Effect of illness perceptions on asthma control and quality of life amongst adult outpatients with asthma in China

OBJECTIVE

To investigated the influence of illness perceptions and other risk factors related to poor asthma control and quality of life in adult outpatients with asthma in China.

METHODS

Patients with a confirmed asthma diagnosis were recruited from the outpatient clinic at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University in Shanghai. Sociodemographic, psychological, and asthma related variables were assessed in all participants. Patients' illness perceptions, medication adherence, asthma control, and quality of life were assessed using validated questionnaires, such as the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS-A), the Asthma Control Test, and the Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire. Multiple linear regressions and logistic regressions were used to examine the associations between illness perceptions, medication adherence behaviors, and disease outcome (i.e., asthma control and quality of life).

RESULTS

A total of two hundred thirty-one (231) outpatients with asthma were included in this cross-sectional study, 80 of whom (34.6%) had asthma that was uncontrolled. Patients who perceived their life (β = - 0.197, p < 0.001) and emotions (β = - 0.294, p < 0.001) as severely affected by the illness were more likely to have a lower quality of life, findings that were statistically significant. Also, patients who believed they had a higher degree of personal control over their illness (β = 0.333, p < 0.001), and had better medication adherence (β = 0.250, p < 0.001) were found to have a better quality of life.

CONCLUSION

Our study indicated that illness perceptions and medication adherence have a significant impact on disease outcome. Both of these factors should be considered when determining the best health care practices or constructing a predictive intervention model for patients with uncontrolled asthma.

Dermatophagoides farinae Extract Induces Interleukin 33-Mediated Atopic Skin Inflammation via Activation of RIP1

Receptor-interacting protein kinase (RIP) family 1 signaling has complex effects on inflammatory processes and cell death, but little is known concerning allergic skin diseases. We examined the role of RIP1 in Dermatophagoides farinae extract (DFE)-induced atopic dermatitis (AD)-like skin inflammation. RIP1 phosphorylation was increased in HKCs treated with DFE. Nectostatin-1, a selective and potent allosteric inhibitor of RIP1, inhibited AD-like skin inflammation and the expression of histamine, total IgE, DFE-specific IgE, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 in an AD-like mouse model. The expression of RIP1 was increased in ear skin tissue from a DFE-induced mouse model with AD-like skin lesions and in the lesional skin of AD patients with high house dust mite sensitization. The expression of IL-33 was down-regulated after RIP1 inhibition, and the levels of IL-33 were increased by over-expression of RIP1 in keratinocytes stimulated with DFE. Nectostatin-1 reduced IL-33 expression in vitro and in the DFE-induced mouse model. These results suggest that RIP1 can be one of the mediators that regulate IL-33-mediated atopic skin inflammation by house dust mites.

Omalizumab in Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

An unmet clinical need exists in the management of treatment-refractory allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA). Omalizumab has shown promising effects in case series and cohort studies; however, evidence to support its routine clinical use is lacking.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of omalizumab in patients with ABPA.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic search across standard databases using specific key words until May 13, 2021. We performed a meta-analysis to compare the effectiveness (exacerbations, oral corticosteroid [OCS] use, lung function, and patient-reported asthma control) and safety of pre- and post-omalizumab treatment. Subgroup analyses were performed for treatment duration and underlying disease.

RESULTS

In total, 49 studies (n = 267) were included in the qualitative synthesis and 14 case series (n = 186) in the quantitative meta-analysis. Omalizumab treatment significantly reduced the annualized exacerbation rate compared with pretreatment (mean difference, -2.09 [95% CI, -3.07 to -1.11]; P < .01). There was a reduction in OCS use (risk difference, 0.65 [95% CI, 0.46-0.84]; P < .01), an increase in termination of OCS use (risk difference, 0.53 [95% CI, 0.24-0.82]; P < .01), and a reduction in OCS dose (milligrams per day) (mean difference, -14.62 [95% CI, -19.86 to -9.39]; P < .01) in ABPA patients receiving omalizumab. Omalizumab improved FEV₁ % predicted by 11.9% (95% CI, 8.2-15.6; P < .01) and asthma control, and was well-tolerated.

