The first results of the hydrogen cyanide (HCN) interferometer measuring experimental research apparatus for electromagnetic science (ERAES) for hypersonic vehicle plasma in near space.

The formation of a plasma sheath on the surface of spacecraft or satellites during high-speed atmospheric entry is a significant factor that affects communication and radar detection. Experimental research apparatus for electromagnetic science can simulate this plasma sheath and study the interaction mechanisms between electromagnetic waves and plasma sheaths. Electron density is a crucial parameter for this research. Therefore, in this paper, a HCN heterodyne interferometer has been designed to measure the electron densities of the device, which range from 1 × 109 to 3 × 1013 cm-3 and the pressure ranges from 50 to 1500 Pa. The light source is a HCN laser with a wavelength of 337 µm, which exhibits higher spatial resolution compared to microwave interferometers. The interferometer is configured as a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, which generates an intermediate frequency through the Doppler shift achieved by a rotating grating. The spatial and temporal resolution of the HCN interferometry reach ∼14 mm and 100 µs, respectively. Antenna-coupled ALGaN/GaN-HEMT detectors have been utilized, as they possess higher sensitivity-with a typical reduction factor responsivity of around 900 V/W-than VDI planar-diode Integrated Conical Horn Fundamental Mixers in HCN interferometry. Recently, the initial results of the HCN interferometer designed for ERAES have been obtained during an experimental campaign, demonstrating a phase resolution of up to 0.04π.

[An MRI multi-sequence feature imputation and fusion mutual-aid model based on sequence deletion for differentiation of high-grade from low-grade glioma].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) multi-sequence feature imputation and fusion mutual model based on sequence deletion in differentiating high-grade glioma (HGG) from low-grade glioma (LGG). METHODS: We retrospectively collected multi-sequence MR images from 305 glioma patients, including 189 HGG patients and 116 LGG patients. The region of interest (ROI) of T1-weighted images (T1WI), T2-weighted images (T2WI), T2 fluid attenuated inversion recovery (T2_FLAIR) and post-contrast enhancement T1WI (CE_T1WI) were delineated to extract the radiomics features. A mutual-aid model of MRI multi-sequence feature imputation and fusion based on sequence deletion was used for imputation and fusion of the feature matrix with missing data. The discriminative ability of the model was evaluated using 5-fold cross-validation method and by assessing the accuracy, balanced accuracy, area under the ROC curve (AUC), specificity, and sensitivity. The proposed model was quantitatively compared with other non-holonomic multimodal classification models for discriminating HGG and LGG. Class separability experiments were performed on the latent features learned by the proposed feature imputation and fusion methods to observe the classification effect of the samples in twodimensional plane. Convergence experiments were used to verify the feasibility of the model. RESULTS: For differentiation of HGG from LGG with a missing rate of 10%, the proposed model achieved accuracy, balanced accuracy, AUC, specificity, and sensitivity of 0.777, 0.768, 0.826, 0.754 and 0.780, respectively. The fused latent features showed excellent performance in the class separability experiment, and the algorithm could be iterated to convergence with superior classification performance over other methods at the missing rates of 30% and 50%. CONCLUSION: The proposed model has excellent performance in classification task of HGG and LGG and outperforms other non-holonomic multimodal classification models, demonstrating its potential for efficient processing of non-holonomic multimodal data.

Development and Comparative Study of a Mouse Model of Airway Inflammation and Remodeling Induced by Exosomes Derived from Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

We developed a model of inflammation and airway remodeling in C57 mice provoked by exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells infected by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The mean size of control and infected exosomes in vitro were 167.9 and 118.5 nm, respectively. After induction of modeled pathology, the severity of airway inflammation and its remodeling were analyzed by histopathological methods. In addition, the blood levels of inflammatory factors IL-10, IL-17, transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß), and TNFα were assayed; in the lung tissues, the expression levels of MMP-2, MMP-9, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and TGF-ß were measured. In the developed model, the effects of RSV-induced and non-induced exosomes were compared with those of inactivated and non-inactivated RSV. Intranasal administration of RSV-induced exosomes decreased the levels of serum inflammatory factors IL-10 and IL-17 and increased the expression of serum proinflammatory cytokine TNFα. Increased levels of MMP-2, MMP-9, and α-SMA, enhanced expression of TGF-ß in the lung tissue, and pathological staining of the lung tissues indicated infiltration with inflammatory cells and luminal constriction. Thus, RSV-induced exosomes can provoke airway inflammation and remodeling in mice similar to RSV, while non-induced exosomes cannot produce such alterations.

