Integrating chemical similarity and bioequivalence: an overall evaluation of the quality consistency of traditional decoction and dispensing granule decoction of Amomum villosum

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the quality consistency between traditional decoction (TD) of Amomum villosum and its dispensing granule decoction (DGD). Fifteen batches of TD and nine batches of dispensing granules (manufactured by A, B, and C) were prepared and evaluated for their consistency.

METHODS

Firstly, The chemical similarity of TD and DGD was examined using GC and HPLC, coupled with hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), criteria importance though intercrieria correlation(CRITIC) weighting method, and principal component analysis (PCA). Secondly, the gastrointestinal motility experiments in mice, along with the CRITIC weighting method, were employed to assess the bioequivalence of TD and DGD of Amomum villosum. Finally, the entropy weight technique-gray relative analysis(GRA) method was used to compare the quality of Amomum villosum decoctions.

RESULTS

①The CRITIC weighting method indicated significantly higher scores for TD than DGD (p < 0.01). HCA and PCA results demonstrated a clear distinction between TD and DGD. ②Gastrointestinal motility test results revealed no significant difference between TD and DGD in other indicators (p > 0.05).③Gray relative analysis results showed that the relative correlation of TD was more significant than that of DGD.

CONCLUSION

The chemical composition of DGD and TD differed. The biological activity of DGD-A/B was consistent with that of TD, while the difference between DGD-C and TD was significant. A comprehensive evaluation showed that TD exhibited better quality than DGD. DGD manufacturers should optimize the preparation process to enhance product quality.

Dynamics of oxidative stress and immune responses in neonatal calves during diarrhea

Oxidative stress is the imbalanced redox status between oxidant production and their scavengers leading to intestinal physiological dysfunction. However, the role of systemic and local oxidative status during neonatal calf diarrhea is not known. This study assessed systemic (serum) and local (fecal) oxidative status when calves either naturally developed diarrhea or naturally recovered. Healthy calves were enrolled in the study at d 18 of age, and their health status was monitored from the enrollment. Based on their enteric health status on d 21 and 28, calves were grouped as continuous diarrhea from d 21 to 28 (n = 14), diarrhea at d 21 but recovered at d 28 (DH group, n = 19), healthy at d 21 but developed diarrhea at d 28 (HD group, n = 15), and healthy throughout the study (HH group, n = 16). Serum and fecal samples were collected at d 21 and 28 from all calves in the morning 2 h after feeding. Dynamics of oxidative stress indicators including reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), H2O2, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHDG), glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase (CAT), and total antioxidant capacity and inflammatory indicators TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-γ were evaluated using serum samples. In addition, fecal oxidative stress indicators ROS and MDA were measured. Serum ROS, MDA, 8-OHDG, as well as fecal ROS and MDA, were higher, whereas serum CAT and H2O2 were lower in diarrheic calves than those of healthy calves. Serum ROS, MDA, and 8OHDG and fecal ROS and MDA increased in the HD group from d 21 to 28 as they developed diarrhea. In contrast, all these oxidative stress markers decreased in the DH group from d 21 to 28 as they recovered. However, serum H2O2 had an opposite changing trend, which became lower in the HD group and higher in the DH group at d 28. In conclusion, both systemic and local oxidative stress markers and cytokine profiles altered as calves moved from being healthy to having diarrhea or vice versa. Serum ROS, MDA, and 8-OHDG can be used to develop biomarkers to screen calves prone to enteric infections during the preweaning period.

Involvement of GA3-oxidase in inhibitory effect of nitric oxide on primary root growth in Arabidopsis

Both NO and GAs are essential for regulating various physiological processes and stress responses in plants. However, the interaction between these two molecules remains unclear. We investigated the distinct response patterns of Arabidopsis thaliana Col-0 and GA synthesis functional deficiency mutants to NO by measuring root length. To investigate underlying mechanisms, we detected bioactive GA content using UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS, assessed the accumulation of ROS by chemical staining Arabidopsis roots. We also conducted RNA-seq analysis and compared results between Col-0 and ga3ox1, with and without SNP (as NO donor) treatment. Phenotypic results revealed that the inhibitory effect of NO on primary roots of Arabidopsis was primarily mediated by GA3-oxidase, rather than GA20-oxidase or GA2-oxidase. The content of GA3 decreased in Col-0 treated with SNP, whereas this decrease was not observed in ga3ox1. The deficiency of GA3-oxidase alleviated the buildup of H2 O2 in roots when treated with SNP. We identified 222 DEGs. GO annotation of these DEGs revealed that all top 20 GO terms were related to stress responses. Moreover, three DEGs were annotated to GA-related processes (DDF1, DDF2, EXPA1), and seven DEGs were associated with root development (RAV1, RGF2, ERF71, ZAT6, MYB77, XT1, and DTX50). In summary, NO inhibits primary root growth partially by repressing GA3-oxidase catalysed GA3 synthesis in Arabidopsis. ROS, Ca2+ , DDF1, DDF2, EXPA1 and seven root development-related genes may be involved in crosstalk between NO and GAs.

