Bipolaris fujianensis sp. nov., an Emerging Pathogen of Sapling Shoot Blight on Chinese Fir, and Its Sensitivity to Fungicides.

Chinese fir is an extremely important economic tree species in southern China. In recent years, 74.5% of Chinese fir saplings suffered from shoot blight in Shunchang County, Nanping City, Fujian Province, China. Seventeen isolates were collected from rotten shoots, and their pathogenicity was confirmed following Koch's postulates. The five pathogenic isolates were identified as belonging to the genus Bipolaris based on morphological characteristics, including septate and geniculate conidiophores, smooth to slightly verruculose conidiogenous nodes, dematiaceous phragmospore conidia, oblong or fusiform conidia, and slightly protruding or truncate hilum on conidia, but the number of pseudosepta (3 to 11, mostly 5 to 8) and the size of conidia ([22.81 to 116.13] × [9.16 to 26.58] µm) are different from those of the known species of Bipolaris. A phylogenetic analysis based on ITS, GAPDH, and Tef1-α sequences determined that the five strains belong to a new species of Bipolaris, and the name Bipolaris fujianensis sp. nov. is proposed. The fungicide sensitivity of the pathogen strain Cfsb3 was further evaluated using eight fungicides. Flusilazole, difenoconazole, tebuconazole, and propiconazole exhibited high toxicity to Cfsb3, and the effective concentration inhibiting 50% (EC50) of mycelial growth was 0.08, 0.20, 0.34, and 0.36 µg/ml, respectively, for these four fungicides. Flusilazole, difenoconazole, and iprodione inhibited B. fujianensis by 100% on detached Chinese fir shoots at their recommended concentrations, but azoxystrobin and thiram were ineffective. In conclusion, this study reported an emerging pathogen of Chinese fir sapling shoot blight and proposed triazole and dicarboximide fungicides for disease control.

Upregulated CXCL8 in placenta accreta spectruma regulates the migration and invasion of HTR-8/SVneo cells.

BACKGROUND: Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) is mainly characterized by excessive invasion of the uterine muscle layer accompanied by a large number of foreign blood vessels, leading to severe bleeding during and after delivery. However, the mechanism of excessive invasion of nutrient cells in placenta accreta is currently unclear. METHODS: We performed RNA sequencing of 6 PAS patients and 4 control donors, coupled with Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses. The mRNA and protein expression of C-X-C motif ligand 8 (CXCL8) in the placental tissue was measured by qRT‒PCR, immunohistochemical staining and Western blotting. HTR-8/SVneo human villous trophoblast Neo cells were used for in vitro investigation of cell migration and invasion as well as the expression level of CXCL8. RESULTS: A total of 1120 differentially expressed mRNAs were identified in PAS patients. Moreover, GO and KEGG analyses indicated that the differentially expressed mRNAs were most closely associated with immune system processes, biological adhesion and Wnt signaling pathway. The CXCL8 mRNA and protein levels in PAS tissue were significantly higher than those in normal placental tissue. Forced overexpression of CXCL8 significantly increased the migration and invasion of HTR-8/SVneo cells, accompanied by the upregulation of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 and the downregulation of E-cadherin, which was reversed by knockdown of CXCL8. CONCLUSIONS: CXCL8 was highly expressed in PAS, and knockdown of CXCL8 suppressed the migration and invasion of HTR-8/SVneo cells, suggesting its potential as a diagnostic and therapeutic target for PAS.

