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The HTS flux pump is a promising device which can charge the HTS magnet for various high field applications. In an HTS flux pump, the superconducting tapes are the circuit connections between the charging loop and the load circuit, and using soldering joints between the superconducting layers is a general method. For a large scale HTS flux pump, the joints should endure the electrical current over kA level, and with durable mechanical structures. In our kA level HTS flux pump, the HTS-copper joint was used to connect the charging loop, the HTS bridge and the potential HTS load. Three methods of HTS-copper soldering were tested and compared for a simple HTS-copper circuit: pure indium wire pre-tinning, IN52/SN48 ribbon direct soldering, and IN52/SN48 ribbon pre-tinning. Experiments show the soldering of IN52/SN48 ribbon pre-tinning archived the lowest joint resistance among these three methods, and the individual resistances were determined. This method was used to solder the joint for the kA level HTS flux pump, and acceptably low resistance was achieved.

In recent years, along with the unceasing development of High-temperature Superconductor (HTS) technology, the performance of HTS tape has been improved significantly, including the higher critical current, lower joint resistance, and longer tape length etc. To use HTS instead of Low-temperature Superconductor (LTS) in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) applications, the flux pumping method with travelling wave has been investigated. In this paper, our new experimental results were regarding to the frequency, amplitude, and wavelength characteristics of charging an HTS coil with an HTS square bridge, using an electromagnetic flux pump designed at the University of Cambridge.

With the increasing awareness of the risks and impacts of climate change, scholars tend to pay more attention to the applications of indicators, which access the effectiveness of climate change adaptation. This study aims to evaluate the overall progress of climate change adaptation in China during 2010–2018 in a quantitative manner. The Index for Climate Change Adaptation in China (ICCAC) has been thus developed by adopting the analytic hierarchy process weighting and expert scoring method. Namely, ICCAC is composed of national climate change impacts, adaptation actions in key sectors, adaptation progress in key sectors, and the national adaptation policy framework. Overall, the ICCAC and its four sub-indexes increased significantly from 2010 to 2018, on a yearly-basis. Each sub-index implied that the socio-economic impacts caused by climate change in China have been alleviated gradually; specifically, the mainstream endeavor of key sectors has witnessed remarkable progress, however, it is worth noting that the gap between individual adaptation actions and policies still exists; the implementation effect of policies in key sectors is not as affluent as that of actions; the current adaptation endeavor in key areas is still closely related to the mainstream business of corresponding competent ministries rather than adaptation-aimed actions; the national adaptation policy framework has been primarily formed, but there are still some deficiencies. As a result, the gap in China's adaptation process could be mainly manifested in the following five aspects: i) adaptation effectiveness assessment in forestry and urban infrastructure is urgently needed; ii) policies in marine and water resources sectors need structural reforms; iii) evaluation criteria for national adaptation are not necessarily sufficient; iv) the improvement of adaptive management efficiency has stagnated recently; and v) the adaptation works of relevant Ministries should be coordinated and put forward the corresponding strategies. Finally, this study presents four proposals: conducting an evaluation of adaptation actions in all key sectors, integrating climate change impacts into sectoral planning decisions, launching concrete action plans for adaptation, establishing a complete policy framework on adaptation.

Background The high degree of heterogeneity brought great challenges to the diagnosis and treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Although several different AML prognostic scoring models have been proposed to assess the prognosis of patients, the accuracy still needs to be improved. As important components of the tumor microenvironment, immune cells played important roles in the physiological functions of tumors and had certain research value. Therefore, whether the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) can be used to assess the prognosis of AML aroused our great interest. Methods The patients’ gene expression profile from 7 GEO databases was normalized after removing the batch effect. TIME cell components were explored through Xcell tools and then hierarchically clustered to establish TIME classification. Subsequently, a prognostic model was established by Lasso-Cox. Multiple GEO databases and the Cancer Genome Atlas dataset were employed to validate the prognostic performance of the model. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and the concordance index (C-index) were utilized to assess the prognostic efficacy. Results After analyzing the composition of TIME cells in AML, we found infiltration of ten types of cells with prognostic significance. Then using hierarchical clustering methods, we established a TIME classification system, which clustered all patients into three groups with distinct prognostic characteristics. Using the differential genes between the first and third groups in the TIME classification, we constructed a 121-gene prognostic model. The model successfully divided 1229 patients into the low and high groups which had obvious differences in prognosis. The high group with shorter overall survival had more patients older than 60 years and more poor-risk patients (both P Conclusion A prognostic model for AML based on the TIME classification was constructed in our study, which may provide a new strategy for precision treatment in AML.

