Terahertz manipulation of nonlinear optical response in topological material PtBi2

The substantial nonlinear optical response observed in numerous topological materials renders them well-suited for optic and photonic applications, underscoring the critical need to devise effective strategies for manipulating their nonlinearity to enhance their versatility across different applications. In this Letter, we focus on the second-harmonic generation (SHG) response of the topological material PtBi2 under intense terahertz (THz) pulses and unveil the transient nonlinearity manipulated by a THz electric field. Our findings demonstrate that upon excitation of an intense THz pulse, there emerges a substantial enhancement in the SHG signal of PtBi2, which is predominantly attributed to the linear term involving the THz field, i.e., χ(2)χ(3)ETHz. We also clearly observe the transient change in the nonlinear coefficients, which could arise from the excitation of the bands with linear dispersion via the intense THz pulse. These findings bear significant implications for achieving ultrafast modulation of nonlinearity in topological materials, thereby opening avenues for advanced applications in this field.

Association of ambient PM2.5 and its components with in vitro fertilization outcomes: The modifying role of maternal dietary patterns

Despite the associations of dietary patterns and air pollution with human reproductive health have been demonstrated, the interaction of maternal preconception diet and PM2.5 and its components exposure on in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment outcomes has not been investigated. A total of 2688 couples from an ongoing prospective cohort were included. Principle component analysis with varimax rotation was performed to determine dietary patterns. One-year and 85-day average PM2.5 and its components exposure levels before oocyte retrieval were estimated. Generalized linear regression models were conducted to assess the association of dietary patterns and PM2.5 and its components exposure with IVF outcomes. Interactive effects of dietary patterns on the association between PM2.5 and its components and IVF outcomes were evaluated by stratified analyses based on different dietary patterns. A positive association between the "Fruits-Vegetables-Dairy" pattern and normal fertilization (p-trend = 0.009), Day 3 available embryos (p-trend = 0.048), and top-quality embryos (p-trend = 0.041) was detected. Conversely, women with higher adherence to the "Puffed food-Bakery-Candy" pattern were less likely to achieve Day 3 available embryos (p-trend = 0.042) and top-quality embryos (p-trend = 0.030), clinical pregnancy (p-trend = 0.049), and live birth (p-trend = 0.020). Additionally, increased intake of animal organs and seafood improved the odds of live birth (p-trend = 0.048). Exposure to PM2.5, SO42-, organic matter (OM), and black carbon (BC) had adverse effects on embryo development and pregnancy outcomes. Furthermore, our findings indicated that the effects of PM2.5 components exposure on normal fertilization and embryo quality were modified by the "Grains-Tubers-Legumes". Moreover, moderate intake of animal organs and seafood appeared to attenuate the effect of NO3- and NH4+ on the risk of early abortion. Our findings provide human evidence of the interaction between dietary patterns and PM2.5 exposure on IVF outcomes during preconception, implicating the potential for dietary interventions in infertile women to improve reproductive outcomes under conditions of unavoidable ambient air-pollutant exposure.

[Risk prediction and function evaluation by T-cell epitope model and expression model of HLA-DPB1 mismatching in unrelated-donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantations]

