Elevated HSPB1 Expression Is Associated with a Poor Prognosis in Glioblastoma Multiforme Patients.

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a highly aggressive form of brain cancer. This study investigated the clinical predictive value of heat shock protein ß1 (HSPB1) in patients with GBM. METHODS: A correlation was established between HSPB1 expression and GBM progression using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas dataset, Gene Expression Omnibus dataset, and Human Protein Atlas database. A survival analysis was conducted and an HSPB1-based nomogram was constructed to evaluate the prognostic value of HSPB1 in patients with GBM. RESULTS: Based on TCGA data mining, we discovered that HSPB1 was significantly elevated in patients with GBM and may reflect their response to immunotherapy. In survival analysis, it appeared to have a predictive role in the prognosis of patients with GBM. Five signaling pathways were significantly enriched in the high HSPB1 expression phenotype according to the gene set enrichment analysis. In addition, a significant association was found between HSPB1 expression and immune checkpoints, tumor immune infiltration, tumor immune microenvironment, and immune cell markers in glioma. Overall, our results suggest that HSPB1 may regulate the function of immune cells, serve as a new immunotherapy target, and predict the response to immunotherapy in patients with GBM. CONCLUSION: HSPB1 appears to serve as a potential predictor of the clinical prognosis and response to immunotherapy in patients with GBM. It may be possible to identify patients who are likely to benefit from immunotherapy by assessing the expression level of HSPB1.

Conserved microRNAs miR-8-3p and miR-2a-3 targeting chitin biosynthesis to regulate the molting process of Sogatella furcifera (Horváth)(Hemiptera: Delphacidae).

Molting is a key solution to growth restriction in insects. The periodic synthesis and degradation of chitin, one of the major components of the insect epidermis, is necessary for insect growth. MicroRNA (miRNA) have been implicated in molting regulation, yet their involvement in the interplay interaction between the chitin synthesis pathway and 20-hydroxyecdysone signaling remains poorly understood. In this study, soluble trehalase (Tre1) and phosphoacetylglucosamine mutase (PAGM) were identified as targets of conserved miR-8-3p and miR-2a-3, respectively. The expression profiles of miR-8-3p-SfTre1 and miR-2a-3-SfPAGM exhibited an opposite pattern during the different developmental stages, indicating a negative regulatory relationship between them. This relationship was confirmed by an in vitro dual-luciferase reporter system. Overexpression of miR-8-3p and miR-2a-3 by injection of mimics inhibited the expression of their respective target genes and increased mortality, leading to death in the pre-molting, and molting death phenomena. They also caused a decrease in chitin content and expression levels of key genes in the chitin synthesis pathway (SfTre1, SfTre2, SfHK, SfG6PI, SfGFAT, SfGNA, SfPAGM, SfUAP, SfCHS1, SfCHS1a, and SfCHS1b). Conversely, the injection of miRNA inhibitors resulted in the upregulation of the expression levels of these genes. Following 20E treatment, the expression levels of miR-8-3p and miR-2a-3 decreased significantly, while their corresponding target genes increased significantly. These results indicate that miR-8-3p and miR-2a-3 play a regulatory role in the molting of Sogatella furcifera by targeting SfTre1 and SfPAGM, respectively. These findings provide new potential targets for the development of subsequent new control strategies.

