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BACKGROUND: Despite its known significance in plant abiotic stress responses, the role of the RAV gene family in the response of Capsicum annuum to chilling stress remains largely unexplored. RESULTS: In this study, we identified and characterized six members of the CaRAV gene subfamily in pepper plants through genome-wide analysis. Subsequently, the CaRAV subfamily was classified into four branches based on homology with Arabidopsis thaliana, each exhibiting relatively conserved domains within the branch. We discovered that light response elements accounted for the majority of CaRAVs, whereas low-temperature response elements were specific to the NGA gene subfamily. After pepper plants were subjected to chilling stress, qRTâPCR analysis revealed that CaRAV1, CaRAV2 and CaNGA1 were significantly induced in response to chilling stress, indicating that CaRAVs play a role in the response to chilling stress. Using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) vectors, we targeted key members of the CaRAV gene family. Under normal growth conditions, the MDA content and SOD enzyme activity of the silenced plants were slightly greater than those of the control plants, and the REC activity was significantly greater than that of the control plants. The levels of MDA and electrolyte leakage were greater in the silenced plants after they were exposed to chilling stress, and the POD and CAT enzyme activities were significantly lower than those in the control, which was particularly evident under repeated chilling stress. In addition, the relative expression of CaPOD and CaCAT was greater in V2 plants upon repeated chilling stress, especially CaCAT was significantly greater in V2 plants than in the other two silenced plants, with 3.29 and 1.10 increases within 12 and 24 h. These findings suggest that CaRAV1 and CaNGA1 positively regulate the response to chilling stress. CONCLUSIONS: Silencing of key members of the CaRAV gene family results in increased susceptibility to chilling damage and reduced antioxidant enzyme activity in plants, particularly under repeated chilling stress. This study provides valuable information for understanding the classification and putative functions of RAV transcription factors in pepper plants.
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Capsicum , Temperatura Baixa , Regulação da Expressão Gênica de Plantas , Família Multigênica , Proteínas de Plantas , Estresse Fisiológico , Capsicum/genética , Proteínas de Plantas/genética , Proteínas de Plantas/metabolismo , Estresse Fisiológico/genética , Filogenia , Resposta ao Choque Frio/genética , Inativação GênicaRESUMO
Objective: To study the association of H. pylori infection with colorectal adenomas. Methods: Web searches of PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases for randomized controlled trials, class-experimental studies, and cohort studies on the association between H. pylori and colorectal adenomas were performed from May 2000 to May 2023. Literature was screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, data were extracted and evaluated for quality, and statistical analyses were performed using RevMan 5.2 software. Results: A total of 15 studies were included, and meta-analysis showed a statistically significant difference between colorectal neoplastic polyp cases in the H. pylori-positive and H. pylori-negative groups [OR=1.80, 95%CI: (1.31, 2.47), P < .01, I2 = 95%]. Analysis based on subgroups of different H. pylori detection methods showed that the correlation between H. pylori infection and colorectal polyp incidence is not affected by their detection methods, with serological detection subgroup: [OR=0.13, 95%CI: (0.05, 0.21), P < .01, I2 = 88%], and non-serological detection subgroup: [OR=0.13, 95%CI: (0.04, 0.22), P < .01, I2 = 95%]. Subgroup analysis of pathological types showed that H. pylori infection is not significantly associated with the development of non-neoplastic polyps [OR=1.47, 95%CI: 0.98-2.22, P = .06], whereas it is correlated with the development of neoplastic polyps [95%CI: 1.69-3.22, P < .01]. In the subgroup analysis of geographic differences in the population, H. pylori infection was correlated with the development of colorectal polyps in different geographic populations (P < .01). Conclusion: H. pylori infection is a risk factor for colorectal polyp neoplasia, its infection is associated with colorectal neoplasia, and the correlation is not affected by the different methods of H. pylori detection and the different geographic regions of the population.