[Selection of inner ear fenestration strategy and surgical effect of patients with oval window atresia accompanied by facial nerve aberration].

Objective: To summarize the clinical features and postoperative efficacy of patients with oval window atresia accompanied by facial nerve aberration. Methods: The clinical data of patients with congenital middle ear malformation with facial nerve aberration admitted to our hospital from January 2015 to March 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 97 cases (133 ears) in total. Among them, 39 patients (44 ears) had complete follow-up data, including 27 male patients and 12 females, aged 7-48 years old, with an average age of 17.8 years old. Of these, 14 cases (16 ears) were patients combined with facial nerve aberration, and 25 cases (28 ears) were without facial nerve aberration. The results of imaging examination, pure-tone audiometry, selection of surgical strategy, intraoperative findings and postoperative hearing improvement were summarized and analyzed. The malformations of malleus, incus, stapes, oval window and facial nerve were recorded. Prism 9 software was used to statistically analyze the mean bone conductance and air-bone gap of patients before and after surgery. Results: All the 14 patients (16 ears) with middle ear malformation accompanied by facial nerve aberration and oval window atresia showed poor hearing and no facial palsy since childhood. High resolution CT (HRCT) examination of temporal bone, pure tone audiometry and Gelle test were performed before surgery. The malformations of malleus, incus, stapes, oval window and facial nerve were recorded. Preoperative high-resolution CT (HRCT) examination of temporal bone found 12 ears with 4 or more deformities, accounting for 75.00%, in the group of patients with facial nerve malformation. The preoperative average bone conductive threshold was (15.3±10.4) dB and the average air-bone gap was (46.3±10.6) dB in pure-tone audiometry (0.5, 1, 2, 4kHz). According to the different degrees of facial nerve and ossicle malformation, we performed three different hearing reconstruction strategies for the 14 patients (16 ears) with facial nerve aberration and oval window atresia, including 7 ears of incus bypass artificial stape implantation, 7 ears of Malleostapedotomy (MS) and 2 ears of Malleus-cochlear-prothesis (MCP). After 3 months to 18 months of follow-up, all patients showed no facial paralysis. The postoperative mean bone conductive threshold was (15.7±7.9) dB and air-bone gap was (19.8±8.5) dB. There were significant differences in mean air-bone gap before and after operation (t=7.766, P<0.05), and there was no significant difference between the mean bone conductive threshold before and after surgery (t=0.225, P=0.824). There was no significant difference of mean reduction of air-bone gap between patients with and without facial nerve aberration (t=1.412, P=0.165). There was no significant difference between the three hearing reconstruction strategies. There was no significant displacement of the Piston examined by U-HRCT. Conclusion: For patients of middle ear malformation whose facial nerve cover the oval window partially, incus bypass artificial stape implantation or Malleostapedotomy (MS) can be selected according to the specific condition of auditory ossis malformation, and for patients whose facial nerve completely covers the oval window area, Malleus-cochlear-prothesis (MCP) can be selected. Three types of stapes surgery are safe and reliable for patients with oval window atresia accompanied by facial nerve aberration. There was no significant difference in efficacy between them. Preoperative HRCT assessment of middle ear malformation is effective. There is no significant difference of surgical effect with or without facial nerve aberration. The U-HRCT can be used to evaluate the middle ear malformation before surgery and the Piston implantation status after surgery. Due to the risks of surgery, those who do not want to undergo surgery can choose artificial hearing AIDS, such as hearing aid, vibrating soundbridge, bone bridge or bone-anchored hearing aid.

