660 results on '"Ai, T"'
Search Results
202. Manifested U-Waves Prior to Seizure Attacks in a Patient Who Had Remote Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Case Report.
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Kaneko N, Watanabe M, Mori S, Turker I, Okamoto K, Urabe T, and Ai T
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- Humans, Male, Aged, Electroencephalography methods, Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy, Subarachnoid Hemorrhage complications, Subarachnoid Hemorrhage physiopathology, Electrocardiography methods, Seizures physiopathology, Seizures etiology
- Abstract
Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) refers to unpredictable demise of a person following a seizure. Electroencephalograms can directly measure electrical activity in the brain; however, it cannot predict when seizures will occur. The use of electrocardiograms (ECGs) to monitor changes in brain electrical activity has gained attention, recently. In this case report, we retrospectively reviewed ECGs taken before and after seizure activity in a 75-year-old male who had a remote subarachnoid hemorrhage. Interestingly, U-waves appeared prior to his seizures and disappeared afterward, which suggests ECGs can be used to predict epilepsy in a certain population., (© 2024 The Author(s). Annals of Noninvasive Electrocardiology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)
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- 2024
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203. Internal iliac artery ligation as a damage control method in hemodynamically unstable pelvic fractures: A systematic review of the literature.
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Li H, Ai T, Huang GB, Yang J, Wei GB, Gao JM, He P, Cao XM, and Du DY
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- Humans, Male, Ligation methods, Fractures, Bone complications, Fractures, Bone surgery, Hemodynamics, Iliac Artery surgery, Iliac Artery injuries, Pelvic Bones blood supply, Pelvic Bones injuries
- Abstract
Purpose: Internal iliac artery ligation (IIAL) has been used as a damage control procedure to treat hemodynamically unstable pelvic fracture for many years. However, there is ongoing debate regarding the effectiveness and safety of this hemostatic method. Therefore, we performed a systematic literature review to assess the efficacy and safety of IIAL for pelvic fracture hemostasis., Methods: Three major databases, PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar, were searched to screen eligible original studies published in English journals. Two reviewers independently read the titles, abstracts, and full texts of all literature. Articles were included if they reported the use and effects of IIAL., Results: A total of 171 articles were initially identified, with 22 fully meeting the inclusion criteria. Among the analyzed cases, up to 66.7% of patients had associated abdominal and pelvic organ injuries, with the urethra being the most frequently injured organ, followed by the bowel. The outcomes of IIAL for achieving hemostasis in pelvic fractures were found to be satisfactory, with an effective rate of 80%. Hemorrhagic shock was the leading cause of death, followed by craniocerebral injury. Notably, no reports of ischemic complications involving the pelvic organs due to IIAL were found., Conclusion: IIAL has a good effect in treating hemodynamically unstable pelvic fracture without the risk of pelvic organ ischemia. This procedure should be considered a priority for hemodynamically unstable pelvic fracture patients with abdominal organ injuries., (Copyright © 2024. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.)
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- 2024
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204. Carvedilol suppresses ryanodine receptor-dependent Ca2+ bursts in human neurons bearing PSEN1 variants found in early onset Alzheimer's disease.
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Hori A, Inaba H, Hato T, Tanaka K, Sato S, Okamoto M, Horiuchi Y, Paran FJ, Tabe Y, Mori S, Rosales C, Akamatsu W, Murayama T, Kurebayashi N, Sakurai T, Ai T, and Miida T
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- Female, Humans, Male, Endoplasmic Reticulum metabolism, Endoplasmic Reticulum drug effects, Alzheimer Disease metabolism, Alzheimer Disease genetics, Alzheimer Disease pathology, Calcium metabolism, Calcium Signaling drug effects, Neurons metabolism, Neurons drug effects, Presenilin-1 genetics, Presenilin-1 metabolism, Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel metabolism, Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel genetics, Carvedilol pharmacology
- Abstract
Seizures are increasingly being recognized as the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Neuronal hyperactivity can be a consequence of neuronal damage caused by abnormal amyloid β (Aß) depositions. However, it can also be a cell-autonomous phenomenon causing AD by Aß-independent mechanisms. Various studies using animal models have shown that Ca2+ is released from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) via type 1 inositol triphosphate receptors (InsP3R1s) and ryanodine receptors (RyRs). To investigate which is the main pathophysiological mechanism in human neurons, we measured Ca2+ signaling in neural cells derived from three early-onset AD patients harboring Presenilin-1 variants (PSEN1 p.A246E, p.L286V, and p.M146L). Of these, it has been reported that PSEN1 p.A246E and p.L286V did not produce a significant amount of abnormal Aß. We found all PSEN1-mutant neurons, but not wild-type, caused abnormal Ca2+-bursts in a manner dependent on the calcium channel, Ryanodine Receptor 2 (RyR2). Indeed, carvedilol, an RyR2 inhibitor, and VK-II-86, an analog of carvedilol without the β-blocking effects, sufficiently eliminated the abnormal Ca2+ bursts. In contrast, Dantrolene, an inhibitor of RyR1 and RyR3, and Xestospongin c, an IP3R inhibitor, did not attenuate the Ca2+-bursts. The Western blotting showed that RyR2 expression was not affected by PSEN1 p.A246E, suggesting that the variant may activate the RyR2. The RNA-Seq data revealed that ER-stress responsive genes were increased, and mitochondrial Ca2+-transporter genes were decreased in PSEN1A246E cells compared to the WT neurons. Thus, we propose that aberrant Ca2+ signaling is a key link between human pathogenic PSEN1 variants and cell-intrinsic hyperactivity prior to deposition of abnormal Aß, offering prospects for the development of targeted prevention strategies for at-risk individuals., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Hori et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)
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- 2024
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205. Mechanical force-activated CD109 on periodontal ligament stem cells governs osteogenesis and osteoclast to promote alveolar bone remodeling.
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Li Y, Li Y, Liu C, Yu X, Gan Z, Xiang L, Zheng J, Meng B, Yu R, Chen X, Kou X, Cao Y, and Ai T
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- Animals, Rats, Male, Humans, Antigens, CD metabolism, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Periodontal Ligament metabolism, Periodontal Ligament cytology, Osteogenesis drug effects, Osteoclasts metabolism, Bone Remodeling, Stem Cells metabolism, Stem Cells cytology
- Abstract
Mechanical force-mediated bone remodeling is crucial for various physiological and pathological processes involving multiple factors, including stem cells and the immune response. However, it remains unclear how stem cells respond to mechanical stimuli to modulate the immune microenvironment and subsequent bone remodeling. Here, we found that mechanical force induced increased expression of CD109 on periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) in vitro and in periodontal tissues from the force-induced tooth movement rat model in vivo, accompanied by activated alveolar bone remodeling. Under mechanical force stimulation, CD109 suppressed the osteogenesis capacity of PDLSCs through the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway, whereas it promoted PDLSC-induced osteoclast formation and M1 macrophage polarization through paracrine. Moreover, inhibition of CD109 in vivo by lentivirus-shRNA injection increased the osteogenic activity and bone density in periodontal tissues. On the contrary, it led to decreased osteoclast numbers and pro-inflammatory factor secretion in periodontal tissues and reduced tooth movement. Mechanistically, mechanical force-enhanced CD109 expression via the repression of miR-340-5p. Our findings uncover a CD109-mediated mechanical force response machinery on PDLSCs, which contributes to regulating the immune microenvironment and alveolar bone remodeling during tooth movement., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press.)
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- 2024
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206. [Efficacy and safety of first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs combined with Linezolid for the treatment of pediatric tuberculous meningitis in real-word practice].
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Ai T, Jiang L, Liu QB, Bai Y, Yang Y, Sun FJ, Jia YT, Zhou YJ, and Zhang ZZ
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- Humans, Retrospective Studies, Male, Female, Child, Child, Preschool, Treatment Outcome, Infant, Rifampin therapeutic use, Rifampin administration & dosage, Ethambutol therapeutic use, Ethambutol administration & dosage, Pyrazinamide therapeutic use, Pyrazinamide administration & dosage, Isoniazid therapeutic use, Isoniazid administration & dosage, Isoniazid adverse effects, Tuberculosis, Meningeal drug therapy, Linezolid therapeutic use, Linezolid administration & dosage, Antitubercular Agents therapeutic use, Antitubercular Agents administration & dosage, Antitubercular Agents adverse effects, Drug Therapy, Combination
- Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of first-line anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs combined with linezolid in treatment of children with tuberculous meningitis (TBM). Methods: A retrospective cohort study design was performed . Eight-nine Children diagnosed as TBM during January 1
st 2016 and December 31st 2023 in Department of Infectious Disease, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University were enrolled in the study. According to different treatment regimens, children were divided into a group of first-line anti-tuberculous drugs (isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, ethambutol (HRZE)) and a group of HRZE and linezolid combination (HRZEL). The efficacy and safety of the 2 regimens were compared and the relationship between linezolid drug concentration and adverse reactions were analyzed. Comparisons between groups were performed using χ2 test and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The 89 children with TBM included 53 males and 36 females with an onset age of 4.6 (1.4, 9.6) years. There were 27 cases in the HZREL group and 62 cases in the HRZE group. Before treatment, positive rate of interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA) in HRZEL group was lower than that in HRZE group (64% (16/25) vs. 92% (55/60), χ2 =9.82, P <0.05), but protein level of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was higher than that in HRZE group (1.2 (1.0, 2.0) vs. 0.8 (0.4,1.4) g/L, Z =0.32, P <0.05). By the end of the intensive phase, there were no significant differences of rates of CSF improvement and etiology negativity between HRZEL group and HRZE group (both P >0.05).The 44 TBM children with high CSF protein (>1 g/L) included 25 males and 19 females with an onset age of 6.7 (3.0, 11.8) years. There were 21 cases in the HZREL group and 23 cases in the HRZE group accordingly. Before treatment, there were no significant differences of positive rate of IGRA test and CSF protein level between the 2 groups (62% (13/21) vs. 87% (20/23), 1.7 (1.1, 2.2) vs. 1.5 (1.2, 1.9) g/L, χ2 =3.67, Z =0.23, both P >0.05). There were no significant differences in CSF indicators, etiology negativity or imaging remission between the two groups by the end of intensive phase (all P >0.05). Higher frequencies of granulocytopenia, gastrointestinal symptoms as well as withdrawal or change of drugs were found in HRZEL group when compared to those in HRZE group (44% (12/27) vs. 19% (12/62), 7% (2/27) vs. 0, 33% (9/27) vs. 3% (2/62), χ2 =6.01, 4.70, 15.74, all P <0.05). Conclusions: The efficacy of HRZEL regimen is similar to conventional HRZE regimen in children with TBM, but with higher adverse effect. Prudentially evaluating the pros and cons of linezolid in the usage of drug-susceptible TB and carefully monitoring of linezolid associated adverse effects is suggested.- Published
- 2024
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207. Synergistic interaction between pay-it-forward incentives and recreational drug use on hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus testing among men who have sex with men in China.
