Multiple Human Population Movements and Cultural Dispersal Events Shaped the Landscape of Chinese Paternal Heritage.

Large-scale genomic projects and ancient DNA innovations have ushered in a new paradigm for exploring human evolutionary history. However, the genetic legacy of spatiotemporally diverse ancient Eurasians within Chinese paternal lineages remains unresolved. Here, we report an integrated Y-chromosome genomic database encompassing 15,563 individuals from both modern and ancient Eurasians, including 919 newly reported individuals, to investigate the Chinese paternal genomic diversity. The high-resolution, time-stamped phylogeny reveals multiple diversification events and extensive expansions in the early and middle Neolithic. We identify four major ancient population movements, each associated with technological innovations that have shaped the Chinese paternal landscape. First, the expansion of early East Asians and millet farmers from the Yellow River Basin predominantly carrying O2/D subclades significantly influenced the formation of the Sino-Tibetan people and facilitated the permanent settlement of the Tibetan Plateau. Second, the dispersal of rice farmers from the Yangtze River Valley carrying O1 and certain O2 sublineages reshapes the genetic makeup of southern Han Chinese, as well as the Tai-Kadai, Austronesian, Hmong-Mien, and Austroasiatic people. Third, the Neolithic Siberian Q/C paternal lineages originated and proliferated among hunter-gatherers on the Mongolian Plateau and the Amur River Basin, leaving a significant imprint on the gene pools of northern China. Fourth, the J/G/R paternal lineages derived from western Eurasia, which were initially spread by Yamnaya-related steppe pastoralists, maintain their presence primarily in northwestern China. Overall, our research provides comprehensive genetic evidence elucidating the significant impact of interactions with culturally distinct ancient Eurasians on the patterns of paternal diversity in modern Chinese populations.

Traces of Bronze Age globalization in East Asia: Insights from a revised phylogeography of the Y-chromosome haplogroup Q1a1a-M120.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aim to explore the genetic imprint of Bronze Age globalization in East Asia from a phylogeographic perspective by examining the Y-chromosome haplogroup Q1a1a-M120, and to identify key demographic processes involved in the formation of early China and the ancient Huaxia people. METHODS: Over the past few decades, we have collected the sequences of 347 Y chromosomes from the haplogroup Q1a1a-M120. These sequences were utilized to analyze and reconstruct a highly revised phylogenetic tree with age estimates. And we analyzed the geographical distribution and spatial autocorrelation of nine major sub-branches of Q1a1a-M120. Finally, we observed the expansion of Q1a1a-M120 from the beginning of the Bronze Age in East Asia, along with the continuous dissemination of its sub-lineages among East Asian populations. RESULTS: We suggest that certain sub-lineages played a significant role in the formation of states and early civilizations in China, as well as in the development of the ancient Huaxia people, who are the direct ancestors of the Han population. Overall, we propose that haplogroup Q-M120 played a role in the introduction of Bronze Age culture to the central region of East Asia. Therefore, it is haplogroup Q-M120, rather than the Western Eurasian paternal lineage, that expanded and contributed to the gene pool of the East Asian population. CONCLUSION: In summary, the globalization of the Bronze Age led to large-scale population replacement and admixture across various regions of Eurasia; our findings highlight the unique demographic processes that occurred in East Asia during this period.

Sub-millimeter resolution and high-precision φ-OFDR using a complex-domain denoising method.

Phase noise is one of the main obstacles to achieve high spatial resolution, high precision, and large measurement range in φ-OFDR. Here, we proposed a complex-domain denoising method to achieve unwrapping of phase signals. In this method, the wrapped phase was used to construct a complex signal, and then both real and imaginary parts are denoised by using a wavelet packet. The two sets of denoised signals are reconstructed into a complex form, allowing to obtain an unwrapped phase. Additionally, the spatial position correction algorithm addresses the phase decoherence from strain accumulation. Finally, a high numerical aperture optical fiber is used to enhance the Rayleigh scattering intensity by 15 dB. The comprehensive approach yields remarkable results: a sensing resolution of 0.89 mm, a root mean square error of 1.5 µÎµ, and a maximum strain sensing capability of 2050 µÎµ.

