Global research landscape and emerging trends in Graves' disease: A bibliometric analysis.

BACKGROUND: Graves' disease is a prevalent thyroid disorder and is the primary cause of hyperthyroidism. Significant progress has been made in understanding the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of this disease. However, bibliometric analyses on Graves' disease are lacking. We aimed to comprehensively summarize the research, progression, and focal points of Graves' disease through data mining and integrated analysis of the existing literature. METHODS: We retrieved relevant literature on Graves' disease from 2003 to 2023 from the Web of Science database. We performed bibliometric analysis using CiteSpace and the R package Bibliometrix. RESULTS: We identified 10,901 publications from 132 countries, with a steady rise in the number of publications over the past 5 years. The US leads in publication volume, with the University of California System being the primary contributing institution. The journal Thyroid had the highest publication output, while the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism was the most frequently cited. These publications involved 2305 authors, with Antonelli Alessandro and Smith Terry being the most prolific. The most frequently cited articles were the "2016 American Thyroid Association guidelines for diagnosis and management of hyperthyroidism and other causes of thyrotoxicosis" and the "Thyroid Association/European Group on Graves' orbitopathy guidelines for the management of Graves' orbitopathy." Analysis of the bursts of cited references, keywords, and their clustering revealed that research on Graves' disease predominantly centers on clinical management, thyroid-stimulating hormone receptors, thyroid hormones, autoimmunity and inflammation, Graves' ophthalmopathy, thyroid nodules, and thyroid cancer. CONCLUSION: This is the first comprehensive bibliometric study to summarize progress and trends in Graves' disease research. These results highlight recent research hotspots and promising directions, thereby providing a valuable reference for other scholars.

Bibliometric and visualization analyses of cancer-related fatigue research published worldwide from 2001 to 2023.

Objective: Cancer seriously endangers human health and represents a global public health issue. Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a distressing and persistent sense of exhaustion caused by cancer or cancer treatment, widely prevalent among cancer patients. This study aims to summarize emerging trends and provide directions for future research of CRF through bibliometric and visualization analyses. Methods: A systematic search in the Web of Science Core Collection database from 2001-01-01 to 2023-05-18 were conducted. Only reviews and articles written in English were considered. CiteSpace and the R were used for bibliometric and visualization analyses. Results: The analysis revealed that 2,566 studies on CRF have been published by 1,041 institutions in 70 countries so far. The number of articles published and cited annually have been steadily increasing. Eduardo Bruera published the most articles, and Julienne E Bower is the most co-cited author. The University of Texas System is the leading institution in cancer-related fatigue research. The United States and China have the largest number of publications. Supportive Care in Cancer published the most articles, and Journal of Clinical Oncology is the most co-cited journal. "Comparison of Pharmaceutical, Psychological, and Exercise Treatments for Cancer-Related Fatigue: A Meta-analysis", authored by Mustian KM et al. and published in JAMA Oncology was the most co-cited document. Keyword analysis indicated that research focus had shifted from "epoetin alpha" and "anemia" to "risk factors", "systematic review", "acupuncture", "anxiety", "traditional Chinese medicine" and "guidelines". Conclusion: In conclusion, this analysis provides comprehensive research trends and knowledge network maps of CRF. Clinical physicians should concurrently focus on the anemia, insomnia, anxiety, and depression status of patients when assessing or managing CRF. Improvements in related risk factors also contribute to alleviating fatigue. Furthermore, it is essential to pay attention to authoritative CRF guidelines. Acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine also have therapeutic potential, which merits further investigation. Researchers should draw attention to the crucial roles of inflammation, hypoxia, and mitochondrial dysfunction, which could be the frontiers.

The Comparison between Spinal Facet Joint Toothed Plate and Traditional Pedicle Screw-rod on Reduction of Thoracolumbar Fracture.

