Expression and diagnostic value of interleukin-22 in rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) is characterized by a high incidence and mortality rate, highlighting the need for biomarkers to detect ILD early in RA patients. Previous studies have shown the protective effects of Interleukin-22 (IL-22) in pulmonary fibrosis using mouse models. This study aims to assess IL-22 expression in RA-ILD to validate foundational experiments and explore its diagnostic value. The study included 66 newly diagnosed RA patients (33 with ILD, 33 without ILD) and 14 healthy controls (HC). ELISA was utilized to measure IL-22 levels and perform intergroup comparisons. The correlation between IL-22 levels and the severity of RA-ILD was examined. Logistic regression analysis was employed to screen potential predictive factors for RA-ILD risk and establish a predictive nomogram. The diagnostic value of IL-22 in RA-ILD was assessed using ROC. Subsequently, the data were subjected to 30-fold cross-validation. IL-22 levels in the RA-ILD group were lower than in the RA-No-ILD group and were inversely correlated with the severity of RA-ILD. Logistic regression analysis identified IL-22, age, smoking history, anti-mutated citrullinated vimentin antibody (MCV-Ab), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) as independent factors for distinguishing between the groups. The diagnostic value of IL-22 in RA-ILD was moderate (AUC = 0.75) and improved when combined with age, smoking history, MCV-Ab and MCHC (AUC = 0.97). After 30-fold cross-validation, the average AUC was 0.886. IL-22 expression is dysregulated in the pathogenesis of RA-ILD. This study highlights the potential of IL-22, along with other factors, as a valuable biomarker for assessing RA-ILD occurrence and progression.

Overexpressing PagGS1;2 maintains carbon and nitrogen balance under high-ammonium conditions and shows increased tolerance to ammonium toxicity in 84K Poplar.

In plants, the glutamine synthetase - glutamic acid synthetase (GS/GOGAT) cycle plays important roles in nitrogen metabolism, growth, development, and stress resistance. Excess ammonium (NH4+) restricts plant growth, but GS can help to alleviate NH4+ toxicity. In this study, 84K poplar (Populus alba × P. glandulosa) showed reduced biomass accumulation and leaf chlorosis under high-NH4+ stress. These symptoms were less severe in lines overexpressing the gene encoding glutamine synthetase (PagGS1;2-OE), and more severe in lines with inhibition of PagGS1;2 expression (PagGS1;2-RNAi). Compared with the wild type（WT）, the PagGS1;2-OE lines showed significantly increased GS and GOGAT activities and higher contents of free amino acids, soluble protein, total nitrogen, and chlorophyll under high-NH4+ stress. In contrast, the antioxidant capacity and NH4+ assimilation capacity of PagGS1;2-RNAi lines were decreased under high-NH4+ stress. The total carbon (C) content and C/N ratio (C/N) of roots and leaves of PagGS1;2-OE lines were significantly higher than those of WT under high-NH4+ stress. Overexpression of PagGS1;2 led to increased accumulation of various amino acids (3-methylaspartic acid, glutamic acid, proline, serine, and histidine); reduced contents of carbohydrates (fructose, starch, galactose, glucose 1-phosphate, fructose 6-phosphate); and increased contents of sugar alcohols (sedum heptanose, maltose, mannitol, galactose, sorbitol) in the roots under high-NH4+ stress. Under high-NH4+ stress, genes related to amino acid biosynthesis, sucrose and starch degradation, galactose metabolism, and the antioxidant system were significantly up-regulated in the roots of PagGS1;2-OE lines, compared with those of wild type. Thus, PagGS1;2 overexpression affected C metabolism and amino acid metabolism pathways under high-NH4+ stress, which helped to maintain the balance of C and N metabolism and alleviate the symptoms of NH4+ toxicity. Modification of the GS/GOGAT cycle by genetic engineering is a promising strategy to improve NH4+ tolerance of forest trees.

Network Analysis of Metabolome and Transcriptome Revealed Regulation of Different Nitrogen Concentrations on Hybrid Poplar Cambium Development.

