[Comparison of 5-year follow-up outcomes between"one-stop"procedure and long-term oral anticoagulants after radiofrequency catheter ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation]

Objective: To compare the 5-year follow-up outcomes of radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) combined with left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) and long-term oral anticoagulant (OAC) after RFCA in patients with atrial fibrillation. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included patients with atrial fibrillation who underwent"one-stop"procedure in the First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University from September 2015 to December 2017 (RFCA+LAAC group). Baseline data of patients were collected. Propensity score matching at the ratio of 1∶1 was used to select patients with atrial fibrillation who took long-term OAC after RFCA (RFCA+OAC group). The maintenance rate of sinus rhythm and the incidence of adverse events during follow-up were compared between the two groups. Results: A total of 110 patients were enrolled in the RFCA+LAAC group and RFCA+OAC group, respectively. Age of patients was (67.4±8.8) years in RFCA+LAAC group, and there were 42 (38.2%) female patients. Age of patients was (67.3±7.9) years in RFCA+OAC group, and there were 47 (42.7%) female patients. The patients were followed up for mean of (5.3±1.1) years. There was no significant difference in the maintenance rate of sinus rhythm (log-rank: χ2=0.277, P=0.602) and incidence of ischemic stroke events (2.7% (3/110) vs. 4.5% (5/110), P=0.719) during follow-up between the two groups. The incidence of bleeding events (6.4% (7/110) vs. 18.2% (20/110), P=0.008) and major bleeding events (1.8% (2/110) vs. 8.2% (9/110), P=0.030) was significantly higher in the RFCA+OAC group than in the RFCA+LAAC group. Conclusion: There is no significant difference between RFCA+LAAC group and RFCA+OAC group in maintenance rate of sinus rhythm and incidence of ischemic stroke events. Patients in the RFCA+LAAC group have a lower risk of bleeding events compared to the RFCA+OAC group.

[One case of acute poisoning with stramonium]

This paper reported 1 case of poisoning caused by stramonium. Cases of Datura poisoning have been reported nationwide, Its effect on the central nervous system of patients is characterized by first excitation and then inhibition, clinical manifestations include decreased gland secretion, dilated pupils, and tachycardia, etc. Its poisoning mechanism is anticholinergic effect, the effect on Peripheral nervous system is to inhibit Parasympathetic nervous system. Hemoperfusion combined with neostigmine anticholinergic therapy at the early stage of poisoning can effectively improve the clinical symptoms of patients in a short time.

[Impact of different diagnostic criteria for assessing mild micro-hepatic encephalopathy in liver cirrhosis: an analysis based on a prospective, multicenter, real-world study]

Objective: To compare the differences in the prevalence of mild micro-hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) among patients with cirrhosis by using the psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) and the Stroop smartphone application (Encephal App) test. Methods: This prospective, multi-center, real-world study was initiated by the National Clinical Medical Research Center for Infectious Diseases and the Portal Hypertension Alliance and registered with International ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05140837). 354 cases of cirrhosis were enrolled in 19 hospitals across the country. PHES (including digital connection tests A and B, digital symbol tests, trajectory drawing tests, and serial management tests) and the Stroop test were conducted in all of them. PHES was differentiated using standard diagnostic criteria established by the two studies in China and South Korea. The Stroop test was evaluated based on the criteria of the research and development team. The impact of different diagnostic standards or methods on the incidence of MHE in patients with cirrhosis was analyzed. Data between groups were differentiated using the t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and χ (2) test. A kappa test was used to compare the consistency between groups. Results: After PHES, the prevalence of MHE among 354 cases of cirrhosis was 78.53% and 15.25%, respectively, based on Chinese research standards and Korean research normal value standards. However, the prevalence of MHE was 56.78% based on the Stroop test, and the differences in pairwise comparisons among the three groups were statistically significant (kappa = -0.064, P < 0.001). Stratified analysis revealed that the MHE prevalence in three groups of patients with Child-Pugh classes A, B, and C was 74.14%, 83.33%, and 88.24%, respectively, according to the normal value standards of Chinese researchers, while the MHE prevalence rates in three groups of patients with Child-Pugh classes A, B, and C were 8.29%, 23.53%, and 38.24%, respectively, according to the normal value standards of Korean researchers. Furthermore, the prevalence rates of MHE in the three groups of patients with Child-Pugh grades A, B, and C were 52.68%, 58.82%, and 73.53%, respectively, according to the Stroop test standard. However, among the results of each diagnostic standard, the prevalence of MHE showed an increasing trend with an increasing Child-Pugh grade. Further comparison demonstrated that the scores obtained by the number connection test A and the number symbol test were consistent according to the normal value standards of the two studies in China and South Korea (Z = -0.982, -1.702; P = 0.326, 0.089), while the other three sub-tests had significant differences (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The prevalence rate of MHE in the cirrhotic population is high, but the prevalence of MHE obtained by using different diagnostic criteria or methods varies greatly. Therefore, in line with the current changes in demographics and disease spectrum, it is necessary to enroll a larger sample size of a healthy population as a control. Moreover, the establishment of more reliable diagnostic scoring criteria will serve as a basis for obtaining accurate MHE incidence and formulating diagnosis and treatment strategies in cirrhotic populations.

Metagenomic sequencing for identifying pathogen-specific circulating DNAs and development of diagnostic methods for schistosomiasis

Timely diagnosis of Schistosoma infection, particularly in the early stage is crucial for identifying infected hosts and then taking effective control strategies. Here, metagenomic next-generation sequencing was used to identify pathogen-specific circulating DNAs (cDNAs) in the sera/plasma of New Zealand rabbits infected with S. japonicum, and the identified cDNAs were validated by PCR and qPCR. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP)-based CRISPR-Cas12a and recombinase polymerase amplification-based lateral flow strip (RPA-LF) methods combined with the newly identified cDNA were developed to evaluate the potentials for diagnosing murine and human schistosomiasis. The results indicated that twenty-two cDNAs were identified. The developed LAMP-based CRISPR/Cas12a and RPA-LF methods showed a good potential for diagnosing murine or human schistosomiasis as early as 5 days of post-infection with 5 cercariae infection. In a word, S. japonicum specific cDNAs in circulation of infected hosts could be effective biomarkers for detecting Schistosoma infection particularly for early stages.

A Nucleus-Targeting WT1 Antagonistic Peptide Encapsulated in Polymeric Nanomicelles Combats Refractory Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is recognized as a classic clonal myeloproliferative disorder. Given the limited treatment options for CML patients in the accelerated phase (AP) and blast phase (BP), there is an evident need to develop new therapeutic strategies. This has the potential to improve outcomes for individuals in the advanced stages of CML. A promising therapeutic target is Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1), which is highly expressed in BP-CML cells and plays a crucial role in CML progression. In this study, a chemically synthesized nucleus-targeting WT1 antagonistic peptide termed WIP2W was identified. The therapeutic implications of both the peptide and its micellar formulation, M-WIP2W, were evaluated in WT1+ BP-CML cell lines and in mice. The findings indicate that WIP2W can bind specifically to the WT1 protein, inducing cell cycle arrest and notable cytotoxicity in WT1+ BP-CML cells. Moreover, subcutaneous injections of M-WIP2W were observed to significantly enhance intra-tumoral accumulation and to effectively inhibit tumor growth. Thus, WIP2W stands out as a potent and selective WT1 inhibitor, and the M-WIP2W nanoformulation appears promising for the therapeutic treatment of refractory CML as well as other WT1-overexpressing malignant cancers.

Measurement of the Lifetime and Λ Separation Energy of _{Λ}^{3}H

The most precise measurements to date of the _{Λ}^{3}H lifetime τ and Λ separation energy B_{Λ} are obtained using the data sample of Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV collected by ALICE at the LHC. The _{Λ}^{3}H is reconstructed via its charged two-body mesonic decay channel (_{Λ}^{3}H→^{3}He+π^{-} and the charge-conjugate process). The measured values τ=[253±11(stat)±6(syst)]  ps and B_{Λ}=[102±63(stat)±67(syst)]  keV are compatible with predictions from effective field theories and confirm that the _{Λ}^{3}H structure is consistent with a weakly bound system.

[Study on sIgE distribution characteristics and the sensitization pattern of allergen in 1 161 patients with allergic diseases of respiratory tract in northwest China]

Objective: To explore the allergen map of patients with allergic diseases in northwest China, to investigate the distribution characteristics of serum specific Immunoglobulin E (sIgE) in different ages, genders, diseases and the sensitization patterns of allergens. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional study, a total of 1 161 patients with confirmed respiratory allergic diseases were selected retrospectively from outpatient or inpatient department of Gansu Provincial People's Hospital, Gansu Provincial Maternity and Child Care Hospital, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University and Tumor Hospital of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from June 2019 to October 2022. HAIKE ALLEOS 2000 fluorescent magnetic particle chemiluminescence method was used to quantify their serum for 12 inhaled allergen-specific IgE. Chi square test or Fisher's exact test were used for comparison between count data groups (Bonferroni correction was used for further pairwise comparison in multiple groups, two-sided P<0.05/3=0.017 considered that the difference was statistically significant). Pearson correlation analysis was used for correlation of continuous numerical variables. Results: The positive detection rate of sIgE in 1 161 patients was 66.8%(776/1 161). The three highest positive rate of inhaled allergen were mugwort(599/1 161, 51.6%), French chrysanthemum(565/1 161, 48.7%) and dandelion(412/1 161, 35.5%). In different age groups, the highest positive rate of sIgE was 7-18 age group(379/513, 73.9%) while the lowest positive rate was 4-6 age group(222/370, 60.0%), the difference between groups was statistically significant(χ2=21.177, P<0.001). The sensitization peak of mugwort, French chrysanthemum, plantain, timothy, birch, dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, dermatophagoides farinae, cat epithelium, dog epithelium and German cockroach appeared in 7-18 age group. In different disease groups, the highest positive rate of sIgE was allergic rhinitis with asthma group (500/717, 69.7%) while the lowest positive rate was asthma group (76/144, 52.8%), the difference between groups was statistically significant(χ2=15.563, P<0.001). In different gender groups, the positive rate of sIgE in male (503/711, 70.7%) was higher than in female (273/450, 60.7%), the difference between groups was statistically significant(χ2=12.630, P<0.001). The multiple-sensitization rate was 86.9%(674/776) and the double-sensitization rate was 16.8%(130/776) in sIgE positive patients. Pearson correlation results showed that there was an extremely strong correlation between dandelion and French chrysanthemum(r=0.93,P<0.001). There was a strong correlation between mugwort and French chrysanthemum(r=0.64,P<0.001). In the co-sensitization analysis, the number of patients sensitized by mugwort, French chrysanthemum, dandelion, plantain and timothy accounted for 25.2%(170/674)of the total number of multiple sensitization. The number of patients sensitized by mugwort, French chrysanthemum and dandelion accounted for 58.3%(393/674)of the total number of multiple sensitization. The number of patients sensitized by mugwort, French chrysanthemum, dandelion and plantain accounted for 35.6%(240/674) of the total number of multiple sensitization. Conclusion: Mugwort, French chrysanthemum, dandelion are the major inhaled allergens in northwest China. The positive rate of sIgE was different in different ages, diseases and genders. The multiple-sensitization rate of allergen was high and there was a certain positive correlation between pollen allergen-specific IgE pairwise, suggesting that there may exist co-sensitization or cross-reactions among allergens.

Rare Complication of Massive Depigmentation After Postoperative Treatment of Giant Keloid Combined With Strontium-90

Post-acne keloids have become a serious problem affecting the physical and mental health of adolescents. However, traditional single-treatment methods have a high recurrence rate and are highly susceptible to a variety of complications. Postoperative radiotherapy has rapidly become a popular choice for comprehensive postoperative treatment because of its painlessness, non-invasiveness, convenience, low recurrence rate, and few complications. 1 In the available literature, no serious complications have been reported. Here we introduce a case of keloid after acne with isotope strontium-90 as a comprehensive treatment regimen, which leads to extensive depigmentation in the maxillofacial region. Combined with knowledge of the relevant literature, the mechanisms, types, and timing and dose, and reflect on balancing of recurrence rates and complications to deepen our understanding of the disease.

First Measurement of the Nuclear-Recoil Ionization Yield in Silicon at 100 eV

We measured the nuclear-recoil ionization yield in silicon with a cryogenic phonon-sensitive gram-scale detector. Neutrons from a monoenergetic beam scatter off of the silicon nuclei at angles corresponding to energy depositions from 4 keV down to 100 eV, the lowest energy probed so far. The results show no sign of an ionization production threshold above 100 eV. These results call for further investigation of the ionization yield theory and a comprehensive determination of the detector response function at energies below the keV scale.

Information-based continuous nursing on pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus

OBJECTIVE

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a serious pregnancy complication, and women with undiagnosed diabetes mellitus can develop chronic hyperglycemia during pregnancy. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of information-based continuity of care on glucose levels, health awareness, and maternal and infant outcomes in pregnant women with GDM, thereby providing a basis for the clinical implementation of effective interventions for GDM to reduce or avoid adverse outcomes due to GDM.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

One hundred and sixty cases of pregnant women with GDM who underwent treatment in the obstetrics and gynecology department of our hospital from June 2019 to September 2021 were randomly selected as the study population and divided into the control group (n=80) and the study group (n=80). Women in the control group were received with conventional nursing intervention, and those in the study group were obtained with information-based continuity of care on the basis of the control group. Basic clinical data were collected. The levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), 2h postprandial glucose (2hPG), knowledge of health education, treatment compliance scores, and changes in delivery outcomes were compared between the two groups. According to the maternal blood glucose control level, 160 pregnant women with GDM were divided into the better control group (143 cases) and the poor control group (17 cases). The risk factors affecting the level of maternal glycemic control in gestational diabetes were analyzed.

RESULTS

After the intervention, the levels of FBG and 2hPG were significantly lower in both groups than those before the intervention, while the levels of FBG and 2hPG in the study group were notably lower than those in the control group. The health education knowledge score and treatment compliance score after the intervention were significantly higher than those before the intervention, and the health education knowledge score and treatment compliance score in the study group were observably higher than those in the control group (p<0.01). The adverse pregnancy outcomes of pregnant women in the study group were significantly reduced compared with those in the control group (p<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that body mass index (BMI), dietary control, literacy, and information-based continuity of care were all influential factors for maternal glycemic control level (p<0.05). Among the influencing factors, dietary control and continuity of care had clinical value in predicting maternal glycemic control levels in gestational diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

Continuous nursing based on informatization can effectively control the blood glucose level of pregnant women with GDM, improve the treatment compliance of pregnant women and the awareness rate of gestational diabetes knowledge so as to reduce the occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcomes and improve the health level. In addition, BMI and dietary control are independent risk factors that affect the blood glucose control level of pregnant women. Relevant intervention measures should be formulated according to the relevant influencing factors to effectively control the blood glucose level of pregnant women with GDM and improve maternal and infant outcomes.

