Spatial-temporal trends in leprosy burden and its associations with socioeconomic and physical geographic factors: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of our study was to assess the multiscalar changes in leprosy burden and its associated risk factors over the last three decades.

STUDY DESIGN

We conducted an in-depth examination of leprosy's spatial-temporal trends at multiple geographical scale (global, regional, and national), utilizing information from Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD 2019).

METHODS

Incidence and the estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) in age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) of leprosy were determined, with countries categorized based on leprosy incidence changes. We examined socioeconomic and physical geography influences on leprosy incidence via Spearman correlation analysis, using ternary phase diagrams to reveal the synergetic effects on leprosy occurrence.

RESULTS

Globally, incident cases of leprosy decreased by 27.86% from 1990 to 2019, with a reduction in ASIR (EAPC = -2.53), yet trends were not homogeneous across regions. ASIR and EAPC correlated positively with sociodemographic index (SDI), and an ASIR growth appeared in high SDI region (EAPC = 3.07). Leprosy burden was chiefly distributed in Tropical Latin America, Oceania, Central Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia. Negative correlations were detected between the incidence of leprosy and factors of SDI, GDP per capita, urban population to total population, and precipitation, whereas the number of refugee population, temperature, and elevation showed opposite positive results.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite a global decline in leprosy over the past three decades, the disparities of disease occurrence at regional and national scales still persisted. Socioeconomic and physical geographic factors posed an obvious influence on the transmission risk of leprosy. The persistence and regional fluctuations of leprosy incidence necessitate the ongoing dynamic and multilayered control strategies worldwide in combating this ancient disease.

[Effectiveness of comprehensive echinococcosis control measures with emphasis on management of infectious source in Sichuan Province from 2010 to 2022]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of comprehensive echinococcosis control measures with emphasis on management of infectious source in Sichuan Province from 2010 to 2022, so as to provide insights into formulation of future control interventions.

METHODS

Data pertaining to comprehensive echinococcosis control measures with emphasis on management of infectious source and echinococcosis surveillance in Sichuan Province from 2010 to 2022 were collected. The effectiveness of comprehensive echinococcosis control measures with emphasis on management of infectious source was evaluated with prevalence of human echinococcosis, detection of newly diagnosed echinococcosis patients, prevalence of Echinococcus infection in domestic dogs, prevalence of cystic echinococcosis in livestock, prevalence of alveolar echinococcosis in small mammals and awareness of echinococcosis control knowledge, and Spearman's rank correlation analysis.

RESULTS

The prevalence of human echinococcosis reduced from 1.08% in 2010 to 0.40% in 2022 in Sichuan Province (χ2 = 1 482.97, P < 0.05), with a reduction from 0.30% to 0.02% in the detection of newly diagnosed echinococcosis cases (χ2 = 2 776.41, P < 0.05), a reduction from 15.87% to 0.46% in the prevalence of Echinococcus infection in domestic dogs (χ2 = 20 823.96, P < 0.05), a reduction from 8.05% to 1.07% in the prevalence of cystic echinococcosis in livestock (χ2 = 1 296.02, P < 0.05), and the awareness of echinococcosis control knowledge increased from 50.65% to 95.24% (χ2 = 34 938.63, P < 0.05); in addition, there was a year-specific prevalence rate of alveolar echinococcosis in small mammals (χ2 = 164.07, P < 0.05). Spearman's rank correlation analysis revealed that the detection of newly diagnosed echinococcosis cases correlated positively with the prevalence of Echinococcus infections in domestic dogs (rs = 0.823, P < 0.05) and the prevalence of cystic echinococcosis in livestock (rs = 0.795, P < 0.05), and correlated negatively with the awareness of echinococcosis control knowledge (rs = - 0.918, P < 0.05), and the prevalence of Echinococcus infection in domestic dogs correlated positively with the prevalence of cystic echinococcosis in livestock (rs = 0.753, P < 0.05) and negatively with the awareness of echinococcosis control knowledge (rs = -0.747, P < 0.05); however, there was no correlation between the prevalence of Echinococcus infections in domestic dogs and the prevalence of alveolar echinococcosis in small mammals (rs = -0.750, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The comprehensive echinococcosis control measures with emphasis on management of infectious source had achieved remarkable effectiveness in Sichuan Province; however, the transmission chain of echinococcosis has not been interrupted. Reinforced comprehensive echinococcosis control measures with emphasis on management of infectious source and sustained tracking evaluation of the effectiveness are recommended in Sichuan Province.

Multi-channel synthetic aperture infrared imaging and experimental research

The synthetic aperture infrared radio imaging method based on laser local oscillator coherent detection has potential application value for astronomical observations. This paper studies the multi-channel synthetic aperture infrared imaging method and conducts experimental verification using a principle prototype. In the short-wave infrared band, five beam-expanding fiber collimators are used to build an observation structure of five laser local oscillator coherent detection channels at a near-field distance of 5 m to carry out physical experiments. The laser local oscillator wavelength is 1.55 µm, and the AD sampling rate is 4 GHz. For the infrared radiation source signal, the phase relationship of the infrared signals between channels acquired by the prototype principle is stable, and the five-channel synthetic aperture imaging results are consistent with the computer simulated results. The experiment verified the effectiveness of the laser local oscillator comprehensive aperture infrared radio imaging method.

Prenatal exposure to PM2.5 components and the risk of different types of preterm birth and the mediating effect of pregnancy complications: a cohort study

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to reveal the single and mixed associations of PM2.5 and its components with very, moderately, and late preterm births and to explore the potential mediating role of pregnancy complications in PM2.5-induced preterm birth.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a retrospective cohort study.

METHODS

We enrolled 168,852 mothers and matched the concentrations of PM2.5 and its five components (OM, SO42-, BC, NO3-, and NH4+) based on their geographical location. Next, we used generalized linear models, quantile g-computation, and mediation analysis to evaluate the associations of PM2.5 and its components with very, moderately, and late preterm births and the mediating role of pregnancy complications.

RESULTS

Prenatal exposure to PM2.5 and its components was associated with preterm birth, and the association was strongest in the third trimester. Preterm birth was associated with co-exposure to a mixture of PM2.5 components in the third trimester, and the contributions of NO3-, NH4+, and BC to the risk of preterm birth were positive. Meanwhile, pregnancy complications mediated PM2.5-induced preterm birth. Moreover, very and moderately preterm births were associated with PM2.5 and its components in the second and third trimesters, and very and late preterm births were associated with co-exposure to a mixture of PM2.5 components in the third trimester.

CONCLUSIONS

Later exposure to PM2.5 during pregnancy will cause earlier preterm birth. Targeted and positive interventions for anthropogenic sources of specific PM2.5 components and pregnancy complications are helpful for preterm birth prevention.

Gga-let-7a-3p inhibits the proliferation and differentiation of chicken intramuscular preadipocytes

1. Intramuscular fat (IMF) is a key parameter for chicken meat quality. IMF deposition is driven by genetic, nutritional and management factors, with genetics being the determining factor. Previous whole transcriptome sequencing revealed that microRNA gga-let-7a-3p was related to lipid metabolism in breast muscle. This study further investigated the potential role of gga-let-7a-3p in IMF deposition.2. The mimic and inhibitor of gga-let-7a-3p were individually transfected into chicken intramuscular preadipocytes. Subsequently, the proliferation and differentiation states of the cells were detected. Transcriptome sequencing was performed on cells transfected with gga-let-7a-3p mimic.3. The results indicated that gga-let-7a-3p suppressed the mRNA levels of proliferation and differentiation-related genes, as well as the protein levels. EdU and Oil Red O assays revealed that gga-let-7a-3p restrained preadipocyte proliferation and differentiation. In addition, a total of 333 up-regulated genes and 807 down-regulated genes were identified in cells transfected with gga-let-7a-3p mimic. Using Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, differential genes were found to be enriched in processes such as the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) signalling pathway and oxidative phosphorylation.4. The study demonstrated that gga-let-7a-3p inhibits the proliferation and differentiation of chicken intramuscular preadipocytes, which provides new understanding to further unravel the function of gga-let-7a-3p.

Anthropogenic, biogenic, and photochemical influences on surface formaldehyde and its significant decadal (2006-2017) decrease in the Lewiston-Clarkston valley of the northwestern United States

Formaldehyde (HCHO) is a key carcinogen and plays an important role in atmospheric chemistry. Both field measurements and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) modeling have been employed to investigate the concentrations and sources of HCHO in the Lewiston-Clarkston (LC) valley of the mountainous northwestern U.S. Different instruments were deployed to measure surface formaldehyde and other related compounds in July of 2016 and 2017. The measurements reveal that the average HCHO concentrations have significantly decreased to 2-5 ppb in the LC valley in comparison to its levels (10-20 ppb) observed in July 2006. This discovery with surface measurements deserves attention given that satellite retrievals showed an increasing long-term trend from 2005 to 2014 in total vertical column density of HCHO in the region, suggesting that satellite instruments may not adequately resolve small valleys in the mountainous region. Our PMF modeling identified four major sources of HCHO in the valley: (1) emissions from a local paper mill, (2) secondary formation and background, (3) biogenic sources, and (4) traffic. This study reveals that the emissions from the paper mill cause high HCHO spikes (6-19 ppb) in the early morning. It is found that biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the area are influenced by national forests surrounding the region (e.g., Nez Perce-Clearwater, Umatilla, Wallowa-Whitman, and Idaho Panhandle National Forests). The results provide useful information for developing strategies to control HCHO levels and have implications for future HCHO studies in atmospheric chemistry, which affects secondary aerosols and ozone formation.

Identification and Functional Characterization of PI3K/Akt/mTOR Pathway-Related lncRNAs in Lung Adenocarcinoma: A Retrospective Study

OBJECTIVE

This paper aimed to investigate the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signal-pathway regulator factor-related lncRNA signatures (PAM-SRFLncSigs), associated with regulators of the indicated signaling pathway in patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) undergoing immunotherapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this retrospective study, we employed univariate Cox, multivariate Cox, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analyses to identify prognostically relevant long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), construct prognostic models, and perform Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses. Subsequently, immunoassay and chemotherapy drug screening were conducted. Finally, the prognostic model was validated using the Imvigor210 cohort, and tumor stem cells were analyzed.

RESULTS

We identified seven prognosis-related lncRNAs (AC084757.3, AC010999.2, LINC02802, AC026979.2, AC024896.1, LINC00941 and LINC01312). We also developed prognostic models to predict survival in patients with LUAD. KEGG enrichment analysis confirmed association of LUAD with the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. In the analysis of immune function pathways, we discovered three good prognostic pathways (Cytolytic_activity, Inflammation-promoting, T_cell_co-inhibition) in LUAD. Additionally, we screened 73 oncology chemotherapy drugs using the "pRRophetic" algorithm.

CONCLUSION

Identification of seven lncRNAs linked to regulators of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway provided valuable insights into predicting the prognosis of LUAD, understanding the immune microenvironment and optimizing immunotherapy strategies.

