[Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Salmonella isolated from broiler whole production process in four provinces of China]

Objective: To determine the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Salmonella isolated from broiler production process in 4 provinces of China. Methods: Using convenience sampling method, 238 sample sites from broiler whole production process were chosen in Henan, Jiangsu, Heilongjiang and Shandong provinces in 2012. A total of 11 592 samples were collected and detected to analyze prevalence baseline, including 2 090 samples from breeding chicken farms and hatcheries, 1 421 samples from broiler farms, 5 610 samples from slaughterhouses and 2 471 samples from distribution and retail stores. All Salmonella strains were isolated through selective enrichment, and were serotyped according to Kauffmann-White scheme. The antimicrobial susceptibilities of selected Salmonella strains were determined by the broth microdilution method and fourteen antimicrobial agents were examined. Results: During incubation course, the average prevalence of Salmonella was 5.5% in feces of breeding hens, feces of chicks, and hatching eggs, 123 Salmonella strains were isolated. During cultivation course, the prevalence of Salmonella was 8.0% in feces from broiler farms, soil, feed, and workers, 114 Salmonella strains were isolated. During slaughter course, the prevalence of Salmonella was 24.9% in swabs pre-slaughter, dressed broiler carcasses, pre-cooled broiler carcasses, water from precooling pool, cutter and chipping boards, frozen chicken portions, and workers, 1 438 Salmonella strains were isolated. During distribution and sale course, the prevalence of Salmonella was 20.9% in transport carts, frozen chicken portions, retail chicken portions and workers, 551 Salmonella strains were isolated. The dominant Salmonella serotypes were Salmonella Enteritidis (n=1 229) and Salmonella Indiana (n=621). Among 1 231 examined strains, 97.2% Salmonella isolates were resistant to at least one antimicrobial, 69.9% Salmonella strains were multi-drug resistant isolates. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that Salmonella contamination was common and serious in commercial broiler whole production process in China, especially in the course of defeathering, precooling and selling. The environment of broiler farm is the important source of Salmonella contamination. Additionally, antibiotic resistance of Salmonella was serious for common antimicrobials and multi-drug resistant strains existed widespread, which can pose potential risk on public health and clinical therapy.

miR-98-TXLNG1 (FIAT)/Sp7 function loop mediates osteoblast mineralization

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) and its mechanism in osteoblast mineralization.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Northern Blot, and Western Blot were used to identify the expression mode of regulators. Overexpression and down-regulation experiments were carried out to study the role of miR-98 and interactions between regulators. Bioinformatics calculation and luciferase reporter assay were used to prove the target gene. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), chromatin immunoprecipitation (CHIP), and promoter luciferase reporter assay confirmed the relationship between the regulator and the promoter of miR-98.

RESULTS

MiR-98 was up-regulated during osteoblast mineralization. Overexpression of miR-98 promoted osteoblast mineralization. Factor inhibiting activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4)-mediated transcription (FIAT), a negative regulator of osteoblast differentiation, was confirmed to be a target of miR-98. As a motivator in osteoblast mineralization, Sp7 transcription factor 7 (Sp7) promoted miR-98 transcription by a combination on the promoter region.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study showed that miR-98 was an important regulator in osteoblast mineralization and miR-98 carried out its function through a novel miR-98-FIAT/Sp7 regulatory loop. It provides new insights into the roles of miRNAs in osteoblast mineralization.

Human tissue kallikrein 1 ameliorates erectile function via modulation of macroautophagy in aged transgenic rats

Previously, we have demonstrated that human tissue kallikrein 1 (hKLK1) improves age-related erectile dysfunction (ED). Autophagy has been implicated in age-related diseases, including ED. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying hKLK1-mediated amelioration of age-related ED via regulation of autophagy remains unknown. To explore the potential mechanism, male wild-type Sprague-Dawley rats (WTR) and transgenic rats harboring human KLK1 (TGR) were bred till 4 or 18 months of age and divided into three groups: young WTR (yWTR) as the control group, aged WTR (aWTR) group, and aged TGR (aTGR) group. The erectile function of each rat was evaluated using cavernous nerve electrostimulation. The ratio of intracavernous pressure/mean arterial pressure (ICP/MAP) and total ICP were also measured. Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and transmission electron microscopy were performed to detect the levels of autophagy. The expression levels of related signaling pathways were determined by western blotting and immunohistochemistry. We found that hKLK1 improved the impaired erectile function of aged rats. Compared to the yWTR and aTGR groups, the aWTR group showed reduced smooth muscle/collagen ratio, fewer autophagosomes, and lower expression of Beclin 1 and LC3-II, which indicate impaired smooth muscle function and low level of autophagy in the smooth muscle cells. Moreover, the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, which is considered to be a negative regulator of autophagy, was upregulated in the aWTR group. hKLK1 may partially restore erectile function in aged transgenic rats by upregulating protective autophagy via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. These observations indicate that hKLK1 is a potential gene therapy candidate for age-related ED.

