The asymmetry of antimatter in the proton.

The fundamental building blocks of the proton-quarks and gluons-have been known for decades. However, we still have an incomplete theoretical and experimental understanding of how these particles and their dynamics give rise to the quantum bound state of the proton and its physical properties, such as its spin1. The two up quarks and the single down quark that comprise the proton in the simplest picture account only for a few per cent of the proton mass, the bulk of which is in the form of quark kinetic and potential energy and gluon energy from the strong force2. An essential feature of this force, as described by quantum chromodynamics, is its ability to create matter-antimatter quark pairs inside the proton that exist only for a very short time. Their fleeting existence makes the antimatter quarks within protons difficult to study, but their existence is discernible in reactions in which a matter-antimatter quark pair annihilates. In this picture of quark-antiquark creation by the strong force, the probability distributions as a function of momentum for the presence of up and down antimatter quarks should be nearly identical, given that their masses are very similar and small compared to the mass of the proton3. Here we provide evidence from muon pair production measurements that these distributions are considerably different, with more abundant down antimatter quarks than up antimatter quarks over a wide range of momenta. These results are expected to revive interest in several proposed mechanisms for the origin of this antimatter asymmetry in the proton that had been disfavoured by previous results4, and point to future measurements that can distinguish between these mechanisms.

Study on the value of 3D visualization in differentiating IA and non-IA pulmonary ground-glass nodules.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the most effective diagnostic markers and their associated thresholds for Ground-glass nodules (GGN) for identification of invasive adenocarcinoma (IA) and non-IA (including atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH), adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), and minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA)), and to explore the application in preoperative surgical evaluation. METHODS AND METHODS: A total of 126 cases, confirmed by pathology, were retrospectively analyzed. 70 cases were classified as the IA group, while the non-IA group consisted of cases of AAH, AIS, and MIA, with a total of 56 cases. The study compared the differences in demographic, morphological, and three-dimensional (3D) quantitative parameters between the two groups. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences in various signs such as air bronchogram, lobulation, pleural indentation, spiculation, shape, and margin between the two groups. Additionally, Statistical significance was observed in all 3D quantitative parameters for both groups. Notably, when 3D volume of lesions exceeded 447 mm3, the sensitivity to predict IA was 81% with specificity at 69%. Utilizing multivariate logistic regression analysis, it was identified that the independent predictive value in discriminating between IA and non-IA lies with both the 3D volume and solid proportion. Combining these two indexes significantly improved the prediction accuracy (AUC = 0.826). CONCLUSIONS: Reasonable utilization of 3D visualization technology can effectively aid in distinguishing between IA and non-IA. When coupled with clinical data and CT signs, this technique holds vital importance in directing the evaluation of surgical interventions prior to surgery.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of parameters of erector spinae in patients with uremic sarcopenia.

AIM: This study aimed to investigate whether computed tomography (CT)-measured erector spinae parameters (ESPs) have diagnostic, severity assessment, and prognostic predictive value in uremic sarcopenia (US). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 202 uremic patients were enrolled and divided into two groups: a control group and a sarcopenia group. Sarcopenia was classified into two types: severe and nonsevere. The area, volume, and density of the erector spinae (ES) were measured using chest CT images, and the relevant ESP, including the erector spinae index (ESI), total erector spinae volume (TESV), erector spinae density (ESD), and erector spinae gauge (ESG) were calculated. The occurrence of adverse events was followed-up for 36 months. The diagnostic value and severity of US were determined using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Survival curves diagnosed using CT were plotted and compared with the curve drawn using the gold standard. Cox regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors associated with survival in US. RESULTS: With an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.840 and 0.739, the combined ESP has diagnostic value and the ability to assess the severity of US. There was no significant difference in the survival curve between the combined ESP for the diagnosis of US and the gold standard (P > 0.05). ESI is a standalone predictor of survival in patients with US. CONCLUSION: ESP measured by CT has diagnostic values for US and its severity, as well as being a predictive value for the prognosis of US.

