Analysis of TLR10 gene polymorphisms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic disease characterized by inflammatory synovitis, and genetic factors play the greatest role in RA. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between Toll-like receptor 10(TLR10) gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to RA. METHODS: A total of 271 patients with RA and an equal number of healthy controls were included, and the TLR10 rs2101521, rs10004195 and rs11725309 loci were genotyped by time-of-flight mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Compared with healthy controls, Individuals carrying the rs2101521 G allele had an increased risk of developing RA (P = 0.01; odds ratio (OR) = 1.367; 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.076-1.736). Individuals with the rs2101521 GG genotype had a greater risk of RA (P = 0.01; OR = 1.816; 95 % CI: 1.161-2.984). Stratified analysis demonstrated a greater prevalence of positive anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP)antibody in patients carrying the rs2101521 G allele (P = 0.03). Additionally, patients with the rs11725309 CT genotype had elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP)(P = 0.007). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, TLR10 gene polymorphisms are associated with RA susceptibility.

Droplet Micro-Sensor and Detection of Respiratory Droplet Transmission.

Droplet transmission is the primary infection route for respiratory diseases like COVID-19 and influenza, but small and low-cost wearable droplet detection devices are a significant challenge. Herein, a respiratory droplet micro-sensor based on graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQDs) assembled onto SiO2 microspheres by the nebulized natural deposition is presented. Benefiting from the energy dissipation of the microsphere to droplets, the sensor can detect droplets as far as 2 m from coughing. With this sensor, droplet signal variations caused by some factors like distance, speech, angles, and wind directions are explored, and the effectiveness of different protective measures in preventing droplet transmission is evaluated. This droplet detection technology is expected to be utilized for the development of personal detection and protection devices against infectious respiratory diseases.

Transcriptomics to evaluate the influence mechanisms of ethanol on the ester production of Wickerhamomyces anomalus with the induction of lactic acid.

Wickerhamomyces anomalus is one of the most important ester-producing strains in Chinese baijiu brewing. Ethanol and lactic acid are the main metabolites produced during baijiu brewing, but their synergistic influence on the growth and ester production of W. anomalus is unclear. Therefore, in this paper, based on the contents of ethanol and lactic acid during Te-flavor baijiu brewing, the effects of different ethanol concentrations (3, 6, and 9% (v/v)) combined with 1% lactic acid on the growth and ester production of W. anomalus NCUF307.1 were studied and their influence mechanisms were analyzed by transcriptomics. The results showed that the growth of W. anomalus NCUF307.1 under the induction of lactic acid was inhibited by ethanol. Although self-repair mechanism of W. anomalus NCUF307.1 induced by lactic acid was initiated at all concentrations of ethanol, resulting in significant up-regulation of genes related to the Genetic Information Processing pathway, such as cell cycle-yeast, meiosis-yeast, DNA replication and other pathways. However, the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and the inhibition of pathways associated with carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism may be the main reason for the inhibition of growth in W. anomalus NCUF307.1. In addition, 3% and 6% ethanol combined with 1% lactic acid could promote the ester production of W. anomalus NCUF307.1, which may be related to the up-regulation of EAT1, ADH5 and TGL5 genes, while the inhibition in 9% ethanol may be related to down-regulation of ATF2, EAT1, ADH2, ADH5, and TGL3 genes.

Evaluation of the effect of Torulaspora delbrueckii on important volatile compounds in navel orange original brandy using E-nose combined with HS-SPME-GC-MS.

Simultaneous inoculation of non-Saccharomyces cerevisiae during the alcoholic fermentation process has been found to be an effective strategy for enhancing wine flavor. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Torulaspora delbrueckii NCUF305.2 on the flavor of navel orange original brandy (NOOB) using E-nose combined with HS-SPME-GC-MS. The results showed a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the sensitivity of NOOB to W5C, W3C, W1S, and W3S sensors by mixed fermentation (MF). Esters in NOOB increased by 4.13%, while higher alcohols increased by 21.93% (p < 0.001), terpenes and others increased by 52.07% and 40.99% (p < 0.01), respectively. Notably, several important volatile compounds with relative odor activity values above 10 showed an increase. Sensory analysis revealed that a more pronounced citrus-like flavor and higher overall appearance scores were found in MF than in pure fermentation (PF). These findings offer valuable theoretical guidance for enhancing the quality of fruit brandies.

