Electrochemical immunosensor based on PtNPs/MoS2@rGO composite for the detection of alpha-fetoprotein in human serum.

An electrochemical biosensor was created to identify the liver cancer marker alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) by employing nanocomposite materials. A combination of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) was selected as the substrate material for the sensor to prepare the PtNPs/MoS2@rGO electrochemical immunosensor. Among them, rGO has strong conductivity and MoS2 provides a large surface area for the anchoring of PtNPs for better attachment to the hybridized nanomaterials. Meanwhile, PtNPs exhibit consistent biocompatibility and excellent electrocatalytic activity. PtNPs also attach to hybrid nanomaterials and bind the antibody via the Pt-S bond, thereby furnishing the antibody with multiple binding sites for enhanced antibody adhesion. The immunosensor achieved ultra-sensitive AFP detection by exploiting the specific antigen-antibody binding. The structure and morphology of the PtNPs/MoS2@rGO composites were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDS) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy, and the sensor was electrochemically characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Under optimized conditions, using differential pulse voltammetry the biosensor detected AFP in serum within a linear range of 1 ~ 105 pg/mL, with a correlation coefficient (r2) of 0.9989, and a detection limit of 0.12 pg/mL (S/N = 3). The method offers a new approach for the ultrasensitive detection of serum AFP and is extremely selective, accurate, and precise with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of less than 6%. It has been successfully applied to the analysis of real human blood samples.

Evaluation of staged autologous blood transfusion during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation decannulation: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Clinical blood resources are scarce and autologous blood transfusion for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) withdrawal is less studied. OBJECTIVES: To assess the use of staged autotransfusion during ECMO decannulation. METHODS: The study included ECMO withdrawal patients. Patients in the autologous transfusion group underwent staged transfusion during ECMO withdrawal, while those in the control group received 2.0 units of allogeneic packed red blood cells (RBCs) to increase hemoglobin (Hb). Parameters such as Hb, hematocrit (Hct), adverse events, decannulation success rate, volume of allogeneic RBC transfusions, and transfusion costs were compared. RESULTS: A total of 82 Chinese patients were enrolled, with a mean age of 46 years, 27 were female, and the top three primary diagnoses were cardiac arrest, acute myocarditis, and severe pneumonia. There were 41 individuals in the autologous blood transfusion group and 41 in the control group. No significant differences were observed in Hb, Hct, adverse events, and the success rate for decannulation between the two groups (all P > 0.05). Compared with the control group, the volume of allogeneic RBC transfusions [0 (0∼1.50) U vs. 3.5 (1.88∼40) U, P < 0.001] and the total cost [130 (130∼390) Chinese Yuan (CNY) vs. 910 (487.50, 1040) CNY, P = 0.002] were lower in the autologous transfusion group. CONCLUSION: In comparison with allogeneic RBC transfusion, staged autotransfusion during ECMO decannulation not only effectively maintained Hb levels but also reduced the requirement for allogeneic RBC transfusions. In addition, this approach decreased the associated costs and did not increase the risk of clinical adverse events.

Optimizing the connection of CRRT and ECMO lines with additional pressure regulator on the therapeutic effect, filter life, and incidence of complications.

BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is used for severe cardiopulmonary failure, with veno-arterial ECMO for cardiogenic shock and veno-venous ECMO for acute respiratory failure. ECMO's application has expanded to ICUs, emergency departments, and operating rooms. ECMO patients are at high risk for complications, including acute kidney injury (AKI), often requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT), posing significant management challenges. METHODS: From August 2015 to June 2022, 120 patients were cured with veno-venous ECMO (n = 60) or veno-arterial ECMO (VA-ECMO, n = 60) combined with CRRT in our hospital. In the control group (n = 60), the input end (arterial end) of CRRT was connected to the ECMO oxygenator. The reinfusion end (venous end) of CRRT was connected to the oxygenator of ECMO for CRRT + ECMO treatment. In the experimental group (n = 60), the input end (arterial end) of CRRT was connected to the oxygenator of ECMO, and an additional pressure regulating device was installed on the connection of the 2 lines. The observation indexes including clinical therapeutic effect, clinical therapeutic effect, the incidence of complications, and the incidence of complications were compared. RESULTS: There was a notable decrease in serum creatinine, and the differences in blood urea nitrogen, procalcitonin, and C-reactive protein after operation were statistically significant (P < .05). The filter use time in the study group was notably longer (P < .01). There exhibited no remarkable difference in the incidences of bleeding, thrombosis, numbness of hands and feet, metabolic alkalosis, disseminated intravascular coagulation, organ dysfunction syndrome, hyperbilirubinemia, and infection. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that additional pressure regulation devices are installed at the line connection between the CRRT input end and the CRRT return end to ensure that the flow rate of ECMO does not affect the CRRT treatment. ECMO and CRRT provide a safe pressure range so that the ECMO line can be safely connected to the CRRT machine at physiological pressure, reducing the occurrence of complications related to CRRT machine interruption and improving the efficiency of CRRT without affecting the efficiency of ECMO, ensuring patient safety.

Repurposing of halogenated organic pollutants via alkyl bromide-catalysed transfer chlorination.

Halogenated organic pollutants (HOPs) are causing a significant environmental and human health crisis due to their high levels of toxicity, persistence and bioaccumulation. Urgent action is required to develop effective approaches for the reduction and reuse of HOPs. Whereas current strategies focus primarily on the degradation of HOPs, repurposing them is an alternative approach, albeit a challenging task. Here we discover that alkyl bromide can act as a catalyst for the transfer of chlorine using alkyl chloride as the chlorine source. We demonstrate that this approach has a wide substrate scope, and we successfully apply it to reuse HOPs that include dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, hexabromocyclododecane, chlorinated paraffins, chloromethyl polystyrene and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). Moreover, we show that the synthesis of essential non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be achieved using PVC and hexabromocyclododecane, and we demonstrate that PVC waste can be used directly as a chlorinating agent. Overall, this methodology offers a promising strategy for repurposing HOPs.

Mediation role of perceived social support between recurrence risk perception and health behaviour among patients with stroke in China: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether patients who had a stroke with high recurrence risk perception would have healthier behaviour and to explore whether perceived social support would function as a mediator. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: The study was conducted in a public tertiary hospital in China. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 254 patients with stroke were invited to participate, and 250 patients with stroke completed questionnaires validly. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Questionnaires were administered offline to collect data, consisting of four parts: general demographics and scales related to recurrence risk perception, perceived social support, and health behaviour. A path analysis and correlation analysis were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Out of 250 patients with stroke, 78.4% had moderately low health behaviour. The majority (70.8%) of these patients were elderly. High recurrence risk perception and high perceived social support were significantly associated with better health behaviour (all p<0.001). Perceived social support mediated the relationship between recurrence risk perception and health behaviour after controlling for age, gender, education and monthly income in the regression model (95% CI 0.263 to 0.460) and the effect value was 0.360. It was also confirmed that perceived social support had the highest mediation effect with a proportion of mediation up to 59.31%. CONCLUSIONS: Recurrence risk perception and perceived social support were influential factors in promoting health behaviour. Moreover, the impact of recurrence risk perception on health behaviour was partially mediated by perceived social support. Therefore, to enhance the sustainability of health behaviour, it is crucial to inform patients with stroke about the risk of recurrence. Patients with more perception of recurrence risk can improve their recovery confidence and thus perceive more social support.

Increased serum visfatin level is associated with fat deposition of the lumbar spine in ankylosing spondylitis patients.

