Adult Age Estimation of CT Image Reconstruction of the Laryngeal Cartilages and Hyoid Bone Based on Data Mining.

ABSTRACT: Objective To explore the feasibility of the CT image reconstruction of laryngeal cartilage and hyoid bone in adult age estimation using data mining methods. Methods The neck thin slice CT scans of 413 individuals aged 18 to <80 years were collected and divided into test set and train set, randomly. According to grading methods such as TURK et al., all samples were graded comprehensively. The process of thyroid cartilage ossification was divided into 6 stages, the process of cricoid cartilage ossification was divided into 5 stages, and the synosteosis between the greater horn of hyoid and hyoid body was divided into 3 stages. Multiple linear regression model, support vector regression model, and Bayesian ridge regression model were developed for adult age estimation by scikit-learn 0.17 machine learning kit （Python language）. Leave-one-out cross-validation and the test set were used to further evaluate performance of the models. Results All indicators were moderately or poorly associated with age. The model with the highest accuracy in male age estimation was the support vector regression model, with a mean absolute error of 8.67 years, much higher than the other two models. The model with the highest accuracy in female adult age estimation was the support vector regression model, with a mean absolute error of 12.69 years, but its accuracy differences with the other two models had no statistical significance. Conclusion Data mining technology can improve the accuracy of adult age estimation, but the accuracy of adult age estimation based on laryngeal cartilage and hyoid bone is still not satisfactory, so it should be combined with other indicators in practice.

[Estimation of Early Postmortem Interval of Asphyxial Death Rats at Different Ambient Temperatures by GC-MS-Based Metabolomics].

ABSTRACT: Objective To establish the orthogonal partial least square （OPLS） model for the estimation of early postmortem interval （PMI） of asphyxial death rats in four ambient temperatures based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry （GC-MS） metabolomics. Methods The 96 rats were divided into four temperature groups （5 ℃, 15 ℃, 25 ℃ and 35 ℃）. Each temperature group was further divided into 3 h, 6 h, 12 h and 24 h after death, and 6 other rats were taken as the control group. The cardiac blood was collected at the set time points for the four temperature groups and 0 h after death for the control group for the metabolomics analysis by GC-MS. By OPLS analysis, the variable importance in projection （VIP）>1 and the result of Kruskal-Wallis test P<0.001 were used to screen out the differential metabolite related to PMIs in the cardiac blood of rats of different temperature groups. Then OPLS regression models of different temperature groups were established with these metabolites. At the same time, a prediction group for investigating the prediction ability of these models was set up. Results Through the analysis of OPLS, 18, 15, 24 and 30 differential metabolites （including organic acids, amino acids, sugars and lipids） were screened out from the rats in groups of 5 ℃, 15 ℃, 25 ℃ and 35 ℃, respectively. The prediction results of the four temperature group models showed that the prediction deviation of 5 ℃ model was larger than that of other groups. The prediction results of other temperature groups were satisfactory. Conclusion There are some differences in the changes of metabolites in cardiac blood of rats at different ambient temperatures. The influence of ambient temperature should be investigated in the study of PMI estimation by metabolomics, which may improve the accuracy of PMI estimation.

[Research Progress of Adult Age Determination with Imaging Methods].

ABSTRACT: Adult age determination plays an important role in individual identification, criminal investigation and social welfare. The most popular adult age determination indicators are pubic symphysis, iliac auricular surface, costal cartilage, cranial sutures, teeth, laryngeal cartilage, etc. In recent years, with the progress of CT imaging and 3D reconstruction technology, the adult age determination study gradually has transferred from a time-consuming general observation of bones with complex pre-processing in the past to the non-destructive, convenient, time-saving and easy to store image analysis technology. To explore more accurate, rapid and convenient adult age determination methods, multiple imaging methods and artificial intelligence have been applied in adult age determination. This paper reviews the common methods and research progress of adult age determination at home and abroad, infers the development direction of adult age determination, in order to provide reference for the improvement and optimization of forensic adult age determination.

Genome-scale meta-analysis of DNA methylation during progression of lung adenocarcinoma.

