Targeting vulnerable microcircuits in the ventral hippocampus of male transgenic mice to rescue Alzheimer-like social memory loss

BACKGROUND

Episodic memory loss is a prominent clinical manifestation of Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is closely related to tau pathology and hippocampal impairment. Due to the heterogeneity of brain neurons, the specific roles of different brain neurons in terms of their sensitivity to tau accumulation and their contribution to AD-like social memory loss remain unclear. Therefore, further investigation is necessary.

METHODS

We investigated the effects of AD-like tau pathology by Tandem mass tag proteomic and phosphoproteomic analysis, social behavioural tests, hippocampal electrophysiology, immunofluorescence staining and in vivo optical fibre recording of GCaMP6f and iGABASnFR. Additionally, we utilized optogenetics and administered ursolic acid (UA) via oral gavage to examine the effects of these agents on social memory in mice.

RESULTS

The results of proteomic and phosphoproteomic analyses revealed the characteristics of ventral hippocampal CA1 (vCA1) under both physiological conditions and AD-like tau pathology. As tau progressively accumulated, vCA1, especially its excitatory and parvalbumin (PV) neurons, were fully filled with mislocated and phosphorylated tau (p-Tau). This finding was not observed for dorsal hippocampal CA1 (dCA1). The overexpression of human tau (hTau) in excitatory and PV neurons mimicked AD-like tau accumulation, significantly inhibited neuronal excitability and suppressed distinct discrimination-associated firings of these neurons within vCA1. Photoactivating excitatory and PV neurons in vCA1 at specific rhythms and time windows efficiently ameliorated tau-impaired social memory. Notably, 1 month of UA administration efficiently decreased tau accumulation via autophagy in a transcription factor EB (TFEB)-dependent manner and restored the vCA1 microcircuit to ameliorate tau-impaired social memory.

CONCLUSION

This study elucidated distinct protein and phosphoprotein networks between dCA1 and vCA1 and highlighted the susceptibility of the vCA1 microcircuit to AD-like tau accumulation. Notably, our novel findings regarding the efficacy of UA in reducing tau load and targeting the vCA1 microcircuit may provide a promising strategy for treating AD in the future.

[Study on primary screening technique for children with autism spectrum disorder]

To explore screening tools for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which are convenient for primary hospitals, it can provide basic data for formulating ASD prevention policies. This was a cross-sectional study by cluster sampling. Huyi District and Xincheng District were extracted for investigation in Xi'an City. From July 2021 to September 2022, all children aged from 3 months to 36 months who live in the two districts were subjected to primary screening. The child care physician used the routine screening tool "warning signs checklist for screening psychological, behavioral and developmental problems of children" and cartoon pictures of "early high-risk warning signs of autism", the children who were positive in the initial screening were referred to the district level maternal and child health hospital for re-screening, and those who were positive in the re-screening were referred to Xi 'an Children's Hospital for diagnosis. The results showed that a total of 17 905 children aged from 3 months to 36 months were initially screened in the two districts, including 10 588 children aged from 18 months to 36 months, 50 children who were positive in the initial screening and 50 children who were re-screened. 23 children (18 boys and 5 girls) were diagnosed with ASD. The prevalence rate of ASD in children was 2.17‰ (95% confidence interval:1.29‰-3.06‰). 42 children were positive for "warning signs checklist" at the preliminary screening, and 19 were confirmed as ASD. 27 children were positive for "cartoon pictures" in the preliminary screening, and 23 were confirmed with ASD. The "cartoon pictures" in the preliminary screening and diagnosis of consistent rate was higher than the "warning signs checklist", two kinds of screening methods comparison were statistically significant difference in the odds of consistent (χ2=11.01, P=0.001). In conclusion, relying on the three-level network of maternal and child health care, it is conducive to the whole process management of screening and diagnosis of children with ASD, and to guide the formulation of prevention policies. The cartoon pictures of "early high-risk warning signs of autism" can assist the identification of children with ASD based on the "warning signs checklist", which is simple, effective and suitable for promotion in the community health care.

[Myocardial protection of del Nido cardioplegia in adult cardiac and major vascular surgery with long aortic cross-clamp time]

Objective: To explore the safety and myocardial protection efficacy of del Nido cardioplegia in adult cardiac and major vascular surgery with long aortic cross-clamp (ACC) time. Methods: A total of 2 536 patients who underwent adult cardiac and major vascular surgery with ACC time>90 min at Beijing Anzhen Hospital from March 2018 to March 2023 were collected. The patients were divided into two groups according to the type of cardioplegia solution: the del Nido cardioplegia solution group (DC group) and the cold blood cardioplegia solution group (BC group). Preoperative baseline data of the patients (age, gender, comorbidities, ejection fraction, etc) were adjusted using propensity score matching (PSM). Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time, ACC time, total amount of cardioplegia solution, in-hospital mortality rate, length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, mechanical ventilation time, postoperative complications, left ventricular ejection fraction, and troponin levels were compared between the two groups. Results: After PSM, a total of 306 patients were included, including 223 males and 83 females, with a mean age of (52.0±12.3) years. There were 153 cases in the DC group and 153 cases in the BC group. Compared with the DC group, the cross-clamp time was longer [109(100, 150) min vs 102(91, 133) min, P<0.001], the rate of return to spontaneous rhythm was lower [51.6% (79/153) vs 86.9%(133/153), P<0.001], and intraoperative peak glucose was higher [12.6 (6.5, 15.9) mmol/L vs 10.1 (8.5, 12.4) mmol/L, P=0.005] in the BC group. In addition, perioperative mortality [4.6% (7/153) vs 3.3% (5/153), P=0.132], stroke[3.9% (6/153) vs 3.3% (5/153), P=0.759], renal insufficiency [3.3% (5/153) vs 6.5% (10/153), P=0.186], atrial fibrillation [4.6% (7/153) vs 2.6% (4/153), P=0.652] and low cardiac output syndrome [3.9% (6/153) vs 4.6% (7/153), P=0.716] did not differ between the two groups. Compared with BC group, DC group had lower level of high sensitivity troponin (hsTnI) [1.2 (0.8, 1.8) μg/L vs 1.3 (0.9, 2.3) μg/L, P=0.030] and creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB) [31.0 (20.0, 48.9) μg/L vs 37.0 (24.0, 58.9) μg/L, P=0.011] at 24 h postoperatively, and shorter length of ICU stay [35.6 (19.8, 60.5) h vs 42.6 (21.9, 83.6) h, P=0.015] and mechanical ventilation time [20.5 (15.5, 41.0) h vs 31.5 (17.1, 56.0) h, P=0.012]. Subgroup analysis showed that in the 120-180 minute subgroup, patients in the DC group had a shorter cross-clamp time [132 (124, 135) min vs 136 (124, 138) min, P<0.001], while levels of hsTnI [1.6 (1.1, 2.0) μg/L vs 1.4 (1.0, 2.6) μg/L, P=0.030] and CK-MB [38.8 (23.5, 55.5) μg/L vs 37.0 (24.5, 62.3) μg/L, P=0.011] were higher than those in the BC group. Conclusions: In adult cardiac and major vascular surgery with ACC times>90 min, comparable myocardial protection is observed with the use of DC compared with BC. Additional advantages in glycemic control, return to spontaneous rhythm, and improved surgical procedures make DN an attractive alternative for myocardial protection in adult cardiac surgery.

Observation of the Exotic 0_{2}^{+} Cluster State in ^{8}He

We report here the first observation of the 0_{2}^{+} state of ^{8}He, which has been predicted to feature the condensatelike α+^{2}n+^{2}n cluster structure. We show that this state is characterized by a spin parity of 0^{+}, a large isoscalar monopole transition strength, and the emission of a strongly correlated neutron pair, in line with theoretical predictions. Our finding is further supported by the state-of-the-art microscopic α+4n model calculations. The present results may lead to new insights into clustering in neutron-rich nuclear systems and the pair correlation and condensation in quantum many-body systems under strong interactions.

