Association of Dietary Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Intake with Allergic Rhinitis in Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study of NHANES 2005-2006.

INTRODUCTION: The incidence of allergic rhinitis (AR) is increasing year by year, and the pathogenesis is complex, in which diet may play an important role. The role of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in AR is still controversial. Previous studies have looked at the effects of PUFA during pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence. In this study, we aimed to determine the association between dietary intake of PUFA and AR in adults. METHODS: We used the NHANES database from 2005 to 2006 to include a total of 4,211 adult subjects. We collected dietary PUFA intake data and information on AR. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models were constructed to examine the association between PUFA intake and AR in adults. The t test was used to compare daily PUFA intakes in patients with and without AR. RESULTS: In the fully adjusted model (OR: 1.016; 95% CI: 1.003; 1.028), PUFA intake was positively correlated with allergic symptoms, hay fever, and AR in adults (p < 0.05). In addition, daily PUFA intake was significantly higher in people with allergic symptoms, hay fever, and AR than in people without the disease (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest a positive association between dietary PUFA intake and AR in adults to a certain extent. Future studies on dietary PUFA dose will provide new strategies for the prevention and treatment of allergic diseases such as AR related to non-pharmaceutical interventions.

Copper-Catalyzed Asymmetric Allylation of N-Aryl Aldimines.

The copper-catalyzed enantioselective allylation reaction of N-aryl aldimines has been developed using a combination of Cu(OAc)2 and SPINOL-based phosphonamidite. This protocol significantly broadens the substrate scope, such that imines bearing various ortho-substituents on the N-aryl were converted smoothly into homoallylic amines in up to 99% yield and 98% ee. Taking advantage of the diversity of the N-aryl motif, three kinds of N-heterocyclic compounds were constructed, respectively, from the corresponding homoallylic amines in merely one step.

Association between 19 Allergens and Chronic Constipation in Adults: NHANES 2005-2006.

INTRODUCTION: There are increasing reports of a link between chronic constipation and allergies in children. However, similar epidemiological evidence is limited in the general adult population. Therefore, in this study, we attempted to assess the association between chronic constipation and allergy in adults aged ≥20 years in the USA. METHODS: We established a logistic regression model to test the relationship between chronic constipation and 19 specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) types in adults aged ≥20 years using large-sample data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database (2005-2006). The weekly defecation times of the allergic and non-allergic groups were compared using the t test. RESULTS: We found that sIgE-sensitized participants had a 0.723 lower risk of chronic constipation than the general population (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.566-0.923). There was a negative association between chronic constipation and sensitizations to peanut (odds ratio (OR) = 0.579, 95% CI = 0.381-0.935), egg (OR = 0.335, 95% CI = 0.134-0.838), dog (OR = 0.723, 95% CI = 0.522-0.965), and cockroach (OR = 0.540, 95% CI = 0.373-0.784). In addition, the frequency of defecation per week increased significantly in people allergic to peanuts and cockroaches (p < 0.05). DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrate an inverse relationship between sIgE sensitization and chronic constipation in adults. However, the specific association mechanism needs to be further studied.

Differentiation of eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis on preoperative computed tomography using deep learning.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to develop deep learning (DL) models for differentiating between eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis (ECRS) and non-ECRS (NECRS) on preoperative CT. DESIGN: Axial spiral CT images were pre-processed and used to build the dataset. Two semantic segmentation models based on U-net and Deeplabv3 were trained to segment the sinus area on CT images. All patient images were segmented using the better-performing segmentation model and used for training and testing of the transferred efficientnet_b0, resnet50, inception_resnet_v2, and Xception neural networks. Additionally, we evaluated the performances of the models trained using each image and each patient as a unit. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 878 chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients undergoing nasal endoscopic surgery at Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University (Hubei, China) between October 2016 to June 2021 were included. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The precision of each model was assessed based on the receiver operating characteristic curve. Further, we analyzed the confusion matrix and accuracy of each model. RESULTS: The Dice coefficients of U-net and Deeplabv3 were 0.953 and 0.961, respectively. The average area under the curve and mean accuracy values of the four networks were 0.848 and 0.762 for models trained using a single image as a unit, while the corresponding values for models trained using each patient as a unit were 0.893 and 0.853, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Combining semantic segmentation with classification networks could effectively distinguish between patients with ECRS and those with NECRS based on preoperative sinus CT images. Furthermore, labeling each patient to build a dataset for classification may be more reliable than labeling each medical image.

