Epitaxy of Antimonene Thin Films with Screw Dislocations for the Application of Saturable Absorbers.

The exotic optoelectronic properties of antimonene, including strain-induced tunable bandgaps, broad nonlinear refractive response, etc., have evoked profound upsurges for decades. As the screw dislocations break the crystal symmetry and modify interlayer coupling, it is highly desirable to investigate the optical prospects of antimonene with screw dislocations. Herein, controllable epitaxy of spiral ß-antimonene is achieved on Fe3GaTe2 substrates. By fine-tuning growth temperatures, the evolutions of spiral ß-antimonene with non-centrosymmetric stacking are investigated via scanning tunneling microscopy. The effects of interfacial strain and dislocation motion during screw-dislocation-driven growth are also studied. Additionally, a modulation depth of 40.8% and mode locking at 1558 nm with a pulse width of 290 fs are observed in Er-doped pulsed fiber lasers generated with spiral Sb-based saturable absorbers, revealing superior performance that far outstrips reported Sb-based saturable absorbers to date. Our work sheds light on the preparation of Sb films with screw dislocations and demonstrates a promising approach toward fabricating ultrafast optical devices.

Electrochemical biosensor for sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 gene fragments using Bi2Se3 topological insulator.

In this study, we have designed an electrochemical biosensor based on topological material Bi2Se3 for the sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 in the COVID-19 pandemic. Flake-shaped Bi2Se3 was obtained directly from high-quality single crystals using mechanical exfoliation, and the single-stranded DNA was immobilized onto it. Under optimal conditions, the peak current of the differential pulse voltammetry method exhibited a linear relationship with the logarithm of the concentration of target-complementary-stranded DNA, ranging from 1.0 × 10-15 to 1.0 × 10-11 M, with a detection limit of 3.46 × 10-16 M. The topological material Bi2Se3, with Dirac surface states, enhanced the signal-to-interference plus noise ratio of the electrochemical measurements, thereby improving the sensitivity of the sensor. Furthermore, the electrochemical sensor demonstrated excellent specificity in recognizing RNA. It can detect complementary RNA by amplifying and transcribing the initial DNA template, with an initial DNA template concentration ranging from 1.0 × 10-18 to 1.0 × 10-15 M. Furthermore, the sensor also effectively distinguished negative and positive results by detecting splitting-synthetic SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus with a concentration of 1 copy/µL input. Our work underscores the immense potential of the electrochemical sensing platform based on the topological material Bi2Se3 in the detection of pathogens during the rapid spread of acute infectious diseases.

Sequence-Prescribed ß-Sheet for Enhanced Electron Tunneling: Boosting Interface Recognition and Electrochemical Measurement.

Peptide self-assemblies could leverage their specificity, stability, biocompatibility, and electrochemical activity to create functionalized interfaces for molecular sensing and detection. However, the dynamics within these interfaces are complex, with competing forces, including those maintaining peptide structures, recognizing analytes, and facilitating signal transmission. Such competition could lead to nonspecific interference, compromising the detection sensitivity and accuracy. In this study, a series of peptides with precise structures and controllable electron transfer capabilities were designed. Through examining their stacking patterns, the interplay between the peptides' hierarchical structures, their ability to recognize targets, and their conductivity were clarified. Among these, the EP5 peptide assembly was identified for its ability to form controllable electronic tunnels facilitated by π-stacking induced ß-sheets. EP5 could enhance the long-range conductivity, minimize nonspecific interference, and exhibit targeted recognition capabilities. Based on EP5, an electrochemical sensing interface toward the disease marker PD-L1 (programmed cell death ligand 1) was developed, suitable for both whole blood assay and in vivo companion diagnosis. It opens a new avenue for crafting electrochemical detection interfaces with specificity, sensitivity, and compatibility.

A Quantity-Dependent Nonlinear Model of Sodium Cromoglycate Suppression on Beta-Conglycinin Transport.

