Spillovers of viruses into human occur more frequently under warmer conditions, particularly arboviruses. The invasive tick species Haemaphysalis longicornis poses a significant public health threat due to its global expansion and its potential to carry a wide range of pathogens. We analyzed meta-transcriptomic data from 3595 adult H. longicornis ticks collected between 2016 and 2019 in 22 provinces across China, encompassing diverse ecological conditions. Generalized additive modelling revealed that climate factors exerted a stronger influence on the virome of H. longicornis compared to other ecological factors, such as ecotypes, distance to coastline, animal host, tick gender, and anti-viral immunity. We investigated the mechanistic understanding of how climate changes drive the tick virome using causality inference and emphasized its significance for public health. Our findings demonstrated that higher temperatures and lower relative humidity/precipitation contribute to variations in animal host diversity, leading to an increased diversity of tick virome, particularly the evenness of vertebrate associated viruses. This finding may explain the evolution of tick-borne viruses into generalists across multiple hosts, thereby increasing the probability of spillover events involving tick-borne pathogens. Deep learning projections indicate that the diversity of H. longicornis virome is expected to increase in 81.9% of regions under the SSP8.5 scenario from 2019-2030. Extension of surveillance should be implemented to avert the spread of tick-borne diseases.
Predicting repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatment outcomes in major depressive disorder (MDD) could reduce the financial and psychological risks of treatment failure. We systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed studies that leveraged neurophysiological and neuroimaging markers to predict rTMS response in MDD. Five databases were searched from inception to May 25, 2023. The primary meta-analytic outcome was predictive accuracy pooled from classification models. Regression models were summarized qualitatively. A promising marker was identified if it showed a sensitivity and specificity of 80% or higher in at least two independent studies. Searching yielded 36 studies. Twenty-two classification modeling studies produced an estimated area under the summary receiver operator curve of 0.87 (95% CI = 0.83 to 0.92), with 86.8% sensitivity (95% CI = 80.6 to 91.2%) and 81.9% specificity (95% CI = 76.1 to 86.4%). Frontal theta cordance measured by electroencephalography is closest to proof of concept. Predicting rTMS response using neurophysiological and neuroimaging markers is promising for clinical decision-making. However, replications by different research groups are needed to establish rigorous markers.
AIM: To investigate the long-term changes of corneal densitometry (CD) and its contributing elements after small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE). METHODS: Totally 31 eyes of 31 patients with mean spherical equivalent of -6.46±1.50 D and mean age 28.23±7.38y were enrolled. Full-scale examinations were conducted on all patients preoperatively and during follow-up. Visual acuity, manifest refraction, axial length, corneal thickness, corneal higher-order aberrations, and CD were evaluated. RESULTS: All surgeries were completed successfully without complications or adverse events. Ten-year safety index was 1.17±0.20 and efficacy 1.04±0.28. CD value of 0-6 mm zones in central layer was statistically significantly lower 10y postoperatively, compared with preoperative values (0-2 mmΔ=-1.62, 2-6 mmΔ=-1.24, P<0.01). There were no correlations between CD values and factors evaluated. CONCLUSION: SMILE is a safe and efficient procedure for myopia on a long-term basis. CD values get lower 10y postoperatively, whose mechanism is to be further discussed.
Kidney transplantation is the preferred treatment for pediatric end-stage renal disease. However, pediatric recipients face unique challenges due to their prolonged need for kidney function to accommodate growth and development. The continual changes in the immune microenvironment during childhood development and the heightened risk of complications from long-term use of immunosuppressive drugs. The overwhelming majority of children may require more than one kidney transplant in their lifetime. Acute rejection (AR) stands as the primary cause of kidney transplant failure in children. While pathologic biopsy remains the "gold standard" for diagnosing renal rejection, its invasive nature raises concerns regarding potential functional impairment and the psychological impact on children due to repeated procedures. In this review, we outline the current research status of novel biomarkers associated with AR in urine and blood after pediatric kidney transplantation. These biomarkers exhibit superior diagnostic and prognostic performance compared to conventional ones, with the added advantages of being less invasive and highly reproducible for long-term graft monitoring. We also integrate the limitations of these novel biomarkers and propose a refined monitoring model to optimize the management of AR in pediatric kidney transplantation.