CSF3 aggravates acute exacerbation of pulmonary fibrosis by disrupting alveolar epithelial barrier integrity.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and progressive respiratory disorder characterized by poor prognosis, often presenting with acute exacerbation. The primary cause of death associated with IPF is acute exacerbation of IPF (AE-IPF). However, the pathophysiology of acute exacerbation has not been clearly elucidated yet. This study aims to investigate the underlying pathophysiological molecular mechanism in a mouse AE-PF model. C57BL/6J mice were intratracheally administered bleomycin (BLM, 5 mg/kg) to induce pulmonary fibrosis. After 14 days, lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 2 mg/kg) was injected via the trachea route. Histological assessments, including H&E and Masson staining, as well as inflammatory indicators, were included to evaluate the induction of AE-PF by BLM and LPS in mice. Transcriptomic profiling of pulmonary tissues identified CSF3 as one of the top 10 upregulated DEGs in AE-PF mice. Indeed, administration of exogenous CSF3 protein exacerbated AE-PF in mice. Mechanistically, CSF3 disrupted alveolar epithelial barrier integrity and permeability by regulating specialized cell adhesion complexes such as tight junctions (TJs) and adherens junctions (AJs) via PI3K/p-Akt/Snail pathway, contributing to the aggravation of AE-PF in mice. Moreover, the discovery of elevated sera CSF3 indicated a notable increase in IPF patients during the exacerbation of the disease. Pearson correlation analysis in IPF patients revealed significant positive associations between CSF3 levels and KL-6 levels, LDH levels, CRP levels, respectively. These results provide mechanistic insights into the role of CSF3 in exacerbating of lung fibrotic disease and indicate monitoring CSF3 levels may aid in early clinical decisions for alternative therapy in the management of rapidly progressing IPF.

GC-IMS and multivariate analyses of volatile organic components in different Chinese breeds of chickens.

This study examined the difference in volatile flavor characteristics among four different local breeds of chicken by headspace gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) combined with multivariate analysis. In total, 65 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were identified (17 aldehydes, 12 alcohols, 7 ketones, 5 esters, 2 acids, and 22 unidentified, i.e., 26.15% aldehydes, 18.46% alcohols, 10.77% ketones, 7.69% esters, 3.08% acids, and 33.84% unidentified), of which 43 were annotated. The chicken meats from the four breeds exhibited good separation in topographic plots, VOC fingerprinting, and multivariate analysis. Meanwhile, 20 different volatile components, with variable importance in projection value > 1, were selected as potential markers to distinguish different breeds of chicken by partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). These findings provide insights into the flavor traits of chicken meat. Also, HS-GC-IMS combined with multivariate analysis can be a convenient and powerful method for characterizing different meats.

Parameter-Free and Electron Counting Satisfied Material Representation for Machine Learning Potential Energy and Force Fields.

We proposed a parameter-free volume element representation that satisfies the electron counting model and obtains accurate machine learning potential energy and direct force fitting of randomly perturbed hexagonal BN. Our method preserves permutational, translational, and rotational invariance and can be extended to three-dimensional systems, verified by a system of bulk Si. As a result, we obtained 0.57 meV/atom potential energy root mean squared error (RMSE) and 59 meV/Å force RMSE for perturbed bulk BN systems and 0.43 meV/atom potential energy RMSE and 36 meV/Å force RMSE for perturbed Si systems. In addition, an unbiased perturbation-based data set construction scheme is introduced and a continuous population distribution is obtained with a training data set of 4500, which is about 1 order of magnitude smaller than standard methods based on first-principles molecular dynamics simulations and saves a large amount of computing resources. General validity of our model is verified by structure optimization, molecular dynamics simulations, and extrapolations.

Wing expansion functional analysis of ion transport peptide gene in Sogatella furcifera (Horváth) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae).

Ion transport peptide (ITP), a superfamily of arthropod neuropeptides, serves a crucial role in regulating various physiological processes such as diuresis, ecdysis behavior, and wing expansion. However, the molecular characteristics, expression profile, and role of ITP in Sogatella furcifera are poorly understood. To elucidate the characteristics and biological function of ITP in S. furcifera, we employed reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and RNA interference (RNAi) methods. The identified SfITP gene encodes 117 amino acids. The expression of SfITP gradually increased followed the formation of 3-day-old of 5th instar nymph, peaking initially at 40 min after eclosion, and reaching another peak 24 h after eclosion, with particularly high expression levels in thorax and wing tissues. Notably, SfITP RNAi in 3rd instar nymphs of S. furcifera significantly inhibited the transcript levels of SfITP, resulting in 55% mortality and 78% wing deformity. These findings suggests that SfITP is involved in the regulation of wing expansion in S. furcifera, providing insights into the regulation of insect wing expansion and contributing to the molecular understanding of this process.

