Development of a diagnostic nomogram for alpha-fetoproteinnegative hepatocellular carcinoma based on serological biomarkers

BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide.Serum biomarkers play an important role in the early diagnosis and prognosis of HCC.Because a certain percentage of HCC patients are negative for alpha-fetoprotein(AFP),the diagnosis of AFP-negative HCC is essential to improve the detection rate of HCC.AIM To establish an effective model for diagnosing AFP-negative HCC based on serum tumour biomarkers.METHODS A total of 180 HCC patients were enrolled in this study.The expression levels of GP73,des-γ-carboxyprothrombin(DCP),CK18-M65,and CK18-M30 were detected by a fully automated chemiluminescence analyser.The variables were selected by logistic regression analysis.Several models were constructed using stepwise backward logistic regression.The performance of the models was compared using the C statistic,integrated discrimination improvement,net reclassification improvement,and calibration curves.The clinical utility of the nomogram was assessed using decision curve analysis(DCA).RESULTS The results showed that the expression levels of GP73,DCP,CK18-M65,and CK18-M30 were significantly greater in AFP-negative HCC patients than in healthy controls(P<0.001).Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that GP73,DCP,and CK18-M65 were independent factors for diagnosing AFP-negative HCC.By comparing the diagnostic performance of multiple models,we included GP73 and CK18-M65 as the model variables,and the model had good discrimination ability(area under the curve=0.946)and good goodness of fit.The DCA curves indicated the good clinical utility of the nomogram.CONCLUSION Our study identified GP73 and CK18-M65 as serum biomarkers with certain application value in the diagnosis of AFP-negative HCC.The diagnostic nomogram based on CK18-M65 combined with GP73 demonstrated good performance and effectively identified high-risk groups of patients with HCC.

High Stable and Accurate Vehicle Selection Scheme Based on Federated Edge Learning in Vehicular Networks

Federated edge learning(FEEL)technology for vehicular networks is considered as a promising technology to reduce the computation workload while keeping the privacy of users.In the FEEL system,vehicles upload data to the edge servers,which train the vehicles’data to update local models and then return the result to vehicles to avoid sharing the original data.However,the cache queue in the edge is limited and the channel between edge server and each vehicle is time-varying.Thus,it is challenging to select a suitable number of vehicles to ensure that the uploaded data can keep a stable cache queue in edge server while maximizing the learning accuracy.Moreover,selecting vehicles with different resource statuses to update data will affect the total amount of data involved in training,which further affects the model accuracy.In this paper,we propose a vehicle selection scheme,which maximizes the learning accuracy while ensuring the stability of the cache queue,where the statuses of all the vehicles in the coverage of edge server are taken into account.The performance of this scheme is evaluated through simulation experiments,which indicates that our proposed scheme can perform better than the known benchmark scheme.

UAV Frequency-based Crowdsensing Using Grouping Multi-agent Deep Reinforcement Learning

Mobile CrowdSensing(MCS)is a promising sensing paradigm that recruits users to cooperatively perform sensing tasks.Recently,unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs)as the powerful sensing devices are used to replace user participation and carry out some special tasks,such as epidemic monitoring and earthquakes rescue.In this paper,we focus on scheduling UAVs to sense the task Point-of-Interests(PoIs)with different frequency coverage requirements.To accomplish the sensing task,the scheduling strategy needs to consider the coverage requirement,geographic fairness and energy charging simultaneously.We consider the complex interaction among UAVs and propose a grouping multi-agent deep reinforcement learning approach(G-MADDPG)to schedule UAVs distributively.G-MADDPG groups all UAVs into some teams by a distance-based clustering algorithm(DCA),then it regards each team as an agent.In this way,G-MADDPG solves the problem that the training time of traditional MADDPG is too long to converge when the number of UAVs is large,and the trade-off between training time and result accuracy could be controlled flexibly by adjusting the number of teams.Extensive simulation results show that our scheduling strategy has better performance compared with three baselines and is flexible in balancing training time and result accuracy.