Sudomotor dysfunction is associated with impaired left ventricular diastolic function in persons with type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of preserved ejection fraction heart failure has significantly increased in persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction is an early and important manifestation of preserved ejection fraction heart failure. The onset of heart failure in persons with diabetes is associated with diabetic neuropathy. However, the relationship among sudomotor function, which is an early manifestation of small fiber neuropathy, and LV diastolic function remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the association between sudomotor function and LV diastolic function in persons with T2DM. METHODS: In total, 699 persons with T2DM were enrolled and divided into three groups according to electrochemical skin conductance (ESC) assessed using the SUDOSCAN device: "no dysfunction" group (NSF), "moderate dysfunction" group (MDF), and "severe dysfunction" group (SDF). LV diastolic function was assessed using Doppler echocardiography. To evaluate the relationship between ESC and echocardiographic parameters, Pearson's correlation analysis was performed. Additionally, logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between LV diastolic function and ESC. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to evaluate the performance of sudomotor function indicators in detecting impaired cardiac diastolic function. RESULTS: There were 301 persons (43.06%) in the NSF group, 232 (33.19%) in the MDF group, and 166 (23.75%) in the SDF group. Compared to the NSF group, the MDF and SDF groups had higher A and E/e' and lower e' values (all p < 0.05). Pearson's correlation analysis showed that A and E/e' were negatively associated with foot ESC (FESC) and hand ESC (HESC), whereas e' was positively associated with FESC and HESC (all p < 0.05). After adjusting for confounding factors, binary logistic regression analysis showed that ESC was independently associated with impaired LV diastolic function (p = 0.003). The area under the ROC curve values for FESC and HESC were 0.621 and 0.635, respectively (both p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Deteriorating sudomotor function was associated with reduced diastolic function indicators. ESC can be used as a biomarker for detecting LV diastolic impairment.

The mediating effect of lifestyle behaviors on the relationship between self-perceived work stress and suboptimal health status: a cross-sectional study involving Chinese urban workers.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. OBJECTIVES: Suboptimal health status (SHS) is a third state between health and disease. Long-term being SHS will be detrimental to one's ability development. Previous studies have demonstrated the associations of lifestyle behaviors or work stress with SHS, but few studies have comprehensively analyzed the underlying factors and mechanisms between the three. This study aimed to investigate whether lifestyle behaviors mediated the relationship between self-perceived work stress and SHS. METHODS: A total of 4238 urban workers, who participated in a cross-sectional survey conducted from December 2018 to October 2019, were included. A general linear model was used to explore the associations between lifestyle behaviors and self-perceived work stress with SHS after adjusting for demographic variables. Structural equation modeling was performed to examine the mediation by lifestyle behaviors. RESULTS: The mean transformed scores of physical, mental, and social SHS were 70.98, 67.17, and 61.72, respectively. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and high self-perceived work stress positively affected SHS (P < 0.001). Self-perceived work stress imposed negative effects on physical SHS (ß = -0.228, P < 0.001), mental SHS (ß = -0.237, P < 0.001), and social SHS (ß = -0.092, P < 0.001). The indirect effects of self-perceived work stress on physical SHS (ß = -0.139, 95% CI: -0.178 to -0.106), mental SHS (ß = -0.106, 95% CI: -0.134 to -0.082), and social SHS (ß = -0.121, 95% CI: -0.154 to -0.092) were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Lifestyle behaviors and self-perceived work stress were significantly associated with SHS among Chinese urban workers. The mediating effects of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors were found in the relationship between high self-perceived work stress and SHS. Future longitudinal research may verify these associations and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

[Effect of HBV DNA load on the safety and prognosis of systematic therapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma].

Objective: To study the effect of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection on the occurrence of liver damage, HBV reactivation (HBVr) and the influence of HBVr on the prognosis of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) receiving systemic therapy. Methods: The clinical data of 403 patients with HBV-related HCC at the Department of Infectious Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University et al, from July 2018 to December 2020 were collected. The incidence of liver damage and HBVr during systematic therapy, and the influence of HBVr on survival prognosis were analyzed. Results: Of the 403 patients, 89.1% were male (n=359), with a median age of 51 years (51.5±12.1). Before propensity score matching (PSM), the proportion of patients with cirrhosis, TNM and advanced BCLC stage was higher in high HBV-DNA (baseline HBV-DNA>1000 U/ml, n=147) group comparing with the low HBV-DNA (baseline HBV DNA≤1000 u/ml, n=256) group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in baseline indexes between the two groups after PSM. In 290 patients after PSM, there was no significant difference in the incidence of liver damage and HBVr between high HBV-DNA group and low HBV-DNA group (P>0.05). Survival analysis was performed on 169 patients with survival data, the median overall survival (OS) was found to be 11.49 months (95%CI: 7.77-12.89) and 16.65 months (95%CI: 10.54-21.99, P=0.008) in the high and low HBV-DNA groups, respectively. And median progression-free survival (PFS) was 7.41 months (95%CI: 5.06-8.67) and 10.55 months (95%CI: 6.72-13.54, P=0.038), respectively, with a statistically significant difference. There were no differences in overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) between patients with and without HBVr and those with or without liver damage (P>0.05). Conclusions: HBV-DNA levels above 1 000 U/ml before systemic therapy do not increase the risk of liver damage or HBVr during systemic therapy in patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma, and such patients can safely receive systemic therapy.

