Genetic analysis of health traits and their associations with longevity, fertility, production, and conformation traits in Holstein cattle.

Health traits have high economic values in dairy cattle breeding, which can cause considerable financial loss through involuntary culling. In this study, fourteen health traits were analysed, including five composite health traits: reproductive disorders, udder health (UH), digestive disorders, metabolic disorders, locomotory diseases (LD), and nine independent health traits: gestation disorders and peripartum disorders, irregular estrus cycle and sterility, metritis (ME), mastitis (MA), abomasal displacement (AD), enteritis (EN), and ketosis, claw diseases (CD), laminitis complex. This study analysed variance components for health traits through both single and bivariate repeatability animal models. All health traits showed low heritability, ranging from 0.001 to 0.025. Most of the health traits in five categories showed negative genetic correlations, ranging from -0.012 (CD and EN) to -0.634 (ME and EN). Strong positive genetic correlations appeared within the same category, ranging from 0.469 (EN and AD) to 0.994 (UH and MA, LD and CD). Furthermore, approximate genetic correlations were evaluated between health traits and routinely collected traits (longevity, fertility, production, and conformation). In general, the low to moderate approximate genetic correlations were estimated between health traits and routinely collected traits. The estimated correlations between health traits and longevity, fertility, production, and conformation traits could provide an indirect reference for disease-resistance breeding in Holstein cattle.

[Analysis of disease burden of welder's pneumoconiosis in Jiangsu Province].

Objective: To investigate the current status of disease burden and its influencing factors among welder's pneumoconiosis patients, and provide scientific basis for taking targeted intervention measures. Methods: From June 2022 to June 2023, the patients with welder's pneumoconiosis in Jiangsu Province were selected from 1956 to 2020 as the research objects, and disability adjusted life years (DALY) were used as the comprehensive index to study the disease burden. The direct and indirect economic losses caused by the diseases were calculated, and the factors affecting the disease burden were discussed by multiple linear regression method. Results: A total of 974 cases of welder's pneumoconiosis were reported in Jiangsu Province, the cumulative loss of DALY was 6300.73 person-years, and the per capita loss was 6.47 person-years. Among them, the healthy life years lost due to disability (YLD) was 6156.50 person-years (97.71%) , and the healthy life years lost due to premature death (YLL) was 144.23 person-years (2.29%) . Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the main factors affecting DALY were disability grade, diagnostic age, pneumoconiosis grade and length of dust exposure (P<0.05) . The total economic loss caused by 974 welder's pneumoconiosis patients was 1831838160.18 yuan, and the per capita loss was 1880737.33 yuan. Among them, the direct economic loss was 970917563.75 yuan (53.00%) , and the indirect economic loss was 860920596.43 yuan (47.00%) . Conclusion: Welder's pneumoconiosis causes serious disease burden to patients, and at the same time causes huge economic losses to individuals and society, which seriously hinders the development of society. Taking effective control measures to prevent the incidence of welder's pneumoconiosis is the key to reduce the disease burden.

[Application of V-Y advancement flap with facial artery perforator for the repair of midface skin defects].

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of V-Y advancement flap with facial artery perforator for the repair of midface skin defects. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 18 patients with facial skin cancer, including 11 males and 7 females, aged 65-83 years, who underwent the repair of midface skin defects using V-Y advancement flap with facial artery perforator in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nantong University from January 2020 to April 2023. Medium, large or complex midface skin defects developed after surgical resections of the primary lesions. According to the defect site, size, location information of facial vessels, a V-Y advancement flap with appropriate shape was designed for each case. During the operation, the facial vessels and their perforators were retained in the pedicle of the flap, the facial nerve branches were dissected and protected, and the further denuded pedicle was determined according to actual amount of advancement. After the flap was advanced, the facial defect area was repaired without tension, and the anatomical positions and functions of the eyes, nose and mouth were restored as far as possible. Postoperative follow-ups were conducted to observe the survival rate of the flaps, postoperative complications, recurrences and metastases of tumors. Results: Midface defects of 3.0 cm×3.5 cm-6.5 cm×7.5 cm were observed after tumor resections, which involved one or more subregions. The sizes of the flaps were 3.5 cm×9.0 cm-7.0 cm×18.0 cm. All flaps were completely alive except for one with temporary local bruising. With following-up of 4-40 months, 5 of the 12 patients with lower eyelid and inner canthus invasions had lower eyelid ectropion, but no exposed keratitis was found; one case with poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma had lymph node metastasis in the submandibular region and underwent neck dissection again; no recurrence or metastasis occurred in the remaining cases. Conclusion: The V-Y advancement flap with facial artery perforator can be used to repair medium, large or complex midface skin defects, with a high survival rate, and the operation method is safe and reliable.

