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BackgroundComplications and mortality rates following gastrectomy for gastric cancer have improved over recent years; however, complications such as anastomotic leakage (AL) continue to significantly impact both immediate and long-term prognoses. This study aimed to develop a machine learning model to identify preoperative and intraoperative high-risk factors and predict mortality in patients with AL after radical gastrectomy.MethodsFor this investigation, 906 patients diagnosed with gastric cancer were enrolled and evaluated, with a comprehensive set of 36 feature variables collected. We employed three distinct machine learning algorithms—extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), random forest (RF), and k-nearest neighbor (KNN)—to develop our models. To ensure model robustness, we applied k-fold cross-validation for internal validation of the four models and subsequently validated them using independent datasets.ResultsIn contrast to the other machine learning models employed in this study, the XGBoost algorithm exhibited superior predictive performance in identifying mortality risk factors for patients with AL across one, three, and five-year intervals. The analysis identified several common risk factors affecting mortality rates at these intervals, including advanced age, hypoproteinemia, a history of anemia and hypertension, prolonged operative time, increased intraoperative bleeding, low intraoperative percutaneous arterial oxygen saturation (SPO2) levels, T3 and T4 tumors, tumor lymph node invasion, and tumor peripheral nerve invasion (PNI).ConclusionAmong the three machine learning models examined in this study, the XGBoost algorithm exhibited superior predictive capabilities concerning the prognosis of patients with AL following gastrectomy. Additionally, the use of machine learning models offers valuable assistance to clinicians in identifying crucial prognostic factors, thereby enhancing personalized patient monitoring and management.

ObjectiveTo validate the correlation between sarcopenia and cognition, and explore cognitive subdomains affected by sarcopenia.MethodsA case–control study was designed to recruit 90 individuals aged 60 and above from June to October 2023 in the same community, all individuals meeting the inclusion criteria were categorized according to the 2019 Asian criteria for sarcopenia and divided into the sarcopenia group and non-sarcopenia group at baseline. After a 12-week follow-up recording, individuals were classified into the aggravation group and alleviation group based on the change of sarcopenia severity. Sarcopenia tests including muscle mass, calf circumference, grip strength and physical function assessment, using Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) of nine dimensions for cognitive assessment.Results(1) There was a significant positive correlation between cognitive function and grip strength in males (r = 0.42, p

BackgroundParkinson’s disease (PD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disease characterized by the death of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra. A large number of studies have focused on dopamine neurons themselves, but so far, the pathogenesis of PD has not been fully elucidated.ResultsHere, we explored the significance of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs)/oligodendrocytes in the pathogenesis of PD using a bioinformatic approach. WGCNA analysis suggested that abnormal development of oligodendrocytes may play a key role in early PD. To verify the transcriptional dynamics of OPCs/oligodendrocytes, we performed differential analysis, cell trajectory construction, cell communication analysis and hdWGCNA analysis using single-cell data from PD patients. Interestingly, the results indicated that there was overlap between hub genes and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in OPCs not in oligodendrocytes, suggesting that OPCs may be more sensitive to PD drivers. Then, we used ROC binary analysis model to identify five potential biomarkers, including AGPAT4, DNM3, PPP1R12B, PPP2R2B, and LINC00486.ConclusionIn conclusion, our work highlights the potential role of OPCs in driving PD.

Epilepsy is an irregular and recurrent cerebral dysfunction that significantly impacts the affected individual's social functionality and quality of life. This study aims to integrate cognitive dynamic attributes of the brain into seizure prediction, evaluating the effectiveness of various characterization perspectives for seizure prediction, while delving into the impact of varying fragment lengths on the performance of each characterization. We adopted microstate analysis to extract the dynamic properties of cognitive states, calculated the EEG-based and microstate-based features to characterize nonlinear attributes, and assessed the power values across different frequency bands to represent the spectral information of the EEG. Based on the aforementioned characteristics, the predictor achieved a sensitivity of 93.82% on the private FH-ZJU seizure dataset and 93.22% on the Siena Scalp EEG dataset. The study outperforms state-of-the-art works in terms of sensitivity metrics in seizure prediction, indicating that it is crucial to incorporate cognitive dynamic attributes of the brain in seizure prediction.

This study introduces an innovative water depth estimation method for complex coastal environments, focusing on Yantian Port. By combining Random Forest algorithms with a Coordinate Attention mechanism, we address limitations of traditional bathymetric techniques in turbid waters. Our approach incorporates geographical coordinates, enhancing spatial accuracy and predictive capabilities of conventional models. The Random Forest Lon./Lat. model demonstrated exceptional performance, particularly in shallow water depth estimation, achieving superior accuracy metrics among all evaluated models. It boasted the lowest Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and highest coefficient of determination (R²), outperforming standard techniques like Stumpf and Log-Linear approaches. These findings highlight the potential of advanced machine learning in revolutionizing bathymetric mapping for intricate coastal zones, opening new possibilities for port management, coastal engineering, and environmental monitoring of coastal ecosystems. We recommend extending this research to diverse coastal regions to validate its broader applicability. Additionally, exploring the integration of additional geospatial features could further refine the model’s accuracy and computational efficiency. This study marks a significant advancement in bathymetric technology, offering improved solutions for accurate water depth estimation in challenging aquatic environments. As we continue to push boundaries in this field, the potential for enhanced coastal management and environmental stewardship grows, paving the way for more sustainable and informed decision-making in coastal zones worldwide.

BackgroundCurrently developed molecular markers can predict the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy and screen beneficiaries to some extent, but they are not stable enough. Therefore, there is an urgent need for discovering novel biomarkers. At the same time, sex factor plays a vital role in the response to immunotherapy, so it is particularly important to identify sex-related molecular indicators.MethodsWe integrated a pan-cancer cohort consisting of 2348 cancer patients who received immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted sequencing. Using somatic mutation profiles, we identified mutational signatures, molecular subtypes, and frequently mutated genes, and analyzed their relationships with immunotherapeutic outcomes. We also explored sex disparities of determined biomarkers in response to treatments.ResultsWe found that male patients exhibited better immunotherapy outcomes and higher tumor mutational burden. A total of seven mutational signatures were identified, among which signatures 1 and 3 were associated with worse immunotherapy outcomes, while signatures 2 and 6 correlated with better outcomes. Gender-based analysis revealed that mutational signature 1 continued to show a worse immunotherapy outcome in female patients, whereas signature 6 demonstrated a better outcome in male patients. Based on mutational activities, we identified four potential molecular subtypes with gender differences and relevance to treatment outcomes. PI3K-AKT, RAS signaling pathways, and 68 significantly mutated genes were identified to be associated with immunotherapy outcomes, with nine genes (i.e., ATM, ATRX, DOT1L, EP300, EPHB1, NOTCH1, PBRM1, RBM10, and SETD2) exhibiting gender differences. Finally, we discovered co-mutated gene pairs and TP53 p.R282W mutations related to treatment outcomes, highlighting their gender-specific differences.ConclusionThis study identified several molecular biomarkers related to cancer immunotherapy outcomes in terms of mutational signatures, molecular subtypes, and mutated genes, and explored their gender-relatedness in order to provide clues and basis for clinical treatment efficacy evaluation and patient selection.

