[Risk factors for the development of liver cancer in patients with hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis treated with long-term nucleos(t)ide analogues].

Objective: To retrospectively analyze the risk factors for the development of liver cancer in patients with hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis (LC) treated and fully managed with long-term nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs). Methods: The study subjects were derived from the follow-up cohort of chronic hepatitis B and liver cirrhosis who received antiviral therapy in the Department of Infectious Diseases of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from February 2004 to September 2019. LC patients who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled. The life-table method was used to calculate the incidence of liver cancer. Multivariable Cox regression model was used to analyze the risk factors that may affect the development of liver cancer in patients with LC. A subgroup analysis was conducted in liver cirrhotic patients who developed liver cancer to evaluate the effectiveness of antiviral treatment compliance. The (2) test was used for rate comparison. Results: The median follow-up time of 198 LC cases treated with NAs was 6.0 years (1.0-15.3 years). By the end of the visit: (1) 16.2% (32/198) of LC patients had developed liver cancer, and the cumulative incidence of liver cancer in 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 years were 0, 8.9%, 14.3%, 18.6%, and 23.4%, respectively, with an average annual incidence of 3.1%. Among the 32 cases with liver cancer, 68.7% had developed small liver cancer (22/32). (2) Univariate Cox model analysis showed that the development of liver cancer was related to four factors, i.e., the presence or absence of LC nodules, whether the baseline was first-line medication, the family history of liver cancer, and patient compliance. The results of multivariate Cox model analysis showed that poor patient compliance and baseline non-first-line medication were risk factors for liver cancer. (3) The results of log-rank test subgroup analysis showed that the 5-year cumulative incidence of liver cancer in patients with hardened nodules was significantly higher than that of patients without hardened nodules (21.7% vs. 11.5%, P = 0.029). The 5-year cumulative incidence of liver cancer in patients with non-first-line drugs was significantly higher than that of patients with first-line drugs (22.0% vs.8.2%, P = 0.003). The 5-year cumulative incidence of liver cancer in patients with poor compliance was significantly higher than that of patients with good compliance (21.3% vs. 12.7%, P = 0.014). The 5-year cumulative incidence of liver cancer in patients with a family history of liver cancer was significantly higher than that of patients without a family history of liver cancer (22.3% vs. 8.1%, P = 0.006). (4) Compared with patients with poor compliance, patients with good compliance had higher HBV DNA negative serconversion rate (98.7% vs. 87.8%, P = 0.005), and a lower virological breakthrough rate (12.1% vs. 29.3%, P = 0.007). Conclusion: The long-term NAs antiviral therapy can reduce the risk of liver cancer, but it cannot completely prevent the development of liver cancer, especially in patients with a family history of liver cancer and baseline hardened nodules (high risk of liver cancer). Furthermore, the complete management can improve patient compliance, ensure the efficacy of antiviral therapy, and reduce the risk of liver cancer development, so to achieve secondary prevention of liver cancer, i.e., early detection, diagnosis and treatment.

[Liver histological status and clinic outcome in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B with low viral load].

Objective: To retrospectively analyze the serological, virological, biochemical, liver histological status and clinical outcomes in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with low HBV viral load, and to explore the necessity of antiviral therapy for these patients. Methods: A total of 99 HBeAg-negative CHB patients with HBV DNA level < 4 lg copies/ml who performed liver biopsy at the baseline were enrolled from the follow-up cohort. Among them, 23 cases received the second liver biopsy during follow-up. The relationships among the degree of inflammation and fibrosis of liver tissues, the status of HBsAg and HBcAg, age, gender, family history, HBV DNA load, serological markers and other indicators were analyzed. The pathological differences between two liver biopsy examinations were compared. The effect of nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) treatment on patient's clinical outcomes were analyzed. For multivariate analysis, a binary logistic regression model was performed. Log-rank test was used to compare the cumulative incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in NAs-treated and non-NA streated patients. Results: Baseline liver histology status showed that 58.6% (58/99) patients had obvious liver tissue damage in their baseline liver tissue pathology (G≥2 and /or S≥2). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that a liver cirrhosis (LC) family history, a HBsAg-positive family history, baseline alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels were positively correlated factors for liver tissue damage. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a LC family history was the main risk factor for liver tissue damage. Twenty-three cases had received a second liver biopsy after an interval of 4.5 years. In 10 untreated cases, the second liver biopsy results showed the rate of obvious liver tissue damage (G≥2 and/ or S≥2) increased from 50.0% to 90.0%. In the other 13 cases who received NAs treatment, the second liver biopsy showed improvement in liver histology, and the rate of obvious liver tissue damage decreased from 61.5% to 46.2%. The 5-year HCC cumulative incidence in non-NAs-treated patients was significantly higher than that of in NAs-treated patients (17.7% vs. 3.8%, P = 0.046). Conclusion: For most HBeAg-negative CHB patients with low viral load, liver tissue pathology result suggests that it meets the indications for antiviral therapy, especially in patients with a LC familial history. Without antiviral therapy, liver tissue damage for these patients will progressively worse with the high incidence of HCC. Therefore, it is suggested that antiviral therapy should be started as soon as possible for the HBeAg-negative CHB patients with low viral load regardless of the alanine aminotransferase level, especially in patients over 30 years-old with a LC or HCC family history.