Objectives: To assess the serum visfatin levels in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), as well as its correlation with fat deposition of the lumbar spine. Methods: Serum visfatin levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 50 AS patients and 75 sex-and age-matched healthy controls. The clinical and laboratory indexes of AS patients were recorded, and the lumbar spine magnetic resonance scan was performed to evaluate the lumbar spine fat deposition in AS patients. The level of serum visfatin and its correlation with lumbar fat deposition were analyzed, and the risk factors of AS lumbar MRI fat deposition were evaluated by Logistic regression. Results: Serum visfatin levels in AS patients were elevated compared with that in healthy controls (p < 0.001), and were more significant in patients with fat deposition and syndesmophyte formation (p = 0.017 and p = 0.014, respectively). Serum visfatin levels were positively correlated with CRP, BASDAI, mSASSS and fat deposition (all p < 0.05). Age (OR = 1.085, 95% CI: 1.005-1.173, p = 0.038), disease duration (OR = 1.267, 95% CI: 1.017-1.578, p = 0.035), and visfatin (OR = 1.846, 95% CI: 1.004-3.393, p = 0.048) were risk factors for fat deposition in AS patients. Conclusions: The level of serum visfatin in AS patients is significantly increased, which is associated with fat deposition on lumbar MRI. Elevated visfatin level is an independent risk factor for AS lumbar fat deposition.

Association of indoor dampness indicators with rheumatic diseases/symptoms in older adults: A comparative cross-sectional study in Chongqing and Beijing.

Dampness is strongly associated with rheumatic diseases, which particularly affect the older adults. Tackling dampness is therefore important, especially given that climate change is expected to exacerbate rheumatic diseases; however, limited studies have compared the risk of rheumatic diseases in older adults based on humidity levels across different regions. To explore this, a comparative cross-sectional study was conducted to collect information on the residential characteristics, lifestyles, and health outcomes of 2000 individuals aged 60-74 years from Chongqing and Beijing. From this data, we tested for an association between six indoor dampness indicators and rheumatic related diseases/symptoms. The results showed that the risk values for joint pain were higher in Chongqing than in Beijing. Moreover, the risk of joint stiffness increased more strongly in Chongqing than in Beijing as the cumulative number of dampness exposure indicators increased. The key indoor dampness indicators affecting rheumatic diseases were different for Chongqing and Beijing. Overall, this study compared the risk of rheumatic diseases in older adults in the north and south of China because of dampness exposure and, from these, provided suggestions for modifying the indoor environments to prevent or reduce rheumatic symptoms.

Construction of Bridged Benzazepines via Photo-Induced Dearomatization.

Bridged benzazepine scaffolds, possessing unique structural and physicochemical activities, are widespread in various natural products and drugs. The construction of these skeletons often requires elaborate synthetic effort with low efficiency. Herein, we develop a simple and divergent approach for constructing various bridged benzazepines by a photocatalytic intermolecular dearomatization of naphthalene derivatives with readily available α-amino acids. The bridged motif is created via a cascade sequence involving photocatalytic 1,4-hydroaminoalkylation, alkene isomerization and cyclization. Interestingly, the diastereoselectivity can be regulated through different reaction modes in the cyclization step. Moreover, aminohydroxylation and its further bromination have also been demonstrated to access highly functionalized bridged benzazepines. Preliminary mechanistic studies have been performed to get insights into the mechanism. This method provides a divergent synthetic approach for construction of highly functionalized bridged benzazepines, which have been otherwise difficult to access.

Ventricular fibrillation/ventricular tachycardia within 72 h of VA-ECMO: incidence, outcomes, risk factors, and management.