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Neoplasias Colorretais , Infecções por Helicobacter , Helicobacter pylori , Humanos , Infecções por Helicobacter/complicações , Infecções por Helicobacter/epidemiologia , Neoplasias Colorretais/microbiologia , Neoplasias Colorretais/epidemiologia , Helicobacter pylori/patogenicidade , Fatores de Risco , Adenoma/epidemiologia , Adenoma/microbiologiaRESUMO
Introduction: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease occurring worldwide. It is currently considered a multi-system disease, which is associated with several comorbidities. Aim: To deeply understand the clinical characteristics of psoriasis comorbidities and explore the relationship between psoriasis comorbidities, different subtypes and related influencing factors. Material and methods: This retrospective study analysed data from the electronic inpatient medical record system of dermatology and non-dermatology departments at a tertiary hospital in China. We collected relevant demographic data and clinical features of all patients diagnosed with psoriasis from January 2013 to September 2023. Results: This study ultimately included a total of 1097 patients with psoriasis. Psoriasis vulgaris was the most common among the subtypes of psoriasis, with 957 (87.2%) cases. The sample consisted of 65.6% of males and 34.4% of females, with an average age of 53.5 ±15.2 years. Common comorbidities of psoriasis included hypertension (38.2%), hyperlipidaemia (29.4%), type 2 diabetes mellitus (24.6%), fatty liver disease (21.4%), coronary heart disease (21.0%), tumours (15.5%), gastroduodenal disease (14.4%), osteoarthropathy (11.8%), and cerebrovascular disease (10.8%). The incidence of hypertension (p = 0.015), hyperuricemia (p < 0.001), osteoarthropathy (p < 0.001), and autoimmune disease (p = 0.003) among different subtypes of psoriasis showed statistically significant differences. In addition, gender, smoking and alcohol consumption all have significant impacts on the distribution of comorbidities. Conclusions: The distribution of psoriasis comorbidities and complications varies among different subtypes of psoriasis. Lifestyles such as smoking and alcohol abuse, as well as gender, are also associated with the occurrence of psoriasis comorbidities.
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We propose a distributed quasi-cyclic low-density parity-check (QC-LDPC) coded spatial modulation (D-QC-LDPCC-SM) scheme with source, relay and destination nodes. At the source and relay, two distinct QC-LDPC codes are used. The relay chooses partial source information bits for further encoding, and a distributed code corresponding to each selection is generated at the destination. To construct the best code, the optimal information bit selection algorithm by exhaustive search in the relay is proposed. However, the exhaustive-based search algorithm has large complexity for QC-LDPC codes with long block length. Then, we develop another low-complexity information bit selection algorithm by partial search. Moreover, the iterative decoding algorithm based on the three-layer Tanner graph is proposed at the destination to carry out joint decoding for the received signal. The recently developed polar-coded cooperative SM (PCC-SM) scheme does not adopt a better encoding method at the relay, which motivates us to compare it with the proposed D-QC-LDPCC-SM scheme. Simulations exhibit that the proposed exhaustive-based and partial-based search algorithms outperform the random selection approach by 1 and 1.2 dB, respectively. Because the proposed D-QC-LDPCC-SM system uses the optimized algorithm to select the information bits for further encoding, it outperforms the PCC-SM scheme by 3.1 dB.
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We present a well-known generalized Reed-Solomon (GRS) code incorporated with space-time block coded spatial modulation (STBC-SM) for wireless networks, which is capable of enjoying coded cooperation between the source and the relay. In the proposed distributed GRS-coded STBC-SM (DGRSC-STBC-SM) scheme, the source and relay nodes use distinct GRS codes. At the relay, we employ the concept of information selection to choose the message symbols from the source for further encoding. Thus, the codewords jointly constructed by the source and relay are generated at the destination. For achieving the best codeword set at the destination, we propose an optimal algorithm at the relay to select partial symbols from the source. To reduce the computational complexity, we propose a more practical algorithm with low complexity. Monte Carlo simulation results show that the proposed scheme using the low-complexity algorithm can achieve near-optimal error performance. Furthermore, our proposed scheme provides better error performance than its corresponding coded non-cooperative counterpart and the existing Reed-Solomon coded cooperative SM (RSCC-SM) scheme under identical conditions.
