The Relationship between Mental Disorders and Personality of Outpatients in a Psychiatric Clinic in Nanjing, China

Psychosis has increasingly become a social problem,emphasizing the need to understand the relationship between mental disorders and personality.This study aimed to investigate the relationship between mental disorders and personality among psychiatric outpatients based on real-world data.Symptom Checklist 90(SCL-90)and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire(EPQ)were used to evaluate the personality and psychopathological symptoms of patients(n=8409)in the Psychiatric Outpatient Department at Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital.t-test was used to compare scores between patients and national norms.Pearson’s correlation coefficient and path analysis were used to explore the relationship between mental health status and personality.The correlation coefficient between the neuroticism(N)score and each factor score of the SCL-90 test,as well as the correlation between psychoticism(P)and hostility and paranoia,exceeded 0.4.Path analysis revealed that the standardized path coefficients of N score and SCL-90 were all higher than 0.4.In addition,the standardized path coefficient of hostility and paranoia on P score were 0.313 and 0.280,respectively.Interpersonal sensitivity,depression and obsessive-compulsive symptoms were affected by extraversion(E)score,with standardized path coefficients of-0.149,-0.138,and-0.105,respectively.The path analysis also showed the direct and indirect effects of age,gender,education,and marital status on SCL-90.Patients characterized as melancholic had higher scores in all factors of SCL-90.In conclusion,mental health was related to personality traits of neuroticism,psychoticism and introversion.

Mitochondrial dysfunction and quality control lie at the heart of subarachnoid hemorrhage

The dramatic increase in intracranial pressure after subarachnoid hemorrhage leads to a decrease in cerebral perfusion pressure and a reduction in cerebral blood flow.Mitochondria are directly affected by direct factors such as ischemia,hypoxia,excitotoxicity,and toxicity of free hemoglobin and its degradation products,which trigger mitochondrial dysfunction.Dysfunctional mitochondria release large amounts of reactive oxygen species,inflammatory mediators,and apoptotic proteins that activate apoptotic pathways,further damaging cells.In response to this array of damage,cells have adopted multiple mitochondrial quality control mechanisms through evolution,including mitochondrial protein quality control,mitochondrial dynamics,mitophagy,mitochondrial biogenesis,and intercellular mitochondrial transfer,to maintain mitochondrial homeostasis under pathological conditions.Specific interventions targeting mitochondrial quality control mechanisms have emerged as promising therapeutic strategies for subarachnoid hemorrhage.This review provides an overview of recent research advances in mitochondrial pathophysiological processes after subarachnoid hemorrhage,particularly mitochondrial quality control mechanisms.It also presents potential therapeutic strategies to target mitochondrial quality control in subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Ruxolitinib improves the inflammatory microenvironment,restores glutamate homeostasis,and promotes functional recovery after spinal cord injury

The inflammatory microenvironment and neurotoxicity can hinder neuronal regeneration and functional recovery after spinal cord injury.Ruxolitinib,a JAK-STAT inhibitor,exhibits effectiveness in autoimmune diseases,arthritis,and managing inflammatory cytokine storms.Although studies have shown the neuroprotective potential of ruxolitinib in neurological trauma,the exact mechanism by which it enhances functional recovery after spinal cord injury,particularly its effect on astrocytes,remains unclear.To address this gap,we established a mouse model of T10 spinal cord contusion and found that ruxolitinib effectively improved hindlimb motor function and reduced the area of spinal cord injury.Transcriptome sequencing analysis showed that ruxolitinib alleviated inflammation and immune response after spinal cord injury,restored EAAT2 expression,reduced glutamate levels,and alleviated excitatory toxicity.Furthermore,ruxolitinib inhibited the phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT3 in the injured spinal cord and decreased the phosphorylation level of nuclear factor kappa-B and the expression of inflammatory factors interleukin-1β,interleukin-6,and tumor necrosis factor-α.Additionally,in glutamate-induced excitotoxicity astrocytes,ruxolitinib restored EAAT2 expression and increased glutamate uptake by inhibiting the activation of STAT3,thereby reducing glutamate-induced neurotoxicity,calcium influx,oxidative stress,and cell apoptosis,and increasing the complexity of dendritic branching.Collectively,these results indicate that ruxolitinib restores glutamate homeostasis by rescuing the expression of EAAT2 in astrocytes,reduces neurotoxicity,and effectively alleviates inflammatory and immune responses after spinal cord injury,thereby promoting functional recovery after spinal cord injury.

