Predictive value of the inconsistency between the residual and post-PCI QFR for prognosis in PCI patients.

Introduction: To investigate the prognostic value of the consistency between the residual quantitative flow ratio (QFR) and postpercutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) QFR in patients undergoing revascularization. Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective, observational study. All enrolled patients were divided into five groups according to the ΔQFR (defined as the value of the post-PCI QFR minus the residual QFR): (1) Overanticipated group; (2) Slightly overanticipated group; (3) Consistent group; (4) Slightly underanticipated group; and (5) Underanticipated group. The primary outcome was the 5-year target vessel failure (TVF). Results: A total of 1373 patients were included in the final analysis. The pre-PCI QFR and post-PCI QFR were significantly different among the five groups. TVF within 5 years occurred in 189 patients in all the groups. The incidence of TVF was significantly greater in the underanticipated group than in the consistent group (P = 0.008), whereas no significant differences were found when comparing the underanticipated group with the other three groups. Restricted cubic spline regression analysis showed that the risk of TVF was nonlinearly related to the ΔQFR. A multivariate Cox regression model revealed that a ΔQFR≤ -0.1 was an independent risk factor for TVF. Conclusions: The consistency between the residual QFR and post-PCI QFR may be associated with the long-term prognosis of patients. Patients whose post-PCI QFR is significantly lower than the residual QFR may be at greater risk of TVF. An aggressive PCI strategy for lesions is anticipated to have less functional benefit and may not result in a better clinical outcome.

The role of platelets in central hubs of inflammation: A literature review.

Platelets are increasingly recognized for their multifaceted roles in inflammation beyond their traditional involvement in haemostasis. This review consolidates knowledge on platelets as critical players in inflammatory responses. This study did an extensive search of electronic databases and identified studies on platelets in inflammation, focusing on molecular mechanisms, cell interactions, and clinical implications, emphasizing recent publications. Platelets contribute to inflammation via surface receptors, release of mediators, and participation in neutrophil extracellular trap formation. They are implicated in diseases like atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and sepsis, highlighting their interaction with immune cells as pivotal in the onset and resolution of inflammation. Platelets are central to regulating inflammation, offering new therapeutic targets for inflammatory diseases. Future research should explore specific molecular pathways of platelets in inflammation for therapeutic intervention.

COVID-19 vaccination willingness among people living with HIV in Shijiazhuang, China: a cross-sectional survey.

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic imposed an enormous disease and economic burden worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is essential to containing the pandemic. People living with HIV (PLWH) may be more vulnerable to severe COVID-19 outcomes; thus, understanding their vaccination willingness and influencing factors is helpful in developing targeted vaccination strategies. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between 15 June and 30 August 2022 in Shijiazhuang, China. Variables included socio-demographic characteristics, health status characteristics, HIV-related characteristics, knowledge, and attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination and COVID-19 vaccination status. Multivariable logistic regression was used to confirm factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination willingness among PLWH. Results: A total of 1,428 PLWH were included, with a 90.48% willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. PLWH were more unwilling to receive COVID-19 vaccination for those who were female or had a fair/poor health status, had an allergic history and comorbidities, were unconvinced and unsure about the effectiveness of vaccines, were unconvinced and unsure about the safety of vaccines, were convinced and unsure about whether COVID-19 vaccination would affect ART efficacy, or did not know at least a type of domestic COVID-19 vaccine. Approximately 93.00% of PLWH have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine among PLWH, and 213 PLWH (14.92%) reported at least one adverse reaction within 7 days. Conclusion: In conclusion, our study reported a relatively high willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccination among PLWH in Shijiazhuang. However, a small number of PLWH still held hesitancy; thus, more tailored policies or guidelines from the government should be performed to enhance the COVID-19 vaccination rate among PLWH.

Social media use, cyber victimization, and adjustment during COVID-19 virtual learning: A short-term longitudinal study among Chinese middle school students.