To evaluate the efficacy and risk of cataract surgery (phacoemulsification with intraocular lens [IOL] implantation) combined with endoscopic goniosynechialysis (EGSL) for advanced primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG).Retrospective, continuous case series.A total of 16 patients (18 eyes) with advanced PACG were enrolled in this study between February 2014 and March 2016. Advanced glaucoma inclusion criteria were based on the method proposed in the Advanced Glaucoma Intervention Study, with a visual field score of 18 points or more.All patients underwent cataract surgery with EGSL by the same experienced surgeon. Paired t test and generalized estimating equation analyses were performed.The extent of peripheral anterior synechiae (PAS), number of intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering drugs, IOP, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and visual fields before and after surgery. The incidence of complications was recorded.The mean follow-up duration was 13.8 months (standard deviation, 2.7 months). The mean difference (preoperative minus postoperative) in PAS was 202.7° (95% confidence interval [CI], 43.5°). The mean difference (preoperative minus postoperative) in the number of IOP-lowering drugs and IOP was 2.0 (95% CI, ±0.5), and 9.4 mmHg (95% CI, ±2.1 mmHg) respectively. The mean improvement in BCVA was 0.29 logMAR (95% CI, ±0.14). A positive correlation was found between the extent of postoperative PAS and postoperative IOP (B = 8.2; P0.001) and also between postoperative PAS and postoperative number of IOP-lowering drugs (B = 28.9; P0.001). Anterior chamber hemorrhage and exudation occurred in 4 patients and 2 patients, respectively, after surgery. Posterior capsular opacification occurred in 5 patients after surgery.Cataract surgery with EGSL could be an effective surgical method for the treatment of advanced PACG.

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe and fatal clinical syndrome characterized by high blood pressure and vascular remodeling in the pulmonary arterioles, which is also a rapidly progressing disease of the lung vasculature with a poor prognosis. Although PAH medication made great advances in recent years, the efficacy and safety of the medication are unsatisfactory. Therefore, we aimed to update and expand previous studies to explore the efficacy and safety of PAH-targeted medications. Methods: Relevant articles were searched and selected from published or publicly available data in PubMed, Cochrane Library, CNKI, PsycInfo, and MEDLINE (from inception until October 1st, 2020). To assess the efficacy and safety of PAH therapies, five efficacy outcomes [6-minute walking distance (6MWD), mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP), WHO functional class (WHO FC) improvement, clinical worsening, death] and two safety outcomes [adverse events (AEs), serious adverse events (SAEs)] were selected. And 6MWD was regarded as the primary efficacy outcome. Results: 50 trials included with 10 996participants were selected. In terms of efficacy, all targeted drugs were more effective than placebo. For 6MWD, Bosentan + Sildenafil, Sildenafil, Bosentan + Iloprost were better than others. Bosentan + Iloprost and Bosentan + Sildenafil were better for mPAP. Bosentan + Iloprost and Ambrisentan + Tadalafil were more effective in improving WHO FC. Bosentan + Tadalafil and Bosentan + Iloprost had the Ambrisentan probability to reduce the incidence of clinical worsening. It is demonstrated that Ambrisentan had clear benefits in reducing all-cause mortality. In terms of safety, no therapies had been shown to reduce the incidence of SAEs significantly, and Ambrisentan + Tadalafil significantly increased the incidence of AEs. Conclusions: Phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor (PDE5i) + Endothelin Receptor Antagonists (ERA) seems to be better therapy for PAH. Prostacyclin analogs (ProsA) + ERA appear promising, though additional data is warranted. Registration PROSPERO CRD42020218818.

