Confidence interval estimation for the difference of censored zero-inflated gamma distributions.

This paper studies the problem of constructing confidence intervals (CIs) for the difference between coefficients of variation (CV) of two censored zero-inflated gamma distributions. Firstly, we propose a Fiducial inference based method that extends the traditional CI construction method of gamma distribution to the scenario of zero-inflated gamma distributions with censored data. Secondly, we propose a Box-Cox transformation based method, in which not only the sample data needs to be transformed, but also the detection limit of gamma distribution with censored data accordingly.

Hydroxyapatite/Silk Fibroin Composite Scaffold with a Porous Structure and Mechanical Strength Similar to Cancellous Bone by Electric Field-Induced Gel Technology.

Repair and regeneration of bone tissue defects is a multidimensional process that has been highly challenging to date. The artificial bone scaffold materials, which play a core role, still face the conflict that a biofriendly porous structure will reduce the mechanical performance and accelerate degradation. Herein, a multistage porous structured hydroxyapatite (HA)/silk fibroin (SF) composite scaffold (e-HA/SF) was successfully constructed by cleverly utilizing electric field-induced gel technology.

Recent Progresses on Hybrid Lithium Niobate External Cavity Semiconductor Lasers.

Thin film lithium niobate (TFLN) has become a promising material platform for large scale photonic integrated circuits (PICs). As an indispensable component in PICs, on-chip electrically tunable narrow-linewidth lasers have attracted widespread attention in recent years due to their significant applications in high-speed optical communication, coherent detection, precision metrology, laser cooling, coherent transmission systems, light detection and ranging (LiDAR). However, research on electrically driven, high-power, and narrow-linewidth laser sources on TFLN platforms is still in its infancy.

The efficacy and safety of probiotics in the adjuvant treatment of psoriasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: It has been reported that the imbalance of gut microbiota is involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. We retrieved randomized placebo-controlled trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of probiotic administration in the treatment of psoriasis.

Methods: The outcomes were changes in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), and serum inflammatory indicators after treatment, and adverse events (AEs).

The longitudinal relationships between problematic smartphone use and anxiety symptoms among Chinese college students: A cross-lagged panel network analysis.

Anxiety and problematic smartphone use (PSPU) are prevalent issues among college students, and traditional research has tended to focus on cross-sectional data and grounded only in overall levels, thereby ignoring the complex interactions between the two over time. The development of network analysis methods has provided a new perspective for in-depth exploration of the relationship. This study aimed to explore the complex longitudinal interactions and specific pathways between problematic smartphone use and anxiety among Chinese college students from an internal specific symptom perspective.

Calcium-Pillar Boosting Smooth Phase Transition in Potassium Vanadate Nanobelts toward Superior Cycling Performance in Potassium-Ion Batteries.

The depletion of lithium resources has prompted exploration into alternative rechargeable energy storage systems, and potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) have emerged as promising candidates. As an active cathode material for PIBs, potassium vanadate (KVO) usually suffers from structural damage during electrochemical K-ion insertion/extraction and hence leading to unsatisfactory cycling performance. Here, we introduce Ca ions as pillars into the potassium vanadate to enhance its structural stability and smooth its phase transition behavior.

Zero-Strain Sodium Lanthanum Titanate Perovskite Embedded in Flexible Carbon Fibers as a Long-Span Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

"High-capacity" graphite and "zero-strain" spinel LiTiO (LTO) occupy the majority market of anode materials for Li storage in commercial applications. Nevertheless, their intrinsic drawbacks including the unsafe potential of graphite and unsatisfactory capacity of LTO limit the further development of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), which is unable to satisfy the ever-increasing demands. Here, a novel NaLaTiO perovskite embedded in multichannel carbon fibers (NLTO-NF) is rationally designed and synthesized through an electrospinning method.

Current status and influencing factors of activation of older patients with chronic disease.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the status and influencing factors of activation of older patients with chronic disease.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study, using the general information questionnaire, Patient Activation Measure, the Chinese version of the e-Health Literacy Scale, and the Health Empowerment Scale for the Elderly with Chronic Disease. By the convenience sampling method, 289 older patients with chronic disease were selected from January to April 2023 in a Class A tertiary hospital in Zhengzhou.

Construction of "Coral" SERS sensor for ultrasensitive and rapid detection of harmful component macrophage migration inhibitory factor in Platelet-rich Plasma.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a pro-inflammatory factor produced by residual red blood cell lysis, which can significantly influence the curative effect of Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy used for osteoarthritis (OA) treatment. In this study, we proposed a novel approach for detecting the concentration of MIF in PRP using a dopamine-coated antibody-Au (core)-Ag (shell)-SERS sensor, which enables ultrasensitive and rapid detection of MIF. The best experimental conditions have a detection limit of only 90.

Fine valence regulation of hydrated vanadium oxide as a novel cathode for stable potassium-ion storage.

Layered VO·HO with a large interlayer spacing of 14 Å is hydrothermally synthesized and used as a cathode for potassium-ion batteries. It exhibits a capacity of 110 mA h g with a capacity retention of 99.2% over 700 cycles.

