Discovery of a pair density wave state in a monolayer high-Tc iron-based superconductor

The pair density wave (PDW) is an extraordinary superconducting state where Cooper pairs carry nonzero momentum. It can emerge when the full condensation of zero momentum Cooper pairs is frustrated. Evidence for the existence of intrinsic PDW order in high-temperature (high-Tc) cuprate superconductors and kagome superconductors has emerged recently. However, the PDW order in iron-based high-Tc superconductors has not been observed experimentally. Here, using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy, we report the discovery of the PDW state in monolayer iron-based high-Tc Fe(Te,Se) films grown on SrTiO3(001) substrates. The PDW state with a period of {\lambda}~3.6a_Fe (a_Fe is the distance between neighboring Fe atoms) is observed at the domain walls by the spatial electronic modulations of the local density of states, superconducting gap, and the {\pi}-phase shift boundaries of the PDW around the dislocations of the intertwined charge density wave order. The discovery of the PDW state in the monolayer Fe(Te,Se) film provides a low-dimensional platform to study the interplay between the correlated electronic states and unconventional Cooper pairing in high-Tc superconductors

Determination of meropenem in rabbit plasma by LC-MS/MS

A sensitive and selective liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method for determination of meropenem in rabbit plasma was developed. After addition of triazolam as internal standard (IS), protein precipitation by acetonitrile was used in sample preparation. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Restek Allure (TM) PFP Propyl (2.1 mm × 100 mm, 5 μm) column with acetonitrile-0.1 % formic acid as mobile phase with gradient elution. Electrospray ionization (ESI) source was applied and operated in positive ion mode; multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode was used to quantification using target fragment ions m/z 384.1 → 339.9 for meropenem and m/z 342.7 → 307.8 for the IS. Calibration plots were linear over the range of 0.1-40 μg/mL for meropenem in plasma. Lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) for meropenem was 0.1 μg/mL. Mean recovery of meropenem from plasma was in the range 85.6 %-96.5 %. CV of intra-day and inter-day precision were both less than 15 %. This method is simple and sensitive enough to be used in pharmacokinetic research for determination of meropenem in rabbit plasma.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Changes in pulmonary tuberculosis prevalence: Evidence from the 2010 population survey in a populous province of China

Background: This paper reports findings from the prevalence survey conducted in Shandong China in 2010, a province with a population of 94 million. This study aimed to estimate TB prevalence of the province in 2010 in comparison with the 2000 survey; and to compare yields of TB cases from different case finding approaches. Methods: A population based, cross-sectional survey was conducted using multi-stage random cluster sampling. 54,279 adults participated in the survey with a response rate of 96%. Doctors interviewed and classified participants as suspected TB cases if they presented with persistent cough, abnormal chest X-ray (CXRAY), or both. Three sputum specimens of all suspected cases were collected and sent for smear microscopy and culture. Results: Adjusted prevalence rate of bacteriologically confirmed cases was 34 per 100,000 for adults in Shandong in 2010. Compared to the 2000 survey, TB prevalence has declined by 80%. 53% of bacteriologically confirmed cases did not present persistent cough. The yield of bacteriologically confirmed cases was 47% by symptom screening and 95% by CXRAY. Over 50% of TB cases were among over 65's. Conclusions: The prevalence rate of bacteriologically confirmed cases was significantly reduced compared with 2000. The survey raised challenges to identify TB cases without clear symptoms

Life satisfaction and its influencing factors of middle-aged and elderly stroke patients in China: a national cross-sectional survey

Objectives: This study reports the life satisfaction of middle-aged and elderly patients who had a stroke in China, and explores its association with patients’ sociodemographic characteristics, health status, lifestyles and family relationship. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting and participants: The samples of this study were selected from the data of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2018, which covered 28 provinces, 150 countries/districts and 450 village/urban communities. 1154 patients who had a stroke aged 45 and over were included in this study as qualified samples. Outcome measures: Descriptive analysis was used to report sociodemographic characteristics, health status, lifestyles, family relationship and life satisfaction of middle-aged and elderly patients who had a stroke. χ2 analysis and binary logistic regression were used to analyse the factors influencing the life satisfaction of the patients who had a stroke. Results: Overall, 83.1% of patients who had a stroke were satisfied with their lives, although only 8.7% rated their own health as being good. Patients who had a stroke who were male, elderly, married, living with their spouses and having a pension were more likely to report satisfaction with life (p<0.05). Self-rated health, health satisfaction, chronic lung disease, fall, pain, ability to work and family relationships were also significantly associated with life satisfaction (p<0.05). Patients who drank alcohol (86.8% vs 81.7%, p=0.041), had physical activity (84.4% vs 75.6%, p=0.004) and had social activity (85.3% vs 80.8%, p=0.041) were more satisfied with their lives than those who did not. Multivariable analysis confirmed that age, health satisfaction, physical pain, working ability, relationships with spouse and with children had significant effects on life satisfaction of patients who had a stroke (p<0.05). Conclusions: Our study indicates the importance of improving the overall health of patients who had a stroke and mediating factors, such as pain management, and work ability, spouse and children relationship in improving the life satisfaction of patients in the poststroke rehabilitation

