Almost sure stability criteria for linear Markovian switching systems.

We present some stability criteria mainly for continuous-time Markovian switching systems, which can provide us with an insight into the mechanism that drives the subsystems to interact with each other so as to achieve stability. On the one hand, directly computing the Lyapunov exponent through the state-transition matrix of the system under consideration allows us to capture the interaction of subsystems by using the method developed in discrete-time setting. On the other hand, we can make sense of how the subsystems are orchestrated by the statistical property of switching signal through a family of coupled Lyapunov inequalities, which naturally covers the stability in the mean-square sense as a special case. Three examples are included to illustrate the theoretical results.

Long non-coding RNA PRR7-AS1 promotes osteosarcoma progression via binding RNF2 to transcriptionally suppress MTUS1.

Introduction: Osteosarcoma is a common bone malignant tumor in adolescents with high mortality and poor prognosis. At present, the progress of osteosarcoma and effective treatment strategies are not clear. This study provides a new potential target for the progression and treatment of osteosarcoma. Methods: The relationship between lncRNA PRR7-AS1 and osteosarcoma was analyzed using the osteosarcoma databases and clinical sample testing. Cell function assays and tumor lung metastasis were employed to study the effects of PRR7-AS1 on tumorigenesis in vivo and in vitro. Potential downstream RNF2 of PRR7-AS1 was identified and explored using RNA pulldown and RIP. The GTRD and KnockTF database were used to predict the downstream target gene, MTUS1, and ChIP-qPCR experiments were used to verify the working mechanismy. Rescue experiments were utilized to confirm the role of MTUS1 in the pathway. Results: Deep mining of osteosarcoma databases combined with clinical sample testing revealed a positive correlation between lncRNA PRR7-AS1 and osteosarcoma progression. Knockdown of PRR7-AS1 inhibited osteosarcoma cell proliferation and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, RNA pulldown and RIP revealed that PRR7-AS1 may bind RNF2 to play a cancer-promoting role. ChIP-qPCR experiments were utilized to validate the working mechanism of the downstream target gene MTUS1. RNF2 inhibited the transcription of MTUS1 through histone H2A lysine 119 monoubiquitin. Rescue experiments confirmed MTUS1 as a downstream direct target of PRR7-AS1 and RNF2. Discussion: We identified lncRNA PRR7-AS1 as an important oncogene in osteosarcoma progression, indicating that it may be a potential target for diagnosis and prognosis of osteosarcoma.

Pseudomonas syringae Type III Secretion Protein HrpP Manipulates Plant Immunity To Promote Infection.

The bacterial plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae deploys a type III secretion system (T3SS) to deliver effector proteins into plant cells to facilitate infection, for which many effectors have been characterized for their interactions. However, few T3SS Hrp (hypersensitive response and pathogenicity) proteins from the T3SS secretion apparatus have been studied for their direct interactions with plants. Here, we show that the P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 T3SS protein HrpP induces host cell death, suppresses pattern-triggered immunity (PTI), and restores the effector translocation ability of the hrpP mutant. The hrpP-transgenic Arabidopsis lines exhibited decreased PTI responses to flg22 and elf18 and enhanced disease susceptibility to P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000. Transcriptome analysis reveals that HrpP sensing activates salicylic acid (SA) signaling while suppressing jasmonic acid (JA) signaling, which correlates with increased SA accumulation and decreased JA biosynthesis. Both yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays show that HrpP interacts with mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 2 (MKK2) on the plant membrane and in the nucleus. The HrpP truncation HrpP1-119, rather than HrpP1-101, retains the ability to interact with MKK2 and suppress PTI in plants. In contrast, HrpP1-101 continues to cause cell death and electrolyte leakage. MKK2 silencing compromises SA signaling but has no effect on cell death caused by HrpP. Overall, our work highlights that the P. syringae T3SS protein HrpP facilitates effector translocation and manipulates plant immunity to facilitate bacterial infection. IMPORTANCE The T3SS is required for the virulence of many Gram-negative bacterial pathogens of plants and animals. This study focuses on the sensing and function of the T3SS protein HrpP during plant interactions. Our findings show that HrpP and its N-terminal truncation HrpP1-119 can interact with MKK2, promote effector translocation, and manipulate plant immunity to facilitate bacterial infection, highlighting the P. syringae T3SS component involved in the fine-tuning of plant immunity.

