Radiomics-based analysis of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance image: A prediction nomogram for lymphovascular invasion in breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a nomogram for quantitively predicting lymphovascular invasion (LVI) of breast cancer (BC) based on dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) radiomics and morphological features. METHODS: We retrospectively divided 238 patients with BC into training and validation cohorts. Radiomic features from DCE-MRI were subdivided into A1 and A2, representing the first and second post-contrast images respectively. We utilized the minimal redundancy maximal relevance filter to extract radiomic features, then we employed the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression to screen these features and calculate individualized radiomics score (Rad score). Through the application of multivariate logistic regression, we built a prediction nomogram that integrated DCE-MRI radiomics and MR morphological features (MR-MF). The diagnostic capabilities were evaluated by comparing C-indices and calibration curves. RESULTS: The diagnostic efficiency of the A1/A2 radiomics model surpassed that of the A1 and A2 alone. Furthermore, we incorporated the MR-MF (diffusion-weighted imaging rim sign, peritumoral edema) and optimized Radiomics into a hybrid nomogram. The C-indices for the training and validation cohorts were 0.868 (95% CI: 0.839-0.898) and 0.847 (95% CI: 0.787-0.907), respectively, indicating a good level of discrimination. Moreover, the calibration plots demonstrated excellent agreement in the training and validation cohorts, confirming the effectiveness of the calibration. CONCLUSION: This nomogram combined MR-MF and A1/A2 Radiomics has the potential to preoperatively predict LVI in patients with BC.

Catalytic properties of trivalent rare-earth oxides with intrinsic surface oxygen vacancy.

Oxygen vacancy (Ov) is an anionic defect widely existed in metal oxide lattice, as exemplified by CeO2, TiO2, and ZnO. As Ov can modify the band structure of solid, it improves the physicochemical properties such as the semiconducting performance and catalytic behaviours. We report here a new type of Ov as an intrinsic part of a perfect crystalline surface. Such non-defect Ov stems from the irregular hexagonal sawtooth-shaped structure in the (111) plane of trivalent rare earth oxides (RE2O3). The materials with such intrinsic Ov structure exhibit excellent performance in ammonia decomposition reaction with surface Ru active sites. Extremely high H2 formation rate has been achieved at ~1 wt% of Ru loading over Sm2O3, Y2O3 and Gd2O3 surface, which is 1.5-20 times higher than reported values in the literature. The discovery of intrinsic Ov suggests great potentials of applying RE oxides in heterogeneous catalysis and surface chemistry.

Systematic pan-cancer analysis insights into ICAM1 as an immunological and prognostic biomarker.

Intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM1) is a cell surface adhesion glycoprotein in the immunoglobulin supergene family. It is associated with several epithelial tumorigenesis processes, as well as with inflammation. However, the function of ICAM1 in the prognosis of tumor immunity is still unclear. This study aimed to examine the immune function of ICAM1 in 33 tumor types and to investigate the prognostic value of tumors. Using datasets from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Genotype Tissue Expression (GTEx), Cancer Cell Lines Encyclopedia (CCLE), Human Protein Atlas (HPA), and cBioPortal, we investigated the role of ICAM1 in tumors. We explored the potential correlation between ICAM1 expression and tumor prognosis, gene mutations, microsatellite instability, and tumor immune cell levels in various cancers. We observed that ICAM1 is highly expressed in multiple malignant tumors. Furthermore, ICAM1 is negatively or positively associated with different malignant tumor prognoses. The expression levels of ICAM1 were correlated with the tumor mutation burden (TMB) in 11 tumors and with MSI in eight tumors. ICAM1 is a gene associated with immune infiltrating cells, such as M1 macrophages and CD8+ T cells in gastric and colon cancer. Meanwhile, the expression of ICAM1 is associated with several immune-related functions and immune-regulation-related signaling pathways, such as the chemokine signaling pathway. Our study shows that ICAM1 can be used as a prognostic biomarker in many cancer types because of its function in tumorigenesis and malignant tumor immunity.

