[Effect of preemptive analgesia with ibuprofen on postoperative pain after mandibular third molar extraction: a randomized controlled trial]

Objective: To evaluate the impact of preemptive analgesia with ibuprofen on postoperative pain following the extraction of impacted mandibular third molars in a Chinese population, aiming to provide a clinical reference for its application. Methods: This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group trial was conducted from April 2022 to October 2023 at the Capital Medical University School of Stomatology (40 cases), Beijing TianTan Hospital, Capital Medical University (22 cases), and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University (20 cases). It included 82 patients with impacted mandibular third molars, with 41 in the ibuprofen group and 41 in the control group. Participants in the ibuprofen group received 300 mg of sustained-release ibuprofen capsules orally 15 min before surgery, while the control group received a placebo. Both groups were instructed to take sustained-release ibuprofen capsules as planned for 3 days post-surgery. Pain intensity was measured using the numerical rating scale at 30 min, 4 h, 6 h, 8 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h after surgery, and the use of additional analgesic medication was recorded during days 4 to 6 postoperatively. Results: All 82 patients completed the study according to the protocol. No adverse events such as nausea, vomiting, or allergies were reported in either group during the trial. The ibuprofen group exhibited significantly lower pain scores at 4 h [2.0 (1.0, 4.0) vs. 4.0 (3.0, 5.0)] (Z=-3.73, P<0.001), 6 h [2.0 (1.0, 4.0) vs. 5.0(2.5, 6.0)] (Z=-3.38, P<0.001), and 8 h [2.0 (1.0, 4.0) vs. 5.0 (2.0, 6.0)] (Z=-2.11, P=0.035) postoperatively compared to the control group. There were no statistically significant differences in pain scores between the groups at 30 min, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h postoperatively (P>0.05). Additionally, 11 out of 41 patients (26.8%) in the ibuprofen group and 23 out of 41 patients (56.1%) in the control group required extra analgesic medication between days 4 and 6 post-surgery, with the ibuprofen group taking significantly fewer additional pills [0.0 (0.0, 1.0) vs. 1.0 (0.0, 3.0)] (Z=-2.81, P=0.005). Conclusions: A pain management regimen involving 300 mg of oral sustained-release ibuprofen capsules administered 15 minutes before surgery and continued for 3 d postoperatively effectively reduces pain levels and the total amount of analgesic medication used after the extraction of impacted mandibular third molars. Considering its efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness, ibuprofen is recommended as a first-line drug for perioperative pain management, enhancing patient comfort during diagnosis and treatment in a feasible manner.

Utilization of waste beverages for achieving carbon-based core-shell nanostructures of high visible light photocatalytic performance

Waste beverages are utilized as resources in various valuable, albeit energy-consuming, waste-to-energy processes. There is a growing need for alternative cost-effective methods to harness their potential. This study explored the feasibility of employing waste beverages as feedstock for the counterpart component of a TiO2-based composite photocatalyst. Several commonly available carbonated soft drinks from the Japanese market have been investigated to achieve this goal. The investigation revealed that a mild hydrothermal treatment condition could transform all examined beverages into carbonaceous materials suitable for fabricating a core-shell structure with TiO2, resulting in a remarkably efficient visible light active photocatalyst. Notably, a pH-adjusted photocatalyst derived from Coca Cola® exhibited superior visible light photodegradability toward dye molecules and enhanced bactericidal efficacy compared to the counterpart derived from pure sucrose. The heightened visible light photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the distinctive carboxy-rich surface functional groups, based on the findings of experimental analyses and density functional theory calculations. The bidentate-type bonding of these groups with TiO2 induces a modified interfacial bond structure that facilitates the efficient transfer of photoexcited carriers. This study presents a novel avenue for the effective utilization and recycling of waste beverages, and adds value under environmentally benign conditions.

Intra-articular injection of tranexamic acid in patients with haemophilia arthritis: retrospective controlled study in total knee arthroplasty

PURPOSE

Total knee arthroplasty is the main method for the treatment of advanced haemophilic knee arthritis. Due to the particularity of hemophilia, the blood management plan is the focus of the perioperative period for haemophilia patients. This study aimed to investigate the clinical effect and safety of intra-articular injection of tranexamic acid in patients with haemophilia.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study. According to whether tranexamic acid is used or not, patients are divided into tranexamic acid group (n=30) and non-tranexamic acid group (n=29). Total blood loss, intraoperative blood loss, complete blood count, total amount of coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) usage, coagulation biomarkers, inflammatory biomarkers, knee range of motion, knee joint function, pain status, complication rate, and patient satisfaction were assessed and compared at a mean follow-up of 16 months.

RESULTS

Injecting tranexamic acid into the knee joint cavity can effectively reduce the hidden blood loss and total blood loss (P<0.001), and reduce the patient's early postoperative inflammation biomarkers, pain status, and limb swelling. Therefore, the patient can obtain a better range of motion following total knee arthroplasty. In the long run, in terms of joint function and surgical satisfaction, there are no statistically significant differences. In addition, there are no statistically significant differences between the two groups of patients in terms of the total amount of FVIII usage, length of stay, and hospitalization expenses.

CONCLUSION

In patients with haemophilia, intra-articular injection of tranexamic acid during total knee arthroplasty can effectively reduce postoperative blood loss, early postoperative inflammation levels, pain and limb swelling, and enable patients to receive higher-quality rehabilitation exercises to get better joint function. Previous studies on TKA in haemophilic patients have already demonstrated the efficacy of intra-articular injections of TXA in reducing postoperative blood loss. Our study confirms this efficacy.

