Ask Questions with Double Hints: Visual Question Generation with Answer-awareness and Region-reference.

The visual question generation (VQG) task aims to generate human-like questions from an image and potentially other side information (e.g. answer type). Previous works on VQG fall in two aspects: i) They suffer from one image to many questions mapping problem, which leads to the failure of generating referential and meaningful questions from an image. ii) They fail to model complex implicit relations among the visual objects in an image and also overlook potential interactions between the side information and image. To address these limitations, we first propose a novel learning paradigm to generate visual questions with answer-awareness and region-reference. Concretely, we aim to ask the right visual questions with Double Hints - textual answers and visual regions of interests, which could effectively mitigate the existing one-to-many mapping issue. Particularly, we develop a simple methodology to self-learn the visual hints without introducing any additional human annotations. Furthermore, to capture these sophisticated relationships, we propose a new double-hints guided Graph-to-Sequence learning framework, which first models them as a dynamic graph and learns the implicit topology end-to-end, and then utilizes a graph-to-sequence model to generate the questions with double hints. Experimental results demonstrate the priority of our proposed method.

Avoiding misdiagnosis of multilocular thymic cysts as malignant tumors on computer tomography.

This editorial provides insights from a case report by Sun et al published in the World Journal of Clinical Cases. The case report focuses on a case where a multilocular thymic cyst (MTC) was misdiagnosed as a thymic tumor, resulting in an unnecessary surgical procedure. Both MTCs and thymic tumors are rare conditions that heavily rely on radiological imaging for accurate diagnosis. However, the similarity in their imaging presentations can lead to misinterpretation, resulting in unnecessary surgical procedures. Due to the ongoing lack of comprehensive knowledge about MTCs and thymic tumors, we offer a summary of diagnostic techniques documented in recent literature and examine potential causes of misdiagnosis. When computer tomography (CT) values surpass 20 Hounsfield units and display comparable morphology, there is a risk of misdiagnosing MTCs as thymic tumors. Employing various differential diagnostic methods like biopsy, molecular biology, multi-slice CT, CT functional imaging, positron emission tomography/CT molecular functional imaging, magnetic resonance imaging and radiomics, proves advantageous in reducing clinical misdiagnosis. A deeper understanding of these conditions requires increased attention and exploration by healthcare providers. Moreover, the continued advancement and utilization of various diagnostic methods are expected to enhance precise diagnoses, provide appropriate treatment options, and improve the quality of life for patients with thymic tumors and MTCs in the future.

Sophorae tonkinensis radix polysaccharide attenuates acetaminophen-induced liver injury by regulating the miR-140-5p-related antioxidant mechanism.

STRP1, a polysaccharide active ingredient isolated from the traditional Chinese medicine Sophorae tonkinensis radix, has demonstrated a protective effect against acetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver injury (AILI). The underlying molecular mechanism was investigated in this study. Here, an acute liver damage mouse model was generated by APAP (400 mg/kg) and used to identify the protective effect of STRP1 (200 mg/kg) on mouse livers. In vitro cell experiments were used to further verify the related signaling pathways. Initially, in our study, STRP1 treatment reduced APAP-induced liver injury by decreasing aminotransferase activity and cell apoptosis and increasing cell proliferation. Furthermore, STRP1 treatment significantly increased Nrf2 expression and alleviated oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species in AILI. Based on bioinformatics and experimental studies, miR-140-5p was identified and found to be reduced by STRP1, increasing Nrf2 expression. Additionally, Nrf2 played an important role in the protective impact of STRP1-suppressed miR-140-5p expression. Generally, these results showed that STRP1-mediated suppression of miR-140-5p expression mitigates AILI by activating the Nrf2-mediated Nrf2-Keap1 pathway. This study revealed that STRP1 might be a potential treatment agent for AILI.

Characterization techniques for tobacco and its derivatives: a systematic review.

Biomass and its derivatives have broad applications in the fields of bio-catalysis, energy storage, environmental remediation. The structure and components of biomass, which are vital parameters affecting corresponding performances of derived products, need to be fully understood for further regulating the biomass and its derivatives. Herein, tobacco is taken as an example of biomass to introduce the typical characterization techniques in unraveling the structural information, chemical components, and properties of biomass and its derivatives. Firstly, the structural information, chemical components and application for biomass are summarized. Then the characterization techniques together with the resultant structural information and chemical components are introduced. Finally, to promote a wide and deep study in this field, the perspectives and challenges concerning structure and composition charaterization in biomass and its derivatives are put forward.

