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

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

Suppression of microRNA-320 Induces Cerebral Protection Against Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury by Targeting HMGB1/NF-kappaB Axis

MicroRNAs have been shown to potentially function in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury. This study aimed to examine the expression of microRNA-320 (miR-320) in cerebral IR injury and its involvement in cerebral mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, and inflammatory responses by targeting the HMGB1/NF-kappaB axis. Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion to simulate cerebral IR injury. The cerebral expression of miR-320 was assessed using qRT-PCR. Neurological function, cerebral infarct volume, mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, and inflammatory cytokines were evaluated using relevant methods, including staining, fluorometry, and ELISA. HMGB1 expression was analyzed through Western blotting. The levels of miR-320, HMGB1, neurological deficits, and cerebral infarction were significantly higher after IR induction. Intracerebral overexpression of miR-320 resulted in substantial neurological deficits, increased infarct volume, elevated levels of 8-isoprostane, NF-kappaBp65, TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and HMGB1 expression. It also promoted the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and ROS levels while reducing MnSOD and GSH levels. Downregulation of miR-320 and inhibition of HMGB1 activity significantly reversed the outcomes of cerebral IR injury. MiR-320 plays a negative role in regulating cerebral inflammatory/oxidative reactions induced by IR injury by enhancing HMGB1 activity and modulating mitochondrial function.

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

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

Deep learning for precise diagnosis and subtype triage of drug-resistant tuberculosis on chest computed tomography

Deep learning, transforming input data into target prediction through intricate network structures, has inspired novel exploration in automated diagnosis based on medical images. The distinct morphological characteristics of chest abnormalities between drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) and drug-sensitive tuberculosis (DS-TB) on chest computed tomography (CT) are of potential value in differential diagnosis, which is challenging in the clinic. Hence, based on 1176 chest CT volumes from the equal number of patients with tuberculosis (TB), we presented a Deep learning-based system for TB drug resistance identification and subtype classification (DeepTB), which could automatically diagnose DR-TB and classify crucial subtypes, including rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis. Moreover, chest lesions were manually annotated to endow the model with robust power to assist radiologists in image interpretation and the Circos revealed the relationship between chest abnormalities and specific types of DR-TB. Finally, DeepTB achieved an area under the curve (AUC) up to 0.930 for thoracic abnormality detection and 0.943 for DR-TB diagnosis. Notably, the system demonstrated instructive value in DR-TB subtype classification with AUCs ranging from 0.880 to 0.928. Meanwhile, class activation maps were generated to express a human-understandable visual concept. Together, showing a prominent performance, DeepTB would be impactful in clinical decision-making for DR-TB.

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

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

Effects of robot-assisted gait training on motor performance of lower limb in poststroke survivors: a systematic review with meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the effects of robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) on improving walking ability, and to determine the optimal dosage of task-specific training based on RAGT for stroke patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two investigators independently searched electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) from inception to 31 January 2020. The study design was a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), comparing the intervention of RAGT plus conventional therapy to conventional therapy alone. RCTs mainly focus on lower limb motor function as the primary outcomes, while the secondary outcomes involve gait speed, walking distance, cadence, balance, and activities of daily living (ADL). Pooled effect estimates were calculated by comparing the change from baseline to the end of the study in each group.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight RCTs were included. The pooled analysis showed that RAGT had a significantly short-term effect on improving lower limb function [standardized mean difference (SMD) 0.32, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.55]. Additionally, there were significant improvements in gait speed (MD 0.10, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.14) and ADL (SMD 0.17, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.32). Subgroup analyses indicated that RAGT lasting for 30-60 minutes per day over 4 weeks yielded a moderate effect size (SMD 0.53, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.90). Additionally, RAGT significantly promoted lower limb function recovery in the early stage after a stroke (SMD 0.33, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.58) or in non-ambulatory patients (SMD 0.35, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.59).

CONCLUSIONS

RAGT demonstrated significant positive effects on lower limb function post-stroke. Our results provide additional evidence to support that RAGT is a potentially appropriate intervention to promote lower limb recovery in individuals who have had a stroke.

