[Correlation between arousal threshold and occurrence of hypertension in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome].

Objective: To investigate the relationship between arousal threshold (ArTH) and hypertension in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSA). Methods: This study recruited 648 patients diagnosed with OSA at the Sleep Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2020 to August 2021, including 569 males and 79 females, aged 42(35,52) years. The basic demographic information and clinical data of all patients were collected, including blood pressure measurement, and relevant questionnaire scores, and nocturnal polysomnography (PSG) parameters. A clinical predictive model based on sleep apnea hypopnea index (AHI), lowest pulse oxygen saturation (LSpaO2) and hypopnea ratio (FHypopneas) was used to access the arousal threshold of OSA patients. Patients were divided into OSA group and OSA with hypertension group according to whether they were combined with hypertension. The differences in the above indexes between the two groups were analyzed to explore the relationship between arousal threshold and hypertension in OSA patients, using a binary logistic stepwise regression analysis. Results: A total of 648 OSA patients were enrolled, including 415 in the OSA with hypertension group and 233 in the OSA group. Compared with OSA group, OSA with hypertension group had older age, higher body mass index (BMI), higher blood pressure at bedtime and at awakening, higher AHI and lower proportion of hypopnea (all P<0.05). There were no significant differences between other general data and PSG parameters (all P>0.05). The proportion of patients with low arousal threshold (AHI<30 events per hour, LSpO2>82.5%, Fhypopneas>58.3%) in OSA with hypertension group was lower, and the proportion of phenotypic patients with low arousal threshold was significantly lower (30.1% vs. 52.4% P<0.001). Binary logistic stepwise regression analysis showed that the high arousal threshold (OR=1.930, 95%CI:1.326-2.808, P=0.001) was an independent risk factor for OSA complicated with hypertension. Conclusion: The arousal threshold is associated with the development of hypertension in OSA patients, and OSA patients with a high arousal threshold have a higher risk of developing hypertension.

[Effect of obstructive sleep apnea on the severity of acute coronary syndrome].

Objective: To investigate the effects of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on myocardial damage, coronary multi-vessel lesion and postoperative indexes in patients with acute coronary syndrome(ACS). Methods: The patients, admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from September 2022 to October 2023 due to chest tightness and pain, diagnosed with ACS and accompanied by emergency/elective percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)at, were prospectively enrolled. Portable sleep monitor was used to monitor after stabilization of condition(postoperative day 2±1). The patients were divided into the OSA group (AHI≥15/h) and the control group (AHI<15/h) according to apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). The hematologic indices, echocardiographic parameters, coronary vascular scores and postoperative indicators between the groups were compared. Binary logistic regression model was used to analyze the risk factors for muti-vessel lesion in patients with ACS. Results: One hundred and four ACS patients who met the inclusion criteria were ultimately included, including 85 males (81.7%) and 19 females (18.3%), aged (57.3±10.8) years, of whom 48.1% (50/104) were complicated with OSA. Body mass index (BMI), prevalence of hypertension and diabetes, triglyceride (TG), glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and D-dimer in the OSA group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). There were statistically significant differences in sleep parameters between the two groups (P<0.05). The patients in the OSA group exhibited higher troponin T (cTnT) [M(Q1,Q3),54.0 (9.3,343.8) ng/L vs 15.0 (7.8,38.8) ng/L, P<0.05], larger left atrial internal diameters [41.4 (39.3,45.2) mm vs 40.2 (37.1,42.0) mm, P<0.05], more diseased vessels [2 (1, 3) vs 1 (1, 2), P<0.001], a higher percentage of muti-vessel lesion[60.0%(30/50)vs 29.6%(16/54),P<0.05], and a higher incidence of cardiovascular complications during hospitalization[10.0%(5/50)vs 0(0/54), P=0.017]. The results of binary logistic regression analysis suggested that after adjusting for confounders, AHI (OR=1.035, 95%CI: 1.008-1.063, P=0.011) was independently associated with the development of muti-vessel lesion in patients with ACS. Conclusions: ACS patients with OSA suffer more severe myocardial damage, are more likely to develop structural abnormalities of left heart and multi-vessel lesion, and have a higher incidence of postoperative complications. High AHI is a risk factor for multi-vessel lesion in ACS patients.

