[Clinical features and follow-up study on 55 patients with adolescence-onset methylmalonic acidemia]

Objective: To investigate the clinical features and outcomes of adolescence-onset methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) and explore preventive strategies. Methods: This was a retrospective case analysis of the phenotypes, genotypes and prognoses of adolescence-onset MMA patients. There were 55 patients diagnosed in Peking University First Hospital from January 2002 to June 2023, the data of symptoms, signs, laboratory results, gene variations, and outcomes was collected. The follow-ups were done through WeChat, telephone, or clinic visits every 3 to 6 months. Results: Among the 55 patients, 31 were males and 24 were females. The median age of onset was 12 years old (range 10-18 yearsold). They visited clinics at Tanner stages 2 to 5 with typical secondary sexual characteristics. Nine cases (16%) were trigged by infection and 5 cases (9%) were triggered by insidious exercises. The period from onset to diagnosis was between 2 months and 6 years. Forty-five cases (82%) had neuropsychiatric symptoms as the main symptoms, followed by cardiovascular symptoms in 12 cases (22%), kidney damage in 7 cases (13%), and eye disease in 12 cases (22%). Fifty-four cases (98%) had the biochemical characteristics of methylmalonic acidemia combined with homocysteinemia, and 1 case (2%) had the isolated methylmalonic acidemia. Genetic diagnosis was obtained in 54 cases, with 20 variants identified in MMACHC gene and 2 in MMUT gene. In 53 children with MMACHC gene mutation,1 case had dual gene variants of PRDX1 and MMACHC, with 105 alleles. The top 5 frequent variants in MMACHC were c.482G>A in 39 alleles (37%), c.609G>A in 17 alleles (16%), c.658_660delAAG in 11 alleles (10%), c.80A>G in 10 alleles (10%), c.567dupT and c.394C>T both are 4 alleles (4%). All patients recovered using cobalamin, L-carnitine, betaine, and symptomatic therapy, and 54 patients (98%) returned to school or work. Conclusions: Patients with adolescence-onset MMA may triggered by fatigue or infection. The diagnosis is often delayed due to non-specific symptoms. Metabolic and genetic tests are crucial for a definite diagnosis. Treatment with cobalamin, L-carnitine, and betaine can effectively reverse the prognosis of MMA in adolescence-onset patients.

Anion/Cation Co-Doping to Improve the Thermoelectric Performance of Sn-Enriched n-Type SnSe Polycrystals with Suppressed Lattice Thermal Conductivity

Enhancing the thermoelectric performance of n-type polycrystalline SnSe is essential, addressing challenges posed by elevated thermal conductivity and compromised power factor inherent in its intrinsic p-type characteristics. This investigation utilized solid-state reactions and spark plasma sintering techniques for the synthesis of n-type SnSe. A significant improvement in the figure of merit (ZT) is achieved through strategic reduction in Se concentration and optimization of crystal orientation. The co-doping with Br and Ge further improves the material; Br amplifies carrier concentration, enhancing electrical conductivity, while Ge introduces effective phonon scattering centers. In the Br/Ge co-doped SnSe sample, thermal conductivity dropped to 0.38 Wm⁻¹K⁻¹, yielding a remarkable power factor of 662 µW mK- 2 at 773 K, culminating in a ZT of 1.34. This signifies a noteworthy 605% improvement over the pristine sample, underscoring the pivotal role of Ge doping in enhancing n-type material thermoelectric properties. The enhancement is attributed to Br doping introducing additional electronic states near the valence band, and Ge doping modifying the band structure, fostering resonant states near the conduction band. The Br/Ge co-doping further transforms the band structure, influencing electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and thermal conductivity, advancing the understanding and application of n-type SnSe materials for superior thermoelectric performance.

[Cardio-metabolic risk and adverse pregnancy outcomes in the first trimester: findings from the Shenzhen birth cohort study]

Objective: To investigate the relationship between cardio-metabolic abnormalities in the first trimester and adverse pregnancy outcomes (APO). Methods: This cohort study recruited singleton pregnancies in the first trimester (6-13+6 weeks of gestation) from Shenzhen Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital between January 1, 2021, and October 31, 2022. Cardiometabolic markers, including body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides (TG), were recorded during the first trimester. Incidence of APO, including gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, preterm birth, fetal growth restriction, small for gestational age infant, and placental abruption, was documented. Cardiovascular metabolic abnormalities in the first trimester were defined as meeting one or more of the following criteria: elevated BMI (BMI≥24 kg/m²), elevated TG (TG≥1.7 mmol/L), decreased HDL-C (HDL-C<1.0 mmol/L), elevated blood pressure (systolic pressure≥130 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) and/or diastolic pressure≥85 mmHg), elevated FPG (FPG≥5.6 mmol/L). Enrolled women were categorized into abnormal cardio-metabolic and normal cardio-metabolic groups. Poisson regression was employed to analyze the association between cardio-metabolic abnormalities in the first trimester and APO. Results: The study included 14 197 pregnant women with an age of (32.0±4.1) years. There were 8 139 women in the normal cardio-metabolic group and 6 058 women in the abnormal cardio-metabolic group. Women with cardio-metabolic disorders in the first trimester had a younger gestational age and higher incidence rates of preterm birth, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes mellitus (all P<0.05). In multivariable Poisson regression, elevated BMI (RR=1.22, 95%CI 1.15-1.29), elevated FPG (RR=1.59, 95%CI 1.38-1.82), elevated TG (RR=1.22, 95%CI 1.13-1.31), and elevated blood pressure (RR=1.50, 95%CI 1.39-1.63) were independent risk factors for APO, while decreased HDL-C (RR=0.93, 95%CI 0.70-1.23) was not. Elevated blood pressure (RR=5.57, 95%CI 4.58-6.78), elevated BMI (RR=1.71, 95%CI 1.40-2.09), and elevated TG (RR=1.38, 95%CI 1.10-1.74) had the greatest impact on the risk of developing preeclampsia. Elevated FPG (RR=1.70, 95%CI 1.45-1.99) had the greatest impact on the risk of gestational diabetes. Conclusions: Elevated blood pressure, BMI, TG and FPG in the first trimester are closely related to APO.

[Efficacy of cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for pseudomyxoma peritonei]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in the treatment of pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP). Methods: In this descriptive case series study, we retrospective analyzed the records of PMP patients treated with CRS and HIPEC between January 2013 and June 2023 at Affiliated Cancer Hospital and Institute of Guangzhou Medical University. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) Aged 18 to 75 years and nonpregnant women. (2) Histologically confirmed diagnosis of pseudomyxoma peritonei. (3) Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS)>70. (4) The functions of major organs such as the heart, liver, lungs, and kidneys can tolerate major surgery for long periods of time. (5) No evidence of extra-abdominal metastasis. Patients with extensive intra-abdominal adhesions or severe infectious diseases were excluded. The main outcomes were overall survival (OS) and postoperative major complications. The postoperative major complications were graded according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (version 5.0). We used the peritoneal cancer index (PCI) score to quantitatively assess the peritoneal metastases and the completeness of cytoreduction (CCR) score at the end of surgery (CCR-0 and CCR-1 considered to be complete CRS). Results: A total of the 186 PMP patients with a median age of 56 (interquartile range extremes (IQRE), 48-64) years were included, 65 (34.9%) males and 121 (65.1%) females. The median peritoneal cancer index (PCI) score was 28 (20-34). Appendiceal origin accounted for 91.4%. Histological types were low grade in 99 patients (53.2%), high grade in 57 patients (30.6%), and 55 patients (29.6%) received complete cytoreduction (CCR-0/1). The median operative duration was 300 (211-430) minutes for all patients. Treatment-related 30-day mortality was 2.7%; 90-day mortality 4.3%; reoperation 1.6%; and severe morbidity 43.0%. Within the entire series, anemia(27.4%), electrolyte disturbance(11.6%), and hypoalbuminemia(7.5%) were the most frequent major complications (grade 3-4). The incidences of gastrointestinal anastomotic leakage, abdominal bleeding, and abdominal infection were 2.2%, 2.2%, and 4.3%, respectively. After a median follow-up of 38.1 (95%CI:31.2-45.1) months, the 5-year OS was 50.3% (95%CI: 40.7%-59.9%) with a median survival time of 66.1 (95%CI: 43.1-89.1) months. The survival analysis showed that patients with pathological low grade, low PCI, and low CCR score had better survival with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). Further stratified into complete and incomplete CRS subgroups, the 5-year OS of the CCR-0 and CCR-1 subgroups was 88.9% (95%CI: 68.3%-100.0%) and 77.6% (95%CI: 62.7%-92.5%), respectively; and 42.0% (95%CI: 29.5%-54.5%) in the CCR-2/3 subgroup. Conclusions: CRS and HIPEC may result in a long-term survival benefit for PMP patients with acceptable perioperative morbidity and mortality. This strategy, when complete CRS is possible, could significantly prolong survival for strictly selected patients at experienced centers.