Machine learning-based identification of symptomatic carotid atherosclerotic plaques with dual-energy computed tomography angiography.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop and validate a machine learning model incorporating both dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) angiography quantitative parameters and clinically relevant risk factors for the identification of symptomatic carotid plaques to prevent acute cerebrovascular events. METHODS: The data of 180 patients with carotid atherosclerosis plaques were analysed from January 2017 to December 2021; 110 patients (64.03±9.58 years old, 20 women, 90 men) were allocated to the symptomatic group, and 70 patients (64.70±9.89 years old, 50 women, 20 men) were allocated to the asymptomatic group. Overall, five machine learning models using the XGBoost algorithm, based on different CT and clinical features, were developed in the training cohort. The performances of all five models were assessed in the testing cohort using receiver operating characteristic curves, accuracy, recall rate, and F1 score. RESULTS: The shapley additive explanation (SHAP) value ranking showed fat fraction (FF) as the highest among all CT and clinical features and normalised iodine density (NID) as the 10th. The model based on the top 10 features from the SHAP measurement showed optimal performance (area under the curve [AUC] .885, accuracy .833, recall rate .933, F1 score .861), compared with the other four models based on conventional CT features (AUC .588, accuracy .593, recall rate .767, F1 score .676), DECT features (AUC .685, accuracy .648, recall rate .667, F1 score .678), conventional CT and DECT features (AUC .819, accuracy .740, recall rate .867, F1 score .788), and all CT and clinical features (AUC .878, accuracy .833, recall rate .867, F1 score .852). CONCLUSION: FF and NID can serve as useful imaging markers of symptomatic carotid plaques. This tree-based machine learning model incorporating both DECT and clinical features could potentially comprise a non-invasive method for identification of symptomatic carotid plaques to guide clinical treatment strategies.

[Cardiac Structural and Functional Features in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction:A Study Based on Propensity Score Matching].

Objective To investigate the cardiac structural and functional characteristics in the patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM),and predict the factors influencing the characteristics. Methods A total of 783 HFpEF patients diagnosed in the Department of Geriatric Cardiology,the First Hospital of Lanzhou University from April 2009 to December 2020 were enrolled in this study.Echocardiography and tissue Doppler technique were employed to evaluate cardiac structure and function.According to the occurrence of T2DM,the patients were assigned into a HFpEF+T2DM group (n=332) and a HFpEF group (n=451).Propensity score matching (PSM)(in a 1∶1 ratio) was adopted to minimize confounding effect.According to urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER),the HFpEF+T2DM group was further divided into three subgroups with UAER<20 µg/min,of 20-200 µg/min,and>200 µg/min,respectively.The comorbidities,symptoms and signs,and cardiac structure and function were compared among the groups to clarify the features of diabetes related HFpEF.Multivariate linear regression was conducted to probe the relationship of systolic blood pressure,blood glucose,glycosylated hemoglobin,and UARE with cardiac structural and functional impairment. Results The HFpEF+T2DM group had higher prevalence of hypertension (P=0.001) and coronary heart disease (P=0.036),younger age (P=0.020),and larger body mass index (P=0.005) than the HFpEF group,with the median diabetic course of 10 (3,17) years.After PSM,the prevalence of hypertension and coronary heart disease,body mass index,and age had no significant differences between the two groups(all P>0.05).In addition,the HFpEF+T2DM group had higher interventricular septal thickness (P=0.015),left ventricular posterior wall thickness (P=0.040),and left ventricular mass (P=0.012) and lower early diastole velocity of mitral annular septum (P=0.030) and lateral wall (P=0.011) than the HFpEF group.Compared with the HFpEF group,the HFpEF+T2DM group showed increased ratio of early diastolic mitral filling velocity to early diastolic mitral annular velocity (E/e') (P=0.036).Glycosylated hemoglobin was correlated with left ventricular mass (P=0.011),and the natural logarithm of UAER with interventricular septal thickness (P=0.004),left ventricular posterior wall thickness (P=0.006),left ventricular mass (P<0.001),and E/e' ratio (P=0.049). Conclusion The patients with both T2DM and HFpEF have thicker left ventricular wall,larger left ventricular mass,more advanced left ventricular remodeling,severer impaired left ventricular diastolic function,and higher left ventricular filling pressure than the HFpEF patients without T2DM.Elevated blood glucose and diabetic microvascular diseases might play a role in the development of the detrimental structural and functional changes of the heart.

