Constraints on Heavy Decaying Dark Matter from 570 Days of LHAASO Observations

The kilometer square array (KM2A) of the large high altitude air shower observatory (LHAASO) aims at surveying the northern γ-ray sky at energies above 10 TeV with unprecedented sensitivity. γ-ray observations have long been one of the most powerful tools for dark matter searches, as, e.g., high-energy γ rays could be produced by the decays of heavy dark matter particles. In this Letter, we present the first dark matter analysis with LHAASO-KM2A, using the first 340 days of data from 1/2-KM2A and 230 days of data from 3/4-KM2A. Several regions of interest are used to search for a signal and account for the residual cosmic-ray background after γ/hadron separation. We find no excess of dark matter signals, and thus place some of the strongest γ-ray constraints on the lifetime of heavy dark matter particles with mass between 10^{5} and 10^{9}  GeV. Our results with LHAASO are robust, and have important implications for dark matter interpretations of the diffuse astrophysical high-energy neutrino emission.

Erratum: Intrinsic Correlation between the Fraction of Liquidlike Zones and the β Relaxation in High-Entropy Metallic Glasses [Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 175501 (2022)]

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.129.175501.

[Clinical analysis of 12 cases of laryngeal neuroendocrine carcinoma]

Objective: To investigate the clinical and pathological features, treatments and prognosis of laryngeal neuroendocrine carcinoma (LNEC). Methods: We conducted the retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 12 patients with LNEC admitted to the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from May 2014 to December 2021, including 9 males and 3 females, aged 50-77 years. There were 4 cases of typical carcinoid tumour (highly differentiated), 5 cases of atypical carcinoid tumour (moderately differentiated) and 3 cases of neuroendocrine small cell carcinoma (hypofractionated). The clinical features, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of LNEC were analysed. Results: The clinical manifestations of LNEC varied according to the tumour type but did not correlate with the pathological types. The supraglottic type was characterized by sore throat, foreign body sensation in the pharynx, coughing, obstructive sensation when eating and choking on water. The treatments were determined according to the pathological types, lesion location and invasion scope. Of 12 patients 4 underwent horizontal partial laryngectomy plus elective lymphatic dissection plus postoperative radiotherapy/chemotherapy, 4 underwent vertical partial laryngectomy (3 of them with cervical lymphatic dissection), 3 underwent supported laryngoscopic plasma laryngectomy for laryngeal cancer, and 1 abandoned for treatment. With the follow-up of 8 -78 months, 5 patients were alive, 1 died from chemotherapy reactions, 3 died from other diseases, 1 died from lung metastasis, 1 died from lung infection and 1 was lost to follow-up. Conclusion: LNEC is clinically rare, the clinical manifestations are less specificity, diagnosis relies on pathological and immunohistochemical examinations, and treatment modalities and prognoses are closely related to the pathological subtypes of LNEC.

[Clinical analysis of three-dimensional surgical planning system for guiding robot-assisted selective artery clamping partial nephrectomy in completely endophytic renal tumor]

