Relationship between pericoronary fat-attenuation values quantified by coronary computed tomography angiography and coronary artery disease severity

AIM

To explore the relationship between pericoronary fat-attenuation index (FAI) values and coronary artery disease (CAD) severity measured using coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study retrospectively included 428 patients with CAD who were eligible and underwent CCTA at our hospital. CAD severity on CCTA images including obstructive stenosis and extensive lesions, and segment stenosis and involvement score (SSS, SIS), and CAD-RADS classification were assessed. FAI values for left anterior descending (LAD), left circumflex (LCX) branches, and right coronary artery (RCA) were quantified using fully automated software. The relationship between FAI values and CAD severity was assessed using univariate and multivariate regression models.

RESULTS

Univariate analyses showed that sex and current smoking were associated with elevated FAILAD and FAILCX values (all P<0.05), whereas CAD severity was not relevant (all P>0.05). Not only clinical factors such as sex, current smoking, and hypertension were associated with elevated FAIRCA, but also indicators to assess CAD severity including obstructive stenosis, SIS, and SSS were related to it (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that after correcting for the effects of other conventional cardiovascular risk factors and CCTA imaging features, current smoking was an independent risk factor for elevated FAI values (odds ratio [OR] = 0.569, 0.458, and 0.517; all P<0.05), whereas that SSS (OR=1.041, P=0.027) for elevated FAIRCA values.

CONCLUSION

Following correction for conventional cardiovascular risk factors and imaging characteristics, current smoking was an independent clinical risk factor for elevated FAI values, and SSS was an independent risk factor for elevated FAIRCA values.

[The mechanical ventilation guided by electrical impedance tomography in acute respiratory distress syndrome]

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a common and critical clinical condition characterized by diffuse damage to the lung interstitium, alveoli, and increased permeability of pulmonary blood vessels. CT can be used to assess the imaging features, severity, and prediction of ARDS, but it requires patient transportation to the CT room and is only a static examination. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is an increasingly widely used monitoring tool in clinical applications in recent years. It enables continuous real-time assessment of lung ventilation distribution at the bedside and has high clinical value in optimizing mechanical ventilation parameters for critically ill patients. This article introduces the basic principles of EIT and how to better utilize EIT technology to guide mechanical ventilation treatment for ARDS patients.

[Interpretation of myeloid neoplasms in the 5th WHO classification of haematolymphoid tumors]

The 5th edition of the WHO classification of haematolymphoid tumors β version had been released online, in which the section of myeloid neoplasms had undergone significant changes in the classification framework,standards of diagnosis and classification criteria. The principle of comprehensive diagnosis based on clinicopathologic multi-parameter was maintained, especially strengthening the priority importance of biological features in diagnosis and classification, and highlighting the biological characteristics of the disease and thus providing the basis for targeted treatment and prognostic evaluation. This article introduces the main updates and changes in the myeloid neoplasms of the 5th edition of the WHO haematolymphoid tumor classification, in order to better understand and guide clinical diagnosis and therapeutic treatment in the future.

A single crystal row-column-array for 3D ultrasound imaging

In vivo 3D ultrasound imaging with 2D-array transducers is of great importance for both clinical application and biomedical research, but it is complicated in fabrication and also very expensive in hardware due to thousands of electronic channels. In this work, we demonstrate a new fabrication process of 7-MHz 128 + 128 elements row-column-array (RCA) transducer with relaxor ferroelectric PMN-0.28PT single crystal. With piezoelectric single crystal and improved acoustic matching, the optimized performance of -6 dB bandwidth of ∼82 % and insertion loss of -44.6 dB is achieved. The axial and lateral imaging resolutions at different depth of the RCA transducer are quantified by the point spread function (PSF), and the results are respectively 0.20 mm and 0.41 mm at the depth of 7.7 mm, and 0.22 mm and 0.47 mm at the depth of 16.7 mm. The transducer is validated experimentally on a hyperechoic phantom, and 3D view and slices of B-mode images are obtained. The experimental results indicate that our developed RCA transducer can obtain high-quality 3D ultrasound images, demonstrating great potential on ultrafast 3D and functional imaging.

