This study aimed to explore the effect of MEG3 genetic polymorphisms on telomere length (TL) in Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure populations. The 544 PAHs-exposure workers and 238 controls were recruited, and urinary OH-PAHs concentrations were determined with high-performance liquid chromatography. The TL was measured using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The MEG3 genetic polymorphisms were detected by the flight mass spectrometry platform. The TL in the exposure group (4.57±0.84) was significantly lower than the controls (5.00±0.75), and TL had a negative correlation with OH-PAHs. Generalize linear model found that PAHs-exposure [β(95%CI) = -0.409(-0.537, -0.282), P <0.001], age (years) [β(95%CI) = -0.010(-0.019, -0.002), P = 0.018], and genotype CT+TT for MEG3 rs10132552 [β(95%CI) = -0.299(-0.582, -0.017), P = 0.038] were associated with the decreased TL. In conclusion, PAHs-exposure and genotype CT+TT for MEG3 rs10132552 may be the risk factors for TL. And TL may decrease with age, BMI, and urinary OH-PAHs.

Mechanical specimens of rock-like materials were prepared from cement, gypsum, quartz sand and water. After the specimens were formed, they were immersed in acid solutions of pH=2 and pH=4 for 60d and 90d respectively, and uniaxial compression tests were carried out before and after immersion to obtain mechanical parameters.Quantification of the extent of degradation of mechanical parameters and introduction of acid corrosion damage variables.Based on the Lemaitre strain equivalence principle, the Weibull distribution statistical damage model for rock-like micro-fractures was combined with a correction for damage variables that takes into account the effect of residual strength to derive a damage constitutive model under acid corrosion.The theoretical damage constitutive curves were compared with the experimental curves to analyse the applicability of the constitutive equation.The results show that after corrosion by the acid solution, the initial compression-density portion of the stress-strain curve of the specimen becomes longer and the elastic deformation phase becomes shorter,the elastic modulus, peak stress and residual strength of the specimen all decrease, and the final strain of the compression-density portion, final elastic strain, peak strain and residual strength strain values all increase,the longer the maintenance time and the more acidic the solution, the more significant the above characteristics are.Comparing the theoretical and experimental curves, the damage constitutive model, which includes acid damage and residual strength corrections, agrees well in the elastic, plastic and post-peak phases.

Pediatric follicular lymphoma (PTFL) is one of the rare pediatric-type indolent B-cell lymphomas that clinicopathologically differs from adult lymphoma. Accurate diagnosis of PTFL is essential to avoid leak-diagnosis, misdiagnosis and overtreatment, but it is often challenging. To improve the understanding of PTFL, we collected four cases of PTFL, and analyzed the clinicopathological features, differential diagnosis and molecular mutation characteristics of PTFL by hematoxylin‑eosin stain, immunohistochemistry, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). The relevant literature review was also performed. Four PTFL patients were all male, aged 6, 18, 13 and 15 years, and St. Jude were staged III. and I.. Microscopic results showed that the lymph node structure was destroyed; the tumor follicles were enlarged and irregular; medium-large blast-like cells with a consistent shape were visible in tumor follicles, and the nucleus was round or oval; the “starry sky” phenomenon was easy to discover. Tumor cells expressed CD20, PAX-5, Bcl-6, CD10. None of the tumor cells expressed Bcl-2, CD3, CD5, MUM-1, and CyclinD1. CD21 showed dilated growth of follicular dendritic cell (FDC) mesh in tumor follicles. EBER were all negative. FISH testing also showed negative Bcl-2 gene breaks in four cases. A total of 12 related mutant genes including KMT2D, CD79B, GNA13, MYD88, PCLO, TCF3, IRF8, MAP2K1, FOXO1, POLE, INPP5D and FAT4 were detected by NGS. Two of the four cases had IRF8 gene mutation, and one case detected a dual mutation of the MAP2K1 gene. Our data reviewed the unique clinicopathological features and molecular mutational characteristics of PTFL, consolidated the understanding of PTFL, and identified other rare mutant genes, which may further contribute to the study of the molecular mechanism and differential diagnosis of PTFL.

Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma mimics various infectious diseases, immunological conditions, and other malignancies. Because there is no lymph node involvement, it causes difficulty in diagnosing lymphoma and significant delays in the initiation of treatment. This type of lymphoma should be considered in the presence of hepatosplenomegaly and cytopenia.

