Global age-sex-specific mortality, life expectancy, and population estimates in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1950-2021, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BACKGROUND

Estimates of demographic metrics are crucial to assess levels and trends of population health outcomes. The profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on populations worldwide has underscored the need for timely estimates to understand this unprecedented event within the context of long-term population health trends. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 provides new demographic estimates for 204 countries and territories and 811 additional subnational locations from 1950 to 2021, with a particular emphasis on changes in mortality and life expectancy that occurred during the 2020-21 COVID-19 pandemic period.

METHODS

22 223 data sources from vital registration, sample registration, surveys, censuses, and other sources were used to estimate mortality, with a subset of these sources used exclusively to estimate excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2026 data sources were used for population estimation. Additional sources were used to estimate migration; the effects of the HIV epidemic; and demographic discontinuities due to conflicts, famines, natural disasters, and pandemics, which are used as inputs for estimating mortality and population. Spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) was used to generate under-5 mortality rates, which synthesised 30 763 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 1365 surveys and censuses, and 80 other sources. ST-GPR was also used to estimate adult mortality (between ages 15 and 59 years) based on information from 31 642 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 355 surveys and censuses, and 24 other sources. Estimates of child and adult mortality rates were then used to generate life tables with a relational model life table system. For countries with large HIV epidemics, life tables were adjusted using independent estimates of HIV-specific mortality generated via an epidemiological analysis of HIV prevalence surveys, antenatal clinic serosurveillance, and other data sources. Excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 was determined by subtracting observed all-cause mortality (adjusted for late registration and mortality anomalies) from the mortality expected in the absence of the pandemic. Expected mortality was calculated based on historical trends using an ensemble of models. In location-years where all-cause mortality data were unavailable, we estimated excess mortality rates using a regression model with covariates pertaining to the pandemic. Population size was computed using a Bayesian hierarchical cohort component model. Life expectancy was calculated using age-specific mortality rates and standard demographic methods. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were calculated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered values from a 1000-draw posterior distribution.

FINDINGS

Global all-cause mortality followed two distinct patterns over the study period: age-standardised mortality rates declined between 1950 and 2019 (a 62·8% [95% UI 60·5-65·1] decline), and increased during the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020-21; 5·1% [0·9-9·6] increase). In contrast with the overall reverse in mortality trends during the pandemic period, child mortality continued to decline, with 4·66 million (3·98-5·50) global deaths in children younger than 5 years in 2021 compared with 5·21 million (4·50-6·01) in 2019. An estimated 131 million (126-137) people died globally from all causes in 2020 and 2021 combined, of which 15·9 million (14·7-17·2) were due to the COVID-19 pandemic (measured by excess mortality, which includes deaths directly due to SARS-CoV-2 infection and those indirectly due to other social, economic, or behavioural changes associated with the pandemic). Excess mortality rates exceeded 150 deaths per 100 000 population during at least one year of the pandemic in 80 countries and territories, whereas 20 nations had a negative excess mortality rate in 2020 or 2021, indicating that all-cause mortality in these countries was lower during the pandemic than expected based on historical trends. Between 1950 and 2021, global life expectancy at birth increased by 22·7 years (20·8-24·8), from 49·0 years (46·7-51·3) to 71·7 years (70·9-72·5). Global life expectancy at birth declined by 1·6 years (1·0-2·2) between 2019 and 2021, reversing historical trends. An increase in life expectancy was only observed in 32 (15·7%) of 204 countries and territories between 2019 and 2021. The global population reached 7·89 billion (7·67-8·13) people in 2021, by which time 56 of 204 countries and territories had peaked and subsequently populations have declined. The largest proportion of population growth between 2020 and 2021 was in sub-Saharan Africa (39·5% [28·4-52·7]) and south Asia (26·3% [9·0-44·7]). From 2000 to 2021, the ratio of the population aged 65 years and older to the population aged younger than 15 years increased in 188 (92·2%) of 204 nations.

INTERPRETATION

Global adult mortality rates markedly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, reversing past decreasing trends, while child mortality rates continued to decline, albeit more slowly than in earlier years. Although COVID-19 had a substantial impact on many demographic indicators during the first 2 years of the pandemic, overall global health progress over the 72 years evaluated has been profound, with considerable improvements in mortality and life expectancy. Additionally, we observed a deceleration of global population growth since 2017, despite steady or increasing growth in lower-income countries, combined with a continued global shift of population age structures towards older ages. These demographic changes will likely present future challenges to health systems, economies, and societies. The comprehensive demographic estimates reported here will enable researchers, policy makers, health practitioners, and other key stakeholders to better understand and address the profound changes that have occurred in the global health landscape following the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, and longer-term trends beyond the pandemic.

FUNDING

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Unravelling the role of spin-vibrational coupling in designing high-performance pentagonal bipyramidal Dy(iii) single ion magnets

At the cutting edge of high-performance single-molecule magnets (SMMs) lie lanthanide-based complexes, renowned for their potent magnetic anisotropy. SMMs containing one metal centre are defined as single-ion magnets (SIMs). The performance of SMMs is measured generally via the barrier height for magnetisation reversal (Ueff) and blocking temperature (TB), below which the magnetisation is fully frozen. To enhance the Ueff and TB values in lanthanide-based SMMs, the static crystal field splitting of mJ levels has been effectively adjusted through ligand design, leveraging the oblate/prolate ground state 4f electron density shape. However, the maximum fine-tuning achievable through ligand design, known as the axial limit, has already been reached in this class of compounds. This necessitates new design principles to enhance SMM characteristics to better suit end-user applications. Among other avenues that can be explored to improve SMM characteristics, a deeper understanding of spin-phonon coupling is critical to advancing TB values. However, there are only a handful of examples where this has been deciphered. In this work, using a combination of DFT and ab initio CASSCF calculations, we have performed spin-phonon calculations on five classes of pentagonal bipyramidal Dy(iii) SIMs exhibiting TB values in the range of 4.5 K to 36 K ([Dy(bbpen)Br] (1, H2bbpen = N,N'-bis(2-hydroxybenzyl)-N,N'-bis(2-methylpyridyl)ethylenediamine), [Dy(OCMe3)Br(THF)5][BPh4] (2) [Dy(OSiMe3)Br(THF)5] [BPh4] (3), [Dy(LN5)(Ph3SiO)2](BPh4)·CH2Cl2 (4) and [L2Dy(H2O)5][I]3·L2·H2O (5, L = tBuPO(NHiPr)2)). Unlike the method employed elsewhere for the calculation of spin-phonon coupling, in this work, we have employed a set of criteria and intuitively selected vibrational modes to perform the spin-phonon coupling analysis. The approach provided here not only reduces the computational cost significantly but also suggests chemical intuition to improve the performance of this class of compounds. Our calculations reveal that low-energy vibrational modes govern the magnetisation relaxation in these SIMs. A flexible first coordination sphere found on some of the complexes was found to be responsible for low-energy vibrations that flip the magnetisation, reducing the TB values drastically (complexes 2 and 3). On the other hand, a rigid first coordination sphere and a stiff ligand framework move the spin-vibrational coupling that causes the relaxation to lie beyond the secondary coordination sphere, resulting in an increase in TB values. Our calculations also reveal that not only the atoms in the first coordination sphere but also those in the secondary coordination sphere affect the performance of the SMMs. Learning from this exercise, we have undertaken several in silico models based on these vibrations to improve the TB values. Some of these predictions were correlated with literature precedents, offering confidence in the methodology employed. To this end, our comprehensive investigation, involving twenty-three molecules/models and five sets of geometries for pentagonal bipyramidal Dy(iii) single-ion magnets (SIMs), unveils a treasure trove of chemically sound design clues, poised to enhance the TB values in this fascinating molecular realm.