不同年龄段共同性外斜视患者眼表健康状况评估

目的:利用Oculus Keratograph眼前节分析仪研究不同年龄段共同性外斜视患者眼表泪液情况。方法:收集我院眼科门诊诊断为共同性外斜视的患者66例,将患者依据年龄段分为2～7岁组、8～18岁组、19～46岁组三组。应用Oculus眼前节分析仪研究其眼表情况:包括泪河高度、刺激性泪河高度、眼红指数、非侵袭性BUT等。结果:2～7岁组分别与8～18岁组、19～46岁组在BUT、颞侧结膜眼红指数、颞侧睫状眼红指数、鼻侧睫状眼红指数比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。同一年龄段不同部位眼红指数差异及同一年龄段主导眼、非主导眼间眼红指数差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。共同性外斜视患者眼红指数随年龄增长呈现正向直线相关关系。结论:共同性外斜视患者在术前存在干眼和泪膜不稳定,学龄前儿童围手术期需要特别引起注意,需尽快完善国内各年龄段儿童眼表数据。

新模式下的核磁共振实验教学探索和提升

核磁共振在化合物结构鉴定、动力学研究等方面具有重要的作用,是一种非常重要的仪器分析手段,也是大学仪器分析实验课程的重要内容。借助于现代化教育手段,可以拓展课前课后学习时间,对核磁共振实验项目课堂教学进行有效教学设计,构建互联网时代的新型教学模式。

MicroRNA-126在动脉粥样硬化性脑梗死患者血清中的表达变化及其机制研究

目的观察microRNA(miR-126)在动脉粥样硬化性脑梗死(ACI)患者血清中的表达变化及其对血管平滑肌细胞增殖和迁移的影响,并探讨其机制。方法选取2015年11月—2017年11月莱芜市人民医院发病7 d内就诊的150例急性脑梗死患者,分为ACI 组110 例(稳定斑块患者74 例,不稳定斑块患者36 例)和非动脉粥样硬化性脑梗死(NACI)患者40例,同时选择同期40例年龄、性别相匹配的健康志愿者作为对照组。实时荧光定量聚合酶链反应(qRT-PCR)检测3 组血清miR-126的表达,体外培养人血管平滑肌细胞系HA-VSMC,分别转染miR-126模拟物、模拟物阴性对照和miR-126抑制物、抑制物阴性对照。采用qRT-PCR 检测miR-126 的表达;CCK-8法检测细胞增殖活性;Transwell 迁移实验检测细胞迁移能力;Western blotting 检测基质金属蛋白酶13(MMP-13)蛋白的表达。结果 ACI 组患者血清miR-126 表达水平较NACI 组和对照组降低(P <0.05),且不稳定斑块患者血清miR-126 表达水平低于稳定斑块患者(P <0.05)。与模拟物阴性对照组比较,miR-126 模拟物组细胞miR-126 表达水平升高(P <0.05),细胞增殖活性和迁移能力下降(P <0.05),MMP-13 表达升高(P <0.05);与抑制物阴性对照组比较,miR-126 抑制物组细胞增殖活性和迁移能力提高(P <0.05),MMP-13 表达降低(P <0.05)。结论 ACI 患者血清miR-126 表达降低,并可通过抑制血管平滑肌细胞的增殖和迁移起到抗动脉粥样硬化作用,其机制可能与下调MMP-13 的表达有关。

Hypoxia promotes pulmonary vascular remodeling via HIF-1α to regulate mitochondrial dynamics

