[Clinical analysis of 9 children with refractory N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antibody encephalitis children treated with tocilizumab]

Objective: To analyze the clinical features of children with refractory N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antibody encephalitis treated with tocilizumab. Methods: Demographic and clinical manifeatations, immunotherapy and prognosis data of 9 children with refractory NMDA receptor antibody encephalitis who received tocilizumab in the Department of Pediatrics Neurology, XiangYa Hospital of Central South University from August 2021 to September 2023 were collected retrospectively. Prognosis was evaluated using the modified Rankin scale at initial diagnosis, at the initiation of tocilizumab treatment, and at the last follow-up. Treatment related complications, neuroimaging, and electroencephalography data were analyzed. Results: Among the 9 children, 6 were male and 3 were female, with an onset age of 4.2 (2.8, 8.7) years. At the onset of the disease, 9 children had a modified Rankin scale score of 5. When tocilizumab treatment was initiated, 7 children had a score of 5, and 2 children had a score of 4. The interval between the onset and initiation of tocilizumab treatment was 12 (5, 27) months, and the treatment frequency was 8 (5, 13) times. The follow-up time was 2.8 (1.5, 3.7) years. At the last follow-up, the symptoms of 9 children, including movement disorder, sleep disorder, consciousness disorder, silence and autonomic dysfunction, were improved to varying degrees, and none of them had seizures. At the last follow-up, 4 cases with a modified Rankin scale score of 0, 1 case with a score of 1, 2 cases with a score of 3, 1 case with a score of 4 and 1 case with a score of 5. The modified Rankin scale at the last follow-up was significantly different from that at the start of tocilizumab (Z=-2.56, P=0.014). All children had no serious adverse reactions during the treatment. Conclusions: After treatment with tocilizumab, the symptoms in patievts with refractory NMDA receptor antibody encephalitis, including movement disorder, sleep disorder, consciousness disorder, silence and autonomic dysfunction were improved, and none of them had seizures. The modified Rankin scale were improved, and the safety was good.

Comprehensive genomic analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant BA.2.76 in Jining City, China, 2022

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to analyze the molecular characteristics of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant BA.2.76 in Jining City, China.

METHODS

Whole-genome sequencing was performed on 87 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Evolutionary trees were constructed using bioinformatics software to analyze sequence homology, variant sites, N-glycosylation sites, and phosphorylation sites.

RESULTS

All 87 SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome sequences were classified under the evolutionary branch of the Omicron variant BA.2.76. Their similarity to the reference strain Wuhan-Hu-1 ranged from 99.72 to 99.74%. In comparison to the reference strain Wuhan-Hu-1, the 87 sequences exhibited 77-84 nucleotide differences and 27 nucleotide deletions. A total of 69 amino acid variant sites, 9 amino acid deletions, and 1 stop codon mutation were identified across 18 proteins. Among them, the spike (S) protein exhibited the highest number of variant sites, and the ORF8 protein showed a Q27 stop mutation. Multiple proteins displayed variations in glycosylation and phosphorylation sites.

CONCLUSION

SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, giving rise to new strains with enhanced transmission, stronger immune evasion capabilities, and reduced pathogenicity. The application of high-throughput sequencing technologies in the epidemic prevention and control of COVID-19 provides crucial insights into the evolutionary and variant characteristics of the virus at the genomic level, thereby holding significant implications for the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Absence of 3a0 charge density wave order in the infinite-layer nickelate NdNiO2

A hallmark of many unconventional superconductors is the presence of many-body interactions that give rise to broken-symmetry states intertwined with superconductivity. Recent resonant soft X-ray scattering experiments report commensurate 3a0 charge density wave order in infinite-layer nickelates, which has important implications regarding the universal interplay between charge order and superconductivity in both cuprates and nickelates. Here we present X-ray scattering and spectroscopy measurements on a series of NdNiO2+x samples, which reveal that the signatures of charge density wave order are absent in fully reduced, single-phase NdNiO2. The 3a0 superlattice peak instead originates from a partially reduced impurity phase where excess apical oxygens form ordered rows with three-unit-cell periodicity. The absence of any observable charge density wave order in NdNiO2 highlights a crucial difference between the phase diagrams of cuprate and nickelate superconductors.

Neuroprotective effects of galectin‑1 on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury by regulating oxidative stress

Oxidative stress contributes to the pathology of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Galectin-1 has shown an anti-oxidative stress effect. The present study investigated whether this anti-oxidative stress effect can account for the neuroprotective actions of galectin-1 induced by cerebral I/R injury. A cerebral I/R injury model was created in C57Bl/6 mice by transient occlusion of the middle cerebral artery, after which the mice were treated with galectin-1 for 3 days. Infarct volumes were measured. A rotarod test and neurological deficit score assessment was performed to evaluate the neurological deficits. Oxidative stress was evaluated by measuring the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation malondialdehyde (MDA), while the anti-oxidative stress status was assessed by measuring molecules such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidation enzyme (GSH-Px) in the ischemic cerebral hemisphere of mice. The inflammatory cytokines, including Interleukin 1 (IL-1), IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were measured, and the expression of microglia was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in the ischemic cerebral hemisphere of mice. Galectin-1 treatment ameliorated neurological deficits and reduced infarct volumes in the mice model with cerebral I/R injury. Moreover, it was demonstrated that galectin-1 can significantly alleviate cerebral I/R injury in the ischemic cerebral hemisphere by decreasing the production of ROS and MDA, but increasing the production of CAT, SOD and GSH-Px. Galectin-1 treatment decreased microglia expression, and IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-α levels in the ischemic cerebral hemisphere of mice. Galectin-1 could improve the outcome of cerebral I/R injury by alleviating oxidative stress. Moreover, the neuroprotective effect of galectin-1 in cerebral ischemia could be related to its anti-oxidative stress effect.

