[Efficacy and safety of gilteritinib-based combination therapy bridging allo-HSCT in relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia patients with positive FLT3-ITD mutation].

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of gilteritinib (Gilt) -based combination therapy bridging allo-HSCT for FLT3-ITD(+) R/R AML. Additionally, it aims to assess the impact of Gilt maintenance therapy on the prognosis of patients after allo-HSCT. Methods: The clinical data of 26 patients with FLT3-ITD(+) R/R AML treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from August 2019 to January 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The analysis included an assessment of the composite complete remission rate (CRc), overall survival (OS) time, disease-free survival (DFS) time, and adverse events experienced by all enrolled patients. Results: A total of 26 patients with FLT3-ITD(+) R/R AML were enrolled, including 14 men and 12 women with a median age of 38 (18-65) years. A total of 18 cases were refractory, and eight cases were relapsed. The curative effect evaluation conducted between 14 and 21 days showed that the complete remission (CR) rate was 26.9% (7/26), the CR with hematology incomplete recovery was 57.7% (15/26), and the partial response (PR) rate was 7.7% (2/26). The CRc was 84.6% (22/26), and the minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity rate was 65.4%. The 12 month cumulative OS rate for all patients was 79.0%, and the 24 month cumulative OS rate was 72.0%. The median OS time was not determined. The median follow-up time was 16.0 months. Among the patients who responded to treatment, the 12 month cumulative DFS rate was 78.0%, and the 24 month cumulative DFS rate was 71.0%. The median DFS time was not determined. Patients who received allo-HSCT had a median OS time that was significantly longer than those who did not receive allo-HSCT (3.3 months, 95%CI 2.2-4.3 months, P=0.005). The median OS time of patients with or without Gilt maintenance therapy after allo-HSCT was not determined, but the OS time of patients with Gilt maintenance therapy after allo-HSCT treatment was longer than that of patients without Gilt maintenance therapy after allo-HSCT treatment (P=0.019). The FLT3-ITD mutation clearance rate in this study was 38.5%, and the median OS time of patients with FLT3-ITD mutation clearance was not determined but was significantly longer than the median OS of patients without FLT3-ITD mutation clearance (15.0 months; P=0.018). The most common grade 3 and above hematological adverse events of Gilt-based combination therapy included leukopenia (76.9%), neutropenia (76.9%), febrile neutropenia (61.5%), thrombocytopenia (69.2%), and anemia (57.7%). One patient developed differentiation syndrome during oral Gilt maintenance therapy after allo-HSCT treatment, but his condition improved after treatment. Conclusion: The Gilt-based combination therapy is highly effective in treating FLT3-ITD(+) R/R AML. It demonstrates a high CRc, MRD negativity rate, and rapid onset, leading to a significant improvement in patients' survival. Furthermore, the clearance rate of FLT3-ITD mutation is notably high. Additionally, implementing bridging allo-HSCT and Gilt maintenance therapy after allo-HSCT treatment has considerably enhances patients' survival. Closely monitoring and managing any adverse event that may occur during treatment are crucial.

[How do female mosquitoes determine the most suitable males for mating?]

More than 80% of the world's populations are at risk of vector-borne diseases, with mosquito-borne diseases as a significant global public health problem. Mosquito populations control is critical to interrupting the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases. This review summarizes the physical attributes, smell, vision, touch, and hearing of mosquitoes to unravel the preferences of female mosquitoes, and describes the mechanisms underlying the best male mating by female mosquitoes, so as to provide new insights into management of mosquito-borne diseases.

Water uptake patterns and rooting depths of Tamarix ramosissima in the coppice dunes of the Gurbantünggüt Desert, China: a stable isotope analysis.

Tamarix ramosissima has an important role in stabilizing sand dunes in desert ecosystems. Understanding the water use strategies of T. ramosissima is essential to understand its adaptations on coppice dunes. We utilized the stable isotopes δ2H and δ18O in soil water, groundwater, and xylem water to identify monthly differences in water sources. Additionally. we explored rooting depth using 2H2O as an artificial tracer. In May, T. ramosissima derived 75% of its water from shallow and middle soil layers. In July, it absorbed 90% water from middle and deep soil layers. In August and September, it acquired approximately 80% of its water from deep soil layers. The labelling using 2H as an artificial tracer indicated that the root system of T. ramosissima could reach depths >500 cm in the coppice dunes. 2H absorption was observed at depths of 100, 200, 300 and 400 cm. Soil water is the dominant water source for T. ramosissima in the coppice dunes because groundwater is at depths >30 m. The flexible water-use strategies of T. ramosissima enable it to effectively utilize different available water sources to adapt to the arid environment. These findings improve our understanding of water uptake patterns and drought adaptation strategies of T. ramosissima in the coppice dunes of desert ecosystems.

[A panel study on the association of organophosphate ester flame retardant exposure with thyroid function related hormones in healthy older adults].

Objective: To explore the impact of whole blood organophosphate esters (OPEs) flame retardant exposure on thyroid function-related hormones in healthy older adults. Methods: In this panel study, five repeated population-based epidemiological surveys and biological sample collection were conducted from September 2018 to January 2019, with 76 healthy older adults aged 60-69 years in the Dianliu Community of Jinan, Shandong Province. Information on the sociodemographic characteristics, diet, and health status of the respondents was systematically gathered through questionnaires and physical examinations. Fasting venous blood was collected to determine the levels of OPEs, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4). A linear mixed-effects model was used to analyze the impact of OPEs exposure on thyroid function-related hormones in healthy older adults. Results: Each of the 76 subjects participated in at least two follow-up visits, resulting in a total of 350 person visits. The age of the study participants was (65.07±2.76) years, with 38 participants of both sexes. A total of eight OPEs were included with a detection rate exceeding 50%, and the M (Q1, Q3) for ∑OPEs was 3.85 (2.33, 5.74) ng/ml, with alkyl-OPEs being the major type of OPEs with an M (Q1, Q3) of 1.27 (0.64, 2.50) ng/ml. The M (Q1, Q3) for TSH, T3, and T4 was 3.74 (2.55, 5.69) µIU/ml, 1.32 (1.10, 1.60) ng/ml, and 45.04 (36.96, 53.27) ng/ml, respectively. Linear mixed-effects model showed that TSH was significantly decreased by 9.93% (95%CI:-15.17%, -4.36%) and 11.14% (95%CI:-15.94%, -6.06%) in older adults for each quartile level increase in TnBP and TEHP exposures, respectively. Gender-stratified analysis indicated that TEHP exposure was negatively associated with TSH levels in male older adults, whereas a decrease in TSH levels among female older adults was associated with TnBP exposure. Conclusion: Exposure to whole blood OPEs is associated with decreased TSH levels among healthy older adults, with notable gender differences.

[Analysis of clinical and genetic characteristics of the severe liver disease phenotype in patients with hepatolenticular degeneration].

Objective: To investigate the clinical and genetic characteristics and predictive role of the severe liver disease phenotype in patients with hepatolenticular degeneration (HLD). Methods: Inpatients with HLD confirmed at Xinhua Hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from January 1989 to December 2022 were selected as the research subjects. Clinical classification was performed according to the affected organs. Patients with liver disease phenotypes were classified into the liver disease group and further divided into the severe liver disease group and the ordinary liver disease group. The clinical characteristics and genetic variations were compared in each group of patients. The predictive indicators of patients with severe liver disease were analyzed by multiple regression. Statistical analysis was performed using the t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, or χ(2) test according to different data. Results: Of the 159 HLD cases, 142 were in the liver disease group (34 in the severe liver disease group and 108 in the ordinary liver disease group), and 17 were in the encephalopathy group. The median age of onset was statistically significantly different between the liver disease group and the encephalopathy group [12.6 (7.0, 13.3) years versus 16.9 (11.0, 21.5) years, P<0.01]. 156 ATP7B gene mutation sites were found in 83 cases with genetic testing results, of which 54 cases carried the p.Arg778Leu gene mutation (allele frequency 46.2%). Compared with patients with other types of gene mutations (n=65), patients with homozygous p.Arg778Leu mutations (n=18) had lower blood ceruloplasmin and albumin levels, a higher prognostic index, Child-Pugh score, an international normalized ratio, and prothrombin time (P<0.05). Hemolytic anemia, corneal K-F ring, homozygous p.Arg778Leu mutation, and multiple laboratory indexes in the severe liver disease group were statistically significantly different from those in the ordinary liver disease group (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the predictive factors for severe liver disease were homozygous p.Arg778Leu mutation, total bilirubin, and bile acids (ORs=16.512, 1.022, 1.021, 95% CI: 1.204-226.425, 1.005-1.039, and 1.006-1.037, respectively, P<0.05). The drawn ROC curve demonstrated a cutoff value of 0.215 3, an AUC of 0.953 2, and sensitivity and specificity of 90.91% and 92.42%, respectively. Conclusion: Liver disease phenotypes are common in HLD patients and have an early onset. Total bilirubin, bile acids, and the homozygous p.Arg778Leu mutation of ATP7B is related to the severity of liver disease in HLD patients, which aids in predicting the occurrence and risk of severe liver disease.

[Unsupervised clustering analysis based on multidimensional features reveals distinct clinical characteristics and associated factors of different phenotypes in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyp].

Objective: To utilize routinely available clinical parameters to uncover the clinical features of different clusters in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyp (CRSwNP) through unsupervised clustering analysis. Methods: The clinical data from 155 CRSwNP patients undergoing nasal endoscopic surgery at Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from 2021 to 2023 were prospectively collected, including 112 males and 43 females, aged from 7 to 87 years. Unsupervised clustering analysis was conducted using various clinical parameters, including age, gender, smoking and drinking history, local eosinophil (EOS) and neutrophil (NEU) counts, comorbid allergic rhinitis (AR), comorbid asthma, recurrence status, serum-specific IgE, total IgE, cytokine levels, peripheral blood EOS count and percentage, Lund-Mackay CT score, the ratio of CT scores for the maxillary sinus and ethmoid sinus (E/M ratio), visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Lund-Kennedy endoscopic score, and other common clinical indicators to elucidate the clinical characteristics of each cluster. Statistical analysis was conducted using GraphPad Prism 9.5 software. Results: Hierarchical clustering analysis identified four main clusters (Cluster A1-A4), showcasing distinct characteristics such as mild nasal polyps with higher peripheral blood cytokines levels, nasal polyps accompanied by allergies and asthma, a subtype of nasal polyps with high recurrence rates dominated by neutrophils, and nasal polyps with high eosinophil levels. Further subset clustering revealed two clusters of mild polyps (Cluster B1-B2) featuring high cytokine expression and comorbid AR; and two clusters of severe polyps (Cluster B3-B4) presented with severe symptoms, high Lund-Mackay CT score, and high Lund-Kennedy endoscopic score. Variations between Cluster B3 and B4 included symptom complexity, the degree of eosinophil infiltration, and the probability of comorbid asthma. Further clustering analysis for eosinophilic nasal polyps revealed a cluster characterized by highly neutrophilic infiltration and recurrent nasal polyps. The comprehensive analysis of multi-index correlations demonstrated valuable insights into the relationships between common clinical parameters of nasal polyps, providing valuable information for a deeper understanding of the pathogenesis of CRSwNP. Conclusion: The clustering analysis in this study categorizes CRSwNP patients into different clusters based on clinical features and disease outcomes, providing a new perspective for more precise clinical treatment strategies.

[Comparison of quantitative detection of BCR::ABL1 p210 transcript levels: a multicenter study].

Objective: To assess the capability of seven reference medical laboratories to detect BCR::ABL1 p210 transcription levels and to compare the results among those laboratories. Methods: The interlaboratory comparison was carried out in two stages. The samples were prepared by the reference laboratory. The quantitative values of BCR::ABL1 p210 of the comparison samples covered 0.001%-0.01%, 0.01%-0.1%, 0.1%-1%, 1%-10% and>10% in each stage. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-PCR) and dPCR (digital PCR) were used to examine the samples. The conversion factor (CF) was calculated and validated for each laboratory. Results: In the RT-PCR comparison, one laboratory was failed to detect BCR::ABL1 p210 in fourteen samples at the first stage. The results of the other six laboratories were qualified with the bias <±1.2 folds (-0.133-0.338) and 95% limits of agreement within ±5 folds (upper limit 0.147-0.785, lower limit -0.770--0.109), and the corresponding CF values were calculated and validated. In the dPCR comparison, one laboratory did not report results at the second stage. The results of the other six laboratories were qualified with the bias <±1.2 folds (-0.026-0.267) and 95% limits of agreement within±5 folds (upper limit 0.084-0.991, lower limit -0.669--0.135), and the corresponding CF values were calculated and validated. The samples with BCR::ABL1 p210 quantitative values of 0.01%-0.1%, 0.1%-1%, 1%-10% and >10% could be detected by both RT-PCR and qPCR. When the quantitative value of BCR::ABL1 p210 was 0.001%-0.01%, the detection rate of dPCR was higher than that of RT-PCR (85.56% vs. 68.00%). Conclusions: A good consistency is present among various laboratories. The quantitative value of BCR::ABL1 p210 is comparable among laboratories as shown by the CF value conversion. For quantitative detection of BCR::ABL1 p210 deep molecular reaction, dPCR has a higher positive detection rate and more advantages than RT-PCR. To ensure the accuracy and reproducibility of the BCR::ABL1 p210 test, it is imperative for every laboratory to enhance their daily quality control practices.

[High expression of the stemness-associated molecule Nanog in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissues promotes tumor invasion and metastasis by activating the TGF-ß signaling pathway].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of Nanog and its regulatory relationship with MMP-2/MMP-9 proteins in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). METHODS: We detected Nanog and MMP-2/MMP-9 protein expressions in 127 ESCC tissues and 82 adjacent normal tissues using immunohistochemistry and explored their correlations with the clinicopathological parameters and prognosis of the patients. GEO database was utilized to analyze the pathways enriched with the stemness-related molecules including Nanog, and TIMER online tool was used to analyze the correlations among TßR1, MMP-2, and MMP-9 in esophageal cancer. RESULTS: Nanog and MMP-2/MMP-9 proteins were significantly upregulated in ESCC tissues and positively intercorrelated. Their expression levels were closely correlated with infiltration depth and lymph node metastasis of ESCC but not with age, gender, or tumor differentiation. The patients with high expressions of Nanog and MMP-2/MMP-9 had significantly shorter survival time. Bioinformatics analysis showed enrichment of stemness-associated molecules in the TGF-ß signaling pathway, and the expressions of MMP-2/MMP-9 and TßR1 were positively correlated. In cultured ESCC cells, Nanog knockdown significantly decreased the expression of TßR1, p-Smad2/3, MMP-2, and MMP-9 and strongly inhibited cell migration. CONCLUSION: The high expressions of Nanog, MMP-2, and MMP-9, which are positively correlated, are closely related with invasion depth, lymph node metastasis, and prognosis of ESCC. Nanog regulates the expressions of MMP-2/MMP-9 proteins through the TGF-ß signaling pathway, and its high expression promotes migration of ESCC cells.

[Primary mucinous gland lesions of fallopian tube: a clinicopathological analysis of fourteen cases].

Objective: To investigate the clinical and pathological characteristics of primary mucinous gland lesions of the fallopian tubes. Methods: The clinical data, pathomorphological characteristics and immunophenotype of 14 cases of primary mucinous gland lesions of the fallopian tube diagnosed at Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University from 2015 to 2023 were analyzed retrospectively. In addition, a comprehensive review of relevant literature was conducted. Results: The age of 14 patients ranged from 53 to 83 years, with an average of 65 years. Among them, 13 cases exhibited unilateral involvement while one case showed bilateral presentation. Nine cases were mucinous metaplasia of the fallopian tube, four cases were invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma and one case was mucinous carcinoma in situ. Morphologically, mucinous metaplasia of the fallopian tube was focal, with or without inflammation. The cells of mucinous adenocarcinoma or mucinous carcinoma in situ exhibited characteristics indicative of gastrointestinal differentiation. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed diffuse positive expression of CK7, and negative expression of SATB2. CDX2 demonstrated positive staining in two cases. One case exhibited diffuse and strongly positive mutant expression of p53, whereas the remaining cases displayed wild-type expression. MUC6 showed diffuse or focally positive staining in mucinous gland lesions characterized by gastric differentiation. Some cases of mucinous adenocarcinoma of fallopian tube were subject to AB-PAS staining, resulting in red to purple cytoplasmic staining. Conclusions: Primary mucinous lesions of the fallopian tube are exceedingly uncommon. All cases of mucinous adenocarcinoma of fallopian tubes in this study exhibit the morphology and immunohistochemical characteristics of gastrointestinal differentiation. Mucinous metaplasia of the fallopian tube is a benign lesion of incidental finding, which is closely related to inflammation or gastric differentiation. Mucinous lesions of cervix, ovary and digestive tract are excluded in all patients, confirming the independent existence of mucinous lesions within fallopian tubes.

[Epidemiological investigation and risk factors of diabetic retinopathy in Yunnan Province].

To investigate the prevalence and epidemiological characteristics of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in Yunnan Province, explore its risk factors, and provide a basis for the prevention and treatment of chronic complications of diabetes mellitus (DM). This is a large cross-sectional study, in all, 1 524 DM patients in 16 communities and villages of Yunnan Province who were registered in health service centers were included in this study from August to November 2019. All patients completed a uniform questionnaire, anthropometric measurements, biochemical measurements, and auxiliary examinations. Logistic regression analysis was used to screen the risk factors of DR. The prevalence rates of DR, mild non-proliferative DR (mild-NPDR), and referable DR (RDR) were 16.0% (244/1 524), 4.5% (69/1 524), and 11.5% (175/1 524), respectively. Glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)≥7.0% was the risk factor of mild-NPDR (OR=1.872, 95%CI 1.055-3.323) and RDR (OR=4.821, 95%CI 2.917-7.969). Blood pressure≥130/80 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) was the risk factor of mild-NPDR (OR=1.933, 95%CI 1.112-3.358) and RDR (OR=1.505, 95%CI 1.063-2.130). In Yunnan Province, 16.0% DM patients had accompanying DR, wherein about 71.7% of them required an ophthalmology referral, and the high incidence of RDR in DM patients was associated with poor control of blood glucose and blood pressure.

[To determine the value of iMAX, a new electrodiagnostic method, and its application in the evaluation of peripheral motor nerve excitability].

Objective: To test the new method of iMAX (the minimum stimulus current that elicits the maximum compound muscle action potential amplitude) electrodiagnosis, verify the feasibility of this method in evaluating the excitability of peripheral motor axons, and preliminarily explore the clinical application value. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study. A total of 50 healthy subjects were recruited from the outpatient department of Peking University Third Hospital from June 2022 to March 2023, including 25 males and 25 females, aged 25-68 (48±8) years. Eleven patients with Charcot-Marie-Pain-1A (CMT1A), 7 males and 4 females, aged 19-55 (41±13) years and 21 patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), 10 males and 11 females, aged 28-79 (53±16) years were enrolled in this study. iMAX of bilateral median nerves, ulnar nerves and peroneal nerves were detected in all patients. Repeatable motor responses with minimum motor threshold and amplitude of at least 0.1 mV and the minimum stimulus current intensity, at which the maximum compound muscle action potential amplitude is elicited, were measured respectively [1 mA increment is called (iUP) and, 0.1 mA adjustment is called (iMAX)].Comparison of the parameters: the parameters of threshold, iUP and iMAX were compared among different age groups, genders and sides, body mass index(BMI) values and detection time , as well as between CMT1A patients, DPN patients and healthy subjects. Results: In healthy subjects, the threshold, iUP value and iMAX value were (1.8±0.7) mA, (4.4±1.2) mA, and (4.2±1.3) mA respectively; ulnar nerve (3.1±1.6) mA, (6.8±3.2) mA, (6.4±3.2) mA; peroneal nerve (3.7±2.0) mA, (7.8±2.8) mA, (7.4±2.9) mA. There were statistically significant differences in threshold, iUP value and iMAX value among different age groups (all P<0.001).With the increase of age, there was a trend of increasing threshold, iUP, and iMAX values in different nerves, and the differences are statistically significant (all P<0.001). There were no significant differences in gender, side and detection time threshold, iUP value and iMAX value (all P>0.05). The parameters of healthy subjects with high BMI value were higher than those of healthy subjects with low BMI value(all P<0.05). Compared with the healthy subjects, the parameters of 11 CMT1A patients were significantly increased (all P<0.05), and the parameters of 21 DPN patients were slightly increased (P<0.05). Conclusion: The new iMAX method reflects the excitability of motor axons and early axonal dysfunction, which is an important supplement to the traditional nerve conduction, and can be used to monitor motor axon excitability disorders.

