The four hydrogen storage systems including pure MgH
2
, MgH
2
-5 wt%NiCl
2
, MgH
2
-10 wt%NiCl
2
and MgH
2
-10 wt%NiCl
2
-10 wt%graphene were prepared by ball-milling in this work. Using ...experimental X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry testing methods in combination with first-principle calculations, the dehydrogenation properties and mechanisms of NiCl
2
single-doped and NiCl
2
-graphene co-doped MgH
2
composites were systematically investigated. Experimental results show that the NiCl
2
single-doping is conductive to decreasing the size of MgH
2
grains and particles. The co-doping of NiCl
2
and graphene not only reduces the size of MgH
2
grains and particles, but also contributes to the uniformity of MgH
2
particles. As compared with milled pure MgH
2
, the dehydrogenation peak temperatures are decreased by 24 °C and 47 °C for the 10 wt%NiCl
2
single-doped and 10 wt%NiCl
2
-10 wt%graphene co-doped MgH
2
systems, respectively. It is demonstrated that the co-doping of NiCl
2
and graphene exhibits the synergistic effects of confinement and catalysis on improving the dehydrogenation properties of MgH
2
. The first-principle calculations indicate that the co-doping of NiCl
2
and graphene leads to the distortion of MgH
2
atomic-configuration and results in the charge transfer between the dopants and MgH
2
, which induce the weakened structural stability and decreased dehydrogenation enthalpy of MgH
2
.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Pectoralis major muscle/myocutaneous flaps (PMMFs) are commonly used in reconstructive surgery, but may result in shoulder disability on the donor side. A systematic review evaluating this morbidity ...could be beneficial for guiding patients and providers considering this procedure.
In October 2022, a systematic review of studies evaluating quantitative/qualitative measures of functional morbidity after PMMF was conducted. The results were categorized into PMMF's effect on range of motion (ROM), strength, and ability to complete shoulder-related activities/quality of life.
Eleven studies were included for analysis, which analyzed standard PMMF and two PMMF variants that spared portions of the muscle. Three of five studies demonstrated reduced shoulder ROM for standard PMMF versus controls lasting at least 4 months after head and neck reconstruction. Two of five studies, including two prospective studies demonstrated reduced shoulder strength for standard PMMF versus controls lasting at least 3 months after surgery. Five of nine studies found significant impairment in the ability to conduct shoulder-related activities, including work, up to one year postoperatively for standard PMMF versus controls. Muscle-sparing PMMF variants exhibited more promising outcomes in some categories.
Standard PMMF results in prolonged reductions in shoulder ROM and strength, which may impair patients in shoulder-related activities. Other reconstructive options should be considered in patients who frequently participate in such activities. For patients requiring PMMF, muscle-sparing PMMF variants should be considered as alternatives to the standard PMMF.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Degradation of scaffolds is an important problem in tissue regeneration management. This paper reports a comparative study on degradation of the printed 3D poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) scaffold ...under three conditions, namely, micro-channel, incubator static, and incubator shaking in the phosphate buffer saline (PBS) solution. In the case of the micro-channel condition, the solution was circulated. The following attributes of the scaffold and the solution were measured, including the mass or weight loss, water uptake, morphological and structural changes, and porosity change of the scaffold and the pH value of the PBS solution. In addition, shear stress in the scaffold under the micro-channel condition at the initial time was calculated with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to see how the shear stress factor may affect the morphological change of the scaffold. The results showed that the aforementioned attributes in the condition of the micro-channel were significantly different from the other two conditions. The mechanisms that account for the results were proposed. The reasons behind the results were explored. The main contributions of the study were (1) new observations of the degradation behavior of the scaffold under the micro-channel condition compared with the conditions of incubator static and incubator shaking along with underlying reasons, (2) new understanding of the role of the shear stress in the scaffold under the condition of the micro-channel to the morphological change of the scaffold, and (3) new understanding of interactions among the attributes pertinent to scaffold degradation, such as weight loss, water uptake, pH value, porosity change, and morphological change. This study sheds important light on the scaffold degradation to be controlled more precisely.