Examining the importance of neighborhood natural, and built environment factors in predicting older adults' mental well-being: An XGBoost-SHAP approach.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that urban neighborhood environmental factors significantly influence the health outcomes of urban older adults. However, most cross-sectional studies exploring the health effects of these factors have failed to quantify the relative importance of each factor. METHODS: We use XGBoost machine learning techniques and SHAPley Additive Interpretation (SHAP) to rank the importance of urban neighborhood environmental factors in shaping the mental health of urban older adults. To address self-selection bias in housing choice, we distinguish older adults living in private housing from those living in public as residents in private housing have more freedom to choose where to live. RESULTS: The results show that both natural and built environmental factors in urban neighborhoods are important predictors of mental well-being scores. Five natural environmental factors (blue space, perceived greenery quantity, NDVI, street view greenness, aesthetic quality) and three built environmental factors (physical activity facilities quality, physical activity facilities quantity, neighborhood disorder) had considerable predictive power for mental well-being scores in two groups. Among them, blue space, perceived greenery quantity and street view greenness quantity became less important after controlling for self-selection bias, possibly because of the unequal distribution of quantity and quality, and the performance of neighborhood disorder, aesthetic quality and physical activity facilities quality was more sensitive in public housing. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the nuanced and differential effects of neighborhood environmental exposures on mental well-being outcomes, depending on housing preferences. The results of this study can provide support for decision makers in urban planning, landscape design and environmental management in order to improve the mental well-being status of urban older adults.

Neutrophil membrane-derived nanoparticles protect traumatic brain injury via inhibiting calcium overload and scavenging ROS.

The secondary injury is more serious after traumatic brain injury (TBI) compared with primary injury. Release of excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Ca2+ influx at the damaged site trigger the secondary injury. Herein, a neutrophil-like cell membrane-functionalized nanoparticle was developed to prevent ROS-associated secondary injury. NCM@MP was composed of three parts: (1) Differentiated neutrophil-like cell membrane (NCM) was synthesized, with inflammation-responsive ability to achieve effective targeting and to increase the retention time of Mn3O4 and nimodipine (MP) in deep injury brain tissue via C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4, integrin beta 1 and macrophage antigen-1. (2) Nimodipine was used to inhibit Ca2+ influx, eliminating the ROS at source. (3) Mn3O4 further eradicated the existing ROS. In addition, NCM@MP also exhibited desirable properties for T1 enhanced imaging and low toxicity which may serve as promising multifunctional nanoplatforms for precise therapies. In our study, NCM@MP obviously alleviated oxidative stress response, reduced neuroinflammation, protected blood-brain barrier integrity, relieved brain edema, promoted the regeneration of neurons, and improved the cognition of TBI mice. This study provides a promising TBI management to relieve the secondary spread of damage.

The formation of proto-austronesians: insights from a revised phylogeography of the paternal founder lineage.

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies suggested that the Y-chromosome haplogroups O2-N6-B451-AM01756 and O1a-M119 are two founder lineages of proto-Austronesians at about five thousand years ago. The objective of this study was to investigate the formation of proto-Austronesians from the perspective of the paternal gene pool. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we developed a highly evised phylogenetic tree with age estimates for haplogroup O2-N6 and early branches of O1a-M119 (M110, F1036, and F819). In addition, we also explored the geographical distribution of eight sub-branches of O2-N6 and O1a-M119, and spatial autocorrelation analysis was conducted for each sub-branch. RESULTS: The paternal lineage combination of proto-Austronesians is a small subset of a diverse gene pool of populations from the mainland of East Asia. The distribution map and results of the spatial autocorrelation analysis suggested that the eastern coastal region of northern China is likely the source of lineage O2-N6 while the coastal region of southeastern China is likely the diffusion center of early branches of O1a-M119. We developed an evolutionary diagram for Austronesians and their ancestors in the past 18,000 years. DISCUSSION: We proposed that the millet farming community in North China is the common ancestor group of the Austronesians and the Han people, while the diverse ancient people in the southeast coastal areas of East Asia form the common ancestor group of the Austronesians and the East Asian mainland population. The demographic history of multiple ancestral groups of the most recent common ancestor group itself in the more ancient period is helpful to understand the deep roots of the genetic components and cultural traditions of Austronesians.

A Rivest-Shamir-Adleman-Based Robust and Effective Three-Factor User Authentication Protocol for Healthcare Use in Wireless Body Area Networks.

