Effects of Dexmedetomidine as an Adjuvant in Preoperative Ultrasound-Guided Internal Branch of Superior Laryngeal Nerve Block on Postoperative Sore Throat and Hemodynamics in Patients With Double-Lumen Endotracheal Intubation: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Postoperative sore throat (POST) is a significant adverse effect after endotracheal intubation, especially with double-lumen endotracheal tubes (DLTs). Ultrasound-guided internal branch of the superior laryngeal nerve block (US-guided iSLNB) presents a potential intervention for POST. In this first randomized controlled trial to date, we aimed to investigate the effects of US-guided iSLNB, with or without perineural dexmedetomidine, on the incidence and severity of POST following DLTs.

Potential alternative and novel biomarkers for paediatric MAFLD: exploratory evidence from a Chinese cohort.

Background: While the associations between pediatric non-obese metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and multiple diagnostic biomarkers are well-established, the role of a broader range of blood-based, urine-based, and body composition-based biomarkers for monitoring MAFLD are needed.

Methods: A pediatric cohort was established in Wuxi, China. We measured body composition biomarkers, blood-based and urine-based biomarkers, and liver stiffness in participants to diagnose MAFLD and identify alternative and novel potential biomarkers for MAFLD.

Copper-Catalyzed 1,4-Alkylarylation of 1,3-Enynes with Ethers and Aryl Boronic Acids Enabled via C(sp)-H Functionalization.

Herein, we present a copper-catalyzed, three-component intermolecular 1,4-alkylarylation of 1,3-enynes with ethers and aryl boronic acids. This method, driven by α-C(sp)-H functionalization of the oxygen atom in ethers, regioselectively produces various tetrasubstituted allenes from simple, readily available precursors. Key features include mild reaction conditions and a simple catalytic system.

Effect of Laminectomy Methods on the Surgical Safety of Automatic Laminectomy Robot.

Background: The efficacy of laminectomy procedures is contingent on the method of resection. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of different methods of resection on the surgical safety of automated laminectomy robots, an area that remains uncharted.

Methods: Lamina resection surgeries using both drilling and layer-by-layer methods, are performed on ovine spinal samples.

Bioinformatic Analysis for Exploring Target Genes and Molecular Mechanisms of Cadmium-Induced Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Targeted Drug Prediction.

Cadmium (Cd) is a widely available metal that has been found to have a role in causing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the detailed toxicological targets and mechanisms by which Cd causes NAFLD are unknown. Therefore, the present work aims to reveal the main targets of action, cellular processes, and molecular pathways by which cadmium causes NAFLD.

A Novel Dynamic Growth Rod Inducing Spinal Growth Modulation for the Correction of Spinal Deformities.

Background: Growth rods are the gold standard for treating early-onset scoliosis (EOS). However, current treatments with growth rods do not optimize spinal growth in EOS patients, and frequent distraction surgeries significantly increase complications, imposing considerable economic and psychological burdens on patients. An improved growth rod is urgently required to address the need for dynamic growth and external regulation.

Meta-atoms: From Metamaterials to Metachips.

Electromagnetic (EM) metamaterials represent a cutting-edge field that achieves anomalously macroscopic properties through artificial design and arrangement of microstructure arrays to freely manipulate EM fields and waves in desired ways. The unit cell of a microstructure array is also called a meta-atom, which can construct effective medium parameters that do not exist in traditional materials or are difficult to realize with traditional technologies. By deep integration with digital information, the meta-atom is evolved to a digital meta-atom, leading to the emergence of information metamaterials.

Bibliometric Analysis of Neuroinflammation and Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction.

Background: The occurrence and development of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) are closely linked to neuroinflammation. This bibliometric analysis aims to provide novel insights into the research trajectory, key research topics, and potential future development trends in the field of neuroinflammation-induced POCD.

Methods: The Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database was searched to identify publications from 2012 to 2023 on neuroinflammation-induced POCD.

Exposure to Chinese famine in early life and the risk of multimorbidity in adulthood.

Objectives: Previous studies had reported the association between famine exposure in early life and subsequent non-communicable diseases risk. In current study, we aimed to evaluate the associations between famine exposure on multimorbidity prevalence and incidence in middle-aged and older Chinese population.

Methods: A total of 13,254 participants from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study 2011 were included in cross-sectional analyses.

DDEvENet: Evidence-based ensemble learning for uncertainty-aware brain parcellation using diffusion MRI.

In this study, we developed an Evidential Ensemble Neural Network based on Deep learning and Diffusion MRI, namely DDEvENet, for anatomical brain parcellation. The key innovation of DDEvENet is the design of an evidential deep learning framework to quantify predictive uncertainty at each voxel during a single inference. To do so, we design an evidence-based ensemble learning framework for uncertainty-aware parcellation to leverage the multiple dMRI parameters derived from diffusion MRI.

Pegmatite lithium deposits formed within low-temperature country rocks.

The global climate crisis is likely to lead to a potential supply risk of lithium (Li) over the coming decades. More than half of the world's production of Li is derived from Li-bearing pegmatites. Although pegmatites are widespread, only a small fraction host economically relevant Li mineralization.

Stimulus-Responsive Organometallic Assemblies Based on Azobenzene-Functionalized Poly-NHC Ligands.

The reversible photoisomerization of azobenzene (AZB) and its derivatives has been applied across various fields. Developing discrete AZB-functionalized organometallic cages is essential for manufacturing functional materials. In this work, we designed and fabricated a series of three-dimensional, hexaazobenzene-terminated poly-NHC-based (NHC=N-heterocyclic carbene) complexes [M(A)](BF) and [M(B)](BF) (M = Ag, Au).

