Persistent luminescence is a unique optical process where long‐lasting afterglow persists after the cessation of excitation. Nanoscale persistent luminescent materials are getting increased research ...interest from various fields due to their unique optical property. In recent years, inspiring achievements have been made to produce uniform persistent luminescence nanoparticles (PLNPs) in a controllable manner, unleashing their fascinating potential, surpassing other types of luminescent materials in a wide variety of application such as high‐contrast bioimaging and high‐resolution X‐ray detection. In this review, the evolution of uniform PLNPs, from their bulk phosphor counterparts, to the “top‐down” preparation of nanoscale persistent luminescent materials, to the recent “bottom‐up” synthesis of uniform PLNPs is first summarized. The respective milestones of uniform PLNPs prepared by templated synthesis, aqueous synthesis, and colloidal synthesis are highlighted. The key optical properties that can be enhanced in uniform PLNPs, including increasing the persistent luminescence intensity, tuning the excitation irradiance, as well as the emission wavelengths are then analyzed. Detailed strategies to enhance each optical property are also discussed in various sections. Finally, future challenges are highlighted with respect to the perspectives on the development of next‐generation PLNPs with novel applications.
Persistent luminescence nanoparticles (PLNPs) possess long‐lasting afterglow after the excitation ceases, demonstrating merits for various applications. The recent rapid progress of uniform PLNPs boosts their biomedical applications. This review highlights milestones of uniform PLNPs syntheses, analyzes key strategies for enhancing their optical properties, and envisions the challenges and potential future directions of uniform PLNPs for novel applications.
The ongoing rapid expansion of the Word Wide Web (WWW) greatly increases the information of effective transmission from heterogeneous individuals to various systems. Extensive research for ...information diffusion is introduced by a broad range of communities including social and computer scientists, physicists, and interdisciplinary researchers. Despite substantial theoretical and empirical studies, unification and comparison of different theories and approaches are lacking, which impedes further advances. In this article, we review recent developments in information diffusion and discuss the major challenges. We compare and evaluate available models and algorithms to respectively investigate their physical roles and optimization designs. Potential impacts and future directions are discussed. We emphasize that information diffusion has great scientific depth and combines diverse research fields which makes it interesting for physicists as well as interdisciplinary researchers.
Individual differences in mind and behavior are believed to reflect the functional variability of the human brain. Due to the lack of a large-scale longitudinal dataset, the full landscape of ...variability within and between individual functional connectomes is largely unknown. We collected 300 resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rfMRI) datasets from 30 healthy participants who were scanned every three days for one month. With these data, both intra- and inter-individual variability of six common rfMRI metrics, as well as their test-retest reliability, were estimated across multiple spatial scales. Global metrics were more dynamic than local regional metrics. Cognitive components involving working memory, inhibition, attention, language and related neural networks exhibited high intra-individual variability. In contrast, inter-individual variability demonstrated a more complex picture across the multiple scales of metrics. Limbic, default, frontoparietal and visual networks and their related cognitive components were more differentiable than somatomotor and attention networks across the participants. Analyzing both intra- and inter-individual variability revealed a set of high-resolution maps on test-retest reliability of the multi-scale connectomic metrics. These findings represent the first collection of individual differences in multi-scale and multi-metric characterization of the human functional connectomes in-vivo, serving as normal references for the field to guide the use of common functional metrics in rfMRI-based applications.
Many studies have explored the prognostic role of the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) in patients with glioma, but the results have been inconsistent. We therefore conducted the current ...meta-analysis to identify the accurate prognostic effect of LMR in glioma.
The electronic databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library were thoroughly searched from inception to July 25, 2023. The pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to estimate the prognostic role of LMR for glioma.
A total of 16 studies comprising 3,407 patients were included in this meta-analysis. A low LMR was significantly associated with worse overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.13-1.61, p = 0.001) in glioma. However, there was no significant correlation between LMR and progression-free survival (PFS) (HR = 1.20, 95% CI = 0.75-1.91, p = 0.442) in glioma patients. Subgroup analysis indicated that a low LMR was significantly associated with inferior OS and PFS in glioma when using a cutoff value of ≤ 3.7 or when patients received mixed treatment.
This meta-analysis demonstrated that a low LMR was significantly associated with poor OS in glioma. There was no significant correlation between LMR and PFS in glioma patients. The LMR could be a promising and cost-effective prognostic biomarker in patients with glioma in clinical practice.
This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and satisfaction of using a multi-angle laser device (MLD) for C-arm fluoroscopy to assist novice learners during lumbar spine surgery.
Forty novice learners ...were randomly assigned to Group A using an MLD-equipped C-arm or Group B using a traditional C-arm. Both groups performed X-ray fluoroscopy on a lumbar spine model in supine and rotated positions. Time, number of shots, and deviation from the target were compared. A questionnaire was used to assess the learning experience.