BackgroundRecent studies have suggested that cell death may be involved in bone loss or the resolution of inflammation in periodontitis. Immunogenic cell death (ICD), a recently identified cell death pathway, may be involved in the development of this disease.MethodsBy analyzing single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) for periodontitis and scoring gene set activity, we identified cell populations associated with ICD, which were further verified by qPCR, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunofluorescence (IF) staining. By combining the bulk transcriptome and applying machine learning methods, we identified several potential ICD-related hub genes, which were then used to build diagnostic models. Subsequently, consensus clustering analysis was performed to identify ICD-associated subtypes, and multiple bioinformatics algorithms were used to investigate differences in immune cells and pathways between subtypes. Finally, qPCR and immunohistochemical staining were performed to validate the accuracy of the models.ResultsSingle-cell gene set activity analysis found that in non-immune cells, fibroblasts had a higher ICD activity score, and KEGG results showed that fibroblasts were enriched in a variety of ICD-related pathways. qPCR, Elisa and IF further verified the accuracy of the results. From the bulk transcriptome, we identified 11 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with ICD, and machine learning methods further identified 5 hub genes associated with ICD. Consensus cluster analysis based on these 5 genes showed that there were differences in immune cells and immune functions among subtypes associated with ICD. Finally, qPCR and immunohistochemistry confirmed the ability of these five genes as biomarkers for the diagnosis of periodontitis.ConclusionFibroblasts may be the main cell source of ICD in periodontitis. Adaptive immune responses driven by ICD may be one of the pathogenesis of periodontitis. Five key genes associated with ICD (ENTPD1, TLR4, LY96, PRF1 and P2RX7) may be diagnostic biomarkers of periodontitis and future therapeutic targets.

AimsWe evaluated the association of multiple thyroid parameters with the levels interleukin 6 (IL6) and interleukin 8 (IL8) in patients with euthyroid type 2 diabetes (T2D).MethodsA total of 166 adults with euthyroid T2D were examined. Serum IL6, IL8, triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxin (FT4), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), five thyroid sensitivity indexes (FT3/FT4, TSH index [TSHI], thyrotroph T4 resistance index [TT4RI], thyroid feedback quantile-based index by FT3 [TFQIFT3], and TFQIFT4), and biochemical parameters were determined.ResultsThe median age was 64 years (IQR: 54.75,70) and the median duration of diabetes was 10 years (IQR: 3,18). Patients with high levels of IL6 (≥2.38 pg/mL) had lower levels of FT3 and TFQIFT3 (P

The diagnosis and treatment of head and neck undifferentiated carcinoma (HNUC) present significant challenges. Herein, we present the case of a patient with advanced HNUC who underwent conversion surgery following treatment with a combination of pembrolizumab and nimotuzumab. During therapy, histological transformation from undifferentiated to sarcomatoid carcinoma was detected at the primary site. This case not only highlights the potential of immune combination-targeted therapy to reduce tumour burden and increase the surgical options for patients, but also reveals the complex alterations in tumour biology that may occur during treatment. It emphasizes the necessity for routine pathological assessments throughout the therapeutic regimen to guide personalised therapeutic strategies and optimise patient prognoses.

The treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains a significant difficulty, as there has been no improvement in survival rates over the past fifty years. Hence, exploration and confirmation of new dependable treatment targets and biomarkers is imperative for OSCC therapy. TEAD transcription factors are crucial for integrating and coordinating multiple signaling pathways that are essential for embryonic development, organ formation, and tissue homeostasis. In addition, by attaching to coactivators, TEAD modifies the expression of genes such as Cyr61, Myc, and connective tissue growth factor, hence facilitating tumor progression. Therefore, TEAD is regarded as an effective predictive biomarker due to its significant connection with clinical parameters in several malignant tumors, including OSCC. The efficacy of existing drugs that specifically target TEAD has demonstrated encouraging outcomes, indicating its potential as an optimal target for OSCC treatment. This review provides an overview of current targeted therapy strategies for OSCC by highlighting the transcription mechanism and involvement of TEAD in oncogenic signaling pathways. Finally, the feasibility of utilizing TEAD as an innovative approach to address OSCC and its potential clinical applications were analyzed and discussed.

With the advancing comprehension of immunology, an increasing number of immunotherapies are being explored and implemented in the field of cancer treatment. The cGAS-STING pathway, a crucial element of the innate immune response, has been identified as pivotal in cancer immunotherapy. We evaluated the antitumor effects of Schisandra chinensis lignan component Schisandrin C (SC) in 4T1 and MC38 tumor-bearing mice, and studied the enhancing effects of SC on the cGAS-STING pathway and antitumor immunity through RNA sequencing, qRT-PCR, and flow cytometry. Our findings revealed that SC significantly inhibited tumor growth in models of both breast and colon cancer. This suppression of tumor growth was attributed to the activation of type I IFN response and the augmented presence of T cells and NK cells within the tumor. Additionally, SC markedly promoted the cGAS-STING pathway activation induced by cisplatin. In comparison to cisplatin monotherapy, the combined treatment of SC and cisplatin exhibited a greater inhibitory effect on tumor growth. The amplified chemotherapeutic efficacy was associated with an enhanced type I IFN response and strengthened antitumor immunity. SC was shown to reduce tumor growth and increase chemotherapy sensitivity by enhancing the type I IFN response activation and boosting antitumor immunity, which enriched the research into the antitumor immunity of S. chinensis and laid a theoretical basis for its application in combating breast and colon cancer.

ObjectiveTo explore the impact of COVID-19 on the sleep of healthcare workers from Fujian Province supporting Hubei Province and its related risk factors.MethodsA cross-sectional, anonymous, self-reported online questionnaire survey was conducted among all participants. The questionnaire consisted of five parts: sociodemographic characteristics and COVID-19 epidemic-related factors, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire-5 (MEQ-5), and 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12).ResultsAmong 552 participants, 203 (36.8%) had a PSQI score > 7, indicating the presence of sleep disorders. Logistic regression analysis revealed that sleep disorders were independently associated with a history of previously diagnosed sleep disorders (OR 6.074, 95% CI 2.626–14.049, P < 0.001), rotating night shifts > 3 times per week (OR 3.089, 95% CI 1.650–5.781, P < 0.001), using electronic devices before sleep >1 h (OR 1.685, 95% CI 1.131–2.511, P = 0.010), concern about contracting COVID-19 (OR 1.116, 95% CI 1.034–1.204, P = 0.005), perception of societal support for supporting healthcare workers in Hubei (OR 0.861,95% CI 0.744–0.998, P = 0.047) (OR 0.861, 95% CI 0.744–0.998, P = 0.047), non-medical staff (OR 0.257, 95% CI 0.067–0.987, P = 0.048), ESS score (OR 1.068, 95% CI 1.018–1.121, P = 0.007), and GHQ-12 score (OR 1.511, 95% CI 1.281–1.782, P < 0.001).ConclusionSleep disorders were highly prevalent among healthcare workers from Fujian Province supporting Hubei Province during the COVID-19 pandemic. Risk factors for sleep disorders included a history of previously diagnosed sleep disorders, rotating night shifts > 3 times per week, using electronic devices before sleep >1 h, excessive concern about contracting COVID-19, and poorer psychological health. Higher perceived societal support and understanding of support for healthcare workers supporting Hubei were associated with a reduced risk of sleep disorders, as was being non-medical staff. Providing more sleep hygiene education and psychological health services for frontline healthcare workers is necessary.

