[Etiological characterization of invasive non-typhoid Salmonella strains in Guangdong Province from 2018 to 2022]

Objective: To understand the serotype distribution, drug resistance and molecular characterization of invasive non-typhoid Salmonella (iNTS) in Guangdong Province from 2018 to 2022 and provide scientific evidence for the prevention and treatment of blood flow infection caused by Salmonella. Methods: Serological identification, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and whole genome sequencing were performed on Salmonella isolated from blood and stool samples in Guangdong from 2018 to 2022. Simultaneously, annotated the sequencing results for drug resistance genes and virulence factors by a microbial gene annotation system. Results: The 136 iNTS strains were divided into 25 serotypes, and Salmonella enteritidis accounted for 38.24% (52/136). The OR of other iNTS serotypes were calculated with Salmonella typhimurium as the control. The OR values of Oreninburg, Rysson, and Pomona serotypes were the highest, which were 423.50, 352.92, and 211.75, respectively. The drug resistance rate of iNTS was 0.74%-66.91%, which was lower than that of non-iNTS (3.90%-77.21%). The main iNTS of drug resistance were ampicillin and tetracycline, with resistance rates of 66.91% (91/136) and 50.00% (68/136), respectively, while the resistance rates to ciprofloxacin (5.88%,8/136), ceftazidime (5.88%,8/136), gentamicin (5.13%,7/136) and cefoxitin (0.74%, 1/136) were relatively low. iNTS carried a variety of drug-resistance genes and virulence factors, but no standard virulence factor distribution has been found. MLST cluster analysis showed that iNTS was divided into 26 sequence types, and ST11 accounted for 38.24% (52/136). Conclusions: The iNTS strains in Guangdong were dominated by Salmonella enteritidis, of which three serotypes, Oreninburg, Rison, and Pomona, may be associated with a higher risk of invasive infection during 2018 to 2022. iNTS was sensitive to clinical first-line therapeutic drugs (cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones), with highly diverse sequences and clear phylogenetic branches. ST11 was the local dominant clone group.

[Establishing and verifying the threshold value of HLA mixed antigen reagent screening test results]

Objective: To establish the threshold value of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) mixed antigen reagent screening test results, and to verify it by HLA single antigen reagent confirmation test results. Methods: The results of 2 255 serum samples tested for HLA antibodies by HLA mixed antigen reagent in the department of HLA Laboratory, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from October 2017 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 1 139 samples were also tested by single antigen HLA Class-Ⅰ reagent and 1 116 samples were also tested by single antigen HLA Class-Ⅱ reagent. Based on the same antigens coated with both reagents, the Mean Fluorescence Intensity (MFI) and Nomalized Background ratio (NBG ratio) of 12 HLA Class-Ⅰ beads and 5 HLA Class-Ⅱ beads in the HLA mixed antigen reagent and the MFI of 77 anti-HLA class-Ⅰ antibodies and 35 anti-HLA class-Ⅱ antibodies detected by HLA single antigen reagent were recorded. The MFI and NBG ratio of HLA mixed antigen reagent beads in 1 139 or 1 116 samples were segmented according to the positive rate of antibodyies detected by the single antigen reagent corresponding to the antigens coated with each HLA mixed antigen reagent bead, and the results of the HLA mixed antigen screening test were verified by the HLA single antigen reagent confirmation test. Results: The threshold values of MFI and NBG ratio of HLA mixed antigen reagent's 17 beads were established. The MFI of No. 1 to No. 17 beads of HLA mixed antigen reagent ranged from 26.86 to 21 925.58, and the NBG ratio ranged from 0 to 434.65. According to the positive detection rate of HLA single antigen reagent corresponding to the coated antigens, the MFI and NBG ratio of the beads of HLA mixed antigen reagent were divided into positive interval, suspicious positive interval, suspicious negative interval and negative interval. The positive rates of anti-HLA class-Ⅰ antibodies by HLA mixed antigen reagent and single antigen HLA Class-Ⅰ reagent were 87.5% (997/1 139) and 66.3% (755/1 139). The positive rates of anti-HLA class-Ⅱ antibodies were 63.4% (707/1 116) and 44.9% (501/1 116). In the samples with suspicious negative, suspicious positive and positive results of HLA class-Ⅰ、Ⅱ antibodies detected by HLA mixed antigen reagent, the positive detection rates of single antigen HLA Class-Ⅰ reagent were 14.9% (17/114), 41.3% (145/351) and 91.3% (590/646), respectively. The positive detection rates of single antigen HLA Class-Ⅱ reagent were 15.5% (58/375), 26.5% (81/306) and 88.8% (356/401), respectively. Conclusions: In this study, the threshold values of MFI and NBG ratio of HLA mixed antigen reagent screening test are established, and the threshold values are verified by the results of HLA single antigen reagent confirmation test. HLA mixed reagent screening test can be used for screening of HLA antibodies, and if necessary, it should be combined with HLA single antigen confirmatory test for clinical detection of HLA antibodies.

Nor-24-homoscalaranes, Neutrophilic Inflammatory Mediators from the Marine Sponge Lendenfeldia sp

The marine sponge Lendenfeldia sp., collected from the Southern waters of Taiwan, was subjected to chemical composition screening, resulting in the isolation of four new 24-homoscalarane compounds, namely lendenfeldaranes R-U (1-4). The structures and relative stereochemistry of the new metabolites 1-4 were assigned based on NMR studies. The absolute configurations of compounds 1-4 were determined by comparing the calculated and experimental values of specific optical rotation. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of the isolated compounds were assayed using superoxide anion generation and elastase release assays. These assays are used to determine neutrophilic inflammatory responses of respiratory burst and degranulation. Compounds 2 and 4 inhibited superoxide anion generation by human neutrophils in response to formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine/cytochalasin B (fMLP/CB) with IC50: 3.98-4.46 μM. Compounds 2 and 4 inhibited fMLP/CB-induced elastase release, with IC50 values ranging from 4.73 to 5.24 μM. These findings suggested that these new 24-homoscalarane compounds possess unique structures and potential anti-inflammatory activity.

Unlocking the Potential of Octocoral-Derived Secondary Metabolites against Neutrophilic Inflammatory Response

Inflammation is a critical defense mechanism that is utilized by the body to protect itself against pathogens and other noxious invaders. However, if the inflammatory response becomes exaggerated or uncontrollable, its original protective role is not only demolished but it also becomes detrimental to the affected tissues or even to the entire body. Thus, regulating the inflammatory process is crucial to ensure that it is resolved promptly to prevent any subsequent damage. The role of neutrophils in inflammation has been highlighted in recent decades by a plethora of studies focusing on neutrophilic inflammatory diseases as well as the mechanisms to regulate the activity of neutrophils during the overwhelmed inflammatory process. As natural products have demonstrated promising effects in a wide range of pharmacological activities, they have been investigated for the discovery of new anti-inflammatory therapeutics to overcome the drawbacks of current synthetic agents. Octocorals have attracted scientists as a plentiful source of novel and intriguing marine scaffolds that exhibit many pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory effects. In this review, we aim to provide a summary of the neutrophilic anti-inflammatory properties of these marine organisms that were demonstrated in 46 studies from 1995 to the present (April 2023). We hope the present work offers a comprehensive overview of the anti-inflammatory potential of octocorals and encourages researchers to identify promising leads among numerous compounds isolated from octocorals over the past few decades to be further developed into anti-inflammatory therapeutic agents.

