A novel integrated Urban flood risk assessment approach coupling GeoDetector-Dematel and clustering method.

Urban flood risk assessment plays a crucial role in disaster prevention and mitigation. A scientifically accurate assessment and risk stratification method are of paramount importance for effective flood risk management. This study aims to propose a comprehensive urban flood risk assessment approach by coupling GeoDetector-Dematel and Clustering Method to enhance the accuracy of urban flood risk evaluation. Based on simulation results from hydraulic models and existing literature, the research established a set of urban flood risk assessment indicators comprising 10 metrics across two dimensions: hazard factors and vulnerability factors, among which vulnerability factors include exposure factors, sensitivity factors, and adaptability factors. Subsequently, the research introduced the GeoDetector-Dematel method to determine indicator weights, significantly enhancing the scientific rigor and precision of weight calculation. Finally, the research employed the K-means clustering method to risk zonation, providing a more scientifically rational depiction of the spatial distribution of urban flood risks. This novel comprehensive urban flood risk assessment method was applied in the Fangzhuang area of Beijing. The results demonstrated that this integrated approach effectively enhances the accuracy of urban flood risk assessment. In conclusion, this research offers a new methodology for urban flood risk assessment and contributes to decision-making in disaster prevention and control measures.

[Effect of TP53 Allelic State on Clinical Performance and Prognosis of Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical significance of TP53 allelic state in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). METHODS: The clinical data of 858 MDS patients who underwent second-generation sequencing (NGS) testing in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2019 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 52 years old, and median follow-up time was 23.8 (0.4-109.6) months. Four hundred and one patients (46.7%) had at least one chromosomal abnormality, including 106 complex karyotypes and 78 monosomal karyotypes. A total of 103 cases of TP53 mutations were identified, with a mutation rate of 12%. Compared with TP53 wild-type, various types of chromosomal abnormalities were significantly more common in patients with TP53 mutations (all P < 0.001). Patients with TP53 mutations had lower hemoglobin levels, lower platelet counts and higher percentage of bone marrow primitive cell compared with TP53 wild type (all P < 0.05), and significantly shorter overall survival (OS). Among 97 evaluable patients, 33 cases (34%) were mono-allelic TP53 mutation, while 64 cases were bi-allelic TP53 mutation. Patients in bi-allelic TP53 mutation subgroup had a higher proportion of chromosomal abnormalities and a lower number of co-mutations compared with mono-allelic TP53 mutation. The median OS was 33.6 months in patients with mono-allelic state and only 11.4 months in patients with bi-allelic state (HR=2.138, 95%CI : 1.053-4.343, P >0.05). Median OS was not reached in TP53 wild-type patients, and there was a significant difference in OS among TP53 wild-type, mono-allelic and bi-allelic TP53 mutation patients (P < 0.001). Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that bi-allelic TP53 was an independent predictor of poor outcomes (HR=2.808, 95%CI : 1.487-5.003, P =0.001), while mono-allelic TP53 mutation and wild-type TP53 were not. CONCLUSION: Patients with TP53 mutations have a poor prognosis, and bi-allelic TP53 mutations have a worse prognosis compared with mono-allelic TP53 mutations and independently affect the prognosis of MDS patients.