CONCLUSIONS

Omalizumab treatment reduced exacerbations and OCS use, improved lung function and asthma control in patients with ABPA, and was well-tolerated. The results highlight the potential role of omalizumab in the treatment of ABPA.

Meta-Viromic Sequencing Reveals Virome Characteristics of Mosquitoes and Culicoides on Zhoushan Island, China

Mosquitoes and biting Culicoides species are arbovirus vectors. Effective virome profile surveillance is essential for the prevention and control of insect-borne diseases. From June to September 2021, we collected eight species of female mosquito and Culicoides on Zhoushan Island, China, and used meta-viromic sequencing to analyze their virome compositions and characteristics. The classified virus reads were distributed in 191 genera in 66 families. The virus sequences in mosquitoes with the largest proportions were Iflaviridae (30.03%), Phasmaviridae (23.09%), Xinmoviridae (21.82%), Flaviviridae (13.44%), and Rhabdoviridae (8.40%). Single-strand RNA⁺ viruses formed the largest proportions of viruses in all samples. Blood meals indicated that blood-sucking mosquito hosts were mainly chicken, duck, pig, and human, broadly consistent with the habitats where the mosquitoes were collected. Novel viruses of the Orthobunyavirus, Narnavirus, and Iflavirus genera were found in Culicoides by de-novo assembly. The viruses with vertebrate hosts carried by mosquitoes and Culicoides also varied widely. The analysis of unclassified viruses and deep-learning analysis of the "dark matter" in the meta-viromic sequencing data revealed the presence of a large number of unknown viruses. IMPORTANCE The monitoring of the viromes of mosquitoes and Culicoides, widely distributed arbovirus transmission vectors, is crucial to evaluate the risk of infectious disease transmission. In this study, the compositions of the viromes of mosquitoes and Culicoides on Zhoushan Island varied widely and were related mainly to the host species, with different host species having different core viromes. and many unknown sequences in the Culicoides viromes remain to be annotated, suggesting the presence of a large number of unknown viruses.

MGA deletion leads to Richter's transformation via modulation of mitochondrial OXPHOS

Richter's transformation (RT) is a progression of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) to aggressive lymphoma. MGA ( Max gene associated ), a functional MYC suppressor, is mutated at 3% in CLL and 36% in RT. However, genetic models and molecular mechanisms of MGA deletion driving CLL to RT remain elusive. We established a novel RT mouse model by knockout of Mga in the Sf3b1 / Mdr CLL model via CRISPR-Cas9 to determine the role of Mga in RT. Murine RT cells exhibit mitochondrial aberrations with elevated oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). We identified Nme1 (Nucleoside diphosphate kinase) as a Mga target through RNA sequencing and functional characterization, which drives RT by modulating OXPHOS. As NME1 is also a known MYC target without targetable compounds, we found that concurrent inhibition of MYC and ETC complex II significantly prolongs the survival of RT mice in vivo . Our results suggest that Mga-Nme1 axis drives murine CLL-to-RT transition via modulating OXPHOS, highlighting a novel therapeutic avenue for RT.

Statement of Significance

We established a murine RT model through knockout of Mga in an existing CLL model based on co-expression of Sf3b1 -K700E and del ( 13q ). We determined that the MGA/NME1 regulatory axis is essential to the CLL-to-RT transition via modulation of mitochondrial OXPHOS, highlighting this pathway as a novel target for RT treatment.

Clinical and genomic analysis of hypermucoviscous Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates: Identification of new hypermucoviscosity associated genes

Introduction

Hypermucoviscous Klebsiella pneumoniae (HmKp) poses an emerging and highly pathogenic global health threat. This study aimed to investigate the clinical and genomic characteristics of HmKp isolates to better understand the virulence mechanisms of the hypermucoviscous (HMV) phenotype.

