Objective
This study aimed to create a group of nursing intervention (cluster nursing) strategies of phototherapy for neonates and to evaluate clinical effects of intervention measures on reducing ...neonatal jaundice in neonates.
Methods
We performed a prospective study. A total of 141 patients with neonatal ABO hemolytic jaundice were included and randomly divided into two groups: intervention group and control group. The intervention group adopted cluster nursing measures in combination with continuous phototherapy (blue light), while the control group adopted routine nursing together with continuous phototherapy (blue light).
Results
No differences were observed in general characteristics between the groups. On the seventh day of treatment, percutaneous bilirubin levels were significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group. On the seventh day of treatment, milk intake was significantly higher and the duration of hospitalization was significantly shorter in the intervention group than in the control group.
Conclusion
Use of cluster nursing measures in combination with phototherapy in neonatal ABO hemolysis can effectively reduce bilirubin levels, improve symptoms of jaundice, and shorten the course of the disease.
Abstract
Background
Giant cell tumors of the mobile spine invasion of the adjacent vertebrae are an ignored imaging finding.
Methods
Nine patients with giant cell tumors of the mobile spine with ...invasion of the adjacent vertebrae confirmed by pathology were enrolled. Eight patients had pure giant cell tumors (GCTs), while one patient also had an aneurysmal bone cyst. All patients underwent conventional computed tomography, three-dimensional reconstruction, and conventional magnetic resonance imaging, while seven patients also underwent post-contrast magnetic resonance imaging.
Results
All patients showed GCTs of the mobile spine that arose from the vertebral body and extended to the vertebral arch. The tumors showed soft-tissue attenuation with no evidence of a mineralized matrix. Pathological fracture was seen in five patients. The margin of the original tumor showed partial sclerosis in four patients and involved an adjacent vertebral body with a sclerotic rim in two patients. The tumors showed a homogeneous and similar signal intensity to the normal spinal cord on T1WI (T1-weighted image) in five patients. The cystic area of the tumors was hyperintense on T2WI in the remaining four patients, while one patient showed hemorrhage that was hyperintense on T1WI. The solid components of the GCTs show marked enhancement in all cases, while the cystic area of the tumors was observed without enhancement on contrast-enhanced images in four patients. Bone destruction of the adjacent vertebral body showed a homogeneous signal on T1WI and T2WI and marked enhancement on contrast-enhanced images.
Conclusions
Giant cell tumors of the mobile spine with invasion into adjacent vertebrae are an unusual imaging finding. Radiologists should be familiar with this imaging characteristic.
Objectives
This study evaluated the ability of a preoperative contrast-enhanced CT (CECT)–based radiomics nomogram to differentiate benign and malignant primary retroperitoneal tumors (PRT).
Methods
...Images and data from 340 patients with pathologically confirmed PRT were randomly placed into training (
n
= 239) and validation sets (
n
= 101). Two radiologists independently analyzed all CT images and made measurements. Key characteristics were identified through least absolute shrinkage selection combined with four machine-learning classifiers (support vector machine, generalized linear model, random forest, and artificial neural network back propagation) to create a radiomics signature. Demographic data and CECT characteristics were analyzed to formulate a clinico-radiological model. Independent clinical variables were merged with the best-performing radiomics signature to develop a radiomics nomogram. The discrimination capacity and clinical value of three models were quantified by the area under the receiver operating characteristics (AUC), accuracy, and decision curve analysis.
Results
The radiomics nomogram was able to consistently differentiate between benign and malignant PRT in the training and validation datasets, with AUCs of 0.923 and 0.907, respectively. Decision curve analysis manifested that the nomogram achieved higher clinical net benefits than did separate use of the radiomics signature and clinico-radiological model.
Conclusions
The preoperative nomogram is valuable for differentiating between benign and malignant PRT; it can also aid in treatment planning.
Key Points
• A noninvasive and accurate preoperative determination of benign and malignant PRT is crucial to identifying suitable treatments and predicting disease prognosis.
• Associating the radiomics signature with clinical factors facilitates differentiation of malignant from benign PRT with improved diagnostic efficacy (AUC) and accuracy from 0.772 to 0.907 and from 0.723 to 0.842, respectively, compared with the clinico-radiological model alone.
• For some PRT with anatomically special locations and when biopsy is extremely difficult and risky, a radiomics nomogram may provide a promising preoperative alternative for distinguishing benignity and malignancy.
Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the vascular wall with multiple causes. AS is the primary pathological basis of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Moreover, carotid plaque ...rupture and thrombus formation are the main causes of ischemic stroke. Therefore, understanding the formation of carotid plaques may help improve the prediction and prevention of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. Endothelial cell dysfunction results in re‑endothelialization and angiogenesis in atherosclerotic plaques, thus promoting plaque destabilization. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of circular RNA (circRNA) molecules in serum exosomes (serum‑Exos) from patients with stable plaque atherosclerosis (SA) and unstable/vulnerable plaque atherosclerosis (UA). Specifically, the effect of circRNA on human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) behavior and the mechanisms underlying plaque destabilization in AS were evaluated. Serum‑Exos were isolated, then identified using transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis and western blotting. The serum‑Exo‑circRNA expression profile of patients with SA or UA was investigated using a circRNA array. The relationship between circRNA‑006896 in serum‑Exos and biochemical parameters of patients with SA and UA were analyzed using Spearman's correlation. In addition, HUVECs were incubated with serum‑Exos for
functional assays. The present study demonstrated that circRNAs expression profiles in SA and UA serum‑Exos were significantly different, indicating a potential role for circRNAs in carotid plaque destabilization. The expression of circRNA‑0006896 was positively correlated with triglyceride, low‑density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‑C) and C‑reactive protein levels, and negatively correlated with albumin levels in patients with UA. However, circRNA‑0006896 expression was positively correlated with LDL‑C in patients with SA. Using bioinformatic analysis, a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network was selected to study the regulatory roles of circRNA‑0006896 in serum‑Exos. Additionally, in HUVECs treated with serum‑Exos derived from patients with UA, the expression of circRNA‑0006896 in HUVECs was upregulated. This was accompanied by decreased expression of microRNA‑1264 and SOCS3, increased levels of DNMT1 and phosphorylated STAT3. HUVEC proliferation and migration were significantly increased in the UA group, compared with the mock and SA groups. This finding indicates that the circRNA‑0006896‑miR-1264‑DNMT1 axis plays an important role in carotid plaque destabilization by regulating the behavior of endothelial cells. Moreover, it suggests that circRNA‑0006896 may represent a therapeutic target for controlling JNK/STAT3 signaling in HUVECs. Thus, this study may provide insight on potential interventions against vulnerable plaque formation in patients with AS.
Purpose
The aim of this study was to compare the distribution patterns of microcalcifications in thyroid cancers with benign cases.
Methods
In total, 358 patients having microcalcifications on ...ultrasonography were analysed. Microcalcifications were categorised according to the distribution patterns: (I) microcalcifications inside one (a) or more (b) suspected nodules, (II) microcalcifications not only inside but also surrounding a suspected single (a) or multiple (b) nodules, and (III) focal (a) or diffuse (b) microcalcifications in the absence of any suspected nodule. Differences in distribution patterns of microcalcifications in benign and malignant thyroid lesions were compared.
Results
We found that the distribution patterns of microcalcifications differed between malignant (
n
= 325) and benign lesions (
n
= 117) (
X
2
= 9.926,
p
< 0.01). Benign lesions were classified as type Ia (66.7%), type Ib (29.1%) or type IIIa (4.3%). The specificity of type II and type IIIb in diagnosing malignant cases was 100%. Among malignant lesions, 172 locations were classified as type Ia, 106 as type Ib, 12 as type IIa, 7 as IIb, 7 as type IIIa and 19 as type IIIb. Accompanying Hashimoto thyroiditis was most frequent in type III (51.6%).
Conclusions
Types II and IIIb are highly specific for cancer detection. Microcalcifications outside a nodule and those detected in the absence of any nodule should therefore be reviewed carefully in clinical practice.
Key Points
•
A method to classify distribution patterns of thyroid microcalcifications is presented.
•
Distribution features of microcalcifications are useful for diagnosing thyroid cancers.
•
Microcalcifications outside a suspicious nodule are highly specific for thyroid cancers.
•
Microcalcifications without suspicious nodules should also alert the physician to thyroid cancers.
Nowadays, Study of comments in MicroBlog online public opinion is of great significance for relevant departments in managing public opinion, due to the increasing influence of online public opinion ...on the Internet. This paper presents a method for studying the evolutionary characteristics of netizens’ comment focus in university online public opinion. This method is based on a three-stage framework called Topic-Temporal-Focus. Firstly, in the topic mining stage, the KTF-BTM model is proposed for topic recognition, which effectively improves the quality of analysis. Secondly, in the temporal segmentation stage, time periods are divided into 4-hour intervals, and the identified topics are paired with each comment text to generate a topic-temporal list. Finally, in the focus recognition stage, the content and evolution patterns of netizens’ comment focus within shorter time sequences are explored by analyzing the data characteristics of the topic-temporal list. Experimental results show that the proposed KTF-BTM model significantly enhances topic recognition quality for short texts. The Topic-Temporal-Focus framework overcomes the challenge of sparse comment text data within shorter time periods and effectively classifies topic evolution within limited time sequences. This research work serves as a valuable contribution towards understanding the evolutionary characteristics of netizens’ focal points in university online public opinion.
For the identification of abnormally methylated differentially expressed genes (MDEGs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), this study integrated four microarray datasets to investigate the fundamental ...mechanisms of tumorigenesis.
We obtained the expression (GSE76427, GSE57957) and methylation (GSE89852, GSE54503) profiles from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The abnormally MDEGs were identified by using R software. We used the clusterProfiler package for the functional and pathway enrichment analysis. The String database was used to build the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and visualize it in Cytoscape. MCODE was employed in the module analysis. Additionally, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were employed to validate results. Lastly, we used cBioPortal software to examine the hub genetic alterations.
We identified 162 hypermethylated, down-regulated genes and 190 hypomethylated, up-regulated genes. Up-regulated genes with low methylation were enriched in biological processes, such as keratinocyte proliferation, and calcium homeostasis. Pathway analysis was enriched in the AMPK and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways. The PPI network identified PTK2, VWF, and ITGA2 as hypomethylated, high-expressing hub genes. Down-regulated genes with high methylation were related to responses to peptide hormones and estradiol, multi-multicellular organism process. Pathway analysis indicated enrichment in camp, oxytocin signaling pathways. The PPI network identified CFTR, ESR1, and CXCL12 as hypermethylated, low-expressing hub genes. Upon verification in TCGA databases, we found that the expression and methylation statuses of the hub genes changed significantly, and it was consistent with our results.
The novel abnormally MDEGs and pathways in HCC were identified. These results helped us further understand the molecular mechanisms underlying HCC invasion, metastasis, and development. Hub genes can serve as biomarkers for an accurate diagnosis and treatment of HCC, and PTK2, VWF, ITGA2, CFTR, ESR1, and CXCL12 are included.
To investigate imaging characteristics of spinal epidural cavernous hemangiomas (ECHs) and improve understanding of this rare disease.
This retrospective study included 7 cases of ECH, confirmed with ...surgical pathology and imaging. All patients underwent computed tomography and conventional magnetic resonance imaging. One patient underwent diffusion-weighted imaging.
ECH originated from vertebrae with coarsened trabeculae in 5 patients. Among these, 1 tumor was mainly in the intervertebral foramen and paravertebral space, 2 extended to the intraspinal and paravertebral spaces and appeared dumbbell-shaped, and 2 were located in the intraspinal space. Purely epidural hemangiomas were present in 2 patients; 1 of these patients had adjacent bony erosion. Epidural hemangiomas were isointense in 6 patients and hyperintense in 1 patient on T1-weighted images; lesions were hyperintense on T2-weighted images in all 7 patients. Peripheral fat was present in 4 ECHs; 2 were of vertebral origin, and 2 were of epidural space origin. In the patient who underwent diffusion-weighted imaging, the lesion showed restricted diffusion. The affected vertebra had coarsened trabeculae, which may be a critical finding for differentiating ECHs of vertebral origin from foraminal nerve sheath tumors. Peripheral fat around hemangiomas of vertebral origin and primary epidural space hemangiomas indicates chronicity.
ECHs are classified either as epidural hemangiomas of vertebral origin or as primary epidural hemangiomas. Awareness of imaging characteristics of ECHs may facilitate diagnosis and treatment of these lesions.
Purpose
Limited numbers of literatures have focused on the association between γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and chronic kidney disease (CKD), and their results were controversial. Therefore, in this ...study, we set up a large-scale cohort of Chinese population to discover and verify the association between serum GGT and CKD.
Methods
Our cohort study was based on 21,818 patients who visited Health Management Center of Shandong Provincial Hospital, China, to receive routine health check-up during the period of 2005–2010, and we used multivariate Cox regression model to clarify whether elevated serum GGT increased the risk of CKD or not.
Results
During the follow-up of 57,891 person-years, 1456 patients developed CKD, giving rise to an incidence density of 25.15 per 1000 person-years (1456/57,891 person-years). After adjusting gender, age, baseline serum creatinine (SCr), body mass index (BMI), serum albumin (ALB), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), hemoglobin, white blood cell count (WBC), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), hypertension, cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, smoking and drinking status, the risk for CKD increased with the elevated serum GGT quartiles. The hazard ratio (
HR
) for CKD was 1.326 (95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.073–1.639) when the top quartile of serum GGT was compared with the bottom one, and the
HR
of log-transformed serum GGT for CKD was 1.658 (95 % CI, 1.294–2.125). The results were consistent in males but different in females when gender was stratified.
Conclusion
The result reveals that there is a positive relationship between increasing serum GGT levels and the incidence of CKD which suggests that elevated GGT level could be a potential indicator for risk of CKD.
Tl-2212 superconducting films were fabricated on r-cut sapphire substrates buffered with (00l)-oriented CeO2 films. The buffer layers were deposited by the cerium dioxide sputtering target and the RF ...magnetron sputtering method. The epitaxial growth of CeO2 films on r-cut sapphire substrates was obtained over a wide range of sputtering parameters, such as temperature, pressure, power and Ar/O2 ratio. The Tl-2212 films grown on these buffer layers subsequently were purely c-axis orientation. The critical transition temperature of the best film was 105.6 K, the critical current density was 2.8 MA/cm2 (77 K, 0 T) and the surface resistance was 435 μΩ (10 GHz, 77 K).
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