Abstract
Background
The prevalence of neural tube defects (NTDs) in China declined during 2000–2017 with periconceptional folic acid (FA) supplementation, which is effective in reducing the risk of ...birth defects. We aimed to assess the knowledge and actual use of FA among Chinese pregnant women and to explore factors associated with FA use before pregnancy.
Methods
All data were collected in face-to-face interviews during health visits among pregnant women. We collected information about knowledge and use of FA supplements and demographic, socioeconomic, and health status. One maternity and childcare hospital was chosen in each of four cities: Beijing, Huaibei, Kunming, and Haikou. In total, 435 pregnant women were randomly recruited for interviews conducted from June to December 2016.
Results
A total of 428 pregnant women were included in this survey. Of these, 82.0% (351/428) knew that FA can prevent NTDs, and 75.9% (325/428) knew the correct time to take FA. Overall, 65.9% (282/428) of women knew both that FA can prevent NTDs and the recommended time to take FA before pregnancy. Approximately 95.1% (407/428) of women reported having ever taken FA, only 46.3% (198/428) had begun to take FA supplementation before conception, and 64.5% (109/169) of women from rural areas failed to take FA before pregnancy. Women living in northern China (odds ratio OR = 1.81, 95% confidence interval CI, 1.18–2.77), those with unplanned pregnancy (OR = 1.99, 95% CI 1.30–3.04), and highly educated women (OR = 2.37, 95% CI 1.45–3.88) were more likely to know about FA. Women who were homemakers (OR = 1.94, 95% CI 1.21–3.11) and had unplanned pregnancy (OR = 6.18, 95% CI 4.01–9.53) were less likely to begin taking FA before pregnancy.
Conclusions
Our survey showed that most pregnant women knew about FA. Although preconception intake of FA can help to reduce NTDs, improving the rate of FA intake before pregnancy is needed in urban areas of China, especially among homemakers and women from rural areas or with unplanned pregnancy. Campaigns are needed to increase awareness about FA and FA use before pregnancy among rural women, homemakers, and those with unplanned pregnancy and lower education levels.
Numerical simulation has increasingly become an effective method and powerful tool for performance-based earthquake engineering research. Amongst the existing research efforts, most numerical ...analyses were conducted using general-purpose commercial software, which to some extent limits in-depth investigations on specific topics with complicated nature. In consequence, this work develops a new shear wall element model and associated material constitutive models based on the open source finite element (FE) code OpenSees, in order to perform nonlinear seismic analyses of high-rise RC frame-core tube structures. A series of shear walls, a 141.8-m frame-core tube building and a super-tall building (the Shanghai Tower, with a height of 632m) are simulated. The rationality and reliability of the proposed element model and analysis method are validated through comparison with the available experimental data as well as the analytical results of a well validated commercial FE code. The research outcome will assist in providing a useful reference and an effective tool for further numerical analysis of the seismic behavior of tall and super-tall buildings.
•A new shear wall element model is proposed and implemented in OpenSees.•Shear wall element model is validated using published experimental data.•A modeling strategy is developed for simulating super-tall buildings using OpenSees.•Simulation of tall buildings is validated using well accepted commercial FE code.•A 42-story RC building model is accessible online to allow the work to be reproduced.
In the early February, 2020, we called up an experts’ committee with more than 30 Chinese experts from 11 national medical academic organizations to formulate the first edition of consensus statement ...on diagnosis, treatment and prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children, which has been published in this journal. With accumulated experiences in the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 in children, we have updated the consensus statement and released the second edition recently. The current version in English is a condensed version of the second edition of consensus statement on diagnosis, treatment and prevention of COVID-19 in children. In the current version, diagnosis and treatement criteria have been optimized, and early identification of severe and critical cases is highlighted. The early warning indicators for severe pediatric cases have been summarized which is utmost important for clinical practice. This version of experts consensus will be valuable for better prevention, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 in children worldwide.
Objectives
To construct a preoperative model for survival prediction in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) patients using ultrasound (US) based radiographic‐radiomics signatures.
Methods
Between ...April 2010 and September 2015, 170 patients with ICC who underwent curative resection were retrospectively recruited. Overall survival (OS)‐related radiographic signatures and radiomics signatures based on preoperative US were built and assessed through a time‐dependent receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. A nomogram was developed based on the selected predictors from the radiographic‐radiomics signatures and clinical and laboratory results of the training cohort (n = 127), validated in an independent testing cohort (n = 43) by the concordance index (C‐index), and compared with the Tumor Node Metastasis (TNM) cancer staging system as well as the radiographic and radiomics nomograms.
Results
The median areas under the curve of the radiomics signature and radiographic signature were higher than that of the TNM staging system in the testing cohort, although the values were not significantly different (0.76–0.82 versus 0.62, P = .485 and .264). The preoperative nomogram with CA 19‐9, sex, ascites, radiomics signature, and radiographic signature had C‐indexes of 0.72 and 0.75 in the training and testing cohorts, respectively, and it had significantly higher predictive performance than the 8th TNM staging system in the testing cohort (C‐index: 0.75 versus 0.67, P = .004) and a higher C‐index than the radiomics nomograms (0.75 versus 0.68, P = .044).
Conclusions
The preoperative nomogram integrated with the radiographic‐radiomics signature demonstrated good predictive performance for OS in ICC and was superior to the 8th TNM staging system.
Patients with hepatitis B‐related cirrhosis complicated with thrombocytopenia have a higher risk of bleeding, which may lead to higher mortality. We aimed to explore the efficacy and safety of ...recombinant human thrombopoietin (rhTPO) in the treatment of hepatitis B‐related cirrhosis complicated with severe thrombocytopenia. Patients with hepatitis B‐related compensated liver cirrhosis complicated with severe thrombocytopenia were divided into four groups according to the treatment method for thrombocytopenia. Platelet counts, the appearance of bleeding symptoms and adverse events were evaluated during the observation period. Also during the observational period, the platelet counts in the prednisone group, rhTPO group and prednisone plus rhTPO group were higher than those in the no treatment group. Patients without splenomegaly reacted better to rhTPO. Fewer bleeding events of grade 2 or worse were observed in the three treatment groups compared to the no treatment group. The platelet counts at baseline and treatment with rhTPO and/or prednisone were factors associated with bleeding events of grade 2 or worse in multivariate analysis. There could be a potential advantage for the use of rhTPO plus prednisone based on higher platelet counts and fewer bleeding events. Treatment with rhTPO was more effective in patients without splenomegaly.
Aberrant AKT activation contributes to cancer stem cell (CSC) traits in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We previously reported that CD73 activated AKT signaling via the Rap1/P110β cascade. Here, we ...further explored the roles of CD73 in regulating CSC characteristics of HCC.
CD73 expression modulations were conducted by lentiviral transfections. CD73+ fractions were purified by magnetic-based sorting, and fluorescent-activated cell sorting was used to assess differentiation potentials. A sphere-forming assay was performed to evaluate CSC traits in vitro, subcutaneous NOD/SCID mice models were generated to assess in vivo CSC features, and colony formation assays assessed drug resistance capacities. Stemness-associated gene expression was also determined, and underlying mechanisms were investigated by evaluating immunoprecipitation and ubiquitylation.
We found CD73 expression was positively associated with sphere-forming capacity and elevated in HCC spheroids. CD73 knockdown hindered sphere formation, Lenvatinib resistance, and stemness-associated gene expression, while CD73 overexpression achieved the opposite effects. Moreover, CD73 knockdown significantly inhibited the in vivo tumor propagation capacity. Notably, we found that CD73+ cells exhibited substantially stronger CSC traits than their CD73- counterparts. Mechanistically, CD73 exerted its pro-stemness activity through dual AKT-dependent mechanisms: activating SOX9 transcription via c-Myc, and preventing SOX9 degradation by inhibiting glycogen synthase kinase 3β. Clinically, the combined analysis of CD73 and SOX9 achieved a more accurate prediction of prognosis.
Collectively, CD73 plays a critical role in sustaining CSCs traits by upregulating SOX9 expression and enhancing its protein stability. Targeting CD73 might be a promising strategy to eradicate CSCs and reverse Lenvatinib resistance in HCC.
Spin-orbital interactions (SOI) in silicene results in the quantum-spin-Hall effect, while the Hubbard-induced Coulomb interaction in zigzag nanoribbons often generates a band gap with the ...anti-ferromagnetic (AF) spin orders on two edges. In this paper we systematically study these two joint contributions to the zigzag silicene-like nanoribbons (zSiNR). Some topological and magnetic phase transitions are investigated with different material parameters and external fields. We find when the ribbon width or the SOI value exceeds some critical value, the SOI may overcome the Coulomb interaction and the system transits from a band insulator to a topological insulator: the quantum-spin-Hall or the spin quantum-anomalous Hall state. We also find some magnetic phase transition exists in the Hubbard-dominated zSiNR systems when the exchange field or the electric field goes beyond some critical values. Lastly we observe a double topological/magnetic phase transition in a Hubbard-SOI-balanced zSiNR system before the magnetic and topological phases are destroyed by a strong electric field.
3D movies have become very popular in recent years. But there are vertical disparities between left and right views of 3D frames due to the lack of accuracy of the mechanical alignment during the ...shooting. In order to improve accuracy of reconstruction, a three-dimensional reconstruction technology based on multi-view photometric stereo fusion algorithm in movies special-effect production is present in this paper. The original normal is firstly replaced with the surface normal in the average normal, and the reconstructed normal is optimized so as to reduce the deviation of the original surface normal. And then, a reference-plane-based approach is applied to estimate the principle optical axis of each light source as well as its principle radiant energy. For each surface point on the target, the direction and intensity of its incident light ray can be precisely determined by the calibration parameters and the quasi-point light model. Finally, 3D reconstruction of the surface with a quasi-point light source is also implemented in two steps. By estimating the mean value of depth in the iterative process, the surface depth is projected into the physical coordinates. Qualitative and quantitative experimental results show that higher accuracy surface normal as well as better 3D reconstruction quality can be obtained by the proposed approach in comparison with conventional reconstruction methods.