The fast estimation of volumes of landslide deposit has great significance for emergency rescue decision-making, such as deposit filling and excavation and road dredging. The existing methods for the volumes of landslide deposit estimation have the disadvantages of a long data acquisition cycle, poor timeliness and high cost. Therefore, this paper researches a fast estimation method of volumes of landslide deposit based on the 3D reconstruction of smartphone images. First, the improved algorithms of speeded up robust features (SURF) and oriented fast and rotated brief (ORB) algorithms are combined to realize the fast matching of landslide feature points. Second, the 3D scene sparse reconstruction of landslide deposit is realized through boundary constraints. Third, taking the steepest gradient into account, the interpolation of the bottom of the landslide deposit and the fast estimation of the volumes are carried out. Finally, a prototype system is developed, and a case study is performed. The experimental results show that the estimation results of the proposed method are between those of the commercial software ContextCapture, Metashape and Pix4Dmapper, which are commonly used in the field of 3D reconstruction, but the estimation speed is 1–2 times faster than that of the commercial software mentioned above. The proposed method can realize the low-cost and fast estimation of landslide deposit volumes and provide technical support for landslide emergency rescue.

To investigate the changes and evaluate the diagnosis value of circumpapillary vessel density (VD) in cases of acute primary angle closure (APAC).Case-control study.APAC patients with a history of unilateral acute attack were enrolled. The eyes with acute episode constituted the case group while the contralateral eyes without attack consisted of the control group. Ophthalmic examinations including slit-lamp examination, best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure and visual field were carried out. Retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), macular ganglion cell complex (GCC) were measured by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, while VD was assessed by optical coherence tomography angiography.The whole en face image vessel density (wiVD), circumpapillary vessel density (cpVD) and inside disk VD for both all vessels and capillary were all significantly lower in the APAC eyes compared to the fellow eyes (P 0.01 for all). In APAC eyes, the wiVD, inside disk VD and cpVD both for all vessels and capillary were all positively correlated with RNFL and GCC thicknesses but negatively correlated with the mean deviation (MD), pattern standard deviation (PSD) and the duration of acute attack (all P 0.01). From the ROC curve, the cpVDIn APAC eyes, circumpapillary VD decreased significantly compared with the fellow unaffected eyes. They were significantly correlated with thicknesses of RNFL and GCC, and visual field MD and PSD in the APAC eyes. The patients with longer duration of acute attack were more likely to have lower cpVD. For APAC, the diagnostic ability of wiVD and cpVD was similar with RNFL, GCC and MD and was higher than inside disk VD.

Osmotic energy from the ocean, also called blue energy, serves as a clean, renewable, and vast energy source for the energy demands of the world. Reverse electrodialysis-based blue energy harvestin...

The geothermal gradient in the eastern area of Liaoning Province is very low, but hot springs resources are variable. The reason is not clear till now but leads to the fact that a few strong influence factors can cause imbalances in the results of many prediction algorithms. It can be found as a black-box algorithm, deep learning will obtain a more unbalanced result with the fault influence factors. To tackle this issue, the role of preprocessing during the process of profound learning was enhanced and four comparative experiments were carried out. The results show that compared with the unprocessed experiment, the accuracy rate of the experiment with fully processed data increased by 11.9 p.p., and the area under the curve increased by 0.086 (0.796–0.882). This inspires us that even though the deep learning method can achieve high accuracy in the prediction of geological resources, we still need to pay attention to the analysis and pretreatment of data with expertise according to local conditions.

Motivated by the existing circuit model of quantum convolutional neural network, a new quantum convolutional neural network circuit model is devised, which is combined with quantum chaotic map to construct a symmetric cryptosystem. Quantum chaotic map produces key stream for encryption and decryption. The cryptosystem simulates the basic process of communication. Theoretical analysis manifests that the cryptosystem is effective. Additionally, simulation experiments based on MNIST data set show that the cryptosystem is secure. Furthermore, the proposed cryptosystem can be applied not only for image data, but for text data. Therefore, the grid data can be encrypted by utilizing the cryptosystem.

The visualization of flood disasters in virtual reality (VR) scenes is useful for the representation and sharing of disaster knowledge and can effectively improve users’ cognitive efficiency in com...

