Electrophysiological correlation of auditory selective spatial attention in the "cocktail party" situation.

The auditory system can selectively attend to the target source in complex environments, the phenomenon known as the "cocktail party" effect. However, the spatiotemporal dynamics of electrophysiological activity associated with auditory selective spatial attention (ASSA) remain largely unexplored. In this study, single-source and multiple-source paradigms were designed to simulate different auditory environments, and microstate analysis was introduced to reveal the electrophysiological correlates of ASSA. Furthermore, cortical source analysis was employed to reveal the neural activity regions of these microstates. The results showed that five microstates could explain the spatiotemporal dynamics of ASSA, ranging from MS1 to MS5. Notably, MS2 and MS3 showed significantly lower partial properties in multiple-source situations than in single-source situations, whereas MS4 had shorter durations and MS5 longer durations in multiple-source situations than in single-source situations. MS1 had insignificant differences between the two situations. Cortical source analysis showed that the activation regions of these microstates initially transferred from the right temporal cortex to the temporal-parietal cortex, and subsequently to the dorsofrontal cortex. Moreover, the neural activity of the single-source situations was greater than that of the multiple-source situations in MS2 and MS3, correlating with the N1 and P2 components, with the greatest differences observed in the superior temporal gyrus and inferior parietal lobule. These findings suggest that these specific microstates and their associated activation regions may serve as promising substrates for decoding ASSA in complex environments.

Evaluation of Stripe Rust Resistance and Chip Detection Resistance Genes in 286 Xinjiang Wheat Cultivars and Breeding Lines.

Wheat stripe rust is a destructive disease worldwide, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst). Resistance breeding is the most effective method of controlling stripe rust. Xinjiang is a relatively independent epidemic region of wheat stripe rust in China. In recent years, wheat stripe rust in this area has shown an upward trend. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the resistance level of wheat cultivars (lines) to the prevalent Pst races and determine the genetic background of stripe rust resistance genes in Xinjiang. Six predominant Pst races in China were used to study resistance of 286 wheat cultivars (lines) at both seedling under controlled conditions and adult-plant stages under field conditions. In the seedling tests, 175 (61.19%) entries were resistant to races CYR23, 125 (43.71%) to CYR29, 153 (53.50%) to CYR31, 88 (30.77%) to CYR32, 174 (60.84%) to CYR33, and 98 (34.27%) to CYR34. Among the resistant entries, 23 (8.04%) were resistant to all six races. In the field test, 135 (47.20%) entries were resistant to the tested mixed races. Through comparing the responses in the seedling and adult-plant stages, 109 (38.11%) entries were found to have adult-plant resistance (APR), and 14 (4.90%) entries have all-stage resistance (ASR). The 286 wheat entries were also tested using a wheat breeder chip containing 12 Yr resistance loci. Among these entries, 44 (15.38%) were found to have single gene, 221 (77.27%) have two or more genes, and 21 (7.34%) have none of the 12 genes, including 144 (50.35%) with Yr30 and 5 (1.75%) with YrSP. Entries with two or more genes have stronger resistance to Pst. Overall, the majority of entries have all-stage and/or adult-plant resistance, but their genes for resistance in addition to the 12 tested Yr genes need to be determined. It is also necessary to introduce more effective resistance genes in the breeding programs to improve stripe rust resistance in wheat cultivars in Xinjiang.

Nonfused Ring Electron Acceptors for Ternary Polymer Solar Cells with Low Energy Loss and Efficiency Over 18.

