Prediction model of stress ulcer after laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer established by machine learning algorithm

BACKGROUND Patients with colorectal cancer(CRC)are prone to stress ulcer after laparoscopic surgery.The analysis of risk factors for stress ulcer(SU)in patients with CRC is important to reduce mortality and improve patient prognosis.AIM To identify risk factors for SU after laparoscopic surgery for CRC,and develop a nomogram model to predict the risk of SU in these patients.METHODS The clinical data of 135 patients with CRC who underwent laparoscopic surgery between November 2021 and June 2022 were reviewed retrospectively.They were divided into two categories depending on the presence of SUs:The SU group(n=23)and the non-SU group(n=112).Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to screen for factors associated with postoperative SU in patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery,and a risk factor-based nomogram model was built based on these risk factors.By plotting the model's receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and calibration curve,a Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit test was performed.RESULTS Among the 135 patients with CRC,23 patients had postoperative SU,with an incidence of 17.04%.The SU group had higher levels of heat shock protein(HSP)70,HSP90,and gastrin(GAS)than the non-SU group.Age,lymph node metastasis,HSP70,HSP90,and GAS levels were statistically different between the two groups,but other indicators were not statistically different.Logistic regression analysis showed that age≥65 years,lymph node metastasis,and increased levels of HSP70,HSP90 and GAS were all risk factors for postoperative SU in patients with CRC(P<0.05).According to these five risk factors,the area under the ROC curve for the nomogram model was 0.988(95%CI:0.971-1.0);the calibration curve demonstrated excellent agreement between predicted and actual probabilities,and the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit test revealed that the difference was not statistically significant(χ2=0.753,P=0.999),suggesting that the nomogram model had good discrimination,calibration,and stability.CONCLUSION Patients with CRC aged≥65 years,with lymph node metastasis and elevated HSP70,HSP90,GAS levels,are prone to post-laparoscopic surgery SU.Our nomogram model shows good predictive value.

Clinical implication of platelet to lymphocyte ratio in early onset preeclampsia:A single-center experience

BACKGROUND Preeclampsia(PE)is a pregnancy syndrome of undetermined etiology;inflammation was one of the proposed theories for its development.AIM To examine the platelet to lymphocyte ratio(PLR),an inflammatory biomarker,as a marker to predict poor maternal-neonatal outcomes in early-onset PE(EoPE).METHODS A cross-sectional study enrolled 60 pregnant women with EoPE(at 32-30 wk of gestation)at a university hospital.Demographic criteria and hematological indices were collected,including platelet counts and indices(mean platelet volume and platelet distribution width),PLR,and the Doppler study,which calculated estimated fetal weight(EFW),amniotic fluid index(AFI),resistance index(RI),and pulsatility index(PI).Participants were followed until delivery,where maternal outcomes were recorded,including;delivery mode and reason for cesarean section,and neonatal outcomes,including fetal growth restriction(FGR),meconium-stained liquid,the 5-min Apgar score,and admission to the intensive care unit.RESULTS There was a trend of insignificant increases in cesarean sections.Sixty-one-point two percent(37/60)fetuses were admitted to the neonatal care unit;70.0%of admitted fetuses were meconium-stained liquor,and 56.7%of them had FGR.PLR was positively correlated with AFI and EFW as r=0.98,0.97,P<0.001;PLR showed negative correlations with PI and RI as r=-0.99,-0.98,P<0.001.The Apgar score and the number of days admitted to the intensive care unit had a positive and negative correlation(0.69,-0.98),P<0.0001,respectively.Receiver operating characteristic calculated a PLR cutoff value(7.49)that distinguished FGR at 100%sensitivity and 80%specificity.CONCLUSION Strong,meaningful relationships between PLR and FGR parameters and a poor neonatal outcome with a significant P value make it a recommendable biomarker for screening EoPE-related complications.Further studies are suggested to see the impact on maternal-neonatal health.

Association between childhood obesity and gut microbiota:16S rRNA gene sequencing-based cohort study