BackgroundTo investigate the causal relationship between major depression and functional dyspepsia using two-sample Mendelian randomization.MethodsData for major depression and functional dyspepsia were obtained from genome-wide association studies. We selected Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) strongly associated with severe depression. Mendelian randomization analysis was conducted using methods such as Inverse-Variance Weighted (IVW), MR-Egger, and Weighted Median Estimator (WME). Sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the robustness of the results.ResultsA total of 31 eligible SNPs were identified as instrumental variables for major depression. IVW analysis indicated a positive causal relationship between the two conditions (β = 0.328; SE = 0.137; p = 0.017), suggesting that severe depression increases the risk of functional dyspepsia (OR = 1.389; 95% CI: 1.062–1.816). Sensitivity tests showed no evidence of heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy (p > 0.05).ConclusionMR analysis had shown that major depressive disorder is associated with an increased risk of functional dyspepsia.

ObjectiveRecent studies have demonstrated that the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) is relevant to abnormal gut health. However, there is a lack of studies that have explicitly explored the link between fecal incontinence (FI) and DII. The current study aims to explore the relationship between DII and FI.MethodsThe cross-sectional study enrolled a total of 11,747 participants aged 20–85 from NHANES 2005–2010. Weighted logistic regression was conducted to evaluate the relationship between DII and FI, and restricted cubic spline (RCS) was employed to assess the dose-response relationship between DII and FI. Subgroup analyses were performed according to age, gender, race, and BMI.ResultDII levels were found to be significantly higher in patients with FI than in the normal population (p = 0.016). After adjusting for all covariates, DII was found to be significantly correlated with FI (model 2: Q4 vs. Q1, OR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.04–2.14, p = 0.032, p for trend = 0.039). The dose-response curve revealed that there was no non-linear correlation between DII and FI (p-non-linear = 0.234). Subsequent subgroup analyses uncovered that DII was notably associated with FI in the old (Q4 vs. Q1, OR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.07–3.18, p = 0.030), female (Q4 vs. Q1: OR = 2.02, 95% CI: 1.23–3.33, p = 0.008), non-Hispanic white (Q4 vs. Q1: OR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.12–2.59, p = 0.015) populations.ConclusionDII was positively associated with FI, particularly among old, female and non-Hispanic white individuals. Decreasing daily dietary inflammatory levels may be an effective tactic to prevent FI, but the precise mechanisms need to be further investigated.

BackgroundDelivery systems based on albumin nanoparticles (NPs) have recently garnered substantial interest in anti-tumor drug development. However, systematic bibliometric analyses in this field remain lacking. This study aimed to analyze the current research status, hotspots, and frontiers in the application of albumin NPs in the field of oncology from a bibliometric perspective.MethodsUsing the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) as the data source, retrieved articles were analyzed using software, such as VOSviewer 1.6.18 and CiteSpace 6.1.6, and the relevant visualization maps were plotted.ResultsFrom 1 January 2000, to 15 April 2024, 2,262 institutions from 67 countries/regions published 1,624 articles related to the application of albumin NPs in the field of oncology. The USA was a leader in this field and held a formidable academic reputation. The most productive institution was the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The most productive author was Youn YS, whereas Kratz F was the most frequently co-cited author. The most productive journal was the International Journal of Nanomedicine, whereas the Journal of Controlled Release was the most co-cited journal. Future research hotspots and frontiers included “rapid and convenient synthesis methods predominated by self-assembly,” “surface modification,” “construction of multifunctional NPs for theranostics,” “research on natural active ingredients mainly based on phenolic compounds,” “combination therapy,” and “clinical applications.”ConclusionBased on our bibliometric analysis and summary, we obtained an overview of the research on albumin NPs in the field of oncology, identified the most influential countries, institutions, authors, journals, and citations, and discussed the current research hotspots and frontiers in this field. Our study may serve as an important reference for future research in this field.

ObjectiveTo investigate the prevalence and associated factors of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among adolescent and young adults in China from December 14, 2022 to February 28, 2023, when COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.MethodsStudents in middle and high schools and colleges and universities in the province of Sichuan, China were asked to complete on-line cross-sectional surveys. Information was collected about sociodemographics, experiences related to the COVID-19 pandemic, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Participants also filled out the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and the Social Support Rate Scale surveys. Factors associated with suicidal ideation or suicide attempts were explored using logistic regression.ResultsOf the 82,873 respondents (aged 12 to 24 years), 21,292 (25.7%) reported having thought of suicide at least once in their lifetime, 10,382 (12.5%) reported having thought about suicide within the previous 12 months, and 1,123 (1.4%) reported having attempted it within the previous 12 months. Risk of lifetime suicidal ideation was higher among middle school students than among older students. Risk of suicidal ideation and risk of suicide attempts correlated directly with severity of symptoms of depression and anxiety, and inversely with level of social support. Greater risk of suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts was associated with: being female, living in an urban environment, attending a boarding school, currently being in love, having parents who divorced or remarried, having parents who exhibit non-authoritative parenting behavior, having higher family income, having been COVID-19 infected, having been quarantined for a long time, and being dissatisfied with one’s education.ConclusionsSuicidal ideation and suicide attempts remain prevalent among young people in China. The potential associated factors identified in our study may be useful for targeting appropriate psychosocial interventions and developing mental health policies.

Walnuts have substantial economic value and are of significant interest being a wild-cultivated species. The study has re-sequenced the entire genome of the wild walnut, aligning it with the walnut reference genome, to identify 2,021,717 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). These were used to examine the genetics of 130 wild walnut samples collected from three countries. Utilizing structural and principal component analysis, the walnut samples from Central Asia were classified into four populations: Ili ah in Xinjiang (I), Dushanbe region in Tajikistan (II), Sary-Chelek, Arslanbob in Kara-Alma regions of Kyrgyzstan (III), and Kok-Tundy region of Kyrgyzstan (IV). The 4 groups showed large differences in nucleotide diversity, population differentiation, and linkage disequilibrium decay, as well as gene flow among them. The present geographic distribution of these populations does not align with the genetic distribution pattern as the populations of Central Asian wild walnuts have experienced similar population dynamics in the past, i.e., the highest effective population size at ca. 6 Ma, two sharp population declines at 6 and 0.2 Ma, and convergence at ca. 0.2 Ma. The genetic distribution patterns are better explained by human activity, notably through archaeological findings of walnut use and the influence of the Silk Road, rather than by current geographic distributions.