Variation in Location of the Distobuccal Root Canal in a permanent Maxillary Second Molar: A Case Report and Literature ReviewABSTRACTThis case report describes the unusual location of the distobuccal root canal in a maxillary second molar with root fusion. On access opening, three distinct root canal orifices, the mesiobuccal canal, palatal canal, and a third orifice closer to the palatal canal, were seen, giving an illusion of an additional palatal canal. An attempt was made to search for the distobuccal canal in its usual position, leading to the gouging of the pulp chamber floor. An intra-operative limited field of view cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) revealed the root orifice adjacent to the palatal canal was the distobuccal canal. CBCT also revealed fusion of both the buccal and palatal roots in the root’s coronal and middle third region, but they were not fused apically.Keywords: cone-beam computed tomography, distobuccal, fused roots, maxillary second molar, variation.INTRODUCTIONThe root canal system is highly complex and variable.1Numerous case reports and earlier studies have reported variations in maxillary molars.2-4 Variations have been mostly reported in the form of extra canals being present. However, Zhanget al., in an in-vitro study, found maxillary second molars to have more variations than the first molars.5 Most of the earlier studies have focused on the Mesiobuccal (MB) root of the maxillary first molar, as it frequently has two root canals with variations in the root canal pattern.6,7The case reports published in the literature pertaining to the variations in maxillary second molar are most frequently in relation to the alterations in the number of roots or root canals. Kottor et al. reported a case of a maxillary second molar with five roots and five separate canals in each of these roots.8 In contrast, Ahuja et al.  reported a case of a maxillary second molar with a single root and single canal.9Regarding the distobuccal (DB) root canal, variations have been reported in the form of one additional canal (DB2) being present or fused with the MB canal. Fusion can also occur between one or both the buccal roots with the palatal (P) root.10-14 Fusion of the roots is more common in maxillary second molars, which could result in complete or partial fusion of the root canals.15,16For successful endodontic treatment, clinicians should be aware of the variations in the number of roots and root canals and the peculiar or eccentric location of root canals as described in this case report. This case report highlights the anatomic variation of the distobuccal root canal in a maxillary second molar and its management with the aid of an intra-operative limited field of view (FOV) Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), along with a literature review of variations reported in distobuccal roots and root canals in human maxillary second molar. The case presentation is based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Case reports in Endodontics (PRICE) 2020 guidelines.17CASE PRESENTATIONA 34-year-old male patient reported to the department with a chief complaint of pain in his upper left back tooth for the past ten days. History revealed an intermittent, localized throbbing type of pain, occurring during the night and aggravated during mastication. The patient’s medical history was non-contributory. Clinical intra-oral examination revealed deep occlusal caries in the maxillary left second molar (27) with tenderness to percussion. The tooth had an old amalgam restoration on the occlusal surface. The tooth mobility was within physiological limits, and the gingival attachment apparatus was normal. Thermal and electric pulp testing (Parkel Electronics Division, Farmingdale, New York, USA) elicited a negative response. The preoperative intraoral periapical radiograph (IOPA) revealed occlusal radiolucency involving pulp space with no periapical radiolucency (Figure 1A, 1B). Extra orally, no swelling was noticed. From the clinical and radiographic findings, a diagnosis of pulpal necrosis with symptomatic apical periodontitis was made, and endodontic treatment was initiated after obtaining consent from the patient.The tooth was anesthetized by using 1.8 ml (30 mg) of 2% lidocaine containing 1:200,000 epinephrine (AstraZeneca Pharma India Ltd., Bengaluru, India). Isolation was done using a rubber dam (Coltene Whaledent, Inc., Ohio, USA), and access opening was initiated using an endo access bur (#1) in high speed (Dentsply Sirona, Tulsa, USA) under a dental operating microscope (Prisma DNT Microscope, Labo America, Inc., California, USA). The pulp chamber floor examination with a DG-16 endodontic explorer (Hu-Friedy, Chicago, USA) revealed three distinct root canal orifices, the MB canal, and P canal, and another orifice in close approximation to the P canal, giving an illusion of an additional P canal (Figure 1C). An attempt was made to search for the DB canal in its usual position, but without success, this led to the gouging of the floor in that area (Figure 1C). As the DB canal was not identified in its usual location and a canal orifice was seen unusually placed between the buccal and P canal, an intra-operative limited FOV-CBCT was taken after obtaining consent from the patient. CBCT images of the maxillary second molar revealed fusion of both the buccal and palatal roots in the coronal and middle third region of the root, but apically they were separate. CBCT images confirmed the canal adjacent to the P orifice to be the DB canal. Even though the roots were fused partially, the canals remained separate (Figure 2A to 2F). The coronal section of the tooth in the CBCT scan also revealed early periapical radiolucency in the palatal root, which was not evident in the two-dimensional IOPA (Figure 2D). Working length was determined using IOPA and an electronic apex locator (Root ZX; Morita, Tokyo, Japan). Shaping and cleaning were performed using ProTaper Gold (Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland) and the crown-down technique. The MB and DB canals were enlarged to ProTaper F2 (25/08), and the P canal was enlarged until ProTaper F3 (30/09). The instrumentation was performed using 2.5% sodium hypochlorite solution and normal saline. Final irrigation was performed with 2.5 % sodium hypochlorite solution (Sisco Research Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai, India), 17% EDTA (Prime Dental Product Pvt Ltd, Mumbai, India), and normal saline. The canals were medicated with Calcium hydroxide paste (Calcicur, VOCO, Cuxhaven, Germany) using a lentulo spiral (Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland), and the access cavity was sealed with Cavit (3M ESPE Dental Products, St Paul, MN, USA). The patient was asymptomatic during recall after 2 weeks. Calcium hydroxide was removed, and obturation was done by single cone obturation technique using F2 and F3 Gutta-percha (Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland) and AH plus resin sealer (Dentsply Maillefer Company, Tulsa, OK, USA) (Figure 3A). The access cavity was sealed using resin composite (Z-100; 3M ESPE Dental Products, St Paul, MN). The patient was asymptomatic during a follow-up period of 1 year (Figure 3B).DISCUSSIONRoot fusion occurs due to disturbance in Hertwig’s epithelial root sheath during developmental stages. It can also occur due to fusion in the furcation area or deposition of cementum over time.18 Root fusion is a common entity in maxillary second molars compared to the first molars.4 Fusion of roots can result in partial or complete fusion of the root canals and can lead to intra-canal communications or canal divisions that are challenging to shape and clean.19In this case report, the root canals remained separate without any communication. Based on Zhang et al. classification for fused roots in maxillary second molars, this tooth can be classified as a Type 5 pattern where the P root fused with MB and DB root.15 According to the recent classification of anomalies by Ahmed et al. , it can be classified as (RF5)327MB/DB/P.20In maxillary second molars, the three roots are grouped closer together, making the orifices form a flat triangle to almost a straight line. DB orifice is closer to the MB orifice and is usually located in the midpoint when a line is drawn from the MB to P orifices (Figure 4A).21 However, there are few cases reports on the variation of DB roots