Identification of epigenetic alterations in tumors has become a common method for identifying genes critical to cancer development and progression. Thus, we identified DNA methylation alterations on the genome scale during lung adenocarcinoma (LADC) progression to understand the carcinogenic process and identify clinically relevant biomarkers. We found that epigenetic alterations in LADC mainly occur during the early stage of LADC progression, and there are no significant methylation differences between early-stage and late-stage LADCs. This suggests that DNA methylation alterations characterize a turning point of early events in LADC progression. By comparing DNA methylation between early-stage LADCs and normal lung tissues, we further identified 940 genes with significant alterations in DNA methylation. Sixty-seven genes were found to exhibit strong correlation between methylation alterations and expression changes, based on associated gene expression data. According to gene ontology analysis, these genes are involved in lung development, respiratory system development, cell cycle, histidine metabolism, the Wnt signaling pathway, and the p53 signaling pathway. We also found that genes on chromosome 18 most frequently showed promoter hypermethylation. Moreover, we found that LADC-associated DNA hypomethylation occurred preferentially at neither histone H3 lysine 4 nor histone H3 lysine 27 mark domains in human embryonic stem cells (NMDs) and that hypomethylation of NMDs was associated with a poor prognostic signature in LADC. Our findings have important implications for LADC progression because of the identification of novel epigenetic biomarkers potentially involved in early-stage LADC and for establishing the importance of NMD DNA hypomethylation for predicting prognosis in LADC.

Gene expression profiling of somatic and pluripotent cells reveals novel pathways involved in reprogramming.

We investigated gene expression in embryonic stem (ES) cells, induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, and fibroblasts. Microarray expression data sets obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus were analyzed using the Partek software. Human genes from ES cells, iPS cells, and fibroblasts were ranked from low to high according to their expression levels. The gene expression mode in iPS cells was much more like the mode in ES cells, and the expression levels of fibroblast genes fluctuated more dramatically than those of iPS and ES cells. The number of genes with significantly different expression was lower in the iPS and ES cells. Several genes with the expression levels that were significantly different between ES and iPS cells were found, including LEFTY2, DLK1, and NLRP2. Four genes belonged to the low expression category in fibroblasts with the high expression category occurring in ES cells, i.e., HESRG, PROM1, NTS, and LRRN1. Analyzing the expression of these genes is helpful to elucidate the mechanisms of cell fate regulation and efficiently obtain iPS cells.

[Fluid resuscitation strategy and efficacy evaluation in shock stage in severely burned children with different burn areas in different age groups].