Objective: To examine the safety and feasibility of three-dimensional (3D) surgical planning system for guiding robot-assisted selective artery clamping partial nephrectomy (RASPN) in completely endophytic renal tumor. Methods: Clinical data of 32 patients who suffered from completely endophytic renal tumor and underwent RASPN associated with 3D surgical planning system in Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center from November 2018 to August 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. There were 21 males and 11 females, with the age (M (IQR)] of 45.0 (17.5) years (range: 30 to 68 years). Fifteen tumors were located on the left and 17 on the right. Maximum tumor diameter, R.E.N.A.L. Score and preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were 27.5 (13.0) mm (range: 14 to 50 mm), 10.0 (1.8) (range: 7 to 11), and 105.5 (15.7) ml·min^-1·(1.73 m²)^-1 (range: 71.1 to 124.8 ml·min^-1·(1.73 m²)^-1), respectively. The 3D reconstruction before RASPN was performed in all patients to formulate surgical planning, mainly including stereo localization of renal mass, confirmation of tumor feeding artery, and injury prediction of collecting system or vessel via "2 mm distance method" defined as probable damage of renal pelvis/calyx and artery/vein when these tissues were less than 2 mm away from tumor. Results: Totally 32 patients successfully underwent RASPN guided by 3D surgical planning system, without conversion to open operation or radical nephrectomy. Rapid location of tumor and selective clamping of artery were achieved in all cases and no one encountered global ischemia, with branch occlusion time of 24.5 (15.4) min (range: 12 to 60 min) and coincidence rate of 95.0% (57/60) between planned and actual clamping vessels. The sensitivity and specificity of 2 mm distance method for predicting the injury of collecting system were 13/15 and 17/17, respectively. The operating time of 185 (48) minuetes (range: 76 to 295 minutes) and estimated blood loss of 200 (350) ml (range: 20 to 800 ml) were observed, without intraoperative transfusion case. There was one patient performed with renal vein repair. Clavien-Dindo postoperative grade Ⅱ and Ⅲa bleeding complications occurred in 2 cases, and no postoperative urinary fistula was found. The length of hospitalization was 3 (0) days (range: 2 to 10 days). The pathological diagnosis demonstrated 4 chromophobe cell carcinomas and 2 angiomyolipomas, besides 26 clear cell carcinomas including one positive surgical margin. The postoperative latest eGFR was 103.9(18.5) ml·min^-1·(1.73 m²)^-1 (range: 75.8 to 122.3 ml·min^-1·(1.73 m²)^-1) and no tumor recurrence or metastasis was detected during the follow-up time of 15.4 (13.9) months (range: 3 to 35 months). Conclusion: For RASPN in completely endophytic renal tumor, 3D surgical planning system is contributed to determining mass position, defining tumor feeding artery, and predicting collecting system/vessel injury, which benefited precise tumor resection, postoperative renal function preservation, and perioperative urinary fistula and bleeding complication decrease.

Propagation rules of shock waves in confined space under different initial pressure environments

In this paper, an initial pressure adjustable explosion vessel was developed, and the effect of negative pressure, positive pressure (0.2–1.8 atm) different initial ambient pressure on the explosive shock wave generated by the explosion of explosives was studied. The relationships between the specific impulse, shock wave velocity, the amount of explosive gas products and the ambient pressure were analyzed for different initial pressure environments. It was found that: the overpressure of the blast shock wave decreases with the initial ambient pressure of the explosion, and there exists a negative pressure environment with a dramatic pressure decrease near 0.6 atm, defined as the super-sensitive negative pressure P_cr. The propagation velocity of an explosive wave increases with a decrease in the ambient pressure, and the propagation velocity at a pressure of 1.8 atm is four times less than the velocity at a pressure of 0.2 atm. The production of explosive gas products did not change. The greater the initial pressure of the environment where the explosive is located, the smaller the ratio of the gas generated by the explosion to the initial force gas in the explosion vessel is, and the greater the impact on the propagation of shock waves is. The maximum attenuation of the first specific impulse i₁ is 72.97% and the maximum attenuation of the second specific impulse i₂ is 72.39%. The experiments provide reference data for high-altitude military confrontation, high-altitude weapons and ammunition development, and deep-earth protection engineering.

[Analysis of the effectiveness of coracoid osteotomy and concentric coaxial reconstruction of the glenoid cavity in the treatment of recurrent anterior dislocation of the shoulder joint]

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy of the modified Latarjet procedure in the treatment of recurrent anterior subluxation of the shoulder by "coaxial co-arc" reconstruction of the glenoid cavity. Methods: The clinical data of 103 cases (106 shoulders) of recurrent anterior dislocation of the shoulder admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of the Army Military Medical University from January 2005 to December 2020 were retrospectively studied. Out of these cases, 84 were males and 19 were females; 31 with left-sided injuries while 75 with right-sided injuries, with a mean age of (29.4±11.5) years (16-61 years). The preoperative anterior fear test was positive, and a modified Latarjet procedure was used to reconstruct the shoulder glenoid defect through a "coaxial co-arc". The Rowe score, simple shoulder test (SST) score, and Visual analogue scale (VAS) score of pain were used to assess the shoulder's function. Parameters such as the postoperative shoulder recurrent dislocation rate, shoulder body external rotation angle, and subscapularis muscle strength changes were recorded postoperatively. Moreover, radiographs and CT scans were used to check for the incidence of osteoarthritis (Samson-Prieto score). Results: After a mean follow-up of 9.0 years (1 to 16 years), bony healing occurred 3 to 6 months postoperatively. The Rowe score improved from 40.4±6.5 preoperatively to 93.2±2.5 (P<0.001), the SST score improved from 5.2±1.3 preoperatively to 10.1±1.5 (P<0.001), and the VAS pain score decreased from 3.5±1.9 preoperatively to 1.1±1.2 (P<0.001) at the final follow-up. The angle of lateral external rotation of the shoulder joint was 58.8°±15.6° preoperatively and 57.6°±14.5° postoperatively with no statistically significant difference (P>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the measurement of subscapularis muscle strength between the healthy side and the affected side (P>0.05). In 89.6% of patients after surgery, coaxial co-arc reconstruction of the shoulder glenoid was obtained, and the shoulder glenoid defect and postoperative inclusion angle were significantly improved compared with those before surgery (P<0.001). Postoperatively, new-onset osteoarthritis developed in 7 cases (7/98), arthritis progressed in 2 cases (2/8), incisional healing was poor in 2 cases (2/98), and revision surgery was performed in 2 cases (2/98) due to bone mass detachment. Conclusion: Coracoid osteotomy and concentric coaxial reconstruction of the glenoid cavity elicits adequate good clinical efficacy for cases of recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation, with low recurrence rates, low revision rates and low incidence of osteoarthritis.