Background Increasing research suggests that mitochondrial defect plays a major role in pulmonary hypertension(PH) pathogenesis. Mitochondrial dynamics and quality control have a central role in the maintenance of the cell proliferation and apoptosis balance. However, the molecular mechanism underlying of this balance is still unknown. Methods To clarify the biological effects of hypoxic air exposure and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α) on pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell(PASMC) and pulmonary arterial hypertension rats, the cells were cultured in a hypoxic chamber under oxygen concentrations. Cell viability, reactive oxygen species level, cell death, mitochondrial morphology, mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial function and mitochondrial biosynthesis, as well as fission-and fusion-related proteins, were measured under hypoxic conditions. In addition, rats were maintained under hypoxic conditions, and the right ventricular systolic pressure, right ventricular hypertrophy index and right ventricular weight/body weight ratio were examined and recorded. Further, we assessed the role of HIF-1α in the development and progression of PH using HIF-1α gene knockdown using small interfering RNA transfection. Mdivi-1 treatment was performed before hypoxia to inhibit dynamin-related protein 1(Drp1). Results We found that HIF-1α expression was increased during hypoxia, which was crucial for hypoxia-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and hypoxia-stimulated PASMCs proliferation and apoptosis. We also found that targeting mitochondrial fission Drp1 by mitochondrial division inhibitor Mdivi-1 was effective in PH model rats. The results showed that mitochondrial dynamics were involved in the pulmonary vascular remodeling under hypoxia in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, HIF-1α also modulated mitochondrial dynamics in pulmonary vascular remodeling under hypoxia through directly regulating the expression of Drp1. Conclusions In conclusion, our data suggests that abnormal mitochondrial dynamics could be a marker for the early diagnosis of PH and monitoring disease progression. Further research is needed to study the signaling pathways that govern mitochondrial fission/fusion in PH.

Clinical literature review of 1858 Crohn's disease cases requiring surgery in China

AIM: To summarize the clinical characteristics of Crohn's disease(CD) patients who underwent surgery in China.METHODS: We searched four main Chinese electronic databases: CBM, VIP, CNKI, and Wanfang(from January1990 to October 2013). Then, we selected and carefully read 97 studies and extracted the surgical data for CD. We found that 1858 patients with CD underwent surgery between 1961 and 2012. The patients were stratified into two groups according to the year of surgery: 1961-2000 and 2000-2012. The clinical characteristics of these CD cases were compared between the two groups.RESULTS: The mean age at the time of surgery was 38.13 years. The most common locations of disease were the small intestine(40.84%), the colon(33.60%) and the ileocolon(23.09%). The primary indications for surgery were intestinal obstruction or stricture(23.84%), failure of drug therapy(14.80%), acute abdominal disease(13.46%), abdominal mass(10.93%), intestinal fistulae(9.90%), intestinal perforation(8.45%), perianal disease(6.73%), gastrointestinal bleeding(4.79%), and abdominal abscess(4.04%). The rate of diagnosis of CD before surgery was low(34.78%), and the misdiagnosis rate was 20.49%. The predominant surgical procedure for CD was bowel resection(69.54%). The rate of surgical complications was 20.34%, and the primary complications of surgery were infection(39.44%) and intestinal fistulae(26.09%). The relapse rate after surgery was 27.71%. For the periods of 1961-2000 and 2000-2013, the rates of both misdiagnosis before surgery and surgery related-death decreased(34.90% vs 12.10%, P < 0.001, and 23.53% vs 5.26%, P < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: The rates of surgical complications and misdiagnosis were higher, whereas the rate of CDassociated tumor and the relapse rate were lower in China than in West countries.

Improvements to conventional X-ray tube-based cone-beam computed tomography system

Conventional X-ray tube-based cone-beam computed tomography(CX-CBCT) systems have great potential in industrial applications. Such systems can rapidly obtain a three-dimensional(3D) image of an object.Conventional X-ray tubes fulfill the requirements for industrial applications, because of their high tube voltage and power. Continuous improvements have been made to CX-CBCT systems, such as imaging time shortening,acquisition strategy optimization, and imaging software development, etc. In this study, a CX-CBCT system is developed. Additionally, some improvements to the CX-CBCT system are proposed based on the hardware conditions of the X-ray tube and detector. A near-detector(ND)geometry condition is employed to obtain a sharper image and larger detection area. An improved acquisition strategy is proposed to simplify operations and reduce total imaging time. In the ND geometry condition, a simplified method called FBP slice stacking(SS-FBP) is proposed, which can be applied to 3D image reconstruction. SS-FBP is timesaving relative to traditional methods. Furthermore, imaging software for the CX-CBCT system is developed in the MATLAB environment. Several imaging experiments were performed. The results suggest that the CX-CBCT system works properly, and that the above improvements are feasible and practical.