[Prevalence of hyperuricemia in the elderly in 7 areas of China]

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of hyperuricemia (HUA) in the elderly in China. Methods: A randomized stratified cluster sampling survey was conducted. And 5 376 residents aged ≥60 year in 7 Beijing, Xi'an and Harbin in northern China and Chengdu, Chongqing, Changsha and Shanghai in southern China were surveyed. A unified questionnaire was used to collect their basic information, and blood samples were taken from them to detect the level of plasma uric acid (UA). The differences in hyperuricemia prevalence among different groups were compared with χ(2) test. Results: The mean concentration of plasma UA was 302.8 μmol/L in the elderly surveyed, 329.5 μmol/L in males and 282.7 μmol/L in females, 272.4 μmol/L in rural residents and 315.5 μmol/L in urban residents. Our study showed the prevalence of hyperuricemia was 13.1% in the elderly surveyed. The prevalence of hyperuricemia in women (14.1%) was higher than that in men (12.0%) (P<0.05); and the prevalence of hyperuricemia was higher in urban residents (15.8%) than in rural residents (6.9%) (P<0.01); in southern area (16.0%) than in northern area (11.6%) (P<0.01). Both the plasma UA level and the prevalence of hyperuricemia increased with age in those aged ≥60 years. The average prevalence of hyperuricemia were 9.5%, 11.9%, 14.5%, 16.4% and 21.9% and the plasma UA levels were 287.7, 295.9, 308.1, 311.6 and 323.3 μmol/L respectively in age group ≥60, 65, 70, 75 and 80 years (P<0.01). Conclusion: The result showed that mean concentration of plasma UA was 302.8 μmol/L and the overall prevalence of hyperuricemia was 13.1% in the elderly surveyed in China. The prevalence of hyperuricemia in females was higher than in males, in urban residents than in rural residents and in southern area than in northern area. Both the UA level and prevalence of hyperuricemia increased with age.

Measurement of the neutron lifetime using a magneto-gravitational trap and in situ detection

The precise value of the mean neutron lifetime, τ_n, plays an important role in nuclear and particle physics and cosmology. It is used to predict the ratio of protons to helium atoms in the primordial universe and to search for physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. We eliminated loss mechanisms present in previous trap experiments by levitating polarized ultracold neutrons above the surface of an asymmetric storage trap using a repulsive magnetic field gradient so that the stored neutrons do not interact with material trap walls. As a result of this approach and the use of an in situ neutron detector, the lifetime reported here [877.7 ± 0.7 (stat) +0.4/-0.2 (sys) seconds] does not require corrections larger than the quoted uncertainties.

Measurement of the neutron lifetime using a magneto-gravitational trap and in situ detection

The precise value of the mean neutron lifetime, τ_n, plays an important role in nuclear and particle physics and cosmology. It is used to predict the ratio of protons to helium atoms in the primordial universe and to search for physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. We eliminated loss mechanisms present in previous trap experiments by levitating polarized ultracold neutrons above the surface of an asymmetric storage trap using a repulsive magnetic field gradient so that the stored neutrons do not interact with material trap walls. As a result of this approach and the use of an in situ neutron detector, the lifetime reported here [877.7 ± 0.7 (stat) +0.4/-0.2 (sys) seconds] does not require corrections larger than the quoted uncertainties.

[A retrieval method of drug molecules based on graph collapsing]

OBJECTIVE

To establish a compact and efficient hypergraph representation and a graph-similarity-based retrieval method of molecules to achieve effective and efficient medicine information retrieval.

METHODS

Chemical structural formula (CSF) was a primary search target as a unique and precise identifier for each compound at the molecular level in the research field of medicine information retrieval. To retrieve medicine information effectively and efficiently, a complete workflow of the graph-based CSF retrieval system was introduced. This system accepted the photos taken from smartphones and the sketches drawn on tablet personal computers as CSF inputs, and formalized the CSFs with the corresponding graphs. Then this paper proposed a compact and efficient hypergraph representation for molecules on the basis of analyzing factors that directly affected the efficiency of graph matching. According to the characteristics of CSFs, a hierarchical collapsing method combining graph isomorphism and frequent subgraph mining was adopted. There was yet a fundamental challenge, subgraph overlapping during the collapsing procedure, which hindered the method from establishing the correct compact hypergraph of an original CSF graph. Therefore, a graph-isomorphism-based algorithm was proposed to select dominant acyclic subgraphs on the basis of overlapping analysis. Finally, the spatial similarity among graphical CSFs was evaluated by multi-dimensional measures of similarity.

