Multiple serous cavity effusion screening based on smear images using vision transformer.

Serous cavity effusion is a prevalent pathological condition encountered in clinical settings. Fluid samples obtained from these effusions are vital for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Traditionally, cytological examination of smears is a common method for diagnosing serous cavity effusion, renowned for its convenience. However, this technique presents limitations that can compromise its efficiency and diagnostic accuracy. This study aims to overcome these challenges and introduce an improved method for the precise detection of malignant cells in serous cavity effusions. We have developed a transformer-based classification framework, specifically employing the vision transformer (ViT) model, to fulfill this objective. Our research involved collecting smear images and corresponding cytological reports from 161 patients who underwent serous cavity drainage. We meticulously annotated 4836 patches from these images, identifying regions with and without malignant cells, thus creating a unique dataset for smear image classification. The findings of our study reveal that deep learning models, particularly the ViT model, exhibit remarkable accuracy in classifying patches as malignant or non-malignant. The ViT model achieved an impressive area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.99, surpassing the performance of the convolutional neural network (CNN) model, which recorded an AUROC of 0.86. Additionally, we validated our models using an external cohort of 127 patients. The ViT model sustained its high-level screening performance, achieving an AUROC of 0.98 at the patient level, compared to the CNN model's AUROC of 0.84. The visualization of our ViT models confirmed their capability to precisely identify regions containing malignant cells in multiple serous cavity effusion smear images. In summary, our study demonstrates the potential of deep learning models, particularly the ViT model, in automating the screening process for serous cavity effusions. These models offer significant assistance to cytologists in enhancing diagnostic accuracy and efficiency. The ViT model stands out for its advanced self-attention mechanism, making it exceptionally suitable for tasks that necessitate detailed analysis of small, sparsely distributed targets like cellular clusters in serous cavity effusions.

Vegetable oils: Classification, quality analysis, nutritional value and lipidomics applications.

Lipids are widespread in nature and play a pivotal role as a source of energy and nutrition for the human body. Vegetable oils (VOs) constitute a significant category in the food industry, containing various lipid components that have garnered attention for being natural, environmentally friendly and health-promoting. The review presented the classification of raw materials (RMs) from oil crops and quality analysis techniques of VOs, with the aim of improving comprehension and facilitating in-depth research of VOs. Brief descriptions were provided for four categories of VOs, and quality analysis techniques for both RMs and VOs were generalized. Furthermore, this study discussed the applications of lipidomics technology in component analysis, processing and utilization, quality determination, as well as nutritional function assessment of VOs. Through reviewing RMs and quality analysis techniques of VOs, this study aims to encourage further refinement and development in the processing and utilization of VOs, offering valuable references for theoretical and applied research in food chemistry and food science.

Clinicopathological characteristics of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) patients with c-MET exon 14 skipping mutation, MET overexpression and amplification.

PURPOSE: MET exon 14 skipping is one of the rare mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), involving its pathogenesis and progression. The performances of several MET inhibitors in clinical trials have been validated based on NGS, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and gene copy number assessments. Thus, a detailed understanding of the relationship between these markers and prognosis is required. METHODS: This study has recruited patients (n = 17) with MET exon 14 skipping mutation and initially screened genes (n = 10) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from 257 specimens of NSCLC, including small biopsies and surgical resection. Further, the IHC analysis detected MET overexpression and recorded the score using the MetMAb trial (rial ( recruited patients (n = 17) with MET exstainings). Finally, the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) resulted in the MET amplification with a MET copy number initially screened genes (n = 10) by p. RESULTS: PCR results indicated strong MET staining ( 3+) in more than 50% of tumor cells. Among the recruited 17 cases of MET exon 14 skipping, 9 cases presented MET amplification, and 10 cases with MET overexpression. These attributes were not correlated to the clinicopathological characteristics and overall survival. In addition, 4 cases showed gene amplification, and 3 cases presented polyploidy condition. The correlation analysis showed a significant relationship between MET amplification and MET overexpression (Pearson's r2 = 0.4657, P < 0.005). CONCLUSION: Together, these findings indicated a significant correlation between MET overexpression and MET amplification in NSCLC patients but no correlation to prognosis.

