Direct Detection Constraints on Dark Photons with the CDEX-10 Experiment at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory

We report constraints on the dark photon effective kinetic mixing parameter (κ) with data taken from two p-type point-contact germanium detectors of the CDEX-10 experiment at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory. The 90% confidence level upper limits on κ of solar dark photon from 205.4 kg-day exposure are derived, probing new parameter space with masses (m_{V}) from 10 to 300  eV/c^{2} in direct detection experiments. Considering dark photon as the cosmological dark matter, limits at 90% confidence level with m_{V} from 0.1 to 4.0  keV/c^{2} are set from 449.6 kg-day data, with a minimum of κ=1.3×10^{-15} at m_{V}=200  eV/c^{2}.

[Treatment strategy for gastrointestinal tumor under the outbreak of novel coronavirus pneumonia in China]

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) has become a public health emergency in China. Chinese authorities and health agencies had devoted great efforts to control this disease. As surgeons specialized in the treatment of gastrointestinal tumors, we should always be aware of the prevention for NCP and incorporate this awareness into every detail of clinical practice. For the patients with gastrointestinal tumors, pre-admission screening should be done in order to rule out NCP. Real-time RT-PCR panel and chest CT scan should be conducted for patients with fever (>37.3℃), travel history to Hubei Province within 14 days, or contact history with residents from Wuhan district within 14 days. Prevention measures for both medical staffs and the screen-negative admitted patients should also be enhanced because false negative is possible. Medical instruments should be properly discarded or disinfected according to standardized procedures established by the local center for disease control and prevention (CDC). Surgical operation should be reduced at a minimal level to prevent cross infection in this special period.Surgical intervention for benign tumor should be postponed. For malignant tumor, multidisciplinary therapy (MDT) is recommended and non-surgical anti-tumor therapy should be selected with higher priority. Neoadjuvant therapy is highly recommended for gastrointestinal cancer at advanced stages that meet the indications of NCCN guideline (gastric cancer T stage ≥ 2/rectal cancer T stage ≥ 3/unresectable colon cancer). Gastric or esophagogastricjunction (EGJ) malignant tumor with obstruction can be managed with gastric tube decompression or stent placement to relieve the symptoms. Transnasal enteral feeding tube intubation/percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy could be adopted to ensure enteral nutrition supply. For colorectal malignancy with simple intestinal obstruction, stent placement can achieve a high success rate, which not only helps avoid emergency surgery, but also creates a better condition for subsequent surgery. Transcatheter arterial embolization for hemostasis is an alternative choice for gastrointestinal tumor with bleeding. However, emergency operation still must be performed for patients with acute uncontrolled bleeding, obstruction or after other alternative treatment measures fail. All cases with suspicious or confirmed with NCP must be reported to the local CDC department. All invasive intervention must be performed in a designated isolation area. Tertiary prevention measure must be adopted for all anesthetists with additional face mask or medical goggle protection to prevent respiratory droplet transmission. Preventive enterostomy is preferable in lower digestive tract surgery. Thoroughly disinfecting the operating room after surgery is necessary. Fever after surgery must be carefully differentiated whether it's caused by post-surgery abdominal infection/inflammation or NCP. Single-room isolation and related examinations should be performed according to the standard procedures. We believe that with the unprecedentedly joint efforts of doctors and patients, we will eventually win this war against NCP.

Search for Light Weakly-Interacting-Massive-Particle Dark Matter by Annual Modulation Analysis with a Point-Contact Germanium Detector at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory

We present results on light weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) searches with annual modulation (AM) analysis on data from a 1-kg mass p-type point-contact germanium detector of the CDEX-1B experiment at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory. Datasets with a total live time of 3.2 yr within a 4.2-yr span are analyzed with analysis threshold of 250 eVee. Limits on WIMP-nucleus (χ-N) spin-independent cross sections as function of WIMP mass (m_{χ}) at 90% confidence level (C.L.) are derived using the dark matter halo model. Within the context of the standard halo model, the 90% C.L. allowed regions implied by the DAMA/LIBRA and CoGeNT AM-based analysis are excluded at >99.99% and 98% C.L., respectively. These results correspond to the best sensitivity at m_{χ}<6  GeV/c^{2} among WIMP AM measurements to date.