[Rudimentary horn pregnancy: clinical analysis of 12 cases and literature review]

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics, treatments and fertility recovery of rudimentary horn pregnancy (RHP). Methods: The clinical data of 12 cases with RHP diagnosed and treated in Peking University Third Hospital from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical informations, diagnosis and treatments of RHP and the pregnancy status after surgery were analyzed. Results: The median age of 12 RHP patients was 29 years (range: 24-37 years). Eight cases of pregnancy in residual horn of uterus occurred in type Ⅰ residual horn of uterus, 4 cases occurred in type Ⅱ residual horn of uterus; among which 5 cases were misdiagnosed by ultrasound before surgery. All patients underwent excision of residual horn of uterus and affected salpingectomy. After surgery, 9 patients expected future pregnancy, and 3 cases of natural pregnancy, 2 cases of successful pregnancy through assisted reproductive technology. Four pregnancies resulted in live birth with cesarean section, and 1 case resulted in spontaneous abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy. No uterine rupture or ectopic pregnancy occurred in subsequent pregnancies. Conclusions: Ultrasonography could aid early diagnosis of RHP while misdiagnosis occurred in certain cases. Thus, a comprehensive judgment and decision ought to be made based on medical history, physical examination and assisted examination. Surgical exploration is necessary for diagnosis and treatment of RHP. For infertile patients, assisted reproductive technology should be applied when necessary. Caution to prevent the occurrence of pregnancy complications such as uterine rupture, and application of cesarean section to terminate pregnancy are recommended.

J-2156, a small molecule somatostatin type 4 receptor agonist, alleviated hindpaw hypersensitivity in the streptozotocin-induced rat model of painful diabetic neuropathy but with a 2-fold decrease in potency at an advanced stage in the model, mimicking morphine

There is a large unmet need for novel pain-killers to improve relief of painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN). Herein, we assessed the efficacy of the somatostatin type 4 (SST4) receptor agonist, J-2156, for relief of PDN in rats. Diabetes was induced with streptozotocin (STZ; 70 mg/kg) and bilateral hindpaw hypersensitivity was fully developed by 8-week post-STZ. In the intervals, 8-12-weeks (morphine-sensitive phase; Phase 1) and 16-18-weeks (morphine-hyposensitive phase; Phase 2) post-STZ, rats received a single dose of intraperitoneal (i.p.) J-2156 (10, 20, 30 mg/kg), gabapentin (100 mg/kg i.p.), subcutaneous morphine (1 mg/kg) or vehicle. Hindpaw withdrawal thresholds (PWTs) were assessed using von Frey filaments pre-dose and at regular intervals over 3-h post-dose. In Phase 1, J-2156 at 30 mg/kg evoked significant anti-allodynia in the hindpaws with maximal effect at 1.5 h compared with 1 h for gabapentin and morphine. The durations of action for all three compounds were greater than 3 h. The corresponding mean (±SEM) extent and duration of anti-allodynia (ΔPWT AUC) for gabapentin did not differ significantly from that for J-2156 (30 mg/kg) or morphine. However, in Phase 2, the ΔPWT AUC for morphine was reduced to approximately 25% of that in Phase 1, mirroring our previous work. Similarly, the mean (±SEM) ΔPWT AUC for J-2156 (30 mg/kg) in Phase 2 was approximately 45% of that for Phase 1 whereas for gabapentin the mean (±SEM) ΔPWT AUCs did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) between the two phases. Our findings further describe the preclinical pain relief profile of J-2156 and complement previous work in rat models of inflammatory pain, neuropathic pain and low back pain. SST4 receptor agonists hold promise as novel therapeutics for the relief of PDN, a type of peripheral neuropathic pain that is often intractable to relief with clinically used drug treatment options.

Fetal cardiovascular changes during open and fetoscopic in-utero spina bifida closure

OBJECTIVE

Laparotomy-assisted fetoscopic closure of spina bifida utilizing heated-humidified carbon dioxide gas has been associated with less maternal morbidity than open in-utero spina bifida closure. Fetal cardiovascular changes during these surgical interventions are not well defined. Our objective was to compare fetal bradycardia (defined as fetal heart rate (FHR)<110 bpm over 10 minutes) and changes in umbilical artery Doppler parameters throughout open in-utero closure with those observed during laparotomy-assisted fetoscopic closure.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective cohort study of 22 open and 46 fetoscopic consecutive in-utero closures between 2019 and 2023. Both cohorts had similar preoperative counseling and clinical management. FHR and umbilical artery velocimetry were systematically obtained during preoperative assessment, every 5 minutes during the intraoperative period, and in the postoperative assessment. FHR, pulsatility indexes and end-diastolic flows were segmented into hourly periods during surgery, and the lowest values were averaged for analysis. Umbilical vein maximum velocities were measured in the fetoscopic cohort. Each fetal heart rate recording time point was correlated to maternal parameters, including heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressures.

RESULTS

Fetal bradycardia occurred in 4/22 cases (18.2%) of open in-utero closure and in 21/46 cases (45.7%) of fetoscopic closure. FHR gradually decreased in both cohorts after general anesthesia and decreased further during surgery. FHR were significantly lower after two hours of surgery in the fetoscopic closure than in the open in-utero closure group. In addition, the FHR (BPM) change in the final stages of the fetal surgery from the baseline FHR was significantly lower in the fetoscopic cohort (-32.3 (-35.7, -29.1)) compared to the open cohort (-23.5 (-28.1, -18.8)) (p=0.002). Abnormal end-diastolic flow (defined as absent or reversed end-diastolic flow) in the umbilical artery Doppler velocity occurred in 3/22 (13.6%) of the open closure cohort and in 23/46 (50%) of the fetoscopic closure cohort (p=0.004). There were no differences in umbilical artery end-diastolic flow and pulsatility index between closure techniques during the various stages of assessment.

CONCLUSIONS

We observed a decrease in the FHR and abnormalities in umbilical artery Doppler parameters in both open in-utero and fetoscopic closure groups. Fetal bradycardia was more prominent during fetoscopic closure following heated-humidified carbon dioxide insufflation, but the FHR recovered after cessation of the heated-humidified carbon dioxide. Changes in FHR and umbilical artery Doppler parameters during in-utero spina bifida closure were observed to be transient, no cases required emergency delivery and no fetoscopic closure were converted to open closure. These observations should inform algorithms for perioperative management of fetal bradycardia associated with in-utero spina bifida closure. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Achieving ultra-low and -uniform residual magnetic fields in a very large magnetically shielded room for fundamental physics experiments

High-precision searches for an electric dipole moment of the neutron (nEDM) require stable and uniform magnetic field environments. We present the recent achievements of degaussing and equilibrating the magnetically shielded room (MSR) for the n2EDM experiment at the Paul Scherrer Institute. We present the final degaussing configuration that will be used for n2EDM after numerous studies. The optimized procedure results in a residual magnetic field that has been reduced by a factor of two. The ultra-low field is achieved with the full magnetic-field-coil system, and a large vacuum vessel installed, both in the MSR. In the inner volume of ∼ 1.4 m 3 , the field is now more uniform and below 300 pT. In addition, the procedure is faster and dissipates less heat into the magnetic environment, which in turn, reduces its thermal relaxation time from 12 h down to 1.5 h .

[Comparing the prognostic value of 3 diagnostic criteria of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants]

Objective: To compare the prognostic value of 3 diagnostic criteria of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants with gestational age<32 weeks. Methods: The retrospective cohort study was conducted to collect the clinical data of 285 preterm infants with BPD admitted to the Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from January 2019 to September 2021, who were followed up regularly after discharge. The primary composite adverse outcome was defined as death or severe respiratory morbidity from 36 weeks of corrected gestational age to 18 months of corrected age, and the secondary composite adverse outcome was defined as death or neurodevelopmental impairment. According to the primary or secondary composite adverse outcomes, the preterm infants were divided into the adverse prognosis group and the non-adverse prognosis group. The 2001 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) criteria, 2018 NICHD criteria, and 2019 Neonatal Research Network (NRN) criteria were used to diagnose and grade BPD in preterm infants. Chi-square test, Logistic regression analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and Delong test were used to analyze the prognostic value of the 3 diagnostic criteria. Results: The 285 preterm infants had a gestational age of 29.4 (28.1, 30.6) weeks and birth weight of 1 230 (1 000, 1 465) g, including 167 males (58.6%). Among 285 premature infants who completed follow-up, the primary composite adverse outcome occurred in 124 preterm infants (43.5%), and the secondary composite adverse outcome occurred in 40 preterm infants (14.0%). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that severe BPD according to the 2001 NICHD criteria, gradeⅡand Ⅲ BPD according to the 2018 NICHD criteria and grade 2 and 3 BPD according to the 2019 NRN criteria were all risk factors for primary composite adverse outcomes (all P<0.05). ROC curve showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of the 2018 NICHD criteria and 2019 NRN criteria were both higher than that of the 2001 NICHD criteria (0.70 and 0.70 vs. 0.61, Z=4.49 and 3.35, both P<0.001), but there was no significant difference between the 2018 NICHD and 2019 NRN criteria (Z=0.38, P=0.702). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the secondary composite adverse outcomes were all associated with grade Ⅲ BPD according to the 2018 NICHD criteria and grade 3 BPD according to the 2019 NRN criteria (both P<0.05). ROC curve showed that the AUC of the 2018 NICHD criteria and 2019 NRN criteria were both higher than that of the 2001 NICHD criteria (0.71 and 0.71 vs. 0.58, Z=2.93 and 3.67, both P<0.001), but there was no statistically significant difference between the 2018 NICHD and 2019 NRN criteria (Z=0.02, P=0.984). Conclusion: The 2018 NICHD and 2019 NRN criteria demonstrate good and comparable predictive value for the primary and secondary composite adverse outcomes in preterm infants with BPD, surpassing the predictive efficacy of the 2001 NICHD criteria.

[Clinicopathological and molecular features of metaplastic thymoma]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features, and molecular genetic alterations of metaplastic thymoma (MT). Methods: A total of ten MT cases, diagnosed from 2011 to 2021, were selected from the Department of Pathology of Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China for clinicopathological and immunohistochemical (IHC) examination and clinical follow-up. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), next-generation sequencing (NGS), and YAP1 C-terminus (YAP1-CT) IHC were performed to detect YAP1::MAML2 fusions. Results: There were four males and six females, ranging in age from 29 to 60 years (mean 50 years, median 54 years). Microscopically, all tumors showed a typical biphasic morphology consisting of epithelial components and gradually or abruptly transitioning spindle cell components. The two components were present in varying proportions in different cases. Immunophenotypically, the epithelial cells were diffusely positive for CKpan, CK5/6 and p63. The spindle cells were diffusely positive for vimentin and focally positive for EMA. TdT was negative in the background lymphocytes. Ki-67 proliferation index was less than 5%. YAP1 and MAML2 break-apart FISH analyses showed that all ten cases had narrow split signals with a distance of nearly 2 signal diameters and may be considered false-negative. Using YAP1::MAML2 fusion FISH assays, abnormal fusion signals were observed in all the ten cases. NGS demonstrated YAP1::MAML2 fusions in all eight cases with adequate nucleic acids; in two cases the fusions were detected by DNA sequencing and in eight cases by RNA sequencing. All ten cases of MT demonstrated loss of YAP1 C-terminal expression in epithelioid cells. Conclusions: MT is a rare and low-grade thymic tumor characterized by a biphasic pattern and YAP1::MAML2 fusions. Break-apart FISH assays may sometimes show false-negative results due to the proximity of YAP1 and MAML2, while YAP1 C-terminal IHC is a highly sensitive and specific marker for MT. Loss of YAP1 C-terminal expression can also be used to screen YAP1::MAML2 fusions for possible MT cases.

