Reverse Rate Research Articles

Exaggerated response to pattern reversal visual evoked potential among migraineurs

Objective Visual evoked potential recording has reported ambiguous results among migraineurs, thus the present study explored the association of check-size and reversal rates on the latency and amplitude of pattern reversal VEP among migraineurs. Method and material Monocular VEP responses for both eyes were recorded in 133 migraineurs and 111 controls. Checkerboard pattern with phase reversal frequency of 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 Hz and check-size of 16 × 16, 32 × 32, 64 × 64 and 128 × 128, i.e. spatial frequency of 0.475, 1.029, 2.056 and 4.112 cycle per degree (cpd) were used to record 100 responses each. Three-minutes gap was given after change of reversal frequency to a higher rate for next cycle of 4 check-size records. Result A linear increase in latencies was observed with decreasing check-size in both groups, but migraineurs had significantly higher latencies at a given reversal rate. Amplitudes A1 and A2 were higher among migraineurs and amplitude A2 showed an inverted ‘U’ shaped trend with maximum amplitude at 32 × 32 check size (1.029 cpd) in both groups, with an exaggerated response among migraineurs. Check-size 32 × 32 i.e. spatial frequency of 1.029 behaves differently than other larger or smaller check-sizes. Conclusion Variable VEP response for different visual stimuli may be due to differential activation of respective retinocortical pathways and cortical areas. The highest amplitude at modest check-size suggests a contributory role of foveal-parafoveal fibres in migraineurs. Exaggerated physiological response to visual stimuli may be responsible for higher amplitudes and prolonged latencies among migraineurs.

3D hierarchical fireproof gel polymer electrolyte towards high-performance and comprehensive safety lithium-ion batteries

Gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) stands as an extensively investigated solid-state electrolytes for next-generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Nonetheless, their inherent flammability necessitates the addition of flame retardants, which adversely impact LIBs’ electrochemical performance. Herein, we propose a groundbreaking conceive of a fireproof cross-linking composite GPE that united phosphene and a P-N synergistic flame retardant (DPM), equipping a dual-enhanced conduction effect on Li+ ions and a cooperative P-N flame-retardant effect. By strategically manipulating the polymer segments hierarchy and incorporating efficient function groups from DPM, freely Li+ mobility has been propelled, thereby delivering satisfactory ionic conductivity (1.263 mS cm−1, 20 ℃), elevated oxidative stability (5.42 V vs. Li+/Li) and improved Li+ transference number (0.53). The composite GPE-based batteries (LFP||Li, NCM523||Li and LFP||Graphite) indicate acceptable specific capacities at 1 C, together with good reversible capacity retention rate and stable coulombic efficiency after 200 cycles. Noticeably, the pouch cells (LFP||Graphite) assembled with composite GPE demonstrate superior safety robustness and fire-resistance under mechanical mishandling and ignition situations. Finally, the elucidation of Li+ ions interaction mechanism with polymer matrix is unraveled through molecular orbital energy levels and density function theory (DFT) calculation. This study offers valuable insights for harnessing novel electrolyte materials in high-safety LIBs.

Decreased need for RRT in liver transplant recipients after pretransplant treatment of hepatorenal syndrome-type 1 with terlipressin.

Hepatorenal syndrome-acute kidney injury (HRS-AKI), a serious complication of decompensated cirrhosis, has limited therapeutic options and significant morbidity and mortality. Terlipressin improves renal function in some patients with HRS-1, while liver transplantation (LT) is a curative treatment for advanced chronic liver disease. Renal failure post-LT requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) is a major risk factor for graft and patient survival. A post hoc analysis with a 12-month follow-up of LT recipients from a placebo-controlled trial of terlipressin (CONFIRM; NCT02770716) was conducted to evaluate the need for RRT and overall survival. Patients with HRS-1 were treated with terlipressin plus albumin or placebo plus albumin for up to 14 days. RRT was defined as any type of procedure that replaced kidney function. Outcomes compared between groups included the incidence of HRS-1 reversal, the need for RRT (pretransplant and posttransplant), and overall survival. Of the 300 patients in CONFIRM (terlipressin n = 199; placebo, n = 101), 70 (23%) underwent LT alone (terlipressin, n = 43; placebo, n = 27) and 5 had simultaneous liver-kidney transplant (terlipressin, n = 3, placebo, n = 2). The rate of HRS reversal was significantly higher in the terlipressin group compared with the placebo group (37%, n = 16 vs. 15%, n = 4; p = 0.033). The pretransplant need for RRT was significantly lower among those who received terlipressin ( p = 0.007). The posttransplant need for RRT, at 12 months, was significantly lower among those patients who received terlipressin and were alive at Day 365, compared to placebo ( p = 0.009). Pretransplant treatment with terlipressin plus albumin in patients with HRS-1 decreased the need for RRT pretransplant and posttransplant.

