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BACKGROUND: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a significant vascular condition that can lead to severe complications, including limb ischemia and cardiovascular events. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the association between prediabetes, an intermediate state between normoglycemia and diabetes, and the risk of developing PAD. METHODS: A comprehensive search of PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases was conducted to identify relevant cohort studies up to April 12, 2024. Data extraction was performed independently by two reviewers, and any discrepancies were resolved by consensus. Pooled relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects model to account for heterogeneity among studies. RESULTS: A total of eight cohort studies comprising 90133 participants were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled analysis revealed that individuals with prediabetes had a significantly higher risk of PAD compared to those with normoglycemia (RR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.13-1.42, p < 0.001; I2 = 55%). Subgroup analyses indicated that the association was stronger in prediabetes defined by mildly elevated hemoglobin A1c (RR: 1.47) compared to those defined by impaired fasting glucose (RR: 1.21) or impaired glucose tolerance (RR: 1.17, p for subgroup difference < 0.001). In addition, a stronger association was observed for studies reporting clinically diagnosed PAD compared to studies that included asymptomatic PAD (RR: 1.32 versus 0.92, p for subgroup difference = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis demonstrates a significant association between prediabetes and an increased risk of PAD in generally community-derived population.
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BACKGROUND: The gastrointestinal tract is a well-known extranodal site of lymphoma. B-cell lymphoma is the most common type, while T-cell lymphoma is uncommon. Primary gastrointestinal lymphoma mainly occurs in the stomach and small intestine, and the colon is less frequently involved, especially in females. CASE SUMMARY: A 45-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for physical examination. Gastroenteroscopy revealed a visible pedunculated polyp in the transverse colon, for which endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) was performed. Pathology suggested highly active proliferation of T lymphocytes with atypical hyperplasia. CONCLUSION: A middle-aged female patient was found to have colonic T-cell lymphoma by endoscopy. The lesion was successfully removed by ESD, and the surgical margin was negative. It is essential to raise awareness of colonic T-cell lymphoma and choose the appropriate treatment.
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Oral leukoplakia (OLK) is the most common oral precancerous lesion, and 3%-17% of OLK patients progress to oral squamous cell carcinoma. OLK is susceptible to recurrence and has no effective treatment. However, conventional drugs have significant side effects and limitations. Therefore, it is important to identify drugs that target OLK. In this study, scavenger receptor A (SR-A) was found to be abnormally highly expressed in the oral mucosal epithelial cells of OLK patients, whereas molecular biology studies revealed that low molecular weight fucoidan (LMWF) promoted apoptosis of dysplastic oral keratinocytes (DOK) and inhibited the growth and migration of DOK, and the inhibitory effect of LMWF on OLK was achieved by regulating the SR-A/Wnt signaling axis and related genes. Based on the above results and the special situation of the oral environment, we constructed LMWF/poly(caprolactone-co-lactide) nanofiber membranes with different structures for the in-situ treatment of OLK using electrospinning technology. The results showed that the nanofiber membranes with a shell-core structure had the best physicochemical properties, biocompatibility, and therapeutic effect, which optimized the LMWF drug delivery and ensured the effective concentration of the drug at the target point, thus achieving precise treatment of local lesions in the oral cavity. This has potential application value in inhibiting the development of OLK.
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The electrooxidation of catalyst surfaces is across various electrocatalytic reactions, directly impacting their activity, stability and selectivity. Precisely characterizing the electrooxidation on well-defined surfaces is essential to understanding electrocatalytic reactions comprehensively. Herein, we employed in situ Raman spectroscopy to monitor the electrooxidation process of palladium single crystal. Our findings reveal that the Pd surface's initial electrooxidation process involves forming *OH intermediate and ClO4- ions facilitate the deprotonation process, leading to the formation of PdOx. Subsequently, under deep electrooxidation potential range, the oxygen atoms within PdOx contribute to creating surface-bound peroxide species, ultimately resulting in oxygen generation. The adsorption strength of *OH and the coverage of ClO4- can be adjusted by the controllable electronic effect, resulting in different oxidation rates. This study offers valuable insights into elucidating the electrooxidation mechanisms underlying a range of electrocatalytic reactions, thereby contributing to the rational design of catalysts.