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BACKGROUND: Newcastle disease (ND) and avian influenza subtype H9N2 (H9N2 AI) are two of the most important diseases of poultry, causing severe economic losses in the global poultry industry. Vaccination is an effective way to prevent and control the spread of ND virus (NDV) and H9N2 AI virus (AIV), but the antigenic differences between the current circulating strains and the vaccine strains might account for recent ND and H9N2 AI outbreaks in vaccinated poultry flocks. METHODS: We developed an inactivated bivalent H9N2 and NDV vaccine based on the current prevalent strains of H9N2 AIV and NDV in China and evaluated its efficacy in chickens in this study. RESULTS: The results indicated that the inactivated bivalent vaccine could induce a fast antibody response in vaccinated chickens. The hemagglutination inhibition (HI) titer in the sera increased rapidly, and the highest HI titer was observed at 4 weeks post-vaccination (wpv) with a mean titre of 8.6 log2 for NDV and 9.5 log2 for H9N2. Up until 15 wpv, HI titers were still detectable at a high level of over 6 log2. The immunized chickens showed no signs of disease after challenge at 3 wpv with the prevalent strains of NDV and H9N2 AIV isolated in 2012-2014. Moreover, viral shedding was completely inhibited in vaccinated chickens after challenge with H9N2 AIV and inhibited by at least 90% with NDV compared to the controls at 5dpc. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the inactivated NDV and H9N2 vaccine induces a fast and strong antibody response in vaccinated chickens and is efficacious in poultry against NDVs and H9N2 AIVs.
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Vírus da Influenza A Subtipo H9N2/imunologia , Influenza Aviária/prevenção & controle , Doença de Newcastle/prevenção & controle , Vírus da Doença de Newcastle/imunologia , Vacinas Virais/administração & dosagem , Vacinas Virais/imunologia , Animais , Anticorpos Antivirais/sangue , Galinhas , China , Influenza Aviária/imunologia , Influenza Aviária/patologia , Doença de Newcastle/imunologia , Doença de Newcastle/patologia , Vacinas Combinadas/administração & dosagem , Vacinas Combinadas/imunologia , Vacinas de Produtos Inativados/administração & dosagem , Vacinas de Produtos Inativados/imunologia , Eliminação de Partículas ViraisRESUMO
Vertically aligned nanowires (NWs) of single crystal semiconductors have attracted a great deal of interest in the past few years. They have strong potential to be used in device structures with high density and with intriguing optoelectronic properties. However, fabricating such nanowire structures using organic semiconducting materials remains technically challenging. Here we report a simple procedure for the synthesis of crystalline 9,10-bis(phenylethynyl) anthracene (BPEA) NWs on a graphene surface utilizing a solution-phase van der Waals (vdW) epitaxial strategy. The wires are found to grow preferentially in a vertical direction on the surface of graphene. Structural characterization and first-principles ab initio simulations were performed to investigate the epitaxial growth and the molecular orientation of the BPEA molecules on graphene was studied, revealing the role of interactions at the graphene-BPEA interface in determining the molecular orientation. These free-standing NWs showed not only efficient optical waveguiding with low loss along the NW but also confinement of light between the two end facets of the NW forming a microcavity Fabry-Pérot resonator. From an analysis of the optical dispersion within such NW microcavities, we observed strong slowing of the waveguided light with a group velocity reduced to one-tenth the speed of light. Applications of the vertical single-crystalline organic NWs grown on graphene will benefit from a combination of the unique electronic properties and flexibility of graphene and the tunable optical and electronic properties of organic NWs. Therefore, these vertical organic NW arrays on graphene offer the potential for realizing future on-chip light sources.