[Overview of design and construction of hypertensive disorders of a pregnancy-cohort in Shenzhen]

Hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (HDP) involves two major public health issues: mother-infant safety and prevention and controlling major chronic disease. HDP poses a serious threat to maternal and neonatal safety, and it is one of the leading causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide, as well as an important risk factor for long-term cardiovascular disease (CVD). In order to explore effective strategies to prevent and control the source of CVD and reduce its risk, we have established a cohort of HDPs in Shenzhen for the primordial prevention of CVD. The construction of the HDP cohort has already achieved preliminary progress till now. A total of 2 239 HDP women have been recruited in the HDP cohort. We have established a cohort data management platform and Biobank. The follow-up and assessment of postpartum cardiovascular metabolic risk in this cohort has also been launched. Our efforts will help explore the pathophysiological mechanism of HDP, especially the pathogenesis and precision phenotyping, prediction, and prevention of pre-eclampsia, which, therefore, may reduce the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, and provide a bridge to linking HDP and maternal-neonatal cardiovascular, metabolic risk to promote the cardiovascular health of mothers and their infants.

High-Performance Thermoelectric Flexible Ag2Se-Based Films with Wave-Shaped Buckling via a Thermal Diffusion Method

Herein, an n-type Ag2Se thermoelectric flexible thin film has been fabricated on a polyimide (PI) substrate via a novel thermal diffusion method, and the thermoelectric performance is well-optimized by adjusting the pressure and temperature of thermal diffusion. All of the Ag2Se films are beneficial to grow (013) preferred orientations, which is conducive to performing a high Seebeck coefficient. By increasing the thermal diffusion temperature, the electrical conductivity can be rationally regulated while maintaining the independence of the Seebeck coefficient, which is mainly attributed to the increased electric mobility. As a result, the fabricated Ag2Se thin film achieves a high power factor of 18.25 μW cm-1 K-2 at room temperature and a maximum value of 21.7 μW cm-1 K-2 at 393 K. Additionally, the thermal diffusion method has resulted in a wave-shaped buckling, which is further verified as a promising structure to realize a larger temperature difference by the simulation results of finite element analysis (FEA). Additionally, this unique surface morphology of the Ag2Se thin film also exhibits outstanding mechanical properties, for which the elasticity modulus is only 0.42 GPa. Finally, a flexible round-shaped module assembled with Sb2Te3 has demonstrated an output power of 166 nW at a temperature difference of 50 K. This work not only introduces a new method of preparing Ag2Se thin films but also offers a convincing strategy of optimizing the microstructure to enhance low-grade heat utilization efficiency.

[Investigation of extrauterine growth restriction in very preterm infants in Chinese neonatal intensive care units]

Objective: To comprehensively assess the current status of extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR) in very preterm infants (VPI) and its associated factors in Chinese neonatal intensive care units (NICU). Methods: In this cohort study, 6 179 preterm infants born at <32 weeks' gestation were included, who were admitted to 57 hospitals in the China Neonatal Network in 2019 and hospitalized for ≥7 days. EUGR was evaluated by a cross-sectional definition (weight at discharge<10th percentile for postmenstrual age), a longitudinal definition (decline in weight Z score>1 from birth to discharge), and weight growth velocity. The comparison between infants with and without EUGR was conducted by t-test, Mann-Whitney U test or χ2 test as appropriate. Multivariable Logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations between EUGR with different definitions and maternal and neonatal factors, clinical practices, and neonatal morbidities. Results: A total of 6 179 VPI were enrolled in the study, with a gestational age of (29.8±1.5) weeks and birth weight of (1 365±304) g; 56.2% (3 474) of them were male. Among them, 48.4% (2 992 VPI) were cross-sectional EUGR and 74.9% (4 628 VPI) were longitudinal EUGR. Z score of weight was (0.13±0.78) at birth and decrease to (-1.35±0.99) at discharge. The weight growth velocity was 10.13 (8.42, 11.66) g/(kg·d). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that among the influential factors that could be intervened after birth, late attainment of full enteral feeds (ORadjust=1.01, 95%CI 1.01-1.02, P<0.001; ORadjust=1.01, 95%CI 1.01-1.02, P<0.001), necrotizing enterocolitis≥Ⅱstage (ORadjust=2.64, 95%CI 1.60-4.35, P<0.001; ORadjust=1.62, 95%CI 1.10-2.40, P<0.001) and patent ductus arteriosus (ORadjust=1.94, 95%CI 1.50-2.51, P<0.001; ORadjust=1.63, 95%CI 1.29-2.06, P<0.001) were all associated with increased risks of both cross-sectional and longitudinal EUGR. In addition, late initiation of enteral feeds (ORadjust=1.06, 95%CI 1.02-1.09, P=0.020) and respiratory distress syndrome (ORadjust=1.45, 95%CI 1.24-1.69, P<0.001) were all associated with cross-sectional EUGR. Breast milk feeding (ORadjust=1.33, 95%CI 1.05-1.68, P<0.001) was associated with a higher risk of longitudinal EUGR. Conclusions: The incidence of EUGR in VPI in China is high. Some modifiable risk factors provide priorities to improve postnatal growth for VPI. Nutritional management of VPI and the efforts to decrease the incidence of complications are still the focus of clinical management in China.

[Advances in the diagnosis and treatment strategy of polymyxin resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae]

In recent years, the detection rate of multidrug-resistant and pandrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae has increased year on year, so polymyxin has received increasing attention as an antibiotic that is still sensitive to most of the multidrug-resistant strains. However, widespread use of polymyxin is likely to lead to the emergence of polymyxin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. At the same time, the polymyxin hetero-resistance has made clinical prevention and treatment difficult. In addition to relying on the combination of polymyxins with other antibiotics, the search for new antibacterial drugs has also become a research hotspot. Research into early detection methods for polymyxin resistance can also help to optimize and improve the diagnosis and treatment strategies. This article reviewed the epidemic status, mechanism, detection methods and prevention measures of polymyxin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Improved Measurement of the Evolution of the Reactor Antineutrino Flux and Spectrum at Daya Bay

Reactor neutrino experiments play a crucial role in advancing our knowledge of neutrinos. In this Letter, the evolution of the flux and spectrum as a function of the reactor isotopic content is reported in terms of the inverse-beta-decay yield at Daya Bay with 1958 days of data and improved systematic uncertainties. These measurements are compared with two signature model predictions: the Huber-Mueller model based on the conversion method and the SM2018 model based on the summation method. The measured average flux and spectrum, as well as the flux evolution with the ^{239}Pu isotopic fraction, are inconsistent with the predictions of the Huber-Mueller model. In contrast, the SM2018 model is shown to agree with the average flux and its evolution but fails to describe the energy spectrum. Altering the predicted inverse-beta-decay spectrum from ^{239}Pu fission does not improve the agreement with the measurement for either model. The models can be brought into better agreement with the measurements if either the predicted spectrum due to ^{235}U fission is changed or the predicted ^{235}U, ^{238}U, ^{239}Pu, and ^{241}Pu spectra are changed in equal measure.

Precision Measurement of Reactor Antineutrino Oscillation at Kilometer-Scale Baselines by Daya Bay

We present a new determination of the smallest neutrino mixing angle θ_{13} and the mass-squared difference Δm_{32}^{2} using a final sample of 5.55×10^{6} inverse beta-decay (IBD) candidates with the final-state neutron captured on gadolinium. This sample is selected from the complete dataset obtained by the Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment in 3158 days of operation. Compared to the previous Daya Bay results, selection of IBD candidates has been optimized, energy calibration refined, and treatment of backgrounds further improved. The resulting oscillation parameters are sin^{2}2θ_{13}=0.0851±0.0024, Δm_{32}^{2}=(2.466±0.060)×10^{-3}  eV^{2} for the normal mass ordering or Δm_{32}^{2}=-(2.571±0.060)×10^{-3}  eV^{2} for the inverted mass ordering.

