1. |
- Han, Hedong, et al.
(author)
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Temporary Trend, Characteristics and Clinical Outcomes of Acute Pancreatitis Patients Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus
- 2021
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In: Digestive Diseases and Sciences. - : Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers. - 0163-2116 .- 1573-2568. ; 66, s. 1683-1692
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Compared to general population, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection may increase frequency of acute pancreatitis (AP); however, evidence regarding effects of HIV infection on AP-related outcomes is limited and controversial.AIMS: We aim to investigate the temporary trend, characteristics and clinical outcomes of AP infected with HIV.METHODS: We reviewed data from the 2003-2014 National Inpatient Sample to identify patients with a primary diagnosis of AP. The primary outcomes (in-hospital mortality, acute respiratory failure, acute kidney injury, and prolonged length of stay [LOS]) and secondary outcomes (gastrointestinal hemorrhage, sepsis and total cost) were compared between patients with and without HIV infection using univariate, multivariable and propensity score matching analyses.RESULTS: Of 594,106 patients diagnosed with AP, 6775 (1.14%) had HIV infection. Patients with HIV were more likely to be younger, black, male, less likely to be gallstone-related and had lower rate of interventions. Multivariable analyses based on multiple imputation revealed that HIV infection was associated with higher risk of mortality (odds ratio [OR]: 1.74; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.34-2.25), acute kidney injury (OR: 1.13; 95% CI 1.19-1.44), prolonged LOS (OR: 1.26; 95% CI 1.15-1.37) and 6% higher cost. There were no differences in sepsis, gastrointestinal bleeding, and respiratory failure between groups.CONCLUSIONS: HIV infection is associated with adverse outcomes including increased mortality, acute kidney injury and more healthcare utilization in AP patients. More assertive management strategies like early intravenous fluid resuscitation in HIV patients hospitalized with AP to prevent acute kidney injury may be helpful to improve clinical outcomes.
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2. |
- Hong, Ye, et al.
(author)
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Associations between maternal age at menarche and anthropometric and metabolic parameters in the adolescent offspring
- 2019
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In: Clinical Endocrinology. - : WILEY. - 0300-0664 .- 1365-2265. ; 90:5, s. 702-710
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: We examined the associations between maternal age at menarche and anthropometry and metabolism in adolescent offspring.Methods: Anthropometric, metabolic and blood pressure data were obtained from 304 girls and 190 boys aged 11-16 years attending school in Hangzhou (China). Age at menarche for both mothers and daughters was self-reported. Fasting blood samples were obtained and all participants underwent clinical examinations. Obesity was defined as BMI >= 95th percentile for age and sex.Results: Older maternal age at menarche was associated with older age of their daughters at menarche (r = 0.21; P < 0.001). Mother's age at menarche was not associated with anthropometry or metabolism of daughters. However, younger maternal age at menarche was associated with increased hip and waist circumferences, and BMI SDS of their sons. Boys whose mothers were <= 13 years at menarche had an adjusted relative risk of obesity 3-fold greater than sons of mothers with a later menarcheal onset (2.96; 95% CI 1.49, 5.87). Among daughters, every 1-year increase in their age at menarche was associated with a 0.34 SDS reduction in BMI. Increasing age at menarche was also associated with reduced waist and hip circumferences (-1.5 and -1.8 cm/y, respectively) and waist-to-height ratio (-0.008 per year). Girls in the youngest menarcheal age tertile (8.8-11.6 years) had diastolic blood pressure 2.2 mm Hg higher than other girls (P = 0.029).Conclusions: Younger maternal age at menarche is associated with increased obesity risk in their sons, but not daughters. However, girls who experience menarche earlier have a less favourable anthropometric profile.
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3. |
- Jiang, Wenyu, et al.