AIMS: Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is an important technique for the treatment of refractory cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest; however, the early management of ventricular fibrillation/ventricular tachycardia (VF/VT), within 72 h of VA-ECMO, and its effects on patient prognosis remain unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively analysed patients at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University who underwent VA-ECMO between January 2017 and March 2022. The patients were divided into two groups, VF/VT and nVF/VT, based on whether or not VF/VT occurred within 72 h after the initiation of VA-ECMO. We utilized logistic regression analysis to evaluate the independent risk factors for VF/VT in patients undergoing VA-ECMO and to ascertain whether the onset of VF/VT affected 28 day survival rate, length of intensive care unit stay, and/or other clinical prognostic factors. Subgroup analysis was performed for the VF/VT group to determine whether defibrillation affected prognosis. In the present study, 126 patients were included, 65.87% of whom were males (83/126), with a mean age of 46.89 ± 16.23, a 28 day survival rate of 57.14% (72/126), an incidence rate of VF/VT within 72 h of VA-ECMO initiation of 27.78% (35/126), and 80% of whom (28/35) received extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The incidence of VF/VT resulting from cardiac arrest at an early stage was significantly higher than that of refractory cardiogenic shock (80% vs. 20%; P = 0.022). The restricted cubic spline model revealed a U-shaped relationship between VF/VT incidence and initial heart rate (iHR), and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that an iHR > 120 b.p.m. [odds ratio (OR) 6.117; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.672-22.376; P = 0.006] and hyperlactataemia (OR 1.125; 95% CI 1.016-1.246; P = 0.023) within 1 h of VA-ECMO initiation were independent risk factors for the occurrence of VF/VT. VF/VT was not found to be associated with the 28 day survival of patients undergoing VA-ECMO support, nor did it affect other secondary endpoints. Defibrillation did not alter the overall prognosis in patients with VF/VT during VA-ECMO. CONCLUSIONS: An iHR > 120 b.p.m. and hyperlactataemia were independent risk factors for the occurrence of VF/VT within 72 h of VA-ECMO initiation. The occurrence of VF/VT does not affect, nor does defibrillation in these patients improve the overall patient prognosis. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR1900026105.

The neuro-prognostic value of the ion shift index in cardiac arrest patients following extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

BACKGROUND: The ion shift index (ISI) as a prognostic indicator that can show the severity of hypoxic-ischemic injury. We aimed to evaluate the performance of the ISI in predicting unfavorable neurological outcomes at hospital discharge in cardiac arrest (CA) patients following extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) and to compare its performance to other prognostic predictors. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study including adult CA patients treated with ECPR between January 2018 and December 2022 in a tertiary hospital. Data regarding clinical characteristics and laboratory parameters were collected from medical records. The ISI was determined based on the first available serum electrolyte levels after ECPR. The primary outcome was unfavorable neurological status at hospital discharge, defined as Cerebral Performance Categories 3-5. Comparisons of the characteristics between the two groups were made using the χ2 test for categorical variables and the t-test or non-parametric Mann-Whitney U-test for continuous variables, as appropriate. Correlation analysis was performed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. A two-tailed P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Among the 122 patients involved, 46 (37.7%) had out-of-hospital CA, and 88 had unfavorable neurological outcomes. The ISI was significantly higher in the unfavorable outcome group than in the favorable outcome group (3.74 [3.15-4.57] vs. 2.69 [2.51-3.07], P<0.001). A higher ISI level was independently related to unfavorable outcome (odds ratio=6.529, 95% confidence interval 2.239-19.044, P=0.001). An ISI level >3.12 predicted unfavorable outcomes with a sensitivity and specificity of 74.6% and 85.2%, respectively (P<0.001). The prognostic performance of ISI (area under the curve [AUC]=0.887) was similar to that of other predictors, such as gray-to-white matter ratio (AUC=0.850, P=0.433) and neuron-specific enolase (AUC=0.925, P=0.394). CONCLUSION: ISI may be used as a prognostic biomarker to predict neurological outcomes in CA patients following ECPR.

Influence of Interface on Mechanical Behavior of Al-B4C/Al Laminated Composites under Quasi-Static and Impact Loading.

In this study, Al-B4C/Al laminated composites with high interlayer bonding strength were fabricated by integrated hot-pressed sintering accompanied with hot rolling. The mechanical properties and interface behavior of the Al-B4C/Al laminated composites were investigated under quasi-static and impact loading. The results show that the Al-B4C/Al laminated composites obtain a high interface bonding strength, because no interlayer delamination occurs even after fractures under quasi-static and impact loads. The Al-B4C/Al laminated composites exhibit a better comprehensive mechanical performance, and the fracture can be delayed due to the high bonding strength interface. Moreover, laminated composites can absorb more impact energy than the monolithic material under impact loading due to the stress transition and relaxation.