[Investigation on the cognitive level of Mpox among MSM population in Shenzhen and analysis of the influencing factors in 2023].

From June 16 to 30, 2023, men who have sex with men (MSM) who had visited Voluntary Counseling Testing (VCT) clinics in the Luohu, Futian and Nanshan districts of Shenzhen were included in this study to analyze their awareness of Mpox and the influencing factors. The mean age of the 262 MSM was (34.78±8.94) years, with the majority being unmarried (75.2%) and 79.0% confirmed to be infected with HIV. The awareness rates for five primary indicators, current status of Mpox, pathogen and source of infection, mode of transmission, population susceptibility, clinical manifestations and treatment were 68.4%, 84.7%, 60.3%, 87.8%, and 52.5%, respectively. The awareness rates for five secondary indicators, earliest transmission location (44.7%), main mode of transmission (54.2%), role of masks (46.9%), drug accessibility (46.6%), and self-limiting nature (38.2%) were all below 60%. The MSM population in Shenzhen perceived their likelihood of being infected (2.76±1.32) and discriminated against (3.87±1.26) as relatively low. The logistic analysis showed that the high school or vocational school education (OR:3.094, 95%CI:1.180-9.299), college or above education (OR:5.360, 95%CI:2.159-15.501), and higher scores on questions affecting learning or work (OR:2.196, 95%CI:1.409-3.599) were promoting factors for Mpox awareness, while higher scores on questions concerning the possibility of Mpox mortality (OR:0.591, 95%CI:0.432-0.791) was the hindering factor for Mpox awareness.

[Effects of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome on myocardial work and prognosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction].

Objective: To investigate the influence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) on myocardial work and prognosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods: Patients with complete follow-up data diagnosed with AMI who were admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Suzhou University due to chest pain within 24 hours attacks from February 2020 to January 2022 were retrospective enrolled in the study and were split into two groups based on sleep apnea hypoventilation index (AHI): OSAS group (AHI≥5/h) and non-OSAS group (AHI<5/h). Follow up for (12.4±0.1) months. There were finally 210 AMI patients including 130 males and 80 females with (69.6±9.4) years, ranging from 36 to 83 years. The general characteristics, haematological index, echocardiographic parameters, myocardial work (MW) and the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in 1 year between the two groups were quantified. Logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to assess the risk of MACE in patients with AMI. Results: There were 50 cases in the OSAS group and 160 cases in the non-OSAS group. Compared with the non-OSAS group, OSAS group demonstrated higher BMI,neck circumference, Killip grade,GRACE score,ESS score,SYNTAX score, the number of diseased vessels and higher prevalence of hypertension, hyperlipidemia and smoking history. The differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). There were also statistically significant differences in sleep study result and hematological indexesof of cTnT, NT-ProBNP, and creatinine between the two groups (P<0.05). The general work index (GWI) of the OSAS group was lower than that of the non-OSAS group [(870.1±435.6) vs (1 005.0±313.6) mmHg% (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), P=0.017]; The general myocardial active work (GCW) of the OSAS group was lower than that of the non-OSAS group [(1 046.7±472.2) vs (1 262.7±274.9) mmHg%, P=0.003]; The general work efficiency (GWE) of the OSAS group was lower than that of the non-OSAS group [(79.8±14.2)% vs (84.5±5.8)%, P=0.001]; The general reactive power (GWW) of the OSAS group was higher than that of the non-OSAS group [(312.2±163.2) vs (264.0±85.1) mmHg%, P=0.007]. There were 10 cases (20.0%) of MACE in the OSAS group and 13 cases (8.1%) in the non OSAS group, with a statistically significant difference (P=0.001).The combination of decreased OSAS (OR=4.039, 95%CI: 1.159-6.918), decreased myocardial work, including GCW [OR=0.850 (95%CI: 0.742-0.958)], GWE [OR=0.871 (95%CI: 0.818-0.924)], GWI (OR=0.862, 95%CI: 0.732-0.991), increased GWW (OR=2.425, 95%CI: 1.482-3.368), and increased GRACE score (OR=3.775, 95%CI: 2.314-5.236) increased the risk of MACE in AMI patients (all P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for predicting MACE in AMI using OSAS+myocardial work+GRACE score was 0.779 (95%CI: 0.717-0.834), with a sensitivity of 65.2% and a specificity of 84.5%. After the combination of the three, there were statistically significant differences compared to the AUC of combined OSAS, GRACE score, and myocardial work (all P<0.05). Conclusions: The MW of AMI patients with OSAS decreased compared to those without OSAS. The combination of OSAS and MW can improve the predictive value of MACE in patients with AMI.