Ternary polymer solar cells(PSCs) have been identified as an effective approach to improving power conversion efficiency (PCE) of binary PSCs. However, most of the third component, especially Y-series non-fullerene acceptors, is a fused ring acceptor which often requires a rather tedious synthesis and the use of hazardous organostannane reagents. In this work, two nonfused ring acceptors IOEH-4F and IOEH-N2F are synthesized by a green synthetic route and incorporated into PM6:Y6 blend. Encouragingly, the IOEH-4F and IOEH-N2F-based ternary PSCs exhibited more efficient charge transfer, exciton separation, and lower energy loss than PM6:Y6-based PSCs. And the IOEH-4F and IOEH-N2F-based ternary PSCs achieved an impressive PCE of 17.80% and 18.13%, respectively, which are higher than that of PM6:Y6 based PSCs (16.18%). Notably, these PCE values are also the highest PCEs for ternary PSCs including non-fused ring acceptors. Importantly, even when the IOEH-N2F:Y6 ratios increased from 0.05:1.2 to 0.50:1.2, the PCE of IOEH-N2F-based ternary PSCs (16.70%) are still higher than that of PM6:Y6 based PSCs, indicating the great potential for cost saving. It is believed that the findings will help the design of better nonfused ring acceptors and the optimization of corresponding ternary PSCs with cost-saving advantage.

Comparative diagnostic performance of contrast-enhanced ultrasound and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging for differentiating clear cell and non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the diagnostic efficiency of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) with that of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) for the differential diagnosis of clear and non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma, as confirmed by subsequent pathology. METHODS: A total of 181 patients with 184 renal lesions diagnosed by both CEUS and DCE-MRI were enrolled in the study, including 136 clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and 48 non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma (non-ccRCC) tumors. All lesions were confirmed by histopathologic diagnosis after surgical resection. Interobserver agreement was estimated using a weighted kappa statistic. Diagnostic efficiency in evaluating ccRCC and non-ccRCC was compared between CEUS and DCE-MRI. RESULTS: The weighted kappa value for interobserver agreement was 0.746 to 0.884 for CEUS diagnosis and 0.764 to 0.895 for DCE-MRI diagnosis. Good diagnostic performance in differential diagnosis of ccRCC and non-ccRCC was displayed by both CEUS and DCE-MRI: sensitivity was 89.7% and 91.9%, respectively; specificity was 77.1% and 68.8%, respectively; and area under the receiver operating curve was 0.834 and 0.803, respectively. No statistically significant differences were present between the two methods (p = 0.54). CONCLUSIONS: Both CEUS and DCE-MRI imaging are effective for the differential diagnosis of ccRCC and non-ccRCC. Thus, CEUS could be an alternative to DCE-MRI as a first test for patients at risk of renal cancer, particularly where DCE-MRI cannot be carried out. KEY POINTS: • CEUS and DCE-MRI features can help differentiate ccRCC and non-ccRCC. • The differential diagnosis of ccRCC and non-ccRCC by CEUS is comparable to that of DCE-MRI. • Interobserver agreement is generally high using CEUS and DCE-MRI.

Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale in Medical Staff: Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, mental well-being is a critical issue for public health, especially among medical staff; it affects professionalism, efficiency, quality of care delivery, and overall quality of life. Nevertheless, assessing mental well-being is a complex problem. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Chinese-language version of the 14-item Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) in medical staff recruited mainly from 6 hospitals in China and provide a reliable measurement of positive mental well-being. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted of medical staff from 15 provinces in China from May 15 to July 15, 2020. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to test the structure of the Chinese WEMWBS. The Spearman correlations of the Chinese WEMWBS with the 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) were used to evaluate convergent validity. The Cronbach α and split-half reliability (λ) represented internal consistency. A graded response model was adopted for an item response theory (IRT) analysis. We report discrimination, difficulty, item characteristic curves (ICCs), and item information curves (IICs). ICCs and IICs were used to estimate reliability and validity based on the IRT analysis. RESULTS: A total of 572 participants from 15 provinces in China finished the Chinese WEMWBS. The CFA showed that the 1D model was satisfactory and internal consistency reliability was excellent, with α=.965 and λ=0.947, while the item-scale correlation coefficients ranged from r=0.727 to r=0.900. The correlation coefficient between the Chinese WEMWBS and the WHO-5 was significant, at r=0.746. The average variance extraction value was 0.656, and the composite reliability value was 0.964, with good aggregation validity. The discrimination of the Chinese WEMWBS items ranged from 2.026 to 5.098. The ICCs illustrated that the orders of the category thresholds for the 14 items were satisfactory. CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese WEMWBS showed good psychometric properties and can measure well-being in medical staff.

