Effects of adverse childhood experiences on the Charlson comorbidity index in US adults

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this article was to explore the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) and to provide valuable information for public health professionals and policymakers to improve quality of life and reduce mortality.

STUDY DESIGN

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data pooled from the 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

METHODS

This study involved 102,393 US adult participants from the 2020 BRFSS. The zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) and mixed graphical model (MGM) models were used to explore the effect of ACEs on CCI and the interaction between ACEs.

RESULTS

In the count part of the model (CCI ≥0), sexual abuse had the strongest association with CCI (relative risk [RR] = 1.111, P < 0.001). In the logit part of the model (CCI = 0), the likelihood of having CCI equal to 0 decreased by 23.0% for household substance abuse, which was the highest percentage decrease for all ACEs. Compared to those with ACE scores equal to 0, individuals with ACE scores ≥4 have an expected CCI RR of 1.222, and the likelihood of having CCI equal to 0 decreased by 50.2%. Household substance abuse and incarceration history in the home had the strongest association among interactions of ACEs (0.85).

CONCLUSIONS

Associations between ACEs and CCI were observed in this study, and these associations differed between genders. The findings of this study provide data to design strategies for disease prevention and improvement of quality of life.

Observation of the Rare Decay of the η Meson to Four Muons

A search for the rare η→μ^{+}μ^{-}μ^{+}μ^{-} double-Dalitz decay is performed using a sample of proton-proton collisions, collected by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC with high-rate muon triggers during 2017 and 2018 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 101  fb^{-1}. A signal having a statistical significance well in excess of 5 standard deviations is observed. Using the η→μ^{+}μ^{-} decay as normalization, the branching fraction B(η→μ^{+}μ^{-}μ^{+}μ^{-})=[5.0±0.8(stat)±0.7(syst)±0.7(B_{2μ})]×10^{-9} is measured, where the last term is the uncertainty in the normalization channel branching fraction. This work achieves an improved precision of over 5 orders of magnitude compared to previous results, leading to the first measurement of this branching fraction, which is found to agree with theoretical predictions.

Measurement of the Branching Fractions B(B^{0}→pp[over ¯]pp[over ¯]) and B(B_{s}^{0}→pp[over ¯]pp[over ¯])

Searches for the rare hadronic decays B^{0}→pp[over ¯]pp[over ¯] and B_{s}^{0}→pp[over ¯]pp[over ¯] are performed using proton-proton collision data recorded by the LHCb experiment and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9  fb^{-1}. Significances of 9.3σ and 4.0σ, including statistical and systematic uncertainties, are obtained for the B^{0}→pp[over ¯]pp[over ¯] and B_{s}^{0}→pp[over ¯]pp[over ¯] signals, respectively. The branching fractions are measured relative to the topologically similar normalization decays B^{0}→J/ψ(→pp[over ¯])K^{*0}(→K^{+}π^{-}) and B_{s}^{0}→J/ψ(→pp[over ¯])⁢ϕ(→K^{+}K^{-}). The branching fractions are measured to be B(B^{0}→pp[over ¯]pp[over ¯])=(2.2±0.4±0.1±0.1)×10^{-8} and B(B_{s}^{0}→pp[over ¯]pp[over ¯])=(2.3±1.0±0.2±0.1)×10^{-8}. In these measurements, the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third one is due to the external branching fraction of the normalization channel.

Effect of Body Weight and Obesity on Esophageal Function

The incidence of obesity in the population is gradually increasing. Obesity can cause a variety of complications in the digestive system such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, and impacts the integrity of the esophageal mucosal barrier and esophageal motility. However, not many studies have focused on the effect of varying degrees of obesity on the esophagus. A total of 611 participants were included in this study. We divided them into three groups according to their body mass index (BMI): the normal weight group, the overweight group, and the obesity group. We performed a retrospective comparison between groups based on indicators from high resolution esophageal manometry (HREM) and 24-hour pH impedance monitoring, and did a correlation analysis on multiple indicators such as esophageal mucosal barrier, esophageal motility, and acid reflux. The mean nocturnal baseline impedance (MNBI) in the overweight and obesity groups was lower than that in the normal group. The MNBI of the subjects in Z5-Z6 channels in the overweight group was significantly lower than that in the normal group. With respect to Z3-Z6 channels, MNBI values in the obesity group were significantly lower than those in the normal group. 'The acid exposure time (AET), the DeMeester scores (DMS) and 24-hour total reflux episodes was significantly higher in the obesity group than those in the normal and overweight groups. The upper esophageal sphincter (UES) residual pressure, and intrabolus pressure (IBP) in the overweight and obesity groups were significantly higher than those in the normal group. In addition, lower esophageal sphincter (LES) resting pressure, and esophagogastric junction contractile integral (EGJ-CI) in the obesity group were significantly higher than those in the normal group. We found that increase in body weight affected the integrity of esophageal mucosa, and different degrees of increase associated with different degrees and different aspects of changes in esophageal motility.

Erratum: Global Polarization of Ξ and Ω Hyperons in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV [Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 162301 (2021)]

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.162301.

Observation of a Resonant Structure near the D_{s}^{+}D_{s}^{-} Threshold in the B^{+}→D_{s}^{+}D_{s}^{-}K^{+} Decay

An amplitude analysis of the B^{+}→D_{s}^{+}D_{s}^{-}K^{+} decay is carried out to study for the first time its intermediate resonant contributions, using proton-proton collision data collected with the LHCb detector at center-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV. A near-threshold peaking structure, referred to as X(3960), is observed in the D_{s}^{+}D_{s}^{-} invariant-mass spectrum with significance greater than 12 standard deviations. The mass, width, and the quantum numbers of the structure are measured to be 3956±5±10  MeV, 43±13±8  MeV, and J^{PC}=0^{++}, respectively, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The properties of the new structure are consistent with recent theoretical predictions for a state composed of cc[over ¯]ss[over ¯] quarks. Evidence for an additional structure is found around 4140 MeV in the D_{s}^{+}D_{s}^{-} invariant mass, which might be caused either by a new resonance with the 0^{++} assignment or by a J/ψϕ↔D_{s}^{+}D_{s}^{-} coupled-channel effect.

Strong Constraints on Jet Quenching in Centrality-Dependent p+Pb Collisions at 5.02 TeV from ATLAS

Jet quenching is the process of color-charged partons losing energy via interactions with quark-gluon plasma droplets created in heavy-ion collisions. The collective expansion of such droplets is well described by viscous hydrodynamics. Similar evidence of collectivity is consistently observed in smaller collision systems, including pp and p+Pb collisions. In contrast, while jet quenching is observed in Pb+Pb collisions, no evidence has been found in these small systems to date, raising fundamental questions about the nature of the system created in these collisions. The ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider has measured the yield of charged hadrons correlated with reconstructed jets in 0.36  nb^{-1} of p+Pb and 3.6  pb^{-1} of pp collisions at 5.02 TeV. The yields of charged hadrons with p_{T}^{ch}>0.5  GeV near and opposite in azimuth to jets with p_{T}^{jet}>30 or 60 GeV, and the ratios of these yields between p+Pb and pp collisions, I_{pPb}, are reported. The collision centrality of p+Pb events is categorized by the energy deposited by forward neutrons from the struck nucleus. The I_{pPb} values are consistent with unity within a few percent for hadrons with p_{T}^{ch}>4  GeV at all centralities. These data provide new, strong constraints that preclude almost any parton energy loss in central p+Pb collisions.

Search for Heavy Neutral Leptons in Decays of W Bosons Using a Dilepton Displaced Vertex in sqrt[s]=13 TeV pp Collisions with the ATLAS Detector

A search for a long-lived, heavy neutral lepton (N) in 139  fb^{-1} of sqrt[s]=13  TeV pp collision data collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider is reported. The N is produced via W→Nμ or W→Ne and decays into two charged leptons and a neutrino, forming a displaced vertex. The N mass is used to discriminate between signal and background. No signal is observed, and limits are set on the squared mixing parameters of the N with the left-handed neutrino states for the N mass range 3  GeV Collapse

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Evidence for Modification of b Quark Hadronization in High-Multiplicity pp Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

The production rate of B_{s}^{0} mesons relative to B^{0} mesons is measured by the LHCb experiment in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy sqrt[s]=13  TeV over the forward rapidity interval 2 Collapse

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Search for Higgs Boson Decay to a Charm Quark-Antiquark Pair in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

A search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying to a charm quark-antiquark pair, H→cc[over ¯], produced in association with a leptonically decaying V (W or Z) boson is presented. The search is performed with proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV collected by the CMS experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138  fb^{-1}. Novel charm jet identification and analysis methods using machine learning techniques are employed. The analysis is validated by searching for Z→cc[over ¯] in VZ events, leading to its first observation at a hadron collider with a significance of 5.7 standard deviations. The observed (expected) upper limit on σ(VH)B(H→cc[over ¯]) is 0.94 (0.50_{-0.15}^{+0.22})pb at 95% confidence level (C.L.), corresponding to 14 (7.6_{-2.3}^{+3.4}) times the standard model prediction. For the Higgs-charm Yukawa coupling modifier, κ_{c}, the observed (expected) 95% C.L. interval is 1.1<|κ_{c}|<5.5 (|κ_{c}|<3.4), the most stringent constraint to date.

Test of CP Invariance in Higgs Boson Vector-Boson-Fusion Production Using the H→γγ Channel with the ATLAS Detector

A test of CP invariance in Higgs boson production via vector-boson fusion has been performed in the H→γγ channel using 139  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data at sqrt[s]=13  TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The optimal observable method is used to probe the CP structure of interactions between the Higgs boson and electroweak gauge bosons, as described by an effective field theory. No sign of CP violation is observed in the data. Constraints are set on the parameters describing the strength of the CP-odd component in the coupling between the Higgs boson and the electroweak gauge bosons in two effective field theory bases: d[over ˜] in the HISZ basis and c_{HW[over ˜]} in the Warsaw basis. The results presented are the most stringent constraints on CP violation in the coupling between Higgs and weak bosons. The 95% C.L. constraint on d[over ˜] is derived for the first time and the 95% C.L. constraint on c_{HW[over ˜]} has been improved by a factor of 5 compared to the previous measurement.

