Faced with a socio-political-mediatic arena that continues to return the ballet of pandemic,climate change,fourth industrial revolution,sixth mass extinction,war etc.,the reflection of Michel Serres and Posthumanism p...Faced with a socio-political-mediatic arena that continues to return the ballet of pandemic,climate change,fourth industrial revolution,sixth mass extinction,war etc.,the reflection of Michel Serres and Posthumanism put forth instances for silencing of the anthropocentric logos,and for recognition of the multiplicity,variety,possibility of things and of the human in co-belonging with them,as well as instances for working on these same multiplicities,varieties,possibilities,that are often absences,black holes,repressed of philosophical thought.展开更多
Background Unveiling genetic diversity features and understanding the genetic mechanisms of diverse goat pheno-types are pivotal in facilitating the preservation and utilization of these genetic resources.However,the ...Background Unveiling genetic diversity features and understanding the genetic mechanisms of diverse goat pheno-types are pivotal in facilitating the preservation and utilization of these genetic resources.However,the total genetic diversity within a species can’t be captured by the reference genome of a single individual.The pan-genome is a col-lection of all the DNA sequences that occur in a species,and it is expected to capture the total genomic diversity of the specific species.Results We constructed a goat pan-genome using map-to-pan assemble based on 813 individuals,including 723 domestic goats and 90 samples from their wild relatives,which presented a broad regional and global represen-tation.In total,146 Mb sequences and 974 genes were identified as absent from the reference genome(ARS1.2;GCF_001704415.2).We identified 3,190 novel single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)using the pan-genome analysis.These novel SNPs could properly reveal the population structure of domestic goats and their wild relatives.Presence/absence variation(PAV)analysis revealed gene loss and intense negative selection during domestication and improvement.Conclusions Our research highlights the importance of the goat pan-genome in capturing the missing genetic variations.It reveals the changes in genomic architecture during goat domestication and improvement,such as gene loss.This improves our understanding of the evolutionary and breeding history of goats.展开更多
European beech(Fagus sylvatica L.)forests can have a high variability in plant species richness and abundance,from monospecific stands to highly species-rich communities.To understand what causes the low plant diversi...European beech(Fagus sylvatica L.)forests can have a high variability in plant species richness and abundance,from monospecific stands to highly species-rich communities.To understand what causes the low plant diversity observed in some beech forests,we analyzed the drivers of plant community completeness in 155 vegetation plots.Data were collected in mature,closed-canopy beech forests in Tuscany,central Italy.Site-specific species pools were estimated based on species co-occurrences.We used Generalized Least Squares linear modeling to assess the effects of anthropogenic and environmental drivers on the community completeness of whole communities and on the set of specialist species of beech forests.We also tested the response of the total cover of the herb layer to the selected predictors and related both the predictive and response variables to species composition in a Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling ordination.The community completeness of whole communities and that of beech forest specialists were negatively affected by total beech cover and positively influenced by slope.Moreover,the community completeness of whole communities was negatively impacted by elevation and positively influenced by disturbance frequency.The cover of the herb layer decreased with increasing beech cover,elevation,and precipitation.High community completeness and high cover of the herb layer were associated with the presence of thermophilic species of mixed deciduous woods in low-elevation beech forests.Our results suggest that a low plant community completeness and a low cover of the herb layer are mainly due to the competition by beech itself when it forms pure forests in its ecological optimum.Such competition is better exerted at upper elevations and in sites with low slopes,where beech litter accumulation is a limiting factor for understory species.Such evidence suggests that species absence in mature beech forests is mainly due to natural drivers and should therefore not be considered an indicator of ecological degradation of the forest.展开更多
Individuals with congenital absence of the vas deferens(CAVD)may transmit cystic fibrosis(CF)-causing variants of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator(CFTR)gene to their offspring through assisted r...Individuals with congenital absence of the vas deferens(CAVD)may transmit cystic fibrosis(CF)-causing variants of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator(CFTR)gene to their offspring through assisted reproductive technology(ART).We aimed to delineate the spectrum and estimate the prevalence of CF-causing variants in Chinese individuals with CAVD through a cohort analysis and meta-analysis.CFTR was sequenced in 145 Chineseindividuals with CAVD.CFTR variants were classified as CF-causing or non-CF-causing variants regarding clinical significance.A comprehensive genotype analysis was performed in Chinese individuals with CAVD,incorporating previous studies and our study cohort.The prevalence of CF-causing variants was estimated through meta-analysis.In our cohort,56 differentCFTR variants were identified in 108(74.5%)patients.Twenty variants were categorized as CF-causing and were detected in 28(19.3%)patients.A comprehensive genotype analysis of 867 patients identified 174 differentCFTR variants.Sixty-four were classified as CF-causing variants,56.3%of which had not been previously reported in Chinese patients with CF.Meta-analysis showed that 14.8%(95%confidence interval[CI]:11.0%-18.9%)CAVD cases harbored one CF-causing variant,and 68.6%(95%CI:65.1%-72.0%)CAVD cases carried at least one CFTR variant.Our study underscores the urgent need for extensiveCFTR screening,including sequencing of whole exons and flanking regions and detection of large rearrangements and deep intronic CF-causing variants,in Chinese individuals with CAVDbefore undergoing ART.The established CF-causing variants spectrum may aid in the development of genetic counseling strategies and preimplantation diagnosis to prevent the birth of a child with CF.展开更多
Background: Dual Practice (DP) allows full-time public sector doctors to concurrently offer the same clinical services in the private sector. The debate against this practice seems to be largely influenced by its pote...Background: Dual Practice (DP) allows full-time public sector doctors to concurrently offer the same clinical services in the private sector. The debate against this practice seems to be largely influenced by its potential to reduce the contracted hours in the public sector and shift attention to private work. Purpose: The purpose of this secondary research is to estimate the monetary value of hours lost to the Nigerian public healthcare system when full-time government employee doctors are engaged in private practice. It attempts to quantify the amount of resource outflow from the public system due to absences and lateness arising from competition for time between the public system’s contracted hours and private practice. Methods: Sensitivity analysis in Excel 2010 was used to calculate doctors’ hourly pay in the public sector using the 2015 Consolidated Medical Salary Structure for medical and dental officers in Nigeria’s federal public service. The parameters used for the calculation were the official 40-hour working week and the average monthly gross pay of doctors on different grade levels. Hypothetical scenarios of hours lost due to absences associated with DP were created. The value of different hypothetical hour losses by the percentage of doctors assumed to engage in dual practice across all doctor grade levels was then computed. Results: The estimated annual value of hours lost from dual practice to a single public tertiary care hospital was N4,851,754 or 15,855 USD (best case scenario) and N19,407,017 or 63,422 USD (worst case scenario) for the normal routine work and N1,800,133 or 5883 USD (best case scenario) and N3,600,266 or 11,766 USD (worst case scenario) for the on-call duty. Conclusion: The government may have been paying salaries for large volumes of work not rendered in the public sector. The overall financial impact of dual practice in the Nigerian public system might be negative.展开更多
BACKGROUND Researchers have investigated the diagnostic value of protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist II (PIVKA-II) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma...BACKGROUND Researchers have investigated the diagnostic value of protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist II (PIVKA-II) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and obtained abundant clinical diagnostic data. However, PIVKA-II and AFP have unsatisfactory specificity and sensitivity in the diagnosis of early-stage HBV-related HCC. Gamma-glutamyltransferase (γ-GT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) are common biomarkers for evaluating liver function, and we hypothesized that the γ-GT/AST ratio in combination with PIVKA-II and AFP would improve the diagnosis of early-stage HBV-related HCC. AIM To evaluate the diagnostic value of γ-GT/AST ratio alone or in combination with PIVKA-II and AFP in HBV-related HCC. METHODS Serum levels of γ-GT, AST, PIVKA-II, and AFP were detected and analysed in 176 patients with HBV-related HCC and in 359 patients with chronic hepatitis B. According to tumour size and serum level of HBV DNA, HBV-related HCC patients were divided into the following categories: Early-stage HCC patients, HCC patients, HBV DNA positive (HBV DNA+) HCC patients, and HBV DNA negative (HBV DNA-) HCC patients. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to analyse and compare the diagnostic value of the single and combined detection of various biomarkers in different types of HBV-related HCC. RESULTS Tumour size was positively correlated with serum levels of PIVKA-II and AFP in HCC patients (r = 0.529, aP < 0.001 and r = 0.270, bP < 0.001, respectively), but there was no correlation between tumour size and the γ-GT/AST ratio (r = 0.073, P = 0.336). The areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curves (AUROCs) of the γ-GT/AST ratio in early-stage HCC patients, HBV DNA+ HCC patients and HBV DNA- HCC patients were not significantly different from that in the total HCC patients (0.754, 0.802, and 0.705 vs 0.779, respectively;P > 0.05). When PIVKA-II was combined with the γ-GT/AST ratio in the diagnosis of earlystage HCC, HCC, and HBV DNA+ HCC, the AUROCs of PIVKA-II increased, with values of 0.857 vs 0.835, 0.925 vs 0.913, and 0.958 vs 0.954, respectively. When AFP was combined with the γ-GT/AST ratio in the diagnosis of early-stage HCC, HCC, HBV DNA+ HCC, and HBV DNA- HCC, the AUROCs of AFP increased, with values of 0.757 vs 0.621, 0.837 vs 0.744, 0.868 vs 0.757, and 0.840 vs 0.828, respectively. CONCLUSION The γ-GT/AST ratio may be better than PIVKA-II and AFP in the diagnosis of early-stage HBV-related HCC, and its combination with PIVKA-II and AFP can improve the diagnostic value for HBV-related HCC.展开更多
Background: As a promising biomarker of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC), protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-Ⅱ(PIVKA-Ⅱ) has been studied extensively. However, its diagnostic capability varies across HCC...Background: As a promising biomarker of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC), protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-Ⅱ(PIVKA-Ⅱ) has been studied extensively. However, its diagnostic capability varies across HCC studies. This study aimed to compare the performance of PIVKA-Ⅱ with alpha-fetoprotein(AFP) in the diagnosis of HCC. Data sources: A systematic literature search was conducted to identify the studies from MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane Library Databases, which were published up to December 20, 2017 to compare the diagnostic capability of PIVKA-Ⅱ and AFP for HCC. The data were pooled using random effects model. Pooled sensitivity and specificity were calculated. Summary receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC) was employed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of each marker. Results: Thirty-one studies were included. The pooled sensitivity(95% CI) of PIVKA-Ⅱ and AFP was 0.66(0.65–0.68) and 0.66(0.65–0.67), respectively in diagnosis of HCC; and the corresponding pooled specificity(95% CI) was 0.89(0.88–0.90) and 0.84(0.83–0.85), respectively. The area under the ROC curve(AUC) of PIVKA-Ⅱ and AFP was 0.856(0.817–0.895) and 0.770(0.728–0.811), respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that PIVKA-Ⅱ was superior to AFP in terms of the AUC for both small HCC( < 3 cm) [0.863(0.825–0.901) vs 0.717(0.658–0.776)] and large HCC( ≥ 3 cm) [0.854(0.811–0.897) vs 0.729(0.682–0.776)]; for American [0.926(0.897–0.955) vs 0.698(0.594–0.662)], European [0.772(0.743–0.801) vs 0.628(0.594–0.662)], Asian [0.838(0.812–0.864) vs 0.785(0.764–0.806)] and African [0.812(0.794–0.840) vs 0.721(0.675–0.767)] HCC patients; and for HBV-related [0.909(0.866–0.951) vs 0.714(0.673–0.755)] and mixed-etiology [0.847(0.821–0.873) vs 0.794(0.772–0.816)] HCC. Conclusion: This meta-analysis indicates that PIVKA-Ⅱ is better than AFP in terms of the accuracy for diagnosing HCC, regardless of tumor size, patient ethnic group, or HCC etiology.展开更多
Key FactsDefinition: Benign vertebral body vascular tumor.Classic imaging appearance: Hypodense lesion (CT) with coarse, verticallyoriented trabeculae;hyperintense (MRI) on both T1WI and T2WI.Most common spinal axis t...Key FactsDefinition: Benign vertebral body vascular tumor.Classic imaging appearance: Hypodense lesion (CT) with coarse, verticallyoriented trabeculae;hyperintense (MRI) on both T1WI and T2WI.Most common spinal axis tumor: (1) Incidental lesion identified on imaging performed for unrelated reasons. (2) Rarer presentation (clinical or radiographic) is “aggressive hemangioma”.Radiographic diagnostic criteria are lesion growth, bone destruction, vertebral collapse, absence of fat in lesion, and active vascular component.May extend epidurally and cause cord compression.展开更多
Congenital absence of portal vein （CAPV） was a rare event in the past. However, the number of detected CAPV cases has increased in recent years because of advances in imaging techniques. Patients with CAPV present w...Congenital absence of portal vein （CAPV） was a rare event in the past. However, the number of detected CAPV cases has increased in recent years because of advances in imaging techniques. Patients with CAPV present with portal hypertension （PH） or portosystemic encephalopathy （PSE）, but these conditions rarely occur until the patients grow up or become old. The patients usually visit doctors for the complications of venous shunts, hepatic or cardiac abnormalities detected by ultrasonography （US）, computed tomography （CT） and magnetic resonance imaging （MR1）. The etiology of this disease is not clear, but most investigators consider that it is associated with abnormal embryologic development of the portal vein. Usually, surgical intervention can relieve the symptoms and prevent occurrence of complications in CAPV patients. Moreover, its management should be stressed on a case-by-case basis, depending on the type or anatomy of the disease, as well as the symptoms and clinical conditions of the patient.展开更多