Ether-Water Co-Solvent Electrolytes Enhanced Vanadium Oxide Cathode Cyclic Behaviors for Zinc Batteries.

Vanadium-based compounds are fantastic cathodes for aqueous zinc metal batteries due to the high specific capacity and excellent rate capability. Nevertheless, the practical application has been hampered by the dissolution of vanadium in traditional aqueous electrolytes owing to the strong polarity of water molecules. Herein, we propose a hybrid electrolyte made of Zn(ClO4)2 salt in tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether (G4) and H2O solvents to upgrade the cycle life of Zn//K0.486V2O5 battery. The G4 jointly solvates with Zn2+ ions and replaces a portion of the H2O molecules in the Zn2+ solvation sheath. It forms a strong bond with H2O, reducing its activity, and significantly inhibiting vanadium dissolution and water-induced parasitic reaction. Consequently, the optimized electrolyte with H2O and G4 volume ratio of 5 : 5 enhances the cycling stability of Zn//K0.486V2O5 battery, enabling it to reach up to 600 cycles. In addition, the battery demonstrates a satisfactory reversible capacity of 475.7 mAh g-1 and excellent rate performance attributed to the moderate ionic conductivity (28.8 mS cm-1) of the hybrid electrolyte. Last but not least, in the optimized electrolyte, the symmetric Zn//Zn cells deliver a long cycling performance of 400 h, while the asymmetric Zn//Cu cells shows a high average coulombic efficiency of 97.4 %.

Differences in proximal and intimacy-related defense mechanisms among patients with cancer in different psychological stages of dying.

Purpose: This study measured three of the psychological stages of dying in patients with cancer and explored the differences in proximal and intimacy-related defense mechanisms at each stage. Patients and methods: A total of 220 cancer patients were recruited for this study; 168 patients met the inclusion criteria and were included in the data analysis. The participants were divided into three groups using the "Death Attitudes Questionnaire Revised" (1994) and then completed the Death-Thought Accessibility Test, Self-Control Questionnaire, Rumination Reflection Questionnaire, Attachment Type Test, Intimacy Test, External Control Test, and Positive and Negative Affect Scale. Results: In the death avoidance stage, which represents a defense stage without cognitive processes, patients are in an irrational state with the highest level of self-control and the lowest level of external control; they tend to prefer close relationships with many people while experiencing high levels of fear and depression. In the bargaining stage, which represents a biased cognitive defense stage, the level of rationality increases, the level of fear and depression decreases, and patients tend to prefer relationships with many people that do not involve intimacy. In the neutral death acceptance stage, which represents a defense stage without cognitive bias, self-control is lowest, external control is highest, patients tend to prefer intimate relationships with a few people, and experience the lowest levels of fear and depression. Conclusion: Three psychological stages of death exist in cancer patients, with differences in proximal and intimacy-related defense mechanisms in each stage. The findings have theoretical and practical implications for psychological interventions for cancer patients.

Bibliometric analysis of childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus from 2000 to 2022.

BACKGROUND: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, multisystem autoimmune disorder. When SLE occurs in individuals under the age of 18, it is referred to as childhood-onset SLE (cSLE). Currently, there is a dearth of bibliometric research pertaining to cSLE. METHOD: Relevant studies in the field of cSLE from 2000 to 2022 were screened from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). CiteSpace and VOSviewer software were used to visualize the annual publications, countries, institutions, authors, journals, keywords, and references, after which the authors conducted the scientific analysis. RESULTS: A total of 2857 articles were included in this study, and the number of articles published in the past 20 years showed an overall upwards trend. The most prolific countries are the United States, China, and Brazil; however, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom are clearly superior in terms of literary influence, and there is more cooperation between them and their institutions. LUPUS (n = 389) contributed the most to the variance. Brunner, HI's contribution in the field of cSLE is outstanding. The words related to 'lupus nephritis' and 'antibodies' are important words reflected in the keyword network diagram. The keywords included 'evidence-based recommendation', 'validation', 'diagnosis' and 'adult' from 2019, and 'continuous bursts' to the present. CONCLUSION: This study examined the research status of cSLE patients, discussed and analysed the research hotspots and trends in this field, and provided a reference for further research in this field to promote the development of cSLE research.