Effect of Tiaojingzhixue Fang on the expression of sex hormone and endometrial tissue mRNA in perimenopausal patients with abnormal uterine bleeding.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of Tiaojingzhixue decoction on the expression of sex hormone and endometrial mRNA in perimenopausal patients with abnormal uterine bleeding. For this purpose, 84 patients with perimenopausal abnormal uterine bleeding who were treated in our hospital from January 2018 to January 2019 were divided into study group and control group, the control group was treated with mifepristone for six months, the clinical efficacy, time of symptom relief and disappearance, endometrial thickness, menstrual volume, adverse events, expression of sex hormone (ER), Progesterone receptor (PR), Lutropin (LH), Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), Estradiol (e2) and Vascular endothelial growth factor in endometrial tissue were compared between the two groups. The results showed that the clinical efficacy of the study group (97.61%) was significantly higher than the control group (80.95%) (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in endometrial thickness between the two groups before treatment, but after treatment for 1 month, 3 months and 6 months, endometrial thickness was thinner in the study group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in menstrual volume between the two groups before treatment (P <0.05), but it was lower in the study group (P <0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in the study group was 11.90% lower than in the control group (26.19%). The expression levels of ER, PR, LH, FSH and E2 were almost the same before treatment and there was no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05), but they were lower in the study group after treatment (P<0.05). Before treatment, there was no significant difference in the level of VEGF between the two groups (P>0.05); after treatment, the level of Vegf in the study group was lower than the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the level of Vegf in both groups was significantly higher than before treatment (P<0.05). In general, Tiaojingzhixue decoction can decrease the level of sex hormone and increase the expression of VEGF in patients with perimenopausal abnormal uterine bleeding.

Labor induction in China: a nationwide survey.

BACKGROUND: Overmedicalization in labor management and delivery, including labor induction, is an increasing global concern. But detailed epidemiological data on labor induction in China remains unclear. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of data (2015-2016) from 96 hospitals in 24 (of 34) Chinese administrative divisions. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between medical conditions and cesarean delivery among women undergoing induction. Linear regression analysis was performed to assess the association between the prelabor cesarean delivery and labor-induction rates in each hospital. The impacts of labor induction and prelabor cesarean delivery on maternal and neonatal outcomes were compared in low-risk women. RESULTS: Among 73 901 eligible participants, 48.1% were nulliparous. The overall weighted rate of labor induction in China was 14.2% (95% CI, 11.1-17.2%), with 18.4% (95% CI, 14.5-22.3%) in nulliparas and 10.2% (95% CI, 7.7-12.8%) in multiparas. Regardless of the induction method, the overall vaginal delivery rate was 72.9% (95% CI, 68.6-77.3%) in nulliparas and 86.6% (95% CI, 79.7-93.5%) in multiparas. Hospitals with a higher rate of nonmedically indicated cesarean delivery had a lower labor-induction rate in nulliparas (ß = - 0.57%; 95% CI, - 0.92 to - 0.22%; P = 0.002). Compared with prelabor cesarean delivery, labor induction in low-risk women was not associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. CONCLUSION: The 2015-2016 labor-induction rate in China was 18.4% in nulliparas and 10.2% in multiparas. The proportion of prelabor cesarean delivery may contribute to regional differences in the labor-induction rate. Compared with prelabor cesarean delivery, labor induction in low-risk women may not increase severe maternal and neonatal morbidity.

Abundance and mobility of metal(loid)s in reservoir sediments of Singe Tsangpo and Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet, China: Implications for ecological risk.

