Impact of COVID-19 on place of death for disease-related causes: a population-based study in Nanchang, China.

Little is known about the place of death at the regional level in China. Furthermore, the impact of COVID-19 on the place of death remains unclear. We aimed to examine the place of death before and during COVID-19 in Nanchang, China, focusing on changes in home death across different causes, to determine whether these changes were disproportionately experienced among patients with different diseases.

Molten Salt Electrosynthesis of TiC-Derived Carbon Catalysts for High-Performance Lithium-Oxygen Batteries.

The development of efficient bifunctional catalysts to improve the kinetics of oxygen electrode reactions is a critical challenge in realizing high-performance, long-life lithium-oxygen batteries. Herein, TiC was successfully synthesized via a molten salt electrolysis method, followed by the preparation of a series of TiC-derived carbon (TiC-CDC, = 10, 30, 60) composites by adjusting the electrolytic time after electrode exchange. The formation of derived carbon effectively addresses the issue of TiC agglomeration and significantly enhances the electrical conductivity of the composite.

High-Coordination and Nb-Bridging of Bimetallic Amorphous P-Nb-W-P Clusters in Carbon Nanospheres for High-Performance Sodium-Ion Hybrid Capacitors.

Amorphous clusters are gaining prominence as prospective hosts for sodium-ion hybrid capacitors (SIHCs), but their efficacy is still affected by atomic coordination. Optimization of ion storage and charge transport can be achieved through high coordination and bimetallic configurations. Herein, high-coordination amorphous P-Nb-W-P (Nb/W-P) clusters are skillfully tailored by bridging Nb into the second shell of W in the W-P configuration, nested in situ in conductive and stable N, P co-doped carbon nanospheres (Nb/W-P@NPC).

Efficacy and safety of Anlotinib in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin as a first-line treatment for recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A single-arm clinical trial.

The effectiveness and safety of combining anlotinib with gemcitabine and cisplatin in the first-line treatment of recurrent/metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (R/M NPC) have not been definitively established. This research seeks to investigate the potential benefits and risks of utilizing this combination therapy in the first-line management of R/M NPC. The research involved 22 individuals diagnosed with R/M NPC and who had not undergone any previous treatment.

Synergistic high-entropy phosphides with phosphorus vacancies as robust bifunctional catalysts for efficient water splitting.

High-entropy phosphides (HEPs) have garnered increasing interest as innovative electrocatalysts for water splitting, highlighted by their distinctive catalytic activity, elemental synergy, and tunable electronic configuration. Herein, a novel electrode comprising CoNiCuZnFeP nanocubes with rich phosphorus vacancies was fabricated through coprecipitation and phosphorization two-step method. The synergistic interaction among metal elements and the modulation of the electronic configuration by phosphorus vacancies augmentation enhance the catalytic performance for both the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).

Evaluation of the EMBOPIPE flow diverter device: in vivo and in vitro experiments.

Background: Although flow diverter device (FDD) has brought revolutionized advances in endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms, it also presents considerable drawbacks as well, as the innovation for novel device has never stopped. This preclinical research aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a newly developed FDD, the EMBOPIPE, through in vivo and in vitro experiments.

Methods: Aneurysms were induced in 20 New Zealand white rabbits which were randomized to three follow-up groups according to the time elapsed after EMBOPIPE implantation (28, 90, and 180 days).

Development and preliminary validation of a PROS scale for Chinese bladder cancer patients with abdominal stoma.

Bladder cancer is a common malignant tumor, and patients who have undergone radical cystectomy and urinary diversion require a lifelong abdominal stoma. This greatly affects their physiological, psychological, and social well-being. However, there is currently a lack of a self-assessment outcome scale specifically designed for bladder cancer patients with abdominal stomas.

Amorphous Modulation of Atomic Nb-O/N Clusters with Asymmetric Coordination in Carbon Shells for Advanced Sodium-Ion Hybrid Capacitors.

Anode materials with excellent properties have become the key to develop sodium-ion hybrid capacitors (SIHCs) that combine the advantages of both batteries and capacitors. Amorphous modulation is an effective strategy to realize high energy/power density in SIHCs. Herein, atomically amorphous Nb-O/N clusters with asymmetric coordination are in situ created in N-doped hollow carbon shells (Nb-O/N@C).

Efficacy of induction chemotherapy in lymph node-positive stage III nasopharyngeal carcinoma and identification of beneficiaries based on clinical features: A propensity score matching analysis.

Purpose: To investigate the role of induction chemotherapy (IC) in lymph node-positive (LN-positive) stage III nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT).

Methods: In total, 627 patients with newly diagnosed LN-positive stage III NPC receiving CCRT or IC plus CCRT were included. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS).

Novel dual-action vanillic acid pretreatment for efficient hemicellulose separation with simultaneous inhibition of lignin condensation.

Aromatic acids play a selective role in the separation of hemicellulose. Phenolic acids have demonstrated an inhibitory effect on lignin condensation. In the current study, vanillic acid (VA), which combines the characteristics of aromatic and phenolic acids, is used to separate eucalyptus.

Nitrogen-Rich WN Clusters with Atomic Disorders and Non-Grain Boundaries Confined in Carbon Nanosheets Boosting Sodium-Ion Storage.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) as economic candidates have received considerable attention for large-scale energy storage applications. However, crystalline metal compounds with specific transport routes and rigid structures restrict their practical applications. Herein, the atomically dispersed N-rich amorphous WN clusters confined in the carbon nanosheets (WN/CNSs) are reported.

Pretreatment of poplar with eco-friendly levulinic acid to achieve efficient utilization of biomass.

