AbstractObjectiveTo examine the protective effects of appropriate personal protective equipment for frontline healthcare professionals who provided care for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 ...(covid-19).DesignCross sectional study.SettingFour hospitals in Wuhan, China.Participants420 healthcare professionals (116 doctors and 304 nurses) who were deployed to Wuhan by two affiliated hospitals of Sun Yat-sen University and Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University for 6-8 weeks from 24 January to 7 April 2020. These study participants were provided with appropriate personal protective equipment to deliver healthcare to patients admitted to hospital with covid-19 and were involved in aerosol generating procedures. 77 healthcare professionals with no exposure history to covid-19 and 80 patients who had recovered from covid-19 were recruited to verify the accuracy of antibody testing.Main outcome measuresCovid-19 related symptoms (fever, cough, and dyspnoea) and evidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, defined as a positive test for virus specific nucleic acids in nasopharyngeal swabs, or a positive test for IgM or IgG antibodies in the serum samples.ResultsThe average age of study participants was 35.8 years and 68.1% (286/420) were women. These study participants worked 4-6 hour shifts for an average of 5.4 days a week; they worked an average of 16.2 hours each week in intensive care units. All 420 study participants had direct contact with patients with covid-19 and performed at least one aerosol generating procedure. During the deployment period in Wuhan, none of the study participants reported covid-19 related symptoms. When the participants returned home, they all tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 specific nucleic acids and IgM or IgG antibodies (95% confidence interval 0.0 to 0.7%).ConclusionBefore a safe and effective vaccine becomes available, healthcare professionals remain susceptible to covid-19. Despite being at high risk of exposure, study participants were appropriately protected and did not contract infection or develop protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2. Healthcare systems must give priority to the procurement and distribution of personal protective equipment, and provide adequate training to healthcare professionals in its use.
Sodium‐ion batteries capable of operating at rate and temperature extremes are highly desirable, but elusive due to the dynamics and thermodynamics limitations. Herein, a strategy of ...electrode–electrolyte interfacial chemistry modulation is proposed. The commercial hard carbon demonstrates superior rate performance with 212 mAh g−1 at an ultra‐high current density of 5 A g−1 in the electrolyte with weak ion solvation/desolvation, which is much higher than those in common electrolytes (nearly no capacity in carbonate‐based electrolytes). Even at −20 °C, a high capacity of 175 mAh g−1 (74 % of its room‐temperature capacity) can be maintained at 2 A g−1. Such an electrode retains 90 % of its initial capacity after 1000 cycles. As proven, weak ion solvation/desolvation of tetrahydrofuran greatly facilitates fast‐ion diffusion at the SEI/electrolyte interface and homogeneous SEI with well‐distributed NaF and organic components ensures fast Na+ diffusion through the SEI layer and a stable interface.
In a THF‐based electrolyte with a weak solvation structure, Na+ desolvation is fast and a uniform solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) with abundant NaF and organic compounds is generated on the commercial hard carbon anode. This greatly enhances the interface stability and enables the rapid migration of Na+ in the SEI, thus realizing the high rate capability, long‐term stability and good low‐temperature performance for the hard carbon anode.
LINKED CONTENT
This article is linked to Luo et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17124 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17181
NOTCH2NLC GGC repeat expansions were recently identified in neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID); however, it remains unclear whether they occur in other neurodegenerative disorders. This ...study aimed to investigate the role of intermediate‐length NOTCH2NLC GGC repeat expansions in Parkinson disease (PD). We screened for GGC repeat expansions in a cohort of 1,011 PD patients and identified 11 patients with intermediate‐length repeat expansions ranging from 41 to 52 repeats, with no repeat expansions in 1,134 controls. Skin biopsy revealed phospho‐alpha‐synuclein deposition, confirming the PD diagnosis in 2 patients harboring intermediate‐length repeat expansions instead of NIID or essential tremor. Fibroblasts from PD patients harboring intermediate‐length repeat expansions revealed NOTCH2NLC upregulation and autophagic dysfunction. Our results suggest that intermediate‐length repeat expansions in NOTCH2NLC are potentially associated with PD. ANN NEUROL 2021;89:182–187
Background & Aims
Oral antiviral therapy may reduce the disease progression of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. We aimed to further investigate the efficacy of long‐term entecavir therapy in ...reduction of the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cirrhotic events and mortality in a large group of CHB‐related cirrhosis patients.