[Effects of interleukin-4-modified gold nanozymes on the full-thickness skin defects in diabetic mice]

Objective: To investigate the effects and mechanism of interleukin-4-modified gold nanoparticle (IL-4-AuNP) on the wound healing of full-thickness skin defects in diabetic mice. Methods: Experimental research methods were adopted. Gold nanoparticle (AuNP) and IL-4-AuNP were synthesized by improving the methods described in published literature. The morphology of those two particles were photographed by transmission electron microscopy, and their particle sizes were calculated. The surface potential and hydration particle size of the two particles were detected by nanoparticle potentiometer and particle size analyzer, respectively. The clearance rate of IL-4-AuNP to hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion was measured by hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion kits, respectively. Mouse fibroblast line 3T3 cells were used and divided into the following groups by the random number table (the same below): blank control group, hydrogen peroxide alone group treated with hydrogen peroxide only, hydrogen peroxide+IL-4-AuNP group treated with IL-4-AuNP for 0.5 h and then treated with hydrogen peroxide. After 24 h of culture, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels of cells were detected by immunofluorescence method; cell count kit 8 was used to detect relative cell survival rate. The macrophage Raw264.7 mouse cells were then used and divided into blank control group and IL-4-AuNP group that treated with IL-4-AuNP. After 24 h of culture, the expression of arginase 1 (Arg-1) in cells was observed by immunofluorescence method. Twelve male BALB/c mice (mouse age, sex, and strain, the same below) aged 8 to 10 weeks were divided into IL-4-AuNP group and blank control group, treated accordingly. On the 16th day of treatment, whole blood samples were collected from mice for analysis of white blood cell count (WBC), red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin level, or platelet count and the level of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), urea, or creatinine. The inflammation, bleeding, or necrosis in the heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney tissue of mice were detected by hematoxylin-eosin (HE). Another 36 mice were selected to make diabetic model, and the full-thickness skin defect wounds were made on the back of these mice. The wounds were divided into blank control group, AuNP alone group, and IL-4-AuNP group, with 12 mice in each group, and treated accordingly. On the 0 (immediately), 4th, 9th, and 15th day of treatment, the wound condition was observed and the wound area was calculated. On the 9th day of treatment, HE staining was used to detect the length of neonatal epithelium and the thickness of granulation tissue in the wound. On the 15th day of treatment, immunofluorescence method was used to detect ROS level and the number of Arg-1 positive cells in the wound tissue. The number of samples was 6 in all cases. Data were statistically analyzed with independent sample t test, corrected t test, Tukey test, or Dunnett T3 test. Results: The size of prepared AuNP and IL-4-AuNP were uniform. The particle size, surface potential, and hydration particle size of AuNP and IL-4-AuNP were (13.0±2.1) and (13.9±2.5) nm, (-45.8±3.2) and (-20.3±2.2) mV, (14±3) and (16±4) nm, respectively. For IL-4-AuNP, the clearance rate to hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion were (69±4)% and (52±5)%, respectively. After 24 h of culture, the ROS level of 3T3 in hydrogen peroxide alone group was significantly higher than that in blank control group (q=26.12, P<0.05); the ROS level of hydrogen peroxide+IL-4-AuNP group was significantly lower than that in hydrogen peroxide alone group (q=25.12, P<0.05) and close to that in blank control group (P>0.05). After 24 h of culture, the relative survival rate of 3T3 cells in hydrogen peroxide+IL-4-AuNP group was significantly higher than that in hydrogen peroxide alone group (t=51.44, P<0.05). After 24 h of culture, Arg-1 expression of Raw264.7 cells in IL-4-AuNP group was significantly higher than that in blank control group (t'=8.83, P<0.05).On the 16th day of treatment, there were no significant statistically differences in WBC, RBC, hemoglobin level, or platelet count and the level of AST, ALT, urea, or creatinine of mice between blank control group and IL-4-AuNP group (P>0.05). No obvious inflammation, bleeding or necrosis was observed in the heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney of important organs in IL-4-AuNP group, and no significant changes were observed compared with blank control group. On the 0 and 4th day of treatment, the wound area of diabetic mice in blank control group, AuNP alone group, and IL-4-AuNP group had no significant difference (P>0.05). On the 9th day of treatment, the wound areas both in AuNP alone group and IL-4-AuNP group were significantly smaller than that in blank control group (with q values of 9.45 and 14.87, respectively, P<0.05), the wound area in IL-4-AuNP group was significantly smaller than that in AuNP alone group (q=5.42, P<0.05). On the 15th day of treatment, the wound areas both in AuNP alone group and IL-4-AuNP group were significantly smaller than that in blank control group (with q values of 4.84 and 20.64, respectively, P<0.05), the wound area in IL-4-AuNP group was significantly smaller than that in AuNP alone group (q=15.80, P<0.05); moreover, inflammations such as redness and swelling were significantly reduced in IL-4-AuNP group compared with the other two groups. On the 9th day of treatment, compared with blank control group and AuNP alone group, the length of neonatal epithelium in the wound of diabetic mice in IL-4-AuNP group was significantly longer (all P<0.05), and the thickness of the granulation tissue in the wound was significantly increased (with q values of 11.33 and 9.65, respectively, all P<0.05). On the 15th day of treatment, compared with blank control group, ROS levels in wound tissue of diabetic mice in AuNP alone group and IL-4-AuNP group were significantly decreased (P<0.05). On the 15th day of treatment, the number of Arg-1 positive cells in the wounds of diabetic mice in IL-4-AuNP group was significantly more than that in blank control group and AuNP alone group, respectively (all P<0.05). Conclusions: IL-4-AuNP is safe in vivo, and can improve the oxidative microenvironment by removing ROS and induce macrophage polarization towards M2 phenotype, thus promote efficient diabetic wound healing and regeneration of full-thickness skin defects in diabetic mice.

Effects of Si Substrates with Variable Initial Orientations on the Growth and Thermoelectric Properties of Bi-Sb-Te Thin Films

For thermoelectric thin film, the substrate plays an important role during the growing process and produces effects on its thermoelectric properties. Some special kinds of substrates provide an optimal combination of influences on both the structure and thermoelectric properties. In this work, Bi-Sb-Te films are deposited on Si substrates with different initial orientations by magnetron sputtering in two ways: with and without a pre-coating process. The preferred orientations of the Bi-Sb-Te films are greatly affected by the substrates, in which the thin film tends to deposit on Si substrate with (100) initial orientation and high (015)-texture, while the (00l)-textured Bi-Sb-Te film easily deposits on Si substrate with (110) initial orientation. The experimental and theoretical calculation results indicate that Bi-Sb-Te film with (00l)-texture presents good electrical conductivity and a higher power factor than that of film with (015)-texture.

[Efficacy and safety of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in children]

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in the diagnosis and treatment of biliary and pancreatic diseases in children. Methods: The clinical data of 127 children who were treated with ERCP in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from January 2007 to July 2021 were analyzed. According to the diseases they suffered from, the children were divided into biliary group and pancreatic group. The operation times, technical success rate, diagnosis, interventions and post-ERCP complications between the groups were compared by t-test or χ² test. The risk factors of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) were analyzed by multivariate Logistic regression. Results: A total of 127 children, including 54 males and 73 females, with a median age of 14 years at first ERCP, were included in this study. ERCP was performed in 181 cases, with a success rate of 98.3% (178/181). In pre-ERCP imaging examination, the positive diagnostic rates of ultrasound, CT and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) for biliary and pancreatic diseases were 54.1% (53/98), 56.1% (37/66) and 79.3% (88/111), respectively. MRCP had the highest positive diagnostic rate, and the difference among the three measures was statistically significant (χ²=17.33, P<0.001). The most common indications for ERCP in biliary and pancreatic diseases were choledocholithiasis (77.0%, 107/139) and congenital structural abnormalities of the pancreas (31.0%, 13/42), respectively. After ERCP, the abdominal pain was dramatically relieved and the liver function was significantly improved (all P<0.001). The blood amylase level of the children with pancreatic diseases was significantly lower than that before ERCP (t=7.73, P<0.001). The overall incidence of post-ERCP complications was 12.2% (22/181), of which post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) was the most common (7.2%, 13/181). The incidence of PEP was significantly higher in the pancreatic group than in the biliary group (16.7% (7/42) vs. 4.3% (6/139),χ²=7.38, P=0.007). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that young age was the independent risk factor of PEP (OR=0.80, 95%CI 0.67-0.96). Conclusions: MRCP is the first choice for pre-ERCP imaging examination of biliary and pancreatic diseases in children. ERCP can be safely and effectively used in the diagnosis and treatment of biliary and pancreatic diseases in children, with a high success rate and obvious alleviation of symptoms.