Quercus coccinea Münchh leaves polyphenols: Appraisal acute lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharide in mice

Genus Quercus is a well-known source for its polyphenolic content and important biological activity. Plants belonging to the Quercus genus were traditionally used in asthma, inflammatory diseases, wound healing, acute diarrhea, and hemorrhoid. Our work intended to study the polyphenolic profile of the Q. coccinea (QC) leaves and to assess the protective activity of its 80% aqueous methanol extract (AME) against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice. Together, the potential molecular mechanism was investigated. Nineteen polyphenolic compounds (1-18), including tannins, flavone, and flavonol glycosides. Phenolic acids and aglycones were purified and identified from the AME of QC leaves. Treatment with AME of QC showed an anti-inflammatory effect evidenced by a remarkable decline in the count of white blood cells and neutrophils which was in harmony with decreasing the levels of high mobility group box-1, nuclear factor kappa B, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin 1 beta. In addition, the antioxidant activity of QC was documented through the significant reduction in malondialdehyde level and elevation of reduced glutathione level and superoxide dismutase activity. Furthermore, the mechanism involved in the pulmonary protective effect of QC involved the downregulation of the TLR4/MyD88 pathway. The AME of QC showed a protective effect against LPS-induced ALI through the powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities which are linked to its abundancy with polyphenols.

Chemometric-guided chemical marker selection: A case study of the heat-clearing herb Scrophularia ningpoensis

The selection of medicinal plants' chemical markers focuses on bioactivity as the primary goal, followed by the nature of secondary metabolites, their stability, and availability. However, herbal medicines are valued for their complex and holistic pharmacological effects. A correct chemical marker can be carefully selected by a systematic clarification of their chemical-biological relationships. In the current study, the multi-informative molecular networking (MIMN) approach was employed to construct the anti-inflammatory metabolomic pattern of a heat-clearing herb, Scrophularia ningpoensis Hemsl. (S. ningpoensis). The MIMN molecular families characterized by cinnamic acid glycosides showed a higher bioactivity score compared with the other two major chemical classes (iridoid glycosides and iridoid-cinnamic acid glycosides). The Global Natural Product Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) and Reaxys database were used to assist in the putative annotation of eighteen metabolites from the bioactive and non-bioactive molecular families. The anti-inflammatory validation step was based on the detection of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation by activated human neutrophils. All compounds from the bioactive MIMN molecular families dose-dependently inhibited the total ROS generation promoted by fMLF (IC₅₀: 0.04-0.42 μM), while the compounds from non-bioactive MIMN clusters did not show any significant anti-inflammatory effect. The ROS-dependent anti-inflammatory activity of these cinnamic acid glycosides was attributed to their oxygen radical scavenging ability. The most abundant cinnamic acid glycoside, angoroside C (IC₅₀: 0.34 μM) was suggested to be selected as a chemical marker for S. ningpoensis. In this study, the MIMN platform was applied to assist in the chemical marker selection of S. ningpoensis. The correct selection of markers will aid in the compilation and revision of herbal monographs and pharmacopeias resulting in the precise analysis and classification of medicinal plants on a scientific basis.

UHPLC-MS profiles and antidiarrheal activity of Quercus coccinea münchh. and Quercus robur L. employing in vivo technique

Introduction: Quercus L. genus (Oak) belongs to the family Fagaceae and their galls are used commercially in leather tanning, dyeing, and ink preparation. Several Quercus species were traditionally used to manage wound healing, acute diarrhea, hemorrhoid, and inflammatory diseases. The present study aims to investigate the phenolic content of the 80% aqueous methanol extract (AME) of Q. coccinea and Q. robur leaves as well as to assess their anti-diarrheal activity. Methods: Polyphenolic content of Q. coccinea and Q. robur AME were investigated using UHPLC/MS. The antidiarrheal potential of the obtained extracts was evaluated by conducting a castor oil-induced diarrhea in-vivo model. Result and Discussion: Twenty-five and twenty-six polyphenolic compounds were tentatively identified in Q. coccinea and Q. robur AME, respectively. The identified compounds are related to quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, and apigenin glycosides and their aglycones. In addition, hydrolyzable tannins, phenolic acid, phenyl propanoides derivatives, and cucurbitacin F were also identified in both species AME of Q. coccinea (250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg) exhibited a significant prolongation in the onset of diarrhea by 17.7 %, 42.6%, and 79.7% respectively while AME of Q. robur at the same doses significantly prolonged the onset of diarrhea by 38.6%, 77.3%, and 2.4 folds respectively as compared to the control. Moreover, the percentage of diarrheal inhibition of Q. coccinea was 23.8%, 28.57%, and 42,86% respectively, and for Q. robur 33.34%, 47.3%, and 57.14% respectively as compared to the control group. Both extracts significantly decreased the volume of intestinal fluid by 27%, 39.78%, and 50.1% for Q. coccinea respectively; and by 38.71%, 51.19%, and 60% for Q. robur respectively as compared to the control group. In addition, AME of Q. coccinea exhibited a peristaltic index of 53.48, 47.18, and 42.28 with significant inhibition of gastrointestinal transit by 18.98%, 28.53%, and 35.95 % respectively; while AME of Q. robur exhibited a peristaltic index of 47.71, 37, and 26.41 with significant inhibition of gastrointestinal transit by 27.72%, 43.89%, and 59.99% respectively as compared with the control group. Notably, Q. robur showed a better antidiarrheal effect in comparison with Q. coccinea and, the highest effect was observed for Q. robur at 1000 mg/kg as it was nonsignificant from the loperamide standard group in all measured parameters.

MS/MS Molecular Networking Unveils the Chemical Diversity of Biscembranoid Derivatives, Neutrophilic Inflammatory Mediators from the Cultured Soft Coral Sarcophyton trocheliophorum

Biscembranoids are the distinctive tetraterpenoids owing a 14/6/14 membered tricyclic scaffold that have been mainly discovered in the soft corals, especially the genera Sarcophyton, Lobophytum and Sinularia. Recent findings have demonstrated the great anti-inflammatory potential of biscembranoid analogues in human neutrophils, motivating more chemical and biological explorations targeting these marine-derived natural products. In the current study, the chemical diversity of biscembranoids derived from the cultured-type Sarcophyton trocheliophorum von Marenzeller was illustrated through MS/MS molecular networking (MN) profiling approach. Based on the MN patterns, the prioritization of unknown biscembranoid derivatives was putatively analyzed. As a result, the biscembrane targeting isolation afforded two new metabolites, sarcotrochelides A (1) and B (2), along with six known analogues (3-8). Their structures and relative configurations were determined by spectroscopic methods. In vitro neutrophil inflammatory inhibition was further investigated for all isolates based on reduced superoxide anion (O₂^•-) generation detections. Compounds 5-8 showed significant dose-dependently inhibitory effects, suggesting the cruciality of 6,7-dihydrooxepin-2(5H)-one moiety and saturated γ-lactone ring in their reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent anti-inflammatory properties.

Towards Sustainable Medicinal Resources through Marine Soft Coral Aquaculture: Insights into the Chemical Diversity and the Biological Potential

In recent decades, aquaculture techniques for soft corals have made remarkable progress in terms of conditions and productivity. Researchers have been able to obtain larger quantities of soft corals, thus larger quantities of biologically active metabolites, allowing them to study their biological activity in many pharmacological assays and even produce sufficient quantities for clinical trials. In this review, we summarize 201 secondary metabolites that have been identified from cultured soft corals in the era from 2002 to September 2022. Various types of diterpenes (eunicellins, cembranes, spatanes, norcembranes, briaranes, and aquarianes), as well as biscembranes, sterols, and quinones were discovered and subjected to bioactivity investigations in 53 different studies. We also introduce a more in-depth discussion of the potential biological effects (anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial) and the mechanisms of action of the identified secondary metabolites. We hope this review will shed light on the untapped potential applications of aquaculture to produce valuable secondary metabolites to tackle current and emerging health conditions.