Preoperative controlling nutritional status as an optimal prognostic nutritional index to predict the outcome for colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND The controlling nutritional status(CONUT)score effectively reflects a patient’s nutritional status,which is closely related to cancer prognosis.This study invest-igated the relationship between the CONUT score and prognosis after radical surgery for colorectal cancer,and compared the predictive ability of the CONUT score with other indexes.AIM To analyze the predictive performance of the CONUT score for the survival rate of colorectal cancer patients who underwent potentially curative resection.METHODS This retrospective analysis included 217 patients with newly diagnosed colorectal.The CONUT score was calculated based on the serum albumin level,total lymphocyte count,and total cholesterol level.The cutoff value of the CONUT score for predicting prognosis was 4 according to the Youden Index by the receiver operating characteristic curve.The associations between the CONUT score and the prognosis were performed using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analysis.RESULTS Using the cutoff value of the CONUT score,patients were stratified into CONUT low(n=189)and CONUT high groups(n=28).The CONUT high group had worse overall survival(OS)(P=0.013)and relapse-free survival(RFS)(P=0.015).The predictive performance of CONUT was superior to the modified Glasgow prognostic score,the prognostic nutritional index,and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio.Meanwhile,the predictive performances of CONUT+tumor node metastasis(TNM)stage for 3-year OS[area under the receiver operating characteristics curve(AUC)=0.803]and 3-year RFS(AUC=0.752)were no less than skeletal muscle mass index(SMI)+TNM stage.The CONUT score was negatively correlated with SMI(P<0.01).CONCLUSION As a nutritional indicator,the CONUT score could predict long-term outcomes after radical surgery for colorectal cancer,and its predictive ability was superior to other indexes.The correlation between the CONUT score and skeletal muscle may be one of the factors that play a predictive role.

The diagnostic value of tenascin-C in acute aortic syndrome

OBJECTIVES Misdiagnosis of acute aortic syndrome(AAS)significantly increases mortality.Tenascin-C(TN-C)is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein related to cardiovascular injury.The elevation of TN-C in AAS and whether it can discriminate suddenonset of acute chest pain in Chinese remains unclear.METHODS We measured the plasma concentration of TN-C by ELISA in a cohort of 376 patients with chest or back pain.Measures to discriminate AAS from acute coronary syndrome(ACS)were compared and calculated.RESULTS From October 2016 to September 2021,376 undiagnosed patients with chest or back pain were enrolled.166 of them were finally diagnosed as AAS,100 were ACS and 110 without cardiovascular diseases(NCV).TN-C was significantly elevated in AAS at 18.18 ng/mL(IQR:13.10–27.68)compared with 7.51 ng/mL(IQR:5.67–11.38)in ACS(P<0.001)and 3.68 ng/mL(IQR:2.50–5.29)in NCV(P<0.001).There was no significant difference in TN-C level among the subtypes of AAS.Of the 166 AAS patients,the peaked level of TN-C was at acute stage(P=0.012),then a slight of decrease was observed at subacute stage.The area under receiver operating characteristic curve for AAS patients versus NCV was 0.979(95%CI:0.964-0.994)for TN-C.At a cutoff level of 11.474 ng/mL,TN-C has a sensitivity of 76.0%,specificity of 85.5%,accuracy of 82.0%,positive predictive value(PPV)of 76.0%,negative predictive value(NPV)of 85.5%.Diagnostic performance of TN-C was superior to D-dimer and hs-cTnT.CONCLUSIONS The concentration of serum TN-C in AAS patients was significantly higher than that in ACS patients and NCV.TN-C could be a new biomarker to distinguish AAS patients in the early stage after symptoms onset from other pain diseases.