First Measurement of High-Energy Reactor Antineutrinos at Daya Bay

This Letter reports the first measurement of high-energy reactor antineutrinos at Daya Bay, with nearly 9000 inverse beta decay candidates in the prompt energy region of 8-12 MeV observed over 1958 days of data collection. A multivariate analysis is used to separate 2500 signal events from background statistically. The hypothesis of no reactor antineutrinos with neutrino energy above 10 MeV is rejected with a significance of 6.2 standard deviations. A 29% antineutrino flux deficit in the prompt energy region of 8-11 MeV is observed compared to a recent model prediction. We provide the unfolded antineutrino spectrum above 7 MeV as a data-based reference for other experiments. This result provides the first direct observation of the production of antineutrinos from several high-Q_{β} isotopes in commercial reactors.

Achieving High Thermoelectric Performance of Eco-Friendly SnTe-Based Materials by Selective Alloying and Defect Modulation

Recently, rock-salt lead-free chalcogenide SnTe-based thermoelectric (TE) materials have been considered an alternative to PbTe because of the nontoxic properties of Sn as compared to Pb. However, high carrier concentration that originated from intrinsic Sn vacancies and relatively high thermal conductivity of pristine SnTe lead to poor TE efficiency, which makes room for improving its TE properties. In this study, we present that the Na incorporation into the SnTe matrix is helpful for modifying the electronic band structure, optimization of carrier concentration, introducing dislocations, and kink planes; benefiting from these synergistic effects obviates the disadvantages of SnTe and makes a significant improvement in TE performance. We reveal that Na favorably impacts the structure of electronic bands by valence, conduction band engineering, leading to a nice enhancement in the Seebeck coefficient, which exhibits the highest power factor value of 37.93 μWcm^-1 K^-2 at 898 K, representing the best result for the SnTe material system. Moreover, a broader phonon spectrum is introduced by new phonon-scattering centers, scattered by dislocations and kink planes which suppressed lattice thermal conductivity to 0.57 Wm^-1 K^-1 at 898 K, which is much lower than that of pristine SnTe. Ultimately, a maximum ZT of 1.26 at 898 K is achieved in the Sn_1.03Te + 3% Na sample, which is 97% higher than that of the pristine SnTe, suggesting that SnTe-based materials are a robust candidate for TE applications specifically, an ideal alternative of lead chalcogenides for TE power generation at high temperatures.

[Clinical characteristics and CBS gene analysis of 13 cases with classic homocystinuria]

Objective: To analyze the clinical features and CBS gene variants of 13 patients with classic homocystinuria, and the strategies of individual treatment and prevention were explored. Methods: The general information, clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, cranial images, CBS gene variants, diagnosis and therapeutic strategies of 13 patients with classic homocystinuria admitted to the Department of Pediatrics of Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University and Peking University First Hospital from November 2013 to June 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. Results: There were 13 patients diagnosed at the age of 10 days to 14 years, 6 were male and 7 were female. There were 3 patients detected by newborn screening and received treatment at the asymptomatic stage. There were 10 patients clinically diagnosed at the age of 5 to 14 years. Their symptoms appeared at age of 1 to 6 years. The major clinical manifestations were marfanoid features, lens dislocation and (or) myopia, developmental delay, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular diseases. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed asymmetric infarcts in 4 patients and hypomyelination in 1 case. Increased blood methionine, plasma total homocysteine and urinary total homocysteine with normal urinary methylmalonic acid were found in 13 patients. The biochemical features were consistent with classic homocystinuria. Totally 18 variants were identified in CBS gene of 13 patients, 10 variants were novel and 8 were reported. only 1 patient was partially responsive to vitamin B₆ treatment, while 12 cases were non-responsive. They were mainly treated with low methionine diet and betaine supplement. Three vitamin B₆ non-responsive cases received liver transplantation at age of 3, 8 and 8 years, respectively. Their blood methionine and total homocysteine returned to normal within a week after liver transplantation. One patient died. Prenatal diagnosis was performed for a fetus when the mother was pregnant again. Two pathogenic CBS gene variants were identified from the amniocytes as same as the proband. Conclusions: The clinical manifestations of classic homocystinuria are complex and variable. Blood amino acid analysis, serum or urine total homocysteine assay and gene analysis are critical for its diagnosis. There were 10 novel CBS gene varients were identified expanding the CBS gene varient spectrum. Liver transplantation is an effective treatment. Prenatal diagnosis is important to prevent classic homocysteinuria.

[Imaging features of 10 patients with toxic encephalopathy caused by diquat]

Objective: To explore the CT and MRI imaging findings of diquat toxic encephalopathy. Methods: CT and MRI imaging features of 10 patients with diquat poisoning encephalopathy who had been clinically diagnosed were retrospectively reviewed. Results: CT was performed in all 10 patients, and MRI was performed in 8 patients. In 10 patients, 7 had positive signs on CT, and 8 patients with MRI examination had abnormal changes in the images. The main CT findings were symmetrical hypodensity in bilateral cerebellar hemisphere, brainstem, thalamus and basal ganglia, and swelling of brain tissue. The main MRI findings were symmetrical lesions and brain edema in the deep nuclei of cerebellar hemisphere, brainstem, thalamus and basal ganglia, low signal on T1WI, high signal on T2WI and T2-FLAIR, and cytotoxic edema on diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) . On review after treatment, both CT and MRI showed resorption of the lesion, which narrowed in size. Conclusion: The imaging findings of diquat poisoning encephalopathy are characteristic and the location of the lesion is characteristic, and CT and MRI have a certain diagnostic value in diquat poisoning encephalopathy, which is important for clinical treatment.

Joint Determination of Reactor Antineutrino Spectra from ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu Fission by Daya Bay and PROSPECT

A joint determination of the reactor antineutrino spectra resulting from the fission of ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu has been carried out by the Daya Bay and PROSPECT Collaborations. This Letter reports the level of consistency of ^{235}U spectrum measurements from the two experiments and presents new results from a joint analysis of both data sets. The measurements are found to be consistent. The combined analysis reduces the degeneracy between the dominant ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu isotopes and improves the uncertainty of the ^{235}U spectral shape to about 3%. The ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu antineutrino energy spectra are unfolded from the jointly deconvolved reactor spectra using the Wiener-SVD unfolding method, providing a data-based reference for other reactor antineutrino experiments and other applications. This is the first measurement of the ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu spectra based on the combination of experiments at low- and highly enriched uranium reactors.

[Mechanism of scavenger receptor-A in high glucose-induced inflammatory injury of mesangial cells]

Objective: To investigate the effect of high glucose on scavenger receptor-A (SR-A) in human glomerular mesangial cells (HMC) and explore the mechanism of inflammatory injury mediated by SR-A in HMC cultured in high-glucose medium. Methods: According to the concentration of D-glucose in culture medium, HMC were divided into normal glucose group (5.5 mmol/L) and high glucose group (30 mmol/L), with mannitol group as hypertonic control. High glucose group was transfected with SR-A small interfering RNA (siSR-A) and the transfection control (siNC) group were set up. Western blotting technology was used to detect the levels of SR-A, NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) protein. Immunofluorescent staining was applied to measure the SR-A in HMC. The mRNA of NLRP3, Caspase-1, IL-1β, FN, ColⅣ, α-SMA and GRP78 were detected by real-time quantitative PCR. The relative activity of Caspase-1 was detected by enzyme method and the concentration of IL-1β in culture medium was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Flow cytometry was used to measure the cell cycles of HMC. One-way ANOVA and SNK-q test were used for statistical analysis. Results: The protein level of SR-A in high glucose group was higher than that in normal glucose group and mannitol group (1.23±0.21 vs. 0.68±0.10, 1.23±0.21 vs. 0.78±0.13, all P<0.05). In addition, mean fluorescence intensity of SR-A, protein levels of NLRP3 and IL-1β, mRNA of NLRP3, Caspase-1 and IL-1β, relative activity of Caspase-1 as well as the concentration of IL-1β in high glucose group were all significantly higher than those in normal glucose group and mannitol group (all P<0.05).After transfection induced silencing, SR-A protein in high glucose siNC group was higher than that in high glucose siSR-A group and normal glucose siNC group (1.23±0.10 vs. 0.20±0.01, 1.23±0.10 vs. 0.87±0.01, all P<0.01). In high glucose siNC group, the NLRP3, IL-1β proteins, the NLRP3, Caspase-1 and IL-1β mRNA, all of the mRNA levels of FN, ColⅣ, α-SMA, GRP78 and the proportion of DNA synthesis phase were all higher than those in high glucose siSR-A group and normal glucose siNC group (all P<0.05). Conclusion: High glucose can promote abnormal cell proliferation, increase mesangial matrix production and enhance oxidative stress response through upregulating SR-A expression, and ultimately aggravate cellular inflammatory damage in HMC, which may be associated with NLRP3-Caspase-1-IL-1β pathway regulated by SR-A expression.

