A novel exosome-based multifunctional nanocomposite platform driven by photothermal-controlled release system for repair of skin injury.

Currently, exosomes showed appropriate potential in the repair of skin injury. However, the functions of the exosomes could be compromised rapidly due to their short half-life and high clearance rate in vivo. In addition, the controlled release of effective concentrations of exosomes could increase the utilization efficiency of exosomes in wound healing. Accordingly, the design of an effective system for the controlled delivery of exosomes during the wound treatment period was necessary. In this contribution, we designed a novel exosome-based multifunctional nanocomposite platform with photothermal-controlled release performance for the repair of skin injury. Based on the agarose hydrogel, two-dimensional Ti3C2 (Ti3C2 MXene) and human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (hucMSC)-derived exosomes, the as-prepared platform (i.e., hucMSC-derived exosome/Ti3C2 MXene hydrogel) was synthesized for the first time. Apart from possessing injectability, the hucMSC-derived exosome/Ti3C2 MXene hydrogel utilized the excellent photothermal effect of Ti3C2 MXene and proper phase transition performance of agarose hydrogel to provide a photothermal-controlled release system for the hucMSC-derived exosomes, which was beneficial for the personalized on-demand drug delivery. Importantly, the hucMSC-derived exosomes maintained their inherent structure and activity after being released from the Ti3C2 MXene hydrogel. Additionally, the as-prepared hydrogel with multifunctional performance also presented remarkable biocompatibility and photothermal-antibacterial property, and could efficiently accelerate wound healing by promoting cell proliferation, angiogenesis, collagen deposition, and reducing the level of inflammation at the wound site. The results suggested that the exosome-based multifunctional nanocomposite platform with great potential for wound healing would make significant advances in the revolution of traditional treatment methods in skin injury.

The PG-SGA outperforms the NRS 2002 for nutritional risk screening in cancer patients: a retrospective study from China.

Background and aims: As a chronic wasting disease, cancer can lead to metabolic and physiological changes in patients, resulting in severe malnutrition. Therefore, accurate assessment of nutritional status and adoption of scientifically sound nutritional interventions are of great importance for patients with cancer. This study aimed to assess the necessity of implementing the Nutrition Risk Screening 2002 (NRS 2002) tool in conjunction with the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) in patients with cancer. Methods: This retrospective study collected the clinical data of cancer patients from November 2011 to December 2018 in the Department of Oncology, Cancer Center, First Hospital of Jilin University. The NRS 2002 and the PG-SGA were used as screening tools for malnutrition. Clinical characteristics and laboratory results were detected. Anthropometric indices including hand-grip strength (HGS), visceral fat area (VFA), calf circumstance (CC), and appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI) were also collected. The diagnostic results from the NRS 2002 were compared to the malnutrition diagnosis using the PG-SGA. Results: Of the 2,645 patients included in this retrospective study, the nutritional risk was found in 1763 (66.6%) patients based on the PG-SGA, and in 240 (9.1%) patients based on the NRS 2002, respectively. Among the 240 patients evaluated by the NRS 2002 for risk of malnutrition, 230 were also assessed by the PG-SGA as malnourished. There were no significant differences observed in the clinical characteristics and laboratory parameters between the two groups. Conclusion: The PG-SGA is effective and had a higher positive rate in screening malnutrition for patients with cancer. The NRS 2002 is not necessary for patients who are to be assessed with the PG-SGA.

Magnesium Ingot Stacking Segmentation Algorithm for Industrial Robot Based on the Correction of Image Overexposure Area.

