Association between gestational cardiovascular health in the first trimester and pregnancy outcomes in the China birth cohort

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether gestational cardiovascular health (CVH) during the first trimester is associated with a risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

STUDY DESIGN

A multicentre prospective cohort; part of the China birth cohort study.

METHODS

Pregnant women were recruited at 6-13+6 gestation weeks and followed to delivery to identify pregnancy outcomes. Gestational CVH in the first trimester was assessed using five CVH metrics: body mass index, smoking, blood pressure, glucose, and lipids. Multilevel modified Poisson regression models calculated the relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) of gestational CVH for adverse pregnancy outcomes.

RESULTS

Among 56,852 pregnant women, the mean score for gestational CVH during the first trimester was 9.1. Adjusting for confounding factors, each 1-point decrease in the total gestational CVH score significantly increased the risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (RR = 1.682, 95% CI: 1.624-1.743), gestational diabetes mellitus (RR = 1.405, 95% CI: 1.384-1.426), preterm birth (RR = 1.184, 95% CI: 1.174-1.195), large for gestational age (RR = 1.224, 95% CI: 1.199-1.250), caesarean delivery (RR = 1.073, 95% CI: 1.049-1.097), and low Apgar score (RR = 1.131, 95% CI: 1.003-1.277) significantly increased. Meanwhile, the risk of small for gestational age decreased (SGA; RR = 0.922, 95% CI: 0.898-0.946). Worsened CVH categories significantly increased the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, excluding SGA.

CONCLUSIONS

Poor gestational CVH in the first trimester significantly increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, emphasising the need for early improvement in gestational CVH.

Prediction of Potential Suitable Distribution Areas for an Endangered Salamander in China

Climate change has been considered to pose critical threats for wildlife. During the past decade, species distribution models were widely used to assess the effects of climate change on the distribution of species' suitable habitats. Among all the vertebrates, amphibians are most vulnerable to climate change. This is especially true for salamanders, which possess some specific traits such as cutaneous respiration and low vagility. The Wushan salamander (Liua shihi) is a threatened and protected salamander in China, with its wild population decreasing continuously. The main objective of this study was to predict the distribution of suitable habitat for L. shihi using the ENMeval parameter-optimized MaxEnt model under current and future climate conditions. Our results showed that precipitation, cloud density, vegetation type, and ultraviolet radiation were the main environmental factors affecting the distribution of L. shihi. Currently, the suitable habitats for L. shihi are mainly concentrated in the Daba Mountains, including northeastern Chongqing and western Hubei Provinces. Under the future climate conditions, the area of suitable habitats increased, which mainly occurred in central Guizhou Province. This study provided important information for the conservation of L. shihi. Future studies can incorporate more species distribution models to better understand the effects of climate change on the distribution of L. shihi.

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.

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}.

Changes in transcriptome regulations of a marine rotifer Brachionus plicatilis under methylmercury stress

Mercury (Hg), a heavy metal pollutant worldwide, can be transformed into methylmercury (MeHg) by various aquatic microorganisms in water, thus accumulating along the aquatic food chain and posing a particular challenge to human health. Zooplankton plays a crucial role in aquatic ecosystems and serves as a major component of the food chain. To evaluate the effects of MeHg on the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis and reveal the underlying mechanism of these effects, we exposed B. plicatilis to MeHg by either direct immersion or by feeding with MeHg-poisoned Chlorella pyrenoidesa, respectively, and conducted a transcriptomic analysis. The results showed that B. plicatilis directly exposed to MeHg by immersion showed significant enrichment of the glutathione metabolism pathway for detoxification of MeHg. In addition, the exposure to MeHg by feeding induced a significant enrichment of lysosome and notch signaling pathways of rotifers, supporting the hypothesis that MeHg can induce autophagy dysfunction in cells and disturb the nervous system of rotifers. In two different routes of MeHg exposure, the pathway of cytochrome P450 in rotifers showed significant enrichment for resisting MeHg toxicity. Our results suggest further studies on the potential mechanism and biological responses of MeHg toxicity in other links of the aquatic food chain.

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.

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.

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.

Metabolic pathways of methylmercury in rotifer Brachionus plicatilis

Methylmercury (MeHg) readily accumulates in aquatic organisms while transferring and amplifying in the aquatic food chains. This study firstly explores the in vivo accumulation sites and metabolic regulation of MeHg in the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis by aggregation-induced emission fluorogen (AIEgen) and metabolomics. Fluorescent image analysis by AIEgen showed that MeHg in B. plicatilis mainly occured in the ciliary corona, esophagus, mastax, stomach and intestine in the direct absorption group. In the other group, where B. plicatilis were indirectly supplied with MeHg via food intake, the accumulation of MeHg in the rotifer occurred in the ciliary corona, various digestive organs, and the pedal gland. However, the MeHg accumulated in the rotifer is difficult to metabolize outside the body. Metabolomics analysis showed that the significant enrichment of ABC transporters was induced by the direct exposure of rotifers to dissolved MeHg. In contrast, exposure of rotifers to MeHg via food intake appeared to influence carbon, galactose, alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolisms. Besides, the disturbed biological pathways such as histidine metabolism, beta-alanine metabolism and pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis in rotifers may be associated with L-aspartic acid upregulation in the feeding group. The significant enrichment of ABC transporters and carbon metabolism in rotifers may be related to the accumulation of MeHg in the intestine of rotifers. In both pathways of MeHg exposure, the arginine biosynthesis and metabolism of rotifers were disturbed, which may support the hypothesis that rotifers produce more energy to resist MeHg toxicity. This study provides new insight into the accumulation and toxicity mechanisms of MeHg on marine invertebrates from the macro and micro perspectives.

