MRI-based deep learning and radiomics for prediction of occult cervical lymph node metastasis and prognosis in early-stage oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: a diagnostic study.

INTRODUCTION: The incidence of occult cervical lymph node metastases (OCLNM) is reported to be 20%-30% in early-stage oral cancer and oropharyngeal cancer. There is a lack of an accurate diagnostic method to predict occult lymph node metastasis and to help surgeons make precise treatment decisions. AIM: To construct and evaluate a preoperative diagnostic method to predict occult lymph node metastasis (OCLNM) in early-stage oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OC and OP SCC) based on deep learning features (DLFs) and radiomics features. METHODS: A total of 319 patients diagnosed with early-stage OC or OP SCC were retrospectively enrolled and divided into training, test and external validation sets. Traditional radiomics features and DLFs were extracted from their MRI images. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis was employed to identify the most valuable features. Prediction models for OCLNM were developed using radiomics features and DLFs. The effectiveness of the models and their clinical applicability were evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC), decision curve analysis (DCA) and survival analysis. RESULTS: Seventeen prediction models were constructed. The Resnet50 deep learning (DL) model based on the combination of radiomics and DL features achieves the optimal performance, with AUC values of 0.928 (95% CI: 0.881-0.975), 0.878 (95% CI: 0.766-0.990), 0.796 (95% CI: 0.666-0.927) and 0.834 (95% CI: 0.721-0.947) in the training, test, external validation set1 and external validation set2, respectively. Moreover, the Resnet50 model has great prediction value of prognosis in patients with early-stage OC and OP SCC. CONCLUSION: The proposed MRI-based Resnet50 deep learning model demonstrated high capability in diagnosis of OCLNM and prognosis prediction in the early-stage OC and OP SCC. The Resnet50 model could help refine the clinical diagnosis and treatment of the early-stage OC and OP SCC.

Lab-on-Device Synthesis of Hierarchical Macro/Mesoporous WO3 Semiconducting Films for High-Performance H2S Sensing.

The performance consistency of the gas sensor is strongly dependent on the interface binding between the sensitive materials and the electrodes. Traditional powder coating methods can inevitably lead to differences in terms of substrate-film interface interaction and device performance, affecting the stability and lifetime. Thus, efficient growth of sensitive materials on device substrates is crucial and essential to enhance the sensing performance, especially for stability. Herein, hierarchically ordered macro/mesoporous WO3 films are in situ synthesized on the electrode via a facile soft/hard dual-template strategy. Orderly arrayed uniform polystyrene (PS) microspheres with tailored size (ca. 1.2 µm) are used as a hard template, and surfactant Pluronic F127 as a soft template can co-assemble with tungsten precursor into ordered mesostructure in the interstitials of PS colloidal crystal induced by solvent evaporation. Benefiting from its rich porosity and high stability, the macro/mesoporous WO3-based sensor shows high sensitivity (Rair/Rgas = 307), fast response/recovery speed (5/9 s), and excellent selectivity (SH2S/Smax > 7) toward 50 ppm H2S gas (a biomarker for halitosis). Significantly, the sensors exhibit an extended service life with a negligible change in sensing performance within 60 days. This lab-on-device synthesis provides a platform method for constructing stable nanodevices with good consistency and high stability, which are highly desired for developing high-performance sensors.

Neuron-derived neurotrophic factor promotes the differentiation of intramuscular and subcutaneous adipocytes in goat.

Adipocyte play an important role in human health and meat quality by influencing the tenderness, flavor, and juiciness of mutton It has been shown that neuron-derived neurotrophic factor (NENF) is closely related to energy metabolism and adipocyte differentiation in bovine. However, the role of NENF in the goats remains unclear. The aim of this study was to detect the expression of NENF in goat subcutaneous and intramuscular adipocytes, temporal expression profiles of the NENF, and overexpressed NENF on the differentiation of different adipocytes. In this study, PCR amplification successfully cloned the goat NENF gene with a fragment length of 521 bp. In addition, the time point of highest expression of NENF differed between these two adipocytes differentiation processes. Overexpression of NENF in intramuscular and subcutaneous adipocytes promoted the expression levels of differentiation markers CEBPß and SREBP, which in turn promoted the differentiation of intramuscular and subcutaneous adipocytes. This study will provide basic data for further study of the role of goats in goat adipocyte differentiation and for the final elucidation of its molecular mechanisms in regulating goat adipocyte deposition.