Nuclear Charge Radius of ^{26m}Al and Its Implication for V_{ud} in the Quark Mixing Matrix

Collinear laser spectroscopy was performed on the isomer of the aluminium isotope ^{26m}Al. The measured isotope shift to ^{27}Al in the 3s^{2}3p ^{2}P_{3/2}^{○}→3s^{2}4s ^{2}S_{1/2} atomic transition enabled the first experimental determination of the nuclear charge radius of ^{26m}Al, resulting in R_{c}=3.130(15)  fm. This differs by 4.5 standard deviations from the extrapolated value used to calculate the isospin-symmetry breaking corrections in the superallowed β decay of ^{26m}Al. Its corrected Ft value, important for the estimation of V_{ud} in the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix, is thus shifted by 1 standard deviation to 3071.4(1.0) s.

[Transanal drainage tube for prevention of anastomotic leak after anterior resection for rectal cancer: a meta-analysis]

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of transanal drainage tube (TDT) in reducing the incidence of anastomotic leak following anterior resection in patients with rectal cancer. Methods: We conducted a systematic search for relevant studies published from inception to October 2022 across multiple databases, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4 software. The primary outcomes included total incidence of anastomotic leak, grade B and C anastomotic leak rates, reoperation rate, anastomotic bleeding rate, and overall complication rate. Results: Three randomized controlled trials involving 1115 patients (559 patients in the TDT group and 556 in the non-TDT group) were included. Meta-analysis showed that the total incidences of anastomotic leak and of grade B anastomotic leak were 5.5% (31/559) and 4.5% (25/559), respectively, in the TDT group and 7.9% (44/556) and 3.8% (21/556), respectively, in the non-TDT group. These differences are not statistically significant (P=0.120, P=0.560, respectively). Compared with the non-TDT group, the TDT group had a lower incidence of grade C anastomotic leak (1.6% [7/559] vs. 4.5% [25/556]) and reoperation rate (0.9% [5/559] vs. 4.3% [24/556]), but a higher incidence of anastomotic bleeding (8.2% [23/279] vs. 3.6% [10/276]). These differences were statistically significant (P=0.003, P=0.001, P=0.030, respectively). The overall complication rate was 26.5%(74/279) in the TDT group and 27.2% (75/276) in the non-TDT group. These differences are not statistically significant (P=0.860). Conclusions: TDT did not significantly reduce the total incidence of anastomotic leak but may have potential clinical benefits in preventing grade C anastomotic leak. Notably, placement of TDT may increase the anastomotic bleeding rate.

[Clinical analysis of immunotherapy rechallenge in advanced gastric cancer]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and influencing factors of programmed death protein 1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibody rechallenge therapy in advanced gastric cancer (GC). Methods: The clinical data of patients with advanced GC who were treated with anti-PD-1 rechallenge in Henan Cancer Hospital from January 2020 to December 2021 were collected retrospectively. The progression-free survival (PFS) was defined as the time from the first or second used of anti-PD-1 treatment to the date of disease progression or the last follow-up, named PFS(1) and PFS(2), respectively. Kaplan-Meier method and Log rank test were used for survival analysis, Cox proportional hazard model was used to analyze the influencing factors. Results: A total of 60 patients with anti-PD-1 rechallenge therapy were collected, the median follow-up time was 12.2 months. The median progression-free survival (PFS(2)) of anti-PD-1 rechallenge therapy was 2.9 months, the objective response rate (ORR) was 16.7%, and the disease control rate (DCR) was 55.0%. The median PFS(2) of the first and second anti-PD-1 identical and different rechallenge treatment was 3.5 months and 1.9 months (P=0.007) respectively. The median PFS(2) of positive PD-L1 expression in rechallenge therapy was 3.4 months, ORR was 22.7%, and DCR was 63.6%; the median PFS(2) was 4.5 months, ORR was 27.3%, and DCR was 54.5% in patients with median PFS(1)≥6 months. Multivariate analysis showed that peritoneal metastasis was independently associated with anti-PD-1 rechallenge therapy with PFS(2) (HR=2.327, 95% CI, 1.066-5.082, P=0.034). The incidence of adverse reactions in grade 1-2 and grade 3-4 of anti-PD-1 rechallenge therapy was 83.3%, and 35.0%, respectively, and the safety was controllable. Conclusion: Rechallenge therapy with anti-PD-1 is a feasible treatment in advanced GC, but the screening of suitable population for rechallenge therapy still needs prospective data analysis and verification.

The study on bactericidal effect and ultrastructural alterations of chlorocresol nanoemulsion disinfectant against Staphylococcus aureus

Chlorocresol nanoemulsion disinfectant (CND) is an environmental disinfectant prepared with nanoemulsion as its drug carrier. This study aimed to investigate the bactericidal effect of CND on Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus) and its effect on bacterial ultrastructure. The neutralizing effect of CND against S. aureus was first screened by suspension quantitative evaluation experiment procedure of neutralizer. Disinfection performance was evaluated by the determination of Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC), quantitative bactericidal experiment, and comparative experiment of disinfection performance between 0.1% CND and 0.1% chlorocresol aqueous solution. Meanwhile, the effect of CND on the ultrastructure of S. aureus was investigated with scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) to preliminarily explore the bactericidal mechanism. The results showed that 3% Tween-80 in PBS could be screened as the neutralizer of CND against S. aureus. MIC and MBC were 100 μg/mL and 200 μg/mL, respectively. The bactericidal rates were all 100% when 0.06% and 0.08% disinfectant acted for 15 and 5 min, respectively. Furthermore, compared with 0.1% chlorocresol aqueous solution, the bactericidal effect of 0.1% CND was significantly enhanced (p⟨0.01). After treatment with CND for 10 min, SEM observation showed that the morphology of S. aureus cells were changed and the integrity destroyed. TEM observation showed that the cell shape changed, and the structures of the cell wall, cell membrane and cytoplasm were damaged in varying degrees. CND showed the strong bactericidal effect on S. aureus and could cause ultrastructure alterations of S. aureus.

[Clinical features of 19 patients with SIL-TAL1-positive T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia]

Objective: To assess the clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with SIL-TAL1-positive T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) . Methods: The clinical data of 19 SIL-TAL1-positive T-ALL patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between January 2014 and February 2022 were retrospectively computed and contrasted with SIL-TAL1-negative T-ALL patients. Results: The median age of the 19 SIL-TAL1-positive T-ALL patients was 15 (7 to 41 years) , including 16 males (84.2%) . SIL-TAL1-positive T-ALL patients had younger age, higher WBC, and hemoglobin compared with SIL-TAL1-negative T-ALL patients. There was no discrepancy in gender distribution, PLT, chromosome abnormality distribution, immunophenotyping, and complete remission (CR) rate. The 3-year overall survival (OS) was 60.9% and 74.4%, respectively (HR=2.070, P=0.071) . The 3-year relapse-free survival (RFS) was 49.2% and 70.6%, respectively (HR=2.275, P=0.040) . The 3-year RFS rate of SIL-TAL1-positive T-ALL patients was considerably lower than SIL-TAL1-negative T-ALL patients. Conclusion: SIL-TAL1-positive T-ALL patients were connected to younger age, higher WBC, higher HGB, and poor outcome.

Effect modification by aging on the associations of nicotine exposure with cognitive impairment among Chinese elderly

Active and passive exposure to tobacco smoke may increase risk of cognitive decline. However, effects of enhanced the aging process on the association of urinary nicotine metabolites with cognitive impairment remain unclear. In this study, 6657 Chinese older adults completed the physical examinations and cognitive tests. We measured urinary nicotine metabolite levels, mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-CN), and relative telomere length (RTL) and analyzed effects of urinary nicotine metabolites and their interaction with mtDNA-CN or RTL on cognitive impairment by generalized linear models and qg-computation, respectively. Each 1-unit increase in urinary 3-OHCot, 3-OHCotGluc, CotGluc, or NicGluc levels corresponded to a 1.05-, 1.09-, 1.04-, and 0.90-fold increased risk of cognitive impairment. Each 1-quantile increment in the mixture level of 8 nicotine metabolites corresponded to an increment of 1.40- and 1.34-fold risk of cognitive impairment in individuals with longer RTL or low mtDNA-CN. Urinary 3-OHCotGluc and RTL or mtDNA-CN exhibited an additive effect on cognitive impairment in addition to the mixture of 8 nicotine metabolites and mtDNA-CN. The findings suggested that aging process may increase the risk of tobacco-related cognitive impairment.