Bibliometric analysis of global literature productivity in systemic lupus erythematosus from 2013 to 2022.

BACKGROUND: Bibliometric analysis is a mature method for quantitative evaluation of academic productivity. In view of the rapid development of research in the field of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the past decade, we used bibliometric methods to comprehensively analyze the literature in the field of SLE from 2013 to 2022. METHODS: The relevant literature in the field of SLE from 2013 to 2022 was screened in the Web of Science Core Collection database. After obtaining and sorting out the data, CiteSpace and VOSviewer software were used to visualize the relevant data, and SPSS software was used for scientific statistics. RESULTS: A total of 18,450 publications were included in this study. The number of articles published over the past 10 years has generally shown an upward trend, while Altmetric attention scores have also shown a clear upward trend in general and in most countries. Citation analysis and Altmetric analysis can mutually prove and supplement the influence of papers. The USA, China, Japan, Italy, and the UK are the most productive countries, but China and Japan are significantly inferior to other countries in terms of research influence. Four of the top ten authors are at the center of the collaboration network. LUPUS is the most contributing journal. The theme of systemic lupus erythematosus research mainly focuses on the pathogenesis, treatment, and management of SLE, and the emerging trend is related research on machine learning and immune cells. CONCLUSION: This study shows the research status of SLE, clarifies the main contributors in this field, discusses and analyzes the research hotspots and trends in this field, and provides reference for further research in this field to promote the development of SLE research. Key Points • Through bibliometric analysis, Altmetric analysis, and visual analysis, we reveal the global productivity characteristics of SLE-related papers in the past 10 years. • The number of global SLE-related studies has shown a significant increase, indicating that SLE is still a hot topic and deserves further study. • Citation analysis and Altmetric analysis can mutually prove and supplement the influence of papers, and the attention of related literature among non-professional researchers is increasing. • The theme of SLE research mainly focuses on the pathogenesis, treatment, and management of SLE. The emerging trend is machine learning and immune cells, which may provide new strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of SLE in the future.

Upper gastrointestinal tract microbiota with oral origin in relation to oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Introduction: Poor oral hygiene is linked to high risks of many systemic diseases, including cancers. Oral dysbiosis is closely associated with poor oral hygiene, causing tooth loss, gingivitis, and periodontitis. We provide a summary of studies and discuss the risk factors for oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) from a microbial perspective in this review.Methods: A literature search of studies published before December 31, 2022 from PubMed, Web of Science, and The Cochrane Library was performed. The search strategies included the following keywords: (1) oral care, oral health, oral hygiene, dental health, dental hygiene, tooth loss, teeth loss, tooth absence, missing teeth, edentulism, tooth brushing, mouthwash, and tooth cleaning; (2) esophageal, esophagus, oesophagus, and oesophageal; (3) cancer, carcinoma, tumor, and neoplasm.Discussion: Poor oral health, indicated by infrequent tooth brushing, chronic periodontitis, and tooth loss, has been associated with an increased risk of squamous dysplasia and ESCC. Oral microbial diversity and composition are profoundly dysregulated during oesophageal tumorigenesis. Similar to the oral microbiota, the oesophageal microbiota varies distinctly in multiple bacterial taxa in ESCC and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma, both of which have high co-occurrence rates in the "Oesophageal Cancer Belt". In addition, the potential roles of oncogenic viruses in ESCC have also been discussed. We also briefly explore the potential mechanisms underlying the tumor-promoting role of dysregulated microbiota for the development of therapeutic targeting strategies.Conclusion: Poor oral health is an established risk indicator of ESCC. The dysbiosis of microbiota in upper gastrointestinal tract that highly resembles the oral microbial ecosystem but with distinct features at individual sites contributes to the development and progression of ESCC.

Accuracy Analysis and Experimental Study of a Six-Dimensional Force Sensor with Circular Flexible Spherical Joints.

