Plasma-based lipidomics reveals potential diagnostic biomarkers for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a retrospective study.

Background: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is highly prevalent and has a high mortality rate. Traditional diagnostic methods, such as imaging examinations and blood tumor marker tests, are not effective in accurately diagnosing ESCC due to their low sensitivity and specificity. Esophageal endoscopic biopsy, which is considered as the gold standard, is not suitable for screening due to its invasiveness and high cost. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a convenient and low-cost diagnostic method for ESCC using plasma-based lipidomics analysis combined with machine learning (ML) algorithms. Methods: Plasma samples from a total of 40 ESCC patients and 31 healthy controls were used for lipidomics study. Untargeted lipidomics analysis was conducted through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. Differentially expressed lipid features were filtered based on multivariate and univariate analysis, and lipid annotation was performed using MS-DIAL software. Results: A total of 99 differential lipids were identified, with 15 up-regulated lipids and 84 down-regulated lipids, suggesting their potential as diagnostic targets for ESCC. In the single-lipid plasma-based diagnostic model, nine specific lipids (FA 15:4, FA 27:1, FA 28:7, FA 28:0, FA 36:0, FA 39:0, FA 42:0, FA 44:0, and DG 37:7) exhibited excellent diagnostic performance, with an area under the curve (AUC) exceeding 0.99. Furthermore, multiple lipid-based ML models also demonstrated comparable diagnostic ability for ESCC. These findings indicate plasma lipids as a promising diagnostic approach for ESCC.

New G-Triplex DNA Dramatically Activates the Fluorescence of Thioflavin T and Acts as a Turn-On Fluorescent Sensor for Uracil-DNA Glycosylase Activity Detection.

G-triplexes are G-rich oligonucleotides composed of three G-tracts and have absorbed much attention due to their potential biological functions and attractive performance in biosensing. Through the optimization of loop compositions, DNA lengths, and 5'-flanking bases of G-rich sequences, a new stable G-triplex sequence with 14 bases (G3-F15) was discovered to dramatically activate the fluorescence of Thioflavin T (ThT), a water-soluble fluorogenic dye. The fluorescence enhancement of ThT after binding with G3-F15 reached 3200 times, which was the strongest one by far among all of the G-rich sequences. The conformations of G3-F15 and G3-F15/ThT were studied by circular dichroism. The thermal stability measurements indicated that G3-F15 was a highly stable G-triplex structure. The conformations of G3-F15 and G3-F15/ThT in the presence of different metal cations were studied thoroughly by fluorescent spectroscopy, circular dichroism, and nuclear magnetic resonance. Furthermore, using the G3-F15/ThT complex as a fluorescent probe, a robust and simple turn-on fluorescent sensor for uracil-DNA glycosylase activity was developed. This study proposes a new systematic strategy to explore new functional G-rich sequences and their ligands, which will promote their applications in diagnosis, therapy, and biosensing.

Association between sleep quality and dry eye disease: a literature review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to systematically review the association between dry eye and sleep quality. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Web of Science, and grey literature databases were searched for observational studies published before April 2023. Meta-analysis was performed using STAT15 software. RESULTS: A total of 21 studies with 419,218 participants were included. The results showed that the dry eye subjects had a worse sleep quality than the healthy population, with poorer subjective sleep quality, longer sleep latency, and a higher risk of unhealthy sleep duration such as insufficient sleep or excessive sleep. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores of the dry eye subjects were significantly higher than those of the control subjects (WMD = 1.78, 95%CI: 1.06, 2.50, P < 0.001). The dry eye subjects scored higher than the control subjects in sleep quality, sleep latency, and sleep disturbance in PSQI; there was no difference between the dry eye individuals and control subjects in sleep duration, sleep efficiency, daytime dysfunction, and sleep medication scores. The risk of sleep disorders in the dry eye subjects was significantly higher than that in the non-dry eye subjects (RR = 2.20, 95%CI: 1.78, 2.72, P < 0.001); the risk of insufficient sleep in the dry eye subjects was higher than that in the control subjects (RR = 3.76, 95%CI: 3.15, 4.48, P < 0.001), and the prevalence of excessive sleepiness in dry eye subjects was higher than that in the control subjects (RR = 5.53, 95%CI: 3.83, 7.18, P < 0.001). The ESS scores of the dry eye subjects were significantly higher than those of the control subjects (WMD = 3.02, 95%CI: 2.43, 3.60, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis suggests that individuals with dry eye have a worse sleep quality than the healthy population, with poorer subjective sleep quality, longer sleep latency, and higher risk of unhealthy sleep duration such as insufficient sleep or excessive sleepiness.

Qualitative and Quantitative Analytical Techniques of Nucleic Acid Modification Based on Mass Spectrometry for Biomarker Discovery.