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

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

Itaconic acid and dimethyl itaconate exert antibacterial activity in carbon-enriched environments through the TCA cycle

Itaconic acid (IA), a metabolite generated by the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle in eukaryotic immune cells, and its derivative dimethyl itaconate (DI) exert antibacterial functions in intracellular environments. Previous studies suggested that IA and DI only inhibit bacterial growth in carbon-limited environments; however, whether IA and DI maintain antibacterial activity in carbon-enriched environments remains unknown. Here, IA and DI inhibited the bacteria with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 24.02 mM and 39.52 mM, respectively, in a carbon-enriched environment. The reduced bacterial pathogenicity was reflected in cell membrane integrity, motility, biofilm formation, AI-2/luxS, and virulence. Mechanistically, succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity and fumaric acid levels decreased in the IA and DI treatments, while isocitrate lyase (ICL) activity was upregulated. Inhibited TCA circulation was also observed through untargeted metabolomics. In addition, energy-related aspartate metabolism and lysine degradation were suppressed. In summary, these results indicated that IA and DI reduced bacterial pathogenicity while exerting antibacterial functions by inhibiting TCA circulation. This study enriches knowledge on the inhibition of bacteria by IA and DI in a carbon-mixed environment, suggesting an alternative method for treating bacterial infections by immune metabolites.

The long-term health outcomes, pathophysiological mechanisms and multidisciplinary management of long COVID

There have been hundreds of millions of cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). With the growing population of recovered patients, it is crucial to understand the long-term consequences of the disease and management strategies. Although COVID-19 was initially considered an acute respiratory illness, recent evidence suggests that manifestations including but not limited to those of the cardiovascular, respiratory, neuropsychiatric, gastrointestinal, reproductive, and musculoskeletal systems may persist long after the acute phase. These persistent manifestations, also referred to as long COVID, could impact all patients with COVID-19 across the full spectrum of illness severity. Herein, we comprehensively review the current literature on long COVID, highlighting its epidemiological understanding, the impact of vaccinations, organ-specific sequelae, pathophysiological mechanisms, and multidisciplinary management strategies. In addition, the impact of psychological and psychosomatic factors is also underscored. Despite these crucial findings on long COVID, the current diagnostic and therapeutic strategies based on previous experience and pilot studies remain inadequate, and well-designed clinical trials should be prioritized to validate existing hypotheses. Thus, we propose the primary challenges concerning biological knowledge gaps and efficient remedies as well as discuss the corresponding recommendations.

First Dark Matter Search with Nuclear Recoils from the XENONnT Experiment

We report on the first search for nuclear recoils from dark matter in the form of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) with the XENONnT experiment, which is based on a two-phase time projection chamber with a sensitive liquid xenon mass of 5.9 ton. During the (1.09±0.03)  ton yr exposure used for this search, the intrinsic ^{85}Kr and ^{222}Rn concentrations in the liquid target are reduced to unprecedentedly low levels, giving an electronic recoil background rate of (15.8±1.3)  events/ton yr keV in the region of interest. A blind analysis of nuclear recoil events with energies between 3.3 and 60.5 keV finds no significant excess. This leads to a minimum upper limit on the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon cross section of 2.58×10^{-47}  cm^{2} for a WIMP mass of 28  GeV/c^{2} at 90% confidence level. Limits for spin-dependent interactions are also provided. Both the limit and the sensitivity for the full range of WIMP masses analyzed here improve on previous results obtained with the XENON1T experiment for the same exposure.

Searching for Heavy Dark Matter near the Planck Mass with XENON1T

Multiple viable theoretical models predict heavy dark matter particles with a mass close to the Planck mass, a range relatively unexplored by current experimental measurements. We use 219.4 days of data collected with the XENON1T experiment to conduct a blind search for signals from multiply interacting massive particles (MIMPs). Their unique track signature allows a targeted analysis with only 0.05 expected background events from muons. Following unblinding, we observe no signal candidate events. This Letter places strong constraints on spin-independent interactions of dark matter particles with a mass between 1×10^{12} and 2×10^{17}  GeV/c^{2}. In addition, we present the first exclusion limits on spin-dependent MIMP-neutron and MIMP-proton cross sections for dark matter particles with masses close to the Planck scale.