This study investigated the changes in social media use and cyber victimization before (November 2019) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020) among Chinese middle school students. It also examined the relation between cyber victimization and school adjustment overtime, and whether depressive symptoms mediated this relation and whether the social media use moderated this relation. We collected two waves of survey data from 651 seventh to ninth grade students (Mage = 13.93, SDage = 1.17, 50.5% male) from two middle schools from Beijing, China over 4 months. Results indicated that middle school students spent more time on social media during the pandemic than before COVID-19 (d = 0.55). Cyber victimization was prevalent among Chinese middle school students at both time points (37.2% of students at T1 and 34.6% of students at T2 experienced some cyberbullying). The relationships between cyber victimization at T1 and T2 and school adjustment at T2 were fully mediated by depressive symptoms at T2. The indirect effects were -0.06 (mediation model, 95% CI [-0.12, -0.01], p = .02) and -0.07 (serial multiple mediation model, 95% CI [-0.11, -0.04], p < .001). Students' excessive social media use (more than 1 hr per day) also moderated this mediation. Specifically, for students who used social media excessively, cyber victimization at T1 directly predicted depressive symptoms at T2. However, this relation was not significant among students who used social media moderately (1 hr or less per day). These results highlight the importance of collaboration between educators and parents to monitor students' social media use, cyber victimization, and depressive symptoms in order to promote adjustment during COVID-19 virtual learning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

What Components of Working Memory Are Impaired in Children with Reading and/or Mathematics Difficulties?

Both reading difficulties (RD) and mathematics difficulties (MD) are common neurodevelopmental disorders. The co-occurrence of RD and MD, known as comorbid RDMD, is estimated to range between 21% and 45% of children with learning disabilities. Deficits in working memory have been reported in both RD and MD groups, as well as among comorbid RDMD. However, previous comorbidity studies have only examined the role of some components of working memory, and they do not strictly match their groups on relevant reading and mathematics tasks. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the nature of working memory deficits in comorbid RDMD after matching groups based on reading and mathematics tasks. We assessed four groups of children (RD [n = 21, Mage = 10.96 years], MD [n = 24, Mage = 11.04 years], comorbid RDMD [n = 26, Mage = 10.90 years], and chronological-age controls [n = 27, Mage = 10.96 years]) on measures of the phonological loop (word span and digit span forward tasks), central executive (complex word and digit span), and updating tasks (word and digit 2-back). The results of ANCOVA (covarying for gender and non-verbal IQ) showed first that the RD and RDMD groups performed significantly worse than the MD and control groups in both measures of the phonological loop. For the central executive and updating tasks, we found an effect based on stimulus type. For word-related tasks, the RD and comorbid RDMD groups performed worse than the MD and control groups, and for number-related tasks, the MD and comorbid RDMD groups performed worse than the RD and control groups. Taken together, our findings provide support for the correlated liability model of comorbidity, which indicates that working memory deficits experienced by the RDMD group are an additive combination of deficits observed in the RD and MD groups, suggesting that working memory tasks used to examine underlying deficits in reading and/or mathematics difficulties may dictate whether or not significant group differences are found.

