Enhanced superconductivity in TiO epitaxial thin films

Titanium oxides have many fascinating optical and electrical properties, such as the superconductivity at 2 K in cubic titanium monoxide (TiO) polycrystalline bulk. However, the lack of TiO single crystals or epitaxial films has prevented systematic investigations on its superconductivity. Here, we report the basic superconductivity characterizations of cubic TiO films epitaxially grown on (0001)-oriented α-Al2O3 substrates. The magnetic and electronic transport measurements confirmed that TiO is a type-II superconductor and the recorded high Tc is about 7.4 K. The lower critical field (Hc1) at 1.9 K, the extrapolated upper critical field Hc2(0), and coherence length are about 18 Oe, 13.7 T, and 4.9 nm, respectively. With increasing pressure, the value of Tc shifts to lower temperature while the normal state resistivity increases. Our results on the superconducting TiO films confirm the strategy to achieve higher Tc in the epitaxial films, which may be helpful for finding more superconducting materials in various related systems

Ocular manifestations and pathology of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma associated with human T-lymphotropic virus type 1

The human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), endemic in defined geographical areas around the world, is recognized as the etiologic agent of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL), or HTLV-1. ATL is a rare adult onset T-cell malignancy that is characterized by the presence of ATL flower cells with T-cell markers, HTLV-1 antibodies in the serum, and monoclonal integration of HTLV-1 provirus in affected cells. Ocular manifestations associated with HTLV-1 virus infection have been reported and include HTLV-1 uveitis and keratoconjunctivitis sicca, but reports of ocular involvement in ATL are exceedingly rare. This article describes the ocular manifestations and pathology of ATL. We also report for the first time a case of a 34-year-old male with systemic ATL and prominent atypical lymphoid cell infiltration in the choroid. To our knowledge, this is the first report defining prominent choroidal involvement as a distinct ocular manifestation of ATL. ATL may masquerade as a variety of other conditions, and molecular techniques involving microdissection and PCR have proven to be critical diagnostic tools. International collaboration will be needed to better understand the presentation and diagnosis of this rare malignancy

Autoimmune Retinopathy in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Histopathologic Features

The ocular pathology of autoimmune retinopathy is demonstrated in a 62-year-old female patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who presented with typical clinical autoimmune retinopathy. Macroscopically, there were multiple depigmented lesions in the peripheral retina and choroid and scattered pigmentary bone-spickling at the equator and periphery. Microscopically, there were generalized loss of photoreceptors and thinning of the outer plexiform layer. Many peripheral retinal vessels were sclerotic and occluded, some surrounded by pigment granules and RPE cells. Cobblestone degeneration was prominent in the periphery. Macrophages were seen in the retina, particularly in areas of photoreceptor degeneration. Rare, scattered T- lymphocytes were present in the retina and choroid, while B-cells were notably absent. The optic nerve showed loss of axons and thickened septae. Serum autoantibodies against normal retinal nuclei were detected. These pathological changes represent both known SLE-associated ocular complications as well as possible features of autoimmune retinopathy secondary to SLE

Autoimmune Retinopathy in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Histopathologic Features

The ocular pathology of autoimmune retinopathy is demonstrated in a 62-year-old female patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who presented with typical clinical autoimmune retinopathy. Macroscopically, there were multiple depigmented lesions in the peripheral retina and choroid and scattered pigmentary bone-spickling at the equator and periphery. Microscopically, there were generalized loss of photoreceptors and thinning of the outer plexiform layer. Many peripheral retinal vessels were sclerotic and occluded, some surrounded by pigment granules and RPE cells. Cobblestone degeneration was prominent in the periphery. Macrophages were seen in the retina, particularly in areas of photoreceptor degeneration. Rare, scattered T- lymphocytes were present in the retina and choroid, while B-cells were notably absent. The optic nerve showed loss of axons and thickened septae. Serum autoantibodies against normal retinal nuclei were detected. These pathological changes represent both known SLE-associated ocular complications as well as possible features of autoimmune retinopathy secondary to SLE

Geographical distribution and prevalence of mental disorders among healthcare workers in China:A cross-sectional country-wide survey A cross-sectional study to assess mental disorders of healthcare workers in China

Background Reliable and detailed nationwide data on the prevalence and distribution of mental disorders among healthcare workers in China during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak are scarce. Methods We did a cross-sectional online survey from March 2 to 2 April 2020 and a total of 19,379 healthcare workers from 25 provinces participated. Depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) and PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), respectively. Results The age-standardized prevalence of depression, anxiety and PTSD was 15.5%, 12.7% and 5.2%, respectively. Frontline workers had higher prevalence estimates than non-frontline workers (depression: 18.2% vs. 13.9%; anxiety: 14.7% vs. 11.6%; PTSD: 6.1% vs. 4.6%). Subgroups who were nurses, were married or had dependent children reported higher prevalence of depression, anxiety and PTSD. Despite of the large variations, the prevalence of mental disorders was lowest in East China, followed by Middle China, and highest in West China. Conclusion Healthcare workers faced enormous stress not only from the direct risk presented by the COVID-19 outbreak, but also from the profound changes in their professional practice. Prevalence of adverse psychological outcomes has a significant association with geographically distribution of health resources and regional economic level. Sufficient medical resource may be a protective factor to mental health condition of healthcare personnel when such a public health emergency happened

