Deletion in KRT75L4 linked to frizzle feather in Xiushui Yellow Chickens

Bird feathers are the product of interactions between natural and artificial selection. Feather-related traits are important for chicken selection and breeding. Frizzle feather is characterized by the abnormally development of feathers in chickens. In the current study, frizzle feather characteristics were observed in a local breed called Xiushui Yellow Chicken in Jiangxi, China. To determine the molecular mechanisms that underlie frizzle feather in Xiushui Yellow Chicken, four populations of three breeds (Xiushui Yellow Chicken with frizzle feathers, Xiushui Yellow Chicken with normal feathers, Guangfeng White-Ear Yellow Chicken, and Ningdu Yellow Chicken) were selected for whole-genome resequencing. Using a comparative genome strategy and genome-wide association study, a missense mutation (g.5281494A>G) and a 15-bp deletion (g.5285437-5285451delGATGCCGGCAGGACG) in KRT75L4 were identified as candidate mutations associated with frizzle feather in Xiushui Yellow Chicken. Based on genotyping performed in a large Xiushui Yellow Chicken population, the g.5285437-5285451delGATGCCGGCAGGACG mutation in KRT75L4 was confirmed as the putative causative mutation of frizzle feather. These results deepen the understanding of the molecular mechanisms responsible for frizzle feather, as well as facilitating the molecular detection and selection of the feather phenotype in Xiushui Yellow Chickens.

[Epidemiological characteristics of herpes zoster in Xicheng district of Beijing in 2019: based on the health information system of medical institutions]

Objective: Using data of health information system (HIS) of medical institutions to study epidemiological characteristics of herpes zoster in Xicheng district of Beijing. Methods: To collect data of outpatient herpes zoster cases of all 42 medical institutions in 2019 based on HIS. After distinguishing the reduplicated cases, we organized these data for descriptive epidemiological analysis. Results: A total of 3 982 primary outpatient cases were investigated, the estimated incidence was 3.38‰ (3 982/1 178 999). The incidence was 2.90‰ (1 655/570 320) for males and 3.82‰ (2 327/608 679) for females and with increasing trends with age. Herpes zoster occurred from January to December. These cases mainly visited tertiary hospitals, with central departments as dermatology and traditional Chinese medicine involved. For the first identified cases, the average age was (60.48±15.43) years old. The ages of disseminated herpes zoster patients was (74.00±8.98) years old, while the age of herpes zoster in the outer ear was (54.32±15.73) years old. The top three diseases were herpes zoster, post-herpetic neuralgia, and Herpes zoster with other neurological complications, with proportions as 82.65% (3 291/3 982), 10.37% (413/3 982), and 4.37% (174/3 982), respectively. Conclusions: Most herpes zoster cases were more than 50 years old in Xicheng district of Beijing, with females have seen more than males. Complications commonly occurred among individuals more than 50 years old and with the most widely seen complication as post-herpetic neuralgia.

Effects of increasing air temperature on physiological and productive responses of dairy cows at different relative humidity and air velocity levels

This study determined the effects of increasing ambient temperature (T) at different relative humidity (RH) and air velocity (AV) levels on the physiological and productive responses of dairy cows. Twenty Holstein dairy cows were housed inside climate-controlled respiration chambers, in which the climate was programmed to follow a daily pattern of lower night and higher day T with a 9°C difference, excluding effects from sun radiation. Within our 8-d data collection period, T was gradually increased from 7 to 21°C during the night (12 h) and 16 to 30°C during the day (12 h), with an incremental change of 2°C per day for both nighttime and daytime T. During each research period, RH and AV were kept constant at 1 of 5 treatment levels. A diurnal pattern for RH was created, with lower levels during the day and higher levels during the night: low (RH_l: 30-50%), medium (RH_m: 45-70%), and high (RH_h: 60-90%). The effects of AV were studied during the day at 3 levels: no fan (AV_l: 0.1 m/s), fan at medium speed (AV_m: 1.0 m/s), and fan at high speed (AV_h: 1.5 m/s). Effects of short and long exposure time to increasing T were evaluated by collecting data 2 times a day: in the morning [short: 1 h (or less) - exposure time] and afternoon (long: 8 h - exposure time). The animals had free access to feed and water and both were ad libitum. Respiration rate (RR), rectal temperature (RT), skin temperature (ST), dry matter intake, water intake, milk yield, and composition were measured. The inflection point temperatures (IPt) at which a certain variable started to change were determined for the different RH and AV levels and different exposure times. Results showed that IPt under long exposure time for RR (first indicator) varied between 18.9 and 25.5°C but was between 20.1 and 25.9°C for RT (a delayed indicator). The IPt for both RR and RT decreased with higher RH levels, whereas IPt increased with higher AV for RR but gave a minor change for RT. The ST was positively correlated with ambient T and ST was not affected by RH but significantly affected by AV. For RR, all IPt was lower under long exposure time than under short exposure time. The combination of higher RH levels and low AV level negatively affected dry matter intake. Water intake increased under all treatments except RH_l-AV_l. Treatment RH_h-AV_l negatively affected milk protein and fat yield, whereas treatments RH_m-AV_m and RH_m-AV_h reduced milk fat yield. We concluded that RH and AV significantly affected the responses of RR, RT, ST, and productive performance of high-producing Holstein cows. These responses already occurred at moderate ambient T of 19 to 26°C.

Cross-genera amplification and identification of Colpodella sp. with Cryptosporidium primers in fecal samples of zoo felids from northeast China

The protozoans include many intracellular human pathogens. Accurate detection of these pathogens is necessary to treat the diseases. In clinical epidemiology, molecular identification of protozoan is considered a more reliable and rapid method for identification than microscopy. Among these protozoans, Cryptosporidium considered being one of the important water-borne zoonotic pathogens and a major cause of a diarrheal disease named cryptosporidiosis in humans, domestic animals, and wild animals. This study was aimed to identify Cryptosporidium in zoo felids (N= 56) belonging to different zoo of China, but accidentlly Colpodella was encountered in the zoo felids sample and phylogenetic data confirmed this unexpected amplification from fecal samples using two-step nested-PCR. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the fact about the specific primers used previously by many researchers and cross-genera amplification. We came to know that genetically sequenced amplicon gives more accurate identification of species. This study suggests more investigation on Colpodella which has been neglected previously but gains the attention of researchers after identified from humans and animals and has been known to correlate with neurological symptoms in patients.

[Independent risk factors of atrial thrombosis in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and low CHA2DS2-VASc scores]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the risk factors of atrial thrombosis in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation(NVAF)with low CHA₂DS₂-VASc scores at admission (≤1 for male and ≤2 for female patients).

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 10 382 patients with NVAF undergoing transesophageal echocardiography in our hospital from 2009 to 2019, and enrolled 48 NVAF patients with thrombosis as the observation group and another 240 NVAF patients without thrombosis as the control group.The baseline characteristics, biochemical indicators, and echocardiographic findings of the patients were analyzed using univariate analysis, multivariate logistic regression analysis and Pearson correlation analysis.

