CRYAB suppresses ferroptosis and promotes osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow stem cells via binding and stabilizing FTH1

BACKGROUND

Bone formation and homeostasis are greatly dependent on the osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs). Therefore, revealing the mechanisms underlying osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs will provide new candidate therapeutic targets for osteoporosis.

METHODS

The osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs was measured by analyzing ALP activity and expression levels of osteogenic markers. Cellular Fe and ROS levels and cell viability were applied to evaluate the ferroptosis of BMSCs. qRT-PCR, Western blotting, and co-immunoprecipitation assays were harnessed to study the molecular mechanism.

RESULTS

The mRNA level of CRYAB was decreased in the plasma of osteoporosis patients. Overexpression of CRYAB increased the expression of osteogenic markers including OCN, OPN, RUNX2, and COLI, and also augmented the ALP activity in BMSCs, on the contrary, knockdown of CRYAB had opposite effects. IP-MS technology identified CRYAB-interacted proteins and further found that CRYAB interacted with ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1) and maintained the stability of FTH1 via the proteasome mechanism. Mechanically, we unraveled that CRYAB regulated FTH1 protein stability in a lactylation-dependent manner. Knockdown of FTH1 suppressed the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs, and increased the cellular Fe and ROS levels, and eventually promoted ferroptosis. Rescue experiments revealed that CRYAB suppressed ferroptosis and promoted osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs via regulating FTH1. The mRNA level of FTH1 was decreased in the plasma of osteoporosis patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Downregulation of CRYAB boosted FTH1 degradation and increased cellular Fe and ROS levels, and finally improved the ferroptosis and lessened the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs.

Search for exotic decays of the Higgs boson to a pair of pseudoscalars in the μμbb and ττbb final states

A search for exotic decays of the Higgs boson (H ) with a mass of 125Ge V to a pair of light pseudoscalars a 1 is performed in final states where one pseudoscalar decays to two b quarks and the other to a pair of muons or τ leptons. A data sample of proton-proton collisions at s = 13 Te V corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138fb - 1 recorded with the CMS detector is analyzed. No statistically significant excess is observed over the standard model backgrounds. Upper limits are set at 95% confidence level (CL ) on the Higgs boson branching fraction to μ μ b b and to τ τ b b , via a pair of a 1 s. The limits depend on the pseudoscalar mass m a 1 and are observed to be in the range (0.17-3.3) × 10 - 4 and (1.7-7.7) × 10 - 2 in the μ μ b b and τ τ b b final states, respectively. In the framework of models with two Higgs doublets and a complex scalar singlet (2HDM+S), the results of the two final states are combined to determine upper limits on the branching fraction B ( H → a 1 a 1 → ℓ ℓ b b ) at 95% CL , with ℓ being a muon or a τ lepton. For different types of 2HDM+S, upper bounds on the branching fraction B ( H → a 1 a 1 ) are extracted from the combination of the two channels. In most of the Type II 2HDM+S parameter space, B ( H → a 1 a 1 ) values above 0.23 are excluded at 95% CL for m a 1 values between 15 and 60Ge V .

Comparison of Efficacy and Safety of Different Second-line Therapies for Patients With Advanced Thymic Carcinoma

AIMS

Thymic carcinoma (TC) is a rare form of highly invasive tumors. Currently, the standard first-line therapy involves paclitaxel plus carboplatin treatment, while the recommended regimen for second-line therapy remains uncertain. The purpose of this study is to explore the second-line mode of TC patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We evaluated the outcome of subjects with advanced TC between 2009 and 2023 in three medical centers, retrospectively. Tumor response was evaluated according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, version 1.1 (RECIST v1.1). Kaplan-Meier was used for calculating Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). The factors affecting survival in the real world were evaluated by Cox analysis.

RESULTS

Totally 136 patients were included in this study, the median PFS (mPFS) for all subjects was 5.97 months, and the median OS (mOS) was 25.03 months. According to patient's treatment modes, they are divided into monotherapy (n = 95) and combination therapy (n = 41), PFS manifested the difference between two groups (5.17 vs. 9.00 months, P = 0.043). OS also indicated a significant distinction (22.50 vs. 38.00 months, P = 0.017). Furthermore, there was a significant difference in PFS between patients using immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy and those with antivascular therapy (8.57 vs. 13.10 months, P = 0.047).

CONCLUSION

In the second-line therapy for advanced TC, the efficacy of combination therapy was better than monotherapy, especially for immunotherapy combined with antivascular therapy.

Small extracellular vesicles facilitate epithelial-mesenchymal transition in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps via the miR-375-3p/QKI axis

BACKGROUND

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). However, the involvement of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) in EMT and their contributions to CRSwNP has not been extensively investigated.

METHODS

SEVs were isolated from nasal mucosa through ultracentrifugation. MicroRNA sequencing and reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction were employed to analyze the differential expression of microRNAs carried by sEVs. Human nasal epithelial cells (hNECs) were used to assess the EMT-inducing effect of sEVs/microRNAs. EMT-associated markers were detected by western blotting and immunofluorescence. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to determine the target gene of miR-375-3p. MicroRNA mimic, lentiviral, and plasmid transduction were used for functional experiments.