Anatomical Partition-Based Deep Learning: An Automatic Nasopharyngeal MRI Recognition Scheme.

BACKGROUND: Training deep learning (DL) models to automatically recognize diseases in nasopharyngeal MRI is a challenging task, and optimizing the performance of DL models is difficult. PURPOSE: To develop a method of training anatomical partition-based DL model which integrates knowledge of clinical anatomical regions in otorhinolaryngology to automatically recognize diseases in nasopharyngeal MRI. STUDY TYPE: Single-center retrospective study. POPULATION: A total of 2485 patients with nasopharyngeal diseases (age range 14-82 years, female, 779[31.3%]) and 600 people with normal nasopharynx (age range 18-78 years, female, 281[46.8%]) were included. SEQUENCE: 3.0 T; T2WI fast spin-echo sequence. ASSESSMENT: Full images (512 × 512) of 3085 patients constituted 100% of the dataset, 50% and 25% of which were randomly retained as two new datasets. Two new series of images (seg112 image [112 × 112] and seg224 image [224 × 224]) were automatically generated by a segmentation model. Four pretrained neural networks for nasopharyngeal diseases classification were trained under the nine datasets (full image, seg112 image, and seg224 image, each with 100% dataset, 50% dataset, and 25% dataset). STATISTICAL TESTS: The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the performance of the models. Analysis of variance was used to compare the performance of the models built with different datasets. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: When the 100% dataset was used for training, the performances of the models trained with the seg112 images (average area under the curve [aAUC] 0.949 ± 0.052), seg224 images (aAUC 0.948 ± 0.053), and full images (aAUC 0.935 ± 0.053) were similar (P = 0.611). When the 25% dataset was used for training, the mean aAUC of the models that were trained with seg112 images (0.823 ± 0.116) and seg224 images (0.765 ± 0.155) was significantly higher than the models that were trained with full images (0.640 ± 0.154). DATA CONCLUSION: The proposed method can potentially improve the performance of the DL model for automatic recognition of diseases in nasopharyngeal MRI. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 1.

Increased Expressions and Roles of CC Chemokine Ligand 21 and CC Chemokine Ligand 25 in Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a local inflammation of the nasal mucosa and sinus that persists for >12 weeks. As CC chemokine ligand (CCL) 19 expression is known to be elevated in CRS, and CCL 19, CCL21, and CCL25 share the same atypical chemokine receptor 4, so we focused on CCL21 and CCL25. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the expression of CCL21 and CCL25 in different types of CRS and their significance in CRS development. METHODS: A total of 116 patients participated in the study, and uncinate process mucosa or nasal polyp (NP) specimens were collected during surgery. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were performed to detect the expression of CCL21 and CCL25, respectively, in the nasal mucosa. Immunofluorescence was used to determine their cellular localization in NPs, whereas macrophage culture was used to determine their relationships with macrophages. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry revealed that the expressions of CCL21 and CCL25 were increased in NPs only. Western blotting revealed that these expressions were gradually increased in control, CRS without NP and CRS with NP groups and were positively correlated with disease severity. Furthermore, increased expressions of CCL21 and CCL25 in NPs were not related to eosinophil infiltration. Immunofluorescence results demonstrated colocalization of CCL25+ cells and CD68+ macrophages. CCL25 expression was increased in macrophage culture, especially in M1 macrophages, while CCL21 expression was not significantly associated with macrophages. CONCLUSIONS: CCL21 and CCL25 were significantly upregulated in NPs and positively correlated with disease severity. CCL25 upregulation was related to M1 macrophages.