Understanding the transport mechanism is crucial for developing inhibitors that block allergen absorption and transport and prevent allergic reactions. However, the process of how beta-conglycinin, the primary allergen in soybeans, crosses the intestinal mucosal barrier remains unclear. The present study indicated that the transport of beta-conglycinin hydrolysates by IPEC-J2 monolayers occurred in a time- and quantity-dependent manner. The beta-conglycinin hydrolysates were absorbed into the cytoplasm of IPEC-J2 monolayers, while none were detected in the intercellular spaces. Furthermore, inhibitors such as methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MßCD) and chlorpromazine (CPZ) significantly suppressed the absorption and transport of beta-conglycinin hydrolysates. Of particular interest, sodium cromoglycate (SCG) exhibited a quantity-dependent nonlinear suppression model on the absorption and transport of beta-conglycinin hydrolysates. In conclusion, beta-conglycinin crossed the IPEC-J2 monolayers through a transcellular pathway, involving both clathrin-mediated and caveolae-dependent endocytosis mechanisms. SCG suppressed the absorption and transport of beta-conglycinin hydrolysates by the IPEC-J2 monolayers by a quantity-dependent nonlinear model via clathrin-mediated and caveolae-dependent endocytosis. These findings provide promising targets for both the prevention and treatment of soybean allergies.

Transport of glycinin, the major soybean allergen, across intestinal epithelial IPEC-J2 cell monolayers.

Soybean allergen entering the body is the initial step to trigger intestinal allergic response. However, it remains unclear how glycinin, the major soybean allergen, is transported through the intestinal mucosal barrier. The objective of this study was to elucidate the pathway and mechanism of glycinin hydrolysate transport through the intestinal epithelial barrier using IPEC-J2 cell model. Purified glycinin was digested by in vitro static digestion model. The pathway and mechanism of glycinin hydrolysates transport through intestinal epithelial cells were investigated by cellular transcytosis assay, cellular uptake assay, immunoelectron microscopy and endocytosis inhibition assay. The glycinin hydrolysates were transported across IPEC-J2 cell monolayers in a time/dose-dependent manner following the Michaelis equation. Immunoelectron microscopy showed a number of glycinin hydrolysates appeared in the cytoplasm, but no glycinin hydrolysates were observed in the intercellular space of IPEC-J2 cells. The inhibitors, colchicine, chlorpromazine and methyl-ß-cyclodextrin, significantly inhibited the cellular uptake of glycinin hydrolysates. The glycinin hydrolysates crossed IPEC-J2 cell monolayers through the transcellular pathway. Both clathrin- and caveolae-dependent endocytosis were involved in the epithelial uptake of the hydrolysates. These findings provided potential targets for the prevention and treatment of soybean allergy.

Efficient Feature Learning Model of Motor Imagery EEG Signals with L1-Norm and Weighted Fusion.

Brain-computer interface (BCI) for motor imagery is an advanced technology used in the field of medical rehabilitation. However, due to the poor accuracy of electroencephalogram feature classification, BCI systems often misrecognize user commands. Although many state-of-the-art feature selection methods aim to enhance classification accuracy, they usually overlook the interrelationships between individual features, indirectly impacting the accuracy of feature classification. To overcome this issue, we propose an adaptive feature learning model that employs a Riemannian geometric approach to generate a feature matrix from electroencephalogram signals, serving as the model's input. By integrating the enhanced adaptive L1 penalty and weighted fusion penalty into the sparse learning model, we select the most informative features from the matrix. Specifically, we measure the importance of features using mutual information and introduce an adaptive weight construction strategy to penalize regression coefficients corresponding to each variable adaptively. Moreover, the weighted fusion penalty balances weight differences among correlated variables, reducing the model's overreliance on specific variables and enhancing accuracy. The performance of the proposed method was validated on BCI Competition IV datasets IIa and IIb using the support vector machine. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed model compared to the existing models.

Associations of change in body fat percentage with baseline body composition and diabetes remission after bariatric surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the role of body fat percentage (BFP) changes in diabetes remission (DR) and the association between baseline body composition and its changes after bariatric surgery. METHODS: We analyzed 203 patients with type 2 diabetes who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Body composition was measured using a gold-standard-derived predictive equation and magnetic resonance imaging. Body composition changes were calculated as 100 × (baseline value - follow-up value)/baseline value. We verified the results in a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy cohort with 311 patients. RESULTS: Compared with non-remission patients in the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass cohort, those who achieved DR showed a higher baseline fat-free mass index (FFMI) and experienced the most significant changes in BFP (p < 0.001). In comparative analyses, BFP changes were significantly better than BMI changes in identifying short- and long-term DR. Linear regression analysis identified FFMI as the most significant baseline variable correlated with BFP changes (p < 0.001). Baseline BMI was positively correlated with changes in BFP but negatively correlated with changes in FFMI. These findings were replicated in the laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy cohort. CONCLUSIONS: BFP changes determine DR after bariatric surgery, and baseline FFMI is crucial for BFP changes. A low initial BMI is associated with a smaller BFP reduction and greater FFMI loss after bariatric surgery.