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased risks of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Nevertheless, the mechanisms remain unknown. This study analyzed the correlations between vitamin D levels and inflammation in COPD patients. One hundred and one patients with COPD and 202 control subjects were enrolled. Serum 25(OH)D level and inflammatory cytokines were detected. Serum 25(OH)D was decreased and inflammatory cytokines were increased in COPD patients. According to forced expiratory volume in 1 s, COPD patients were divided into three grades. Furthermore, serum 25(OH)D was gradually decreased in COPD patients ranging from grade 1–2 to 4. Serum 25(OH)D was inversely associated with inflammatory cytokines in COPD patients. Further analysis found that NF-κB and AP-1 signaling were activated in COPD patients. Besides, inflammatory signaling was gradually increased in parallel with the severity of COPD. By contrast, pulmonary nuclear vitamin D receptor was decreased in COPD patients. In vitro experiments showed that 1,25(OH)2D3 inhibited LPS-activated inflammatory signaling in A549 cells (human lung adenocarcinoma cell). Mechanically, 1,25(OH)2D3 reinforced physical interactions between vitamin D receptor with NF-κB p65 and c-Jun. Our results indicate that vitamin D is inversely correlated with inflammatory signaling in COPD patients. Inflammation may be a vital mediator of COPD progress in patients with low vitamin D levels.

We report a case of a 26-year-old Chinese man who had experienced three grand mal seizures in the past two months. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a relatively well-circumscribed lesion in the left frontal lobe. A craniotomy with total excision of the tumor was performed. Histopathological investigations confirmed a grade 2 ependymoma according to the World Health Organization classification. Genetic analysis revealed a tumor harboring FAM118B fusion to YAP1, and no other genetic alterations or methylation of the O6 -methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase gene promoter were detected. This is the second case report of ependymoma with YAP1:FAM118B fusion.

Wnt-Fzd signalling pathway plays a critical role in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) progression and oncogenicity. There is no study to investigate the prognostic value of Wnt and Fzd gene families in AML. Our study screened 84 AML patients receiving chemotherapy only and 71 also undergoing allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. We found that some Wnt and Fzd genes had significant positive correlations. The expression levels of Fzd gene family were independent of survival in AML patients. In the chemotherapy group, AML patients with high Wnt2B or Wnt11 expression had significantly shorter event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS); high Wnt10A expressers had significantly longer OS than the low expressers (all P < .05), whereas, in the allo-HSCT group, the expression levels of Wnt gene family were independent of survival. We further found that high expression of Wnt10A and Wnt11 had independent prognostic value, and the patients with high Wnt10A and low Wnt11 expression had the longest EFS and OS in the chemotherapy group. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that genes related to Wnt10A, Wnt11 and Wnt 2B were mainly enriched in 'cell morphogenesis involved in differentiation', 'haematopoietic cell lineage', 'platelet activation, signalling and aggregation' and 'mitochondrial RNA metabolic process' signalling pathways. Our results indicate that high Wnt2B and Wnt11 expression predict poor prognosis, and high Wnt10A expression predicts favourable prognosis in AML, but their prognostic effects could be neutralized by allo-HSCT. Combined Wnt10A and Wnt11 may be a novel prognostic marker in AML.

Parkinson protein 7 (PARK7)/DJ-1 (DJ-1) is a redox sensitive molecular and stabilizer of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2). Nrf-2 regulates the downstream antioxidant defense system and exerts a significant function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is the nuclear receptor that regulates the downstream target genes. This study aimed to analyze the associations among pulmonary function, DJ-1, VDR and Nrf-2 in COPD patients. Serum was collected from 180 COPD patients and control subjects. Thirty-five lung tissues were obtained. DJ-1 was measured using ELISA and western blotting. Nrf-2 and VDR were detected by immunohistochemistry. Serum and pulmonary DJ-1 levels were lower in COPD patients than those in control subjects. Pulmonary VDR-positive nuclei were reduced in COPD patients. Nrf-2-positive nuclei were reduced in lung tissues of COPD patients. On the contrary, Nrf-2-related downstream target proteins were elevated in COPD patients. Further correlation analysis indicated that forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) was positively associated with pulmonary DJ-1, VDR and Nrf-2 in patients with COPD. In addition, there were positive correlations among DJ-1, VDR and Nrf-2 in lung tissues of COPD patients. In conclusion, DJ-1, VDR and Nrf-2 were decreased in COPD patients compared with control subjects. The reduction of DJ-1 and VDR associating with Nrf-2 downregulation may be involved in the process of COPD.

Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia (WM) is an indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma characterized by lymphoplasmacytic histology in the bone marrow with monoclonal IgM. Median survival can be in excess of 10 years. The 5-year cumulative incidence of death is low at about 10%. One-third of all-cause specific mortality is due to the lymphoma for which histologic transformation (HT) is rare. Here we present a case of a 60-year-old man with longstanding untreated WM, presenting with minimally symptomatic transformation to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), with an accompanying review of the literature. Transformed WM, diagnosed greater than 5 years, has a reported survival period of 8 - 9 months. This case highlights that after a decade of continued stability in WM, not requiring treatment, an acute change in laboratory data with minimally progressive IgM levels, in the absence of B symptoms and clinical findings, may be the harbinger of transformation and at the time of diagnosis can have a rapidly deteriorating clinical course. In this case, the tripling of the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) as the primary drastic change demonstrates the importance of the rapid increase in LDH as a singly reliable marker for HT. Late transformation has been borne out as a negative variable as the generally indolent course of WM is curtailed with the poor outcome in HT. Although MYD88 wildtype is a possible predictive factor for transformation, it is unclear if late transformation is clonally or non-clonally related and further molecular investigation is needed.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematologic tumor with monoclonal proliferation of malignant plasma cells in the bone marrow. Fascin (FSCN) is an actin-binding protein that plays a crucial role in cell migration and invasion, contributing to tumor metastasis. There are three members (FSCN1-3) in FSCN family. However, the prognostic role of FSCN family in MM remains unclear. In this study, we used four independent Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets to explore the relationships between FSCN1-3 expression profiles and patient survival in MM. We found that FSCN1 was dramatically down-regulated in MM compared to normal donors (p < 0.001) and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) (p = 0.032). Patients with high expression of FSCN1 and FSCN2 had significantly longer OS (p = 0.023 and 0.028, respectively). Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that FSCN1 (p = 0.003, 0.002) and FSCN2 (p = 0.018, 0.013) were independent favorable prognostic factors for OS in MM. Moreover, the combination of high expression of FSCN1 and FSCN2 could effectively predict both longer EFS (p = 0.046) and OS (p = 0.015). Our study suggested that FSCN1 and FSCN2 can be used as favorable biomarkers for predicting clinical outcomes in MM.

Dysregulation of Rab11a has been implicated in the progression of several cancers. However, there have been no such studies for human gastric cancers. In the current study, we examined Rab11a protein expression and found it was upregulated in 49 of 108 gastric cancer tissues and correlated with local invasion, nodal metastasis, and advanced stage. Rab11a protein was higher in gastric cancer cell lines than normal gastric cell line. We transfected Rab11a plasmid and siRNA in both MGC803 and AGS cell lines. Rab11a overexpression increased the cell growth rate, colony numbers, and invasion ability in both MGC803 and AGS cell lines. Downregulation of Rab11a using siRNA decreased the cell proliferation rate, colony numbers, and inhibited invasion. Rab11a overexpression also conferred cisplatin resistance. Annexin V/PI staining showed that Rab11a overexpression suppressed cisplatin-induced apoptosis, while Rab11a depletion promoted cell apoptosis. We also showed that Rab11a overexpression maintained mitochondrial membrane potential. Western blot analysis revealed that Rab11a increased protein expression of MMP2, cyclin D1, Bcl-2, p-FAK, and p-AKT, while Rab11a depletion showed the opposite effects. Blockage of FAK using inhibitor downregulated Bcl-2, cyclin D1, MMP2, and p-AKT expression and abolished the effects of Rab11a on these proteins. In summary, our data demonstrated that Rab11a is upregulated in human gastric cancers. Rab11a facilitated cell proliferation and invasion, as well as cisplatin sensitivity and mitochondrial membrane potential, possibly via the FAK/AKT signaling pathway.

Virtual scenes can present rich and clear disaster information, which can significantly improve the level of public disaster perception. However, existing methods for constructing scenes of debris ...

Recently, the surge in performance of organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells (SCs) has boosted the research field of all-inorganic perovskites for their unique substantial stability over h...

Background and Aims: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new respiratory infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (commonly known as SARS-CoV-2) with multiple organ injuries. The aim of this study was to analyze COVID-19-associated liver dysfunction (LD), its association with the risk of death and prognosis after discharge. Methods: Three-hundred and fifty-five COVID-19 patients were recruited. Clinical data were collected from electronic medical records. LD was evaluated and its prognosis was tracked. The association between LD and the risk of death was analyzed. Results: Of the 355 COVID-19 patients, 211 had mild disease, 88 had severe disease, and 51 had critically ill disease. On admission, 223 (62.8%) patients presented with hypoproteinemia, 151(42.5%) with cholestasis, and 101 (28.5%) with hepatocellular injury. As expected, LD was more common in critically ill patients. By multivariate logistic regression, male sex, older age and lymphopenia were three important independent risk factors predicting LD among COVID-19 patients. Risk of death analysis showed that the fatality rate was higher in patients with hypoproteinemia than in those without hypoproteinemia (relative risk=9.471, p

We present a 64-Gb/s four-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-4) optical receiver with the amplitude/phase correction and the threshold voltage/data level calibration, utilizing an inverter-based transimpedance amplifier (TIA). A variable gain amplifier (VGA) with the amplitude/phase correction is also presented. The threshold voltage of the data slicers and the data levels for the error slicers are calibrated. A three-tap decision feedback equalizer is utilized to compensate for the intersymbol interference. The tap coefficients are calibrated by using the sign-sign least-mean-square algorithm. This PAM-4 optical receiver is fabricated in a 40-nm CMOS process. For the TIA with five VGAs, the measured maximum amplitude imbalance is less than 0.4 dB and the phase imbalance is less than ±1°. Its power is 420 mW from a supply of 1.1 V excluding the output buffers. Its core area is 2.2 mm2.

Virtual Landslide Disaster environments are important for multilevel simulation, analysis and decision-making about Landslide Disasters. However, in the existing related studies, complex disaster s...

Introduction: The efficacy of atorvastatin for dilated cardiomyopathy remains controversial. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the influence of atorvastatin on cardiac performance for dilated cardiomyopathy. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Cochrane library databases through February 2019 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of atorvastatin on cardiac performance for dilated cardiomyopathy. This meta-analysis was performed using the random-effects model. Results: Five RCTs involving 401 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, compared with control groups for dilated cardiomyopathy, atorvastatin treatment resulted in a significantly positive impact on left ventricular ejection fraction (standard mean difference [SMD] = 0.58; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.33 to 0.84; P < .00001), 6-minute walk test (SMD = 0.79; 95% CI = 0.27 to 1.31; P = .003), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (SMD = –0.60; 95% CI = –1.18 to –0.01; P = .04), left ventricular systolic volume (SMD = 0.41; 95% CI = 0.03 to 0.79; P = .03), low-density lipoprotein (SMD = –1.37; 95% CI = –1.92 to –0.82; P = .00001), and C-reactive protein (SMD = –0.47; 95% CI = –0.72 to –0.22; P = .0002), but showed no obvious influence on left ventricular end-diastolic volume (SMD = 0.14; 95% CI = –0.37 to 0.64; P = .59). Conclusions: Atorvastatin treatment provides significant benefits for dilated cardiomyopathy.

Disaster scenes can effectively transmit disaster information and help people make sensible decisions. However, the current 3D scenes of disasters still have certain limitations. First, related studies have focused on the construction of 3D scene technology itself and lacked a detailed semantic description of the disaster scene, which is not conducive to standardizing the process of scene construction and supporting efficient analysis. Second, the 3D scene is generally fixed, preventing full consideration of the different needs of multilevel users involved in disaster management. This paper proposes an on-demand construction method of disaster scenes for multilevel users. The creation of a knowledge graph for disasters, calculation of semantic relevance and optimal selection of scene contents are discussed in detail. Finally, taking a debris flow disaster as an example, a prototype system is developed to implement experimental analysis. The experimental results show that the constructed knowledge graph can normalize the semantic relationships among multilevel users, scene objects and visualization methods in a formal way and accurately describe the different needs of multilevel users. The 3D scenes of debris flow disasters driven by the knowledge graph can reduce the complexity and difficulty of the modeling process while satisfying the diverse needs of multilevel users.