Preoperative prediction of lymphovascular space invasion in endometrioid adenocarcinoma: an MRI-based radiomics nomogram with consideration of the peritumoral region.

BACKGROUND: Lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) of endometrial cancer (EC) is a postoperative histological index, which is associated with lymph node metastases. A preoperative acknowledgement of LVSI status might aid in treatment decision-making. PURPOSE: To explore the utility of multiparameter magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and radiomic features obtained from intratumoral and peritumoral regions for predicting LVSI in endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EEA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 334 EEA tumors were retrospectively analyzed. Axial T2-weighted (T2W) imaging and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) mapping were conducted. Intratumoral and peritumoral regions were manually annotated as the volumes of interest (VOIs). A support vector machine was applied to train the prediction models. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to develop a nomogram based on clinical and tumor morphological parameters and the radiomics score (RadScore). The predictive performance of the nomogram was assessed by the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) in the training and validation cohorts. RESULTS: Among the features obtained from different imaging modalities (T2W imaging and ADC mapping) and VOIs, the RadScore had the best performance in predicting LVSI classification (AUCtrain = 0.919, and AUCvalidation = 0.902). The nomogram based on age, CA125, maximum anteroposterior tumor diameter on sagittal T2W images, tumor area ratio, and RadScore was established to predict LVSI had AUC values in the training and validation cohorts of 0.962 (sensitivity 94.0%, specificity 86.0%) and 0.965 (sensitivity 90.0%, specificity 85.3%), respectively. CONCLUSION: The intratumoral and peritumoral imaging features were complementary, and the MRI-based radiomics nomogram might serve as a non-invasive biomarker to preoperatively predict LVSI in patients with EEA.

A nomogram for preoperative risk stratification based on MRI morphological parameters in patients with endometrioid endometrial carcinoma.

PURPOSE: To develop and validate a nomogram based on MRI morphological parameters to preoperatively discriminate between low-risk and non-low-risk patients with endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (EEC). METHODS: Two hundred eighty-one women with histologically confirmed EEC were divided into training (1.5-T MRI, n = 182) and validation cohorts (3.0-T MRI, n = 99). According to the European Society of Medical Oncology guidelines, the patients were divided into four risk groups: low, intermediate, high-intermediate, and high. Binary classification models were developed (low-risk vs. non-low-risk). Univariate logistic regression (LR) analyses were used to determine which variables to select to build the predictive models. Five classification models were constructed, and the best model was selected. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was calculated to evaluate the performance of the prediction model and nomogram. P < 0.05 indicated a statistically significant difference. RESULTS: Age and four morphological parameters (tumor size, tumor volume, maximum anteroposterior tumor diameter on sagittal T2-weighted images (APsag), and tumor area ratio (TAR)) were selected, and the LR model was used to construct an MRI morphological nomogram. The AUCs for the nomogram in predicting a non-low-risk of EEC among patients in the training and validation cohorts were 0.856 (sensitivity = 75.0%, specificity = 83.1%) and 0.849 (sensitivity = 74.6%, specificity = 85.0%), respectively. CONCLUSION: An MRI morphological nomogram was developed and achieved high diagnostic performance for classifying low-risk and non-low-risk EEC preoperatively, which could provide support for therapeutic decision-making. Furthermore, our findings indicate that this nomogram is robust in the clinical application of various field strength data.

Single-cell transcriptomic analysis of normal and pathological tissues from the same patient uncovers colon cancer progression.

The aim of the present study was to elucidate the evolutionary trajectory of colon cells from normal colon mucosa, to adenoma, then to carcinoma in the same microenvironment. Normal colon, adenoma and carcinoma tissues from the same patient were analyzed by single-cell sequencing, which perfectly simulated the process of time-dependent colon cancer due to the same microenvironment. A total of 22 cell types were identified. Results suggest the presence of dominant clones of same cells including C2 goblet cell, epithelial cell subtype 1 (Epi1), enterocyte cell subset 0 (Entero0), and Entero5 in carcinoma. Epi1 and Entero0 were Co-enriched in antibacterial and IL-17 signaling, Entero5 was enriched in immune response and mucin-type O-glycan biosynthesis. We discovered new colon cancer related genes including AC007952.4, NEK8, CHRM3, ANO7, B3GNT6, NEURL1, ODC1 and KCNMA1. The function of TBC1D4, LTB, C2CD4A, AND GBP4/5 in T cells needs to be clarified. We used colon samples from the same person, which provide new information for colon cancer therapy.

