Effects of lactic acid bacteria-fermented formula milk supplementation on colonic microbiota and mucosal transcriptome profile of weaned piglets

Supplemental probiotic fermented milk as a gut modulator can improve growth performance for weaned piglets by promoting the development of the small intestine in digestion and immune function. The effect on colon health might also play a considerable part in the favourable role of probiotic fermented milk in the growth performance improvement of weaned piglets; however, it has yet to be reported. This study aimed to investigate the effects of supplementation with lactic acid bacteria-fermented formula milk (LFM) on colonic morphology, microbiota composition, and mucosal transcriptome profile in weaned piglets. A total of 24 male weaned piglets were randomly divided into two groups: a control (CON) treatment or the LFM-supplemented treatment. Each group consisted of six replicates (cages) with two piglets per cage, and each piglet in the LFM group was supplemented with 80 mL LFM three times a day for 21 d, while the CON group was treated with the same amount of drinking water. Results showed that supplementation of LFM reduced the colonic histological damage scores and significantly increased the number of goblet cells per crypt. Furthermore, LFM consumption decreased the levels of pro-inflammation cytokines in the colonic mucosa. LFM downregulated the expression of inflammatory genes (CXCL9 and CXCL10) involving Toll-like receptor signalling pathway, immune response, and response to bacterium, and up-regulated two active genes (S100A8 and S100A9) involving the IL-17 signalling pathway and Toll-like receptor 4 binding. In addition, LFM could increase the potential probiotic genera containing Lachnospira and Anaerorhabdus furcosa group, which were positively related to short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production. Correspondingly, LFM-fed piglets had higher total bacterial load and total SCFA concentration in the colonic digesta compared with the CON group. These novel findings support the benefits of LFM in enhancing intestinal homoeostasis and ameliorating weaning stress for weaned piglets, which is associated with the modulation of gut microbiota composition and immune-related genes.

Measurement of the Branching Fractions B(B^{0}→pp[over ¯]pp[over ¯]) and B(B_{s}^{0}→pp[over ¯]pp[over ¯])

Searches for the rare hadronic decays B^{0}→pp[over ¯]pp[over ¯] and B_{s}^{0}→pp[over ¯]pp[over ¯] are performed using proton-proton collision data recorded by the LHCb experiment and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9  fb^{-1}. Significances of 9.3σ and 4.0σ, including statistical and systematic uncertainties, are obtained for the B^{0}→pp[over ¯]pp[over ¯] and B_{s}^{0}→pp[over ¯]pp[over ¯] signals, respectively. The branching fractions are measured relative to the topologically similar normalization decays B^{0}→J/ψ(→pp[over ¯])K^{*0}(→K^{+}π^{-}) and B_{s}^{0}→J/ψ(→pp[over ¯])⁢ϕ(→K^{+}K^{-}). The branching fractions are measured to be B(B^{0}→pp[over ¯]pp[over ¯])=(2.2±0.4±0.1±0.1)×10^{-8} and B(B_{s}^{0}→pp[over ¯]pp[over ¯])=(2.3±1.0±0.2±0.1)×10^{-8}. In these measurements, the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third one is due to the external branching fraction of the normalization channel.

Test of Lepton Universality in b→sℓ^{+}ℓ^{-} Decays

The first simultaneous test of muon-electron universality using B^{+}→K^{+}ℓ^{+}ℓ^{-} and B^{0}→K^{*0}ℓ^{+}ℓ^{-} decays is performed, in two ranges of the dilepton invariant-mass squared, q^{2}. The analysis uses beauty mesons produced in proton-proton collisions collected with the LHCb detector between 2011 and 2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9  fb^{-1}. Each of the four lepton universality measurements reported is either the first in the given q^{2} interval or supersedes previous LHCb measurements. The results are compatible with the predictions of the Standard Model.

[Prevalence and genotyping of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia lamblia in dogs and cats from a pet hospital in Shanghai Municipality]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence and genotypes of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia lamblia in dogs and cats from a pet hospital in Shanghai Municipality.