Diverse interactions of five core type III effectors from Ralstonia solanacearum with plants.

Ralstonia solanacearum is a widespread plant bacterial pathogen that can launch a range of type III effectors (T3Es) to cause disease. In this study, we isolate a pathogenic R. solanacearum strain named P380 from tomato rhizosphere. Five out of 12 core T3Es of strain P380 are introduced into Pseudomonas syringae DC3000D36E separately to determine their functions in interacting with plants. DC3000D36E that harbors each effector suppresses FliC-triggered Pti5 and ACRE31 expression, ROS burst, and callose deposition. RipAE, RipU, and RipW elicit cell death as well as upregulate the MAPK cascades in Nicotiana benthamiana. The derivatives RipC1ΔDXDX(T/V) and RipWΔDKXXQ but not RipAEK310R fail to suppress ROS burst. Moreover, RipAEK310R and RipWΔDKXXQ retain the cell death elicitation ability. RipAE and RipW are associated with salicylic acid and jasmonic acid pathways, respectively. RipAE and RipAQ significantly promote the propagation of DC3000D36E in plants. The five core T3Es localize in diverse subcellular organelles of nucleus, plasma membrane, endoplasmic reticulum, and Golgi network. The suppressor of G2 allele of Skp1 is required for RipAE but not RipU-triggered cell death in N. benthamiana. These results indicate that the core T3Es in R. solanacearum play diverse roles in plant-pathogen interactions.

Diagnostic value of 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT in seminal vesicle invasion of prostate cancer / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic value of the 18F-prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-1007 PET/CT in seminal vesicle invasion (SVI) of prostate cancer. Methods:Clinical and pathological materials of 88 patients (age: 51-84 years) who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) between May 2019 and December 2021 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi′an Jiaotong University were analyzed retrospectively. All patients underwent 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT examination for primary staging before surgery. The diagnostic efficiency of 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT in SVI was obtained using postoperative pathological results as the " gold standard" and ROC curve was drawn. Furthermore, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to screen the influencing factors for 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT prediction of SVI. Results:The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT in diagnosing SVI were 79.55%(70/88), 72.73%(16/22), 81.82%(54/66), 57.14%(16/28) and 90.00%(54/60), respectively. The ROC AUC was 0.77. Results of univariate logistic regression showed that total prostate specific antigen (tPSA), primary SUV max, Gleason score, International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) grade group were associated with 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT prediction of SVI. Results of multivariate logistic regression showed that Gleason score (odds ratio ( OR)=2.04, 95% CI: 1.19-3.50, P=0.009) was a predictor of SVI in prostate cancer. Conclusion:18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT has certain diagnostic value in SVI of prostate cancer, and combining with Gleason score can improve the diagnostic efficiency.

The predictive value of CT pulmonary angiography combined with echocardiography for the degree of pulmonary hypertension / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

【Objective】 To compare the value of CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) and echocardiography in predicting the degree pulmonary hypertension (PH). 【Methods】 Fifty-four patients in our hospital who underwent right heart catheterization, CTPA and echocardiography for suspected or confirmed PH from November 2013 to April 2021 were retrospectively recruited. Pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) and mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAMP) were measured by right heart catheterization. According to PAMP, the patients were divided into non-PH group and mild, moderate, and severe PH groups. The three-dimensional model of the pulmonary artery was obtained by computer-aided segmentation, and the best fitting circle diameter (Dfit), inscribed circle diameter (Dmin), circumscribed circle diameter (Dmax), hydraulic diameter (Dh), cross-sectional area (Area), circumference (Scf), and the largest area and largest short diameter of the right ventricle were measured. Echocardiography was used to estimate PASP. The differences in the above parameters between different PH groups were compared, the correlations of the above parameters with PASP and PAMP were analyzed, and statistically significant indicators were included to establish three predictive models of PAMP (Model 1: CTPA pulmonary artery; Model 2: CTPA pulmonary artery+CTPA right ventricle; Model 3: CTPA pulmonary artery+CTPA right ventricle+echocardiography), and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to compare the diagnostic performance of the three models. 【Results】 Some parameters of main pulmonary artery (Dfit, Dmin, Dmax, Dh, Area, Scf), right pulmonary artery (Dmax, Dh, Area, Scf), left pulmonary artery (Dfit), and right ventricular short diameter increased with the increase of PAMP (P<0.05). Dfit, Dmin, Dh, and area of main pulmonary artery, right pulmonary artery and left pulmonary artery were positively correlated with PASP and PAMP (P<0.05). Right ventricular short diameter and right ventricular maximum area were positively correlated with PASP (P<0.05), and right ventricular short diameter was positively correlated with PAMP (P<0.05). The estimated value of pulmonary artery systolic blood pressure in echocardiography was positively correlated with PASP and PAMP (P<0.05). Model 1, Model 2 and Model 3 could all be used to identify mild PH and moderate PH, among which Model 3 had the best performance in identifying non-PH and mild PH, moderate PH and severe PH. 【Conclusion】 CTPA and echocardiography are helpful in assessing the degree of PH, and the combination of the two has better accuracy in distinguishing non-PH from mild PH, moderate and severe PH.