Nuclear moments of indium isotopes reveal abrupt change at magic number 82

In spite of the high-density and strongly correlated nature of the atomic nucleus, experimental and theoretical evidence suggests that around particular 'magic' numbers of nucleons, nuclear properties are governed by a single unpaired nucleon^1,2. A microscopic understanding of the extent of this behaviour and its evolution in neutron-rich nuclei remains an open question in nuclear physics^3-5. The indium isotopes are considered a textbook example of this phenomenon⁶, in which the constancy of their electromagnetic properties indicated that a single unpaired proton hole can provide the identity of a complex many-nucleon system^6,7. Here we present precision laser spectroscopy measurements performed to investigate the validity of this simple single-particle picture. Observation of an abrupt change in the dipole moment at N = 82 indicates that, whereas the single-particle picture indeed dominates at neutron magic number N = 82 (refs. ^2,8), it does not for previously studied isotopes. To investigate the microscopic origin of these observations, our work provides a combined effort with developments in two complementary nuclear many-body methods: ab initio valence-space in-medium similarity renormalization group and density functional theory (DFT). We find that the inclusion of time-symmetry-breaking mean fields is essential for a correct description of nuclear magnetic properties, which were previously poorly constrained. These experimental and theoretical findings are key to understanding how seemingly simple single-particle phenomena naturally emerge from complex interactions among protons and neutrons.

Population-attributable fractions of risk factors for all-cause dementia in China rural and urban areas: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of dementia in China, particularly in rural areas, is consistently increasing; however, research on population-attributable fractions (PAFs) of risk factors for dementia is scarce.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional survey, namely, the China Multicentre Dementia Survey (CMDS) in selected rural and urban areas from 2018 to 2020. We performed face-to-face interviews and neuropsychological and clinical assessments to reach a consensus on dementia diagnosis. Prevalence and weighted PAFs of eight modifiable risk factors (six classical: less childhood education, hearing impairment, depression, physical inactivity, diabetes, and social isolation, and two novels: olfactory decline and being unmarried) for all-cause dementia were estimated.

RESULTS

Overall, CMDS included 17,589 respondents aged ≥ 65 years, 55.6% of whom were rural residents. The age- and sex-adjusted prevalence for all-cause dementia was 9.11% (95% CI 8.96-9.26), 5.19% (5.07-5.31), and 11.98% (11.8-12.15) in the whole, urban, and rural areas of China, respectively. Further, the overall weighted PAFs of the eight potentially modifiable risk factors were 53.72% (95% CI 52.73-54.71), 50.64% (49.4-51.89), and 56.54% (55.62-57.46) in the whole, urban, and rural areas of China, respectively. The eight risk factors' prevalence differed between rural and urban areas. Lower childhood education (PAF: 13.92%) and physical inactivity (16.99%) were primary risk factors in rural and urban areas, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The substantial urban-rural disparities in the prevalence of dementia and its risk factors exist, suggesting the requirement of resident-specific dementia-prevention strategies.

Nuclear Charge Radii of the Nickel Isotopes ^{58-68,70}Ni

Collinear laser spectroscopy is performed on the nickel isotopes ^{58-68,70}Ni, using a time-resolved photon counting system. From the measured isotope shifts, nuclear charge radii R_{c} are extracted and compared to theoretical results. Three ab initio approaches all employ, among others, the chiral interaction NNLO_{sat}, which allows an assessment of their accuracy. We find agreement with experiment in differential radii δ⟨r_{c}^{2}⟩ for all employed ab initio methods and interactions, while the absolute radii are consistent with data only for NNLO_{sat}. Within nuclear density functional theory, the Skyrme functional SV-min matches experiment more closely than the Fayans functional Fy(Δr,HFB).

[A longitudinal study of relationship between family conflict and suicidal behavior in adolescents]

Objective: To explore the relationship between family conflict and adolescent future suicidal behavior. Methods: A total of 7 072 adolescents who participated in the baseline survey and the first follow-up survey of Shandong Adolescent Behavior and Health Cohort were included in the analysis. They were sampled from 8 middle schools in 3 counties of Shandong province, China. A self-reported questionnaire was used to measure suicidal behavior, family conflict, depression, and demographic characteristics. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between family conflict and suicidal behavior. Results: In the baseline survey, the age of 7 072 subjects was (14.58±1.45) years, and boys and girls accounted for 50.0% respectively. 750 people (10.6%) had any suicidal behavior, of which 707 (10.0%), 258 (3.6%) and 190 (2.7%) had suicidal ideation, suicide planning and suicide attempt, respectively. The family conflict scores of the suicidal group were higher than those of the non-suicidal group. After adjusting for covariates, logistic regressions showed that family conflict was associated with increased risk of suicidal behavior (OR=1.05, 95%CI: 1.01-1.10), suicidal ideation (OR=1.05, 95%CI: 1.00-1.09), suicide planning (OR=1.08, 95%CI: 1.01-1.16) and suicide attempt (OR=1.10, 95%CI: 1.02-1.19). Further stratified by gender, results showed no significant association between family conflict and suicidal behavior in girls; the association of family conflict with suicidal behavior was more significant in boys, especially for suicidal ideation and suicide planning, and the OR value of the latter was higher than the former. The results were stable after sensitivity analysis in males. Conclusions: Family conflict might increase the risk of adolescent suicidal behavior, especially in males. Harmonious family environment and good family atmosphere are of great significance to adolescent suicide prevention and control.

[mTOR signaling pathway-mediated autophagy involved in inhibition of osteoblast differentiation induced by cadmium in human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells]

Objective: To investigate the role of autophagy mediated by mTOR signaling pathway in the inhibition of osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) induced by cadmium. Methods: HBMSCs were divided into 0, 2.5 or 5.0 μmol/L groups according to the exposure dose of cadmium chloride (CdCl₂), and each group was treated for 1 day, 4 days and (or) 7 days. The ALP activity and mRNA and protein expression levels of osteogenesis markers (ALP, RUNX2 and OSTERIX), autophagy-related proteins (LC3 and Beclin-1) and mTOR signaling pathway related proteins (mTOR, p-mTOR and p-p70S6K) expression, alkaline phosphatase staining and alizarin red staining were detected. MHY 1485 was selected as the signaling pathway activator. The control group, CdCl₂ group (5.0 μmol/L), MHY 1485 group and CdCl₂+MHY 1485 combined treatment group were set. After 7 days of treatment, the expression levels of autophagy related proteins and mTOR signaling pathway related proteins of hBMSCs in each group were detected. Results: There was no significant difference in ALP activity between 0, 2.5 and 5.0 μmol/L groups on day 1 and 4 (P>0.05); On day 7, compared with the 0 μmol/L group, the ALP activity, expression of osteogenic markers (ALP, RUNX2, OSTERIX) and mTOR signaling pathway related proteins (mTOR, p-mTOR, p-p70S6K) expression decreased in the 2.5 and 5.0 μmol/L group (P<0.05). Compared with the 0 μmol/L group, the staining of the 2.5 and 5.0 μmol/L groups became lighter, and the formation of ALP and mineralized nodules was reduced. Compared with the CdCl₂ group, the autophagy related protein expression in the CdCl₂+MHY 1485 combined treatment group decreased, and the mTOR signaling pathway related protein expression increased. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: The inhibition of osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs by cadmium may be related to autophagy mediated by mTOR signaling pathway.

Non-linear dose-response relation between urinary levels of nicotine and its metabolites and cognitive impairment among an elderly population in China

BACKGROUND

Active smoking and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke may be related to cognitive function decline. We assessed the associations of urinary levels of nicotine and its metabolites with cognitive function.