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BACKGROUND: A cervical cystic mass is associated with a number of pathologies that present with similar symptoms. These conditions are difficult to differentiate using fine-needle aspiration (FNA), ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Another dilemma in the differential diagnosis of cervical cystic masses is due to the controversies associated with the existence of branchiogenic carcinoma (BC). BC is an extremely rare disease that must be differentiated from other conditions presenting with cervical cystic masses, especially cystic metastasis from occult primary lesions. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case report of a right cervical cystic metastasis from a significantly small squamous cell carcinoma primary gingival lesion misdiagnosed as BC by histopathology. A 62-year-old female presented with a painless progressively enlarging cervical mass at the anterior edge of the sternocleidomastoid muscle in the right submandibular region. Preoperative MRI and US revealed a well-defined cystic round mass. Postoperative histological examination indicated BC. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) revealed high 18F-FDG (18F 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose) uptake in surgical regions with a SUV (standard uptake value) max 4.0 and ipsilateral nasopharynx with a SUVmax 4.4, without any distant metastasis. Pathologic results revealed nasopharyngeal lymphadenosis. Considering the low incidence of BC and the limitation of diagnosis in one institution, the patient was referred to another hospital. Physical examination detected a significantly small neoplasm (~3 mm diameter) in the right lower gingiva. Histopathological examination of the neoplasm revealed a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Surgery, including a partial mandibulectomy and modified neck dissection (neck level I-V and submental lymph nodes) were undertaken. Postoperative histopathological results revealed a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of right lower gingiva and two metastatic lymph nodes in the 18 lymph nodes of level II. A month later, recurrence occurred in the right cervical level II. The patient was placed on postoperative concurrent chemo-radiotherapy and supportive care. The patient suffered from cachexia and survived for only six months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: In cases of cervical cystic masses that appear after the age of 40, clinicians should bear in mind that occult primary lesions should be excluded and examination of the gingiva should be undertaken. PET/CT has a limited role in identifying small occult primary lesions and a comprehensive physical examination must be carefully performed.
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Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/patologia , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/secundário , Neoplasias Gengivais/patologia , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/secundário , Branquioma/diagnóstico , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Erros de Diagnóstico , Feminino , Fluordesoxiglucose F18 , Humanos , Metástase Linfática , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/patologia , Tomografia por Emissão de Pósitrons combinada à Tomografia Computadorizada , Compostos RadiofarmacêuticosRESUMO
Multimethods of simulation and experiment have been performed to investigate the interaction between glycidyl azide polymer (GAP) matrix and insensitive energetic plasticizers N-butyl-N-(2-nitroxy-ethyl)nitramine (Bu-NENA) and bis(2,2-dinitropropyl)formal/acetal (BDNPF/A). To start with, the blending energy distribution and Huggins parameters have been calculated, indicating fine miscibility between the GAP matrix and both plasticizers. The solubility parameter and binding energies show better compatibility between Bu-NENA and the GAP matrix than BDNPF/A, owing to stronger interactions. The interaction mechanism includes both hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces. The low field NMR physical cross-link density and dynamic rheological behaviors imply larger disentanglement effect of Bu-NENA in the GAP matrix. The dynamic mechanical performance of elastomers show lower glass transition temperature of GAP/Bu-NENA blends, as supportive proof of stronger interactions between the GAP matrix and Bu-NENA in comparison with BDNPF/A.
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The red algae Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis is extensively cultivated at high densities, leading to significant increases in regional seawater pH due to its photosynthetic removal of inorganic carbon. We conducted a study on G. lemaneiformis cultured under various pH conditions (normal pH, pH 9.3, and pH 9.6) and light levels (dark and 100 µmol photons m-2 s-1) to investigate how high pH seawater environments affect the metabolic processes of G. lemaneiformis. The high pH did not directly damage the photosynthetic light reactions or the Calvin cycle. Instead, the observed reduction in photosynthetic rates was primarily due to CO2 limitation. However, under illuminated conditions, a high pH environment leads to a decrease in electron transport efficiency (ETo/RC) and reaction center density (RC/CSo), while simultaneously increasing the levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), and the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Under illuminated conditions, the limitation of inhibit the photosynthetic electron transport process, leading to energy imbalance and excessive production of reactive oxygen species, which in turn resulted in lipid peroxidation of the cell membrane. This might be one of the inducing factors responsible for the bleaching in sea-farmed G. lemaneiformis plants.