Secondary development is a key biological characteristic of woody plants and the basis of wood formation. Exogenous nitrogen can affect the secondary growth of poplar, and some regulatory mechanisms have been found in the secondary xylem. However, the effect of nitrogen on cambium has not been reported. Herein, we investigated the effects of different nitrogen concentrations on cambium development using combined transcriptome and metabolome analysis. The results show that, compared with 1 mM NH4NO3 (M), the layers of hybrid poplar cambium cells decreased under the 0.15 mM NH4NO3 (L) and 0.3 mM NH4NO3 (LM) treatments. However, there was no difference in the layers of hybrid poplar cambium cells under the 3 mM NH4NO3 (HM) and 5 mM NH4NO3 (H) treatments. Totals of 2365, 824, 649 and 398 DEGs were identified in the M versus (vs.) L, M vs. LM, M vs. HM and M vs. H groups, respectively. Expression profile analysis of the DEGs showed that exogenous nitrogen affected the gene expression involved in plant hormone signal transduction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, the starch and sucrose metabolism pathway and the ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis pathway. In M vs. L, M vs. LM, M vs. HM and M vs. H, differential metabolites were enriched in flavonoids, lignans, coumarins and saccharides. The combined analysis of the transcriptome and metabolome showed that some genes and metabolites in plant hormone signal transduction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and starch and sucrose metabolism pathways may be involved in nitrogen regulation in cambium development, whose functions need to be verified. In this study, from the point of view that nitrogen influences cambium development to regulate wood formation, the network analysis of the transcriptome and metabolomics of cambium under different nitrogen supply levels was studied for the first time, revealing the potential regulatory and metabolic mechanisms involved in this process and providing new insights into the effects of nitrogen on wood development.

Global evolving patterns and cross-country inequalities of inflammatory bowel disease burden from 1990 to 2019: a worldwide report.

AIMS: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a global disease. We aim to summarize the latest epidemiological patterns of IBD at the national, regional and global levels to give well-deserved attention and outline facilitating measures to reduce the disease burden. METHODS: We collected the incidence, prevalence, mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of IBD in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019 using data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. We further calculated the estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) to qualify the temporal trends of IBD burden by sex, age and region over the past 30 years. RESULTS: Globally, a total of 404.55 thousand incident cases, 4898.56 thousand prevalent cases, 41.00 thousand deaths and 1622.50 thousand DALYs of IBD were estimated in 2019. The age-standardized DALYs decreased from 27.2 in 1990 to 20.15 per 100,000 people in 2019, with an EAPC of -1.04. The high socio-demographic index regions presented pronounced age-standardized rates (ASRs) consistently over the last 30 years. The high-income North America had the highest ASRs in 2019, followed by Western Europe and Australasia. No gender difference was observed after being stratified by sex. CONCLUSIONS: The accumulated IBD patients are expected to increase in the future due to the increased rate of IBD in developing countries, and social aging in developed countries. Understanding the changes in epidemiological patterns helps to provide evidence to mitigate the rising burden of IBD.

Identification of discriminatory factors and construction of nomograms for differentiating AOSD and sepsis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop nomogram prediction models to differentiate between adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) and sepsis. METHODS: We retrospectively collected laboratory test data from 107 hospitalized patients with AOSD and sepsis at the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University. Multivariate binary logistic regression was used to develop nomogram models using arthralgia, WBC, APTT, creatinine, PLT, and ferritin as independent factors. The performance of the model was evaluated by the bootstrap consistency index and calibration curve. RESULTS: Model 1 had an AUC of 0.98 (95% CI, 0.96-1.00), specificity of 0.98, and sensitivity of 0.94. Model 2 had an AUC of 0.96 (95% CI, 0.93-1.00), specificity of 0.92, and sensitivity of 0.94. The fivefold cross-validation yielded an accuracy (ACC) of 0.92 and a kappa coefficient of 0.83 for Model 1, while for Model 2, the ACC was 0.87 and the kappa coefficient was 0.74. CONCLUSION: The nomogram models developed in this study are useful tools for differentiating between AOSD and sepsis. Key Points • The differential diagnosis between AOSD and sepsis has always been a challenge • Delayed treatment of AOSD may lead to serious complications • We developed two nomogram models to distinguish AOSD from sepsis, which were not previously reported • Our models can be used to guide clinical practice with good discrimination.

Integrative proteomic and metabonomic profiling elucidates amino acid and lipid metabolism disorder in CA-MRSA-infected breast abscesses.