Abstract
The High Intensity heavy-ion Accelerator Facility (HIAF) is being constructed to generate intense beams of primary and radioactive ion for a wide range of research fields. Hence, a ...Monolithic Active Pixel Sensor (MAPS) named Nupix-A2 has been developed in a 130-nm High Resistivity CMOS process. The Nupix-A2 can simultaneously measure the particle hit' energy, arrival time, and position. It consists of a 128 × 128 pixel array, a digital-to-analog converter array, and a digital control module. The Nupix-A2 can measure energy deposition from 300 e- to over 50 ke- and time duration from 13 μs to 140 μs. This sensor also offers full readout mode and fast readout mode. In full-readout mode, all pixels measure arrival time and energy, suitable for real-time beam monitoring and image reconstruction. In fast-readout mode, only particle hit's positions are detected and read out. This paper presents the design of the Nupix-A2.
Patients with long duration of atrial fibrillation (AF), enlarged atria, or failed catheter ablation have advanced AF and may require more extensive treatment than pulmonary vein isolation.
The aim ...of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of additional ganglion plexus (GP) ablation in patients undergoing thoracoscopic AF surgery.
Patients with paroxysmal AF underwent pulmonary vein isolation. Patients with persistent AF also received additional lines (Dallas lesion set). Patients were randomized 1:1 to additional epicardial ablation of the 4 major GPs and Marshall's ligament (GP group) or no extra ablation (control) and followed every 3 months for 1 year. After a 3-month blanking period, all antiarrhythmic drugs were discontinued.
Two hundred forty patients with a mean AF duration of 5.7 ± 5.1 years (59% persistent) were included. Mean procedure times were 185 ± 54 min and 168 ± 54 min (p = 0.015) in the GP (n = 117) and control groups (n = 123), respectively. GP ablation abated 100% of evoked vagal responses; these responses remained in 87% of control subjects. Major bleeding occurred in 9 patients (all in the GP group; p < 0.001); 8 patients were managed thoracoscopically, and 1 underwent sternotomy. Sinus node dysfunction occurred in 12 patients in the GP group and 4 control subjects (p = 0.038), and 6 pacemakers were implanted (all in the GP group; p = 0.013). After 1 year, 4 patients had died (all in the GP group, not procedure related; p = 0.055), and 9 were lost to follow-up. Freedom from AF recurrence in the GP and control groups was not statistically different whether patients had paroxysmal or persistent AF. At 1 year, 82% of patients were not taking antiarrhythmic drugs.
GP ablation during thoracoscopic surgery for advanced AF has no detectable effect on AF recurrence but causes more major adverse events, major bleeding, sinus node dysfunction, and pacemaker implantation. (Atrial Fibrillation Ablation and Autonomic Modulation via Thoracoscopic Surgery AFACT; NCT01091389).
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The microRNAs are non-coding RNA molecules of approximately 20–22 nucleotides that are found to be implicated in a wide range of physiological processes. In this study, the suitability of 10 ...candidate reference RNAs was evaluated for microRNA expression data in the skin tissue of Liaoning cashmere goat including 1 small nuclear RNA (snRNA; RNU6B), 1 small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA; Z30), 1 rRNA (5S), 1 transfer RNA (tRNA; Met-tRNA), and 6 microRNAs (miR; let-7d-5p, miR-15a-5p, miR-26a-5p, miR-125a-5p, miR-214-3p, and miR-221-3p). Based on geNorm and NormFinder algorithms, we identified let-7d-5p, miR-26a-5p, and miR-15a-5p as the most stable reference RNAs. Also, three reference RNAs (let-7d-5p, miR-26a-5p, and miR-15a-5p) were sufficient for the normalization of microRNA expression data in the skin of this breed. We further assessed the suitability of let-7d-5p, miR-26a-5p, and miR-15a-5p in a combination as reference RNAs through detecting the relative expression of miR-24-3p, miR-29a-3p, miR-145a-5p, and miR-205-5p as putative genes of interest. Significant differences were revealed in the relative expression of miR-24-3p, miR-29a-3p, miR-145a-5p, and miR-205-5p at telogen stage of hair follicle cycle when a combination of let-7d-5p, miR-26a-5p, and miR-15a-5p vs a single let-7d-5p were used as reference RNA. Based on the results from this study, we suggested that the combination of let-7d-5p, miR-26a-5p, and miR-15a-5p as normalizers for microRNA expression data would be more reliable than that of single let-7d-5p, and the geometric mean of these three microRNAs (let-7d-5p, miR-26a-5p, and miR-15a-5p) can be used for the normalization of microRNAs expression data in the skin of Liaoning cashmere goat.