[Distribution characteristics of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in EBV-associated lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma and their clinical significance]

Objective: To investigate the association between the distribution of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in EBV associated lymphoepitheliomatoid carcinoma (LELC) and the pathological subtypes of LELC, as well as the clinical significance of TIL distribution. Methods: The LELC patients with sufficient tumor tissues, complete clinical data and positive EBER, who visited Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, China from January 2006 to October 2018, were selected. Various immunohistochemical markers (CD20, CD138, CD4, CD8, CD56 and FOXP3) were examined for TIL typing. Two pathologists reviewed the hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining sections and interpreted the immunohistochemical results. Correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between the distribution of TIL subgroups and LELC's pathological characteristics. Survival analyses were conducted to study the prognostic values of TIL subgrouping. Results: A total of 102 patients with EBV related LELC were included. 46 of them were classic LELC (c-LELC) with rich interstitial TIL, and 56 were non-classic LELC (n-LELC) with relatively fewer interstitial TIL. The results of TIL analysis showed that all subtypes of c-LELC were rich in TIL, with B lymphocytes as the dominant subgroup. The number of TIL in n-LELC was fewer than that in c-LELC, with T lymphocytes as the dominant subgroup. There was no significant difference in the distribution of plasma cells between the two groups. Survival analysis showed that the total number of TIL, and the infiltrations of CD20⁺B cells, CD4⁺T cells, and FOXP3⁺Treg cells were associated with better overall survivals (P=0.004, 0.003, 0.008 and 0.025, respectively) and disease-free survivals (P=0.011, 0.003, 0.038 and 0.041, respectively) in patients with LELC. Conclusions: The morphologic subtypes of EBV-related LELC have different tumor immune characteristics. The total number of TIL in the stroma of c-LELC is significantly higher than that of n-LELC. Interestingly, B lymphocytes are the dominant TIL in c-LELC, while T lymphocytes are the dominant TIL in n-LELC. The infiltration of TIL, CD20⁺B cells, CD4⁺T cells and FOXP3⁺Treg cells in LELC may suggest a better prognosis.

[Advances in the application of aberrant DNA methylation in the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer]

The early diagnosis of lung cancer has become the focus of clinical attention, with the incidence and mortality of lung cancer increasing. Aberrant DNA methylation occurs in the primary stage of lung cancer, then the methylation degree can be changed dynamically due to the progress and the treatment of lung cancer. To date, a growing number of studies have reported that special gene methylation exploits in the clinical diagnosis, curative effect monitoring, and prognosis evaluation of lung cancer. Meanwhile, clinical trials about DNA methyltransferase inhibitors for lung cancer therapy are also underway. It is worth looking forward that detecting aberrant DNA methylation helps diagnose and treat lung cancer.

Test of Lepton Universality in b→sℓ^{+}ℓ^{-} Decays

The first simultaneous test of muon-electron universality using B^{+}→K^{+}ℓ^{+}ℓ^{-} and B^{0}→K^{*0}ℓ^{+}ℓ^{-} decays is performed, in two ranges of the dilepton invariant-mass squared, q^{2}. The analysis uses beauty mesons produced in proton-proton collisions collected with the LHCb detector between 2011 and 2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9  fb^{-1}. Each of the four lepton universality measurements reported is either the first in the given q^{2} interval or supersedes previous LHCb measurements. The results are compatible with the predictions of the Standard Model.

Use of peripheral blood eosinophils to guide post-operative glucocorticoid therapy in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps: a randomised, controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the utility of the eosinophil percentage in peripheral blood for guiding post-operative glucocorticoid therapy in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

METHODS

Forty-four patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery and were randomly divided into two groups. Patients in the standard treatment group used oral and nasal spray glucocorticoids. In the biomarker treatment group, patients with peripheral blood eosinophil percentage values less than 3.05 per cent did not receive glucocorticoid treatment, whereas patients with values 3.05 per cent or above were part of the standard treatment group. Visual Analogue Scale, Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 scores, endoscopic Lund-Kennedy scores, eosinophils, interleukin-5 and eosinophil cationic protein in peripheral blood, and nasal secretions were measured.

RESULTS

After functional endoscopic sinus surgery, the Visual Analogue Scale, Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 and Lund-Kennedy scores were significantly reduced in both groups; there were no significant differences in those indicators between the groups during the three follow-up visits.

CONCLUSION

Peripheral blood eosinophil percentage offers a potential biomarker to guide post-operative glucocorticoid therapy in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

Behavioural and physiological responses of Small Tail Han sheep to predators

Prey animals modify their behaviour and physiology in the presence of predators. Domestic animals differ from wild animals in having less exposure to wild predators, but whether they still retain an antipredator instinct is frequently unknown. In this study, we used domesticated Small Tail Han sheep as a model prey animal to gauge their response to the presence of predators, in the form of odours from the faeces of lion, tiger, and leopard. The faeces of male sheep and male rabbit (as a heterogeneous non-predator) were used as control. We found that the frequency and time of feeding, exploration, moving, watching, and lying down behaviours were significantly affected by predator odour, and that there was an interaction between odour sources and sex. When exposed to predator odour, sheep reduced their frequency and time of feeding, and increased their exploratory, moving, and watching behaviours. Female sheep showed greater motivation towards frequent and lengthy exploration, moving, watching, and lying down behaviours than male sheep, and less motivation towards feeding and drinking behaviours. Serum cortisol levels were lowest in response to tiger stimuli. These results illustrated that Small Tail Han sheep could recognise predator odour and adjust their behaviour to display antipredator strategies, and displayed some physiological responses, although only changing in serum cortisol could be significantly attributed to the odour of predators.

Randomized phase II adjuvant trial to compare two treatment durations of icotinib (2 years versus 1 year) for stage II-IIIA EGFR-positive lung adenocarcinoma patients (ICOMPARE study)

BACKGROUND

Despite the prolonged median disease-free survival (DFS) by adjuvant targeted therapy in non-small-cell lung cancer patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations, the relationship between the treatment duration and the survival benefits in patients remains unknown.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this multicenter, randomized, open-label, phase II trial, eligible patients aged 18-75 years with EGFR-mutant, stage II-IIIA lung adenocarcinoma and who had not received adjuvant chemotherapy after complete tumor resection were enrolled from eight centers in China. Patients were randomly assigned (1 : 1) to receive either 1-year or 2-year icotinib (125 mg thrice daily). The primary endpoint was DFS assessed by investigator. The secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and safety. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01929200).

RESULTS

Between September 2013 and October 2018, 109 patients were enrolled (1-year group, n = 55; 2-year group, n = 54). Median DFS was 48.9 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 33.1-70.1 months] in the 2-year group and 32.9 months (95% CI 26.6-44.8 months) in the 1-year group [hazard ratio (HR) 0.51; 95% CI 0.28-0.94; P = 0.0290]. Median OS for patients was 75.8 months [95% CI 64.4 months-not evaluable (NE)] in the 2-year group and NE (95% CI 66.3 months-NE) in the 1-year group (HR 0.34; 95% CI 0.13-0.95; P = 0.0317). Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were observed in 41 of 55 (75%) patients in the 1-year group and in 36 of 54 (67%) patients in the 2-year group. Grade 3-4 TRAEs occurred in 4 of 55 (7%) patients in the 1-year group and in 3 of 54 (6%) patients in the 2-year group. No treatment-related deaths or interstitial lung disease was reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Two-year adjuvant icotinib was shown to significantly improve DFS and provide an OS benefit in EGFR-mutant, stage II-IIIA lung adenocarcinoma patients compared with 1-year treatment in this exploratory phase II study.

Search for Nonresonant Pair Production of Highly Energetic Higgs Bosons Decaying to Bottom Quarks

A search for nonresonant Higgs boson (H) pair production via gluon and vector boson (V) fusion is performed in the four-bottom-quark final state, using proton-proton collision data at 13 TeV corresponding to 138  fb^{-1} collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. The analysis targets Lorentz-boosted H pairs identified using a graph neural network. It constrains the strengths relative to the standard model of the H self-coupling and the quartic VVHH couplings, κ_{2V}, excluding κ_{2V}=0 for the first time, with a significance of 6.3 standard deviations when other H couplings are fixed to their standard model values.

First Observation of a Doubly Charged Tetraquark and Its Neutral Partner

A combined amplitude analysis is performed for the decays B^{0}→D[over ¯]^{0}D_{s}^{+}π^{-} and B^{+}→D^{-}D_{s}^{+}π^{+}, which are related by isospin symmetry. The analysis is based on data collected by the LHCb detector in proton-proton collisions at center-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV. The full data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 9  fb^{-1}. Two new resonant states with masses of 2.908±0.011±0.020  GeV and widths of 0.136±0.023±0.013  GeV are observed, which decay to D_{s}^{+}π^{+} and D_{s}^{+}π^{-} respectively. The former state indicates the first observation of a doubly charged open-charm tetraquark state with minimal quark content [cs[over ¯]ud[over ¯]], and the latter state is a neutral tetraquark composed of [cs[over ¯]u[over ¯]d] quarks. Both states are found to have spin-parity of 0^{+}, and their resonant parameters are consistent with each other, which suggests that they belong to an isospin triplet.

