[Risk factors of occurrence and treatment failure of peritoneal dialysis-associated polymicrobial peritonitis: a multicenter retrospective study]

OBJECTIVE

To determine the risk factors of occurrence and treatment failure of peritoneal dialysis associatedperitonitis (PDAP) due to polymicrobial infections.

METHODS

We retrospectively collected the clinical data of patients with PDAP from the peritoneal dialysis (PD) centers in 4 general hospitals in Jilin Province from 2013 to 2019. The patients were divided, according to the results of peritoneal dialysate culture, into polymicrobial PDAP group and control group for comparison of the clinical data, treatment outcomes, and long-term prognosis. The independent risk factors of the occurrence and treatment failure of polymicrobial PDAP were explored using multivariate regression analysis.

RESULTS

We recruited a total of 625 patients from the 4 PD centers, among whom 1085 episodes of PDAP were recorded. Polymicrobial PDAP accounted for 7.6% of the total PDAP episodes, and this proportion increased from 5.3% in 2013-2016 to 9.4% in 2017-2019 (P= 0.012). Compared with the control group, polymicrobial PDAP group had higher proportions of elderly patients and patients with refractory PDAP, with greater white blood cell counts in the first-day dialysate and longer course of antibiotic treatment (P < 0.05). The risk of catheter removal and treatment failure (catheter removal or PDAP-related death) in polymicrobial PDAP group was 2.972 times (OR=2.972, 95% CI: 1.634-5.407, P < 0.001) and 2.692 times (OR=2.692, 95% CI: 1.578-4.591, P < 0.001) that in the control group, respectively. The risk of withdrawal from PD (technical failure + all-cause death) was 1.5- fold higher in polymicrobial PDAP group than that in the control group (OR=1.500, 95% CI: 1.085-2.074, P=0.014). Elderly patients (>65 years) had a 1.937-fold higher risk of experiencing polymicrobial PDAP than younger patients (OR=1.937, 95% CI: 1.207-3.109, P= 0.006). Diabetes mellitus (OR=5.554, 95% CI: 1.021-30.201, P=0.047), mixed fungal infeciton (OR=343.687, 95% CI: 21.554- 5480.144, P < 0.001), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection (OR=11.518, 95% CI: 1.632 to 81.310, P=0.014) were associated with increased risks of treatment failure by 4.554, 342.687 and 10.518 times, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The proportion of polymicrobial PDAP in the total PDAP cases tends to increase in recent years. Polymicrobial infection is an independent risk factor of both treatment failure and poor prognosis in patients with PDAP. An old age is an independent risk factor for polymicrobial PDAP, while diabetes mellitus and infections with mixed fungi or Pseudomonas aeruginosa are independent risk factors for treatment failure.

Observation of D_{s}^{±}/D^{0} Enhancement in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

We report on the first measurement of charm-strange meson D_{s}^{±} production at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV from the STAR experiment. The yield ratio between strange (D_{s}^{±}) and nonstrange (D^{0}) open-charm mesons is presented and compared to model calculations. A significant enhancement, relative to a pythia simulation of p+p collisions, is observed in the D_{s}^{±}/D^{0} yield ratio in Au+Au collisions over a large range of collision centralities. Model calculations incorporating abundant strange-quark production in the quark-gluon plasma and coalescence hadronization qualitatively reproduce the data. The transverse-momentum integrated yield ratio of D_{s}^{±}/D^{0} at midrapidity is consistent with a prediction from a statistical hadronization model with the parameters constrained by the yields of light and strange hadrons measured at the same collision energy. These results suggest that the coalescence of charm quarks with strange quarks in the quark-gluon plasma plays an important role in D_{s}^{±}-meson production in heavy-ion collisions.