Combined early dynamic 18F-FDG PET/CT and conventional whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT in hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diagnostic value of early dynamic 18F-FDG PET/CT(ED 18F-FDG PET/CT) combined with conventional whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT(WB 18F-FDG PET/CT) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as well as the difference of early dynamic blood flow parameters and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) in HCC patients with/without liver cirrhosis or microvascular invasion (MVI). METHODS: Twenty-two consecutive patients (mean age 57.8 years) with 28 established HCC lesions (mean size 4.5 cm) underwent a blood flow study with an 18F-FDG dynamic scan divided into 24 sequences of 5 s each and a standard PET/CT scan. On the ED PET/CT study, an experienced PET/CT physician obtained volumes of interest (VOIs) where three blood flow estimates (time to peak [TTP], blood flow [BF], and hepatic perfusion index [HPI]) were calculated. On the WB PET/CT study, a VOI was placed on the fused scan for each HCC and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) was obtained. Comparison of blood flow estimates, SUVmax, and tumor/background ratio (TNR) was performed among HCCs with and without angioinvasion, as well as HCCs in cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic liver. RESULTS: Compared with WB 18F-FDG PET/CT alone, ED combined with WB 18F-FDG PET/CT can significantly increase the detection rate of moderately differentiated and poorly differentiated HCCs (both P < 0.05). HPI was higher in HCCs in patients with liver cirrhosis than those without liver cirrhosis (P = 0.044). There was no significant difference in TTP, BF, SUVmax, or TNR between HCCs in patients with liver cirrhosis and those without liver cirrhosis. There was no significant difference in blood flow estimates or SUVmax in background liver parenchyma between patients with and those without cirrhosis. TTP was shorter in HCCs with MVI than without MVI (P = 0.046). There was no significant difference in BF, HPI, SUVmax, or TNR between HCCs with MVI and without MVI. There was no significant difference in blood flow estimates or SUVmax in background liver parenchyma between patients with and those without MVI. CONCLUSION: ED combined with WB 18F-FDG PET/CT can significantly increase the detection rate of moderately differentiated and poorly differentiated HCCs. HPI was significantly higher in HCCs in patients with liver cirrhosis than those without liver cirrhosis. TTP was significantly shorter in HCCs with MVI than without MVI.

Revealing the Excellent Low-Temperature Activity of the Fe1-xCexOδ-S Catalyst for NH3-SCR: Improvement of the Lattice Oxygen Mobility.

The development of selective catalytic reduction catalysts by NH3(NH3-SCR) with excellent low-temperature activity and a wide temperature window is highly demanded but is still very challenging for the elimination of NOx emission from vehicle exhaust. Herein, a series of sulfated modified iron-cerium composite oxide Fe1-xCexOδ-S catalysts were synthesized. Among them, the Fe0.79Ce0.21Oδ-S catalyst achieved the highest NOx conversion of more than 80% at temperatures of 175-375 °C under a gas hourly space velocity of 100000 h-1. Sulfation formed a large amount of sulfate on the surface of the catalyst and provided rich Brønsted acid sites, thus enhancing its NH3 adsorption capacity and improving the overall NOx conversion efficiency. The introduction of Ce is the main determining factor in regulating the low-temperature activity of the catalyst by modulating its redox ability. Further investigation found that there is a strong interaction between Fe and Ce, which changed the electron density around the Fe ions in the Fe0.79Ce0.21Oδ-S catalyst. This weakened the strength of the Fe-O bond and improved the lattice oxygen mobility of the catalyst. During the reaction, the iron-cerium composite oxide catalyst showed higher surface lattice oxygen activity and a faster replenishment rate of bulk lattice oxygen. This significantly improved the adsorption and activation of NOx species and the activation of NH3 species on the catalyst surface, thus leading to the superior low-temperature activity of the catalyst.

Booster shot of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine induces potent immune responses in people living with HIV.

This study aimed to investigate the immunogenicity to SARS-CoV-2 and evasive subvariants BA.4/5 in people living with HIV (PLWH) following a third booster shot of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. We conducted a cross-sectional study in 318 PLWH and 241 healthy controls (HC) using SARS-CoV-2 immunoassays. Vaccine-induced immunological responses were compared before and after the third dose. Serum levels of IgG anti-RBD and inhibition rate of NAb were significantly elevated at the "post-third dose" sampling time compared with the pre-third dose in PLWH, but were relatively decreased in contrast with those of HCs. Induced humoral and cellular responses attenuated over time after triple-dose vaccination. The neutralizing capacity against BA.4/5 was also intensified but remained below the positive inhibition threshold. Seropositivity of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies in PLWH was prominently lower than that in HC. We also identified age, CD4 cell counts, time after the last vaccination, and WHO staging type of PLWH as independent factors associated with the seropositivity of antibodies. PLWH receiving booster shot of inactivated vaccines generate higher antibody responses than the second dose, but lower than that in HCs. Decreased anti-BA.4/5 responses than that of WT impede the protective effect of the third dose on Omicron prevalence.