Search for Rare Decays of D^{0} Mesons into Two Muons

A search for the very rare D^{0}→μ^{+}μ^{-} decay is performed using data collected by the LHCb experiment in proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=7, 8, and 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9  fb^{-1}. The search is optimized for D^{0} mesons from D^{*+}→D^{0}π^{+} decays but is also sensitive to D^{0} mesons from other sources. No evidence for an excess of events over the expected background is observed. An upper limit on the branching fraction of this decay is set at B(D^{0}→μ^{+}μ^{-})<3.1×10^{-9} at a 90% C.L. This represents the world's most stringent limit, constraining models of physics beyond the standard model.

Search for Higgs Boson and Observation of Z Boson through Their Decay into a Charm Quark-Antiquark Pair in Boosted Topologies in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

A search for the standard model (SM) Higgs boson (H) produced with transverse momentum (p_{T}) greater than 450 GeV and decaying to a charm quark-antiquark (cc[over ¯]) pair is presented. The search is performed using proton-proton collision data collected at sqrt[s]=13  TeV by the CMS experiment at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138  fb^{-1}. Boosted H→cc[over ¯] decay products are reconstructed as a single large-radius jet and identified using a deep neural network charm tagging technique. The method is validated by measuring the Z→cc[over ¯] decay process, which is observed in association with jets at high p_{T} for the first time with a signal strength of 1.00_{-0.14}^{+0.17}(syst)±0.08(theo)±0.06(stat), defined as the ratio of the observed process rate to the SM expectation. The observed (expected) upper limit on σ(H)B(H→cc[over ¯]) is set at 47 (39) times the SM prediction at 95% confidence level.

Nuclear Modification Factor of Neutral Pions in the Forward and Backward Regions in p-Pb Collisions

The nuclear modification factor of neutral pions is measured in proton-lead collisions collected at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon of 8.16 TeV with the LHCb detector. The π^{0} production cross section is measured differentially in transverse momentum (p_{T}) for 1.5 Collapse

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Measurements of the Higgs boson production cross section and couplings in the W boson pair decay channel in proton-proton collisions at s=13TeV

Production cross sections of the standard model Higgs boson decaying to a pair of W bosons are measured in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13Te V . The analysis targets Higgs bosons produced via gluon fusion, vector boson fusion, and in association with a W or Z boson. Candidate events are required to have at least two charged leptons and moderate missing transverse momentum, targeting events with at least one leptonically decaying W boson originating from the Higgs boson. Results are presented in the form of inclusive and differential cross sections in the simplified template cross section framework, as well as couplings of the Higgs boson to vector bosons and fermions. The data set collected by the CMS detector during 2016-2018 is used, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138fb - 1 . The signal strength modifier μ , defined as the ratio of the observed production rate in a given decay channel to the standard model expectation, is measured to be μ = 0 . 95 - 0.09 + 0.10 . All results are found to be compatible with the standard model within the uncertainties.

Observation of a J/ψΛ Resonance Consistent with a Strange Pentaquark Candidate in B^{-}→J/ψΛp[over ¯] Decays

An amplitude analysis of B^{-}→J/ψΛp[over ¯] decays is performed using 4400 signal candidates selected on a data sample of pp collisions recorded at center-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV with the LHCb detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9  fb^{-1}. A narrow resonance in the J/ψΛ system, consistent with a pentaquark candidate with strangeness, is observed with high significance. The mass and the width of this new state are measured to be 4338.2±0.7±0.4  MeV and 7.0±1.2±1.3  MeV, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The spin is determined to be 1/2 and negative parity is preferred. Because of the small Q-value of the reaction, the most precise single measurement of the B^{-} mass to date, 5279.44±0.05±0.07  MeV, is obtained.

[LRG1 inhibits hepatic macrophage activation by enhancing TGF-β1 signaling to alleviate MAFLD in mice]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the effect of leucine-rich α-2-glycoprotein (LRG1) derived from hepatocytes on activation of hepatic M1 Kupffer cells.

METHODS

A metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) model was established in BALB/c mice by high-fat diet (HFD) feeding for 16 weeks. Oleic acid was used to induce steatosis in primary cultures of mouse hepatocytes. The mRNA and protein expressions of LRG1 in mouse liver tissues and hepatocytes were detected by real-time PCR and Western blotting. Primary hepatic macrophages were stimulated with the conditioned medium (CM) from steatotic hepatocyte along with LRG1 or transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), or both for 24 h, and the expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was detected with Western botting, and the mRNA expressions of iNOS, chemokine ligand 1 (CXCL-1) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) were measured by RT-PCR. The MAFLD mice were injected with LRG1 (n=6), TGF-β1 (n=6), or both (n=6) through the caudal vein, and the live tissues were collected for HE staining and immumohistochemical detection of F4/80 expression; the mRNA expressions of iNOS, CXCL-1 and IL-1β in liver tissues were detected using RT-PCR.

RESULTS

The mRNA and protein expression levels of LRG1 were significantly downregulated in the liver tissues of MAFLD mice and steatotic hepatocytes (P < 0.05). Treatment of the hepatic macrophages with CM from steatosis hepatocytes significantly enhanced the mRNA expression levels of iNOS, CXCL-1 and IL-1β, and these changes were significantly inhibited by the combined treatment with TGF-β1 and LRG1 (P < 0.05). In MAFLD mice, injections with either LRG1 or TGF-β1 alone reduced hepatic lipid deposition and intrahepatic macrophage infiltration, and these effects were significantly enhanced by their combined treatment, which also more strongly inhibited the mRNA expression levels of iNOS, CXCL-1 and IL-1β (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

LRG1 inhibits hepatic macrophage infiltration by enhancing TGF-β1 signaling to alleviate fatty liver inflammation in MAFLD mice.

[Protective effects of total saponins from Panax japonicus against high-fat diet-induced testicular Sertoli cell junction damage in mice]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the protective effects of total saponins from Panax japonicus (TSPJ) against high-fat dietinduced testicular Sertoli cell junction damage in mice.

METHODS

Forty male C57BL/6J mice were randomized into normal diet group, high-fat diet group, and low-dose (25 mg/kg) and high-dose (75 mg/kg) TSPJ treatment groups (n=10). The mice in the normal diet group were fed a normal diet, while the mice in the other groups were fed a high-fat diet. After TSPJ treatment via intragastric administration for 5 months, the testes and epididymis of the mice were collected for measurement of weight, testicular and epididymal indices and sperm parameters. HE staining was used for histological evaluation of the testicular tissues and measurement of seminiferous tubule diameter and seminiferous epithelium height. The expression levels of ZO-1, occludin, claudin11, N-cadherin, E-cadherin and β-catenin in Sertoli cells were detected with Western blot, and the localization and expression levels of ZO-1 and β-catenin in the testicular tissues were detected with immunofluorescence assay. The protein expressions of LC3B, p-AKT and p-mTOR in testicular Sertoli cells were detected using double immunofluorescence assay.

RESULTS

Treatment with TSPJ significantly improved high-fat diet-induced testicular dysfunction by reducing body weight (P < 0.001), increasing testicular and epididymal indices (P < 0.05), and improving sperm concentration and sperm viability (P < 0.05). TSPJ ameliorated testicular pathologies and increased seminiferous epithelium height of the mice with high-fat diet feeding (P < 0.05) without affecting the seminiferous tubule diameter. TSPJ significantly increased the expression levels of ZO-1, occludin, N-cadherin, E-cadherin and β-catenin (P < 0.05) but did not affect claudin11 expression in the testicular tissues. Immunofluorescence assay showed that TSPJ significantly increased ZO-1 and β-catenin expression in the testicular tissues (P < 0.001), downregulated LC3B expression and upregulated p-AKT and p-mTOR expressions in testicular Sertoli cells.

CONCLUSION

TSPJ alleviates high-fat diet-induced damages of testicular Sertoli cell junctions and spermatogenesis possibly by activating the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and inhibiting autophagy of testicular Sertoli cells.

Probing Heavy Majorana Neutrinos and the Weinberg Operator through Vector Boson Fusion Processes in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

The first search exploiting the vector boson fusion process to probe heavy Majorana neutrinos and the Weinberg operator at the LHC is presented. The search is performed in the same-sign dimuon final state using a proton-proton collision dataset recorded at sqrt[s]=13  TeV, collected with the CMS detector and corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 138  fb^{-1}. The results are found to agree with the predictions of the standard model. For heavy Majorana neutrinos, constraints on the squared mixing element between the muon and the heavy neutrino are derived in the heavy neutrino mass range 50 GeV-25 TeV; for masses above 650 GeV these are the most stringent constraints from searches at the LHC to date. A first test of the Weinberg operator at colliders provides an observed upper limit at 95% confidence level on the effective μμ Majorana neutrino mass of 10.8 GeV.