[Progress in epidemiologic research of association between anthropometric indicators and risk for gastric cancer]

Gastric cancer is one of the most common cancer. Studies have been conducted to evaluate the association between anthropometric indicators and gastric cancer, but the results were inconsistent. Therefore, a literature retrieval was conducted by using PubMed and Wanfang databases to summarize the latest research progress in the cohort study of the association between anthropometric indicators and the risk for gastric cancer. It was found that both general obesity and abdominal obesity might increase the risk for gastric cancer, while the association between underweight and gastric cancer needs further study. This paper summarizes the progress in the cohort study of association between anthropometric indicators for the risk for gastric cancer in order to provide evidence for the prevention and control of gastric cancer.

MiR-130b/TNF-α/NF-κB/VEGFA loop inhibits prostate cancer angiogenesis

BACKGROUND

Angiogenesis is a critical biological process essential for solid cancer growth and metastasis. It has been shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a vital role in a variety of biological processes in cancers. However, whether miR-130b is involved in prostate cancer angiogenesis remains ill-defined.

METHODS

We performed the miRNA microarray to analyze miRNA expression in human prostate cancer specimens. In vitro gain-of-function assays and loss-of-function assays were conducted to explore the potential functions of miR-130b in human prostate cancer cells. Correlation analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay were performed to validate whether tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was a direct target of miR-130b. The Matrigel plug and tumor vascular imaging assays were performed to confirm the anti-angiogenic activity of miR-130b in nude mice.

RESULTS

We found that miR-130b was one of the miRNAs being most significantly downregulated. Subsequently, we found that miR-130b expression was markedly downregulated in human prostate cancer cell lines. Down-regulation of miR-130b in prostate cancer cells significantly promoted the proliferation, invasion and tubule formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), while ectopic expression of miR-130b blocked prostate cancer angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic analyses indicated that tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was regulated by miR-130b directly. MiR-130b attenuated nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling and its downstream gene vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGFA) by directly inhibiting TNF-α expression. Additionally, subsequent investigations identified that the ectopic level of VEGFA markedly abrogated the anti-angiogenic effect induced by miR-130b. Interestingly, VEGFA could in turn decrease the expression of miR-130b, thus forming a negative feedback loop that drives the angiogenesis of prostate cancer.

CONCLUSION

These findings show that miR-130b/TNF-α/NF-κB/VEGFA feedback loop is significantly correlated with angiogenesis in prostate cancer and miR-130b could be regarded as potential therapeutic target for prostate cancer anti-angiogenesis treatment.

Constraints on Spin-Independent Nucleus Scattering with sub-GeV Weakly Interacting Massive Particle Dark Matter from the CDEX-1B Experiment at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory

We report results on the searches of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) with sub-GeV masses (m_{χ}) via WIMP-nucleus spin-independent scattering with Migdal effect incorporated. Analysis on time-integrated (TI) and annual modulation (AM) effects on CDEX-1B data are performed, with 737.1 kg day exposure and 160 eVee threshold for TI analysis, and 1107.5 kg day exposure and 250 eVee threshold for AM analysis. The sensitive windows in m_{χ} are expanded by an order of magnitude to lower DM masses with Migdal effect incorporated. New limits on σ_{χN}^{SI} at 90% confidence level are derived as 2×10^{-32}∼7×10^{-35}  cm^{2} for TI analysis at m_{χ}∼50-180  MeV/c^{2}, and 3×10^{-32}∼9×10^{-38}  cm^{2} for AM analysis at m_{χ}∼75  MeV/c^{2}-3.0  GeV/c^{2}.