This paper proposes an adaptive threshold segmentation algorithm for the magnesium ingot stack based on image overexposure area correction (ATSIOAC), which solves the problem of mirror reflection on the surface of magnesium alloy ingots caused by external ambient light and auxiliary light sources. Firstly, considering the brightness and chromaticity information of the mapped image, we divide the exposure probability threshold into weak exposure and strong exposure regions. Secondly, the saturation difference between the magnesium ingot region and the background region is used to obtain a mask for the magnesium ingot region to eliminate interference from the image background. Then, the RGB average of adjacent pixels in the overexposed area is used as a reference to correct the colors of the strongly exposed and weakly exposed areas, respectively. Furthermore, in order to smoothly fuse the two corrected images, pixel weighted average (WA) is applied. Finally, the magnesium ingot sorting experimental device was constructed and the corrected top surface image of the ingot pile was segmented through ATSIOAC. The experimental results show that the overexposed area detection and correction algorithm proposed in this paper can effectively correct the color information in the overexposed area, and when segmenting ingot images, complete segmentation results of the top surface of the ingot pile can be obtained, effectively improving the accuracy of magnesium alloy ingot segmentation. The segmentation algorithm achieves a segmentation accuracy of 94.38%.

Abnormalities in electroencephalographic microstates among violent patients with schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is often associated with a remarkably increased risk of violence, which has become a public health concern and brought a great economic burden. Recent studies have reported changes in the electroencephalograms (EEG) of patients with schizophrenia. The evidence for an association between EEG and violence in patients with schizophrenia is not conclusive. This study aimed to investigate EEG microstates in violent patients with schizophrenia. Forty-three violent patients with schizophrenia (the VS group) and 51 non-violent patients with schizophrenia (the NVS group) were included, and their EEG microstates were recorded using 21-Channel EEG recordings. The two groups were compared for differences of four microstate classes (A-D) with regards to three microstate parameters (duration, occurrence, and coverage). Compared with the NVS group, the VS group exhibited increased duration, occurrence, and coverage of microstate class A and decreased occurrence of microstate class B. The VS group also had lower probabilities of transitions from "B to C" and from "C to B", as compared with the NVS group. In addition, the MOAS score was positively correlated with the duration, occurrence, and coverage of microstate A. The present study found an abnormal pattern of EEG microstates in violent patients with schizophrenia, which might help clinicians identify patients with schizophrenia who might engaged in violence as well as develop intervention strategies at an early stage.

Extracellular vesicles mediate antibody-resistant transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a global pandemic. Antibody resistance dampens neutralizing antibody therapy and threatens current global Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine campaigns. In addition to the emergence of resistant SARS-CoV-2 variants, little is known about how SARS-CoV-2 evades antibodies. Here, we report a novel mechanism of extracellular vesicle (EV)-mediated cell-to-cell transmission of SARS-CoV-2, which facilitates SARS-CoV-2 to escape from neutralizing antibodies. These EVs, initially observed in SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein-expressing cells, are secreted by various SARS-CoV-2-infected cells, including Vero E6, Calu-3, and HPAEpiC cells, undergoing infection-induced pyroptosis. Various SARS-CoV-2-infected cells produce similar EVs characterized by extra-large sizes (1.6-9.5 µm in diameter, average diameter > 4.2 µm) much larger than previously reported virus-generated vesicles. Transmission electron microscopy analysis and plaque assay reveal that these SARS-CoV-2-induced EVs contain large amounts of live virus particles. In particular, the vesicle-cloaked SARS-CoV-2 virus is resistant to neutralizing antibodies and able to reinfect naïve cells independent of the reported receptors and cofactors. Consistently, the constructed 3D images show that intact EVs could be taken up by recipient cells directly, supporting vesicle-mediated cell-to-cell transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism of receptor-independent SARS-CoV-2 infection via cell-to-cell transmission, provide new insights into antibody resistance of SARS-CoV-2 and suggest potential targets for future antiviral therapeutics.

Association of Physical Activity Intensity with All-Cause Mortality in Cancer Survivors: A National Prospective Cohort Study.