The value of PCPT-RC high risk probability combined with Gleason score for predicting the risk of metastasis in newly diagnosed prostate cancer / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

【Objective】 To investigate the value of prostate cancer prevention trial risk calculator （PCPT-RC） combined with biopsy Gleason score for predicting the risk of metastasis in newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients. 【Methods】 We retrospectively collected the data of 74 patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer confirmed by biopsy from April 2019 to August 2021， concurrent with 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT whole body imaging in the same period. Based on this， a binary logistic regression model was established to obtain the high risk probability of PCPT. We calculated the receiver operating characteristic curve （ROC） was drawn and the area under the curve， Yuden index， sensitivity， specificity， positive predictive value and negative predictive value. We compared the predictive value of the prostate cancer prevention trial risk calculator and Gleason score alone or in combination in predicting the risk of prostate cancer metastasis. 【Results】 Based on the PSMA PET/CT results， 74 patients were divided into non-metastatic group （46/74） and metastatic group （28/74）. PCPT high risk probability ［41.14% （16%-67%）］ vs. ［30.89% （5%-65%）］， Gleason score ［8.5（6-10） score］ vs. ［7.7（6-9） score］， tPSA ［26.24（5.70-42.32） ng/mL］ vs. ［19.58（2.47-49.35） ng/mL］， and fPSA ［3.94（0.82-12.00） ng/mL］ vs. ［2.33（0.35-10.20） ng/mL］ were significantly higher in metastatic group than in non-metastatic group. Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that Gleason score and PCPT low risk probability may be independent predictors of prostate cancer metastasis. PCPT low risk probability alone did not predict the risk of prostate cancer metastasis （P=0.172）. The predictive accuracy of Gleason score and high probability of PCPT in predicting prostate cancer metastasis were 0.715 and 0.679， respectively， and the accuracy of the combined prediction was 0.809. 【Conclusion】 PCPT-RC combined with Gleason score is valuable for predicting the metastasis risk of newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients， which has certain guiding significance for clinical individualized treatment.

Comparation of 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT showing prostate cancer and its infiltration area with its clinicopathology / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

【Objective】 To explore the value of 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT in evaluating the primary tumor and infiltration range of prostate cancer. 【Methods】 We retrospectively collected 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT whole body imaging data of the patients who came to the Department of Urology， The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University， from March 2019 to June 2021 due to suspected or diagnosed prostate cancer. No treatment was give before the examination. In addition， 51 patients underwent radical surgery after examination and obtained complete pathological results. We used a semi-automatic method to delineate the region of interest （ROI） of 40% SUVmax of prostate cancer foci， and obtained the metabolic parameters， namely， SUVmax， SUVmean， tumor metabolic volume （MTV） and total lesion metabolic （TLM）. We also observed for infiltration of bilateral seminal vesicle glands and bladder. Correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation of metabolic parameters with Gleason score and tumor grade grouping； McNemar test was used to analyze the accuracy of PSMA in evaluating the extent of prostate invasion. 【Results】 The PET/CT parameters SUVmax， SUVmean， TLM and Gleason score were not significantly correlated， but SUVmean was positively correlated with tumor grade （r=0.306， P=0.041）. The pathological results showed a moderate correlation between the maximum diameter of the tumor and MTV （r=0.479， P=0.003）. The sensitivity evaluated by PSMA-PET/CT to primary prostate tumor， capsule invasion， seminal vesicle gland invasion， and bladder invasion was 72.00%， 64.71%， 83.33%， and 25.00%， respectively； the specificity was 88.46%， 33.33%， 84.61%， and 95.74%， respectively； the accuracy was 80.39%， 52.94%， 86.27%， and 90.19%， respectively. 【Conclusion】 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT imaging has high accuracy in assessing primary tumor and the extent of invasion of prostate cancer， which indicates its value in clinical application.