BackgroundThis study analyzed the risk factors associated with positive surgical margins (PSM) and five-year survival after prostate cancer resection to construct a positive margin prediction model.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 148 patients treated with prostatectomy. The patients were divided into PSM group and Negative surgical margins (NSM) group. Several parameters were compared between the groups. All patients were followed up for 60 months. The risk factors for PSM and five-year survival were evaluated by univariate analysis, followed by multifactorial dichotomous logistic regression analysis. Finally, ROC curves were plotted for the risk factors to establish a predictive model for PSM after prostate cancer resection.Results(1) Serum PSA, percentage of positive puncture stitches, clinical stage, surgical approach, Gleason score on puncture biopsy, and perineural invasion were significantly associated with the risk of PSM (P < 0.05). Serum PSA, perineural invasion, Gleason score on puncture biopsy, and percentage of positive puncture stitches were independent risk factors for PSM. (2) Total prostate-specific antigen (tPSA) by puncture, nutritional status, lymph node metastasis, bone metastasis, and seminal vesicle invasion may be risk factors for five-year survival. Lymph node metastasis and nutritional status were the main risk factors for the five-year survival of patients with prostate cancer. (3) After plotting the ROC curve, the area under the curve (AUC) [AUC: 0.776, 95%, confidence interval (CI): 0.725 to 0.854] was found to be a valid predictor of PSM; the AUC [AUC: 0.664, 95%, confidence interval (CI): 0.576 to 0.753] was also a valid predictor of five-year survival (P < 0.05). (4) The scoring system had a standard error of 0.02 and a cut-off value of 6. It predicted PSM after prostate cancer resection with moderate efficacy.ConclusionsSerum PSA, perineural invasion, puncture biopsy Gleason score, and percentage of positive puncture stitches were independent risk factors for positive surgical margins (PSM). Also, lymph node metastasis and nutritional status were the main risk factors for the five-year survival of patients with prostate cancer. Overall, the prediction efficacy of this scoring system concerning the risk of PSM after prostate cancer resection was moderate.

Computer aided diagnosis methods play an important role in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) identification. Dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) analysis has been widely used for ADHD diagnosis based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), which can help capture abnormalities of brain activity. However, most existing dFC-based methods only focus on dependencies between two adjacent timestamps, ignoring global dynamic evolution patterns. Furthermore, the majority of these methods fail to adaptively learn dFCs. In this paper, we propose an adaptive spatial-temporal neural network (ASTNet) comprising three modules for ADHD identification based on rs-fMRI time series. Specifically, we first partition rs-fMRI time series into multiple segments using non-overlapping sliding windows. Then, adaptive functional connectivity generation (AFCG) is used to model spatial relationships among regions-of-interest (ROIs) with adaptive dFCs as input. Finally, we employ a temporal dependency mining (TDM) module which combines local and global branches to capture global temporal dependencies from the spatially-dependent pattern sequences. Experimental results on the ADHD-200 dataset demonstrate the superiority of the proposed ASTNet over competing approaches in automated ADHD classification.

BackgroundVertical stiffness (Kvert) can be used to evaluate sports performance and injury risk in players. The My Jump 2 smartphone application (App), is increasingly being used by researchers, coaches, and players in the competitive sports field. We aimed to analyze the reliability and concurrent validity of the My Jump 2 app for measuring Kvert in male college players.MethodsTwenty male college players (10 soccer players, 10 basketball players; age, 20.2 ± 1.3 years old; weight, 76.4 ± 6.0 kg; height, 178.3 ± 4.7 cm) volunteered to take part in this study. Three drop jumps were performed by participants from 30 cm to 40 cm on a force platform and retested after three days. All the jumps were recorded by both the Force platform and the My Jump 2 app. Data obtained from the above two devices were compared using the paired t tests, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), coefficient of variation (CV), Pearson product moment correlation coefficient (r), Bland-Altman plots, and one-way regression.ResultsThere was almost perfect agreement between measurement instruments for the Kvert value (ICC > 0.972, 95% CI = 0.954–0.992, P 0.989, 95% CI = 0.981–0.997, P 0.9655, P

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to investigate the attitudes of healthcare professionals (HPs) working in the prenatal setting toward uncertain results (UR) from prenatal exome sequencing (pES) in China.MethodsWe conducted a national survey among HPs working in the prenatal setting. UR in our study include variants of uncertain significance (VUS), variants with variable penetrance/expressivity (VVPE), and secondary findings unrelated to the indication for testing (SFs). A total of 285 questionnaires that met the inclusion criteria were collected. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 26.ResultsWhen performing the pre-test counseling, only 7.4% of HPs mentioned the possibility of VUS, 6.3% discussed the possibility of VVPE, and 7.4% introduced the SFs with parents with the option to not report these variants. In post-test counseling, 73.0–82.8% HPs discussed with the parents but did not make any recommendations for managing the pregnancy after reporting UR (73.0% for VUS, 82.8% for VVPE, 74.7% for SFs, respectively).ConclusionMost parents did not have the option of opting out of reporting UR from pES in pre-test counseling. UR did not influence the pregnancy recommendation made by most HPs. Establishing national guidelines for reporting UR from pES and developing strategies to improve counseling skills may help HPs manage UR.

Osteoporosis, as a chronic metabolic bone disease, has the characteristic of insidious disease progression, which often leads to relatively delayed disease diagnosis. Therefore, early screening for osteoporosis has become a major public health challenge. The latest research indicates that circRNA is widely involved in the regulation of bone metabolism and is closely related to the occurrence and development of osteoporosis. Based on its high degree of sequence conservation and stability, circRNA has the potential to become a new clinical biomarker. The study of biomarkers is generally based on body fluid samples or adjacent tissue samples, with blood being the most commonly used, which can be divided into sources such as serum, plasma, peripheral blood monocytes, and plasma exosomes. Therefore, this article aims to review the research status of circRNA as a biomarker of osteoporosis.

BackgroundHand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common infectious disease in children. Enterovirus A71 (EV71) and coxsackievirus A16 (CA16) have been identified as the predominant pathogens for several decades. In recent years, coxsackievirus A6 (CA6) and coxsackievirus A10 (CA10) have played increasingly important roles in a series of HFMD outbreaks. We performed a retrospective analysis of the epidemiology of HFMD and the spectrum of different viral serotypes, to elucidate the genetic and phylogenetic characteristics of the main serotypes in the Jiashan area during 2016 to 2022.MethodsDescriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze the time and population distribution of HFMD in Jiashan during 2016 to 2022 based on surveillance data. Molecular diagnostic methods were performed to identify the viral serotypes and etiological characteristics of HFMD. Phylogenetic analyses was based on VP1 region of CA16 and CA6.ResultsThe average annual incidence rate of HFMD fluctuated from 2016 to 2022. Children aged 1–5 years accounted for 81.65% of cases and boys were more frequently affected than girls. Except when HFMD was affected by the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020 and 2022, epidemics usually peak in June to July, followed by a small secondary peak from October to December and a decline in February. Urban areas had a high average incidence and rural areas had the lowest. Among 560 sample collected in Jiashan, 472 (84.29%) were positive for enterovirus. The most frequently identified serotypes were CA6 (296, 52.86%), CA16 (102, 18.21%), EV71 (16, 2.86%), CA10 (14, 2.50%) and other enteroviruses (44, 7.86%). There were 71 and 142 VP1 sequences from CA16 and CA6, respectively. Substitution of N218D, A220L and V251I was detected in CA16 and may have been related to viral infectivity. Phylogenetic analysis showed that CA16 could be assigned to two genogroups, B1a and B1b, while all the CA6 sequences belonged to the D3a genogroup.ConclusionCA6 and CA16 were the two major serotypes of enteroviruses circulating in the Jiashan area during 2016 to 2022. Continuous and comprehensive surveillance for HFMD is needed to better understand and evaluate the prevalence and evolution of the associated pathogens.