Methods

From May 2018 to August 2021, 203 non-repeat K. pneumoniae isolates causing invasive infections were collected from a hospital in Beijing, China. Isolates were divided into HmKp (n=90, 44.3%) and non-HmKp (n=113, 55.7%) groups according to string test results.

Results

Multivariate regression showed that diabetes mellitus (odds ratio [OR]=2.20, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.20-4.05, p=0.010) and liver abscess (OR=2.93, CI 95%:1.29-7.03, p=0.012) were associated with HmKp infections. K. pneumoniae was highly diverse, comprising 87 sequence types (STs) and 54 serotypes. Among HmKp isolates, ST23 was the most frequent ST (25/90, 27.8%), and the most prevalent serotypes were KL2 (31/90, 34.4%) and KL1 (27/90, 30.0%). Thirteen virulence genes were located on the capsular polysaccharide synthesis region of KL1 strains. HmKp isolates were sensitive to multiple antibiotics but carried more SHV-type extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) resistance genes (p<0.05), suggesting that the emergence of ESBL-mediated multidrug resistance in HmKp should be monitored carefully during treatment. Phylogenetic analysis disclosed that HmKp isolates were highly diverse. Comparative genomic analysis confirmed that the HMV phenotype is a plasmid-encoded virulence factor. Seventeen HmKp genes were highly associated with HmKp, and included rmpAC, 7 iron-acquisition-related genes, and pagO, which may promote liver abscess formation.

Discussion

This investigation provides insight into the mechanisms producing the HMV phenotype.

A clinical KPC-producing Klebsiella michiganensis strain carrying IncFII/IncFIA (HI1)/IncFIB (K) multiple replicon plasmid

Klebsiella michiganensis is an increasingly important bacterial pathogen causing nosocomial infections in clinical patients. In this study, we described the molecular and genomic characteristics of a carbapenem-resistant K. michiganensis strain KM166 cultured from a one-month premature baby's blood sample. KM166 showed lower biofilm forming ability in optical density (OD) than K. pneumoniae NTUH-K2044 (0.271 ± 0.027 vs. 0.595 ± 0.054, p = 0.001), and the median lethal dose (0.684 lg CFU/mL) was lower than K. pneumoniae strain NTUH-K2044 (6.679 lg CFU/mL). A IncFII/IncFIA(HI1)/IncFIB(K) multiple replicon plasmid in KM166 was identified carrying three replicon types. It has low homology to Escherichia coli pMRY09-581ECO_1 and the highest homology similarity to the INcFIA/INcFII(p14)-type plasmid in K. michiganensis strain fxq plasmid pB_KPC, suggesting that this multiple replicon plasmid was unlikely to have been transmitted from E. coli and probably a transfer of repFIB replicon genes from other K. michiganensis strains into the INcFIA/INcFII(p14)-type plasmid of KM166 had occurred. Mapping of the gene environment revealed that bla _KPC-2 in KM166 plasmid 3 had high identity and same Tn3-tnpR-IS481-bla _KPC-2-klcA_1 genomic context structure with K. pneumoniae strain JKP55, plasmid pKPC-J5501, and bla _KPC-2-carrying plasmid proved to be autonomously transferred under the help of mobile genetic elements into Escherichia coli 600 by plasmid conjugation experiment. In conclusion, we have characterized a K. michiganensis strain carrying multi-replicon IncFII/IncFIA(HI1)/IncFIB(K) plasmid and bla _KPC-2-carrying IncFII(p14)/IncFIA plasmid in this study, which provided insights about the evolutionary diversity of plasmids carried by K. michiganensis.