[Intraductal carcinomas of the salivary glands: a clinicopathological and molecular genetic analysis of twenty-seven cases]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features, molecular genetic features, and differential diagnosis of intraductal carcinomas (IDC) of the salivary glands. Methods: Twenty-five cases of salivary gland IDC diagnosed at the Department of Oral Pathology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital and two cases from Department of Pathology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China from January 2008 to July 2023 were collected. Their clinical and pathological features were analyzed retrospectively. Fluorescence in situ hybridization and Sanger sequencing were performed. The patients were followed up and related literatures were reviewed. Results: There were 27 patients with IDC, including 15 males and 12 females, ranging in age from 20.0 to 80.0 years (mean 55.9 years). Clinically, the tumor often presented as a painless mass with a tumor diameter of 1.0-3.0 cm (mean 2.0 cm). All patients received surgical treatment. Twenty patients were followed up. One of them (1/20) died of lung cancer, while the rest survived without tumor recurrence. Histologically, IDC were classified as: intercalated (63.0%, 17/27), apocrine (25.9%, 7/27), oncocytic (7.4%, 2/27) and mixed (3.7%, 1/27) types. Intercalated tumors showed positive S-100 and negative androgen receptor (AR) immunoreactivity. Ki-67 proliferation index was low (about 1%-5%). Nine cases had the RET gene disruption, and 2 cases showed the BRAF V600E mutation. Apocrine tumors showed strong AR immunoreactivity but no S-100 immunoreactivity. Ki-67 proliferation index was high (about 10%-60%), and the RET gene rupture was detected in 1 case. Oncocytic tumors were similar to that of intercalated type in 2 cases, and RET gene disruption was detected in the both cases. Mixed tumors showed histologic features of oncocytic and apocrine patterns and harbored the RET gene disruption. Conclusions: IDC is a rare low-grade malignant tumor of the salivary gland and easily confused with other salivary gland tumors with similar morphology. Molecular testing is helpful for its differential diagnosis.

Effects of ferritin heavy chain on oxidative stress, cell proliferation and apoptosis in geese follicular granulosa cells

1. The ferritin heavy chain (FHC) has a vital impact on follicular development in geese, due to its ability to regulate apoptosis of granulosa cells (GCs) and follicular atresia. However, its specific regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. The present study characterised how FHC regulates oxidative stress, cell proliferation and apoptosis in goose GCs by interfering with and overexpressing the FHC gene.2. After 72 h of interference with FHC expression, the activity of GCs decreased remarkably (p < 0.05), reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and the expression levels of antioxidant enzyme genes catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) increased significantly (p < 0.05). The overexpression of FHC for 72 h was found to significantly reduce the expression of CAT and SOD genes (p < 0.05).3. Interfering with FHC expression revealed that the expression levels of the cell proliferation gene Aurora kinase A (AURORA-A) were significantly decreased (p < 0.05), while the expression levels of the apoptosis genes B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) and cysteine aspartate-specific protease 8 (CASPASE 8) increased (p < 0.05). Further research has shown that, when interfering with FHC expression for 72 h, apoptosis rate increased by 1.19-fold (p < 0.05), but the current data showed a lower apoptosis rate after FHC overexpression by 59.41%, 63.39%, and 52.31% at three different treatment times (p < 0.05).4. In conclusion, FHC improved the antioxidant capacity of GCs, promotes GCs proliferation, and inhibits GCs apoptosis of ovarian follicles in Sichuan white geese.

[Application progress of clinical outcome assessment measures in patients with gastric cancer]

Gastric cancer is a common tumor of the gastrointestinal tract, and the global trend in morbidity and mortality are not encouraging. Especially in advanced gastric cancer, patient survival outcome is an essential clinical concern and a vital outcome indicator in clinical outcome assessment. This article reviews the definition of clinical outcome assessment and the measurement tools that can be applied in gastric cancer patients, describes the detailed classification of clinical outcome assessment tools, and reviews the current status of the application of clinical outcome assessment in gastric cancer, analyzing the effects and shortcomings of its application, to provide a reference for the clinical staff in choosing the appropriate tools, and assisting in the comprehensive and holistic assessment of clinical outcomes for the promotion of the development of precision medicine.