or root canals (Table 1). These variations are in the form of an extra root or root canal present close to the main DB canal. Variations in the DB root canals in literature are also present in the form of partial or complete fusion to either MB or P canals forming C-shaped canals or fusions leading to double or single-rooted maxillary second molars.8-14 These case reports also point to the fact that when a root canal orifice deviates from its actual position, there always is a need for careful inspection and exploration for possible additional canals.In the present case report, the search for the DB canal in its usual position led to the gouging of the pulpal floor. The intraoperative CBCT revealed that the roots were fused in the coronal and middle third, with the DB root placed palatally. Hence, the peculiar canal located just buccal to the P root canal orifice was the DB canal, which seemed to give an illusion of an additional P canal (Figure 4B). All three root canals also showed Vertucci Type I root canal pattern with no intra-canal communications with each other. To the best of our knowledge, no case report on such peculiarity in the position of the DB canal orifice has yet been published in the literature.In an earlier study by Han et al . done in the Chinese population, the average distance between the DB and P canals was 3-5mm, and between MB and DB canals was 1.5-3mm.22 The distance between the DB and P orifice was only 0.6mm, and between DB and MB orifice was 3.9mm in the present case when calculated using the measuring tool in the CBCT software (Planmeca Romexis version 5.2.0R). The smaller mesiodistal diameter of 8mm of the involved teeth, partial root fusion, and/or palatal positioning of the DB root could have been the possible reason(s) for the unusual position of the DB canal in the current case report.The spatial relationship between the roots and adjacent anatomical structures and the position and shape of anatomical structures inside the root to be treated is often difficult to assess using a conventional 2-D radiograph.23 Using CBCT in such complex cases enables us to understand the internal root canal anatomy better.24CONCLUSION Unusual root canal morphology of the maxillary molars is invariably a norm, and it should be visualized during the planning phase of endodontic treatment. This will help the treating clinician deliver a customized treatment plan to the patient precisely. This case report highlights the variability of the root morphology. It further describes the exact variation in the root canal system of a maxillary second molar, i.e., DB root canal close to the P root canal orifice with partially fused roots. An intraoperative CBCT aided in the better understanding and management of this particular root canal anatomy, followed by the precise execution of the treatment plan.ACKNOWLEDGMENT: None.FUNDING INFORMATION: None.CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT: The authors declare no conflict of interest related to this publication. This work did not receive any funding.DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT: Data related to this paper are available for consultation if requested.PATIENT CONSENT STATEMENT: A written informed consent was obtained from the patient to publish this report in accordance with the journal’s patient consent policy and is in the author’s possession.REFERENCESVertucci FJ. Root canal anatomy of the permanent human teeth. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol . 1984;58(5):589-599. doi:10.1016/0030-4220(84)90085-9.Martins JNR, Alkhawas MAM, Altaki Z, Bellardini G, Berti L, Boveda C, et al . Worldwide analyses of maxillary first molar second mesiobuccal prevalence: A multicenter cone-beam computed tomographic study. J Endod . 2018;44(11):1641-9.e1. doi:10.1016/j.joen.2018.07.027.Martins JN, Mata A, Marques D, Anderson C, Caramês J. Prevalence and characteristics of the maxillary C-shaped molar. J Endod . 2016;42(3):383-389. doi:10.1016/j.joen.2015.12.013.Martins JN, Mata A, Marques D, Caramês J. Prevalence of root fusions and main root canal merging in human upper and lower molars: A cone-beam computed tomography in vivo study. J Endod . 2016;42:900-908. doi:10.1016/j.joen.2016.03.005.Zhang R, Yang H, Yu X, Wang H, Hu T, Dummer PM. Use of CBCT to identify the morphology of maxillary permanent molar teeth in a Chinese subpopulation. Int Endod J . 2011;44:162-169. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2591.2010.01826.x.Studebaker B, Hollender L, Mancl L, Johnson JD, Paranjpe A. The incidence of second mesiobuccal canals located in maxillary molars with the aid of cone-beam computed tomography. J Endod . 2018;44(4):565-570. doi:10.1016/j.joen.2017.08.026.Martins J. Second mesiobuccal root canal in maxillary molars-A systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence studies using cone beam computed tomography. Arch Oral Biol.  2019;24:104589. doi:10.1016/j.archoralbio.2019.104589.Kottoor J, Hemamalathi S, Sudha R, Velmurugan N. Maxillary second molar with 5 roots and 5 canals evaluated using cone beam computerized tomography: a case report. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod . 2010;109(2):e162-165. doi:10.1016/j.tripleo.2009.09.032.Ahuja P, Ballal S, Velmurugan N. Endodontic management of maxillary second molar with a single root and a single canal diagnosed with cone-beam computed tomography scanning. Saudi Endod J.2012;2(2):100-103.doi:10.4103/1658-5984.108162.Fahid A, Taintor JF. Maxillary second molar with three buccal roots.J Endod. 1988;14(4):181-183. doi:10.1016/S0099-2399(88)80261-9.Suresh M, Karthikeyan K, Mahalaxmi S. Maxillary second molar with fused root and six canals- A case report. J Clin Diagn Res.2017;11:ZD35-ZD37. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2017/25005.9743.Zeng C, Shen Y, Guan X, Wang X, Fan M, Li Y. Rare root canal configuration of bilateral maxillary second molar using cone-beam computed tomographic scanning. J Endod. 2016;42(4):673-677. doi:10.1016/j.joen.2015.12.028.Zmener O, Peirano A. Endodontic therapy in a maxillary second molar with three buccal roots. J Endod. 1998;24(5):376-377. doi: 10.1016/s0099-2399(98)80138-6 .Saeed Asgary. Endodontic treatment of a maxillary second molar with developmental anomaly: A case report. Iran Endod J.2007;2(2):73-76.Zhang Q, Chen H, Fan B, Fan W, Gutmann JL. Root and root canal morphology in maxillary second molar with fused root from a native Chinese population. J Endod . 2014;40(6):871-875. doi:10.1016/j.joen.2013.10.035.Ordinola-Zapata R, Martins JNR, Bramante CM, Villas-Boas MH, Duarte MH, Versiani MA. Morphological evaluation of maxillary second molars with fused roots: a micro-CT study. Int Endod J. 2017;50(12):1192-1200. doi:10.1111/iej.12752.Nagendrababu V, Chong BS, McCabe P, Shah PK, Priya E, Jayaraman J, et al. PRICE 2020 guidelines for reporting case reports in Endodontics: a consensus-based development. Int Endod J . 2020;53(5):619-626.doi: 10.1111/iej.13285.Al-Fouzan KS. C-shaped root canals in mandibular second molars in a Saudi Arabian population. Int Endod J. 2002;5:499–504. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2591.2002.00512.x.Versiani MA, Alves FR, Andrade-Junior CV, Marceliano-Alves MF, Provenzano JC, Rôças IN, et al . Micro-CT evaluation of the efficacy of hard-tissue removal from the root canal and isthmus area by positive and negative pressure irrigation systems. Int Endod J.  2016;49(11):1079-1087. doi:10.1111/iej.12559.Ahmed HMA, Dummer PMH. A new system for classifying tooth, root and canal anomalies. Int Endod J.  2018;51(4):389-404.doi:10.1111/iej.12867.Wu MK, Wesselink PR, Walton RE. Apical terminus location of root canal treatment procedures. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod.  2000;89(1):99-103. doi:10.1016/S1079-2104(00)80023-2.Han X, Yang H, Li G, Yang L, Tian C, Wang Y. A study of the distobuccal root canal orifice of the maxillary second molars in Chinese individuals evaluated by cone-beam computed tomography. J Appl Oral Sci.2012;20(5):563-567.doi:10.1590/S1678-77572012000500012.Cotti E, Campisi G. Advanced radiographic techniques for the detection of lesions in bone. Endod Topics. 2004;7(1):52-72. doi:10.1111/j.1601-1546.2004.00064.x.Patel S, Brown J, Pimentel T, Kelly RD, Abella F, Durack C. Cone beam computed tomography in Endodontics - a review of the literature.Int Endod J.  2019;52(1):1138-1152. doi:10.1111/j.1601-1546.2004.00064.x.

