Standard-definition White-light, High-definition White-light versus Narrow-band Imaging Endoscopy for Detecting Colorectal Adenomas: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the performance of standard-definition white-light endoscopy (SD-WL), high-definition white-light endoscopy (HD-WL), and high-definition narrow-band imaging (HD-NBI) in detecting colorectal lesions in the Chinese population. METHODS: This was a multicenter, single-blind, randomized, controlled trial with a non-inferiority design. Patients undergoing endoscopy for physical examination, screening, and surveillance were enrolled from July 2017 to December 2020. The primary outcome measure was the adenoma detection rate (ADR), defined as the proportion of patients with at least one adenoma detected. The associated factors for detecting adenomas were assessed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Out of 653 eligible patients enrolled, data from 596 patients were analyzed. The ADRs were 34.5% in the SD-WL group, 33.5% in the HD-WL group, and 37.5% in the HD-NBI group (P=0.72). The advanced neoplasm detection rates (ANDRs) in the three arms were 17.1%, 15.5%, and 10.4% (P=0.17). No significant differences were found between the SD group and HD group regarding ADR or ANDR (ADR: 34.5% vs. 35.6%, P=0.79; ANDR: 17.1% vs. 13.0%, P=0.16, respectively). Similar results were observed between the HD-WL group and HD-NBI group (ADR: 33.5% vs. 37.7%, P=0.45; ANDR: 15.5% vs. 10.4%, P=0.18, respectively). In the univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, neither HD-WL nor HD-NBI led to a significant difference in overall adenoma detection compared to SD-WL (HD-WL: OR 0.91, P=0.69; HD-NBI: OR 1.15, P=0.80). CONCLUSION: HD-NBI and HD-WL are comparable to SD-WL for overall adenoma detection among Chinese outpatients. It can be concluded that HD-NBI or HD-WL is not superior to SD-WL, but more effective instruction may be needed to guide the selection of different endoscopic methods in the future. Our study's conclusions may aid in the efficient allocation and utilization of limited colonoscopy resources, especially advanced imaging technologies.

Symmetry-preserving quadratic Lindbladian and dissipation driven topological transitions in Gaussian states.

The dynamical evolution of an open quantum system can be governed by the Lindblad equation of the density matrix. In this paper, we propose to characterize the density matrix topology by the topological invariant of its modular Hamiltonian. Since the topological classification of such Hamiltonians depends on their symmetry classes, a primary issue we address is determining the requirement for the Lindbladian operators, under which the modular Hamiltonian can preserve its symmetry class during the dynamical evolution. We solve this problem for the fermionic Gaussian state and for the modular Hamiltonian being a quadratic operator of a set of fermionic operators. When these conditions are satisfied, along with a nontrivial topological classification of the symmetry class of the modular Hamiltonian, a topological transition can occur as time evolves. We present two examples of dissipation-driven topological transitions where the modular Hamiltonian lies in the AIII class withU(1) symmetry and the DIII class withoutU(1) symmetry. By a finite size scaling, we show that this density matrix topology transition occurs at a finite time. We also present the physical signature of this transition.

Altered functional connectivity in default mode network maintains attention task performance in school-age children with frontal lobe tumor.

This study examines functional brain network changes in children with frontal lobe tumors (FLT). Ten pediatric FLT patients from Beijing Tiantan Hospital and 20 healthy children were compared in terms of cognitive performance and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) connectivity. The FLT group showed lower cognitive performance, particularly in visual and working memory domains, but had comparable attention abilities to the healthy controls. There were notable differences in connectivity between the default mode network (DMN) and sensorimotor network (SMN) in both groups. The FLT group also displayed a significant reduction in local efficiency in the left lateral parietal area within the DMN. Importantly, reduced DMN-SMN connections and increased DMN-lateral prefrontal cortex connectivity may facilitate maintaining attention and memory tasks in FLT children. This study sheds light on how the brains of children with FLT adapt, preserving "normal" attention functions despite frontal lobe damage.

Lycium barbarum polysaccharide alleviates DSS-induced chronic ulcerative colitis by restoring intestinal barrier function and modulating gut microbiota.