Contrast-induced acute kidney injury: a review of definition, pathogenesis, risk factors, prevention and treatment.

Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) has become the third leading cause of hospital-acquired AKI, which seriously threatens the health of patients. To date, the precise pathogenesis of CI-AKI has remained not clear and may be related to the direct cytotoxicity, hypoxia and ischemia of medulla, and oxidative stress caused by iodine contrast medium, which have diverse physicochemical properties, including cytotoxicity, permeability and viscosity. The latest research shows that microRNAs (miRNAs) are also involved in apoptosis, pyroptosis, and autophagy which caused by iodine contrast medium (ICM), which may be implicated in the pathogenesis of CI-AKI. Unfortunately, effective therapy of CI-AKI is very limited at present. Therefore, effective prevention of CI-AKI is of great significance, and several preventive options, including hydration, antagonistic vasoconstriction, and antioxidant drugs, have been developed. Here, we review current knowledge about the features of iodine contrast medium, the definition, pathogenesis, molecular mechanism, risk factors, prevention and treatment of CI-AKI.

Recent advances in organolead halide crystalline materials for photocatalytic H2 evolution and CO2 reduction applications.

The photocatalytic technique has been widely recognized as a feasible technological route for sustainable energy conversion of solar energy into chemical energy. Photocatalysts play a vital role in the whole catalytic process. In particular, organolead halide perovskites have become emerging photocatalysts, owing to their precisely tunable light absorption range, high carrier diffusion mobility, and longer carrier lifetime and diffusion length. Nevertheless, their intrinsic structural instability and high carrier recombination rate are the major bottlenecks for further development in photocatalytic applications. This Frontier is focused on the recent research about the instability mechanism of organolead halide perovskites. Then, we summarize the recently developed strategies to improve the structural stability and photocatalytic activity of organolead halide materials, with an emphasis on the construction of organolead halide crystalline catalysts with high intrinsic structural stability. Finally, an outlook and challenges of organometal halide photocatalysts are presented, demonstrating the irreplaceable role of this class of emergent materials in the field of photo-energy conversion.

Spatially ordered NiOOH-ZnS/CdS heterostructures with an efficient photo-carrier transmission channel for markedly improved H2 production.

Spatially-ordered 1D nanocrystal-based semiconductor nanostructures possess distinct merits for photocatalytic reaction, including large surface area, fast carrier separation, and enhanced light scattering and absorption. Nevertheless, establishing a valid photo-carrier transmission channel is still crucial yet challenging for semiconductor heterostructures to realize efficient photocatalysis. In this work, spatially ordered NiOOH-ZnS/CdS heterostructures were constructed by sequential ZnS coating and NiOOH photo-deposition on multi-armed CdS, which consists of {112̄0}-faceted wurtzite nanorods grown epitaxially on {111}-faceted zinc blende core. Intriguingly, the surface photovoltage spectroscopy and PbO2 photo-deposition results suggest that the photogenerated holes of CdS were first transferred to the Zn-vacancy level of ZnS and then to NiOOH, as driven by the built-in electric field between ZnS and CdS and the hole-extracting effect of the NiOOH cocatalyst, leading to the efficient charge separation of NiOOH-ZnS/CdS. With visible-light (λ > 420 nm) irradiation, NiOOH-ZnS/CdS exhibited a distinguished H2-evolution rate of 152.20 mmol g-1 h-1 (apparent quantum efficiency of 40.9% at 420 nm), approximately 18 folds that of 3 wt% Pt-loaded CdS and much higher than that of ZnS/CdS and NiOOH-CdS counterparts as well as the most reported CdS-containing photocatalysts. Moreover, the cycling and long-term H2 generation tests manifested the outstanding photocatalyst stability of NiOOH-ZnS/CdS. The study results presented here may propel the controllable design of highly-active nanomaterials for solar conversion and utilization.