Objective: To evaluate the risk prediction and assessment function of HLA-DPB1 T-cell epitope (TCE) model and expression model in human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched unrelated hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (MUD-HSCT) with HLA-DPB1 mismatching. Methods: A total of 364 (182 pairs) potential MUD-HSCT donors and recipients confirmed by HLA high-resolution typing in Shaanxi Blood Center from 2016 to 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. Of the 182 recipients, there were 121 males and 61 females with an average age of (26.3±14.2) years. Of the 182 donors, there were 148 males and 34 females with an average age of (33.7±7.5) years. Polymerase chain reaction-sequence-based typing (PCR-SBT), next-generation sequencing (NGS) and polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific oligonucleotide probe (PCR-SSO) based on LABScan®3D platform were used for high-resolution typing of HLA-A, B, C, DRB1, DQB1, DPB1 gene, and PCR-SBT was used for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) typing. TCE model and expression model were used to predict and evaluate the HLA-DPB1 mismatch pattern and acute graft-versus-host-disease (aGVHD) risk. Results: A total of 26 HLA-DPB1 alleles and their 3'-UTR rs9277534 SNP genotypes were detected in this study population, and two new alleles HLA-DPB1*1052∶01 and HLA-DPB1*1119∶01 were found and officially named. The overall mismatch rate of HLA-DPB1 in MUD-HSCT donors and recipients was 90.66% (165/182). In TCE model, the HLA-DPB1 mismatch rates of permissible mismatch (PM) and non-permissible mismatch (non-PM) were 47.80% (87/182) and 42.86% (78/182), respectively. The non-PM in GvH direction was 13.73% (25/182), and which in HvG direction was 29.12% (53/182). A total of 73 pairs of donors and recipients in TCE model met the evaluation criteria of expression model. Among of TCE PM group, recipient DP5 mismatches accounted for 34.25% (25/73) were predicted as aGVHD high risk according to expression model. For the TCE non-PM group, both the recipient DP2 mismatches of 6.85% (5/73) and recipient DP5 mismatches of 10.86% (8/73) were predicted to be at high risk for aGVHD. Risk prediction by TCE model and expression model was 27.27% concordant and 16.97% unconcordant. Conclusions: TCE model and expression model are effective tools to predict aGVHD risk of MUD-HSCT. Comprehensive application of the two models is helpful to the hierarchical assessment of HSCT risk.

First-Principles Study on a Layered Antiperovskite Li7O2Br3 Solid Electrolyte

Lithium-rich antiperovskites (LiRAPs) have garnered recent attention as solid electrolytes for solid-state lithium-ion batteries (SSLIBs) with high safety and high energy density. Among them, the layered antiperovskite Li7O2Br3 exhibits superior Li+ conductivity compared to cubic antiperovskite Li3OBr. However, the pure phase of Li7O2Br3 has not been synthesized to date, impeding an in-depth investigation of its migration mechanism and electrochemical properties. Herein, we employ density functional theory (DFT) calculations to examine the physical and electrochemical properties of Li7O2Br3. Our results reveal that Li7O2Br3 is dynamically stable in its ground state, featuring electrical insulation with a wide bandgap of approximately 5.83 eV. Moreover, Li7O2Br3 exhibits improved malleability compared to Li3OBr, making it favorable for material processing. Notably, the calculated energy barrier for Li+ migration in Li7O2Br3 is 0.26 eV, lower than that in Li3OBr (0.4 eV), primarily attributed to the softened phonons of Li at the edge layers within the Li7O2Br3 lattice. We also investigated the impact of various defect types on Li+ diffusion in Li7O2Br3, with the results indicating that LiBr defects effectively facilitate Li+ mobility. Additionally, we constructed a pressure-temperature-Gibbs (PTG) free energy phase diagram for Li7O2Br3 to explore appropriate experimental synthesis conditions. These findings hold substantial promise for promoting the research and development of innovative solid electrolyte materials for advanced SSLIBs.

Genome-wide association study identifies multiple loci influencing duck serum biochemical indicators in the laying period

1. Laying performance is an important economic trait in poultry. The blood is essential in transporting nutrients to the yolk and albumen and is necessary for egg formation.2. This study calculated the phenotypic relationships of duck egg quality, egg production efficiency and 22 serum parameters in the egg-laying stage. Using a variety of methodologies, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was carried out to uncover the genetic foundations of the 22 serum biochemical markers of laying ducks.3. Spearman correlation coefficients between the egg production (226-329 per day) and the serum parameters were all weak, being less than 0.3. This analysis was done on 22 serum parameters, with total protein (TP), total triglycerides (TG), calcium (Ca) and phosphorous (P) having the highest correlation coefficients (r = 0.56-0.88). The coefficients for blood markers, such as total cholesterol (CHOL), total bilirubin (TBIL), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) varied from 0.70-0.94.4. Based on single-marker single-trait genome-wide analyses by a mixed linear model program of EMMAX, nine candidate genes were associated with enzyme traits (AST/ALT aspartate transaminase/glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, creatine kinase) and 19 candidate genes were associated with metabolism and protein-related serum parameters (glucose, total bile acid, uric acid (UA), albumin (ALB).5. The mvLMM (multivariate linear mixed model) of GEMMA software was used to carry out multiple trait integrated GWAS. Two candidate genes were found in the TP-TG-CA-P analysis and seven candidate genes in the CHOL_LDL-C_HDL-C_TBIL study. There was a high genetic correlation between the two groups.

