Orbital-Selective Kondo Entanglement and Antiferromagnetic Order in USb_{2}

In heavy-fermion compounds, the dual character of f electrons underlies their rich and often exotic properties like fragile heavy quasiparticles, a variety of magnetic orders and unconventional superconductivity. 5f-electron actinide materials provide a rich setting to elucidate the larger and outstanding issue of the competition between magnetic order and Kondo entanglement and, more generally, the interplay among different channels of interactions in correlated electron systems. Here, by using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we present the detailed electronic structure of USb_{2} and observe two different kinds of nearly flat bands in the antiferromagnetic state of USb_{2}. Polarization-dependent measurements show that these electronic states are derived from 5f orbitals with different characters; in addition, further temperature-dependent measurements reveal that one of them is driven by the Kondo correlations between the 5f electrons and conduction electrons, while the other reflects the dominant role of the magnetic order. Our results on the low-energy electronic excitations of USb_{2} implicate orbital selectivity as an important new ingredient for the competition between Kondo correlations and magnetic order and, by extension, in the rich landscape of quantum phases for strongly correlated f electron systems.

Highly oxygenated meroterpenoids from the Antarctic fungus Aspergillus terreus

Eleven highly oxygenated meroterpenoids, named terreustoxins A-K, along with five known analogues, were isolated from the Antarctic fungus Aspergillus terreus. The structures and absolute configurations of these undescribed compounds were characterized by NMR spectroscopy, single-crystal X-ray crystallography, and ECD experiments. Terreustoxins A-D are the first examples of meroterpenoids with two ortho-hydroxy groups at C-6 and C-7 in the terretonins family. Terreustoxin C and terretonin inhibited the proliferation of Con A-induced murine T cells at the concentration of 10 μM.

High-intensity focused ultrasound and laparoscopic myomectomy in the treatment of uterine fibroids: a comparative study

OBJECTIVE

To compare the clinical efficacies of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and laparoscopic myomectomy (LM) in the treatment of uterine fibroids and their effects on patients' quality of life.

DESIGN

A non-randomised control study.

SETTING

Gynaecological department in a university teaching hospital.

POPULATION

Patients with uterine fibroids.

METHODS

From November 2014 to November 2015, 166 patients with uterine fibroids were enrolled and underwent HIFU (n = 99) and LM (n = 67) surgeries, respectively. Clinical efficacy, postoperative complications and quality of life after treatment were evaluated using the SF-36 Scale to compare the differences in each variable at the 1-year follow up.

MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES

Differences in efficacy, safety and quality of life between the patients treated with HIFU and LM.

RESULTS

The 12-month follow-up results showed that the HIFU group had a total effective rate of 99%; only one patient underwent alternative treatment due to non-apparent tumour shrinkage. All patients in the LM group showed complete tumour disappearance. Of these patients, 52 showed significant clinical improvement, 15 with partial clinical improvement, a total effective rate of 98%. There was no significant difference in effectivity rate between the two groups (P > 0.05). Both treatments effectively improved patients' quality of life. Compared with the LM group, patients in the HIFU group experienced no blood loss, a shorter hospital stay and fewer adverse effects and complications, the difference being statistically significant (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

High-intensity focused ultrasound can be as efficacious as LM therapy and effectively improve patients' quality of life in the treatment of uterine fibroids, with fewer adverse effects and complications, shorter hospital stays, and quicker postoperative recovery compared with LM therapy.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Patients with uterine fibroids can be effectively treated with both HIFU and myomectomy.

[Prevalence of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder in children in China: a systematic review and Meta-analysis]

Objective: To understand the prevalence of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children in China and provide scientific basis for early prevention and treatment of ADHD in children. Methods: A systematic literature retrieval was conducted by using CNKI, Wanfang data, CBM and VIP databases for the information about the prevalence of ADHD in children in China published from 1979 to 2017. Pubmed database was used to retrieve the literatures about ADHD prevalence in children in China published from 1946 to 2017. The quality of literature was evaluated based on the cross-sectional study criteria according to STROBE statement. Stata 12.0 was used for combined prevalence and subgroup analyses, including gender, regions, publication year, diagnostic criteria, sampling methods, and so on. Egger testing and the evaluation of funnel graph were used to evaluate the publication bias of these literatures, and sensitivity analysis was done by using different models and eliminating the influence of any one of these articles on combined effect value. Results: Twenty articles were included. The total sample size was 88 755, including 46 216 boys and 42 539 girls. The prevalence of ADHD in children in China was 5.6% (95%CI: 5.0%-6.3%). The prevalence was 7.7% (95%CI: 6.7%-8.8%) in boys and 3.4% (95%CI: 3.0%-3.8%) in girls, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). No statistically significance difference in the ADHD prevalence was observed between different regions publication years, diagnostic criteria and sampling methods. Conclusions: The prevalence of ADHD in children in China was high, and boys tended to have a higher prevalence compared with girls. Appropriate screening methods for early detection and intervention conduction of ADHD should be taken among children in China.