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Ai W, Xie Y, Lu H, Ai T, Wu D, Zhang Y, Marley G, Ong J, Tucker JD, and Tang W
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- Humans, Male, China epidemiology, Adult, Young Adult, Mass Screening economics, Mass Screening statistics & numerical data, Middle Aged, Hepatitis B virus drug effects, Hepacivirus drug effects, Sexual and Gender Minorities statistics & numerical data, Hepatitis C diagnosis, Hepatitis C epidemiology, Homosexuality, Male statistics & numerical data, Hepatitis B epidemiology, Motivation, Recreational Drug Use statistics & numerical data
- Abstract
Objectives: Pay-it-forward incentives effectively promote hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing among men who have sex with men (MSM) by offering free testing and donation opportunities. This study aims to explore the interaction between pay-it-forward incentives and recreational drug use on HBV and HCV testing uptake among Chinese MSM., Methods: We pooled data from two pay-it-forward studies that aimed to promote dual HBV and HCV testing among MSM in Jiangsu, China. We explored factors associated with hepatitis testing uptake in the two study groups and examined the interaction between pay-it-forward incentives and recreational drug use on hepatitis testing uptake., Results: Overall, 511 MSM participated in these two studies, with 265 participants in the pay-it-forward incentives group and 246 participants in the standard-of-care group. Among these participants, 59.3% in the pay-it-forward incentive group and 24.8% in the standard-of-care group received dual HBV and HCV testing, respectively. In the pay-it-forward incentives group, participants who used recreational drugs in the past 12 months (adjusted OR (AOR)=1.83, 95% CI 1.09 to 3.06) were more likely to receive dual HBV and HCV testing, compared with those who never used recreational drugs, whereas in the standard-of-care group, those who used recreational drugs were less likely to receive dual HBC and HCV testing (AOR=0.38, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.78). MSM with higher community connectedness (AOR=1.10, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.21) were also more likely to receive hepatitis testing with pay-it-forward incentives. There was a synergistic interaction on both the multiplicative (ratio of ORs=4.83, 95% CI 1.98 to 11.7) and additive scales (the relative excess risk of interaction=2.97, 95% CI 0.56 to 5.38) of pay-it-forward incentives and recreational drug use behaviours on dual HBV and HCV testing uptake among MSM., Conclusion: Pay-it-forward incentives may be particularly useful in promoting hepatitis testing among MSM who use recreational drugs., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)
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- 2024
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208. Easy and Green Method to Fabricate Highly Thermally Conductive Poly(decamethylene terephthalamide)/Graphite Nanoplatelets Nanocomposite with Aligned Structure.
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Xu P, Ai T, Wang P, and Ji J
- Abstract
With the development of miniaturization and integration of electrical and electronic equipment, the heat accumulation problems caused by the long-term operation of devices have become more and more serious. High thermal-conductivity and high-performance plastic composites have attracted significant interest from both academia and industry. Numerous studies have been recently conducted to enhance the thermal conductivity (TC) of nanofiller-filled polymeric composites. However, the homogeneous dispersion and directional arrangement of nanofillers in the resin matrix are the key factors limiting their effectiveness in enhancing thermal conductivity. Based on the feasibility considerations of mass production and industrial application, this paper reports on a novel preparation method of Poly(decamethylene terephthalamide)/graphite nanoparticle (GNP) nanocomposites with high thermal conductivity. Without borrowing solvents or other reagents, this method can effectively strip the inexpensive scaled graphite into nanoscale for its uniform dispersion and orientation arrangement by relying only on mechanical external forces. The whole technology is simple, green, and easy to industrialize. The fillers were well-dispersed and aligned in the PA10T, which played a role in significantly enhancing the thermal conductivity of the PA10T. In addition, we found that the thermal conductivity of the composites reached 1.20 W/(m·K) at 10 wt% filler content, which was 330% higher than that of the pure matrix. The mechanical properties of the composites were also significantly improved. This work provides guidance for the easy fabrication of thermally conductive composites with aligned structures.
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- 2024
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209. Long-term survival in a patient with metastatic parathyroid carcinoma harboring an EGFR sensitizing mutation: a case report.
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Ying Y, Li H, Xia W, Cheng T, Li H, Fu Q, Ai T, Yang Y, Zhang N, Li X, Ao Q, Du Y, and Yang Z
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- Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Lung Neoplasms genetics, Lung Neoplasms pathology, Lung Neoplasms secondary, Lung Neoplasms drug therapy, Neoplasm Recurrence, Local genetics, Neoplasm Recurrence, Local pathology, ErbB Receptors genetics, ErbB Receptors antagonists & inhibitors, Mutation, Parathyroid Neoplasms genetics, Parathyroid Neoplasms pathology
- Abstract
Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is a rare and aggressive endocrine malignancy with limited treatment options. Current treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy have demonstrated limited efficacy. Here, we report the case of a male patient who presented with symptoms including polydipsia, polyuria, and joint pain. Further examination revealed a neck lump, hypercalcemia, and hyperparathyroidism, leading to a diagnosis of PC after en bloc surgery. Seven months later, the patient developed local recurrence and lung metastases, which were resected via left lateral neck dissection and thoracoscopic wedge resection. A 422-gene panel test revealed the presence of epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR ) p.L858R (c. T2573G) mutation, which may sensitize the EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor response, and phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase, catalytic subunit alpha ( PIK3CA ) p.E545KV (c. G1633A) mutation. After multidisciplinary treatment discussions, the patient was treated with the multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor, anlotinib, resulting in survival benefits for 19 months. This case highlights the potential of targeted therapy in terms of long-term survival in patients with distant metastatic PC, as well as the importance of precision therapy guided by genome sequencing to identify potential therapeutic targets.
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- 2024
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210. BCN20000: Dermoscopic Lesions in the Wild.
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Hernández-Pérez C, Combalia M, Podlipnik S, Codella NCF, Rotemberg V, Halpern AC, Reiter O, Carrera C, Barreiro A, Helba B, Puig S, Vilaplana V, and Malvehy J
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- Humans, Spain, Neural Networks, Computer, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Dermoscopy, Skin Neoplasms diagnostic imaging
- Abstract
Advancements in dermatological artificial intelligence research require high-quality and comprehensive datasets that mirror real-world clinical scenarios. We introduce a collection of 18,946 dermoscopic images spanning from 2010 to 2016, collated at the Hospital Clínic in Barcelona, Spain. The BCN20000 dataset aims to address the problem of unconstrained classification of dermoscopic images of skin cancer, including lesions in hard-to-diagnose locations such as those found in nails and mucosa, large lesions which do not fit in the aperture of the dermoscopy device, and hypo-pigmented lesions. Our dataset covers eight key diagnostic categories in dermoscopy, providing a diverse range of lesions for artificial intelligence model training. Furthermore, a ninth out-of-distribution (OOD) class is also present on the test set, comprised of lesions which could not be distinctively classified as any of the others. By providing a comprehensive collection of varied images, BCN20000 helps bridge the gap between the training data for machine learning models and the day-to-day practice of medical practitioners. Additionally, we present a set of baseline classifiers based on state-of-the-art neural networks, which can be extended by other researchers for further experimentation., (© 2024. The Author(s).)
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- 2024
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211. The Non-Denatured Processing of Brasenia schreberi Mucilage-Characteristics of Hydrodynamic Properties and the Effect on In Vivo Functions.
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Ai T, Wan J, Yu X, Liu J, Yin C, Yang L, Liu H, and Qin R
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Food non-denatured processes, such as freeze-drying and grinding, are commonly applied to raw materials with good bioactive functions. Although the functional components are maintained, whether structural and physical changes impact the in vivo function is often ignored in practical situations. Brasenia schreberi mucilage (BSM) has a significant alleviation effect on DSS-induced colitis. This work focused on the influence of non-denatured manufacture on the colonic benefits of BSM-based products. First, three forms of products including fresh mucilage (FM), freeze-dried products (FS), and freeze-dried powder (FP) were prepared. Then, their in vitro physiochemical properties were compared, analyzing their influence on the gut inflammation degree, microbial composition, and SCFA production in mice. The results suggested that the water retention rate of FS and FP was decreased to 34.59 ± 3.85%, and 9.93 ± 1.76%. The viscosity of FM, FS, and FP was 20.14 Pa∙s, 4.92 Pa∙s, and 0.41 Pa∙s, respectively. The freeze-drying and grinding process also damaged the lamellar microstructure of BSM. Then, animal tests showed that colitis mice intervened with FM, FS, and FP had disease activity scores of 2.03, 3.95, and 4.62. Meanwhile, FM notably changed the gut microbial composition and significantly increased propionate and butyrate levels. It seemed that the distinct colitis alleviation efficacy of BSM-based products is attributed to different hydrodynamic properties in the gut. FM had relatively higher viscosity and correspondingly high nutritional density in the gut lumen, which stimulates Firmicutes growth and promotes butyrate production, and thereby exhibited the best efficiency on protecting from colitis.
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- 2024
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212. Number of denatured rigor cross-bridges determines the intracellular volume shrinkage in porcine muscle fibre under PSE-inducing condition.
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Yin C, Wu S, Yang N, Ai T, Wan J, Rui Q, Liu H, Xiong H, and Liu J
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- Swine, Animals, Myofibrils, Meat analysis, Water, Muscle, Skeletal, Muscle Fibers, Skeletal
- Abstract
Earlier onset of rigor mortis is a critical physiological progress occurring in the development of pale soft and exudative (PSE) meat. However, how rigor cross-bridges denature under different physiological conditions and their impacts on water-holding capacity remains unclear. To address this scientific question, we firstly established a method to quantify the extent of rigor cross-bridge denaturation using skinned fibres prepared from porcine longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle. Effects of pH and temperature on the kinetics of rigor cross-bridge denaturation, actomyosin denaturation and shrinkage of muscle fibre were studied. We then manipulated the number of rigor cross-bridges before the denaturation condition was initiated (pH 5.5, 38 °C). Results suggested that the loss of water-holding capacity in PSE meat is determined by the number of denatured rigor cross-bridges. Physiochemical analysis on myofibrils demonstrated that increase in protein oxidation, surface hydrophobicity and loss of electrostatic repulsive force between myofibrils may be involved in the mechanism., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest This manuscript has not been previously published and is not currently in press, under review, or being considered for publication by another journal. All the authors have read and approved the manuscript being submitted, and agree to its submittal to this journal. We have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)
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- 2024
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213. Phosphorylation of caspase-8 by RSKs via organ-constrained effects controls the sensitivity to TNF-induced death.
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He P, Ai T, Qiao M, Yang ZH, and Han J
- Abstract
Caspase-8 (Casp8) serves as an initiator of apoptosis or a suppressor of necroptosis in context-dependent manner. Members of the p90 RSK family can phosphorylate caspase-8 at threonine-265 (T265), which can inactivate caspase-8 for bypassing caspase-8-mediated blockade of necroptosis and can also decrease caspase-8 level by promoting its degradation. Mutating T265 in caspase-8 to alanine (A) in mice blocked TNF-induced necroptotic cecum damage but resulted in unexpectedly massive injury in the small intestine. Here, we show RSK1, RSK2, and RSK3 redundantly function in caspase-8 phosphorylation, and the duodenum is the most severely affected part of the small intestine when T265 phosphorylation of caspase-8 was prevented. Eliminating caspase-8 phosphorylation resulted in a duodenum-specific increase in basal caspase-8 protein level, which shall be responsible for the increased sensitivity to TNF-induced damage. Apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) was predominant in the duodenum of TNF-treated Rsk1
- / - Rsk2- / - Rsk3- / - and Casp8T265A/T265A mice, though necroptosis was also observed. The heightened duodenal injury amplified systemic inflammatory responses, as evidenced by the contribution of hematopoietic cells to the sensitization of TNF-induced animal death. Further analysis revealed that hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic cells contributed differentially to cytokine production in response to the increased cell death. Collectively, RSKs emerges as a previously overlooked regulator that, via tissue/organ-constrained inactivating caspase-8 and/or downregulating caspase-8 protein level, controls the sensitivity to TNF-induced organ injury and animal death., (© 2024. The Author(s).)- Published
- 2024
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214. Pre-operative MRI in evaluating pathologic complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer: a study focused on influencing factors of baseline clinical-pathological and imaging features.