Faecal diversion remains central in the contemporary management of rectal trauma–Experience from a major trauma centre in South Africa

IntroductionThis paper provides an overview of a single centre's experience with rectal injury over a decade. It hopes to use this data to provide context to our current approach to managing these injuries in the civilian setting. The StudyAll patients with rectal trauma were identified from the Hybrid Electronic Medical Registry (HEMR). ResultsDuring the study period, a total of 88 patients with rectal injuries were admitted to Grey's Hospital in Pietermaritzburg. There were 80 (91 %) males and 8 (9 %) females. The median age was 31 (15–63) years. There were 9 (10 %) blunt mechanisms, 76 (86 %) penetrating mechanisms and 3 (4 %) combined blunt and penetrating mechanisms. Gunshot wounds accounted for the majority of sustained rectal trauma (71 %). There were 57 (65 %) extra-peritoneal injuries, 24 (27 %) intraperitoneal injuries and 7 (8 %) combined injuries. The grade of injury, according to the AAST grading system, was as follows, AAST 1: 16 (18 %), AAST 2: 63 (72 %), AAST 3: 7 (8 %), and AAST 4: 2 (2 %). Pre-sacral drainage and distal rectal washout were not performed. Almost all (55/57) of the extra-peritoneal rectal injuries were managed with proximal diversion (PD). There were five primary repairs (PR) performed in the extra-peritoneal rectal injury cohort. In four of these cases, this was accompanied by a PD. Of the 24 intraperitoneal rectal injuries, 15 underwent PR, of which 11 were performed in conjunction with PD. In total, 20 intraperitoneal rectal injuries underwent PD. All seven combined rectal injuries underwent PD, and three of the combined rectal injuries underwent PR with PD. There was urogenital tract associated morbidity in 8 %, gastrointestinal tract related morbidity in 8 % and septic complications in 11 %. ConclusionRectal trauma is still associated with a high rate of rectal/urogenital and infection related morbidity. Although pre-sacral drainage and distal stump washout have been largely abandoned in civilian practice, faecal diversion currently remains the cornerstone of the management of rectal trauma in our environment. Although there was a low rate of intra-abdominal septic complications in patients who had undergone diversion, this needs to be balanced against the low rate of stoma reversal.

Cortical oxygen extraction fraction using quantitative BOLD MRI and cerebral blood flow during vasodilation.