RESULTS

To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, the proposed system was firstly compared with Wikipedia Chemical Structure Explorer (WCSE), the state-of-the-art system that allowed CSF similarity searching within Wikipedia molecules dataset, on retrieval accuracy. The system achieved higher values on mean average precision, discounted cumulative gain, rank-biased precision, and expected reciprocal rank than WCSE from the top-2 to the top-10 retrieved results. Specifically, the system achieved 10%, 1.41, 6.42%, and 1.32% higher than WCSE on these metrics for top-10 retrieval results, respectively. Moreover, several retrieval cases were presented to intuitively compare with WCSE. The results of the above comparative study demonstrated that the proposed method outperformed the existing method with regard to accuracy and effectiveness.

CONCLUSION

This paper proposes a graph-similarity-based retrieval approach for medicine information. To obtain satisfactory retrieval results, an isomorphism-based algorithm is proposed for dominant subgraph selection based on the subgraph overlapping analysis, as well as an effective and efficient hypergraph representation of molecules. Experiment results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Detection of hand-foot-mouth disease and its spatial-temporal Epidemiological characteristics with GIS platform

The aim of this study is to investigate the main category of hand-foot-mouth (HFM) virus and analyze the distribution characteristics and susceptible population of HFM disease in China. Infants who have had HFM disease for less than 7 days were selected from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi, China. Various specimens were collected from the infants, and EV71 and CA16 nucleic acid detections were performed using fluorescence quantitative assay. The positive results of the specimens were compared to determine the components of the pathogen. Moreover, the data of the target cases were analyzed based on Geographic Information System (GIS) to obtain the spatial-temporal epidemiological features of HFM disease in China. The detection rate of HFM virus in the throat swab, feces, bleb fluid and cerebrospinal fluid were 75%, 81.13%, 85.71% and 25%, respectively, indicating that the detection rate of virus in the bleb fluid was the highest. When the detection was based on more than one specimen, it was found that the positive rate was higher compared to detection based on a single specimen. The positive detection rate of EV71 in the target specimens was significantly higher than that of CA16 and mixed infection. Moreover, CA16 infection was usually accompanied by EV71 infection. As to spatial-temporal distribution, hand-foot-month disease broke out in the South of China in April, then spread to the north, and diminished in July. There was a notable difference in the number of cases between different provinces. EV71 and CA16 are the main viruses inducing HFM disease, especially EV71. Fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction with high sensitivity can be used to detect the copy number of viruses, which is applicable to the early diagnosis of HFM disease. The incidence of HFM disease is notably different according to the influence of time, geographical space, gender and the living conditions of the children. Early diagnosis and treatment based on scientific methods are needed to reduce the incidence of severe diseases and avoid death.

Beam-Energy Dependence of Directed Flow of Λ, Λ[over ¯], K^{±}, K_{s}^{0}, and ϕ in Au+Au Collisions

Rapidity-odd directed-flow measurements at midrapidity are presented for Λ, Λ[over ¯], K^{±}, K_{s}^{0}, and ϕ at sqrt[s_{NN}]=7.7, 11.5, 14.5, 19.6, 27, 39, 62.4, and 200 GeV in Au+Au collisions recorded by the Solenoidal Tracker detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. These measurements greatly expand the scope of data available to constrain models with differing prescriptions for the equation of state of quantum chromodynamics. Results show good sensitivity for testing a picture where flow is assumed to be imposed before hadron formation and the observed particles are assumed to form via coalescence of constituent quarks. The pattern of departure from a coalescence-inspired sum rule can be a valuable new tool for probing the collision dynamics.