Research on the characteristics of EV interior sound quality and its dynamic active control system design and development un-der accelerated driving conditions

In order to improve the interior sound quality of Electric Vehicles (EV), solve the problem of low sense of power and comfort of the interior sound as well as the large electromagnetic excitation order noise of motor and the sharp interior sound, this article designs a dynamic active sound control system for EV under accelerated driving conditions. Firstly, by comparing and analyzing the sound spectrum characteristics of fuel vehicle (FV) and EV during acceleration, a short-time Fourier transform (STFT) is adopted to extract and synthesize the engine sound. Secondly, the influence of the engine order composition and the energy distribution in the frequency domain on the sound quality of the vehicle is analyzed, and an active control system for sound quality is proposed. And the software and hardware development of the active control sound system is completed. Finally, through real-vehicle testing and verification, the sense of comfort and power of the EV interior sound has been greatly improved during acceleration, and the total value of interior sound can meet the requirement. The sound pressure level and loudness of interior sound have been increased, and the sharpness of the sound inside the vehicle has been improved, with a maximum reduction of 1.0acum.

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

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

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

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

First Report of Alternaria alternata Causing Leaf Spot on Coffea arabica in China

Yunnan Province is the major region for coffee (Coffea arabica) cultivation in China, contributing to over 98% of the national yield and total production value (Ma et al. 2022). In May 2023, brown spot symptoms were observed only on the leaves of coffee plants in a field located in Baoshan City (98°52'37.988400"E, 24°58'17.673600"N), Yunnan Province. Notably, brown and irregularly shaped spots initially started on the leaf bases. The spots enlarged and developed concentric rings with dark brown margins, which are often surrounded by yellow halos. Finally, the necrotic spots spread across the entire leaf and caused the leaf to curl and fall off. The incidence of the disease was approximately 3% of the coffee plants (n = 600). The symptomatic leaves collected from 10 plants were sectioned (5 × 5 mm), subjected to surface sterilization with 70% ethanol for 40 s, rinsed with sterile distilled water, air-dried, and transferred to potato dextrose agar (PDA). Fungi with grayish-white, cotton-like aerial mycelia grew after 7 days at 28°C. The older mycelia of these isolates displayed dark gray pigmentation. Single conidia were cultivated on PDA, and 15 morphologically similar monosporic isolates were ultimately obtained. Microscopic observation revealed that these isolates produced branched, septate, transparent and amber mycelium. Brown, elliptical or pear-shaped conidia with 2 to 4 transversal septa and 0 to 3 longitudinal septa, measuring 9.6 to 33.3 long × 6.0 to 15.0 μm wide (n = 30), were observed on potato carrot agar (PCA). Molecular identification of multiple genes, such as ITS (Schoch et al. 2012), RPB2 (O'Donnell et al. 2010) and GAPDH (Berbee et al. 1999), indicated consistent 100% identity among these isolates. Sequences of the representative isolates CFSY1-CFSY5 were deposited in GenBank (acc. nos.: OR351112, PP188577, PP188578, PP294863, PP294864, OR509742, PP215341-PP215344, OR509740 and PP239378-PP239381), revealing 98.35% - 100% homology with distinct Alternaria alternata strains previously deposited in GenBank (acc. nos.: PP110780, MN649031 and OR485338). The multigene phylogenetic analysis positioned isolates CFSY1-CFSY5 within a distinct cluster, alongside diverse A. alternata isolates. Based on morphological and molecular characterizations, the pathogen was identified as A. alternata. To verify its pathogenicity, a conidial suspension (1×106 conidia/mL) of isolate CFSY1 was sprayed on six leaves of three healthy one-year-old C. arabica seedlings. Subsequently, the inoculated seedlings were covered with plastic bags and placed in a growth chamber under controlled conditions (a 14 h daylight period and a 10 h dark period at 28°C). The experiment was repeated three times. After 20 days, typical brown spot symptoms analogous to those originally observed in the field appeared on the leaves in all inoculated plants. Reisolation, morphology identification and DNA sequencing substantiated Koch's postulates. In contrast, control plants treated with sterilized water remained asymptomatic, and no pathogen was reisolated from them. Significantly, A. alternata has been previously reported as the causal agent for leaf spot disease in a diverse variety of woody plant species in China, including Prunus avium (Ahmad et al. 2020), Magnolia grandiflora (Liu et al. 2019) and citrus (Wang et al. 2010). This study represents the first report of brown leaf spot caused by A. alternata specifically on C. arabica in China, enriching the contents of fungal pathogens under Chinese coffee cultivation conditions.

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

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

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

This Letter reports the observation of WZγ production and a measurement of its cross section using 140.1±1.2  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The WZγ production cross section, with both the W and Z bosons decaying leptonically, pp→WZγ→ℓ^{'}^{±}νℓ^{+}ℓ^{-}γ (ℓ^{(^{'})}=e, μ), is measured in a fiducial phase-space region defined such that the leptons and the photon have high transverse momentum and the photon is isolated. The cross section is found to be 2.01±0.30(stat)±0.16(syst)  fb. The corresponding standard model predicted cross section calculated at next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics and at leading order in the electroweak coupling constant is 1.50±0.06  fb. The observed significance of the WZγ signal is 6.3σ, compared with an expected significance of 5.0σ.

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

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

Search for Dark Photons in Rare Z Boson Decays with the ATLAS Detector

A search for events with a dark photon produced in association with a dark Higgs boson via rare decays of the standard model Z boson is presented, using 139  fb^{-1} of sqrt[s]=13  TeV proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The dark boson decays into a pair of dark photons, and at least two of the three dark photons must each decay into a pair of electrons or muons, resulting in at least two same-flavor opposite-charge lepton pairs in the final state. The data are found to be consistent with the background prediction, and upper limits are set on the dark photon's coupling to the dark Higgs boson times the kinetic mixing between the standard model photon and the dark photon, α_{D}ϵ^{2}, in the dark photon mass range of [5, 40] GeV except for the ϒ mass window [8.8, 11.1] GeV. This search explores new parameter space not previously excluded by other experiments.

Observation of Single-Top-Quark Production in Association with a Photon Using the ATLAS Detector

This Letter reports the observation of single top quarks produced together with a photon, which directly probes the electroweak coupling of the top quark. The analysis uses 139  fb^{-1} of 13 TeV proton-proton collision data collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Requiring a photon with transverse momentum larger than 20 GeV and within the detector acceptance, the fiducial cross section is measured to be 688±23(stat) _{-71}^{+75}(syst)  fb, to be compared with the standard model prediction of 515_{-42}^{+36}  fb at next-to-leading order in QCD.