How mesenchymal stem cells transform into adipocytes:Overview of the current understanding of adipogenic differentiation

Mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)are stem/progenitor cells capable of self-renewal and differentiation into osteoblasts,chondrocytes and adipocytes.The transformation of multipotent MSCs to adipocytes mainly involves two subsequent steps from MSCs to preadipocytes and further preadipocytes into adipocytes,in which the process MSCs are precisely controlled to commit to the adipogenic lineage and then mature into adipocytes.Previous studies have shown that the master transcription factors C/enhancer-binding protein alpha and peroxisome proliferation activator receptor gamma play vital roles in adipogenesis.However,the mechanism underlying the adipogenic differentiation of MSCs is not fully understood.Here,the current knowledge of adipogenic differentiation in MSCs is reviewed,focusing on signaling pathways,noncoding RNAs and epigenetic effects on DNA methylation and acetylation during MSC differentiation.Finally,the relationship between maladipogenic differentiation and diseases is briefly discussed.We hope that this review can broaden and deepen our understanding of how MSCs turn into adipocytes.

N-glycan biosignatures as a potential diagnostic biomarker for earlystage pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)has a poor prognosis,with a 5-year survival rate of less than 10%,owing to its late-stage diagnosis.Early detection of pancreatic cancer(PC)can significantly increase survival rates.AIM To identify the serum biomarker signatures associated with early-stage PDAC by serum N-glycan analysis.METHODS An extensive patient cohort was used to determine a biomarker signature,in-cluding patients with PDAC that was well-defined at an early stage(stages I and II).The biomarker signature was derived from a case-control study using a case-cohort design consisting of 29 patients with stage I,22 with stage II,4 with stage III,16 with stage IV PDAC,and 88 controls.We used multiparametric analysis to identify early-stage PDAC N-glycan signatures and developed an N-glycan sig-nature-based diagnosis model called the“Glyco-model”.RESULTS The biomarker signature was created to discriminate samples derived from patients with PC from those of controls,with a receiver operating characteristic area under the curve of 0.86.In addition,the biomarker signature combined with cancer antigen 19-9 could discriminate patients with PDAC from controls,with a receiver operating characteristic area under the curve of 0.919.Glyco-model demonstrated favorable diagnostic performance in all stages of PC.The diagnostic sensitivity for stage I PDAC was 89.66%.Core Tip:This study employed a patient cohort to investigate the N-glycan signature of early-stage pancreatic cancer(PC).Serum N-glycans analysis was conducted to identify the serum biomarker signature associated with early-stage pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC),resulting in the identification of nine early-stage PDAC N-glycan signatures.Subsequently,utilizing these biosignatures,a diagnostic model named the“Glyco-model”was developed,demonstrating promising diagnostic performance across all stages of PC.The study revealed that the diagnostic sensitivity for stage I PDAC was determined to be 89.66%.Consequently,this diagnostic model exhibits potential as a prospective strategy for the early detection of PDAC.

Comparison of prognosis and postoperative morbidities between standard pancreaticoduodenectomy and the TRIANGLE technique for resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND Radical surgery combined with systemic chemotherapy offers the possibility of long-term survival or even cure for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocar-cinoma(PDAC),although tumor recurrence,especially locally,still inhibits the treatment efficacy.The TRIANGLE technique was introduced as an extended dissection procedure to improve the R0 resection rate of borderline resectable or locally advanced PDAC.However,there was a lack of studies concerning postoperative complications and long-term outcomes of this procedure on patients with resectable PDAC.PDAC.METHODS Patients with resectable PDAC eligible for PD from our hospital between June 2018 and December 2021 were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study.All the patients were divided into PDstandard and PDTRIANGLE groups according to the surgical procedure.Baseline characteristics,surgical data,and postoperative morbidities were recorded.All of the patients were followed up,and the date and location of tumor recurrence,and death were recorded.The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used for the survival analysis.RESULTS There were 93 patients included in the study and 37 underwent the TRIANGLE technique.Duration of operation was longer in the PDTRIANGLE group compared with the PDstandard group[440(410-480)min vs 320(265-427)min](P=0.001).Intraoperative blood loss[700(500-1200)mL vs 500(300-800)mL](P=0.009)and blood transfusion[975(0-1250)mL vs 400(0-800)mL](P=0.009)were higher in the PDTRIANGLE group.There was a higher incidence of surgical site infection(43.2%vs 12.5%)(P=0.001)and postoperative diarrhea(54.1%vs 12.5%)(P=0.001)in the PDTRIANGLE group.The rates of R0 resection and local recurrence,overall survival,and disease-free survival did not differ significantly between the two groups.CONCLUSION The TRIANGLE technique is safe,with acceptable postoperative morbidities compared with standardized PD,but it does not improve prognosis for patients with resectable PDAC.