Suberanilohydroxamic acid (SAHA), a HDAC inhibitor, suppresses the effect of Treg cells by targeting the c-Myc/CCL1 pathway in glioma stem cells and improves PD-L1 blockade therapy.

PURPOSE: A strong immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) represents the major barrier responsible for the failure of current immunotherapy approaches in treating Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM). Within the TME, the regulatory T cells (Tregs) exert immunosuppressive effects on CD8+ T cell - mediated anti-cancer immune killing. Consequently, targeting and inhibiting their immunosuppressive function emerges as an effective therapeutic strategy for GBM. The present study aimed to investigate the mechanisms and effects of Suberanilohydroxamic Acid (SAHA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, on immunosuppressive Tregs. METHODS: The tumor-infiltrating immune cells in the immunocompetent GBM intracranial implanted xenograft mouse model were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry techniques. The mRNA expressions were assessed through the RT-qPCR method, while the related protein expressions were determined using western blot, ELISA, immunofluorescence (IF), and flow cytometry techniques. The relationship between c-Myc and C-C motif Chemokine Ligand 1 (CCL1) promotor was validated through a dual-luciferase reporter assay system and chromatin immunoprecipitation. RESULTS: SAHA suppressed effectively tumor growth and extended significantly overall survival in the immunocompetent GBM intracranial xenograft mouse model. Additionally, it promoted the infiltration of CD8+ T lymphocytes while suppressed the infiltration of CD4+ CD25+ Tregs. Furthermore, SAHA enhanced anti-PD-L1 immune therapy in the intracranial xenograft of mice. Mechanistically, SAHA exerted its effects by inhibiting histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2), thereby suppressing the binding between c-Myc and the CCL1 promotor. CONCLUSION: SAHA inhibited the binding of c-Myc with the CCL1 promoter and then suppressed the transcription of CCL1.Additionally, it effectively blocked the interplay of CCL1-CCR8, resulting in reduced activity of Tregs and alleviation of tumor immunosuppression.

Joint trajectories of loneliness, social isolation and sarcopenia and associations with adverse outcomes: A prospective cohort study.

This study aimed to examine joint trajectories of loneliness, social isolation and sarcopenia and their associations with adverse outcomes. A total of 4701 participants aged ≥60 years who had a baseline and at least one follow-up assessment of loneliness, social isolation and sarcopenia across 2011, 2013 and 2015 waves in China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Adverse outcomes were obtained in 2018 wave. Joint trajectories were fit using the parallel process latent class growth analysis, and their associations with adverse outcomes were evaluated using modified Poisson regression. Joint trajectory patterns for social relationship and sarcopenia did not vary by the assessment for sarcopenia, but did vary by the assessment for social relationship. Older adults exhibit distinct joint trajectories and those with persistent combination of loneliness or social isolation and sarcopenia experience greatest risk of adverse outcomes. These findings implicate integration of health care and social care for community-dwelling older adults.

Cryo-EM Structure of human HCN3 channel and its regulation by cAMP.

HCN channels are important for regulating heart rhythm and nerve activity and have been studied as potential drug targets for treating depression, arrhythmia, nerve pain and epilepsy.Despite possessing unique pharmacological properties, HCN channels share common characteristics in that they are activated by hyperpolarization and modulated by cAMP and other membrane lipids. However, the mechanisms of how these ligands bind and modulate HCN channels are unclear. In this study, we solved structures of full-length human HCN3 using cryo-EM and captured two different states, including a state without any ligand bound and a state with cAMP bound. Our structures reveal the novel binding sites for cholesteryl hemisuccinate in apo-state and show how cholesteryl hemisuccinate and cAMP binding cause conformational changes in different states. These findings explain how these small modulators are sensed in mammals at the molecular level.The results of our study could help design more potent and specific compounds to influence HCN channel activity and offer new therapeutic possibilities for diseases that lack effective treatment.

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing for the diagnosis of neurobrucellosis.