Intravoxel Incoherent Motion MR Imaging in the Differentiation of Benign and Malignant Sinonasal Lesions: Comparison with Conventional Diffusion-Weighted MR Imaging

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Intravoxel incoherent motion is a promising method for the differentiation of sinonasal lesions. This study aimed to evaluate the value of intravoxel incoherent motion in the differentiation of benign and malignant sinonasal lesions and to compare the diagnostic performance of intravoxel incoherent motion with that of conventional DWI.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One hundred thirty-one patients with histologically proved solid sinonasal lesions (56 benign and 75 malignant) who underwent conventional DWI and intravoxel incoherent motion were recruited in this study. The diffusion coefficient (D), pseudodiffusion coefficient (D*), and perfusion fraction (f) values derived from intravoxel incoherent motion and ADC values derived from conventional DWI were measured and compared between the 2 groups using the Student t test. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, logistic regression analysis, and 10-fold cross-validation were performed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of single-parametric and multiparametric models.

RESULTS

The mean ADC and D values were significantly lower in malignant sinonasal lesions than in benign sinonasal lesions (both P < .001). The mean f value was higher in malignant lesions than in benign lesions (P = .003). Multiparametric models can significantly improve the cross-validated areas under the curve for the differentiation of sinonasal lesions compared with single-parametric models (all corrected P < .05 except the D value). The model of D+f provided a better diagnostic performance than the ADC value (corrected P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Intravoxel incoherent motion appears to be a more effective MR imaging technique than conventional DWI in the differentiation of benign and malignant sinonasal lesions.

Simple Physical Activity Index Predicts Prognosis in Older Adults: Beijing Longitudinal Study of Aging

OBJECTIVE

Frailty, which involves low physical activity (PA), is as a well-established factor of increased risk of hospitalization, disability, and mortality. To date, there are no specific tools to assess PA among Chinese elderly. As part of the Beijing Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA), we aimed to develop the BLSA Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire (BLSA-PAQ) and assess its prediction of mortality.

DESIGN

Longitudinal study.

SETTING

Community.

PARTICIPANTS

1810 Chinese older adults completed the BLSA-PAQ questionnaire.

MEASUREMENTS

BLSA-PAQ questionnaire containing four items: walking, outdoor chores, low-intensity exercise, and moderate-intensity exercise. Physical function was assessed through the balance test, chair-stand test, and the activities of daily living (ADL), and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Frailty was evaluated using a modified frailty phenotype and frailty index.

RESULTS

The following equation was obtained based on the 8-year mortality for the four BLSA-PAQ components: BLSA-PAQ index (BLSA-PAQ total score) = Walking score + Outdoor chores score + 2 × (low-intensity exercise score) + 3 × (moderate-intensity exercise score). The BLSA-PAQ index decreased with age, and was negatively related to modified frailty phenotype score and frailty index. Low PA and pre-low PA statuses were associated with poorer results in the balance and chair-stand tests, ADL dependency, IADL dependency, and frailty. After adjusting for age and gender, the 8-year mortality HRs were 1.453 (95% CI, 1.166-1.811) and 2.358 (95% CI, 1.856-2.995) for low PA and pre-low PA, respectively. Low PA defined by the BLSA-PAQ index was associated with frailty, disability, worse physical function, and higher mortality.

CONCLUSION

The BLSA-PAQ seems to be a reliable tool to measure PA in Chinese older adults. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and validate the use of the BLSA-PAQ for frailty assessments of older adults.

Social Frailty Is Associated with Physical Functioning, Cognition, and Depression, and Predicts Mortality

OBJECTIVES

Social frailty is related to adverse health-related outcomes. However, the measurement thereof is controversial and research into the relationship between social frailty and physical functioning remains limited. This study aimed to determine social frailty status via developing a simple self-reported screening tool, termed the HALFT scale, and to examine the association between social frailty and physical functioning, cognition, depression, and mortality among community-dwelling older adults.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING

Community.

PARTICIPANTS

1697 community-dwelling adults aged ≥60 years from Beijing Longitudinal Study of Aging were included.

MEASUREMENTS

The HALFT scale was developed based on 5 items: unhelpful to others, limited social participation, loneliness, financial difficulty, and not having anyone to talk to. Socioeconomic and demographic data were collected, and physical functioning, frailty index, cognition, and depression were assessed.

RESULTS

The prevalence of social frailty was 7.7% (weighted, 4.5%). Participants with physical frailty, low levels of physical activity, and poor physical functioning had a higher prevalence of social frailty. Social frailty was associated with dementia, subjective memory decline, depression, cognitive impairment, and having experienced a recent significant life event. After adjusting for age and sex, the 8-year mortality hazard ratios were 2.5-4.3 and 1.6-2.3, respectively, for those with social frailty or pre-social frailty. Each component of the HALFT scale predicted 8-year mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Social frailty is associated with physical functioning, cognition, and depression, and predicts mortality. The HALFT scale could be a useful screening tool for determining social frailty in older adults. Interventions aimed at preventing or delaying social frailty are warranted.