[The changes of blood-labyrinth barrier in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss and the relationship with clinical features and prognosis]

Objective: To investigate the clinical features and prognosis in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) with blood-labyrinth barrier breakdown (BLB-B). Methods: Clinical data of patients with unilateral ISSNHL hospitalized from December 2017 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the results of 3D-FLAIR MRI and enhanced MRI scanning, these patients were divided into two groups, i.e., normal and abnormal inner ear groups. The patients in abnormal inner ear group were further divided into two subgroups: BLB-B and BLB-B with exudation. The differences and correlations among the groups in clinical characteristics, in terms of gender, age, deafness side, basic diseases, dizziness/vertigo, vestibular function, hearing loss degree, as well as classification of hearing curve, and prognosis were analyzed by statistical software SPSS 23.0. Results: Data were collected from 150 cases, in which 68 were male and 82 were female, aged (46.2±14.6) years, including 67 cases with normal inner ears and 83 cases with abnormal inner ears (13 cases with BLB-B; 70 cases with BLB-B and exudation). The dizziness/vertigo incidence, side ratio, hearing loss degree, classification of hearing curve, vestibular dysfunction (vestibular double temperature test, HIT and VAT) and therapeutic effect were different between normal and abnormal inner ear groups (P<0.05). The dizziness/vertigo incidence, side ratio, hearing loss degree, classification of hearing curve, vestibular dysfunction (vestibular double temperature test, o/cVEMP, HIT and VAT) and therapeutic effect were different among normal inner ear, BLB-B and BLB-B with exudation groups (P<0.05). Pairwise comparison between groups revealed that vestibular dysfunction (vestibular double temperature test, o/cVEMP, HIT and VAT) and therapeutic effect were different between normal inner ear and BLB-B groups (P<0.05); The dizziness/vertigo incidence, side ratio, hearing loss degree, classification of hearing curve, vestibular dysfunction (vestibular double temperature test, o/cVEMP, HIT and VAT) and therapeutic effect were different between normal inner ear and BLB-B with exudation groups (P<0.05). There was no significant different between BLB-B and BLB-B with exudation groups. Conclusion: BLB-B displayed by 3D-FLAIR MRI manifestation in ISSNHL patients indicates more serious cochlear and vestibular dysfunction, and worse therapeutic effect.

[The role of preventive pancreatic duct stent placement in preventing acute pancreatitis after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography]

The aim of this study was to investigate the preventive effect of pancreatic duct stent on acute pancreatitis after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. A retrospective analysis of the case data of patients who first underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography for choledocholithiasis in the Beijing Friendship Hospital from January 2015 to December 2019 for 5 years. According to whether the pancreatic duct stent was indwelled during the operation, they were divided into pancreatic duct stent group (147 cases) and non-indwelling pancreatic duct stent group (192 cases). The incidence of acute pancreatitis after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was compared between the two groups according to COTTON criteria. Independent sample t test, Pearson Chi-square test (χ²) and Fisher's exact test were used to compare groups' differences. There were 2 cases of acute pancreatitis in the pancreatic duct stent group, all of which improved after 48 hours. There were 22 cases of acute pancreatitis in the non-indwelling pancreatic duct stent group, of which 20 cases improved within 48 hours, and the other 2 cases had severe pancreatitis, which improved and discharged after 30 days of treatment. There was significant difference in the incidence of acute pancreatitis between the pancreatic duct stenting group (1.4%) and the group without placement of pancreatic duct stents (11.5%) (χ²=12.905,P<0.001). In conclusion, Pancreatic duct stent may be an effective method to prevent PEP.

