Evaluating ChatGPT-4.0's data analytic proficiency in epidemiological studies: A comparative analysis with SAS, SPSS, and R.

Background: OpenAI's Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer 4.0 (ChatGPT-4), an emerging artificial intelligence (AI)-based large language model (LLM), has been receiving increasing attention from the medical research community for its innovative 'Data Analyst' feature. We aimed to compare the capabilities of ChatGPT-4 against traditional biostatistical software (i.e. SAS, SPSS, R) in statistically analysing epidemiological research data. Methods: We used a data set from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, comprising 9317 participants and 29 variables (e.g. gender, age, educational level, marital status, income, occupation, weekly working hours, survival status). Two researchers independently evaluated the data analysis capabilities of GPT-4's 'Data Analyst' feature against SAS, SPSS, and R across three commonly used epidemiological analysis methods: Descriptive statistics, intergroup analysis, and correlation analysis. We used an internally developed evaluation scale to assess and compare the consistency of results, analytical efficiency of coding or operations, user-friendliness, and overall performance between ChatGPT-4, SAS, SPSS, and R. Results: In descriptive statistics, ChatGPT-4 showed high consistency of results, greater analytical efficiency of code or operations, and more intuitive user-friendliness compared to SAS, SPSS, and R. In intergroup comparisons and correlational analyses, despite minor discrepancies in statistical outcomes for certain analysis tasks with SAS, SPSS, and R, ChatGPT-4 maintained high analytical efficiency and exceptional user-friendliness. Thus, employing ChatGPT-4 can significantly lower the operational threshold for conducting epidemiological data analysis while maintaining consistency with traditional biostatistical software's outcome, requiring only specific, clear analysis instructions without any additional operations or code writing. Conclusions: We found ChatGPT-4 to be a powerful auxiliary tool for statistical analysis in epidemiological research. However, it showed limitations in result consistency and in applying more advanced statistical methods. Therefore, we advocate for the use of ChatGPT-4 in supporting researchers with intermediate experience in data analysis. With AI technologies like LLMs advancing rapidly, their integration with data analysis platforms promises to lower operational barriers, thereby enabling researchers to dedicate greater focus to the nuanced interpretation of analysis results. This development is likely to significantly advance epidemiological and medical research.

Broadband Continuous Transverse Stub (CTS) Array Antenna for High-Power Applications.

A continuous transverse stub (CTS) array antenna with broad bandwidth and high-power handling capacity is proposed in this paper. The technologies of multi-step impedance matching and T-shaped electromagnetic band-gap (EBG) loading are utilized, which improved the antenna operating frequency bandwidth. An H-plane lens horn is used to feed the CTS array. As a result, a good bandwidth capability of more than 32% is achieved, with a gain variation less than 3.0 dB. The measured sidelobe level (SLL) is below -18 dB in the entire frequency range. Moreover, the power handling capacity of the antenna is more than 80 MW and can reach the GW level after arraying, which indicates that this antenna has application potential in the high-power microwave (HPM) field.

Photocatalysed C-H amidation of indoles enabled by tert-butyl alkyl((perfluoropyridin-4-yl)oxy)carbamate.

Development of a new catalytic and straightforward strategy to construct C-N bonds is playing a pivotal role in synthetic chemistry. Here, we report a photocatalysed protocol to access direct C-H amidation of indoles, enabled by a rationally designed tert-butyl alkyl((perfluoropyridin-4-yl)oxy)carbamate. A series of biologically important aminoindoles were prepared under mild conditions with excellent regioselectivity and broad substrate scope.

N-Chlorosulfonyl carbamate-enabled, photoinduced amidation of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones.

Reported herein is the design and development of a new photo-induced amidation protocol with the readily available N-chlorosulfonyl carbamate as an effective amidyl-radical precursor, which could be readily prepared from commercial low-cost chlorosulfonyl isocyanate (CSI) and alcohol feedstocks. The synthetic potency of this developed protocol was well demonstrated by direct amidation of various quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones. The protocol could be further streamlined by implementing a one-pot/two-step/three-component process of CSI, alcohol, and quinoxalin-2(1H)-one, with significantly improved reaction efficiency. This methodology offers an intriguing opportunity for rapid expansion of nitrogen-containing molecular complexity, thus inspiring comprehensive exploration of a new reaction mode of CSI reagent.

Visible-light-driven oxidation of organosilanes by a charge-transfer complex.