The value of 18F-PSMA PET/CT whole body tumor burden in predicting the serum PSA progression in prostate cancer / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

【Objective】 To analyze the correlation of whole body tumor burden of 18F-prostate specific membrane antigen positron emission computed tomography （18F-PSMA PET/CT） with prostate specific antigen （PSA） and Gleason score so as to evaluate the value of 18F-PSMA PET/CT whole body tumor burden for predicting serum PSA progression in prostate cancer. 【Methods】 We retrospectively recruited 213 patients with prostate cancer who underwent 18F-PSMA PET/CT scanning from March 2019 to April 2021. The serum PSA and Gleason score were collected. Whole body tumor burden was measured by a semi-automatic method. The correlation of tumor burden with serum PSA and Gleason score was analyzed. After radical prostatectomy， the patients were divided into groups according to negative or positive 18F-PSMA PET/CT. PSA differences between groups were compared， and the receiver operating characteristic curve （ROC） of the subjects was drawn so as to obtain the threshold value of PSA to predict the positive rate of 18F-PSMA PET/CT. The patients were followed up for PSA after radical surgery， divided into groups according to the progress of PSA， and the differences in tumor burden between groups were compared. 【Results】 In Gleason score ≤7， =8， and ≥9 groups， whole body tumor burden was correlated with PSA in each group （P=0.001）， and tumor burden significantly differed between the groups （P<0.001）. In initial diagnosis and treatment group， biochemical recurrence group， and medication group， the correlation between tumor burden and PSA was statistically significant （P=0.001）. The Gleason score of primary prostate lesion was significantly correlated with systemic tumor burden （P<0.001）. The area under ROC curve of PSA predicting the positive rate of 18F-PSMA PET/CT after radical prostatectomy was 0.821； when PSA>0.577 ng/mL， the sensitivity and the specificity were 66.7% and 96.8%， respectively. The mean whole body tumor burden in 18F-PSMA PET/CT positive patients with PSA progression was higher than that in patients without PSA progression. 【Conclusion】 The whole body tumor burden of 18F-PSMA PET/CT is significantly correlated with PSA， which is helpful in predicting the serum PSA progression in prostate cancer. PSA can predict the positive rate of 18F-PSMA PET/CT to a certain extent. At the same time， PSA can also predict positive results of 18F-PSMA PET/CT to a certain extent， and guide clinical rational selection of this examination.

Study on the intrapulmonary vascular volume in normal preschool children based on computer aided measurement / 中华放射学杂志