A comparison of results from antihuman globulin-graded reactions with the monocyte monolayer assay

Blood transfusions are a common medical treatment. Risks arise when compatible blood is not available. This study assesses the correlation between antibody reaction strength at the antihuman globulin (AHG) phase of testing and the antibody clinical significance as predicted using the monocyte monolayer assay (MMA). Multiple examples of anti-K donor plasma samples were selected to sensitize K+k+ red blood cells (RBCs). Reactivity was confirmed by testing the sensitized K+k+ RBCs at saline-AHG. Antibody titers were determined by serial dilution using neat plasma. Sixteen samples were selected for the study based on comparable graded reactions with neat plasma (1+, 2+, 3+, and 4+) and similar titration endpoints. Each sample was used to sensitize the same Kk donor and then tested by monocytes to evaluate the clinical significance using the MMA, an in vitro procedure that mimics in vivo extravascular hemolysis to predict the survivability of incompatible transfused RBCs. The monocyte index (MI), i.e., the percentage of RBCs adhered, ingested, or both versus free monocytes, was calculated for each sample. Regardless of the reaction strength, all examples of anti-K were predicted to be clinically significant. While anti-K is known to be clinically significant, the immunogenicity rate of K ensures ample supply of antibody samples for inclusion in this project. This study demonstrates that in vitro antibody strength is highly subjective and variable. These results show no correlation between graded reaction strength at AHG and the predicted clinical significance of an antibody as assessed using the MMA.

Half-Integer Conductance Plateau at the ν=2/3 Fractional Quantum Hall State in a Quantum Point Contact

The ν=2/3 fractional quantum Hall state is the hole-conjugate state to the primary Laughlin ν=1/3 state. We investigate transmission of edge states through quantum point contacts fabricated on a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure designed to have a sharp confining potential. When a small but finite bias is applied, we observe an intermediate conductance plateau with G=0.5(e^{2}/h). This plateau is observed in multiple QPCs, and persists over a significant range of magnetic field, gate voltage, and source-drain bias, making it a robust feature. Using a simple model that considers scattering and equilibration between counterflowing charged edge modes, we find this half-integer quantized plateau to be consistent with full reflection of an inner counterpropagating -1/3 edge mode while the outer integer mode is fully transmitted. In a QPC fabricated on a different heterostructure which has a softer confining potential, we instead observe an intermediate conductance plateau at G=(1/3)(e^{2}/h). These results provide support for a model at ν=2/3 in which the edge transitions from a structure having an inner upstream -1/3 charge mode and outer downstream integer mode to a structure with two downstream 1/3 charge modes when the confining potential is tuned from sharp to soft and disorder prevails.

Probiotic characterization and comparison of broiler-derived lactobacillus strains based on technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution analysis

A total of 10 lactobacillus strains were isolated from broiler chickens and their probiotic properties including tolerance to gastrointestinal fluids and heat treatment, antimicrobial activity, adhesion capacity to intestinal cells, surface hydrophobicity, autoaggregation, antioxidative activity, and immunomodulatory effects on chicken macrophages were evaluated. The Limosilactobacillus reuteri (LR) was the most frequently isolated species, followed by Lactobacillus johnsonii (LJ) and Ligilactobacillus salivarius (LS). All isolates showed good resistance to simulated gastrointestinal conditions and antimicrobial activity against 4 indicator strains including Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Proteus mirabilis LR 21 exhibited excellent performances on autoaggregation, hydrophobicity and adhesion capacity to Caco-2 intestinal cells. In the meantime, this strain also possessed considerable tolerance to heat treatment, which indicated great potential to be used in the feed industry. However, LJ 20 strain had the highest free radical scavenging activity compared with the other strains. Furthermore, qRT-PCR results revealed that all isolated strains significantly increased the transcriptional levels of proinflammatory genes and tended to induce the M1-type polarization on HD11 macrophages. Particularly, the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) was adopted in our study to compare and select the most promising probiotic candidate based on in vitro evaluation tests.

Search for New Physics in Electronic Recoil Data from XENONnT

We report on a blinded analysis of low-energy electronic recoil data from the first science run of the XENONnT dark matter experiment. Novel subsystems and the increased 5.9 ton liquid xenon target reduced the background in the (1, 30) keV search region to (15.8±1.3)  events/(ton×year×keV), the lowest ever achieved in a dark matter detector and ∼5 times lower than in XENON1T. With an exposure of 1.16 ton-years, we observe no excess above background and set stringent new limits on solar axions, an enhanced neutrino magnetic moment, and bosonic dark matter.