IntroductionGut dysbiosis may play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of cirrhosis and the severity of complications. Numerous studies have investigated the probiotics as treatments for cirrhosis. However, there is still a lack of definitive evidence confirming the beneficial effects of probiotics on cirrhosis.MethodsDatabases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials that compared the effects of probiotic intervention and control treatments, including placebo, no treatment, and active control, on cirrhosis, published from inception to February 2024. Outcomes included hepatic encephalopathy (HE) reversal, safety and tolerability of probiotics, liver function, quality of life, and other cirrhotic-related outcomes. A meta-analysis was conducted to synthesize evidence.ResultsThirty studies were included. The quantitative synthesis results showed that compared with the control group, probiotics significantly reverse minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) (risk ratio [RR] 1.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03 to 2.32) and improve HE (RR 1.94, 95% CI 1.24 to 3.06). Additionally, probiotics demonstrated higher safety and tolerability by causing a lower incidence of serious adverse events (RR 0.71, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.87). Probiotics could potentially improve liver function by reducing the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores (standardized mean difference [SMD] -0.57, 95% CI -0.85 to −0.30), and displayed favorable changes in quality of life (SMD 0.51, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.75) and gut flora (SMD 1.67, 95% CI 1.28 to 2.06).ConclusionThis systematic review and meta-analysis offers compelling evidence that probiotics are beneficial for cirrhosis by demonstrating reversal of HE, potential for liver function improvements, enhancements in quality of life, and regulation of gut dysbiosis. Furthermore, the apparent safety profile suggests that probiotics are a promising intervention for treating cirrhosis.Clinical trial registration numberCRD42023478380.

The quality of raw camel milk is affected by its bacterial composition and diversity. However, few studies have investigated the bacterial composition and diversity of raw camel milk. In this study, we obtained 20 samples of camel milk during spring and summer in Urumqi and Hami, Xinjiang, China. Single-molecule real-time sequencing technology was used to analyze the bacterial community composition. The results revealed that there were significant seasonal differences in the bacterial composition and diversity of camel milk. Overall, Epilithonimonas was the most abundant bacterial genus in our samples. Through the annotated genes inferred by PICRUSt2 were mapped against KEGG database. Non-parametric analysis of the bacterial community prediction function revealed a strong bacterial interdependence with metabolic pathways (81.83%). There were clear regional and seasonal differences in level 3 metabolic pathways such as fat, vitamins, and amino acids in camel milk. In addition, we identified lactic acid bacteria in camel milk with antibacterial and anti-tumor activities. Our findings revealed that camel milk from Xinjiang had serious risk of contamination by psychrophilic and pathogenic bacteria. Our research established a crucial theoretical foundation for ensuring the quality and safety of camel milk, thereby contributing significantly to the robust growth of China’s camel milk industry.

BackgroundHyperglycemia in pregnancy (HGP) has generally been considered a risk factor associated with adverse outcomes in offspring, but its impact on the short-term outcomes of very preterm infants remains unclear.MethodsA secondary analysis was performed based on clinical data collected prospectively from 28 hospitals in seven regions of China from September 2019 to December 2020. According to maternal HGP, all infants were divided into the HGP group or the non-HGP group. A propensity score matching analysis was used to adjust for confounding factors, including gestational age, twin or multiple births, sex, antenatal steroid administration, delivery mode and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. The main complications and the short-term growth status during hospitalization were evaluated in the HGP and non-HGP groups.ResultsA total of 2,514 infants were eligible for analysis. After matching, there were 437 infants in the HGP group and 874 infants in the non-HGP group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in main complications including respiratory distress syndrome, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis, retinopathy of prematurity, patent ductus arteriosus, culture positive sepsis, intraventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, anemia, feeding intolerance, metabolic bone disease of prematurity, or parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis. The incidences of extrauterine growth retardation and increased growth retardation for weight and head circumference in the non-HGP group were all higher than those in the HGP group after matching (P

PurposeThis mini-review delves into the realm of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) in children, focusing on its skeletal involvement. By synthesizing pertinent literature, we sought to provide a comprehensive understanding of LCH’s clinical and radiographic spectrum. Our study then demonstrates the diagnostic prowess of whole-body 99mTc-methyl diphosphonate (MDP) scintigraphy in LCH cases, underscoring its value in tandem with existing knowledge.MethodsOur approach involved an extensive literature review that contextualized LCH within the current medical landscape. Subsequently, we presented a case series featuring five pediatric instances of skeletal LCH, one accompanied by soft tissue infiltration. The principal aim was to illuminate the diagnostic and staging potential of whole-body 99mTc-MDP scintigraphy, augmenting existing insights.ResultsThrough meticulous literature synthesis, we highlighted pediatric LCH’s protean clinical manifestations and radiological variability. Aligning with this spectrum, our case series underscored the role of 99mTc-MDP scintigraphy in diagnosing and staging LCH. Among the five pediatric cases, one demonstrated concurrent soft tissue involvement. This aligns with the multifaceted nature of LCH presentations.ConclusionPediatric LCH can present with a wide range of clinical and radiologic features. By amalgamating our cases with extant literature, we stress the necessity of a multimodal strategy. 99mTc-MDP scintigraphy emerged as an indispensable tool for accurate staging and soft tissue detection. Our findings collectively advocate for a holistic approach to managing LCH, ensuring informed therapeutic decisions for optimal patient outcomes.

Colorectal polyp is an important early manifestation of colorectal cancer, which is significant for the prevention of colorectal cancer. Despite timely detection and manual intervention of colorectal polyps can reduce their chances of becoming cancerous, most existing methods ignore the uncertainties and location problems of polyps, causing a degradation in detection performance. To address these problems, in this paper, we propose a novel colorectal image analysis method for polyp diagnosis via PAM-Net. Specifically, a parallel attention module is designed to enhance the analysis of colorectal polyp images for improving the certainties of polyps. In addition, our method introduces the GWD loss to enhance the accuracy of polyp diagnosis from the perspective of polyp location. Extensive experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method compared with the SOTA baselines. This study enhances the performance of polyp detection accuracy and contributes to polyp detection in clinical medicine.

BackgroundNon-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a common psychological and behavioral problem among adolescents. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on people’s mental health. To date, few studies have documented the temporal changes in adolescents’ psychological status during the pandemic, as well as the impact of large-scale public health intervention strategies. This study contributes to the existing evidence on the subject.MethodsParticipants were 6,023 adolescents aged 10 years and older, with data from two waves of longitudinal surveys, including data for a 7-month interval before and during the pandemic. A cross-lagged model was used to test the bidirectional relationship between NSSI and depressive symptoms in adolescents; logistic regression analysis was used to explore the predictors of NSSI implementation in adolescents with depressive symptoms.ResultsIn this study, 32.69% participants reported depressive symptoms at baseline and 34.27% at follow-up; 44.34% participants with depressive symptoms reported NSSI at baseline and 53.44% at follow-up. The duration of the online class, depressed affect, and somatic and related activity were the risk factors for NSSI; sleep duration and positive mood were the protective factors. The lag effect of depression symptoms on NSSI is significant, and so is NSSI on depressive symptoms.ConclusionDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, adolescents’ mental health has worsened, resulting in an increase in the prevalence of NSSI among those with depressive symptoms compared to pre-pandemic levels. Early screening for depression is crucial in preventing or decreasing NSSI in adolescents.