FOCAD/miR-491-5p, downregulated by EGR1, function as tumor suppressor by inhibiting the proliferation and migration of gastric cancer cells.

Gastric cancer is a common malignant tumor in China; however, its carcinogenesis remains unknown. Focadhesin (FOCAD) is a tumor suppressor gene in gliomas, its expression, role, and mechanism in gastric cancer have not been defined. The aim of the present study was to explore the expression pattern of FOCAD in human normal tissues and cancer tissues and elucidate the role and regulatory mechanism of Early Growth Response 1 (EGR1) in FOCAD and its intron, miR-491-5p, in gastric cancer. Immuno histochemical staining revealed that FOCAD is widely and highly expressed in normal gastric mucosa, but is absent in gastric cancer tissue. Based on an association analysis FOCAD expression was found to be negatively associated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.004); higher FOCAD levels were associated with longer survival in patients with gastric cancer (P = 0.001). MTT, colony, Transwell chamber, and flow cytometry assays revealed that siFOCAD promoted cell proliferation, growth, and migration, and inhibited apoptosis. Furthermore, bioinformatic analysis, Fluorescence reporter gene and chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses confirmed that EGR1 binds to the promoter and negatively regulates FOCAD and miR-491-5p at the transcriptional level. The overexpression of EGR1 was also found to promote cell proliferation, growth, and migration, and inhibit apoptosis. Overall, FOCAD is specifically overexpressed in the gastric mucosa and is significantly downregulated in gastric cancer. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that FOCAD is a tumor suppressor, higher FOCAD levels might be a better prognostic marker of gastric cancer, and FOCAD/miR-491-5p may be negatively regulated by EGR1.

Low expression of MEOX2 is associated with poor survival in patients with breast cancer.

Aim: To investigate associations of MEOX2 expression with clinicopathological features and survival of breast cancer patients. Materials & methods: We used a breast cancer tissue microarray for immunohistochemistry. Associations between MEOX2 expression and clinicopathological features were analyzed using the χ-square test. Survival analysis was determined using a Kaplan-Meier curve. Multivariate Cox regression was used to determine associations of MEOX2 expression with overall survival. Results: We found that 74.1% of patients (100/135) had expression of MEOX2 at varying levels. MEOX2 was associated with histological grade and negatively correlated with Ki67 expression. Lower MEOX2 expression was significantly associated with decreased overall survival (p = 0.0011). Conclusion: MEOX2 expression could be a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker of breast cancer.

In this study we found that lower expression of the protein MEOX2 was associated with poor overall survival in breast cancer. MEOX2 is an independent prognostic factor for breast cancer patients. It would be a new diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for breast cancer.

Elevated Levels of Inflammation Markers Predict Poor Outcomes in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients After Intravenous Thrombolysis.

OBJECTIVES: Inflammation is associated with the occurrence and prognosis of ischemic stroke. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between inflammatory biomarkers and the short-term clinical outcomes of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients after intravenous thrombolysis (IVT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 208 AIS patients treated with IVT were enrolled in this retrospective study. Blood tests of inflammatory biomarkers, including the leukocyte count, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level, were conducted within 24 h after IVT. The primary outcome was decent functional recovery (DFR) [modified Rankin Scale score (mRS) of 0-2] at 3 months. The secondary outcomes included symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and 3-month mortality. A multivariate analysis was performed to evaluate the associations between inflammatory biomarkers and 3-month clinical outcomes. RESULTS: At 3 months follow-up, 113 (62.2%) patients achieved DFR. As compared to patients with DFR, patients without DFR had higher leukocyte counts (8.5 ± 2.4 × 109/L versus 6.9 ± 1.7 × 109/L, P=0.000), neutrophil counts (6.1 ± 2.3 × 109/L versus 4.6±1.7 × 109/L, P=0.000) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (4.6 ± 2.4 versus 3.3 ± 1.9, P=0.000). After adjusting for the stroke subtype, severity of stroke, and medical history, the leukocyte count and neutrophil count remained significantly correlated with non-DFR (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.488; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.247-1.776; P=0.000 and adjusted OR 1.522; 95% CI, 1.269-1.826; P=0.000, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that increased levels of inflammatory biomarkers are independently associated with poor outcomes at 3 months in AIS patients treated with IVT.