[Feasibility study on the use of peripheral blood differentially expressed genes for objective classification of chronic subjective tinnitus: a case study on high-frequency tinnitus].

Objective: To explore the feasibility of constructing an objective tinnitus subtype model based on peripheral blood differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using a combination of Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) and Random Forest algorithm (RF). Methods: From October 2019 to June 2020, peripheral blood DEGs were obtained from 37 patients (from the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University)with chronic subjective high-frequency tinnitus (21 unbothersome type, 16 bothersome type) and 20 healthy volunteers through high-throughput sequencing. WGCNA was used to construct gene modules with different expression patterns and analyze their relationships with tinnitus characteristics. Subsequently, RF was employed to build subtype models, which were evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy, and F1-score. Results: A total of 12 351 intergroup DEGs were divided into 9 gene modules. Among them, MEblue, MEgreen, and MEbrown showed significant negative correlations with the healthy volunteer group, while MEpink showed a significant positive correlation with the tinnitus distress group. The "Tinnitus vs. Normal" and "Compensatory vs. Decompensatory" subtype models, based on MEblue and MEpink respectively, both had AUCs greater than 0.80, accuracies above 90%, and F1-scores above 0.90, indicating good performance. Conclusions: Peripheral blood DEGs are potential biological indicators for objective classification of subjective tinnitus. The combined application of WGCNA and the Random Forest algorithm should be a viable approach to constructing an objective tinnitus subtype model. However, further exploration and refinement are needed to validate the model's generalizability, cross-dataset performance, and algorithm optimization.

[Clinical features and prognostic analysis of colorectal extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma].

Objective: To investigate the clinical manifestations, endoscopic characteristics, and prognostic factors of patients with colorectal extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma. Methods: The clinical data of 52 patients with colorectal extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2013 to January 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Their clinical manifestations and endoscopic characteristics were summarized, and the prognostic factors were analyzed by Cox regression model. Results: Among the 52 patients with colorectal extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma, there were 35 males and 17 females, with a male-to-female ratio of 2.06∶1. Among the general symptoms, abdominal pain was the most common (39 cases), and B symptoms occurred in 47 patients, among which fever was the most common lymphoma B symptom (42 cases), and gastrointestinal perforation was the most common complication (18 cases). Forty-three patients underwent colonoscopy, and the main manifestations under endoscopy were the ulceration type (24 cases). The ulcers were irregular at the edges and often covered with moss at the bottom. The median survival time was 4.3 months. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that hemocytic syndrome (HR=8.50,95% CI: 1.679-8.328,P=0.001), serum albumin (HR=3.59,95% CI: 1.017-6.551, P=0.048), and with or without chemotherapy (HR=0.31, 95% CI: 0.246-1.061, P=0.025) were independent factors influencing the overall survival of patients with colorectal extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma. Conclusions: Colorectal extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma is a rare disease with a very poor prognosis. When patients present with abdominal pain and lymphoma B symptoms, and when ulcers with irregular edges and moss covering the bottom are found under endoscopy, the disease should be considered, and endoscopic biopsy should be taken in time for pathological diagnosis. The prognosis of patients with hemophagocytic syndrome and hypoproteinemia is poor. This disease should be treated with chemotherapy and surgery, and on this basis, hemophagocytic syndrome and hypoproteinemia should be treated to improve the prognosis of patients.

[Clinicopathological features of primary mucosal CD30-positive T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders].