[Short-term clinical efficacy observation of lesion removal, bone graft fusion, and external brace treatment for late-stage wrist tuberculosis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of lesion removal, bone grafting, fusion, and external fixation in the treatment of late-stage wrist tuberculosis. METHODS: From October 2015 to May 2019, 25 patients with late-stage wrist tuberculosis were treated using lesion removal, bone grafting, fusion, and external fixation. Among these patients, there were 14 males and 11 females, aged from 40 to 74 years old, with an average age of (60.72±8.45) years old. The duration of the disease ranged from 5 to 24 months, with an average of (11.52±7.61) months. There were 11 cases of left wrist tuberculosis and 14 cases of right wrist tuberculosis, with 5 cases accompanied by sinus formation. Postoperative regular anti-tuberculosis treatment was continued. Visual analogue score (VAS), inflammatory indicators, Gartland-Werley wrist function score, and upper limb function score were observed before and after treatment. RESULTS: All 25 patients were followed up for ranging from 12 to 36 months with an average of (19.7±6.3) months. At the latest follow-up, all wounds were healed satisfactorily, and there was no recurrence of tuberculosis or infection. VAS at one week before operation and three months after operation were (5.16±1.14) score and (1.68±0.80) score respectively. One week before operation and three months after operation, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was (44.20±20.56) mm·h-1 and (14.44±1.14) mm·h-1, and C-reactive protein (CRP) was (12.37±7.95) mg·L-1 and (4.3±3.37) mg·L-1. The differences in all three data sets were statistically significant (P<0.01). According to Gartland-Werley wrist function scoring, the scores at one week before operation and one year after operation were (21.32±3.44) and (14.96±1.37) respectively, showed a statistically significant difference (P<0.01). According to the upper limb function score (disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand, DASH), the score was (70.52±7.95) at one week before operation and(28.84±2.30) at one year after operation. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.01). At the latest follow-up, no patient had a recurrence of tuberculosis. CONCLUSION: The short-term clinical efficacy of treating wrist tuberculosis with lesion removal, bone grafting, fusion, and external fixation is satisfactory.

Single-cell analysis revealing the metabolic landscape of prostate cancer.

Tumor metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer development, and targeting metabolic vulnerabilities has been proven to be an effective approach for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) treatment. Nevertheless, treatment failure inevitably occurs, largely due to cellular heterogeneity, which cannot be deciphered by traditional bulk sequencing techniques. By employing computational pipelines for single-cell RNA sequencing, we demonstrated that epithelial cells within the prostate are more metabolically active and plastic than stromal cells. Moreover, we identified that neuroendocrine (NE) cells tend to have high metabolic rates, which might explain the high demand for nutrients and energy exhibited by neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC), one of the most lethal variants of prostate cancer (PCa). Additionally, we demonstrated through computational and experimental approaches that variation in mitochondrial activity is the greatest contributor to metabolic heterogeneity among both tumor cells and nontumor cells. These results establish a detailed metabolic landscape of PCa, highlight a potential mechanism of disease progression, and emphasize the importance of future studies on tumor heterogeneity and the tumor microenvironment from a metabolic perspective.

A biomarker panel of C-reactive protein, procalcitonin and serum amyloid A is a predictor of sepsis in severe trauma patients.

Severe trauma could induce sepsis due to the loss of control of the infection, which may eventually lead to death. Accurate and timely diagnosis of sepsis with severe trauma remains challenging both for clinician and laboratory. Combinations of markers, as opposed to single ones, may improve diagnosis. We compared the diagnostic characteristics of routinely used biomarkers of sepsis alone and in combination, trying to define a biomarker panel to predict sepsis in severe patients. This prospective observational study included patients with severe trauma (Injury severity score, ISS = 16 or more) in the emergency intensive care unit (EICU) at a university hospital. Blood samples were collected and plasma levels of procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and serum amyloid A (SAA) were measured using commercial enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. A total of 100 patients were eligible for analysis. Of these, 52 were diagnosed with sepsis. CRP yielded the highest discriminative value followed by PCT. In multiple logistic regression, SAA, CRP, and PCT were found to be independent predictors of sepsis. Bioscore which was composed of SAA, CRP, and PCT was shown to be far superior to that of each individual biomarker taken individually. Therefore, compared with single markers, the biomarker panel of PCT, CRP, and SAA was more predictive of sepsis in severe polytrauma patients.

Isolation, purification, and structural characterization of polysaccharides from Codonopsis pilosula and its therapeutic effects on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in vitro and in vivo.

Codonopsis pilosula is a famous edible and medicinal plants, in which polysaccharides are recognized as one of the important active ingredients. A neutral polysaccharide (CPP-1) was purified from C. pilosula. The structure was characterized by HPSEC-MALLS-RID, UV, FT-IR, GC-MS, methylation analysis, and NMR. The results showed that CPP-1 was a homogeneous pure polysaccharide, mainly containing fructose and glucose, and a small amount of arabinose. Methylation analysis showed that CPP-1 composed of →1)-Fruf-(2→, Fruf-(1→ and Glcp-(1→ residues. Combined the NMR results the structure of CPP-1 was confirmed as α-D-Glcp-(1 â†’ [2)-ß-D-Fruf-(1 â†’ 2)-ß-D-Fruf-(1]26 â†’ 2)-ß-D-Fruf with the molecular weight of 4.890 × 103 Da. The model of AML12 hepatocyte fat damage was established in vitro. The results showed that CPP-1 could increase the activity of SOD and CAT antioxidant enzymes and reduce the content of MDA, thus protecting cells from oxidative damage. Subsequently, the liver protective effect of CPP-1 was studied in the mouse model of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) induced by the high-fat diet. The results showed that CPP-1 significantly reduced the body weight, liver index, and body fat index of NAFLD mice, and significantly improved liver function. Therefore, CPP-1 should be a potential candidate for the treatment of NAFLD.