Objective: This study investigates the application of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in the diagnosis of neurobrucellosis (NB). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients diagnosed with NB who underwent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) mNGS testing in Xijing Hospital from 2015 to 2021. Results: Among the 20 individuals included in the study, the serum rose bengal test was positive in 11 out of 16 cases, serum agglutination test was positive in 13 out of 16 cases, CSF culture was positive in 6 out of 11 cases, and CSF mNGS tests were positive in 18 out of 20 cases. Conclusion: CSF mNGS demonstrates superior sensitivity; therefore, it is recommended to collect CSF for mNGS testing prior to antibiotic therapy when NB is suspected.

Neurobrucellosis (NB) is a disease of the nervous system caused by a type of bacteria called Brucella. It is rare, serious and manifests inconsistently, making it hard to diagnose. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) is a new way to detect disease-causing bacteria by looking at their genetic material. mNGS is fast, accurate and covers a wide range of disease-causing bacteria. We looked back at patients diagnosed with NB at Xijing Hospital between 2015 and 2021 and tested samples of the fluid surrounding the brain and the spinal cord, called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), by mNGS. A total of 20 patients were included in the study. Compared with the traditional methods, mNGS of CSF samples showed advantages in diagnosing NB. However, antibiotics may affect the results.

Abnormal Bone Turnover Observed in Obese Children Based on Puberty Stage -Specific Bone Turnover Marker Reference.

CONTEXT: Childhood and adolescence are critical periods for lifelong bone health. The impact of obesity on these phases is controversial, which may be due to the lack of standards for age-, sex-, and puberty-specific Bone turnover markers (BTMs) which could sensitively reflect bone metabolism. OBJECTIVE: To generate age-, sex, and puberty stage-specific BTMs reference curves in children and adolescents and to explore the effect of obesity on bone metabolism in the Chinese population. METHODS: Our study was part of the Evaluation and Monitoring on School-based Nutrition and Growth in Shenzhen study. 800 participants aged 6∼18 years with normal body mass index (BMI) were selected to establish BTM reference curves for boys and girls at different ages under different pubertal development stages. Additionally, 200 participants with obesity (BMI >P95th) were matched with healthy children from the original cohort at a 1:1 ratio. All participants underwent bone mineral density assessment, and serum levels of P1NP and ß-CTX were measured. RESULTS: The BTMs values presented significant age, sex, and puberty stage differences. Analysis of serum BTMs based on the established reference revealed a higher percentage of low-level P1NP in boys with obesity (P=0.005); no significant difference was observed in girls. However, the obese group showed a significantly higher proportion of high ß-CTX levels for girls, not boys (P=0.022). CONCLUSIONS: We provide age-, sex-, and puberty stage-specific P1NP and ß-CTX reference curve. According to these, obesity appeared to be a negative factor for bone formation in boys and for bone resorption in girls.

Critical bloodstream infection caused by Chromobacterium violaceum: a case report in a 15-year-old male with sepsis-induced cardiogenic shock and purpura fulminans.

Chromobacterium violaceum (C. violaceum) is a gram-negative bacillus that is widespread in tropical and subtropical areas. Although C. violaceum rarely infects humans, it can cause critical illness with a mortality rate above 50%. Here, we report the successful treatment of a 15-year-old male who presented with bloodstream infection of C. violaceum along with sepsis, specific skin lesions, and liver abscesses. Cardiogenic shock induced by sepsis was reversed by venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO). Moreover, C. violaceum-related purpura fulminans, which is reported herein for the first time, was ameliorated after treatment. This case report demonstrates the virulence of C. violaceum with the aim of raising clinical awareness of this disease.

Evaluating the efficacy of standardized pressure ulcer management protocols in the prevention of pressure injuries among patients undergoing neurosurgical procedures.