Buprofezin affects the molting process by regulating nuclear receptors SfHR3 and SfHR4 in Sogatella furcifera.

Nuclear receptors play a crucial role in various signaling and metabolic pathways, such as insect molting and development. Buprofezin (2-tert-butylimino-3-isopropyl-5-phenyl-perhydro-1, 3, 5-thiadiazin-4-one), a chitin synthesis inhibitor, causes molting deformities and slow death in insects by inhibiting chitin synthesis and interfering with their metabolism. This study investigated whether buprofezin affects insect ecdysteroid signaling pathway. The treatment of buprofezin significantly suppressed the transcription levels of SfHR3 and SfHR4, two nuclear receptor genes, in third-instar nymphs of Sogatella furcifera. Meanwhile, the transcription levels of SfHR3 and SfHR4 in first-day fifth-instar nymphs were induced at 12 h after 20E treatment. In addition, the silencing of SfHR3 and SfHR4 genes in first-day fifth-instar nymphs caused severe developmental delay and molting failure, resulting in a significant reduction of survival rates at 7.36% and 2.99% on the eighth day, respectively. Further analysis showed that the silencing SfHR3 and SfHR4 significantly inhibited the transcription levels of chitin synthesis and degradation-related genes. These results indicate that buprofezin can inhibits chitin synthesis and degradation by suppressing the signal transduction of 20E through SfHR3 and SfHR4, leading to molting failure and death. This study not only expands our understanding of the molecular mechanism of buprofezin in pest control but also lays a foundation for developing new control strategies of RNAi by targeting SfHR3 and SfHR4.

Depleting ANTXR1 suppresses glioma growth via deactivating PI3K/AKT pathway.

Gliomas are commonly known as primary brain tumors and associated with frequent recurrence and an unsatisfactory prognosis despite extensive research in the underlying molecular mechanisms. We aimed to examine the role of ANTXR1 in glioma tumorigenesis and explore its downstream regulatory mechanism. ANTXR1 expression in clinical specimens and its relationship with some pathological characteristics were detected using immunohistochemical staining. After silencing/upregulating ANTXR1 through lentiviral transfection in glioma cell lines, qRT-PCR and western blotting were used to examine mRNA and protein levels, and cell phenotype was also detected. ANTXR1-knockdown and -overexpression cells were then processed by AKT activator and PI3K inhibitor, respectively, to verify downstream PI3K/AKT pathway regulated by ANTXR1. Xenograft nude mice models were constructed to verify the role of ANTXR1 in vivo. We found overexpression of ANTXR1 in both cell lines in comparison with those in normal brain tissues. Glioma cell growth and migratory ability were dramatically impaired as a result of silencing ANTXR1 by shANTXR1 lentiviruses. ANTXR1 blockade also accelerated cell apoptosis and held back cell cycle via targeting G2 phrase during cell mitosis. In vivo xenograft models verified in vitro findings above. Further exploration disclosed that AKT activator promoted anti-tumor effects mediated by ANTXR1 knockdown, while PI3K inhibitor limited pro-tumor effects mediated by ANTXR1 overexpression, indicating that ANTXR1 functioned in glioma cells through regulating PI3K/AKT pathway. ANTXR1 could play an indispensable role in glioma tumorigenesis via activating PI3K/AKT-mediated cell growth. Our study provides a theoretical basis for targeting ANTXR1 as a molecular target in glioma clinical therapeutics.

Application of an innovative pancreaticojejunostomy technique with a modified set of perioperative management in pancreatoduodenectomy: a retrospective cohort study.