Analysis of Adhesion at the Interface of Steamed Bread and Eggshell.

The adhesion phenomenon of polymers occurs in nature and in human activity. In the present paper, an adhesion system of steamed bread and eggshell was observed in formation when steamed bread and eggshells were placed in close contact and cooled slightly in the ambient air. The adhesion phenomena and mechanism of the adhesion interface between the steamed bread and eggshell were investigated and systematically discussed. Strong-bond interfaces were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The formation process and mechanism of the strong-bond adhesion were also analyzed molecular dynamics simulation technology, and the results are discussed. The simulation analyses showed that the starch molecules at the calcite (104) crystal face were diffused in a water vapor environment, and the formation and solidification of multiple hydrogen bonds in the starch chain and oxygen atoms in the calcium carbonate were observed in detail during cooling. The diffusion rate of hydrogen atoms in hydroxyl groups on the calcite surface decreased gradually with the decrease of the cooling temperature of the steamed bread's upper surface. The strong adhesion of the steamed bread and eggshell is attributed to the synthetic effect of the absorption, diffusion, surface chemistry, and the formation of multiple hydrogen bonds between the starch from the steamed bread and the calcium carbonate crystals in eggshell. The interesting findings are helpful for the design of strong bonds, and provide an idea for new environmentally friendly adhesive materials.

[Value of Trans-lymphatic Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of Cervical Lymph Node Metastasis of Thyroid Cancer].

Objective To explore the value of trans-lymphatic contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)in the diagnosis of cervical lymph node metastasis of thyroid cancer. Methods The patients with suspected thyroid cancer underwent conventional ultrasound and trans-lymphatic CEUS examinations before the biopsy.The differences in ultrasound and CEUS characteristics of cervical lymph nodes between the metastatic group and the non-metastatic group were compared,and pathological results were regarded as the golden standard. Results Twenty patients had thyroid cancer,including 12 cases with lymph node metastasis and 8 cases without metastasis.The diagnostic sensitivity(91.7% vs. 75.0%)and accuracy(90.0% vs.80.0%)of trans-lymphatic CEUS were higher than those of conventional ultrasound.The normal lymph nodes presented homogeneous enhancement,while the metastatic lymph nodes showed heterogeneous or non-enhancement during the trans-lymphatic CEUS examination.Conclusion As a new modality of ultrasound,trans-lymphatic CEUS contributes to the diagnosis of cervical lymph node metastasis of thyroid cancer and supplements the deficiencies of conventional ultrasound.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound for the characterization of portal vein thrombosis vs tumor-in-vein in HCC patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is a common complication of liver cirrhosis. However, differentiation of thrombosis and tumor-in-vein (TIV) may be challenging. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is an excellent method for detection of vascularization and could help in the distinction. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis for evaluating the diagnostic value of CEUS in differentiating between PVT and TIV in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched up to the 5th of May 2019. The study quality was assessed by QUADAS-2 tool. Pooled sensitivity and specificity were calculated by the bivariate random effect model and hierarchical summary receiver-operating characteristic (SROC) curve was plotted. RESULTS: Seven studies including 425 participants were analyzed after screening 986 articles searched from databases. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of CEUS in diagnosing TIV were 0.94 (95%CI, 0.89-0.97) and 0.99 (95%CI, 0.80-1.00), respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) of SROC curve was 0.97 (95%CI, 0.95-0.98). The pooled sensitivity and AUC were consistent across all the subgroups of different subject numbers, country, study design, CEUS contrast agents, and diagnostic criteria. CONCLUSIONS: CEUS is highly efficient in differentiating TIV from PVT and is an alternative or a substitute for CT and/or MRI. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration number: CRD42019138847 KEY POINTS: • Characterization of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) vs tumor-in-vein (TIV) is critical for HCC staging. • CEUS has an excellent safety profile, provides a real-time analysis without any loss in accuracy compared with CT and MRI. • This meta-analysis demonstrates that contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a suitable method for the detection of PVT and distinction with TIV.