[Characteristics and clinical analysis of MLH1 c.463dupC gene mutation in a Lynch syndrome family].

In this study, a case of Lynch syndrome (LS) family line with a novel mutation site in the MLH1 c.463dupC gene was reported and the clinical and pathogenic genetic features of this family were analyzed. A 40-year-old female patient with colon cancer diagnosed at the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University on October 2, 2020 was retrospectively included. The clinical data of the family were collected and the family lineage was drawn. The family tumor history met the Amsterdam Criteria Ⅱ and the diagnostic criteria of LS in Chinese, which was a typical LS family lineage. A germline code-shift missense mutation c.463dupC in the MLH1 gene located in exon 6, a possible pathogenic variant, was detected by second-generation sequencing (NGS) in the patient. Subsequently, Sanger sequencing was performed on a total of 20 direct lineage members of the family of the MLH1 gene, 7 cases were found to harbor the mutation and included in the LS high-risk control. Follow-up to October 2023 showed that the patient had endometrial and cervical polyps, one case had colorectal cancer, and two cases had intestinal polyps, all were treated with early intervention and therapy; two cases did not show any clinical symptoms. This study is the first to report a new mutation site for the potentially pathogenic MLH1 c.463dupC, providing a rationale for the pathogenicity of the mutation and standardized health management for familial carriers.

[Safety and efficacy analysis of a varicose vein sealant kit in the treatment of great saphenous vein dysfunction].

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of a varicose vein sealant kit in the treatment of great saphenous vein dysfunction. Methods: It was a randomized controlled trial. A total of 180 patients with great saphenous vein dysfunction were enrolled prospectively, and scheduled for surgical treatment in 9 hospitals, including the Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai Oriental Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Ganzhou People's Hospital, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, and Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University, from June to October 2022. Using a random number table method, the subjects were divided into an experimental group and a control group, with 90 cases in each group. The patients of experimental group received treatment with varicose vein sealant kit, while the patients of control group received radiofrequency ablation. The main outcome measure was the complete closure rate of the great saphenous vein in both groups of patients 3 months after surgery. The secondary outcome measures were the complete closure rate of the great saphenous vein in both groups of patients immediately after surgery and 6 months after surgery, the operation time for closing the main trunk of the great saphenous vein, pain score, venous clinical severity score (VCSS), Aberdeen varicose veins questionnaire (AVVQ) at different times before and after surgery, and the incidence of complications in both groups of patients. The non inferiority threshold for the two treatment methods is set at "-10.00%". Results: A total of 177 patients were ultimately enrolled. There were 89 cases in the experimental group, including 38 males and 51 females, with a median age [M (Q1, Q3)] of 59.7(49.6, 66.7) years, and 88 cases in the control group, including 30 males and 58 females, with a median age of 57.2(46.9, 65.9) years. A total of 174 patients completed a 3-month follow-up, and 167 patients completed a 6-month follow-up. The closure time of the main saphenous vein in the experimental group was (22.1±11.1) min, which was longer than the control group, which was (18.7±9.8) min (P=0.031). The complete closure rate of the great saphenous vein immediately after surgery in both the experimental group and the control group was 100%. The complete closure rates of the great saphenous vein at 3 months after surgery were 98.8% (85/86) and 98.9% (87/88), respectively. The lower limit of the 95%CI for the difference between the two groups was -3.19%, which was greater than the non-inferiority threshold of -10.00% (non-inferiority P<0.001). The complete closure rates of the great saphenous vein at 6 months after surgery were 97.6% (81/83) and 100% (84/84), the lower limit of the 95%CI for the difference between the two groups was -5.71%, which was greater than the non-inferiority threshold of -10.00% (non-inferiority P<0.001). The immediate pain scores after complete anesthesia awakening of the experimental group and the control group were both 1.0 (0, 2.0), with no statistically significant difference (P=0.365). The incidence of bruising in the experimental group and the control group one week after surgery was 61.2% (52/85) and 67.1% (57/85), respectively, with no statistically significant difference (P=0.181). There was no statistically significant difference in VCSS and AVVQ scores between groups before surgery and at 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery (all P>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of complications such as deep vein thrombosis, phlebitis, pain, and subcutaneous hematoma in the lower limbs 3 months after surgery (all P>0.05). Conclusion: The varicose vein sealant kit is safe and effective in treating great saphenous vein dysfunction, and can achieve a complete closure rate of great saphenous vein that is not inferior to traditional radiofrequency ablation.