This paper proposed a circular flexible spherical joint to reduce the processing difficulty and manufacturing cost, and design a six-dimensional force sensor based on it. This paper analyzes the influence of the structural parameters of the flexible spherical joints on the accuracy of the six-dimensional force sensor by comparing the force mapping matrix of flexible spherical and ideal spherical joints. As the force mapping matrix is related to the stiffness matrix, the stiffness matrix of a six-dimensional force sensor based on a circular flexible spherical joint and the force mapping matrix of the generalized external force acting on the sensor was derived. Finally, a set of optimal parameters was selected to create a prototype and was verified through finite elements and experiments. The results show that the six-dimensional force sensor with a circular flexible spherical joint has good accuracy and provides some guidance for the design and analysis of the sensor.

Porphyromonas gingivalis predicts local recurrence after endoscopic submucosal dissection of early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma or precancerous lesion.

BACKGROUND: Porphyromonas gingivalis plays an oncogenic role in development and progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, the impact of P. gingivalis on local recurrence of early ESCC or precancerous lesion after ESD treatment remains unknown. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of P. gingivalis on local recurrence after ESD treatment of early ESCC or high-grade dysplasia (HGD). METHODS: The amount of P. gingivalis was assessed by immunohistochemistry in 205 patients with early ESCC or HGD. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to determine the effect of P. gingivalis on local recurrence. Propensity score matching analysis was performed to reduce the imbalance of baseline characteristics. A nomogram integrating significant prognostic factors was built for local recurrence prediction. RESULTS: The amount of P. gingivalis increased significantly in neoplasms that invaded up to muscularis mucosa and submucosa compared with lesions confined to epithelium or lamina propria. Overabundance of P. gingivalis was positively associated with invasion depth, post-ESD stricture and local recurrence. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses revealed that P. gingivalis, longitudinal length of lesion and lymphovascular invasion were independent predictors for post-ESD recurrence. A nomogram comprising P. gingivalis, lymphovascular involvement, and lesion length performed well for prediction of post-ESD local recurrence with the concordance indices of 0.72 (95%CI, 0.62 to 0.80), 0.72 (95%CI, 0.63 to 0.80), and 0.74 (95%CI, 0.65 to 0.83) in the validation cohort, the entire cohort, and the subcohort after PSM, respectively. CONCLUSION: P. gingivalis overabundance is a risk factor and a potential predictor for local recurrence of early ESCC or HGD after ESD treatment. Thus, clearance of P. gingivalis represents an attractive strategy for prognosis improvement and for prevention of ESCC.

Bibliometric and altmetric analysis of research relating to antiphospholipid syndrome based on VOS viewer (2011-2021).

BACKGROUND: Antiphospholipid syndrome is an autoimmune disorder characterized by recurrent vascular thrombosis and pregnancy losses in the presence of persistently positive antiphospholipid antibodies. Bibliometric analysis and altmetric analysis are methods of analyzing academic productivity and influence. Currently, the assessment of antiphospholipid syndrome through the above analyses is lacking. This study investigated the quantity and quality of studies in the field of antiphospholipid syndrome and revealed the characteristics of worldwide productivity on this disease by the bibliometric analysis and altmetric analysis. METHODS: The terms "APS," "antiphospholipid syndrome," "antiphospholipid-antibody syndrome," and "Hughes syndrome" were searched on the Web of Science Core Collection from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2021. Original articles and reviews were selected. We set the filters as "English." RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: A total of 1818 articles were retrieved from 68 countries, of which 20 met the criteria of major active countries. High-income countries contributed 1341 articles (73.48%). The number of articles annually increased significantly in the 10-year period (P < 0.001). The USA (253, 13.91%) was the most productive country. Adjusted by population, Serbia was top of the list. According to the gross domestic product analysis, Serbia ranked first. The most used keywords such as thrombosis and antiphospholipid antibodies were presented by keywords analyses. A content analysis found antithrombotic and anticoagulant therapy as research hotspots. A significant correlation was detected between average citations and altmetric attention scores (P = 0.002) and Mendeley readers count (P < 0.001). From 2011 to 2021, the number of global articles increased rapidly. Most papers came from high-income countries. The relationship between the bibliometric and altmetric analyses were basically consistent; therefore the two can prove/complement each other. Key points • We revealed the global productivity characteristics of the papers related to antiphospholipid syndrome by using the methods of bibliometric analysis and altmetric analysis. • We found the most selected articles that describe the treatment of antiphospholipid syndrome, especially antithrombotic and anticoagulant treatments, which may be the current research hotspot.