Reliability of Wearable Two Channel CW-NIRS in Measurements of Brain Function

Multi-channel NIRS, so-called optical topography (OT), allows functional mapping of the cortex; however, it takes a long time to set optodes on the head and is relatively expensive. Thus, OT is not suitable as a screening test of brain disorders evaluating many subjects. Recently, a wearable two-channel continuous wave NIRS (CW-NIRS) device has been developed. Such a simple NIRS device may be applicable as a screening test of brain disorders; however, its reliability in measurements of brain function is not yet clear. Here, we tested a two-channel CW-NIRS, which employs single LED (800 nm) for measurement of total hemoglobin (t-Hb) changes. We measured t-Hb changes in the bilateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) during mental arithmetic tasks, employing the CW-NIRS and time-resolve NIRS (TNIRS). The left-right asymmetry of the PFC activity was evaluated by calculating the laterality index (LI; (R-L)/(R + L) of t-Hb), which reflects mental stress. The interval between CW-NIRS and TNIRS measurements was 1-13 days. A significant positive correlation was observed between LI measured by CW-NIRS and TNIRS. These results suggest the reliability of the simple CW-NIRS, and it may be applicable to prevent stress-induced various diseases. Finally, it should be emphasized that the left-right asymmetry of PFC activity is relatively stable.

Dijet imbalance measurements in Au+Au and pp collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV at STAR

We report the first dijet transverse momentum asymmetry measurements from Au+Au and pp collisions at RHIC. The two highest-energy back-to-back jets reconstructed from fragments with transverse momenta above 2  GeV/c display a significantly higher momentum imbalance in heavy-ion collisions than in the pp reference. When reexamined with correlated soft particles included, we observe that these dijets then exhibit a unique new feature-momentum balance is restored to that observed in pp for a jet resolution parameter of R=0.4, while rebalancing is not attained with a smaller value of R=0.2.

Toll-like receptor 2 costimulation potentiates the antitumor efficacy of CAR T Cells

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell immunotherapies have shown unprecedented success in treating leukemia but limited clinical efficacy in solid tumors. Here, we generated 1928zT2 and m28zT2, targeting CD19 and mesothelin, respectively, by introducing the Toll/interleukin-1 receptor domain of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) to 1928z and m28z. T cells expressing 1928zT2 or m28zT2 showed improved expansion, persistency and effector function against CD19⁺ leukemia or mesothelin⁺ solid tumors respectively in vitro and in vivo. In a patient with relapsed B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a single dose of 5 × 10⁴/kg 1928zT2 T cells resulted in robust expansion and leukemia eradication and led to complete remission. Hence, our results demonstrate that TLR2 signaling can contribute to the efficacy of CAR T cells. Further clinical trials are warranted to establish the safety and efficacy of this approach.

Expression of leptin receptor in the oviduct of Chinese brown frog (Rana dybowskii)

The oviduct of Chinese brown frog ( Rana dybowskii) expands specifically during prehibernation instead of in the breeding period. In this study, we investigated the expression of leptin receptor (Ob-Rb) in Rana dybowskii oviduct during the breeding period and prehibernation. Histologically, the oviduct of Rana dybowskii consists of glandular cells, tubule lumen, and epithelial cells. The oviductal weight and pipe diameter also revealed significant differences, which were higher in prehibernation than that of the breeding period. Ob-Rb was observed in stromal cells of oviductal tissue in both the breeding period and prehibernation. The mean protein and mRNA levels of the Ob-Rb were significantly higher in prehibernation as compared with the breeding period. In addition, oviductal content of leptin was also higher in prehibernation than that of the breeding period. These results suggested that oviduct of Rana dybowskii might be a target organ of leptin, and leptin may play an autocrine/paracrine role mediated by Ob-Rb in regulating the oviductal hypertrophy during prehibernation.

Measurement of D^{0} Azimuthal Anisotropy at Midrapidity in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

We report the first measurement of the elliptic anisotropy (v_{2}) of the charm meson D^{0} at midrapidity (|y|<1) in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. The measurement was conducted by the STAR experiment at RHIC utilizing a new high-resolution silicon tracker. The measured D^{0} v_{2} in 0%-80% centrality Au+Au collisions can be described by a viscous hydrodynamic calculation for a transverse momentum (p_{T}) of less than 4  GeV/c. The D^{0} v_{2} as a function of transverse kinetic energy (m_{T}-m_{0}, where m_{T}=sqrt[p_{T}^{2}+m_{0}^{2}]) is consistent with that of light mesons in 10%-40% centrality Au+Au collisions. These results suggest that charm quarks have achieved local thermal equilibrium with the medium created in such collisions. Several theoretical models, with the temperature-dependent, dimensionless charm spatial diffusion coefficient (2πTD_{s}) in the range of ∼2-12, are able to simultaneously reproduce our D^{0} v_{2} result and our previously published results for the D^{0} nuclear modification factor.

