Feasibility analysis of non-electrocardiogram-triggered chest low-dose computed tomography using a kV-independent reconstruction algorithm for predicting cardiovascular disease risk in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of non-electrocardiogram (ECG)-triggered chest low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) with a kV-independent reconstruction algorithm in assessing coronary artery calcification (CAC) degree and cardiovascular disease risk in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis (MHD).

Methods: In total, 181 patients receiving MHD who needed chest CT and coronary artery calcium score (CACS) scannings sequentially underwent non-ECG-triggered, automated tube voltage selection, high-pitch chest LDCT with a kV-independent reconstruction algorithm and ECG-triggered standard CACS scannings. Then, the image quality, radiation doses, Agatston scores (ASs), and cardiac risk classifications of the two scans were compared.

A narrative review focusing on randomized clinical trials of vitamin D supplementation for COVID-19 disease.

Current evidence is inconsistent on whether vitamin D supplementation can prevent COVID-19 infection or improve its clinical outcomes. To better understand and look into the issue, we went through the background knowledge of COVID-19 and vitamin D, searched in Pubmed [by using key words in the title containing "randomized clinical trial", "COVID-19", and "vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D, or cholecalciferol, or calcidiol, or calcifediol) supplementation"] for publications of studies on vitamin D/supplementation in COVID-19 patients, especially those about the randomized clinical trials (RCTs). After reviewing these papers, we did a short background review of vitamin D and the pathophysiology of COVID-19, summarized the key features of the 25 RCTs in text and tabulated in a table of some of the features, commented, compared and discussed the differences between RCTs (for example, change the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration from nmol/L to ng/mL, making the comparison easier).

Impact of low-carbon economic policies on the corporate environmental responsibility model in China.

This study investigates the impact of low-carbon economic policies on Corporate Environmental Responsibility (CER) in Chinese A-share listed companies, with a particular focus on the role of financing constraints as a mediating factor. Despite a decrease in environmental pollution incidents in 2022, the economic and social impacts of such incidents remain significant, highlighting the need for stronger environmental governance. Building upon previous research, this study utilizes data from the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges (2010-2020) and employs a Difference-in-Differences (DID) model to assess the effects of low-carbon economic policies introduced in 2016 on CER.

Strong quantum nonlocality without entanglement in every -partition.

The orthogonal product set with quantum nonlocality can enhance the confidentiality of information without consuming entanglement resources. The confidentiality increases with the reinforcement of its nonlocality. However, the orthogonal product sets with the strongest nonlocality need an enormous number of quantum states.

Preparation of FeO/C Composite Material from Red Mud for the Degradation of Acid Orange 7.

This study presents a novel FeO/C composite material synthesized from red mud through a process of magnetic roasting and separation. The research explores the impact of FeO/C dosages, sodium persulfate (PS) concentrations, and initial solution pH on the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency using Acid Orange 7 as a model pollutant. Optimal conditions were identified as 3 g/L FeO/C, 20 mM PS, and an initial pH of 2, achieving a 94.

Gender-specific effects of dydrogesterone on zebrafish liver metabolism after long-term exposure.

Synthetic progestin dydrogesterone is widely used in gynecology and animal husbandry, leading to high environmental detection rates and concentrations. Dydrogesterone influences sex differentiation, gonad development, and spawning in fish. However, its impact on the liver, a vital organ for hormone production and detoxification, remains largely unknown.

Health effects associated with ozone in China: A systematic review.

As the ozone (O) pollution becomes severe in China, it poses a threat to human health. Currently, studies on the impacts of O on different regions and groups are limited. This review systematically summarizes the relationship between O pollution and mortality and morbidity across the nation, regions, and cities in China, with a focus on the regional and group-specific studies.

Photothermal Self-Healing Black g-CN Nanosheet-Based Coatings: A Novel Approach for Enhanced Anticorrosion and Antibiofouling Protection.

Multifunctional coatings have great application value in the protection of Marine equipment, ships and ship facilities, but they still suffer from the disadvantages of high preparation cost and complicated synthesis methods. Herein, employing a simple method to synthesize black carbon nitride (BCN), as the filler in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to construct BCN/PDMS composite coating with a multifunctional anti-corrosion/antifouling coating capable of photothermal self-healing property. Experimental results exhibit that the BCN/PDMS coating can still possesses excellent corrosion resistance after 28 d of immersion in the simulated seawater, and the impedance modulus still manages to reach 6.

Evolution characteristics and causes of iodine and fluoride in groundwater of Hengshui city in North China.

