[Association of waist-to-height ratio with sarcopenic obesity in hemodialysis patients with normal body mass index].

Objective: To explore the association between waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and sarcopenic obesity (SO) in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients with normal body mass index (BMI). Methods: A multicenter and cross-sectional study that included adult patients undergoing MHD was conducted in 20 hemodialysis centers from June 1st to August 30th, 2021. Body composition was evaluated by body composition monitor based on bioimpedance spectroscopy. According to the quartiles of WHtR, patients were divided into four groups: Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 group. The association of WHtR with SO was determined by multiple logistic regression models, stratified analyses, interactive analyses, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses, respectively. Results: A total of 2 207 MHD patients (1 341 males and 866 females) were included, and aged [M (Q1, Q3)] 57 (44, 68) years. The prevalence of SO was increased with increasing quartiles of WHtR [8.6% (46/533), 22.5% (141/628), 35.4% (215/608), and 44.3% (194/438) for Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 group, respectively]. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that WHtR was associated with SO. The association remained statistically significant even after adjusting for age, gender, dialysis vintage, BMI, biochemical indicators, and various medical histories. Compared with Q1 group, the odds ratios (OR) were 2.54 (95%CI: 1.69-3.83), 4.30 (95%CI: 2.88-6.42) and 5.18 (95%CI: 3.37-7.96) for Q2, Q3 and Q4 group, respectively. The interaction analysis showed that age, sex and history of diabetes had interactive roles in the association between WHtR and SO (all P<0.05). The association stably existed across subgroups, and it was more obvious in male patients, those with older age and without a history of diabetes（all P<0.05）. Furthermore, the cut-off value of WHtR identifying SO in male patients was 0.49, and the corresponding area under the curve (AUC) was 0.73 (95%CI: 0.70-0.75), with the sensitivity of 72.7% and specificity of 60.3%. In female patients, the cut-off value was 0.51, and the AUC was 0.68 (95%CI: 0.65-0.71), with the sensitivity of 70.1% and specificity of 57.8%. Conclusion: WHtR could be used as a simple index to evaluate the risk of SO in MHD patients with normal BMI.

[Association of lean tissue index with arteriovenous fistula dysfunction in maintenance hemodialysis patients].

The clinical data of maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients from twenty hemodialysis centers in Guizhou province from June to September 2020 were collected by cross-sectional study. The patients were divided into AFD group and non-AFD group according to whether AFD had occurred. LTI was measured by body composition monitor. The results showed that the incidence of AFD in 2 781 MHD patients was 30.0% (835/2 781). Median LTI level was 15.2 (13.2, 17.5) kg/m2. The LTI level in the AFD group was higher than that in the non-AFD group (P < 0.05). According to the tertiles of LTI, low LTI group (LTI ≤ 13.9 kg/m2) had the highest incidence of AFD (35.5%, 334/940), and the high LTI group had the lowest incidence of AFD (26.3%, 241/916), and the difference among the three groups was statistically significant (χ2=20.182,P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that low LTI group as the reference, the risk of AFD in moderate LTI group (13.9 kg/m2 < LTI ≤ 16.6 kg/m2) and high LTI group were associated with the 20.0% (OR=0.800, 95% CI 0.650-0.986, P=0.036) and 22.8% (OR=0.772, 95% CI 0.616-0.966, P=0.024) decrease, respectively. These results suggest that low LTI level is independently associated with an increased risk of AFD in MHD patients.

[Analysis of the current status of needle and syringe exchange programmes for injecting drug users in China].

Objective: To analyze the needle and syringe exchange programme (NSEP) implementation among injecting drug users (IDUs) in China and provide data support and a scientific reference for intervention among IDUs. Methods: All the statistical reports of high-risk behavior interventions during 2007-2021 were collected from the HIV/AIDS Comprehensive Response Information Management System. Descriptive analysis was used to analyze the changes in the number of NSEP points, regional distribution of NSEP points, the number of people covered, and the HIV detection rate in China from 2007 to 2021. Excel 2016 software was used to plot the variation trend. SAS 9.4 software was used for the needle recovery and HIV-positive detection rate to do the χ2 trend test. Results: There were 578 NSEP sites in 11 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) by the end of 2021, covering 21 215 IDUs. 2014-2021, the number of NSEP sites and the number of IDUs covered decreased year by year. Each injecting drug user participating in NSEP received more than 200 clean needles annually. The needle recovery rate showed an increasing trend(Z=170.26, P<0.001) from 2009 to 2016 but showed a decreasing trend (Z=-91.96, P<0.001) from 2016 to 2021. The rate of HIV-positive in IDUs participating in NSEP showed a downward trend (Z=-66.53, P<0.001), which decreased from 5.8% (2 709/46 591) in 2011 to 0.1% (19/21 215) in 2021, decreasing 98.3%. Conclusions: NSEP is a vital intervention to prevent HIV transmission through injecting drugs. There were still many difficulties. It is necessary to strengthen further communication and coordination with government and public security departments to understand and support for NSEP. Targeted publicity and education are needed to be carried out for local IDUs to encourage them to participate in NSEP and reduce their dropout. Meanwhile, peer educators supervision and management also need to be strengthened.