Immune regulation and emerging roles of noncoding RNAs in Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection

Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, engenders an onerous burden on public hygiene. Congenital and adaptive immunity in the human body act as robust defenses against the pathogens. However, in coevolution with humans, this microbe has gained multiple lines of mechanisms to circumvent the immune response to sustain its intracellular persistence and long-term survival inside a host. Moreover, emerging evidence has revealed that this stealthy bacterium can alter the expression of demic noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), leading to dysregulated biological processes subsequently, which may be the rationale behind the pathogenesis of tuberculosis. Meanwhile, the differential accumulation in clinical samples endows them with the capacity to be indicators in the time of tuberculosis suffering. In this article, we reviewed the nearest insights into the impact of ncRNAs during Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection as realized via immune response modulation and their potential as biomarkers for the diagnosis, drug resistance identification, treatment evaluation, and adverse drug reaction prediction of tuberculosis, aiming to inspire novel and precise therapy development to combat this pathogen in the future.

Emerging Role of Noncoding RNAs in EGFR TKI-Resistant Lung Cancer

Lung cancer accounts for the majority of malignancy-related mortalities worldwide. The introduction of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has revolutionized the treatment and significantly improved the overall survival (OS) of lung cancer. Nevertheless, almost all EGFR-mutant patients invariably acquire TKI resistance. Accumulating evidence has indicated that noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), such as microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs), have a central role in the tumorigenesis and progression of lung cancer by regulating crucial signaling pathways, providing a new approach for exploring the underlying mechanisms of EGFR-TKI resistance. Therefore, this review comprehensively describes the dysregulation of ncRNAs in EGFR TKI-resistant lung cancer and its underlying mechanisms. We also underscore the clinical application of ncRNAs as prognostic, predictive and therapeutic biomarkers for EGFR TKI-resistant lung cancer. Furthermore, the barriers that need to be overcome to translate the basic findings of ncRNAs into clinical practice are discussed.

The Application of Artificial Intelligence in the Diagnosis and Drug Resistance Prediction of Pulmonary Tuberculosis

With the increasing incidence and mortality of pulmonary tuberculosis, in addition to tough and controversial disease management, time-wasting and resource-limited conventional approaches to the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of tuberculosis are still awkward issues, especially in countries with high tuberculosis burden and backwardness. In the meantime, the climbing proportion of drug-resistant tuberculosis poses a significant hazard to public health. Thus, auxiliary diagnostic tools with higher efficiency and accuracy are urgently required. Artificial intelligence (AI), which is not new but has recently grown in popularity, provides researchers with opportunities and technical underpinnings to develop novel, precise, rapid, and automated implements for pulmonary tuberculosis care, including but not limited to tuberculosis detection. In this review, we aimed to introduce representative AI methods, focusing on deep learning and radiomics, followed by definite descriptions of the state-of-the-art AI models developed using medical images and genetic data to detect pulmonary tuberculosis, distinguish the infection from other pulmonary diseases, and identify drug resistance of tuberculosis, with the purpose of assisting physicians in deciding the appropriate therapeutic schedule in the early stage of the disease. We also enumerated the challenges in maximizing the impact of AI in this field such as generalization and clinical utility of the deep learning models.

Material radiopurity control in the XENONnT experiment

The selection of low-radioactive construction materials is of the utmost importance for rare-event searches and thus critical to the XENONnT experiment. Results of an extensive radioassay program are reported, in which material samples have been screened with gamma-ray spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$^{222}$$\end{document}222Rn emanation measurements. Furthermore, the cleanliness procedures applied to remove or mitigate surface contamination of detector materials are described. Screening results, used as inputs for a XENONnT Monte Carlo simulation, predict a reduction of materials background (\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\sim $$\end{document}∼17%) with respect to its predecessor XENON1T. Through radon emanation measurements, the expected \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$^{222}$$\end{document}222Rn activity concentration in XENONnT is determined to be 4.2 (\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$^{+0.5}_{-0.7}$$\end{document}-0.7+0.5) \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\upmu $$\end{document}μBq/kg, a factor three lower with respect to XENON1T. This radon concentration will be further suppressed by means of the novel radon distillation system.