PURPOSE: This study examined the protective effects and mechanism of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) in the context of intestinal barrier function and intestinal microbiota in mice with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced chronic ulcerative colitis (UC). METHODS: C57BL/6J male mice were assigned to a standard normal diet without DSS (control group), a normal diet with DSS (DSS group, 2% DSS given discontinuously for 3 weeks) or a normal diet supplemented with LBP (1% dry feed weight, LBP group, 2% DSS given discontinuously for 3 weeks) for a total of 8 weeks, at which point colonic tissues and caecal contents were collected. RESULTS: LBP exerted a significant effect against colitis by increasing body weight, colon length, DAI and histopathological scores. LBP inhibited proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-6, iNOS and TNF-α) expression, improved anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) expression, promoted the expression of tight junction proteins (Occludin and ZO-1) via nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activation and decreased Claudin-2 expression to maintain the intestinal mucosal barrier. In addition, the abundances of some probiotics (Ruminococcaceae, Lactobacillus, Butyricicoccus, and Akkermansia) were decreased with DSS treatment but increased obviously with LBP treatment. And LBP reduced the abundance of conditional pathogens associated with UC (Mucispirillum and Sutterella). Furthermore, LBP improved the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), including acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid and isobutyric acid. CONCLUSION: LBP can alleviate DSS-induced UC by regulating inflammatory cytokines and tight junction proteins. Moreover, LBP promotes probiotics, suppresses conditional pathogens and increases SCFAs production, showing a strong prebiotic effect.

Ratio of hemoglobin to mean corpuscular volume: A new index for discriminating between iron deficiency anemia and thalassemia trait.

BACKGROUND: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and thalassemia trait (TT) are the most common microcytic and hypochromic anemias. Differentiation between mild TT and early IDA is still a clinical challenge. AIM: To develop and validate a new index for discriminating between IDA and TT. METHODS: Blood count data from 126 patients, consisting of 43 TT patients and 83 IDA patients, was retrospectively analyzed to develop a new index formula. This formula was further validated in another 61 patients, consisting of 48 TT patients and 13 IDA patients. RESULTS: The new index is the ratio of hemoglobin to mean corpuscular volume. Its sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, Youden's Index, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, and Kappa coefficient in discriminating between IDA and TT were 93.5%, 78.4%, 83.3%, 0.72, 0.97, and 0.65, respectively. CONCLUSION: This new index has good diagnostic performance in discriminating between mild TT and early IDA. It requires only two results of complete blood count, which can be a very desirable feature in under-resourced scenarios.

The novel HLA-DPB1*02:02:07 allele identified by Sanger dideoxy nucleotide sequencing in a Chinese individual.

HLA-DPB1*02:02:07 differs from HLA-DPB1*02:02:01:01 by one nucleotide in exon 2.

Interrelated Thermalization and Quantum Criticality in a Lattice Gauge Simulator.

Gauge theory and thermalization are both topics of essential importance for modern quantum science and technology. The recently realized atomic quantum simulator for lattice gauge theories provides a unique opportunity for studying thermalization in gauge theory, in which theoretical studies have shown that quantum thermalization can signal the quantum phase transition. Nevertheless, the experimental study remains a challenge to accurately determine the critical point and controllably explore the thermalization dynamics due to the lack of techniques for locally manipulating and detecting matter and gauge fields. We report an experimental investigation of the quantum criticality in the lattice gauge theory from both equilibrium and nonequilibrium thermalization perspectives, with the help of the single-site addressing and atom-number-resolved detection capabilities. We accurately determine the quantum critical point and observe that the Néel state thermalizes only in the critical regime. This result manifests the interplay between quantum many-body scars, quantum criticality, and symmetry breaking.

Association of an ADRB3 Variant with Coronary Artery Disease Within the Chinese Han Population: Construction of a Predictive Nomogram Model.

Objective: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a the most common type of heart disease, and is associated with the highest mortality rate. The role of the ß3-adrenergic receptor gene (ADRB3) in energy homeostasis and lipolysis suggests that it may be associated with obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, and hypertension. Herein, we sought to examine the relationship between CAD and variants of the ADRB3 gene in individuals with Han and Uygur ethnicities in China. Methods: All 1022 participants were genotyped for two ADRB3 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs1892818 and rs9693898) using real-time polymerase chain reaction (TaqMan). Uygur (259 CAD patients, 161 control group) and Han (308 CAD patients, 294 control group) were included in two case-control studies. We subsequently developed a predictive model using ADRB3 genetic variation and clinical variables to predict risk of CAD. Results: The rs1892818 CT genotype (8.5% vs 3.9%, p = 0.019) and T allele (4.3% vs 1.9%, p = 0.021) were more frequently detected in the control subjects compared to CAD patients of the Han population but not in the Uygur population. The rs9693898 was not associated with CAD in either ethnic population. Logistic regression analysis further demonstrated that carriers of the rs1892818 CT genotype had a lower risk of CAD than did those with the CC genotype (CT vs CC, p = 0.044, odds ratio [OR] = 0.441, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.199-0.976). Using this data, we constructed a predictive nomogram model for CAD with an area under the curve (95% CI) of 0.722 (0.682, 0.761). Conclusions: Our results suggest that rs1892818 is associated with CAD in the Han population and that the CT genotype of rs1892818 may serve as a protective factor for CAD in Han individuals. The proposed nomograms can be used for the prediction of CAD in this population.