Measurement of Suppression of Large-Radius Jets and Its Dependence on Substructure in Pb+Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

This letter presents a measurement of the nuclear modification factor of large-radius jets in sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV Pb+Pb collisions by the ATLAS experiment. The measurement is performed using 1.72  nb^{-1} and 257  pb^{-1} of Pb+Pb and pp data, respectively. The large-radius jets are reconstructed with the anti-k_{t} algorithm using a radius parameter of R=1.0, by reclustering anti-k_{t} R=0.2 jets, and are measured over the transverse momentum (p_{T}) kinematic range of 158 Collapse

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Measurement of the Sensitivity of Two-Particle Correlations in pp Collisions to the Presence of Hard Scatterings

A key open question in the study of multiparticle production in high-energy pp collisions is the relationship between the "ridge"-i.e., the observed azimuthal correlations between particles in the underlying event that extend over all rapidities-and hard or semihard scattering processes. In particular, it is not known whether jets or their soft fragments are correlated with particles in the underlying event. To address this question, two-particle correlations are measured in pp collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV using data collected by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC, with an integrated luminosity of 15.8  pb^{-1}, in two different configurations. In the first case, charged particles associated with jets are excluded from the correlation analysis, while in the second case, correlations are measured between particles within jets and charged particles from the underlying event. Second-order flow coefficients, v_{2}, are presented as a function of event multiplicity and transverse momentum. These measurements show that excluding particles associated with jets does not affect the measured correlations. Moreover, particles associated with jets do not exhibit any significant azimuthal correlations with the underlying event, ruling out hard processes contributing to the ridge.

Synthesis of the 5-6-7 Tricyclic Core of Daphnicyclidin-Type Alkaloids via a Tiffeneau-Demjanov Ring Enlargement Strategy

An expedient construction of the 5-6-7 tricyclic core of daphnicyclidin-type alkaloids is described. The synthetically challenging cycloheptanone C ring was constructed via a Tiffeneau-Demjanov ring enlargement reaction from a 5-6-6 tricyclic precursor commonly found in calyciphylline A-type alkaloids. Other key transformations included Davis oxidation, 1,2-addition, oxidation, and dehydration to elaborate the essential cyclcohept-2-enone motif.

Observation of an Excess of Dicharmonium Events in the Four-Muon Final State with the ATLAS Detector

A search is made for potential ccc[over ¯]c[over ¯] tetraquarks decaying into a pair of charmonium states in the four muon final state using proton-proton collision data at sqrt[s]=13  TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140  fb^{-1} recorded by the ATLAS experiment at LHC. Two decay channels, J/ψ+J/ψ→4μ and J/ψ+ψ(2S)→4μ, are studied. Backgrounds are estimated based on a hybrid approach involving Monte Carlo simulations and data-driven methods. Statistically significant excesses with respect to backgrounds dominated by the single parton scattering are seen in the di-J/ψ channel consistent with a narrow resonance at 6.9 GeV and a broader structure at lower mass. A statistically significant excess is also seen in the J/ψ+ψ(2S) channel. The fitted masses and decay widths of the structures are reported.

Observation of the γγ→ττ Process in Pb+Pb Collisions and Constraints on the τ-Lepton Anomalous Magnetic Moment with the ATLAS Detector

This Letter reports the observation of τ-lepton-pair production in ultraperipheral lead-lead collisions Pb+Pb→Pb(γγ→ττ)Pb and constraints on the τ-lepton anomalous magnetic moment a_{τ}. The dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 1.44  nb^{-1} of LHC Pb+Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV recorded by the ATLAS experiment in 2018. Selected events contain one muon from a τ-lepton decay, an electron or charged-particle track(s) from the other τ-lepton decay, little additional central-detector activity, and no forward neutrons. The γγ→ττ process is observed in Pb+Pb collisions with a significance exceeding 5 standard deviations and a signal strength of μ_{ττ}=1.03_{-0.05}^{+0.06} assuming the standard model value for a_{τ}. To measure a_{τ}, a template fit to the muon transverse-momentum distribution from τ-lepton candidates is performed, using a dimuon (γγ→μμ) control sample to constrain systematic uncertainties. The observed 95% confidence-level interval for a_{τ} is -0.057 Collapse

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Strong Constraints on Jet Quenching in Centrality-Dependent p+Pb Collisions at 5.02 TeV from ATLAS

Jet quenching is the process of color-charged partons losing energy via interactions with quark-gluon plasma droplets created in heavy-ion collisions. The collective expansion of such droplets is well described by viscous hydrodynamics. Similar evidence of collectivity is consistently observed in smaller collision systems, including pp and p+Pb collisions. In contrast, while jet quenching is observed in Pb+Pb collisions, no evidence has been found in these small systems to date, raising fundamental questions about the nature of the system created in these collisions. The ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider has measured the yield of charged hadrons correlated with reconstructed jets in 0.36  nb^{-1} of p+Pb and 3.6  pb^{-1} of pp collisions at 5.02 TeV. The yields of charged hadrons with p_{T}^{ch}>0.5  GeV near and opposite in azimuth to jets with p_{T}^{jet}>30 or 60 GeV, and the ratios of these yields between p+Pb and pp collisions, I_{pPb}, are reported. The collision centrality of p+Pb events is categorized by the energy deposited by forward neutrons from the struck nucleus. The I_{pPb} values are consistent with unity within a few percent for hadrons with p_{T}^{ch}>4  GeV at all centralities. These data provide new, strong constraints that preclude almost any parton energy loss in central p+Pb collisions.