Photo-induced imino functionalizations of alkenes via intermolecular charge transfer.

A catalyst-free photosensitized strategy has been developed for regioselective imino functionalizations of alkenes via the formation of an EDA complex. This photo-induced protocol facilitates the construction of structurally diverse ß-imino sulfones and vinyl sulfones in moderate to high yields. Mechanistic studies reveal that the reaction is initiated with an intermolecular charge transfer between oximes and sulfinates, followed by fragmentation to generate a persistent iminyl radical and transient sulfonyl radical. This catalyst-free protocol also features excellent regioselectivity, broad functional group tolerance and mild reaction conditions. The late stage functionalization of natural product derived compounds and total synthesis of some bioactive molecules have been demonstrated to highlight the utility of this protocol. Meanwhile, the compatibility of different donors has proved the generality of this strategy.

A Novel Multi-Scale Ceramic-Based Array (SiCb+B4Cp)/7075Al as Promising Materials for Armor Structure.

Ceramic panel collapse will easily lead to the failure of traditional targets. One strategy to solve this problem is to use separate ceramic units as armor panels. Based on this idea, we propose an aluminum matrix composite using pressure infiltration, containing an array of ceramic balls, the reinforcement of which consists of centimeter-scale SiC balls and micron-scale B4C particles. Three different array layouts were designed and fabricated: compact balls in the front panel (F-C), non-compact balls in the front panel (F-NC), and compact balls inside the target (I-C). The penetration resistance properties were tested using a 12.7 mm armor-piercing incendiary (API). The results show that there are no significant internal defects, and the ceramic balls are well-bonded with the matrix composite. The F-NC structure behaves the best penetration resistance with minimal overall damage; the I-C structure has a large area of spalling and the most serious damage. Finite element simulation reveals that the ceramic balls play a major role in projectile erosion; in the non-compact structure, the composite materials between the ceramic balls can effectively disperse the stress, thereby avoiding the damage caused by direct contact between ceramic balls and improving the efficiency of ceramic ball erosion projectiles. Furthermore, it is essential to have a certain thickness of supporting materials to prevent spalling failure caused by stress wave transmission during penetration. This multi-scale composite exhibits excellent ballistic performance, providing valuable insights for developing anti-penetration composite armor in future applications.

VAMP726 from maize and Arabidopsis confers pollen resistance to heat and UV radiation by influencing lignin content of sporopollenin.

Sporopollenin in the pollen cell wall protects male gametophytes from stresses. Phenylpropanoid derivatives, including guaiacyl (G) lignin units, are known to be structural components of sporopollenin, but the exact composition of sporopollenin remains to be fully resolved. We analyzed the phenylpropanoid derivatives in sporopollenin from maize and Arabidopsis by thioacidolysis coupled with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The NMR and GC-MS results confirmed the presence of p-hydroxyphenyl (H), G, and syringyl (S) lignin units in sporopollenin from maize and Arabidopsis. Strikingly, H units account for the majority of lignin monomers in sporopollenin from these species. We next performed a genome-wide association study to explore the genetic basis of maize sporopollenin composition and identified a vesicle-associated membrane protein (ZmVAMP726) that is strongly associated with lignin monomer composition of maize sporopollenin. Genetic manipulation of VAMP726 affected not only lignin monomer composition in sporopollenin but also pollen resistance to heat and UV radiation in maize and Arabidopsis, indicating that VAMP726 is functionally conserved in monocot and dicot plants. Our work provides new insight into the lignin monomers that serve as structural components of sporopollenin and characterizes VAMP726, which affects sporopollenin composition and stress resistance in pollen.