BACKGROUND This study aimed to identify characteristic gut genera in obese and normal-weight children(8-12 years old)using 16S rDNA sequencing.The research aimed to provide insights for mechanistic studies and prevention strategies for childhood obesity.Thirty normal-weight and thirty age-and sex-matched obese children were included.Questionnaires and body measurements were collected,and fecal samples underwent 16S rDNA sequencing.Significant differences in body mass index(BMI)and body-fat percentage were observed between the groups.Analysis of gut microbiota diversity revealed lowerα-diversity in obese children.Differences in gut microbiota composition were found between the two groups.Prevotella and Firmicutes were more abundant in the obese group,while Bacteroides and Sanguibacteroides were more prevalent in the control group.AIM To identify the characteristic gut genera in obese and normal-weight children(8-12-year-old)using 16S rDNA sequencing,and provide a basis for subsequent mechanistic studies and prevention strategies for childhood obesity.METHODS Thirty each normal-weight,1:1 matched for age and sex,and obese children,with an obese status from 2020 to 2022,were included in the control and obese groups,respectively.Basic information was collected through questionnaires and body measurements were obtained from both obese and normal-weight children.Fecal samples were collected from both groups and subjected to 16S rDNA sequencing using an Illumina MiSeq sequencing platform for gut microbiota diversity analysis.RESULTS Significant differences in BMI and body-fat percentage were observed between the two groups.The Ace and Chao1 indices were significantly lower in the obese group than those in the control group,whereas differences were not significant in the Shannon and Simpson indices.Kruskal-Wallis tests indicated significant differences in unweighted and weighted UniFrac distances between the gut microbiota of normal-weight and obese children(P<0.01),suggesting substantial disparities in both the species and quantity of gut microbiota between the two groups.Prevotella,Firmicutes,Bacteroides,and Sanguibacteroides were more abundant in the obese and control groups,respectively.Heatmap results demonstrated significant differences in the gut microbiota composition between obese and normal-weight children.CONCLUSION Obese children exhibited lowerα-diversity in their gut microbiota than did the normal-weight children.Significant differences were observed in the composition of gut microbiota between obese and normal-weight children.

Study on Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Dye by Titanium Dioxide Nanotube Array

Titanium based titanium dioxide （TiO2） nanotube arrays were prepared by electrochemical oxidation method, their microstructures were characterized, and the effects of sintering temperature and initial dye concentration and pH value on degradation performance of TiO2 nanotubc arrays wcrc investigated with methyl orange as a degradation object. The results showed that TiO2 nanotube arrays prepared by sintering at 500 ℃ exhibited good morphology and the highest photocata- lyric degradation efficiency; the degradation efficiency of the TiO2 nano material （500 ℃ ） to high concentration dye was higher than that to low concentration dye; the TiO2 nanotube array （500 ℃ ） exhibited higher degradation efficiency on dye solution at the pH of 3 than on that at the pH of 5.77 ; and the degradation efficien- cy of the TiO2 nanotube array （500 ℃） to 10 mg/L methyl orange solution （pH =3） reached 85.2%.

Establishing Gene Delivery Systems Based on Small-Sized Chitosan Nanoparticles

Chitosan is a natural cationic polysaccharide, which is often used for preparing biomedical materials because of its high biocompatibility. In this study, chitosan with a molecular weight of 160 kDa was chosen to prepare chitosan nanoparticles （CSNPs） as gene vectors by ionic cross-linking with tripolyphosphate （TPP）. CSNPs were characterized in terms of particle size, zeta potential, and polydispersity index （PDI） using a Zetasizer, and morphology was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity and biocompatibility of CSNPs were correspondingly examined by a 3-（4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl）-2,5- diphenyltetrazolium bromide （MTT） assay and histological examination. Agarose gel electrophoresis and UV spectrophotometric methods were performed to measure the loading capacity. The cell transfection efficiency of CSNPs loaded with plasmids or siRNA was analyzed by fluorescence microscopy or laser scanning confocal microscopy. The results showed that CSNPs were prepared successfully by the ionic gelation method, which had a smaller partcticle size （100 nm-200 nm）, stable dispersibility, low cytotoxicity, good tissue-biocompatibility, and high gene-loading efficiency. These CSNPs could transfer the plasmids or siRNA to cells. However, CSNPs might have a much higher transfection efficiency for siRNAs than for plasmids, which implies that CSNPs might be a safer and more efficient vector for delivering siRNAs rather than plasmids.

Relationship between serum S-100 protein level and ischemic damage degree in patients with acute cerebral infarction

Objective: To investigate the time course of serum S-100 concentrations of patients with acute cerebral infarction,and their relation with the clinical data and the prognosis. Methods: Serum S-100 levels were serially determined in 36 patients with acute cerebral infarction within 12 h, at 24 h and day 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 10 after acute cerebral infarction and in 20 age- and sex-matched control subjects. An S-100 content assay was performed using a two-site radioimmunoassay technique. The clinical status was assessed using NIH Stroke Scale. The functional deficit at 4 weeks after acute cerebral infarction was scored using the modified Rankin scale. A cranial computed tomography was performed initially. Results: Elevated concentrations of S-100 (>0.2 μg/L) were observed in 29 of 36 patients with acute cerebral infarction,but none of the control subjects. The S-100 peak levels were at day 2 and 3 after acute cerebral infarction and were significantly high in those patients with severe neurological deficit at admission, with extensive infarction or with space-occupying effect of ischemic edema as compared with the rest of the populations. Conclusion: Serum S-100 level assay can be used as a peripheral marker of ischemic brain damage, and may be helpful for evaluation of therapeutic effects in acute ischemic stroke.

