Regulation of chondrocyte apoptosis in osteoarthritis by endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Osteoarthritis (OA), a common degenerative joint disease, is characterized by the apoptosis of chondrocytes as a primary pathophysiological change, with endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) playing a crucial role. It has been demonstrated that an imbalance in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis can lead to ERS, activating three cellular adaptive response pathways through the unfolded protein response to restore ER homeostasis. Mild ERS exerts a protective effect on cells, while prolonged ERS that disrupts the self-regulatory balance of the ER activates apoptotic signaling pathways, leading to chondrocyte apoptosis and hastening OA progression.

An ensemble machine learning model assists in the diagnosis of gastric ectopic pancreas and gastric stromal tumors.

Objective: To develop an ensemble machine learning (eML) model using multiphase computed tomography (MPCT) for distinguishing between gastric ectopic pancreas (GEP) and gastric stromal tumors (GIST) in lesions < 3 cm.

Methods: In this study, we retrospectively collected MPCT images from 138 patients between April 2017 and June 2023 across two centers. Cohort 1 comprised 94 patients divided into a training cohort and an internal validation cohort, while the 44 patients from Cohort 2 constituted the external validation cohort.

Cross-species single-cell landscapes identify the pathogenic gene characteristics of inherited retinal diseases.

Introduction: Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) affect ∼4.5 million people worldwide. Elusive pathogenic variants in over 280 genes are associated with one or more clinical forms of IRDs.

Association between severity of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and major adverse cardiovascular events in patients assessed by coronary computed tomography angiography.

Background: The effect of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) on major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) can be influenced by the degree of coronary artery stenosis. However, the association between the severity of NAFLD and MACEs in patients who underwent coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is unclear.

Methods: A total of 341 NAFLD patients who underwent CCTA were enrolled.

A Mettl16/mA/mybl2b/Igf2bp1 axis ensures cell cycle progression of embryonic hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.

Prenatal lethality associated with mouse knockout of Mettl16, a recently identified RNA N6-methyladenosine (mA) methyltransferase, has hampered characterization of the essential role of METTL16-mediated RNA mA modification in early embryonic development. Here, using cross-species single-cell RNA sequencing analysis, we found that during early embryonic development, METTL16 is more highly expressed in vertebrate hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) than other methyltransferases. In Mettl16-deficient zebrafish, proliferation capacity of embryonic HSPCs is compromised due to G1/S cell cycle arrest, an effect whose rescue requires Mettl16 with intact methyltransferase activity.

Study on the diffusion and deposition law of pore slurry in gangue filling zone based on CFD-DEM coupling.

In this study, the slurry diffusion in a cavity filled with coal gangue was studied by combining experimental and numerical simulation methods. By calibrating slurry and particle materials, the grouting process in coal gangue filling area is simulated successfully, and the change of slurry diffusion flow field and particle movement and settling process in different dimensions are deeply analyzed. Both experimental and numerical simulation results show that the particle settlement presents a bell-shaped curve, which is of great significance for understanding the particle movement and settlement behavior in the filling cavity.

The splicing factor Prpf31 is required for hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell expansion during zebrafish embryogenesis.

Pre-mRNA splicing is a precise regulated process and is crucial for system development and homeostasis maintenance. Mutations in spliceosomal components have been found in various hematopoietic malignancies (HMs) and have been considered as oncogenic derivers of HMs. However, the role of spliceosomal components in normal and malignant hematopoiesis remains largely unknown.

Development of a multi-phase CT-based radiomics model to differentiate heterotopic pancreas from gastrointestinal stromal tumor.

Background: To investigate whether CT-based radiomics can effectively differentiate between heterotopic pancreas (HP) and gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), and whether different resampling methods can affect the model's performance.

Methods: Multi-phase CT radiological data were retrospectively collected from 94 patients. Of these, 40 with HP and 54 with GISTs were enrolled between April 2017 and November 2021.

CTA-Based Radiomics and Area Change Rate Predict Infrarenal Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Patients Events: A Multicenter Study.

Rationale And Objectives: Clinical assessment of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) intervention and rupture risk relies primarily on maximum diameter, but studies have shown that sole dependence on diameter has limitations. CTA-based radiomics, aneurysm and lumen area change rates (AACR, LACR) are measured to predict potential AAA events.

Materials And Methods: Between January 2017 and November 2022, 260 AAA patients from four centers who underwent two preoperative CTA examinations were included in this retrospective study.

Olfactory system structure and function in newly hatched and adult locusts.

An important question in neuroscience is how sensory systems change as animals grow and interact with the environment. Exploring sensory systems in animals as they develop can reveal how networks of neurons process information as the neurons themselves grow and the needs of the animal change. Here we compared the structure and function of peripheral parts of the olfactory pathway in newly hatched and adult locusts.

Upper gastrointestinal tract microbiota with oral origin in relation to oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Poor oral hygiene is linked to high risks of many systemic diseases, including cancers. Oral dysbiosis is closely associated with poor oral hygiene, causing tooth loss, gingivitis, and periodontitis. We provide a summary of studies and discuss the risk factors for oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) from a microbial perspective in this review.

The splicing factor DHX38 enables retinal development through safeguarding genome integrity.

DEAH-Box Helicase 38 (DHX38) is a pre-mRNA splicing factor and also a disease-causing gene of autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (arRP). The role of DHX38 in the development and maintenance of the retina remains largely unknown. In this study, by using the knockout zebrafish model, we demonstrated that Dhx38 deficiency causes severe differentiation defects and apoptosis of retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) through disrupted mitosis and increased DNA damage.