Uric acid fluctuation had no effect on renal function among gout patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To investigate the effects of serum uric acid (SUA) level and its fluctuation on renal dysfunction in gout patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data on gout patients was collected from Huzhou city electronic medical record system data sharing platform, and information about relevant diagnoses, prescriptions, biochemical indexes and imaging characteristics was extracted. The gout patients with baseline normal renal function were enrolled in this analysis, and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 was defined as renal dysfunction. The generalized estimating equation and Cox regression analysis were used. A total of 1009 patients with gout were enrolled. Compared with the reference group (normal baseline SUA with endpoint SUA to be < 6 mg/dL), endpoint SUA ≥ 10 mg/dL was associated with an increased risk of renal dysfunction (baseline normal SUA group: HR [95% CI] = 3.28 [1.21, 8.91]; baseline high SUA group: HR [95% CI] = 3.01 [1.43, 6.35]). Subgroup analysis of 771 SUA stable gout patients demonstrated that SUA levels at 8-10 (excluding 10), and ≥10 mg/dL were significantly associated with an increased risk for renal dysfunction, with HR [95%CI] to be 1.99 [1.05, 3.77], and 2.98 [1.38, 6.43], respectively. CONCLUSION: Regardless of the baseline SUA level, SUA >10 mg/dL was a significant risk factor for renal dysfunction. SUA between 6 and 10 mg/dL was a potential risk factor for renal dysfunction. No significant correlation of SUA fluctuation and renal function was found.

Meta-analysis: compared with anti-CCP and rheumatoid factor, could anti-MCV be the next biomarker in the rheumatoid arthritis classification criteria?

Background Previous reviews of the diagnosis for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have not compared anti-mutated citrullinated vimentin (MCV) with anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) and rheumatoid factor (RF) in respect of sensitivity, specificity and the area under the curve (AUC) against disease controls for differential diagnosis. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the value of anti-MCV in the diagnosis for RA, the combined sensitivity of anti-MCV and anti-CCP, and certain clinical characteristics related to the performance of anti-MCV. Methods Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science were searched for articles published up to 25 August 2018. A total of 33 studies including 6044 RA patients and 5094 healthy or disease controls achieved inclusive criteria. QUADAS-2 was applied to evaluate the quality of the included studies. The bivariate random effects model was employed in primary data synthesis to evaluate the diagnostic performance. Results The sensitivity of anti-MCV, anti-CCP and RF in RA diagnosis against a disease control group was 0.71, 0.71, 0.77, with the specificity of 0.89, 0.95, 0.73, and the AUC of the SROC of 0.89, 0.95, 0.82, respectively. The predesign of the primary study and diagnostic criteria were statistically significant as sources of heterogeneity. Anti-MCV and anti-CCP tests demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.77 when performed in parallel, with a sensitivity of 0.60 when performed in series; whereas, the combination of anti-MCV and RF presented a sensitivity of 0.64 when used in series. Conclusions Anti-MCV demonstrates comparable diagnostic value to anti-CCP and RF, thus it can be an effective diagnostic marker for RA and may be written into the next authoritative criteria.

An ultrasound-based nomogram for predicting central lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma.

AIMS: Performing prophylactic central lymph node dissection for papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) patients with clinically negative lymph node metastasis remains controversial - not all patients with PTMC are suitable for active surveillance. Therefore, we aimed to establish a nomogram based on ultrasound features for predicting CLNM in PTMC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 636 patients with PTMC, in which the CLNM status was pathologically confirmed. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were conducted to screen for risk factors associated with CLNM. Then, a CLNM prediction model was established, receiver operating characteristic, calibration, and decision curve analyses were used to assess the model's performance. RESULTS: Five variables, including age, sex, combined CLNM status, tumor size, and capsule invasion, were included in the nomogram. The values of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve in the training and validation datasets were 0.720 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.649-0.791) and 0.704 (95% CI, 0.622-0.786), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: An ultrasound-based nomogram was successfully established, of which the predictive model shows excellent predictive performance and can be used to evaluate the status of CLNM in PTMC. Thus, patients with high nomogram scores should be considered for prophylactic central neck dissection.