Metabolite alpha-ketoglutarate:a novel target of gasdermin C-dependent pyroptosis

To the Editor:Tumors are one of the main causes of death worldwide.Pyroptosis is a newly discovered form of cell death,causing cell swelling and rapid lysis,which releases pro-inflammatory mediators and enhances the inflammatory response.[1]Inflammation increases the immune response to tumors and inhibits their progression.The ultimate goal of cancer therapeutics is to maximize the destruction of tumor cells while minimizing the damage to normal tissues.[2]Targeting pyroptosis of tumor cells could overcome the apoptotic resistance and trigger antitumor immunity,thus being a good treatment for tumors.

Guided bone regeneration in long-bone defect with a bilayer mineralized collagen membrane

Bone regeneration for large,critical-sized bone defects remains a clinical challenge nowadays.Guided bone regeneration(GBR)is a promising technique for the repair of multiple bone defects,which is widely used in oral and maxillofacial bone defects but is still unsatisfied in the treatment of long bone defects.Here,we successfully fabricated a bilayer mineralized collagen/collagen(MC/Col)-GBR membrane with excellent osteoinductive and barrier function by coating the MC particles prepared via in situ biomimetic mineralization process on one side of a sheet-like pure collagen layer.The aim of the present study was to investigate the physicochemical properties and biological functions of the MC/Col film,and to further evaluate its bone regeneration efficiency in large bone defect repair.Fouriertransform infrared spectra and X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed the presence of both hydroxyapatite and collagen phase in the MC/Col film,as well as the chemical interaction between them.stereo microscope,scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscope showed the uniform distribution of MC particles in the MC/Col film,resulting in a rougher surface compared to the pure Col film.The quantitative analysis of surface contact angle,light transmittance and tensile strength demonstrated that the MC/Col film have better hydrophilicity,mechanical properties,light-barrier properties,respectively.In vitro macrophage co-culture experiments showed that the MC/Col film can effectively inhibit macrophage proliferation and fusion,reducing fibrous capsule formation.In vivo bone repair assessment of a rabbit critical segmental radial defect proved that the MC/Col film performed better than other groups in promoting bone repair and regeneration due to their unique dual osteoinductive/barrier function.These findings provided evidence that MC/Col film has a great clinical potential for effective bone defect repair.

Overall anatomical features and clinical value of the sacral nerve in high resolution computed tomography reconstruction

Background Sacral nerve injury is a common complication of pelvic or sacral fractures. As the sacral nerve courser within the sacrum and has a complex relationship with the surrounding tissues, different parts of the sacral plexus injury have similar clinical symptoms and signs. Since lack of specific imaging technique in the diagnosis of sacral nerve injury,especially on multi-segment, multi-site, how to determine the preoperative location and extent of the sacral nerve injury accurately becomes a concem of the general orthopaedic and images practitioners. This study was conducted to gain an insight into the overall anatomical features of the sacral nerve （SN） on the same slice in high resolution computed tomography （HRCT） reconstruction and to determine the value of this information for the clinical diagnosis of related diseases.Methods Fifty healthy volunteers and 30 patients （40 sides） with SN lesions confirmed by surgery were scanned using a 16-slice helical CT scanner （Light Speed, GE, USA）. Among the patients, 6 with intervertebral disk hernia （6 sides）, 8with spinal stenosis （12 sides）, 11 with pelvic trauma （14 sides）, 4 with pelvic malignancies （6 sides）, and 1 with sacral vertebral tuberculosis （2 sides）. The SN multiplanar reconstruction was performed using a UNIX-based SCD4.1workstation where the image was set on the same slice. All images were stored in the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine format. The display of nerves in different sections was analyzed using a five-graded scale with coordinate curves of each individual score. The overall anatomic features visible on the slice were analyzed and the abnormalities of the lesions were studied.Results The image of the same slice clearly revealed the shape, running direction, thickness, tension and adjacent anatomy of the S1-S4 nerves. The rank of display rates in different sections was： outward-rotated oblique sagittal 〉outward-rotated oblique coronal 〉 oblique coronal plane 〉 coronal 〉 sagittal 〉 transverse section. The S5 nerve was partially displayed from the starting point to the segment around the posterior sacral foramen. The overall anatomy of the triangular sacral plexus was only revealed in the oblique outward-rotated sagittal section, while 100% of its individual rami,as well as two or three of the adjacent rami, were displayed from their starting points to the anterior border of the piriformis. The abnormalities included 39 sides of morphological change （97.5%）, 38 sides of compression （95.0%）, 35sides of adhesion （87.5%）, 32 sides of displacement （80.0%）, 34 sides of shrinkage （85.0%）, 6 sides of thickening （15.0%）, and 2 sides of abruption （5.0%）.Conclusions The 16-slice CT multiplanar reconstruction was able to reveal the overall anatomic features of the SN on the same slice. The section of reconstruction was a crucial factor in determining the display capability of various sacral nerves. This technology was valuable in the diagnosis and management of related diseases.