Invert global and China's terrestrial carbon fluxes over 2019-2021 based on assimilating richer atmospheric CO2 observations

With China's commitment to reach carbon peak by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, it is particularly important to obtain terrestrial ecosystem carbon fluxes with low uncertainty both globally and in China. The use of more observation data may help reduce the uncertainty of inverting carbon fluxes. This study uses the observation data from global stations, background stations and provincial stations in China, as well as the OCO-2 satellite, and uses the China Carbon Monitoring, Verification and Supporting System for Global (CCMVS-G) to estimate the carbon fluxes of global and Chinese terrestrial ecosystems from 2019 to 2021. The results revealed that the global terrestrial ecosystem carbon sink was approximately -3.40 Pg C/yr from 2019 to 2021. The carbon sinks in the Northern Hemisphere are large, especially in Asia, North America, and Europe. From 2019 to 2021, the carbon sink of China's terrestrial ecosystem was approximately -0.44 Pg C/yr. Carbon sinks exhibit significant seasonal and interannual variations in China. After assimilating the observation data, the uncertainty of the posterior flux is smaller than that of the prior flux, a more reasonable distribution of carbon sources and sinks can be obtained, and more accurate boundary conditions can be provided for the China Carbon Monitoring, Verification and Supporting System for Regional (CCMVS-R). In the future, it is important to establish a well-designed CO2 ground-based observation network.

[Computer-vision-based artificial intelligence for detection and recognition of instruments and organs during radical laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer: a multicenter study]

Objective: To investigate the feasibility and accuracy of computer vision-based artificial intelligence technology in detecting and recognizing instruments and organs in the scenario of radical laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Methods: Eight complete laparoscopic distal radical gastrectomy surgery videos were collected from four large tertiary hospitals in China (First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital [three cases], Liaoning Cancer Hospital [two cases], Liyang Branch of Jiangsu Province People's Hospital [two cases], and Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center [one case]). PR software was used to extract frames every 5-10 seconds and convert them into image frames. To ensure quality, deduplication was performed manually to remove obvious duplication and blurred image frames. After conversion and deduplication, there were 3369 frame images with a resolution of 1,920×1,080 PPI. LabelMe was used for instance segmentation of the images into the following 23 categories: veins, arteries, sutures, needle holders, ultrasonic knives, suction devices, bleeding, colon, forceps, gallbladder, small gauze, Hem-o-lok, Hem-o-lok appliers, electrocautery hooks, small intestine, hepatogastric ligaments, liver, omentum, pancreas, spleen, surgical staplers, stomach, and trocars. The frame images were randomly allocated to training and validation sets in a 9:1 ratio. The YOLOv8 deep learning framework was used for model training and validation. Precision, recall, average precision (AP), and mean average precision (mAP) were used to evaluate detection and recognition accuracy. Results: The training set contained 3032 frame images comprising 30 895 instance segmentation counts across 23 categories. The validation set contained 337 frame images comprising 3407 instance segmentation counts. The YOLOv8m model was used for training. The loss curve of the training set showed a smooth gradual decrease in loss value as the number of iteration calculations increased. In the training set, the AP values of all 23 categories were above 0.90, with a mAP of 0.99, whereas in the validation set, the mAP of the 23 categories was 0.82. As to individual categories, the AP values for ultrasonic knives, needle holders, forceps, gallbladders, small pieces of gauze, and surgical staplers were 0.96, 0.94, 0.91, 0.91, 0.91, and 0.91, respectively. The model successfully inferred and applied to a 5-minutes video segment of laparoscopic gastroenterostomy suturing. Conclusion: The primary finding of this multicenter study is that computer vision can efficiently, accurately, and in real-time detect organs and instruments in various scenarios of radical laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

[Effect of peripheral blood inflammatory indicators on the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]

Objective: To investigate the impact of peripheral blood inflammatory indicators on the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) complicated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed to include 178 patients with Ⅲ-Ⅳ NSCLC complicated with COPD who received at least 2 times of immunotherapy in Xinqiao Hospital of the Army Medical University from January 2019 to August 2021. Baseline peripheral blood inflammatory indicators such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were collected within 2 weeks before the first treatment, with the last one being on or before February 7, 2022. X-tile software was used to determine the optimal cut-off value of peripheral blood inflammatory indicators. The Cox multivariate regression models were used to analyze the factors affecting progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: Among the 178 patients, there were 174 males (97.8%) and 4 females (2.2%); the age ranged from 42 to 86 (64.3±8.3) years old.There were 30 cases (16.9%) of immunotherapy monotherapy, 114 cases (64.0%) of immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy, 21 cases (11.8%) of immunotherapy combined with antivascular therapy, and 13 cases (7.3%) of immunotherapy combined with radiotherapy. The median follow-up period was 14.5 months (95%CI: 13.6-15.3 months). The objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were 44.9% (80/178) and 90.4% (161/178) for the whole group, the median PFS was 14.6 months (95%CI: 11.6-17.6 months), and the median OS was 25.7 months (95%CI: 18.0-33.4 months). The results of Cox multivariate analysis showed that IL-6>9.9 ng/L (HR=5.885, 95%CI: 2.558-13.543, P<0.01), TNF-α>8.8 ng/L (HR=3.213, 95%CI: 1.468-7.032, P=0.003), IL-8>202 ng/L (HR=2.614, 95%CI: 1.054-6.482, P=0.038), systemic immune inflammatory index (SII)>2 003.95 (HR=2.976, 95%CI: 1.647-5.379, P<0.001) were risk factors for PFS, and advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI)>171.15 was protective factor for PFS (HR=0.545, 95%CI: 0.344-0.863, P=0.010). IL-6>9.9 ng/L(HR=6.124, 95%CI: 1.950-19.228, P<0.002), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)>190.7 U/L (HR=2.776, 95%CI: 1.020-7.556, P=0.046), SII>2 003.95 (HR=4.521, 95%CI: 2.241-9.120, P<0.001) were risk factors for OS, and ALI>171.15 was a protective factor for OS (HR=0.434, 95%CI: 0.243-0.778, P=0.005). Conclusion: Baseline high levels of IL-6, TNF-α, IL-8, SII, LDH, and low levels of ALI are risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with advanced NSCLC-COPD receiving immunotherapy.

Emerging trends of invasive yeast infections and azole resistance in Beijing intensive care units

BACKGROUND

Invasive fungal infections pose a substantial threat to patients in healthcare settings globally. Recent changes in the prevalence of fungal species and challenges in conducting reference antifungal susceptibility testing emphasize the importance of monitoring fungi and their antifungal resistance.

METHODS

A two-phase surveillance project was conducted in Beijing, China, involving 37 centres across 12 districts, from January 2012 to December 2013 and from January 2016 to December 2017.

FINDINGS

We found that the proportion of Candida albicans in intensive care units (ICUs) during 2016-2017 exhibited a significant decline compared with the 2012-2013 period, although it remained the most predominant pathogen. In contrast, the prevalence of Nakaseomyces glabratus (formerly Candida glabrata) and Candida tropicalis notably increased during the two-phase surveillance. The high prevalence of C. tropicalis and its resistance to azole drugs posed a serious threat to patients in ICUs. The pathogens causing invasive fungal infections in Beijing were relatively sensitive to echinocandins. While C. albicans continued to exhibit susceptibility to azoles, the resistance and growth rates of C. tropicalis towards azoles were particularly prominent. Concerns were raised due to the emergence of multiple, short-term isolates of Clavispora lusitaniae and Candida parapsilosis complex in neonatal ICUs, given their similarity in antifungal susceptibilities. Such occurrences point towards the potential for transmission and persisting presence of these pathogens within the ICU environment.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study complements existing data on the epidemiology of invasive fungal infections. It is imperative to exercise cautious medication management for ICU patients in Beijing, paying particular attention to azole resistance in C. tropicalis.

Quorum-quenching enzyme Est816 assisted antibiotics against periodontitis induced by Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans in rats

Introduction

Quorum-quenching enzyme Est816 hydrolyzes the lactone rings of N-acyl homoserine lactones, effectively blocking the biofilm formation and development of Gram-negative bacteria. However, its applications in the oral field is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of enzyme Est816 in combination with antibiotics against periodontitis induced by Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans in vitro and in vivo.

Methods

The antimicrobial efficacy of enzyme Est816 in combination with minocycline, metronidazole, and amoxicillin was determined using the minimum inhibitory concentration test. The anti-biofilm effect of enzyme Est816 was assessed using scanning electron microscopy, live/dead bacterial staining, crystal violet staining, and real-time quantitative PCR. Biocompatibility of enzyme Est816 was assessed in human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) by staining. A rat model of periodontitis was established to evaluate the effect of enzyme Est816 combined with minocycline using micro-computed tomography and histological staining.