RESULTS

In line with the greater EMT status in eosinophilic CRSwNP (ENP), sEVs derived from ENP (ENP-sEVs) could induce EMT in hNECs. MiR-375-3p was elevated in ENP-sEVs compared to that in control and nonENP. MiR-375- 3p carried by ENP-sEVs facilitated EMT by directly targeting KH domain containing RNA binding (QKI) at seed sequences of 913-919, 1025-1033, and 2438-2444 in 3'-untranslated region. Inhibition of QKI by miR-375-3p overexpression promoted EMT, which could be reversed by restoration of QKI. Furthermore, the abundance of miR-375-3p in sEVs was closely correlated with the clinical symptom score and disease severity.

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-375-3p-enriched sEVs facilitated EMT by suppressing QKI in hNECs. The association of miR-375-3p with disease severity underscores its potential as both a diagnostic marker and a therapeutic target for the innovative management of CRSwNP.

Observation of WWγ Production and Search for Hγ Production in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

The observation of WWγ production in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with an integrated luminosity of 138  fb^{-1} is presented. The observed (expected) significance is 5.6 (5.1) standard deviations. Events are selected by requiring exactly two leptons (one electron and one muon) of opposite charge, moderate missing transverse momentum, and a photon. The measured fiducial cross section for WWγ is 5.9±0.8(stat)±0.8(syst)±0.7(modeling)  fb, in agreement with the next-to-leading order quantum chromodynamics prediction. The analysis is extended with a search for the associated production of the Higgs boson and a photon, which is generated by a coupling of the Higgs boson to light quarks. The result is used to constrain the Higgs boson couplings to light quarks.

New Structures in the J/ψJ/ψ Mass Spectrum in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

A search is reported for near-threshold structures in the J/ψJ/ψ invariant mass spectrum produced in proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV from data collected by the CMS experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 135  fb^{-1}. Three structures are found, and a model with quantum interference among these structures provides a good description of the data. A new structure is observed with a local significance above 5 standard deviations at a mass of 6638_{-38}^{+43}(stat)_{-31}^{+16}(syst)  MeV. Another structure with even higher significance is found at a mass of 6847_{-28}^{+44}(stat)_{-20}^{+48}(syst)  MeV, which is consistent with the X(6900) resonance reported by the LHCb experiment and confirmed by the ATLAS experiment. Evidence for another new structure, with a local significance of 4.7 standard deviations, is found at a mass of 7134_{-25}^{+48}(stat)_{-15}^{+41}(syst)  MeV. Results are also reported for a model without interference, which does not fit the data as well and shows mass shifts up to 150 MeV relative to the model with interference.

Anti-Ferroptosis: A Promising Therapeutic Method for Thyroid Cancer

At present, many problems remain to be solved in studying the pathogenesis of thyroid cancer. Ferroptosis is a programmed cell death mode discovered in recent years, and many studies have found that ferroptosis plays a significant role in the prognosis and progression of thyroid cancer. The researchers showed that ferroptosis-related genes are essential in diagnosing thyroid cancer. Therefore, this paper summarizes some pathological and clinical characteristics of thyroid cancer and makes a series of combs on the relationship between ferroptosis and the basis and function of thyroid cancer, thus providing specific ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer.

Search for Scalar Leptoquarks Produced via τ-Lepton-Quark Scattering in pp Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

The first search for scalar leptoquarks produced in τ-lepton-quark collisions is presented. It is based on a set of proton-proton collision data recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138  fb^{-1}. The reconstructed final state consists of a jet, significant missing transverse momentum, and a τ lepton reconstructed through its hadronic or leptonic decays. Limits are set on the product of the leptoquark production cross section and branching fraction and interpreted as exclusions in the plane of the leptoquark mass and the leptoquark-τ-quark coupling strength.

Global burden and inequality of maternal and neonatal disorders: based on data from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease study

BACKGROUND

Maternal and neonatal disorders account for substantial health loss across the lifespan from early childhood. These problems may be related to health inequality.

AIM

To provide evidence for improvement in health policies regarding maternal and neonatal disorder inequity.

DESIGN

This was a population-based cross-sectional study based on 2019 Global Burden of Disease data.

METHODS

Annual cases and age-standardized rates (ASRs) of incidence, prevalence, death, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in maternal and neonatal disorders between 1990 and 2019 were collected from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease study. Concentration curves and concentration indices were used to summarize the degree of socioeconomic-related inequality.

RESULTS

For maternal disorders, the global ASRs of incidence, prevalence, death and DALYs were 2889.4 (95% uncertainty interval (UI), 2562.9-3251.9), 502.9 (95% UI 418.7-598.0), 5.0 (95% UI 4.4-5.8) and 324.9 (95% UI 284.0-369.1) per 100 000 women in 2019, respectively. The ASRs of maternal disorders were all obviously reduced and remained pro-poor from 1990 to 2019. In neonatal disorders, the global ASRs of incidence, prevalence, death and DALYs were 363.3 (95% UI 334.6-396.8), 1239.8 (95% UI 1142.1-1356.7), 29.1 (95% UI 24.8-34.5) and 2828.3 (95% UI 2441.6-3329.6) per 100 000 people in 2019, respectively. The global ASRs of incidence, death and DALYs in neonatal disorders have remained pro-poor. However, the socioeconomic-related fairness in the ASR of neonatal disorder prevalence is being levelled.

CONCLUSIONS

The global burden of maternal and neonatal disorders has remained high, and socioeconomic-related inequality (pro-poor) tended not to change between 1990 and 2019.