[The cases of tracing the source of patients infected with Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 based on wastewater-based epidemiology in Shenzhen]

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is an emerging discipline, which has been applied to drug abuse tracking and infectious disease pathogen surveillance. During the COVID-19 epidemic, WBE has been applied to monitor the epidemic trend and SARS-CoV-2 variants etc. In order to detect hidden COVID-19 cases and prevent transmission in the community, wastewater surveillance system for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 RNA was developed in Shenzhen. The sewage sampling sites were set up in key places such as the port areas, urban villages and residential communities of Futian, Nanshan, Luohu and Yantian districts. From July 26 to November 30, 2022, a total of 369 sewage sampling sites were set up, covering 1.93 million people. Continuous sampling was carried out for 3 hours in the peak period of water use every day. Sewage virus enrichment and SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid detection were carried out by polyethylene glycol precipitation method and RT-qPCR, and a positive water sample disposal process was molded. This article aims to introduce the case of source tracing of COVID-19 infected patients based on urban sewage in Shenzhen. The sewage monitoring of Honghu water treatment plant in Luohu District played an early warning role, and the source of infection was traced. In the disposal of positive water samples in Futian South Road, Futian District, the important experience of monitoring point layout was obtained. In the sewage monitoring of Nanshan village, Nanshan District, the existence of occult infection was revealed. Sharing the experience of tracing the source of COVID-19 patients to avoid the spread of COVID-19 in the community based on wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Shenzhen, and summarizing the advantages and application prospects of sewage surveillance can provide new ideas for monitoring emerging or re-emerging pathogens that are known to exhibit gastrointestinal excretion in the future.

[Research progress on biomarkers and detection methods for Alzheimer's disease diagnosis in vitro]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease with insidious onset, posing a serious threat to human physical and mental health. The cognitive impairments caused by AD are generally diffuse and overlap symptomatically with other neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, the symptoms of AD are often covert, leading to missed opportunities for optimal treatment after diagnosis. Therefore, early diagnosis of AD is crucial. In vitro diagnostic biomarkers not only contribute to the early clinical diagnosis of AD but also aid in further understanding the disease's pathogenesis, predicting disease progression, and observing the effects of novel candidate therapeutic drugs in clinical trials. Currently, although there are numerous biomarkers associated with AD diagnosis, the complex nature of AD pathogenesis, limitations of individual biomarkers, and constraints of clinical detection methods have hindered the development of efficient, cost-effective, and convenient diagnostic methods and standards. This article provides an overview of the research progress on in vitro diagnostic biomarkers and detection methods related to AD in recent years.

[Clinicopathological and molecular diagnostic features of early-onset gastric cancer: a study based on data from a single-center dedicated gastric cancer database]

Objective: To clarify the clinicopathological, especially molecular, features of early-onset gastric cancer with the aim of informing analysis of treatment strategies. Methods: In this retrospective case-control study, we examined data from a dedicated gastric cancer database in Zhongshan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University. The original cohort comprised 2506 patients with gastric cancer who had undergone gastrectomy in Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University from July 2020 to October 2021, including 198 with early-onset gastric cancer (aged ≤45 years) and 2,308 with non-early gastric cancer. We used a simple random sampling method to select 396 of the 2,308 patients aged >45 years (ratio of 1:2) as the control group and then compared molecular diagnostic data and clinicopathological features of the two groups. Results: The median age was 39 years in the early-onset gastric cancer group, while 66 years in the control group. The clinicopathological features of early-onset gastric cancer included female predominance (59.1% [117/198] vs. 27.8% [110/396], χ2=54.816, P<0.001), less comorbidity (32.3% [64/198] vs. 57.1% [226/396], χ2=32.355, P<0.001), poorer differentiation (93.9% [186/198] vs. 74.5% [295/396], χ2=30.777, P<0.001) and higher proportion of diffuse type (40.4% [80/198] vs. 15.9% [63/396], χ2=69.639, P<0.001), distant metastasis (7.1% [14/198] vs. 2.8% [11/396], χ2=6.034, P=0.014). Regarding treatment, distal gastrectomy was more commonly performed than proximal gastrectomy (55.1% [109/198] vs. 47.0% [186/396], 1.5% [3/198] vs. 8.3% [33/396], χ2=11.644, P=0.003). Family history of gastric cancer, TNM stage, tumor size, lymph node dissection, nerve invasion, nodes harboring metastases, range of lymph node dissection, digestive tract reconstruction procedure, implementation of laparoscopic surgery, combined resection, and preoperative treatment did not differ significantly between the two groups (all P>0.05). Molecular diagnosis showed there was a smaller percentage of mismatch repair deficiency in the early-onset gastric cancer than in the control group (1.0% [2/198] vs. 10.1% [40/396], χ2=16.301, P<0.001), and a higher rate of positivity for Claudin 18.2 (77.8% [154/198] vs. 53.0% [210/396], χ2=5.442,P<0.001). HER-2 and Epstein-Barr virus positivity rates did not differ significantly between the two groups. Conclusion: Early-onset gastric cancer is a distinct type of gastric cancer with a high degree of malignancy, and treatment targeting Claudin 18.2 may be effective.

Temporal Structures in Positron Spectra and Charge-Sign Effects in Galactic Cosmic Rays

We present the precision measurements of 11 years of daily cosmic positron fluxes in the rigidity range from 1.00 to 41.9 GV based on 3.4×10^{6} positrons collected with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) aboard the International Space Station. The positron fluxes show distinctly different time variations from the electron fluxes at short and long timescales. A hysteresis between the electron fluxes and the positron fluxes is observed with a significance greater than 5σ at rigidities below 8.5 GV. On the contrary, the positron fluxes and the proton fluxes show similar time variation. Remarkably, we found that positron fluxes are modulated more than proton fluxes with a significance greater than 5σ for rigidities below 7 GV. These continuous daily positron fluxes, together with AMS daily electron, proton, and helium fluxes over an 11-year solar cycle, provide unique input to the understanding of both the charge-sign and mass dependencies of cosmic rays in the heliosphere.

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.

Properties of Cosmic-Ray Sulfur and Determination of the Composition of Primary Cosmic-Ray Carbon, Neon, Magnesium, and Sulfur: Ten-Year Results from the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer

We report the properties of primary cosmic-ray sulfur (S) in the rigidity range 2.15 GV to 3.0 TV based on 0.38×10^{6} sulfur nuclei collected by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer experiment (AMS). We observed that above 90 GV the rigidity dependence of the S flux is identical to the rigidity dependence of Ne-Mg-Si fluxes, which is different from the rigidity dependence of the He-C-O-Fe fluxes. We found that, similar to N, Na, and Al cosmic rays, over the entire rigidity range, the traditional primary cosmic rays S, Ne, Mg, and C all have sizeable secondary components, and the S, Ne, and Mg fluxes are well described by the weighted sum of the primary silicon flux and the secondary fluorine flux, and the C flux is well described by the weighted sum of the primary oxygen flux and the secondary boron flux. The primary and secondary contributions of the traditional primary cosmic-ray fluxes of C, Ne, Mg, and S (even Z elements) are distinctly different from the primary and secondary contributions of the N, Na, and Al (odd Z elements) fluxes. The abundance ratio at the source for S/Si is 0.167±0.006, for Ne/Si is 0.833±0.025, for Mg/Si is 0.994±0.029, and for C/O is 0.836±0.025. These values are determined independent of cosmic-ray propagation.