Skull Base Osteomyelitis with Extensive Bony Erosion Complicated by Venous Sinus Thrombosis

Introduced and invasive species make excellent natural experiments for investigating rapid evolution. Here, we describe the effects of genetic drift and rapid genetic adaptation in pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) that were accidentally introduced to the Great Lakes via a single introduction event 31-generations ago. Using whole-genome resequencing for 134 fish spanning five sample groups across the native and introduced range, we estimate that the progenitor population’s effective population size was 146,886 at the time of introduction, whereas the founding population’s effective population size was just 72—a 2040-fold decrease. As expected with a severe bottleneck, we show reductions in genome-wide measures of genetic diversity, specifically a 37.7% reduction in the number of SNPs and an 8.2% reduction in observed heterozygosity. Despite this decline in genetic diversity, we provide evidence for putative selection at 47 loci across multiple chromosomes in the introduced populations, including missense variants in genes associated with circadian rhythm, immunological response, and maturation, which match expected or known phenotypic changes in the Great Lakes. For one of these genes, we use a species-specific agent-based model to rule out genetic drift and conclude that a strong response to selection occurred in a period gene (per2) that plays a predominant role in determining an organism’s daily clock, matching large day length differences experienced by introduced salmon during important phenological periods. Together, these results inform how populations might evolve rapidly to new environments, even with a small pool of standing genetic variation.