OBJECTIVE: Thoracolumbar fractures are one of the most common fractures in clinical practice. Surgical intervention is recommended to restore spinal alignment or decompress the nerves when there are unstable fractures or neurological injuries. However, after excessive forward thrust force restoration, facet joint dislocation often occurs between the upper vertebra and the fractured vertebra, which usually leads to unsatisfactory reduction outcomes. Herein, we propose a novel spinal facet joint toothed plate to assist in fracture reduction. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the new spinal facet joint toothed plate in preventing facet joint dislocation, and its advantages compared to traditional pedicle screw-rod decompression. METHODS: A total of 26 patients in the toothed plate group and 93 patients in the traditional group who experienced thoracolumbar fracture with reduction were retrospectively included. Relevant patients' information and clinical parameters were collected. Furthermore, visual analogue scores (VAS) scores and Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores were also collected. Moreover, imaging parameters were calculated based on radiographs. Correlated data were analyzed by χ2 test and t test. RESULTS: All patients in this study had no postoperative complications. Postoperative VAS scores and ODI scores (p < 0.001) were statistically significant (p < 0.001) in both groups compared with preoperative scores and further decreased (p < 0.001) at final follow-up. In addition, the postoperative vertebral margin ratio (VMR) (p < 0.001) and vertebral angle of the injured vertebrae (p < 0.001) were significantly improved compared with the preoperative period. There were no significant differences in postoperative VAS scores and ODI scores between the two groups. However, toothed plate reduction significantly improved the VMR (p < 0.05) and vertebral angle (p < 0.05) compared with conventional reduction. Ultimately, the total screw accuracy was 98.72% (sum of levels 0 and I), with 100% screw accuracy in the segment related to the tooth plate in the tooth plate group. The dislocation rate was higher in the conventional group (6.45%) than in the new serrated plate repositioning group (0.00%). CONCLUSION: The facet toothed plate assisted reduction method prevents facet joint dislocation and improves fracture reduction compared to traditional reduction technique, hence it could be considered as a novel surgical strategy for thoracolumbar fracture reduction.

Impact of bilateral facet joint violation on radiographic degeneration of superior adjacent segments and clinical outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: Facet joint violation (FJV) is associated with postoperative low-back pain and is a confirmed risk factor for adjacent-segment degeneration, a long-term complication of lumbar fusion surgery. The authors' knowledge of its mechanisms comes from in vitro biomechanical research only; there is a lack of radiographic evidence of the effects of violation on the superior adjacent-segment facet joint, intervertebral disc, and other local radiographic parameters. Furthermore, any differences between unilateral and bilateral violation remain relatively unclear. The authors therefore aimed to explore the effects of nonviolation and unilateral and bilateral violation on radiographic degeneration of the facet joint and intervertebral disc at the fusion and superior adjacent segment. Patient-reported clinical outcomes were compared at the 2-year follow-up. METHODS: The authors retrospectively analyzed data from 148 patients with lumbar degenerative diseases who underwent single-segment minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion between 2016 and 2020. FJV and facet joint degeneration were evaluated and graded using Shah's method and Pathria's standard, respectively. Radiographic parameters, including disc height and intervertebral Cobb angle at the fusion and superior adjacent segment, were measured. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using visual analog scale (VAS) and Japanese Orthopaedic Association scores. RESULTS: Preoperative data were comparable among the 3 groups (nonviolation, unilateral violation, and bilateral violation) (p > 0.05). Patient-reported clinical outcomes were followed up for at least 2 years (average duration 28.17 ± 6.17 months). At the last follow-up, facet joint degeneration grades were sequentially increased in the nonviolation, unilateral violation, and bilateral violation groups (p = 0.006). The unilateral (2.45 ± 2.17 mm) and bilateral (2.70 ± 1.94 mm) violation groups had more severe losses of disc height in the superior adjacent segment than did the nonviolation group (1.31 ± 2.01 mm). The VAS low-back pain and Japanese Orthopaedic Association scores in the bilateral (2.57 ± 1.44 and 19.83 ± 2.84, respectively) and unilateral (2.26 ± 0.79 and 20.43 ± 3.85, respectively) violation groups were significantly worse than in the nonviolation group (1.69 ± 1.12 and 21.80 ± 3.36, respectively) (p < 0.05). By contrast, there were no significant between-group differences in disc height, intervertebral Cobb angle in the fusion segment, or VAS leg pain scores (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: FJV was associated with postoperative low-back pain and worse functional outcomes. It also aggravated facet joint and intervertebral disc changes in the superior adjacent segment, especially when bilateral violation occurred; this may be part of the mechanisms of adjacent-segment degeneration.

Identification and validation of UBE2B as a prognostic biomarker promoting the development of esophageal carcinomas.