The evolutionary dynamics first conceived by Darwin and Wallace, referring to as Darwinian dynamics in the present paper, has been found to be universally valid in biology. The statistical mechanics and thermodynamics...The evolutionary dynamics first conceived by Darwin and Wallace, referring to as Darwinian dynamics in the present paper, has been found to be universally valid in biology. The statistical mechanics and thermodynamics, while enormous successful in physics, have been in an awkward situation of wanting a consistent dynamical understanding. Here we present from a formal point of view an exploration of the connection between thermodynamics and Darwinian dynamics and a few related topics. We first show that the stochasticity in Darwinian dynamics implies the existence temperature, hence the canonical distribution of Boltzmann-Gibbs type. In term of relative entropy the Second Law of thermodynamics is dynamically demonstrated without detailed balance condition, and is valid regardless of size of the system. In particular, the dynamical component responsible for breaking detailed balance condition does not contribute to the change of the relative entropy. Two types of stochastic dynamical equalities of current interest are explicitly discussed in the present approach： One is based on Feynman-Kac formula and another is a generalization of Einstein relation. Both are directly accessible to experimental tests. Our demonstration indicates that Darwinian dynamics represents logically a simple and straightforward starting point for statistical mechanics and thermodynamics and is complementary to and consistent with conservative dynamics that dominates the physical sciences. Present exploration suggests the existence of a unified stochastic dynamical framework both near and far from equilibrium.展开更多
Congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens （CBAVD） is a frequent cause of obstructive azoospermia, and mutations of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator （CFTR） gene have also been frequent...Congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens （CBAVD） is a frequent cause of obstructive azoospermia, and mutations of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator （CFTR） gene have also been frequently identified in patients with CBAVD. However, the distribution of the CFTR polymorphisms M470V, poly-T, TG-repeats and F508del mutation in the Chinese CBAVD population with presumed low cystic fibrosis （CF） frequency remains to be evaluated. Samples obtained from 109 Chinese infertile males with CBAVD and 104 normal controls were analyzed for the presence of CFTR （TG）m（T）n, M470V and F508del by PCR amplification followed by direct sequencing. Our study showed that the F5OSdel mutation was not found in our patients. The 5T mutation was present with high frequency in Chinese CBAVD patients and IVS8-5T linked to either 12 or 13 TG repeats was highly prevalent among CBAVD patients （97.22% of 72 cases and 96.91% of 97 alleles with IVS8-5T）. Moreover, a statistically significant relationship between TG 12-5T-V470 haplotype and CBAVD was detected. This study indicated that the CFTR polymorphisms poly-T, TG-repeats and M470V might affect the process of CBAVD in the Chinese population.展开更多
When presented with an azoospermic patient, a thorough history and careful, considered physical examination often leads to a definite or presumptive diagnosis. An algorithmic, logical thought process is important to h...When presented with an azoospermic patient, a thorough history and careful, considered physical examination often leads to a definite or presumptive diagnosis. An algorithmic, logical thought process is important to have in mind when embarking on the evaluation. Adjunctive laboratory tests, such as hormonal assays or genetic studies, are often complementary and/or additive and allow a very precise determination to be made as to the etiologies, either genetic or acquired. It is only with this information that a therapeutic plan can be made for the patient. As will be discussed, a targeted approach to testing is far more satisfying and cost-effective than a blind, shotgun approach.展开更多
Many of our major crop species are polyploids, containing more than one genome or set of chromosomes. Polyploid crops present unique challenges, including difficulties in genome assembly, in discriminating between mul...Many of our major crop species are polyploids, containing more than one genome or set of chromosomes. Polyploid crops present unique challenges, including difficulties in genome assembly, in discriminating between multiple gene and sequence copies, and in genetic mapping, hindering use of genomic data for genetics and breeding. Polyploid genomes may also be more prone to containing structural variation, such as loss of gene copies or sequences(presence–absence variation) and the presence of genes or sequences in multiple copies(copynumber variation). Although the two main types of genomic structural variation commonly identified are presence–absence variation and copy-number variation, we propose that homeologous exchanges constitute a third major form of genomic structural variation in polyploids. Homeologous exchanges involve the replacement of one genomic segment by a similar copy from another genome or ancestrally duplicated region, and are known to be extremely common in polyploids. Detecting all kinds of genomic structural variation is challenging, but recent advances such as optical mapping and long-read sequencing offer potential strategies to help identify structural variants even in complex polyploid genomes. All three major types of genomic structural variation(presence–absence, copy-number, and homeologous exchange) are now known to influence phenotypes in crop plants, with examples of flowering time, frost tolerance, and adaptive and agronomic traits. In this review,we summarize the challenges of genome analysis in polyploid crops, describe the various types of genomic structural variation and the genomics technologies and data that can be used to detect them, and collate information produced to date related to the impact of genomic structural variation on crop phenotypes. We highlight the importance of genomic structural variation for the future genetic improvement of polyploid crops.展开更多
BACKGROUND Serum protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-Ⅱ(PIVKA-Ⅱ) is a promising biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) surveillance.AIM To identify the contributing factors related to the abnormal...BACKGROUND Serum protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-Ⅱ(PIVKA-Ⅱ) is a promising biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) surveillance.AIM To identify the contributing factors related to the abnormal elevation of PIVKA-Ⅱ level and assess their potential influence on the performance of PIVKA-Ⅱ in detecting HCC.METHODS This study retrospectively enrolled in 784 chronic liver disease(CLD) patients and 267 HCC patients in Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University from April 2016 to December 2019. Logistic regression and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC) were used to evaluate the influencing factors and diagnostic performance of PIVKA-Ⅱ for HCC, respectively.RESULTS Elevated PIVKA-Ⅱ levels were independently positively associated with alcohol-related liver disease, serum alkaline phosphatase(ALP), and total bilirubin(TBIL) for CLD patients and aspartate aminotransferase(AST) and tumor size for HCC patients(all P < 0.05). Serum PIVKA-Ⅱ were significantly lower in patients with viral etiology, ALP ≤ 1 × upper limit of normal(ULN), TBIL ≤ 1 × ULN, and AST ≤ 1 × ULN than in those with nonviral disease and abnormal ALP, TBIL, or AST(all P < 0.05), but the differences disappeared in patients with early-stage HCC. For patients with TBIL ≤ 1 × ULN, the AUC of PIVKA-Ⅱ was significantly higher compared to that in patients with TBIL > 1 × ULN(0.817 vs 0.669, P = 0.015), while the difference between ALP ≤ 1 × ULN and ALP > 1 × ULN was not statistically significant(0.783 vs 0.729, P = 0.398). These trends were then more prominently perceived in subgroups of patients with viral etiology and HBV alone.CONCLUSION Serum PIVKA-Ⅱ has better performance in detecting HCC at an early stage for CLD patients with normal serum TBIL.展开更多
Presently,we develop a simplified corticothalamic(SCT)model and propose a single-pulse alternately resetting stimulation(SARS)with sequentially applying anodic(A,“+”)or cathodic(C,“−”)phase pulses to the thalamic ...Presently,we develop a simplified corticothalamic(SCT)model and propose a single-pulse alternately resetting stimulation(SARS)with sequentially applying anodic(A,“+”)or cathodic(C,“−”)phase pulses to the thalamic reticular(RE)nuclei,thalamus-cortex(TC)relay nuclei,and cortical excitatory(EX)neurons,respectively.Abatement effects of ACC-SARS of RE,TC,and EX for the 2 Hz-4 Hz spike and wave discharges(SWD)of absence seizures are then concerned.The m∶n on-off ACC-SARS protocol is shown to effectively reduce the SWD with the least current consumption.In particular,when its frequency is out of the 2 Hz-4 Hz SWD dominant rhythm,the desired seizure abatements can be obtained,which can be further improved by our proposed directional steering(DS)stimulation.The dynamical explanations for the SARS induced seizure abatements are lastly given by calculating the averaged mean firing rate(AMFR)of neurons and triggering averaged mean firing rates(TAMFRs)of 2 Hz-4 Hz SWD.展开更多
Feature detection and matching play important roles in many fields of computer vision, such as image understanding, feature recognition, 3D-reconstruction, video analysis, etc. Extracting features is usually the first...Feature detection and matching play important roles in many fields of computer vision, such as image understanding, feature recognition, 3D-reconstruction, video analysis, etc. Extracting features is usually the first step for feature detection or matching, and the gradient feature is one of the most used selections. In this paper, a new image feature-absence importance （AI） feature, which can directly characterize the local structure information, is proposed. Greatly different from the most existing features, the proposed absence importance feature is mainly based on the consideration that the absence of the important pixel will have a great effect on the local structure. Two absence importance features, mean absence importance （MAI） and standard deviation absence importance （SDAI）, are defined and used subsequently to construct new algorithms for feature detection and matching. Experiments demonstrate that the proposed absence importance features can be used as an important complement of the gradient feature and applied successfully to the fields of feature detection and matching.展开更多
Protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist Ⅱ(PIVKA-Ⅱ) is a putative specific marker of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),but it may also be produced by asmall number of gastric cancers.To date,16 cases of PIVKA-...Protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist Ⅱ(PIVKA-Ⅱ) is a putative specific marker of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),but it may also be produced by asmall number of gastric cancers.To date,16 cases of PIVKA-Ⅱ-producing gastric cancer have been reported,2 of which were reported by us and all of which were identified in Japan.There are no symptoms specific to PIVKA-Ⅱ-producing gastric cancer,and the representative clinical symptoms are general fatigue,appetite loss,and upper abdominal pain.Serum alpha-feto-protein(AFP)levels are also increased in almost allcases.Liver metastasis is observed in approximately 80% of cases and portal vein tumor thrombus is ob-served in approximately 20% of cases.Differential diagnosis between metastatic liver tumor and HCC is often difficult.Grossly,almost all cases appear as advanced gastric cancer.Histologically,a hepatoid pattern is observed in many cases,in addition to a moderately to poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma component.The production of PIVKA-Ⅱ and AFP is usually confirmed using immunohistochemical staining.Treatment and prognosis largely depends on the existence of liver meta-stasis,and the prognosis of patients with liver metas-tasis is very poor.PIVKA-Ⅱ may be produced during the hepatocellular metaplasia of the tumor cells.展开更多
BACKGROUND Diagnostic accuracy of various tumor markers and their combinations for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)was not fully investigated.AIM To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of alpha-fetoprotein(AFP),the Lens cul...BACKGROUND Diagnostic accuracy of various tumor markers and their combinations for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)was not fully investigated.AIM To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of alpha-fetoprotein(AFP),the Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of AFP(AFP-L3),and protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II(PIVKA-II)and their combination for HCC diagnosis.METHODS Patients with newly detected liver mass or elevated serum AFP levels were considered eligible.Serum AFP level,AFP-L3 fraction,and PIVKA-II level were measured at the first visit.RESULTS In total,622 patients were included;355 patients(57.1%)had chronic liver disease,and 208(33.4%)had liver cirrhosis.HCC was diagnosed in 160 patients(25.7%).The area under the receiver operating characteristics curves(AUROCs)of the serum AFP,AFP-L3 fraction,AFP-L3,and PIVKA-II levels for the diagnosis of HCC were 0.775,0.792,0.814,and 0.834,respectively.A novel diagnostic model was developed by classifying patients in a 1:1 ratio into training and validation sets.Using the binary regression analysis of the training cohort,the AFP,AFP-L3 fraction,and PIVKA-II(ALPs)score was calculated as follows:ALPs score=3.8×[serum AFP level(ng/mL)×AFP-L3 fraction(%)×0.01]+0.2×PIVKA-II level(mAU/mL).The AUROC of the ALPs score for diagnosis of HCC was 0.878,significantly higher than that of serum AFP level(P<0.001),AFP-L3 fraction(P<0.001),PIVKA-II level(P=0.036),and AFP-L3 level(P=0.006).The optimal ALPs score cut-off was 5.3(sensitivity,85.0%,specificity 80.1%).The validation cohort showed similar results.CONCLUSION The ALPs score calculated using serum AFP level,AFP-L3 fraction,and PIVKA-II level showed improved accuracy in HCC diagnosis.展开更多
· AIM: To evaluate the application of ultrasound biomicroscopy(UBM) in the examination of lacrimal canalicular diseases, and to investigate UBM image characteristics of lacrimal canaliculi in disease states.·...· AIM: To evaluate the application of ultrasound biomicroscopy(UBM) in the examination of lacrimal canalicular diseases, and to investigate UBM image characteristics of lacrimal canaliculi in disease states.·METHODS: Sixty cases(63 eyes, 69 canaliculi) of lacrimal canalicular diseases were enrolled that included32 patients(32 eyes, 32 canaliculi) with chronic lacrimal canaliculitis, 18 patients(18 eyes, 18 canaliculi) with previous lacrimal canalicular laceration, 9 patients(12eyes, 18 canaliculi) with congenital absence of lacrimal puncta and canaliculi, and 1 case(1 eye, 1 canaliculus)of canalicular mass. The patients were examined using UBM, and disease-specific features of the UBM images were noted.· RESULTS: UBM imaging of lacrimal canaliculi in chronic canaliculitis patients showed obvious ectasia of the lacrimal canalicular lumen. Dot-like moderate echoic signals were detected on some ectatic lumina of the lacrimal canaliculus. Some lumen-like structures of the lower lacrimal canaliculus were observed in 2(2 eyes, 2canaliculi) of the 9 patients(12 eyes, 18 canaliculi) with congenital absence of the lacrimal canaliculus. Of the 18patients(18 eyes, 18 canaliculi) with previous lacrimal canalicular laceration, the lacerated end on the nasal side of the lacrimal canaliculus was detected only in 14patients(14 eyes, 14 canaliculi).·CONCLUSION: UBM can be used to evaluate lacrimal canalicular diseases and can provide an imaging basis for the diagnosis of lacrimal canalicular diseases.展开更多
文摘Faced with a socio-political-mediatic arena that continues to return the ballet of pandemic,climate change,fourth industrial revolution,sixth mass extinction,war etc.,the reflection of Michel Serres and Posthumanism put forth instances for silencing of the anthropocentric logos,and for recognition of the multiplicity,variety,possibility of things and of the human in co-belonging with them,as well as instances for working on these same multiplicities,varieties,possibilities,that are often absences,black holes,repressed of philosophical thought.
基金Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.XDA24030205)National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.U21A20246,32102511)+3 种基金National Key Research and Development Program-Key Projects(2021YFD1200900 and 2021YFD1300904)Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program(STEP)(No.2019QZKK0501)Biological Breeding-National Science and Technology Major Project(2023ZD0407106)Chinese Universities Scientific Fund(2024TC162).
文摘Background Unveiling genetic diversity features and understanding the genetic mechanisms of diverse goat pheno-types are pivotal in facilitating the preservation and utilization of these genetic resources.However,the total genetic diversity within a species can’t be captured by the reference genome of a single individual.The pan-genome is a col-lection of all the DNA sequences that occur in a species,and it is expected to capture the total genomic diversity of the specific species.Results We constructed a goat pan-genome using map-to-pan assemble based on 813 individuals,including 723 domestic goats and 90 samples from their wild relatives,which presented a broad regional and global represen-tation.In total,146 Mb sequences and 974 genes were identified as absent from the reference genome(ARS1.2;GCF_001704415.2).We identified 3,190 novel single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)using the pan-genome analysis.These novel SNPs could properly reveal the population structure of domestic goats and their wild relatives.Presence/absence variation(PAV)analysis revealed gene loss and intense negative selection during domestication and improvement.Conclusions Our research highlights the importance of the goat pan-genome in capturing the missing genetic variations.It reveals the changes in genomic architecture during goat domestication and improvement,such as gene loss.This improves our understanding of the evolutionary and breeding history of goats.
基金funded by the Tuscany region(project Nat-NET)Project funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan(NRRP),Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.4-Call for tender No.3138 of 16 December 2021,rectified by Decree n.3175 of 18 December 2021 of Italian Ministry of University and Research funded by the European Union-NextGenerationEUProject code CN_00000033,Concession Decree No.1034 of 17 June 2022 adopted by the Italian Ministry of University and Research,CUP B63C22000650007,Project title“National Biodiversity Future Center-NBFC”.
文摘European beech(Fagus sylvatica L.)forests can have a high variability in plant species richness and abundance,from monospecific stands to highly species-rich communities.To understand what causes the low plant diversity observed in some beech forests,we analyzed the drivers of plant community completeness in 155 vegetation plots.Data were collected in mature,closed-canopy beech forests in Tuscany,central Italy.Site-specific species pools were estimated based on species co-occurrences.We used Generalized Least Squares linear modeling to assess the effects of anthropogenic and environmental drivers on the community completeness of whole communities and on the set of specialist species of beech forests.We also tested the response of the total cover of the herb layer to the selected predictors and related both the predictive and response variables to species composition in a Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling ordination.The community completeness of whole communities and that of beech forest specialists were negatively affected by total beech cover and positively influenced by slope.Moreover,the community completeness of whole communities was negatively impacted by elevation and positively influenced by disturbance frequency.The cover of the herb layer decreased with increasing beech cover,elevation,and precipitation.High community completeness and high cover of the herb layer were associated with the presence of thermophilic species of mixed deciduous woods in low-elevation beech forests.Our results suggest that a low plant community completeness and a low cover of the herb layer are mainly due to the competition by beech itself when it forms pure forests in its ecological optimum.Such competition is better exerted at upper elevations and in sites with low slopes,where beech litter accumulation is a limiting factor for understory species.Such evidence suggests that species absence in mature beech forests is mainly due to natural drivers and should therefore not be considered an indicator of ecological degradation of the forest.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(grant No.82171588)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Institutes(grant No.2023GJZD01).
文摘Individuals with congenital absence of the vas deferens(CAVD)may transmit cystic fibrosis(CF)-causing variants of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator(CFTR)gene to their offspring through assisted reproductive technology(ART).We aimed to delineate the spectrum and estimate the prevalence of CF-causing variants in Chinese individuals with CAVD through a cohort analysis and meta-analysis.CFTR was sequenced in 145 Chineseindividuals with CAVD.CFTR variants were classified as CF-causing or non-CF-causing variants regarding clinical significance.A comprehensive genotype analysis was performed in Chinese individuals with CAVD,incorporating previous studies and our study cohort.The prevalence of CF-causing variants was estimated through meta-analysis.In our cohort,56 differentCFTR variants were identified in 108(74.5%)patients.Twenty variants were categorized as CF-causing and were detected in 28(19.3%)patients.A comprehensive genotype analysis of 867 patients identified 174 differentCFTR variants.Sixty-four were classified as CF-causing variants,56.3%of which had not been previously reported in Chinese patients with CF.Meta-analysis showed that 14.8%(95%confidence interval[CI]:11.0%-18.9%)CAVD cases harbored one CF-causing variant,and 68.6%(95%CI:65.1%-72.0%)CAVD cases carried at least one CFTR variant.Our study underscores the urgent need for extensiveCFTR screening,including sequencing of whole exons and flanking regions and detection of large rearrangements and deep intronic CF-causing variants,in Chinese individuals with CAVDbefore undergoing ART.The established CF-causing variants spectrum may aid in the development of genetic counseling strategies and preimplantation diagnosis to prevent the birth of a child with CF.