Results

Compared to minocycline, metronidazole, and amoxicillin treatment alone, simultaneous treatment with enzyme Est816 increased the sensitivity of biofilm bacteria to antibiotics. Enzyme Est816 with minocycline exhibited the highest rate of biofilm clearance and high biocompatibility. Moreover, the combination of enzyme Est816 with antibiotics improved the antibiofilm effects of the antibiotics synergistically, reducing the expression of the virulence factor leukotoxin gene (ltxA) and fimbria-associated gene (rcpA). Likewise, the combination of enzyme Est816 with minocycline exhibited a remarkable inhibitory effect on bone resorption and inflammation damage in a rat model of periodontitis.

Discussion

The combination of enzyme Est816 with antibiotics represents a prospective anti-biofilm strategy with the potential to treat periodontitis.

The incidence of surgical site infections in China

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a common type of healthcare-associated infection. We performed a literature review to demonstrate the incidence of SSIs in mainland China based on studies since 2010. We included 231 eligible studies with ≥30 postoperative patients, comprising 14 providing overall SSI data regardless of surgical sites and 217 reporting SSIs for a specific site. We found that the overall SSI incidence was 2.91% (median; interquartile range: 1.05%, 4.57%) or 3.18% (pooled; 95% confidence interval: 1.85%, 4.51%) and the SSI incidence varied remarkably according to the surgical site between the lowest (median, 1.00%; pooled, 1.69%) in thyroid surgeries and the highest (median, 14.89%; pooled, 12.54%) in colorectal procedures. We uncovered that Enterobacterales and staphylococci were the most common types of micro-organisms associated with SSIs after various abdominal surgeries and cardiac or neurological procedures, respectively. We identified two, nine, and five studies addressing the impact of SSIs on mortality, the length of stay (LOS) in hospital, and additional healthcare-related economic burden, respectively, all of which demonstrated increased mortality, prolonged LOS, and elevated medical costs associated with SSIs among affected patients. Our findings illustrate that SSIs remain a relatively common, serious threat to patient safety in China, requiring more action. To tackle SSIs, we propose to establish a nationwide network for SSI surveillance using unified criteria with the aid of informatic techniques and to tailor and implement countermeasures based on local data and observation. We highlight that the impact of SSIs in China warrants further study.

Unravelling Species Diversity and Pathogenicity of Fusarium spp. Associated with Soybean Leaf and Root in Heilongjiang Province, China

Soybean (Glycine max L.) holds significant global importance and is extensively cultivated in Heilongjiang Province, China. Soybean can be infected by Fusarium species, causing root rot, seed decay, stem rot, and leaf blight. In 2021 to 2022, a field survey of soybean diseases was carried out in 11 regions of Heilongjiang Province, and 186 soybean leaves with leaf blight symptoms and 123 soybean roots with root rot symptoms were collected. Unexpectedly, a considerable number of Fusarium isolates were obtained not only from root samples but also from leaf samples. A total of 584 Fusarium isolates (416 from leaves and 168 from roots) were obtained and identified as 18 Fusarium species based on morphological features and multilocus phylogenetic analyses with tef1 and rpb2 sequences. Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium sp. 1 in FOSC were the dominant species within soybean leaf and root samples, respectively. Pathogenicity tests were conducted for all Fusarium isolates on both soybean leaves and roots. Results showed that F. graminearum, F. ipomoeae, F. citri, F. compactum, F. flagelliforme, F. acuminatum, and F. sporotrichioides were pathogenic to both soybean leaves and roots. F. solani, F. avenaceum, F. pentaseptatum, F. serpentinum, F. annulatum, and Fusarium sp. 1 in FOSC were pathogenic to soybean roots, not to leaves. To our knowledge, this is the first study to thoroughly investigate soybean-associated Fusarium populations in leaves and roots in Heilongjiang Province.

Study of High-Transverse-Momentum Higgs Boson Production in Association with a Vector Boson in the qqbb Final State with the ATLAS Detector

This Letter presents the first study of Higgs boson production in association with a vector boson (V=W or Z) in the fully hadronic qqbb final state using data recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137  fb^{-1}. The vector bosons and Higgs bosons are each reconstructed as large-radius jets and tagged using jet substructure techniques. Dedicated tagging algorithms exploiting b-tagging properties are used to identify jets consistent with Higgs bosons decaying into bb[over ¯]. Dominant backgrounds from multijet production are determined directly from the data, and a likelihood fit to the jet mass distribution of Higgs boson candidates is used to extract the number of signal events. The VH production cross section is measured inclusively and differentially in several ranges of Higgs boson transverse momentum: 250-450, 450-650, and greater than 650 GeV. The inclusive signal yield relative to the standard model expectation is observed to be μ=1.4_{-0.9}^{+1.0} and the corresponding cross section is 3.1±1.3(stat)_{-1.4}^{+1.8}(syst)  pb.

The nuclear import receptor Kapβ2 modifies neurotoxicity mediated by poly(GR) in C9orf72-linked ALS/FTD

Expanded intronic G4C2 repeats in the C9ORF72 gene cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). These intronic repeats are translated through a non-AUG-dependent mechanism into five different dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs), including poly-glycine-arginine (GR), which is aggregation-prone and neurotoxic. Here, we report that Kapβ2 and GR interact, co-aggregating, in cultured neurons in-vitro and CNS tissue in-vivo. Importantly, this interaction significantly decreased the risk of death of cultured GR-expressing neurons. Downregulation of Kapβ2 is detrimental to their survival, whereas increased Kapβ2 levels mitigated GR-mediated neurotoxicity. As expected, GR-expressing neurons displayed TDP-43 nuclear loss. Raising Kapβ2 levels did not restore TDP-43 into the nucleus, nor did alter the dynamic properties of GR aggregates. Overall, our findings support the design of therapeutic strategies aimed at up-regulating Kapβ2 expression levels as a potential new avenue for contrasting neurodegeneration in C9orf72-ALS/FTD.

Measurement of the Centrality Dependence of the Dijet Yield in p+Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=8.16 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

ATLAS measured the centrality dependence of the dijet yield using 165  nb^{-1} of p+Pb data collected at sqrt[s_{NN}]=8.16  TeV in 2016. The event centrality, which reflects the p+Pb impact parameter, is characterized by the total transverse energy registered in the Pb-going side of the forward calorimeter. The central-to-peripheral ratio of the scaled dijet yields, R_{CP}, is evaluated, and the results are presented as a function of variables that reflect the kinematics of the initial hard parton scattering process. The R_{CP} shows a scaling with the Bjorken x of the parton originating from the proton, x_{p}, while no such trend is observed as a function of x_{Pb}. This analysis provides unique input to understanding the role of small proton spatial configurations in p+Pb collisions by covering parton momentum fractions from the valence region down to x_{p}∼10^{-3} and x_{Pb}∼4×10^{-4}.

Search for New Phenomena in Two-Body Invariant Mass Distributions Using Unsupervised Machine Learning for Anomaly Detection at sqrt[s]=13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

Searches for new resonances are performed using an unsupervised anomaly-detection technique. Events with at least one electron or muon are selected from 140  fb^{-1} of pp collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV recorded by ATLAS at the Large Hadron Collider. The approach involves training an autoencoder on data, and subsequently defining anomalous regions based on the reconstruction loss of the decoder. Studies focus on nine invariant mass spectra that contain pairs of objects consisting of one light jet or b jet and either one lepton (e,μ), photon, or second light jet or b jet in the anomalous regions. No significant deviations from the background hypotheses are observed. Limits on contributions from generic Gaussian signals with various widths of the resonance mass are obtained for nine invariant masses in the anomalous regions.

