TriCAFFNet: A Tri-Cross-Attention Transformer with a Multi-Feature Fusion Network for Facial Expression Recognition.

In recent years, significant progress has been made in facial expression recognition methods. However, tasks related to facial expression recognition in real environments still require further research. This paper proposes a tri-cross-attention transformer with a multi-feature fusion network (TriCAFFNet) to improve facial expression recognition performance under challenging conditions. By combining LBP (Local Binary Pattern) features, HOG (Histogram of Oriented Gradients) features, landmark features, and CNN (convolutional neural network) features from facial images, the model is provided with a rich input to improve its ability to discern subtle differences between images. Additionally, tri-cross-attention blocks are designed to facilitate information exchange between different features, enabling mutual guidance among different features to capture salient attention. Extensive experiments on several widely used datasets show that our TriCAFFNet achieves the SOTA performance on RAF-DB with 92.17%, AffectNet (7 cls) with 67.40%, and AffectNet (8 cls) with 63.49%, respectively.

Occlusion Robust Cognitive Engagement Detection in Real-World Classroom.

Cognitive engagement involves mental and physical involvement, with observable behaviors as indicators. Automatically measuring cognitive engagement can offer valuable insights for instructors. However, object occlusion, inter-class similarity, and intra-class variance make designing an effective detection method challenging. To deal with these problems, we propose the Object-Enhanced-You Only Look Once version 8 nano (OE-YOLOv8n) model. This model employs the YOLOv8n framework with an improved Inner Minimum Point Distance Intersection over Union (IMPDIoU) Loss to detect cognitive engagement. To evaluate the proposed methodology, we construct a real-world Students' Cognitive Engagement (SCE) dataset. Extensive experiments on the self-built dataset show the superior performance of the proposed model, which improves the detection performance of the five distinct classes with a precision of 92.5%.

Artificial intelligence in lung cancer screening: Detection, classification, prediction, and prognosis.

BACKGROUND: The exceptional capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) in extracting image information and processing complex models have led to its recognition across various medical fields. With the continuous evolution of AI technologies based on deep learning, particularly the advent of convolutional neural networks (CNNs), AI presents an expanded horizon of applications in lung cancer screening, including lung segmentation, nodule detection, false-positive reduction, nodule classification, and prognosis. METHODOLOGY: This review initially analyzes the current status of AI technologies. It then explores the applications of AI in lung cancer screening, including lung segmentation, nodule detection, and classification, and assesses the potential of AI in enhancing the sensitivity of nodule detection and reducing false-positive rates. Finally, it addresses the challenges and future directions of AI in lung cancer screening. RESULTS: AI holds substantial prospects in lung cancer screening. It demonstrates significant potential in improving nodule detection sensitivity, reducing false-positive rates, and classifying nodules, while also showing value in predicting nodule growth and pathological/genetic typing. CONCLUSIONS: AI offers a promising supportive approach to lung cancer screening, presenting considerable potential in enhancing nodule detection sensitivity, reducing false-positive rates, and classifying nodules. However, the universality and interpretability of AI results need further enhancement. Future research should focus on the large-scale validation of new deep learning-based algorithms and multi-center studies to improve the efficacy of AI in lung cancer screening.

Transcriptional regulation of the yersiniabactin receptor fyuA gene by the ferric uptake regulator in Klebsiella pneumoniae NTUH-K2044.

The ferric uptake regulator (Fur) is a global regulator that influences the expression of virulence genes in Klebsiella pneumoniae. Bioinformatics analysis suggests Fur may involve in iron acquisition via the identified regulatory box upstream of the yersiniabactin receptor gene fyuA. To observe the impact of the gene fyuA on the virulence of K. pneumoniae, the gene fyuA knockout strain and complementation strain were constructed and then conducted a series of phenotypic experiments including chrome azurol S (CAS) detection, crystal violet staining, and wax moth virulence experiment. To examine the regulatory relationship between Fur and the gene fyuA, green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter gene fusion assay, real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), gel migration assay (EMSA), and DNase I footprinting assay were used to clarify the regulatory mechanism of Fur on fyuA. CAS detection revealed that the gene fyuA could affect the generation of iron carriers in K. pneumoniae. Crystal violet staining experiment showed that fyuA could positively influence biofilm formation. Wax moth virulence experiment indicated that the deletion of the fyuA could weaken bacterial virulence. GFP reporter gene fusion experiment and RT-qPCR analysis revealed that Fur negatively regulated the expression of fyuA in iron-sufficient environment. EMSA experiment demonstrated that Fur could directly bind to the promoter region of fyuA, and DNase I footprinting assay further identified the specific binding site sequences. The study showed that Fur negatively regulated the transcriptional expression of fyuA by binding to upstream of the gene promoter region, and then affected the virulence of K. pneumoniae.