Relationship of proprioception,cutaneous sensitivity,and muscle strength with the balance control among older adults

Background:Balance impairment is one of the strongest risk factors for falls.Proprioception,cutaneous sensitivity,and muscle strength are 3 important contributors to balance control in older adults.The relationship that dynamic and static balance control has to proprioception,cutaneous sensitivity,and muscle strength is still unclear.This study was performed to investigate the relationship these contributors have to dynamic and static balance control.Methods:A total of 164 older adults(female=89,left dominant=15,age:73.5±7.8 years,height:161.6±7.1 cm,weight:63.7±8.9 kg,mean±SD)participated in this study.It tested the proprioception of their knee flexion/extension and ankle dorsi/plantarflexion,along with cutaneous sensitivity at the great toe,first and fifth metatarsals,arch,and heel,and the muscle strength of their ankle dorsi/plantarflexion and hip abduction.The Berg Balance Scale(BBS)and the root mean square(RMS)of the center of pressure(CoP)were collected as indications of dynamic and static balance control.A partial correlation was used to determine the relationship between the measured outcomes variables(BBS and CoPRMS)and the proprioception,cutaneous sensitivity,and muscle strength variables.Results:Proprioception of ankle plantarflexion(r=-0.306,p=0.002)and dorsiflexion(r=-0.217,p=0.030),and muscle strength of ankle plantarflexion(r=0.275,p=0.004),dorsiflexion(r=0.369,p<0.001),and hip abduction(r=0.342,p<0.001)were weakly to moderately correlated with BBS.Proprioception of ankle dorsiflexion(r=0.218,p=0.020)and cutaneous sensitivity at the great toe(r=0.231,p=0.041)and arch(r=0.285,p=0.002)were weakly correlated with CoP-RMS in the anteroposterior direction.Proprioception of ankle dorsiflexion(r=0.220,p=0.035),knee flexion(r=0.308,p=0.001)and extension(r=0.193,p=0.040),and cutaneous sensitivity at the arch(r=0.206,p=0.028)were weakly to moderately correlated with CoP-RMS in the mediolateral direction.Conclusion:There is a weak-to-moderate relationship between proprioception and dynamic and static balance control,a weak relationship between cutaneous sensitivity and static balance control,and a weak-to-moderate relationship between muscle strength and dynamic balance control.

Optical fiber FBG linear sensing systems for the on-line monitoring of airborne high temperature air duct leakage

Electrical sensing systems, such as those involving eutectic salt, are mostly used in connection to leakage from existing airborne high-temperature air-conducting pipelines. Such complex structured systems are susceptible to external interferences and, thus, cannot meet the increasingly strict monitoring needs of a complex air-conducting pipeline system of an aircraft. In view of this point, this paper studies an alternative sensor system based on a dense array fiber grating. To obtain a compact and light-weight airborne signal processing system, a field programmable gate array is used as the main control core that controls the output of the light source. The functions of pulse modulation, analog-to-digital conversion,data buffering and transmission are integrated into a single system, while the linear sensing monitoring is obtained by detecting the time-division and wavelength-division wavelength drift signals of the fiber Bragg grating array. Our experiments show that the spatial resolution of the linear sensing system approaches 5 cm, the temperature measurement accuracy reaches 2 ℃, the temperature measurement range is between 0–250 ℃, and the response time is within 4 s. Compared with the existing electrical monitoring systems, various monitoring indicators have been greatly improved and have broad application prospects.

Research Progress on the Antineoplastic Pharmacological Effects and Mechanisms of Litchi Seeds

Researchers have proven the Litchi seeds of possessing salutary pharmacodynamic effects, such as dispelling cold, relieving pain, promoting the circulation of qi, and removing stasis. This has resulted in its categorization as an affinal drug and diet in the traditional Chinese medicine. Important research progress has been obtained on the chemical components, traditional pharmacological effects, antivirus and antitumor effects, their molecular mechanisms and immune effects of litchi seeds in recent years. In this review, we have focused on the antitumorrelated effects and mechanisms for the purpose of better utilization and comprehensive understanding of litchi seeds.