METHODS

A total of 145 fresh fecal samples were collected from pet dogs and cats in a pet hospital in Shanghai Municipality during the period from November 2021 to June 2022, including 99 dog fecal samples and 46 cat fecal samples. The small subunit ribosomal ribonucleic acid (SSU rRNA) gene of Cryptosporidium and the triose phosphate isomerase (TPI) gene of G. lamblia were amplified using nested PCR assay, and the positive amplification products were sequenced from both directions. The sequence assembly was performed using the software Clustal X 2.1, and sequence alignment was conducted using BLAST. A phylogenetic tree was created with the Neighbor-Joining method using MEGA 11.0 to identify parasite species or genotype.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium and G. lamblia was 20.00% (29/145) in 145 pet dog and cat fecal samples, with the prevalence of 0.69% (1/145) and 19.31% (28/145) in Cryptosporidium and G. lamblia, respectively. G. lamblia was only detected in dog fecal samples, with prevalence of 18.18% (18/99), while the detection rates of Cryptosporidium and G. lamblia were 2.17% (1/46) and 21.74% (10/46) in cat fecal samples. Nucleotide sequence analysis showed that one Cryptosporidium positive sample was characterized as C. felis, and 28 G. lamblia positive samples were all characterized as Giardia assemblage A, which showed 100% sequence homology with human isolates of Giardia. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the sequences obtained in this study belonged to the same branch with the reported Giardia assemblage A.

CONCLUSIONS

Cryptosporidium and G. lamblia infection was prevalent in pet dogs and cats from the study pet hospital in Shanghai Municipality, and there is a zoonotic risk for the species and genotype. Intensified surveillance of Cryptosporidium and Giardia infection is recommended in pets and their owners, and improved management of pet keeping is required.

Measurements of the Elliptic and Triangular Azimuthal Anisotropies in Central ^{3}He+Au, d+Au and p+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

The elliptic (v_{2}) and triangular (v_{3}) azimuthal anisotropy coefficients in central ^{3}He+Au, d+Au, and p+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV are measured as a function of transverse momentum (p_{T}) at midrapidity (|η|<0.9), via the azimuthal angular correlation between two particles both at |η|<0.9. While the v_{2}(p_{T}) values depend on the colliding systems, the v_{3}(p_{T}) values are system independent within the uncertainties, suggesting an influence on eccentricity from subnucleonic fluctuations in these small-sized systems. These results also provide stringent constraints for the hydrodynamic modeling of these systems.

A tera-electron volt afterglow from a narrow jet in an extremely bright gamma-ray burst

Some gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have a tera-electron volt (TeV) afterglow, but the early onset of this has not been observed. We report observations with the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory of the bright GRB 221009A, which serendipitously occurred within the instrument field of view. More than 64,000 photons >0.2 TeV were detected within the first 3000 seconds. The TeV flux began several minutes after the GRB trigger, then rose to a peak about 10 seconds later. This was followed by a decay phase, which became more rapid ~650 seconds after the peak. We interpret the emission using a model of a relativistic jet with half-opening angle ~0.8°. This is consistent with the core of a structured jet and could explain the high isotropic energy of this GRB.

Observation of Directed Flow of Hypernuclei _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H in sqrt[s_{NN}]=3 GeV Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We report here the first observation of directed flow (v_{1}) of the hypernuclei _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H in mid-central Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=3  GeV at RHIC. These data are taken as part of the beam energy scan program carried out by the STAR experiment. From 165×10^{6} events in 5%-40% centrality, about 8400 _{Λ}^{3}H and 5200 _{Λ}^{4}H candidates are reconstructed through two- and three-body decay channels. We observe that these hypernuclei exhibit significant directed flow. Comparing to that of light nuclei, it is found that the midrapidity v_{1} slopes of _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H follow baryon number scaling, implying that the coalescence is the dominant mechanism for these hypernuclei production in the 3 GeV Au+Au collisions.

Beam Energy Dependence of Triton Production and Yield Ratio (N_{t}×N_{p}/N_{d}^{2}) in Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We report the triton (t) production in midrapidity (|y|<0.5) Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=7.7-200  GeV measured by the STAR experiment from the first phase of the beam energy scan at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The nuclear compound yield ratio (N_{t}×N_{p}/N_{d}^{2}), which is predicted to be sensitive to the fluctuation of local neutron density, is observed to decrease monotonically with increasing charged-particle multiplicity (dN_{ch}/dη) and follows a scaling behavior. The dN_{ch}/dη dependence of the yield ratio is compared to calculations from coalescence and thermal models. Enhancements in the yield ratios relative to the coalescence baseline are observed in the 0%-10% most central collisions at 19.6 and 27 GeV, with a significance of 2.3σ and 3.4σ, respectively, giving a combined significance of 4.1σ. The enhancements are not observed in peripheral collisions or model calculations without critical fluctuation, and decreases with a smaller p_{T} acceptance. The physics implications of these results on the QCD phase structure and the production mechanism of light nuclei in heavy-ion collisions are discussed.