Effect of Paternal Body Mass Index on In Vitro Fertilization and Neonatal Outcomes among Oligozoospermia and Asthenospermia Patients

PURPOSE

Male overweight and obesity could affect sperm quality and reproductive health. However, the impact of body mass index (BMI) on assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes in oligospermia and/or asthenospermia patients is yet lacking. This study aims to assess the impact of paternal BMI on ART and neonatal outcomes among oligozoospermia and/or asthenospermia patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, 2,075 couples undergoing their first fresh embryo transfer between January 2015 and June 2022 were recruited. Following the World Health Organization's (WHO's) categories, couples were stratified into three cohorts based on paternal BMI: normal weight (18.5-24.9 kg/m²), overweight (25.0-29.9 kg/m²), and obese (≥30.0 kg/m²). Modified Poisson regression models were used to assess the associations of paternal BMI with fertilization, in vitro embryonic development, and pregnancy outcomes. Logistic regression models were performed to investigate the associations of paternal BMI with pregnancy loss and neonatal outcomes. Furthermore, stratified analyses were performed based on fertilization methods, male infertility cause, and maternal BMI.

RESULTS

Higher paternal BMI is associated with a lower likelihood of achieving normal fertilized (p-trend=0.002), Day 3 transferable (p-trend=0.007), and high-quality embryos (p-trend=0.046) in IVF cycles, rather than in ICSI cycles. Paternal BMI of oligospermia or asthenospermia was negatively correlated with day 3 transferable (p-trend=0.013 and 0.030) and high-quality embryos (p-trend=0.024 and 0.027). Moreover, for neonatal outcomes, paternal BMI was positively associated with macrosomia (p-trend=0.019), large for gestational age (LGA) (p-trend=0.031), and very LGA (p-trend=0.045).

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggested that higher paternal BMI was associated with fetal overgrowth, reduced fertilization, and embryonic development potential. Among males with oligospermia and/or asthenospermia, the impact of overweight and obesity on the choice of fertilization method and the long-term effects on their offspring need to be further investigated.

Genome-wide association analysis of neck ring traits in NongHua ma male ducks

1. Male NongHua ma ducks have more colourful feathers than females, especially considering that the former have a distinctive neck ring that is different from that of females. This ring development might be influenced by sex selection, the environment, genetics and other elements.2. Genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) was used to locate candidate genes that affect the neck ring formation of male ducks to investigate the genetic basis of this phenomenon.3. In this study, the neck ring area and width of 180 male ducks were assessed at ages 80, 90, 100, 110 and 120 d. GWAS was used to identify associated genes. There were 0, 7, 14, 48 and 21 possible candidate genes annotated around the 0, 12, 25, 76 and 40 SNP loci n corresponding regions. A total of 13 candidate genes were identified around 21 SNP sites at the neck ring width of 120 d.4. These significant genes were annotated and GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were performed. All SNPs that exceeded the significance threshold were annotated and preliminarily screened as candidate genes affecting neck ring formation. From analysis of gene function and enriched KEGG pathways, genes such as THSD1, SLC6A4, DGAT2, PRKDC, B3GAT2, ROR1, GRK7, EXTL3, TXNDC12, COL4A2, PRKG1, ACTR3, were considered important candidate marker sites related to the neck ring. This provided a reference starting point for the genetic mechanism underlying duck feather colour.

Exosomes derived from menstrual blood stromal cells ameliorated premature ovarian insufficiency and granulosa cell apoptosis by regulating SMAD3/AKT/MDM2/P53 pathway via delivery of thrombospondin-1

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is clinically irreversible and seriously damages female fertility. We previously demonstrated that menstrual blood stromal cells (MenSCs)-derived exosomes (EXOs) effectively improved ovarian functions in the POI rat model. In this study, we investigated whether TSP1 is the key component in EXOs to ameliorate ovarian functions and further explored the molecular mechanism of EXOs in improving granulosa cell (GCs) activities. Our results demonstrated that knockdown TSP1 significantly debilitated the therapeutic effect of EXOs on estrous cyclicity, ovarian morphology, follicle numbers and pregnancy outcomes in 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD) induced POI rat model. In addition, EXOs treatment significantly promoted the activities and inhibited the apoptosis of VCD induced granulosa cells in vitro. Moreover, EXOs stimulation markedly activated the phosphorylation of SMAD3(Ser425) and AKT(Ser473), up-regulated the expressions of BCL2 and MDM2 as well as down-regulated the expressions of CASPASE3, CASPASE8, P53 and BAX. All these effects were supressed by SIS3, a inhibitor of TGF1/SMAD3. Our study revealed the key role of TSP1 in EXOs in improving POI pathology, restoring ovarian functions and GCs activities, andprovided a promising basis for EXOs in the treatment of ovarian dysfunction.