A document by Rohan Samir Sachan. Click on the document to view its contents.

Tendency of the vertebrates to increase body sizes during evolution is recognized in the 19th century. Beside the contradictory Cope’s rule, other ‘rules’ were recognized, however not fully explained the evolutionary size growth phenomenon. Recently the resource rule offered a plausible explanation to this, although it left open the rapid evolutionary size growth of the Mysticeti (Mammalia, Vertebrata). Here, the rapid and significant evolutionary size growth of Mysticeti and the odontocete sperm whale is explained by the innovative application of the long-range communication channels. Regarding all analysed extant species using infrasound either in aquatic or terrestrial environs for long-range communication, a correlation between the body size/mass and maximum propagation of the applied infrasound is recognized. Correlation of the body sizes of these infrasound generating vertebrate taxa with the maximum range of audibility reflects the acoustical characteristics of the applied long-range communication channels. The wider the audibility in the communication channel is, the greater the body size of the species using the SOFAR channel for long-range communication. Other, non-aquatic, terrestrial vertebrate species (African elephants, cassowary) also present the same phenomenon suggesting that application of the long-range communication channels may have universal role in evolutionary size growth among social animals.

A case report and clinical implications of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw resulting in sepsis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis

A 16-year-old male patient was admitted to the emergency department because of “continuous palpitations and shortness of breath”. He developed cardiogenic shock, electrocardiogram (ECG) showed persistent atrial tachycardia (AT), left ventricle was enlarged, the lowest left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was only 19%, the highest N-terminal-forebrain natriuretic peptide was 5830pg/ml. He was treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation-based comprehensive treatment, but various antiarrhythmic drugs were no therapeutic effective. Considering he was atrial tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy (TIC) with heart failure induced by circadian rhythm disturbance, we performed radiofrequency catheter ablation and adjust his work-and-rest system. AT was terminated after ablation. Three months after the operation, there was no recurrence of palpitations, ECG showed normal, LV function and heart size recovered. This report describes a case of atrial TIC associated with systolic dysfunction treated with RFCA successfully. In the future, we should pay more attention to changes in the circadian rhythm of atrial arrhythmia which may help clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Carbon dots (CDs) are an emerging class of nanomaterials with intriguing photophysical properties. Recently, achieving room-temperature phosphores-cence (RTP) for CDs have attracted considerable attention for biomedical and information applications. However, the CDs based RTP materials generally require the use of polymeric and inorganic matrix to provide the rigid environments, which remains a great challenge to obtain matrix-free CDs with RTP. Herein, a novel supramolecular strategy based on strong interparticle interactions has been developed to attain this objective, by covalent decoration of ureido-pyrimidinone (UPy, a multiple hydrogen bonding unit) on the surface of CDs. Structural characterizations validated the core-shell structure of the as-prepared CDs (EDTA-CDs) and demonstrated the successful attachment of UPy via post-modification (UPy-CDs). The presence of UPy recognition units render the strong hydrogen bonding between UPy-CDs, which stabilizes the triplet state via rigidifying effect. As a result, UPy-CDs exhibit matrix-free efficient RTP (λem = 534 nm) with high brightness and long lifetime (33.6 ms) in the solid state. Owing to the dual-emission character, we further explored the application potential of UPy-CDs in information encryption and anti-counterfeiting. Overall, this work provides a new and facile strategy for achieving matrix-free phosphorescent CDs with elegant incorporation of supramolecular chemistry.

