Enhancement of Photoemission on P-type GaAs using Surface Acoustic Waves

We demonstrate that photoemission properties of GaAs photocathodes (PCs) can be altered by surface acoustic waves (SAWs) generated on the PC surface due to dynamical piezoelectric fields of SAWs. Simulations with COMSOL indicate that electron effective lifetime in p-doped GaAs may increase by a factor of 10x to 20x. It implies a significant, by a factor of 2x to 3x, increase of quantum efficiency (QE) for GaAs PCs. Essential steps in device fabrication are demonstrated, including deposition of an additional layer of ZnO for piezoelectric effect enhancement, measurements of I-V characteristic of the SAW device, and ability to survive high-temperature annealing.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

A Nanotechnology Enhancement to Moore's Law

Intel Moore observed an exponential doubling in the number of transistors in every 18 months through the size reduction of transistor components since 1965. In viewing of mobile computing with insatiate appetite, we explored the necessary enhancement by an increasingly maturing nanotechnology and facing the inevitable quantum-mechanical atomic and nuclei limits. Since we cannot break down the atomic size barrier, the fact implies a fundamental size limit at the atomic/nucleus scale. This means, no more simple 18-month doubling, but other forms of transistor doubling may happen at a different slope. We are particularly interested in the nano enhancement area. (i) 3 Dimensions: If the progress in shrinking the in-plane dimensions is to slow down, vertical integration can help increasing the areal device transistor density. As the devices continue to shrink into the 20 to 30 nm range, the consideration of thermal properties and transport in such devices becomes increasingly important. (ii) Quantum computing: The other types of transistor material are rapidly developed in laboratories worldwide, for example, Spintronics, Nanostorage, HP display Nanotechnology, which are modifying this Law. We shall consider the limitation of phonon engineering fundamental information unit “Qubyte” in quantum computing, Nano/Micro Electrical Mechanical System (NEMS), Carbon Nanotubes, single-layer Graphenes, single-strip Nano-Ribbons, and so forth

The value of the MIND diet in the primary and secondary prevention of hypertension: A cross-sectional and longitudinal cohort study from NHANES analysis

BackgroundThe Mediterranean-Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension for neurodegenerative delay (MIND) has been regarded as a novel healthy dietary pattern with huge benefits. However, its value in preventing and treating hypertension has not been investigated. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of adhering to the MIND diet on the prevalence of hypertension in the entire population and long-term mortality in hypertensive patients.MethodsIn this cross-sectional and longitudinal study, 6,887 participants consisting of 2,984 hypertensive patients in the National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys were analyzed and divided into 3 groups according to the MIND diet scores (MDS; groups of MDS-low [<7.5], MDS-medium [7.5–8.0] and MDS-high [≥8.5]). In the longitudinal analysis, the primary outcome was all-cause death and the secondary outcome was cardiovascular (CV) death. Hypertensive patients received a follow-up with a mean time of 9.25 years (median time: 111.1 months, range 2 to 120 months). Multivariate logistics regression models and Cox proportional hazards models were applicated to estimate the association between MDS and outcomes. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) was used to estimate the dose–response relationship.ResultsCompared with the MDS-low group, participants in the MDS-high group presented a significantly lower prevalence of hypertension (odds ratio [OR] 0.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.58, 0.97, p = 0.040) and decreased levels of systolic blood pressure (β = −0.41, p = 0.033). Among hypertensive patients, 787 (26.4%) all-cause death consisting of 293 (9.8%) CV deaths were recorded during a 10-year follow-up. Hypertensive patients in the MDS-high group presented a significantly lower prevalence of ASCVD (OR = 0.71, 95% CI, 0.51, 0.97, p = 0.043), and lower risk of all-cause death (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.69, 95% CI, 0.58, 0.81, p < 0.001) and CV death (HR = 0.62, 95% CI, 0.46, 0.85, p for trend = 0.001) when compared with those in the MDS-low group.ConclusionFor the first time, this study revealed the values of the MIND diet in the primary and secondary prevention of hypertension, suggesting the MIND diet as a novel anti-hypertensive dietary pattern

