[The clinical efficacy of the stratification medical treatment based on the risk estimation of motor complications in Parkinson's disease]

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of the stratification medical treatment based on the motor complications risk estimation in improving the quality of life, motor symptoms and delaying the motor complications in Parkinson's patients. Methods: Outpatients and inpatients from Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, were recruited between November 2019 and June 2020. The participants were all clinically diagnosed with PD and treated with anti-PD medications, but had no history of motor complications, with the 8-item Parkinson's disease questionnaire summary index (PDQ-8 SI)>18.59. At baseline, the demographic characteristics, PD medical history, levodopa dosage (LD) and levodopa equivalent dosage (LED) were collected, and the evaluation of PDQ-8, Unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS)-Ⅱ and Ⅲ, Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) grade, Hamilton anxiety scale-14 (HAMA-14), Hamilton depression scale-24 (HAMD-24), mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), and Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) tools was accomplished in all participants. Meanwhile, a Parkinson's disease risk estimation scale for motor complications was used to assess patients' risk of motor complications, and thus the medication was stratified in PD patients accordingly. During the 6-month and 12-month follow-ups, the evaluation of the above-mentioned parameters was repeated in all participants. At the 3-month and 9-month follow-ups, the information of anti-PD medications, the occurrence of motor complications (motor fluctuations and dyskinesia) and adverse drug reactions were recorded, and PDQ-8 was also evaluated. Results: Two hundred and fifty-one patients completed the 1-year follow-up, with 135 males and 116 females. At baseline, the median age of the patients was 66 (60, 71) years and the median PDQ-8 SI was 31.2 (21.9, 40.6). Additionally, 15.9% (40/251) of the patients were at high risk of motor fluctuation, and 7.2% (18/251) were at high risk of dyskinesia. There were significant differences in the age of onset, disease duration, PD treatment duration, the scores of UPDRS-Ⅱ and Ⅲ, H&Y Grade, and PDQ-8 SI among PD patients of different risk groups (all P<0.05). In the 12th month, the median of PDQ-8 SI, Δ PDQ-8 SI and Δ UPDRS-Ⅲ was 12.5 (9.4, 18.8), -15.6 (-21.9, -9.4) and -9(-16, -4), respectively, which was statistically different from that of baseline (all P<0.05). The change of UPDRS-Ⅱ scores in the group with high risk of motor fluctuation was statistically different from that in the groups with low and moderate risk (P<0.05). The changes of PSQI score, LD and LED in the group with high risk of dyskinesia was statistically different from those in the groups with low and moderate risk (all P<0.05). During the follow-up, the incidence of motor fluctuation and dyskinesia was 9.56% (24/251) and 5.97% (15/251), respectively. Conclusion: The stratification medical treatment might have a positive intervention effect on promoting a better quality of life, improving motor symptoms and delaying motor complications in PD patients.

Association Between Recombinant Growth Hormone Therapy and All-Cause Mortality and Cancer Risk in Childhood: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVES

The safety of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) treatment in childhood and the role of rhGH therapy in promoting tumorigenesis and progression have been the subject of debate for decades. We aimed to systematically assess the relationship between rhGH therapy in children and adolescents and clinical outcomes, including all-cause mortality, cancer mortality, cancer incidence, and risk of the second neoplasm.

METHODS

Literature retrieval, study selection, and data extraction were completed independently and in duplicate. Effect-size estimates are expressed as standardized mortality ratios (SMRs), standardized incidence ratio (SIR), and relative risk (RR) with a 95% CI.

RESULTS

Data from 24 articles, involving 254,776 persons, were meta-analyzed. Overall analyses revealed the association of rhGH therapy was not statistically significant with all-cause mortality (SMR = 1.28; 95% CI: 0.58-2.84; P = 0.547; I ² = 99.2%; Tau² = 2.154) and cancer mortality (SMR = 2.59; 95% CI: 0.55-12.09; P = 0.228; I ² = 96.7%; Tau² = 2.361) and also cancer incidence (SIR = 1.54; 95% CI: 0.68-3.47; P = 0.229; I ² = 97.5%; Tau² = 2.287), yet statistical significance was observed for second neoplasm (RR = 1.77; 95% CI: 1.33-2.35; P = 0.001; I ² = 26.7%; Tau² = 0.055). Differences in the geographic region, gender, treatment duration, mean rhGH dose, overall rhGH exposure dose, and initial disease accounted for heterogeneity in the subgroup analyses.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that the rhGH therapy is not related to all-cause mortality and cancer mortality and cancer incidence, yet it seems to trigger a second tumor risk. Future prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings and answer the more challenging question regarding the optimal dose of rhGH therapy in children and adolescents.

