Observation of a Strongly Isospin-Mixed Doublet in ^{26}Si via β-Delayed Two-Proton Decay of ^{26}P

β decay of proton-rich nuclei plays an important role in exploring isospin mixing. The β decay of ^{26}P at the proton drip line is studied using double-sided silicon strip detectors operating in conjunction with high-purity germanium detectors. The T=2 isobaric analog state (IAS) at 13 055 keV and two new high-lying states at 13 380 and 11 912 keV in ^{26}Si are unambiguously identified through β-delayed two-proton emission (β2p). Angular correlations of two protons emitted from ^{26}Si excited states populated by ^{26}P β decay are measured, which suggests that the two protons are emitted mainly sequentially. We report the first observation of a strongly isospin-mixed doublet that deexcites mainly via two-proton decay. The isospin mixing matrix element between the ^{26}Si IAS and the nearby 13 380-keV state is determined to be 130(21) keV, and this result represents the strongest mixing, highest excitation energy, and largest level spacing of a doublet ever observed in β-decay experiments.

[Diagnostic efficacy of metagenomic next-generation sequencing for intracranial bacterial infection pathogens after neurosurgery]

Objective: To explore the diagnostic efficacy of metagenomicnext-generation sequencing (mNGS) technique for pathogen diagnosis of intracranial infection after neurosurgery. Methods: Patients with suspected intracranial infection after neurosurgery who were treated in Beijing Tiantan Hospital of Capital Medical University from May 2017 to October 2018 were selected. Cerebrospinal fluid samples were collected for mNGS detection and bacterial culture. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of these two methods were calculated, and their differences were compared. Results: A total of 80 cerebrospinal fluid samples from patient with suspected intracranial infection after neurosurgery were included, including 53 males and 27 females, with a mean age of (41±19) years old(age range: 2-80 years).After clinical review, a clinical diagnosis was made by two neurosurgery specialists through comprehensively interpretation of the patient's clinical data, laboratory tests and imaging examinations. Finally, 42 cases of intracranial infection and 38 cases of non-infection were clinically diagnosed. The sensitivity and specificity of mNGS detection were 83.33%(35/42) and 76.32%(29/38), and the positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 79.55%(35/44) and 80.56%(29/36). Meanwhile, the sensitivity and specificity of bacterial culture were 59.52%(28/42) and 68.42%(26/38), the positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 68.00% (28/40) and 60.47%(26/40). The sensitivity of mNGS detection washigher than that of bacterial culture, and the difference was statistically significant(χ²=5.83, P=0.015).Compared with bacterial culture, there was no statistically significant difference in the specificity of mNGS detection(χ²=0.59, P=0.441). Conclusion: mNGS detection technique can improve the detection rate of intracranial infection pathogens after neurosurgery, and may become a promising auxiliary diagnostic tool for pathogen detection.

[Effects of statins on mortality and neurologic outcomes in patients with traumatic brain injury: a meta-analysis]

Objective: To systematically evaluate the effects of statins on the mortality and neurologic function prognosis in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods: The PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, the Cochrane Clinical Controlled Trial Center Registry Database, Chinese Journal Full-text Database (CNKI), and WanFang database up to 2021.1 were searched to obtain clinical randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and retrospective cohort studies of statins in the treatment of TBI. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to screen literature and extract data. Ottawa scale and the RCT bias risk assessment tool was used for quality evaluation. Comprehensive Meta Analysis V3 statistical software for meta-analysis was applied. Results: Thirteen studies were included, with a total of 116, 500 patients, including 46, 933 patients using statins in the intervention group and 69, 567 patients in the control group. Meta-analysis results showed that compared with the control group, statins can reduce the mortality of TBI patients (OR=0.82, 95%CI: 0.74-0.92, P<0.01), significantly improve the neurologic outcomes of TBI patients (OR=0.19, 95%CI: 0.13-0.26, P<0.01), and reduce the levels of TNF-α and IL-1β after TBI (TNF-α: OR=0.16, 95%CI: 0.07-0.34, P<0.01; IL-1β: OR=0.08, 95%CI: 0.04-0.18, P<0.01), with statistically significant differences. Conclusion: Statins can reduce the mortality of patients with TBI and improve the neurologic outcomes. Their reduction of inflammation in the body may be the basis of potential treatment, but more high-quality RCTs are still warranted.