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.

Temporal Structures in Electron Spectra and Charge Sign Effects in Galactic Cosmic Rays

We present the precision measurements of 11 years of daily cosmic electron fluxes in the rigidity interval from 1.00 to 41.9 GV based on 2.0×10^{8} electrons collected with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) aboard the International Space Station. The electron fluxes exhibit variations on multiple timescales. Recurrent electron flux variations with periods of 27 days, 13.5 days, and 9 days are observed. We find that the electron fluxes show distinctly different time variations from the proton fluxes. Remarkably, a hysteresis between the electron flux and the proton flux is observed with a significance of greater than 6σ at rigidities below 8.5 GV. Furthermore, significant structures in the electron-proton hysteresis are observed corresponding to sharp structures in both fluxes. This continuous daily electron data provide unique input to the understanding of the charge sign dependence of cosmic rays over an 11-year solar cycle.

First-in-human, phase I study of AK109, an anti-VEGFR2 antibody in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors

BACKGROUND

Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) plays a key role in antiangiogenesis which has been an essential strategy for cancer treatment. We report the first-in-human study of AK109, a novel anti-VEGFR2 monoclonal antibody, to characterize the safety profile and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) properties, and explore the preliminary antitumor efficacy in patients with solid tumors.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This was a multicenter, open-label, phase I study, including dose escalation and dose expansion (NCT04547205). Patients with advanced cancers were treated 2 and 3 weekly with escalating doses of AK109. A 3 + 3 design was used to determine the maximum tolerated dose. Blood was sampled for PK/PD analysis. The primary endpoint was safety and recommended phase II dose (RP2D).

RESULTS

A total of 40 patients were enrolled. No dose-limiting toxicity was observed. However, 38 patients reported treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs); grade ≥3 TRAEs occurred in 10 patients. The most common TRAEs were proteinuria (n = 24, 60%), hypertension (n = 13, 32.5%), increased aspartate transaminase (n = 11, 27.5%), thrombopenia (n = 10, 25%), and anemia (n = 10, 25%). A total of 28 patients (70%) reported adverse events of special interest (AESIs). The most common AESIs were proteinuria (60%), hypertension (32.5%), and hemorrhage (32.5%), mainly including gum bleeding and urethrorrhagia. AK109 exhibited an approximately linear PK exposure with dose escalation at 2-12 mg/kg. PD analyses showed rapid target engagement. Among the 40 patients, 4 achieved partial response and 21 achieved stable disease with an objective response rate of 10% and a disease control rate of 62.5%. Based on the safety profile, the PK/PD profile, and preliminary antitumor activities, 12 mg/kg Q2W and 15 mg/kg Q3W were selected as RP2D.

CONCLUSIONS

AK109 showed manageable safety profile and promising antitumor activity, supporting further clinical development in a large population.

Total knee arthroplasty and femoral osteotomy with a patient-specific cutting guide to treat haemophilic arthritis with severe extra-articular deformity: A case report and review of literatures

Background

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is recommended for haemophilic patients with end-stage arthritis. TKA combined with a one-stage extraarticular osteotomy is uncommon in the treatment of haemophilic arthritis (HA) with severe extra-articular deformities (EADs) and a history of inhibitors under the guidance of a patient-specific cutting guide (PSI).

Case presentation

We reported a 20-year-old male patient with severe haemophilia, limited knee functionality, a 30° sagittal deformity on the femoral side and a history of inhibitors. We adopted the Van Creveld protocol to decrease the inhibitors. TKA and extra-articular osteotomy (EAO) were performed simultaneously and sequentially under the guidance of PSI. An appropriate central alignment of the lower limb was restored by using cement prostheses with antibiotics and femur shaft locking compression plates. The last follow-up showed that the knee function was good, the VAS score was 0, the WOMAC score was 18 and the ROM was 0°-95°.

Conclision

Regular haematology management can reduce the perioperative bleeding risk in haemophilic patients treated with inhibitors. PSI plays an important role in guiding the TKA and EAO of end-stage HA patients with severe EAD.

[Interpretation of the European Federation of Periodontology S3 level clinical practice guideline for treatment of stage Ⅳ periodontitis]

The S3 level clinical practice guideline for the treatment of stage Ⅳperiodontitis, developed by the European Federation of Periodontology, was published in April 22, 2022 (DOI: 10.1111/jcpe.13639). According to the severity and complexity, stage Ⅳ periodontitis was grouped into four case types, and comprehensive treatment plans were formulated correspondingly in the guideline, including tooth splinting, occlusal adjustment, orthodontic therapy, restorative therapy, and personalized supportive periodontal care as well. The aim of present work is to intensively interpret the key points of the guideline and help the clinicians to understand this guideline better, in order to improve the treatment level of stage Ⅳ periodontitis in China.

[Recent progress of aptasensors for tumor exosome-associated protein detection]

Exosomes are phospholipid bilayer membrane-enclosed vesicles released from cells with diameters of 30-150 nm, exosomes can directly reflect the physiological and functional state of secretory cells, participate in material transport and information communication between cells, which are of great significance as biomarkers for early tumor diagnosis and treatment evaluation. There are many detection methods for exosomes, among which aptasensor technology with the properties of low price and easy operation, fast response, high sensitivity, remarkable specificity helps tumor patients to find, diagnose and treat early, improve the survival rate, and provide important basis for the evaluation of the prognosis. There are seven types of common aptasensors: fluorescent, electrochemical, colorimetric, luminescence, lateral flow strips, surface-enhanced Raman scattering and surface plasmon resonance sensors. Different aptasensors have different characteristics, this article focuses on the research progress of several common aptasensor for tumor exosomes detection.