Search for Heavy Neutral Leptons in Decays of W Bosons Using a Dilepton Displaced Vertex in sqrt[s]=13 TeV pp Collisions with the ATLAS Detector

A search for a long-lived, heavy neutral lepton (N) in 139  fb^{-1} of sqrt[s]=13  TeV pp collision data collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider is reported. The N is produced via W→Nμ or W→Ne and decays into two charged leptons and a neutrino, forming a displaced vertex. The N mass is used to discriminate between signal and background. No signal is observed, and limits are set on the squared mixing parameters of the N with the left-handed neutrino states for the N mass range 3  GeV Collapse

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Test of CP Invariance in Higgs Boson Vector-Boson-Fusion Production Using the H→γγ Channel with the ATLAS Detector

A test of CP invariance in Higgs boson production via vector-boson fusion has been performed in the H→γγ channel using 139  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data at sqrt[s]=13  TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The optimal observable method is used to probe the CP structure of interactions between the Higgs boson and electroweak gauge bosons, as described by an effective field theory. No sign of CP violation is observed in the data. Constraints are set on the parameters describing the strength of the CP-odd component in the coupling between the Higgs boson and the electroweak gauge bosons in two effective field theory bases: d[over ˜] in the HISZ basis and c_{HW[over ˜]} in the Warsaw basis. The results presented are the most stringent constraints on CP violation in the coupling between Higgs and weak bosons. The 95% C.L. constraint on d[over ˜] is derived for the first time and the 95% C.L. constraint on c_{HW[over ˜]} has been improved by a factor of 5 compared to the previous measurement.

[Clinical features of SF3B1 mutation in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome with excess blasts]

Objective: To exploring the clinical features of SF3B1-mutated myelodysplastic syndrome with excess blasts (MDS-EB) and analyzing the association between SF3B1 mutation, and efficacy and prognostic significance for patients with MDS-EB. Methods: This was a retrospective case series study. The clinical data of 266 patients with MDS-EB diagnosed in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between April 2016 and November 2021 were analyzed. The observed indicators included blood routine counts, mutated genes, overall response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and leukemia-free survival (LFS). The Kaplan-Meier method was used to depict the survival curves. The Log-rank test method was equally used to compare survival across groups and performed the Cox proportional hazard regression model for prognostic analysis. Results: In 266 patients with MDS-EB, 166 (62.4%) were men, and the median age was 57 (17-81) years. Moreover, there were included 26 and 240 patients in the SF3B1-mutated and SF3B1 wild-type groups. Patients in the SF3B1-mutated group were older [median age 65 (51, 69) years vs. 56 (46, 66) years, P=0.033], had higher white blood cell (WBC) counts [3.08 (2.35, 4.78) × 10⁹/L vs. 2.13 (1.40, 3.77) × 10⁹/L], platelet (PLT) counts [122.5 (50.5, 215.0) ×10⁹/L vs. 49.0 (24.3, 100.8) × 10⁹/L], absolute neutrophil counts (ANC) [1.83 (1.01, 2.88) × 10⁹/L vs. 0.80 (0.41, 1.99) × 10⁹/L]and occurrence of DNMT3A mutation [23.1% (6/26) vs. 6.7% (16/240)] (all P<0.05). The ORR were similar in both groups after 2 and 4 cycles of therapy (P=0.348, P=1.000). Moreover, the LFS (P=0.218), PFS (P=0.179) and OS (P=0.188) were similar across the groups. Univariate Cox analysis revealed that SF3B1 mutation did not affect the prognosis of patients with MDS-EB (OS: P=0.193; PFS: P=0.184). Conclusions: Patients with SF3B1 mutation were older, with greater WBC, PLT, and ANC, and SF3B1 mutation easily co-occurred with DNMT3A mutation. From this model, there were no significant differences in efficacy and survival of MDS-EB with or without SF3B1 mutation.

Nutrient profile, amino acid digestibility, true metabolizable energy and indispensable amino acid scoring of whole hemp seeds for use in canine and feline diets

The use of various hemp-derived products has been rapidly growing in the human nutrition industry and has sparked great interest in using these ingredients for companion animals as well. Thorough research is needed to determine the ingredient and safety standards required for AAFCO approval of hemp ingredients. In order to be effectively incorporated into pet food products, we must determine the nutrient content, quality, and utility of these ingredients in pet species. The objective of this study was to evaluate the nutrient composition of seeds from four different varieties of hemp, NWG 452, NWG 331, NWG 2730, X-59, and determine protein quality and true metabolizable energy using a cecetomized rooster model. The seeds were similar in macronutrient composition, with small variations in acid hydrolyzed fat, crude protein, total dietary fiber and gross energy content, as well as amino acid and long-chain fatty acid profiles. All essential amino acids were present in concentrations that exceeded the NRC (2006) recommended allowances for adult dogs and cats at maintenance with the exception of tryptophan. The long-chain fatty acid profile presented a favorable ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids of close to 3.5:1. The results of the cecectomized rooster assay indicated no significant difference in the standardized amino acid digestibility of the indispensable amino acids among the seed varieties (P > 0.05). A significant difference in the true metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen was observed among the seeds (P < 0.05), following the pattern of higher acid hydrolyzed fat and lower total dietary fiber content resulting in higher metabolizable energy. An adapted calculation of digestible indispensable amino acid score was made to determine protein quality of the hemp seeds using AAFCO nutrient profiles and NRC recommended allowances for adult dogs and cats at maintenance as reference points. The resulting scores determined tryptophan to be the first limiting amino acid and indicate that hemp seeds alone do not meet all the amino acid requirements for adult dogs and cats at maintenance, and would need a complimentary protein source for practical use in companion animal diets. The data from this study suggest that hemp seeds may provide a beneficial source of fat, protein, and dietary fiber, with consideration to differences in nutrient profile among seed varieties. However, further investigation in vivo is needed to determine the safety and efficacy of utilizing hemp in the diets of both canines and felines.