RESULTS

The baseline data did not differ significantly between the two groups (P > 0.05).Compared with those in the control group, the patients with atrial thrombosis had an increased left atrial diameter (LAD; P < 0.001), a greater likelihood of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM; P < 0.001), significantly higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP; P < 0.05) and uric acid (P < 0.001), and greater standard deviation of red blood cell distribution width(RDW-SD; P < 0.001).LAD(P < 0.001), HCM(P < 0.05)and CRP(P < 0.05) were identified as the independent factors affecting the occurrence of atrial thrombosis in patients with low CHA₂DS₂-VASc scores.

CONCLUSIONS

LAD enlargement, HCM, and an elevated CRP level are independent risk factors for atrial thrombosis in NVAF patients with low CHA₂DS₂-VASc scores.Active anticoagulation therapy should be administered for these patients once these risk factors are detected to prevent the occurrence of stroke.

[Value of PET/MRI in the diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion in comparison with PET/CT]

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic value of PET/MRI for malignant pleural effusion (MPE), and compare its diagnostic difference with PET/CT. Methods: The data of 57 patients with suspected MPE admitted into Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology from October 2017 to January 2020 was analyzed. A total of 53 patients were included in the prospective study, and the whole body PET/CT and thoracic PET/MRI were performed on them respectively. Two physicians used a blind method to evaluate the morphological features of PET/CT and PET/MRI images, delineate the region of interest (ROI), obtain the maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) of the ROI in the PET/CT and PET/MRI images. The target-to-background ratio (TBR) of the lesion was calculated. The diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) characteristics of the pleura in PET/MRI images were analyzed. Taking pathological diagnosis as the gold standard, the diagnostic effect of PET/CT and PET/MRI on MPE were evaluated. Results: The 53 patients who were finally included were (62.8±1.7) years old, consisting of 31 males. Pathological results showed that 41 cases were MPE and 12 cases were benign pleural effusion (BPE). There were no statistical differences in age, gender and smoking history between the two groups (P>0.05). Bland-Altman analysis showed that the SUVmax of pleural lesions by PET/MRI was higher than that by PET/CT (6.4±0.6 vs 5.3±0.5, P<0.001). The TBR of PET/MRI was higher than that of PET/CT (2.2±0.2 vs 1.8±0.2, P<0.001). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of PET/MRI in the diagnosis of MPE by combining imaging features such as SUVmax and DWI of pleural lesions were 75.6%, 100%, and 81.1%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of PET/CT combined with SUVmax and imaging features of pleural lesions in the diagnosis of MPE were 85.4%, 83.3%, and 77.4%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between PET/MRI and PET/CT in the area under the curve (AUC) for diagnosing MPE (0.934 vs 0.873, P>0.05). Conclusions: PET/MRI and PET/CT have the equivalent diagnostic efficiency for MPE. However, PET/MRI shows higher SUVmax and TBR for pleural lesions, and has specific pleural DWI imaging characteristics, which is worthy of further clinical research.

Search for Displaced Leptons in sqrt[s]=13 TeV pp Collisions with the ATLAS Detector

A search for charged leptons with large impact parameters using 139  fb^{-1} of sqrt[s]=13  TeV pp collision data from the ATLAS detector at the LHC is presented, addressing a long-standing gap in coverage of possible new physics signatures. Results are consistent with the background prediction. This search provides unique sensitivity to long-lived scalar supersymmetric lepton partners (sleptons). For lifetimes of 0.1 ns, selectron, smuon, and stau masses up to 720, 680, and 340  GeV, respectively, are excluded at 95% confidence level, drastically improving on the previous best limits from LEP.

[Advice on the rationalized layout of outpatient clinics in a wound repair department]

According to a document issued by the General Office of National Health Commission, "one person, one diagnosis, and one room" is required in the process of outpatient consultation. However, the patient will need to go to another room for dressing change after the doctor checks the wound if sticking to the conventional layout of current wound repair specialist outpatient clinic in hospitals and following the regulation of "separation of diagnosis and treatment". To allow a patient walking back and forth with the exposed wounds to different clinics or going to another clinic for dressing change with the original dressing reapplied to the wound is against the regulation of nosocomial infection control and the principle of sterility. To ensure that the layout of the outpatient clinic in the wound repair outpatient department not only conforms to the principle of "one person, one diagnosis, and one room", but also meets the characteristics of the diagnosis and treatment process of chronic wounds, this paper proposes the layout of "large space and small partition" in the wound repair clinic.

Association between fecal methanogen species with methane production and grazed forage intake of beef heifers classified for residual feed intake under drylot conditions

Reduction in greenhouse gas emission from beef production is essential to the survival of the beef industry from environmental and social-economic perspectives. There are different systems available to measure methane from animals, but they are expensive, not easily accessible, and not suitable for large-scale methane measurements on the farm. Therefore exploring indicator traits, which are easy to measure, cost-effective, and suitable for large-scale measurement, are recommended. The objectives of this study were to examine the diversity of fecal methanogen profile among efficient and inefficient beef heifers on pasture and investigate methanogen profile as a possible proxy to predict methane emission in beef cattle consuming a forage diet. Forty pregnant (1st trimester) heifers previously classified for postweaning residual feed intake adjusted for off-test back fat (RFI_fat; 20 high and 20 low) were included in this study. To determine individual pasture grazing intake, heifers were dosed with 1 kg of C₃₂ labeled pellets once per day from Day 0 to Day 12, and fecal samples were collected twice daily from Day 8 to Day 15. Fecal samples from Days 8, 10, and 12 were analyzed for their methanogen profile. Animals were monitored individually for methane and carbon dioxide production using a GreenFeed Emissions Monitoring system. Total methanogen population and methanogenic community diversity of fecal samples were not different (P > 0.1) between low and high RFI_fat groups, as measured by quantitative PCR and α- and β-diversity indices. However, both groups had a different methanogen profile; the relative abundance of Methanobrevibacter wolinii and relatives were higher (P < 0.002), while that of Methanosphaera species ISO3-F5 was lower (P < 0.01) in low RFI_fat cattle compared to the high RFI_fat group. We also demonstrated that fecal methanogen profiles may be a useful proxy in predicting daily methane and carbon dioxide emissions with an adjusted R² of 0.53 and 0.33, respectively, for low RFI_fat heifers and 0.46 and 0.57, respectively, for the high RFI_fat group.

Machine learning prediction on number of patients due to conjunctivitis based on air pollutants: a preliminary study

OBJECTIVE

A prediction of the number of patients with conjunctivitis plays an important role in providing adequate treatment at the hospital, but such accurate predictive model currently does not exist. The current study sought to use machine learning (ML) prediction based on past patient for conjunctivitis and several air pollutants. The optimal machine learning prediction model was selected to predict conjunctivitis-related number patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The average daily air pollutants concentrations (CO, O3, NO2, SO2, PM10, PM2.5) and weather data (highest and lowest temperature) were collected. Data were randomly divided into training dataset and test dataset, and normalized mean square error (NMSE) was calculated by 10 fold cross validation, comparing between the ability of seven ML methods to predict the number of patients due to conjunctivitis (Lasso penalized linear model, Decision tree, Boosting regression, Bagging regression, Random forest, Support vector, and Neural network). According to the accuracy of impact prediction, the important air and weather factors that affect conjunctivitis were identified.