We designed this study to investigate the associations between physical activity (PA) and the risk of all-cause mortality in cancer survivors using a nationally representative cohort of US adults. This cohort study included 13 cycles of the National Health Interview Surveys, and by matching participants with the National Death Index (2015), survival status was determined. The main outcome was all-cause mortality during follow-up. A total of 20,088 participants aged 62.2 (15.9) years (62.4% women) were analyzed. After an average follow-up of 117.5 months, 7214 (35.9%) participants died. Compared with inactive cancer survivors, we observed a 25% lower all-cause mortality risk among participants performing PA 10 min to 1 h/week (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.67-0.85), a 28% lower risk among those performing PA 1-2.5 h/week (HR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.67-0.78), a 34% lower risk among those performing PA 2.5-5 h/week (HR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.60-0.72), a 37% lower risk among those performing PA 5-7.5 h/week (HR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.56-0.70), a 47% lower risk among those performing PA 7.5-13.3 h/week (HR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.47-0.61), and a 43% lower risk among those performing PA 13.3-24 h/week (adjusted HR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.49-0.66). In cancer survivors, leisure-time PA was associated with a lower all-cause mortality. Inactive cancer survivors should be encouraged to perform more PA to reduce the risk of all-cause mortality.

Self-Harm History, Anxiety-Depression, Severity of Disease, and Insight Are Significantly Associated With Suicide Risk in Forensic Psychiatric Inpatients of China.

Background: Forensic psychiatric patients have higher suicide risk than the general population. This study aimed to evaluate the extent of suicide risk and to explore the associated factors in forensic psychiatric inpatients in China. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study from 1st November, 2018 to 30th January, 2019 in the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital of Hunan Province, China. Patient's information on socio-demographic, clinical, and criminological characteristics was collected. The suicidality subscale of the MINI-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.), the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), and the Severity of Illness of Clinical Global Impressions Scale (CGI-SI) were used to measure present suicide risks, psychiatric symptoms, and the severity of the patient's disease, respectively. Binary logistic regression models were used to examine factors associated with suicide risk. Results: Twenty-one percent (84/408) of the forensic psychiatric inpatients reported suicide risk. Logistic regression analysis suggested that self-harm history (OR:3.47, 95% confidence interval CI: 1.45-8.33), symptoms of anxiety-depression (OR:1.15, 95% CI:1.04-1.27), and more severe mental disorder (OR:1.42, 95% CI:1.08-1.87) were associated with elevated suicide risk, while insight disorder (OR:0.81, 95% CI:0.65-0.99) was related to decreasing suicide risk. Conclusion: The study supplied useful clinical information to recognize high suicide risk in forensic psychiatric inpatients and may aid the development of valuable strategies for preventing and reducing suicide events.

Laparoscopic specimen extraction in vitro: preliminary experience.

BACKGROUND: The last procedure performed by the surgeon in laparoscopic surgery is to extract the specimen through the smallest incision possible. This experiment aimed to explore the maximum diameter of specimens that can be extracted through auxiliary incisions of different lengths and shapes by in vitro physical experiments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used the abdominal wall with the muscle layer, fixed on a square wooden frame, to simulate the human abdominal wall. Then, specimen extraction ports were made with circular, inverted Y-shaped and straight-line incisions of different sizes and lengths, and specimens of different sizes were made from tissues of different species. These specimens were extracted from different incisions with a force gauge. The tension value (N) was measured, and records were made of the length or diameter of the smallest auxiliary incision through which a given specimen could pass, as well as the largest specimen diameter that could pass through an incision of a given size. This experiment provides us with preliminary experience-based knowledge of how to choose the appropriate auxiliary incision for surgical specimen extraction according to the diameter of the specimen. RESULTS: The maximum diameters of specimens that could be extracted with circular ostomy diameters of 2.4, 2.7 and 3.3 cm were 4.0, 4.5 and 6.0 cm, respectively. Specimens with diameters of 6.0, 8.0 and 10.0 cm could be extracted through inverted Y-shaped incisions with a length around the umbilicus of 1 cm and an extension length of 1.0, 3.0, and 4.0 cm, respectively. Moreover, these same specimens could be extracted through inverted Y-shaped incisions with a length around the umbilicus of 2 cm and extension lengths of 0.0, 1.0 and 2.0 cm. Tough tissue specimens (made from chicken gizzards) with diameters of 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 and 6.0 cm, respectively, could be removed through straight-line incisions measuring 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 cm in length. CONCLUSION: Along with preoperative imaging, surgical planning and trocar position, the shape and length of auxiliary incisions can be used to improve the extraction of specimens via laparoscopic surgery.