The transportation of hazardous chemicals on roadways has raised significant safety concerns. Incidents involving these substances often lead to severe and devastating consequences. Consequently, there is a pressing need for real-time detection systems tailored for hazardous material vehicles. However, existing detection methods face challenges in accurately identifying smaller targets and achieving high precision. This paper introduces a novel solution, HMV-YOLO, an enhancement of the YOLOv7-tiny model designed to address these challenges. Within this model, two innovative modules, CBSG and G-ELAN, are introduced. The CBSG module's mathematical model incorporates components such as Convolution (Conv2d), Batch Normalization (BN), SiLU activation, and Global Response Normalization (GRN) to mitigate feature collapse issues and enhance neuron activity. The G-ELAN module, building upon CBSG, further advances feature fusion. Experimental results showcase the superior performance of the enhanced model compared to the original one across various evaluation metrics. This advancement shows great promise for practical applications, particularly in the context of real-time monitoring systems for hazardous material vehicles.

ObjectiveCardiac surgery in Congenital Heart Disease-Heterotaxy (CHD-HTX) patients often leads to increased postoperative airway complications. Abnormal respiratory ciliary function, resembling primary ciliary dyskinesia, has been observed. We expanded the sample size by retrospectively reviewing Ciliary Dysfunction (CD) in CHD-HTX patients to verify the increased risk of post-surgical respiratory complications.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective review of 69 CHD-HTX patients undergoing cardiac surgery, assessing abnormal respiratory function using nasal nitric oxide (nNO) levels and nasal ciliary motion observed in video microscopy. Data collected included demographics, surgical details, postoperative complications, length of stay, ICU hours, salvage procedures, intubation duration, and mortality.ResultsThe CD and no-CD cohorts exhibited notable similarities in risk adjustment in Congenital Heart Surgery-1 (RACHS-1) risk categories, age at the time of surgery, and the duration of follow-up evaluations. We observed a trend toward an increased length of post-operative stay in the CD group (15.0 vs. 14.0; P = 0.0017). CHD-HTX patients with CD showed significantly higher rates of respiratory complications (70% vs. 44.4%; P = 0.008). There were no notable variances observed in postoperative hospitalization duration, mechanical ventilation period, or surgical mortality.ConclusionOur findings suggest that CHD-HTX patients with CD may face an elevated risk of respiratory complications. These results offer guidance for perioperative management and serve as a reference for further pathological studies.

ObjectiveImproving the detection capability and efficiency of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA specimens is very important for the prevention and control of the outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this study, we evaluated the detection capability and efficiency of two outbreaks of COVID-19 before and after the process re-engineering in April and July 2022.MethodsThis retrospective cross-sectional study involved 359,845 SARS-CoV-2 RNA specimens 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after the two outbreaks of COVID-19 in April and July. The number, transportation time and detection time of specimens, and the number of reports of more than 24 h were analyzed by SPSS software.ResultsWhile 16.84% of people chose nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) specimens, 83.16% chose oropharyngeal swabs (OPS) specimens to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA. There were significant upward trends in the percentage of 10 sample pooling (P-10) from April before process re-engineering to July after process re-engineering (p

In the field of rock engineering, complexity of stress environment is an important factor affecting its stability. Thus, in view of fracture mechanism of rock under different loading rates within the scope of quasi-static strain rate, four groups of uniaxial compression tests with different strain rates were carried out on sandstone specimens, and strength, deformation, failure modes and acoustic emission characteristics of specimens were compared and analyzed. Furthermore, the fracture mechanism was discussed from the perspective of fracture characteristics based on fractal dimension, crack propagation law inverted through acoustic emission b-value, and micro fracture morphology. The results showed that as the strain rate increased from 10 to 5 s−1 to 10−2 s−1, the fractal dimension of rock fragments increased, and the fractal dimension of rock fragments increased by 9.66%, 7.32%, and 3.77% successively for every 10 times increase in strain rate, which means that the equivalent size of fragments was getting smaller, and the fragmentation feature was becoming increasingly prominent. The crack propagation process based on acoustic emission b-value showed that with the increase of loading rate, the specimen entered the rapid crack propagation stage earlier, in order of 68%, 66%, 29%, and 22% of peak stress. Moreover, the microscopic fracture morphology showed that with the increase of loading rate, transgranular phenomenon was clear, and the fracture morphology changed from smooth to rough. That meant that the fracture of sandstone rock at high loading rates was mainly caused by the propagation of large cracks, which was different from the slow process of initiation, convergence and re-propagation of small cracks at low strain rates.

IntroduceAnkylosing spondylitis (AS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and osteoarthritis (OA) are three rheumatic immune diseases with many common characteristics. If left untreated, they can lead to joint destruction and functional limitation, and in severe cases, they can cause lifelong disability and even death. Studies have shown that early diagnosis and treatment are key to improving patient outcomes. Therefore, a rapid and accurate method for rapid diagnosis of diseases has been established, which is of great clinical significance for realizing early diagnosis of diseases and improving patient prognosis.MethodsThis study was based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) combined with a deep learning model to achieve non-invasive, rapid, and accurate differentiation of AS, RA, OA, and healthy control group. In the experiment, 320 serum samples were collected, 80 in each group. AlexNet, ResNet, MSCNN, and MSResNet diagnostic models were established by using a machine learning algorithm.ResultThe range of spectral wave number measured by four sets of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy is 700-4000 cm-1. Serum spectral characteristic peaks were mainly at 1641 cm-1(amide I), 1542 cm-1(amide II), 3280 cm-1(amide A), 1420 cm-1(proline and tryptophan), 1245 cm-1(amide III), 1078 cm-1(carbohydrate region). And 2940 cm-1 (mainly fatty acids and cholesterol). At the same time, AlexNet, ResNet, MSCNN, and MSResNet diagnostic models are established by using machine learning algorithms. The multi-scale MSResNet classification model combined with residual blocks can use convolution modules of different scales to extract different scale features and use resblocks to solve the problem of network degradation, reduce the interference of spectral measurement noise, and enhance the generalization ability of the network model. By comparing the experimental results of the other three models AlexNet, ResNet, and MSCNN, it is found that the MSResNet model has the best diagnostic performance and the accuracy rate is 0.87.ConclusionThe results prove the feasibility of serum Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy combined with a deep learning algorithm to distinguish AS, RA, OA, and healthy control group, which can be used as an effective auxiliary diagnostic method for these rheumatic immune diseases.

BackgroundIn the fight against tuberculosis, besides chemotherapy, the regulation of oxidative stress (OS) has also aroused people’s interest in host-oriented therapy. However, there is limited research on the genes involved in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and clearance in macrophages infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). This study analyzes and explores this to provide a basis for exploring new targets for antituberculosis treatments.MethodsWe established a macrophage model infected with MTB, counted intracellular bacteria, and determined the ROS produced using flow cytometry. We conducted ribonucleic acid sequencing, screened differentially expressed genes through transcriptomic methods, and validated the expression of them through reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction.ResultsThe ROS of macrophages increased with intracellular bacteria at 4 h after infection with MTB and reached its peak at 48 h, surpassing the uninfected macrophages (p < 0.05). A total of 1,613 differentially expressed genes were identified after infection with MTB, of which 458 were associated with ROS, with over 50% involved in the response of organelles and biological processes to stimuli. We analyzed and identified six genes. After macrophage infection with MTB, the expression of CAMK2B increased, whereas the expression of CYBB decreased (p < 0.05). The expression of GPX3 and SOD2 increased, whereas the expression of CAT decreased (p < 0.05).ConclusionThe ROS-related differentially expressed genes between MTB infected and uninfected macrophages may be related to some organelles and involved in various biological processes, molecular functions, and signaling pathways. Among them, CAMK2B, GPX3, and SOD2 may be related to ROS.