Rational construction of strong electron-transfer materials remains a challenging task. Herein, we show a fundamental design rule for construction of strong electron-transfer materials through covalently integrating electron-donoring Cu(I) clusters and electron-withdrawing triazine monomers together. As expected, the two resultant Cu(I)-triazine frameworks (Cu-CTFs) showed strong electron transfer up to 0.46|e| from each Cu(I) metal center to each adjacent triazine fragment, and the size of triazine monomer was found to give tunable ability for electron transfer. Accompanied to the stronger electron transfer is the observation of more narrow bang gap and good spatial separation of HOMO and LUMO level. This finally leads to good spatial separation of photo-generated electron-hole pairs and function units for boosting photocatalytic reduction of uranium under ambience and no sacrificial agent with ultrahigh removal efficiency up to 99.7%, and good charge separation of [I+][I5-] for boosting I2 immobilization under extremely rigorous conditions with benchmark I2 uptake of 0.32 g/g. The results not only have opened up a structural design principle to access electron-transfer materials, but also solved several challenging tasks in the field of radionuclide capture and CTFs.

Solar-driven interfacial steam generation is considered as a sustainable and cost-effective approach to produce freshwater from seawater or sewage, whereas unavoidable microbial contamination and low evaporation efficiency remain challenges. Herein, we report a high-performance and antibacterial 3D Ag/MXene@chitosan hydrogel (described as AM/Ch gel) evaporator through incorporation of two-dimensional (2D) Ag/MXene composites into three-dimensional (3D) chitosan hydrogel. Thanks to the synergistic contributions from chitosan hydrogel matrix and Ag/MXene composites, 3D AM/Ch gel could completely eradicate both E. coli and S. aureus under simulated solar light irradiation, ensuring the production of microbial-free drinkable water. Benefiting from the superb photo-to-thermal conversion behavior and feasible water transportation in the 3D networks, the prepared AM/Ch gel-based evaporator exhibits intriguing solar steam generation performances, with evaporation rate and solar energy utilization efficiency of 3.22 kg m–2 h–1 and 94.9% under irradiation of 0.2 W cm–2, respectively. As a demonstration, the quality of collected liquid water evaporated from seawater adopted from the Yellow Sea, China, well satisfies the requirement for drinking water from World Health Organization. Moreover, the AM/Ch gel exhibits high flexibility and chemical stability, excellent dye molecules adsorption capacity and self-cleaning ability, indicating its promising potential for durable and sustainable water distillation.

A proper allergy work-up, based on the gold standard drug provocation test (DPT), usually rules out suspected drug hypersensitivity in children. These tests are generally open, given their high efficiency compared to double-blind placebo-controlled DPTs. Although their negative predictive value is excellent, no studies have calculated their positive predictive value, highly dependent on the prevalence of the disease. Most studies have found a rate of less than 5% to 10% of true beta-lactam hypersensitivity in children. Given this low prevalence (pre-test probability), a few false positive results can significantly reduce the estimated positive predictive value. False positives may arise from the nocebo effect during the test, including nocebo by proxy, or from observer bias, which depends on professional expertise and organizational circumstances. Some studies have found a high rate of tolerance on a second DPT in children who failed the first, but these results may be affected by the interval between the two tests, of a year or more in most cases, reflecting a loss of hypersensitivity over time. Taking into account the low rate of positive DPTs, with commonly mild reactions, we suggest confirming non-severe positive DPTs with a second provocation performed soon after the first, especially in the case of beta-lactam antibiotics, in order to improve the diagnostic accuracy, de-label more patients, and achieve a better estimation of true drug hypersensitivity prevalence.

A visible-light-induced acyl radical conjugate addition to electron-deficient alkenes with acylsilane was realized by merging photoredox and Lewis acid catalysis under mild reaction conditions. Various tri- and tetra-substituted furans were obtained with good yield (up to 97%) from α,β-unsaturated ketones. Based on the experimental results and spectral analysis, a possible catalytic cycle involving 1,4-conjugate addition/ring-closure/arylation sequence was proposed. Beyond that, 1,6-acyl radical conjugate addition to para-quinone methides was also accomplished to deliver a series of α-aryl ketones by using this synergistic catalysis protocol.