18F-FDG PET/CT features of ureteral metastases from breast cancer: a case report.

Breast cancer metastasis to the ureter is rare. Fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET)/computed tomography (CT) is widely used to identify primary lesions of metastatic tumours, however, 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging features of ureteral metastasis from breast cancer are rarely reported. Herein, the case of a 46-year-old woman with recurrent left flank pain for 5 months, who was admitted to the Cancer Hospital of Guangxi Medical University and Guangxi Cancer Research Institute, is described. She had undergone right radical mastectomy 5 years previously and had received tamoxifen treatment for 5 years. Assessment by 18F-FDG PET/CT revealed tumours on the ureter presenting as a long segmental lesion, radioactive concentrations, and a low maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), with no radioactive concentrations in the urine and no significant change in the ureteral contour. The severity of the ureteral lesion was not consistent with the severity of hydronephrosis. A tumour biopsy was performed laparoscopically, and postoperative pathological examination confirmed a primary breast cancer tumour. The patient did not consent to treatment and was lost to follow-up.

Unilateral T-shaped incomplete duplex nephrectomy in an adolescent under laparoscopy: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Duplicate kidneys are the most common congenital abnormality of the urinary system. The location of duplicate kidneys varies. We report a case of an adolescent with upper and lower kidneys that are arranged vertically and approximately T-shaped. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 16-year-old male teenager was examined for pain in the left side of the waist. The Computed Tomography scan revealed that the left kidney was incompletely duplicated and fused; the left upper urinary tract was incompletely obstructed. DIAGNOSIS: The abdominal tomography confirmed the diagnosis of incomplete duplicate kidney. INTERVENTIONS: The patient underwent laparoscopic surgery. The failure to ligate the renal pedicle resulted in increased bleeding during the operation and an open ureteral stump. OUTCOMES: No urine leakage occurred after the operation. Doppler ultrasound of the urinary system showed no hydronephrosis, and the patient was asymptomatic. CONCLUSION: Through this case report, we found that the duplicate kidneys could be arranged in a T-shape under laparoscopy. Although only the supply of the duplicate renal arteries can be ligated during surgical resection, the renal pedicle must also be ligated during the operation if there is a lot of bleeding.

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the prostate with bladder invasion shortly after androgen deprivation: Two case reports.

BACKGROUND: To summarize the imaging, morphological and biological characteristics of sarcomatoid carcinoma (SC) of the prostate with bladder invasion not long after castration. CASE SUMMARY: Our two cases were initially diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the prostate due to dysuria. However, prostate SC was diagnosed after transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and castration after only 5 and 10 mo, respectively. Distinctive liver-like tissues appeared in the second TURP procedure in case 1, while a white, fish flesh-like, narrow pedicled soft globe protruded from the prostate to the bladder in case 2. CONCLUSION: The sarcomatoid component of SC may arise from one of the specific groups of cancer cells that are resistant to hormonal therapy. Morphological characteristics of SCs can present as "red hepatization" and "fish flesh". SCs grow rapidly and have a poor prognosis, and thus, extensive TURP plus radiation may be the treatment of choice.

Y772 phosphorylation of EphA2 is responsible for EphA2-dependent NPC nasopharyngeal carcinoma growth by Shp2/Erk-1/2 signaling pathway.

EphA2 is an important oncogenic protein and emerging drug target, but the oncogenic role and mechanism of ligand-independent phosphorylation of EphA2 at tyrosine 772 (pY772-EphA2) is unclear. In this study, we established nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell lines with stable expression of exogenous EphA2 and EphA2-Y772A (phosphorylation inactivation) using endogenous EphA2-knockdown cells, and observed that pY772A EphA2 was responsible for EphA2-promoting NPC cell proliferation and anchorage-independent and in vivo growth in mice. Mechanistically, EphA2-Y772A mediated EphA2-activating Shp2/Erk-1/2 signaling pathway in the NPC cells, and Gab1 (Grb2-associated binder 1) and Grb2 (growth factor receptor-bound protein 2) were involved in pY772-EphA2 activating this signaling pathway. Our results further showed that Shp2/Erk-1/2 signaling mediated pY772-EphA2-promoting NPC cell proliferation and anchorage-independent growth. Moreover, we observed that EphA2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor ALW-II-41-27 inhibited pY772-EphA2 and EphA2-Y772A decreased the inhibitory effect of ALW-II-41-27 on NPC cell proliferation. Collectively, our results demonstrate that pY772-EphA2 is responsible for EphA2-dependent NPC cell growth in vitro and in vivo by activating Shp2/Erk-1/2 signaling pathway, and is a pharmacologic target of ALW-II-41-27, suggesting that pY772-EphA2 can serve as a therapeutic target in NPC and perhaps in other cancers.

HDAC7 promotes the oncogenicity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by miR-4465-EphA2 signaling axis.

HDAC7 plays a crucial role in cancers, and is the main drug target of several HDAC inhibitors. However, the role and mechanism of HDAC7 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) are still unclear. In this study, we observed that HDAC7 was significantly upregulated in the NPC tissues relative to normal nasopharyngeal mucosa (NNM) tissues, HDAC7 expression levels were positively correlated with NPC progression and negatively correlated with patient prognosis, and HDAC7 knockdown dramatically inhibited the in vitro proliferation, migration, and invasion of NPC cells, and the growth of NPC xenografts in mice, indicating the HDAC7 promotes the oncogenicity of NPC. Mechanistically, HDAC7 promoted the in vitro proliferation, migration, and invasion of NPC cells by upregulating EphA2, in which miR-4465 mediated HDAC7-regulating EphA2, a direct target gene of miR-4465. We further showed that miR-4465 was significantly downregulated in the NPC tissues relative to NNM tissues, and inhibited the in vitro proliferation, migration, and invasion of NPC cells by targeting EphA2 expression. Moreover, we observed that the expressions of HDAC7, miR-4465, and EphA2 in NPC tissues were correlated. The results suggest that HDAC7 promotes the oncogenicity of NPC by downregulating miR-4465 and subsequently upregulating EphA2, highlighting HDAC7 as a potential therapeutic target for NPC.

Heterozygous p53-R280T Mutation Enhances the Oncogenicity of NPC Cells Through Activating PI3K-Akt Signaling Pathway.

A heterozygous point mutation of p53 gene at codon 280 from AGA to ACA (R280T) frequently occurs in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell lines, and about 10% NPC tissues. However, the role of this mutation in the pathogenesis of NPC remains unclear. In this study, we generated p53 knockout (KO) NPC cell lines from CNE2 cells carrying heterozygous p53 R280T (p53-R280T) mutation and C666-1 cells carrying wild-type p53 by CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system, and found that KO of heterozygous p53-R280T significantly decreased NPC cell proliferation and increased NPC cell apoptosis, whereas KO of wild-type p53 had opposite effects on NPC cell proliferation and apoptosis. Moreover, KO of heterozygous p53-R280T inhibited the anchorage-independent growth and in vivo tumorigenicity of NPC cells. mRNA sequencing of heterozygous p53-R280T KO and control CNE2 cells revealed that heterozygous p53-R280T mutation activated PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Moreover, blocking of PI3K-Akt signaling pathway abolished heterozygous p53-R280T mutation-promoting NPC cell proliferation and survival. Our data indicate that p53 with heterozygous R280T mutation functions as an oncogene, and promotes the oncogenicity of NPC cells by activating PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.

Molecular characterization and complement activating functional analysis of a new collectin(TfCol-11) from Trachidermus fasciatus.

The complement system is a crucial component of the innate immune system that links innate and adaptive immunity. CL-11, a protein similar to Mannose-binding lectin (MBL), plays significant role in the innate immune system in mammals and fish, serving as an initiator of the lectin pathway of complement activation. In this study, a CL-11 homolog (TfCol-11) was identified in roughskin sculpin (Trachidermus fasciatus), and its expression and role in immune responses were characterized. The open reading frame of TfCol-11 is 795 bp long, encoding a 264 amino acid polypeptide. The deduced amino acid sequence of this protein is highly homologous to sequences in other teleosts, and is similar to vertebrate CL-11, containing a canonical collagen-like region, a carbohydrate recognition domain, and a neck region. Recombinant TfCol-11 purified from Escherichia coli(E.coli) was able to bind to different microbes in a Ca2+-independent manner. Meanwhile, a 993 bp-long of partial MASP cDNA with a 96 bp 5' untranslated region (UTR) was also cloned from roughskin sculpin, containing 299 amino acids and consisting of three domains (CUB-EGF-CUB). qRT-PCR indicated that TfCol-11 and MASP mRNAs were predominately co-expressed in the liver. The temporal expression of TfCol-11 and MASP were both drastically up-regulated in the liver, skin, and blood by LPS challenge. Recombinant TfCol-11 purified from E.coli BL21(DE3) was able to agglutinate some bacteria in a Ca2+-dependent manner. In addition, an in vitro pull-down experiment demonstrated that TfCol-11 was able to bind to MASP, and in vivo experiments showed that TfCol-11 was associated with increased membrane attack complex (MAC) levels. It is therefore possible that TfCol-11 may plays a role in activating the complement system and in the defense against invading microorganisms in roughskin sculpin.

The experience of long-stay patients in a forensic psychiatric hospital in China: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Long stay in forensic psychiatric hospitals is common in patients who are defined as "not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder". However, little is known about how these patients experience and perceive the long stay within these settings. The aim of this study is to explore the perception and needs of long-stay patients in forensic psychiatric hospitals in China. METHODS: In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 participants who had lived in the forensic psychiatry hospital for more than 8 years. We used thematic analysis strategies to analyse the qualitative data. RESULTS: Participants' perceptions clustered seven themes: hopelessness, loneliness, worthlessness, low mood, sleep disturbances, lack of freedom, and lack of mental health intervention. CONCLUSIONS: The views and opinions expressed by long-stay patients showed that psychological distress is prevailing in forensic psychiatric hospitals. Adequate and effective care and mental health interventions are recommended to be tailored for their special needs.

Manic episode, aggressive behavior and poor insight are significantly associated with involuntary admission in patients with bipolar disorders.

OBJECTIVES: Serious mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorders and schizophrenia, are closely associated with involuntary admission. Many studies have focused on involuntary admission in people with schizophrenia, but little is known about the factors associated with involuntary admission in Chinese patients with bipolar disorders. This study aimed to investigate socio-demographic and clinical factors associated with involuntary admission in Chinese patients with bipolar disorders. METHODS: In this multi-center cross-sectional survey in China, a total of 155 newly admitted patients with bipolar disorders were consecutively recruited from 16 psychiatric institutions from 15 March to 14 April, 2013. Patients' socio-demographic and clinical data were collected from their medical records. The Modified Overt Aggression Scale and the Insight and Treatment Attitudes Questionnaire were used to measure patients' level of aggression and insight of current psychiatric illness. RESULTS: The prevalence of involuntary admission was 52% in this sample of Chinese inpatients with bipolar disorders. In multiple logistic regression, a high level of aggression (odds ratio (OR) = 2.48), diagnosis of manic episode (OR = 3.65), poor insight (OR = 7.52), and a low level of education (OR = 3.13) were significantly associated with involuntary admission. CONCLUSION: Manic episode, aggressive behavior, and poor insight were the significant contributing factors to involuntary admission in Chinese patients with bipolar disorders.