Introduction: Ubiquitination is a crucial biological mechanism in humans, essential for regulating vital biological processes, and has been recognized as a promising focus for cancer therapy. Our objective in this research was to discover potential enzymes associated with ubiquitination that may serve as therapeutic targets for individuals with esophageal carcinoma (ESCA). Methods: To identify genes linked to the prognosis of ESCA, we examined mRNA sequencing data from patients with ESCA in the TCGA database. Further investigation into the role of the candidate gene in ESCA was conducted through bioinformatic analyses. Subsequently, we carried out biological assays to assess its impact on ESCA development. Results: Through univariate Cox regression analysis, we identified Ubiquitin Conjugating Enzyme E2 B (UBE2B) as a potential gene associated with the prognosis of ESCA. UBE2B exhibited significant upregulation and was found to be correlated with survival outcomes in ESCA as well as other cancer types. Additionally, UBE2B was observed to be involved in various biological pathways linked to the development of ESCA, including TNF-a signaling via NF-κB, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, inflammatory response, and hypoxia. Moreover, immune-related pathways like B cell activation (GO: 0042113), B cell receptor signaling pathway (GO: 0050853) and B cell mediated immunity (GO:0019724) were also involved. It was found that high expression of UBE2B was correlated with the increase of several kinds of T cells (CD8 T cells, Th1 cells) and macrophages, while effector memory T cell (Tem) and Th17 cells decreased. Furthermore, UBE2B showed potential as a prognostic biomarker for ESCA, displaying high sensitivity and specificity. Notably, proliferation and migration in ESCA cells were effectively suppressed when the expression of UBE2B was knocked down. Conclusions: To summarize, this study has made a discovery regarding the importance of gaining new insights into the role of UBE2B in ESCA. UBE2B might be an oncogene with good ability in predicting and diagnosing ESCA. Consequently, this discovery highlights the feasibility of targeting UBE2B as a viable approach for treating patients with ESCA.

Synchronous Triplanar Reconstruction Integrated with Color Doppler Mapping for Precise and Rapid Localization of Thyroid Lesions.

This paper proposes a novel thyroid examination technique based on five-dimensional (5D) synchronous reconstruction of ultrasound data. The raw temporal sequences are reconstructed into 3D volumetric data reflecting anatomical structure. Triplanar visualization from three orthogonal planes is realized to provide a systematic inspection of the entire gland. Color Doppler imaging is integrated into each triplanar slice to map vascularity changes. This multi-modal fusion enables synchronous display of structural, functional, and blood flow information in the reconstructed 5D space. Compared to conventional scanning, this technique offers the benefits of flexible offline diagnosis, reduced dependency on scanning, enhanced intuitive interpretation, and comprehensive multi-aspect evaluation. By minimizing oversight errors, it could improve diagnostic accuracy, especially for novice practitioners. The proposed 5D fusion method allows rapid and precise localization of lesions for early detection. Future work will explore integration with biochemical markers to further improve diagnostic precision. The technique has considerable clinical value for advancing thyroid examination.

Role of intelligent/interactive qualitative and quantitative analysis-three-dimensional estimated model in donor-recipient size mismatch following deceased donor liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Donor-recipient size mismatch (DRSM) is considered a crucial factor for poor outcomes in liver transplantation (LT) because of complications, such as massive intraoperative blood loss (IBL) and early allograft dysfunction (EAD). Liver volumetry is performed routinely in living donor LT, but rarely in deceased donor LT (DDLT), which amplifies the adverse effects of DRSM in DDLT. Due to the various shortcomings of traditional manual liver volumetry and formula methods, a feasible model based on intelligent/interactive qualitative and quantitative analysis-three-dimensional (IQQA-3D) for estimating the degree of DRSM is needed. AIM: To identify benefits of IQQA-3D liver volumetry in DDLT and establish an estimation model to guide perioperative management. METHODS: We retrospectively determined the accuracy of IQQA-3D liver volumetry for standard total liver volume (TLV) (sTLV) and established an estimation TLV (eTLV) index (eTLVi) model. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to detect the optimal cut-off values for predicting massive IBL and EAD in DDLT using donor sTLV to recipient sTLV (called sTLVi). The factors influencing the occurrence of massive IBL and EAD were explored through logistic regression analysis. Finally, the eTLVi model was compared with the sTLVi model through the ROC curve for verification. RESULTS: A total of 133 patients were included in the analysis. The Changzheng formula was accurate for calculating donor sTLV (P = 0.083) but not for recipient sTLV (P = 0.036). Recipient eTLV calculated using IQQA-3D highly matched with recipient sTLV (P = 0.221). Alcoholic liver disease, gastrointestinal bleeding, and sTLVi > 1.24 were independent risk factors for massive IBL, and drug-induced liver failure was an independent protective factor for massive IBL. Male donor-female recipient combination, model for end-stage liver disease score, sTLVi ≤ 0.85, and sTLVi ≥ 1.32 were independent risk factors for EAD, and viral hepatitis was an independent protective factor for EAD. The overall survival of patients in the 0.85 < sTLVi < 1.32 group was better compared to the sTLVi ≤ 0.85 group and sTLVi ≥ 1.32 group (P < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in the area under the curve of the sTLVi model and IQQA-3D eTLVi model in the detection of massive IBL and EAD (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: IQQA-3D eTLVi model has high accuracy in predicting massive IBL and EAD in DDLT. We should follow the guidance of the IQQA-3D eTLVi model in perioperative management.