In healthcare, wireless body area networks (WBANs) can be used to constantly collect patient body data and assist in real-time medical services for patients from physicians. In such security- and privacy-critical systems, the user authentication mechanism can be fundamentally expected to prevent illegal access and privacy leakage occurrences issued by hacker intrusion. Currently, a significant quantity of new WBAN-oriented authentication protocols have been designed to verify user identity and ensure that body data are accessed only with a session key. However, those newly published protocols still unavoidably affect session key security and user privacy due to the lack of forward secrecy, mutual authentication, user anonymity, etc. To solve this problem, this paper designs a robust user authentication protocol. By checking the integrity of the message sent by the other party, the communication entity verifies the other party's identity validity. Compared with existing protocols, the presented protocol enhances security and privacy while maintaining the efficiency of computation.

Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry Based on Multilayer Perceptron.

We proposed an optical frequency domain reflectometry based on a multilayer perceptron. A classification multilayer perceptron was applied to train and grasp the fingerprint features of Rayleigh scattering spectrum in the optical fiber. The training set was constructed by moving the reference spectrum and adding the supplementary spectrum. Strain measurement was employed to verify the feasibility of the method. Compared with the traditional cross-correlation algorithm, the multilayer perceptron achieves a larger measurement range, better measurement accuracy, and is less time-consuming. To our knowledge, this is the first time that machine learning has been introduced into an optical frequency domain reflectometry system. Such thoughts and results would bring new knowledge and optimization to the optical frequency domain reflectometer system.

Cladding mode characteristics simulation of an excessively tilted fiber grating coated with gold nanoshells.

The cladding mode characteristics simulation of an excessively tilted fiber grating (ExTFG) coated with gold nanoshells was conducted in this study. First, the effective refractive indices of the core and cladding mode before coating were obtained by solving the eigenvalue equation of the three-layer waveguide structure, and the coupling characteristics were briefly analyzed. Then HE1,m and EH1,m modes were selected as the research objects, and the spectral characteristics of ExTFG coated with gold nanoshells were simulated by the finite element method. The simulated refractive index sensitivity of HE1,29 and EH1,29 modes is 160.16 and 185.03 nm/RIU, respectively. Compared with the non-localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect, it increased by 10.76 nm/RIU (7.2%) and 19.53 nm/RIU (11.8%), respectively. Thus, the LSPR effect was verified to be beneficial to improve the refractive index sensitivity of ExTFG.

Highly sensitive vibration sensor based on the dispersion turning point microfiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer.

In the present work, we introduced a highly sensitive vibration sensor, which is based on the dispersion turning point (DTP) microfiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The axial strain and vibration sensing characteristics of the microfiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer were investigated. First, we theoretically analyzed the spectrum evolution characteristics of the microfiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer caused by axial strain. Second, the microfiber with different diameters was fabricated using the electrode discharge and fused taper method, and the axial strain experiments were conducted; the maximum sensitivity of the DTP microfiber with a diameter of ∼2.2 µm reached -45.55 pm/µÉ› at ∼1550 nm. Finally, based on the axial strain principle of the microfiber, we designed a highly sensitive vibration sensor using a DTP microfiber integrated into a rectangular through-hole cantilever beam. The 30-3500 Hz vibration signal monitoring could be realized, the maximum signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was ∼75 dB at 52 Hz, and the acceleration sensitivity reached as high as 0.764 V/g at 45Hz. These results suggested the high performance of the microfiber in axial strain and micro-vibration sensing fields.

SHARPIN stabilizes ß-catenin through a linear ubiquitination-independent manner to support gastric tumorigenesis.

BACKGROUND: Aberrant activation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling by dysregulated post-translational protein modifications, especially ubiquitination is causally linked to cancer development and progression. Although Lys48-linked ubiquitination is known to regulate Wnt/ß-catenin signaling, it remains largely obscure how other types of ubiquitination, such as linear ubiquitination governs its signaling activity. METHODS: The expression and regulatory mechanism of linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex (LUBAC) on Wnt/ß-catenin signaling was examined by immunoprecipitation, western blot and immunohistochemical staining. The ubiquitination status of ß-catenin was detected by ubiquitination assay. The impacts of SHARPIN, a core component of LUBAC on malignant behaviors of gastric cancer cells were determined by various functional assays in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: Unlike a canonical role in promoting linear ubiquitination, SHARPIN specifically interacts with ß-catenin to maintain its protein stability. Mechanistically, SHARPIN competes with the E3 ubiquitin ligase ß-Trcp1 for ß-catenin binding, thereby decreasing ß-catenin ubiquitination levels to abolish its proteasomal degradation. Importantly, SHARPIN is required for invasiveness and malignant growth of gastric cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, a function that is largely dependent on its binding partner ß-catenin. In line with these findings, elevated expression of SHARPIN in gastric cancer tissues is associated with disease malignancy and correlates with ß-catenin expression levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal a novel molecular link connecting linear ubiquitination machinery and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling via SHARPIN-mediated stabilization of ß-catenin. Targeting the linear ubiquitination-independent function of SHARPIN could be exploited to inhibit the hyperactive ß-catenin signaling in a subset of human gastric cancers.