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Hu Q, Hu Y, Ai H, Xia L, Liu R, and Ai T
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Purpose: To investigate what pre-treatment clinical-pathological features and MRI characteristics influence the performance of breast MRI in assessing the pathologic complete response (pCR) of breast cancer patients to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy (NAC)., Methods: A total of 225 patients with pathologically-confirmed breast cancer who underwent pre- and post-NAC breast MRI between January 2020 and April 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were categorized into radiologic complete response (rCR) and non-rCR groups based on pre-operative MRI. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify independent clinicopathological and imaging features associated with imaging-pathological discordance. The performance of pre-operative MRI for predicting pCR to NAC was assessed according to the baseline characteristics of the clinicopathological data and pre-NAC MRI. In addition, the discrepancy between the pre-operative MRI and post-operative pathological findings was further analyzed by a case-control approach., Results: Among 225 patients, 99 (44.0%) achieved pCR after NAC. MRI showed the overall sensitivity of 97.6%, specificity of 58.6%, accuracy of 80.4%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 75.0%, and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 95.1% in identifying pCR. Of baseline features, presence of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) (OR, 3.975 [95% CI: 1.448-10.908], p = 0.007), luminal B (OR, 5.076 [95% CI: 1.401-18.391], p = 0.013), HER2-enriched subtype (OR, 10.949 [95% CI: 3.262-36.747], p < 0.001), multifocal or multicentric lesions (OR, 2.467 [95% CI: 1.067-5.706], p = 0.035), segmental or regional distribution of NME (OR, 8.514 [95% CI: 1.049-69.098], p = 0.045) and rim enhancement of mass (OR, 4.261 [95% CI: 1.347-13.477], p = 0.014) were significantly associated with the discrepancy between MRI and pathology., Conclusion: Presence of DCIS, luminal B or HER2-enriched subtype, multicentric or multifocal lesions, segmental or regional distribution of NME and rim enhancement of mass may lead to a decrease in diagnostic accuracy of MRI in patients of breast cancer treated with NAC., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Hu, Hu, Ai, Xia, Liu and Ai.)
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- 2024
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215. Comparison of continuous-time random walk and fractional order calculus models in characterizing breast lesions using histogram analysis.
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Tang C, Li F, He L, Hu Q, Qin Y, Yan X, and Ai T
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- Humans, Female, Retrospective Studies, Breast diagnostic imaging, Breast pathology, Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods, ROC Curve, Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods, Breast Neoplasms diagnostic imaging, Breast Neoplasms pathology
- Abstract
Objective: To compare the diagnostic performance of different mathematical models for DWI and explore whether parameters reflecting spatial and temporal heterogeneity can demonstrate better diagnostic accuracy than the diffusion coefficient parameter in distinguishing benign and malignant breast lesions, using whole-tumor histogram analysis., Methods: This retrospective study was approved by the institutional ethics committee and included 104 malignant and 42 benign cases. All patients underwent breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with a 3.0 T MR scanner using the simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) readout-segment ed echo-planar imaging (rs-EPI). Histogram metrics of Mono- apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), CTRW, and FROC-derived parameters were compared between benign and malignant breast lesions, and the diagnostic performance of each diffusion parameter was evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney U test and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve., Results: The D
FROC -median exhibited the highest AUC for distinguishing benign and malignant breast lesions (AUC = 0.965). The temporal heterogeneity parameter αCTRW -median generated a statistically higher AUC compared to the spatial heterogeneity parameter βCTRW -median (AUC = 0.850 and 0.741, respectively; p = 0.047). Finally, the combination of median values of CTRW parameters displayed a slightly higher AUC than that of FROC parameters, with no significant difference however (AUC = 0.971 and 0.965, respectively; p = 0.172)., Conclusions: The diffusion coefficient parameter exhibited superior diagnostic performance in distinguishing breast lesions when compared to the temporal and spatial heterogeneity parameters., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors have approved the manuscript for submission and without any potential competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)- Published
- 2024
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216. Climate change drove the route shift of the ancient Silk Road in two distinct ways.
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Wang H, Chen J, Qiu M, Shi Z, Zhang S, Dong G, Ma S, Ai T, Ren G, and Chen F
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- Humans, China, Cold Temperature, Temperature, Climate Change
- Abstract
Although climate change has convincingly been linked to the evolution of human civilization on different temporal scales, its role in influencing the spatial patterns of ancient civilizations has rarely been investigated. The northward shift of the ancient Silk Road (SR) route from the Tarim Basin (TB) to the Junggar Basin during ∼420-850 CE provides the opportunity to investigate the relationship between climate change and the spatial evolution of human societies. Here, we use a new high-resolution chironomid-based temperature reconstruction from arid China, combined with hydroclimatic and historical datasets, to assess the possible effects of climate fluctuations on the shift of the ancient SR route. We found that a cooling/drying climate in the TB triggered the SR route shift during ∼420-600 CE. However, a warming/wetting climate during ∼600-850 CE did not inhibit this shift, but instead promoted it, because of the favorable climate-induced geopolitical conflicts between the Tubo Kingdom and the Tang Dynasty in the TB. Our findings reveal two distinct ways in which climate change drove the spatial evolution of human civilization, and they demonstrate the flexibility of societal responses to climate change., (Copyright © 2024 Science China Press. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
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- 2024
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217. Quantitative characterization of breast lesions and normal fibroglandular tissue using compartmentalized diffusion-weighted model: comparison of intravoxel incoherent motion and restriction spectrum imaging.
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He L, Qin Y, Hu Q, Liu Z, Zhang Y, and Ai T
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- Humans, Female, Middle Aged, Adult, Aged, Prospective Studies, ROC Curve, Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted methods, Young Adult, Diagnosis, Differential, Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods, Breast Neoplasms diagnostic imaging, Breast Neoplasms pathology, Breast Neoplasms diagnosis, Breast diagnostic imaging, Breast pathology
- Abstract
Background: To compare the compartmentalized diffusion-weighted models, intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) and restriction spectrum imaging (RSI), in characterizing breast lesions and normal fibroglandular tissue., Methods: This prospective study enrolled 152 patients with 157 histopathologically verified breast lesions (41 benign and 116 malignant). All patients underwent a full-protocol preoperative breast MRI, including a multi-b-value DWI sequence. The diffusion parameters derived from the mono-exponential model (ADC), IVIM model (Dt, Dp, f), and RSI model (C
1 , C2 , C3 , C1 C2 , F1 , F2 , F3 , F1 F2 ) were quantitatively measured and then compared among malignant lesions, benign lesions and normal fibroglandular tissues using Kruskal-Wallis test. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used for the pairwise comparisons. Diagnostic models were built by logistic regression analysis. The ROC analysis was performed using five-fold cross-validation and the mean AUC values were calculated and compared to evaluate the discriminative ability of each parameter or model., Results: Almost all quantitative diffusion parameters showed significant differences in distinguishing malignant breast lesions from both benign lesions (other than C2 ) and normal fibroglandular tissue (all parameters) (all P < 0.0167). In terms of the comparisons of benign lesions and normal fibroglandular tissues, the parameters derived from IVIM (Dp, f) and RSI (C1 , C2 , C1 C2 , F1 , F2 , F3 ) showed significant differences (all P < 0.005). When using individual parameters, RSI-derived parameters-F1 , C1 C2 , and C2 values yielded the highest AUCs for the comparisons of malignant vs. benign, malignant vs. normal tissue and benign vs. normal tissue (AUCs = 0.871, 0.982, and 0.863, respectively). Furthermore, the combined diagnostic model (IVIM + RSI) exhibited the highest diagnostic efficacy for the pairwise discriminations (AUCs = 0.893, 0.991, and 0.928, respectively)., Conclusions: Quantitative parameters derived from the three-compartment RSI model have great promise as imaging indicators for the differential diagnosis of breast lesions compared with the bi-exponential IVIM model. Additionally, the combined model of IVIM and RSI achieves superior diagnostic performance in characterizing breast lesions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)- Published
- 2024
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218. Konjac Oligosaccharides Alleviated Ovariectomy-Induced Bone Loss through Gut Microbiota Modulation and Treg/Th17 Regulation.
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Ai T, Shang L, Li B, Li J, and Qin R
- Subjects
- Female, Rats, Animals, Humans, T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory, Bone Density, Ovariectomy adverse effects, Oligosaccharides pharmacology, Amorphophallus, Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Osteoporosis drug therapy, Osteoporosis etiology
- Abstract
Oligosaccharides from the plant Amorphophallus konjac were potentially effective in menopausal osteoporosis due to their prebiotic attributes. The present work mainly studied the regulation of konjac oligosaccharides (KOS) on menopausal bone loss. Experiments were carried out in ovariectomized (OVX) rats, and various contents of KOS were correlated with diet. After 3 months of treatment, the degree of osteoporosis was determined by bone mineral density and femoral microarchitecture. The research data showed that the 8% dietary KOS significantly alleviated bone loss in OVX rats, as it promoted the bone trabecular number by 134.2% and enhanced the bone bending stiffness by 103.1%. From the perspective of the gut-bone axis, KOS promoted gut barrier repair and decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines. Besides, KOS promoted the growth of Bifidobacterium longum and restored Treg/Th17 balance in bone marrow. The two aspects contributed to decreased osteoclastogenic activity and thus inhibited inflammation-related bone loss. This work extended current knowledge of prebiotic inhibition on bone loss and provide an alternative strategy for osteoporosis prevention.
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- 2024
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219. Transformation process and phytotoxicity of sulfamethoxazole and N4-acetyl-sulfamethoxazole in rice.
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Ai T, Yao S, Yu Y, Peng K, Jin L, Zhu X, Zhou H, Huang J, Sun J, and Zhu L
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- Humans, Anti-Bacterial Agents chemistry, Sulfonamides, Soil chemistry, Sulfanilamide, Sulfamethoxazole toxicity, Sulfamethoxazole chemistry, Oryza metabolism
- Abstract
Sulfonamide antibiotics, extensively used in human and veterinary therapy, accumulate in agroecosystem soils through livestock manure and sewage irrigation. However, the interaction between sulfonamides and rice plants remains unclear. This study investigated the transformation behavior and toxicity of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and its main metabolite, N4-acetyl-sulfamethoxazole (NASMX) in rice. SMX and NASMX were rapidly taken up by roots and translocated acropetally. NASMX showed higher accumulating capacity, with NASMX concentrations up to 20.36 ± 1.98 μg/g (roots) and 5.62 ± 1.17 μg/g (shoots), and with SMX concentrations up to 15.97 ± 2.53 μg/g (roots) and 3.22 ± 0.789 μg/g (shoots). A total of 18 intermediate transformation products of SMX were identified by nontarget screening using Orbitrap-HRMS, revealing pathways such as deamination, hydroxylation, acetylation, formylation, and glycosylation. Notably, NASMX transformed back into SMX in rice, a novel finding. Transcriptomic analysis highlights the involvements of cytochrome P450 (CYP450), acetyltransferase (ACEs) and glycosyltransferases (GTs) in these biotransformation pathways. Moreover, exposure to SMX and NASMX disrupts TCA cycle, amino acid, linoleic acid, nucleotide metabolism, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathways of rice, with NASMX exerting a stronger impact on metabolic networks. These findings elucidate the sulfonamides' metabolism, phytotoxicity mechanisms, and contribute to assessing food safety and human exposure risk amid antibiotic pollution., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
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- 2024
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220. Molybdenum/selenium based heterostructure catalyst for efficient hydrogen evolution: Effects of ionic dissolution and repolymerization on catalytic performance.
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Yang M, Bao W, Zhang J, Ai T, Han J, Li Y, Liu J, Zhang P, and Feng L
- Abstract
Transition metal chalcogenides (TMCs) are recognized as highly efficient electrocatalysts and have wide applications in the field of hydrogen production by electrolysis of water, but the real catalytic substances and catalytic processes of these catalysts are not clear. The species evolution of Mo and Se during alkaline hydrogen evolution was investigated by constructing MoSe
2 @CoSe2 heterostructure. The real-time evolution of Mo and Se in MoSe2 @CoSe2 was monitored using in situ Raman spectroscopy to determine the origin of the activity. Mo and Se in MoSe2 @CoSe2 were dissolved in the form of MoO4 2- and SeO3 2- , respectively, and subsequently re-adsorbed and polymerized on the electrode surface to form new species Mo2 O7 2- and SeO4 2- . Theoretical calculations show that adsorption of Mo2 O7 2- and SeO4 2- can significantly enhance the HER catalytic activity of Co(OH)2 . The addition of additional MoO4 2- and SeO3 2- to the electrolyte with Co(OH)2 electrodes both enhances its HER activity and promotes its durability. This study helps to deepen our insight into mechanisms involved in the structural changes of catalyst surfaces and offers a logical basis for revealing the mechanism of the influence of species evolution on catalytic performance., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)- Published
- 2024
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221. Proteomics Analysis Reveals the Underlying Factors of Mucilage Disappearance in Brasenia schreberi and Its Influence on Nutrient Accumulation.
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Ai T, Liu H, Wan J, Lu B, Yu X, Liu J, Yimamu A, Aishan S, Liu C, and Qin R
- Abstract
Brasenia schreberi J.F. Gmel (BS) is rich in mucilage, which has diverse biological activities, and is utilized in the food and pharmaceutical industries due to its nutritional value. Proteomics analysis was employed to investigate the cause of mucilage disappearance in BS and its effect on nutrient accumulation. Among the 2892 proteins identified, 840 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were found to be involved in mucilage development. By comparing the expression patterns and functions and pathway enrichment, the DEPs mainly contributed to carbon and energy metabolism, polysaccharide metabolism, and photosynthesis. Our study also revealed positive correlations between mucilage accumulation and tryptophan metabolism, with high levels of indole-3-acetic (IAA) contributing to mucilage accumulation. Furthermore, environmental changes and particularly excessive nutrients were found to be detrimental to mucilage synthesis. Overall, in the absence of various stimuli in the growing environment, BS accumulates more nutrients within the plant itself instead of producing mucilage.
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- 2024
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222. Emergency hybrid surgery for transection of pancreas at the head and neck after blunt abdominal trauma: A case report and review of the literature.
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Xu Y and Ai T
- Subjects
- Male, Humans, Middle Aged, Pancreas, Pancreatic Ducts surgery, Pancreatectomy, Abdomen surgery, Rupture surgery, Abdominal Pain surgery, Abdominal Injuries complications, Abdominal Injuries surgery, Wounds, Nonpenetrating complications, Wounds, Nonpenetrating surgery, Wounds, Nonpenetrating diagnosis
- Abstract
Introduction: A complete disruption of main pancreatic duct (MPD) presents a significant challenge to the surgeon. Historically, the standard surgical approach for addressing a complete disruption of the MPD involved distal pancreatic resection and pancreaticojejunostomy Roux-en-Y anastomosis. Nevertheless, there have been no reported cases of hybrid surgery being employed for the complete disruption of the MPD., Patient Concerns: A 63-year-old male patient presented with blunt trauma in the upper abdomen and was transferred to our trauma center 10 hours after injury. Upon arrival at the emergency department, he was conscious, hemodynamically stable, and complained of upper abdominal pain and distention. Physical examination revealed right upper abdominal tenderness and slight abdominal tension. Abdominal contrast-enhanced CT scan revealed a complete transection of pancreatic parenchyma at the junction of the head and neck., Diagnoses: Complete transection of pancreatic parenchyma at the junction of the head and neck combined with complete disruption of the MPD, AIS grade IV., Interventions: The hybrid surgery was initially utilized for complete MPD disruption, incorporating endoscope-assisted stent placement in the MPD along with primary repair of the pancreatic parenchyma and duct., Outcomes: The postoperative period went smoothly, and the patient recovered and was discharged 4 weeks after operation. The MPD stent was removed under endoscope 4 months after operation, and Endoscopic Retrograde Pancreatography examination showed that the MPD was patency and slight MPD stenosis without pancreatic leakage. At the most recent follow-up, the patient had returned to normal life and work without any pancreatic endocrine or exocrine dysfunction., Lessons: The hybrid surgery, incorporating endoscope-assisted MPD stent placement and primary repair of the pancreatic parenchyma and duct, emerges as a promising alternative for complete MPD disruption in hemodynamically stable patients. The challenge in this hybrid surgery is the precise localization of the distal end of the MPD., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)
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- 2024
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223. Radiomics analysis based on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging for differentiating early stage of cervical cancer.
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Wu F, Zhang R, Li F, Qin X, Xing H, Lv H, Li L, and Ai T
- Abstract
Objective: To investigate the performance of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based radiomics models in differentiating early stage of cervical cancer (Stage I-IIa vs. IIb-IV)., Methods: One hundred patients with cervical cancer who underwent preoperative MRI between June 2020 and March 2022 were retrospectively enrolled. Training ( n = 70) and testing cohorts ( n = 30) were assigned by stratified random sampling. The clinical and pathological features, including age, histological subtypes, tumor grades, and node status, were compared between the two cohorts by t -test or chi-square test. Radiomics features were extracted from each volume of interest (VOI) on T2-weighted images (T2WI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps. The data balance of the training cohort was resampled by synthesizing minority oversampling techniques. Subsequently, the adiomics signatures were constructed by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm and minimum-redundancy maximum-relevance with 10-fold cross-validation. Logistic regression was applied to predict the cervical cancer stages (low [I-IIa]) and (high [IIb-IV] FIGO stages). The receiver operating characteristic curve (area under the curve [AUC]) and decision curve analysis were used to assess the performance of the radiomics model., Results: The characteristics of age, histological subtypes, tumor grades, and node status were not significantly different between the low [I-IIa] and high [IIb-IV] FIGO stages ( p > 0.05 for both the training and test cohorts). Three models based on T2WI, ADC maps, and the combined were developed based on six radiomics features from T2WI and three radiomics features from ADC maps, with AUCs of 0.855 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.777-0.934) and 0.823 (95% CI, 0.727-0.919), 0.861 (95% CI, 0.785-0.936) and 0.81 (95% CI, 0.701-0.918), 0.934 (95% CI, 0.884-0.984) and 0.902 (95% CI, 0.832-0.972) in the training and test cohorts., Conclusion: The radiomics models combined T2W and ADC maps had good predictive performance in differentiating the early stage from locally advanced cervical cancer., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wu, Zhang, Li, Qin, Xing, Lv, Li and Ai.)
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- 2024
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224. Anthrax lethal toxin and tumor necrosis factor-α synergize on intestinal epithelia to induce mouse death.
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Gao X, Teng T, Liu Y, Ai T, Zhao R, Fu Y, Zhang P, Han J, and Zhang Y
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- Humans, Animals, Mice, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, Cytokines, Signal Transduction, Anthrax microbiology, Anthrax pathology, Bacillus anthracis
- Abstract
Bacillus anthracis lethal toxin (LT) is a determinant of lethal anthrax. Its function in myeloid cells is required for bacterial dissemination, and LT itself can directly trigger dysfunction of the cardiovascular system. The interplay between LT and the host responses is important in the pathogenesis, but our knowledge on this interplay remains limited. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is a pleiotropic pro-inflammatory cytokine induced by bacterial infections. Since LT accumulates and cytokines, predominantly TNF, amass during B. anthracis infection, co-treatment of TNF + LT in mice was used to mimic in vivo conditions for LT to function in inflamed hosts. Bone marrow transplantation and genetically engineered mice showed unexpectedly that the death of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) rather than that of hematopoietic cells led to LT + TNF-induced lethality. Inhibition of p38α mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling by LT in IECs promoted TNF-induced apoptosis and necroptosis of IECs, leading to intestinal damage and mouse death. Consistently, p38α inhibition by LT enhanced TNF-mediated cell death in human colon epithelial HT-29 cells. As intestinal damage is one of the leading causes of lethality in anthrax patients, the IEC damage caused by LT + TNF would most likely be a mechanism underneath this clinical manifestation and could be a target for interventions., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Higher Education Press.)
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- 2024
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225. CS/CoFe 2 O 4 nanocomposite as a high-effective and steady chainmail catalyst for tetracycline degradation with peroxymonosulfate activation: performance and mechanism.
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Yu W, Li Y, Shu M, Liu C, Liang Y, Mao Y, Tan J, Liu Y, and Ai T
- Subjects
- Animals, Humans, Tetracycline, Anti-Bacterial Agents, Peroxides, Catalysis, Cobalt, Chitosan, Nanocomposites, Iron
- Abstract
Tetracycline becomes a crucial measure for managing and treating communicable diseases in both human and animal sectors due to its beneficial antibacterial properties and cost-effectiveness. However, it is important not to trivialize the associated concerns of environmental contamination following the antibiotic's application. In this study, cobalt ferrate (CoFe
2 O4 ) nanoparticles were loaded into chitosan (CS), which can avoid the agglomeration problem caused by high surface energy and thus improve the catalytic performance of cobalt ferrate. And it can avoid the problem of secondary contamination caused by the massive leaching of metal ions. The resulting product was used as a catalyst to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for the degradation of tetracycline (TC). To determine the potential effects on TC degradation, various factors such as PMS dosing, catalyst dosing, TC concentration, initial solution pH, temperature, and inorganic anions (Cl- , H2 PO4 - and HCO3 - ) were investigated. The CS/CoFe2 O4 /PMS system exhibited superior performance compared to the CoFe2 O4 -catalyzed PMS system alone, achieving a 92.75% TC removal within 120 min. The catalyst displayed high stability during the recycling process, with the efficiency observed after five uses remaining at a stable 73.1%, and only minor leaching of dissolved metal ions from the catalyst. This confirms the high stability of the catalyst. The activation mechanism study showed that there are free radical and non-free radical pathways in the reaction system to degrade TC together, and SO4 •- and1 O2 are the primary reactive oxygen radicals involved in the reaction, allowing for effective treatment of contaminated water by TC., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)- Published
- 2024
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226. Clinical Features, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Congenital and Neonatal Tuberculosis: A Retrospective Study.
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Zhou Y, Zhu K, Zhang X, Zhu Z, Jiang L, Xing L, Xu B, Ai T, Liu Q, Zhao R, Xu X, Chen J, and Zhang Z
- Subjects
- Infant, Infant, Newborn, Humans, Rifampin pharmacology, Rifampin therapeutic use, Retrospective Studies, Drug Resistance, Bacterial, Sensitivity and Specificity, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Tuberculosis diagnosis, Tuberculosis drug therapy, Tuberculosis epidemiology
- Abstract
Introduction: Limited studies have explored the clinical features, treatment, and prognosis of neonatal tuberculosis (TB). Here, we attempted to delineate the clinical characteristics of neonatal TB, which may help clinicians further understand this disease., Methods: A retrospective analysis of neonates diagnosed with congenital and/or neonatal TB disease from January 2010 to December 2020 was performed. Information on the demographic and epidemiological features, clinical symptoms, laboratory and imaging examinations, therapeutic regimens, and outcomes was collected. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to present the time to disease onset, time to diagnosis, etc. Results: Forty-eight cases of neonatal TB were classified into congenital (n = 33) and postnatal (n = 15). The median time to disease onset in postnatal group was significantly longer than that in congenital group. Positive results for gastric fluid acid-fast bacilli, TB culture, Xpert MTB/RIF, interferon-γ release assay (IGRA), and tuberculin skin test were detected in 26/48 (54.2%), 14/34 (41.2%), 11/18 (61.1%), 19/29 (65.5%), and 8/24 (33.3%) patients, respectively. For lymphadenopathy, computed tomography (CT) scans showed a higher detection rate than did X-ray (80.0% vs. 0). Of the 48 infants, 44/48 (91.7%) received anti-TB therapy, and 33/44 (75%) were clinically improved or cured after 22.1 months (interquartile range: 12.4-27.7) of follow-up. Drug-induced liver injury occurred in 14/44 (31.8%) patients., Discussion/conclusion: IGRA and Xpert MTB/RIF showed good positive rate in neonatal TB infection/disease. In cases where TB is presumed but etiological evidence is lacking, low-dose CT could be considered. Prompt treatment under careful surveillance is important for preventing mortality and avoiding severe adverse effects., (© 2023 S. Karger AG, Basel.)
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- 2024
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227. Cdc42 deletion yielded enamel defects by disrupting mitochondria and producing reactive oxygen species in dental epithelium.
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Zheng J, Yu R, Tang Y, Su S, Wang S, Liao C, Li X, Liao J, Yu D, Ai T, Zhao W, Yau V, Liu C, Wu L, and Cao Y
- Abstract
Developmental defects of enamel are common due to genetic and environmental factors before and after birth. Cdc42, a Rho family small GTPase, regulates prenatal tooth development in mice. However, its role in postnatal tooth development, especially enamel formation, remains elusive. Here, we investigated Cdc42 functions in mouse enamel development and tooth repair after birth. Cdc42 showed highly dynamic temporospatial patterns in the developing incisors, with robust expression in ameloblast and odontoblast layers. Strikingly, epithelium-specific Cdc42 deletion resulted in enamel defects in incisors. Ameloblast differentiation was inhibited, and hypomineralization of enamel was observed upon epithelial Cdc42 deletion. Proteomic analysis showed that abnormal mitochondrial components, phosphotransferase activity, and ion channel regulator activity occurred in the Cdc42 mutant dental epithelium. Reactive oxygen species accumulation was detected in the mutant mice, suggesting that abnormal oxidative stress occurred after Cdc42 depletion. Moreover, Cdc42 mutant mice showed delayed tooth repair and generated less calcified enamel. Mitochondrial dysfunction and abnormal oxygen consumption were evidenced by reduced Apool and Timm8a1 expression, increased Atp5j2 levels, and reactive oxygen species overproduction in the mutant repair epithelium. Epithelium-specific Cdc42 deletion attenuated ERK1/2 signaling in the labial cervical loop. Aberrant Sox2 expression in the mutant labial cervical loop after clipping might lead to delayed tooth repair. These findings suggested that mitochondrial dysfunction, up-regulated oxidative stress, and abnormal ion channel activity may be among multiple factors responsible for the observed enamel defects in Cdc42 mutant incisors. Overall, Cdc42 exerts multidimensional and pivotal roles in enamel development and is particularly required for ameloblast differentiation and enamel matrix formation., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interests., (© 2023 The Authors. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.)
- Published
- 2023
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228. Platelet-rich gel versus external tissue expansion technique in treating scalp defects: A retrospective study.
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Ai T, Wang J, and Xu Y
- Subjects
- Humans, Retrospective Studies, Tissue Expansion methods, Blood Platelets, Scalp surgery, Wound Healing
- Abstract
Reconstruction of scalp defects is a complicated and challenging procedure for reconstructive surgeons. This retrospective observational study assessed the effectiveness of using platelet-rich gel (PRG) versus the external tissue expansion technique (TET) in reconstructing scalp defects. The clinical data of 24 patients with scalp defects treated with PRG or external TET were collected from September 2018 to March 2022. Data on the wound characteristics, wound healing time, cost of treatment, visual analog scale, and observed wound healing status were collected. The mean wound healing times in the PRG and TET groups were 25.00 ± 5.77 and 13.58 ± 9.68 days, respectively (P < .05). The PRG group was significantly more cost-effective than the TET group (P < .05). TET treatment significantly increased patients' postoperative pain, which decreased over time (P < .05), while PRG treatment caused no significant change in pain (P > .05). The 2 groups showed no tissue depression or color change after wound healing at follow-up, but the hair growth in the TET group was significantly better than that in the PRG group (P < .05). Compared with TET treatment of scalp defects, PRG is not only simple and painless but also has a low treatment cost and, more importantly, does not involve the risk of surgery and anesthesia. However, using TET to treat scalp defects requires the careful selection of appropriate cases., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)
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- 2023
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229. Intraobserver and Interobserver Reproducibility of Breast Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Quantitative Parameters: Readout-Segmented vs. Single-Shot Echo-Planar Imaging.
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Hu Y, Hu Q, Zhan C, Yin T, and Ai T
- Subjects
- Humans, Female, Reproducibility of Results, Prospective Studies, Diffusion Tensor Imaging, Echo-Planar Imaging methods, Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods
- Abstract
Background: The recommended technique for breast diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) acquisitions is not sufficiently standardized in clinical practice., Purpose: To investigate the intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility of DWI measurements, diffusion-kurtosis imaging (DKI) parameters, and image quality evaluation in breast lesions between single-shot echo-planar imaging (ss-EPI) and readout-segmented echo-planar imaging (rs-EPI)., Study Type: Prospective., Population: A total of 295 women with 209 malignant and 86 benign breast lesions., Field Strength/sequence: A 3-T; fat-saturated T2-weighted MR imaging (T2WI); multi-b-value DWI with both ss-EPI and rs-EPI readouts; T1-weighted dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI)., Assessment: Mean kurtosis (MK), mean diffusion (MD), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were measured for each lesion on ss-EPI and rs-EPI, respectively. Image quality was visually evaluated regarding image sharpness, geometric distortion, lesion conspicuity, visualization of anatomic structures, and overall quality. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed twice with a time interval of 2 weeks., Statistical Tests: Intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility were evaluated using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC), within-subject coefficient of variation (wCV), and Bland-Altman plots., Results: MK, MD, and ADC quantitative parameters for breast lesions showed excellent intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility, with ICCs >0.75 and wCV values ranging from 2.51% to 7.08% for both sequences. The wCV values in both intraobserver and interobserver measurements were higher in the ss-EPI sequence (3.63%-7.08%) than that of the rs-EPI sequence (2.51%-3.62%). The wCV values differed in subgroups with different histopathological types of lesions, breast density, lesion morphology, and lesion sizes, respectively. Furthermore, rs-EPI (ICCs, 0.76-0.97; wCV values, 2.41%-6.04%) had better intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility than ss-EPI (ICCs, 0.54-0.90; wCV values, 6.18%-13.69%) with regard to image quality., Data Conclusion: Compared to the ss-EPI, the rs-EPI sequence showed higher intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility for quantitative diffusion-related parameters and image quality assessments measured in breast DWI and DKI., Evidence Level: 2., Technical Efficacy: Stage 2., (© 2023 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.)
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- 2023
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230. Enhancing the performance of aqueous zinc ion battery cathodes with a floral spherical V 5 O 12 ·6H 2 O/V 6 O 13 /CNT nanocomposite.
- Author
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Kou L, Wang Y, Song J, Ai T, Wattanapaphawong P, and Kajiyoshi K
- Abstract
Aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) offer a promising approach for electrical energy storage, combining cost-effectiveness and enhanced thermal safety. However, the cathode material, vanadium oxide, while known for its excellent theoretical specific capacity, faces a challenge in terms of its poor electronic conductance. In this study, we present a novel strategy to address this limitation by constructing the V
5 O12 ·6H2 O/V6 O13 /CNT (VOH/CNT) nanocomposite, resulting in significantly improved electrochemical performance. This nanocomposite was synthesized through a facile solvothermal method, yielding a unique floral spherical structure featuring a central cluster and multiple smaller groupings. The integration of CNTs into the composite significantly enhanced its electronic conductance, effectively mitigating the electronic conductance issue associated with vanadium oxide. Moreover, the composite retains crystalline water within its structure, playing a crucial role in providing a favorable ion-conductive pathway. Consequently, the VOH/CNT nanocomposite exhibits an impressive reversible capacity of 201 mA h g-1 at 50 mA g-1 , surpassing that of VOH (116 mA h g-1 ). Remarkably, even at a high current density, the VOH/CNT nanocomposite demonstrates an exceptional capacity retention, maintaining a capacity of 150 mA h g-1 over 500 cycles at 1 A g-1 . Its outstanding electrochemical performance can be attributed to its distinctive structural arrangement, the conductive network facilitated by CNTs, and the introduced crystalline water component.- Published
- 2023
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231. Epidemiology of asthma exacerbation in children before and after the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective study in Chengdu, China.
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Zhang L, Liu H, Ai T, Chen Z, Tang W, Hu S, and Hu J
- Subjects
- Infant, Child, Preschool, Humans, Female, Child, Retrospective Studies, Pandemics, Hospitalization, China epidemiology, COVID-19 epidemiology, Asthma epidemiology, Hypersensitivity epidemiology
- Abstract
Purpose: To examine the numbers and characteristics of children affected by asthma exacerbation in Chengdu, China, before and after the COVID-19 pandemic to inform efforts to manage childhood asthma in the post epidemic era., Methods: Data were retrospectively collected from children admitted for asthma exacerbation to Chengdu Women and Children's Central Hospital between January 2017 and December 2022. Rates of hospitalization, ages of the affected children, comorbidities and infections, and relationships between hospitalization and seasonal or environmental factors were examined before and after the epidemic., Results: Fewer children were hospitalized for asthma exacerbation, yet more hospitalized children had severe exacerbation after the epidemic than before. Rates of hospitalization varied considerably with time of year, and the timing of peak hospitalizations differed before and after the epidemic. Only before the epidemic, rates of hospitalization for asthma exacerbation were positively correlated with humidity. Infants made up a smaller proportion of hospitalized children after the epidemic than before, with preschool children accounting for most hospitalizations after the epidemic. The proportion of children hospitalized for asthma exacerbation who also had pneumonia was significantly smaller after the epidemic than before. Conversely, the proportion of children hospitalized for asthma exacerbation who also had allergic diseases was significantly greater after the epidemic than before., Conclusion: The epidemiology of asthma exacerbation in children changed after the epidemic. Future efforts to manage the condition in the paediatric population should focus on severe asthma exacerbation, prevention and management of allergic diseases, and the influence of meteorological and environmental factors., (© 2023. The Author(s).)
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- 2023
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232. 5-((3-Amidobenzyl)oxy)nicotinamides as SIRT2 Inhibitors: A Study of Constrained Analogs.
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Ai T, Wilson DJ, and Chen L
- Subjects
- Humans, Structure-Activity Relationship, Niacinamide pharmacology, Niacinamide chemistry, Sirtuin 2, Sirtuin 3
- Abstract
SIRT2 is a member of NAD
+ -dependent sirtuins and its inhibition has been proposed as a promising therapeutic approach for treating human diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and infections. Expanding SIRT2 inhibitors based on the 3-aminobenzyloxy nicotinamide core structure, we have synthesized and evaluated constrained analogs and selected stereoisomers. Our structure-activity relationship (SAR) study has revealed that 2,3-constrained ( S )-isomers possess enhanced in vitro enzymatic inhibitory activity against SIRT2 and retain excellent selectivity over SIRT1 and SIRT3, provided that a suitable ring A is used. This current study further explores SIRT2 inhibitors based on the 3-aminobenzyloxy nicotinamide scaffold and contributes to the discovery of potent, selective SIRT2 inhibitors that have been actively pursued for their potential therapeutic applications.- Published
- 2023
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233. Influence of Carbonization Conditions on Structural and Surface Properties of K-Doped Mo 2 C Catalysts for the Synthesis of Methyl Mercaptan from CO/H 2 /H 2 S.
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Zheng X, Ai T, Hu Y, Xu Z, Li Y, Jiang H, and Luo Y
- Abstract
The cooperative transition of sulfur-containing pollutants of H
2 S/CO/H2 to the high-value chemical methyl mercaptan (CH3 SH) is catalyzed by Mo-based catalysts and has good application prospects. Herein, a series of Al2 O3 -supported molybdenum carbide catalysts with K doping (denoted herein as K-Mo2 C/Al2 O3 ) are fabricated by the impregnation method, with the carbonization process occurring under different atmospheres and different temperatures between 400 and 600 °C. The CH4 -K-Mo2 C/Al2 O3 catalyst carbonized by CH4 /H2 at 500 °C displays unprecedented performance in the synthesis of CH3 SH from CO/H2 S/H2 , with 66.1% selectivity and a 0.2990 g·gcat -1 ·h-1 formation rate of CH3 SH at 325 °C. H2 temperature-programmed reduction, temperature-programmed desorption, X-ray diffraction and Raman and BET analyses reveal that the CH4 -K-Mo2 C/Al2 O3 catalyst contains more Mo coordinatively unsaturated surface sites that are responsible for promoting the adsorption of reactants and the desorption of intermediate products, thereby improving the selectivity towards and production of CH3 SH. This study systematically investigates the effects of catalyst carbonization and passivation conditions on catalyst activity, conclusively demonstrating that Mo2 C-based catalyst systems can be highly selective for producing CH3 SH from CO/H2 S/H2 .- Published
- 2023
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234. Assessment of antibody dynamics and neutralizing activity using serological assay after SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination.
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Takahashi T, Ai T, Saito K, Nojiri S, Takahashi M, Igawa G, Yamamoto T, Khasawneh A, Paran FJ, Takei S, Horiuchi Y, Kanno T, Tobiume M, Hiki M, Wakita M, Miida T, Okuzawa A, Suzuki T, Takahashi K, Naito T, and Tabe Y
- Subjects
- Humans, SARS-CoV-2, Antibodies, Blocking, Antibodies, Viral, Immunoglobulin G, BNT162 Vaccine, COVID-19 diagnosis, COVID-19 prevention & control
- Abstract
The COVID-19 antibody test was developed to investigate the humoral immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this study, we examined whether S antibody titers measured using the anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG II Quant assay (S-IgG), a high-throughput test method, reflects the neutralizing capacity acquired after SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination. To assess the antibody dynamics and neutralizing potency, we utilized a total of 457 serum samples from 253 individuals: 325 samples from 128 COVID-19 patients including 136 samples from 29 severe/critical cases (Group S), 155 samples from 71 mild/moderate cases (Group M), and 132 samples from 132 health care workers (HCWs) who have received 2 doses of the BNT162b2 vaccinations. The authentic virus neutralization assay, the surrogate virus neutralizing antibody test (sVNT), and the Anti-N SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay (N-IgG) have been performed along with the S-IgG. The S-IgG correlated well with the neutralizing activity detected by the authentic virus neutralization assay (0.8904. of Spearman's rho value, p < 0.0001) and sVNT (0.9206. of Spearman's rho value, p < 0.0001). However, 4 samples (2.3%) of S-IgG and 8 samples (4.5%) of sVNT were inconsistent with negative results for neutralizing activity of the authentic virus neutralization assay. The kinetics of the SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies and anti-S IgG in severe cases were faster than the mild cases. All the HCWs elicited anti-S IgG titer after the second vaccination. However, the HCWs with history of COVID-19 or positive N-IgG elicited higher anti-S IgG titers than those who did not have it previously. Furthermore, it is difficult to predict the risk of breakthrough infection from anti-S IgG or sVNT antibody titers in HCWs after the second vaccination. Our data shows that the use of anti-S IgG titers as direct quantitative markers of neutralizing capacity is limited. Thus, antibody tests should be carefully interpreted when used as serological markers for diagnosis, treatment, and prophylaxis of COVID-19., Competing Interests: The reagent used in this study were partially provided by abbott, but the study was performed by scientifically proper methods without any bias. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials., (Copyright: © 2023 Takahashi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)
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- 2023
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235. Contrasts Between Diffusion-Weighted Imaging and Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MR in Diagnosing Malignancies of Breast Nonmass Enhancement Lesions Based on Morphologic Assessment.
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Li Y, Chen J, Yang Z, Fan C, Qin Y, Tang C, Yin T, Ai T, and Xia L
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- Humans, Female, Retrospective Studies, Contrast Media, Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods, Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods, ROC Curve, Diagnosis, Differential, Sensitivity and Specificity, Breast diagnostic imaging, Neoplasms, Breast Neoplasms diagnostic imaging
- Abstract
Background: Nonmass enhancement (NME) breast lesions are considered to be the leading cause of unnecessary biopsies. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) or dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) sequences are typically used to differentiate between benign and malignant NMEs. It is important to know which one is more effective and reliable., Purpose: To compare the diagnostic performance of DCE curves and DWI in discriminating benign and malignant NME lesions on the basis of morphologic characteristics assessment on contrast-enhanced (CE)-MRI images., Study Type: Retrospective., Subjects: A total of 180 patients with 184 lesions in the training cohort and 75 patients with 77 lesions in the validation cohort with pathological results., Field Strength/sequence: A 3.0 T/multi-b-value DWI (b values = 0, 50, 1000, and 2000 sec/mm
2 ) and time-resolved angiography with stochastic trajectories and volume-interpolated breath-hold examination (TWIST-VIBE) sequence., Assessment: In the training cohort, a diagnostic model for morphology based on the distribution and internal enhancement characteristics was first constructed. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) model (ADC + morphology) and the time-intensity curves (TIC) model (TIC + morphology) were then established using binary logistic regression with pathological results as the reference standard. Both models were compared for sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) in the training and the validation cohort., Statistical Tests: Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and two-sample t-tests/Mann-Whitney U-test/Chi-square test were performed. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: For the TIC/ADC model in the training cohort, sensitivities were 0.924/0.814, specificities were 0.615/0.615, and AUCs were 0.811 (95%, 0.727, 0.894)/0.769 (95%, 0.681, 0.856). The AUC of the TIC-ADC combined model was significantly higher than ADC model alone, while comparable with the TIC model (P = 0.494). In the validation cohort, the AUCs of TIC/ADC model were 0.799/0.635., Data Conclusion: Based on the morphologic analyses, the performance of the TIC model was found to be superior than the ADC model for differentiating between benign and malignant NME lesions., Evidence Level: 4., Technical Efficacy: Stage 2., (© 2023 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.)- Published
- 2023
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236. Role of combined clinical-radiomics model based on contrast-enhanced MRI in predicting the malignancy of breast non-mass enhancements without an additional diffusion-weighted imaging sequence.
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Li Y, Yang Z, Lv W, Qin Y, Tang C, Yan X, Yin T, Ai T, and Xia L
- Abstract
Background: In our previous study, we developed a combined diagnostic model based on time-intensity curve (TIC) types and radiomics signature on contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) for non-mass enhancement (NME). The model had a high diagnostic ability for differentiation without the additional diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequence. In this study, we aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of the combined clinical-radiomics model based on CE-MRI and DWI in discriminating Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) 4 NME breast lesions, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and invasive carcinoma., Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 364 NME lesions (343 patients). Of these, 183 malignant and 84 benign breast lesions classified as BI-RADS 4 NMEs by the initial diagnosis were reclassified based on the combined clinical-radiomics model and DWI, respectively. The nomogram score (NS) values for malignancy risk derived from the combined clinical-radiomics model and the minimal apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values from DWI were calculated and compared. The percentage of false positives were estimated in comparison with the original classification. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine the diagnostic value of the NS and minimal ADC values in distinguishing benign and malignant lesions, DCIS, and invasive breast carcinoma. An ablation experiment was used to test the value of the additional DWI sequence., Results: The diagnostic value of the NS values [area under curve (AUC) =0.843; 95% CI: 0.789-0.896] for discriminating the 267 NME breast lesions categorized as BI-RADS 4 was significantly higher than the minimal ADC values (AUC =0.662; 95% CI: 0.590-0.735). The NS values showed higher sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy compared with the minimal ADC values (sensitivity: 80.3% vs. 65.6%; specificity: 79.8% vs. 65.5%; accuracy: 80.1% vs. 65.5%). The NS values and minimal ADC values did not achieve high diagnostic accuracy in discriminating between DCIS and invasive cancer. However, the diagnostic performance of the combined NS-ADC model (AUC =0.731; 95% CI: 0.655-0.806) was higher than that of the NS values alone (P=0.008) and comparable to that of the minimal ADC values (P=0.440)., Conclusions: The combined clinical-radiomics model based on CE-MRI could improve the diagnostic performance in discriminating the BI-RADS 4 NME lesions without an additional DWI sequence. However, DWI may improve the diagnostic performance in discriminating DCIS from invasive cancer., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://qims.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/qims-22-1199/coif). ZY reports financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82001892). LX reports financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82272109). WL reports a full-time employee of Julei Technology Company from 2021 to 2023, during the conduct of the study. XY reports a full-time employee of Siemens Healthcare Ltd. from 2021 to 2023, during the conduct of the study. TY reports a full-time employee of Siemens Healthineers Ltd. from 2021 to 2023, during the conduct of the study. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2023 Quantitative Imaging in Medicine and Surgery. All rights reserved.)
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- 2023
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237. Changes in the liver of Tinca tinca under successive domestication using an integrated multi-omics approach.
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Hou X, Ke J, Chen X, Ai T, Liu X, Qian L, Xiang W, Wang J, and Wang C
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- Animals, Humans, Multiomics, Liver, Hormones metabolism, Domestication, Cyprinidae genetics
- Abstract
Domestication is the process of modifying the phenotype of a population through anthropic selection from human perspectives. Successive generations of domestication have influenced the physiological characteristics of tench Tinca tinca. In current study, we investigated gene and protein expression alterations in the liver of fifth-generation (F5). A total of 420 genes were found to be upregulated and 351 genes were downregulated, while 410 proteins were upregulated and 279 proteins were downregulated in domesticated T. tinca (DT). The integrated analysis of omics data revealed a total of 55 genes/proteins exhibiting consistent upregulation and 12 genes/proteins displaying consistent downregulation in DT. The upregulated genes/proteins in DT, such as SSR1, DERLIN2, OS9, DNAJB11, and HYOU1, exhibit enrichment in the protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum pathway. Additionally, upregulated genes/proteins such as IL2RB, F13B, and IRF3 are associated with immune response. Conversely, downregulated genes/proteins in DT, including HSD11B1, CYP24A1, and COMT, play roles in hormone metabolism. These findings indicate that domestication can have a substantial impact on the physiological modifications related to protein processing, immune response, and hormone metabolism in DT. These adaptations potentially enhance their ability to thrive in artificial aquaculture environments, leading to improved growth and development. The exploration of genetic changes in DT will not only improve aquaculture practices but also provide significant insights into the broader process of domestication and its effects on physiological functions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
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- 2023
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238. Derivation of induced pluripotent stem cell SJTUi003-A from a 69-year-old Chinese Han Sporadic Alzheimer's disease patient with APOEε3/ε4 genetic background.