Magnetic anisotropy in octahedral Dy(III) and Yb(III) complexes

New organophosphate complexes [Ln(dippH)3(dippH2)3]·(H2O)6, (Ln = Dy, Yb and Y; dippH2 = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl phosphate), displaying octahedral coordination geometry around the metal ion, exhibit unusual slow relaxation of magnetisation, which is investigated through experimental studies and ab initio CASSCF calculations.

Association of Serum Vitamin D level with Asthenozoospermic Male

Although vitamin D deficiency is one of the most common health problems throughout the world, conflicting information exists on the potential association between serum vitamin D levels and semen quality. Currently available data identifies that vitamin D has a vital role in reproductive process as it affects sperm motility. This study was done with the rationality to evaluate the association between serum vitamin D levels with asthenozoospermic males. This cross-sectional analytic study was conducted on 314 men who attended the Department of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Bangladesh July 2018 to June 2019. Considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria all participants were categorized into two groups; Group I included 157 asthenozoospermic male and Group II included 157 normozoospermic male according to World Health Organization 'strict' criteria 2010. Participants completed the questionnaires after they had agreed on a informed consent. Blood and semen samples were obtained for assessment and all data were adjusted for age, body mass index (BMI), total motility and progressive motility. Vitamin D levels were classified according to the Endocrine Society guideline. Statistical analyses were carried out by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22.0 for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA). The results showed that the mean vitamin D level was 16.63±5.54ng/ml in asthenozoospermic group and 19.83±5.33ng/ml in normozoospermic group. The mean vitamin D level was significantly (p<0.05) lower in asthenozoospermic group. It was noticed that 86.6% patients had vitamin D deficiency (≤20ng/ml) in asthenozoospermic group compared to 56.7% in the normozoospermic group. The study found that low vitamin D was associated with a fivefold increased risk of developing asthenozoospermia at 95% CI (2.74-8.99). Moreover, there was a positive significant correlation (r=0.285; p<0.001) between serum vitamin D level with total motility and progressive motility (r=0.232; p<0.001). Hence, the study suggests a significant association between asthenozoospermia and low vitamin D levels. However, clinical trials are warranted to further reinforce the findings.

Mycorrhization in trees: ecology, physiology, emerging technologies and beyond

Mycorrhization has been an integral part of plants since colonization by the early land plants. Over decades, substantial research has highlighted its potential role in improving nutritional efficiency and growth, development and survival of crop plants. However, the focus of this review is trees. Evidence have been provided to explain ecological and physiological significance of mycorrhization in trees. Advances in recent technologies (e.g., metagenomics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, agricultural drones) may open new windows to apply this knowledge in promoting tree growth in forest ecosystems. Dual mycorrhization relationships in trees and even triple relationships among trees, mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria offer an interesting physiological system to understand how plants interact with other organisms for better survival. Besides, studies indicate additional roles of mycorrhization in learning, memorizing and communication between host trees through a common mycorrhizal network (CMN). Recent observations in trees suggest that mycorrhization may even promote tolerance to multiple abiotic (e.g., drought, salt, heavy metal stress) and biotic (e.g. fungi) stresses. Due to the extent of physiological reliance, local adaptation of trees is heavily impacted by the mycorrhizal community. This knowledge opens the possibility of a non-GMO avenue to promote tree growth and development. Indeed, mycorrhization could impact growth of trees in nurserys and subsequent survival of the inoculated trees in field conditions. Future studies might integrate hyperspectral imaging and drone technologies to identify tree communities that are deficient in nitrogen and spray mycorrhizal spore formulations on them.

Total Synthesis, Revised Structure, and Biological Evaluation of Elgonene B and Analogues

Herein, we report the first total synthesis of elgonene B and its congeners, thus resulting in a revision of the configuration at the C-6 carbon of the originally proposed structure of elgonene B. This synthetic approach demonstrates the utility of several important reactions such as the chiral oxazaborolidinium ion-catalyzed Diels-Alder reaction, Ando's Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination, and the intermolecular Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi reaction as key steps. Additionally, the study explores the cytotoxic and antibacterial activities of elgonene B and its congeners (1-4).

Core-ionization spectrum of liquid water

We present state-of-the-art calculations of the core-ionization spectrum of water. Despite significant progress in procedures developed to mitigate various experimental complications and uncertainties, the experimental determination of ionization energies of solvated species involves several non-trivial steps such as assessing the effect of the surface potential, electrolytes, and finite escape depths of photoelectrons. This provides a motivation to obtain robust theoretical values of the intrinsic bulk ionization energy and the corresponding solvent-induced shift. Here we develop theoretical protocols based on coupled-cluster theory and electrostatic embedding. Our value of the intrinsic solvent-induced shift of the 1sO ionization energy of water is -1.79 eV. The computed absolute position and the width of the 1sO peak in photoelectron spectrum of water are 538.47 eV and 1.44 eV, respectively, agreeing well with the best experimental values.

Tests of Light-Lepton Universality in Angular Asymmetries of B^{0}→D^{*-}ℓν Decays

We present the first comprehensive tests of the universality of the light leptons in the angular distributions of semileptonic B^{0}-meson decays to charged spin-1 charmed mesons. We measure five angular-asymmetry observables as functions of the decay recoil that are sensitive to lepton-universality-violating contributions. We use events where one neutral B is fully reconstructed in ϒ(4S)→BB[over ¯] decays in data corresponding to 189  fb^{-1} integrated luminosity from electron-positron collisions collected with the Belle II detector. We find no significant deviation from the standard model expectations.

Precise Measurement of the D_{s}^{+} Lifetime at Belle II

We measure the lifetime of the D_{s}^{+} meson using a data sample of 207  fb^{-1} collected by the Belle II experiment running at the SuperKEKB asymmetric-energy e^{+}e^{-} collider. The lifetime is determined by fitting the decay-time distribution of a sample of 116×10^{3} D_{s}^{+}→ϕπ^{+} decays. Our result is τ_{D_{s}^{+}}=(499.5±1.7±0.9)  fs, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. This result is significantly more precise than previous measurements.

Global, regional, and national incidence of six major immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: findings from the global burden of disease study 2019

Background

The causes for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) are diverse and the incidence trends of IMIDs from specific causes are rarely studied. The study aims to investigate the pattern and trend of IMIDs from 1990 to 2019.

Methods

We collected detailed information on six major causes of IMIDs, including asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis, between 1990 and 2019, derived from the Global Burden of Disease study in 2019. The average annual percent change (AAPC) in number of incidents and age standardized incidence rate (ASR) on IMIDs, by sex, age, region, and causes, were calculated to quantify the temporal trends.

Findings

In 2019, rheumatoid arthritis, atopic dermatitis, asthma, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease accounted 1.59%, 36.17%, 54.71%, 0.09%, 6.84%, 0.60% of overall new IMIDs cases, respectively. The ASR of IMIDs showed substantial regional and global variation with the highest in High SDI region, High-income North America, and United States of America. Throughout human lifespan, the age distribution of incident cases from six IMIDs was quite different. Globally, incident cases of IMIDs increased with an AAPC of 0.68 and the ASR decreased with an AAPC of -0.34 from 1990 to 2019. The incident cases increased across six IMIDs, the ASR of rheumatoid arthritis increased (0.21, 95% CI 0.18, 0.25), while the ASR of asthma (AAPC = -0.41), inflammatory bowel disease (AAPC = -0.72), multiple sclerosis (AAPC = -0.26), psoriasis (AAPC = -0.77), and atopic dermatitis (AAPC = -0.15) decreased. The ASR of overall and six individual IMID increased with SDI at regional and global level. Countries with higher ASR in 1990 experienced a more rapid decrease in ASR.

Interpretation

The incidence patterns of IMIDs varied considerably across the world. Innovative prevention and integrative management strategy are urgently needed to mitigate the increasing ASR of rheumatoid arthritis and upsurging new cases of other five IMIDs, respectively.

Funding

The Global Burden of Disease Study is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The project funded by Scientific Research Fund of Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital (2022QN38).