Objective: Bacterial culture and drug sensitivity testing have been the gold standard for confirming community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infection in breast abscess with a long history. However, these tests may delay treatment and increase the risk of nosocomial infections. To handle and improve this critical situation, this study aimed to explore biomarkers that could facilitate the rapid diagnosis of CA-MRSA infection. Methods: This study for the first time applied label-free quantitative proteomics and non-targeted metabonomics to identify potential differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) and differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) in breast abscess infected with CA-MRSA compared to methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA). The two omics data were integrated and analyzed using bioinformatics, and the results were validated using Parallel Reaction Monitoring (PRM). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to evaluate the predictive efficiency of the identified biomarkers for diagnosing CA-MRSA infection. Results: After using the above-mentioned strategies, 109 DEPs were identified, out of which 86 were upregulated and 23 were downregulated. Additionally, a total of 61 and 26 DEMs were initially screened in the positive and negative ion modes, respectively. A conjoint analysis indicated that the amino acid metabolism, glycosphingolipid biosynthesis, and glycerophospholipid metabolism pathways were co-enriched by the upstream DEPs and downstream DEMs, which may be involved in structuring the related network of CA-MRSA infection. Furthermore, three significant DEMs, namely, indole-3-acetic acid, L-(-)-methionine, and D-sedoheptulose 7-phosphate, displayed good discriminative abilities in early identification of CA-MRSA infection in ROC analysis. Conclusion: As there is limited high-quality evidence and multiple omics research in this field, the explored candidate biomarkers and pathways may provide new insights into the early diagnosis and drug resistance mechanisms of CA-MRSA infection in Chinese women.

Establishment of a differential diagnosis method and an online prediction platform for AOSD and sepsis based on gradient boosting decision trees algorithm.

OBJECTIVE: The differential diagnosis between adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) and sepsis has always been a challenge. In this study, a machine learning model for differential diagnosis of AOSD and sepsis was developed and an online platform was developed to facilitate the clinical application of the model. METHODS: All data were collected from 42 AOSD patients and 50 sepsis patients admitted to Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from December 2018 to December 2021. In addition, 5 AOSD patients and 10 sepsis patients diagnosed in our hospital after March 2022 were collected for external validation. All models were built using the scikit-learn library (version 1.0.2) in Python (version 3.9.7), and feature selection was performed using the SHAP (Shapley Additive exPlanation) package developed in Python. RESULTS: The results showed that the gradient boosting decision tree(GBDT) optimization model based on arthralgia, ferritin × lymphocyte count, white blood cell count, ferritin × platelet count, and α1-acid glycoprotein/creatine kinase could well identify AOSD and sepsis. The training set interaction test (AUC: 0.9916, ACC: 0.9457, Sens: 0.9556, Spec: 0.9578) and the external validation also achieved satisfactory results (AUC: 0.9800, ACC: 0.9333, Sens: 0.8000, Spec: 1.000). We named this discrimination method AIADSS (AI-assisted discrimination of Still's disease and Sepsis) and created an online service platform for practical operation, the website is http://cppdd.cn/STILL1/ . CONCLUSION: We created a method for the identification of AOSD and sepsis based on machine learning. This method can provide a reference for clinicians to formulate the next diagnosis and treatment plan.

Polydopamine functionalized polyurethane shape memory sponge with controllable expansion performance triggered by near-infrared light for incompressible hemorrhage control.

Uncontrolled expansion of shape memory sponges face a significant challenge in the treatment of lethal incompressible hemorrhage, which can lead to blood overflow or damage to the surrounding tissue. Herein, we developed a polydopamine functionalized polyurethane shape memory sponge (PDA-TPI-PU) with a controllable degree of expansion by near-infrared (NIR) light-triggered stimulation for the treatment of incompressible hemorrhage. The sponge has excellent liquid absorption performance and robust mechanical strength as well as good photothermal conversion ability. Under NIR light of 0.32 W/cm2, the maximum recovery rate of the fixed-shape compression sponge was 91% within 25 s in air and 80% within 25 s in blood. In the SD rat liver penetrating injury model, compared with commercial medical gelatin sponge and PVA sponge, the PDA-TPI-PU sponge could effectively control the bleeding under the NIR light irradiation and did not cause excessive compression of the wound. The sponge with these characteristics shows potential application prospects as a hemostatic material.