Introduction: We aimed to demonstrate non-invasive measurements of regional oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) from quantitative BOLD MRI modeling at baseline and after pharmacological vasodilation. We hypothesized that OEF decreases in response to vasodilation with acetazolamide (ACZ) in healthy conditions, reflecting compensation in regions with increased cerebral blood flow (CBF), while cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2) remained unchanged. We also aimed to assess the relationship between OEF and perfusion in the default mode network (DMN) regions that have shown associations with vascular risk factors and cerebrovascular reactivity in different neurological conditions. Material and methods: Eight healthy subjects (47 ± 13years, 6 female) were scanned on a 3T scanner with a 32-channel head coil before and after administration of 15mg/kg ACZ as a pharmacological vasodilator. The MR imaging acquisition protocols included: 1) A Gradient Echo Slice Excitation Profile Imaging Asymmetric Spin Echo scan to quantify OEF, deoxygenated blood volume, and reversible transverse relaxation rate (R2 ') and 2) a multi-post labeling delay arterial spin labeling scan to measure CBF. To assess changes in each parameter due to vasodilation, two-way t-tests were performed for all pairs (baseline versus vasodilation) in the DMN brain regions with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. The relationships between CBF versus OEF and CBF versus R2' were analyzed and compared across DMN regions using linear, mixed-effect models. Results: During vasodilation, CBF significantly increased in the medial frontal cortex (), posterior cingulate gyrus (pCG) (), precuneus cortex (PCun) (), and occipital pole (). Concurrently, a significant decrease in OEF was observed only in the pCG (8.8%, ) and PCun (). CMRO2 showed a trend of increased values after vasodilation, but these differences were not significant after correction for multiple comparisons Although R2' showed a slightly decreasing trend, no statistically significant changes were found in any regions in response to ACZ. The CBF response to ACZ exhibited a stronger negative correlation with OEF (; ), than with R2' (; ). Conclusion: Quantitative BOLD modeling can reliably measure OEF across multiple physiological conditions and captures vascular changes with higher sensitivity than R2' values. The inverse correlation between OEF and CBF across regions in DMN, suggests that these two measurements, in response to ACZ vasodilation, are reliable indicators of tissue health in this healthy cohort.

Stationary distribution of a reaction-diffusion hepatitis B virus infection model driven by the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process.

A reaction-diffusion hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection model based on the mean-reverting Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process is studied in this paper. We demonstrate the existence and uniqueness of the positive solution by constructing the Lyapunov function. The adequate conditions for the solution's stationary distribution were described. Last but not least, the numerical simulation demonstrated that reversion rates and noise intensity influenced the disease and that there was a stationary distribution. It was concluded that the solution tends more toward the stationary distribution, the greater the reversion rates and the smaller the noise.

ANALISIS PORTOFOLIO OPTIMAL MODEL CAPM DALAM PENGAMBILAN KEPUTUSAN INVESTASI SAHAM PADA IDXQ30

This paper aimed to analyze the optimal portfolio based on the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) method by classifying the undervalued and overvalued stocks. The population of this paper are stocks listed on IDXQ30 in the 2022-2023 period, there are 22 stocks used as research samples. This paper used IDXQ30 daily closing price, closing price of the daily Jakarta Stock Exchange Composite Index on the IDX, and Bank Indonesia's daily reference interest rate or the BI-7 Day Reverse Repo Rate. The results of this paper indicated that CAPM method generates 8 undervalued stocks and 14 overvalued stocks. Undervalued stocks consist of KLBF, ITMG, ASII, UNTR, BBCA, PTBA, BMRI and HRUM while overvalued stocks consist of MIKA, SIDO, HEAL, INTP, UNVR, HMSP, MNCN, CPIN, TLKM, TAPG, LSIP, ACES, SCMA and SRTG. The investment decisions are made by buying stocks that are classified as undervalued and selling stocks that are classified as overvalued.
 
 Keywords: Capital Asset Pricing Model, IDXQ30, Investment Decision, Optimal Portfolio

Catholyte Modulation and Prussian Blue/Berlin Green Redox Mediator Enabling Efficient High‐Potential Mn2+/MnO2 Reaction for Aqueous Hybrid Batteries

The use of multielectron Mn2+/MnO2 cathode reaction achieves high‐energy aqueous acid–base asymmetric hybrid batteries. However, the ion crossover through the membrane and the accumulation of unreacted MnO2 lead to serve potential and capacity decay of the cathode during cycling. Herein, the catholyte modulation using the KCl additive and the design of a Prussian blue/Berlin green (PB/BG) redox mediator on the cathode current collector are developed to promote high‐potential Mn2+/MnO2 reaction. The addition of saturated KCl greatly suppresses the ion crossover to maintain the catholyte acidity, thus enabling high‐potential Mn2+/MnO2 reaction and stable high‐voltage discharge plateau of ≈2.2 V for the hybrid battery at a prolonged cycling. The reversible MnO2 deposition is effectively improved by the PB/BG redox mediator, which contributes to significant enhancements in the reversible capacity, rate capability, and cycling stability of the cathode. Importantly, the as‐assembled hybrid battery exhibits the highest energy density of ≈260 Wh kg−1 (based on the mass of the aqueous MnCl2 catholyte and a hydrogen storage anode material) among the previously reported Mn‐based acid–base asymmetric batteries.