UCHL1 Impairs Periodontal Ligament Stem Cell Osteogenesis in Periodontitis

Periodontitis comprises a series of inflammatory responses resulting in alveolar bone loss. The suppression of osteogenesis of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) by inflammation is responsible for impaired alveolar bone regeneration, which remains an ongoing challenge for periodontitis therapy. Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) belongs to the family of deubiquitinating enzymes, which was found to play roles in inflammation previously. In this study, the upregulation of UCHL1 was identified in inflamed PDLSCs isolated from periodontitis patients and in healthy PDLSCs treated with tumor necrosis factor-α or interleukin-1β, and the higher expression level of UCHL1 was accompanied with the impaired osteogenesis of PDLSCs. Then UCHL1 was inhibited in PDLSCs using the lentivirus or inhibitor, and the osteogenesis of PDLSCs suppressed by inflammation was rescued by UCHL1 inhibition. Mechanistically, the negative effect of UCHL1 on the osteogenesis of PDLSCs was attributable to its negative regulation of mitophagy-dependent bone morphogenetic protein 2/Smad signaling pathway in periodontitis-associated inflammation. Furthermore, a ligature-induced murine periodontitis model was established, and the specific inhibitor of UCHL1 was administrated to periodontitis mice. The histological results showed increased active osteoblasts on alveolar bone surface and enhanced alveolar bone regeneration when UCHL1 was inhibited in periodontitis mice. Besides, the therapeutic effects of UCHL1 inhibition on ameliorating periodontitis were verified, as indicated by less bone loss and reduced inflammation. Altogether, our study proved UCHL1 to be a key negative regulator of the osteogenesis of PDLSCs in periodontitis and suggested that UCHL1 inhibition holds promise for alveolar bone regeneration in periodontitis treatment.

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.

FAM83A promotes the progression and metastasis of human pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors by inducing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition via the PI3K/AKT and ERK pathways

PURPOSE

Family with sequence similarity 83, member A (FAM83A) has been reported to play an important role in cancer progression and metastasis. The purpose of this study was to clarify the role and mechanism of FAM83A in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs).

METHODS

PanNET specimens and adjacent nontumor pancreatic tissues obtained from 68 patients who underwent curative surgery for PanNETs were assessed for FAM83A expression using immunochemical staining. The relationships between FAM83A expression, clinicopathological parameters and prognosis were statistically analyzed. PanNET cell lines were used to study the role of FAM83A in the progression and metastasis of PanNETs in vitro and in vivo.

RESULTS

FAM83A was overexpressed in PanNET specimens compared with adjacent nontumor tissues. Furthermore, FAM83A expression was closely associated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.02), perineural invasion (P = 0.001), WHO classification (P = 0.039), AJCC stage (P = 0.01) and shorter disease-free survival in patients with PanNETs (P < 0.001). FAM83A overexpression effectively promoted PanNET cell proliferation, migration, invasion and growth both in vitro and in vivo, whereas FAM83A inhibition exerted the opposite effects. Subsequent mechanistic investigations revealed that FAM83A promotes the progression and metastasis of PanNETs by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) via the PI3K/AKT and ERK pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

FAM83A plays an important role in the progression and metastasis of PanNET by inducing the EMT via the activation of the ERK and PI3K/AKT pathways and may serve as a valuable molecular target in PanNET treatment.