METHODS

A total of 553 elder adults at high risk of cognitive impairment and 2212 gender- and age-matched individuals at low risk of cognitive impairment were selected at a ratio of 1: 4 from the remained individuals (n = 6771) who completed the baseline survey of the Shenzhen Ageing-Related Disorder Cohort, after excluding those with either Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's syndrome or stroke as well as those with missing data on variables (including active and passive smoking status, Mini-Cog score). Urinary levels of nicotine and its metabolites and cognitive function for all individuals were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and assessed using the Mini-Cog test, respectively. Associations of urinary levels of nicotine and its metabolites with cognitive function were analyzed by conditional logistic regression models.

RESULTS

Individuals in the highest tertile of urinary OHCotGluc (OR: 1.52, 95%CI: 1.19-1.93) or NNO (OR: 1.50, 95%CI: 1.16-1.93) levels as well as in the second tertile of urinary ∑Nic level (OR: 1.43, 95%CI: 1.13-1.82) were at higher risk of cognitive impairment compared with those in the corresponding lowest tertile. Restricted cubic spline models revealed the non-linear dose-response relationships between urinary levels of OHCotGluc, NNO or ∑Nic and the risk of cognitive impairment.

CONCLUSIONS

Urinary levels of OHCotGluc, NNO or ∑Nic exhibited a non-linear dose-response relationship with cognitive function in the urban elderly.

Isotope Shifts of Radium Monofluoride Molecules

Isotope shifts of ^{223-226,228}Ra^{19}F were measured for different vibrational levels in the electronic transition A^{2}Π_{1/2}←X^{2}Σ^{+}. The observed isotope shifts demonstrate the particularly high sensitivity of radium monofluoride to nuclear size effects, offering a stringent test of models describing the electronic density within the radium nucleus. Ab initio quantum chemical calculations are in excellent agreement with experimental observations. These results highlight some of the unique opportunities that short-lived molecules could offer in nuclear structure and in fundamental symmetry studies.

[Predictive value of lactate concentration combined with lactate clearance rate in the prognosis of neonatal septic shock]

Objective: To investigate the predictive value of lactate concentration within 1 h after admission combined with lactate clearance rate (LC) at 6 h after fluid resuscitation in prognosis of neonatal septic shock. Methods: In this retrospective study, 58 newborns with septic shock admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Xi'an Children's Hospital,Xi'an Jiao Tong University from June 2016 to March 2020 were enrolled. According to the mortality within 60 days after admission,which was also set as the end point, the patients were divided into death group and survival group. The general demographic data and clinical variables including blood cell counts, procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, D-dimer, serum creatinine, and lactate concentration within 1 h after admission (Lac1) and at 6 h after fluid resuscitation (Lac2) were collected. The differences in the clinical variables between the survival and death group were compared by independent sample t test or Rank-Sum test, and the risk factors of poor prognosis were analyzed by binary Logistic regression. The predictive values of these risk factors were tested by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Furthermore, the cut-off of the risk factors were used to analyze the accumulative survival rate by Kaplan-Meier curve. Results: A total of 58 neonates were enrolled, among whom 24 survived and 34 died within 60 days after admission. The rate of premature rupture of membranes in the death group was higher than that in the survival group (41% (14/34) vs.13%(3/24), P=0.021). There were also significant differences in infection site, pathogenic characteristics, total fluid volume of resuscitation, vasoactive drug index, rate and complications of mechanical ventilation between the two groups (all P<0.05). The levels of Lac1, Lac2, procalcitonin, D-dimer and serum creatinine in the death group were higher than those in the survival group ((12±6) vs. (7±4) mmol/L, (14±6) vs. (4±2) mmol/L, (59±23) vs.(24±14) ng/L, (24±11) vs.(11±6) mg/L, (167±31) vs.(92±23) μmol/L, t=3.549, 3.112, 3.859, 4.499, 3.288, all P<0.05). While the blood pressure and LC at 6 h after fluid resuscitation were lower than those in the survival group ((41±12) vs. (52±5) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), t =4.230;-16 (-40, 20) % vs. 40 (18, 70) %, Z= 3.558, all P<0.05). Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that LC was negatively associated with the risk of death in neonates with septic shock (odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.679 (0.662-0.999), P<0.05), while Lac1 was the risk factor and positively associated with the risk of death (OR and 95% CI: 1.203 (0.965-1.500), P<0.05). Furthermore, the predictive values of LC, Lac1 and the combination of these two variables in the prognosis of neonatal septic shock were analyzed by ROC curve analysis, and the area under the curve (AUC) were 0.699, 0.875, 0.965, respectively, with the sensitivity of 83.32%, 89.65% and 94.31%, and the specificity of 72.52%, 77.18% and 88.76%, respectively. According to the cut-off value of Lac1, the newborns with Lac1>4 mmol/L had significantly lower accumulative survival rate than those with Lac1≤4 mmol/L by Kaplan-Meier analysis (21% (8/38) vs. 80% (16/20), χ²=54.520, P<0.05). According to the cut-off value of LC, the newborns with LC ≤ 10% had significantly lower accumulative survival rate than those with LC>10% by Kaplan-Meier analysis (19% (6/32) vs. 69% (18/26), χ²=14.140, P<0.05). Conclusion: The combination of lactate concentration and lactate clearance rate have an optimal predictive value in the prognosis of neonatal septic shock.

Correction: Largely enhanced thermoelectric effect and pure spin current in silicene-based devices under hydrogen modification

Correction for 'Largely enhanced thermoelectric effect and pure spin current in silicene-based devices under hydrogen modification' by G. Qiao et al., Nanoscale, 2020, 12, 277-288, DOI: 10.1039/C9NR07541K.

Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor rofecoxib prevents chondrocytes against hypertrophy via Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Previous reports indicated that specific cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor suppresses osteoarthritis (OA). This study aimed to further explore the possible mechanism of Rofecoxib as a COX-2 inhibitor on the inhibition of chondrocyte (CH) hypertrophic development and tested the optimal treatment of Rofecoxib on CH. Basically, IL-1β was used as a stimulus to establish a degenerated CH model. Immunofluorescence, Western blot, and RT-PCR were performed to determine the gene expression of Axin2, β-catenin, GSK3β, collagen X, collagen II, COX-2, PGE-2, SOX-9, Runx-2, and MMP- 13 expression. Cell Counting Kit (CCK-8) assay was used to analyze the viability of CHs. The data indicated that Rofecoxib significantly inhibited COX-2 expression and had less harmful effects on CH viability. Rofecoxib reversed the IL-1β-induced upregulation of collagen X, COX-2, PGE-2, Runx-2, and MMP-13 expression, and promoted the viability of collagen II, SOX-9 expression of CHs. Furthermore, Rofecoxib suppressed Axin2, β-catenin, and GSK3β expression of the Wnt pathway, which was activated by IL-1β or human recombinant Wnt-1 protein treatment. Therefore, Rofecoxib is an effective COX-2 inhibitor that protects CHs from hypertrophy by suppression of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Laser spectroscopy of indium Rydberg atom bunches by electric field ionization

This work reports on the application of a novel electric field-ionization setup for high-resolution laser spectroscopy measurements on bunched fast atomic beams in a collinear geometry. In combination with multi-step resonant excitation to Rydberg states using pulsed lasers, the field ionization technique demonstrates increased sensitivity for isotope separation and measurement of atomic parameters over previous non-resonant laser ionization methods. The setup was tested at the Collinear Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy experiment at ISOLDE-CERN to perform high-resolution measurements of transitions in the indium atom from the \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\text {5s}^2\text {5d}\,^2\text {D}_{5/2}$$\end{document}5s25d2D5/2 and \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\text {5s}^2\text {5d}\,^2\text {D}_{3/2}$$\end{document}5s25d2D3/2 states to \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\text {5s}^2n$$\end{document}5s2np \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$^2$$\end{document}2P and \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\text {5s}^2n\text {f}\,^2$$\end{document}5s2nf2F Rydberg states, up to a principal quantum number of \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$n=72$$\end{document}n=72. The extracted Rydberg level energies were used to re-evaluate the ionization potential of the indium atom to be \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$46,670.107(4)\,\hbox {cm}^{-1}$$\end{document}46,670.107(4)cm-1. The nuclear magnetic dipole and nuclear electric quadrupole hyperfine structure constants and level isotope shifts of the \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\text {5s}^2\text {5d}\,^2\text {D}_{5/2}$$\end{document}5s25d2D5/2 and \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\text {5s}^2\text {5d}\,^2\text {D}_{3/2}$$\end{document}5s25d2D3/2 states were determined for \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$^{113,115}$$\end{document}113,115In. The results are compared to calculations using relativistic coupled-cluster theory. A good agreement is found with the ionization potential and isotope shifts, while disagreement of hyperfine structure constants indicates an increased importance of electron correlations in these excited atomic states. With the aim of further increasing the detection sensitivity for measurements on exotic isotopes, a systematic study of the field-ionization arrangement implemented in the work was performed at the same time and an improved design was simulated and is presented. The improved design offers increased background suppression independent of the distance from field ionization to ion detection.