Aim To evaluate the feasibility of a low-dose contrast medium protocol for 64-detector row computed tomography angiography (CTA) of the neck using a low-tube-voltage/high-tube-current setting. ...Materials and methods A phantom study was performed using 64-detector row spiral CT at multiple tube voltage and current settings. Iodine contrast medium attenuation curves were acquired by processing and used to select the best contrast medium-to-noise ratio (CNR). A prospective clinical study was then performed on 84 patients requiring neck CTA. Patients were randomly divided into two groups of 42. Group A was examined using the conventional imaging protocol (120 kV, 400 mAs) and group B was examined at 80 kV and 600 mAs along with a 50% reduction in contrast medium dose. The CT dose index-volume (CTDIvol ), background noise (BN), and CNR were measured and statistically analysed. Various image quality criteria were evaluated by two senior radiologists using a qualitative five-point scale. Results Comparing group B with A, CTDIvol decreased by 54% (B: 27.48 mGy, A: 59.11 mGy), however, the CNR increased by 50%. The mean attenuation, which was caused by venous streak artefacts, was significantly lower in group B than A. Qualitative image analysis found that all criteria were significantly better for group B than A. Conclusion At 64-detector row spiral CT, the low-tube-voltage/high-tube-current with low-dose contrast medium protocol was superior to the conventional protocol regarding radiation dose, venous streak artefacts, and image quality, and is feasible for CTA of the neck.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Ocean acidification, due to diffusive uptake of atmospheric CO sub(2), has potentially profound ramifications for the entire marine ecosystem. Scientific knowledge on the biological impacts of ocean ...acidification is rapidly accumulating; however, data are still scarce on whether and how ocean acidification affects the reproductive system of marine organisms. We evaluated the long-term (9 mo) effects of high CO sub(2) (1000 mu atm) on the gametogenesis, survival, growth and physiology of the sea urchin Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus. Hypercapnic exposure delayed gonad maturation and spawning by 1 mo, whereas it had no effect on the maximum number of ova, survival or growth. After 9 mo of exposure, pH (control: 7.61, high-CO sub(2): 7.03) and Mg super(2+) concentration (control: 50.3, high-CO sub(2): 48.6 mmol l super(-1)) of the coelomic fluid were significantly lower in the experimental urchins. In addition, a 16 d exposure experiment revealed that 1000 mu atm CO sub(2) suppressed food intake to <30% of that of the controls. These data suggest that the ocean condition predicted to occur by the end of this century disrupts the physiological status of the sea urchin, possibly through reduced energy intake, which may delay reproductive phenology of the species. Taking into account earlier studies reporting negative impacts of ocean acidification on the early development of the same species, these results imply that ocean acidification will threaten H. pulcherrimus at a community level.
Summary
Background Aminolaevulinic acid–photodynamic therapy (ALA‐PDT) is a novel and effective treatment in acne. However, little is known about the effect of different concentrations of ALA in the ...treatment of acne in Chinese patients with Fitzpatrick skin type III and IV.
Objectives To investigate the efficacy and safety of ALA‐PDT in the treatment of moderate to severe acne in Chinese patients and to identify the suitable concentration of topical ALA.
Methods One hundred and eighty patients with moderate to severe facial acne were recruited and randomly divided into four groups. Each group was treated with a different concentration (5%, 10%, 15% and 20%) of ALA to the facial lesions on the right side and placebo agent on the left side as control. Each patient was treated once every 10 days for four sessions. The numbers of inflammatory and noninflammatory acne lesions were counted at baseline and at weeks 2, 4, 12 and 24 after the last treatment. Adverse effects were recorded at each follow‐up visit.
Results After 24 weeks, each side treated by ALA‐PDT showed clinical improvement compared with the control side treated by red light alone (P < 0·01). Statistically significantly more patients treated with 20% ALA than with 15% or 10% ALA achieved complete clearance. Regarding side‐effects, a trend towards more serious erythema and pigmentation was observed with increasing ALA concentration.
Conclusions Increasing the concentration of ALA seems to be beneficial for improving the results. Considering effectiveness and safety, ALA‐PDT using 10% or 15% ALA is suggested to the ideal treatment for moderate to severe acne in Chinese patients with Fitzpatrick skin type III and IV.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
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