Observation of New Resonances Decaying to J/ψK^{+} and J/ψϕ

The first observation of exotic states with a new quark content cc[over ¯]us[over ¯] decaying to the J/ψK^{+} final state is reported with high significance from an amplitude analysis of the B^{+}→J/ψϕK^{+} decay. The analysis is carried out using proton-proton collision data corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 9  fb^{-1} collected by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV. The most significant state, Z_{cs}(4000)^{+}, has a mass of 4003±6_{-14}^{+4}  MeV, a width of 131±15±26  MeV, and spin parity J^{P}=1^{+}, where the quoted uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. A new 1^{+}  X(4685) state decaying to the J/ψϕ final state is also observed with high significance. In addition, the four previously reported J/ψϕ states are confirmed and two more exotic states, Z_{cs}(4220)^{+} and X(4630), are observed with significance exceeding 5 standard deviations.

The efficacy and safety of dupilumab in Chinese patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

BACKGROUND

Dupilumab is an antibody against interleukin 4 receptor α, used in treating atopic dermatitis (AD).

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of dupilumab in adult Chinese patients with moderate-to-severe AD.

METHODS

In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, phase III study, conducted between December 2018 and February 2020, patients with AD received dupilumab (300mg) or placebo once every 2 weeks for 16 weeks, and were followed up for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion of patients with both Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) score of 0-1 and a reduction from baseline of ≥2 points at week 16.

RESULTS

Overall, 165 patients (mean age: 30.6 years; 71.5% male) were randomized: 82 to dupilumab and 83 to placebo. At week 16, 26.8% of patients in the dupilumab group and 4.8% of patients in the placebo group achieved the primary endpoint (difference, 22.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 11.37-32.65%; p<0.0001). Compared with placebo, higher proportions of patients in the dupilumab group achieved ≥75% reduction in the Eczema Area and Severity Index score (57.3% vs 14.5%; difference, 42.9%; 95% CI, 29.75-55.97%; p<0.0001) and had ≥3-point (52.4% vs 9.6%; difference, 42.8%; 95% CI, 30.26-55.34%; p<0.0001) and ≥4-point (39.0% vs 4.8%; difference, 34.2%; 95% CI, 22.69-45.72%; p<0.0001) reductions in weekly average daily peak daily pruritus numerical rating scale scores. The incidence of TEAEs during the treatment period was similar in the two groups. The incidence of conjunctivitis, allergic conjunctivitis, and injection site reaction was higher in the dupilumab group than in the placebo group.

CONCLUSIONS

In adult Chinese patients, dupilumab was effective in improving the signs and symptoms of AD and demonstrated a favorable safety profile.

Enabling novel dispersion and topological characteristics in mechanical lattices via stable negative inertial coupling

Mechanical topological insulators have enabled a myriad of unprecedented characteristics that are otherwise not conceivable in traditional periodic structures. While rich in dynamics, new developments in the domain of mechanical topological systems are hindered by their inherent inability to exhibit negative elastic or inertial couplings owing to the inevitable loss of dynamical stability. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to remedy this challenge by introducing a class of architected inertial metamaterials (AIMs) as a platform for designing mechanical lattices with novel topological and dispersion traits. We show that carefully coupling elastically supported masses via moment-free rigid linkages invokes a dynamically stable negative inertial coupling, which is essential for topological classes in need of such negative interconnection. The potential of the proposed AIMs is demonstrated via three examples: (i) a mechanical analogue of Majorana edge states, (ii) a square diatomic AIM that can sustain the quantum valley Hall effect (classically arising in hexagonal lattices), and (iii) a square tetratomic AIM with topological corner modes. We envision that the presented framework will pave the way for a plethora of robust topological mechanical systems.