Optic-fiber vibration sensor based on a reflected 81° tilted fiber grating integrated with a symmetrical flexible hinge.

An optic-fiber vibration sensor based on the reflected 81° tilted fiber grating (81° TFG) integrated with a symmetrical flexible hinge is proposed and experimentally demonstrated in this paper. The vibration sensor is composed of a symmetrical flexible hinge and a reflected 81° TFG, the ends of which are simply fixed on the upper surface of the mass. The theoretical model of the proposed vibration sensor is analyzed, by which the important parameters related to the resonant frequency of the sensor are simulated and discussed; then, the vibration sensing experiments are conducted. Experiment results show that TE/TM mode of the 81° TFG can provide the maximal acceleration sensitivity of 338.28 and 299.94 mV/g at 400 Hz in the flat area of the amplitude-frequency response (50-400 Hz), which is increased by 9.95 and 11.5 times as compared with the optical fiber cantilever beam structure, respectively. Further, the signal-to-noise ratio in the flat area (50-400 Hz) is about ∼66.275dB under the acceleration of 2 g, which is increased by ∼20dB. Furthermore, it can be used for detecting mechanical vibration of medium-high frequency ranging from 50 to 3500 Hz. The proposed 81° TFG vibration sensor has the characteristics of small volume, simple package, high acceleration sensitivity, and wide vibration signal response range, which will ensure it has broad application prospects in the field of mechanical vibration.

Prediction of Multiple Organ Failure Complicated by Moderately Severe or Severe Acute Pancreatitis Based on Machine Learning: A Multicenter Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Multiple organ failure (MOF) may lead to an increased mortality rate of moderately severe (MSAP) or severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). This study is aimed to use machine learning to predict the risk of MOF in the course of disease. METHODS: Clinical and laboratory features with significant differences between patients with and without MOF were screened out by univariate analysis. Prediction models were developed for selected features through six machine learning methods. The models were internally validated with a five-fold cross-validation, and a series of optimal feature subsets were generated in corresponding models. A test set was used to evaluate the predictive performance of the six models. RESULTS: 305 (68%) of 455 patients with MSAP or SAP developed MOF. Eighteen features with significant differences between the group with MOF and without it in the training and validation set were used for modeling. Interleukin-6 levels, creatinine levels, and the kinetic time were the three most important features in the optimal feature subsets selected by K-fold cross-validation. The adaptive boosting algorithm (AdaBoost) showed the best predictive performance with the highest AUC value (0.826; 95% confidence interval: 0.740 to 0.888). The sensitivity of AdaBoost (80.49%) and specificity of logistic regression analysis (93.33%) were the best scores among the six models in the test set. CONCLUSIONS: A predictive model of MOF complicated by MSAP or SAP was successfully developed based on machine learning. The predictive performance was evaluated by a test set, for which AdaBoost showed a satisfactory predictive performance. The study is registered with the China Clinical Trial Registry (Identifier: ChiCTR1800016079).

River Valleys Shaped the Maternal Genetic Landscape of Han Chinese.

A general south-north genetic divergence has been observed among Han Chinese in previous studies. However, these studies, especially those on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), are based either on partial mtDNA sequences or on limited samples. Given that Han Chinese comprise the world's largest population and reside around the whole China, whether the north-south divergence can be observed after all regional populations are considered remains unknown. Moreover, factors involved in shaping the genetic landscape of Han Chinese need further investigation. In this study, we dissected the matrilineal landscape of Han Chinese by studying 4,004 mtDNA haplogroup-defining variants in 21,668 Han samples from virtually all provinces in China. Our results confirmed the genetic divergence between southern and northern Han populations. However, we found a significant genetic divergence among populations from the three main river systems, that is, the Yangtze, the Yellow, and the Zhujiang (Pearl) rivers, which largely attributed to the prevalent distribution of haplogroups D4, B4, and M7 in these river valleys. Further analyses based on 4,986 mitogenomes, including 218 newly generated sequences, indicated that this divergence was already established during the early Holocene and may have resulted from population expansion facilitated by ancient agricultures along these rivers. These results imply that the maternal gene pools of the contemporary Han populations have retained the genetic imprint of early Neolithic farmers from different river basins, or that river valleys represented relative migration barriers that facilitated genetic differentiation, thus highlighting the importance of the three ancient agricultures in shaping the genetic landscape of the Han Chinese.