Prinsepiae Nux Extract Activates NRF2 Activity and Protects UVB-Induced Damage in Keratinocyte

Ultraviolet B (UVB) is one of the most important environmental factors that cause extrinsic aging through increasing intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in the skin. Due to its protective roles against oxidative stress, nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor (NRF2) has been traditionally considered as a target for skin aging prevention. Here, we identified the extract of Prinsepiae Nux, a top-grade drug listed in Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, as a potent NRF2 activator by high-throughput screening. A bioassay-guided fractionation experiment revealed that NRF2-activating components were concentrated in the 90% methanol (MP) fraction. MP fraction significantly increased the expression of NRF2 and HO-1 protein and upregulated HO-1 and NQO1 mRNA expression in HaCaT cells. Moreover, MP fraction pre-treatment dramatically reversed UVB-induced depletion of NRF2 and HO-1, accumulation of intracellular ROS, NF-κB activation, and the upregulation of pro-inflammatory genes. Finally, the qualitative analysis using UPLC-tandem mass spectroscopy revealed the most abundant ion peak in MP fraction was identified as α-linolenic acid, which was further proved to activate NRF2 signaling. Altogether, the molecular evidence suggested that MP fraction has the potential to be an excellent source for the discovery of natural medicine to treat/prevent UVB-induced skin damage.

[Comparative analysis of population distribution, severity, emotional, and cognitive characteristics among different side idiopathic tinnitus patients]

To provide basis for prevention and treatment by analyzing the clinical features, emotional and cognitive states and their correlations of idiopathic tinnitus. Cross-sectional study was used. Thirty-six right, 44 left, and 46 bilateral idiopathic tinnitus patients diagnosed in Beijing Tongren Hospital were prospectively enrolled from October, 2020 to February, 2022. The clinical data was recorded and the THI, DBI, STAI, and MoCA were evaluated. The clinical features and the incidence of severe tinnitus, hearing lose, anxiety, and cognitive impairment were compared by one-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis H, and chi-square test. The correlation between tinnitus or hearing and emotional and cognitive states were evaluated by multivariable correlation analysis. There was no significant difference in age, BMI, years of education, tinnitus duration, and the incidence of hearing loss among groups (F=0.730,P=0.484;F=1.535,P=0.219;F=1.506,P=0.226;χ²=4.242,P=0.120;χ²=6.672,P=0.083). In right, left, and bilateral tinnitus patients, the number of severe tinnitus was 12, 7, and 20 cases and the incidence was 33.3%, 15.9%, and 43.5%; the number of depression was 13, 14, and 26 cases and incidence was 36.1%, 31.8%, and 53.5%; the number of trait anxiety was 3, 2, and 10 cases and the incidence was 8.3%, 4.5%, and 21.7%. Compared with left tinnitus patients, the incidence of severe tinnitus, depression, and trait anxiety was higher in bilateral tinnitus patients (χ²=8.139,P=0.004;χ²=5.558,P=0.018;χ²=5.753,P=0.007). The incidence of state anxiety and cognitive impairment were no significant difference among groups (χ²=0.142,P=0.931;χ²=1.338,P=0.512). The overall incidence of state anxiety and cognitive impairment were 16.7%(21/126) and 37.3%(47/126) respectively. There was positive correlation between THI score and BDI, S-AI, and T-AI scores (r=0.529,P=0.001; r=0.649,P<0.001; r=0.483,P=0.003) and negative correlation between THI and MoCA scores (r=-0.364,P=0.029) in right tinnitus group. The positive correlation was found between THI score and BDI, S-AI, and T-AI scores in left tinnitus group (r=0.508,P<0.001; r=0.506,P<0.001; r=0.357,P=0.017). The positive correlation between THI score and BDI, S-AI, and T-AI scores (r=0.753,P<0.001; r=0.527,P<0.001; r=0.536,P<0.001) and the positive correlation between tinnitus duration and MoCA score(r=0.334,P=0.023) were also found in bilateral tinnitus group.

[Clinicopathological features of NTRK3 gene rearrangement papillary thyroid carcinoma]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features and differential diagnosis of NTRK3 gene rearrangement thyroid papillary carcinoma (PTC). Methods: The PTC cases without BRAF V600E mutation were collected at Fujian Provincial Hospital South Branch from January 2015 to January 2020. The cases of NTRK3 gene rearrangement PTC were examined using immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The clinical data, histopathological characteristics, immunohistochemical features and molecular pathological changes were retrospectively analyzed. Data from the TCGA PTC dataset and the literature were also studied. Results: A total of 3 PTC cases harboring NTRK3 gene rearrangement were confirmed. All the patients were female, aged from 26,49,34 years. Histologically, two of them demonstrated a multinodular growth pattern. Only one case showed prominent follicular growth pattern; the other two tumors showed a mixture of follicular, papillary and solid growth patterns. All tumors showed a typical PTC nuclear manifestation, with some nuclear pleomorphism, vacuolated foci and oncocytic features. The characteristic formation of glomeruloid follicular foci was present in two cases which also showed psammoma bodies, and tumoral capsular or angiolymphatic invasion. The background thyroid parenchyma showed chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. Mitotic rates were low, and no cases had any tumor necrosis. The pan-TRK and TTF1 testing was both positive in 3 cases, while S-100 and mammaglobin were both negative in them. FISH studies confirmed the NTRK3 gene rearrangement in all 3 cases. Studies on the TCGA datasets and literature revealed similar findings. Conclusions: NTRK3 gene rearrangement PTC is rare. It may be easily misdiagnosed due to the lack of histological and clinicopathological characteristics. Molecular studies such as pan-TRK immunostaining, FISH and even next-generation sequencing are needed to confirm the diagnosis. Immunohistochemistry of pan-TRK performed in the PTC cases without BRAF V600E mutation can be used as a good rapid-screening tool. With the emergence of pan-cancer tyrosine receptor kinase inhibitors, proper diagnosis of these tumors can help determine appropriate treatments and improve their outcomes.

Development and Application of a Reverse-transcription Recombinase-Aided Amplification Assay for Subgroup J Avian Leukosis Virus

Subgroup J Avian leukosis virus (ALV-J) is an important pathogen of poultry tumor diseases. Since its discovery, it has caused significant economic losses to the poultry industry. Thus, the rapid detection of molecular level with strong specificity is particularly important whether poultry are infected with ALV-J. In this study, we designed primers and probe for real-time fluorescent reverse-transcription recombinase-aided amplification assay (RT-RAA) based on the ALV-J gp85 sequence. We had established a real-time fluorescent RT-RAA method and confirmed this system by verifying the specificity and sensitivity of the primers and probe. In addition, repeatability tests and clinical sample regression tests were used for preliminary evaluation of this detection method. The sensitivity of established method was about 10¹ copies/μL, and the repeatability of the CV of the C_T value is 4%, indicating repeatability is good. Moreover, there was no cross-reactivity with NDV, IBV, IBDV, H9N2, MDV, and REV, and other avian leukosis virus subgroups, such as subgroups A, B, C, D, K and E. Importantly, the real-time fluorescent RT-RAA completed the test within 30 min at a constant temperature of 41°C. Forty-two clinical samples with known background were tested, and the test results were coincided with 100%. Overall, these results suggested that the real-time fluorescent RT-RAA developed in this study had strong specificity, high sensitivity, and good feasibility. The method is simple, easy, and portable, that is suitable for clinical and laboratory diagnosis, and provides technical support for the prevention and control of ALV-J.

Large ultrafast-modulated Voigt effect in noncollinear antiferromagnet Mn3Sn

The time-resolved magneto-optical (MO) Voigt effect can be utilized to study the Néel order dynamics in antiferromagnetic (AFM) materials, but it has been limited for collinear AFM spin configuration. Here, we have demonstrated that in Mn₃Sn with an inverse triangular spin structure, the quench of AFM order by ultrafast laser pulses can result in a large Voigt effect modulation. The modulated Voigt angle is significantly larger than the polarization rotation due to the crystal-structure related linear dichroism effect and the modulated MO Kerr angle arising from the ferroic ordering of cluster magnetic octupole. The AFM order quench time shows negligible change with increasing temperature approaching the Néel temperature (T_N), in markedly contrast with the pronounced slowing-down demagnetization typically observed in conventional magnetic materials. This atypical behavior can be explained by the influence of weakened Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction rather than the smaller exchange splitting on the diminished AFM order near T_N. The temperature-insensitive ultrafast spin manipulation can pave the way for high-speed spintronic devices either working at a wide range of temperature or demanding spin switching near T_N.