[Application of IgG antibody combination of wild strain and epidemic strain of COVID-19 in identifying epidemic Omicron BA.5 strain infection].

Objective: To explore the application of COVID-19-specific IgG antibody in identifying epidemic Omicron BA.5 strain infection. Method: Omicron BF.7/BA.5 naturally infected population, healthy population vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine, and Omicron BF.7/BA.5 breakthrough cases were enrolled into this study. The serum WT-S-IgG and BA.5-S-IgG were detected by indirect ELISA, and the serum-specific IgG antibody levels of different populations were compared. The application value of the two antibody titers and the ratio of the two antibodies in identifying Omicron BA.5 epidemic strain infection were explored by the ROC curve, aiming to provide technical support for pathogen diagnosis. Results: The antibody titers of WT-S-IgG and BA.5-S-IgG in the breakthrough cases were higher than those in the naturally infected population and the healthy population (P<0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) of WT-S-IgG and BA.5-S-IgG in identifying epidemic Omicron BA.5 strain infection was 0.947 and 0.961, respectively. The AUC of BA.5-S-IgG and WT-S-IgG antibody titer ratio was 0.873. When the antibody titer ratio was 0.855, the sensitivity and specificity were 80.00% and 90.00%, respectively. According to the interval since the last infection, the AUC of the ratio of BA.5-S-IgG to WT-S-IgG antibody titer to identify the infection of epidemic strains less than 30 days and more than 30 days was 0.887 and 0.863, respectively, and the sensitivity and specificity were both above 80%. Conclusion: Both BA.5-S-IgG and WT-S-IgG, as well as the combination of these two antibodies, are of high value in the identification of epidemic strains.

[The effect of the ratio of aneurysm sac diameter to patient age on the long-term efficacy of different surgical methods for infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm].

Objective: To investigate the effect of the ratio of the maximum diameter of aneurysm sac to age (R) on the long-term efficacy of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) and open surgical repair (OSR) in patients with infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (IAAA). Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study.The clinical data of 317 patients with IAAA who underwent surgical repair in the Department of Vascular Surgery,the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University from January 2016 to October 2022 were retrospectively collected.There were 266 males and 51 females,aged (69.7±8.3) years (range:37 to 87 years).The R value of the patient was calculated and the receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve was used to establish a model to calculate the optimal cut-off value.The propensity score matching method was used to match the baseline data of patients in the EVAR and OSR group by 3∶1 (the caliper value was 0.05),and the patients were stratified according to the cutoff value of R, and the postoperative efficacy and survival of the patients were analyzed.The primary endpoint was the total mortality rate,and the secondary endpoints included the occurrence of postoperative complications and reintervention.Pearson χ2 or Fisher 's exact test was used for categorical variables, and independent sample t test or Wilcoxon rank sum test was used for continuous variables to compare differences between groups.The survival curves of the two groups were described by Kaplan-Meier method. Results: After propensity score matching,198 cases were in the EVAR group and 66 cases were in the OSR group.The ROC model showed that the best cut-off value of R value was 0.90,and the two groups were divided into two layers:R<0.90 and R≥0.90.Among them,112 patients with R<0.90 (84 cases of EVAR,28 cases of OSR);there were 152 patients with R≥0.90 (114 cases of EVAR and 38 cases of OSR).The follow-up time was (23.6±1.6) months (range:1 to 70 months).In the R≥0.90 stratification,the total mortality (26.3% vs.5.3%,χ2=7.600，P=0.006),complication rate (44.7% vs.26.3%, χ2=4.025，P=0.045), and secondary intervention rate (31.6% vs.13.2%, χ2=4.910，P=0.027) in the EVAR group were higher than those in the OSR group.In the R<0.90 stratification,there was no significant difference in the total mortality rate (13.1% vs.10.7%, χ2=0.109，P=0.741), complication rate (28.6% vs.35.7%, χ2=0.507，P=0.477) and secondary intervention rate (14.3% vs.21.4%, χ2=0.353，P=0.552) between the two groups. Conclusions: When R≥0.90 in IAAA patients,OSR maybe more beneficial to patients in terms of survival rate,postoperative complication rate and secondary intervention rate than EVAR.When R<0.90,there are no significant differences in survival rate,complication rate and secondary intervention rate between the two surgical methods.