RESULTS

A total of 84,977 cases to treat conjunctivitis were obtained from the ophthalmology center of the Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University. For all patients together, the NMSE of the different methods were as follows: Lasso penalized linear regression: 0.755, Decision tree: 0.710, Boosting regression: 0.616, Bagging regression: 0.615, Random forest: 0.392, Support vectors: 0.688, and Neural network: 0.476. Further analyses, stratified by gender and age at diagnosis, supported Random forest as being superior to others ML methods. The main factors affecting conjunctivitis were: O3, NO2, SO2 and air temperature.

CONCLUSIONS

Machine learning algorithm can predict the number of patients due to conjunctivitis, among which, the Random forest algorithm had the highest accuracy. Machine learning algorithm could provide accurate information for hospitals dealing with conjunctivitis caused by air factors.

Luteolin, an aryl hydrocarbon receptor antagonist, alleviates diabetic retinopathy by regulating the NLRP/NOX4 signalling pathway: Experimental and molecular docking study

OBJECTIVE

The present report evaluates the protective effects of luteolin against diabetic retinopathy (DR).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Diabetes was induced in rats by i.p. administration of 60 mg/kg of streptozotocin (STZ), followed by treatment with luteolin for 4 weeks. The effects of luteolin were determined based on the blood glucose and cytokine levels, and parameters of oxidative stress in retinal tissue of DR rats. The diameter of retinal vessels was estimated by fundus photography. A Western blot assay was used to determine the expression of apoptotic proteins and Nod-like receptor 3 (NLRP3) pathway proteins in the retina of DR rats. A molecular docking study was performed to evaluate the interaction between luteolin and NLRP3.

RESULTS

The level of blood glucose was reduced in the luteolin-treated group compared with the DR group. Reductions in cytokines and oxidative stress were observed in the retinal tissues of the luteolin-treated group relative to the DR group. Moreover, treatment with luteolin reduced the expression of NLRP1, NOX4, TXNIP, and NLRP3 proteins, and ameliorated the altered expression of apoptotic proteins in the retina of DR rats.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, luteolin prevents retinal apoptosis in DR rats by regulating the NLRP/NOX4 signalling pathway.

Tongxin formula protects H9c2 cardiomyocytes from cobalt chloride-induced hypoxic injury via inhibition of apoptosis

In this study, the effect of the Tongxin formula (TXF) on the apoptosis of H9c2 cardiomyocytes induced by cobalt chloride (CoCl₂) was investigated, and the potential mechanism was explored. A hypoxic injury model of H9c2 cardiomyocytes was established using CoCl₂. The cell viability was measured using a Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. The lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and caspase-3 activity were measured using spectrophotometry. The apoptosis was measured via Annexin V-FITC/PI staining and flow cytometry. The changes in the mitochondrial membrane potential were examined using immunofluorescence microscopy following the loading of JC-1 probes. The expressions of apoptosis-related proteins and key proteins in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) pathway were examined via immunoblotting. The different TXF concentrations studied significantly improved the percentage of viability of cardiomyocytes with hypoxic injury, and the LDH release, apoptotic rate, caspase-3 activity, and levels of cleaved caspase-3 protein were reduced in the injured cells. Additionally, the TXF group had increased mitochondrial membrane potential, upregulated expression of Bcl-2 and p-Akt proteins, and significantly reduced expression of cleaved caspase-3 protein in the cells with hypoxic injury. Moreover, in the TXF group, the treatment significantly reduced the BAX protein expression, but the difference was not statistically significant compared with the CoCl2 group. In this study, TXF regulated the expression of apoptosis-related proteins, inhibited apoptosis, increased the mitochondrial membrane potential, and alleviated damage to the mitochondrial membrane, thereby protecting the cardiomyocytes from hypoxic injury. The underlying mechanism could be related to activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and upregulation of the Bcl-2 protein.

Association between type 1 diabetes mellitus and reduced bone mineral density in children: a meta-analysis

In this meta-analysis, we analyzed 9 cross-sectional studies for an association between type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and bone mineral density (BMD) in children. We found that BMD Z-scores were significantly reduced in children with T1DM.

INTRODUCTION

Recent cross-sectional studies have examined how T1DM influences bone health in children and adolescents, but the relationship between T1DM and BMD remains unclear due to conflicting reports.

METHODS

In this meta-analysis, we systematically searched PubMed, Cochrane library, and Web of Science databases (for publications through March 12, 2020), and calculated weight mean difference (WMD) along with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using a random-effects model. Heterogeneity was evaluated using the I² method. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess the quality of the included studies.

RESULTS

Data were analyzed from 9 eligible studies, including a total of 1522 children and adolescents. These data were tested for an association between T1DM and BMD. This analysis found a significant decrease in BMD Z-score in the whole body (pooled WMD, - 0.47, 95% CI, - 0.92 to - 0.02, I² = 80.2%) and lumbar spine (pooled WMD, - 0.41, 95% CI, - 0.69 to - 0.12, I² = 80.3%) in children and adolescents with T1DM, which was consistent in published studies from Asia and South America, but inconsistent in the North America and Europe. Importantly, the differences in BMD Z-scores were independent of age, level of glucose control (HbA1c), and prepubertal stage. Sensitivity analyses did not modify these findings. Funnel plot and the Egger test did not reveal significant publication bias.

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis suggests that T1DM may play a role in decreasing BMD Z-scores in the whole body and lumbar spine in children.

[Development of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome in patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019: clinical characteristics and risk factors]

Objective: To explore the clinical characteristics and risk factors of patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) when developing multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Methods: Data from 458 inpatients of confirmed COVID-19 in Wuhan, Shanghai and Tongling from December 29, 2019 to March 24, 2020 were retrospectively collected. COVID-19 was confirmed by real-time RT-PCR of throat swab samples. Data of demographics, clinical presentation, laboratory tests, imaging findings, treatment and prognosis were obtained from medical record and compared between COVID-19 patients with and without MODS. Risk factors for the development of MODS were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: Of the 458 COVID-19 patients (266 from Wuhan, 208 from Shanghai, and 24 from Tongling), 103 developed transient or persistent MODS in the course. More male patients were found in those with MODS (72.8% vs 54.6%, P=0.001). And MODS patients were of older age (72.8% vs 54.6%, P=0.001), more chronic comorbidities (68.0% vs 43.4%, P<0.001), and longer onset-to-admission interval (9.0 vs 7.0 d, P<0.001). In addition, patients with MODS had more expectoration (45.6% vs 29.9%, P=0.003) and shortness of breath (52.4% vs 19.4%, P<0.001), dysfunction of various systems, decreased cellular immunity and elevated IL-6 (9.6 vs 7.6 g/L, P=0.015) in laboratory tests, isolation of other pathogens (18.4% vs 5.6%, P<0.001), and infiltration of all five lobes (75.3% vs 57.6%, P=0.003). During hospitalization, patients with MODS needed a higher proportion of comprehensive treatment and reached a mortality rate of 66.0%. Independents risk factors for development of MODS in COVID-19 patients were: onset-to-admission interval>7 days (OR=2.17, 95%CI: 1.11-4.22, P=0.023), shortness of breath (OR=3.19, 95%CI: 1.60-6.37, P=0.001), lymphocyte count<1×10⁹/L (OR=2.67, 95%CI: 1.31-5.46, P=0.007), blood urea nitrogen>7mol/L (OR=6.27, 95%CI: 2.80-14.08, P<0.001), procalcitonin>0.1 ng/mL (OR=2.48, 95%CI: 1.20-5.13, P=0.014), and C-reactive protein>10 mg/L (OR=3.92, 95%CI: 1.41-10.89, P=0.009). Conclusions: COVID-19 patients with MODS were of higher severity and mortality. Early identification of high-risk groups with MODS according to risk factors may be helpful for early treatment.