Activatable fluorescent probes for imaging and diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis(RA)is a systemic autoimmune disease that is primarily manifested as synovitis and polyarticular opacity and typically leads to serious joint damage and irreversible disability,thus adversely affecting locomotion ability and life quality.Consequently,good prognosis heavily relies on the early diagnosis and effective therapeutic monitoring of RA.Activatable fluorescent probes play vital roles in the detection and imaging of biomarkers for disease diagnosis and in vivo imaging.Herein,we review the fluorescent probes developed for the detection and imaging of RA biomarkers,namely reactive oxygen/nitrogen species(hypochlorous acid,peroxynitrite,hydroxyl radical,nitroxyl),pH,and cysteine,and address the related challenges and prospects to inspire the design of novel fluorescent probes and the improvement of their performance in RA studies.

Clinical manifestation,lifestyle,and treatment patterns of chronic erosive gastritis:A multicenter real-world study in China

BACKGROUND Although chronic erosive gastritis(CEG)is common,its clinical characteristics have not been fully elucidated.The lack of consensus regarding its treatment has resulted in varied treatment regimens.AIM To explore the clinical characteristics,treatment patterns,and short-term outcomes in CEG patients in China.METHODS We recruited patients with chronic non-atrophic or mild-to-moderate atrophic gastritis with erosion based on endoscopy and pathology.Patients and treating physicians completed a questionnaire regarding history,endoscopic findings,and treatment plans as well as a follow-up questionnaire to investigate changes in symptoms after 4 wk of treatment.RESULTS Three thousand five hundred sixty-three patients from 42 centers across 24 cities in China were included.Epigastric pain(68.0%),abdominal distension(62.6%),and postprandial fullness(47.5%)were the most common presenting symptoms.Gastritis was classified as chronic non-atrophic in 69.9%of patients.Among those with erosive lesions,72.1%of patients had lesions in the antrum,51.0%had multiple lesions,and 67.3%had superficial flat lesions.In patients with epigastric pain,the combination of a mucosal protective agent(MPA)and proton pump inhibitor was more effective.For those with postprandial fullness,acid regurgitation,early satiety,or nausea,a MPA appeared more promising.CONCLUSION CEG is a multifactorial disease which is common in Asian patients and has non-specific symptoms.Gastroscopy may play a major role in its detection and diagnosis.Treatment should be individualized based on symptom profile.

Application of Mobile Technology and Information Management in Emergency Pre- Examination and Triage

The primary objective of emergency pre-examination and triage is to provide the most appropriate clinical service to patients with acute and critical illnesses while ensuring the optimal utilization of limited medical resources.With the advancement of medical information technology,mobile technology,and information management,these features have been gradually incorporated into emergency pre-examination and triage and have shown promising outcomes.In this article,the benefits of implementing mobile technology and the current status of integrated information management to provide a reference for the future development and enhancement of emergency pre-examination and triage are reviewed.

Euthanasia controversy in China:do we have the right to die?

This research examines the contentious issue of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in the context of China's unique conditions.Historically,the debate over euthanasia has been influenced by moral philosophy and ethics,and euthanasia is illegal in China at present.The research explores the difficulty in making euthanasia legalized across five key dimensions:financial,medical,social,legal,and psychological factors.We conclude that while there is a desire among some terminally ill patients for euthanasia,the current situation in China makes it unsuitable for legalization.The profound question of one's right to die remains a significant moral and judicial challenge,indicating the need for continued dialogue and nuanced understanding of this complex issue.