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.

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

Key Words Collapse

MESH Headings Collapse

Grants Collapse

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

Key Words Collapse

MESH Headings Collapse

Grants Collapse

Use of Explainable AI Algorithm Revealing Longitudinal Changes in Practice Patterns and Toxicity Models

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Dosimetric constraints evolve as clinicians implement practice changes, requiring modeling approaches to be dynamic. We applied a semi-automated explainable artificial intelligence (eAI) algorithm and dashboard visualizations to model dysphagia and xerostomia for head and neck cancer patients. We coupled a large, comprehensive, "real-world" database to the eAI for discovery of features with the strongest combined statistical and machine learning based evidence and to identify clinically actionable thresholds.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Cohort included 758 patients treated 2017-2021 for HN cancer with conventional fractionation. Features included age, sex, diagnosis, staging, chemotherapy, smoking and alcohol status, BMI, weight loss, re-simulation, DVH curves, PTV and OAR volumes. Patients were scored for toxicity within 2 yrs of RT for dysphagia grade ≥ 3 and xerostomia grade ≥ 2. Bootstrap resampling of thresholds, ROC-AUC, PR-ROC, SN, SP, F1 and diagnostic odds ratio was used to statistically profile strength of evidence for candidate features. XGBoost models with 10-fold cross validation were repeated (n = 20) to identify mean and CIs for statistical measures of predictions. DVH metrics included standard template values and those with highest statistical evidence and low cross correlation with other features. Backward feature selection was used to identify the most relevant feature subset, where the least informative feature is iteratively removed from the model. This workflow was repeated by year and overall.

RESULTS

Annual incidence of dysphagia averaged 0.13 ± 0.02 overall years. Xerostomia incidence decreased from 0.32 to 0.12 (2017-2021). Box-whisker plots by year showed consistent reductions in standard practice toxicity linked DVH metric values. Median dose to superior constrictors (PCM), contralateral parotid and contralateral submandibular gland (SMG) declined from 2017 to 2021 by 48 to 33 Gy, 17 to 10 Gy, and 28 to 22 Gy respectively. Statistics of XGBoost models of dysphagia for all years were ROC-AUC = 0.72 ± 0.05. Strongest overall years predictors were Oral Cavity (OC) D50%[Gy] < 32, inferior PCM Max [Gy] < 60, contralateral SMG D10%[Gy] < 53 and use of Paclitaxel. Xerostomia models were less predictive with ROC-AUC = 0.65 ± 0.05. Strongest predictors over each year were ipsilateral parotid D30%[Gy] < 35, contralateral SMG D96%[Gy] < 18.4, and overall staging < II. Predictive features varied substantially by year for both, showing the most consistency for SMG doses. For example, OC D50%[Gy] < 27 and contralateral SMG D96%[Gy] < 18 dominated xerostomia model in 2017 but not in 2021 when practice norms shifted to lower doses.

CONCLUSION

As OAR doses were systematically reduced, statistical and AI models evidence highlighted contralateral SMG dose as important to both dysphagia and xerostomia for clinical practice change. The "real-world" database + eAI + visualization dashboards provided a method for continuous learning as clinical practice changes.

Association of Plasma Selenium and Its Untargeted Metabolomic Profiling with Cervical Cancer Prognosis

Selenium is an essential trace element that shows beneficial or adverse health effects depending on the dose. However, its role in the prognosis of cervical cancer (CC) has been less reported. We aimed to explore the association between selenium status and prognosis in CC patients with different prognoses and to elucidate the underlying mechanism of selenium in CC prognosis. This cross-sectional observational study had a case-control design at the Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital and was conducted using 29 CC cases with poor prognosis and 29 CC cases with good prognosis. Plasma selenium levels were measured using an atomic fluorescence spectrometer. Untargeted metabolomics was used to identify metabolites. Plasma selenium levels of the poor prognosis group (49.90 ± 13.81 µg/L) were lower than that of the good prognosis group (59.38 ± 13.00 µg/L, t = 2.69, P = 0.009). In the logistic regression analysis, plasma selenium levels were associated with lower poor prognosis risk [odds ratio (OR) = 0.952, 95% CI: 0.909-0.998]. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed an optimal cut-off point of plasma selenium levels ≤ 47.68 µg/L for poor prognosis of CC. Based on the cut-off selenium levels, patients with different prognoses were divided into high and low selenium groups. Metabolomic analysis revealed six differential metabolites among different prognoses with low and high selenium levels, and the glycerophospholipid (GPL) metabolism was enriched. Plasma selenium levels were positively correlated with metabolite levels. Our findings provided evidence that low plasma selenium levels may associate with a poor prognosis of CC. Low plasma selenium levels might suppress GPL metabolism and influence the prognosis of CC. This finding requires confirmation in future prospective cohort studies.

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.

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

Key Words Collapse

MESH Headings Collapse

Grants Collapse

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.

The efficacy of nurse-led hyperbaric oxygen therapy in improving the quality of life in patients with sudden hearing loss

Background

The quality of life decreases in patients with sudden hearing loss due to hearing problems. In addition, complications due to hyperbaric oxygen therapy can reduce the quality of life.

Aim

This study was conducted to examine the efficacy of nurse-led hyperbaric oxygen therapy in improving the quality of life in patients with sudden hearing loss.