Direct oxidation of organosilanes is one of the most straightforward ways to access silanols. Herein, we describe a novel photo-induced strategy for oxidation of organosilanes to access silanols, promoted by a photoactive charge-transfer complex (CTC) between sodium benzenesulfinate and molecular O2. A streamlined sequence transformation of organosilanes to silyl ethers was also readily achieved. This developed protocol represents the first example of CTC-based oxidation of organosilanes, offering a facile approach to access a series of silanol and silyl ether products.

Multilegged matter transport: A framework for locomotion on noisy landscapes.

Whereas the transport of matter by wheeled vehicles or legged robots can be guaranteed in engineered landscapes such as roads or rails, locomotion prediction in complex environments such as collapsed buildings or crop fields remains challenging. Inspired by the principles of information transmission, which allow signals to be reliably transmitted over "noisy" channels, we developed a "matter-transport" framework that demonstrates that noninertial locomotion can be provably generated over noisy rugose landscapes (heterogeneities on the scale of locomotor dimensions). Experiments confirm that sufficient spatial redundancy in the form of serially connected legged robots leads to reliable transport on such terrain without requiring sensing and control. Further analogies from communication theory coupled with advances in gaits (coding) and sensor-based feedback control (error detection and correction) can lead to agile locomotion in complex terradynamic regimes.

Self-propulsion via slipping: Frictional swimming in multilegged locomotors.

Locomotion is typically studied either in continuous media where bodies and legs experience forces generated by the flowing medium or on solid substrates dominated by friction. In the former, centralized whole-body coordination is believed to facilitate appropriate slipping through the medium for propulsion. In the latter, slip is often assumed minimal and thus avoided via decentralized control schemes. We find in laboratory experiments that terrestrial locomotion of a meter-scale multisegmented/legged robophysical model resembles undulatory fluid swimming. Experiments varying waves of leg stepping and body bending reveal how these parameters result in effective terrestrial locomotion despite seemingly ineffective isotropic frictional contacts. Dissipation dominates over inertial effects in this macroscopic-scaled regime, resulting in essentially geometric locomotion on land akin to microscopic-scale swimming in fluids. Theoretical analysis demonstrates that the high-dimensional multisegmented/legged dynamics can be simplified to a centralized low-dimensional model, which reveals an effective resistive force theory with an acquired viscous drag anisotropy. We extend our low-dimensional, geometric analysis to illustrate how body undulation can aid performance in non-flat obstacle-rich terrains and also use the scheme to quantitatively model how body undulation affects performance of biological centipede locomotion (the desert centipede Scolopendra polymorpha) moving at relatively high speeds (∼0.5 body lengths/sec). Our results could facilitate control of multilegged robots in complex terradynamic scenarios.

Coherent Combining of Phase-Steerable High Power Microwaves Generated by Two X-Band Triaxial Klystron Amplifiers with Pulsed Magnetic Fields.

We report the first experimental demonstration of coherent combining of phase-steerable high power microwaves (HPMs) generated by X-band relativistic triaxial klystron amplifier modules under the guidance of pulsed magnetic fields. Electronically agile manipulation of the HPM phase is achieved with a mean discrepancy of 4° at the gain level of 110 dB, and the coherent combining efficiency has reached as high as 98.4%, leading to combined radiations with equivalent peak power of 4.3 GW and average pulse duration of 112 ns. The underlying phase-steering mechanism during the nonlinear beam-wave interaction process is furthermore explored by particle-in-cell simulation and theoretical analysis. This Letter paves the way for high power phase array in large scale and may stimulate new interest in research of phase-steerable high power masers.

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry based urine metallome to construct clinical decision models for autism spectrum disorder.

BACKGROUND: The global prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is on the rise, and high levels of exposure to toxic heavy metals may be associated with this increase. Urine analysis is a noninvasive method for investigating the accumulation and excretion of heavy metals. The aim of this study was to identify ASD-associated urinary metal markers. METHODS: Overall, 70 children with ASD and 71 children with typical development (TD) were enrolled in this retrospective case-control study. In this metallomics investigation, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was performed to obtain the urine profile of 27 metals. RESULTS: Children with ASD could be distinguished from children with TD based on the urine metal profile, with ASD children showing an increased urine metal Shannon diversity. A metallome-wide association analysis was used to identify seven ASD-related metals in urine, with cobalt, aluminum, selenium, and lithium significantly higher, and manganese, mercury, and titanium significantly lower in the urine of children with ASD than in children with TD. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) machine learning method was used to rank the seven urine metals in terms of their effect on ASD. On the basis of these seven urine metals, we constructed a LASSO regression model for ASD classification and found an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.913. We also constructed a clinical prediction model for ASD based on the seven metals that were different in the urine of children with ASD and found that the model would be useful for the clinical prediction of ASD risk. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings suggest that altered urine metal concentrations may be an important risk factor for ASD, and we recommend further exploration of the mechanisms and clinical treatment measures for such alterations.

