Search for Daily Modulation of MeV Dark Matter Signals with DAMIC-M.

Dark matter (DM) particles with sufficiently large cross sections may scatter as they travel through Earth's bulk. The corresponding changes in the DM flux give rise to a characteristic daily modulation signal in detectors sensitive to DM-electron interactions. Here, we report results obtained from the first underground operation of the DAMIC-M prototype detector searching for such a signal from DM with MeV-scale mass. A model-independent analysis finds no modulation in the rate of 1 e^{-} events with sidereal period, where a DM signal would appear. We then use these data to place exclusion limits on DM in the mass range [0.53,2.7] MeV/c^{2} interacting with electrons via a dark photon mediator. Taking advantage of the time-dependent signal we improve by ∼2 orders of magnitude on our previous limit obtained from the total rate of 1 e^{-} events, using the same dataset. This daily modulation search represents the current strongest limit on DM-electron scattering via ultralight mediators for DM masses around 1 MeV/c^{2}.

A hybrid approach for low-carbon transportation system analysis: integrating CRITIC-DEMATEL and deep learning features.

As supply chains, logistics, and transportation activities continue to play a significant role in China's economic and social developments, concerns around energy consumption and carbon emissions are becoming increasingly prevalent. In light of sustainable development goals and the trend toward sustainable or green transportation, there is a need to minimize the environmental impact of these activities. To address this need, the government of China has made efforts to promote low-carbon transportation systems. This study aims to assess the development of low-carbon transportation systems in a case study in China using a hybrid approach based on the Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC), Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and deep learning features. The proposed method provides an accurate quantitative assessment of low-carbon transportation development levels, identifies the key influencing factors, and sorts out the inner connection among the factors. The CRITIC weight matrix is used to obtain the weight ratio, reducing the subjective color of the DEMATEL method. The weighting results are then corrected using an artificial neural network to make the weighting more accurate and objective. To validate our hybrid method, a numerical example in China is applied, and sensitivity analysis is conducted to show the impact of our main parameters and analyze the efficiency of our hybrid method. Overall, the proposed approach offers a novel method for assessing low-carbon transportation development and identifying key factors in China. The results of this study can be used to inform policy and decision-making to promote sustainable transportation systems in China and beyond.

First Constraints from DAMIC-M on Sub-GeV Dark-Matter Particles Interacting with Electrons.

We report constraints on sub-GeV dark matter particles interacting with electrons from the first underground operation of DAMIC-M detectors. The search is performed with an integrated exposure of 85.23 g days, and exploits the subelectron charge resolution and low level of dark current of DAMIC-M charge-coupled devices (CCDs). Dark-matter-induced ionization signals above the detector dark current are searched for in CCD pixels with charge up to 7e^{-}. With this dataset we place limits on dark matter particles of mass between 0.53 and 1000 MeV/c^{2}, excluding unexplored regions of parameter space in the mass ranges [1.6,1000] MeV/c^{2} and [1.5,15.1] MeV/c^{2} for ultralight and heavy mediator interactions, respectively.

Safety and Efficacy of Early Oral Feeding after Liver Transplantation with Roux-en-Y Choledochojejunostomy: A Single-Center Experience.

BACKGROUND: Early oral feeding, as one of the most important components of multimodal strategies referred to as Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS), is now widely adopted for optimization of post-operative recovery of surgical patients. OBJECTIVE: To assess ERAS outcome in patients who underwent liver transplantation in our center. METHODS: In a prospective study, patients who underwent liver transplantation from April 2015 to June 2018 at Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, were enrolled in this study. Serum albumin, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), and course of hospital stay were assessed. RESULTS: 39 (23 male) patients who underwent choledochojejunostomy with Roux-en-Y anastomosis for liver transplantation were enrolled. The mean±SD pre-operative serum albumin and TIBC levels of patients were 3.0±0.6 (range: 1.9-4.1) g/dL and 304±75 (range: 154.0-437.0) µg/dL, respectively. The mean±SD time between the end of operation and starting oral feeding was 11.6±1.8 (range: 9.0-15.0) hours. All patients tolerated early oral feeding with liquids followed by solid foods; no vomiting reported in patients. Overall, patient survival rates at one month and three months were 89.7% and 89.7%, respectively. In our study, no leak of anastomosis was reported. CONCLUSION: There was no major harm for ERAS after liver transplantation and it might be even helpful as in colorectal surgeries. As seen in our study, oral feeding was started as soon as possible after the end of operation in almost all patients and all of them tolerated early oral feeding. No one had vomiting or nausea.