Corrigendum: Experimental Certification of Random Numbers via Quantum Contextuality.

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/srep01627.

Experimental realization of an entanglement access network and secure multi-party computation.

To construct a quantum network with many end users, it is critical to have a cost-efficient way to distribute entanglement over different network ends. We demonstrate an entanglement access network, where the expensive resource, the entangled photon source at the telecom wavelength and the core communication channel, is shared by many end users. Using this cost-efficient entanglement access network, we report experimental demonstration of a secure multiparty computation protocol, the privacy-preserving secure sum problem, based on the network quantum cryptography.

[Effects of exogenous enzymes on the degradation of adhesive-dentin interfaces].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of exogenous enzymes on the degradation of adhesive-dentin interface. METHODS: Forty molars were sectioned to expose the middle-coronal dentin surface and randomly divided into two adhesive systems: an etch-and-rinse adhesive Adper Single Bond 2 and a self-etching adhesive G-Bond. After composite building up, the specimens were then randomly assigned to four groups(n=5 for each group)as follows: group 1, 24 h of water storage(the control group); group 2, six months of water storage; group 3, twelve weeks storage in artificial saliva containing clostridium histolyticum collagenase; group 4, twelve weeks storage in artificial saliva containing cholesterolesterase. The microtensile bond strengths(MTBS)were then tested. The failure modes and nanoleakage were analyzed. RESULTS: After aging treatments, the three aging groups showed significantly lower MTBS compared with the control group in both adhesive systems(P<0.05). For etch-and-rinse adhesive Adper Single Bond 2, the MTBS of group 3([19.6±3.5]MPa)was lower than that of group 2([23.4±4.2]MPa)and group 4([24.2±4.2]MPa)(P<0.05). For self-etching adhesive G-Bond, there was no difference on MTBS among different aging groups(P>0.05). SEM observation showed that, compared with the control group, water storage(group 2)and the exogenous enzymes(group 3 and 4)increased the nanoleakage expression(silver deposition)of both adhesive systems. Adhesive failure was the predominant fracture modes in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: Storage in artificial saliva containing clostridium histolyticum collagenase or cholesterol esterase could be used to accelerate the degradation process of adhesive-dentine interface.

Probe of three-dimensional chiral topological insulators in an optical lattice.

We propose a feasible experimental scheme to realize a three-dimensional chiral topological insulator with cold fermionic atoms in an optical lattice, which is characterized by an integer topological invariant distinct from the conventional Z(2) topological insulators and has a remarkable macroscopic zero-energy flat band. To probe its property, we show that its characteristic surface states--the Dirac cones--can be probed through time-of-flight imaging or Bragg spectroscopy and the flat band can be detected via measurement of the atomic density profile in a weak global trap. The realization of this novel topological phase with a flat band in an optical lattice will provide a unique experimental platform to study the interplay between interaction and topology and open new avenues for application of topological states.

Experimental distillation of quantum nonlocality.

We report the first experimental demonstration of distillation of quantum nonlocality, confirming the recent theoretical protocol [Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 120401 (2009)]. Quantum nonlocality is described by a correlation box with binary inputs and outputs, and the nonlocal boxes are realized through appropriate measurements on polarization entangled photon pairs. We demonstrate that nonlocality is amplified by connecting two nonlocal boxes into a composite one through local operations and four-photon measurements.

Experimental certification of random numbers via quantum contextuality.

The intrinsic unpredictability of measurements in quantum mechanics can be used to produce genuine randomness. Here, we demonstrate a random number generator where the randomness is certified by quantum contextuality in connection with the Kochen-Specker theorem. In particular, we generate random numbers from measurements on a single trapped ion with three internal levels, and certify the generated randomness by showing a bound on the minimum entropy through observation of violation of the Klyachko-Can-Binicioglu-Shumovsky (KCBS) inequality. Concerning the test of the KCBS inequality, we close the detection efficiency loophole for the first time and make it relatively immune to the compatibility loophole. In our experiment, we generate 1 × 10(5) random numbers that are guaranteed to have 5.2 × 10(4) bits of minimum entropy with a 99% confidence level.

State-independent experimental test of quantum contextuality in an indivisible system.

We report the first state-independent experimental test of quantum contextuality on a single photonic qutrit (three-dimensional system), based on a recent theoretical proposal [Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 030402 (2012)]. Our experiment spotlights quantum contextuality in its most basic form, in a way that is independent of either the state or the tensor product structure of the system.