Association between obstructive sleep apnea and risk of post-stroke depression: A hospital-based study in ischemic stroke patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Obstructive sleep apnea (OAS) is a common contributor as well as a frequent co-morbid condition in ischemic stroke. This study aimed to detect the correlation between OSA severity and post-stroke depression (PSD) in ischemic stroke patients. METHODS: From Mar 2017 to Dec 2018, 265 patients with symptom onset less than 14 days were consecutively recruited. All patients underwent polysomnography examination for diagnosis of OSA during hospitalization. PSD was identified using the Chinese version of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV at admission and 3-month. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association between OSA severity and PSD. RESULTS: Among the 265 patients, the distribution of patients in terms of the OSA severity was as follows: 48 (18.1%) had no OSA, 85 (32.1%) had mild OSA, 54 (20.4%) had moderate OSA, and 78 (29.4%) had severe OSA. Patients diagnosed as PSD at admission and 3-month were 63 (23.8%) and 86 (32.5%), respectively. Univariate analysis showed that reduced OSA severity was correlated with PSD at 3-month (P = 0.003), but not at admission (P = 0.373). In multivariable analysis, after adjustment for covariates, severe OSA (compared with the patients without OSA; odds ratio, 4.04; 95% confidence interval, 1.38-9.62; P = 0.036) was significantly associated with increasing risk of 3-month PSD. Furthermore, multiple-adjusted spline regression model further confirmed a dose-response relationship between apnea-hypopnea index and 3-month PSD (P for linearity < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our data showed that OSA severity was positively associated with 3-month PSD in ischemic stroke patients.

Is the standard deviation of the apparent diffusion coefficient a potential tool for the preoperative prediction of tumor grade in endometrial cancer?

BACKGROUND: The tumor histological grade is closely related to the prognosis of endometrial cancer (EC). The use of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), tumor volume, and MRI-based texture analysis has allowed exciting advances in predicting EC grade before surgery. However, whether this constitutes a simple, convenient, and powerful diagnostic method remains unknown. PURPOSE: To explore the utility of standard deviation (SD) of the ADC (ADCSD) for predicting the tumor grade in patients with EC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 138 patients with EC. All patients underwent unenhanced MRI and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). The mean ADC value (ADCmean) and SD were obtained using a freehand region of interest traced on the ADC map. Spearman's linear correlation coefficients were calculated to analyze the correlations between the indexes (including ADCSD and the ADCmean) and the Ki-67 index. The Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare differences in the index results among tumor grades. RESULTS: A significant difference in ADCSD was observed among the tumor grades (P=0.000), and the ADCSD value was significantly higher for high-grade EC than for low-grade tumors (289.7 vs. 216.3×10-6mm2 /s, P=0.000). A statistically significant positive correlation was observed between ADCSD and the Ki-67 index (r=0.364, P=0.000). According to the receiver operating characteristic curve, ADCSD ≥240.2×10-6mm2 /s predicted high-grade EC with a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 73.1%, 80.2%, and 77.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Based on the intratumor heterogeneity of EC, ADCSD represents a potential method for the preoperative prediction of high-grade EC, although further studies are needed.

Prognostic value of subclinical thyroid dysfunction in ischemic stroke patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis.

Data regarding the association between subclinical thyroid dysfunction and clinical outcomes in ischemic stroke patients with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) are limited. We aimed to investigate the predictive value of subclinical thyroid dysfunction in END, functional outcome and mortality at 3 months among IVT patients. We prospectively recruited 563 IVT patients from 5 stroke centers in China. Thyroid function status was classified as subclinical hypothyroidism, subclinical hyperthyroidism (SHyper) and euthyroidism. The primary outcome was END, defined as ≥ 4 point in the NIHSS score within 24 h after IVT. Secondary outcomes included 3-month functional outcome and mortality. Of the 563 participants, END occurred in 14.7%, poor outcome in 50.8%, and mortality in 9.4%. SHyper was an independent predictor of END [odd ratio (OR), 4.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.86-9.68, P = 0.003], 3-month poor outcome (OR, 3.24; 95% CI, 1.43-7.33, P = 0.005) and mortality [hazard ratio, 2.78; 95% CI, 1.55-5.36, P = 0.003]. Subgroup analysis showed that there was no significant relationship between SHyper and clinical outcomes in IVT patients with endovascular therapy. In summary, SHyper is associated with increased risk of END, and poor outcome and mortality at 3 months in IVT patients without endovascular therapy.