Metabolic shifts during coffee consumption refresh the immune response: insight from comprehensive multiomics analysis.

Coffee, a widely consumed beverage, has shown benefits for human health but lacks sufficient basic and clinical evidence to fully understand its impacts and mechanisms. Here, we conducted a cross-sectional observational study of coffee consumption and a 1-month clinical trial in humans. We found that coffee consumption significantly reshaped the immune system and metabolism, including reduced levels of inflammatory factors and a reduced frequency of senescent T cells. The frequency of senescent T cells and the levels of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype were lower in both long-term coffee consumers and new coffee consumers than in coffee nondrinking subjects, suggesting that coffee has anti-immunosenescence effects. Moreover, coffee consumption downregulated the activities of the The Janus kinase/signal transduction and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signaling pathways and reduced systemic proinflammatory cytokine levels. Mechanistically, coffee-associated metabolites, such as 1-methylxanthine, 3-methylxanthine, paraxanthine, and ceramide, reduced the frequency of senescent CD4+CD57+ T cells in vitro. Finally, in vivo, coffee intake alleviated inflammation and immunosenescence in imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like mice. Our results provide novel evidence of the anti-inflammatory and anti-immunosenescence effects of coffee, suggesting that coffee consumption could be considered a healthy habit.

Long-term outcomes of newly diagnosed POEMS syndrome patients who received first-line lenalidomide-based therapy.

Not available.

[Effect of TP53 Allelic State on Clinical Performance and Prognosis of Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical significance of TP53 allelic state in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). METHODS: The clinical data of 858 MDS patients who underwent second-generation sequencing (NGS) testing in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2019 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 52 years old, and median follow-up time was 23.8 (0.4-109.6) months. Four hundred and one patients (46.7%) had at least one chromosomal abnormality, including 106 complex karyotypes and 78 monosomal karyotypes. A total of 103 cases of TP53 mutations were identified, with a mutation rate of 12%. Compared with TP53 wild-type, various types of chromosomal abnormalities were significantly more common in patients with TP53 mutations (all P < 0.001). Patients with TP53 mutations had lower hemoglobin levels, lower platelet counts and higher percentage of bone marrow primitive cell compared with TP53 wild type (all P < 0.05), and significantly shorter overall survival (OS). Among 97 evaluable patients, 33 cases (34%) were mono-allelic TP53 mutation, while 64 cases were bi-allelic TP53 mutation. Patients in bi-allelic TP53 mutation subgroup had a higher proportion of chromosomal abnormalities and a lower number of co-mutations compared with mono-allelic TP53 mutation. The median OS was 33.6 months in patients with mono-allelic state and only 11.4 months in patients with bi-allelic state (HR=2.138, 95%CI : 1.053-4.343, P >0.05). Median OS was not reached in TP53 wild-type patients, and there was a significant difference in OS among TP53 wild-type, mono-allelic and bi-allelic TP53 mutation patients (P < 0.001). Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that bi-allelic TP53 was an independent predictor of poor outcomes (HR=2.808, 95%CI : 1.487-5.003, P =0.001), while mono-allelic TP53 mutation and wild-type TP53 were not. CONCLUSION: Patients with TP53 mutations have a poor prognosis, and bi-allelic TP53 mutations have a worse prognosis compared with mono-allelic TP53 mutations and independently affect the prognosis of MDS patients.

Safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of SHR-1703, an innovative long-acting anti-interleukin-5 monoclonal antibody, in healthy subjects: a randomized, double-blind, dose-escalation, placebo-controlled phase I study.

OBJECTIVE: SHR-1703 is a novel humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody with high IL-5 affinity and prolonged half-life, aiming to control eosinophil-related diseases. The study intended to evaluate pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, immunogenicity, safety, and tolerability of SHR-1703 in healthy subjects. METHODS: A single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-dose escalation phase I study was conducted. 42 subjects were allocated to sequentially receive single subcutaneous injection of 20, 75, 150, 300, and 400 mg SHR-1703 or placebo. RESULTS: After administration, SHR-1703 was slowly absorbed with median Tmax ranging from 8.5 to 24.5 days. Mean t1/2 in 150 to 400 mg doses was 86 to 100 days. Cmax and AUC increased in nearly dose-proportional pattern over range of 75 to 400 mg SHR-1703. After receiving SHR-1703, peripheral blood eosinophils (EOS) greatly decreased from baseline, which showed no significant change from baseline in placebo group. Magnitude and duration of reduction of EOS rose with increased dosing of SHR-1703. In 400 mg dose, remarkable efficacy of reducing EOS maintained up to approximately 6 months post single administration. Moreover, SHR-1703 exhibited low immunogenicity (2.9%), favorable safety, and tolerability in healthy subjects. CONCLUSION: Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, immunogenicity, safety, and tolerability of SHR-1703 support further clinical development of SHR-1703 in eosinophil-associated diseases. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered on the ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT04480762).