Search for Inelastic Dark Matter in Events with Two Displaced Muons and Missing Transverse Momentum in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

A search for dark matter in events with a displaced nonresonant muon pair and missing transverse momentum is presented. The analysis is performed using an integrated luminosity of 138  fb^{-1} of proton-proton (pp) collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV produced by the LHC in 2016-2018. No significant excess over the predicted backgrounds is observed. Upper limits are set on the product of the inelastic dark matter production cross section σ(pp→A^{'}→χ_{1}χ_{2}) and the decay branching fraction B(χ_{2}→χ_{1}μ^{+}μ^{-}), where A^{'} is a dark photon and χ_{1} and χ_{2} are states in the dark sector with near mass degeneracy. This is the first dedicated collider search for inelastic dark matter.

Luminosity determination using Z boson production at the CMS experiment

The measurement of Z boson production is presented as a method to determine the integrated luminosity of CMS data sets. The analysis uses proton-proton collision data, recorded by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC in 2017 at a center-of-mass energy of 13Te V . Events with Z bosons decaying into a pair of muons are selected. The total number of Z bosons produced in a fiducial volume is determined, together with the identification efficiencies and correlations from the same data set, in small intervals of 20pb - 1 of integrated luminosity, thus facilitating the efficiency and rate measurement as a function of time and instantaneous luminosity. Using the ratio of the efficiency-corrected numbers of Z bosons, the precisely measured integrated luminosity of one data set is used to determine the luminosity of another. For the first time, a full quantitative uncertainty analysis of the use of Z  bosons for the integrated luminosity measurement is performed. The uncertainty in the extrapolation between two data sets, recorded in 2017 at low and high instantaneous luminosity, is less than 0.5%. We show that the Z boson rate measurement constitutes a precise method, complementary to traditional methods, with the potential to improve the measurement of the integrated luminosity.

Measurement of the production cross section for a W boson in association with a charm quark in proton-proton collisions at s=13TeV

The strange quark content of the proton is probed through the measurement of the production cross section for a W boson and a charm (c) quark in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13Te V . The analysis uses a data sample corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 138fb - 1 collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. The W bosons are identified through their leptonic decays to an electron or a muon, and a neutrino. Charm jets are tagged using the presence of a muon or a secondary vertex inside the jet. The W + c production cross section and the cross section ratio R c ± = σ ( W + + c ¯ ) / σ ( W - + c ) are measured inclusively and differentially as functions of the transverse momentum and the pseudorapidity of the lepton originating from the W boson decay. The precision of the measurements is improved with respect to previous studies, reaching 1% in R c ± = 0.950 ± 0.005 (stat) ± 0.010 (syst) . The measurements are compared with theoretical predictions up to next-to-next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics.

Projected Savings to Canadian Provincial Budgets from Reduced Long-Term Care Home Utilization Due to a Disease-Modifying Alzheimer's Treatment

BACKGROUND

A disease-modifying Alzheimer's treatment could provide budgetary savings to Canadian provinces from a reduction in long-term care home use, yet we do not know the magnitude of those potential savings.

OBJECTIVE

We project savings to each Canadian province's budget from 2023 to 2043.

DESIGN

Annual savings are projected using a Markov model. We account for reduction in long-term care home use and in use of Alternative Level of Care (ALC) beds, which are hospital beds occupied by care home-eligible patients on the wait list for admission.

RESULTS

A treatment that delays disease progression by 40% is projected to avoid 142,507 long-term care home and ALC years, resulting in $17.2 billion cumulative savings across all Canadian provinces, a 21% relative reduction among treatment eligible patients. Average per capita savings were $1,132, ranging from $734 (Alberta) to $2,895 (Prince Edward Island). Cumulative savings could increase to $22.7 billion with enhanced triage of patients in primary care stages and to $25.6 billion if all capacity constraints for diagnosis and treatment were removed.

CONCLUSION

A disease-modifying treatment could create budgetary savings from lower long-term care home use, offsetting part of the treatment cost. With the increasing demand for long-term care home beds and the high rates of patients being held in hospitals while wait-listed, such a treatment could additionally provide relief to the overburdened long-term care system in Canada.

Probing Small Bjorken-x Nuclear Gluonic Structure via Coherent J/ψ Photoproduction in Ultraperipheral Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV

Quasireal photons exchanged in relativistic heavy ion interactions are powerful probes of the gluonic structure of nuclei. The coherent J/ψ photoproduction cross section in ultraperipheral lead-lead collisions is measured as a function of photon-nucleus center-of-mass energies per nucleon (W_{γN}^{Pb}) over a wide range of 40 Collapse

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Measurement of the top quark mass using a profile likelihood approach with the lepton + jets final states in proton-proton collisions at s=13TeV

The mass of the top quark is measured in 36.3fb - 1 of LHC proton-proton collision data collected with the CMS detector at s = 13 Te V . The measurement uses a sample of top quark pair candidate events containing one isolated electron or muon and at least four jets in the final state. For each event, the mass is reconstructed from a kinematic fit of the decay products to a top quark pair hypothesis. A profile likelihood method is applied using up to four observables per event to extract the top quark mass. The top quark mass is measured to be 171.77 ± 0.37 Ge V . This approach significantly improves the precision over previous measurements.