Curcumin alleviates myocardial inflammation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress induced by acute pulmonary embolism by regulating microRNA-145-5P/insulin receptor substrate 1 axis.

The treatment of patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE) is extremely challenging due to the complex clinical presentation and prognosis of APE related to the patient's hemodynamic status and insufficient arterial blood flow and right ventricular overload. Protective efficacy against cardiovascular diseases of curcumin, a common natural polyphenolic compound, which has antithrombotic properties and reduces platelet accumulation in the circulation by inhibiting thromboxane synthesis has been demonstrated. However, the direct effect of curcumin on APE has rarely been studied. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of curcumin in APE and associated myocardial injury to provide new insights into curcumin as a promising competitive new target for the treatment of APE. A suspension of 12 mg/kg microspheres was injected intravenously into rats. An APE rat model was built. Before modeling, intragastric 100 mg/kg curcumin was given, and/or lentiviral plasmid vector targeting microRNA-145-5p or insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) was injected. Pulmonary artery pressure was measured to assess right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP). Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was performed on liver tissues and myocardial tissues of APE rats. TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-dUTP nick end labeling) staining and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining were conducted to measure apoptosis and CyPA-CD147 expression in the myocardium, respectively. Inflammatory indices interleukin-1beta (IL-1ß), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were measured by ELISA in cardiac tissues. RT-qPCR and Western blot were performed to determine the expression levels of related genes. In addition, by dual luciferase reporter assay and RIP assay, the relationship between microRNA-145-5p and insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) was confirmed. In results: curcumin improved APE-induced myocardial injury, reduced myocardial tissue edema, and thrombus volume. It attenuated APE-induced myocardial inflammation and apoptosis, as well as reduced lung injury and pulmonary artery pressure. Curcumin promoted microRNA-145-5p expression in APE rat myocardium. MicroRNA-145-5p overexpression protected against APE-induced myocardial injury, and microRNA-145-5p silencing abolished the beneficial effects of curcumin in APE-induced myocardial injury. IRS1 was targeted by microRNA-145-5p. IRS1 silencing attenuated APE-induced myocardial injury, and enhanced therapeutic effect of curcumin on myocardial injury in APE rats. In conclusion, curcumin alleviates myocardial inflammation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress induced by APE by regulating microRNA-145-5p/IRS1 axis.

A Dynamical Systems View of Psychiatric Disorders-Theory: A Review.

Importance: Psychiatric disorders may come and go with symptoms changing over a lifetime. This suggests the need for a paradigm shift in diagnosis and treatment. Here we present a fresh look inspired by dynamical systems theory. This theory is used widely to explain tipping points, cycles, and chaos in complex systems ranging from the climate to ecosystems. Observations: In the dynamical systems view, we propose the healthy state has a basin of attraction representing its resilience, while disorders are alternative attractors in which the system can become trapped. Rather than an immutable trait, resilience in this approach is a dynamical property. Recent work has demonstrated the universality of generic dynamical indicators of resilience that are now employed globally to monitor the risks of collapse of complex systems, such as tropical rainforests and tipping elements of the climate system. Other dynamical systems tools are used in ecology and climate science to infer causality from time series. Moreover, experiences in ecological restoration confirm the theoretical prediction that under some conditions, short interventions may invoke long-term success when they flip the system into an alternative basin of attraction. All this implies practical applications for psychiatry, as are discussed in part 2 of this article. Conclusions and Relevance: Work in the field of dynamical systems points to novel ways of inferring causality and quantifying resilience from time series. Those approaches have now been tried and tested in a range of complex systems. The same tools may help monitoring and managing resilience of the healthy state as well as psychiatric disorders.

A Dynamical Systems View of Psychiatric Disorders-Practical Implications: A Review.