[Relationship between onco-immunological and morphologic characteristics of lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma and lymphocyte subtypes of peripheral blood]

Objective: To study the relationship between the onco-immunological and morphologic characteristics of lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) and peripheral blood lymphocyte subtypes and its clinical significance. Methods: The pathologic and clinical data of 117 LELC patients who were admitted to the Tumor Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences from 2006 to 2018 were collected. The histological classification was based on previously reported morphological classification method. The onco-immunological and morphologic characteristics of the tumors such as lymphoid follicle formation and interstitial fibrous hyperplasia, patient's peripheral blood lymphocyte subtypes and prognosis data were collected. The relationship between various factors and their impact on prognosis were analyzed. Results: There were 117 patients, including 61 females and 56 males. The male to female ratio was 0.9∶1.0. The age of onset was 24-89 years (median 52 years). Primary sites included head and neck (68 cases), lungs (26 cases), stomach (15 cases), and others (eight cases). Morphologically, 54 cases were type Ⅰ, 62 cases were type Ⅱ, and one case could not be classified. The onco-immunological and morphologic features of the LELC tumors showed a continuous spectrum. Interstitial TILs were noted from focally to diffuse, and the interstitial fibrous tissues were from hardly visible to obvious sclerotic. Formation of lymphoid follicles was seen in 42 patients; obvious fibrosis was seen in 31 cases. Data of peripheral blood lymphocyte subtyping by flow cytometry were available in 73 cases. These data included CD3⁺total T cells, CD3⁺CD4⁺helper T cells, CD3⁺CD8⁺cytotoxic T cells, CD3^-CD56⁺natural killer (NK) cells, CD3^-CD19⁺B cells, CD4⁺CD45RA^-T helper induction subgroup, CD4⁺CD45RA⁺ T suppression induction subgroup, CD4⁺CD45RO⁺memory T cell subgroup, CD45RA⁺CD45RO⁺activated T cell subgroup, CD8⁺CD38⁺activated cytotoxic T cell, and CD25⁺lymphocytes and CD44⁺lymphocyte. The proportion of lymphocytes of each subtype was normal in most patients, but the proportion of CD44⁺lymphocytes in 61 cases (83.6%) was increased; the proportion of T cell suppression induced subgroups was decreased in 53 cases (72.6%). Correlation analysis found a significant correlation between clinical stage and NK cells (P=0.023); tumor histologic type and cytotoxic T cells were significantly positively correlated (P=0.012); while tumor cell morphologic differentiation was significantly related to total T cells (P=0.003) and NK cells (P=0.026); Formation of interstitial lymphoid follicles was positively correlated with memory T cell subsets (P=0.025); Tumor interstitial fibrosis was significantly positively correlated with T suppression-induced subpopulations (P=0.004), and was significantly negatively correlated with total T cells (P=0.023) and with the expression of CD44 adhesion molecules (P=0.003). Survival analysis found that lymphoid follicle formation was a favorable prognostic factor for LELC (P=0.001). Conclusions: The onco-immunological and morphologic features in LELC show a continuous spectrum; the tumor clinicopathological characteristics and onco-immunological morphology are closely related to peripheral blood T lymphocyte subtypes, and the formation of interstitial lymphoid follicles is a favorable prognostic factor for LELC.

[Application of mathematical models of infectious diseases in the evaluation of COVID-19 transmission risk at mass gatherings]

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is rampant in Europe and the United States, and the Delta variant has caused several small-scale outbreaks in China. It is particularly important to simulate the transmission risk of novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) during large-scale events, so as to ensure a good preparation of personnel, materials, isolation sites and other support work in advance. Taking the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games as an example, this study introduces the use of mathematical models to simulate the entry risks, closed-loop risks and prevention and control measures of athletes, officials and other stakeholders of the Olympic Games. In the simulation results on January 19, 2022, the estimated number of Olympic Games-related infections who were identified at borders was 357 (95%CI: 153-568) and the observed number was 323. The estimated number of "seed" cases that entered the closed-loop of Olympics Games was 195 (95%CI: 43-335), and the observed number of cases in the closed-loop was 212. This study demonstrates the important role of mathematical models of infectious diseases in the pragmatic application of preventive medicine and public health.

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.

Properties of Daily Helium Fluxes

We present the precision measurement of 2824 daily helium fluxes in cosmic rays from May 20, 2011 to October 29, 2019 in the rigidity interval from 1.71 to 100 GV based on 7.6×10^{8} helium nuclei collected with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) aboard the International Space Station. The helium flux and the helium to proton flux ratio exhibit variations on multiple timescales. In nearly all the time intervals from 2014 to 2018, we observed recurrent helium flux variations with a period of 27 days. Shorter periods of 9 days and 13.5 days are observed in 2016. The strength of all three periodicities changes with time and rigidity. In the entire time period, we found that below ∼7  GV the helium flux exhibits larger time variations than the proton flux, and above ∼7  GV the helium to proton flux ratio is time independent. Remarkably, below 2.4 GV a hysteresis between the helium to proton flux ratio and the helium flux was observed at greater than the 7σ level. This shows that at low rigidity the modulation of the helium to proton flux ratio is different before and after the solar maximum in 2014.

[Can periodontitis affect colorectal cancer by altering microbiota balance?]

Emerging evidence suggests that, along with dietary, genetic and environmental factors, gut microbiota plays a role in the progress of colorectal cancer. Dysbiosis of oral flora in patients with periodontitis affects the composition of microbial community in the gut, impairs gut barrier function, and induces a proinflammatory microenvironment, all of which contribute to the progression of colorectal cancer. In view of the influences by microbiota dysbiosis, this article reviews the role of periodontitis in affecting the occurrence and development of colorectal cancer.