A search for decays of the Higgs boson to invisible particles in events with a top-antitop quark pair or a vector boson in proton-proton collisions at s=13TeV

A search for decays to invisible particles of Higgs bosons produced in association with a top-antitop quark pair or a vector boson, which both decay to a fully hadronic final state, has been performed using proton-proton collision data collected at s = 13 Te V by the CMS experiment at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138fb - 1 . The 95% confidence level upper limit set on the branching fraction of the 125Ge V Higgs boson to invisible particles, B ( H → inv ) , is 0.54 (0.39 expected), assuming standard model production cross sections. The results of this analysis are combined with previous B ( H → inv ) searches carried out at s = 7 , 8, and 13Te V in complementary production modes. The combined upper limit at 95% confidence level on B ( H → inv ) is 0.15 (0.08 expected).

Observation of τ Lepton Pair Production in Ultraperipheral Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV

We present an observation of photon-photon production of τ lepton pairs in ultraperipheral lead-lead collisions. The measurement is based on a data sample with an integrated luminosity of 404  μb^{-1} collected by the CMS experiment at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV. The γγ→τ^{+}τ^{-} process is observed for τ^{+}τ^{-} events with a muon and three charged hadrons in the final state. The measured fiducial cross section is σ(γγ→τ^{+}τ^{-})=4.8±0.6(stat)±0.5(syst)  μb, where the second (third) term corresponds to the statistical (systematic) uncertainty in σ(γγ→τ^{+}τ^{-}) in agreement with leading-order QED predictions. Using σ(γγ→τ^{+}τ^{-}), we estimate a model-dependent value of the anomalous magnetic moment of the τ lepton of a_{τ}=0.001_{-0.089}^{+0.055}.

A Comparison of Clinicopathologic Outcomes and Patterns of Lymphatic Spread across Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy, Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy and Neoadjuvant Immunochemotherapy in Locally Advanced Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

To evaluate the differences in pathologic complete response (pCR) rates, TRG score, pathologic T stage and the pattern of lymphatic spread among patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) or neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) or neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy (NICT) prior to esophagectomy for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

MATERIALS/METHODS

A total of 702 patients with ESCC who completed transthoracic esophagectomy followed neoadjuvant therapy at three cancer centers from January 2017 to December 2022 were enrolled. Among the included patients, 382 patients were treated with NCR, 172 with NCRT, and 148 with NICT. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was performed to control potential confounding factors. Pathological response of primary tumor was evaluated using the Chirieac modified tumor regression grade (TRG) system. The complete regression of primary lesion and nodal metastases were considered pCR. Lymph node classification system used the 8th edition of AJCC. Specimens were assessed for pattern of lymphatic spread.

RESULTS

After adjusting for baseline characteristics, the R0 resection rate did not significantly differ between the patients receiving NCT or NCRT or NICT (99.48% vs.100% vs.98.65%, P = 0.273). Compared with the NCT group, the NCRT group and NICT group had an advantage in pathological response (P<0.05). The pCR rate was 7.07% in the NCT group, 30.23% in the NCRT group, and 22.30% in the NICT group. Compared to the other two groups, the TRG score (P<0.05) and pathologic T stage (P<0.05) in the NCT group were significantly higher. In the NCT group, 9.97% had ypT0 disease, compared with 35.76% in the NCRT group and 25.68% in the NICT group. And in the NCT group, 9.71% had TRG1 disease, compared with 32.76% in the NCRT group and 25% in the NICT group. Compared with NICT, NCRT can significantly reduce the rate of LNM in station 1R (0 vs 3.38%, P<0.05) and 2R (1.15% vs 6.76%, P<0.05). Subgroup analysis according to the tumor location distribution showed that in upper thoracic cases, there was no statistical difference in LNM rates among stations no matter whether patients received NCT or NCRT or NICT. NICT group had higher LNM rates in station 2R (9.1%) in middle thoracic cases (P<0.05) and in station 18 (7.5%) (P<0.05) in lower thoracic cases, compared with the NCRT group and NCT group.

CONCLUSION

NCRT or NICT followed by surgery may result in a promising pCR rate and show a better performance in therapeutic response of primary lesion. No matter whether patients received NCT or NCRT or NICT, multiple level and skip node metastases are common, and adequate lymphadenectomy should be achieved to ensure the complete removal of metastatic lymph nodes.

Measurement of oesophageal hiatus surface area by multiplanar reconstruction of MDCT: relationship with lower oesophageal sphincter pressure and acid reflux

AIM

To evaluate the relationship between oesophageal hiatus surface area (OHSA) and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients who underwent 24-h pH monitoring, oesophageal high-resolution manometry, and upper abdominal contrast-enhanced multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) during 2014-2021 were enrolled. Patients with a hiatus hernia (HH) on MDCT or who had a history of gastro-oesophageal surgery were excluded. Multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) of the MDCT image was used for the measurement of OHSA. Correlations of OHSA with acid exposure time (AET) and lower oesophageal sphincter (LOS) pressure of all patients were analysed.

RESULTS

Seventy-eight patients were included in the study. OHSA was much less in the AET <4% group than in the AET >6% group (1.61 ± 0.42 versus 2.09 ± 0.55 cm2, p<0.001). Correlation analysis reveals that OHSA correlated positively with AET (correlation coefficient = 0.47, p<0.001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis reveals that OHSA can significantly distinguish patients in different groups divided by AET (area under the ROC curve [AUC] = 0.76, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.63-0.90). OHSA was not related to LOS pressure (correlation coefficient = -0.268, p=0.051). There was no difference in OHSA between the low LOS pressure group and the normal LOS pressure group (1.84 ± 0.61 versus 1.74 ± 0.50 cm2, p=0.52).

CONCLUSIONS

OHSA significantly correlated with AET but has no relationship with LOS pressure. It may be an independent risk factor of GERD.