Relation between Acute Ischemic Stroke and Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction

Stroke is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity all over the world. The economic cost for stroke disability and post stroke rehabilitation is a growing concern. Ischemic stroke comprises 80.0 - 85.0% of total stroke cases caused by thrombotic or embolic occlusion of cerebral arteries. The source of embolism may be a larger artery or cardiac. Overt heart failure is an independent predictor of long term unfavorable functional outcome in stroke patients. However, there is little research whether the acute ischemic stroke risk is associated with mild to moderate degree of Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction (LVSD). This study was aimed to investigate the relation between LVSD and acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and to evaluate the relation between left ventricular systolic dysfunction and severity of neurological deficits after acute ischemic stroke. This case-control study was carried out in the Department of Neurology and Department of Medicine, Mymensingh Medical College and Hospital, Bangladesh from January 2019 to December 2020. One hundred twenty (120) patients of first ever AIS and 120 age and sex matched apparently healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Severity of stroke was measured by National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Left ventricular (LV) systolic function was assessed by transthoracic 2-dimensional echocardiography. Mean±SD age was 58.23±9.34 years and 55.92±9.72 years respectively in cases and controls. Male to female ratio was 1.86:1. Left ventricular systolic dysfunction of any degree was more frequent in stroke patients (23.3%) than in controls (5.8%; p<0.001). The mean±SD of LVEF were 59.21±9.68 and 63.54±6.84 among case and control groups respectively. Mild LV dysfunction was observed 16.7% in AIS patients and 5.8% in control group. Moderate LV dysfunction was found in 6.7% in AIS patients. Participants with mild LVSD had significantly higher odds of being in the cases compared to participants with no LVSD (OR: 3.48; 95% CI: 1.41-8.59). Similarly, participants with moderate LVSD were 9.74 times more likely to be in ischemic stroke group compared to participants with no LVSD (OR: 9.74; 95% CI:1.19-19.29). LVSD was associated with AIS even after adjusting for other stroke risk factors (OR: 2.7462; 95CI for OR: 1.0204, 7.3906; p=0.0435). The NIHSS was significantly negatively correlated with LVEF (r=-0.443; p<0.001). The study may conclude that Left ventricular systolic dysfunction of mild to moderate degree, is associated with acute ischemic stroke. AIS patients with higher neurological deficit also had lower LVEF.

Phytoconstituents from Urtica dioica (stinging nettle) of Sikkim Himalaya and their molecular docking interactions revealed their nutraceutical potential as α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitors

In this study, antioxidative methanolic leaf extract (MeOH-SIS) of Urtica dioica was characterized for anti-diabetic activity. The extract was purified on a column to yield seven homogenous fractions (F1-F7) which were further determined for DPPH radical scavenging activity. MeOH-SIS and the fraction F1 (selected based on % yield and activity) were evaluated for their in vitro α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. The results showed inhibition of both enzymes in a dose dependent manner and F1 exhibited relatively higher inhibition than its mother extract MeOH-SIS. GC-MS analyses of both the extracts identified 24 major compounds among which 10 were previously described as bioactive compounds. Among all, 5 compounds demonstrated to have quality pharmacokinetics profiles and were examined for possible binding affinity against the active sites of α-amylase and α-glucosidase using molecular docking. The binding interaction of 2R-acetoxymethyl-1,3,3-trimethyl-4 T-(3-methyl-2-buten-1-yl)-1 T-cyclohexanol within the active sites of the target receptors was found to be significant among others, and can be developed as a potential inhibitor of α-amylase and α-glucosidase. The leaf extract can be utilized to develop food additive for the control and management of oxidative stress induced diabetes.

Search for a τ^{+}τ^{-} Resonance in e^{+}e^{-}→μ^{+}μ^{-}τ^{+}τ^{-} Events with the Belle II Experiment

We report the first search for a nonstandard-model resonance decaying into τ pairs in e^{+}e^{-}→μ^{+}μ^{-}τ^{+}τ^{-} events in the 3.6-10  GeV/c^{2} mass range. We use a 62.8  fb^{-1} sample of e^{+}e^{-} collisions collected at a center-of-mass energy of 10.58 GeV by the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB collider. The analysis probes three different models predicting a spin-1 particle coupling only to the heavier lepton families, a Higgs-like spin-0 particle that couples preferentially to charged leptons (leptophilic scalar), and an axionlike particle, respectively. We observe no evidence for a signal and set exclusion limits at 90% confidence level on the product of cross section and branching fraction into τ pairs, ranging from 0.7 to 24 fb, and on the couplings of these processes. We obtain world-leading constraints on the couplings for the leptophilic scalar model for masses above 6.5  GeV/c^{2} and for the axionlike particle model over the entire mass range.

First Dark Matter Search Results from the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) Experiment

The LUX-ZEPLIN experiment is a dark matter detector centered on a dual-phase xenon time projection chamber operating at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota, USA. This Letter reports results from LUX-ZEPLIN's first search for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) with an exposure of 60 live days using a fiducial mass of 5.5 t. A profile-likelihood ratio analysis shows the data to be consistent with a background-only hypothesis, setting new limits on spin-independent WIMP-nucleon, spin-dependent WIMP-neutron, and spin-dependent WIMP-proton cross sections for WIMP masses above 9  GeV/c^{2}. The most stringent limit is set for spin-independent scattering at 36  GeV/c^{2}, rejecting cross sections above 9.2×10^{-48}  cm at the 90% confidence level.

Global, regional, and national burden of diabetes from 1990 to 2021, with projections of prevalence to 2050: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BACKGROUND

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide, and affects people regardless of country, age group, or sex. Using the most recent evidentiary and analytical framework from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD), we produced location-specific, age-specific, and sex-specific estimates of diabetes prevalence and burden from 1990 to 2021, the proportion of type 1 and type 2 diabetes in 2021, the proportion of the type 2 diabetes burden attributable to selected risk factors, and projections of diabetes prevalence through 2050.

METHODS

Estimates of diabetes prevalence and burden were computed in 204 countries and territories, across 25 age groups, for males and females separately and combined; these estimates comprised lost years of healthy life, measured in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs; defined as the sum of years of life lost [YLLs] and years lived with disability [YLDs]). We used the Cause of Death Ensemble model (CODEm) approach to estimate deaths due to diabetes, incorporating 25 666 location-years of data from vital registration and verbal autopsy reports in separate total (including both type 1 and type 2 diabetes) and type-specific models. Other forms of diabetes, including gestational and monogenic diabetes, were not explicitly modelled. Total and type 1 diabetes prevalence was estimated by use of a Bayesian meta-regression modelling tool, DisMod-MR 2.1, to analyse 1527 location-years of data from the scientific literature, survey microdata, and insurance claims; type 2 diabetes estimates were computed by subtracting type 1 diabetes from total estimates. Mortality and prevalence estimates, along with standard life expectancy and disability weights, were used to calculate YLLs, YLDs, and DALYs. When appropriate, we extrapolated estimates to a hypothetical population with a standardised age structure to allow comparison in populations with different age structures. We used the comparative risk assessment framework to estimate the risk-attributable type 2 diabetes burden for 16 risk factors falling under risk categories including environmental and occupational factors, tobacco use, high alcohol use, high body-mass index (BMI), dietary factors, and low physical activity. Using a regression framework, we forecast type 1 and type 2 diabetes prevalence through 2050 with Socio-demographic Index (SDI) and high BMI as predictors, respectively.