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OBJECTIVES: Due to the technical challenges associated with femoral reconstruction in total hip arthroplasty for patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), the exact indications for using femoral modular stems, despite their satisfactory clinical outcomes, remain poorly investigated. This study sought to assess the morphology of the femur and acetabulum, and to investigate the discriminative ability of femoral anteversion (FA), acetabular anteversion (AA), and combined anteversion (CA) on the selection of femoral modular stem in dysplastic hips. METHODS: Retrospective data were collected from multiple centers on a total of 230 cases who underwent THA due to DDH from January 1, 2020, to March 1, 2023. There were 46 males and 184 females, with an average age of 51.57 ± 14.87. Patients were stratified according to Crowe and Eftekhar classifications. FA, AA, and CA were measured using computed tomography (CT). The distribution of these indices in different grades of dysplastic hips was compared, and the correlation between these indices and the selection of femoral modular stem was analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and likelihood statistics were performed to investigate the discriminating and predictive value of each index in selecting modular stem. RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty hips were included in the study. FA increased as the subluxation percentage increased: type I, 21.5°; type II, 28.6°; type III, 34.9°; and type IV, 39.7°. AA was smaller in type I (16.9°) and higher in types II, III, and IV (18.9-22.6°). The area under the curve for the modular stem was 0.87 for FA, 0.86 for CA, and 0.65 for AA. The optimal cutoff values were FA > 32.6°, CA > 50.7°, and AA > 23.3°. CONCLUSION: Excessive AA and femoral anteversion FA were observed in Crowe types II, III, and IV cases. FA and CA demonstrated strong discriminative ability and predictive value in the selection of a modular stem. The best cutoff values were ≥32.6° for FA and ≥50.7° for CA in discriminating the use of modular stem. Surgeons may contemplate the use of a modular stem when the preoperative evaluation approaches the cutoff value.
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Recently, replacing chemical fertilizers with straw returning and new fertilizers has received considerable attention in the agricultural sector, as it is believed to increase rice yield and improve soil properties. However, less is known about rice growth and soil properties in paddy fields with the addition of different fertilizers. Thus, in this paper, we investigated the effects of different fertilizer treatments, including no fertilization (CK), optimized fertilization based on the medium yield recommended fertilizer amount (OF), 4.50 Mg ha-1 straw returning with chemical fertilizers (SF), 0.59 Mg ha-1 slow-release fertilizer with chemical fertilizers (SRF), and 0.60 Mg ha-1 water-soluble fertilizer with chemical fertilizers (WSF), on rice growth, yield, and soil properties through a field experiment. The results show that compared with the OF treatment, the new SF, SRF, and WSF treatments increased plant height, main root length, tiller number, leaf area index, chlorophyll content, and aboveground dry weight. The SF, SRF, and WSF treatments improved rice grain yield by 30.65-32.51% and 0.24-1.66% compared to the CK and OF treatments, respectively. The SRF treatment increased nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) uptake by 18.78% and 28.68%, the harvest indexes of N and P by 1.75% and 0.59%, and the partial productivity of N and P by 2.64% and 2.63%, respectively, compared with the OF treatment. However, fertilization did not significantly affect the average yield, harvest indexes of N and P, and partial productivity of N and P. The contents of TN, AN, SOM, TP, AP, and AK across all the treatments decreased significantly with increasing soil depth, while soil pH increased with soil depth. The SF treatment could more effectively increase soil pH and NH4+-N content compared to the SRF and WSF treatments, while the SRF treatment could greatly enhance other soil nutrients and enzyme activities compared to the SF and WSF treatments. A correlation analysis showed that rice yield was significantly positively associated with tiller number, leaf area index, chlorophyll, soil NO3--N, NH4+-N, SOM, TP, AK, and soil enzyme activity. The experimental results indicate that SRF was the best fertilization method to improve rice growth and yield and enhance soil properties, followed by the SF, WSF, and OF treatments. Hence, the results provide useful information for better fertilization management in the Chaohu Lake region of China.