Nucleic acid modifications play important roles in biological activities and disease occurrences, and have been considered as cancer biomarkers. Due to the relatively low amount of nucleic acid modifications in biological samples, it is necessary to develop sensitive and reliable qualitative and quantitative methods to reveal the content of any modifications. In this review, the key processes affecting the qualitative and quantitative analyses are discussed, such as sample digestion, nucleoside extraction, chemical labeling, chromatographic separation, mass spectrometry detection, and data processing. The improvement of the detection sensitivity and specificity of analytical methods based on mass spectrometry makes it possible to study low-abundance modifications and their biological functions. Some typical nucleic acid modifications and their potential as biomarkers are displayed, and efforts to improve diagnostic accuracy are discussed. Future perspectives are raised for this research field.

Analyzing the role of computational clusters and artificial intelligence in the development of child mental health

In recent years, there has been a lot of research interest in the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in health and medicine. This study attempts to provide a global, verified picture of research on AI in medicine and health. There are vast informational resources available, but there are also devices that can't decide examples precisely or predict the future. The conventional methods for diagnosing illnesses are manual and prone to error. When compared to elite human ability, the use of artificial intelligence's predictive approaches improves auto determination and reduces identification errors. A thorough analysis of those articles convinced the ordering party to order the most complex AI processes for clinical symptomatic frameworks. This research report seeks to unearth some key information on the flow and pastof many AI techniques in the clinical setting used in the current clinical investigation, particularly in the areas of coronary disease prediction, brain illness, prostate, liver illness, and kidney infection. In order to ensure that Childs are well-informed and guided, this study uses the coordination examination calculation to distinguish Childs' mental health difficulties and applies the reconciliation examination calculation to Childs' mental health inquiry. A thorough analysis and exploration of children's mental health is completed in light of the framework design approach and information mining grouping technique. (AU)

Sources of PM2.5-Associated Health Risks in Europe and Corresponding Emission-Induced Changes During 2005-2015.

We present a newly developed approach to characterize the sources of fine particulate matter (PM2.5)-related premature deaths in Europe using the chemical transport model GEOS-Chem and its adjoint. The contributions of emissions from each individual country, species, and sector are quantified and mapped out at km scale. In 2015, total PM2.5-related premature death is estimated to be 449,813 (257,846-722,138) in Europe, 59.0% of which were contributed by domestic anthropogenic emissions. The anthropogenic emissions of nitrogen oxides, ammonia, and organic carbon contributed most to the PM2.5-related health damages, making up 29.6%, 23.2%, and 16.8%, respectively of all domestic anthropogenic contributions. Residential, agricultural, and ground transport emissions are calculated to be the largest three sectoral sources of PM2.5-related health risks, accounting for 23.5%, 23.0%, and 19.4%, respectively, of total anthropogenic contributions within Europe. After excluding the influence of extra-regional sources, we find eastern European countries suffered from more premature deaths than their emissions caused; in contrast, the emissions from some central and western European regions contributed premature deaths exceeding three times the number of deaths that occurred locally. During 2005-2015, the first decade of PM2.5 regulation in Europe, emission controls reduced PM2.5-related health damages in nearly all European countries, resulting in 63,538 (46,092-91,082) fewer PM2.5-related premature deaths. However, our calculation suggests that efforts to reduce air pollution from key sectors in some countries can be offset by the lag in control of emissions in others. International cooperation is therefore vitally important for tackling air pollution and reducing corresponding detrimental effects on public health.

The Association Between Dry Eye and Sleep Disorders: The Evidence and Possible Mechanisms.

Dry eye is a disease that severely affects patients' quality of life, increasing the global burden on public health and finance. There is growing evidence that a poor lifestyle is a significant risk factor for dry eye. Along with the development of society, sleep, as a way of life, is also constantly changing. The main manifestations of sleep disorders are reduced sleep time, circadian rhythm disturbances, and sleep breathing disturbances. Sleep disorders and their secondary systemic diseases have attracted wide attention in recent years. This review mainly explored the correlation between sleep disorders and dry eye, and found that sleep-related problems and other factors potentially leading from sleep disorders could be critical factors for dry eye. These results suggest that ophthalmologists should pay attention to the sleep health problems in patients with dry eye, and we hope that this paper can provide help for future research in this field.

The Relationship Between Circadian Typology and Dry Eye Symptoms in Chinese College Students.

Purpose: To explore the relationship between symptomatic dry eye and circadian typology in college students. Methods: This study included 269 students from 3 Chinese universities. All participants completed the ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire, the morningness-eveningness questionnaire (MEQ), and the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) questionnaire. Participants were grouped into 3 types by the reduced MEQ (rMEQ) score:E-Type, N-Type, and M-Type. All these parameters were then analyzed for the effect on the severity of dry eye. Results: The occurrence rates of poor sleep quality (PSQI>5) and symptomatic dry eye (OSDI > 13) in the college students were 53.2% and 40.2%, respectively. The distribution of the circadian typology differed significantly among the college students with different dry eye severities (χ 2 = 59.44, P = 0. 000), and E-type was associated with the most severe dry eye symptoms. The OSDI and PSQI scores were both significantly different among college students with different chronotypes (F = 22.14, P = 0.000; F = 15.21, P = 0.000; respectively). For both scores, the E-type scored the highest, followed by N-type, and M-type was the lowest. The circadian typology was an independent factor for dry eye. The risk of E-Type was 6.99 times higher than that of M-Type (P = 0.000), and the risk of N-types was 3.23 times higher than that of M-Type (P = 0.000). Sleep quality was also an independent risk factor for dry eye (P = 0.000). Gender and awareness of dry eye were not risk factors for dry eye. Conclusion: The severity of dry eye symptoms and sleep quality were associated with different circadian typologies. The more the circadian preference tended to be E-type, the worse the sleep quality and the more serious dry eye symptoms would appear.