Temperature and excitation wavelength dependence of circular and linear photogalvanic effect in a three dimensional topological insulator Bi2Se3

The circular (CPGE) and linear photogalvanic effect (LPGE) of a three-dimensional topological insulator Bi₂Se₃ thin film of seven quintuple layers excited by near-infrared (1064 nm) and mid-infrared (10.6 [Formula: see text]m) radiations have been investigated. The comparison of the CPGE current measured parallel and perpendicular to the incident plane, together with the comparison of the CPGE current under front and back illuminations, indicates that the CPGE under front illumination of 1064 nm light is dominated by the top surface states of the Bi₂Se₃ thin film. The CPGE current excited by 10.6 [Formula: see text]m light is about one order larger than that excited by 1064 nm light, which may be attributed to the smaller cancelation effect of the CPGE generated in the two-dimensional electron gas when excited by 10.6 [Formula: see text]m light. Under the excitation of 1064 nm light, the LPGE current is dominated by the component which shows an even parity of incident angles, while the LPGE current excited by 10.6 [Formula: see text]m light is mainly contributed by the component which is an odd parity of incident angles. Both of the CPGE and LPGE currents excited by 1064 nm decrease with increasing temperature, which may be owing to the decrease of the momentum relaxation time and the stronger electron-electron scattering with increasing temperature, respectively.

Silica-based colloid centrifugation enhances sperm quality in cockerel semen

1. Percoll^TM is one of the most widely used colloid for animal sperm preparation. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether Percoll^TM colloid centrifugation could be practical to improve cockerel sperm quality, and to compare the effects of Percoll^TM single layer centrifugation (SLC) and density gradient centrifugation (DGC) in order to obtain the most optimal protocol for cockerel semen.2. In the experiment with Percoll^TM SLC for fresh semen, an increase of motile sperm was seen after Percoll^TM 80% SLC and 90% SLC was conducted, at levels of 28.8% and 30.2% respectively (P < 0.01). The increase of progressively motile sperm after Percoll^TM 80% SLC and 90% SLC was 177.2% and 202.4% respectively (P < 0.01). Meanwhile, for semen stored at 4°C for 24 h, the increase of motile sperm after Percoll^TM 70% SLC and 80% SLC was 41.2% and 44.0% (P < 0.01), and the increase of progressive sperm after Percoll^TM 70% SLC and 80% SLC was 71.3% and 83.1% respectively (P < 0.01). Both the percentage of motile sperm and progressive sperm of the fresh and stored cockerel semen after appropriate Percoll^TM SLC was significantly enhanced.3. Sperm membrane integrity did not show any decrease after Percoll^TM centrifugation compared with non-centrifuged semen, which suggested that the Percoll^TM centrifugation treatment in this study did not cause damage to cockerel sperm membranes.4. In the experiment regarding the comparison of Percoll^TM SLC and DGC with fresh semen, the increase of motile sperm after Percoll^TM 80% SLC, 90% SLC and 40%/80% DGC was 29.5%, 36.4%, and 25.0% respectively; and the increase of progressive sperm was 44.7%, 58.5%, and 54.7%, respectively. For semen stored at 4°C for 24 h, the increase of motile sperm after Percoll^TM 70% SLC, 80% SLC and 35%/70% DGC were 41.2%, 44.0%, and 26.4%; and the increase of progressive sperm was 71.3%, 83.1%, and 43.7%, respectively. There were no significant differences between the increase of sperm motility after Percoll^TM 80%, 90% SLC or Percoll^TM 40%/80% DGC in fresh cockerel semen. There was no significant difference between Percoll^TM 70%, 80% SLC and Percoll^TM 35%/70% in stored cockerel semen. There was a tendency for sperm recovery rates with Percoll^TM SLC to be higher than Percoll^TM DGC, although this did not reach statistical significance in this study.5. It was concluded that Percoll^TM SLC was more suitable for cockerel sperm separation than Percoll^TM DGC. The results suggested that Percoll^TM 80% SLC was the most optimal procedure to separate fresh cockerel sperm and Percoll^TM 70% SLC was the most optimal procedure to separate stored cockerel sperm. Percoll^TM SLC is more simple, user-friendly and economical and less time-consuming than DGC for cockerel semen processing.

