[Role of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in adhesion and migration of mesenchymal stem cells in ankylosing spondylitis and its mechanisms].

Objective: To investigate the role and underlying mechanisms of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in the adhesion and migration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods: Bone marrow and ligament tissues were collected during surgery from patients with AS and thoracolumbar fractures (as controls, HC) treated from October 2021 to October 2022 at Nanjing University Medical School Affiliated Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital. MSCs were isolated and cultured from the bone marrow using the Ficoll separation method. Cell morphology was observed under high-resolution microscopy, and differences in the cytoskeletal features between AS-and HC-MSCs were analyzed through immunofluorescence staining. The expression of ICAM-1 was quantified in both groups using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and flow cytometry. Transwell migration assays and wound healing experiments were conducted to evaluate the differences in migration rates between the two groups of MSCs. Results: The interspinous ligament and bone marrow was acquired in AS (2 males and 1 female; 33, 37, 32 years old, respectively) and no-AS patients (2 males and 1 female; 35, 32, 38 years old, respectively). AS-MSCs exhibited broader cell morphology compared to HC-MSCs under bright field and fluorescence microscopy. Immunofluorescence staining of the interspinous ligament showed higher expression of ICAM-1 (68.38±3.42 vs 48.31±2.43) and CD105 (37.97±2.16 vs 23.36±2.06) in AS patients (both P<0.001). Western blot and RT-qPCR analysis revealed significantly stronger protein expression and transcription levels of ICAM-1 in AS-MSCs when compared to those in HC-MSCs (both P<0.001). Flow cytometry confirmed greater mean fluorescence intensity of ICAM-1 in AS-MSCs than in that in HC-MSCs (924.30±54.99 vs 636.47±40.03, P=0.002). Regarding cell adhesion efficiency, it showed no significant difference between AS-MSCs and HC-MSCs in the early stage of adhesion (0.5 h: 1 496±213 vs 1 205±163, P=0.133), but they were all significantly higher in AS-MSCs in the later stage (1 h: 2 894±172 vs 1 908±155, P=0.002; 2 h: 4 540±286 vs 3 334±188, P=0.004; 3 h: 5 212±281 vs 4 208±303, P=0.014). Finally, cell migration experiments demonstrated a stronger migration capability of AS-MSCs compared to HC-MSCs (5 449±172 vs 4 016±155, P<0.001), and the inhibition efficiency of A-205804 on the migration rate of AS-MSCs was stronger than that on HC-MSCs (2 145±239 vs 3 539±316, P=0.004). Conclusions: The aberrant expression of ICAM-1 markedly influences the adhesion and migration dynamics of MSCs. Elevated ICAM-1 levels in MSCs derives from patients with AS significantly enhance their migratory capabilities.

Cardiac MRI for clinical dilated cardiomyopathy: Improved diagnostic power via combined T1, T2, and ECV.

INTRODUCTION: Early diagnosis of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) remains challenging. Cardiac MR can correlate myocardial changes with their pathological basis. There have been some previous studies on the effect of T1 mapping in DCM, but there is limited data on the incremental value of T2 mapping for DCM in routine clinical practice. This study will examine whether the combination of MRI T1 and T2 mapping offers greater advantages in the diagnosis of DCM. METHODS: The study included 28 patients with DCM and 21 healthy controls. CMR evaluation included late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), T1 mapping, extracellular volume (ECV) fraction and T2 mapping. The DCM group was divided into LGE (+) and LGE (-) subgroups. The main modes of LGE are subendocardial, midwall, subepicardial, or transmural. T1 values, T2 values, and ECV in the 16 segments myocardial levels were measured by post-processing software. Student's t-tests or Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare between two groups, and one-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to compare between multiple groups, with p values corrected by Bonferroni. The difference was considered statistically significant at P < 0.05. ROC curve analysis was used to compare the area under the curve (AUC) of each index and its combined value, and the cut-off value, sensitivity and specificity were determined by Jordan's index. RESULTS: Mean native myocardial T1, ECV and T2 were significantly higher in the DCM group compared to controls (p ≤ 0.001, respectively). The best cut-off values for T1, T2 and ECV to discriminate DCM from controls were 1184 ms, 40.9 ms and 29.2%, respectively. The AUC of T1, ECV and T2 were 0.87, 0.89, and 0.83, respectively. The combined AUC of the three values was 0.96. CONCLUSION: Native T1 value and ECV overcome some of the limitations of LGE, and the T2 helps to understand the extent of myocardial damage. The combination of T1 and T2 mapping techniques can reveal fibrotic and oedematous changes in the early stages of DCM, providing a more comprehensive assessment of DCM and better guidance for individualised clinical management of patients. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: We suggest that the addition of T2 mapping to the routine CMR examination of patients with suspected DCM, and the combined assessment of T1mapping and T2 mapping can provide complementary information about the disease and improve the early diagnosis of DCM.