Measurement of e^{+}e^{-} Momentum and Angular Distributions from Linearly Polarized Photon Collisions

The Breit-Wheeler process which produces matter and antimatter from photon collisions is experimentally investigated through the observation of 6085 exclusive electron-positron pairs in ultraperipheral Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. The measurements reveal a large fourth-order angular modulation of cos4Δϕ=(16.8±2.5)% and smooth invariant mass distribution absent of vector mesons (ϕ, ω, and ρ) at the experimental limit of ≤0.2% of the observed yields. The differential cross section as a function of e^{+}e^{-} pair transverse momentum P_{⊥} peaks at low value with sqrt[⟨P_{⊥}^{2}⟩]=38.1±0.9  MeV and displays a significant centrality dependence. These features are consistent with QED calculations for the collision of linearly polarized photons quantized from the extremely strong electromagnetic fields generated by the highly charged Au nuclei at ultrarelativistic speed. The experimental results have implications for vacuum birefringence and for mapping the magnetic field which is important for emergent QCD phenomena.

Telomerase enhances osteogenic ifferentiation of sheep bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) by up-regulating PI3K/Akt pathway in vitro

Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) vectors were transfected into bone marrow mesen- chymal stem cells (BMSCs) which were then cultured and selected to establish TERT-BMSC cell lines whilst sequencing BMSCs and TERT-BMSCs via transcriptome in this study to explore their regulatory mechanism and effect on osteogenic differentiation after TERT ectopic expres- sion in sheep BMSCs. After sequencing and analysing differential genes, PI3K/Akt signalling pathway related to osteogenic differentiation was investigated. Western blot was used before and after applying the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway inhibitor LY294002 to detect protein expression levels of AKT and p-AKT. On the twenty-first day of osteogenic differentiation, RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to detect mRNA and protein expression levels of RUNX2 and OPN and alizarin red staining was utilised to analyse calcium salt deposition. Results showed that pro- tein expression levels of AKT and p-AKT were significantly up-regulated, mRNA and protein expression levels of RUNX2 and OPN increased and calcium salt deposition increased after ectopic expression of TERT. After applying LY294002, the protein expression of AKT and p-AKT was down-regulated, mRNA and protein expression levels of RUNX2 and OPN were reduced and calcium salt deposition was reduced. These results confirmed the stable integration and expression of the exogenous TERT gene in BMSCs to promote the differentiation of BMSC osteoblasts, which may be mediated by the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway.

The association between the vaginal microenvironment and fecundability: a register-based cohort study among Chinese women

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association between the vaginal microenvironment and fecundability among women.

DESIGN

Register-based nationwide cohort study.

SETTING

Chinese National Free Pre-conception Check-up Project from 2015 to 2018.

POPULATION

Our study included a total of 3 388 554 eligible women who were attempting to become pregnant.

METHOD

We assessed the vaginal microenvironment at baseline by considering four indices: vaginal pH, clue cell examination, whiff test and vaginal cleanliness grading. If any of these indicators was abnormal, the vaginal microenvironment was defined as poor. Propensity score matching was used to control for potential confounders and reduce bias. Logistic models were used to estimate the fecundability odds ratios (FORs) after adjustment for covariates.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Achievement of a pregnancy within 1 year.

RESULTS

Of the total study population, 379 718 women (11.2%) had a poor vaginal microenvironment and their pregnancy rate after 1 year was significantly lower than the group with a normal microenvironment (71.8% versus 76.1%, P < 0.001). After adjusting for potential confounders, the women with a poor vaginal microenvironment were associated with a 9% reduction in fecundability compared with the normal microenvironment group (FOR 0.91, 95% CI 0.90-0.92). The adverse effects of a poor vaginal microenvironment were stronger among multipara (FOR 0.89, 95% CI 0.87-0.90) or women with irregular menstruation (FOR 0.86, 95% CI 0.84-0.89).

CONCLUSION

There was a negative association between a poor vaginal microenvironment and the fecundability of women. These findings highlight the significance of assessing the vaginal microenvironment during pre-pregnancy health examinations.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Women with a poor vaginal microenvironment were associated with a reduction in fecundability.