[Analysis of the new WHO guideline to accelerate the progress towards elimination of schistosomiasis in China]

On February 2022, WHO released the evidence-based guideline on control and elimination of human schistosomiasis, with aims to guide the elimination of schistosomiasis as a public health problem in disease-endemic countries by 2030 and promote the interruption of schistosomiasis transmission across the world. Based on the One Health concept, six evidence-based recommendations were proposed in this guideline. This article aims to analyze the feasibility of key aspects of this guideline in Chinese national schistosomiasis control program and illustrate the significance to guide the future actions for Chinese national schistosomiasis control program. Currently, the One Health concept has been embodied in the Chinese national schistosomiasis control program. Based on this new WHO guideline, the following recommendations are proposed for the national schistosomiasis control program of China: (1) improving the systematic framework building, facilitating the agreement of the cross-sectoral consensus, and building a high-level leadership group; (2) optimizing the current human and livestock treatments in the national schistosomiasis control program of China; (3) developing highly sensitive and specific diagnostics and the framework for verifying elimination of schistosomiasis; (4) accelerating the progress towards elimination of schistosomiasis and other parasitic diseases through integrating the national control programs for other parasitic diseases.

[Decoding the evolution of preventive chemotherapy schemes for schistosomiasis in China to improve the precise implementation of the WHO guideline on control and elimination of human schistosomiasis]

Preventive chemotherapy is one of the pivotal interventions for the control and elimination of schistosomiasis, which is effective to reduce the morbidity and prevalence of schistosomiasis. In order to promote the United Nations' sustainable development goals and the targets set for schistosomiasis control in the Ending the neglect to attain the Sustainable Development Goals: a road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021-2030, WHO released the guideline on control and elimination of human schistosomiasis in 2022, with major evidence-based updates of the current preventive chemotherapy strategy for schistosomiasis. In China where great success has been achieved in schistosomiasis control, the preventive chemotherapy strategy for schistosomiasis has been updated several times during the past seven decades. This article reviews the evolution of the WHO guidelines on preventive chemotherapy and Chinese national preventive chemotherapy schemes, compares the current Chinese national preventive chemotherapy scheme and the recommendations for preventive chemotherapy proposed in the 2022 WHO guideline on control and elimination of human schistosomiasis, and proposes recommendations for preventive chemotherapy during the future implementation of the 2022 WHO guideline, so as to provide insights into schistosomiasis control among public health professionals engaging in healthcare foreign aid.

Three-year chronic follow-up from the pilot study of a substernal extravascular implantable cardioverter defibrillator

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Private grant(s) and/or Sponsorship. Main funding source(s): Medtronic

Background

The investigational Extravascular Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (EV ICD) uses a substernal lead and delivers defibrillation and pacing therapies, including antitachycardia pacing (ATP).

Objective

To characterize EV ICD system performance through 3 years.

Methods

The prospective, first-in-human EV ICD Pilot study was conducted at 4 sites in Australia and New Zealand. ICD-indicated patients were enrolled July-December of 2018. Defibrillation testing was conducted for all patients at implant, and chronically per physician discretion. Electrical testing was conducted at pre-hospital discharge, 2 weeks, 4-6 weeks and 3 months post-implant, and every 6 months thereafter. Posture effects on pacing and sensing were evaluated through 3 months.

Results

Of 26 patients enrolled, 21 underwent the EV ICD implant procedure. There were no intraprocedural complications. After successful implantation and testing, 17 of 21 patients entered chronic follow-up. 14 patients continue follow up, representing 523 patient-months. Eight elective chronic defibrillation tests converted 7 of 7 patients with ≤ 40 J (maximum energy). Five episodes of spontaneous ventricular tachycardia (VT) were detected in 1 patient and either self-terminated or successfully defibrillated with appropriate shock.

Over the total course of follow-up, 3 patients received an inappropriate shock due to; lead tip displacement with subsequent P-wave oversensing; Electromagnetic interference (EMI) in a ungrounded hot-tub; and EMI while doing plumbing work on unearthed electrical pipes, resulting in an annualized inappropriate shock rate of 6.9%.

Pacing capture thresholds remained stable across time (5.1 ± 2.0 V at implant and 5.5 ± 2.7 V at 3 years); similarly, R-wave amplitudes were stable across time (3.4 ±2.0 mV at implant and 4.2 ± 2.7 mV at 3 years). Pacing thresholds tended to be lowest with the patient lying on the right side and pacing threshold often increased relative to supine position for left-side, prone or bending postures. R-wave amplitude tended to be greater when bending forward.

There were 10 system or procedure-related adverse events in 8 patients through 3 years, including 3 elective system removals for: a single inappropriate shock (1), chronic defibrillation testing showing no safety margin in a patient with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (1), intolerance to ATP (1 - high pacing threshold and frequent VT). Other than the lead tip displacement within the first 3 months, no additional clinically significant lead displacements have been observed through 3 years.