Analgesic effect of nitrous oxide during manual therapy after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Many patients during manual therapy after anterior ligament reconstruction will experience severe pain, which has a negative impact on their rehabilitation. However, there is rarely an analgesic method for these patients during rehabilitation. Nitrous oxide with rapid analgesic and sedative effects is often used to relieve pain in minor procedures. The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not nitrous oxide analgesia decreases pain compared to oxygen during manual therapy after anterior ligament reconstruction. METHODS/DESIGN: This single-center, randomized, double-blind and controlled trial will recruit 120 patients. Patients ≥ 18 years old undergoing manual therapy after anterior ligament reconstruction (1 month post-operative) with acute pain (VAS ≥ 4) are included. The main exclusion criteria included the following: pulmonary embolism, intestinal obstruction, pneumothorax. Patients will be randomly allocated to the intervention group (A) and the control group (B) in a ratio of 1:1. Doctors, therapists, patients, and data collectors are all blind to the study. The manual therapy will be performed by therapists. Nurses who implemented the intervention handed the doctors envelopes containing the patients' codes and allocation of A or B. Group A will receive a pre-prepared nitrous oxide/oxygen mixture plus conventional treatment (no analgesic) given as 30-min treatment sessions, once daily, and group B will receive oxygen plus conventional treatment (no analgesic) under the same conditions. Assessments will be taken 2 min before the intervention (T0), 5 min after the beginning of the intervention (T1), and 5 min after the intervention finished (T2). The primary outcome is pain score. Secondary outcomes include vital signs, side effects, joint range of motion, adjuvant analgesia need, therapist and patient satisfaction, and whether willing to receive the same gas again. EXPECTED OUTCOMES: We expect nitrous oxide inhalation to have a beneficial effect on the pain of patients who receive manual therapy after anterior ligament reconstruction. DISCUSSION: If this treatment appears beneficial, it could improve patients' satisfaction and quality of life potentially and even be implemented widely in hospital and rehabilitation settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, ChiCTR2200061175 (Version 2.0 June 15, 2022), https://www.chictr.org.cn .

Borderline personality disorder and thyroid diseases: a Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Previous studies have shown that there is a correlation between diseases of the thyroid gland and mental illnesses; however, any causal relationship between them remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the causal relationship between borderline personality disorder and four thyroid diseases. Methods: The causal relationship was inferred using double-sample Mendelian randomization analysis of appropriate instrumental variables from genome-wide association studies. We calculated the estimated value of the effect using various statistical methods. Results: Borderline personality disorder was a risk factor for non-toxic single thyroid nodules with each increase in standard deviation increasing the risk of a non-toxic single thyroid nodule by 1.13 times (odds ratio = 1.131; 95% confidence interval, 1.006-1.270; P=0.039). There was no evidence of a correlation between borderline personality disorder and hyperthyroidism/thyrotoxicosis, hypothyroidism, and autoimmune thyroiditis. Conclusion: This study showed that there is a positive causal correlation between borderline personality disorder and non-toxic single thyroid nodules but not with other thyroid diseases. This means that thyroid status should be monitored in patients with borderline personality disorder. However, the possibility of a causal relationship between other mental illnesses and thyroid diseases requires further research.

Construction of a competency framework of dental hygienists: A Delphi study.

