The role of CSTF2 in cancer: from technology to clinical application

A protein called cleavage-stimulating factor subunit 2 (CSTF2, additionally called CSTF-64) binds RNA and is needed for the cleavage and polyadenylation of mRNA. CSTF2 is an important component subunit of the cleavage stimulating factor (CSTF), which is located on the X chromosome and encodes 557 amino acids. There is compelling evidence linking elevated CSTF2 expression to the pathological advancement of cancer and on its impact on the clinical aspects of the disease. The progression of cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma, melanoma, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and pancreatic cancer, is correlated with the upregulation of CSTF2 expression. This review provides a fresh perspective on the investigation of the associations between CSTF2 and various malignancies and highlights current studies on the regulation of CSTF2. In particular, the mechanism of action and potential clinical applications of CSTF2 in cancer suggest that CSTF2 can serve as a new biomarker and individualized treatment target for a variety of cancer types.

The Impact of Inadequate Energy Intake on Readmission Burden of Patients With Heart Failure

BACKGROUND

Adequate energy intake is essential for good clinical outcomes. The association between energy intake and readmission burden of patients with heart failure (HF) still needs to be clarified.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, our aim was to determine the association between energy intake and readmission in patients with HF.

METHODS

A total of 311 inpatients with HF were recruited. Demographic and clinical information were collected during hospitalization; the daily diets of the participants were collected in the second week after discharge using the 3-day diet record, and the energy intake was calculated using a standardized nutrition calculator. The inadequate energy intake was defined as <70% × 25 kcal/kg of ideal body weight. The participants were followed up for 12 weeks after discharge. The number, reasons, and length of stay of unplanned readmissions were collected. Regression analyses were used to evaluate the associations between inadequate energy intake, and readmission rate and readmission days.

RESULTS

The median of the energy intake of participants was 1032 (interquartile range, 809-1266) kcal/d. The prevalence of inadequate energy intake was 40%. Patients with inadequate energy intake had a higher risk of unplanned readmission (odds ratio, 5.616; 95% confidence interval, 3.015-10.462; P < .001) and more readmission days (incidence rate ratio, 5.226; 95% confidence interval, 3.829-7.134, P < .001) after adjusting for potential confounders.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with HF had a high incidence of inadequate dietary energy intake, and it increases the burden of readmission.

Effects of weight loss in heart failure patients with overweight and obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AIMS

To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the impact of weight loss (WL) on the prognosis of overweight and obese patients with heart failure (HF).

METHODS AND RESULTS

We reviewed the literature up to 1 February 2023 from PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Chinese databases for cohort studies, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Data from eligible studies were extracted, and statistical analyses were performed using Review Manager 5.3. A total of 19 studies (involving 449 882 patients) were included in the systematic review and meta-analyses. The results showed that WL did not reduce the mortality and rehospitalization rates in overweight and obese HF patients, but could improve the quality of life (P = 0.002), cardiac function (P = 0.0001), and exercise capacity (P = 0.03). The subgroup analysis showed that WL from bariatric surgery (BS) reduced the risk of death (P < 0.00001), WL from medication or exercise was not significantly associated with the risk of death (P = 0.18), and WL was associated with a higher mortality in the subgroup with unspecified WL modality or unintentional WL (P < 0.00001). In addition, it did not reduce the risk of short-term rehospitalization (P = 0.11), but reduced the rehospitalization rates over the long-term (P = 0.03).

CONCLUSION

WL improves the long-term rehospitalization (>3 months), quality of life, cardiac function, and exercise capacity in overweight and obese HF patients. Although overall WL is not proven effective, subgroup analysis shows that BS can reduce mortality.

Risk factors for oral frailty among community-dwelling pre-frail older adults in Japan: A cross-sectional analysis

OBJECTIVES

Oral frailty is a well-established risk factor for frailty and plays a significant role in progression to frailty. However, the association between oral frailty and pre-frailty in elderly individuals remains unclear. This cross-sectional study aimed to clarify the characteristics and risk factors of pre-frailty in elderly individuals with oral frailty.

METHODS

A total of 377 elderly individuals participated. Oral examinations comprised simple and non-invasive measures of chewing function, self-reported swallowing function, and oral moisture. The frailty screening index was used to assess frailty phenotypes.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of pre-frailty was 63.1%, after excluding 40 frail and 99 robust individuals. The mean age of the pre-frail participants was 76.6 ± 5.8 years; 70.6% were women. 10.5% of the pre-frail elderly participants had oral frailty. In multivariate analysis diabetes mellitus, history of cancer, denture wearing, and malnutrition were independently associated with oral frailty among pre-frail elderly individuals (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 3.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06-13.54; OR 4.5, CI 1.32-15.36; OR 8.8, CI 1.76-43.78; and OR 3.6, CI 1.30-9.67; respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of oral frailty was low among community-dwelling pre-frail elderly individuals. Early interventions involving oral, nutritional, and disease management may prevent or improve oral frailty in pre-frail elderly individuals and may prevent progression to frailty. Further studies are required to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

Hyperon Polarization along the Beam Direction Relative to the Second and Third Harmonic Event Planes in Isobar Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

The polarization of Λ and Λ[over ¯] hyperons along the beam direction has been measured relative to the second and third harmonic event planes in isobar Ru+Ru and Zr+Zr collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. This is the first experimental evidence of the hyperon polarization by the triangular flow originating from the initial density fluctuations. The amplitudes of the sine modulation for the second and third harmonic results are comparable in magnitude, increase from central to peripheral collisions, and show a mild p_{T} dependence. The azimuthal angle dependence of the polarization follows the vorticity pattern expected due to elliptic and triangular anisotropic flow, and qualitatively disagrees with most hydrodynamic model calculations based on thermal vorticity and shear induced contributions. The model results based on one of existing implementations of the shear contribution lead to a correct azimuthal angle dependence, but predict centrality and p_{T} dependence that still disagree with experimental measurements. Thus, our results provide stringent constraints on the thermal vorticity and shear-induced contributions to hyperon polarization. Comparison to previous measurements at RHIC and the LHC for the second-order harmonic results shows little dependence on the collision system size and collision energy.

[A systematic review in health economics research on the expansion of human papilloma virus vaccination population to men]

Objective: To systematically collect and evaluate the health economics research of Human papilloma virus(HPV) vaccination population expansion to men, and to provide evidence for optimizing HPV vaccine immunization strategies. Methods: Health economics research studies on male HPV vaccination published in databases including PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wanfang Database from January 2010 to September 2022 were collected according to the systematic evaluation research design. The quality of the studies was assessed using the health economics evaluation reporting standards (2022 edition) (CHEERS 2022), with full score of 28. The results of the studies were reviewed and analyzed systematically. Results: A total of 21 studies complies with the criteria were included, all of which was foreign research. The average CHEERS score of the literatures was 25.71 points, range from 23 to 28 points. 85.71% (12/14) studies of the gender-neutral population showed that including male in HPV vaccination were more consistent with the cost effectiveness than female vaccination alone under certain conditions (target at adolescents of 10 to 15 years old or adults under 26 years old). 80.00% (4/5) of the studies target at ordinary men only were proved that male vaccination with HPV vaccine was in line with the cost-effectiveness. 2 studies targeting men who have sex with men (MSM) were both concluded that it met the cost-effectiveness. In addition, the results of 2 gender-neutral population studies and 1 study on men alone showed that extending HPV vaccination to men did not conform to cost effectiveness. The main reasons for the non-cost-effectiveness included the high price of vaccines and the age of vaccination. Conclusion: The quality of the health economics evaluation studies on expanding HPV vaccination to the male population is high. Vaccination targeting adolescents and young men as well as special groups (such as MSM) are likely to be cost-effective, and vaccinations for other groups are still need further evaluated. It is recommended that relevant research should be conducted to provide evidence for expanding the scope of HPV vaccination to men in China.