IntroductionThe well-known eastern Asian (EA) and eastern North American (ENA) floristic disjunction provides a unique system for biogeographic and evolutionary studies. Despite considerable interest in the disjunction, few studies have investigated the patterns and their underlying drivers of allopatric divergence in sister species or lineages isolated in the two areas. Endophyte diversity and assembly in disjunct sister taxa, as an ecological trait, may have played an important role in the processes of allopatric evolution, but no studies have examined endophytes in these lineages. Here we compared foliar endophytic fungi and bacteria-archaea (FEF and FEB) in 17 EA-ENA disjunct species or clade pairs from genera representing conifers and 10 orders of five major groups of angiosperms and 23 species of Cornus from EA and North America. MethodsMetagenomic sequencing of fungal ITS and bacterial-archaeal 16S rDNA was used to capture the foliar endophytic communities. Alpha and beta diversity of fungi and bacteria were compared at multiple scales and dimensions to gain insights into the relative roles of historical geographic isolation, host identity, phylogeny, and environment from samples at different sites in shaping endophytic diversity patterns. ResultsWe found that beta diversity of endophytes varied greatly among plant individuals within species and between species among genera at the same sampling site, and among three sampling sites, but little variation between region-of-origin of all plant species (EA vs ENA) and between EA-ENA disjunct counterparts within genera. Various numbers of indicator fungal species differing in abundance were identified for each plant genus and Cornus species. An overall significant correlation between endophyte community dissimilarity and phylogenetic distance of plants was detected among the disjunct genera but not among species of Cornus. However, significant correlations between beta diversities at different taxonomic scales of endophytes and phylogenetic distances of Cornus species were observed. DiscussionOur results suggest important roles of host identity and environment (sampling sites), and a likely minor role of phylogenetic divergence and historical biogeographic isolation in shaping the pattern of foliar endophyte diversity and assembly in the EA-ENA disjunct genera and Cornus. The results lead to a hypothesis that the sister taxa in EA and ENA likely differ in FEF and FEB when growing in native habitats due to differences in local environments, which may potentially drive allopatric divergence of the functional features of species.

Amino acids along the conformational motion pathway of the enzyme molecule correlated to its flexibility and rigidity. To enhance the enzyme activity and thermal stability, the motion pathway of Geobacillus stearothermophilus α-amylase has been identified and molecularly modified by using the neural relational inference model and deep learning tool. The significant differences in substrate specificity, enzymatic kinetics, optimal temperature, and thermal stability were observed among the mutants with modified amino acids along the pathway. Mutants especially the P44E demonstrated enhanced hydrolytic activity and catalytic efficiency (kcat/KM) than the wild-type enzyme to 95.0% and 93.8% respectively, with the optimum temperature increased to 90°C. This mutation from proline to glutamic acid has increased the number and the radius of the bottleneck of the channels, which might facilitate transporting large starch substrates into the enzyme. The mutation could also optimize the hydrogen bonding network of the catalytic center, and diminish the spatial hindering to the substrate entry and exit from the catalytic center.

IntroductionNoncardiac anomalies (NCAs) in patients with congenital heart defects (CHDs) are crucial for perioperative management and etiology studies. This study aimed to investigate NCAs in Chinese children with CHDs.MethodsMedical records for CHD-diagnosed children hospitalized from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2019 were collected and subjected to retrospective analyses to excavate potential association rules between CHDs and noncardiac malformations.ResultsA total of 3,788 CHD patients were included in this study. The main phenotypes of CHD were Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD, 33.69%), Atrial Septal Defect (ASD, 12.72%), and Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF, 5.54%). A total of 887 (23.42%) cases showed noncardiac anomalies, which were mainly associated with the central nervous system (34.61%), nose/ear/mandibular/face (19.39%), genitourinary system (15.78%), and musculoskeletal system (15.56%). Compared to other CHD subtypes, septal defects had a lower percentage of associated NCAs (P = 3.7 × 10−9) while AVSD had a higher percentage (P = 0.0018).DisscussionNCAs are prevalent among CHD-diagnosed children in China, and the spectrums of NCAs in different CHD subcategories were different.

Nail lichen planus (NLP) is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology and has been recognized as a nail potentially critical disorder, which can be severe and rapidly worsen with irreversible scarring. Currently, the treatment options are limited based on disease progression. High-potency topical or intralesional corticosteroids are commonly considered first-line therapeutic options; however, these therapies are unsuitable for all patients with NLP, especially those with extensive lesions. As a potential therapeutic target for inflammatory skin diseases, Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors can suppress both type-1 and type-2 cytokines, thereby reducing the immune response and resultant inflammation. Recent studies have suggested benefit in cutaneous lichen planus and lichen planopilaris with oral JAK inhibitors. Here, we report a case of severe NLP that exhibited a favorable response to tofacitinib treatment. A 41-year-old woman presented to our clinic with a 2-year history of nail dystrophy of all fingers of both hands. The NLP was finally confirmed by histopathology and the above clinical features. After the informed consent signature, tofacitinib monotherapy, 5 mg twice a day, was then begun, and after 6 months, the appearance of her nails had a significant improvement.

ObjectiveTo examine the correlation between specific indicators and the quality of hip joint ultrasound images in infants and determine whether the individual infant suit ultrasound examination for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH).MethodWe retrospectively selected infants aged 0–6 months, undergone ultrasound imaging of the left hip joint between September 2021 and March 2022 at Shenzhen Children’s Hospital. Using the entropy weighting method, weights were assigned to anatomical structures. Moreover, prospective data was collected from infants aged 5–11 months. The left hip joint was imaged, scored and weighted as before. The correlation between the weighted image quality scores and individual indicators were studied, with the last weighted image quality score used as the dependent variable and the individual indicators used as independent variables. A Long-short term memory (LSTM) model was used to fit the data and evaluate its effectiveness. Finally, The randomly selected images were manually measured and compared to measurements made using artificial intelligence (AI).ResultsAccording to the entropy weight method, the weights of each anatomical structure as follows: bony rim point 0.29, lower iliac limb point 0.41, and glenoid labrum 0.30. The final weighted score for ultrasound image quality is calculated by multiplying each score by its respective weight. Infant gender, age, height, and weight were found to be significantly correlated with the final weighted score of image quality (P

IntroductionAlthough there is growing evidence supporting the effectiveness of Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors in treating alopecia areata, the high rate of recurrence following drug discontinuation has led to prolonged treatment courses and raised concerns about long-term safety. In clinical practice, caution should be exercised while using JAK inhibitors for various indications, and a comprehensive pre-treatment screening.MethodsThis study presents an analysis of screening data collected from real-world settings before the initiation of Janus kinase inhibitors in patients with alopecia areata. Investigators collected retrospective medical data characterizing patients’ screening data. Data on demographic and clinical data, including age, sex, disease duration, severity of alopecia tool scale, history of prior treatment, and treatment regimen were recorded.ResultsIn this cohort (N = 218), JAK inhibitors were initiated for 163 of 218 (74.8%) alopecia areata patients. The numbers of patients positive for antinuclear antibodies, hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis C virus antibodies, human immunodeficiency virus antibody, treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay, and thyroid-stimulating hormone were 32 (32/176), 10(10/218), 0 (0/218), 0 (0/218), 3 (3/218) and 9 (9/176), respectively. The number of patients with T-cell spot positive or imaging of the chest indicating tuberculosis was 37 (37/218).DisccusionOur data provide additional information on the safety profile of JAK inhibitors in patients with alopecia areata. As such, it is necessary and crucial to screen for JAK inhibitors before it is used, particularly for individuals with a high risk of tuberculosis, hepatitis B, and other infections.