Simulation study on characteristics of information extraction in multiple-image radiography

Simulation experiments were performed to investigate the characteristics of information extraction in multiple-image radiography(MIR) based on geometrical optics approximation. Different Poisson noise levels were added to the simulation, and the results show that Poisson noise deteriorates the extraction results, with the degree of refraction > USAXS > absorption. The effects of Poisson noise are negligible when the detector's photon counts are about 1000 ph/pixel. A wider sampling range allows more accurate extraction results, but a narrower sampling range has a better signal-to-noise ratio for high Poisson noise levels, e.g., PN(10). The sampling interval can be suitably increased with a minor impact on the extraction results for low Poisson noise levels(PN(10000)). The extraction results are incomplete because a portion of the samplerocking curve is beyond the sampling range. This induces artifacts in the images, especially for strong refraction and USAXS signals. The artifacts are not obvious when the refraction angle and standard deviation of the USAXS are smaller than the sampling range by an order of magnitude.In general, the absorption barely affects the extraction results. However, additional Poisson noise will be generated when the sample is made of high-Z elements or has a large size due to the strong absorption. Here, the extraction results will deteriorate, and additional exposure time is required. This simulation provides important details on practical applications of MIR, with improvements in information extraction.

Stereoselective synthesis and crystal structure of 4,6-O-benzylidene-N-octyl-D-allosamine hydrochloride

The building block of N-alkyl derivative of allosamidin（chitinase inhibitor）,4,6-O-benzylidene-N-octyl-D-allosamine hydrochloride was stereoselectively synthesized in two steps under mild conditions.Nucleophilic addition of octylamine to 2- oxoglucopyranoside gave a‘carbonyl group transfer＇ product in 62%yield.Subsequent stereoselective reduction of newly formed C=O with NaBH_4 produced title compound in 75%yield.X-ray diffraction analysis indicates the title compound adopts syn 1,2,3 stereochemistry and chair-chair conformation.The crystal structure is stabilized by hydrogen bonds.

Water on surfaces from first-principles molecular dynamics

Water is ubiquitous and so is its presence in the proximity of surfaces.To determine and control the properties of interfacial water molecules at nanoscale is essential for its successful applications in environmental and energy-related fields.It is very challenging to explore the atomic structure and electronic properties of water under various conditions,especially at the surfaces.Here we review recent progress and open challenges in describing physicochemical properties of water on surfaces for solar water splitting,water corrosion,and desalination using first-principles approaches,and highlight the key role of these methods in understanding the complex electronic and dynamic interplay between water and surfaces.We aim at showing the importance of unraveling fundamental mechanisms and providing physical insights into the behavior of water on surfaces,in order to pave the way to water-related material design.

TRPC3 and TRPC6 Contribute to the Pathogenesis of Hypertension

Recently studies found that TRPC3 and TRPC6 played an important role in cardiovascular disease. Hypertension, as a cardiovascular disease causing the highest morbidity and mortality, has close relationship with the expressions of TRPC3 and TRPC6. Unbalanced calcium homeostasis is the major factor of pathogenesis of hypertension. Changes of intracellular calcium concentration depend on calcium transmembrane transportation, intracellular calcium store releasing and other processes. TRPC3, TRPC6 molecules, as non-selective cation channels on the cell membranes, are involved in the processes. This review illustrated the functions of TRPC3 and TRPC6 on myocardial cells, smooth muscle cells and inflammatory cells in the development of hypertension, and the effects of drugs like sildenafil to provide a new way for the prevention and treatment of hypertension.