AIM: To explore the basic and core competencies of dental hygienists, construct a systematic and scientific competency framework for dental hygienists taking into account China's national conditions and provide a theoretical basis for the future training in China and other countries that have not yet established the competencies of dental hygienists. BACKGROUND: The establishment of dental hygienists role is essential for the public to improve the dental health level. Currently, more than 50 countries around the world have established the role of dental hygienists and defined the core competencies needed by dental hygienists. However, studies on developing a standardized and unified consensus of competencies of dental hygienists are lacking in China. METHODS: Based on the literature review and theoretical research, this study explored the theoretical basis and fundamental principle of constructing the competency framework for dental hygienists. Moreover, a correspondence questionnaire on dental hygienists' competency framework was initially constructed to clarify the specific content of each competency. Finally, the Delphi method was adopted to establish the indicators of the dental hygienists' competency framework according to the principle of expert selection and inclusion criteria. RESULTS: The three rounds of Delphi consultation experts were from nursing, stomatology and management and other fields. Three rounds of Delphi results showed that the expert authority, enthusiasm and coordination coefficients were high. Thereafter, a competency framework of dental hygienists with 4 primary indicators, 15 secondary indicators and 50 tertiary indicators was constructed, which included theoretical knowledge, professional skills, professional abilities and occupational qualities. CONCLUSION: Literature and theoretical research methods along with Delphi expert consultation were used to construct the competency framework of dental hygienists based on the onion model. The competency framework of dental hygienists was scientific, reasonable and practical, which is consistent with the current health situation in China and has distinct Chinese characteristics. Some of our findings, offer ideas for other developing countries that have not yet set up the role of dental hygienists or are in an initial stage.

Efficacy of nitrous oxide in adults undergoing puncture biopsy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Nitrous oxide (N2O) with rapid analgesic effect is often used to relieve pain induced by diagnostic procedures. This review was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of N2O in patients undergoing puncture biopsy. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus and the ClinicalTrials.gov up to March, 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included if they investigated the effect of N2O in adults undergoing puncture biopsy. The primary outcome was pain score. Secondary outcomes included anxiety score, patient satisfaction and side effects. RESULTS: Twelve RCTs with 1070 patients were included in the qualitative review, of which eleven RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled analysis suggested that compared with the controls (placebo, lidocaine and midazolam), N2O had better analgesic effect (MD -1.12, 95% CI -2.12 to -0.13, P = 0.03; I2 = 94%). In addition, N2O significantly alleviated patient anxiety (MD = -1.79, 95% CI -2.41 to -1.18, P<0.00001; I2 = 0%) and improved patient satisfaction (MD 1.81, 95% CI 0.11 to 3.50, P = 0.04; I2 = 92%). There was no significant difference regrading the risk of nausea (RR 2.56; 95% CI 0.70 to 9.31, P = 0.15; I2 = 0%), headache (RR 0.62, 95% CI 0.17 to 2.33, P = 0.48; I2 = 46%), dizziness (RR 1.80, 95% CI 0.63 to 5.13, P = 0.27; I2 = 0%) or euphoria (RR 2.67, 95% CI 0.81 to 8.79, P = 0.11; I2 = 8%) between the N2O group and the control group. CONCLUSION: The present review suggested that N2O might be effective for pain management in patients undergoing puncture biopsy.