Importance: Dynamical systems theory is widely used to explain tipping points, cycles, and chaos in complex systems ranging from the climate to ecosystems. It has been suggested that the same theory may be used to explain the nature and dynamics of psychiatric disorders, which may come and go with symptoms changing over a lifetime. Here we review evidence for the practical applicability of this theory and its quantitative tools in psychiatry. Observations: Emerging results suggest that time series of mood and behavior may be used to monitor the resilience of patients using the same generic dynamical indicators that are now employed globally to monitor the risks of collapse of complex systems, such as tropical rainforest and tipping elements of the climate system. Other dynamical systems tools used in ecology and climate science open ways to infer personalized webs of causality for patients that may be used to identify targets for intervention. Meanwhile, experiences in ecological restoration help make sense of the occasional long-term success of short interventions. Conclusions and Relevance: Those observations, while promising, evoke follow-up questions on how best to collect dynamic data, infer informative timescales, construct mechanistic models, and measure the effect of interventions on resilience. Done well, monitoring resilience to inform well-timed interventions may be integrated into approaches that give patients an active role in the lifelong challenge of managing their resilience and knowing when to seek professional help.

Two new species of Diaporthe (Diaporthaceae, Diaporthales) associated with Camelliaoleifera leaf spot disease in Hainan Province, China.

Tea-oil tree (Camelliaoleifera Abel.) is an important edible oil woody plant with a planting area over 3,800,000 hectares in southern China. Species of Diaporthe inhabit a wide range of plant hosts as plant pathogens, endophytes and saprobes. Here, we conducted an extensive field survey in Hainan Province to identify and characterise Diaporthe species associated with tea-oil leaf spots. As a result, eight isolates of Diaporthe were obtained from symptomatic C.oleifera leaves. These isolates were studied, based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses of partial ITS, cal, his3, tef1 and tub2 gene regions. Two new Diaporthe species (D.hainanensis and D.pseudofoliicola) were proposed and described herein.

Intravenous tranexamic acid significantly improved visualization and shortened the operation time in microscopic middle ear surgery: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The microscopic middle ear surgery involves a limited operating space and numerous important anatomical structures in which good visualization is crucial, as even a small amount of bleeding can greatly affect the clarity of surgical field. This study aims to investigate whether intravenous 1gram of tranexamic acid can improve surgical visualization and further shorten the operation time in microscopic middle ear surgery. METHODS: This study is a prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial conducted from December 2021 to December 2022, enrolling patients who were scheduled for microscopic modified radical mastoidectomy due to chronic otitis media. In addition to standard techniques to optimize the surgical field, participants were randomized into the TXA (tranexamic acid) group (1gram diluted to 20 mL normal saline) and the control group (20 mL normal saline). The primary outcome was assessed based on the clarity of the surgical field using the Modena Bleeding Score. Secondary outcomes included operation time, the surgeon satisfaction with the visual clarity, postoperative 24-hour coagulation parameters, and the incidence of adverse events. Student's t test, Chi-square test and ANOVA of repeated measures were used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: A total of 28 patients were enrolled in each group using a 1:1 randomized allocation with similar demographic characteristics, including 24 male and 32 female individuals, and the mean age is 45.6±11.9 years. The surgical visualization in the TXA group was significantly better than that of the control group (2.29±0.46 vs. 2.89±0.31, P<0.001) as assessed by the Modena Bleeding Score. Furthermore, the TXA group demonstrated a shorter operation time compared to the control group (88.61±10.9 vs. 105.2±15.9, P<0.001) and higher surgeon satisfaction with surgical field (7.82±0.55 vs. 6.50±0.64, P<0.001). No statistically significant differences were found in postoperative coagulation parameters in the two groups. No TXA-related adverse events or complications occurred during the 12-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: Intravenous 1gram of TXA can further significantly improve the visual clarity in the microscopic middle ear surgery and shorten the operation time based on other standard measures implemented.

Alcohol consumption as a socially contagious phenomenon in the Framingham Heart Study social network.

We use longitudinal social network data from the Framingham Heart Study to examine the extent to which alcohol consumption is influenced by the network structure. We assess the spread of alcohol use in a three-state SIS-type model, classifying individuals as abstainers, moderate drinkers, and heavy drinkers. We find that the use of three-states improves on the more canonical two-state classification, as the data show that all three states are highly stable and have different social dynamics. We show that when modelling the spread of alcohol use, it is important to model the topology of social interactions by incorporating the network structure. The population is not homogeneously mixed, and clustering is high with abstainers and heavy drinkers. We find that both abstainers and heavy drinkers have a strong influence on their social environment; for every heavy drinker and abstainer connection, the probability of a moderate drinker adopting their drinking behaviour increases by [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], respectively. We also find that abstinent connections have a significant positive effect on heavy drinkers quitting drinking. Using simulations, we find that while both are effective, increasing the influence of abstainers appears to be the more effective intervention compared to reducing the influence of heavy drinkers.