[Standardized diagnosis and treatment of colorectal polyps].

This article explores the standardized management of colorectal polyps, including classification, treatment, follow-up, and preventive control. Corresponding treatment strategies, including endoscopic resection and surgical intervention, are employed for different types of polyps. Currently, there is debate over whether to choose endoscopic resection or surgical intervention for malignant polyps at pT1 stage. Drawing on the latest literature and guidelines, the article elaborates on polyp classification, treatment modalities, follow-up, and preventive measures. Standardized management of colorectal polyps is important for reducing the incidence of colorectal cancer and improving the cure rate of early-stage colorectal cancer.

Fully neuromorphic vision and control for autonomous drone flight.

Biological sensing and processing is asynchronous and sparse, leading to low-latency and energy-efficient perception and action. In robotics, neuromorphic hardware for event-based vision and spiking neural networks promises to exhibit similar characteristics. However, robotic implementations have been limited to basic tasks with low-dimensional sensory inputs and motor actions because of the restricted network size in current embedded neuromorphic processors and the difficulties of training spiking neural networks. Here, we present a fully neuromorphic vision-to-control pipeline for controlling a flying drone. Specifically, we trained a spiking neural network that accepts raw event-based camera data and outputs low-level control actions for performing autonomous vision-based flight. The vision part of the network, consisting of five layers and 28,800 neurons, maps incoming raw events to ego-motion estimates and was trained with self-supervised learning on real event data. The control part consists of a single decoding layer and was learned with an evolutionary algorithm in a drone simulator. Robotic experiments show a successful sim-to-real transfer of the fully learned neuromorphic pipeline. The drone could accurately control its ego-motion, allowing for hovering, landing, and maneuvering sideways-even while yawing at the same time. The neuromorphic pipeline runs on board on Intel's Loihi neuromorphic processor with an execution frequency of 200 hertz, consuming 0.94 watt of idle power and a mere additional 7 to 12 milliwatts when running the network. These results illustrate the potential of neuromorphic sensing and processing for enabling insect-sized intelligent robots.

[Association between sleep status in the first trimester and preterm birth].

Objective: To investigate the relationship between sleep status in the first trimester and preterm birth. Methods: Clinical data of pregnant women who received regular prenatal examination and delivered in Peking University Third Hospital from September 1, 2019 to June 10, 2020 were collected. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) was used to investigate their sleep status during 8-12 weeks of gestation, and the delivery outcomes were followed up. According to the gestational age at delivery and the cause of preterm birth, they were divided into full-term delivery group (204 cases), preterm birth group (13 cases) and spontaneous preterm birth group (9 cases). The correlation between the sleep status in the first trimester and preterm birth or spontaneous preterm birth was analyzed. Results: The median PSQI score of full-term delivery group was 4.0 points (3.0, 6.0 points), which was lower than those of preterm delivery group [6.0 points (4.0, 8.0 points)] and spontaneous preterm delivery group [7.0 points (4.0, 8.0 points)], and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The proportion of pregnant women with poor sleep quality (PSQI score>7 points) in full-term delivery group [14.2% (29/204)] was lower than those in preterm delivery group (5/13) and spontaneous preterm delivery group (4/9), and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Compared with the full-term delivery group [8.0 hours (7.0, 9.0 hours)], the preterm birth group [7.0 hours (7.0, 8.0 hours)] and spontaneous preterm birth group [7.0 hours (7.0, 8.0 hours)] had significantly shorter sleep duration at night (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that PSQI score in the first trimester was an independent risk factor for preterm birth (aOR=1.22, 95%CI: 1.02-1.45; P=0.026). Pregnancy with assisted reproductive technology (aOR=5.55, 95%CI: 1.22-25.31; P=0.027), gestational diabetes mellitus (aOR=9.27, 95%CI: 1.96-43.82; P=0.005), PSQI score in the first trimester (aOR=1.27, 95%CI: 1.01-1.58; P=0.039) were independent risk factors for spontaneous preterm birth. Conclusion: Attention should be paid to the decreased sleep quality in the first trimester, which might significantly increase the risk of preterm birth and spontaneous preterm birth.

