Showing papers by "Fu Jen Catholic University published in 2020"

Asymptomatic carrier state, acute respiratory disease, and pneumonia due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2): Facts and myths.

Abstract: Since the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (formerly known as the 2019 novel coronavirus [2019-nCoV]) in Wuhan, China in December 2019, which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), more than 75,000 cases have been reported in 32 countries/regions, resulting in more than 2000 deaths worldwide. Despite the fact that most COVID-19 cases and mortalities were reported in China, the WHO has declared this outbreak as the sixth public health emergency of international concern. The COVID-19 can present as an asymptomatic carrier state, acute respiratory disease, and pneumonia. Adults represent the population with the highest infection rate; however, neonates, children, and elderly patients can also be infected by SARS-CoV-2. In addition, nosocomial infection of hospitalized patients and healthcare workers, and viral transmission from asymptomatic carriers are possible. The most common finding on chest imaging among patients with pneumonia was ground-glass opacity with bilateral involvement. Severe cases are more likely to be older patients with underlying comorbidities compared to mild cases. Indeed, age and disease severity may be correlated with the outcomes of COVID-19. To date, effective treatment is lacking; however, clinical trials investigating the efficacy of several agents, including remdesivir and chloroquine, are underway in China. Currently, effective infection control intervention is the only way to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2.

Co-infections among patients with COVID-19: The need for combination therapy with non-anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents?

Abstract: Co-infection has been reported in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome, but there is limited knowledge on co-infection among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The prevalence of co-infection was variable among COVID-19 patients in different studies, however, it could be up to 50% among non-survivors. Co-pathogens included bacteria, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumonia, Legionella pneumophila and Acinetobacter baumannii; Candida species and Aspergillus flavus; and viruses such as influenza, coronavirus, rhinovirus/enterovirus, parainfluenza, metapneumovirus, influenza B virus, and human immunodeficiency virus. Influenza A was one of the most common co-infective viruses, which may have caused initial false-negative results of real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Laboratory and imaging findings alone cannot help distinguish co-infection from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Newly developed syndromic multiplex panels that incorporate SARS-CoV-2 may facilitate the early detection of co-infection among COVID-19 patients. By contrast, clinicians cannot rule out SARS-CoV-2 infection by ruling in other respiratory pathogens through old syndromic multiplex panels at this stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, clinicians must have a high index of suspicion for coinfection among COVID-19 patients. Clinicians can neither rule out other co-infections caused by respiratory pathogens by diagnosing SARS-CoV-2 infection nor rule out COVID-19 by detection of non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory pathogens. After recognizing the possible pathogens causing co-infection among COVID-19 patients, appropriate antimicrobial agents can be recommended.

Review of influenza-associated pulmonary aspergillosis in ICU patients and proposal for a case definition: an expert opinion.

Abstract: PURPOSE: Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis is increasingly reported in patients with influenza admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) Classification of patients with influenza-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (IAPA) using the current definitions for invasive fungal diseases has proven difficult, and our aim was to develop case definitions for IAPA that can facilitate clinical studies METHODS: A group of 29 international experts reviewed current insights into the epidemiology, diagnosis and management of IAPA and proposed a case definition of IAPA through a process of informal consensus RESULTS: Since IAPA may develop in a wide range of hosts, an entry criterion was proposed and not host factors The entry criterion was defined as a patient requiring ICU admission for respiratory distress with a positive influenza test temporally related to ICU admission In addition, proven IAPA required histological evidence of invasive septate hyphae and mycological evidence for Aspergillus Probable IAPA required the detection of galactomannan or positive Aspergillus culture in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) or serum with pulmonary infiltrates or a positive culture in upper respiratory samples with bronchoscopic evidence for tracheobronchitis or cavitating pulmonary infiltrates of recent onset The IAPA case definitions may be useful to classify patients with COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA), while awaiting further studies that provide more insight into the interaction between Aspergillus and the SARS-CoV-2-infected lung CONCLUSION: A consensus case definition of IAPA is proposed, which will facilitate research into the epidemiology, diagnosis and management of this emerging acute and severe Aspergillus disease, and may be of use to study CAPA

Erratum: The Belle II Physics Book (Progress of Theoretical and Experimental Physics (2019) 2019 (123C01) DOI: 10.1093/ptep/ptz106)

Abstract: In the original version of this manuscript, an error was introduced on pp352. '2.7nb:1.6nb' has been corrected to '2.4nb:1.3nb' in the current online and printed version. doi:10.1093/ptep/ptz106.

