Bone age assessment based on different MRI modalities of the proximal humerus epiphysis: the comparisons of T1WI, T2WI, and PDWI.

Bone age assessment (BAA) is crucial in various fields, including legal proceedings, athletic competitions, and clinical medicine. However, the use of X-ray methods for age estimation without medical indication is subject to ethical debate, especially in forensic and athletic fields. The application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with non-ionizing radiation can overcome this limitation in BAA. This study aimed to compare the application value of several MRI modalities of proximal humeral in BAA. A total of 468 patients with shoulder MRIs were retrospectively collected from a Chinese Han population aged 12-30 years (259 males and 209 females) for training and testing, including T1 weighted MRI (T1WI), T2 weighted MRI (T2WI), and Proton density weighted MRI (PDWI). Optimal regression models were established for age estimation, yielding mean absolute error (MAE) values below 2.0 years. The MAE values of T1WI were the lowest, with 1.700 years in males and 1.798 years in females. The area under the curve (AUC) and accuracy values of different MRI modalities of 16-year and 18-year thresholds were all around 0.9. For the 18-year threshold, T1WI outperformed T2WI and PDWI. In conclusion, the three MRI modalities of the proximal humerus can serve as reliable indicators for age assessment, while the T1WI performed better in age assessment and classification.

Clinical treatment of cryptococcal meningitis: an evidence-based review on the emerging clinical data.

Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is a fatal fungal central nervous system (CNS) infection caused by Cryptococcus infecting the meninges and/or brain parenchyma, with fever, headache, neck stiffness, and visual disturbances as the primary clinical manifestations. Immunocompromised individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or who have undergone organ transplantation, as well as immunocompetent people can both be susceptible to CM. Without treatment, patients with CM may have a mortality rate of up to 100% after hospital admission. Even after receiving therapy, CM patients may still suffer from problems such as difficulty to cure, poor prognosis, and high mortality. Therefore, timely and effective treatment is essential to improve the mortality and prognosis of CM patients. Currently, the clinical outcomes of CM are frequently unsatisfactory due to limited drug choices, severe adverse reactions, drug resistance, etc. Here, we review the research progress of CM treatment strategies and discuss the suitable options for managing CM, hoping to provide a reference for physicians to select the most appropriate treatment regimens for CM patients.

Consistency and synchronization of AMPK-glycogen in endometrial epithelial cells are critical to the embryo implantation.

Uterine receptivity to the embryo is crucial for successful implantation. The establishment of uterine receptivity requires a large amount of energy, and abnormal energy regulation causes implantation failure. Glucose metabolism in the endometrium is tissue specific. Glucose is largely stored in the form of glycogen, which is the main energy source for the endometrium. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), an important energy-sensing molecule, is a key player in the regulation of glucose metabolism and its regulation is also tissue specific. However, the mechanism of energy regulation in the endometrium for the establishment of uterine receptivity remains to be elucidated. In this study, we aimed to investigate the energy regulation mechanism of mouse uterine receptivity and its significance in embryo implantation. The results showed that the AMPK, p-AMPK, glycogen synthase 1, and glycogen phosphorylase M levels and the glycogen content in mouse endometrial epithelium varied in a periodic manner under regulation by the ovarian hormone. Specifically, progesterone significantly activated AMPK, promoted glycogenolysis, and upregulated glycogen phosphorylase M expression. AMPK regulated glycogen phosphorylase M expression and promoted glycogenolysis. AMPK was also found to be activated by changes in the energy or glycogen of the endometrial epithelial cells. The inhibition of AMPK activity or glycogenolysis altered the uterine receptivity markers during the window of implantation and ultimately interfered with implantation. In summary, consistency and synchronization of AMPK and glycogen metabolism constitute the core regulatory mechanism in mouse endometrial epithelial cells involved in the establishment of uterine receptivity.

GLUT4 in Mouse Endometrial Epithelium: Roles in Embryonic Development and Implantation.

GLUT4 is involved in rapid glucose uptake among various kinds of cells to contribute to glucose homeostasis. Prior data have reported that aberrant glucose metabolism by GLUT4 dysfunction in the uterus could be responsible for infertility and increased miscarriage. However, the expression and precise functions of GLUT4 in the endometrium under physiological conditions remain unknown or controversial. In this study, we observed that GLUT4 exhibits a spatiotemporal expression in mouse uterus on pregnant days 1-4; its expression especially increased on pregnant day 4 during the window of implantation. We also determined that estrogen, in conjunction with progesterone, promotes the expression of GLUT4 in the endometrial epithelium in vivo or in vitro. GLUT4 is an important transporter that mediates glucose transport in endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) in vitro or in vivo. In vitro, glucose uptake decreased in mouse EECs when the cells were treated with GLUT4 small interfering RNA (siRNA). In vivo, the injection of GLUT4-siRNA into one side of the mouse uterine horns resulted in an increased glucose concentration in the uterine fluid on pregnant day 4, although it was still lower than in blood, and impaired endometrial receptivity by inhibiting pinopode formation and the expressions of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and integrin ανß3, finally affecting embryonic development and implantation. Overall, the obtained results indicate that GLUT4 in the endometrial epithelium affects embryo development by altering glucose concentration in the uterine fluid. It can also affect implantation by impairing endometrial receptivity due to dysfunction of GLUT4.