FINDINGS

In 2021, there were 529 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 500-564) people living with diabetes worldwide, and the global age-standardised total diabetes prevalence was 6·1% (5·8-6·5). At the super-region level, the highest age-standardised rates were observed in north Africa and the Middle East (9·3% [8·7-9·9]) and, at the regional level, in Oceania (12·3% [11·5-13·0]). Nationally, Qatar had the world's highest age-specific prevalence of diabetes, at 76·1% (73·1-79·5) in individuals aged 75-79 years. Total diabetes prevalence-especially among older adults-primarily reflects type 2 diabetes, which in 2021 accounted for 96·0% (95·1-96·8) of diabetes cases and 95·4% (94·9-95·9) of diabetes DALYs worldwide. In 2021, 52·2% (25·5-71·8) of global type 2 diabetes DALYs were attributable to high BMI. The contribution of high BMI to type 2 diabetes DALYs rose by 24·3% (18·5-30·4) worldwide between 1990 and 2021. By 2050, more than 1·31 billion (1·22-1·39) people are projected to have diabetes, with expected age-standardised total diabetes prevalence rates greater than 10% in two super-regions: 16·8% (16·1-17·6) in north Africa and the Middle East and 11·3% (10·8-11·9) in Latin America and Caribbean. By 2050, 89 (43·6%) of 204 countries and territories will have an age-standardised rate greater than 10%.

INTERPRETATION

Diabetes remains a substantial public health issue. Type 2 diabetes, which makes up the bulk of diabetes cases, is largely preventable and, in some cases, potentially reversible if identified and managed early in the disease course. However, all evidence indicates that diabetes prevalence is increasing worldwide, primarily due to a rise in obesity caused by multiple factors. Preventing and controlling type 2 diabetes remains an ongoing challenge. It is essential to better understand disparities in risk factor profiles and diabetes burden across populations, to inform strategies to successfully control diabetes risk factors within the context of multiple and complex drivers.

FUNDING

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Relation of Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio with Clinical Severity in Patients with Guillain-Barre Syndrome

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is an acute autoimmune polyradiculoneuropathy. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a novel prognostic and inflammatory marker in patients with neurological diseases. The study was designed to observe the relation between neutrophil lymphocyte ratio and the clinical severity in patients with Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS). This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the department of Neurology and Medicine, Mymensingh Medical College and Hospital from April 2019 to September 2020. Total 58 patients with GBS were enrolled according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria within 7 days of development of symptoms. The clinical diagnosis of GBS was done according to Ausbury and Cornblath's diagnostic criteria; moreover clinical severity was done according to Hughes and Rees scale, Medical Research Council (MRC) grade, cranial nerve involvement and autonomic involvement. After measuring complete blood count, NLR was calculated by dividing neutrophil count to lymphocyte count. Data analysis was done on SPSS 23.0. Mean age of the GBS patients was 36.21±11.55 years. Among 58 respondents 70.69% (41) were male and 29.31% (17) were female. Most of the patients had a GBS severity score of 4(62.07%) followed by 3(27.59%) and 5(10.34%). The mean NLR of the respondents was 3.22±2.25. Acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN) was in 48.28% respondents and their mean NLR was 3.89±0.31, 31.03% had AIDP and mean NLR was 3.28±0.46 and 20.69% had Acute motor sensory axonal neuropathy (AMSAN) and mean NLR was 4.5±0.52. The mean NLR of the MRC grade 0, 1, 2, 3 patients was 6.61±1.78, 3.39±0.92, 2.71±1.39 and 1.45±0.40 respectively. Hughes score had a positive correlation (r=0.5333 and p<0.01) and MRC grade had a negative correlation (r= - 0.76805 and p<0.01) with NLR. Severity of GBS was significantly associated with raised NLR. Increase Hughes and Rees scale and decrease MRC grade also related to increased NLR.

Field-induced SIM behaviour in early lanthanide(III) organophosphates containing 18-crown-6

Single-ion magnets (SIMs) have attracted wide attention in recent years. Despite tremendous progress in late lanthanide SIMs, reports on early lanthanides exhibiting SIM characteristics are scarce. A series of five novel 18-crown-6 encapsulated mononuclear early lanthanide(III) organophosphates, [{(18-crown-6)Ln(dippH)₃}{(18-crown-6)Ln(dippH)₂(dippH₂)}]·[I₃] [Ln = Ce (1), Pr (2), Nd (3)] and [{Ln(18-crown-6)(dippH)₂(H₂O)}·{I₃}] [Ln = Sm (4) and Eu (5)], have been synthesised in the present study. 18-crown-6 coordinates to Ln(III) ions in an equatorial position while the axial positions are occupied by either three phosphate moieties as in 1-3 or two phosphate moieties and one water molecule as in 4 and 5, resulting in a muffin-shaped coordination geometry around the Ln(III) centres. Magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal that Ce and Nd complexes are field-induced single-ion magnets with significant barrier heights. Furthermore, the ab initio CASSCF/RASSI-SO/SINGLE_ANISO calculations on complexes 1 and 3 reveal significant QTM in the ground state rationalising the field-induced single-ion magnetism behaviour of these complexes.

Search for an Invisible Z^{'} in a Final State with Two Muons and Missing Energy at Belle II

The L_{μ}-L_{τ} extension of the standard model predicts the existence of a lepton-flavor-universality-violating Z^{'} boson that couples only to the heavier lepton families. We search for such a Z^{'} through its invisible decay in the process e^{+}e^{-}→μ^{+}μ^{-}Z^{'}. We use a sample of electron-positron collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 10.58 GeV collected by the Belle II experiment in 2019-2020, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 79.7  fb^{-1}. We find no excess over the expected standard-model background. We set 90%-confidence-level upper limits on the cross section for this process as well as on the coupling of the model, which ranges from 3×10^{-3} at low Z^{'} masses to 1 at Z^{'} masses of 8  GeV/c^{2}.

Occurrence of canine parvovirus type 2c in diarrhoeic faeces of dogs in Kolkata, India

Canine parvovirus-2(CPV-2) causes a highly contagious disease of dogs characterised by acute hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, lethargy, vomiting, fever and usually bloody or mucoid diarrhoea. In the present study, 41 faecal samples collected from dogs exhibiting the signs of fever, vomition, bloody or mucoid diarrhoea in Kolkata, India were screened by haemagglutination test and PCR for detection of capsid protein coding VP2 gene. The viral genotype was detected by multiplex PCR and analysis of partial VP2 gene nucleotide sequences of selected PCR products with bioinformatics tool. Thirteen (31.71%) samples were found positive with HA titre ≥ 32 whereas 28 (68.29%) samples were positive by PCR of VP2 gene indicating higher sensitivity of PCR. Highest occurrence of CPV-2 was observed in the age group of 1-6 months (80.65%) and non-descript breeds with no history of vaccination (85%). Three samples were antigenic type CPV-2a, rest were CPV-2b/CPV 2c. Six CPV sequences were found to be highly similar to published CPV 2c sequences in BLAST analysis revealing a maximum identity of 99-100% with other CPV-2c strains and clustered together with CPV-2c strains of India and other countries in phylogenetic analysis. The present study highlights the need for continuous monitoring of samples to detect gradual changes in circulating CPV-2 genotypes in India.

Search for Lepton-Flavor-Violating τ Decays to a Lepton and an Invisible Boson at Belle II

We search for lepton-flavor-violating τ^{-}→e^{-}α and τ^{-}→μ^{-}α decays, where α is an invisible spin-0 boson. The search uses electron-positron collisions at 10.58 GeV center-of-mass energy with an integrated luminosity of 62.8  fb^{-1}, produced by the SuperKEKB collider and collected with the Belle II detector. We search for an excess in the lepton-energy spectrum of the known τ^{-}→e^{-}ν[over ¯]_{e}ν_{τ} and τ^{-}→μ^{-}ν[over ¯]_{μ}ν_{τ} decays. We report 95% confidence-level upper limits on the branching-fraction ratio B(τ^{-}→e^{-}α)/B(τ^{-}→e^{-}ν[over ¯]_{e}ν_{τ}) in the range (1.1-9.7)×10^{-3} and on B(τ^{-}→μ^{-}α)/B(τ^{-}→μ^{-}ν[over ¯]_{μ}ν_{τ}) in the range (0.7-12.2)×10^{-3} for α masses between 0 and 1.6  GeV/c^{2}. These results provide the most stringent bounds on invisible boson production from τ decays.