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The overuse of pesticides has shown their malpractices. Novel and sustainable formulations have consequently attracted abundant attention but still appear to have drawbacks. Here, we use a maleic anhydride-functionalized cellulose nanocrystals-stabilized Pickering emulsions template to prepare thermo-responsive microcapsules for a pesticide delivery system via radical polymerization with N-isopropyl acrylamide. The microcapsules (MACNCs-g-NIPAM) are characterized by the microscope, SEM, FTIR, XRD, TG-DTG, and DSC techniques. Imidacloprid (IMI) is loaded on MACNCs-g-NIPAM to form smart release systems (IMI@MACNCs-g-NIPAM) with high encapsulation efficiency (~88.49%) and loading capability (~55.02%). The IMI@MACNCs-g-NIPAM present a significant thermo-responsiveness by comparing the release ratios at 35°C and 25°C (76.22% vs 50.78%). It also exhibits advantages in spreadability, retention and flush resistance on the leaf surface compared with the commercial IMI water-dispersible granules (CG). IMI@MACNCs-g-NIPAM also manifest a significant advantage over CG (11.12 mg/L vs 38.90 mg/L for LC50) regarding activity tests of targeted organisms. In addition, IMI@MACNCs-g-NIPAM has shown excellent biocompatibility and low toxicity. All the benefits mentioned above prove the excellent potential of IMI@MACNCs-g-NIPAM as a smart pesticide formulation.
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Cápsulas , Celulose , Emulsões , Anidridos Maleicos , Nanopartículas , Praguicidas , Anidridos Maleicos/química , Celulose/química , Nanopartículas/química , Praguicidas/química , Emulsões/química , Cápsulas/química , Animais , Neonicotinoides/química , Liberação Controlada de Fármacos , Temperatura , Nitrocompostos/química , Camundongos , Sistemas de Liberação de Medicamentos/métodos , Portadores de Fármacos/química , AcrilamidasRESUMO
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to develop a novel deep convolutional neural network called Dual-path Double Attention Transformer (DDA-Transformer) designed to achieve precise and fast knee joint CT image segmentation and to validate it in robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHODS: The femoral, tibial, patellar, and fibular segmentation performance and speed were evaluated and the accuracy of component sizing, bone resection and alignment of the robotic-assisted TKA system constructed using this deep learning network was clinically validated. RESULTS: Overall, DDA-Transformer outperformed six other networks in terms of the Dice coefficient, intersection over union, average surface distance, and Hausdorff distance. DDA-Transformer exhibited significantly faster segmentation speeds than nnUnet, TransUnet and 3D-Unet (p < 0.01). Furthermore, the robotic-assisted TKA system outperforms the manual group in surgical accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: DDA-Transformer exhibited significantly improved accuracy and robustness in knee joint segmentation, and this convenient and stable knee joint CT image segmentation network significantly improved the accuracy of the TKA procedure.
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Artroplastia do Joelho , Aprendizado Profundo , Articulação do Joelho , Procedimentos Cirúrgicos Robóticos , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios X , Humanos , Artroplastia do Joelho/métodos , Procedimentos Cirúrgicos Robóticos/métodos , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios X/métodos , Articulação do Joelho/cirurgia , Articulação do Joelho/diagnóstico por imagem , Masculino , Redes Neurais de Computação , Feminino , Processamento de Imagem Assistida por Computador/métodos , Cirurgia Assistida por Computador/métodos , Idoso , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Tíbia/cirurgia , Tíbia/diagnóstico por imagem , Algoritmos , Fêmur/cirurgia , Fêmur/diagnóstico por imagem , Imageamento Tridimensional/métodosRESUMO
Purpose: Diastasis recti abdominis (DRA) is a condition in which the linea alba is stretched and widened, and the abdominal muscles are separated from each other. DRA typically occurs in pregnant and postpartum women. We aimed to determine the risk factors and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of DRA in Chinese postpartum women. Methods: This observational study was conducted in Hangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and involved 534 women who filled out the following risk-factor and PRO questionnaires: SF-MPQ-2, SF-ICIQ, LDQ, EPDS, MBIS, HerQles, and SF-36 (all Chinese versions). The inter-recti distance was measured by palpation. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS v25.0 software and the Mann-Whitney U-test, chi-square test, binary logistic regression analysis (for risk factors of DRA), and the Kendall and Spearman tests (for correlation analysis). Results: After childbirth, 78.1% (417/534) of the enrolled women had DRA. Abdominal surgery (P = 0.002), number of pregnancies (P = 0.035), parity (P = 0.012), number of births (P = 0.02), fetal birth weight (P = 0.014), and waist-to-hip ratio in the supine position (P = 0.045) significantly differed between the DRA and non-DRA groups. Caesarean delivery was an independent risk factor for DRA. The PROs were significantly worse in the DRA group than in the non-DRA group. Conclusion: Caesarean delivery was an independent risk factor for DRA. Women with DRA are more likely to have limited physical activity or function after childbirth, lower self-confidence, and a decreased quality of life.