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features and differential diagnosis of primary mucosal CD30-positive T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders (pmCD30+TLPD). Methods: Eight cases of pmCD30+TLPD diagnosed from 2013 to 2023 at the Department of Pathology, Beijing Friendship Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University and Beijing Ludaopei Hospital were retrospectively collected. The immunophenotype, EBV infection status and T-cell receptor (TCR) clonability of tumor cells were examined. The clinicopathological features were analyzed and related literatures were reviewed. Results: There were 5 females and 3 males, aged 28 to 73 years, without B symptoms, lack of trauma and autoimmune diseases. Seven cases occurred in oral mucosa and one in anal canal mucosa. Submucosal nodules with ulcerations were presented in all cases except one, which only submucosal nodule. Morphologically, there was different distribution of allotypic lymphocytes in inflammatory background. Four cases showed "kidney-shaped", "embryonic" and "horseshoe-shaped" cells, and one case resembled Hodgkin and Reed/Sternberg (HRS) cells. Allotypic lymphocytes expressed CD3 (7/8), CD4+/CD8-(7/8) and CD4-/CD8-(1/8). CD30 was uniformly strongly positive while ALK and CD56 were negative. In situ hybridization of EBER was negative in five cases (5/5). Clonal TCR gene rearrangement was positive in two cases. Four patients did not receive radiotherapy or chemotherapy. All the seven patients survived without disease except one died due to concurrent leukopenia. Conclusions: pmCD30+TLPD had a broad morphological spectrum and could be easily confused with primary cutaneous CD30+TLPD and systemic ALK-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma involving mucosa, which may lead to misdiagnosis. Although the majority of the cases had a favorable prognosis, a few cases relapsed or progressed to lymphoma.

Adult Physical Function Has Roots in Early Childhood Brain Function: A Five-Decade Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: Tests of physical function are often thought to measure functioning that is (1) musculoskeletal, and (2) newly declining in adult life. In contrast, this study aimed to: (1) add to evidence that physical-function tests also measure brain function, and (2) test the novel hypothesis that adult physical function is associated with brain function beginning in early childhood. We investigated early childhood brain function and midlife physical function in the Dunedin Study, a 5-decade longitudinal birth cohort (n = 1,037). METHODS: Brain function was measured at age 3 using 5 measures which formed a reliable composite (neurological examination, cognitive and motor tests, and temperament ratings). Physical function was measured at age 45 using 5 measures which formed a reliable composite (gait speed, step-in-place, chair stands, balance, and grip strength). RESULTS: Children with worse age-3 brain function had worse midlife physical function as measured by the age-45 composite, even after controlling for childhood socioeconomic status (ß: 0.23; 95% CI: 0.16 to 0.30; p < .001). Worse age-3 brain function significantly predicted slower gait speed, fewer steps-in-place and chair-stands, worse balance, and weaker grip strength. DISCUSSION: Children with poorer brain function were more likely to have poorer physical-function scores as adults. In addition to indicating recent musculoskeletal decline, physical-function tests may also provide indications of lifelong, integrated brain-body health. By reconceptualizing the meaning of physical-function scores, clinicians can orient the use of physical-function tests in a more holistic approach to health care.

[Clinicopathological and molecular genetic features of confined placental mosaicism].

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological and genetic features of confined placental mosaicism (CPM) and its effect on fetal intrauterine growth. Methods: Fourteen CPM cases of Haidian Maternal and Children Health Hospital were collected from May 2018 to March 2022. Clinicopathological examination on placental specimens and molecular genetic analysis were performed. Results: The age of the parturient women ranged from 27 to 34 years, with an average age of (30.0±3.54) years. The gestational weeks ranged from 35+1 to 41+2 weeks. There were 4 premature births and 10 term births, among which 6 were female and 8 were male fetuses. Nine cases (9/14) had adverse pregnancy outcomes, including 7 cases of fetal growth restriction. The weight of CPM placenta decreased, with 6 cases below the 10th percentile of weight standards and 5 cases between the 10th and 25th percentile. All 14 CPM placental specimens showed morphological changes of perfusion dysfunction to varying degrees, with mainly placental-maternal vascular malperfusion followed by placental-fetal vascular malperfusion. The mosaic chromosomes in different CPM cases varied, with 16-trisomy/monosomy mosaicism being the most common followed by 7-trisomy and 21-trisomy/monosomy mosaicism. The mosaic proportion was unequal in different parts of the same CPM placenta, with the mosaic proportion of umbilical cord, fetal membranes, fetal surface, maternal surface, and edge ranging from 1% to 70%. Conclusions: The mosaic chromosomes in different CPM cases vary, and the mosaic proportion is unequal in different parts of the same CPM placenta. The pathological morphology is mainly manifested as perfusion dysfunction, which can lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes such as fetal growth restriction and preterm birth.