Pushing the boundary of covalency in lanthanoid-tellurium bonds: Insights from synthesis, molecular and electronic structures of low-coordinate, monomeric europium(II) and ytterbium(II) tellurolates

Owing to the strict hard/soft dichotomy between the lanthanoids and tellurium atoms, and the strong affinity of lanthanoid ions for high coordination numbers, low-coordinate, monomeric lanthanoid tellurolate complexes have remained elusive as compared to the lanthanoid complexes with lighter group 16 elements (O, S, and Se). This makes the development of suitable ligand systems for low-coordinate, monomeric lanthanoid tellurolate complexes an appealing endeavor. In a first report, a series of low-coordinate, monomeric lanthanoid (Yb, Eu) tellurolate complexes were synthesized by utilizing the secondary bonding interaction stabilized hybrid organotellurolate ligands. The reaction of bis[2-((dimethylamino)methyl)phenyl] ditelluride, 1 and 8,8'-diquinolinyl ditelluride, 2 with Ln0 metal (Ln = Eu, Yb) resulted in the formation of monomeric complexes [LnII(TeR)2(Solv)2] [R = C6H4(CH2NMe2)-2] [3: Ln = Eu, Solv = tetrahydrofuran; 4: Ln = Eu, Solv = acetonitrile; 5: Ln = Yb, Solv = tetrahydrofuran; 6: Ln = Yb, Solv = pyridine] and [EuII(TeNC9H6)2(Solv)n] (7: Solv = tetrahydrofuran, n = 3; 8: Solv = 1,2-dimethoxyethane, n = 2), respectively. Complexes 3-4 and 7-8 represent the first sets of examples of monomeric europium tellurolate complexes. The molecular structures of complexes 3-8 are validated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies.

Clinical efficacy of the virtual fracture clinic: analysis of 17,269 referrals by type of injury

INTRODUCTION

Numerous studies have deemed the virtual fracture clinic (VFC) model to be both cost and clinically effective. However, very few of these studies have analysed the type of injuries seen in the VFC. The objectives of this study were to assess the clinical effectiveness of the VFC and analyse the types of injuries that lead to patients re-presenting in the face-to-face fracture clinic after being discharged virtually.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study analysing 17,269 patients referred to the VFC between September 2017 and February 2020. Data regarding the type of presenting injury were collected to understand which injuries required further management after being discharged virtually. Patient clinic letters provided data regarding the purpose and outcomes of VFC referrals as well as face-to-face appointments. Theatre lists were cross-referenced to extract data regarding surgical management.

RESULTS

In total, 57.37% (9,908) patients were discharged virtually. Of these patients, 92.52% were discharged successfully and 7.48% re-presented to the fracture clinic: 98.11% were managed conservatively and 1.88% required surgery. The highest number of failed discharges were for distal radius fractures (109, 14.69%). Face-to-face follow-up in fracture clinic was requested for 37.06% (6,400) of patients; 4.98% of them required surgical intervention. Some 5.56% (961) of referrals were removed from our analysis: 807 were inappropriate referrals and 154 were deemed suitable for multidisciplinary team discussion. The trust has saved an average of £702,205 annually since introduction of the VFC.

CONCLUSIONS

The VFC model delivers as promised in terms of clinical efficacy and cost management. Injury types showing higher numbers of unsuccessful discharges could benefit from having modified management pathways.

Observation of e^{+}e^{-}→ωχ_{bJ}(1P) and Search for X_{b}→ωϒ(1S) at sqrt[s] near 10.75 GeV

We study the processes e^{+}e^{-}→ωχ_{bJ}(1P) (J=0, 1, or 2) using samples at center-of-mass energies sqrt[s]=10.701, 10.745, and 10.805 GeV, corresponding to 1.6, 9.8, and 4.7  fb^{-1} of integrated luminosity, respectively. These data were collected with the Belle II detector during special operations of the SuperKEKB collider above the ϒ(4S) resonance. We report the first observation of ωχ_{bJ}(1P) signals at sqrt[s]=10.745  GeV. By combining Belle II data with Belle results at sqrt[s]=10.867  GeV, we find energy dependencies of the Born cross sections for e^{+}e^{-}→ωχ_{b1,b2}(1P) to be consistent with the shape of the ϒ(10753) state. These data indicate that the internal structures of the ϒ(10753) and ϒ(10860) states may differ. Including data at sqrt[s]=10.653  GeV, we also search for the bottomonium equivalent of the X(3872) state decaying into ωϒ(1S). No significant signal is observed for masses between 10.45 and 10.65  GeV/c^{2}.

Search for a Dark Photon and an Invisible Dark Higgs Boson in μ^{+}μ^{-} and Missing Energy Final States with the Belle II Experiment

The dark photon A^{'} and the dark Higgs boson h^{'} are hypothetical particles predicted in many dark sector models. We search for the simultaneous production of A^{'} and h^{'} in the dark Higgsstrahlung process e^{+}e^{-}→A^{'}h^{'} with A^{'}→μ^{+}μ^{-} and h^{'} invisible in electron-positron collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 10.58 GeV in data collected by the Belle II experiment in 2019. With an integrated luminosity of 8.34  fb^{-1}, we observe no evidence for signal. We obtain exclusion limits at 90% Bayesian credibility in the range of 1.7-5.0 fb on the cross section and in the range of 1.7×10^{-8}-200×10^{-8} on the effective coupling ϵ^{2}×α_{D} for the A^{'} mass in the range of 4.0  GeV/c^{2}<M_{A^{'}}<9.7  GeV/c^{2} and for the h^{'} mass M_{h^{'}}<M_{A^{'}}, where ϵ is the mixing strength between the standard model and the dark photon and α_{D} is the coupling of the dark photon to the dark Higgs boson. Our limits are the first in this mass range.

Differential expression of TLR4 in patients of coronary artery disease with and without traditional cardiovascular risk factors

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background

Atherosclerosis is inherently an inflammatory process, with a complex interplay of inflammatory markers. It is established that these inflammatory markers play an important role in patients of Coronary Artery Disease(CAD) with traditional cardiovascular risk factors. However, the role of inflammation in the atherosclerotic process in patients of CAD without traditional risk factors is still not clearly known.

Purpose

Our purpose was to determine whether in patients of CAD without traditional risk factors, TLR4(Toll like receptor 4) expression as a marker of inflammation is similar to that in patients of CAD with traditional risk factors.

Materials and Methods

This observational cross sectional study was done between July’20 to Dec’21. Equal number of patients of CAD with and without traditional cardiovascular risk factors undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) were enrolled. The risk factors considered were Hypertension, Diabetes, Dyslipidemia, Obesity and Addiction to Tobacco and/or Alcohol. A minimum of two punch biopsy samples of aortic tissue was taken from each subject undergoing CABG. Immunohistochemistry for TLR4, was done in Ventana BenchMark GX System. The primary TLR4 antibody was procured from reputed source.

Results

The presence or absence of TLR4 expression was associated significantly with the Syntax scores (37.40±4.74 vs 29.5±8.71; p value=0.036), total Cholesterol (187±35.06mg/dL vs 130±35.69 mg/dL ;p value 0.010) and LDL cholesterol (118.86±28.12mg/dL vs 64.21±25.61 mg/dL; p value 0.003). TLR4 expression, however, was not significantly associated with the number of coronary vessels involved (p=0.298). TLR4 expression was also not significantly associated with any other individual risk factors. However, when the traditional risk factors were considered in combination, TLR4 expression was associated significantly with the number of risk factors present(p=0.029) the strongest being in those having 4 traditional risk factors. The level of TLR4 expression gradually declined with the decrease in the number of risk factors, having mostly weak or negative expression in patients without any traditional risk factors.