Prevalence of minimal hepatic encephalopathy and quality of life evaluations in hospitalized cirrhotic patients in China

AIM:To investigate the prevalence of minimal hepatic encephalopathy(MHE)and to assess corresponding health-related quality of life(HRQoL)in hospitalized cirrhotic patients in China.METHODS:This multi-center cross-sectional study included 16 teaching hospitals,which were members of "Hepatobiliary Cooperation Group,Society of Gastroenterology,Chinese Medical Association",from different areas of China carried out between June and October in 2011.All the eligible hospitalized cirrhotic patients(n = 538)were required to complete triplicate number connection tests combined with one digit symbol test for diagnosing MHE.Patients' clinical examination data were complemented by a modified questionnaire assessing HRQoL.Written informed consent was obtained from each patient.RESULTS:Male was predominant(68.6%)in 519 patients who met the criteria of the study,with a mean age of 49.17 ± 11.02 years.The most common cause of liver cirrhosis was chronic hepatitis B(55.9%).The prevalence of MHE was 39.9% and varied by ChildPugh-Classification score(CPC-A:24.8%,CPC-B:39.4% and CPC-C:56.1%,P < 0.01).MHE(P < 0.01)and higher CPC scores(P < 0.01)were associated with a high HRQoL scores(reflecting poorer quality of life).The prevalence of MHE was proportionate to CPC(P = 0.01)and high quality of life scores(P = 0.01).CONCLUSION:Hospitalized cirrhotic patients have a high prevalence of MHE that is proportionate to the degree of liver function and HRQoL impairment.

Analysis on Nutritional Risk Screening and Influencing Factors of Hospitalized Patients in Central Urban Area

Rational nutritional support shall be based on nutritional screening and nutritional assessment. This study is aimed to explore nutritional risk screening and its influencing factors of hospitalized patients in central urban area. It is helpful for the early detection of problems in nutritional supports, nutrition management and the implementation of intervention measures, which will contribute a lot to improving the patient's poor clinical outcome. A total of three tertiary medical institutions were enrolled in this study. From October 2015 to June 2016, 1202 hospitalized patients aged ≥18 years were enrolled in Nutrition Risk Screening 2002(NRS2002) for nutritional risk screening, including 8 cases who refused to participate, 5 cases of same-day surgery and 5 cases of coma. A single-factor chi-square test was performed on 312 patients with nutritional risk and 872 hospitalized patients without nutritional risk. Logistic regression analysis was performed with univariate analysis(P<0.05), to investigate the incidence of nutritional risk and influencing factors. The incidence of nutritional risk was 26.35% in the inpatients, 25.90% in male and 26.84% in female, respectively. The single-factor analysis showed that the age ≥60, sleeping disorder, fasting, intraoperative bleeding, the surgery in recent month, digestive diseases, metabolic diseases and endocrine system diseases had significant effects on nutritional risk(P<0.05). Having considered the above-mentioned factors as independent variables and nutritional risk(Y=1, N=0) as dependent variable, logistic regression analysis revealed that the age ≥60, fasting, sleeping disorders, the surgery in recent month and digestive diseases are hazardous factors for nutritional risk. Nutritional risk exists in hospitalized patients in central urban areas. Nutritional risk screening should be conducted for inpatients. Nutritional intervention programs should be formulated in consideration of those influencing factors, which enable to reduce the nutritional risk and to promote the rehabilitation of inpatients.

Evaluation of metoprolol standard dosing pathway in Chinese patients with acute coronary syndrome:a prospective multicenter single-arm interventional study

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the feasibility and tolerability of metoprolol standard dosing pathway(MSDP)in Chinese patients with acute coronary syndrome(ACS).METHODS In this multicenter,prospective,open label,single-arm and interventional study that was conducted from February 2018 to April 2019 in fifteen Chinese hospitals.A total of 998 hospitalized patients aged≥18 years and diagnosed with ACS were included.The MSDP was applied to all eligible ACS patients based on the standard treatment recommended by international guidelines.The primary endpoint was the percentage of patients achieving the target dose at discharge(V2).The secondary endpoints included the heart rate and blood pressure at V2 and four weeks after discharge(V4),and percentage of patients experiencing bradycardia(heart rate<50 beats/min),hypotension(blood pressure<90/60 mmHg)and transient cardiac dysfunction at V2 and V4.RESULTS Of the 998 patients,29.46%of patients achieved the target dose(≥95 mg/d)at V2.The total population was divided into two groups:target group(patients achieving the target dose at V2)and non-target group(patients not achieving the target dose at V2).There was significant difference in the reduction of heart rate from baseline to discharge in the two groups(-4.97±11.90beats/min vs.-2.70±9.47 beats/min,P=0.034).There was no significant difference in the proportion of bradycardia that occurred in the two groups at V2(0 vs.0,P=1.000)and V4(0.81%vs.0.33%,P=0.715).There was no significant difference in the proportion of hypotension between the two groups at V2(0.004%vs.0.004%,P=1.000)and V4(0 vs.0.005%,P=0.560).No transient cardiac dysfunction occurred in two groups during the study.A total of five adverse events(1.70%)and one serious adverse event(0.34%)were related to the pathway in target group.CONCLUSIONS In Chinese ACS patients,the feasibility and tolerability of the MSDP have been proved to be acceptable.