(author)
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Resolving Quantum Interference Black Box through Attosecond Photoionization Spectroscopy
- 2023
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In: Physical Review Letters. - 0031-9007. ; 131:20
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Multiphoton light-matter interactions invoke a so-called "black box"in which the experimental observations contain the quantum interference between multiple pathways. Here, we employ polarization-controlled attosecond photoelectron metrology with a partial wave manipulator to deduce the pathway interference within this quantum 'black box"for the two-photon ionization of neon atoms. The angle-dependent and attosecond time-resolved photoelectron spectra are measured across a broad energy range. Two-photon phase shifts for each partial wave are reconstructed through the comprehensive analysis of these photoelectron spectra. We resolve the quantum interference between the degenerate p→d→p and p→s→p two-photon ionization pathways, in agreement with our theoretical simulations. Our approach thus provides an attosecond time-resolved microscope to look inside the "black box"of pathway interference in ultrafast dynamics of atoms, molecules, and condensed matter.
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4. |
- Li, Jingjing, et al.
(author)
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Photothermal Aerogel Beads Based on Polysaccharides: Controlled Fabrication and Hybrid Applications in Solar-Powered Interfacial Evaporation, Water Remediation, and Soil Enrichment
- 2022
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In: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1944-8252 .- 1944-8244. ; 14:44, s. 50266-50279
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Solar-powered interfacial evaporation has emerged as an innovative and sustainable technology for clean water production. However, the rapid, mass and shape-controlled fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) steam generators (SGs) for versatile hybrid applications remains challenging. Herein, composite aerogel beads with self-contained properties (i.e., hydrophilic, porous, photothermal, and durable) are developed and demonstrated for threefold hybrid applications including efficient solar-powered interfacial evaporation, water remediation, and controlled soil enrichment. The rational incorporation of selected polysaccharides enables us to fabricate bead-like aerogels with rapid gelation, continuous processing, and enhanced ion adsorption. The composite beads can attain a high water evaporation rate of 1.62 kg m-2 h-1 under 1 sun. Meanwhile, high phosphate adsorption capacity of over 120 mg g-1 is achieved in broad pH (2.5-12.4) and concentration (200-1000 mg L-1) ranges of phosphate solutions. Gratifyingly, we demonstrate the first example of recycling biomaterials from interfacial SGs for controlled nutrient release, soil enrichment, and sustainable agriculture. The phosphate-saturated beads can be gradually broken down in the soil. Macronutrients (N, P, and K) can be slowly released in 50 days, sustaining the plant germination and growth in a whole growth stage. This work shines light on the mass and controlled fabrication of aerogel beads based on double-network biopolymers, not merely scaling up solar-powered interfacial evaporation but also considering water remediation, waste material disposal, and value-added conversion.
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5. |
- Li, Xiaochun, et al.
(author)
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Bidirectional associations of intellectual and social activities with cognitive function among middle-aged and elderly adults in China
- 2022
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In: Journal of Affective Disorders. - : Elsevier BV. - 0165-0327. ; 319, s. 83-89
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Previous studies evaluating the association between leisure activities and cognitive function produced conflicting results. Different types of leisure activities may have different effects on cognition, and very few studies have explored their bidirectional associations. Our study aimed to explore whether intellectual and social activities had bidirectional associations with cognitive function among the middle-aged and elderly adults in China. Methods: Data was derived from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. The data in this study were based on 11,549 participants aged 45 or older whose intellectual and social activities and cognitive function were assessed at baseline. Cross-lagged panel model was used to examine the temporal relationship of intellectual and social activities with cognitive function. Results: Totally, 5624 participants completed the third follow-up in 2018. The results showed that the better the cognitive function they had at baseline, the more intellectual activities they were engage in (β = 0.044, P < 0.001) and vice versa (β = 0.042, P = 0.001). Additionally, better cognitive function at baseline was significantly associated with more engagement in social activities (β = 0.028, P = 0.030); in contrast, higher engagement in social activities at baseline was not related to better cognitive function (β = −0.008, P = 0.523). Limitations: Engagement in social and intellectual activities was assessed via questionnaire. Conclusions: Our findings indicated that there was a bidirectional relationship between intellectual activities and cognitive function. However, participation in social activities did not slow down the decline in cognitive function. Participating in intellectual activities, compared to social activities, is especially beneficial for cognitive function.