[Nasopharyngeal carcinoma with non-squamous immunophenotype: a clinicopathological analysis of 23 cases]

Objective: To investigate the pathological subtypes and clinicopathological characteristics of the non-squamous immunophenotype nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NSNPC). Methods: The clinicopathological features of the non-squamous immunophenotype nasopharyngeal carcinoma diagnosed between 2011 and 2019 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were analyzed using hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, transmission electron microscopy and PCR gene rearrangement. Follow-up data were also collected. Results: There were 14 males and 9 females with a median age of 46 years (ranging from 16 to 76 years) with an average age of 45 years. Microscopically, patterns were similar to the classic nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Immunohistochemistry showed that most NSNPC cases expressed low molecular weight keratin (CK8/18, CK8 and CKL) and expressed pathway proteins in a low level (EGFR, PI3K, p-AKT and p-mTOR), which had significant difference from classic nasopharyngeal carcinoma group (P<0.05). Other proteins including CK5/6, CKpan, CK7, Syn, CD56, CgA, SOX-10, AKT, mTOR, Notch, STAT3 and p-STAT3 showed no statistical difference between the two groups. Pathogen detection showed that EBER was positive (18/23, 78.3%) and HPV positive(2/23, 8.7%)which were HPV35 and HPV38. The cancer suppressor gene BLU was highly expressed in NSNPC; RASSF1 and Rbms3 were less expressed in NSNPC, in line with classic NPC. As a whole, NSNPC was characterized by ultrastructures of low-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Compared with classic nasopharyngeal carcinoma, NSNPC had a lower recurrence rate and earlier clinical stage(P<0.05),but there was no significant correlation with age, sex, distant metastasis and death (P>0.05). Conclusions: The histological morphology, etiology and gene changes of NSNPC are similar to those of classical nasopharyngeal carcinoma and ultrastructural findings show that NSNPC still belongs to undifferentiated type in non-keratinized squamous cell carcinoma. The malignant degree of NSNPC is low and the prognosis is good.

[CXCL5 inhibits tumor immune of lung cancer via modulating PD1/PD-L1 signaling]

Objective: To investigate the role of CXCL5 in tumor immune of lung cancer and to explore the potential molecular mechanisms. Methods: A total of 62 cases of patients with lung cancer admitted in the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University from May 2018 to December 2019 were recruited as study object. Another 20 cases of patients with pulmonary infectious diseases and 20 cases of healthy control were selected as control. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine serum levels of CXCL5 in patients with lung cancer, pulmonary infectious diseases and healthy control. Immunohistochemical staining (IHC) was used to detect the expressions of CXCL5 and PD-1/PD-L1 in tumor and paracarcinoma tissues of patients with lung cancer. Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between CXCL5 and PD-1 in tumor and paracarcinoma tissues of patients with lung cancer. Lewis cells either expressing CXCL5 or vector plasmids were used to establish C57BL/6J mice model of lung cancer, and all mice were then divided into vehicle and PD-1 antibody treatment groups, 10 mice for each group. The mice survival and tumor growth curves were recorded. IHC was used to evaluate the expressions of CXCL5, PD-1 as well as the proportions of CD8(+) T and Treg cells in xenograft tumor tissues. Results: In patients with lung cancer, the serum level of CXCL5 [(351.7±51.5) ng/L] was significant higher than that in patients with pulmonary infectious diseases and healthy control [(124.7±23.4) ng/L, P<0.001]. The expression levels of CXCL5 (0.136±0.034), CXCR2 (0.255±0.050), PD-1 (0.054±0.012) and PD-L1 (0.350±0.084) in tumor were significant higher than those in paracarcinoma normal tissues [(0.074±0.022), (0.112±0.023), (0.041±0.007) and (0.270±0.043) respectively, P<0.001]. CXCL5 was significant positively correlated with PD-1 in tumor tissues of lung cancer (r=0.643, P<0.001), but not correlated with PD-1 in paracarcinoma tissues(r=0.088, P=0.496). The vector control group, CXCL5 overexpression group, vector control + anti-PD-1 antibody treatment group and CXCL5 overexpression + anti-PD-1 antibody treatment group all successfully formed tumors in mice, while CXCL5 overexpression increased the tumor growth significantly (P<0.01), which was abrogated by the treatment of anti-PD-1 antibody. CXCL5 overexpression decreased the mice survival time significantly (P<0.01), this effect was also abrogated by the treatment of anti-PD-1 antibody. The proportion of CD8(+) T cells in CXCL5 overexpression group [(10.40±2.00)%] was significant lower than that in vector control group [(21.20±3.30)%, P=0.002]. The proportion of CD4(+) Foxp3(+) Treg cells in CXCL5 overexpression group [(38.40±3.70)%] was significant higher than that in vector control group [(23.30±2.25)%, P<0.001]. After the treatment of anti-PD-1 antibody, no significant difference were observed for the proportion of CD8(+) T cells [(34.10±5.00)% and (33.40±4.00)% respectively] and Treg cells [(14.70±3.50)% and (14.50±3.30)% respectively] in xenograft tumor tissues between CXCL5 overexpression+ anti-PD-1 antibody treatment group and vector control + anti-PD-1 antibody treatment group (P>0.05). Conclusion: The expressions of CXCL5 and PD-1/PD-L1 are all increased significantly in the tumor tissues of patients with lung cancer, CXCL5 may inhibit tumor immune of lung cancer via modulating PD-1/PD-L1 signaling.