Subjects and Methods

This one-group pretest-posttest design study was conducted with 34 patients with Sudden Hearing Loss who applied to a university hospital for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy between November 2018 and February 2019. The data were collected using the Patient Information Form, World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL-BREF), and Pure Tone Threshold Audiogram.

Results

WHOQOL-BREF's quality of life rating (2.59 ± 0.86-3.68 ± 0.59), satisfaction with health status (2.65 ± 0.69-3.62 ± 0.60), physical domain (11.58 ± 2.08-14.84 ± 2.38), psychological domain (12.80 ± 2.21-15.82 ± 2.26), social domain (14.63 ± 3.09-16.78 ± 2.67) and environmental domain (14.25 ± 2.55-16.34 ± 2.60) mean scores significantly increased compared to the pre-treatment scores (p < 0.001). The presence of an acute illness in the last month, the persistence of sudden hearing loss symptoms, level of hearing loss, presence of chronic illness, and smoking were found to affect the quality of life.

Conclusions

At the end of the nurse-led hyperbaric oxygen therapy in patients with sudden hearing loss, the quality of life increased and the hearing loss decreased. The most important factor affecting the quality of life was the persistence of symptoms of sudden hearing loss.

The clinicopathological analysis of ocular and orbit tumors in southeast of China

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to describe the clinicopathologic characteristics of ocular surface and orbit tumors in the Southeast of China and explore the method to differentiate the benign and malignant masses.

Materials and methods

3468 patients undergoing mass resection from January 2015 to December 2020 were selected as observation subjects and were classified into benign and malignant masses according to postoperative pathology. The clinicopathologic characteristics were collected, including gender, age, pathological tissue signs, and pathological signs. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis of independent risk factors of malignant mass was applied to establish a diagnostic model and the efficacy was evaluated by the subject working characteristics (ROC) curve.

Results

Benign tumors accounted for 91.5% of all cases, and malignant tumors accounted for 8.5%. The most common ocular benign tumors were nevi (24.2%), granuloma (17.1%), and cysts (16.4%). The most common ocular malignant tumors were malignant lymphoma (32.1%) and Basal cell carcinoma (20.2%). As for the histologic origin, melanocytic origin was on the list with 819 (23.6%), mesenchymal 661 (19.1%), epithelial 568 (16.3%), cystic 521 (15.0%), skin adnexal 110 (3.1%), lymphoid 94 (2.8%), and Neural 25(0.8%). Based on the gender, age, tumor location, and the pathological tissue image feature (including differentiation, structural atypia, covering epithelial, keratosis, nest structure/distribution, nuclear atypia, cytoplasmic change and nuclear division), the diagnostic model had predictive value to differentiate the benign and malignant masses.

Conclusion

Most ocular surface and orbit tumors are benign. Tumor diagnosis is relative to the patient's age, gender, tumor location, and pathologic characteristics. We generated a satisfactory diagnostic model to differential diagnosis of benign and malignant masses.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the hospital attendance of patients with primary cervical cancer in Heilongjiang, China

Information regarding the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on cervical cancer in mainland China is lacking. We explored its impact on the hospital attendance of patients with primary cervical cancer. We included 1918 patients with primary cervical cancer who initially attended Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital between January 23, 2019, and January 23, 2021. Attendance decreased by 31%, from 1135 in 2019 to 783 in 2020, mainly from January to June (𝜒²  = 73.362, P < .001). The percentage of patients detected by screening decreased from 12.1% in January-June 2019 to 5.8% in January-June 2020 (𝜒²  = 7.187, P = .007). Patients with stage I accounted for 28.4% in 2020 significantly lower than 36.6% in 2019 (𝜒²  = 14.085, P < .001), and patients with stage III accounted for 27.1% in 2020 significantly higher than 20.5% in 2019 (𝜒²  = 11.145, P < .001). Waiting time for treatment was extended from 8 days (median) in January-June and July-December 2019 to 16 days in January-June (𝜒²  = 74.674, P < .001) and 12 days in July-December 2020 (𝜒²  = 37.916, P < .001). Of the 179 patients who delayed treatment, 164 (91.6%) were for the reasons of the healthcare providers. Compared to 2019, the number of patients in Harbin or non-Harbin in Heilongjiang Province and outside the province decreased, and cross-regional medical treatment has been hindered. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted cervical cancer patient attendance at the initial phase. These results are solid evidence that a strategy and mechanism for the effective attendance of cervical cancer patients in response to public health emergencies is urgently needed.

[Current status of lymph node dissection in pyloric-preserving gastrectomy for early gastric cancer]

With the gradual increase in the diagnosis rate of early gastric cancer, clinicians must consider prevention of gastric anatomical structure and physiological function while ensuring the radical treatment of the tumor. Pylorus-preserving gastrectomy is a function- preserving operation that preserves the pylorus, inferior pyloric vessel, and the vagus nerve in patients with early middle gastric cancer. One of the major controversies at present is the thoroughness of limited lymph node dissection for pyloric-preserving gastrectomy. Various studies have reported that the lymph node metastasis rate of early middle gastric cancer was low, especially in the suprapyloric region, inferior pylorus and the upper pancreatic region. Partial lymph node dissection is required for vascular and neurological protection, which is also safe and feasible in studies reported by major centers. Many clinical studies have been carried out in Japan and Korea, and postoperative follow-up has gradually increased evidence, providing the basis for the safety of lymph node dissection. In large case studies comparing pylorus- preserving gastrectomy with traditional distal gastrectomy, the incidence of postoperative morbidity, such as dumping syndrome, bile reflux esophagitis, weight loss, and malnutrition is low. Sentinel lymph node navigation technology is gradually applied to the diagnosis and treatment of early gastric cancer, and its clinical application value still needs further research.