Province-specific recalibration of CVD risk models using population-specific routine data for Chinese people is important

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading causes of death in China. Since population CVD incidence and risk factor levels vary considerably across regions in China, geo-specific investment in the prevention of CVD could be advantageous. Risk prediction models are an integral part of CVD prevention guidelines and can be used to help guide intervention. However, there is no CVD model generalizable to the various incidence rates, risk-factor levels and composition of CVD in different regions of China.

Purpose

To construct a CVD risk estimation system, which is calibrated to CVD risk in different regions in China, and can be regularly updated in the future using routinely available aggregate level CVD incidence and risk factor data, in response to changing trends with time and divergent CVD rates.

Methods

The risk prediction model used was the WHO CVD score, initially calibrated to predict CVD mortality in the whole of mainland China. Further province-specific recalibration was then completed to give models tailored to the 31 provinces. The recalibration approach used aggregate level province, sex- and age group-specific levels of risk factors and CVD mortality. Risk factor values were estimated using 145 268 participants aged 40-80 years old from the China Chronic Disease and Risk Factors Surveillance, a nationally and provincially representative cross-sectional survey in 2015. Province-specific CVD mortality rates in 2017 were estimated based on published scientific reports, unpublished registry data, and health system administrative data.

Results

Compared with the province-specific models, the China-specific WHO score overestimated mortality risk in some provinces while underestimating risk in others. For example, while the predicted population risk of 10-year CVD mortality was 3.5% in male in both Shanghai and Hebei using the China-specific score (with province-specific observed risk factor values), the province-specific scores gave predicted population risks of 1.1% for Shanghai and 5.5% for Hebei. Accordingly, using the province-specific scores for an individual with the same combination of risk factors, the 10-year risk of CVD mortality differed substantially across provinces. For example, the estimated 10-year risk for a 60 year old, male smoker without diabetes and systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg and total cholesterol 5 mmol/L ranged from 2.4% in Shanghai to 13.2% in Tibet. Similarly, the estimated 10-year risk for a female with the same risk factor profile ranged from 1.5% in Shanghai to 11.5% in Tibet.

Conclusion

We have developed a CVD risk estimation system, which is calibrated to CVD risk in different provinces of China, and can be regularly recalibrated in the future using routinely available information. Application of this approach should help accurately estimate CVD risk in individuals from China, and assist policy makers in making more appropriate decisions about allocation of preventative resources.

Abstract Figure. Predicted 10 year CVD mortality risk

Longitudinal Flow Decorrelations in Xe+Xe Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.44 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

The first measurement of longitudinal decorrelations of harmonic flow amplitudes v_{n} for n=2-4 in Xe+Xe collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.44  TeV is obtained using 3  μb^{-1} of data with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The decorrelation signal for v_{3} and v_{4} is found to be nearly independent of collision centrality and transverse momentum (p_{T}) requirements on final-state particles, but for v_{2} a strong centrality and p_{T} dependence is seen. When compared with the results from Pb+Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV, the longitudinal decorrelation signal in midcentral Xe+Xe collisions is found to be larger for v_{2}, but smaller for v_{3}. Current hydrodynamic models reproduce the ratios of the v_{n} measured in Xe+Xe collisions to those in Pb+Pb collisions but fail to describe the magnitudes and trends of the ratios of longitudinal flow decorrelations between Xe+Xe and Pb+Pb. The results on the system-size dependence provide new insights and an important lever arm to separate effects of the longitudinal structure of the initial state from other early and late time effects in heavy-ion collisions.

Search for Dark Matter Produced in Association with a Dark Higgs Boson Decaying into W^{±}W^{∓} or ZZ in Fully Hadronic Final States from sqrt[s]=13 TeV pp Collisions Recorded with the ATLAS Detector

Several extensions of the Standard Model predict the production of dark matter particles at the LHC. An uncharted signature of dark matter particles produced in association with VV=W^{±}W^{∓} or ZZ pairs from a decay of a dark Higgs boson s is searched for using 139  fb^{-1} of pp collisions recorded by the ATLAS detector at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The s→V(qq[over ¯])V(qq[over ¯]) decays are reconstructed with a novel technique aimed at resolving the dense topology from boosted VV pairs using jets in the calorimeter and tracking information. Dark Higgs scenarios with m_{s}>160  GeV are excluded.

ORAOV1-B Promotes OSCC Metastasis via the NF-κB-TNFα Loop

Metastasis, a powerful prognostic indicator of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), is chiefly responsible for poor cancer outcomes. Despite an increasing number of studies examining the mechanisms underlying poor outcomes, the development of potent strategies is hindered by insufficient characterization of the crucial regulators. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have recently been gaining interest as significant modulators of OSCC metastasis; however, the detailed mechanisms underlying lncRNA-mediated OSCC metastasis remain relatively uncharacterized. Here, we identified a novel alternative splice variant of oral cancer overexpressed 1 (ORAOV1), named as ORAOV1-B, which was subsequently validated as an lncRNA and correlated with OSCC lymph node metastasis; significantly increased invasion and migration were observed in ORAOV1-B-overexpressing OSCC cells. RNA pulldown and mass spectrometry identified Hsp90 as a direct target of ORAOV1-B, and cDNA microarrays suggested TNFα as a potential downstream target of ORAOV1-B. ORAOV1-B was shown to directly bind to and stabilize Hsp90, which maintains the function of client proteins, receptor-interaction protein, and IκB kinase beta, thus activating the NF-κB pathway and inducing TNFα. Additionally, TNFα reciprocally enhanced p-NF-κB-p65 and the downstream epithelial-mesenchymal transition. ORAOV1-B effects were reversed by a TNFα inhibitor, demonstrating that TNFα is essential for ORAOV1-B-regulated metastatic ability. Consistent epithelial-mesenchymal transition in the ORAOV1-B group was demonstrated via an orthotopic model. In the metastatic model, ORAOV1-B significantly contributed to OSCC-related lung metastasis. In summary, the novel splice variant ORAOV1-B is an lncRNA, which significantly potentiates OSCC invasion and metastasis by binding to Hsp90 and activating the NF-κB-TNFα loop. These findings demonstrate the versatile role of ORAOV1 family members and the significance of genes located within 11q13 in promoting OSCC. ORAOV1-B might serve as an attractive OSCC metastasis intervention target.

Medium-Induced Modification of Z-Tagged Charged Particle Yields in Pb+Pb Collisions at 5.02 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

The yield of charged particles opposite to a Z boson with large transverse momentum (p_{T}) is measured in 260  pb^{-1} of pp and 1.7  nb^{-1} of Pb+Pb collision data at 5.02 TeV per nucleon pair recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The Z boson tag is used to select hard-scattered partons with specific kinematics, and to observe how their showers are modified as they propagate through the quark-gluon plasma created in Pb+Pb collisions. Compared with pp collisions, charged-particle yields in Pb+Pb collisions show significant modifications as a function of charged-particle p_{T} in a way that depends on event centrality and Z boson p_{T}. The data are compared with a variety of theoretical calculations and provide new information about the medium-induced energy loss of partons in a p_{T} regime difficult to measure through other channels.