Population pharmacokinetics of adebrelimab - Support of alternative flat dose regimen in extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer.

Adebrelimab, a novel anti-PD-L1 antibody, has been approved by the National Medical Products Administration of China as an intravenous infusion for use in combination with carboplatin and etoposide as first-line treatment for extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer in 2023. A two-compartment model with empirical time-varying CL for adebrelimab was established based on data from 263 patients receiving body weight-based doses from two clinical studies. Significant covariate effects of baseline body weight, albumin levels, tumor size, neutrophil counts, and presence of anti-drug antibodies were identified on CL of debrelimab, none of which were clinically significant or warranted dose adjustment. The degree of decrease in CL was higher in patients who responded to treatment with adebrelimab than in non-responders. Adebrelimab exposures (AUC, Ctrough, or Cmax) were not identified as a statistically significant factor related to efficacy or safety endpoint in the exposure-response analysis. Distribution of simulated exposure metrics from the flat dose regimen (1200 mg q3w) was similar to the marketed weight-based dosing regimen (20 mg/kg q3w), supporting the alternative flat dose regimen in the clinic.

Prior COVID-19 vaccination and reduced risk of cerebrovascular diseases among COVID-19 survivors.

The effects of COVID-19 vaccination on short-term and long-term cerebrovascular risks among COVID-19 survivors remained unknown. We conducted a national multi-center retrospective cohort study with 151 597 vaccinated and 151 597 unvaccinated COVID-19 patients using the TriNetX database, from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2023. Patients baseline characteristics were balanced with propensity score matching (PSM). The outcomes were incident cerebrovascular diseases occurred between 1st and 30th days (short-term) after COVID-19 diagnosis. Nine subgroup analyses were conducted to explore potential effect modifications. We performed six sensitivity analyses, including evaluation of outcomes between 1st to 180th days, accounting for competing risk, and incorporating different variant timeline to test the robustness of our results. Kaplan-Meier curves and Log-Rank tests were performed to evaluate survival difference. Cox proportional hazards regressions were adopted to estimate the PSM-adjusted hazard ratios (HR). The overall short-term cerebrovascular risks were lower in the vaccinated group compared to the unvaccinated group (HR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.56-0.77), specifically cerebral infarction (HR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.48-0.79), occlusion and stenosis of precerebral arteries (HR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.53-0.98), other cerebrovascular diseases (HR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.42-0.77), and sequelae of cerebrovascular disease (HR: 0.39, 95% CI:0.23-0.68). Similarly, the overall cerebrovascular risks were lower in those vaccinated among most subgroups. The long-term outcomes, though slightly attenuated, were consistent (HR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.73-0.87). Full 2-dose vaccination was associated with a further reduced risk of cerebrovascular diseases (HR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.50-0.80) compared to unvaccinated patients. Unvaccinated COVID-19 survivors have significantly higher cerebrovascular risks than their vaccinated counterparts. Thus, clinicians are recommended to monitor this population closely for stroke events during postinfection follow-up.

Irreversible coherent matching bonding of van der Waals heterostructure lattice by pressure.

The key of heterostructure is the combinations created by stacking various vdW materials, which can modify interlayer coupling and electronic properties, providing exciting opportunities for designer devices. However, this simple stacking does not create chemical bonds, making it difficult to fundamentally alter the electronic structure. Here, we demonstrate that interlayer interactions in heterostructures can be fundamentally controlled using hydrostatic pressure, providing a bonding method to modify electronic structures. By covering graphene with boron nitride and inducing an irreversible phase transition, the conditions for graphene lattice-matching bonding (IMB) were created. We demonstrate that the increased bandgap of graphene under pressure is well maintained in ambient due to the IMB in the interface. Comparison to theoretical modeling emphasizes the process of pressure-induced interfacial bonding, systematically generalizes, and predicts this model. Our results demonstrate that pressure can irreversibly control interlayer bonding, providing opportunities for high-pressure technology in ambient applications and IMB engineering in heterostructures.