Comparative study of the plasma pharmacokinetics and tissue residues of trimethoprim in silky fowls and 817 broilers after single oral administration

A comparative study was performed to investigate the differences in plasma pharmacokinetics (PKs) and tissue residues of trimethoprim (TMP) between silky fowls and 817 broilers. The 2 breeds of chickens received compound sulfadiazine suspension by gavage at 20 mg/kg (measured as TMP). Blood and tissue samples were collected at predetermined time points. The concentrations of TMP in plasma and tissue samples were determined by a validated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The plasma concentration-time data were subjected to noncompartment analysis by WinNonlin program (Pharsight Co., Mountain View, CA). The mean plasma concentrations of TMP in silky fowls were significantly lower than those in 817 broilers at all time-points. Significant differences were also observed between silky fowls and 817 broilers in maximum concentration (Cmax), area under the curve from time 0 to 24 h (AUC0 → 24 h), apparent volume of distribution (Vd), and total body clearance (ClB). Silky fowls had significantly higher muscle TMP concentrations and longer tissue residual time than 817 broilers. The tissue concentration of TMP followed the order of leg muscle > breast muscle > liver, which was obviously different from that of 817 broilers. The half-lives of TMP in the leg muscle, breast muscle, and liver of silky fowls were 31.42, 10.78, and 0.38 d, respectively. The current withdrawal time (WDT) was not sufficient to prevent violative residues of TMP in the edible tissues of silky fowls, and a WDT much longer than 8 d might be required.

Low concentration chlorantraniliprole-promoted Ca2+ release drives a shift from autophagy to apoptosis in the silk gland of Bombyx mori

The novel pesticide chlorantraniliprole (CAP) is widely used for pest control in agriculture, and the safety for non-target organisms of trace residues in the environment has received widespread attention. In the present study, exposure to low concentrations of CAP resulted in abnormal silk gland development in the B. mori, and induced the release of intracellular Ca2+ in addition to the triggering of Ca2+-dependent gene transcription. Moreover, the CAP treatment group exhibited down-regulation of oxidative phosphorylation and antioxidant enzyme-related genes in the silk gland, resulting in peroxide accumulation. Furthermore, transcript levels of autophagy-related genes were significantly up-regulated and protein levels of LC3-I and LC3-II were up-regulated, indicating an increase in autophagy. The protein levels of ATG5 and NtATG5 were also significantly up-regulated. While the protein levels of caspase3 and active caspase3 were significantly up-regulated consistent with the transcript levels of key genes in the apoptotic signaling pathway, ultimately affecting silk protein synthesis. Overall, these findings indicate that low concentration CAP induced abnormal development in the silk gland of B. mori by causing intracellular Ca2+ overload, which inhibits oxidative phosphorylation pathway and the removal of reactive oxygen species, leading to a driving a shift from autophagy to apoptosis. The findings herein provided a basis for evaluating the safety of CAP environmental residues on non-target organisms.

Improving the visualisation of perforator arteries for anterolateral thigh flaps harvest in CT angiography via sublingual glyceryl trinitrate

AIM

To investigate the improvement of image quality and visualisation of the anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap perforators on computed tomography angiography (CTA) after administration of sublingual glyceryl trinitrate (GTN).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sixty patients with oral lesions received thigh CTA examinations were divided randomly into two groups after administration of sublingual GTN (GTN group) or without administration of sublingual GTN (non-GTN group). Two radiologists calculated the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and assessed the image quality of each vessel. Besides, the grade of thigh artery, the lumen diameter of deep femoral artery, lateral circumflex femoral artery (LCFA), the descending branch of LCFA and its proximal and distal perforators, and the number and type of visible perforators were evaluated quantitatively.

RESULTS

The SNR and CNR were not significantly different between the two groups (p>0.05). The image quality of CTA in the GTN group was significantly better than that in the non-GTN group (p<0.01). The lumen diameters of the deep femoral artery, LCFA, the descending branch of LCFA and its perforators were significantly larger in the GTN group than those in the non-GTN group (p<0.01). Compared with the non-GTN group, the number of visible perforators and the number of visible septocutaneous perforators were significantly more in the GTN group, and the qualitative grade of visible perforators was significantly higher (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The administration of sublingual GTN in preoperative thigh CTA can improve the image quality and visualisation of perforator vessels, thus could help surgeons to select the optimum ALT flaps.

Robiginitalea aestuariiviva sp. nov. isolated from sediment of tidal flat located in Zhejiang, PR China

A Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic and rod- to coccoid-shaped bacterium, designated as strain M366T, was isolated from coastal sediment of Jiaoshanjiao, Zhejiang Province, PR China (121°54' E 29 °38' N). The draft genome of strain M366T was 3 225 479 bp long (with 55.6 mol% G+C content) and assembled into four contigs. The N50 value was 563 270 bp and the genomic completeness and contamination were estimated to be 99.34 and 0.05 %, respectively. Colonies of strain M366T were yellow-orange, 1 mm in diameter, round, opaque, smooth and convex after incubation on marine agar at 30 °C for 3 days. Cells were catalase-positive but oxidase-negative. Strain M366T was observed to grow at 20-40 °C (optimum, 30 °C), pH 5.5-9.0 (optimum, pH 6.5-7.0) and with 0.5-8.0 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 2.5 %). Strain M366T shown highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 98.1 % to Robiginitalea sediminis O458T, 95.6-95.9 % to other type strains of the genus Robiginitalea and below 93 % to other genera. The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain M366T and its closely related Robiginitalea species were 71.1-75.9 % and 17.5-19.0 %. Menaquinone-6 was the only respiratory quinone. The major fatty acids (>10 %) were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH and summed feature 1 (iso-C15 : 1 h and/or C13 : 0 3-OH). The main polar lipids included phosphatidylethanolamine, two unidentified phospholipid, two unidentified aminophospholipid, one unidentified glycolipid and five unidentified lipids. According to the above results, Robiginitalea aestuariiviva sp. nov. is proposed and the type strain is M366T (=KCTC 92866T=MCCC 1K04524T=CGMCC 1.61708T).

New approaches in the diagnosis and prognosis of gestational diabetes mellitus

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the most common pregnancy metabolic disorder in which a person with no history of hyperglycemia exhibits any degree of impaired glucose tolerance during gestation. GDM can be resolved on its own after birth, but mothers with GDM are more at risk for future problems, such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. In addition, GDM can cause macrosomia in infants and obesity or even the risk of diabetes in childhood. Standard diagnostic tests for GDM are the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and glucose challenge test (GCT), which is a mandatory test at 28-28 weeks of pregnancy in most countries. Disorders in various molecular mechanisms, such as hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) signaling pathways are involved in GDM. Therefore, a better understanding of these mechanisms can help find new therapeutic and diagnostic strategies accordingly. In this review, we first deal with molecular mechanisms involved in GDM occurrence and then summarized the studies that hired this knowledge for early diagnosis and prognosis of GDM. Finally, we present the latest achievements in the diagnosis of GDM based on exosomes, microRNAs, glycosylated hemoglobin, and inflammatory factors detection in maternal circulation.

Observation of New Baryons in the Ξ_{b}^{-}π^{+}π^{-} and Ξ_{b}^{0}π^{+}π^{-} Systems

The first observation and study of two new baryonic structures in the final state Ξ_{b}^{0}π^{+}π^{-} and the confirmation of the Ξ_{b}(6100)^{-} state in the Ξ_{b}^{-}π^{+}π^{-} decay mode are reported using proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9  fb^{-1}. In addition, the properties of the known Ξ_{b}^{*0}, Ξ_{b}^{'-} and Ξ_{b}^{*-} resonances are measured with improved precision. The new decay mode of the Ξ_{b}^{0} baryon to the Ξ_{c}^{+} π^{-} π^{+} π^{-} final state is observed and exploited for the first time in these measurements.