Analgesic efficacy of nitrous oxide in adults in the emergency department: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Nitrous oxide (N2O) has a rapidly analgesic effect, but evidence regarding its role in managing pain in adults in the emergency department (ED) is conflicting. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to investigate the analgesic efficacy and safety of N2O in adults in ED. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of science, China National Knowledge Infrastrusture (CNKI) and Wanfang Database up to August 10th, 2021. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included if they compared N2O/O2 to placebo or other analgesic methods for management of pain in adults in ED or prehospital. The primary outcome was the analgesic efficacy of N2O. Secondary outcomes included adverse events, satisfaction of patients and the duration of procedure. RESULTS: 14 RCTs with 1751 patients were included. Pooled analysis suggested that N2O had better analgesia than placebo in the pain score (WMD = -3.00, 95% CI = -3.99 to -2.02, P < 0.00001, I2 = 91%) and the number of patients with pain relief (OR = 6.18, 95% CI = 3.22 to 11.85, P < 0.00001, I2 = 0%), while there were no significant difference in the pain score (WMD = 0.93, 95% CI = -1.09 to 2.95, P = 0.37, I2 = 97%) or the number of patients with pain relief (OR = 0.07, 95% CI = 0.00 to 3.47, P = 0.18, I2 = 86%) between the N2O group and the other analgesic method group. Although N2O did not increase nausea (OR = 1.52, 95% CI = 0.44 to 5.21, P = 0.50, I2 = 54%) or satisfaction of patients (OR = 1.06, 95% CI = 0.16 to 7.18, P = 0.96, I2 = 81%), it was associated with higher tendency of vomiting (OR = 6.50, 95% CI = 2.07 to 20.42, P = 0.001, I2 = 29%) and dizziness (OR = 4.54, 95% CI = 2.27 to 9.09, P < 0.0001, I2 = 26%), and shorter procedure time (WMD = -5.73 min, 95% CI = -10.14 min to -1.32 min, P = 0.01, I2 = 98%). CONCLUSIONS: The present meta-analysis suggested that N2O could provide better analgesia than placebo and similar analgesia to other methods with more vomiting and dizziness in adults in ED.

Local symptoms of Hashimoto's thyroiditis: A systematic review.

Objective: Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is the most common type of thyroid disease and can cause many different manifestations. The local symptoms of HT are an under-studied area of research. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the local symptoms of HT and their prevalence. Methods: A systematic review was performed to find articles in PubMed that discuss the local symptoms of HT. Relevant vocabulary terms and key terms included: autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD), hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, neck, throat, pharynx, airway, esophagus, breathe, swallow, globus, sleep apnea, symptoms, and quality of life. Two investigators independently screened the eligible studies. Results: A total of 54 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Of these, 25 were clinical studies, 24 were case reports, and five were reviews. These clinical studies and case reports included a total of 2660 HT patients. There were eight local symptoms related to HT: neck pain (0.02%~16%), voice changes (7%~30%), throat discomfort (20%~43.7%), shortness of breath (28%~50%), dysphagia (29%), goiter-related symptoms (69.44%), sleep apnea, and generally defined compressive symptoms. Due to the use of different outcome measures among all the studies, a meta-analysis of the data could not be performed. Conclusion: Goiter symptoms, which are an item on the ThyPRO scales, are the most frequent local symptoms in HT patients, and include neck pain, voice changes, throat discomfort, and dysphagia. These local symptoms should be identified in the clinic and included in the early diagnosis and management of HT, as well as evaluated further to understand their relevance in the pathogenesis of HT.

DRL-Assisted Resource Allocation for NOMA-MEC Offloading with Hybrid SIC.

Multi-access edge computing (MEC) and non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) are regarded as promising technologies to improve the computation capability and offloading efficiency of mobile devices in the sixth-generation (6G) mobile system. This paper mainly focused on the hybrid NOMA-MEC system, where multiple users were first grouped into pairs, and users in each pair offloaded their tasks simultaneously by NOMA, then a dedicated time duration was scheduled to the more delay-tolerant user for uploading the remaining data by orthogonal multiple access (OMA). For the conventional NOMA uplink transmission, successive interference cancellation (SIC) was applied to decode the superposed signals successively according to the channel state information (CSI) or the quality of service (QoS) requirement. In this work, we integrated the hybrid SIC scheme, which dynamically adapts the SIC decoding order among all NOMA groups. To solve the user grouping problem, a deep reinforcement learning (DRL)-based algorithm was proposed to obtain a close-to-optimal user grouping policy. Moreover, we optimally minimized the offloading energy consumption by obtaining the closed-form solution to the resource allocation problem. Simulation results showed that the proposed algorithm converged fast, and the NOMA-MEC scheme outperformed the existing orthogonal multiple access (OMA) scheme.

Shenqi Fuzheng Injection (SFI) Enhances IFN-α Inhibitory Effect on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells by Reducing VEGF Expression: Validation by Gene Silencing Technique.