Objective: To describe the clinical characteristics of Covid-19 in infants during the Omicron variant outbreak in Henan, 2022. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data, epidemiological exposure, and maternal vaccination status of infants infected with Omicron variant admitted to Zhengzhou First People’s Hospital from October 20, 2022 to December 15, 2022. Results: We admitted 21 infants (12 males and 9 females). All had epidemiological exposure in household or nursing institution settings. The most common respiratory manifestations were fever (19 cases), cough (11 cases), and nasal congestion (8 cases). The most frequent gastrointestinal manifestations were anorexia and diarrhea (8 cases each) and vomiting (4 cases). Of the 12 infants who underwent complete blood count, 8 had normal white blood cell counts and 3 had leukopenia. C-reactive protein was normal in 11 cases and mildly elevated in 1 case. Chest CT showed increased lung markings in 7 cases, focal consolidation in 6 cases each, and ground-glass opacities in 5 cases. The mean time to negative conversion was 6.7 days. All 21 infants recovered and were discharged after symptomatic treatment, with a mean length of stay of 11.5 days. Two weeks after discharge, none had recurrence or retested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. We found no correlations between maternal vaccination status and clinical symptoms or SARS-CoV-2 RNA negative conversion time (P>0.05). Conclusion: All Covid-19 infants had epidemiological exposure in household or nursing institution settings. They mostly had mild infection with respiratory and/or gastrointestinal symptoms and a good short-term prognosis.

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the cyclic and torsional fatigue resistance of a new nickel-titanium (Flat File 25.04) instrument on continuous and reciprocating motion. Methods: Sixty instruments of the ProDesign Logic2 25.03 and 25.05 (Easy Equipamentos Odontológicos, Belo Horizonte, Brazil), and MK Flat File 25.04 (n=20) (MK Life, Porto Alegre, Brazil) were used. For the cyclic fatigue test, an artificial stainless steel simulated canal with an angle of 60° and a radius of curvature of 5mm located 5mm from its tip was used. Torque and angle of rotation at failure of instruments on torsional fatigue test was based on the ISO 3630-1 protocol, in which the 3mm tip of each instrument was fixed and connected to an electric motor and a load cell. The fractured surface of each fragment was examined by scanning electron microscopy. Data were analyzed using 1-way analysis of variance and Tukey’s test with a significance level of 5%. Results: Flat File 25.04 had lower cyclic fatigue in both kinematics than the Logic instruments (P < .05). Reciprocating motion improved the cyclic fatigue of the tested instruments (P < .05). Flat File 25.04 had similar torque to Logic2 25.05 (P < .05), and both were superior to Logic2 25.03 (P < .05). The angular deflection values were different for the three tested instruments (P < .05), in the decreasing order: Logic2 25.03, 25.05, and Flat File 25.04. Conclusion: Flat File presented acceptable resistance to cyclic and torsional fatigue resistance. Reciprocating motion improved the cyclic fatigue resistance of the instruments and can be considered when using programmable motors.

The semantic segmentation task is a basic task in the field of Mobile Edge Computing, which requires the classification of each pixel in the image, which has higher requirements for classification accuracy than the image classification task. Fine-grained classification tasks requires more detailed information, in addition to classifying according to the semantic information and spatial information of each pixel unit and the surrounding pixels, it is also necessary to distinguish from adjacent pixels, which is one of the main difficulties of the current segmentation task. However, high-resolution input images can bring more detailed information, but they are often accompanied by expensive computing costs, so smaller resolution images will be put in practical applications to ensure computing speed. As another task of computer vision, super-resolution recovery focuses on extracting information from low-resolution pictures and reasoning into higher-resolution feature maps. Its recovered detail features contribute to the high-precision classification of semantic segmentation tasks. Considering the complementarity of the two tasks, considering the use of transformer as a feature extractor, the design algorithm realizes semantic segmentation and super-resolution recovery tasks at the same time, multi-task learning can ensure that the backbone network obtains more common high-dimensional information, and then we use the results of super-resolution recovery branches to guide the semantic segmentation task to provide more detailed information and finally obtain an effective improvement on the original baseline.

Inorganic hole transporting materials (HTMs), particularly NiOX, have shown significant promise in boosting the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells. However, a major challenge facing NiOX-based p-i-n perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is their direct contact with the absorber layer, which can lead to photovoltage and filling factor losses. Additionally, under-coordinated Ni cations can react with the perovskite and cause damage. In this work, we address these issues by using an ionic compound (QAPyBF4) as a perovskite additive to passivate the entire perovskite layer and interact with under-coordinated Ni cations. Our results show that the introduction of QAPyBF4 significantly enhances the performance and stability of NiOX-based PSCs. Specifically, the decorated cells achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.38% and a fill factor (FF) of 85.46%, with no need for complicated surface treatment or NiOX doping. The QAPyBF4 compound passivates the buried NiOX/perovskite interface, effectively reducing photovoltage and filling factor losses. Moreover, the [BF4]‒ component of the compound interacts with under-coordinated Ni cations to prevent their negative impact on the perovskite layer. Overall, our study proposes a simple and effective approach to optimize the performance and stability of NiOX-based PSCs through the use of ionic compound additives. Our findings suggest that addressing buried NiOX/perovskite interface issues and under-coordinated Ni cation considerations are critical in achieving high-performance and stable NiOX-based PSCs.