Cycling-Induced Capacity Increase of Bulk and Artificially Layered LiTaO3 Anodes in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Tantalum-based oxide electrodes have recently drawn much attention as promising anode materials owing to their hybrid Li+ storage mechanism. However, the utilization of LiTaO3 electrode materials that can deliver a high theoretical capacity of 568 mAh g-1 has been neglected. Herein, we prepare a layered LiTaO3 electrode formed artificially by restacking LiTaO3 nanosheets using a facile synthesis method and investigate the Li+ storage performance of this electrode compared with its bulk counterpart. The designed artificially layered anode reaches specific capacities of 474, 290, and 201 mAh g-1, respectively, at 56 (>500 cycles), 280 (>1000 cycles), and 1120 mAg-1 (>2000 cycles) current densities. We also determine that the Li+ storage capacity of the layered LiTaO3 demonstrates a cycling-induced capacity increase after a certain number of cycles. Adopting various characterization techniques on LiTaO3 electrodes before and after electrochemical cycling, we attribute the origin of the cycling-induced improvement of the Li+ storage capacity in these electrodes to the amorphization of the electrode after cycling, formation of metallic tantalum during the partially irreversible conversion mechanism, lower activation overpotential of electrodes due to the formation of Li-rich species by the lithium insertion mechanism, and finally the intrinsic piezoelectric behavior of LiTaO3 that can regulate Li+ diffusion kinetics.

CEP55 as a Promising Immune Intervention Marker to Regulate Tumor Progression: A Pan-Cancer Analysis with Experimental Verification

CEP55, a member of the centrosomal protein family, affects cell mitosis and promotes the progression of several malignancies. However, the relationship between CEP55 expression levels and prognosis, as well as their role in cancer progression and immune infiltration in different cancer types, remains unclear. We used a combined form of several databases to validate the expression of CEP55 in pan-cancer and its association with immune infiltration, and we further screened its targeted inhibitors with CEP55. Our results showed the expression of CEP55 was significantly higher in most tumors than in the corresponding normal tissues, and it correlated with the pathological grade and age of the patients and affected the prognosis. In breast cancer cells, CEP55 knockdown significantly decreased cell survival, proliferation, and migration, while overexpression of CEP55 significantly promoted breast cancer cell proliferation and migration. Moreover, CEP55 expression was positively correlated with immune cell infiltration, immune checkpoints, and immune-related genes in the tumor microenvironment. CD-437 was screened as a potential CEP55-targeted small-molecule compound inhibitor. In conclusion, our study highlights the prognostic value of CEP55 in cancer and further provides a potential target selection for CEP55 as a potential target for intervention in tumor immune infiltration and related immune genes.

Measurement of the Λ_{b}^{0}→Λ(1520)μ^{+}μ^{-} Differential Branching Fraction

The branching fraction of the rare decay Λ_{b}^{0}→Λ(1520)μ^{+}μ^{-} is measured for the first time, in the squared dimuon mass intervals q^{2}, excluding the J/ψ and ψ(2S) regions. The data sample analyzed was collected by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 9  fb^{-1}. The result in the highest q^{2} interval, q^{2}>15.0  GeV^{2}/c^{4}, where theoretical predictions have the smallest model dependence, agrees with the predictions.

Measurement of Ultra-High-Energy Diffuse Gamma-Ray Emission of the Galactic Plane from 10 TeV to 1 PeV with LHAASO-KM2A

The diffuse Galactic γ-ray emission, mainly produced via interactions between cosmic rays and the interstellar medium and/or radiation field, is a very important probe of the distribution, propagation, and interaction of cosmic rays in the Milky Way. In this Letter, we report the measurements of diffuse γ rays from the Galactic plane between 10 TeV and 1 PeV energies, with the square kilometer array of the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). Diffuse emissions from the inner (15°10  TeV). The energy spectrum in the inner Galaxy regions can be described by a power-law function with an index of -2.99±0.04, which is different from the curved spectrum as expected from hadronic interactions between locally measured cosmic rays and the line-of-sight integrated gas content. Furthermore, the measured flux is higher by a factor of ∼3 than the prediction. A similar spectrum with an index of -2.99±0.07 is found in the outer Galaxy region, and the absolute flux for 10≲E≲60  TeV is again higher than the prediction for hadronic cosmic ray interactions. The latitude distributions of the diffuse emission are consistent with the gas distribution, while the longitude distributions show clear deviation from the gas distribution. The LHAASO measurements imply that either additional emission sources exist or cosmic ray intensities have spatial variations.

Clostridium brassicae sp. nov., A Strictly Anaerobic Bacterium Isolated from High-Salt Industrial Wastewater

An obligately anaerobic, Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium (1.8-5.5 μm long, 0.6-0.9 μm wide), designated ZC22-4T, was isolated from a pickle-processing wastewater treatment plant in Zhejiang province, P.R. China. Strain ZC22-4T grows optimally at 37-40 °C and pH 7.0 in the presence of 1% (w/v) NaCl or 2.0% (w/v) sea salts. It contained C16:0 (25.9%), C14:0 (13.6%), and C16:1 cis 9 (10.6%) as the dominant cellular fatty acid (> 10%). Polar lipids include phosphatidylglycerol (PG), diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), one unidentified phospholipid (PL), two unidentified glycolipids (GL), three unidentified amino phosphoglycolipids (APGL1-3), one unidentified aminoglycolipid (AGL), and one unidentified lipid (L). The genomic DNA G + C content of ZC22-4T was 28.7%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain ZC22-4T belonged to the genus Clostridium and formed a clade with the most closely related Clostridium aestuarii HY-45-18T (96.3%), Clostridium ganghwense HY-42-06T (95.9%). The average nucleotide identity and DNA-DNA hybridization values among the genomes of strain ZC22-4T and C. aestuarii HY-45-18T and C. ganghwense HY-42-06T were 75.7% and 77.3%, 21.7% and 23.0%, respectively. Based on the phenotypic, phylogenetic, and genetic data, strain ZC22-4T represents a novel species in the Clostridium cluster I, for which the name Clostridium brassicae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is ZC22-4T (= MCCC 1K07510T = JCM 35370T).

Machine Learning-Aided High-Throughput First-Principles Calculations to Predict the Formation Energy of μ Phase

The μ phase is a type of hard and brittle constituent that exists in high-temperature alloys. The formation energy is a crucial thermochemical datum, and the accurate calculation of the formation energy of the μ phase contributes to the material design of high-temperature alloys. Traditional first-principles calculations demand significant computational time and resources. In this study, an innovative machine learning (ML)-based approach to accurately predict the formation energy of the μ phase is proposed. This approach involves the utilization of six algorithms and two model evaluation methods to construct the ML models. Leveraging a comprehensive data set containing 1036 binary configurations of the μ phase, the model trained using a 10-fold cross-validation technique, and the multilayer perceptron (MLP) algorithm achieves a mean absolute error (MAE) of 23.906 meV/atom. To validate its generalization performance, the trained model is further validated on 900 ternary configurations, resulting in an MAE of 32.754 meV/atom. Compared with solely using traditional first-principles calculations, our approach significantly reduces the computational time by at least 52%. Moreover, the ML model exhibits exceptional accuracy in predicting the lattice parameters of the μ phase. The MAE values for the a and c parameters are 0.024 and 0.214 Å, respectively, corresponding to low error rates of only 0.479 and 0.578%. Additionally, the ML model was utilized to accurately predict the formation energy of all of the possible ternary configurations. To enhance accessibility to the formation energy data of the μ phase, a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) was developed, ensuring convenient usability for researchers and practitioners.

The relationship between obesity associated weight-adjusted waist index and the prevalence of hypertension in US adults aged ≥60 years: a brief report

Objectives

The main objective was to examine the relationship between weight-adjusted waist index (WWI) and the prevalence of hypertension among individuals aged ≥60 years who participated in the NHANES between 2011 and 2018 years.

Methods

The data for this study were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2018. In this population-based study, we focused on participants who were over 60 years old. Data were collected from the aforementioned survey, and the variable of interest was WWI, which was calculated as waist (cm) divided by the square root of body weight (kg). Multivariable logistic regression model was applied to calculate adjusted ORs with 95% CIs in order to explore any possible correlation between WWI and the prevalence of hypertension. Subgroup analysis were used to verify the stability of the relationship between WWI and the prevalence of hypertension. The interaction tests were also conducted in this research.

Results

Results revealed that adults aged ≥60 years who were in the highest WWI quartile had significantly higher chances of developing hypertension when compared to those in the lowest quartile, after adjusting for covariates and potential confounders (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

These findings suggest that there is a strong correlation between elevated levels of WWI and the risk of developing hypertension among older adults. As such, WWI could serve as a unique and valuable biomarker for identifying hypertension risk at an earlier stage in the older adults population.

The effect of organizational justice on young nurses' turnover intention: The mediating roles of organizational climate and emotional labour

AIM

This study aims to explore the effect of organizational justice on young nurses' turnover intention and the roles of organizational climate and emotional labour in this relationship.

BACKGROUND

The shortage of nursing resources has become a growing problem in countries worldwide. As the main representatives of the nursing force, young nurses have high turnover intentions, which aggravates the possibility of nursing shortages. As an important variable affecting the turnover intention of young nurses, the mechanism underlying the impact of organizational justice should be studied in depth.

DESIGN

A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed.

METHODS

From November to December 2022, an online questionnaire survey was conducted among 1160 young clinical nurses from 5 hospitals in Henan Province, China. The scales used in this study include the organizational justice scale, the turnover intention scale, the organizational climate scale and the emotional labour scale. AMOS 26.0 was used for model drawing and mediation path testing, and SPSS 25.0 was used for data analysis. This study complies with the STROBE Statement of Observational Studies.

RESULTS

In general, the young nurses surveyed had high turnover intentions (14.82+/-4.44). Organizational justice has a negative predictive effect on young nurses' turnover intention (r = -0.465, P＜0.01). Organizational climate and emotional labour play a chain mediating role in the relationship between organizational justice and young nurses' turnover intention (β = -0.051).

CONCLUSIONS

Organizational justice is significantly related to the turnover intention of young nurses, and organizational climate and emotional labour play a chain mediating role in the relationship between organizational justice and turnover intention. Therefore, nursing managers should pay attention not only to organizational justice but also to the influence of organizational climate and emotional labour on the turnover intention of young nurses.

The Incidence and Prognosis Value of Perineural Invasion in Rectal Carcinoma: From Meta-Analyses and Real-World Clinical Pathological Features

AIMS

Perineural invasion (PNI) is a special type of metastasis of several cancers and has been reported as being a factor for poor prognosis in colorectal carcinoma. However, investigations of PNI in only rectal cancer and a comprehensive analysis combining meta-analyses with real-world case studies remain lacking.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

First, articles from 2000 to 2020 concerning the relationship between PNI and rectal cancer prognoses and clinical features were meta-analysed. Subsequently, we carried out a retrospective analysis of 312 rectal cancer cases that underwent radical surgery in the real world. The incidence of PNI and the relationship between PNI and prognosis, as well as clinicopathological factors, were investigated.

RESULTS

The incidence of PNI was 23.09% and 33.01% in the meta-analysis and clinical cases, respectively. PNI occurred as early as stage I (2.94%). Moreover, neoadjuvant therapy significantly reduced the PNI-positive rate (20.34% versus 26.54%). Both meta-analysis and real-world clinical case studies suggested that PNI-positive patients had poorer prognoses than PNI-negative patients. We established an effective risk model consisting of T stage, differentiation and lymphovascular invasion to predict PNI in rectal cancer.

CONCLUSION

PNI is a poor prognostic factor for rectal cancer and could occur even in stage I. Additionally, neoadjuvant therapy could sufficiently reduce the PNI-positive rate. T stage, lymphovascular invasion and differentiation grade were independent risk factors for PNI and the risk model that included these factors could predict the probability of PNI.

Targeting the JAK2-STAT3 pathway to inhibit cGAS-STING activation improves neuronal senescence after ischemic stroke

Neuroinflammation after cerebral ischemia is a key event in progressive brain injury after ischemic stroke. The JAK2/STAT3 pathway is pivotal for neuroinflammation; however, its role in brain senescence after ischemic stroke is unclear. Here, we report that inflammation is increased in the brains of C57BL/6 stroke mice. Treatment of ischemic stroke in adult mice with a JAK kinase inhibitor (AG490) alleviated neurobehavioral defects, reduced brain infarct volume, reduced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and decreased activation of pro-inflammatory microglia. Moreover, AG490 treatment reduced oxidative DNA damage and cellular senescence in the brains of mice following ischemic stroke. Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) and stimulator of interferon genes (STING) were associated with inflammation and senescence. Furthermore, AG490 blocked cGAS/STING/NF-κBp65 expression. Overall, our results indicate that inhibition of JAK2/STAT3 can alleviate the negative neurological consequences of ischemic stroke, likely due to repression of cGAS/STING/NF-κB p65, leading to reduced neuroinflammation and neuronal senescence. Therefore, JAK2/STAT3 may represent a viable therapeutic target for preventing senescence after ischemic stroke.

Evidence of a J/ψK_{S}^{0} Structure in B^{0}→J/ψϕK_{S}^{0} Decays

An amplitude analysis of B^{0}→J/ψϕK_{S}^{0} decays is performed using proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9  fb^{-1}, collected with the LHCb detector at center-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV. Evidence with a significance of 4.0 standard deviations of a structure in the J/ψK_{S}^{0} system, named T_{ψs1}^{θ}(4000)^{0}, is seen, with its mass and width measured to be 3991_{-10}^{+12} _{-17}^{+9}  MeV/c^{2} and 105_{-25}^{+29} _{-23}^{+17}  MeV, respectively, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The T_{ψs1}^{θ}(4000)^{0} state is likely to be the isospin partner of the T_{ψs1}^{θ}(4000)^{+} state, previously observed in the J/ψK^{+} system of the B^{+}→J/ψϕK^{+} decay. When isospin symmetry for the charged and neutral T_{ψs1}^{θ}(4000) states is assumed, the signal significance increases to 5.4 standard deviations.

Identification and genomic analysis of temperate Halomonas bacteriophage vB_HmeY_H4907 from the surface sediment of the Mariana Trench at a depth of 8,900 m

Viruses play crucial roles in the ecosystem by modulating the host community structure, mediating biogeochemical cycles, and compensating for the metabolism of host cells. Mariana Trench, the world's deepest hadal habitat, harbors a variety of unique microorganisms that have adapted to its extreme conditions of low temperatures, high pressure, and nutrient scarcity. However, our knowledge about isolated hadal phage strains in the hadal trench is still limited. This study reported the discovery of a temperate phage, vB_HmeY_H4907, infecting Halomonas meridiana H4907, isolated from surface sediment from the Mariana Trench at a depth of 8,900 m. To our best knowledge, it is the deepest isolated siphovirus from the ocean. Its 40,452 bp linear dsDNA genome has 57.64% GC content and 55 open reading frames, and it is highly homologous to its host. Phylogenetic analysis and average nucleotide sequence identification reveal that vB_HmeY_H4907 is separated from the isolated phages and represents a new family, Suviridae, with eight predicted proviruses and six uncultured viral genomes. They are widely distributed in the ocean, suggesting a prevalence of this viral family in the deep sea. These findings expand our understanding of the phylogenetic diversity and genomic features of hadal lysogenic phages, provide essential information for further studies of phage-host interactions and evolution, and may reveal new insights into the lysogenic lifestyles of viruses inhabiting the hadal ocean. IMPORTANCE Halomonas phage vB_HmeY_H4907 is the deepest isolated siphovirus from the ocean, and it represents a novel abundant viral family in the ocean. This study provides insights into the genomic, phylogenetic, and ecological characteristics of the new viral family, namely, Suviridae.

Visible Light-Guided Gene Delivery with Nonviral Supramolecular Block Copolymer Vectors

To achieve efficient gene delivery in vitro or in vivo, nonviral vectors should have excellent biostability across cellular and tissue barriers and also smart stimuli responsiveness toward controlled release of therapeutic genes into the cell nucleus. However, it remains a key challenge to effectively combine the biostability of covalent polymers with the stimuli responsiveness of noncovalent polymers into one nonviral vehicle. In this work, we report the construction of a kind of cationic supramolecular block copolymers (SBCs) through noncovalent polymerization of β-cyclodextrin/azobenzene-terminated pentaethylenehexamine (DMA-Azo-PEHA-β-CD) in aqueous media using β-CD-monosubstituted poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-β-CD) as a supramolecular initiator. The resultant SBC exhibits superior biostability, biocompatibility, and light/pH dual-responsive characteristics, and it also demonstrates efficient plasmid DNA condensation capacity and the ability to rapidly release plasmid DNA into cells driven by visible light (450 nm). Eventually, this SBC-based delivery system demonstrates visible light-induced enhancement of gene delivery in both COS-7 and HeLa cells. We anticipate that this work provides a facile and robust strategy to enhance gene delivery in vitro or in vivo via visible light-guided manipulation of genes, further achieving safe, highly efficient, targeting gene therapy for cancer.

The impact of informal caregivers' preparedness on short-term outcomes of heart failure patients with insufficient self-care

AIMS

Even though self-care is essential in the long-term management of heart failure (HF), it is often not performed adequately in HF populations. Mobilizing informal caregivers may be one way to help patients perform self-care, support individual needs, and maintain health. However, informal caregivers often face insufficient preparation for providing long-term care. This insufficient caregiver preparedness may lead to a decline in caregiver contributions and affect the outcomes of care in patients with HF. This study aimed to explore whether informal caregivers' preparedness is a predictor that influences short-term outcomes of HF patients; to analyse whether caregiver contribution to self-care of HF (CC-SCHF) plays a mediating role between informal caregivers' preparedness and HF short-term outcomes.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A prospective observational study was conducted in China. After controlling for covariates, higher levels of informal caregivers' preparedness were significantly associated with lower 3-month mortality [odds ratio (OR) = 0.919, 95% confidence interval (CI) = (0.855-0.988), P = 0.022] and 3-month readmission rate [OR = 0.883, 95% CI = (0.811-0.961), P = 0.004] and shorter length of hospital stay (β = -0.071, P < 0.001). The informal caregiver's preparedness was positively associated with CC-SCHF maintenance (r = 0.708, P < 0.01), CC-SCHF management (r = 0.431, P < 0.01), and CC-SCHF confidence (r = 0.671, P < 0.01). The CC-SCHF management was a mediator in the relationship between informal caregivers' preparedness and 3-month readmission rate [effect 95% CI = (-0.054 to -0.001)] and length of hospital stay [effect 95% CI = (-0.235 to -0.042)].

CONCLUSION

A higher level of informal caregivers' preparedness is associated with better short-term outcomes of HF patients with insufficient self-care.

Serum cell division cycle 42 reflects the treatment response and survival in patients with advanced cervical cancer who receive immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment

Cell division cycle 42 (CDC42) regulates immune escape, which predicts immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment response in several types of cancer. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential of serum CDC42 in predicting the ICI treatment outcome in patients with advanced cervical cancer. A total of 46 patients with advanced cervical cancer who received ICI treatment with or without antiangiogenic agents were enrolled. Serum CDC42 was detected in all patients before treatment (baseline) and following two treatment cycles by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. CDC42 at baseline was elevated in patients with target lesion size ≥5 cm (P=0.020), pelvis metastasis (P=0.031) and lung metastasis (P=0.043). Following treatment, the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were 30.4 and 78.3%, respectively. Meanwhile, the median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 5.8 and 13.1 months. CDC42 at baseline was decreased in patients achieving ORR (P=0.042) but not DCR (P=0.055). PFS (P=0.006) and OS (P=0.019) were decreased in patients with baseline CDC42 ≥600 pg/ml. After two treatment cycles, CDC42 was generally reduced (P<0.001). CDC42 following two treatment cycles was more significantly decreased in patients with ORR (P=0.032) and DCR (P=0.019). Multivariate Cox's regression analysis showed that CDC42 ≥600 pg/ml following two treatment cycles was associated with the shorter PFS (P=0.022, hazard ratio=2.469) and OS (P=0.013, hazard ratio=4.166). Serum CDC42 was reduced after treatment; high expression following treatment reflected a lower possibility of achieving treatment response and poorer survival in patients with advanced cervical cancer.

Low concentration of indoxacarb interferes with the growth and development of silkworm by damaging the structure of midgut cells

As an important economic insect, Bombyx mori plays an essential role in the development of the agricultural economy. Indoxacarb, a novel sodium channel blocker insecticide, has been widely used for the control of various pests in agriculture and forestry, and its environmental pollution caused by flight control operations has seriously affected the safe production of sericulture in recent years. However, the lethal toxicity and adverse effects of indoxacarb on silkworm remain largely unknown. In this study, the toxicity of indoxacarb on the 5th instar larvae of silkworm was determined, with an LC50 (72 h) of 2.07 mg/L. Short-term exposure (24 h) to a low concentration of indoxacarb (1/2 LC50) showed significantly reduced body weight and survival rate of silkworm larvae. In addition, indoxacarb also led to decreased cocoon weight and cocoon shell weight, but had no significant effects on pupation, adult eclosion, and oviposition. Histopathological and ultrastructural analysis indicated that indoxacarb could severely damage the structure of the midgut epithelial cells, and lead to physiological impairment of the midgut. A total of 3883 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by midgut transcriptome sequencing and functionally annotated using GO and KEGG. Furthermore, the transcription level and enzyme activity of the detoxification related genes were determined, and our results suggested that esterases (ESTs) might play a major role in metabolism of indoxacarb in the midgut of B. mori. Future studies to examine the detoxification or biotransformation function of candidate genes will greatly enhance our understanding of indoxacarb metabolism in B. mori. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for elucidating the mechanism of toxic effects of indoxacarb on silkworm by interfering with the normal physiological functions of the midgut.

Effects of lactic acid bacteria-fermented formula milk supplementation on colonic microbiota and mucosal transcriptome profile of weaned piglets

Supplemental probiotic fermented milk as a gut modulator can improve growth performance for weaned piglets by promoting the development of the small intestine in digestion and immune function. The effect on colon health might also play a considerable part in the favourable role of probiotic fermented milk in the growth performance improvement of weaned piglets; however, it has yet to be reported. This study aimed to investigate the effects of supplementation with lactic acid bacteria-fermented formula milk (LFM) on colonic morphology, microbiota composition, and mucosal transcriptome profile in weaned piglets. A total of 24 male weaned piglets were randomly divided into two groups: a control (CON) treatment or the LFM-supplemented treatment. Each group consisted of six replicates (cages) with two piglets per cage, and each piglet in the LFM group was supplemented with 80 mL LFM three times a day for 21 d, while the CON group was treated with the same amount of drinking water. Results showed that supplementation of LFM reduced the colonic histological damage scores and significantly increased the number of goblet cells per crypt. Furthermore, LFM consumption decreased the levels of pro-inflammation cytokines in the colonic mucosa. LFM downregulated the expression of inflammatory genes (CXCL9 and CXCL10) involving Toll-like receptor signalling pathway, immune response, and response to bacterium, and up-regulated two active genes (S100A8 and S100A9) involving the IL-17 signalling pathway and Toll-like receptor 4 binding. In addition, LFM could increase the potential probiotic genera containing Lachnospira and Anaerorhabdus furcosa group, which were positively related to short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production. Correspondingly, LFM-fed piglets had higher total bacterial load and total SCFA concentration in the colonic digesta compared with the CON group. These novel findings support the benefits of LFM in enhancing intestinal homoeostasis and ameliorating weaning stress for weaned piglets, which is associated with the modulation of gut microbiota composition and immune-related genes.

Measurement of the Branching Fractions B(B^{0}→pp[over ¯]pp[over ¯]) and B(B_{s}^{0}→pp[over ¯]pp[over ¯])

Searches for the rare hadronic decays B^{0}→pp[over ¯]pp[over ¯] and B_{s}^{0}→pp[over ¯]pp[over ¯] are performed using proton-proton collision data recorded by the LHCb experiment and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9  fb^{-1}. Significances of 9.3σ and 4.0σ, including statistical and systematic uncertainties, are obtained for the B^{0}→pp[over ¯]pp[over ¯] and B_{s}^{0}→pp[over ¯]pp[over ¯] signals, respectively. The branching fractions are measured relative to the topologically similar normalization decays B^{0}→J/ψ(→pp[over ¯])K^{*0}(→K^{+}π^{-}) and B_{s}^{0}→J/ψ(→pp[over ¯])⁢ϕ(→K^{+}K^{-}). The branching fractions are measured to be B(B^{0}→pp[over ¯]pp[over ¯])=(2.2±0.4±0.1±0.1)×10^{-8} and B(B_{s}^{0}→pp[over ¯]pp[over ¯])=(2.3±1.0±0.2±0.1)×10^{-8}. In these measurements, the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third one is due to the external branching fraction of the normalization channel.

Chitosan Enhances Low-Dosage Difenoconazole to Efficiently Control Leaf Spot Disease in Pseudostellaria heterophylla (Miq.) Pax

Pseudostellaria heterophylla (Miq.) Pax is a popular clinical herb and nutritious health food. However, leaf spot disease caused by fungal pathogens frequently occurs and seriously influences the growth, quality, and yield of P. heterophylla. In this work, the field control roles of difenoconazole, chitosan, and their combination in the leaf spot disease in P. heterophylla and their effects on the disease resistance, photosynthetic capacity, medicinal quality, and root yield of P. heterophylla are investigated. The results manifest that 37% difenoconazole water-dispersible granule (WDG) with 5000-time + chitosan 500-time dilution liquid had a superior control capacity on leaf spot disease with the control effects of 91.17%~88.19% at 15~30 days after the last spraying, which significantly (p < 0.05) exceeded that of 37% difenoconazole WDG 3000-time dilution liquid and was significantly (p < 0.01) higher than that of 37% difenoconazole WDG 5000-time dilution liquid, chitosan 500-time dilution liquid, or chitosan 1000-time dilution liquid. Simultaneously, this combination could more effectively enhance the disease resistance, photosynthetic capacity, medicinal quality, and tuberous root yield of P. heterophylla compared to when these elements were applied alone, as well as effectively reduce difenoconazole application. This study emphasizes that chitosan combined with a low dosage of difenoconazole can be proposed as a green, efficient, and alternative formula for controlling leaf spot disease in P. heterophylla and enhancing its resistance, photosynthesis, quality, and yield.

Knowledge structure and hotspots research of glioma immunotherapy: a bibliometric analysis

Background

Glioma is the most common primary brain tumor. Traditional treatments for glioma include surgical resection, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and bevacizumab therapy, but their efficacies are limited. Immunotherapy provides a new direction for glioma treatment. This study aimed to summarize the knowledge structure and research hotspots of glioma immunotherapy through a bibliometric analysis.

Method

Publications pertaining to glioma immunotherapy published during the period from 1st January 1990 to 27th March 2023 were downloaded from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). Bibliometric analysis and visualization were performed using the CiteSpace, VOSviewer, Online Analysis Platform of Literature Metrology, and R software. The hotspots and prospects of glioma immunotherapy research were illustrated via analyzing the countries, institutions, journals, authors, citations and keywords of eligible publications.

Results

A total of 1,929 publications pertaining to glioma immunotherapy in 502 journals were identified as of 27th March 2023, involving 9,505 authors from 1,988 institutions in 62 countries. Among them were 1,285 articles and 644 reviews. Most of publications were produced by the United States. JOURNAL OF NEURO-ONCOLOGY published the majority of publications pertaining to glioma immunotherapy. Among the authors, Lim M contributed the largest number of publications. Through analyzing keyword bursts and co-cited references, immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) were identified as the research focus and hotspot.

Conclusion

Using a bibliometric analysis, this study provided the knowledge structure and research hotspots in glioma immunotherapy research during the past 33 years, with ICIs staying in the current and future hotspot. Our findings may direct the research of glioma immunotherapy in the future.

Test of Lepton Universality in b→sℓ^{+}ℓ^{-} Decays

The first simultaneous test of muon-electron universality using B^{+}→K^{+}ℓ^{+}ℓ^{-} and B^{0}→K^{*0}ℓ^{+}ℓ^{-} decays is performed, in two ranges of the dilepton invariant-mass squared, q^{2}. The analysis uses beauty mesons produced in proton-proton collisions collected with the LHCb detector between 2011 and 2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9  fb^{-1}. Each of the four lepton universality measurements reported is either the first in the given q^{2} interval or supersedes previous LHCb measurements. The results are compatible with the predictions of the Standard Model.

Is There Re-staging Surgery Necessity for Borderline Ovarian Tumors

OBJECTIVE

This study assessed the necessity of surgical re-staging in women with borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs) and evaluated the impact of complete surgical staging, lymphadenectomy, and omentectomy on disease recurrence and survival.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with BOTs. A total of 901 patients were eligible for inclusion in the study, and we evaluated some of the variables and clinical/surgical characteristics of the cases. The effects of the type of surgical procedure, surgical staging, and complete or incomplete staging on recurrence were calculated. The rates of disease-free survival, overall survival, and recurrence were compared according to complete surgical staging. A Cox regression analysis was performed to identify potential prognostic factors, and survival curves were constructed using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

The overall recurrence rate was 13.9%, and recurrence was comparable between the complete surgical staging group and the incomplete groups (P>0.05). The performance of complete surgical staging did not show an effect on long-term survival, and complete surgical staging, omentectomy, and lymphadenectomy had no effect on recurrence. In multivariate analyses, only radical surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy were risk factors for the recurrence of BOTs. Furthermore, we found that omentectomy led to a relatively low recurrence rate in patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage > I (P=0.022).

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that complete surgical staging should be considered a standard treatment for patients with advanced stage BOTs but not for those at FIGO stage I. It might be safe to reduce the scope of surgical procedures in patients with early-stage BOTs. However, it is not necessary to perform re-staging operations for BOTs with a macroscopically normal extra-ovarian appearance.

LTBI-negative close contacts of tuberculosis are more likely to develop the disease: enlightenment and lessons from a cluster outbreak

Background

Tuberculosis (TB) prevention and control among groups living together, such as students, workers, older adults in nursing homes, and prisoners, present many challenges due to their particular age and environmental factors, which can make them more susceptible to TB clusters with significant societal impact. This study aimed to evaluate a TB cluster outbreak epidemic in a university and provide suggestions for improving TB control strategies for groups living together.

Methods

Pulmonary TB screening and close-contact investigation were conducted using acid-fast staining, sputum culture, GeneXpert testing, tuberculin skin testing (TST), interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA), and chest computed tomography (CT). GraphPad Prism 9.5.1 was utilized for data analysis. Collected epidemic data were comprehensively analyzed by rate comparison.

Results

The TB cluster outbreak epidemic was identified with an index case confirmed positive. The initial screening was conducted on potential close contacts of the index case, and the TST's positive rate (diameter ≥ 5 mm) and strong positive rate (diameter ≥ 15 mm) among these close contacts were 65.60% (21/32) and 34.40% (11/32), respectively. Moreover, the latent TB infection (LTBI) rate (diameter ≥ 10 mm) was 43.75% (14/32), and the IGRA's positive rate was 9.30% (3/32). Chest CT scans did not reveal any abnormalities. Surprisingly, 5 of the close contacts developed active TB in the second screening, accompanied by changes from negative to positive TST and/or IGRA results, after 3 months of follow-up. Accordingly, we expanded the screening scope to include another 28 general contacts. We found that the positive rate (78.00%, 25/32), strong positive rate (50.00%, 16/32), and LTBI rate (62.50%, 20/32) of the 32 close contacts were significantly higher than those of the additional general contacts (28.00%, 8/28; 14.3%, 4/28; 25.00%, 7/28), as indicated by p < 0.05.

Conclusion

In the event of an epidemic TB outbreak, it is essential to rapidly identify the source of infection and initiate timely screening of close contacts. The initial screening should be focused on individuals without LTBI, who are at higher risk of developing TB. In purified protein derivative-negative individuals living in groups, additional vaccination or revaccination with Bacille Calmette-Guérin may help prevent cluster outbreaks of TB.

Measuring the importance of influencing factor for COVID-19 vaccination intention in China

Background

Vaccination is considered an effective approach to deter the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). However, vaccine hesitancy is a common issue that makes immunization programs more challenging. To promote vaccination in a targeted and efficient way, this study aims to develop and validate a measurement tool for evaluating the importance of influencing factors related to COVID-19 vaccination intention in China, and to examine the demographic differences.

Methods

In study 1, we developed a Factor Importance Evaluation Questionnaire (FIEQ) based on semi-structured interview results and used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to explore its factor structure. In study 2, we verified the four-factor structure of FIEQ by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). We then administered FIEQ to Chinese participants and conducted a student t-test and analysis of variance to examine the differences in the importance evaluation of factors based on gender and educational level.

Results

In study 1, we developed a four-factor construct and retained 20 items after EFA (N = 577), with acceptable reliability (alpha = 0.87) and validity. In study 2, we found that the model fit was good (χ2 = 748.03 (162), p < 0.001, GFI = 0.949, RMSEA = 0.049, SRMR = 0.048, AGFI = 0.934), and reliability was acceptable (alpha = 0.730) (N = 1,496). No gender difference was found in factor importance. However, individuals with different educational levels reported significantly different importance evaluations of three factors, including perceived benefits and social norms (F = 3.786, p = 0.005), perceived influences from reference groups (F = 17.449, p < 0.001), and perceived risks (F = 2.508, p = 0.04).

Conclusion

This study developed and validated FIEQ for measuring the importance of influencing factors related to the COVID-19 vaccination intention in Chinese participants. Moreover, our findings suggest that the educational level may play a role in how individuals evaluate the importance of factors. This study provides insights into the concerns that individuals have regarding vaccination and offers potentially effective and targeted strategies for promoting COVID-19 vaccination.

[Prevalence and genotyping of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia lamblia in dogs and cats from a pet hospital in Shanghai Municipality]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence and genotypes of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia lamblia in dogs and cats from a pet hospital in Shanghai Municipality.

METHODS

A total of 145 fresh fecal samples were collected from pet dogs and cats in a pet hospital in Shanghai Municipality during the period from November 2021 to June 2022, including 99 dog fecal samples and 46 cat fecal samples. The small subunit ribosomal ribonucleic acid (SSU rRNA) gene of Cryptosporidium and the triose phosphate isomerase (TPI) gene of G. lamblia were amplified using nested PCR assay, and the positive amplification products were sequenced from both directions. The sequence assembly was performed using the software Clustal X 2.1, and sequence alignment was conducted using BLAST. A phylogenetic tree was created with the Neighbor-Joining method using MEGA 11.0 to identify parasite species or genotype.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium and G. lamblia was 20.00% (29/145) in 145 pet dog and cat fecal samples, with the prevalence of 0.69% (1/145) and 19.31% (28/145) in Cryptosporidium and G. lamblia, respectively. G. lamblia was only detected in dog fecal samples, with prevalence of 18.18% (18/99), while the detection rates of Cryptosporidium and G. lamblia were 2.17% (1/46) and 21.74% (10/46) in cat fecal samples. Nucleotide sequence analysis showed that one Cryptosporidium positive sample was characterized as C. felis, and 28 G. lamblia positive samples were all characterized as Giardia assemblage A, which showed 100% sequence homology with human isolates of Giardia. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the sequences obtained in this study belonged to the same branch with the reported Giardia assemblage A.

CONCLUSIONS

Cryptosporidium and G. lamblia infection was prevalent in pet dogs and cats from the study pet hospital in Shanghai Municipality, and there is a zoonotic risk for the species and genotype. Intensified surveillance of Cryptosporidium and Giardia infection is recommended in pets and their owners, and improved management of pet keeping is required.

Mendelian randomization analysis identified tumor necrosis factor as being associated with severe COVID-19

Background: Observational studies have shown that anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy may be beneficial for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Nevertheless, because of the methodological restrictions of traditional observational studies, it is a challenge to make causal inferences. This study involved a two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis to investigate the causal link between nine TNFs and COVID-19 severity using publicly released genome-wide association study summary statistics. Methods: Summary statistics for nine TNFs (21,758 cases) were obtained from a large-scale genome-wide association study. Correlation data between single-nucleotide polymorphisms and severe COVID-19 (18,152 cases vs. 1,145,546 controls) were collected from the COVID-19 host genetics initiative. The causal estimate was calculated by inverse variance-weighted (IVW), MR-Egger, and weighted median methods. Sensitivity tests were conducted to assess the validity of the causal relationship. Results: Genetically predicted TNF receptor superfamily member 6 (FAS) positively correlated with the severity of COVID-19 (IVW, odds ratio = 1.10, 95% confidence interval = 1.01-1.19, p = 0.026), whereas TNF receptor superfamily member 5 (CD40) was protective against severe COVID-19 (IVW, odds ratio = 0.92, 95% confidence interval = 0.87-0.97, p = 0.002). Conclusion: Genetic evidence from this study supports that the increased expression of FAS is associated with the risk of severe COVID-19 and that CD40 may have a potential protective effect against COVID-19.

Measurements of the Elliptic and Triangular Azimuthal Anisotropies in Central ^{3}He+Au, d+Au and p+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

The elliptic (v_{2}) and triangular (v_{3}) azimuthal anisotropy coefficients in central ^{3}He+Au, d+Au, and p+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV are measured as a function of transverse momentum (p_{T}) at midrapidity (|η|<0.9), via the azimuthal angular correlation between two particles both at |η|<0.9. While the v_{2}(p_{T}) values depend on the colliding systems, the v_{3}(p_{T}) values are system independent within the uncertainties, suggesting an influence on eccentricity from subnucleonic fluctuations in these small-sized systems. These results also provide stringent constraints for the hydrodynamic modeling of these systems.

A tera-electron volt afterglow from a narrow jet in an extremely bright gamma-ray burst

Some gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have a tera-electron volt (TeV) afterglow, but the early onset of this has not been observed. We report observations with the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory of the bright GRB 221009A, which serendipitously occurred within the instrument field of view. More than 64,000 photons >0.2 TeV were detected within the first 3000 seconds. The TeV flux began several minutes after the GRB trigger, then rose to a peak about 10 seconds later. This was followed by a decay phase, which became more rapid ~650 seconds after the peak. We interpret the emission using a model of a relativistic jet with half-opening angle ~0.8°. This is consistent with the core of a structured jet and could explain the high isotropic energy of this GRB.

Improved Thermal Anisotropy of Multi-Layer Tungsten Telluride on Silicon Substrate

WTe₂, a low-symmetry transition metal dichalcogenide, has broad prospects in functional device applications due to its excellent physical properties. When WTe₂ flake is integrated into practical device structures, its anisotropic thermal transport could be affected greatly by the substrate, which matters a lot to the energy efficiency and functional performance of the device. To investigate the effect of SiO₂/Si substrate, we carried out a comparative Raman thermometry study on a 50 nm-thick supported WTe₂ flake (with κ_zigzag = 62.17 W·m^-1·K^-1 and κ_armchair = 32.93 W·m^-1·K^-1), and a suspended WTe₂ flake of similar thickness (with κ_zigzag = 4.45 W·m^-1·K^-1, κ_armchair = 4.10 W·m^-1·K^-1). The results show that the thermal anisotropy ratio of supported WTe₂ flake (κ_zigzag/κ_armchair ≈ 1.89) is about 1.7 times that of suspended WTe₂ flake (κ_zigzag/κ_armchair ≈ 1.09). Based on the low symmetry nature of the WTe₂ structure, it is speculated that the factors contributing to thermal conductivity (mechanical properties and anisotropic low-frequency phonons) may have affected the thermal conductivity of WTe₂ flake in an uneven manner when supported on a substrate. Our findings could contribute to the 2D anisotropy physics and thermal transport study of functional devices based on WTe₂ and other low-symmetry materials, which helps solve the heat dissipation problem and optimize thermal/thermoelectric performance for practical electronic devices.

Emerging trends and research foci of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: a 20-year bibliometric analysis

Background

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a demyelinating syndrome of the central nervous system. A tremendous amount of literature on NMOSD has been published. This study aimed to perform a bibliometric analysis of the publications on NMOSD and show its hotspots and development trends.

Methods

We used the Web of Science Core Collection as a database and searched the literature published between 2002 and 2022. CiteSpace, VOSviewer, online bibliometric platform, and R-bibliometrix were used to conduct bibliometric analysis and network visualization, including the number of publications, citations, countries/regions, institutions, journals, authors, references, and keywords.

Results

A total of 3,057 publications on NMOSD were published in 198 journals by 200 authors at 200 institutions from 93 countries/regions. The United States published the most literature and made great contributions to this field. The Mayo Clinic was the institution with the largest number of publications. The journal with the most publications was Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, and the most co-cited journal was Neurology. The author with the most publications was Fujihara, K., while the most frequently co-cited author was Wingerchuk, DM. The current research hotspots may be focused on "efficacy," "multicenter," "interleukin-6 receptor blockade," "safety," "azathioprine," "tolerance," and "adult".