Fate and transport in environmental quality

Changes in pollutant concentrations in environmental media occur both from pollutant transport in water or air and from local processes, such as adsorption, degradation, precipitation, straining, and so on. The terms "fate and transport" and "transport and fate" reflect the coupling of moving with the carrier media and biogeochemical processes describing local transformations or interactions. The Journal of Environmental Quality (JEQ) was one of the first to publish papers on fate and transport (F&T). This paper is a minireview written to commemorate the 50th anniversary of JEQ and show how the research interests, methodology, and public attention have been reflected in fate and transport publications in JEQ during the last 40 years. We report the statistics showing how the representation of different pollutant groups in papers changed with time. Major focus areas have included the effect of solution composition on F&T and concurrent F&T, the role of organic matter, and the relative role of different F&T pathways. The role of temporal and spatial heterogeneity has been studied at different scales. The value of long-term F&T studies and developments in modeling as the F&T research approach was amply demonstrated. Fate and transport studies have been an essential part of conservation measure evaluation and comparison and ecological risk assessment. For 50 years, JEQ has delivered new insights, methods, and applications related to F&T science. The importance of its service to society is recognized, and we look forward to new generations of F&T researchers presenting their contributions in JEQ.

Combination therapy with interleukin-15 and metformin as a synergistic treatment for pancreatic cancer

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the efficacies and mechanisms of combination therapy with interleukin-15 (IL-15) and metformin (Met) on suppressing pancreatic cell proliferation and protecting Panc02-bearing mice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

MTT assays were applied to assess the inhibitory effects of IL-15 combined Met or Met and IL-15 alone on proliferation of normal HPDE6-C7 and Panc02 cells. After tumor grew up to 150 mm3, the Panc02-bearing xenograft model mice were randomly divided into saline group, IL-15 and Met alone group and combined treatment group (n=8) with the administration of each agent every other day for three weeks, and survival rates were recorded. The changes in tumor size, expression levels of the apoptosis, autophagy as well as Akt/mTOR/STAT3-related factors in tumor tissues were all measured.

RESULTS

MTT assays demonstrated significantly inhibiting efficacy of combination therapy with IL-15 and Met on Panc02 cell proliferation compared to other groups (all p<0.05) with combination index<1 showing evident synergistic effect. Moreover, the apoptosis rate of Panc02 cell under combined treatment were 95.5±3.2% and significantly higher than those of others (all p<0.01). In addition, combined administration remarkably inhibited the growth of pancreatic carcinoma, and improved survival rate of Panc02-bearing model with less body weight loss. Furthermore, combined treatment significantly downregulated anti-apoptotic proteins as well as Akt/mTOR/STAT3 signaling pathway and upregulated autophagy related factors, respectively, compared with those of monotherapy groups in both Panc02 cells and tumor tissues.

CONCLUSIONS

Combined treatment of IL-15 with Met showed synergistic anti-tumor efficacies on Panc02 cells attributing to promotion on apoptosis, autophagy and inhibition on Akt/mTOR/STAT3 signaling-transduction in Panc02-bearing model mice.

The association of metabolic health obesity with incidence of carotid artery plaque in Chinese adults

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

We aimed to evaluate the association between different obese phenotypes with carotid artery plaque (CAP) event.