Physiological effects of combined NaCl and NaHCO3 stress on the seedlings of two maple species.

Salt stress impacts growth and physiological processes in plants, and some plants exposed to salt stress will produce physiological mechanisms to adapt to the new environment. However, the effects of combined NaCl and NaHCO3 stress on the seedlings of Acer species are understudied. In this study, we designed an experiment to measure physiological characteristics by establishing a range of NaCl and NaHCO3 concentrations (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 mmol L-1) to estimate the compound salt tolerance of Acer ginnala and Acer palmatum. When the concentrations of NaCl and NaHCO3 were 25 mmol L-1, the leaf water content, relative conductivity, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, proline content, soluble sugar content, and chlorophyll did not change (p > 0.05) in two maple seedlings. At concentrations greater than 50 mmol L-1, the relative conductivity and MDA content increased, proline and soluble sugars accumulated, and the potential activity of PS II (Fv/Fo), potential photochemical efficiency of PS II (Fv/Fm), PS II actual photochemical efficiency (Yield), and photosynthetic electron transfer efficiency (ETR) decreased (p < 0.05). The superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities showed the same trend of first increasing and then decreasing (p < 0.05). The peroxidase (POD) activity increased only when concentrations of NaCl and NaHCO3 were 100 mmol L-1, while there was no statistical difference between the other treatments and the control. Therefore, the two maple seedlings adjusted their osmotic balance and alleviated oxidative stress by accumulating proline, soluble sugars and increasing CAT and SOD activities. Further analysis showed that both species are salt tolerant and the salt tolerance of Acer ginnala is better than that of Acer palmatum.

Metagenomics insights into gentamicin degradation and the dynamic of antibiotic resistance genes during co-composting of the gentamicin myelial residues with addition of various organic wastes.

Increasing antibiotic mycelial residues (AMRs) and related antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) pose a significant threat to ecosystems and public health. Composting is a crucial method for recycling AMRs. However, the variation in ARGs and gentamicin degradation in the composting process of gentamicin mycelial residues (GMRs) has received little attention on an actual industrial scale. This research investigated the metabolic pathways and functional genes on the gentamicin and ARGs removal during the co-composting of GMRs with addition of various organic wastes (rice chaff, mushroom residue, etc.) under various C/N ratios (15:1, 25:1, 35:1). The results showed that the removal efficiencies of gentamicin and the total ARGs were 98.23 % and 53.20 %, respectively, with the C/N ratio of 25:1. Moreover, metagenomics and LS-MS/MS analysis demonstrated that the acetylation was the primary pathway for gentamicin biodegradation and the corresponding degrading genes were the categories of aac(3) and aac(6'). However, the relative abundance of aminoglycoside resistance genes (AMGs) were increased after 60 days composting. The partial least squares path modeling analysis demonstrated that the AMG abundance was directly influenced by the predominant mobile gene elements intI1 (p < 0.05) which was closely related to the bacterial community composition. Therefore, the ecological environmental risks should be assessed in the future application of GMRs composting products.

TaSPL14-7A is a conserved regulator controlling plant architecture and yield traits in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Plant architecture is a crucial influencing factor of wheat yield and adaptation. In this study, we cloned and characterized TaSPL14, a homologous gene of the rice ideal plant architecture gene OsSPL14 in wheat. TaSPL14 homoeologs (TaSPL14-7A, TaSPL14-7B and TaSPL14-7D) exhibited similar expression patterns, and they were all preferentially expressed in stems at the elongation stage and in young spikes. Moreover, the expression level of TaSPL14-7A was higher than that of TaSPL14-7B and TaSPL14-7D. Overexpression of TaSPL14-7A in wheat resulted in significant changes in plant architecture and yield traits, including decreased tiller number and increased kernel size and weight. Three TaSPL14-7A haplotypes were identified in Chinese wheat core collection, and haplotype-based association analysis showed that TaSPL14-7A-Hap1/2 were significantly correlated with fewer tillers, larger kernels and higher kernel weights in modern cultivars. The haplotype effect resulted from a difference in TaSPL14-7A expression levels among genotypes, with TaSPL14-7A-Hap1/2 leading to higher expression levels than TaSPL14-7A-Hap3. As favorable haplotypes, TaSPL14-7A-Hap1/2 underwent positive selection during global wheat breeding over the last century. Together, the findings of our study provide insight into the function and genetic effects of TaSPL14 and provide a useful molecular marker for wheat breeding.