Giant Malignant Meningioma Penetrates the Skull

Meningioma is a primary tumor of the central nervous system, most commonly found in the middle-aged and elderly. Most meningiomas are benign, whereas malignant meningiomas account for only 1% of all meningiomas. Meningiomas usually grow slowly, and patients often have headaches and epilepsy as the first symptoms. According to the location of the tumor, there can also be vision, visual field, olfactory, hearing impairment, and so on. Surgery is the main treatment. A case of giant malignant meningioma penetrating the skull is reported. The patient was a 67-year-old male with a left parietal scalp mass about 1 year ago, which gradually enlarged to the size of 6×6 cm and had no other symptoms. Imaging examination showed that the tumor eroded the skull, and the density was uneven. After surgical resection (Simpson grade I), poorly differentiated meningioma (World Health Organization Grade Ⅲ) was returned pathologically. After operation, the patient recovered well.

Plasma sLRP-1 Level Independently Relates to a Higher Risk of Moderate-Severe Stenosis by Gensini Score in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients

Soluble low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-1 (sLRP-1) plays a crucial role in facilitating inflammation, lipid accumulation, and atherosclerosis, and the latter factors are involved in the pathology of cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to explore the ability of plasma sLRP-1 for reflecting stenosis degree in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. sLRP-1 was detected from plasma by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 169 ACS patients and 77 non-ACS subjects (as controls) after admission. Our study illustrated that sLRP-1 was increased in ACS patients versus controls (P < 0.001). Meanwhile, sLRP-1 was positively correlated with body mass index (P = 0.021), white blood cells (P = 0.009), neutrophils (P = 0.002), cardiac troponin I (P = 0.009), and brain natriuretic peptide (P = 0.008) in ACS patients. Notably, sLRP-1 was positively associated with the Gensini score (P = 0.002) and Gensini score stratified stenosis severity (P = 0.004) in ACS patients. After adjustment, sLRP-1 [odds ratio (OR) = 1.333, P = 0.045] independently estimated a higher risk of moderate-severe stenosis, so did numbers of coronary artery lesions (OR = 2.869, P = 0.001), but ejection fraction forecasted a lower risk (OR = 0.880, P = 0.012). Interestingly, a combination of sLRP-1, ejection fraction, and numbers of coronary artery lesions exhibited a good ability to estimate moderate-severe stenosis risk with an area under the curve (95% confidence interval) of 0.845 (0.783-0.906). In summary, increased plasma sLRP-1 represents an aggravated inflammation, impaired cardiac function, and especially a higher stenosis severity in ACS patients.

[The value of T2 mapping for evaluating the pathological type, grade and depth of myometrial invasion in endometrial carcinoma]

Objective: To investigate the value of T2 map and synthetic T2WI generated by T2 mapping in evaluating the histological type, pathological classification and depth of myometrial invasion of endometrial carcinoma (EC). Methods: Seventy-three patients with pathologically proven EC diagnosed at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from December 2019 to December 2021 and 42 healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study. All subjects underwent conventional MRI, diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and T2 mapping sequence for the pelvic cavity to test the T2 values and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of the focus nidus of the patients and the normal endometrium of the volunteers. The T2 and ADC values of EC vs normal endometrium, and those of different histological types and pathological grades were compared. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of T2 and ADC values in determining the pathological type and classification of EC. In addition, two radiologists used synthetic T2WI combined with T2 map and conventional T2WI combined with DWI, respectively, to evaluate the depth of myometrial invasion, and compared the imaging results with the results of pathological diagnosis to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of the two methods in determining the depth of myometrial invasion. Results: The T2 and ADC values of endometrial carcinoma were 85.0 (80.8, 92.5) ms and 0.71 (0.64, 0.77) ×10(-3) mm(2)/s, respectively, which were significantly lower than those of normal endometrium [147.4 (123.4, 176.7) ms and 1.46 (1.26, 1.76)×10(-3) mm(2)/s, respectively; both P<0.05]. The T2 values of endometrioid carcinoma (EA) [84.1 (79.5, 88.7) ms] were significantly lower than those of non-EA [98.8 (92.1, 102.8) ms; P<0.05]. There was no significant difference in ADC values between EA and non-EA (P=0.075). The T2 values of G1, G2 and G3 groups in EA were 89.1 (84.4, 94.4) ms, 83.6 (80.9, 86.2) ms, and 76.5 (71.4, 80.3) ms, respectively. There were significant differences in the T2 values between G1 vs G2, G1 vs G3, and G2 vs G3 groups, respectively (all P<0.017). Significant difference was also found in the ADC values between the G1 and G3 groups (P<0.017). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of T2 values in distinguishing EA from non-EA was 0.867. The AUC of T2 values, ADC values and their combination in predicting high-grade EA was 0.888, 0.730 and 0.895, respectively. The accuracy of synthetic T2WI+ T2 map and conventional T2WI+ DWI in the diagnosis of deep myometrial invasion was 78.1% and 79.5%, respectively, with no significant difference (P>0.05). Conclusions: T2 mapping has great potential in preoperative evaluation of EC. The quantitative T2 value can be used in the diagnosis, pathological classification and grading of EC. The combination of synthetic T2WI and T2 map may be helpful to determine the depth of myometrial invasion.

Advanced Lung Cancer Inflammation Index for Predicting Prognostic Risk for Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Purpose

The decreased advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI), defined as body mass index (BMI) * albumin (Alb)/neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), is an independent prognostic risk factor for overall survival in gastric, lung, and colorectal cancers. This study aimed to investigate the value of ALI in predicting the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Patients and Methods

A total of 1624 patients with ACS undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were consecutively enrolled between January 2016 and December 2018. Follow-up data were collected at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months and annually thereafter. The primary endpoints were MACEs. All endpoints were defined as all-cause mortality, recurrent angina pectoris, restenosis/intra stent thrombosis, stroke, heart failure, and all-cause bleeding.

Results

The MACEs group and non-MACEs group showed significant differences in patients with age >65 years (28 [50.0%] vs 319 [23.7%]), history of heart failure (16 [28.6%] vs 127 [9.4%]), history of ischemic stroke (14 [25.0%] vs 186 [13.8%]), history of cardiogenic shock (6 [10.71%] vs 16 [1.19%]), left ventricular ejection fraction <40% (8 [14.29%] vs 33 [2.46%]), and ALI <343.96 (44 [78.65%] vs 680 [50.60%]) (all p<0.001). The optimal cut-off value for ALI was 334.96. The area under the curve (AUC) of the 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year was 0.560, 0.577, 0.665, and 0.749, respectively. The survival rate was significantly lower in the low ALI group than in the high ALI group (log-rank p<0.001). Low ALI was an independent risk factor for the long-term prognosis of patients with ACS after PCI, univariate HR: 3.671, 95% CI: 1.938-6.953, p<0.001; multivariate HR: 3.009, 95% CI: 1.57-5.769, p=0.001.

Conclusion

ALI score less than 334.96 is an independent prognostic risk factor for patients with ACS undergoing PCI and may be a novel marker for clinical practice.

Ag2S QDs integration with MnO2 nanosheets for the sensitive detection of Cr (VI) via the redox reaction induced photoelectrochemical variation

The heavy metal Cr (VI) will remain, accumulate, and migrate after entering the environment or ecosystem, causing serious harm to the environment. Here, a photoelectrochemical sensor was developed for Cr (VI), utilizing the Ag₂S quantum dots (QDs) and MnO₂ nanosheets as photoactive components. By introducing Ag₂S QDs with a narrow gap, a staggered energy level match is created which effectively prevents the carrier recombination in MnO₂ nanosheets, resulting in an enhanced photocurrent response. In the presence of the electron donor, l-ascorbic acid (AA), the photocurrent of the Ag₂S QDs and MnO₂ nanosheets modified photoelectrode is further enhanced. As AA has the ability to convert Cr (VI) to Cr (Ⅲ), the photocurrent may decline due to the decrease in the electron donors when Cr (VI) is added. This phenomenon can be utilized for the sensitive detection of Cr (VI) over a wider linear range (100 pM-30 μM) with a lower detection limit of 6.46 pM (S/N = 3). This work using the strategy that the targets induced the variations of the electron donor shows the advantages of good sensitivity and nice selectivity. The sensor holds many advantages such as simple fabrication process, economical material expense, and consistent photocurrent signals. It also holds significant potential for environmental monitoring and serves as a practical photoelectric sensing approach for detecting Cr (VI).

Comparative bone histology of two thalattosaurians (Diapsida: Thalattosauria): Askeptosaurus italicus from the Alpine Triassic (Middle Triassic) and a Thalattosauroidea indet. from the Carnian of Oregon (Late Triassic)

Here, we present the first bone histological and microanatomical study of thalattosaurians, an enigmatic group among Triassic marine reptiles. Two taxa of thalattosaurians, the askeptosauroid Askeptosaurus italicus and one as yet undescribed thalattosauroid, are examined. Both taxa have a rather different microanatomy, tissue type, and growth pattern. Askeptosaurus italicus from the late Anisian middle Besano Formation of the southern Alpine Triassic shows very compact tissue in vertebrae, rib, a gastralium, and femora, and all bones are without medullary cavities. The tissue shows moderate to low vascularization, dominated by highly organized and very coarse parallel-fibred bone, resembling interwoven tissue. Vascularization is dominated by simple longitudinal vascular canals, except for the larger femur of Askeptosaurus, where simple vascular canals dominate in a radial arrangement. Growth marks stratify the cortex of femora. The vertebrae and humeri from the undescribed thalattosauroid from the late Carnian of Oregon have primary and secondary cancellous bone, resulting in an overall low bone compactness. Two dorsal vertebral centra show dominantly secondary trabeculae, whereas a caudal vertebral centrum shows much primary trabecular bone, globuli ossei, and cartilage, indicating an earlier ontogenetic stage of the specimens or paedomorphosis. The humeri of the thalattosauroid show large, simple vascular canals that are dominantly radially oriented in a scaffold of woven and loosely organized parallel-fibred tissue. Few of the simple vascular canals are thinly but only incompletely lined by parallel-fibered tissue. In the Oregon material, changes in growth rate are only indicated by changes in vascular organization but no distinct growth marks were identified. The compact bone of Askeptosaurus is best comparable to some pachypleurosaurs, whereas its combination of tissue and vascularity is similar to eosauropterygians in general, except for the coarse nature of its parallel-fibred tissue. The cancellous bone of the Oregon thalattosauroid resembles what is documented in ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs. However, in contrast to these its tissue does not consist of fibro-lamellar bone type. Tissue types of both thalattosaurian taxa indicate rather different growth rates and growth patterns, associated with different life history strategies. The microanatomy reflects different life styles that fit to the different environments in which they had been found (intraplatform basin vs. open marine). Both thalattosaurian taxa differ from each other but in sum also from all other marine reptile taxa studied so far. Thalattosaurian bone histology documents once more that bone histology provides for certain groups (i.e., Triassic Diapsida) only a poor phylogenetic signal and is more influenced by exogenous factors. Differences in lifestyle, life history traits, and growth rate and pattern enabled all these Triassic marine reptiles to live contemporaneously in the same habitat managing to avoid substantial competition.

[Clinicopathological features of rectal adenocarcinoma with enteroblastic differentiation]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features, immunophenotype, and genetic alterations of rectal adenocarcinoma with enteroblastic differentiation. Methods: Four cases of rectal adenocarcinoma with enteroblastic differentiation were collected at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China (three cases) and Yantai Yeda Hospital of Shandong Province, China (one case) from January to December 2022. Their clinical features were summarized. Hematoxylin and eosin stain and immunohistochemical stain were performed, while next-generation sequencing was performed to reveal the genetic alterations of these cases. Results: All four patients were male with a median age of 65.5 years. The clinical manifestations were changes of stool characteristics, bloody stools and weight loss. All cases showed mixed morphology composed of conventional adenocarcinoma and adenocarcinoma with enteroblastic differentiation. Most of the tumors consisted of glands with tubular and cribriform features. In one case, almost all tumor cells were arranged in papillary structures. The tumor cells with enteroblastic differentiation were columnar, with relatively distinct cell boundaries and characteristic abundant clear cytoplasm, forming fetal gut-like glands. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for SALL4 (4/4), Glypican-3 (3/4) and AFP (1/4, focally positive), while p53 stain showed mutated type in 2 cases. The next-generation sequencing revealed that 2 cases had TP53 gene mutation and 1 case had KRAS gene mutation. Conclusions: Rectal adenocarcinoma with enteroblastic differentiation is rare. It shows embryonal differentiation in morphology and immunohistochemistry, and should be distinguished from conventional colorectal adenocarcinoma.

Exogenous Antigen Upregulation Empowers Antibody Targeted Nanochemotherapy of Leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is afflicted by a high-mortality rate and few treatment options. The lack of specific surface antigens severely hampers the development of targeted therapeutics and cell therapy. Here, it is shown that exogenous all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) mediates selective and transient CD38 upregulation on leukemia cells by up to 20-fold, which enables high-efficiency targeted nanochemotherapy of leukemia with daratumumab antibody-directed polymersomal vincristine sulfate (DPV). Strikingly, treatment of two CD38-low expressing AML orthotopic models with ATRA and DPV portfolio strategies effectively eliminates circulating leukemia cells and leukemia invasion into bone marrow and organs, leading to exceptional survival benefits with 20-40% of mice becoming leukemia-free. The combination of exogenous CD38 upregulation and antibody-directed nanotherapeutics provides a unique and powerful targeted therapy for leukemia.