The Effect of a WeChat-Based Tertiary A-Level Hospital Intervention on Medication Adherence and Risk Factor Control in Patients With Stable Coronary Artery Disease: Multicenter Prospective Study

BackgroundIn China, ischemic heart disease is the main cause of mortality. Having cardiac rehabilitation and a secondary prevention program in place is a class IA recommendation for individuals with coronary artery disease. WeChat-based interventions seem to be feasible and efficient for the follow-up and management of chronic diseases. ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a tertiary A-level hospital, WeChat-based telemedicine intervention in comparison with conventional community hospital follow-up on medication adherence and risk factor control in individuals with stable coronary artery disease. MethodsIn this multicenter prospective study, 1424 patients with stable coronary artery disease in Beijing, China, were consecutively enrolled between September 2018 and September 2019 from the Fuwai Hospital and 4 community hospitals. At 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up, participants received healthy lifestyle recommendations and medication advice. Subsequently, the control group attended an offline outpatient clinic at 4 separate community hospitals. The intervention group had follow-up visits through WeChat-based telemedicine management. The main end point was medication adherence, which was defined as participant compliance in taking all 4 cardioprotective medications that would improve the patient’s outcome (therapies included antiplatelet therapy, β-blockers, statins, and angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin-receptor blockers). Multivariable generalized estimating equations were used to compare the primary and secondary outcomes between the 2 groups and to calculate the relative risk (RR) at 12 months. Propensity score matching and inverse probability of treatment weighting were performed as sensitivity analyses, and propensity scores were calculated using a multivariable logistic regression model. ResultsAt 1 year, 88% (565/642) of patients in the intervention group and 91.8% (518/564) of patients in the control group had successful follow-up data. We matched 257 pairs of patients between the intervention and control groups. There was no obvious advantage in medication adherence with the 4 cardioprotective drugs in the intervention group (172/565, 30.4%, vs 142/518, 27.4%; RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.97-1.02; P=.65). The intervention measures improved smoking cessation (44/565, 7.8%, vs 118/518, 22.8%; RR 0.48, 95% CI 0.44-0.53; P<.001) and alcohol restriction (33/565, 5.8%, vs 91/518, 17.6%; RR 0.47, 95% CI 0.42-0.54; P<.001). ConclusionsThe tertiary A-level hospital, WeChat-based intervention did not improve adherence to the 4 cardioprotective medications compared with the traditional method. Tertiary A-level hospital, WeChat-based interventions have a positive effect on improving lifestyle, such as quitting drinking and smoking, in patients with stable coronary artery disease and can be tried as a supplement to community hospital follow-up. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04795505; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT0479550

Prognostic Value of Machine‐Learning‐Based PRAISE Score for Ischemic and Bleeding Events in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background The PRAISE (Prediction of Adverse Events Following an Acute Coronary Syndrome) score is a machine‐learning‐based model for predicting 1‐year all‐cause death, myocardial infarction, and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) type 3/5 bleeding. Its utility in an unselected Asian population undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention for acute coronary syndrome remains unknown. We aimed to validate the PRAISE score in a real‐world Asian population. Methods and Results A total of 6412 consecutive patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention for acute coronary syndrome were prospectively included. The PRAISE scores were compared with established scoring systems (GRACE [Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events] 2.0, PRECISE‐DAPT (Predicting Bleeding Complications in Patients Undergoing Stent Implantation and Subsequent Dual Antiplatelet Therapy), and PARIS [Patterns of Non‐Adherence to Anti‐Platelet Regimen in Stented Patients]) to evaluate their discrimination, calibration, and reclassification. The risk of all‐cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 12.24 [95% CI, 5.32–28.15]) and recurrent acute myocardial infarction (HR, 3.92 [95% CI, 1.76–8.73]) was greater in the high‐risk group than in the low‐risk group. The C‐statistics for death, myocardial infarction, and major bleeding were 0.75 (0.67–0.83), 0.61 (0.52–0.69), and 0.62 (0.46–0.77), respectively. The observed to expected ratio of death, myocardial infarction, and major bleeding was 0.427, 0.260, and 0.106, respectively. Based on the decision curve analysis, the PRAISE score displayed a slightly greater net benefit for the 1‐year risk of death (5%–10%) than the GRACE score did. Conclusions The PRAISE score showed limited potential for risk prediction in our validation cohort with acute coronary syndrome. As a result, new prediction models or model refitting are required with improved discrimination and accuracy in risk prediction