This study proposes a fault estimation and tolerant anti-disturbance switching control (ADSC) approach for the switched systems subject to the system fault and multiple disturbances. The fault dose not required to have a model.The disturbances contain the modeled unmeasurable part and the unmodeled measurable part. First, a composite switching estimator is constructed to simultaneously estimate the unavailable system state, fault and modeled disturbance. Then, by means of the estimator, a switching controller is developed to tolerant the fault and complement the modeled disturbance. Further, under the dwell time relevant switching signals, criteria are established to ensure the fault estimation performance and robustness property for the switched systems. Finally, via implementing the presented fault estimation and tolerant ADSC scheme on a switched circuit system to regulate the charge and flux, the reasonability of the established result is verified.

In this paper, we study a time-fractional initial-boundary value problem of Kirchhoff type involving memory term for non-homogeneous materials ( P α ). As a consequence of energy argument, we derive L ∞ ( 0 , T ; H 0 1 ( Ω ) ) bound as well as L 2 ( 0 , T ; H 2 ( Ω ) ) bound on the solution of the problem ( P α ) by defining two new discrete Laplacian operators. Using these a priori bounds, existence and uniqueness of the weak solution to the considered problem is established. Further, we study semi discrete formulation of the problem ( P α ) by discretizing the space domain using a conforming FEM and keeping the time variable continuous. The semi discrete error analysis is carried out by modifying the standard Ritz-Volterra projection operator in such a way that it reduces the complexities arising from the Kichhoff type nonlinearity. Finally, we develop a new linearized L1 Galerkin FEM to obtain numerical solution of the problem ( P α ) with a convergence rate of O ( h + k 2 − α ) , where α (0 1) is the fractional derivative exponent, h and k are the discretization parameters in the space and time directions respectively. This convergence rate is improved to second order in the time direction by proposing a novel linearized L2-1 σ Galerkin FEM. We conduct a numerical experiment to validate our theoretical claims.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have attracted attention as large-scale energy storage systems because of their excellent safety, high capacity, eco-friendliness, and low cost. However, the utilization of acid electrolytes in ZIBs causes non-uniform dendrite growth at the anode, which limits their capacity and cycle life. To solve this issue, an advanced anode with high electrical conductivity and good interfacial stability is required. In this study, for the first time, surface-functionalized graphene was used as a protective layer on the anode surface. The resulting ZIB exhibited superior energy storage performance and reversibility, with an improved specific capacity of 260.0 mA h g−1 at a current density of 0.3 A g–1, and an excellent long-term stability and a specific capacity of 139.0 mA h g-1 during 150 cycles at current density of 2.0 A g-1. The proposed method is an easy and feasible method for addressing the anode issues of ZIBs, thus providing new opportunities for stable and high-performance ZIBs.

Reliable estimates of population size and demographic rates are central to assessing the status of threatened species. However, obtaining individual-based demographic rates requires long-term data, which is often costly and difficult to collect. Photographic data offer an inexpensive, non-invasive method for individual-based monitoring of species with unique markings, and could therefore increase available demographic data for many species. However, selecting suitable images and identifying individuals from photographic catalogues is prohibitively time-consuming. Automated identification software can significantly speed up this process. Nevertheless, automated methods for selecting suitable images are lacking, as are studies comparing the performance of the most prominent identification software packages. In this study, we develop a framework that automatically selects images suitable for individual identification, and compare the performance of three commonly used identification software packages; Hotspotter, I3S-Pattern, and WildID. As a case study, we consider the African wild dog Lycaon pictus, a species whose conservation is limited by a lack of cost-effective large-scale monitoring. To evaluate intra-specific variation in the performance of software packages, we compare identification accuracy between two populations (in Kenya and Zimbabwe) that have markedly different coat colouration patterns. The process of selecting suitable images was automated using Convolutional Neural Nets that crop individuals from images, filter out unsuitable images, separate left and right flanks, and remove image backgrounds. Hotspotter had the highest image-matching accuracy for both populations. However, the accuracy was significantly lower for the Kenyan population (62%), compared to the Zimbabwean population (88%). Our automated image pre-processing has immediate application for expanding monitoring based on image-matching. However, the difference in accuracy between populations highlights that population-specific detection rates are likely and may influence certainty in derived statistics. For species such as the African wild dog, where monitoring is both challenging and expensive, automated individual recognition could greatly expand and expedite conservation efforts.