Brain structural and functional MRI alterations and their predictive value for the visual outcome at 3 years in clinically isolated optic neuritis.

AIM: To investigate the structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) alterations and their clinical significance for predicting visual outcomes at 3 years in clinically isolated optic neuritis (CION). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-three CION patients and 44 matched healthy controls (HC) underwent a three dimensional (3D) T1-weighted and resting-state functional MRI using a 3 T MRI system. Grey-matter volume (GMV) and functional MRI measures were compared among HC and CION patients with good and poor outcomes. The correlations between MRI measures and visual outcomes were investigated, and a binary logistic regression model was performed to predict the visual outcome. RESULTS: CION patients with good and poor outcomes showed similar patterns of decreased GMV and increased functional MRI activities compared to HC. Compared to patients with good visual recovery, CION patients with poor visual recovery showed significantly reduced GMV in the insula and superior temporal gyrus (STG), decreased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), and increased functional activities in the middle frontal gyrus (MFG) and middle temporal gyrus (MTG). Binary logistic regression analysis predicted poor visual recovery, including decreased GMV in the bilateral insula (right insula: odds ratio [OR] = 17.46, p<0.001; left insula: OR=10.538, p=0.001; respectively) and STG (OR=16.551, p<0.001) and increased ALFF (OR=17.148, p<0.001) and regional homogeneity (OR=10.068, p=0.002) in the left MTG. CONCLUSION: CION patients showed decreased GMV and increased functional activities predominantly located in visual- and cognition-related areas. Decreased GMV and increased ALFF or regional homogeneity in the high-order visual regions (insula, STG, and MTG) are promising imaging markers predicting poor visual outcomes at the 3-year follow-up.

The impact of the metabolic score for insulin resistance on cardiovascular disease: a 10-year follow-up cohort study.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether the metabolic score for insulin resistance (METS-IR) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHODS: A total of 6489 participants aged 35-70 years without a history of CVD were included in this prospective cohort study. The median follow-up time was 10.6 years. The METS-IR was calculated as ln [2 × FPG (mg/dL) + fasting TG (mg/dL)] × BMI (kg/m2)/ln [HDL-C (mg/dL)]. The primary outcome was CVD, defined as the composite of coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke. RESULTS: During follow-up, 396 individuals developed CVD. Kaplan-Meier survival curves by quintiles of METS-IR showed statistically significant differences (log-rank test, P < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the hazard ratio [95% confidence interval (95% CI)] of CVD was 1.80 (1.24-2.61) in quintile 5 and 1.17 (1.05-1.31) for per standard deviation (SD) increase in METS-IR. In subgroup analysis, the significant association between METS-IR and CVD was mainly observed among females and subjects without diabetes mellitus. A significant interaction was found between gender and METS-IR (P-interaction = 0.001). Moreover, adding METS-IR to models with traditional risk factors yielded a significant improvement in discrimination and reclassification of incident CVD. CONCLUSION: The elevated METS-IR was independently associated with incident CVD, suggesting that the METS-IR might be a valuable indicator for risk stratification and early intervention of CVD.

The effect of glutathione biosynthesis of Streptococcus thermophilus ST-1 on cocultured Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus ATCC11842.

Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus are the main species used for yogurt preparation. Glutathione (GSH) can be synthesized by S. thermophilus and plays a crucial role in combating environmental stress. However, the effect of GSH biosynthesis by S. thermophilus on cocultured L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus is still unknown. In this study, a mutant S. thermophilus ΔgshF was constructed by deleting the GSH synthase. The wild strain S. thermophilus ST-1 and ΔgshF mutants were cocultured with L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus ATCC11842 by using Transwell chambers (Guangzhou Shuopu Biotechnology Co., Ltd.), respectively. It was proven that the GSH synthesized by S. thermophilus ST-1 could be absorbed and used by L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus ATCC11842, and promote growth ability and stress tolerance of L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus ATCC11842. The biomass of L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus ATCC11842 cocultured with S. thermophilus ST-1 or ΔgshF (adding exogenous GSH) increased by 1.8 and 1.4 times compared with the biomass of L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus ATCC11842 cocultured with S. thermophilus ΔgshF. Meanwhile, after H2O2 and low-temperature treatments, the bacterial viability of L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus cocultured with S. thermophilus ΔgshF, with or without GSH, was decreased by 41 and 15% compared with that of L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus cocultured with S. thermophilus ST-1. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis showed that the expression levels of genes involved in purine nucleotide and pyrimidine nucleotide metabolism in L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus ATCC11842 were at least 3 times increased when cocultured with S. thermophilus (fold change > 3.0). Moreover, compared with the mutant strain ΔgshF, the wild-type strain ST-1 could shorten the fermented curd time by 5.3 hours during yogurt preparation. These results indicated that the GSH synthesized by S. thermophilus during cocultivation effectively enhanced the activity of L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus and significantly improved the quality of fermented milk.

[The expression and function of PD-L1 in CD133(+) human liver cancer stem-like cells].

Objective: To investigate the expression of programmed death protein-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in liver cancer stem-like cells (LCSLC) and its effect on the characteristics of tumor stem cells and tumor biological function, to explore the upstream signaling pathway regulating PD-L1 expression in LCSLC and the downstream molecular mechanism of PD-L1 regulating stem cell characteristics, also tumor biological functions. Methods: HepG2 was cultured by sphere-formating method to obtain LCSLC. The expressions of CD133 and other stemness markers were detected by flow cytometry, western blot and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were used to detect the expressions of stemness markers and PD-L1. The biological functions of the LCSLC were tested by cell function assays, to confirm that the LCSLC has the characteristics of tumor stem cells. LCSLC was treated with cell signaling pathway inhibitors to identify relevant upstream signaling pathways mediating PD-L1 expression changes. The expression of PD-L1 in LCSLC was down regulated by small interfering RNA (siRNA), the expression of stem cell markers, tumor biological functions of LCSLC, and the changes of cell signaling pathways were detected. Results: Compared with HepG2 cells, the expression rate of CD133 in LCSLC was upregulated [(92.78±6.91)% and (1.40±1.77)%, P<0.001], the expressions of CD133, Nanog, Oct4A and Snail in LCSLC were also higher than those in HepG2 cells (P<0.05), the number of sphere-formating cells increased on day 7 [(395.30±54.05) and (124.70±19.30), P=0.001], cell migration rate increased [(35.41±6.78)% and (10.89±4.34)%, P=0.006], the number of transmembrane cells increased [(75.77±10.85) and (20.00±7.94), P=0.002], the number of cloned cells increased [(120.00±29.51) and (62.67±16.77), P=0.043]. Cell cycle experiments showed that LCSLC had significantly more cells in the G(0)/G(1) phase than those in HepG2 [(54.89±3.27) and (32.36±1.50), P<0.001]. The tumor formation experiment of mice showed that the weight of transplanted tumor in LCSLC group was (1.32±0.17)g, the volume is (1 779.0±200.2) mm(3), were higher than those of HepG2 cell [(0.31±0.06)g and (645.6±154.9)mm(3), P<0.001]. The expression level of PD-L1 protein in LCSLC was 1.88±0.52 and mRNA expression level was 2.53±0.62, both of which were higher than those of HepG2 cells (P<0.05). The expression levels of phosphorylation signal transduction and transcription activation factor 3 (p-STAT3) and p-Akt in LCSLC were higher than those in HepG2 cells (P<0.05). After the expression of p-STAT3 and p-Akt was down-regulated by inhibitor treatment, the expression of PD-L1 was also down-regulated (P<0.05). In contrast, the expression level of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (p-ERK1/2) in LCSLC was lower than that in HepG2 cells (P<0.01), there was no significant change in PD-L1 expression after down-regulated by inhibitor treatment (P>0.05). After the expression of PD-L1 was knockdown by siRNA, the expressions of CD133, Nanog, Oct4A and Snail in LCSLC were decreased compared with those of siRNA-negative control (NC) group (P<0.05). The number of sphere-formating cells decreased [(45.33±12.01) and (282.00±29.21), P<0.001], the cell migration rate was lower than that in siRNA-NC group [(20.86±2.74)% and (46.73±15.43)%, P=0.046], the number of transmembrane cells decreased [(39.67±1.53) and (102.70±11.59), P=0.001], the number of cloned cells decreased [(57.67±14.57) and (120.70±15.04), P=0.007], the number of cells in G(0)/G(1) phase decreased [(37.68±2.51) and (57.27±0.92), P<0.001], the number of cells in S phase was more than that in siRNA-NC group [(30.78±0.52) and (15.52±0.83), P<0.001]. Tumor formation in mice showed that the tumor weight of shRNA-PD-L1 group was (0.47±0.12)g, the volume is (761.3±221.4)mm(3), were lower than those of shRNA-NC group [(1.57±0.45)g and (1 829.0±218.3)mm(3), P<0.001]. Meanwhile, the expression levels of p-STAT3 and p-Akt in siRNA-PD-L1 group were decreased (P<0.05), while the expression levels of p-ERK1/2 and ß-catenin did not change significantly (P>0.05). Conclusion: Elevated PD-L1 expression in CD133(+) LCSLC is crucial to maintain stemness and promotes the tumor biological function of LCSLC.