Serum Retinoic Acid Level and The Risk of Poststroke Cognitive Impairment in Ischemic Stroke Patients.

BACKGROUND: Retinoic acid (RA), an active metabolite of vitamin A, possesses enormous protective effects on vascular systems. It may also be positively related to good functional outcome after ischemic stroke. However, whether circulating RA concentration is associated with poststroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) remains unclear. This study aimed to detect the association between RA level and PSCI among patients with first-ever acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: Two hundred and 61 consecutive patients were prospectively recruited during March 2018 and March 2019. Serum RA concentration was measured at admission for all patients. We also performed cognitive function examination using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) at admission and at every follow-up visit. Patients with MoCA score less than 26 were identified as developing PSCI. RESULTS: The median serum RA level was 2.0 ng/mL (interquartile range, 1.1-3.2 ng/mL) after admission. Patients diagnosed as PSCI at admission, 1-month and 3-month were 53 (20.3%), 91 (34.6%), and 141 (54.0%), respectively. Univariate analysis showed that reduced RA level was correlated with PSCI at 3-month (P = .003), but not at admission (P = .416) and 1-month poststroke (P = .117). After adjusting for all potential confounders, the odds ratio for the lowest tertile of RA, compared with the highest tertile, was 1.97 (95% confidence interval, 1.01-3.83, P = .046) for PSCI at 3 months. Furthermore, multiple-adjusted spline regression model further confirmed the dose-response relationships between RA level and 3-month PSCI (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Decreasing serum RA level might be associated with 3-month PSCI in ischemic stroke patients.

Preoperative prediction of deep myometrial invasion and tumor grade for stage I endometrioid adenocarcinoma: a simple method of measurement on DWI.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the utility of the tumor area ratio (TAR) for predicting deep myometrial invasion and tumor grade in stage I endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EEA). METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 86 patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I EEA. All patients underwent unenhanced contrast MRI and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) procedures. The volume and maximum area of the tumor and uterus were obtained, and the tumor volume ratio (TVR) and TAR were calculated. The Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare the differences in indexes (TVR and TAR) between the different tumor grades and between superficial and deep myometrial invasion. RESULTS: The TVR and TAR values for deep myometrial invasion and high-grade EEA tumors were significantly higher than the values for superficial myometrial invasion and low-grade tumors (all p = 0.000). According to the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the area under the curve (AUC) was significantly higher for TAR than for TVR for tumors with deep myometrial invasion (0.936 vs. 0.844, p = 0.045). However, no significant differences in the AUCs for TVR and TAR were observed between high- and low-grade tumors (0.865 vs. 0.863, p = 0.956). A TAR ≥ 34.6% predicted deep myometrial invasion in EEA with a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 85.0%, 84.8%, and 86.0%, respectively. A TAR ≥ 38.9% predicted high-grade tumors with a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 83.3%, 81.1%, and 82.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION: TAR is useful for predicting deep myometrial invasion and high-grade stage I EEA KEY POINTS: • TAR is useful for predicting risk factors for EEA. • TAR is easy to obtain and has high accuracy. • TAR has excellent interobserver repeatability agreement (ICC range 95.1-99.6%).

Can the apparent diffusion coefficient differentiate the grade of endometrioid adenocarcinoma and the histological subtype of endometrial cancer?