A quantum dot-based lateral flow immunoassay for the rapid, quantitative, and sensitive detection of specific IgE for mite allergens in sera from patients with allergic rhinitis.

The prevalence of allergic rhinitis (AR) is increasing worldwide. However, the current systems used to measure levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE) in sera are associated with several disadvantages that limit their further application. Consequently, there is a need to develop novel highly sensitive strategies that can rapidly detect IgE in a quantitative manner. The development of such systems will significantly enhance our ability to diagnose, treat, and even prevent AR. Herein, we describe our experience of using quantum dot-based lateral flow immunoassay (QD-LFIA), combined with a portable fluorescence immunoassay chip detector (PFICD), to detect serum-specific IgE against Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der-p) and Dermatophagoides farinae (Der-f), two common mite allergens in China. Our data showed that our system could detect serum-specific levels of IgE against Der-p and Der-f as low as 0.093 IU/mL and 0.087 IU/mL, respectively. We also established a standard curve to determine serum-specific IgE concentrations that correlated well with the clinical BioIC microfluidics system. The sensitivity of our assay was 96.7% for Der-p and 95.5% for Der-f, while the specificity was 87.2% for Der-p and 85.3% for Der-f. Collectively, our results demonstrate that QD-LFIA is a reliable system that could be applied to detect serum-specific IgE in accordance with clinical demands. This QD-LFIA strategy can be applied at home, in hospitals, and in pharmacies, with reduced costs and time requirements when compared with existing techniques. In the future, this system could be developed to detect other types of allergens and in different types of samples (for example, whole blood). Graphical abstract We describe our experiment using a quantum dot-based lateral flow immunoassay combined with a portable fluorescence immunoassay chip detector for both qualitative and quantitative detection of serum-specific IgE against two common mite allergens. This strategy can be applied at home, in hospitals, and in pharmacies, with reduced costs and time requirements. In the future, this system could be developed to detect other types of allergens and in different types of samples.

Different effects of allergic rhinitis on nasal mucosa remodeling in chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyps.

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis (AR) has been reported to be associated with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of AR on nasal mucosa remodeling in CRS. METHODS: Patients were enrolled and divided into the following groups: CRS with nasal polyps (NP) with allergic rhinitis (AR)(CRSwNPwAR; n = 20), CRS with NP without AR (CRSwNPsAR; n = 20), CRS without NP with AR (CRSsNPwAR; n = 20), CRS without NP without AR (CRSsNPsAR; n = 20), AR without CRS (AR; n = 20) and controls (n = 14). Eosinophil infiltration, mucus production, and collagen deposition were examined by hematoxylin and eosin, periodic acid schiff and masson's trichrome staining, respectively. VEGF-A and microvessel density were detected by immunohistochemistry. The expression of remodeling markers, including TGF-ß1, MMP-7, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were measured by Western blot. RESULTS: The expression of remodeling factors, including VEGF-A, CD31, CD34 and TIMP-1 were significantly increased in CRSwAR compared to CRSsAR. Goblet cell hyperplasia, as well as VEGF-A, CD31, CD34, and MMP-9 expression were significantly higher in CRSwNPwAR compared to CRSwNPsAR. However, the expression of collagen fibers, MMP-7 and TGF-ß1 were significantly higher in CRSsNPwAR compared to CRSsNPsAR. CONCLUSIONS: AR could enhance the remodeling process in CRS. Moreover, AR had different effects on CRSwNP and CRSsNP.