[Technological innovation and patent transformation in rectal cancer surgery]

Surgery for rectal cancer has obtained quick improvement in techniques and concepts in recent years but still has challenging areas. Colorectal surgeons always seek to make operations clearer and easier, so that surgery can be safer and less time-consuming while guaranteeing surgical goals. With this purpose, our team have explored to make innovations in operations for rectal cancer and translate relevant patents from 2009. We summarize our achievements in this article as follows: (1) Reverse Miles operation (perineal operation first then laparoscopic abdominal operation) with two relevant patents-specialized instruments bag for laparoscopic operations (patent number ZL201520442331.0) and accessory spotlight for ultrasound scalpel (patent number ZL20102 0137689.X). (2) Laparoscopic sphincter-saving surgery for low rectal cancer through marker meeting approach with two patents-vacuum rectal drainage tube with functions of irrigation and ventilation (patent number ZL201520374385.8) and sterile sleeve cover of ultrasound scalpel handle (patent number ZL201920648102.2). (3) Laparoscopic radical resection of colorectal cancer and natural orifice specimen extraction. Different methods were designed according to the location of the tumor that classified as 20-40 cm, 10-20 cm and 5-10 cm to anus. Two relevant patents were specialized instruments for natural orifice specimen extraction (patent application number ZL2017101480141) and plastic film sleeve for natural orifice specimen extraction (patent application number ZL 201921169857.0). Reformation of surgical technique and innovation of surgical instruments should be conducted by surgeons with innovative thinking who always seek the way to translate ideas to patents and then real products to promote surgical treatment.

Positive-Parity Linear-Chain Molecular Band in ^{16}C

An inelastic excitation and cluster-decay experiment ^{2}H(^{16}C,^{4}He+^{12}Be or ^{6}He+^{10}Be)^{2}H was carried out to investigate the linear-chain clustering structure in neutron-rich ^{16}C. For the first time, decay paths from the ^{16}C resonances to various states of the final nuclei were determined, thanks to the well-resolved Q-value spectra obtained from the threefold coincident measurement. The close-threshold resonance at 16.5 MeV is assigned as the J^{π}=0^{+} band head of the predicted positive-parity linear-chain molecular band with (3/2_{π}^{-})^{2}(1/2_{σ}^{-})^{2} configuration, according to the associated angular correlation and decay analysis. Other members of this band were found at 17.3, 19.4, and 21.6 MeV based on their selective decay properties, being consistent with the theoretical predictions. Another intriguing high-lying state was observed at 27.2 MeV which decays almost exclusively to ^{6}He+^{10}Be(∼6  MeV) final channel, corresponding well to another predicted linear-chain structure with the pure σ-bond configuration.

Spectroscopy of short-lived radioactive molecules

Molecular spectroscopy offers opportunities for the exploration of the fundamental laws of nature and the search for new particle physics beyond the standard model1-4. Radioactive molecules-in which one or more of the atoms possesses a radioactive nucleus-can contain heavy and deformed nuclei, offering high sensitivity for investigating parity- and time-reversal-violation effects5,6. Radium monofluoride, RaF, is of particular interest because it is predicted to have an electronic structure appropriate for laser cooling6, thus paving the way for its use in high-precision spectroscopic studies. Furthermore, the effects of symmetry-violating nuclear moments are strongly enhanced5,7-9 in molecules containing octupole-deformed radium isotopes10,11. However, the study of RaF has been impeded by the lack of stable isotopes of radium. Here we present an experimental approach to studying short-lived radioactive molecules, which allows us to measure molecules with lifetimes of just tens of milliseconds. Energetically low-lying electronic states were measured for different isotopically pure RaF molecules using collinear resonance ionisation at the ISOLDE ion-beam facility at CERN. Our results provide evidence of the existence of a suitable laser-cooling scheme for these molecules and represent a key step towards high-precision studies in these systems. Our findings will enable further studies of short-lived radioactive molecules for fundamental physics research.

COVID-19: Initial experience of an international group of hand surgeons

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected medical treatment protocols throughout the world. While the pandemic does not affect hand surgeons at first glance, they have a role to play. The purpose of this study was to describe the different measures that have been put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic by hand surgeons throughout the world. The survey comprised 47 surgeons working in 34 countries who responded to an online questionnaire. We found that the protocols varied in terms of visitors, health professionals in the operating room, patient waiting areas, wards and emergency rooms. Based on these preliminary findings, an international consensus on hand surgery practices for the current viral pandemic, and future ones, needs to be built rapidly.

Charge Radius of the Short-Lived ^{68}Ni and Correlation with the Dipole Polarizability

We present the first laser spectroscopic measurement of the neutron-rich nucleus ^{68}Ni at the N=40 subshell closure and extract its nuclear charge radius. Since this is the only short-lived isotope for which the dipole polarizability α_{D} has been measured, the combination of these observables provides a benchmark for nuclear structure theory. We compare them to novel coupled-cluster calculations based on different chiral two- and three-nucleon interactions, for which a strong correlation between the charge radius and dipole polarizability is observed, similar to the stable nucleus ^{48}Ca. Three-particle-three-hole correlations in coupled-cluster theory substantially improve the description of the experimental data, which allows to constrain the neutron radius and neutron skin of ^{68}Ni.

g Factor of the ^{99}Zr (7/2^{+}) Isomer: Monopole Evolution in the Shape-Coexisting Region

The gyromagnetic factor of the low-lying E=251.96(9)  keV isomeric state of the nucleus ^{99}Zr was measured using the time-dependent perturbed angular distribution technique. This level is assigned a spin and parity of J^{π}=7/2^{+}, with a half-life of T_{1/2}=336(5)  ns. The isomer was produced and spin aligned via the abrasion-fission of a ^{238}U primary beam at RIKEN RIBF. A magnetic moment |μ|=2.31(14)μ_{N} was deduced showing that this isomer is not single particle in nature. A comparison of the experimental values with interacting boson-fermion model IBFM-1 results shows that this state is strongly mixed with a main νd_{5/2} composition. Furthermore, it was found that monopole single-particle evolution changes significantly with the appearance of collective modes, likely due to type-II shell evolution.

Largely enhanced thermoelectric effect and pure spin current in silicene-based devices under hydrogen modification

Based on the density functional theory and nonequilibrium Green's function methods, we launch a systematic study of the magnetic properties and thermoelectric effects in silicene-based devices constructed by using zigzag silicene nanoribbons (ZSiNRs). By modulating the adsorption site, it is found that the ground state of ZSiNRs varies from an antiferromagnetic state to a ferromagnetic state. Meanwhile, a spin-degenerate semiconductor evolves into a spin semiconductor. The spin and charge thermoelectric figure of merits have an almost equal value of about 60 in the narrow device, which originates from the spin-dependent conductance dips and high spin-filtering effects. Moreover, a thermally-driven pure spin current in the silicene-based devices is obtained in the absence of the gate voltage, and its magnitude is effectively enhanced as the device width increases. Our results suggest that the silicene-based devices have very good prospects for spin caloritronics.