Sestrin2 remedies neuroinflammatory response by inhibiting A1 astrocyte conversion via autophagy.

Most central nervous diseases are accompanied by astrocyte activation. Autophagy, an important pathway for cells to protect themselves and maintain homeostasis, is widely involved in regulation of astrocyte activation. Reactive astrocytes may play a protective or harmful role in different diseases due to different phenotypes of astrocytes. It is an urgent task to clarify the formation mechanisms of inflammatory astrocyte phenotype, A1 astrocytes. Sestrin2 is a highly conserved protein that can be induced under a variety of stress conditions as a potential protective role in oxidative damage process. However, whether Sestrin2 can affect autophagy and involve in A1 astrocyte conversion is still uncovered. In this study, we reported that Sestrin2 and autophagy were significantly induced in mouse hippocampus after multiple intraperitoneal injections of lipopolysaccharide, with the elevation of A1 astrocyte conversion and inflammatory mediators. Knockdown Sestrin2 in C8-D1A astrocytes promoted the levels of A1 astrocyte marker C3 mRNA and inflammatory factors, which was rescued by autophagy inducer rapamycin. Overexpression of Sestrin2 in C8-D1A astrocytes attenuated A1 astrocyte conversion and reduced inflammatory factor levels via abundant autophagy. Moreover, Sestrin2 overexpression improved mitochondrial structure and morphology. These results suggest that Sestrin2 can suppress neuroinflammation by inhibiting A1 astrocyte conversion via autophagy, which is a potential drug target for treating neuroinflammation.

Growth hormone promotes myelin repair after chronic hypoxia via triggering pericyte-dependent angiogenesis.

White matter injury (WMI) causes oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPC) differentiation arrest and functional deficits, with no effective therapies to date. Here, we report increased expression of growth hormone (GH) in the hypoxic neonatal mouse brain, a model of WMI. GH treatment during or post hypoxic exposure rescues hypoxia-induced hypomyelination and promotes functional recovery in adolescent mice. Single-cell sequencing reveals that Ghr mRNA expression is highly enriched in vascular cells. Cell-lineage labeling and tracing identify the GHR-expressing vascular cells as a subpopulation of pericytes. These cells display tip-cell-like morphology with kinetic polarized filopodia revealed by two-photon live imaging and seemingly direct blood vessel branching and bridging. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments indicate that GHR signaling in pericytes is sufficient to modulate angiogenesis in neonatal brains, which enhances OPC differentiation and myelination indirectly. These findings demonstrate that targeting GHR and/or downstream effectors may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for WMI.

Effects of clinical nursing pathway on the surgical site wound infection in patients undergoing knee or hip replacement surgery: A meta-analysis.

To explore the effect of clinical nursing pathway on wound infection in patients undergoing knee or hip replacement surgery. Computerised searches of PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, Wanfang, China Biomedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases were conducted, from database inception to September 2023, on the randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of application of clinical nursing pathway to patients undergoing knee and hip arthroplasty. Literature was screened and evaluated by two researchers based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and data were extracted from the final included literature. RevMan 5.4 software was employed for data analysis. Overall, 48 RCTs involving 4139 surgical patients were included, including 2072 and 2067 in the clinical nursing pathway and routine nursing groups, respectively. The results revealed, compared with routine nursing, the use of clinical nursing pathways was effective in reducing the rate of complications (OR = 0.17, 95%CI: 0.14-0.21, p < 0.001) and wound infections (OR = 0.29, 95%CI: 0.16-0.51, p < 0.001), shortens the hospital length of stay (MD = -4.11, 95%CI: -5.40 to -2.83, p < 0.001) and improves wound pain (MD = -1.34, 95%CI: -1.98 to -0.70, p < 0.001); it also improve patient satisfaction (OR = 7.13, 95%CI: 4.69-10.85, p < 0.001). The implementation of clinical nursing pathways in clinical care after knee or hip arthroplasty can effectively reduce the incidence of complications and wound infections, and also improve the wound pain, while also improving treatment satisfaction so that patients can be discharged from the hospital as soon as possible.

The Role of Long Noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in Esophageal Cancer Therapy Resistance and Metastasis.