Predicting phosphorus availability from chemically diverse conventional and recycling fertilizers.

Fertilizers produced from heterogeneous, phosphorus-rich biowastes are becoming increasingly relevant. Treatment and processing (combustion, pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion, etc.) increase the diversity of their physico-chemical composition even further. We investigated several approaches to characterize P availability from a set of 13 contrasting fertilizers. We tested them directly using standard fertilizer extractions, as well as a continuous, sink-based P extraction (iron bag) method. We also performed Olsen, CAL and diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) tests on fertilized soil. Standard extractions correlated only weakly, whereas the iron bag method correlated highly (0.73

Use of antipsychotics increases the risk of fracture: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Our systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies indicated that the use of antipsychotics was associated with a nearly 1.5-fold increase in the risk of fracture. First-generation antipsychotics (FGAs) appeared to carry a higher risk of fracture than second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs). INTRODUCTION: The risk of fractures associated with the use of antipsychotic medications has inconsistent evidence between different drug classes. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate whether there is an association between the use of antipsychotic drugs and fractures. METHODS: Searches were conducted through the PubMed and EMBASE databases to identify observational studies that had reported a quantitative estimate of the association between use of antipsychotics and fractures. The summary risk was derived from random effects meta-analysis. RESULTS: The search yielded 19 observational studies (n = 544,811 participants) with 80,835 fracture cases. Compared with nonuse, use of FGAs was associated with a significantly higher risk for hip fractures (OR 1.67, 95% CI, 1.45-1.93), and use of second generation antipsychotics (SGAs) was associated with an attenuated but still significant risk for hip fractures (OR 1.33, 95% CI, 1.11-1.58). The risk of fractures associated with individual classes of antipsychotic users was heterogeneous, and odds ratios ranged from 1.24 to 2.01. Chlorpromazine was associated with the highest risk (OR 2.01, 95% CI 1.43-2.83), while Risperidone was associated with the lowest risk of fracture (OR 1.24, 95% CI 0.95-1.83). CONCLUSIONS: FGA users were at a higher risk of hip fracture than SGA users. Both FGAs and SGAs were associated with an increased risk of fractures, especially among the older population. Therefore, the benefit of the off-label use of antipsychotics in elderly patients should be weighed against any risks for fracture.

The First Experience of Ex-Vivo Lung Perfusion (EVLP) in Iran: An Effective Method to Increase Suitable Lung for Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Although lung transplantation is a well-accepted treatment for end-stage lung diseases patients, only 15%-20% of the brain-dead donors' lungs are usable for transplantation. This results in high mortality of candidates on waiting lists. Ex-vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) is a novel method for better evaluation of a potential lung for transplantation. OBJECTIVE: To report the first experience of EVLP in Iran. METHODS: The study included a pig in Vienna Medical University, Vienna, Austria, and 4 humans in Masih Daneshvari Hospital, Tehran, Iran. All brain-dead donors from 2013 to 2015 in Tehran were evaluated for EVLP. Donors without signs of severe chest trauma or pneumonia, with poor oxygenation were included. RESULTS: An increasing trend in difference between the pulmonary arterial pO2 and left atrial pO2, an increasing pattern in dynamic lung compliance, and a decreasing trend in the pulmonary vascular resistance, were observed. CONCLUSION: The initial experience of EVLP in Iran was successful in terms of important/critical parameters. The results emphasize on some important considerations such as precisely following standard lung harvesting and monitoring temperature and pressure. EVLP technique may not be a cost-effective option for low-income countries at first glance. However, because this is the only therapeutic treatment for end-stage lung disease, it is advisable to continue working on this method to find alternatives with lesser costs.