[Epidemiological characteristics of a 2019-nCoV outbreak caused by Omicron variant BF.7 in Shenzhen].

Objective: To explore the epidemiological characteristic of a COVID-19 outbreak caused by 2019-nCoV Omicron variant BF.7 and other provinces imported in Shenzhen and analyze transmission chains and characteristics. Methods: Field epidemiological survey was conducted to identify the transmission chain, analyze the generation relationship among the cases. The 2019-nCoV nucleic acid positive samples were used for gene sequencing. Results: From 8 to 23 October, 2022, a total of 196 cases of COVID-19 were reported in Shenzhen, all the cases had epidemiological links. In the cases, 100 were men and 96 were women, with a median of age, M (Q1, Q3) was 33(25, 46) years. The outbreak was caused by traverlers initial cases infected with 2019-nCoV who returned to Shenzhen after traveling outside of Guangdong Province.There were four transmission chains, including the transmission in place of residence and neighbourhood, affecting 8 persons, transmission in social activity in the evening on 7 October, affecting 65 persons, transmission in work place on 8 October, affecting 48 persons, and transmission in a building near the work place, affecting 74 persons. The median of the incubation period of the infection, M (Q1, Q3) was 1.44 (1.11, 2.17) days. The incubation period of indoor exposure less than that of the outdoor exposure, M (Q1, Q3) was 1.38 (1.06, 1.84) and 1.95 (1.22, 2.99) days, respcetively (Wald χ2=10.27, P=0.001). With the increase of case generation, the number and probability of gene mutation increased. In the same transmission chain, the proportion of having 1-3 mutation sites was high in the cases in the first generation. Conclusions: The transmission chains were clear in this epidemic. The incubation period of Omicron variant BF.7 infection was shorter, the transmission speed was faster, and the gene mutation rate was higher. It is necessary to conduct prompt response and strict disease control when epidemic occurs.

[Identification and functional analysis of combined oxidative phosphorylation deficiency 28 gene mutation].

Objective: To report a case of combined oxidative phosphorylation deficiency 28 (COXPD28) in China, identified the pathogenic mutation and explored the pathogenic mechanism preliminarily. Methods: The clinical characteristics of a patient with COXPD28 were retrospectively analyzed and the pathogenic mutations were identified by mitochondrial gene sequencing and whole exome sequencing. The wild-type and mutant plasmids of pathogenic genes were constructed, and effect of mutation on protein expression by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and Western blot were evaluated. Statistical methods mainly used one-way ANOVA and LSD test. Results: A 21 year old female patient presented with lactic acid poisoning due to repeated chest distress and wheezing since childhood. The sequencing of the whole exon group gene found that solute carrier family 25 member 26 (SLC25A26) gene had a compound heterozygous mutation (c.34G>C, p.A12P; c.197C>A, p.A66E), which was the first report in China. In vitro function test showed that the expression levels of SLC25A26 mRNA and S-adenosylmethionine carrier (SAMC) protein in cells transfected with SLC25A26 mutant plasmid were significantly lower than those transfected with wild type plasmid. The p.A66E mutant plasmid reduced the expression level of SLC25A26 mRNA and SAMC protein to 6% and 26% of wild type plasmids respectively (both P<0.001), while p.A12P mutant plasmid decreased to 62% and 82% of wild type plasmids respectively (P<0.001, P=0.044). When the double mutant (p.A66E+p.A12P) plasmids were co-transfected, the expression levels of SLC25A26 mRNA and SAMC protein decreased to 47% and 57% of the wild type plasmids, respectively (P<0.001, P=0.001). Conclusion: The pathogenic mutation gene of this patient with COXPD28 is SLC25A26 gene mutation (p.A66E, p.A12P), which causes the decrease of SLC25A26 expression level, mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation dysfunction, and induces COXPD28.