Association between ambient temperature and cause-specific mortality: An individual-level case-crossover study in Suzhou, China.

The changing climate poses a growing challenge to the population health. The objective of this study was to assess the association between ambient temperature and cause-specific mortality in Suzhou. Based on the non-accidental mortality data collected during 2008-2022 in Suzhou, China, this study utilized an individual-level case-crossover design to evaluate the associations of temperature with cause-specific mortality. We applied a distributed lag nonlinear model with a maximum lag of 14 days to account for lag effects. Mortality risk due to extreme cold (<2.5th percentile) and extreme heat (>97.5th percentile) was analyzed. A total of 634,530 non-accidental deaths were analyzed in this study. An inverse J-shaped exposure-response relationship was observed between ambient temperature and non-accidental mortality, with the minimum mortality temperature (MMT) at 29.1℃. The relative risk (RR) of mortality associated with extreme cold (2.5th percentile) was 1.37 [95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.30, 1.44], higher than estimate of 1.09 (95 %CI: 1.07, 1.11) for extreme heat (97.5th percentile) relative to the MMT. Heat effect lasted for 2-3 days, while cold effect could persist for almost 14 days. Higher mortality risk estimates were observed for cardiorespiratory deaths compared to total deaths, with statistically significant between-group differences. Consequently, this study provides first-hand evidence on the associations between ambient temperatures and mortality risks from various causes, which could help local government and policy-makers in designing targeted strategies and public health measures against the menace of climate change.

The therapeutic effect of sufficient oxygen-rich PRP injection in facial rejuvenation by multiple objective evaluations in 26 cases.

Background: Ozone can enhance the expression of some growth factors (GFs) in platelet rich plasma (PRP), recent study showed oxygen-rich PRP (ozonized PRP) have better therapeutic effects on bone and joint diseases. PRP injection has been widely used in the treatment of facial rejuvenation, but the efficacy of sufficient oxygen-rich PRP in facial rejuvenation has not been studied. Objective: Firstly, we examined whether ozone treatment can increase the concentration of GFs of PRP in vitro. And then a variety of subjective and objective detection methods were used to evaluate the effect of sufficient(10-12 mL each time for the injection of face and neck) oxygen-rich (ozonized PRP) PRP injection in facial rejuvenation by follow-up for 6 months. At last, we investigated the satisfaction, side effects and pain score of the treatment through a questionnaire survey. Methods: The concentration of main GFs in PRP treated with different dose of ozone in vitro was measured by ELISA. Clinical picture, the collagen thickness of dermis by reflectance confocal microscope(RCM), skin conditions (including spots, ultraviolet (UV) spots, brown spots, red area, pores, wrinkles, texture and porphyrin) by VISIA were collected before treatment and each month follow-up visit after treatment until 6-month follow-up period was finished. Patients' satisfaction, side effects and pain score were collected at the end of follow-up period. Results: PRP treated by high-dose ozone (57 µg/mL, ozone/PRP volume ratio:1/1) in vitro showed a significant increase in endothelial growth factor (EGF) and transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) compared to baseline(P < 0.05). Collagen thickness of forehead, cheek and neck improved significantly compare to the baseline until to the 6 months after treatment. Spots, UV spots, brown spots, red area and texture improved significantly compare to the baseline(P < 0.05). All of participants reported improvement and have a median pain score of 4.19. No serious adverse events were observed. Conclusions: Ozone treatment can increase the concentration of GFs such as EGF and TGF-ß in PRP in vitro. Sufficient oxygen-rich PRP injection may be an effective and promising method to treat facial rejuvenation.

Synergistic barium titanate/MXene composite as a high-performance piezo-photocatalyst for efficient dye degradation.