Mn3Sn is an anti-ferromagnetic material which displays a large magneto-optical Kerr effect, despite lacking a ferromagnetic moment. Here, the authors show that likewise, Mn3Sn, also presents a particularly large magneto-optical Voigt signal, with a negligible change in the quench time over a wide temperature range.

[Development and outlook on human challenge trial of vaccine]

Human challenge trial (HCT) is a test in which human volunteers are intentionally infected with pathogens in order to evaluate the efficacy of candidate preventive or therapeutic drugs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the HCT of vaccines has aroused people's attention due to its significant advantages over clinical trial. This paper introduces the concept, development and application of HCT, the advantages and limitations of HCT for vaccine evaluation, and the consideration of future HCT of COVID-19 vaccine in China.

P–522 Cervical secretion methylation profile is associated with the success of frozen-thawed embryo transfer - a proof-of-concept study

Study question

Is cervical secretion gene methylation profile different between receptive and non-receptive endometrium and associated with implantation outcome in frozen-embryo transfer (FET) cycle?

Summary answer

The combination of candidate genes methylation profiles obtained from cervical secretion showed significant associations with pregnancy outcomes.

What is known already

Implantation failure remains a black box in reproductive medicine, and the exact mechanism of how endometrial receptivity is regulated is still unknown. Epigenetic modifications play a role in the gene expression pattern and may alter the endometrial receptivity in the human endometrium. Cervical secretion containing various implantation-related cytokines, and the gene methylation change can be used as a non-invasive molecular source that reflects the endometrium condition.

Study design, size, duration

In this retrospective case-control study, sixty-two women who entered the FET cycle (30 pregnant and 32 non-pregnant women) were enrolled.

Participants/materials, setting, methods

Cervical secretion was collected before embryo transfer from women enrolled in multicenter university-affiliated reproductive units. The DNA methylation status of six candidate genes was measured using quantitative methylation-specific PCR (qMSP). The correlation between methylation change and the pregnancy outcome was analyzed.

Main results and the role of chance

The candidate genes were selected from that associated with implantation with literature review and the original genome-wide DNA methylation data from NCBI GEO DataSets (GSE90060) which processed using bioinformatics analysis. Six candidate genes whose CpG-level methylation analysis with β-value statistically higher in receptive endometrium than in a pre-receptive endometrium were selected. All six candidate genes showed different degrees of correlation with the pregnancy outcomes. Among them, PRKAG2 methylation changes showed the highest correlation with the pregnancy outcome. A logistic regression model was used to evaluate the performance of a single gene or a combination of genes for implantation prediction. The results showed a statistically significant association between the methylation status of a combination of genes (PRKAG2, KRS1, HAND2) and the pregnancy outcome (p = 0.008), resulting in an optimal AUC of 0.7 (95% CI: 0.57 - 0.81) for implantation prediction.

Limitations, reasons for caution

The results obtained from a relatively small cohort size. A larger study and further comprehensive methylome investigations are warranted.

Wider implications of the findings: This study is the first proof-of-concept study that cervical secretion methylation profile is associated with implantation outcome in a FET cycle, and showed potential as a non-invasive method for implantation prediction.

Trial registration number

non applicable

[Historical changes of a missionary hospital - Shanghai General Hospital (1864-1953)]

The Christian missionaries preached through medicine by combining religious preaching with secularisation and social adaptiveness of medicine in the 19th century. They attempted to avoid the negative influence of culture differences between the West and China. Desjacques Marin, one of the missionaries in China, was entrusted by Benoit Edan, a French consul in Shanghai to establish a hospital in 1864, named the "General Hospital". This hospital was moved to the north bank of Suzhou Creek in 1877 and renamed as the Gongji Hospital. The hospital was designated by the Japanese Army in 1940 as a hospital for sick foreign prisoners in the war. It was taken over as an enemy property by the government of the Republic of China in 1945 and became a public hospital opened formally to Chinese patients. It was renamed as "Shanghai First People's Hospital" in 1953. Review of the historical changes of the missionary hospital is of significance for the study on Chinese medical history and medical communication between China and the West.

[Application of pulse contour cardiac output monitoring technology in fluid resuscitation of severe burn patients in shock period]

Objective: To investigate the application of pulse contour cardiac output (PiCCO) monitoring technology in fluid resuscitation of severe burn patients in shock period. Methods: From January 2015 to December 2019, 33 patients with severe burns who were hospitalized in Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital, meeting the inclusion criteria, were recruited into a retrospective cohort study with their clinical information collected. The patients were divided into PiCCO monitoring group with 15 cases (13 males and 2 females, aged (43±13) years) and routine monitoring group with 18 cases (14 males and 4 females, aged (39±9) years) according to the monitoring method used. After admission, all the patients were rehydrated following the rehydration formula of the Third Military Medical University for shock period. In routine monitoring group, the fluid resuscitation of patients was performed by monitoring indicators such as urine volume and blood pressure, while PiCCO monitoring was performed among patients in PiCCO monitoring group, and their fluid resuscitation was guided by the patient's condition and the hemodynamic parameters (without pursuing normal levels of the parameters) of PiCCO monitoring on the basis of normal monitoring indicators in routine monitoring group. The colloids coefficients, the electrolyte coefficients (compared with the corresponding rehydration formula value of 0.75 mL·kg(-1)·% total body surface area (TBSA)(-1) of the Third Military Medical University for shock period during the first 24 h post injury), the total rehydration coefficients, and the urine volumes during the first and second 24 h post injury, the lactic acid level, the base excess level, and the oxygenation index at admission and 24, 48 h after admission, and the mechanical ventilation time, the wound healing time, and the death ratio of patients in the two groups were recorded. The cardiac index, the global end-diastolic volume index (GEDVI), the intrathoracic blood volume index (ITBVI), the extravascular lung water index (EVLWI), and the systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI) of patients in PiCCO monitoring group at post injury hour 24, 48, and 72 and the abnormal cases were recorded. Data were statistically analyzed with Fisher's exact probability test, independent-sample or one-sample t test, analysis of variance for repeated measurement, and Bonferroni correction. Results: During the first 24 h post injury, the colloids coefficients of patients in PiCCO monitoring group was (0.69±0.15) mL·kg(-1)·%TBSA(-1), which was significantly less than (0.85±0.16) mL·kg(-1)·%TBSA(-1) in routine monitoring group (t=-2.612, P<0.05). Compared with the rehydration formula value of the Third Military Medical University for shock period, only the colloids coefficient of patients in routine monitoring group during the first 24 h post injury was significantly increased (t=2.847, P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in the colloids coefficients of patients during the second 24 h post injury, or the electrolyte coefficients, the total rehydration coefficients, the urine volumes of patients during the first and the second 24 h post injury (t=0.579, -0.011, 0.417, -1.321, -0.137, 0.031, 1.348, P>0.05). The lactic acid level, the base excess level, the oxygenation index of patients at admission and 48 h after admission, and the oxygenation index of patients at 24 h after admission between the two groups were similar (t=-1.837, 0.620, 0.292, -1.792, 1.912, -0.167, 1.695, P>0.05). The levels of lactic acid and base excess of patients in PiCCO monitoring group were (4.8±1.4) and (1.2±5.5)mmol/L, respectively, which were significantly better than (7.0±1.5) and (-2.8±3.0) mmol/L in routine monitoring group at 24 h after admission (t=-3.904, 2.562, P<0.05 or P<0.01). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in the mechanical ventilation time or the wound healing time of patients (t=-0.699, -0.697, P>0.05), or the death ratio of patients (P>0.05). In PiCCO monitoring group, the GEDVI, and the ITBVI of patients were lower than the normal low values at post injury hour 24 and 48, which were in the normal range at post injury hour 72; the cardiac index of patients increased gradually and recovered to normal at post injury hour 48; the SVRI of patients increased significantly at post injury hour 24 and then gradually decreased to normal; the EVLWI average of patients at all time points post injury were less than 10 mL/kg. At post injury hour 24, most of the hemodynamic parameters of more than or equal to 8/15 patients in PiCCO monitoring group were abnormal, and the abnormal proportion decreased later. Conclusions: On the basis of traditional monitoring indicators, the use of PiCCO monitoring technology combined with the patient's condition (without pursuing normal levels of the parameters) in guiding the fluid resuscitation in severe burn patients can reduce the usage of colloid and better improve tissue perfusion, with the resuscitation effect being better than conventional monitoring.