The relationship between transcript expression levels of nuclear encoded (TFAM, NRF1) and mitochondrial encoded (MT-CO1) genes in single human oocytes during oocyte maturation.

In some cases of infertility in women, human oocytes fail to mature when they reach the metaphase II (MII) stage. Mitochondria plays an important role in oocyte maturation. A large number of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), copied in oocytes, is essential for providing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) during oocyte maturation. The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between transcript expression levels of the mitochondrial encoded gene (MT-CO1) and two nuclear encoded genes, nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1) and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) in various stages of human oocyte maturation. Nine consenting patients, age 21-35 years old, with male factors were selected for ovarian stimulation and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) procedures. mRNA levels of mitochondrial-related genes were performed by singlecell TaqMan® quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). There was no significant relationship between the relative expression levels in germinal vesicle (GV) stage oocytes (p = 0.62). On the contrary, a significant relationship was seen between the relative expression levels of TFAM and NRF1 and the MT-CO1 genes at the stages of metaphase I (MI) and MII (p = 0.03 and p = 0.002). A relationship exists between the transcript expression levels of TFAM and NRF1, and MT-CO1 genes in various stages of human oocyte maturation.

Molecular profiling reveals prognostically significant subtypes of canine lymphoma.

We performed genomewide gene expression analysis of 35 samples representing 6 common histologic subtypes of canine lymphoma and bioinformatics analyses to define their molecular characteristics. Three major groups were defined on the basis of gene expression profiles: (1) low-grade T-cell lymphoma, composed entirely by T-zone lymphoma; (2) high-grade T-cell lymphoma, consisting of lymphoblastic T-cell lymphoma and peripheral T-cell lymphoma not otherwise specified; and (3) B-cell lymphoma, consisting of marginal B-cell lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and Burkitt lymphoma. Interspecies comparative analyses of gene expression profiles also showed that marginal B-cell lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in dogs and humans might represent a continuum of disease with similar drivers. The classification of these diverse tumors into 3 subgroups was prognostically significant, as the groups were directly correlated with event-free survival. Finally, we developed a benchtop diagnostic test based on expression of 4 genes that can robustly classify canine lymphomas into one of these 3 subgroups, enabling a direct clinical application for our results.

Hybrid dispersion laser scanner.

Laser scanning technology is one of the most integral parts of today's scientific research, manufacturing, defense, and biomedicine. In many applications, high-speed scanning capability is essential for scanning a large area in a short time and multi-dimensional sensing of moving objects and dynamical processes with fine temporal resolution. Unfortunately, conventional laser scanners are often too slow, resulting in limited precision and utility. Here we present a new type of laser scanner that offers ∼1,000 times higher scan rates than conventional state-of-the-art scanners. This method employs spatial dispersion of temporally stretched broadband optical pulses onto the target, enabling inertia-free laser scans at unprecedented scan rates of nearly 100 MHz at 800 nm. To show our scanner's broad utility, we use it to demonstrate unique and previously difficult-to-achieve capabilities in imaging, surface vibrometry, and flow cytometry at a record 2D raster scan rate of more than 100 kHz with 27,000 resolvable points.

3D calculation of absorbed dose for 131I-targeted radiotherapy: a Monte Carlo study.

