A novel nomogram for predicting overall survival in patients with tongue squamous cell carcinoma using clinical features and MRI radiomics data: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: Tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) accounts for 43.4% of oral cancers in China and has a poor prognosis. This study aimed to explore whether radiomics features extracted from preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could predict overall survival (OS) in patients with TSCC. METHODS: The clinical imaging data of 232 patients with pathologically confirmed TSCC at Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital were retrospectively analyzed from February 2010 to October 2022. Based on 2-10 years of follow-up, patients were categorized into two groups: control (healthy survival, n = 148) and research (adverse events: recurrence or metastasis-related death, n = 84). A training and a test set were established using a 7:3 ratio and a time node. Radiomics features were extracted from axial T2-weighted imaging, contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging, and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequences. The corresponding radiomics scores were generated using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm. Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to screen for independent factors affecting adverse events in patients with TSCC using clinical and pathological results. A novel nomogram was established to predict the probability of adverse events and OS in patients with TSCC. RESULTS: The incidence of adverse events within 2-10 years after surgery was 36.21%. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that hot pot consumption, betel nut chewing, platelet-lymphocyte ratio, drug use, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, Radscore, and other factors impacted TSCC survival. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that the clinical stage (P < 0.001), hot pot consumption (P < 0.001), Radscore 1 (P = 0.01), and Radscore 2 (P < 0.001) were independent factors affecting TSCC-OS. The same result was validated by the XGBoost algorithm. The nomogram based on the aforementioned factors exhibited good discrimination (C-index 0.86/0.81) and calibration (P > 0.05) in the training and test sets, accurately predicting the risk of adverse events and survival. CONCLUSION: The nomogram constructed using clinical data and MRI radiomics parameters may accurately predict TSCC-OS noninvasively, thereby assisting clinicians in promptly modifying treatment strategies to improve patient prognosis.

Mortality outcomes in diabetic metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease: non-obese versus obese individuals.

The difference in the survival of obese patients and normal-weight/lean patients with diabetic MAFLD remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to describe the long-term survival of individuals with diabetic MAFLD and overweight/obesity (OT2M), diabetic MAFLD with lean/normal weight (LT2M), MAFLD with overweight/obesity and without T2DM (OM), and MAFLD with lean/normal weight and without T2DM (LM). Using the NHANESIII database, participants with MAFLD were divided into four groups. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related, and cancer-related mortalities for different MAFLD subtypes were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models. Of the 3539 participants, 1618 participants (42.61%) died during a mean follow-up period of 274.41 ± 2.35 months. LT2M and OT2M had higher risks of all-cause mortality (adjusted HR, 2.14; 95% CI 1.82-2.51; p < 0.0001; adjusted HR, 2.24; 95% CI 1.32-3.81; p = 0.003) and CVD-related mortality (adjusted HR, 3.25; 95% CI 1.72-6.14; p < 0.0001; adjusted HR, 3.36; 95% CI 2.52-4.47; p < 0.0001) than did OM. All-cause and CVD mortality rates in LT2M and OT2M patients were higher than those in OM patients. Patients with concurrent T2DM and MAFLD should be screened, regardless of the presence of obesity.

Controlled attenuation parameter (CAP): the clinical value based on MRI-PDFF in children with obesity.

OBJECTIVES: Controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) is a noninvasive and quantitative method to evaluate hepatic steatosis, which is not well evaluated in children. The aim of this study was to examine the diagnostic value of CAP for hepatic steatosis in children with obesity based on MR proton density fat fraction (PDFF). METHODS: About 108 pediatric patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) who were assessed for PDFF, CAP, and other laboratory results were enrolled. In this study, pediatric patients were separated for the obese group (n=80) and the severe obese group (n=28). Hepatic steatosis grades (0-3) were classified according to PDFF using cutoff values of 6.4 , 17.4, and 22.1 %. RESULTS: There are significant differences in CAP between the obese and severe obese groups (p<0.05). CAP showed a good correlation with PDFF in pediatric patients with NAFLD for diagnosing hepatic steatosis using a cutoff value of 265 dB/m (p<0.001). Meanwhile, ALT significantly outperforms CAP in receiver-operating curve (ROC) analysis for diagnosing hepatic steatosis grades. The diagnostic accuracy of CAP for steatosis is 77.8 %, and the diagnostic accuracy of ALT for steatosis is 83.3 %. CONCLUSIONS: While CAP holds promise as a diagnostic tool for pediatric NAFLD, its diagnostic performance warrants some caution. The potential of CAP is evident; however, ALT emerges as a simpler and more accurate measure for detecting hepatic steatosis in children. Further research is essential to determine the optimal role of CAP in pediatric NAFLD diagnosis and management.