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Targeting cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) with specific antibody offers long-term benefits for cancer immunotherapy but can cause severe adverse effects in the heart. This study aimed to investigate the role of anti-CTLA-4 antibody in pressure overload-induced cardiac remodeling and dysfunction. Transverse aortic constriction (TAC) was used to induce cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure in mice. Two weeks after the TAC treatment, mice received anti-CTLA-4 antibody injection twice a week at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight. The administration of anti-CTLA-4 antibody exacerbated TAC-induced decline in cardiac function, intensifying myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis. Further investigation revealed that anti-CTLA-4 antibody significantly elevated systemic inflammatory factors levels and facilitated the differentiation of T helper 17 (Th17) cells in the peripheral blood of TAC-treated mice. Importantly, anti-CTLA-4 mediated differentiation of Th17 cells and hypertrophic phenotype in TAC mice were dramatically alleviated by the inhibition of interleukin-17A (IL-17A) by an anti-IL-17A antibody. Furthermore, the C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) antagonist AMD3100, also reversed anti-CTLA-4-mediated cardiotoxicity in TAC mice. Overall, these results suggest that the administration of anti-CTLA-4 antibody exacerbates pressure overload-induced heart failure by activating and promoting the differentiation of Th17 cells. Targeting the CXCR4/Th17/IL-17A axis could be a potential therapeutic strategy for mitigating immune checkpoint inhibitors-induced cardiotoxicity.
Subject(s)
CTLA-4 Antigen , Heart Failure , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Th17 Cells , Animals , Th17 Cells/immunology , Th17 Cells/metabolism , Mice , CTLA-4 Antigen/metabolism , CTLA-4 Antigen/antagonists & inhibitors , Heart Failure/etiology , Heart Failure/metabolism , Male , Interleukin-17/metabolism , Receptors, CXCR4/metabolism , Receptors, CXCR4/antagonists & inhibitors , Cell Differentiation , Cardiomegaly/metabolism , Cardiomegaly/pathology , Cardiomegaly/etiologyABSTRACT
Background: Lymphocyte antigen 9 (LY9) participates in the development of several tumors and diseases but has not been reported yet in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Methods: First, we analyzed the expression and prognostic value of LY9 in pan-cancer, including LUAD. Additionally, we conducted a correlation analysis of LY9 expression in LUAD with immune cell infiltration using the TIMER database and the CIBERSORT algorithm, and with immune checkpoints using the GEPIA database. Also, we constructed a potential ceRNA network for LY9. Furthermore, we explored LY9-related pathways by Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). Finally, validation of differential expression at the mRNA level was obtained from the GEO database. We collected LUAD tissues for Quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) to verify the expression of LY9, CD8, and CD4 and calculated the correlation between them. We also conducted immunohistochemistry (IHC) to verify the protein expression of LY9. Results: Results showed that LY9 was highly expressed in various tumors, including LUAD. Besides, patients with high LY9 expression presented longer overall survival (OS) and more multiple lymphocyte infiltrations. The expression of LY9 in LUAD strongly and positively correlates with multiple immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoints. The functional enrichment analysis indicated that LY9 was involved in multiple immune-related pathways and non-small cell lung cancer. Moreover, a ceRNA regulatory network of LINC00943-hsa-miR-141-3p-LY9 might be involved. Finally, GSE68465 dataset confirmed differential expression of LY9 mRNA levels in LUAD and the qRT-PCR results verified LY9 had a strong and positive correlation with CD4 and CD8 T cells. Unfortunately, IHC did not detect the expression of LY9 protein level in tumor tissues and WB experiments validated the protein expression of LY9 in the OCI-AML-2 cell line. Conclusions: Therefore, we hypothesized that LY9 could serve as a potential, novel prognostic biomarker for LUAD and could predict immunotherapy efficacy at the mRNA level.