[Use of the ETV6/RUNX1 probe to verify the performance of the fluorescence in situ hybridization probe before clinical detection]

Objective: To explore the standardized performance of a FISH probe before clinical detection. Methods: The probe sensitivity and specificity of ETV6/RUNX1 were analyzed via interphase and metaphase FISH in 20 discarded healthy bone marrow samples. The threshold system of the probe was established using an inverse beta distribution, and an interpretation standard was established. Finally, a parallel-controlled polymerase chain reaction detection study was conducted on 286 bone marrow samples from patients at our hospital. The clinical sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic coincidence rate of ETV6/RUNX1 FISH detection were analyzed, and the diagnostic consistency of the two methods was analyzed by the kappa test. Results: The probe sensitivity and specificity of the ETV6/RUNX1 probe were 98.47% and 100%, respectively. When 50, 100, and 200 cells were counted, the typical positive signal pattern cutoffs were 5.81%, 2.95%, and 1.49%, respectively, and the atypical positive signal pattern cutoffs were 13.98%, 9.75%, and 6.26%, respectively. The clinical sensitivity of FISH was 96.1%, clinical specificity was 99.6%, diagnostic coincidence rate was 99.00%, diagnostic consistency test kappa value was 0.964, and P value was <0.001. Conclusion: For FISH probes without a national medical device registration certificate, standardized performance verification and methodology performance verification can be performed using laboratory developed test verification standards to ensure a reliable and accurate reference basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Active screening for tuberculosis among high-risk populations in high-burden areas in Zhejiang province, China

OBJECTIVES

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major global public health concern. Although the incidence of TB in China is declining, the country continues to face many challenges regarding TB control. This study aimed to develop an active case finding (ACF) strategy for high-risk populations in areas with high TB burden and evaluate the effectiveness of the ACF strategy for early TB detection in patients to reduce TB transmission.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a descriptive study.

METHODS

From May to October 2019, active TB screening was conducted in Zhejiang Province, China. Overall, 24 high-burden townships were chosen as study sites. Residents aged ≥65 years, suffering from diabetes, diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, or with a history of TB were mobilized for screening. Chest radiography was performed for all participants in the community. Sputum specimens were collected for sputum smear tests and cultures at county-level TB-designed hospitals. A professional medical team performed the final diagnoses.

RESULTS

Overall, 130,643 residents were included, accounting for 8.85% of the total population in the selected areas. After screening, 89 confirmed cases and 419 suspected cases were identified. The detection rates for suspected and confirmed cases were 320.72/100,000 and 68.12/100,000, respectively. Individuals with a history of TB accounted for a large proportion of detected cases, and the detection rate was higher among males than in females. This study identified 10.5% of reported cases in the selected areas in 2019. In Zhejiang province, compared with the previous year, the rates of TB notification in 2019 and 2020 declined by 7.0% and 7.4%, respectively, compared with the previous year. However, the TB notification rate in 2019 was almost the same as that in 2018 (a decline of 2.5%) but sharply declined in 2020 (14.4%) in the screened areas.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that the ACF strategy may have helped to maintain the downward trends in TB notification rates by detecting patients with TB and suspected cases in the short term.

Value of spectral CT parameters in predicting the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for gastric cancer

AIM

To investigate the value of pre-chemotherapy spectral computed tomography (CT) parameters in predicting neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) response in gastric cancer (GC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sixty patients with GC who received NAC and underwent spectral CT examination before chemotherapy were enrolled retrospectively and divided into a responsive group and a non-responsive group according to the postoperative pathological tumour regression grade. Clinical characteristics were collected. The iodine concentration (IC), water concentration (WC), and effective atomic number (Eff-Z) of the portal venous phases were measured before chemotherapy, and IC was normalised to that of the aorta to provide the normalised IC (NIC). An independent samples t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test, or chi-square test was used to analyse the differences between the two groups, and the receiver operating curve (ROC) was used to evaluate the predictive performance of different variables.

RESULTS

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was lower in the responsive group than in the non-responsive group (p<0.05). IC, NIC, and Eff-Z values were significantly higher in the responsive group than in the non-responsive group (p<0.01). The areas under the ROC curves for the NLR, IC, NIC, and Eff-Z were 0.694, 0.688, 0.799, and 0.690, respectively. The combination of NIC, Eff-Z, and NLR values showed good diagnostic performance in predicting response to NAC in GC, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.857, 76.92% sensitivity, 80% accuracy, and 85.71% specificity.

CONCLUSION

Spectral CT parameters may serve as non-invasive tools for predicting the response to NAC in patients with GC.