Postoperative pulmonary complications in older patients undergoing elective surgery with a supraglottic airway device or tracheal intubation

The two most commonly used airway management techniques during general anaesthesia are supraglottic airway devices and tracheal tubes. In older patients undergoing elective non-cardiothoracic surgery under general anaesthesia with positive pressure ventilation, we hypothesised that a composite measure of in-hospital postoperative pulmonary complications would be less frequent when a supraglottic airway device was used compared with a tracheal tube. We studied patients aged ≥ 70 years in 17 clinical centres. Patients were allocated randomly to airway management with a supraglottic airway device or a tracheal tube. Between August 2016 and April 2020, 2900 patients were studied, of whom 2751 were included in the primary analysis (1387 with supraglottic airway device and 1364 with a tracheal tube). Pre-operatively, 2431 (88.4%) patients were estimated to have a postoperative pulmonary complication risk index of 1-2. Postoperative pulmonary complications, mostly coughing, occurred in 270 of 1387 patients (19.5%) allocated to a supraglottic airway device and 342 of 1364 patients (25.1%) assigned to a tracheal tube (absolute difference -5.6% (95%CI -8.7 to -2.5), risk ratio 0.78 (95%CI 0.67-0.89); p < 0.001). Among otherwise healthy older patients undergoing elective surgery under general anaesthesia with intra-operative positive pressure ventilation of their lungs, there were fewer postoperative pulmonary complications when the airway was managed with a supraglottic airway device compared with a tracheal tube.

SNR: Symbolic network-based rectifiable learning framework for symbolic regression

Symbolic regression (SR) can be utilized to unveil the underlying mathematical expressions that describe a given set of observed data. At present, SR can be categorized into two methods: learning-from-scratch and learning-with-experience. Compared to learning-from-scratch, learning-with-experience yields results that are comparable to those of several benchmarks and incurs significantly lower time costs for obtaining expressions. However, the learning-with-experience model performs poorly in terms of unseen data distributions and lacks a rectification tool, apart from constant optimization, which exhibits limited performance. In this study, we propose a Symbolic Network-based Rectifiable Learning Framework (SNR) that possesses the ability to correct errors. SNR adopts Symbolic Network (SymNet) to represent an expression, and the encoding of SymNet is designed to provide supervised information, with numerous self-generated expressions, to train a policy net (PolicyNet). The training of PolicyNet can offer prior knowledge to guide effective searches. Subsequently, the incorrectly predicted expressions are revised via a rectification mechanism. This rectification mechanism endows SNR with broader applicability. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed method achieves the highest averaged coefficient of determination on self-generated datasets when compared with other state-of-the-art methods and yields more accurate results in public datasets.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine for menopausal mood disorder: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) on mood disorder symptoms for menopausal women.

METHODS

A total of 95 qualified Chinese participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: 31 in the acupuncture combined with CHM group (combined group), 32 in the acupuncture combined with CHM placebo group (acupuncture group) and 32 in the CHM combined with sham acupuncture group (CHM group). The patients were treated for 8 weeks and followed up for 4 weeks. The data were collected using the Greene Climacteric Scale (GCS), self-rating depression scale (SDS), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and safety index.

RESULTS

The three groups each showed significant decreases in the GCS, SDS and SAS after treatment (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the effect on the GCS total score and the anxiety domain lasted until the follow-up period in the combined group (p < 0.05). Within the three groups, there was no difference in GCS and SAS between the three groups after treatment (p > 0.05). However, the combined group showed significant improvement in the SDS, compared with both the acupuncture group and the CHM group at 8 weeks and 12 weeks (p < 0.05). No obvious abnormal cases were found in any of the safety indexes.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that either acupuncture, or CHM or combined therapy offer safe improvement of mood disorder symptoms for menopausal women. However, the combination therapy was associated with more stable effects in the follow-up period and a superior effect on improving depression symptoms.

[C2 pedicle screw insertion assisted by mobilization of the vertebral artery in cases with high-riding vertebral artery]

Objective: To examine the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of mobilization of the vertebral artery for C2 pedicle screws in cases with high-riding vertebral artery (HRVA). Methods: The clinical data of 12 patients with basilar invagination and atlantoaxial dislocation underwent atlantoaxial reduction and fixation in the Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China between January 2020 and November 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients had high-riding vertebral artery on at least one side that prohibited the insertion of C2 pedicle screws. There were 2 males and 10 females aged (48.0±12.8) years (range: 17 to 67 years). After correction of vertical dislocation during the operation, the C2 pedicle screw insertion and occipitocervical fixation and fusion were performed using the vertebral artery mobilization technique. Neurological function was assessed using the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scale. The preoperative and postoperative JOA score and the main radiological measurements, including the anterior atlantodental interval (ADI), the distance of the odontoid tip above the Chamberlain line, the clivus-canal angle, were collected and compared by paired t-test. Results: Mobilization of the high-riding vertebral artery was successfully completed, and C2 pedicle screws were then fulfilled after the vertebral artery was protected. There was no injury to the vertebral artery during the operation. Meanwhile, no severe surgical complications such as cerebral infarction or aggravated neurological dysfunction occurred during the perioperative period. Satisfactory C2 pedicle screw placement and reduction were achieved in all 12 patients. All patients achieved bone fusion 6 months after surgery. No looseness and shift in internal fixation or reduction loss was observed during the follow-up period. Compared to the preoperative, the postoperative ADI decreased from (6.1±1.9) mm to (2.0±1.2) mm (t=6.73, P<0.01), the distance of the odontoid tip above the Chamberlain line decreased from (10.4±2.5) mm to (5.5±2.3) mm (t=7.12, P<0.01), the clivus-canal angle increased from (123.4±11.1) ° to (134.7±9.6) ° (t=2.50, P=0.032), the JOA score increased from 13.3±2.1 to 15.6±1.2 (t=6.99, P<0.01). Conclusion: The C2 pedicle screw insertion assisted by mobilization of the vertebral artery is safe and considerably effective, providing a choice for internal fixation in cases with high-riding vertebral arteries.

Measurement of the J/ψ Polarization with Respect to the Event Plane in Pb-Pb Collisions at the LHC

We study the polarization of inclusive J/ψ produced in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV at the LHC in the dimuon channel, via the measurement of the angular distribution of its decay products. We perform the study in the rapidity region 2.5 Collapse

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Affiliation(s)