Conclusion

Patients with CAD without any traditional risk factors, had a less severe coronary artery disease as manifested by lower Syntax scores, and had lower degree of TLR4 expression. Patients with CAD with traditional risk factors had more severe coronary artery disease as evidenced by higher Syntax scores, and had higher degree of TLR4 expression proportional to the number of traditional risk factors present. Thus, differential TLR4 expression in CAD patients with and without traditional risk factors indicated a difference in inflammatory state between the two groups and warrants further investigation.

Association between Serum Vitamin D and Metabolic Syndrome in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is common in women with and without polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and may be associated with metabolic and endocrine disorders in PCOS. Aim of the study was to evaluate the association between serum vitamin D level and metabolic syndrome (MS) in PCOS. This cross-sectional study was conducted in PCOS clinic of infertility outpatient department of the department of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh from July 2018 to June 2019. A total of 170 diagnosed patients with PCOS of aging 20 to 40 years were included in this study. Out of which 85 patients with PCOS MS and rest 85 patients without PCOS MS were considered as Group I and Group II respectively. Serum vitamin D was measured using a chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA). Almost two third (72.9%) populations had vitamin D moderate deficiency (10-20ng/ml) in Group I and 46(54.1%) in Group II. The mean vitamin D was 13.97±4.53ng/ml in Group I 16.02±6.62ng/ml in Group II. There were significant negative correlation found between vitamin D level with weight (r = -0.169; p=0.028), waist circumference (r = -0.208; p=0.007), Waist/Hip ratio (r = -0.205; p=0.007) and diastolic blood pressure (r = -0.187; p=0.014). In binary logistic regression analysis diastolic blood pressure (OR=1.04, 95% CI 0.89-1.29), fasting Glucose (OR=1.09, 95% CI 0.89 - 1.42), HDL (OR=1.11, 95% CI 1.05 - 1.17) and Vitamin D (OR=1.37, 95% CI 1.01 - 1.82) were significant risk factors of metabolic syndrome of the study patients. Vitamin D level was lower in PCOS subjects having MS and higher frequency of body weight, vitamin D deficiency was observed in them compared to the non-MS group. Waist: hip ratio, waist circumference and diastolic blood pressure were the negatively correlated with of vitamin D in the study subjects.

Mortality Attributable to Ambient Air Pollution: A Review of Global Estimates

Since the publication of the first epidemiological study to establish the connection between long-term exposure to atmospheric pollution and effects on human health, major efforts have been dedicated to estimate the attributable mortality burden, especially in the context of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD). In this work, we review the estimates of excess mortality attributable to outdoor air pollution at the global scale, by comparing studies available in the literature. We find large differences between the estimates, which are related to the exposure response functions as well as the number of health outcomes included in the calculations, aspects where further improvements are necessary. Furthermore, we show that despite the considerable advancements in our understanding of health impacts of air pollution and the consequent improvement in the accuracy of the global estimates, their precision has not increased in the last decades. We offer recommendations for future measurements and research directions, which will help to improve our understanding and quantification of air pollution-health relationships.

Experimental and theoretical investigations on three DyIII4 single molecule magnets: structural and magneto-structural correlations

The work in this report describes the syntheses, crystal structures, dc/ac magnetic behaviour, and theoretical calculations (both ab initio CASSCF and DFT) of three defect dicubane/planar butterfly type tetradysprosium(III) compounds of compositions [Dy^III₄L₄(μ₃-OH)₂(carboxylate)₂(dmf)₂] (carboxylate = formate (1), acetate (2), propionate (3)), where H₂L = 2-(2-hydroxy-3-ethoxybenzylideneamino)phenol. In the butterfly type structures, two Dy^III centres (Dy_b) occupy the body positions while two other (Dy_w) units occupy the wing positions. SHAPE analyses reveal that the coordination geometries of the Dy_b and Dy_w centres, both octacoordinated, are triangular dodecahedron (TDD) and square antiprism (SAPR), respectively. Variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements give an indication of weak antiferromagnetic interactions and variable-field magnetization measurements reveal strong anisotropy in all the three compounds. The variable-temperature/frequency in-phase/out-of-phase AC susceptibility data reveal that all these three compounds are SMMs with two relaxation channels under zero dc field; slow relaxation (SR) and fast relaxation (FR) processes could be assigned to the SAPR (Dy_w) and TDD (Dy_b) metal centres, respectively. The simulated U_eff and τ₀ values are: 49.0 cm^-1 and 1.76 × 10^-7 s for 1, 30.3 cm^-1 and 1.51 × 10^-8 s for 2 and 23.4 cm^-1 and 9.64 × 10^-7 s for 3. Furthermore, ab initio CASSCF/RASSI-SO/SINGLE_ANISO calculations reveal that the ground state of Dy^III centres are axial in nature with a dominating contribution from m_J = |±15/2>. The magnetization relaxation occurs via the first excited KD resulting in the large computed blocking barrier of Dy_w (SAPR) centres compared to that of the Dy_b (TDD) centres which corroborates the experimental measurements. The exchange parameters obtained from DFT calculations are generally in line with those obtained from the fitting of χ_MT vs. T in POLY_ANISO calculations. Interesting structural and magneto-structural correlations have been found, which are the major outcomes of this investigation.

PDGFRβ promotes oncogenic progression via STAT3/STAT5 hyperactivation in anaplastic large cell lymphoma

BACKGROUND

Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is an aggressive non-Hodgkin T cell lymphoma commonly driven by NPM-ALK. AP-1 transcription factors, cJUN and JUNb, act as downstream effectors of NPM-ALK and transcriptionally regulate PDGFRβ. Blocking PDGFRβ kinase activity with imatinib effectively reduces tumor burden and prolongs survival, although the downstream molecular mechanisms remain elusive.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In a transgenic mouse model that mimics PDGFRβ-driven human ALCL in vivo, we identify PDGFRβ as a driver of aggressive tumor growth. Mechanistically, PDGFRβ induces the pro-survival factor Bcl-xL and the growth-enhancing cytokine IL-10 via STAT5 activation. CRISPR/Cas9 deletion of both STAT5 gene products, STAT5A and STAT5B, results in the significant impairment of cell viability compared to deletion of STAT5A, STAT5B or STAT3 alone. Moreover, combined blockade of STAT3/5 activity with a selective SH2 domain inhibitor, AC-4-130, effectively obstructs tumor development in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

We therefore propose PDGFRβ as a novel biomarker and introduce PDGFRβ-STAT3/5 signaling as an important axis in aggressive ALCL. Furthermore, we suggest that inhibition of PDGFRβ or STAT3/5 improve existing therapies for both previously untreated and relapsed/refractory ALK+ ALCL patients.

Analysis of the magnetic coupling in a Mn(II)‐U(V)‐Mn(II) Single Molecule Magnet

[{Mn(TPA)I}{UO2(Mesaldien)}{Mn(TPA)I}]I formula (here TPA=tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine and Mesaldien=N,N'-(2-aminomethyl)diethylenebis(salicylidene imine)) reported by Mazzanti and coworkers (Chatelain et al. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2014, 53, 13434) is so far the best Single Molecule Magnet (SMM) in the {3d-5f} class of molecules exhibiting barrier height of magnetization reversal as high as 81.0 K. In this work, we have employed a combination of ab initio CAS and DFT methods to fully characterize this compound and to extract the relevant spin Hamiltonian parameters. We show that the signs of the magnetic coupling and of the g-factors of the monomers are interconnected. The central magnetic unit [U^V O₂ ]⁺ is described by a Kramers Doublet (KD) with negative g-factors, due to a large orbital contribution. The magnetic coupling for the {Mn(II)-U(V)} pair is modeled by an anisotropic exchange Hamiltonian: all components are ferromagnetic in terms of spin moments, the parallel component J_Z twice larger as the perpendicular one J_⊥ . The spin density distribution suggests that spin polarization on the U(V) center favors the ferromagnetic coupling. Further, the J_Z /J_⊥ ratio, which is related to the barrier height, was found to correlate to the corresponding spin contribution of the g-factors of the U(V) center. This correlation established for the first time offers a direct way to estimate this important ratio from the corresponding g^S -values, which can be obtained using traditional ab initio packages and hence has a wider application to other {3d-5f} magnets. It is finally shown that the magnetization barrier height is tuned by the splitting of the [U^V O₂ ]⁺ 5 f orbitals.