Epicardial and pericoronary adipose tissue and coronary plaque burden in patients with Cushing's syndrome: a propensity score-matched study.

PURPOSE: To assess coronary inflammation by measuring the volume and density of the epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), perivascular fat attenuation index (FAI) and coronary plaque burden in patients with Cushing's syndrome (CS) based on coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). METHODS: This study included 29 patients with CS and 58 matched patients without CS who underwent CCTA. The EAT volume, EAT density, FAI and coronary plaque burden were measured. The high-risk plaque (HRP) was also evaluated. CS duration from diagnosis, 24-h urinary free cortisol (UFC), and abdominal visceral adipose tissue volume (VAT) of CS patients were recorded. RESULTS: The CS group had higher EAT volume (146.9 [115.4, 184.2] vs. 119.6 [69.0, 147.1] mL, P = 0.006), lower EAT density (- 78.79 ± 5.89 vs. - 75.98 ± 6.03 HU, P = 0.042), lower FAI (- 84.0 ± 8.92 vs. - 79.40 ± 10.04 HU, P = 0.038), higher total plaque volume (88.81 [36.26, 522.5] vs. 44.45 [0, 198.16] mL, P = 0.010) and more HRP plaques (7.3% vs. 1.8%, P = 0.026) than the controls. The multivariate analysis suggested that CS itself (ß [95% CI], 29.233 [10.436, 48.03], P = 0.014), CS duration (ß [95% CI], 0.176 [0.185, 4.242], P = 0.033), and UFC (ß [95% CI], 0.197 [1.803, 19.719], P = 0.019) were strongly associated with EAT volume but not EAT density, and EAT volume (ß [95% CI] - 0.037[- 0.058, - 0.016], P = 0.001) not CS was strongly associated with EAT density. EAT volume, FAI and plaque burden increased (all P < 0.05) in 6 CS patients with follow-up CCTA. The EAT volume had a moderate correlation with abdominal VAT volume (r = 0.526, P = 0.008) in CS patients. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with CS have higher EAT volume and coronary plaque burden but less inflammation as detected by EAT density and FAI. The EAT density is associated with EAT volume but not CS itself.

[Long-term outcomes of intravascular ultrasound-guided drug-eluting stents implantation in patients with acute coronary syndrome: ULTIMATE ACS subgroup].

Objective: To explore the long-term effects of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guidance on patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing drug-eluting stents (DES) implantation. Methods: Data used in this study derived from ULTIMATE trial, which was a prospective, multicenter, randomized study. A total of 1 448 all-comer patients were enrolled between 2014 August and 2017 May. Primary endpoint of this study was target vessel failure (TVF) at 3 years, including cardiac death, target-vessel-related myocardial infarction, and clinically-driven target vessel revascularization. Results: ACS was present in 1 136 (78.5%) patients, and 3-year clinical follow-up was available in 1 423 patients (98.3%). TVF in the ACS group was 9.6% (109/1 136), which was significantly higher than 4.5% (14/312) in the non-ACS group (log-rank P=0.005). There were 109 TVFs in the ACS patients, with 7.6% (43/569) TVFs in the IVUS group and 11.6% (66/567) TVFs in the angiography group (log-rank P=0.019). Moreover, patients with optimal IVUS guidance were associated with a lower risk of 3-year TVF compared to those with suboptimal IVUS results (5.4% (16/296) vs. 9.9% (27/273),log-rank P=0.041). Conclusions: This ULTIMATE-ACS subgroup analysis showed that ACS patients undergoing DES implantation were associated with a higher risk of 3-year TVF. More importantly, the risk of TVF could be significantly decreased through IVUS guidance in patients with ACS, especially in those who had an IVUS-defined optimal procedure.

Evaluation of brain iron deposition in different cerebral arteries of acute ischaemic stroke patients using quantitative susceptibility mapping.