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Ultrastrong and deep-strong coupling are two coupling regimes rich in intriguing physical phenomena. Recently, hybrid magnonic systems have emerged as promising candidates for exploring these regimes, owing to their unique advantages in quantum engineering. However, because of the relatively weak coupling between magnons and other quasiparticles, ultrastrong coupling is predominantly realized at cryogenic temperatures, while deep-strong coupling remains to be explored. In our work, we achieve both theoretical and experimental realization of room-temperature ultrastrong magnon-magnon coupling in synthetic antiferromagnets with intrinsic asymmetry of magnetic anisotropy. Unlike most ultrastrong coupling systems, where the counter-rotating coupling strength g2 is strictly equal to the co-rotating coupling strength g1, our systems allow for highly tunable g1 and g2. This high degree of freedom also enables the realization of normalized g1 or g2 larger than 0.5. Particularly, our experimental findings reveal that the maximum observed g1 is nearly identical to the bare frequency, with g1/ω0 = 0.963, indicating a close realization of deep-strong coupling within our hybrid magnonic systems. Our results highlight synthetic antiferromagnets as platforms for exploring unconventional ultrastrong and even deep-strong coupling regimes, facilitating the further exploration of quantum phenomena.
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BACKGROUND: Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a systemic disease, and skin is often one of the target organs. An atopic dermatitis (AD)-like presentation has never to our knowledge been reported. OBJECTIVE: We sought to describe an AD-like presentation of cutaneous GVHD. METHODS: Data on 11 patients with an AD-like presentation of GVHD were collected. The clinical and laboratory findings were retrospectively studied. RESULTS: All 11 patients developed skin lesions after hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation. The skin lesions occurred between 2 to 12 months after transplantation. Eight patients received their transplant from a first-degree family member; 3 received their transplant from an unrelated donor. The skin lesions were pruritic and suggestive of AD, whereas the histology showed features of AD and GVHD. The lesions responded to topical and systemic anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive therapy and phototherapy. LIMITATIONS: The number of patients is small and the study is retrospective. CONCLUSIONS: AD-like GVHD might represent a novel form of chronic cutaneous GVHD and responds well to treatment.
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Dermatite Atópica/diagnóstico , Doença Enxerto-Hospedeiro/diagnóstico , Dermatopatias/diagnóstico , Dermatopatias/imunologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Doença Crônica , Ciclosporina/uso terapêutico , Dermatite Atópica/imunologia , Dermatite Atópica/patologia , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Feminino , Doença Enxerto-Hospedeiro/tratamento farmacológico , Doença Enxerto-Hospedeiro/patologia , Humanos , Imunossupressores/uso terapêutico , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estudos Retrospectivos , Pele/patologia , Linfócitos T/imunologia , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: A growing number of studies have focused on the regulatory role of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in a variety of cancers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of circRNA Keratin 14 (circKRT14) on the progression of esophageal cancer (EC). METHODS: The levels of circKRT14, miR-1256 and E2F transcription factor 3 (E2F3) were analyzed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot. The circular structure of circKRT14 was confirmed by RNase R digestion assay. Cell apoptosis, migration and invasion were detected by flow cytometry and transwell assay. The protein levels of related factors were determined by western blot. The relationship between miR-1256 and circKRT14 or E2F3 was verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The in vivo function of circKRT14 was studied by xenograft tumor assay. RESULTS: CircKRT14 was significantly increased in EC tissues and cells. CircKRT14 silencing inhibited EC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, but promoted EC cell apoptosis in vitro. CircKRT1 acted as a sponge for miR-1256 in EC, and in-miR-1256 abolished the inhibitory effect of circKRT14 suppression on EC cell progression. E2F3 was a target of miR-1256 and functioned as an oncogene in EC cells. MiR-1256 curbed EC progression by downregulating E2F3. CircKRT14 could affect E2F3 expression by targeting miR-1256. CircKRT14 regulated EC progression in vivo through miR-1256/E2F3 axis. CONCLUSIONS: These results uncovered that circKRT14 up-regulated the expression of E2F3 and promoted the malignant development of EC through sponging miR-1256.