Whole genome sequencing and comparative genomic analyses of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain isolated from arable soil reveal novel insights into heavy metal resistance and codon biology

Elevated concentration of non-essential persistent heavy metals and metalloids in the soil is detrimental to essential soil microbes and plants, resulting in diminished diversity and biomass. Thus, isolation, screening, and whole genomic analysis of potent strains of bacteria from arable lands with inherent capabilities of heavy metal resistance and plant growth promotion hold the key for bio remedial applications. This study is an attempt to do the same. In this study, a potent strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from paddy fields, followed by metabolic profiling using FTIR, metal uptake analysis employing ICP-MS, whole genome sequencing and comparative codon usage analysis. ICP-MS study provided insights into a high degree of Cd uptake during the exponential phase of growth under cumulative metal stress to Cd, Zn and Co, which was further corroborated by the detection of cadA gene along with czcCBA operon in the genome upon performing whole-genome sequencing. This potent strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa also harboured genes, such as copA, chrA, znuA, mgtE, corA, and others conferring resistance against different heavy metals, such as Cd, Zn, Co, Cu, Cr, etc. A comparative codon usage bias analysis at the genomic and genic level, whereby several heavy metal resistant genes were considered in the backdrop of two housekeeping genes among 40 Pseudomonas spp. indicated the presence of a relatively strong codon usage bias in the studied strain. With this work, an effort was made to explore heavy metal-resistant bacteria (isolated from arable soil) and whole genome sequence analysis to get insight into metal resistance for future bio remedial applications.

In silico design criteria for high blocking barrier uranium (III) SIMs

A combination of DFT and ab initio CASSCF/PT2 calculations on U(III) fictitious models and numerous reported X-ray structures unveils several geometries from coordination number 1 to 12 that can be targeted to design potential U(III) SIMs with attractive barrier heights. Among the geometries studied, the T-shaped and capped pentagonal antiprism geometries yield values exceeding 1500 cm^-1 - a value that is elusive for any uranium SIMs.

Punzi-loss:: a non-differentiable metric approximation for sensitivity optimisation in the search for new particles

We present the novel implementation of a non-differentiable metric approximation and a corresponding loss-scheduling aimed at the search for new particles of unknown mass in high energy physics experiments. We call the loss-scheduling, based on the minimisation of a figure-of-merit related function typical of particle physics, a Punzi-loss function, and the neural network that utilises this loss function a Punzi-net. We show that the Punzi-net outperforms standard multivariate analysis techniques and generalises well to mass hypotheses for which it was not trained. This is achieved by training a single classifier that provides a coherent and optimal classification of all signal hypotheses over the whole search space. Our result constitutes a complementary approach to fully differentiable analyses in particle physics. We implemented this work using PyTorch and provide users full access to a public repository containing all the codes and a training example.

MicroRNA 155:145 ratio as a marker of atherogenic tilt manifested across different age groups and risk factor profiles

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background

 Differential expression of microRNAs is critical in the genesis and progression of atherosclerosis. MiR145 has atheroprotective role through improved homeostasis of smooth muscle cells (SMC). MiR155 is pro-atherogenic due to its suppression of Bcl6, which antagonises NF-κB and modulates macrophages.

Purpose

  Our purpose was to determine if the differential expression of miR 155 & 145 (expressed as miR 155:145 ratio) across various age groups and risk factor profiles correlates with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).

Materials and Methods

  This observational cross-sectional study was done between Feb"19 & Jan"20 on 108 patients divided equally into 3 age groups: &lt;18, 18-45 & &gt;45yrs. Family history (of ASCVD or risk factors) and risk factor profile were assessed in all 3 groups; and in the latter two, presence or absence of ASCVD was additionally evaluated by coronary angiogram and/or carotid IMT. MiR155 & 145 were measured in all by RT-PCR, & the results were then compared after calculating the ratio.

Results

 miR 155:145 ratio was significantly increased in &lt;18yrs aged subjects with a positive family history(p = 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis revealed a significant positive correlation of miR155:145 with family history of risk factors or ASCVD in this group(p &lt; 0.001).

In the 18-45yrs age group, the miR 155:145 ratio was found to be significantly increased in patients with diabetes(p = 0.037) and significant coronary artery disease(CAD) as determined by Syntax score(p &lt; 0.001). In multivariate regression analysis, a significant positive correlation was found between miR 155:145 and Syntax score(p &lt; 0.001) – a ratio of 155:145 &gt; 1 implied a greater chance of CAD, with increased numerical values correlating with increased severity of disease as evidenced by Syntax score; and a ratio &lt; 1 decreased the chances of significant CAD considerably. A positive association was also discovered for this ratio with hypertension, diabetes, tobacco exposure and a combination of multiple risk factors, but none of them were statistically significant.

In the age group of &gt;45 yrs, regression analysis revealed a statistically insignificant positive association of the miR 155:145 ratio with Syntax score, hypertension, dyslipidaemia and a combination of risk factors.

Conclusion

 MiR 155:145, when &gt;1, can point towards an ‘atherogenic tilt’, and greater increase in the ratio numerically may denote more severe disease, as indicated by a positive association with Syntax Score. This atherogenic tilt occurs very early in life, even before 18 years with significant family history. Above 18 years, with addition of other risk factors, this tilt is further compounded, and correlated well with Syntax score and such risk factors. Therefore, miR 155:145 ratio may help in identifying the individuals at risk for development of clinically significant CAD and can be utilised for development of future therapeutic strategies as well as prognostication. Abstract Figure 1  Abstract Figure 2

Deciphering the Role of Symmetry and Ligand Field in Designing Three-Coordinate Uranium and Plutonium Single-Molecule Magnets

Actinide single-molecule magnets (SMMs) have gained paramount interest in molecular magnetism as they offer a larger barrier height of magnetization (U_eff) reversal compared to the lanthanide analogue, thanks to their greater metal-ligand covalency. However, the reported actinide SMMs to date yield a relatively smaller U_eff as there is no established design principle to enhance U_eff values. To address this issue, we have employed ab initio CASSCF/CASPT2/NEVPT2 calculations to study a series of three-coordinate U³⁺ and Pu³⁺ SMMs. To begin with, we have studied two experimentally characterized U³⁺ ion-field-induced SMMs, namely, planar [U{N(SiMe₂^tBu)₂}₃] (1) and pyramidal [U{N(SiMe₃)₂}₃] (2) complexes reported earlier. Both the complexes were found to stabilize m_J = |±1/2⟩ as the ground state with a very strong quantum tunneling of magnetization (QTM), rendering them unsuitable for SMMs. Our calculations reveal that in the pyramidal geometry (such as in 2), the energy of the 5f²6d¹ state is lowered compared to the planar geometry (as in 1), resulting in a slightly better SMM characteristic in the former. To unravel the effect of symmetry in magnetic properties, ab initio calculations were performed on two reported T-shaped complexes [U(NSiⁱPr₂)₂(I)] (3) and [U(NHAr^iPr6)₂I] (4, Ar^iPr6 = 2,6-(2,4,6-iPr₃C₆H₂)₂C₆H₃). Quite interestingly, m_J = |±9/2⟩ is found to be the ground state for both the complexes with a blocking barrier exceeding 900 cm^-1. Furthermore, to decipher the effect of the transuranic element in magnetic anisotropy, ab initio calculations were extended to the Pu analogue of 2, [Pu{N(SiMe₃)₂}₃] (5), which yields a record-breaking blocking barrier of ∼1933 cm^-1. Among the three-coordinate geometries studied, the pyramidal geometry was found to offer substantial magnetic anisotropy for Pu³⁺ ions, while a T-shaped geometry is best suited for U³⁺ ions. While the chosen theoretical protocols' overestimation of barrier height cannot be avoided, these values are still several orders of magnitude larger than the U_eff values reported for any actinide SMMs and unveil a design principle for superior three-coordinate actinide-based SMMs.