MAPT/Tau accumulation represses autophagy flux by disrupting IST1-regulated ESCRT-III complex formation: a vicious cycle in Alzheimer neurodegeneration

Macroautophagy/autophagy deficit induces intracellular MAPT/tau accumulation, the hallmark pathology in Alzheimer disease (AD) and other tauopathies; however, the reverse role of MAPT accumulation in autophagy and neurodegeneration is not clear. Here, we found that overexpression of human wild-type full-length MAPT, which models MAPT pathologies as seen in sporadic AD patients, induced autophagy deficits via repression of autophagosome-lysosome fusion leading to significantly increased LC3 (microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3)-II and SQSTM1/p62 (sequestosome 1) protein levels with autophagosome accumulation. At the molecular level, intracellular MAPT aggregation inhibited expression of IST1 (IST1 factor associated with ESCRT-III), a positive modulator for the formation of ESCRT (the Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport) complex that is required for autophagosome-lysosome fusion. Upregulating IST1 in human MAPT transgenic mice attenuated autophagy deficit with reduced MAPT aggregation and ameliorated synaptic plasticity and cognitive functions, while downregulating IST1 per se induced autophagy deficit with impaired synapse and cognitive function in naïve mice. IST1 can facilitate association of CHMP2B (charged multivesicular body protein 2B) and CHMP4B/SNF7-2 to form ESCRT-III complex, while lack of IST1 impeded the complex formation. Finally, we demonstrate that MAPT accumulation suppresses IST1 transcription with the mechanisms involving the ANP32A-regulated mask of histone acetylation. Our findings suggest that the AD-like MAPT accumulation can repress autophagosome-lysosome fusion by deregulating ANP32A-INHAT-IST1-ESCRT-III pathway, which also reveals a vicious cycle of MAPT accumulation and autophagy deficit in the chronic course of AD neurodegeneration.Abbreviations: AAV: adeno-associated virus; Aβ: β-amyloid; aCSF: artificial cerebrospinal fluid; AD: Alzheimer disease; ANP32A: acidic nuclear phosphoprotein 32 family member A; ATG: autophagy related; AVs: autophagic vacuoles; CEBPB: CCAAT enhancer binding protein beta; CHMP: charged multivesicular body protein; DMEM: Dulbecco's modified eagle's medium; EBSS: Earle's balanced salt solution; EGFR: epidermal growth factor receptor; ESCRT: endosomal sorting complex required for transport; fEPSPs: field excitatory postsynaptic potentials; GAPDH: glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; GSK3B: glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta; HAT: histone acetyl transferase; HDAC: histone deacetylase; INHAT: inhibitor of histone acetyl transferase; IST1: IST1 factor associated with ESCRT-III; LAMP2: lysosomal associated membrane protein 2; LTP: long-term potentiation; MAP1LC3: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3; MAPT/tau: microtubule associated protein tau; MVB: multivesicular bodies; MWM: Morris water maze; PBS: phosphate-buffered saline solution; RAB7: member RAS oncogene family; SNAREs: soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors; SQSTM1/p62: sequestosome 1.

Laser Spectroscopy of Neutron-Rich Tin Isotopes: A Discontinuity in Charge Radii across the N=82 Shell Closure

The change in mean-square nuclear charge radii δ⟨r^{2}⟩ along the even-A tin isotopic chain ^{108-134}Sn has been investigated by means of collinear laser spectroscopy at ISOLDE/CERN using the atomic transitions 5p^{2} ^{1}S_{0}→5p6 s^{1}P_{1} and 5p^{2} ^{3}P_{0}→5p6s ^{3}P_{1}. With the determination of the charge radius of ^{134}Sn and corrected values for some of the neutron-rich isotopes, the evolution of the charge radii across the N=82 shell closure is established. A clear kink at the doubly magic ^{132}Sn is revealed, similar to what has been observed at N=82 in other isotopic chains with larger proton numbers, and at the N=126 shell closure in doubly magic ^{208}Pb. While most standard nuclear density functional calculations struggle with a consistent explanation of these discontinuities, we demonstrate that a recently developed Fayans energy density functional provides a coherent description of the kinks at both doubly magic nuclei, ^{132}Sn and ^{208}Pb, without sacrificing the overall performance. A multiple correlation analysis leads to the conclusion that both kinks are related to pairing and surface effects.

[Clinical analysis of seven cases of rare hemolytic disease of the newborn]

Objective: To summarize the clinical features of 7 rare cases of hemolytic disease of newborn (HDN), and to improve the understanding of rare HDN. Methods: Data of clinical information, laboratory findings, treatments and outcomes were collected and analyzed for four cases with HDN due to anti-M, two cases due to anti-Kidd, and one case due to anti-Duffy. All of them were admitted to the Department of Neonatology, Beijing Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medial University from July 2007 to June 2017. Results: Among the four MN hemolytic babies, two were males and two were females. Jaundice was found in three cases. Two cases had hyperbilirubinemia, one of them had severe hyperbilirubinemia. All the four cases developed anemia, including severe anemia in three cases. Two cases of Kidd hemolytic disease and 1 case of Duffy hemolytic disease had jaundice and anemia, but did not reach the level of severe hyperbilirubinemia and severe anemia. MN hemolytic disease babies got negative results in direct antiglobulin test, whereas the Kidd and Duffy hemolytic disease babies had positive findings in direct antiglobulin test. None of the babies had blood transfusion, and they were discharged from the hospital. Conclusions: Without maternal and fetal blood group incompatibility (ABO or Rh blood-group system), for early onset of jaundice, severe jaundice or anemia, antiglobulin test to mother and child earlier should be administered, and MN, Kidd, Duffy and other rare hemolytic disease of the newborn should be pay attention to.

[A study on alterations in mitochondrial biological characteristics during cellular senescence of human embryonic lung fibroblasts]

Objective: To study the alterations of mitochondrial biological characteristics during both cellular replicative and premature senescence induced by hydrogen peroxide in human embryonic lung fibroblasts (HEFs). Methods: The premature senescence was induced by 400 μmol/L H(2)O(2) once a day at the same time and with 2 hours each time, after four consecutive days the premature senescence models were classified into premature senescence initiation group (PSi) and premature senescence persistence group (PSp). Based on the life span of HEFs, the cell replicative senescence was divided into five groups included young-age (22 PDL), middle-age (35 PDL), replicative senescence (49 PDL), PSi and PSp. The mitochondrial distribution, relative content, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) contents, 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels, the relative mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) as well as mitochondrial DNA methyltransferase 1 (mtDNMT1) mRNA levels, mtDNA copy number, the relative TFAM protein level and the total enzyme activity of mitochondrial DNA methyltransferases (mtDNMTs) were detected in five senescence groups. Results: The mtDNA copy number, 8-OHdG contents, level of mtDNMT1 mRNA and mtDNMTs activity in 49 PDL group were higher than those in 22 PDL group (all P values <0.05); The level of 8-OHdG in PSi was higher than that in 22 PDL group (P<0.05); The ATP contents, mtDNA copy number, the mRNA and protein expression levels of TFAM and mtDNMTs activity of PSp were higher than those in 22 PDL group (all P values<0.05). Conclusion: During the cellular senescence of HEFs, the higher mtDNA copy number and mtDNMTs activity were common features regardless of replicative or premature senescence, with possibility that oxidative stress was involved in modifying the occurrence of premature senescence.