Comparative transcriptome analysis of brain and gonad reveals reproduction-related miRNAs in the giant prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii.

Macrobrachium rosenbergii (M. rosenbergii), as a species of common prawn, is a delicacy that is consumed all over the world. By interacting with the target gene 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR), microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate its expression and ultimately participate in the regulation of reproductive development. However, research focusing on miRNA regulation during gonadal development in M. rosenbergii received very little attention. To explore the association between miRNA and reproduction, we performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) on brain and gonad organs in male and female M. rosenbergii. A total of 494 miRNAs were obtained in RNA-seq, including 31 and 59 differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs in the brain and gonads, respectively. Furthermore, 9 DE miRNAs were randomly selected from the brain and gonads, and qRT-PCR was conducted to validate the results of RNA-seq. Interestingly, dpu-miR-133 was found to be substantially expressed in the male brain and testis but poorly expressed in the female brain, ovary, and other organs. Analysis of dpu-miR-133 by Targetscan and MiRanda predicted to target 5-HT1. Furthermore, the dual-luciferase reporter assay manifested that dpu-miR-133 can combine with 5-HT1. Overall, our research work provides basic data for further study on the miRNA-mediated regulation of brain, gonad, and reproductive development of study M. rosenbergii.

Job load, job stress, and job exhaustion among Chinese junior middle school teachers: Job satisfaction as a mediator and teacher's role as a moderator.

Job exhaustion is not uncommon among Chinese middle school teachers, but the key antecedents of job exhaustion and the underlying mechanisms in this historically underrepresented population remain poorly understood. This study examined the association between job demand and exhaustion, and tested the mediating role of job satisfaction and the moderating role of teachers' role (i.e., homeroom versus subject) in this association. The two-wave, China Education Panel Survey data from 701 Chinese junior middle school teachers (M age = 30.05 years old, SD age = 7.86; 78.75% females) were used. Primary hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling. Results indicated that job load rather than job stress at Wave 1 was positively associated with job exhaustion at Wave 2 indirectly through its negative association with job satisfaction at Wave 2 only among subject teachers; in contrast, for homeroom teachers, job satisfaction at Wave 2 was the only factor that was identified to be negatively associated with job exhaustion at Wave 2. Notably, all significant associations emerged after controlling for a number of covariates, including job exhaustion at Wave 1. Such findings shed initial light on the complexity inherent within the phenomena of middle school teachers' occupational health in a Chinese cultural context. Reducing teachers' work load associated with long working hours and promoting teachers' job satisfaction may be effective ways to relieve and prevent job exhaustion, especially for Chinese subject teachers.

Correlation among maximum standardized 18F-FDG uptake and pathological differentiation, tumor size, and Ki67 in patients with moderately and poorly differentiated intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation among the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) on fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and tumor differentiation, size, and Ki67 in patients with moderately and poorly differentiate dintrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging data of 116 patients with single ICC lesions confirmed by pathology were retrospectively evaluated. Pathological characteristics of the tumor such as the largest tumor diameter, differentiation, Ki67 expression, SUVmax of the primary tumor, and the tumor to normal background ratio (TNR) were recorded. RESULTS: Among the 116 lesions, 45, 51, and 20 lesions were classified into the moderately differentiated, moderately-poorly, and poorly differentiated groups, respectively. There were significant differences in the SUVmax (P=0.033) and TNR (P=0.044) among the three groups. Maximum SUV was significantly correlated with differentiation (r=0.244, P=0.008). When the cases were categorized according to the tumor size (group 1, ≤3cm, n=14; group 2, >3 and ≤5 cm, n=37; group 3, >5 and ≤10 cm, n=52; group 4, >10 cm, n=13), there were significant differences in the SUVmax (P<0.001) and TNR (P<0.001) among the four groups. Maximum SUV was significantly correlated with tumor size (r=0.481, P<0.001). Among the 116 lesions, 38 lesions and 78 lesions were classified into the low Ki67 and high Ki67 expression groups, respectively. There were significant differences in the SUVmax (P=0.028) and TNR (P=0.007) between the two groups. Maximum SUV was significantly correlated with Ki67 expression (r=0.242, P=0.009). CONCLUSION: In moderately and poorly differentiated ICC, the SUVmax and TNR are significantly associated with tumor differentiation, size, and Ki67 expression.