Conclusion

The EV ICD is a novel platform for delivering high-voltage therapy. There were no procedure and system related complications observed after the first year post-implant. Lead position and chronic system performance have generally remained stable through 3 years with a low rate of adverse events.

Impact of bulk-edge coupling on observation of anyonic braiding statistics in quantum Hall interferometers

Quantum Hall interferometers have been used to probe fractional charge and statistics of quasiparticles. We present measurements of a small Fabry-Perot interferometer in which the electrostatic coupling constants which affect interferometer behavior can be determined experimentally. Near the center of the ν = 1/3 state this device exhibits Aharonov-Bohm interference interrupted by a few discrete phase jumps, and Φ0 oscillations at higher and lower magnetic fields, consistent with theoretical predictions for detection of anyonic statistics. We estimate the electrostatic parameters KI and KIL by two methods: using the ratio of oscillation periods in compressible versus incompressible regions, and from finite-bias conductance measurements. We find that the extracted KI and KIL can account for the deviation of the phase jumps from the theoretical anyonic phase θa = 2π/3. At integer states, we find that KI and KIL can account for the Aharonov-Bohm and Coulomb-dominated behavior of different edge states.

Ventricular fibrillation amplitude analysis and comparison for transvenous ICD and extravascular ICD systems

Background

Transvenous (TV) implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) and extravascular (EV) ICD have very different electrode configurations (Figure 1). TV ICD has direct contact with the heart via endocardial lead placement with a nominal Tip-Ring sensing vector, whereas EV ICD utilizes a lead placed substernally outside the heart, with S1-S2 sensing vector as the nominal. Different lead and electrode locations result in different electrogram (EGM) signal amplitude and variability. Small ventricular fibrillation (VF) amplitude may lead to undersensed VF.

Purpose

The purpose is to characterize the VF amplitude from nominal sensing vector for TV ICD and EV ICD.

Methods

For TV ICD, 435 VF segments from Tip-Ring vector in 80 patients were analyzed. For EV ICD, 72 VF segments from S1-S2 vector in 32 patients were analyzed. For each VF segment, 1-second moving window with 50% overlapping was used to calculate maximum rectified (MR) VF amplitude. We calculated the maximum, minimum, mean, and standard deviation of averaged MR amplitude for all the episodes for each vector. The percentage of episodes with averaged MR amplitude smaller than different amplitude thresholds was also computed for each of the two vectors.

Results

VF signals from EV ICD had smaller averaged MR amplitude than TV ICD: S1-S2 = 3.05±1.62 mV versus Tip-Ring = 6.98±2.10 mV. EV ICD had 65% of episodes above 2.00 mV vs. 96% for TV ICD. The VF amplitude for EV ICD also had a smaller range than TV ICD: 0.47–8.43 mV versus 0.88–16.00mV. Despite having smaller amplitude, recordings of all VF episodes for both systems met detection criteria with no clinically significant delay.

Conclusions

Without direct myocardial contact, mean VF EGM amplitude from EV ICD system is approximately 44% of that for the TV ICD system. But with less variability across patients, it is more likely that a single (nominal) sensitivity setting will be effective among the population with EV ICD.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Private company. Main funding source(s): Medtronic Figure 1Figure 2

Imaging the short-lived hydroxyl-hydronium pair in ionized liquid water

[Figure: see text].

Review: The development of the gastrointestinal tract microbiota and intervention in neonatal ruminants

The complex microbiome colonizing the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of ruminants plays an important role in the development of the immune system, nutrient absorption and metabolism. Hence, understanding GIT microbiota colonization in neonatal ruminants has positive impacts on host health and productivity. Microbes rapidly colonize the GIT after birth and gradually develop into a complex microbial community, which allows the possibility of GIT microbiome manipulation to enhance newborn health and growth and perhaps induce lasting effects in adult ruminants. This paper reviews recent advances in understanding how host-microbiome interactions affect the GIT development and health of neonatal ruminants. Following initial GIT microbiome colonization, continuous exposure to host-specific microorganisms is necessary for GIT development and immune system maturation. Furthermore, the early GIT microbial community structure is significantly affected by early life events, such as maternal microbiota exposure, dietary changes, age and the addition of prebiotics, probiotics and synbiotics, supporting the idea of microbial programming in early life. However, the time window in which interventions can optimally improve production and reduce gastrointestinal disease as well as the role of key host-specific microbiota constituents and host immune regulation requires further study.