WI, Yang S, Ha S, Yoo HD, Choi M, Kim MR, Lee H, Lee Y, Lee Y, Yu I, Beyrouthy T, Maghrbi Y, Dreimanis K, Pikurs G, Seidel M, Veckalns V, Ambrozas M, De Oliveira ACA, Juodagalvis A, Rinkevicius A, Tamulaitis G, Norjoharuddeen NB, Hoh SY, Yusuff I, Zolkapli Z, Benitez JF, Hernandez AC, Acosta HAE, Maríñez LGG, Coello ML, Quijada JAM, Sehrawat A, Palomo LV, Ayala G, Castilla-Valdez H, La Cruz IHD, Lopez-Fernandez R, Herrera CAM, Navarro DAP, Hernández AS, Barrera CO, Valencia FV, Pedraza I, Ibarguen HAS, Estrada CU, Bubanja I, Mijuskovic J, Raicevic N, Ahmad A, Asghar MI, Awais A, Awan MIM, Gul M, Hoorani HR, Khan WA, Shoaib M, Waqas M, Avati V, Grzanka L, Malawski M, Bialkowska H, Bluj M, Boimska B, Górski M, Kazana M, Szleper M, Zalewski P, Bunkowski K, Doroba K, Kalinowski A, Konecki M, Krolikowski J, Araujo M, Bargassa P, Bastos D, Boletti A, Faccioli P, Gallinaro M, Hollar J, Leonardo N, Niknejad T, Pisano M, Seixas J, Varela J, Adzic P, Dordevic M, Milenovic P, Milosevic J, Aguilar-Benitez M, Maestre JA, Fernández AÁ, Luna MB, Bedoya CF, Montoya CAC, Cepeda M, Cerrada M, Colino N, De La Cruz B, Peris AD, Val DFD, Ramos JPF, Flix J, Fouz MC, Lopez OG, Lopez SG, Hernandez JM, Josa MI, Holgado JL, Moran D, Dengra CP, Yzquierdo APC, Pelayo JP, Redondo I, Ferrero DDR, Romero L, Navas SS, Sastre J, Gómez LU, Escobar JV, Willmott C, de Trocóniz JF, Gonzalez BA, Cuevas J, Menendez JF, Folgueras S, Caballero IG, Fernández JRG, Cortezon EP, Álvarez CR, Bouza VR, Rodríguez AS, Trapote A, Villalba CV, Cifuentes JAB, Cabrillo IJ, Calderon A, Campderros JD, Fernandez M, Madrazo CF, Alonso AG, Gomez G, García CL, Rivero CM, Arbol PMRD, Matorras F, Cuevas PM, Gomez JP, Prieels C, Ruiz-Jimeno A, Scodellaro L, Vila I, Garcia JMV, Jayananda MK, Kailasapathy B, Sonnadara DUJ, Wickramarathna DDC, Dharmaratna WGD, Liyanage K, Perera N, Wickramage N, Abbaneo D, Alimena J, Auffray E, Auzinger G, Baechler J, Baillon P, Barney D, Bendavid J, Bianco M, Bilin B, Bocci A, Brondolin E, Caillol C, Camporesi T, Cerminara G, Chernyavskaya N, Chhibra SS, Choudhury S, Cipriani M, Cristella L, d’Enterria D, Dabrowski A, David A, De Roeck A, Defranchis MM, Deile M, Dobson M, Dünser M, Dupont N, Fallavollita F, Florent A, Forthomme L, Franzoni G, Funk W, Ghosh S, Giani S, Gigi D, Gill K, Glege F, Gouskos L, Govorkova E, Haranko M, Hegeman J, Innocente V, James T, Janot P, Kaspar J, Kieseler J, Kratochwil N, Laurila S, Lecoq P, Leutgeb E, Lintuluoto A, Lourenço C, Maier B, Malgeri L, Mannelli M, Marini AC, Meijers F, Mersi S, Meschi E, Moortgat F, Mulders M, Orfanelli S, Orsini L, Pantaleo F, Perez E, Peruzzi M, Petrilli A, Petrucciani G, Pfeiffer A, Pierini M, Piparo D, Pitt M, Qu H, Quast T, Rabady D, Racz A, Gutiérrez GR, Rovere M, Sakulin H, Salfeld-Nebgen J, Scarfi S, Selvaggi M, Sharma A, Silva P, Sphicas P, Leiton AGS, Summers S, Tatar K, Tavolaro VR, Treille D, Tropea P, Tsirou A, Wanczyk J, Wozniak KA, Zeuner WD, Caminada L, Ebrahimi A, Erdmann W, Horisberger R, Ingram Q, Kaestli HC, Kotlinski D, Lange C, Missiroli M, Noehte L, Rohe T, Aarrestad TK, Androsov K, Backhaus M, Berger P, Calandri A, Datta K, De Cosa A, Dissertori G, Dittmar M, Donegà M, Eble F, Galli M, Gedia K, Glessgen F, Espinosa TAG, Grab C, Hits D, Lustermann W, Lyon AM, Manzoni RA, Marchese L, Perez CM, Mascellani A, Nessi-Tedaldi F, Niedziela J, Pauss F, Perovic V, Pigazzini S, Ratti MG, Reichmann M, Reissel C, Reitenspiess T, Ristic B, Riti F, Ruini D, Becerra DAS, Steggemann J, Valsecchi D, Wallny R, Amsler C, Bärtschi P, Botta C, Brzhechko D, Canelli MF, Cormier K, De Wit A, Burgo RD, Heikkilä JK, Huwiler M, Jin W, Jofrehei A, Kilminster B, Leontsinis S, Liechti SP, Macchiolo A, Meiring P, Mikuni VM, Molinatti U, Neutelings I, Reimers A, Robmann P, Cruz SS, Schweiger K, Senger M, Takahashi Y, Adloff C, Kuo CM, Lin W, Rout PK, Yu SS, Ceard L, Chao Y, Chen KF, Chen PS, Cheng H, Hou WS, Khurana R, Kole G, Li YY, Lu RS, Paganis E, Psallidas A, Steen A, Wu HY, Yazgan E, Yu PR, Asawatangtrakuldee C, Srimanobhas N, Agyel D, Boran F, Demiroglu ZS, Dolek F, Dumanoglu I, Eskut E, Guler Y, Guler EG, Isik C, Kara O, Topaksu AK, Kiminsu U, Onengut G, Ozdemir K, Polatoz A, Simsek AE, Tali B, Tok UG, Turkcapar S, Uslan E, Zorbakir IS, Karapinar G, Ocalan K, Yalvac M, Akgun B, Atakisi IO, Gülmez E, Kaya M, Kaya O, Tekten S, Cakir A, Cankocak K, Komurcu Y, Sen S, Aydilek O, Cerci S, Hacisahinoglu B, Hos I, Isildak B, Kaynak B, Ozkorucuklu S, Simsek C, Cerci DS, Grynyov B, Levchuk L, Anthony D, Bhal E, Brooke JJ, Bundock A, Clement E, Cussans D, Flacher H, Glowacki M, Goldstein J, Heath GP, Heath HF, Kreczko L, Krikler B, Paramesvaran S, Nasr-Storey SSE, Smith VJ, Stylianou N, Pass KW, White R, Ball AH, Bell KW, Belyaev A, Brew C, Brown RM, Cockerill DJA, Cooke C, Ellis KV, Harder K, Harper S, Holmberg ML, Linacre J, Manolopoulos K, Newbold DM, Olaiya E, Petyt D, Reis T, Salvi G, Schuh T, Shepherd-Themistocleous CH, Tomalin IR, Williams T, Bainbridge R, Bloch P, Bonomally S, Borg J, Breeze S, Brown CE, Buchmuller O, Cacchio V, Cepaitis V, Chahal GS, Colling D, Dancu JS, Dauncey P, Davies G, Davies J, Negra MD, Fayer S, Fedi G, Hall G, Hassanshahi MH, Howard A, Iles G, Langford J, Lyons L, Magnan AM, Malik S, Martelli A, Mieskolainen M, Monk DG, Nash J, Pesaresi M, Radburn-Smith BC, Raymond DM, Richards A, Rose A, Scott E, Seez CM, Shtipliyski A, Shukla R, Tapper A, Uchida K, Uttley GP, Vage LH, Virdee T, Vojinovic M, Wardle N, Webb SN, Winterbottom D, Coldham K, Cole JE, Khan A, Kyberd P, Reid ID, Abdullin S, Brinkerhoff A, Caraway B, Dittmann J, Hatakeyama K, Kanuganti AR, McMaster B, Saunders M, Sawant S, Sutantawibul C, Wilson J, Bartek R, Dominguez A, Uniyal R, Hernandez AMV, Cooper SI, Croce DD, Gleyzer SV, Henderson C, Perez CU, Rumerio P, West C, Akpinar A, Albert A, Arcaro D, Cosby C, Demiragli Z, Erice C, Fontanesi E, Gastler D, May S, Rohlf J, Salyer K, Sperka D, Spitzbart D, Suarez I, Tsatsos A, Yuan S, Benelli G, Burkle B, Coubez X, Cutts D, Hadley M, Heintz U, Hogan JM, Kwon T, Landsberg G, Lau KT, Li D, Luo J, Narain M, Pervan N, Sagir S, Simpson F, Usai E, Wong WY, Yan X, Yu D, Zhang W, Bonilla J, Brainerd C, Breedon R, De La Barca Sanchez MC, Chertok M, Conway J, Cox PT, Erbacher R, Haza G, Jensen F, Kukral O, Mocellin G, Mulhearn M, Pellett D, Regnery B, Yao Y, Zhang F, Bachtis M, Cousins R, Datta A, Hamilton D, Hauser J, Ignatenko M, Iqbal MA, Lam T, Manca E, Nash WA, Regnard S, Saltzberg D, Stone B, Valuev V, Clare R, Gary JW, Gordon M, Hanson G, Karapostoli G, Long OR, Manganelli N, Si W, Wimpenny S, Branson JG, Chang P, Cittolin S, Cooperstein S, Diaz D, Duarte J, Gerosa R, Giannini L, Guiang J, Kansal R, Krutelyov V, Lee R, Letts J, Masciovecchio M, Mokhtar F, Pieri M, Narayanan BVS, Sharma V, Tadel M, Vourliotis E, Würthwein F, Xiang Y, Yagil A, Amin N, Campagnari C, Citron M, Collura G, Dorsett A, Dutta V, Incandela J, Kilpatrick M, Kim J, Li AJ, Masterson P, Mei H, Oshiro M, Quinnan M, Richman J, Sarica U, Schmitz R, Setti F, Sheplock J, Siddireddy P, Stuart D, Wang S, Bornheim A, Cerri O, Dutta I, Latorre A, Lawhorn JM, Lu N, Mao J, Newman HB, Nguyen TQ, Spiropulu M, Vlimant JR, Wang C, Xie S, Zhu RY, Alison J, An S, Andrews MB, Bryant P, Ferguson T, Harilal A, Liu C, Mudholkar T, Murthy S, Paulini M, Roberts A, Sanchez A, Terrill W, Cumalat JP, Ford WT, Hassani A, Karathanasis G, MacDonald E, Marini F, Patel R, Perloff A, Savard C, Schonbeck N, Stenson K, Ulmer KA, Wagner SR, Zipper N, Alexander J, Bright-Thonney S, Chen X, Cranshaw DJ, Fan J, Fan X, Gadkari D, Hogan S, Monroy J, Patterson JR, Quach D, Reichert J, Reid M, Ryd A, Thom J, Wittich P, Zou R, Albrow M, Alyari M, Apollinari G, Apresyan A, Bauerdick LAT, Berry D, Berryhill J, Bhat PC, Burkett K, Butler JN, Canepa A, Cerati GB, Cheung HWK, Chlebana F, Petrillo KFD, Dickinson J, Elvira VD, Feng Y, Freeman J, Gandrakota A, Gecse Z, Gray L, Green D, Grünendahl S, Gutsche O, Harris RM, Heller R, Herwig TC, Hirschauer J, Horyn L, Jayatilaka B, Jindariani S, Johnson M, Joshi U, Klijnsma T, Klima B, Kwok KHM, Lammel S, Lincoln D, Lipton R, Liu T, Madrid C, Maeshima K, Mantilla C, Mason D, McBride P, Merkel P, Mrenna S, Nahn S, Ngadiuba J, Noonan D, Papadimitriou V, Pastika N, Pedro K, Pena C, Ravera F, Hall AR, Ristori L, Sexton-Kennedy E, Smith N, Soha A, Spiegel L, Strait J, Taylor L, Tkaczyk S, Tran NV, Uplegger L, Vaandering EW, Weber HA, Zoi I, Avery P, Bourilkov D, Cadamuro L, Cherepanov V, Field RD, Guerrero D, Kim M, Koenig E, Konigsberg J, Korytov A, Lo KH, Matchev K, Menendez N, Mitselmakher G, Madhu AM, Rawal N, Rosenzweig D, Rosenzweig S, Shi K, Wang J, Wu Z, Adams T, Askew A, Habibullah R, Hagopian V, Kolberg T, Martinez G, Prosper H, Schiber C, Viazlo O, Yohay R, Zhang J, Baarmand MM, Butalla S, Elkafrawy T, Hohlmann M, Verma RK, Rahmani M, Yumiceva F, Adams MR, Gonzalez HB, Cavanaugh R, Dittmer S, Evdokimov O, Gerber CE, Hofman DJ, Lemos DS, Merrit AH, Mills C, Oh G, Roy T, Rudrabhatla S, Tonjes MB, Varelas N, Wang X, Ye Z, Yoo J, Alhusseini M, Dilsiz K, Emediato L, Gandrajula RP, Karaman G, Köseyan OK, Merlo JP, Mestvirishvili A, Nachtman J, Neogi O, Ogul H, Onel Y, Penzo A, Snyder C, Tiras E, Amram O, Blumenfeld B, Corcodilos L, Davis J, Gritsan AV, Kyriacou S, Maksimovic P, Roskes J, Sekhar S, Swartz M, Vámi TÁ, Abreu A, Alcerro LFA, Anguiano J, Baringer P, Bean A, Flowers Z, Isidori T, King J, Krintiras G, Lazarovits M, Mahieu CL, Lindsey C, Marquez J, Minafra N, Murray M, Nickel M, Rogan C, Royon C, Salvatico R, Sanders S, Smith C, Wang Q, Williams J, Wilson G, Allmond B, Duric S, Ivanov A, Kaadze K, Kim D, Maravin Y, Mitchell T, Modak A, Nam K, Roy D, Rebassoo F, Wright D, Adams E, Baden A, Baron O, Belloni A, Bethani A, Eno SC, Hadley NJ, Jabeen S, Kellogg RG, Koeth T, Lai Y, Lascio S, Mignerey AC, Nabili S, Palmer C, Papageorgakis C, Wang L, Wong K, Abercrombie D, Busza W, Cali IA, Chen Y, D’Alfonso M, Eysermans J, Freer C, Gomez-Ceballos G, Goncharov M, Harris P, Hu M, Kovalskyi D, Krupa J, Lee YJ, Long K, Mironov C, Paus C, Rankin D, Roland C, Roland G, Shi Z, Stephans GSF, Wang J, Wang Z, Wyslouch B, Yang TJ, Chatterjee RM, Crossman B, Evans A, Hiltbrand J, Jain S, Joshi BM, Kapsiak C, Krohn M, Kubota Y, Mans J, Revering M, Rusack R, Saradhy R, Schroeder N, Strobbe N, Wadud MA, Cremaldi LM, Bloom K, Bryson M, Claes DR, Fangmeier C, Finco L, Golf F, Joo C, Kamalieddin R, Kravchenko I, Reed I, Siado JE, Snow GR, Tabb W, Wightman A, Yan F, Zecchinelli AG, Agarwal G, Bandyopadhyay H, Hay L, Iashvili I, Kharchilava A, McLean C, Morris M, Nguyen D, Pekkanen J, Rappoccio S, Williams A, Alverson G, Barberis E, Haddad Y, Han Y, Krishna A, Li J, Lidrych J, Madigan G, Marzocchi B, Morse DM, Nguyen V, Orimoto T, Parker A, Skinnari L, Tishelman-Charny A, Wamorkar T, Wang B, Wisecarver A, Wood D, Bhattacharya S, Bueghly J, Chen Z, Gilbert A, Hahn KA, Liu Y, Odell N, Schmitt MH, Velasco M, Band R, Bucci R, Cremonesi M, Das A, Goldouzian R, Hildreth M, Anampa KH, Jessop C, Lannon K, Lawrence J, Loukas N, Lutton L, Mariano J, Marinelli N, Mcalister I, McCauley T, Mcgrady C, Mohrman K, Moore C, Musienko Y, Ruchti R, Townsend A, Wayne M, Yockey H, Zarucki M, Zygala L, Bylsma B, Carrigan M, Durkin LS, Francis B, Hill C, Joyce M, Lesauvage A, Ornelas MN, Wei K, Winer BL, Yates BR, Addesa FM, Das P, Dezoort G, Elmer P, Frankenthal A, Greenberg B, Haubrich N, Higginbotham S, Kalogeropoulos A, Kopp G, Kwan S, Lange D, Marlow D, Mei K, Ojalvo I, Olsen J, Stickland D, Tully C, Malik S, Norberg S, Bakshi AS, Barnes VE, Chawla R, Das S, Gutay L, Jones M, Jung AW, Kondratyev D, Koshy AM, Liu M, Negro G, Neumeister N, Paspalaki G, Piperov S, Purohit A, Schulte JF, Stojanovic M, Thieman J, Wang F, Xiao R, Xie W, Dolen J, Parashar N, Acosta D, Baty A, Carnahan T, Decaro M, Dildick S, Ecklund KM, Manteca PJF, Freed S, Gardner P, Geurts FJM, Kumar A, Li W, Padley BP, Redjimi R, Rotter J, Shi W, Yang S, Yigitbasi E, Zhang L, Zhang Y, Bodek A, de 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Savrin V, Selivanova D, Shalaev V, Shmatov S, Shulha S, Skovpen Y, Slabospitskii S, Smirnov V, Sosnov D, Sulimov V, Tcherniaev E, Terkulov A, Teryaev O, Tlisova I, Toms M, Toropin A, Uvarov L, Uzunian A, Vlasov E, Volkov P, Vorobyev A, Voytishin N, Yuldashev BS, Zarubin A, Zhizhin I, Zhokin A. Measurement of the differential tt¯ production cross section as a function of the jet mass and extraction of the top quark mass in hadronic decays of boosted top quarks