Differences in microbial community composition and factors affecting different particulate matter during autumn in three cities of Xinjiang, China

Environmental pollution has become an issue of increasing concern in China, owing to the country's rapid economic development. Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) is known to be an important parameter in air quality monitoring; further, bioaerosol forms a crucial component of PM. As the climatic environments in the north and south of Xinjiang, China, are significantly different, here, atmospheric PM samples collected from three cities, Shihezi, Yining, and Tumushuk, located in different directions, were analysed for a better understanding of the spatial distribution patterns of microbial community composition of Xinjiang. The16s rDNA and 18 s rDNA were used to locate bacteria and fungi in PM_2.5, PM₁₀, and total suspended particulate matter (TSP) at the species level and genus level, and the microbial communities with the top 15 abundances were selected for analysis. The reports indicate that the most abundant group in Shihezi and Yining was Cenchrus_americanus, which belongs to Proteobacteria. The remaining 14 dominant species had their own distribution pattern in each city. The most dominant strain in Tumushuk was Bacillus_taeanensis, but this strain was not detected in Yining and Shihezi. Similarly, the most predominant fungus in Tumushuk (Microdorylaimus_miser under Myriophyllum) was not detected in the other two cities. The analysis of the effect of environmental impact factors on bacteria and fungi revealed that the impact factors such as temperature, humidity, and wind speed had a greater effect on microorganisms, while O₃ had a negative correlation with most microorganisms, owing to its toxicity. Overall, the results of this study show that short-range transported air masses have a greater impact on local pollutants and microorganisms.

[Factors associated with readmission within three months of surgery for gastric cancer and their long-term effects on patients' nutritional status and quality of life]

Objective: To analyze the factors associated with readmission within three months of surgery for gastric cancer and the impact of readmission on patients' long-term nutritional status and quality of life. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study comprising patients who underwent radical gastrectomy in the Department of Pancreatic and Gastric Surgery, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from October 2018 to August 2019. Patients who failed to complete postoperative follow-up, whose body mass index (BMI) could not be accurately estimated, or who were unable to complete a quality-of-life questionnaire were excluded. The patients were followed up for 12 months. Time to, cause(s) of, and outcomes of readmission were followed up 1, 2 and 3 months postoperatively. BMI was followed up 1, 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Results of blood tests were collected and patients' nutritional status and quality of life were assessed 12 months postoperatively. Nutritional status was evaluated by BMI, hemoglobin, albumin, and total lymphocyte count. Quality of life was evaluated using the European Organization for Research in the Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life scale. The higher the scores for global health and functional domains, the better the quality of life, whereas the higher the score in the symptom domain, the worse the quality of life. Results: The study cohort comprised 259 patients with gastric cancer, all of whom were followed up for 3 months and 236 of whom were followed up for 12 months. Forty-four (17.0%) patients were readmitted within 3 months. The commonest reasons for readmission were gastrointestinal dysfunction (16 cases, 36.3%), intestinal obstruction (8 cases, 18.2%), and anastomotic stenosis (8 cases, 18.2%). Logistic regression analysis showed that preoperative Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment score ≥ 4 points (OR=1.481, 95% CI: 1.028‒2.132), postoperative complications (OR=3.298, 95%CI:1.416‒7.684) and resection range (OR=1.582, 95% CI:1.057‒2.369) were risk factors for readmission within 3 months of surgery. Compared with patients who had not been readmitted 12 months after surgery, patients who were readmitted within 3 months of surgery tended to have greater decreases in their BMI [-2.36 (-5.13,-0.42) kg/m² vs. -1.73 (-3.33,-0.33) kg/m², Z=1.850, P=0.065), significantly lower hemoglobin and albumin concentrations [(122.1±16.6) g/L vs. (129.8±18.4) g/L, t=2.400, P=0.017]; [(40.9±5.0) g/L vs. (43.4±3.3) g/L, t=3.950, P<0.001], and significantly decreased global health scores in the quality of life assessment [83 (67, 100) vs. 100 (83, 100), Z=2.890,P=0.004]. Conclusion: Preoperative nutritional risk, total or proximal radical gastrectomy, and complications during hospitalization are risk factors for readmission within 3 months of surgery for gastric cancer. Perioperative management and postoperative follow-up should be more rigorous. Readmission within 3 months after surgery may be associated with a decline in long-term nutritional status and quality of life. Achieving improvement in long-term nutritional status and quality of life requires tracking of nutritional status, timely evaluation, and appropriate interventions in patients who need readmission.

[Depressive symptoms are not associated with risks of rapid renal function decline or chronic kidney disease in middle-aged and elderly with normal kidney function: a longitudinal investigation]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the association between depressive symptoms and the risks of rapid decline in renal function and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in middle-aged and elderly with normal kidney function.

METHODS

The residents aged 40- 75 years with eGFR≥60 mL·min^-1·1.73 m^-2 without proteinuria in Lanzhou region, who participated in the "REACTION" study carried out in 2011, were selected and followed up in 2014. A total of 4961 individuals with complete and qualified data from the two surveys were included in the subsequent analysis. Based on PHQ-9 questionnaire scores, the baseline population was divided into two groups with and without depressive symptoms. Cox proportional hazard analysis was used to compare the incidences of rapid renal function decline and CKD between the two groups and study the association of depressive symptoms with the risk of these renal conditions.

RESULTS

PHQ-9 questionnaire scores were not found to correlate with baseline SCr, ALB, UACR or eGFR levels among the participarts (P>0.05). After a mean follow-up time of 3.4±0.6 years, 33.9% of the participants with depressive symptoms at baseline experienced a rapid decline in renal function and 3.6% progressed to CKD. During the follow-up, the incidence of rapid decline in renal function and the risk of developing CKD were not found to correlate with depressive symptoms in these participants (P>0.05) regardless of the type of the depressive syndromes.

CONCLUSION

Depressive symptoms are not associated with the risks of rapid renal function decline or progression to CKD in middle-aged and elderly with normal kidney function.

[Outcomes of the second pregnancy after Triple-P procedure in women complicated with placenta accreta spectrum disorders]

Objective: To investigate the safety of the Triple-P procedure in women complicated with severe placenta accreta spectrum disorders (PAS) and its influence on second pregnancy. Methods: From January 2015 to December 2017, the outcomes of the second pregnancy after the Triple-P procedure in 11 pregnant women complicated with PAS in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University and the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were retrospectively analyzed. Results: By December 2021, a total of 11 pregnant women who underwent the Triple-P procedure for PAS had a second pregnancy, with a median interval of 3 years (2-3 years). Of the 11 pregnant women, 7 delivered after 36 weeks of gestation. The median gestational age was 38 weeks, and 4 terminated within the first trimester. PAS recurred in 1 of 7 pregnant women (1/7) and was associated with placenta previa. All of the 7 pregnant women were delivered by cesarean section, with a median postpartum blood loss of 300 ml (200-450 ml), and only one pregnant woman required blood transfusion. None of the pregnant women were transferred to the intensive care unit, and there were no uterine rupture, bladder injury, puerperal infection, and neonatal adverse outcomes. Conclusion: Pregnant women who underwent the Triple-P procedure for severe PAS could be considered for second pregnancy with strictly management by an experienced multidisciplinary team, which may result in a good outcome.