The impact of metabolic surgery on natural conception rates in women with infertility, obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Women with obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome (OPOS) are at high risk for infertility. However, the reproductive effects of metabolic surgery on women with infertility and OPOS have not been fully elucidated. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the natural conception rates after metabolic surgery, and the variables associated with infertility in women with OPOS. SETTING: Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China. METHODS: This study included 72 women with infertility and OPOS who underwent metabolic surgery and were followed up for 4 years after surgery. Finally, 54 patients completed the study. Reproductive outcomes were assessed, along with changes in anthropometric parameters and metabolic indices before and 1 year after surgery (prepregnancy). Logistic regression analysis was used to identify variables influencing natural conception and delivery outcomes. RESULTS: After metabolic surgery, 35 patients (64.8%) became pregnant naturally, while 16 were still unable to conceive naturally. Preoperative body mass index (BMI) tended to be lower in the natural conception group than in the no natural conception group (38.9 ± 6.9 versus 43.6 ± 11.0 kg/m2, P = .070) and there were no significant differences in weight loss between the 2 groups after surgery. Logistic regression analysis showed that the BMI 1 year after surgery (prepregnancy) was an independent predictor of natural conception, and receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that a BMI of 27.0 kg/m2 was the optimal cutoff for predicting successful natural conception after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Metabolic surgery can improve fertility in women with OPOS. Patients with a BMI < 27.0 kg/m2 1 year after surgery (prepregnancy) are more likely to become pregnant naturally and give birth.

Topological electronic structure and spin texture of quasi-one-dimensional higher-order topological insulator Bi4Br4.

The notion of topological insulators (TIs), characterized by an insulating bulk and conducting topological surface states, can be extended to higher-order topological insulators (HOTIs) hosting gapless modes localized at the boundaries of two or more dimensions lower than the insulating bulk. In this work, by performing high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) measurements with submicron spatial and spin resolution, we systematically investigate the electronic structure and spin texture of quasi-one-dimensional (1D) HOTI candidate Bi4Br4. In contrast to the bulk-state-dominant spectra on the (001) surface, we observe gapped surface states on the (100) surface, whose dispersion and spin-polarization agree well with our ab-initio calculations. Moreover, we reveal in-gap states connecting the surface valence and conduction bands, which is a signature of the hinge states inside the (100) surface gap. Our findings provide compelling evidence for the HOTI phase of Bi4Br4. The identification of the higher-order topological phase promises applications based on 1D spin-momentum locked current in electronic and spintronic devices.

On-orbit space optical communication demonstration with a 22†s acquisition time.

The inherent small divergence angle of space optical communication poses significant challenges to establishing communication links. Therefore, laser link acquisition becomes a crucial technology in optical communication, with a primary focus on reducing the acquisition time effectively. Conventional optical communication acquisition techniques fail to address the error effects caused by satellite insertion into the Earth orbit, thus unable to meet the rapid establishment demands of laser links in satellite optical communication networks. In this regard, we propose a novel, to the best of our knowledge, on-orbit calibration method for laser communication terminals to our knowledge. Leveraging stellar observations, this method achieves efficient on-orbit calibration with only a single observation. Theoretical analysis and on-orbit experimental results demonstrate that this approach effectively enhances an open-loop pointing accuracy, offering promising prospects for achieving a rapid establishment of optical communication links in ultra-long-distance optical communication missions.

On-orbit demonstration of inter-satellite free-space optical stable communication enabled by integrated optical amplification of HPA and LNA.