Computer-aided diagnosis system versus conventional reading system in low-dose (< 2 mSv) computed tomography: comparative study for patients at risk of lung cancer

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Computer-aided diagnosis in low-dose (≤ 3 mSv) computed tomography (CT) is a potential screening tool for lung nodules, with quality interpretation and less inter-observer variability among readers. Therefore, we aimed to determine the screening potential of CT using a radiation dose that does not exceed 2 mSv. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare the diagnostic parameters of low-dose (< 2 mSv) CT interpretation results using a computer-aided diagnosis system for lung cancer screening with those of a conventional reading system used by radiologists. DESIGN AND SETTING: We conducted a comparative study of chest CT images for lung cancer screening at three private institutions. METHODS: A database of low-dose (< 2 mSv) chest CT images of patients at risk of lung cancer was viewed with the conventional reading system (301 patients and 226 nodules) or computer-aided diagnosis system without any subsequent radiologist review (944 patients and 1,048 nodules). RESULTS: The numbers of detected and solid nodules per patient (both P < 0.0001) were higher using the computer-aided diagnosis system than those using the conventional reading system. The nodule size was reported as the maximum size in any plane in the computer-aided diagnosis system. Higher numbers of patients (102 [11%] versus 20 [7%], P = 0.0345) and nodules (154 [15%] versus 17 [8%], P = 0.0035) were diagnosed with cancer using the computer-aided diagnosis system. CONCLUSIONS: The computer-aided diagnosis system facilitates the diagnosis of cancerous nodules, especially solid nodules, in low-dose (< 2 mSv) CT among patients at risk for lung cancer.

Atomically Thick Oxide Overcoating Stimulates Low-Temperature Reactive Metal-Support Interactions for Enhanced Catalysis.

Reactive metal-support interactions (RMSIs) induce the formation of bimetallic alloys and offer an effective way to tune the electronic and geometric properties of metal sites for advanced catalysis. However, RMSIs often require high-temperature reductions (>500 °C), which significantly limits the tuning of bimetallic compositional varieties. Here, we report that an atomically thick Ga2O3 coating of Pd nanoparticles enables the initiation of RMSIs at a much lower temperature of ∼250 °C. State-of-the-art microscopic and in situ spectroscopic studies disclose that low-temperature RMSIs initiate the formation of rarely reported Ga-rich PdGa alloy phases, distinct from the Pd2Ga phase formed in traditional Pd/Ga2O3 catalysts after high-temperature reduction. In the CO2 hydrogenation reaction, the Ga-rich alloy phases impressively boost the formation of methanol and dimethyl ether ∼5 times higher than that of Pd/Ga2O3. In situ infrared spectroscopy reveals that the Ga-rich phases greatly favor formate formation as well as its subsequent hydrogenation, thus leading to high productivity.

Gelatin Methacryloyl-Based Sponge with Designed Conical Microchannels for Rapidly Controlling Hemorrhage and Theoretical Verification.

It remains a challenge to develop effective hemostatic products in battlefield rescue for noncompressible massive hemorrhage. Some previous research had concentrated on the modification of different materials to improve the hemostasis ability of sponges. Herein, to investigate the relationship between the taper of microchannels and hemostatic performance of porous sponges, gelatin methacryloyl-based sponges with designed conical microchannels and a disordered porous structure were prepared using the 3D printing method and freeze-drying technology. Experiments and theoretical model analysis demonstrated that the taper and distribution of microchannels in the sponge affected the water and blood absorption properties, as well as the expansion ability. In treatment of SD rat liver defect and SD rat liver perforation wound, GS-1 sponge with the taper (1/15) microchannels exhibited an excellent hemostatic effect with blood loss of 0.866 ± 0.093 g and a hemostasis time of 280 ± 10 s. Results showed that the hemostatic capacities of GelMA sponges were increased with the bottom diameter (taper) of conical microchannels. This is a potential strategy to develop designed taper sponges with designed taper microchannels for rapidly controlling hemorrhage.

Conjugated dual size effect of core-shell particles synergizes bimetallic catalysis.