[Clinical study on application of 3D Slicer software assisted domestic frameless stereotactic robot in biopsy of intracranial lesions]

Objective: To examine the application value of 3D Slicer software assisted domestic frameless stereotactic robot in biopsy of intracranial lesions. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 80 patients who admitted consecutively and underwent intracerebral lesions biopsy with the domestic frameless stereotactic robot at Department of Neurosurgery, Aerospace Central Hospital from January 2019 to December 2021. There were 36 males and 44 females, with a mean age of (38.5±18.0) years (range: 6 to 71 years). Before surgery only enhanced T1-weighted three-dimensional magnetization prepared gradient echo sequences and diffusion tensor imaging scans were performed. Self-reconstruction of intracranial lesions, cerebral cortex and blood vessels was carried out using 3D Slicer software system after the DICOM format imaging data of 80 patients were collected. These imaging data were merged to the workstation of the domestic frameless stereotactic robot for preoperative surgical planning and the surgical puncture path was designed to avoid blood vessels in the brain functional area, cerebral cortex and sulcus. Results: All frameless stereotactic biopsy were successfully performed. Postoperative pathological diagnosis included 50 cases of diffuse astrocytic and oligodendroglioma, 15 cases of lymphoma, 5 cases of metastatic tumors, 5 cases of inflammatory demyelinating disease, 2 cases of inflammatory granuloma, 1 case of hemangioma, 1 case of acute lymphoblastic leukemia intracranial invasion and 1 case of seminoma. The positive diagnosis rate was 100% (80/80). Postoperative imaging confirmed that the puncture path and target were accurately implemented according to the preoperative planning, and the target error was (1.32±0.44) mm (range: 0.55 to 1.99 mm). One case of puncture-related bleeding occurred at the target after surgery and improved after treatment. Conclusion: The three-dimensional multimodal images reconstructed by the 3D Slicer software before operation could help the surgeons make the preoperative planning and reduce the risk of stereotactic brain biopsy.

Long-term use of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei N1115 from early life alleviates high-fat-diet-induced obesity and dysmetabolism in mice

Obesity has become one of the most serious public health problems worldwide, and an increasing number of studies indicate that the gut microbiota can affect host metabolism. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate whether long-term use of probiotics can alleviate host obesity and metabolism by altering gut microbiota. The high-fat diet (HFD) starting from weaned period led to higher levels of visceral fat and a significantly heavier liver in male mice. Moreover, HFD resulted in disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism, changes in insulin-resistance indices (IR), and an increase in serum insulin and leptin in mice. Of note, 15 weeks use of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei N1115 decreased visceral fat, liver weight, serum levels of insulin and leptin, and IR and alleviated lipid dysmetabolism. HFD resulted in a significant increase in the relative abundance of Bilophila, Lachnoclostridium, and Blautia and may decrease the faecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels in mice; in turn, treatment with the potential probiotic strain L. paracasei N1115 protected mice from these negative effects. HFD significant impaired the physiology of the host especially in male mice and dramatically changed the composition of host gut microbiota. However, the use of potential probiotic strain, such as L. paracasei N1115, may prevent these impairments due to HFD via effecting the host gut microbiota and SCFA.

Application of traditional Chinese medicine in film drug delivery system

Film drug delivery systems have the advantages of precise administration, simple process and easy portability, compared with other traditional drug delivery systems such as tablets, capsules, syrups, ointments, etc. The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are normally developed in four categories of film agent like patch film, coating, spray film and gel film, which are applied to the treatment of oral ulcers, chronic diseases of lower limbs, burns, scalds, gynecological disease and body care. So the TCM film has great research value and prominent market prospect. In this review, we summarized the research progress of the material composition, pharmaceutical production, clinical application and pharmacology mechanism of various TCM film agents. It may provide a comprehensive reference for further development and utilization of TCM film agents.

Ten-Step Total Synthesis of (-)-Andranginine

The total synthesis of the indole alkaloid (-)-andranginine has been achieved in 10 steps. Key reactions of the synthesis include a nucleophilic addition of acetylenyl anion to chiral N-sulfinyl imine, an intramolecular N-alkylation reaction to close the C ring, and a dienyne metathesis cascade reaction to construct the DE rings. Meanwhile, 16-epi-(-)-andranginine was also obtained with the developed strategy.

Effect of Adding L-carnitine to High-Fat/Low-Protein Diets of Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) and the Mechanism of Regulation of Fat and Protein Metabolism

L-carnitine is a low molecular weight amino acid that plays an essential role in the oxidation of long-chain fatty acids. The regulatory effects and molecular mechanisms of L-carnitine on fat and protein metabolism in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) were investigated in this study. Common carp (n = 270) were randomly divided into three groups and fed either (1) common carp diet, (2) high-fat/low-protein diet, or (3) L-carnitine-high-fat/low-protein diet. Growth performance, plasma biochemistry, muscle composition, and ammonia excretion rate were all examined after 8 weeks. Additionally, each group's hepatopancreas was subjected to transcriptome analysis. The results showed that decreasing the feed protein/fat ratio resulted in a considerable increase in feed conversion ratio and a significant decrease in common carp-specific growth rate to 1.19 ± 0.02 (P < 0.05). Similarly, total plasma cholesterol sharply increased to 10.15 ± 2.07, while plasma urea nitrogen, muscle protein, and ammonia excretion levels dropped (P < 0.05). After adding L-carnitine to the high-fat/low-protein diet, it was found that the specific growth rate and protein content of the dorsal muscle increased significantly (P < 0.05). In contrast, the plasma total cholesterol and ammonia excretion rate decreased considerably at most time points after feeding (P < 0.05). The expression of genes in the hepatopancreas differed substantially between the different groups. Through GO analysis, it was demonstrated that L-carnitine increased the ability of fat decomposition by up-regulating the expression of cpt1 in the hepatopancreas and decreased the expression of fasn and elovl6 to reduce the production and extension of lipids. Simultaneously, mtor was more abundant in the hepatopancreas, implying that L-carnitine can increase protein synthesis. According to the findings, adding L-carnitine to high-fat/low-protein diets can stimulate growth by enhancing lipolysis and protein synthesis.