Endophytic Bacillus subtilis P10 from Prunus cerasifera as a biocontrol agent against tomato Verticillium wilt

Endophytic bacteria serve key roles in the maintenance of plant health and growth. Few studies to date, however, have explored the antagonistic and plant growth-promoting (PGP) properties of Prunus cerasifera endophytes. To that end, we isolated endophytic bacteria from P. cerasifera tissue samples and used a dual culture plate assay to screen these microbes for antagonistic activity against Verticillium dahliae, Botryosphaeria dothidea, Fusarium oxysporum, F. graminearum, and F. moniliforme. Of the 36 strains of isolated bacteria, four (strains P1, P10, P16, and P20) exhibited antagonistic effects against all five model pathogens, and the P10 strain exhibited the strongest antagonistic to five pathogens. This P10 strain was then characterized in-depth via phenotypic assessments, physiological analyses, and 16s rDNA sequencing, revealing it to be a strain of Bacillus subtilis. Application of a P10 cell suspension (1×108 CFU/mL) significantly enhanced the seed germination and seedling growth of tomato in a greenhouse setting. This P10 strain further significantly suppressed tomato Verticillium wilt with much lower disease incidence and disease index scores being observed following P10 treatment relative to untreated plants in pot-based experiments. Tomato plants that had been treated with strain P10 also enhanced defense-related enzymes, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activity upon V. dahliae challenge relative to plants that had not been treated with this endophytic bacterium. The results revealed that the P10 bacterial strain has potential value as a biocontrol agent for use in the prevention of tomato Verticillium wilt.

Clinicopathologic features and outcome of cervical cancer: implications for treatment

OBJECTIVE

We used a regression analysis of the SEER database to establish a new Nomogram for predicting prognosis of cervical cancer patients and guiding the treatment.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We divided the data into the training cohort and the verification cohort. Univariate and multivariate Cox risk regression analysis was used to identify independent prognostic factors and establish a Nomogram model. The verification cohort was used for external verification, and the accuracy was evaluated with C-index and AUC. Finally, Nomogram was used to establish 1-year, 3-year and 5-year survival curves of cervical cancer patients.

RESULTS

In this study, 5691 patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma were included. Data obtained from the training cohort were independent risk factors of cervical cancer AJCC stage (p = 0.039), RX Summ - Surgery Primary Site (p = 0.012), radiation (p = 0.031), chemotherapy (p = 0.013), tumor size (p = 0.009), race (p = 0.039). The 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year overall survival rates for cervical cancer patients were 77.2%, 47.8%, and 35.2%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The Nomogram model can better screen out more reasonable comprehensive treatments for patients at different stages. And it is of great help to improve the survival rate and reduce the recurrence rate of cervical cancer patients.

Sensitivity of item memory to fluency: Evidence from behavioral data and ERP old/new effects

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have suggested that item memory is processed based on both familiarity and recollection, and evidence can be found from behavioral as well as event-related potential (ERP) patterns. Recently, great consideration has been given to how the memory of items generated from internal and external sources differ from each other. To date, the modulation of fluency, perceptual fluency in particular, on item memory has been rarely explored from both behavioral and neural perspectives. To address these issues, an ERP experiment was conducted.

METHODS

Stimuli were encoded in the status of perceived vs. imagined, of either high or low frequency, manipulated by times of exposure (once or twice). Subsequent memory for the items was tested, during which ERP signals were recorded.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

The findings of the old/new effects reveal the distinctiveness between perceived and imagined items, and demonstrate an influence of fluency, with higher accuracy for items of high fluency than those low fluent ones. The sensitivity of item memory to fluency was discussed in terms of the dual-process model, together with other possible accounts.