Mental Health Problems, History of Drug Use, and Violent Offending Are Associated With Increased Suicide Risk in Imprisoned Females.

Background: In western countries, imprisoned females are at high risk for suicide, but the risk in Chinese imprisoned females has not been well established. The aim of this study was to clarify the suicide risk and its correlates among imprisoned females in China. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, subjects were recruited from the Female Prison of Hunan province, China. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and criminological data. The Suicidality module of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) 5.0 and 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) were used to assess suicide risk and mental health problems, respectively. Ordinal logistic regressions were used to identify independent factors associated with increased suicide risk. Results: A total of 2,709 imprisoned females completed the survey questionnaire. Twenty percent were rated as presenting suicide risk. Mental health problems [odds ratio (OR) = 1.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.00-1.47], self-reported help-seeking for mental health problems (OR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.11-2.56), violent offending (OR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.37-2.09), history of drug use (OR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.15-1.84), family history of mental disorders (OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.10-2.23), marital status (OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.05-1.58), and low educational level (OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.11-1.67) were independently associated with increased suicide risk. Conclusion: One fifth of the imprisoned females are at risk for suicide. This study highlights the importance of assessing mental health status for suicide prevention among female prisoners.

Comparative Study of Back Propagation Artificial Neural Networks and Logistic Regression Model in Predicting Poor Prognosis after Acute Ischemic Stroke.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the predictive value of clinical variables on the poor prognosis at 90-day follow-up from acute stroke onset, and compare the diagnostic performance between back propagation artificial neural networks (BP ANNs) and Logistic regression (LR) models in predicting the prognosis. METHODS: We studied the association between clinical variables and the functional recovery of 435 acute ischemic stroke patients. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to modified Rankin Scale scores evaluated on the 90th day after stroke onset. Both BP ANNs and LR models were established for predicting the poor outcome and their diagnostic performance were compared by receiver operating curve. RESULTS: Age, free fatty acid, homocysteine and alkaline phosphatase were closely related with the poor outcome in acute ischemic stroke patients and finally enrolled in models. The accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of BP ANNs were 80.15%, 75.64% and 82.07% respectively. For the LR model, the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity was 70.61%, 88.46% and 63.04% respectively. The area under the ROC curve of the BP ANNs and LR model was 0.881and 0.809. CONCLUSIONS: Both BP ANNs and LR model were promising for the prediction of poor outcome by combining age, free fatty acid, homocysteine and alkaline phosphatase. However, BP ANNs model showed better performance than LR model in predicting the prognosis.

Gender differences among homicide offenders with schizophrenia in Hunan Province, China.

This study aimed to understand the demographic, clinical and criminological characteristics of Chinese homicide offenders with schizophrenia from a gender-based perspective. Information on all homicide offenders with schizophrenia who received forensic psychiatric assessment between 2010 and 2016 in Hunan Province, China, was systematically retrieved (n = 669). Gender differences in the above characteristics were analyzed, and independent correlates of homicide were explored. The male to female ratio of homicide offenders was about 4:1. Proportionally more males were single, unemployed and younger when committing their first crime than was apparent in females. Male perpetrators were more often influenced by delusions. Females were more likely to target their close family members. For males, living in rural areas and having a family history of mental disorder were positively associated with homicide, while having a criminal history and being unemployed were negatively associated. For females, younger age was positively, while being unmarried and unemployment were negatively associated with homicide. Our results indicate significant gender differences among Chinese homicide offenders with schizophrenia in demographic, clinical and criminological characteristics and in independent correlates of homicide. Further research in this field, especially aims at determining risk factors for crime in this population, should take the gender differences into account.