Objective: To explore the fluid resuscitation strategy in shock stage in severely burned children with different burn areas in different age groups, and to evaluate the curative effect. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. From January 2015 to June 2020, 235 children with severe and above burns who met the inclusion criteria were hospitalized in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, including 150 males and 85 females, aged 3 months to 12 years. After admission, it was planned to rehydrate the children with electrolyte, colloid, and water according to the domestic rehydration formula for pediatric burn shock, and the rehydration volume and speed were adjusted according to the children's mental state, peripheral circulation, heart rate, blood pressure, and urine output, etc. The actual input volume and planned input volume of electrolyte, colloid, water, and total fluid of all the children were recorded during the 8 hours since fluid replacement and the first and second 24 hours after injury. According to urine output during the 8 hours since fluid replacement, all the children were divided into satisfactory urine output maintenance group (119 cases) with urine output ≥1 mL·kg-1·h-1 and unsatisfactory urine output maintenance group (116 cases) with urine output <1 mL·kg-1·h-1, and the electrolyte coefficient, colloid coefficient, and water coefficient of the children were calculated during the 8 hours since fluid replacement. According to the total burn area, children aged <3 years (155 cases) and 3-12 years (80 cases) were divided into 15%-25% total body surface area (TBSA) group and >25%TBSA group, respectively. The electrolyte coefficient, colloid coefficient, water coefficient, and urine output of the children were calculated or counted during the first and second 24 hours after injury, and the non-invasive monitoring indicators of body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and percutaneous arterial oxygen saturation and efficacy indicators of hematocrit, platelet count, hemoglobin, albumin, creatinine, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) of the children were recorded 48 hours after injury. The prognosis and outcome indicators of all the children during the treatment were counted, including complications, cure, improvement and discharge, automatic discharge, and death. Data were statistically analyzed with independent sample or paired sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test, and Fisher's exact probability test. Results: During the 8 hours since fluid replacement, the actual input volume of electrolyte of all the children was significantly more than the planned input volume, and the actual input volumes of colloid, water, and total fluid were significantly less than the planned input volumes (Z=13.094, 5.096, 13.256, 7.742, P<0.01). During the first and second 24 hours after injury, the actual input volumes of electrolyte of all the children were significantly more than the planned input volumes, and the actual input volumes of water and total fluid were significantly less than the planned input volumes (Z=13.288, -13.252, 3.867, 13.183, -13.191, 10.091, P<0.01), while the actual input volumes of colloid were close to the planned input volumes (P>0.05). During the 8 hours since fluid replacement, compared with those in unsatisfactory urine output maintenance group, there was no significant change in electrolyte coefficient or colloid coefficient of children in satisfactory urine output maintenance group (P>0.05), while the water coefficient was significantly increased (Z=2.574, P<0.05). Among children <3 years old, compared with those in >25%TBSA group, the electrolyte coefficient and water coefficient of children were significantly increased and the urine output of children was significantly decreased in 15%-25%TBSA group during the first and second 24 hours after injury (Z=-3.867, -6.993, -3.417, -5.396, -5.062, 1.503, P<0.05 or P<0.01), while the colloid coefficient did not change significantly (P>0.05); the levels of efficacy indicators of hematocrit, platelet count, and hemoglobin at 48 h after injury were significantly increased, while ALT level was significantly decreased (Z=-2.720, -3.099, -2.063, -2.481, P<0.05 or P<0.01); the levels of the rest of the efficacy indicators and non-invasive monitoring indicators at 48 h after injury did not change significantly (P>0.05). Among children aged 3-12 years, compared with those in >25%TBSA group, the electrolyte coefficient and water coefficient of children in 15%-25%TBSA group were significantly increased during the first and second 24 hours after injury, the colloid coefficient during the second 24 h was significantly decreased (Z=-2.042, -4.884, -2.297, -3.448, -2.480, P<0.05 or P<0.01), while the colloid coefficient during the first 24 hours after injury, urine output during the first and second 24 hours after injury, and the non-invasive monitoring indicators and efficacy indicators at 48 hours after injury did not change significantly (P>0.05). Complications occurred in 17 children during the treatment. Among the 235 children, 211 cases were cured, accounting for 89.79%, 5 cases were improved and discharged, accounting for 2.13%, 16 cases were discharged automatically, accounting for 6.81%, and 3 cases died, accounting for 1.28%. Conclusions: The electrolyte volume in early fluid resuscitation in severely burned children exceeding the volume calculated by the formula can obtain a good therapeutic effect. Among children <3 years old, the volume of fluid resuscitation should be appropriately increased in children with extremely severe burns compared with children with severe burns during fluid resuscitation; among children aged 3-12 years, the colloid volume should be appropriately increased in children with extremely severe burns compared with children with severe burns during fluid resuscitation; non-invasive monitoring indicators can be used to monitor hemodynamics and guide fluid resuscitation in severely burned children.

MicroRNA-149 inhibits the progression of lung adenocarcinoma through targeting RAP1B and inactivating Wnt/ß-catenin pathway.

OBJECTIVE: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators in the progression of lung adenocarcinoma (LAD). Moreover, microRNA-149 (miR-149) exhibits different roles in human cancers. Hence, this study mainly focused on the function of miR-149 in LAD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Western blot analysis and Real Time-quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) were used to quantify expression levels. The regulatory mechanism of miR-149/RAP1B was explored by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT), transwell, and Dual-Luciferase reporter assays. RESULTS: Downregulation of miR-149 was detected in LAD and predicted worse prognosis in patients with LAD. Functionally, overexpression of miR-149 inhibited cell viability and metastasis in LAD. In addition, miR-149 directly targets RAP1B and restrained its expression in LAD. Furthermore, upregulation of RAP1B attenuated the inhibitory effect of miR-149 on LAD. Besides that, miR-149 blocked epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and Wnt/ß-catenin pathway in LAD. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-149 inhibited the progression of LAD by restraining RAP1B/EMT and inactivating Wnt/ß-catenin pathway.