[Correlation between thyroid function and glucolipid metabolism in type 1 diabetic adults].

To assess the correlation between thyroid function and glucolipid metabolism in type 1 diabetic adults. A retrospective analysis was conducted in 230 type 1 diabetic adults who were hospitalized in the Department of Endocrinology of Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University from January 2008 to January 2020. It showed that thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH) was significantly positively correlated with total cholesterol (TC) (r=0.239), triglycerides (TG) (r=0.166) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (r=0.249), respectively (all P<0.05). Free triiodothyronine (FT3) was significantly negatively correlated with fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (r=-0.272), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (r=-0.240), TC (r=-0.197) and LDL-C (r=-0.220), respectively (all P<0.05). Free thyroxine (FT4) was negatively correlated with TC (r=-0.171) and LDL-C (r=-0.170), respectively (all P<0.05). TC was an independent predictor of TSH, FT3 and FT4, FT3 and FT4 were independent predictors of HbA1c. TSH was an independent predictor of TC, TG and LDL-C. Thyroid function is closely related to glucolipid metabolism in type 1 diabetic adults.

[Related factors and interaction on HIV/HCV co-infection of patients access to methadone maintenance treatment].

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of HIV/HCV co-infection and explore the influence factors and their interaction on HIV/HCV co-infection of patient's access to methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). Methods: A face to face interviews were conducted among 750 patients at two MMT clinics in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The questionnaires information included demographic characteristics, HIV and HCV infection status, history of drug abuse, urine test for morphine, high risk sex behaviors, needle sharing, dropped out etc. Methods of χ(2) test one-way, multivariate logistic regression and interactions were used to analyze the related factors of HIV/HCV co-infection. Results: The study subjects included 750 participants, 18.31% (127/691) of patients were co-infected with HIV and HCV. The HIV/HCV co-infection rate in patients who shared needles with others or dropped out of treatment was 35.84% (81/226) and 19.88% (64/322) respectively, which were higher than those who have never shared needles or dropped out (9.89%, 46/465 and 17.07%, 63/369). Logistic regression analysis results showed that after adjusted for confounding factors, patients who shared needles (OR=4.50, 95%CI: 2.72-7.43) and dropped out of treatment (OR=1.71, 95%CI: 1.04-2.80) were more likely to be infected with HIV/HCV. Interaction analysis showed that sharing needles and dropping out of treatment exist additive effect on co-infection of HIV and HCV (RERI=4.21, AP=0.44, SI=1.95). Conclusions: Needle sharing and dropping out of treatment are associated with HIV/HCV co-infection. Health education, psychological counseling and other measures should be taken to reduce needle sharing and dropping out of MMT.

[Correlation between insufficient methadone dosage and morphine positive urine on drop out of treatment in patients with access to methadone maintenance treatment].