Unraveling the importance of functionally extreme tadpole types to functional diversity: a case study in temperate montane streams

BACKGROUND

Functional diversity is important to maintain ecosystem functioning. Species with different ecomorphological traits may display distinct functional roles in ecosystems. Accordingly, functionally extreme species are more important as they can exhibit specific strategies. However, little is known about the distribution patterns of functionally extreme species at a local scale and whether the prior extinction of extreme species can cause significant effects on functional diversity. In addition, no empirical studies have been conducted on the microhabitat determinants of extreme species to maintain the functional diversity.

RESULTS

This study collected 1470 tadpoles belonging to 6 families and 20 anuran species. These species were subsequently divided into 65 functional entities based on their developmental stages to incorporate intraspecific traits variability. As a result, we detected seven extreme functional entities, accounting for 10.7% of the total number of entities. Moreover, the prior extinction of extreme entities can lead to a significant decrease in functional diversity compared with the random extinction of entities. Microhabitat variables such as conductivity, water depth, and current velocity determined the distribution of extreme entities.

CONCLUSION

Although the functionally extreme entities only represented a small proportion of the total number of tadpoles, they played irreplaceable roles in maintaining functional diversity. Their extinction may induce high functional vulnerability in tadpole communities. Therefore, anuran species with extreme tadpole traits need to be projected for amphibian conservation.

Methylmercury bioaccumulation in water flea Daphnia carinata by AIEgen

Mercury ion (Hg²⁺) is a toxic heavy metal ion and Hg²⁺ is convertible to methylmercury (MeHg) by many aquatic microorganisms, leading to bioaccumulation and biomagnification in aquatic organisms, which can interfere with brain development and function in humans. This study employs a newly developed AIEgen (Aggregation-induced emission fluorogen) to quantify and visualise the process of MeHg bioaccumulation in vivo on the species of water flea Daphnia carinata. Two approaches to MeHg absorption were taken, either by direct incubation in a MeHg solution or by indirect consumption of algae contaminated with MeHg. We analysed the relationship between the ratio of photoluminescence (PL) intensities (I₅₈₅/I₄₈₀) and MeHg concentration (C_MeHg) and generated a master curve for determining MeHg concentration based on the measurement of PL intensities. Fluorescent image analysis showed the occurrence of MeHg in D. carinata to be mainly in the compound eyes, optic nerve and carapace. This study indicates that MeHg absorption can be quantified and visualised in the body of zooplankton, and the MeHg transfer to zooplankton is more likely through direct exposure than via indirect food intake. The accumulation of MeHg in the eye and the nervous system could be the cause of the high mortality of D. carinata exposed to MeHg in water.

[Research progress of monkeypox epidemic in multiple countries]

Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease caused by Monkeypox virus, which can cause the change of smallpox pattern in human. Monkeypox has been epidemic in central and west African countries, and infections outside the African continent are rare. Since May 2022, unprecedented outbreaks of human monkeypox and clusters of cases have occurred in non-epidemic countries such as Europe, the Americas and Australia, with multi-country outbreaks drawing global attention. The prevalence, transmission route and reoccurrence of monkeypox are still unknown. In view of the rapid increase of monkeypox cases, this paper reviewed the epidemiological changes, outbreak causes, clinical characteristics, and treatment methods of monkeypox, so as to clarify the epidemic background and transmission characteristics, improve the understanding of the disease, prevent the disease as soon as possible and formulate diagnosis and treatment measures.

A county-level spatial epidemiological study of hair selenium and Keshan disease

Background

No spatial analysis of hair selenium and Keshan disease (KD) on a nationwide county-level has been performed. Selenium deficiency is a recognized environmental risk factor for KD. Hair selenium is one of the recognized biomarkers of selenium nutrition. This study aimed to perform a geographically precise and visualized assessment of the achievement of KD prevention and control at the level of selenium nutrition in terms of etiology.

Methods

A spatial ecological study was conducted. The hair selenium content of the residents was assayed using an atomic fluorescence spectrometer. The spatial analysis was performed using ArcGIS.

Results

The median of the hair selenium levels of the 3,028 participants in the 1,174 counties was 0.38 mg/kg, and the content of inhabitants in KD endemic counties was significantly lower than that in KD non-endemic counties (0.34 vs. 0.39 mg/kg, z = −10.03, P &lt; 0.0001). The proportion of Se-deficient and Se-marginal counties in KD endemic counties was significantly higher than that in KD non-endemic counties (59.4 vs. 29.0%, z = −7.45, P &lt; 0.0001). The global autocorrelation analysis was not statistically significant (Moran's I = 0.0005, P = 0.68). Local autocorrelation analysis identified 174 low-low clusters of hair selenium levels, 83 (47.7%) of which are KD endemic counties located in KD endemic provinces of Henan, Gansu, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, and Heilongjiang. The hair selenium featured a positive correlation with per capita GDP (rs = 0.20, P &lt; 0.0001).

Conclusion

The median of the hair selenium levels of inhabitants living in KD endemic counties was significantly lower than that in KD non-endemic counties. All the 83 KD endemic counties with low-low clusters of hair selenium levels should be prioritized in KD precision prevention and control. These findings are geographically precise and visualized evidence of the assessment of the effectiveness of KD prevention and control at the level of selenium nutrition in terms of etiology.

Hair Selenium of Residents in Keshan Disease Endemic and Non-endemic Regions in China

Few nationwide investigations on hair selenium (Se) and Keshan disease (KD) have been conducted. KD is closely associated with Se deficiency. Hair Se is an important biomarker for selenium nutrition. This research aimed to provide evidence for assessment of KD prevention, control, and elimination at the molecular level from the etiological perspective of selenium nutrition. The hair Se of the residents living in the KD endemic and non-endemic areas were determined through atomic fluorescence spectrometer. The median of the hair Se levels of the inhabitants living in KD endemic counties was significantly lower than that in KD non-endemic counties (0.34 vs 0.39 mg/kg, U = -10.03, P < 0.0001). The proportion of Se-deficient or Se-marginal residents in KD endemic counties was significantly higher than that in KD non-endemic counties (56.9% vs 36.6%, U = -9.57, P < 0.0001). The medians of the hair Se levels in KD endemic provinces of Shannxi, Heilongjiang, and Gansu were the lowest (0.35mg/kg), and in the category of Se-marginal status. The hair Se level featured a positive Spearman correlation with per capita disposable income (r_s = 0.20, P < 0.0001). In conclusion, the median of the hair Se contents of residents living in KD endemic counties was significantly lower than that in KD non-endemic counties. The hair Se contents of nearly 57% of inhabitants living in KD endemic regions were in Se-deficient or Se-marginal status. The KD endemic provinces of Shannxi, Heilongjiang, and Gansu should be given high priority in KD prevention and control.

Sodium selenite inhibits cervical cancer growth via ROS mediated AMPK/FOXO3a /GADD45a axis

Selenium is a trace element that has been shown to inhibit the growth of various cancer cell types. However, its role in cervical cancer and its underlying mechanisms remains largely unknown. Herein, we explored the anti-cervical cancer effect of selenium and its potential mechanisms through xenograft and in vitro experiments. HeLa cell xenografts in female nude mice showed tumor growth retardation, with no obvious liver and kidney toxicity, after being intraperitoneally injected with 3 mg/kg sodium selenite (SS) for 14 days. Compared to the control group, selenium levels in the tumor tissue increased significantly after SS treatment. In vitro experiments, SS inhibited the viability of HeLa and SiHa cells, blocked the cell cycle at the S phase, and enhanced apoptosis. RNA-sequencing, Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway analysis showed that forkhead box protein O (FOXO) was a key regulatory signaling pathway for SS to exhibit anticancer effects. Gene Ontology analysis filtered multiple terms associated with apoptosis, anti-proliferation, and cell cycle arrest. Further research revealed that SS increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and impaired mitochondrial function, which activated adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) via phosphorylation at Thr172, resulting in activation of FOXO3a and its downstream growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible alpha (GADD45a). In summary, SS exhibited anti-cervical cancer effects, and their mechanisms may be that SS is involved in inducing cell cycle arrest and potentiating cell apoptosis caused by ROS-dependent activation of the AMPK/FOXO3a/GADD45a axis.

The role of selenoprotein P in the determining the sensitivity of cervical cancer patients to concurrent chemoradiotherapy: A metabonomics-based analysis

BACKGROUND

The effect of selenoprotein P (SELENOP) levels on the sensitivity of cervical cancer patients to concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) has not been reported. In this study, the effects of the variations in plasma SELENOP levels on the sensitivity of cervical cancer patients to CCRT were investigated using metabonomics.

METHODS

Two patient groups were evaluated, i.e., the case group: 11 patients with intermediate to advanced primary squamous cervical cancer, who developed resistance against CCRT, and the sensitivity group: 11 patients who did not develop resistance were matched in a 1:1 ratio (controls). Blood samples were collected before and after CCRT, and the plasma SELENOP levels were measured by ELISA. The different metabolites present in the plasma were analyzed by UPLC-MS-MS.

RESULTS

SELENOP levels exhibited a significant reduction in both the resistant and sensitive groups after CCRT (F = 50.705, P < 0.001), and interaction effects between sensitivity and pre-and post-treatment on SELENOP levels were observed (F = 7.414, P = 0.013). Further, a more significant reduction in the SELENOP levels was observed in the CCRT-resistant group (mean reduction, 0.028 µg/mL; P < 0.001) than in the sensitive group (mean reduction, 0.013 µg/mL; P = 0.006). Four metabolic biomarkers, i.e., C18, C19, C20 sphingomyelin, and phosphatidylcholine 20:2/22:6, were shown to be differentially expressed between the resistant and sensitive groups pre-and post-treatment. C20 sphingomyelin levels exhibited a significant correlation with SELENOP levels (r = -0.326, P = 0.031).

CONCLUSION

The levels of plasma SELENOP in the CCRT-resistant group decreased significantly, suggesting that SELENOP might affect the sensitivity by modulating lipid synthesis and metabolism.

[Research progress of intestinal mucus barrier and the repair of intestinal damage after burn injury]

The intestinal mucus layer is the first line of innate host defense and provides energy for the growth of the intestinal flora. In addition, it plays an important role in regulating intestinal microecology and maintaining intestinal homeostasis. This paper reviews the synthesis, secretion, processing, and modification of intestinal mucus, and focuses on the effect of intestinal mucus barrier on intestinal injury repair and the regulation of intestinal mucus barrier by special nutrients after burn injury.

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

This Letter reports the observation of WWW production and a measurement of its cross section using 139  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. Events with two same-sign leptons (electrons or muons) and at least two jets, as well as events with three charged leptons, are selected. A multivariate technique is then used to discriminate between signal and background events. Events from WWW production are observed with a significance of 8.0 standard deviations, where the expectation is 5.4 standard deviations. The inclusive WWW production cross section is measured to be 820±100 (stat)±80 (syst)  fb, approximately 2.6 standard deviations from the predicted cross section of 511±18  fb calculated at next-to-leading-order QCD and leading-order electroweak accuracy.

A detailed map of Higgs boson interactions by the ATLAS experiment ten years after the discovery

The standard model of particle physics1-4 describes the known fundamental particles and forces that make up our Universe, with the exception of gravity. One of the central features of the standard model is a field that permeates all of space and interacts with fundamental particles5-9. The quantum excitation of this field, known as the Higgs field, manifests itself as the Higgs boson, the only fundamental particle with no spin. In 2012, a particle with properties consistent with the Higgs boson of the standard model was observed by the ATLAS and CMS experiments at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN10,11. Since then, more than 30 times as many Higgs bosons have been recorded by the ATLAS experiment, enabling much more precise measurements and new tests of the theory. Here, on the basis of this larger dataset, we combine an unprecedented number of production and decay processes of the Higgs boson to scrutinize its interactions with elementary particles. Interactions with gluons, photons, and W and Z bosons-the carriers of the strong, electromagnetic and weak forces-are studied in detail. Interactions with three third-generation matter particles (bottom (b) and top (t) quarks, and tau leptons (τ)) are well measured and indications of interactions with a second-generation particle (muons, μ) are emerging. These tests reveal that the Higgs boson discovered ten years ago is remarkably consistent with the predictions of the theory and provide stringent constraints on many models of new phenomena beyond the standard model.

Molecular Cloning and Expression Analysis of Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone, and Its Possible Role in Gonadal Differentiation in Rice Field eel Monopterus albus

Simple Summary

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) is an important upstream regulator in the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis in mammals. In this study, we isolated and characterized trh gene from a protogynous hermaphrodite fish rice field eel Monopterus albus. TRH had no significant effect on serum thyroid hormone levels in rice field eel. However, we found that TRH was involved in the regulation gonadal differentiation-related gene expression and serum sex steroid hormone secretion. Our results indicated that TRH may play a novel role in gonadal differentiation in rice field eel.

Abstract

Rice field eel (Monopterus albus), a protogynous hermaphrodite fish, is a good model for the research of sex determination and gonadal differentiation in teleosts. In this study, we cloned the full-length cDNA sequence of trh, which encoded a predicted protein with 270 amino acids. Trh mainly expressed in the brain, followed by the ovary, testis, muscle and pituitary, and had low levels in other peripheral tissues. During natural sex reversal, trh mRNA expression levels exhibited a significant increase at the late intersexual stage in the hypothalamus. In the gonad, trh mRNA expression levels showed a trend of increase followed by decrease, and only increased significantly at the middle intersexual stage. No matter static incubation or intraperitoneal (IP) injection, TRH had no significant effect on trh and thyroid-stimulating hormone βsubunit (tshβ) mRNA expression levels, and serum T3, T4 and TRH release. After static incubation of ovarian fragments by TRH, the expression of gonadal soma derived factor (gsdf) was up-regulated significantly at both the doses of 10 and 100 nM. IP injection of TRH stimulated the expression of gsdf, and inhibited the expression of ovarian aromatase gene (cyp19a1a), accompanied by the increase of serum 11-KT levels. The results indicated that TRH may play a novel role in gonadal differentiation by the regulation of gonadal differentiation-related gene expression and sex steroid hormone secretion in rice field eel.

A154 COMPARING RESPONSE TO INTRAVENOUS IRON INFUSION IN CROHN’S DISEASE AND ULCERATIVE COLITIS

Background

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is common in persons with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Current evidence-based guidelines suggest iron replacement therapy in IBD patients with IDA. Intravenous (IV) iron has been demonstrated to be more effective than oral iron replacement in the IBD population, and this is thought to be related to oral iron being poorly tolerated, absorbed, and possibly having an adverse impact on the gut microbiome. Studies have not directly compared the response of IV iron between persons with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD).

Aims

(1) To compare the increase in serum hemoglobin and ferritin following IV iron therapy between persons with UC and CD. (2) To determine factors associated with response to IV iron (other than disease type), including age, sex, IBD therapies, abdominal surgeries, and IBD phenotype.

Methods

In a retrospective chart review, we evaluated 536 IV iron infusions (iron sucrose) prescribed to 117 IBD patients by a single gastroenterologist between 2012–2020, and collected data on IBD type, age, sex, medications (IBD therapies, NSAIDs, ASA, oral iron), abdominal surgeries, and IBD phenotype. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 26.

Results

Most IV iron infusions were given to patients with CD (77% of infusions, 68% of persons). The majority of infusions were given as a series of multiple iron infusions (84%) over a mean of 27 weeks, rather than a single infusion. Persons with UC had a greater increase in serum ferritin than those with CD (mean difference ± SE of 13.2 ± 5.6 µg/L, p = 0.02). There was no significant difference in the increase in serum hemoglobin between UC and CD (UC= 6.5 ± 1.0 g/L; CD 4.9 ± 2.1 g/L; p = 0.62).

Conclusions

Persons with UC had a better ferritin response to IV iron therapy than persons with CD. Patients with UC were prescribed less IV iron than those with CD. In summary, persons with CD may require greater dosing of IV iron therapy than patients with UC. Further studies are needed to discern if this difference is secondary to CD being associated with a greater extent of mucosal disease burden, impaired iron absorption, or a greater intolerance to oral iron.

Funding Agencies

Fellowship Funding from Pfizer Canada

A County-Level Spatial Study of Serum Selenoprotein P and Keshan Disease

Background

Keshan disease (KD) is strongly associated with selenium deficiency. Selenoprotein P (SELENOP) is a recognized molecular biomarker of selenoproteins and an important indicator of selenium nutrition. This study was aimed at providing geographically precisely visualized evidence of selenium nutrition at molecular level for assessing KD prevention, control, and elimination on the etiological perspective.

Methods

We used spatial ecological design for this study. The serum SELENOP levels of the residents were measured by ELISA. ArcGIS version 9.0 was used for spatial description, spatial autocorrelation analysis of SELENOP levels and spatial regression with per capita disposable income.

Results

The mean serum SELENOP levels of the 6,382 residents in 1,688 counties were 4.62 ± 1.82 μg/mL. The mean serum SELENOP levels of the residents living in the townships and rural areas of KD endemic counties were not statistically significantly lower than those of the KD non-endemic counties. The mean serum SELENOP levels were globally clustered (Moran's I = 0.03, z = 6.37, and P < 0.0001), and 99.3% (553/557) of the cold spots, identified by local autocorrelation analysis (Getis-Ord-Gi^* analysis), were located in the KD endemic provinces of Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Hebei, Shandong, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Hubei, Chongqing, Yunnan, and Sichuan. The serum SELENOP level was positively correlated with per capita disposable income (t = 3.52, P = 0.0004).

Conclusions

The results of this study were the geographically precisely visualized evidence of selenium nutrition at molecular level for assessing KD elimination on the etiological perspective. The cold spot counties found by Getis-Ord-Gi^* analysis in the KD endemic provinces should be the high priority of KD precision prevention and control.

Malnutrition Increases the Risk of Left Ventricular Remodeling

OBJECTIVES

Malnutrition is associated with increased incidence of heart failure (HF). Left ventricular (LV) remodeling is one of the most important processes in the occurrence and evolution of HF. However, the association between nutritional status and LV remodeling is not well known. The study aimed to investigate the association between malnutrition and LV remodeling.

DESIGN

The study was a retrospective observation study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

We included patients from the registry of Cardiorenal Improvement study from January 2007 to December 2018 at Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital.

MEASUREMENTS

The primary endpoint was LV remodeling, defined as an absolute decrease in LV ejection fraction ≥10% after discharge compared with baseline. Nutritional status was assessed by the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score. Eligible patients were divided into absent-mild malnutrition group (CONUT score ≤4) and moderate-severe malnutrition group (CONUT score >4). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression was performed to verify the association between malnutrition and left ventricular remodeling.

RESULTS

A total of 7,217 patients (mean age 61.3±10.5 years, 71.7% male) were included in the final analysis, among which 712 (9.9%) had LV remodeling. The incidence of LV remodeling in moderate-severe malnutrition group was significantly higher than that in absent-mild malnutrition group (12.9% vs. 9.5%, p=0.002). In multivariable logistic regression, moderate-severe malnutrition group was significantly associated with 1.69-fold increased risk of LV remodeling after adjusting confounders (OR: 1.69, CI: 1.32-2.16). Similar results were observed in subgroup stratified by age, gender, and coronary artery disease.

CONCLUSION

Nearly one eighth of patients were classified as moderate-severe malnutrition, 12% of whom had LV remodeling. Moderate-severe malnutrition was associated with 69% increased risk of LV remodeling. Further studies are needed to prospectively evaluate the nutrition-oriented managements on outcomes in LV remodeling.

Search for Lepton-Flavor Violation in Z-Boson Decays with τ Leptons with the ATLAS Detector

A search for lepton-flavor-violating Z→eτ and Z→μτ decays with pp collision data recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC is presented. This analysis uses 139  fb^{-1} of Run 2 pp collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV and is combined with the results of a similar ATLAS search in the final state in which the τ lepton decays hadronically, using the same data set as well as Run 1 data. The addition of leptonically decaying τ leptons significantly improves the sensitivity reach for Z→ℓτ decays. The Z→ℓτ branching fractions are constrained in this analysis to B(Z→eτ)<7.0×10^{-6} and B(Z→μτ)<7.2×10^{-6} at 95% confidence level. The combination with the previously published analyses sets the strongest constraints to date: B(Z→eτ)<5.0×10^{-6} and B(Z→μτ)<6.5×10^{-6} at 95% confidence level.

A new DOSXYZnrc method for Monte Carlo simulations of 4D dose distributions

The purpose of this study is to present a novel method for generating Monte Carlo 4D dose distributions in a single DOSXYZnrc simulation. During a standard simulation, individual energy deposition events are summed up to generate a 3D dose distribution and their associated temporal information is discarded. This means that in order to determine dose distributions as a function of time, separate simulations would have to be run for each interval of interest. Consequently, it has not been clinically feasible until now to routinely perform Monte Carlo simulations of dose rate, time-resolved dose accumulation, or electronic portal imaging devices (EPID) cine-mode images for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans. To overcome this limitation, we modified DOSXYZnrc and defined new input and output variables that allow a time-like parameter associated with each particle history to be binned in a user-defined manner. Under the new code version, computation times are the same as for a standard simulation, and the time-integrated 4D dose is identical to the standard 3D dose. We present a comparison of scintillator measurements and Monte Carlo simulations for dose rate during a VMAT beam delivery, a study of dose rate in a VMAT total body irradiation plan, and simulations of transit (through-patient) EPID cine-mode images.

