Machine learning-enhanced Monte Carlo and subset simulations for advanced risk assessment in transportation infrastructure

The maintenance of safety and dependability in rail and road embankments is of utmost importance in order to facilitate the smooth operation of transportation networks.This study introduces a comprehensive methodology for soil slope stability evaluation,employing Monte Carlo Simulation(MCS)and Subset Simulation(SS)with the"UPSS 3.0 Add-in"in MS-Excel.Focused on an 11.693-meter embankment with a soil slope(inclination ratio of 2H:1V),the investigation considers earthquake coefficients(kh)and pore water pressure ratios(ru)following Indian zoning requirements.The chance of slope failure showed a considerable increase as the Coefficient of Variation(COV),seismic coefficients(kh),and pore water pressure ratios(ru)experienced an escalation.The SS approach showed exceptional efficacy in calculating odds of failure that are notably low.Within computational modeling,the study optimized the worst-case scenario using ANFIS-GA,ANFIS-GWO,ANFIS-PSO,and ANFIS-BBO models.The ANFIS-PSO model exhibits exceptional accuracy(training R2=0.9011,RMSE=0.0549;testing R2=0.8968,RMSE=0.0615),emerging as the most promising.This study highlights the significance of conducting thorough risk assessments and offers practical insights into evaluating and improving the stability of soil slopes in transportation infrastructure.These findings contribute to the enhancement of safety and reliability in real-world situations.

Impact of oxaliplatin and trastuzumab combination therapy on tumor markers and T lymphocyte subsets for advanced gastric cancer

BACKGROUND Advanced gastric cancer(AGC)remains a challenging malignancy with poor prognosis.The combination of oxaliplatin and trastuzumab has shown promising results in AGC treatment.This study aimed to investigate the effects of oxaliplatin and trastuzumab combination therapy on serum tumor markers and T lymphocyte subsets in patients with AGC and to explore their potential as predictive biomarkers for treatment response.AIM To investigate the impact of oxaliplatin and trastuzumab combination therapy on serum markers and T cell subsets in patients with AGC.METHODS This prospective study enrolled 60 patients with AGC.All patients received oxaliplatin(130 mg/m^(2),every 3 weeks)and trastuzumab(8 mg/kg loading dose,followed by 6 mg/kg every 3 weeks)for six cycles.Serum carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA),cancer antigen 19-9(CA19-9),and cancer antigen 72-4(CA72-4)were measured before and after treatment.T-lymphocyte subsets,including CD3+,CD4+,CD8+,and CD4+/CD8+ratios,were also evaluated.The clinical response was assessed using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1.RESULTS After six cycles of treatment,the CEA,CA19-9,and CA72-4 serum levels significantly decreased compared to baseline levels(P<0.001).The percentages of CD3+and CD4+T lymphocytes increased significantly(P<0.05),whereas the percentage of CD8+T lymphocytes decreased(P<0.05).The CD4+/CD8+ratio also significantly increased after treatment(P<0.05).Patients with a higher decrease in serum tumor markers(≥50%reduction)and a higher increase in CD4+/CD8+ratio(≥1.5-fold)showed better clinical response rates(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Oxaliplatin and trastuzumab combination therapy effectively reduced serum tumor marker levels and modulated T lymphocyte subsets in patients with AGC.Combination therapy not only has a direct antitumor effect,but also enhances the immune response in patients with AGC.Serum tumor markers and T lymphocyte subsets may serve as potential predictive biomarkers for treatment response in patients with AGC receiving combination therapy.