Photochemical Organocatalytic Aerobic Cleavage of C═C Bonds Enabled by Charge-Transfer Complex Formation.

A novel visible-light-driven organocatalytic protocol to access aerobic oxidative cleavage of olefins, promoted by sodium benzene sulfinate, is described herein. An array of alkenes smoothly delivered the corresponding aldehydes and ketones under transition-metal-free conditions. Notably, α-halo-substituted styrenes proceeded with photoinduced oxidation to finally afford α-halo-acetophenones with halogen migration. Crucial to this oxidation was the formation of charge-transfer complexes between sodium benzene sulfinate with molecular O2 to ultimately deliver the carbonyl products.

Photoinduced Construction of a Benzothienopyridine-S,S-dioxide Framework Enabled by Polychloropyridyl Multifunctional Motifs.

Reported herein is a visible-light-induced, catalyst-free intramolecular cyclization of 4-phenylsulfonyl-2,3,5,6-tetrachloropyridine, leading to rapid assembly of a series of unprecedented benzo[4,5]thieno[3,2-c]pyridine 5,5-dioxide scaffolds under mild conditions. The rational introduction of a perchloropyridin-4-yl module significantly facilitated this photoinduced process and offers a versatile platform for broad structural variation. Mechanistic studies revealed that a newly identified charge-transfer complex with carbonate is crucial to this photoinduced process.

A novel Ka-band coaxial transit time oscillator with internal extraction.

In this paper, a Ka-band coaxial transit time oscillator (TTO) with internal extraction is proposed. Particle-in-cell simulation of this oscillator is performed to obtain results as follows: under the conditions of a diode voltage of 459 kV, current of 3.9 kA, and guiding magnetic field of 0.5 T, microwaves with an output power of 0.75 GW and a frequency of 31.4 GHz can be achieved with an efficiency of 42% and a saturation time of nearly 25 ns. Moreover, the asymmetric mode competition is suppressed in the preliminary experiments. The study of a Ka-band TTO aims to extend the working frequency of high power microwave sources to a higher level. Such a device has three merits. First, it implements high power and high efficiency. Second, the internal extraction of the microwave output decreases the over-mode ratio in the microwave extraction region. Third, the over-mode ratio of the internal extraction is smaller compared with the external extraction, which can effectively suppress asymmetric mode competition.

Plasma fibrinogen, D-dimer, and fibrin degradation product as biomarkers of rheumatoid arthritis.

This study aimed to assess the association of coagulation-related indicators such as plasma fibrinogen (FIB), D-dimer, and fibrin degradation product (FDP) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with the disease activity. Data from 105 RA patients and 102 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were collected in the retrospective study. Disease activity score in 28 joints based on C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) was used to divide RA patients into low activity group (DAS28-CRP ≤ 2.7) and active group (DAS28-CRP > 2.7). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to determine area under the curve (AUC). The association between plasma FIB, D-dimer, and FDP and DAS28-CRP was evaluated by spearman correlation. Logistical regression analysis was used to identify the independent variables associated with RA disease activity. RA patients showed higher levels of plasma FIB, D-dimer, and FDP than the controls (P < 0.01). Plasma FIB, D-dimer, and FDP were also increased in active groups of RA patients than those in inactive groups (P < 0.001). ROC curve analyses revealed that the AUC of D-dimer was higher than erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and rheumatoid factor (RF), and that of FDP was higher than RF in RA patients. In addition, the optimal cut-off value of plasma FIB, D-dimer, and FDP for RA diagnosis was 286 mg/dL, 470 µg/L, and 1.45 mg/L, respectively. Spearman analysis showed that plasma FIB, D-dimer, and FDP were positively related with DAS28-CRP (P < 0.001) in RA patients. Logistical regression analysis showed that D-dimer (odds ratio 2.862, 95% confidence interval 1.851-5.426, P < 0.001) was an independent variable associated with RA disease activity. FIB, D-dimer, and FDP were increased in RA patients and positively correlated with the disease activity of RA. D-dimer may act as a novel inflammatory indice for indicating disease activity in RA patients.

CaMKIV limits metabolic damage through induction of hepatic autophagy by CREB in obese mice.