Alcohol intake and the risk of chronic kidney disease: results from a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis

Many prospective cohort studies have investigated the association between the consumption of alcohol and CKD risk and have revealed inconsistent results. In the present study, we aimed to perform a meta-analysis of these studies to assess this association.We searched the PubMed and Embase databases up to 2020 and reviewed the reference lists of relevant articles to identify appropriate studies. We calculated the pooled relative risks with 95% CIs using random effects models, and then performed subgroup and meta-regression analyses. Dose-response meta-analyses were performed by sex separately. We identified 25 eligible prospective cohort studies, including 514,148 participants and 35,585 incident CKD cases. Compared with the category of minimal alcohol intake, light (RR = 0.90, I2 = 49%), moderate (RR = 0.86, I2 = 40%), and heavy (RR = 0.85, I2 = 51%) alcohol intake were associated with a lower risk of CKD. Subgroup meta-analysis by sex indicated that light (RR = 0.92, I2 = 0%), moderate (RR = 0.83, I2 = 39%) and heavy (RR = 0.76, I2 = 40%), alcohol consumption were inversely associated with CKD risk in male. Dose-response meta-analyses detected a nonlinear inverse association between alcohol consumption and the risk of CKD in all participants and linear inverse association in female participants. This meta-analysis shows that light (<12 g/day), moderate (12-24 g/day), and heavy (>24 g/day) alcohol consumption are protective against chronic kidney disease in adult participants especially in males.

100 Association of age-related left atrial remodeling with ischemic stroke in patients with normal sinus rhythm

OnBehalf

The ARIC Study

Background

Age-related left atrial (LA) structural/functional abnormalities in elderly patients with normal sinus rhythm and preserved ejection fraction may precede the development of overt atrial fibrillation, and also may be related to stroke.

Purpose

To evaluate the association of 3-dimensional echocardiographic (3DE) atrial contractility parameters with subclinical cerebral infarcts (SCIs), as assessed by brain MRI, and clinically diagnosed stroke

Methods

We studied 407 participants (mean age 76 ± 5 years, 40.5% male) from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS) without AF and who underwent a brain MRI and a 3DE examination in 2011-13. We defined 3 groups: those with no cerebral infarcts on brain MRI (NCIs, N = 315); those with MRI-diagnosed SCIs (N = 58); and those with clinically diagnosed stroke (N = 34).

Results

While still within the normal range, LA indexed volume significantly increased across the 3 groups (P-trend = 0.01).This was accompanied by an increase in the LA global longitudinal strain (GLS), an echocardiographic index of LA reservoir function (P-trend = 0.004). E/e’ divided by LA GLS—index of atrial stiffness—worsened across groups (P-trend = 0.005) and was independently associated with SCIs and Stroke, pooled together, [OR per 1 %-1, 1.97; 95% CI (1.24, 3.11), P = 0.004], and Stroke [OR per 1 %-1, 2.30; 95% CI (1.23, 4.30), P = 0.009]. LA GLS was marginally associated with an increased odd of SCIs [OR per 1 %, 1.07; 95% CI (1.01, 1.13), P = 0.014].

Conclusions

Among elderly participants with normal sinus rhythm and preserved ejection fraction in a large cohort study, markers of LA function and stiffness are associated with increased odds of subclinical infarcts and stroke. These data suggest that even subtle LA dysfunction, which may contribute to LA stasis, may predispose to subclinical cerebral infarcts and stroke.

[Clinical significance of HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DQB1 haplotype gene frequencies]

Objective: To analyze family-based haplotype frequencies of HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1 and -DQB1 genes and their clinical significance. Methods: The data of HLA genotyping in 3568 families undergoing related haploidentical transplantation between 2012 and 2017 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University were retrospectively evaluated. The HLA genotyping was performed by PCR amplification with sequence-based typing (PCR-SBT) and sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe (PCR-SSOP) methods. The family genetic analysis and haplotype frequencies were also investigated. Results: All the families were divided into 3 groups, including group1 of 1 422 entire families; group2 of 1 310 patients and either of their parents or one of their children; group3 of 836 patients and their HLA≥5/10 matched sibling donors. In the haplotypes with frequencies greater than 0.1% in group1+ group2, the frequency of A*11∶01-B*40∶01-C*03∶04-DRB1*11∶01-DQB1*03∶01, A*02∶07-B*51∶01-C*14∶02-DRB1*09:01-DQB1*03∶03 were significantly different between group1 and group2 (P=0.029, 0.033) . The frequency of A*11∶01-B*46∶01-C*01∶02∶01G-DRB1*09∶01-DQB1*03∶03 was significantly different between group1 and group3 (P=0.035) . The frequency of A*02∶01-B*40∶01-C*07∶02-DRB1*09∶01-DQB1*03∶03 was significantly different between group1 and group2 (P=0.034) , or group1 and group3 (P=0.034) . The frequency of A*24∶02-B*13∶01-C*03∶04-DRB1*12∶02-DQB1*03:01 was significantly different between group2 and group3 (P=0.046) . Conclusion: In this study, we summarize the prevalence of haplotype frequencies in terms of HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1 and-DQB1. Based on the database of family haplotype analysis, patients and donor candidates are sorted with matched HLA genotype while unmatched HLA haplotype. Even in patients without entire family information, HLA haplotype analysis assists in choosing the optimal related or unrelated donors.

[From Chinese Medical Association Medical History Museum to the Shanghai Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine: commemoration of the 130th anniversary of the birthday of modern medical historian Wang Jimin]

The Shanghai Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine, formerly known as the Chinese Medical Association Medical History Museum, is the first professional medical history museum in China. Wang Jimin is the main planner and founder of the Medical History Museum of the Chinese Medical Association and served as the first curator. In 1951, the Chinese Medical Association moved to Beijing, and the Medical History Museum stayed in Shanghai. In 1959, it was merged into Shanghai College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Wang Jimin has been the curator until his death. For 28 years, he has devoted his life to the maintenance and development of the museum. In 1998, the Museum of Medical History was restored to the Chinese Medical Association, and was named the Chinese Medical Association/The Museum of Medical History of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In 2003, the Chinese Medical Association/Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Museum of Medical History merged with the Chinese Herbarium and the Party History School Editing Office. It was named "Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Museum" and was opened in Zhangjiang Campus in 2004. At present, the Shanghai Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine has a collection of more than 14, 000 pieces. Many of them are rare treasures. Each year, it services about 100, 000 visitors from domestic and abroad, and has held nearly 100 popular science activities. The Museum has held temporary exhibitions in 11 countries overseas in recent years.

New 1,4-Dienonesteroids from the Octocoral Dendronephthya sp

Two new steroids, dendronesterones D (1) and E (2), featuring with 1,4-dienone moiety, along with three known steroids, methyl 3-oxochola-4,22-diene-24-oate (3), 5α,8α-epidioxy-24(S)- methylcholesta-6,22-dien-3β-ol (4), and 5α,8α-epidioxy-24(S)-methylcholesta-6,9(11),22-trien-3β-ol (5), were isolated from an octocoral Dendronephthya sp. The structures of steroids 1 and 2 were elucidated by using spectroscopic methods and steroid 1 was found to exhibit significant in vitro anti-inflammatory activity in lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 macrophage cells by inhibiting the expression of the iNOS protein.