基于脱细胞后鱼皮细胞外基质的生物打印水凝胶纺织品用于创面修复

创面修复具有普遍性、治疗困难、患者众多和医疗负担沉重的特点,一直是临床研究的热点。为了满足特定需求,研究者投入了大量科研力量,致力于开发各种个性化需求和功能的伤口敷料。在这方面,我们提出了一种基于鱼皮脱细胞的细胞外基质(d ECM)水凝胶纺织品用于创面修复。鱼源的d ECM具有理想的生物相容性,并且通过生物打印技术制备的纺织品在细胞黏附和增殖方面表现出卓越的性能。此外,基于d ECM的水凝胶纺织品采用生物打印技术生成,因此具有可调节的多孔结构,使整个纺织品具备良好的透气性。而且,水凝胶骨架上的多孔结构高比表面积使其能够负载多种活性分子,从而提高创面愈合效果。通过体内研究结果,我们证明了这种制备的纺织品负载活性药物分子姜黄素(Cur)和碱性成纤维细胞生长因子(b FGF)能够显著加速慢性创面的修复过程。这些结果表明鱼皮d ECM纺织品在创面修复和生物医学工程领域具有潜在的价值。

Substance P promotes epidural fibrosis via induction of type 2 macrophages

In response to spinal surgery,neurons secrete a large amount of substance P into the epidural area.Substance P is involved in macrophage differentiation and fibrotic disease.However,the specific roles and mechanisms of substance P in epidural fibrosis remain unclear.In this study,we established a mouse model of L1–L3 laminectomy and found that dorsal root ganglion neurons and the macrophages infiltrating into the wound area released sphingolipids.In vitro experiments revealed that type 1 macrophages secreted substance P,which promoted differentiation of type 1 macrophages towards a type 2 phenotype.High-throughput mRNA-seq analysis revealed that the sphingolipid metabolic pathway may be involved in the regulation of type 2 macrophages by substance P.Specifically,sphingomyelin synthase 2,a component of the sphingolipid metabolic pathway,promoted M2 differentiation in substance P-treated macrophages,while treating the macrophages with LY93,a sphingomyelin synthase 2 inhibitor,suppressed M2 differentiation.In addition,substance P promoted the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps,which further boosted M2 differentiation.Blocking substance P with the neurokinin receptor 1 inhibitor RP67580 decreased the number of M2 macrophages in the wound area after spinal surgery and alleviated epidural fibrosis,as evidenced by decreased fibronectin,α-smooth muscle actin,and collagen I in the scar tissue.These results demonstrated that substance P promotes M2 macrophage differentiation in epidural fibrosis via sphingomyelin synthase 2 and neutrophil extracellular traps.These findings provide a novel strategy for the treatment of epidural fibrosis.

Differentiate Xp11.2 Translocation Renal Cell Carcinoma from Computed Tomography Images and Clinical Data with ResNet-18 CNN and XGBoost

This study aims to apply ResNet-18 convolutional neural network(CNN)and XGBoost to preoperative computed tomography(CT)images and clinical data for distinguishing Xp11.2 translocation renal cell carcinoma(Xp11.2 tRCC)from common subtypes of renal cell carcinoma(RCC)in order to provide patients with individualized treatment plans.Data from45 patients with Xp11.2 tRCC fromJanuary 2007 to December 2021 are collected.Clear cell RCC(ccRCC),papillary RCC(pRCC),or chromophobe RCC(chRCC)can be detected from each patient.CT images are acquired in the following three phases:unenhanced,corticomedullary,and nephrographic.A unified framework is proposed for the classification of renal masses.In this framework,ResNet-18 CNN is employed to classify renal cancers with CT images,while XGBoost is adopted with clinical data.Experiments demonstrate that,if applying ResNet-18 CNN or XGBoost singly,the latter outperforms the former,while the framework integrating both technologies performs similarly or better than urologists.Especially,the possibility of misclassifying Xp11.2 tRCC,pRCC,and chRCC as ccRCC by the proposed framework is much lower than urologists.