Thermal decomposition of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate

To realize the potential applications of ionic liquids as working fluids and solvents one should have knowledge about their long-term stability, which depends on their thermally initiated decomposition. However, the possible decomposition pathways are not yet known accurately. 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([C2Mim][OAc]) is widely studied and shows potential in cellulose dissolution. In this study, we investigate possible [C2Mim][OAc] decomposition pathways by combining decomposition experiments and ab initio rate constant computations. Both approaches yield activation energies around 135 kJ·mol−1, which significantly deviate from earlier TGA measurements with open surface yielding 100–110 kJ·mol−1 and are probably affected by evaporation. Our study uses an improved TGA measurement protocol with a sealed pan with a tiny hole that fosters measurement of the actual chemical process leading to mass loss. Ab initio computations of this study comprise vapor-liquid equilibria of reactants and products as well as forward and reverse reaction rate constants in the gas and liquid phase. Calculations for the gas phase closely match a first-order analysis of the experiments, but calculations for the liquid phase strongly depend on the quality of solvation modeling. The computations indicate that the SN2 pathway with an activation energy of 142–144 kJ·mol−1 dominates thermal decomposition of [C2Mim][OAc].

Spherical Shell with CNTs Network Structuring Fe-Based Alluaudite Na2+2 δ Fe2- δ (SO4 )3 Cathode and Novel Phase Transition Mechanism for Sodium-Ion Battery.

Iron-based sulfate cathodes of alluaudite Na2+2 δ Fe2- δ (SO4 )3 (NFS) in sodium-ion batteries with low cost, steady cycling performance, and high voltage are promising for grid-scale energy storage systems. However, the poor electronic conductivity and the limited understanding of the phase-evolution of precursors hinder obtaining high-rate capacity and the pure phase. Distinctive NFS@C@n%CNTs (n = 1, 2, 5, 10) sphere-shell conductive networks composite cathode materials are constructed creatively, which exhibit superior reversible capacity and rate performance. In detail, the designed NFS@C@2%CNTs cathode delivers an initial discharge capacity of 95.9 mAh g-1 at 0.05 C and up to 60 mAh g-1 at a high rate of 10 C. The full NFS@C@2%CNTs//HC cell delivers a practical operating voltage of 3.5V and mass-energy density of 140Wh kg-1 at 0.1 C, and it can also retain 67.37 mAh g-1 with a capacity retention rate of 96.4% after 200 cycles at 2 C. On the other hand, a novel combination reaction mechanism is first revealed for forming NFS from the mixtures of Na2 Fe(SO4 )2 ·nH2 O (n = 2, 4) and FeSO4 ·H2 O during the sintering process. The inspiring results would provide a novel perspective to synthesize high-performance alluaudite sulfate and analogs by aqueous methods.

Sarcopenia Transitions and Influencing Factors Among Chinese Older Adults With Multistate Markov Model

Abstract Background and Objectives Little is known about the sarcopenia transition process across different stages among Chinese community-dwelling older adults. We aimed to explore dynamic transitions of sarcopenia and its influencing factors in Chinese older adults. Research Design and Methods Data were derived from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. A total of 2856 older adults with complete data in the 2011, 2013, and 2015 waves were included in our study. Participants were categorized into 3 states: no sarcopenia, possible sarcopenia, and sarcopenia according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 (AWGS 2019) criteria. Continuous-time multistate Markov model was performed to estimate the 1-year transition probabilities and the associated factors of sarcopenia transitions. The association strength was expressed as hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval. Results The progression and reversion rates between no sarcopenia and sarcopenia state were 6.01 and 9.20 per 100 person-years, respectively. The 1-year progression probability to possible sarcopenia was higher compared with the likelihood of moving to the sarcopenia state (0.127 vs 0.034). The reversion probability to no sarcopenia was also higher among those with possible sarcopenia (0.281 vs 0.157). Older age, rural living, worse cognition status, higher chronic disease numbers, and lower nutrition status measured by body mass index accelerated the sarcopenia progression. Cognition status and body mass index level were related to higher chances of reverting. Discussion and Implications Possible sarcopenia might be a critical time window to promote sarcopenia reversion. Timely interventions aimed at delaying the progression and facilitating sarcopenia recovery should focus on improving cognitive function and nutrition levels.