How to reduce grade C postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) incidence after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is the pursuit of pancreatic surgeons. This study introduced an innovative pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) technique with a complete set of perioperative management. All 144 patients in this single-center retrospective cohort study underwent the same PJ technique and perioperative management. The primary endpoint was grade C POPF incidence. The secondary endpoints were grade B POPF rate, drain fluid amylase level, complications, hospital stay duration, and mortality. Risk factors for clinically-relevant POPF (CR-POPF) were assessed by logistic regression analysis. No patient (0.0%) experienced grade C POPF, while 44 (30.6%) developed grade B. No in-hospital death was recorded. Multivariate analysis found relatively high body mass index, laparoscopic surgery, and soft or moderate pancreatic texture independent risk factors for CR-POPF. Our novel PJ anastomosis with modified perioperative management helped avoid grade C POPF. However, grade B POPF incidence was relatively high to some extent because of the enhanced management itself.

Does environmental protection tax improve green total factor productivity? Experimental evidence from China.

Enhancing green total factor productivity (GTFP) is essential for achieving the objective of green development, and the effect of environmental protection tax (EPT), a crucial instrument for addressing environmental challenges, on green TFP is crucial. Based on provincial panel data from 2004 to 2020 in China, this study uses inter-provincial differences in environmental protection tax rates as a quasi-natural experiment and utilizes a synthetic control method to assess the impact of the "changing sewage charge to tax" on regional GTFP. The empirical results suggest that EPT can help enhance GTFP, a finding that still holds after regional placebo tests, time placebo tests, and difference-in-differences robustness tests. The mechanism test demonstrates that EPT influences GTFP via the industrial structure impact and the green technological innovation effect. According to heterogeneity research, regions with a high level of marketization and financial growth are more significantly affected by environmental protection tax policy. This paper offers crucial empirical data for assessing the efficacy of environmental protection tax policy and enhancing the environmental tax system.

Yak milk and its health benefits: a comprehensive review.

Yak milk has various potential health benefits due to its high nutritional content and unique composition. It is an excellent source of protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, which can promote overall health and wellbeing. Yak milk may have potential therapeutic benefits for hypertension, as it contains peptides that have been shown to have antihypertensive effects. Yak milk has also been shown to possess antioxidant properties, which can help protect against oxidative stress and related health problems. Moreover, its fat contains higher levels of beneficial fatty acids, such as conjugated linoleic acid and omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to various health benefits, including reducing inflammation, improving heart health, and supporting brain function. Moreover, further research is needed to fully understand the potential health benefits of yak milk, its unique composition and high nutritional content suggest that it may offer numerous health benefits and could be a valuable addition to a healthy diet.

Sintilimab-induced Alopecia Universalis in a Patient With the Anti-tumor Effect of Complete Remission After Hepatectomy.

Immune checkpoint blockades have been widely used to treat various malignancies. Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitor-induced alopecia areata, one of the immune-related adverse events, is rarely reported. We present a case of alopecia universalis during the treatment of Sintilimab, a monoclonal anti-PD-1 antibody, in a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma. A 65-year-old male was diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma in liver segment VI (S6) and chose to receive Sintilimab due to predicted insufficient residual liver volume for hepatectomy. He presented extensive hair loss in all the parts of the body 4 weeks after Sintilimab treatment. And without using any dermatologic drug, the alopecia areata gradually developed to be alopecia universalis after Sintilimab continuous treatment for 21 months. The pathological examination of skin revealed remarkable increased lymphocytes infiltration around the hair follicles, which contained predominantly CD8 positive T cells in the dermis. During single immunotherapy, the tumor marker of serum alpha-fetoprotein level soon decreased from 512.1 mg/L to a normal level within 3 months, accompanied with a remarkable tumor regression in liver S6 by magnetic resonance imaging scans. The patient received hepatectomy and pathological examination demonstrated the nodule was full of extensive necrosis. By combining immunotherapy and hepatectomy, the patient finally achieved a remarkable anti-tumor effect of complete remission. Immune checkpoint blockades-induced alopecia areata is a rare immune-related adverse event and accompanied with a good anti-tumor efficacy in our case. Regardless of alopecia treatment, PD-1 inhibitor treatment is recommended to be continued, especially when the immunotherapy is effective.