Comparison of outcomes between endoscopic surgery and conventional nasal packing for epistaxis in the posterior fornix of the inferior nasal meatus.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical features of epistaxis in the posterior fornix of the inferior nasal meatus and compare the treatment outcomes of endoscopic surgery and conventional nasal packing for this intractable form of epistaxis. METHODS: Between August 2011 and August 2014, the medical records of 53 adult patients with idiopathic epistaxis in the posterior fornix of the inferior nasal meatus diagnosed by nasal endoscopy were obtained from our department. Of these, 38 patients underwent endoscopic surgery (surgery group) and 15 received a nasal pack (packing group). The patients' background characteristics, incidence of re-bleeding, extent of discomfort after treatment as assessed using a 10-point visual analogue scale (VAS) and incidence of nasal cavity adhesion after treatment were analysed. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in background characteristics between the two groups. The incidence of re-bleeding (0/38 vs. 4/15, surgery vs. control, P = 0.001), VAS score for discomfort (2.4 ± 1.4 vs. 7.6 ± 1.0, surgery vs. control, P = 0.001) and incidence of nasal cavity adhesion after treatment (2/38 vs. 7/15, surgery vs. control, P = 0.007) were significantly lower in the surgery group than in the packing group. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic surgery is superior to conventional nasal packing for the management of epistaxis in the posterior fornix of the inferior nasal meatus. During surgery, it is crucial to expose the bleeding sites by shifting the inferior turbinate inward by fracture.

Exogenous interleukin-10 alleviates allergic inflammation but inhibits local interleukin-10 expression in a mouse allergic rhinitis model.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-10 (IL-10) has an important anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory function, and its expression is negatively correlated with the development and severity of allergic rhinitis (AR). However, the in vivo effects of exogenous IL-10 on AR have not been studied and the mechanisms underlying the effects of IL-10 have not been fully understood. Here, we investigated the effects of intranasal administration of recombinant mouse (rm) IL-10 on the expression of Th responses and local IL-10 in a mouse model of AR induced by ovalbumin. RESULTS: Administration of rmIL-10 during challenge significantly reduced the number of eosinophils and mast cells, as well as Type 2 helper T (Th2) and Th17 cell related cytokine and transcription factor levels in the nasal mucosa and nasal lavage fluid in AR mice. The rmIL-10 treatment significantly inhibited the number of IL-10-positive cells and IL-10 mRNA expression in the nasal mucosa in AR mice. CONCLUSION: Our results show that exogenous IL-10 administrated in challenge phase alleviates nasal allergic inflammation in AR mice, most likely by inhibiting Th2 and Th17 responses. It can also inhibit local IL-10 levels in the nasal mucosa. Our findings indicate that IL-10 may have the potential as an inhibitor of AR.

Inflammatory endotypes of adenoidal hypertrophy based on a cluster analysis of biomarkers.

OBJECTIVE: To identify adenoid inflammatory endotypes based on inflammatory markers, match endotypes to phenotypes, and predict endotypes. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 72 children with adenoid hypertrophy. Thirteen inflammatory markers and total immunoglobulin E (TIgE) in adenoid tissue were analyzed using Luminex and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for performing cluster analysis. Correlation analysis was used to examine the characteristics of each cluster. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to screen for preoperative characteristic data with predictive value for adenoid inflammation endotype. RESULTS: The patients were divided into four clusters. Cluster 1 exhibited non-type 2 signatures with low inflammatory marker concentrations, except for the highest expression of Th1-related cytokines. Cluster 2 showed a non-type 2 endotype with the highest concentration of interleukin (IL)-17A and IL-22. Cluster 3 exhibited moderate type 2 inflammation, with the highest concentration of neutrophil factors. Cluster 4 demonstrated significant type 2 inflammation and moderate neutrophil levels. The proportions of AR and serum TIgE levels increased from clusters 1 to 4, and there was a gradual increase in the prevalence of chronic sinusitis from low to high neutrophilic inflammation. The area under the ROC curve for serum TIgE was higher than those for combined or other separate preoperative characteristics for predicting non-type 2 and type 2 inflammation in the adenoid tissue. CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation of cytokines in adenoid tissue revealed four endotypes. Serum TIgE level was an important indicator of the endotype of adenoid inflammation. Identification of adenoid inflammatory endotypes can facilitate targeted treatment decisions.

Fasting Plasma Glucose and Glycohemoglobin with Allergic Symptoms and Specific Sensitization: Results from NHANES 2005-2006.