A measurement of the jet mass distribution in hadronic decays of Lorentz-boosted top quarks is presented. The measurement is performed in the lepton + jets channel of top quark pair production (t t ¯ ) events, where the lepton is an electron or muon. The products of the hadronic top quark decay are reconstructed using a single large-radius jet with transverse momentum greater than 400Ge V . The data were collected with the CMS detector at the LHC in proton-proton collisions and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138fb - 1 . The differential t t ¯ production cross section as a function of the jet mass is unfolded to the particle level and is used to extract the top quark mass. The jet mass scale is calibrated using the hadronic W boson decay within the large-radius jet. The uncertainties in the modelling of the final state radiation are reduced by studying angular correlations in the jet substructure. These developments lead to a significant increase in precision, and a top quark mass of 173.06 ± 0.84 Ge V .

Differentially Expressed Circulating Long-Noncoding RNAS in Premature Infants with Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Purpose

Recent studies have addressed the association between lung development and long-noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). But few studies have investigated the role of lncRNAs in neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Thus, this study aimed to compare the expression profile of circulating lncRNAs between RDS infants and controls.

Methods

10 RDS infants and 5 controls were enrolled. RDS patients were further divided into mild and severe RDS subgroups. Blood samples were collected for the lncRNA expression profile. Subsequently, differentially expressed lncRNAs were screened out. Bioinformatics analysis was applied to establish a co-expression network of differential lncRNAs and mRNAs, and predict the underlying biological functions.

Results

A total of 135 differentially expressed lncRNAs were identified, including 108 upregulated and 27 downregulated lncRNAs (fold-change>2 and P<0.05) among the three groups (non-RDS, mild RDS and severe RDS groups). Of these lncRNAs, four were selected as showing higher fold changes and validated by qRT-PCR. ENST00000470527.1, ENST00000504497.1, ENST00000417781.5, and ENST00000440408.5 were increased not only in the plasma of total RDS patients but also in the severe RDS subgroup. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) analyses showed that differentially expressed lncRNAs may play important roles in RDS through regulating PI3KAkt, RAS, MAPK, and TGF-β signaling pathways.

