The immune landscape and prognostic analysis of CXCL8 immune-related genes in cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

Cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CESC), one of the most common malignancies in women, imposes a significant burden on women's health worldwide. Despite extensive research, the molecular and pathogenic mechanisms of cervical squamous cell carcinoma and CESC remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the immune-related genes, immune microenvironment infiltration, and prognosis of CESC, providing a theoretical basis for guiding clinical treatment. Initially, by mining four gene sets and immune-related gene sets from public databases, 14 immune-related genes associated with CESC were identified. Through univariate and multivariate COX regression analyses, as well as lasso regression analysis, four CESC-independent prognostic genes were identified, and a prognostic model was constructed, dividing them into high and low-risk groups. The correlation between these genes and immune cells and immune functions were explored through ssGSEA enrichment analysis, revealing a close association between the high-risk group and processes such as angiogenesis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Furthermore, using public databases and qRT-PCR experiments, significant differences in CXCL8 expression between normal cervical cells and cervical cancer cells were discovered. Subsequently, a CXCL8 knockdown plasmid was constructed, and the efficiency of CXCL8 knockdown was validated in two CESC cell lines, MEG-01 and HCE-1. Through CCK-8, scratch, and Transwell assays, it was confirmed that CXCL8 knockdown could inhibit the proliferation, invasion, and migration abilities of CESC cells. Targeting CXCL8 holds promise for personalized therapy for CESC, providing a strong theoretical basis for achieving clinical translation.

Medical image segmentation network based on multi-scale frequency domain filter.

With the development of deep learning, medical image segmentation in computer-aided diagnosis has become a research hotspot. Recently, UNet and its variants have become the most powerful medical image segmentation methods. However, these methods suffer from (1) insufficient sensing field and insufficient depth; (2) computational nonlinearity and redundancy of channel features; and (3) ignoring the interrelationships among feature channels. These problems lead to poor network segmentation performance and weak generalization ability. Therefore, first of all, we propose an effective replacement scheme of UNet base block, Double residual depthwise atrous convolution (DRDAC) block, to effectively improve the deficiency of receptive field and depth. Secondly, a new linear module, the Multi-scale frequency domain filter (MFDF), is designed to capture global information from the frequency domain. The high order multi-scale relationship is extracted by combining the depthwise atrous separable convolution with the frequency domain filter. Finally, a channel attention called Axial selection channel attention (ASCA) is redesigned to enhance the network's ability to model feature channel interrelationships. Further, we design a novel frequency domain medical image segmentation baseline method FDFUNet based on the above modules. We conduct extensive experiments on five publicly available medical image datasets and demonstrate that the present method has stronger segmentation performance as well as generalization ability compared to other state-of-the-art baseline methods.

A scoping review of utilization of the verbal fluency task in Chinese and Japanese clinical settings with near-infrared spectroscopy.

This review targets the application of the Verbal Fluency Task (VFT) in conjunction with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) for diagnosing psychiatric disorders, specifically in the contexts of China and Japan. These two countries are at the forefront of integrating fNIRS with VFT in clinical psychiatry, often employing this combination as a complementary tool alongside traditional psychiatric examinations. Our study aims to synthesize research findings on the hemodynamic responses elicited by VFT task in clinical settings of the two countries, analyzing variations in task design (phonological versus semantic), stimulus modality (auditory versus visual), and the impact of language typology. The focus on China and Japan is crucial, as it provides insights into the unique applications and adaptations of VFT in these linguistically and culturally distinct environments. By exploring these specific cases, our review underscores the importance of tailoring VFT to fit the linguistic and cultural context, thereby enhancing its validity and utility in cross-cultural psychiatric assessments.

Significance of Aneuploidy in Predicting Prognosis and Treatment Response of Uveal Melanoma.

AIMS: This study aimed to improve personalized treatment strategies and predict survival outcomes for patients with uveal melanoma (UM). BACKGROUND: Copy number aberrations (CNAs) have been considered as a main feature of metastatic UM. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to explore the feasibility of using copy number variation (CNV) in UM classification, prognosis stratification and treatment response. METHODS: The CNV data in the TCGA-UVM cohort were used to classify the samples. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between subtypes were screened by the "Limma" package. The module and hub genes related to aneuploidy score were identified by performing weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) on the DEGs. Univariate Cox and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis were employed to train the hub genes for developing a prognosis model for UM. Finally, the expression levels of the screened prognostic key genes were verified in UM cells, and the cell migration and invasion abilities were detected using real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and transwell assay. RESULTS: The UM samples were divided into 3 CNV subtypes, which differed significantly in overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS). C1 had the shortest OS and DSS and the highest level of immune infiltration. A total of 2036 DEGs were obtained from the three subtypes. Eighty hub genes with the closest correlation with aneuploidy scores were selected by WGCNA. Univariate Cox and LASSO regression-based analyses finally determined eight genes as the key prognostic genes, including HES6, RNASEH2C, NQO1, NUDT14, TTYH3, GJC1, FKBP10, and MRPL24. A prognostic model was developed using the eight genes, demonstrating a strong prediction power. Differences in the response to immunotherapy among patients in different risk groups were significant. We found that high-risk patients were more sensitive to two drugs (Palbociclib_ 1054 and Ribociclib_1632), while low-risk patients were more sensitive to AZD1208_1449, ERK_2440_1713, Mirin_1048, and Selumetinib_1736. CONCLUSION: UM in this study was divided into three CNV subtypes, and a model based on eight aneuploidy score-related genes was established to evaluate the prognosis and drug treatment efficacy of UM patients. The current results may have the potential to help the clinical decision-making process for UM management.

Dynamic pathological analysis reveals a protective role against skin fibrosis for TREM2-dependent macrophages.

Rationale: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic and incurable autoimmune disease with high mortality rates, and skin fibrosis is one of distinguishing hallmarks in the pathogenesis. However, macrophage heterogeneity regulating skin fibrosis remain largely unknown. Methods: We established mouse disease model and performed single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) to resolve the dynamic and heterogenous characteristics of macrophages in skin fibrosis, and the role of TREM2-dependent macrophages in the pathological process was investigated using knockout mice and intraperitoneal transferring TREM2+ macrophages combining with functional assays. Results: We show that TREM2-expressing macrophages (TREM2+ MФs) accumulate in injured skin of mice treated by bleomycin (BLM) and human SSc, and their gene signatures and functional pathways are identified in the course of disease. Genetic ablation of Trem2 in mice globally accelerates and aggravates skin fibrosis, whereas transferring TREM2hi macrophages improves and alleviates skin fibrosis. Amazingly, we found that disease-associated TREM2+ MФs in skin fibrosis exhibit overlapping signatures with fetal skin counterparts in mice and human to maintain skin homeostasis, but each has merits in skin remodeling and development respectively. Conclusion: This study identifies that TREM2 acts as a functional molecule and a major signaling by which macrophage subpopulations play a protective role against fibrosis, and disease-associated TREM2+ MФs in skin fibrosis might undergo a fetal-like reprogramming similar to fetal skin counterparts.

Environmental cadmium exposure perturbs systemic iron homeostasis via hemolysis and inflammation, leading to hepatic ferroptosis in common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.).

Cadmium (Cd) pollution is considered a pressing challenge to eco-environment and public health worldwide. Although it has been well-documented that Cd exhibits various adverse effects on aquatic animals, it is still largely unknown whether and how Cd at environmentally relevant concentrations affects iron metabolism. Here, we studied the effects of environmental Cd exposure (5 and 50 µg/L) on iron homeostasis and possible mechanisms in common carp. The data revealed that Cd elevated serum iron, transferrin saturation and iron deposition in livers and spleens, leading to the disruption of systemic iron homeostasis. Mechanistic investigations substantiated that Cd drove hemolysis by compromising the osmotic fragility and inducing defective morphology of erythrocytes. Cd concurrently exacerbated hepatic inflammatory responses, resulting in the activation of IL6-Stat3 signaling and subsequent hepcidin transcription. Notably, Cd elicited ferroptosis through increased iron burden and oxidative stress in livers. Taken together, our findings provide evidence and mechanistic insight that environmental Cd exposure could undermine iron homeostasis via erythrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity. Further investigation and ecological risk assessment of Cd and other pollutants on metabolism-related effects is warranted, especially under the realistic exposure scenarios.

Children's early signs and developmental trajectories of psychotic-like experiences.

INTRODUCTION: Children who experience persistent psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are at a higher risk of developing psychotic disorder later in life. The developmental trajectories of PLEs are influenced by various factors. Therefore, it is important to identify early characteristics that can distinguish and predict between different developmental trajectories of PLEs. METHODS: Using PLEs scores from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) data across three waves, we categorized participants into five distinct PLEs trajectories groups: persistent group (n = 47), remitting group (n = 185), increasing group (n = 117), remittent group (n = 21), and no PLEs group (n = 4,476). We utilized linear mixed-effect models and generalized linear mixed-effect models to examine the differences in baseline characteristics, including psychological and behavioral problems, suicidality, trauma experiences, developmental milestones, cognitive function, physical health, family income, family history of mental illness, and brain structureamong these PLEs trajectory groups. RESULTS: We found that psychological and behavioral problems (such as DSM-oriented scales/externalizing/ADHD/social/attention/thought problems) assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) were associated with all PLEs groups. The persistent PLEs group had greater ADHD/social/thought problems and suicidal behavior compared to the remitting PLEs group. Comparing with the no PLEs group, poor cognitive function, abnormal brain structure (such as temporal lobe and supramarginal gyrus), more trauma experiences, and lower family income were found in only one of the PLEs groups, but not all PLEs groups. CONCLUSION: The development of PLEs is accompanied by changes in many domains, implying a dynamic and complex developmental process. Given that psychological and behavioral problems can predict the emergence of PLEs at any time and can be regarded as risk factors for persistent PLEs, thereby enabling early precisely interventions, it is important to place greater emphasis on assessing psychological and behavioral problems.

Unveiling the pathogenesis and therapeutic approaches for diabetic nephropathy: insights from panvascular diseases.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) represents a significant microvascular complication in diabetes, entailing intricate molecular pathways and mechanisms associated with cardiorenal vascular diseases. Prolonged hyperglycemia induces renal endothelial dysfunction and damage via metabolic abnormalities, inflammation, and oxidative stress, thereby compromising hemodynamics. Concurrently, fibrotic and sclerotic alterations exacerbate glomerular and tubular injuries. At a macro level, reciprocal communication between the renal microvasculature and systemic circulation establishes a pernicious cycle propelling disease progression. The current management approach emphasizes rigorous control of glycemic levels and blood pressure, with renin-angiotensin system blockade conferring renoprotection. Novel antidiabetic agents exhibit renoprotective effects, potentially mediated through endothelial modulation. Nonetheless, emerging therapies present novel avenues for enhancing patient outcomes and alleviating the disease burden. A precision-based approach, coupled with a comprehensive strategy addressing global vascular risk, will be pivotal in mitigating the cardiorenal burden associated with diabetes.

Epitaxial Growth of Large-Scale 2D CrTe2 Films on Amorphous Silicon Wafers With Low Thermal Budget.

2D van der Waals (vdW) magnets open landmark horizons in the development of innovative spintronic device architectures. However, their fabrication with large scale poses challenges due to high synthesis temperatures (>500 °C) and difficulties in integrating them with standard complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology on amorphous substrates such as silicon oxide (SiO2 ) and silicon nitride (SiNx ). Here, a seeded growth technique for crystallizing CrTe2 films on amorphous SiNx /Si and SiO2 /Si substrates with a low thermal budget is presented. This fabrication process optimizes large-scale, granular atomic layers on amorphous substrates, yielding a substantial coercivity of 11.5 kilo-oersted, attributed to weak intergranular exchange coupling. Field-driven Néel-type stripe domain dynamics explain the amplified coercivity. Moreover, the granular CrTe2 devices on Si wafers display significantly enhanced magnetoresistance, more than doubling that of single-crystalline counterparts. Current-assisted magnetization switching, enabled by a substantial spin-orbit torque with a large spin Hall angle (85) and spin Hall conductivity (1.02 × 107 ℏ/2e Ω⁻¹ m⁻¹), is also demonstrated. These observations underscore the proficiency in manipulating crystallinity within integrated 2D magnetic films on Si wafers, paving the way for large-scale batch manufacturing of practical magnetoelectronic and spintronic devices, heralding a new era of technological innovation.

AMPK-mediated autophagy pathway activation promotes ΔFosB degradation to improve levodopa-induced dyskinesia.

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease patients on chronic levodopa often suffer from motor complications, which tend to reduce their quality of life. Levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) is one of the most prevalent motor complications, often characterized by abnormal involuntary movements, and the pathogenesis of LID is still unclear but recent studies have suggested the involvement of autophagy. METHODS: The onset of LID was mimicked by chronic levodopa treatment in a unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) -lesion rat model. Overexpression of ΔFosB in HEK293 cells to mimic the state of ΔFosB accumulation. The modulation of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-mediated autophagy pathway using by metformin, AICAR (an AMPK activator), Compound C (an AMPK inhibitor) and chloroquine (an autophagy pathway inhibitor). The severity of LID was assessed by axial, limb, and orofacial (ALO) abnormal involuntary movements (AIMs) score and in vivo electrophysiology. The activity of AMPK pathway as well as autophagy markers and FosB-ΔFosB levels were detected by western blotting. RT-qPCR was performed to detect the transcription level of FosB-ΔFosB. The mechanism of autophagy dysfunction was further explored by immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: In vivo experiments demonstrated that chronic levodopa treatment reduced AMPK phosphorylation, impaired autophagosome-lysosomal fusion and caused FosB-ΔFosB accumulation in the striatum of PD rats. Long-term metformin intervention improved ALO AIMs scores as well as reduced the mean power of high gamma (hγ) oscillations and the proportion of striatal projection neurons unstable in response to dopamine for LID rats. Moreover, the intervention of metformin promoted AMPK phosphorylation, ameliorated the impairment of autophagosome-lysosomal fusion, thus, promoting FosB-ΔFosB degradation to attenuate its accumulation in the striatum of LID rats. However, the aforementioned roles of metformin were reversed by Compound C and chloroquine. The results of in vitro studies demonstrated the ability of metformin and AICAR to attenuate ΔFosB levels by promoting its degradation, while Compound C and chloroquine could block this effect. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our results suggest that long-term metformin treatment could promote ΔFosB degradation and thus attenuate the development of LID through activating the AMPK-mediated autophagy pathway. Overall, our results support the AMPK-mediated autophagy pathway as a novel therapeutic target for LID and also indicate that metformin is a promising therapeutic candidate for LID.

Kynurenine in IDO1high cancer cell-derived extracellular vesicles promotes angiogenesis by inducing endothelial mitophagy in ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND: Mitophagy, a prominent cellular homeostasis process, has been implicated in modulating endothelial cell function. Emerging evidence suggests that extracellular vesicles (EVs) participate in intercellular communication, which could modulate tumor angiogenesis, a hallmark of ovarian cancer (OC) progression. However, the underlying mechanisms through how EVs regulate endothelial mitophagy associated with tumor angiogenesis during OC development remain obscure. METHODS: The effect of cancer cell-derived EVs on endothelial mitophagy and its correlation with tumor angiogenesis and OC development were explored by in vitro and in vivo experiments. Multi-omics integration analysis was employed to identify potential regulatory mechanisms of cancer cell-derived EVs on endothelial mitophagy, which is involved in tumor angiogenesis associated with OC development. These insights were then further corroborated through additional experiments. An orthotopic OC mouse model was constructed to assess the antiangiogenic and therapeutic potential of the Indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase-1 (IDO1) inhibitor. RESULTS: Cancer cell-derived EVs promoted tumor angiogenesis via the activation of endothelial mitophagy, contributing to the growth and metastasis of OC. The aberrantly high expression of IDO1 mediated abnormal tryptophan metabolism in cancer cells and promoted the secretion of L-kynurenine (L-kyn)-enriched EVs, with associated high levels of L-kyn in EVs isolated from both the tumor tissues and patient plasma in OC. EVs derived from IDO1high ovarian cancer cells elevated nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD +) levels in endothelial cells via delivering L-kyn. Besides, IDO1high ovarian cancer cell-derived EVs upregulated sirt3 expression in endothelial cells by increasing acetylation modification. These findings are crucial for promoting endothelial mitophagy correlated with tumor angiogenesis. Notably, both endothelial mitophagy and tumor angiogenesis could be suppressed by the IDO1 inhibitor in the orthotopic OC mouse model. CONCLUSIONS: Together, our findings unveil a mechanism of mitophagy in OC angiogenesis and indicate the clinical relevance of EV enriched L-kyn as a potential biomarker for tumorigenesis and progression. Additionally, IDO1 inhibitors might become an alternative option for OC adjuvant therapy.

Topical Ophthalmic Liposomes Dual-Modified with Penetratin and Hyaluronic Acid for the Noninvasive Treatment of Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Introduction: Since intrinsic ocular barrier limits the intraocular penetration of therapeutic protein through eye drops, repeated intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents are the standard therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), which are highly invasive and may cause particular ocular complications, leading to poor patient compliance. Methods: Using Penetratin (Pen) as the ocular penetration enhancer and hyaluronic acid (HA) as the retina-targeting ligand, a dual-modified ophthalmic liposome (Penetratin hyaluronic acid-liposome/Conbercept, PenHA-Lip/Conb) eye drop was designed to non-invasively penetrate the ocular barrier and deliver anti-VEGF therapeutic agents to the targeted intraocular tissue. Results: PenHA-Lip effectively penetrates the ocular barrier and targets the retinal pigment epithelium via corneal and non-corneal pathways. After a single topical administration of conbercept-loaded PenHA-Lip (PenHA-Lip/Conb), the intraocular concentration of conbercept peaked at 18.74 ± 1.09 ng/mL at 4 h, which is 11.55-fold higher than unmodified conbercept. In a laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV) mouse model, PenHA-Lip/Conb eye drops three times daily for seven days inhibited CNV formation and progression without any significant tissue toxicity and achieved an equivalent effect to a single intravitreal conbercept injection. Conclusion: PenHA-Lip efficiently and safely delivered conbercept to the posterior eye segment and may be a promising noninvasive therapeutic option for nAMD.

Exchange Bias Modulated by Antiferromagnetic Spin-Flop Transition in 2D Van der Waals Heterostructures.

Exchange bias is extensively studied and widely utilized in spintronic devices, such as spin valves and magnetic tunnel junctions. 2D van der Waals (vdW) magnets, with high-quality interfaces in heterostructures, provide an excellent platform for investigating the exchange bias effect. To date, intrinsic modulation of exchange bias, for instance, via precise manipulation of the magnetic phases of the antiferromagnetic layer, is yet to be fully reached, owing partly to the large exchange fields of traditional bulk antiferromagnets. Herein, motivated by the low-field spin-flop transition of a 2D antiferromagnet, CrPS4 , exchange bias is explored by modulating the antiferromagnetic spin-flop phase transition in all-vdW magnetic heterostructures. The results demonstrate that undergoing the spin-flop transition during the field cooling process, the A-type antiferromagnetic ground state of CrPS4 turns into a canted antiferromagnetic one, therefore, it reduces the interfacial magnetic coupling and suppresses the exchange bias. Via conducting different cooling fields, one can select the exchange bias effect switching among the "ON", "depressed", and "OFF" states determined by the spin flop of CrPS4 . This work provides an approach to intrinsically modulate the exchange bias in all-vdW heterostructures and paves new avenues to design and manipulate 2D spintronic devices.

EPolar-UNet: An edge-attending polar UNet for automatic medical image segmentation with small datasets.

BACKGROUND: Medical image segmentation is one of the most key steps in computer-aided clinical diagnosis, geometric characterization, measurement, image registration, and so forth. Convolutional neural networks especially UNet and its variants have been successfully used in many medical image segmentation tasks. However, the results are limited by the deficiency in extracting high resolution edge information because of the design of the skip connections in UNet and the need for large available datasets. PURPOSE: In this paper, we proposed an edge-attending polar UNet (EPolar-UNet), which was trained on the polar coordinate system instead of classic Cartesian coordinate system with an edge-attending construction in skip connection path. METHODS: EPolar-UNet extracted the location information from an eight-stacked hourglass network as the pole for polar transformation and extracted the boundary cues from an edge-attending UNet, which consisted of a deconvolution layer and a subtraction operation. RESULTS: We evaluated the performance of EPolar-UNet across three imaging modalities for different segmentation tasks: CVC-ClinicDB dataset for polyp, ISIC-2018 dataset for skin lesion, and our private ultrasound dataset for liver tumor segmentation. Our proposed model outperformed state-of-the-art models on all three datasets and needed only 30%-60% of training data compared with the benchmark UNet model to achieve similar performances for medical image segmentation tasks. CONCLUSIONS: We proposed an end-to-end EPolar-UNet for automatic medical image segmentation and showed good performance on small datasets, which was critical in the field of medical image segmentation.

Optimizing lower limb rehabilitation: the intersection of machine learning and rehabilitative robotics.

Lower limb rehabilitation is essential for recovery post-injury, stroke, or surgery, improving functional mobility and quality of life. Traditional therapy, dependent on therapists' expertise, faces challenges that are addressed by rehabilitation robotics. In the domain of lower limb rehabilitation, machine learning is progressively manifesting its capabilities in high personalization and data-driven approaches, gradually transforming methods of optimizing treatment protocols and predicting rehabilitation outcomes. However, this evolution faces obstacles, including model interpretability, economic hurdles, and regulatory constraints. This review explores the synergy between machine learning and robotic-assisted lower limb rehabilitation, summarizing scientific literature and highlighting various models, data, and domains. Challenges are critically addressed, and future directions proposed for more effective clinical integration. Emphasis is placed on upcoming applications such as Virtual Reality and the potential of deep learning in refining rehabilitation training. This examination aims to provide insights into the evolving landscape, spotlighting the potential of machine learning in rehabilitation robotics and encouraging balanced exploration of current challenges and future opportunities.

Analysis of age-specified and genotype distribution of HPV multiple infections in the Chinese population.

Multiple infections are a key component of HPV pathogenesis and have a direct impact on how an infection turns out. It's crucial to look at the associations between HPV multiple infections and both age and HPV genotypes in the Chinese population, searching for the causative factors of multiple infections with a view to providing new ideas for the treatment and prevention of multiple infections. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the data of HPV infections among outpatients from the 2019 year to the 2021 year of Shandong Maternal and Child Health Hospital. Analyzed the correlation between HPV multiple infections and age using logistic regression. Differences in the percentage of multiple infections between age groups were compared using the chi-square test. The chi-square test compared the differences in the distribution of 15 common HPV genotypes in mono- versus multiple infections. A two-dimensional matrix presented the frequency of HPV genotype combinations. Logistics regression analysis showed that age was significantly associated with the occurrence of multiple infections, with a dominance ratio OR 1.026 (95% CI 1.02-1.04). Interestingly, the proportion of HPV multiple infections among HPV-positive individuals increases with age in people older than 30 years of age. The chi-square test showed there was a difference in the distribution of HPV genotypes between multiple infections and mono- HPV infection (χ2 = 76.4; p = 0.000), a difference in the composition of HPV genotypes for dual versus single infections (χ2 = 90.6; p = 0.000) and a difference in HPV genotypes for triple versus single infections (χ2 = 56.7; p = 0.000). A 2 × 2 matrix showed that the combination of HPV52/HPV58 (30; 6.4%) was the combination of the highest frequency of infection for dual infections; The HPV52/HPV58 (21; 4.8%) combination was the highest frequency of HPV triple infection combination. HPV multiple infections were positively correlated with age; increasing age was positively correlated with the proportion of HPV multiple infections in the total infected population; the distribution of the 15 common genotypes of HPV differed between multiple infections and single infections; and HPV52:58 was a common type of infection combination in the Shandong population.

FAFS-UNet: Redesigning skip connections in UNet with feature aggregation and feature selection.

In recent years, the encoder-decoder U-shaped network architecture has become a mainstream structure for medical image segmentation. Its biggest advantage lies in the incorporation of shallow features into deeper layers of the network through skip connections. However, according to our research, there are still some limitations in the skip connection part of the network: (1) The information from the encoder stage is not completely and effectively supplemented to the decoder stage; (2) The decoder receives the supplemented feature information from the encoder indiscriminately, which sometimes leads to the poor performance of the model. Therefore, to effectively address these limitations, we have redesigned the skip connections in UNet using a feature aggregation and feature selection approach. We firstly design the FA module to aggregate all encoder features and perform local multi-scale information extraction to obtain the complete multi-scale aggregated features. Further, we design the FS module to actively perform specific selection of these aggregated features through the decoder, thus effectively guiding the semantic recovery of the decoder. Finally, we conduct experiments on several medical image datasets, and the results show that our method has higher segmentation accuracy compared with other methods.

Self-assembly of sophorolipid and eugenol into stable nanoemulsions for synergetic antibacterial properties through alerting membrane integrity.

Exploring the natural, safe, and effective antimicrobial is one of the preferable ways to control foodborne bacteria. In this work, novel oil-in-water nanoemulsions were formulated with sophorolipids and eugenol without any co-surfactant using a self-assembling strategy. These nanoemulsions showed high stability with sizes less than 200 nm when exposure to low concentrations of salt ions, various pH values (5.0, 7.0, 10.0), storage temperature and time. The synergistic antibacterial effects against both Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Bacillus cereus were determined with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 0.5 mg/mL and 0.125 mg/mL, respectively. Further microscopy (SEM, TEM, LCSM) examination and ATP/Na+-K+-ATPase assay results showed that the morphological changes, intensive cell membrane permeability, leakage of ATP, and decreased Na+-K+-ATPase contributed to the antibacterial effects. Moreover, the bonding mechanism between nanoemulsions and cell membranes were further evaluated by FTIR and ITC using a DPPC vesicle model, which demonstrated that the nanoemulsions adsorbed on the surface of bilayer, interacted with the hydrophobic chains of DPPC membrane mainly through the hydrophobic interaction, and altered the structural integrity of the lipid bilayer. These results not only provide a facile green strategy for fabricating stable nanoemulsions, but also highlight a new perspective for stabilizing essential oils for their widely application in food industry.

Dendrobium huoshanense in the treatment of ulcerative colitis: Network pharmacology and experimental validation.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Dendrobium huoshanense C. Z. Tang et S. J. Cheng (DH) is a traditional medicinal herb with a long history of medicinal use. DH has been recorded as protecting the gastrointestinal function. Modern pharmacology research shows that DH regulates intestinal flora, intestinal mucosal immunity, gastrointestinal peristalsis and secretion of digestive juices. At the same time, some studies have shown that DH has a good therapeutic effect on ulcerative colitis, but its mechanism of action has not been fully elucidated. AIMS OF THIS STUDY: To investigate the mechanism and effect of Dendrobium huoshanense C. Z. Tang et S. J. Cheng (DH) in the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC) by combining network pharmacology and in vivo experimental validation. METHODS: A network pharmacology approach was used to perform component screening, target prediction, PPI network interaction analysis, GO and KEGG enrichment analysis to initially predict the mechanism of DH treatment for UC. Then, the mechanism was validated with the UC mouse model induced by 3% DSS. RESULTS: Based on the network pharmacological analysis, a comprehensive of 101 active components were identified, with 19 of them potentially serving as the crucial elements in DH's effectiveness against UC treatment. Additionally, the study revealed 314 potential core therapeutic targets along with the top 5 key targets: SRC, STAT3, AKT1, HSP90AA1, and PIK3CA. In experiments conducted on live mice with UC, DH was found to decrease the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in the blood, while increasing the levels of IL-10 and TGF-ß. This led to notable improvements in colon length, injury severity, and an up-regulation of SRC, STAT3, HSP90AA1, PIK3CA, p-AKT1 and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway expression in the colon tissue. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the active components and main targets of DH for UC treatment were initially forecasted, and the potential mechanism was investigated through network pharmacology. These findings offer an experimental foundation for the clinical utilization of DH.

Successful treatment of refractory ascites in a patient with liver cirrhosis combined with hepatic artery-portal vein malformation: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Hepatic artery-portal vein malformation is rarely encountered in clinical practice. Here, we reported a case of liver cirrhosis combined with hepatic artery-portal vein malformation with refractory ascites as the main symptom. And it was successfully treated by us. The present case demonstrates the role of hepatic artery-portal vein malformation in cirrhotic ascites and the importance of early diagnosis and interventional treatment. This article may provides some experience for the treatment of such patients. PATIENT CONCERNS: The patient was a 72-year-old woman with a 40-year history of Hepatitis B virus surface antigen positivity who sought medical advice with a chief complaint of abdominal distension for 1 week. DIAGNOSES: Enhanced abdominal computed tomography imaging of this patient revealed liver cirrhosis, splenomegaly, esophageal and gastric varices, massive ascites, and a low-density area in the S4 segment of the liver with an ambiguous boundary. Widening of the left branch of the portal vein was evident, and the portal vein was highlighted in the arterial phase and the venous phase. Digital subtraction angiography revealed substantial thickening of the left hepatic artery, and the administered contrast agent drained through the malformed vascular mass to the thickened left portal vein. Liver cirrhosis combined with hepatic artery-portal vein malformation were diagnosed. And we considered that the artery-portal vein malformation in this patient might be caused by cirrhosis. INTERVENTIONS: The patient was applied diuretics, entecavir and transcatheter embolization. OUTCOMES: The patient ascites did not resolve significantly when treated with diuretics alone. After the transcatheter embolization, the patient ascites relieved remarkably. CONCLUSION: The patient underwent transcatheter embolization for hepatic artery-portal vein malformation, after which her ascites resolved with good short-term curative efficacy. So, the patients who suffered from liver cirrhosis combined with hepatic artery-portal vein malformation and refractory ascites, should be active on transcatheter embolization.