AIM: To investigate differences in iron deposition between infarct and normal cerebral arterial regions in acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) patients using quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty healthy controls and 40 AIS patients were recruited, and their QSM images were obtained. There were seven regions of interest (ROIs) in AIS patients, including the infarct regions of responsible arteries (R1), the non-infarct regions of responsible arteries (R2), the contralateral symmetrical sites of lesions (R3), and the non-responsible cerebral arterial regions (R4, R5, R6, R7). For the healthy controls, the cerebral arterial regions corresponding to the AIS patient group were selected as ROIs. The differences in corresponding ROI susceptibilities between AIS patients and healthy controls and the differences in susceptibilities between infarcted and non-infarct regions in AIS patients were compared. RESULTS: The susceptibilities of infarct regions in AIS patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (p<0.0001). There was no significant difference in non-infarct regions between the two groups (p>0.05). The susceptibility of the infarct regions in AIS patients was significantly higher than those of the non-infarct region of responsible artery and non-responsible cerebral arterial regions (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal iron deposition detected by QSM in the infarct regions of AIS patients may not affect iron levels in the non-infarct regions of responsible arteries and normal cerebral arteries, which may open the door for potential new diagnostic and treatment strategies.

Association of healthy sleep patterns with risk of mortality and life expectancy at age of 30 years: a population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The importance of sleep on cardiovascular health has been increasingly acknowledged. However, the effect of combined sleep behaviors on life expectancy remains understudied. AIM: To investigate the association between sleep patterns with total and cause-specific mortality and life expectancy, using a nationally representative sample of US adults. DESIGN: Population-based cohort study. METHODS: This cohort study included 172 321 adults aged 18 years or older in the National Health Interview Survey (2013-18) with linkage to the National Death Index records up to 31 December 2019. The life expectancy at the age of 30 years by the number of low-risk sleep scores was estimated using a flexible parametric survival model. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 4.3 years, of the 172 321 adults (50.9% women; mean [SE] age, 46.98 [0.10] years), 8681 individuals died. The adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals [CI]) of participants with five vs. 0-1 low-risk sleep factors for all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality were 0.70 (0.63-0.77), 0.79 (0.67-0.93) and 0.81 (0.66-0.98), respectively. Nearly 8% (population attributable fraction 7.9%, 95% CI: 5.5-10.4) of mortality in this cohort could be attributed to suboptimal sleep patterns. When compared to those with 0-1 low-risk sleep factors, life expectancy at the age of 30 years for individuals with all five low-risk sleep factors was 4.7 (95% CI: 2.7-6.7) years greater for men and 2.4 (95% CI: 0.4-4.4) years greater for women. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that greater adherence to a low-risk sleep pattern may lead to significant gains in life expectancy among US adults.

[Analysis of disease burden of lung cancer attributable to chromium in Chinese population from 1990 to 2019].

Objective: To analyze the disease burden and change trend of lung cancer attributable to chromium in Chinese population from 1990 to 2019, and to provide reference for the formulation of health policies and strategies of disease prevention and control. Methods: In October 2022, using the data and findings of the burden of disease, injury and risk factor published in the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 (GBD 2019), the burden of lung cancer and its changes caused by occupational hexavalent chromium exposure in Chinese population from 1990 to 2019 were analyzed according to year and gender. The average age structure of the world population was used as the standard population to calculate standardized indicators, and then compared with the global population. Results: The incidence number, death number, disability adjusted life years (DALY) of lung cancer attributable to chromium in Chinese population of 2019 were 833 cases, 790 cases and 22118 person years, respectively. Compared with 1990 (257 cases, 277 cases, 8631 person years), the increase was 224.1%, 185.2%, 156.3%, higher than the global level (101.0%, 134.2%, 117.2%). The standardized morbidity, mortality and DALY rates of lung cancer attributable to chromium in Chinese population of 2019 were 0.059/100000, 0.056/100000 and 1.555/100000, which respectively increased by 169.7%, 137.4%, 113.3% in comparison with that of 1990 (0.022/100000, 0.023/100000 and 0.729/100000). The average annual percent changes were 18.8%, 15.1% and 13.5%, which were higher than the global level (5.7%, 8.4% and 7.0%). In 2019, the DALY caused by chromium-related lung cancer in the Chinese population accounted for 0.0058% (22118/382205568) of the all-cause disease burden in the Chinese population, and 51.8% (22118/42718) of the global population. In 2019, the disease burden of lung cancer attributable to chromium was higher in males than in females, the number of incidence, death and DALY were 576 cases (69.1%), 525 cases (66.5%) and 14717 person years (66.5%), respectively. Conclusion: In 2019, the proportion of disease burden caused by lung cancer attributable to chromium in the Chinese population is low, but it accounts for a high proportion of the global population burden of lung cancer attributable to chromium, and the standardized incidence, mortality and DALY rates show an increasing trend year by year from 1990 to 2019.