A, Barbano A, Barwick SW, Bastian B, Basu V, Baur S, Bay R, Beatty JJ, Becker KH, Becker Tjus J, Bellenghi C, BenZvi S, Berley D, Bernardini E, Besson DZ, Binder G, Bindig D, Blaufuss E, Blot S, Boddenberg M, Bontempo F, Borowka J, Böser S, Botner O, Böttcher J, Bourbeau E, Bradascio F, Braun J, Brinson B, Bron S, Brostean-Kaiser J, Browne S, Burgman A, Burley RT, Busse RS, Campana MA, Carnie-Bronca EG, Chen C, Chen Z, Chirkin D, Choi K, Clark BA, Clark K, Classen L, Coleman A, Collin GH, Conrad JM, Coppin P, Correa P, Cowen DF, Cross R, Dappen C, Dave P, De Clercq C, DeLaunay JJ, Delgado López D, Dembinski H, Deoskar K, Desai A, Desiati P, de Vries KD, de Wasseige G, de With M, DeYoung T, Diaz A, Díaz-Vélez JC, Dittmer M, Dujmovic H, Dunkman M, DuVernois MA, Dvorak E, Ehrhardt T, Eller P, Engel R, Erpenbeck H, Evans J, Evenson PA, Fan KL, Fazely AR, Fedynitch A, Feigl N, Fiedlschuster S, Fienberg AT, Filimonov K, Finley C, Fischer L, Fox D, Franckowiak A, Friedman E, Fritz A, Fürst P, Gaisser TK, Gallagher J, Ganster E, Garcia A, Garrappa S, Gerhardt L, Ghadimi A, Glaser C, Glauch T, Glüsenkamp T, Goldschmidt A, Gonzalez JG, Goswami S, Grant D, Grégoire T, Griswold S, Günther C, Gutjahr P, Haack C, Hallgren A, Halliday R, Halve L, Halzen F, Ha Minh M, Hanson K, Hardin J, Harnisch AA, Haungs A, Hebecker D, Helbing K, Henningsen F, Hettinger EC, Hickford S, Hignight J, Hill C, Hill GC, Hoffman KD, Hoffmann R, Hokanson-Fasig B, Hoshina K, Huang F, Huber M, Huber T, Hultqvist K, Hünnefeld M, Hussain R, Hymon K, In S, Iovine N, Ishihara A, Jansson M, Japaridze GS, Jeong M, Jin M, Jones BJP, Kang D, Kang W, Kang X, Kappes A, Kappesser D, Kardum L, Karg T, Karl M, Karle A, Katz U, Kauer M, Kellermann M, Kelley JL, Kheirandish A, Kin K, Kintscher T, Kiryluk J, Klein SR, Koirala R, Kolanoski H, Kontrimas T, Köpke L, Kopper C, Kopper S, Koskinen DJ, Koundal P, Kovacevich M, Kowalski M, Kozynets T, Kun E, Kurahashi N, Lad N, Lagunas Gualda C, Lanfranchi JL, Larson MJ, Lauber F, Lazar JP, Lee JW, Leonard K, Leszczyńska A, Li Y, Lincetto M, Liu QR, Liubarska M, Lohfink E, Lozano Mariscal CJ, Lu L, Lucarelli F, Ludwig A, Luszczak W, Lyu Y, Ma WY, Madsen J, Mahn KBM, Makino Y, Mancina S, Mariş IC, Martinez-Soler I, Maruyama R, Mase K, McElroy T, McNally F, Mead JV, Meagher K, Mechbal S, Medina A, Meier M, Meighen-Berger S, Micallef J, Mockler D, Montaruli T, Moore RW, Morse R, Moulai M, Naab R, Nagai R, Nahnhauer R, Naumann U, Necker J, Nguyen LV, Niederhausen H, Nisa MU, Nowicki SC, Nygren D, Obertacke Pollmann A, Oehler M, Oeyen B, Olivas A, O’Sullivan E, Pandya H, Pankova DV, Park N, Parker GK, Paudel EN, Paul L, Pérez de los Heros C, Peters L, Peterson J, Philippen S, Pieper S, Pittermann M, Pizzuto A, Plum M, Popovych Y, Porcelli A, Prado Rodriguez M, Price PB, Pries B, Przybylski GT, Raab C, Rack-Helleis J, Raissi A, Rameez M, Rawlins K, Rea IC, Rehman A, Reichherzer P, Reimann R, Renzi G, Resconi E, Reusch S, Rhode W, Richman M, Riedel B, Roberts EJ, Robertson S, Roellinghoff G, Rongen M, Rott C, Ruhe T, Ryckbosch D, Rysewyk Cantu D, Safa I, Saffer J, Sanchez Herrera SE, Sandrock A, Sandroos J, Santander M, Sarkar S, Sarkar S, Satalecka K, Schaufel M, Schieler H, Schindler S, Schmidt T, Schneider A, Schneider J, Schröder FG, Schumacher L, Schwefer G, Sclafani S, Seckel D, Seunarine S, Sharma A, Shefali S, Silva M, Skrzypek B, Smithers B, Snihur R, Soedingrekso J, Soldin D, Spannfellner C, Spiczak GM, Spiering C, Stachurska J, Stamatikos M, Stanev T, Stein R, Stettner J, Steuer A, Stezelberger T, Stokstad R, Stürwald T, Stuttard T, Sullivan GW, Taboada I, Ter-Antonyan S, Tilav S, Tischbein F, Tollefson K, Tönnis C, Toscano S, Tosi D, Trettin A, Tselengidou M, Tung CF, Turcati A, Turcotte R, Turley CF, Twagirayezu JP, Ty B, Unland Elorrieta MA, Valtonen-Mattila N, Vandenbroucke J, van Eijndhoven N, Vannerom D, van Santen J, Verpoest S, Walck C, Watson TB, Weaver C, Weigel P, Weindl A, Weiss MJ, Weldert J, Wendt C, Werthebach J, Weyrauch M, Whitehorn N, Wiebusch CH, Williams DR, Wolf M, Woschnagg K, Wrede G, Wulff J, Xu XW, Yanez JP, Yoshida S, Yu S, Yuan T, Zhang Z, Zhelnin P. Evidence for neutrino emission from the nearby active galaxy NGC 1068