[Associations between pre-pregnancy body mass index and occurrence and clinical features of preeclampsia]

Objective: To investigate the associations between pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and occurrence and clinical features in pregnant women complicated by preeclampsia (PE). Methods: We recruited 42 427 pregnant women who were diagnosed with intrauterine pregnancy at Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital from July 2017 to December 2019, with a gestational age of 6~8⁺⁶ weeks, excluding those with basic diseases and incomplete medical records. Among them, 659 were diagnosed with PE. According to the pre-pregnancy BMI, the pregnant women were divided into underweight group (42 cases), normal body weight group (422 cases), overweight group (138 cases) and obesity group (57 cases). Maternal outcomes (the occurrence of preeclampsia, cesarean delivery rate) and neonatal outcomes (birth weight, Apgar score and neonatal ICU admission) were recorded. The maternal outcomes, gestational age of delivery, delivery mode, newborn birth weight, Apgar score and admission to neonatal ICU were compared among the pregnant women in each group. Logistic regression model was established to analyze the influence of different pre-pregnancy BMI on the occurrence and clinical features of PE. Results: The incidence of PE was 1.55% (659/42 427), and the incidence of PE was 0.61% (42/6 941), 1.44% (422/29 297), 2.62% (138/5 273) and 6.22% (57/916) in the underweight group, the normal weight group, the overweight group and the obesity group, respectively. After adjustment for age, parity, educational level, history of preeclampsia, and in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET), compared with normal group, the adjusted OR for developing early-onset PE were 0.57 (95%CI: 0.29-1.02) for underweight, 1.03 (95%CI: 0.65-1.56) for overweight and 2.15 (95%CI: 1.03-4.02) for obesity groups. The OR for developing late-onset PE were 0.50 (95%CI: 0.33-0.72) for underweight, 1.57 (95%CI: 1.23-1.99) for overweight and 4.25 (95%CI: 3.00-5.91) for obesity group. The OR for PE without severe features were 0.54 (95%CI: 0.30-0.89), 1.40 (95%CI: 0.97-1.99) and 5.11 (95%CI: 3.22-7.84) for underweight, overweight and obesity groups, respectively. The OR for severe PE were 0.51 (95%CI: 0.33-0.75), 1.42 (95%CI: 1.10-1.83) and 2.97 (95%CI: 1.95-4.38) for underweight, overweight and obesity groups, respectively. The median neonate birth weight in women with PE were 2 420 g (1 602-2 845 g), 2 435 g (1 692-3 030 g), 2 540 g (1 922-3 132 g), and 2 950 g (2 050-3 360 g) for underweight, normal, overweight and obesity groups, respectively. The neonatal birth weight in obesity group was heavier than that in normal group (P<0.05). The incidence rates of large for gestational age (LGA) in PE women were 0 (0/42), 3.3% (14/422), 7.3% (10/138) and 17.5% (10/57) for underweight, normal, overweight and obesity groups, respectively. The incidence rate of LGA in obesity group was higher than that in normal group (P<0.05). Conclusions: Pre-pregnancy obesity is an independent risk factor for PE. Obesity related PE is more likely associated with late-onset PE and LGA. It is recommended to control weight before pregnancy, limit weight gain during pregnancy and control blood pressure to reduce the incidence of PE and ensure the safety of mother and child.

[C-reactive protein and direct bilirubin as the early diagnostic indicators of primary hepatocellular carcinoma combined with macrovascular invasion]

Objective: To explore the early clinical diagnostic indicators in patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) combined with macrovascular invasion. Methods: The clinical data of 180 cases of HCC diagnosed by histopathology examination in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from 2012 to 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The factors influencing the development of macrovascular invasion in HCC patients were analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) was used to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity. Results: Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level was significantly correlated with various clinical characteristics of HCC patients, including the maximum tumor diameter, tumor number, and macrovascular invasion. Further analysis of the risk factors showed that serum direct bilirubin and CRP were independent risk factors for macrovascular invasion in HCC patients, with odds ratios of 1.747 (95% CI 1.119-2.728, P = 0.014) and 2.376 (95% CI 1.495-3.775, P < 0.001). ROC curve analysis showed that serum CRP, direct bilirubin, and the combination of the both had certain diagnostic value for hepatocellular carcinoma combined with macrovascular invasion. The area under the curve, sensitivity and specificity was 0.724, 0.668, 0.743, 79.1%, 70.1%, 79.1%, and 61.9%, 62.8%, 67.3%, respectively. Conclusion: The combination of CRP with direct bilirubin can be used as an important clinical diagnostic indicator for early diagnosis and prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma combined with macrovascular invasion.

[Clinical analysis of 30 cases with asbestos-related occupational tumors]

Asbestos is classified as a Class 1 carcinogen by the International Cancer Organization (IARC) , and almost all types of asbestos are carcinogenic. The clinical data of 30 asbestos-induced occupational tumor patients in Qingdao city from January 2002 to May 2019 were analyzed, including 24 cases of asbestos-induced lung cancer and 6 cases of asbestos-induced malignant mesothelioma. Mesothelioma was significantly worse than lung cancer in terms of malignancy, the survival time of patients is shorter, and the mortality rate was higher. Both its diagnostic methods and treatment methods should be improved. The high incidence of asbestos-caused tumors is coming. It is recommended that workers exposed to asbestos dust should undergo regular chest CT examinations for early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment.

[Establishment and implementation of hepatitis C screening and referral channels in the hospitals]

Discovering and treating potential hepatitis C infections has become an important strategy to eliminate hepatitis C in China. Currently, the rate of screening and misdiagnosis of hepatitis C antibodies in Chinese hospitals is high, but the rate of physician consultation is low. Therefore, with the cooperation of multiple departments of the hospital, the establishment and implementation of hepatitis C screening and referral channels can effectively improve the diagnosis, referral and treatment rate of hepatitis C patients. This article summarizes the recent research progress of hepatitis C screening and referral in the hospitals.

Two-Dimensional Platinum Diselenide: Synthesis, Emerging Applications, and Future Challenges

In recent years, emerging two-dimensional (2D) platinum diselenide (PtSe2) has quickly attracted the attention of the research community due to its novel physical and chemical properties. For the past few years, increasing research achievements on 2D PtSe2 have been reported toward the fundamental science and various potential applications of PtSe2. In this review, the properties and structure characteristics of 2D PtSe2 are discussed at first. Then, the recent advances in synthesis of PtSe2 as well as their applications are reviewed. At last, potential perspectives in exploring the application of 2D PtSe2 are reviewed.

Improved Constraints on Sterile Neutrino Mixing from Disappearance Searches in the MINOS, MINOS+, Daya Bay, and Bugey-3 Experiments

Searches for electron antineutrino, muon neutrino, and muon antineutrino disappearance driven by sterile neutrino mixing have been carried out by the Daya Bay and MINOS+ collaborations. This Letter presents the combined results of these searches, along with exclusion results from the Bugey-3 reactor experiment, framed in a minimally extended four-neutrino scenario. Significantly improved constraints on the θ_{μe} mixing angle are derived that constitute the most constraining limits to date over five orders of magnitude in the mass-squared splitting Δm_{41}^{2}, excluding the 90% C.L. sterile-neutrino parameter space allowed by the LSND and MiniBooNE observations at 90% CL_{s} for Δm_{41}^{2}<13  eV^{2}. Furthermore, the LSND and MiniBooNE 99% C.L. allowed regions are excluded at 99% CL_{s} for Δm_{41}^{2}<1.6 eV^{2}.