[Research progress of common respiratory virus receptor binding sites].

Respiratory viral infections are an important public health problem worldwide, with complex mechanisms of infection, and the key to infection lies in the specific binding between respiratory viruses and receptors. This article provides an overview of the progress in the study of receptors for respiratory viruses, such as coronavirus and influenza virus (IV), with a focus on the binding sites of receptors such as angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and sialic acid (SA) to respiratory viruses and the role of receptor diversity in respiratory viral infections. An in-depth study of the binding sites between viruses and receptors will help to understand the molecular mechanism of respiratory viral infections and provide a theoretical basis for disease prevention and control and the development of new therapeutic targets.

[Analysis of factors influencing lung function in patients with pneumoconiosis].

Objective: To analyze the influencing factors of lung function in pneumoconiosis patients, and to provide reference for clinical treatment. Methods: From July 2020 to December 2020, a questionnaire survey was conducted on pneumoconiosis patients in the jurisdiction by using the "Guangdong Province Occupational Disease Prevention and Control Institute" questionnaire, and the relevant items of patients were examined. The rate of counting data is expressed, and the measurement data is expressed by mean and standard deviation. Chi-square test was used for comparison between groups, trend chi-square test was used for trend analysis of ordered classified data. Multivariate analysis was carried out with binary logistic regression model. Results: A total of 1409 pneumoconiosis patients were enrolled. The abnormal rate of lung function in pneumoconiosis patients was 68.77%. The results of trend Chi-square test showed that the abnormal rate of lung function increased with the age of exposure to dust in different age groups (Chi Sqnare Trend=64.12、8.49、24.20, P<0.05) . In univariate analysis, there were statistical significance in different dust exposure age, working age, pneumoconiosis stage, complications and occupational pneumoconiosis diseases (P<0.05) . Multiple logistic regression results showed that age of exposure to dust, years of service, stage of pneumoconiosis and complications were the main influencing factors of lung function in pneumoconiosis patients (P<0.05) . Compared with patients aged 0-30 years, patients aged 50-70 years and older had a higher rate of abnormal lung function (OR=2.16, 95%CI: 1.12~4.16; OR=4.82, 95%CI: 2.05~11.35, all P<0.05) ; Compared with patients with 0~20 years of service, patients with 20~30 years of service and more than 30 years of service had a higher rate of abnormal lung function (OR=1.58, 95%CI: 1.10~2.25; OR=1.63, 95%CI: 1.28~2.40, P<0.05) ; Compared with stage Ⅰ patients, Stage Ⅱ and Stage Ⅲ patients had a higher rate of abnormal lung function (OR=1.62, 95%CI: 1.20~2.17; OR=2.23, 95%CI: 1.40~3.55, all P<0.05) ; Compared with patients without comorbidities, patients with comorbidities had a higher rate of abnormal lung function (OR=1.68, 95%CI: 1.20~2.38, P<0.05) . Conclusion: The factors such as age of exposure to dust, working age, stage of pneumoconiosis and complications may be the influencing factors of lung function in pneumoconiosis patients.