Objective: To estimate the incidence of drop out of treatment in patients with access to methadone maintenance treatment and explore the correlation and interaction between insufficient methadone dosage and morphine positive urine on the drop out in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Methods: Face to face interview was conducted in 1 031 patients at 3 methadone maintenance treatment clinics in Guangxi. Results: The study included 1 031 participants, 40.6% of them (419/1 031) had stopped treatment. The drop out rates in urine morphine positive group and methadone dosage<100 mg/d group were 57.6% (99/172) and 37.4% (347/929) respectively, higher than those in urine morphine negative group and methadone dosage ≥100 mg/d group (42.3%, 363/859, and 26.5%, 27/102). Orderly logistic regression analysis results showed that after adjusted factors, such as gender, age, marital status, ethnic group, patients who received a dosage less than 100 mg/day (OR=3.05, 95%CI: 1.84-5.06) and had morphine positive urine (OR=2.25, 95%CI: 1.59-3.19) were more likely to drop out of the treatment. Interaction analysis showed that dosage less than 100 mg/d and morphine positive urine during treatment had additive interaction (RERI=256.46, AP=0.87, S= 8.05) and multiplication interaction (OR=2.45, 95%CI: 1.71-3.49). Conclusion: Insufficient dosage and morphine positive urine were significantly correlated with drop out of treatment in patients with access to methadone maintenance treatment.

[Prevalence and related factors of HIV/HBV coinfection among HIV/AIDS patients].

Objective: To reveal the prevalence and the related factors of hepatitis B (HepB) virus infection among HIV/AIDS patients. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in two HIV clinics, affiliated to local Centers of Disease Control and Prevention in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regional. A face-to-face interview, with questionnaire was conducted to collect information on socio-demographic characteristics, drug use, and sexual behavior. Blood samples were used to test HBsAg. χ(2) test or Fisher's exact test and unconditional logistic regression models were used to identify the influencing factors. Results: The prevalence of HBV and HIV co-infection was 13.85% (113/816). Results from multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that age (25-45), family history of HBV and history of HepB vaccination were independent influencing factors for HBV and HIV coinfection, with OR (95%CI) as 1.738 (1.031-2.931), 2.898 (1.678-5.005) and 1.744 (1.052-2.892), respectively. Conclusion: The prevalence of HBV among HIV/AIDS patients was significantly higher than that in general population. HIV/AIDS patients aged between 25 and 45 and with family history of HBV were more likely to be infected with HBV, while HepB vaccination was associated with the reduction of HIV/HBV coinfection. Specific comprehensive prevention and treatment programs on HIV/AIDS patients need to be set up.

Improved Search for a Light Sterile Neutrino with the Full Configuration of the Daya Bay Experiment.

This Letter reports an improved search for light sterile neutrino mixing in the electron antineutrino disappearance channel with the full configuration of the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment. With an additional 404 days of data collected in eight antineutrino detectors, this search benefits from 3.6 times the statistics available to the previous publication, as well as from improvements in energy calibration and background reduction. A relative comparison of the rate and energy spectrum of reactor antineutrinos in the three experimental halls yields no evidence of sterile neutrino mixing in the 2×10^{-4}≲|Δm_{41}^{2}|≲0.3 eV^{2} mass range. The resulting limits on sin^{2}2θ_{14} are improved by approx imately a factor of 2 over previous results and constitute the most stringent constraints to date in the |Δm_{41}^{2}|≲0.2 eV^{2} region.

Limits on Active to Sterile Neutrino Oscillations from Disappearance Searches in the MINOS, Daya Bay, and Bugey-3 Experiments.

Searches for a light sterile neutrino have been performed independently by the MINOS and the Daya Bay experiments using the muon (anti)neutrino and electron antineutrino disappearance channels, respectively. In this Letter, results from both experiments are combined with those from the Bugey-3 reactor neutrino experiment to constrain oscillations into light sterile neutrinos. The three experiments are sensitive to complementary regions of parameter space, enabling the combined analysis to probe regions allowed by the Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Detector (LSND) and MiniBooNE experiments in a minimally extended four-neutrino flavor framework. Stringent limits on sin^{2}2θ_{µe} are set over 6 orders of magnitude in the sterile mass-squared splitting Δm_{41}^{2}. The sterile-neutrino mixing phase space allowed by the LSND and MiniBooNE experiments is excluded for Δm_{41}^{2}<0.8 eV^{2} at 95% CL_{s}.

[Influence of hypertension disorder complicating pregancy and its interaction with other factors on incidence of small for gestational age].