[Consensus of experts on the oral health management and medical risk prevention for the patients with chronic airway diseases (2022 edition)]

Today, there is greater awareness on the association between oral diseases and respiration diseases after the outbreak of COVID-19. However, confusion regarding the oral health management and medical risk prevention for patients with chronic airway diseases has been remained among dental clinicians. Therefore, the dental experts of the Fifth General Dentistry Special Committee, Chinese Stomatological Association, combined with the experts of respiratory and critical care medicine, undertook the formation of consensus on the oral health management of patients with chronic airway diseases in order to help dental clinicians to evaluate medical risks and make better treatment decision in clinical practice. In the present consensus report, the relationship of oral diseases and chronic airway diseases, the oral health management and the treatment recommendations of patients with chronic airway diseases are provided.

[Consensus of experts on the medical risk prevention for the patients with cardiovascular diseases during dental treatment (2022 edition)]

With the aging process of population in the society, the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in China is increasing continuously and the number of dental patients with CVD is increasing gradually too. Due to the lack of guidelines for dental patients with CVD in our country, how to implement standardized preoperative evaluation and perioperative risk prevention remains a problem to be solved for dentists at present. The present expert consensus was reached by combining the clinical experiences of the expert group of the Fifth General Dentistry Special Committee, Chinese Stomatological Association and respiratory and cardiology experts in diagnosis and treatment for CVD patients, and by systematically summarizing the relevant international guidelines and literature regarding the relationship between CVD and oral diseases and the diagnosis and treatment of dental patients with heart failure, hypertension and antithrombotic therapy. The consensus aims to provide, for the dental clinicians, the criteria on diagnosis and treatment of CVD in dental patients in China so as to reduce the risk and complications, and finally to improve the treatment levels of dental patients with CVD in China.

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.

Periodicities in the Daily Proton Fluxes from 2011 to 2019 Measured by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station from 1 to 100 GV

We present the precision measurement of the daily proton fluxes in cosmic rays from May 20, 2011 to October 29, 2019 (a total of 2824 days or 114 Bartels rotations) in the rigidity interval from 1 to 100 GV based on 5.5×10^{9} protons collected with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer aboard the International Space Station. The proton fluxes exhibit variations on multiple timescales. From 2014 to 2018, we observed recurrent flux variations with a period of 27 days. Shorter periods of 9 days and 13.5 days are observed in 2016. The strength of all three periodicities changes with time and rigidity. The rigidity dependence of the 27-day periodicity is different from the rigidity dependences of 9-day and 13.5-day periods. Unexpectedly, the strength of 9-day and 13.5-day periodicities increases with increasing rigidities up to ∼10  GV and ∼20  GV, respectively. Then the strength of the periodicities decreases with increasing rigidity up to 100 GV.

[A survey on human resources of dentists who deal with periodontal disease in Beijing]

Objective: To investigate the status quo of human resources of dentists who deal with periodontal disease in Beijing area through an online survey, which may hopefully provide a preliminary basis for the decision-making of administrative departments and the formulation of periodontal professional development plan. Methods: The dentists who deal with periodontal disease at least half a day per week in Beijing area were investigated. A questionnaire was designed by the chairman of the Periodontology Committee of Beijing Stomatological Association. The questionnaire was sent to and finished by the dentists via "WenJuanXing" online survey software. The contents of the survey included general condition, the property of practice unit, title and position of the dentist, membership of professional society, time and content of periodontal treatment, adoption of new technology and new method of periodontal therapy during the past one year, status of periodontal treatment in the local population and reasons, understanding and influencing factors of periodontal professional development. Results: A total of 1 255 dentists completed the survey, who came from all 16 districts in Beijing, mainly Haidian, Chaoyang, Dongcheng and Xicheng Districts [The total percentage of these four main districts was 70.3% (882/1 255)]. The mean age of the dentists was (36.1±8.3) years. Among the dentists, 71.1% (892/1 255) were females, 88.1% (1 106/1 255) got a Bachelor's degree or above. It was estimated that 35.4% (444/1 255) of the dentists had received standardized periodontal training ever. The percentage of dentists carrying out new technology in the past one year was as high as 68.1% (855/1 255). There were only 163 periodontal specialists (13.0%) out of the dentists in the survey. Only 15.9% (200/1 255) of the dentists routinely performed periodontal surgery. The majority of the dentists [82.8% (1 039/1 255)] were from the state-owned hospitals. Fifty-four point seven percemt (686/1 255) of the dentists thought that lack of knowledge was the main reason why the general public failed to receive periodontal treatment. As for the biggest bottleneck affecting periodontal professional development, fifty-one point zero percent (640/1 255) of the dentists attributed it to the public neglect. Conclusions: The periodontal practitioners in Beijing are young, highly educated, unevenly distributed in 16 districts and mostly females. State-owned oral health institutions are an important force in periodontal diagnosis and treatment services in Beijing. The number of periodontal specialists need to be improved. Promotion of standardized periodontal surgery and the popularization of healthcare knowledge on periodontal disease should also be the focus in the future.

Erratum: Properties of a New Group of Cosmic Nuclei: Results from the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on Sodium, Aluminum, and Nitrogen [Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 021101 (2021)]

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.021101.

Erratum: Azimuthal Anisotropy at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider: The First and Fourth Harmonics [Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 062301 (2004)]

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.92.062301.

Properties of a New Group of Cosmic Nuclei: Results from the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on Sodium, Aluminum, and Nitrogen

We report the properties of sodium (Na) and aluminum (Al) cosmic rays in the rigidity range 2.15 GV to 3.0 TV based on 0.46 million sodium and 0.51 million aluminum nuclei collected by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer experiment on the International Space Station. We found that Na and Al, together with nitrogen (N), belong to a distinct cosmic ray group. In this group, we observe that, similar to the N flux, both the Na flux and Al flux are well described by the sums of a primary cosmic ray component (proportional to the silicon flux) and a secondary cosmic ray component (proportional to the fluorine flux). The fraction of the primary component increases with rigidity for the N, Na, and Al fluxes and becomes dominant at the highest rigidities. The Na/Si and Al/Si abundance ratios at the source, 0.036±0.003 for Na/Si and 0.103±0.004 for Al/Si, are determined independent of cosmic ray propagation.