[Surgical management for local retroperitoneal recurrence of 33 renal cell carcinoma patients underwent radical nephrectomy]

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effects of surgical management for local retroperitoneal recurrence of renal cell carcinoma after radical nephrectomy. Methods: Clinical and follow-up data of 33 cases of local recurrence after radical nephrectomy in Renji Hospital from January 2010 to April 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: In these 33 patients, 25 was male and 8 was female; The median age was 54 years old. The pathological stage of radical nephrectomy included 14 cases of pT1-2N0M0 stage, 16 cases of pT3-4 N0M0 stage, and 3 cases of pN1 stage. Only 4 relapsing patients had symptoms, the others were all found to have recurrence by imaging examination during follow up period of postoperation.The median recurrence time for all patients was 30 months, and the median diameter of recurrent tumors was 4.5 cm.Twenty-nine patients underwent complete resection of local recurrent lesions, and 4 patients whose recurrent lesions could not be completely resected converted receive palliative surgery. The median intraoperative blood loss was 500 ml and the median hospital stay after surgery was 4 days. Clavien grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ complications occurred in 5 patients after surgery, and no serious complications of Clavien grade Ⅲ-Ⅴ complications occurred. Six patients received postoperative adjuvant target therapy and distant metastasis occurred in one patient.In the 27 patients without adjuvant target therapy, postoperative distant metastases occurred in 12 patients. The median survival time for all patients after local recurrence surgery was 31 months. The 1-year and 3-year survival rates were 86.8% and 36.9%, respectively. Conclusions: The rigorous imaging examination after radical nephrectomy can detect local recurrent lesions as early as possible in most relapsing patients and imaging examination can predict the integrity of surgical resection of local recurrence.Although intraoperative bleeding of resection of local recurrence is relatively high, the operation is safe and the postoperative complications are controllable. Postoperative adjuvant therapy may also provide better survival benefit for patients with local recurrence.

[The relationship between inflammatory markers and the risk of lung cancer: a prospective cohort study]

Objective: To investigate whether elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and neutrophil (NE) in the blood is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer incidence. Methods: From 2006 to 2007, all employees and retirees from Kailuan (Group) Limited liability Corporation were included in this Kailuan Cohort study. The last follow-up date was December 2015. Data on new cases of lung cancer were collected, and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to the relationship between baseline CRP and NE at baseline and risk of lung cancer. Results: A total of 92 735 participants were enrolled in this study. During the follow-up, 850 new cases of lung cancer were identified. All subjects were divided into four groups according to the combination level of CRP and NE at baseline: CRP≤3 mg/L and NE≤4×10(9)/L(Group A), CRP≤3 mg/L and NE>4×10(9)/L(Group B), CRP>3 mg/L and NE≤4×10(9)/L(Group C), CRP>3 mg/L and NE>4×10(9)/L(Group D). The cumulative incidence of lung cancer were 950/100 000, 1 030/100 000, 1 081/100 000 and 1 596/100 000 in these four groups, respectively (P<0.001). Multivariate Cox proportional risk model showed that participants from Group D had an significantly increased 72% risks of lung cancer when compared to Group A (95% CI: 1.40~2.12, P<0.001). Stratified analyses gender showed that males in Group D had higher risk of lung cancer when compared with participants in Group A (HR=1.73, 95% CI: 1.40~2.15, P<0.001). Conclusion: Elevated levels of CRP and NE might increase the risk of lung cancer.