S Acharya Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS/IN2P3, LPC, Clermont-Ferrand, France Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Kolkata, India
D Adamová Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Husinec-Řež, Czech Republic
A Adler Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe Universität Frankfurt Institut für Informatik, Fachbereich Informatik und Mathematik, Frankfurt, Germany
G Aglieri Rinella European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
M Agnello Dipartimento DISAT del Politecnico and Sezione INFN, Turin, Italy
N Agrawal INFN, Sezione di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Z Ahammed Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Kolkata, India
S Ahmad Department of Physics, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
S U Ahn Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
I Ahuja Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, Košice, Slovak Republic
A Akindinov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
M Al-Turany Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
D Aleksandrov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
B Alessandro INFN, Sezione di Torino, Turin, Italy
H M Alfanda Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
R Alfaro Molina Instituto de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
B Ali Department of Physics, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
Y Ali COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan
A Alici Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Bologna, Italy
N Alizadehvandchali University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
A Alkin European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
J Alme Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
G Alocco INFN, Sezione di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
T Alt Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
I Altsybeev Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
M N Anaam Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
C Andrei Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Bucharest, Romania
A Andronic Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut für Kernphysik, Munster, Germany
V Anguelov Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
F Antinori INFN, Sezione di Padova, Padova, Italy
P Antonioli INFN, Sezione di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
C Anuj Department of Physics, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
N Apadula Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
L Aphecetche SUBATECH, IMT Atlantique, Nantes Université, CNRS-IN2P3, Nantes, France
H Appelshäuser Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
S Arcelli Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Bologna, Italy
R Arnaldi INFN, Sezione di Torino, Turin, Italy
I C Arsene Department of Physics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
M Arslandok Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
A Augustinus European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
R Averbeck Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
S Aziz Laboratoire de Physique des 2 Infinis, Irène Joliot-Curie, Orsay, France
M D Azmi Department of Physics, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
A Badalà INFN, Sezione di Catania, Catania, Italy
Y W Baek Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung, Republic of Korea
X Bai Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
R Bailhache Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
Y Bailung Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Indore, India
R Bala Physics Department, University of Jammu, Jammu, India
A Balbino Dipartimento DISAT del Politecnico and Sezione INFN, Turin, Italy
A Baldisseri Départment de Physique Nucléaire (DPhN), Université Paris-Saclay Centre d'Etudes de Saclay (CEA), IRFU, Saclay, France
B Balis AGH University of Science and Technology, Cracow, Poland
D Banerjee Bose Institute, Department of Physics and Centre for Astroparticle Physics and Space Science (CAPSS), Kolkata, India
Z Banoo Physics Department, University of Jammu, Jammu, India
R Barbera Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Catania, Italy
L Barioglio Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
M Barlou Department of Physics, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
G G Barnaföldi Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Budapest, Hungary
L S Barnby Nuclear Physics Group, STFC Daresbury Laboratory, Daresbury, United Kingdom
V Barret Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS/IN2P3, LPC, Clermont-Ferrand, France
L Barreto Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
C Bartels University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
K Barth European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
E Bartsch Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
F Baruffaldi Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Padova, Italy
N Bastid Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS/IN2P3, LPC, Clermont-Ferrand, France
S Basu Lund University Department of Physics, Division of Particle Physics, Lund, Sweden
G Batigne SUBATECH, IMT Atlantique, Nantes Université, CNRS-IN2P3, Nantes, France
D Battistini Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
B Batyunya Affiliated with an international laboratory covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
D Bauri Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT), Mumbai, India
J L Bazo Alba Sección Física, Departamento de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima, Peru
I G Bearden Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
C Beattie Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
P Becht Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
D Behera Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Indore, India
I Belikov Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
A D C Bell Hechavarria Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut für Kernphysik, Munster, Germany
F Bellini Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Bologna, Italy
R Bellwied University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
S Belokurova Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
V Belyaev Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
G Bencedi Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Budapest, Hungary
S Beole Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Turin, Italy
A Bercuci Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Bucharest, Romania
Y Berdnikov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
A Berdnikova Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
L Bergmann Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
M G Besoiu Institute of Space Science (ISS), Bucharest, Romania
L Betev European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
P P Bhaduri Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Kolkata, India
A Bhasin Physics Department, University of Jammu, Jammu, India
I R Bhat Physics Department, University of Jammu, Jammu, India
M A Bhat Bose Institute, Department of Physics and Centre for Astroparticle Physics and Space Science (CAPSS), Kolkata, India
B Bhattacharjee Department of Physics, Gauhati University, Guwahati, India
L Bianchi Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Turin, Italy
N Bianchi INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Frascati, Italy
J Bielčík Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
J Bielčíková Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Husinec-Řež, Czech Republic
J Biernat The Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Cracow, Poland
A Bilandzic Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
G Biro Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Budapest, Hungary
S Biswas Bose Institute, Department of Physics and Centre for Astroparticle Physics and Space Science (CAPSS), Kolkata, India
J T Blair The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
D Blau Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
M B Blidaru Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
N Bluhme Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
C Blume Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
G Boca Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Pavia, Pavia, Italy INFN, Sezione di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
F Bock Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
T Bodova Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
A Bogdanov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
S Boi Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Cagliari, Italy
J Bok Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
L Boldizsár Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Budapest, Hungary
A Bolozdynya Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
M Bombara Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, Košice, Slovak Republic
P M Bond European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
G Bonomi INFN, Sezione di Pavia, Pavia, Italy Università di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
H Borel Départment de Physique Nucléaire (DPhN), Université Paris-Saclay Centre d'Etudes de Saclay (CEA), IRFU, Saclay, France
A Borissov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
H Bossi Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
E Botta Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Turin, Italy
L Bratrud Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
P Braun-Munzinger Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
M Bregant Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
M Broz Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
G E Bruno Dipartimento Interateneo di Fisica "M. Merlin" and Sezione INFN, Bari, Italy Politecnico di Bari and Sezione INFN, Bari, Italy
M D Buckland University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
D Budnikov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
H Buesching Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
S Bufalino Dipartimento DISAT del Politecnico and Sezione INFN, Turin, Italy
O Bugnon SUBATECH, IMT Atlantique, Nantes Université, CNRS-IN2P3, Nantes, France
P Buhler Stefan Meyer Institut für Subatomare Physik (SMI), Vienna, Austria
Z Buthelezi iThemba LABS, National Research Foundation, Somerset West, South Africa University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
J B Butt COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan
A Bylinkin University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
S A Bysiak The Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Cracow, Poland
M Cai Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Padova, Italy
H Caines Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
A Caliva Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
E Calvo Villar Sección Física, Departamento de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima, Peru
J M M Camacho Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Culiacán, Mexico
R S Camacho High Energy Physics Group, Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
P Camerini Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Trieste, Italy
F D M Canedo Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
M Carabas University Politehnica of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
F Carnesecchi European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
R Caron CNRS/IN2P3, Institut de Physique des 2 Infinis de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France Départment de Physique Nucléaire (DPhN), Université Paris-Saclay Centre d'Etudes de Saclay (CEA), IRFU, Saclay, France
J Castillo Castellanos Départment de Physique Nucléaire (DPhN), Université Paris-Saclay Centre d'Etudes de Saclay (CEA), IRFU, Saclay, France
F Catalano Dipartimento DISAT del Politecnico and Sezione INFN, Turin, Italy
C Ceballos Sanchez Affiliated with an international laboratory covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
I Chakaberia Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
P Chakraborty Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT), Mumbai, India
S Chandra Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Kolkata, India
S Chapeland European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
M Chartier University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
S Chattopadhyay Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Kolkata, India
S Chattopadhyay Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Kolkata, India
T G Chavez High Energy Physics Group, Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
T Cheng Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
C Cheshkov CNRS/IN2P3, Institut de Physique des 2 Infinis de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
B Cheynis CNRS/IN2P3, Institut de Physique des 2 Infinis de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
V Chibante Barroso European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
D D Chinellato Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
E S Chizzali Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
J Cho Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
S Cho Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
P Chochula European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
P Christakoglou Nikhef, National Institute for Subatomic Physics, Amsterdam, Netherlands
C H Christensen Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
P Christiansen Lund University Department of Physics, Division of Particle Physics, Lund, Sweden
T Chujo University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
M Ciacco Dipartimento DISAT del Politecnico and Sezione INFN, Turin, Italy
C Cicalo INFN, Sezione di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
L Cifarelli Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Bologna, Italy
F Cindolo INFN, Sezione di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
M R Ciupek Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
G Clai INFN, Sezione di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
F Colamaria INFN, Sezione di Bari, Bari, Italy
J S Colburn School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
D Colella Dipartimento Interateneo di Fisica "M. Merlin" and Sezione INFN, Bari, Italy Politecnico di Bari and Sezione INFN, Bari, Italy
A Collu Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
M Colocci European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
M Concas INFN, Sezione di Torino, Turin, Italy
G Conesa Balbastre Laboratoire de Physique Subatomique et de Cosmologie, Université Grenoble-Alpes, CNRS-IN2P3, Grenoble, France
Z Conesa Del Valle Laboratoire de Physique des 2 Infinis, Irène Joliot-Curie, Orsay, France
G Contin Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Trieste, Italy
J G Contreras Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
M L Coquet Départment de Physique Nucléaire (DPhN), Université Paris-Saclay Centre d'Etudes de Saclay (CEA), IRFU, Saclay, France
T M Cormier Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
P Cortese INFN, Sezione di Torino, Turin, Italy Università del Piemonte Orientale, Vercelli, Italy
M R Cosentino Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo Andre, Brazil
F Costa European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
S Costanza Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Pavia, Pavia, Italy INFN, Sezione di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
P Crochet Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS/IN2P3, LPC, Clermont-Ferrand, France
R Cruz-Torres Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
E Cuautle Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
P Cui Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
L Cunqueiro Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
A Dainese INFN, Sezione di Padova, Padova, Italy
M C Danisch Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
A Danu Institute of Space Science (ISS), Bucharest, Romania
P Das National Institute of Science Education and Research, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Jatni, India
P Das Bose Institute, Department of Physics and Centre for Astroparticle Physics and Space Science (CAPSS), Kolkata, India
S Das Bose Institute, Department of Physics and Centre for Astroparticle Physics and Space Science (CAPSS), Kolkata, India
S Dash Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT), Mumbai, India
A De Caro Dipartimento di Fisica "E.R. Caianiello" dell'Università and Gruppo Collegato INFN, Salerno, Italy
G de Cataldo INFN, Sezione di Bari, Bari, Italy
L De Cilladi Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Turin, Italy
J de Cuveland Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
A De Falco Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Cagliari, Italy
D De Gruttola Dipartimento di Fisica "E.R. Caianiello" dell'Università and Gruppo Collegato INFN, Salerno, Italy
N De Marco INFN, Sezione di Torino, Turin, Italy
C De Martin Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Trieste, Italy
S De Pasquale Dipartimento di Fisica "E.R. Caianiello" dell'Università and Gruppo Collegato INFN, Salerno, Italy
S Deb Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Indore, India
H F Degenhardt Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
K R Deja Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
R Del Grande Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
L Dello Stritto Dipartimento di Fisica "E.R. Caianiello" dell'Università and Gruppo Collegato INFN, Salerno, Italy
W Deng Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
P Dhankher Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
D Di Bari Dipartimento Interateneo di Fisica "M. Merlin" and Sezione INFN, Bari, Italy
A Di Mauro European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
R A Diaz Centro de Aplicaciones Tecnológicas y Desarrollo Nuclear (CEADEN), Havana, Cuba Affiliated with an international laboratory covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
T Dietel University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Y Ding Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China CNRS/IN2P3, Institut de Physique des 2 Infinis de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
R Divià European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
D U Dixit Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
Ø Djuvsland Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
U Dmitrieva Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
A Dobrin Institute of Space Science (ISS), Bucharest, Romania
B Dönigus Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
A K Dubey Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Kolkata, India
J M Dubinski Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
A Dubla Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
S Dudi Physics Department, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
P Dupieux Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS/IN2P3, LPC, Clermont-Ferrand, France
M Durkac Technical University of Košice, Košice, Slovak Republic
N Dzalaiova Comenius University Bratislava, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
T M Eder Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut für Kernphysik, Munster, Germany
R J Ehlers Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
V N Eikeland Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
F Eisenhut Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
D Elia INFN, Sezione di Bari, Bari, Italy
B Erazmus SUBATECH, IMT Atlantique, Nantes Université, CNRS-IN2P3, Nantes, France
F Ercolessi Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Bologna, Italy
F Erhardt Physics Department, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
M R Ersdal Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
B Espagnon Laboratoire de Physique des 2 Infinis, Irène Joliot-Curie, Orsay, France
G Eulisse European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
D Evans School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
S Evdokimov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
L Fabbietti Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
M Faggin Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Padova, Italy
J Faivre Laboratoire de Physique Subatomique et de Cosmologie, Université Grenoble-Alpes, CNRS-IN2P3, Grenoble, France
F Fan Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
W Fan Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
A Fantoni INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Frascati, Italy
M Fasel Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
P Fecchio Dipartimento DISAT del Politecnico and Sezione INFN, Turin, Italy
A Feliciello INFN, Sezione di Torino, Turin, Italy
G Feofilov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
A Fernández Téllez High Energy Physics Group, Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
M B Ferrer European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
A Ferrero Départment de Physique Nucléaire (DPhN), Université Paris-Saclay Centre d'Etudes de Saclay (CEA), IRFU, Saclay, France
A Ferretti Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Turin, Italy
V J G Feuillard Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
J Figiel The Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Cracow, Poland
V Filova Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
D Finogeev Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
F M Fionda INFN, Sezione di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
G Fiorenza Politecnico di Bari and Sezione INFN, Bari, Italy
F Flor University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
A N Flores The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
S Foertsch iThemba LABS, National Research Foundation, Somerset West, South Africa
I Fokin Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
S Fokin Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
E Fragiacomo INFN, Sezione di Trieste, Trieste, Italy
E Frajna Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Budapest, Hungary
U Fuchs European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
N Funicello Dipartimento di Fisica "E.R. Caianiello" dell'Università and Gruppo Collegato INFN, Salerno, Italy
C Furget Laboratoire de Physique Subatomique et de Cosmologie, Université Grenoble-Alpes, CNRS-IN2P3, Grenoble, France
A Furs Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
J J Gaardhøje Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
M Gagliardi Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Turin, Italy
A M Gago Sección Física, Departamento de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima, Peru
A Gal Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
C D Galvan Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Culiacán, Mexico
P Ganoti Department of Physics, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
C Garabatos Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
J R A Garcia High Energy Physics Group, Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
E Garcia-Solis Chicago State University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
K Garg SUBATECH, IMT Atlantique, Nantes Université, CNRS-IN2P3, Nantes, France
C Gargiulo European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
A Garibli National Nuclear Research Center, Baku, Azerbaijan
K Garner Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut für Kernphysik, Munster, Germany
E F Gauger The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
A Gautam University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
M B Gay Ducati Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
M Germain SUBATECH, IMT Atlantique, Nantes Université, CNRS-IN2P3, Nantes, France
S K Ghosh Bose Institute, Department of Physics and Centre for Astroparticle Physics and Space Science (CAPSS), Kolkata, India
M Giacalone Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Bologna, Italy
P Gianotti INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Frascati, Italy
P Giubellino INFN, Sezione di Torino, Turin, Italy Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
P Giubilato Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Padova, Italy
A M C Glaenzer Départment de Physique Nucléaire (DPhN), Université Paris-Saclay Centre d'Etudes de Saclay (CEA), IRFU, Saclay, France
P Glässel Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
E Glimos University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
D J Q Goh Nagasaki Institute of Applied Science, Nagasaki, Japan
V Gonzalez Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
L H González-Trueba Instituto de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
S Gorbunov Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
M Gorgon AGH University of Science and Technology, Cracow, Poland
L Görlich The Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Cracow, Poland
S Gotovac Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Split, Split, Croatia
V Grabski Instituto de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
L K Graczykowski Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
E Grecka Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Husinec-Řež, Czech Republic
L Greiner Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
A Grelli Institute for Gravitational and Subatomic Physics (GRASP), Utrecht University/Nikhef, Utrecht, Netherlands
C Grigoras European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
V Grigoriev Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
S Grigoryan A.I. Alikhanyan National Science Laboratory (Yerevan Physics Institute) Foundation, Yerevan, Armenia Affiliated with an international laboratory covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
F Grosa European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
J F Grosse-Oetringhaus European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
R Grosso Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
D Grund Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
G G Guardiano Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
R Guernane Laboratoire de Physique Subatomique et de Cosmologie, Université Grenoble-Alpes, CNRS-IN2P3, Grenoble, France
M Guilbaud SUBATECH, IMT Atlantique, Nantes Université, CNRS-IN2P3, Nantes, France
K Gulbrandsen Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
T Gunji University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
W Guo Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
A Gupta Physics Department, University of Jammu, Jammu, India
R Gupta Physics Department, University of Jammu, Jammu, India
S P Guzman High Energy Physics Group, Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
L Gyulai Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Budapest, Hungary
M K Habib Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
C Hadjidakis Laboratoire de Physique des 2 Infinis, Irène Joliot-Curie, Orsay, France
H Hamagaki Nagasaki Institute of Applied Science, Nagasaki, Japan
M Hamid Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
Y Han Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
R Hannigan The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
M R Haque Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
A Harlenderova Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
J W Harris Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
A Harton Chicago State University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
J A Hasenbichler European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
H Hassan Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
D Hatzifotiadou INFN, Sezione di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
P Hauer Helmholtz-Institut für Strahlen- und Kernphysik, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
L B Havener Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
S T Heckel Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
E Hellbär Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
H Helstrup Faculty of Engineering and Science, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway
T Herman Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
G Herrera Corral Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (CINVESTAV), Mexico City and Mérida, Mexico
F Herrmann Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut für Kernphysik, Munster, Germany
K F Hetland Faculty of Engineering and Science, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway
B Heybeck Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
H Hillemanns European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
C Hills University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
B Hippolyte Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
B Hofman Institute for Gravitational and Subatomic Physics (GRASP), Utrecht University/Nikhef, Utrecht, Netherlands
B Hohlweger Nikhef, National Institute for Subatomic Physics, Amsterdam, Netherlands
J Honermann Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut für Kernphysik, Munster, Germany
G H Hong Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
D Horak Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
A Horzyk AGH University of Science and Technology, Cracow, Poland
R Hosokawa Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Y Hou Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
P Hristov European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
C Hughes University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
P Huhn Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
L M Huhta University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
C V Hulse Laboratoire de Physique des 2 Infinis, Irène Joliot-Curie, Orsay, France
T J Humanic Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
H Hushnud Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Kolkata, India
A Hutson University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
D Hutter Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
J P Iddon University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
R Ilkaev Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
H Ilyas COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan
M Inaba University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
G M Innocenti European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
M Ippolitov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
A Isakov Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Husinec-Řež, Czech Republic
T Isidori University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
M S Islam Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Kolkata, India
M Ivanov Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
V Ivanov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
V Izucheev Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
M Jablonski AGH University of Science and Technology, Cracow, Poland
B Jacak Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
N Jacazio European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
P M Jacobs Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
S Jadlovska Technical University of Košice, Košice, Slovak Republic
J Jadlovsky Technical University of Košice, Košice, Slovak Republic
L Jaffe Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
C Jahnke Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
M A Janik Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
T Janson Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe Universität Frankfurt Institut für Informatik, Fachbereich Informatik und Mathematik, Frankfurt, Germany
M Jercic Physics Department, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
O Jevons School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
A A P Jimenez Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
F Jonas Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut für Kernphysik, Munster, Germany
P G Jones School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
J M Jowett European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
J Jung Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
M Jung Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
A Junique European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
A Jusko School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
M J Kabus European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
J Kaewjai Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
P Kalinak Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovak Republic
A S Kalteyer Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
A Kalweit European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
V Kaplin Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
A Karasu Uysal KTO Karatay University, Konya, Turkey
D Karatovic Physics Department, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
O Karavichev Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
T Karavicheva Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
P Karczmarczyk Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
E Karpechev Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
V Kashyap National Institute of Science Education and Research, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Jatni, India
A Kazantsev Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
U Kebschull Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe Universität Frankfurt Institut für Informatik, Fachbereich Informatik und Mathematik, Frankfurt, Germany
R Keidel Zentrum für Technologie und Transfer (ZTT), Worms, Germany
D L D Keijdener Institute for Gravitational and Subatomic Physics (GRASP), Utrecht University/Nikhef, Utrecht, Netherlands
M Keil European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
B Ketzer Helmholtz-Institut für Strahlen- und Kernphysik, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
A M Khan Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
S Khan Department of Physics, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
A Khanzadeev Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
Y Kharlov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
A Khatun Department of Physics, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
A Khuntia The Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Cracow, Poland
B Kileng Faculty of Engineering and Science, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway
B Kim Department of Physics, Pusan National University, Pusan, Republic of Korea
C Kim Department of Physics, Pusan National University, Pusan, Republic of Korea
D J Kim University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
E J Kim Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea
J Kim Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
J S Kim Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung, Republic of Korea
J Kim Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
J Kim Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea
M Kim Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
S Kim Department of Physics, Sejong University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
T Kim Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
S Kirsch Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
I Kisel Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
S Kiselev Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
A Kisiel Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
J P Kitowski AGH University of Science and Technology, Cracow, Poland
J L Klay California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, USA
J Klein European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
S Klein Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
C Klein-Bösing Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut für Kernphysik, Munster, Germany
M Kleiner Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
T Klemenz Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
A Kluge European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
A G Knospe University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
C Kobdaj Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
T Kollegger Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
A Kondratyev Affiliated with an international laboratory covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
N Kondratyeva Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
E Kondratyuk Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
J Konig Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
S A Konigstorfer Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
P J Konopka European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
G Kornakov Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
S D Koryciak AGH University of Science and Technology, Cracow, Poland
A Kotliarov Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Husinec-Řež, Czech Republic
O Kovalenko National Centre for Nuclear Research, Warsaw, Poland
V Kovalenko Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
M Kowalski The Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Cracow, Poland
I Králik Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovak Republic
A Kravčáková Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, Košice, Slovak Republic
L Kreis Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
M Krivda Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovak Republic School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
F Krizek Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Husinec-Řež, Czech Republic
K Krizkova Gajdosova Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
M Kroesen Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
M Krüger Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
D M Krupova Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
E Kryshen Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
M Krzewicki Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
V Kučera European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
C Kuhn Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
P G Kuijer Nikhef, National Institute for Subatomic Physics, Amsterdam, Netherlands
T Kumaoka University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
D Kumar Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Kolkata, India
L Kumar Physics Department, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
N Kumar Physics Department, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
S Kundu European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
P Kurashvili National Centre for Nuclear Research, Warsaw, Poland
A Kurepin Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
A B Kurepin Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
S Kushpil Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Husinec-Řež, Czech Republic
J Kvapil School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
M J Kweon Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
J Y Kwon Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
Y Kwon Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
S L La Pointe Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
P La Rocca Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Catania, Italy
Y S Lai Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
A Lakrathok Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
M Lamanna European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
R Langoy University of South-Eastern Norway, Kongsberg, Norway
P Larionov INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Frascati, Italy
E Laudi European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
L Lautner European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
R Lavicka Stefan Meyer Institut für Subatomare Physik (SMI), Vienna, Austria
T Lazareva Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
R Lea INFN, Sezione di Pavia, Pavia, Italy Università di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