Time in range as a useful marker for evaluating retinal functional changes in diabetic retinopathy patients

·AIM:To elucidate the relationship between macular sensitivity and time in range(TIR)obtained from continuous glucose monitoring(CGM)measures in diabetic patients with or without diabetic retinopathy(DR).·METHODS:This was a cross-sectional study including 100 eyes of non-DR patients and 60 eyes of DR patients.An advanced microperimetry was used to quantitate the retinal mean sensitivity(MS)and fixation stability in central macula.TIR of 3.9-10.0 mmol/L was evaluated with CGM.Pearson coefficient analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were used to assess the correlation between TIR and retinal sensitivity.·RESULTS:In a comparison of non-DR patients,significant differences(P<0.05)were found in Hb A1c,TIR,coefficient of variation(CV),standard deviation of blood glucose(SDBG)and mean amplitude of glucose excursion(MAGE)values in DR patients.Besides,those DR patients had significantly poor best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA,log MAR,P=0.001).In terms of microperimetry parameters,retinal mean sensitivity(MS)and the percentages of fixation points located within 2°and 4°diameter circles were significantly decreased in the DR group(P<0.001,P<0.001,P=0.02,respectively).The bivariate contour ellipse area(BCEA)encompassing 68.2%,95.4%,99.6%of fixation points were all significantly increased in the DR group(P=0.01,P=0.006,P=0.01,respectively).Correlation analysis showed that MS were significantly correlated with Hb A1c(P=0.01).TIR was positively correlated with MS(r=0.23,P=0.01).SDBG was negatively correlated with MS(r=-0.24,P=0.01)but there was no correlation between CV and MAGE with MS(P>0.05).A multivariable linear regression analysis was performed to prove that TIR and SDBG were both independent risk factors for MS reduction in the DR group.·CONCLUSION:TIR is correlated with retinal MS reduction in DR patients,suggesting a useful option for evaluating DR progression.

Protective effects of ferulic acid against ionizing radiation-induced oxidative damage in rat lens through activating Nrf2 signal pathway

AIM: To examine the protection of ferulic acid(FA) against ionizing radiation(IR)-induced lens injury in rats, as well as the underlying mechanisms.METHODS: FA(50 mg/kg) was administered to rats for 4 consecutive days before they were given 10 Gy γ-radiation, as well as for 3 consecutive days afterward. Two weeks after radiation, the eye tissues were collected. Histological alterations were evaluated by hematoxylineosin staining. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was utilized to assess the activities of glutathione reductase(GR) and superoxide dismutase(SOD), as well as the levels of glutathione(GSH) and malondialdehyde(MDA) in the lenses. The protein and m RNA levels of Bcl-2, caspase-3, Bax, heme oxygenase-1(HO-1), and glutamatecysteine ligase catalytic subunit(GCLC) were quantified using Western blot and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, respectively. With nuclear extracts, the nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor(Nrf2) protein expressions in the nuclei were also measured.RESULTS: Rats exposed to IR showed lens histological alterations which could be alleviated by FA. FA treatment reversed apoptosis-related markers in IR-induced lens, as evidenced by lower levels of Bax and caspase-3 and higher level of Bcl-2. Furthermore, IR induced oxidative damage manifested by decreased GSH level, increased MDA level, and decreased SOD and GR activities. FA boosted nuclear translocation of Nrf2 and increased the expressions of HO-1 and GCLC to inhibit oxidative stress, as evidenced by an increase in GSH, a decrease in MDA, and an increase in GR and SOD activities.CONCLUSION: FA may work well in preventing and treating IR-induced cataract through promoting the Nrf2 signal pathway to attenuate oxidative damage and cell apoptosis.