Comparison of Block Design Nonparametric Subset Selection Rules Based on Alternative Scoring Rules

This article compares the size of selected subsets using nonparametric subset selection rules with two different scoring rules for the observations. The scoring rules are based on the expected values of order statistics of the uniform distribution (yielding rank values) and of the normal distribution (yielding normal score values). The comparison is made using state motor vehicle traffic fatality rates, published in a 2016 article, with fifty-one states (including DC as a state) and over a nineteen-year period (1994 through 2012). The earlier study considered four block design selection rules—two for choosing a subset to contain the “best” population (i.e., state with lowest mean fatality rate) and two for the “worst” population (i.e., highest mean rate) with a probability of correct selection chosen to be 0.90. Two selection rules based on normal scores resulted in selected subset sizes substantially smaller than corresponding rules based on ranks (7 vs. 16 and 3 vs. 12). For two other selection rules, the subsets chosen were very close in size (within one). A comparison is also made using state homicide rates, published in a 2022 article, with fifty states and covering eight years. The results are qualitatively the same as those obtained with the motor vehicle traffic fatality rates.

Correlation Study Between T Lymphocyte Subsets and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective:To study the effect of Helicobacter pylori infection on rheumatoid arthritis and T-lymphocyte subpopulations in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and to provide a new method for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis by removing Helicobacter pylori from patients.Methods:60 patients with rheumatoid arthritis admitted to the hospital from May 2022 to May 2023 were selected for the study,and all patients underwent a 13-carbon urea breath test to detect gastric H.pylori and the test results showed that 20 cases were negative and 40 cases were positive.The 40 positive patients were divided into the treatment group(n=20)and non-treatment group(n=20)by random number table method and the treatment group was given anti-Helicobacter pylori treatment,and the non-treatment group was given maintenance rheumatoid basic treatment,comparing the anti-cyclic citrulline peptide(CCP),DS28 score,peripheral blood T-lymphocyte subsets(CD4^(+)T-lymphocytes,CD8^(+)T-lymphocytes,CD4^(+)/CD8^(+)ratio)before and after the treatment of patients by 13-carbon urea respiration test(pylori-negative group,20 patients)and those who were positive for the treatment of H pylori(pylori-positive group,40 patients).Besides,the correlation of peripheral blood T-lymphocyte subsets and disease activity between treatment and non-treatment groups in the pylori-positive group was identified together with the correlation of DS28 scores,TNF-αlevels,sedimentation and immunoglobulin,lymphocyte subsets in the pylori-positive treatment group and positive non-treatment group as well as the level of globulin,lymphocyte subsets,and peripheral blood lymphocytes before and after treatment.Results:Before treatment,CCP,DS28 score,CD8^(+)T lymphocyte level of the pylori-negative group were lower than that of the positive group,and CD4^(+)T lymphocyte and CD4^(+)/CD8^(+)ratio were higher than that of the positive group(P<0.05);after treatment,the indexes of the pylori-positive group improved,and there was no significant difference in the comparison of the indexes with those of the pylori-negative group(P>0.05);the positive treatment group had a DS28(3.19±1.02)points,positive non-treatment group DS28(5.36±1.85)points,non-treatment group DS28 score and CD4^(+)T lymphocytes,CD4^(+)/CD8^(+)negative correlation with CD8^(+)T lymphocytes showed a positive correlation(P<0.05);before the treatment,pylori-positive treatment group and non-treatment group DS28 scores,TNF-αlevels,peripheral blood T lymphocyte subpopulation levels were not significantly different(P>0.05);after treatment,DS28 score,TNF-αlevel,CD8^(+)T of the treatment group were lower than those of the non-treatment group,and CD4^(+)T lymphocytes and CD4^(+)/CD8^(+)ratio were higher than those of the non-treatment group(P<0.05).Conclusion:H.pylori affects the level of T lymphocyte subsets in patients with rheumatoid arthritis,and there is a certain correlation between the two.Removal of H.pylori can improve the level of T lymphocyte subsets,which is important for the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

SFSDA:Secure and Flexible Subset Data Aggregation with Fault Tolerance for Smart Grid