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Neoplasias Esofágicas , MicroRNAs , Humanos , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células , Fator de Transcrição E2F3/genética , Fator de Transcrição E2F3/metabolismo , Neoplasias Esofágicas/genética , MicroRNAs/genética , MicroRNAs/metabolismo , RNA Circular/genética , RNA Circular/metabolismo , AnimaisRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Accurate preoperative planning for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is crucial. Computed tomography (CT)-based preoperative planning offers more comprehensive information and can also be used to design patient-specific instrumentation (PSI), but it requires well-reconstructed and segmented images, and the process is complex and time-consuming. This study aimed to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) preoperative planning and PSI system for TKA and to validate its time savings and accuracy in clinical applications. METHODS: The 3D-UNet and modified HRNet neural network structures were used to develop the AI preoperative planning and PSI system (AIJOINT). Forty-two patients who were scheduled for TKA underwent both AI and manual CT processing and planning for component sizing, 20 of whom had their PSIs designed and applied intraoperatively. The time consumed and the size and orientation of the postoperative component were recorded. RESULTS: The Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and loss function indicated excellent performance of the neural network structure in CT image segmentation. AIJOINT was faster than conventional methods for CT segmentation (3.74 ± 0.82 vs. 128.88 ± 17.31 min, p < 0.05) and PSI design (35.10 ± 3.98 vs. 159.52 ± 17.14 min, p < 0.05) without increasing the time for size planning. The accuracy of AIJOINT in planning the size of both femoral and tibial components was 92.9%, while the accuracy of the conventional method in planning the size of the femoral and tibial components was 42.9% and 47.6%, respectively (p < 0.05). In addition, AI-based PSI improved the accuracy of the hip-knee-ankle angle and reduced postoperative blood loss (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: AIJOINT significantly reduces the time needed for CT processing and PSI design without increasing the time for size planning, accurately predicts the component size, and improves the accuracy of lower limb alignment in TKA patients, providing a meaningful supplement to the application of AI in orthopaedics.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM) contains four major aqueous active ingredients, which have been isolated, purified and identified as danshensu (DSS), salvianolic acid A (Sal-A), salvianolic acid B (Sal-B) and protocatechuic aldehyde (PAL), A mixture of these four ingredients is called SABP. Although aqueous extract from Salvia miltiorrhiza has been traditionally used to treat cardiovascular diseases, the efficacy and function of the optimal ratio of SABP in preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases remain unknown. This study aims to explore the antiinflammatory mechanisms underlying the attenuation of atherosclerosis development by aqueous extract from Salvia miltiorrhiza. METHODS: Male ApoE-/- mice (6 weeks) were randomly allocated into three groups: the model group (Model), the SABP group (SABP), and the rosuvastatin calcium group (RC). Male C57BL/6 mice (6 weeks) were used as a control group. All mice were fed with an ordinary diet. After 8 weeks of treatment, the lipid profiles in serum and the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK) in heart tissue were measured using an automatic biochemical analyzer. Alterations of the thoracic aorta and the heart were assessed using Hematoxylin and eosin staining. The protein expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), TGF beta-activated kinase 1 (TAK1), nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the heart tissue were determined though immunohistochemistry and western blotting analysis. RESULTS: The serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride (TG), and total cholesterol (TC) levels were increased, and the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level was decreased in ApoE-/- mice. SABP significantly decreased serum lipid levels and improved histopathology in the thoracic aorta. In addition. SABP treatment inhibited the expression of TLR4, TAK1, NF-κB, IL-6 and TNF-α in the heart in ApoE-/- mice. The LDH and CK in the heart did not differ significantly among different groups, and the heart did not have obvious pathological changes. CONCLUSION: These findings indicated that SABP may exert an anti-atherosclerotic effect by lowering blood lipids and inhibiting inflammatory response via TLR4/ NF-κB signaling pathway.