Subject(s)
Adenocarcinoma of Lung , Biomarkers, Tumor , Immunotherapy , Lung Neoplasms , Humans , Prognosis , Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics , Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism , Lung Neoplasms/genetics , Lung Neoplasms/immunology , Lung Neoplasms/pathology , Lung Neoplasms/mortality , Adenocarcinoma of Lung/genetics , Adenocarcinoma of Lung/immunology , Adenocarcinoma of Lung/pathology , Adenocarcinoma of Lung/mortality , Immunotherapy/methods , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , Antigens, Ly/genetics , Antigens, Ly/metabolism , Antigens, Surface , GPI-Linked ProteinsABSTRACT
A substantive body of evidence has demonstrated the significant roles of circular RNA (circRNA) in cancer. However, the contribution of dysregulated circRNAs to ovarian cancer (OC) remains elusive. We aim to elucidate the critical roles and mechanisms of hsa_circ_0020093, which was demonstrated to be downregulated in OC tissues in our previous study. In this study, we confirmed the decreased expression of hsa_circ_0020093 in OC tissues and cell lines and demonstrated the negative correlation between its expression and FIGO stage, abdominal implantation and CA125 level of OC patients. Through gain and loss of function studies, we confirmed the inhibitory role of hsa_circ_0020093 in ovarian tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, based on the peri-nuclear accumulation of hsa_circ_0020093, we discovered the interaction between hsa_circ_0020093 and the mitochondrial protein LRPPRC by RNA pull-down, mass spectrometry, RNA Binding Protein Immunoprecipitation. As a result, qRT-PCR and transmission electron microscopy results showed that the mitochondria mRNA expression and mitochondria abundance were decreased upon hsa_circ_0020093-overexpression. Meanwhile, we also unearthed the hsa_circ_0020093/miR-107/LATS2 axis in OC according to RNA-sequencing, RIP and luciferase reporter assay data. Furthermore, LRPPRC and LATS2 are both reported as the upstream regulators of YAP, our study also studied the crosstalk between hsa_circ_0020093, LRPPRC and miR-107/LATS2, and unearthed the up-regulation of phosphorylated YAP in hsa_circ_0020093-overexpressing OC cells and xenograft tumors. Collectively, our study indicated the novel mechanism of hsa_circ_0020093 in suppressing OC progression through both hsa_circ_0020093/LRPPRC and hsa_circ_0020093/miR-107/LATS2 axes, providing a potential therapeutic target for OC patients.
Subject(s)
MicroRNAs , Ovarian Neoplasms , Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases , RNA, Circular , Signal Transduction , Tumor Suppressor Proteins , Humans , Female , Ovarian Neoplasms/genetics , Ovarian Neoplasms/metabolism , RNA, Circular/genetics , RNA, Circular/metabolism , MicroRNAs/genetics , MicroRNAs/metabolism , Cell Line, Tumor , Mice , Animals , Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism , Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics , Tumor Suppressor Proteins/genetics , Tumor Suppressor Proteins/metabolism , Disease Progression , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , Mice, NudeABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify factors that predict favorable functional outcomes in elderly patients with large-vessel occlusion acute ischemic stroke (LVO-AIS) who underwent mechanical thrombectomy (MT). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational study using the prospectively maintained Bigdata Observatory for Stroke of China (BOSC) to identify eligible patients who underwent MT for LVO-AIS at four comprehensive stroke centers between August 2019 and February 2022. Inclusion criteria included patients aged 80 years or older with a baseline modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 0-2, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) > 6, baseline Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) > 6 who received treatment within 24 h from symptom onset. Pertinent demographic, clinical, and procedural variables were collected. Multivariable regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of favorable long-term functional outcomes, defined as mRS 0-2 at 90 days. RESULTS: A total of 63 patients were included in the study with a mean age of 83 years. Patients with previous diagnosis of atrial fibrillation were more likely to have a favorable functional outcome (OR 2.09, 95% CI 2.09-407.33, p = 0.012), while a higher baseline NIHSS was associated with a less favorable functional outcome (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.46-0.89, p = 0.007). In addition, there was an observed trend suggesting an association between higher baseline ASPECTS and favorable functional outcomes. This association did not reach statistical significance (OR 2.49, 95% CI 0.94-6.54, p = 0.065). CONCLUSION: In this study, we identified factors that predicted a favorable functional outcome in elderly LVO-AIS patients undergoing MT. A higher baseline NIHSS decreased the odds of mRS 0-2 at 90 days, whereas a history of atrial fibrillation increased the odds of a favorable functional outcome. These results emphasize the complex relationship between clinical factors and functional recovery in this vulnerable population.