Long Non-coding RNAs, Lnc(ing) RNA Metabolism to Cancer Biology

The eukaryotic genome is represented by a vast proportion of non-coding regions, which in recent years have been attributed to have important functional roles in gene regulation through a myriad of processes, ranging from proper localization, correct folding and, most importantly, spatial and temporally regulated expression of genes. One of the major contributing factors in these processes is ribonucleic acid (RNA) metabolism, which comprises the RNA-nucleoprotein (RNP) complexes that interact with and instruct the genome to function. Long non-coding RNAs are an integral component of several RNPs, and herein we provide an overview of the understanding of the long non-coding RNAs, their characteristics, their function and their balancing act as dual modulators in cancer manifestation and progression.

Bilateral obstructive megaureter with right lower ureteric urothelial carcinoma: a very rare coalition

Upper tract urothelial cancers account for 5% of all urothelial cancers. Among these, more than 90% of tumours are located in the renal pelvis, while ureteric tumours are extremely rare. The distal ureter is the most common location, although multifocal implants may also occur. Megaureter is a common cause of obstructive uropathy in neonates and children. Nevertheless, it may be unnoticed, if asymptomatic. Megaureter may be obstructing or refluxing. Long-standing urinary stasis and recurrent urinary tract infection in megaureter may cause chronic irritation of the ureteric mucosa leading to dysplasia and malignancy. We report a 55-year-old man diagnosed with bilateral obstructive megaureter with right lower ureteric urothelial cancer and review the current literature.

An [FeIII30] molecular metal oxide

Dissolution of FeBr₃ in a mixture of acetonitrile and 3,4-lutidine in the presence of an amine results in the formation of an [Fe₃₀] molecular metal oxide containing alternating layers of tetrahedral and octahedral Fe^III ions. Mass spectrometry suggests the cluster is formed quickly and remains stable in solution, while magnetic measurements and DFT calculations reveal competing antiferromagnetic exchange interactions.

Precise Measurement of the D^{0} and D^{+} Lifetimes at Belle II

We report a measurement of the D^{0} and D^{+} lifetimes using D^{0}→K^{-}π^{+} and D^{+}→K^{-}π^{+}π^{+} decays reconstructed in e^{+}e^{-}→cc[over ¯] data recorded by the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB asymmetric-energy e^{+}e^{-} collider. The data, collected at center-of-mass energies at or near the ϒ(4S) resonance, correspond to an integrated luminosity of 72  fb^{-1}. The results, τ(D^{0})=410.5±1.1(stat)±0.8(syst)  fs and τ(D^{+})=1030.4±4.7(stat)±3.1(syst)  fs, are the most precise to date and are consistent with previous determinations.

Deciphering the Role of Anions and Secondary Coordination Sphere in Tuning Anisotropy in Dy(III) Air-Stable D5h SIMs*

Precise control of the crystal field and symmetry around the paramagnetic spin centre has recently facilitated the engineering of high-temperature single-ion magnets (SIMs), the smallest possible units for future spin-based devices. In the present work, we report a series of air-stable seven coordinate Dy(III) SIMs {[L₂ Dy(H₂ O)₅ ][X]₃ ⋅L₂ ⋅n(H₂ O), n = 0, X = Cl (1), n=1, X = Br (2), I (3)} possessing pseudo-D_5h symmetry or pentagonal bipyramidal coordination geometry with high anisotropy energy barrier (U_eff ) and blocking temperature (T_B ). While the strong axial coordination from the sterically encumbered phosphonamide, ^t BuPO(NHⁱ Pr)₂ (L), increases the overall anisotropy of the system, the presence of high symmetry significantly quenches quantum tunnelling of magnetization, which is the prominent deactivating factor encountered in SIMs. The energy barrier (U_eff ) and the blocking temperature (T_B ) decrease in the order 3>2>1 with the change of anions from larger iodide to smaller strongly hydrogen-bonded chloride in the secondary coordination sphere, albeit the local coordination geometry and the symmetry around the Dy(III) display only slight deviations. Ab initio CASSCF/RASSI-SO/SINGLE_ANISO calculations provide deeper insights into the dynamics of magnetic relaxation in addition to the role of the secondary coordination sphere in modulating the anisotropy of the D_5h systems, using diverse models. Thus, in addition to the importance of the crystal field and the symmetry to obtain high-temperature SIMs, this study also probes the significance of the secondary coordination sphere that can be tailored to accomplish novel SIMs.

Attaining record-high magnetic exchange, magnetic anisotropy and blocking barriers in dilanthanofullerenes

While the blocking barrier (U eff) and blocking temperature (T B) for "Dysprocenium" SIMs have been increased beyond liquid N2 temperature, device fabrication of these molecules remains a challenge as low-coordinate Ln3+ complexes are very unstable. Encapsulating the lanthanide ion inside a cage such as a fullerene (called endohedral metallofullerene or EMF) opens up a new avenue leading to several Ln@EMF SMMs. The ab initio CASSCF calculations play a pivotal role in identifying target metal ions and suitable cages in this area. Encouraged by our earlier prediction on Ln2@C79N, which was verified by experiments, here we have undertaken a search to enhance the exchange coupling in this class of molecules beyond the highest reported value. Using DFT and ab initio calculations, we have studied a series of Gd2@C2n (30 ≤ 2n ≤ 80), where an antiferromagnetic J Gd⋯Gd of -43 cm-1 was found for a stable Gd2@C38-D 3h cage. This extremely large and exceptionally rare 4f⋯4f interaction results from a direct overlap of 4f orbitals due to the confinement effect. In larger cages such as Gd2@C60 and Gd2@C80, the formation of two centre-one-electron (2c-1e-) Gd-Gd bonds is perceived. This results in a radical formation in the fullerene cage leading to its instability. To avoid this, we have studied heterofullerenes where one of the carbon atoms is replaced by a nitrogen atom. Specifically, we have studied Ln2@C59N and Ln2@C79N, where strong delocalisation of the electron yields a mixed valence-like behaviour. This suggests a double-exchange (B) is operational, and CASSCF calculations yield a B value of 434.8 cm-1 and resultant J Gd-rad of 869.5 cm-1 for the Gd2@C59N complex. These parameters are found to be two times larger than the world-record J reported for Gd2@C79N. Further ab initio calculations reveal an unprecedented U cal of 1183 and 1501 cm-1 for Dy2@C59N and Tb2@C59N, respectively. Thus, this study offers strong exchange coupling as criteria for new generation SMMs as the existing idea of enhancing the blocking barrier via crystal field modulation has reached its saturation point.

Search for B^{+}→K^{+}νν[over ¯] Decays Using an Inclusive Tagging Method at Belle II

A search for the flavor-changing neutral-current decay B^{+}→K^{+}νν[over ¯] is performed at the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB asymmetric energy electron-positron collider. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 63  fb^{-1} collected at the ϒ(4S) resonance and a sample of 9  fb^{-1} collected at an energy 60 MeV below the resonance. Because the measurable decay signature involves only a single charged kaon, a novel measurement approach is used that exploits not only the properties of the B^{+}→K^{+}νν[over ¯] decay, but also the inclusive properties of the other B meson in the ϒ(4S)→BB[over ¯] event, to suppress the background from other B meson decays and light-quark pair production. This inclusive tagging approach offers a higher signal efficiency compared to previous searches. No significant signal is observed. An upper limit on the branching fraction of B^{+}→K^{+}νν[over ¯] of 4.1×10^{-5} is set at the 90% confidence level.