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ObjectiveTo analyze the gross pathological data of sudden cardiac death （SCD） with different causes, to provide data support for the identification of sudden cardiac death with unknown causes.MethodsA total of 167 adult SCD cases in the archive of the Forensic Expertise Institute of Nanjing Medical University from 2010 to 2020 were collected. The gross pathological data of SCD cases were summarized and the characteristics of different causes of death were statistically analyzed.ResultsThe ratio of male to female SCD cases was 3.4∶1. Coronary heart disease was the leading cause of SCD， and mainly distributed in people over 40 years old. SCD caused by myocarditis was mainly distributed in young people and the mean age of death was （34.00±9.55） years. By analyzing the differences in cardiac pathological parameters of SCD with different causes, it was found that the aortic valve circumference was significantly dilated in the SCD caused by aortic aneurysm or dissection （P

The recently discovered Yangchang deposit in Zhenxiong County, Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province is an ultra-large-scaled buried phosphate deposit. Previous research on this deposit mainly focused on the metallogeny, while the study of sedimentary geochemistry and the paleoenvironment is lacked. More importantly, the inorganic (δ13Ccarb) and organic (δ13Corg) carbon isotopes as well as their relationships in the early Cambrian were rarely reported. In this study, three drill cores (ZK001, ZK0701, ZK1512) in Yangchang phosphate deposit were selected for high-resolution investigations of δ13Ccarb and δ13Corg. Both δ13Ccalb and δ13Corg show negative shifts in the top Pre-cambrian Dengying Formation and the bottom of its overlying Zhujiaqing Formation, which is consistent with the global Basal Cambrian Carbon Isotopic Excursion (BACE), likely due to the oxidation of organic carbon reservoir. However, we did not find significant positive shifts in the overlying strata (i. e., Zhujiaqing Carbon Isotopic Excursion, ZHUCE), which may be caused by sedimentary hiatus given that the Yangchang phosphate deposit is mostly intra-clastic phosphorus-rich deposits. Nevertheless, we propose that this phosphate deposit was mainly formed during the Fortunian according to the comparison between the δ13Ccarb in the three drill cores and the composite profile of δ13Ccarb in South China. The comparisons for the δ13Ccarb and δ13Corg values in the drill cores ZK001 and ZK0701, show that the average value of the ΔCcarb.org(difference between δ13Ccalb and δ13Corg) is 28.%‰ and 22.2‰ in the Dengying Formation, and these values change to 31.7‰ and 31.7‰ at the bottom of the Zhujiaqing Formation, and 29.6‰ and 29.8‰, in the middle and upper of the Zhujiaqing Formation, respectively. We propose that the decoupled δ13Ccarb and δ13Corg occurring in the middle of the Zhujiaqing Formation may be caused by the increased primary productivity or buried organic carbon. In summary, the high-resolution paired inorganic and organic carbon isotopes in this work indicate the formation time of Yangchang phosphate deposit and shed light on associated paleo-environmental changes, which also support the regional stratigraphic correlation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveTo construct a YOLOv3-based model for diatom identification in scanning electron microscope images, explore the application performance in practical cases and discuss the advantages of this model.MethodsA total of 25 000 scanning electron microscopy images were collected at 1 500× as an initial image set, and input into the YOLOv3 network to train the identification model after experts’ annotation and image processing. Diatom scanning electron microscopy images of lung, liver and kidney tissues taken from 8 drowning cases were identified by this model under the threshold of 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 respectively, and were also identified by experts manually. The application performance of this model was evaluated through the recognition speed, recall rate and precision rate.ResultsThe mean average precision of the model in the validation set and test set was 94.8% and 94.3%, respectively, and the average recall rate was 81.2% and 81.5%, respectively. The recognition speed of the model is more than 9 times faster than that of manual recognition. Under the threshold of 0.4, the mean recall rate and precision rate of diatoms in lung tissues were 89.6% and 87.8%, respectively. The overall recall rate in liver and kidney tissues was 100% and the precision rate was less than 5%. As the threshold increased, the recall rate in all tissues decreased and the precision rate increased. The F1 score of the model in lung tissues decreased with the increase of threshold, while the F1 score in liver and kidney tissues with the increase of threshold.ConclusionThe YOLOv3-based diatom electron microscope images automatic identification model works at a rapid speed and shows high recall rates in all tissues and high precision rates in lung tissues under an appropriate threshold. The identification model greatly reduces the workload of manual recognition, and has a good application prospect.

