Ξc−Ξc′\Xi_c-\Xi_c^{\prime} mixing From Lattice QCD

In heavy quark limit, the lowest-lying charmed baryons with two light quarks can form an SU(3) triplet and sextet. The $\Xi_c$ in the SU(3) triplet and $\Xi_c'$ in the sextet have the same $J^{PC}$ quantum number and can mix due to the finite charm quark mass and the fact the strange quark is heavier than the up/down quark. We explore the $\Xi_c$-$\Xi_c'$ mixing by calculating the two-point correlation functions of the $\Xi_c$ and $\Xi_c'$ baryons from lattice QCD. Based on the lattice data, we adopt two independent methods to determine the mixing angle between $\Xi_c$ and $\Xi_c'$. After making the chiral and continuum extrapolation, it is found that the mixing angle $\theta$ is $1.2^{\circ}\pm0.1^{\circ}$, which seems insufficient to account for the large SU(3) symmetry breaking effects found in weak decays of charmed baryons

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Hidden-charm Hexaquarks from Lattice QCD

We present a lattice QCD study of hidden-charm hexaquarks with quark content $usc\bar{d}\bar{s}\bar{c}$ based on four ensembles of gauge configurations generated by CLQCD Collaboration with pion mass in the range of 220-300MeV. Four operators with quantum numbers $0^{++}, 0^{-+}, 1^{++}$ and $1^{--}$ respectively are constructed to interpolate the hexaquarks. After validating the spectrum and the dispersion relation for ordinary hadrons, we calculate the masses of the hexaquarks and extrapolate the results to the physical pion mass and the continuum limit. We find that the masses of the four hexaquarks are all below the $\Xi_c \bar \Xi_c$ threshold, while the $0^{-+}$ hexaquark lies around the $\eta_c K^+K^-$ threshold. These results will be helpful for experimental searches in future and for a deep understanding of the nature of multiquark states.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Ξc−Ξc′ mixing from lattice QCD

In heavy quark limit, the lowest-lying charmed baryons with two light quarks can form an SU(3) triplet and sextet. The Ξc in the SU(3) triplet and Ξc′ in the sextet have the same JPC quantum number and can mix due to the finite charm quark mass and the fact the strange quark is heavier than the up/down quark. We explore the Ξc–Ξc′ mixing by calculating the two-point correlation functions of the Ξc and Ξc′ baryons from lattice QCD. Based on the lattice data, we adopt two independent methods to determine the mixing angle between Ξc and Ξc′. After making the chiral and continuum extrapolation, it is found that the mixing angle θ is 1.2∘±0.1∘, which seems insufficient to account for the large SU(3) symmetry breaking effects found in weak decays of charmed baryons

Dynamic Fluctuation of U³⁺ Coordination Structure in the Molten LiCl–KCl Eutectic via First Principles Molecular Dynamics Simulations

The dynamic fluctuation of the U³⁺ coordination structure in a molten LiCl–KCl mixture was studied using first principles molecular dynamics (FPMD) simulations. The radial distribution function, probability distribution of coordination numbers, fluctuation of coordination number and cage volume, self-diffusion coefficient and solvodynamic mean radius of U³⁺, dynamics of the nearest U–Cl distances, and van Hove function were evaluated. It was revealed that fast exchange of Cl^– occurred between the first and second coordination shells of U³⁺ accompanied with fast fluctuation of coordination number and rearrangement of coordination structure. It was concluded that 6-fold coordination structure dominated the coordination structure of U³⁺ in the molten LiCl–KCl–UCl₃ mixture and a high temperature was conducive to the formation of low coordinated structure

Cohort profile: the Liyang cohort study on chronic diseases and risk factors monitoring in China (Liyang Study)

Purpose The Liyang cohort study on chronic diseases and risk factors monitoring in China (Liyang Study) is a prospective population-based study which aims to investigate and identify the determinants of the most prevalent chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and to evaluate the impact of demographic characteristics, lifestyle, dietary habits, cognition, disability and NCDs on the health-related quality of life.Participants Between March 2019 and June 2020, 10 056 individuals aged ≥18 years were administered a baseline survey through a multistage cluster random sampling in Liyang City, southern Jiangsu Province, China.Findings to date The Liyang Study included detailed sociodemographic, anthropometric and health-related behaviour, common NCDs and blood sample information. Moreover, the study gathered a series of data on specific scales including the activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, abbreviated mental test, Food Frequency Questionnaire and EuroQol 5-Dimensions 5-Levels Scale. Of the 10 056 participants, 52.92% (n=5322) were female and 92.26% (n=9278) came from rural areas. The mean age was 49.9±16.2 years. Men were more likely to have a higher level of education, annual income and a paid job than women (p&lt;0.05). The top three overall most prevalent NCDs in the study were hypertension (18.06%, n=1815), digestive diseases (7.88%, n=791), and arthritis or rheumatism (5.28%, n=530). Women had a significantly higher prevalence of diabetes (5.46%, n=290 vs 4.42%, n=209, p=0.016) and arthritis (6.04%, n=321 vs 4.42%, n=209, p&lt;0.001) than men, while the opposite was true for chronic lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (1.37%, n=65 vs 0.92%, n=49, p=0.032) and chronic hepatic diseases (0.80%, n=38 vs 0.47%, n=25, p=0.035).Future plans The current study will give valuable insights into the association between sociodemographic factors, health-related behaviour, diet, cognition, disability and genetic factors and the most prevalent NCDs among local community residents. Starting from 2022, a follow-up survey will be conducted every 3 years to further explore the causal relationship between the above factors and NCDs

Data_Sheet_1_Moderated-mediation analysis of multimorbidity and health-related quality of life among the Chinese elderly: The role of functional status and cognitive function.docx

ObjectivesTo investigate the relationship between multimorbidity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and explore the effects of functional status and cognitive function on Chinses elderly behind this relationship.MethodsThe Multivariate logistic regression and Tobit regression models were used to determine the influence of multimorbidity on HRQoL. Bootstrap analysis was used to probe the mediating effects of functional status and the moderating role of cognition on multimorbidity and HRQoL.ResultsResults of the 2,887 participants age  ≥ 60  years included in the analysis, 51.69% had chronic diseases. Stroke (β = −0.190; 95% confidence interval [CI], −0.232, −0.149; p ConclusionFunctional status partially mediated the relationship between multimorbidity and HRQoL in older adults. And cognitive function, if declined, may strengthen this relationship. These findings suggested that improving cognitive function and functional status in those who developed multimorbidity could be a viable prevention or treatment strategy to improve HRQoL in elderly patients.</p