FDG-avid antrum-pylorus ulcer, adjacent lymph node, and abdominal wall nodule mimicking gastric cancer with metastases.

Gastric cancer presents with similar clinical symptoms as gastric ulcer, and the morphologic features of gastroscopy overlap considerably. We report a 58-year-old man with the clinical presentation of recurrent gastric discomfort and black stools. A suspected malignant tumor of the gastric antrum-pylorus was observed on gastroscopy. Contrast-enhanced CT showed enhancement of the lesion. PET/CT revealed an FDG-avid lesion at the gastric antrum-pylorus, an intense FDG-uptake perigastric lymph node, and an enlarged nodule with high FDG uptake in the right abdominal wall. Subsequent surgical pathology revealed an inflammatory ulcer of the gastric antrum-pylorus with reactive hyperplastic lymph node, while the lesion in the right abdominal wall was a scar nodule. This case suggests that when multiple FDG-avid lesions accompany an atypical gastric ulcer, it can easily lead to misdiagnosis, and therefore more emphasis should be placed on histopathological analysis.

Phosphate on ceria with controlled active sites distribution for wide temperature NH3-SCR.

Practical catalysts that work well at a wide operation window for selective catalytic reduction of NOx by NH3 (NH3-SCR) are essential for the purification of non-isothermal emission such as vehicle exhaust. However, NH3-SCR catalyst with high low-temperature performance has excellent NO activation and oxidation ability, leading inevitably to NH3-intermediates over-oxidation and N2 selectivity deterioration at high operation temperatures. By far the best performance ceria-based catalyst with a super-wide temperature window of 175-400 oC for 90% NOx conversion in ideal environment and 225-475 oC for 90% NOx conversion by addition of 50 ppm SO2 and 5% H2O is obtained via distributing phosphate over the outer of ceria. NH3 protection strategy is the key for keeping high-temperature activity. Brønsted acidity surged as the formation of P-OH network via a charge compensatory mechanism of phosphate. NH3 was prone to be captured by the surface P-OH network, forming NH4+ species, avoiding being oxidized and contributing to both low and high temperature activity. NO can also be readily absorbed and oxidized to the absorbed NO2(ad) species over phosphate as reflected by in situ DRIFTS and DFT calculation, providing a facile pathway for 'fast SCR' by reacting with NH4+ species to form N2 and H2O. The reaction followed the L-H mechanism and contributed to catalytic activity under 300 oC. This directional structure fabricate strategy helps to increases the NOx conversion and N2 selectivity under a broaden temperature window. The enriched Brønsted acid sites over phosphate treated ceria were also demonstrated to have largely suppressed SO2 adsorption, which significantly slowed down the catalyst poisoning. A dynamic equilibrium between the poisoning and regeneration process can be achieved according to the shrinking-core model for each nanosphere, leading to the excellent resistance.

Brønsted acid enhanced hexagonal cerium phosphate for the selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3: In situ DRIFTS and DFT investigation.