Objective:To investigate the development of intrapulmonary vascular volume (IPVV) in normal preschool children based on quantitative measurement on chest CT.Methods:The CT data of 407 normal preschool children (236 males and 171 females, aged 1-72 months, with a median of 36 months) who underwent chest CT examination from January 2014 to May 2017 in the "Digital Lung" imaging database were retrospectively collected. The pulmonary vessels were segmented by the "Digital Lung" automatic detection tool, and the IPVV of the whole lung, the right lung, the left lung and each lobe were obtained, and the IPVV upper/lower and IPVV left/right were calculated. According to the age, the subjects were divided into infant period (0-12 months), early childhood period (13-36 months) and preschool period (37-72 months), with 30 cases (17 males and 13 females), 175 cases (95 males and 80 females) and 202 cases (124 males and 78 females) respectively. Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between IPVV and month age. One-way analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to compare the differences of IPVV, IPVV upper/lower and IPVV left/right between different months of age. Independent sample t test or Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the differences of IPVV between different genders, and the normal reference range of IPVV in normal preschool children of different months of age was established. Results:The IPVV of the whole lung, right lung, left lung and each lung lobe were positively correlated with age, the correlation coefficient was 0. 638-0.820 in males and 0. 683-0.791 in females (all P<0.001). There was no significant difference in IPVV of whole lung, right lung, left lung and each lobe between male and female from 0 to 12 months (all P>0.05), but there was significant difference in IPVV of whole lung, right lung, left lung and each lobe between male and female from 13 to 36 months (all P<0.05). There were significant differences in IPVV of the whole lung, right lung, left lung and upper lobe of both lungs between boys and girls from 37 to 72 months (all P<0.05). IPVV upper/lower in the right lung (χ 2=14.00, 12.87, P=0.001, 0.002) and IPVV upper/lower in the left lung (χ 2=6.65, 22.84, P=0.036,<0.001) were significantly different in both boys and girls among 3 months of age. And with the increase of age, it showed a decreasing trend. There was no significant difference in IPVV upper/lower between boys and girls at the same age (all P>0.05).There was no significant difference in IPVV left/right among different months and between different sexes (all P>0.05). Finally, the normal reference value range of IPVV of different genders in infancy, early childhood and preschool age was calculated. Conclusions:The increase of pulmonary vessels in normal preschool children is positively correlated with age. There is no significant difference in IPVV between boys and girls in infant period, but IPVV in boys is larger than that in girls in early childhood period and preschool period. IPVV in the lower lung increased faster than that in the upper lung, but there was no significant difference between the left and right lungs.

The value of 18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters in predicting the molecular phenotype of breast cancer / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

【Objective】 To analyze the correlation between metabolic parameters of 18F-deoxyglucose-labeledpositron emission tomography/computed tomography（18F-FDG PET/CT） scan and the immunohistochemistry （IHC） expression in patients with primary breast cancer so as to explore the predictive value of the metabolic parameters for molecular subtypes. 【Methods】 We retrospectively recruited 97 patients who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT scan from November 2016 to June 2020 with breast cancer. The clinical stages （Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ and Ⅳ） and menstrual status （pre-menopause or menopause） were collected. Metabolic parameters， including the maximum standardized uptake value （SUVmax）， mean standardized uptake value （SUVmean）， metabolic tumor volume （MTV） and total lesion glycolysis （TLG） of the primary tumor， were calculated by physician according to the 40% SUVmax principle. The IHC expressions （positive or negative） of the estrogen receptor （ER）， progesterone receptor （PR）， human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 （HER2）， proliferating cell nuclear antigen （Ki-67） and p53； the ipsilateral axillary lymph node metastasis （with or without）， and the molecular subtypes （Luminal A， Luminal B， HER2 overexpression， and triple negative） were determined by an experienced pathologist. The correlations between the metabolic parameters and IHC expression were analyzed by Pearson test or Spearman test， and were further stratified by different menstrual status and ipsilateral axillary lymph node metastasis. Finally， we analyzed metabolic parameters among different molecular subtypes. 【Results】 For all the patients， SUVmax and SUVmean had significantly negative correlation with ER and PR expressions （P<0.05）； SUVmax， SUVmean， and TLG were significantly positively correlated with Ki-67 expression （P<0.05）. SUVmax， SUVmean， and TLG of premenopausal patients （n=57） were negatively correlated with ER and PR expressions （P<0.05）， but positively correlated with Ki-67 expression （P<0.05）. MTV， TLG and PR expressions in postmenopausal patients （n=40） were positively correlated （P<0.05）. In patients with （n=27） or without （n=57） ipsilateral axillary lymph node metastasis， Ki-67 was negatively correlated with SUVmax and SUVmean （P<0.05）； in patients without ipsilateral axillary lymph node metastasis， SUVmax， SUVmean， and TLG were negatively correlated with PR （P<0.05）. Among different molecular types， SUVmax of HER2 overexpression was significantly higher than that of Luminal A （P<0.05）. 【Conclusion】 The 18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters of breast cancer patients have a good correlation with the expression of immunohistochemistry， and SUVmax has predictive value for the expression of hetergeneous molecular types.