Cryo-annealing of Photoreduced CdS Quantum Dot-Nitrogenase MoFe Protein Complexes Reveals the Kinetic Stability of the E4(2N2H) Intermediate.

A critical step in the mechanism of N2 reduction to 2NH3 catalyzed by the enzyme nitrogenase is the reaction of the four-electron/four-proton reduced intermediate state of the active-site FeMo-cofactor (E4(4H)). This state is a junction in the catalytic mechanism, either relaxing by the reaction of a metal bound Fe-hydride with a proton forming H2 or going forward with N2 binding coupled to the reductive elimination (re) of two Fe-hydrides as H2 to form the E4(2N2H) state. E4(2N2H) can relax to E4(4H) by the oxidative addition (oa) of H2 and release of N2 or can be further reduced in a series of catalytic steps to release 2NH3. If the H2 re/oa mechanism is correct, it requires that oa of H2 be associative with E4(2N2H). In this report, we have taken advantage of CdS quantum dots in complex with MoFe protein to achieve photodriven electron delivery in the frozen state, with cryo-annealing in the dark, to reveal details of the E-state species and to test the stability of E4(2N2H). Illumination of frozen CdS:MoFe protein complexes led to formation of a population of reduced intermediates. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy identified E-state signals including E2 and E4(2N2H), as well as signals suggesting the formation of E6 or E8. It is shown that in the frozen state when pN2 is much greater than pH2, the E4(2N2H) state is kinetically stable, with very limited forward or reverse reaction rates. These results establish that the oa of H2 to the E4(2N2H) state follows an associative reaction mechanism.

Early-childhood linear growth faltering in low- and middle-income countries

Globally, 149 million children under 5 years of age are estimated to be stunted (length more than 2 standard deviations below international growth standards)1,2. Stunting, a form of linear growth faltering, increases the risk of illness, impaired cognitive development and mortality. Global stunting estimates rely on cross-sectional surveys, which cannot provide direct information about the timing of onset or persistence of growth faltering—a key consideration for defining critical windows to deliver preventive interventions. Here we completed a pooled analysis of longitudinal studies in low- and middle-income countries (n = 32 cohorts, 52,640 children, ages 0–24 months), allowing us to identify the typical age of onset of linear growth faltering and to investigate recurrent faltering in early life. The highest incidence of stunting onset occurred from birth to the age of 3 months, with substantially higher stunting at birth in South Asia. From 0 to 15 months, stunting reversal was rare; children who reversed their stunting status frequently relapsed, and relapse rates were substantially higher among children born stunted. Early onset and low reversal rates suggest that improving children’s linear growth will require life course interventions for women of childbearing age and a greater emphasis on interventions for children under 6 months of age.

Sodium-Bismuth-Titanium glass–ceramic network: A high capacity anode network for Na+ ion storage

This article discusses 95[35Na2O-65Bi2O3]: 5TiO2 (mol%) glass-ceramic anode material system (abbreviated as GC-NBT5.0) in order to overcome major issues with Na-ion battery technology, such as inadequate reversible capacity, rate capability, electrical conductivity, and safety. After heat treatment for different heat treating regimes, the production of intense intermediate domains Na3Bi and Na3Ti results in flexible active centers with which heavier Na+ ions may react very easily for Na+ ion storage in the glass-ceramic anode network. As evaluated at 50mA/g over a longer cycle life of up to 3000 cycles, the GC-NBT5.0-8h glass ceramic anode beats both glass anode and traditional graphite anodes with a specific discharge capacity of 801mAh/g. However, the cell design is still backed by the best electrical conductivity because of the good interfacial contact between the glass-ceramic anode and electrolyte, and the lowest cycle-dependent complex impedance characteristics (Rct and Zw), which guarantee consistent capacity retention and the highest Columbic efficiency over longer cycle durations.

Is Omalizumab Treatment Used During the COVID-19 Pandemic Effective on the Frequency and Severity of COVID-19?