Convolutional LSTM-LSTM model for predicting the daily number of influenza patients in South Korea using satellite images.

OBJECTIVES: Influenza affects a considerable proportion of the global population each year, and meteorological conditions may have a significant impact on its transmission. In this study, we aimed to develop a prediction model for the number of influenza patients at the national level using satellite images and provide a basis for predicting influenza through satellite image data. STUDY DESIGN: We developed an influenza incidence prediction model using satellite images and influenza patient data. METHODS: We collected satellite images and daily influenza patient data from July 2014 to June 2019 and developed a convolutional long short-term memory (LSTM)-LSTM neural network model. The model with the lowest average of mean absolute error (MAE) was selected. RESULTS: The final model showed a high correlation between the predicted and actual number of influenza patients, with an average MAE of 5.9010 per million population. The model performed best with a 2-week time sequence. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a national-level prediction model using satellite images to predict influenza incidence. The model offers the advantage of nationwide analysis. These results may reduce the burden of influenza by enabling timely public health interventions.

Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis in Hong Kong.

INTRODUCTION: Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) [hereafter, SJS/TEN] are uncommon but severe mucocutaneous reactions. Although they have been described in many populations worldwide, data from Hong Kong are limited. Here, we explored the epidemiology, disease characteristics, aetiology, morbidity, and mortality of SJS/TEN in Hong Kong. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included all hospitalised patients who had been diagnosed with SJS/TEN in Prince of Wales Hospital from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2020. RESULTS: There were 125 cases of SJS/TEN during the 17-year study period. The annual incidence was 5.07 cases per million. The mean age at onset was 51.4 years. The mean maximal body surface area of epidermal detachment was 23%. Overall, patients in 32% of cases required burns unit or intensive care unit admission. Half of the cases involved concomitant sepsis, and 23.2% of cases resulted in multiorgan failure or disseminated intravascular coagulation. The mean length of stay was 23.9 days. The cause of SJS/TEN was attributed to a drug in 91.9% of cases, including 84.2% that involved anticonvulsants, allopurinol, antibiotics, or analgesics. In most cases, patients received treatment comprising either best supportive care alone (35.2%) or combined with intravenous immunoglobulin (43.2%). The in-hospital mortality rate was 21.6%. Major causes of death were multiorgan failure and/or fulminant sepsis (81.5%). CONCLUSION: This study showed that SJS/TEN are uncommon in Hong Kong but can cause substantial morbidity and mortality. Early recognition, prompt withdrawal of offending agents, and multidisciplinary supportive management are essential for improving clinical outcomes.

Health-related quality of life and its influencing factors in patients with primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas: A multicentric study in 100 patients.

BACKGROUND: Primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas (CBCL) are a group of rare malignant skin diseases that represent approximately 20%-30% of all primary cutaneous lymphomas (PCL). Previous studies revealed impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients diagnosed with primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Currently, only small-sized studies investigated HRQoL in CBCL patients and lacked detailed analysis of respective subtypes. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate HRQoL in CBCL patients to identify independent factors of HRQoL impairment in CBCL patients. METHODS: One hundred CBCL patients were recruited from eight German PCL centres in this multicentric, cross-sectional study from 2021 to 2022. The patients completed the dermatologic HRQoL questionnaire Skindex-29 and an investigator-designed 'CBCL-Questionnaire' with additional questions on HRQoL and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: The Skindex-29 revealed that HRQoL in CBCL patients is impaired on a mild to moderate level. The multiple regression analysis identified parameters like worries about dying, feeling prejudiced/discriminated and impairment of daily activities to be independently associated with impairment of HRQoL. Highest scores for HRQoL impairment were found in patients with primary cutaneous follicle centre lymphoma while on rituximab treatment and in patients with primary cutaneous marginal zone lymphoma while on watchful waiting. CONCLUSIONS: HRQoL is impaired in CBCL patients, even though, in the face of indolent disease course and favourable prognosis in the majority of cases. Of note, our investigator-designed tool identified worries about dying, feeling prejudiced/discriminated, and the type of treatment to have a negative impact on patients' HRQoL. Our study highlights the importance of a thorough patient-doctor communication to capture overall disease burden because generic HRQoL tools might lack of disease-specific items.