High-fat diet (HFD) not only induces insulin resistance in liver, but also causes autophagic imbalance and metabolic disorders, increases chronic inflammatory response and induces mitochondrial dysfunction. Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV (CaMKIV) has recently emerged as an important regulator of glucose metabolism and skeletal muscle insulin action. Its activation has been involved in the improvement of hepatic and adipose insulin action. But the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. In the present study, we aimed to address the direct effects of CaMKIV in vivo and to evaluate the potential interaction of impaired insulin sensitivity and autophagic disorders in hepatic insulin resistance. Our results indicated obese mice receiving CaMKIV showed decreased blood glucose and serum insulin and improved insulin sensitivity as well as increased glucose tolerance compared with vehicle injection. Meanwhile, defective hepatic autophagy activity, impaired insulin signaling, increased inflammatory response and mitochondrial dysfunction in liver tissues which are induced by high-fat diet were also effectively alleviated by injection of CaMKIV. Consistent with these results, the addition of CaMKIV to the culture medium of BNL cl.2 hepatocytes markedly restored palmitate-induced hepatic insulin resistance and autophagic imbalance. These effects were nullified by blockade of cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB), indicating the causative role of CREB in action of CaMKIV. Our findings suggested that CaMKIV restores hepatic autophagic imbalance and improves impaired insulin sensitivity via phosphorylated CREB signaling pathway, which may offer novel opportunities for treatment of obesity and diabetes.

Tanshinone IIA induces apoptosis and autophagy in acute monocytic leukemia via downregulation of PI3K/Akt pathway.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is characterized by unrestrained proliferation of myeloid cells. In has been shown that tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA), exhibited anti-tumor activities on different types of cancers. However, the underlying mechanisms by which Tan IIA regulates apoptosis and autophagy in AML remain unclear. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of Tan IIA on AML in vitro and in vivo. CCK-8 assay, EdU staining, flow cytometry, MDC staining, immunofluorescence, transwell migration and invasion assay were used to detect cell proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, migration and invasion, respectively. In addition, western blotting was used to examine the protein levels of Bax, Bcl-2, active caspase-3, Beclin-1, Atg-5, p-mTOR and p-Akt in cells. Moreover, animal studies were performed to evaluate anti-tumor effect of Tan IIA on AML in vivo. The results revealed that Tan IIA significantly suppressed the growth of U937 cells in vitro and in vivo. Meanwhile, Tan IIA induced apoptosis in U937 cells via up-regulating the levels of active caspase-3 and Bax, and down-regulating Bcl-2 in vitro and in vivo. In addition, Tan IIA inhibited the capacity of migration and invasion in U937 cells. Moreover, Tan IIA induced autophagy in U937 cells via upregulation of the expression of LC3 II, Atg5 and Beclin 1, which was further confirmed by MDC staining and immunofluorescence assays. For the first time, we have shown that autophagy inhibitor 3MA significantly enhanced Tan IIA-induced apoptosis in U937 cells. Furthermore, Tan IIA induced apoptosis and autophagy via downregulation of PI3K/Akt pathway in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, the accumulating evidences suggested that Tan IIA could be a potential agent for improving the symptoms of AML in the future.

Design and experimental demonstration of a TEM-TE10 phase shifter for high-power microwave applications.

A novel phase shifter used to adjust the output phase of high power microwave (HPM) is investigated. The phase shifter is composed of two different circular polarizers, one of which can convert the coaxial transverse electromagnetic mode (TEM) into circularly polarized (CP) TE11 mode, and the other one can realize the transformation between the CP TE11 mode and the rectangular TE10 mode. The two circular polarizers are connected by a circular waveguide, and the TEM-TE11 circular polarizer can rotate around its axis continuously. In this way, the phase shifter can adjust the output phase of the TE10 mode in the range of 0°-360°. In this paper, the principle of a phase shifter working at 1.57 GHz, as well as the experimental results, is demonstrated. The experimental and simulation results are in good agreement. At the central frequency, the transmission efficiency in this range of phase-shifting process is over 94.6%, and the power-handling capacity is as high as 1.5 GW. This novel phase shifter is of interest to HPM spatial power combination technologies.

Inflammatory stimuli promote oxidative stress in pancreatic acinar cells via Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-κB pathway.