A new method for measuring the neutron lifetime using an in situ neutron detector

In this paper, we describe a new method for measuring surviving neutrons in neutron lifetime measurements using bottled ultracold neutrons (UCN), which provides better characterization of systematic uncertainties and enables higher precision than previous measurement techniques. An active detector that can be lowered into the trap has been used to measure the neutron distribution as a function of height and measure the influence of marginally trapped UCN on the neutron lifetime measurement. In addition, measurements have demonstrated phase-space evolution and its effect on the lifetime measurement.

Analysis of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and its pathogenic gene sequence based on geographic information system

This study analyzed the temporal-spatial distribution characteristics, epidemiological characteristics and gene sequences of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Guangxi, with the intention of providing a theoretical and technical support for the prevention of HFRS. A map of the incidence of HFRS of different cities in Guangxi was drawn up using the Geographic Information System (GIS) to investigate the epidemiological characteristics and infection source of HFRS between 2013 and 2016. Guangxi has a low incidence of HFRS, and autumn and winter are the main high-incidence seasons. Cases of HFRS were reported in all regions in Guangxi except Laibin city between 2013 and 2016. The distribution of cases in the four years suggested that Guilin, Nanning, Hechi and Wuzhou were the main infected regions, especially the local areas in the north of Guilin. The nucleotide and amino acid of S fragment and M fragment of Hantaviruses (HV) detected were highly homologous, and no obvious variation was found. Through analyzing the space-time characteristics, epidemiological characteristics and gene sequence of HFRS in Guangxi, it was found that areas rich in water, grass and moisture, such as paddy fields, are the main active areas for the host of HFRS.

Influence of cognitive function on cerebrovascular disease among the elderly

OBJECTIVES

To determine the interrelationships between baseline Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score and overall long-term risk of cerebrovascular disease (CBVD).

MATERIALS & METHODS

This was a prospective cohort study of subjects aged 55 years or more who were enrolled in the Beijing Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) and had a baseline MMSE score available. Baseline MMSE score was divided into four categories: ≥28, 26-27, 23-25, and ≤22. Participants were followed for 23 years. Cox regression models were used to examine the association between MMSE score and CBVD.

RESULTS

A total of 2101 participants were included in this analysis, 335 (15.9%) with an MMSE score ≥28, 365 (17.4%) with a score of 26-27, 579 (27.6%) with a score of 23-25, and 822 (7.4%) with a score ≤22. There were 576 cases of CBVD. The overall risk of CBVD increased with decreasing MMSE score. The impact of MMSE score on the risk of CBVD was much stronger in women than in men. The hazard ratio for CBVD risk was 1.76 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.29-2.39, P < 0.05) for subjects with an MMSE score ≤22, and 1.21 (95% CI, 0.91-1.61, P < 0.05) for those with an MMSE score of 23-25. Higher MMSE scores were less strongly associated with the risk of CBVD.

CONCLUSIONS

Elderly people with lower MMSE scores, especially women, are at higher long-term risk of CBVD.

Charge-Dependent Directed Flow in Cu+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

We present the first measurement of charge-dependent directed flow in Cu+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. The results are presented as a function of the particle transverse momentum and pseudorapidity for different centralities. A finite difference between the directed flow of positive and negative charged particles is observed that qualitatively agrees with the expectations from the effects of the initial strong electric field between two colliding ions with different nuclear charges. The measured difference in directed flow is much smaller than that obtained from the parton-hadron-string-dynamics model, which suggests that most of the electric charges, i.e., quarks and antiquarks, have not yet been created during the lifetime of the strong electric field, which is of the order of, or less than, 1  fm/c.

A cobalt tungstate compound sensing electrode for hydrogen detection based upon mixed-potential type sensors

An yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia (YSZ) based mixed-potential sensor coupled with CoWO₄ as the sensing electrode was developed for hydrogen detection at elevated temperatures.

Exploratory catalyst screening studies on the liquefaction of model humins from C6 sugars

A catalyst screening study is reported on the liquefaction of humins, the solid byproducts from C6 sugar biorefineries for levulinic acid and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural production.