Background Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) provides useful information for the identification of benign and malignant uterine lesions. However, the use of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) for histopathological grading of endometrial cancer is controversial. Purpose To explore the use of ADC values in differentiating the preoperative tumor grading of endometrioid adenocarcinomas and investigate the relationship between the ADC values of endometrial cancer and the histological tumor subtype. Material and Methods We retrospectively evaluated 98 patients with endometrial cancers, including both endometrioid adenocarcinomas (n = 80) and non-endometrioid adenocarcinomas (n = 18). All patients underwent DWI procedures and ADC values were calculated. The Kruskal-Wallis test and the independent samples Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare differences in the ADC values between different tumor grades and different histological subtypes. Results The mean ADC values (ADCmean) for high-grade endometrioid adenocarcinomas were significantly lower than the values for low-grade tumors (0.800 versus 0.962 × 10-3 mm2/s) ( P = 0.002). However, no significant differences in ADCmean and minimum ADC values (ADCmin) were found between tumor grades (G1, G2, and G3) of endometrial cancer. Compared with endometrioid adenocarcinomas, the adenocarcinoma with squamous differentiation showed lower ADC values (mean/minimum = 0.863/0.636 versus 0.962/0.689 × 10-3 mm2/s), but the differences were not significant ( Pmean = 0.074, Pmin = 0.441). Moreover, ADCmean for carcinosarcomas was significantly higher than the value for G3 non-carcinosarcoma endometrial cancers (1.047 versus 0.823 × 10-3 mm2/s) ( P = 0.001). Conclusion The ADCmean was useful for identifying high-grade and low-grade endometrioid adenocarcinomas. Additionally, squamous differentiation may decrease ADCmean and ADCmin of endometrioid adenocarcinoma, and carcinosarcomas showed relatively high ADCmean.

Subclinical hypothyroidism and risk of cerebral small vessel disease: A hospital-based observational study.

OBJECTIVE: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) has been associated with atherosclerosis and increased risk of ischaemic stroke. However, whether SCH is associated with cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) remains largely unexplored. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between SCH and total cSVD burden, a composite measurement detected with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in patients with minor ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA). DESIGN: This was a prospective observational cohort study conducted in a tertiary referral hospital. METHODS: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) was defined as with mildly or moderately increased thyroid-stimulating hormone levels (TSH, 4.5-10.0 mIU/L), but with normal free thyroxine levels. Brain MRI presence of silent lacunar infarcts (LIs), white matter lesions (WMLs), cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) and enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVs) were summed to a validated scales ranging from 0 to 4 to represent the load of cSVD. The associations between SCH and cSVD were analysed by logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) was identified in 43 of 229 (18.8%) patients with minor stroke or TIA. Compared with patients without SCH, those with SCH had higher risks of WMLs, CMBs and total cSVD burden. Adjustment of potential confounders did not change these associations. CONCLUSIONS: These findings showed that SCH might be associated with the presence of WMLs, CMBs, as well as cSVD burden in patients with minor stroke or TIA.

Metabolic Syndrome Augments the Risk of Early Neurological Deterioration in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients Independent of Inflammatory Mediators: A Hospital-Based Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been associated with occurrence and prognosis of ischemic stroke. This study aimed to evaluate whether an association exists between MetS and early neurological deterioration (END) following acute ischemic stroke and the possible role inflammatory biomarkers play. METHODS AND RESULTS: . We conducted a prospective cohort investigation that involved 208 stroke patients within 48 hours from symptom onset. MetS was determined by the modified National Cholesterol Education Program/Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. END was defined as an increase of ⩾1 point in motor power or ⩾2 points in the total National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score within 7 days. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that patients with MetS had a 125% increased risk of END (OR 2.25; 95% CI 1.71-4.86, P = 0.005). After adjustment for fibrinogen and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, MetS remained significantly correlated to END (OR 2.20; 95% CI 1.10-4.04, P = 0.026) with a 77% elevated risk per additional MetS trait (OR 1.77; 95% CI 1.23-2.58, P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: . This study demonstrated that MetS may be a potential predictor for END after ischemic stroke, which was independent of raised inflammatory mediators.