[Study of B10 cells in the pathogenesis of the interaction between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and periodontal disease]

Objective: To determine the ratio of ingerleukin(IL)-10 secreting regulatory B cells (B10 cells) and the levels of IL-10 in peripheral blood of periodontitis patients with or without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and to explore the function of B10 cells in the pathogenesis of the interaction between COPD and periodontitis. Methods: Forty-five periodontitis patients and healthy people were recruited and divided into three groups: COPD group, COPD+periodontitis group and health controls with 15 people in each group. Peripheral blood samples were collected to determine the B10 population. Another group of 93 periodontitis patients and healthy people were also collected and divided into the same 3 groups with 31 people in each group. Peripheral blood samples were collected to determine the cytokine IL-10. Results: After stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)+phorbol-12-myristate13-acetate+ionomycin+brefeldin A (PIB) for 5 h, the ratio of B10 in COPD+periodontitis group [(0.44±0.11)%] was significantly lower than that in the control group [(0.63±0.14)%] and periodontitis group [(0.62±0.13)%] (P<0.01), respectively. The ratio of B10 cells showed no significant difference between periodontitis group and healthy control group (P>0.05). After stimulation with LPS+PIB for 48 h, the ratio of B10 cells in COPD+periodontitis group [(7.59±1.33)%] was significantly lower than that in the periodontitis group [(10.14±2.02)%] and the healthy controls [(11.80±1.71)%] (P<0.01), respectively. The ratio of B10 cells in periodontitis group was significantly lower than that in the healthy controls (P<0.05). The levels of IL-10 in periodontitis group [(2.55±0.61) ng/L] and COPD+periodontitis group [(1.95±0.45) ng/L] were significantly lower than that in the control group [(3.96±1.15) ng/L] (P<0.01) respectively. Moreover, the level of IL-10 in COPD+periodontitis group was significantly lower than that in the periodontitis group (P<0.01). Conclusions: The dysfunction of immune system caused by the decreased proportion of B10 cells might be involved in the pathological process of COPD promoted by periodontitis.

Measurement of the Cosmic Ray Helium Energy Spectrum from 70 GeV to 80 TeV with the DAMPE Space Mission

The measurement of the energy spectrum of cosmic ray helium nuclei from 70 GeV to 80 TeV using 4.5 years of data recorded by the Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) is reported in this work. A hardening of the spectrum is observed at an energy of about 1.3 TeV, similar to previous observations. In addition, a spectral softening at about 34 TeV is revealed for the first time with large statistics and well controlled systematic uncertainties, with an overall significance of 4.3σ. The DAMPE spectral measurements of both cosmic protons and helium nuclei suggest a particle charge dependent softening energy, although with current uncertainties a dependence on the number of nucleons cannot be ruled out.

Properties of Heavy Secondary Fluorine Cosmic Rays: Results from the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer

Precise knowledge of the charge and rigidity dependence of the secondary cosmic ray fluxes and the secondary-to-primary flux ratios is essential in the understanding of cosmic ray propagation. We report the properties of heavy secondary cosmic ray fluorine F in the rigidity R range 2.15 GV to 2.9 TV based on 0.29 million events collected by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer experiment on the International Space Station. The fluorine spectrum deviates from a single power law above 200 GV. The heavier secondary-to-primary F/Si flux ratio rigidity dependence is distinctly different from the lighter B/O (or B/C) rigidity dependence. In particular, above 10 GV, the F/Si/B/O ratio can be described by a power law R^{δ} with δ=0.052±0.007. This shows that the propagation properties of heavy cosmic rays, from F to Si, are different from those of light cosmic rays, from He to O, and that the secondary cosmic rays have two classes.

Properties of Iron Primary Cosmic Rays: Results from the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer

We report the observation of new properties of primary iron (Fe) cosmic rays in the rigidity range 2.65 GV to 3.0 TV with 0.62×10^{6} iron nuclei collected by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer experiment on the International Space Station. Above 80.5 GV the rigidity dependence of the cosmic ray Fe flux is identical to the rigidity dependence of the primary cosmic ray He, C, and O fluxes, with the Fe/O flux ratio being constant at 0.155±0.006. This shows that unexpectedly Fe and He, C, and O belong to the same class of primary cosmic rays which is different from the primary cosmic rays Ne, Mg, and Si class.

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}.

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.

Cellulose-Nanofiber-Mediated Sorption-Benefitting Holed Silicalite-1 Crystals

Silicalite-1-type zeolites with unique intracrystal holes or cracks were successfully prepared using a cellulose nanofiber (CNF) as an additional mediating material, and their vapor phase adsorption properties toward methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and n-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) were examined. It was found that the mixing protocol of CNF and structure-directing agents (SDAs), the addition amount of CNF, and the CNF/SDAs amount ratio play important roles in forming the holed silicalite-1. The synthesis route that preliminarily mixes CNF with SDAs in a series of controlled conditions is particularly beneficial for the formation of the holed silicalite-1 with mesoporosity and larger pores because the CNF-SDAs composite structure benefits the zeolite growth closely encompassing CNF inside the crystal structure. It also promotes the preferential formation of the orthorhombic phase vicinal to the CNF surface, namely, the surface of the formed internal holes or cracks, with the twin-type crystal size reduced as compared to the non-CNF-templated sample. On the contrary, the synthesis route that mixes CNF with SDAs-silicate composite ions tends to modify the twin-type crystal shape at the same time to form small but uniform well-crystallized particles with less holes or cracks and a dominative monoclinic phase. It was considered that both the inter-subunit structural defect and silanol defect whose content is increased with CNF addition influence the adsorptivity of MTBE and NDMA. Owing to the small twin-type crystal size, the smaller crystal subunits, and the favored short path from the surface of internal holes or cracks, the holed silicalite-1 derived from the CNF and SDA premixture assures the easiest access of adsorbate molecules to the most energetically favored sites and is most appropriate for the adsorption of both MTBE and NDMA among the examined zeolites.