Autophagy and Gastrointestinal Diseases.

Normal gastrointestinal physiology is fundamental for all the living beings. Gastrointestinal diseases mainly include gastrointestinal motility disorders, infectious inflammation (such as Helicobacter pylori infection, cholera, and intestinal parasites), non-infectious inflammation (such as chronic gastritis and Crohn's disease), and gastrointestinal cancers. In addition, intestinal microbial disorder is also an important cause of intestinal diseases, so intestinal microecological treatment (fecal microbiota transplantation) is an important mean of treating gastrointestinal diseases. In recent years, the role of autophagy in gastrointestinal diseases has been studied extensively. Autophagy is observed under various pathological processes of the gastrointestinal tract. For example, it has been demonstrated that autophagy plays an important role in maintaining the homeostasis and integrity of intestinal epithelium. Additionally, autophagy regulates host response to H. pylori infection and development of gastrointestinal cancers. Therefore, we will discuss pivotal roles of autophagy in various gastrointestinal diseases and analyze the underlying molecular mechanisms, which may provide new therapeutic targets applicable for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases.

MiR-155-Mediated Deregulation of GPER1 Plays an Important Role in the Gender Differences Related to Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

AIM: The incidence and clinical manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are thought to have gender differences, which suggests that the estrogen signaling pathway and intestinal flora may play key roles in the pathogenesis of IBD. In IBD, microRNA-155 (miR-155) is upregulated and regulates G protein coupled estrogen receptor (GPER1), which affects the intestinal flora. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of the estrogen receptors and miR-155 in the pathogenesis of IBD. METHODS: From July 2018 to July 2019, in the Department of Gastroenterology at Daping Hospital, Army Military Medical University, a total of 50 patients with IBD were included in this study, and 24 healthy examinees were randomly selected as the control group. Colonoscopies were performed, and clinical characteristics and blood samples were collected from all of the subjects. The serum cytokine levels in the patients with IBD and the health donors were detected by ELISA, and the estrogen receptor level measurements for all of the participants were assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). The miR-155 levels were detected by qPCR in all of the participants, and miR-155-/- mice were used to investigate the mechanism of miR-155 in the pathogenesis of IBD. RESULTS: The clinical characteristics and medications were different for the IBD patients when gender was considered. The male patients produced more proinflammatory cytokines, and while GPER1 expression was downregulated, miR-155 was upregulated in the patients with IBD. MiR-155 showed proinflammatory activity, while GPER1 showed an anti-inflammatory response during the pathogenesis of IBD. The miR-155-/- mice showed improvements in weight loss, survival, rectal bleeding, colon length, and histopathological changes compared with the wild-type mice. Furthermore, the male miR-155-/- mice showed increased inflammation compared to the female miR-155-/- mice in the above aspects. CONCLUSION: This study presents evidence indicating that miR-155 plays a key role in the pathogenesis of IBD for the different genders. MiR-155 was upregulated and showed proinflammatory activity, whereas GPER1 showed an anti-inflammatory response during the pathogenesis of IBD. The results demonstrated that more proinflammatory cytokines and reduced GPER1 levels were observed in the male IBD patients. Thus, miR-155 was involved in the regulation of GPER1 and induced gender differences in IBD patients. MiR-155 may be a potential marker for IBD-targeted therapy.

Inferring the history of surname Ye based on Y chromosome high-resolution genotyping and sequencing data.

Paternal inheritance of both Y chromosome and surnames makes it possible to trace the origin and migration histories of surnames based on high-resolution Y chromosome phylogeny. In this study, 292 male samples with surname Ye () in China were collected to unravel the history of this surname. Among these samples, O-F492 showed the highest frequency (26.71%). Analysis based on Y chromosome genotyping data of 52,798 males from virtually the whole China revealed a close correlation between O-F492 and surname Ye. High-throughput sequencing of 131 unrelated male individuals covering all sub-haplogroups in O-F492 was conducted to update the phylogeny of O-F492. Most of the Ye individuals (43/64, 67.19%) are embedded in three major branches, i.e., O-MF1461, O-MF15219, and O-FGC66159, deriving from the same node (O-FGC66168). These three clades restrictively distributed in different regions, likely attributed to independent differentiations. Coalescent ages of the three subclades are estimated ranging from 1,925 to 1,775 years ago, probably driven by the massive migration from north to south China after Yongjia riot in Jin Dynasty, consistent with the migration history of surname Ye. Our study thus shed important light on the history of the surname Ye from genetic perspective.