Complete genome sequence and phylogenetic analysis of a goose astrovirus isolate in China.

Astroviruses are considered the cause of gastroenteritis in humans and animals. Studies in recent years show avian astroviruses are also associated with duckling hepatitis, gosling gout, and chicken nephritis. In this study, a GAstV strain, designated as JS2019/China, was detected in dead goslings from a commercial goose farm in Jiangsu province of China. Viral strain was proliferated in goose embryos and sequence analysis showed the isolated strain had a classical structure arrangement and a series of conserved regions compared with other GAstVs. Sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis of whole genome and ORF2 revealed that JS2019/China belongs to the GAstV-1 group, which consists of most of the GAstV strains. Amino acid analysis indicated that some mutants might have an impact on viral protease capacity, such as V505I and K736E of ORF1a and T107I, F342S, and S606P of ORF2. Taken together, a novel GAstV strain was isolated and genomic analysis and protein polymorphism analysis indicated that some amino acid mutants might affect the viral virulence.

Structure and Physical Properties of the Layered Titanium-Based Pnictide Oxides (EuF)2Ti2Pn2O (Pn = Sb, Bi).

We report two novel titanium-based pnictide oxide compounds (EuF)2Ti2Pn2O (Pn = Sb, Bi), which are synthesized by replacing Sr2+ in (SrF)2Ti2Pn2O [Liu, R. H. Structure and Physical Properties of the Layered Pnictide-Oxides: (SrF)2Ti2Pn2O (Pn = As, Sb) and (SmO)2Ti2Sb2O. Chem. Mater. 2010, 22, 1503-1508] with Eu2+ using a solid-state reaction. (EuF)2Ti2Sb2O exhibits an obvious anomaly in resistivity and heat capacity at T ∼ 195 K, which may arise from the spin-density wave/charge-density wave instability. Similar features are also observed in BaTi2Pn2O, (SrF)2Ti2Pn2O, and Na2Ti2Pn2O (Pn = As and Sb) [Liu, R. H. Structure and Physical Properties of the Layered Pnictide-Oxides: (SrF)2Ti2Pn2O (Pn = As, Sb) and (SmO)2Ti2Sb2O. Chem. Mater. 2010, 22, 1503-1508, Ozawa, T. C. Chemistry of layered d-metal pnictide oxides and their potential as candidates for new superconductors. Sci. Technol. Adv. Mater. 2008, 9, 033003, Wang, X. F. Structure and physical properties for a new layered pnictide-oxide: BaTi2As2O. J. Phys.: Condens. Matter. 2010, 22, 075702, and Xu, H. C. Electronic structure of the BaTi2As2O parent compound of the titanium-based oxypnictide superconductor. Phys. Rev. B 2014, 89, 155108]. Magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate an antiferromagnetic transition at T ∼ 2.5 K for (EuF)2Ti2Sb2O. In particular, the electronic specific heat coefficients of both (EuF)2Ti2Sb2O and (EuF)2Ti2Bi2O are significantly enhanced compared to those of (SrF)2Ti2Pn2O, Na2Ti2Pn2O, and BaTi2Pn2O,1,5,6 which may be due to a strong electron correlation effect in this system. Thus, (EuF)2Ti2Pn2O (Pn = Sb, Bi) may provide new platforms for studying density wave, magnetic ordering, and electron correlation effects.

Clinical features of Guillain-Barré syndrome with anti-neurofascin 155 antibody.