Enhancing physical activity during pregnancy using a multi-theory model: a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial in China.

Background: Physical inactivity is a global concern and poses serious health risks. Physical inactivity is exacerbated and affects the health of both generations during the special period of pregnancy. Appropriate physical activity (PA) intervention programmes based on health behaviour change theory are lacking.

Efficacy and safety of multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor AL2846 combined with gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer patients urgently need new treatments, and we explored the efficacy and safety of combination therapy with AL2846 and gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer patients. This was a single-arm, single-center, open-label phase I/IIa study (NCT06278493). The dose-escalation phase was designed to evaluate the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of AL2846 combined with gemcitabine.

Comprehensive assessment of the safety of bisphenol A and its analogs based on multi-toxicity tests in vitro.

As substitutes for bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol analogs (BPs) have raised concerns due to their frequent environmental detection and unclear safety. Here, the cytotoxicity, endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activity, and genotoxicity of nine BPs and BPA were evaluated in three types of cell lines. Over half of the tested BPs exhibited greater cytotoxicity than BPA, with IC50 values showing a linear correlation with Log (R²=0.

Electronic ferroelectricity in monolayer graphene moiré superlattices.

Extending ferroelectric materials to two-dimensional limit provides versatile applications for the development of next-generation nonvolatile devices. Conventional ferroelectricity requires materials consisting of at least two constituent elements associated with polar crystalline structures. Monolayer graphene as an elementary two-dimensional material unlikely exhibits ferroelectric order due to its highly centrosymmetric hexagonal lattices.

Compact and full-range carbon dioxide sensor using photoacoustic and resonance dependent modes.

A compact and robust optical excitation photoacoustic sensor with a self-integrated laser module excitation and an optimized differential resonator was developed to achieve high sensitivity and full linear range detection of carbon dioxide (CO) based on dual modes of wavelength modulated photoacoustic spectroscopy (WMPAS) and resonant frequency tracking (RFT). The integrated laser module equipped with three lasers (a quantum cascade laser (QCL), a distributed feedback laser (DFB) and a He-Ne laser) working in a time-division multiplexing mode was used as an integrated set of spectroscopic sources for detection of the designated concentration levels of CO. With the absorption photoacoustic mode, the WMPAS detection with the QCL and DFB sources was capable of CO detection at concentrations below 20 %, yielding a noise equivalent concentration (NEC) as low as 240 ppt and a normalized noise equivalent absorption coefficient (NNEA) of 4.

Single-nucleus RNA sequencing of human periventricular white matter in vascular dementia.

Vascular dementia (VaD) refers to a variety of dementias driven by cerebrovascular disease and is the second leading cause of dementia globally. VaD may be caused by ischemic strokes, intracerebral hemorrhage, and/or cerebral small vessel disease, commonly identified as white matter hyperintensities on MRI. The mechanisms underlying these white matter lesions in the periventricular brain are poorly understood.

LncRNA Recognition-Associated CpG Island Detection and Methylation Analysis.

CpG islands (CGIs) are rare, interspersed DNA sequences, which possess a significant deviation from background genomic distribution by exhibiting patterns of GC-rich and CpG-rich sequence, the density of which provides a good classification feature for long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) promoters. By reviewing previous CpG-related studies, we consider that the transcription regulation of about half of the human genes, mostly housekeeping (HK) genes, involves CGIs, their methylation states, CpG spacing, and other chromosomal parameters. However, the precise CGI definition and positioning of CGIs within gene structures, as well as specific CGI-associated regulatory mechanisms, all remain to be elucidated at individual gene and gene family levels, together with consideration of species and lineage specificity.

GG-NER's role in androgen receptor signaling inhibitor response for advanced prostate cancer.

Background: Advanced prostate cancer (PCa) often initially responds to androgen receptor signaling inhibitors (ARSI) but frequently develops resistance, driven by tumor heterogeneity and therapeutic pressure. Addressing the clinical challenge of identifying non-responsive patients and discovering new therapeutic targets is urgently needed.

Methods: We utilized single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) to elucidate the influence of the GG-NER pathway on ARSI response in PCa.

Soft sensor modeling method for Pichia pastoris fermentation process based on substructure domain transfer learning.

Background: Aiming at the problem that traditional transfer methods are prone to lose data information in the overall domain-level transfer, and it is difficult to achieve the perfect match between source and target domains, thus reducing the accuracy of the soft sensor model.

Methods: This paper proposes a soft sensor modeling method based on the transfer modeling framework of substructure domain. Firstly, the Gaussian mixture model clustering algorithm is used to extract local information, cluster the source and target domains into multiple substructure domains, and adaptively weight the substructure domains according to the distances between the sub-source domains and sub-target domains.

Cathepsin L in Lung Adenocarcinoma: Prognostic Significance and Immunotherapy Response Through a Multi Omics Perspective.

Objectives: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), a predominant form of lung cancer, is characterized by a high rate of metastasis and recurrence, leading to a poor prognosis for LUAD patients. This study aimed to identify and rigorously validate a highly precise biomarker, Cathepsin L (CTSL), for the prognostic prediction of lung adenocarcinoma.

Methods: We employed a multicenter and omics-based approach, analyzing RNA sequencing data and mutation information from public databases such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO).

Revealing extensive inbreeding and less-efficient purging of deleterious mutations in wild Amur tigers in China.

Inbreeding increases genome homozygosity within populations, which can exacerbate inbreeding depression by exposing homozygous deleterious alleles that are responsible for declines in fitness traits. In small populations, genetic purging that occurs under pressure of natural selection acts as an opposing force, contributing to a reduction of deleterious alleles. Both inbreeding and genetic purging are paramount in the field of conservation genomics.