Hybrid silicon nanostructures with conductive ligands and their microscopic conductivities

Silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) functionalized with conjugated molecules promise a potential pathway to generate a new category of thermoelectric materials. While the thermoelectric performance of materials based on phenyl-acetylene capped SiNPs has been proven, their low conductivity is still a problem for their general application. A muon study of phenyl-acetylene capped SiNPs has been recently carried out using the HiFi spectrometer at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, measuring the ALC spectra as a function of temperature. The results show a reduction in the measured line width of the resonance above room temperature, suggesting an activated behaviour for this system. This study shows that the muon study could be a powerful method to investigate microscopic conductivity of hybrid thermoelectric materials

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p<0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p<0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

The diagnostic role of T wave morphology biomarkers in congenital and acquired long QT syndrome: A systematic review

Introduction: QTc prolongation is key in diagnosing long QT syndrome (LQTS), however 25%–50% with congenital LQTS (cLQTS) demonstrate a normal resting QTc. T wave morphology (TWM) can distinguish cLQTS subtypes but its role in acquired LQTS (aLQTS) is unclear. Methods: Electronic databases were searched using the terms “LQTS,” “long QT syndrome,” “QTc prolongation,” “prolonged QT,” and “T wave,” “T wave morphology,” “T wave pattern,” “T wave biomarkers.” Whole text articles assessing TWM, independent of QTc, were included. Results: Seventeen studies met criteria. TWM measurements included T-wave amplitude, duration, magnitude, Tpeak-Tend, QTpeak, left and right slope, center of gravity (COG), sigmoidal and polynomial classifiers, repolarizing integral, morphology combination score (MCS) and principal component analysis (PCA); and vectorcardiographic biomarkers. cLQTS were distinguished from controls by sigmoidal and polynomial classifiers, MCS, QTpeak, Tpeak-Tend, left slope; and COG x axis. MCS detected aLQTS more significantly than QTc. Flatness, asymmetry and notching, J-Tpeak; and Tpeak-Tend correlated with QTc in aLQTS. Multichannel block in aLQTS was identified by early repolarization (ERD30%) and late repolarization (LRD30%), with ERD reflecting hERG-specific blockade. Cardiac events were predicted in cLQTS by T wave flatness, notching, and inversion in leads II and V5, left slope in lead V6; and COG last 25% in lead I. T wave right slope in lead I and T-roundness achieved this in aLQTS. Conclusion: Numerous TWM biomarkers which supplement QTc assessment were identified. Their diagnostic capabilities include differentiation of genotypes, identification of concealed LQTS, differentiating aLQTS from cLQTS; and determining multichannel versus hERG channel blockade