Longitudinal assessment revealed the shifts in rumen and colon mucosal-attached microbiota of dairy calves during weaning transition

The objectives of this study were to investigate the shifts in rumen and colon mucosa-associated microbiota in dairy calves fed a high milk replacer feeding rate before and after weaning and to determine whether such shifts are associated with tissue physiological measures. Longitudinal biopsy was performed to collect rumen and colon mucosal tissues of 4 ruminally cannulated Holstein dairy bull calves (weaned at 6 wk of age) at the end of wk 5 (before weaning), 7 (weaning adaptation) and 12 (after weaning), and were used to assess mucosa-associated microbiota and their changes using amplicon sequencing. Both rumen and colon mucosa-associated bacterial communities shifted during the weaning process, as evidenced by their clear separation among 3 different weaning periods and increased α diversity (Shannon and Chao1 indices) during weaning transition. Among the 3 dominant bacterial phyla identified (relative abundance >1.0%), the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes decreased in the rumen mucosa, whereas the relative abundance of Firmicutes increased in both rumen and colon mucosa during weaning transition. In the rumen mucosa, Campylobacter (0.6-22.1%) gradually became prevalent during weaning transition, whereas Succinivibrio (6.2-10.3%) and Prevotella 1 (4.7-10.5%) were dominant regardless of weaning transition. In the colon mucosa, Bacteroides (12.8-25.4%) was dominant during weaning transition, although its relative abundance decreased after weaning. In the meantime, relative abundance of uncultured Lachnospiraceae increased from 2.2% to 25.7% during this period. In addition, genera Pyramidobacter (in the rumen mucosa) and Lachnoclostridium (in the colon mucosa) were positively correlated with rumen papilla surface area and colon mucosal thickness, respectively. Moreover, genera Ruminococcaceae UCG-005 and Sharpea in the rumen mucosa were positively correlated with the molar proportion of propionate and butyrate, respectively. Overall, our findings revealed that rumen and colon mucosa-associated bacterial communities altered in response to the weaning transition, and some bacterial taxa in these communities may have positive effects on rumen and colon mucosa development during this period.

Comparing transcriptional responses to Fusarium crown rot in wheat and barley identified an important relationship between disease resistance and drought tolerance

BACKGROUND

Fusarium crown rot (FCR) is a chronic disease in cereal production worldwide. The impact of this disease is highly environmentally dependant and significant yield losses occur mainly in drought-affected crops.

RESULTS

In the study reported here, we evaluated possible relationships between genes conferring FCR resistance and drought tolerance using two approaches. The first approach studied FCR induced differentially expressed genes (DEGs) targeting two barley and one wheat loci against a panel of genes curated from the literature based on known functions in drought tolerance. Of the 149 curated genes, 61.0% were responsive to FCR infection across the three loci. The second approach was a comparison of the global DEGs induced by FCR infection with the global transcriptomic responses under drought in wheat. This analysis found that approximately 48.0% of the DEGs detected one week following drought treatment and 74.4% of the DEGs detected three weeks following drought treatment were also differentially expressed between the susceptible and resistant isolines under FCR infection at one or more timepoints. As for the results from the first approach, the vast majority of common DEGs were downregulated under drought and expressed more highly in the resistant isoline than the sensitive isoline under FCR infection.

CONCLUSIONS

Results from this study suggest that the resistant isoline in wheat was experiencing less drought stress, which could contribute to the stronger defence response than the sensitive isoline. However, most of the genes induced by drought stress in barley were more highly expressed in the susceptible isolines than the resistant isolines under infection, indicating that genes conferring drought tolerance and FCR resistance may interact differently between these two crop species. Nevertheless, the strong relationship between FCR resistance and drought responsiveness provides further evidence indicating the possibility to enhance FCR resistance by manipulating genes conferring drought tolerance.

Observation and Measurement of Forward Proton Scattering in Association with Lepton Pairs Produced via the Photon Fusion Mechanism at ATLAS

The observation of forward proton scattering in association with lepton pairs (e^{+}e^{-}+p or μ^{+}μ^{-}+p) produced via photon fusion is presented. The scattered proton is detected by the ATLAS Forward Proton spectrometer, while the leptons are reconstructed by the central ATLAS detector. Proton-proton collision data recorded in 2017 at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt[s]=13  TeV are analyzed, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 14.6  fb^{-1}. A total of 57 (123) candidates in the ee+p (μμ+p) final state are selected, allowing the background-only hypothesis to be rejected with a significance exceeding 5 standard deviations in each channel. Proton-tagging techniques are introduced for cross-section measurements in the fiducial detector acceptance, corresponding to σ_{ee+p}=11.0±2.6(stat)±1.2(syst)±0.3(lumi) and σ_{μμ+p}=7.2±1.6(stat)±0.9(syst)±0.2(lumi)  fb in the dielectron and dimuon channel, respectively.

Search for Heavy Resonances Decaying into a Photon and a Hadronically Decaying Higgs Boson in pp Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

This Letter presents a search for the production of new heavy resonances decaying into a Higgs boson and a photon using proton-proton collision data at sqrt[s]=13  TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 139  fb^{-1}. The analysis is performed by reconstructing hadronically decaying Higgs boson (H→bb[over ¯]) candidates as single large-radius jets. A novel algorithm using information about the jet constituents in the center-of-mass frame of the jet is implemented to identify the two b quarks in the single jet. No significant excess of events is observed above the expected background. Upper limits are set on the production cross-section times branching fraction for narrow spin-1 resonances decaying into a Higgs boson and a photon in the resonance mass range from 0.7 to 4 TeV, cross-section times branching fractions are excluded between 11.6 fb and 0.11 fb at a 95% confidence level.

Prognosis of COVID-19 in patients with vein thrombosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

SARS-CoV-2 is currently affecting millions of humans worldwide, thus contributing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thromboembolic events have a higher incidence among patients with COVID-19, but there are few reports on the relationship between the prognosis of COVID-19 patients and thromboembolic events. The objectives of this meta-analysis were to explore the relationship between the prognosis of COVID-19 patients and thromboembolic events.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Medline (PubMed), the Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched for case-control studies that included data on vein thrombosis in patients with COVID-19 and were published in English, between January 1 and July 25, 2020. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the included data were confirmed, the prognoses of patients with and without concurrent thromboembolic events were compared, and the odds ratio (OR) was used as the effect size.

RESULTS

Eighteen studies (2,030 patients) were included. Thromboembolic events complicated a total of 609 COVID-19 patients. The combined OR of the mortality of COVID-19 patients with thromboembolic events was 1.93 (95% CI: 1.13-3.27), that of ICU treatment rate was 2.63 (95% CI: 1.49-4.67), and that of treatment with invasive mechanical ventilation was 3.14 (95% CI: 1.97-5.02).

CONCLUSIONS

As compared with COVID-19 patients with and without thromboembolism, the mortality, ICU treatment rate, and invasive mechanical ventilation treatment rate of COVID-19 patients with thromboembolism were found to be increased significantly, and the prognosis was worse.

Arrhythmia in patients with severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19): a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Many studies have reported arrhythmia to be associated with coronavirus disease (COVID-19), but no meta-analysis has explored whether arrhythmia is related to COVID-19 severity. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate arrhythmia in patients with severe and non-severe COVID-19 during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for case control studies that were published between January 1 and July 25, 2020, and that had data on arrhythmia in patients with COVID-19. Random effects model was used with the odds ratio as the effect size. The frequency of arrhythmia was compared between COVID-19 patients with and without the composite endpoint of severity. We also determined the pooled prevalence of arrhythmia in patients with COVID-19. Publication bias and heterogeneity were considered by using subgroup analyses, meta-regression, and the trim and fill method.

RESULTS

A total of 1553 patients with COVID-19 were included in the 5 articles we obtained. Of these, 349 cases (22.47%) and 1204 cases (77.53%) were severely ill and non-severely ill inpatients with COVID-19 pneumonia, respectively. There were 790 (50.87%) male patients. A total of 105 cases (30.09%) of severely ill inpatients with COVID-19 pneumonia had arrhythmia complications, and 34 cases (2.82%) of non-severely ill inpatients with COVID-19 pneumonia had arrhythmia complications. We found arrhythmia to be significantly associated with severely ill inpatients with COVID-19 pneumonia, with a pooled odds ratio of 17.97 (95% CI (11.30, 28.55), p<0.00001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that the incidence of arrhythmia in patients with severe COVID-19 was greater than that of those with non-severe COVID-19. Patients with severe COVID-19 had a higher risk of arrhythmia complications, which further showed that COVID-19 may be a risk factor for arrhythmia and that the incidence of arrhythmia may increase with the progression of the disease. More importantly, this meta-analysis graded the reliability of evidence for further basic and clinical research into arrhythmia in patients with COVID-19.

Search for Higgs Boson Decays into a Z Boson and a Light Hadronically Decaying Resonance Using 13 TeV pp Collision Data from the ATLAS Detector

A search for Higgs boson decays into a Z boson and a light resonance in two-lepton plus jet events is performed, using a pp collision dataset with an integrated luminosity of 139  fb^{-1} collected at sqrt[s]=13  TeV by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN LHC. The resonance considered is a light boson with a mass below 4 GeV from a possible extended scalar sector or a charmonium state. Multivariate discriminants are used for the event selection and for evaluating the mass of the light resonance. No excess of events above the expected background is found. Observed (expected) 95% confidence-level upper limits are set on the Higgs boson production cross section times branching fraction to a Z boson and the signal resonance, with values in the range 17-340 pb (16_{-5}^{+6}-320_{-90}^{+130}  pb) for the different light spin-0 boson mass and branching fraction hypotheses, and with values of 110 and 100 pb (100_{-30}^{+40} and 100_{-30}^{+40}  pb) for the η_{c} and J/ψ hypotheses, respectively.

Cardiac evaluation in patients with scleroderma_results from screening of pulmonary hypertension in systemic lupus erythermatosus (SOPHIE) study

Background

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) and cardiac involvement were considered as the important prognostic factors in patients with scleroderma. The purpose of this study is to investigate the PH prevalence and related cardiovascular events in patients with scleroderma who were enrolled for screening of PH in systemic lupus erythermatosus (SOPHIE) study.

Methods

One hundred and ninety-four patients with scleroderma were enrolled in this study. Clinical characteristics were collected, all of patients were received echocardiography for screening of the probability of PH using tricuspid regurgitation jet velocity and other echocardiographic “PH” signs. Additionally, Blood test, B type natriuretic peptide (BNP), serum autoantibodies, and 6 minutes walk test, as well as electrocardiograph, were performed in those patients.

Results

Forty (20.6%) patients were divided into intermediate/ high probability PH group (IHPH), 154 Patients were divided into none/ low probability PH group (NLPH). Patients in IHPH group were older compared to NLPH group and has a higher proportion of males (20% VS 7.8%.NLPH), dermatomyositis (10% VS 1.9%.NLPH), and stage 3 chronic kidney disease (7.5% VS 1.3%.NLPH), with a shorter 6MWT distance (390.2±108.3 VS 444.9±88.5.NLPH). B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) level (181.4±323.8 VS 51.1±61.8. NLPH) and the proportion of BNP level larger than 100 pg/ml (40% VS 10.3%.NLPH) were increased in IHPH group. No significant difference was observed in serum autoantibodies including anti-Scl-70, anti-centromere, anti-RNP, and antiphospholipid antibody between two groups. Thirty-six (18.6%) patients occurred arrythmias, 3 patients (1.6%) with atrial fibrillation and all belong to the IHPH group, patients in IHPH group presented a higher proportion of premature atrial complex (7.5% VS 1.0%.NLPH) and sinus tachycardia (5% VS 0.6%.NLPH), no significant difference was observed in arrythmias in terms of atrial-ventricular blockage or ventricular conduction blockage. Forty patients (20.6%) occurred abnormal electrical activities, the main difference between two groups were lie in T wave abnormality (20% vs 3.9%. NLPH) and P wave high voltage (7.5% VS 0%.NLPH). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve revealed that BNP larger than 100pg/ml to predict PH with sensitivity (52.9%) and specificity (88.2%). Multiple logistic regression analysis indicates age (OR, 1.1; 95% CI, 1.0, 1.10), BNP (OR, 1.0; 95% CI, 1.0, 1.02), diastolic blood pressure (OR, 1.0; 95% CI, 0.91, 0.98) significantly affected right ventricular systolic pressure.

Conclusions

Patients with scleroderma belonged to IHPH group are relatively older than that of NLPH group and manifested with a higher proportion of males, dermatomyositis, more severely chronic kidney disease, arrhythmias, and abnormal electrical activities. Increased age, BNP levels, and diastolic blood pressure can serve as the predicting factors for pulmonary hypertension in patients with scleroderma.

Figure 1

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None

Dijet Resonance Search with Weak Supervision Using sqrt[s]=13 TeV pp Collisions in the ATLAS Detector

This Letter describes a search for narrowly resonant new physics using a machine-learning anomaly detection procedure that does not rely on signal simulations for developing the analysis selection. Weakly supervised learning is used to train classifiers directly on data to enhance potential signals. The targeted topology is dijet events and the features used for machine learning are the masses of the two jets. The resulting analysis is essentially a three-dimensional search A→BC, for m_{A}∼O(TeV), m_{B},m_{C}∼O(100  GeV) and B, C are reconstructed as large-radius jets, without paying a penalty associated with a large trials factor in the scan of the masses of the two jets. The full run 2 sqrt[s]=13  TeV pp collision dataset of 139  fb^{-1} recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider is used for the search. There is no significant evidence of a localized excess in the dijet invariant mass spectrum between 1.8 and 8.2 TeV. Cross-section limits for narrow-width A, B, and C particles vary with m_{A}, m_{B}, and m_{C}. For example, when m_{A}=3  TeV and m_{B}≳200  GeV, a production cross section between 1 and 5 fb is excluded at 95% confidence level, depending on m_{C}. For certain masses, these limits are up to 10 times more sensitive than those obtained by the inclusive dijet search. These results are complementary to the dedicated searches for the case that B and C are standard model bosons.