Geogenic arsenic enrichment in soil and river sediments of Tibet compared to its upper crustal abundance has been observed, raising the question whether other trace elements are also enriched and thus may pose ecological risks. Because human activities are limited, the reservoir sediments after the recent construction of the Shiquan dam on the Singe Tsangpo (ST) and the Zam dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo (YT) collect and thus represent material sourced from 14,870 km2 and 157,668 km2 of drainage areas, respectively. Bulk concentrations of the metalloid (As) and 13 metals (Li, Be, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Cs, and Pb) are analyzed for 123 samples from 9 mostly silty sediment cores (depth: 11-20 cm) from the Shiquan Reservoir and for 250 samples from 13 mostly sandy sediment cores (depth: 9-28 cm) from the Zam Reservoir. These elemental concentrations are normalized to the upper crustal Fe abundance of 3.9% to arrive at a regional sediment geochemical background value for each element. The regional background values of most elements in the ST drainage and the YT drainage are comparable with the upper crustal abundance. However, three elements (Li, As, and Cs) in both drainage basins display significant enrichment compared to their respective upper crustal abundance. Sequential leaching of a subset of sediment samples from the ST (n = 18) and YT (n = 29) drainages reveals that chemical fractions of metals and metalloids in these two reservoirs are similar, with most of the elements dominated by the residual fraction with low mobility. Taken together, the ecological risks of the most studied elements in the reservoir sediments are likely low pending further aquatic bioavailability investigations, except that As, Cu, Pb, and Be deserve more attention due to their elevated levels in mobile fractions.

Association between Placental Inflammatory Pathology and Offspring Neurodevelopment at 8 Months and 4 and 7 Years of Age.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether placental inflammatory pathology is associated with subsequent child neurodevelopment. STUDY DESIGN: We used the data of US Collaborative Perinatal Project cohort study. Placentas were examined by pathologists and child neurodevelopment was evaluated at 8 months and 4 and 7 years of age. Multivariable logistic regression modelling was used to assess the association. A mediation analysis was used to evaluate whether the association was mediated through shorter gestational age. RESULTS: Multivariable analysis after adjusting for confounders showed that placental inflammatory pathology was significantly associated with low Bayley motor (adjusted OR (aOR), 2.15; 95% CI, 1.50-3.06) and mental scales (aOR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.05-2.17) at 8 months and an IQ of 70-84 (aOR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.01-1.26) at 4 years of age. The association diminished at 7 years of age (IQ of <70, aOR 1.20 [95% CI, 0.97-1.48]; IQ of 70-79, aOR 1.03 [95% CI, 0.89-1.18]). The mediation analysis demonstrated that associations between placental inflammatory pathology and development were primarily due to direct effects of placental inflammatory pathology rather than indirect effects of shorter gestational age. CONCLUSIONS: Placental inflammation was associated with adverse offspring neurodevelopment up to 4 years of age.

A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blinded Study of the Effect of Intravenous Ondansetron on the Effective Dose in 50% of Subjects of Prophylactic Phenylephrine Infusions for Preventing Spinal Anesthesia-Induced Hypotension During Cesarean Delivery.

BACKGROUND: Ondansetron has been shown to reduce the incidence of hypotension and vasopressor requirement during spinal anesthesia for obstetric and nonobstetric surgery. However, the magnitude of this effect has not been fully quantified. In this parallel-group, randomized, double-blinded study, we determined the effective dose in 50% of subjects (ED50) of a prophylactic phenylephrine infusion for preventing hypotension in patients who received a single dose of intravenous ondansetron 4 mg or saline control before combined spinal-epidural anesthesia for elective cesarean delivery. ED50 values obtained were compared to estimate the effect of ondansetron versus placebo on vasopressor requirement. METHODS: Sixty parturients were randomly assigned to receive ondansetron (group O) or saline control (group C) 10 minutes before positioning for induction of spinal anesthesia. A prophylactic phenylephrine infusion was used to prevent hypotension. The first patient in each group received a phenylephrine infusion at the rate of 0.5 µg/kg/min. The infusion rate for each subsequent patient was varied with increments or decrements of 0.05 µg/kg/min based on the response of the previous patient, and the effective dose of the phenylephrine infusion for preventing hypotension in 50% of patients (ED50) was calculated for each group and compared using up-down sequential analysis. Probit regression was applied as a backup and sensitivity analysis was used to compare ED50 values for phenylephrine between groups by comparing calculated relative mean potency. RESULTS: The ED50 (mean [95% confidence interval (CI)]) of the rate of phenylephrine infusion was lower in group O (0.24 µg/kg/min [0.10-0.38 µg/kg/min]) compared with group C (0.32 µg/kg/min [0.14-0.47 µg/kg/min]) (P < .001). The total consumption of phenylephrine (mean ± standard deviation [SD]) until delivery was lower in group O (316.5 ± 25.9 µg) than in group C (387.7 ± 14.7 µg, P = .02). The estimate of relative median potency for phenylephrine for group O versus group C was 0.74 (95% CI, 0.37-0.95). CONCLUSIONS: Under the conditions of this study, intravenous ondansetron 4 mg reduced the ED50 of a prophylactic phenylephrine infusion by approximately 26% in patients undergoing cesarean delivery under combined spinal-epidural anesthesia.