First Simultaneous Determination of Inclusive and Exclusive |V_{ub}|.

The first simultaneous determination of the absolute value of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element V_{ub} using inclusive and exclusive decays is performed with the full Belle data set at the ϒ(4S) resonance, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 711 fb^{-1}. We analyze collision events in which one B meson is fully reconstructed in hadronic modes. This allows for the reconstruction of the hadronic X_{u} system of the semileptonic b→uℓν[over ¯]_{ℓ} decay. We separate exclusive B→πℓν[over ¯]_{ℓ} decays from other inclusive B→X_{u}ℓν[over ¯]_{ℓ} and backgrounds with a two-dimensional fit that utilizes the number of charged pions in the X_{u} system and the four-momentum transfer q^{2} between the B and X_{u} systems. Combining our measurement with information from lattice QCD and QCD calculations of the inclusive partial rate as well as external experimental information on the shape of the B→πℓν[over ¯]_{ℓ} form factor, we determine |V_{ub}^{excl}|=(3.78±0.23±0.16±0.14)×10^{-3} and |V_{ub}^{incl}|=(3.88±0.20±0.31±0.09)×10^{-3}, respectively, with the uncertainties being the statistical error, systematic errors, and theory errors. The ratio of |V_{ub}^{excl}|/|V_{ub}^{incl}|=0.97±0.12 is compatible with unity.

Search for a Heavy Neutrino in τ Decays at Belle.

We report on a search for a heavy Majorana neutrino in the decays τ^{-}→π^{-}ν_{h}, ν_{h}→π^{±}ℓ^{∓}, ℓ=e, µ. The results are obtained using the full data sample of 988 fb^{-1} collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric energy e^{+}e^{-} collider, which contains 912×10^{6} ττ pairs. We observe no significant signal and set 95% CL upper limits on the couplings of the heavy right-handed neutrinos to the conventional standard model left-handed neutrinos in the mass range 0.2-1.6 GeV/c^{2}. This is the first study of a mixed couplings of heavy neutrinos to τ leptons and light-flavor leptons.

From association to gist: Some critical tests.

We report the first evidence that the gist mechanism of fuzzy-trace theory and the associative mechanism of activation monitoring theory operate in parallel, in the recall version of the Deese/Roediger/McDermott illusion. In three experiments, we implemented a new methodology that allows their respective empirical indexes, gist strength (GS) and backward associative strength (BAS), to each be manipulated while the other is held constant. In Experiment 1, increasing GS increased false recall of missing words, but increasing BAS did not. In Experiments 2 and 3, however, increasing GS and increasing BAS both increased recall of missing words, and those effects were independent and additive. In all three experiments, GS and BAS affected true recall of list words in qualitatively different ways: (a) Increasing GS always improved true recall, regardless of whether BAS was high or low, but (b) increasing BAS impaired true recall when GS was high and improved true recall when GS was low. To pinpoint the retrieval loci of the two variables' effects, we analyzed the data of all experiments with the dual-retrieval model. Those analyses showed that the variables' respective effects were due to different retrieval processes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Precise Measurement of the D_{s}

We measure the lifetime of the D_{s}^{+} meson using a data sample of 207 fb^{-1} collected by the Belle II experiment running at the SuperKEKB asymmetric-energy e^{+}e^{-} collider. The lifetime is determined by fitting the decay-time distribution of a sample of 116×10^{3} D_{s}^{+}→ϕπ^{+} decays. Our result is τ_{D_{s}^{+}}=(499.5±1.7±0.9) fs, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. This result is significantly more precise than previous measurements.

Test of Light-Lepton Universality in the Rates of Inclusive Semileptonic B-Meson Decays at Belle II.

We present the first measurement of the ratio of branching fractions of inclusive semileptonic B-meson decays, R(X_{e/µ})=B(B→Xeν)/B(B→Xµν), a precision test of electron-muon universality, using data corresponding to 189 fb^{-1} from electron-positron collisions collected with the Belle II detector. In events where the partner B meson is fully reconstructed, we use fits to the lepton momentum spectra above 1.3 GeV/c to obtain R(X_{e/µ})=1.007±0.009(stat)±0.019(syst), which is the most precise lepton-universality test of its kind and agrees with the standard-model expectation.