Large Isospin Asymmetry in ^{22}Si/^{22}O Mirror Gamow-Teller Transitions Reveals the Halo Structure of ^{22}Al

β-delayed one-proton emissions of ^{22}Si, the lightest nucleus with an isospin projection T_{z}=-3, are studied with a silicon array surrounded by high-purity germanium detectors. Properties of β-decay branches and the reduced transition probabilities for the transitions to the low-lying states of ^{22}Al are determined. Compared to the mirror β decay of ^{22}O, the largest value of mirror asymmetry in low-lying states by far, with δ=209(96), is found in the transition to the first 1^{+} excited state. Shell-model calculation with isospin-nonconserving forces, including the T=1, J=2, 3 interaction related to the s_{1/2} orbit that introduces explicitly the isospin-symmetry breaking force and describes the loosely bound nature of the wave functions of the s_{1/2} orbit, can reproduce the observed data well and consistently explain the observation that a large δ value occurs for the first but not for the second 1^{+} excited state of ^{22}Al. Our results, while supporting the proton-halo structure in ^{22}Al, might provide another means to identify halo nuclei.

The optimal peripheral oxygen saturation may be 95-97% for post-cardiac arrest patients: A retrospective observational study

BACKGROUND

Current post-resuscitation guidelines recommend oxygen titration in adults with the return of spontaneous circulation after cardiac arrest. However, the optimal peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂) is still unclear for post-cardiac arrest care.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective observational study of prospectively collected data of all cardiac arrest patients admitted to the intensive care units between 2014 and 2015. The main exposure was SpO₂, which were interfaced from bedside vital signs monitors as 1-min averages, and archived as 5-min median values. The proportion of time spent in different SpO₂ categories was included in separate multivariable regression models along with covariates. The primary outcome measure was hospital mortality and the proportion of discharged home as the secondary outcome was reported.

RESULTS

2836 post-cardiac arrest patients in ICUs of 156 hospitals were included. 1235 (44%) patients died during hospitalization and 818 (29%) patients discharged home. With multivariate regression analysis, the proportion of time spent in SpO₂ of ≤89%, 90%, 91%, and 92% were associated with higher hospital mortality. The proportion of time spent in SpO₂ of 95%, 96%, and 97% were associated with a higher proportion of discharged home outcome, but not associated with hospital mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

In this retrospective observational study, the optimal SpO₂ for patients admitted to the intensive care unit after cardiac arrest may be 95-97%. Further investigation is warranted to determine if targeting SpO₂ of 95-97% would improve patient-centered outcomes after cardiac arrest.

Complete plastome sequence of Elaeagnus glabra (Elaeagnaceae): an Asian endemic plant species

Elaeagnus glabra is an evergreen vine or climbing shrub with 5 m height. It is widespread in southern China. It grows in the sunny forests or forest margins below 1000 m a.s.l. In this paper, we report and describe the complete plastome of E. glabra in order to provide useful genomic data for its systematic research. The complete plastome of E. glabra is 152,555 bp with a typical quadripartite structure of angiosperms. It contains two Inverted Repeats (IRs) of 25,918 bp, a large single-copy (LSC) of 82,408 bp, and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,311 bp. The complete plastome contains 129 genes, including 83 protein-coding genes, 38 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. The overall A/T content in the chloroplast genome of E. glabra is 62.90%. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that E. glabra is close to E. loureirii within Elaeagnaceae. The complete plastome of E. glabra will provide useful resources for the development and utilization of this species and the phylogenetic study of Rosales.