The value of 18F-PSMA PET/CT imaging in detecting bone metastasis of prostate cancer / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

【Objective】 To compare the detection efficiency of 99mTc-MDP SPECT and PSMA PET/CT in detecting bone metastases in patients with prostate cancer. 【Methods】 We retrospectively collected data of 83 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer in The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University from March 2019 to July 2020, concurrent with 99mTc-MDP SPECT and 18F-PSMA PET/CT whole body imaging in the same period. Two nuclear medicine physicians attending a double-blind interpretation compared whether the patients with bone metastases detected by two imaging methods under different PSA levels and different Gleason scores, and further analyzed the location and number of inconsistent bone metastases as well as the ability of PET/CT to detect metastatic lesions other than bone. 【Results】 Compared with 99mTc-MDP SPECT, 18F-PSMA PET/CT could detect more prostate cancer patients with bone metastases (P<0.001). When TPSA<10 ng/mL or >20 ng/mL, the detection rate of PET/CT for bone metastasis was higher than that of whole body bone scan (P<0.05). When Gleason score>8, PET/CT was more effective in detecting bone metastasis. The detection rate was higher than that of whole body bone scan (P<0.05). The lesions with positive PET/CT but not diagnosed by bone scan were mainly located in the chest bone, spine bone, and pelvic bone; the lesions with positive bone scan but missed by PET/CT were also more common in chest bone, with low nuclide uptake. The average SUVmax was 2.62±0.47 (1.60-3.30), and adjacent to the liver, spleen or salivary glands with higher metabolism. There were 21/51 (41.18%) cases of lymph node metastasis found outside of bone, 5/51 (9.80%) cases of lung metastasis, and 1/51 (1.96%) cases of liver metastasis. 【Conclusion】 18F-PSMA PET/CT imaging is significantly superior to 99mTc-MDP whole-body bone imaging in diagnosing bone metastasis of prostate cancer, and it can detect metastases other than bone.

Quantitative computed tomography analysis for stratifying the severity of Coronavirus Disease 2019 / 药物分析学报

To examine the feasibility of using a computer tool for stratifying the severity of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) based on computed tomography (CT) images. We retrospectively examined 44 confirmed COVID-19 cases. All cases were evaluated separately by radiologists (visually) and through an in-house computer software. The degree of lesions was visually scored by the radiologist, as follows, for each of the 5 lung lobes:0, no lesion present;1,<1/3 involvement;2,>1/3 and<2/3 involvement;and 3,>2/3 involvement. Lesion density was assessed based on the proportion of ground-glass opacity (GGO), consolidation and fibrosis of the lesions. The parameters obtained using the computer tool included lung volume (mL), lesion volume (mL), lesion percentage (％), and mean lesion density (HU) of the whole lung, right lung, left lung, and each lobe. The scores obtained by the radiologists and quantitative results generated by the computer software were tested for correlation. A Chi-square test was used to test the consistency of radiologist- and computer-derived lesion percentage in the right/left lung, upper/lower lobe, and each of the 5 lobes. The results showed a strong to moderate correlation between lesion percentage scores obtained by radiologists and the computer software (r ranged from 0.7679 to 0.8373, P < 0.05), and a moderate correlation between the proportion of GGO and mean lesion density (r=-0.5894, P<0.05), and proportion of consolidation and mean lesion density (r=0.6282, P<0.05). Computer-aided quantification showed a statistical significant higher lesion percentage for lower lobes than that assessed by the radiologists (x2 = 8.160, P = 0.004). Our experiments demonstrated that the computer tool could reliably and accurately assess the severity and distribution of pneumonia on CT scans.

Strawberry Notch 1 (SBNO1) promotes proliferation of spermatogonial stem cells via the noncanonical Wnt pathway in mice / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

While it is known that spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) initiate the production of male germ cells, the mechanisms of SSC self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation remain poorly understood. We have previously identified Strawberry Notch 1 (SBNO1), a vertebrate strawberry notch family protein, in the proteome profile for mouse SSC maturation and differentiation, revealing SBNO1 is associated with neonatal testicular development. To explore further the location and function of SBNO1 in the testes, we performed Sbno1 gene knockdown in mice to study the effects of SBNO1 on neonatal testicular and SSC development. Our results revealed that SBNO1 is required for neonatal testicular and SSC development in mice. Particularly, in vitro Sbno1 gene knockdown with morpholino oligonucleotides caused a reduction of SSCs and inactivation of the noncanonical Wnt pathway, through Jun N-terminal kinases. Our study suggests SBNO1 maintains SSCs by promoting the noncanonical Wnt pathway.