The determinations of nucleosome positioning.

OBJECTIVE: Nucleosomes are the basic packaging units of chromatin, determinants of nucleosome organization playing a major role in genome packaging. Although a wide variety of nucleosome organization factors have been considered separately across the whole or partial human genomic regions, it is unclarified that what the major determinants and their roles in scale are when being put all together. And it is also unknown that what the similarities and differences of determinants between different genomic features such as genes of different expression levels or genomic regions with different functions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We detected commonalities and characteristics of nucleosome positioning determinants in different genes and regions with 1591486 nucleosomes identified by ourselves in human CD4+ cell. RESULTS: It was found that a distinct linear combination of about 20 nucleosome-positioning factors explained nucleosome occupancy for each genomic feature. In those linear combinations, 6 DNA sequence attributes (Roll stiffness and Twist stiffness, CT and AG, CG and shift stiffness) and a histone modification (H4R3me2) are shared. And other factors are varied. Roll stiffness and Twist stiffness are the most important features. They are dominant, alone explaining 96.61-98.45% of the positioning weight in each genomic feature. The characteristic factors in each combination are larger in number, but weaker in power. Numerous histone modifications play a subtle role for nucleosome positioning. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides a more accurate positioning nucleosome-map with higher resolution and a dramatically simplified means to predict and understand intrinsic nucleosome occupancy in different genomic features in human CD4+ cell. Roll stiffness and Twist stiffness are the two most important determinants in all genomic features. They may dominate because they both determine the degree of DNA bending and correlates with many other DNA structural characteristics. Histone modifications play a role of subtle allocation for nucleosome occupancy.

[Changes in serum free amino acid level in patients with spleen deficiency syndrome].

Eighteen kinds of serum free amino acid (SFAA) were measured in 32 patients with Spleen-Deficiency (SD) Syndrome. Several obvious changes were noticed as compared with 20 healthy adults: (1) The levels of total FAA, essential amino acids and free branched-chain amino acids of SD group were significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.01); (2) Total FAA, essential amino acids and branched-chain amino acids were all positively correlated to D-xylose absorptivity, serum protein and immune function. The above results suggested that the decrease of various SFAA level might be related to malabsorption in patients with SD. It is possible that the decrease of serum protein and immune function was due to the lowering of SFAA.

Application of biochar from sewage sludge to plant cultivation: Influence of pyrolysis temperature and biochar-to-soil ratio on yield and heavy metal accumulation.

Applying biochar products from sewage sludge (SS) pyrolysis as soil amendment for plant cultivation was investigated in this study with special attention paid to heavy metal accumulation in the plants when pyrolysis temperature and biochar-to-soil mass ratio (C:S) were changed. Biochar obtained at four different temperatures were adopted as soil amendment for Allium sativum L. garlic plant cultivation. Experimental results revealed that biochars were rich in nutrient contents and they improved garlic yields. Although contents of heavy metals including As, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cd, Cr and Cu, etc. were elevated in the biochars compared to local soil, they fell within the acceptable limits for land application and SS is a suitable biochar resource, especially biochar produced at 450°C had rich micropores, relatively stable functional groups in structure and rugged surface to contact well with soil, conducive to its usage as a biochar. The garlic grew faster when planted in the biochar-amended soil and had higher final dry matter yields than those planted in the reference soil, especially biochar produced at 450°C corresponding to the highest final yields. The C:S ratio related to the highest garlic yields changed when the pyrolysis temperature was changed and this ratio was 1:4 for the biochar produced at 450°C. General heavy metal accumulation in the garlic occurred only for the most enriched Zn and Cu, and mainly in the roots & bulbs; in addition this bioaccumulation was increasing as leaching from biochar increased but not increasing with C:S ratio. The garlic planted in soil amended with biochar of 450°C contained the lowest level of heavy metals compared to other biochars. Those results indicated that heavy metal accumulation in plants can be inhibited through proper pyrolysis temperature choice and prevention of heavy metal leaching from the SS biochar.