Subject(s)
Endovascular Procedures , Ischemic Stroke , Thrombectomy , Humans , Male , Female , Ischemic Stroke/surgery , Ischemic Stroke/physiopathology , Ischemic Stroke/therapy , Aged, 80 and over , Thrombectomy/methods , Endovascular Procedures/methods , Retrospective Studies , Treatment Outcome , Aged , Atrial Fibrillation/surgery , Atrial Fibrillation/physiopathologyABSTRACT
Because nickel-titanium (NiTi) alloys have unique functions, such as superelasticity, shape memory, and hysteresis similar to bone in the loading-unloading cycles of their recoverable deformations. They likely offer good bone integration, a low loosening rate, individual customization, and ease of insertion. Due to the poor processability of NITI, traditional methods cannot manufacture NiTi products with complex shapes. Orthopedic NiTi implants need to show an adequate fracture elongation of at least 8%. Additive manufacturing can be used to prepare NiTi implants with complex structures and tunable porosity. However, as previously reported, additively manufactured NiTi alloys could only exhibit a maximum tensile fracture strain of 7%. In new reports, a selective laser melting (SLM)-NiTi alloy has shown greater tensile strain (15.6%). Nevertheless, due to the unique microstructure of additive manufacturing NiTi that differs from traditional NITI, the biocompatibility of SLM-NITI manufactured by this new process requires further evaluation In this study, the effects of the improved NiTi alloy on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) proliferation, adhesion, and cell viability were investigated via in vitro studies. A commercial Ti-6Al-4V alloy was studied side-by-side for comparison. Like the Ti-6Al-4V alloy, the SLM-NiTi alloy exhibited low cytotoxicity toward BMSCs and similar effect on cell adhesion or cell viability. This study demonstrates that the new SLM-NiTi alloy, which has exhibited improved mechanical properties, also displays excellent biocompatibility. Therefore, this alloy may be a superior implant material in biomedical implantation.
Subject(s)
Alloys , Biocompatible Materials , Cell Adhesion , Cell Proliferation , Cell Survival , Materials Testing , Mesenchymal Stem Cells , Nickel , Tensile Strength , Titanium , Titanium/chemistry , Biocompatible Materials/chemistry , Alloys/chemistry , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/drug effects , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/cytology , Nickel/chemistry , Cell Survival/drug effects , Cell Adhesion/drug effects , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , Animals , Lasers , Prostheses and Implants , Stress, Mechanical , Surface PropertiesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: Our previous studies have found that functional changes in the hippocampal circuit from dentate gyrus (DG) to cornu ammonis 3 and 1 (CA3, CA1) are highly associated with schizophrenia (SZ). However, no studies have explored the genetic expression across the three and two human hippocampal subfields (DG-CA3-CA1 and CA3-CA1) between subjects with SZ and healthy controls (CT). STUDY DESIGN: We matched cohorts between CT (n = 13) and SZ (n = 13). Among SZ, 6 subjects were on antipsychotics (AP) while 7 were off AP. We combined RNA-seq data from all three and two hippocampal subfields and performed differentially expressed gene analyses across DG-CA3-CA1 and CA3-CA1 affected by either SZ or AP. STUDY RESULTS: We found that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from effects of SZ and AP across DG-CA3-CA1 and CA3-CA1 were highly associated with gene ontology terms related to hormonal and immune signaling, cellular mitosis and apoptosis, ion and amino acid transports, and protein modification and degradation. Additionally, we found that multiple genes related to solute-carrier family and immune signaling were significantly upregulated across DG-CA3-CA1 and CA3-CA1 in patients with SZ relative to CT, and AP consistently and robustly repressed the expression of these upregulated genes in the DG-CA3-CA1 and CA3-CA1 from subjects with SZ. CONCLUSIONS: Together, these data suggest that the upregulated solute-carrier family genes in the hippocampus might have important roles in the pathophysiology of SZ, and that AP may reduce the symptoms of psychosis in SZ via rescuing the solute-carrier gene expression.