Objective: To understand the influence of hypertension disorder complicating pregancy on the incidence of small for gestational age (SGA) and its interaction with other factors. Methods: A nested case-control study was conducted to analyze the influence of hypertension disorder complicating pregancy on the incidence of small for gestational age and evaluate the interaction between hypertension disorder complicating pregancy and other factors. Results: Data from 6 297 subjects were collected, including 836 (13.28%) pregnant women with hypertension disorder complicating pregancy, 789 (12.53%) infants who were small for gestational age. Compared with the pregnant women without hypertension disorder complicating pregancy, women with hypertension disorder complicating pregancy (aOR=2.185, 95% CI: 1.266-3.770), preeclampsia- eclampsia (aOR=5.322, 95% CI: 4.224-6.707) and with chronic hypertension complicated with superimposed preeclampsia (aOR=3.794, 95% CI: 2.190-6.573) had increased risk for the incidence of small for gestational age. The Interaction analysis showed that there was strong positive interactions between hypertension disorder complicating pregancy and premature birth on small for gestational age infants (RERI=5.260, AP=0.586, SI=2.941), (OR=2.331, 95%CI: 1.443-3.767). Addictive interaction was found between hypertension disorder complicating pregancy and placental abruption (RERI=5.631, AP= 0.522, SI=2.352), and between hypertension disorder complicating pregancy and female fetuses (RERI= 3.660, AP=0.374, SI=1.714), and between hypertension disorder complicating pregancy and oligohydramnios (RERI=10.619, AP=0.636, SI=3.093). However, no significant multiplication interaction was found. Conclusions: Hypertension disorder complicating pregancy is the risk factor of the incidence of small for gestational age. Hypertension disorder complicating pregancy also showed addictive interaction on the incidence of small for gestational age with female fetuses, placental abruption as well as oligohydramnios. There was addictive and multiplication interactions between hypertension disorder complicating pregancy and premature birth.

[Related factors and interaction on high-risk sexual behaviors among patients under the methadone maintenance treatment].

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the incidence of high-risk sexual behaviors and to explore the related factors among patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment. METHODS: Face to face interviews were conducted on 636 patients at 3 methadone maintenance treatment clinics in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, in China, from September to November, 2014. General demographic characteristics and behavioral factors associated with high-risk sexual behavior of patients were collected through questionnaires. Both univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the related factors of high-risk sexual behaviors and the interactions between them. RESULTS: 636 participants were included in this study. Majority of the patients (80.2%) practiced high-risk sexual behaviors in the past three months. Data from the univariate analysis showed that factors as: gender, age, marital status, registered residence, history of hepatitis B (HepB) vaccination, age started drug use and HIV infection etc. might be associated with high-risk sexual behaviors (P<0.05). Data from the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that factors as: being male, histories with non- or unknown HepB vaccination and free of HIV infection etc., were likely to have high-risk sexual behaviors, with OR (95% CI) as 1.668 (1.021-2.725), 1.730 (1.068-2.801) and 2.880 (1.697-4.888), respectively. Additive interactions were observed between non- or unknown histories of HepB vaccination and free of HIV infection. CONCLUSION: The incidence rates on high-risk sexual behaviors appeared high in patients under the methadone maintenance treatment. Patients with factors as: being male, histories with non-or unknown HepB vaccination and free of HIV infection were significantly associated with high-risk sexual behaviors. It is necessary to emphasize on behavioral intervention among patients under the methadone maintenance treatment, in order to reduce the occurrence of high-risk sexual behaviors.

Measurement of the Reactor Antineutrino Flux and Spectrum at Daya Bay.