Proton-driven transformable nanovaccine for cancer immunotherapy

Abstract: Cancer vaccines hold great promise for improved cancer treatment. However, endosomal trapping and low immunogenicity of tumour antigens usually limit the efficiency of vaccination strategies. Here, we present a proton-driven nanotransformer-based vaccine, comprising a polymer–peptide conjugate-based nanotransformer and loaded antigenic peptide. The nanotransformer-based vaccine induces a strong immune response without substantial systemic toxicity. In the acidic endosomal environment, the nanotransformer-based vaccine undergoes a dramatic morphological change from nanospheres (about 100 nanometres in diameter) into nanosheets (several micrometres in length or width), which mechanically disrupts the endosomal membrane and directly delivers the antigenic peptide into the cytoplasm. The re-assembled nanosheets also boost tumour immunity via activation of specific inflammation pathways. The nanotransformer-based vaccine effectively inhibits tumour growth in the B16F10-OVA and human papilloma virus-E6/E7 tumour models in mice. Moreover, combining the nanotransformer-based vaccine with anti-PD-L1 antibodies results in over 83 days of survival and in about half of the mice produces complete tumour regression in the B16F10 model. This proton-driven transformable nanovaccine offers a robust and safe strategy for cancer immunotherapy. A shape-changing pH-responsive cancer vaccine delivers antigenic peptides directly to the cytoplasm and boosts the cellular immune response upon activation of the inflammasome pathway, efficiently inhibiting tumour growth and extending survival in animal tumour models.

Prediction of Number of Cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Using Social Media Search Index.

Abstract: Predicting the number of new suspected or confirmed cases of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is crucial in the prevention and control of the COVID-19 outbreak. Social media search indexes (SMSI) for dry cough, fever, chest distress, coronavirus, and pneumonia were collected from 31 December 2019 to 9 February 2020. The new suspected cases of COVID-19 data were collected from 20 January 2020 to 9 February 2020. We used the lagged series of SMSI to predict new suspected COVID-19 case numbers during this period. To avoid overfitting, five methods, namely subset selection, forward selection, lasso regression, ridge regression, and elastic net, were used to estimate coefficients. We selected the optimal method to predict new suspected COVID-19 case numbers from 20 January 2020 to 9 February 2020. We further validated the optimal method for new confirmed cases of COVID-19 from 31 December 2019 to 17 February 2020. The new suspected COVID-19 case numbers correlated significantly with the lagged series of SMSI. SMSI could be detected 6-9 days earlier than new suspected cases of COVID-19. The optimal method was the subset selection method, which had the lowest estimation error and a moderate number of predictors. The subset selection method also significantly correlated with the new confirmed COVID-19 cases after validation. SMSI findings on lag day 10 were significantly correlated with new confirmed COVID-19 cases. SMSI could be a significant predictor of the number of COVID-19 infections. SMSI could be an effective early predictor, which would enable governments' health departments to locate potential and high-risk outbreak areas.

Research Progress on Porous Carbon Supported Metal/Metal Oxide Nanomaterials for Supercapacitor Electrode Applications

Abstract: Recently, transition metal/metal oxides (TMMOs) decorated on porous carbons (PCs) have been intensively focused on designing rational electrode materials for the promising future specific category ...

Repositioning of the global epicentre of non-optimal cholesterol

Abstract: High blood cholesterol is typically considered a feature of wealthy western countries1,2. However, dietary and behavioural determinants of blood cholesterol are changing rapidly throughout the world3 and countries are using lipid-lowering medications at varying rates. These changes can have distinct effects on the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol, which have different effects on human health4,5. However, the trends of HDL and non-HDL cholesterol levels over time have not been previously reported in a global analysis. Here we pooled 1,127 population-based studies that measured blood lipids in 102.6 million individuals aged 18 years and older to estimate trends from 1980 to 2018 in mean total, non-HDL and HDL cholesterol levels for 200 countries. Globally, there was little change in total or non-HDL cholesterol from 1980 to 2018. This was a net effect of increases in low- and middle-income countries, especially in east and southeast Asia, and decreases in high-income western countries, especially those in northwestern Europe, and in central and eastern Europe. As a result, countries with the highest level of non-HDL cholesterol—which is a marker of cardiovascular risk—changed from those in western Europe such as Belgium, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Malta in 1980 to those in Asia and the Pacific, such as Tokelau, Malaysia, The Philippines and Thailand. In 2017, high non-HDL cholesterol was responsible for an estimated 3.9 million (95% credible interval 3.7 million–4.2 million) worldwide deaths, half of which occurred in east, southeast and south Asia. The global repositioning of lipid-related risk, with non-optimal cholesterol shifting from a distinct feature of high-income countries in northwestern Europe, north America and Australasia to one that affects countries in east and southeast Asia and Oceania should motivate the use of population-based policies and personal interventions to improve nutrition and enhance access to treatment throughout the world.