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It is expected but unknown whether machine-learning models can outperform regression models, such as a logistic regression (LR) model, especially when the number and types of predictor variables increase in electronic health records (EHRs). We aimed to compare the predictive performance of gradient-boosted decision tree (GBDT), random forest (RF), deep neural network (DNN), and LR with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LR-LASSO) for unplanned readmission. We used EHRs of patients discharged alive from 38 hospitals in 2015-2017 for derivation and in 2018 for validation, including basic characteristics, diagnosis, surgery, procedure, and drug codes, and blood-test results. The outcome was 30-day unplanned readmission. We created six patterns of data tables having different numbers of binary variables (that ≥5% or ≥1% of patients or ≥10 patients had) with and without blood-test results. For each pattern of data tables, we used the derivation data to establish the machine-learning and LR models, and used the validation data to evaluate the performance of each model. The incidence of outcome was 6.8% (23,108/339,513 discharges) and 6.4% (7,507/118,074 discharges) in the derivation and validation datasets, respectively. For the first data table with the smallest number of variables (102 variables that ≥5% of patients had, without blood-test results), the c-statistic was highest for GBDT (0.740), followed by RF (0.734), LR-LASSO (0.720), and DNN (0.664). For the last data table with the largest number of variables (1543 variables that ≥10 patients had, including blood-test results), the c-statistic was highest for GBDT (0.764), followed by LR-LASSO (0.755), RF (0.751), and DNN (0.720), suggesting that the difference between GBDT and LR-LASSO was small and their 95% confidence intervals overlapped. In conclusion, GBDT generally outperformed LR-LASSO to predict unplanned readmission, but the difference of c-statistic became smaller as the number of variables was increased and blood-test results were used.
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OBJECTIVE: Among motor vehicle crashes (MVCs), little is known about whether the characteristics and collision features involving drivers with epilepsy differ from those involving drivers without any history of epilepsy. We assessed MVC features and the effect of epilepsy diagnosis on the risk of severe crash-related injuries among drivers. METHODS: A total of 33 174 MVC events among people with epilepsy (PWE) and 663 480 MVC events of age- and sex-matched non-PWE (1:20) were selected. Crash-related features that involved drivers with and without epilepsy were compared, including driver eligibility, medical history of comorbidities and medications, road and environmental conditions, and accident causes. Cox and logistic regression analyses were used to examine the risks of fatality and severe injury among drivers with and without epilepsy. RESULTS: PWE involved in MVCs were more likely to have lower socioeconomic status, comorbidities, scooter drivers without a qualified driver's license, driving under the influence of alcohol, and be involved in single-vehicle accidents than non-PWE. Drivers with epilepsy also had a higher risk of fatality within 30 days of MVC, with an adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of 1.37 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20-1.57) and a higher risk of hospital admission within 3 days after MVC (aHR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.29-1.38) compared to that of non-PWE. SIGNIFICANCE: The characteristics of MVCs of drivers with epilepsy were distinct from those of non-affected drivers. And higher fatality and injury rates were observed among drivers with epilepsy, which should be considered in further policymaking regarding safe driving of PWE.
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BACKGROUND: Venoms have repeatedly evolved over 100 occasions throughout the animal tree of life, making them excellent systems for exploring convergent evolutionary novelty. Growing evidence supports that venom evolution is predominantly driven by prey or host-related selection pressures, and the expression patterns of venom glands reflect adaptive evolution. However, it remains elusive whether the evolution of expression patterns in venom glands is likewise a convergent evolution driven by their prey/host species. RESULTS: We utilized parasitoid wasps that had independently adapted to Drosophila hosts as models to investigate the convergent evolution of venom gland transcriptomes in 19 hymenopteran species spanning ~ 200 million years of evolution. Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals that the global expression patterns among the venom glands of Drosophila parasitoid wasps do not achieve higher similarity compared to non-Drosophila parasitoid wasps. Further evolutionary analyses of expression patterns at the single gene, orthogroup, and Gene Ontology (GO) term levels indicate that some orthogroups/GO terms show correlation with the Drosophila parasitoid wasps. However, these groups rarely include genes highly expressed in venom glands or putative venom genes in the Drosophila parasitoid wasps. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that convergent evolution may not play a predominant force shaping gene expression levels in the venom gland of the Drosophila parasitoid wasps, offering novel insights into the co-evolution between venom and prey/host.