Primary lacrimal sac lymphoma: a case-based retrospective study in a Chinese population.

AIM: To determine the clinical characteristics, pathological types, tumor markers, treatments, and outcomes of Chinese patients with primary lacrimal sac lymphoma. METHODS: This case-based retrospective study analyzed 15 Chinese patients with primary lacrimal sac lymphoma. The clinical data collected included gender, age at diagnosis, symptoms, imaging examination results, pathologic diagnosis, pathogen identification, tumor markers, treatments, follow-up, and prognosis. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the patients. Progression-free survival (PFS) was defined as the time from surgery to the last follow-up, first record of tumor recurrence, or death. RESULTS: There were 7 males and 8 females with unilateral primary lacrimal sac lymphoma in the left eye (n=6) or right eye (n=9). The initial symptom in 13 patients was epiphora, and 2 patients had redness and swelling in the lacrimal sac area. All patients ultimately developed epiphora, and 12 had masses in the lacrimal sac area. Analysis of preoperative plasma tumor markers indicated 14 patients had elevated homocysteine, 9 had elevated ß2-microglobulin, and 2 had elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH); 2 patients had elevations of all three markers, and 1 patient had no elevation of any marker. All patients underwent surgical resection and 12 patients received postoperative chemotherapy. The pathological types were DLBCL (n=8), MALT lymphoma (n=5), and NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (n=2). The mean follow-up time was 25.8mo (range: 4-41) and 2 patients died. Seven patients who underwent mass excision combined with dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) had no postoperative epiphora. Eight patients who only underwent mass excision had varying degrees of postoperative epiphora. Preoperative LDH elevation and NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type were associated with poor prognoses. CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis and treatment can lead to a good prognosis for most patients with primary lacrimal sac lymphoma. Mass resection combined with DCR can reduce the occurrence of post-surgical epiphora. The pathology type and tumor marker status are associated with prognosis.

Identification of a novel mutation in the FGF10 gene in a Chinese family with obvious congenital lacrimal duct dysplasia in lacrimo-auriculo-dento-digital syndrome.

AIM: To identify the pathogenic gene variant in a family with lacrimo-auriculo-dento-digital syndrome [LADD (MIM 149730)] showing congenital lacrimal duct dysplasia as the main clinical manifestation and lay the foundation for future research on the pathogenic gene. METHODS: Ophthalmological examinations, including slit-lamp biomicroscopy and lacrimal duct probing, and computed tomography dacryocystography (CT-DCG) were performed for all participants. The family pedigree was drawn, genetic features were analyzed, and the genomic DNA of the subjects was extracted. Pathogenic genes were screened via whole exome sequencing (WES) and confirmed using Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: Six patients belonged to this three-generation family, and their clinical manifestations included congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction, congenital absence of lacrimal puncta and canaliculi, lacrimal fistulae, and limb deformities. This pattern indicates autosomal dominant inheritance. Diagnosis was based on the clinical characteristics of LADD syndrome, which presented in all the patients in this family. A novel frameshift mutation in the FGF10 gene (NM_004465.1), c.234dupC (p.Trp79Leus*15), was identified in all patients via WES. The variant was confirmed by Sanger sequencing and classified as a "pathogenic mutation" according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) variant interpretation guidelines. CONCLUSION: A novel frameshift mutation in the FGF10 gene is found in all patients. This finding helps this family with LADD syndrome receiving a more accurate clinical diagnosis and genetic counseling by extending the mutation range of the FGF10 gene.

Effects of the crown ether cavity on the performance of anion exchange membranes.

Anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) have emerged as a promising alternative to proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) due to their adaptability to low-cost stack components and non-noble-metals catalysts. However, the poor alkaline resistance and low OH- conductivity of anion exchange membranes (AEMs) have impeded the large-scale implementation of AEMFCs. Herein, the preparation of a new type of AEMs with crown ether macrocycles in their main chains via a one-pot superacid catalyzed reaction was reported. The study aimed to examine the influence of crown ether cavity size on the phase separation structure, ionic conductivity and alkali resistance of anion exchange membranes. Attributed to the self-assembly of crown ethers, the poly (crown ether) (PCE) AEMs with dibenzo-18-crown-6-ether (QAPCE-18-6) exhibit an obvious phase separated structure and a maximum OH- conductivity of 122.5 mS cm-1 at 80 °C (ionic exchange capacity is 1.51 meq g-1). QAPCE-18-6 shows a good alkali resistance with the OH- conductivity retention of 94.5% albeit being treated in a harsh alkali condition. Moreover, the hydrogen/oxygen single cell equipped with QAPCE-18-6 can achieve a peak power density (PPD) of 574 mW cm-2 at a current density of 1.39 A cm-2.

Ginsenoside Rg1 attenuation of neurogenesis disorder and neuronal apoptosis in the rat hippocampus after spinal cord injury may involve brain-derived neurotrophic factor/extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling.

OBJECTIVE: We previously demonstrated that spinal cord injury (SCI) induced hippocampus injury and depression in rodents. Ginsenoside Rg1 effectively prevents neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we investigated the effects of ginsenoside Rg1 on the hippocampus after SCI. METHODS: We used a rat compression SCI model. Western blotting and morphologic assays were used to investigate the protective effects of ginsenoside Rg1 in the hippocampus. RESULTS: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor/extracellular signal-regulated kinases (BDNF/ERK) signaling was altered in the hippocampus at 5 weeks after SCI. SCI attenuated neurogenesis and enhanced the expression of cleaved caspase-3 in the hippocampus; however, ginsenoside Rg1 attenuated cleaved caspase-3 expression and improved neurogenesis and BDNF/ERK signaling in the rat hippocampus. The results suggest that SCI affects BDNF/ERK signaling, and ginsenoside Rg1 can attenuate hippocampal damage after SCI. CONCLUSION: We speculate that the protective effects of ginsenoside Rg1 in hippocampal pathophysiology after SCI may involve BDNF/ERK signaling. Ginsenoside Rg1 shows promise as a therapeutic pharmaceutical product when seeking to counter SCI-induced hippocampal damage.

[Clinical features of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Omicron variant infection in children: an analysis of 201 cases]. / 201ä¾‹å„¿ç«¥æ–°åž‹å† çŠ¶ç— æ¯’Omicronå˜å¼‚æ ªæ„ŸæŸ“çš„ä¸´åºŠç‰¹å¾åˆ†æž.

OBJECTIVES: To study the clinical features of children with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant infection. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of 201 children with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who were hospitalized and diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infection in Quanzhou First Hospital from March 14 to April 7, 2022. Among the 201 children, there were 34 children with asymptomatic infection and 167 with symptomatic infection. The two groups were compared in terms of clinical features, results of experimental examinations, and outcome. RESULTS: Of all the 201 children, 161 (80.1%) had a history of exposure to COVID-19 patients and 132 (65.7%) had a history of COVID-19 vaccination. Among the 167 children with symptomatic infections, 151 had mild COVID-19 and 16 had common COVID-19, with no severe infection or death. Among the 101 children who underwent chest CT examination, 16 had ground glass changes and 20 had nodular or linear opacities. The mean time to nucleic acid clearance was (14±4) days for the 201 children with Omicron variant infection, and the symptomatic infection group had a significantly longer time than the asymptomatic infection group [(15±4) days vs (11±4) days, P<0.05]. The group vaccinated with one or two doses of COVID-19 vaccine had a significantly higher positive rate of IgG than the group without vaccination (P<0.05). The proportions of children with increased blood lymphocyte count in the symptomatic infection group was significantly lower than that in the asymptomatic infection group (P<0.05). Compared with the asymptomatic infection group, the symptomatic infection group had significantly higher proportions of children with increased interleukin-6, increased fibrinogen, and increased D-dimer (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Most of the children with Omicron variant infection have clinical symptoms, which are generally mild. The children with symptomatic infection are often accompanied by decreased or normal blood lymphocyte count and increased levels of interleukin-6, fibrinogen, and D-dimer, with a relatively long time to nucleic acid clearance. Some of them had ground glass changes on chest CT.