[Relationship between gH genotyping and clinical characteristics of children with congenital cytomegalovirus infection]

Objective: To study the relationship between human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) envelope glycoprotein gene H and clinical features of children with congenital cytomegalovirus infection. Methods: A cohort study was conducted. Newborns diagnosed with congenital cytomegalovirus infection, hospitalized in the Department of Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, were included from July 2013 to December 2015.HCMV-DNA gH typing in urine, sputum or blood was conducted. Patients then were divided into gH1 group and gH2 group according to gH genotypes. Patients' data during hospitalization in newborn and 3-5 years of follow-up were collected.The relationships between gH genotype and clinical manifestations, laboratory examinations, hearing loss and neurological prognosis were analyzed by chi-square test, t test and non-parametric test. Results: A total of 21 cases were enrolled as congenital HCMV infection and followed-up for 3-5 years. Among them, 14 (67%) were gH1 type and 7 (33%) were gH2 type. No mixed infection was found. In the two groups, there were no significant differences in the ratio of males (9/14 vs. 3/7,P=0.397), or birth weight ((2 609±686) vs. (3 021±451) g, t=-1.436, P=0.167). Gestational age of gH1 group was younger than that of gH2 group (38 (29-40) vs. 39(38-40) weeks, Z=-2.18, P=0.029). Moderate to severe hearing loss detected by neonatal auditory brainstem response were found in 40 ears (20 cases). It was higher in gH1 group than that in gH2 group (4/22 vs.0/18, χ(2)=5.145, P=0.023). In the imaging examination of the nervous system, the Alarcon score of gH1 group was lower than that of gH2 group (0.4±0.3 vs. 1.3±1.1, t=-2.459,P=0.024).No significant statistical difference was found in the probability of motor or language development lag in gH2 group and gH1 group (4/7 vs.4/14, P=0.346). Conclusions: Compared with gH2 infection, gH1 infection in children has a younger gestational age. The major type of hearing loss in neonatal period is gH1 infection. Children with gH2 congenital infections are more likely to suffer from nervous systems damage.

[Clinical significance of CTP combined with ABIC score in predicting the short-term prognosis of patients with hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure]

Objective: To investigate the risk factors affecting the short-term prognosis of patients with hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF), and establish a new scoring model to predict the short-term prognosis of patients. Methods: This study enrolled 222 patients with HBV-ACLF. According to their clinical outcomes during hospitalization and 90 days after discharge, they were divided into survival and death group. Clinical data were collected to calculate the Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP), model for end-stage liver disease (MELD), albumin-bilirubin (ALBI), and age-bilirubin-international normalized ratio-creatinine (ABIC) scores for prognosis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the independent risk factors affecting 90-day mortality in HBV-ACLF patients. Cox regression model was used to establish a new prediction model. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to calculate short-term prognostic value of the models. K-M survival curve was used to predict the prognosis of patients. Results: CTP and ABIC scores were independent risk factors for 90-day mortality in HBV-ACLF patients, and the risk of death from liver failure had increased with increase of score. Cox regression model established a new predictive model CTP-ABIC = 0.551 × CTP + 0.297 × ABIC. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of all three scoring models (CTP, ABIC and CTP-ABIC) were 0.878, 0.829, 0.927, respectively. CTP-ABIC score was superior to the CTP and ABIC score (P value < 0.001). Patients with CTP-ABIC score ≥9.08 had higher mortality rate than patients with CTP-ABIC score < 9.08, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusion: All three scoring systems can predict short-term prognosis in patients with HBV-ACLF, but the accuracy of CTP-ABIC is superior.

[Association between the accumulation of metabolic syndrome abnormal components and arterial pulse wave velocity among adult individuals undergoing routine health examination]

Objective: To explore the association between the accumulation of metabolic syndrome (MS) components and abnormal brachial ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), and to investigate the effect of accumulation of abnormal metabolic components on abnormal baPWV among adult individuals undergoing routine health examination. Methods: It's a cross-sectional study. Data from 9 201 stratified sampled subjects, aged between 25 to 75 years old, who took part in the annual health checkups in 11 cities of Zhejiang Province from January to December 2016, were analyzed. Blood pressure(BP), fasting plasma glucose(FPG), waist circumference(WC), triglyceride(TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterols(HDL-C) were defined as MS components. The baPWV was measured by VP-1000 (BP-203RPE Ⅲ) and ΔbaPWV (measured baPWV-reference baPWV/reference baPWV) ×100 (%)> 10% was defined as abnormal. The relationship between MS components and ΔbaPWV was analyzed by linear regression, and impact of accumulation of MS components on ΔbaPWV was analyzed by logistic regression, and the ΔbaPWV in subjects with different levels of MS components were analyzed by analysis of variance. Results: (1) The linear regression analysis demonstrated a positive correlation between ΔbaPWV and MS components including systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, WC, FPG, TG, while ΔbaPWV was negatively correlated with HDL-C. The β values were 0.518, 0.616, 0.208, 2.778, 1.862, -1.339, respectively (all P<0.001), indicating a strong association between ΔbaPWV and systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and FPG. (2) The logistic regression analysis showed that the proportion of abnormal ΔbaPWV was 2.595 times higher in MS individuals than in non-MS individuals (P<0.001). Abnormal ΔbaPWV increased in proportion with increase in numbers of the metabolic components (OR=1.913, 2.884, 3.833, 6.161, 11.176 in individuals with 1,2,3,4,5 metabolic components, respectively, all P<0.001). (3) The logistic analysis suggested that each component of MS could affect baPWV,and OR was 4.68, 2.45 for systolic blood pressure and/or diastolic blood pressure and FPG. All combinations of 2 components of MS also significantly affected baPWV,and OR value was the highest (5.104(95%CI 4.281-6.085), P<0.001) for FPG+BP. All combinations of 3 components of MS significantly affected baPWV,and OR value was the highest(5.385(95%CI 4.245-6.831), P<0.001) for BP+FPG+TG. All combinations of 4 components of MS affected baPWV,and OR value was the highest (6.519(95%CI 4.731-8.984), P<0.001) for BP+FPG+WC+TG. (4) Finally, every component of MS was divided into 3 levels, their impact on abnormal ΔbaPWV was analyzed. Prevalence of abnormal ΔbaPWV significantly increased with the increasing levels of the metabolic components expect for HDL-C, the F values were 1 224.66, 832.89, 192.72, 112.79 and 56.22, respectively (all P<0.001), indicating that higher levels of metabolic components significantly affected the ΔbaPWV. Conclusions: MS and accumulation of abnormal MS components are closely related with abnormal ΔbaPWV, and the combination of BP and FPG have the greatest impact on the abnormal ΔbaPWV. Analysis on the accumulation of MS components might serve as an early indicator of arteriosclerosis.

Tunable quad-band transmission response, based on single-layer metamaterials

We investigated the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT)-like effects in planar metamaterials (MMs) at microwave (GHz) frequencies. The specific MMs that were used in this study consist of cut-wire resonator/ring resonator, which achieved the dual EIT-like effects in a single-layer through the bright- and quasi-dark-mode coupling and the lattice mode coupling. In addition, by varying the distance between the two resonators, the quad-band EIT spectral response in the microwave region was obtained, and the group refractive index at the EIT-like resonance of proposed design reached up to 4,000. This study provides the design approach to the multispectral EIT-like effects and might suggest potential applications in a variety of fields, for example, low-loss slow-light device, multiple switching sensor, and other sensing devices.