Misdiagnosis of a twin pregnancy with double-corner uterine rupture following salpingectomy and protrusion of the amniotic sac as an adnexal cyst: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Salpingectomy-associated uterine rupture during intrauterine pregnancy is rare in the clinic. We report a case of pregnancy with bilateral rupture of the uterine horns after bilateral salpingectomy. CASE PRESENTATION: A 30-year-old woman of Han ethnicity presented with right epigastric pain at 28 weeks and 6 days of gestation. Examination by colour Doppler ultrasound showed the following: "Twin live births with normal foetal umbilical artery blood flow indexes and a 183 mm × 112 mm anechoic zone in the right front of the uterus". Initially, we made an incorrect judgement wherein we considered the amniotic sac that was protruding into the abdominal cavity to be an adnexal cyst. Fortunately, the diagnosis of uterine rupture was confirmed before the protruded amniotic sac broke. The mother did not bleed much, and the twin foetuses survived in our case. CONCLUSION: A previous history of salpingectomy via laparoscopy could be a risk factor for uterine rupture in pregnant women. Attention should be paid to rare complications of pregnancy. To avoid adverse events, we should pay special attention to women with a history of laparoscopic salpingectomy who complain about abdominal discomfort and offer them a relevant ultrasound examination.

Traumatic occlusion aggravates bone loss during periodontitis and activates Hippo-YAP pathway.

AIM: This study aimed at exploring changes in YAP expression and their effect on periodontitis (PD) combined with traumatic occlusion (TO). MATERIALS AND METHODS: BALB/cJ mice were used to establish a PD model by local administration of Porphyromonas gingivalis (P.g, ATCC 33277) and a TO model by occlusal elevation (OE) using composite resin bonding on the bilateral maxillary molar. The mouse fibroblast cell line (L929) and pre-osteoblast cell line (MC3T3-E1) were subjected to cyclic tensile/compressive stress and inflammatory stimuli (lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli) to verify in vivo results. RESULTS: Severe bone resorption was observed by microCT scanning in OE with P.g group, when compared to OE only and P.g only groups. Mechanical stress caused by OE activated the Hippo-YAP pathway in periodontal tissues and upregulated the expression of JNK/AP-1. OE with P.g further promoted the expression of YAP and JNK/AP1, leading to the upregulation of the JNK/AP-1 related inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL6. Similar results were obtained when osteoblasts were subjected to mechanical stress in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that periodontitis with TO caused severe inflammation-induced bone resorption. Activation of YAP and upregulation of JNK/AP-1 induced by TO potentially aggravated the symptoms of PD.

Inhibition of Ctsk alleviates periodontitis and comorbid rheumatoid arthritis via downregulation of the TLR9 signalling pathway.

