[Epidemiological characteristics of two local COVID-19 outbreaks caused by 2019-nCoV Omicron variant in Guangzhou, China].

Objective: To understand the epidemiological characteristics of two local COVID-19 outbreaks caused by 2019-nCoV Omicron variant in Guangzhou, such as incubation period, serial interval, basic reproductive number (R0) and the influence of gathering places on R0, and provide evidence for the prevention and control of Omicron variant infection. Methods: The data of daily confirmed cases of Omicron variant infection from April 8 to May 8, 2022 in two COVID-19 outbreaks in Guangzhou were collected for model fitting. Weibull, Gamma and lognormal distribution were used to estimate incubation period and serial interval. Exponential growth method and the maximum likelihood estimation were used to estimate R0. Results: The median of incubation period was 2.94 (95%CI: 2.52-3.38) days and median of serial interval was 3.32 (95%CI: 2.89-3.81) days. The estimated R0 in small-size place was 4.40 (95%CI: 3.95-4.85), while the estimated R0 at airport was 11.35 (95%CI: 11.02-11.67). Conclusion: The incubation period of Omicron variant in two local COVID-19 outbreaks in Guangzhou is significantly shorter than that of delta variant. The higher the gathering degree in a place, the larger the R0. Due to its rapid transmission, COVID-19 epidemic is prone to occur. Therefore, the COVID-19 prevention and control strategy should be dynamically adjusted in time.

[Pepsin and bile acids detection in saliva for the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease].

Objective: To identify the value of the detection of pepsin and bile acids in saliva for the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD). Methods: From January 2018 to June 2019, 104 GERD patients and 43 healthy people in Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital were recruited. The 104 patients of GERD group were divided into four sub-groups, including esophageal symptoms GERD group, extraesophageal symptoms GERD group, anxiety or depression group, non-anxiety and non-depression group. Saliva was collected on waking in morning and 2 h after finishing lunch. The concentration of the total pepsin(TPP) and total bile acids(TBA) from saliva was detected by ELISA method. Receiver operating characteristics analysis was used to identify the sensitivity and specificity of the saliva pepsin and bile acids detection. Results: The concentration of TPP in morning waking samples and postprandial samples in the GERD group was 27.1(9.7,50.3) µg/L and 32.4(14.0,58.7) µg/L, the concentration of TBA in postprandial samples was (18.4±2.3)µmol/L, and these levels were significantly higher than that of the control group [7.0(5.1, 9.1) µg/L, 7.4(5.2, 9.4) µg/L, (12.6±5.0)µmol/L](P<0.01). The concentration of TBA in morning waking samples had no significant difference between these two groups(P>0.05). The concentration of TPP and TBA had no significant difference among the four GERD sub-groups(P>0.05).Pepsin in postprandial saliva samples had moderate diagnostic value for GERD, when the saliva pepsin concentration in postprandial samples was higher than 41.33 µg/L, it had a sensitivity of 82.8% and a specificity of 73.3%. The bile acids in saliva had no significant diagnostic value for GERD. Conclusions: Pepsin detection in saliva has a high level of sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing GERD. However, bile acids in saliva has no significant diagnostic value for GERD.

Low-Voltage Metal-Oxide Thin Film Transistors Using P-Type Tin-Oxide Semiconductors.

In this paper, the effect of channel annealing and oxygen flow rate in P-type tin-monoxide (SnO) thin film transistor (TFT) was investigated to reach the process compatibility with n-type oxide-based TFT. The optimized P-type SnO TFT with a small threshold voltage of -0.1 V, a high field-effect mobility of 4 cm² V-1 s-1 and an on/off current ratio of >10² was proposed. From the experimental results, the 150 °C channel annealing revealed a metallic behavior but a semiconductor-like property at a higher 200 °C that was favorable for transistor rectification. Besides, the higher oxygen flow rate was also helpful for improving device mobility and driving current, but shows a slight increase in off-state leakage, which is unavoidable due to the increase of grain in SnO channel.