Satellite free-space optical (FSO) communication is very promising in improving the bandwidth and capacity of space information networks in the future. However, the inter-satellite transmission distance of over 1000 km leads to unstable optical beam pointing, acquisition, and tracking and then generates optical power jitter by a large margin before detection-demodulation. Therefore, it is difficult to realize high-stability and long-time FSO communication between satellites due to the generated bit error rate (BER) by jitter. In this paper, we report an autonomously self-designed and high-integration laser communication payload (LCP) and on-orbit-demonstrated inter-satellite 145 min, zero-BER FSO stable communication with a line rate of 2.8 Gbps. Moreover, based on the inter-satellite laser communication link, a video phone was clearly implemented for more than 10 min, and authentic user data transmitted 459,149 packets, achieving results of zero-packet loss. Summarily, this on-orbit experiment demonstrated an excellent performance of the LCP owing to the distinctive design of integrating a high-power amplifier and low-noise amplifier optical amplification function. Our space mission was successfully completed, and the on-orbit demonstration results may offer a significant reference for the field of satellite laser communication and space information networks.

Effect of regional body composition changes on bone density remodeling after sleeve gastrectomy.

Background: Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) results in bone mineral density (BMD) loss and varying body composition parameters. However, the effects of body compositions on bone health are controversial. In order to accurately demonstrate their relationship and provide new insights into the causes of BMD loss after sleeve gastrectomy, this study is aimed to investigate the role of changes in body composition in BMD loss 12 months after SG. Methods: 41 Chinese individuals with obesity (25 women and 16 men) who underwent SG were prospectively examined for at least 12 months. Measurements of anthropometrics, body composition, BMD and blood samples were collected. Results: For 12 months, the femoral neck (FN) BMD and total hip (TH) BMD decreased significantly compared with baseline in both sexes but not lumbar spine (LS) BMD. Greater TH BMD loss was observed in men than in women. For the first 6 months post-SG, the FN BMD loss was positively associated with the estimated fat free mass index (eFFMI) reduction in women (adjusted ß = 0.77, P = 0.004) and positively associated with reduction of subcutaneous fat area (SFA) in men (r = 0.931, P = 0.007). For 12 months post-SG, the FN BMD loss was negatively associated with visceral fat area (VFA) reduction in women (adjusted ß = -0.58, P = 0.027) and men (adjusted ß = -0.68, P = 0.032). TH BMD loss was positively associated with waist circumference reduction in women (r = 0.448, P = 0.028). Conclusion: FN and TH BMD decrease after SG in both women and men. The changes in body compositions are associated with BMD loss at different time points and bone sites. Our data emphasize the limitation of simply taking the total weight loss (% TWL) as an influencing factor of bone mineral density and the necessity of delineating body composition in relevant studies.

Epidemiology and Association Rules Analysis for Pulmonary Tuberculosis Cases with Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis from Age and Gender Perspective: A Large-Scale Retrospective Multicenter Observational Study in China.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB), a multisystemic disease with protean presentation, remains a major global health problem. Although concurrent pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) cases are commonly observed clinically, knowledge regarding concurrent PTB-EPTB is limited. Here, a large-scale multicenter observational study conducted in China aimed to study the epidemiology of concurrent PTB-EPTB cases by diagnostically defining TB types and then implementing association rules analysis. Methods: The retrospective study was conducted at 21 hospitals in 15 provinces in China and included all inpatients with confirmed TB diagnoses admitted from Jan 2011 to Dec 2017. Association rules analysis was conducted for cases with concurrent PTB and various types of EPTB using the Apriori algorithm. Results: Evaluation of 438,979TB inpatients indicated PTB was the most commonly diagnosed (82.05%) followed by tuberculous pleurisy (23.62%). Concurrent PTB-EPTB was found in 129,422 cases (29.48%) of which tuberculous pleurisy was the most common concurrent EPTB type observed. The multivariable logistic regression models demonstrated that odds ratios of concurrent PTB-EPTB cases varied by gender and age group. For PTB cases with concurrent EPTB, the strongest association was found between PTB and concurrent bronchial tuberculosis (lift = 1.09). For EPTB cases with concurrent PTB, the strongest association was found between pharyngeal/laryngeal tuberculosis and concurrent PTB (lift = 1.11). Confidence and lift values of concurrent PTB-EPTB cases varied with gender and age. Conclusions: Numerous concurrent PTB-EPTB case types were observed, with confidence and lift values varying with gender and age. Clinicians should screen for concurrent PTB-EPTB in order to improve treatment outcomes.

Machine Learning Prediction of Iron Deficiency Anemia in Chinese Premenopausal Women 12 Months after Sleeve Gastrectomy.