Mass spectrometry-based metabolic profiling for identification of biomarkers related to footpad dermatitis in ducks

1. A new assessment method for duck footpad dermatitis (FPD) evaluation was developed, combining visual and histological characters using the images and sections of 400 ducks' feet at 340 d of age. All ducks were graded as G0 (healthy), G1 (mild), G2 (moderate) and G3 (severe) according to the degree of FPD.2. To reveal the potential biomarkers in serum related to duck FPD, non-targeted metabolomics and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were used to explore differential metabolites in each group.3. There were 57, 91 and 210 annotated differential metabolites in groups G1, G2 and G3 compared with G0, which meant that the severity of FPD increased in line with the number of metabolites. Four metabolites, L-phenylalanine, L-arginine, L-leucine and L-lysine, were considered potential biomarkers related to FPD.4. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the FPD was mainly involved in glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, the pentose phosphate pathway and amino acid metabolism. These are related to production metabolism and can affect the physiological activities of ducks, which might explain the decrease in production performance.

P65 mediated UBR4 in exosomes derived from menstrual blood stromal cells to reduce endometrial fibrosis by regulating YAP Ubiquitination

BACKGROUND

Intrauterine adhesion (IUA) is a recurrent and refractory reproductive dysfunction disorder for which menstrual blood-derived stromal cells (MenSCs) might be a promising intervention. We reported that administration of MenSCs-derived exosomes (MenSCs-EXO) could achieve similar therapeutic effects to MenSCs transplantation, including alleviating endometrial fibrosis and improving fertility in IUA rats. The mass spectrometry sequencing result suggested that UBR4, a member of the proteasome family, was abundantly enriched in MenSCs-EXO. This study aimed to investigate the key role of UBR4 in MenSCs-EXO for the treatment of IUA and the specific molecular mechanism.

RESULTS

UBR4 was lowly expressed in the endometrial stromal cells (EndoSCs) of IUA patients. MenSCs-EXO treatment could restore the morphology of IUA endometrium, reduce the extent of fibrosis, and promote endometrial and vascular proliferation. Knockdown of UBR4 in MenSCs did not affect the characteristics of exosomes but attenuated the therapeutic effect of exosomes. UBR4 in MenSCs-EXO could alleviate endometrial fibrosis by boosting YAP ubiquitination degradation and promoting YAP nuclear-cytoplasmic translocation. Moreover, P65 could bind to the UBR4 promoter region to transcriptionally promote the expression level of UBR4 in MenSCs.

CONCLUSION

Our study clarified that MenSCs-EXO ameliorated endometrial fibrosis in IUA primarily by affecting YAP activity mediated through UBR4, while inflammatory signaling P65 may affect UBR4 expression in MenSCs to enhance MenSCs-EXO therapeutic effects. This revealed a novel mechanism for the treatment of IUA with MenSCs-EXO, proposing a potential option for the clinical treatment of endometrial injury.

First Dark Matter Search with Nuclear Recoils from the XENONnT Experiment

We report on the first search for nuclear recoils from dark matter in the form of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) with the XENONnT experiment, which is based on a two-phase time projection chamber with a sensitive liquid xenon mass of 5.9 ton. During the (1.09±0.03)  ton yr exposure used for this search, the intrinsic ^{85}Kr and ^{222}Rn concentrations in the liquid target are reduced to unprecedentedly low levels, giving an electronic recoil background rate of (15.8±1.3)  events/ton yr keV in the region of interest. A blind analysis of nuclear recoil events with energies between 3.3 and 60.5 keV finds no significant excess. This leads to a minimum upper limit on the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon cross section of 2.58×10^{-47}  cm^{2} for a WIMP mass of 28  GeV/c^{2} at 90% confidence level. Limits for spin-dependent interactions are also provided. Both the limit and the sensitivity for the full range of WIMP masses analyzed here improve on previous results obtained with the XENON1T experiment for the same exposure.