Comparison study between neural network model and multiple linear regression in predicting pulmonary artery obstruction index in pulmonary embolism / 中华放射学杂志

Objective To compare the predictive capability of multiple linear regression (MLR)and neural network model (NNM) for pulmonary artery obstruction index (PAOI) in pulmonary embolism.Methods One hundred and forty-seven APE patients (79 male,68 female) were collected from March 2015 to July 2016 in our hospital and randomly divided into training group and testing group with the ratio of 3 ∶ 1.Four indexes,including total volume (V),total length (L),total degree of embolism (D) and total number of clots (N) were calculated by computer assisted detection.Qanadli index (Q) as CT PAOI was calculated manually.With SPSS 14.2 modeler,the predictive value of Qanadli index ((Q)) was calculated by MLR and NNM respectively,with Qanadli index as dependent variable and V,L,D,N as independent variables.SPSS 22.0 Spearman test was used to analyze the correlation between (Q) and Q.Mean absolute error (MAE),mean relative error (MRE),root mean square error (RMSE) were used to quantify the accuracies of two methods.Results MLR equation was (Q)=10.98+ 1.37×V+0.06×L,model fitting was 0.764.NNM included one hidden layer and two neurons with accuracy of 0.868.In training group,the correlation between (Q) and Q in NNM (r=0.932,P＜0.01) was higher than MLR (r=0.879,P＜0.01);in testing group,the correlation between (Q) and Q in NNM (r=0.875,P＜0.01) was higher than MLR (r=0.868,P＜0.01).In training group,MAE,MRE and RMSE of NNM (5.144,0.274,6.957) were significantly lower (t=3.402,P=0.002) than MLR (6.784,0.282,8.700);in testing group,MAE,MRE and RMSE of NNM (6.643,0.312,9.195) were significantly lower (t=3.383,P=0.002) than MLR (8.505,0.334,10.361).Conclusion NNM is a better model in predicting CT pulmonary artery obstruction index of APE patients.

Strawberry Notch 1 (SBNO1) promotes proliferation of spermatogonial stem cells via the noncanonical Wnt pathway in mice / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

While it is known that spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) initiate the production of male germ cells, the mechanisms of SSC self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation remain poorly understood. We have previously identified Strawberry Notch 1 (SBNO1), a vertebrate strawberry notch family protein, in the proteome profile for mouse SSC maturation and differentiation, revealing SBNO1 is associated with neonatal testicular development. To explore further the location and function of SBNO1 in the testes, we performed Sbno1 gene knockdown in mice to study the effects of SBNO1 on neonatal testicular and SSC development. Our results revealed that SBNO1 is required for neonatal testicular and SSC development in mice. Particularly, in vitro Sbno1 gene knockdown with morpholino oligonucleotides caused a reduction of SSCs and inactivation of the noncanonical Wnt pathway, through Jun N-terminal kinases. Our study suggests SBNO1 maintains SSCs by promoting the noncanonical Wnt pathway.

Effects of a psychological intervention programme on mental stress, coping style and immune function in percutaneous coronary intervention patients.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the effects of a psychological intervention programme on the mental stress, coping style and cortisol and IL-2 levels of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: A total of sixty cardiovascular patients scheduled for PCI with clear anxiety and depression screened by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were randomly divided into an experimental (n = 30) and control (n = 30) group. The participants in the experimental group received cognitive therapy, relaxation therapy and emotional support. Self-reported questionnaires, including the Self-Report Symptom Checklist (SCL-90) and the Medical Coping Mode Questionnaire (MCMQ), and levels of IL-2 and cortisol were collected at baseline and the day before discharge. RESULTS: Compared with the controls, patients in the intervention group had a better mental state and coping style (confrontation), higher levels of IL-2 and lower levels of cortisol (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The psychological intervention programme effectively improved mental state, reduced negative coping styles, increased levels of IL-2, and decreased cortisol levels in patients undergoing PCI. This programme may be an effective preoperative nursing intervention for PCI patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trail Registry ChiCTR-IOR-16007864.