Histidine dose-response effects on lactational performance and plasma amino acid concentrations in lactating dairy cows: 2. Metabolizable protein-deficient diet

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effect of increasing digestible His (dHis) levels with a rumen-protected (RP) His product on milk production, milk composition, and plasma AA concentrations in lactating dairy cows fed a metabolizable protein (MP)-deficient diet, according to the National Research Council dairy model from 2001. The companion paper presents results on the effect of increasing dHis dose with a MP-adequate basal diet. Twenty Holstein cows, of which 8 were rumen-cannulated, were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design experiment with four 28-d periods. Treatments were a control diet supplying 1.8% dHis of MP or 37 g/d (dHis1.8) and the control diet supplemented RP-His to provide 2.2, 2.6, or 3.0%, dHis of MP, or 53, 63, and 74 g/d (dHis2.2, dHis2.6, and dHis3.0, respectively). Histidine dose did not affect dry matter intake, but milk yield increased quadratically and energy-corrected milk yield increased linearly with increasing dHis dose. Histidine dose had a quadratic effect on milk fat concentration but did not affect milk fat yield. Lactose concentration decreased linearly, whereas lactose yield increased linearly with increasing dHis dose. There was a tendency for a linear increase in milk true protein concentration, and milk true protein yield increased linearly with dHis dose. Further, plasma His concentration increased linearly with increasing dHis dose and calculated apparent efficiency of His utilization decreased quadratically with increasing dHis supply. Histidine had minor or no effects on rumen fermentation. In the conditions of this experiment, RP-His supplementation of an MP-deficient corn silage-based diet increased milk yield linearly up to a dHis supply of 63 g/d (or 2.6% dHis of MP) and increased feed efficiency, energy-corrected milk yield and milk true protein yield linearly up to a dHis supply of 74 g/d (or 3.0% dHis of MP) in lactating dairy cows.

LB0004 EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF SECUKINUMAB IN ENTHESITIS-RELATED ARTHRITIS AND JUVENILE PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS: PRIMARY RESULTS FROM A RANDOMISED, DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED, TREATMENT WITHDRAWAL, PHASE 3 STUDY (JUNIPERA)

Background:

Enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA) and juvenile psoriatic arthritis (JPsA) are two ILAR categories of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and represent paediatric correlates of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and adult psoriatic arthritis (PsA), respectively.1,2 Secukinumab (SEC) has demonstrated efficacy and safety in adult patients (pts) with PsA, ankylosing spondylitis and non-radiographic axSpA.3-5

Objectives:

Evaluate efficacy and safety of SEC using a flare prevention design in pts with active ERA and JPsA.

Methods:

This 2-yr study consisted of an open-label (OL) s.c. SEC (75/150 mg in pts <50/ ≥50 kg) at baseline (BL), and at Weeks (Wk) 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 and 12 in treatment-period (TP) 1. Responder pts who achieved at least JIA ACR 30 response at Wk 12 were randomised into the double-blinded TP2 to continue SEC or placebo (PBO) q4w until a disease flare, or up to Wk 100. Pts (aged 2 to <18 yrs) classified as ERA or JPsA according to ILAR criteria of ≥6 months duration with active disease were included. Primary endpoint was time to flare in TP2 and key secondary endpoints were JIA ACR 30/50/70/90/100, inactive disease, JADAS, enthesitis count and safety. Analysis of time to flare in TP2 included proportion of disease flare, Kaplan-Meier (KM) estimate of median time to flare in days, hazard ratio (95% CI) from Cox model, and P-value for the Stratified log-rank test. KM estimates of the probability to disease flare by treatment groups in TP2 were plotted against days. Observed data were used in all analyses. Post-hoc analyses using non-responder imputation (NRI) were performed for JIA ACR 30/50/70/90/100 responses.

Results:

86/97 (89%) pts were enrolled in the OL period TP1 (mean age, 13.1 yrs; female, 33.7%; ERA, n=52; JPsA, n=34). At BL, mean JADAS-27 score was 15.1 and enthesitis count was 2.6. At the end of TP1, 90.4% (75/83) of pts achieved JIA ACR 30 and 69.9% (58/83) achieved JIA ACR 70. There were 21 and 10 flares in TP2, respectively in PBO and SEC treated pts with a significantly longer time to flare and 72% risk of flare reduction in SEC treatment vs PBO (HR: 0.28; 95% CI: 0.13–0.63; P<0.001) (Figure 1). JIA ACR responses, disease activity and enthesitis count are reported in Table 1. NRI analyses showed that 87.2%, 83.7%, 67.4%, 38.4% and 24.4% of pts achieved JIA ACR 30/50/70/90/100, respectively. Rates of adverse events (AEs; 91.7% vs 92.1%) and serious AEs (14.6% vs 10.5%) in SEC and PBO groups were comparable in the entire TP. No new safety signals were observed.