Efficacy of Neoadjuvant Therapy in Improving Long-Term Survival of Patients with Resectable Rectal Cancer: A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The impact of neoadjuvant therapy on long-term prognosis of patients with resectable rectal cancer is currently unknown. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the long-term prognosis of patients with resectable rectal cancer following treatment with neoadjuvant therapy. METHODS: Four major databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane library) were searched to identify relevant articles published between January 2000 and July 2020. The main outcome indicators were the 5-year Overall Survival (OS) and Disease-Free Survival (DFS). RESULTS: The meta-analysis revealed that 5-year OS (HR: 0.88, 95% Cl: 0.83-0.93) and DFS (HR: 0.95, 95% Cl: 0.91- 0.98) were higher in patients with resectable rectal cancer after receiving neoadjuvant therapy than those treated with upfront surgery. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that the long-term survival of patients in Asia and Europe could benefit from neoadjuvant therapy. The neoadjuvant short-course radiotherapy (SCRT) and neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) improved the 5-year OS and DFS of patients with stage II-III rectal cancer and mid/low rectal cancer. Further research found that patients with stage II only had an increase in OS, while patients with stage Ⅲ have improved 5-year OS and DFS. CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant therapy improved the long-term survival of patients with mid/low rectal cancer in stage Ⅱ-Ⅲ (especially stage Ⅲ). Additionally, patients in Asia and Europe seemed to be more likely to benefit from neoadjuvant therapy. For the treatment, we recommend neoadjuvant SCRT and neoadjuvant CRT for resectable rectal cancer.

Preactivation Strategy for a Wide Temperature Range In Situ Gel Electrolyte-Based LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2∥Si-Graphite Battery.

The silicon-based anode has been regarded as the most competitive anode candidate for next-generation lithium-ion batteries based on its high theoretical specific capacity. However, the severe volume expansion of the anode leads to undesirable cycling performance, hindering its further application in full cells. In this work, a preactivation method is carried out in a LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2∥Si-graphite battery with an in situ gel electrolyte composed of carbonate solvents, lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6), ß-cyanoethyl ether of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA-CN), and additive lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate (LiDFOB). After the charge-discharge test at ambient temperature (300 cycles), the capacity retention of the battery with the in situ gel electrolyte (75.4%) is impressively promoted compared with that with a base liquid electrolyte (45.7%). The in situ gelation and the strong solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) film effectively suppress the volume expansion of the anode, and the detected cathode transition metal elements on cycled anodes sharply decline. At an elevated temperature (55 °C), the cycle stability and Coulombic efficiency of the battery are also effectively improved. Meanwhile, the battery owns good rate capability and low-temperature performances similar to that with the liquid electrolyte. These results would provide a feasible solution for applying in situ gel electrolytes in wide temperature range batteries with Si-based anodes in practical applications.

Mitigated PM2.5 Changes by the Regional Transport During the COVID-19 Lockdown in Shanghai, China.

Intensive observations and WRF-Chem simulations are applied in this study to investigate the adverse impacts of regional transport on the PM2.5 (fine particulate matter; diameter ≤2.5 µm) changes in Shanghai during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 lockdown. As the local atmospheric oxidation capacity was observed to be generally weakened, strong regional transport carried by the frequent westerly winds is suggested to be the main driver of the unexpected pollution episodes, increasing the input of both primary and secondary aerosols. Contributing 40%-80% to the PM2.5, the transport contributed aerosols are simulated to exhibit less decreases (13.2%-21.8%) than the local particles (37.1%-64.8%) in urban Shanghai due to the lockdown, which largely results from the less decreased industrial and residential emissions in surrounding provinces. To reduce the influence of the transport, synergetic emission control, especially synergetic ammonia control, measures are proved to be effective strategies, which need to be considered in future regulations.

Thole model for ionic liquid polarizability.

The anisotropic ionic polarizabilities of two data sets of 216 cations (158 in training set and 58 in test set) and 80 anions (64 in training set and 16 in test set), which can be the components of ionic liquids (ILs), are fitted with Thole model against ab initio calculations. The isotropic atomic polarizabilities of H, B, C, N, O, F, S, Cl, P, and Br, are fitted for cations and anions, respectively, with two different smearing functions. The ab initio anisotropic ionic polarizabilities are well fitted by Thole model with a universal set of isotropic atomic polarizabilities, which are independent of their individual chemical environment. The current study also demonstrates the good transferability of Thole model to ions of different substituents, different side chain length, and different conformations.