[Clinical analysis of 26 children with postoperative residual or recurrent fibrosarcoma]

Objective: To evaluate the long-term outcomes and prognostic factors of postoperative residual or recurrent fibrosarcoma in children. Methods: Clinical data of 26 patients continually admitted to Shanghai Children's Medical Center between April 2004 and February 2019 with postoperative residual or recurrent fibrosarcoma were analyzed retrospectively. All patients were treated with Shanghai Children's Medical Center-rhabdomyosarcoma-1999 (SCMC-RS-99) regimen and timely radical tumor resection. Before chemotherapy, according to the surgery and imaging examination, 26 patients were divided into 2 groups: postoperative residual group and postoperative recurrent group. Clinical features and long-term follow-up results of patients were summarized. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate the overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) rates, Log-Rank test and Cox proportional hazards models were used for univariate and multivariate prognostic analysis of factors including age (<3 years or 3-18 years old), gender, primary tumor site, postoperative stage, disease status, ETS variant 6 (ETV6) gene and chemotherapy drugs. Results: Among 26 cases, 13 were male and 13 were female, 17 cases were in postoperative residual group and 9 cases were in postoperative recurrent group. Until the last follow-up at December 31, 2019, the median follow-up time was 73 months (ranged from 10 to 188 months).The 5-year OS and EFS rates were (86±7)% and (77±9)%. Univariate analysis showed that, the 5-year EFS rate of postoperative residual group was significantly higher than that of the postoperative recurrent group ((94±5)% vs.(63±16)%,χ(2)=5.106,P=0.024), the 5-year EFS rate of patients <3 years old was significantly higher than that of patients 3-18 years old ((94±5)% vs. (62±17)%, χ(2)=6.507, P=0.011). Gender (χ(2)=0.445), primary tumor site (χ(2)=0.258), postoperative stage (χ(2)=3.046), ETV6 gene (χ(2)=1.496), and whether doxorubicin-containing drugs in chemotherapy (χ(2)=1.692) did not exhibit significant impact on 5-EFS rate (all P>0.05). Age, postoperative stage and disease status were included in COX proportional risk model for multivariate analysis, which showed that age >3 years old (HR=8.95, 95%CI 0.73-109.50, P=0.086), stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ (HR=16.50, 95%CI 0.84-321.40, P=0.065) and postoperative recurrence (HR=10.60, 95%CI 0.84-134.30, P=0.068) had no significant impact on EFS rate. Conclusion: Children with postoperative residual or postoperative recurrent fibrosarcoma still had good remission rate and long-term survival, especially young children without recurrence have a significant survival advantage.

GW190521: A Binary Black Hole Merger with a Total Mass of 150 M_{⊙}

On May 21, 2019 at 03:02:29 UTC Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo observed a short duration gravitational-wave signal, GW190521, with a three-detector network signal-to-noise ratio of 14.7, and an estimated false-alarm rate of 1 in 4900 yr using a search sensitive to generic transients. If GW190521 is from a quasicircular binary inspiral, then the detected signal is consistent with the merger of two black holes with masses of 85_{-14}^{+21}  M_{⊙} and 66_{-18}^{+17}  M_{⊙} (90% credible intervals). We infer that the primary black hole mass lies within the gap produced by (pulsational) pair-instability supernova processes, with only a 0.32% probability of being below 65  M_{⊙}. We calculate the mass of the remnant to be 142_{-16}^{+28}  M_{⊙}, which can be considered an intermediate mass black hole (IMBH). The luminosity distance of the source is 5.3_{-2.6}^{+2.4}  Gpc, corresponding to a redshift of 0.82_{-0.34}^{+0.28}. The inferred rate of mergers similar to GW190521 is 0.13_{-0.11}^{+0.30}  Gpc^{-3} yr^{-1}.

Utility of data-driven clusters for the prevention of type 2 diabetes

Background

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is an important cause of mortality, disability and health care expenditures. Prevention is crucial to counter global trends, but individual variability of different risk factors leading to T2D has made prevention difficult to achieve. We aimed to identify clusters of individuals based on individual level characteristics of different risk factors using a data driven approach.

Methods

We used data from the Stockholm Diabetes Prevention Program. A population-based, prospective study. Healthy participants who were born in Sweden and aged 35 to 55 years old were recruited between 1992 and 1998 and followed up after 10 and 20 years. At each visit, participants answered extensive questionnaires, anthropometric measures, laboratory examinations and an oral glucose tolerance test. We used age, sex, family history of diabetes, fasting and two hours glucose and insulin, body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and level of education were at baseline to group participants using the k-prototype algorithm. We then examined the risk of diabetes between clusters using survival analysis.

Results

A total of 7,173 participants representing 138,942 person years of follow-up were included in this study. Among them, 998 (14%) developed T2D. We identified six stable clusters: the group with the lowest cumulative incidence of T2D (2.3%) was used as reference (n = 1,265). In the group with the highest risk, 47% developed T2D (n = 772, HR 26.3, 95%CI 17.9-38.5) followed by 17.1% (n = 1,146, HR 7.6, 95%CI 5.1-11.22), 15.2% (n = 1,453, HR 6.7, 95%CI 4.5-9.8), 9.5% (n = 1,384, HR 4.1, 95%CI 2.8-6.2) and 5.2% (n = 1,157, HR 2.0, 95%CI 1.3-3.1) in the remaining groups.

Conclusions

There is important variability between individuals regarding the effect of different risk factors on the incidence of T2D. Data driven categorization strategies can be useful epidemiological tools to pave the way for more precise T2D intervention programs.

Key messages

Prevention strategies for T2D usually follow a one-size fits all approach, ignoring the important variability of risk factors and their consequences among individuals. It is possible to identify subgroups of people with different risk of T2D based on simple clinical and phenotypical characteristics, and could help to improve prevention and treatment of T2D.

Preoperative status and treatment of osteoradionecrosis of the jaw: a retrospective study of 252 cases

Osteoradionecrosis of the jaw (ORNJ) is one of the most devastating and progressive complications of head and neck radiotherapy. It can cause emaciation, deformity, and pathological fractures, resulting in decreased quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the preoperative index and outcomes of treatment for ORNJ. A retrospective study of 252 ORNJ cases treated at one institution between January 2010 and January 2018 was made. The abnormal items from the preoperative examination and follow-up after different treatments were recorded, and the differences between the noteworthy items were compared using univariate and multivariate models. Most ORNJ patients in the middle and late stages had abnormal items, such as hypoproteinaemia, anaemia, and leucocytosis. Partial mandibulectomy with flap reconstruction was significantly more effective than without reconstruction. Advanced ORNJ patients tended to have more abnormal items, which might have a negative influence on treatment. For better outcomes, it is essential and effective to completely remove the necrotic lesion and reconstruct it with a flap. The surgeons should provide sufficient perioperative management and strive for suitable surgical treatment.