Identification and verification of feature biomarkers associated with immune cells in recurrent pregnancy loss

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the causes, diagnostic markers, and treatment methods for recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) using bioinformatics approaches.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Bioinformatics methods were utilized to analyze gene expression databases to identify key genes and modules associated with RPL. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was employed to identify gene sets related to maternal-fetal immunity. Gene set variation analysis (GSVA) and protein-protein interaction networks were used to explore signaling pathways and molecular interactions in RPL. Immune cell infiltration was assessed using single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA).

RESULTS

Thirteen genes were identified as potential diagnostic markers, some of which were involved in placental amino acid transport, glucose absorption, and reactive oxygen species production. Several gene sets related to protein transport, steroid synthesis, and glycosaminoglycan degradation were found to be associated with RPL. Immune cell infiltration analysis found that CD56bright NK cells and monocytes showed significantly increased infiltration in RPL and were associated with key hub genes. The validation of hub genes, including PCSK5, CCND2, SLC5A3, RASAL1, MYZAP, MFAP4, and P2RY14, as potential diagnostic markers, showed promising value.

CONCLUSIONS

This study contributes to a better understanding of the etiology of RPL and potential diagnostic markers. The identified immune-related gene sets, signaling pathways, and immune cell infiltrations provide valuable insights for future research and therapeutic advancements in RPL.

Development of the Clinical pHysical rEsilience assEssment Scale (CHEES) in Chinese Older Adults

BACKGROUND

Physical resilience is an emerging concept that describes an individual's capacity to recover from stressors. However, few instruments are currently available for assessing physical resilience.

OBJECTIVE

To develop a scale to assess physical resilience in older adults.

DESIGN

Development of a clinical scale.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

A total of 172 hospitalized older adults were recruited.

MEASUREMENTS

This study comprised two stages. First, a pool of physical resilience scale items was created through a literature review, and the Delphi method was used to establish an initial scale. Second, the initial physical resilience scale was tested on hospitalized older adults.

RESULTS

Five primary and 19 secondary items were identified after reviewing the literature. After two rounds of expert consultations, three primary and 16 secondary items were determined. The overall Cronbach's alpha for the scale was 0.760. Except for items N2, N4, N5, N8, and N14, Pearson's correlation between the scores of the remaining items and the total score ranged from 0.407 to 0.672. Except for items N2, N4, and N5, the corrected item-total correlation results ranged from 0.301 to 0.580, indicating good consistency between each item and the overall scale. Factor analysis showed that except for N7, the factor loadings of the remaining items were between 0.584 and 0.844. After expert discussions, items N2, N4, N7, and N14 were included in the scale, and items N5 and N8 were removed.

CONCLUSION

A 14-item physical resilience scale, CHEES, was developed to assess physical resilience levels in older adults.

A novel chemokine biomarker to distinguish active tuberculosis from latent tuberculosis: a cohort study

BACKGROUND

Interferon-γ release assays (IGRAs), which are widely used to diagnose tuberculosis (TB), cannot effectively discriminate latent TB infection (LTBI) from active TB (ATB). This study aimed to identify potential antigen-specific biomarkers for differentiating LTBI cases from ATB cases.

METHODS

Ongoing recruitment was conducted of individuals meeting study inclusion criteria at Beijing Chest Hospital from May 2020 to April 2022; 208 participants were enrolled and assigned to three groups: HC (60 healthy controls), LTBI (52 subjects with LTBI) and ATB (96 ATB patients). After participants were assigned to the discovery cohort (20 or 21 subjects/group), all others were assigned to the verification cohort. Discovery cohort blood levels of 40 chemokines were measured using Luminex assays to identify chemokines that could be used to discriminate LTBI cases from ATB cases; candidate biomarkers were verified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based testing of validation cohort samples.