[Series study on the relationship between air quality index and tuberculosis incidence in Beijing]

Objective: To analyze the effect of air quality index (AQI) on the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in Beijing, and to provide evidence for setting up a better program regarding prevention and control of tuberculosis. Methods: Generalized additive model (GAM) was used to analyze the association between AQI and the incidence of tuberculosis in Beijing, from January 1, 2014 to November 9, 2016. Confounding factors as meteorological conditions and time trends were under control. Results: In Beijing, a total of 14 533 TB cases with definite dates of onset were collected during the study period, with 36 children excluded from the study. Finally, 14 497 cases were included in the study, including 9 513 men and 4 984 women, with 11 290 adults (15-59 years old) and 3 207 elderly (≥60 years old). Data from the optimal single-day lag effect of GAM showed that,with every 10 increase of AQI, the percent of increase on the onsets of overall, male, female and adult; tuberculosis cases were 0.85% (95%CI: 0.26%-1.44%), 0.83% (95%CI: 0.24%-1.42%), 0.93% (95%CI: 0.24%-1.62%) and 0.88% (95%CI: 0.29%-1.46%), respectively. The optimal lag time of the single-day effects were 15 days (lag15), but 16 days (lag16) for male. The optimal cumulative lag effect showed that with every 10 AQI increase, the percent of increase on the onsets of overall, male, female and adult tuberculosis cases were 1.92% (95%CI: 0.23%-3.16%), 1.94% (95%CI:0.15%-3.72%), 2.04% (95%CI: 0.10%-3.97%) and 2.00% (95%CI: 0.30%-3.69%), respectively, with the optimal lag time of cumulative delayed effects as 17 days (lag0_17), 18 days (lag0_18), 16 days (lag0_16) and 17 days (lag0_17), respectively. However, there were no statistical significances noticed in the elderly cases. Conclusion: There was a positive correlation between AQI and the number of TB cases in Beijing, and the effects of AQI on the number of TB cases in different genders and age groups were different.

The ethanol extract of Involcucrum castaneae ameliorated ovalbumin-induced airway inflammation and smooth muscle thickening in guinea pigs

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Involucrum castaneae(IC)is used in Chinese folk medicine to treat various lung diseases, as well as for its reducing phlegm and anti-inflammatory properties.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this experiment is to verify the effect of IC on airway inflammation, responsiveness in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthmatic guinea pigs. The main chemical components of IC were also analyzed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The potential of the ethanol extract of Involucrum castaneae (EEIC) to protect against OVA-induced allergic airway response in guinea pigs was investigated. The latency of asthma in guinea pigs were recorded after the allergic asthma induced. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure the levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE), interleukin-5 (IL-5), nerve growth factor (NGF) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in asthma allergy. Reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) was used to detect the expression of IL-5 mRNA in asthmatic guinea pig lungs. Paraffin sections of lung tissue were used to analyze pathological changes. The total flavonoid content was determined and the chemical components were analyzed by LC-MS/MS.

RESULTS

It was found that EEIC was able to reduce the number of eosinophil (EOS) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and peripheral blood (PB) in the guinea pig model of OVA -induced asthma. Meanwhile, it also significantly reduced the levels of inflammation-related factors IgE and IL-5, decreased the expression of IL-5 mRNA in lung tissue, and increased the level of IFN-γ. Pathological examination of paraffin section of lung tissue showed that EEIC can reduce the thickening of bronchial smooth muscle and reduce the infiltration damage of tissues by various inflammatory cells. The presence of flavonoids, terpenoids and phenolic compounds in EEIC might be responsible for these activities.

CONCLUSION

IC alleviated airway inflammation and smooth muscle thickening in guinea pigs with OVA-sensitized allergic asthma. The paper explains the traditional efficacy and material basis of IC and lays a foundation for further development.

Chiral ligand exchange capillary electrochromatography with dual ligands for enantioseparation of D,L-amino acids