Optogenetics-induced activation of glutamate receptors improves memory function in mice with Alzheimer's disease

Optogenetics is a combination of optics and genetics technology that can be used to activate or inhibit specific cells in tissues. It has been used to treat Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy and neurological diseases, but rarely Alzheimer’s disease. Adeno-associated virus carrying the CaMK promoter driving the optogenetic channelrhodopsin-2 (CHR2) gene (or without the CHR2 gene, as control) was injected into the bilateral dentate gyri, followed by repeated intrahippocampal injections of soluble low-molecular-weight amyloid-β1–42 peptide (Aβ_1–42). Subsequently, the region was stimulated with a 473 nm laser (1–3 ms, 10 Hz, 5 minutes). The novel object recognition test was conducted to test memory function in mice. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to analyze the numbers of NeuN and synapsin Ia/b-positive cells in the hippocampus. Western blot assay was carried out to analyze the expression levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein, NeuN, synapsin Ia/b, metabotropic glutamate receptor-1a (mGluR-1a), mGluR-5, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit NR1, glutamate receptor 2, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and interleukin-10. Optogenetic stimulation improved working and short-term memory in mice with Alzheimer’s disease. This neuroprotective effect was associated with increased expression of NR1, glutamate receptor 2 and mGluR-5 in the hippocampus, and decreased expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein and interleukin-6. Our results show that optogenetics can be used to regulate the neuronal-glial network to ameliorate memory functions in mice with Alzheimer’s disease. The study was approved by the Animal Resources Committee of Jinan University, China (approval No. LL-KT-2011134) on February 28, 2011.

[Establishment of arsenic speciation analysis method and application in rice]

Objective: A new ion exchange column technology was used to establish an efficient and sensitive method for the detection of inorganic arsenic. Methods: Based on the new As Specia Fast Column, the pretreatment methods, liquid phase separation and mass spectrometry determination conditions of inorganic arsenic in rice were optimized. Finally, arsenic compounds were separated by As Specia Fast Column and detected by liquid chromatography inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The external standard method was used for quantitative analysis. The detection limit, precision and accuracy of the method were determined by measuring the content of arsenic compounds in rice samples and rice standard samples. At the same time, three Guangdong rice samples were selected as the experimental samples of this study, and 1 g of each sample was weighed and measured in parallel three times. The method was compared with the method of liquid chromatography-atomic fluorescence spectrometry (LC-AFS) and liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LC-ICP-MS) in the national standard. Results: The inorganic arsenic in rice was extracted with 0.5% nitric acid solution at 65 ℃ for 15 h, and the pH was adjusted to alkaline. The mobile phase A (8 mmol/L HNO(3), 50 mmol/L NH(3)·H(2)O) and mobile phase B (40 mmol/L HNO(3), 80 mmol/L NH(3)·H(2)O) were used as the mobile phase gradient elution (93%) . Five arsenic compounds can reach baseline separation under the conditions of RF power of 1 500 W and atomization gas flow of 0.97 L/min. The detection limits ranged from 0.114 to 0.331 μg/L, and the inorganic arsenic content in rice samples ranged from 0.063 to 0.232 mg/kg. The results of determination of arsenic compounds in rice flour reference materials were all within the uncertainty range indicated by the standard. The recoveries were 86.7%~106.7%, and the precision was 1.9%-12.5%. Compared with national standards, the results of determination of arsenate in rice were relatively close (using this method, LC-AFS, LC-ICP-MS to detect the content of arsenate in rice samples 1 was 0.231, 0.226, 0.236 mg/kg, respectively). However, due to insufficient sensitivity, the national standard method is difficult to detect low levels of arsenic compounds (Arsenobetaine was not detected in rice sample 1). The method can detect the content of arsenobetaine in rice sample 1 was 0.023 mg/kg. Conclusion: The established method can meet the requirements of inorganic arsenic determination in rice, and it is more rapid and accurate than the current national standard. It can better monitor and evaluate the content of i-As in rice, and provide accurate data for comprehensively grasping and evaluating the safety of rice consumption of residents.

Monosodium glutamate exposure during the neonatal period leads to cognitive deficits in adult Sprague-Dawley rats

Epidemiological surveys show that 70-80% of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) have type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or show an abnormality of blood glucose levels. Therefore, an increasing number of evidence has suggested that diabetic hyperglycemia is tightly linked with the pathogenesis and progression of AD. In the present study, we replicated T2DM animal model via subcutaneous injection of newborn Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats with monosodium glutamate (MSG) during the neonatal period to investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of hyperglycemia on cognitive ability. We found that neonatal MSG exposure induced hyperglycemia as well as Alzheimer-like learning and memory deficits with decreased dendritic spine density and hippocampal synaptic-related protein expression and increased phosphorylated tau levels in ∼3-month-old SD rats. Our results suggested that hyperglycemia probably causes cognitive impairment and Alzheimer-like neuropathological changes, which provide the experimental data connecting T2DM and AD.

[Influence on compliance of subcutaneous immunotherapy in patients with allergic rhinitis by We-Media management]

Objective:To investigate the influence on compliance of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in patients with allergic rhinitis by We-Media management.Method:One hundred and eighty patients of allergic rhinitis were randomly divided into We-Media management group (Group A 90 cases) and telephone management group (Group B 90 cases). All of patients were treated with SLIT. In the group A, the doctor-patient WeChat and/or QQ group were formed. The specific duty doctor acted as group leader, made monthly plans, sent SLIT related knowledge more than 3 times a week and assessed patient reported outcomes. In the group B, the patients were conductd on-the-spot demonstration and explanation and followed up by telephone once three month. The statistical analysises were made on the rates and reason of dropouts on the first, third, sixth, ninth, twelfth post-treatment months in two groups.Result:The rates of dropouts in group A and group B were 13.3%(12/90) and 32.2%(29/90) respectively in the first year. The statistical difference were noticeable between group A and group B(P=0.003). Most dropouts were happened in the first 3 months, group A 41.7%(5/12) and group B 51.7%(15/29) respectively. It had no statistically significant(P=0.558). Two major reasons of dropouts were no improvement of symptoms and lack of confidence.Conclusion:Percentage of dropouts in SLIT patients through telephone management was comparatively high, which can be significantly improved by We-Media management. We-Media management has more advantage,especially during long-term follow-up.

Case of twin pregnancy complicated by idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura treated with intravenous immunoglobulin: Review of the literature

Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an acquired thrombocytopenia without other clear cause of thrombocytopenia. It is not common in a singleton pregnancy and less common in twin pregnancy. We report a 33-year-old ITP pluripara whose first pregnancy was uneventful. She carried twin pregnancy, complicated by recurrent very low platelets, and gave birth to preterm twins. This patient received multiple courses of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and showed a significant platelet count improvement with IVIG therapy.

Multi-functional spintronic devices based on boron- or aluminum-doped silicene nanoribbons

Zigzag silicene nanoribbons (ZSiNRs) in the ferromagnetic edge ordering have a metallic behavior, which limits their applications in spintronics. Here a robustly half-metallic property is achieved by the boron substitution doping at the edge of ZSiNRs. When the impurity atom is replaced by the aluminum atom, the doped ZSiNRs possess a spin semiconducting property. Its band gap is suppressed with the increase of ribbon's width, and a pure thermal spin current is achieved by modulating ribbon's width. Moreover, a negative differential thermoelectric resistance in the thermal charge current appears as the temperature gradient increases, which originates from the fact that the spin-up and spin-down thermal charge currents have diverse increasing rates at different temperature gradient regions. Our results put forward a promising route to design multi-functional spintronic devices which may be applied in future low-power-consumption technologies.

The adverse effects of perinatal exposure to nonylphenol on carbohydrate metabolism in male offspring rats

BACKGROUND

We sought to investigate the adverse effects of perinatal exposure to nonylphenol (NP) on carbohydrate metabolism of male offspring rats.

METHODS

Thirty-two healthy pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups, control normal diet group (C), NP normal diet group (NPN), control high-energy diet group (CH), and NP high-energy diet group (NPH). Both of the control groups were received a gavage of corn oil and the NP-groups were received NP (200 mg/kg/day) from gestational days 6 to post-natal day (PND) 21. The concentrations of NP in pancreatic tissues were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The key genes of glucose metabolism expression were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The pancreatic tissues were stained with hematoxylin/eosin (HE).