Timing of Surgery and Pathologic Complete Response (pCR) after Completing Total Neoadjuvant Therapy for Rectal Adenocarcinoma: A Retrospective Study of the National Cancer Database

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) is a treatment strategy for rectal cancer that includes a course of multiagent chemotherapy and a separate course of radiation +/- concurrent chemotherapy before definitive surgery. The use of TNT has increased in recent years and carries the potential for improved sphincter preservation and a significant risk reduction of locoregional recurrence. However, the influence of rest period from end of radiation to surgery after TNT is unclear. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between rest period and pCR using data from the National Cancer Database. We hypothesized that longer duration of rest period before surgery will be positively associated with pCR.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Patients aged 18 years and older diagnosed with primary rectal cancer between 2016 and 2020, who underwent an NCCN-recommended TNT regimen followed by definitive surgery at a Commission on Cancer-accredited facility were retrospectively analyzed in the current study. We included 5,997 patients who met the following inclusion criteria: clinical stage T2 and above, any N stage, M0, adenocarcinoma histology, and not receiving any adjuvant therapy. Logistic regression methods were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between duration of rest period and pCR. Restricted cubic splines were used to evaluate potential non-linear relationship between duration of rest period and pCR.

RESULTS

The median age of the study sample was 57 years old (interquartile range: 49 - 65), with majority of them being males (62.3%) and reporting Non-Hispanic White race and ethnicity (75.5%). The overall pCR rate was 18.6%. The majority received long-course radiation (76.7%) and induction chemotherapy (86.3%). In multivariable adjusted models, there was a non-linear relationship between duration of rest period and pCR (p = 0.036). Rest periods of 8-24 weeks were significantly associated with elevated odds of pCR with the odds highest at 14 weeks (OR = 2.86, 95% CI: 1.20 - 6.84) when compared to rest periods of less than a week. There was no difference in pCR between long-course vs. short course radiation and no difference between those who received induction chemotherapy vs. consolidative chemotherapy. Although the rest period is inherently longer when radiation therapy precedes consolidative chemotherapy, the order of chemotherapy to radiation itself did not impact pCR but rather the duration of rest period.

CONCLUSION

These data demonstrate an ideal window for surgery to achieve pCR in rectal cancer in the TNT era and the need for further prospective investigations of optimal rest period before surgery to achieve maximal pCR with homogenous TNT treatment regimens.

The Safety and Efficacy of SCART for Bulky Metastatic or Recurrent Cancer, a Phase I Study

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

We are proposing a new treatment methodology, (called Stereotactic Centralized Ablative Radiation Therapy, (SCART), for bulky or metastatic tumors, which is based on the principles of SFRT, by using SBRT methods to deliver an ablative radiation dose to the central portion of the target while keeping the dose to surrounding normal tissue to a relatively low level. We performed a prospective dose escalation study of SCART for bulky metastatic or recurrent cancer. The purpose of the study was to determine dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) and the Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD) of SCART.

MATERIALS/METHODS

This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0488198, and approved at Foshan Chancheng Hospital. Patients with unresectable solid "bulky" nonhematological malignancies with limited treatment options were enrolled and received SCART with a prescription to the central spot in the tumor with a peripheral dose to the tumor edge at around 20% isodose line of the prescription dose. Five dose levels were proposed. The primary endpoint was the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), defined as the highest dose where zero of three or one of six patients experienced grade 3 dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), scored according to the Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events v. 4.03, up to 6 months after SCART.

RESULTS

A total of 21 patients received SCART and have eligible data for study follow-up. The dose was escalated for two patients to 24 GyX3. No grade 3 toxicity was observed in any of the enrolled patients. The median SCART dose was 18 Gy (range: 15 - 24). Six out of the 18 patients with data for overall survival (OS) died, and the median time to death was 16.29 months (range: 0.99 - 25.58). Three patients out of the 15 patients with available data for local recurrence (LR) were found to have an LR and the median time to LR was 16.01 months (range: 0.99 - 25.58). There appears to be a trend of tumors decreasing from the patient's first visit date, or pre-SCART, to their final volume post-SCART. The mean percent change for tumor shrinkage between first visit volumes and post-SCART volumes was 49.49% (SD: 40.89, p-value:0.009). Of 15 patients with available data for progression free survival, 9 had a local recurrence or were deceased. Estimated median survival (i.e., when survival is 50%) was equal to16.80 months (95% CI = 13.90, NA). The survival rate at 12 months and 24 months were72.22% and 24.07%, respectively. Of 15 patients with available data for time to local recurrence, 3 people had a local recurrence. The percent of patients that were free from local recurrence at one and two years after the beginning of SCART treatment was 85.56% for both.

CONCLUSION

Despite the high dose delivered and the excellent local control achieved; the incidence of Any toxicity was unexpectedly low. Multiple courses of SCART are possible. The optimal dose, volume and timing of SCART still need more study.

Measurement of the Dependence of the Hadron Production Fraction Ratios f_{s}/f_{u} and f_{d}/f_{u} on B Meson Kinematic Variables in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

The dependence of the ratio between the B_{s}^{0} and B^{+} hadron production fractions, f_{s}/f_{u}, on the transverse momentum (p_{T}) and rapidity of the B mesons is studied using the decay channels B_{s}^{0}→J/ψϕ and B^{+}→J/ψK^{+}. The analysis uses a data sample of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, collected by the CMS experiment in 2018 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 61.6  fb^{-1}. The f_{s}/f_{u} ratio is observed to depend on the B p_{T} and to be consistent with becoming asymptotically constant at large p_{T}. No rapidity dependence is observed. The ratio of the B^{0} to B^{+} meson production fractions, f_{d}/f_{u}, is also measured, for the first time in proton-proton collisions, using the B^{0}→J/ψK^{*0} decay channel. The result is found to be within 1 standard deviation of unity and independent of p_{T} and rapidity, as expected from isospin invariance.