Utilizing block copolymers as coatings, a protocol of chiral ligand exchange capillary electrochromatography (CLE-CEC) protocol was designed and developed with dual ligands for D,L-amino acids enantioseparation. Four block copolymers including poly maleic anhydride-co-styrene-co-N-methacryloyl-L-histidine methyl ester [P(MAn-St-MAH)], poly maleic anhydride-co-styrene-co-N-methacryloyl-L-lysine methyl ester [P(MAn-St-MAL)], poly maleic anhydride-co-styrene-co-N-methacryloyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester [P(MAn-St-MAP)] and poly maleic anhydride-co-styrene-co-N-methacryloyl-L-threonine methyl ester [P(MAn-St-MAT)] were synthesized by reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization reaction. Key factors affecting the enantioresolution were optimized, including the concentration of Zn (II) central ion, pH value of buffer solution and monomers of the block copolymers. The enantioresolution of the proposed CLE-CEC system could be enhanced dramatically by employing P(MAn-St-MAH) as the immobilized chiral ligand and by coordinating the synergistic effect of free ligand in buffer solution. The principle of improved enantioresolution of the CLE-CEC system with dual ligands was discussed. Well enantioseparation was successfully realized with 7 pairs of D,L-amino acids enantiomers baseline separation and 5 pairs part separation. For quantitative analysis of D,L-alanine, a good linearity was established in the range of 9.4 μM to 1.5 mM (r² = 0.997) with the limits of detection (LODs) 3.7 μM of D-alanine, 2.0 μM for L-alanine, and limits of quantification (LOQs) 9.0 μM for D-alanine and 6.0 μM for L-alanine. The peak area and migration time reproducibility (n = 6) were 4.1% and 3.5% for D-alanine, 3.7% and 3.1% for L-alanine. Further, the enzyme kinetics study of alanine aminotransferase was investigated with the constructed CLE-CEC system.

Polyketide and Prenylxanthone Derivatives from the Endophytic Fungus Aspergillus sp. TJ23

Eight secondary metabolites, including a new polyketide, named asperetide (1) and a new prenylxanthone derivative, called asperanthone (4), and six known compounds, (S)-3-butyl-7-methoxyphthalide (2), ruguloxanthone C (3), tajixanthone hydrate (5), tajixanthone methanoate (6), salimyxin B (7), and ergosterol (8), were isolated and identified from the medicinal plant-derived fungus, Aspergillus sp. TJ23. The new structures and their absolute configurations were elucidated via multiple methods, including 1D- and 2D-NMR, HR-ESI-MS, UV, IR, and the electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. All of the isolates were characterized from the strain for the first time. The in vitro bioassay showed that compounds 3-5 and 8 exerted inhibitory activities against five cancer cell lines (B16, MDA-MB-231, 4T1, HepG2, and LLC) with IC₅₀ values ranging from 5.13 to 36.8 μm.

Design of Langmuir probe diagnostic system for the upgraded lower tungsten divertor in EAST tokamak

In order to achieve long-pulse H-mode plasma scenario over 400 s with high heating power in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) device, the lower graphite divertor will be upgraded into a tungsten (W) divertor with active water cooling, which consists of the W/Cu monoblock units and the W flat-tile units as the divertor plasma facing components. As a fundamental diagnostic tool, the divertor Langmuir probe (Div-LP) diagnostic system will be upgraded accordingly. This paper presents the design of two kinds of new Div-LP systems, which are planned to be utilized on the W/Cu monoblock units and the W flat-tile units for the upgraded lower tungsten divertor, respectively, including their structures and preliminary poloidal and toroidal layouts. The Div-LP diagnostic system can measure the plasma parameters with the schemes of triple-probe, double-probe, and single-probe, to obtain the spatial and temporal distribution of plasma behavior on the divertor targets, which is useful for the discharge control and operation in EAST. In addition, the thermal analysis of the two kinds of probe assemblies is also carried out by using the three-dimensional finite element code ANSYS, which is aimed to get the optimal designs to withstand the long-pulse and high-power operation in EAST future experiments.

Integrated analysis of long noncoding RNA and mRNA expression profiles reveals the potential role of long noncoding RNA in different bovine lactation stages

Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) play a critical role in mammary development and breast cancer biology. Despite their important role in the mammary gland, little is known of the roles of lncRNA in bovine lactation, particularly regarding the molecular processes underlying it. To characterize the role of lncRNA in bovine lactation, 4 samples of Holstein cow mammary gland tissue at peak and late lactation stages were examined after biopsy. We then profiled the transcriptome of the mammary gland using RNA sequencing technology. Further, functional lncRNA-mRNA coexpression pairs were constructed to infer the function of lncRNA using a generalized linear model, followed by gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. More than 1,000 putative lncRNA were identified, 117 of which were differentially expressed between peak and late lactation stages. Bovine lncRNA were shorter, with fewer exon numbers, and expressed at significantly lower levels than protein-coding genes. Seventy-two differentially expressed (DE) lncRNA were coexpressed with 340 different protein-coding genes. The KEGG pathway analysis showed that target mRNA for DE lncRNA were mainly related to lipid and glucose metabolism, including the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors and 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase signaling pathways. Further bioinformatics and integrative analyses revealed that 12 DE lncRNA potentially played important roles in bovine lactation. Our findings provide a valuable resource for future bovine transcriptome studies, facilitate the understanding of bovine lactation biology, and offer functional information for cattle lactation.