Research Progress on Forensic Palynology and Its Application in Forensic Science

Abstract

Forensic palynology is to apply palynology to the field of forensic science, using pollen and spores to solve issues in juridical practice, such as civil and criminal issues. Sporopollens have a small size, wide distribution, diverse morphology, can be easily transferred, have durability, and is not easily noticed. It can provide strong investigation and related evidence for case detection as good trace evidence. The application of palynology in forensic science has achieved certain success, but it is underutilized in most countries. This paper analyzes the evidence value provided by sporopollen, collection of the sporopollen samples, the progress in detection technology and challenges ahead, based on the biological characteristics of sporopollen, combined with recent successful cases in forensic science, to comprehensively discuss the research progress in forensic palynology and its application prospects in forensic science.

Application of Eye Tracker in Lie Detection

Objective To investigate the application value of eye tracking in lie detection. Methods The 40 subjects were randomly divided into two groups. The pupil diameter, fixation duration, points of fixation and blink frequency of the subjects in the experimental group in observing target stimulation and non-target stimulation were recorded with eye tracker after they accomplished the mock crime. The eye movement parameters of subjects in the control group were directly collected. The differences in eye movement parameters of the experimental group and the control group in observing target stimulation and non-target stimulation were analyzed by t-test. Pearson coefficient analysis of correlation between eye movement parameters that had differences was conducted. The effectiveness of eye movement parameters to distinguish between the experimental group and the control group was calculated by the receiver operator characteristic （ROC） curve. Results Participants from the experimental group had shorter average pupil diameter, longer average fixation duration and fewer fixation points （P<0.05）, but the differences in blink frequency had no statistical significance. The differences in the above indicators of the control group in observing target stimulation and non-target stimulation had no statistical significance. The average fixation duration showed a negative correlation with fixation points （r=-0.255, P<0.05）; the average fixation duration showed a negative correlation with average pupil diameter （r=-0.218, P<0.05）; the fixation points showed a positive correlation with average pupil diameter （r=0.09, P<0.05）. The area under the curve of average pupil diameter, average fixation duration and fixation points was 0.603, 0.621 and 0.580, respectively. Conclusion The average pupil diameter, average fixation duration and fixation points obtained by the eye tracker under laboratory conditions can be used to detect lies.

Effect of Graphene Oxide Nano-Sheets on Structural, Morphological and Photocatalytic Activity of BiFeO3-Based Nanostructures

Photocatalysts are widely used for the elimination of organic contaminants from waste-water and H2 evaluation by water-splitting. Herein, the nanohybrids of lanthanum (La) and selenium (Se) co-doped bismuth ferrites with graphene oxide were synthesized. A structural analysis from X-ray diffraction confirmed the transition of phases from rhombohedral to the distorted orthorhombic. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the graphene nano-sheets homogenously covered La-Se co-doped bismuth ferrites nanoparticles, particularly the (Bi0.92La0.08Fe0.50Se0.50O3-graphene oxide) LBFSe50-G sample. Moreover, the band-gap nanohybrids of La-Se co-doped bismuth ferrites were estimated from diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), which showed a variation from 1.84 to 2.09 eV, because the lowering of the band-gap can enhance photocatalytic degradation efficiency. Additionally, the photo-degradation efficiencies increased after the incorporation of graphene nano-sheets onto the La-Se co-doped bismuth ferrite. The maximum degradation efficiency of the LBFSe50-G sample was up to 80%, which may have been due to reduced band-gap and availability of enhanced surface area for incoming photons at the surface of the photocatalyst. Furthermore, photoluminescence spectra confirmed that the graphene oxide provided more electron-capturing sites, which decreased the recombination time of the photo-generated charge carriers. Thus, we can propose that the use of nanohybrids of La-Se co-doped bismuth ferrite with graphene oxide nano-sheets is a promising approach for both water-treatment and water-splitting, with better efficiencies of BiFeO3.

Application of 18S rDNA Clone Library to Detect Diatom Population Diversity in Dianchi

Abstract

Objective To detect the diatom population diversity in Dianchi by constructing a 18S rDNA clone library. Methods DNA from diatoms in 6 water samples of Dianchi was amplified with diatom 18S rDNA specific primer.The 18S rDNA clone library was constructed, and clones were randomly selected for sequence. Sequence alignment was performed by BLAST. The diatom population distribution in Dianchi was analyzed and the phylogenetic tree of diatom 18S rDNA in Dianchi waters was established with the MEGA v7.0.14 software. Results Two hundred and forty clones were sequenced, with 167 diatom sequences obtained, including 11 diatom species such as Stephanodiscus, Diatoma, and Melosira. There were certain differences in diatom population distribution among the 6 samples. Conclusion The population distribution of diatom species in Dianchi shows unique features and the sequence analysis of diatom 18S rDNA has a certain reference value to the inference of forensic drowning sites.

Thermoelectric Properties of Tin Telluride Quasi Crystal Grown by Vertical Bridgman Method

Tin telluride (SnTe), with the same rock salt structure and similar band structure of PbTe alloys, was developed as a good thermoelectric material. In this work, SnTe quasi crystal was grown by vertical Bridgman method, with texturing degree achieved at 0.98. Two sets of samples, perpendicular and parallel to the growth direction, were cut to investigate thermoelectric properties. As a result, a carrier concentration (p_H) of ~9.5 × 10²⁰ cm⁻³ was obtained, which may have originated from fully generated Sn vacancies during the long term crystal growth. The relatively high Seebeck coefficient of ~30 μVK⁻¹ and ~40 μVK⁻¹ along the two directions was higher than most pristine SnTe reported in the literature, which leads to the room temperature (PF) for SnTe_IP and SnTe_OP achieved at ~14.0 μWcm⁻¹K⁻² and ~7.0 μWcm⁻¹K⁻², respectively. Finally, the maximum dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) values were around 0.55 at 873 K.

Extraction of the ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu Antineutrino Spectra at Daya Bay

This Letter reports the first extraction of individual antineutrino spectra from ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu fission and an improved measurement of the prompt energy spectrum of reactor antineutrinos at Daya Bay. The analysis uses 3.5×10^{6} inverse beta-decay candidates in four near antineutrino detectors in 1958 days. The individual antineutrino spectra of the two dominant isotopes, ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu, are extracted using the evolution of the prompt spectrum as a function of the isotope fission fractions. In the energy window of 4-6 MeV, a 7% (9%) excess of events is observed for the ^{235}U (^{239}Pu) spectrum compared with the normalized Huber-Mueller model prediction. The significance of discrepancy is 4.0σ for ^{235}U spectral shape compared with the Huber-Mueller model prediction. The shape of the measured inverse beta-decay prompt energy spectrum disagrees with the prediction of the Huber-Mueller model at 5.3σ. In the energy range of 4-6 MeV, a maximal local discrepancy of 6.3σ is observed.

[Clinical study on traditional Chinese medicine syndrome differentiation and treatment of pneumoconiosis]

Objective: To explore the clinical effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome differentiation in the treatment of pneumoconiosis. Methods: We selected 160 pneumoconiosis patients who were hospitalized in our hospital from July 2015 to July 2016. 102 patients were divided into experimental groups, and the other 58 patients were assigned to the control group. These patients were randomly assigned. The control group was given routine treatment, while the experimental group received conventional treatment combined with TCM syndrome differentiation. We rated patients' quality of life using the SF-36 Quality of Life Scale. C-reactive protein levels in both groups before and after treatment were detected by ELISA. Furthermore, we detected the expression levels of IL-6 mRNA and TGF-β mRNA in serum before and after treatment by RT-PCR.The analysis was performed with SPSS19.0 software. The normal distribution measurement data was expressed by Mean±SD, and the t-test was used for statistical analysis. Non-normal distribution measurement data were expressed as median(M) and interquartile range (P(25), P(75)), and non-parametric test was used for statistical analysis. Results: Compared with the control group, the readmission rate in the experimental group decreased within 3 months; The SF-36 quality of life score results of the two groups showed a statistically significant difference in BP, VT and RE (P<0.05);The levelofCRPdecreasedsignificantlyafter treatment in bothgroups,and thedifferencewasstatistically significant (P<0.05).Comparedwith thecontrolgroup, the levelsofIL-6mRNAandTGF-β1mRNA alsodecreased (P<0.05). Conclusion: TCM syndromedifferentiation and treatmentofpneumoconiosis can effectively improve the patient's condition and life quality. We predict that it may inhibit the progression of pulmonary fibrosis in pneumoconiosis.