Spatial and temporal dynamics of microbial community composition and factors influencing the surface water and sediments of urban rivers.

The temporal and spatial characteristics of urban river bacterial communities help us understand the feedback mechanism of bacteria to changes in the aquatic environment. The Fuhe River plays an important role in determining the water ecological environment of Baiyangdian Lake. 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to study the microbial distribution characteristics in the Fuhe River in different seasons. The results showed that some environmental factors of the surface water (ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP)) were different on the spatial and temporal scales. Moreover, there were no seasonal differences in the contents of TN, TP, total organic carbon (TOC), or heavy metals in the sediments. The distributions of Cyanobacteria, Actinomycetes and Firmicutes in the water and Actinomycetes and Planctomycetes in the sediments differed significantly among seasons (P < 0.05). There were significant spatial differences in bacteria in the surface water, with the highest abundance of Proteobacteria recorded in the river along with the highest nutrient concentration, while the abundance of Bacteroidetes was higher in the upstream than the downstream. Microbial communities in the water were most sensitive to temperature (T) and the TP concentration (P < 0.01). Moreover, differences in the bacterial community were better explained by the content of heavy metals in the sediments than by the chemical characteristics. A PICRUSt metabolic inference analysis showed that the effect of high summer temperatures on the enzyme action led to an increase in the abundances of the metabolic-related genes of the river microorganisms.

Bibliometric and altmetric analyses of publication activity in the field of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy in 2011-2021 based on web of science core collection databases.

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathy is a multisystem autoimmune condition characterized by muscle inflammation (myositis) and interstitial lung disease (ILD). Bibliometric analysis and altmetric analysis are effective methods of evaluating academic productivity and measuring the influence of publications. The purpose of this study is to analyze the research productivity and influence of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy articles using bibliometric analysis and altmetric analysis. Data from articles published between 2011 and 2021 were obtained from the Web of Science. Altmetric attention scores and Mendeley reader counts of the articles were obtained from altmetric evaluations. In the study, 2060 articles related to idiopathic inflammatory myopathy were screened out showing an increasing trend in general. In terms of the origin countries of articles, the United States (n = 467, 22.67%) ranked first. Johns Hopkins University has the largest number of institutions (n = 113). The journals regarding idiopathic inflammatory myopathy and Rheumatology (n = 87) published the most articles. The most cited article was published by Mammen et al. and was related to autoantibodies. Dermatomyositis, polymyositis and other research hotspots were represented by keywords. The results of the altmetric analysis showed that citations, impact factors and h-index were significantly correlated with Altmetric Attention Scores and Mendeley Readers Count (P < 0.05). In summary, bibliometric analysis summarizes the current status of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy research and helps to understand the development of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy in the field between 2011 and 2021. Altmetric analysis was used to evaluate the academic and social influence of articles from the novel perspective of internet attention.

Increase the Content of Ester Compounds in Blueberry Wine Fermentation with the Ester-Producing Yeast: Candida glabrata, Pichia anomala, and Wickerhamomyces anomalus.

The co-fermentation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and ester-producing yeasts is considered to be an effective way to improve the flavor and quality of fruit wine. In this study, three kinds of ester-producing yeasts (Candida glabrata NCUF308.1, Pichia anomala NCUF306.1, and Wickerhamomyces anomalus NCUF307.1) and S. cerevisiae NCUF309.2 were used to simulate blueberry wine co-fermentation at different ratios. The results showed that, compared with S. cerevisiae NCUF309.2 fermentation (S), the population of S. cerevisiae NCUF309.2 in co-fermentation samples decreased to varying degrees, and the content of ethanol also decreased. The results also showed that the co-fermentation of C. glabrata NCUF308.1 and S. cerevisiae NCUF309.2 at the ratio of 1:1 (CS1), co-fermentation of P. anomala NCUF306.1 and S. cerevisiae NCUF309.2 at the ratio of 5:1 (PS5), and co-fermentation of W. anomalus NCUF307.1 and S. cerevisiae NCUF309.2 at the ratio of 5:1 (WS5) could significantly increase the content of ester compounds (p < 0.05), which was 3.29, 4.75, and 3.04 times that of the S sample, respectively. Among them, the sample of CS1 was characterized by phenethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate, while the samples of CS5 and PS5 were characterized by propyl octanoate and ethyl decanoate, and the sample of WS5 was characterized by 3-methylbutyl hexanoate. However, the contents of odor active compounds were higher in the CS1 sample. Therefore, the samples of CS1 had the potential to create the distinctive flavor of blueberry wine.