A first-principles study of the electrically tunable band gap in few-layer penta-graphene

The structural and electronic properties of bilayer (AA- and AB-stacked) and tri-layer (AAA-, ABA- and AAB-stacked) penta-graphene (PG) have been investigated in the framework of density functional theory. The present results demonstrate that the ground state energy in AB stacking is lower than that in AA stacking, whereas ABA stacking is found to be the most energetically favorable, followed by AAB and AAA stackings. All considered model configurations are found to be semiconducting, independent of the stacking sequence. In the presence of a perpendicular electric field, their band gaps can be significantly reduced and completely closed at a specific critical electric field strength, demonstrating a Stark effect. These findings show that few-layer PG will have tremendous opportunities to be applied in nanoscale electronic and optoelectronic devices owing to its tunable band gap.

Optical Properties and Local Structure Evolution during Crystallization of Ga16Sb84 Alloy

Phase-change memory is one of the most promising candidates for future memory technologies. However, most of the phase-change memories are based on chalcogenides, while other families of materials for this purpose remain insufficiently studied. In this work, we investigate the optical properties and microstructure of Ga16Sb84 by an in-situ ellipsometer and X-ray diffraction. Our experimental results reveal that the Ga16Sb84 films exhibit a relatively high crystallization temperature of ~250 °C, excelling in long data retention. In addition, a large optical contrast exists between the amorphous and crystalline states, which may make it suitable for use in optical discs. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that a unique local structure order in the amorphous and crystalline phases is responsible for the optical properties observed in the experiment. The similarity found in the short-range orders of the amorphous and crystalline phases is beneficial to better understanding the fast phase transition of phase-change memory.

Atrial fibrillation and venous thromboembolism: evidence of bidirectionality in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Essentials Atrial fibrillation (AF) may increase risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), and vice versa. Bidirectionality was assessed prospectively via data from 15 129 black and white individuals. AF was associated with greater risk of developing VTE, and VTE with greater risk of AF. Associations were strongest among blacks and in the first 6 months after initial diagnosis.

SUMMARY

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) and venous thromboembolism (VTE) frequently co-occur. These conditions have shared risk factors and are accompanied by coagulation abnormalities. Furthermore, mechanistic pathways may directly link the disorders. Objectives To test the hypothesis that individuals with incident AF are at greater risk of developing VTE, and those with VTE are at elevated risk of AF. We also tested whether associations were stronger in the first 6 months after the initial diagnosis, and explored race differences. Patients/Methods A total of 15 129 ARIC study participants (45-64 years, 55% female, 26% Black) were followed from 1987 to 2011 for incident AF and VTE (median follow-up 19.8 years). Multivariable-adjusted Cox regression was used, with AF and VTE modeled as time-dependent exposures. Results Incident AF was associated with greater risk of subsequent incident VTE (hazard ratio [95% CI], 1.71 [1.32-2.22]); the association was stronger in Black people (2.30 [1.48-3.58]) and during the first 6 months after AF diagnosis (5.08 [3.08-8.38]). Similarly, incident VTE was associated with increased risk of incident AF (1.73 [1.34-2.24]), especially in Black people (2.40 [1.55-3.74]) and in the first 6 months after VTE diagnosis (4.50 [2.61-7.77]). Conclusions The occurrence of AF was associated with increased risk of incident VTE, and occurrence of VTE was associated with greater risk of incident AF. Associations were particularly strong among Black people and during the first 6 months after the initial diagnosis, although they remained elevated even after 6 months. These findings highlight patient populations that may be at increased risk of AF and VTE, and perhaps should be targeted with preventive strategies.

Jie-du granule preparation for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective cohort study of 177 patients

OBJECTIVE

To compare the clinical efficacy of Jie-du granule preparation versus best supportive treatment in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was carried out in patients with advanced liver cancer. Patients were divided into Jie-du granule treatment (JD) and best supportive treatment (BST) groups. The main outcomes included median overall survival time.

RESULTS

A total of 177 patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage C receiving JD granule treatment or BST were enrolled between January 2012 and December 2014. The overall median survival time was 6.2 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.546-7.854) in the JD group versus 4 months (95% CI 3.471-4.529) in the BST group. Significant independent risk factors were alpha-fetoprotein (P = 0.048), Child-Pugh class (P = 0.005), vascular invasion (P = 0.003), and extrahepatic metastasis (P = 0.0018). For patients with two or fewer of these independent risk factors, the overall median survival of those treated with JD was significantly longer than that of patients receiving BST (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Jie-du granule preparation may prolong survival of patients with advanced HCC.

Novel penta-graphene nanotubes: strain-induced structural and semiconductor-metal transitions

Research into novel one-dimensional (1D) materials and associated structural transitions is of significant scientific interest. It is widely accepted that a 1D system with a short-range interaction cannot have 1D phase transition at finite temperature. Herein, we propose a series of new stable carbon nanotubes by rolling up penta-graphene sheets, which exhibit fascinating well-defined 1D phase transitions triggered by axial strain. Our first-principles calculations show that such penta-graphene nanotubes (PGNTs) are dynamically stable by phonon calculations, but transform from a tri-layer structure to a highly defective single-walled nanotube at low temperature in molecular dynamics simulations. We show that moderate compressive strains can drive structural transitions of (4,4), (5,5), and (6,6) PGNTs, during which the distances of neighboring carbon dimers in the inner shell have a sudden drop, corresponding to dimer-dimer nonbonding to bonding transitions. After such transition, the tubes become much more thermally stable and undergo semiconductor-metal transitions under increasing strain. The band gaps of PGNTs are not sensitive to chirality whereas they can be tuned effectively from visible to short-wavelength infrared by appropriate strain, making them appealing materials for flexible nano-optoelectronics. These findings provide useful insight into unusual phase transitions in low-dimensional systems.

Structural responses of metallic glasses under neutron irradiation

Seeking nuclear materials that possess a high resistance to particle irradiation damage is a long-standing issue. Permanent defects, induced by irradiation, are primary structural changes, the accumulation of which will lead to structural damage and performance degradation in crystalline materials served in nuclear plants. In this work, structural responses of neutron irradiation in metallic glasses (MGs) have been investigated by making a series of experimental measurements, coupled with simulations in ZrCu amorphous alloys. It is found that, compared with crystalline alloys, MGs have some specific structural responses to neutron irradiation. Although neutron irradiation can induce transient vacancy-like defects in MGs, they are fully annihilated after structural relaxation by rearrangement of free volumes. In addition, the rearrangement of free volumes depends strongly on constituent elements. In particular, the change in free volumes occurs around the Zr atoms, rather than the Cu centers. This implies that there is a feasible strategy for identifying glassy materials with high structural stability against neutron irradiation by tailoring the microstructures, the systems, or the compositions in alloys. This work will shed light on the development of materials with high irradiation resistance.

Systemic lupus erythematosus with and without a family history: a meta-analysis

Objective The objective of this paper is to investigate the association of clinical manifestations and laboratory parameters between familial systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and sporadic SLE. Methods All relevant literature was retrieved from the PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases. The qualities of these studies were evaluated using a modified version of the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. The characteristics and clinical manifestations of involved individuals were extracted from each study. Pooled odds ratio (OR) was calculated using the random effects-method, and the heterogeneity between studies was quantified using the I² statistic. Results Of 330 studies identified by the search strategy, six were included in this review. In total, 733 cases were familial SLE and 1405 were sporadic SLE. Analysis revealed that photosensitivity, nephritis and thrombocytopenia were negatively associated with familial SLE, with OR (95% CI) values of 0.73 (0.60-0.89), 0.72 (0.59-0.88) and 0.75 (0.57-0.98), respectively. Conclusions Photosensitivity, thrombocytopenia and renal involvement could be more common in non-familial SLE, which should be further confirmed by well-designed studies with large populations.