Objective: The effects of drugs used in chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) and similar chronic dermatological diseases in COVID-19 continue to be the subject of many studies. The present study aimed to reveal the frequency and severity of COVID-19 infection in CSU patients treated with omalizumab and antihistamines.
 Materials and Methods: CSU patients who were followed up and treated with omalizumab or antihistamines were evaluated retrospectively for clinical conditions with CSU and COVID-19 during the pandemic and compared with the control group regarding the incidence and severity of COVID-19 infection. In addition, urticaria disease severity was also compared with pre-pandemic scores for the CSU group.
 Results: Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test positivity rate for SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 17.4%, 30.1%, and 34.8% of the patients in omalizumab, antihistamine, and control groups, respectively (p= 0.001). The disease activity scores were increased in both antihistamine and omalizumab treated compared to the pre-covid state CSU patients, while the increase was minor in patients using omalizumab. 
 Conclusion: The fact that COVID-19 infection was seen less frequent and urticaria activity scores were lower during the infection in the omalizumab group suggests that omalizumab treatment is safe and convenient to use during COVID-19 infection.

Improved thermonuclear rate of42Ti(p,γ)43V and its astrophysical implication in therpprocess

Context.Accurate42Ti(p,γ)43V reaction rates are crucial for understanding the nucleosynthesis path of the rapid capture process (rpprocess) that occurs in X-ray bursts.Aims.We aim to improve the thermonuclear rates of42Ti(p,γ)43V based on more complete resonance information and a more accurate direct component, together with the recently released nuclear masses data. We also explore the impact of the newly obtained rates on therpprocess.Methods.We reevaluated the reaction rate of42Ti(p,γ)43V by the sum of the isolated resonance contribution instead of the Hauser-Feshbach statistical model. We used a Monte Carlo method to derive the associated uncertainties of new rates. The nucleosynthesis simulations were performed via the NuGrid post-processing code ppn.Results.The new rates differ from previous estimations due to the use of a series of updated resonance parameters and a direct S factor. Compared with the previous results from the Hauser-Feshbach statistical model, which assumes compound nucleus43V with a sufficiently high-level density in the energy region of astrophysical interest, large differences exist over the entire temperature region ofrp-process interest, up to two orders of magnitude. We consistently calculated the photodisintegration rate using our new nuclear masses via the detailed balance principle, and found the discrepancies among the different reverse rates are much larger than those for the forward rate, up to ten orders of magnitude at the temperature of 108K. Using a trajectory with a peak temperature of 1.95×109K, we performed therp-process nucleosynthesis simulations to investigate the impact of the new rates. Our calculations show that the adoption of the new forward and reverse rates result in abundance variations for Sc and Ca of 128% and 49%, respectively, compared to the variations for the statistical model rates. On the other hand, the overall abundance pattern is not significantly affected. The results of using new rates also confirm that therp-process path does not bypass the isotope43V.Conclusions.Our study found that the Hauser-Feshbach statistical model is inappropriate to the reaction rate evaluation for42Ti(p,γ)43V. The adoption of the new rates confirms that the reaction path of42Ti(p,γ)43V(p,γ)44Cr(β+)44V is a key branch of therpprocess in X-ray bursts.

Reversal interest rate and macroprudential policy

Could a monetary policy loosening in a low interest rate environment have unintended recessionary effects? Using a non-linear macroeconomic model fitted to the euro area economy, we show that the effectiveness of monetary policy can decline in negative territory until it reaches an endogenous turning point, where monetary policy becomes contractionary. The framework demonstrates that the risk of hitting the rate at which the effect reverses depends on the capitalization of the banking sector. The possibility of the reversal interest rate gives rise to a novel motive for macroprudential policy. We show that macroprudential policy in the form of a countercyclical capital buffer, which prescribes the build-up of buffers in good times, substantially mitigates the probability of encountering the reversal rate and increases the effectiveness of negative interest rate policies. This new motive emphasizes the strategic complementarities between monetary policy and macroprudential policy.