Ethical work climate, organizational identification, leader-member-exchange (LMX) and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB): A study of three star hotels in Taiwan

Abstract: This paper aims to propose and test a moderated mediation model examining the relationships among ethical work climate, organizational identification, leader-member-exchange (LMX) and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB).,Numerous regression analyses were performed using PROCESS (version 2.13), a macro for SPSS developed by Hayes (2017) to test this moderated mediation model.,The analytical results showed that organizational identification mediates the positive relationship between an ethical work climate and OCB. The analytical results also showed that LMX moderates the direct effect of ethical work climate on organizational identification and that LMX also moderates the indirect effect of ethical work climate on OCB via organizational identification.,This study provides numerous valuable implications for hotels to develop effective strategies to promote employees’ OCB and improve their organizational identification.,This study was the first attempt to propose and test a moderated mediation model that explores the relationships among ethical work climate, organizational identification, leader-member-exchange (LMX) and OCB.

Probing Interactions between Metal-Organic Frameworks and Freestanding Enzymes in a Hollow Structure.

Abstract: It has been reported that the biological functions of enzymes could be altered when they are encapsulated in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) due to the interactions between them. Herein, we probed the interactions of catalase in solid and hollow ZIF-8 microcrystals. The solid sample with confined catalase is prepared through a reported method, and the hollow sample is generated by hollowing the MOF crystals, sealing freestanding enzymes in the central cavities of hollow ZIF-8. During the hollowing process, the samples were monitored by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) spectroscopy, electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and nitrogen sorption. The interfacial interactions of the two samples were studied by infrared (IR) and fluorescence spectroscopy. IR study shows that freestanding catalase has less chemical interaction with ZIF-8 than confined catalase, and a fluorescence study indicates that the freestanding catalase has lower structural confinement. We have then carried out the hydrogen peroxide degradation activities of catalase at different stages and revealed that the freestanding catalase in hollow ZIF-8 has higher activity.

Multi-objective genetic algorithm for energy-efficient hybrid flow shop scheduling with lot streaming

Abstract: Hybrid flow shop scheduling problems are encountered in many real-world manufacturing operations such as computer assembly, TFT-LCD module assembly, and solar cell manufacturing. Most research considers the scheduling problem in regard to time requirements and the steps needed to improve production efficiency. However, the increasing amount of carbon emissions worldwide is contributing to the worsening global warming problem. Many countries and international organizations have started to pay attention to this problem, even creating mechanisms to reduce carbon emissions. Furthermore, manufacturing enterprises are showing growing interest in realizing energy savings. Thus, the present research study focuses on reducing energy costs and completion time at the manufacturing-system level. This paper proposed a multi-objective mixed-integer programming for energy-efficient hybrid flow shop scheduling with lot streaming in order to minimize both the production makespan and electric power consumption. Due to a trade-off between these objectives and the computational complexity of the proposed multi-objective mixed-integer program, this study adopts the genetic algorithm (GA) to obtain approximate Pareto solutions more efficiently. In addition, a multi-objective energy efficiency scheduling algorithm is also developed to calculate the fitness values of each chromosome in GA.

Like Cures Like: Pharmacological Activity of Anti-Inflammatory Lipopolysaccharides From Gut Microbiome.