OBJECTIVE: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data has been used to study the relationship between fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and glycohemoglobin (A1c) in patients with allergic symptoms and specific sensitization, respectively. METHODS: A total of 1,687 participants and a variety of logistic regression models were selected based on the 2005-2006 NHANES (n = 10,348) for our study to describe the relationship between FPG and A1c in subjects with the sensitivity of allergic symptoms, specific sensitization and specific sensitization of 19 allergens, respectively. On this basis, a variety of logistic regression models were further established for hierarchical analysis to study the limiting conditions when FPG and A1c were related to allergic symptoms. RESULTS: We adjusted the confounding factors and found that the risk of specific sensitization increased with the increase in FPG and A1c. Stratified analysis showed that the risk of allergic symptoms increased with the increase in FPG and A1c when born elsewhere other than in the U.S. and Mexico or underweight or overweight or with hypertension. Furthermore, we found that the risk of egg sensitization increased with the increase in FPG and A1c, while the risk of rat sensitization decreased with the increase in FPG. CONCLUSION: Under certain conditions, FPG and A1c were risk factors for allergic symptoms. FPG and A1c were risk factors for specific sensitization, especially egg sensitization. These findings indicate a possible link between diabetes and allergies.

Predicting prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma based on deep learning: peritumoral region should be valued.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to explore whether incorporating the peritumoral region to train deep neural networks could improve the performance of the models for predicting the prognosis of NPC. METHODS: A total of 381 NPC patients who were divided into high- and low-risk groups according to progression-free survival were retrospectively included. Deeplab v3 and U-Net were trained to build segmentation models for the automatic segmentation of the tumor and suspicious lymph nodes. Five datasets were constructed by expanding 5, 10, 20, 40, and 60 pixels outward from the edge of the automatically segmented region. Inception-Resnet-V2, ECA-ResNet50t, EfficientNet-B3, and EfficientNet-B0 were trained with the original, segmented, and the five new constructed datasets to establish the classification models. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the performance of each model. RESULTS: The Dice coefficients of Deeplab v3 and U-Net were 0.741(95%CI:0.722-0.760) and 0.737(95%CI:0.720-0.754), respectively. The average areas under the curve (aAUCs) of deep learning models for classification trained with the original and segmented images and with images expanded by 5, 10, 20, 40, and 60 pixels were 0.717 ± 0.043, 0.739 ± 0.016, 0.760 ± 0.010, 0.768 ± 0.018, 0.802 ± 0.013, 0.782 ± 0.039, and 0.753 ± 0.014, respectively. The models trained with the images expanded by 20 pixels obtained the best performance. CONCLUSIONS: The peritumoral region NPC contains information related to prognosis, and the incorporation of this region could improve the performance of deep learning models for prognosis prediction.

Deep Learning for Predicting Distant Metastasis in Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Based on Pre-Radiotherapy Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

IMPORTANCE: Accurate pre-treatment prediction of distant metastasis in patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC) enables the implementation of appropriate treatment strategies for high-risk individuals. PURPOSE: To develop and assess a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model using pre-therapy Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging to predict distant metastasis in NPC patients. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data of 441 pathologically diagnosed NPC patients who underwent complete radiotherapy and chemotherapy at Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University (Hubei, China) between February 2012 and March 2018. Using Adobe Photoshop, an experienced radiologist segmented MR images with rectangular regions of interest. To develop an accurate model according to the primary tumour, Cervical Metastatic Lymph Node (CMLN), the largest area of invasion of the primary tumour, and image segmentation methods, we constructed intratumoural and intra-peritumoural datasets that were used for training and test of the transfer learning models. Each model's precision was assessed according to its receiver operating characteristic curve and accuracy. Generated high-risk-related Grad-Cams demonstrated how the model captured the image features and further verified its reliability. RESULTS: Among the four models, all intra-peritumoural datasets performed better than the corresponding intratumoural datasets, with the CMLN intra-peritumoural dataset exhibiting the best performance (average area under the curves (AUCs) = 0.88). There was no significant difference between average AUCs of the Max and NPC tumour datasets. AUCs of the eight datasets for the four models were higher than those of the Tumour-Node-Metastasis staging system (AUC=0.67). In most datasets, the xception model had higher AUCs than other models. The efficientnet-b0 and xception models efficiently extracted high-risk features. CONCLUSION: The CNN model predicted distant metastasis in NPC patients with high accuracy. Compared to the primary tumour, the CMLN better predicted distant metastasis. In addition to intratumoural data, peritumoural information can facilitate the prediction of distant metastasis. With a larger sample size, datasets of the largest areas of tumour invasion may achieve meaningful accuracy. Among the models, xception had the best overall performance.