A fast key parameter extraction algorithm for long fiber distributed sensing based on Brillouin scattering

A fast key parameter extraction algorithm is proposed to improve the real-time performance of temperature and strain measurements when performing Brillouin scattering-based fiber-distributed sensing. The algorithm uses a new initial value method that takes the extracted key parameters of the current point in the fiber as the initial guesses for the next point. Based on the old and new initial value method, the existing objective method, optimization algorithm, and convergence criterion, the key parameter extraction algorithms developed are implemented in Matlab using the typical Lorentzian, Gaussian, and pseudo-Voigt profiles. These algorithms are used to extract the parameters over a large range of measured Brillouin spectra for the entire fiber with different averaging times. The results reveal that apart from the case when the frequency sweep spans is less than the linewidth and the pseudo-Voigt profile is used (in this case, the mean computation time of the proposed algorithm is 1.1% larger than that of the referenced algorithm), the proposed algorithm not only ensures high accuracy in extracting the key parameters, but also improves the arithmetic efficiency by 16.3%-49.1%.

[Clinical features of cerebral amyloid angiopathy characterized by cortical superficial siderosis]

Objective: To study the clinical and imaging characteristics of cerebral amyloid angiopathy characterized by cortical superficial siderosis and improve clinicians' understanding of the disease. Methods: Retrospective analysis was performed on 16 patients with cerebral amyloid angiopathy characterized by cortical superficial siderosis from June 2013 to August 2016 in Beijing Hospital, and the information including epidemiological data, clinical features, cranial MRI and electroencephalogram (EEG) results were analyzed. Results: The ratio of male to female in 16 patients was 1.67∶1, and the average age of onset was 73 (69-79) years. The most common clinical symptoms were transient focal neurological episodes (TFNEs)(12/16). Cranial MRI showed localized (9/16) and diffuse type cortical superficial siderosis (7/16); few of them were associated with different degrees of cerebral microbleeds. Most of the EEG findings were normal (6/9) and a few showed focal slow waves (3/9). During a mean follow-up of 17 (17±11) months, 5 patients developed repeated TFNE, of which 1 had cerebral hemorrhage. Conclusions: Cerebral amyloid angiopathy characterized by cortical superficial siderosis occurs predominantly in the elderly. TFNE is the most common clinical manifestation. Cranial MRI is the most important diagnostic method, and antithrombotic therapy should be avoided as much as possible.

[The effect of trabeculectomy combined with prophylactic sclerotomy as a treatment of late stage juvenile open angle glaucoma and primary congenital glaucoma patients: a primary observational study]

Objective: To evaluate the outcomes of trabeculectomy combined with a new prophylactic sclerotomy in late stage juvenile open angle glaucoma (JOAG) and primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) patients at high risks of intraoperative and postoperative suprachoroidal hemorrhage (SCH). Method: A retrospective case series study. Thirty-three eyes of 28 JOAG patients and 15 eyes of 12 PCG patients with high risk factors for severe choroidal effusion or SCH were enrolled from November 2006 to April 2012 at Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University. The standard trabeculectomy accompanied by prophylactic sclerotomy was performed (video attached). Ophthalmic examinations were performed before and after the surgery. Surgical outcome was assessed in terms of intraocular pressure (IOP), best-corrected visual acuity, optic nerve head cup disc ratio, visual field, and complications. All patients were followed up for at least 1 year. Complete success was defined as an IOP ≥6 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) but ≤18 mmHg without medication. Qualified success was defined as an IOP ≥6 mmHg but ≤18 mmHg with local application of medications. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were drawn for the success rate calculation. Results: The mean age of all 40 patients was (13.2±9.4) years old. And among them, 22 patients were male and 18 patients were female. The mean follow-up time was (31.8±15.9) months. At the postoperative 3(rd) year, the complete success rate was 75.8%, and the qualified success rate was 90.0%. In our case series, one eye had expulsive SCH intraoperatively and two eyes had delayed SCH postoperatively. All of them were successfully saved without further surgery and with no significant damage to visual function. Conclusion: Trabeculectomy combined with prophylactic sclerotomy is a promising technique developed to control IOP in late stage JOAG and PCG patients, which provides a potential intervention to reduce severe consequences of massive choroidal effusion or SCH. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2019, 55: 347-354).