Abstract: Gut microbiome maintains local gut integrity and systemic host homeostasis, where optimal control of intestinal lipopolysaccharides (LPS) activity may play an important role. LPS mainly produced from gut microbiota are a group of lipid-polysaccharide chemical complexes existing in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. Traditionally, LPS mostly produced from Proteobacteria are well known for their ability in inducing strong inflammatory responses (proinflammatory LPS, abbreviated as P-LPS), leading to septic shock or even death in animals and humans. Although the basic structures and chemical properties of P-LPS derived from different bacterial species generally show similarity, subtle and differential immune activation activities are observed. On the other hand, frequently ignored, a group of LPS molecules mainly produced by certain microbiota bacteria such as Bacteroidetes show blunt or even antagonistic activity in initiating pro-inflammatory responses (anti-inflammatory LPS, abbreviated as A-LPS). In this review, besides the immune activation properties of P-LPS, we also focus on the description of anti-inflammatory effects of A-LPS, and their potential antagonistic mechanism. We address the possibility of using native or engineered A-LPS for immune modulation in prevention or even treatment of P-LPS induced chronic inflammation related diseases. Understanding the exquisite interactive relationship between structure-activity correlation of P- and A-LPS not only contributes to molecular understanding of immunomodulation and homeostasis, but also re-animates the development of novel LPS-based pharmacological strategy for prevention and therapy of chronic inflammation related diseases.

The mediating and buffering effect of academic self-efficacy on the relationship between smartphone addiction and academic procrastination

Abstract: To understand the relationship between smartphone addiction and academic procrastination and the mechanisms at work within this relationship, this study constructs a mediation model to examine the impact of college students' smartphone addiction on their academic procrastination and the mediation effect of academic self-efficacy. A total of 483 college students were surveyed using the Smartphone Addiction Scale—Short Version, College Academic Self-Efficacy Scale and Tuckman Academic Procrastination Scale. Correlation analysis showed that smartphone addiction was positively related to academic procrastination while being negatively related to academic self-efficacy. At the same time, academic self-efficacy and academic procrastination were negatively related. Further, mediation analysis using the PROCESS plugin in SPSS showed that smartphone addiction has a direct predictive effect on students’ academic procrastination and an indirect predictive effect via academic self-efficacy after controlling for age, gender, and academic year. Specifically, academic self-efficacy was found to be a partial mediator and play a buffering role between smartphone addiction and academic procrastination.

Update on cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome.

Abstract: Cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome (CHS) is a clinical syndrome following a revascularization procedure. In the past decade, neurointerventional surgery has become a standard procedure to treat stenotic or occluded cerebral vessels in both acute and chronic settings, as well as endovascular thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke. This review aims to summarize relevant recent studies regarding the epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of CHS as well as to highlight areas of uncertainty. Extracranial and intracranial cerebrovascular diseases in acute and chronic conditions are considered. The definition and diagnostic criteria of CHS are diverse. Although impaired cerebrovascular autoregulation plays a major role in the pathophysiology of CHS, the underlying mechanism is still not fully understood. Its clinical characteristics vary in different patients. The current findings on clinical and radiological presentation, pathophysiology, incidence, and risk factors are based predominantly on carotid angioplasty and stenting studies. Hemodynamic assessment using imaging modalities is the main form of diagnosis although the criteria are distinct, but it is helpful for patient selection before an elective revascularization procedure is conducted. After endovascular thrombectomy, a diagnosis of CHS is even more complex, and physicians should consider concomitant reperfusion injury. Management and preventative measures, including intensive blood pressure control before, during, and after revascularization procedures and staged angioplasty, are discussed in detail.

A Content Analysis of Computational Thinking Research: An International Publication Trends and Research Typology

Abstract: This paper aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of publication patterns on computational thinking (CT) over two recent periods (period I: 2006–2012; period II: 2013–2018). Based on keyword analysis, a total of 3798 (period I) and 7175 (period II) keywords were found. Derived from the content analysis, a research typology of two-period keywords was consolidated and framed according to its attributes, including background settings, domain-specific factors, and learning outcomes. Main findings show as follows: (1) Regarding the research background, students from secondary and higher education are the main participants; and computer science, mathematics, and engineering are the major subjects. (2) As the domain-specific factors, game and peer collaboration were found to be the main pedagogies, while web-based and face-to-face learning environments were almost equally referred to in CT research settings. However, compared with traditional command-based tools, Scratch, Lego, and Python were identified as the emerging visual-based programming languages. (3) Finally, the keywords related to learning outcomes were classified based on the Bloom’s framework of three learning domains. First, knowledge and mental understanding are the main goals in the cognitive domain; motivation and attitude are the main tasks in the affective domain; and social and communication skills are the central outcomes in the training of psychomotor ability. Further discussions and research directions are provided.