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

This Letter reports the observation of WWW production and a measurement of its cross section using 139  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Events with two same-sign leptons (electrons or muons) and at least two jets, as well as events with three charged leptons, are selected. A multivariate technique is then used to discriminate between signal and background events. Events from WWW production are observed with a significance of 8.0 standard deviations, where the expectation is 5.4 standard deviations. The inclusive WWW production cross section is measured to be 820±100 (stat)±80 (syst)  fb, approximately 2.6 standard deviations from the predicted cross section of 511±18  fb calculated at next-to-leading-order QCD and leading-order electroweak accuracy.

[Analysis of the efficacy and related influencing factors of pelvic packing in the treatment of intractable postpartum hemorrhage after emergency perinatal hysterectomy]

Objective: To investigate the effect of pelvic packing on the control of intractable postpartum hemorrhage after emergency perinatal hysterectomy (EPH). Methods: Eleven cases with complete clinical data of pelvic packing due to failure of hemostasis after EPH were collected to evaluate the outcome, complications, hospital stay of pregnant women, and to analyze the factors affecting the effect of pelvic packing. The cases included patients who were admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University after pelvic packing treatment in the other hospital due to continuous bleeding after EPH or who were referred to our hospital for pelvic packing treatment due to continuous bleeding after EPH from January 2014 to August 2021. Results: The median gestational week of 11 pregnant women was 38.3 weeks(38.0-39.9 weeks) , and the methods of termination of pregnancy were cesarean section in 7 cases (7/11) and vaginal delivery in 4 cases (4/11). The median time between postpartum hemorrhage and pelvic tamponade was 10 hours (5-57 hours), the median amount of bleeding was 8 500 ml(4 800-15 600 ml) , the median number of pelvic tamponade was 3 pieces (2-7 pieces), and the median retention time of gauze pad was 6.0 days (3.0-6.0 days). The median frequency of laparotomy in this pregnancy was 3 times (2-3 times), with a maximum of 4 among the 11 cases, the first pelvic packing was successful in hemostasis in 9 cases, and the final successful treatment in all of the 11 cases. All parturients had hemorrhagic shock (11/11) and disseminated intravascular coagulation (11/11) before pelvic packing. Other common complications were multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (9/11), cardiac arrest (4/11), deep vein thrombosis (3/11), septic shock (3/11), and intestinal obstruction (1/11). All parturients took out the gauze after the coagulation function returned to normal and there was no active bleeding. The recovery time of coagulation function in 11 cases was 3 days (3-5 days), the retention time of gauze pad was 6 days (3-6 days), the median length of stay in intensive care unit was 14 days (11-26 days), and the median total length of stay was 22 days (16-49 days). Conclusions: Pelvic packing could be used as a temporary strategy for intractable postpartum hemorrhage after EPH, which provides a key time for injury control resuscitation for patients with unstable vital signs. This technology provides an opportunity for referral to superior medical institutions and further treatment.

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

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

[Low-dose helical CT projection data restoration using noise estimation]

OBJECTIVE

To build a helical CT projection data restoration model at random low-dose levels.

METHODS

We used a noise estimation module to achieve noise estimation and obtained a low-dose projection noise variance map, which was used to guide projection data recovery by the projection data restoration module. A filtering back-projection algorithm (FBP) was finally used to reconstruct the images. The 3D wavelet group residual dense network (3DWGRDN) was adopted to build the network architecture of the noise estimation and projection data restoration module using asymmetric loss and total variational regularization. For validation of the model, 1/10 and 1/15 of normal dose helical CT images were restored using the proposed model and 3 other restoration models (IRLNet, REDCNN and MWResNet), and the results were visually and quantitatively compared.

RESULTS

Quantitative comparisons of the restored images showed that the proposed helical CT projection data restoration model increased the structural similarity index by 5.79% to 17.46% compared with the other restoration algorithms (P < 0.05). The image quality scores of the proposed method rated by clinical radiologists ranged from 7.19% to 17.38%, significantly higher than the other restoration algorithms (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The proposed method can effectively suppress noises and reduce artifacts in the projection data at different low-dose levels while preserving the integrity of the edges and fine details of the reconstructed CT images.

[Epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 caused by 2019-nCoV Delta variant in Shangyu district, Shaoxing of Zhejiang province]

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 caused by 2019-nCoV Delta variant in Shangyu district, Shaoxing of Zhejiang province in 2021, and provide evidence for the improvement of COVID-19 control and prevention measures. Methods: The incidence data of COVID-19 in Shangyu from December 7 to 21, 2021 was obtained from Shangyu District Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The epidemiological characteristics of the cases, i.e. the population, time and space distributions, were analyzed, and the incubation period and time-varying reproduction numbers (R_t) were calculated. Results: From December 7 to 21, 2021, a total of 380 COVID-19 cases caused by 2019-nCoV Delta variant were detected in Shangyu, the median age of the cases was 52 years, M (Q₁，Q₃: 38, 61). The male to female ratio of the cases was 1∶1.25, and the cases were mainly workers (36.58%) and farmers (27.63%). The epidemic affected 9 townships (or community) of Shangyu, especially Caoe and Baiguan communities with the cases accounting for 57.10% and 31.53% respectively. The median incubation period of cases was 4.00 days, M (Q₁，Q₃: 3.00, 5.75). The basic reproduction number (R₀) was 4.06, and the R_t was 5.62 in early phase of the outbreak (the highest) and continuously decreased to less than 1.00 within 10 days after the detection of the outbreak. The number of COVID-19 cases decreased to 0 within 14 days after the outbreak (December 7-21), and the main detection methods were screening in centralized isolation (55.53%) and home isolation (40.00%). The infection rates of close contacts and secondary close contacts were 2.06% and 0.46% respectively. Conclusion: The epidemic of COVID-19 in Shangyu characterized by short incubation period, large number of infected people, and case clustering, suggesting the strong transmission of Delta variant (B.1.617.2). Comprehensive prevention and control measures, such as management of close contacts and secondary close contacts, and high-risk area, are essential for the rapid control of the epidemic.