Giant Cell Tumor and Giant Cell Reparative Granuloma of Bone of the Head: CT and MR Imaging Findings.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the features and differentiation of Giant Cell Reparative Granuloma (GCRG) and Giant Cell Tumor (GCT) of the head on CT and MRI. METHODS: This retrospective study included six patients with histopathology-confirmed head GCRG and 5 patients with histopathology-confirmed head GCT. All images were independently reviewed by two radiologists. The growth pattern, bone changes, MRI signal intensity, enhancement patterns and other image features were recorded. All patients received CT scans and MR images. RESULTS: All the lesions were located centrally in the bone. Osteolytic bone destruction and expansive growth patterns were observed on CT images. Four of six cases broke the cortical bone with residual cortical bone, and the last two showed a thin cortex in GCRG. Five cases broke the cortical bone with residual cortical bone in GCT. There were enhancing septations in GCT lesions on contrast- enhanced T1-Weighted Images (T1WI) while enhancing septations were not present in GCRG cases. The size of GCT lesions was larger than that of GRCG. GCRG and GCT showed iso-low signals on T1WI and iso-high signals on T2-Weighted Images (T2WI). There was a case with cystic or necrotic lesions in each of the two types of lesions. Osteolytic bone destruction and expansive growth patterns were observed in GCTs and GCRGs. CONCLUSION: The size of the GRCG lesion was smaller than that of the GCT. The presence of enhancing septations and the size of the lesion may distinguish GCTs from GCRG.

Deep learning for the prediction of residual tumor after radiotherapy and treatment decision-making in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma based on magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) and induction chemotherapy (IC) plus CCRT (IC + CCRT) are the main treatments for patients with advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We aimed to develop deep learning (DL) models using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to predict the risk of residual tumor after each of the 2 treatments and to provide a reference for patients to select the best treatment option. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 424 patients with locoregionally advanced NPC who underwent CCRT or IC + CCRT between June 2012 and June 2019 in the Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University. According to the evaluation of MR images taken 3 to 6 months after radiotherapy, patients were divided into 2 categories: residual tumor and non-residual tumor. Transferred U-net and Deeplabv3 neural networks were trained, and the better-performance segmentation model was used to segment the tumor area on axial T1-weighted enhanced MR images. Then, 4 pretrained neural networks for prediction of residual tumors were trained with CCRT and IC + CCRT datasets, and the performances of the models trained using each image and each patient as a unit were evaluated. Patients in the test cohort of CCRT and IC + CCRT datasets were successively classified by the trained CCRT and IC + CCRT models. Model recommendations were formed according to the classification and compared with the treatment decisions of physicians. Results: The Dice coefficient of Deeplabv3 (0.752) was higher than that of U-net (0.689). The average area under the curve (aAUC) of the 4 networks was 0.728 for the CCRT and 0.828 for the IC + CCRT models trained using a single image as a unit, whereas the aAUC for models trained using each patient as a unit was 0.928 for the CCRT and 0.915 for the IC + CCRT models, respectively. The accuracy of the model recommendation and the decision of physicians was 84.06% and 60.00%, respectively. Conclusions: The proposed method can effectively predict the residual tumor status of patients after CCRT and IC + CCRT. Recommendations based on the model prediction results can protect some patients from receiving additional IC and improve the survival rate of patients with NPC.

Calpeptin may reverse glucocorticoid-resistance of allergic rhinitis associated with cigarette smoke exposure by down-regulating interferon regulatory factor 1.