Piezo-photocatalysis combines photocatalysis and piezoelectric effects to enhance catalytic efficiency by creating an internal electric field in the photocatalyst, improving carrier separation and overall performance. This study presents a high-performance piezo-photocatalyst for efficient dye degradation using a synergistic barium titanate (BTO)-MXene composite. The composite was synthesized via a facile method, combining the unique properties of BTO nanoparticles with the high conductivity of MXene. The structural and morphological analysis confirmed the successful formation of the composite, with well-dispersed BTO nanoparticles on the MXene surface. The piezo-photocatalytic activity of the composite was evaluated using a typical dye solution (Rhodamine B: RhB) under ultraviolet irradiation and mechanical agitation. The results revealed a remarkable enhancement in dye degradation (90 % in 15 min for piezo-photocatalysis) compared to individual stimuli (58.2 % for photocatalysis and 95.8 % in 90 min for piezocatalysis), highlighting the synergistic effects between BTO and MXene. The enhanced catalytic performance was attributed to the efficient charge separation and transfer facilitated by the composite's structure, leading to increased reactive species generation and dye molecule degradation. Furthermore, the composite exhibited excellent stability and reusability, showcasing its potential for practical applications in wastewater treatment. Overall, this work represents a promising strategy for designing high-performance synergistic catalysts, addressing the pressing need for sustainable solutions in environmental remediation.

Brain-targeting redox-sensitive micelles for codelivery of TMZ and ß-lapachone for glioblastoma therapy.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a central nervous system cancer with high incidence and poor survival rates. Enhancing drug penetration of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and targeting efficacy is crucial for improving treatment outcomes. In this study, we developed a redox-sensitive targeted nano-delivery system (HCA-A2) for temozolomide (TMZ) and ß-lapachone (ß-Lapa). This system used hyaluronic acid (HA) as the hydrophilic group, arachidonic acid (CA) as the hydrophobic group, and angiopep-2 (A2) as the targeting group. Control systems included non-redox sensitive (HDA-A2) and non-targeting (HCA) versions. In vitro, HCA-TMZ-Lapa micelles released 100 % of their payload in a simulated tumor microenvironment within 24 h, compared to 43.97 % under normal conditions. HCA-A2 micelles, internalized via clathrin-mediated endocytosis, showed stronger cytotoxicity and better BBB penetration and cellular uptake than controls. In vivo studies demonstrated superior tumor growth inhibition with HCA-A2 micelles, indicating their potential for GBM treatment.

Prevalence and Molecular Characterization of Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in Cattle in Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China.

Crytosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi are important diarrheal pathogens with a global distribution that threatens the health of humans and animals. Despite cattle being potential transmission hosts of these protozoans, the associated risks to public health have been neglected. In the present study, a total of 1155 cattle fecal samples were collected from 13 administrative regions of Heilongjiang Province. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp., G. duodenalis, and E. bieneusi were 5.5% (64/1155; 95% CI: 4.2-6.9), 3.8% (44/1155; 95% CI: 2.7-4.9), and 6.5% (75/1155; 95% CI: 5.1-7.9), respectively. Among these positive fecal samples, five Cryptosporidium species (C. andersoni, C. bovis, C. ryanae, C. parvum, and C. occultus), two G. duodenalis assemblages (E and A), and eight E. bieneusi genotypes (BEB4, BEB6, BEB8, J, I, CHS7, CHS8, and COS-I) were identified. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all eight genotypes of E. bieneusi identified in the present study belonged to group 2. It is worth noting that some species/genotypes of these intestinal protozoans are zoonotic, suggesting a risk of zoonotic disease transmission in endemic areas. The findings expanded our understanding of the genetic composition and zoonotic potential of Cryptosporidium spp., G. duodenalis, and E. bieneusi in cattle in Heilongjiang Province.

