Simultaneous Measurement of Proton and Lepton Kinematics in Quasielasticlike ν_{μ}-Hydrocarbon Interactions from 2 to 20 GeV

Neutrino charged-current quasielastic-like scattering, a reaction category extensively used in neutrino oscillation measurements, probes nuclear effects that govern neutrino-nucleus interactions. This Letter reports the first measurement of the triple-differential cross section for ν_{μ} quasielastic-like reactions using the hydrocarbon medium of the MINERvA detector exposed to a wideband beam spanning 2≤E_{ν}≤20  GeV. The measurement maps the correlations among transverse and longitudinal muon momenta and summed proton kinetic energies, and compares them to predictions from a state-of-art simulation. Discrepancies are observed that likely reflect shortfalls with modeling of pion and nucleon intranuclear scattering and/or spectator nucleon ejection from struck nuclei. The separate determination of leptonic and hadronic variables can inform experimental approaches to neutrino-energy estimation.

Changes in laboratory value improvement and mortality rates over the course of the pandemic: an international retrospective cohort study of hospitalised patients infected with SARS-CoV-2

OBJECTIVE

To assess changes in international mortality rates and laboratory recovery rates during hospitalisation for patients hospitalised with SARS-CoV-2 between the first wave (1 March to 30 June 2020) and the second wave (1 July 2020 to 31 January 2021) of the COVID-19 pandemic.

DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

This is a retrospective cohort study of 83 178 hospitalised patients admitted between 7 days before or 14 days after PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection within the Consortium for Clinical Characterization of COVID-19 by Electronic Health Record, an international multihealthcare system collaborative of 288 hospitals in the USA and Europe. The laboratory recovery rates and mortality rates over time were compared between the two waves of the pandemic.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome was all-cause mortality rate within 28 days after hospitalisation stratified by predicted low, medium and high mortality risk at baseline. The secondary outcome was the average rate of change in laboratory values during the first week of hospitalisation.

RESULTS

Baseline Charlson Comorbidity Index and laboratory values at admission were not significantly different between the first and second waves. The improvement in laboratory values over time was faster in the second wave compared with the first. The average C reactive protein rate of change was -4.72 mg/dL vs -4.14 mg/dL per day (p=0.05). The mortality rates within each risk category significantly decreased over time, with the most substantial decrease in the high-risk group (42.3% in March-April 2020 vs 30.8% in November 2020 to January 2021, p<0.001) and a moderate decrease in the intermediate-risk group (21.5% in March-April 2020 vs 14.3% in November 2020 to January 2021, p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Admission profiles of patients hospitalised with SARS-CoV-2 infection did not differ greatly between the first and second waves of the pandemic, but there were notable differences in laboratory improvement rates during hospitalisation. Mortality risks among patients with similar risk profiles decreased over the course of the pandemic. The improvement in laboratory values and mortality risk was consistent across multiple countries.

Shuxie-1 Decoction Alleviated CUMS -Induced Liver Injury via IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 Signaling

Introduction: Chronic stress has been shown to cause liver damage in addition to psychological depression. Besides, drug-induced liver injury is frequently caused by antidepressants. Shuxie-1 decoction (SX-1) is a formula of traditional Chinese medicine commonly used in nourishing liver blood, and relieving depression. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. Therefore, this study was designed to explore the effects and mechanisms of SX-1 in treating chronic stress-induced depression as well as liver injury.

Methods: Chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) was applied to male Wistar rats for 4 weeks, with or without administration of SX-1 at low-dose and high-dose for 6 weeks, using Fluoxetine (Flu) as a positive control. Body weight was monitored once every 2 weeks. In the sixth week, the sugar preference test and open field test were carried out to evaluate the depression status. After that, the serum and liver tissues were collected. The quality control of SX-1 decoctions and drug-containing serum was controlled by UHPLC-QE-MS. The cell viability was measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Elisa), Western Blot and immunohistochemistrical staining was obtained to detect the protein levels in the plasma and the hepatic tissues, respectively.

Results: CUMS led to decreased 1) body weight, 2) the preference for sugar water, 3) the desire to explore in open field, and increased serum levels of corticosterone. All these factors were completely reversed by SX-1 treatment. Hematoxylin-eosin staining (HE) showed that SX-1 improved the hepatocyte vacuolization in CUMS treated rats, decreased the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and the deposition of type I collagen (Col I) in hepatocytes as well. CUMS increased the levels of hepatic Interleukin-6 (IL-6), and provoked the activation of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), which was abrogated by SX-1 treatment. Cobalt chloride (CoCl₂) increased the protein expression of IL-6 and p-STAT3 in AML12 cells. Besides, nuclear pyknosis was observed under electron microscope, which were recovered after rat SX serum.

Conclusion: SX-1 effectively ameliorated CUMS-induced depression-like behaviors as well as hepatic injuries, probably by the blockade of hepatic IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling.