RESULTS

Luminex results revealed highest ATB group levels of numerous cytokines, growth factors and chemokines. Receiving operating characteristic curve-based analysis of 40 biomarkers revealed CCL8 (AUC = 0.890) and CXCL9 (AUC = 0.883) effectively discriminated between LTBI and TB cases; greatest diagnostic efficiency was obtained using both markers together (AUC = 0.929). Interpretation of CCL8 and CXCL9 levels for validation cohort IGRA-positive subjects (based on a 0.658-ng/ml cutoff) revealed ATB group CCL8-based sensitivity and specificity rates approaching 90.79% and 100.00%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

TB-specific chemokines hold promise as ATB diagnostic biomarkers. Additional laboratory confirmation is needed to establish whether CCL8-based assays can differentiate between ATB and LTBI cases, especially for bacteriologically unconfirmed TB cases.

Erratum: Measurement of the 2νββ Decay Half-Life of ^{130}Te with CUORE [Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 171801 (2021)]

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.171801.

[Prevention and control of pediatric tinea capitis]

Tinea capitis is a superficial fungal infection of the scalp and hair caused by Dermatophytes. It represents the most prevalent superficial fungal infection among preadolescent children worldwide, including in developing countries such as China. The highly contagious nature of tinea capitis can result in outbreaks within communal settings for children. Furthermore, pustular lesions associated with this condition can lead to permanent scarring and hair loss, imposing a significant psychological burden on affected children and their parents. This article aims to provide a comprehensive literature review encompassing the susceptible person, epidemiological characteristics, trends, etiology, modes of transmission, clinical manifestations, treatment, and prevention strategies of tinea capitis. The ultimate objective is to raise awareness, implement effective prevention and control measures, interrupt the transmission cycle, and ultimately reduce the incidence of tinea capitis in the pediatric population.

[Evaluating the efficiency of endoscope-assisted septo-rhinoplasty via intranasal approach]

Objective: To observe the functional and esthetic results of endoscope-assisted septo-rhinoplasty via intranasal approach. Methods: The clinical data of 12 patients with septal deviation and nasal deformity in the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital from June 2021 to June 2022 were analyzed, including 8 males and 4 females, aging 28 to 58 years. All patients were operated under general anesthesia. The septal deviation was corrected by hemitransfixion incision, combined with intercartilaginous incision and other intranasal or extranasal incisions to perform osteotomy, hump resection and saddle nose correction. Patient satisfaction with postoperative functional and aesthetic improvements was assessed through Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE), Rhinoplasty Outcome Evaluation (ROE), and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).SPSS 25 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: The correction of nasal septum deviation was satisfactory in all 12 patients. Nasal obstruction was relieved, with NOSE score and VAS score of nasal ventilation decreased [(21.67±10.30) vs (70.83±14.12), (1.83±1.03) vs (8.33±0.89), t value was 9.49 and 16.30, respectively, both P<0.05]. The nasal appearance of 10 patients with crooked nose deformity was improved, with ROE score and VAS score of nasal appearance increased [(21.30±2.31) vs (8.10±3.31), (8.90±0.99) vs (3.80±1.62), t value was -11.85 and -9.33, respectively, both P<0.05];The nasal vestibule morphology of 2 patients with abnormal nasal vestibule was improved. During the follow-up of 12 to 24 months, no postoperative complication such as nasal septum perforation, nasal cavity adhesion or nasal dorsal collapse occurred in all patients. Conclusion: Endoscope-assisted septo-rhinoplasty via intranasal approach can resolve both functional and esthetic problems at the same time, improving outcomes while reducing surgical trauma.

[Outcomes after surgical repair of pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries: a series of 104 cases]

Objective: To examine the early and midterm surgical outcome of pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (PA/VSD/MAPCA) using revised surgical strategies. Methods: A retrospective analysis of clinical data, surgical methods, and follow-up results was performed of 104 cases of PA/VSD/MAPCA in Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center from January 2017 to September 2022. There were 55 males and 49 females, aged (M(IQR)) 33.9(84.0) months (range: 0.5 to 209.6 months) at the first surgical procedures. The anatomical classification included 89 cases of type B and 15 cases of type C. The number of major aortopulmonary collateral arteries was 4.2 (3.0) (range: 1 to 8). The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival estimation. Results: In the first stage of surgery, 50 patients underwent a complete primary repair, 12 patients underwent partial repair, 32 patients underwent palliative right ventricular-pulmonary artery connection, and only 10 patients chose the Blalock-Taussig shunt. There were 10 cases of early death. In the second stage, 14 patients underwent complete repair and 4 patients underwent partial repair with no early death. The interval between the two surgeries was 19 (10) months (range: 9 to 48 months). Finally, during the 40 (34) months follow-up period, a total of 64 patients were complete repair and the right/left ventricular pressure ratio after complete repair was 0.63±0.16 (range: 0.36 to 1.00). Survival analysis showed that survival rates at 1 and 5 years after first-stage surgery were both 89.4% (95%CI: 83.5% to 95.3%). At 28 (34) months (range: 1 to 67 months) of follow-up after complete repair, the survival analysis showed that the survival rates at 1 and 5 years were both 95.2% (95%CI: 89.9% to 100%). Conclusions: Using combined approaches tailored to individual patients and optimized unifocalization strategy, the complete repair rate at one stage and the cumulative complete repair rate at 5 years improved significantly with a lower right/left ventricular pressure ratio and satisfactory early and intermediate survival.