KEAP1/NRF2 signaling pathway mutations in cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to explore the potential involvement of mutations in the KEAP1/NRF2 signaling pathway in Chinese samples with cervical cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 236 Chinese patients with various types of cervical cancer were recruited, and the coding exons and the corresponding intron-exon boundaries of the KEAP1 and NRF2 genes were analyzed for the potential mutations in the KEAP1/NRF2 signaling pathway. RESULTS: A novel KEAP1 missense somatic mutation (c.1408C>T, p.R470C) and 5 NRF2 missense somatic mutations (c.72G>C, p.W24C; c.85G>T, p.D29Y; c.101G>A, p.R34Q; c.230A>C, p.D77A and c.242G>A p.G81D) were identified in 187 patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma, respectively; no mutations were detected in other subtypes. All these mutations were heterozygous and predicted to be pathogenic by PolyPhen-2, MutationTaster programs, and evolutionary conservation analysis. Among these mutations, the KEAP1 (p.R470C) and 3 NRF2 mutations (p.D29Y, p.D77A, and p.G81D) were detected in cervical cancer for the first time. Also, no mutations were identified in our 21 adenosquamous carcinomas or 25 adenocarcinomas. CONCLUSIONS: We identified 6 potential diseases causing mutations in the KEAP1/NRF2 signaling pathway in 187 (3.2%) Chinese cases with cervical squamous cell carcinoma, implicating KEAP1/NRF2 signaling pathway might play an active role in the pathogenesis of this subtype of cervical cancer. Furthermore, among these detected mutations, the KEAP1 and 3 NRF2 mutations were reported in cervical cancer for the first time.

The Role of Oxygen Vacancies on Switching Characteristics of TiO(x) Resistive Memories.

Using oxygen vacancy rich (VO-rich) TiO(x) dielectric with high work function Ni electrode, large resistance window of > 10x and narrow current distribution were realized in the Ni/VO-rich TiO(x)/TaN resistive random access memory (RRAM) device. It can be ascribed to the formation and rupture of conducting filaments by the percolation of VOs and Ti interstitials. Moreover, the effects of annealing treatment and top electrode on resistive switching properties were investigated. The device with VO-deficient TiO(x) after annealing reduces the defects and exhibits small window and low switching currents. The device with low work function Ti top electrode provides low barrier to increase reset currents and the randomly distributed filamentary paths forms near the Ti causes wide current distribution.

Glucocorticoid repression of the mouse gonadotropin-releasing hormone gene is mediated by promoter elements that are recognized by heteromeric complexes containing glucocorticoid receptor.

We have identified two regions of the mouse gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) promoter, one between -237 and -201 (distal element) and the other between -184 and -150 (proximal element), which are required for glucocorticoid repression in transiently transfected GT1-7 cells. These sequences show no similarity to known positive or negative glucocorticoid response elements (nGREs) and do not function when placed upstream of heterologous viral promoters. The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) does not bind directly to the distal or proximal promoter elements but may participate in glucocorticoid repression of GnRH gene transcription by virtue of its association within multiprotein complexes at these nGREs. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays with GT1-7 nuclear extract demonstrate the presence of GR-containing protein complexes on GnRH nGREs. One protein that co-occupies the distal nGRE in vitro along with GR is the POU domain transcription factor Oct-1. Thus, the tethering of GR to the GnRH distal nGRE, by virtue of a direct or indirect association with DNA-bound Oct-1, could play a role in hormone-dependent transcriptional repression of the GnRH gene. In contrast, Oct-1 does not appear to be a component of the GR-containing protein complex that is bound to the proximal nGRE.

[Long-term results of an operation alone and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy in advanced gastric cancer--report of 265 patients].

During the period from June 1973 to December 1978, 338 patients with advanced gastric cancer were treated in our hospital. By retrospective grouping, 142 out of 265 patients with tumor resected received postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy (MMC + 5FU + Ara-C), 123 operated alone were taken for comparison. These two groups were similar in: age, sex, location of tumor, mode of resection, histological type, clinical stage and follow-up rate. The results indicated that the 1, 3 and 5 year survival rates of the combined group were much higher than those of the operation only group. Further analysis showed that the supplementary chemotherapy was particularly valid in stages III and IV. In stage III patients, the 5 year survival rate was increased by 27.8%. In stage IV patients, the 3 and 5 year survival rates of the combined group were 16.3% and 9.8% but none survived over 3 years in the operation only group. The authors believe that postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy plays an important role in controlling the micrometastatic and residual cancer foci.