Inhibitory Effect of α-Pinene on SGC-7901 Cell Proliferation and the Mechanism of ATM Kinase Signaling Pathway

Objective: To research the inhibitory effect on SGC-7901 cells of α-pinene, and the related mechanism of α-pinene. Methods: Used the MTT method to detect inhibition rate and western blotting to detect the influence on expression of ATM, Phos-S1981ATM, H2AX, γH2AX, CHK2 and p-CHK2, p53 and phos-p53 cell cycle related protein in SGC-7901 cells. Results: The research found α-pinene could inhibit the proliferation of SGC-7901 cells observably in vitro, and the inhibition rate assumes the dependence on concentration;and western blotting results showed that, α-pinene could activate phospho-ATM, increase the amount of γH2AX (p p < 0.05);increase the expression of p-CHK2, p53 and phos-p53 (p p p < 0.05);But there is no significant effect on expression of CHK2 (p > 0.05). Conclusions: α-pinene could inhibit the proliferation of SGC-7901 cells, and by inducing ATM (Ataxia Telangiectasia-Mutated) kinase signal pathway in DNA damage response, activating cell cycle checkpoint, making the cell cycle arrest then exerts its anti-tumor effects.

A Semi-Automation of a Cost Benefit Analysis Method

This paper presents CBAM Assistant, a tool that semi-automates the Cost Benefit Analysis Method (CBAM) developed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University. CBAM is a process used to estimate the Return on Investment (ROI) of various software architectural design strategies. CBAM generally follows the Architectural Trade-off Analysis Method (ATAM) also developed by SEI. ATAM aids in defining scenarios and architectural strategies. The result is a qualitative trade-off analysis of the various strategies. CBAM further refines the scenarios and architectural strategies from ATAM. CBAM aids in quantitative analysis for cost, utility and importance ratings to determine the ROI of each architectural strategy. CBAM Assistant is a web-based system that walks a user through the CBAM process which can be started by using scenarios and architectural strategies created from ATAM. The tool is intended to be used by a facilitator who will provide input from stakeholders. The primary output of the tool is the ROIs of each architectural strategy for comparison and selection.

Treatment of acute lung injury in mice using Bai-Ri-Ke syrup

Objective:This study aimed to examine the therapeutic effects of Bai-Ri-Ke syrup(BRK)on mice with acute lung injury(ALI).Methods:Fifty male C57BL/6 mice were equally divided into the control group,model group,dexamethasone(DXM)group,Bai-Ri-Ke syrup(BRK)low-group,and BRK-high group,with six mice per group.An intratracheal injection of 5 mg/kg POLY(I:C)was used to construct an ALI mouse model.After a successful model construction,the mice in the DXM group were given[0.2 mg/10 g·d]dexamethasone sodium phosphate injection(1 mL:2 mg)on the following day via intraperitoneal injection.The mice in the BRK-low group were given 0.015 mL APS everyday by gavage,and the mice in the BRK-high group were given 0.030 mL APS everyday by gavage for three days.The wet to dry weight(W/D)ratio of the lungs was observed every day.Bronchoalveolar lavage fluids(BALFs)were collected from the left lungs to measure the BALF protein level and neutrophil count after 72 h of treatment.The IL-6,IL-1β,and TNF-αlevels in BALF were also measured.HE staining was done to observe the histopathological changes in the lungs.Results:The ALI mice in the BRK-high group had significantly increased W/D(P<0.01).ELISA results showed that the DXM group and BRK-high group had significantly decreased BALF protein content(P<0.01),neutrophil count(P<0.01),and IL-6,IL-1β,and TNF-αlevels(P<0.01).Hematoxylin and eosin(H&E)results showed that the DXM group and BRK-high group had alleviated alveolar tissue injury,edema,bleeding,and inflammation.Conclusions:The BRK can decrease the W/D,BALF protein content,neutrophil count,and TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6 levels and alleviate the histopathological changes in the lungs of ALI mice.

An ultra-highly active nanozyme of Fe,N co-doped ultrathin hollow carbon framework for antibacterial application

In recent years, nanozymes have received more and more attention, but the low activity limits the development of nanozymes. Therefore, the design and development of efficient nanozymes is still a major challenge for researchers. Herein, the Fe,N co-doped ultrathin hollow carbon framework(Fe,N-UHCF) exhibit ultra-high peroxidase-like activity. The specific activity of Fe,N-UHCF nanozyme is as high as 36.6 U/mg,which is much higher than almost all of other reported nanozymes. In practical applications, the Fe,N-UHCF show good antibacterial effects.