J Lehrbach Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
R C Lemmon Nuclear Physics Group, STFC Daresbury Laboratory, Daresbury, United Kingdom
I León Monzón Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Culiacán, Mexico
M M Lesch Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
E D Lesser Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
M Lettrich Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
P Lévai Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Budapest, Hungary
X Li China Institute of Atomic Energy, Beijing, China
X L Li Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
J Lien University of South-Eastern Norway, Kongsberg, Norway
R Lietava School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
B Lim Department of Physics, Pusan National University, Pusan, Republic of Korea
S H Lim Department of Physics, Pusan National University, Pusan, Republic of Korea
V Lindenstruth Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
A Lindner Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Bucharest, Romania
C Lippmann Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
A Liu Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
D H Liu Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
J Liu University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
I M Lofnes Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
V Loginov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
C Loizides Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
P Loncar Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Split, Split, Croatia
J A Lopez Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
X Lopez Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS/IN2P3, LPC, Clermont-Ferrand, France
E López Torres Centro de Aplicaciones Tecnológicas y Desarrollo Nuclear (CEADEN), Havana, Cuba
P Lu Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
J R Luhder Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut für Kernphysik, Munster, Germany
M Lunardon Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Padova, Italy
G Luparello INFN, Sezione di Trieste, Trieste, Italy
Y G Ma Fudan University, Shanghai, China
A Maevskaya Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
M Mager European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
T Mahmoud Helmholtz-Institut für Strahlen- und Kernphysik, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
A Maire Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
M Malaev Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
N M Malik Physics Department, University of Jammu, Jammu, India
Q W Malik Department of Physics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
S K Malik Physics Department, University of Jammu, Jammu, India
L Malinina Affiliated with an international laboratory covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
D Mal'Kevich Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
D Mallick National Institute of Science Education and Research, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Jatni, India
N Mallick Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Indore, India
G Mandaglio Dipartimento di Scienze MIFT, Università di Messina, Messina, Italy INFN, Sezione di Catania, Catania, Italy
V Manko Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
F Manso Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS/IN2P3, LPC, Clermont-Ferrand, France
V Manzari INFN, Sezione di Bari, Bari, Italy
Y Mao Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
G V Margagliotti Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Trieste, Italy
A Margotti INFN, Sezione di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
A Marín Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
C Markert The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
M Marquard Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
N A Martin Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
P Martinengo European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
J L Martinez University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
M I Martínez High Energy Physics Group, Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
G Martínez García SUBATECH, IMT Atlantique, Nantes Université, CNRS-IN2P3, Nantes, France
S Masciocchi Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
M Masera Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Turin, Italy
A Masoni INFN, Sezione di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
L Massacrier Laboratoire de Physique des 2 Infinis, Irène Joliot-Curie, Orsay, France
A Mastroserio INFN, Sezione di Bari, Bari, Italy Università degli Studi di Foggia, Foggia, Italy
A M Mathis Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
O Matonoha Lund University Department of Physics, Division of Particle Physics, Lund, Sweden
P F T Matuoka Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
A Matyja The Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Cracow, Poland
C Mayer The Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Cracow, Poland
A L Mazuecos European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
F Mazzaschi Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Turin, Italy
M Mazzilli European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
J E Mdhluli University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
A F Mechler Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
Y Melikyan Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
A Menchaca-Rocha Instituto de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
E Meninno Dipartimento di Fisica "E.R. Caianiello" dell'Università and Gruppo Collegato INFN, Salerno, Italy Stefan Meyer Institut für Subatomare Physik (SMI), Vienna, Austria
A S Menon University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
M Meres Comenius University Bratislava, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
S Mhlanga iThemba LABS, National Research Foundation, Somerset West, South Africa University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Y Miake University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
L Micheletti INFN, Sezione di Torino, Turin, Italy
L C Migliorin CNRS/IN2P3, Institut de Physique des 2 Infinis de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
D L Mihaylov Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
K Mikhaylov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN Affiliated with an international laboratory covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
A N Mishra Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Budapest, Hungary
D Miśkowiec Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
A Modak Bose Institute, Department of Physics and Centre for Astroparticle Physics and Space Science (CAPSS), Kolkata, India
A P Mohanty Institute for Gravitational and Subatomic Physics (GRASP), Utrecht University/Nikhef, Utrecht, Netherlands
B Mohanty National Institute of Science Education and Research, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Jatni, India
M Mohisin Khan Department of Physics, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
M A Molander Helsinki Institute of Physics (HIP), Helsinki, Finland
Z Moravcova Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
C Mordasini Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
D A Moreira De Godoy Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut für Kernphysik, Munster, Germany
I Morozov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
A Morsch European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
T Mrnjavac European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
V Muccifora INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Frascati, Italy
E Mudnic Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Split, Split, Croatia
S Muhuri Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Kolkata, India
J D Mulligan Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
A Mulliri Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Cagliari, Italy
M G Munhoz Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
R H Munzer Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
H Murakami University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
S Murray University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
L Musa European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
J Musinsky Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovak Republic
J W Myrcha Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
B Naik University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
R Nair National Centre for Nuclear Research, Warsaw, Poland
B K Nandi Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT), Mumbai, India
R Nania INFN, Sezione di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
E Nappi INFN, Sezione di Bari, Bari, Italy
A F Nassirpour Lund University Department of Physics, Division of Particle Physics, Lund, Sweden
A Nath Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
C Nattrass University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
A Neagu Department of Physics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
A Negru University Politehnica of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
L Nellen Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
S V Nesbo Faculty of Engineering and Science, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway
G Neskovic Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
D Nesterov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
B S Nielsen Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
E G Nielsen Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
S Nikolaev Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
S Nikulin Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
V Nikulin Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
F Noferini INFN, Sezione di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
S Noh Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
P Nomokonov Affiliated with an international laboratory covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
J Norman University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
N Novitzky University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
P Nowakowski Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
A Nyanin Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
J Nystrand Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
M Ogino Nagasaki Institute of Applied Science, Nagasaki, Japan
A Ohlson Lund University Department of Physics, Division of Particle Physics, Lund, Sweden
V A Okorokov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
J Oleniacz Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
A C Oliveira Da Silva University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
M H Oliver Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
A Onnerstad University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
C Oppedisano INFN, Sezione di Torino, Turin, Italy
A Ortiz Velasquez Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
A Oskarsson Lund University Department of Physics, Division of Particle Physics, Lund, Sweden
J Otwinowski The Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Cracow, Poland
M Oya Physics Program and International Institute for Sustainability with Knotted Chiral Meta Matter (SKCM2), Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
K Oyama Nagasaki Institute of Applied Science, Nagasaki, Japan
Y Pachmayer Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
S Padhan Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT), Mumbai, India
D Pagano INFN, Sezione di Pavia, Pavia, Italy Università di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
G Paić Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
A Palasciano INFN, Sezione di Bari, Bari, Italy
S Panebianco Départment de Physique Nucléaire (DPhN), Université Paris-Saclay Centre d'Etudes de Saclay (CEA), IRFU, Saclay, France
J Park Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
J E Parkkila European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
S P Pathak University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
R N Patra Physics Department, University of Jammu, Jammu, India
B Paul Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Cagliari, Italy
H Pei Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
T Peitzmann Institute for Gravitational and Subatomic Physics (GRASP), Utrecht University/Nikhef, Utrecht, Netherlands
X Peng Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
L G Pereira Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
H Pereira Da Costa Départment de Physique Nucléaire (DPhN), Université Paris-Saclay Centre d'Etudes de Saclay (CEA), IRFU, Saclay, France
D Peresunko Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
G M Perez Centro de Aplicaciones Tecnológicas y Desarrollo Nuclear (CEADEN), Havana, Cuba
S Perrin Départment de Physique Nucléaire (DPhN), Université Paris-Saclay Centre d'Etudes de Saclay (CEA), IRFU, Saclay, France
Y Pestov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
V Petráček Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
V Petrov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
M Petrovici Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Bucharest, Romania
R P Pezzi Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil SUBATECH, IMT Atlantique, Nantes Université, CNRS-IN2P3, Nantes, France
S Piano INFN, Sezione di Trieste, Trieste, Italy
M Pikna Comenius University Bratislava, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
P Pillot SUBATECH, IMT Atlantique, Nantes Université, CNRS-IN2P3, Nantes, France
O Pinazza European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland INFN, Sezione di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
L Pinsky University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
C Pinto Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Catania, Italy Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
S Pisano INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Frascati, Italy
M Płoskoń Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
M Planinic Physics Department, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
F Pliquett Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
M G Poghosyan Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
S Politano Dipartimento DISAT del Politecnico and Sezione INFN, Turin, Italy
N Poljak Physics Department, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
A Pop Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Bucharest, Romania
S Porteboeuf-Houssais Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS/IN2P3, LPC, Clermont-Ferrand, France
J Porter Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
V Pozdniakov Affiliated with an international laboratory covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
S K Prasad Bose Institute, Department of Physics and Centre for Astroparticle Physics and Space Science (CAPSS), Kolkata, India
S Prasad Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Indore, India
R Preghenella INFN, Sezione di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
F Prino INFN, Sezione di Torino, Turin, Italy
C A Pruneau Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
I Pshenichnov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
M Puccio European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
S Qiu Nikhef, National Institute for Subatomic Physics, Amsterdam, Netherlands
L Quaglia Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Turin, Italy
R E Quishpe University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
S Ragoni School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
A Rakotozafindrabe Départment de Physique Nucléaire (DPhN), Université Paris-Saclay Centre d'Etudes de Saclay (CEA), IRFU, Saclay, France
L Ramello INFN, Sezione di Torino, Turin, Italy Università del Piemonte Orientale, Vercelli, Italy
F Rami Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
S A R Ramirez High Energy Physics Group, Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
T A Rancien Laboratoire de Physique Subatomique et de Cosmologie, Université Grenoble-Alpes, CNRS-IN2P3, Grenoble, France
R Raniwala Physics Department, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, India
S Raniwala Physics Department, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, India
S S Räsänen Helsinki Institute of Physics (HIP), Helsinki, Finland
R Rath Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Indore, India
I Ravasenga Nikhef, National Institute for Subatomic Physics, Amsterdam, Netherlands
K F Read Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
A R Redelbach Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
K Redlich National Centre for Nuclear Research, Warsaw, Poland
A Rehman Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
P Reichelt Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
F Reidt European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
H A Reme-Ness Faculty of Engineering and Science, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway
Z Rescakova Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, Košice, Slovak Republic
K Reygers Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
A Riabov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
V Riabov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
R Ricci Dipartimento di Fisica "E.R. Caianiello" dell'Università and Gruppo Collegato INFN, Salerno, Italy
T Richert Lund University Department of Physics, Division of Particle Physics, Lund, Sweden
M Richter Department of Physics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
W Riegler European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
F Riggi Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Catania, Italy
C Ristea Institute of Space Science (ISS), Bucharest, Romania
M Rodríguez Cahuantzi High Energy Physics Group, Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
K Røed Department of Physics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
R Rogalev Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
E Rogochaya Affiliated with an international laboratory covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
T S Rogoschinski Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
D Rohr European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
D Röhrich Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
P F Rojas High Energy Physics Group, Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
S Rojas Torres Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
P S Rokita Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
F Ronchetti INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Frascati, Italy
A Rosano Dipartimento di Scienze MIFT, Università di Messina, Messina, Italy INFN, Sezione di Catania, Catania, Italy
E D Rosas Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
A Rossi INFN, Sezione di Padova, Padova, Italy
A Roy Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Indore, India
P Roy Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Kolkata, India
S Roy Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT), Mumbai, India
N Rubini Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Bologna, Italy
O V Rueda Lund University Department of Physics, Division of Particle Physics, Lund, Sweden
D Ruggiano Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
R Rui Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Trieste, Italy
B Rumyantsev Affiliated with an international laboratory covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
P G Russek AGH University of Science and Technology, Cracow, Poland
R Russo Nikhef, National Institute for Subatomic Physics, Amsterdam, Netherlands
A Rustamov National Nuclear Research Center, Baku, Azerbaijan
E Ryabinkin Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
Y Ryabov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
A Rybicki The Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Cracow, Poland
H Rytkonen University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
W Rzesa Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
O A M Saarimaki Helsinki Institute of Physics (HIP), Helsinki, Finland
R Sadek SUBATECH, IMT Atlantique, Nantes Université, CNRS-IN2P3, Nantes, France
S Sadovsky Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
J Saetre Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
K Šafařík Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
S K Saha Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Kolkata, India
S Saha National Institute of Science Education and Research, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Jatni, India
B Sahoo Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT), Mumbai, India
P Sahoo Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT), Mumbai, India
R Sahoo Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Indore, India
S Sahoo Institute of Physics, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Bhubaneswar, India
D Sahu Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Indore, India
P K Sahu Institute of Physics, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Bhubaneswar, India
J Saini Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Kolkata, India
K Sajdakova Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, Košice, Slovak Republic
S Sakai University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
M P Salvan Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
S Sambyal Physics Department, University of Jammu, Jammu, India
T B Saramela Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
D Sarkar Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
N Sarkar Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Kolkata, India
P Sarma Department of Physics, Gauhati University, Guwahati, India
V Sarritzu Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Cagliari, Italy
V M Sarti Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
M H P Sas Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
J Schambach Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
H S Scheid Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
C Schiaua Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Bucharest, Romania
R Schicker Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
A Schmah Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
C Schmidt Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
H R Schmidt Physikalisches Institut, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Tubingen, Germany
M O Schmidt European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
M Schmidt Physikalisches Institut, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Tubingen, Germany
N V Schmidt Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
A R Schmier University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
R Schotter Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
J Schukraft European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
K Schwarz Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
K Schweda Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
G Scioli Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Bologna, Italy
E Scomparin INFN, Sezione di Torino, Turin, Italy
J E Seger Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Y Sekiguchi University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
D Sekihata University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
I Selyuzhenkov Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
S Senyukov Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
J J Seo Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
D Serebryakov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
L Šerkšnytė Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
A Sevcenco Institute of Space Science (ISS), Bucharest, Romania
T J Shaba iThemba LABS, National Research Foundation, Somerset West, South Africa
A Shabanov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
A Shabetai SUBATECH, IMT Atlantique, Nantes Université, CNRS-IN2P3, Nantes, France
R Shahoyan European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
W Shaikh Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Kolkata, India
A Shangaraev Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
A Sharma Physics Department, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
D Sharma Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT), Mumbai, India
H Sharma The Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Cracow, Poland
M Sharma Physics Department, University of Jammu, Jammu, India
N Sharma Physics Department, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
S Sharma Physics Department, University of Jammu, Jammu, India
U Sharma Physics Department, University of Jammu, Jammu, India
A Shatat Laboratoire de Physique des 2 Infinis, Irène Joliot-Curie, Orsay, France
O Sheibani University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
K Shigaki Physics Program and International Institute for Sustainability with Knotted Chiral Meta Matter (SKCM2), Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
M Shimomura Nara Women's University (NWU), Nara, Japan
S Shirinkin Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
Q Shou Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Y Sibiriak Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
S Siddhanta INFN, Sezione di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
T Siemiarczuk National Centre for Nuclear Research, Warsaw, Poland
T F Silva Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
D Silvermyr Lund University Department of Physics, Division of Particle Physics, Lund, Sweden
T Simantathammakul Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
R Simeonov Faculty of Physics, Sofia University, Sofia, Bulgaria
G Simonetti European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
B Singh Physics Department, University of Jammu, Jammu, India
B Singh Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
R Singh National Institute of Science Education and Research, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Jatni, India
R Singh Physics Department, University of Jammu, Jammu, India
R Singh Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Indore, India
V K Singh Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Kolkata, India
V Singhal Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Kolkata, India
T Sinha Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Kolkata, India
B Sitar Comenius University Bratislava, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
M Sitta INFN, Sezione di Torino, Turin, Italy Università del Piemonte Orientale, Vercelli, Italy
T B Skaali Department of Physics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
G Skorodumovs Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
M Slupecki Helsinki Institute of Physics (HIP), Helsinki, Finland
N Smirnov Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
R J M Snellings Institute for Gravitational and Subatomic Physics (GRASP), Utrecht University/Nikhef, Utrecht, Netherlands
E H Solheim Department of Physics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
C Soncco Sección Física, Departamento de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima, Peru
J Song University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
A Songmoolnak Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
F Soramel Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Padova, Italy
S Sorensen University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
R Spijkers Nikhef, National Institute for Subatomic Physics, Amsterdam, Netherlands
I Sputowska The Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Cracow, Poland
J Staa Lund University Department of Physics, Division of Particle Physics, Lund, Sweden
J Stachel Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
I Stan Institute of Space Science (ISS), Bucharest, Romania
P J Steffanic University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
S F Stiefelmaier Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
D Stocco SUBATECH, IMT Atlantique, Nantes Université, CNRS-IN2P3, Nantes, France
I Storehaug Department of Physics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
M M Storetvedt Faculty of Engineering and Science, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway
P Stratmann Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut für Kernphysik, Munster, Germany
S Strazzi Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Bologna, Italy
C P Stylianidis Nikhef, National Institute for Subatomic Physics, Amsterdam, Netherlands
A A P Suaide Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
C Suire Laboratoire de Physique des 2 Infinis, Irène Joliot-Curie, Orsay, France
M Sukhanov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
M Suljic European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
V Sumberia Physics Department, University of Jammu, Jammu, India
S Sumowidagdo National Research and Innovation Agency - BRIN, Jakarta, Indonesia
S Swain Institute of Physics, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Bhubaneswar, India
A Szabo Comenius University Bratislava, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
I Szarka Comenius University Bratislava, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
U Tabassam COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan
S F Taghavi Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
G Taillepied Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS/IN2P3, LPC, Clermont-Ferrand, France
J Takahashi Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
G J Tambave Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
S Tang Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS/IN2P3, LPC, Clermont-Ferrand, France
Z Tang University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
J D Tapia Takaki University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
N Tapus University Politehnica of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
L A Tarasovicova Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut für Kernphysik, Munster, Germany
M G Tarzila Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Bucharest, Romania
A Tauro European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
A Telesca European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
L Terlizzi Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Turin, Italy
C Terrevoli University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
G Tersimonov Bogolyubov Institute for Theoretical Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine
S Thakur Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Kolkata, India
D Thomas The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
R Tieulent CNRS/IN2P3, Institut de Physique des 2 Infinis de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
A Tikhonov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
A R Timmins University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
M Tkacik Technical University of Košice, Košice, Slovak Republic
T Tkacik Technical University of Košice, Košice, Slovak Republic
A Toia Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
N Topilskaya Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
M Toppi INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Frascati, Italy
F Torales-Acosta Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
T Tork Laboratoire de Physique des 2 Infinis, Irène Joliot-Curie, Orsay, France
A G Torres Ramos Dipartimento Interateneo di Fisica "M. Merlin" and Sezione INFN, Bari, Italy
A Trifiró Dipartimento di Scienze MIFT, Università di Messina, Messina, Italy INFN, Sezione di Catania, Catania, Italy
A S Triolo Dipartimento di Scienze MIFT, Università di Messina, Messina, Italy INFN, Sezione di Catania, Catania, Italy
S Tripathy INFN, Sezione di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
T Tripathy Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT), Mumbai, India
S Trogolo European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
V Trubnikov Bogolyubov Institute for Theoretical Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine
W H Trzaska University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
T P Trzcinski Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
R Turrisi INFN, Sezione di Padova, Padova, Italy
T S Tveter Department of Physics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
K Ullaland Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
B Ulukutlu Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
A Uras CNRS/IN2P3, Institut de Physique des 2 Infinis de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
M Urioni INFN, Sezione di Pavia, Pavia, Italy Università di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
G L Usai Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Cagliari, Italy
M Vala Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, Košice, Slovak Republic
N Valle Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
S Vallero INFN, Sezione di Torino, Turin, Italy
L V R van Doremalen Institute for Gravitational and Subatomic Physics (GRASP), Utrecht University/Nikhef, Utrecht, Netherlands
M van Leeuwen Nikhef, National Institute for Subatomic Physics, Amsterdam, Netherlands
C A van Veen Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
R J G van Weelden Nikhef, National Institute for Subatomic Physics, Amsterdam, Netherlands
P Vande Vyvre European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
D Varga Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Budapest, Hungary
Z Varga Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Budapest, Hungary
M Varga-Kofarago Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Budapest, Hungary
M Vasileiou Department of Physics, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
A Vasiliev Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
O Vázquez Doce Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
V Vechernin Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
E Vercellin Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Turin, Italy
S Vergara Limón High Energy Physics Group, Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
L Vermunt Institute for Gravitational and Subatomic Physics (GRASP), Utrecht University/Nikhef, Utrecht, Netherlands
R Vértesi Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Budapest, Hungary
M Verweij Institute for Gravitational and Subatomic Physics (GRASP), Utrecht University/Nikhef, Utrecht, Netherlands
L Vickovic Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Split, Split, Croatia
Z Vilakazi University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
O Villalobos Baillie School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
G Vino INFN, Sezione di Bari, Bari, Italy
A Vinogradov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
T Virgili Dipartimento di Fisica "E.R. Caianiello" dell'Università and Gruppo Collegato INFN, Salerno, Italy
V Vislavicius Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
A Vodopyanov Affiliated with an international laboratory covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
B Volkel European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
M A Völkl Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
K Voloshin Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
S A Voloshin Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
G Volpe Dipartimento Interateneo di Fisica "M. Merlin" and Sezione INFN, Bari, Italy
B von Haller European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
I Vorobyev Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
N Vozniuk Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
J Vrláková Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, Košice, Slovak Republic
B Wagner Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
C Wang Fudan University, Shanghai, China
D Wang Fudan University, Shanghai, China
M Weber Stefan Meyer Institut für Subatomare Physik (SMI), Vienna, Austria
A Wegrzynek European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
F T Weiglhofer Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
S C Wenzel European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
J P Wessels Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut für Kernphysik, Munster, Germany
S L Weyhmiller Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
J Wiechula Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
J Wikne Department of Physics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
G Wilk National Centre for Nuclear Research, Warsaw, Poland
J Wilkinson Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
G A Willems Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut für Kernphysik, Munster, Germany
B Windelband Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
M Winn Départment de Physique Nucléaire (DPhN), Université Paris-Saclay Centre d'Etudes de Saclay (CEA), IRFU, Saclay, France
J R Wright The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
W Wu Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Y Wu University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
R Xu Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
A K Yadav Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Kolkata, India
S Yalcin KTO Karatay University, Konya, Turkey
Y Yamaguchi Physics Program and International Institute for Sustainability with Knotted Chiral Meta Matter (SKCM2), Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
K Yamakawa Physics Program and International Institute for Sustainability with Knotted Chiral Meta Matter (SKCM2), Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
S Yang Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
S Yano Physics Program and International Institute for Sustainability with Knotted Chiral Meta Matter (SKCM2), Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
Z Yin Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
I-K Yoo Department of Physics, Pusan National University, Pusan, Republic of Korea
J H Yoon Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
S Yuan Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
A Yuncu Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
V Zaccolo Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università and Sezione INFN, Trieste, Italy
C Zampolli European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland
H J C Zanoli Institute for Gravitational and Subatomic Physics (GRASP), Utrecht University/Nikhef, Utrecht, Netherlands
F Zanone Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
N Zardoshti European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
A Zarochentsev Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
P Závada Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
N Zaviyalov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
M Zhalov Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
B Zhang Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
S Zhang Fudan University, Shanghai, China
X Zhang Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
Y Zhang University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
M Zhao China Institute of Atomic Energy, Beijing, China
V Zherebchevskii Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
Y Zhi China Institute of Atomic Energy, Beijing, China
N Zhigareva Affiliated with an institute covered by a cooperation agreement with CERN
D Zhou Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
Y Zhou Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
J Zhu Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China Research Division and ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
Y Zhu Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
G Zinovjev Bogolyubov Institute for Theoretical Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine
N Zurlo INFN, Sezione di Pavia, Pavia, Italy Università di Brescia, Brescia, Italy