Special issue "The advance of solid tumor research in China": Participants with a family history of cancer have a higher participation rate in low-dose computed tomography for lung cancer screening.

We aimed to determine participation in low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) of individuals with a family history of common cancers in a population-based screening program to provide timely evidence in high-risk populations in China. The analysis was conducted using data from the Cancer Screening Program in Urban China (CanSPUC), which recruited 282 377 participants aged 40 to 74 years from eight cities in the Henan province. Using the CanSPUC risk score system, 55 428 participants were evaluated to have high risk for lung cancer and were recommended for LDCT. We calculated the overall and group-specific participation rates using family history of common cancers and compared differences in participation rates between different groups. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals were derived by multivariable logistic regression. Of the 55 428 participants, 22 260 underwent LDCT (participation rate, 40.16%). Family history of lung, esophageal, stomach, liver and colorectal cancer was associated with increased participation in LDCT screening. The odds of participants with a family history of one, two, three and four or more cancer cases undergoing LDCT screening were 1.9, 2.7, 2.8 and 3.5 times, respectively, than those without a family history of cancer. Compared to those without a history of cancer, participation in LDCT gradually increased as the number of cancer cases in the family increased (P < .001). Our findings suggest that there is room for improvement in lung cancer screening given the relatively low participation rate. Lung cancer screening in populations with a family history of cancer may improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness; however, this requires further verification.

The clinical feasibility of artificial intelligence-assisted compressed sensing single-shot fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (ACS-SS-FLAIR) for evaluation of uncooperative patients with brain diseases: comparison with the conventional T2-FLAIR with parallel imaging.

BACKGROUND: Satisfactory magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of those patients with involuntary head motion due to brain diseases is essential in avoiding missed diagnosis and guiding treatment. PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical feasibility of artificial intelligence-assisted compressed sensing single-shot fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (ACS-SS-FLAIR) in evaluating patients with involuntary head motion due to brain diseases, compared with the conventional T2-FLAIR with parallel imaging (PI-FLAIR). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 33 uncooperative patients with brain disease were prospectively enrolled. Two readers independently reviewed images acquired with ACS-SS-FLAIR and PI-FLAIR at a 3.0-T MR scanner. In the aspects of qualitative evaluation of image quality, overall image quality and lesion conspicuity of ACS-SS-FLAIR and PI-FLAIR were assessed and then statistically compared by paired Wilcoxon rank-sum test. For quantitative evaluation, the relative contrast of lesion-to-cerebral parenchyma were calculated and compared. RESULTS: Overall image quality scores of ACS-SS-FLAIR evaluated by two readers were 2.94 ± 0.24 and 2.91 ± 0.29, respectively, both of which were significantly higher than that of PI-FLAIR, respectively (P < 0.001 and <0.001). Lesion conspicuity scores of were 2.74 ± 0.47 and 2.79 ± 0.44, both of which were significantly higher than that of PI-FLAIR, respectively (P < 0.001 and <0.001). In the quantitative evaluation for image quality, the relative contrast of lesion-to-cerebral parenchyma was 0.34 ± 0.09 in the ACS-SS-FLAIR sequence, significantly larger than that in the PI-FLAIR sequence (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The ACS-SS-FLAIR sequence is clinically feasible in the MRI workup of those patients with involuntary head motion due to brain diseases, showing shorter image acquisition time and better image quality compared with conventional PI-FLAIR.