Conclusion

The present results found that ENST00000470527.1, ENST00000504497.1, ENST00000417781.5, and ENST00000440408.5 may be invol ved in RDS. This could provide new insight into research of the potential pathophysiological mechanisms of preterm RDS.

[The preliminary efficacy of "quadri-combination" therapy on the treatment of bladder cancer]

To investigate the safety and efficacy of "quadri-combination" therapy including maximal transurethral resection of bladder tumor (mTURBT), combined with systemic chemotherapy and immunotherapy, concurrent radiotherapy, and immune maintenance therapy. The clinical data of 8 patients with bladder cancer who could not tolerate or refused radical cystectomy at the Department of Urology, Peking University Cancer Hospital from November 2019 to October 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 5 males and 3 females with a mean age of 69 years. The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group(ECOG) score was 0 in 6 cases and 1 in 2 cases. There were 5 cases of high-grade urothelial carcinoma (1 case of T3b; 2 cases were T2; 2 cases of T1 stage, with multiple tumors and repeated recurrence), 1 case of high-grade urothelial carcinoma with carcinoma in situ (T1/Tis stage), 1 case of high-grade urothelial carcinoma with squamous differentiation (T3b stage), and 1 case of high-grade urothelial carcinoma with glandular differentiation (T2). All patients underwent "quadri-combination" therapy.The patient's tolerance, success rate of bladder preservation and prognosis were evaluated.The median follow-up time was 22.5 (12-35) months. One patient with high-grade muscle-invasive bladder cancer (T2) received mTURBT, albumin-bound paclitaxel and durvalumab combined therapy for 3 cycles, concurrent radiotherapy, and immune maintenance therapy for 18 months, and the tumor recurrence was found. The pathology was high-grade urothelial carcinoma. Salvage radical cystectomy combined with pelvic lymph node dissection is recommended. The remaining 7 patients were regularly reexamined, and no recurrence or metastasis was found.The 2-year progression-free survival rate was 80%, and the success rate of bladder preservation was 87.5%(7/8). Treatment-related adverse reactions were resolved by symptomatic treatment, and patients' compliance and tolerance were acceptable.The "quadri-combination" bladder-preserving therapy is feasible and well tolerated, but further studies are needed.

First Study of Reaction Ξ^{0}n→Ξ^{-}p Using Ξ^{0}-Nucleus Scattering at an Electron-Positron Collider

Using (1.0087±0.0044)×10^{10}  J/ψ events collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII storage ring, the process Ξ^{0}n→Ξ^{-}p is studied, where the Ξ^{0} baryon is produced in the process J/ψ→Ξ^{0}Ξ[over ¯]^{0} and the neutron is a component of the ^{9}Be, ^{12}C, and ^{197}Au nuclei in the beam pipe. A clear signal is observed with a statistical significance of 7.1σ. The cross section of the reaction Ξ^{0}+^{9}Be→Ξ^{-}+p+^{8}Be is determined to be σ(Ξ^{0}+^{9}Be→Ξ^{-}+p+^{8}Be)=(22.1±5.3_{stat}±4.5_{sys})  mb at the Ξ^{0} momentum of 0.818  GeV/c, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. No significant H-dibaryon signal is observed in the Ξ^{-}p final state. This is the first study of hyperon-nucleon interactions in electron-positron collisions and opens up a new direction for such research.

Measurements of the Elliptic and Triangular Azimuthal Anisotropies in Central ^{3}He+Au, d+Au and p+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

The elliptic (v_{2}) and triangular (v_{3}) azimuthal anisotropy coefficients in central ^{3}He+Au, d+Au, and p+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV are measured as a function of transverse momentum (p_{T}) at midrapidity (|η|<0.9), via the azimuthal angular correlation between two particles both at |η|<0.9. While the v_{2}(p_{T}) values depend on the colliding systems, the v_{3}(p_{T}) values are system independent within the uncertainties, suggesting an influence on eccentricity from subnucleonic fluctuations in these small-sized systems. These results also provide stringent constraints for the hydrodynamic modeling of these systems.

Development of a Novel Method for the Clinical Visualization and Rapid Identification of Multidrug-Resistant Candida auris

Outbreaks of multidrug-resistant Candida auris infections, associated with a mortality rate of 30% to 60%, are of serious global concern. Candida auris demonstrates high transmission rates in hospital settings; however, its rapid and accurate identification using currently available clinical identification techniques is challenging. In this study, we developed a rapid and effective method for detecting C. auris based on recombinase-aided amplification combined with lateral flow strips (RAA-LFS). We also screened the appropriate reaction conditions. Furthermore, we investigated the specificity and sensitivity of the detection system and its ability to distinguish other fungal strains. Candida auris was accurately identified and differentiated from related species at 37°C within 15 min. The minimum detection limit was 1 CFU (or 10 fg/reaction) and was not affected by high concentrations of related species or host DNA. The simple and cost-efficient detection method established in this study exhibited high specificity and sensitivity and successfully detected C. auris in simulated clinical samples. Compared with other traditional detection methods, this method greatly reduces the time and cost of testing and is thus suitable for hospitals or clinics in remote underfunded areas for screening C. auris infection and colonization. IMPORTANCE Candida auris is a highly lethal, multidrug-resistant, invasive fungus. However, conventional methods of C. auris identification are time-consuming and laborious and have low sensitivity and high error rates. In this study, a new molecular diagnostic method based on recombinase-aided amplification combined with lateral flow strips (RAA-LFS) was developed, and accurate results could be obtained by catalyzing the reaction at body temperature for 15 min. This method can be used for rapid clinical detection of C. auris, consequently saving valuable treatment time for patients.

Mutational landscape of SWI/SNF complex genes reveal correlation to predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy sensitivity in lung adenocarcinoma patients

BACKGROUND

The search for prognostic biomarkers indicating sensitivity to immunotherapy in lung adenocarcinoma patients has zeroed in on genes in the switch/sucrose non-fermentable (SWI/SNF) pathway. The mutational profiles of key genes are not clearly defined, however, and no comparisons have been conducted on whether mutations in the genes involved provide the same predictive value.

METHODS

In this study, analysis of clinical factors, tumor mutation burden (TMB), chromosomal instability, and co-alterations was conducted for 4344 lung adenocarcinoma samples. Independent online cohorts (N = 1661 and 576) were used to supplement the analysis with survival and RNA-seq data.

RESULTS

Mutational burden and chromosomal instability analysis showed that ARID family mutations (including ARID1A, ARID1B, or ARID2 mutations) and SMARC family mutations (including SMARCA4 or SMARCB1 mutations) display different profiles from wild-type (WT) samples (TMB: ARID versus WT: P < 2.2 × 10^-16, SMARC versus WT: P < 2.2 × 10^-16; CIN: ARID versus WT: P = 1.8 × 10^-5, SMARC versus WT: P = 0.027). Both mutant groups have a higher proportion of transversions than transitions, whereas the ratio is more equal for wild-type samples. Survival analysis shows that patients with ARID mutations were more sensitive to immunotherapy treatment than wild-type and SMARC-mutated patients (P < 0.001 and P = 0.013, respectively), and multivariate Cox analysis reveals that the presence of ARID mutations is likely the main cause.

CONCLUSIONS

The research presented in this study shows that mutations in the ARID gene family, including ARID1A, ARID1B, and ARID2, are primarily responsible for the sensitive response to immunotherapy treatment in patients with lung adenocarcinoma.

[Comprehensive clinical evaluation of bedaquiline in the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis]

Objective: To assess the clinical value of bedaquiline in five dimensions: effectiveness, safety, economics, appropriateness, and social benefits, to provide a reference for medical and health insurance-related decisions. Methods: A total of 792 patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis who were hospitalized at Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital, Ganzhou Fifth People's Hospital and Jiangxi Chest Hospital between January 2018 and December 2020 were included in the study. Based on a retrospective survey of case data, and each evaluation dimension of bedaquiline was statistically analyzed by causal analysis or chi-square test, using linezolid as the reference drug. Results: In terms of effectiveness, bedaquiline significantly increased treatment success by 23.9% (95%CI:4.8%-43.0%) and shortened treatment duration by 64 days(95%CI:18-109 days). In terms of safety, the incidence of adverse reactions to bedaquiline and the discontinuation rate of adverse reactions (5.11%,4.55%) were significantly lower than those for linezolid (22.49%,15.24%), with statistically significant differences (χ²=27.50,P<0.001;χ²=14.09,P<0.001). In terms of economics, patients treated with bedaquiline had a significantly higher anti-TB drug course cost of RMB 48 209.4 Yuan(95%CI: 28 336.0-68 082.8 Yuan). In terms of appropriateness, the proportion of bedaquiline in patients' initial treatment regimens was lower than that of linezolid (16.7% vs. 86.5%) in the 2020 observation sample, with a statistically significant difference (χ²=238.96,P<0.001). In terms of social benefits, the infection control rate was significantly increased by 27.8% (95%CI:8.2%-47.5%) in patients using bedaquiline. Conclusions: Bedaquiline performed well in terms of efficacy, safety, and social benefits. However, it was less economical and the actual use rate of bedaquiline in clinical practice was lower than that of its counterpart drug, linezolid. Price reductions might be needed to increase the clinical use and performance of bedaquiline in the future.

Unilateral biportal endoscopic spine surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Lumbar spinal stenosis is the most common spinal degenerative disease in patients over 60 years, and the unilateral biportal endoscopic (UBE) spine surgery treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) has achieved preliminary clinical results. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to reveal the clinical efficacy of UBE for LSS and provide evidence for clinical practice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were searched for literature. The papers selected were those published from inception till October 2021. The selected pieces of literature were graded for evidence using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine: Levels of Evidence (March 2009). Outcomes measures were operation time, blood loss, complication rate, admission period, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)-back, VAS-leg, and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score, and radiological outcomes. The mean comparisons were based on VAS and ODI scores.