Adherence to guidelines and central-line-associated bloodstream infection occurrence during insertion and maintenance of intravascular catheters: evidence from 20 tertiary hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate adherence to intravascular catheter (IVC) insertion and maintenance guidelines in Chinese tertiary hospitals. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey of adult inpatients with IVC placements was conducted from July to September 2022 in 20 tertiary hospitals in China. One clinical staff member from each department in each hospital was assigned to participate in the survey. Questionnaires were uniformly collected and reviewed after three months. RESULTS: This study included 1815 cases (62.69%) of central venous catheter, 471 cases (16.27%) of peripherally inserted central catheter, 461 cases (15.92%) of PORT, and 147 cases (5.08%) of haemodialysis catheter insertions. Statistically significant differences in compliance were observed across the four IVC types, specifically in relation to the insertion checklist, standard operating procedure, and insertion environment (P<0.05). Practice adherence during IVC maintenance differed significantly across the four IVC types in aspects such as availability of IVC maintenance verification forms, daily scrubbing of the catheterized patients, and catheter connection methods (P<0.05). A total of 386 (13.34%) patients developed fever, 1086 (37.53%) were treated with therapeutic antibiotics, 16 (0.55%) developed central-line-associated bloodstream infections, two (0.07%) developed local skin infections, and six (0.21%) developed deep vein thrombosis. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to guidelines regarding insertion and maintenance differed across the four IVC types; there is a gap between the recommended measures and the actual operation of the guidelines. Therefore, it is necessary to further enhance training and develop checklists to prevent central-line-associated bloodstream infections.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the prognostic value of 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) and/or computed tomography (CT)-based radiomics in head and neck cancer.

AIM: Radiomics involves the extraction of quantitative data from medical images to facilitate the diagnosis, prognosis, and staging of tumors. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the efficacy of radiomics in prognostic applications for head and neck cancer (HNC) in recent years. It undertakes a systematic review of prognostic models specific to HNC and conducts a meta-analysis to evaluate their predictive performance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study adhered rigorously to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for literature searches. The literature databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Scopus were systematically searched individually. The methodological quality of the incorporated studies underwent assessment utilizing the radiomics quality score (RQS) tool. A random-effects meta-analysis employing the Harrell concordance index (C-index) was conducted to evaluate the performance of all radiomics models. RESULTS: Among the 388 studies retrieved, 24 studies encompassing a total of 6,978 cases were incorporated into the systematic review. Furthermore, eight studies, focusing on overall survival as an endpoint, were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed that the estimated random effect of the C-index for all studies utilizing radiomics alone was 0.77 (0.71-0.82), with a substantial degree of heterogeneity indicated by an I2 of 80.17%. CONCLUSIONS: Based on this review, prognostic modeling utilizing radiomics has demonstrated enhanced efficacy for head and neck cancers; however, there remains room for improvement in this approach. In the future, advancements are warranted in the integration of clinical parameters and multimodal features, balancing multicenter data, as well as in feature screening and model construction within this field.

[Correlation of hematocrit and cardiovascular events in peritoneal dialysis patients].

Objective: To investigate the correlation between hematocrit (HCT) and cardiovascular events in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Methods: Patients undergoing maintenance PD in the PD center of Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital from March 19, 2012 to July 9, 2020 were included. Demographic, baseline clinical and laboratory data of the patients were collected and patients were followed up until April 8, 2022. The primary endpoint was the first occurrence of a cardiovascular event. According to the tertiles of baseline HCT, the patients were divided into group Q1 (HCT≤26.6%), group Q2 (HCT>26.6%-32.4%), and group Q3 (HCT>32.4%). Laboratory indexes and cardiovascular events were compared among the three groups. Kaplan-Meier survival curve, Cox regression analysis and sensitivity analysis were used to analyze the effect of HCT on cardiovascular outcomes. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the predictive value of HCT for cardiovascular events in PD patients. Results: A total of 860 PD patients were included, including 494 males (57.4%) and 366 females (42.6%), with a mean age of (41.5±15.0) years. There were 287 cases in group Q1, 289 cases in group Q2, and 284 cases in group Q3, respectively. A total of 265 (30.8%) patients experienced first cardiovascular events during the follow-up period. The incidence of cardiovascular events in groups Q1, Q2 and Q3 was 36.2% (104/287), 34.3% (99/289), and 21.8% (62/284), respectively, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.001). The incidence of cardiovascular events decreased with the increase of HCT. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model analysis showed that decreased HCT was a risk factor for cardiovascular events. Compared with group Q3, the risk of cardiovascular events in group Q1 increased by 50.7% (group Q2: HR=1.444, 95%CI: 1.029-2.028, P=0.034; group Q1: HR=1.570, 95%CI: 1.096-2.250, P=0.014). In the sensitivity analysis, using kidney transplantation as the competition event, the risk of cardiovascular events was lower in group Q3 than that in group Q1 (subdistributional HR=1.413, 95%CI: 1.006-1.990, P=0.046). Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that compared with the other two groups, the cardiovascular events-free survival rate of patients in group Q1 was significantly lower (log-rank χ2=9.722, P=0.008). ROC analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of HCT for predicting cardiovascular events in PD patients was 0.583 (95%CI: 0.542-0.623, P<0.001), with the sensitivity of 40.6% and the specificity of 75.1%. Conclusion: Low-level HCT is associated with an increased risk of the first cardiovascular event in PD patients.

Risk factors for infection in patients undergoing shoulder arthroscopy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

We conducted a meta-analysis to determine the risk of infection following shoulder arthroscopy and to identify risk factors for infection. We systematically searched the PubMed/Medline, Embase and Cochrane Library databases, as well as the reference lists of previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses; manual searches were also performed. A random-effects model was employed to estimate pooled odds ratios (ORs), based on sample size, the P-value of Egger's test and heterogeneity among studies. Of the 29,342 articles screened, 16 retrospective studies comprising 74,759 patients were included. High-quality evidence showed that patients with diabetes (OR, 1.30; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.20-1.41) or hypertension (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.10-1.44) had a higher risk of infection, while moderate quality evidence showed that patients with obesity (body mass index ≥30 kg/m2) (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.28-1.57), those who were male (OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.12-2.44), those who had an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class ≥3 (OR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.02-3.99) and those who had a history of smoking (OR, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.39-4.28) had a higher risk of infection. The meta-analysis revealed that there was no association between age, time of surgery, or alcohol consumption and infection. This meta-analysis identified six significant risk factors for infection following shoulder arthroscopy including diabetes, obesity, hypertension, male sex, ASA class, history of smoking. These patient-related risk factors may help identify postoperative patients at higher risk for infection following shoulder arthroscopy.

Large Fermi surface in pristine kagome metal CsV3Sb5 and enhanced quasiparticle effective masses.

The kagome metal CsV[Formula: see text]Sb[Formula: see text] is an ideal platform to study the interplay between topology and electron correlation. To understand the fermiology of CsV[Formula: see text]Sb[Formula: see text], intensive quantum oscillation (QO) studies at ambient pressure have been conducted. However, due to the Fermi surface reconstruction by the complicated charge density wave (CDW) order, the QO spectrum is exceedingly complex, hindering a complete understanding of the fermiology. Here, we directly map the Fermi surface of the pristine CsV[Formula: see text]Sb[Formula: see text] by measuring Shubnikov-de Haas QOs up to 29 T under pressure, where the CDW order is completely suppressed. The QO spectrum of the pristine CsV[Formula: see text]Sb[Formula: see text] is significantly simpler than the one in the CDW phase, and the detected oscillation frequencies agree well with our density functional theory calculations. In particular, a frequency as large as 8,200 T is detected. Pressure-dependent QO studies further reveal a weak but noticeable enhancement of the quasiparticle effective masses on approaching the critical pressure where the CDW order disappears, hinting at the presence of quantum fluctuations. Our high-pressure QO results reveal the large, unreconstructed Fermi surface of CsV[Formula: see text]Sb[Formula: see text], paving the way to understanding the parent state of this intriguing metal in which the electrons can be organized into different ordered states.

[Progress in PD-1/PD-L1, PD-L2 signaling pathway and its role in host anti-tuberculosis immunity].

Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and its ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2, expressed on a variety of immune cells, play multiple regulatory roles in the host immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. In this study, we reviewed that the regulatory roles of PD-1/PD-L1, PD-L2 signaling in the host adaptive immune response, such as the innate response of macrophages, and the interaction between T cells and macrophages in response to MTB. In addition, during MTB infection, PD-1/PD-L1, PD-L2 signaling is also involved in the host inflammatory response, as well as the potential roles of PD-1/PD-L1, PD-L2 in the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis.

[Effect of intestinal nitrate on growth of Klebsiella pneumoniae and its regulatory mechanism].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of intestinal nitrates on the growth of Klebsiella pneumoniae and its regulatory mechanisms. METHODS: K. pneumoniae strains with nitrate reductase narG and narZ single or double gene knockout or with NarXL gene knockout were constructed and observed for both aerobic and anaerobic growth in the presence of KNO3 using an automated bacterial growth analyzer and a spectrophotometer, respectively. The mRNA expressions of narG and narZ in K. pneumoniae in anaerobic cultures in the presence of KNO3 and the effect of the binary regulatory system NarXL on their expresisons were detected using qRT-PCR. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) and MST analysis were performed to explore the specific regulatory mechanisms of NarXL in sensing and utilizing nitrates. Competitive experiments were conducted to examine anaerobic growth advantages of narG and narZ gene knockout strains of K. pneumoniae in the presence of KNO3. RESULTS: The presence of KNO3 in anaerobic conditions, but not in aerobic conditions, promoted bacterial growth more effectively in the wild-type K. pneumoniae strain than in the narXL gene knockout strain. In anaerobic conditions, the narXL gene knockout strain showed significantly lowered mRNA expressions of narG and narZ (P < 0.0001). EMSA and MST experiments demonstrated that the NarXL regulator could directly bind to narG and narZ promoter regions. The wild-type K. pneumoniae strain in anaerobic cultures showed significantly increased expressions of narG and narZ mRNAs in the presence of KNO3 (P < 0.01), and narG gene knockout resulted in significantly attenuated anaerobic growth and competitive growth abilities of K. pneumoniae in the presence of KNO3 (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The binary regulatory system NarXL of K. pneumoniae can sense changes in intestinal nitrate concentration and directly regulate the expression of nitrate reductase genes narG and narZ to promote bacterial growth.