AIM: In this study, we investigate the mechanistic link between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and periodontitis to identify a novel target (cathepsin K; Ctsk) for the treatment of comorbid periodontitis and RA. METHODS: An experimental model of periodontitis with arthritis was established in DBA/1 mice. We then tested the effect of BML-244, a specific inhibitor of Ctsk, by quantifying several inflammatory markers of TLR9 signalling both in vivo and in vitro. RESULTS: Our results showed that periodontitis-rheumatoid arthritis comorbidity causes severer periodontal bone and joint cartilage destruction than either disease alone. Inhibition of Ctsk reduced infiltration by dendritic cells and T cells and inflammatory cytokine production; these improvements alleviated the hard-tissue erosion in periodontitis and RA as measured by bone erosion in periodontal lesions and cartilage destruction in knee joints. Inhibition of Ctsk also decreased the expression of TLR4 and TLR9 in vivo, whereas in vitro experiments indicated that Ctsk is involved specifically in the production of cytokines in response to TLR9 engagement. CONCLUSION: Our data reveal that periodontitis and RA may have additive pathological effects through dysregulation of the TLR9 pathway and that Ctsk is a critical mediator of this pathway and contributes to the pathogenesis of RA and periodontitis.

Correction to: Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of blood serum based on gold nanoparticles for the diagnosis of the oral squamous cell carcinoma.

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The response analysis of fractional-order stochastic system via generalized cell mapping method.

This paper is concerned with the response of a fractional-order stochastic system. The short memory principle is introduced to ensure that the response of the system is a Markov process. The generalized cell mapping method is applied to display the global dynamics of the noise-free system, such as attractors, basins of attraction, basin boundary, saddle, and invariant manifolds. The stochastic generalized cell mapping method is employed to obtain the evolutionary process of probability density functions of the response. The fractional-order ϕ6 oscillator and the fractional-order smooth and discontinuous oscillator are taken as examples to give the implementations of our strategies. Studies have shown that the evolutionary direction of the probability density function of the fractional-order stochastic system is consistent with the unstable manifold. The effectiveness of the method is confirmed using Monte Carlo results.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of blood serum based on gold nanoparticles for the diagnosis of the oral squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is becoming more common across the globe. The prognosis of OSCC is largely dependent on the early detection. But the routine oral cavity examination may delay the diagnosis because the early oral malignant lesions may be clinically indistinguishable from benign or inflammatory diseases. In this study, the new diagnostic method is developed by using the surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to detect the serum samples from the cancer patients. METHOD: The blood serum samples were collected from the OSCC patients, MEC patients and the volunteers without OSCC or MEC. Gold nanoparticles(NPs) were then mixed in the serum samples to obtain the high quality SERS spectra. There were totally 135 spectra of OSCC, 90 spectra of mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) and 145 spectra of normal control group, which were captured by SERS successfully. Compared with the normal control group, the Raman spectral differences exhibited in the spectra of OSCC and MEC groups, which were assigned to the nucleic acids, proteins and lipids. Based on these spectral differences and features, the algorithms of principal component analysis(PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were employed to analyze and classify the Raman spectra of different groups. RESULTS: Compared with the normal groups, the major increased peaks in the OSCC and MEC groups were assigned to the molecular structures of the nucleic acids and proteins. And these different major peaks between the OSCC and MEC groups were assigned to the special molecular structures of the carotenoids and lipids. The PCA-LDA results demonstrated that OSCC could be discriminated successfully from the normal control groups with a sensitivity of 80.7% and a specificity of 84.1%. The process of the cross validation proved the results analyzed by PCA-LDA were reliable. CONCLUSION: The gold NPs were appropriate substances to capture the high-quality SERS spectra of the OSCC, MEC and normal serum samples. The results of this study confirm that SERS combined PCA-LDA had a giant capability to detect and diagnosis OSCC through the serum sample successfully.

Label-free blood serum detection by using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and support vector machine for the preoperative diagnosis of parotid gland tumors.