Shenqi Fuzheng Injection (SFI) is a traditional Chinese medicine injection with anticancer properties and is mainly composed of ginseng and astragalus. Its efficacy has been confirmed in clinical trials, but the mechanism remains unclear. We investigated the effect of SFI on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and identified its possible mechanism of synergistic effects when combined with the chemotherapeutic drug interferon (IFN-) α. An MTT assay was used to measure the inhibition effects of low-dose IFN-α (6000 IU) with or without SFI (0.5 g/L) on the HCC cell line MHCC97. VEGF-silenced MHCC97L-mir200 cell lines were prepared using lentiviral vectors and evaluated by real-time PCR to determine the inhibition effect. We examined MHCC97L-mir200 and MHCC97L cells by MTT assay, using IFN-α alone or in combination with SFI. The inhibition ratio of IFN-α (6000 IU) was -29.5%, while that for IFN-α (6000 IU) + SFI (0.5 g/L) was 17.0%, which was significantly higher than that for the IFN-α group (P < 0.01). The VEGF gene was silenced successfully in MHCC97-L cells. After interference of VEGF, the inhibition by SFI and IFN-α in MHCC97L-mir200 did not differ from that in MHCC97-L cells (P > 0.05). SFI can reduce the expression of VEGF in HCC, which can increase the efficacy of IFN-α, providing a theoretical basis for clinical application.

Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access for Ubiquitous Wireless Sensor Networks.

Ubiquitous wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) have become a critical technology for enabling smart cities and other ubiquitous monitoring applications. Their deployment, however, can be seriously hampered by the spectrum available to the sheer number of sensors for communication. To support the communication needs of UWSNs without requiring more spectrum resources, the power-domain non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) technique originally proposed for 5th Generation (5G) cellular networks is investigated for UWSNs for the first time in this paper. However, unlike 5G networks that operate in the licensed spectrum, UWSNs mostly operate in unlicensed spectrum where sensors also experience cross-technology interferences from other devices sharing the same spectrum. In this paper, we model the interferences from various sources at the sensors using stochastic geometry framework. To evaluate the performance, we derive a theorem and present new closed form expression for the outage probability of the sensors in a downlink scenario under interference limited environment. In addition, diversity analysis for the ordered NOMA users is performed. Based on the derived outage probability, we evaluate the average link throughput and energy consumption efficiency of NOMA against conventional orthogonal multiple access (OMA) technique in UWSNs. Further, the required computational complexity for the NOMA users is presented.

Physical Layer Security Using Two-Path Successive Relaying.

Relaying is one of the useful techniques to enhance wireless physical-layer security. Existing literature shows that employing full-duplex relay instead of conventional half-duplex relay improves secrecy capacity and secrecy outage probability, but this is at the price of sophisticated implementation. As an alternative, two-path successive relaying has been proposed to emulate operation of full-duplex relay by scheduling a pair of half-duplex relays to assist the source transmission alternately. However, the performance of two-path successive relaying in secrecy communication remains unexplored. This paper proposes a secrecy two-path successive relaying protocol for a scenario with one source, one destination and two half-duplex relays. The relays operate alternately in a time division mode to forward messages continuously from source to destination in the presence of an eavesdropper. Analytical results reveal that the use of two half-duplex relays in the proposed scheme contributes towards a quadratically lower probability of interception compared to full-duplex relaying. Numerical simulations show that the proposed protocol achieves the ergodic achievable secrecy rate of full-duplex relaying while delivering the lowest probability of interception and secrecy outage probability compared to the existing half duplex relaying, full duplex relaying and full duplex jamming schemes.

[Effects of Shenqi Fuzheng injection on gene expression profile of liver tissue with metastatic carcinoma in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of Shenqi Fuzheng Injection (SFI) on gene expression profile of liver tissue with metastatic carcinoma in mice. METHODS: Twenty liver metastatic carcinoma model mice were established by splenectomy after their spleens were injected with 0.2 mL colon cancer C26 cell strain oncocyte liquid, then they were randomly divided into the model group and the SFI group. Starting from the 5th day after modeling, mice in the model group and the SFI group were given via intraperitoneal injection once every other day with physiological saline and SFI respectively. All the mice were sacrificed at the 15th day and the gene profile of metastatic liver carcinoma tissue in the two groups were screened by whole genome chip technique. RESULTS: (1) The model establishing successful rate reached 100%; (2) Gene expression showed that as compared with the model group, in the SFI group, 123 genes were up-regulated, with 52 of them registered to Ensemble, while only one gene was down-regulated and registered to Ensemble was none. CONCLUSION: SFI plays its role of anti-tumor mainly by upregulating several relative genes to promote apoptosis of tumor cells and stabilizing chromosomes.