A supermassive black hole, obscured by cosmic dust, powers the nearby active galaxy NGC 1068. Neutrinos, which rarely interact with matter, could provide information on the galaxy’s active core. We searched for neutrino emission from astrophysical objects using data recorded with the IceCube neutrino detector between 2011 and 2020. The positions of 110 known gamma-ray sources were individually searched for neutrino detections above atmospheric and cosmic backgrounds. We found that NGC 1068 has an excess of 79 − 20 + 22 neutrinos at tera–electron volt energies, with a global significance of 4.2σ, which we interpret as associated with the active galaxy. The flux of high-energy neutrinos that we measured from NGC 1068 is more than an order of magnitude higher than the upper limit on emissions of tera–electron volt gamma rays from this source.

Search for Unstable Sterile Neutrinos with the IceCube Neutrino Observatory

We present a search for an unstable sterile neutrino by looking for a resonant signal in eight years of atmospheric ν_{μ} data collected from 2011 to 2019 at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. Both the (stable) three-neutrino and the 3+1 sterile neutrino models are disfavored relative to the unstable sterile neutrino model, though with p values of 2.8% and 0.81%, respectively, we do not observe evidence for 3+1 neutrinos with neutrino decay. The best-fit parameters for the sterile neutrino with decay model from this study are Δm_{41}^{2}=6.7_{-2.5}^{+3.9}  eV^{2}, sin^{2}2θ_{24}=0.33_{-0.17}^{+0.20}, and g^{2}=2.5π±1.5π, where g is the decay-mediating coupling. The preferred regions of the 3+1+decay model from short-baseline oscillation searches are excluded at 90% C.L.

Association of usual walking with mortality in oldest old adults aged 85 years and older: a nationwide senior cohort study

Background

Current guidelines recommend moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) for health benefit in adults. However, it is difficult to meet the recommended minimum MVPA in “oldest old” aged over 85. Although walking is simple and easy exercise for oldest old, research on the association between walking and mortality in oldest old are lacking.

Purpose

To investigate the association between walking and the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among older adults aged 85 years and older.

Methods

7047 participants aged 85 or older underwent the Korean National Health Screening Program, including self-administered questionnaire for physical activity. Reported frequency per week of walking for at least 30 minutes increment was used to classify hours of walking per week. We computed multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios for walking and mutually adjusted for MVPA in relation to all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.

Results

The proportions of participants who engaged in walking, moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity were 42.5% (2996/7047), 14.7% (1037/7047) and 11.0% (773/7047), respectively. Only 7.6% (538/7047) of participants met the guidelines recommended minimum MVPA. Compared to inactive individuals, those who walked at least 1 hour per week had lower all-cause (HR 0.60 [95% CI, 0.50–0.74]) and cardiovascular mortality risk (HR 0.61 [95% CI, 0.42–0.89]). Walking 1 hour per week was still significant associated with reduction of risk for all-cause (HR 0.50 [95% CI, 0.40–0.61]) and cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.46 [95% CI, 0.30–0.70]) among participants who reported only walking without any MVPA.