Impact of short-term exposure to ambient air pollution on osteoarthritis: a multi-city time-series analysis in Central-Eastern China.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a threat to public health issue with high morbidity and disability worldwide. However, unequivocal evidence on the link between air pollution and OA remains little, especially in multi-study sites. This study aimed to explore the relationship between short-term exposure to main air pollutants and the risk of OA outpatient visits in multi-study sites. A multi-city time-series analysis was performed in Anhui Province, Central-Eastern China from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2020. We used a two-stage analysis to assess the association between air pollution and daily OA outpatient visits. City-specific associations were estimated with a distributed lag nonlinear model and then pooled by random-effects or fixed-effects meta-analysis. Stratified analysis was conducted by gender, age, and season. Additionally, the disease burden of OA attributable to air pollutant exposure was calculated. A total of 35,700 OA outpatients were included during the study period. The pooled exposure-response curves showed that PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations below the reference values could increase the risk of OA outpatient visits. Concretely, per 10 ug/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentration was linked to an elevated risk of OA outpatient visits at lag 2 and lag 3 days, where the effect reached its highest value on lag 2 day (RR: 1.023, 95%CI: 1.005-1.041). We observed that a 10 µg/m3 increase in PM10 was positively correlated with OA outpatient visits (lag2 day, RR: 1.011, 95%CI: 1.001-1.025). Nevertheless, no statistical significance was discovered in gaseous pollutants (including SO2, O3, and CO). Additionally, a significant difference was found between cold and warm seasons, but not between different genders or age groups. This study reveals that particulate matter is an important factor for the onset of OA in Anhui Province, China. However, there is no evidence of a relationship of gaseous pollutants with OA in this area.

Detection of CYFRA 21-1 in human serum by an electrochemical immunosensor based on UiO-66-NH2@CMWCNTs and CS@AuNPs.

In this study, an electrochemical immunosensor was constructed to detect the cytokeratin 19 fragment antigen 21-1 (CYFRA 21-1) in human serum. CYFRA 21-1 is the most sensitive tumor marker of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), its content in normal human serum should be less than 3.3 ng/mL. When lung cancer cells dissolve or die, a myriad of CYFRA 21-1 is released into a tumor patient's blood circulation, and its serum content elevates strikingly. Consequently, detecting CYFRA 21-1 by an electrochemical biosensor is expected to provide a new method for the early detection and prevention of lung cancer. In this study, a composite of UiO-66-NH2 and carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CMWCNTs) was used as the substrate material of a sensor; the resulting sensor had a large specific surface area and strong electrical conductivity. Moreover, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were used to bind to antibodies through an Au-S bonds. Also, a supersensitive detection of CYFRA 21-1 was achieved through the specific bindings of antigens and antibodies. Under optimal detection conditions, the change of current signal intensity of the immunosensor was proportional to the logarithm of CYFRA 21-1 concentration and had a linear relation in the range of 0.005-400 ng/mL, while the detection limit was 1.15 pg/mL (S/N = 3). The proposed immunosensor had high precision, stability, and selectivity. More importantly, the sensor was been successfully applied to detect CYFRA 21-1 in human serum with high recovery, providing a new method for early screening and dynamic monitoring of lung cancer.

Gender and age effects on dental and palatal arch dimensions among full siblings.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to investigate the dental and palatal arch dimensions of male and female siblings in relation to gender and age, using three-dimensional (3D) digital casts. METHODS: This study involved 54 subjects (27 pairs) of male-female siblings aged 15 to 45 years. Dental casts were digitized and analyzed for tooth size (TS), arch width (AW), arch length (AL), arch length discrepancy (ALD), and palatal arch dimensions (PAD). The data obtained were subjected to t-tests, and the palatal curvature (PC) was modeled using a fourth-order polynomial. RESULTS: Significant differences (P < 0.05) between the sexes were found in the mesiodistal TS, particularly in all canines, as well as 16, 36, 46, and 41. Maxillary AW and AL were also significantly (P < 0.05) influenced by sexes. Most arch parameters were more prominent in male siblings, and the effect of age on PC differed between the sexes. In addition, the PC of adolescent females was mostly superimposed on adult females relative to males. CONCLUSION: Among siblings, males were found to have significantly larger dental arch dimensions than females. Furthermore, PC showed some differences between the sexes in both the frontal and sagittal planes.

Automatic Tree Height Measurement Based on Three-Dimensional Reconstruction Using Smartphone.

Tree height is a crucial structural parameter in forest inventory as it provides a basis for evaluating stock volume and growth status. In recent years, close-range photogrammetry based on smartphone has attracted attention from researchers due to its low cost and non-destructive characteristics. However, such methods have specific requirements for camera angle and distance during shooting, and pre-shooting operations such as camera calibration and placement of calibration boards are necessary, which could be inconvenient to operate in complex natural environments. We propose a tree height measurement method based on three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction. Firstly, an absolute depth map was obtained by combining ARCore and MidasNet. Secondly, Attention-UNet was improved by adding depth maps as network input to obtain tree mask. Thirdly, the color image and depth map were fused to obtain the 3D point cloud of the scene. Then, the tree point cloud was extracted using the tree mask. Finally, the tree height was measured by extracting the axis-aligned bounding box of the tree point cloud. We built the method into an Android app, demonstrating its efficiency and automation. Our approach achieves an average relative error of 3.20% within a shooting distance range of 2-17 m, meeting the accuracy requirements of forest survey.

Establishment and Validation of a Nomogram Prediction Model for the Severe Acute Pancreatitis.

Background: Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) can progress to lung and kidney dysfunction, and blood clotting within 48 hours of its onset, and is associated with a high mortality rate. The aim of this study was to establish a reliable diagnostic prediction model for the early stage of severe pancreatitis. Methods: The clinical data of patients diagnosed with acute pancreatitis from October 2017 to June 2022 at the Shangluo Central Hospital were collected. The risk factors were screened by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis. A novel nomogram model was then established by multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results: The data of 436 patients with acute pancreatitis, 45 (10.3%) patients had progressed to SAP. Through univariate and LASSO regression analyses, the neutrophils (P <0.001), albumin (P < 0.001), blood glucose (P < 0.001), serum calcium (P < 0.001), serum creatinine (P < 0.001), blood urea nitrogen (P < 0.001) and procalcitonin (P = 0.005) were identified as independent predictive factors for SAP. The nomogram built on the basis of these factors predicted SAP with sensitivity of 0.733, specificity of 0.9, positive predictive value of 0.458 and negative predictive value of 0.967. Furthermore, the concordance index of the nomogram reached 0.889 (95% CI, 0.837-0.941), and the area under the curve (AUC) in receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was significantly higher than that of the APACHEII and ABISAP scoring systems. The established model was validated by plotting the clinical decision curve analysis (DCA) and clinical impact curve (CIC). Conclusion: We established a nomogram to predict the progression of early acute pancreatitis to SAP with high discrimination and accuracy.

Research Progress on the Pathogenesis of Knee Osteoarthritis.

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a chronic joint bone disease characterized by inflammatory destruction and hyperplasia of bone. Its main clinical symptoms are joint mobility difficulties and pain, severe cases can lead to limb paralysis, which poses major pressure to the quality of life and mental health of patients, but also brings serious economic burden to society. The occurrence and development of KOA is influenced by many factors, including systemic factors and local factors. The joint biomechanical changes caused by aging, trauma and obesity, abnormal bone metabolism caused by metabolic syndrome, the effects of cytokines and related enzymes, genetic and biochemical abnormalities caused by plasma adiponectin, etc. all directly or indirectly lead to the occurrence of KOA. However, there is little literature that systematically and comprehensively integrates macro- and microscopic KOA pathogenesis. Therefore, it is necessary to comprehensively and systematically summarize the pathogenesis of KOA in order to provide a better theoretical basis for clinical treatment.