Application of computer-aided detection for NCCN-based follow-up recommendation in subsolid nodules: Effect on inter-observer agreement.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Computer-aided detection (CAD) of pulmonary nodules reduces the impact of observer variability, improving the reliability and reproducibility of nodule assessments in clinical practice. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the impact of CAD on inter-observer agreement in the follow-up management of subsolid nodules. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A dataset comprising 60 subsolid nodule cases was constructed based on the National Cancer Center lung cancer screening data. Five observers independently assessed all low-dose computed tomography scans and assigned follow-up management strategies to each case according to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, using both manual measurements and CAD assistance. The linearly weighted Cohen's kappa test was used to measure agreement between paired observers. Agreement among multiple observers was evaluated using the Fleiss kappa statistic. RESULTS: The agreement of the five observers for NCCN follow-up management categorization was moderate when measured manually, with a Fleiss kappa score of 0.437. Utilizing CAD led to a notable enhancement in agreement, achieving a substantial consensus with a Fleiss kappa value of 0.623. After using CAD, the proportion of major and substantial management discrepancies decreased from 27.5% to 15.8% and 4.8% to 1.5%, respectively (p < 0.01). In 23 lung cancer cases presenting as part-solid nodules, CAD significantly elevates the average sensitivity in detecting lung cancer cases presenting as part-solid nodules (overall sensitivity, 82.6% vs. 92.2%; p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The application of CAD significantly improves inter-observer agreement in the follow-up management strategy for subsolid nodules. It also demonstrates the potential to reduce substantial management discrepancies and increase detection sensitivity in lung cancer cases presenting as part-solid nodules.

Clinical and pathological features of 52 patients with glomerulonephritis with dominant C3 / 中南大学学报(医学版)

Objective:With the in-depth study of complement dysregulation,glomerulonephritis with dominant C3 has received increasing attention,with a variety of pathologic types and large differences in symptoms and prognosis between pathologic types.This study analyzes the clinical,pathological,and prognostic characteristics of different pathological types of glomerulonephritis with dominant C3,aiming to avoid misdiagnosis and missed diagnoses. Methods:The clinical,pathological,and follow-up data of 52 patients diagnosed as glomerulonephritis with dominant C3 by renal biopsy from June 2013 to October 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.According to the clinical feature and results of pathology,15 patients with post-infectious glomerulonephritis(PIGN)and 37 patients with of non-infectious glomerulonephritis(N-PIGN)were classified.N-PIGN subgroup analysis was performed,and 16 patients were assigned into a C3-alone-deposition group and 21 in a C3-dominant-deposition group,or 27 in a C3 glomerulopathy(C3G)group and 10 in a non-C3 nephropathy(N-C3G)group. Results:The PIGN group had lower creatinine values(84.60 μmol/L vs 179.62 μmol/L,P= 0.001),lower complement C3 values(0.36 g/L vs 0.74 g/L,P<0.001)at biopsy,and less severe pathological chronic lesions compared with the N-PIGN group.In the N-PIGN subgroup analysis,the C3-dominant-deposition group had higher creatinine values(235.30 μmol/L vs 106.70 μmol/L,P=0.004)and higher 24-hour urine protein values(4 025.62 mg vs 1 981.11 mg,P=0.037)than the C3-alone-deposition group.The prognosis of kidney in the PIGN group(P=0.049),the C3-alone-deposition group(P=0.017),and the C3G group(P=0.018)was better than that in the N-PIGN group,the C3-dominant-deposition group,and the N-C3G group,respectively. Conclusion:Glomerulonephritis with dominant C3 covers a variety of pathological types,and PIGN needs to be excluded before diagnosing C3G because of considerable overlap with atypical PIGN and C3G;in addition,the deposition of C1q complement under fluorescence microscope may indicate poor renal prognosis,and relevant diagnosis,treatment,and follow-up should be strengthened.