Exploring habitats-based spatial distributions: improving predictions of lymphovascular invasion in invasive breast cancer.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Accurate assessment of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in invasive breast cancer (IBC) plays a pivotal role in tailoring personalized treatment plans. This study aimed to investigate habitats-based spatial distributions to quantitatively measure tumor heterogeneity on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and assess their predictive capability for LVI in patients with IBC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we consecutively enrolled 241 women diagnosed with IBC between July 2020 and July 2023 and who had 1.5 T/T1-weighted images, fat-suppressed T2-weighted images, and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI. Habitats-based spatial distributions were derived from the gross tumor volume (GTV) and gross tumor volume plus peritumoral volume (GPTV). GTV_habitats and GPTV_habitats were generated through sub-region segmentation, and their performances were compared. Subsequently, a combined nomogram was developed by integrating relevant spatial distributions with the identified MR morphological characteristics. Diagnostic performance was compared using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and decision curve analysis. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: GPTV_habitats exhibited superior performance compared to GTV_habitats. Consequently, the GPTV_habitats, diffusion-weighted imaging rim signs, and peritumoral edema were integrated to formulate the combined nomogram. This combined nomogram outperformed individual MR morphological characteristics and the GPTV_habitats index, achieving area under the curve values of 0.903 (0.847 -0.959), 0.770 (0.689 -0.852), and 0.843 (0.776 -0.910) in the training set and 0.931 (0.863 -0.999), 0.747 (0.613 -0.880), and 0.849 (0.759 -0.938) in the validation set. CONCLUSION: The combined nomogram incorporating the GPTV_habitats and identified MR morphological characteristics can effectively predict LVI in patients with IBC.

Trends in patient safety education research for healthcare professional students over the past two decades: a bibliometric and content analysis.

Research and practice in patient safety education have garnered widespread attention; however, a comprehensive bibliometric analysis is lacking. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the research focus and research trends in the globalization of the field of patient safety education and to describe the general characteristics of publications. Data on articles and reviews about student safety education were extracted from Web of Science. Microsoft Excel 2019, CiteSpace 6.1.R3, VOSviewer 1.6.18, SATI 3.2, Scimago Graphica, and Pajek were used for quantitative analysis. Collaboration networks of countries, institutions, journals, authors, and keywords were visualized based on publications from January 2000 to September 2022. A total of 573 papers were published between 2000 to 2022, showing an overall increasing trend. The USA, England, and Australia are the top three most prolific countries; Johns Hopkins University, the University of Technology Sydney, and the University of Toronto are the top three most productive institutions; Nurse Education Today, Journal of Nursing Education, and BMC Medical Education are the most productive journals; Based on content analysis five research hotspots focused on: (1) Quality Improvement of Patient safety Teaching and Learning; (2) Patient safety Teaching Content; (3)Specialized Teaching in Patient Safety; (4) Integrating Patient Safety and Clinical Teaching; (5)Patient Safety Teaching Assessment Content. Through keyword clustering analysis, five research hotspots and relevant contents were identified. According to this study, simulation, communication, collaboration, and medication may attract more attention from researchers and educators, and could be the major trend for future study.

Zebrafishtracker3D: A 3D skeleton tracking algorithm for multiple zebrafish based on particle matching.

Zebrafish are considered as model organisms in biological and medical research because of their high degree of homology with human genes. Automatic behavioral analysis of multiple zebrafish based on visual tracking is expected to improve research efficiency. However, vision-based multi-object tracking algorithms often suffer from data loss owing to mutual occlusion. In addition, simply tracking zebrafish as points is not sufficient-more detailed information, which is required for research on zebrafish behavior. In this paper, we propose Zebrafishtracker3D, which utilizes a skeleton stability strategy to reduce detection error caused by frequent overlapping of multiple zebrafish effectively and estimates zebrafish skeletons using head coordinates in the top view. Further, we transform the front- and top-view matching task into an optimization problem and propose a particle-matching method to perform 3D tracking. The robustness of the algorithm with respect to occlusion is estimated on the dataset comprising two and three zebrafish. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm exhibits a multiple object tracking accuracy (MOTA) exceeding 90% in the top view and a 3D tracking matching accuracy exceeding 90% in the complex videos with frequent overlapping. It is noteworthy that each instance in the trace saves its skeleton. In addition, Zebrafishtracker3D is applied in the zebrafish courtship experiment, establishes the stability of the method in applications of life science, and proves that the data can be used for behavioral analysis. Zebrafishtracker3D is the first algorithm that realizes 3D skeleton tracking of multiple zebrafish simultaneously.