Humidity sensor based on a graphene oxide-coated few-mode fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer

A relative humidity sensor based on a graphene oxide-coated few-mode fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) is proposed in this paper. The MZI was made by splicing a segment of the few-mode fiber (FMF) between two segments of a no-core fiber (NCF) and two segments of a single mode fiber (SMF) located outside the two NCFs. The core and cladding of the FMF acted as interferometric arms, while the NCFs acted as couplers for splitting and recombining light due to mismatch of mode field diameter. The cladding of the FMF was corroded with hydrofluoric acid, and a layer of graphene oxide (GO) film was coated on the corroded cladding of FMF via the natural deposition method. The refractive index of GO varied upon absorption the water molecules. As a result, the phase difference of the MZI varied and the wavelength of the resonant dip shifted with a change in the ambient relative humidity (RH). High humidity sensitivity of 0.191 and 0.061 nm/%RH in the RH range of 30-55% and 55-95%, respectively, were achieved experimentally. The high sensitivity, compact size, and simple manufacturing of the proposed sensor could offer attractive applications in fields of chemical sensors and biochemical detection.

Abstract CT401: The experience of treating patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic in China

Background: Cancer patients are regarded as highly vulnerable group in the current SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic. Up to date, the clinical characteristics of cancer patients with COVID-19 are largely unknown.

Patients and methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we collected and analyzed data of the cancer patients with y confirmed COVID-19 infection from three designated hospitals in Wuhan, China from Jan 13, 2020, to Feb 26, 2020. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the risk factors associated with severe events defined as a condition that admission to an intensive care unit, the use of mechanical ventilation, or death. We also followed 124 cancer patients with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and their families for their infection rate and clinical outcome.

Results: Twenty-eight COVID-19 infected cancer patients were included with median age of 65.0 years (IQR:56.0-70.0) and male gender of 60.7% (17/28). Amount of these 28 patients, 7 (25%) had lung cancer, and 8 (28.6%) were considered to be infected via hospital-associated transmission. Fifteen (53.6%) patients had severe events with the mortality rate of 28.6%. The last anti-tumor treatment within 14 days from the diagnoses of COVID significant increased risk of developing severe events (HR=4.079, 95%CI 1.086-15.322, P=0.037). The common chest CT findings were ground-glass opacity (21, 75.0%) and patchy consolidation (13, 46.3%). The patchy consolidation on CT had a higher risk for developing severe events (HR=5.438, 95%CI 1.498-19.748, P=0.010). There was only one patient (1/124, 0.8%) who have been on ICI treatment for his metastatic HCC confirmed with COVID infection, and with mild clinic presentation and a short hospital course.

Conclusions: Cancer patients showed aggressive presentation and poor outcomes with the COVID-19 infection. It is recommended that vigorous screening for COVID-19 infection should be performed for cancer patients with anti-tumor. From our limited data, there is no evidence to suggest difference in cancer patients on ICI treatment.

Citation Format: Li Zhang, F Zhu, L Xie, C Wang, J Wang, R Chen, P Jia, H Q. Guan, L Peng, P Peng, P Zhang, Q Chu, Q Shen, Y Wang, S Y. Xu, J P. Zhao, M Zhou, Y Chen. The experience of treating patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic in China [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr CT401.

CP Properties of Higgs Boson Interactions with Top Quarks in the tt[over ¯]H and tH Processes Using H→γγ with the ATLAS Detector

A study of the charge conjugation and parity (CP) properties of the interaction between the Higgs boson and top quarks is presented. Higgs bosons are identified via the diphoton decay channel (H→γγ), and their production in association with a top quark pair (tt[over ¯]H) or single top quark (tH) is studied. The analysis uses 139  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt[s]=13  TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Assuming a CP-even coupling, the tt[over ¯]H process is observed with a significance of 5.2 standard deviations. The measured cross section times H→γγ branching ratio is 1.64_{-0.36}^{+0.38}(stat)_{-0.14}^{+0.17}(sys)  fb, and the measured rate for tt[over ¯]H is 1.43_{-0.31}^{+0.33}(stat)_{-0.15}^{+0.21}(sys) times the Standard Model expectation. The tH production process is not observed and an upper limit on its rate of 12 times the Standard Model expectation is set. A CP-mixing angle greater (less) than 43 (-43)° is excluded at 95% confidence level.

Search for Heavy Higgs Bosons Decaying into Two Tau Leptons with the ATLAS Detector Using pp Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

A search for heavy neutral Higgs bosons is performed using the LHC Run 2 data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector. The search for heavy resonances is performed over the mass range 0.2-2.5 TeV for the τ^{+}τ^{-} decay with at least one τ-lepton decaying into final states with hadrons. The data are in good agreement with the background prediction of the standard model. In the M_{h}^{125} scenario of the minimal supersymmetric standard model, values of tanβ>8 and tanβ>21 are excluded at the 95% confidence level for neutral Higgs boson masses of 1.0 and 1.5 TeV, respectively, where tanβ is the ratio of the vacuum expectation values of the two Higgs doublets.

Measurement of the Lund Jet Plane Using Charged Particles in 13 TeV Proton-Proton Collisions with the ATLAS Detector

The prevalence of hadronic jets at the LHC requires that a deep understanding of jet formation and structure is achieved in order to reach the highest levels of experimental and theoretical precision. There have been many measurements of jet substructure at the LHC and previous colliders, but the targeted observables mix physical effects from various origins. Based on a recent proposal to factorize physical effects, this Letter presents a double-differential cross-section measurement of the Lund jet plane using 139  fb^{-1} of sqrt[s]=13  TeV proton-proton collision data collected with the ATLAS detector using jets with transverse momentum above 675 GeV. The measurement uses charged particles to achieve a fine angular resolution and is corrected for acceptance and detector effects. Several parton shower Monte Carlo models are compared with the data. No single model is found to be in agreement with the measured data across the entire plane.

Antimicrobial resistance in southern China: results of prospective surveillance in Dongguan city, 2017

BACKGROUND

Few studies have estimated the burden of infections due to antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) pathogens in China.

AIM

To summarize antimicrobial resistance and assess the frequency of community-associated infections (CAIs) and healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) due to AMR pathogens in Dongguan city, China.

METHODS

Seven acute care hospitals provided antimicrobial susceptibility data for 2017, from which 'bug-drug' combinations were analysed. To calculate incidence proportions of CAI and incidence densities of HCAI, data from three tertiary care hospitals were merged with patient data, obtained from the Dongguan Nosocomial Infection Surveillance System.

FINDINGS

A total of 16,548 pathogens were analysed. Non-susceptibility to third-generation cephalosporins (3GCs) in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae was 43.9% and 30.2%, respectively. Non-susceptibility to carbapenems in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii was 29.5% and 50.9%, respectively. A quarter of Staphylococcus aureus (26.3%) were non-susceptible to oxacillin. The incidence density of HCAI due to E. coli non-susceptible to 3GCs and fluoroquinolones combined was 0.09 (95% confidence interval: 0.07-0.11) per 1000 patient-days. Both E. coli and K. pneumoniae were the predominant pathogens isolated from blood. Compared with the 2017 European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network report, the incidence proportion of bloodstream infections due to multidrug-resistant E. coli was significantly higher (14.9% and 4.6%, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The incidence of non-susceptible bug-drug combinations in Dongguan city was lower compared with China as a whole. Non-susceptible bug-drug combinations were significantly more frequent in HCAI compared with CAI. The incidence proportion of bloodstream infections due to multidrug-resistant pathogens in Dongguan City was higher compared with Europe.