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Li H, Zhang B, Shi Z, Wu H, Mei S, Ai T, Shi A, Wang L, Zhu M, and Tang J
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- Aged, Female, Humans, East Asian People, Alzheimer Disease pathology, Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells metabolism, Neurodegenerative Diseases metabolism, Cell Line
- Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related and progressive neurodegenerative disease. In this study, we generated an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line from the dermal fibroblasts of a 69-year-old female patient carrying APOEε3/ε4 allele and diagnosed with sporadic AD. The iPSC line will be a useful tool for investigating the pathogenesis mechanisms and for drug tests in AD., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
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- 2023
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239. Electricity production performance enhancement of microbial fuel cells with double-layer sodium alginate hydrogel bioanodes driven by high-salinity waste leachate.
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Zhao C, Chen H, Song Y, Zhu L, Ai T, Wang X, Liu Z, and Wei X
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- Salinity, Alginates chemistry, Hydrogels, Electricity, Polyvinyl Alcohol chemistry, Sodium Chloride, Bioelectric Energy Sources
- Abstract
The poor bacterial loading capacity and biocompatibility of the anode lead to weak electricity production performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Inspired by kelp, we developed a double-layer hydrogel bioanode based on sodium alginate (SA). The inner hydrogel layer of encapsulated Fe
3 O4 and electroactive microorganisms (EAMs) was used as the bioelectrochemical catalytic layer. The outer hydrogel layer formed by cross-linking SA with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was used as the protective layer. The 3D porous structure of the inner hydrogel formed based on Fe3 O4 facilitated the electroactive bacteria colonization and electron transfer, while the high structural toughness, salt-resistance and antibacterial properties of the outer highly cross-linked hydrogel served to protect the catalytic layer for stable electricity production. When high-salt waste leachate was used as the nutrient, the amazing open-circuit voltage (OCV) of 1.17 V and the operating voltage of 781 mV were brought by the double-layer hydrogel bioanode PVA@SA&Fe3 O4 /EAMs@SA., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)- Published
- 2023
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240. Evaluation of bone marrow aspirates using the automated hematology analyzer Sysmex XN-3000.
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Tsuchiya K, Kimura K, Ai T, Yamamoto T, Nagasaka K, Takemura H, Edahiro Y, Saito K, Horiuchi Y, Misawa S, Takaku T, Ando J, Ando M, Miida T, Uchihashi K, and Tabe Y
- Subjects
- Humans, Hyperplasia, Leukocytes, Reproducibility of Results, Lipids, Bone Marrow, Hematology
- Abstract
Introduction: This study evaluated the feasibility of the Sysmex XN-3000 automated hematology analyzer for the assessment of total nucleated cells (TNC) and bone marrow (BM) cell density in routine bone marrow aspiration (BMA) samples., Methods: A total of 54 BMA samples from 39 hematological patients were evaluated. The number of megakaryocytes was calculated by a specific gating algorithm using the body fluid mode of the WBC differential (WDF) channel. Lipid contents were calculated through a newly developed algorithm utilizing the WDF channel. The ratio of lipid particles over TNCs by the WNR channel was compared with the BM cellularity assessed by the BM biopsy. The myeloid/erythroid (M/E) ratio was calculated by measuring the number of myeloid cells in the WDF channel and the number of nucleated red blood cells (NRBCs) in the WNR channel., Results: XN-3000 counts and microscopic results showed a linear correlation in TNC (R
2 = .98, p < .001), megakaryocytes (R2 = .59, p = .002), NRBC (R2 = .84, p < .001), and M/E ratio (R2 = .59, p < .001). There were significant differences in the lipid/TNC ratios of hypercellular, normocellular, and hypocellular BMs measured by XN-3000 (p < .001). Receiver-operating characteristic analysis detected cut-off values of the lipid/TNC ratio of >0.4054 for hypoplasia and <0.157 for hyperplasia. The sensitivity and specificity for hypoplasia were 100% and 88%, and for hyperplasia were 89% and 86%, respectively., Conclusion: XN-3000 provides a quantitative assessment of BM cellularity, supporting the qualitative assessment by myelogram and BM biopsy., (© 2023 The Authors. International Journal of Laboratory Hematology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)- Published
- 2023
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241. Bacterial Colonization in the Airways and Intestines of Twin and Singleton Preterm Neonates: A Single-Center Study.
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Yao J, Ai T, Zhang L, Tang W, Chen Z, Huang Y, and Fan Y
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Limited studies have investigated the microbial colonization of the airways and intestines in preterm neonates. We studied the composition of intestinal and airway bacterial colonies in several preterm twin pairs and singletons to explore the dominant bacteria, assess their variability, and predict their phenotypic and metabolic functions. In this descriptive study, we collected sputum and fetal stool specimens from 10 twin pairs (20 cases) and 20 singleton preterm neonates. These specimens were analyzed using 16S rRNA deep sequencing to study the alpha and beta diversities and community structures of airway and intestinal bacteria and predict their metabolic functions. Specimens from twins and singleton neonates had distinct aggregations of intestinal and airway bacteria but showed similarities and high microbial diversities during initial colonization. The top five phyla were Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteriota, Bacteroidota, and Cyanobacteria. The top ten genera were Streptococcus , Acinetobacter , Ralstonia , Staphylococcus , Comamonas , Enterococcus , Stenotrophomonas , Dechlorosoma , Sphingopyxis , and Rothia . Potentially pathogenic and highly stress-tolerant Gram-negative bacteria were predominant in the intestinal flora. A considerable proportion of colonies recovered from the airway and intestines of preterm neonates were functional bacteria. The richness of the intestinal and airway flora was not significantly different between twins and singletons, and the flora clustered together. Both intestinal and airway bacteria of twins and singletons were similar. The species involved in initial colonization were similar but different in proportions; therefore, changes in microbial structure and richness may not be attributed to these species., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Jiawei Yao et al.)
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- 2023
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242. Modified Respiratory Rate Oxygenation Index: An Early Warning Index for the Need of Intubation in COVID-19 Patients with High-Flow Nasal Cannula Therapy.
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Ai T, Zhang Z, Tan Z, Shi Z, Li H, Zhang S, Zhao X, Yao Y, Li W, Gao Y, and Zhu M
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- Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Aged, Female, Respiratory Rate, Oxygen Inhalation Therapy, Intubation, Intratracheal, Cannula, COVID-19 therapy
- Abstract
Background: High-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy (HFNC) is recommended for patients with COVID-19. However, the increasing use of HFNC brings a risk of delayed intubation. The optimal timing of switching from HFNC to invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) remains unclear. An effective predictor is needed to assist in deciding on the timing of intubation. Respiratory rate and oxygenation (ROX) index, defined as (SpO
2 /FiO2 ) / respiratory rate, has already shown good diagnostic accuracy. Modified ROX (mROX) index, defined as (PaO2 /FiO2 ) / respiratory rate, might be better than the ROX index in predicting HFNC failure., Objective: The aim was to evaluate the predictive value of mROX for HFNC failure in patients with COVID-19., Methods: Severe or critical patients with COVID-19 treated with HFNC were enrolled in two clinical centers. Laboratory indicators, respiratory parameters, and mROX index at 0 h and 2 h after initial HFNC were collected. Based on the need for IMV after HFNC initiation, the patients were divided into an HFNC failure group and an HFNC success group. The predictive value of mROX index for IMV was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and logistic regression analysis. We performed Kaplan-Meier survival analysis using the log-rank test., Results: Sixty patients with COVID-19 (mean ± SD age, 62.8 ± 14.1 years; 42 patients were male) receiving HFNC were evaluated, including 18 critical and 42 severe cases. A total of 33 patients had hypertension; 14 had diabetes; 17 had chronic cardiac disease; 11 had chronic lung disease; 13 had chronic kidney disease; and 17 had a history of stroke. The AUROC of mROX index at 2 h was superior to that of other respiratory parameters to predict the need for IMV (0.959; p < 0.001). At the mROX index cutoff point of 4.45, predicting HFNC failure reached the optimal threshold, with specificity of 94% and sensitivity of 92%. Logistic regression analysis showed that 2-h mROX index < 4.45 was a protective factor for IMV (odd radio 0.18; 95% CI 0.05-0.64; p = 0.008). In the HFNC failure group, the median time from HFNC to IMV was 22.5 h. The 28-day mortality of the late intubation patients (≥ 22.5 h) was higher than that of the early intubation patients (< 22.5 h) (53.8% vs. 8.3%; p = 0.023)., Conclusions: mROX at 2 h is a good early warning index of the need for IMV in patients with COVID-19 after HFNC initiation. Early intubation may lead to better survival in patients with 2-h mROX index < 4.45., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None of the authors have any conflict of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)- Published
- 2023
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243. Assessment of Prognostic Factors and Molecular Subtypes of Breast Cancer With a Continuous-Time Random-Walk MR Diffusion Model: Using Whole Tumor Histogram Analysis.
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Qin Y, Tang C, Hu Q, Yi J, Yin T, and Ai T
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- Humans, Female, Middle Aged, Breast pathology, Retrospective Studies, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Prognosis, Echo-Planar Imaging, Breast Neoplasms pathology, Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods
- Abstract
Background: The continuous-time random-walk (CTRW) diffusion model to evaluate breast cancer prognosis is rarely reported., Purpose: To investigate the correlations between apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and CTRW-specific parameters with prognostic factors and molecular subtypes of breast cancer., Study Type: Retrospective., Population: One hundred fifty-seven women (median age, 50 years; range, 26-81 years) with histopathology-confirmed breast cancer., Field Strength/sequence: Simultaneous multi-slice readout-segmented echo-planar imaging at 3.0T., Assessment: The histogram metrics of ADC, anomalous diffusion coefficient (D), temporal diffusion heterogeneity (α), and spatial diffusion heterogeneity (β) were calculated for whole-tumor volume. Associations between histogram metrics and prognostic factors (estrogen receptor [ER], progesterone receptor [PR], human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 [HER2], and Ki-67 proliferation index), axillary lymph node metastasis (ALNM), and tumor grade were assessed. The performance of histogram metrics, both alone and in combination, for differentiating molecular subtypes (HER2-positive, Luminal or triple negative) was also assessed., Statistical Tests: Comparisons were made using Mann-Whitney test between different prognostic factor statuses and molecular subtypes. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to assess the performance of mean and median histogram metrics in differentiating the molecular subtypes. A P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: The histogram metrics of ADC, D, and α differed significantly between ER-positive and ER-negative status, and between PR-positive and PR-negative status. The histogram metrics of ADC, D, α, and β were also significantly different between the HER2-positive and HER2-negative subgroups, and between ALNM-positive and ALNM-negative subgroups. The histogram metrics of α and β significantly differed between high and low Ki-67 proliferation subgroups, and between histological grade subgroups. The combination of α
mean and βmean achieved the highest performance (AUC = 0.702) to discriminate the Luminal and HER2-positive subtypes., Data Conclusion: Whole-tumor histogram analysis of the CTRW model has potential to provide additional information on the prognosis and intrinsic subtyping classification of breast cancer., Evidence Level: 4 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2., (© 2022 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.)- Published
- 2023
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244. Effectiveness of sublingual immunotherapy with house dust mite drops in asthmatic children at different ages.