[Dynamic observation on capillarization of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells induced by Echinococcus multilocularis infection].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the capillarization of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) and its association with hepatic fibrosis during the development of alveolar echinococcosis, so as to provide the basis for unraveling the mechanisms underlying the role of LSEC in the development and prognosis of hepatic injuries and hepatic fibrosis caused by alveolar echinococcosis. METHODS: Forty C57BL/6 mice at ages of 6 to 8 weeks were randomly divided into a control group and 1-, 2- and 4-week infection groups, of 10 mice in each group. Each mouse in the infection groups was intraperitoneally injected with 2 000 Echinococcus multilocularis protoscoleces, while each mouse in the control group was given an equal volume of phosphate-buffered saline using the same method. All mice were sacrificed 1, 2 and 4 weeks post-infection and mouse livers were collected. The pathological changes of livers were observed using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and hepatic fibrosis was evaluated through semi-quantitative analysis of Masson's trichrome staining-positive areas. The activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition were examined using immunohistochemical staining of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and collagen type I alpha 1 (COL1A1), and the fenestrations on the surface of LSECs were observed using scanning electron microscopy. Primary LSECs were isolated from mouse livers, and the mRNA expression of LSEC marker genes Stabilin-1, Stabilin-2, Ehd3, CD209b, GATA4 and Maf was quantified using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay. RESULTS: Destruction of local liver lobular structure was observed in mice 2 weeks post-infection with E. multilocularis protoscoleces, and hydatid cysts, which were surrounded by granulomatous tissues, were found in mouse livers 4 weeks post-infection. Semi-quantitative analysis of Masson's trichrome staining showed a significant difference in the proportion of collagen fiber contents in mouse livers among the four groups (F = 26.060, P < 0.001), and a higher proportion of collagen fiber contents was detected in mouse livers in the 4-week infection group [(11.29 ± 2.58)%] than in the control group (P < 0.001). Immunohistochemical staining revealed activation of a few HSCs and ECM deposition in mouse livers 1 and 2 weeks post-infection, and abundant brown-yellow stained α-SMA and COL1A1 were deposited in the lesion areas in mouse livers 4 weeks post-infection, which spread to surrounding tissues. Semi-quantitative analysis revealed significant differences in α-SMA (F = 7.667, P < 0.05) and COL1A1 expression (F = 6.530, P < 0.05) in mouse levers among the four groups, with higher α-SMA [(7.13 ± 3.68)%] and COL1A1 expression [(13.18 ± 7.20)%] quantified in mouse livers in the 4-week infection group than in the control group (both P values < 0.05). Scanning electron microscopy revealed significant differences in the fenestration frequency (F = 37.730, P < 0.001) and porosity (F = 16.010, P < 0.001) on the surface of mouse LSECs among the four groups, and reduced fenestration frequency and porosity were observed in the 1-[(1.22 ± 0.48)/µm2 and [(3.05 ± 0.91)%] and 2-week infection groups [(3.47 ± 0.10)/µm2 and (7.57 ± 0.23)%] groups than in the control group (all P values < 0.001). There was a significant difference in the average fenestration diameter on the surface of mouse LSECs among the four groups (F = 15.330, P < 0.001), and larger average fenestration diameters were measured in the 1-[(180.80 ± 16.42) nm] and 2-week infection groups [(161.70 ± 3.85) nm] than in the control group (both P values < 0.05). In addition, there were significant differences among the four groups in terms of Stabilin-1 (F = 153.100, P < 0.001), Stabilin-2 (F = 57.010, P < 0.001), Ehd3 (F = 31.700, P < 0.001), CD209b (F = 177.400, P < 0.001), GATA4 (F = 17.740, P < 0.001), and Maf mRNA expression (F = 72.710, P < 0.001), and reduced mRNA expression of Stabilin-1, Stabilin-2, Ehd3, CD209b, GATA4 and Maf genes was quantified in three infection groups than in the control group (all P values < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: E. multilocularis infections may induce capillarization of LSECs in mice, and result in a reduction in the expression of functional and phenotypic marker genes of LSECs, and capillarization of LSECs occurs earlier than activation of HSC and development of hepatic fibrosis.

[Current status and prospects of genetic research on membranous nephropathy].

Primary membranous nephropathy (PMN) is one of the most frequent pathological subtypes of nephrotic syndrome in adults. The use of genome-wide association study (GWAS) technology has propelled the transition from conventional medicine to precision medicine, offering a fresh perspective for comprehending the pathogenesis of PMN and individual variations in greater detail. Furthermore, GWAS will aid in clinical translation, laying a firm foundation for the precise diagnosis and treatment of PMN.

[Application and optimization of CRISPRi to the biology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis].

Tuberculosis, caused by infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), remains a global public health challenge. Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) strains make tuberculosis more difficult to control. New tools to study the biology of MTB can identify novel targets for drug discovery. Recently, the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats interference (CRISPRi) combined with next-generation sequencing has provided many novel insights into the physiology and genetics of MTB. This review summarizes the application and optimization of CRISPRi in MTB biology.