BACKGROUND: It is difficult for the parotid gland neoplasms to make an accurate preoperative diagnosis due to the restriction of biopsy in the parotid gland neoplasms. The aim of this study is to apply the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) method for the blood serum biochemical detection and use the support vector machine for the analysis in order to develop a simple but accurate blood serum detection for preoperative diagnosis of the parotid gland neoplasms. METHODS: The blood serums were collected from four groups: the patients with pleomorphic adenoma, the patients with Warthin's tumor, the patients with mucoepidermoid carcinoma and the volunteers without parotid gland neoplasms. Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) were mixed with the blood serum as the SERS active nanosensor to enhance the Raman scattering signals produced by the various biochemical materials and high quality SERS spectrum were obtained by using the Raman microscope system. Then the support vector machine was utilized to analyze the differences of the SERS spectrum from the blood serum of different groups and established a diagnostic model to discriminate the different groups. RESULTS: It was demonstrated that there were different intensities of SERS peaks assigned to various biochemical changes in the blood serum between the parotid gland tumor groups and normal control group. Compared with the SERS spectra of the normal serums, the intensities of peaks assigned to nucleic acids and proteins increased in the SERS spectra of the parotid gland tumor serums, which manifested the differences of the biochemical metabolites in the serum from the patients with parotid gland tumors. When the leave-one-sample-out method was used, support vector machine (SVM) played an outstanding performance in the classification of the SERS spectra with the high accuracy (84.1 % ~ 88.3 %), sensitivity (82.2 % ~ 97.4 %) and specificity (73.7 % ~ 86.7 %). Though the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity decreased in the leave-one-patient-out cross validation, the mucoepidermoid carcinoma was still easier to diagnose than other tumors. DISCUSSION: The specific molecular differences of parotid gland tumors and normal serums were significantly demonstrated through the comparison between the various SERS spectra.But compared with the serum SERS spectra reported in the other studies, some differences exist between the spectra in this study and the ones reported in the lietratures. These differences may result from the various nano-particles, the different preparation of serum and equipment parameters, and we could need a further research to find an exact explanation.Based on the SERS spectra of the serum samples, SVM have shown a giant potential to diagnose the parotid gland tumors in our preliminary study. However, different cross validaiton methods could effect the accuracy and a further study involing a great number of samples should be needed. CONCLUSIONS: This exploratory research demonstrated the great potential of SERS combined with SVM into a non-invasive clinical diagnostic method for preoperative diagnosis of parotid gland tumors. And the internal relation between the spectra and patients should be established in the further study.

Diagnosis of pathological minor salivary glands in primary Sjogren's syndrome by using Raman spectroscopy.

The lip biopsy is essential for the diagnosis of primary Sjogren's syndrome (SS) but an invasive method can cause some disadvantages. The purpose of this study is to apply Raman spectroscopy to detect the pathological minor salivary glands in primary SS and establish the diagnostic model of Raman spectra of the primary SS samples. Raman spectra from the primary samples and control samples were obtained by Raman microscope and were compared to find the differences. The principal component analysis (PCA) and discrimination function analysis (DFA) were employed to analyze the spectra and establish the diagnostic model. The differences of Raman spectra demonstrated the biochemical molecular alterations between the different samples. Compared with the control samples, the content of proteins, nucleic acids, and keratin increased in the primary SS samples but the content of lipids decreased. PCA and DFA displayed a powerful role in the classification of the Raman spectra. The sensitivity and specificity of the diagnostic model reached above 91 and 92%, respectively. The total accuracy is 92.4%. Raman spectroscopy combined with PCA-DFA algorithm will provide an effective and accurate technology for the diagnosis of the pathological minor salivary glands in primary SS, which may replace the lip biopsy in the future.

Preliminary study on the resection of parapharyngeal and lateral skull base tumors by using transoral endoscopy with 3D visualization and navigation technologies.