Regulatory mechanisms to create healthier environments: planning appeals and hot food takeaways in England.

AIMS: To explore existing regulatory mechanisms to restrict hot food takeaway (HFT) outlets through further understanding processes at local and national levels. METHODS: The Planning Appeals Portal was utilised to identify recent HFT appeal cases across England between December 2016 and March 2020. Eight case study sites were identified using a purposive sampling technique and interviews carried out with 12 professionals involved in planning and health to explore perceptions of and including factors that may impact on the HFT appeal process. Additionally, documents applicable to each case were analysed and a survey completed by seven Local Authority (LA) health professionals. To confirm findings, interpretation meetings were conducted with participants and a wider group of planning and public health professionals, including a representative from the Planning Inspectorate. RESULTS: Eight case study sites were identified, and 12 interviews conducted. Participants perceived that LAs would be better able to work on HFT appeal cases if professionals had a good understanding of the planning process/the application of local planning policy and supplementary planning documents; adequate time and capacity to deal with appeals cases; access to accurate, robust, and up to date information; support and commitment from elected members and senior management; good lines of communication with local groups/communities interested in the appeal; information and resources that are accessible and easy to interpret across professional groups. CONCLUSIONS: Communication across professional groups appeared to be a key factor in successfully defending decisions. Understanding the impact of takeaway outlets on health and communities in the long term was also important. To create a more robust appeals case and facilitate responsiveness, professionals involved in an appeal should know where to locate current records and statistical data. The enthusiasm of staff and support from senior management/elected officials will play a significant role in driving these agendas forward.

Search for the Lepton Flavor Violating Decays B

We present a search for the lepton flavor violating decays B^{+}→K^{+}τ^{±}ℓ^{∓}, with ℓ=(e,µ), using the full data sample of 772×10^{6} BB[over ¯] pairs recorded by the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e^{+}e^{-} collider. We use events in which one B meson is fully reconstructed in a hadronic decay mode. We find no evidence for B^{±}→K^{±}τℓ decays and set upper limits on their branching fractions at the 90% confidence level in the (1-3)×10^{-5} range. The obtained limits are the world's best results.

First Measurement of the Michel Parameter ξ

We report the first measurement of the Michel parameter ξ^{'} in the τ^{-}→µ^{-}ν[over ¯]_{µ}ν_{τ} decay with a new method proposed just recently. The measurement is based on the reconstruction of the τ^{-}→µ^{-}ν[over ¯]_{µ}ν_{τ} events with subsequent muon decay in flight in the Belle central drift chamber. The analyzed data sample of 988 fb^{-1} collected by the Belle detector corresponds to approximately 912×10^{6} τ^{+}τ^{-} pairs. We measure ξ^{'}=0.22±0.94(stat)±0.42(syst), which is in agreement with the standard model prediction of ξ^{'}=1. Statistical uncertainty dominates in this study, being a limiting factor, while systematic uncertainty is well under control. Our analysis proved the practicability of this promising method and its prospects for further precise measurement in future experiments.

[Clinical observation of bow-tie adjustable suture technique for overcorrection in intermittent exotropia].