PDCA cycle management combined with detailed management of postoperative deep vein thrombosis in patients undergoing hip replacement surgery

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to analyze and explore the effect of Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle management combined with detailed management on postoperative deep venous thrombosis in patients undergoing hip replacement surgery.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients who underwent hip replacement surgery in our hospital between November 2021 and April 2023 were recruited for the study. After screening, patients who met all the inclusion criteria were assessed for eligibility. Finally, 80 adults were enrolled. All patients were assigned into observation and control groups (1:1) according to the sequence of admission, i.e., patients admitted between November 2021 and August 2022 were the control group, and patients admitted between September 2022 and April 2023 were the observation group.

RESULTS

The intraoperative blood loss and hospital stay in the observation group were significantly less than those in the control group (p<0.05). After the intervention, the levels of plasma prothrombin time (PT), thrombin time (TT), and thromboplastin time (APTT) in the observation group were higher than those in the control group, and the DD level was lower than that in the control group (p<0.05). There was one patient in the observation group who developed deep venous thrombosis after the operation, and the incidence was 2.50%. The rate was significantly lower than that of the control group (p<0.05). The hip joint function score of the observation group was higher than that of the control group, and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scale score was lower than that of the control group (p<0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

PDCA cycle management plus detailed management in patients with hip replacement surgery yields a favorable clinical outcome, which can effectively prevent postoperative deep vein thrombosis, and improve surgical indicators and postoperative coagulation function. Also, it reduces the incidence of adverse reactions in patients and facilitates recovery. It has a beneficial impact on the prognosis of patients and deserves promotion.

Prevalence and influencing factors of depressive and anxiety symptoms among hospital-based healthcare workers during the surge period of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Chinese mainland: a multicenter cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

From November 2022 to February 2023, the Chinese mainland experienced a surge in COVID-19 infection and hospitalization, and the hospital-based healthcare workers (HCWs) might suffer serious psychological crisis during this period. This study aims to assess the depressive and anxiety symptoms among HCWs during the surge of COVID-19 pandemic and to provide possible reference on protecting mental health of HCWs in future infectious disease outbreaks.

METHODS

A multicenter cross-sectional study was carried out among hospital-based HCWs in the Chinese mainland from 5 January to 9 February 2023. The PHQ-9 (nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire) and GAD-7 (seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire) were used to measure depressive and anxiety symptoms. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was performed to identify influencing factors.

RESULTS

A total of 6522 hospital-based HCWs in the Chinse mainland were included in this survey. The prevalence of depressive symptoms among the HCWs was 70.75%, and anxiety symptoms was 47.87%. The HCWs who perceived higher risk of COVID-19 infection and those who had higher work intensity were more likely to experience depressive and anxiety symptoms. Additionally, higher levels of mindfulness, resilience and perceived social support were negatively associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed that a high proportion of HCWs in the Chinese mainland suffered from mental health disturbances during the surge of the COVID-19 pandemic. Resilience, mindfulness and perceived social support are important protective factors of HCWs' mental health. Tailored interventions, such as mindfulness practice, should be implemented to alleviate psychological symptoms of HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic or other similar events in the future.