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First Measurement of Antideuteron Number Fluctuations at Energies Available at the Large Hadron Collider

The first measurement of event-by-event antideuteron number fluctuations in high energy heavy-ion collisions is presented. The measurements are carried out at midrapidity (|η|<0.8) as a function of collision centrality in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV using the ALICE detector. A significant negative correlation between the produced antiprotons and antideuterons is observed in all collision centralities. The results are compared with a state-of-the-art coalescence calculation. While it describes the ratio of higher order cumulants of the antideuteron multiplicity distribution, it fails to describe quantitatively the magnitude of the correlation between antiproton and antideuteron production. On the other hand, thermal-statistical model calculations describe all the measured observables within uncertainties only for correlation volumes that are different with respect to those describing proton yields and a similar measurement of net-proton number fluctuations.

Enhanced Deuteron Coalescence Probability in Jets

The transverse-momentum (p_{T}) spectra and coalescence parameters B_{2} of (anti)deuterons are measured in p-p collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV for the first time in and out of jets. In this measurement, the direction of the leading particle with the highest p_{T} in the event (p_{T}^{lead}>5  GeV/c) is used as an approximation for the jet axis. The event is consequently divided into three azimuthal regions, and the jet signal is obtained as the difference between the toward region, that contains jet fragmentation products in addition to the underlying event (UE), and the transverse region, which is dominated by the UE. The coalescence parameter in the jet is found to be approximately a factor of 10 larger than that in the underlying event. This experimental observation is consistent with the coalescence picture and can be attributed to the smaller average phase-space distance between nucleons in the jet cone as compared with the underlying event. The results presented in this Letter are compared to predictions from a simple nucleon coalescence model, where the phase-space distributions of nucleons are generated using pythia8 with the Monash 2013 tuning, and to predictions from a deuteron production model based on ordinary nuclear reactions with parametrized energy-dependent cross sections tuned on data. The latter model is implemented in pythia8.3. Both models reproduce the observed large difference between in-jet and out-of-jet coalescence parameters, although the almost flat trend of the B_{2}^{Jet} is not reproduced by the models, which instead give a decreasing trend.

[Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of Nocardia rubra cell wall skeleton immunotherapy for cervical high-risk HPV persistent infection]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Nocardia rubra cell wall skeleton (Nr-CWS) in the treatment of persistent cervical high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection. Methods: A randomized, double blind, multi-center trial was conducted. A total of 688 patients with clinically and pathologically confirmed HR-HPV infection of the cervix diagnosed in 13 hispital nationwide were recruited and divided into: (1) patients with simple HR-HPV infection lasting for 12 months or more; (2) patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) Ⅰ and HR-HPV infection lasting for 12 months or more; (3) patients with the same HR-HPV subtype with no CINⅡ and more lesions after treatment with CINⅡ or CIN Ⅲ (CINⅡ/CIN Ⅲ). All participants were randomly divided into the test group and the control group at a ratio of 2∶1. The test group was locally treated with Nr-CWS freeze-dried powder and the control group was treated with freeze-dried powder without Nr-CWS. The efficacy and negative conversion rate of various subtypes of HR-HPV were evaluated at 1, 4, 8, and 12 months after treatment. The safety indicators of initial diagnosis and treatment were observed. Results: (1) This study included 555 patients with HR-HPV infection in the cervix (included 368 in the test group and 187 in the control group), with an age of (44.1±10.0) years. The baseline characteristics of the two groups of subjects, including age, proportion of Han people, weight, composition of HR-HPV subtypes, and proportion of each subgroup, were compared with no statistically significant differences (all P>0.05). (2) After 12 months of treatment, the effective rates of the test group and the control group were 91.0% (335/368) and 44.9% (84/187), respectively. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (χ²=142.520, P<0.001). After 12 months of treatment, the negative conversion rates of HPV 16, 18, 52, and 58 infection in the test group were 79.2% (84/106), 73.3% (22/30), 83.1% (54/65), and 77.4% (48/62), respectively. The control group were 21.6% (11/51), 1/9, 35.1% (13/37), and 20.0% (8/40), respectively. The differences between the two groups were statistically significant (all P<0.001). (3) There were no statistically significant differences in vital signs (body weight, body temperature, respiration, pulse rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, etc.) and laboratory routine indicators (blood cell analysis, urine routine examination) between the test group and the control group before treatment and at 1, 4, 8, and 12 months after treatment (all P>0.05); there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions related to the investigational drug between the two groups of subjects [8.7% (32/368) vs 8.0% (15/187), respectively; χ²=0.073, P=0.787]. Conclusion: External use of Nr-CWS has good efficacy and safety in the treatment of high-risk HPV persistent infection in the cervix.