Table 1.

Efficacy of secukinumab in Treatment Periods 1 and 2 (Key secondary endpoints)

Efficacy Outcomes, %TP1TP2¥SEC (N=83)^SEC (N=37)PBO (N=37)P-valueJIA ACR 3090.489.264.90.014JIA ACR 5086.778.462.20.152JIA ACR 7069.967.643.20.042JIA ACR 9039.851.440.50.431JIA ACR 10025.343.237.80.745Inactive disease#36.147.237.80.500JADAS-27, mean (SD)15.1 (7.2)14.6 (8.1)13.3 (5.8)NAEnthesitis count, mean change from BL (SD)−1.8 (2.3)−2.1 (2.0)−1.9 (1.2)NA

P-values: Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test, adjusted for analysis factors: JIA category (ERA/ JPsA) and MTX use at BL

¥The N numbers are values at the end of TP2

^Efficacy outcomes (%) in TP1 calculated in patients with evaluable data at Wk 12 (N=83)

#Inactive disease: Definition adapted from JIA ACR criteria of Wallace et al., 2011. N=36 for SEC at the end of TP2

JADAS, Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score; N, total number of patients in the treatment group; NA, data not available

Figure 1.

Time to flare in Treatment Period 2 (Primary Endpoint)

Conclusion:

In children and adolescents with ERA and JPsA, efficacy of SEC was demonstrated with a significantly longer time to flare vs PBO with sustained improvement of signs and symptoms up to Wk 104 and a favourable safety profile.

References:

[1]Colbert RA. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2010;6:477–85.

[2]Martini A, et al. J Rheumatol. 2019;46:190–7.

[3]McInnes IB, et al. Lancet. 2015;386:1137–46.

[4]Baeten D, et al. N Engl J Med. 2015;373:2534–48.

[5]Deodhar A, et al. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2021;73:110–20.

Disclosure of Interests:

Nicolino Ruperto Consultant of: Ablynx, Astrazeneca-Medimmune, Bayer, Biogen, Boehringer, Bristol Myers and Squibb, Celgene, Eli-Lilly, EMD Serono, Glaxo Smith and Kline, Hoffmann-La Roche, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, R-Pharma, Sinergie, Sobi and UCB, Grant/research support from: BMS, Eli-Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, F Hoffmann-La Roche, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Sobi, Speakers bureau: Ablynx, Astrazeneca-Medimmune, Bayer, Biogen, Boehringer, Bristol Myers and Squibb, Celgene, Eli-Lilly, EMD Serono, Glaxo Smith and Kline, Hoffmann-La Roche, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, R-Pharma, Sinergie, Sobi and UCB, Ivan Foeldvari Consultant of: Novartis, Speakers bureau: Novartis, Ekaterina Alexeeva Grant/research support from: Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, MSD, AMGEN, Eli Lilly, Roche, Speakers bureau: Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, MSD, AMGEN, Eli Lilly, Roche, NURAY AKTAY AYAZ: None declared, Inmaculada Calvo Consultant of: Sobi, Novartis, Abbvie, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Amgen, Clementia, Speakers bureau: Sobi, Novartis, Abbvie, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Amgen, Clementia, Ozgur KASAPCOPUR: None declared, Vyacheslav Chasnyk: None declared, Markus Hufnagel Grant/research support from: Astellas, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Novartis, Zbigniew Żuber: None declared, Grant Schulert Consultant of: Sobi, Novartis, Seza Ozen: None declared, Artem Popov: None declared, Athimalaipet Ramanan Speakers bureau: Roche, Sobi, Eli Lilly, UCB, Novartis, Christiaan Scott: None declared, Betül Sözeri: None declared, Elena Zholobova Grant/research support from: Pfizer, Novartis, Speakers bureau: Abbvie, Pfizer, Roche, Novartis, Xuan Zhu Employee of: Novartis, sarah whelan Employee of: Novartis, Shareholder of: Novartis, Luminita Pricop Employee of: Novartis, Shareholder of: Novartis, Angelo Ravelli Consultant of: Abbvie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Hoffmann-LaRoche, Novartis, Centocor, Angelini Holding, Reckitt Benckiser, Speakers bureau: Abbvie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Hoffmann-LaRoche, Novartis, Centocor, Angelini Holding, Reckitt Benckiser, Alberto Martini Consultant of: Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Abbvie, Speakers bureau: Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Abbvie, Daniel J Lovell Consultant of: AstraZeneca, Wyeth, Amgen, Abbott, Pfizer, Hoffmann-La Roche, Novartis, UBC, Takeda, Janssen, GlaxoSmithKline, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celgene, Bristol Myers Squibb, AbbVie, Forest Research, Speakers bureau: AstraZeneca, Wyeth, Amgen, Abbott, Pfizer, Hoffmann-La Roche, Novartis, UBC, Takeda, Janssen, GlaxoSmithKline, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celgene, Bristol Myers Squibb, AbbVie, Forest Research, Hermine Brunner Consultant of: Aurina, AbbVie, Astra Zeneca-Medimmune, Biogen, Boehringer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, GlaxoSmithKline, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Merck, Novartis, R-Pharm, Sanofi, Pfizer, Grant/research support from: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Janssen, Novartis, and Pfizer, Speakers bureau: Pfizer, Roche and GlaxoSmithKline

Association between serum estradiol levels prior to progesterone administration in artificial frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer cycles and live birth rate: a retrospective study

OBJECTIVE

To study whether serum estradiol (E2) levels prior to progesterone administration in the artificial endometrial preparation (AEP) of frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer affect the live birth rate.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Tertiary-care academic medical centre.

POPULATION

A total of 3857 frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer cycles were divided into three groups: <200 pg/ml (n = 1676); 200-399 pg/ml (n = 1296); and ≥400 pg/ml (n = 885), based on the 25th (182.3 pg/ml) and 75th percentile (390.2 pg/ml) of serum E2 level prior to progesterone administration.

METHODS

Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome of the study was the live birth rate and the secondary outcomes included clinical pregnancy rate, pregnancy loss rate, neonatal birthweight, Z-score, and small for gestational age (SGA).

RESULTS

Compared with the reference group, accounting for major covariates, the live birth rate significantly decreased in the '≥400 pg/ml' group (adjusted OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.59-0.85). Compared with the reference group, there was an association between the E2 level in the '≥400 pg/ml' group and a decrease in the clinical pregnancy rate (adjusted OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.61-0.89). Compared with the reference group, the pregnancy loss rate significantly increased in the '≥400 pg/ml' group (adjusted OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.08-1.93). The E2 levels did not affect neonatal birthweight, Z-score, and SGA among singletons.

CONCLUSIONS

High serum E2 levels prior to progesterone administration in AEP are associated with a decreased live birth rate after frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

High serum E2 levels prior to progesterone administration in artificial FET are associated with a decreased live birth rate after frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer.

Angular Analysis of the B^{+}→K^{*+}μ^{+}μ^{-} Decay

We present an angular analysis of the B^{+}→K^{*+}(→K_{S}^{0}π^{+})μ^{+}μ^{-} decay using 9  fb^{-1} of pp collision data collected with the LHCb experiment. For the first time, the full set of CP-averaged angular observables is measured in intervals of the dimuon invariant mass squared. Local deviations from standard model predictions are observed, similar to those in previous LHCb analyses of the isospin-partner B^{0}→K^{*0}μ^{+}μ^{-} decay. The global tension is dependent on which effective couplings are considered and on the choice of theory nuisance parameters.