RESULTS

On PND 1, the body weights of male pups in the NPN and NPH groups were lower than those of the CH group (p = 0.012 and 0.001, respectively). On PND 30, the body weight of male pups from the NPH group was elevated compared with the C group (p = 0.019), while the body weights of male pups in the NPN and NPH groups were elevated compared to the CH group (p = 0.034 and 0.004, respectively). On PND 60, the body weights of NPN and NPH pups were higher than those in the C (p < 0.001) and CH groups (p < 0.001). The levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG) were increased significantly in the animals treated with NP compared to control animals (F = 29.14, p < 0.001). The FBG levels in the treatment groups are ranked as follows: NPH > NPN > CH > C (p < 0.05). The concentrations of NP in pancreas tissues in both the NPN (2045.0 ± 130.1 μg/L) and NPH groups (2038.0 ± 104.2 μg/L) were higher than those in the C (499.5 ± 27.4 μg/L) and CH groups (494.2 ± 22.4 μg/L; p < 0.05). Morphological examination of tissues from rats exposed to NP shown that the NP-treated groups appeared to have a higher degree of inflammatory injury, edema, and focal necrotic cells in the pancreatic tissues. Compared with C group, expression of glucokinase (GCK) was down-regulated, while Uncoupling protein-2 (UCP-2) was up-regulated in the NP-treated groups (F_GCK = 218.89, p < 0.001; F_UCP-2 = 18.82, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Prenatal exposure to NP could induce glucose metabolism disorder in male F1 rats, which may be due to the fact that NP induces abnormal expression patterns of GCK and UCP-2.

Circulating periostin levels increase in association with bone density loss and healing progression during the early phase of hip fracture in Chinese older women

The present study shows that hip fracture women had higher serum periostin (sPostn) levels. The elevation of sPostn is associated with bone density loss, yet fracture itself may even increase sPostn levels during early healing phase.

INTRODUCTION

The study aims to quantify the associations of sPostn levels with bone density loss and the possible effect on the fracture healing.

METHODS

This study enrolled 261 older women with osteoporotic hip fracture and 106 age-matched women without fracture serving as controls. Clinical features, bone mineral density (BMD), and bone turnover markers including sPostn level were measured after fracture within 2 days. Follow-up sPostn levels during 1 year after 2 days were available for 128 patients.

RESULTS

Initial levels of sPostn after fracture were significantly higher in patients than controls. sPostn was correlated with BMD of femoral neck (r = -0.529, P < 0.001), β-isomerized C-terminal crosslinking of type I collagen (β-CTX) (r = 0.403, P = 0.008), and N-terminal procollagen of type I collagen (PINP) (r = 0.236, P = 0.042) in the entire cohort. After multivariate analysis, sPostn remained as an independent risk factor for femoral neck BMD, which explained 19.1% of the variance in BMD. sPostn sampled within 7 days after fracture were acutely increasing from day 2 and then decreased and maintained at slightly high levels at 360 days. The percentage changes of sPostn positively correlated with the variation in β-CTX (r = 0.396, P = 0.002) and PINP (r = 0.180, P = 0.033) at day 7 after fracture.

CONCLUSIONS

High sPostn levels were an independent predictor of femoral neck BMD in older women presenting with an acute hip fracture. Increased sPostn levels during early healing phase may imply that Postn play a role in bone repair.

Zigzag C2N nanoribbons with edge modifications as multi-functional spin devices

Recently, a holey two-dimensional (2D) C₂N crystal with a wide band gap has been successfully synthesized. However, its non-magnetic property largely limits real applications in spintronics. Here we find that edge magnetism can be introduced by tailoring the holey 2D C₂N crystal into nanoribbons with zigzag edges. When edge N atoms are bare or passivated by H atoms, the device can be used to design high-performance thermospin devices and thermal rectifiers. This is ascribed to the emergence of a spin semiconducting property with a wide band gap. Moreover, if the edge N atoms are passivated by O atoms, the device shows a half-metallic property; meanwhile an obvious spin Seebeck effect can also be observed when a temperature difference is applied across the device.

[Cadmium burden and renal dysfunction among residents in cadmium-polluted areas: A 3-year follow-up study]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate dynamic change of cadmium body burden and renal dysfunction among residents living in cadmium-polluted areas.

METHODS

From April to July of 2011, the cadmium-polluted areas of northern Guangdong province in China was chosen as the study site. Based on the levels of cadmium pollution in soil and rice, the survey areas were divided into low exposed group (average concentration of cadmium was 0.15-0.40 mg/kg, 0.5-1.0 mg/kg in rice and soil, respectively) and high exposed group (average concentration of cadmium was >0.40 mg/kg, >1.0 mg/kg in rice and soil, respectively). Stratified random sampling and cluster sampling method of epidemiological investigations were carried out among 414 local residents who lived in cadmium exposure areas for more than 15 years, aged above 40, and without occupational cadmium exposure, including 168 and 246 residents in low and high exposed group, respectively. From March to June of 2014, 305 respondents of those who participated in 2011 were successfully traced, including 116 and 189 respondents in low and high exposed group, respectively. We used health questionnaires to acquire their health status. Home-harvested rice and vegetable samples were collected using quartering method for detection of cadmium level, including 190 rice samples, 161 vegetable samples in 2011 and 190 rice samples, 153 vegetable samples in 2014. Urine specimens of residents were collected for the detection of urinary cadmium and creatinine as well as renal dysfunction biomarkers, namely, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosamidase (NAG) and β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), respectively. In 2011 and 2014, Chi-square test was used to investigate the differences of abnormality of cadmium concentration in rice, vegetables and urinary cadmium, β2-MG, and NAG that were expressed as odds ratio(OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI).

RESULTS

In 2011 and 2014, cadmium concentration P50 (P25-P75) in rice was 0.43 (0.17-1.10) mg/kg, and 0.42 (0.20-1.14) mg/kg, respectively (Z=-0.77,P=0.440). In 2011 and 2014, cadmium concentrations P50 (P25-P75) in vegetables were 0.13 (0.07-0.34) mg/kg, and 0.25(0.12-0.59) mg/kg, respectively, with abnormal rates of 38.5%(62/161) and 60.8%(93/153), respectively. In 2014, both average concentration and abnormal rate of cadmium in vegetables were higher than those in 2011 (Z=-4.69, P<0.001 and χ(2)=15.58,P<0.001). Concentrations of urinary cadmium P50 (P25-P75) in high exposed group were 7.90 (3.96-14.91) μg/g creatinine, 8.64 (4.56-17.60) μg/g creatinine in 2011 and 2014, respectively. Contrary to that in 2011, urinary cadmium of high exposed group was significantly increased in 2014 (Z=-2.80, P=0.005). In 2011 and 2014, concentrations of β2-MG, NAG P50 (P25-P75) were 0.15(0.07-0.29) μg/g creatinine, 0.15 (0.07-0.45) μg/g creatinine, and 7.12 (5.05-10.65) U/g creatinine, 13.55(9.1-19.84) U/g creatinine, respectively, with abnormal rates of 7.5% (23/305), 15.1% (46/305), 8.2% (25/305) , and 33.8% (103/305), respectively. Compared with baseline in 2011, average concentrations of β2-MG, NAG significantly increased in 2014 (Z=-2.263, P=0.024 and Z=-12.52, P<0.001), and abnormal rates of β2-MG, NAG were also higher in 2014 (χ(2)=15.61 , P<0.001 and χ(2)=64.72, P<0.001), with odds ratio(OR) of 2.00 (95%CI:1.23-3.24) and 4.12 (95%CI:2.87-5.92).

CONCLUSION

Environmental cadmium pollution of crops such as rice and vegetables in survey areas continued to remain high. Body burden of cadmium might kept at sustainably high levels and renal dysfunction was worsened after continuous, long-term cadmium exposure. Our results suggested that NAG might be more sensitive than β2-MG to serve as an indicator for an individual's future tubular function.

Hydrophobic tagging-mediated degradation of Alzheimer's disease related Tau

HyT-Tau-CPP reduced Tau levels in Alzheimer's disease (AD) mouse model, and appeared to be a promising candidate for AD treatment.