Frailty in Relation to the Risk of Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia, and Death in Older Chinese Adults: A Seven-Year Prospective Study

OBJECTIVES

To explore the relationship of general health decline assessed by frailty and risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD).

DESIGN

A seven-year prospective cohort study.

SETTING

Secondary analysis of data from the Beijing Longitudinal Study on Aging.

PARTICIPANTS

Urban and rural community-dwelling people aged 60 and older at baseline.

MEASUREMENTS

Frailty was quantified using the deficit accumulation-based frailty index (FI), constructed from 40 health deficits at baseline. Dementia was diagnosed by DSM-IIIR. AD and vascular dementia (VaD) were diagnosed by NINCDS-ADRDA and NINDS-AIREN. The relationships between frailty and the risk of dementia, AD and death were evaluated through multivariable models.

RESULTS

Of 2788 participants at baseline (1997), 171 (11.1%) reported a history of dementia. In seven years, 351 people developed dementia (13%: 223 AD and 128 other types of dementia) and 813 died (29%). After adjustment for age, sex, education, and baseline cognition, baseline frailty status significantly associated with Alzheimer's disease and dementia and death. For each deficit accumulated, the odds ratio of death increased by 5.7%, and the odds ratio of dementia increased by 2.9% (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Frailty was associated with Alzheimer's disease and dementia over a seven years period. Frailty index might facilitate the identification of older adults at high risk of dementia for the application of the most effective, targeted prevention strategies.

In vivo effects of high dietary copper levels on hepatocellular mitochondrial respiration and electron transport chain enzymes in broilers

The diet of broiler chickens supplemented with increasing concentrations of copper (Cu) was assessed for the effect of Cu on liver mitochondrial function. A total of 160, 1-d-old Cobb 500 broilers (Gallus domesticus) were randomly assigned in equal numbers into 4 groups, which differed in the concentration of copper supplements in the diet; 11 (control), 110, 220 and 330 mg of Cu/kg dry matter. Liver mitochondrial function was recorded at 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 d of age. Supplementation with 110 mg Cu/kg dry matter enhanced mitochondrial function and activities of complexes I-V, and this was significant at 36 d of age compared with the other diets (P < 0.05). Supplementation with 220 mg Cu/kg dry matter and 330 mg Cu/kg dry matter enhanced mitochondrial function and activities of complexes I-V at 12, 24 and 36 d of age, but displayed reduced function (P < 0.05) at 48 and 60 d of age except in complex IV (P > 0.05). Mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production was also increased (P < 0.05) with an increase of copper supplementation in the diet. The results indicate that appropriate dietary copper supplements are sufficient for improving mitochondrial function and activities of the respiratory complexes. Higher concentrations of copper, on the other hand, lead to copper toxicity by affecting certain respiratory complexes.

Effects of ganglioside GM1 and neural growth factor on neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation

Neurogenesis, recovery from nerve injury, neurodegeneration, and Parkinson's disease affect people's health, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we investigated the effect of ganglioside GM1 and neural growth factor (NGF) on neural stem cell (NSC) proliferation and differentiation in vitro to provide a scientific basis for comprehensive treatment of nervous system diseases via NSC application. As widely applied methods of relatively high accuracy, cell counts and 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays were used to assess NSC proliferation. In addition, western blotting was employed to determine NSC differentiation. Cell counts and MTT assays demonstrated that in epidermal growth factor (EGF)- and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-containing medium, a high concentration of GM1, but not NGF, significantly elevated NSC proliferation. In NSC cultures lacking EGF and bFGF, cell counts and MTT values were significantly increased compared to those in the negative control group on days 4, 7, and 10 after GM1 (25, 100, and 200 ng/mL) but not NGF (25, 50, 100, and 200 ng/mL) treatment. Western blotting revealed significantly increased expression of nestin (an NSC marker) in NSCs treated with GM1, and upregulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein (a glial cell marker) and neuron-specific enolase (a neuron marker) in those administered NGF. Our results suggest that GM1 and NGF induce NSC proliferation and differentiation, respectively, in a dose-dependent manner.

[Epidemiological studies of disability in the elderly]

China has entered an aging society, the disabled elder population has been≥ 10 000 000. The overall health status of the elderly is not optimistic, they have higher morbidity and disability rates. Several studies have showed that elderly disability rate varied with age, gender and living area. And it might be affected by the health factors, sociological factors, and other life behavior factors. It is very important to conduct further study of the epidemiology of disability in the elderly for the development of long-term health care policy in this population.