Due to excessive soil acidification, aluminum in soil has become one of the main factors limiting crop growth and yield. In this study, a high generation of recombinant inbred line (RIL) population constructed from Brassica napus L. varieties Zhong-shuang 11 (ZS11) and 10D130 treated with 2400 µmol L-1 aluminum solution was used as experimental materials. To explore the photosynthetic capacity and chlorophyll fluorescence related traits of rapeseed seedling stage under aluminum toxicity stress, we calculated their relative values (treatment/control) and mapped their QTLs, and screened suitable candidate genes according to the confidence interval of QTLs. The results showed that there was significantly correlation between photosynthetic capacity and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, but there was no significant correlation between photosynthetic capacity and the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters. Relative Pn, relative Gs, relative Ci, relative ΦPSII, relative Fv/Fo, relative Fv'/Fm', relative qP, relative ETR, relative NPQ, and relative dry weight were investigated and QTLs mapping were analyzed. A total of 16 QTLs related to aluminum stress and photosynthesis were detected. The locus was located on chromosomes A03, A05, A06, A08, A09, A10, C02, and C09, respectively. LOD value was 2.05-3.18, and the phenotypic variation explained was 8.1%-12.3%. The confidence intervals of QTLs for relative Gs and relative Fv'/Fm', relative ΦPSII and relative ETR were found completely overlap at 106.038--109.129 cM of chromosome A03, 145.355-167.417 cM of chromosome A06, respectively. 47 candidate genes that may be related to aluminum stress and photosynthesis were screened, involving organic acid secretion, metal ion transport, hormone regulation, initiation of antioxidant protection, chloroplast self-regulation, and phosphorus uptake regulation. This study lays the foundation for the function research of aluminum resistance and related photosynthetic genes and the breeding of aluminum tolerant and high photosynthetic efficiency rapeseed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aggravation of soil acidification, aluminum toxicity has become one of the important stress factors that affect crop seed germination quality and crop yield. There have been many reports on QTL mapping and candidate gene screening for aluminum tolerance related traits in crops, but few reports on QTL mapping for aluminum tolerance during germination in Brassica napus L. The seed germination test was conducted on the recombinant inbred line population treated with 80 µg mL-1 aluminum solution and with distilled water as control. Germination potential was investigated at 3 d, germination rate was investigated at 7 d, root length, bud length and dry weight were measured, and the relative values of various characters were calculated. Based on 6K SNP chip and combined with high density genetic linkage map, we detected 23 QTLs for five traits in rape germination period. QTLs for relative germination potential, relative germination rate, relative root length, relative bud length and relative dry weight were 9, 1, 4, 5, and 4 respectively, covering A and C genomes, with LOD values from 3.00 to 5.26, and interpretable phenotypic variation from 7.70% to 13.10%. According to the confidence interval sequence of each QTL, 30 candidate genes related to aluminum stress were screened. ALMT1 gene and MATE gene are related to the synthesis and secretion of organic acids, which mainly enhance the aluminum tolerance of plants through the secretion of organic acids such as malic acid, citric acid and oxalic acid. STOP1 gene, NAC gene and RAP2.4 gene all belong to transcription activation factors, which enhance the resistance of plants by inducing the expression of aluminum tolerance genes. ABC transporter, membrane protein transporter, GDSL lipase enhance aluminum tolerance of plants by reducing accumulation of toxic substances on plasma membrane or discharging toxic substances out of body. Peroxidase and cytochrome P450 are genes related to oxidative stress, which have the functions of preventing oxidative damage of plant cells and resisting stress. At the same time, many genes encoding stress proteins were found, which play an important role in various stress reactions. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for the cultivation of aluminum-tolerant rape varieties and the functional research of subsequent genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory external root resorption (IERR) refers to the pathological process of dissolving the hard tissue on the outer surface of the tooth root by the body's own immune system under the stimulation of various physical and chemical factors such as infection, stress, trauma and orthodontic treatment. Severe IERR can lead to endodontic and periodontal diseases, and even the loss of teeth. Therefore, understanding the etiology and the pathogenic mechanism of IERR are of importance in its prevention and treatment. This article will review the etiology and the regulation mechanisms of IERR.

Objective: To investigate the association between the level of serum testosterone and atherosclerosis in middle-aged and elderly men., Methods: We conducted a population-based study of 413 males aged 40-75 years in a community in Guangzhou. We obtained the sociodemographic characteristics, clinical data, physical measurements, and laboratory results of sex hormones, blood glucose, and blood lipid of the subjects. We also measured the carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) by color Doppler ultrasonography., Results: The subjects were divided into a carotid atherosclerosis (CAS) group (CIMT ≥ 0.9 mm) and a non-CAS group (CIMT < 0.9 mm). The medians of free testosterone (FT) were 57.41 and 59.72 pmol/L in the CAS and non-CAS groups, respectively (P = 0.005), and no significant difference was found between the two groups in total testosterone (TT). The levels of serum FT and TT were negatively correlated to CIMT, with Spearman's rank correlation coefficients of -0.126 (P = 0.011) and -0.188 (P < 0.001), respectively. The incidence rates of CAS were 23.30, 13.46, 17.48, and 7.77% in the Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 groups, respectively according to the quartile of FT (P for trend = 0.008) and 17.48, 18.27, 16.50, and 9.71% respectively according to the quartile of TT (P for trend = 0.116). Based on the quartile of FT and after adjustment for age, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, and HbAlc, the risk of CAS was significantly increased in the Q1 group as compared with Q4 (OR = 2.491, 95% CI 1.01-6.149), but no statistically significant differences were observed according to the quartile of TT., Conclusion: A low serum FT level may be a risk factor of atherosclerosis in Chinese men aged 40 years or older.