Expression of arylalkylamine n-acetyltransferase (AANAT) and acetylserotonin o-methyltransferase (ASMT) in the corpus luteum of pregnant sows and synthesis of melatonin in luteal cells.

In vertebrates, melatonin is mainly synthesized from serotonin in the pineal gland. Many reports have documented that melatonin is also synthesized in the extra-pineal tissues, but the synthesis of melatonin in the corpus luteum (CL) of pregnant sows has never been studied. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the expression of melatonin-synthesizing enzymes, arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT) and acetylserotonin O-methyltransferase (ASMT), in the CL of sows during pregnancy and to investigate the synthesis of melatonin in luteal cells. Results showed that AANAT and ASMT were both expressed in the CL of sows during pregnancy, higher levels were observed in the early- and mid-stage CL, and the lowest abundance was found in the regressing CL (later-stage). The immunostaining for AANAT and ASMT was predominantly localized in the large luteal cells of porcine CL during pregnancy. Furthermore, melatonin was synthesized in luteal cells from serotonin in a dose- and time-dependent manner. And the expressions of AANAT and ASMT were upregulated by serotonin in luteal cells. In addition, progesterone (P4) secretion and cell viability were promoted in luteal cells treated with serotonin, and the stimulatory effects were blocked by luzindole (a non-selective MT1 and MT2 antagonist). Finally, the expressions of MT1 and MT2 were augmented by serotonin in luteal cells. In conclusion, this study demonstrates for the first time the developmental expression of AANAT and ASMT in the CL and a local synthesis of melatonin in luteal cells of pregnant sows, and suggests a paracrine and/or autocrine role for melatonin in luteal function.

Development of a radiomic-clinical nomogram for prediction of survival in patients with serous ovarian cancer.

AIM: To develop and validate a radiomic-clinical nomogram to evaluate overall survival (OS) postoperatively in patients with serous ovarian cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty serous ovarian cancer patients from The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA) database were used as the training set, and 39 eligible patients treated at Affiliated Huadu Hospital were used as the independent validation set. In total, 1,301 radiomics features were extracted from ovarian cancer lesions on venous-phase computed tomography (CT) images. Then, a radiomics signature was developed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression algorithm in the training set. Moreover, a radiomic-clinical nomogram was constructed incorporating the radiomics signature and clinical predictors based on a multivariable Cox regression analysis. The performance of the nomogram was evaluated. RESULTS: Consisting of three selected features, the radiomics signature showed good discrimination in the training and validation sets with C-indexes of 0.694 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.613-0.775) and 0.709 (95% CI: 0.517-0.901), respectively. The radiomic-clinical nomogram contained the radiomics signature and four clinical predictors, including age, tumour size, pathological staging, and tumour grade. The nomogram showed favourable discrimination in the training set (C-index [95% CI], 0.754 [0.678-0.830]), which was confirmed in the validation set (C-index [95% CI], 0.727 [0.569-0.885]). According to the model, all patients were classified into high-risk and low-risk groups. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that there was a significant distinction between the OS of the high-risk and low-risk patients. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed radiomic-clinical nomogram can increase the predictive accuracy of OS in patients with serous ovarian cancer after surgery, which may aid in clinical decision-making.

Differentiating infected focal liver lesions from malignant mimickers: value of ultrasound-based radiomics.

AIM: To establish an ultrasound-based radiomics model through machine learning methods and then to assess the ability of the model to differentiate infected focal liver lesions from malignant mimickers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 104 patients with infected focal liver lesions and 485 patients with malignant hepatic tumours were included, consisting of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cholangiocarcinoma (CC), combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CC), and liver metastasis. Radiomics features were extracted from grey-scale ultrasound images. Feature selection and predictive modelling were carried out by dimensionality reduction methods and classifiers. The diagnostic effect of the prediction mode was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: In total, 5,234 radiomics features were extracted from grey-scale ultrasound image of every focal liver lesion. The ultrasound-based radiomics model had a favourable predictive value for differentiating infected focal liver lesions from malignant hepatic tumours, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.887 and 0.836 (HCC group), 0.896 and 0.766 (CC group), 0.944 and 0.754 (cHCC-CC group), 0.918 and 0.808 (liver metastasis group), and 0.949 and 0.745 (malignant hepatic tumour group) for the training set and validation set, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound-based radiomics is helpful in differentiating infected focal liver lesions from malignant mimickers and has the potential for use as a supplement to conventional grey-scale ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS).