Toxic gases have surreptitiously influenced the health and environment of contemporary society with their odorless/colorless characteristics. As a result, a pressing need for reliable and portable ...gas-sensing devices has continuously increased. However, with their negligence to efficiently microstructure their bulky supportive layer on which the sensing and heating materials are located, previous semiconductor metal-oxide gas sensors have been unable to fully enhance their power efficiency, a critical factor in power-stringent portable devices. Herein, an ultrathin insulation layer with a unique serpentine architecture is proposed for the development of a power-efficient gas sensor, consuming only 2.3 mW with an operating temperature of 300 °C (≈6% of the leading commercial product). Utilizing a mechanically robust serpentine design, this work presents a fully suspended standalone device with a supportive layer thickness of only ≈50 nm. The developed gas sensor shows excellent mechanical durability, operating over 10 000 on/off cycles and ≈2 years of life expectancy under continuous operation. The gas sensor detected carbon monoxide concentrations from 30 to 1 ppm with an average response time of ≈15 s and distinguishable sensitivity to 1 ppm (ΔR/R0 = 5%). The mass-producible fabrication and heating efficiency presented here provide an exemplary platform for diverse power-efficient-related devices.
Femoral head osteonecrosis (FHON) is a worldwide challenging clinical topic. Steroid use is one of the main etiologies of FHON. There are several genetic variants associated with FHON. Therefore, the ...purpose of this umbrella review was to provide a comprehensive summary of a meta-analysis and systematic review of genetic variations associated with nonsteroidal and steroid-induced FHON.
The eligible studies were selected from the PubMed and MEDLINE databases for the collection of diverse systematic meta-analyses and reviews. The genetic main effect score was assigned using the Human Genome Epidemiology Network's Venice criteria to assess the cumulative evidence on the effects of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on FHON.
Eight articles reported the meta-analysis of candidate SNP-based studies covering eight genes and 13 genetic variants. In the nonsteroid-induced FHON genetic variants including rs2012390 and rs11225394 in MMP8, rs1800629 and rs361525 in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, VNTR in intron 4, rs1799983 and rs2070744 in endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), rs2010963 in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and rs6025 in factor V showed significance in each reference. The steroid-induced FHON genetic variants including rs693 and rs1042031 in apolipoprotein (Apo)B, rs1045642 in ABCB1, and rs1799889 in PAI-1 showed significance in each reference.
Based on the systematic review conducted in this study, we organized the genomes associated with FHON and looked at each contribution. Our results could give an integrative approach for understanding the mechanism of FHON etiology. It is expected that these results could contribute to the strategy of prediagnosis, evaluating the individual risk of nonsteroid-induced and steroid-induced FHON.
Level I.
Chronic fluid overload is common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and can with time lead to diastolic dysfunction and heart failure. We investigated whether markers of fluid status, such ...as NT-proBNP and bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS), can predict echocardiographic findings of diastolic dysfunction in non-dialysis CKD5 patients.
BIS, echocardiography, and measurement of serum NT-proBNP were performed in patients with non-dialysis CKD stage 5 at a single study visit. E/e´ ratio reflect mean LV diastolic pressure and a ratio greater than 15 was used as a definition of diastolic dysfunction.
Eighty-four patients were analyzed. Forty-six patients (54.76%) had E/e´ ratio ≤15 and 38 patients (45.24%) had E/e´ > 15 (diastolic dysfunction). Patients with E/e´>15 had significantly higher serum NT-proBNP (14,650 pg/mL) than patients with to E/e´≤15 (4,271 pg/mL) and had more overhydration (OH), 5.1 liters compared to 2.4 liters. The cut-off values predicting diastolic dysfunction were found to be 2,797 pg/mL for NT-proBNP and 2.45 liters for OH.
Regular monitoring of fluid status by BIS and NT-proBNP can be used to find patient with risk of developing diastolic dysfunction. Treatments to correct fluid overload may reduce the risk of developing diastolic dysfunction and improve cardiovascular outcome in patients with CKD.
The purpose of this study was to verify the usefulness of machine learning (ML) for selection of risk factors and development of predictive models for patients with sarcopenia.We collected medical ...records from Korean postmenopausal women based on Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. A training data set compiled from simple survey data was used to construct models based on popular ML algorithms (e.g., support vector machine, random forest RF, and logistic regression).A total of 4020 patients ≥65 years of age were enrolled in this study. The study population consisted of 1698 (42.2%) male and 2322 (57.8%) female patients. The 10 most important risk factors in men were body mass index (BMI), red blood cell (RBC) count, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), vitamin D, ferritin, fiber intake (g/d), primary diastolic blood pressure, white blood cell (WBC) count, fat intake (g/d), age, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, niacin intake (mg/d), protein intake (g/d), fasting blood sugar, and water intake (g/d). The 10 most important risk factors in women were BMI, water intake (g/d), WBC, RBC count, iron intake (mg/d), BUN, high-density lipoprotein, protein intake (g/d), fiber consumption (g/d), vitamin C intake (mg/d), parathyroid hormone, niacin intake (mg/d), carotene intake (μg/d), potassium intake (mg/d), calcium intake (mg/d), sodium intake (mg/d), retinol intake (μg/d), and age. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis found that the area under the ROC curve for each ML model was not significantly different within a gender.The most cost-effective method in clinical practice is to make feature selection using RF models and expert knowledge and to make disease prediction using verification by several ML models. However, the developed prediction model should be validated using additional studies.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a dominant cause of chronic liver disease, but the exact mechanism of progression from simple steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) remains ...unknown. Here, we investigated the role of exosomes in NAFLD progression. Exosomes were isolated from a human hepatoma cell line treated with palmitic acid (PA) and their miRNA profiles examined by microarray. The human hepatic stellate cell (HSC) line (LX-2) was then treated with exosome isolated from hepatocytes. Compared with controls, PA-treated hepatocytes displayed significantly increased CD36 and exosome production. The microarray analysis showed there to be distinctive miRNA expression patterns between exosomes from vehicle- and PA-treated hepatocytes. When LX-2 cells were cultured with exosomes from PA-treated hepatocytes, the expression of genes related to the development of fibrosis were significantly amplified compared to those treated with exosomes from vehicle-treated hepatocytes. In conclusion, PA treatment enhanced the production of exosomes in these hepatocytes and changed their exosomal miRNA profile. Moreover, exosomes derived from PA-treated hepatocytes caused an increase in the expression levels of fibrotic genes in HSCs. Therefore, exosomes may have important roles in the crosstalk between hepatocytes and HSCs in the progression from simple steatosis to NASH.
PDZ domain‐containing proteins (PDZ proteins) act as scaffolds for protein–protein interactions and are crucial for a variety of signal transduction processes. However, the role of PDZ proteins in ...organismal lifespan and aging remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that KIN‐4, a PDZ domain‐containing microtubule‐associated serine‐threonine (MAST) protein kinase, is a key longevity factor acting through binding PTEN phosphatase in Caenorhabditis elegans. Through a targeted genetic screen for PDZ proteins, we find that kin‐4 is required for the long lifespan of daf‐2/insulin/IGF‐1 receptor mutants. We then show that neurons are crucial tissues for the longevity‐promoting role of kin‐4. We find that the PDZ domain of KIN‐4 binds PTEN, a key factor for the longevity of daf‐2 mutants. Moreover, the interaction between KIN‐4 and PTEN is essential for the extended lifespan of daf‐2 mutants. As many aspects of lifespan regulation in C. elegans are evolutionarily conserved, MAST family kinases may regulate aging and/or age‐related diseases in mammals through their interaction with PTEN.
The purpose of this study was to report the RNA sequencing profile according to the presence or absence of sarcopenia in elderly patients with osteoporotic hip fracture. Therefore, an important ...genetic factor candidate for sarcopenia causing hip fracture in elderly with osteoporosis has been identified.
The patient group involved subjects over 65 years who had undergone hip fracture surgery. Among 323 hip fracture (HF) patients identified from May 2017 to December 2019, 162 HF patients (90 non-sarcopenia and 72 sarcopenia groups), excluding subjects with high energy trauma and non-osteoporosis, were finally included in the analysis. For RNA sequencing, each patient with hand grip strength (HGS) values in the top 10% were enrolled in the control group and with the bottom 10% in the patient group. After excluding patients with poor tissue quality, 6 patients and 5 patients were selected for sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia groups, respectively. For qPCR validation, each patient with HGS values in the top 20% and bottom 20% was enrolled in the control and patient groups, respectively. After excluding patients with poor tissue quality, 12 patients and 12 patients were enrolled in the sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia groups, respectively. Sarcopenia was defined according to the Asia Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) criteria for low muscle strength (hand grip strength below 18 kg in women and 28 kg in men) and low muscle mass (SMI below 5.4 kg/m2 in women and 7.0 kg/m2 in men). The libraries were prepared for 100 bp paired-end sequencing using TruSeq Stranded mRNA Sample Preparation Kit (Illumina, CA, USA). The gene expression counts were supplied to Deseq2 to extract possible gene sets as differentially expressed genes (DEG) that discriminate between sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia groups that were carefully assigned by clinical observation. For the classification of the candidate genes from DEG analysis, we used the public databases; gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Quantitative real-time PCR was performed for validation.
Samples collected were subjected to RNAseq using the Illumina platform. A total of 11 samples from both sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia groups were sequenced. Fifteen genes (RUNX 1, NGFR, CH3L1, BCL3, PLA2G2A, MYBPH, TEP1, SEMA6B, CSPG4, ACSL5, SLC25A3, NDUFB5, CYC1, ACAT1, and TCAP) were identified as differentially expressed genes (DEG) in both the groups.
In the qPCR results, the expression levels of SLC25A3 and TCAP gene in the OS group were significantly lower than in the non-OS groups whereas an increase in RUNX1 mRNA level was observed in the OS samples (p < 0.05).
In summary, this study detected gene expression difference according to the presence or absence of sarcopenia in elderly osteoporosis female patients with hip fracture. We have also identified 15 important genes (RUNX 1, NGFR, CH3L1, BCL3, PLA2G2A, MYBPH, TEP1, SEMA6B, CSPG4, ACSL5, SLC25A3, NDUFB5, CYC1, ACAT1, TCAP), a few GO categories and biological pathways that may be associated with the osteosarcopenia. Our study may provide effective means for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment sarcopenia in elderly osteoporosis female patients.
These findings provide a novel insight into the effects of aging on the response in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Further studies are underway to identify the specific signalling pathways involved. These results reveal potential therapeutic targets that could aid the regenerative capacity of aging skeletal muscle.
Background
In this study, we aimed to develop and validate a nomogram to predict overall survival (OS) and recurrence‐free survival (RFS) in patients who underwent curative resection of ampulla of ...Vater (AOV) cancer. This is the first study for nomograms in AOV cancer patients using retrospective data based on an international multicenter study.
Methods
A total of 2007 patients with AOV adenocarcinoma who received operative therapy between 2002 January and 2015 December in Korea and Japan were retrospectively assessed to develop a prediction model. Nomograms for 5‐year OS and 3‐year RFS were constructed by dividing the patients who received and who did not receive adjuvant therapy after surgery, respectively. Significant risk factors were identified by univariate and multivariate Cox analyses. Performance assessment of the four prediction models was conducted by the Harrell’s concordance index (C‐index) and calibration curves using bootstrapping.
Results
A total of 2007 and 1873 patients were collected for nomogram construction to predict 5‐year OS and 3‐year RFS. We developed four types of nomograms, including models for 5‐year OS and 3‐year RFS in patients who did not receive postoperative adjuvant therapy, and 5‐year OS and 3‐year RFS in patients who received postoperative adjuvant therapy. The C‐indices of these nomograms were 0.795 (95% confidence interval CI: 0.766‐0.823), 0.712 (95% CI: 0.674‐0.750), 0.804 (95% CI: 0.7778‐0.829), and 0.703 (95% CI: 0.669‐0.737), respectively.