METHOD AND RESULTS

The current retrospective cohort study was performed in 32,778 Chinese adults (19,221 men and 13,557 women, aged 41.9 ± 11.0 years). Obese phenotypes were assessed based on baseline body mass index (<24.0 vs. ≥24.0 kg/m²) and metabolic characteristics (health vs. unhealth). All the participants were further classified into four groups: metabolic health and normal weight (MHNW), metabolic unhealth and normal weight (MUHNW), metabolic health and overweight (MHO), and metabolic unhealth and overweight (MUHO). Ultrasound B-mode imaging was annually performed to evaluate CAP throughout the study. We have identified 2142 CAP cases during 5-year follow-up. Comparing with the MHNW group, the hazard ratios for the risk of incident CAP was 2.44 (95% CI:1.92 and 3.09) for the MUHNW group, 1.52 (95% CI:1.06 and 2.18) for the MHO group, and 1.8 (95% CI:1.4 and 2.33) for the MUHO group. The association was more pronounced in young adults (<65 y) than that in aged adults (≥65 y). Sensitivity analysis generated similar results with the main analysis.

CONCLUSION

MUHNW, MHO, and MUHO were associated with the risk of CAP.

Systematic analysis of the function and prognostic value of RNA binding proteins in Colon Adenocarcinoma

Background: Abnormal expression of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) is closely related to tumorigenesis, progression, and prognosis. This study performed systematic bioinformatic analysis of RBPs abnormally expressed in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to screen prognostic markers and potential therapeutic targets.

Methods: First, the gene expression data from COAD samples were used to screen out differentially expressed RBPs for functional enrichment analysis and to visualize interaction relationships. Second, RBPs that were significantly related to prognosis were screened through univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis to construct a prognostic model. The prediction performance of the prognostic model was evaluated by survival analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. It addition, it was verified in the test cohort. The Human Protein Atlas (HPA) online database was used to verify the expression levels of RBPs in the prognostic model.

Results: The study identified 181 differentially expressed RBPs and analyzed their interaction and functional enrichment, which were mainly related to non-coding RNA processing, ribosome biogenesis, RNA metabolic processes, RNA phosphodiester bond hydrolysis, and alternative mRNA splicing. Five RBPs related to prognosis were used to construct a prognostic model, and its predictive ability was verified by the test cohort. ROC curve analysis showed that the prognostic model had good sensitivity and specificity. Independent prognostic analysis showed that risk scores could be used as independent prognostic factors for COAD.

Conclusion: This study constructed a reliable prognostic model by analyzing COAD differentially expressed RBPs, facilitating the screening of COAD prognostic markers and therapeutic targets.

Effectiveness assessment of improvement measures in physical protection system monitoring center

The optimization measures in the physical protection system monitoring center of a nuclear power plant include the prioritization of alarm signals, optimization of sound and light alarm form, improvement of the layout of video monitor screen, security training, and strengthening of organizational management. Based on the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process, the influence of these factors on the probability of alert assessment and guard’s respond time in the EASI method are quantitatively analyzed. Making full use of the measures for prioritization of alarm signals can effectively promote the improvement of human-computer interaction efficiency. The degree of influence of the four factors (guarder’s status, decision strategy, guarder’s training and organization management) on guard’s decision-making is roughly the same.

The synergistic antifungal activity of resveratrol with azoles against Candida albicans

Candida albicans is one of the most common clinical pathogenic microorganisms and it is becoming a serious health threat, particularly to immunocompromised populations. Drug resistance of Candida species has also frequently emerged, and combination therapy for fungal infections has attracted considerable attention. In this study, we established the Qinling Mountains myxobacterial secondary metabolites library and a synergic assay in combination with ketoconazole against C. albicans was introduced for metabolites screening. Two active compounds with synergic anticandidal activities were obtained, which were identified as trans-resveratrol and cis-resveratrol. According to our study, resveratrol can reduce the dosage to 1/64 of ketoconazole as well as itraconazole. Furthermore, synergistic anticandidal activity of resveratrol combined with azoles was verified against a panel of clinical C. albicans isolates, and the combination strategy enhanced the azoles susceptibility of three fluconazole-resistant isolates. These findings suggest that resveratrol enhances the efficacy of azoles and provides a promising application in therapy of C. albicans infection.