The possible effect of optimized acid sites on NH3-SCR performance and the fundamental mechanism are barely illustrated. In this work, we report two model catalysts of hexagonal (h-CPO) and monoclinic (m-CPO) cerium phosphate with disparate acidity that show different NH3-SCR activities under the same reaction conditions. Brønsted acid sites were found to be crucial for NH3-SCR performance at both low and high temperature. The electron localization discrepancy of h-CPO was more pronounced as compared with m-CPO, leading to the enrichment of P-OH (Brønsted acid site) which could strongly absorb NH3 and then generate NH4+ to participate in fast SCR via Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism, resulting in good activity at low temperature. The zeolitic water stored in the open channels of h-CPO could be released as supplement for P-OH sites which prevent the depletion and non-selective oxidation of NH3 thus maintaining its high activity at high temperature via the Eley-Rideal mechanism. Meanwhile, as DFT calculation revealed, cerium is the electron deficient center which can easily fix NO and NO2 from the intake, generating active NO2(ad) or nitrites and facilitating fast SCR by reacting with NH4+ species. Hence, the superior protonation ability to form P-OH and low energy barrier to generate active nitrites of h-CPO led its T80 NOx conversion to a broaden temperature of 150-450 oC under high GHSV of 177,000 h-1. Furthermore, experimental and DFT calculation also demonstrated that the enriched Brønsted acid sites over h-CPO have largely suppressed SO2 adsorption, thus significantly reducing the formation of metal sulfates and achieving great SO2 resistance. The ammonium sulfate deposits can be storage of NH3, supplying additional reductant to promote high temperature activity and selectivity.

Anti-Autophagy Mechanism of Zhi Gan Prescription Based on Network Pharmacology in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Rats.

Background and Aims: Zhi Gan prescription (ZGP) has been clinically proven to exert a favorable therapeutic effect on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). This study purpose to reveal the underlying molecular mechanisms of ZGP action in NASH. Methods: Systematic network pharmacology was used to identify bioactive components, potential targets, and the underlying mechanism of ZGP action in NASH. High fat (HF)-induced NASH model rats were used to assess the effect of ZGP against NASH, and to verify the possible molecular mechanisms as predicted by network pharmacology. Results: A total of 138 active components and 366 potential targets were acquired in ZGP. In addition, 823 targets of NASH were also screened. In vivo experiments showed that ZGP significantly improved the symptoms in HF-induced NASH rats. qRT-PCR and western blot analyses showed that ZGP could regulate the hub genes, PTEN, IL-6 and TNF in NASH model rats. In addition, ZGP suppressed mitochondrial autophagy through mitochondrial fusion and fission via the PINK/Parkin pathway. Conclusion: ZGP exerts its effects on NASH through mitochondrial autophagy. These findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms of ZGP in NASH.

Exploration of percutaneous vertebroplasty in the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture as day surgery: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate and compare the clinical outcomes of patients underwent PVP for OVCF as day surgery with the outcomes of patients managed as traditional inpatients. METHODS: According to the selection criteria, patients who underwent PVP for single-segment thoracolumbar OVCF were included retrospectively in the day surgery procedure (DSP) group and the traditional inpatient procedure (TIP) group between April 2018 and September 2019. The visual analog scale score (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score were recorded preoperatively and 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery. Duration of hospital stay, preoperative waiting time, hospital cost, and postoperative complications were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 335 patients (53 in DSP group; 282 in TIP group) were enrolled and completed 12-month follow-up. The mean duration of hospital stay, the mean preoperative waiting time, and the mean hospital costs were significant lower in the DSP group. The postoperative VAS and ODI scores in both groups were significantly improved after surgery. Moreover, both VAS and ODI scores at each follow-up stage were also significantly lower than the previous follow-up stage. However, the ODI score in the DSP group was significantly lower at 1-day, 1-week, 1-month, and 3-month follow-up, respectively. For cement leakage and secondary vertebral compression fractures, there was no statistical difference between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that PVP for OVCFs in day surgery procedure is worthy of wide application.

Identification of Two Novel HIV-1 Second-Generation Recombinant Forms (CRF01_AE/CRF07_BC) in Hebei, China.

Homosexual contact is one of the main transmission routes of HIV-1 epidemic in Hebei, China. Several subtypes of HIV are prevalent simultaneously in the population, which always lead to the emergency of unique recombinant forms (URFs). In this study, we reported two new URFs from two HIV-1 positive subjects infected through homosexual contact route in Hebei, China. Phylogenetic and recombinant analyses based on the near full-length genome of the two URFs both revealed the two URFs are the second generation of recombinant strains originated from CRF01_AE and CRF07_BC. The CRF01_AE segments of two URFs located in cluster 4 of CRF01_AE strains in the phylogenetic tree. The emergence of the novel CRF01_AE/CRF07_BC recombinant forms with complicated genomic structures indicated the importance of the continuous monitoring of the HIV-1 epidemic and new URFs among the men who have sex with men populations.