Anomalous Thermoelectric Effects of ZrTe_{5} in and beyond the Quantum Limit.

Thermoelectric effects are more sensitive and promising probes to topological properties of emergent materials, but much less addressed compared to other physical properties. We study the thermoelectric effects of ZrTe_{5} in a magnetic field. The presence of the nontrivial electrons leads to the anomalous Nernst effect and quasilinear field dependence of thermopower below the quantum limit. In the strong-field quantum limit, both the thermopower and Nernst signal exhibit exotic peaks. At higher magnetic fields, the Nernst signal has a sign reversal at a critical field where the thermopower approaches zero. We propose that these anomalous behaviors can be attributed to the gap closing of the zeroth Landau bands in topological materials with the band inversion. Our understanding to the anomalous thermoelectric properties in ZrTe_{5} opens a new avenue for exploring Dirac physics in topological materials.

[Association of low serum indirect bilirubin level with all-cause mortality in maintenance hemodialysis patients].

Objective: To investigate the association of low serum indirect bilirubin (IBIL) level with all-cause mortality in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. Methods: A multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted in seven hemodialysis centers of Guizhou province. The adult outpatients who underwent hemodialysis for more than 3 months were included between June 2015 and June 2016. Demographics, baseline clinical and laboratory test results were collected. Patients were divided into 4 groups according to their baseline serum IBIL levels (interquartile range), and followed up until June 30, 2018. Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare the survival rate of each group. Cox regression model was used to analyze the association of IBIL with all-cause mortality. Results: A total of 885 hemodialysis dialysis patients with baseline IBIL data were enrolled in this study, with age of (55.4±16.2) years old, among whom 57.9% (512/885) were male. Median IBIL was 4.8 µmol/L and interquartile range was 3.3-7.0 µmol/L. The comparison between IBIL quartile groups showed that the differences in proportion of diabetics, hemoglobin, serum albumin, platelet, serum calcium, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), uric acid and urea nitrogen were statistically significant (all P<0.05). After a median follow-up of 24 months, 210 patients died, and 96 cases became lost to follow-up. Kaplan-Meier curves showed higher all-cause mortality in patients with IBIL≤3.3 µmol/L (Q1 group) (65/219, P=0.015). After adjusting for age, gender, comorbidities, and biochemical indicators, taking baseline IBIL Q2 level (IBIL 3.4~4.8 µmol/L) as a reference, the hazard ratio for all-cause death in patients with IBIL≤3.3 µmol/L was 1.661 (95%CI: 1.114-2.476, P=0.013). Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that there was no significant difference in mortality between the quartile groups according to total bilirubin (TBIL) or direct bilirubin (DBIL) (P=0.167, 0.156). Conclusion: Baseline low serum IBIL in maintenance hemodialysis patients is associated with all-cause mortality.

Disruption of the Accidental Dirac Semimetal State in ZrTe_{5} under Hydrostatic Pressure.

We study the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the magnetotransport properties of zirconium pentatelluride. The magnitude of resistivity anomaly gets enhanced with increasing pressure, but the transition temperature T^{*} is insensitive to it up to 2.5 GPa. In the case of H∥b, the quasilinear magnetoresistance decreases drastically from 3300% (9 T) at ambient pressure to 230% (9 T) at 2.5 GPa. Besides, the change of the quantum oscillation phase from topological nontrivial to trivial is revealed around 2 GPa. Both demonstrate that the pressure breaks the accidental Dirac node in ZrTe_{5}. For H∥c, in contrast, subtle changes can be seen in the magnetoresistance and quantum oscillations. In the presence of pressure, ZrTe_{5} evolves from a highly anisotropic to a nearly isotropic electronic system, which accompanies the disruption of the accidental Dirac semimetal state. It supports the assumption that ZrTe_{5} is a semi-3D Dirac system with linear dispersion along two directions and a quadratic one along the third.

Dietary linseed oil in the maternal diet affects immunoglobulins, tissue fatty acid composition and expression of lipid metabolism-related genes in piglets.

This experiment investigated the effects of supplementing the maternal diet with linseed oil (LSO) and soya bean oil (SBO) on immunoglobulins, the fatty acid composition and hepatic expression of lipid metabolism-related genes in piglets. Multiparous sows (twenty-four per diet) were fed on diets containing a supplement of either SBO or LSO during last week of gestation and lactation. The results indicated that supplementation of maternal diet with LSO could improve the weaning weight of piglets and average daily gain (ADG) (p < 0.05). The concentration of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin A (IgA) was enhanced in sow plasma, colostrum and milk by the addition of LSO (p < 0.05). In addition, the concentration of 18: 3n-3 fatty acids was higher in the milk of LSO sows. Meanwhile, maternal supplementation with LSO increased the levels of plasma IgG, IgA and the tissues n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) in piglets (p < 0.05). Correspondingly, the mRNA expression levels of hepatic ∆5-desaturase (D5D) and ∆6-desaturase (D6D) were higher, and fatty acid synthase (FAS) was lower in piglets from LSO-fed sows when compared with that in the SBO group. In conclusion, LSO supplementation of the maternal diet increases immunoglobulins, modifies the fatty acid composition and affects the gene of D5D and D6D expression of piglets.