Organic acid pretreatment is an effective method for green separation of lignocellulosic biomass. However, repolymerization of lignin seriously affects the dissolution of hemicellulose and the conversion of cellulose during organic acid pretreatment. Therefore, a new organic acid pretreatment, levulinic acid (Lev) pretreatment, was studied for the deconstruction of lignocellulosic biomass without adding additional additives.

Superior separation of hemicellulose-derived sugars from eucalyptus with tropic acid pretreatment.

Organic acid pretreatments can efficiently separate biomass-based hemicellulose and selectively produce hemicellulose-derived sugars. In this study, hemicellulose is separation as xylose, oligosaccharides in the tropic acid-catalyzed hydrothermal pretreatment of eucalyptus. The maximum yield of hemicellulose-derived sugars (85.

High-efficiency separation of hemicellulose from bamboo by one-step freeze-thaw-assisted alkali treatment.

The selectivity of alkali treatment (AT) for hemicellulose separation is reduced due to the alkali solubility of lignin. It was improved using freeze-thaw-assisted alkaline treatment (FT/AT). In this study, bamboo hemicellulose was separated via a one-step freeze-thaw-assisted alkali treatment (OFT/AT).

Highly selective separation of eucalyptus hemicellulose by salicylic acid treatment with both aromatic and hydroxy acids.

Aromatic and hydroxyl acid treatments demonstrate their respective characteristics for the separation of lignocellulosic biomass. In this study, the effect of salicylic acid (SA-A) treatment on the separation of eucalyptus components with both aromatic and hydroxyl acid properties was analyzed. The optimal conditions were SA-A concentration 9.

Optimization of Demineralization and Pyrolysis Performance of Eucalyptus Hydrothermal Pretreatment.

The preparation of bio-oil through biomass pyrolysis is promoted by different demineralization processes to remove alkali and alkaline earth metal elements (AAEMs). In this study, the hydrothermal pretreatment demineralization was optimized by the response surface method. The pretreatment temperature, time and pH were the response elements, and the total dissolution rates of potassium, calcium and magnesium were the response values.

Tunable Surface Selenization on MoO -Based Carbon Substrate for Notably Enhanced Sodium-Ion Storage Properties.

Transition metal chalcogenides with high theoretical capacity are promising conversion-type anode materials for sodium ion batteries (SIBs), but often suffer from unsatisfied cycling stability (hundreds of cycles) caused by structural collapse and agglomerate. Herein, a rational strategy of tunable surface selenization on highly crystalline MoO -based carbon substrate is designed, where the sheet-like MoSe can be coated on the surface of bundle-like N-doped carbon/granular MoO substrate, realizing partial transformation from MoO to MoSe , and creating b-NC/g-MoO @s-MoSe -10 with robust hierarchical MoO @MoSe heterostructures and strong chemical couplings (MoC and MoN). Such well-designed architecture can provide signally improved reaction kinetics and reinforced structural integrity for fast and stable sodium-ion storage, as confirmed by the ex situ results and kinetic analyses as well as the density functional theory calculations.

Gan-Qing-Ning Formula Inhibits the Growth of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Promoting Apoptosis and Inhibiting Angiogenesis in H Tumor-Bearing Mice.

Objective: Gang-Qing-Ning (GQN) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula that has been used in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the folk population for decades. However, scientific validation is still necessary to lend credibility to the traditional use of GQN against HCC. This study investigates the antitumor effect of GQN on H tumor-bearing mice and its possible mechanism.

Identification of non-invasive biomarkers for predicting the radiosensitivity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma from serum microRNAs.

Serum microRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported as novel biomarkers for various diseases. But circulating biomarkers for predicting the radiosensitivity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) have not been used in clinical practice. To screen out of differently expressed serum miRNAs from NPC patients with different radiosensitivity may be helpful for its individual therapy.

Multicarbazole-Based D-π-A Dyes Sensitized Hydrogen Evolution under Visible Light Irradiation.

Donor-π bridge-acceptor (D-π-A) organic dyes, well studied in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), are found to possess great potential in light-inducing hydrogen evolution due to their distinguished light-harvesting ability and suitable electron energy level. In this work, multicarbazole-based organic dyes (2C, 3C, 4C) were used as photosensitizers of Pt/TiO for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE) from water under visible light irradiation. 3C-Pt/TiO shows the best photocatalytic activity among the three dye-sensitized photocatalysts, with a hydrogen evolution rate of 24.

Encapsulating N-Doped Carbon Nanorod Bundles/MoO Nanoparticles via Surface Growth of Ultrathin MoS Nanosheets for Ultrafast and Ultralong Cycling Sodium Storage.

Conversion-type anode materials possess high theoretical capacity for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), owing to multi-electron transmission (2-6 electrons). Mo-based chalcogenides are a class of great promise, high-capacity host materials, but their development still undergoes serious volume changes and low transport kinetics during the cycling process. Here, MoO nanoparticles anchored on N-doped carbon nanorod bundles (N-CNRBs/MoO) are synthesized by a facile self-polymerized route and a following annealing.

Amyloid Beta (A4) Precursor Protein: A Potential Biomarker for Recurrent Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Background And Aim: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the most common cancers in Southern China, Southeast Asia. Radiotherapy is the main treatment for NPC. Still, about 20% of patients with NPC have a recurrence.

Enhanced cell affinity of PHBHHx composite scaffold with polylactide-graft-hydroxyapatite as compatibilizer.

Poor interfacial bonding and liability to aggregation were the major obstacles for designing of composite scaffolds. Herein, hydroxyapatite (HA) surface-grafted with poly (l-lactide) via ring-opening polymerization was prepared and introduced into PHBHHx-based complex scaffold serving as oligomer compatibilizer. The physicochemical properties, including superficial roughness and wettability, mechanical strength, as well as in vitro bioactivity were systematically investigated.