A site-resolved two-dimensional quantum simulator with hundreds of trapped ions.

A large qubit capacity and an individual readout capability are two crucial requirements for large-scale quantum computing and simulation1. As one of the leading physical platforms for quantum information processing, the ion trap has achieved a quantum simulation of tens of ions with site-resolved readout in a one-dimensional Paul trap2-4 and of hundreds of ions with global observables in a two-dimensional (2D) Penning trap5,6. However, integrating these two features into a single system is still very challenging. Here we report the stable trapping of 512 ions in a 2D Wigner crystal and the sideband cooling of their transverse motion. We demonstrate the quantum simulation of long-range quantum Ising models with tunable coupling strengths and patterns, with or without frustration, using 300 ions. Enabled by the site resolution in the single-shot measurement, we observe rich spatial correlation patterns in the quasi-adiabatically prepared ground states, which allows us to verify quantum simulation results by comparing the measured two-spin correlations with the calculated collective phonon modes and with classical simulated annealing. We further probe the quench dynamics of the Ising model in a transverse field to demonstrate quantum sampling tasks. Our work paves the way for simulating classically intractable quantum dynamics and for running noisy intermediate-scale quantum algorithms7,8 using 2D ion trap quantum simulators.

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for detecting acute myocardial injury of fulminant myocarditis survivors after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment in adults.

AIMS: To detect the acute myocardial injury in fulminant myocarditis (FM) survivors after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and to demonstrate its significant differences from non-FM patients by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled 59 patients with acute myocarditis (AM), including 35 non-FM patients, 24 FM patients, and 54 controls. The peak value of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) was recorded. Tissue parameters, including native T1, extracellular volume (ECV), late gadolinium-enhancement (LGE)%, and T2 by CMR were assessed. RESULTS: The mean age was 35 ± 14 years, and 45.8% of the population were males in the AM group. Patients had higher levels of peak cTnT, peak NT-proBNP and peak C-reactive protein in the FM group (all p<0.05). Comparing with non-FM, the values of T1-based imaging parameters were significantly higher in the FM group (all p<0.05). In contrast, no difference was observed among the two groups in terms of T2 value (p=0.707). The septal area was more frequently involved in FM survivors after ECMO treatment, both in T1 and T2-based images. In addition, the cubic relationship was the relative best fit of LGE% against logcTnT and indicated that cTnT value exceeding 300ng/L exhibited a rapid upward trend of LGE%. CONCLUSION: Comparing to non-FM, higher myocardial necrosis and fibrosis but similar edema determined by T1 and T2 based imaging was found in FM survivors after ECMO treatment. Furthermore, the inter-ventricular septal area was more frequently involved by acute myocardial injury in FM survivors after ECMO treatment. In addition, LGE% showed an overall increasing trend with cTnT values elevating with rapidly increasing with cTnT exceeding 300 ng/L.

[Levels of Galectin-7 in serum and sputum in children with asthma].