Stabilized Skyrmion Phase Detected in MnSi Nanowires by Dynamic Cantilever Magnetometry.

Using dynamic cantilever magnetometry we measure an enhanced skyrmion lattice phase extending from around 29 K down to at least 0.4 K in single MnSi nanowires (NWs). Although recent experiments on two-dimensional thin films show that reduced dimensionality stabilizes the skyrmion phase, our results are surprising given that the NW dimensions are much larger than the skyrmion lattice constant. Furthermore, the stability of the phase depends on the orientation of the NWs with respect to the applied magnetic field, suggesting that an effective magnetic anisotropy, likely due to the large surface-to-volume ratio of these nanostructures, is responsible for the stabilization. The compatibility of our technique with nanometer-scale samples paves the way for future studies on the effect of confinement and surfaces on magnetic skyrmions.

Prognostic factors for the recurrence of sporadic desmoid-type fibromatosis after macroscopically complete resection: Analysis of 114 patients at a single institution.

AIMS: Desmoid-type fibromatoses (DFs) are rare soft-tissue neoplasms with frequent local recurrence. We sought to determine the prognostic factors that are predictive of recurrence-free survival (RFS) for these tumors. METHODS: One hundred and fourteen consecutive patients with sporadic DF who received macroscopically complete resection (R0/R1) at a single tertiary hospital between 1985 and 2014 were included. A total of 10 clinical and pathological parameters were analyzed. Histologic slides and the margin status were re-checked; close margins (≤1-mm clearance) were noted separately and were considered together with the R1 margin. RESULTS: The median follow-up interval was 72.5 months. Thirty-five (30.7%) patients had a local recurrence. The 2-, 5- and 10-year RFSs were 75.2%, 72.1% and 67.0%, respectively. In univariate analysis, age, tumor size, tumor site, margin status and presence of lesions at multiple sites had a significant impact on RFS. In multiple analysis, younger age (age<30 vs. age≥50 years: hazard ratio [HR] = 4.96; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.50-16.4; p = 0.009); an extra-abdominal site (extra-abdominal site vs. other sites: HR = 4.08; 95% CI, 1.49-11.2; p = 0.006); larger tumor size (≥8 cm vs. <8 cm: HR = 2.43; 95% CI, 1.15-5.13; p = 0.021); and close or positive margin status (close margin/R1 vs. R0: HR = 2.64; 95% CI, 1.11-6.25; p = 0.027) were independent, unfavorable prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: Different prognostic subgroups were identified that allow for the better selection of favorable therapeutic strategies. The role of the margin status should be considered with caution and should be based on a more precise pathological result.

Variation characteristics of the nitrate reductase gene of key inbred maize lines and derived lines in China.

Key inbred lines have played a fundamental role in maize genetics and breeding. Research on variation characteristics of key genes from key inbred lines and from derived lines is important for early identification and evaluation of inbred maize lines. The nitrate reductase (NR) gene, which plays a central role in nitrate acquisition, was the target gene for this research. Forty-one inbred maize lines were investigated, including four key inbred lines: Huangzaosi, Mo17, Dan340, and Ye478. Through multiple sequence alignment with the NR gene from B73, used as a control, we found that: 1) the NR gene of most inbred lines from Huangzaosi and from derived lines had two insertion fragments and two replacement fragments; 2) the NR gene of most inbred lines from Mo17 and derived lines had one insertion fragment and one replacement fragment; 3) there were two common variations and eight common SNPs in the NR gene of the four key lines. Huangzaosi and Mo17 also had three common variations compared with the other key lines. Moreover, Mo17 had some unique variations; there were no unique variations in the other key lines, even for SNPs, and 4) phylogenetic tree analysis showed that the NR gene of the derived lines from the same key line had higher sequence homology. Based on the above NR gene variation characteristics and sequence homology of key inbred lines and derived lines, a candidate inbred line can be preliminarily selected and evaluated by marker development and/or sequence alignment of the NR gene.

Investigation of superconductivity in electrochemically fabricated AuSn nanowires.

We have fabricated intermetallic AuSn nanowires by electrochemical deposition in porous polycarbonate membranes. By controlling the deposition parameters, nanowires of a single intermetallic phase, namely AuSn, can be fabricated. AuSn nanowires are found to be crystalline and fairly resistant to oxidation. Electrical transport measurements on arrays of nanowires showed a superconducting transition temperature, T(c)∼1.5 K. In addition, four-probe measurements were made on individual freestanding nanowires with electrodes formed by a focused ion beam (FIB). Results from the two sets of measurements are found to be in close agreement.