Development and validation of three machine-learning models for predicting multiple organ failure in moderately severe and severe acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: Multiple organ failure (MOF) is a serious complication of moderately severe (MASP) and severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). This study aimed to develop and assess three machine-learning models to predict MOF. METHODS: Patients with MSAP and SAP who were admitted from July 2014 to June 2017 were included. Firstly, parameters with significant differences between patients with MOF and without MOF were screened out by univariate analysis. Then, support vector machine (SVM), logistic regression analysis (LRA) and artificial neural networks (ANN) models were constructed based on these factors, and five-fold cross-validation was used to train each model. RESULTS: A total of 263 patients were enrolled. Univariate analysis screened out sixteen parameters referring to blood volume, inflammatory, coagulation and renal function to construct machine-learning models. The predictive efficiency of the optimal combinations of features by SVM, LRA, and ANN was almost equal (AUC = 0.840, 0.832, and 0.834, respectively), as well as the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (AUC = 0.814, P > 0.05). The common important predictive factors were HCT, K-time, IL-6 and creatinine in three models. CONCLUSIONS: Three machine-learning models can be efficient prognostic tools for predicting MOF in MSAP and SAP. ANN is recommended, which only needs four common parameters.

Semi-end-to-end esophagojejunostomy after laparoscopy-assisted total gastrectomy better reduces stricture and leakage than the conventional end-to-side procedure: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Laparoscopy-assisted total gastrectomy (LATG) has not gained popularity due to the technical difficulty of esophagojejunostomy (EJ) and the high incidence of EJ-related complications. Herein, we compared two types of EJ for Roux-en-Y reconstruction to determine whether semi-end-to-end (SETE) EJ is more convenient than the end-to-side (ETS) procedure and is capable of reducing stricture and leakage. METHODS: A total of 268 patients who underwent LATG with Roux-en-Y reconstruction were included in this study. Two types of EJ were applied for LATG: conventional ETS EJ and SETE EJ. The surgical outcomes and postoperative complications were compared. RESULTS: The mean reconstruction time in the SETE group was shorter than that in the ETS group (41.6 ± 8.0 min vs 51.3 ± 9.2 min, P = 0.000). The incidences of total EJ-related complications, EJ leakage, and EJ stricture in the SETE group and ETS group were 1.1% (1/92) and 10.2% (18/176), 1.1% (1/92) and 4.0% (7/176), and 0 and 6.2% (11/176), respectively. The incidence of total EJ-related complications in the SETE group was lower than that of the ETS group (P = 0.006), and the incidence of EJ stricture in the SETE group was lower than that of the ETS group (P = 0.034). CONCLUSIONS: SETE EJ is more convenient than the conventional ETS procedure and is associated with a shorter reconstruction time and a lower incidence of EJ stricture and leakage.

Cortical folding in post-traumatic stress disorder after motor vehicle accidents: Regional differences in gyrification.

AIM: Structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have revealed evidence of brain abnormalities in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients. Cortical complexity and local gyrification index (lGI) reflect potential biological processes associated with normal or abnormal cognitive functioning. In the current study, lGI was used to explore cortical folding in PTSD patients involved in motor vehicle accidents (MVA). METHODS: MRI brain scans were acquired from 18 PTSD patients who had suffered MVA at least 6 months previously and 18 healthy control subjects. All MRI images were obtained on a 3-T Siemens MRI machine and the cortical folding was analyzed using the workflow provided by software FreeSurfer. A general FreeSurfer's general linear model was used in the group analysis. In addition, correlation analysis was performed between the average of lGI extracted from the significantly different areas and the data for the clinical scale. RESULTS: The PTSD patients had significantly greater Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale scores than the control group. The patients showed significantly reduced lGI in the left lateral orbitofrontal cortex, consistent with findings of previous volumetric studies on PTSD. But there were no significant correlations in the left lateral orbitofrontal cortex between Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale scores and lGI. CONCLUSION: We suggest that abnormal gyrification in PTSD patients can be an important indicator of neurodevelopment deficits and may indeed be a biological marker for PTSD.