Smart grid(SG)brings convenience to users while facing great chal-lenges in protecting personal private data.Data aggregation plays a key role in protecting personal privacy by aggregating all personal data into a single value,preventing the leakage of personal data while ensuring its availability.Recently,a flexible subset data aggregation(FSDA)scheme based on the Pail-lier homomorphic encryption was first proposed by Zhang et al.Their scheme can dynamically adjust the size of each subset and obtain the aggregated data in the corresponding subset.In this paper,firstly,an efficient attack with both theorems proving and experimentative verification is launched.We find that in a specific scenario where the encrypted data constructed by a smart meter(SM)exceeds the size of one Paillier ciphertext,the malicious fog node(FN)may use the received ciphertext to obtain the reading of the SM.Secondly,to avoid the possibility of privacy disclosure under certain circumstances,additional hash functions are added to the individual encryption process.In addition,fault tolerance is very important to aggregation schemes in practical scenarios.In most of the current schemes,once some SMs failed,then they will not work.As far as we know,there is no multi-subset aggregation scheme both supports flexible subset data aggregation and fault tolerance.Finally,we construct the first secure flexible subset data aggregation(SFSDA)scheme with fault tolerance by combining the fault tolerance method with the flexible multi-subset aggregation,where FN enables the control server(CS)to finally decrypt the aggregated ciphertext by recovering equivalent ciphertexts when some SMs fail to submit their ciphertexts.Experiments show that our SFSDA scheme keeps the efficiency in implementing a flexible multi-subset aggregation function,and only has a small delay in implementing fault-tolerant data aggregation.

Association of T lymphocyte subset counts with the clinical features of colorectal cancer

Background:Colorectal cancer(CRC)is a common gastrointestinal malignancy.The T lymphocyte subsets are important in the develop-ment,invasion and metastasis of tumors,including CRC.Nevertheless,limited research has explored the relationship between T cell subpopu-lations and the clinical characteristics of CRC.This study compared the T lymphocyte subsets in patients with CRC and healthy individuals,and assessed the relationship between these values and clinical characteristics.Methods:Peripheral blood was collected from 100 patients with CRC and 54 healthy individuals.The numbers of CD3^(+)T,CD4^(+)T,and CD8^(+)T lymphocytes,NK cells,and the CD4^(+)T/CD8^(+)T ratio in peripheral blood were measured using flow cytometry,and were compared between CRC patients and healthy individuals.Spearman's correlation analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between the T lymphocyte subsets in patients diagnosed with CRC and the levels of carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA)and thymidine kinase 1(TK1).Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were utilized to evaluate the potential utility of the T lymphocyte counts in predicting lymph node metastasis,vas-cular infiltration,and high Ki-67 expression.Results:The CRC patients had lower counts of CD3^(+)T,CD4^(+)T,and CD8^(+)T lymphocytes compared to the healthy population(P<0.05).However,no significant differences were observed in the CD4^(+)/CD8^(+)ratio or NK cells(P>0.05).Notably,the CD3^(+)T,CD4^(+)T,and CD8^(+)T lym-phocyte counts were higher in patients with stageⅠ-Ⅱdisease,no lymph node metastasis,no vascular invasion,and low Ki-67 expression than in those with stageⅢ,lymph node metastasis,vascular invasion,and high Ki-67 expression(P<0.05).There was a negative association be-tween the CD3^(+)T,CD4^(+)T,and CD8^(+)T lymphocyte counts and CEA and TK1 levels in patients with CRC.The ROC curves demonstrated that CD3^(+)T,CD4^(+)T,and CD8^(+)T lymphocyte counts had significant predictive value for lymph node metastasis,vascular infiltration,and high Ki-67 expression.Conclusions:The peripheral blood CD3^(+)T,CD4^(+)T,and CD8^(+)T lymphocyte counts are related to the clinical traits of patients with CRC and can predict the prognosis of the disease.

NON-EMPTY CROSS-2-INTERSECTING FAMILIES OF SUBSETS

Let Cnk denote the set of all t -subsets of an n -set. Assume A ∈ Cnk and B∈Cn.b (A,B) is called a cross-2-intersecting family if |A∩B|≥2 for any A∈A, B∈B.In this paper, the best upper bounds of the cardinalities for non-empty cross-2-intersecting families of a- and i- subsets are obtained for some n and b . A new proof for a Frankl-Tokushige theorem [6] is also given.