Pressure injuries are a significant concern for patients undergoing neurosurgical procedures due to prolonged immobility and the complexity of care. This study evaluates the efficacy of standardized pressure ulcer management protocols in preventing pressure injuries and enhancing patient care in a neurosurgical context. A comprehensive retrospective analysis was conducted at a single institution from December 2020 to December 2023, comparing 50 patients who received standardized pressure ulcer management (intervention group) with 50 patients who received conventional care (control group). The study assessed the incidence of pressure ulcers, patient comfort levels using the Kolcaba Comfort Scale and sleep quality using the Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software, version 27.0, applying t-tests and chi-square tests as appropriate. The intervention group exhibited a significantly lower incidence of pressure ulcers at all measured time points post-surgery compared to the control group. Patient comfort levels in the intervention group were consistently higher across psychological, environmental, physiological and socio-cultural domains. Sleep quality metrics, including sleep depth, latency to sleep onset and overall sleep quality, were significantly improved in the intervention group. The implementation of standardized pressure ulcer management protocols in neurosurgical care significantly reduces the incidence of pressure injuries, enhances patient comfort and improves sleep quality. These findings highlight the importance of adopting structured care protocols to improve postoperative outcomes and patient well-being in neurosurgical settings.

Dataset on the effects of psychological care on depression and suicide ideation in underrepresented children.

Massive increases in the risks of depressive disorders and the ensuing suicide have become the overarching menace for children/adolescents. Despite global consensus to instigate psychological healthcare policy for these children/adolescents, their effects remain largely unclear neither from a small amount of official data nor from small-scale scientific studies. More importantly, in underprivileged children/adolescents in lower-middle-economic-status countries/areas, the data collection may not be as equally accessible as in developed countries/areas, thus resulting in underrepresented observations. To address these challenges, we released a large-scale and multi-center cohort dataset (n = 249,772) showing the effects of primary psychological healthcare on decreasing depression and suicidal ideation in these children/adolescents who were underrepresented in previous studies or current healthcare systems, including unattended children/adolescents, orphans, children/adolescents in especially difficult circumstances, and "left-behind" and "single-parenting" children/adolescents. We provided all individual data recording the depressive symptoms and suicide ideation that had been collected at baseline (Oct 2022) and half-year follow-up (May 2023) from practicing this psychological healthcare system.

Elevated PDE4C level serves as a candidate diagnostic biomarker and correlates with poor survival in thyroid carcinoma.

Thyroid carcinoma (THCA) is the most common endocrine cancer. Phosphodiesterase (PDE) 4 enzyme family, as specific regulator of cyclic adenosine monophosphate, may play a important role in THCA. However, few studies on PDE4 enzyme family in THCA have been reported yet. Therefore, this study aimed to systematically analyze the changes of PDE4 enzyme family in THCA, and look for potential target for THCA therapy. We systematically analyzed the expression differences, prognostic value, genetic alteration, methylation modification, and the correlation with tumor immune microenvironment of PDE4 family in THCA using several public databases, including TCGA, GEO, GSCA, TNMplot, cBioPortal, DiseaseMeth and TIMER. Besides, functional enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of PDE4 family was investigated using Metascape and STRING databases. The expression levels of PDE4A, PDE4B and PDE4D were down-regulated in THCA patients at different cancer stages, while the expression level of PDE4C was significantly up-regulated. Moreover, THCA patients with higher PDE4C expression had shorter progress free survival compared with those with lower PDE4C expression. The low genomic alteration frequencies and mildly increased methylation levels of PDE4 family were found in THCA patients. Except for PDE4A, the expression levels of PDE4B, PDE4C and PDE4D could affect many immune cells infiltration during THCA progression. Four PDE4 subtypes were all enriched in cAMP catabolic process. Nevertheless, PDE4C was not enriched in the cAMP binding signal pathway, and PDE4B was not enriched in the G alphas signaling events. Notably, PDE4C participated in cAMP metabolic process by regulating adenylate cyclases (ADCYs), which involved ADCY1, ADCY5, ADCY6, ADCY8 and ADCY9. The findings of this study provide a partial basis for the role of PDE4 family in the occurrence and development of THCA. In addition, this study also suggested that PDE4C might be a potential prognostic marker of THCA, which could serve as a reference for future basic and clinical research.

Stretchable and Sweat-Wicking Patch for Skin-Attached Colorimetric Analysis of Sweat Biomarkers.