OBJECTIVE: Anti-neurofascin 155 (NF155) antibody has been discovered in chronic demyelinating conditions. However, the positive rate and clinical description were insufficient in acute demyelinating conditions, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). This study aimed to explore the positive rate of anti-NF155 antibody in GBS patients and determine whether there were unique clinical characteristics in these patients. MATERIALS & METHODS: Serum anti-NF155 antibody was detected from 94 GBS patients and 50 sex- and age-matched healthy controls using cell-based assay and tissue-based assay with immunostaining of mouse teased sciatic nerve fibers. Clinical characteristics, laboratory data, and electrophysiology examinations were retrospectively collected. RESULTS: Seven of 94 (7.45%) GBS patients were positive for anti-NF155 antibody, and the main IgG subclass was IgG1. Compared with anti-NF155 antibody-negative GBS patients, anti-NF155 antibody-positive GBS patients had a higher GBS disability score at nadirs (p = .010), higher modified Erasmus GBS outcome score (p = .022), higher rate of abnormal compound motor action potential (CMAP) amplitude (p = .002), higher frequency of prolonged F-wave latency (p < .001), lower frequency of abnormal sensory conduction velocity (p < .001) and sensory nerve action potential amplitude (p < .001), more axonal type (p = .040), and poorer therapeutic effect (p = .017). CONCLUSIONS: Anti-NF155 antibody exists in a small portion of GBS patients. Anti-NF155 antibody-positive GBS patients possibly have a more severe clinical course, less sensory nerves involved, higher proportion of axonal type, poorer therapeutic effect, and worse prognosis, but the pathogenicity of the anti-NF155 antibody in GBS needs further study.

Soil and foliar selenium application: Impact on accumulation, speciation, and bioaccessibility of selenium in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

A comprehensive study in selenium (Se) biofortification of staple food is vital for the prevention of Se-deficiency-related diseases in human beings. Thus, the roles of exogenous Se species, application methods and rates, and wheat growth stages were investigated on Se accumulation in different parts of wheat plant, and on Se speciation and bioaccessibility in whole wheat and white all-purpose flours. Soil Se application at 2 mg kg-1 increased grains yield by 6% compared to control (no Se), while no significant effects on yield were observed with foliar Se treatments. Foliar and soil Se application of either selenate or selenite significantly increased the Se content in different parts of wheat, while selenate had higher bioavailability than selenite in the soil. Regardless of Se application methods, the Se content of the first node was always higher than the first internode. Selenomethionine (SeMet; 87-96%) and selenocystine (SeCys2; 4-13%) were the main Se species identified in grains of wheat. The percentage of SeMet increased by 6% in soil with applied selenite and selenate treatments at 0.5 mg kg-1 and decreased by 12% compared with soil applied selenite and selenate at 2 mg kg-1, respectively. In addition, flour processing resulted in losses of Se; the losses were 12-68% in white all-purpose flour compared with whole wheat flour. The Se bioaccessibility in whole wheat and white all-purpose flours for all Se treatments ranged from 6 to 38%. In summary, foliar application of 5 mg L-1 Se(IV) produced wheat grains that when grounds into whole wheat flour, was the most efficient strategy in producing Se-biofortified wheat. This study provides an important reference for the future development of high-quality and efficient Se-enriched wheat and wheat flour processing.

Development and validation of a risk prediction score for the severity of acute hypertriglyceridemic pancreatitis in Chinese patients.

BACKGROUND: The frequency of acute hypertriglyceridemic pancreatitis (AHTGP) is increasing worldwide. AHTGP may be associated with a more severe clinical course and greater mortality than pancreatitis caused by other causes. Early identification of patients with severe inclination is essential for clinical decision-making and improving prognosis. Therefore, we first developed and validated a risk prediction score for the severity of AHTGP in Chinese patients. AIM: To develop and validate a risk prediction score for the severity of AHTGP in Chinese patients. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study including 243 patients with AHTGP. Patients were randomly divided into a development cohort (n = 170) and a validation cohort (n = 73). Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and logistic regression were used to screen 42 potential predictive variables to construct a risk score for the severity of AHTGP. We evaluated the performance of the nomogram and compared it with existing scoring systems. Last, we used the best cutoff value (88.16) for severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) to determine the risk stratification classification. RESULTS: Age, the reduction in apolipoprotein A1 and the presence of pleural effusion were independent risk factors for SAP and were used to construct the nomogram (risk prediction score referred to as AAP). The concordance index of the nomogram in the development and validation groups was 0.930 and 0.928, respectively. Calibration plots demonstrate excellent agreement between the predicted and actual probabilities in SAP patients. The area under the curve of the nomogram (0.929) was better than those of the Bedside Index of Severity in AP (BISAP), Ranson, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II), modified computed tomography severity index (MCTSI), and early achievable severity index scores (0.852, 0.825, 0.807, 0.831 and 0.807, respectively). In comparison with these scores, the integrated discrimination improvement and decision curve analysis showed improved accuracy in predicting SAP and better net benefits for clinical decisions. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to determine risk stratification classification for AHTGP by dividing patients into high-risk and low-risk groups according to the best cutoff value (88.16). The high-risk group (> 88.16) was closely related to the appearance of local and systemic complications, Ranson score ≥ 3, BISAP score ≥ 3, MCTSI score ≥ 4, APACHE II score ≥ 8, C-reactive protein level ≥ 190, and length of hospital stay. CONCLUSION: The nomogram could help identify AHTGP patients who are likely to develop SAP at an early stage, which is of great value in guiding clinical decisions.