Seismic data analysis based on spatial subsets

There are some limitations when we apply conventional methods to analyze the massive amounts of seismic data acquired with high-density spatial sampling since processors usually obtain the properties of raw data from common shot gathers or other datasets located at certain points or along lines. We propose a novel method in this paper to observe seismic data on time slices from spatial subsets. The composition of a spatial subset and the unique character of orthogonal or oblique subsets are described and pre-stack subsets are shown by 3D visualization. In seismic data processing, spatial subsets can be used for the following aspects： （1） to check the trace distribution uniformity and regularity; （2） to observe the main features of ground-roll and linear noise; （3） to find abnormal traces from slices of datasets; and （4） to QC the results of pre-stack noise attenuation. The field data application shows that seismic data analysis in spatial subsets is an effective method that may lead to a better discrimination among various wavefields and help us obtain more information.

Application of SAGE algorithm in PET image reconstruction using modified ordered subsets

A new method that uses a modified ordered subsets （MOS） algorithm to improve the convergence rate of space-alternating generalized expectation-maximization （SAGE） algorithm for positron emission tomography （PET） image reconstruction is proposed.In the MOS-SAGE algorithm,the number of projections and the access order of the subsets are modified in order to improve the quality of the reconstructed images and accelerate the convergence speed.The number of projections in a subset increases as follows：2,4,8,16,32 and 64.This sequence means that the high frequency component is recovered first and the low frequency component is recovered in the succeeding iteration steps.In addition,the neighboring subsets are separated as much as possible so that the correlation of projections can be decreased and the convergences can be speeded up.The application of the proposed method to simulated and real images shows that the MOS-SAGE algorithm has better performance than the SAGE algorithm and the OSEM algorithm in convergence and image quality.

Effects of Radiofrequency Ablation on Lymphocyte Subsets and Type 1/Type 2 T Cell Subpopulations in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Objective： To evaluate whether radiofrequency ablation （RFA） might have an influence on immune status in hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） patients. Methods： We measured the T lymphocytes, B lymphocyte and NK cells, and determined the population of Thl, Th2, Tcl and Tc2 of peripheral blood samples taken from 26 HCC patients before and after RFA. Results： The proportion of Typel cells （Thl and Tcl） and NK cells were significantly increased after RFA, especially in patients of the following subgroups： male, age〉55 years, pathological grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ tumor, clinical stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ or Child-Pugh A and B. Conclusion： TypeⅠ cells and NK cells in HCC patients were increased in a short period after RFA.

Fas and Bc1-2 EXpression on T Lymphocyte Subsets in the Peripheral Blood of Relapsing Patients with Condyloma Acuminatum

Objective: To study the expression of Fas and Bcl-2proteins on T lymphocyte subsets in the peripheralblood of relapsing patients with condyloma acuminatum(CA) and healthy controls. Methods: Flow cytometry (permeabization andstaining procedure with conjugated antibodies) wasused. Results: We observed that the expression of Fasprotein on CD4^+ T lymphocyte subset of CA patientswas significantly higher than that of healthy controls(P<0.01). Conclusions: Increased expression of Fas proteinon CD4^+ T lymphocyte subset may be a cause of de-creased percentage of CD4^+ T lymphocyte subset. Thisinduces the increased ratio of CD4^+/CD8^+.

Short Term Load Forecasting Using Subset Threshold Auto Regressive Model

The subset threshold auto regressive (SSTAR) model, which is capable of reproducing the limit cycle behavior of nonlinear time series, is introduced. The algorithm for fitting the sampled data with SSTAR model is proposed and applied to model and forecast power load. Numerical example verifies that desirable accuracy of short term load forecasting can be achieved by using the SSTAR model.