Search for Exotic Higgs Boson Decays H→AA→4γ with Events Containing Two Merged Diphotons in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

We present the first direct search for exotic Higgs boson decays H→AA, A→γγ in events with two photonlike objects. The hypothetical particle A is a low-mass spin-0 particle decaying promptly to a merged diphoton reconstructed as a single photonlike object. We analyze the data collected by the CMS experiment at sqrt[s]=13  TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 136  fb^{-1}. No excess above the estimated background is found. We set upper limits on the branching fraction B(H→AA→4γ) of (0.9-3.3)×10^{-3} at 95% confidence level for masses of A in the range 0.1-1.2 GeV.

Observation of Same-Sign WW Production from Double Parton Scattering in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

The first observation of the production of W^{±}W^{±} bosons from double parton scattering processes using same-sign electron-muon and dimuon events in proton-proton collisions is reported. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 138  fb^{-1} recorded at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV using the CMS detector at the CERN LHC. Multivariate discriminants are used to distinguish the signal process from the main backgrounds. A binned maximum likelihood fit is performed to extract the signal cross section. The measured cross section for production of same-sign W bosons decaying leptonically is 80.7±11.2(stat) _{-8.6}^{+9.5}(syst)±12.1(model)  fb, whereas the measured fiducial cross section is 6.28±0.81(stat)±0.69(syst)±0.37(model)  fb. The observed significance of the signal is 6.2 standard deviations above the background-only hypothesis.

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

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

Measurements of jet multiplicity and jet transverse momentum in multijet events in proton-proton collisions at s=13TeV

Multijet events at large transverse momentum (p T ) are measured at s = 13 Te V using data recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.3 fb - 1 . The multiplicity of jets with p T > 50 Ge V that are produced in association with a high-p T dijet system is measured in various ranges of the p T of the jet with the highest transverse momentum and as a function of the azimuthal angle difference Δ ϕ 1 , 2 between the two highest p T jets in the dijet system. The differential production cross sections are measured as a function of the transverse momenta of the four highest p T jets. The measurements are compared with leading and next-to-leading order matrix element calculations supplemented with simulations of parton shower, hadronization, and multiparton interactions. In addition, the measurements are compared with next-to-leading order matrix element calculations combined with transverse-momentum dependent parton densities and transverse-momentum dependent parton shower.

Azimuthal correlations in Z +jets events in proton-proton collisions at s=13TeV

The production of Z bosons associated with jets is measured in pp collisions at s = 13 Te V with data recorded with the CMS experiment at the LHC corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.3fb - 1 . The multiplicity of jets with transverse momentum p T > 30 Ge V is measured for different regions of the Z boson's p T ( Z ) , from lower than 10Ge V to higher than 100Ge V . The azimuthal correlation Δ ϕ between the Z boson and the leading jet, as well as the correlations between the two leading jets are measured in three regions of p T ( Z ) . The measurements are compared with several predictions at leading and next-to-leading orders, interfaced with parton showers. Predictions based on transverse-momentum dependent parton distributions and corresponding parton showers give a good description of the measurement in the regions where multiple parton interactions and higher jet multiplicities are not important. The effects of multiple parton interactions are shown to be important to correctly describe the measured spectra in the low p T ( Z ) regions.

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

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

Azimuthal Correlations within Exclusive Dijets with Large Momentum Transfer in Photon-Lead Collisions

The structure of nucleons is multidimensional and depends on the transverse momenta, spatial geometry, and polarization of the constituent partons. Such a structure can be studied using high-energy photons produced in ultraperipheral heavy-ion collisions. The first measurement of the azimuthal angular correlations of exclusively produced events with two jets in photon-lead interactions at large momentum transfer is presented, a process that is considered to be sensitive to the underlying nuclear gluon polarization. This study uses a data sample of ultraperipheral lead-lead collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 0.38  nb^{-1}, collected with the CMS experiment at the LHC. The measured second harmonic of the correlation between the sum and difference of the two jet transverse momentum vectors is found to be positive, and rising, as the dijet transverse momentum increases. A well-tuned model that has been successful at describing a wide range of proton scattering data from the HERA experiments fails to describe the observed correlations, suggesting the presence of gluon polarization effects.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Measurement of the mass dependence of the transverse momentum of lepton pairs in Drell-Yan production in proton-proton collisions at s=13TeV

The double differential cross sections of the Drell-Yan lepton pair (ℓ + ℓ - , dielectron or dimuon) production are measured as functions of the invariant mass m ℓ ℓ , transverse momentum p T ( ℓ ℓ ) , and φ η ∗ . The φ η ∗ observable, derived from angular measurements of the leptons and highly correlated with p T ( ℓ ℓ ) , is used to probe the low-p T ( ℓ ℓ ) region in a complementary way. Dilepton masses up to 1Te V are investigated. Additionally, a measurement is performed requiring at least one jet in the final state. To benefit from partial cancellation of the systematic uncertainty, the ratios of the differential cross sections for various m ℓ ℓ ranges to those in the Z mass peak interval are presented. The collected data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 36.3fb - 1 of proton-proton collisions recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy of 13Te V . Measurements are compared with predictions based on perturbative quantum chromodynamics, including soft-gluon resummation.