Causal association between aspirin use and risk of endometrioid carcinoma: a Mendelian randomization study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate the causal relationship between aspirin use and the risk of endometrial endometrioid cancer (EEC) using two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) and multivariable Mendelian randomization (MVMR) study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A TSMR analysis was conducted to estimate the potential causal relationship between aspirin use and the risk of EEC using genome-wide data from Genome-wide association study (GWAS). The causal association between aspirin use and EEC was further analyzed by MVMR analysis after adjusting for various factors such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and infertility. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data associated with aspirin use and EEC was obtained from the GWAS catalog database. RESULTS: A total of six SNPs were included as instrumental variables in TSMR, which showed that taking aspirin reduced the risk of EEC [OR = 0.02, 95% CI = 0-0.28, p = 0.005, inverse variance weighted (IVW) method]. Besides, the results of the weighted median (WME) method, weighted mode, and simple mode were consistent with the results shown by the IVW method. After further using the MVMR method, the causal association of aspirin use and prevention of EEC onset remained significant after adjusting for the effects of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes (OR = 0.076, 95% CI = 0.007-0.793, p = 0.031). Sensitivity analyses, including heterogeneity, horizontal multiplicity, and leave-one-out tests, showed the reliability of the instrumental variables, proving that the results were reliable and not significantly biased. CONCLUSIONS: Taking aspirin can reduce the risk of EEC morbidity, and it is expected to be of great significance for the early prevention and treatment of endometrial cancer by exploring the biological mechanism of aspirin on endometrioid cancer at a deeper level.

Linear Breit-Wheeler process driven by compact lasers.

We report a proposal to observe the two-photon Breit-Wheeler process in plasma driven by compact lasers. A high-charge electron bunch can be generated from laser plasma wakefield acceleration when a tightly focused laser pulse propagates in a subcritical density plasma. The electron bunch scatters with the laser pulse coming from the opposite direction and resulting in the emission of high brilliance x-ray pulses. In a three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation with a laser pulse of ∼10 J, one could produce an x-ray pulse with a photon number higher than 3×10^{11} and brilliance above 1.6×10^{23} photons/s/mm^{2}/mrad^{2}/0.1%BW at 1 MeV. The x-ray pulses collide in the plasma and create more than 1.1×10^{5} electron-positron pairs per shot. It is also found that the positrons can be accelerated transversely by a transverse electric field generated in the plasma, which enables the safe detection in the direction away from the laser pulses. This proposal enables the observation of the linear Breit-Wheeler process in a compact device with a single shot.

[GPR109A partly mediates inhibitory effects of ß-hydroxybutyric acid on lung adenocarcinoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism that mediates the inhibitory effects of ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) on lung adenocarcinoma cells. METHODS: A549 and LLC cell lines treated with 5 or 10 mmol/L BHB were examined for changes in cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion using CCK-8 assay, EdU staining, scratch assay, and Transwell assay. The differential expression of GPR109A in lung adenocarcinoma and normal lung tissue was analyzed using GEPIA database. GPR109A expressions in BHB-treated lung adenocarcinoma cells were determined using RT-PCR and Western blotting. The changes in IC50 of BHB were examined in A549 and LLC cells with GPR109A knockdown. The effect of BHB administered via gavage for 21 days on tumor growth was evaluated in nude mouse and Balb/c mouse models bearing xenografts derived A549 and LLC cells with or without GPR109A knockdown. RESULTS: Treatment with BHB concentration-dependently repressed the viability, proliferation, migration and invasion of A549 and LLC cells. GPR109A expression was significantly decreased in lung adenocarcinoma tissues and A549 and LLC cell lines (P<0.05). Loss of function experiments showed that the inhibitory effects of BHB on A549 and LLC cells were partly mediated by GPR109A, and in the tumor-bearing mouse models, BHB significantly inhibited tumor growth partly by regulating GPR109A expression (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: BHB can repress the malignant behaviors of A549 and LLC cells and inhibit tumor growth in mice, and these effects are mediated partly by regulating GPR109A expression.