Prevalence and clinical profiles of primary sclerosing cholangitis in China: Data from electronic medical records and systematic literature retrieval.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Epidemiology of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is lacking in China. We aimed to estimate the period prevalence and depict the clinical features of PSC in China. METHODS: We identified and included PSC cases between 2000 and 2023 from two sources: electronic medical records (EMR) and systematical literature retrieval (SLR). The period prevalence of PSC was estimated by the multiplier method. Rate ratios (RRs) for PSC prevalence in relation to macroeconomic indicators were calculated by the negative binomial regression model. RESULTS: A total of 1358 PSC cases were retrieved from 299 hospitals (162 from EMR and 1196 from SLR). Males accounted for 55.7 % of the PSC cases and 25.7 % had concomitant inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The estimated period prevalence of PSC from 2000 to 2023 was 2.36 (95 % CI: 1.82, 3.34) per 100,000. Males had a numerically higher PSC prevalence than females (2.56, 95 % CI: 1.97, 3.63 vs. 2.14, 95 % CI: 1.65, 3.04 per 100,000). The highest prevalence of PSC was in East China at 4.87 (95 % CI: 3.44, 7.18) per 100,000, followed by North China at 2.94 (95 % CI: 2.33, 3.74) per 100,000, and the lowest in South China at 0.92 (95 % CI: 0.66, 1.30) per 100,000. Regional per capita GDP (RR 1.65, 95 % CI: 1.03, 2.65) and healthcare expenditure (RR 1.94, 95 % CI: 1.13, 3.38) were identified to be associated with PSC prevalence. CONCLUSION: Our study showed the estimated PSC prevalence varied within China, but was generally lower than that in Western countries.

Public perceptions of the brand image of nursing: Cross-cultural differences between the United States and China.

BACKGROUND: Measures of public opinion regarding nursing's brand image are needed to identify and correct perceptions that are incongruent with the breadth and scope of contemporary nursing practice. Misperceptions of nursing's influence may serve to minimize or disregard nursing's unique contributions to addressing the Social Determinants of Health which are foundational for improving the health of global populations. PURPOSE: To compare public perceptions of the brand image of nursing between China and the United States (US) and determine whether sociodemographic variables influenced factors between the two countries. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was distributed among members of the Chinese and U.S. public. Perceptions of nursing's brand image were assessed through the original Nursing Brand Image Scale-Public Version in the US (NBIS-P) and when translated to Chinese (NBIS-P-C). Descriptive statistics and multigroup confirmatory factor analyses were used to compare perceptions of the brand image of nursing and to examine the influence of demographics. DISCUSSION: The reliability of the Chinese version of the NBIS-P-C was confirmed by this study. Age and gender did not influence public perceptions of nursing's brand image in either China or the US. Instead, educational attainment was the significant demographic variable and positively correlated with the public's perceptions of nursing in both countries (p < .05). Public respondents with lower educational attainment scored both the traditional nursing factor "Caregiver Virtues/Attributes" (e.g., Trusted, Caring, Nurturing/Mothering) and the factor "Lack Authority/Identity" (e.g., White Cap/Uniform, Subservient, Female) higher, while scoring the factor for "Leadership" (e.g., Decision Makers, Influential, Leaders) significantly lower than those with higher educational levels. CONCLUSION: A disparity exists between nursing's contemporary contributions to healthcare and the public's limited understanding of the diverse leadership roles all nurses provide, across a variety of settings, and in global public health initiatives. The virtuous traits of the nurse are perceived most directly and immediately by the public while their roles as autonomous decision-makers and leaders are less (or not at all) visible. Enhancing the accuracy and visibility of a strong brand image could advance public perceptions of nurses as experts and leaders in nursing science, thus paving the way for nurses to more effectively direct and influence the health of the public, particularly those with lower educational attainment who represent some of the most vulnerable populations. Targeted interventions that incorporate the educational level of the public offer a foundational opportunity for the nursing profession to correct inaccurate and outdated stereotypes that prevent nurses from achieving their desired brand image as influential leaders. Such campaigns could also be used to inform policy, guide strategic planning, and transform the future direction of the nursing profession.

