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Song Li,1,* Nandong Hu,2,* Zicheng Wei,2 Jiangchuan Wang,2 Rongzhou Wang,2 Xifa Gao,2 Yingping Qiu,2 Xiao Chen2 1Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, Anhui, 230040, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xiao Chen; Yingping Qiu, Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 155 Hanzhong Road, Nanjing, 210029, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 025 86617141, Email chxwin@163.com; ypqiusz@111.comIntroduction: Osteoporosis diagnosis often utilizes quantitative computed tomography (QCT). This study explored the validity of applying lumbar bone mineral density (LBMD) standards to thoracic vertebrae (T8-T10) for osteoporosis detection during CT lung cancer screenings. This study investigated the utility of thoracic BMD (BMD-T8-T10) for detecting osteoporosis in older persons during CT lung cancer screening.Methods: We studied 701 participants who underwent QCT scans for both LBMD and BMD-T8-T10. Osteoporosis was diagnosed using ACR criteria based on LBMD. We determined BMD-T8-T10 thresholds via a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and translated BMD-T8+T9+T10 to LBMD (TTBMD) using linear regression. Kappa test was used to evaluate the accuracy of BMD-T8-T10 thresholds and TTBMD in diagnosing osteoporosis.Results: Raw BMD-T8-T10 poorly identified osteoporosis (kappa = 0.51). ROC curve analysis identified BMD-T8-T10 thresholds for osteopenia (138 mg/cm3) and osteoporosis (97 mg/cm3) with areas under the curve of 0.97 and 0.99, respectively. We normalized BMD-T8-T10 to TTBMD based on the formula: TTBMD = 0.9 × BMD-T8-T10 - 2.56. These thresholds (kappa = 0.74) and TTBMD performed well in detecting osteoporosis/osteopenia (kappa = 0.74).Conclusion: Both calculating BMD-T8-T10 threshold (138.0 mg/cm3 for osteopenia and 97 mg/cm3 for osteoporosis) and normalizing BMD-T8-T10 to LBMD demonstrated good performance in identifying osteoporosis in older adults during CT lung cancer screening.Keywords: quantitative computed tomography, thoracic vertebral bone mineral density, osteoporosis, Computed tomography, lung cancer

Qiying Zeng,1,&ast; Wenjun Xue,2,&ast; Zhicheng Wei,1 Hangdong Shen,1 Huajun Xu,1 Huaming Zhu,1 Jian Guan,1 Hongliang Yi,1 Yunhai Feng,2 Xinyi Li,1 Haibo Ye1 1Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Sleep Disordered Breathing, Otorhinolaryngology Institute of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200233, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Eighth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xinyi Li; Haibo Ye, Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Sleep Disordered Breathing, Otorhinolaryngology Institute of Shanghai JiaoTong University, Shanghai, 200233, People’s Republic of China, Tel/Fax +86-2164834143, Email lixinyilixinyi123@163.com; yehaibo_2012@163.comBackground: Sleep-disordered breathing is more prevalent in individuals with allergic rhinitis (AR) than in those without AR. In addition to increased risk for sleep-disordered breathing, AR is associated with greater severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) symptoms. The aim of this research study was to evaluate the association of multiple single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variations in AR with sleep- and breathing-related parameters in men with OSA.Methods: Men who had complained of snoring were consecutively enrolled in the Shanghai Sleep Health Study of Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital from 2007 to 2018. After rigorous screening, 5322 men were included in the analysis. Anthropometric, fasting biochemical, and polysomnographic parameters, along with 27 AR-associated SNPs were analyzed. The associations between AR-related genetic polymorphisms and OSA were determined via linear, binary, and multinomial logistic regression analyses.Results: Rs12509403 had significantly positive associations with most sleep-breathing parameters. While the risk for OSA was increased by rs12509403, it was decreased by rs7717955 [odds ratio (OR) = 1.341, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.039– 1.732, P = 0.024; OR = 0.829, 95% CI = 0.715– 0.961, P = 0.013, respectively]. A graded increase in the risk of being in the highest quartile (Q4) vs the reference category (Q1) for sleep breathing indicators, especially REM-AHI and NREM-AHI, was identified by rs12509403 (OR = 1.496, 95% CI = 1.175– 1.904, P = 0.001; OR = 1.471, 95% CI = 1.151– 1.879, P < 0.001, respectively).Conclusion: The association of multiple AR SNPs with OSA-related hypoxia and sleep indices provides a genetic explanation for the higher AR susceptibility of OSA patients. Understanding the AR-related genetic underpinnings of OSA may lead to more personalized treatment approaches.Keywords: allergic rhinitis, obstructive sleep apnea, single nucleotide polymorphism, polysomnography

Jing Sang,1,2,&ast; Peng Liu,1,3,&ast; Meixiang Wang,1 Fengkuo Xu,1 Ji Ma,1 Zhigang Wei,1 Xin Ye1 1Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Taian City Central Hospital of Qingdao University, Taian, People’s Republic of China; 3Yuncheng Central Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University, Yuncheng, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Zhigang Wei; Xin Ye, Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, Shandong Province, 250014, People’s Republic of China, Email weizhigang321321@163.com; yexintaian2020@163.comPurpose: Microwave ablation (MWA) is a minimally invasive technique for treating lung cancer. It can induce immune response; however, its effect on the immune microenvironment in tumor-draining lymph nodes (TdLN) is not well understood. This study aims to identify changes in the immune microenvironment in TdLN following MWA in a Lewis lung cancer (LLC) mouse model.Methods: LLC mouse model was established and followed by MWA. TdLN were collected at various time points, including pre-MWA and days 1, 2, 4, and 8 post-MWA. Flow cytometry was used to determine the frequencies of CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, regulatory T (Treg) cells, natural killer (NK) cells, dendritic cells (DCs) and other immune cells in the TdLN. Certain cytokines were also detected.Results: Compared with pre-MWA, the frequency of CD4+ T cells significantly increased from day 1 to day 8 post-MWA. The frequency of CD8+ T cells decreased significantly on days 2 and 4, but no significant changes occurred on days 1 and 8. Significant decreases in the frequencies of Treg cells and Klrg1+ Treg cells were observed from day 1 to day 4. On days 4 and 8, there was a significant increase in the frequency of NK cells. The frequency of resident cDC2 significantly increased on day 4, whereas CD11b+ migratory cDCs increased on day 1. Additionally, on day 4, a notable rise was observed in the frequency of NK cells secreting IFN-γ, while on day 8, there was a significant increase in the frequency of CD8+ T cells secreting both IFN-γ and TNF-α.Conclusion: MWA of lung cancer can alter the immune microenvironment in the TdLN, triggering immune responses. These changes are particularly evident and intricate within the initial 4 days post-MWA. Treatment combined with MWA within a certain period may significantly enhance anti-tumor immunity.Keywords: microwave ablation, lung cancer, T cells, regulatory T cells, natural killer cells, dendritic cells

Yi Tang,1,&ast; Zemin Wei,1,&ast; Ning Li,2 Chao Jiang,2 Chen Liang,1 Lulu Sun,2 Lufeng Tian,3 Zhengyu Jin,4 Zhe Wu,2,&ast; Hao Sun4,&ast; 1Department of Endocrinology, Fushun Central Hospital, Fushun, Liaoning Province, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Radiology, Fushun Central Hospital, Fushun, Liaoning Province, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Internal Medicine, Fushun Central Hospital, Fushun, Liaoning Province, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Radiology, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Disease, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Hao Sun, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-10-69159537, Email sunhao_robert@126.com Zhe Wu, Fushun Central Hospital, Xincheng Road, Shuncheng District, Fushun, Liaoning Province, 113006, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-156-42018778, Email wuzhe0306@163.comPurpose: To examine the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in non-obese patients with pancreatic fatty infiltration through abdominal computed tomography (CT) quantitation.Patients and Methods: We carried out a retrospective analysis of abdominal CT and inpatient medical records of 238 inpatients from July 2019 to April 2021. The patients were divided into a normal non-obese group (BMI < 25, n = 135) and diabetic non-obese group (BMI < 25, n = 103). Abdominal CT-related parameters included body width; mean CT values of the pancreas, liver, and spleen; difference between pancreas and spleen CT values (P−S); pancreas-to-spleen attenuation ratio (P/S); and liver-to-spleen attenuation ratio (L/S). Logistic regression was used to estimate the risk factors for comorbid diabetes in a non-obese population.Results: The P-values of the pancreas CT value, P−S, P/S, body width, and L/S were all < 0.05 and correlated to comorbid diabetes in non-obese patients. Worsening pancreatic fatty infiltration increased the risk of developing diabetes. Using a P/S of 1.0 as reference, every successive decrease in this ratio by 0.1 increases patient risk by 3.981, 4.452, 6.037, and 12.937 times.Conclusion: The risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus in non-obese patients increases with the degree of pancreatic fatty infiltration as assessed by CT.Keywords: computed tomography, non-obese patients, pancreatic fatty infiltration, type 2 diabetes mellitus