Objective: To investigate the clinical effects of the bow-tie adjustable suture technique in managing overcorrection in patients with intermittent exotropia after surgery. Methods: This was a retrospective case series study. Clinical data were collected from children with intermittent exotropia who underwent strabismus correction surgery, including the bow-tie adjustable suture technique and conventional techniques, at the Department of Strabismus and Pediatric Ophthalmology, Shanxi Eye Hospital, from January 2020 to September 2021. Children with postoperative esodeviation≥15 prism diopters (PD) within the first 6 days were treated differently based on the surgical technique and their individual conditions, including suture adjustment and conservative treatment. The overcorrection rate and its changes among different surgical groups, the recovery of ocular alignment and binocular visual function after different treatment methods in children with overcorrection on the sixth postoperative day, and the postoperative complications in different surgical groups were observed. Statistical analysis was performed using independent samples t-test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, repeated-measures analysis of variance, Bonferroni test, chi-square test, or Fisher's exact probability test, as appropriate. Results: A total of 643 children who underwent intermittent exotropia correction surgery were included in the study. Among them, 325 children underwent the bow-tie adjustable suture technique, with 185 males and 140 females, and the mean age was (9.50±2.69) years. The remaining 318 children underwent conventional techniques, with 176 males and 142 females, and the mean age was (9.90±2.67) years. There were no statistically significant differences in age and gender distribution between the two surgical groups (all P>0.05). On the first postoperative day, among children who underwent the bow-tie adjustable suture technique, 40 had an esodeviation of≥10 PD, resulting in an overcorrection rate of 12.3% (40/325), while among children who underwent conventional techniques, 32 had an esodeviation of≥10 PD, resulting in an overcorrection rate of 10.1% (32/318). On the sixth postoperative day, these rates decreased to 5.5% (18/325) and 3.1% (10/318) in the two groups, respectively. At 1, 6, and 12 months postoperatively, the overcorrection rate in children who underwent the bow-tie adjustable suture technique was 0, while in children who underwent conventional techniques, the overcorrection rate did not show a significant decrease compared to before surgery. The differences between the two surgical groups were statistically significant (all P<0.05). On the sixth postoperative day, among children with an esodeviation of≥15 PD, 13 underwent suture adjustment and 7 received conservative treatment. The results of repeated-measures analysis of variance showed statistically significant differences in near and distance esodeviation angles among children who received different treatment methods (F=145.20, 106.87, both P<0.001), as well as statistically significant differences in near and distance esodeviation angles at different time points within each group of children (F=81.67, 35.09, both P<0.001). There were also significant differences in the trends of change in near and distance esodeviation angles at different time points among children who received different treatment methods (F=79.90, 36.73, both P<0.001). Further pairwise comparisons showed significant differences in near and distance esodeviation angles between the sixth postoperative day and 1, 6, and 12 months postoperatively in children who underwent suture adjustment (all P<0.05), while no statistically significant differences were observed in children who received conservative treatment (all P>0.05). At 12 months postoperatively, among the 13 children who underwent suture adjustment, 12 achieved stereopsis, while among the 7 children who received conservative treatment, all became stereo-blind after removing the prismatic correction. No serious complications occurred in any of the children postoperatively. Conclusion: The proportion of children with intermittent exotropia who achieved orthotropic alignment one year after surgery was relatively low among those who had an overcorrection of≥15 PD on the sixth postoperative day. The bow-tie adjustable suture technique is a simple and effective approach for managing overcorrection in patients with intermittent exotropia. Adjusting the sutures on the sixth postoperative day can reduce the overcorrection rate and is considered a safe and effective method.

Preventing Teen Pregnancy: A Qualitative Study of the Perspectives of Parenting and Expecting Latino Adolescents.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Latino youths in the United States experience disproportionately high rates of teen pregnancy. The aim of this study was to obtain expecting and parenting Latino adolescents' perspectives regarding factors contributing to teen pregnancy and pregnancy prevention. METHODS: Expecting/parenting Latino adolescents were recruited from high schools with high proportions of Latino youths and teen pregnancy. Participants completed a questionnaire on sociodemographic and background characteristics. Focus groups were stratified by age and gender and audio recorded. Grounded theory was used to identify themes from the transcribed audio recordings. RESULTS: Thirty-two expecting/parenting Latino adolescents (20 females, 12 males) 14-19 years old participated in four focus groups. Quantitative results revealed that two-thirds of participants at birth had adolescent mothers. Over three-quarters of participants reported that their pregnancies had occurred too soon. Qualitative themes for factors contributing to teen pregnancy included lack of contraceptive knowledge/access, belief of invincibility, influence within relationships, male decisions on contraceptive use, desire to belong among peers, lack of parental support for contraceptive use, lack of parental attention, rebellion, normalization of adolescent parenthood in Latino culture, and media. Themes for pregnancy prevention included time alone with physicians, parenting teens as mentors, reproductive health education, and community pregnancy-prevention programs. CONCLUSION: Multiple factors contribute to teen pregnancy in Latino youth, including influences from Latino culture, family, peers, partners, and social determinants of health. Pregnancy prevention should incorporate interventions to address these aspects, including disseminating culturally sensitive education materials, providing parenting teens as peer mentors, encouraging time alone with health care providers, and addressing various social determinants of health.

Genomic features of recombinant CHO clones arising from transposon-based and randomized integration.