12 novel atypical porcine pestivirus genomes from neonatal piglets with congenital tremors: A newly emerging branch and high prevalence in China

Atypical porcine pestivirus (APPV), a newly discovered member of the genus Pestivirus, is considered to be associated with congenital tremors (CT) in piglets. From June 2016 to January 2018, 440 serum and tissue samples from CT-affected piglets in Anhui, Guangdong and Guangxi provinces were collected to detect APPV. The results showed a high level of 63.4% preference for APPV in 27 swine farms and complicated co-infection cases between APPV and other 12 swine viruses. Meanwhile, 12 novel APPV genomes were screened and identified. Results showed that complete genomes, N^pro and NS5A genes of these novel 12 APPV sequences revealed 80.5%-99.8%, 78%-100% and 76.9%-99.8% nucleotide identities, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses based on sequences of full-length genomes, N^pro and NS5A genes of APPV indicated three well-defined clades including a newly emerging branch in China. This study provides novel epidemiological information of APPV in China.

[A multicentric clinical study on clinical characteristics and drug sensitivity of children with pneumococcal meningitis in China]

Objective: To understand clinical characteristics of children with pneumococcal meningitis (PM) in China and to analyze the drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates and associated impacts on death and sequelae. Methods: The clinical data, follow-up results and antimicrobial sensitivity of isolated strains of 155 children (including 98 males and 57 females, age ranged from 2 months to 15 years) with PM in 10 tertiary-grade A class hospitals of Infectious Diseases Surveillance of Pediatrics (ISPED) from 2013 to 2017 were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Patients were divided into different groups according to the following standards: ≤1 year old group,>1-3 years old group and >3 years old group according to age; death group and non-death group according to the death within 30 days after PM diagnosis; complication group and non-complication group according to the abnormal cranial imaging diagnosis; sequelae group and no-sequelae group according to the follow-up results. Bonfereoni chi-square segmentation and Kruskal-Wallis H test were used for statistical analysis. Results: There were 64 cases (41.3%) in the ≤1 year old group, 39 cases in the >1-3 years old group (25.2%), and 52 cases (33.5%) in the >3 years old group. The most common clinical manifestation was fever (151 cases, 97.4%). The mortality was 16.8% (26/155) during hospitalization. The neurological complication rate was 49.7% (77/155) during hospitalization, including the most common complication, subdural effusion and (or) empyema in 50 cases (32.3%) and hearing impairment in 6 cases. During follow-up after discharge, no death was found and focal neurological deficits were found in 47 cases (30.3%), including the frequent neurological sequelae: cognitive and mental retardation of different degree in 22 cases and hearing impairment in 14 cases (9.0%). The rate of cure and improvement on discharge was 74.8% (116/155) and the lost to follow-up rate was 8.4% (13/155). The proportions of died cases, neurological complications during hospitalization and proportions of peripheral white blood cell count <12 × 10(9)/L before admission in ≤1 year old group were significantly higher than those in >3 years old group (25.0% (16/64) vs. 5.8% (3/52), 75.0% (48/64) vs. 25.0% (13/52), 48.4% (31/64) vs. 15.4% (8/52), χ(2)=7.747, 28.767, 14.044; P=0.005, 0.000, 0.000). The proportions of headache, vomiting, neck resistance and high risk factors of purulent meningitis in >3 years old group were significantly higher than those in ≤ 1 year old group (67.3%(35/52) vs. 1.6%(1/64), 80.8% (42/52) vs. 48.4% (31/64), 69.2% (36/52) vs. 37.5% (24/64), 55.8% (29/52) vs. 14.1%(9/64), χ(2)=57.940, 12.856, 11.568, 22.656; P=0.000, 0.000, 0.001, 0.000). Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates were completely sensitive to vancomycin (100.0%, 152/152), linezolid (100.0%, 126/126), moxifloxacin (100.0%, 93/93) and ofloxacin (100.0%,41/41); highly sensitive to levofloxacin (99.3%, 142/143) and ertapenem (84.6%, 66/78); moderately sensitive to ceftriaxone (48.4%, 45/93), cefotaxime (40.0%, 44/110) and meropenem (38.0%, 38/100); less sensitive to penicillin (19.6%, 27/138) and erythromycin (4.2%, 5/120). The proportions of non-sensitive strains of penicillin (21/21) and meropenem (17/18) in the death group were significantly higher than those (90/117, 45/82) in the survived group(χ(2)=4.648 and 9.808, P=0.031 and 0.002). Conclusions: The children's PM is mainly found in infants under 3 years old in China. Death and neurological complications are more common in PM children under 1 year old. The clinical manifestations and peripheral blood inflammatory markers of PM patients under 1 year old are not typical. Fever is the most common clinical manifestation and subdural effusion and (or) empyema is the most common complication. Long-term hearing impairment is common in PM and the follow-up time must be prolonged. The dead PM cases had high in sensitive rates to penicillin and meropenem.

[Value of anti-Müllerian hormone and age in predicting pregnancy outcomes of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer treatment]

Objective: To explore the value of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and age in predicting outcomes of patients undergoing in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer treatment. Methods: In this retrospective study, 6 328 Chinese patients who underwent the first in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection and embryo transfer treatment in Henan Provincial People's Hospital between July 2016 and July 2018 were analyzed. All the patients were categorized into two groups according to pregnancy or not. Baseline data and outcomes of two groups were compared. The regression analysis was conducted to identify the independent factors of clinical pregnancy rates. Furthermore, correlation analysis was performed between AMH and other factors. Results: (1) The total clinical pregnancy rate was 56.86% (3 547/6 238). Age, AMH, basal FSH, antral follicle number (AFC), starting dose of gonadotropin (Gn), total doses of Gn, duration of Gn, number of oocytes, transferable cleavage embryos and transferred embryos were significantly different (all P<0.01). (2) Correlation analysis showed that AMH had significant passive correlation with age, basal FSH, starting dose of Gn and total doses of Gn (all P<0.01), while showed significant positive correlation with AFC, body mass index, duration of Gn, number of oocytes and transferable cleavage embryos (all P<0.01). Of all the factors, AMH had the strongest correlation with AFC (P<0.01). (3) Multivariate logistic regression analysis suggested that age was the independent influencing factor of clinical pregnancy rate (OR=0.938, 95%CI: 0.824-0.952, P<0.01), while AMH not (OR=1.004, 95%CI: 0.984-1.024, P=0.687). In the subgroups according to age, the advanced group (age>35 years old) had lower clinical pregnancy rate and higher cancellation rate for no available embryos. Conclusions: AMH has no predictive value of clinical pregnancy outcomes for patients with in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer treatment, while age has certain predictive value of pregnancy outcomes. AMH level may have indictive value for the evaluation of ovarian reserve.

Combination immunosuppressant therapy and lupus nephritis outcome: a hospital-based study