[Clinical characteristics of a case of severe pneumonia caused by coinfection of COVID-19 and Chlamydia Psittaci].

A 69-year-old female patient was admitted to the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University due to a "cough and fever for eight days". On admission, a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) nucleic acid test was positive, and a chest CT scan showed progressive patchy shadows and consolidation shadows in both lungs. Arterial blood gas analysis showed type Ⅰ respiratory failure. The primary diagnosis was severe community-acquired pneumonia in an older adult without underlying disease. However, oxygen inhalation, steroid, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial empirical treatment with piperacillin/tazobactam was ineffective. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing of bronchoscopy alveolar lavage fluid showed Chlamydia psittaci(C. psittaci). Severe pneumonia was confirmed, caused by coinfection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and C. psittaci. A combination of doxycycline and moxifloxacin significantly improved the targeted and symptomatic treatment of the underlying cause. After discharge, the patient recovered within four weeks of follow-up. Therefore, clinicians should be alert to the possibility of coinfection of C. psittaci in patients already diagnosed with COVID-19.

[Best evidence summary of prevention strategies for pressure injury in adult hospitalized burn patients].

Objective: To summarize the best evidence of prevention strategies for pressure injury in adult hospitalized burn patients. Methods: A bibliometric approach was used. Systematic searches were carried out to retrieve the published evidence of prevention strategies for pressure injury in adult hospitalized burn patients in the official websites of relevant academic organizations such as International Society for Burn injury, American Burn Association, and Japanese Dermatology Association, National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel, European Pressure Injury Advisory Panel, Pan Pacific Pressure Injury Alliance International Guidelines Website, foreign language databases such as UpToDate, BMJ Best Practice, MedSci, Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence-Based Practice Database, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, and PubMed, and Chinese databases such as China Biology Medicine disc, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, and China Clinical Guidelines Library. The literature types include clinical decision-making, evidence summary, guidelines, systematic review, and expert consensus. The search time was till February 21st, 2023. Two researchers independently screened the literature and evaluated the quality, and other researchers extracted and graded the evidence according to the topic. Results: A total of 10 papers were included, including 6 evidence summaries, 3 guidelines, and 1 expert consensus, all with high literature quality. After extracting evidence and classifying, 27 pieces of best evidences were summarized from three aspects, including prevention training and supervision, risk assessment, and prevention measures of pressure injury. Conclusions: A total of 27 pieces of best evidences of prevention strategies for pressure injury in adult hospitalized burn patients were summarized from 3 aspects. Medical workers can follow the best evidence and give personalized prevention strategies according to the specific condition of adult hospitalized burn patients to reduce the incidence of pressure injury.

The effect of small molecule inhibitor NSC348884 on nucleophosmin 1-mutated acute myeloid leukemia cells.

OBJECTIVE: Nucleophosmin 1 (NPM1) is a common shuttling protein. Mutation in the NPM1 gene is the most frequent gene alteration in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This study aims to explore the inhibitory effects of small molecule NSC348884 on wild-type and NPM1-mutated AML cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immunofluorescence was used to determine the intracellular localization of NPM1 protein in wild-type (OCI-AML2) and NPM1-mutated (OCI-AML3) AML cell lines. The oligomerization state of NPM1 was assessed by Western blot analysis, and the inhibitory effect of NSC348884 on the proliferation of AML cells was evaluated by Cell-counting kit-8 (CCK-8). Flow cytometry was used to detect the proapoptotic effect of NSC348884 on AML cells. RESULTS: Western blot results showed a significant reduction in the levels of the oligomeric NPM1 protein after the treatment with NSC348884. NSC348884 had an inhibitory effect on the proliferation of both wild-type and NPM1-mutant AML cells. The inhibitory effect on OCI-AML3 cells was stronger, compared to OCI-AML2 cells. Flow cytometry showed that NSC348884 could significantly induce AML cell apoptosis and had a stronger proapoptotic effect on OCI-AML3 cells. CONCLUSIONS: NSC348884 had inhibitory and proapoptotic effects on both wild-type and NPM1-mutated AML cells. The effect of NSC348884 on AML cells, carrying NPM1 mutation was significantly stronger.