[Dexmedetomidine can not reduce the incidence of acute and chronic kidney disease after laparoscopic radical nephrectomy: a propensity score matching-based analysis]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine (DEX) on renal function after laparoscopic radical nephrectomy.

METHODS

We reviewed the clinical data of 282 patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), who underwent laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (LRN) in the Department of Urology, Third Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from November, 2020 and June, 2022.According to whether DEX was used during the operation, the patients were divided into DEX group and control group, and after propensity score matching, 99 patients were finally enrolled in each group.The incidence of acute kidney injuries were compared between the two groups.Serum creatinine (sCr) data within 3 months to 1 year after the operation were available in 51 patients, including 26 in DEX group and 25 in the control group, and the incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) was compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

After propensity score matching and adjustment for significant covariates, there were no significant differences in postoperative levels of sCr, cystatin C (CysC), β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), hemoglobin (Hb), or C-reactive protein (CRP), extubation time, incidence of AKI, or length of hospital stay between the two groups (P>0.05).The intraoperative urine volume was significantly higher in DEX group than in the control group (P < 0.05).A significant correlation between AKI and CKD was noted in the patients (P < 0.05).The incidence of CKD did not differ significantly between the two groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSION

DEX can not reduce the incidence of AKI or CKD after LRN.

[Progress on specific and non-specific immune effects of Bacille Calmette-Guerin]

Currently, Bacille Calmette-Guerin(BCG) is still the only admitted vaccine to prevent tuberculosis around the world. The target population is infants and children, but its protective efficacy is limited. As more and more studies have shown that re-vaccination with BCG protects against tuberculosis in adults, BCG can also induce non-specific immunity against other respiratory diseases and some chronic diseases by training immunity, especially the immune effects against COVID-19. At present, the epidemic of COVID-19 has not been effectively contained, and it is worth considering whether BCG vaccine can be used as an intervention to prevent COVID-19. The WHO and China do not have a policy to support BCG revaccination, and as more and more BCG vaccines are discovered, whether selective revaccination can be carried out in some high-risk populations and whether the vaccine can be used more widely have led to intense discussions. This article reviewed the effects of specific immunity and non-specific immunity of BCG on tuberculosis and non-tuberculous diseases.

Radiosensitisation by olaparib through focused ultrasound delivery in a diffuse midline glioma model

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Diffuse midline glioma H3K27-altered (DMG) is an aggressive, inoperable, predominantly paediatric brain tumour. Treatment strategies are limited, resulting in a median survival of only 11 months. Currently, radiotherapy (RT), often combined with temozolomide, is considered the standard of care but remains palliative, highlighting the urgency for new therapies. Radiosensitisation by olaparib, an inhibitor of PARP1 and subsequently PAR-synthesis, is a promising treatment option. We assessed whether PARP1 inhibition enhances radiosensitivity in vitro and in vivo following focused ultrasound mediated blood-brain barrier opening (FUS-BBBO).

METHODS

Effects of PARP1 inhibition were evaluated in vitro using viability, clonogenic, and neurosphere assays. In vivo olaparib extravasation and pharmacokinetic profiling following FUS-BBBO was measured by LC-MS/MS. Survival benefit of FUS-BBBO combined with olaparib and RT was assessed using a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) DMG mouse model.

RESULTS

Treatment with olaparib in combination with radiation delayed tumour cell proliferation in vitro through the reduction of PAR. Prolonged exposure of low olaparib concentration was more efficient in delaying cell growth than short exposure of high concentration. FUS-BBBO increased olaparib bioavailability in the pons by 5.36-fold without observable adverse effects. A Cmax of 54.09 μM in blood and 1.39 μM in the pontine region was achieved following administration of 100 mg/kg olaparib. Although RT combined with FUS-BBBO mediated olaparib extravasation delayed local tumour growth, survival benefits were not observed in an in vivo DMG PDX model.

CONCLUSIONS

Olaparib effectively radiosensitises DMG cells in vitro and reduces primary tumour growth in vivo when combined with RT. Further studies are needed to investigate the therapeutic benefit of olaparib in suitable preclinical PDX models.