[Pathological features and diagnostic significance of lung biopsy in occupational lung diseases]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics of occupational lung diseases, to reduce the missed diagnoses and misdiagnoses of the diseases and to help standardize the diagnosis and treatment of these patients. Methods: A total of 4 813 lung biopsy specimens (including 1 935 consultation cases) collected at the Department of Pathology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing, China from January 1st, 2017 to December 31th, 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 126 cases of occupational lung diseases were confirmed with clinical-radiological-pathological diagnosis. Special staining, PCR and scanning electron microscopy were also used to rule out the major differential diagnoses. Results: The 126 patients with occupational lung diseases included 102 males and 24 females. All of them had a history of exposure to occupational risk factor(s). Morphologically, 68.3% (86/126) of the cases mainly showed pulmonary fibrotic nodules, dust plaque formation or carbon end deposition in pulmonary parenchyma. 16.7% (21/126) of the cases mainly showed welding smoke particle deposition in the alveolar cavity and lung interstitium while 15.1% (19/126) of the cases showed granulomas with fibrous tissue hyperplasia, alveolar protein deposition or giant cell interstitial pneumonia. The qualitative and semi-quantitative analyses of residual dust components in the lung under scanning electron microscope were helpful for the diagnosis of welder's pneumoconiosis and hard metal lung disease. Conclusions: The morphological characteristics of lung biopsy tissue are important reference basis for the clinicopathological diagnosis and differential diagnosis of occupational lung diseases. Recognizing the characteristic morphology and proper use of auxiliary examination are the key to an accurate diagnosis of occupational lung diseases on biopsy specimens.

[Observation of liver indexes in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma treated with CAR-T-cells based on BCMA]

Objective: To observe the characteristics of the evolution of liver indexes in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) treated with CAR-T-cells based on BCMA. Methods: Retrospective analysis was performed of patients with RRMM who received an infusion of anti-BCMA CAR-T-cells and anti-BCMA combined with anti-CD19 CAR-T-cells at our center between June 1, 2019, and February 28, 2023. Clinical data were collected to observe the characteristics of changes in liver indexes such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (TBIL), and direct bilirubin (DBIL) in patients, and its relationship with cytokine-release syndrome (CRS) . Results: Ninety-two patients were included in the analysis, including 41 patients (44.6%) in the group receiving a single infusion of anti-BCMA CAR-T-cells, and 51 patients (55.4%) in the group receiving an infusion of anti-BCMA combined with anti-CD19 CAR-T-cells. After infusing CAR-T-cells, 31 patients (33.7%) experienced changes in liver indexes at or above grade 2, which included 20 patients (21.7%) with changes in one index, five patients (5.4%) with changes in two indexes, and six patients (6.5%) with changes in three or more indexes. The median time of peak values of ALT and AST were d17 and d14, respectively, and the median duration of exceeding grade 2 was 5.0 and 3.5 days, respectively. The median time of peak values of TBIL and DBIL was on d19 and d21, respectively, and the median duration of exceeding grade 2 was 4.0 days, respectively. The median time of onset of CRS was d8, and the peak time of fever was d9. The ALT, AST, and TBIL of patients with CRS were higher than those of patients without CRS (P=0.011, 0.002, and 0.015, respectively). CRS is an independent factor that affects ALT and TBIL levels (OR=19.668, 95% CI 18.959-20.173, P=0.001). The evolution of liver indexes can be reversed through anti-CRS and liver-protection treatments, and no patient died of liver injury. Conclusions: In BCMA-based CAR-T-cell therapy for RRMM, CRS is an important factor causing the evolution of liver indexes. The evolution of liver indexes after CAR-T-cell infusion is transient and reversible after treatment.

Temporal Structures in Positron Spectra and Charge-Sign Effects in Galactic Cosmic Rays

We present the precision measurements of 11 years of daily cosmic positron fluxes in the rigidity range from 1.00 to 41.9 GV based on 3.4×10^{6} positrons collected with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) aboard the International Space Station. The positron fluxes show distinctly different time variations from the electron fluxes at short and long timescales. A hysteresis between the electron fluxes and the positron fluxes is observed with a significance greater than 5σ at rigidities below 8.5 GV. On the contrary, the positron fluxes and the proton fluxes show similar time variation. Remarkably, we found that positron fluxes are modulated more than proton fluxes with a significance greater than 5σ for rigidities below 7 GV. These continuous daily positron fluxes, together with AMS daily electron, proton, and helium fluxes over an 11-year solar cycle, provide unique input to the understanding of both the charge-sign and mass dependencies of cosmic rays in the heliosphere.

[Investigation and analysis of oral health resources allocation status in Yunnan Province]

Objective: To investigate and analyze the allocation status of oral health resources in Yunnan Province at the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan, providing a scientific basis for the rational resource allocation and formulation regional oral health plan for government health administrative departments. Methods: With the method of general survey, a cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the allocation of material and human resources of all kinds of stomatological medical institutions registered in the health administrative departments in Yunnan before January 1, 2020. The general situation of oral health resources was analyzed by descriptive statistical analysis. Results: There were 2 712 stomatological medical institutions in Yunnan, 634 public and 2 078 non-public included. The largest number was in Kunming (1 167) and the least in Diqing (19). There were 9 018 dental chairs in total, among which 2 584 in public and 6 434 in non-public. Kunming had the largest number of chairs (3 612) and Nujiang had the least (57). There were 702 oral and maxillofacial surgical beds, all of which were distributed in public. There were 15 148 stomatological personnel, including 3 667 in public and 11 481 in non-public. The average ratio of stomatologist to population was 1∶6 615. Dehong (1∶6 620) was close to this average level, while Kunming (1∶2 283) and Yuxi (1∶4 936) were lower than the average and the other 13 states (cities) were higher. The population ratio of licensed stomatologist was only 1∶9 110. The average ratio of stomatologist to nurses was 1∶0.94. Honghe (1∶1.05), Kunming (1∶1.00), Yuxi (1∶1.18) and Qujing (1∶0.94) was better than or reached the average level, while the other 13 states (cities) were lower than this average. And this ratio in public comprehensive medical institutions was only 1∶0.38. Conclusions: The distribution of oral health resources in Yunnan was unbalanced between public and non-public institutions and among states (cities), mainly distributed in economically developed states (cities) and non-public institutions. For the oral health in Yunnan Province, the workforce was insufficient and the structure was unreasonable, and the proportion of nurses was seriously insufficient in public comprehensive medical institutions.

Life expectancy associated with different ages at diagnosis of type 2 diabetes in high-income countries: 23 million person-years of observation

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing rapidly, particularly among younger age groups. Estimates suggest that people with diabetes die, on average, 6 years earlier than people without diabetes. We aimed to provide reliable estimates of the associations between age at diagnosis of diabetes and all-cause mortality, cause-specific mortality, and reductions in life expectancy.

METHODS

For this observational study, we conducted a combined analysis of individual-participant data from 19 high-income countries using two large-scale data sources: the Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration (96 cohorts, median baseline years 1961-2007, median latest follow-up years 1980-2013) and the UK Biobank (median baseline year 2006, median latest follow-up year 2020). We calculated age-adjusted and sex-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause mortality according to age at diagnosis of diabetes using data from 1 515 718 participants, in whom deaths were recorded during 23·1 million person-years of follow-up. We estimated cumulative survival by applying age-specific HRs to age-specific death rates from 2015 for the USA and the EU.

FINDINGS

For participants with diabetes, we observed a linear dose-response association between earlier age at diagnosis and higher risk of all-cause mortality compared with participants without diabetes. HRs were 2·69 (95% CI 2·43-2·97) when diagnosed at 30-39 years, 2·26 (2·08-2·45) at 40-49 years, 1·84 (1·72-1·97) at 50-59 years, 1·57 (1·47-1·67) at 60-69 years, and 1·39 (1·29-1·51) at 70 years and older. HRs per decade of earlier diagnosis were similar for men and women. Using death rates from the USA, a 50-year-old individual with diabetes died on average 14 years earlier when diagnosed aged 30 years, 10 years earlier when diagnosed aged 40 years, or 6 years earlier when diagnosed aged 50 years than an individual without diabetes. Using EU death rates, the corresponding estimates were 13, 9, or 5 years earlier.

INTERPRETATION

Every decade of earlier diagnosis of diabetes was associated with about 3-4 years of lower life expectancy, highlighting the need to develop and implement interventions that prevent or delay the onset of diabetes and to intensify the treatment of risk factors among young adults diagnosed with diabetes.

FUNDING

British Heart Foundation, Medical Research Council, National Institute for Health and Care Research, and Health Data Research UK.

[A case report of death from toxic encephalopathy caused by emamectin·chlorfenapyr]

Emamectin·chlorfenapyr is insecticide compounded by emamectin benzoate and chlorfenapyr. There is no special antidote after poisoning, and the mortality rate of patients is very high. We admitted a case of toxic encephalopathy caused by oral administration of emamectin·chlorfenapyr. The clinical manifestations of patient were gastrointestinal symptoms, profuse sweating, high fever, changes in consciousness. After admitted to the hospital, despite active comprehensive treatment, the patient died of ineffective rescue eventually.

Development and validation of a multiphase CT radiomics nomogram for the preoperative prediction of lymphovascular invasion in patients with gastric cancer

AIM

To develop a nomogram to predict lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in gastric cancer by integrating multiphase computed tomography (CT) radiomics and clinical risk factors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One hundred and seventy-two gastric cancer patients (121 training and 51 validation) with preoperative contrast-enhanced CT images and clinicopathological data were collected retrospectively. The clinical risk factors were selected by univariate and multivariate regression analysis. Radiomic features were extracted and selected from the arterial phase (AP), venous phase (VP), and delayed phase (DP) CT images of each patient. Clinical risk factors, radiomic features, and integration of both were used to develop the clinical model, radiomic models, and nomogram, respectively.

RESULTS

Radiomic features from AP (n=6), VP (n=6), DP (n=7) CT images and three selected clinical risk factors were used for model development. The nomogram showed better performance than the AP, VP, DP, and clinical models in the training and validation datasets, providing areas under the curves (AUCs) of 0.890 (95% CI: 0.820-0.940) and 0.885 (95% CI:0.765-0.957), respectively. All models indicated good calibration, and decision curve analysis proved that the net benefit of the nomogram was superior to that of the clinical and radiomic models throughout the vast majority of the threshold probabilities.

CONCLUSIONS

The nomogram integrating multiphase CT radiomics and clinical risk factors showed favourable performance in predicting LVI of gastric cancer, which may benefit clinical practice.

Porous carbon tubes from recycling waste COVID-19 masks for optimization of 8 mol% Y2O3-doped tetragonal zirconia polycrystalline nanopowder

Disposable polypropylene medical masks are widely used to protect people from injury caused by COVID-19 worldwide. However, disposable medical masks are non-biodegradable materials, and the accumulation of waste masks can pollute the environment and waste resources without a reasonable recycling method. The aims of this study are to transform waste masks into carbon materials and to use them as a dispersant in preparing high-quality 8 mol% Y₂O₃-doped tetragonal zirconia nanopowders. The waste masks were carbonized to get a carbon source in the first step, then KOH was used to etch the carbon source creating a micropores structure in the carbon material after the carbon-bed heat treatment method. The resulting carbon material is a porous tube structure with a high specific surface area (1220.34 m²/g) and adsorption capacity. The as-obtained porous carbon tubes were applied as a dispersant to produce 8 mol% Y₂O₃-doped tetragonal zirconia nanopowders, and the resulting nanopowders owned well-dispersed and had the smallest particle size than that prepared by activated carbon as a dispersant. Besides, the sintered 8 mol% Y₂O₃-doped tetragonal zirconia ceramic possessed high density, which resulted in higher ionic conductivity. These findings suggest that waste face masks can be recycled to prepare high-added-value carbon materials and provide a green and low-cost method to reuse polypropylene waste materials.

Properties of Cosmic-Ray Sulfur and Determination of the Composition of Primary Cosmic-Ray Carbon, Neon, Magnesium, and Sulfur: Ten-Year Results from the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer

We report the properties of primary cosmic-ray sulfur (S) in the rigidity range 2.15 GV to 3.0 TV based on 0.38×10^{6} sulfur nuclei collected by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer experiment (AMS). We observed that above 90 GV the rigidity dependence of the S flux is identical to the rigidity dependence of Ne-Mg-Si fluxes, which is different from the rigidity dependence of the He-C-O-Fe fluxes. We found that, similar to N, Na, and Al cosmic rays, over the entire rigidity range, the traditional primary cosmic rays S, Ne, Mg, and C all have sizeable secondary components, and the S, Ne, and Mg fluxes are well described by the weighted sum of the primary silicon flux and the secondary fluorine flux, and the C flux is well described by the weighted sum of the primary oxygen flux and the secondary boron flux. The primary and secondary contributions of the traditional primary cosmic-ray fluxes of C, Ne, Mg, and S (even Z elements) are distinctly different from the primary and secondary contributions of the N, Na, and Al (odd Z elements) fluxes. The abundance ratio at the source for S/Si is 0.167±0.006, for Ne/Si is 0.833±0.025, for Mg/Si is 0.994±0.029, and for C/O is 0.836±0.025. These values are determined independent of cosmic-ray propagation.