[Influence of systemic diseases on the diagnosis and treatment of dental diseases and prevention of related risks]

Patients with dental problems may suffer from various systemic diseases at the same time. The concomitant systemic diseases can have impacts and risks on the diagnosis, treatment planning and therapeutic practice in dentistry. The author briefly expounds the influences of systemic diseases on dental diagnosis and treatment and the prevention of risks from seven aspects: cardio-cerebral vascular system, blood system, respiratory system, endocrine system, digestive system, genitourinary system, nervous system and mental system, in order to provide references for the dental clinicians.

Elastic criterion for shear-banding instability in amorphous solids

In amorphous solids, plastic flow is prone to localization into shear bands via an avalanche of shear-transformation (ST) rearrangements of constituent atoms or particles. However, such banding instability still remains a lack of direct experimental evidence. Using a real 3D colloidal glass under shear as proof of principle, we study STs' avalanches into shear banding that is controlled by strain rates. We demonstrate that, accompanying the emergent shear banding, the elastic response fields of the system, typical of a quadrupole for shear and a centrosymmetry for dilatation, lose the Eshelby-type spatial symmetry; instead, a strong correlation appears preferentially along the banding direction. By quantifying the fields' spatial decay, we identify an elastic criterion for the shear-banding instability, that is, the strongly correlated length of dilatation is smaller than the full length of shear correlation. Specifically, ST-induced free volume has to be confined within the elastic shear domain of ST so that those STs can self-organize to trigger shear banding. This physical picture is directly visualized by tracing the real-space evolution of local dilatation and ST particles. The present work unites the two classical mechanisms: free volume and STs, for the fundamental understanding of shear banding in amorphous solids.

[Metagenomic data-analysis reveals enrichment of lipopolysaccharide synthesis in the gut microbiota of atrial fibrillation patients]