Financial toxicity, family resilience and negative emotions among young and middle-aged breast cancer patients: A multicentre cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: To determine financial toxicity in young and middle-aged women with breast cancer and examine the associations between family resilience and negative emotions. METHODS: A multicentre cross-sectional study was conducted, 538 women with breast cancer were recruited from four hospitals. FT, family resilience, and negative emotions were collected using the Comprehensive Score for FT, the Chinese version of the Family Resilience Assessment in Breast Cancer Patients, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 item, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7. This study adhered to the STROBE guidelines. RESULTS: The valid response rate was 96.8 % (N = 521). Overall, the score for FT was 19.63 ± 10.13. FT was significantly correlated with family resilience (r = 0.30, p < 0.010) and depression (r = -0.11, p < 0.050). The hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis showed that career status, monthly income, religion, and family resilience were the main factors influencing FT in patients with breast cancer (R2 = 0.37; F = 6.83; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: FT was more prevalent among women from low-income career. Women with poor family resilience, no religious also suffer greater financial toxicity. It is necessary to pay more attention of the financial toxicity of female' low-income career, no religious belief and poor family resilience. Developing effective interventions based on family resilience might be helpful in promoting their well-being.

Cochlear Implant Artifacts Removal in EEG-Based Objective Auditory Rehabilitation Assessment.

Cochlear implant (CI) is a neural prosthesis that can restore hearing for patients with severe to profound hearing loss. Observed variability in auditory rehabilitation outcomes following cochlear implantation may be due to cerebral reorganization. Electroencephalography (EEG), favored for its CI compatibility and non-invasiveness, has become a staple in clinical objective assessments of cerebral plasticity post-implantation. However, the electrical activity of CI distorts neural responses, and EEG susceptibility to these artifacts presents significant challenges in obtaining reliable neural responses. Despite the use of various artifact removal techniques in previous studies, the automatic identification and reduction of CI artifacts while minimizing information loss or damage remains a pressing issue in objectively assessing advanced auditory functions in CI recipients. To address this problem, we propose an approach that combines machine learning algorithms-specifically, Support Vector Machines (SVM)-along with Independent Component Analysis (ICA) and Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD) to automatically detect and minimize electrical artifacts in EEG data. The innovation of this research is the automatic detection of CI artifacts using the temporal properties of EEG signals. By applying EEMD and ICA, we can process and remove the identified CI artifacts from the affected EEG channels, yielding a refined signal. Comparative analysis in the temporal, frequency, and spatial domains suggests that the corrected EEG recordings of CI recipients closely align with those of peers with normal hearing, signifying the restoration of reliable neural responses across the entire scalp while eliminating CI artifacts.

Comparative study of the antibacterial effects of wound secretions of different cultivars of Chinese fir.

Background: The bark of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata), the largest afforestation tree species in the forest areas of southern China, is susceptible to injuries and bites from small animals. The population of small animals has recently increased owing to improvements in the ecological environment across various forested areas, thus increasing the incidence of injuries in the bark of Chinese fir. Following such injuries, the bark secretes light yellow or milky white secretions, the function of which remains unclear. The present study aimed to reveal the antibacterial effect of exudates of different Chinese fir cultivars on five bacterial species. Methods: The research involved three-year-old plantations of Taxus chinensis var. koraiensis and Yangkou3 and three-year-old container plantations of Taxus chinensis var. pendula, Yang 061, and Yang 020. The antibacterial effects of exudates were analyzed using the filter paper diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentration for each secretion and the bacterial inhibition zone were determined. Results: The exudates of the different Chinese fir bark exhibited notable antibacterial effects on Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella paratyphi B, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. However, the extent of these antibacterial effects varied among the different Chinese fir cultivars, as the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the exudates against the five bacterial species varied. The mean MIC of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was lower potency, whereas that of Escherichia coli was the lowest. Notably, the antibacterial efficacy of the exudates was mainly influenced by the composition of the secretions rather than the number of secretions, with organic acid compounds and terpenoids potentially contributing to the antibacterial effects against E. coli and Bacillus subtilis, respectively. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the antibacterial effect of wound secretion of different Chinese fir cultivars, highlighting their varying efficacy on different bacterial species. Moreover, the antibacterial ability of the exudates of the strains was mainly determined by the composition of the wound secretions, and there was no noticeable relationship with the number of wound secretions. The results of this study offers a theoretical basis for screen Chinese fir cultivars with high-disease-resistant.