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6. |
- Minelli, Caterina, et al.
(author)
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Versailles project on advanced materials and standards (VAMAS) interlaboratory study on measuring the number concentration of colloidal gold nanoparticles
- 2022
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In: Nanoscale. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 2040-3372 .- 2040-3364. ; 14, s. 4690-4704
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We describe the outcome of a large international interlaboratory study of the measurement of particle number concentration of colloidal nanoparticles, project 10 of the technical working area 34, "Nanoparticle Populations" of the Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards (VAMAS). A total of 50 laboratories delivered results for the number concentration of 30 nm gold colloidal nanoparticles measured using particle tracking analysis (PTA), single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (spICP-MS), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) light spectroscopy, centrifugal liquid sedimentation (CLS) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The study provides quantitative data to evaluate the repeatability of these methods and their reproducibility in the measurement of number concentration of model nanoparticle systems following a common measurement protocol. We find that the population-averaging methods of SAXS, CLS and UV-Vis have high measurement repeatability and reproducibility, with between-labs variability of 2.6%, 11% and 1.4% respectively. However, results may be significantly biased for reasons including inaccurate material properties whose values are used to compute the number concentration. Particle-counting method results are less reproducibile than population-averaging methods, with measured between-labs variability of 68% and 46% for PTA and spICP-MS respectively. This study provides the stakeholder community with important comparative data to underpin measurement reproducibility and method validation for number concentration of nanoparticles.
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7. |
- Wu, Xianyue, et al.
(author)
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An investigation of the Ni/carbonate interfaces on dual function materials in integrated CO2 capture and utilisation cycles
- 2023
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In: Applied Catalysis B. - : Elsevier. - 0926-3373 .- 1873-3883. ; 338
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- CO2 capture and utilisation (CCU) is a promising strategy to effectively mitigate the adverse greenhouse effects caused by CO2 emissions at an industrial scale. Through a process intensification strategy known as integrated CO2 capture and utilisation (ICCU), CO2 capture and catalytic CO2 conversion can be achieved in a single process with the use of dual function materials (DFMs), which are both CO2 sorbents and CO2 conversion catalysts. Given the significantly different operating conditions of ICCU from conventional catalytic CO2 hydrogenation, the catalytic mechanism of DFMs, especially during CO2 hydrogenation, needs to be thoroughly investigated. In this study, the relationship between the nature of the Ni/carbonate interfaces and the performance of Ni-based DFMs over ICCU cycles is systematically investigated. A series of Ni/alkaline earth carbonate DFMs were synthesised with varying Ca:Mg ratios to simulate different metal-carbonate model interfaces. At 400 °C, CH4 formation with nearly 100% CH4 selectivity was achieved on Ni/CaCO3 over 15 ICCU cycles. In general, Ni/CaCO3 interfaces correspond to higher CO2 conversion and higher CH4 selectivity than Ni/MgCO3 interfaces. Such trend may be attributed to the higher surface basicity of CaO and the higher thermal stability of CaCO3. As a consequence, the hydrogenation of the Ni/CaCO3 interface proceed via the formate pathway, in which carbonates are consecutively converted to surface formates, methoxyl, methyl species and eventually desorb as methane. This reaction model is applicable to the hydrogenation of both surface carbonate and bulk carbonates, although the former proceeds with much faster kinetics. On the weakly alkaline Ni/MgCO3 interface, MgCO3 preferentially decomposes to form gaseous CO2, which is subsequently hydrogenated via the reverse-water-gas-shift pathway, with CO as the key reaction intermediate. Interestingly, in situ infrared spectroscopy shows similar surface significant species during the direct hydrogenation of DFMs and during the conventional catalytic hydrogenation of molecular CO2, suggesting that the catalytic mechanisms during the two operating regimes are highly correlated.
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