Core-shell bimetallic nanocatalysts have attracted long-standing attention in heterogeneous catalysis. Tailoring both the core size and shell thickness to the dedicated geometrical and electronic properties for high catalytic reactivity is important but challenging. Here, taking Au@Pd core-shell catalysts as an example, we disclose by theory that a large size of Au core with a two monolayer of Pd shell is vital to eliminate undesired lattice contractions and ligand destabilizations for optimum benzyl alcohol adsorption. A set of Au@Pd/SiO2 catalysts with various core sizes and shell thicknesses are precisely fabricated. In the benzyl alcohol oxidation reaction, we find that the activity increases monotonically with the core size but varies nonmontonically with the shell thickness, where a record-high activity is achieved on a Au@Pd catalyst with a large core size of 6.8 nm and a shell thickness of ~2-3 monolayers. These findings highlight the conjugated dual particle size effect in bimetallic catalysis.

Genome-wide identification of glutamate synthase gene family and expression patterns analysis in response to carbon and nitrogen treatment in Populus.

Glutamate synthase (GOGAT) is a key enzyme in glutamine synthetase (GS)/GOGAT cycle and at the hub of carbon and nitrogen metabolism, catalyzing the formation of glutamate from α-oxoglutarate and glutamine. In this study, members of GOGAT family in Populus trichocarpa were identified and analyzed by bioinformatics. The four PtGOGATs were divided into two subgroups: subgroup A (Fd-GOGAT1 and Fd-GOGAT2) and subgroup B (NADH-GOGAT1 and NADH-GOGAT2). Many important elements have been identified in the promoters of different PtGOGATs, including hormone- and light-responsive elements. Meanwhile, the transcript levels of PxGOGATs were affected by light and diurnal cycle. Quantitative real-time PCR showed PxFd-GOGATs and PxNADH-GOGATs were mainly expressed in leaves and roots in Populus × xiaohei T. S. Hwang et Liang, respectively. Under elevated CO2, PxGOGATs were suppressed in all tissues except the stem. And PxFd-GOGATs and PxNADH-GOGATs were strongly induced by nitrogen in leaves and roots, respectively. In addition, PxGOGATs were stimulated significantly in roots in response to NH4+and glutamine directly. Our results provide new insights about GOGATs in poplar and their expression patterns under exogenous substances, to lay molecular basis for studying gene function and provide a reference for exploring putative roles of GOGATs in carbon-nitrogen balance.

Analysis of Lymph Node Metastasis and Risk Factors in 975 Patients with FIGO 2009 Stage IA-IIA Cervical Cancer.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to summarize the rate of lymph node metastasis (LNM) of patients with stage IA-IIA cervical cancer and further analyze its distribution characteristics and related risk factors. DESIGN: This study is a retrospective analysis of clinical data about cervical cancer. PARTICIPANTS: According to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2009 staging standard, 975 patients with stage IA-IIA cervical cancer treated in our hospital from January 2010 to December 2018. SETTING: This is a single-center study. METHODS: The incidence and distribution of LNM were analyzed, and the influencing factors of cervical cancer LNM were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: In this study, the LNM rate was 14.8% (144/975), and a total of 20,288 lymph nodes were removed, among which 359 lymph nodes had metastasis. According to the number and frequency of metastatic lymph nodes in different regions, the metastatic rate was the highest in the external iliac regions. Univariate analysis showed that more than three pregnancies, tumor size >4 cm, gross type, FIGO stage, pathological type, positive lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI), deep cervical stromal invasion (outer half invasion), parametrial involvement, and uterine corpus invasion (UCI) were correlated with LNM (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that tumor lesion of >4 cm (odds ratio (OR) = 2.253, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.486-3.416, p < 0.001), positive LVSI (OR = 5.353, 95% CI: 3.303-8.676, p < 0.001), deep cervical stromal invasion (OR = 3.461, 95% CI: 2.106-5.688, p < 0.001), and deep UCI (myometrial invasion ≥50%) (OR = 3.529, 95% CI: 1.321-9.427, p = 0.012) were independent risk factors for LNM. LIMITATIONS: Retrospective nature of the study and limitation to a single-center study are the limitations of the study. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with cervical cancer are more likely to have LNM with a tumor size of >4 cm, positive LVSI, deep cervical stromal invasion, or deep UCI. When these risk factors are present, the presence of LNM is possible, and attention should be paid. This study provides a certain reference value for predicting LNM risk for patients with early cervical cancer and for the stratified management of early cervical cancer treatment.

