Technicolor corrections to b\bar{b} -> W^{\pm}\pi^{\mp}_t at the CERN Large Hadron Collider

In this paper we calculate the technicolor correction to the production of a charged top pion in association with a W boson via b\bar{b} annihilation at the CERN Large Hadron Collider in the context of the topcolor assisted technicolor model. We find that the cross section of pp \rightarrow b\bar{b} -> W^{\pm}\pi_t^{\mp} at the tree level can reach a few hundred femtobarns for reasonable ranges of the parameters, roughly corresponding to the result of the process pp -> b\bar{b} -> W^{\pm}H^{\mp} in the minimal supersymmetric standard model; the relative corrections arising from the one-loop diagrams are about a few percent to two dozen percent, and they will increase the cross section at the tree level. As a comparison, we also discuss the size of the hadron cross section via the other subprocess gg -> W^{\pm}\pi_t^{\mp}.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Perivascular spaces visible on magnetic resonance imaging predict subsequent delirium in older patients

BackgroundIt remains unknown whether perivascular spaces (PVS) are associated with delirium in older hospitalized patients. We aimed to determine the association between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-visible PVS and the risk of delirium in a cohort of older patients.MethodsWe consecutively recruited older patients (≥70 years) admitted to the Geriatric Department of West China Hospital between March 2016 and July 2017, and their imaging data within one year before admission were reviewed retrospectively. PVS was rated on axial T2-weighted images in the basal ganglia (BG) and centrum semiovale (CS) using the validated semiquantitative 4-point ordinal scale. Delirium was screened within 24 h of admission and three times daily thereafter, using the confusion assessment method. Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the associations between PVS and delirium.ResultsAmong 114 included patients (mean age 84.3 years, 72.8% male), delirium occurred in 20 (17.5%). In patients with MRI examined within 6 months before admission, CS-PVS was found to be associated with delirium (odds ratio [OR] 3.88, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07-14.06, unadjusted; and OR 4.24, 95% CI 1.11-16.28, adjusted for age). The associations were enhanced and remained significant even after full adjustment of covariates (OR 7.16, 95% CI 1.16-44.32, adjusted for age, cognitive impairment, smoking, and Charlson Comorbidity Index). Similarly, the relationships between high CS-PVS and delirium were also strengthened after sequentially adjusting all variables of interest, with OR 4.17 (95% CI 1.04-16.73) in unadjusted model and OR 7.95 (95% CI 1.14-55.28) in fully-adjusted model. Adding CS-PVS to the established risk factors improved the risk reclassification for delirium (continuous net reclassification index 62.1%, P = 0.04; and integrated discrimination improvement 12.5%, P = 0.01).ConclusionsCS-PVS on MRI acquired 6 months earlier predicts subsequent delirium in older patients and may have clinical utility in delirium risk stratification to enable proactive interventions

Biomass fuel usage for cooking and frailty among older adults in China: a population-based cohort study

BackgroundAlthough outdoor air pollution is reported to have a negative effect on frailty, evidence involving household air pollution is sparse.MethodsA cohort study on older participants aged ≥65 years from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey was conducted between 2011/2012 and 2014. Household cooking fuel types were determined by self-reported questionaries, and were dichotomized into clean or biomass fuels. The frailty status was evaluated via a 46-item frailty index (FI) and the FRAIL scale, respectively. Frailty was identified if FI >0.21 or FRAIL score ≥3. Cox proportional hazards models were employed to examine the relationship between cooking fuels and incident frailty. And the effects of swapping cooking fuels on frailty risk were also explored.ResultsAmong 4,643 participants (mean age at baseline 80.9 ± 9.6 years, 53.7% male) totaling 11,340 person-years, 923 (19.9%) incident frailty was identified using FI. Compared to clean fuels, cooking with biomass fuels was intricately linked to a 23% rise in frailty risk (hazard ratio [HR] 1.23, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06–1.43). A similar association was detected between biomass cooking fuels and frailty measured by the FRAIL scale (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.04–1.50). Sensitive analyses supported the independent relationship between biomass fuels and frailty. Stratified analyses revealed that the frailty risk was higher among town residents (HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.13–1.84) and participants not exercising regularly (HR 1.35, 95% CI 1.11–1.64). In comparison with persistent biomass fuels usage, switching to clean fuels had a trend to reduce the frailty risk, and the opposite effect was observed when swapping from clean to biomass fuels.ConclusionCooking with biomass fuels was associated with an increased frailty risk in older adults, especially amongst those living in town and those lacking regular exercise. More studies are needed to confirm our findings and to evaluate the potential benefits of reducing indoor biomass fuel usage

Tooth loss, denture use, and all-cause and cause-specific mortality in older adults: a community cohort study

ObjectivesThe available evidence on the connections between tooth loss, denture use, and mortality from all causes or specific causes among older adults is inconclusive. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between tooth loss, denture use, and all-cause and cause-specific mortality in older adults.MethodsA cohort of 5,403 participants aged 65 and older were recruited in the 2014 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey wave and followed up in the 2018 wave. Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine the association between the number of natural teeth, denture use, and all-cause and cause-specific mortality.ResultsDuring a mean (SD) follow-up of 3.1  years (1.3), 2,126 deaths (39.3%) occurred. Individuals with 0 and 1–9 teeth had higher mortality due to all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and other causes (all p-trend <0.05) than those with 20+ teeth. At the same time, no association was found with respiratory disease mortality. Participants who used dentures had lower mortality due to all causes [hazard ratios (HR) 0.79, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.71–0.88], CVD (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.64–1.00), respiratory disease (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.48–0.92), and other causes (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.68–0.88) than those without dentures. Joint analysis revealed that older adults with fewer natural teeth and no dentures had higher mortality. Additionally, interaction analyses showed that the effects of the number of natural teeth on all-cause mortality were more pronounced in older adults aged <80  years (p-value for interaction = 0.03).ConclusionHaving fewer natural teeth, particularly less than 10 teeth, is linked to an increased risk of mortality from all causes, including CVD, cancer, and other causes, but not respiratory disease. The use of dentures would mitigate the adverse impact of tooth loss on all-cause and some cause-specific mortality