Anticancer effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate nanoemulsion on lung cancer cells through the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase signaling pathway

Abstract: Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a green tea-derived polyphenol, exhibits antitumor activities. An EGCG nanoemulsion (nano-EGCG) was prepared to improve the stability and reduce the side effects of EGCG for treatment of human lung cancer cells, and the antitumor effects were studied. The possible molecular mechanism underlying its antitumor effects on cultured human lung cancer cells was also elucidated. The antitumor effects of EGCG and nano-EGCG were determined using methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT), colony formation, migration, and invasion assays. In addition, changes in the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway were investigated using Western blot analyses. AMPK inhibitors were used to determine the roles of the AMPK signaling pathway involved in the molecular mechanism of the nano-EGCG. Our results showed that both EGCG and nano-EGCG inhibited the growth of H1299 lung cancer cells, with half-maximal inhibitory concentrations of 36.03 and 4.71 μM, respectively. Additionally, nano-EGCG effectively suppressed lung cancer cell colony formation, migration, and invasion in a dose-dependent manner. Nano-EGCG may inhibit lung cancer cell invasion through matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2- and MMP-9-independent mechanisms. Furthermore, the expression of several key regulatory proteins in the AMPK signaling pathway was modulated by nano-EGCG. Nano-EGCG may inhibit lung cancer cell proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion through the activation of AMPK signaling pathways. This novel mechanism of nano-EGCG suggests its application in lung cancer prevention and treatment. Our results provide an experimental foundation for further research on its potential activities and effects in vivo.

A Machine Learning Approach to Predict the Average Localization Error With Applications to Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract: Node localisation is one of the significant concerns in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). It is a process in which we estimate the coordinates of the unknown nodes using sensors with known coordinates called anchor nodes. Several bio-inspired algorithms have been proposed for accurate estimation of the unknown nodes. However, use of bio-inspired algorithms is a highly time-consuming process. Hence, finding optimal network parameters for node localisation during the network set-up process with the desired accuracy in a short time is still a challenging task. In this article, we have proposed an efficient way to evaluate the optimal network parameters that result in low Average Localisation Error (ALE) using a machine learning approach based on Support Vector Regression (SVR) model. We have proposed three methods (S-SVR, Z-SVR and R-SVR) based on feature standardisation for fast and accurate prediction of ALE. We have considered the anchor ratio, transmission range, node density and iterations as features for training and prediction of ALE. These feature values are extracted from the modified Cuckoo Search (CS) simulations. In doing so, we found that all the methods perform exceptionally well with method R-SVR outperforming the other two methods with a correlation coefficient (R = 0.82) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE = 0.147m).

Difference between pachychoroid and nonpachychoroid polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy and their response to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy.

Abstract: Purpose:Recent investigations have found a biphasic pattern of choroidal thickness within polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) patients. This study aims to investigate the relationship between choroidal thickness and the clinical features of PCV eyes.Method:We investigated the correlation between

Impact of cooking oil fume exposure and fume extractor use on lung cancer risk in non-smoking Han Chinese women.

Abstract: Smoking tobacco is the major risk factor for developing lung cancer. However, most Han Chinese women with lung cancer are nonsmokers. Chinese cooking methods usually generate various carcinogens in fumes that may inevitably be inhaled by those who cook the food, most of whom are female. We investigated the associations of cooking habits and exposure to cooking fumes with lung cancer among non-smoking Han Chinese women. This study was conducted on 1,302 lung cancer cases and 1,302 matched healthy controls in Taiwan during 2002-2010. Two indices, "cooking time-years" and "fume extractor use ratio," were developed. The former was used to explore the relationship between cumulative exposure to cooking oil fumes and lung cancer; the latter was used to assess the impact of fume extractor use for different ratio-of-use groups. Using logistic models, we found a dose-response association between cooking fume exposure and lung cancer (odds ratios of 1, 1.63, 1.67, 2.14, and 3.17 across increasing levels of cooking time-years). However, long-term use of a fume extractor in cooking can reduce the risk of lung cancer by about 50%. Furthermore, we provide evidence that cooking habits, involving cooking methods and oil use, are associated with risk of lung cancer.

The impact of corporate governance on corporate social performance: Cases from listed firms in Taiwan

Abstract: From the perspective of the agency problem, we explore how corporate governance affects corporate social performance (CSR performance) with a special focus on the role of inside and outside block shareholders. The empirical results from listed firms in Taiwan show that controlling owners having entrenched control, as manifested in CEO/chairman duality and family control, are less inclined to engage in CSR. Moreover, inside block shareholders (including large shareholders and directors) with higher shareholding are also less motivated to engage in CSR. By contrast, outside block holders, including foreign institutional shareholders and domestic institutional shareholders, enhance monitoring effectiveness and therefore encourage firms to engage in CSR. Furthermore, board independence is also positively correlated with CSR performance. Finally, CSR performance is positively correlated with firm's ROA.