Type 1 innate lymphoid cells are associated with type 2 diabetes

AIM

Type 1 innate lymphoid cells (ILC1s) play a major role in regulating systemic inflammatory diseases. However, the relationship between ILC1s and type 2 diabetes (T2D) remains unclear. Thus, the present study investigated the relationship between ILC1s and glucose homoeostasis in humans.

METHODS

A total of 37 newly diagnosed T2D patients and 32 subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), matched for age and body mass index (BMI), were enrolled in the study. Flow cytometric analysis of ILC1s derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and omental adipose tissue was performed.

RESULTS

T2D patients displayed greater numbers and frequencies of circulating and adipose tissue ILC1s (P < 0.05) compared with NGT subjects, and the two types of ILC1s correlated positively with each other. Circulating ILC1s were positively associated with glycated haemoglobin (HbA_1c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), homoeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), adipose tissue insulin resistance index (Adipo-IR) and serum free fatty acids (FFAs). A logistic regression model revealed that patients with higher ILC1 levels exhibited a 13.481-fold greater risk of developing T2D.

CONCLUSION

This study is the first to provide evidence that ILC1 abnormalities are involved in the development of diabetes. The data also suggest a potential role of ILC1s as therapeutic indicators in the treatment of T2D.

[Decision tree analysis in determinants of elderly visits in poor rural areas]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the influencing factors of elderly outpatient visits and to provide evidence for poverty reduction in health in the poor rural areas.

METHODS

Through stratified sampling, a total of 1 271 aged people in four poverty Qi/County of Ulanqabcity were surveyed, including Qahar Right Wing Front Banner, Qahar Right Wing Middle Banner, Qahar Right Wing Rear Banner and Liangcheng County. Their socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, daily consumption, EuroQol five dimensions questionnaire(EQ-5D) and visual analogue scale (VAS),social support, health service needs and utilization were collected through cross-sectional household questionnaires. 1 039 aged people who had experienced physical discomfort in the past 30 days were selected as subjects for the study. The differences between the groups were analyzed by chi-square test. A Logistic regression equation and a decision tree of elderly visits were built to find factors influencing decisionmaking of the aged.

RESULTS

The average age of the research subjects was 71.8 years, with 52.2% being illiterate and 85.8% with middle social support. 58.5% of the subjects living with their spouses, mostly living in 15 min medical circle and without any financial support from their children. The 30-day visiting rate when having physical discomfort was 31.0%. The chi-square test showed that the differences in visit rates among age, ethnic, residence patterns, daily consumption index, housing types, social support scores, grown children's economic assistance, travel time to medical institutions, and health self-assessment scores were statistically significant. Compared with Logistic analysis, the decision tree showed lower error rate of classification. Logistic regression model's error rate of classification was 31.4%, showing that the differences in visit rates among age, ethnic, residence patterns, daily consumption index, social support scores, travel time to medical institutions, and health self-assessment scores were statistically significant. The decision tree model's error rate of classification was 28.6%, showing six main influencing factors, including the travel time to medical institutions, cohabitants, education level, age, whether adult children provide economic support and social support score. The importance of these predictors were 0.42, 0.21, 0.13, 0.11, 0.07 and 0.06, respectively.

CONCLUSION

In poor rural areas, medical resources, economic affordability, family and individual socio-demographic characteristics are the key factors affecting decision-making for the aged. It is necessary to integrate the improvement of the health care of the aged into the overall development of the society. And comprehensive interventions should be adopted to improve the outpatient utilization for aged in poor rural areas.

Meta-analysis on shift work and risks of specific obesity types

AIMS

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the associations between shift work patterns and risks of specific types of obesity.

METHODS

PubMed was searched until March 2017 for observational studies that examined the relationships between shift work patterns and obesity. Odds ratio for obesity was extracted using a fixed-effects or random-effects model. Subgroup meta-analyses were carried out for study design, specific obesity types and characteristics of shift work pattern.

RESULTS

A total of 28 studies were included in this meta-analysis. The overall odds ratio of night shift work was 1.23 (95% confidence interval = 1.17-1.29) for risk of obesity/overweight. Cross-sectional studies showed a higher risk of 1.26 than those with the cohort design (risk ratio = 1.10). Shift workers had a higher frequency of developing abdominal obesity (odds ratio = 1.35) than other obesity types. Permanent night workers demonstrated a 29% higher risk than rotating shift workers (odds ratio 1.43 vs. 1.14).

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis confirmed the risks of night shift work for the development of overweight and obesity with a potential gradient association suggested, especially for abdominal obesity. Modification of working schedules is recommended, particularly for prolonged permanent night work. More accurate and detailed measurements on shift work patterns should be conducted in future research.