[Long-term mesh-related complications after total pelvic reconstruction surgery with tension-free transvaginal mesh]

Objective: To investigate the long-term mesh-related complications and treatment outcome of total pelvic reconstruction surgery with tension-free transvaginal mesh (PROSIMA^TM pelvic floor repair system). Methods: From July 2010 to June 2012, 48 patients with severe pelvic organ prolapse(POP)who underwent PROSIMA^TM were enrolled and treated in Peking Union Medical College Hospital. 29 patients (60.4%) were followed up periodically for at least 3 years to observe the occurrence of long-term mesh-related complications, and the clinical characteristics, classification of complications and treatment outcome of these cases were summarized. Results: The 29 cases with an average age of (65.1±5.2) years were followed up for an average of (71.6±21.2) months. The last follow-up was 36-105 months after treatment. The long-term success rate of the treatment was 79.3% (n=23). There were 18 cases of mesh exposure (18/48, 37.5%), of which 10 cases (55.6%) were new and persistent. 4 cases (4/18) had symptoms; the rest were found by pelvic examination. Ten patients (10/18) were positive for vaginal swab culture. As for treatment outcome, one case suffered from mesh erosion into the bladder. 4 patients (6.9%) complained of postoperative pain. Twenty-nine patients were divided into the exposure group (n=18) and the non-exposure group (n=11) according to mesh exposure occurrence. There was a significant difference in the proportion of positive swab culture results between the two groups (P=0.019), but no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative pain (P=0.566). Conclusion: The incidence of long-term mesh exposure in PROSIMA^TM is not low, and most of patients with which had no symptoms.

[Influencing factors on the death of HIV/AIDS patients treated with antiviral treatment in Butuo county, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, 2010-2019]

Objective: To understand influencing factors on the deaths of HIV/AIDS patients receiving antireviral treatment in Butuo county of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture (Liangshan) from 2010 to 2019, to provide data for drug replacement and sustainable antiviral treatment strategy. Methods: A matched case-control study was used to collect basic and follow-up information on AIDS death patients receiving antiviral treatment in Butuo county of Liangshan from 2010 to 2019. The control group was formed by sampling twice the number of cases. The logistic regression model was used to analyze the risk factors affecting mortality. Results: In 3 355 patients of HIV/AIDS treated with antiviral therapy, 1 179 cases in the death group and 2 176 cases in the control group. Including 81.34% were 30-49 years old, 69.09％males, 99.55% Yi nationality, 91.12% were married or cohabitated, 95.77% had junior high school education or below, and 88.41% peasants. Amultivariate logistic stepwise regression model showed that among the death risk factors, age ≥50 years old was 5.08 times (95%CI:3.05-8.48) that of the 18-29, female was 0.70 times (95%CI: 0.52-0.94) than male, the transmission rate of intravenous drug use was 1.43 times (95%CI: 1.06-1.91) that of heterosexual transmission, CD4⁺T lymphocyte (CD4) count ≥350 cells/μl before treatment was 0.38 times (95%CI: 0.30-0.48) that of CD4 <200 cells/μl before treatment, the most recent antiviral treatment regimen containing LPV/r was 0.04 times (95%CI: 0.01-0.18) than that of stavudine (d4T) + lamivudine (3TC) + nevirapine (NVP)/efavirenz (EFV) regimen, drug resistance was 3.40 times (95%CI: 2.13-5.42) of non-drug resistance, non-viral load and non-drug resistance test results were 12.98 times (95%CI: 10.28-16.40) of non-drug resistance. Conclusions: Age, gender, transmission route, CD4 before treatment, the latest antiviral treatment program, and drug resistance test after antiviral therapy were the influencing factors of HIV/AIDS death in Butuo county. It is necessary to expand the coverage of viral load and drug resistance test to change the antiviral therapeutic schedule scientifically and carry out publicity and education on the compliance of patients with antiviral treatment and medical staff training in order to reduce the mortality of patients with antiviral treatment.