[Establish Assessment Model of 18 Years of Age in Chinese Han Population by Mandibular Third Molar].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the value of estimating chronologic age based on the grades of mandibular third molar development. To evaluate whether mandibular third molar could be used as an indicator for estimating the age under or over 18 years. METHODS: The mineralization status of mandibular third molar of 1 845 individuals aged 10 - 30 was graded and marked based on Demirjian's classification of grades reformed by Orhan. Gender difference was examined by t-test. A cubic regression model was established to analyze the correlation between third molar and chronologic age. Each grade of age cumulative distribution diagram and ROC curve was respectively performed to evaluate the relationship between third molar and the age of 18. Using Bayes discriminant analysis, an equation was established for estimating the age of 18. RESULTS: The inner-rater reliability was 0.903. Statistical analysis showed a moderate correlation between age and grade. Significant differences of both genders were found only in grade D and H (P < 0.05). Males at the grades from 1 to D and females at the grades from 1 to C were under 18 years old, and both males and females at grade H were over 18 years old. The area under the ROC curve was 0.797 (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Third molar development shows a high correlation with age, and combined with other indicators, it can be used to estimate the age of 18.

[Determination of the content of sulfur of coal by the infrared absorption method with high acccuracy].

The present paper reported the differential scanning calorimetry-thermogravimetry curves and the infrared (IR) absorption spectrometry under the temperature program analyzed by the combined simultaneous thermal analysis-IR spectrometer. The gas products of coal were identified by the IR spectrometry. This paper emphasized on the combustion at high temperature-IR absorption method, a convenient and accurate method, which measures the content of sulfur in coal indirectly through the determination of the content of sulfur dioxide in the mixed gas products by IR absorption. It was demonstrated, when the instrument was calibrated by varied pure compounds containing sulfur and certified reference materials (CRMs) for coal, that there was a large deviation in the measured sulfur contents. It indicates that the difference in chemical speciations of sulfur between CRMs and the analyte results in a systematic error. The time-IR absorption curve was utilized to analyze the composition of sulfur at low temperatures and high temperatures and then the sulfur content of coal sample was determined by using a CRM for coal with a close composition of sulfur. Therefore, the systematic error due to the difference in chemical speciations of sulfur between the CRM and analyte was eliminated. On the other hand, in this combustion at high temperature-IR absorption method, the mass of CRM and analyte were adjusted to assure the sulfur mass equal and then the CRM and the analyte were measured alternately. This single-point calibration method reduced the effect of the drift of the IR detector and improved the repeatability of results, compared with the conventional multi-point calibration method using the calibration curves of signal intensity vs sulfur mass. The sulfur content results and their standard deviations of an anthracite coal and a bituminous coal with a low sulfur content determined by this modified method were 0.345% (0.004%) and 0.372% (0.008%), respectively. The uncertainty (U, k =2) of sulfur contents of two coal samples was evaluated to be 0.019% and 0.021%, respectively. Two main modifications, namely the calibration using the coal CRM with a similar composition of low-temperature sulfur and high temperature sulfur, and the single-point calibration alternating CRM and analyte, endow the combustion at high temperature-IR absorption method with an accuracy obviously better than that of the ASTM method. Therefore, this modified method has a well potential in the analysis of sulfur content.

Studies on the non-covalent interactions between cyclodextrins and aryl alkanol piperazine derivatives by mass spectrometry and fluorescence spectroscopy.

The non-covalent complexes of alpha- and beta-cyclodextrins (alpha-, beta-CDs) with two aryl alkanol piperazine derivatives (Pipe I and Pipe II) have been studied by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and fluorescence spectroscopy. The ESI-MS experimental results demonstrated that Pipe I can conjugate to beta-CD and form 1:1 or 1:2 stoichiometric non-covalent complexes, and Pipe II can only form 1:1 complexes with alpha- or beta-CD. Fluorescence spectra indicated that the fluorescence intensities of Pipe I and Pipe II can be enhanced by increasing the content of beta-CD. The mass spectrometric titration experiments showed that the dissociation constants K(d1) were 5.77 and 9.52 x 10(-4) mol L(-1) for the complexes of alpha-CD with Pipe I and Pipe II, respectively, revealing that the binding of alpha-CD-Pipe I was stronger than alpha-CD-Pipe II. The K(d1) and K(d2) values were 9.81 x 10(-4) mol L(-1) and 1.11 x 10(-7) (mol L(-1))(2) for 1:1 and 1:2 complexes of Pipe I with beta-CD, respectively. The K(d) values obtained from fluorescence spectroscopy were in agreement with those from ESI-MS titration.