Overexpression of stathmin is resistant to paclitaxel treatment in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Paclitaxel can exert therapeutic effects by interacting with microtubules. Stathmin and ß-III-tubulin, which have impact on microtubule activity, are believed to be involved in the chemotherapy. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the associations between stathmin and ß-III-tubulin expression and treatment response and survivals in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Two hundred thirty-eight patients who were treated by platinum-based chemotherapy were enrolled in this study, among them, 111 patients also received paclitaxel treatment. Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tumor tissues were collected for messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein detection. We assessed the associations of the two molecules with treatment response and survival outcome. High level of stathmin exhibited poor response to chemotherapy (for mRNA, P = 0.041; for protein, P = 0.017). Overexpression of stathmin was associated with shorter overall survival (for mRNA, P = 0.012; for protein, P = 0.014) and progression-free survival (for mRNA, P = 0.039; for protein, P = 0.022). Of note, this association was only observed in patients who were treated by both platinum and paclitaxel. Similar effects were not observed for ß-III-tubulin. The findings demonstrated that paclitaxel effect may be interfered with stathmin; overexpression of stathmin is a predictive marker for a worse prognosis in patients with NSCLC who were treated by both platinum and paclitaxel chemotherapy.

Polynuclear complexes with alkoxo and phenoxo bridges from in situ generated hydroxy-rich Schiff base ligands: syntheses, structures, and magnetic properties.

Complexes of new Schiff base ligands generated in situ from the reaction of 1-aminoglycerol, aldehydes, and metal ions are reported. [Cu4(HL(1))4] (1) and [Ni4O(HL(1))3(H2O)3)]⋅6 H2O⋅DMF⋅DMSO (2) have M4O4 cubane cores, with the L/M molar ratios of 4:4 and 3:4, respectively. [Mn(III)3Mn(II)NaOCl4(HL(1))3]⋅3 MeCN (3) has a unique pentanuclear trigonal propeller-shaped Mn(III)3Mn(II)Na core structure, and the coordination assemblies are linked by hydrogen bonds to afford a 3D channel structure. [Cu2(HL(2))2] (4) has a bis(µ2-alkoxo)-bridged Cu2O2 core, with the binuclear species linked by hydrogen bonds to afford a 1D double-chain. [Ni7(OH)2(OCH3)4(H2L(3)2(MeOH)2(H2O)2]-(ClO4)2⋅10 H2O (5) has a heptanuclear structure containing heptadentate di-Schiff base ligands, with the nickel(II) ions bridged by phenoxo, alkoxo, hydroxo, and methoxo groups to afford a very rare face-sharing hexadruple defective cubane core with a Ni@Ni6 arrangement. The lattice water molecules are linked by hydrogen bonds to form helical chains, which are further hydrogen-bonded to the coordination moieties to afford a 2D network. Variable temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements and nonlinear data-fitting revealed that the "2+4" type of cubane complex 1 shows medium intradimeric ferromagnetic interactions and weak interdimeric ferromagnetic interactions. For complexes 2 and 5, coexistent ferro- and antiferromagnetic couplings afford a non-zero spin ground state. However, compound 3 shows antiferromagnetic interactions between Mn(III) and Mn(II) , and ferromagnetic interactions between the Mn(III) centers, resulting in a global antiferromagnetic behavior. In conclusion, the reaction of 1-aminoglycerol with aldehydes and metal salts afforded polynuclear complexes with a rich structural diversity and remarkable magnetic behavior.

Leptin induces cell proliferation and reduces cell apoptosis by activating c-myc in cervical cancer.

Leptin may be involved in the pathogenesis of numerous cancer types by activation of cellular signal-transduction pathways. In this study, we analyzed the role of leptin and the mechanism(s) underlying its action in cervical carcinoma cells. Firstly, we examined the expression of leptin in 80 cases of cervical carcinoma using immunohistochemical staining. The results showed that the levels of leptin correlated significantly with the grades of cervical carcinoma. At the same time, the expression of leptin correlated positively with c-myc and its downstream gene, bcl-2. The expression of c-myc and bcl-2 was evaluated in leptin-treated HeLa cells by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting. Recombinant leptin significantly activated the expression of bcl-2 and c-myc in HeLa cells. Finally, the apoptotic index, the proliferative activity and the expression levels of c-myc and bcl-2 were determined in the HeLa cells treated with silencing of leptin. We found that silencing of leptin inhibited the proliferation of HeLa cells and reduced the expression of bcl-2 and c-myc. Our data demonstrated that leptin interferes with the expression of oncogenic c-myc and anti-apoptotic bcl-2, and regulates cell turnover and facilitates the progression of cervical cancer.