BACKGROUND: This study examines incidence, mortality, medical expenditure and prescription patterns for asthma on a national scale, particularly in Asian countries for asthma is limited. Our aim is to investigate incidence, mortality, prescription patterns and provide a comprehensive overview of healthcare utilization trends for asthma from 2009 to 2018. METHODS: We included patients diagnosed with asthma between 2009 and 2018. We excluded patients with missing demographic data. Our analysis covered comorbidities, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, allergic rhinitis, eczema, atopic dermatitis, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, chronic kidney disease, chronic hepatitis, stroke, and cancer. Investigated medications comprised oral and intravenous steroids, short-acting beta-agonists, inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), combinations of ICS and long-acting beta-agonists, long-acting muscarinic antagonists, and leukotriene receptor antagonists montelukast. We also assessed the number of outpatient visits, emergency visits, and hospitalizations per year, as well as the average length of hospitalization and average medical costs. RESULTS: The study included a final count of 88,244 subjects from 1,998,311 randomly selected samples between 2000 and 2019. Over the past decade, there was a gradual decline in newly diagnosed asthma patients per year, from 10,140 to 6,487. The mean age annually increased from 47.59 in 2009 to 53.41 in 2018. Over 55% of the patients were female. Eczema was diagnosed in over 55% of the patients. Around 90% of the patients used oral steroids, with a peak of 97.29% in 2018, while the usage of ICS varied between 86.20% and 91.75%. Intravenous steroids use rose from 40.94% in 2009 to 54.14% in 2018. The average annual hospital stay ranged from 9 to 12 days, with a maximum of 12.26 days in 2013. Lastly, the average medical expenses per year ranged from New Taiwan dollars 5558 to 7921. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, both asthma incidence and all-cause mortality rates decreased in Taiwan from 2009 to 2018. Further analysis of medical expenses in patients with asthma who required multiple hospitalizations annually revealed an increase in outpatient and emergency visits and hospitalizations, along with longer hospital stays and higher medical costs.
In this study, we synthesized a transition metal sulfide (TMS) with a spinel structure, i.e., MnIn2S4 (MIS), using a two-step hydrothermal and sintering process. In the context of lithium-ion battery (LIB) applications, ternary TMSs are being considered as interesting options for anode materials. This consideration arises from their notable attributes, including high theoretical capacity, excellent cycle stability, and cost-effectiveness. However, dramatic volume changes result in the electrochemical performance being severely limited, so we introduced single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and prepared an MIS/SWCNT composite to enhance the structural stability and electronic conductivity. The synthesized MIS/SWCNT composite exhibits better cycle performance than bare MIS. Undergoing 100 cycles, MIS only yields a reversible capacity of 117 mAh/g at 0.1 A/g. However, the MIS/SWCNT composite exhibits a reversible capacity as high as 536 mAh/g after 100 cycles. Moreover, the MIS/SWCNT composite shows a better rate capability. The current density increases with cycling, and the SWCNT composite exhibits high reversible capacities of 232 and 102 mAh/g at 2 A/g and 5 A/g, respectively. Under the same conditions, pristine MIS can only deliver reversible capacities of 21 and 4 mAh/g. The results indicate that MIS/SWCNT composites are promising anode materials for LIBs.