Distribution of natural killer cells and T-lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood,gallbladder cancer and surrounding tissue

BACKGROUND: The patient with malignant tumor always show immunologic function drawback and ingravescent with tumor development, especially in the aspect of cell-mediated immunity. This study was undertaken to define the relationship between the immune function of local cells and cancer development by investigating the distribution of natural killer (NK) cells and T-lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood, the cancer tissue and the tissue surrounding gallbladder carcinoma. METHODS: The numbers of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-lymphocytes and NK cells were measured by flow cytometry in samples taken from gallbladder cancer tissue, the surrounding tissues and peripheral blood of 38 patients, and compared with the numbers in the peripheral blood and gallbladder tissue of 30 patients with cholecystitis as controls. RESULTS: The numbers of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cells and NK cells in gallbladder cancer tissues were significantly higher than those in the surrounding tissue and gallbladder with gallstone. However, the ratio of CD4(+)/CD8(+) was lower in the cancer tissue than that in the surrounding tissue and tissue from gallbladders with gallstones. The distribution of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cells and NK cells in mucous membrane of cholecystitis gallbladder and that in the tissue surrounding gallbladder cancer were significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: Disproportionate and imbalanced distribution of NK cells and subsets of T-lymphocytes occurs in the mucous membrane proper of gallbladder cancer and surrounding tissue. Although gallbladder cancer tissue has higher expressions of CD4(+), CD8(+) and NK cells, the immune function is low or in an inhibited state. In gallbladder cancer immunization therapy, local cellular immunological function should be enhanced and the protective barrier improved.

mIL-2R,T cell subsets & hepatitis C

AIM: To study the levels of membrane interleukin-2 receptor (mIL-2R) and T cell subsets in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with hepatitis C and their role in the pathogenesis of hepatitis C. METHODS: The levels of mIL-2R and T cells subsets in PBMC were detected by biotin- streptatividin (BSA) technique before and after stimulation with PHA in 203 patients with hepatitis C with HCV-RNA(+), anti-HCV(+), anti-HCV(-). RESULTS: The total expressive levels of mIL-2R before and after stimulation with PHA(0.03+/-0.01, 0.03+/-0.02, 0.04+/-0.02, 0.36+/-0.03), and T cell subsets in PBMC (0.62+/-0.06, 0.37+/-0.05, 0.35+/-0.07) were all lower in patients with hepatitis C than those in normal controls (0.66+/-0.07, 0.41+/-0.06, 0.31+/-0.05, P【0.01). Among the patients, the levels of mIL-2R were lower in silence than those in situation of PHA inducting (P【0.01). However, the levels of mIL-2R were similar in acute hepatitis C to that in chronic hepatitis C (P】0.05). The levels of CD(3)(+), CD(4)(+), CD(4)(+)/CD(8)(+) were lower and CD(8)(+) was higher in patients with acute and chronic hepatitis C with anti-HCV(+) than those in normal controls (0.62+/-0.06, 0.37+/-0.05, 0.35+/-0.07, 1.18+/-0.30, 0.61+/-0.07, 0.37+/-0.05, 1.39+/-0.33, 0.31+/-0.05, P【0.05-P【0.01). CONCLUSION: The cellular immunity is obviously changed in patients with hepatitis C. The levels of mIL-2R and activation of T cells are closely associated with chronicity of hepatitis C.

Changes in T lymphocyte subsets after severe traumatic brain injury

BACKGROUND： Besides local changes of cranial parenchymal cells, hemorrhage, etc., severe traumatic brain injuries also cause the changes of total body fluid and various functions, and the changes of lymphocytes and T lymphocyte subsets should be paid more attention to. OBJECTIVE： To reveal the changing laws of T lymphocyte subsets after severe traumatic brain injury, and compare with mild to moderate brain injury. DESIGN： A comparative observation. SETTINGS： Department of Neurosurgery, Longgang District Buji People＇s Hospital of Shenzhen City; Central Laboratory of Shenzhen Hospital of Prevention and Cure for Chronic Disease. PARTICIPANTS： All the subjects were selected from the Department of Neurosurgery, Longgang District Buji People＇s Hospital of Shenzhen City from August 2002 to August 2005. Thirty patients with severe brain injury, whose Glasgow coma score （GCS） was ≤ 8 points, were taken as the experimental group, including 21 males and 9 females, aging 16 - 62 years. Meanwhile, 30 patients with mild traumatic brain injury were taken as the control group （GCS ranged 14- 15 points）, including 18 males and 12 females, aging 15 -58 years. All the subjects were in admission at 6 hours after injury, without disease of major organs before injury Informed consents were obtained from all the patients or their relatives. METHODS： （1） The T lymphocytes and the subsets in peripheral blood were detected with immunofluorescent tricolor flow cytometry at l, 3, 7 and 14 days after injury in both groups. （2） The conditions of pulmonary infections were observed at 4 days after injury. The differences of measurement data were compared with the t test. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Changes of T lymphocytes subsets at 1 - 14 days after severe and mild or moderate traumatic injury. RESULTS： Finally, 28 and 25 patients with mild to moderate traumatic brain injury, whereas 25 and 21 patients with severe traumatic brain injury were analyzed at 7 and 14 days respectively, and the missed ones died due to the development of disease. （1） Changes of T lymphocyte subsets： At 1 and 3 days after injury, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD4/CD8 began to decrease, whereas CD8 increased in the experimental group, which were very significantly different from those in the control group （t =2.77 - 3.26, P 〈 0.01）, and began to recover at 7 days, which were significantly different from those in the control group （t = 2.06 - 2.24, P 〈 0.05）, and generally recovered to the normal levels at 14 days （P 〉 0.05）. （2） Conditions of pulmonary infections： At 4 days after injury, the rate of pulmonary infection was significantly different between the experimental group and control group [73% （22/30）, 0, x2=37.29, P 〈 0.01]. CONCLUSION： Patients with severe traumatic brain injury suffer from damages of cellular immune function at early period （within 7 days）, and they are easily to be accompanied by pulmonary infections.

Lymphocyte Subsets and Sister-chromatid Exchanges in the Students Exposed to Formaldehyde Vapor

The present report evaluates the effects of formaldehyde (FA) exposure on peripheral lymphocytes by using heth genetic and immunological parameters. Twenty-three non-smoking students in the study had inhalation exposure to 0.508 ±0. 299 mg/m3 of FA for a Period of 8 weeks (3h × 3 times each week) during anatomy classes. As for composition of lymphocyte subsets after FA exposare,significant increase was found in the percentage of CD19(B cells), while sighficant decrease was observed in CD3(total T cells), CD4(T helper-inducer cells), and CD8(T cytotoxic-suppressior cells) with a P<0 .01. Increase in the ratio of T-helper-inducer cells to T-cytotoxic-suppressor cells (T4 / T8) was also observed with statistical sighcance after exposure (P < 0.001). In the meanwhile,no significant difference (P > 0 .05) was reported between lymphocyte prolifendion rate and sisterchromatid exchange (SCE) at the exposure level and duration. It is suggested that the lymphocyte subsets may be most susceptible to the effects of FA, though a single immunological endpoint is rarely related with pathophysiological interpretation.

The Effect of BCG-PSN on T-cell Subsets and Cytokines in Vernal Conjunctivitis

The effects of BCG PSN on T cell subsets and cytokines in vernal conjunctivitis were observed. The level of total IgE was quantitatively determined before and after treatment with BCG PSN by allergen diagnostic instrument in vitro . The content of T cell subsets of peripheral blood and cytokine were determined by using indirect immune fluorescence method, and IL 4 and INF γ were quantified by ELISA. The results showed that the level of total IgE was substantially reduced ( P <0.01) after treatment in the BCG PSN group. Meanwhile, CD + 8 was decreased, CD + 4 and CD + 4/CD + 8 ratio elevated with significant differences ( P <0.05) as compared with pre treatment results. The changes in total IgE, CD + 8 ,CD + 4 and CD + 4/CD + 8 ratio after treatment also presented significant differences ( P <0.05) between BCG PSN group and routine treatment group. The level of IL 4 in serum declined ( P <0.05) after treatment in the BCG PSN group, and INF γ went up ( P <0 05). IL 4 and INF γ in serum showed significant differences ( P <0.05) between two groups after treatment. It is concluded that BCG PSN has a bi directional immunoregulating effect. It can bring CD + 4 and CD + 8 into homeostasis, thereby preventing the occurrence of anaphylaxis. At the same time, BCG PSN can restrain Th 2, decrease the synthesis of IL 4, switch the balance of Th l/Th 2 to Th 1 side, boost up the predominance of Th 1 relatively, which is propitious to perennial stabilization and recovery of vernal conjunctivitis.

Lymphocyte subsets in alcoholic liver disease

AIM:To compare lymphocyte subsets between healthy controls and alcoholics with liver disease.METHODS:The patient cohort for this study included individuals who were suspected to have alcoholic liver disease(ALD) and who had undergone liver biopsy(for disease grading and staging,doubts about diagnosis,or concurrent liver disease;n = 56).Normal controls included patients who were admitted for elective cholecystectomy due to non-complicated gallstones(n = 27).Formalin-fixed,paraffin-embedded liver biopsy specimens were sectioned and stained with hematoxylin and eosin and Perls' Prussian blue.The non-alcoholic steatohepatitis score was used to assess markers of ALD.Lymphocyte population subsets were determined by flow cytometry.T lymphocytes were identified(CD3+),and then further subdivided into CD4+ or CD8+ populations.B lymphocytes(CD19+) and natural killer(NK) cell numbers were also measured.In addition to assessing lymphocyte subpopulation differences between ALD patients and controls,we also compared subsets of alcoholic patients without cirrhosis or abstinent cirrhotic patients to normal controls.RESULTS:The patient cohort primarily consisted of older men.Active alcoholism was present in 66.1%.Reported average daily alcohol intake was 164.9 g and the average lifetime cumulative intake was 2211.6 kg.Cirrhosis was present in 39.3% of the patients and 66.1% had significant fibrosis(perisinusoidal and portal/periportal fibrosis,bridging fibrosis,or cirrhosis) in their liver samples.The average Mayo end-stage liver disease score was 7.6.No hereditary hemochromatosis genotypes were found.ALD patients(n = 56) presented with significant lymphopenia(1.5 × 109/L ± 0.5 × 109/L vs 2.1 × 109/L ± 0.5 × 109/L,P < 0.0001),due to a decrease in all lymphocyte subpopulations,except for NK lymphocytes:CD3+(1013.0 ± 406.2/mm3 vs 1523.0 ± 364.6/mm3,P < 0.0001),CD4+(713.5 ± 284.7/mm3 vs 992.4 ± 274.7/mm3,P < 0.0001),CD8+(262.3 ± 140.4/mm3 vs 478.9 ± 164.6/mm3,P < 0.0001),and CD19+(120.6 ± 76.1/mm3 vs 264.6 ± 88.0/mm3,P < 0.0001).CD8+ lymphocytes suffered the greatest reduction,as evidenced by an increase in the CD4+/CD8+ ratio(3.1 ± 1.3 vs 2.3 ± 0.9,P = 0.013).This ratio was associated with the stage of fibrosis on liver biopsy(rs = 0.342,P = 0.01) and with Child-Pugh score(rs = 0.482,P = 0.02).The number of CD8+ lymphocytes also had a positive association with serum ferritin levels(rs = 0.345,P = 0.009).Considering only patients with active alcoholism but not cirrhosis(n = 27),we found similar reductions in total lymphocyte counts(1.8 × 109/L ± 0.3 × 109/L vs 2.1 × 109/L ± 0.5 × 109/L,P = 0.018),and in populations of CD3+(1164.7 ± 376.6/mm3 vs 1523.0 ± 364.6/mm3,P = 0.001),CD4+(759.8 ± 265.0/mm3 vs 992.4 ± 274.7/mm3,P = 0.003),CD8+(330.9 ± 156.3/mm3 vs 478.9 ± 164.6/mm3,P = 0.002),and CD19+(108.8 ± 64.2/mm3 vs 264.6 ± 88.0/mm3,P < 0.0001).In these patients,the CD4+/CD8+ ratio and the number of NK lymphocytes was not significantly different,compared to controls.Comparing patients with liver cirrhosis but without active alcohol consumption(n = 11),we also found significant lymphopenia(1.3 × 109/L ± 0.6 × 109/L vs 2.1 × 109/L ± 0.5 × 109/L,P < 0.0001) and decreases in populations of CD3+(945.5 ± 547.4/mm3 vs 1523.0 ± 364.6/mm3,P = 0.003),CD4+(745.2 ± 389.0/mm3 vs 992.4 ± 274.7/mm3,P = 0.032),CD8+(233.9 ± 120.0/mm3 vs 478.9 ± 164.6/mm3,P < 0.0001),and CD19+(150.8 ± 76.1/mm3 vs 264.6 ± 88.0/mm3,P = 0.001).The NK lymphocyte count was not significantly different,but,in this group,there was a significant increase in the CD4+/CD8+ ratio(3.5 ± 1.3 vs 2.3 ± 0.9,P = 0.01).CONCLUSION:All patient subsets presented with decreased lymphocyte counts,but only patients with advanced fibrosis presented with a significant increase in the CD4+/CD8+ ratio.

Assessment of different genetic distances in constructing cotton core subset by genotypic values

One hundred and sixty-eight genotypes of cotton from the same growing region were used as a germplasm group to study the validity of different genetic distances in constructing cotton core subset. Mixed linear model approach was employed to unbiasedly predict genotypic values of 20 traits for eliminating the environmental effect. Six commonly used genetic distances(Euclidean,standardized Euclidean,Mahalanobis,city block,cosine and correlation distances) combining four commonly used hierarchical cluster methods(single distance,complete distance,unweighted pair-group average and Ward's methods) were used in the least distance stepwise sampling(LDSS) method for constructing different core subsets. The analyses of variance(ANOVA) of different evaluating parameters showed that the validities of cosine and correlation distances were inferior to those of Euclidean,standardized Euclidean,Mahalanobis and city block distances. Standardized Euclidean distance was slightly more effective than Euclidean,Mahalanobis and city block distances. The principal analysis validated standardized Euclidean distance in the course of constructing practical core subsets. The covariance matrix of accessions might be ill-conditioned when Mahalanobis distance was used to calculate genetic distance at low sampling percentages,which led to bias in small-sized core subset construction. The standardized Euclidean distance is recommended in core subset construction with LDSS method.

Dynamic analysis of lymphocyte subsets of peripheral blood in patients with acute self-limited hepatitis B

Purpose: To investigate dynamic changes and significance of lymphocyte subsets (T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, NK cells and T cell subsets) of peripheral blood in patients with acute self-limited hepatitis B (AHB). Methods: Immune cells of peripheral blood were compared among 17 cases of self-limited acute hepatitis B patients, 36 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and 32 healthy controls by flow cytometry (FCM). CD4+/CD8+ was monitored dynamically, meanwhile relations between T lymphocyte subsets and ALT and clearance of HBV DNA were explored. Results: Dynamic changes of lymphocyte subsets were found in AHB, the level of CD3+T cells was significantly higher compared to CHB group and healthy control group. Frequencies of CD3+CD4+ T cells in the third and fourth week and CD4+/CD8+ in the second week were higher compared to other groups. Frequ- ency of NK cells was low and was significantly lower compared to other groups in the third week specially. It was showed that CD4+/CD8+ was low followed by high abnormal ALT during early stage by dynamic monitoring of CD4+/CD8+, and CD4+/CD8+ was increasing accompanied by normal ALT set by set, but CD4+/CD8+ had no significant relation to ALT and HBV DNA. Conclusion: Immune status of AHB, compared to CHB and healthy controls, was significantly different and dynamic changes of lymphocyte sub- sets may be related to progress of disease.