Methods
The C‐TEAM (Cirrhosis‐Taiwanese EntecAvir Multicenter) study was a nationwide, multicenter, retrospective–prospective cohort study in Taiwan. We enrolled treatment‐naïve patients with CHB‐related cirrhosis and baseline HBV‐DNA≥2000 IU/mL receiving long‐term entecavir therapy and compared the development of HCC, cirrhotic events and mortality with that of a historical untreated cohort.
Results
In total, 1315 entecavir‐treated and 503 untreated patients with cirrhosis were enrolled, with median treatment and follow‐up durations of 4 and 6 years respectively. Compared with the untreated cohort, entecavir therapy was associated with a 60% HCC risk reduction hazard ratio (HR): 0.40, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.28‐0.57. Additionally, an older age, the male gender, HBeAg positivity, alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP)≥7 ng/mL before therapy were independent predictors of HCC development. Further analysis showed that entecavir therapy significantly reduced risks of variceal bleeding, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, and liver‐related and all‐cause mortality. These findings were confirmed by propensity score‐matched cohorts in sensitivity analysis. In patients under entecavir therapy, an older age, the male gender, HBeAg positivity, AFP level ≥7 ng/mL before therapy, and 1‐year virological response were predictive of HCC development.
Conclusions
Four‐year entecavir therapy significantly reduces the risk of HCC, cirrhotic events and mortality in patients with CHB‐related cirrhosis.
See Editorial on Page 1752
LINKED CONTENT
This article is linked to Chen et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17602 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17767
Constructing a powerful photocatalytic system that can achieve the carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction half‐reaction and the water (H2O) oxidation half‐reaction simultaneously is a very challenging but ...meaningful task. Herein, a porous material with a crystalline topological network, named viCOF‐bpy‐Re, was rationally synthesized by incorporating rhenium complexes as reductive sites and triazine ring structures as oxidative sites via robust −C=C− bond linkages. The charge‐separation ability of viCOF‐bpy‐Re is promoted by low polarized π‐bridges between rhenium complexes and triazine ring units, and the efficient charge‐separation enables the photogenerated electron–hole pairs, followed by an intramolecular charge‐transfer process, to form photogenerated electrons involved in CO2 reduction and photogenerated holes that participate in H2O oxidation simultaneously. The viCOF‐bpy‐Re shows the highest catalytic photocatalytic carbon monoxide (CO) production rate (190.6 μmol g−1 h−1 with about 100 % selectivity) and oxygen (O2) evolution (90.2 μmol g−1 h−1) among all the porous catalysts in CO2 reduction with H2O as sacrificial agents. Therefore, a powerful photocatalytic system was successfully achieved, and this catalytic system exhibited excellent stability in the catalysis process for 50 hours. The structure–function relationship was confirmed by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations.
A crystalline network is constructed by incorporating rhenium complexes and triazine ring structures as catalytic sites via robust −C=C− bonding. Appreciable charge‐separation and transfer efficiency drive both the photocatalytic oxidative and reductive reactions in the conversion of CO2 to CO with H2O, and without any additional sacrificial agents or photosensitizers.
It is unclear whether entecavir (ETV) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) differ in their effectiveness for preventing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).
...This retrospective cohort study analyzed an international consortium that encompassed 19 centers from 6 countries or regions composed of previously untreated CHB patients then treated with either ETV or TDF monotherapy. Those who developed HCC before antiviral treatment or within 1 year of therapy were excluded. The association between antiviral regimen and HCC risk was evaluated using competing-risk survival regression. We also applied propensity score matching (PSM) to 1:1 balance the 2 treatment cohorts. A total of 5,537 patients were eligible (n = 4,837 received ETV and n = 700 received TDF) and observed for HCC occurrence until December 23, 2018. Before PSM, the TDF cohort was significantly younger and had generally less advanced diseases.