[Clinical effect of modified vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap in repairing skin and soft tissue defects after abdominoperineal resection for rectal cancer]

Objective: To investigate the clinical effect of the modified vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap in repairing the skin and soft tissue defect after abdominoperineal resection for rectal cancer. Methods: This study was a retrospective observational study. From June 2019 to July 2022, five male patients with low rectal cancer who were conformed to the inclusion criteria were admitted to the Department of Basic Surgery of Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, with ages ranging from 65 to 70 years and the sizes of the perianal skin ulcers ranging from 5 cm×4 cm to 11 cm×9 cm, and all of them underwent abdominoperineal resection. The secondary skin and soft tissue defects in the perineum with an area of 8 cm×6 cm-14 cm×12 cm (with the depth of pelvic floor dead space being 10-15 cm) were repaired intraoperatively with transplantation of modified vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous flaps with the skin area being 9 cm×7 cm-16 cm×12 cm, the volume of the muscle being 18 cm×10 cm×5 cm-20 cm×12 cm×5 cm, and the vessel pedicle being 18-20 cm in length. During the operation, most of the anterior sheath of the rectus abdominis muscle was retained, the flap was transferred to the recipient area through the abdominal cavity, the remaining anterior sheaths of the rectus abdominis muscle on both sides of the donor area were repeatedly folded and sutured, the free edge of the transverse fascia of the abdomen was sutured with the anterior sheath of the rectus abdominis muscle, and the donor area skin was directly sutured. After the operation, the survival of the transplanted myocutaneous flap was observed. The occurrence of complications in the perineal recipient area was recorded within 2 weeks after the operation. The recovery of the perineal recipient area and the abdominal donor area was observed during follow-up, and the occurrence of complications in the donor area of the abdomen as well as the recurrence of tumors and metastasis were recorded. Results: All transplanted myocutaneous flaps in 5 patients survived after surgery. One patient had dehiscence of the incision in the perineal recipient area 2 days after surgery, which healed after 7 d with intermittent dressing changes and routine vacuum sealing drainage treatment. In the other 4 patients, no complications such as incisional rupture, incisional infection, or fat liquefaction occurred in the perineal recipient area within 2 weeks after surgery. Follow-up for 6-12 months after discharge showed that the skin of the perineal recipient area had good color, texture, and elasticity, and was not bloated in appearance; linear scars were left in the perineal recipient area and the abdominal donor area without obvious scar hyperplasia or hyperpigmentation; no complications such as incisional rupture, incisional infection, intestinal adhesion, intestinal obstruction, or weakening of the abdominal wall strength occurred in the abdominal donor area, and the abdominal appearance was good with no localized bulge or formation of abdominal hernia; there was no local recurrence of tumor or metastasis in any patient. Conclusions: The surgical approach of using the modified vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap to repair the skin and soft tissue defects after abdominoperineal resection for rectal cancer is relatively simple in operation, can achieve good postoperative appearances of the donor and recipient areas with few complications, and is worthy of clinical promotion.

Observation of WZγ Production in pp Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

This Letter reports the observation of WZγ production and a measurement of its cross section using 140.1±1.2  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The WZγ production cross section, with both the W and Z bosons decaying leptonically, pp→WZγ→ℓ^{'}^{±}νℓ^{+}ℓ^{-}γ (ℓ^{(^{'})}=e, μ), is measured in a fiducial phase-space region defined such that the leptons and the photon have high transverse momentum and the photon is isolated. The cross section is found to be 2.01±0.30(stat)±0.16(syst)  fb. The corresponding standard model predicted cross section calculated at next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics and at leading order in the electroweak coupling constant is 1.50±0.06  fb. The observed significance of the WZγ signal is 6.3σ, compared with an expected significance of 5.0σ.

Remnant cholesterol is associated with hip BMD and low bone mass in young and middle-aged men: a cross-sectional study

PURPOSE

Remnant cholesterol (RC) is a contributor to cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. However, the specific relationship between RC and bone metabolism remains unexplored. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the relationships of RC with hip bone mineral density (BMD) and the risk of low bone mass.

METHODS

Physical examination data was collected from men aged < 60 years as part of the Kailuan Study between 2014 and 2018. The characteristics of the participants were compared between RC quartile groups. A generalized linear regression model was used to evaluate the relationship between RC and hip BMD and a logistic regression model was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for low bone mass. Additional analyses were performed after stratification by body mass index (BMI) (≥ or < 24 kg/m2). Sensitivity analyses were performed by excluding individuals who were taking lipid-lowering therapy or had cancer, cardiovascular diseases, or diabetes.

RESULTS

Data from a total of 7,053 participants were included in the analysis. After adjustment for confounding factors, RC negatively correlated with hip BMD (β =  - 0.0079, 95% CI: - 0.0133, - 0.0025). The risk of low bone mass increased from the lowest to the highest RC quartile, with ORs of 1 (reference), 1.09 (95% CI: (0.82, 1.44), 1.35 (95%CI: 1.02, 1.77), and 1.43 (95% CI: 1.09, 1.89) for Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4, respectively (P for trend = 0.004) in the fully adjusted model. Compared to RC < 0.80 mmol/l group, the risk of low bone mass increased 39% in RC ≥ 0.80 mmol/l group (P < 0.001). The correlation between RC and hip BMD was stronger in participants with BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2 group (β =  - 0.0159, 95% CI: - 0.0289, - 0.0029). The results of sensitivity analyses were consistent with the main results.

CONCLUSION

We have identified a negative correlation between serum RC and hip BMD, and a higher RC concentration was found to be associated with a greater risk of low bone mass in young and middle-aged men.

Clinicopathological and prognostic significance of PD-L1 and TIM-3 expression in medullary thyroid carcinoma: a retrospective immunohistochemistry study

PURPOSE

Expression of the programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing-3 (TIM-3) in medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) has been controversial and rarely reported.

METHODS

Surgical specimens of 190 MTC patients who had initial curative-intent surgery were collected. Immunohistochemistry of PD-L1 and TIM-3 was performed using 22C3 pharmDx (Dako, Carpinteria, CA) and anti-TIM-3 (1:500, ab241332, Abcam). Stained slides were scored using a combined positive score (CPS) with a cutoff of ≥ 1. We established correlations between PD-L1 expression, TIM-3 expression, clinicopathological, and survival data.

RESULTS

13 cases (13/190, 6.84%) were positive for PD-L1 expression, and 42 cases (42/154, 27.27%) for TIM-3 expression. PD-L1 expression was correlated to TIM-3 expression (P = 0.002), but was not related to overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS). TIM-3 expression was correlated to perineural invasion (P = 0.040). Multivariate Cox analysis showed that lymphovascular invasion (LVI) was independently associated with OS. And tumor size, LVI, and lymph node metastases were significantly associated with PFS. Furthermore, the multivariate logistic analysis showed multifocal status, LVI, pathological T stage and lymph node metastasis were independent risk factors for biochemical recurrence/persistent disease.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrated that PD-L1 and TIM-3 expression were not frequent in MTC and were not associated with survival prognosis. Our results should be considered when clinical trials of PD-L1 or TIM-3 blockades are implemented.

Role of Cisplatin in Inducing Acute Kidney Injury and Pyroptosis in Mice via the Exosome miR-122/ELAVL1 Regulatory Axis

Although cisplatin is an effective chemotherapy drug for the treatment of various cancers, its clinical use is limited due to its side effects, especially nephrotoxicity. Unfortunately, acute kidney injury (AKI) caused by cisplatin remains one of the main challenges in effective cancer treatment. Evidence increasingly suggests that renal inflammation and pyroptotic inflammatory cell death of renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs) mainly determine the progression and outcome of cisplatin-induced AKI. However, it is not clear how cisplatin regulates the pyroptosis of RTECs cells in AKI. The current study aimed to determine the regulation mechanism of AKI induced by cisplatin. We used cisplatin to induce AKI in vivo. We performed H&E staining of mouse kidney tissue sections and evaluated serological indicators of kidney injury (including blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)). We used immunohistochemistry and western blot to detect the important substrate protein gasdermin D (GSDMD) and key target caspase-1 of pyroptosis, respectively. Cisplatin induced mouse AKI and RTECs pyroptosis. HK2 cell-derived exosomes treated with cisplatin influenced pyroptosis of the surrounding HK2 cells. Cisplatin-treated HK2 cells exosome-derived miR-122 regulated pyroptosis in the surrounding cells. Exosome-derived miR-122 affected cisplatin-induced AKI and HK2 cells pyroptosis by regulating the expression of embryonic lethal abnormal vision (ELAVL1). These results suggest that exosome miR-122 inhibited pyroptosis and AKI by targeting ELAVL1 under cisplatin treatment, and this offers a potential target for the treatment of AKI.

