Dissociation-Precipitation Chemistry of Lithium Polysulfides and Its Correlation to Dynamic Evolution of Cathode-Electrolyte Interphase in Highly Solvating Electrolyte.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries has been regarded as one of the most promising next-generation energy storage systems due to their high theoretical energy density. However, the practical application of Li-S batteries is still hindered by the unstable cathode-electrolyte interphase and the early passivation of charge product (Li2S), leading to poor cycling stability and low S utilization. Herein, we propose an electrolyte engineering strategy using highly solvating hexamethylphosphoramide (HMPA) as a co-solvent to elucidate the dissociation-precipitation chemistry of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs).

Toward expert-level medical question answering with large language models.

Large language models (LLMs) have shown promise in medical question answering, with Med-PaLM being the first to exceed a 'passing' score in United States Medical Licensing Examination style questions. However, challenges remain in long-form medical question answering and handling real-world workflows. Here, we present Med-PaLM 2, which bridges these gaps with a combination of base LLM improvements, medical domain fine-tuning and new strategies for improving reasoning and grounding through ensemble refinement and chain of retrieval.

Aqueous Proteomic and Metabolomic Profiles in Low-Energy vs High-Energy Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery.

Purpose: To investigate the aqueous proteomics and metabolomics in low-energy and high-energy femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS).

Methods: In this prospective observational study, 72 patients were randomized to 3 groups: low-energy FLACS, high-energy FLACS, and conventional phacoemulsification (controls). Aqueous was collected after femtosecond laser treatment or at the beginning of surgery (controls).

US-Guided Thermal Ablation for Secondary Hyperparathyroidism: A Prospective Multicenter Study.

Background Interest in microwave ablation (MWA) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) use for treating secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is rising; however, ablation outcomes in patients with SHPT are not well characterized. Purpose To assess the response of parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium, phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels to US-guided parathyroid MWA and RFA and the safety of these treatments in participants with SHPT. Materials and Methods This prospective multicenter cohort study, conducted from September 2017 to March 2022, included participants with SHPT.

Comparison of Remimazolam-Flumazenil and Propofol on Psychomotor Function and Emergence Following General Anesthesia in Surgical Abortion: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective:  This study aims to compare the recovery profiles of remimazolam combined with flumazenil against those of propofol in patients undergoing painless surgical abortion, focusing on psychomotor function and emergence. Rapid recovery and restoration of psychomotor function are critical for enhancing patient safety and satisfaction in outpatient procedures like surgical abortion.

Methods: A total of 110 patients scheduled for surgical abortion were randomly assigned to either the remimazolam group (Group R) or the propofol group (Group P) in a 1:1 ratio.

Molecular Hydrogen as a Potential Adjunctive Therapy to Improve Renal Function and Reduce Fatigue in an Elderly Patient With Chronic Comorbidities: A Case Report.

Background/aim: Hydrogen therapy has demonstrated potential as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory intervention, particularly in the management of chronic diseases such as chronic kidney disease (CKD) and autoimmune conditions. This case report presents the possible therapeutic benefits of molecular hydrogen capsule treatment in enhancing renal function and alleviating chronic fatigue in an elderly female with coronary artery disease (CAD), type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) complicated by nephropathy, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of adjunctive hydrogen therapy in an elderly patient with multiple chronic comorbidities.

Identifying human activities causing water pollution based on microbial community sequencing and source classifier machine learning.

Identifying and differentiating human activities is crucial for effectively preventing the threats posed by environmental pollution to aquatic ecosystems and human health. Machine learning (ML) is a powerful analytical tool for tracking human impacts on river ecosystems based on high-through datasets. This study employed an ML framework and 16S rRNA sequencing data to reveal microbial dynamics and trace human activities across China.

Effect of Cavity Designs on Instrumentation, Obturation, and Fracture Resistance of Mandibular First Premolars With Vertucci V Canal.

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the effect of cavity designs on instrumentation, obturation and fracture resistance for mandibular first premolars with Vertucci V canal.

Methods: Mandibular first premolars with Vertucci V canal were scanned with microcomputed tomography. A total of 20 teeth with moderately curved canal were prepared with conservative endodontic cavity (CEC/M) or traditional endodontic cavity (TEC/M), and 30 with severely curved canal were prepared with CEC (CEC/S), modified CEC (MCEC/S) or TEC (TEC/S).

Predicting the replicability of social and behavioural science claims in COVID-19 preprints.

Replications are important for assessing the reliability of published findings. However, they are costly, and it is infeasible to replicate everything. Accurate, fast, lower-cost alternatives such as eliciting predictions could accelerate assessment for rapid policy implementation in a crisis and help guide a more efficient allocation of scarce replication resources.

Reduced-dose of bivalirudin (without the post-procedure infusion) in patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention.