OBJECTIVES: With the assistance of 3D visualization and real-time navigation technologies, the tumors in the parapharyngeal and lateral skull base should be removed through oral the approach with endoscopy. METHODS: The preoperative CT data of eight patients with parapharyngeal or lateral skull base soft tissue tumors were modeled, and the anatomical position relationship between the tumor and surrounding blood vessels and other important structures was reconstructed using 3D visualization technology, and preoperative design was performed. The intraoperative oral approach and real-time navigation guidance were adopted in the endoscopic resection of soft tissue tumors in the parapharyngeal and lateral skull base, and the clinical application value of this method was evaluated. RESULTS: The blood loss during the operation was controlled within 150 mL, and the average blood loss was approximately 125 mL. The incidence of postoperative complications was low, and patients could recover well through functional training. The oral approach did not leave any wounds nor scars on the patient's facial skin after the operation and had no effect on the patient's appearance. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of 3D visualization technology, intraoperative real-time navigation, and endoscopy provides a beautiful, safe, and minimally invasive surgical method for patients with parapharyngeal or lateral skull base tumors.

PRG4 represses the genesis and metastasis of osteosarcoma by inhibiting PDL1 expression.

BACKGROUND: Osteosarcoma is originated from skeletal system. Recombinant human proteoglycan 4 (rhPRG4) can inhibit cell proliferation and migration in multiple cancers. This research is designed to dig out the role and mechanism of PRG4 in osteosarcoma. METHODS: Human osteosarcoma cell lines, MG63 and 143B, were transfected with programmed death 1 (PD-L1) overexpression vectors and/or treated with 20, 50, and 100 µg/mL rhPRG4, followed by the determination of cell viability, colony formation, sphere formation, invasion, migration, apoptosis, and the expressions of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), PD-L1 and apoptosis-related proteins. Tumor-bearing mouse models were constructed by injection of 143B cells and treatment of anti-PD-L1 antibody and/or adenovirus PRG4 (AdPRG4). Tumor volume was monitored, and immunohistochemical location of Ki67 was performed. Expressions of MMPs, transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß), PD-L1, and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins were measured in tumors. RESULTS: RhPRG4 (20, 50, and 100 µg/mL) inhibited the viability, colony formation, sphere formation, invasion, migration, and the expressions of MMP2, MMP9 and Bcl2 in osteosarcoma cells, while promoting cell apoptosis as well as Bax and c-caspase3 expressions, at a dose-dependent manner; by contrast, PD-L1 overexpression reversed the above effects of 100 µg/mL rhPRG4. AdPRG4 or anti-PD-L1 antibody decreased tumor volume, number of pulmonary metastasis nodule, Ki67 location, and expressions of TGF-ß, PD-L1, MMP2, MMP9, Vimentin, and Snail, but increased E-cadherin expression in tumor cells. Moreover, anti-PD-L1 antibody and AdPRG4 together functioned more effectively than them alone in reducing tumor burden. CONCLUSION: PRG4 represses the genesis and metastasis of osteosarcoma via inhibiting PD-L1 expression, and AdPRG4 enhances the effectiveness of anti-PD-L1 therapy.

A novel nomogram model based on Ki-67 characteristic expression to predict prognosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine Ki-67's correlation with clinicopathological characteristics of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), evaluate its prognostic significance, and develop a Ki-67 integrated prognostic model. Methods: The retrospective study included 764 HNSCC patients hospitalized from 2012 to 2022. Data were sourced from medical records and immunohistochemical analysis of surgical specimens. Results: Ki-67 expression was significantly associated with sex, pathological grade, clinical stage, and metastasis, but not with age or recurrence. Higher Ki-67 levels were linked to poorer prognosis, as indicated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Utilizing a Cox proportional hazards model, four prognostic factors were identified: age, recurrence, metastasis, and Ki-67 expression. These factors were used to construct a prognostic model and a nomogram. The model's predictive accuracy was confirmed by a high concordance index and a reliable calibration curve. Conclusion: Ki-67 expression in HNSCC patients correlates with several clinicopathological features and serves as a negative prognostic marker. A prognostic model incorporating Ki-67 was successfully developed, offering a new tool for patient prognosis assessment in HNSCC.