Ribociclib plus letrozole in early breast cancer: A presurgical, window-of-opportunity study

OBJECTIVES

Cyclin D-cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6-inhibitor of CDK4/6-retinoblastoma (Rb) pathway hyperactivation is associated with hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer (BC). This study assessed the biological activity of ribociclib (LEE011; CDK4/6 inhibitor) plus letrozole compared with single-agent letrozole in the presurgical setting.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Postmenopausal women (N = 14) with resectable, HR+, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) early BC were randomized 1:1:1 to receive 2.5 mg/day letrozole alone (Arm 1), or with 400 or 600 mg/day ribociclib (Arm 2 or 3). Circulating tumor DNA and tumor biopsies were collected at baseline and, following 14 days of treatment, prior to or during surgery. The primary objective was to assess antiproliferative response per Ki67 levels in Arms 2 and 3 compared with Arm 1. Additional assessments included safety, pharmacokinetics, and genetic profiling.

RESULTS

Mean decreases in the Ki67-positive cell fraction from baseline were: Arm 1 69% (range 38-100%; n = 2), Arm 2 96% (range 78-100%; n = 6), Arm 3 92% (range 75-100%; n = 3). Decreased phosphorylated Rb levels and CDK4, CDK6, CCND2, CCND3, and CCNE1 gene expression were observed following ribociclib treatment. Ribociclib and letrozole pharmacokinetic parameters were consistent with single-agent data. The ribociclib plus letrozole combination was well tolerated, with no Grade 3/4 adverse events over the treatment.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest absence of a drug-drug interaction between ribociclib and letrozole and indicate ribociclib plus letrozole may reduce Ki67 expression in HR+, HER2- BC (NCT01919229).

Measurement of the Transverse Single-Spin Asymmetry in p^{↑}+p→W^{±}/Z^{0} at RHIC

We present the measurement of the transverse single-spin asymmetry of weak boson production in transversely polarized proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=500  GeV by the STAR experiment at RHIC. The measured observable is sensitive to the Sivers function, one of the transverse-momentum-dependent parton distribution functions, which is predicted to have the opposite sign in proton-proton collisions from that observed in deep inelastic lepton-proton scattering. These data provide the first experimental investigation of the nonuniversality of the Sivers function, fundamental to our understanding of QCD.

An apparatus for studying electrical breakdown in liquid helium at 0.4 K and testing electrode materials for the neutron electric dipole moment experiment at the Spallation Neutron Source

We have constructed an apparatus to study DC electrical breakdown in liquid helium at temperatures as low as 0.4 K and at pressures between the saturated vapor pressure and ∼600 Torr. The apparatus can house a set of electrodes that are 12 cm in diameter with a gap of 1-2 cm between them, and a potential up to ±50 kV can be applied to each electrode. Initial results demonstrated that it is possible to apply fields exceeding 100 kV/cm in a 1 cm gap between two electropolished stainless steel electrodes 12 cm in diameter for a wide range of pressures at 0.4 K. We also measured the current between two electrodes. Our initial results, I < 1 pA at 45 kV, correspond to a lower bound on the effective volume resistivity of liquid helium of ρV > 5 × 10(18) Ω cm. This lower bound is 5 times larger than the bound previously measured. We report the design, construction, and operational experience of the apparatus, as well as initial results.

Beam Energy Dependence of the Third Harmonic of Azimuthal Correlations in Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We present results from a harmonic decomposition of two-particle azimuthal correlations measured with the STAR detector in Au+Au collisions for energies ranging from sqrt[s_{NN}]=7.7 to 200 GeV. The third harmonic v_{3}^{2}{2}=⟨cos3(ϕ_{1}-ϕ_{2})⟩, where ϕ_{1}-ϕ_{2} is the angular difference in azimuth, is studied as a function of the pseudorapidity difference between particle pairs Δη=η_{1}-η_{2}. Nonzero v_{3}^{2}{2} is directly related to the previously observed large-Δη narrow-Δϕ ridge correlations and has been shown in models to be sensitive to the existence of a low viscosity quark gluon plasma phase. For sufficiently central collisions, v_{3}^{2}{2} persist down to an energy of 7.7 GeV, suggesting that quark gluon plasma may be created even in these low energy collisions. In peripheral collisions at these low energies, however, v_{3}^{2}{2} is consistent with zero. When scaled by the pseudorapidity density of charged-particle multiplicity per participating nucleon pair, v_{3}^{2}{2} for central collisions shows a minimum near sqrt[s_{NN}]=20  GeV.