Analysis of CHEN Yongcan's Experience in Treating Chronic Atrophic Gastritis with Intestinal Metaplasia Based on the Patho-genesis of"Deficiency in Origin and Toxin Accumulation" / 浙江中医药大学学报

[Objective]To summarize Director CHEN Yongcan's experience in treating chronic atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia the pathogenesis of"deficiency in origin and toxin accumulation".[Methods]Through following Director CHEN Yongcan's outpatient service,sorting out and analyzing typical medical cases,combined with the view of Director CHEN in clinical practice,it summed up his experience in treating chronic atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia from three aspects:core pathogenesis,syndrome differentiation and treatment,prescription and medication,and a proved case was attached to support the treatment.[Results]Chronic atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia is one of the key links in the occurrence and development of gastric cancer.Director CHEN Yongcan believes that the"deficiency in origin and toxin accumulation"is the core pathogenesis of chronic atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia."Deficiency in origin"means deficiency in the spleen and stomach,insufficiency of vital Qi;"toxin accumulation"namely turbidity-toxicity stays stagnation,accumulated and hidden.Taking the cold-heat complex syndrome as the basic point for syndrome differentiation and treatment,it's called for keeping the balance of cold and heat.According to the proportion of deficiency and excess,he treats the disease with the syndrome.The prescription is mainly self-made prescription Shiwei Xiexin Decoction,which can detoxify and benefit vital Qi.If spleen deficiency causes kidney deficiency,kidney-nourishing herbs should be added to solve this condition.If there're Qi and blood stasis,flower herbs are preferred for use.Aiming at the difference between phlegm toxin,stasis toxin and heat toxin,three pairs of triplet herbs which include Cremastrae Pseudobulbus-Salvia chinensis-Actinidia Valvata Dunn,Nidus Vespae-Herba Artemisiae Anomalae-Rhizoma Curcumae and Taraxacum mongolicum-Scutellariae Barbatae Herba-Hedyotis Diffusa are selected for treatment.The syndrome differentiation of the case was spleen deficiency and toxin accumulation,and complex cold-heat.The treatment was invigorating the spleen and detoxifying,and adjusting cold-heat in balance,and Shiwei Xiexin Decoction was used,considering the combination of blood stasis and toxin accumulation,Nidus Vespae-Herba Artemisiae Anomalae-Rhizoma Curcumae were selected.At the follow-up visit,because of obstruction of Qi and blood and imbalance of Qi movement,and Sanhua Baicao Drink to gently promote depression.In the third visit,considering age growth,the liver and kidney were gradually declining,the long-term illness damaged primordial Qi,and the Sijun Zhenyuan Decoction was used to invigorate the spleen and tonify the kidney,consolidate the basis and cultivate primordial Qi.[Conclusion]Director CHEN's experience in differentiating and treating chronic atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia from"deficiency in origin and toxin accumulation"is unique and effective,which is worthy of promotion and learning.

Cryptogenic Multifocal Ulcerous Stenosing Enteritis Treated by Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine： A Case Report / 中医杂志

Cryptogenic multifocal ulcerous stenosing enteritis（CMUSE） is a rare and difficult disease characte-rized by chronic recurrent intestinal obstruction and gastrointestinal bleeding caused by multiple ulcers and strictures of the small intestine. There is still a lack of mature and systematic guidance for the treatment of the disease. This paper reported a case of CMUSE mainly manifested as fatigue， abdominal distention， and edema of both lower limbs ， who is treated by integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine. In western medicine treatment， hormone and symptomatic treatment are mainly used. In traditional Chinese medicine treatment， the method of fortifying spleen and reinforcing healthy qi is taken as the basis； during the active stage of the disease， the method of moving qi and removing stagnation， clearing and removing dampness and heat， astringing and engendering flesh should be combined with， while during the remission stage， it is advised to unite with the method of diffusing lung and moving water， regulating and harmonizing zang-fu （脏腑） organs； simultaneously， replenishing qi and invigorating blood can be used throughout the treatment， and attach importance to the maintenance therapy of the traditional Chinese medicine immunomo-dulatory agent Tripterygium glycosides. After more than 2 years of treatment， the patient's clinical symptoms were significantly relieved， and all indicators basically restored to normal， having a stable condition.

Analysis on Chen Yongcan's Experience in the Treatment of Chronic Atrophic Gastritis with Intestinal Metaplasia Based on the Theory of"Yang Transforming into Qi and Yin Forming Shape" / 中国中医药信息杂志

Chronic atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia is a necessary stage for chronic gastritis to develop into gastric cancer.Chen Yongcan believes that the theory of"yang transforming into qi and yin forming shape"can explain the development and diagnosis of chronic atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia.The deficiency of"yang transforming into qi"leads to too much"yin forming shape",which changes the physiological function of the spleen and stomach,and then develops into the pathological process of chronic atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia.Based on the theory of"yang transforming into qi and yin forming shape",the pathogenesis of this disease was briefly analyzed.In clinical treatment,the state of yin and yang was first identified,and the treatment principle of tonifying yang qi to remove yin turbidity was put forward to achieve the purpose of treating both manifestation and root causes.

Microbial Fuel Cell-Based Organic Matter Sensors: Principles, Structures and Applications.

Wastewater contains a significant quantity of organic matter, continuously causing environmental pollution. Timely and accurate detection of organic content in water can facilitate improved wastewater treatment and better protect the environment. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are increasingly recognized as valuable biological monitoring systems, due to their ability to swiftly detect organic indicators such as biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in water quality. Different types of MFC sensors are used for BOD and COD detection, each with unique features and benefits. This review focuses on different types of MFC sensors used for BOD and COD detection, discussing their benefits and structural optimization, as well as the influencing factors of MFC-based biomonitoring systems. Additionally, the challenges and prospects associated with the development of reliable MFC sensing systems are discussed.

Facial Expression Recognition Based on Fine-Tuned Channel-Spatial Attention Transformer.

Facial expressions help individuals convey their emotions. In recent years, thanks to the development of computer vision technology, facial expression recognition (FER) has become a research hotspot and made remarkable progress. However, human faces in real-world environments are affected by various unfavorable factors, such as facial occlusion and head pose changes, which are seldom encountered in controlled laboratory settings. These factors often lead to a reduction in expression recognition accuracy. Inspired by the recent success of transformers in many computer vision tasks, we propose a model called the fine-tuned channel-spatial attention transformer (FT-CSAT) to improve the accuracy of recognition of FER in the wild. FT-CSAT consists of two crucial components: channel-spatial attention module and fine-tuning module. In the channel-spatial attention module, the feature map is input into the channel attention module and the spatial attention module sequentially. The final output feature map will effectively incorporate both channel information and spatial information. Consequently, the network becomes adept at focusing on relevant and meaningful features associated with facial expressions. To further improve the model's performance while controlling the number of excessive parameters, we employ a fine-tuning method. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that our FT-CSAT outperforms the state-of-the-art methods on two benchmark datasets: RAF-DB and FERPlus. The achieved recognition accuracy is 88.61% and 89.26%, respectively. Furthermore, to evaluate the robustness of FT-CSAT in the case of facial occlusion and head pose changes, we take tests on Occlusion-RAF-DB and Pose-RAF-DB data sets, and the results also show that the superior recognition performance of the proposed method under such conditions.

Constructing model-averaging species sensitivity distributions of Phenanthrene based on reproductive fitness: Implications for assessing ecological risk in urban watershed.

The challenge in optimizing the method of constructing species sensitivity distribution (SSD) remains. In this study, a model-averaging SSD was created to evaluate the ecological risk of Phenanthrene (PHE) in urban watershed based on reproductive fitness. Specifically, concentrations of PHE were measured in surface water samples collected from various watersheds of Wuhan, including five lake watersheds and the Wuhan reach of the Yangtze River and Han River. The reproductive endpoint of aquatic species was calculated to be most sensitive to PHE exposure, with the value of predict no-effect concentration (PNEC) at 0.19 µg/L. The results of probabilistic assessment methods, including joint probability curve (JPC), overall risk probability (ORP), and distribution-based quotient (DBQ), indicated that the ecological risks of PHE in large lakes have dropped significantly with distance from the downtown area of Wuhan, and the long-term effects of industrial activities may increase the risks in the lake watersheds. Basically, the ecological risks in Yangtze River are negligible; however, there is a relatively high risk of PHE in the Han River and some lake watersheds. The cos Î¸ similarity analysis indicated the Yangtze River is strongly connected to the low-risk lake watersheds, and that in part reflects the risk in the Yangtze River being controlled by its surrounding these lake watersheds.

Contrastive analysis on difference of chemical compositions of single decoction and mixed decoction of Gypsum Fibrosum-Anemarrhenae Rhizoma medicinal pair with different proportion / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:To compare the difference of chemical compositions of single decoction and mixed decoction of Gypsum Fibrosum - Anemarrhenae Rhizoma medicinal pair with different proportion.Methods:The Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC) and Ion Chromatography (IC) fingerprints of each sample were collected, and the independent sample t-test on the ratio of "peak area/weight" value of common peaks which was from the single decoction and mixed decoction samples was performed through SPSS 26.0.Results:In the UPLC fingerprint, there was significant difference in the "peak area/weight" values of peak 1, peak 2, peak 3, peak 6 and peak 13 between mixed decoction and single decoction with different compatibility ratios (1:1, 3:2, 2:1, 5:2, 3:1)( P<0.05), while peak 5 and peak 11 were without significant difference ( P>0.05). When the compatibility ratio of Gypsum Fibrosum and Anemarrhenae Rhizoma was 1:1, 3:2, 5:2, 3:1, there was significant difference in the "peak area/weight" values of peak 7 (neomangiferin) ( P<0.05). In the IC fingerprint, there was significant difference in the "peak area/weight" values of peak 1 between mixed decoction and single decoction with different compatibility ratios (1:1, 3:2, 2:1, 5:2, 3:1) ( P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in peak 5 (calcium ion) ( P>0.05). Conclusion:There are differences in the chemical component content of Gypsum Fibrosum-Anemarrhenae Rhizoma medicinal pair for single decoction and mixed decoction.

Application of two phacoemulsification modes in cataract surgery with different hard nuclear / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To compare the clinical efficacy of the Balanced energy system versus the conventional torsional ultrasound system in phacoemulsification surgeries for cataracts with varying nuclear hardness.METHODS: In this study, 120 patients(122 eyes)with age-related cataracts scheduled for surgery between November 2021 and November 2022 at our hospital were randomly divided into two groups: 58 patients(59 eyes)in the experimental group underwent surgery using the Balanced energy system, while 62 patients(63 eyes)in the control group were treated with the conventional torsional ultrasound system. Intraoperative cumulative dissipated energy(CDE), case time(CT), aspiration time(AST), and estimated fluid used(EFU)were recorded. Patients were followed-up for 3mo to examine and record the best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA)and corneal endothelial cell density(ECD), and to calculate the rate of endothelial cell loss.RESULTS: Comparing the intraoperative parameters between the two groups, there was no significant difference in CT(P&#x003E;0.05), but the CDE, AST and EFU of the patients in the experimental group were lower than those of the control group(P&#x003C;0.05), and the CDE of patients with grade III nuclear hardness in the experimental group was lower than the control group(P&#x003C;0.05), CDE, AST and EFU in patients with grade IV nuclear hardness were lower than those in the control group(P&#x003C;0.05). After 3mo of follow-up, BCVA in both groups improved significantly, and the experimental group recovered faster than the control group. At 3mo after surgery, the ECD of the two groups of patients was reduced compared with that before surgery(P&#x003C;0.01), but there were no significant differences in ECD and endothelial cell loss rates between the experimental and control groups before and at 3mo after surgery(P&#x003E;0.05). In grade IV nuclear hardness cataracts, the rate of endothelial cell loss in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group(4.63%±4.10% vs. 6.63%±4.49%, P&#x003C;0.01).CONCLUSION: The Balanced energy system and the conventional torsional ultrasound system both show high safety and efficiency in phacoemulsification of cataracts with different nuclear hardness. However, the former demonstrates substantial advantages in cases with dense nuclei, offering lower ultrasound energy, shorter aspiration and infusion times, and reduced volume of infusion fluid.

Fexaramine improves non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in mice by stimulating intestinal FXR / 药学学报

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered to be a manifestation of metabolic syndrome and has become one of the chronic diseases that endanger health around the world. There is still a lack of effective therapeutic drugs in clinical practice. Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) has been a popular target for NAFLD research in recent years. Fexaramine (Fex) is a potent and selective agonist of FXR, and its mechanism of action to improve NAFLD is unclear. Therefore, in this study, a mouse model of NAFLD was constructed using a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet and treated with Fex orally for 6 weeks. We evaluated the ameliorative effect of Fex on disorders of glucolipid metabolism in NAFLD mice, and preliminarily explored its potential mechanism of action. The animal experiments were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (approval number: PZSHUTCM210913011). In this study, it was found that 100 mg·kg-1 Fex significantly inhibited body weight gain, alleviated insulin resistance, improved liver injury and lipid accumulation in NAFLD mice. The effect of Fex on the expression of hepatic intestinal FXR and its target genes in NAFLD mice was further examined. Analysis of serum and hepatic bile acid profiles and expression related to hepatic lipid metabolism. It was found that Fex could stimulate intestinal FXR, promote fibroblast growth factor 15 (FGF15) secretion, inhibit the expression of cytochrome P450 family 7 subfamily A member 1 (CYP7A1), the rate-limiting enzyme of bile acid synthesis in liver, regulate bile acid synthesis by negative feedback, and improve the disorder of bile acid metabolism. At the same time, Fex reduces liver lipid synthesis and absorption, increases fatty acid oxidation, thus improving liver lipid metabolism. This study shows that Fex can improve NAFLD by activating intestinal FXR-FGF15 signal pathway and regulating liver lipid metabolism.

Epidemic characteristics and genotyping of varicella in Yangzhou in 2021 / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To analyze the epidemic characteristics of varicella and the genetic characteristics of varicella zoster virus (VZV) in Yangzhou in 2021, and to provide a theoretical basis for the scientific prevention and control of varicella in Yangzhou. Methods Descriptive epidemiological analysis was carried out on the varicella outbreaks reported in Yangzhou in 2021. Throat swabs or herpes fluid samples from varicella cases in 2021 were collected, and the viral nucleic acid was detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR. The genotype and evolutionary relationship of the virus strain were determined according to the 6 SNPs in the ORF22 gene fragment sequence. Results In 2021, there were 20 varicella outbreaks in Yangzhou, involving 147 cases, all of which occurred in kindergartens and primary and secondary schools, and the peak incidence was in the age group of 4-7 years old. The high incidence time of the outbreaks was from May to July, and from November to January of the next year. The varicella vaccination rate of the cases was low, and all were 1-dose vaccination. The gene sequencing results of 8 samples were J/clade 2, and 3 of them had A-C synonymous mutation at position 37997 in ORF22 sequence. Conclusion In 2021, varicella outbreaks in Yangzhou occurred mainly in kindergartens and schools. Preschool children are susceptible, all of which are caused by J/clade 2 varicella-zoster virus. It is suggested to strengthen the monitoring and management of the varicella epidemic situation in schools in the city, and at the same time incorporate the varicella vaccine into the routine immunization program of the city and strengthen 2 doses of varicella vaccination.

Production of limonene and its derivative in Saccharomyces cerevisiae via metabolic engineering / 生物工程学报

Limonene and its derivative perillic acid are widely used in food, cosmetics, health products, medicine and other industries as important bioactive natural products. However, inefficient plant extraction and high energy-consuming chemical synthesis hamper the industrial production of limonene and perillic acid. In this study, limonene synthase from Mentha spicata was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by peroxisome compartmentalization, and the yield of limonene was 0.038 mg/L. The genes involved in limonene synthesis, ERG10, ERG13, tHMGR, ERG12, ERG8, IDI1, MVD1, ERG20ww and tLS, were step-wise expressed via modular engineering to study their effects on limonene yield. The yield of limonene increased to 1.14 mg/L by increasing the precursor module. Using the plasmid with high copy number to express the above key genes, the yield of limonene significantly increased up to 86.74 mg/L, which was 4 337 times higher than that of the original strain. Using the limonene-producing strain as the starting strain, the production of perillic acid was successfully achieved by expressing cytochrome P450 enzyme gene from Salvia miltiorrhiza, and the yield reached 4.42 mg/L. The results may facilitate the construction of cell factory with high yield of monoterpene products by S. cerevisiae.

Diagnostic values of conventional tumor markers and their combination with chest CT for patients with stageⅠA lung cancer / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic efficiency of conventional serum tumor markers and their combination with chest CT for stage ⅠA lung cancer. Methods: A total of 1 155 patients with stage ⅠA lung cancer and 200 patients with benign lung lesions (confirmed by surgery) treated at the Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2016 to October 2020 were retrospectively enrolled in this study. Six conventional serum tumor markers [carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), squamous cell carcinoma associated antigen (SCCA), cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA21-1), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and gastrin-releasing peptide precursor (ProGRP)] and chest thin-slice CT were performed on all patients one month before surgery. Pathology was taken as the gold standard to analyze the difference of positivity rates of tumor markers between the lung cancer group and the benign group, the moderate/poor differentiation group and the well differentiation group, the adenocarcinoma group and the squamous cell carcinoma group, the lepidic and non-lepidic predominant adenocarcinoma groups, the solid nodule group and the subsolid nodule group based on thin-slice CT, and subgroups of ⅠA1 to ⅠA3 lung cancers. The diagnostic performance of tumor markers and tumor markers combined with chest CT was analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: The positivity rates of six serum tumor markers in the lung cancer group and the benign group were 2.32%-20.08% and 0-13.64%, respectively; only the SCCA positivity rate in the lung cancer group was higher than that in the benign group (10.81% and 0, P=0.022). There were no significant differences in the positivity rates of other serum tumor markers between the two groups (all P>0.05). The combined detection of six tumor markers showed that the positivity rate of the lung cancer group was higher than that of the benign group (40.93% and 18.18%, P=0.004), and the positivity rate of the adenocarcinoma group was lower than that of the squamous cell carcinoma group (35.66% and 47.41%, P=0.045). The positivity rates in the poorly differentiated group and moderately differentiated group were higher than that in the well differentiated group (46.48%, 43.75% and 22.73%, P=0.025). The positivity rate in the non-lepidic adenocarcinoma group was higher than that in lepidic adenocarcinoma group (39.51% and 21.74%, P=0.001). The positivity rate of subsolid nodules was lower than that of solid nodules (30.01% vs 58.71%, P=0.038), and the positivity rates of stageⅠA1, ⅠA2 and ⅠA3 lung cancers were 33.33%, 48.96% and 69.23%, respectively, showing an increasing trend (P=0.005). The sensitivity and specificity of the combined detection of six tumor markers in the diagnosis of stage ⅠA lung cancer were 74.00% and 56.30%, respectively, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.541. The sensitivity and specificity of the combined detection of six serum tumor markers with CT in the diagnosis of stage ⅠA lung cancer were 83.0% and 78.3%, respectively, and the AUC was 0.721. Conclusions: For stage ⅠA lung cancer, the positivity rates of commonly used clinical tumor markers are generally low. The combined detection of six markers can increase the positivity rate. The positivity rate of markers tends to be higher in poorly differentiated lung cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, or solid nodules. Tumor markers combined with thin-slice CT showed limited improvement in diagnostic efficiency for early lung cancer.

Diagnostic values of conventional tumor markers and their combination with chest CT for patients with stageⅠA lung cancer / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic efficiency of conventional serum tumor markers and their combination with chest CT for stage ⅠA lung cancer. Methods: A total of 1 155 patients with stage ⅠA lung cancer and 200 patients with benign lung lesions (confirmed by surgery) treated at the Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2016 to October 2020 were retrospectively enrolled in this study. Six conventional serum tumor markers [carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), squamous cell carcinoma associated antigen (SCCA), cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA21-1), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and gastrin-releasing peptide precursor (ProGRP)] and chest thin-slice CT were performed on all patients one month before surgery. Pathology was taken as the gold standard to analyze the difference of positivity rates of tumor markers between the lung cancer group and the benign group, the moderate/poor differentiation group and the well differentiation group, the adenocarcinoma group and the squamous cell carcinoma group, the lepidic and non-lepidic predominant adenocarcinoma groups, the solid nodule group and the subsolid nodule group based on thin-slice CT, and subgroups of ⅠA1 to ⅠA3 lung cancers. The diagnostic performance of tumor markers and tumor markers combined with chest CT was analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: The positivity rates of six serum tumor markers in the lung cancer group and the benign group were 2.32%-20.08% and 0-13.64%, respectively; only the SCCA positivity rate in the lung cancer group was higher than that in the benign group (10.81% and 0, P=0.022). There were no significant differences in the positivity rates of other serum tumor markers between the two groups (all P>0.05). The combined detection of six tumor markers showed that the positivity rate of the lung cancer group was higher than that of the benign group (40.93% and 18.18%, P=0.004), and the positivity rate of the adenocarcinoma group was lower than that of the squamous cell carcinoma group (35.66% and 47.41%, P=0.045). The positivity rates in the poorly differentiated group and moderately differentiated group were higher than that in the well differentiated group (46.48%, 43.75% and 22.73%, P=0.025). The positivity rate in the non-lepidic adenocarcinoma group was higher than that in lepidic adenocarcinoma group (39.51% and 21.74%, P=0.001). The positivity rate of subsolid nodules was lower than that of solid nodules (30.01% vs 58.71%, P=0.038), and the positivity rates of stageⅠA1, ⅠA2 and ⅠA3 lung cancers were 33.33%, 48.96% and 69.23%, respectively, showing an increasing trend (P=0.005). The sensitivity and specificity of the combined detection of six tumor markers in the diagnosis of stage ⅠA lung cancer were 74.00% and 56.30%, respectively, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.541. The sensitivity and specificity of the combined detection of six serum tumor markers with CT in the diagnosis of stage ⅠA lung cancer were 83.0% and 78.3%, respectively, and the AUC was 0.721. Conclusions: For stage ⅠA lung cancer, the positivity rates of commonly used clinical tumor markers are generally low. The combined detection of six markers can increase the positivity rate. The positivity rate of markers tends to be higher in poorly differentiated lung cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, or solid nodules. Tumor markers combined with thin-slice CT showed limited improvement in diagnostic efficiency for early lung cancer.

Genetic and evolutionary characteristics of clindamycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Yangzhou / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To investigate the drug resistance phenotype, drug resistance genes and molecular characteristics of clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus in Yangzhou from 2016 to 2020. Methods A total of 71 strains of clindamycin resistant Staphylococcus aureus were collected. Molecular typing of the strains was performed using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and SNP. Antimicrobial minimal inhibitory concentrations were detected by the method of microdilution broth. Different resistance genes were detected. Results A total of 71 strains of clindamycin resistant Staphylococcus aureus were collected in this study, of which 42 strains (59.15%) were inherently resistant and 29 strains (40.85%) were induced resistant ; 44 strains (61.97%) were found to be methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Among the 71 strains , 18 ST types were found , and the detection rates of mecA and ermB in ST59 strain were higher than those in other ST types. Among the clustered strains, CC59 was inherently resistant. Conclusion The clinically isolated Staphylococcus aureus in Yangzhou has severe drug resistance, especially the resistance to clindamycin. CC59 clone group carries many drug resistance genes, and all of them are MRSA . This study provides reliable data for clinical selection of appropriate drugs and further investigation of the prevalence of clindamycin-resistant strains.