Global Polarization of Ξ and Ω Hyperons in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

Global polarization of Ξ and Ω hyperons has been measured for the first time in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. The measurements of the Ξ^{-} and Ξ[over ¯]^{+} hyperon polarization have been performed by two independent methods, via analysis of the angular distribution of the daughter particles in the parity violating weak decay Ξ→Λ+π, as well as by measuring the polarization of the daughter Λ hyperon, polarized via polarization transfer from its parent. The polarization, obtained by combining the results from the two methods and averaged over Ξ^{-} and Ξ[over ¯]^{+}, is measured to be ⟨P_{Ξ}⟩=0.47±0.10(stat)±0.23(syst)% for the collision centrality 20%-80%. The ⟨P_{Ξ}⟩ is found to be slightly larger than the inclusive Λ polarization and in reasonable agreement with a multiphase transport model. The ⟨P_{Ξ}⟩ is found to follow the centrality dependence of the vorticity predicted in the model, increasing toward more peripheral collisions. The global polarization of Ω, ⟨P_{Ω}⟩=1.11±0.87(stat)±1.97(syst)% was obtained by measuring the polarization of daughter Λ in the decay Ω→Λ+K, assuming the polarization transfer factor C_{ΩΛ}=1.

[Speckle-type POZ protein up-regulates c-Jun protein expression and promotes proliferation and invasion of renal carcinoma cells]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of speckle-type POZ protein (SPOP) on proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and explore the potential mechanisms.

OBJECTIVE

Renal carcinoma cell lines (786-O, A704, and Caki-2) cultured in vitro were transfected with a SPOP-overexpressing plasmid, and the changes in proliferation of the cells were detected using colony formation and MTT assay; TUNEL assay was used to assess apoptosis of the cells. The changes in migration and invasion abilities of the cells were examined using wound healing assay and Transwell assay. The mRNA and protein levels of SPOP and c-Jun in the transfected cells were measured using real-time PCR and Western blotting.

OBJECTIVE

SPOP over-expression obviously promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of 786-O, A704 and Caki-2 cells (P < 0.05). Compared with the control cells, 786-o and Caki-2 cells over-expressing SPOP exhibited significantly lowered apoptosis rates (P < 0.05). The results of real-time PCR demonstrated that the transfected cells did not show obvious changes in the mRNA level of c-Jun, but the protein expressions of SPOP and c-jun increased significantly as shown by Western blotting (P < 0.05).

OBJECTIVE

SPOP can promote proliferation, migration, and invasion and suppress apoptosis of renal carcinoma cells possibly by promoting the expression of c-Jun.

Spatiotemporal characteristics and factor analysis of SARS-CoV-2 infections among healthcare workers in Wuhan, China

BACKGROUND

Studying the spatiotemporal distribution of SARS-CoV-2 infections among healthcare workers (HCWs) can aid in protecting them from exposure.

AIM

To describe the spatiotemporal distributions of SARS-CoV-2 infections among HCWs in Wuhan, China.

METHODS

In this study, an open-source dataset of HCW diagnoses was provided. A geographical detector technique was then used to investigate the impacts of hospital level, type, distance from the infection source, and other external indicators of HCW infections.

FINDINGS

The number of daily HCW infections over time in Wuhan followed a log-normal distribution, with its mean observed on January 23rd, 2020, and a standard deviation of 10.8 days. The implementation of high-impact measures, such as the lockdown of the city, may have increased the probability of HCW infections in the short term, especially for those in the outer ring of Wuhan. The infection of HCWs in Wuhan exhibited clear spatial heterogeneity. The number of HCW infections was higher in the central city and lower in the outer city.

CONCLUSION

HCW infections displayed significant spatial autocorrelation and dependence. Factor analysis revealed that hospital level and type had an even greater impact on HCW infections; third-class and general hospitals closer to infection sources were correlated with especially high risks of infection.