Introduction: In clinical practice, the dose of bivalirudin may not be fully applicable to the Chinese population. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the efficacy and safety of a reduced dose (80% of the recommended dose) of bivalirudin without post-procedure infusion for 3-4 h in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective study.

Deep learning-based low count whole-body positron emission tomography denoising incorporating computed tomography priors.

Background: Deep-learning-based denoising improves image quality and quantification accuracy for low count (LC) positron emission tomography (PET). Conventional deep-learning-based denoising methods only require single LC PET image input. This study aims to propose a deep-learning-based LC PET denoising method incorporating computed tomography (CT) priors to further reduce the dose level.

Refraction difference value variations in children and adolescents with different refractive errors.

Aim: To evaluate the refraction difference value (RDV) variations in children and adolescents with different refractive errors and analyze its correlation with refractive development.

Methods: Participants aged 4-16y with different refractive statuses (hyperopia, emmetropia, myopia) underwent comprehensive eye examinations, including spherical equivalent (SE) refraction, axial length (AL), total RDV (TRDV), and RDVs at various eccentricities (0°-15°, 15°-30°, 30°-45°) and quadrants (inferior, superior, nasal, temporal). Statistical analysis involved one-way ANOVA for group comparisons and Pearson correlation for examining relationships between SE/AL and RDVs.

The Efficacy and Safety Profile of Balanced Propofol Sedation for Bronchoscopy.

Purpose: We conducted a prospective, real-world study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of balanced propofol sedation (BPS) in bronchoscopy and identify an advantageous sedation regimen for such procedures.

Patients And Methods: The participants were placed in four groups based on their sedation regimen (exposure factor): the M-S group (midazolam + sufentanil for traditional sedation), R-S group (remimazolam + sufentanil for traditional sedation), M-S-P group (midazolam + sufentanil + propofol for BPS), and R-S-P group (remimazolam + sufentanil + propofol for BPS). The primary outcomes included satisfaction metrics (satisfaction of the patients, endoscopic physicians, and nurses) and follow-up questionnaires.

Preliminary application of robot-assisted teleultrasound-guided interventional system.

Background: Teleultrasound has gained significant traction in clinical practice in recent years. However, studies focusing on remote interventional ultrasound remain limited.

Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of percutaneous puncture using a robot-assisted teleultrasound-guided interventional system (RTIS).

Optimizing s-p Orbital Overlap Between Sodium Polysulfides and Single-Atom Indium Catalyst for Efficient Sulfur Redox Reaction.

P-block metal carbon-supported single-atom catalysts (C-SACs) have emerged as a promising candidate for high-performance room-temperature sodium-sulfur (RT Na-S) batteries, due to their high atom utilization and unique electronic structure. However, the ambiguous electronic-level understanding of Na-dominant s-p hybridization between sodium polysulfides (NaPSs) and p-block C-SACs limits the precise control of coordination environment tuning and electro-catalytic activity manipulation. Here, s-p orbital overlap degree (OOD) between the s orbitals of Na in NaPSs and the p orbitals of p-block C-SACs is proposed as a descriptor for sulfur reduction reaction (SRR) and sulfur oxidation reaction (SOR).

The bio-decolorization of methyl orange by S.putrefaciens CN32 and responding mechanism to salinity stress based on transcriptomic analysis.

Salinity poses a significant obstacle to the bio-decolorization of azo dyes. However, the underlying responding mechanisms of bio-decolorization bacteria remain unclear. Shewanella putrefaciens CN32 (S.

Feasibility of Prostate Apex Cancer Diagnosis Based on the Combination of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Radiomics and Biomarkers.

Background: Traditional diagnostic methods have limitations in accurately identifying and characterising prostate apex cancer. Therefore, exploring innovative approaches such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiomics, biomarker assessments and clinical pathological features is essential to improve diagnostic accuracy.

Methods: This retrospective study evaluated diagnostic data from 52 patients with prostate apex cancer and 52 healthy individuals.

Comparison of 2 Different Types of Arterial and Biliary Anastomoses While Preserving the Gastroduodenal Artery: A Retrospective Study.

Objective: Here we investigated 2 different arterial reconstruction procedures with preservation of the gastroduodenal artery (GDA) in orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT).

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 40 pairs of donors and recipients who underwent OLT from May 2018 to August 2023 were analyzed.

New Frontiers in phosphorothioate formation: harnessing inorganic phosphorus sources.

Organic phosphorothioates are a class of organic compounds containing the C-S-P structural motif, known for their unique physical and chemical properties. These compounds hold significant value in various fields, including agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and materials science, particularly playing a crucial role in agrochemicals and nucleotide modification. Traditionally, phosphorothioates have been synthesized primarily through the formation of P-S bonds or direct phosphorothioation reactions from organic phosphorus sources such as P(O)H and P(O)SH.