In the unadjusted analysis, TDF was associated with a lower risk of HCC (subdistribution hazard ratio SHR, 0.45; 95% confidence interval CI, 0.26-0.79; P = 0.005). The multivariable analysis, however, found that the association between TDF and HCC no longer existed (SHR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.42-1.56; P = 0.52) after adjustment for age, sex, country, albumin, platelet, α-fetoprotein, cirrhosis, and diabetes mellitus. Furthermore, the PSM analysis (n = 1,040) found no between-cohort differences in HCC incidences (P = 0.51) and no association between regimens (TDF or ETV) and HCC risk in the multivariable-adjusted analysis (adjusted SHR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.41-1.92; P = 0.77).
TDF and ETV did not significantly differ in the prevention of HCC in patients with CHB.
Summary
Background
While direct‐acting antivirals have been approved for treating hepatitis C, the guidelines highlight the importance of considering potential drug‐drug interactions between DAAs and ...concomitant medications.
Aim
To assess comorbidity prevalence, concomitant medication use and potential drug‐drug interactions between DAAs and concomitant medications for hepatitis C patients in Taiwan.
Methods
This cross‐sectional study enrolled 822 patients from May to August 2016 in Taiwan. Patient demographics, comorbidities and concomitant medications were evaluated by physician surveys.
Results
A total of 709 (86.3%) patients had ≥1 comorbidity; the most prevalent comorbidity categories were diseases of the digestive system (40.1%), circulatory system (38.7%) and endocrine/nutritional/metabolic diseases (35.2%). Elderly patients had more comorbidities. A total of 622 (75.7%) patients received ≥1 concomitant medication; the average number of concomitant medications was 3.2. The most common concomitant medication classes were cardiovascular (34.4%), gastrointestinal (25.7%) and central nervous system drugs (22.7%). Among patients without cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis, contraindications were most prevalent with paritaprevir/ritonavir/ombitasvir plus dasabuvir, daclatasvir/asunaprevir and glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (13.3%, 6.0% and 5.4% respectively), and least prevalent with sofosbuvir, sofosbuvir/daclatasvir, sofosbuvir/ledipasvir and sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (0.8%, 1.3%, 1.4% and 2.1% respectively). Sofosbuvir‐based regimens had no contraindications in patients with decompensated cirrhosis.
Conclusion
Our population represented an elderly demographic, with a high prevalence of comorbidities and widespread use of concomitant medications. The potential drug‐drug interactions between these concomitant medications and DAA regimens differed, with the fewest potential interactions with sofosbuvir‐based regimens.
The structures of boron clusters, such as flat clusters and fullerenes, resemble those of carbon. Various two‐dimensional (2D) borophenes have been proposed since the production of graphene. The ...recent successful fabrication of borophene sheets has prompted extensive researches, and some unique properties are revealed. In this review, the recent theoretical and experimental progress on the structure, growth, and electronic and thermal transport properties of borophene sheets is summarized. The history of prediction of boron sheet structures is introduced. Existing with a mixture of triangle lattice and hexagonal lattice, the structures of boron sheets have peculiar characteristics of polymorphism and show significant dependence on the substrate. Due to the unique structure and complex BB bonds, borophene sheets have many interesting electronic and thermal transport properties, such as strong nonlinear effect, strong thermal transport anisotropy, high thermal conductance in the ballistic transport and low thermal conductivity in the diffusive transport. The growth mechanism and synthesis of borophene sheets on different metal substrates are also presented. The successful prediction and synthesis will shed light on the exploration of new novel materials. Besides, the outstanding and peculiar properties of borophene make them tempting platform for exploring novel physical phenomena and extensive applications.
The recent successful fabrication of borophene sheets has prompted extensive research. Here, the recent theoretical and experimental progress on the structure, growth, and electronic and thermal transport properties of borophene sheets is summarized. Recent theoretical studies on the thermal stability, ballistic thermal transport, diffusive thermal transport, and abnormal strain effect of borophene are discussed and compared with those of graphene.
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