[Periodic dynamic observation and analysis of cellular and humoral immunity indexes of adults infected with Omicron BA.1]

Objective: To analyze the immunological characteristics and antibody changes of patients infected with the Omicron BA.1 and evaluate the possibility of secondary infection. Methods: A total of 104 patients infected with Omicron BA.1 in the Jinnan District of Tianjin from January 8 to February 2, 2022, were included in the study. The control group and case group were matched 1∶1 based on age, sex and vaccination status. Serum was collected from the case group and control group at 3, 6 and 9 months after infection. The serum levels of interleukin4 (IL-4), IL-5 and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), as well as the positive rates of IgG, IgG1 and IgG2, were detected by ELISA. Results: The highest concentration of IFN-γ in the case group at 6 months after infection was 145.4 pg/ml, followed by a decrease in concentration. The concentrations of IL-4 and IL-5 began to decrease at 6 months after infection (all P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the IgG2 positive rate between the case group and the control group at 6 months after BA.1 infection. However, at 9 months, there was a significant decrease compared to the control group (P=0.003). The ratio of IFN-γ/IL4 at 3 months after infection in the case group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the ratio between the case group and the control group at 9 months after infection. Conclusion: The cellular immune function has been impaired at 3 months after infection with BA.1, and the specific cellular immune and humoral immune functions decrease significantly after 6 months, and the risk of secondary infection increases.

HPV-positive clinically advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder (aBSCC): A comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) study

BACKGROUND

Advanced bladder squamous cell carcinoma (aBSCC) is an uncommon form of urinary bladder malignancy when compared with the much higher urothelial carcinoma incidence. We studied the genomic alteration (GA) landscape in a series of aBSCC based on the association with human papilloma virus (HPV) to determine if differences in GA would be observed between the positive and negative groups.

METHODS

Using a hybrid capture-based FDA-approved CGP assay, a series of 171 aBSCC were sequenced to evaluate all classes of GA. Tumor mutational burden (TMB) was determined on up to 1.1 Mbp of sequenced DNA and microsatellite instability (MSI) was determined on up to 114 loci. Programmed cell death ligand -1 (PD-L1) expression was determined by IHC (Dako 22C3) with negative expression when PD-L1 was 0, lower expression of positivity set at 1 to 49%, and higher expression set at ≥50% expression.

RESULTS

Overall, 11 (6.4%) of the aBSCC were found to harbor HPV sequences (10 HPV16 and 1 HPV 11). HPV+ status was identified slightly more often in women (NS) and in younger patients (P = 0.04); 2 female patients with aBSCC had a prior history of SCC including 1 anal SCC and 1 vaginal SCC. HPV+ aBSCC had fewer GA/tumor (P < 0.0001), more inactivating mutations in RB1 (P = 0.032), and fewer inactivating GA in CDKN2A (P < 0.0001), CDKN2B (P = 0.05), TERT promoter (P = 0.0004) and TP53 (P < 0.0001). GA in genes associated with urothelial carcinoma including FGFR2 and FGFR3 were similar in both HPV+ and HPV- aBSCC groups. MTAP loss (homozygous deletion) which has emerged as a biomarker for PRMT5 inhibitor-based clinical trials was not identified in any of the 11 HPV+ aBSCC cases, which was significantly lower than the 28% positive frequency of MTAP loss in the HPV- aBSCC group (P < 0.0001). MTOR and PIK3CA pathway GA were not significantly different in the 2 groups. Putative biomarkers associated with immunotherapy (IO) response, including MSI and TMB status, were also similar in the 2 groups. PD-L1 expression data was available for a subset of both HPV+ and HPV- cases and showed high frequencies of positive staining which was not different in the 2 groups.

CONCLUSIONS

HPV+ aBSCC tends to occur more often in younger patients. As reported in other HPV-associated squamous cell carcinomas, HPV+ aBSCC demonstrates significantly reduced frequencies of inactivating mutations in cell cycle regulatory genes with similar GA in MTOR and PIK3CA pathways. The implication of HPV in the pathogenesis of bladder cancer remains unknown but warrants further exploration and clinical validation.

[Study on the comparison of postoperative liver injury caused by hepatic arterial perfusion chemotherapy combined with targeted immunotherapy with hepatic arterial chemoembolization combined with targeted immunotherapy for intermediate-and advanced-stage liver cancer]

Objective: To compare the postoperative liver function injury condition in patients with intermediate-and advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) and hepatic artery chemoembolization (TACE) combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Methods: Patients with intermediate-and advanced-stage HCC who were admitted and treated with HAIC/TACE+ICIs+TKIs therapy at Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University from January 2019 to November 2021, with follow-up up to July 2023, were retrospectively enrolled. The results of liver function tests within one week before interventional surgery and on the first day after surgery were recorded. The degree of postoperative liver injury was graded according to the common terminology criteria for adverse events 5.0 (CTCAE 5.0). The treatment efficacy was evaluated according to RECIST 1.1 criteria. Measurement data were compared between groups using a t-test or a non-parametric rank sum test. Enumeration data were compared between the groups using the χ(2) test or Fisher's exact probability method. The survival condition differences were analyzed by the log-rank method. Results: This study included 82 and 77 cases in the HAIC and TACE groups. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups of patients in terms of gender, age, physical condition score, number of tumors, presence or absence of liver cirrhosis, Child-Pugh grade, albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grade, and combined ICIs and TKIs . The HAIC group had later tumor staging, a greater tumor burden, poorer liver reserve function, and a larger proportion of patients in stage C (81.7% vs. 63.6%), χ(2)=6.573, P = 0.01). There were 53 cases (64.6% vs. 32.5%) with a maximum tumor diameter of ≥ 10cm, χ(2)=16.441, P < 0.001), and more patients had a retention rate of ≥ 10% for indocyanine green (ICG) at 15 minutes (68.3% vs. 51.9%, P = 0.035). The postoperative incidence rate of increased levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and total bilirubin was significantly lower in the HAIC group than that in the TACE group (28.0% vs. 63.6%, χ(2)=20.298, P < 0.001, 54.9% vs. 85.7%, χ(2)=17.917, P < 0.001;40.2% vs. 55.8%, χ(2)=3.873, P = 0.049). The number of patients with postoperative ALBI grade 3 was significantly lower in the HAIC group than that in the TACE group (6.1% vs. 16.9%, χ(2)=4.601, P = 0.032). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence rate of postoperative hypoalbuminemia, activated partial thromboplastin time, or increased international standardized ratio between the two groups of patients. There was no statistically significant difference in median progression-free survival (7.3 months vs. 8.2 months, P = 0.296) or median overall survival (16.5 months vs. 21.9 months, P = 0.678) between the two groups of patients. Conclusion: The incidence rate of postoperative liver injury is higher in patients with intermediate-and advanced-stage HCC treated with TACE combined with ICIs and TKIs than in patients with HAIC combined with ICIs and TKIs.

A comprehensive analysis of LINC00958 as a prognostic biomarker for head and neck squamous cell carcinomaLi et al

This work focused on exploring whether the long intergenic non-protein coding RNA LINC00958 is associated with the prognosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Associations of the LINC00958 expression level with clinicopathological features of HNSCC were investigated by logistic regression and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The Kaplan-Meier method was applied to evaluate patient survival. Clinical data and expression profiles were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Associations of patient clinical characteristics with overall survival (OS), progression-free interval (PFI), and disease-specific survival (DSS) were assessed by univariate and multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazard model. Immune cell infiltration analysis and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were applied to determine any significant effects of LINC00958. High LINC00958 expression was related to early pT stage (P < 0.01), primary therapy outcome (P < 0.01), HPV status (P < 0.001), lymphovascular invasion (P < 0.001), and perineural invasion (P < 0.01). The receiver operating characteristic curve showed strong prognostic power for LINC00958 (area under curve = 0.886). High LINC00958 expression predicted poor OS (P = 0.007), DSS (P = 0.036), and PFI (P = 0.040). LINC00958 was related to signalling pathways and the infiltration of certain immune cells. miR-27b-5p was significantly associated with LINC00958, and downstream NT5E predicted poor survival in HNSCC cases. LINC00958 may affect the prognosis by regulating NT5E via miR-27b-5p, and could serve as a possible factor to predict the prognosis of HNSCC, especially oral squamous cell carcinoma.

[Establishment of a patient-derived xenograft humanized mouse model for hepatoblastoma in children]

Objective: To establish a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) humanized mouse model for hepatoblastoma in children. In addition, compare the biological consistency between successfully modeled PDX tumors and primary tumors in children while comparing and analyzing the influence of PDX model modeling success as a key factor. Methods: A PDX tumor model was constructed from fresh tumor tissue samples from 39 children with hepatoblastoma. The tumor growth time and volume size were recorded in detail. Simultaneously, 39 children's data were collected for experimental and clinical analysis. The difference in tumorigenesis rate between different parameters was analyzed by χ (2) test (categorical variable). Continuous variables with a normal distribution were compared using the t-test. Results: After cell passage and pathological diagnosis, 21 cases of hepatoblastoma PDX models were successfully constructed, with a success rate of 53.8% (21/39). Tumor samples from each generation of successfully modeled PDX models had pathology results that were consistent with those of the corresponding primary tumors. The analysis of the key factors affecting the tumor formation rate of PDX revealed that the metastasis rate was more successful in primary tumors than in liver in situ tumors (7/8 vs. 14/31, P = 0.049). However, there was no significant difference between tumor formation rates and pathological subtypes. According to the PDX tumor formation group comparison between the primary tumor and the metastatic tumor, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of tumor formation time and tumor volume. Hematoxylin-eosin staining in hepatoblastoma's PDX mouse was consistent with the primary tumor. Immunohistochemistry positivity rates of four proteins, namely hepatocyte antigen (Hepatocyte), phosphatidylinositol glycan 3, β-catenin, and alpha-fetoprotein, in primary tumor tissues and PDX mouse models were 100% vs. 100%, 100% vs. 95.24%, 100% vs. 100%, and 95.24% vs. 85.71%, respectively. Conclusion: A PDX mouse model for hepatoblastoma has been successfully established in children. The tumor formation rate is high, with metastatic tumors having a higher tumor formation rate than primary tumors and transplanted tumors retaining the biological characteristics of primary tumors.

A contemporary analysis of the pre- and intraoperative recognition of multigland parathyroid disease

BACKGROUND

Despite advances in biochemical and radiological identification of parathyroid gland enlargement, primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) due to sporadic multigland parathyroid disease (MGPD) remains a perioperative diagnostic dilemma. Failure to recognise MGPD pre- or intraoperatively may negatively impact surgical cure rates and result in persistent PHPT and ongoing patient morbidity.