Searching for Heavy Dark Matter near the Planck Mass with XENON1T

Multiple viable theoretical models predict heavy dark matter particles with a mass close to the Planck mass, a range relatively unexplored by current experimental measurements. We use 219.4 days of data collected with the XENON1T experiment to conduct a blind search for signals from multiply interacting massive particles (MIMPs). Their unique track signature allows a targeted analysis with only 0.05 expected background events from muons. Following unblinding, we observe no signal candidate events. This Letter places strong constraints on spin-independent interactions of dark matter particles with a mass between 1×10^{12} and 2×10^{17}  GeV/c^{2}. In addition, we present the first exclusion limits on spin-dependent MIMP-neutron and MIMP-proton cross sections for dark matter particles with masses close to the Planck scale.

Fabrication of Mechanically Strong Silica Aerogels with the Thermally Induced Phase Separation (TIPS) Method of Poly(methyl methacrylate)

Constructing and maintaining a three-dimensional network structure with high porosity is critical to the preparation of silica aerogel materials because this structure provides excellent properties. However, due to the pearl-necklace-like structure and narrow interparticle necks, aerogels have poor mechanical strength and a brittle nature. Developing and designing lightweight silica aerogels with distinct mechanical properties is significant to extend their practical applications. In this work, thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) from a mixture of ethanol and water was used to strengthen the skeletal network of aerogels. Strong and lightweight PMMA-modified silica aerogels were synthesized via the TIPS method and supercritically dried with carbon dioxide. The cloud point temperature of PMMA solutions, physical characteristics, morphological properties, microstructure, thermal conductivities, and mechanical properties were investigated. The resultant composited aerogels not only exhibit a homogenous mesoporous structure but also achieve a significant improvement in mechanical properties. The addition of PMMA increased the flexural strength and compressive strength by as much as 120% and 1400%, respectively, with the greatest amount of PMMA (M_w = 35,000 g/mole), while the density just increased by 28%. Overall, this research suggests that the TIPS method has great efficiency in reinforcing silica aerogels with less sacrifice of low density and large porosity.

PDGFBB improved the biological function of menstrual blood-derived stromal cells and the anti-fibrotic properties of exosomes

BACKGROUND

Intrauterine adhesion (IUA) is a reproductive dysfunction disease characterized by endometrial fibrosis, with limited therapeutic options and poor prognosis. Our previous studies confirmed that menstrual blood-derived stromal cells (MenSCs) effectively attenuated endometrial fibrosis in an animal model of IUA mainly through exosomes. This therapeutic effect can be enhanced by platelet-rich plasma (PRP), in which PDGFBB is an abundant growth factor. Therefore, we aimed to compare the effects of PRP and PDGFBB on the biological activities of MenSCs in vitro, and to further investigate the molecular mechanism of MenSCs-derived exosomes in alleviating endometrial fibrosis.

METHODS

MenSCs were isolated for in vitro functional assays to examine the viability, migration, and stemness of MenSCs. Endometrial stromal cells (EndoSCs) were treated with 50 ug/ml of MenSCs-derived exosomes, obtained by differential ultracentrifugation extraction. The molecular mechanisms by which PDGFBB improves MenSCs and exosomes alleviate EndoSCs fibrosis were then explored using immunofluorescence, western blot, and co-immunoprecipitation.

RESULTS

Both 100 ng/ml PDGFBB and 10% activated PRP promoted the proliferation, increased the S phase of cell cycle, and inhibited apoptosis of MenSCs in vitro. Compared with PRP, PDGFBB significantly promoted MenSCs migration. All of these effects were inhibited by sorafenib, a PDGFR-β inhibitor. PRP and PDGFBB activated AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway in MenSCs and increased the expression of P65 and OCT4. Moreover, pretreatment of PDGFBB did not increase the secretion of MenSCs but significantly increased the anti-fibrosis effects of MenSCs-derived exosomes on IUA-EndoSCs. MenSCs-derived exosomes attenuated SMAD3 phosphorylation and increased YAP ubiquitination, which reduced the binding of YAP/SMAD3. Pretreatment with PDGFBB amplified this effect.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, PDGFBB could improve the biological functions of MenSCs via AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway, including viability, migration, and stemness. Our results indicated that PDGFBB amplified MenSCs-derived exosomes to attenuate endometrial fibrosis by inhibiting YAP activity, revealing a novel mechanism by which PRP enhanced the ability of MenSCs to repair tissue injury and providing a potential option for improving stem cell efficacy in IUA.