Conclusion

This study was the first bibliometric analysis of publications on the NMOSD field, visualizing its bibliometric characteristics and gaining insight into the direction, hotspots, and development of global NMOSD research, which may provide helpful information for researchers. Future research hotspots might be conducting randomized controlled trials on targeted immunotherapy in the NMOSD field.

Efficacy and safety of proton pump inhibitors and H2 receptor antagonists in the initial non‑eradication treatment of duodenal ulcer: A network meta‑analysis

The present network meta-analysis aimed to enhance the corresponding evidence with respect to the efficacy and safety of pharmaceuticals treatments. Frequentist network meta-analysis was used. Medical literature up to November 2022 was searched for randomized clinical trials assessing the efficacy and safety of these pharmaceuticals, either compared with each other or compared with placebo. With the exception of ranitidine (300 mg four times daily) and vonoprazan (20 mg once daily) having lower safety than placebo, the efficacy and safety of the remaining treatments were superior to placebo. Cimetidine (400 mg four times daily) and pantoprazole (40 mg once daily) were ranked first in terms of efficacy. The frequentist network meta-analysis shows that for cimetidine (except 400 mg once daily), famotidine, rabeprazole, ilaprazole, lansoprazole (except 7.5 mg once daily) and omeprazole (except 10 mg once daily or 30 mg once daily), the efficacy comparison between the different doses of each of the aforementioned pharmaceuticals did not indicate statistically significant differences. In conclusion, pantoprazole (40 mg once daily) was the best choice for the initial non-eradication treatment of patients with duodenal ulcer, and cimetidine (400 mg twice daily), omeprazole (20 mg once daily), lansoprazole (15 mg once daily), ilaprazole (5 mg once daily) and rabeprazole (10 mg once daily) could be used as the first choice. If the aforementioned pharmaceuticals cannot be prescribed, famotidine (40 mg twice daily) is recommended.

FTO represses NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis and alleviates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury via inhibiting CBL-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of β-catenin

Cardiac ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a complicated pathological event, which has close association with pyroptosis. This study uncovered the regulatory mechanisms of fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) in NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis during cardiac I/R injury. H9c2 cells were stimulated with oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R). Cell viability and pyroptosis were detected by CCK-8 and flow cytometry. Western blotting or RT-qPCR was performed to analyze target molecule expression. NLRP3 and Caspase-1 expression was observed by immunofluorescence staining. IL-18 and IL-1β production was detected by ELISA. The total m6A and m6A level of CBL was determined by dot blot assay and methylated RNA immunoprecipitation-qPCR, respectively. The interaction between IGF2BP3 and CBL mRNA was confirmed by RNA pull-down and RIP assays. The protein interaction between CBL and β-catenin and β-catenin ubiquitination were evaluated by Co-IP. Myocardial I/R model was established in rats. We determined infarct size by TTC staining and pathological changes by H&E staining. LDH, CK-MB, LVFS, and LVEF were also assessed. FTO and β-catenin were down-regulated, while CBL was up-regulated by OGD/R stimulation. FTO/β-catenin overexpression or CBL silencing restrained OGD/R-induced NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis. CBL repressed β-catenin expression via ubiquitination and degradation. FTO reduced the mRNA stability of CBL by inhibiting m6A modification. CBL-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of β-catenin were involved in FTO-induced pyroptosis inhibition during myocardial I/R injury. FTO inhibits NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis to attenuate myocardial I/R injury via repressing CBL-induced ubiquitination degradation of β-catenin.

Equivalent and Complement of the ω-Bonding Model and Charge-Shift Bonding Model: A Natural Bond Orbital/Natural Resonance Theory/Atoms in Molecules Investigation via Cu/Ag/Au Bonding in BMX (B = H2O, H2S, NH3, and PH3; M = Cu, Ag, and Au; and X = F, Cl, Br, and I)

Chemical bonding is the language of logic for chemists. Two new resonance bonding models, ω-bonding and charge-shift (CS) bonding, are gaining popularity among chemists. This study investigated the Cu/Ag/Au bonding in BMX (B = H₂O, H₂S, NH₃, and PH₃; M = Cu, Ag, and Au; and X = F, Cl, Br, and I) complexes using natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis, natural resonance theory (NRT), and atoms in molecules (AIM) method. The main aim is to reveal the relation between ω-bonding model and CS bonding model via Cu/Ag/Au bonding. Our studies demonstrate that the Cu/Ag/Au bonds exhibit the characteristics of both ω-bonding and CS bonding. Further studies found that ω-bonding and CS bonding models are equivalent and complement each other in understanding the studied Cu/Ag/Au bonding. Another interesting finding is the implication of the omega symbol in the ω-bonding model. These findings could help to promote the communication and CS bonding understanding of many more similar ω-bonded complexes.

Identification of New Compounds against PRRSV Infection by Directly Targeting CD163

The porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome viruses (PRRSV) led to a global panzootic and huge economical losses to the pork industry. PRRSV targets the scavenger receptor CD163 for productive infection. However, currently no effective treatment is available to control the spread of this disease. Using bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays, we screened a set of small molecules potentially targeting the scavenger receptor cysteine-rich domain 5 (SRCR5) of CD163. We found that the assay examining protein-protein interactions (PPI) between PRRSV glycoprotein 4 (GP4) and the CD163-SRCR5 domain mainly identifies compounds that potently inhibit PRRSV infection, while examining the PPI between PRRSV-GP2a and the SRCR5 domain maximized the identification of positive compounds, including additional ones with various antiviral capabilities. These positive compounds significantly inhibited both types 1 and 2 PRRSV infection of porcine alveolar macrophages. We confirmed that the highly active compounds physically bind to the CD163-SRCR5 protein, with dissociation constant (KD) values ranging from 28 to 39 μM. Structure-activity-relationship (SAR) analysis revealed that although both the 3-(morpholinosulfonyl)anilino and benzenesulfonamide moieties in these compounds are critical for the potency to inhibit PRRSV infection, the morpholinosulfonyl group can be replaced by chlorine substituents without significant loss of antiviral potency. Our study established a system for throughput screening of natural or synthetic compounds highly effective on blocking of PRRSV infection and shed light on further SAR modification of these compounds. IMPORTANCE Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) causes significant economic losses to the swine industry worldwide. Current vaccines cannot provide cross protection against different strains, and there are no effective treatments available to hamper the spread of this disease. In this study, we identified a group of new small molecules that can inhibit the PRRSV interaction with its specific receptor CD163 and dramatically block the infection of both types 1 and type 2 PRRSVs to host cells. We also demonstrated the physical association of these compounds with the SRCR5 domain of CD163. In addition, molecular docking and structure-activity relationship analyses provided new insights for the CD163/PRRSV glycoprotein interaction and further improvement of these compounds against PRRSV infection.

Supramolecular Cyclic Dinucleotide Nanoparticles for STING-Mediated Cancer Immunotherapy

Activation of stimulator of interferon genes (STING) can reprogram the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) by initiating innate and adaptive immunity. As natural STING agonists, clinical translation of cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) has been challenged by their short half-life in circulation, poor stability, and low membrane permeability. Herein, we use the natural endogenous small molecules oleic acid and deoxycytidine to construct a ligand for the STING agonist c-di-GMP (CDG), a hydrophobic nucleotide lipid (3',5'-diOA-dC), which can assemble with CDG into stable cyclic dinucleotide nanoparticles (CDG-NPs) through various supramolecular forces driven by molecular recognition. CDG-NPs are homogeneous and stable spherical nanoparticles with an average diameter of 59.0 ± 13.0 nm. Compared with free CDG, CDG-NPs promote the retention and intracellular delivery of CDG in the tumor site, boost STING activation and TME immunogenicity, and potentiate STING-mediated anti-tumor immunity when administered by either intratumoral or systemic routes in melanoma-bearing mice. We propose a flexible supramolecular nanodelivery system for CDG by using endogenous small molecules, which provides a CDN delivery platform for STING-mediated cancer immunotherapy.