Effects of the Transverse Instability and Wave Breaking on the Laser-Driven Thin Foil Acceleration

Acceleration of ultrathin foils by the laser radiation pressure promises a compact alternative to the conventional ion sources. Among the challenges on the way to practical realization, one fundamental is a strong transverse plasma instability, which develops density perturbations and breaks the acceleration. In this Letter, we develop a theoretical model supported by three-dimensional numerical simulations to explain the transverse instability growth from noise to wave breaking and its crucial effect on stopping the acceleration. The wave-broken nonlinear mode triggers rapid stochastic heating that finally explodes the target. Possible paths to mitigate this problem for getting efficient ion acceleration are discussed.

Virus shedding dynamics in asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients infected with SARS-CoV-2

Objectives

Asymptomatic patients, together with those with mild symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), may play an important role in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission. However, the dynamics of virus shedding during the various phases of the clinical course of COVID-19 remains unclear at this stage.

Methods

A total of 18 patients found to be positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection by real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) assay and admitted to Chongqing University Central Hospital between 29 January and 5 February 2020 were enrolled into this study. Medical data, pulmonary computed tomographic (CT) scan images and RT-PCR results were periodically collected during the patients' hospital stay. All participants were actively followed up for 2 weeks after discharge.

Results

A total of nine (50%) asymptomatic patients and nine (50%) patients with mild symptoms of COVID-19 were identified at admission. Six patients (66.7%) who were asymptomatic at admission developed subjective symptoms during hospitalization and were recategorized as being presymptomatic. The median duration of virus shedding was 11.5, 28 and 31 days for presymptomatic, asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients, separately. Seven patients (38.9%) continued to shed virus after hospital discharge. During the convalescent phase, detectable antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and RNA were simultaneously observed in five patients (27.8%).

Conclusions

Long-term virus shedding was documented in patients with mild symptoms and in asymptomatic patients. Specific antibody production to SARS-CoV-2 may not guarantee virus clearance after discharge. These observations should be considered when making decisions regarding clinical and public health, and when considering strategies for the prevention and control of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Identification of methylation-driven genes related to the prognosis of papillary renal cell carcinoma: a study based on The Cancer Genome Atlas

Background

Aberrant DNA methylation patterns are involved in the pathogenesis of papillary renal cell carcinoma (pRCC). This study aimed to investigate the potential of methylation-driven genes as biomarkers in determining the prognosis of pRCC by bioinformatics analysis.

Methods

DNA methylation and transcriptome profiling data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Methylation-driven genes (MDGs) were obtained using MethylMix R package. A Cox regression model was used to screen for pRCC prognosis-related MDGs, and a linear risk model based on MDG methylation profiles was constructed. A combined methylation and gene expression survival analysis was performed to further explore the prognostic value of MDGs independently.

Results

A total of 31 MDGs were obtained. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis identified eight genes (CASP1, CD68, HOXD3, HHLA2, HOXD9, HOXA10-AS, TMEM71, and PLA2G16), which were used to construct a predictive model associated with overall survival in pRCC patients. Combined DNA methylation and gene expression survival analysis revealed that C19orf33, GGT6, GIPC2, HHLA2, HOXD3, HSD17B14, PLA2G16, and TMEM71 were significantly associated with patients’ survival.

Conclusion

Through the analysis of MDGs in pRCC, this study identified potential biomarkers for precision treatment and prognosis prediction, and provided the basis for future research into the molecular mechanism of pRCC.

"Possible mechanisms underlying treatment of Alzheimer's disease with Traditional Chinese Medicine: active components, potential targets and synthetic pathways of Bulao Elixir"

OBJECTIVE

To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), by examining the active components, potential targets and synthetic pathways of Bulao Elixir (BLE).

METHODS

The Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion (ADME) / Toxicology (T) calculation was used to screen the active components of Bulao Elixir. Based on the TCM Systems Pharmacology Analysis Platform (TCMSP database) and a text mining tool (GoPubMed database), we predicted and screened the active components of Bulao Elixir and its therapeutic targets for AD. Using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID), we obtained the targets for AD. Cytoscape software was used to establish a network map of the active component-target and target-pathway of Bulao Elixir. Gene function, related biological processes and signaling pathways were analyzed using the DAVID database.