Hyperon Polarization along the Beam Direction Relative to the Second and Third Harmonic Event Planes in Isobar Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

The polarization of Λ and Λ[over ¯] hyperons along the beam direction has been measured relative to the second and third harmonic event planes in isobar Ru+Ru and Zr+Zr collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. This is the first experimental evidence of the hyperon polarization by the triangular flow originating from the initial density fluctuations. The amplitudes of the sine modulation for the second and third harmonic results are comparable in magnitude, increase from central to peripheral collisions, and show a mild p_{T} dependence. The azimuthal angle dependence of the polarization follows the vorticity pattern expected due to elliptic and triangular anisotropic flow, and qualitatively disagrees with most hydrodynamic model calculations based on thermal vorticity and shear induced contributions. The model results based on one of existing implementations of the shear contribution lead to a correct azimuthal angle dependence, but predict centrality and p_{T} dependence that still disagree with experimental measurements. Thus, our results provide stringent constraints on the thermal vorticity and shear-induced contributions to hyperon polarization. Comparison to previous measurements at RHIC and the LHC for the second-order harmonic results shows little dependence on the collision system size and collision energy.

[Analysis of clinical characteristics and treatment status of atopic dermatitis in a children's hospital in Beijing from 2015 to 2019]

To analyze the clinical characteristics and treatment status of atopic dermatitis (AD) in children in the outpatient department of a children's hospital in Beijing from 2015 to 2019. This study used a cross-sectional study method to retrospectively analyze the data of AD patients who visited the Dermatology outpatient department of Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, from April 2015 to April 2019. A total of 1 926 AD patients aged 0-17.5 years old living in Beijing and its surrounding areas were included, and the general situation, severity and distribution of AD disease, clinical characteristics and severity of AD, relevant influencing factors of AD onset, AD disease prognosis and treatment status were recorded. SAS 9.4, SPSS19.0, and R software were used for data processing, and descriptive statistical analysis, Chi-square test, Analysis of Variance, and correspondence analysis were used for statistical analysis. The results showed that the male to female ratio of AD patients in children included in this study was 1.4∶1; 79.0% (1 522/1 926), 86.1%(1 658/1 926), 91.3%(1 758/1 926), and 97.3%(1 907/1 926) of AD onset at the age of 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, and 5 years, respectively; mild of AD patients accounted for 13.2% (255/1 926)(SCORAD score 0-24), moderate of AD patients accounted for 50.1%(965/1 926) (SCORAD score 25-50), and severe of AD patients accounted for 36.7% (706/1 926)(SCORAD score>50).The age of severe AD patients were younger than mild and moderate AD patients. The face, head, trunk, and lower limbs were common areas of onset for moderate to severe AD, while the hands, feet, and ears were common areas of onset for severe AD patients. Temperature changes, hot water factors, mental and emotional states, and spring and winter were the main aggravation factors of AD;35.2% (678/1 926) aggravated and 61.8% (1 191/1 926) persistent. The more frequent bathing, the less severity of AD disease (χ2=29.791,P<0.001); 28.0% (520/1 856) of AD patients have no moisturizing habits, which were correlated with the severity of AD disease (χ2=15.908, P<0.05); the proportion of combined treatment medications in children with moderate to severe AD was significantly higher than mild AD patients. In conclusion, the patients with AD who went to specialist clinics were mainly moderate to severe patients and developed disease before the age of 5 years from 2015 to 2019.The severity of AD were mainly moderate to severe, and most of these patients had poor disease control. Traditional treatment plans had limitations. Identifying the clinical characteristics and treatment status of childhood AD would help us to carry out more targeted prevention and management work.

Ethanol templated synthesis of microporous/mesoporous nanozinc oxide with multi-level structure and its outstanding photo-catalytic properties

Zinc oxide has been of interest because of its efficient redox capacity in the UV spectral region. However, the high bandwidth limits its application in the visible region. Although synthesizing heterojunctions and doping with other elements have become the focus of the problem, it inevitably has an impact on the environment. In contrast, the template method is not only environmentally friendly but also can be used to increase the degradation rate by changing the nanoparticle mesoporous structure. Microporous/mesoporous zinc oxide with multi-level structure was synthesized using anhydrous ethanol as a green templating agent in a mild and energy-efficient method. The prepared nZnO was characterized using XRD, SEM, BET, and HR-TEM. XRD confirmed that the formation of hexagonal wurtzite zincite nZnO with good crystallinity. SEM results showed that the products were flower-like structures composed of nanosheets with a thickness of 20 nm and an average diameter of 400 nm. TEM and BET confirmed the presence of pits with diameters ranging from about 1 nm to 20 nm existed on the surface of the nanosheets, while the specific surface area of 28.05 m2/g and the pore volume of 0.069 cm3/g also provide advantages for nZnO as a photocatalytic material. The synthesized nZnO overcame the disadvantage of responding only in the UV region, and the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of MB reached 93.2% after 60 min of xenon lamp irradiation, and stabilized at 86.15% after five photocycling tests. Compared with other kinds of templates, anhydrous ethanol has the advantages of environmental friendliness and simple post-processing, and it also provides ideas for the synthesis of multilevel structures of other nanomaterials.

[A Meta-analysis of the predictive value of peripheral blood neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in mortality of patients with acute paraquat poisoning]

Objective: To evaluate the predictive value of peripheral blood neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in mortality of patients with acute paraquat poisoning. Methods: In March 2022, all literatures about the studies on NLR assessing the mortality of patients with acute paraquat poisoning were searched in the National Library of Medicine PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library Database, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang Medicine Database, Weipu Database, China Biology Medicine disc (SinoMed). The data updated by March 2022, without the limitation of languages. Two researchers extracted literature information independently and conducted literature quality evaluation using QUADAS-2. And the data extracted from the literatures were analyzed with Stata 16 software. Results: A total of 9 studies were included in this Meta-analysis, including 967 patients. And the Meta-analysis results showed that the combined sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio and diagnostic odds ratio were 0.77 (95%CI: 0.72-0.82, P<0.05), 0.83 (95%CI: 0.74-0.90, P<0.05), 4.63 (95%CI: 2.99-7.15, P<0.05), 0.27 (95%CI: 0.22-0.34, P<0.05) and 17.06 (95%CI: 10.22-28.48, P<0.05), and the area under the curve (AUC) of the summary receiver operator characteristics curve (SROC) was 0.85 (95%CI: 0.81-0.88) . Conclusion: NLR has predictive value in 30-day mortality of patients with acute paraquat poisoning.

Measurement of the 2νββ Decay Rate and Spectral Shape of ^{100}Mo from the CUPID-Mo Experiment

Neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) is a yet unobserved nuclear process that would demonstrate Lepton number violation, a clear evidence of beyond standard model physics. The process two neutrino double beta decay (2νββ) is allowed by the standard model and has been measured in numerous experiments. In this Letter, we report a measurement of 2νββ decay half-life of ^{100}Mo to the ground state of ^{100}Ru of [7.07±0.02(stat)±0.11(syst)]×10^{18}  yr by the CUPID-Mo experiment. With a relative precision of ±1.6% this is the most precise measurement to date of a 2νββ decay rate in ^{100}Mo. In addition, we constrain higher-order corrections to the spectral shape, which provides complementary nuclear structure information. We report a novel measurement of the shape factor ξ_{3,1}=0.45±0.03(stat)±0.05(syst) based on a constraint on the ratio of higher-order terms from theory, which can be reliably calculated. This is compared to theoretical predictions for different nuclear models. We also extract the first value for the effective axial vector coupling constant obtained from a spectral shape study of 2νββ decay.

Comparison of Survival Outcomes between Adults and Pediatrics with Non-Metastatic Head and Neck Rhabdomyosarcoma: A SEER Database Analysis of 550 Patients

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Despite the long-term survival rate for children with head and neck rhabdomyosarcoma (HNRMS) has improved to over 70-80% due to advancements in therapeutic approaches, the survival outcomes for adult HNRMS have not been thoroughly investigated. Our study aims to compare and analyze the survival outcomes of adult and pediatric patients with non-metastatic HNRMS, with a focus on the effect of different local treatment methods on disease outcomes.

MATERIALS/METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis of data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database covering the period from 2004 to 2018. Our study population consisted of patients with Head and Neck Rhabdomyosarcoma (HNRMS) who had not developed distant metastases and received at least one local treatment, either radiotherapy or surgery. The comparison of overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) was performed between the adult and pediatric patient groups, and between patients who received surgery (with or without radiotherapy) and those who received radiotherapy only (non-surgery).

RESULTS

In the study of 550 patients diagnosed with Head and Neck Rhabdomyosarcoma (HNRMS), data was collected from 181 (32.9%) adult and 369 (67.1%) pediatric patients. The results showed that the adult patient group had a significantly worse outcome compared to the pediatric group in terms of 5-year overall survival (OS) rate (34.9% vs 81.6%, P<0.001) and 5-year cancer specific survival (CSS) rate (59.96% vs 87.48%, P<0.001). Of these patients, 308(56%) underwent radical surgery, with 228 (41.5%) receiving a combination of radiation and surgery and the remaining 242 (44%) receiving radiation therapy alone. No significant differences were found in 5-year OS and CSS rates between the surgery and non-surgery (radiation only) groups in adult patients (34.9% vs 35.0%, P = 0.900; 60.2% vs 59.6%, P = 0.988). However, there were slight differences observed in the pediatric patient group, with the 5-year OS and CSS rates being higher for the surgery group compared to the non-surgery group (86.9% vs 75.9%, P = 0.001 and 90.6% vs 84.2%, P = 0.054, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The results of this cohort study indicate that age plays a crucial role in predicting survival outcomes in patients diagnosed with Head and Neck Rhabdomyosarcoma (HNRMS). The findings highlight the need for age-specific treatment strategies for HNRMS patients. While the data suggests that radiotherapy may be a viable first-line option for non-metastatic adult HNRMS patients, additional research is required to validate these trends.