Mendelian randomization analysis of the association between human blood cell traits and uterine polyps.

Human blood cells (HBCs) play essential roles in multiple biological processes but their roles in development of uterine polyps are unknown. Here we implemented a Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the effects of 36 HBC traits on endometrial polyps (EPs) and cervical polyps (CPs). The random-effect inverse-variance weighted method was adopted as standard MR analysis and three additional MR methods (MR-Egger, weighted median, and MR-PRESSO) were used for sensitivity analyses. Genetic instruments of HBC traits was extracted from a large genome-wide association study of 173,480 individuals, while data for EPs and CPs were obtained from the UK Biobank. All samples were Europeans. Using genetic variants as instrumental variables, our study found that both eosinophil count (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.79-0.93, P = 1.06 × 10-4) and eosinophil percentage of white cells (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.77-0.91, P = 2.43 × 10-5) were associated with decreased risk of EPs. The results were robust in sensitivity analyses and no evidences of horizontal pleiotropy were observed. While we found no significant associations between HBC traits and CPs. Our findings suggested eosinophils might play important roles in the pathogenesis of EPs. Besides, out study provided novel insight into detecting uterine polyps biomarkers using genetic epidemiology approaches.

The value of skeletal standardized uptake values obtained by quantitative single-photon emission computed tomography-computed tomography in differential diagnosis of bone metastases.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to explore the value of skeletal standardized uptake value (SUV) obtained by quantitative single-photon emission computed tomography-computed tomography (SPECT/CT) in differential diagnosis of bone metastases from benign lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis has been conducted to 51 patients with extraskeletal malignant tumors who underwent whole-body bone scan with quantitative SPECT/CT imaging, and there are no more than three hotspots that were visually detected in the SPECT/CT imaging range. Fifty-one patients were enrolled, including 28 men and 23 women with an average age of 58.8 ± 9.5 (37-77) years. A total of 88 hotspots, including 40 benign lesions and 48 metastatic lesions, and corresponding normal sites were obtained. The region of interest (ROI) of the hotspots was sketched. The ROI of the normal bone of the spinal vertebral body adjacent to the lesions or normal bone of the symmetric side of the lesions of other locations was delineated to obtain the maximum SUV (SUVmax) and the average SUV (SUVave). RESULTS: The SUVmax value of all lesions was 20.73 ± 14.01 (3.90-92.61), and the SUVmax value of the corresponding normal parts was 5.88 ± 2.36 (2.08-12.52). The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (t = 10.343, P < 0.01). The SUVave of all lesions was 8.42 ± 4.81 (37-77), and the SUVave of the corresponding normal sites was 3.10 ± 1.51 (0.65-7.54). The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (t = 11.342, P < 0.01). The SUVmax of metastases was 24.77 ± 16.32 (3.90-92.61), and the SUVmax of benign lesions was 15.89 ± 8.51 (4.68-42.32). The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (t = 3.273, P = 0.002). The SUVave of metastases was 9.09 ± 5.59 (0.81-29.08), and the SUVave of benign lesions was 7.61 ± 3.57 (1.66-17.48). There was no significant difference between the two groups (t = 1.44, P = 0.154). The area under the curve (AUC) values of the SUVmax curves was greater than that of the SUVave curve. AUCs of the SUVmax and SUVave were 0.687 (P = 0.03) and 0.576 (P = 0.223), respectively. SUVmax had greater accuracy for discriminating bone metastasis from benign lesions. Hotspots of the patients with malignant neoplasms in bone SPECT/CT may be discriminated using SUVmax with certain accuracy, and the optimal cutoff value was 17.705. CONCLUSION: The SUVmax of bone metastases was significantly larger than that of benign lesions, and there was no significant difference in SUVave between the two groups. Therefore, the SUVmax has a certain value for the differential diagnosis of metastases from benign lesions.