A Spatial Ecological Study on Hair Selenium Level of Residents in Keshan Disease Endemic and Non-endemic Areas in Heilongjiang Province, China

This study was aimed to provide, by mapping the spatial distribution of hair selenium levels of residents, visualized evidence for assessment of KD elimination from a perspective of selenium nutrition of the residents living in the KD-endemic and non-endemic areas. Using a spatial ecological research design, 401 male permanent residents in KD-endemic and non-endemic areas participated in this study. Demographic information and hair samples were obtained through a questionnaire survey and sample collection, respectively. Hair selenium was measured using hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry. Thematic maps were created, and spatial analysis was conducted using ArcGIS 9.0. The median of hair selenium of the participants was 0.30 (IQR, 0.23-0.34) mg/kg. The median hair selenium of the residents in the KD-endemic areas was significantly lower than that of the residents of the non-endemic areas. The hair selenium levels of residents were spatially clustered, with cold spots and hot spots located in northwest and southwest regions respectively. Residents living in KD-endemic areas may still have selenium deficiency. Measuring hair selenium levels of residents in KD-endemic areas as a molecular marker of selenium nutritional status as part of KD surveillance could provide visualized evidence for the evaluation of KD elimination from a perspective of selenium nutrition of the residents living in the KD endemic areas.

Prefertilization Exposure of Rainbow Trout Eggs to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances to Simulate Accumulation During Oogenesis

Aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) are used in firefighting and are sources of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the environment through surface runoff and groundwater contamination at defense and transportation sites. Little is known regarding the toxicity and bioaccumulation of newer AFFF formulations containing novel PFAS. To mimic maternal transfer of PFAS, prefertilization rainbow trout eggs were exposed to three PFAS using novel methodologies. Batches of unfertilized oocytes were exposed for 3 h to 0, 0.01, 0.1, 1, or 10 µg/ml separately to perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorohexanoic acid, or perfluorooctanesulfonic acid in either coelomic fluid or Cortland's solution. After exposure, the gametes were fertilized and rinsed with dechlorinated water. Egg yolk was aspirated from a subset of fertilized eggs for PFAS quantification. Each PFAS was detected in yolks of eggs exposed to the respective PFAS, and yolk concentrations were directly proportional to concentrations in aqueous media to which they were exposed. Exposure in coelomic fluid or Cortland's solution resulted in similar concentrations of PFAS in egg yolks. Ratios of PFAS concentrations in oocytes to concentrations in exposure media (oocyte fluid ratios) were <0.99 when exposed from 0.01 to 10 µg/ml and <0.45 when exposed from 0.1 to 10 µg/ml for both media and all three PFAS, demonstrating that the water solubility of the chemicals was relatively great. Prefertilization exposure of eggs effectively introduced PFAS into unfertilized egg yolk. This method provided a means of mimicking maternal transfer to evaluate toxicity to developing embryos from an early stage. This method is more rapid and efficient than injection of individual fertilized eggs and avoids trauma from inserting needles into eggs. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:3159-3165. © 2021 SETAC.

Search for New Phenomena in Final States with Two Leptons and One or No b-Tagged Jets at sqrt[s]=13 TeV Using the ATLAS Detector

A search for new phenomena is presented in final states with two leptons and one or no b-tagged jets. The event selection requires the two leptons to have opposite charge, the same flavor (electrons or muons), and a large invariant mass. The analysis is based on the full run-2 proton-proton collision dataset recorded at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt[s]=13  TeV by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139  fb^{-1}. No significant deviation from the expected background is observed in the data. Inspired by the B-meson decay anomalies, a four-fermion contact interaction between two quarks (b, s) and two leptons (ee or μμ) is used as a benchmark signal model, which is characterized by the energy scale and coupling, Λ and g_{*}, respectively. Contact interactions with Λ/g_{*} lower than 2.0 (2.4) TeV are excluded for electrons (muons) at the 95% confidence level, still far below the value that is favored by the B-meson decay anomalies. Model-independent limits are set as a function of the minimum dilepton invariant mass, which allow the results to be reinterpreted in various signal scenarios.

A Spatial Ecological Study on Serum Selenium and Keshan Disease in Heilongjiang Province, China

BACKGROUND

There are no reports on the spatial ecology of serum selenium and Keshan disease in Heilongjiang Province in China.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to conduct a spatial assessment of Keshan disease elimination at the level of the etiological molecular marker.

METHODS

An ecological study design was used. The levels of serum selenium of the 571 residents aged between 17 and 35 years and living in rural areas, townships, and cities in 63 Keshan disease endemic counties and 46 non-endemic counties in Heilongjiang Province were measured using atomic fluorescence spectrometry. A spatial analysis of serum selenium levels was conducted.

RESULTS

The median serum selenium level of the 571 participants was 1.00 μmol/L, and that of participants living in Keshan disease endemic areas was 0.97 μmol/L, which was significantly lower compared to the level of those living in non-endemic areas (1.01 μmol/L, P = 0.0037). Serum selenium levels of the participants living in rural areas, townships, and cities were significantly different (P < 0.001) at 0.95 μmol/L, 1.00 μmol/L, and 1.04 μmol/L, respectively. Spatial regression analysis showed that the distribution of serum selenium levels was positively correlated with the per capita gross domestic product.

CONCLUSION

The analysis of the spatial distribution of serum selenium levels provided precise visual evidence that selenium deficiency may still be present among residents of Keshan disease endemic counties of Tangyuan, Mulan, Lingdong, Suiling, and Dongshan. Selenium levels should therefore be included in the national surveillance of Keshan disease.