[Clinical analysis of 24 cases of occupational chromium rhinopathy]

Occupational chromium rhinopathy is chronic nasal damage caused by chromic anhydride, chromate and dichromate 6-valent chromium compounds. In 2016, 700 people who were exposed to chromium slag in steel plant were checked out. 24 people were found to have nasal injuries. The expert group confirmed 1 case of occupational severe chromium rhinosis and 23 cases of occupational mild chromium rhinosis.There was no significant difference in the incidence, type of work and duration of injury among 24 patients (P>0.05) . Active measures should be taken to prevent chromium rhinopathy and the technological process should be reformed. Occupational health education and occupational health monitoring should be strengthened to avoid exposure of chromium and its compounds through nose and respiratory tract, and to reduce or eliminate the occurrence of chromium rhinosis.

[Emotional and behavioral problems associated with sleep problems in preschool aged children]

Objective: To examine whether sleep problems are related to both emotional and behavioral problems in children aged 3-6 years. Methods: A large cross-sectional study was conducted in Anqing, Wuhu, Tongling and Yangzhou from March to June 2015. A total of 8 900 preschool aged children were included. Sleep problems were obtained by using adapted BISQ completed by the parents or the people who took care of children. Emotional and behavioral problems of the children were accessed by using Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and multivariate logistic regression model was used for statistical analyses. Results: The detected rates of emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity problems, peer problems, total difficulties and prosocial behavior in preschool aged children were 9.0%, 13.9%, 18.9%, 25.5%, 13.6% and 16.2% respectively. All the detected rates were higher in boys than in girls except the higher rate of emotional symptoms. The proportions of children with high sleep quality, moderate sleep quality and poor or worse sleep quality were 3.9%, 52.9% and 43.2% respectively. After controlling the confounding factors of demographic variables, including gender, age, delivery mode, birth weight, birth height and patent's educational level, multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity problems, peer problems, total difficulties and prosocial behavior in children with longer sleep duration was lower than that in children with shorter sleep duration, the ORs were 0.86 (95%CI: 0.77-0.95), 0.85 (95%CI: 0.78-0.93), 0.85 (95%CI: 0.79-0.92), 0.87(95%CI: 0.81-0.93), 0.83 (95%CI: 0.76-0.91) and 0.82 (95%CI: 0.76-0.89) respectively. Compared with the children with good sleep quality, the risk of emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity problems, peer problems, total difficulties and prosocial behavior were higher in children with poor or worse sleep quality, the ORs were 3.26 (95%CI: 2.40-4.42), 2.86 (95%CI: 2.16-3.78), 2.60 (95%CI: 2.00-3.38), 1.96 (95%CI: 1.52-2.54), 4.02 (95%CI: 3.06-5.27) and 2.56 (95%CI: 1.96-3.35) respectively. Conclusion: There was a negative impact of shorter sleep and poor or worse sleep on emotional and behavioral problems of preschool aged children.

[From evidence to clinical practice: myopia control among children in refraction clinics]

Over the past decade, breakthrough has been made on myopia progression control with a lot of evidence from clinical trials, but the effective clinical application of many of them remained immature. Though refraction clinics have been set up in many specialized hospitals offering spectacles to correct refractive error, there was few protocol or standard of treatment for reducing myopia progression. This commentary reviews the latest and essential publications and presents critical advice on applying the research findings to clinical practice. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2019, 55: 89-92).

[Clinical characteristics and risk factors in pregnancy with severe community-acquired pneumonia]

Objective: To analyze clinical characteristics of severe community-acquired pneumonia during pregnancy and its outcomes, and to explore the relevant risk factors. Methods: From September 2012 to September 2017, 324 398 pregnancies admitted in 7 tertiary hospitals were included. Clinical data of 33 cases of pregnancies with severe community-acquired pneumonia (severe pneumonia group) and 214 cases of pregnancies with common community-acquired pneumonia (control group) were reviewed retrospectively, including the clinical information, manifestations, laboratory examinations and pregnancy outcomes. Relevant risk factors were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: (1) General data: pregnancies with severe community-acquired pneumonia accounted for 0.010% (33/324 398) of hospitalized pregnancies, the gestational age of two groups were (28±8) and (23±8) weeks, body mass index were (21.7±2.1) and (25.5±3.4) kg/m(2), rate of low income were 54.5% (18/33) and 31.8% (68/214) , respectively. The differences between two groups were all statistically significant (all P<0.05). No significant differences were found in age, pregnancy and parity times, rate of main pregnant complications such as diabetes and hypertension, educational level, asthma and onset seasons between two groups (all P>0.05). (2) Clinical data: the severe pneumonia group had significantly higher incidence of fever [100.0% (33/33) vs 75.2% (161/214) ], shortness of breath (90.9% vs 16.8%) compared with the control group (all P<0.05) .The median peripheral leukocytes counts were 12.3×10(9)/L and 10.2×10(9)/L, the hemoglobin level were (84±18) and (107±14) g/L,the albumin level were (26±4) and (37±3) g/L, the median serum urea nitrogen level were 3.7 and 2.4 mmol/L, the serum creatinine level were (72±25) and (45±11) μmol/L, respectively in two groups. The differences were all statistically significant (all P<0.05). No significantly statistical differences were found in coagulation indicator and cardiac function between two groups (all P>0.05). (3) Treatments: in severe pneumonia group, 12 patients (36.4%,12/33) needed invasive mechanical ventilation, 9 patients (27.3%,9/33) needed non-invasive mechanical ventilation, average time of mechanical ventilation was (7±4) days;8 patients (24.2%,8/33) with septic shock needed vasoactive drugs. However, there was no patient in control group needing mechanical ventilation and vasoactive drugs. (4) Pregnant outcomes: one patient (3.0%,1/33) died in the severe pneumonia group, while no death occurred in the control group. The hospital stay between two groups were (15.1±4.1) and (7.0±1.9) days, the rates of abortion and stillbirth between two groups were 42.4% (14/33) and 3.3% (7/214) , the rates of premature were 10/19 and 6.3% (13/207) , the rates of cesarean were 15/19 and 43.0% (89/207) , the rates of low birth weight newborn were 17/19 and 14.0% (29/207) , the rates of infected newborn were 15/19 and 10.1% (21/207) , the birth weights were (2 165±681) and (3 102±400) g, respectively. The differences between two groups were all statistically significant (all P<0.05). (5) Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that anemia, low body mass index, hypoproteinemia were risk factors for severe pneumonia in pregnancy (all P<0.05) . Conclusions: Pregnancy with severe community-acquired pneumonia may be complicated by multiple organ dysfunctions, lead to adverse outcomes. Anemia, malnutrition are risk factors for pregnancy with severe pneumonia. Active and effective treatment may improve its prognosis.

Measurement of the Electron Antineutrino Oscillation with 1958 Days of Operation at Daya Bay

We report a measurement of electron antineutrino oscillation from the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment with nearly 4 million reactor ν[over ¯]_{e} inverse β decay candidates observed over 1958 days of data collection. The installation of a flash analog-to-digital converter readout system and a special calibration campaign using different source enclosures reduce uncertainties in the absolute energy calibration to less than 0.5% for visible energies larger than 2 MeV. The uncertainty in the cosmogenic ^{9}Li and ^{8}He background is reduced from 45% to 30% in the near detectors. A detailed investigation of the spent nuclear fuel history improves its uncertainty from 100% to 30%. Analysis of the relative ν[over ¯]_{e} rates and energy spectra among detectors yields sin^{2}2θ_{13}=0.0856±0.0029 and Δm_{32}^{2}=(2.471_{-0.070}^{+0.068})×10^{-3}  eV^{2} assuming the normal hierarchy, and Δm_{32}^{2}=-(2.575_{-0.070}^{+0.068})×10^{-3}  eV^{2} assuming the inverted hierarchy.

Formula Derivation for the Probability Distribution of IBS Score in Unrelated Individual Pairs

OBJECTIVES

To derive the probability equation given by STR allele frequencies of identity by state （IBS） score shared by unrelated individual pairs.