Macrophages play an important role in the development and progression of acute rejection after kidney transplantation. The study aims to investigate the biological role and significance of macrophage-associated genes (MAG) in acute rejection after kidney transplantation. We utilized transcriptome sequencing results from public databases related to acute rejection of kidney transplantation for comprehensive analysis and validation in animal experiments. We found that a large number of immune-related signaling pathways are activated in acute rejection. PPI protein interaction networks and machine learning were used to establish a Hub gene consisting of TYROBP and TLR8 for the diagnosis of acute rejection. The single-gene GSEA enrichment analysis and immune cell correlation analysis revealed a close correlation between the expression of Hub genes and immune-related biological pathways as well as the expression of multiple immune cells. In addition, the study of TF, miRNAs, and drugs provided a theoretical basis for regulating and treating the Hub genes in acute rejection. Finally, the animal experiments demonstrated once again that acute rejection can aggravate kidney tissue damage, apoptosis level, and increase the release of inflammatory factors. We established and validated a macrophage-associated diagnostic model for acute rejection after kidney transplantation, which can accurately diagnose the biological alterations in acute rejection after kidney transplantation.
Kidney Transplantation , Animals , Kidney Transplantation/adverse effects , Toll-Like Receptor 8 , Gene Expression Profiling , Biomarkers , Macrophages
Doxorubicin has been used extensively as a potent anticancer agent, but its clinical use is limited by its cardiotoxicity. However, the underlying mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, we tested whether NADPH oxidase 2 (Nox2) mediates cardiac sympathetic nerve terminal abnormalities and myocyte autophagy, resulting in cardiac atrophy and dysfunction in doxorubicin-induced heart failure. Nox2 knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice were randomly assigned to receive a single injection of doxorubicin (15 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline. WT doxorubicin mice exhibited the decreases in survival rate, left ventricular (LV) wall thickness and LV fractional shortening and the increase in the lung wet-to-dry weight ratio 1 week after the injections. These alterations were attenuated in Nox2 KO doxorubicin mice. In WT doxorubicin mice, myocardial oxidative stress was increased, myocardial noradrenergic nerve fibers were reduced, myocardial expression of PGP9.5, GAP43, tyrosine hydroxylase and norepinephrine transporter was decreased, and these changes were prevented in Nox2 KO doxorubicin mice. Myocyte autophagy was increased and myocyte size was decreased in WT doxorubicin mice, but not in Nox2 KO doxorubicin mice. Nox2 mediates cardiac sympathetic nerve terminal abnormalities and myocyte autophagy-both of which contribute to cardiac atrophy and failure after doxorubicin treatment.
Cardiomyopathies , Myocytes, Cardiac , NADPH Oxidase 2 , Animals , Mice , Autophagy , Cardiomyopathies/chemically induced , Cardiomyopathies/metabolism , Doxorubicin/pharmacology , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Mice, Knockout , Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism , NADPH Oxidase 2/genetics , NADPH Oxidase 2/metabolism , Oxidative Stress , Sympathectomy
The liquid-like feature of thermoelectric superionic conductors is a double-edged sword: the long-range migration of ions hinders the phonon transport, but their directional segregation greatly impairs the service stability. We report the synergetic enhancement in figure of merit (ZT) and stability in Cu1.99Se-based superionic conductors enabled by ion confinement effects. Guided by density functional theory and nudged elastic band simulations, we elevated the activation energy to restrict ion migrations through a cation-anion co-doping strategy. We reduced the carrier concentration without sacrificing the low thermal conductivity, obtaining a ZT of â¼3.0 at 1,050 K. Notably, the fabricated device module maintained a high conversion efficiency of up to â¼13.4% for a temperature difference of 518 K without obvious degradation after 120 cycles. Our work could be generalized to develop electrically and thermally robust functional materials with ionic migration characteristics.