Cigarette smoke exposure is an important factor in chronic inflammation in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR); however, the relationship between cigarette smoke and AR-related glucocorticoid resistance requires further study. In mice, calpeptin significantly reduces inflammation of the lower respiratory tract caused by cigarette smoke, but whether it can treat glucocorticoid-resistant AR caused by cigarette smoke requires further research. In this study, we confirmed that cigarette smoke exposure can aggravate the Th2 inflammatory response in AR leading to glucocorticoid resistance. The underlying mechanism may be related to decreased expression of DNA methyltransferase 3a (Dnmt3a), and increased expression of interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1). In addition, we found that calpeptin can inhibit the expression of IRF1 and thus treat AR-associated glucocorticoid resistance in rats exposed to cigarette smoke. These data suggest that calpeptin may downregulate IRF1 and therefore treat glucocorticoid resistance in AR-associated with cigarette smoke exposure.

The effect of mind wandering on cognitive flexibility is mediated by boredom.

Cognitive theory of boredom presumes that boredom, an important potential indicator for self-dysregulation, represents to be the result of attention failure. And lapses of attention have been shown to act as a key signal in mind wandering (especially spontaneous mind wandering), which has been found to be positively associated with boredom. If both mind wandering and boredom concurrently occupy individuals' on-task processing resources, it would definitely influence their cognitive flexibility, which is an essential component for self-regulation. Until now, however, there has been little discussion about mind wandering, boredom, and cognitive flexibility at the same time. The present study investigated the hypothesis that boredom can mediate the effect of mind wandering on cognitive flexibility at trait-level by adopting a cross-sectional exploratory study design and anonymous structured questionnaires in three studies (N = 449,182 and 190 for Studies 1, 2 and 3, respectively). Correlation analysis demonstrated that mind wandering (especially spontaneous mind wandering) was positively related to boredom, and that cognitive flexibility was negatively related to mind wandering and boredom, respectively. Mediation analysis revealed an indirect effect of mind wandering (especially spontaneous mind wandering) on cognitive flexibility through boredom. In conclusion, these findings are useful to build a theoretical framework for future clinical practice. An implication of these findings is the possibility that efficacious strategies targeting at reducing boredom are needed to decrease the detriment effect of spontaneous mind wandering on cognitive flexibility.

Corrigendum: The impacts of mind-wandering on flow: Examining the critical role of physical activity and mindfulness.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.674501.].

Preliminary Study of microRNAs Allele-specific Targeting in Allergic Rhinitis Patients from Central China.

BACKGROUND: Abnormal expression of miRNA is a common feature in many diseases. Some studies have also emphasized that miRNAs play an important role in asthma and Allergic Rhinitis (AR). This study attempts to reveal the differences between miRNAs expression and normal nasal mucosa in AR patients by microarray method so as to further understand the molecular mechanism of AR development. METHODS: MiRNA microarrays were used for analyzing six samples of the nasal mucosa of AR and six samples of nonallergic patients. Quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of some differently expressed miRNAs was used to confirm the array results. Furthermore, pathway analysis was carried out. RESULTS: The microarray identified that 64 miRNAs showed altered expression in the nasal mucosa of the AR group when compared with the control group. Moreover, the expression levels of ten miRNAs were significantly altered in the AR group. To verify the results of microarray, three differentially expressed miRNA were determined by RT-PCR, and the results also confirmed these changes. Ten differentially expressed miRNAs were present in the nasal mucosa of AR patients compared with the control group, and three differentially expressed miRNAs as miR-1244, miR- 4651, and miR-7641 were determined by RT-PCR. The results also confirmed the changes, indicating that they play important roles in the process of AR. CONCLUSION: MiR-1244, miR-4651, and miR-7641 may play important roles in the process of AR. Sequencing analysis indicated that three kinds of mutations existed in MAPK8 3'UTR, which may play a role in binding with miR-7641, and then influence the AR process. Single miRNA or, more probably, their sets hold the promise for their use as biomarkers of allergic rhinitis. They are also a promising target of future therapies.