetics Enables Stable Cycling of Low-Temperature Lithium Metal Batteries.

The development of low-temperature lithium metal batteries (LMBs) encounters significant challenges because of severe dendritic lithium growth during the charging/discharging processes. To date, the precise origin of lithium dendrite formation still remains elusive due to the intricate interplay between the highly reactive lithium metal anode and organic electrolytes. Herein, we unveil the critical role of interfacial defluorination kinetics of localized high-concentration electrolytes (LHCEs) in regulating lithium dendrite formation, thereby determining the performance of low-temperature LMBs.

A Comprehensive Analysis of Litigation in Organ Transplantation for Allegations of Insufficient Policy Coverage, Discrimination and Malpractice.

Transplantation is a field with unique medical and administrative challenges that involve an equally diverse array of stakeholders. Expectantly, the litigation stemming from this field should be similarly nuanced. There is a paucity of comprehensive reviews characterizing this medicolegal landscape.

Simultaneous decontamination of phosphorus and bisphenol A from livestock wastewater with boehmite-modified carbon composite.

In this work, a novel boehmite-modified carbon adsorbent (BMCC) derived from moldy corn was used for simultaneous removal of P and bisphenol A (BPA) from livestock wastewater. The results showed that BMCC had a high specific surface area (308.82 m/g) with boehmite nanoparticles anchored on its surface.

Dark2Light: multi-stage progressive learning model for low-light image enhancement.

Due to severe noise and extremely low illuminance, restoring from low-light images to normal-light images remains challenging. Unpredictable noise can tangle the weak signals, making it difficult for models to learn signals from low-light images, while simply restoring the illumination can lead to noise amplification. To address this dilemma, we propose a multi-stage model that can progressively restore normal-light images from low-light images, namely Dark2Light.

Sub-3 nm Pt@Ru toward Outstanding Hydrogen Oxidation Reaction Performance in Alkaline Media.

Anion-exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) are promising alternative hydrogen conversion devices. However, the sluggish kinetics of the hydrogen oxidation reaction in alkaline media hinders further development of AEMFCs. As a synthesis method commonly used to prepare disordered PtRu alloys, the impregnation process is ingeniously designed herein to synthesize sub-3 nm Pt@Ru core-shell nanoparticles by sequentially reducing Pt and Ru at different annealing temperatures.

Using the network scale-up method to characterise kidney trafficking in Kalai Upazila, Bangladesh.

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of illegal kidney sales in Kalai Upazila, Bangladesh, using the Network Scale-Up Method (NSUM), an ego-centric network survey-based technique used to estimate the size of hidden populations. The study estimated the size of the kidney seller population, analysed the profiles of kidney sellers and kidney brokers and investigated the characteristics of villagers who are more likely to be connected to kidney sellers to identify possible biases of the NSUM estimate. The study found that the prevalence of kidney trafficking in Kalai Upazila was between 1.

Differing Electrolyte Implication on Anion and Cation Intercalation into Graphite.

Emerging dual-graphite batteries (DGBs) capture extensive interest for their high output voltage and exceptional cost-effectiveness. Yet, developing electrolytes compatible with both the cathode and anode stands to be a tremendous challenge, and how electrolyte impacts anion and cation intercalation into graphite remains inexplicit or controversial. Herein, we have evaluated the performance of graphite anode and cathode in typical ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC) based electrolytes and unveiled their electrode-electrolyte interphase using Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (Cryo-TEM).

Borate-Based Artificial Solid-Electrolyte Interphase Enabling Stable Lithium Metal Anodes.

Lithium (Li) metal is considered as the "holy grail" of anode materials for next-generation high energy batteries. However, notorious dendrite growth and interfacial instability could induce irreversible capacity loss and safety issues, limiting the practical application of Li metal anodes. Herein, we develop a novel approach to construct a borate-based artificial solid-electrolyte interphase (designated as B-SEI) through the reaction of metallic Li with triethylamine borane (TEAB).

Superstructure-Induced Hierarchical Assemblies for Nanoconfined Photocatalysis.

Most attempts to synthesize supramolecular nanosystems are limited to a single mechanism, often resulting in the formation of nanomaterials that lack diversity in properties. Herein, hierarchical assemblies with appropriate variety are fabricated in bulk via a superstructure-induced organic-inorganic hybrid strategy. The dynamic balance between substructures and superstructures is managed using covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as dual building blocks to regulate the performances of hierarchical assemblies.

Grinding-induced supramolecular charge-transfer assemblies with switchable vapochromism toward haloalkane isomers.

Synthetic macrocycles have proved to be of great application value in functional charge-transfer systems in the solid state in recent years. Here we show a switchable on-off type vapochromic system toward 1-/2-bromoalkane isomers by constructing solid-state charge-transfer complexes between electron-rich perethylated pillar[5]arene and electron-deficient aromatic acceptors including 4-nitrobenzonitrile and 1,4-dinitrobenzene. These charge-transfer complexes with different colors show opposite color changes upon exposure to the vapors of 1-bromoalkanes (fading) and 2-bromoalkanes (deepening).

The Association of the Levels of High-Density Lipoprotein and Apolipoprotein A1 with SARS-CoV-2 Infection and COVID-19 Severity: An Analysis of the N3C Database.

This study analyzed data from the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) database to investigate whether high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and its major protein component, apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1), are associated with severe COVID-19 sequelae, specifically acute kidney injury (AKI) and severe COVID-19 disease as defined by the infection resulting in hospitalization, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), invasive ventilation, or death. Our study included a total of 1,415,302 subjects with HDL values and 3589 subjects with apoA1 values. Higher levels of both HDL and apoA1 were associated with a lower incidence of infection as well as a lower incidence of severe disease.