Conclusions

1 hour a week of walking might be of benefit for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in aged over 85 years, even without MVPA. Promoting walking may be a way to help oldest old avoid inactivity and encourage an active lifestyle for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risk reduction.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Caregiver Views on Prospective Use of Robotic Care in Helping Children Adapt to Hospitalization

Children in hospitals endure a variety of stressful situations. Children feel friendly toward and have fun with robots. Care robots are considered to be an alternate technique to relieve stress after hospitalization. A mixed-methods study was conducted on caregivers to understand the ideal care robot. One hundred and fifty caregivers of pediatric patients participated in a quantitative online survey, and eleven participated in focus group interviews for qualitative analysis. Quantitative data underwent descriptive statistics. Content analysis was conducted for qualitative data. Regarding the overall awareness and necessity of a care robot, the caregivers thought it would help patients adapt to the hospital environment more quickly. The caregivers' preferred character-shaped robots of child height. For sound, they preferred an animated character's voice. For movement, they preferred the robot to roll on wheels. Regarding functions, medicine was the item for which they most wanted to use game elements. For the educational element, the caregivers wanted to teach children the reasons for and methods of medicine administration. Four themes were derived from the qualitative results. The findings are expected to contribute to the future development of care robots that can assist pediatric patients.

Effect of Leptin Levels of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetic Complications

Purpose: To investigate serum leptin levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the relationship between leptin levels and T2DM complications and prevalence.Methods: A total of 355 patients, 282 cases with T2DM and 73 normal controls, were recruited at 1st Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital (Beijing, China) between November 2013 and July 2014. Levels of serum leptin, biochemical markers and sexual hormones were measured, and clinical characteristics were retrieved through the electronic medical record system.Results: Leptin levels in females were higher than that in males. Leptin levels in T2MD patients were positively correlated with body mass index, percent body fat, triglyceride, cystatin C homocysteine and salivary acid, and negatively correlated with glycosylated serum protein and glycosylated albumin levels. Leptin levels in males were positively correlated with systolic pressure and estradiol, and negatively correlated with testosterone and high density lipoprotein cholesterol. Sex (female) was positively correlated with the duration of disease. Leptin levels in T2DM patients with complications such as hypertension, diabetic nephropathy, diabetic peripheral neuropathy and coronary heart disease were higher than that in patients without such complications. Leptin levels in females with diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macroangiopathy were higher than that in patients without such complications, but there was no difference in males.Conclusions: Leptin has significant gender differences. Leptin levels are related to body mass index, percent body fat and sex hormone level in T2DM patients and may affect short-term blood glucose control in T2DM patients. Leptin levels are related to complications in patients with T2DM and affect the prevalence rates of complications.

Comprehensive analysis of transcriptome-wide m6A methylome in the lung tissues of mice with acute particulate matter exposure

Particulate matter (PM) exposure is identified as a critical risk factor for chronic airway diseases, but the biological mechanism of PM-induced lung damage was not fully elucidated. The m⁶A methylation, as the main member of epigenetic modifications, has been found to play an important role in different pulmonary diseases, but its regulatory effect on PM-induced lung damage remains unknown. This study firstly used the methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) to reveal the m⁶A methylome profiles in the lung tissues of mice with acute PM exposure. Compared with the normal control, a total of 2210 differentially hypermethylated m⁶A peaks within 1879 genes and 1278 differentially hypomethylated m⁶A peaks within 1153 genes were identified in the PM-exposed group. Conjoint analysis of MeRIP-seq and high-throughput sequencing for RNA (RNA-seq) data predicated several potential pathways including MAPK signaling pathway, cell senescence, and cell cycle. Four m⁶A-modified differentially expressed genes (IL-1a, IL-1b, ADAM-8, and HMOX-1) were selected for validation using MeRIP-qPCR. Furthermore, the m⁶A-modified IL-1a promoted PM-induced inflammation via regulating MAPK signaling pathway. These results provide a new insight into the biological mechanism of PM-induced lung damage, and help us to develop new methods to prevent and treat PM-induced adverse health effects.