Group A required less time (13.66 vs. 25.63 min), and fewer shots (15.05 vs. 32.50), and had a smaller deviation (22.9% vs. 61.5%) than Group B (all p<0.05). The questionnaire revealed higher scores in Group A for comfort, efficiency, and knowledge mastery (all p<0.05).
The MLD significantly improves novice learning of C-arm fluoroscopy during lumbar spine surgery.
Efficient biosynthesis of microbial bioactive natural products (NPs) is beneficial for the survival of producers, while self‐protection is necessary to avoid self‐harm resulting from ...over‐accumulation of NPs. The underlying mechanisms for the effective but tolerable production of bioactive NPs are not well understood. Herein, in the biosynthesis of two fungal polyketide mycotoxins aurovertin E (1) and asteltoxin, we show that the cyclases in the gene clusters promote the release of the polyketide backbone, and reveal that a signal peptide is crucial for their subcellular localization and full activity. Meanwhile, the fungus adopts enzymatic acetylation as the major detoxification pathway of 1. If intermediates are over‐produced, the non‐enzymatic shunt pathways work as salvage pathways to avoid excessive accumulation of the toxic metabolites for self‐protection. These findings provided new insight into the interplay of efficient backbone release and multiple detoxification strategies for the production of fungal bioactive NPs.
The biosynthesis of aurovertins involves a coordinated strategy for the tolerable production of fungal mycotoxins. A cyclase promotes the release of the polyketide backbone, while enzymatic acetylation functions as the major detoxification pathway, and non‐enzymatic shunt pathways function as salvage routes to avoid excessive accumulation of the toxic metabolites.
Thrombocytopenia is independently related with increased mortality in severe septic patients. Renin‐angiotensin system (RAS) is elevated in septic subjects; accumulating studies show that angiotensin ...II (Ang II) stimulate the intrinsic apoptosis pathway by promoting reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. However, the mechanisms underlying the relationship of platelet apoptosis and RAS system in sepsis have not been fully elucidated. The present study aimed to elucidate whether the RAS was involved in the pathogenesis of sepsis‐associated thrombocytopenia and explore the underlying mechanisms. We found that elevated plasma Ang II was associated with decreased platelet count in both patients with sepsis and experimental animals exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Besides, Ang II treatment induced platelet apoptosis in a concentration‐dependent manner in primary isolated platelets, which was blocked by angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) antagonist losartan, but not by angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2R) antagonist PD123319. Moreover, inhibiting AT1R by losartan attenuated LPS‐induced platelet apoptosis and alleviated sepsis‐associated thrombocytopenia. Furthermore, Ang II treatment induced oxidative stress level in a concentration‐dependent manner in primary isolated platelets, which was partially reversed by the AT1R antagonist losartan. The present study demonstrated that elevated Ang II directly stimulated platelet apoptosis through promoting oxidative stress in an AT1R‐dependent manner in sepsis‐associated thrombocytopenia. The results would helpful for understanding the role of RAS system in sepsis‐associated thrombocytopenia.
Many studies have shown that gender bias exists in the news. It is unclear whether and what sexism issues exist in mainstream media. The purpose of this study is to identify the types of sexist ...issues in the news and how they change in Chinese mainstream media. This study used content analysis to analyze all public news for three years from the People’s Daily, China Women’s Daily, and the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League WeChat public platform. The study found that all three mainstream media have gender discrimination problems, and their number and diversity are increasing every year.
Background
Pulmonary transit time (PTT) and pulmonary pulse wave transit time (pPTT) are useful parameters for the evaluation of cardiopulmonary circulation and vascular alterations, but their ...relationship remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between PTT and pPTT.
Methods
A total of 60 healthy volunteers were involved in this study. They were divided into two groups (30 participants per group): <50 years and >50 years. They all underwent Doppler echocardiography of pulmonary vein flow and contrast echocardiography with the measurement of pPTT and PTT, respectively. The correlation between PTT and pPTT was deduced.
Results
Compared with Group of <50 years, there was a significant increment in left atrial volume index, left atrial pressure and pulmonary artery stiffness but a significant reduction in acceleration times of pulmonary artery flow in Group of >50 years (p < 0.05). Group >50 years had longer PTT and but reduced normalized PTT by R‐R interval (NPTT), reduced normalized pPTT by R‐R interval (NpPTT) than Group <50 years (p < 0.05), while there was no significant difference in pPTT between the two groups (p > 0.05). PTT and NPTT were all negatively correlated with pPTT and NpPTT. The statistically significant strongest correlation was observed between PTT and NpPTT (r = −0.886, p < 0.0001). The regression equation for them was y = 7.4396–13.095x (R2 = 0.785; p < 0.001), where x and y represent NpPTT and PTT, respectively.
Conclusion
PTT had close relation with pPTT in normal subjects. From the regression equation for them, we can get the value of PTT simply and easily by non‐invasively measured pPTT.
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