Prediction of High-Risk Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor Recurrence Based on Delta-CT Radiomics Modeling: A 3-Year Follow-up Study After Surgery.

Background: Medium- to high-risk classification-gastrointestinal stromal tumors (MH-GIST) have a high recurrence rate and are difficult to treat. This study aims to predict the recurrence of MH-GIST within 3 years after surgery based on clinical data and preoperative Delta-CT Radiomics modeling. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical imaging data of 242 cases confirmed to have MH-GIST after surgery, including 92 cases of recurrence and 150 cases of normal. The training set and test set were established using a 7:3 ratio and time cutoff point. In the training set, multiple prediction models were established based on clinical data of MH-GIST and the changes in radiomics texture of enhanced computed tomography (CT) at different time periods (Delta-CT radiomics). The area under curve (AUC) values of each model were compared using the Delong test, and the clinical net benefit of the model was tested using decision curve analysis (DCA). Then, the model was externally validated in the test set, and a novel nomogram predicting the recurrence of MH-GIST was finally created. Results: Univariate analysis confirmed that tumor volume, tumor location, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR), diabetes, spicy hot pot, CT enhancement mode, and Radscore 1/2 were predictive factors for MH-GIST recurrence (P < .05). The combined model based on these above factors had significantly higher predictive performance (AUC = 0.895, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.839-0.937]) than the clinical data model (AUC = 0.735, 95% CI = [0.6 62-0.800]) and radiomics model (AUC = 0.842, 95% CI = [0.779-0.894]). Decision curve analysis also confirmed the higher clinical net benefit of the combined model, and the same results were validated in the test set. The novel nomogram developed based on the combined model helps predict the recurrence of MH-GIST. Conclusions: The nomogram of clinical and Delta-CT radiomics has important clinical value in predicting the recurrence of MH-GIST, providing reliable data reference for its diagnosis, treatment, and clinical decision-making.

Long non-coding RNA VPS9D1-AS1 enhances proliferation, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in endometrial cancer via miR-377-3p/SGK1.

Endometrial cancer (EC) is a kind of gynecologic malignancy with a rising incidence rate. This study aimed to explore the role of VPS9D1 antisense RNA1 (VPS9D1-AS1) in EC. The expression of VPS9D1-AS1, microRNA (miR)-377-3p, and serum and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1 (SGK1) was detected by Quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR). Cell proliferation, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were determined by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), 5-Ethynyl-2'-Deoxyuridine (EdU) transwell, and western bolt. VPS9D1-AS1 was predicted to sponge miR-377-3p via Starbase, and verified by luciferase reporter, RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP), and RNA pull-down experiments. The clinical characteristics of VPS9D1-AS1, miR-377-3p, and SGK1 were analyzed. The role of VPS9D1-AS1 on EC tumorigenesis was assessed in xenografted nude mice. VPS9D1-AS1 was upregulated in EC cells and tissues. Interference of VPS9D1-AS1 inhibited growth, invasion, and EMT of EC cells. Mechanically, VPS9D1-AS1 was a molecular sponge of miR-377-3p, and overexpression of miR-377-3p reversed VPS9D1-AS1-induced EC cells proliferation, invasion, and EMT. Moreover, SGK1 was confirmed to bind with miR-377-3p. Furthermore, overexpression of SGK1 alleviated sh-VPS9D1-AS1-caused effects on EC cells. High level of VPS9D1-AS1 and SGK1, or low miR-377-3p expression predicted a poor prognosis. The expression of the three genes was correlated with lymph node metastasis, pathological stage, and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, but not associated with age, ER, and PR expression. Interestingly, knockdown of VPS9D1-AS1 suppressed EC tumor growth in mice. VPS9D1-AS1 promoted cell invasion, proliferation, and EMT via modulating miR-377-3p/SGK1 axis, which provided new options for therapeutic strategies of EC.