The Short-Term Efficacy and Safety of Induction Chemotherapy Combined with PD-1 Inhibitor or Anti-EGFR in Locoregionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

This study aimed to investigate the short-term efficacy and safety of induction chemotherapy (IC) combined with PD-1 inhibitor or anti-EGFR in the treatment of locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC).

MATERIALS/METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 206 patients with LA-NPC, including IC combined with anti-PD1 (57 patients), IC combined with anti-EGFR (28 patients), and IC alone (121 patients). The short-term efficacy was assessed at the end of IC and one month after overall treatment. According to the RECIST v1.1, the short-term efficacy of cervical lymph nodes and primary nasopharynx foci was divided into complete remission (CR), partial remission (PR), stable disease (SD), and progressive disease (PD). The overall response (ORR) was defined as the sum of CR and PR. Acute toxicities were graded according to the CTCAE v5.0. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare differences in the numerical variables among groups. Fisher Freeman-Halton test or Pearson Chi-square test was used to compare classified variables.

RESULTS

The ORR rates of primary nasopharynx foci in IC, anti-EGFR, and anti-PD1 group were 68.60%, 67.9%, and 94.7%, respectively, and the corresponding rates of ORR in cervical lymph nodes were 78.5%, 71.4%, and 93.0%, respectively. There was a statistical difference in the ORR between the three groups. Further analysis showed that after IC or overall treatment, the CR rate of primary nasopharynx foci in the anti-PD1 group was significantly higher than the other two groups. The most common adverse effects were hematotoxicity, gastrointestinal toxicity, and transaminase elevation. However, there were no statistical differences in the frequency of any common adverse effects between the three groups.

CONCLUSION

The addition of anti-PD1 based on IC significantly improved the short-term efficacy of LA-NPC and toxicities were tolerable.

Effect of artesunate on cardiovascular complications in periodontitis in a type I diabetes rat model and related mechanisms

PURPOSE

Both cardiovascular disease and periodontitis are complications of diabetes that have a great impact on human life and health. Our previous research found that artesunate can effectively improve cardiovascular disease in diabetes and has an inhibitory effect on periodontal disease. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the potential therapeutic possibility of artesunate in the protection against cardiovascular complications in periodontitis with type I diabetes rats and to elucidate the possible underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

Sprague‒Dawley rats were randomly divided into the healthy, diabetic, periodontitis, diabetic with periodontitis, and artesunate treatment groups (10, 30, and 60 mg/kg, i.g.). After artesunate treatment, oral swabs were collected and used to determine changes in the oral flora. Micro-CT was performed to observe changes in alveolar bone. Blood samples were processed to measure various parameters, while cardiovascular tissues were evaluated by haematoxylin-eosin, Masson, Sirius red, and TUNEL staining to observe fibrosis and apoptosis. The protein and mRNA expression levels in the alveolar bone and cardiovascular tissues were detected using immunohistochemistry and RT‒PCR.

RESULTS

Diabetic rats with periodontitis and cardiovascular complications maintained heart and body weight but exhibited reduced blood glucose levels, and they were able to regulate blood lipid indicators at normal levels after artesunate treatment. The staining assays suggested that treatment with 60 mg/kg artesunate has a significant therapeutic effect on myocardial apoptotic fibrosis. The high expression of NF-κB, TLR4, VEGF, ICAM-1, p38 MAPK, TGF-β, Smad2, and MMP9 in the alveolar bone and cardiovascular tissue in the type I diabetes and type I diabetes with periodontitis rat models was reduced after treatment with artesunate in a concentration-dependent manner. Micro-CT showed that treatment with 60 mg/kg artesunate effectively alleviated alveolar bone resorption and density reduction. The sequencing results suggested that each model group of rats had vascular and oral flora dysbiosis, but artesunate treatment could correct the dysbacteriosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Periodontitis-related pathogenic bacteria cause dysbiosis of the oral and intravascular flora in type I diabetes and aggravate cardiovascular complications. The mechanism by which periodontitis aggravates cardiovascular complications involves the NF-κB pathway, which induces myocardial apoptosis, fibrosis, and vascular inflammation.