RESULTS

A total of 823 patients with a single LSS segment were included from the selected nine studies. There were nine studies comparing UBE clinical outcomes and micro-endoscopic unilateral laminotomy for bilateral decompression (M-ULBD). The meta-analysis revealed that the UBE group had better VAS-leg and -back scores in the first week postoperatively [total: mean difference (MD) = -0.96, 95% confidence interval (CI): -1.19, -0.74, p < 0.00001; total: MD = -1.69, 95% CI: -1.93, -1.45, p < 0.00001], 1st month postoperatively (total: MD = -0.35, 95% CI: -0.61, -0.08, p = 0.01; total: MD = -0.40, 95% CI: -0.68, -0.12, p = 0.005), 6th month postoperatively (total: MD = -0.22, 95% CI: -0.35, -0.08, p = 0.002; total: MD = -0.24, 95% CI: -0.40, -0.07, p = 0.005), and UBE group also performed better in ODI score at 1st month postoperatively (total: MD = -3.36, 95% CI: -4.26, -2.46, p < 0.00001). There was no significant difference in VAS-leg and -back scores between both groups at the 3rd and 12th month postoperatively, and ODI scores did not significantly differ between both groups at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively (all p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

UBE has achieved good preliminary clinical results and may be a minimally invasive alternative surgery for patients with single segmental LSS.

Regulation of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance via Ambra1-mediated autophagy in non-small cell lung cancer

To explore the molecular mechanisms related to epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKI) resistance, along with potential therapeutic targets and strategies. The autophagy and Beclin 1 regulator 1 (Ambra1) short hairpin ribonucleic acid (shRNA) lentivirus vector and Ambra1 overexpression plasmid, constructed with a plasmid cloning deoxyribonucleic acid (pcDNA) 3.1 vector, were used to down-regulate and up-regulate Ambra1 expression in the human lung adenocarcinoma erlotinib-resistant cell line (PC9/ER), respectively, as well as to screen stable transgenic cell lines. The IC50 of Erlotinib in these cell lines were measured to determine their resistance status. The real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to measure messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression of resistance-related genes like multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1), multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1), and lung drug-resistant-related protein (LRP). Western blot was performed to analyze the protein expressions of the autophagy-related genes Beclin 1, LC3II/I, and p62. Each stable transgenic line formed a tumor under the skin in nude mice; the mice with subcutaneous tumorigenesis of PC9/ER cells and shAmbra1-PC9/ER cells were subsequently treated with rapamycin (RAPA) and chloroquine (CQ), respectively. The mRNA expressions of MDR1, MRP1, and LRP in each tumor tissue sample were detected by qRT-PCR. The protein expressions of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), phosphorylated-AMPK (p-AMPK), forkhead box O3 (FoxO3a), and phosphorylated forkhead box O3 (p-FoxO3a) in the AMPK/FoxO3a signaling pathway were analyzed via Western blot. The qRT-PCR result revealed that the level of Ambra1 in EGFR-TKI-resistant cells had increased. This was further exacerbated by the overexpression of Ambra1 and was reduced after its inhibition. Additionally, Ambra1 upregulated the mRNA expression of drug-resistant genes and the expression of autophagy-related proteins. Subcutaneous tumorigenesis of RAPA-treated shAmbra1-PC9/ER cells resulted in increased expression of drug resistance-related genes and a concomitant decrease in p-AMPK and increase in p-FoxO3a. The results revealed that Beclin-1/β-actin, p62/β-actin, and LC3II/I in the model group were all significantly increased compared to the control group, with P<0.05. Compared to the model group, Beclin-1/β-actin, p62/β-actin, and LC3II/I were all significantly higher in the pcDNA-Ambra1 group, with P<0.05. Compared to the model group, Beclin-1/β-actin, p62/β-actin, and LC3II/I were all significantly decreased in the shAmbra1 group, with P<0.05. Thus, these data suggest that Ambra1 promotes cellular autophagy. In addition, subcutaneous tumorigenesis of CQ-treated shAmbra1-PC9/ER cells resulted in reduced expression of drug resistance-related genes, and a concomitant increase in p-AMPK and decrease in p-FoxO3a. The results of this study revealed that Ambra1-mediated autophagy regulated EGFR-TKI resistance in NSCLC, most probably through the AMPK/FoxO3a signaling pathway.

[Clinical analysis of fifteen transplant ureteral stricture cases]

This research aims to explore the clinical characteristics and treatment of transplant ureteral strictures. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data from fifteen patients diagnosed with transplant ureteral stricture. Of the fifteen patients, five underwent regular ureteral stent or nephrostomy tube exchanges, while ten underwent open surgery. There were no significant differences in basic clinical characteristics between the two groups. The median follow-up time for regular ureteral stent or nephrostomy tube exchanges and open surgery group was 36.8 (11.8-56.0) months and 25.0 (4.5-31.2) months, respectively. Among patients who underwent regular exchanges, one required regular dialysis. Nine patients in the open surgery group had successful removal of the ureteral stent. Our findings suggest that regular ureteral stent or nephrostomy tube exchanges, as well as open surgery, are effective treatment options for transplant ureteral strictures.

Precision Measurement of the Decay Σ^{+}→pγ in the Process J/ψ→Σ^{+}Σ[over ¯]^{-}

Using (10 087±44)×10^{6} J/ψ events collected with the BESIII detector, the radiative hyperon decay Σ^{+}→pγ is studied at an electron-positron collider experiment for the first time. The absolute branching fraction is measured to be (0.996±0.021_{stat}±0.018_{syst})×10^{-3}, which is lower than its world average value by 4.2 standard deviations. Its decay asymmetry parameter is determined to be -0.652±0.056_{stat}±0.020_{syst}. The branching fraction and decay asymmetry parameter are the most precise to date, and the accuracies are improved by 78% and 34%, respectively.

Observation of Directed Flow of Hypernuclei _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H in sqrt[s_{NN}]=3 GeV Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We report here the first observation of directed flow (v_{1}) of the hypernuclei _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H in mid-central Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=3  GeV at RHIC. These data are taken as part of the beam energy scan program carried out by the STAR experiment. From 165×10^{6} events in 5%-40% centrality, about 8400 _{Λ}^{3}H and 5200 _{Λ}^{4}H candidates are reconstructed through two- and three-body decay channels. We observe that these hypernuclei exhibit significant directed flow. Comparing to that of light nuclei, it is found that the midrapidity v_{1} slopes of _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H follow baryon number scaling, implying that the coalescence is the dominant mechanism for these hypernuclei production in the 3 GeV Au+Au collisions.

Properties of Cosmic-Ray Sulfur and Determination of the Composition of Primary Cosmic-Ray Carbon, Neon, Magnesium, and Sulfur: Ten-Year Results from the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer

We report the properties of primary cosmic-ray sulfur (S) in the rigidity range 2.15 GV to 3.0 TV based on 0.38×10^{6} sulfur nuclei collected by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer experiment (AMS). We observed that above 90 GV the rigidity dependence of the S flux is identical to the rigidity dependence of Ne-Mg-Si fluxes, which is different from the rigidity dependence of the He-C-O-Fe fluxes. We found that, similar to N, Na, and Al cosmic rays, over the entire rigidity range, the traditional primary cosmic rays S, Ne, Mg, and C all have sizeable secondary components, and the S, Ne, and Mg fluxes are well described by the weighted sum of the primary silicon flux and the secondary fluorine flux, and the C flux is well described by the weighted sum of the primary oxygen flux and the secondary boron flux. The primary and secondary contributions of the traditional primary cosmic-ray fluxes of C, Ne, Mg, and S (even Z elements) are distinctly different from the primary and secondary contributions of the N, Na, and Al (odd Z elements) fluxes. The abundance ratio at the source for S/Si is 0.167±0.006, for Ne/Si is 0.833±0.025, for Mg/Si is 0.994±0.029, and for C/O is 0.836±0.025. These values are determined independent of cosmic-ray propagation.

Expert consensus of management of adverse drug reactions with anaplastic lymphoma kinase tyrosine kinase inhibitors

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangements occur in ∼3%-6% of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Small molecular drugs that effectively inhibit ALK gene have revolutionized the therapeutic paradigm for patients with ALK rearrangements, resulting in significant improvements in objective response rate, progression-free survival, and overall survival compared with classical platinum-based chemotherapy. Several ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (ALK-TKIs), including crizotinib, alectinib, ceritinib, brigatinib, ensartinib, and lorlatinib, have been recommended as standard first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC patients with ALK rearrangements. Patients with ALK rearrangements typically exhibit long-term durable responses to ALK-TKIs; therefore, the management of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) with ALK-TKIs is crucial in clinical practice to maximize clinical benefits, prevent an adverse impact on quality of life, and improve patient compliance. In general, ALK-TKIs are well tolerated. There are, however, a number of serious toxicities that may necessitate dose modification or even discontinuation of treatment and the management of ADRs with ALK-TKIs has grown in importance. The therapeutic use of this class of medications still carries some risk because there are currently no pertinent guidelines or consensus recommendations for managing ADRs caused by ALK-TKIs in China. In order to improve the clinical management of ADRs with ALK-TKIs, the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Professional Committee led the discussion and summary of the incidence, diagnosis and grading standards, and prevention and treatment of ADRs caused by ALK-TKIs.