[Screening of periodontal and salivary parameters in patients with frequent acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]

Objective: To screen the risk factors of patients with frequent acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by detecting the clinical indicators of periodontitis and the level of bacterial and inflammatory markers in saliva. Methods: Thirty-eight COPD patients in their stable period were recruited and detected from Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital,Capital Medical University during December 2016 to May 2017. The periodontal index were recorded. The levels of inflammatory factors in saliva samples were examined by using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The bacteria composition in the saliva samples were identified by using 16SrRNA gene pyrosequencing. All patients were followed up and monitored for acute exacerbation of COPD for 12 months. The patients were divided into frequent acute exacerbation group (≥2 times/year, n=10) and non frequent acute exacerbation group (<2 times/year, n=28). Results: In univariate analysis, the patients' average age of frequent acute exacerbation group (69.0±7.3) was significantly older than that of non-frequent acute exacerbation group (61.8±8.3) (P=0.02). The numbers of remaining teeth ≤26 [100% (10/10)] was significantly higher and plaque index ≤2.5 (2/10) in frequent acute exacerbation group was significantly lower compared with the remaining teeth ≤26 [43% (12/28)] and the plaque index ≤2.5 [71% (21/28)] in non-frequent acute exacerbation group (P=0.02, P=0.01). The proportions of salivary inflammatory factors interleukin-6 (IL-6) level ≤60 ng/L (10%),C-reactive protein (CRP) level ≤1 550 μg/L (30%), matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) level ≤140 μg/L (30%) and fibrinogen level ≤90 mg/L (30%) in frequent acute exacerbation group were significantly lower compared with salivary inflammatory factors IL-6 level ≤60 ng/L (71%),CRP level ≤1 550 μg/L (71%), MMP-8 level ≤140 μg/L (86%) and fibrinogen level ≤90 mg/L (71%) in non-frequent acute exacerbation group (P<0.05). The differences of relative abundances of salivary bacteria,such as species of Chloroflexi, Anaerolineae, Anaeroales, Corynebacteriales, Anaerolineaceae, Tissierellaceae, Leptotrichiaceae, Corynebacteriaceae, Leptotrichia, Moryella, Lachnoanaerobaculum and Corynebacterium between frequent acute exacerbation group and non-frequent acute exacerbation group were significantly different (P<0.05). In multivariate logistics regression analysis,the level of IL-6 >60 ng/L and the relative abundance of Corynebacteriales >0.2 had significant difference (P<0.05). Conclusions: The level of IL-6 and the relative abundance of Corynebacteriales might be the markers of frequent acute exacerbation in COPD patients.

[Association between Lipoprotein(a) and the characteristics of left main coronary artery plaque in patients with stable angina pectoris]

Objective: To investigate the relationship between Lipoprotein (LP) (a) level and the characteristics of tissue components of left main coronary artery (LMCA) plaque. Methods: A total of 102 patients with stable angina pectoris who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the People's Hospital of Henan Province from June 2010 to October 2016 were included. We performed intravascular ultrasound-virtual histology (IVUS-VH) to their LMCAs and evaluated the tissue characteristics, and the blood level of total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), ApoB, ApoA1, LP(a) were measured. According to the value of their LP(a) level they were divided into 2 groups (high LP(a) group (>300 mg/L) (n=35) and low LP(a) group (≤300 mg/L) (n=67)), then the relationship between the above lipid values and the tissue characteristics of the LMCA plaque in the patients were evaluated. Results: Patients with a high LP(a) had a larger percentage of fibrolipid volume and a smaller percentage fibrous volume compared to patients with a normal LP(a) (25%±5% vs 13%±6%, P<0.01 and 50%±8% vs 61%±9%, P<0.01). Using multivariate linear regression analysis after adjustment for the above-mentioned confounding factors, LP(a) had a significantly positive correlation with fibrolipid volume percentage (r=0.645, β=0.29, P<0.01), and had a negative correlation with fibrous volume percentage (r=-0.467, β=-0.32,P<0.01), suggesting that the LP(a) was associated with the vulnerability of the LMCA plaque. Conclusion: For the patients with stable angina pectoris, the LP(a) has a significantly positive correlation with the percentage of fibrolipid volume and a negative correlation with the percentage of fibrous volume, suggesting that the LP(a) could predict the vulnerability of the LMCA plaque.

[Influence of non-surgical periodontal treatment on the quality of life in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with chronic periodontitis]

Objective: To evaluate the effects of periodontal therapy on the quality of life in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with chronic periodontitis (CP). Methods: In a randomized controlled pilot study, 60 COPD patients with CP were randomly assigned into three groups to receive scaling and root planing (SRP) treatment, supragingival scaling treatment and oral hygiene instructions only with no periodontal treatment, respectively. The scores of each patient's quality of life at baseline, 1 year and 2 years, respectively, were evaluated by using the standardized St George's respiratory questionnaire (SGRQ). The SGRQ was composed of three dimensions: symptoms, activity, and impact. A score was calculated for each section and a total summary score was also calculated. A high score indicated poor health and a decrease in the score indicates an improvement in quality of life. Results: There were no statistically significant differences among the three groups for age, gender, body mass index, smoking status, lung funtion, periodontal parameters and the SGRQ scores (including total, symptoms, activity and impacts scores) among three groups at baseline (all P>0.05). The SGRQ scores were all significantly correlated with major lung function parameters (r=-0.54 --0.28). The result of ANCOVA analysis adjusted for the influence of baseline measurements showed that the total scores of two periodontal treatment groups were significantly lower (P=0.01) than that of control group at 2-year follow-up (SRP group: 31.1±12.1; scaling group: 28.9±9.8; control group: 46.5±24.9). The symptoms score of SRP group (45.4±19.7) was significantly lower (P=0.03) than that of control group (53.6±25.4) at 2-year follow-up. The impacts scores of two treatment groups were significantly lower (P=0.02) than that of control group at 2-year follow-up (SRP group: 15.2±8.3; scaling group: 14.9±7.7; control group: 34.8±18.8). Conclusions: Our preliminary results from this study suggest that non-surgical periodontal treatment in COPD patients with CP might improve the quality of life of the COPD patient.