This Letter reports a measurement of the flux and energy spectrum of electron antineutrinos from six 2.9 GWth nuclear reactors with six detectors deployed in two near (effective baselines 512 and 561 m) and one far (1579 m) underground experimental halls in the Daya Bay experiment. Using 217 days of data, 296 721 and 41 589 inverse ß decay (IBD) candidates were detected in the near and far halls, respectively. The measured IBD yield is (1.55±0.04) ×10(-18) cm(2) GW(-1) day(-1) or (5.92±0.14) ×10(-43) cm(2) fission(-1). This flux measurement is consistent with previous short-baseline reactor antineutrino experiments and is 0.946±0.022 (0.991±0.023) relative to the flux predicted with the Huber-Mueller (ILL-Vogel) fissile antineutrino model. The measured IBD positron energy spectrum deviates from both spectral predictions by more than 2σ over the full energy range with a local significance of up to ∼4σ between 4-6 MeV. A reactor antineutrino spectrum of IBD reactions is extracted from the measured positron energy spectrum for model-independent predictions.

Prognostic significance of the Musashi-2 (MSI2) gene in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The prognostic value of the Musashi-2 (MSI2) gene has not yet been studied in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). In our study, MSI2 mRNA levels of 119 childhood patients with newly-diagnosed ALL were examined and analyzed with regard to clinical characteristics and outcomes. ALL patients demonstrated significantly higher MSI2 mRNA levels than healthy controls. In addition, MSI2 mRNA levels were correlated with the disease status and IK6 mutation status. Survival analyses showed that higher MSI2 mRNA levels predicted worse outcomes in patients with childhood ALL. Moreover, in multivariate analyses, MSI2 mRNA overexpression retained its value as an independent risk factor for overall survival (OS), but not for event free survival (EFS). We conclude that high MSI2 mRNA level predicts adverse prognosis and seems to be useful as a novel prognostic factor for patients with childhood ALL.

New measurement of antineutrino oscillation with the full detector configuration at Daya Bay.

We report a new measurement of electron antineutrino disappearance using the fully constructed Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment. The final two of eight antineutrino detectors were installed in the summer of 2012. Including the 404 days of data collected from October 2012 to November 2013 resulted in a total exposure of 6.9×10^{5} GW_{th} ton days, a 3.6 times increase over our previous results. Improvements in energy calibration limited variations between detectors to 0.2%. Removal of six ^{241}Am-^{13}C radioactive calibration sources reduced the background by a factor of 2 for the detectors in the experimental hall furthest from the reactors. Direct prediction of the antineutrino signal in the far detectors based on the measurements in the near detectors explicitly minimized the dependence of the measurement on models of reactor antineutrino emission. The uncertainties in our estimates of sin^{2}2θ_{13} and |Δm_{ee}^{2}| were halved as a result of these improvements. An analysis of the relative antineutrino rates and energy spectra between detectors gave sin^{2}2θ_{13}=0.084±0.005 and |Δm_{ee}^{2}|=(2.42±0.11)×10^{-3} eV^{2} in the three-neutrino framework.

Overexpression of lymphoid enhancer-binding factor-1 (LEF1) is a novel favorable prognostic factor in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

INTRODUCTION: Lymphoid enhancer-binding factor-1 (LEF1) is a target gene and central mediator of the Wnt signaling pathway. High LEF1 expression has been reported as a prognostic marker in several types of hematologic malignancies of adult patients. METHODS: In this study, LEF1 expression was analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 122 children with newly diagnosed ALL treated on the China NPCAC97 protocols. Patients' samples were dichotomized at the median value of control group and divided into LEF1(low) and LEF1(high) groups. RESULTS: The LEF1 mRNA levels in patients with ALL were significantly higher than those of normal controls, and the LEF1 levels were dramatically decreased following induction therapy. In addition, LEF1(high) patients had lower white blood cell (WBC) count at diagnosis and lower minimal residual disease (MRD) levels at the time of complete remission as compared to LEF1(low) patients. Finally, our studies showed that high LEF1 expression is associated with favorable CR rate and overall survival (OS) in childhood ALL (5-year OS: LEF1(high) 92% vs. LEF1(low) 73%, P = 0.009). High LEF1 level was associated with a favorable relapse-free survival in standard-risk patients and also related to a better OS within the subgroup of patients with BCR-ABL-negative ALL. CONCLUSION: Overexpression of LEF1 is a favorable prognostic factor in childhood ALL. The prognostic impact of LEF1 may assist treatment stratification and suggest the need of alternative regimens.