Subject(s)
Evolution, Molecular , Transcriptome , Wasp Venoms , Wasps , Animals , Wasps/genetics , Wasps/physiology , Wasp Venoms/genetics , Drosophila/genetics , Drosophila/parasitology , Host-Parasite Interactions/genetics , Biological EvolutionABSTRACT
Harmful algal bloom (HAB) is an unresolved existing problem worldwide. Here, we reported a novel algicidal bacterium, Pseudomonas fragi YB2, capable of lysing multiple algal species. To Chlorella vulgaris, YB2 exhibited a maximum algicidal rate of 95.02 % at 120 h. The uniqueness of YB2 lies in its ability to self-produce three algicidal compounds: 2-methyl-1, 3-cyclohexanedione (2-MECHD), N-phenyl-2-naphthylamine, and cyclo (Pro-Leu). The algicidal properties of 2-MECHD have not been previously reported. YB2 significantly affected the chloroplast and mitochondrion, thus decreasing in chlorophyll a by 4.74 times for 120 h and succinate dehydrogenase activity by 103 times for 36 h. These physiological damages disrupted reactive oxygen species and Ca2+ homeostasis at the cellular level, increasing cytosolic superoxide dismutase (23 %), catalase (35 %), and Ca2+ influx. Additionally, the disruption of Ca2+ homeostasis rarely reported in algicidal bacteria-algae interaction was observed using the non-invasive micro-test technology. We proposed a putative algicidal mechanism based on the algicidal outcomes and physiological algicidal effects and explored the potential of YB2 through an algicidal simulation test. Overall, this study is the first to report the algicidal bacterium P. fragi and identify a novel algicidal compound, 2-MECHD, providing new insights and a potent microbial resource for the biocontrol of HAB.
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Wind-blow sand (WBS) is widely distributed in the "Desert Gobi" region. This study is aimed at exploring the mechanism of how different thicknesses of the WBS layer influence the slope movement of external dumps in open-pit mines. To achieve this aim, the slope of the external dump in the open-pit mining area of Panel 3 in Daliuta Coal Mine was taken as the research object. First, similar simulation experiments were performed for investigating the failure modes and deformation characteristics of the external dump slopes under three geo-morphological conditions: loess base, 10-m-thick WBS base, and 20-m-thick WBS base, respectively. The following results were obtained from the experiments. For the slope with a loess base, its failure is mainly caused by circular sliding from the dump to the interior of the loess layer. For the slope with a 10-m-thick WBS base, the sliding mode involves circular sliding from the dump area to the interior of the WBS layer, linear sliding along the WBS base, and shearing along the foot of the dump area. For the slope with a 20-m-thick WBS base, the sliding mode is circular sliding from the dump area to the interior of the WBS layer. Besides, the sliding area of the dump slope expands as the WBS layer thickens. Furthermore, the results of similar simulation experiments were verified by the finite difference software FLAC3D based on the strength reduction method, and an equation of relationship between the safety factor of the dump slope with a WBS base and the thickness of the WBS layer was derived.
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OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects and benefits of training radiology residents on contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) according to the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS). METHODS: In total, 234 patients at high risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent CEUS were enrolled, including 27 lesions in the education set and 207 lesions in the test sets (a-d). Forty-five radiology residents and 4 radiology experts involved in CEUS LI-RADS training individually reviewed the test sets before, immediately after, and 3-months after training. The consistency with kappa values of the description of CEUS features, the classification of focal liver lesions (FLLs), and the diagnostic performance were evaluated. RESULTS: The level of agreement between the radiology experts and residents improved after training (all p < 0.05), while there were no significant differences between the post-training and 3-months post-training results (all p > 0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and area under the curve (AUC) based on the CEUS LI-RADS classification of the radiology experts in the diagnosis of HCC were 62.9%, 96.4%, 96.3%, and 0.796, respectively. The diagnostic performance of the radiology residents significantly improved after training (all p < 0.05). Misunderstanding of definitions and subjective interpretation of images were the main reasons for disagreement with multiple responses. CONCLUSION: Dedicated CEUS LI-RADS training improved the performance of radiology residents in diagnosing FLLs and their agreement with radiology experts on CEUS features. Images and videos to explain typical features of the training were essential to improve agreement between the radiology experts and residents. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Agreement on lesion descriptors between radiology experts and residents can improve with training. KEY POINTS: The diagnostic performance of less experienced radiologists for diagnosing HCC could be improved by training. Images and videos to explain typical features during training were essential. Agreement on lesion descriptors between radiology experts and residents improved after training.
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Neutrophil hyperexpression is recognized as a key prognostic factor for inflammation and is closely related to the emergence of a wide range of cardiovascular disorders. In recent years, S100 calcium binding protein A8/A9 (S100A8/A9) derived from neutrophils has attracted increasing attention as an important warning protein for cardiovascular disease. This article evaluates the utility of S100A8/A9 protein as a biomarker and therapeutic target for diagnosing cardiovascular diseases, considering its structural features, fundamental biological properties, and its multifaceted influence on cardiovascular conditions including atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury, and heart failure.