METHODS

We have conducted a comprehensive review of published literature in attempt to determine factors that could aid in reliably diagnosing sporadic MGPD pre- or intraoperatively. We discuss preoperative clinical features and examine pre- and intraoperative biochemical and imaging findings concentrating on those areas that give practicing surgeons and the wider multi-disciplinary endocrine team indications that a patient has MGDP. This could alter surgical strategy.

CONCLUSION

Biochemistry can provide diagnosis of PHPT but cannot reliably discriminate parathyroid pathology. Histopathology can aid diagnosis between MGPD and adenoma, but histological appearance can overlap. Multiple negative imaging modalities indicate that MGPD may be more likely than a single parathyroid adenoma, but the gold standard for diagnosis is still intraoperative identification during BNE. MGPD remains a difficult disease to both diagnose and treat.

Coherent Subcycle Optical Shock from a Superluminal Plasma Wake

We propose exploiting the superluminal plasma wake for coherent Cherenkov radiation by injecting a relativistic electron beam (REB) into a plasma with a slowly varying density up-ramp. Using three-dimensional particle-in-cell and far-field time-domain radiation simulations, we show that an isolated subcycle pulse is coherently emitted towards the Cherenkov angle by bubble-sheath electrons successively at the rear of the REB-induced superluminal plasma wake. A theoretical model based on a superluminal current dipole has been developed to interpret such coherent radiation, and agrees well with the simulation results. This radiation has ultrashort attosecond-scale duration and high intensity, and exhibits excellent directionality with ultralow angular divergence and stable carrier envelope phase. Its intensity increases with the square of the propagation length and its central frequency can be easily tuned over a wide range, from the far infrared to the ultraviolet.

Granular vortex spin-torque nano oscillator for reservoir computing

In this paper, we investigate the granularity in the free layer of the magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ) and its potential to function as a reservoir for reservoir computing where grains act as oscillatory neurons while the device is in the vortex state. The input of the reservoir is applied in the form of a magnetic field which can pin the vortex core into different grains of the device in the magnetic vortex state. The oscillation frequency and MTJ resistance vary across different grains in a non-linear fashion making them great candidates to be served as the reservoir's outputs for classification objectives. Hence, we propose an experimentally validated area-efficient single granular vortex spin-torque nano oscillator (GV-STNO) device in which pinning sites work as random reservoirs that can emulate neuronal functions. We harness the nonlinear oscillation frequency and resistance exhibited by the vortex core granular pinning of the GV-STNO reservoir computing system to demonstrate waveform classification.

Dosimetric Advantages of Online Adaptative Radiotherapy for Cervical Cancer on 1.5T MR-Linac

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Online adaptative radiotherapy (ART) strategy can be applied to account for inter-fraction organ motion while limiting organ at risk (OAR) dose. This study aims to evaluate tumor target and OARs inter- and intrafraction motion using online MRI during the full course of MR-Linac radiotherapy fractions. Furthermore, quantify the dosimetric consequences of online adaptative compared with non-adaptative radiotherapy (non-ART) in cervical cancer.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Six cervix cancer patients were treated with 150 fractions on the 1.5 T Unity MR-Linac. Each fraction, pre-treatment MRI scans were obtained at the start of every treatment session, and post-treatment MRI scans were obtained at the end of every treatment session. A total 300 MR images were included in this study and the CTV, bladder and rectum were delineated on each MRI by the same radiation oncologist. The inter-fraction and intrafraction changes of contours were evaluated by dice similarity coefficient (DSC), Hausdorff distance (HD), volume difference (ΔV). The reference treatment plans were generated using step-and-shoot IMRT and utilized 9 beam groups on original CT. Then, the online adaptative treatment plans were obtained by re-optimizing based on the contours on daily pre-treatment MRI by "adapt to shape" workflow using the same beam parameters and optimization objectives from the reference plans. Non-ART plans for each patient were generated by recalculating the dose from the reference plans on daily online MRI by "adapt to position" workflow. CTV coverage and OARs constraints were used to compare ART and non-ART plans.

RESULTS

The results showed that large inter-fraction anatomical changes limited the efficacy of radiation therapy (CTV: DSC: 0.89±0.03, HD: 20.83±5.05mm, ΔV: 1.21%±5.44%; Bladder: DSC: 0.68±0.18, HD: 30.58±15.75mm, ΔV: -10.17%±61.19%; Rectum: DSC: 0.69±0.09, HD: 22.98±12.03mm, ΔV: 21.01%±20.59%).The intrafraction anatomical changes were smaller (CTV: DSC: 0.96±0.01, HD: 8.85±3.54mm, ΔV: -0.64%±1.90%; Bladder: DSC: 0.90±0.07, HD: 14.62±9.56mm, ΔV: 19.83%±21.71%; Rectum: DSC: 0.98±0.04, HD: 2.90±4.27mm, ΔV: 0.13%±5.04%) . Non-ART showed inadequate primary CTV coverage in 30% of the daily fractions. Online adaptative plans improved CTV coverage significantly (p<0.001) to 99%. Compared with non-ART, online ART decreased the fraction dose to bladder and rectum indicated by significant (p<0.001) improvements for daily D50%, D2% and Dmean.

CONCLUSION

In cervical cancer radiotherapy, a non-adaptive strategy led to inadequate target coverage for individual patients. Online adaptative radiotherapy corrected for day-to-day anatomical variations and resulted in adequate target coverage in all fractions. The dose to rectum and bladder was decreased significantly when applying online adaptative radiotherapy.

Effect of Anemia on Tumor Response to Preoperative Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) and total rectal mesenteric resection (TME) are the primary treatment options for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), but their efficacy varies. This study aimed to investigate the impact of anemia on the tumor response of patients with LARC receiving preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

MATERIALS/METHODS

This study was a retrospective analysis of clinical and pathological data from patients with LARC who underwent nCRT and TME from January 2019 to May 2022 at a single institution. The tumor response was evaluated based on the tumor regression grade (TRG) and T-stage change of the primary tumor. Hemoglobin concentration was measured and graded to determine the presence of anemia. Anemia was categorized into four groups based on the hemoglobin levels: mild anemia (90-120 g/L), moderate anemia (60-90 g/L), severe anemia (30-60 g/L), and extreme anemia (less than 30 g/L). Finally, tumor response was quantified histologically using the AJCC 8th edition tumor regression grading system for rectal cancer and pre- and post-treatment T-grading.

RESULTS

A total of 88 patients with LARC who received nCRT and TME were included in the study, with 17 females and 71 males. Of these patients, 9 were moderately anemic and 37 were mildly anemic. The radiation therapy regimen was administered at a dose of 1.8-2 Gy per fraction, five times a week, for a total dose of 45-50.4 Gy. Capecitabine chemotherapy was also administered orally (825 mg/m2, twice a day) on the days of radiation therapy. Other chemotherapy regimens included XELOX and mFOLFOX6. The TRG was significantly different in anemic patients compared to non-anemic patients (P = 0.039). Only 2 out of 46 anemic patients (4%) showed an excellent response (TRG0), while 8 out of 42 non-anemic patients (19%) showed an excellent response (p = 0.043). There was also a significant difference in the incidence of anemia between cT3 and cT4 stages (p = 0.048), with 44% of cT3 patients and 67% of cT4 patients being anemic. The number of patients with poor response (TRG2-3) decreased as the degree of anemia decreased, but no significant difference was found. The incidence of TRG3 was 11% in patients with moderate anemia and 7% in non-anemic patients (P = 0.863). There was no significant difference in postoperative pathological T-stage between anemic and non-anemic patients. 89% of anemic patients had a pathological stage of ypT3 or less after chemoradiotherapy, while 95% of non-anemic patients did (P = 0.167). The pre- and post-treatment pathological staging did not significantly differ between anemic and non-anemic patients. 67% of anemic patients had descending tumors, while 59.5% of non-anemic patients had descending tumors (p = 0.509).

CONCLUSION

Patients with LARC who have normal hemoglobin concentrations during nCRT have better tumor regression compared to patients with anemia. Additionally, the incidence of anemia was higher among patients with advanced T-stage prior to treatment.

Inter-fractional Assessment during MR-guided Online Adaptive Radiotherapy for Glioblastoma

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Magnetic resonance image (MRI) guided radiation therapy has the potential to improve outcomes for glioblastoma by adapting to tumor changes during radiation therapy. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and potential benefits of MR-guided online adaptive radiotherapy (MRgOART) for patients with glioblastoma.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Twenty consecutive patients with glioblastoma were treated with MRgOART of 60 Gy in 30 fractions by the 1.5 T MR-Linac. The MRgOART fractions employed daily MR scans and the contours were utilized to create each adapted plan. The gross tumor volume (GTV) and clinical target volume (CTV) were delineated on MRI of pre-treatment simulation (Fx0) and all fractions (Fx1, Fx2, Fx3 ... Fx30) to evaluate the inter-fractional changes. These changes were quantified using absolute/relative volume (∆V), Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and Hausdorff distance (HD) metrics. The reference treatment plans were generated using step-and-shoot IMRT and utilized 7-9 beam groups on original CT. Before the treatment, a synthetic CT (sCT) quality assurance (QA) process was performed to assess the dose accuracy of bulk relative electron density (rED) assignment for online MRI based treatment plan in terms of gamma analysis, point dose comparison and dose volume histogram (DVH) parameters. Then, the online adaptative treatment plans were obtained by re-optimizing based on the contours on daily pre-treatment MRI by "adapt to shape" workflow. Non-adaptive plans for each patient were generated by recalculating the dose from the reference plans on daily online MRI by "adapt to position" workflow. GTV and CTV coverage and organ at risk (OAR) constraints were used to compare non-adaptive and adaptive plans.

RESULTS

For both criteria, the 1%/1mm (98.58%±0.15%) and 2%/2mm (99.88%±0.18%) gamma passing rate results were always clinically acceptable in sCT QA process. The differences on point dose and DVH parameters between the plans based on sCT and original CT were less than 1%. A total of 20 patients with 600 fractions were evaluated. The results showed that large inter-fractional changes for GTV limited the efficacy of radiation therapy (DSC: 0.78±0.08, HD: 20.94±3.64mm, ∆V: 2.92%±6.36%). The inter-fractional CTV changes were smaller (DSC: 0.91±0.04, HD: 15.31±3.09mm, ∆V: 1.41%±1.29%). GTV coverage of non-adaptive plans was below the prescribed coverage in 228/600 fractions (38%), with 90 (15%) failing by more than 10%. For CTV coverage of non-adaptive plans, the changes were less than 5%. Online adaptative plans improved GTV and CTV coverage significantly (p<0.001) to 99%. The adaptive plans also had lower dose to whole brain than non-adaptive plans (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

Significant inter-fractional tumor changes could be found during radiotherapy in patients with glioblastoma treated by the 1.5 T MR-Linac. Daily MR-guided re-optimization of treatment plans corrected for day-to-day anatomical variations and resulted in adequate target coverage in all fractions.

Exploring the TRP channel superfamily: research hotspots and development trends from function to disease

OBJECTIVE

Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are a superfamily of permeable cation channels activated by various mechanisms and play a role in nearly all types of sensory signal transduction. In academia, few have comprehensively discussed the research status of TRP channels. This study aims to summarize the knowledge structure and research hotspots of TRP channels using bibliometrics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

TRP channel-related publications from 2003 to 2022 were searched in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. VOSviewer was used for the bibliometric analysis of the literature.

RESULTS

We included 12,242 articles from 102 countries, primarily from the United States, China, and Japan. Our research indicates that the number of publications related to TRP channels has increased annually from 2003 to 2022. The leading research institutions are KU Leuven, Harvard University, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The Journal of Biological Chemistry is the foremost in this field. The main research topics include the structure and function of TRP channels, their role in pathogenesis, and potential therapeutic strategies for diseases such as pain and respiratory diseases. Among these, "transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1)", "transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1)", "TRPV4", "pain", and "therapy" are emerging research hotspots.

CONCLUSIONS

This study offers a comprehensive summary of the current research status and development trends of TRP channels and pinpoints the research hotspots in this field. It not only aids individuals interested in TRP channel-related research in quickly gauging the trends but may also guide the future research directions of researchers.

Adaptive Auto-Segmentation for MRI-Guided Online Adaptive Radiotherapy of Cervical Carcinoma

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Accurate and efficient delineation of organs and targets on session images is critical in MRI-guided online adaptive radiotherapy (MRgOART). This study proposes a registration-guided deep learning image segmentation framework to assist online delineation of cervical carcinoma.

MATERIALS/METHODS

A total of 300 T2-weighted MR images were acquired for patients with cervical carcinoma treated by a 1.5T Unity MR-Linac. The CTV, bladder, rectum, pelvic bone and femoral joints were delineated on each MRI by the same radiation oncologist. To overcome these obstacles to online MRI segmentation, we propose a registration-guided DL (RgDL) segmentation framework that integrates image registration algorithms and DL segmentation models. Firstly, the DL segmentation model was trained using nnU-net. Then, for each treatment fraction, the deformable image registration (DIR) algorithm generates initial contours from previous treatment fraction, which were used as guidance by DL model to obtain the accurate current segmentation. The segmentation accuracy of alone DIR, DL and RgDL were evaluated by dice similarity coefficients (DSC) and other distance-based metrics.

RESULTS

Compared to the baseline approaches using the DIR and the DL alone, RgDL achieved a DSC of 91.12% on CTV, higher than DIR and DL alone by 15.54% and 10.13%. The DSC of RgDL were improved to 95.58%, 93.65%, 87.8% and 94.84% for bladder, pelvic bone, rectum and femoral joints, higher than DIR and DL alone by 9.61% on average.

CONCLUSION

The proposed adaptive auto-segmentation method can achieve accurate and efficient segmentation and potentially overcome these obstacles to MRgOART.

Priority list of potential endocrine-disrupting chemicals in food chemical contaminants: a docking study and in vitro/epidemiological evidence integration

Diet is an important exposure route of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), but many unfiltered potential EDCs remain in food. The in silico prediction of EDCs is a popular method for preliminary screening. Potential EDCs in food were screened using Endocrine Disruptome, an open-source platform for inverse docking, to predict the binding probabilities of 587 food chemical contaminants with 18 human nuclear hormone receptor (NHR) conformations. In total, 25 contaminants were bound to multiple NHRs such as oestrogen receptor α/β and androgen receptor. These 25 compounds mainly include pesticides and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). The prediction results were validated with the in vitro data. The structural features and the crucial amino acid residues of the four NHRs were also validated based on previous literature. The findings indicate that the screening has good prediction efficiency. In addition, the epidemic evidence about endocrine interference of PFASs in food on children was further validated through this screening. This study provides preliminary screening results for EDCs in food and a priority list for in vitro and in vivo research.

Dosimetric Analysis of CBCT-Based Weekly Online Adaptive Radiotherapy for Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Anatomic and geometric changes are common during a radiotherapy course amongst patients receiving conventional fractionated radiotherapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC). These changes may cause significant deviation from initial reference plan resulting in over-treatment of normal tissue or under-coverage of the target. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)-based online adaptive radiotherapy (ART) platforms allow for response to these changes and is being increasingly used in the clinic though less so for intrathoracic disease. We hypothesized weekly CBCT-ART would improve target coverage and decrease dose to organs at risk (OAR) in patients with LA-NSCLC.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Data was collected from a prospective registry of 23 LA-NSCLC patients treated to 60 Gy in 30 fractions with CBCT-ART between June 2021 and December 2022. For weekly ART (Wk-ART), online plan adaptation started on week two. The adapted plan was then used to treat patients with image guidance until the next ART. For comparison, doses were recalculated with the initial reference plan on the SCT with updated contours to derive non-adapted (non-ART) dosimetry for each week. The final dosimetric parameters were obtained by averaging weekly coverage (ITV, PTV) and critical OAR (Lung, esophagus, heart, spinal cord) doses for non-ART and weekly ART treatments respectively for each patient. Paired student t-test was performed to compare the dosimetric parameters between non-ART and Wk-ART.

RESULTS

We observed an average 29% ± 19% (median: 26%) reduction in ITV volume through the radiotherapy course, with 48% (11/23) of patients showing >30% reduction. Most significant volume reductions (16%) were observed between the third and fourth adaptation. Weekly ART showed significant (p<1×10-3) improvements in ITV and PTV coverage, and showed improved clinically relevant lung, esophageal, cardiac, and lung dosimetry (Table 1), especially in the later stages of treatment when the tumor showed significant shrinkage. The average time from contour review to quality assurance completed is 8.5±1.2 min.

CONCLUSION

CBCT-ART provides robust ART plan quality and efficient workflow. There are significant improvements in target coverage and OAR sparing in LA-NSCLC treated with weekly CBCT-ART and these are driven by the significant volume reduction of the ITV throughout treatment course.

The Role of CT-Based Radiomics Nomogram in Differential Diagnosis of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Related Pneumonitis from Radiation Pneumonitis for Patients with ESCC

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

The combination of immunotherapy and chemoradiotherapy has widely used for patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and induced treatment-related adverse effects, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitor-related pneumonitis (CIP) and radiation pneumonitis (RP). The aim of this study is to differentiate between CIP and RP by the CT radiomics and clinical or radiological parameters.

MATERIALS/METHODS

A total of 76 ESCC patients with pneumonitis were enrolled in this retrospective study and divided into training dataset (n = 53) and validation dataset (n = 23). A total of 837 radiomics features were extracted from regions of interest (ROIs) based on the lung parenchyma window of CT images. A radiomics signature was constructed on the basis of the predictive features by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). A logistic regression was applied to develop radiomics nomogram. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve and area under the curve (AUC) were applied to evaluate the performance of pneumonitis etiology identification.

RESULTS

No significant difference was detected between training dataset and validation dataset. The radiomics signature which was made up of four radiomics features shown a favorable performance on differentiating between CIP and RP with the α-binormal-based and empirical AUC = 0.831 and 0.843. Patients with RP had a close relationship with location (p = 0.003) and shape of lesions (p = 0.002). The nomogram that combined with radiomics signature and clinical factors improved the classifying performance on discrimination in the training dataset (AUCαbin = 0.963 and AUCemp = 0.964). The results were verified in the validation dataset with AUC = 0.967 and 0.964.

CONCLUSION

CT-based radiomics features have potential values for differentiating between patients with CIP and RP. Addition of bilateral changes and sharp border produced superior model performance on classifying, which could be a useful method to improve related clinical decision-making.

Influence of Eyes Movement on Lens Dose during MR-Guided Radiotherapy for Brain Tumor

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Modern radiotherapy techniques achieve highly conformal target doses while avoiding organs at risk such as lens. The magnitude of eyes movement and its influence on lens dose is unclear. The lens dose is relevant for cataract formation. This study aims to evaluate the movement-range of lens and its influence on dose distribution during MR-guided radiotherapy for brain cancer patients.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Fifty patients with brain cancer who were treated with MR-guided radiotherapy on 1.5 T MR-Linac were included in this study. All patients underwent a pre-treatment MRI and post-treatment MRI for each fraction. The eyes and lens were delineated on each MR image by a radiation oncologist. The reference treatment plans based original CT were recalculated on each MRI by "adapt to position" workflow. Then, we created planning risk volume (PRV) for lens by adding population margin and reoptimized the reference plans to evaluate the dose changes for lens. Inter-fraction and intrafraction variability for eyes and lens were evaluated with the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), the Hausdorff distance (HD) and mean distance to agreement (MDA). Differences in daily dose (Dmax and Dmean) for eyes and lens were assessed.

RESULTS

A total of 300 MR images were analyzed in this study. The eyes motion was observed (minimum DSC: 0.57; maximum HD: 10.53; maximum MDA: 3.13). And the obvious lens motion also was found (minimum DSC: 0.01; maximum HD: 10.78; maximum MDA: 5.68). The maximum dose changes for eyes were up to 34.1% and the mean dose changes were up to 18.1%. The maximum dose changes for lens were up to 97.9% and the mean dose changes for eyes were up to 89%. When the reoptimized plans were generated by PRV lens, the dose changes were decreased nearly to 0.

CONCLUSION

Eyes movements in all radiotherapy fractions result in higher lens doses and potentially increase cataract formation rate. Adding margin expansions in treatment planning, to account for eyes motion, is the feasible approach to limit lens dose.

Incidence of Major Depression, Suicidal Ideation, and Mental Health Treatment Amongst Cancer Survivors

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Receiving a cancer diagnosis and undergoing subsequent treatments can result in a significant psychological burden for cancer patients. However, there is conflicting literature on the incidence of major depression in cancer patients compared to patients without cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate and further clarify the incidence of major depression, associated treatments, and suicidal ideation in cancer survivors compared to a non-cancer cohort.

MATERIALS/METHODS

This is a retrospective, population-based study using survey responses from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health collected from January 2015 to December 2019. Survey data sets were queried for all respondents aged 18 years or older who provided a cancer history. Patients with a reported history of cancer ("cancer survivors") were further stratified by whether they reported a "recent" cancer diagnosis within the past 12 months. Survey responses were then evaluated for recent diagnoses of and treatments for major depressive disorder and suicidal ideation. Rates were compared between cancer survivors and participants without cancer using the Pearson χ2 test and multivariable logistic regression models, respectively.

RESULTS

Among the 212,411 survey respondents identified, 7,635 (3.6%) reported a cancer history, with 1,486 (0.7%) reporting a recent cancer history. The incidence of major depression was not different between cancer survivors and participants without cancer (9.3% vs. 9.2%; p = 0.762), though the incidence was slightly higher amongst recent cancer survivors (10.0% vs. 9.2%; p = 0.259). Among patients diagnosed with major depression, cancer survivors were significantly more likely to receive treatment for depression (78.6% vs. 60.3%, p<0.001), with 72.6% discussing depressive symptoms with a medical professional and 64.3% receiving prescription medication. Suicidal ideation was significantly lower among cancer survivors (5.1% vs. 6.2%, p<0.001) including recent survivors (5.0% vs. 6.2%, p<0.001). Suicidal ideation was higher in patients with underlying major depression in both cancer survivors and participants without cancer (30.6% vs. 35.6%, p = 0.015). On logistic regression, respondents with underlying depression receiving treatment were more likely to have suicidal ideation (OR: 1.49; p<0.001) while having a cancer diagnosis did not correlate with suicidal ideation (OR: 0.87; p = 0.869).

CONCLUSION

There was no significant overall difference in the incidences of major depression between cancer survivors and patients without cancer. However, one consideration is the under-diagnosis depression among cancer survivors. Symptoms of depression may be overlooked and mistakenly attributed to appropriate grief from a cancer diagnosis. Among patients diagnosed with major depression, cancer survivors were more likely to receive treatment for depression. These results highlight the importance of early depression assessment and treatment for cancer survivors.

An Analysis of Patients Treated with Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Metastatic Urinary Tract Tumors to Identify Predictors of Response

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

To identify selection criteria linked to outcomes in patients treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for metastatic tumors of the urinary tract (UT).

MATERIALS/METHODS

Single institution retrospective analysis of SBRT treated patients for oligometastatic/progressive UT tumors from 2006-2022. Charts were queried for M1 status at diagnosis or during disease course, treatment details (surgery, SBRT, systemic therapy), metabolic status (diabetes [DM], BMI) and outcomes. A linear quadratic formula was used to calculate the biologically effective dose (BED) using an α/β of 10 for tumor. Descriptive statistics portrayed the cohort, and analyses were done at patient and site level. Time-to-event analyses, including overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) from SBRT, were assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox regression was used for univariable (UVA) and multivariable analyses (MVA) to identify predictors of outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 35 patients were treated at 44 metastatic sites, including: bone (25%), node (36.4%), lung (20.5%), soft tissue (13.6%) and liver (4.5%). Most were male (74.3%) with a median age of 70 (range: 51-89), without DM (60%) having a median BMI of 29.8, and ECOG <2 (97.1%) at time of SBRT. Six (17.1%) patients were M1 at diagnosis. Of the 29 non-M1 patients, 86.2% received definitive local therapy (LT), 58.6% had at least T3/N+ disease, 75.8% received systemic therapy with a median of 2 agents (range: 1-6) prior to SBRT. Sixteen (45.7%) received immunotherapy (IO) with most receiving this before (75%) and after (56.2%) SBRT. Six patients had positive PD-L1 status (n = 10). The median RT dose, fractionation and BED was 40 Gy (range: 14-46), 5 fractions, and 72 (range: 28-132), respectively. At a median follow-up of 34.8, the median OS was 18.4 m (range: 9.3-27.4) with a 2-year OS of 35.9%. At patient level, 62.8% recurred after SBRT. The median PFS after SBRT was 5.3 m (range: 1.8-8.7) with a 2-yr PFS of 29.3%. Patient-level PFS was improved with LT (6.7 vs 1.4 m; p = 0.001) and DM (NR vs 2.9 m; p = 0.015), whereas improved OS was related with LT (18.9 vs 6.6 m; p = 0.03), DM (p = 0.04), ECOG (p = 0.004), and no relapse after SBRT (NR vs 9.8 m; p <0.001). Exposure to < 3 systemic agents prior to SBRT portended better PFS (6.7 vs 2.6 m; p = 0.04) without any impact by IO. At site level, 20.4% of sites had local relapse with 4 being the first event. Site was related with PFS (p = 0.009) with order of increased relapse risk being liver > bone > soft tissue > node > lung. No dosimetric feature was related with recurrence risk. On MVA, both DM (p = 0.02) and LT (p = 0.002) were predictive for PFS. Only recurrence after SBRT predicted for OS on MVA (HR: 6.7, 95% CI: 1.4-31; p = 0.014). In the IO subset, median PFS was 5.3 m and OS was 9.4 m, with no difference seen with IO-SBRT sequence or PDL1 status.

CONCLUSION

Optimized selection criteria for metastasis-directed therapy in patients with UT tumors is unclear, notably with IO. Future studies may benefit by assessing circulating tumor markers prior to SBRT.

Machine Learning and Explainable Artificial Intelligence to Predict Occult Pelvic Nodal Metastases in Prostate Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Determination of risk of occult pelvic lymph node involvement (LNI) in patients with cN0 prostate cancer is critical for determination of optimal treatment options. Though several nomograms exist, machine learning (ML) approaches might enable physicians to better assess individual risk by incorporating multiple clinical risk factors. Herein, we developed a ML model to predict occult LNI, and explained its composition using an explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) framework.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Patients with cN0 prostate adenocarcinoma diagnosed from 2018-2020 were identified in the National Cancer Database. The query was limited to patients with known clinical staging and biopsy results who did not receive neoadjuvant therapy prior to pelvic nodal examination. Occult LNI was defined as pN1 disease based on surgical evaluation, with a minimum of 10 nodes examined. Five ML models were trained to predict LNI. Variables incorporated into the model were age, core biopsy results, Gleason scores, preoperative prostate specific antigen (PSA), and clinical T-stage. Model performance, measured using area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) on a holdout testing dataset, was compared to multivariable logistic regression. The best-performing model was explained using SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) values. To permit more clinically-meaningful statistical interpretation, using a novel approach SHAP values were converted into odds ratios (OR), confidence intervals (CI), and p-values.

RESULTS

A total of 23,131 patients met inclusion criteria; 2,676 (11.6%) had occult LNI. The Extreme Gradient Boosting model outperformed all other models with an AUC of 0.82 (95% CI: 0.78-0.86) compared to 0.80 (95% CI: 0.76-0.84) for logistic regression. Increasing PSA (OR: 1.031; p<0.001), number of positive biopsy cores (OR: 1.055; p<0.001), and percent positive biopsy cores (OR: 1.01; p<0.001) were all associated with increased risk of LNI. Based on observation of SHAP dependence plots, risk of LNI plateaued at PSA>20 ng/dL and >11 positive cores, while no plateau was observed for percent positive biopsy cores. Relative to T1c disease, patients with T3b were at highest risk of LNI (OR: 1.461; p = 0.003). Gleason score of 9 was associated with significant risk of LNI (Ref: Gleason 6; OR: 1.891; p<0.001). This was primarily driven by the primary Gleason score; primary Gleason 5 disease was associated with significant risk of LNI (Ref: Gleason 3; OR: 1.915; p<0.001) while a secondary Gleason score of 5 was the only grade with significant increased risk of LNI (Ref: Gleason 3; OR: 1.185; p = 0.004). Age and number of cores examined were not significant predictors of LNI.

CONCLUSION

Our ML achieved improved performance relative to logistic regression at predicting occult LNI. XAI provided insight into the inner-working of the ML model. ML can be used to identify patients at risk for occult LNI and therefore inform clinical decision-making.

Multidisciplinary Management of Primary Urethral Cancer with Radiotherapy

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Primary urethral cancer (PUC) is a rare form of genitourinary malignancy with a paucity of data to guide management. We analyzed PUC patients for clinicopathologic characteristics and treatment approach (radiotherapy [RT] with/without consolidative surgery) to identify predictors of outcome and RT response.

MATERIALS/METHODS

We conducted a single-institution retrospective review of patients treated with RT for PUC between 2002 to 2020. Each patient underwent multidisciplinary evaluation (including cystoscopy) as well as imaging to confirm tumor origin in the urethra. The linear quadratic formula was used to calculate the biologically effective dose (BED) using an α/β of 10 for tumor. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the cohort. Fisher's Exact test was used to compare groups. Time-to-event analyses was conducted with the Kaplan-Meier method; outcomes included overall survival (OS) and time to recurrence (TTR) from diagnosis. Cox regression analysis assessed predictors of outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 17 patients were identified for analysis. Median age was 63 years (range: 34-86); the majority were female (76.5%) and white (82.4%). Tumors were localized in the proximal (n = 6) or distal (n = 11) urethra. Histology included urothelial (11.8%), squamous (35.3%), adenocarcinoma (29.4%) and mixed (23.5%). Ten patients (58.8%) had cT3 or higher disease with 10 being cN0 (58.8%), 1 cN1 (5.9%), 5 cN2 (29.4%) and 1 cNx (5.9%). Median tumor size was 4.8 cm (range: 0.5-12 cm). The majority (88.2%) were treated with definitive chemoRT with 70.5% receiving platinum therapy. Median RT dose was 59.4 Gy (range: 39.6-70.2) with a median of 30 fractions. One patient underwent upfront cystourethrectomy and 6 (35.3%) underwent consolidative surgery at a median of 2.3 months after RT. Five patients (29.4%) had a complete response (CR) and 70.6% had a partial response (PR) to RT. Of the 7 patients who underwent surgical resection the final pathology was ypTis (28.5%), ypT1 (14.2%), ypT2 (14.2%), ypT4 (28.5%) and pT2 (14.2%). A median of 16 lymph nodes were removed with 1 patient having pN2 and all others pN0. Four patients (66.6%) were downstaged by chemoRT prior to surgery. At a median follow-up time of 8.4 years, the median OS was 37.9 months (range: 23.2-52.7), which was associated with a 5-year OS of 37.2%. Twelve (70.5%) patients recurred with a median TTR of 6.3 months (range 4.8-7.7). No demographics, staging methods, or tumor characteristics were associated with OS or TTR. Urothelial histology was associated with CR following chemoRT (p = 0.02). RT dose (continuous) was associated with OS (p = 0.018) as well as a BED (HR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.84-0.97; p = 0.01). A BED > 55 Gy was associated with improved median OS (56.4 vs 9.13 months, p = 0.006).

CONCLUSION

Analysis of PUC patients treated with multimodal therapy found higher rates of CR in patients with urothelial histology and increased OS in patients treated with a BED > 55 Gy. Neoadjuvant chemoRT may downstage disease prior to surgical extirpation.

The Feasibility of Level Ib Sparing Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients with High-Risk Factors: Based on International Guideline

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

In spite of the rarity of level Ib recurrence after intensity-modulated radiation therapy, the International Guideline (IG) provides the risk factors for prophylactic coverage. In practice, however, there are significant differences between institutions. The purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility of sparing level Ib IMRT in NPC patients with high-risk factors based on IG.

MATERIALS/METHODS

From January 2014 to October 2017, newly-diagnostic, non-metastatic NPC patients in our center were retrospectively reviewed. According to the risk factors of prophylactic level Ib coverage in patients with negative level Ib recommended by IG, the characteristics of pre-treatment MRI were analyzed. Four high-risk factors were identified: a. involvement of the structures that drain to level Ib as first echelon (FES), including anterior half of nasal cavity, oral cavity, b. involvement of submandibular gland (SMG), c. with radiologic extranodal extension (rENE) in level II LNs, or d. maximal axial diameter (MAD)≧2 cm in level II LNs. Patients with risk factors were divided into Cohort A (with risk factors a), Cohort B (with risk factor b, but without a), and Cohort C (only with risk factors c and/or d). Recurrence rates of level Ib and regional relapse-free survival (RRFS) rates were evaluated in different cohorts.

RESULTS

A total of 961 patients were finally included. Thirty-six cases (3.7%) presented with radiologically positive level Ib metastasis. For the other patients with negative Ib LNs, there were 18, 65, 421, and 444 cases classified as FES involvement, SMG involvement, level II LNs with rENE, and level II nodal with MAD ≧2 cm. Excluding overlap, a total of 571 patients with risk factors were divided into three groups: Cohort A (n = 18), Cohort B (n = 49) and Cohort C (n = 504). Nine patients (9/961, 0.94%) developed level Ib recurrence. Except for 1 patient with positive Ib LNs at diagnosis, 2 did not meet any of the risk factors, while the other six (6/9, 66.7%) met at least one risk factor. The rate of recurrence at neck level Ib was highest in Cohort A (11.1%, 2/18; Ib-sparing group: 0/10, 0.0% vs Ib-covering group: 2/8, 25.0%; P = 0.183). In Cohort B, no cases were found with level Ib recurrence (0.0%, 0/49). In Cohort C, the rates were rare (0.8%, 4/504) in both groups (0.7%, 2/276 vs 0.9%, 2/228; P > 0.999). Among the three Cohorts, there were no significant differences in 5-year RRFS between two groups, which were 90.0% vs 62.5% (p = 0.248), 90.9% vs 92.0% (p = 0.905), and 92.6% vs 90.1% (p = 0.445), respectively. Among patients with high-risk factors, the incidence of grade 3-4 late dry mouth symptom was higher in the level Ib-covering group (3.1% vs 7.5%, P = 0.033).

CONCLUSION

Level Ib sparing appears safe and feasible for NPC patients with negative level Ib LNs, even if combined with risk factors: SMG involvement, and/or level II with rENE, and/or level II MAD ≧2 cm. Level Ib-sparing irradiation reduces dry mouth symptoms compared with level Ib-irradiation.

Exploring the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) database chemical space to target I7L protease from monkeypox virus using molecular screening and simulation approaches

In the current study, we used molecular screening and simulation approaches to target I7L protease from monkeypox virus (mpox) from the Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM) database. Using molecular screening, only four hits TCM27763, TCM33057, TCM34450 and TCM31564 demonstrated better pharmacological potential than TTP6171 (control). Binding of these molecules targeted Trp168, Asn171, Arg196, Cys237, Ser240, Trp242, Glu325, Ser326, and Cys328 residues and may affect the function of I7L protease in in vitro assay. Moreover, molecular simulation revealed stable dynamics, tighter structural packing and less flexible behaviour for all the complexes. We further reported that the average hydrogen bonds in TCM27763, TCM33057, TCM34450 and TCM31564I7L complexes remained higher than the control drug. Finally, the BF energy results revealed -62.60 ± 0.65 for the controlI7L complex, for the TCM27763I7L complex -71.92 ± 0.70 kcal/mol, for the TCM33057I7L complex the BF energy was -70.94 ± 0.70 kcal/mol, for the TCM34450I7L the BF energy was -69.94 ± 0.85 kcal/mol while for the TCM31564I7L complex the BF energy was calculated to be -69.16 ± 0.80 kcal/mol. Although, we used stateoftheart computational methods, these are theoretical insights that need further experimental validation.

[Notch signaling pathway inhibitor DAPT improves alcohol-induced neuronal differentiation impairment in zebrafish]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the role of the Notch signaling pathway in regulating neuronal differentiation and sensorimotor ability in a zebrafish model of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

METHODS

Zebrafish embryos treated with DMSO or 50 μmol/L DAPT (a Notch signaling pathway inhibitor) were examined for mortality rate, hatching rate, malformation rate, and body length at 15 days post fertilization (dpf). The mRNA expression levels of sox2, neurogenin1 and huc in the treated zebrafish embryos were detected using in situ hybridization and qRT-PCR, and their behavioral responses to strong light and vibration stimulation were observed. The zebrafish embryos were then exposed to DMSO, 1.5% ethanol, DAPT, or both ethanol and DAPT, and the changes in mRNA expression levels of sox2, neurogenin1, huc, and the Notch signaling pathway genes as well as behavioral responses were evaluated.

RESULTS

Exposure to 50 μmol/L DAPT significantly increased the mortality rate of 1 dpf zebrafish embryos (P < 0.01), decreased the hatching rate of 2 dpf embryos (P < 0.01), increased the malformation rate of 3 dpf embryos (P < 0.001), and reduced the body length of 15 dpf embryos (P < 0.05). DAPT treatment significantly downregulated sox2 mRNA expression (P < 0.01) and increased neurogenin1 (P < 0.05) and huc (P < 0.01) mRNA expressions in zebrafish embryos. The zebrafish with DAPT treatment exhibited significantly shortened movement distance (P < 0.001) and lowered movement speed (P < 0.05) in response to all the stimulation conditions. Compared with treatment with 1.5% ethanol alone, which obviously upregulated notch1a, her8a and NICD mRNA expressions in zebrafish embryos (P < 0.05), the combined treatment with ethanol and DAPT significantly increased neurogenin1 and huc mRNA expression, decreased sox2 mRNA expression (P < 0.01), and increased the moving distance and moving speed of zebrafish embryos in response to strong light stimulation (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Ethanol exposure causes upregulation of the Notch signaling pathway and impairs neuronal differentiation and sensorimotor ability of zebrafish embryos, and these detrimental effects can be lessened by inhibiting the Notch signaling pathway.

Genome-wide scans for selection signatures in indigenous pigs revealed candidate genes relating to heat tolerance

Heat stress is a major problem that constrains pig productivity. Understanding and identifying adaptation to heat stress has been the focus of recent studies, and the identification of genome-wide selection signatures can provide insights into the mechanisms of environmental adaptation. Here, we generated whole-genome re-sequencing data from six Chinese indigenous pig populations to identify genomic regions with selection signatures related to heat tolerance using multiple methods: three methods for intra-population analyses (Integrated Haplotype Score, Runs of Homozygosity and Nucleotide diversity Analysis) and three methods for inter-population analyses (Fixation index (F_ST), Cross-population Composite Likelihood Ratio and Cross-population Extended Haplotype Homozygosity). In total, 1 966 796 single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified in this study. Genetic structure analyses and F_ST indicated differentiation among these breeds. Based on information on the location environment, the six breeds were divided into heat and cold groups. By combining two or more approaches for selection signatures, outlier signals in overlapping regions were identified as candidate selection regions. A total of 163 candidate genes were identified, of which, 29 were associated with heat stress injury and anti-inflammatory effects. These candidate genes were further associated with 78 Gene Ontology functional terms and 30 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways in enrichment analysis (P < 0.05). Some of these have clear relevance to heat resistance, such as the AMPK signalling pathway and the mTOR signalling pathway. The results improve our understanding of the selection mechanisms responsible for heat resistance in pigs and provide new insights of introgression in heat adaptation.

Predictive value of DEEPVESSEL-fractional flow reserve and quantitative plaque analysis based on coronary CT angiography for major adverse cardiac events

AIM

To investigate the predictive value of the combination of DEEPVESSEL-fractional flow reserve (DVFFR) and quantitative plaque analysis using coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) for major adverse cardiac events (MACE).

METHOD

In this retrospective study, data from 69 vessels from 58 consecutive patients were collected. These patients who underwent coronary angiography (CAG) with DVFFR were divided into MACE-positive and MACE-negative groups. DVFFR measurements were obtained from CCTA images acquired before CAG, and an FFR or DVFFR value ≤ 0.80 was considered haemodynamically significant. CCTA images were analysed quantitatively using automated software to obtain the following indices: total plaque volume (TPV) and burden (TPB), calcified plaque volume (CPV) and burden (CPB), non-calcified plaque volume (NCPV) and burden (NCPB), low-attenuation plaque (LAP), minimum lumen area (MLA), stenosis grade (SG) and lesion length (LL). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression, correlation, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

DVFFR was highly correlated with invasive FFR (R=0.728), and the Bland-Altman plot showed good agreement between DVFFR and FFR (95% CI: -0.109-0.087) on a per-vessel level. DVFFR showed a high diagnostic performance in identifying abnormal haemodynamic vessels, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.984. In multivariate analysis, the following biomarkers were predictors of MACE: DVFFR ≤ 0.8, SG, TPB, NCPB, and LL values. The combination of the above independent risk factors yielded the most valuable prediction for MACE (AUC:0.888).

CONCLUSIONS

DVFFR was highly correlated with FFR with satisfactory diagnostic accuracy. DVFFR, together with plaque analysis indices, yielded valuable predictions for MACE.

[Molecular epidemiology and clinical characteristics of six cases of CA-MRSA pneumonia after influenza]

Objective: To summarize and analyze the strains' molecular epidemiology and clinical characteristics of 6 strains of post-influenza community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) pneumonia. Methods: Six cases of CA-MRSA pneumonia after influenza from 2014 to 2022 were retrospectively collected and CA-MRSA strains from each patient were cultured. Then, SCCmec typing, MLST typing, and spa typing were performed on the samples, which also included the procedures for the detection of virulence factors. Antibiotic susceptibility test was then performed on all 6 strains. Results: ST59-t437-Ⅳ was the predominant type in all the strains of CA-MRSA(2/6). Leukocidin (PVL) was detected in 5 cases, and hemolysin α (HLAα) and phenol soluble regulatory protein α (PSMα) were detected in 6 cases. Five of the cases included in this study were diagnosed with severe pneumonia. In terms of treatment, 4 cases received antiviral therapy, and 5 patients with severe pneumonia received anti-infection treatment with vancomycin as the first choice and were discharged after improvement of their condition. Conclusions: The molecular types and virulence factors of CA-MRSA after influenza infection could vary considerably. Our experiments also showed that secondary CA-MRSA infection after influenza was more common in young people with no underlying diseases and could cause severe pneumonia. Vancomycin and linezolid were the first-line drugs for treating CA-MRSA infection and were highly effective in improving the condition of diagnosed patients. We highlighted the importance of referring patients with severe pneumonia after influenza for etiological tests to determine whether they had CA-MRSA infection, so that they could be properly treated with anti-influenza agents and receive appropriate anti-CA-MRSA infection treatment.

Development and validation of a prediction model for unsuccessful treatment outcomes in patients with multi-drug resistance tuberculosis

BACKGROUND

The World Health Organization has reported that the treatment success rate of multi-drug resistance tuberculosis is approximately 57% globally. Although new drugs such as bedaquiline and linezolid is likely improve the treatment outcome, there are other factors associated with unsuccessful treatment outcome. The factors associated with unsuccessful treatment outcomes have been widely examined, but only a few studies have developed prediction models. We aimed to develop and validate a simple clinical prediction model for unsuccessful treatment outcomes in patients with multi-drug resistance pulmonary tuberculosis (MDR-PTB).

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study was performed between January 2017 and December 2019 at a special hospital in Xi'an, China. A total of 446 patients with MDR-PTB were included. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and multivariate logistic regression were used to select prognostic factors for unsuccessful treatment outcomes. A nomogram was built based on four prognostic factors. Internal validation and leave-one-out cross-validation was used to assess the model.

RESULTS

Of the 446 patients with MDR-PTB, 32.9% (147/446) cases had unsuccessful treatment outcomes, and 67.1% had successful outcomes. After LASSO regression and multivariate logistic analyses, no health education, advanced age, being male, and larger extent lung involvement were identified as prognostic factors. These four prognostic factors were used to build the prediction nomograms. The area under the curve of the model was 0.757 (95%CI 0.711 to 0.804), and the concordance index (C-index) was 0.75. For the bootstrap sampling validation, the corrected C-index was 0.747. In the leave-one-out cross-validation, the C-index was 0.765. The slope of the calibration curve was 0.968, which was approximately 1.0. This indicated that the model was accurate in predicting unsuccessful treatment outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

We built a predictive model and established a nomogram for unsuccessful treatment outcomes of multi-drug resistance pulmonary tuberculosis based on baseline characteristics. This predictive model showed good performance and could be used as a tool by clinicians to predict who among their patients will have an unsuccessful treatment outcome.

Branching of High-Current Relativistic Electron Beam in Porous Materials

Propagation of high-current relativistic electron beam (REB) in plasma is relevant to many high-energy astrophysical phenomena as well as applications based on high-intensity lasers and charged-particle beams. Here, we report a new regime of beam-plasma interaction arising from REB propagation in medium with fine structures. In this regime, the REB cascades into thin branches with local density a hundred times the initial value and deposits its energy 2 orders of magnitude more efficiently than that in homogeneous plasma, where REB branching does not occur, of similar average density. Such beam branching can be attributed to successive weak scatterings of the beam electrons by the unevenly distributed magnetic fields induced by the local return currents in the skeletons of the porous medium. Results from a model for the excitation conditions and location of the first branching point with respect to the medium and beam parameters agree well with that from pore-resolved particle-in-cell simulations.

Lipid peroxidation in diamond supported bilayers

Lipid peroxidation is a process that occurs in cells when they are exposed to oxidative stress. During the process reactive oxygen species attack lipids within the lipid bilayers of cells. Since the products of lipid peroxidation are toxic and carcinogenic, it is important to understand where and how it occurs with nanoscale resolution. The radical intermediates of this process are particularly interesting since they are causing chain reactions damaging large parts of the lipid membranes in cells. However, they are also difficult to measure for the state of the art because they are short lived and reactive. Here, we study the lipid peroxidation of three artificial lipid bilayers on a diamonds substrate that can be used to study lipid peroxidation. In particular, we present a diamond quantum sensing method called T₁-relaxometry that allows for in situ measurements and imaging of radical intermediates of lipid peroxidation in these membranes.

[Prognostic factors for non-small cell lung cancer patients with central nervous system metastasis with positive driver genes]

Objective: To investigate the prognostic factors of patients with central nervous system (CNS) metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with positive driver genes. Methods: The clinical data of 103 patients with CNS metastatic NSCLC admitted to Beijing Tongren Hospital from January 2016 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, and the patients were divided into positive driver gene group (patients with driver genes mutation and receiving corresponding targeted therapy) and negative driver gene group. Cox univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify the factors affecting patients' prognosis, and the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to compare the predictive ability of 4 scoring systems [recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) classes, diagnosis-specific graded prognostic assessment (DS-GPA) index, basic score for brain metastasesn (BS-BM) and (lung-molecular graded prognostic assessment (lung-mol GPA)]on patients' prognosis. Results: Among the 103 patients, 48 were males and 55 were females, and aged (64.6±9.7) years old. The median survival time of the 103 patients was 24.0 (95%CI: 20.0-28.0) months, the median survival time of the 59 patients in the positive driver gene group was 33.0 (95%CI: 23.4-42.6) months, the median survival time of the 44 patients in the negative driver gene group was 17.0 (95%CI: 14.4-19.6) months, and the difference was statistically significant (χ²=24.69, P<0.001). The results of Cox multivariate analysis showed that the negative driver genes (HR=3.788, 95%CI: 1.951-7.301, P=0.001), Karnofsky performance status (KPS) score<70 (HR=2.613, 95%CI: 1.185-5.761, P=0.017) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR)>3.22 (HR=2.714, 95%CI: 1.157-6.365, P=0.022) were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients with CNS metastatic NSCLC. KPS score<70 (HR=3.719, 95%CI: 1.165-11.876, P=0.027) and no radiotherapy (HR=2.032, 95%CI: 1.033-11.364, P=0.041) were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients with CNS metastatic NSCLC with positive driver genes. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under curve (AUC) value of lung-mol GPA was the highest among the 4 scoring systems (AUC=0.843, 95%CI: 0.731-0.956, P<0.001), and the AUC value of the lung-mol GPA combined scoring system (AUC=0.904, 95%CI: 0.816-0.991, P<0.001) was higher than lung-mol GPA. Conclusions: A low KPS score and no cranial radiation therapy are independent risk factors for the prognosis of patients with CNS metastatic NSCLC with positive driver genes; the lung-mol GPA joint scoring system is more conducive to the prognostic assessment of patients with CNS metastatic NSCLC with positive driver genes.

[Cardiac magnetic resonance-feature tracking technique can assess cardiac function and prognosis in patients with myocardial amyloidosis]

OBJECTIVE

To quantitatively assess cardiac functions in patients with cardiac amyloidosis (CA) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) using cardiac magnetic resonance-feature tracking (CMR-FT) technique and evaluate the prognostic value of CMR-FT in patients with CA.

METHODS

We retrospectively collected the data from 31 CA patients with systemic amyloidosis confirmed by Congo red staining and serum immunohistochemistry after extracardiac tissue biopsy undergoing CMR at our hospital from March, 2013 to June, 2021.Thirty-one age and gender matched patients with asymmetric left ventricular wall hypertrophy and 31 healthy individuals without organic or functional heart disease served as the controls.Radial, circumferential and longitudinal strains and strain rates of the left ventricle at the global level and in each myocardial segment (basal, middle and apical) were obtained with CMR-FT technique and compared among the 3 groups.The predictive value of myocardial strains and strain rates for all-cause mortality in CA patients was analyzed using a stepwise COX regression model.

RESULTS

The left ventricular volume, myocardial mass, ejection fraction and cardiac output differed significantly among the groups (P < 0.05).Except for apical longitudinal strain, the global and segmental strains were all significantly lower in CA group than in HCM group (P < 0.05).The global and segmental strains were all significantly lower in CA group than in the healthy individuals (P < 0.05).The basal strain rates in the 3 directions were significantly lower in CA group than in the healthy individuals (P < 0.05), but the difference in apical strain rates was not statistically significant between the two groups.Multivariate stepwise COX analysis showed that troponin T (HR=1.05, 95%CI: 1.01-1.10, P=0.017) and middle peak diastolic circumferential strain rate (HR=6.87, 95%CI: 1.52-31.06, P=0.012) were strong predictors of death in CA patients.

CONCLUSION

Strain and strain rate parameters derived from CMR-FT based on cine sequences are new noninvasive imaging markers for assessing cardiac impairment in CA and cardiac function changes in HCM, and provide independent predictive information for all-cause mortality in CA patients.

[Expression and clinical significance of plasma methylated SEPT 9 gene in patients with primary liver cancer]

Objective: To investigate the expression and clinical significance of plasma methylated SEPT9 (mSEPT9) gene in patients with primary liver cancer. Methods: 393 cases who visited our hospital from May 2016 to October 2018 were selected. Among them, 75 cases were in the primary liver cancer (PLC) group, 50 cases were in the liver cirrhosis (LC) group, and 268 cases were in the healthy control group (HC). The three groups' positive rates of mSEPT9 expression in the peripheral plasma were detected by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) fluorescent probe method. The correlational clinical features of liver cancer were analyzed. At the same time, the electrochemiluminescence detection method was used to compare the AFP positive rate. Statistical analysis was conducted using chi-square tests or continuity-corrected chi-square tests. Results: 367 cases actually had valid samples. There were 64, 42, and 64 cases in the liver cancer group, cirrhosis group, and healthy control group, respectively. Among them, 34 cases of liver cancer were verified from pathological tissues. The positive rate of plasma mSEPT9 was significantly higher in the liver cancer group than that in the liver cirrhosis and healthy control groups [76.6% (49/64), 35.7% (15/42), and 3.8% (10/261), respectively], and the differences were statistically significant (χ (2) = 176.017, P < 0.001). The sensitivity of plasma mSEPT9 detection (76.6%) was significantly better in liver cancer (76.6%) than that of AFP patients (54.7%), and the difference was statistically significant (χ (2) = 6.788, P < 0.01). Compared with the single detection, the sensitivity and specificity of plasma mSEPT9 combined with AFP were significantly improved (89.7% vs. 96.3%, respectively). Patients with liver cancer aged≥50 years, with clinical stage II or above, and those with pathological signs of moderate to low differentiation had higher levels of plasma mSEPT9 positive expression, and the differences were statistically significant (χ (2) = 6.41, 9.279, 6.332, P < 0.05). During the follow-up period, the survival time of liver cancer patients with positive plasma mSEPT9 expression was significantly shorter than that of those with negative expression (310 ± 26 days vs. 487 ± 59 days, respectively), with statistically significant differences (Log Rank P = 0.039). Conclusion: In China, the positive rate of plasma mSEPT9 detection in liver cancer patients is higher than that of AFP in relation to age, clinical stage, and degree of tissue differentiation; additionally, it has certain survival predictive values. As a result, detecting this gene has important clinical significance and potential clinical application value in the non-invasive diagnosis and prognosis assessment of patients with primary liver cancer.

[Analysis of efficacy and safety of a new endoscopic anastomosis clip in the treatment of defects after endoscopic full-thickness resection]

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of a new endoscopic anastomosis clip in the treatment of defects after endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR). Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Fourteen patients [4 males and 10 females, aged (55.9±8.2) years (45-69 years)] with gastric submucosal tumors underwent EFTR at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University were included from December 2018 to January 2021. Patients were divided into new anastomotic clamp group (n=6) and nylon ring combined with metal clips group (n=8). Preoperative endoscopic ultrasound examinations were required to all patients to evaluate the wound condition. The size of the defect, operation time required for wound closure, success rate of closure, postoperative gastric tube placement time, postoperative hospital stay, incidence of complications, preoperative and postoperative serological indexes were compared between the two groups. All patients were followed up after the operation, among which the general endoscopy was reviewed in the first month after the operation, and the telephone and questionnaire follow-up were used in the second, third, sixth month and one year after the operation to evaluate the therapeutic effect of the new endoscopic anastomosis clip and nylon rope combined with metal clip after the EFTR operation. Results: Both groups successfully completed EFTR and were successfully closed. There was no significant difference between the age, tumor diameter and defect diameter of the two groups (all P>0.05). Compared with the nylon ring combined with metal clip group, the operation time of the new anastomotic clip group was shortened [(5.0±1.8) minutes vs (35.6±10.2) minutes, P<0.001]. The operation time was shortened [(62.2±12.5) minutes vs (92.5±0.2) minutes, P=0.007]. Postoperative fasting time decreased [(2.8±0.8) days vs (4.9±1.1) days, P=0.002]. The hospital stay after operation was also shortened [(5.2±0.8) days vs (6.9±1.5) days, P=0.023]. The total intraoperative bleeding volume decreased [(20.00±5.48) ml vs (35.63±14.75) ml, P=0.031]. The patients in both groups received endoscopic examination 1 month after operation, and there was no delayed perforation and bleeding after operation. There was no obvious symptoms of discomfort. Conclusion: The new anastomotic clamp is suitable for the treatment of full-thickness gastric wall defects after EFTR, and shows advantages of shorter operation, less bleeding, and fewer postoperative complications.