Innate attraction and aversion to odors in locusts.

Many animals display innate preferences for some odors, but the physiological mechanisms underlying these preferences are poorly understood. Here, with behavioral tests, we establish a model system well suited to investigating olfactory mechanisms, the locust Schistocerca americana. We conducted open field tests in an arena designed to provide only olfactory cues to guide navigation choices.

ECG-based cardiodynamicsgram can reflect anomalous functional information in coronary artery disease.

Background: The cardiodynamicsgram (CDG), a novel noninvasive method, extracts dynamic ST-T segment information from an electrocardiogram (ECG) through deterministic learning.

Hypothesis: The CDG can reflect anomalous functional information in coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 456 patients with suspected CAD who underwent coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) from January 2020 to 2022, followed immediately by standard 12-lead ECG acquisition.

A Novel Sample-to-Answer Visual Nucleic Acid Detection System for Adenovirus Detection.

Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) are common viruses that can cause local outbreaks in schools, communities and military camps, posing a huge threat to public health. An ideal POCT device for adenovirus detection in resource-limited settings is critical to control the spread of the virus. In this study, we developed an integrated and electricity-independent sample-to-answer system that can complete nucleic acid extraction, amplification, and detection at room temperature.

Ultrasound image-based deep learning to differentiate tubal-ovarian abscess from ovarian endometriosis cyst.

We developed ultrasound (US) image-based convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to distinguish between tubal-ovarian abscess (TOA) and ovarian endometriosis cyst (OEC). A total of 202 patients who underwent US scanning and confirmed tubal-ovarian abscess or ovarian endometriosis cyst by pathology were enrolled in retrospective research, in which 171 patients (from January 2014 to September 2021) were considered the primary cohort (training, validation, and internal test sets) and 31 patients (from September 2021 to December 2021) were considered the independent test cohort. There were 68 tubal-ovarian abscesses and 89 OEC, 4 TOA and 10 OEC, and 10 TOA and 21 OEC patients belonging to training and validation sets, internal sets, and independent test sets, respectively.

Using deep learning to predict survival outcome in non-surgical cervical cancer patients based on pathological images.

Purpose: We analyzed clinical features and the representative HE-stained pathologic images to predict 5-year overall survival via the deep-learning approach in cervical cancer patients in order to assist oncologists in designing the optimal treatment strategies.

Methods: The research retrospectively collected 238 non-surgical cervical cancer patients treated with radiochemotherapy from 2014 to 2017. These patients were randomly divided into the training set (n = 165) and test set (n = 73).

CT-based radiomics nomogram for differentiation of adrenal hyperplasia from lipid-poor adenoma: an exploratory study.

Background: To establish and verify a radiomics nomogram for differentiating isolated micronodular adrenal hyperplasia (iMAD) from lipid-poor adenoma (LPA) based on computed tomography (CT)-extracted radiomic features.

Methods: A total of 148 patients with iMAD or LPA were divided into three cohorts: a training cohort (n = 72; 37 iMAD and 35 LPA), a validation cohort (n = 36; 22 iMAD and 14 LPA), and an external validation cohort (n = 40; 20 iMAD and 20 LPA). Radiomics features were extracted from contrast-enhanced and non-contrast CT images.

circFOXK2 promotes the progression of osteoarthritis by regulating the miR-4640-5p/NOTCH2 axis.

Objectives: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common age-related chronic and disabling joint disease, frequently causing pain and disability in the adult population. Given that there are no proven disease-modifying drugs for OA, it is urgent to gain a deeper understanding of OA pathogenesis. This study intended to uncover the circFOXK2 regulation in OA.

Evaluation and countermeasures of contracted services of Chinese family doctors from demanders' point of view - a case study of a city.

Background: The "gatekeepers" for residents' health are their family doctors. The implementation of contracted services provided by family doctors is conducive to promoting hierarchical diagnosis and treatment and achieving the objective of providing residents comprehensive and full-cycle health services. Since its implementation in 2016, the contract service system for Chinese family doctors has yielded a number of results while also highlighting a number of issues that require further investigation.

Tulp1 deficiency causes early-onset retinal degeneration through affecting ciliogenesis and activating ferroptosis in zebrafish.

Mutations in TUB-like protein 1 (TULP1) are associated with severe early-onset retinal degeneration in humans. However, the pathogenesis remains largely unknown. There are two homologous genes of TULP1 in zebrafish, namely tulp1a and tulp1b.

Ultrasound Image-Based Deep Features and Radiomics for the Discrimination of Small Fat-Poor Angiomyolipoma and Small Renal Cell Carcinoma.

We evaluated the performance of ultrasound image-based deep features and radiomics for differentiating small fat-poor angiomyolipoma (sfp-AML) from small renal cell carcinoma (SRCC). This retrospective study included 194 patients with pathologically proven small renal masses (diameter ≤4 cm; 67 in the sfp-AML group and 127 in the SRCC group). We obtained 206 and 364 images from the sfp-AML and SRCC groups with experienced radiologist identification, respectively.

A TiN@C core-shell support for improving Pt catalyst corrosion resistance.

The corrosion of the support in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is a major obstacle to their development. In this study, we combined the excellent corrosion resistance and strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) provided by titanium nitride (TiN) with the excellent conductivity of carbon to construct a TiN@C composite support composed of a TiN core and a porous carbon nanolayer shell. The composite TiN@C support exhibited a higher corrosion resistance than the carbon support during testing at 1.