RESULTS

Twelve active components were selected from 196 components of Bulao Elixir. Among 2209 targets, 102 effective targets were selected, and 30 important targets were identified via matching with the disease targets. After further analysis, 14 core targets were identified. Enrichment analysis revealed that most of these important targets were involved in multiple biological processes, including apoptosis, inflammatory reactions, and cell regulation cycles. The synthetic pathways for AD treatment were identified after analyzing and confirming the relevant pathways, providing potentially useful information for diagnosis and treatment methods for AD.

CONCLUSION

The current study elucidated the potential treatment mechanisms of Bulao Elixir in AD using network pharmacology, providing a foundation for further clarification of its treatment targets.

Network pharmacology to dissect the mechanisms of Yinlai Decoction for pneumonia

BACKGROUND

Pneumonia is a common respiratory disorder, which brings an enormous financial burden to the medical system. However, the current treatment options for pneumonia are limited because of drug resistance and side effects. Our previous study preliminarily confirmed that Yinlai Decoction (YD), a common prescription for pneumonia in clinical practice, can regulate the expression of inflammatory factors, but the mechanisms are unknown yet.

METHODS

In our work, a method named network pharmacology was applied, which investigated the underlying mechanisms of herbs based on a variety of databases. We obtained bioactive ingredients of YD on TCMSP database and collected potential targets of these ingredients by target fishing. Then the pneumonia-related targets database was built by TTD, Drugbank, HPO, OMIM, and CTD. Based on the matching targets between YD and pneumonia, the PPI network was built by STRING to analyze the interactions among these targets and then input into Cytoscape for further topological analysis. DAVID and KEGG were utilized for GO and pathway enrichment analysis. Then rat model based on LPS stimulated pneumonia was used to verify the possible mechanism of YD in treating pneumonia.

RESULTS

Sixty-eight active ingredients, 103 potential targets and 8 related pathways, which likely exert a number of effects, were identified. Three networks were constructed using Cytoscape, which were herb-component-network, YD-pneumonia target network, and herb-component-YD target-pneumonia network. YD was verified to treat LPS-induced pneumonia by regulating the inflammatory factor IL-6, which was a predicted target.

CONCLUSION

Network analysis indicated that YD could alleviate the symptoms and signs of pneumonia through regulating host immune inflammatory response, angiogenesis and vascular permeability, the barrier function of the airway epithelial cells, hormone releasing and cell growth, proliferation, and apoptosis.

Chromosomal abnormalities detected by karyotyping and microarray analysis in twins with structural anomalies

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the incidence and types of chromosomal abnormalities detected in twins with structural anomalies and compare their distribution according to chorionicity and amnionicity and by structural-anomaly type. The added value of chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) over conventional karyotyping in twins was also estimated.

METHODS

This was a single-center, retrospective analysis of 534 twin pregnancies seen over an 11-year period, in which one or both fetuses were diagnosed with congenital structural anomalies on ultrasound. The ultrasound findings and invasive prenatal diagnostic results were reviewed. Twin pregnancies were categorized as monochorionic monoamniotic (MCMA), monochorionic diamniotic (MCDA) or dichorionic diamniotic (DCDA). Chromosomal abnormalities detected by G-banding karyotyping and/or CMA were analyzed by chorionicity and amnionicity and by structural-anomaly type.

RESULTS

The 534 twin pairs analyzed comprised 25 pairs of MCMA, 112 pairs of MCDA and 397 pairs of DCDA twins. Of the 549 fetuses affected by structural anomalies, 432 (78.7%) underwent invasive prenatal testing and cytogenetic results were obtained. The incidence of overall chromosomal abnormalities in the DCDA fetuses (25.4%) was higher than that in the MCMA (3.7%) and MCDA (15.3%) fetuses. The incidence of aneuploidy was significantly higher in the DCDA group (22.8%) than in the MCMA (0.0%) and MCDA (12.4%) groups. The incidence of chromosomal abnormalities detected in fetuses, with anomalies of the cardiovascular, faciocervical, musculoskeletal, genitourinary and gastrointestinal systems, was higher in the DCDA group than in the MCDA group. In both the DCDA and MCDA groups, hydrops fetalis was associated with the highest incidence of chromosomal abnormality; of these fetuses, 67.6% had Turner syndrome (45,X). Pathogenic copy-number variations (CNVs) undetectable by karyotyping were identified by CMA in five (2.0%; 95% CI, 0.3-3.7%) DCDA fetuses. No pathogenic CNVs were found in MCMA and MCDA twins.