Objective: To investigate the functional changes of key gut microbiota (GM) that produce lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients and to explore their potential role in the pathogenesis of AF. Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional study. Patients with AF admitted to Beijing Chaoyang Hospital of Capital Medical University were enrolled from March 2016 to December 2018. Subjects with matched genetic backgrounds undergoing physical examination during the same period were selected as controls. Clinical baseline data and fecal samples were collected. Bacterial DNA was extracted and metagenomic sequencing was performed by using Illumina Novaseq. Based on metagenomic data, the relative abundances of KEGG Orthology (KO), enzymatic genes and species that harbored enzymatic genes were acquired. The key features were selected via the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis. The role of GM-derived LPS biosynthetic feature in the development of AF was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and logistic regression analysis. Results: Fifty nonvalvular AF patients (mean age: 66.0 (57.0, 71.3), 32 males(64%)) were enrolled as AF group. Fifty individuals (mean age 55.0 (50.5, 57.5), 41 males(82%)) were recruited as controls. Compared with the controls, AF patients showed a marked difference in the GM genes underlying LPS-biosynthesis, including 20 potential LPS-synthesis KO, 7 LPS-biosynthesis enzymatic genes and 89 species that were assigned as taxa harbored nine LPS-enzymatic genes. LASSO regression analysis showed that 5 KO, 3 enzymatic genes and 9 species could be selected to construct the KO, enzyme and species scoring system. Genes enriched in AF group included 2 KO (K02851 and K00972), 3 enzymatic genes (LpxH, LpxC and LpxK) and 7 species (Intestinibacter bartlettii、Ruminococcus sp. JC304、Coprococcus catus、uncultured Eubacterium sp.、Eubacterium sp. CAG:251、Anaerostipes hadrus、Dorea longicatena). ROC curve analysis revealed the predictive capacity of differential GM-derived LPS signatures to distinguish AF patients in terms of above KO, enzymatic and species scores: area under curve (AUC)=0.957, 95%CI: 0.918-0.995, AUC=0.940, 95%CI 0.889-0.991, AUC=0.972, 95%CI 0.948-0.997. PLS-SEM showed that changes in lipopolysaccharide-producing bacteria could be involved in the pathogenesis of AF. The key KO mediated 35.17% of the total effect of key bacteria on AF. After incorporating the clinical factors of AF, the KO score was positively associated with the significantly increased risk of AF (OR<0.001, 95%CI:<0.001-0.021, P<0.001). Conclusion: Microbes involved in LPS synthesis are enriched in the gut of AF patients, accompanied with up-regulated LPS synthesis function by encoding the LPS-enzymatic biosynthesis gene.

Use of U-Net Convolutional Neural Networks for Automated Segmentation of Fecal Material for Objective Evaluation of Bowel Preparation Quality in Colonoscopy

Background: Adequate bowel cleansing is important for colonoscopy performance evaluation. Current bowel cleansing evaluation scales are subjective, with a wide variation in consistency among physicians and low reported rates of accuracy. We aim to use machine learning to develop a fully automatic segmentation method for the objective evaluation of the adequacy of colon preparation. Methods: Colonoscopy videos were retrieved from a video data cohort and transferred to qualified images, which were randomly divided into training, validation, and verification datasets. The fecal residue was manually segmented. A deep learning model based on the U-Net convolutional network architecture was developed to perform automatic segmentation. The performance of the automatic segmentation was evaluated on the overlap area with the manual segmentation. Results: A total of 10,118 qualified images from 119 videos were obtained. The model averaged 0.3634 s to segmentate one image automatically. The models produced a strong high-overlap area with manual segmentation, with 94.7% ± 0.67% of that area predicted by our AI model, which correlated well with the area measured manually (r = 0.915, p < 0.001). The AI system can be applied in real-time qualitatively and quantitatively. Conclusions: We established a fully automatic segmentation method to rapidly and accurately mark the fecal residue-coated mucosa for the objective evaluation of colon preparation.

Exploring Lorentz Invariance Violation from Ultrahigh-Energy γ Rays Observed by LHAASO

Recently, the LHAASO Collaboration published the detection of 12 ultrahigh-energy γ-ray sources above 100 TeV, with the highest energy photon reaching 1.4 PeV. The first detection of PeV γ rays from astrophysical sources may provide a very sensitive probe of the effect of the Lorentz invariance violation (LIV), which results in decay of high-energy γ rays in the superluminal scenario and hence a sharp cutoff of the energy spectrum. Two highest energy sources are studied in this work. No signature of the existence of the LIV is found in their energy spectra, and the lower limits on the LIV energy scale are derived. Our results show that the first-order LIV energy scale should be higher than about 10^{5} times the Planck scale M_{Pl} and that the second-order LIV scale is >10^{-3}M_{Pl}. Both limits improve by at least one order of magnitude the previous results.

Unidirectional single-mode lasing realization and temperature-induced mode switching in asymmetric GaN coupled cavities

Effective lasing mode control and unidirectional coupling of semiconductor microlasers are vital to boost their applications in optical interconnects, on-chip communication, and bio-sensors. In this study, symmetric and asymmetric GaN floating microdisks and coupled cavities are designed based on the Vernier effect and then fabricated via electron beam lithography, dry-etching of GaN, and isotropic wet-etching of silicon (Si) support. The lasing properties, including model number, threshold, radiation direction, and mode switching method, are studied. Compared to its symmetrical structure, both experimental and simulated optical field distributions indicate that the lasing outgoing direction can be controlled with a vertebral angle on the disk. The whispering gallery mode (WGM) lasing of the structures, with a quasi-single-mode lasing at 374.36 nm, a dual-mode lasing at 372.36 nm, and 373.64 nm at coupled cavities, are obtained statically. More interestingly, a switching between dual-mode and single-mode can be achieved dynamically via a thermal-induced mode shifting.