Strong Constraints on Neutrino Nonstandard Interactions from TeV-Scale ν_{μ} Disappearance at IceCube

We report a search for nonstandard neutrino interactions (NSI) using eight years of TeV-scale atmospheric muon neutrino data from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. By reconstructing incident energies and zenith angles for atmospheric neutrino events, this analysis presents unified confidence intervals for the NSI parameter ε_{μτ}. The best-fit value is consistent with no NSI at a p value of 25.2%. With a 90% confidence interval of -0.0041≤ε_{μτ}≤0.0031 along the real axis and similar strength in the complex plane, this result is the strongest constraint on any NSI parameter from any oscillation channel to date.

Pressure-Induced Superconductivity in HgTe Single-Crystal Film

HgTe film is widely used for quantum Hall well studies and devices, as it has unique properties, like band gap inversion, carrier-type switch, and topological evolution depending on the film thickness modulation near the so-called critical thickness (63.5 Å), while its counterpart bulk materials do not hold these nontrivial properties at ambient pressure. Here, much richer transport properties emerging in bulk HgTe crystal through pressure-tuning are reported. Not only the above-mentioned abnormal properties can be realized in a 400 nm thick bulk HgTe single crystal, but superconductivity is also discovered in a series of high-pressure phases. Combining crystal structure, electrical transport, and Hall coefficient measurements, a p-n carrier type switching is observed in the first high-pressure cinnabar phase. Superconductivity emerges after the semiconductor-to-metal transition at 3.9 GPa and persists up to 54 GPa, crossing four high-pressure phases with an increased upper critical field. Density functional theory calculations confirm that a surface-dominated topologic band structure contributes these exotic properties under high pressure. This discovery presents broad and efficient tuning effects by pressure on the lattice structure and electronic modulations compared to the thickness-dependent critical properties in 2D and 3D topologic insulators and semimetals.

Difference of Serum Cytokine Profile in Allergic Asthma Patients According to Disease Severity

Purpose

Allergic asthma is a heterogeneous disease with complex underlying mechanisms. Cytokines are key mediators in immune system and potential indicators of disease status. The aim of this study is to compare the difference of serum cytokine profile in allergic asthma patients with different disease severity and explore candidate biomarkers for disease monitoring and targeting therapeutic agents.

Patients and Methods

A total of 40 allergic asthmatics (mild, n=22; moderate-to-severe, n=18) were included in this study. Serum samples, lung function and exhaled nitric oxide data were collected from each subject. A Meso Scale Discovery (MSD) electrochemiluminescence platform was applied to access serum levels of 33 cytokines. Serum cytokine profile was compared between mild and moderate-to-severe allergic asthmatics, and the correlation between serum cytokine levels, lung function and exhaled nitric oxide were analyzed.

Results

Moderate-to-severe allergic asthmatics displayed higher levels of eotaxin-1, eotaxin-2, MCP-1, MCP-2, MCP-3, YKL-40 and lower IL-23, IL-31 and TRAIL in serum in comparison with mild allergic asthmatics. Serum YKL-40, eotaxin-1 and MCP-1 had the best ability to discriminate mild and moderate-to-severe allergic asthmatics, with an AUC of 0.833, 0.811 and 0.760. Serum IP-10 was positively correlated with FeNO levels, while FnNO displayed a strong positive correlation with serum IL-25.

Conclusion

Compared with mild allergic asthmatics, significant increase in serum eotaxin-1, eotaxin-2, MCP-1, MCP-2, MCP-3, YKL-40 and decrease in serum IL-23, IL-31 and TRAIL was noted in moderate-to-severe allergic asthmatics. YKL-40, eotaxin-1 and MCP-1 might be candidate biomarkers in reflecting severity in allergic asthma patients.