Various methods, such as those developed by the Medical Internal Radiation Dosimetry (MIRD) Committee of the Society of Nuclear Medicine or employing dose point kernels, have been applied to the radiation dosimetry of (131)I radionuclide therapy. However, studies have not shown a strong relationship between tumour absorbed dose and its overall therapeutic response, probably due in part to inaccuracies in activity and dose estimation. In the current study, the GATE Monte Carlo computer code was used to facilitate voxel-level radiation dosimetry for organ activities measured in an (131)I-treated thyroid cancer patient. This approach allows incorporation of the size, shape and composition of organs (in the current study, in the Zubal anthropomorphic phantom) and intra-organ and intra-tumour inhomogeneities in the activity distributions. The total activities of the tumours and their heterogeneous distributions were measured from the SPECT images to calculate the dose maps. For investigating the effect of activity distribution on dose distribution, a hypothetical homogeneous distribution of the same total activity was considered in the tumours. It was observed that the tumour mean absorbed dose rates per unit cumulated activity were 0.65E-5 and 0.61E-5 mGY MBq(-1) s(-1) for the uniform and non-uniform distributions in the tumour, respectively, which do not differ considerably. However, the dose-volume histograms (DVH) show that the tumour non-uniform activity distribution decreases the absorbed dose to portions of the tumour volume. In such a case, it can be misleading to quote the mean or maximum absorbed dose, because overall response is likely limited by the tumour volume that receives low (i.e. non-cytocidal) doses. Three-dimensional radiation dosimetry, and calculation of tumour DVHs, may lead to the derivation of clinically reliable dose-response relationships and therefore may ultimately improve treatment planning as well as response assessment for radionuclide therapy.

Complications and the effect of varicocelectomy on semen analysis, fertility, early ejaculation and spontaneous abortion.

Varicocele is still an enigma. Its effects on semen analysis, fertility and, more recently, early ejaculation and spontaneous abortion in spouses are not yet fully understood. In this retrospective study, we evaluated these four parameters (semen analysis, fertility, early ejaculation and spontaneous abortion among spouses) in relation to varicocele and varicocelectomy during a 13-year period. A total of 1,711 patients with varicocele underwent varicocelectomy by high inguinal method (251 cases), subinguinal method (1,375 cases), scrotal method (34 cases), and subinguinal method with local anesthesia (38 cases). Our complication rate was acceptable. Sperm count, motility and morphology increased three months post operation in 55, 51, and 46%, respectively (P value 0.000, 0.000, and 0.015, respectively). Paternity was 56% after one year of post varicocelectomy follow-up. Only 7 out of 82 azoospermic men had sperm in their semen after varicocelectomy and only one of them with mild spermatogenic hypoplasia became a father. The spontaneous abortion rate in the spouses of respondents was 59%. Early ejaculation improved in 75% of the respondents. In conclusion, varicocelectomy does not improve sperm parameters in all men, but it improves pregnancy rate, early ejaculation, and scrotal pain.

Rapid dissection of a complex phenotype through genomic-scale mapping of fitness altering genes.

The understanding and engineering of complex phenotypes is a critical issue in biotechnology. Conventional approaches for engineering such phenotypes are often resource intensive, marginally effective, and unable to generate the level of biological understanding desired. Here, we report a new approach for rapidly dissecting a complex phenotype that is based upon the combination of genome-scale growth phenotype data, precisely targeted growth selections, and informatic strategies for abstracting and summarizing data onto coherent biological processes. We measured at high resolution (125 NT) and for the entire genome the effect of increased gene copy number on overall biological fitness corresponding to the expression of a complex phenotype (tolerance to 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) in Escherichia coli). Genetic level fitness data were then mapped according to various definitions of gene-gene interaction in order to generate network-level fitness data. When metabolic pathways were used to define interactions, we observed that genes within the chorismate and threonine super-pathways were disproportionately enriched throughout selections for 3-HP tolerance. Biochemical and genetic studies demonstrated that alleviation of inhibition of either of these super-pathways was sufficient to mitigate 3-HP toxicity. These data enabled the design of combinatorial modifications that almost completely offset 3-HP toxicity in minimal medium resulting in a 20 g/L and 25-fold increase in tolerance and specific growth, respectively.

Probabilities for separating sets of order statistics.

Consider a set of order statistics that arise from sorting samples from two different populations, each with their own, possibly different distribution functions. The probability that these order statistics fall in disjoint, ordered intervals and that of the smallest statistics, a certain number come from the first populations is given in terms of the two distribution functions. The result is applied to computing the joint probability of the number of rejections and the number of false rejections for the Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate procedure.