Sofosbuvir-based antiviral therapy provided highly treatment efficacy, safety, and good tolerability for Taiwanese chronic hepatitis C patients with decompensated cirrhosis

BACKGROUND

For patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related decompensated cirrhosis, poor prognosis was documented due to the development of portal hypertension-related complications and hepatocellular carcinoma. Sofosbuvir-based direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) has revolutionized the treatment landscape of HCV, particularly in this subpopulation. To date, real-world efficacy, tolerability, and safety profiles for Taiwanese HCV-related decompensated cirrhosis treated by DAAs have not been reported.

METHODS

Between December 2015 and June 2020, 50 consecutive HCV-related Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) classes B or C cirrhotics treated by sofosbuvir-based DAAs (with daclatasvir: 7, with ledipasvir: 32, with velpatasvir: 10, with ledipasvir then shifted to velpatasvir: 1) were enrolled. Forty-seven (94%) patients used DAAs in combination with low-dose ribavirin. SVR12 was defined by undetectable HCV RNA (<15 IU/mL) at treatment end and 12 weeks after the completion of therapy.

RESULTS

The mean age of the enrolled patients was 68.1 ± 11.2 years, 18% of the patients were CTP class C, and the baseline HCV RNA level was 5.42 ± 1.2 log10 IU/mL. The genotype distribution was as follows: 1a: 3; 1b: 34; 2: 9; 6: 3; and one patient with an unclassified HCV genotype. After DAAs treatment, the rates of undetectable HCV RNA at week 4 and at the end of the treatment were 88.9% and 98.0%, respectively. Subjective adverse events were reported by 42.0% of the patients, but they were generally mild and could be relieved by medications. One patient did not finish therapy due to sepsis with multiple organ dysfunction. The overall SVR12 rate was 96.0% (CTP class B: 97.6%, CTP class C: 88.9%). A significant improvement in hepatic functional reserve was noted after successful antiviral therapy.

CONCLUSION

For patients with HCV-related decompensated cirrhosis, which has been considered a contraindication for interferon-based therapy, sofosbuvir-based all-oral DAAs provided high treatment efficacy, acceptable safety, and good tolerability.

Prolonged sitting time links to subclinical atherosclerosis

BACKGROUND

This study investigates the association between daily sitting time and subclinical atherosclerosis by using coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA).

METHODS

The study enrolled 203 subjects (age 57.6 ± 8.8 years) who underwent CCTA at annual medical checkups. Sitting time was categorized as < 5 hours/day (short), 5 to 9 hours/day (moderate) and ≥10 hours/d (long). We analyzed the coronary calcium score, plaque characteristics, and severity of coronary artery stenosis, including the segment involvement score (SIS) and segment stenosis score (SSS).

RESULTS

Subjects with longer sitting times tended to be male gender and have lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p for trend < 0.05). In addition, those with longer sitting time had higher SIS (1.2 ± 1.5 vs. 1.6 ± 2.1 vs. 2.3 ± 2.0 for short, moderate, and long sitting time, respectively) (p for trend = 0.015) and SSS (1.4 ± 2.0 vs. 1.9 ± 2.7 vs. 2.7 ± 2.6) (p for trend = 0.015), suggesting longer sitting time-correlated with the severity of coronary atherosclerosis. When considering the coronary plaque patterns, subjects with shorter sitting time (<5 hours/d) tended to have more calcified plaque and subjects with longer sitting time (≥10 hours/d) had more mixed plaque (p for trend = 0.018). After adjusting for age, gender, comorbidities, body mass index, and lipid profiles, increased sitting time was independently associated with the presence of mixed plaque, suggesting longer sitting time may be associated with higher risk of the formation of vulnerable plaque.

CONCLUSION

Longer sitting time was linked to the severity of subclinical atherosclerosis and the presence of high-risk vulnerable plaque in the general population.