Reversible Data Hiding With Hierarchical Block Variable Length Coding for Cloud Security

Reversible data hiding in encrypted images (RDHEI) can serve as a technical solution to secure data in applications that rely on cloud storage. The key features of an RDHEI scheme are reversibility, security, and data embedding rate. To enlarge the embedding rate, this paper proposes a novel RDHEI scheme based on the median edge detector (MED) and a new proposed hierarchical block variable length coding (HBVLC) technique. In our scheme, the image owner first predicts the pixel values of the carrier image with MED. Then, the prediction error array is sliced into bit-planes and encoded plane by plane. By leveraging the inherent features of the prediction error bit-planes, the image owner adaptively decomposes a bit-plane into blocks of different hierarchical levels based on its local smoothness and encodes the blocks with a variable length coding method. As a result, the carrier image is efficiently compressed to provide spare room for data embedding. The encoded carrier image is then processed with the conventional steps of an RDHEI technique. Experimental results show that the proposed scheme not only can restore the secret data and the carrier image without loss but also outperforms state-of-the-art methods in the embedding rate for images with various features.

543 Is It the End of Hartmann’s Procedure for Perforated Diverticulitis with Peritonitis? an Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract Aim Hartmann’s procedure is the standard technique in the management of perforated diverticulitis. However, many recent studies showed that primary resection and anastomosis have better outcomes. Our aim is to compare HP’s outcomes versus PRA for Hinchey III and IV acute diverticulitis. Method PUBMED, Scopus, and Web of science were searched from inception to September 2022 for all studies comparing the outcomes of HP versus RPA for perforated diverticulitis with peritonitis and a systematic review and meta-analysis were done. Results 29 studies with a total of 4314 participants were included in our study. The pooled results of the included studies showed a remarkable decrease in mortality after PRA (Mortality, RR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.09-1.73, P = 0.007). However, PRA is associated with a slight increase in the incidence of leakage (Leakage, RR = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.16-1.01, P = 0.05). Nevertheless, no difference in the overall incidence of complications between the two surgeries including SSI, wound dehiscence, bleeding, ileus and reoperation. (Overall incidence of complications, RR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.84-1.21, P = 0.95). However, PRA is associated with shorter hospital stays but longer operative time. Moreover, those who had PRA with ileostomy had a higher stoma closure rate in comparison to HP (Closure rate, RR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.49-0.81, P = 0.0003). Conclusions With a lower incidence of mortality, equal rates of complication and higher stoma reversal rates, RPA offers an excellent alternative to HP for perforated diverticulitis with purulent or feculent peritonitis.

Carbon-Coated Sodium Vanadium Phosphate Nanocomposites as Efficient Cathode Materials for Sodium-Ion Batteries and Capacitors

Sodium vanadium phosphate (Na3V2(PO4)3) with continuous carbon-coating (NVP/C) has been regarded as one of the most promising cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) owing to the three-dimensional sodium superionic conductor (NASICON) structure for fast sodium-ion migrations, high theoretical energy density (ca. 400 Wh/ kg), and good thermal stability (450°C). In this study, NVP/C nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully synthesized by employing ascorbic acid as the reductant and carbon source simultaneously, followed by calcination at 750°C in an argon atmosphere. The NVP/C NPs possessed great crystallinity, high purity, size of 100-200 nm, coated carbon layer of 5-10 nm, and carbon amounts of 8.5 wt. % were confirmed through the X-ray diffractometer, transmission electron microscope, and thermogravimetric analyzer, respectively. The remarkable reversible capacity (75 mAh/g at 0.1 C), rate capability (62 mAh/g at 2 C), and capacity retention (~100% after 1,000 cycles at 1 C) were delivered from the NVP/C half-cell. Encouraged by these impressive results, the asymmetric sodium-ion capacitors (SICs) consisted of the NVP/C cathode, free-standing hydrogel-derived hierarchical porous activated carbon (H-HPAC) anode, and organic electrolyte were also assembled to explore the electrochemical performances. As revealed, excellent rate capabilities were also achieved, i.e., 44 mAh/g at 0.45 A/gNVP and 28 mAh/g at 4.5 A/gNVP. Accordingly, the NVP/C NPs synthesized in the present study are reasonably believed to serve as potential cathode materials for SIBs and SICs. Figure 1