Measurement of Sequential ϒ Suppression in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV with the STAR Experiment

We report on measurements of sequential ϒ suppression in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV with the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) through both the dielectron and dimuon decay channels. In the 0%-60% centrality class, the nuclear modification factors (R_{AA}), which quantify the level of yield suppression in heavy-ion collisions compared to p+p collisions, for ϒ(1S) and ϒ(2S) are 0.40±0.03(stat)±0.03(sys)±0.09(norm) and 0.26±0.08(stat)±0.02(sys)±0.06(norm), respectively, while the upper limit of the ϒ(3S) R_{AA} is 0.17 at a 95% confidence level. This provides experimental evidence that the ϒ(3S) is significantly more suppressed than the ϒ(1S) at RHIC. The level of suppression for ϒ(1S) is comparable to that observed at the much higher collision energy at the Large Hadron Collider. These results point to the creation of a medium at RHIC whose temperature is sufficiently high to strongly suppress excited ϒ states.

Modulating the local coordination environment of cobalt single-atomic nanozymes for enhanced catalytic therapy against bacteria

Single-atomic nanozymes (SANZs) characterized by atomically dispersed single metal atoms have recently contributed to breakthroughs in biomedicine due to their satisfactory catalytic activity and superior selectivity compared to their nanoscale counterparts. The catalytic performance of SANZs can be improved by modulating their coordination structure. Therefore, adjusting the coordination number of the metal atoms in the active center is a potential method for enhancing the catalytic therapy effect. In this study, we synthesized various atomically dispersed Co nanozymes with different nitrogen coordination numbers for peroxidase (POD)-mimicking single-atomic catalytic antibacterial therapy. Among the single-atomic Co nanozymes with nitrogen coordination numbers of 3 (SACNZs-N₃-C) and 4 (SACNZs-N₄-C), single-atomic Co nanozymes with a coordination number of 2 (SACNZs-N₂-C) had the highest POD-like catalytic activity. Kinetic assays and Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicated that reducing the coordination number can lower the reaction energy barrier of single-atomic Co nanozymes (SACNZs-N_x-C), thereby increasing their catalytic performance. In vitro and in vivo antibacterial assays demonstrated that SACNZs-N₂-C had the best antibacterial effect. This study provides proof of concept for enhancing single-atomic catalytic therapy by regulating the coordination number for various biomedical applications, such as tumor therapy and wound disinfection. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The use of nanozymes that contain single-atomic catalytic sites has been shown to effectively promote the healing of bacteria-infected wounds by exhibiting peroxidase-like activity. The homogeneous coordination environment of the catalytic site has been associated with high antimicrobial activity, which provides insight into designing new active structures and understanding their mechanisms of action. In this study, we designed a series of cobalt single-atomic nanozymes (PSACNZs-N_x-C) with different coordination environments by shearing the Co-N bond and modifying polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The synthesized PSACNZs-N_x-C demonstrated enhanced antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains, and showed good biocompatibility in both in vivo and in vitro experiments.

Beam Energy Dependence of Fifth- and Sixth-Order Net-Proton Number Fluctuations in Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We report the beam energy and collision centrality dependence of fifth and sixth order cumulants (C_{5}, C_{6}) and factorial cumulants (κ_{5}, κ_{6}) of net-proton and proton number distributions, from center-of-mass energy (sqrt[s_{NN}]) 3 GeV to 200 GeV Au+Au collisions at RHIC. Cumulant ratios of net-proton (taken as proxy for net-baryon) distributions generally follow the hierarchy expected from QCD thermodynamics, except for the case of collisions at 3 GeV. The measured values of C_{6}/C_{2} for 0%-40% centrality collisions show progressively negative trend with decreasing energy, while it is positive for the lowest energy studied. These observed negative signs are consistent with QCD calculations (for baryon chemical potential, μ_{B}≤110  MeV) which contains the crossover transition range. In addition, for energies above 7.7 GeV, the measured proton κ_{n}, within uncertainties, does not support the two-component (Poisson+binomial) shape of proton number distributions that would be expected from a first-order phase transition. Taken in combination, the hyperorder proton number fluctuations suggest that the structure of QCD matter at high baryon density, μ_{B}∼750  MeV at sqrt[s_{NN}]=3  GeV is starkly different from those at vanishing μ_{B}∼24  MeV at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV and higher collision energies.