Xiang Liu,1,&ast; Zhipeng Wei,2,&ast; Long Ting,1,&ast; Xuming Liu,3 Yongqiang Shu,1 Huang Ling,1 Lifeng Li,1 Yumeng Liu,1 Guojin Xia,1 Dechang Peng,1 Haijun Li1 1Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Radiology, Wenzhou People’s Hospital, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Dechang Peng; Haijun Li, Email pengdcdoctor@163.com; haijunli1990@163.comIntroduction: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy improves clinical symptoms in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA); however, the mechanism of this clinical improvement and how it may be associated with the restoration of white matter (WM) structures in the brain is unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between the structural recovery of brain WM and improvements in cognitive function and emotion after long-term (12 months) CPAP treatment in patients with OSA.Methods: We collected data from 17 patients with OSA before and 12 months after CPAP treatment, including sleep monitoring, clinical assessment, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) magnetic resonance imaging.Results: We observed a partial reversible recovery of brain WM (mean and radial diffusion coefficients) after treatment. This recovery involved the commissural fibers (cingulum, body of corpus callosum), projection fibers (retrolenticular part of the internal capsule, posterior thalamic radiation, posterior limb of the internal capsule, superior corona radiata, posterior corona radiata), association fibers (external capsule, superior longitudinal fasciculus, inferior longitudinal fasciculus), and other regions. In addition, the improvements in WM fibers in one part of the brain significantly were correlated with the Hamilton Anxiety Scale and Hamilton Depression Scale scores.Discussion: Our results suggest that reversible recovery of reduced brain WM integrity due to OSA may require longer CPAP treatment. Moreover, changes in the integrity of the commissural fibers were associated with emotion regulation. These restored WM areas may explain the cognitive and mood improvements observed after OSA treatment.Keywords: obstructive sleep apnea, continuous positive airway pressure, diffusion tensor imaging, tract-based spatial statistics

Abstract Vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for developing multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the immune effects of vitamin D in people with MS are not well understood. We analyzed transcriptomic datasets generated by RNA sequencing of immune cell subsets (CD4+, CD8+ T cells, B cells, monocytes) from 33 healthy controls and 33 untreated MS cases. We utilized a traditional bioinformatic pipeline and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to determine genes and pathways correlated with endogenous vitamin D. In controls, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells had 1079 and 1188 genes, respectively, whose expressions were correlated with plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D level (P

Carrier induced defect creation at the semiconductor-oxide interface has been known as the origin of electronic device degradation for a long time, but how exactly the interface lattice can be damaged by carriers (especially low-energy ones) remains unclear. Here we carry out real-time time-dependent density functional theory simulations on concrete interfaces to study the interaction between excited electrons and interface bonds. We show that the normal interface Si-H bonds are generally resistant to electrons due to the delocalized nature and high energy level of the Si-H antibonding states, and due to the high-energy barrier to break the Si-H bond. However, if an additional hydrogen atom exists by attaching to a nearby oxygen atom (forming a “Si-H···H-O” complex), the Si-H bond will be greatly weakened, including the reduction of energy barrier for bond breaking, and the lowering of the antibonding state energy level which favors electron injection. Together with the multiple vibrational excitation process, the corresponding Si-H bond can be broken much more easily. Thus we propose that the Si-H···H-O complex will be the center for defect creation and device degradation. We also explain why such a center might be relatively easy to form during the hydrogen annealing process.

ObjectiveMeniscal degeneration is strongly associated with osteoarthritis (OA). We aimed to evaluate a 3D ultrashort-echo-time Cones magnetization transfer (UTE-Cones-MT) sequence for quantification of macromolecular fraction (MMF) and MT ratio (MTR) in menisci of healthy volunteers and patients with different degrees of OA.MethodsPatients with mild OA (n = 19; 37-86 years; 10 males) or advanced OA (n = 12; 52-88 years; 4 males) and healthy volunteers (n = 17; 20-49 years; 7 males) were scanned with T2-FSE and UTE-Cones-MT sequences at 3T. Morphological assessment was performed using meniscal whole-organ magnetic resonance imaging score (WORMS). MMF and MTR were calculated for menisci, and correlated with age and meniscal WORMS scores. The diagnostic efficiency was performed by using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the curve (AUC) analyses.ResultsDecreased MMF and MTR were observed in menisci of patients with mild or advanced OA compared with healthy subjects, and in menisci with tears (Grade 2-4) compared with normal menisci (Grade 0). Significant negative correlations were observed between MMF (r = -0.769, P