Esophageal cancer (EC) is one of the most aggressive gastrointestinal cancers. Despite improvements in therapies, the survival rate of patients with EC remains low. Metastasis accounts for up to 90% of cancer-related deaths, and resistance to anti-neoplastic therapeutics is also a main cause of poor survival. Thus, metastasis and drug resistance are undoubtedly the two main challenges in cancer treatment. Among the different categories of noncoding RNAs, lncRNAs have historically drawn less attention. However, lncRNAs have gradually become a research hotspot, and increasing research has demonstrated that lncRNAs participate in the tumorigenesis of multiple types of cancer, including EC. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are RNA transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides in length that play important roles in epigenetics, transcription regulation, and posttranscriptional processing. In this review, we elucidated the role of lncRNAs in the metastasis and drug resistance of EC and discussed their potential clinical applications and related limitations. With a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of lncRNAs, we can identify therapeutic targets for EC in the future.

Safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of anti-IL-4Rα antibody SHR-1819 in healthy subjects: A randomized, controlled phase I study.

SHR-1819 is a novel anti-IL-4Rα monoclonal antibody currently under clinical development for use in patients with type 2 inflammatory diseases. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-dose escalation phase I trial, we evaluated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of SHR-1819 in healthy subjects. Subjects received a single subcutaneous injection of SHR-1819 or placebo, with dose escalation starting at 60 mg and subsequently increasing to 120, 240, 360, and 720 mg. A total of 42 eligible subjects were randomized, and 33 received SHR-1819 (1 subject in the 60 mg cohort and 8 subjects each in the 120, 240, 360 , and 720 mg cohorts) and 9 received placebo. SHR-1819 was well-tolerated, with the majority of adverse events being mild in severity. The exposure of SHR-1819 increased in a manner greater than proportionally with a dose range of 120 to 720 mg. The median Tmax was within 4-7 days (60-720 mg), and the mean half-life ranged from 2.88 to 5.97 days (120-720 mg). The clearance rate of SHR-1819 exhibited a decrease with increasing dose level. Administration of SHR-1819 resulted in a certain degree of reduction in the percentage change from baseline in concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers TARC/CCL17 and IgE, while the reduction of TARC/CCL17 concentrations showed a dose-dependent trend. More than half of the total subjects treated with SHR-1819 were reported antidrug antibody-negative. The preliminary data from this phase I study support further development of SHR-1819 for the treatment of type 2 inflammatory diseases.

Fournier's gangrene due to rectal cancer: A case report.

Fournier's gangrene (FG) is an extremely rare necrotizing fasciitis that is insidious, rapidly spreading and life-threatening. FGs due to rectal cancer occur rarely and there is a lack of clinical reference. In the present study, a severe FG due to rectal cancer perforation was described and the features of this rare disease were summarized with a literature review. A 57-year-old man was admitted because of rectal cancer-induced FG. The patient was misdiagnosed with extensive perianal abscess until the intraoperative biopsy confirmed that rectal cancer was the culprit. Incision, debridement and drainage were carried out to reduce infectious burdens. After that, the patient was transferred to Peking University People's Hospital for the subsequent therapy. Empirical broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy was used at the initial stage. Diversional transverse loop colostomy was performed to control infection and resume oral feeding. After four rounds of vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy, radical resection and wound closure were accomplished. The scrotal defect was repaired by a skin flap. Pathological results indicated a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma with perforation. The patient was discharged from the hospital on postoperative day 15 without any post-operative complications. No signs of recurrence were observed during a 22-month follow-up. In the setting of rectal cancer-induced FGs, the liquid resuscitation, broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy, and prompt debridement are the cornerstones of the initial management. Diversional colostomy and VAC therapy were effective in the management of severe infection and large wounds. The present case report also provided a clinical reference for the implementation of staged surgeries and the perioperative multidisciplinary management of FGs.

Investigation of the driving voltage on the high performance flexible ATF-ECDs based on PET/ITO/NiOX/LiTaO3/WO3/ITO.

High performance flexible all-thin-film electrochromic devices (ATF-ECDs) have been fabricated and systematically investigated by operating with different driving voltages during the electrochromic processes. The device structure (cross-section) and material properties of some main functional layers were presented and analysed. The electrochromic properties including kinetic and spectral tests were systematically investigated through combining chronoamperometry, cyclic voltammetry measurements and optical measurements. In addition, the open circuit memory measurement was also carried out. A much higher driving voltage might lead to a current leakage inside the device during coloring process. A proper driving voltage is needed for achieving high device performances. More details were widely described and deeply discussed.