Objective: To observe the expression of Galectin-7 in the serum and sputum of asthmatic children and to explore its significance in asthmatic children. Methods: The study prospectively case-control selected 183 children diagnosed with bronchial asthma at Department Ⅱ of Respiratory Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, Beijing Children's Hospital of Capital Medical University. The control group consisted of 41 children with other bronchial diseases and 43 healthy children. Children in the asthma group were divided into acute and non-acute exacerbation groups. Acute exacerbation group was divided as mild acute, moderate acute and severe acute groups; non-acute exacerbation group was divided as mild persistent, moderate persistent and severe persistent groups. Children without acute exacerbation asthma in the asthma group were divided into high and low Galectin-7 groups based on median serum Galectin-7 levels. Serum and sputum were collected, Galectin-7 levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The study compared and analyzed the differences in Galectin-7 levels between children with asthma and the control groups using Mann-Whitney U test or the Kruskal-Wallis or the Chi-square test for inter-group comparisons. Results: Among 183 children, 61 cases had acute asthma exacerbation, and 122 cases had persistent asthma without acute exacerbation. The asthma group comprised 110 males and 73 females. The control group consisted of 41 children with other bronchial diseases, including 24 cases of bronchiectasis and 17 cases of obliterans bronchitis. The control group comprised 26 males and 15 females. Forty-three healthy children who underwent physical examination, including 22 males and 21 females. The levels of Galectin-7 in serum were significantly higher in children with an acute asthma exacerbation than that of healthy children (0.1 (0, 0.7) vs. 0 (0, 0.2) µg/L, Z=2.09, P=0.001). Galectin-7 levels in sputum were higher in children with an acute asthma exacerbation than that in children with other bronchial diseases (1.2 (0.1,3.7) vs. 0.4 (0.1, 1.5) µg/L, Z=2.20, P<0.001). Serum Galectin-7 levels were significantly higher in children with persistent asthma compared to children with other bronchial diseases and healthy children (0.6 (0.3, 1.2) vs. 0.1 (0, 0.5) and 0 (0, 0.2) µg/L, Z=-6.12,-7.63, both P<0.001), and the levels were significantly and positively correlated with asthma severity (r=0.77, P<0.001), disease duration (r=0.34, P=0.001), and number of previous attacks (r=0.51, P<0.001). There were 61 children in the high-Galectin-7 group and 61 children in the low-Galectin-7 group. Children with high Galectin-7 had more asthma triggers, a greater proportion with a positive family history, more previous asthma attacks, longer duration of asthma, and higher serum total IgE levels compared to those with low Galectin-7 (χ2=9.30, 22.46, Z=5.06, 3.57, 2.31, all P<0.05). Conclusion: The expression of Galectin-7 is found to be elevated in the serum and sputum of asthmatic children and correlated with asthma conditions.

Emerging trends of invasive yeast infections and azole resistance in Beijing intensive care units.

BACKGROUND: Invasive fungal infections pose a substantial threat to patients in healthcare settings globally. Recent changes in the prevalence of fungal species and challenges in conducting reference antifungal susceptibility testing emphasize the importance of monitoring fungi and their antifungal resistance. METHODS: A two-phase surveillance project was conducted in Beijing, China, involving 37 centres across 12 districts, from January 2012 to December 2013 and from January 2016 to December 2017. FINDINGS: We found that the proportion of Candida albicans in intensive care units (ICUs) during 2016-2017 exhibited a significant decline compared with the 2012-2013 period, although it remained the most predominant pathogen. In contrast, the prevalence of Nakaseomyces glabratus (formerly Candida glabrata) and Candida tropicalis notably increased during the two-phase surveillance. The high prevalence of C. tropicalis and its resistance to azole drugs posed a serious threat to patients in ICUs. The pathogens causing invasive fungal infections in Beijing were relatively sensitive to echinocandins. While C. albicans continued to exhibit susceptibility to azoles, the resistance and growth rates of C. tropicalis towards azoles were particularly prominent. Concerns were raised due to the emergence of multiple, short-term isolates of Clavispora lusitaniae and Candida parapsilosis complex in neonatal ICUs, given their similarity in antifungal susceptibilities. Such occurrences point towards the potential for transmission and persisting presence of these pathogens within the ICU environment. CONCLUSIONS: Our study complements existing data on the epidemiology of invasive fungal infections. It is imperative to exercise cautious medication management for ICU patients in Beijing, paying particular attention to azole resistance in C. tropicalis.