Search for Coherent Elastic Scattering of Solar ^{8}B Neutrinos in the XENON1T Dark Matter Experiment

We report on a search for nuclear recoil signals from solar ^{8}B neutrinos elastically scattering off xenon nuclei in XENON1T data, lowering the energy threshold from 2.6 to 1.6  keV. We develop a variety of novel techniques to limit the resulting increase in backgrounds near the threshold. No significant ^{8}B neutrinolike excess is found in an exposure of 0.6  t×y. For the first time, we use the nondetection of solar neutrinos to constrain the light yield from 1-2 keV nuclear recoils in liquid xenon, as well as nonstandard neutrino-quark interactions. Finally, we improve upon world-leading constraints on dark matter-nucleus interactions for dark matter masses between 3 and 11  GeV c^{-2} by as much as an order of magnitude.

Terahertz-field-induced polar charge order in electronic-type dielectrics

Ultrafast electronic-phase change in solids by light, called photoinduced phase transition, is a central issue in the field of non-equilibrium quantum physics, which has been developed very recently. In most of those phenomena, charge or spin orders in an original phase are melted by photocarrier generations, while an ordered state is usually difficult to be created from a non-ordered state by a photoexcitation. Here, we demonstrate that a strong terahertz electric-field pulse changes a Mott insulator of an organic molecular compound in κ-(ET)₂Cu[N(CN)₂]Cl (ET = bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene), to a macroscopically polarized charge-order state; herein, electronic ferroelectricity is induced by the collective intermolecular charge transfers in each dimer. In contrast, in an isostructural compound, κ-(ET)₂Cu₂(CN)₃, which shows the spin-liquid state at low temperatures, a similar polar charge order is not stabilized by the same terahertz pulse. From the comparative studies of terahertz-field-induced second-harmonic-generation and reflectivity changes in the two compounds, we suggest the possibility that a coupling of charge and spin degrees of freedom would play important roles in the stabilization of polar charge order.

Could dantrolene be explored as a repurposed drug to treat COVID-19 patients by restoring intracellular calcium homeostasis?

Dantrolene, an FDA approved drug to treat malignant hyperthermia and muscle spasm, has been demonstrated to inhibit severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mediated toxicity of host cells. Ryanodine receptor overactivation and associated disruption of intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis play important roles in SARS-CoV-2 infection and replication of host cells. Dantrolene, as an inhibitor of RyRs, is expected to ameliorate these detrimental effects of SARS-CoV-2 in host cells. Additionally, dantrolene has also been shown to inhibit multiple cell or organ damage induced by hypoxia/ischemia, mitochondria damage, oxidative stresses, inflammation, impairment of autophagy and apoptosis, etc., which are often the causes of severity and mortality of COVID-19 patients. We have repurposed that dantrolene has a high potential at treating COVID-19 patients and reducing its morbidity and mortality.

[Clinical characteristics and related factors of acute tubular necrosis in patients with minimal change disease]

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics and related factors of acute tubular necrosis (ATN) in patients with minimal change disease (MCD). Methods: Patients from Chinese PLA General Hospital who were pathologically diagnosed with MCD and had clinical manifestations of nephrotic syndrome from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2019 were included. The clinical and pathological data of patients were retrospectively analyzed. Meanwhile, the incidence and clinical characteristics of ATN in different age groups were compared. The risk factors for ATN were assessed using binary logistic regression. Results: A total of 525 patients were included, with a gender ratio of 1.56∶1 (male: female), aged 33 (21, 48) years old. ATN occurred in 49 (9.3%) of 525 patients, of which 34 were male and 15 were female. The incidence of ATN increased with age in MCD patients of different age groups (χ(2)=31.442, P<0.001). The incidence of ATN in groups of age≤20 years, 21-40 years, 41-60 years, and >60 years was 2.4% (3/123), 5.2% (10/192), 13.2% (20/152) and 27.6% (16/58), respectively. Elevations of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and serum IgE occurred in 92 patients (17.5%), 53 patients (10.1%), 99 patients (18.9%), and 303 patients (57.7%), respectively. There were significant differences in age, ALT, serum creatinine, serum urea nitrogen, history of diabetes and history of hypertension between non-ATN group and ATN group (all P<0.05). The results of logistic regression analysis showed that>40 years old (OR=6.283, 95% CI: 2.695-14.649, P<0.001) and serum albumin (OR=0.924, 95% CI: 0.857-0.997, P=0.040) was independently associated with ATN in MCD patients. Conclusion: Age>40 years is an independent risk factor and serum albumin is a protective factor for ATN in MCD patients.