The Toll­like receptor 4/nuclear factor­κB (TLR4/NF­κB) pathway is vital to the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis (AP). The aim of the present study was to identify the mechanism of the activation of the TLR4/NF­κB signaling pathway in the viability of primary pancreatic cells. The cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for the activation of NF­κB signaling. Next, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was evaluated by detecting the concentration of malondialdehyde and glutathione peroxidase. Cell viability was measured by Cell Counting Kit­8 and MTT assays, while the percentage of apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect TLR4, B­cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2), Bcl2­associated X protein (Bax) and phorbol­12­myristate­13­acetate­induced protein 1 (PMAIP1) expression levels. Western blot assay was also conducted to detect TLR4 protein expression, while the activity of NF­κB signaling was measured by determining the p65 and phosphorylated p65 protein levels. In addition, the effect of TLR4 overexpression or treatment with TLR4 antagonists in the presence of LPS stimulation was investigated. The results revealed that ROS levels were increased and cell viability was decreased in LPS­stimulated pancreatic acinar cells. TLR4, Bax and PMAIP1 levels were increased, Bcl2 expression was decreased and NF­κB signaling was activated in LPS­stimulated pancreatic acinar cells. Furthermore, pancreatic cells with TLR4 overexpression exhibited increased ROS level and decreased viability. Finally, the effect caused by LPS stimulation was partially reversed by treatment of pancreatic acinar cells with TLR4 antagonists. In conclusion, the current study investigated a novel regulatory mechanism of the TLR4/NF­κB pathway in LPS­stimulated pancreatic cells, which may contribute to pancreatitis. The damage of these cells due to increased ROS levels was observed to occur through activation of the TLR4/NF­κB pathway.

Design and experimental demonstration of a circularly polarized mode converter for high-power microwave applications.

A novel mode converter that can transform coaxial transverse electromagnetic (TEM) mode into circularly polarized TE11 (CPT) mode was developed and experimentally studied with high-power microwave (HPM). The mode conversion is realized by two steps. First, the TEM mode is converted into linearly polarized TE11 (LPT) mode by the webbed-shaped balun structure. Second, the LPT mode is transformed into the CPT mode with the insertion of circular-arc diaphragms in a circular waveguide. In this paper, the principle of a mode converter working at 1.57 GHz is demonstrated, as well as the experimental results. The experimental and simulation results are in good agreement. At the central frequency, the conversion efficiency is more than 99.5%, the measured axial ratio approximates to 1.39 dB, and the power handling capacity is in excess of 1.5 GW. These measured results meet the demand for narrow-band HPM source application.

Serum CK 18-M30 reflect liver pathological severity during NAFLD progression in a rat model.

BACKGROUND: CK 18-M30 was increased in patients with NAFLD. However, little is known about the relationship between CK 18-M30 and NAFLD progression. We aimed to analyze the variety of CK 18-M30 and other metabolism indices during NAFLD progression. Meanwhile, we aimed to investigate the correlation between CK 18-M30 and liver pathology during NAFLD progression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rats were fed with high sucrose and high fat diet for building NAFLD models. We detected liver pathology by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. We also detected serum CK 18-M30 and metabolism indices including liver enzymes, serum lipids and glycometabolism indices. RESULTS: The aggravating degree of liver pathology appeared with prolonged feeding period. The relevance of CK 18-M30 to the severity of liver pathology were higher relative to other indices. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested the significance of CK 18-M30 in the progression of NAFLD and provided new evidence for the early diagnosis and prognostic estimation of NAFLD.

Associations between D3R expression in synovial mast cells and disease activity and oxidant status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Dopamine D3 receptor (D3R) on immune cells is involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Mast cells (MCs) are currently identified as important effector cells in synovial inflammation of RA, but little is known about the role of D3R on synovial MCs in the pathogenesis of RA. Several inflammatory cells in the synovium induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation which are involved in the progression of RA. However, it is unclear whether D3R on synovial MCs is related to the levels of ROS in RA patients. In this study, a total of 73 patients with RA were divided into three groups according to disease activity DAS28 scores. The number of cases in group 1, group 2, and group 3 was 19, 26, and 28, respectively. We examined D3R-positive MC numbers in the synovial fluid and ROS levels in each group of RA patients, and we also analyzed the association of D3R-positive MC numbers with RA disease activity and ROS levels. MDA and protein carbonylation in the serum and synovial fluid were measured to reflect the level of lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation, respectively. Additionally, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in the serum and synovial fluid were used to be markers of antioxidant levels. Our results showed that D3R-positive MCs in the synovial fluid showed a declining trend with the increased disease activity DAS28 score in RA patients. There was negative correlation between D3R-positive MC numbers in the synovial fluid and disease severity DAS28 score of RA patients. Moreover, D3R-positive MC numbers in the synovial fluid were negatively correlated with the level of MDA and protein carbonylation while were positively correlated with antioxidant levels such as SOD and CAT in RA patients. Our results suggested that D3R on MCs may be involved in ROS-mediated pathogenesis of RA.