Overexpression of cat2 restores antioxidant properties and production traits in degenerated strains of Volvariella volvacea.

Strain degeneration is an important factor hindering the development of the edible fungus industry. Strain degeneration is associated with the excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vivo. Catalase (CAT), an important antioxidant enzyme, can promote the clearance of ROS. In this study, the cat2 gene of Volvariella volvacea was first cloned into an overexpression plasmid via homologous recombination. Finally, through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, this plasmid was inserted into degenerated strains of V. volvacea T19. The physiological properties, antioxidant properties, ROS content, matrix degradation activity, and cultivation properties of the transformants were tested. The results showed that the cloned cat2 gene was 99.94% similar to the reference sequence. Screening revealed that six positive transformants were successfully obtained. After the overexpression of cat2, the growth rate and biomass of the mycelium increased significantly in the transformant strains (versus the V. volvacea T19 degenerated strains). Moreover, the accumulation of superoxide radical (O2•-) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was significantly reduced, and the activity of the enzymes CAT, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) was significantly increased. Meanwhile, the expression of cat2, Mnsod1, Mnsod2, gpx, and gr was significantly upregulated, and the activity of eight matrix degradation-related enzymes was increased to varying degrees. More importantly, the overexpression of the cat2 gene promoted the regrowth of fruiting bodies in degenerated strains of V. volvacea T19. This study provides a new biotechnological strategy to control the degeneration of V. volvacea and other edible fungi.

Involvement of RNA methylation modification patterns mediated by m7G, m6A, m5C and m1A regulators in immune microenvironment regulation of Sjögren's syndrome.

Keratoconjunctivitis is the most common complication of Sjögren's syndrome (SS). It has always been a hot research topic due to its complex pathogenesis. A further understanding of keratoconjunctiva xerosis can be obtained by studying the primary diseases. 7-Methylguanine (m7G), N6-methyladenosine (m6A), 5-methylcytosine (m5C), and N1-methyladenosine (m1A) are newly discovered epigenetic mechanisms involved in the development of SS. This study aimed to investigate the effects of m7G, m6A, m5C, and m1A modifications on the immune microenvironment of SS. Three microarray datasets were downloaded from the Gene Omnibus Expression (GEO) database, including 56 SS samples and 35 normal samples. Then, genes with m7G, m6A, m5C, and m1A methylation were explored, and the RNA modification patterns mediated by 59 m7G, m6A, m5C, and m1A regulators were summarized. The effects of m7G, m6A, m5C, and m1A modifications on immune infiltrating cells were discussed. Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit D(EIF3D) was closely related to monocytes, and the expression of EIF3D was higher in SS with less monocytes. Two distinct patterns of RNA modification mediated by the 59 m7G, m6A, m5C, and m1A regulators were also identified, which infiltrated immune cells differently. Moreover, the two distinct RNA patterns were enriched in different signaling pathways, and their biological functions were explored. The findings revealed that m7G, m6A, m5C, and m1A modifications played vital roles in the diversity and complexity of the immune microenvironment in SS.

microRNA-141-3p mediates epithelial cell proliferation, apoptosis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition and alleviates pulmonary fibrosis in mice via Spred2.