A latent profile analysis of psychosocial adjustment in patients with enterostomy after rectal cancer surgery.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to improve the level of psychosocial adjustment and quality of life of patients with enterostomy by analyzing the subgroups of psychosocial adjustment and its influencing factors. METHODS: This was a multi-center cross-sectional study. On the basis of investigating the level of psychosocial adjustment of enterostomy patients, a profile model of psychosocial adjustment of patients with enterostomy was established by using latent profile analysis. Univariate analysis and multinomial logistical regression were used to analyze the factors affecting the different psychosocial adjustment subgroups of enterostomy patients. RESULTS: Psychosocial adjustment of 3840 patients with enterostomy can be divided into three latent characteristics: Moderately high psychosocial adjustment level and high positive emotion in enterostomy patients (24.5%), Medium psychosocial but low social life adjustment (64.6%), low psychosocial adjustment level and high negative emotion (10.9%). Multinomial logistic regression showed that enterostomy self-care knowledge score, gender, medical payment method, educational background, carer, and self-care ability were affecting the subgroup classification of psychosocial adjustment of enterostomy patients. CONCLUSION: The psychosocial adjustment level of enterostomy patients can be divided into three latent profiles, which have obvious classification characteristics. Future studies can provide individualized interventions for different subgroups of enterostomy patients to improve the psychosocial adjustment of enterostomy patients.

The role of the ER stress sensor IRE1 in cardiovascular diseases.

Despite enormous advances in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, including I/R injury and heart failure, heart diseases remain a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1) is an evolutionarily conserved sensor endoplasmic reticulum (ER) transmembrane protein that senses ER stress. It manages ER stress induced by the accumulation of unfolded/misfolded proteins via the unfolded protein response (UPR). However, if the stress still persists, the UPR pathways are activated and induce cell death. Emerging evidence shows that, beyond the UPR, IRE1 participates in the progression of cardiovascular diseases by regulating inflammation levels, immunity, and lipid metabolism. Here, we summarize the recent findings and discuss the potential therapeutic effects of IRE1 in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Muscularis macrophages controlled by NLRP3 maintain the homeostasis of excitatory neurons.

Peristaltic movements in gut are essential to propel ingested materials through the gastrointestinal tract. Intestinal resident macrophages play an important role in this physiological function through protecting enteric neurons. However, it is incompletely clear how individuals maintain the homeostasis of gut motility. Here we found that NLRP3 is a critical factor in controlling loss of muscularis resident macrophages (MMs), and demonstrate that MMs are involved in the homeostasis of excitatory neurons such as choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)+ and vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGLUT2)+ but not inhibitory neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS)+ neurons. NLRP3 knockout (KO) mice had enhanced gut motility and increased neurons, especially excitatory ChAT+ and VGLUT2+ neurons. Single cell analyses showed that there had increased resident macrophages, especially MMs in NLRP3 KO mice. The MM proportion in the resident macrophages was markedly higher than those in wild-type (WT) or caspase 1/11 KO mice. Deletion of the MMs and transplantation of the NLRP3 KO bone marrow cells showed that survival of the gut excitatory ChAT+ and VGLUT2+ neurons was dependent on the MMs. Gut microbiota metabolites ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) could promote gut motility through protecting MMs from pyroptosis. Thus, our data suggest that MMs regulated by NLRP3 maintain the homeostasis of excitatory neurons.