Premenopausal women, who account for more than half of patients for bariatric surgery, are at higher risk of developing postoperative iron deficiency anemia (IDA) than postmenopausal women and men. We aimed at establishing a machine learning model to evaluate the risk of newly onset IDA in premenopausal women 12 months after sleeve gastrectomy (SG). Premenopausal women with complete clinical records and undergoing SG were enrolled in this retrospective study. Newly onset IDA after surgery, the main outcome, was defined according to the age- and gender-specific World Health Organization criteria. A linear support vector machine model was developed to predict the risk of IDA after SG with the top five important features identified during feature selection. Four hundred and seven subjects aged 31.0 (Interquartile range (IQR): 26.0-36.0) years with a median follow-up period of 12 (IQR 7-13) months were analyzed. They were divided into a training set and a validation set with 285 and 122 individuals, respectively. Preoperative ferritin, age, hemoglobin, creatinine, and fasting C-peptide were included. The model showed moderate discrimination in both sets (area under curve 0.858 and 0.799, respectively, p < 0.001). The calibration curve indicated acceptable consistency between observed and predicted results in both sets. Moreover, decision curve analysis showed substantial clinical benefits of the model in both sets. Our machine learning model could accurately predict newly onset IDA in Chinese premenopausal women with obesity 12 months after SG. External validation was required before the model was used in clinical practice.

Beam Scanning and Capture of Micro Laser Communication Terminal Based on MEMS Micromirrors.

With the development of space laser communication and the planned deployment of satellite Internet constellations, there is a growing demand for microminiature laser communication terminals. To meet the requirements of size, weight and power (SWaP), miniaturized terminals require smaller drive components to complete on-orbit scanning and capture, which must be fast and efficient to enable satellite laser communication networks. These miniaturized laser communication terminals are highly susceptible to the impact of the initial pointing accuracy of the laser beam and microvibrations of the satellite platform. Therefore, this paper proposes a laser scanning-capture model based on a Micro-electromechanical Systems (MEMS) micromirror that can provide a fast, large-scale scanning analysis. A scanning overlap factor is introduced to improve the capture probability under the influence of microvibrations. Finally, experimental analysis was carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed model, which can establish a theoretical basis for future ultra-long-distance microspace laser communication.

Gastrointestinal digestion and absorption of soybean ß-conglycinin in an early weaned piglet model: An initial step to the induction of soybean allergy.

To date, it still remains unknown how ß-conglycinin, a major soybean allergen, crosses intestinal epithelial barrier to reach immune cells. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the pathway and molecular mechanism of ß-conglycinin absorption and transport across intestinal mucosal epithelium using a ß-conglycinin allergic piglet model. Ten-day old piglets were orally sensitized with diets containing 2% and 4% ß-conglycinin. The digestion, absorption and transport of ß-conglycinin in gastrointestinal tract was investigated. The results showed that ß-conglycinin had a certain resistance to gastrointestinal digestion, and the digestion-resistant subunits and fragments were absorbed into the intestinal mucosa and then induced an anaphylaxis in early weaned piglets. The absorption occurred in the form of IgE-allergen immune complex through transcellular pathway with CD23 as the receptor. These results provided important clues for using the pathway and molecule as inhibitor target to prevent and alleviate soybean ß-conglycinin allergy in infants.

Detection of serum Aspergillus-specific IgM and IgG antibody levels for the diagnosis of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis developed in patients with tuberculosis.

Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is common among individuals with underlying lung diseases. The clinical manifestations of CPA include systemic symptoms (e.g., weight loss, fatigue, fever), chronic productive cough, chest discomfort, and occasional haemoptysis, which are similar to the manifestations of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and are often misdiagnosed as PTB. Considering the striking similarities between CPA and PTB in clinical manifestations and imaging features, more specific microbiological and serological detections are needed for a definitive diagnosis. This study aimed to explore the clinical characteristics of CPA in TB as well as the diagnostic significance of Aspergillus-specific IgG and Aspergillus-specific IgM.A total of 140 patients diagnosed with TB by culture between December 2017 and February 2019 were included. Enrolled patients were categorized into two groups (CPA group and non-CPA group) according to CPA diagnostic criteria. All collected specimens were subjected to Aspergillus-specific IgG and IgM detection testing.The median concentration of Aspergillus-specific IgG in the CPA group (211.04 AU/ml) was significantly higher than that in the non-CPA group (77.88 AU/ml) (Z value - 6.397, P < 0.001). The sensitivity and specificity of Aspergillus-specific IgG for CPA diagnosis were 81.82% and 72.97%, respectively. In the chronic cavitary pulmonary aspergillosis (CCPA) group, the IgG positivity rate (≥ 120 AU/ml) was 96.2%, which was 21.4% in the non-CCPA patients (P < 0.001).The detection of Aspergillus-specific IgG serological changes is feasible and facilitates reliable differentiation between Aspergillus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. However, Aspergillus-specific IgM has limited diagnostic value, with unsatisfactory sensitivity results.