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Ai T, Zhang P, Luo R, Fan Y, Xia W, and Wang L
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Background: Respiratory allergies in children, such as asthma and rhinitis, are becoming progressively common every year. Recent studies found that pediatric patients with asthma receiving regular medication and specific immunotherapy (SIT) had improved therapeutic outcomes in a wide age range. However, there are few studies that have examined the effectiveness of SIT treatment in children with allergic asthma at different ages in terms of the degree of asthma control, improvements in lung function, and changes in exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO)., Method: A total of 200 asthmatic pediatric patients who had been receiving regular treatment for at least a year were split into the observation and the control groups, which depended on whether sublingual immunotherapy was added based on conventional treatment medicines. The children who were divided by an age cut-off of 6 years old in these two groups were compared before and after therapy based on the exhaled levels of FeNO, pulmonary function, visual analog scale, medication scores, daytime and nighttime ratings of asthma symptom, and rhinitis symptom scores., Results: Before treatment, there was no significant difference between the observation group and the control group in various indicators of the patients under 6 years old; and in the older children (6-16 years old) group, the scores of FVC, FEV1, and FEF25 in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P < 0.05). The FEF75, FEF50, FEF25, and MMEF75/MMEF25 indexes in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group after treatment ( P < 0.05), but there was no statistical significance in other indexes ( P > 0.05). The scores of ACT, FEF75, FEF50, MMEF72/MMEF25, and FeNO in the observation group were all higher than those in the control group after treatment ( P < 0.05), and the differences in other indexes were not statistically significant ( P > 0.05). Between the young-age group and the elder group, there was no significant difference in all indexes in the observation group before and after treatment ( P > 0.05)., Conclusion: Children with asthma of all ages can considerably benefit from sublingual immunotherapy. Specifically, younger patients showed greater tendency on the improvement of small airway resistance, whereas school-age children with asthma significantly improved their small airway resistance as well as their asthma control and inflammation alleviation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2023 Ai, Zhang, Luo, Fan, Xia and Wang.)
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- 2023
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245. Surgical management of duodenal injury: experience from 92 cases.
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Gao J, Li H, Yang J, Wang J, Ai T, He P, Wei G, Xiang Z, and Zhao S
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- Humans, Retrospective Studies, Treatment Outcome, Pancreas injuries, Abdominal Injuries complications, Wounds, Nonpenetrating complications
- Abstract
Purpose: Duodenal injury increases with traffic accidents, and delayed diagnosis or inappropriate operation increase mortality and complications. This study aimed to explore early recognition and timely surgical intervention., Methods: All patients with duodenal injuries treated operatively during the past 10 years were reviewed, and the data were analyzed retrospectively regarding the mechanism of injury, diagnostic and therapeutic methods, and outcome., Results: A total of 92 patients with duodenal injuries accounted for 7.3% of 1258 patients with abdominal injury. Of the 92 patients, 71 (77.17%) experienced blunt trauma, with traffic accidents accounting for 59.2% (42/71). In 35 patients, a preoperative diagnosis was obtained by reviewing abdominal signs, peritoneocentesis, and imaging. The remaining 57 patients underwent urgent laparotomy, through which a definitive diagnosis of duodenal injury was confirmed during the operation. In all 92 patients, the surgical procedures involved simple sutures; pedicled jejunal piece coverings; and various anastomoses following resection of the injured duodenal portion, including the Whipple procedure and damage-control surgery principles. The overall mortality rate was 12.0% (11/92) with deaths mainly occurring due to associated injuries. When excluding 2 cases of intraoperative death, there were 47 cases in the double-tube gastrostomy group and 43 cases in the traditional triple-tube group, with mortality rates of 10.64% and 9.30% in the two groups, respectively (χ
2 = 0.045, P > 0.05). Postoperative complications occurred in 15 patients (18.5%). There was a high incidence of duodenal (or pancreatic/biliary) leakage., Conclusion: Early diagnosis and operation of duodenal injury are crucial to reducing complications and mortality. Surgical methods should be based on injury grade, associated injuries, and vital signs. Double-tube gastrostomy can reduce complications such as intestinal obstruction., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.)- Published
- 2023
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246. Minimal sharing of nosematid and trypanosomatid parasites between honey bees and other bees, but extensive sharing of Crithidia between bumble and mason bees.
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Lim HC, Lambrecht D, Forkner RE, and Roulston T
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- Bees, Animals, Crithidia, Parasites, Trypanosomatina, Nosema
- Abstract
We document gut parasites in co-occurring Apis, Bombus, and Osmia spp. in the Northern Virginia region, USA. Trypanosomatidea occurred in sixty percent of specimens and 13% carried Nosematidae. We found strong host partitioning: Lotmaria passim and Vairimorpha (Nosema) ceranae predominated in Apis, and Crithidia bombi and V. bombi in Bombus. We did not detect pathogen spread from Apis to Bombus but did detect sharing of C. bombi between Bombus and Osmia, higher parasite levels in Apis at sites with apiaries, and clustering of Vairimopha infection. Given the presence of C. bombi in Osmia, we suggest disease sharing across taxa be monitored., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
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- 2023
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247. Quantitative Assessment of Restriction Spectrum MR Imaging for the Diagnosis of Breast Cancer and Association With Prognostic Factors.
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Qin Y, Tang C, Hu Q, Zhang Y, Yi J, Dai Y, and Ai T
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- Female, Humans, Adult, Middle Aged, Prognosis, Retrospective Studies, Reproducibility of Results, Sensitivity and Specificity, Breast diagnostic imaging, Breast pathology, ROC Curve, Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods, Diagnosis, Differential, Breast Neoplasms diagnostic imaging, Breast Neoplasms pathology
- Abstract
Background: Restriction spectrum imaging (RSI) is an advanced quantitative diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) technique to assess breast cancer., Purpose: To investigate the ability of RSI to differentiate the benign and malignant breast lesions and the association with prognostic factors of breast cancer., Study Type: Retrospective., Population: Seventy women (mean age, 49.6 ± 12.3 years) with 56 malignant and 19 benign breast lesions., Field Strength/sequence: 3-T; RSI-based DWI sequence with echo-planar imaging technique., Assessment: The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and RSI parameters (restricted diffusion f
1 , hindered diffusion f2 , free diffusion f3 , and signal fractions f1 f2 ) were calculated by two readers for the whole lesion volume and compared between the benign and malignant groups and the subgroups with different statuses of prognostic factors in breast cancer., Statistical Tests: Mann-Whitney U test or Student's t-test was applied to compare the quantitative parameters between the different groups. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to assess readers' reproducibility. Binary logistic regression was used to combine parameters. Area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of parameters to distinguish benign from malignant breast lesions. A P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: Malignant breast lesions showed significantly lower ADC and f3 values, and significantly higher f1 and f1 f2 values than the benign lesions, with AUC of 0.951, 0.877, 0.868, and 0.860, respectively. When RSI-derived parameters and ADC were combined, the diagnostic performance was superior to either single parameter (AUC = 0.973). The f3 value was significantly differed between estrogen receptor (ER)-positive and ER-negative tumors. The ADC, f1 , f3 , and f1 f2 values were significantly different progesterone receptor (PR)-positive and PR-negative status., Data Conclusion: The RSI-derived parameters (f1 , f3 , and f1 f2 ) may facilitate the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant breast lesions., Level of Evidence: 4 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2., (© 2022 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.)- Published
- 2023
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248. Histogram analysis of multi-model high-resolution diffusion-weighted MRI in breast cancer: correlations with molecular prognostic factors and subtypes.
- Author
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Qin Y, Wu F, Hu Q, He L, Huo M, Tang C, Yi J, Zhang H, Yin T, and Ai T
- Abstract
Objective: To investigate the correlations between quantitative diffusion parameters and prognostic factors and molecular subtypes of breast cancer, based on a single fast high-resolution diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequence with mono-exponential (Mono), intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM), diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) models., Materials and Methods: A total of 143 patients with histopathologically verified breast cancer were included in this retrospective study. The multi-model DWI-derived parameters were quantitatively measured, including Mono-ADC, IVIM- D , IVIM- D* , IVIM- f , DKI-Dapp, and DKI-Kapp. In addition, the morphologic characteristics of the lesions (shape, margin, and internal signal characteristics) were visually assessed on DWI images. Next, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Mann-Whitney U test, Spearman's rank correlation, logistic regression, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and Chi-squared test were utilized for statistical evaluations., Results: The histogram metrics of Mono-ADC, IVIM- D , DKI-Dapp, and DKI-Kapp were significantly different between estrogen receptor (ER)-positive vs . ER-negative groups, progesterone receptor (PR)-positive vs . PR-negative groups, Luminal vs . non-Luminal subtypes, and human epidermal receptor factor-2 (HER2)-positive vs . non-HER2-positive subtypes. The histogram metrics of Mono-ADC, DKI-Dapp, and DKI-Kapp were also significantly different between triple-negative (TN) vs . non-TN subtypes. The ROC analysis revealed that the area under the curve considerably improved when the three diffusion models were combined compared with every single model, except for distinguishing lymph node metastasis (LNM) status. For the morphologic characteristics of the tumor, the margin showed substantial differences between ER-positive and ER-negative groups., Conclusions: Quantitative multi-model analysis of DWI showed improved diagnostic performance for determining the prognostic factors and molecular subtypes of breast lesions. The morphologic characteristics obtained from high-resolution DWI can be identifying ER statuses of breast cancer., Competing Interests: Authors HZ and TY were employed by the company Siemens Healthineers Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Qin, Wu, Hu, He, Huo, Tang, Yi, Zhang, Yin and Ai.)
- Published
- 2023
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249. Synergistic Effect of P Doping and Mo-Ni-Based Heterostructure Electrocatalyst for Overall Water Splitting.
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Jia F, Zou X, Wei X, Bao W, Ai T, Li W, and Guo Y
- Abstract
Heterostructure construction and heteroatom doping are powerful strategies for enhancing the electrolytic efficiency of electrocatalysts for overall water splitting. Herein, we present a P-doped MoS
2 /Ni3 S2 electrocatalyst on nickel foam (NF) prepared using a one-step hydrothermal method. The optimized P[0.9mM] -MoS2 /Ni3 S2 @NF exhibits a cluster nanoflower-like morphology, which promotes the synergistic electrocatalytic effect of the heterostructures with abundant active centers, resulting in high catalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline electrolyte. The electrode exhibits low overpotentials and Tafel slopes for the HER and OER. In addition, the catalyst electrode used in a two-electrode system for overall water splitting requires an ultralow voltage of 1.42 V at 10 mA·cm-2 and shows no obvious increase in current within 35 h, indicating excellent stability. Therefore, the combination of P doping and the heterostructure suggests a novel path to formulate high-performance electrocatalysts for overall water splitting.- Published
- 2023
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250. A special polysaccharide hydrogel coated on Brasenia schreberi : preventive effects against ulcerative colitis via modulation of gut microbiota.
- Author
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Wan J, Yu X, Liu J, Li J, Ai T, Yin C, Liu H, and Qin R
- Subjects
- Humans, Animals, Mice, Hydrogels, Colon, Polysaccharides pharmacology, Dextran Sulfate adverse effects, Disease Models, Animal, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Colitis, Ulcerative chemically induced, Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Colitis chemically induced
- Abstract
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a growing health concern in humans, but it can be prevented by using special dietary strategies. Young stems and leaves of Brasenia schreberi (BS) are coated with a special polysaccharide hydrogel (BS mucilage) which can be beneficial for colon health. The aim of this study was to investigate the preventive effects of BS mucilage against UC in a DSS-treated mouse model. Although containing only 0.3% solid content, our research showed that BS mucilage effectively attenuated the disease activity index (DAI) and the spleen index and downregulated IL-1β, IL-18, IL-6 and CAT mRNA levels in DSS-treated mice, which is a promising UC alleviation function. Additionally, BS mucilage also improved the propionate and butyrate levels in mouse feces and alleviated the imbalanced gut microbiota induced by DSS. The abundance of pro-inflammatory and colorectal cancer related bacteria, such as Prevotella , Ruminococcus , Acutalibacter and Christensenella , was decreased by BS mucilage feeding, whereas the abundance of anti-inflammatory and SCFA-producing bacteria including Alistipes and Odoribacter was increased. In conclusion, the current study shows that the daily consumption of BS mucilage could be an effective way to prevent UC in mice, via modulation of gut microbiota.
- Published
- 2023
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