Algal cell bionics as a step towards photosynthesis-independent hydrogen production

The engineering and modulation of living micro-organisms is a key challenge in green bio-manufacturing for the development of sustainable and carbon-neutral energy technologies. Here, we develop a cellular bionic approach in which living algal cells are interfaced with an ultra-thin shell of a conductive polymer along with a calcium carbonate exoskeleton to produce a discrete cellular micro-niche capable of sustained photosynthetic and photosynthetic-independent hydrogen production. The surface-augmented algal cells induce oxygen depletion, conduct photo-induced extracellular electrons, and provide structural and chemical stability that collectively give rise to localized hypoxic conditions and concomitant hydrogenase activity under daylight in air. We show that assembly of the living cellular micro-niche opens a direct extracellular photoelectron pathway to hydrogenase resulting in photosynthesis-independent hydrogen evolution for 200 d. In addition, surface-conductive dead algal cells continue to produce hydrogen for up to 8 d due to their structural stability and retention of functional hydrogenases. Overall, the integration of artificial biological hydrogen production pathways and natural photosynthesis in surface-augmented algal cells provides a cellular bionic approach to enhanced green hydrogen production under environmentally benign conditions and could pave the way to new opportunities in sustainable energy production.

Maize resistance to witchweed through changes in strigolactone biosynthesis

Maize (Zea mays) is a major staple crop in Africa, where its yield and the livelihood of millions are compromised by the parasitic witchweed Striga. Germination of Striga is induced by strigolactones exuded from maize roots into the rhizosphere. In a maize germplasm collection, we identified two strigolactones, zealactol and zealactonoic acid, which stimulate less Striga germination than the major maize strigolactone, zealactone. We then showed that a single cytochrome P450, ZmCYP706C37, catalyzes a series of oxidative steps in the maize-strigolactone biosynthetic pathway. Reduction in activity of this enzyme and two others involved in the pathway, ZmMAX1b and ZmCLAMT1, can change strigolactone composition and reduce Striga germination and infection. These results offer prospects for breeding Striga-resistant maize.

[Study on the reliability and validity of the Chinese Criteria of Health Scale for the elderly people]

Objective: To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese Criteria of Health Scale for the elderly people. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed among older adults of Meiyuan Community in Haidian District, Beijing and Nanwangkong Village in Qingzhou City,Shandong Province during July 2021. Using a cluster sampling method, totally 667 elderly people were investigated by face-to-face interview, using the scale which was formulated after two rounds of the Delphi method and pilot study. The overall scale includes physical health, mental health and social health subscales, including 9, 52 and 15 items, respectively. Four weeks after the survey, 56 elderly people were randomly selected and repeated the survey with the same method. The test-retest reliability, split-half reliability and internal consistency reliability of the scale were evaluated, and the validity was evaluated at the same time, including construct validity and content validity. Results: A total of 710 questionnaires were distributed and 667 valid questionnaires were obtained, with a total effective rate of 93.94%. The score of the overall scale was 79.79±16.22, the scores of the physical health, mental health, social health sub-scores were 41.64±9.76, 26.82±3.92 and 11.34±5.19, respectively. The scale had excellent reliability. In the test-retest reliability, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of the overall scale and each subscale were 0.766-0.861, and the weighted Kappa values were 0.762-0.817. The Spearman-Brown coefficient of the overall scale and each subscale in the split-half reliability were 0.722-0.855 (all P<0.001). The Cronbach's α coefficients of the overall scale of internal consistency reliability and each subscale were 0.748-0.899, and the Cronbach's α coefficients of each dimension were from 0.709 to 0.963(all P<0.001). At the same time, the scale had good construct validity and content validity. The correlation coefficients between the score of each dimension and its sub-scale were larger, from 0.641 to 0.873 (all P<0.05). The cumulative variance contribution rates of the scale and three subscales were all more than 50% of the approved standard. A total of 11 common factors were extracted, and all the load values of each item on the corresponding factors were ≥0.04. Conclusion: The Chinese Criteria of Health Scale for the elderly people has good validity and excellent reliability. It can be used as a basis for the scientific division of the health status of the elderly, the formulation of relevant policies by the government and the provision of appropriate health services for the elderly.

Search for New Physics in Electronic Recoil Data from XENONnT

We report on a blinded analysis of low-energy electronic recoil data from the first science run of the XENONnT dark matter experiment. Novel subsystems and the increased 5.9 ton liquid xenon target reduced the background in the (1, 30) keV search region to (15.8±1.3)  events/(ton×year×keV), the lowest ever achieved in a dark matter detector and ∼5 times lower than in XENON1T. With an exposure of 1.16 ton-years, we observe no excess above background and set stringent new limits on solar axions, an enhanced neutrino magnetic moment, and bosonic dark matter.

Material radiopurity control in the XENONnT experiment

The selection of low-radioactive construction materials is of the utmost importance for rare-event searches and thus critical to the XENONnT experiment. Results of an extensive radioassay program are reported, in which material samples have been screened with gamma-ray spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$^{222}$$\end{document}222Rn emanation measurements. Furthermore, the cleanliness procedures applied to remove or mitigate surface contamination of detector materials are described. Screening results, used as inputs for a XENONnT Monte Carlo simulation, predict a reduction of materials background (\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\sim $$\end{document}∼17%) with respect to its predecessor XENON1T. Through radon emanation measurements, the expected \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$^{222}$$\end{document}222Rn activity concentration in XENONnT is determined to be 4.2 (\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$^{+0.5}_{-0.7}$$\end{document}-0.7+0.5) \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\upmu $$\end{document}μBq/kg, a factor three lower with respect to XENON1T. This radon concentration will be further suppressed by means of the novel radon distillation system.

Dietary Magnesium Intake Level Modifies the Association Between Vitamin D and Insulin Resistance: A Large Cross-Sectional Analysis of American Adults

Background

Previous clinical studies and randomized controlled trials have revealed that low serum vitamin D levels are associated with the risk of developing insulin resistance. Magnesium has been reported to be a protective factor for insulin resistance, and magnesium has been considered an important co-factor for vitamin D activation. However, the effect of dietary magnesium intake on the relationship between vitamin D and the risk of developing insulin resistance has not been comprehensively investigated. Therefore, we designed this cross-sectional analysis to assess whether dietary magnesium intake modifies the association of vitamin D and insulin resistance.

Methods

A total of 4,878 participants (male: 48.2%) from 4 consecutive cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007-2014) were included in this study after a rigorous screening process. Participants were stratified by their dietary magnesium intake into low-intake (<267 mg/day) and high-intake (≥267 mg/day) groups. We assessed differences between serum vitamin D levels and the risk of developing insulin resistance (interaction test), using a weighted multivariate logistic regression to analyze differences between participants with low and high magnesium intake levels.

Results

There was a negative association between vitamin D and insulin resistance in the US adult population [OR: 0.93 (0.88-0.98)], P < 0.001. Dietary magnesium intake strengthened the association (P for interaction < 0.001). In the low dietary magnesium intake group, vitamin D was negatively associated with the insulin resistance [OR: 0.94 (0.90-0.98)]; in the high dietary magnesium intake group, vitamin D was negatively associated with insulin resistance [OR: 0.92 (0.88-0.96)].

Conclusion

Among adults in the United States, we found an independent association between vitamin D level and insulin resistance, and this association was modified according to different levels of magnesium intake.

AB1043 IDENTIFICATION OF UNUSUAL TOPHI ANTERIOR TO THE THYROID CARTILAGE USING DIFFERENT IMAGING METHODS

Background

Inadequately treated gout patients could develop tophi. However, tophi could appear as atypical mass, leading to difficulty in differential diagnosis.

Objectives

The objectives of the study were to describe an unusual case with tophi anterior to the Thyroid Cartilage using different imaging methods.

Methods

Clinical information of the case was presented. Ultrasound, dual energy Computed Tomography (DECT) and CT scan were compared to describe the tophi.