Complete plastome sequence of Jacaranda mimosifolia D. Don (Bignoniaceae): a beautiful landscaping tree species

Jacaranda mimosifolia is a deciduous arbor with blue flowers native to Brazil, Bolivia, and Argentina in South America. After introduction from South America, it was widely cultivated as a garden ornamental plant in South China. The complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence of this ornamental species is reported in this study, based on high-throughput sequencing (Illumina). The complete cp genome is 153,514 bp in length, containing a pair of inverted repeat regions (IRs) of 25,408 bp, a large single-copy (LSC) region of 84,755 bp, and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 17,943 bp. The cp genome contains 130 genes, consisting of 85 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The overall A/T content in the cp genome of J. mimosifolia is 61.70%. The phylogenetic analyses indicate that there is a close relationship between J. mimosifolia and Tecomaria capensis. The complete cp sequence of J. mimosifolia will provide a useful resource for the development and utilization of this species as well as for the phylogenetic studies in Bignoniaceae.

[99mTc-ECD SPECT CBF-quantification and its clinical significance]

OBJECTIVE

To establish a quantitative method of non-blood withdrawn with 99mTc-ECD SPECT for measuring cerebral blood flow (CBF).

METHOD

Combining three compartment models and technology of the best parameters by computer with 99mTc-ECD SPECT to quantitate CBF and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in control group and patient group.

RESULTS

The CBFs of the control group (8 cases) and the patient group (16 cases) were (57.16 +/- 4.21) ml.min-1/100 g and (38.80 +/- 8.21) ml.min-1/100 g, respectively. The CBF and rCBF were significantly lower in patient group than those in control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The method is simple and more convenient for quantification of CBF in patients with brain disorders, and it may increase the diagnostic sensitivity and the accuracy of focus location. It is suggested that the method is accurate and reliable.

[Comprehensive treatment for diabetes limb gangrene]

Anisodamine was used to improve general circulation and the microcirculation of affected limbs. Measures like local debridement, dressing change, and control of diabetes were applied in 351 patients with diabetic limb gangrene. Of the 351 patients, 301 (85.7%) were cured, 27(7.7%) were improved, 7(2.0%) failed, 6(1.7%) had limb amputated, and 10(2.9%) died. In the treatment, the nail-fold microcirculation was markedly improved. Doppler scan showed increased width and bloodflow of the vessels of the affected limbs. The criteria for the classification and diagnosis of diabetes limb gangrene are suggested.

[Blockage of glyrrhiza uralensis and chelidonium majus in MNNG induced cancer and mutagenesis]

Glyrrhiza Uralensis (GU) and Chelidonium Majus (CM) are two kinds of Chinese herbal medicine. GU and CM not only exert much stronger effects in blocking mutagenesis due to strains of Salmonella typhimurium (TA 97, TA 98, TA 100, TA 102), but also have different degrees of obstructing mutagenesis induced by Furapromidum (F30066), Zhengdingmycin Hydrochloride (DM), N-methyl-N1-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) and Methyl-methanesulfonate (MMS). The blockage effect of GU and CM obviously depends on the doses used. GU and CM could also impede the occurrence of stomach cancer induced by MNNG, and the impeding rate is about sixty percent.

[Fungi N-nitrosamines and mutagens in the extract of the sour corn-soybean cakes from high incidence area of stomach cancer]

Sour corn-soybean cake is the main food of the inhabitants in high incidence area of stomach cancer in Linqu county Shandong province. In the extract of the sour corn-soybean cakes, twelve mycotoxin-producing fungi and 3 N-nitrosamines (NDMA, NDEA, NMEA) were detected and the finding rates of the fungi and the N-nitrosamines were 93.3% and 92.3%, respectively; the concentration of NDMA was 0.4-3.8 ng/ml, NDEA 0.2-8.1 ng/ml, and NMEA 0.3-1.4 ng/ml. The positivity rate of the Ames test (most positive materials were direct mutagens) was 44.12%. The experimental results showed that the extract of the sour corn-soybean cakes containing carcinogenic and mutagenic subjects could have some causal relationship with the incidence of stomach cancer.