Methylation of SOX1 and VIM promoters in serum as potential biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma

Aberrant methylation of tumor-related genes has been identified as a promising biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 1 (SOX1) and Vimentin (VIM) promoter methylation for HCC. The study included 360 subjects, 240 patients with HCC, 29 with liver cirrhosis (LC), 66 with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and 25 healthy controls (HCs). The methylation status of SOX1 and VIM promoters in the serum was detected by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP). The methylation frequencies of SOX1 and VIM promoters in HCC patients were significantly higher than those in LC (p<0.001 and p<0.001), CHB (p<0.001 and p<0.001) and HC (p<0.001 and p<0.001) subjects. Furthermore, hypermethylation of SOX1 and VIM promoters were found in patients with advanced TNM stage (III-IV) and larger tumor size (≥5 cm) compared with early stage (I-II) (p<0.001 and p=0.004) patients with smaller tumor size (<3 cm) (p=0.018 and p=0.001). Moreover, the VIM promoter methylation frequency was higher in patients with portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) (p=0.006) and vascular invasion (p=0.003). In addition, the combination of α-fetoprotein (≥20 ng/ml) with SOX1 and VIM promoter methylation significantly improved their diagnostic value. In conclusions, aberrant methylation of SOX1 and VIM promoters may be potential biomarkers for noninvasive detection of HCC and HCC metastasis.

An ultrahigh volumetric capacitance of squeezable three-dimensional bicontinuous nanoporous graphene

Graphene with a large specific surface area and high conductivity has a large specific capacitance. However, its volumetric capacitance is usually very low because the restacking of 2D graphene sheets leads to the loss of the large ion-accessible surface area. Here we report squeezable bicontinuous nanoporous nitrogen-doped graphene, which is extremely flexible and can tolerate large volume contraction by mechanical compression without the face-to-face restacking occurring. The compressed nanoporous N-doped graphene with a large ion accessible surface area and high conductivity shows an ultrahigh volumetric capacitance of ∼300 F cm^-3 together with excellent cycling stability and high rate performance.

Effects of Oxygen Impurities on Glass-Formation Ability in Zr2Cu Alloy

Using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, we show that oxygen (O) impurities have a noticeable influence on the glass-formation ability (GFA) in Zr2Cu alloy. Cu-centered icosahedral clusters and Zr-centered Kasper polyhedra are the dominate short-range orders in undercooled Zr2Cu liquid which are most likely to be responsible for the glass formation in Zr2Cu systems. When O is introduced, a Zr octahedron is formed around the O impurity. Most of the Zr atoms in the octahedron also serve as the bridging atoms for cross-linked Kasper polyhedral network, resulting in an O-centered medium range order (MRO) structure. Meanwhile, Cu atoms are moved away from the first shell of O-centered octahedral clusters. With 1 at. % O impurities, the fractions of Zr-centered clusters are less affected, while the increase of ideal icosahedral order and decrease of distorted icosahedral order lead to a more stable atomic structure. This result suggests that a low concentration of O impurities would improve the GFA in Zr2Cu alloy. However, when ∼5 at. % O impurities are included, the ideal icosahedral clusters and Zr-centered Kasper polyhedra are seriously suppressed by the formation of O-centered MRO, which can lead to deterioration of GFA. Our analyses provide useful insight into glass formation behavior in O-doped metallic alloy systems.

Production of Enzymes from Marine Actinobacteria

Marine actinobacteria are well recognized for their capabilities to produce valuable natural products, which have great potential for applications in medical, agricultural, and fine chemical industries. In addition to producing unique enzymes responsible for biosynthesis of natural products, many marine actinobacteria also produce hydrolytic enzymes which are able to degrade various biopolymers, such as cellulose, xylan, and chitin. These enzymes are important to produce biofuels and biochemicals of interest from renewable biomass. In this chapter, the recent reports of novel enzymes produced by marine actinobacteria are reviewed, and advanced technologies that can be applied to search for novel marine enzymes as well as for improved enzyme production by marine actinobacteria are summarized, which include ribosome engineering, genome mining, as well as synthetic biology studies.

[Textual research on wei sheng (hygiene) and gong gong wei sheng (public health)]

Wei sheng, a verb-object word group existed since the ancient time, referring to"protection of life", and it was evolved as a single word which can be translated as"hygiene"in modern times with multiple implications like"cleanliness","sterilization", and"prevention of disease", etc. Gong gong wei sheng was isolated from"hygiene", which has become a new term. In the Republic of China, scholars had made preliminary studies on the translation of"hygiene"during which gong gong wei sheng, and"guo min wei sheng"(national hygiene) and"gong zhong wei sheng"(people's hygiene) appeared also. Though the term"public health"was defined by the WHO and gong gong wei sheng was defined by Chinese scholars with gradual improvement, yet, the implications of both terms are still imperfect.

Dynamics and Diffusion Mechanism of Low-Density Liquid Silicon

A first-order phase transition from a high-density liquid to a low-density liquid has been proposed to explain the various thermodynamic anomies of water. It also has been proposed that such liquid-liquid phase transition would exist in supercooled silicon. Computer simulation studies show that, across the transition, the diffusivity drops roughly 2 orders of magnitude, and the structures exhibit considerable tetrahedral ordering. The resulting phase is a highly viscous, low-density liquid silicon. Investigations on the atomic diffusion of such a novel form of liquid silicon are of high interest. Here we report such diffusion results from molecular dynamics simulations using the classical Stillinger-Weber (SW) potential of silicon. We show that the atomic diffusion of the low-density liquid is highly correlated with local tetrahedral geometries. We also show that atoms diffuse through hopping processes within short ranges, which gradually accumulate to an overall random motion for long ranges as in normal liquids. There is a close relationship between dynamical heterogeneity and hopping process. We point out that the above diffusion mechanism is closely related to the strong directional bonding nature of the distorted tetrahedral network. Our work offers new insights into the complex behavior of the highly viscous low density liquid silicon, suggesting similar diffusion behaviors in other tetrahedral coordinated liquids that exhibit liquid-liquid phase transition such as carbon and germanium.

Visualizing chemical states and defects induced magnetism of graphene oxide by spatially-resolved-X-ray microscopy and spectroscopy

This investigation studies the various magnetic behaviors of graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxides (rGOs) and elucidates the relationship between the chemical states that involve defects therein and their magnetic behaviors in GO sheets. Magnetic hysteresis loop reveals that the GO is ferromagnetic whereas photo-thermal moderately reduced graphene oxide (M-rGO) and heavily reduced graphene oxide (H-rGO) gradually become paramagnetic behavior at room temperature. Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy and corresponding X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy were utilized to investigate thoroughly the variation of the C 2p(π*) states that are bound with oxygen-containing and hydroxyl groups, as well as the C 2p(σ*)-derived states in flat and wrinkle regions to clarify the relationship between the spatially-resolved chemical states and the magnetism of GO, M-rGO and H-rGO. The results of X-ray magnetic circular dichroism further support the finding that C 2p(σ*)-derived states are the main origin of the magnetism of GO. Based on experimental results and first-principles calculations, the variation in magnetic behavior from GO to M-rGO and to H-rGO is interpreted, and the origin of ferromagnetism is identified as the C 2p(σ*)-derived states that involve defects/vacancies rather than the C 2p(π*) states that are bound with oxygen-containing and hydroxyl groups on GO sheets.

Local structure order in Pd78Cu6Si16 liquid

The short-range order (SRO) in Pd₇₈Cu₆Si₁₆ liquid was studied by high energy x-ray diffraction and ab initio molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The calculated pair correlation functions at different temperatures agree well with the experimental results. The partial pair correlation functions from ab intio MD simulations indicate that Si atoms prefer to be uniformly distributed while Cu atoms tend to aggregate. By performing structure analysis using Honeycutt-Andersen index, Voronoi tessellation, and atomic cluster alignment method, we show that the icosahedron and face-centered cubic SRO increase upon cooling. The dominant SRO is the Pd-centered Pd₉Si₂ motif, namely the structure of which motif is similar to the structure of Pd-centered clusters in the Pd₉Si₂ crystal. The study further confirms the existence of trigonal prism capped with three half-octahedra that is reported as a structural unit in Pd-based amorphous alloys. The majority of Cu-centered clusters are icosahedra, suggesting that the presence of Cu is benefit to promote the glass forming ability.