METHODS

By comparing the STR genotypes of two unrelated individuals, three mutually exclusive combinations could be obtained： （1） sharing 2 identical alleles, a₂=1, otherwise a₂=0; （2） sharing 1 identical allele, a₁=1, otherwise a₁=0; （3） sharing 0 identical allele, a₀=1, otherwise a₀=0. And the IBS score of the one STR locus in this unrelated individual pair could be given by the formula： ibs=2a₂+a₁. The probability of a₂=1 （p₂）, a₁=1 （p₁） and a₀=1 （p₀） were derived and expressed in powers of the allele frequencies. Subsequently, for a genotyping system including n independent STR loci, the characteristics of binomial distribution of IBS score shared by a pair of unrelated individuals could be given by p₂_l and p₁_l （l=1, 2, …, n）.

RESULTS

All the general equations of p₂, p₁ and p₀ were derived from the basic conceptions of a₂, a₁ and a₀, respectively. Given f_i （i=1, 2, …, m） as the ith allele frequency of a STR locus, the general equations of p₂, p₁ and p₀ could be respectively expressed in powers of f_i： [Formula: see text],[Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. The sum of p₂, p₁ and p₀ must be equal to 1. Then, the binomial distribution of IBS score shared by unrelated individual pairs genotyped with n independently STR loci could be written by： IBS~B（2n, π）, and the general probability, π, could be given by the formula： [Formula: see text].

CONCLUSIONS

In the biological full sibling identification, the probability of null hypothesis corresponding to any specific IBS score can be directly calculated by the general equations presented in this study, which is the basement of the evidence explanation.

Achieving high thermoelectric performance of Cu1.8S composites with WSe2 nanoparticles

Polycrystalline p-type Cu_1.8S composites with WSe₂ nanoparticles were fabricated by the mechanical alloying method combined with the spark plasma sintering technique. The Seebeck coefficient was significantly enhanced by the optimized carrier concentration, while the thermal conductivity was simultaneously decreased due to the refined grain and WSe₂ nanoparticles. An enhanced Seebeck coefficient of 110 μV K^-1 and a reduced thermal conductivity of 0.68 W m^-1 K^-1 were obtained for the Cu_1.8S + 1 wt% WSe₂ sample at 773 K, resulting in a remarkably enhanced peak ZT of 1.22 at 773 K, which is 2.5 times higher than that (0.49 at 773 K) of a pristine Cu_1.8S sample. The cheap and environmentally friendly Cu_1.8S-based materials with enhanced properties may find promising applications in thermoelectric devices.

[Isolated vertigo as the first symptom of posterior circulation infarction:reporot of 11 cases]

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with cerebellar and brainstem infarction who initially presented with isolated vertigo to avoid misdiagnosing of this disease.Method:Eleven patients with cerebellar and brainstem infarction who initially presented with isolated vertigo treated in our clinic between January 2014 and September 2017 were reviewed and the clinical characteristics and imaging presentation of the patients were evaluated.Result:Vertigo as the first attack was in 5 cases, recurrent attacks was in 6 cases,10 cases were with vascular risk factors except for 1 case, initially diagnosed as vestibular neuritis was 4 cases, Meniere's disease was 1 case, posterior circulartion ischemia was 1 case,and unknown causes was 5 cases; delayed neurological symptoms and signs occurring was 4 cases, but not in other cases; finally determined by brain MRI as acute cerebellar infarction was 5 cases, brainstem infarction was 5 cases, and concurrent cerebellar and brainstem infarction was 1 case. All patients had good prognosis.Conclusion:Isolated vertigo due to posterior circulation infarction is easy to be misdiagnosed as peripheral vertigo.Patients presenting with isolated vertigo, when with vascular risk factors, should receive MRI and DWI examinations. Properly diagnosis and treatment may lead a good prognosis.

Enhanced thermoelectric properties of SnSe polycrystals via texture control

We present in this manuscript that enhanced thermoelectric performance can be achieved in polycrystalline SnSe prepared by hydrothermal reaction and spark plasma sintering (SPS). X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns revealed strong orientation along the [l 0 0] direction in bulk samples, which was further confirmed by microstructural observation through transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). It was noticed that the texturing degree of bulk samples could be controlled by sintering temperature during the SPS process. The best electrical transport properties were found in the sample which sintered at 450 °C in the direction vertical to the pressing direction, where the highest texturing degree and mass density were achieved. Coupled with the relatively low thermal conductivity, an average ZT of ∼ 0.38, the highest ever reported in pristine polycrystalline SnSe was obtained. This work set up a forceful example that a texture-control approach can be utilized to enhance the thermoelectric performance effectively.

Hydrothermal synthesis of SnQ (Q = Te, Se, S) and their thermoelectric properties

Lead-free IV-VI semiconductors SnQ (Q = Te, Se, S) are deemed as promising thermoelectric (TE) materials. In this work, we designed a hydrothermal route to selectively synthesize single phase SnTe, SnSe and SnS nanopowders. For all three samples, the phase structure were characterized by x-ray diffraction, SnTe particles with octahedron structure and SnSe/SnS particles with plate-like shape were observed by field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, the formation mechanism was discussed in detail. Then, SnTe, SnSe and SnS nanopowders were densified by spark plasma sintering for investigating TE properties. It was noticed that SnSe and SnS exhibited remarkably anisotropy in both electrical and thermal properties attributed to the layered crystal structure. The highest ZT values 0.79 at 873 K, 0.21 at 773 K, and 0.13 at 773 K were achieved for SnTe, SnSe and SnS bulk samples, respectively.

[Comparative analysis of open surgical repair and endovascular aortic repair in the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm implicated visceral arteries]

Objective: To evaluate the value of open surgery repair and endovascular aortic repair in the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm which implicate visceral arteries. Methods: From January 2012 to October 2016, 26 patients were reviewed. According to the treatment, they were divided into open surgery group (n=7) and endovascular repair group(n=19). Then, the characteristics and relative data of follow-up of the two groups were analysis. Results: In open surgery group, there were 7 patients. All of them were men, median age 58(41-62) years and 1 patient were older than 75 years. And in endovascular repair group, there were 19 patients(14 men) of median age 72(66-76) years, 8 patients were older than 75 years. Patients in endovascular repair group were significantly older than who were in open surgery group (Z=-13.06, P<0.05). Complications of open surgery group and endovascular repair group were 57.14% and 15.79% respectively. There was no statistically significant difference (χ(2)=3.13, P>0.05). During follow-up, the diameters of aneurysm which planted stents were smaller than before. Conclusions: In the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm implicated visceral arteries, open surgery is mainly suitable for the patients with low-risk. But the rate of complications was high. By contrast, endovascular aortic repair with small trauma and high safety, has becoming the first choice.

Evolution of the Reactor Antineutrino Flux and Spectrum at Daya Bay

The Daya Bay experiment has observed correlations between reactor core fuel evolution and changes in the reactor antineutrino flux and energy spectrum. Four antineutrino detectors in two experimental halls were used to identify 2.2 million inverse beta decays (IBDs) over 1230 days spanning multiple fuel cycles for each of six 2.9 GW_{th} reactor cores at the Daya Bay and Ling Ao nuclear power plants. Using detector data spanning effective ^{239}Pu fission fractions F_{239} from 0.25 to 0.35, Daya Bay measures an average IBD yield σ[over ¯]_{f} of (5.90±0.13)×10^{-43}  cm^{2}/fission and a fuel-dependent variation in the IBD yield, dσ_{f}/dF_{239}, of (-1.86±0.18)×10^{-43}  cm^{2}/fission. This observation rejects the hypothesis of a constant antineutrino flux as a function of the ^{239}Pu fission fraction at 10 standard deviations. The variation in IBD yield is found to be energy dependent, rejecting the hypothesis of a constant antineutrino energy spectrum at 5.1 standard deviations. While measurements of the evolution in the IBD spectrum show general agreement with predictions from recent reactor models, the measured evolution in total IBD yield disagrees with recent predictions at 3.1σ. This discrepancy indicates that an overall deficit in the measured flux with respect to predictions does not result from equal fractional deficits from the primary fission isotopes ^{235}U, ^{239}Pu, ^{238}U, and ^{241}Pu. Based on measured IBD yield variations, yields of (6.17±0.17) and (4.27±0.26)×10^{-43}  cm^{2}/fission have been determined for the two dominant fission parent isotopes ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu. A 7.8% discrepancy between the observed and predicted ^{235}U yields suggests that this isotope may be the primary contributor to the reactor antineutrino anomaly.