Long-term performance, membrane fouling behaviors and microbial community in a hollow fiber anaerobic membrane bioreactor (HF-AnMBR) treating synthetic terephthalic acid-containing wastewater

Purified terephthalic acid (PTA) wastewater with properties of poor biodegradation and high toxicity is produced from refining and synthesis of petrochemical products. In this study, a lab-scale hollow fiber membrane bioreactor (HF-AnMBR) fed with synthetic PTA wastewater was operated over 200 days with stepwise decreased hydraulic retention time (HRT) to investigate the long-term performance, membrane fouling mechanism and microbial community evolution. Results showed that a stable chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rate of 65.8 ± 4.1% was achieved at organic loading rate of 3.1 ± 0.3 g-COD/L-reactor/d and HRT 24 h, under which the methane production rate reached 0.33 ± 0.02 L/L-reactor/d. Further shortening HRT, however, led to the decreased COD removal efficiency and low methane bioconversion. A mild membrane fouling occurred due to the production of colloidal biopolymers and the interaction between increased colloidal substances secreted/cracked by microorganisms and membrane interface. Further 16S rRNA analysis indicated that microbial diversity and richness had changed with the variation of HRT while Methanosaeta, and Methanolinea species were always the dominant methanogens responsible for methane production. The results verify that HF-AnMBR is an alternative technology for PTA wastewater treatment along with energy harvesting, and provide a new avenue toward sustainable petrochemical wastewater management.

The N6-Methyladenosine Modification and Its Role in mRNA Metabolism and Gastrointestinal Tract Disease

The N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is the most abundant internal modification of messenger RNA (mRNA) in higher eukaryotes. Under the actions of methyltransferase, demethylase and methyl-binding protein, m6A resulting from RNA methylation becomes dynamic and reversible, similar to that from DNA methylation, and this effect allows the generated mRNA to participate in metabolism processes, such as splicing, transport, translation, and degradation. The most common tumors are those found in the gastrointestinal tract, and research on these tumors has flourished since the discovery of m6A. Overall, further analysis of the mechanism of m6A and its role in tumors may contribute to new ideas for the treatment of tumors. m6A also plays an important role in non-tumor diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. This manuscript reviews the current knowledge of m6A-related proteins, mRNA metabolism and their application in gastrointestinal tract disease.

Electrostatic pull-in application in flexible devices: A review

The electrostatic pull-in effect is a common phenomenon and a key parameter in the design of microscale and nanoscale devices. Flexible electronic devices based on the pull-in effect have attracted increasing attention due to their unique ductility. This review summarizes nanoelectromechanical switches made by flexible materials and classifies and discusses their applications in, among others, radio frequency systems, microfluidic systems, and electrostatic discharge protection. It is supposed to give researchers a more comprehensive understanding of the pull-in phenomenon and the development of its applications. Also, the review is meant to provide a reference for engineers to design and optimize devices.

Duclauxin Derivatives From Fungi and Their Biological Activities

Duclauxin is a heptacyclic oligophenalenone dimer consisting of an isocoumarin and a dihydroisocoumarin unit. These two tricyclic moieties are joined by a cyclopentane ring to form a unique hinge or castanets-like structure. Duclauxin is effective against numerous tumor cell lines because it prevents adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis by inhibiting mitochondrial respiration. There are about 36 reported natural duclauxin analogs mainly produced by 9 Penicillium and Talaromyces species (T. duclauxii, T. aculeatus, T. stipitatus, T. bacillisporus, T. verruculosus, T. macrosporus, P. herquei, P. manginii, and Talaromyces sp.). These metabolites exhibit remarkable biological activities, including antitumor, enzyme inhibition, and antimicrobial, showing tremendous potential in agricultural and medical applications. This review highlights the chemical structures and biological activities of fungal duclauxins, together with biosynthesis, absolute configuration, and mode of action for important duclauxins. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis and correct names of Penicillium and Talaromyces species producing duclauxins are presented in this review.

Disordered mesoporous carbon activated peroxydisulfate pretreatment facilitates disintegration of extracellular polymeric substances and anaerobic bioconversion of waste activated sludge

The potential of disordered mesoporous carbon (DMC) as catalyst of peroxydisulfate (PDS) to improve sludge solubilization and methane production was investigated. Results showed that DMC activated PDS (DMC/PDS) to produce sulfate radicals (SO₄^-), facilitating cells rupture and sludge matrix dissociation by degrading the carbonyl and amide groups in organic biopolymers (especially proteins, polysaccharides and humus). At the optimal DMC/PDS dosage of 0.04/1.2 g-mmol/g-VS, SCOD was increased from initial 294.0 to 681.5 mg/L, with the methane production rate of 12.6 mL/g-VS/day. Moreover, DMC could serve as electron mediator to accelerate electron transfer of microorganisms, building a more robust anaerobic metabolic environment. Modelling analysis further demonstrated the crucial role of DMC/PDS pretreatment in biological degradation and methane productivity. This study indicated that DMC/PDS pretreatment can prominently enhance the release of soluble substances and methane production, aiding the utilization of PDS oxidation technology for improving anaerobic bioconversion of sludge.