Results

A 66-year-old man with a 30-year history of gout was admitted. He had received urate-lowering drugs intermittently over the past few years. Physical examination revealed multiple tophi on the hands, feet, and other auricular surfaces. Moreover, there was a subcutaneous mass above the thyroid cartilage (Figure 1A). Ultrasound revealed hyperechoic nodule anterior to the thyroid cartilage, 11*7cm in size, with uneven internal echo, no blood flow signal inside, and a close relationship between the barrier of the nodule and the thyroid cartilage (Figure 1B). DECT of the neck confirmed that the mass anterior to the thyroid cartilage were tophi (Figure 1C-D). A plain radiographic evaluation demonstrated soft-tissue swellings and para-articular erosions involving hands (Figure 1E-F). The serum creatinine and uric acid levels were elevated as follows, creatinine, 562 μmol per liter (normal range, 31.8 to 116); and uric acid, 621 μmol per liter (normal range, 90 to 420).

Figure 1.

Tophi detected by different imaging methods. A.A picture of the mass anterior to the thyroid cartilage; B. A mass anterior to the thyroid cartilage detected by ultrasound; C. The mass anterior to the thyroid cartilage detected by dual energy CT; D. The mass anterior to the thyroid cartilage detected by CT scan; E. a picture of tophi in the hands; F. a plain radiograph of tophi in the hands.

Conclusion

DECT has more advantages over ultrasound and CT for detection of atypical tophi in gout patients.

Disclosure of Interests

Yutong Jiang Grant/research support from: Scientific and Technological Planning Project of Guangzhou City [grant number 202102020150], Xinyu Wu: None declared, Zetao Liao: None declared, Jun Qi: None declared, Jieruo Gu: None declared

Effect of rehabilitation on the long-term efficacy of botulinum toxin-A for spastic cerebral palsy

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the long-term effects of botulinum toxin-A (BTX-A) nerve block on relaxation of spasticity in cerebral palsy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From June 2015 to December 2018, 52 children, aged 20-56 months, with spastic cerebral palsy were treated with BTX-A. The dose of BTX-A was selected based on the weight of the child and the modified Ashworth scale (MAS). The injection dose ranged from 45 IU to 150 IU (average 68.0±31.6 IIU). The muscle tone and motor functions of all children were evaluated before the block. The spasticity was measured using the MAS, and the motor function was measured using the Physician Rating Scale (PRS) and the gross motor function measure (GMFM). After two years, all children were re-evaluated.

RESULTS

No significant difference was observed between the trial and control groups in terms of age, weight, MAS, PRS, and GMFM measurements before the block (p>0.05). The PRS and GMFM improved significantly in both groups after two years (p<0.05). The PRS and GMFM in the trial group increased more significantly than those in the control group (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The BTX-A block showed a long-term positive effect. Rehabilitation training after the block could help children to improve their motor functions.

Disease Burden and Attributable Risk Factors of Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia in China from 1990 to 2019

BACKGROUND

Updated information on the burden of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia are of great importance for evidence-based health care planning. However, such an estimate has been lacking in Chinese populations at both national and provincial levels.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the temporal trends and the attributable burdens of selected risk factors of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia in China.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This is an observational description of the Global Burden of Diseases Study 2019 (GBD 2019). Data on incidence, mortality, prevalence, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and years of life lost (YLLs) of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia were derived from the GBD 2019 study at both national and provincial levels in China.

MEASUREMENTS

Six indicators were used: incidence, mortality, prevalence, DALYs, YLLs, and YLDs. Absolute numbers in detail by age, sex, region, and age-standardized rates (with 95% uncertainty intervals) were calculated.

RESULTS

There were notable increasing trends in the number of deaths (247·9%), incidence (264·8%), prevalence (296·5%), DALYs (228·1%), YLDs (308·7%) and YLLs (201·7%) from 1990 to 2019, respectively. The corresponding age-standardized rates increased by 6·2%, 19·3%, 33·6%, 10·7%, 33·4% and 3·1%. Smoking, high body mass index, high fasting plasma glucose levels, and metabolic risks were the four leading risk factors. Higher burden was observed among females versus males and in the more developed regions.

CONCLUSIONS

The disease burden in China were increasing substantially. Regional differences of the disease burden are accompanied by discrepancies of economic level and geographical location, as well as different levels of exposure to risk factors. Targeted prevention and control strategies are urgently needed to reduce the disease burden.