CMS pythia 8 colour reconnection tunes based on underlying-event data

New sets of parameter tunes for two of the colour reconnection models, quantum chromodynamics-inspired and gluon-move, implemented in the pythia  8 event generator, are obtained based on the default CMS pythia  8 underlying-event tune, CP5. Measurements sensitive to the underlying event performed by the CMS experiment at centre-of-mass energies s = 7 and 13Te V , and by the CDF experiment at 1.96Te V are used to constrain the parameters of colour reconnection models and multiple-parton interactions simultaneously. The new colour reconnection tunes are compared with various measurements at 1.96, 7, 8, and 13Te V including measurements of the underlying-event, strange-particle multiplicities, jet substructure observables, jet shapes, and colour flow in top quark pair (t t ¯ ) events. The new tunes are also used to estimate the uncertainty related to colour reconnection modelling in the top quark mass measurement using the decay products of t t ¯ events in the semileptonic channel at 13Te V .

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

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

Search for light Higgs bosons from supersymmetric cascade decays in pp collisions at s=13TeV

A search is reported for pairs of light Higgs bosons (H 1 ) produced in supersymmetric cascade decays in final states with small missing transverse momentum. A data set of LHC pp collisions collected with the CMS detector at s = 13 TeV and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138fb - 1 is used. The search targets events where both H 1 bosons decay into pairs that are reconstructed as large-radius jets using substructure techniques. No evidence is found for an excess of events beyond the background expectations of the standard model (SM). Results from the search are interpreted in the next-to-minimal supersymmetric extension of the SM, where a "singlino" of small mass leads to squark and gluino cascade decays that can predominantly end in a highly Lorentz-boosted singlet-like H 1 and a singlino-like neutralino of small transverse momentum. Upper limits are set on the product of the squark or gluino pair production cross section and the square of the branching fraction of the H 1 in a benchmark model containing almost mass-degenerate gluinos and light-flavour squarks. Under the assumption of an SM-like branching fraction, H 1 bosons with masses in the range 40-120GeV arising from the decays of squarks or gluinos with a mass of 1200-2500GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level.

Measurement of the differential tt¯ production cross section as a function of the jet mass and extraction of the top quark mass in hadronic decays of boosted top quarks

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

Measurement of Direct-Photon Cross Section and Double-Helicity Asymmetry at sqrt[s]=510 GeV in p[over →]+p[over →] Collisions

We present measurements of the cross section and double-helicity asymmetry A_{LL} of direct-photon production in p[over →]+p[over →] collisions at sqrt[s]=510  GeV. The measurements have been performed at midrapidity (|η|<0.25) with the PHENIX detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. At relativistic energies, direct photons are dominantly produced from the initial quark-gluon hard scattering and do not interact via the strong force at leading order. Therefore, at sqrt[s]=510  GeV, where leading-order-effects dominate, these measurements provide clean and direct access to the gluon helicity in the polarized proton in the gluon-momentum-fraction range 0.02<x<0.08, with direct sensitivity to the sign of the gluon contribution.

Enhancing gosling growth and secretion of somatotrophic and thyrotrophic axis hormones through egg turning during incubation

1. Growth performance of Yangzhou geese hatched from eggs with turning angles of 50° or 70° was evaluated in association with serum hormones and somatotrophic gene mRNA expression.2. Egg turning at 70° significantly (P< 0.05) increased hatchability, gosling quality and hatching weight. Gosling post-hatch body weight, leg and breast muscle weight in the 70° turning group was significantly heavier until 50 d of age.3. Serum concentrations of GH were significantly higher until 30 d of age in the 70° turning group goslings, and those of IGF-I and T3 were higher from hatching to 50 d of age.4. The mRNA expression of GHRH, pituitary GH, liver and leg muscle IGF-I were all significantly higher at 1 and 30 d of age after hatch, but not at 70 d after hatch, in the 70° turning group.5. Egg turning at 70° during incubation improves embryo and gosling quality and growth performance through up-regulation of gene expression and secretion of somatotrophic axis hormones, GHRH, GH and IGF-I, as well as T3.

Growth, physiological, biochemical and molecular changes in plants induced by magnetic fields: A review

The Earth's geomagnetic field (GMF) is an inescapable environmental factor for plants that affects all growth and yield parameters. Both strong and weak magnetic fields (MF), as compared to the GMF, have specific roles in plant growth and development. MF technology is an eco-friendly technique that does not emit waste or generate harmful radiation, nor require any external power supply, so it can be used in sustainable modern agriculture. Thus, exposure of plants to MF is a potential affordable, reusable and safe practice for enhancing crop productivity by changing physiological and biochemical processes. However, the effect of MF on plant physiological and biochemical processes is not yet well understood. This review describes the effects of altering MF conditions (higher or lower values than the GMF) on physiological and biochemical processes of plants. The current contradictory and inconsistent outcomes from studies on varying effects of MF on plants could be related to species and/or MF exposure time and intensity. The reviewed literature suggests MF have a role in changing physiological processes, such as respiration, photosynthesis, nutrient uptake, water relations and biochemical attributes, including genes involved in ROS, antioxidants, enzymes, proteins and secondary metabolites. MF application might efficiently increase growth and yield of many crops, and as such, should be the focus for future research.