N-linked glycoproteomic profiling in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Mass spectrometry-based proteomics and glycomics reveal post-translational modifications providing significant biological insights beyond the scope of genomic sequencing. AIM: To characterize the N-linked glycoproteomic profile in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) via two complementary approaches. METHODS: Using tandem multilectin affinity chromatography for enrichment of N-linked glycoproteins, we performed N-linked glycoproteomic profiling in ESCC tissues by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE)-based and isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) labeling-based mass spectrometry quantitation in parallel, followed by validation of candidate glycoprotein biomarkers by Western blot. RESULTS: 2-DE-based and iTRAQ labeling-based quantitation identified 24 and 402 differentially expressed N-linked glycoproteins, respectively, with 15 in common, demonstrating the outperformance of iTRAQ labeling-based quantitation over 2-DE and complementarity of these two approaches. Proteomaps showed the distinct compositions of functional categories between proteins and glycoproteins with differential expression associated with ESCC. Western blot analysis validated the up-regulation of total procathepsin D and high-mannose procathepsin D, and the down-regulation of total haptoglobin, high-mannose clusterin, and GlcNAc/sialic acid-containing fraction of 14-3-3ζ in ESCC tissues. The serum levels of glycosylated fractions of clusterin, proline-arginine-rich end leucine-rich repeat protein, and haptoglobin in patients with ESCC were remarkably higher than those in healthy controls. CONCLUSION: Our study provides insights into the aberrant N-linked glycoproteome associated with ESCC, which will be a valuable resource for future investigations.

Immune Infiltration Represents Potential Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Background: Immune infiltrates in the tumor microenvironment have established roles in tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis. However, the diagnostic and prognostic potential of immune cell signature in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unclear. Results: The proportions of 22 subsets of immune cells from 331 samples including 205 ESCC and 126 normal esophageal mucosa retrieved from TCGA, GEO, and GTEx databases were deciphered by CIBERSORT. Nine overlapping subsets of immune cells were identified as important features for discrimination of ESCC from normal tissue in the training cohort by LASSO and Boruta algorithms. A diagnostic immune score (DIS) developed by XGBoost showed high specificities and sensitivities in the training cohort, the internal validation cohort, and the external validation cohort (AUC: 0.999, 0.813, and 0.966, respectively). Furthermore, the prognostic immune score (PIS) was developed based on naive B cells and plasma cells using Cox proportional hazards model. The PIS, an independent prognostic predictor, classified patients with ESCC into low- and high-risk subgroups in the internal validation cohort (P = 0.038) and the external validation cohort (P = 0.022). In addition, a nomogram model comprising age, N stage, TNM stage, and PIS was constructed and performed excellent (HR = 4.17, 95% CI: 2.22-7.69, P < 0.0001) in all ESCC patients, with a time-dependent 5-year AUC of 0.745 (95% CI: 0.644 to 0.845), compared with PIS or TNM stage as a prognostic model alone. Conclusion: Our DIS, PIS, and nomogram models based on infiltrated immune features may aid diagnosis and survival prediction for patients with ESCC.

Effect of PM2.5 exposure on Vitamin D status among pregnant women: A distributed lag analysis.