Circ_0124055 promotes the progression of thyroid cancer cells through the miR-486-3p/MTA1 axis

BACKGROUND

Thyroid cancer is one of the malignancy cancers. CircRNA, a non-coding RNA, plays an important role in the development of cancer. The relationship and roles of circ_0124055, miR-486-3p and MTA1 in thyroid cancer have not been reported.

METHODS

Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was performed to analyze the RNA levels of circ_0124055, miR-486-3p and MTA1. Western blot was conducted to analyze the protein levels of MTA1, Epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin) and Neuro cadherin (N-cadherin). Subcellular localization assay was used to analyze circ_0124055 location in thyroid cancer cells. Colony formation assay and 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay were carried out to analyze cell proliferation. Cell migration and invasion were analyzed by wound-healing assay and transwell assay. Flow cytometry assay was performed to investigate cell apoptosis. Dual-luciferase reporter assay and RIP assay were employed to analyze the interactions among circ_0124055, miR-486-3p and MTA1. Immunohistochemical (IHC) assay was performed to assess the expression of Ki67, MTA1 and E-cadherin in tumor tissues. Thyroid cancer tumor growth in vivo was evaluated by tumor xenograft mouse model assay.

RESULTS

The expression of circ_0124055 was up-regulated in tumor tissues and cells. Knockdown of circ_0124055 could inhibit thyroid cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion and promote cell apoptosis, accompanied by the dysregulation of E-cadherin and N-cadherin expression. Circ_0124055 could target miR-486-3p, and miR-486-3p could target MTA1. MiR-486-3p inhibitor could restore the effect of circ_0124055 knockdown in the progression of thyroid cancer. Moreover, MTA1 overexpression weakened the inhibitory effects of miR-486-3p mimics on the progression of thyroid cancer. Further, circ_0124055 could influence tumor growth in vivo.

CONCLUSION

Circ_0124055 promoted the progression of thyroid cancer cells through the miR-486-3p /MTA1 axis.

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.

[Efficacy and influencing factors of surgery combined with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of children with non-orbital head and neck rhabdomyosarcoma]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and influencing factors of surgery combined with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of children with non-orbital head and neck rhabdomyosarcoma (HNRMS). Methods: Information from 45 children diagnosed as non-orbital HNRMS and subjected to surgery combined with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in Beijing Children's Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University from August 2017 to July 2021 was analyzed. The patients included 25 males and 20 females, aged from 1 to 17 years old. The primary tumor site, pathological subtype, clinical stage, risk group, therapeutic regimen, resection range and outcome of all cases were also collected. The survival curves were made using the Kaplan-Meier method and the potential prognostic factors were investigated by Cox regression analysis. Results: Fifteen (33.3%) of 45 children achieved negative surgical margin under complete tumor resection. The postoperative pathological results showed that there were 20 cases of embryonic subtype, 19 cases of alveolar subtype and 6 cases of spindle sclerosis subtype. The postoperative follow-up time ranged from 4 to 71 months, with a median of 26 months. During the follow-up period, 13 children died, among whom brain metastasis was the most common cause of death, accounting for 7/13. The 3-year overall survival rate was 67.6%. Multivariate analysis showed that non-embryonic subtype (HR=6.26, 95%CI: 1.52-25.87, P=0.011) and failure to reach R0 resection (HR=9.37, 95%CI: 1.18-74.34, P=0.034) were independent risk factors affecting overall survival rate. Conclusion: Surgery combined with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy can offer a good efficacy for children with non-orbital HNRMS. Non-embryonic subtype and resection without negative operative microscopic margins are independent risk factors for poor prognosis, and brain metastasis is the main cause of death in these children.

Formation of robust bound states of interacting microwave photons

Systems of correlated particles appear in many fields of modern science and represent some of the most intractable computational problems in nature. The computational challenge in these systems arises when interactions become comparable to other energy scales, which makes the state of each particle depend on all other particles1. The lack of general solutions for the three-body problem and acceptable theory for strongly correlated electrons shows that our understanding of correlated systems fades when the particle number or the interaction strength increases. One of the hallmarks of interacting systems is the formation of multiparticle bound states2-9. Here we develop a high-fidelity parameterizable fSim gate and implement the periodic quantum circuit of the spin-½ XXZ model in a ring of 24 superconducting qubits. We study the propagation of these excitations and observe their bound nature for up to five photons. We devise a phase-sensitive method for constructing the few-body spectrum of the bound states and extract their pseudo-charge by introducing a synthetic flux. By introducing interactions between the ring and additional qubits, we observe an unexpected resilience of the bound states to integrability breaking. This finding goes against the idea that bound states in non-integrable systems are unstable when their energies overlap with the continuum spectrum. Our work provides experimental evidence for bound states of interacting photons and discovers their stability beyond the integrability limit.