Deep learning based CT images automatic analysis model for active/non-active pulmonary tuberculosis differential diagnosis

Active pulmonary tuberculosis (ATB), which is more infectious and has a higher mortality rate compared with non-active pulmonary tuberculosis (non-ATB), needs to be diagnosed accurately and timely to prevent the tuberculosis from spreading and causing deaths. However, traditional differential diagnosis methods of active pulmonary tuberculosis involve bacteriological testing, sputum culturing and radiological images reading, which is time consuming and labour intensive. Therefore, an artificial intelligence model for ATB differential diagnosis would offer great assistance in clinical practice. In this study, computer tomography (CT) scans images and corresponding clinical information of 1160 ATB patients and 1131 patients with non-ATB were collected and divided into training, validation, and testing sets. A 3-dimension (3D) Nested UNet model was utilized to delineate lung field regions in the CT images, and three different pre-trained deep learning models including 3D VGG-16, 3D EfficientNet and 3D ResNet-50 were used for classification and differential diagnosis task. We also collected an external testing set with 100 ATB cases and 100 Non-ATB cases for further validation of the model. In the internal and external testing set, the 3D ResNet-50 model outperformed other models, reaching an AUC of 0.961 and 0.946, respectively. The 3D ResNet-50 model reached even higher levels of diagnostic accuracy than experienced radiologists, while the CT images reading and diagnosing speed was 10 times faster than human experts. The model was also capable of visualizing clinician interpretable lung lesion regions important for differential diagnosis, making it a powerful tool assisting ATB diagnosis. In conclusion, we developed an auxiliary tool to differentiate active and non-active pulmonary tuberculosis, which would have broad prospects in the bedside

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Is Increased in Hypertensive Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Purpose. To evaluate alteration in serum TSH in hypertensives with OSA and its relation with cardiometabolic risk factors. Methods. 517 hypertensives were cross-sectionally studied. OSA was determined by polysomnography and thyroid function by standard methods. Results. OSA was diagnosed in 373 hypertensives (72.15%). Prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism was significantly higher in OSA hypertensives than in non-OSA ones (15.0% versus 6.9%, P=0.014). Serum LnTSH in hypertensives with severe OSA was significantly higher (0.99±0.81 versus 0.74±0.77 μIU/mL, P<0.05) than in those without OSA. AHI, LSaO2, ODI3, and ODI4 were independently associated with serum TSH for those aged 30–65 years. Dividing subjects into four groups as TSH < 1.0 μIU/mL, 1.0 ≤ THS ≤ 1.9 μIU/mL, 1.91 ≤ TSH < 4.5 μIU/mL, and TSH ≥ 4.5 μIU/mL, only 26.3% of OSA subjects exhibited TSH between 1.0 and 1.9 μIU/mL, significantly less than non-OSA subjects (26.3% versus 38.2%, P=0.01). DBP and serum LDL-c elevated with TSH increasing and were only significantly higher in TSH ≥ 4.5 μIU/mL group than in 1.0 ≤ TSH ≤ 1.9 μIU/mL group (96.32±14.19 versus 92.31±12.86 mmHg; P=0.040; 0.99±0.60 versus 0.87±0.34 mmol/L, P=0.023). Conclusion. OSA might be a risk factor for increased TSH even within reference range in hypertensive population

Genome-wide identification of TPS and TPP genes in cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea) and functional characterization of AhTPS9 in response to cold stress

IntroductionTrehalose is vital for plant metabolism, growth, and stress resilience, relying on Trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) and Trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase (TPP) genes. Research on these genes in cultivated peanuts (Arachis hypogaea) is limited.MethodsThis study employed bioinformatics to identify and analyze AhTPS and AhTPP genes in cultivated peanuts, with subsequent experimental validation of AhTPS9’s role in cold tolerance.ResultsIn the cultivated peanut genome, a total of 16 AhTPS and 17 AhTPP genes were identified. AhTPS and AhTPP genes were observed in phylogenetic analysis, closely related to wild diploid peanuts, respectively. The evolutionary patterns of AhTPS and AhTPP genes were predominantly characterized by gene segmental duplication events and robust purifying selection. A variety of hormone-responsive and stress-related cis-elements were unveiled in our analysis of cis-regulatory elements. Distinct expression patterns of AhTPS and AhTPP genes across different peanut tissues, developmental stages, and treatments were revealed, suggesting potential roles in growth, development, and stress responses. Under low-temperature stress, qPCR results showcased upregulation in AhTPS genes (AhTPS2-5, AhTPS9-12, AhTPS14, AhTPS15) and AhTPP genes (AhTPP1, AhTPP6, AhTPP11, AhTPP13). Furthermore, AhTPS9, exhibiting the most significant expression difference under cold stress, was obviously induced by cold stress in cultivated peanut, and AhTPS9-overexpression improved the cold tolerance of Arabidopsis by protect the photosynthetic system of plants, and regulates sugar-related metabolites and genes.DiscussionThis comprehensive study lays the groundwork for understanding the roles of AhTPS and AhTPP gene families in trehalose regulation within cultivated peanuts and provides valuable insights into the mechanisms related to cold stress tolerance