Magnetite-enhanced bioelectrochemical stimulation for biodegradation and biomethane production of waste activated sludge

Microbial electrolytic cell (MEC) and magnetite (M) have shown excellent performance in promoting anaerobic digestion (AD) of biowastes. In this study, four types of anaerobic systems (i.e. single AD, M-AD, MEC-AD, and M-MEC-AD) were developed to comprehensively investigate the potential effects of magnetite-enhanced bioelectrochemical stimulation on the biodegradation of waste activated sludge (WAS) and methane (CH₄) production. Results showed that M-MEC-AD system produced the highest cumulative CH₄ yield, 9.4% higher than that observed in MEC-AD system. Bioelectrochemical stimulation enriched electroactive Geobacter, and classical methanogens (Methanosaeta and Methanobacterium), and the proliferation was further promoted when coupling with magnetite. The relative abundance of Geobacter (6.9%), Methanosaeta (0.3%), and Methanobacterium (12.6%) in M-MEC-AD system was about 10.8, 1.2, and 1.2 times of MEC-AD system, respectively. The integration of magnetite could serve as the conductive materials, and promote inherent indirect electron transfer (IET) and emerging direct electron transfer (DET) between methanogens and fermentative bacteria, building a more energy-efficient route for interspecies electron transfer and methane productivity. This study demonstrated the positive promotion of the coupled bioelectrochemical regulation and magnetite on organic biodegradation, process stability and CH₄ productivity, providing some references for the integrated technology in sludge treatment and bioenergy recovery.

High serum uric acid may associate with the increased risk of colorectal cancer in females: A prospective cohort study

Elevated serum uric acid (SUA) levels have been previously reported to play a role in multiple types of cancers. However, epidemiological studies evaluating SUA levels and colorectal cancer risk remain sparse. This cohort study included 444 462 participants between the ages of 40 and 69 years from the UK Biobank, followed up from 2006 to 2010. Multivariable adjusted Cox regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs). During a mean follow-up of 6.6 years, 2033 and 855 cases of colon and rectal cancers, respectively, were diagnosed. The multivariable-adjusted HRs for risks of colon cancer in the lowest uric acid categories (≤3.5 mg/dL) compared with the reference groups were 1.31 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.75-2.29) in males and 1.26 (95% CI = 1.03-1.55) in females. The HRs in the highest uric acid groups (>8.4 mg/dL) were 1.16 (95% CI = 0.83-1.63) in males and 2.00 (95% CI = 1.02-3.92) in females. The corresponding HRs of rectal cancer in the lowest uric acid groups compared with the reference group were 2.21 (95% CI = 1.15-4.23) in males and 0.98 (95% CI = 0.66-1.45) in females. The HRs in the highest uric acid groups were 1.35 (95% CI = 0.82-2.23) in males and 3.81 (95% CI = 1.38-10.56) in females. In conclusion, SUA showed a U-shaped association with colon cancer risk in both male and female populations. The same pattern was observed in male patients with rectal cancer. However, SUA levels were positively associated with occurrence of rectal cancer in female subjects.

Risk factors for residual disease at re-TUR in a large cohort of T1G3 patients

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

The goals of transurethral resection of a bladder tumor (TUR) are to completely resect the lesions and to make a correct diagnosis in order to adequately stage the patient. It is well known that the presence of detrusor muscle in the specimen is a prerequisite to minimize the risk of under staging. Persistent disease after resection of bladder tumors is not uncommon and is the reason why the European Guidelines recommended a re-TUR for all T1 tumors. It was recently published that when there is muscle in the specimen, re-TUR does not influence progression or cancer specific survival. We present here the patient and tumor factors that may influence the presence of residual disease at re-TUR.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In our retrospective cohort of 2451 primary T1G3 patients initially treated with BCG, pathology results for 934 patients (38.1%) who underwent re-TUR are available. 74% had multifocal tumors, 20% of tumors were more than 3 cm in diameter and 26% had concomitant CIS. In this subgroup of patients who underwent re-TUR, there was no residual disease in 267 patients (29%) and residual disease in 667 patients (71%): Ta in 378 (40%) and T1 in 289 (31%) patients. Age, gender, tumor status (primary/recurrent), previous intravesical therapy, tumor size, tumor multi-focality, presence of concomitant CIS, and muscle in the specimen were analyzed in order to evaluate risk factors of residual disease at re-TUR, both in univariate analyses and multivariate logistic regressions.

RESULTS

The following were not risk factors for residual disease: age, gender, tumor status and previous intravesical chemotherapy. The following were univariate risk factors for presence of residual disease: no muscle in TUR, multiple tumors, tumors > 3 cm, and presence of concomitant CIS. Due to the correlation between tumor multi-focality and tumor size, the multivariate model retained either the number of tumors or the tumor diameter (but not both), p < 0.001. The presence of muscle in the specimen was no longer significant, while the presence of CIS only remained significant in the model with tumor size, p < 0.001.

CONCLUSIONS

The most significant factors for a higher risk of residual disease at re-TUR in T1G3 patients are multifocal tumors and tumors more than 3 cm. Patients with concomitant CIS and those without muscle in the specimen also have a higher risk of residual disease.