A multimodal transformer system for noninvasive diabetic nephropathy diagnosis via retinal imaging.

Differentiating between diabetic nephropathy (DN) and non-diabetic renal disease (NDRD) without a kidney biopsy remains a major challenge, often leading to missed opportunities for targeted treatments that could greatly improve NDRD outcomes. To reform the traditional biopsy-all diagnostic paradigm and avoid unnecessary biopsy, we developed a transformer-based deep learning (DL) system for detecting DN and NDRD upon non-invasive multi-modal data of fundus images and clinical characteristics. Our Trans-MUF achieved an AUC of 0.

Uric acid mediates the relationship between mixed heavy metal exposure and renal function in older adult people.

Background: Population aging is a pivotal trend observed globally, and the exposure to heavy metals can exacerbate the aging process and lead to kidney damage. However, the impact of combined heavy metal exposure on renal function among older individuals remains elusive. Our study employs machine learning techniques to delve into the effects and underlying mechanisms of mixed exposure to heavy metals on the renal function of the aging population.

Peripheral Soluble Immune Checkpoint-Related Proteins Were Associated with Survival and Treatment Efficacy of Osteosarcoma Patients, a Cohort Study.

Background: The immune checkpoint blockade remains obscure in osteosarcoma (OS). We aim to explore the clinical significance of soluble immune checkpoint (ICK)-related proteins in OS.

Methods: We profiled 14 soluble ICK-related proteins (BTLA, GITR, HVEM, IDO, LAG-3, PD-1, PD-L1, PD-L2, TIM-3, CD28, CD80, CD137, CD27, and CTLA-4) in the plasma of 76 OS patients and matched controls.

Association of fat mass and fat-free mass with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in Asian individuals: A prospective cohort study.

Objective: The study's objective was to investigate the association of fat mass index (FMI) and fat-free mass index (FFMI) with all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality in the Chinese population.

Methods: A total of 422,430 participants (48.1% men and 51.

Deep multi-task learning for nephropathy diagnosis on immunofluorescence images.

Background And Objective: As an advanced technique, immunofluorescence (IF) is one of the most widely-used medical image for nephropathy diagnosis, due to its ease of acquisition with low cost. In practice, the clinically collected IF images are commonly corrupted by blurs at different degrees, mainly because of the inaccurate focus at the acquisition stage. Although deep neural network (DNN) methods achieve the great success in nephropathy diagnosis, their performance dramatically drops over the blurred IF images.

6-Year trajectory of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and mortality risk among individuals with normal FPG at baseline: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Higher fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels were associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality; however, the associations between long-term FPG trajectory groups and mortality were unclear, especially among individuals with a normal FPG level at the beginning. The aims of this study were to examine the associations of FPG trajectories with the risk of mortality and identify modifiable lifestyle factors related to these trajectories.

Methods: We enrolled 50,919 individuals aged ≥ 20 years old, who were free of diabetes at baseline, in the prospective MJ cohort.

Prediction of risk and overall survival of pancreatic cancer from blood soluble immune checkpoint-related proteins.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibition holds promise as a novel treatment for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The clinical significance of soluble immune checkpoint (ICK) related proteins have not yet fully explored in PDAC.

Methods: We comprehensively profiled 14 soluble ICK-related proteins in plasma in 70 PDAC patients and 70 matched healthy controls.

Peritoneal Dialysis Care in Mainland China: Nationwide Survey.

Background: Peritoneal dialysis (PD) care in mainland China has been progressing in the past 10 years.

Objective: To complement information from the dialysis registry, a large-scale nationwide survey was conducted to investigate the current infrastructure and management of PD care at hospitals of different tiers.

Methods: A web-based multiple-choice questionnaire was distributed through the National Center for Nephrology Medical Quality Management and Control to PD centers of secondary and tertiary hospitals in October 2020.

The role of gut-dependent molecule trimethylamine N-oxide as a novel target for the treatment of chronic kidney disease.

Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is an intestinal uremic toxin molecule mainly excreted by the kidney. Therefore, the plasma TMAO concentration is significantly increased in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, and plasma TMAO can be cleared by dialysis. Furthermore, TMAO damage the kidney mainly through three mechanisms: oxidative stress, inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Enhancement of the light output efficiency and thermal stability of AlGaN-based deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes with Ag-nanodot-based p-contacts and an 8-nm p-GaN cap layer.

The efficiency of AlGaN-based deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (DUV LEDs) is limited by the high absorption issue of the p-GaN contact layer or poor contact properties of the transparent p-AlGaN contact layer. Enhancement of the light output efficiency and thermal stability of DUV LEDs with an emission wavelength of 272 nm was investigated in this work. Ag nanodots on an 8-nm p-GaN cap layer were used to form ohmic contact, and Al and Mg reflective mirrors were employed to enhance the light output power (LOP) of DUV LEDs.

Evolving peritoneal dialysis care in Chinese mainland from 2010 to 2020: Comparison data from two surveys.

Introduction: Along with the peritoneal dialysis (PD)-favored policy in China and the implementation of more comprehensive PD management, PD has evolved in Chinese mainland over the last decade. Despite the existence of national registries and several provincial epidemiological descriptive studies, there was almost no national research on the changing trajectory in PD population. A comparison study, based on two national surveys that were 10 years apart, was conducted to reveal the evolvement of PD care in Chinese mainland.

Social inequalities in COVID-19 mortality by area and individual-level characteristics in Canada, January to July/August 2020: Results from two national data integrations.

Background: Despite early reports of social determinants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) burden, national Canadian reporting on COVID-19 inequalities has been limited. The objective of this study is to describe inequalities in COVID-19 mortality in Canada using preliminary data, as part of the Pan-Canadian Health Inequalities Reporting Initiative.

Methods: Two provisional Canadian Vital Statistics Death Database integrations were used.

Optimization of annealing conditions for Ag/p-GaN ohmic contacts.

The electrical and optical properties of Ag/p-GaN contacts have been investigated as a function of the annealing temperature, oxygen concentration, and annealing time. Specific contact resistance ( ) values as low as 1.2 × 10 Ω·cm were obtained from the Ag/p-GaN contact annealed at 400 °C for 60 s in ambient O/N (1:10).

Multi-Task Learning-Based Immunofluorescence Classification of Kidney Disease.

Chronic kidney disease is one of the most important causes of mortality worldwide, but a shortage of nephrology pathologists has led to delays or errors in its diagnosis and treatment. Immunofluorescence (IF) images of patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN), membranous nephropathy (MN), diabetic nephropathy (DN), and lupus nephritis (LN) were obtained from the General Hospital of Chinese PLA. The data were divided into training and test data.

Relationships among the Dosage of Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents, Erythropoietin Resistance Index, and Mortality in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients.

Background: Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) constitute an important treatment option for anemia in hemodialysis (HD) patients. We investigated the relationships among the dosage of ESA, erythropoietin resistance index (ERI) scores, and mortality in Chinese MHD patients.

Methods: This multicenter observational retrospective study included MHD patients from 16 blood purification centers (n = 824) who underwent HD in 2011-2015 and were followed up until December 31, 2016.

Local hepcidin increased intracellular iron overload via the degradation of ferroportin in the kidney.

Background: Hepcidin is a key regulator of iron homeostasis. Some studies showed that exogenous hepcidin decreased the expression of divalent metal transporter (DMT1) rather than ferroportin(FPN1) to regulate renal iron metabolism. This study explored the effects of hepcidin synthesized by the kidney and its mechanism of iron regulation.

Inhibition of the Notch1 Pathway Promotes the Effects of Nucleus Pulposus Cell-Derived Exosomes on the Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Nucleus Pulposus-Like Cells in Rats.

Stem cell therapies for intervertebral disc degeneration have been demonstrated as a promising strategy. Previous studies have shown that human nucleus pulposus cell- (NPC-) derived exosomes can induce the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into NP-like cells in vitro. However, the mechanism of MSC differentiation into NP-like cells with the induction of NPC exosomes is still unclear.

A Case-Control Study of Risk Factors for Salivary Gland Cancer in Canada.

. To assess the effect of various lifestyle risk factors on the risk of salivary gland cancer in Canada using data from a population-based case-control study. .

Relation of insulin resistance with social-demographics, adiposity and behavioral factors in non-diabetic adult Canadians.

Background: Insulin resistance is a pathogenic factor for type II diabetes and has been associated with metabolic abnormalities and adverse clinical outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between insulin resistance and socio-demographics, adiposity and behavioral factors in the general, non-diabetic adult Canadian population.

Methods: Data for 3515 non-diabetic adults aged 18 to 79 years from the Canadian Health Measures Survey (cycles 1 and 2, 2007-2011) were analyzed.

Breast cancer detection and survival among women with cosmetic breast implants: systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

Objectives: To evaluate whether the stage distribution among women diagnosed as having breast cancer differs between those who have received breast implants for cosmetic purposes and those with no implants and to evaluate whether cosmetic breast augmentation before the detection of breast cancer is a predictor of post-diagnosis survival.

Design: Systematic review of observational studies with two meta-analyses.

Data Sources: Systematic search of the literature published before September 2012 conducted in Medline, Embase, Global health, CINAHL, IPAB, and PsycINFO.

Do breast implants adversely affect prognosis among those subsequently diagnosed with breast cancer? Findings from an extended follow-up of a Canadian cohort.

Background: Cosmetic breast implants may impair the ability to detect breast cancers. The aims of this study were to examine whether implants and implant characteristics are associated with more advanced breast tumors at diagnosis and poorer survival.

Methods: Study population includes all invasive breast cancer cases diagnosed during follow-up of the large Canadian Breast Implant Cohort.

Increasing incidence in liver cancer in Canada, 1972-2006: Age-period-cohort analysis.

Background/aims: Our study aimed to assess 1) the temporal trends in incidence and mortality of liver cancer and 2) age-period-cohort effects on the incidence in Canada.

Methods: We analyzed data obtained from the Canadian Cancer Registry Database and Canadian Vital Statistics Death Database. We first examined temporal trends by sex, age group, and birth cohort between 1972 and 2006.

Canadian breast implant cohort: extended follow-up of cancer incidence.

Cosmetic breast implants are not associated with increased breast cancer incidence, but variations of risk according to implant characteristics are still poorly understood. As well, the assessment of cancer risk for sites other than breast needs to be clarified. The purpose of this study was to fill these research gaps.

Antioxidants and breast cancer risk- a population-based case-control study in Canada.

Background: The effect of antioxidants on breast cancer is still controversial. Our objective was to assess the association between antioxidants and breast cancer risk in a large population-based case-control study.

Methods: The study population included 2,362 cases with pathologically confirmed incident breast cancer (866 premenopausal and 1,496 postmenopausal) and 2,462 controls in Canada.