Search for Axionlike Particles Produced in e^{+}e^{-} Collisions at Belle II.

Abstract: We present a search for the direct production of a light pseudoscalar a decaying into two photons with the Belle II detector at the SuperKEKB collider. We search for the process e+e-→γa, a→γγ in the mass range 0.2

The risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors versus dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors

Abstract: Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) reduces the risk of hard cardiovascular endpoints in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with/without established cardiovascular diseases. Whether SGLT2i is associated with a lower risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) in T2DM patients is unclear. We aimed to evaluate the risk of new-onset AF associated with the use of SGLT2i compared to dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (DPP4i) among a longitudinal cohort of diabetic patients. We used medical data from a multi-center healthcare provider in Taiwan, which included a total of 15,606 and 12,383 patients treated with SGLT2i and DPP4i, respectively, from June 1, 2016 to December 31, 2018. We used propensity-score weighting to balance covariates across study groups. Patients were followed up from the drug index date until the occurrence of new-onset AF, discontinuation of the index drug, or the end of the study period, whichever occurred first. Overall, 55%, 45%, and 0% of the patients were treated with empagliflozin, dapagliflozin, and canagliflozin, respectively. Most patients in the DPP4i group were prescribed with linagliptin (51%), followed by sitagliptin (24%), saxagliptin (13%), vildagliptin (8%) and alogliptin (5%). The use of SGLT2i was associated with a lower risk of new-onset AF compared with DPP4i after propensity-score weighting [hazard ratio: 0.61; 95% confidential interval: 0.50–0.73; P < 0.001]. Subgroup analysis revealed that the use of SGLT2i was associated with a lower risk of new-onset AF compared with DPP4i across several subgroups including old age, female in gender, the presence of cardiovascular disease, hemoglobin A1c $$\ge$$ 8%, and chronic kidney disease. The advantage of SGLT2i over DPP4i persisted with different SGLT2i (dapagliflozin or empagliflozin) and either low- or standard-dose SGLT2i. SGLT2i was associated with a lower risk of new-onset AF compared with DPP4i among T2DM patients in real-world practice.

Search for an Invisibly Decaying Z^{'} Boson at Belle II in e^{+}e^{-}→μ^{+}μ^{-}(e^{±}μ^{∓}) Plus Missing Energy Final States.

Abstract: Theories beyond the standard model often predict the existence of an additional neutral boson, the Z′. Using data collected by the Belle II experiment during 2018 at the SuperKEKB collider, we perform the first searches for the invisible decay of a Z′ in the process e+e-→μ+μ-Z′ and of a lepton-flavor-violating Z′ in e+e-→e±μZ′. We do not find any excess of events and set 90% credibility level upper limits on the cross sections of these processes. We translate the former, in the framework of an Lμ-Lτ theory, into upper limits on the Z′ coupling constant at the level of 5×10-2-1 for MZ′≤6 GeV/c2.

A gut butyrate-producing bacterium Butyricicoccus pullicaecorum regulates short-chain fatty acid transporter and receptor to reduce the progression of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-associated colorectal cancer.

Abstract: Gut microbes influence tumor development and progression in the intestines and may provide a novel paradigm for the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). Gut dysbiosis may be associated with the development and progression of CRC. Identifying the interactions between the colonic tract and gut microbiota may provide novel information relevant to CRC prevention. The present study examined the effects of butyrate-producing Butyricicoccus pullicaecorum (B. pullicaecorum) on mice with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced CRC and the microbial metabolite of B. pullicaecorum on CRC cells. Immunohistochemical staining of the mouse colon tissues and reverse transcription PCR of CRC cells were used to determine the protein and mRNA expression levels of the short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) transporter solute carrier family 5 member 8 (SLC5A8) and G-protein-coupled receptor 43 (GPR43). In CRC-bearing mice fed B. pullicaecorum, DMH-induced CRC regressed, body weight increased and serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels decreased. Notably, SLC5A8 and GPR43 were diffusely and moderately to strongly expressed in the neoplastic epithelial cells and underlying muscularis propria in the colons of the mice. In conclusion, administration of B. pullicaecorum or its metabolites improved the clinical outcome of CRC by activating the SCFA transporter and/or receptor. These results indicated that B. pullicaecorum was a probiotic with anti-CRC potential.