Enhanced charge density wave coherence in a light-quenched, high-temperature superconductor

Superconductivity and charge density waves (CDWs) are competitive, yet coexisting, orders in cuprate superconductors. To understand their microscopic interdependence, a probe capable of discerning their interaction on its natural length and time scale is necessary. We use ultrafast resonant soft x-ray scattering to track the transient evolution of CDW correlations in YBa₂Cu₃O_6+x after the quench of superconductivity by an infrared laser pulse. We observe a nonthermal response of the CDW order characterized by a near doubling of the correlation length within ≈1 picosecond of the superconducting quench. Our results are consistent with a model in which the interaction between superconductivity and CDWs manifests inhomogeneously through disruption of spatial coherence, with superconductivity playing the dominant role in stabilizing CDW topological defects, such as discommensurations.

Proton or Carbene Transfer? On the Dark and Light Reaction of Diazoalkanes with Alcohols

The formal alkylation reaction of OH groups with diazoalkanes under catalyst-free reaction conditions finds broad application in organic synthesis. However, even today, this reaction is mainly limited to the use of diazomethane as reaction partner. In this combined experimental and theoretical study, we aim at a fundamental understanding of the reaction of diazoalkanes with alcohols to make this transformation amenable to a generalized approach towards formal alkylation reactions of alcohols with diazoalkanes. Experimental and theoretical studies suggest a direct proton transfer only in exceptional cases. In a more general setting, such O-H functionalization proceed both under dark and photochemical conditions via a key hydrogen-bonded singlet carbene intermediate that undergoes a protonation-addition mechanism. We conclude with applications of this approach in O-H functionalization reactions of alcohols, including simple fluorinated, halogenated and aliphatic alcohols and showcase functional-group tolerance of this method in the reaction of biologically active and pharmaceutically relevant alcohols.

Lake ecosystem health assessment using a novel hybrid decision-making framework in the Nam Co, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Lake health assessment (LHA), a powerful tool for lake ecological protection, provides the foundation for sustainable water environment management. However, existing methods have not yet considered the effects of fuzziness and randomness on LHA. In addition, most of the current studies on LHA focus on the plain areas, lack of quantitative studies in mountain areas, such as the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The Pythagorean fuzzy cloud (PFC) integration algorithm drawing on the advantages of Pythagorean fuzzy sets (PFS) and cloud model was proposed. A novel hybrid decision-making framework combining PFC integration algorithm and TOPSIS model was developed to determine the lake health levels with fuzziness and randomness. An indicator system incorporating ecosystem integrity (physical habitat, water quantity and quality, aquatic life) and non-ecological performance (social services) was established. To comprehensively investigate the lake health level in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Nam Co was selected as study area. Our results confirm that the developed framework in this study can overcome the shortcomings of existing methods and provide a more effective approach for LHA with fuzziness and randomness. In Nam Co, the non-ecological performance was significantly better than the ecosystem integrity. Health levels exhibited a remarkable spatial variation influenced by tourism and grazing, with decreasing health status from the northwestern to southeastern Nam Co. Approximately 85% of the sampling sites were at excellent or healthy levels, 15% were subhealthy, and no sampling sites were unhealthy and sick. Our results highlight that tourism has affected health levels at Nam Co, and effective measures are needed to minimize the impact in ecological fragile areas.

Microorganism community composition analysis coupling with 15N tracer experiments reveals the nitrification rate and N2O emissions in low pH soils in Southern China

Nitrification in agricultural soil is an important process for food production. In acidic soil, nitrification is however also considered to be a major source of N₂O production. The nitrification rate largely depends on the community composition of ammonia-oxidizing organisms. To obtain a view of the nitrification rates and N₂O emission situations in low pH soils in Southern China and understand their relations with the microbial community composition, here we conducted ¹⁵N tracer experiments and microorganism community composition analysis using four acidic agricultural soil samples collected in Southern China. A single dominant community (relative abundance >68%) of the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and ammonia-oxidizing archaea was observed in the soils with pH = 4.81–6.02. A low amount of NO3–\documentclass[10pt]{article}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage[substack]{amsmath}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage[mathscr]{eucal}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{pmc}\usepackage[Euler]{upgreek}\pagestyle{empty}\oddsidemargin -1.0in\begin{document}{\text{NO}}_{3}^{\mbox{--}}]\end{document} was produced from the nitrification in the strongly acidic soil (pH = 4.03), and the calculated nitrification rate in this soil was significantly lower than those of other soils with pH = 4.81–6.02. High N₂O emissions but low ¹⁵N–N₂O emissions were observed in the soil with pH = 4.03. Our results suggest that, under aerobic conditions, soil pH is an important factor affecting nitrification through modifying the microorganism composition.

QTL Identification for Stem Fiber, Strength and Rot Resistance in a DH Population from an Alien Introgression of Brassica napus

Stem fiber, stem strength and stem-rot resistance are important agronomic traits in Brassica napus. To understand the molecular mechanism that controls the stem-related traits, we investigated the stem lignin (ADL), cellulose (Cel), hemicellulose (Hem) content, S/G monolignol ratio (SG), stem breaking force (BF), breaking strength (F) and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum resistance (SSR). Each trait was significantly positively or negatively correlated with more than three of the other six traits. QTL mapping for ADL, Cel, Hem, SG, BF, F and SSR were performed using a doubled haploid population derived from an intertribal B. napus introgression line 'Y689' crossed with B. napus cv. 'Westar'. A total of 67 additive QTL were identified and integrated into 55 consensus QTL by meta-analysis. Among the 55 consensus QTL, 23 (41.8%) QTL were co-located and were integrated into 11 unique QTL. The QTL by environment (Q × E) interactions were analyzed and 22 combined QTL were identified. In addition, candidate genes within the QTL intervals were proposed based on the known function of Arabidopsis orthologs. These results provided valuable information for improving lodging resistance, S. sclerotiorum resistance and mechanized harvesting of B. napus.

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

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