Apparent Permeability Model for Shale Gas Reservoirs Considering Multiple Transport Mechanisms

Shale formation is featured in nanopores and much gas adsorptions. Gas flow in the shale matrix is not a singular viscous flow, but a combination of multiple mechanisms. Much work has been carried out to analyze apparent permeability of shale, but little attention has been paid to the effect of unique gas behavior in nanopores at high pressure and adsorbed layer on apparent permeability. This work presents a new model considering multiple transport mechanisms including viscous flow (without slip), slip flow, Knudsen diffusion, and surface diffusion in the adsorption layer. Pore diameter and mean free path of gas molecules are corrected by considering the adsorption layer and dense gas effect, respectively. Then the effects of desorption layer, surface diffusion, and gas behavior on gas apparent permeability in nanopores of shale are analyzed. The results show that surface diffusion is the dominant flow mechanism in pores with small diameter at low pressure and that the effect of adsorbed layer and dense gas on apparent permeability is strongly affected by pressure and pore diameter. From the analysis results, the permeability value calculated with the new apparent permeability model is lower than in the other model under high pressure and higher than in the other model under high pressure, so the gas production calculated using the new permeability model will be lower than using the other model at early stage and higher than using the other model at late stage

Analysis of Knowledge-attitude-practice Behavior and Influencing Factors for Prevention of Disease in TCM in Community Residents in Guangzhou

Background With the change of disease spectrum and the development of modern medical model, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is playing an important role in disease prevention, health care and rehabilitation. It is necessary to further promote the development of prevention of disease in TCM and vigorously promote the unique role of TCM in maintaining and promoting people&apos;s health. However, popularization and education of the concept of prevention of disease in TCM among community residents remains unclear. Objective To understand the overall awareness, trust, and adoption behavior of prevention of disease in TCM of community residents in Guangzhou, and explore the influencing factors of community residents&apos; trust in prevention of disease in TCM services. Methods From April to August 2022, a stratified cluster sampling method was used to interview 652 community residents from 12 streets in 4 administrative regions of Guangzhou city based on geographic location (central city, urban-rural areas, and suburbs) and economic factors by questionnaires. The survey included residents&apos; basic information, awareness and access to knowledge of prevention of disease in TCM, as well as their demand, utilization and trust in it. The influencing factors of community residents&apos; trust in prevention of disease in TCM services were explored by binary Logistic regression analysis. Results Among the 652 community residents, 67.79% (442/652) were aware of prevention of disease in TCM, 77.91% (508/652) trusted prevention of disease in TCM services, 69.63% (454/652) had received traditional TCM physiotherapy, and only 6.59% (43/652) had received prevention of disease in TCM services more than 4 times in the past year. Univariate correlation analysis showed that age (&#x03C7;2=9.218), household type (&#x03C7;2=19.356), marriage status (&#x03C7;2=2.490), occupation (&#x03C7;2=17.889), and medical insurance payment type (&#x03C7;2=13.516) were influencing factors of residents&apos; trust in prevention of disease in TCM services. Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that household type (non-agricultural, agricultural to resident, and non-agricultural to resident) was an influential factor for community residents&apos; trust in prevention of disease in TCM services (OR=2.646, 5.593, 10.502) . Conclusion The overall awareness (67.79%) and trust (77.91%) of prevention of disease in TCM among community residents in Guangzhou are relatively high, but the actual number of services received is insufficient, with a phenomenon of knowledge-attitude-practice separation. Community residents with non-agricultural household type have a higher level of trust, while those with agricultural household type have a lower level of trust. During popularization and services of prevention of disease in TCM, it is necessary to fully utilize the residents&apos; preferred forms, as well as to target specific groups, so as to cultivate the health habits of prevention of disease in community residents

Evaluating the policy of setting up microscopy centres at township hospitals in Shandong China: Experience from patients and providers

Background Since 2004 the China Ministry of Health policy has required microscopy centres (MCs) to be set up in one third of township hospitals nationally, to improve the accessibility of sputum smear testing for TB in rural areas. The objective of this study was to assess the performance of MCs in Shandong province from both patient and provider perspectives.Methods A survey of 245 TB suspects was conducted in 8 counties of Shandong stratified by MC performance. Seventy-two health providers and administrators were interviewed at the township and county levels.Results General performance of MC was poor. In 2006, the high and low performance groups checked on average 190 and 24 TB suspects, respectively. The majority of TB suspects who visited a MC did not have their sputum checked, or sputum was checked but the result was not recorded. TB suspects who visited a MC tended to live closer to it and had better knowledge of the MC than those who visited the county TB dispensary (CTD) directly. Patients with severe TB symptoms tended to go directly to the CTD. No significant difference in medical expenses before the TB diagnosis or diagnostic delay was found between TB suspects who visited a MC and those who did not. Several reasons were identified. The policy tried to set up too many MCs regardless of transportation conditions. It lacked operational details. Township hospitals had limited funding, qualified staff, and technical support from the CTD. The existing referral incentive discouraged sputum checks at the MC.Conclusion The national MC policy fell short of its goals in Shandong. Neither patients nor providers were interested in using MC in its current form. Policy recommendations are given.Tuberculosis Microscopy centre Township Policy assessment China