Measurements of the associated production of a W boson and a charm quark in proton-proton collisions at s = 8 TeV

Measurements of the associated production of a W boson and a charm ( c ) quark in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV are reported. The analysis uses a data sample corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 19.7 fb - 1 collected by the CMS detector at the LHC. The W bosons are identified through their leptonic decays to an electron or a muon, and a neutrino. Charm quark jets are selected using distinctive signatures of charm hadron decays. The product of the cross section and branching fraction σ ( pp → W + c + X ) B ( W → ℓ ν ) , where ℓ = e or μ , and the cross section ratio σ ( pp → W + + c ¯ + X ) / σ ( pp → W - + c + X ) are measured in a fiducial volume and differentially as functions of the pseudorapidity and of the transverse momentum of the lepton from the W boson decay. The results are compared with theoretical predictions. The impact of these measurements on the determination of the strange quark distribution is assessed.

Using SIR Epidemic Modeling and Control to Teach Process Dynamics and Control to Chemical Engineers

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about unprecedented opportunities to introduce control systems topics in the undergraduate engineering curriculum. This paper describes two computer modeling assignments based on MATLAB with Simulink developed for CHE 461: Process Dynamics and Control taught at Arizona State University during the fall 2020 semester. A myriad of important concepts, among these dynamic modeling using conservation and accounting principles, linearization, state-space system and transfer function model representations, PID feedback control and Internal Model Control design can be applied to the problem and explained to students in the context of a significant world event representing a unique "process" system, notably the COVID-19 pandemic.

Spatio-Temporal Variations of Zooplankton and Correlations with Environmental Parameters around Tiaowei Island, Fujian, China

The present study illustrates zooplankton dynamics in relation to environmental factors from the surrounding area of Tiaowei Island based on ten seasonal sampling cruises over three years. A total of 116 species of zooplankton were collected with a predominance of Copepoda (mainly consisting of Centropagidae, Oithonidae, Acartia, Labidocera and Paracalanus), accounting for 31.6 % of the total number of species. The diversity indices indicated a relatively high richness, abundance and evenness of zooplankton ranging from 2.794 to 4.012 on the Shannon-Wiener index for each cruise. More than 20 species of Cnidaria medusae are found as gelatinous organisms, which not only compete with fish but also potentially cause disasters. Significant seasonal variations were detected in both the zooplankton structure and environmental variables. NMDS illustrated a highly overlapping community structure in spring, autumn and winter, while the zooplankton composition in the summer was different from that of the other three seasons with a higher diversity index. Meanwhile, out of thirteen environmental parameters, eight varied significantly among seasons but there were no significant variations among stations. The biota-environmental relationship following a redundancy analysis revealed that water temperature, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen and suspended particulate composition were the main environmental parameters, seasonally impacting the zooplankton communities. Planktonic larvae (such as nauplius larvae and branchyura zoea) and some zooplankton (including Corophium sinensis and Oithonasimilis) were significantly vulnerable to the dynamics of suspended particulate composition and water temperature.

Search for Higgs Boson Pair Production in the Four b Quark Final State in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

A search for pairs of Higgs bosons produced via gluon and vector boson fusion is presented, focusing on the four b quark final state. The data sample consists of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, collected with the CMS detector at the LHC, and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 138  fb^{-1}. No deviation from the background-only hypothesis is observed. A 95% confidence level upper limit on the Higgs boson pair production cross section is observed at 3.9 times the standard model prediction for an expected value of 7.8. Constraints are also set on the modifiers of the Higgs field self-coupling, κ_{λ}, and of the coupling of two Higgs bosons to two vector bosons, κ_{2 V}. The observed (expected) allowed intervals at the 95% confidence level are -2.3<κ_{λ}<9.4 (-5.0<κ_{λ}<12.0) and -0.1<κ_{2 V}<2.2 (-0.4<κ_{2 V}<2.5). These are the most stringent observed constraints to date on the HH production cross section and on the κ_{2 V } coupling.

Study on the association between the polymorphism of MCP-1 rs1024611 and the genetic susceptibility of type 2 diabetes with sepsis

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) rs1024611 (-2518 A > G) polymorphism are associated with inflammatory diseases. In this study, we investigate the relationship between MCP-1 rs1024611 polymorphism and genetic susceptibility of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with sepsis. Two hundred eighty-five patients with T2DM are divided into the diabetes with sepsis group (combined group, 113 cases) and the diabetes group (172 cases). Blood samples and corresponding clinical data were collected. MCP-1 rs1024611 polymorphism in blood samples was detected by pyrosequencing. Meanwhile, the expressions of MCP-1, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 in blood samples were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. The relationship between different genotypes of MCP-1 rs1024611 polymorphic locus and T2DM with sepsis was analyzed by combining with the clinical data of the patients. The frequencies of rs1024611 AG/GG genotypes and G allele in T2DM with sepsis group were significantly higher than those in T2DM patients without sepsis (P = .004 for AG/GG vs AA genotypes; P = .037 for G allele vs A allele). Subgroup analysis showed that the rs1024611 G allele frequency in the septic shock group was significantly higher than the general sepsis group (P = .02). The expressions of MCP-1 and TNF-α in GG genotypes in T2DM with sepsis group were significantly higher than AA or GA genotypes (P < .05). This study preliminarily showed that the rs1024611 A > G polymorphism within the promoter region of MCP-1 gene can upregulate the expression of MCP-1 gene and proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α, which ultimately contributed to the predisposition and progression of T2DM with sepsis.