Background: Most advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases administered molecular targeted agents and/or anti-programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) inhibitors have no response or develop resistance. Moreover, second-line therapies still cannot provide beneficial clinical outcomes. A pilot study assessing combined regorafenib and PD-1 inhibitor as second-line treatment of advanced HCC reported promising effectiveness. Methods: The current single-center, retrospective, real-world study was carried out between January 2019 and July 2021. Advanced HCC cases were administered second-line regorafenib combined with a PD-1 inhibitor or regorafenib alone were assessed. Progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and disease control rate (DCR) were determined. Results: Totally 46 HCC cases were analyzed, most of whom underwent previous systemic treatment comprising targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Tumor response was evaluated in 25 and 21 individuals in the regorafenib + PD-1 inhibitor and regorafenib monotherapy groups, respectively: ORRs were 21.7% and 8.7%, and DCRs were 47.8% and 32.6%, respectively. Median PFS was markedly longer in the regorafenib plus PD-1 inhibitor group (11.5 months) compared with the regorafenib monotherapy group (5.1 months, P=0.049). Conclusions: This study suggested regorafenib and a PD-1 inhibitor in combination may provide significant clinical benefits in HCC cases showing progression following first-line treatment. Further analysis in real-world studies with large cohorts is warranted to confirm these findings.
BACKGROUND: A wealth of extant research focuses on identifying barriers to, and predictors of, COVID-19 vaccination. In addition to treating COVID-19 vaccination and related experiences as antecedents, this study analyzes the relationships between COVID-19 vaccination experiences and intent to receive the flu, shingles, and HPV vaccines. METHOD: Analyses were performed on the responses from U.S. survey panel of 1,024 participants (n = 1,024), 530 (51.8 %) who received at least a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 494 (48.2 %) who had not. Descriptive and inferential statistics identify participant demographic characteristics, prior vaccination behavior, vaccination intentions, risk behavior assessment, vaccination attitudes and beliefs, and the predictivity of COVID-19 vaccination, when treated as an antecedent. RESULTS: Receiving a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine interacted with receiving a past influenza vaccine, predicting the future intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine or booster. Vaccine hesitancy in parents is significantly related to vaccination behaviors for themselves and their children. Analyses also showed differences between the vaccinated group (VG) and the unvaccinated group (UVG) on hesitancy, beliefs, and attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine. CONCLUSION: Experience with COVID-19 vaccination and the relationship of those experiences with other vaccinations provide useful insight on leveraging vaccine uptake. Healthcare professionals should improve the COVID-19 vaccination experience and use vaccination appointments to promote other vaccinations. Research should continue to compare vaccination experiences and how they may persuade or dissuade vaccination intent for other vaccinations.
COVID-19 , Herpes Zoster , Influenza Vaccines , Influenza, Human , Papillomavirus Infections , Papillomavirus Vaccines , Child , Humans , Influenza, Human/epidemiology , Influenza, Human/prevention & control , COVID-19 Vaccines , Pandemics/prevention & control , COVID-19/prevention & control , Vaccination , Intention
AIMS: To identify whether and how a younger systemic internal milieu alleviates acute kidney injury (AKI) in grafts after kidney transplantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted an allogenic heterotopic rat kidney transplantation model with young and adult recipients receiving similar donor kidneys. We evaluated the renal function, histological damage, apoptosis, dedifferentiation, proliferation, hub regulating cytokines, and signaling pathways involved in young and adult recipients based on transcriptomics, proteomics, and experimental validation. We also validated the protective effect and mechanism of interleukin-13 (IL-13) on tubular epithelial cell injury induced by transplantation in vivo and by cisplatin in vitro. KEY FINDINGS: Compared with adult recipients, the young recipients had lower levels of renal histological damage and apoptosis, while had higher levels of dedifferentiation and proliferation. Serum IL-13 levels were higher in young recipients both before and after surgery. Pretreating with IL-13 decreased apoptosis and promoted regeneration in injured rat tubular epithelial cells induced by cisplatin, while this effect can be counteracted by a JAK2 and STAT3 specific inhibitor, AG490. Recipients pretreated with IL-13 also had lower levels of histological damage and improved renal function. SIGNIFICANCE: Higher levels of IL-13 in young recipients ameliorates tubular epithelial cell apoptosis and promotes regeneration via activating the JAK-STAT signaling pathway both in vivo and in vitro. Our results suggest that IL-13 is a promising therapeutic strategy for alleviating AKI. The therapeutic potential of IL-13 in injury repair and immune regulation deserves further evaluation and clinical consideration.