Social isolation, loneliness, and incident type 2 diabetes mellitus: results from two large prospective cohorts in Europe and East Asia and Mendelian randomizationResearch in context

Summary: Background: Social isolation and loneliness pose significant public health challenges globally. The objective of this study is to investigate the association between social isolation, loneliness, and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: 423,503 UK adults from the UK Biobank (UKB) and 13,800 Chinese adults from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) were analyzed. The exposures of interest were social isolation and loneliness. Social isolation was evaluated based on the number of household members, frequency of social activities, contact with others, and marriage status (CHARLS only). Loneliness was evaluated by the subjective feeling of loneliness and the willingness to confide in others (UKB only). The primary endpoint was incident T2DM. The two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was based on the genome-wide association studies of UKB (n = 463,010) and the European Bioinformatics Institute (n = 655,666). Findings: The UKB cohort study documented 15,072 T2DM cases during a mean follow-up of 13.5 years, and the CHARLS cohort study recorded 1,249 T2DM cases during a mean follow-up of 5.8 years. Social isolation and loneliness showed significant associations with an elevated risk of T2DM in both UKB (social isolation [most vs least]: HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.11–1.23; loneliness [yes vs no]: HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.13–1.30) and CHARLS cohorts (social isolation [yes vs no]: HR 1.22, 95% CI 1.06–1.40; loneliness [yes vs no]: HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.07–1.36). These associations remained significant after accounting for baseline glucose status and genetic susceptibility to T2DM. Two-sample MR analyses determined that feeling lonely (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02–1.06) and engaging in fewer leisure/social activities (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.02–1.05) were associated with increased T2DM risk, whereas more contact with friends or family (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.98–0.99) was associated with reduced T2DM risk. Interpretation: Social isolation and loneliness are each associated with an elevated risk of T2DM, with MR analyses suggesting potential causal links. These associations remain significant after considering genetic susceptibility to T2DM. The findings highlight the importance of promoting initiatives to address social isolation and loneliness as part of T2DM prevention strategies. Funding: CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (No. 2021-I2M-1-008) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 72103187)

Comparison of Estimated LDL Cholesterol Equations with Direct Measurement in Patients with Angiographically Confirmed Coronary Artery Disease

Background and aims: Our goals in the study were to (1) quantify the discordance in LDL-C levels between equations (the Friedewald, Sampson, and Martin/Hopkins equations) and compare them with direct LDL-C (dLDL-C); and (2) explore the proportion of misclassified patients by calculated LDL-C using these three different equations. Methods: A total of 30,349 consecutive patients with angiographically confirmed coronary artery disease (CAD) were prospectively enrolled. Concordance was defined as if the LDL-C was &lt;1.8 mmol/L with each pairwise comparison of LDL-C equations. Estimated LDL-C that fell into the same category as dLDL-C at the following levels: &lt;1.4, 1.4 to 1.7, 1.8 to 2.5, 2.6 to 2.9, and &ge;3.0 mmol/L was considered to have been correctly categorized. Results: The concordance was 96.3% (Sampson vs. Martin/Hopkins), 95.0% (Friedewald vs. Sampson), and 91.4% (Friedewald vs. Martin/Hopkins), respectively. This proportion fell to 82.4% in those with hypertriglyceridemia (TG &ge; 1.7 mmol/L). With an accurate classification rate of 73.6%, the Martin/Hopkins equation outperformed the Sampson equation (69.5%) and the Friedewald equation (59.3%) by a wide margin. Conclusions: Comparing it to the validated Martin/Hopkins equation, the Friedewald equation produced the lowest levels of LDL-C, followed by the Sampson equation. In the classification of LDL-C, the Martin/Hopkins equation has also been shown to be more accurate. There is a significant difference between the equations and the direct measurement method, which may lead to overtreatment or undertreatment