BACKGROUND: Serum vitamin D levels are associated with exposure to air pollution, however, the lagged effect of exposure to air pollution remains unknown in pregnant women. METHODS: Pregnant women who delivered at a maternity center in Shanghai, China, from 2015 to 2019 were included in the present study. The concentration of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) before 25-Hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] detection was estimated using the satellite-based grid models. The distributed lag non-linear models were performed to examine the lagged association between weekly-specific PM2.5 exposure and vitamin D deficiency (VDD) or serum 25(OH)D levels. RESULTS: Among the 58,025 pregnant women included in the study (mean age at conception, 30.77 ± 3.75 years; mean prepregnancy BMI, 21.09 ± 2.55 kg/m2), 61.32% were diagnosed with VDD. Weekly-specific PM2.5 exposure at weeks 1-10 before the detection of 25(OH)D was significantly associated with an increased incidence of VDD (p < 0.05). For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 exposure, the serum 25(OH)D level decreased by 1.346 nmol/L (95%CI: 1.183-1.508 nmol/L). The association between average PM2.5 exposure and VDD at 1-10 weeks was more significant in weather conditions with low mean sunshine hours (OR: 1.246, 95%CI: 1.221-1.271). CONCLUSION: Our study provided suggestive evidence that PM2.5 exposure at 1-10 weeks before the 25(OH)D detection may decrease the circulating 25(OH)D levels in pregnant women and increase VDD risk in pregnant women. More attention should be paid to the long-term impact of PM2.5, in particular, during weather conditions with a relatively short duration of sunshine.

A Prognostic Model Based on mRNA Expression Analysis of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Background: The aim of this study was to identify prognostic markers for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and build an effective prognostic nomogram for ESCC. Methods: A total of 365 patients with ESCC from three medical centers were divided into four cohorts. In the discovery phase of the study, we analyzed transcriptional data from 179 cancer tissue samples and identified nine marker genes using edgeR and rbsurv packages. In the training phase, penalized Cox regression was used to select the best marker genes and clinical characteristics in the 179 samples. In the verification phase, these marker genes and clinical characteristics were verified by internal validation cohort (n = 58) and two external cohorts (n = 81, n = 105). Results: We constructed and verified a nomogram model based on multiple clinicopathologic characteristics and gene expression of a patient cohort undergoing esophagectomy and adjuvant radiochemotherapy. The predictive accuracy for 4-year overall survival (OS) indicated by the C-index was 0.75 (95% CI, 0.72-0.78), which was statistically significantly higher than that of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) seventh edition (0.65). Furthermore, we found two marker genes (TM9SF1, PDZK1IP) directly related to the OS of esophageal cancer. Conclusion: The nomogram presented in this study can accurately and impersonally predict the prognosis of ESCC patients after partial resection of the esophagus. More research is required to determine whether it can be applied to other patient populations. Moreover, we found two marker genes directly related to the prognosis of ESCC, which will provide a basis for future research.

Bibliometric analysis of the global literature productivity of adult-onset Still's disease (2011-2020).

Adult-onset Still's disease is a nonfamilial, or sporadic, systemic autoinflammatory disorder accompanied by peak fever ≥ 39 °C, arthralgia or arthritis, skin rashes, leukocytosis (≥ 10,000 cells/mm3) with neutrophils ≥ 80%, and other clinical symptoms. This study aimed to analyze the quantity and quality of publications, and to exhibit the current global status and trend of adult-onset Still's disease research. Searched with the search term 'Adult onset Still disease' on the Web of Science for time limited to 2011-2020. Original articles and reviews were selected. A total of 537 articles were retrieved from 44 countries, of which 13 met the criteria of major active countries. High-income countries contributed 378 articles (70.39%). The number of articles annually increased significantly in the 10-year period (P < 0.001). China (n = 90, 16.76%), Japan (n = 79, 14.71%), Italy (n = 59, 10.99%), the United States (n = 52, 9.68%) and South Korea (n = 45, 8.38%) are the five most productive countries. Adjusted by population, Italy led the top list, followed by South Korea and Israel. According to gross domestic product analysis, Italy ranked first, followed by Portugal and Turkey. A significant correlation was detected between average citations and AAS (P = 0.002), MRC (P < 0.001). From 2011 to 2020, the number of global articles was increasing rapidly. Most papers came from high-income countries. The relationship between the bibliometric and altmetric analyses are basically consistent, therefore the two can prove/complement each other.