Expression of TRAF6 in peripheral blood B cells of patients with myasthenia gravis.

BACKGROUND: Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) can regulate the activation of inflammatory signaling pathways by acting as an E3 ubiquitin ligase, which enhances B cell activation. This study aimed to evaluate the expression of TRAF6 in the peripheral blood B cells of myasthenia gravis (MG) patients and analyze the relationships between TRAF6 expression and clinical characteristics. METHOD: In our study, the expression level of TRAF6 in peripheral blood B cells of 89 patients was measured by flow cytometry compared with that of healthy subjects. The effects of disease severity, MG classification and immunotherapy on TRAF6 expression level were also analyzed. RESULTS: In our study, TRAF6 expression was elevated in CD19+ B cells and CD19+CD27+ memory B cells in generalized MG (GMG) patients compared with ocular MG (OMG) patients (p = 0.03 and p = 0.03, respectively). There was a significant positive correlation between the TRAF6 expression level and disease severity in both OMG patients and GMG patients (CD19+ B cells: OMG: p < 0.001, r = 0.89; GMG: p = 0.001, r = 0.59; CD29+CD27+ B cells: OMG: p = 0.001, r = 0.80; GMG: p = 0.048, r = 0.38). TRAF6 expression was significantly elevated in CD19+ B cells and CD19+CD27+ memory B cells in GMG with acute aggravation compared with GMG in MMS (p = 0.009 and p = 0.028, respectively). In the eleven MG patients who were followed, TRAF6 expression in B cells and memory B cells was significantly decreased after treatment (p = 0.03 and p < 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSION: TRAF6 is potentially a useful biomarker of inflammation in patients with MG, and might be used to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment.

A deep learning framework for identifying essential proteins based on multiple biological information.

BACKGROUND: Essential Proteins are demonstrated to exert vital functions on cellular processes and are indispensable for the survival and reproduction of the organism. Traditional centrality methods perform poorly on complex protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. Machine learning approaches based on high-throughput data lack the exploitation of the temporal and spatial dimensions of biological information. RESULTS: We put forward a deep learning framework to predict essential proteins by integrating features obtained from the PPI network, subcellular localization, and gene expression profiles. In our model, the node2vec method is applied to learn continuous feature representations for proteins in the PPI network, which capture the diversity of connectivity patterns in the network. The concept of depthwise separable convolution is employed on gene expression profiles to extract properties and observe the trends of gene expression over time under different experimental conditions. Subcellular localization information is mapped into a long one-dimensional vector to capture its characteristics. Additionally, we use a sampling method to mitigate the impact of imbalanced learning when training the model. With experiments carried out on the data of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, results show that our model outperforms traditional centrality methods and machine learning methods. Likewise, the comparative experiments have manifested that our process of various biological information is preferable. CONCLUSIONS: Our proposed deep learning framework effectively identifies essential proteins by integrating multiple biological data, proving a broader selection of subcellular localization information significantly improves the results of prediction and depthwise separable convolution implemented on gene expression profiles enhances the performance.

New traction method (traction ring) for colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection.

OBJECTIVES: Colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is challenging because of the difficulty in adequately visualizing the submucosal layer. Many traction methods have been developed to facilitate submucosal dissection; however, they are not widely applied. Therefore, we designed a new traction device, a traction ring, and conducted this pilot study to evaluate its feasibility and safety for colorectal ESD. METHODS: Twenty patients with colorectal lesions who underwent traction ring-assisted ESD were retrospectively included. The main outcomes included en bloc resection rate, R0 resection rate, procedure time, resection time, and intraoperative and postoperative complications. RESULTS: The median procedure time was 74.5 min (range 35-269 min). The median resection time was 55 min (range 25-209 min). Application of the traction system accounted for only 2.7% of the entire procedure time. The en bloc resection rate was 95.0% (19/20), whereas the R0 resection rate was 90.0% (18/20). All traction rings were successfully set and retrieved. Significant intraoperative bleeding was not observed. One patient experienced perforation after treatment, but no further intervention was required. No delayed complications were observed within 1 month post-ESD. CONCLUSION: Traction ring is an effective and safe method for colorectal ESD and can be used at any location in the colorectum.