Stretchable sweat sensors are promising technology that can acquire biomolecular insights for health and fitness monitoring by intimate integration with the body. However, current sensors often require microfabricated microfluidic channels to control sweat flow during lab-on-body analysis, which makes effective and affordable sweat sampling a significant practical challenge. Here, we present stretchable and sweat-wicking patches that utilize bioinspired smart wettable membranes for the on-demand manipulation of sweat flow. In a scalable process, the membrane is created by stacking hydrophobic elastomer nanofibers onto soft microfoams with predefined two-dimensional superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic patterns. The engineered heterogeneous wettability distribution allows these porous membranes to achieve enhanced extraction and selective collection of sweat in embedded assays. Despite the simplified architecture, the color reactions between sweat and chemical indicators are inhibited from directly contacting the skin to achieve a largely improved operation safety. The sensing patches can simultaneously quantify pH, urea, and calcium in sweat through digital colorimetric analysis with smartphone images. The construction with all compliant materials renders these patches soft and stretchy to achieve conformal attachment to the skin. Successfully analyzing sweat compositions after physical exercises illustrates the practical suitability of these skin-attachable sensors for health tracking and point-of-care diagnosis.

Solvent-Induced Bright Emission in Lead-Free Organic-Inorganic Antimony Bromides with Reversible Transformation.

Lead-free low-dimensional organic-inorganic metal halides have gained increasing attention in a wide range of applications due to their low toxicity, outstanding optical performance, and structural tunability. In this work, a general method of incorporating organic molecule into sodium antimony bromides is introduced. The 1D Na3SbBr6(C2H6OS)6 and Na3SbBr6(C4H8OS)6 single crystals exhibit bright yellow and orange emission with PL peaks at 610 and 664 nm, and high photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) of 85% and 60%, respectively. These two compounds can be reversibly converted into each other by the removal and addition of the organic components. Their exceptional luminescent performance enables them to be used as solid-state phosphors for the fabrication of yellow and orange down-conversion LEDs. A white LED with a high color rendering index (CRI) of 95 is also fabricated by using Na3SbBr6(C2H6OS)6 as the yellow phosphor. The universality of this method is demonstrated by synthesizing other members of this family with diverse A-groups, including methylammonium (MA) and formamidinium (FA). This work provides an effective strategy for the development of diverse lead-free and high-performance organic-inorganic hybrid materials and indicates these organic-inorganic hybrid compounds are promising luminescent materials for lighting or displays.

Expression and Clinical Significance of NUDCD1, PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway-Related Molecules and Immune Infiltration in Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: NUDCD1 (NudC Domain Containing 1) performs an essential function in biological processes such as cell progression, migration, cell cycle, and intracellular material transport. Many solid tumors express it highly, which is a prospective biomarker and therapeutic approach. However, the expression and clinical importance of NUDCD1 across breast cancer is unclear. METHODS: The expressions of NUDCD1 in breast cancers and normal breast tissues were studied utilizing the TIMER database and immunohistochemical analysis. Subsequently, we validate the association between the expression of NUDCD1 and clinicopathologic features and prognosis of breast cancer. The immunohistochemical experiments of pathway-related molecules were done on 214 breast cancer tissue microarrays. The investigation of correlation between NUDCD1 expression and tumor immune infiltration was subsequently conducted. RESULTS: Through the utilization of bioinformatics analysis and immunohistochemical experiments, it was determined that NUDCD1 exhibited upregulation within breast cancer. Furthermore, it was discovered that an elevated expression of NUDCD1 may potentially be linked to a worse prognosis in breast cancer. Our study reveals that the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway may perform a function in NUDCD1 regulating breast cancer progression via enrichment analysis. Furthermore, the expression of NUDCD1 may be associated with the degree of immunological infiltration. CONCLUSION: The expression of NUDCD1 was explored to be elevated in breast cancer and was observed to be correlated with a poorer prognosis. p-AKT, PI3K, AKT, mTOR, and p-mTOR expression levels underwent significant elevation in breast cancer. The function of NUDCD1 within breast cancer might be associated with the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.