Objective. The objective of this study is to explore the utilization of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology in evaluating the likelihood of identifying individuals with papillary thyroid ...microcarcinoma (PTMC ≤10 mm) who are at high or low risk. Design. NGS was used to analyze 393 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues of PTC tumors, all of which were smaller than 15 mm. Results. The study found that bilateralism, multifocality, intrathyroidal spread, and extrathyroidal extension were present in 84 (21.4%), 153 (38.9%), 16 (4.1%), and 54 (13.7%) cases, respectively. Metastasis of cervical lymph nodes was identified in 226 (57.5%) cases and 96 (24.4%) cases with CLNM >5. Out of the total number of cases studied, 8 cases (2.3%) showed signs of tumor recurrence, all of which were localized and regional. Genetic alterations were detected in 342 cases (87.0%), with 336 cases revealing single mutations and 6 cases manifesting compound mutations. 332 cases (84.5%) had BRAFV600E mutation, 2 cases had KRASQ61K mutation, 2 cases had NRASQ61R mutation, 8 cases had RET/PTC1 rearrangement, 3 cases had RET/PTC3 rearrangement, and 1 case had TERT promoter mutation. Additionally, six individuals harbored concurrent mutations in two genes. These mutations were of various types and combinations: BRAFV600E and NRASQ61R (n = 2), BRAFV600E and RET/PTC3 (n = 2), BRAFV600E and RET/PTC1 (n = 1), and BRAFV600E and TERT promoter (n = 1). The subsequent analysis did not uncover a significant distinction in the incidence of gene mutation or fusion between the cN0 and cN1 patient cohorts. The presence of BRAFV600E mutation and CLNM incidence rates were found to be positively correlated with larger tumor size in PTMC. Our data showed that gene mutations did not appear to have much to do with high-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC). However, when we looked at tumor size, we found that if the tumor was at least 5 millimeters in size, there was a higher chance of it being at high risk for PTM (P<0.001, odds ratio (OR) = 2.55, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.57–4.14). Identification of BRAFV600E mutation was not demonstrated to be significantly correlated with advanced clinicopathological characteristics, although it was strongly associated with a bigger tumor diameter (OR = 4.92, 95% CI: 2.40–10.07, P<0.001). Conclusion. In clinical practice, BRAFV600E mutation does not consistently serve as an effective biomarker to distinguish high-risk PTMC or predict tumor progression. The size of the tumor has a significant correlation with its aggressive characteristics. PTMC with a diameter of ≤5 mm should be distinguished and targeted as a unique subset for specialized treatment.
Recent studies have identified a class of small non‐coding RNA molecules, named microRNA (miRNA), that is dysregulated in malignant brain glioblastoma. Substantial data have indicated that miRNA‐16 ...(miR‐16) plays a significant role in tumors of various origins. This miRNA has been linked to various aspects of carcinogenesis, including cell apoptosis and migration. However, the molecular functions of miR‐16 in gliomagenesis are largely unknown. We have shown that the expression of miR‐16 in human brain glioma tissues was lower than in non‐cancerous brain tissues, and that the expression of miR‐16 decreased with increasing degrees of malignancy. Our data suggest that the expression of miR‐16 and nuclear factor (NF)‐κB1 was negatively correlated with glioma levels. MicroRNA‐16 decreased glioma malignancy by downregulating NF‐κB1 and MMP9, and led to suppressed invasiveness of human glioma cell lines SHG44, U87, and U373. Our results also indicated that upregulation of miR‐16 promoted apoptosis by suppressing BCL2 expression. Finally, the upregulation of miR‐16 in a nude mice model of human glioma resulted in significant suppression of glioma growth and invasiveness. Taken together, our experiments have validated the important role of miR‐16 as a tumor suppressor gene in glioma growth and invasiveness, and revealed a novel mechanism of miR‐16‐mediated regulation in glioma growth and invasiveness through inhibition of BCL2 and the NF‐κB1/MMP‐9 signaling pathway. Therefore, our experiments suggest the possible future use of miR‐16 as a therapeutic target in gliomas.
We first report that miR‐16 and NF‐κB1expression were inversely correlated to glioma levels in the same patient samples. We further identified the miR‐16 as a negative regulator of tumor growth and invasion, both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically the tumor‐suppressive role of miR‐16 can be attributed to inhibition of BCL‐2 and NF‐kappaB1/MMP9 signaling pathways.
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