Effect of horticultural therapy on apathy in nursing home residents with dementia: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine (1) the feasibility of the study procedures (i.e. recruitment, retention, attendance, and assessment completion rates), and (2) the effects of horticultural therapy (HT) on apathy, cognitive ability, quality of life, and functional capacity.Methods: This was a parallel-group, match-paired, randomized controlled trial. Thirty-two participants were allocated to either the experimental or the control group. Data were collected at baseline (T0), immediately postintervention (T1), and 3 months postintervention (T2). The Apathy Evaluation Scale-informant version (AES-I); Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE); Quality of Life in Alzheimer's disease (QoL-AD) scale; Barthel index (BI) were used to measure apathy, cognitive ability, quality of life, and functional capacity, respectively.Results: The recruitment, retention, attendance and assessment completion rates were 22.7%, 87.5%, 100% and 100%, respectively. The between-group differences in AES-I (p = 0.007) and MMSE (p = 0.034) scores were statistically significant at T1. In the experimental group, the AES-I (p = 0.001), MMSE (p = 0.010), and QoL-AD (p = 0.017) scores were significantly different over time. In the post hoc pair-wise analysis, the AES-I scores of the experimental group observed at T1 were significantly lower than that at T0 (p = 0.032). In the control group, the MMSE scores (p = 0.001) were significantly different over time.Conclusion: HT is feasible for residents with dementia and apathy. The HT program effectively reduced apathy and promoted cognitive function, but its effects on quality of life and functional capacity were not observed.

Low vitamin D levels in follicular fluid, but not in serum, are associated with adverse outcomes in assisted reproduction.

PURPOSE: To assess the relationship between serum/follicular fluid (FF) vitamin D (VD) status and assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment outcomes among infertile patients. METHODS: A prospective cohort study, including 132 infertile patients scheduled for their first ART treatment cycle, was carried out in a Reproductive Medical Center. Serum and FF samples were collected to assess 25-hydroxy VD [25(OH)D] levels. Low VD level was defined as 25(OH)D concentration of less than 30 ng/mL. RESULTS: Most infertile patients had low VD levels in serum (88%) and FF (90%). We observed a moderately positive correlation between VD levels in serum and FF (r = 0.34, p < 0.0001). Compared to the group of patients with low VD levels in the FF, those with sufficient VD levels had a significantly higher number of retrieved oocytes (p = 0.03), normal fertilization (p = 0.01), and high-quality embryos (p = 0.001). Moreover, patients with sufficient VD levels in the FF also had significantly higher implantation rates than those with low VD levels (76.92% vs. 46.58%, respectively, p = 0.01) and clinical pregnancy rates (92.31% vs. 61.54%, respectively, p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: These data collectively revealed that low VD levels in serum and FF were common among infertile patients. VD levels in FF, but not in serum, were associated with embryo quality, normal fertilization, implantation rates, and clinical pregnancy rates. Further studies are mandatory to determine the molecular mechanism and VD's potential therapeutic benefits in infertile patients.

Probing quantum many-body correlations by universal ramping dynamics.

Ramping a physical parameter is one of the most common experimental protocols in studying a quantum system, and ramping dynamics has been widely used in preparing a quantum state and probing physical properties. Here, we present a novel method of probing quantum many-body correlation by ramping dynamics. We ramp a Hamiltonian parameter to the same target value from different initial values and with different velocities, and we show that the first-order correction on the finite ramping velocity is universal and path-independent, revealing a novel quantum many-body correlation function of the equilibrium phases at the target values. We term this method as the non-adiabatic linear response since this is the leading order correction beyond the adiabatic limit. We demonstrate this method experimentally by studying the Bose-Hubbard model with ultracold atoms in three-dimensional optical lattices. Unlike the conventional linear response that reveals whether the quasi-particle dispersion of a quantum phase is gapped or gapless, this probe is more sensitive to whether the quasi-particle lifetime is long enough such that the quantum phase possesses a well-defined quasi-particle description. In the Bose-Hubbard model, this non-adiabatic linear response is significant in the quantum critical regime where well-defined quasi-particles are absent. And in contrast, this response is vanishingly small in both superfluid and Mott insulators which possess well-defined quasi-particles. Because our proposal uses the most common experimental protocol, we envision that our method can find broad applications in probing various quantum systems.