Combined associations of vitamin D and cognitive function with all-cause mortality among older adults in Chinese longevity areas: A prospective cohort study

ObjectivesWhile both vitamin D deficiency and cognitive impairment have individually been linked to a greater risk of all-cause mortality, the combined effects of these two different conditions have not previously been explored in this context. We aimed to investigate the combined impact of vitamin D concentration and cognitive impairment on all-cause mortality in older adults.MethodsThe analyzed data were collected from community-dwelling adults ≥65 years of age that were enrolled in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (n = 1,673). The Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) was used to assess cognitive function, while the plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] test was used to assess vitamin D status. The associations between vitamin D concentration, cognitive function, and all-cause mortality were assessed with Cox proportional hazards models. We used restricted cubic splines to examine the dose–response relationship between vitamin D and the risk of all-cause mortality and used joint effect testing to explore interactions between vitamin D concentration and cognitive function.ResultsDuring a mean (SD) follow-up of 3.8 (1.9) years, 899 (53.7%) deaths occurred. A negative dose–response relationship was observed between 25(OH)D concentration and cognition impairment at baseline, as well as the odds of all-cause mortality during follow-up. Similarly, cognitive impairment was significantly related to all-cause mortality risk (HR 1.81, 95% CI: 1.54 to 2.12). The combined analyses showed positive associations, with the highest mortality risk observed in older adults with both low vitamin D and cognitive impairment (HR 3.04, 95% CI: 2.40 to 3.86). Moreover, the interaction between 25(OH)D concentration and cognitive function was found to be significant in relation to the risk of mortality (p for interaction <0.001).ConclusionLower plasma 25(OH)D and cognitive impairment were, respectively, associated with increased all-cause mortality risks. The 25(OH)D concentration and cognitive impairment exhibited a combined additive effect on all-cause mortality among older Chinese adults

MST4 Phosphorylation of ATG4B Regulates Autophagic Activity, Tumorigenicity, and Radioresistance in Glioblastoma

ATG4B stimulates autophagy by promoting autophagosome formation through reversible modification of ATG8. We identify ATG4B as a substrate of mammalian sterile20-like kinase (STK) 26/MST4. MST4 phosphorylates ATG4B at serine residue 383, which stimulates ATG4B activity and increases autophagic flux. Inhibition of MST4 or ATG4B activities using genetic approaches or an inhibitor of ATG4B suppresses autophagy and the tumorigenicity of glioblastoma (GBM) cells. Furthermore, radiation induces MST4 expression, ATG4B phosphorylation, and autophagy. Inhibiting ATG4B in combination with radiotherapy in treating mice with intracranial GBM xenograft markedly slows tumor growth and provides a significant survival benefit. Our work describes an MST4-ATG4B signaling axis that influences GBM autophagy and malignancy, and whose therapeutic targeting enhances the anti-tumor effects of radiotherapy., • MST4 kinase regulates the growth, sphere formation, and tumorigenicity of GBM cells • MST4 stimulates autophagy by activating ATG4B through phosphorylation of ATG4B S383 • Radiation increases MST4 expression and ATG4B phosphorylation, inducing autophagy • Inhibiting ATG4B enhances the anti-tumor effects of radiotherapy in GBM PDX models , Huang et al. show that radiation induces MST4 expression and that MST4 phosphorylates ATG4B at serine 383, which increases ATG4B activity and autophagic flux. Inhibition of ATG4B reduces autophagy and tumorigenicity of glioblastoma (GBM) cells and improves the impact of radiotherapy on GBM growth in mice

The effect and potential mechanism of inulin combined with fecal microbiota transplantation on early intestinal immune function in chicks

Abstract Our previous research found that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and inulin synergistically affected the intestinal barrier and immune system function in chicks. However, does it promote the early immunity of the poultry gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT)? How does it regulate the immunity? We evaluated immune-related indicators in the serum, cecal tonsil, and intestine to determine whether FMT synergistic inulin had a stronger impact on gut health and which gene expression regulation was affected. The results showed that FMT synergistic inulin increased TGF-β secretion and intestinal goblet cell number and MUC2 expression on day 14. Expression of BAFFR, PAX5, CXCL12, and IL-2 on day 7 and expression of CXCR4 and IL-2 on day 14 in the cecal tonsils significantly increased. The transcriptome indicated that CD28 and CTLA4 were important regulatory factors in intestinal immunity. Correlation analysis showed that differential genes were related to the immunity and development of the gut and cecal tonsil. FMT synergistic inulin promoted the development of GALT, which improved the early-stage immunity of the intestine by regulating CD28 and CTLA4. This provided new measures for replacing antibiotic use and reducing the use of therapeutic drugs while laying a technical foundation for achieving anti-antibiotic production of poultry products