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) complicating tubercular meningitis.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculous meningitis (TBM), complicated with cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), has been sparsely reported and needs to be investigated further. METHODS: Among those with tuberculous meningitis in Haihe Hospital, Tianjin University, 3 patients with venous sinus thrombosis were identified retrospectively. "Tuberculous meningitis" and "cerebral venous thrombosis" were used as keywords, and the retrieved literature was summarized and analyzed. Our data were combined with previously reported case data to describe this new condition. RESULTS: Among 28 patients with a median onset age of 31 years for TBM, 17 were females. The manifestations were fever, headache, and seizure. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) venography showed that the most common site of venous sinus thrombosis involved superior sagittal sinus, left transverse sinus, left sigmoid sinus, cavernous sinus, and straight sinus. The abnormalities found on MRI include hydrocephalus, exudates, hemorrhage, meningeal enhancement, infarction, and tuberculoma. In the acute phase, all patients received standard anti-TB treatment, and 14/28 patients received anticoagulant treatment. The mortality rate of these patients was 17.9%, and 21/28 (75%) became functionally independent. CONCLUSIONS: CVT is one of the rare complications of TMB and must be considered a differential diagnosis in patients with TBM who show poor clinical features and/or develop new neurological signs.

Percentage of maximum weight lost as an optimal parameter of weight regain after bariatric surgery in Chinese patients with diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to compare measures of weight regain (WR) and their association with the glucose metabolism deterioration within 3 years following bariatric surgery among Chinese patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: Among a retrospective cohort of 249 patients with obesity and T2DM who underwent bariatric surgery and were followed up to 3 years, WR was assessed by weight changes, BMI changes, percentage of presurgery weight, percentage of nadir weight, and percentage of maximum weight lost (%MWL). Glucose metabolism deterioration was defined as a change from an absence of antidiabetic medication use to use, or absence of insulin use to use, or an increase in glycated hemoglobin by at least 0.5% to 5.7% or greater. RESULTS: A comparison of C-index of glucose metabolism deterioration indicated %MWL had better discriminatory ability versus weight change, BMI change, percentage of presurgery weight, or percentage of nadir weight (all p < 0.01). The %MWL also had the highest prediction accuracy. The optimal %MWL cutoff point was 20%. CONCLUSIONS: Among Chinese patients with obesity and T2DM who underwent bariatric surgery, WR quantified as %MWL predicted 3-year postoperative glucose metabolism deterioration better than the alternatives; 20% MWL was the optimal cutoff point.

Water-Assisted Growth of Twisted 3R-Stacked MoSe2 Spirals and Its Dramatically Enhanced Second Harmonic Generations.

Enhanced second-harmonic generation (SHG) responses are reported in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (e.g., MX2 , M: Mo, W; X: S, Se) due to the broken symmetries. The 3R-like stacked MX2 spiral structures possessing the similar broken inversion symmetry should present dramatically enhanced SHG responses, thus providing great flexibility in designing miniaturized on-chip nonlinear optical devices. To achieve this, the first direct synthesis of twisted 3R-stacked chiral molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2 ) spiral structures with specific screw dislocations (SD) arms is reported, via designing a water-assisted chemical vapor transport (CVT) approach. The study also clarifies the formation mechanism of the MoSe2 spiral structures, by precisely regulating the precursor supply accompanying with multiscale characterizations. Significantly, an up to three orders of magnitude enhancement of the SHG responses in twisted 3R stacked MoSe2 spirals is demonstrated, which is proposed to arise from the synergistic effects of broken inversion symmetry, strong light-matter interaction, and band nesting effects. Briefly, the work provides an efficient synthetic route for achieving the 3R-stacked TMDCs spirals, which can serve as perfect platforms for promoting their applications in on-chip nonlinear optical devices.