Conclusions
This predictive model could help clinicians to choose optimal treatment and precisely predict prognosis in AOV cancer patients.
In this international multicenter study, Kim et al. developed and validated nomograms to predict overall survival and recurrence‐free survival in patients who underwent curative resection of ampulla of Vater cancer. This predictive model could help clinicians to choose optimal treatment and precisely predict prognosis in ampulla of Vater cancer patients.
Alpha-1,6-mannosyl-glycoprotein 2-β-
N
-acetylglucosaminyltransferase EC 2.4.1.143,
N
-acetylglucosaminyltransferase II (GnTII) catalyzes the transfer of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) residue from the ...nucleotide sugar donor UDP-GlcNAc to the α1,6-mannose residue of the di-antennary N-glycan acceptor GlcNAc(Xyl)Man
3
(Fuc)GlcNAc
2
in the Golgi apparatus. Although the formation of the GlcNAc
2
(Xyl)Man
3
(Fuc)GlcNAc
2
N-glycan is known to be associated with GnTII activity in
Arabidopsis thaliana
, its physiological significance is still not fully understood in plants. To address the physiological importance of the GlcNAc
2
(Xyl)Man
3
(Fuc)GlcNAc
2
N-glycan, we examined the phenotypic effects of loss-of-function mutations in
GnTII
in the presence and absence of stress, and responsiveness to phytohormones. Prolonged stress induced by tunicamycin (TM) or sodium chloride (NaCl) treatment increased
GnTII
expression in wild-type Arabidopsis (ecotype Col-0) but caused severe developmental damage in GnTII loss-of-function mutants (
gnt2-1
and
gnt2-2
). The absence of the 6-arm GlcNAc residue in the N-glycans in
gnt2-1
facilitated the TM-induced unfolded protein response, accelerated dark-induced leaf senescence, and reduced cytokinin signaling, as well as susceptibility to cytokinin-induced root growth inhibition. Furthermore,
gnt2-1
and
gnt2-2
seedlings exhibited enhanced N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid-induced inhibition of tropic growth and development. Thus, GnTII’s promotion of the 6-arm GlcNAc addition to N-glycans is important for plant growth and development under stress conditions, possibly
via
affecting glycoprotein folding and/or distribution.
The purposes of this study were to develop a machine learning–based implant recognition program and to verify its accuracy.
Postoperative anteroposterior (AP) X-rays (≥300 dpi) were collected of ...patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty. X-rays with a wire or plate added and those without a true anteroposterior view were excluded. A total of 170 X-ray images of hip implants from 29 brands were collected from five hospitals and a Google image search. These collected images were manually reorganised to ensure appropriate labelling. Collected images were preprocessed to have grey-scaled pixels with histogram equalisation for efficient training. Images varied by +10/−10°, and 3606 unique images derived from the original 170 images were created for training. Discussion of the validation set being derived 25% of training set. The recognition model structure consisted of two steps: object detection and clustering. Model training was performed with Keras deep learning platform.
The 170 X-ray images of hip implants were used to build a stem detection model using YOLOv3. Manually labelled images were successfully trained into the stem detection model. Evaluation of 58 newly labelled X-ray images showed highly accurate stem detection (mean average precision > 0.99). Fully connected layers generated 29 class outputs. After training, a receiver operating characteristic curve was generated with a test set containing 25% of all stem-cropped images, yielding an area under the curve of 0.99.
Femoral stem identification in patients with total hip arthroplasty was very accurate. This technology could be used to collect large-scale implant information.
This program has the following clinical relevance. First, we can prepare the implants needed for revision surgery by identifying the old types of implants. Second, it can be used to diagnose peripheral osteolysis or periprosthetic fracture by further developing the ability to sensitise implant detection. Third, an automated implant detection system will help organise imaging data systematically and easily for arthroplasty registry construction.
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