CONCLUSIONS

Dichorionic twins with structural anomalies have a higher risk of chromosomal abnormalities, especially aneuploidies, than do monochorionic twins. The incremental diagnostic yield of CMA over karyotyping seems to be lower (2.0%) in twins than that reported in singleton pregnancy. Copyright © 2019 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Structural maintenance of chromosomes 2 is identified as an oncogene in bladder cancer in vitro and in vivo

Taurine upregulated gene 1 (TUG1) has been found to promote bladder cancer cell growth in our recent research. In this study, TUG1-depleted bladder cancer cells were used to identify potent players in bladder cancer. Human gene expression arrays were used for transcriptome profiling of TUG1-depleted bladder cancer cells. Cell proliferation was analyzed by MTT assay. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle were analyzed by flow cytometry. Colony formation assay was used to observe the changes of colony formation rates. Xenograft formation assay was performed in nude mice. Immunohistochemical staining was used to test the gene expression levels in tissues from bladder cancer patients. We found that deregulated genes were strongly enriched in cell cycle or pathways in cancer in TUG1-depleted bladder cancer cells. Structural maintenance of chromosomes 2 (SMC2) was inhibited after TUG1 knockdown. The depletion of TUG1 or SMC2 led to G2/M phase arrest in bladder cancer cells. SMC2 depletion inhibited bladder cancer cell proliferation, promoted apoptosis, decreased colony formation, and reduced tumor growth in xenograft nude mice. Overexpression of SMC2 restored the growth of TUG1-depleted cells. The expression levels of SMC2 were higher in human bladder cancer tissues than that in paired normal tissues. Our data suggest that SMC2 is an oncogene in bladder cancer and depletion of SMC2 might have potential therapeutical significance in bladder cancer.

Development and validation of a novel immune-related prognostic model in lung squamous cell carcinoma

Background: The immune system plays an important role in the development of lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). Therefore, immune-related genes (IRGs) expression may be an important predictor of LUSC prognosis. However, a prognostic model based on IRGs that can systematically assess the prognosis of LUSC patients is still lacking. This study aimed to construct a LUSC immune-related prognostic model by using IRGs. Methods: Gene expression data about LUSC were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Differential expression analysis and univariate Cox regression analysis were performed to identify prognostic differentially expressed IRGs. A prognostic model was constructed using the Lasso and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Then we validated the performance of the prognostic model in training and test cohorts. Furthermore, associations with clinical variables and immune infiltration were also analyzed. Results: 593 differentially expressed IRGs were identified, and 8 of them were related to prognosis. Then a transcription factor regulatory network was established. A prognostic model consisted of 4 immune-related genes was constructed by using Lasso and multivariate Cox regression analyses. The prognostic value of this model was successfully validated in training and test cohorts. Further analysis showed that the prognostic model could be used independently to predict the prognosis of LUSC patients. The relationships between the risk score and immune cell infiltration indicated that the model could reflect the status of the tumor immune microenvironment. Conclusions: We constructed a risk model using four PDIRGs that can accurately predict the prognosis of LUSC patients. The risk score generated by this model can be used as an independent prognostic indicator. Moreover, the model can predict the infiltration of immune cells in patients, which is conducive to the prediction of patient sensitivity to immunotherapy.

Quantum Logic Spectroscopy with Ions in Thermal Motion

A mixed-species geometric phase gate has been proposed for implementing quantum logic spectroscopy on trapped ions, which combines probe and information transfer from the spectroscopy to the logic ion in a single pulse. We experimentally realize this method, show how it can be applied as a technique for identifying transitions in currently intractable atoms or molecules, demonstrate its reduced temperature sensitivity, and observe quantum-enhanced frequency sensitivity when it is applied to multi-ion chains. Potential applications include improved readout of trapped-ion clocks and simplified error syndrome measurements for quantum error correction.