Objectives: To compare the sensitivity of mammogram and breast dedicated MRI in detecting ductal carcinoma in situ with microinvaion (DCIS-MI) and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) lesions, and to further investigate the independent predictive factors of mammogram and MRI sensitivity., Methods: From August 2009 to November 2011, 122 consecutive confirmed breast cancer patients who had received operations were recruited for this clinical research. These patients were divided into two groups including DCIS (72 cases) and DCIS-MI (50 cases) based on pathologic reports. All the patients were female, with mean ages of 52.6 years and 54.4 years. Preoperative bilateral breast mammogram, breast dedicated MRI depictions and reports as well as histopathological reports were collected., Results: Sensitivity of MRI outstood mammogram in each subgroups: 84.7% vs. 42.4% in DCIS (χ(2) = 27.028, P = 0.000), 94.0% vs. 80.0% in DCIS-MI group (χ(2) = 4.540, P = 0.040). And further analysis showed that MRI was more sensitive to high nuclear grade DCIS and DCIS-MI lesions than low nuclear grade ones (OR = 3.471, P = 0.031)., Results: of logistic regression analysis proved microcalcification was an independent predictive factor of mammogram sensitivity (OR = 11.287, P = 0.001)., Conclusions: Sensitivity of breast dedicated MRI is superior to mammogram in detecting DCIS and DCIS-MI groups. Lesions with microcalcifiation is an independent predictive marker which meant that mammogram would achieve high detection rate in cancers presented calcification on mammogram image when compared with non-calcification. Diagnostic performance of breast MRI is less affected by clinical and pathological characteristics of the early stage breast cancer patients but further increased detection rate is observed in DCIS and DCIS-MI with high nuclear grade lesions which indicated that MRI could detect more early stage cancers with relative more aggression biological behaviour and provide these patients with early surgical interventions before possible progression to invasive breast cancers.

Objective: To examine the effect of postoperative pregnancy upon the prognosis of young Chinese breast cancer patients., Methods: Four hundred and thirty-two female unilateral breast cancer patients aged 35 or younger were retrospectively reviewed. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Log Rank test were used for univariate analysis of factors predictive of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Multivariate analysis was carried out using the Cox proportional hazards model., Results: Eighteen patients were identified to have postoperative pregnancy, including 5 full-term pregnancy and 13 abortions with the earliest pregnancy taking place at Month 17 post-operation. After a median follow-up of 62 months (6 - 237 months), the DFS and OS rates were 72.5% (313/432) and 88.7% (383/432) respectively. On multivariate analysis, postoperative pregnancy, clinical stage and number of pathologically involved axillary lymph node were significantly associated with DFS. And the axillary lymph node status was also predictive of OS. No death occurred in patient with postoperative pregnancy. There was no significant association between postoperative pregnancy and OS., Conclusion: Postoperative pregnancy has no adverse effect upon the prognosis of young breast cancer patients.

Objective: To identify predictive markers of the long-term outcome for neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NC) in locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) treated with intravenous vinorelbine (V) and epirubicin (E) combination regimen., Methods: One hundred and nineteen patients with LABC were treated from September 2001 to May 2006. All patients were diagnosed as invasive breast cancer by 14G core needle biopsy and treated with three cycles of VE regimen before the operation. The patients were subjected to surgery and subsequently were given other three cycles of VE or cyclophosphamide+epirubicin+fluorouracil (CEF) regimen according to the clinical responses. Local-regional radiotherapy was applied to all patients after the chemotherapy and followed by hormone-therapy according to hormone receptor status. The impact of clinical, pathological, and immunohistochemical features on disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) was evaluated., Results: All patients were evaluable for responses: clinical complete response was documented in 27 patients (22.7%), 78 patients (65.5%) obtained partial clinical response. The pathological complete response was found in 22 cases (18.5%). Of the patients, 115 cases (96.6%) were followed-up for a median time of 63.4 months (range, 9-76 months), the 5-year DFS rate and OS rate was 58.7% and 71.3%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, high pre-Ki-67 (P=0.012) and post-Ki-67 expression (P=0.045), no pathological complete response after NC (P=0.034) were associated with the higher risk of disease relapse; high pre-Ki-67 (P=0.017) and post-Ki-67 expression (P=0.001), negative pre-ER (P=0.002) and no pathological complete response after NC (P=0.034) were associated with a shorter survival., Conclusion: Pathological response in primary tumor, pre-Ki-67 and post-Ki-67 expression, pre-ER expression are important predictors of long-term outcome for LABC patients with three cycles of VE regimen before operation.