Dysfunction of the immune response is regarded as a prominent feature of neurological diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, malignant tumors, acute neurotraumatic insult, and cerebral ischemic/hemorrhagic diseases. Platelets play a fundamental role in normal hemostasis and thrombosis. Beyond those normal functions, platelets are hyperactivated and contribute crucially to inflammation and immune responses in the central nervous system (CNS). Mitochondria are pivotal organelles in platelets and are responsible for generating most of the ATP that is used for platelet activation and aggregation (clumping). Notably, platelet mitochondria show marked morphological and functional alterations under heightened inflammatory/oxidative stimulation. Mitochondrial dysfunction not only leads to platelet damage and apoptosis but also further aggravates immune responses. Improving mitochondrial function is hopefully an effective strategy for treating neurological diseases. In this review, the authors discuss the immunomodulatory roles of platelet-derived mitochondria (PLT-mitos) in neurological diseases and summarize the neuroprotective effects of platelet mitochondria transplantation.

Gliomas, the most prevalent primary tumors in the central nervous system, are marked by their immunosuppressive properties and consequent poor patient prognosis. Current evidence emphasizes the pivotal role of the tumor microenvironment in the progression of gliomas, largely attributed to tumor-associated macrophages (brain-resident microglia and bone marrow-derived macrophages) that create a tumor microenvironment conducive to the growth and invasion of tumor cells. Yet, distinguishing between these two cell subgroups remains a challenge. Thus, our review starts by analyzing the heterogeneity between these two cell subsets, then places emphasis on elucidating the complex interactions between microglia and glioma cells. Finally, we conclude with a summary of current attempts at immunotherapy that target microglia. However, given that independent research on microglia is still in its initial stages and has many shortcomings at the present time, we express our related concerns and hope that further research will be carried out to address these issues in the future.

COVID-19 is characterized by an excessive inflammatory response and macrophage hyperactivation, leading, in severe cases, to alveolar epithelial injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Recent studies have reported that SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein interacts with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to boost inflammatory responses in vitro, in macrophages and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and in vivo. The hypothalamic hormone growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), in addition to promoting pituitary GH release, exerts many peripheral functions, acting as a growth factor in both malignant and non-malignant cells. GHRH antagonists, in turn, display potent antitumor effects and antinflammatory activities in different cell types, including lung and endothelial cells. However, to date, the antinflammatory role of GHRH antagonists in COVID-19 remains unexplored. Here, we examined the ability of GHRH antagonist MIA-602 to reduce inflammation in human THP-1-derived macrophages and PBMCs stimulated with S protein and LPS combination. Western blot and immunofluorescence analysis revealed the presence of GHRH receptor and its splice variant SV1 in both THP-1 cells and PBMCs. Exposure of THP-1 cells to S protein and LPS combination increased the mRNA levels and protein secretion of TNF-α and IL-1β, as well as IL-8 and MCP-1 gene expression, an effect hampered by MIA-602. Similarly, MIA-602 hindered TNF-α and IL-1β secretion in PBMCs and reduced MCP-1 mRNA levels. Mechanistically, MIA-602 blunted the S protein and LPS-induced activation of inflammatory pathways in THP-1 cells, such as NF-κB, STAT3, MAPK ERK1/2 and JNK. MIA-602 also attenuated oxidative stress in PBMCs, by decreasing ROS production, iNOS and COX-2 protein levels, and MMP9 activity. Finally, MIA-602 prevented the effect of S protein and LPS synergism on NF-кB nuclear translocation and activity. Overall, these findings demonstrate a novel antinflammatory role for GHRH antagonists of MIA class and suggest their potential development for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, such as COVID-19 and related comorbidities.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the trends of childhood overweight, obesity, and malnutrition, as well as increased psychological stress and family conflicts among family members. It is important to explore the relationship between changes in the family environment during the COVID-19 on child nutrition.ObjectiveThis study aims to analyze the nutritional status of Chinese children during the COVID-19 pandemic and its relationship with family diet, family environment, and parental anxiety, in order to provide evidence for further interventions in children’s nutritional status.MethodThis study included 7,645 primary and secondary school students and their parents from five schools in Chengdu, China. Chi-square tests were used to analyze the categorical variables of children’s malnutrition, overweight, obesity, and parental anxiety. T-tests were used to assess changes in the continuous variable of family environment between two rounds of follow-up surveys. Multiple logistic regression analysis was employed to examine the impact of changes in family diet during the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s nutritional status. Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze the effects of family environment and parental anxiety on childhood obesity.ResultThe prevalence of malnutrition and obesity decreased from 11.64% and 11.60% in wave 1 to 4.96% and 10.50% in wave 2, and the rate of overweight increased from 13.11% in wave 1 to 13.73% in wave 2. Children whose families reduced consumption of staple foods during the COVID-19 were more likely to be frail, and families increased consumption of sugary drinks, take-out or meal delivery services, living in towns, family environmental barriers, and parental anxiety were risk factors for overweight obesity. Mother’s education level in middle and high school and low age were protective factors for overweight obesity.ConclusionThe physical environment of the family, the emotions of family members, and children’s perceptions of the family’s soft environment can influence children’s eating behaviors, children’s nutritional intake, and malnutrition and obesity in children under public health emergencies, and family-based dietary interventions may be effective. Parents can increase consumption of healthy foods and improve the family environment, which improve their growth.

Minimal residual disease (MRD) refers to a very small number of residual tumor cells in the body during or after treatment, representing the persistence of the tumor and the possibility of clinical progress. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a DNA fragment actively secreted by tumor cells or released into the circulatory system during the process of apoptosis or necrosis of tumor cells, which emerging as a non-invasive biomarker to dynamically monitor the therapeutic effect and prediction of recurrence. The feasibility of ctDNA as MRD detection and the revolution in ctDNA-based liquid biopsies provides a potential method for cancer monitoring. In this review, we summarized the main methods of ctDNA detection (PCR-based Sequencing and Next-Generation Sequencing) and their advantages and disadvantages. Additionally, we reviewed the significance of ctDNA analysis to guide the adjuvant therapy and predict the relapse of lung, breast and colon cancer et al. Finally, there are still many challenges of MRD detection, such as lack of standardization, false-negatives or false-positives results make misleading, and the requirement of validation using large independent cohorts to improve clinical outcomes.

“Dietary fiber” (DF) refers to a type of carbohydrate that cannot be digested fully. DF is not an essential nutrient, but it plays an important part in enhancing digestive capacity and maintaining intestinal health. Therefore, DF supplementation in the daily diet is highly recommended. Inulin is a soluble DF, and commonly added to foods. Recently, several studies have found that dietary supplementation of inulin can improve metabolic function and regulate intestinal immunity. Inulin is fermented in the colon by the gut microbiota and a series of metabolites is generated. Among these metabolites, short-chain fatty acids provide energy to intestinal epithelial cells and participate in regulating the differentiation of immune cells. Inulin and its intestinal metabolites contribute to host immunity. This review summarizes the effect of inulin and its metabolites on intestinal immunity, and the underlying mechanisms of inulin in preventing diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic kidney disease, and certain cancer types.