Computer-aided diagnosis system versus conventional reading system in low-dose (< 2 mSv) computed tomography: comparative study for patients at risk of lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Computer-aided diagnosis in low-dose (≤ 3 mSv) computed tomography (CT) is a potential screening tool for lung nodules, with quality interpretation and less inter-observer variability among readers. Therefore, we aimed to determine the screening potential of CT using a radiation dose that does not exceed 2 mSv. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare the diagnostic parameters of low-dose (< 2 mSv) CT interpretation results using a computer-aided diagnosis system for lung cancer screening with those of a conventional reading system used by radiologists. DESIGN AND SETTING: We conducted a comparative study of chest CT images for lung cancer screening at three private institutions. METHODS: A database of low-dose (< 2 mSv) chest CT images of patients at risk of lung cancer was viewed with the conventional reading system (301 patients and 226 nodules) or computer-aided diagnosis system without any subsequent radiologist review (944 patients and 1,048 nodules). RESULTS: The numbers of detected and solid nodules per patient (both P < 0.0001) were higher using the computer-aided diagnosis system than those using the conventional reading system. The nodule size was reported as the maximum size in any plane in the computer-aided diagnosis system. Higher numbers of patients (102 [11%] versus 20 [7%], P = 0.0345) and nodules (154 [15%] versus 17 [8%], P = 0.0035) were diagnosed with cancer using the computer-aided diagnosis system. CONCLUSIONS: The computer-aided diagnosis system facilitates the diagnosis of cancerous nodules, especially solid nodules, in low-dose (< 2 mSv) CT among patients at risk for lung cancer.

Genetic predisposition to neurodegenerative diseases and risk of stroke: A Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Traditional epidemiological studies suggested that Neurodegenerative diseases (ND) might correlate with stroke. We intend to explore whether the two most common neurodegenerative diseases [Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD)] are causally associated with stroke and its subtypes. Methods: Two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) method was used to explore the causal relationships. Candidate genetic instrumental variables (IVs) for AD and PD were collected from the genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in European populations. The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method was the primary method of MR analysis, and the weighted median method was supplementary. In addition, the MR-Egger method and the MR-PRESSO test were used as well. Results: We found no causal effects of AD on stroke, Ischemic stroke (IS), or Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). As for PD and stroke, our preliminary results showed PD could causally influence the risk of stroke [odds ratio (OR): 1.04; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02-1.07; P = 0.001 by the IVW method], although the alternative method did not support this result. We identified the positive causal relationship between PD and the risk of IS (OR = 1.04; 95% CI: 1.02-1.07; P = 0.001 by the IVW method), and the alternative MR methods produced similar results. The present study found there was no causal relationship between PD and ICH. Conclusion: This study found a causal relationship between genetic susceptibility to PD and the incidence of stroke (especially IS) in the European population; however, there was no causal relation between AD and stroke risk.

Highly Selective Purification of Plasma Extracellular Vesicles Using Titanium Dioxide Microparticles for Depicting the Metabolic Signatures of Diabetic Retinopathy.

Extracellular vesicle (EV) cargos with regular fluctuations hold the potential for providing chemical predictors toward clinical diagnosis and prognosis. A plasma sample is one of the most important sources of circulating EVs, yet the technical barrier and cost consumption in plasma-EV isolation still limit its application in disease diagnosis and biomarker discovery. Here, we introduced an easy-to-use strategy that allows selectively purifying small EVs (sEVs) from human plasma and detecting their metabolic alternations. Fe3O4@TiO2 microbeads with a rough island-shaped surface have proven the capability of performing efficient and reversible sEV capture owing to the phospholipid affinity, enhanced binding sites, and size-exclusion-like effect of the rough TiO2 shell. The proposed system can also shorten the separation procedure from hours to 20 min when compared with the ultracentrifugation method and yield approximately 108 sEV particles from 100 µL of plasma. Metabolome variations of sEVs among progressive diabetic retinopathy subjects were finally studied, observing a cluster of metabolites with elevated levels and suggesting potential roles of these sEV chemicals in diabetic retinopathy onset and progression. Such a scalable and flexible EV capture system can be seen as an effective analytical tool for facilitating plasma-based liquid biopsies.