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The ground state properties of odd-Z superheavy nuclei in the mass range of are systematically investigated in deformed relativistic mean-field ͑RMF͒ theory. Special emphasis is placed on nuclear shell effect around Nϭ184. Calculations clearly show that the RMF model can reliably reproduce the data of binding energy and ␣ decay energy of known nuclei and can also be used to predict the binding energy of unknown nuclei. It is found that deformation plays an important role for many superheavy nuclei. For Nϭ184 isotones, the lighter ones are approximately spherical but the heavier ones are deformed. The ␣-decay energies of Nϭ184 isotones are lower than those of neighboring nuclei in some cases and higher in other cases. This demonstrates that there is a complicated structural behavior for Nϭ184 isotones.

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Superheavy elements have provided a good test of the validity of both nuclear structure models and nuclear decay models in a large mass region. We firstly review the recent progress on theoretical studies of superheavy nuclei. Emphasis is placed on the structure and decay of superheavy nuclei. Then theoretical results of odd-odd nuclei with Z = 109 - 115 are presented and discussed. It is clearly demonstrated that there is shape coexistence for the ground state of many superheavy nuclei from different models and many superheavy nuclei are deformed. In some cases superdeformation can become the ground state of superheavy nuclei and it is important for future studies of superheavy nuclei. This can lead to the existence of low-energy isomers in the superheavy region and it plays an important role for the stability of superheavy nuclei. As α-decay and spontaneous fission plays a crucial role for identifications of new elements, we also review some typical models of α-decay half-lives and spontaneous fissions half-lives. Some new views on superheavy nuclei are presented.

Statins exert cholesterol-independent beneficial effects, including immunomodulatory effects. In this study, we attempted to investigate the association between statin therapy and the risk of viral infection. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database. We identified patients with hyperlipidemia and divided them into two cohorts: statin users and statin nonusers. A 1:1 propensity score matching was conducted between the two cohorts, and a Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the risk of viral infection. Overall, a total of 20,202 patients were included in each cohort. The median follow-up durations were 4.41 and 6.90 years for statin nonusers and users, respectively. The risk of viral infection was 0.40-fold (95% confidence interval = 0.38–0.41) in statin users than in statin nonusers after adjustment for potential confounders. Statin treatment was associated with a significantly lower risk of viral infection in all age groups older than 18 years in both men and women. Moreover, the risk of viral infection substantially reduced as the duration of statin treatment increased. Our findings suggest that statin therapy is associated with a significantly lower risk of viral infection in patients with hyperlipidemia.