The use of transposase in cell line development (CLD) programs has experienced increased popularity over the past decade. However, few studies have described the mechanism of action and the genomic and phenotypic characteristics of clones derived from transposase. Additionally, how these traits impact long-term bioproduction is unknown. Here, we use chromosome painting, deep sequencing, and ddPCR to characterize the unique fingerprints associated with transposase-derived clones. Transposase reduces the cellular pool of transient vector as early as three days post transfection following transfection and expedites stable pool establishment by up to two weeks. Furthermore, recombinant DNA expression is significantly improved up to ∼3 fold along with a greater balance of antibody heavy and light chain transcripts, resulting in higher titers in transposase generated pools. Transposase derived pools contained an often innumerable number of integration sites, representing a vast increase in integration site diversity over randomly generated pools, which were bottlenecked at 1-3 integration sites per pool. These transposase mediated integrations typically occurred in clean singlets, free of genomic scars such as deletions, inversions, and other modifications associated with legacy transfection methods which exhibited higher copy numbers per integration site. Relative declines in gene expression occur with copy number increase in the randomly generated, but not the transposase derived clones. Furthermore, transposase-derived clones were more likely to exhibit enhanced a long term stability profile, including product quality attributes such as mannose-5. This improved stability may result from circumventing mechanisms associated with the silencing of tandem repeats. Thus, transposase-mediated approaches can provide multifaceted molecular and phenotypic advantages in cell line development when compared to legacy random-integration methods.

Extracellular Vesicle MicroRNA in the Kidney.

Most cells in our body release membrane-bound, nano-sized particles into the extracellular milieu through cellular metabolic processes. Various types of macromolecules, reflecting the physiological and pathological status of the producing cells, are packaged into such so-called extracellular vesicles (EVs), which can travel over a distance to target cells, thereby transmitting donor cell information. The short, noncoding ribonucleic acid (RNA) called microRNA (miRNA) takes a crucial part in EV-resident macromolecules. Notably, EVs transferring miRNAs can induce alterations in the gene expression profiles of the recipient cells, through genetically instructed, base-pairing interaction between the miRNAs and their target cell messenger RNAs (mRNAs), resulting in either nucleolytic decay or translational halt of the engaged mRNAs. As in other body fluids, EVs released in urine, termed urinary EVs (uEVs), carry specific sets of miRNA molecules, which indicate either normal or diseased states of the kidney, the principal source of uEVs. Studies have therefore been directed to elucidate the contents and biological roles of miRNAs in uEVs and moreover to utilize the gene regulatory properties of miRNA cargos in ameliorating kidney diseases through their delivery via engineered EVs. We here review the fundamental principles of the biology of EVs and miRNA as well as our current understanding of the biological roles and applications of EV-loaded miRNAs in the kidney. We further discuss the limitations of contemporary research approaches, suggesting future directions to overcome the difficulties to advance both the basic biological understanding of miRNAs in EVs and their clinical applications in treating kidney diseases. © 2023 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 13:4833-4850, 2023.

Search for an Invisible Z

The L_{µ}-L_{τ} extension of the standard model predicts the existence of a lepton-flavor-universality-violating Z^{'} boson that couples only to the heavier lepton families. We search for such a Z^{'} through its invisible decay in the process e^{+}e^{-}→µ^{+}µ^{-}Z^{'}. We use a sample of electron-positron collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 10.58 GeV collected by the Belle II experiment in 2019-2020, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 79.7 fb^{-1}. We find no excess over the expected standard-model background. We set 90%-confidence-level upper limits on the cross section for this process as well as on the coupling of the model, which ranges from 3×10^{-3} at low Z^{'} masses to 1 at Z^{'} masses of 8 GeV/c^{2}.

Search for Lepton-Flavor-Violating τ Decays to a Lepton and an Invisible Boson at Belle II.

We search for lepton-flavor-violating τ^{-}→e^{-}α and τ^{-}→µ^{-}α decays, where α is an invisible spin-0 boson. The search uses electron-positron collisions at 10.58 GeV center-of-mass energy with an integrated luminosity of 62.8 fb^{-1}, produced by the SuperKEKB collider and collected with the Belle II detector. We search for an excess in the lepton-energy spectrum of the known τ^{-}→e^{-}ν[over ¯]_{e}ν_{τ} and τ^{-}→µ^{-}ν[over ¯]_{µ}ν_{τ} decays. We report 95% confidence-level upper limits on the branching-fraction ratio B(τ^{-}→e^{-}α)/B(τ^{-}→e^{-}ν[over ¯]_{e}ν_{τ}) in the range (1.1-9.7)×10^{-3} and on B(τ^{-}→µ^{-}α)/B(τ^{-}→µ^{-}ν[over ¯]_{µ}ν_{τ}) in the range (0.7-12.2)×10^{-3} for α masses between 0 and 1.6 GeV/c^{2}. These results provide the most stringent bounds on invisible boson production from τ decays.