RNautophagic regulation of DNMT3a-dependent DNA methylation by Linc00942 enhances chemoresistance in gastric cancer.

Background: Energy balance has long been known to extend lifespans and inhibit carcinogenesis in multiple species by slowing age-related epigenetic changes while the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Herein, we found that starvation activated autophagy to remodel the DNA methylation profile by inhibiting DNMT3a expression.

Methods: Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip and dot blot assay were performed to quantify the global DNA methylation level.

A Novel Defined PANoptosis-Related miRNA Signature for Predicting the Prognosis and Immune Characteristics in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma: A miRNA Signature for the Prognosis of ccRCC.

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is one of the most prevalent cancers, and PANoptosis is a distinct, inflammatory-programmed cell death regulated by the PANoptosome. The essential regulators of cancer occurrence and progression are microRNAs (miRNAs). However, the potential function of PANoptosis-related microRNAs (PRMs) in ccRCC remains obscure.

Investigating the effectiveness of electronically delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (e-CBTi) compared to pharmaceutical interventions in treating insomnia: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Insomnia is one of the most prevalent sleep disorders characterized by an inability to fall or stay asleep. Available treatments include pharmacotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBTi). Although CBTi is the first-line treatment, it has limited availability.

Adjustable-Loop Cortical Button Fixation Results in Good Clinical Outcomes for Acute Tibial Avulsion Fracture of the Posterior Cruciate Ligament.

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical outcomes for arthroscopic treatment of acute posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) avulsion fractures with adjustable-loop cortical button fixation device.

Methods: Patients with PCL tibial avulsion fractures treated with an adjustable-loop cortical button fixation device between October 2019 and October 2020 were retrospectively identified. Patients with type 1 were treated using plaster fixation as a conservative treatment, whereas patients with type 2 and 3 with displacement were treated using an arthroscopic adjustable-loop cortical button.

HSF1 promotes CD69 Treg differentiation to inhibit colitis progression.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are critical for generating and maintaining peripheral tolerance. Treg-based immunotherapy is valuable for the clinical management of diseases resulting from dysregulation of immune tolerance. However, the lack of potency is a potential limitation of Treg therapy.

2-Aminopyrimidine derivatives as selective dual inhibitors of JAK2 and FLT3 for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia.

Dual inhibitors of JAK2 and FLT3 can synergistically control the development of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and overcome secondary drug resistance of AML that is associated with FLT3 inhibition. We therefore designed and synthesized a series of 4-piperazinyl-2-aminopyrimidines as dual inhibitors of JAK2 and FLT3, and improved their selectivity for JAK2. Screening cascades revealed that compound 11r exhibited inhibitory activity with IC values of 2.

A genome-wide cross-cancer meta-analysis highlights the shared genetic links of five solid cancers.

Breast, ovarian, prostate, lung, and head/neck cancers are five solid cancers with complex interrelationships. However, the shared genetic factors of the five cancers were often revealed either by the combination of individual genome-wide association study (GWAS) approach or by the fixed-effect model-based meta-analysis approach with practically impossible assumptions. Here, we presented a random-effect model-based cross-cancer meta-analysis framework for identifying the genetic variants jointly influencing the five solid cancers.

A qualitative exploration of the mental health challenges and therapeutic needs of Canadian correctional workers.

Purpose: Correctional work is described as a high-stress environment associated with increased prevalence of mental health disorders in employees. Identifying appropriate healthcare services necessitates investigating the mental health challenges and needs of correctional workers (CWs).

Methods: Individual interviews ( = 9; 5 M and 4 W) and a mixed gender focus group ( = 6; 3 M and 3 W) were conducted to gather a general sense of the mental health landscape.

RNA-based therapeutics: an overview and prospectus.

The growing understanding of RNA functions and their crucial roles in diseases promotes the application of various RNAs to selectively function on hitherto "undruggable" proteins, transcripts and genes, thus potentially broadening the therapeutic targets. Several RNA-based medications have been approved for clinical use, while others are still under investigation or preclinical trials. Various techniques have been explored to promote RNA intracellular trafficking and metabolic stability, despite significant challenges in developing RNA-based therapeutics.

Therapeutic Effects of Curcumin on Osteoarthritis and Its Protection of Chondrocytes Through the Wnt/Β-Catenin Signaling Pathway.

Context: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a high-incidence, chronic condition, with an extremely high prevalence among older adults. OA seriously compromises the normal living of OA patients, and it's imperative to find a novel therapy as soon as possible to improve their prognosis and life quality.

Objective: The study intended to investigate the therapeutic effects of Curcumin (Cur) on OA and to explore its preliminary mechanism of action, with the aim of offering more accurate guidance for use of OA therapy.

Co-targeting WIP1 and PARP induces synthetic lethality in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most fatal cancers. Due to limited strategies for effective treatments, patients with advanced HCC have a very poor prognosis. This study aims to identify new insights in HCC to develop novel strategies for HCC management.