Noise-resilient edge modes on a chain of superconducting qubits

Inherent symmetry of a quantum system may protect its otherwise fragile states. Leveraging such protection requires testing its robustness against uncontrolled environmental interactions. Using 47 superconducting qubits, we implement the one-dimensional kicked Ising model, which exhibits nonlocal Majorana edge modes (MEMs) with ℤ 2 parity symmetry. We find that any multiqubit Pauli operator overlapping with the MEMs exhibits a uniform late-time decay rate comparable to single-qubit relaxation rates, irrespective of its size or composition. This characteristic allows us to accurately reconstruct the exponentially localized spatial profiles of the MEMs. Furthermore, the MEMs are found to be resilient against certain symmetry-breaking noise owing to a prethermalization mechanism. Our work elucidates the complex interplay between noise and symmetry-protected edge modes in a solid-state environment.

Matrix Matters: Assessment of Commutability among BK Virus Assays and Standards

Quantitative testing of BK virus (BKPyV) nucleic acid has become the standard of care in transplant patients. While the relationship between interassay harmonization and commutability has been well characterized for other transplant-related viruses, it has been less well studied for BKPyV, particularly regarding differences in commutability between matrices. Here, interassay agreement was evaluated among six real-time nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) and one digital PCR (dPCR) BKPyV assay. Differences in the commutability of three quantitative standards was examined across all assays using a variety of statistical approaches. Panels, including 40 samples each of plasma and urine samples previously positive for BKPyV, together with one previously negative plasma sample and four previously negative urine samples, were tested using all assays, with each real-time NAAT utilizing its usual quantitative calibrators. Serial dilutions of WHO, National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), and commercially produced (Exact/Bio-Rad) reference materials were also run by each assay as unknowns. The agreement of the clinical sample values was assessed as a group and in a pairwise manner. The commutability was estimated using both relativistic and quantitative means. The quantitative agreement across assays in the urine samples was within a single log10 unit across all assays, while the results from the plasma samples varied by 2 to 3 log10 IU/mL. The commutability showed a similar disparity between the matrices. Recalibration using international standards diminished the resulting discrepancies in some but not all cases. Differences in the sample matrix can affect the commutability and interassay agreement of quantitative BKPyV assays. Differences in commutability between matrices may largely be due to factors other than those such as amplicon size, previously described as important in the case of cytomegalovirus. Continued efforts to standardize viral load measurements must address multiple sources of variability and account for differences in assay systems, quantitative standards, and sample matrices.

[Global guidelines of colorectal cancer screening in high-risk population with family history of colorectal cancer: a systematic review]

Objective: To systematically summarize and evaluate the development of update and detailed recommendations of the existing global screening guidelines in high-risk population with a family history of colorectal cancer. Methods: The words "colorectal cancer", "screening", "guideline", "consensus", "recommendations" and "family history" in Chinese and English were used as MESH terms for literature retrieval, as well as entry terms. The retrieval was performed based on China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science, as well as official websites. The languages of literatures were limited in Chinese and English. As of May 24, 2022, a total of 20 valid literatures had been retrieved. The basic information of the literatures and the recommendations of colorectal cancer screening for people with family history were collected and analyzed. Results: The analysis on the 20 literatures indicated that most countries/regions/institutions recommended age range of screening, screening modalities and intervals for people with family history of colorectal cancer. For the individuals who have one first-degree relative diagnosed with colorectal cancer before 60 years of age,most guidelines recommended the screening to be started at 40 years or 10 years earlier than the age when the youngest first-degree relative was diagnosed. The most commonly recommended screening modality was colonoscopy. Conclusions: Most current screening guidelines for high-risk people with family history of colorectal cancer recommend colonoscopy as the main modality. This review will provide reference for the update of screening strategies in high-risk people with family history of colorectal cancer in China, and further improve the practices of screening, early diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer.