Radiomics analysis for the prediction of locoregional recurrence of locally advanced oropharyngeal cancer and hypopharyngeal cancer.

PURPOSE: By radiomic analysis of the postcontrast CT images, this study aimed to predict locoregional recurrence (LR) of locally advanced oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) and hypopharyngeal cancer (HPC). METHODS: A total of 192 patients with stage III-IV OPC or HPC from two independent cohort were randomly split into a training cohort with 153 cases and a testing cohort with 39 cases. Only primary tumor mass was manually segmented. Radiomic features were extracted using PyRadiomics, and then the support vector machine was used to build the radiomic model with fivefold cross-validation process in the training data set. For each case, a radiomics score was generated to indicate the probability of LR. RESULTS: There were 94 patients with LR assigned in the progression group and 98 patients without LR assigned in the stable group. There was no significant difference of TNM staging, treatment strategies and common risk factors between these two groups. For the training data set, the radiomics model to predict LR showed 83.7% accuracy and 0.832 (95% CI 0.72, 0.87) area under the ROC curve (AUC). For the test data set, the accuracy and AUC slightly declined to 79.5% and 0.770 (95% CI 0.64, 0.80), respectively. The sensitivity/specificity of training and test data set for LR prediction were 77.6%/89.6%, and 66.7%/90.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The image-based radiomic approach could provide a reliable LR prediction model in locally advanced OPC and HPC. Early identification of those prone to post-treatment recurrence would be helpful for appropriate adjustments to treatment strategies and post-treatment surveillance.

Quantitative Proteomic Analysis on the Slightly Acidic Electrolyzed Water Triggered Viable but Non-Culturable Listeria monocytogenes.

This study undertakes a comprehensive exploration of the impact of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) on Listeria monocytogenes, a common foodborne pathogen, with a particular focus on understanding the molecular mechanisms leading to the viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state. Given the widespread application of SAEW as an effective disinfectant in the food industry, uncovering these molecular pathways is crucial for improving food safety measures. We employed tandem mass tags (TMT), labeling proteomic techniques and LC-MS/MS to identify differentially expressed proteins under two doses of SAEW conditions. We indicated 203 differential expressed proteins (DEPs), including 78 up-regulated and 125 down-regulated DEPs. The functional enrichment analysis of these proteins indicated that ribosomes, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis were enriched functions affected by SAEW. Further, we delved into the role of protein chlorination, a potential consequence of reactive chlorine species generated during the SAEW production process, by identifying 31 chlorinated peptides from 22 proteins, with a dominant sequence motif of Rxxxxx[cY] and functionally enriched in translation. Our findings suggest that SAEW might prompt alterations in the protein translation process and trigger compensatory ribosome biosynthesis. However, an imbalance in the levels of elongation factors and AARSs could hinder recovery, leading to the VBNC state. This research carries substantial implications for food safety and sanitation, as it adds to our understanding of the SAEW-induced VBNC state in L. monocytogenes and offers potential strategies for its control.

Physicochemical and Volatile Flavor Properties of Fish Skin under Conventional Frying, Air Frying and Vacuum Frying.

The aim of this study was to investigate the physicochemical characteristics and volatile flavor of fried tilapia skins under three frying methods. Conventional deep-fat frying usually increases the oil content of the fried fish skin and leads to lipid oxidation, which reduces the product quality. Alternative frying methods, such as air frying for 6 and 12 min under 180 °C (AF6, and AF12) and vacuum frying at 0.085 MPa for 8 and 24 min under 120 °C (VF8, and VF24) were compared to conventional frying for 2 and 8 min under 180 °C (CF2, and CF8) for tilapia skin. Physical properties of fried skin, such as the moisture content, water activity, L* values and breaking force decreased under all frying methods, while the lipid oxidation and a*, b* values increased with the increase in frying time. In general, VF offered higher hardness of product compared to AF which had a lower breaking force. Especially AF12 and CF8 had the lowest breaking force, which indicated higher crispness. For the oil quality inside the product, AF and VF reduced conjugated dienes formation and retarded oxidation compared to CF. The results of the flavor compositions of fish skin measured using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) with solid phase microextraction (SPME) showed that CF obtained higher unpleasant oily odor (nonanal, 2,4-decadienal, etc.), while AF presented greater grilling flavor (pyrazine derivatives). Because fish skin fried by AF only relied on hot air, Maillard reaction derived compounds, such as methylpyrazine, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, and benzaldehyde were the leading flavors. This made the aroma profiles of AF very different from VF and CF. Among all the approaches, AF and VF developed lower oil content, mild fat oxidation and better flavor attributes, which proves their practical applications for frying tilapia fish skin.

Solid tumor size for prediction of recurrence in large and giant non-functioning pituitary adenomas.

A subset of large non-functioning pituitary adenomas (lNFPA) and giant non-functioning pituitary adenomas (gNFPA) undergoes early progression/recurrence (P/R) after surgery. This study revealed the clinical and image predictors of P/R in lNFPA and gNFPA, with emphasis on solid tumor size. This retrospective study investigated the preoperative MR imaging features for the prediction of P/R in lNFPA (> 3 cm) and gNFPA (> 4 cm). Only the patients with a complete preoperative brain MRI and undergone postoperative MRI follow-ups for more than 1 year were included. From November 2010 to December 2020, a total of 34 patients diagnosed with lNFPA and gNFPA were included (median follow-up time 47.6 months) in this study. A total of twenty-three (23/34, 67.6%) patients had P/R, and the median time to P/R is 25.2 months. Solid tumor diameter (STD), solid tumor volume (STV), and extent of resection are associated with P/R (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed large STV is a risk factor for P/R (p < 0.05) with a hazard ratio of 30.79. The cutoff points of STD and STV for prediction of P/R are 26 mm and 7.6 cm3, with AUCs of 0.78 and 0.79 respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis of tumor P/R trends showed that patients with larger STD and STV exhibited shorter progression-free survival (p < 0.05). For lNFPA and gNFPA, preoperative STD and STV are significant predictors of P/R. The results offer objective and valuable information for treatment planning in this subgroup.

Differential effect of herbal tea extracts on free fatty acids-, ethanol- and acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in FL83B hepatocytes.

In recent years, herbal tea consumption becomes popular because of the potential health benefits and attractive flavors. However, there is also a growing concern that herbal supplements contribute to the drug-drug/drug-herb interactions and hepatotoxicity. In this study, FL83B mouse hepatocytes were used as an in vitro mode of hepatotoxicity induced by free fatty acids, including palmitic acid (PA) and oleic acid (OA), ethanol, and acetaminophen. Herbal tea extracts were obtained from eight common herbal plants, including Verbena officinalis L., Hyssopus officinalis L., Salvia officinalis L., Urtica dioica L., Hemerocallis fulva (L.) L., Citrus maxima (Burm.) Merr., Citrus limon (L.) Osbeck, and Ficus formosana Maxim. MTT assay was used to evaluate the impact of these herbal tea extracts on hepatoxocitity. We found that these herbal tea extracts per se did not exhibit hepatotoxicity, and had no effect on OA-induced hepatotoxicity. However, extracts from Verbena officinalis L., Hyssopus officinalis L., Salvia officinalis L., and Hemerocallis fulva (L.) L. exhibited protective effect against PA-induced hepatotoxicity. In addition, herbal tea extracts from Verbena officinalis L., Hyssopus officinalis L., Salvia officinalis L., Urtica dioica L., Hemerocallis fulva (L.) L., and Ficus formosana Maxim. exhibited protective effect against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity. Interestingly, all these herbal tea extracts enhanced ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity. Our results suggest that herbal tea extracts have differential effects on different modes of hepatotoxicity.

Effects of taurine against benzo[α]pyrene-induced cell cycle arrest and reactive oxygen species-mediated nuclear factor-kappa B apoptosis via reduction of mitochondrial stress in A549 cells.

Taurine is a free amino acid that prevents reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. ROS production is associated with oxidative stress, cell proliferation, apoptosis, inflammation, and DNA alterations in benzo[α]pyrene (BaP)-induced lung cells. Here, we assessed the effect of adding of 25 mM taurine on human pulmonary alveolar epithelial A549 cells treated with different concentrations of BaP. After culturing for 24 h, the cells were tested for biomarkers including cell viability, cellular morphology, Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide, cell cycle regulation, ROS accumulation, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and expression of related signaling genes and proteins. BaP induced cell cycle arrest and decreased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, 50 µM BaP induced a 52.2% increase in ROS levels and inhibited MMP by up to 80%; however, taurine decreased BaP-induced ROS production by 19.5% and restored MMP. The expression of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) homologous antagonist killer (Bak), BCL-2-associated X protein (Bax), and cytochrome c at both the mRNA and protein levels were increased, and the expression of BCL-2 and BCL-x1 was decreased by BaP treatment. Furthermore, BaP activated caspase-3/7 expression by up to 25%. However, taurine decreased the expression of NF-κB, Bak, Bax and cytochrome c levels, reduced caspase-3/7 activities, and increased the expression of BCL-2 and BCL-x1. Hence, taurine attenuates BaP-induced oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction by inhibiting the NF-κB-mediated intrinsic apoptosis pathway in A549 cells. Taurine can be considered as a preventive molecule to prevent lung damage.

Quantitative Proteome Analysis Reveals Melissa officinalis Extract Targets Mitochondrial Respiration in Colon Cancer Cells.

Melissa officinalis (MO), known as lemon balm, is a popular ingredient blended in herbal tea. In recent decades, the bioactivities of MO have been studied in sub-health and pathological status, highlighting MO possesses multiple pharmacological effects. We previously showed that hot water MO extract exhibited anticancer activity in colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the detailed mechanisms underlying MO-induced cell death remain elusive. To elucidate the anticancer regulation of MO extract in colon cancer, a data-driven analysis by proteomics approaches and bioinformatics analysis was applied. An isobaric tandem mass tags-based quantitative proteome analysis using liquid chromatography-coupled tandem mass spectrometry was performed to acquire proteome-wide expression data. The over-representation analysis and functional class scoring method were implemented to interpret the MO-induced biological regulations. In total, 3465 quantifiable proteoforms were identified from 24,348 peptides, with 67 upregulated and 54 downregulated proteins in the MO-treated group. Mechanistically, MO impeded mitochondrial respiratory electron transport by triggering a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated oxidative stress response. MO hindered the mitochondrial membrane potential by reducing the protein expression in the electron transport chain, specifically the complex I and II, which could be restored by ROS scavenger. The findings comprehensively elucidate how MO hot water extract activates antitumor effects in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells.

Longitudinal alterations of the cisternal segment of trigeminal nerve and brain pain-matrix regions in patients with trigeminal neuralgia before and after treatment.

BACKGROUND: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is the most common type of chronic neuropathic facial pain, but the etiology and pathophysiological mechanisms after treatment are still not well understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the longitudinal changes of the cisternal segment of the trigeminal nerve and brain pain-related regions in patients with TN before and after treatment using readout segmentation of long variable echo-train (RESOLVE) diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and transverse relaxation (T2)-weighted sampling perfection with application-optimized contrast at different flip angle evolutions (T2-SPACE). METHODS: Twelve patients with TN and four healthy controls were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent assessment of the visual analog scale (VAS), and acquisition of RESOLVE DTI and T2-SPACE images before and at 1, 6, and 12 months after treatments. Regions-of-interest were placed on the bilateral anterior, middle, and posterior parts of the cisternal segment of the trigeminal nerve, the bilateral root entry zone (REZ), bilateral nuclear zone, and the center of pontocerebellar tracts, respectively. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis was conducted with T2-SPACE images, and gray matter volumes (GMV) were measured from brain pain-matrix regions. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that the VAS scores, the axial diffusivity of the middle part of the affected cisternal trigeminal nerve, the fractional anisotropy of the bilateral nuclear zones, and the mean diffusivity of the center of pontocerebellar tract significantly changed over time before and after treatment. The changes of GMV in the pain-matrix regions exhibited similar trends to the VAS before and after treatment. CONCLUSION: We conclude that magnetic resonance imaging with RESOLVE DTI and VBM with T2-SPACE images were helpful in the understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms in patients with TN before and after treatment.

Prediction of mTICI 3 recanalization and clinical outcomes in endovascular thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke: a retrospective study in the Taiwan registry.

PURPOSE: Early recanalization for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to large vessel occlusion (LVO) by endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is strongly related to improved functional outcomes. With data obtained from the Taiwan registry, the factors associated with mTICI 3 recanalization and clinical outcomes in EVT are investigated. METHODS: From January 2014 to September 2016, 108 patients who underwent EVT for AIS due to LVO in 11 medical centers throughout Taiwan were included. Complete recanalization is defined as achieving modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (mTICI) grade 3. Good clinical outcomes are defined by the modified Rankin scale (mRS) 0-2 at 3 months after EVT. Clinical and imaging parameters for predicting mTICI 3 recanalization and good clinical outcomes are analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 108 patients who received EVT, 54 (50%) patients had mTICI 3 recanalization. Having received aspiration only and the use of IV-tPA are shown to be significant predictors for mTICI 3 recanalization with odds ratios of 2.61 and 2.53 respectively. Forty-six (42.6%) patients experienced good 3-month clinical outcomes (mRS 0-2). Pretreatment collateral statuses, NIHSS scores, time lapses between symptoms to needle, and the occurrence of hemorrhage at 24 h are all significant predictors for good outcomes with odds ratios of 2.88, 0.91, 0.99, and 0.31 respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Prediction of mTICI 3 recanalization and clinical outcomes offer valuable clinical information for treatment planning in EVT.

Primary marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of the cavernous sinus: a case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Primary lymphoma of the cavernous sinus is a rare form of extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma, of which very few cases have been reported in the published literature. This report presents the MRI findings with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value in an exceedingly rare primary marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (MZBCL) of the cavernous sinus. CASE PRESENTATION: The case in this study is a 59-year-old immunocompetent male patient with a 2-month history of right ptosis and blurred vision. Right third cranial nerve palsy and binocular diplopia were observed upon neurological examination. Preoperative brain CT showed an extra-axial enhancing mass lesion in the right cavernous sinus. On MRI, ipsilateral internal carotid arterial encasement was noted without causing stenosis of the vessel. Isointense signal on T1-weighted and T2-weighted images, homogeneous contrast enhancement, and diffusion restriction were also observed. The mean ADC value of the tumor is 0.64 × 10-3 mm2/s (b value = 1000 s/mm2). Subtotal resection of the tumor was performed, and improvement of clinical symptoms were observed. The pathologic diagnosis of MZBCL was established by immunohistochemical examinations. CONCLUSIONS: Primary MZBCL of the cavernous sinus is exceedingly rare, and preoperative confirmation poses a major challenge with CT and conventional MRI only. In this case, preoperative quantitative ADC value is shown to offer valuable additional information in the diagnostic process.

Correlation of internal carotid artery diameter and carotid flow with asymmetry of the circle of Willis.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of asymmetric COW variants on carotid flow changes, and proposed an easy estimate of the representative carotid flow volume for accurate numerical simulation. METHODS: A total of 210 healthy adults receiving magnetic resonance angiography and carotid duplex sonography were included. Three anterior cerebral artery asymmetry (AA) groups were defined based on the diameter ratio difference (DRD) of bilateral A1 segments: AA1 group, one-side A1 aplasia; AA2, A1 DRD ≥ 50%; AA3, A1 DRD between 10 and 50%. Similarly, 3 posterior communicating artery (PcomA) asymmetry (PA) groups were defined: PA1 group, one fetal-origin posterior cerebral artery and absent contralateral PcomA; PA2, PcomA DRD ≥ 50%; PA3, PcomA DRD between 10 and 50%. RESULTS: With A1 asymmetry, the ICA diameter of the dominant A1 is significantly greater than the contralateral side. Significant differences of bilateral ICA flow were present in the AA1 and AA2 groups (mean flow difference 42.9 and 30.7%, respectively). Significant bilateral ICA diameter and flow differences were only found in the PA1 group. Linear regression analysis of ICA diameter and flow found a moderately positive correlation between ICA diameter and flow in all AA groups, with a 1 mm increment in vessel diameter corresponding to a 62.6 ml increment of flow volume. The product of bilateral ICA diameter and flow volume difference (ICA-PDF) could be a potential discriminator with a cutoff of 4.31 to predict A1 asymmetry ≥50% with a sensitivity of 0.81 and specificity of 0.76. CONCLUSIONS: The study verifies that A1 asymmetry causes unequal bilateral carotid inflow, and consequently different bilateral ICA diameters. Adjustment of the inflow boundary conditions according to the COW variants would be necessary to improve the accuracy of numerical simulation.

Radiomics approach for prediction of recurrence in skull base meningiomas.

PURPOSE: A subset of skull base meningiomas (SBM) may show early progression/recurrence (P/R) as a result of incomplete resection. The purpose of this study is the implementation of MR radiomics to predict P/R in SBM. METHODS: From October 2006 to December 2017, 60 patients diagnosed with pathologically confirmed SBM (WHO grade I, 56; grade II, 3; grade III, 1) were included in this study. Preoperative MRI including T2WI, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and contrast-enhanced T1WI were analyzed. On each imaging modality, 13 histogram parameters and 20 textural gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) features were extracted. Random forest algorithms were utilized to evaluate the importance of these parameters, and the most significant three parameters were selected to build a decision tree for prediction of P/R in SBM. Furthermore, ADC values obtained from manually placed ROI in tumor were also used to predict P/R in SBM for comparison. RESULTS: Gross-total resection (Simpson Grades I-III) was performed in 33 (33/60, 55%) patients, and 27 patients received subtotal resection. Twenty-one patients had P/R (21/60, 35%) after a postoperative follow-up period of at least 12 months. The three most significant parameters included in the final radiomics model were T1 max probability, T1 cluster shade, and ADC correlation. In the radiomics model, the accuracy for prediction of P/R was 90%; by comparison, the accuracy was 83% using ADC values measured from manually placed tumor ROI. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that the radiomics approach in preoperative MRI offer objective and valuable clinical information for treatment planning in SBM.

Prediction of progression in skull base meningiomas: additional benefits of apparent diffusion coefficient value.

A subset of benign (WHO grade I) skull base meningiomas show early progression/recurrence (P/R) in the first years after surgical resection. Besides, complete surgical resection may be difficult to achieve safely in skull base meningiomas due to complex neurovascular structures. The one main challenge in the treatment of skull base meningiomas is to determine factors that correlate with P/R. We retrospectively investigated the preoperative CT and MR imaging features for the prediction of P/R in skull base meningiomas, with emphasis on quantitative ADC values. Only patients had postoperative MRI follow-ups for more than 1 year (at least every 6 months) were included. From October 2006 to December 2015, total 73 patients diagnosed with benign (WHO grade I) skull base meningiomas were included (median follow-up time 41 months), and 17 (23.3%) patients had P/R (median time to P/R 28 months). Skull base meningiomas with spheno-orbital location, adjacent bone invasion, high DWI, and lower ADC value/ratio were significantly associated with P/R (P < 0.05). The cut-off points of ADC value and ADC ratio for prediction of P/R are 0.83 × 10- 3 mm2/s and 1.09 respectively, with excellent area under curve (AUC) values (0.86 and 0.91) (P < 0.05). In multivariate logistic regression, low ADC values (< 0.83 × 10- 3 mm2/s) and adjacent bone invasion are high-risk factors of P/R (P < 0.05), with odds ratios of 31.53 and 17.59 respectively. The preoperative CT and MRI features for prediction of P/R offered clinically vital information for the planning of treatment in skull base meningiomas.

Added value of delayed computed tomography angiography in primary intracranial hemorrhage and hematoma size for predicting spot sign.

Background The computed tomography angiography (CTA) spot sign represents active contrast extravasation within acute primary intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and is an independent predictor of hematoma expansion (HE) and poor clinical outcomes. The spot sign could be detected on first-pass CTA (fpCTA) or delayed CTA (dCTA). Purpose To investigate the additional benefits of dCTA spot sign in primary ICH and hematoma size for predicting spot sign. Material and Methods This is a retrospective study of 100 patients who underwent non-contrast CT (NCCT) and CTA within 24 h of onset of primary ICH. The presence of spot sign on fpCTA or dCTA, and hematoma size on NCCT were recorded. The spot sign on fpCTA or dCTA for predicting significant HE, in-hospital mortality, and poor clinical outcomes (mRS ≥ 4) are calculated. The hematoma size for prediction of CTA spot sign was also analyzed. Results Only the spot sign on dCTA could predict high risk of significant HE and poor clinical outcomes as on fpCTA ( P < 0.05). With dCTA, there is increased sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) for predicting significant HE, in-hospital mortality, and poor clinical outcomes. The XY value (product of the two maximum perpendicular axial dimensions) is the best predictor (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.82) for predicting spot sign on fpCTA or dCTA in the absence of intraventricular and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Conclusion This study clarifies that dCTA imaging could improve predictive performance of CTA in primary ICH. Furthermore, the XY value is the best predictor for CTA spot sign.

Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Evaluation of the Supratentorial Brain Regions in Patients Diagnosed with Brainstem Variant of Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome: A Preliminary Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a clinicoradiologic entity with several causes, characterized by rapid onset of symptoms and typical neuroimaging features, which usually resolve if promptly recognized and treated. Brainstem variant of PRES presents with vasogenic edema in brainstem regions on magnetic resonance (MR) images and there is sparing of the supratentorial regions. Because PRES is usually caused by a hypertensive crisis, which would likely have a systemic effect and global manifestations on the brain tissue, we thus proposed that some microscopic abnormalities of the supratentorial regions could be detected with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) using apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) analysis in brainstem variant of PRES and hypothesized that "normal-looking" supratentorial regions will increase water diffusion. METHODS: We retrospectively identified patients with PRES who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging studies. We identified 11 brainstem variants of PRES patients, who formed the study cohort, and 11 typical PRES patients and 20 normal control subjects as the comparison cohorts for this study. Nineteen regions of interest were drawn and systematically placed. The mean ADC values were measured and compared among these 3 groups. RESULTS: ADC values of the typical PRES group were consistently elevated compared with those in normal control subjects. ADC values of the brainstem variant group were consistently elevated compared with those in normal control subjects. ADC values of the typical PRES group and brainstem variant group did not differ significantly, except for the pons area. CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative MR DWI may aid in the evaluation of supratentorial microscopic abnormalities in brainstem variant of PRES patients.

2D-DIGE proteome analysis on the platelet proteins of patients with major depression.

INTRODUCTION: Platelet activation is related to the psychopathology of major depression. We attempted to search and identify protein biomarkers from the platelets of patients with major depression. High resolution two-dimensional Differential Gel Electrophoresis (2D-DIGE), the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), Western blot, and bioinformatic tools were applied to examine the platelet proteins of 10 patients with major depression and 10 healthy controls. RESULTS: The levels of 8 proteins were significantly different between the patients with major depression in the acute phase and healthy controls. The levels of protein disulfide-isomerase A3 (PDIA3) and F-actin-capping protein subunit beta (CAPZB) were higher in patients with major depression than in healthy controls. The levels of fibrinogen beta chain (FIBB), fibrinogen gamma chain (FIBG), retinoic acid receptor beta (RARB), glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1), SH3 domain-containing protein 19 (SH319), and T-complex protein 1 subunit beta (TCPB) were lower in patients with major depression than in healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: Platelet provided valuable information about the pathways and processes of inflammation/immunity, oxidative stress, and neurogenesis, related to major depression.

Machine-learning models are superior to severity scoring systems for the prediction of the mortality of critically ill patients in a tertiary medical center.

BACKGROUND: Intensive care unit (ICU) mortality prediction helps to guide therapeutic decision making for critically ill patients. Several scoring systems based on statistical techniques have been developed for this purpose. In this study, we developed a machine-learning model to predict patient mortality in the very early stage of ICU admission. METHODS: This study was performed with data from all patients admitted to the intensive care units of a tertiary medical center in Taiwan from 2009 to 2018. The patients' comorbidities, co-medications, vital signs, and laboratory data on the day of ICU admission were obtained from electronic medical records. We constructed random forest and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) models to predict ICU mortality, and compared their performance with that of traditional scoring systems. RESULTS: Data from 12,377 patients was allocated to training (n = 9901) and testing (n = 2476) datasets. The median patient age was 70.0 years; 9210 (74.41%) patients were under mechanical ventilation in the ICU. The areas under receiver operating characteristic curves for the random forest and XGBoost models (0.876 and 0.880, respectively) were larger than those for the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (0.738), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (0.747), and Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (0.743). The fraction of inspired oxygen on ICU admission was the most important predictive feature across all models. CONCLUSION: The XGBoost model most accurately predicted ICU mortality and was superior to traditional scoring systems. Our results highlight the utility of machine learning for ICU mortality prediction in the Asian population.

A socio-technical assessment of the success of Picture Archiving and Communication Systems: the radiology technologist's perspective.

BACKGROUND: With the increasing prevalence of Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) in healthcare institutions, there is a growing need to measure their success. However, there is a lack of published literature emphasizing the technical and social factors underlying a successful PACS. METHODS: An updated Information Systems Success Model was utilized by radiology technologists (RTs) to evaluate the success of PACS at a large medical center in Taiwan. A survey, consisting of 109 questionnaires, was analyzed by Structural Equation Modeling. RESULTS: Socio-technical factors (including system quality, information quality, service quality, perceived usefulness, user satisfaction, and PACS dependence) were proven to be effective measures of PACS success. Although the relationship between service quality and perceived usefulness was not significant, other proposed relationships amongst the six measurement parameters of success were all confirmed. CONCLUSIONS: Managers have an obligation to improve the attributes of PACS. At the onset of its deployment, RTs will have formed their own subjective opinions with regards to its quality (system quality, information quality, and service quality). As these personal concepts are either refuted or reinforced based on personal experiences, RTs will become either satisfied or dissatisfied with PACS, based on their perception of its usefulness or lack of usefulness. A satisfied RT may play a pivotal role in the implementation of PACS in the future.

Development of real-time individualized risk prediction models for contrast associated acute kidney injury and 30-day dialysis after contrast enhanced computed tomography.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to develop preprocedural real-time artificial intelligence (AI)-based systems for predicting individualized risks of contrast-associated acute kidney injury (CA-AKI) and dialysis requirement within 30 days following contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT). METHOD: This single-center, retrospective study analyzed adult patients from emergency or in-patient departments who underwent CECT; 18,895 patients were included after excluding those who were already on dialysis, had stage V chronic kidney disease, or had missing data regarding serum creatinine levels within 7 days before and after CECT. Clinical parameters, laboratory data, medication exposure, and comorbid diseases were selected as predictive features. The patients were randomly divided into model training and testing groups at a 7:3 ratio. Logistic regression (LR) and random forest (RF) were employed to create prediction models, which were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS: The incidence rates of CA-AKI and dialysis within 30 days post-CECT were 6.69% and 0.98%, respectively. For CA-AKI prediction, LR and RF exhibited similar performance, with areas under curve (AUCs) of 0.769 and 0.757, respectively. For 30-day dialysis prediction, LR (AUC, 0.863) and RF (AUC, 0.872) also exhibited similar performance. Relative to eGFR-alone, the LR and RF models produced significantly higher AUCs for CA-AKI prediction (LR vs. eGFR alone, 0.769 vs. 0.626, p < 0.001) and 30-day dialysis prediction (RF vs. eGFR alone, 0.872 vs. 0.738, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The proposed AI prediction models significantly outperformed eGFR-alone for predicting the CA-AKI and 30-day dialysis risks of emergency department and hospitalized patients who underwent CECT.