Reliability of MEMS in Shock Environments: 2000-2020.

The reliability of MEMS in shock environments is a complex area which involves structural dynamics, fracture mechanics, and system reliability theory etc. With growth in the use of MEMS in automotive, IoT, aerospace and other harsh environments, there is a need for an in-depth understanding of the reliability of MEMS in shock environments. Despite the contributions of many articles that have overviewed the reliability of MEMS panoramically, a review paper that specifically focuses on the reliability research of MEMS in shock environments is, to date, absent. This paper reviews studies which examine the reliability of MEMS in shock environments from 2000 to 2020 in six sub-areas, which are: (i) response model of microstructure, (ii) shock experimental progresses, (iii) shock resistant microstructures, (iv) reliability quantification models of microstructure, (v) electronics-system-level reliability, and (vi) the coupling phenomenon of shock with other factors. This paper fills the gap around overviews of MEMS reliability in shock environments. Through the framework of these six sub-areas, we propose some directions potentially worthy of attention for future research.

Long noncoding RNA activated by transforming growth factor-ß promotes cancer development and is a prognostic marker in cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been highlighted as crucial elements in cancer biology. LncRNA activated by transforming growth factor-ß (ATB) was identified to promote the development of multiple cancers and may serve as a potential therapeutic target in human cancers. However, to the best of our knowledge, the functional role of ATB in cervical cancer has not been verified yet. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression of lncRNA ATB was evaluated by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay in cervical cancer cell lines and clinical specimens. The clinical significance of ATB was statistically evaluated by analyzing the relationship between ATB overexpression and the clinicopathological characteristics of cervical cancer patients. Moreover, Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test were conducted to investigate the role of ATB in the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of cervical cancer patients or subgroup patients. Furthermore, univariate and multivariate analyses were adopted to identify the risk factors of OS and PFS of cervical cancer patients. RESULTS: LncRNA ATB was upregulated in cervical cancer cell lines and tissues (P < 0.05). Statistical analysis revealed that ATB overexpression was correlated with higher squamous cell carcinoma antigen level, larger tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and more advanced International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage of cervical cancer patients (P < 0.05). In addition, survival analysis showed that ATB upregulation was associated with poorer OS in cervical cancer patients and in subgroup patients without/with lymph node metastasis and with FIGO Stage I/II (P < 0.05). Furthermore, high ATB expression was defined as an independent risk factor of poorer OS and early recurrence of cervical cancer patients (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: LncRNA ATB correlates with the malignant phenotypes and poor prognosis of cervical cancer. ATB may serve as a promising prognostic marker and therapeutic target of cervical cancer patients.

Isolation, Culture and Identification of Choriocarcinoma Stem-Like Cells from the Human Choriocarcinoma Cell-Line JEG-3.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) exhibit enhanced proliferative capacity and resistance to chemotherapy; however, choriocarcinoma CSCs have not yet been reported. In this study the human choriocarcinoma cell line JEG-3 was cultured in serum free media, and the characteristics of suspension and parental adherent JEG-3 cells were compared. METHODS: Cell proliferation, colony-formation, soft agar clonogenicity, and transwell invasion assays were performed in vitro, and tumor xenografts in BALB/c nude mice were used to evaluate stem cell properties. RESULTS: In serum-supplemented medium (SSM), JEG-3 cells were 4.51 ± 1.71% CD44+, 7.67 ± 2.67% CD133+, and 13.85 ± 2.95% ABCG2+. In serum-free medium (SFM), the expression of these markers increased to 53.08 ± 3.15%, 47.40 ± 2.67%, and 78.70 ± 7.16%, respectively. Moreover, suspension JEG-3 cells exhibited enhanced colony-formation capability as well as invasive and proliferative ability in vitro, alongside enhanced tumorigenic properties in vivo. Suspension JEG-3 cells also exhibited resistance to the chemotherapeutic drugs methotrexate, fluorouracil and etoposide. When seeded in serum supplemented medium, suspension JEG-3 cells readopted an adherent phenotype and continued to differentiate with no significant difference in the morphology between suspension and parent cells. CONCLUSION: In this study, choriocarcinoma stem-like cells (CSLCs) were isolated from the human choriocarcinoma JEG-3 cell line by SFM culture and characterized.