Beam Energy Dependence of Triton Production and Yield Ratio (N_{t}×N_{p}/N_{d}^{2}) in Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We report the triton (t) production in midrapidity (|y|<0.5) Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=7.7-200  GeV measured by the STAR experiment from the first phase of the beam energy scan at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The nuclear compound yield ratio (N_{t}×N_{p}/N_{d}^{2}), which is predicted to be sensitive to the fluctuation of local neutron density, is observed to decrease monotonically with increasing charged-particle multiplicity (dN_{ch}/dη) and follows a scaling behavior. The dN_{ch}/dη dependence of the yield ratio is compared to calculations from coalescence and thermal models. Enhancements in the yield ratios relative to the coalescence baseline are observed in the 0%-10% most central collisions at 19.6 and 27 GeV, with a significance of 2.3σ and 3.4σ, respectively, giving a combined significance of 4.1σ. The enhancements are not observed in peripheral collisions or model calculations without critical fluctuation, and decreases with a smaller p_{T} acceptance. The physics implications of these results on the QCD phase structure and the production mechanism of light nuclei in heavy-ion collisions are discussed.

[Preliminary study on the mechanism underlying the ecological isolation of Oncomelania hupensis populations in Changde City]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate ecological isolation between Oncomelania hupensis snail populations in hilly regions and marshland and lake regions in Yuanjiang valley, Changde City, Hunan Province, and to unravel its underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

Taoyuan County, Shimen County, Linli County and Lixian County in Changde City were selected as snail sampling sites in hilly regions, and Lixian County, Jinshi City, West Lake Administration District, Hanshou County and Dingcheng District were selected as snail sampling sites in marshland and lake areas. Cytochrome C oxidase 1 (cox 1) gene was amplified in snail samples and sequenced. The genetic sequences of O. hupensis snails were aligned using the software MEGA 11, and the haplotypes of O. hupensis snails were determined using the software DNASP 5.10.01. The phylogenetic tree was generated using Bayesian inference with the software MrBayes 3.2, and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) was performed to analyze the source of genetic divergence and estimate the genetic divergence index (F_ST) among snail populations with the software Arlequin 3.5.2.2. The genetic barrier among 11 O. hupensis snail populations was estimated using the Monmonier algorithm of adegenet toolkit in R package. The settings with "land in winter and water in summer" in the Yuanjian River section were divided into two categories according to the upstream and downstream, and the areas with "land in winter and water in summer" in the upstream and downstream were transformed into raster data, and then loaded into the software Fragstats 4 for analysis of landscape indicators. The trends in changes of digital elevation were extracted from the Yuanjiang River section based on the digital elevation model, and made three-dimensional visualization using the R package.

RESULTS

The mitochondrial cox 1 gene were amplified in 165 O. hupensis snais from 11 sampling sites and sequenced, and a total of 152 valid gene sequences were obtained, with 46 haplotypes or 9 populations determined. No haplotype was shared in snails between Taoyuan County and Dingcheng District and Hanshou County along the downstream of the Yuanjiang River. The total area of settings with "land in winter and water in summer" was 617.66 hm² in the upsteram of the Yuanjiang River, which consisted of 473 patches, with each patch measuring 1.31 hm², the largest area index of 0.735 2, the landscape division index of 0.999 9, and the landscape shape index of 45.293 7. The total area of settings with "land in winter and water in summer" was 9 956.92 hm² in the downstream of the Yuanjiang River, which consisted of 771 patches, with each patch measuring 12.91 hm², the largest area index of 97.839 9, the landscape division index of 0.042 7, and the landscape shape index of 7.249 6. The area of settings with "land in winter and water in summer" was much larger in the downstream than that in the upstream of the Yuanjiang River, and the stronger landscape connectivity and non-remarkable alteration of riverbed elevation provided suitable habitats for snail breeding.

CONCLUSIONS

The hydrological and environmental characteristics of the upstream of the Yuanjiang River restrain the breeding and spread of O. hupensis, resulting in ecological isolation between Oncomelania hupensis in Taoyuan County and those in the downstream of Yuanjiang River.

[Imaging evaluation of cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea associated with inner ear malformation in children]

Objective: To explore the imaging evaluation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) otorrhea associated with inner ear malformation (IEM) in children. Methods: The clinical data of 28 children with CSF otorrhea associated with IEM confirmed by surgical exploration in Beijing Children's Hospital, from Nov, 2016 to Jan, 2021, were analyzed retrospectively,including 16 boys and 12 girls, aged from 8-month to 15-year and 8-month old, with a median age of 4-year old. The shapes of stapes were observed during the exploration surgery, and the imaging features of temporal bone high resolution CT(HRCT) and inner ear MRI pre- and post-operation were analyzed. Results: In 28 children with CSF otorrhea, 89.3%(25/28) had stapes footplates defect during exploration. Preoperative CT showed indirect signs such as IEM, tympanic membrane bulging, soft tissue in the tympanum and mastoid cavity. IEM included four kinds: incomplete partition type I (IP-Ⅰ), common cavity (CC), incomplete partition type Ⅱ (IP-Ⅱ), and cochlear aplasia (CA); 100%(28/28) presented with vestibule dilation; 85.7%(24/28) with a defect in the lamina cribrosa of the internal auditory canal. The direct diagnostic sign of CSF otorrrhea could be seen in 73.9%(17/23) pre-operative MRI: two T2-weighted hyperintense signals between vestibule and middle ear cavity were connected by slightly lower or mixed intense T2-weighted signals, and obvious in the coronal-plane; 100%(23/23) hyperintense T2-weighted signals in the tympanum connected with those in the Eustachian tube.In post-operative CT, the soft tissues in the tympanum and mastoid cavity decreased or disappeared as early as one week. In post-operative MRI, the hyperintense T2-weighted signals of tympanum and mastoid decreased or disappeared in 3 days to 1 month,soft tissues tamponade with moderate intense T2-weighted signal were seen in the vestibule in 1-4 months. Conclusions: IP-Ⅰ, CC, IP-Ⅱ and CA with dilated vestibule can lead to CSF otorrhea. Combined with special medical history, T2-weighted signal of inner ear MRI can provide diagnostic basie for most children with IEM and CSF otorrhea.HRCT and MRI of inner ear can also be used to evaluate the effect of surgery.

ScRNA-Seq Reveals a Distinct Osteogenic Progenitor of Alveolar Bone

The metabolism and remodeling of alveolar bone are the most active among the whole skeletal system, which is related to the biological characteristics and heterogeneity of the bone mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). However, there is a lack of systematic description of the heterogeneity of MSC-derived osteoblastic lineage cells as well as their distinct osteogenic differentiation trajectory of alveolar bone. In this study, we constructed a single-cell atlas of the mouse alveolar bone cells through single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Remarkably, by comparing the cell compositions between the alveolar bone and long bone, we uncovered a previously undescribed cell population that exhibits a high expression of protocadherin Fat4 (Fat4⁺ cells) and is specifically enriched around alveolar bone marrow cavities. ScRNA-seq analysis indicated that Fat4⁺ cells may initiate a distinct osteogenic differentiation trajectory in the alveolar bone. By isolating and cultivating Fat4⁺ cells in vitro, we demonstrated that they possess colony-forming, osteogenic, and adipogenic capabilities. Moreover, FAT4 knockdown could significantly inhibit the osteogenic differentiation of alveolar bone MSCs. Furthermore, we revealed that the Fat4⁺ cells exhibit a core transcriptional signature consisting of several key transcription factors, such as SOX6, which are involved in osteogenesis, and further demonstrated that SOX6 is required for the efficient osteogenic differentiation of the Fat4⁺ cells. Collectively, our high-resolution single-cell atlas of the alveolar bone reveals a distinct osteogenic progenitor that may contribute to the unique physiological characteristics of alveolar bone.

[Completion rates of bundle treatment of among patients with sepsis shock in intensive care departments of hospitals in Jiangsu Province from 2016 to 2020 years]

Current clinical approaches for septic shock increasingly incorporate bundle treatment, a multi-component approach that uses a collection of tests and agents to assist in the identification and treatment of infection. The present study analyzed completion rates of 3 h and 6 h bundle treatment among patients with septic shock in intensive care units (ICUs) of hospitals in Jiangsu Province from 2016 to 2020, using data from the Jiangsu Provincial Intensive Care Medical Quality Control Center. Current approaches and factors affecting treatment completion were assessed.The completion rates of 3 h and 6 h bundle treatment in ICUs of all medical units in Jiangsu Province and in ICUs of hospitals of different levels were recorded. Analyses show that the completion rate of 3 h and 6 h bundle treatment for patients with septic shock in ICUs in Jiangsu Province increased year by year from 2016 to 2020.The completion rate of 3 h bundle treatment increased from 69.82% (3 604/5 162) to 82.47% (8 915/10 775) (all P<0.001). The completion rate of 6 h bundle treatment increased from 62.69% (3 236/5 162) to 72.54% (7 816/10 775) (all P<0.001). In addition, year by year, the completion rate of 3 h bundle treatment in ICUs in tertiary hospitals increased, from 69.80% (3 596/5 152) to 82.23% (7 375/8 969), while the completion rate of 6 h bundle treatment increased from 62.69% (3 230/5 152) to 72.18% (6 474/8 969) (all P<0.001). Completion rates in secondary hospitals also increased year by year, from 80.00% (8/10) to 85.27% (1 540/1 806) for 3 h treatment and from 60.00% (6/10) to 74.31% (1 342/1 806) (all P<0.001) for 6 h treatment. Completion rates for 3 h treatment in first-tier cities (83.99% (2 099/2 499)) and second-tier cities (84.68% (3 952/4 667)) was higher than in third-tier cities (79.36% (2 864/3 609)). The completion rate of 6 h bundle treatment gradually decreased in first-line (77.19% (1 929/2 499)), second-line (74.37% (3 471/4 667)), and third-line (66.94% (2 416/3 609)) cities (all P<0.001). The data collectively show that from 2016 to 2020, the completion rate of bundle treatment in septic shock patients in ICUs in Jiangsu Province improved significantly.