OBJECTIVE: This study probed the mechanism of microRNA (miR)-141-3p in the progression of pulmonary fibrosis (PF). METHODS: Mice were intratracheally administered with bleomycin (BLM) to establish a PF mouse model. To investigate the effects of miR-141-3p/Spred2 on PF in mice, PF mice received tail vein injections with agomir-141-3p and/or adenovirus vectors overexpressing Spred2 one week after BLM treatment. Then, the pathological changes of lung tissues were analyzed with H&E and Masson's trichrome staining and hydroxyproline contents in lung tissues were measured. For cell experiments, after loss- and gain-of-function assays, the role of miR-141-3p/Spred2 in the apoptosis and viability of TGF-ß1-stimulated MLE-12 cells was examined by flow cytometry and CCK-8 assay. miR-141-3p, Spred2, COl 1, and α-SMA expression was determined in cells and mice. Then, the binding of miR-141-3p to Spred2 was tested with a dual-luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS: There were abnormally upregulated Spred2 and downregulated miR-141-3p in lung tissues of PF mice. TGF-ß1 decelerated viability and augmented apoptosis and COl 1 and α-SMA expression in MLE-12 cells. Spred2 knockdown diminished apoptosis and α-SMA and COl 1 expression while enhancing proliferation in TGF-ß1-treated MLE-12 cells. Mechanistically, Spred2 was a target gene of miR-141-3p. miR-141-3p upregulation accelerated proliferation and repressed apoptosis and α-SMA and COl 1 expression in TGF-ß1-treated MLE-12 cells, which was nullified by further overexpressing Spred2. miR-141-3p alleviated PF in mice by targeting Spred2. CONCLUSION: miR-141-3p negatively modulates Spred2 to promote proliferation and repress epithelial-mesenchymal transition and apoptosis of epithelial cells, as well as ameliorating PF in mice.

Correlation between ultrasonographic scores and American college of rheumatology recommended rheumatoid arthritis disease activity measures: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To validate and facilitate ultrasound examinations on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity measurements in routine clinical practice. METHODS: A systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) of ultrasound examinations on joints and its correlation with clinical RA disease activity was performed. PubMed, Embase and Cochrane library were searched for literatures published up to May 01st 2021. Bayesian random-effect NMA was conducted to pool the correlations of ultrasonographic assessment scores with composite RA disease activity measurements. RESULTS: Fifteen studies evaluating twelve different existing ultrasonographic measurements on joints evaluation for RA disease activity scoring were included in this NMA. For comparisons with clinical disease activity index and simplified disease activity index, synovitis gray scale ultrasound 7 joints (GSUS7) demonstrated modest correlation of 0.30[- 0.74, 1.23] and 0.46[- 0.45, 1.15] respectively, followed by synovitis power Doppler ultrasound 7 joints (PDUS7) (0.25[- 0.57, 1.14], 0.31[- 0.46, 1.24]) and power Doppler ultrasound 12 joints (PDUS12) (0.23[- 1.36, 0.83], 0.25[- 1.18, 0.88]). As for disease activity score using 28 joint counts, PDUS12 showed the biggest correlation of 0.53[- 0.09, 1.11], followed by ultrasound 7 joints (US7) (0.50[0.06, 0.93]), PDUS7 (0.49[- 0.24, 1.12]), power Doppler ultrasound 6 joints (PDUS6) (0.42[- 0.29, 1.21]), synovitis PDUS7 (0.47[- 0.09, 1.27]) and synovitis GSUS7 (0.40[0.01, 0.86]). CONCLUSION: Comparative validity was observed on fewer joints ultrasonic evaluation for RA disease activity measurements, such as synovitis GSUS7 and synovitis PDUS7. Ultrasonographic measurements can be complementary for clinical RA disease activity measures with clinical efficiency, and technical guidelines were in need for clinical routine practice.

Health-related quality of life in Chinese medical staff: a latent profile analysis.

Objective: To investigate subgroups of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the Chinese medical staff and identify the demographic factors associated with these profiles. Methods: 574 Chinese medical staff were surveyed online. HRQoL was measured by using the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, Version 2. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify the profiles of HRQoL. The associations between HRQoL profiles and covariates were assessed using multinomial logistic regression. Results: Three HRQoL profiles were developed: low HRQoL at 15.6%, moderate HRQoL at 46.9%, and high HRQoL at 37.6%. Multinomial logistic regression showed night shift times, aerobic exercise conditioning, and personality type significantly predicted the profile membership. Conclusion: Our findings develop earlier approaches that only used total scores to evaluate this group's HRQoL and help them with tailored interventions to promote better HRQoL.