文摘Background: Dual Practice (DP) allows full-time public sector doctors to concurrently offer the same clinical services in the private sector. The debate against this practice seems to be largely influenced by its potential to reduce the contracted hours in the public sector and shift attention to private work. Purpose: The purpose of this secondary research is to estimate the monetary value of hours lost to the Nigerian public healthcare system when full-time government employee doctors are engaged in private practice. It attempts to quantify the amount of resource outflow from the public system due to absences and lateness arising from competition for time between the public system’s contracted hours and private practice. Methods: Sensitivity analysis in Excel 2010 was used to calculate doctors’ hourly pay in the public sector using the 2015 Consolidated Medical Salary Structure for medical and dental officers in Nigeria’s federal public service. The parameters used for the calculation were the official 40-hour working week and the average monthly gross pay of doctors on different grade levels. Hypothetical scenarios of hours lost due to absences associated with DP were created. The value of different hypothetical hour losses by the percentage of doctors assumed to engage in dual practice across all doctor grade levels was then computed. Results: The estimated annual value of hours lost from dual practice to a single public tertiary care hospital was N4,851,754 or 15,855 USD (best case scenario) and N19,407,017 or 63,422 USD (worst case scenario) for the normal routine work and N1,800,133 or 5883 USD (best case scenario) and N3,600,266 or 11,766 USD (worst case scenario) for the on-call duty. Conclusion: The government may have been paying salaries for large volumes of work not rendered in the public sector. The overall financial impact of dual practice in the Nigerian public system might be negative.
文摘BACKGROUND Researchers have investigated the diagnostic value of protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist II (PIVKA-II) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and obtained abundant clinical diagnostic data. However, PIVKA-II and AFP have unsatisfactory specificity and sensitivity in the diagnosis of early-stage HBV-related HCC. Gamma-glutamyltransferase (γ-GT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) are common biomarkers for evaluating liver function, and we hypothesized that the γ-GT/AST ratio in combination with PIVKA-II and AFP would improve the diagnosis of early-stage HBV-related HCC. AIM To evaluate the diagnostic value of γ-GT/AST ratio alone or in combination with PIVKA-II and AFP in HBV-related HCC. METHODS Serum levels of γ-GT, AST, PIVKA-II, and AFP were detected and analysed in 176 patients with HBV-related HCC and in 359 patients with chronic hepatitis B. According to tumour size and serum level of HBV DNA, HBV-related HCC patients were divided into the following categories: Early-stage HCC patients, HCC patients, HBV DNA positive (HBV DNA+) HCC patients, and HBV DNA negative (HBV DNA-) HCC patients. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to analyse and compare the diagnostic value of the single and combined detection of various biomarkers in different types of HBV-related HCC. RESULTS Tumour size was positively correlated with serum levels of PIVKA-II and AFP in HCC patients (r = 0.529, aP < 0.001 and r = 0.270, bP < 0.001, respectively), but there was no correlation between tumour size and the γ-GT/AST ratio (r = 0.073, P = 0.336). The areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curves (AUROCs) of the γ-GT/AST ratio in early-stage HCC patients, HBV DNA+ HCC patients and HBV DNA- HCC patients were not significantly different from that in the total HCC patients (0.754, 0.802, and 0.705 vs 0.779, respectively;P > 0.05). When PIVKA-II was combined with the γ-GT/AST ratio in the diagnosis of earlystage HCC, HCC, and HBV DNA+ HCC, the AUROCs of PIVKA-II increased, with values of 0.857 vs 0.835, 0.925 vs 0.913, and 0.958 vs 0.954, respectively. When AFP was combined with the γ-GT/AST ratio in the diagnosis of early-stage HCC, HCC, HBV DNA+ HCC, and HBV DNA- HCC, the AUROCs of AFP increased, with values of 0.757 vs 0.621, 0.837 vs 0.744, 0.868 vs 0.757, and 0.840 vs 0.828, respectively. CONCLUSION The γ-GT/AST ratio may be better than PIVKA-II and AFP in the diagnosis of early-stage HBV-related HCC, and its combination with PIVKA-II and AFP can improve the diagnostic value for HBV-related HCC.
基金supported in part by the National Natural Sci-ence Foundation of China(81472284 and 81672699)Shanghai Pujiang Program(16PJD004)
文摘Background: As a promising biomarker of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC), protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-Ⅱ(PIVKA-Ⅱ) has been studied extensively. However, its diagnostic capability varies across HCC studies. This study aimed to compare the performance of PIVKA-Ⅱ with alpha-fetoprotein(AFP) in the diagnosis of HCC. Data sources: A systematic literature search was conducted to identify the studies from MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane Library Databases, which were published up to December 20, 2017 to compare the diagnostic capability of PIVKA-Ⅱ and AFP for HCC. The data were pooled using random effects model. Pooled sensitivity and specificity were calculated. Summary receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC) was employed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of each marker. Results: Thirty-one studies were included. The pooled sensitivity(95% CI) of PIVKA-Ⅱ and AFP was 0.66(0.65–0.68) and 0.66(0.65–0.67), respectively in diagnosis of HCC; and the corresponding pooled specificity(95% CI) was 0.89(0.88–0.90) and 0.84(0.83–0.85), respectively. The area under the ROC curve(AUC) of PIVKA-Ⅱ and AFP was 0.856(0.817–0.895) and 0.770(0.728–0.811), respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that PIVKA-Ⅱ was superior to AFP in terms of the AUC for both small HCC( < 3 cm) [0.863(0.825–0.901) vs 0.717(0.658–0.776)] and large HCC( ≥ 3 cm) [0.854(0.811–0.897) vs 0.729(0.682–0.776)]; for American [0.926(0.897–0.955) vs 0.698(0.594–0.662)], European [0.772(0.743–0.801) vs 0.628(0.594–0.662)], Asian [0.838(0.812–0.864) vs 0.785(0.764–0.806)] and African [0.812(0.794–0.840) vs 0.721(0.675–0.767)] HCC patients; and for HBV-related [0.909(0.866–0.951) vs 0.714(0.673–0.755)] and mixed-etiology [0.847(0.821–0.873) vs 0.794(0.772–0.816)] HCC. Conclusion: This meta-analysis indicates that PIVKA-Ⅱ is better than AFP in terms of the accuracy for diagnosing HCC, regardless of tumor size, patient ethnic group, or HCC etiology.
文摘Key FactsDefinition: Benign vertebral body vascular tumor.Classic imaging appearance: Hypodense lesion (CT) with coarse, verticallyoriented trabeculae;hyperintense (MRI) on both T1WI and T2WI.Most common spinal axis tumor: (1) Incidental lesion identified on imaging performed for unrelated reasons. (2) Rarer presentation (clinical or radiographic) is “aggressive hemangioma”.Radiographic diagnostic criteria are lesion growth, bone destruction, vertebral collapse, absence of fat in lesion, and active vascular component.May extend epidurally and cause cord compression.
文摘Congenital absence of portal vein （CAPV） was a rare event in the past. However, the number of detected CAPV cases has increased in recent years because of advances in imaging techniques. Patients with CAPV present with portal hypertension （PH） or portosystemic encephalopathy （PSE）, but these conditions rarely occur until the patients grow up or become old. The patients usually visit doctors for the complications of venous shunts, hepatic or cardiac abnormalities detected by ultrasonography （US）, computed tomography （CT） and magnetic resonance imaging （MR1）. The etiology of this disease is not clear, but most investigators consider that it is associated with abnormal embryologic development of the portal vein. Usually, surgical intervention can relieve the symptoms and prevent occurrence of complications in CAPV patients. Moreover, its management should be stressed on a case-by-case basis, depending on the type or anatomy of the disease, as well as the symptoms and clinical conditions of the patient.
基金The project supported in part by USA NIH Grant under HG002894
文摘The evolutionary dynamics first conceived by Darwin and Wallace, referring to as Darwinian dynamics in the present paper, has been found to be universally valid in biology. The statistical mechanics and thermodynamics, while enormous successful in physics, have been in an awkward situation of wanting a consistent dynamical understanding. Here we present from a formal point of view an exploration of the connection between thermodynamics and Darwinian dynamics and a few related topics. We first show that the stochasticity in Darwinian dynamics implies the existence temperature, hence the canonical distribution of Boltzmann-Gibbs type. In term of relative entropy the Second Law of thermodynamics is dynamically demonstrated without detailed balance condition, and is valid regardless of size of the system. In particular, the dynamical component responsible for breaking detailed balance condition does not contribute to the change of the relative entropy. Two types of stochastic dynamical equalities of current interest are explicitly discussed in the present approach： One is based on Feynman-Kac formula and another is a generalization of Einstein relation. Both are directly accessible to experimental tests. Our demonstration indicates that Darwinian dynamics represents logically a simple and straightforward starting point for statistical mechanics and thermodynamics and is complementary to and consistent with conservative dynamics that dominates the physical sciences. Present exploration suggests the existence of a unified stochastic dynamical framework both near and far from equilibrium.
文摘Congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens （CBAVD） is a frequent cause of obstructive azoospermia, and mutations of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator （CFTR） gene have also been frequently identified in patients with CBAVD. However, the distribution of the CFTR polymorphisms M470V, poly-T, TG-repeats and F508del mutation in the Chinese CBAVD population with presumed low cystic fibrosis （CF） frequency remains to be evaluated. Samples obtained from 109 Chinese infertile males with CBAVD and 104 normal controls were analyzed for the presence of CFTR （TG）m（T）n, M470V and F508del by PCR amplification followed by direct sequencing. Our study showed that the F5OSdel mutation was not found in our patients. The 5T mutation was present with high frequency in Chinese CBAVD patients and IVS8-5T linked to either 12 or 13 TG repeats was highly prevalent among CBAVD patients （97.22% of 72 cases and 96.91% of 97 alleles with IVS8-5T）. Moreover, a statistically significant relationship between TG 12-5T-V470 haplotype and CBAVD was detected. This study indicated that the CFTR polymorphisms poly-T, TG-repeats and M470V might affect the process of CBAVD in the Chinese population.
文摘When presented with an azoospermic patient, a thorough history and careful, considered physical examination often leads to a definite or presumptive diagnosis. An algorithmic, logical thought process is important to have in mind when embarking on the evaluation. Adjunctive laboratory tests, such as hormonal assays or genetic studies, are often complementary and/or additive and allow a very precise determination to be made as to the etiologies, either genetic or acquired. It is only with this information that a therapeutic plan can be made for the patient. As will be discussed, a targeted approach to testing is far more satisfying and cost-effective than a blind, shotgun approach.
基金supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft(MA6473/1-1,MA6473/2-1)
文摘Many of our major crop species are polyploids, containing more than one genome or set of chromosomes. Polyploid crops present unique challenges, including difficulties in genome assembly, in discriminating between multiple gene and sequence copies, and in genetic mapping, hindering use of genomic data for genetics and breeding. Polyploid genomes may also be more prone to containing structural variation, such as loss of gene copies or sequences(presence–absence variation) and the presence of genes or sequences in multiple copies(copynumber variation). Although the two main types of genomic structural variation commonly identified are presence–absence variation and copy-number variation, we propose that homeologous exchanges constitute a third major form of genomic structural variation in polyploids. Homeologous exchanges involve the replacement of one genomic segment by a similar copy from another genome or ancestrally duplicated region, and are known to be extremely common in polyploids. Detecting all kinds of genomic structural variation is challenging, but recent advances such as optical mapping and long-read sequencing offer potential strategies to help identify structural variants even in complex polyploid genomes. All three major types of genomic structural variation(presence–absence, copy-number, and homeologous exchange) are now known to influence phenotypes in crop plants, with examples of flowering time, frost tolerance, and adaptive and agronomic traits. In this review,we summarize the challenges of genome analysis in polyploid crops, describe the various types of genomic structural variation and the genomics technologies and data that can be used to detect them, and collate information produced to date related to the impact of genomic structural variation on crop phenotypes. We highlight the importance of genomic structural variation for the future genetic improvement of polyploid crops.
基金Supported by the National Key Clinical Discipline,Fuzhou “14th Five-Year Plan” Clinical Key Specialty (laboratory medicine)the National Science Foundation of China,No. 82002587
文摘BACKGROUND Serum protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-Ⅱ(PIVKA-Ⅱ) is a promising biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) surveillance.AIM To identify the contributing factors related to the abnormal elevation of PIVKA-Ⅱ level and assess their potential influence on the performance of PIVKA-Ⅱ in detecting HCC.METHODS This study retrospectively enrolled in 784 chronic liver disease(CLD) patients and 267 HCC patients in Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University from April 2016 to December 2019. Logistic regression and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC) were used to evaluate the influencing factors and diagnostic performance of PIVKA-Ⅱ for HCC, respectively.RESULTS Elevated PIVKA-Ⅱ levels were independently positively associated with alcohol-related liver disease, serum alkaline phosphatase(ALP), and total bilirubin(TBIL) for CLD patients and aspartate aminotransferase(AST) and tumor size for HCC patients(all P < 0.05). Serum PIVKA-Ⅱ were significantly lower in patients with viral etiology, ALP ≤ 1 × upper limit of normal(ULN), TBIL ≤ 1 × ULN, and AST ≤ 1 × ULN than in those with nonviral disease and abnormal ALP, TBIL, or AST(all P < 0.05), but the differences disappeared in patients with early-stage HCC. For patients with TBIL ≤ 1 × ULN, the AUC of PIVKA-Ⅱ was significantly higher compared to that in patients with TBIL > 1 × ULN(0.817 vs 0.669, P = 0.015), while the difference between ALP ≤ 1 × ULN and ALP > 1 × ULN was not statistically significant(0.783 vs 0.729, P = 0.398). These trends were then more prominently perceived in subgroups of patients with viral etiology and HBV alone.CONCLUSION Serum PIVKA-Ⅱ has better performance in detecting HCC at an early stage for CLD patients with normal serum TBIL.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.11702018,11932003,and 11672074)。
文摘Presently,we develop a simplified corticothalamic(SCT)model and propose a single-pulse alternately resetting stimulation(SARS)with sequentially applying anodic(A,“+”)or cathodic(C,“−”)phase pulses to the thalamic reticular(RE)nuclei,thalamus-cortex(TC)relay nuclei,and cortical excitatory(EX)neurons,respectively.Abatement effects of ACC-SARS of RE,TC,and EX for the 2 Hz-4 Hz spike and wave discharges(SWD)of absence seizures are then concerned.The m∶n on-off ACC-SARS protocol is shown to effectively reduce the SWD with the least current consumption.In particular,when its frequency is out of the 2 Hz-4 Hz SWD dominant rhythm,the desired seizure abatements can be obtained,which can be further improved by our proposed directional steering(DS)stimulation.The dynamical explanations for the SARS induced seizure abatements are lastly given by calculating the averaged mean firing rate(AMFR)of neurons and triggering averaged mean firing rates(TAMFRs)of 2 Hz-4 Hz SWD.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.61201395,61272394,61472119 and 61472373)the program for Science & Technology Innovation Talents in Universities of Henan Province(No.13HASTIT039)the Program for Young Backbone Teachers in Universities of Henan Province(Nos.2012GGJS-057 and 2013GGJS-052)
文摘Feature detection and matching play important roles in many fields of computer vision, such as image understanding, feature recognition, 3D-reconstruction, video analysis, etc. Extracting features is usually the first step for feature detection or matching, and the gradient feature is one of the most used selections. In this paper, a new image feature-absence importance （AI） feature, which can directly characterize the local structure information, is proposed. Greatly different from the most existing features, the proposed absence importance feature is mainly based on the consideration that the absence of the important pixel will have a great effect on the local structure. Two absence importance features, mean absence importance （MAI） and standard deviation absence importance （SDAI）, are defined and used subsequently to construct new algorithms for feature detection and matching. Experiments demonstrate that the proposed absence importance features can be used as an important complement of the gradient feature and applied successfully to the fields of feature detection and matching.
文摘Protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist Ⅱ(PIVKA-Ⅱ) is a putative specific marker of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),but it may also be produced by asmall number of gastric cancers.To date,16 cases of PIVKA-Ⅱ-producing gastric cancer have been reported,2 of which were reported by us and all of which were identified in Japan.There are no symptoms specific to PIVKA-Ⅱ-producing gastric cancer,and the representative clinical symptoms are general fatigue,appetite loss,and upper abdominal pain.Serum alpha-feto-protein(AFP)levels are also increased in almost allcases.Liver metastasis is observed in approximately 80% of cases and portal vein tumor thrombus is ob-served in approximately 20% of cases.Differential diagnosis between metastatic liver tumor and HCC is often difficult.Grossly,almost all cases appear as advanced gastric cancer.Histologically,a hepatoid pattern is observed in many cases,in addition to a moderately to poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma component.The production of PIVKA-Ⅱ and AFP is usually confirmed using immunohistochemical staining.Treatment and prognosis largely depends on the existence of liver meta-stasis,and the prognosis of patients with liver metas-tasis is very poor.PIVKA-Ⅱ may be produced during the hepatocellular metaplasia of the tumor cells.
文摘BACKGROUND Diagnostic accuracy of various tumor markers and their combinations for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)was not fully investigated.AIM To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of alpha-fetoprotein(AFP),the Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of AFP(AFP-L3),and protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II(PIVKA-II)and their combination for HCC diagnosis.METHODS Patients with newly detected liver mass or elevated serum AFP levels were considered eligible.Serum AFP level,AFP-L3 fraction,and PIVKA-II level were measured at the first visit.RESULTS In total,622 patients were included;355 patients(57.1%)had chronic liver disease,and 208(33.4%)had liver cirrhosis.HCC was diagnosed in 160 patients(25.7%).The area under the receiver operating characteristics curves(AUROCs)of the serum AFP,AFP-L3 fraction,AFP-L3,and PIVKA-II levels for the diagnosis of HCC were 0.775,0.792,0.814,and 0.834,respectively.A novel diagnostic model was developed by classifying patients in a 1:1 ratio into training and validation sets.Using the binary regression analysis of the training cohort,the AFP,AFP-L3 fraction,and PIVKA-II(ALPs)score was calculated as follows:ALPs score=3.8×[serum AFP level(ng/mL)×AFP-L3 fraction(%)×0.01]+0.2×PIVKA-II level(mAU/mL).The AUROC of the ALPs score for diagnosis of HCC was 0.878,significantly higher than that of serum AFP level(P<0.001),AFP-L3 fraction(P<0.001),PIVKA-II level(P=0.036),and AFP-L3 level(P=0.006).The optimal ALPs score cut-off was 5.3(sensitivity,85.0%,specificity 80.1%).The validation cohort showed similar results.CONCLUSION The ALPs score calculated using serum AFP level,AFP-L3 fraction,and PIVKA-II level showed improved accuracy in HCC diagnosis.
文摘· AIM: To evaluate the application of ultrasound biomicroscopy(UBM) in the examination of lacrimal canalicular diseases, and to investigate UBM image characteristics of lacrimal canaliculi in disease states.·METHODS: Sixty cases(63 eyes, 69 canaliculi) of lacrimal canalicular diseases were enrolled that included32 patients(32 eyes, 32 canaliculi) with chronic lacrimal canaliculitis, 18 patients(18 eyes, 18 canaliculi) with previous lacrimal canalicular laceration, 9 patients(12eyes, 18 canaliculi) with congenital absence of lacrimal puncta and canaliculi, and 1 case(1 eye, 1 canaliculus)of canalicular mass. The patients were examined using UBM, and disease-specific features of the UBM images were noted.· RESULTS: UBM imaging of lacrimal canaliculi in chronic canaliculitis patients showed obvious ectasia of the lacrimal canalicular lumen. Dot-like moderate echoic signals were detected on some ectatic lumina of the lacrimal canaliculus. Some lumen-like structures of the lower lacrimal canaliculus were observed in 2(2 eyes, 2canaliculi) of the 9 patients(12 eyes, 18 canaliculi) with congenital absence of the lacrimal canaliculus. Of the 18patients(18 eyes, 18 canaliculi) with previous lacrimal canalicular laceration, the lacerated end on the nasal side of the lacrimal canaliculus was detected only in 14patients(14 eyes, 14 canaliculi).·CONCLUSION: UBM can be used to evaluate lacrimal canalicular diseases and can provide an imaging basis for the diagnosis of lacrimal canalicular diseases.