Using Inducible Osteoblastic Lineage-Specific Stat3 Knockout Mice to Study Alveolar Bone Remodeling During Orthodontic Tooth Movement

The alveolar bone, with a high turnover rate, is the most actively-remodeling bone in the body. Orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) is a common artificial process of alveolar bone remodeling in response to mechanical force, but the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Previous studies have been unable to reveal the precise mechanism of bone remodeling in any time and space due to animal model-related restrictions. The signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is important in bone metabolism, but its role in osteoblasts during OTM is unclear. To provide in vivo evidence that STAT3 participates in OTM at specific time points and in particular cells during OTM, we generated a tamoxifen-inducible osteoblast lineage-specific Stat3 knockout mouse model, applied orthodontic force, and analyzed the alveolar bone phenotype. Micro-computed tomography (Micro-CT) and stereo microscopy were used to access OTM distance. Histological analysis selected the area located within three roots of the first molar (M1) in the cross-section of the maxillary bone as the region of interest (ROI) to evaluate the metabolic activity of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, indicating the effect of orthodontic force on alveolar bone. In short, we provide a protocol for using inducible osteoblast lineage-specific Stat3 knockout mice to study bone remodeling under orthodontic force and describe methods for analyzing alveolar bone remodeling during OTM, thus shedding new light on skeletal mechanical biology.

Energetic Electron Precipitation Driven by Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron Waves from ELFIN's Low Altitude Perspective

We review comprehensive observations of electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) wave-driven energetic electron precipitation using data collected by the energetic electron detector on the Electron Losses and Fields InvestigatioN (ELFIN) mission, two polar-orbiting low-altitude spinning CubeSats, measuring 50-5000 keV electrons with good pitch-angle and energy resolution. EMIC wave-driven precipitation exhibits a distinct signature in energy-spectrograms of the precipitating-to-trapped flux ratio: peaks at >0.5 MeV which are abrupt (bursty) (lasting ∼17 s, or Δ L ∼ 0.56 ) with significant substructure (occasionally down to sub-second timescale). We attribute the bursty nature of the precipitation to the spatial extent and structuredness of the wave field at the equator. Multiple ELFIN passes over the same MLT sector allow us to study the spatial and temporal evolution of the EMIC wave - electron interaction region. Case studies employing conjugate ground-based or equatorial observations of the EMIC waves reveal that the energy of moderate and strong precipitation at ELFIN approximately agrees with theoretical expectations for cyclotron resonant interactions in a cold plasma. Using multiple years of ELFIN data uniformly distributed in local time, we assemble a statistical database of ∼50 events of strong EMIC wave-driven precipitation. Most reside at L ∼ 5 - 7 at dusk, while a smaller subset exists at L ∼ 8 - 12 at post-midnight. The energies of the peak-precipitation ratio and of the half-peak precipitation ratio (our proxy for the minimum resonance energy) exhibit an L -shell dependence in good agreement with theoretical estimates based on prior statistical observations of EMIC wave power spectra. The precipitation ratio's spectral shape for the most intense events has an exponential falloff away from the peak (i.e., on either side of ∼ 1.45 MeV). It too agrees well with quasi-linear diffusion theory based on prior statistics of wave spectra. It should be noted though that this diffusive treatment likely includes effects from nonlinear resonant interactions (especially at high energies) and nonresonant effects from sharp wave packet edges (at low energies). Sub-MeV electron precipitation observed concurrently with strong EMIC wave-driven >1 MeV precipitation has a spectral shape that is consistent with efficient pitch-angle scattering down to ∼ 200-300 keV by much less intense higher frequency EMIC waves at dusk (where such waves are most frequent). At ∼100 keV, whistler-mode chorus may be implicated in concurrent precipitation. These results confirm the critical role of EMIC waves in driving relativistic electron losses. Nonlinear effects may abound and require further investigation.

Identification, Biological Function Profiling and Biosynthesis of Secondary Metabolites in Medicinal Orchids

The secondary metabolites present in medicinal orchids are diverse and possess a vast array of biological activities. They represent valuable raw materials for modern pharmaceuticals and clinical medicine and have tremendous potential for future development. A systematic collation of secondary metabolites' composition and a summary of the biological activities of medicinal orchids represent a crucial step in unlocking the potential of these valuable resources in drug development. Furthermore, such information can provide essential guidance for comprehensively analyzing the pharmacological and therapeutic mechanisms of these valuable herbs in traditional Chinese herbal medicine. This review article presents an overview of the types and main biological functions of the secondary metabolites found in medicinal orchids, as well as the conventional synthesis methods for these compounds. Our aim is to provide a useful reference for future research and the drug development of secondary metabolic products of medicinal orchids.

Retraction Note: Lixisenatide protects doxorubicin-induced renal fibrosis by activating wNF-κB/TNF-α and TGF-β/Smad pathways

The article "Lixisenatide protects doxorubicin-induced renal fibrosis by activating wNF-κB/TNF-α and TGF-β/Smad pathways", by N.-F. Guo, Y.-J. Cao, X. Chen, Y. Zhang, Y.-P. Fan, J. Liu, X.-L. Chen published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2019; 23 (9): 4017-4026. DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_201905_17832-PMID: 31115031 has been retracted by the Editor in Chief for the following reasons: This paper has been questioned on PubPeer (https://pubpeer.com/publications/983F02C9C18817139AE18497C359FA). In particular, concerns were raised about Figures 2A and 5A as the figures result to overlap with previously published papers. The Editorial Office has contacted the corresponding author of the article to provide a reply to the comments on PubPeer and check the raw data. Still, the journal has yet to receive a reply. Therefore, considering the comments released on PubPeer and the lack of response from authors, the Editor in Chief no longer relies on the data presented and decided to withdraw the manuscript. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/17832.

Luminescence Dynamics of Single Self-Assembled Chains of Förster (FRET)-Coupled CdSe Nanoplatelets

Self-assembled linear chains of CdSe nanoplatelets are known to exhibit highly efficient Förster resonant energy transfer (FRET) leading to fast exciton diffusion between platelets. Here, we compare the luminescence decay dynamics of single nanoplatelets, clusters of a few platelets, and self-assembled chains. As the number of stacked platelets is increased, we show that the luminescence decay becomes faster, which can be interpreted as the FRET-mediated effect of quenchers: excitons may diffuse to nearby quenchers so that their decay rate is increased. On the other hand, a minor slow decay component is also observed for single platelets, corresponding to trapping-detrapping mechanisms in nearby trap states. The contribution of the slow component is enhanced for the platelet chains. This is consistent with a FRET-mediated trapping mechanism where the excitons would diffuse from platelet to platelet until they reach a trap state. Finally, we develop toy models for the FRET-mediated quenching and trapping effects on the decay curves and analyze the relevant parameters.

[UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS combined with network pharmacology for exploring antiinflammatory mechanism of Eurycoma longifolia]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the mechanisms that mediate the anti-inflammatory activity of Eurycoma longifolia.

METHODS

Kunming mouse models of xylene-induced ear swelling and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute pneumonia were used to compare the anti- inflammatory activities of aqueous and ethanol extracts of Eurycoma longifolia. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS was used to identify the chemical composition in the ethanol extract of Eurycoma longifolia, based on which the potential antiinflammatory targets of Eurycoma longifolia were screened using the databases including SwissADME, SwissTargetPrediction, and Genecards. The String database was used to generate the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and Cytoscape was used for network topology analysis and screening the core targets. The enrichment of the core targets was analyzed using Metascape database, the core components and targets were docked with Autodock software, and the docking results were visualized using Pymol software. In a RAW264.7 cell model of LPS-induced inflammation, the Griess reagent was used to measure NO level, and Western blotting was performed to detect the expression levels of MAPK1, JAK2, and STAT3 proteins to verify the anti- inflammatory mechanism of Eurycoma longifolia.

RESULTS

The ethanol extract (75%) of Eurycoma longifolia (ELE) was the active site, which contained a total of 37 chemical components. These chemical compounds and diseases had 541 targets, involving the JAK/STAT3, cAMP and other signaling pathways. Twelve indicator components were identified, which all showed good results of molecular docking with two core targets involved in the signaling pathways. In the cell validation experiment, treatment of the cells with low-, medium-, and high-dose ELE significantly reduced NO release in the cells, and ELE at the medium dose significantly decreased the cellular expressions of JAK2 and STAT3.

CONCLUSION

The anti-inflammatory activity of Eurycoma longifolia is attributed primarily to its active ingredients bitter lignin and alkaloids, which may regulate the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway by targeting JAK2 and STAT3.

[Percutaneous pedicle screw fixation combined expandable tubular retractor in the treatment of spinal metastases]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effectiveness of percutaneous pedicle screw fixation combined expandable tubular retractor in the treatment of patients with spinal metastases.

METHODS

In the study, 12 patients of spinal metastases treated with percutaneous pedicle screw fixation combined expandable tubular retractor in our hospital were retrospectively reviewed between June 2017 and October 2019. Among the 12 patients, 9 were males and 3 were females; the median age was 62.5 years [(65.1±2.9) years]. The decompression segment of 7 patients was located at the lower thoracic spine (including 1 patient with incomplete paraplegia) and the decompression segment of 5 patients was located at the lumbar spine; Tomita score was 6.0±0.6. Perioperative data of the patients were reviewed. Visual analog scale (VAS score), Karnofsky score, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score were compared before and after surgery. The patient's survival, adjuvant treatment, and internal fixation failure were observed in the follow-up period.

RESULTS

All the 12 patients had a successful operation with percuta-neous pedicle screw fixation combined expandable tubular retractor. The average operative time, blood loss, and blood transfused of the patients were (247.0±14.6) min, (804.2±222.3) mL and (500.0±100.0) mL, respectively. The average amount of drainage was (240.8±79.3) mL. Drainage tubes were pulled out early postoperative [(3.2±0.3) d], allowing early mobilization. The patients discharged (7.8±0.8) d postoperative. All the patients were followed up for 6-30 months, and the average overall survival time was (13.6±2.4) months. During the follow-up period, 2 patients experienced screw displacement, the internal fixation was stable after conservative treatment and no revision surgery was performed. The VAS of the patients was 7.1±0.2 before surgery, which decreased to 2.3±0.1 and 2.8±0.4 at 3 and 6 months after surgery (P < 0.05). The Karnofsky score of the patients was 59.2±1.9 before surgery, which increased to 75.0±1.9 and 74.2±3.1 at 3 and 6 months after surgery (P < 0.05). The ECOG of the patients was 2.3±0.2 before surgery, which decreased to 1.7±0.1 and 1.7±0.2 at 3 and 6 months after surgery (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

For selected patients with spinal metastases, minimally invasive surgical treatment of spinal metastases (percutaneous pedicle screw internal fixation combined with expandable tubular retractor) can effectively relieve the clinical symptoms and improve the quality of life, with satisfactory clinical outcome.

[Effect and safety of 10-day decitabine-containing conditioning regimen for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in 31 patients with acute myeloid leukemia/myelodysplastic syndrome]

Objective: To investigate the early effect and safety of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) with a 10-day decitabine-containing conditioning regimen in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) /myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) . Methods: From April 2021 to May 2022, 31 AML/MDS patients who received allo-HSCT with a 10-day decitabine-containing conditioning regimen were analyzed. Results: AML (n=10), MDS-AML (n=6), CMML-AML (n=1), and MDS (n=14) were identified in 31 patients, 16 males, and 15 females, with a median age of 41 (20-55) yr. Neutrophils and platelets were successfully implanted in 31 patients (100%), with a median implantation duration of 12 (9-30) and 14 (9-42) days, respectively. During the preconditioning period, 16 patients (51.6%) developed oral mucositis, with 15 cases of Ⅰ/Ⅱ grade (48.4%) and one case of Ⅲ grade (3.2%). After transplantation, 13 patients (41.9%) developed CMV viremia, six patients (19.4%) developed hemorrhagic cystitis, and four patients (12.9%) developed a local infection. The median time of acute graft versus host disease (aGVHD) following transplantation was 33 (12-111) days. The cumulative incidence of aGVHD and Ⅲ/Ⅳ grade aGVHD was 41.9% (95% CI 26.9%-61.0%) and 22.9% (95% CI 13.5%-47.5%), respectively. There was no severe cGVHD, and mild and moderate chronic GVHD (cGVHD) incidence was 23.5% (95% CI 12.1%-43.6%). As of November 30, 2022, only one of the 31 patients had relapsed, with a 1-yr cumulative relapse rate (CIR) of 3.2% (95% CI 0.5%-20.7%). There was only one relapse patient death and no non-relapse deaths. The 1-yr overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 92.9% (95% CI 80.3%-100%) and 96.8% (95% CI 90.8%-100%), respectively. Conclusions: A 10-day decitabine-containing conditioning regimen for allo-HSCT reduced relapse and was safe and feasible in treating AML/MDS.

Effectiveness of China-PAR and Framingham risk score in assessment of 10-year cardiovascular disease risk in Chinese hypertensive patients

OBJECTIVES

Estimating the total risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) using risk prediction models represents a huge improvement in identifying and treating each of the risk factors. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the China-PAR (Prediction of atherosclerotic CVD risk in China) and Framingham risk score (FRS) in predicting the 10-year risk of CVD in Chinese hypertensive patients. The results of the study can be used to design health promotion strategies.

STUDY DESIGN

A large cohort study was used to assess the validity of models by comparing model predictions with actual incidence rates.

METHODS

In total, 10,498 hypertensive patients aged 30-70 years in Jiangsu Province, China, participated in the baseline survey that took place between January and December 2010 and were followed up to May 2020. China-PAR and FRS were used to calculate the predicted 10-year risk of CVD. The 10-year observed incidence of new cardiovascular events was adjusted by the Kaplan-Meier method. The ratio of the predicted risk to the actual incidence was calculated to evaluate the effectiveness of the model. The discrimination Harrell's C statistics and calibration Chi-square value were used to evaluate the predictive reliability of the models.

RESULTS

Of the 10,498 participants, 4411 (42.02%) were male. During the mean follow-up of 8.30 ± 1.45 years, a total of 693 new cardiovascular events occurred. Both models overestimated the risk of morbidity to varying degrees, and the FRS overestimated to a greater extent. After adjustment for covariates, the results of Cox proportional hazards regression showed that the risk of CVD in the high-risk group was higher than in low-risk group. The degree of discrimination in both models was approximately 0.6, which showed that discrimination was not ideal in the models. In addition, Chi-square calibrations of the two models were <20 in males, which showed that calibration of the models was better for men than women.

CONCLUSIONS

The China-PAR and FRS models overestimated the risk of CVD for participants in this study. In addition, the degree of discrimination was not ideal, and both models performed better in males than in females in terms of calibration. The results of this study suggest that a more suitable risk prediction model should be established according to the characteristics of the hypertensive population in Jiangsu Province.

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

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

Radiomic analysis of MRI for prediction of response to induction chemotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients

AIM

To establish and validate radiomic models for response prediction to induction chemotherapy (IC) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) using the radiomic features from pretreatment MRI.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective analysis included 184 consecutive NPC patients, 132 in the primary cohort and 52 in the validation cohort. Radiomic features were derived from contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging (CE-T1) and T2-weighted imaging (T2-WI) for each subject. The radiomic features were then selected and combined with clinical characteristics to build radiomic models. The potential of the radiomic models was evaluated based on its discrimination and calibration. To measure the performance of these radiomic models in predicting the treatment response to IC in NPC, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), and sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were used.

RESULTS

Four radiomic models were constructed in the present study including the radiomic signature of CE-T1, T2-WI, CE-T1 + T2-WI, and the radiomic nomogram of CE-T1. The radiomic signature of CE-T1 + T2-WI performed well in distinguishing response and non-response to IC in patients with NPC, which yielded an AUC of 0.940 (95% CI, 0.885-0.974), sensitivity of 83.1%, specificity of 91.8%, and accuracy of 87.1% in the primary cohort, and AUC of 0.952 (95% CI, 0.855-0.992), sensitivity of 74.2%, specificity of 95.2%, and accuracy of 82.7% in the validation cohort.

CONCLUSION

MRI-based radiomic models could be helpful for personalised risk stratification and treatment in NPC patients receiving IC.

[Effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme on reproduction of Culex pipiens pallens]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the role of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) in the reproduction of Culex pipiens pallens, so as to provide insights into selection of targets for controlling mosquito vector populations.

METHODS

Cx. pipiens pallens was collected from Tangkou County, Shandong Province in 2009. Female and male mosquitoes were selected at 72 hours post-eclosion, and quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qPCR) assay was used to detect the expression of ACE gene in the whole body and reproductive tissues of male mosquitoes and fertilized female mosquitoes before (0 h) and after blood meals (24, 48, 72 h), respectively. Then, 150 female and 150 male mosquitoes at 0 to 4 hours post-eclosion were selected and divided into the wild-type group (WT group), small interfering RNA-negative control group (siNC group) and small interfering RNA-ACE group (siACE group), of 50 mosquitoes in each group. Mosquitoes in the WT group were given no treatment, and mosquitoes in the siNC and siACE groups were given microinjection of siNC and siACE into the hemolymph at a dose of 0.3 μg per mosquito. The knockdown efficiency was checked using qPCR assay, and the reproductive phenotype of mosquitoes was observed.

RESULTS

The relative ACE gene expression was higher in the whole body of male mosquitoes (5.467 ± 1.006) relative to females (1.199 ± 0.241) (t = 5.835, P = 0.004) at 72 h post-eclosion, and the highest ACE expression was seen in reproductive tissues of male mosquitoes (199.100 ± 24.429), which was 188.3 times higher than in remaining tissues (1.057 ± 0.340) (t = 6.602, P = 0.002). Blood meal induced high ACE expression in all body tissues of fertilized female mosquitoes, with peak expression at 24 h after blood meals (14.957 ± 2.815), which was 14.8 times higher than that before blood meals (1.009 ± 0.139) (P = 0.002). The transcriptional level of ACEs continued to increase in the ovaries of female mosquitoes after blood meals during the vitellogenesis phase, peaking at 48 h after blood meals (5.500 ± 0.734), which was 5.1 times higher than that before blood meals (1.072 ± 0.178) (P = 0.002). Small RNA interference targeting ACE resulted in a 57.2% reduction in ACE expression in female mosquitoes in the siACE group (0.430 ± 0.070) relative to the siNC group (1.002 ± 0.070) (P = 0.001), and a 41.1% reduction in male mosquitoes in the siACE group (0.588 ± 0.067) relative to the siNC group (1.008 ± 0.131) (P = 0.016). Knockdown of ACE expression resulted in a 48.0% decrease in the number of eggs laid by female mosquitoes in the siACE group [(94.000 ± 27.386) eggs] relative to the siNC group [(180.800 ± 27.386)] (P < 0.001), and a 45.0% decrease in the number of eggs laid by wild female mosquitoes mated with males in the siACE group [(104.500 ± 20.965) eggs] relative to the siNC group [(190.050 ± 10.698) eggs] (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Reduced ACE expression may inhibit the fecundity of male and female mosquitoes, and ACE may be as a potential target for mosquito vector population suppression.

[Evaluation of the relationship between the attachment type of lateral pterygoid muscle and the position of temporomandibular joint disc in patients with temporomandibular joint disorders based on wireless amplified MRI detector high resolution imaging]

Objective: To explore the correlation between the attachment type of lateral pterygoid muscle (LPM) and the position of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) by using wireless amplified magnetic resonance imaging detector (WAND) coupled with conventional head and neck joint coil for high resolution imaging of TMJ. Methods: Eighty-five patients with TMD diagnosed by oral and maxillofacial surgeons of Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital from October 2019 to January 2022 were collected. A total of 160 TMJ were included. There were 16 males and 69 females, aged (32.7±14.2) years. All patients were scanned with open, closed oblique sagittal and coronal WAND coupled head and neck coils with bilateral TMJ. Based on TMJ and LPM high resolution imaging, to explore the correlation between LPM attachment types and the position of TMJ disc in TMD patients, and to evaluate the potential clinical value of LPM attachment types in TMD patients. χ² test and Pearson correlation analysis were used to evaluate the correlation between LPM attachment type and TMJ disc location. Results: There were three types of LPM attachment: type Ⅰ in 51 cases [31.9% (51/160)], type Ⅱ in 77 cases [48.1% (77/160)] and type Ⅲ in 32 cases [20.0% (32/160)]. There was a significant correlation between the type of LPM attachment and the position of articular disc (χ²=28.20, P=0.002, r=0.776). There was no statistical significance between the type of LPM attachment and the reversible displacement of articular disc (χ²=0.24, P=0.887, r=0.825). Conclusions: There is a correlation between the attachment type of LPM and the position of the disc in TMD patients. WNAD coupled with conventional head and neck joint coil TMJ high resolution scan can provide reliable imaging evidence for TMD patients in evaluating the type of LPM attachment and the location of disc.

Enhancement of Fenton processes at initial circumneutral pH for the degradation of norfloxacin with Fe@FeS core-shell nanowires

The disadvantages of narrow working pH range (2.5-4.0), accumulation of iron sludge and incomplete degradation have hindered the practical application of the traditional homogeneous Fenton technique. In this research, Fe@FeS core-shell nanowires were synthesised and the innovative Fe@FeS/Fe2+/H2O2 system was adopted for norfloxacin (NOR) degradation at an initial circumneutral pH. More than 95% NOR has been removed in the Fe@FeS/Fe2+/H2O2 system within 30 min at pH 7. After investigating the concentration change of total iron, Fe2+ and H2O2 during the degradation process, NOR degradation in the Fe@FeS/Fe2+/H2O2 system might be attributed to the combined effect of homogeneous Fenton reaction and heterogeneous Fenton process. Besides that, the added Fe@FeS has accelerated Fe3+/Fe2+ redox cycle with extremely high degree. The generated reactive ●OH has been identified by electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometer results, possible degradation intermediates have also been proposed according to Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis results. Moreover, Fe@FeS core-shell nanowires showed excellent reusability, it is a promising heterogeneous Fenton catalyst that is applicable for practical application.

[Association between clinical phenotypes of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and Ca2+ gene variation gene variation]

Objective: To observe the association between clinical phenotypes of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients and a rare calcium channel and regulatory gene variation (Ca²⁺ gene variation) and to compare clinical phenotypes of HCM patients with Ca²⁺ gene variation, a single sarcomere gene variation and without gene variation and to explore the influence of rare Ca²⁺ gene variation on the clinical phenotypes of HCM. Methods: Eight hundred forty-two non-related adult HCM patients diagnosed for the first time in Xijing Hospital from 2013 to 2019 were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent exon analyses of 96 hereditary cardiac disease-related genes. Patients with diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, post alcohol septal ablation or septal myectomy, and patients who carried sarcomere gene variation of uncertain significance or carried>1 sarcomere gene variation or carried>1 Ca²⁺ gene variation, with HCM pseudophenotype or carrier of ion channel gene variations other than Ca²⁺ based on the genetic test results were excluded. Patients were divided into gene negative group (no sarcomere or Ca²⁺ gene variants), sarcomere gene variation group (only 1 sarcomere gene variant) and Ca²⁺ gene variant group (only 1 Ca²⁺ gene variant). Baseline data, echocardiography and electrocardiogram data were collected for analysis. Results: A total of 346 patients were enrolled, including 170 patients without gene variation (gene negative group), 154 patients with a single sarcomere gene variation (sarcomere gene variation group) and 22 patients with a single rare Ca²⁺ gene variation (Ca²⁺ gene variation group). Compared with gene negative group, patients in Ca²⁺ gene variation group had higher blood pressure and higher percentage of family history of HCM and sudden cardiac death (P<0.05); echocardiographic results showed that patients in Ca²⁺ gene variation group had thicker ventricular septum ((23.5±5.8) mm vs. (22.3±5.7) mm, P<0.05); electrocardiographic results showed that patients in Ca²⁺ gene variation group had prolonged QT interval ((416.6±23.1) ms vs. (400.6±47.2) ms, P<0.05) and higher RV5+SV1 ((4.51±2.26) mv vs. (3.50±1.65) mv, P<0.05). Compared with sarcomere gene variation group, patients in Ca²⁺ gene variation group had later onset age and higher blood pressure (P<0.05); echocardiographic results showed that there was no significant difference in ventricular septal thickness between two groups; patients in Ca²⁺ gene variation group had lower percentage of left ventricular outflow tract pressure gradient>30 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa, 22.8% vs. 48.1%, P<0.05) and the lower early diastolic peak velocity of the mitral valve inflow/early diastolic peak velocity of the mitral valve annulus (E/e') ratio ((13.0±2.5) vs. (15.9±4.2), P<0.05); patients in Ca²⁺ gene variation group had prolonged QT interval ((416.6±23.1) ms vs. (399.0±43.0) ms, P<0.05) and lower percentage of ST segment depression (9.1% vs. 40.3%, P<0.05). Conclusion: Compared with gene negative group, the clinical phenotype of HCM is more severe in patients with rare Ca²⁺ gene variation; compared with patients with sarcomere gene variation, the clinical phenotype of HCM is milder in patients with rare Ca²⁺ gene variation.

[Zuogui Jiangtang Jieyu Decoction promotes neural stem cell self-renewal and activates Shh signaling in the hippocampal dentate gyrus of diabetic rats with depression]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of Zuogui Jiangtang Jieyu Decoction (ZJJ) on Shh signaling and self-renewal of neural stem cells in the hippocampal dentate gyrus of diabetic rats with depression.

METHODS

Diabetic rat models with depression were randomly divided into model group, positive drug (metformin + fluoxetine) group, and low-, medium-, and high-dose ZJJ groups (n=16), with normal SD rats as the control group. The positive drugs and ZJJ were administered by gavage, and the rats in the control and model groups were given distilled water. After the treatment, blood glucose level was detected using test strips, and behavioral changes of the rats were assessed by forced swimming test and water maze test. ELISA was used to examine the serum level of leptin; The expressions of nestin and Brdu proteins in the dentate gyrus of the rats were detected using immunofluorescence assay, and the expressions of self-renewal marker proteins and Shh signaling proteins were detected using Western blotting.

RESULTS

The diabetic rats with depression showed significantly increased levels of blood glucose and leptin (P < 0.01) and prolonged immobility time in forced swimming test (P < 0.01) and increased stage climbing time with reduced stage seeking time and stage crossings in water maze test (P < 0.01). The expressions of nestin and Brdu in the dentate gyrus, the expressions of cyclin D1, SOX2, Shh, Ptch1, Smo in the hippocampus and the nuclear expression of Gli-1 were decreased (P < 0.01) while hippocampal Gli-3 expression was increased significantly (P < 0.01) in the rat models. Treatment of rat models with high-dose ZJJ significantly reduced the blood glucose (P < 0.01) and leptin level (P < 0.05) and improved their performance in behavioral tests (P < 0.01). The treatment also obviously increased the expressions of nestin, Brdu, cyclin D1, SOX2, Shh, Ptch1, and Smo and the nuclear expression of Gli-1 in the dentate gyrus (P < 0.01) and reduced hippocampal expression of Gli-3 (P < 0.05) in the rat models.

CONCLUSION

ZJJ can significantly improve the self-renewal ability of neural stem cells and activate Shh signaling in dentate gyrus of diabetic rats with depression.

Water uptake in germinating pecan (Carya illinoinensis) seed

• Water uptake is the fundamental and essential requirement for seed germination. Pecan seed has a hard woody endocarp and plays an important role during water uptake. • To explore the laws of water uptake during germination, the spatiotemporal pattern of water and the effect of endocarp were analysed by water measuring, high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), dye-tracing, blocking and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). • Isolated seeds finish water uptake in 8h while whole seeds take 6d, and the cracking of endocarp plays an important role. The hilum is the channel for water to enter the seed, the rest of the seed coat consist of cells covered with a waxy layer and act as a barrier that made it difficult to absorb water. The region with the highest water contents in pecan seed was the edge of the U-shaped region and the water progressively diffused from the edge of the U-shaped region to the whole kernel. • There seems to be a new water absorption stage between phase II and phase III of triphasic model of water uptake of pecan seeds. The cracking of endocarp changed the water distribution in pecan seeds, which may be the trigger for further water absorption and radicle elongation.

Optical Monitoring of the Magnetization Switching of Single Synthetic-Antiferromagnetic Nanoplatelets with Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy

Synthetic antiferromagnetic nanoplatelets (NPs) with a large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (SAF-PMA NPs) have a large potential in future local mechanical torque-transfer applications for e.g., biomedicine. However, the mechanisms of magnetization switching of these structures at the nanoscale are not well understood. Here, we have used a simple and relatively fast single-particle optical technique that goes beyond the diffraction limit to measure photothermal magnetic circular dichroism (PT MCD). This allows us to study the magnetization switching as a function of applied magnetic field of single 122 nm diameter SAF-PMA NPs with a thickness of 15 nm. We extract and discuss the differences between the switching field distributions of large ensembles of NPs and of single NPs. In particular, single-particle PT MCD allows us to address the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the magnetic switching fields of the NPs at the single-particle level. We expect this new insight to help understand better the dynamic torque transfer, e.g., in biomedical and microfluidic applications.