Iodine and fluoride are essential trace elements for human health, with both deficiency and excess intake impacting well-being. This study investigates the groundwater funnel area in eastern Hengshui City, utilizing groundwater level and hydrochemical data from 2014 to 2022. Hydrogeochemical methods were employed to comprehensively analyze the evolution characteristics and causes of iodine and fluoride concentrations in the funnel area.

A new diminutive species of bohaiornithid enantiornithine (Aves: Ornithothoraces) from the Lower Cretaceous Jehol Group, northern China.

Enantiornithes are the most successful early-diverging avian clade, their fossils revealing important information regarding the structure of Cretaceous avifaunas and the parallel refinement of flight alongside the ornithuromorph lineage that includes modern birds. The most diverse recognized family of Early Cretaceous enantiornithines is the Bohaiornithidae, known from the Jehol Biota in northeastern China. Members of this clade enhance our understanding of intraclade morphological diversity and elucidate the independent evolution of this unique lineage.

[Remediation Characteristics of Oil-contaminated Soil by Composite Microbial Communities].

To efficiently remediate oil-contaminated soil, the degradation characteristics of petroleum hydrocarbons were explored using composite petroleum-degrading flora. The results showed that the degradation rates of the J0, H, HN, HK, and HKN groups were 9.82%, 33.

Spatiotemporal dynamics of grassland aboveground biomass in northern China and the alpine region: Impacts of climate change and human activities.

Grassland plays a crucial role in the global cycles of matter, energy, water and, climate regulation. Biomass serves as one of the fundamental indicators for evaluating the ecological status of grassland. This study utilized the Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach (CASA) model to estimate Net Primary Productivity (NPP) from meteorological data and the Global Inventory Monitoring and Modeling System (GIMMS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) remote sensing data for northern China's temperate and alpine grasslands from 1981 to 2015.

Green finance and renewable energy growth in developing nations: A GMM analysis.

This research aims to examine the interrelationship between green finance and its influence on the renewable energy industry in a sample of 30 developing nations from 1990 to 2018. The main aim of this study is to investigate the interconnected effects between green bonds, investments in renewable energy, and carbon markets, with a specific emphasis on the influence of the banking system in shaping these interrelationships. To accomplish this objective, the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) is utilized to examine the data and comprehend the intricate interrelationships among the variables.

Dual Responsive Magnetic DCR3 Nanoparticles: A New Strategy for Efficiently Targeting Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of cancer deaths globally. Unlike traditional molecularly targeted drugs, magnetically controlled drug delivery to micro/nanorobots enhances precision in targeting tumors, improving drug efficiency and minimizing side effects. This study develops a dual-responsive, magnetically controlled drug delivery system using PEGylated paramagnetic nanoparticles conjugated with decoy receptor 3 (DCR3) antibodies.

Optimizing nitrogen management for pollution control in Lake Baiyangdian following water replenishment.

Eutrophication is an ecological process showing the state shift of a lake. This shift could be triggered when the external nitrogen (N) loads exceed N thresholds. Meanwhile, external water inputs and the resulting changes in lake water depth could affect N thresholds.

Stable partial nitrification was achieved for nitrogen removal from municipal wastewater by gel immobilization: A pilot-scale study.

As an energy and carbon saving process for nitrogen removal from wastewater, the partial nitrification and denitrification process (PN/D) has been extensively researched. However, achieving stable PN in municipal wastewater has always been challenging. In this study, a gel immobilized PN/D nitrogen removal process (GI-PN/D) was established.

Predictive slope stability early warning model based on CatBoost.

A model for predicting slope stability is developed using Categorical Boosting (CatBoost), which incorporates 6 slope features to characterize the state of slope stability. The model is trained using a symmetric tree as the base model, utilizing ordered boosting to replace gradient estimation, which enhances prediction accuracy. Comparative models including Support Vector Machine (SVM), Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LGBM), Random Forest (RF), and Logistic Regression (LR) were introduced.

Screening and application of aptamers as fluorescent biosensors for selective and sensitive detection of hepatocellular carcinoma and in vivo targeted delivery studies.

The incidence of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has recently ranked fifth in the world, and the incidence rate is increasing year by year worldwide. Therefore, early diagnosis is the highest priority in the treatment of HCC. In this paper, four anti-HCC aptamers were obtained using magnetic bead SELEX technology.

Toxic metal pollution and associated health risk in nonferrous metal smelting soil containing clay minerals.

Given the research situation of toxic metals (TMs) pollution in farmland soil, it is very critical to study the clay influence on TMs environmental behavior to meet the aim of lowering TMs pollution. This research explores the association among clay minerals and TMs and the health risks in TMs combined polluted farmland of northern China. In this study, agricultural soil, wheat grain, and atmospheric sediments from nonferrous metal smelting (NMS) areas were collected and investigated to determine the effect of clay minerals on TMs.