MAC Family Transcription Factors Enhance the Tolerance of Mycelia to Heat Stress and Promote the Primordial Formation Rate of Pleurotus ostreatus

Pleurotus ostreatus is a typical tetrapolar heterologous edible mushroom, and its growth and development regulatory mechanism has become a research hotspot in recent years. The MAC1 protein is a transcription factor that perceives copper and can regulate the expression of multiple genes, thereby affecting the growth and development of organisms. However, its function in edible mushrooms is still unknown. In this study, two transcription factor genes, PoMCA1a and PoMAC1b, were identified. Afterwards, PoMAC1 overexpression (OE) and RNA interference (RNAi) strains were constructed to further explore gene function. The results showed that the PoMAC1 mutation had no significant effect on the growth rate of mycelia. Further research has shown that OE-PoMAC1a strains and RNAi-PoMAC1b strains exhibit strong tolerance under 32 °C heat stress. However, under 40 °C heat stress, the OE of PoMAC1a and PoMAC1b promoted the recovery of mycelial growth after heat stress. Second, the OE of PoMAC1a can promote the rapid formation of primordia and shorten the cultivation cycle. In summary, this study indicated that there are functional differences between PoMAC1a and PoMAC1b under different heat stresses during the vegetative growth stage, and PoMAC1a has a positive regulatory effect on the formation of primordia during the reproductive growth stage.

[The expression of Plakoglobin in residual cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer and its prognostic impact on patients]

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the expression levels of Plakoglobin protein in residual lesions after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and the prognosis of breast cancer patients. Methods: Clinical and pathological data from 174 breast cancer patients who underwent surgery after receiving NAC at the Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2009 to December 2017 were collected. The expression level of Plakoglobin in residual cancer lesions was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The correlation between Plakoglobin expression level and clinicopathological features was analyzed. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox proportional hazard regression models were used for factor analysis. Results: Among the 174 patients, 140 had low expression of Plakoglobin, and 34 had high expression. The median disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in the Plakoglobin low expression group were 59.46 and 71.68 months, respectively, both of which were higher than those in the high expression group (36.58 and 47.26 months, respectively, both P<0.05). Univariate analysis showed that Plakoglobin expression, pathological N stage, lymphovascular invasion status, histological grade, Ki-67, and molecular subtypes were associated with OS (all P<0.05), while pathological N stage, histological grade, and Ki-67 were associated with DFS (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that Plakoglobin expression (HR=2.438, 95% CI: 1.256-4.735, P=0.008) was an independent predictor for OS, and Ki-67 (HR=2.228, 95% CI: 1.316-3.773, P=0.003) was an independent predictor for DFS. Conclusion: In breast cancer patients with residual lesions after NAC, those with low Plakoglobin expression have relatively longer OS and Plakoglobin is an independent prognostic factor for OS.

Combined Measurement of the Higgs Boson Mass from the H→γγ and H→ZZ^{*}→4ℓ Decay Channels with the ATLAS Detector Using sqrt[s]=7, 8, and 13 TeV pp Collision Data

A measurement of the mass of the Higgs boson combining the H→ZZ^{*}→4ℓ and H→γγ decay channels is presented. The result is based on 140  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data collected by the ATLAS detector during LHC run 2 at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV combined with the run 1 ATLAS mass measurement, performed at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, yielding a Higgs boson mass of 125.11±0.09(stat)±0.06(syst)=125.11±0.11  GeV. This corresponds to a 0.09% precision achieved on this fundamental parameter of the Standard Model of particle physics.

Search for Dark Photons in Rare Z Boson Decays with the ATLAS Detector

A search for events with a dark photon produced in association with a dark Higgs boson via rare decays of the standard model Z boson is presented, using 139  fb^{-1} of sqrt[s]=13  TeV proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The dark boson decays into a pair of dark photons, and at least two of the three dark photons must each decay into a pair of electrons or muons, resulting in at least two same-flavor opposite-charge lepton pairs in the final state. The data are found to be consistent with the background prediction, and upper limits are set on the dark photon's coupling to the dark Higgs boson times the kinetic mixing between the standard model photon and the dark photon, α_{D}ϵ^{2}, in the dark photon mass range of [5, 40] GeV except for the ϒ mass window [8.8, 11.1] GeV. This search explores new parameter space not previously excluded by other experiments.

Investigation on Cr(VI)-bioreduction mechanism and reduction products by a novel Microbacterium sp. strain NEAU-W11

Cr(VI) widely exists in the environment and has highly toxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic effects on all organisms. Physical/chemical methods to remove chromium pollution are economically expensive and have disadvantages like high reagent consumption, energy requirements and so on, while bioremediation is an eco-friendly, simple and cost-effective way. In this study, a novel Cr(VI)-reducing strain, Microbacterium sp. NEAU-W11, was reported, and its reduction mechanism was investigated. Microbacterium sp. NEAU-W11 could effectively degrade Cr(VI) under the conditions of pH 7-10, 15-35 °C, and the coexistence of metal pollutants such as Pb and Ni, etc. In addition, both Fe3+ and Cu2+ could improve the reducing ability of strain NEAU-W11, and glucose and lactose as electron donors also had promoting effect. Heat treatment of resting cells confirmed that chromium removal was not biological sorption but biological reduction. The active reductase of strain NEAU-W11 to chromium(VI) mainly existed in the cell cytoplasm, which is the first report in the genus Microbacterium. Micro-characterization of strain NEAU-W11 and the reduction products identified the reduction products as Cr(III)-ligand complexes bound to extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Collectively, this study systematically investigated the degradation mechanism of Microbacterium sp. NEAU-W11 and the distribution of degradation product Cr(III), providing a new reduction mechanism for the genus Microbacterium, providing a new perspective for a comprehensive understanding of the degradation and transport of chromium by bacteria, and providing theoretical reference for the migration of metal ions in environmental governance.

Identification, Characterization, and Pathogenicity of Fungi Associated with Strawberry Fruit Rot in Shandong Province, China

China is the largest strawberry producer and exporter worldwide and has been constantly challenged by fruit rot diseases in recent years. Symptoms of various diseases on strawberry fruits were observed in Huangqiyuan Base, an important strawberry-producing region in Shandong Province, and symptomatic samples were collected from January to April 2021 for follow-up studies. In the present study, 137 isolates were obtained and classified into nine species based on morphological characteristics and multilocus phylogenetic analysis (ITS, GAPDH, HIS3, RPB2, EF-1α, HSP60, G3PDH, and/or TUB2), namely, Botrytis cinerea, B. fabiopsis, Alternaria alternata, A. tenuissima, Fusarium proliferatum, F. graminearum, F. ipomoeae, F. incarnatum, and Colletotrichum siamense. Pathogenicity results suggested that all nine pathogenic species could induce fruits to exhibit symptoms similar to those naturally infected in fields. The symptoms around the inoculation points varied, including dense white mycelia caused by Botrytis spp., fading and depression caused by Fusarium spp., black-brown rot caused by Alternaria spp., and shrinkage and dehydration caused by Colletotrichum spp. Overall, B. cinerea was the dominant pathogen, accounting for 61.3% of the total isolates, and showed significantly higher virulence against strawberry fruits than other species. In addition, this is the first report to identify B. fabiopsis, A. alternata, A. tenuissima, F. proliferatum, F. graminearum, F. ipomoeae, and F. incarnatum as causal agents of strawberry fruit rot in Shandong Province, China.

Observation of Single-Top-Quark Production in Association with a Photon Using the ATLAS Detector

This Letter reports the observation of single top quarks produced together with a photon, which directly probes the electroweak coupling of the top quark. The analysis uses 139  fb^{-1} of 13 TeV proton-proton collision data collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Requiring a photon with transverse momentum larger than 20 GeV and within the detector acceptance, the fiducial cross section is measured to be 688±23(stat) _{-71}^{+75}(syst)  fb, to be compared with the standard model prediction of 515_{-42}^{+36}  fb at next-to-leading order in QCD.

Herbicidal Activity of Secondary Metabolites Isolated from Streptomyces sp. NEAU-HV44 on Selected Weeds and Crops

Streptomyces is an effective source of new natural bioherbicides. In this study, a novel isolated strain NEAU-HV44 showed strong inhibitory activity against Amaranthus retroflexus L. and was concluded to the genus Streptomyces. Strain NEAU-HV44 fermentation conditions were optimized to maximize the herbicidal activity. The supernatant of strain NEAU-HV44 could significantly control the growth of weeds (A. retroflexus L., Setaria viridis, Portulaca oleracea L., and Chenopodium album) and crops (maize, soybean, wheat, Chinese cabbage, cucumber, tomato, and romaine lettuce) with dose-dependent in preemergence. Notably, weeds were more sensitive to a low-concentration supernatant extract than crops in preemergence. In postemergence, the 2 mg mL-1 supernatant extract could significantly reduce the height and >50% biomass (fresh weight) of tested weeds. The supernatant extract could cause cell membrane destabilization and the cell death of weeds. In addition, the growth of tomato was also inhibited at a high concentration, but no obvious symptoms were observed on soybean and romaine lettuce after spraying the supernatant extract. Then two novel julichrome monomers, julichromes Q12 (1) and Q13 (2), and two known julichromes, julichrome Q3.3 (3) and julichrome Q3.5 (4), were isolated from the supernatant extract of strain NEAU-HV44 by bioactivity-guided approach. This is the first report of the herbicidal activity of julichromes. These four herbicidal compounds could inhibit the shoot and root growth of weeds at 0.2 mg mL-1, and compound 4 could completely inhibit the growth of P. oleracea L. Thus, julichromes (Q12, Q13, Q3.3, Q3.5 1-4) may be new bioherbicidal candidates.

Ongoing CO2 monitoring verify CO2 emissions and sinks in China during 2018-2021

Accurate estimating CO2 emissions and sinks is crucial in achieving carbon neutrality in China. However, CO2 emissions from bottom-up inventories are uncertain at regional scales and lack independent verification from atmospheric perspectives. Here we integrated 39 high-precision CO2 stations in China to top-down invert emission-sink variations at 45 km × 45 km and achieved a full range of inventories verification. The results show that China's CO2 emissions are 15% higher than those of five bottom-up inventories, to an annual total of 3.40 Pg C a-1 for 2018-2021. After deducting human and livestock respiration, the annual CO2 emissions were 3.13 Pg C a-1 (11.48 Pg CO2 a-1). The annual increase in emissions slowed from 3.7% in 2019 to 1.1% in 2020 and resumed growth to 4.0% in 2021, consistent with observed CO2 growth rates in China. China's land CO2 sink, deducting farmland sinks and lateral fluxes, was 0.57 Pg C a-1 (2.09 Pg CO2 a-1) for 2018-2021 (higher than most global inverse models), accounting for ∼16.9% of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. The land sink in China decreased by -19.3% in 2019 due to a weak El Niño event and increased by 3.2% in 2020 and 13.7% in 2021. It is worth noting that inverse CO2 emissions and sinks in western China still face large uncertainty due to limited CO2 monitoring. Overall, our top-down estimates demonstrate spatiotemporal variations in CO2 emissions and sinks from atmospheric perspectives and highlight challenges for different provinces in achieving 2060 carbon neutrality with verified estimates.

Enterococcus faecium supplementation prevents enteritis caused by Escherichia coli in goats

The probiotic Enterococcus faecium is a gut microbe with immunomodulatory effects, which has been widely used to prevent diarrhoea in pigs and birds. Escherichia coli is a common pathogen that causes inflammatory bowel disease in animals. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of E. faecium on enteritis in goats. Forty goats were randomly divided into 4 treatment groups: control, E. faecium, E. coli, and E. faecium + E. coli. The changes of physiological indicators and diarrhoea scoring were evaluated on days -4, -2, 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8. The pathological examination, inflammatory cytokines mRNA expression and bacterial counts in jejunum and caecum were detected on day 4 and 8. The results showed that body temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate and leukocyte counts all increased from the 2nd to the 6th day after feeding with E. coli, and the diarrhoea score was significantly increased. However, E. faecium-pretreated goats had lower body temperatures and fewer leukocytes than E. coli-treated goats on day 2, as well as decreased diarrhoea scores. E. coli treatment caused histopathological damage and morphological changes in the jejunum and caecum, while pretreatment with E. faecium significantly alleviated these injuries. E. faecium pretreatment can reduce the load of E. coli and increase the prevalence of Lactobacillus, thereby balancing the microbiota in the intestine. Furthermore, E. coli-infected goats pretreated with E. faecium showed obvious inhibition of Toll-like receptor 4, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and tumour necrosis factor-α mRNA expression in the jejunum and caecum compared to that in the E. coli treatment group. In conclusion, the addition of E. faecium to goat feed is beneficial for improving clinical symptoms, maintaining intestinal mucosa integrity, balancing the microbiota and decreasing inflammatory responses in E. coli-induced intestinal injury.

Measurement of Suppression of Large-Radius Jets and Its Dependence on Substructure in Pb+Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

This letter presents a measurement of the nuclear modification factor of large-radius jets in sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV Pb+Pb collisions by the ATLAS experiment. The measurement is performed using 1.72  nb^{-1} and 257  pb^{-1} of Pb+Pb and pp data, respectively. The large-radius jets are reconstructed with the anti-k_{t} algorithm using a radius parameter of R=1.0, by reclustering anti-k_{t} R=0.2 jets, and are measured over the transverse momentum (p_{T}) kinematic range of 158 Collapse

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Measurement of the Sensitivity of Two-Particle Correlations in pp Collisions to the Presence of Hard Scatterings

A key open question in the study of multiparticle production in high-energy pp collisions is the relationship between the "ridge"-i.e., the observed azimuthal correlations between particles in the underlying event that extend over all rapidities-and hard or semihard scattering processes. In particular, it is not known whether jets or their soft fragments are correlated with particles in the underlying event. To address this question, two-particle correlations are measured in pp collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV using data collected by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC, with an integrated luminosity of 15.8  pb^{-1}, in two different configurations. In the first case, charged particles associated with jets are excluded from the correlation analysis, while in the second case, correlations are measured between particles within jets and charged particles from the underlying event. Second-order flow coefficients, v_{2}, are presented as a function of event multiplicity and transverse momentum. These measurements show that excluding particles associated with jets does not affect the measured correlations. Moreover, particles associated with jets do not exhibit any significant azimuthal correlations with the underlying event, ruling out hard processes contributing to the ridge.

Observation of an Excess of Dicharmonium Events in the Four-Muon Final State with the ATLAS Detector

A search is made for potential ccc[over ¯]c[over ¯] tetraquarks decaying into a pair of charmonium states in the four muon final state using proton-proton collision data at sqrt[s]=13  TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140  fb^{-1} recorded by the ATLAS experiment at LHC. Two decay channels, J/ψ+J/ψ→4μ and J/ψ+ψ(2S)→4μ, are studied. Backgrounds are estimated based on a hybrid approach involving Monte Carlo simulations and data-driven methods. Statistically significant excesses with respect to backgrounds dominated by the single parton scattering are seen in the di-J/ψ channel consistent with a narrow resonance at 6.9 GeV and a broader structure at lower mass. A statistically significant excess is also seen in the J/ψ+ψ(2S) channel. The fitted masses and decay widths of the structures are reported.

Observation of the γγ→ττ Process in Pb+Pb Collisions and Constraints on the τ-Lepton Anomalous Magnetic Moment with the ATLAS Detector

This Letter reports the observation of τ-lepton-pair production in ultraperipheral lead-lead collisions Pb+Pb→Pb(γγ→ττ)Pb and constraints on the τ-lepton anomalous magnetic moment a_{τ}. The dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 1.44  nb^{-1} of LHC Pb+Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV recorded by the ATLAS experiment in 2018. Selected events contain one muon from a τ-lepton decay, an electron or charged-particle track(s) from the other τ-lepton decay, little additional central-detector activity, and no forward neutrons. The γγ→ττ process is observed in Pb+Pb collisions with a significance exceeding 5 standard deviations and a signal strength of μ_{ττ}=1.03_{-0.05}^{+0.06} assuming the standard model value for a_{τ}. To measure a_{τ}, a template fit to the muon transverse-momentum distribution from τ-lepton candidates is performed, using a dimuon (γγ→μμ) control sample to constrain systematic uncertainties. The observed 95% confidence-level interval for a_{τ} is -0.057 Collapse

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Enhancement of sulfur metabolism and antioxidant machinery confers Bacillus sp. Jrh14-10-induced alkaline stress tolerance in plant

Alkaline stress is a major environmental challenge that restricts plant growth and agricultural productivity worldwide. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can be used to effectively enhance plant abiotic stress in an environment-friendly manner. However, PGPR that can enhance alkalinity tolerance are not well-studied and the mechanisms by which they exert beneficial effects remain elusive. In this study, we isolated Jrh14-10 from the rhizosphere soil of halophyte Halerpestes cymbalaria (Pursh) Green and found that it can produce indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and siderophore. By 16S rRNA gene sequencing, it was classified as Bacillus licheniformis. Inoculation Arabidopsis seedlings with Jrh14-10 significantly increased the total fresh weight (by 148.1%), primary root elongation (by 1121.7%), and lateral root number (by 108.8%) under alkaline stress. RNA-Seq analysis showed that 3389 genes were up-regulated by inoculation under alkaline stress and they were associated with sulfur metabolism, photosynthetic system, and oxidative stress response. Significantly, the levels of Cys and GSH were increased by 144.3% and 48.7%, respectively, in the inoculation group compared to the control under alkaline stress. Furthermore, Jrh14-10 markedly enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes, resulting in lower levels of O2•-, H2O2, and MDA as well as higher levels of Fv/Fm in alkaline-treated seedlings. In summary, Jrh14-10 can improve alkaline stress resistance in seedlings which was accompanied by an increase in sulfur metabolism-mediated GSH synthesis and antioxidant enzyme activities. These results provide a mechanistic understanding of the interactions between a beneficial bacterial strain and plants under alkaline stress.

Effects on hemodynamic enhancement and discomfort of a new textile electrode integrated in a sock during calf neuromuscular electrical stimulation

PURPOSE

To compare fixed transverse textile electrodes (TTE) knitted into a sock versus motor point placed standard gel electrodes (MPE) on peak venous velocity (PVV) and discomfort, during calf neuromuscular electrical stimulation (calf-NMES).

METHODS

Ten healthy participants received calf-NMES with increasing intensity until plantar flexion (measurement level I = ML I), and an additional mean 4 mA intensity (ML II), utilizing TTE and MPE. PVV was measured with Doppler ultrasound in the popliteal and femoral veins at baseline, ML I and II. Discomfort was assessed with a numerical rating scale (NRS, 0-10). Significance was set to p < 0.05.

RESULTS

TTE and MPE both induced significant increases in PVV from baseline to ML I and significantly higher increases to ML II, in both the popliteal and femoral veins (all p < 0.001). The popliteal increases of PVV from baseline to both ML I and II were significantly higher with TTE versus MPE (p < 0.05). The femoral increases of PVV from baseline to both ML I and II were not significantly different between TTE and MPE. TTE versus MPE resulted at ML I in higher mA and NRS (p < 0.001), and at ML II in higher mA (p = 0.005) while NRS was not significantly different.

CONCLUSION

TTE integrated in a sock produces intensity-dependent increases of popliteal and femoral hemodynamics comparable to MPE, but results in more discomfort at plantar flexion due to higher current required. TTE exhibits in the popliteal vein higher increases of PVV compared to MPE.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Trial_ID: ISRCTN49260430. Date: 11/01/2022. Retrospectively registered.

Directional atherectomy combined with drug-coated balloon angioplasty for superficial femoral arteriosclerosis obliterans

INTRODUCTION

This study is an analysis of the therapeutic effects of directional atherectomy combined with drug-coated balloon angioplasty (DA+DCB) in treating superficial femoral arteriosclerosis obliterans.

METHODS

Patients in our hospital with superficial femoral arteriosclerosis obliterans who received DA+DCB during the period June 2016 to February 2019 were identified retrospectively. Preoperative demographics, operative details and postoperative follow-up outcomes were analysed statistically.

RESULTS

Between June 2016 and February 2019, 48 patients were enrolled in this retrospective study. The average age of the patients was 66.85 ± 11.28 years; 83.3% of the patients were male. During the procedure, flow-limiting dissection occurred frequently (9/48 patients) and there were six bailout stent implantations owing to flow-limiting dissections. The incidence rate of target artery thrombosis was 4.2% (2/48). There was no vessel perforation, embolism or operation-related death. The technical success rate was estimated at 100%. The mean ankle-brachial index of the patients was 0.54 ± 0.28 before the operation and 0.93 ± 0.13 before discharge (p < 0.0001). The mean follow-up time was 19.6 ± 9.0 months. The primary patency rate was 89.4%, 82.4% and 76.5% at 12, 24 and 36 months. The freedom from target lesion revascularisation (TLR) was 97.9%, 93.8% and 84.4% at 12, 24 and 36 months.

CONCLUSION

The use of DA+DCB showed good clinical benefit for superficial femoral arteriosclerosis obliterans, which had good primary patency and freedom from TLR. Multicentre randomised controlled trials with long-term follow-up are needed.

Function of Transcription Factors PoMYB12, PoMYB15, and PoMYB20 in Heat Stress and Growth of Pleurotus ostreatus

MYB transcription factors (TFs) have been extensively studied in plant abiotic stress responses and growth and development. However, the role of MYB TFs in the heat stress response and growth and development of Pleurotus ostreatus remains unclear. To investigate the function of PoMYB12, PoMYB15, and PoMYB20 TFs in P. ostreatus, mutant strains of PoMYB12, PoMYB15, and PoMYB20 were generated using RNA interference (RNAi) and overexpression (OE) techniques. The results indicated that the mycelia of OE-PoMYB12, OE-PoMYB20, and RNAi-PoMYB15 mutant strains exhibited positive effects under heat stress at 32 °C, 36 °C, and 40 °C. Compared to wild-type strains, the OE-PoMYB12, OE-PoMYB20, and RNAi-PoMYB15 mutant strains promoted the growth and development of P. ostreatus. These mutant strains also facilitated the recovery of growth and development of P. ostreatus after 24 h of 36 °C heat stress. In conclusion, the expression of PoMYB12 and PoMYB20 supports the mycelium's response to heat stress and enhances the growth and development of P. ostreatus, whereas PoMYB15 produces the opposite effect.

Strong Constraints on Jet Quenching in Centrality-Dependent p+Pb Collisions at 5.02 TeV from ATLAS

Jet quenching is the process of color-charged partons losing energy via interactions with quark-gluon plasma droplets created in heavy-ion collisions. The collective expansion of such droplets is well described by viscous hydrodynamics. Similar evidence of collectivity is consistently observed in smaller collision systems, including pp and p+Pb collisions. In contrast, while jet quenching is observed in Pb+Pb collisions, no evidence has been found in these small systems to date, raising fundamental questions about the nature of the system created in these collisions. The ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider has measured the yield of charged hadrons correlated with reconstructed jets in 0.36  nb^{-1} of p+Pb and 3.6  pb^{-1} of pp collisions at 5.02 TeV. The yields of charged hadrons with p_{T}^{ch}>0.5  GeV near and opposite in azimuth to jets with p_{T}^{jet}>30 or 60 GeV, and the ratios of these yields between p+Pb and pp collisions, I_{pPb}, are reported. The collision centrality of p+Pb events is categorized by the energy deposited by forward neutrons from the struck nucleus. The I_{pPb} values are consistent with unity within a few percent for hadrons with p_{T}^{ch}>4  GeV at all centralities. These data provide new, strong constraints that preclude almost any parton energy loss in central p+Pb collisions.

[Distribution and reference intervals of daytime intraocular pressure in the eye health screening population of Handan]

Objective: To describe the distribution and establish reference intervals (RI) of daytime intraocular pressure (IOP) in the eye health screening population of Handan. Methods: This cross-sectional study included subjects who participated in eye health screening at the Physical Examination Center of Handan First Hospital from May 2021 to June 2022. A complete general and ocular examination was performed, including measurements of visual acuity and IOP (using Goldmann tonometry), slit lamp microscopy, fundus photography, and anterior and posterior segment optical coherence tomography. Subjects with factors that could cause significant changes in IOP or affect the accuracy of IOP measurement, or with an inability to measure IOP were excluded. Simple random sampling was used to select participants, who were grouped by gender and age (18 to <30, 30 to <40, 40 to <50, 50 to <60, 60 to <70, and ≥70 years). Central corneal thickness and IOP at 8 to 11 o'clock in one eye of each participant were recorded. The independent sample t test and ANOVA were used for statistical analysis, and the RI of IOP values was calculated by x¯±1.96s. Results: A total of 9 310 subjects had their IOP measured, and 3 491 participants (3 491 eyes) were randomly selected from 7 886 healthy subjects. The age of the participants was (47.74±14.47) years old, ranging from 18 to 90 years old. There were 1 694 males and 1 797 females. The central corneal thickness of all participants was (525.56±49.39) μm. The daytime IOP of all participants was (15.40±2.54) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), and the RI was 10.42 to 20.39 mmHg. The IOP was (15.49±2.58) mmHg for males and (15.29±2.49) mmHg for females, and the gender difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The RI of daytime IOP values was 10.43 to 20.54 mmHg for males and 10.41 to 20.18 mmHg for females. There were significant differences in daytime IOP [(15.13±2.58), (15.33±2.53), (15.49±2.50), (15.53±2.55), (15.39±2.62), and (15.28±2.52) mmHg] among 6 age groups (P<0.05). Conclusions: The distribution of daytime IOP in different gender and age groups in the eye health screening population of Handan and the RIs derived from the distribution were roughly the same as the international normal IOP RI (10 to 21 mmHg). It is recommended to refer to the RI of daytime IOP values of different genders and ages for clinical decision.

Search for Heavy Neutral Leptons in Decays of W Bosons Using a Dilepton Displaced Vertex in sqrt[s]=13 TeV pp Collisions with the ATLAS Detector

A search for a long-lived, heavy neutral lepton (N) in 139  fb^{-1} of sqrt[s]=13  TeV pp collision data collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider is reported. The N is produced via W→Nμ or W→Ne and decays into two charged leptons and a neutrino, forming a displaced vertex. The N mass is used to discriminate between signal and background. No signal is observed, and limits are set on the squared mixing parameters of the N with the left-handed neutrino states for the N mass range 3  GeV Collapse

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Test of CP Invariance in Higgs Boson Vector-Boson-Fusion Production Using the H→γγ Channel with the ATLAS Detector

A test of CP invariance in Higgs boson production via vector-boson fusion has been performed in the H→γγ channel using 139  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data at sqrt[s]=13  TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The optimal observable method is used to probe the CP structure of interactions between the Higgs boson and electroweak gauge bosons, as described by an effective field theory. No sign of CP violation is observed in the data. Constraints are set on the parameters describing the strength of the CP-odd component in the coupling between the Higgs boson and the electroweak gauge bosons in two effective field theory bases: d[over ˜] in the HISZ basis and c_{HW[over ˜]} in the Warsaw basis. The results presented are the most stringent constraints on CP violation in the coupling between Higgs and weak bosons. The 95% C.L. constraint on d[over ˜] is derived for the first time and the 95% C.L. constraint on c_{HW[over ˜]} has been improved by a factor of 5 compared to the previous measurement.

Transcriptome Analysis Revealed That Hydrogen Peroxide-Regulated Oxidative Phosphorylation Plays an Important Role in the Formation of Pleurotus ostreatus Cap Color

Pleurotus ostreatus is widely cultivated in China. H2O2, as a signaling molecule, can regulate the formation of cap color, but its regulatory pathway is still unclear, severely inhibiting the breeding of dark-colored strains. In this study, 614 DEGs specifically regulated by H2O2 were identified by RNA-seq analysis. GO-enrichment analysis shows that DEGs can be significantly enriched in multiple pathways related to ATP synthesis, mainly including proton-transporting ATP synthesis complex, coupling factor F(o), ATP biosynthetic process, nucleoside triphosphate metabolic processes, ATP metabolic process, purine nucleoside triphosphate biosynthetic and metabolic processes, and purine ribonuclease triphosphate biosynthetic metabolic processes. Further KEGG analysis revealed that 23 DEGs were involved in cap color formation through the oxidative phosphorylation pathway. They were enriched in Complexes I, III, IV, and V in the respiratory chain. Further addition of exogenous uncoupling agents and ATP synthase inhibitors clarifies the important role of ATP synthesis in color formation. In summary, H2O2 may upregulate the expression of complex-encoding genes in the respiratory chain and promote ATP synthesis, thereby affecting the formation of cap color. The results of this study lay the foundation for the breeding of dark-colored strains of P. ostreatus and provide a basis for the color-formation mechanism of edible fungi.

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation in garments optimized for compliance

PURPOSE

Physical inactivity is associated with muscle atrophy and venous thromboembolism, which may be prevented by neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES). This study aimed to investigate the effect on discomfort, current amplitude and energy consumption when varying the frequency and phase duration of low-intensity NMES (LI-NMES) via a sock with knitting-integrated transverse textile electrodes (TTE).

METHODS

On eleven healthy participants (four females), calf-NMES via a TTE sock was applied with increasing intensity (mA) until ankle-plantar flexion at which point outcomes were compared when testing frequencies 1, 3, 10 and 36 Hz and phase durations 75, 150, 200, 300 and 400 µs. Discomfort was assessed with a numerical rating scale (NRS, 0-10) and energy consumption was calculated and expressed in milli-Joule (mJ). Significance set to p ≤ 0.05.

RESULTS

1 Hz yielded a median (inter-quartile range) NRS of 2.4 (1.0-3.4), significantly lower than both 3 Hz with NRS 2.8 (1.8-4.2), and 10 Hz with NRS 3.4 (1.4-5.4) (both p ≤ .014). Each increase in tested frequency resulted in significantly higher energy consumption, e.g. 0.6 mJ (0.5-0.8) for 1 Hz vs 14.9 mJ (12.3-21.2) for 36 Hz (p = .003). Longer phase durations had no significant effect on discomfort despite generally requiring significantly lower current amplitudes. Phase durations 150, 200 and 400 µs required significantly lower energy consumption compared to 75 µs (all p ≤ .037).

CONCLUSION

LI-NMES applied via a TTE sock produces a relevant plantar flexion of the ankle with the best comfort and lowest energy consumption using 1 Hz and phase durations 150, 200 or 400 µs.

[Analysis of the characteristics of viral infections in children with diarrhea in Beijing from 2018 to 2022]

Objective: To explore the characteristics of viral infections in children with diarrhea in Beijing from 2018 to 2022. Methods: Real-time PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to detect viral nucleic acid of Norovirus (NoV), Sappovirus (SaV), Astrovirus (AstV), Enteric Adenovirus (AdV) or antigen of Rotavirus (RV) in 748 stool samples collected from Beijing Capital Institute of Pediatrics from January 2018 to December 2021. Subsequently, the reverse transcription PCR or PCR method was used to amplify the target gene of the positive samples after the initial screening, followed by sequencing, genotyping and evolution analysis, so as to obtain the characteristics of these viruses. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using Mega 6.0. Results: From 2018 to 2021, the overall detection rate of the above five common viruses was 37.6%(281/748)in children under 5 years old in Beijing. NoV, Enteric AdV and RV were still the top three diarrhea-related viruses, followed by AstV and SaV, accounting for 41.6%, 29.2%, 27.8%, 8.9% and 7.5%, respectively. The detection rate of co-infections with two or three diarrhea-related viruses was 4.7% (35/748). From the perspective of annual distribution, the detection rate of Enteric AdV was the highest in 2021, while NoV was predominant in the other 4 years. From the perspective of genetic characteristics, NoV was predominant by GII.4, and after the first detection of GII.4[P16] in 2020, it occupied the first two gene groups together with GII.4[P31]. Although the predominant RV was G9P[8], the rare epidemic strain G8P[8] was first detected in 2021. The predominant genotypes of Enteric AdV and AstV were Ad41 and HAstV-1. SaV was sporadic spread with a low detection rate. Conclusion: Among the diarrhea-related viruses infected children under 5 years of age in Beijing, the predominant strains of NoV and RV have changed and new sub-genotypes have been detected for the first time, while the predominant strains of AstV and Enteric AdV are relatively stable.

[The clinical value of serum GPC3 level in predicting recurrence of patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma]

Objective: To investigate the clinical value of serum glypican-3 (GPC3) detection in predicting recurrence of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Through univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis, the patients pathologically diagnosed with HCC in our hospital from March 2019 to January 2021 were enrolled as the experimental group (n=113), and patients with follow-up time longer than 6 months were included in the prognosis group(n=64). At the same time,20 healthy individuals and 20 individuals with benign liver disease from the physical examination center were enrolled by simple random sampling as control group (n=40). The serum GPC3 and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels were respectively detected by ELISA and chemiluminescence. Then, the study explored the influential factors of the recurrence in HCC patients and constructed the HCC-GPC3 recurrence predicting model by logistic regression. Results: In the research, the sensitivity of GPC3 for the diagnosis of HCC was 61.95% (70/113) and AFP was 52.21% (59/113), meanwhile, the specificity of GPC3 could reach 87.50% (35/40) and AFP was 90.00% (36/40),respectively; The serum GPC3 levels of HCC patients with progressive stage, tumor size≥3 cm, vascular cancer thrombosis and portal venous thromboembolism were significantly higher than that of HCC patients with early stage, tumor size<3 cm, vascular cancer thrombosis and portal venous thromboembolism (Z=2.677, 2.848, 2.995, 2.252, P<0.05), independent of different ages, presence or absence of ascites, peritoneal metastasis, cirrhosis, intrahepatic metastasis (Z=-1.535, 1.011, 0.963, 0.394, 1.510, P>0.05), respectively. Univariate analysis showed that there were no statistically significant differences between the recurrence group and the non-recurrence group in terms of different age, tumor size, presence or absence of vascular cancer thrombosis, ascites, peritoneal metastasis, cirrhosis and AFP levels (χ²=2.012, 0.119, 2.363, 1.041, 0.318, 0.360, Z=0.748, P>0.05); The ratio of those with the progressive stage, portal venous thromboembolism and intrahepatic metastasis and GPC3 levels were all higher in the recurrence group than in the non-recurrence group (χ²=4.338, 11.90, 4.338, Z=2.805, P<0.05).Including the above risk factors in the logistic regression model, the logistic regression analysis showed that the stage, the presence of portal venous thromboembolism,intrahepatic metastasis and GPC3 levels were correlated with the prognosis recurrence of HCC patients (Wald χ²=4.421, 5.681, 4.995, 4.319, P<0.05), and the HCC-GPC3 recurrence model was obtained as: OcScore=-2.858+1.563×[stage]+1.664×[intrahepatic metastasis]+2.942×[ portal venous thromboembolism]+0.776×[GPC3]. According to the receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC), the area under the curve(AUC)of the HCC-GPC3 prognostic model was 0.862, which was better than that of GPC3 alone (AUC=0.704). The cut-off value of model SCORE was 0.699 (the cut-off value of GPC3 was 0.257 mg/L), furthermore, the total sensitivity and specificity of model were 83.3% and 82.4%, which were better than those of GPC3(60.0% and 79.4%).Kaplan-Meier showed that the median PFS was significantly shorter in HCC patients with high GPC3 levels (≥0.257 mg/L) and high values of the model SCORE (≥0.700) (χ²=12.73, 28.16, P<0.05). Conclusion: Besides diagnosing of HCC, GPC3 can may be an independent risk indicator for the recurrence of HCC and can more efficiently predicting the recurrence of HCC patients when combined with the stage, the presence or absence of intrahepatic metastasis and portal venous thromboembolism.

Improved Measurement of the Evolution of the Reactor Antineutrino Flux and Spectrum at Daya Bay

Reactor neutrino experiments play a crucial role in advancing our knowledge of neutrinos. In this Letter, the evolution of the flux and spectrum as a function of the reactor isotopic content is reported in terms of the inverse-beta-decay yield at Daya Bay with 1958 days of data and improved systematic uncertainties. These measurements are compared with two signature model predictions: the Huber-Mueller model based on the conversion method and the SM2018 model based on the summation method. The measured average flux and spectrum, as well as the flux evolution with the ^{239}Pu isotopic fraction, are inconsistent with the predictions of the Huber-Mueller model. In contrast, the SM2018 model is shown to agree with the average flux and its evolution but fails to describe the energy spectrum. Altering the predicted inverse-beta-decay spectrum from ^{239}Pu fission does not improve the agreement with the measurement for either model. The models can be brought into better agreement with the measurements if either the predicted spectrum due to ^{235}U fission is changed or the predicted ^{235}U, ^{238}U, ^{239}Pu, and ^{241}Pu spectra are changed in equal measure.

[Infiltration and significance of M1 macrophage in breast cancer: an analysis of METABRIC database and clinical validation]

Objective: To investigate the differences of immune microenvironment between stage T1N3 and stage T3N0 breast cancer patients and explore the relationship between M1 macrophage infiltration and lymph node metastasis in breast cancer. Methods: Clinical information and RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) expression data of stage T1N3 (n=9) and stage T3N0 (n=11) breast cancer patients were extracted from Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium (METABRIC) databases. Using CIBERSORT, the proportions of 22 types of immune cells were calculated, and then the differences of immune cell infiltration between stage T1N3 and T3N0 patients were compared. From 2011 to 2022, pathologic specimens were collected from breast cancer patients who underwent curative resection at the Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, including 77 at stage T1N3 and 58 at stage T3N0.The METABRIC database analysis results were verified by examining the density of M1 macrophages in tissues using dual-staining immunohistochemistry. Results: METABRIC data analysis showed M1 macrophage was the highest proportion, 15.85% in stage T1N3 breast cancer; M2 macrophage was the highest proportion, 13.07% in stage T3N0 breast cancer.M1 macrophage proportions were statistically different between patients with stage T1N3 and stage T3N0 (P=0.010). The dual-staining immunohistochemistry analysis of breast cancer tissues showed M1 macrophage density (median) of 62.0 and 38.0 cells/mm(2) for stage T1N3 and T3N0, respectively. The difference was statistically significant (P=0.002). Conclusion: The density of M1 macrophages is notably higher in stage T1N3 patients and is associated with lymph node metastasis.

Precision Measurement of Reactor Antineutrino Oscillation at Kilometer-Scale Baselines by Daya Bay

We present a new determination of the smallest neutrino mixing angle θ_{13} and the mass-squared difference Δm_{32}^{2} using a final sample of 5.55×10^{6} inverse beta-decay (IBD) candidates with the final-state neutron captured on gadolinium. This sample is selected from the complete dataset obtained by the Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment in 3158 days of operation. Compared to the previous Daya Bay results, selection of IBD candidates has been optimized, energy calibration refined, and treatment of backgrounds further improved. The resulting oscillation parameters are sin^{2}2θ_{13}=0.0851±0.0024, Δm_{32}^{2}=(2.466±0.060)×10^{-3}  eV^{2} for the normal mass ordering or Δm_{32}^{2}=-(2.571±0.060)×10^{-3}  eV^{2} for the inverted mass ordering.

First Measurement of Λ Electroproduction off Nuclei in the Current and Target Fragmentation Regions

We report results of Λ hyperon production in semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering off deuterium, carbon, iron, and lead targets obtained with the CLAS detector and the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility 5.014 GeV electron beam. These results represent the first measurements of the Λ multiplicity ratio and transverse momentum broadening as a function of the energy fraction (z) in the current and target fragmentation regions. The multiplicity ratio exhibits a strong suppression at high z and an enhancement at low z. The measured transverse momentum broadening is an order of magnitude greater than that seen for light mesons. This indicates that the propagating entity interacts very strongly with the nuclear medium, which suggests that propagation of diquark configurations in the nuclear medium takes place at least part of the time, even at high z. The trends of these results are qualitatively described by the Giessen Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck transport model, particularly for the multiplicity ratios. These observations will potentially open a new era of studies of the structure of the nucleon as well as of strange baryons.

[Phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of Escherichia coli causing bloodstream and abdominal co-infection]

Objective: To analyze the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of Escherichia coli causing bloodstream and abdominal co-infection (CoECO), and provide clues for empirical antibiotics treatment. Methods: The strains of Escherichia coli isolated from blood and abdominal samples in the Department of Laboratory Medicine of the First Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital from 2010 to 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Mass spectrometer was used to identify all of the strains and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) were detected by VITEK 2 Compact. All isolates were sequenced by 2×150 bp double terminal sequencing strategy on the HiSeq X Ten sequencer (Illumina). After the genome sequence was spliced, the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis of the strain sequence was performed using kSNP3 software to clarify the homologous relationship between strains. If the strains isolated from two different parts had high homology, they were regarded as the same strain and the case was with CoECO infection. Meanwhile, the multilocus sequence type (MLST) was determined using PubMLST website and resistant genes were screened by CARD website. Results: A total of 70 cases of CoECO infection were screened, including 45 males and 25 females, and aged (59.2±16.3) years old. The 70 CoECO isolates belonged to 35 sequence types (STs). The most prevalent STs included ST38 (n=6), ST 405 (n=6), ST 1193 (n=6) and ST131 (n=5), and other ST types contained less than 5 strains. The homologous relationship among strains was relatively scattered, presenting a sporadic trend as a whole, and only a few strains had a small-scale outbreak. The CoECO isolates showed significantly resistance to ampicillin (91.4%, 64/70), ampicillin/sulbactam (74.3%, 5 2/70), ceftriaxone (72.9%, 51/70), ciprofloxacin (71.4%, 50/70) and levofloxacin (71.4%, 50/70), and high-sensitivity to piperacillin/tazobactam, carbapenems and amikacin. The most prevalent resistant gene was tet (A/B) (70%, 49/70), followed by bla_TEM (58.6%, 41/70), sul1 (55.7%, 40/70), sul2 (54.3%, 38/70), bla_CTX-M-14(25.7%, 18/70), bla_CTX-M-15(17.1%, 13/70), bla_CTX-M-55(15.7%, 11/70), bla_CTX-M-64/65(5.7%, 4/70), bla_CTX-M-27(4.3%, 3/70), mcr-1 (4.3%, 3/70), bla_NDM-5(2.9%, 2/70). Conclusions: CoECO is distributed dispersedly and has no obvious advantage clone. No genotype with obvious advantages was found. Although the strain has a high resistance rate to some antibacterial drugs, the proportion of carrying resistant genes is low, and it has a high sensitivity to some first-line antibacterial drugs.