Meter-scale vesicular blocks, termed “giant pumice,” are characteristic primary products of many subaqueous silicic eruptions. The size of giant pumices allows us to describe meter-scale variations in textures and geochemistry with implications for shearing processes, ascent dynamics, and thermal histories within submarine conduits prior to eruption. The submarine eruption of Havre volcano, Kermadec Arc, in 2012, produced at least 0.1 km3 of rhyolitic giant pumice from a single 900-m-deep vent, with blocks up to 10 m in size transported to at least 6 km from source. We sampled and analyzed 29 giant pumices from the 2012 Havre eruption. Geochemical analyses of whole rock and matrix glass show no evidence for geochemical heterogeneities in parental magma; any textural variations can be attributed to crystallization of phenocrysts and microlites, and degassing. Extensive growth of microlites occurred near conduit walls where magma was then mingled with ascending microlite-poor, low viscosity rhyolite. Meter- to micron-scale textural analyses of giant pumices identify diversity throughout an individual block and between the exteriors of individual blocks. We identify evidence for post-disruption vesicle growth during pumice ascent in the water column above the submarine vent. A 2D cumulative strain model with a flared, shallow conduit may explain observed vesicularity contrasts (elongate tube vesicles vs spherical vesicles). Low vesicle number densities in these pumices from this high-intensity silicic eruption demonstrate the effect of hydrostatic pressure above a deep submarine vent in suppressing rapid late-stage bubble nucleation and inhibiting explosive fragmentation in the shallow conduit.

Zihan Wei, Ying Zhang, Sizhen Yang, Chenhui Cai, Jiawen Ye, Hao Qiu, Xu Hu, Yiyun Qu, Xuan Wen, Tongwei Chu Department of Orthopedics, Xinqiao Hospital of Chongqing, Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400037, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Tongwei Chu, Department of Orthopedics, Xinqiao Hospital of Chongqing, Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400037, People’s Republic of China, Tel/Fax +8613708388336, Email chtw@sina.comObjective: To compare the cervical sagittal balance parameters and clinical efficacy of three fusion devices after short-segment anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.Patients and Methods: Retrospectively analyzed 516 patients with cervical spondylosis who underwent surgery at our hospital from May 2013 to May 2019. All patients had complete data and were divided into three groups according to the selected fusion cage. Neck and upper limb pain were assessed by the visual analog scale (VAS) score. Neurological function was evaluated by the modified Japanese Orthopedics Society (mJOA) score. Also, the curvature of the cervical spine and the occurrence of dysphagia were observed.Results: There were no significant differences in the general information, thoracic inlet angle, T1 slope, or surgical data among the groups (p> 0.05). There were significant differences in the scores between pre- and postoperatively in the different groups (p< 0.05). There were no significant differences in the C2-C7 Cobb angle or C2-C7 sagittal vertebral axis before the operation among the groups (p> 0.05). There was a significant difference in the correction and loss of correction among the groups postoperatively and on follow-up (p> 0.05). Dysphagia was less likely in the Zero-P VA fusion group than in the other two groups.Conclusion: Different fusion instruments can relieve the symptoms. In the Prodisc-C Vivo group, no significant improvement in cervical sagittal balance was achieved. A good effect on improving sagittal balance was observed in both the Zero-P VA fusion and Skyline anterior cervical titanium plate groups, but a better effect on preventing dysphagia was observed in the Zero-PVA fusion group.Keywords: retrospective analyze, cervical spondylosis, anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, cervical sagittal balance parameters, fusion devices

Currently, regardless of the algorithm used, motion planners for dealing with dynamic obstructions need to rely on high‐precision sensors and high performance processors. The requirements for hardware increase as the density of dynamic obstructions in an area becomes higher. Additionally, motion planners are more prone to errors in complex environments. The Rapidly‐exploring Random Tree (RRT ∗) algorithm only considers static obstructions and cannot effectively avoid densely populated regions of dynamic obstructions. This paper develops an improved RRT ∗ algorithm that is capable of avoiding densely populated regions of dynamic obstructions. In this algorithm, the cost function of the traditional RRT ∗ algorithm is modified based on the density of dynamic obstructions, allowing the planned path to bypass densely populated regions. The algorithm also introduces reasonable penalty terms to penalize segments that pass through densely populated regions, while maintaining asymptotic optimality of the traditional RRT ∗ algorithm. Numerical experiments reveal that the improved RRT ∗ algorithm is able to successfully avoid densely populated regions of dynamic obstructions with minimal time cost and exhibits better robustness during the path search process in comparison to the traditional RRT ∗ algorithm. Thus, the improved RRT ∗ algorithm possesses the ability to adapt to more complex areas for path planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]