[Prognostic significance of proteins expression by immunohistochemical method in diffuse large B cell lymphoma]

Objective: To analyze the prognostic significance of TP53, Bcl-2, Bcl-6, Myc proteins expression by immunohistochemical method (IHC) in diffuse large B cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) . Methods: Clinical and pathologic data of 223 patients with DLBCL hospitalized in Zhejiang First Hospital from March 2009 to June 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The 223 cases, a median age of 56 years old with a male predominance, had shown a 39.0% of TP53 positive expression, 38.6% of Myc, 69.1% of Bcl-2, 56.5% of Bcl-6, and 22.7% of Myc/Bcl-2 double expression. According to Hans' classification, 27.4% were GCB and 72.6% were non-GCB. With a median follow-up of 38 (2-97) months, the 3 and 5 years survival rates were 70% and 66% , respectively. By multivariate analysis, TP53 over-expression and Myc/Bcl-2 double expression were independently associated with poor outcomes. 3-year and 5-year overall survival were 59% and 57% for patients with TP53 positive, 77% and 71% for patients with TP53 negative expression. Patients with non-GCB subtype receiving chemotherapy combined with rituximab had a higher OS than those without rituximab. But rituximab did not improve the prognosis of patients with TP53 positive. Conclusion: Myc/Bcl-2 double expression and TP53 over-expression are poor prognosis for DLBCL patients. Patients with Myc/Bcl-2 double expression have shorter OS. Patients with non-GCB subtype who received chemotherapy combined with rituximab have a better OS than those without rituximab. But rituximab does not improve the prognosis of patients with TP53 positive.

Spectrum of Microbial Sequences and a Bacterial Cell Wall Antigen in Primary Demyelination Brain Specimens Obtained from Living Patients

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by multiple lesions in the brain and spinal cord. We used RNA sequencing to identify microbial sequences and characterize human gene expression patterns in 30 human brain biopsy specimens. RNAs which aligned to known microbial taxa, were significantly enriched in 10 of 12 primary demyelination (MS) brain specimens compared to a group of 15 epilepsy controls, leading to a list of 29 MS microbial candidate genera from 11 different phyla. Most of the candidate MS microbes are anaerobic bacteria. While there were some shared candidates, each of the 10 MS samples with significant microbial RNA enrichment had a distinct set microbial candidates. The fraction of microbial sequencing reads was greater for the MS group (128.8 PPM) compared to the controls (77.4 PPM, p = 0.016). Bacterial peptidoglycan was demonstrated in brain tissue sections from several MS subjects. Human gene expression analysis showed increased expression of inflammation-related pathways in the MS group. This data shows that demyelinating brain lesions are associated with the presence of microbial RNA sequences and bacterial antigen. This suggests that MS is triggered by the presence of a diverse set of microbes within a lesion.

[Study of bone mineral density and serum bone turnover markers in newly diagnosed systemic lupus erythematosus patients]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the changes of bone mineral density (BMD) and serum bone turnover factor in newly diagnosed systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) patients.

METHODS

Eighty newly diagnosed SLE patients and 80 age and gender matched healthy controls were enrolled. None of the SLE patients had ever received glucocorticoid, immunosuppressive agents or vitamin D. BMD was measured at radius,lumbar spine and hip by dual X ray absorptiometry (DXA). Bone turnover markers including serum levels of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRAP5b),bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) and 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 (25-OH-VD3) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Logistic regression was employed to analyze the risk factors associated with decreased BMD.

RESULTS

Mean age of the SLE patients was (32.8±12.4) years, and 85% were female, none of whom were post-menopausal. BMD was significantly reduced in all the measured sites, compared with the healthy controls. Sixteen (20%) of the patients were osteopenic in at least one site measured locations. The serum levels of 25-OH-VD3 were markedly reduced in the newly diagnosed SLE patients than those of the normal controls [(46.1+12.3) nmol/L vs. (25.4+11.2) nmol/L, P<0.001)]. The serum levels of 25-OH-VD3 in the SLE patients with nephritis were much lower than those without nephritis (P=0.04). A significant negative correlation was demonstrated between the serum concentration of 25-OH-VD3 and the disease activity scores as measured by SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) (r=-0.3,P=0.001). The serum TRAP5b concentration was positively correlated with SLEDAI (r=0.435,P=0.003). Age (P=0.058) and SLEDAI (P=0.085) were probably associated with decreased BMD in Logistic regression analysis.

CONCLUSION

The study showed reduced BMD in untreated SLE patients. The role of chronic inflammation was of probable importance in bone metabolism.

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.

Phonon fingerprints of CsPb2Br5

CsPb₂Br₅ is a stable, water-resistant, material derived from CsPbBr₃ perovskite and featuring two-dimensional Pb-Br framework separated by Cs layers. Both compounds can coexist at nanolength scale, which often produces conflicting optical spectroscopy results. We present a complete set of polarized Raman spectra of nonluminescent CsPb₂Br₅ single crystals that reveals the symmetry and frequency of nondegenerate Raman active phonons accessible from the basal (0 0 1) plane. The experimental results are in good agreement with density functional perturbation theory simulations, which suggests that the calculated frequencies of yet unobserved double degenerate Raman and infrared phonons are also reliable. Unlike CsPbBr₃, the lattice dynamics of CsPb₂Br₅ is stable as evidenced by the calculated phonon dispersion. The sharp Raman lines and lack of a dynamic-disorder-induced central peak in the spectra at room temperature indicate that the coupling of Cs anharmonic motion to Br atoms, known to cause the dynamic disorder in CsPbBr₃, is absent in CsPb₂Br₅.

High-efficient catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol based on reusable Ag nanoparticles/graphene-loading loofah sponge hybrid

Noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) such as Au and Ag have shown many applications in the field of catalysis, sensing etc. due to their excellent photoelectric properties. But agglomeration and a low recovery rate are big problems for their applications. In this research, a novel Ag NPs/graphene (reduced graphene oxide)-loading loofah sponge (Ag NPs/RGO-LS) was synthesized through a one-step reduction method. Where the RGO is used as a nano-support with the high specific surface area and the high conductivity to prevent the agglomeration of Ag NPs and provide a conductive layer. The natural, green, low-cost and high-yield LS is designed as a macro-support to reduce the loss of Ag NPs during recycling. The as-prepared Ag NPs/RGO-LS is stable, uniform, and exhibits high efficiency and reusability in the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) with a high rate constant of 1.893 min^-1 as well as an average conversion of 98% in 6 min during five cycles. The results have not only paved the way for the wide application of Ag NPs but also provide a new road for the application of other metal NPs.