Lupus nephritis (LN) is the leading cause of mortality in lupus patients. This study aimed to investigate the treatment outcome and renal histological risk factors of LN in a tertiary referral center. Between 2006 and 2017, a retrospective observational study enrolled 148 biopsy-proven LN patients. After propensity score matching, 75 cases were included for further analysis. The classification and scoring of LN were assessed according to the International Society of Nephrology/Renal Pathology Society. Treatment response was evaluated by daily urine protein and urinalysis at two years after commencing induction treatment and the development of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). In total, 50.7% patients achieved complete remission (CR) or partial remission (PR), while 49.3% patients were categorized as nonresponders. Therapeutic responses in terms of CR/PR rates were associated with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index scores (odds ratio (OR): 1.34, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12-1.60, p = 0.001). Moreover, higher baseline creatinine levels (hazard ratio (HR): 2.10, 95% CI: 1.29-3.40, p = 0.003), higher renal activity index (HR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.07-1.58, p = 0.008) and chronicity index (HR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.06-1.85, p = 0.017) predicted ESRD. Among pathological scores, cellular crescents (HR: 4.42, 95% CI: 1.01-19.38, p = 0.049) and fibrous crescents (HR: 5.93, 95% CI: 1.41-24.92, p = 0.015) were independent risk factors for ESRD. In conclusion, higher lupus activity was a good prognostic marker for renal remission. Renal histology was predictive of ESRD. Large-scale prospective studies are required to verify the efficacy of mycophenolate in combination with azathioprine or cyclosporine in LN patients.

[Metabolomics analysis identifies serum glycerophospholipid expression: a comparison between men and women with asthma]

Objective: To determine whether asthma has a different metabolic glycerophospholipid profile in serum between women and men with asthma. Methods: Fifty-one outpatients with asthma (17 men, 34 women) were enrolled from Peking University Third Hospital from Jan 2015 to Dec 2015. Clinical data such as gender, age, body mass index, pulmonary function were recorded. Glycerophospholipid profile were measured in serum using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomics analysis. Projections to latent structures-discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) was used to compare the differences of glycerophospholipid level between men and women. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve was established from men and women. Results: Significantly different glycerophospholipid level were confirmed quantitatively between women and men. Levels of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylcholine acetal phospholipid (PCP), lysophosphatidyl ethanolamine (LPE), alkyl phosphatidylethanolamine [PE(O)] were significantly higher in women relative to men [PE36: 2, PCP32: 1, LPE18: 0, and PE(O40: 7) was 0.050 (0.037, 0.079) vs 0.043 (0.000, 0.071), 0.057 (0.035, 0.727) vs 0.034 (0.000, 0.057), 0.233 (0.129, 0.390) vs 0.126 (0.075, 0.212), 0.007(0.000, 0.041) vs 0.000 (0.000, 0.000), respectively, all P<0.05). Levels of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), lysophosphatidylserine (LPS), and lysophosphatidylphosphatidylcholine [LPC(O)] were significantly lower in women compared to men [Levels of LPS22: 6, LPS20: 4, and LPS18: 1 were 0.000(0.000, 0.003) vs 0.009(0.000, 0.012), 0.015(0.010, 0.026) vs 0.047(0.022, 0.081), 0.008(0.003, 0.179) vs 0.020(0.008, 0.040), respectively, all P<0.05]. Area Under ROC Curve (AUC) of LPS (LPS20: 4) was 0.814. Conclusions: Glycerophospholipid levels in serum are significantly different between women and men asthmatic patients. LPS may contribute to gender based differences in asthmatics.

Detection and analysis of laser driven proton beams by calibrated Gafchromic HD-V2 and MD-V3 radiochromic films

The radiochromic film (RCF) is a high-dose, high-dynamic range dosimetry detection medium. A stack of RCFs can be used to detect both spatial and energetic distribution of laser driven ion beams with a large divergence angle and continuous energy spectrum. Two types of RCFs (HD-V2 and MD-V3, from Radiation Products Design, Inc.) have been calibrated using MeV energy protons and carbon ions produced by using a 2 × 6 MV tandem electrostatic accelerator. The proportional relationship is obtained between the optical density and the irradiation dose. For protons, the responses are consistent at all energies with a variation of about 15%. For carbon ions, the responses are energy related, which should be noted for heavy ion detection. Based on the calibration, the broad energy spectrum and charge distribution of laser accelerated proton beam with energy from 3 to 8 MeV and pC charge were detected and reconstructed at the Compact LAser Plasma Accelerator at Peking University.