Alcohol intake exacerbates experimental autoimmune prostatitis through gut microbiota driving cholesterol biosynthesis-mediated Th17 differentiation.

BACKGROUND: Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is very common worldwide, and alcohol consumption is a notable contributing factor. Researches have shown that gut microbiota can be influenced by alcohol consumption and is an important mediator in regulating Th17 cell immunity. However, it is still unclear the exact mechanism by which alcohol exacerbates the CP/CPPS and the role of gut microbiota in this process. METHOD: We first constructed the most-commonly used animal model for CP/CPPS, the experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP) model, through immunoassay. Based on this, mice were divided into EAP group and alcohol-consuming EAP group. By 16S rRNA sequencing and non-targeted metabolomics analysis, differential gut microbiota and their metabolites between the two groups were identified. Subsequently, metabolomics detection targeting cholesterols was carried out to identify the exact difference in cholesterol. Furthermore, multiple methods such as flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the differentiation status of Th17 cells and severity of prostatitis treated with 27-hydroxycholesterol (the differential cholesterol) and its upstream regulatory factor-sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 (SREBP2). Lastly, fecal transplantation was conducted to preliminary study on whether alcohol intake exacerbates EAP in immune receptor mice. RESULTS: Alcohol intake increased the proportion of Th17 cells and levels of related inflammatory factors. It also led to an altered gut bacterial richness and increased gut permeability. Further metabolomic analysis showed that there were significant differences in a variety of metabolites between EAP and alcohol-fed EAP mice. Metabolic pathway enrichment analysis showed that the pathways related to cholesterol synthesis and metabolism were significantly enriched, which was subsequently confirmed by detecting the expression of metabolic enzymes. By targeting cholesterol synthesis, 27-hydroxycholesterol was significantly increased in alcohol-fed EAP mice. Subsequent mechanistic research showed that supplementation with 27-hydroxycholesterol could aggravate EAP and promote Th17 cell differentiation both in vivo and in vitro, which is regulated by SREBP2. In addition, we observed that fecal transplantation from mice with alcohol intake aggravated EAP in immunized recipient mice fed a normal diet. CONCLUSION: Our study is the first to show that alcohol intake promotes Th17 cell differentiation and exacerbates EAP through microbiota-derived cholesterol biosynthesis.

Effects of crowding and sex on fecal cortisol levels of captive forest musk deer

BACKGROUND: Restricted space and close contact with conspecifics in captivity may be stressful for musk deer, as they are highly territorial and solitary in the wild. So we tested the effects of crowding on stress of forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii) in heterosexual groups, using fecal cortisol analysis as a non-invasive method. 32 healthy adults during non-breeding seasons were chose as our experimental objects. Group 1 was defined as higher crowding condition, with 10-15 m²/deer (6 enclosures, 10♀ and 6♂); group 2 was defined as lower crowding condition, with 23-33 m²/deer (6 enclosures, 1010♀ and 6♂). Every enclosure contained 1 male and 3 female. These patterns had been existed for years. RESULTS: The results showed that females in lower crowding condition (217.1 ± 9.5 ug/g) had significantly higher fecal cortisol levels than those in higher crowding condition (177.2 ± 12.1 ug/g). Interestingly, crowding seemed have no effect on male fecal cortisol levels (148.1 ± 9.1 ug/g and 140.5 ± 13.3 ug/g, respectively). At both groups, cortisol was significantly lower in males than in females. CONCLUSIONS: These results showed that chronic crowding may affect stress status of captive forest musk deer. The captive environment should consider the space need for musk deer.