[Intein-Mediated Protein trans-Splicing of the Recombinant Streptavidin on Magnetosomes]

When expressing streptavidin recombinant polypeptide on magnetosomes (called bacterial magnetic nanoparticles, or BMPs), the presence of endogenous bacterial biotin might be detrimental. In the study, the streptavidin monomer fragment (S1-116) was fused with the intein N-terminal (termed precursor S1-116-IN), and S1-116-IN was expressed in E. coli (BL21). Meanwhile, the SA117-160 fragment was fused with the C-terminal intein, and then this chimeric polypeptide was expressed on magnetosomes by fusion with magnetosome membrance protein MamF. In the in vitro protein splicing system, the purified engineered magnetosomes (BMP-SA117-160-IC) and the S1-116-IN precursor were mixed. Intein-mediated trans-splicing reaction was induced to produce the functional magnetic beads BMP-SA. Our results indicate that intein-mediated protein trans-splicing may lead to efficient synthesis of the recombinant streptavidin on the magnetosomes, showing its promising potential to produce other functional magnetic nanoparticles.

[Effects of LINC00839 targeting miR-3666 on proliferation, migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells]

Objective: To investigate the effects of lncRNA LINC00839 on the proliferation, migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells and its mechanism. Methods: Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression of LINC00839 and miR-3666 in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and adjacent tissues. Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between LINC00839 and miR-3666 expression in liver cancer tissues. Hepatocellular carcinoma cells MHCC97H were cultured in vitro and divided into si-NC group, si-LINC00839 group, miR-NC group, miR-3666 group, si-LINC00839+ anti-miR-NC group, and si-LINC00839+ anti-miR-3666 group. Methylthiazoletrazolium (MTT) method and clone formation experiment were used to detect cell proliferation. Transwell array was used to detect the cell migration and invasion. Western blot was used to detect the protein expressions of p21, E-cadherin and MMP-2. The double luciferase reporter gene experiment was used to verify the regulatory relationship between LINC00839 and miR-3666. Results: Compared with adjacent tissues, the expression level of LINC00839 in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues increased (2.82±0.27 vs. 0.96±0.10, P<0.001), but the expression level of miR-3666 decreased (0.23±0.02 vs. 1.01±0.10, P<0.001). The expression levels of LINC00839 and miR-3666 in liver cancer tissue were negatively correlated (r=-0.658, P<0.001). The survival rate of MHCC97H cells in the si-LINC00839 group [(53.91±5.41)% vs. (100.53±10.22)%], the number of clones formed (92.0±8.0 vs. 164.0±14.3), the number of migration (131.0±12.7 vs. 247.0±22.4), the number of invasion (66.0±6.4 vs. 120.0±11.6) and the protein level of MMP-2 (0.20±0.02 vs. 0.67±0.06) were lower than those in the si-NC group (P<0.001). However, the protein levels of p21 (0.76±0.07 vs. 0.25±0.02) and E-cadherin (0.78±0.08 vs. 0.14±0.01) were higher than those in the si-NC group (P<0.001). LINC00839 targeted and negatively regulated the expression of miR-3666. The survival rate of MHCC97-H cells in the miR-3666 group [(47.93±4.86)% vs. (100.11±10.21)%], the number of clone formation (78.0±7.7 vs. 166.0±15.9), the number of migration (117.0±12.1 vs. 250.0±25.0), the number of invasion (57.0±5.7 vs. 121.0±12.3) and the protein level of MMP-2 (0.16±0.01 vs. 0.69±0.07) were lower than those in the miR-NC group (all P<0.001). However, the protein levels of p21 (0.83±0.08 vs. 0.24±0.02) and E-cadherin (0.87±0.09 vs. 0.13±0.01)were higher than those in the miR-NC group (all P<0.001). The survival rate of MHCC97-H cells in the si-LINC00839+ anti-miR-3666 group [(89.94±9.05)% vs. (54.12±5.39)%], the number of clones (143.0±13.8 vs. 94.0±9.4), the number of migration (208.0±19.8 vs. 129.0±12.6), the number of invasion (108.0±10.1 vs. 65.0±6.4) and the protein level of MMP-2 (0.31±0.03 vs 0.66±0.06) were higher than those in the si-LINC00839+ anti-miR-NC group (P<0.001). However, the protein levels of p21 (0.31±0.03 vs. 0.74±0.07) and E-cadherin (0.28±0.03 vs. 0.80±0.08) were lower than those int the si-LINC00839+ anti-miR-NC group (P<0.001). Conclusion: Inhibition of LINC00839 expression may inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by targeting up-regulation of miR-3666 expression.