Changing curve of mean lung density of normal preschool children based on computer assisted measurement / 实用放射学杂志

Objective To investigate the changing curve of mean lung density (MLD)in normal preschool children based on CT quantitative measurement.Methods Chest CT data of 409 preschool children were reviewed retrospectively from the "digital lung"database.A computerized algorithm based on the "digital lung"was applied to all examinations in a batch manner.The MLD values of total lung,right lung,left lung and each lobe were obtained automatically.Results There was no correlation between the gender and MLD,however a moderately negative correlation was found between the age of month and MLD (P＜0.05).No significant difference of MLD was found between genders of the same age of month group,except in left lower lobe of 49-60 months of age (P=0.043). The MLD was decreased gradually with age (P＜0.05).Conclusion There is not a statistical difference in MLD between the preschool boys and preschool girls of the same age of month.With the growth of preschool children,the MLD is gradually decreased.

Preliminary analysis of the cause for the failure of non-invasive prenatal testing using cell-free fetal DNA derived from peripheral maternal blood / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the cause of failure of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) using cell-free fetal DNA from peripheral maternal blood.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 31 832 cases of NIPT were retrospectively analyzed. The clinical data of pregnant women were analyzed and the outcome of pregnancy was followed up.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the 31 832 cases, 200 patients have failed for the first NIPT test. Second test has succeeded in 171 (85.9%) of 199 cases, while 28 cases (14.1%) still yielded no effective results. This gave rise for a total failure rate of 0.088%. Of the 28 cases, 11 (39.2%) were due to high content of total free DNA and could not be sequenced, 17 (60.7%) were found to have the fetal DNA content of less than 4%. Among the 171 cases which have obtained a valid result, NIPT showed that there were 4 patients with high risk of trisomy 21, 18 cases with high risk of 18 trisomy and 1 case with high risk of 13 trisomy. Karyotyping analysis of the amniocytic chromosomes has identified 3 cases with 47,XN,+21, 1 case with 46,XN,rob(21;21), 1 case with 47,XN,+18, while the 13 trisomy case was found to be false positive. For the 28 cases with failed NIPT retest, 14 had normal delivery, with no anomaly noticed in the neonates. Nine patients had opted for artificial abortion during middle or late pregnancy due to maternal factors (4 cases) or fetal factors (5 cases). Four patients developed complications of pregnancy. One case was in good condition upon follow-up. Four cases were lost during follow-up. Of the 11 pregnant women who had failed the NIPT test due to high content of total free DNA, 6 (54.5%) had opted for artificial abortion during midterm pregnancy, which was significantly higher than that of pregnant women with low free DNA content (17.6%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Failure of NIPT testing should attract attention from researchers. Failure of single NIPT test should not be regarded as a high risk signal for fetal chromosomal aneuploidies. For those where the test has failed again, genetic counseling and strengthened perinatal care should be provided for the pregnant women.</p>

Predictive value of heart function in acute pulmonary embolism patients based on embolic morphology and quantity / 实用放射学杂志

Objective To explore the value of the morphological quantitative indexes and the number of emboli in predicting heart function in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE)based on computer-aided diagnosis (CAD)technique.Methods One-hundred and forty-eight APE patients confirmed by CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA)in our hospital.Total number of emboli (N)and three morphological quantitative indexes,including total volume of emboli (V),total length (L)and total maximum cross-section embolism proportion (P)were obtained by CAD.The maximal short axis and area of left and right ventricular (LVd,RVd,LVS,RVS)were measured by hand on axial image to calculate the ratio of maximal short axis of right and left ventricular (RVd/LVd)and ratio of maximal area of right and left ventricular (RVS/LVS).The correlation of the above indexes was analyzed by the Pearson correlation of SPSS 22.0.Results The ranking of the correlation between CAD indexes and the heart function was in the order of V,L,P and N.The correlation between CAD indexes and the right heart function was greater than that of the left heart.The V had the strongest correlation with RVd (r=0.544,P=0.000),RVS (r=0.515,P=0.000),RVd/LVd (r=0.595,P=0.000)and RVS/LVS (r=0.579,P=0.000),respectively.While other the CAD indexes had lower correlation with the heart function (|r|:0.167-0.476,P<0.05),and there was no correlation between the N and the left heart function.Conclusion In embolic morphology and quantitative indexes,the V is the best quantitative index to reflect the change of right heart function in APE,which can reflect dys-function of right heart and severity of pulmonary embolism dis-ease in the APE embolism patient.