Acute Kidney Injury , Kidney Transplantation , Reperfusion Injury , Rats , Animals , Interleukin-13/metabolism , Cisplatin/adverse effects , Acute Kidney Injury/metabolism , Kidney/metabolism , Apoptosis , Signal Transduction , Reperfusion Injury/metabolism
Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic , Phlebovirus , Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome , Thrombocytopenia , Humans , Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic/complications , Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic/diagnosis , Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome/complications , Retrospective Studies , Thrombocytopenia/complications
Individual oncogenic KRAS mutants confer distinct differences in biochemical properties and signaling for reasons that are not well understood. KRAS activity is closely coupled to protein dynamics and is regulated through two interconverting conformations: state 1 (inactive, effector binding deficient) and state 2 (active, effector binding enabled). Here, we use 31P NMR to delineate the differences in state 1 and state 2 populations present in WT and common KRAS oncogenic mutants (G12C, G12D, G12V, G13D, and Q61L) bound to its natural substrate GTP or a commonly used nonhydrolyzable analog GppNHp (guanosine-5'-[(ß,γ)-imido] triphosphate). Our results show that GppNHp-bound proteins exhibit significant state 1 population, whereas GTP-bound KRAS is primarily (90% or more) in state 2 conformation. This observation suggests that the predominance of state 1 shown here and in other studies is related to GppNHp and is most likely nonexistent in cells. We characterize the impact of this differential conformational equilibrium of oncogenic KRAS on RAF1 kinase effector RAS-binding domain and intrinsic hydrolysis. Through a KRAS G12C drug discovery, we have identified a novel small-molecule inhibitor, BBO-8956, which is effective against both GDP- and GTP-bound KRAS G12C. We show that binding of this inhibitor significantly perturbs state 1-state 2 equilibrium and induces an inactive state 1 conformation in GTP-bound KRAS G12C. In the presence of BBO-8956, RAF1-RAS-binding domain is unable to induce a signaling competent state 2 conformation within the ternary complex, demonstrating the mechanism of action for this novel and active-conformation inhibitor.
Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) , ras Proteins , Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)/genetics , Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)/metabolism , ras Proteins/metabolism , Guanosine Triphosphate/metabolism , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Signal Transduction , Mutation
Ticks are obligatory hematophagous arachnids, serving as vectors for a wide array of pathogens that can be transmitted to humans or animals. The ability of tick-borne pathogens to maintain within natural reservoirs is intricately influenced by the attractiveness of ticks to their animal hosts, including humans. However, the complex dynamics of tick behavior and host-seeking strategies remain understudied. This review aims to summarize the impact of volatiles or odors on tick behavior and vector competence. Our literature review has identified a selection of compounds, such as 1-octen-3-ol, hexanal, heptanal, nonanal, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, acetone, and octanal, as having the potential to impact both ticks' and mosquitos' behaviors. In addition, carbon dioxide (CO2) is a universal attractant for hematophagous arthropods. Moreover, we have gathered some clues indicating that volatiles emitted by infected animal hosts might play a role in the transmission of tick-borne pathogens. Nonetheless, our understanding of this phenomenon remains largely inadequate, particularly with regarding to whether the tick microbiome or the skin microbiota of the feeding mammals, including humans, can actively modulate tick-host-seeking behavior. Further investigations in this emerging field hold immense promise for the development of innovative strategies aimed at controlling vectors and curtailing the spread of tick-borne diseases.
Tick-Borne Diseases , Ticks , Animals , Humans , Mosquito Vectors , Skin , Host-Pathogen Interactions , Mammals
Dynamic gravity field measurement based on the cold atom absolute gravity measurement system has important applications in geological exploration, gravity field mapping and other fields. The inertial stabilized platform is the key component of the dynamic cold atom absolute gravity measurement system, which can isolate the interference of carrier angle motion and keep the atomic gravimeter probe in the horizontal attitude during the measurement process. In this paper, according to the dynamic measurement requirements of atomic gravimeter, a high-precision two-axis inertial stabilized platform system is designed. The relationship between attitude angle and gravity measurement error is analyzed, and the stability of the system is enhanced by lead-lag method. Then the static vertical vibration power spectrum of the platform is measured to consider its influence on dynamic gravity measurement. Finally, a dynamic gravity test experiment was conducted in the Yellow Sea to verify the attitude control accuracy of the platform, and the attitude data of the platform under different heading were evaluated. The attitude standard deviation of the platform was better than 4 × 10-5 rad, and the absolute gravity standard deviation of the linear round-trip measurement reached 1.49 mGal. The experimental data show that the inertial stabilized platform can meet the dynamic measurement requirements of the cold atom gravimeter.
BACKGROUND: Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has certain limitations in distinguishing between malignant and benign urinary bladder (UB) lesions. Amide proton transfer (APT) imaging may provide more diagnostic information than diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) to distinguish between malignant and benign UB. PURPOSE: To investigate the potential of APT imaging in the diagnosis of malignant and benign UB lesions and to compare its diagnostic efficacy with that of conventional DWI. STUDY TYPE: Prospective. SUBJECTS: Eighty patients with UB lesions. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: A 3.0 T/turbo spin echo (TSE) T1-weighted and T2-weighted imaging, single-shot echo planar DWI, and three-dimensional TSE APT imaging. ASSESSMENT: Patients underwent radical cystectomy or transurethral resection of the bladder lesions within 2 weeks after CT urography and MRI examination. APT signal intensity in UB lesions was quantified by the asymmetric magnetization transfer ratio (MTRasym ). MTRasym and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were measured and compared between malignant and benign UB lesions. STATISTICAL TESTS: Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Student's t test or Mann-Whitney U test, Spearman rank correlation coefficient, area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC), Delong test, and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The significance threshold was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients had pathologically confirmed benign UB lesions, including 2 bladder leiomyomas, 1 submucosal amyloidosis, 1 inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor, and 28 inflammatory lesions, and 48 patients had pathologically confirmed urothelial carcinoma. Urothelial carcinomas showed significantly higher MTRasym values (1.53% [0.74%] vs. 0.85% [0.23%]) and significantly lower ADC values (1.24 ± 0.34 × 10-3 mm2 /s vs. 1.43 ± 0.22 × 10-3 mm2 /s) than benign UB lesions. The MTRasym value (AUC = 0.928) was significantly better in differentiating urothelial carcinoma from benign UB lesions than the ADC value (AUC = 0.722). DATA CONCLUSION: APT imaging may have value in discriminating malignant from benign UB lesions and has better diagnostic performance than DWI. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.
Background: The aim of the study is to demonstrate that radiomics of preoperative multi-sequence magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can indeed improve the predictive performance of microvascular invasion (MVI) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: A total of 206 patients with pathologically confirmed HCC who underwent preoperative enhanced MRI were retrospectively recruited. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the independent clinicoradiologic predictors of MVI present and constituted the clinicoradiologic model. Recursive feature elimination (RFE) was applied to select radiomics features (extracted from six sequence images) and constructed the radiomics model. Clinicoradiologic model plus radiomics model formed the clinicoradiomics model. Five-fold cross-validation was used to validate the three models. Discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility were used to evaluate the performance. Net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) were used to compare the prediction accuracy between models. Results: The clinicoradiologic model contained alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)_lg10, radiological capsule enhancement, enhancement pattern and arterial peritumoral enhancement, which were independent risk factors of MVI. There were 18 radiomics features related to MVI constructed the radiomics model. The mean area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) of clinicoradiologic, radiomics and clinicoradiomics model were 0.849, 0.925 and 0.950 in the training cohort and 0.846, 0.907 and 0.933 in the validation cohort, respectively. The three models' calibration curves fitted well, and decision curve analysis (DCA) confirmed the clinical usefulness. Compared with the clinicoradiologic model, the NRI of radiomics and clinicoradiomics model increased significantly by 0.575 and 0.825, respectively, and the IDI increased significantly by 0.280 and 0.398, respectively. Conclusions: Radiomics of preoperative multi-sequence MRI can improve the predictive performance of MVI in HCC.
OBJECTIVE: The meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of mandibular advancement device (MAD) for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and explore the effect of different positions on MAD for OSA. METHODS: The Embase, PubMed, Medline, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for relevant studies evaluating the effect of MAD on the treatment of OSA from database inception to November 2022. The Bayesian random-effects mode was used to calculate the pooled outcome. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were applied to investigate the heterogeneity. RESULTS: A total of 6 studies enrolling 643 patients were eligible for further analysis. MAD treatment led to improvements in total apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) for both positional OSA(POSA) and Non-POSA groups, but there was no significant difference in the effect of MAD on Non-POSA and POSA (MD = -1.46,95%CI [-4.89,1.97], P = 0.40). In the supine position, AHI improvement after MAD treatment in POSA group was more than that in Non-POSA group by 15 events/hour in average (MD = 14.82, 95%CI [11.43,18.22], Pï¼0.00001), while in the non-supine position, the change of AHI in Non-POSA group was significantly better than that in POSA group by approximately 8 events/hour (MD = -7.55,95%CI[-10.73,-4.38],p < 0.00001). CONCLUSION: MAD is more suitable for POSA compared to Non-POSA in patients with habitual sleep in the supine or supine predominant position. While for patients with habitual sleep in the non-supine position, MAD is an effective treatment option for Non-POSA.
Occlusal Splints , Sleep Apnea, Obstructive , Humans , Bayes Theorem , Polysomnography , Sleep Apnea, Obstructive/therapy , Supine Position
We report the findings of a multi-language and multi-lab investigation of young infants' ability to discriminate lexical tones as a function of their native language, age and language experience, as well as of tone properties. Given the high prevalence of lexical tones across human languages, understanding lexical tone acquisition is fundamental for comprehensive theories of language learning. While there are some similarities between the developmental course of lexical tone perception and that of vowels and consonants, findings for lexical tones tend to vary greatly across different laboratories. To reconcile these differences and to assess the developmental trajectory of native and non-native perception of tone contrasts, this study employed a single experimental paradigm with the same two pairs of Cantonese tone contrasts (perceptually similar vs. distinct) across 13 laboratories in Asia-Pacific, Europe and North-America testing 5-, 10- and 17-month-old monolingual (tone, pitch-accent, non-tone) and bilingual (tone/non-tone, non-tone/non-tone) infants. Across the age range and language backgrounds, infants who were not exposed to Cantonese showed robust discrimination of the two non-native lexical tone contrasts. Contrary to this overall finding, the statistical model assessing native discrimination by Cantonese-learning infants failed to yield significant effects. These findings indicate that lexical tone sensitivity is maintained from 5 to 17 months in infants acquiring tone and non-tone languages, challenging the generalisability of the existing theoretical accounts of perceptual narrowing in the first months of life. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: This is a multi-language and multi-lab investigation of young infants' ability to discriminate lexical tones. This study included data from 13 laboratories testing 5-, 10-, and 17-month-old monolingual (tone, pitch-accent, non-tone) and bilingual (tone/non-tone, non-tone/non-tone) infants. Overall, infants discriminated a perceptually similar and a distinct non-native tone contrast, although there was no evidence of a native tone-language advantage in discrimination. These results demonstrate maintenance of tone discrimination throughout development.
Pitch Perception , Speech Perception , Infant , Humans , Laboratories , Phonetics , Timbre Perception