Evaluating the Effects of Bone Marrow Sparing Radiotherapy on Acute Hematologic Toxicity for Patients with Locoregionally Advanced Cervical Cancer: A Prospective Phase II Randomized Controlled Trial

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Bone marrow sparing intensity modulated radiotherapy (BMS-IMRT) can reduce the incidence of acute hematologic toxicity (HT) for locoregionally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) patients receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT), but the norm has been controversial. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of bone marrow (BM) V40 <25% on decreasing the incidence of acute HT in a prospective clinical trial.

MATERIALS/METHODS

A total of 242 LACC patients were recruited from May 2021 to May 2022, who were evenly randomized into BMS-IMRT group and standard IMRT group according to a computer-generated random number list. All patients received pelvic irradiation with concurrent cisplatin (40 mg/m2 weekly), followed by brachytherapy. For patients in BMS-IMRT group, the outer contour of pelvic bone, lumbar spine and left and right femur heads were additionally delineated as a surrogate for BM, and V40 <25% was prescribed. Blood counts were tested weekly, of which nadirs during external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) were graded to assess acute HT as primary observation index. Second observation index were dosimetric parameters of EBRT plan from the dose volume histograms (DVHs). Binary logistic regression model and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used for predictive value analysis.

RESULTS

Baseline demographic, disease and treatment characteristics were all balanced between BMS-IMRT group and standard IMRT group. BMS-IMRT was associated with a lower incidence of grade ≥2 and grade ≥3 acute HT, leukopenia and neutropenia (72.70% vs 90.90%, P <0.001*; 16.50% vs 65.30%, P <0.001*; 66.10% vs 85.10%, P = 0.001*; 13.20% vs 54.50%, P <0.001*; 37.20% vs 66.10%, P <0.001*; 10.70% vs 43.80%, P <0.001*). Plan target volume (PTV) for all patients satisfied the clinical requirement of V(100%) ≥95%, and conformity and homogeneity were both comparable between 2 groups. BMS also decreased dose delivered to the organs at risk (OARs) including rectum, bladder and left and right femur head. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that BM V40 was an independent risk factor for grade ≥3 acute HT (odds ratio [OR] = 2.734, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.959-3.815, P <0.001*). Cutoff value was 25.036% and area under the curve (AUC) was 0.786. The nomogram was constructed, which was rigorously evaluated and internally cross-validated, showing good predictive performance.

CONCLUSION

BM V40 <25% can reduce the risks of acute HT for LACC patients receiving CCRT while the dose delivery of target volume and other normal tissues were not compromised. With great practicality and applicability, BM V40 <25% is a promising strategy, making BMS-IMRT widespread especially in the area where application of image guided radiotherapy (IGRT) such as 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18FDG-PET)/CT is not popularized. Chinese clinical trial registry (ChiCTR2200066485).

Metagenomic reconstructions of caecal microbiome in Landes, Roman and Zhedong White geese

1. The caecal microbiota in geese play a crucial role in determining the host's health, disease status and behaviour, as evidenced by extensive epidemiological data. The present investigation conducted 10× metagenomic sequencing of caecal content samples obtained from three distinct goose species, namely Landes geese, Roman geese and Zhedong White geese (n = 5), to explore the contribution of the gut microbiome to carbohydrate metabolism.2. In total, 337GB of Illumina data were generated, which identified 1,048,575 complete genes and construction of 331 metagenomic bins, encompassing 78 species from nine phyla. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria and Bacteria were identified as the dominant phyla while Prevotella, Bacteroides, Streptococcus, and Subdoligranulum were the most abundant genera in the caecum of geese.3. The genes were allocated to 375 pathways using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome (KEGG) analysis. The most abundant classes in the caecum of geese were confirmed to be glycoside hydrolases (GHs), glycosyl transferases (GTs), as identified through the carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme) database mapping. Subdoligranulum variabile and Mediterraneibacter glycyrrhizinilyticus were discovered to potentially facilitate carbohydrate digestion in geese.4. Notwithstanding, further investigation and validation are required to establish a connection between these species and CAZymes. Based on binning analysis, Mediterraneibacter glycyrrhizinilyticus and Ruminococcus sp. CAG:177 are potential species in LD geese that contribute to the production of fatty liver.