Windows of sensitivity for risk of adverse birth outcomes related to gestational PM exposure: Evidence from a natural experiment.

While numerous studies have associated maternal exposure to PM with adverse birth outcomes, findings remain inconsistent and difficult to generalize. We aimed to investigate the causal relationship and window of sensitivity between gestational exposure to PM and birth outcomes. We leveraged high-resolution satellite data to quantify gestational PM exposure at the individual level, along with a combined model to determine daily relative risks (RRs) of birth outcomes in COVID-19 prelockdown and lockdown groups.

A novel visible-light-driven Z-scheme CN/BiVO heterostructure with enhanced photocatalytic degradation performance.

As a visible-light response semiconductor materials, bismuth vanadate (BiVO) is extensively applied in photodegradation organic dye field. In this study, we synthesized CN nanosheets and coupled with decahedral BiVO to construct a Z-scheme CN/BiVO heterostructure with close interface contact. By introducing CN into BiVO, the built Z-scheme transfer pathway provides silky channel for charge carrier migration between different moieties and enables photoexcited electrons and holes accumulated on the surface of BiVO and CN.

Advancing Understanding of Childhood Asthma: Lessons Learned from Birth Cohort Studies.

Asthma and allergies are some of the most common chronic disorders affecting children, the prevalence of which has been increasing in countries and regions undergoing rapid development like China. To curb the rising tide of allergies and safeguard the health of future generations, it is of critical importance to understand how asthma inception is influenced by factors acting at different life stages. Birth cohorts represent a powerful tool to investigate the temporal sequence of exposures along the natural course of asthma.

Progress of biodegradable polymer application in cardiac occluders.

Cardiac septal defect is the most prevalent congenital heart disease and is typically treated with open-heart surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass. Since the 1990s, with the advancement of interventional techniques and minimally invasive transthoracic closure techniques, cardiac occluder implantation represented by the Amplazter products has been the preferred treatment option. Currently, most occlusion devices used in clinical settings are primarily composed of Nitinol as the skeleton.

Detailed characterization of particle emissions due to thermal failure of batteries with different cathodes.

Sufficient levels of thermal, electrical, mechanical, or electrochemical abuse can cause thermal runaway in lithium-ion batteries, leading to the release of electrolyte vapor, combustible gas mixtures, and high-temperature particles. Particle emissions due to thermal failure of batteries may cause serious pollution of the atmosphere, water sources, and soil as well as enter the human biological chain through crops, posing a potential threat to human health. Furthermore, high-temperature particle emissions may ignite the flammable gas mixtures produced during the thermal runaway process, resulting in combustion and explosions.

[Epidemiological and clinicopathological characteristics of prostate cancer in Hunan].

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological and clinicopathological characteristics of PCa and provide some strategies for the clinical prevention and treatment of the malignancy.

Methods: This study included 1 594 cases of pathologically diagnosed PCa after radical prostatectomy in Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2020. We collected the basic information about the patients, their main complaints and clinicopathological results, and analyzed the epidemiological and clinicopathological data.

A comparative analysis on thermal runaway behavior of Li (NiCoMn) O battery with different nickel contents at cell and module level.

The problem of thermal runaway (TR) propagation challenges the safety design of battery packs, because it aggravates the thermal hazards to accidents. There are many unsolved scientific questions in understanding the mechanisms of TR and its propagation behavior for large format lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). LiNiCoMnO(NCM) is considered as one of the most promising cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries LIBs, given its higher energy design and lower cost.