As a form of fine 3D measurement technology, photometric stereo vision is widely used in 3D reconstruction, defect detection, biomedicine, and other fields, but the traditional reflection model has limited ability to reflect the real physical properties of materials and is not suitable for non-Lambertian surfaces with nonlinear light reflection characteristics such as bright metal, greatly limiting broader application of the technology. This paper proposes a photometric stereo vision algorithm based on a multi-scale convolution deep learning architecture that implements high precision reconstruction of a nontransparent material surface under arbitrary illumination conditions. The algorithm implements a multi-scale convolution structure in the deep network. The small-scale convolution kernel strengthens the expression of photometric physics that gives the model superior detail prediction performance. The large-scale convolution kernel encourages deep networks to take advantage of neighborhood features and enhances the ability of models to overcome shadows and distinguish multiple materials. To further address the problem of arbitrary illumination conditions, the algorithm employs a multi-resolution polar coordinate division method for the illumination vector space that integrates the input image information and fully utilizes the multi-scale convolution. It is experimentally demonstrated that the multi-scale convolution deep learning architecture effectively integrates the advantages of both photometric stereo and deep learning and greatly improves the adaptability to non-Lambertian surfaces while retaining the ability to perform fine reconstruction. It provides powerful support for a wide range of applications in photometric technology.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a clonal and heterogeneous disease characterized by a myriad of genetic defects. Genetic abnormalities are powerful prognostic factors. P21-activated kinases (PAKs) are a kind of serine/threonine protein kinases, which is regulator of plenty of oncogenic signaling pathways. The clinical and prognostic value of PAKs in AML is unclear. A total of 155 AML patients with PAK expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas database were enrolled in this study. Eighty-four patients underwent chemotherapy only, 71 also underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). In the chemotherapy-only group, high PAK3 and PAK7 expression were both bound up with poor EFS and OS (all P

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignant disease of myeloid hematopoietic stem or progenitor cells characterized by abnormal proliferation of primary and immature myeloid cells in bone marrow and peripheral blood. Gene mutation and expression profiles can be used as prognosis predictors for different prognostic subgroups. Secretory carrier-associated membrane proteins (SCAMPs) are a multigenic family with five members and act as cell surface vectors in the post-Golgi recycling pathways in mammals. Nevertheless, the prognostic and clinical influence of SCAMP family has hardly ever been illustrated in AML. In our study, expression patterns of SCAMP family (SCAMP1-5) were analyzed in 155 AML patients which were extracted from the Cancer Genome Atlas database. In chemotherapy, only subgroup, higher SCAMP1 level was significantly associated with longer EFS and OS (all P = 0.002), and SCAMP1 was confirmed to be an independent favorable factor in un-transplanted patients by Multivariate analysis (all P

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell malignancy. The minichromosome maintenance (MCM) family involve in DNA replication and is vital in limiting replication in cell cycle. The prognostic role of MCMs in MM is still unclear. We took four independent GEO datasets to analyze the relationship between the expression of MCMs and myeloma progression and survival. The expression of MCMs showed an upward trend with myeloma progression in 205 patients. High MCM2/3/4/6/8 expression was associated with both poor EFS and OS (all p

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, DNA damage inducible transcript 4 (DDIT4), has inducible expression in response to various cellular stresses. In multiple malignancies, studies have shown that DDIT4 participates in tumorigenesis and impacts patient survival. We aimed to study the prognostic value of DDIT4 in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), which is currently unclear. Firstly, The Cancer Genome Atlas was screened for AML patients with complete clinical characteristics and DDIT4 expression data. A total of 155 patients were included and stratified according to the treatment modality and the median DDIT4 expression levels. High DDIT4 expressers had shorter overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) than the low expressers among the chemotherapy-only group (all P

Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematologic malignancy worldwide and does not have sufficient prognostic indicators. FCER1G (Fc fragment Of IgE receptor Ig) is located on chromosome 1q23.3 and is involved in the innate immunity. Early studies have shown that FCER1G participates in many immune-related pathways encompassing multiple cell types. Meanwhile, it is associated with many malignancies. However, the relationship between MM and FCER1G has not been studied.Methods: In this study, we integrated nine independent gene expression omnibus (GEO) datasets and analyzed the associations of FCER1G expression and myeloma progression, ISS stage, 1q21 amplification and survival in 2296 myeloma patients and 48 healthy donors.Results: The expression of FCER1G showed a decreasing trend with the advance of myeloma. As ISS stage and 1q21 amplification level increased, the expression of FCER1G decreased (P = 0.0012 and 0.0036, respectively). MM patients with high FCER1G expression consistently had longer EFS and OS across three large sample datasets (EFS: P = 0.0057, 0.0049, OS: P = 0.0014, 0.00065, 0.0019 and 0.0029, respectively). Meanwhile, univariate and multivariate analysis indicated that high FCER1G expression was an independent favorable prognostic factor for EFS and OS in MM patients (EFS: P = 0.006, 0.027, OS: P =0.002,0.025, respectively).Conclusions: The expression level of FCER1G negatively correlated with myeloma progression, and high FCER1G expression may be applied as a favorable biomarker in MM patients.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a clonal and heterogeneous disease characterized by proliferation of immature myeloid cells, with impaired differentiation and maturation. Spinster homolog (SPNS) is a widely distributed transmembrane transporter, which assists sphingolipids in playing their roles through the cell membrane. However, the expression and clinical implication of the SPNS family has not been investigated in AML. From the Cancer Genome Atlas database, a total of 155 AML patients with complete clinical characteristics and SPNS1-3 expression data were contained in our study. In patients who received chemotherapy only, high expressions of SPNS2 and SPNS3 had adverse effects on event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) (all P＜0.05). However, in the allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) group, we only found a significant difference in OS between the high and low SPNS3 expression groups (P=0.001), while other SPNS members showed no effect on survival. Multivariate analysis indicated that high SPNS2 expression was an independent risk factor for both EFS and OS in chemotherapy patients. The results confirmed that high expression of SPNS2 and SPNS3 were poor prognostic factors, and the effect of SPNS2 can be neutralized by allo-HSCT.

Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death is the central and irreversible endpoint of optic neuropathies. Current management of optic neuropathies and glaucoma focuses on intraocular pressure-lowering treatment which is insufficient. As such, patients are effectively condemned to irreversible visual impairment. This review summarizes experimental treatments targeting RGCs over the last decade. In particular, we examine the various treatment modalities and determine their viability and limitations in translation to clinical practice. Experimental RGC treatment can be divided into (1) cell replacement therapy, (2) neuroprotection, and (3) gene therapy. For cell replacement therapy, difficulties remain in successfully integrating transplanted RGCs from various sources into the complex neural network of the human retina. However, there is significant potential for achieving full visual restoration with this technique. Neuroprotective strategies, in the form of pharmacological agents, nutritional supplementation, and neurotrophic factors, are viable strategies with encouraging results from preliminary noncomparative interventional case series. It is important to note, however, that most published studies are focused on glaucoma, with few treating optic neuropathies of other etiologies. Gene therapy, through the use of viral vectors, has shown promising results in clinical trials, particularly for diseases with specific genetic mutations like Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy. This treatment technique can be further extended to nonhereditary diseases, through transfer of genes promoting cell survival and neuroprotection. Crucially though, for gene therapy, teratogenicity remains a significant issue in translation to clinical practice.

Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease that leads to irrevocable blindness. In glaucoma, even though axonal damage and function deficit culminates in retinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration, our knowledge on the autophagic mechanisms and the role of specific microRNAs is still limited. In this study, we investigated the role of microRNA-124 (MiR-124) in surgically induced glaucomatous neurodegeneration using a mouse model. Animals were segregated into four cohorts of 10 each: (i) sham-operated (n = 10); (ii) surgically induced glaucoma (SIG; n = 10); (iii) SIG + miR-124 mimic; (iv) SIG + miR-NC. Chronic elevation of intraocular pressure (IOP) is a critical risk factor for glaucoma. In our study, chronically elevated IOP caused anterograde axonal transport (AAT) defect, increased the autophagic activity (manifested by significantly (p

Background Some studies previously demonstrated that interleukin-17 (IL-17) involves in pulmonary diseases progression. Nevertheless, the role of IL-17 in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains unknown. This study aims to examine the correlations between serum IL-17 with the severity and prognosis in CAP patients through a prospective cohort study. Methods All 239 CAP patients were recruited. Serum IL-17 was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The CAP severity was evaluated through CAP severity scores, including CURB-65, CRB-65, PSI, SMART-COP, CURXO and APACHE II. Results Serum IL-17 was gradually increased consistent with the severity of CAP. Correlative analysis suggested that serum IL-17 was associated with clinical physiologic indicators among CAP patients. Logistic regression indicated that serum IL-17 was positively related to CAP severity scores. Additionally, the prognostic outcomes were tracked among CAP patients. The levels of IL-17 on admission were significantly increased in CAP patients with ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, vasoactive agent, death and longer hospitalization days. Logistic regression analyses revealed serum higher IL-17 on admission elevated the risks of vasoactive agent usage and longer hospital stays in CAP patients. The cut-off concentrations of serum IL-17 for death, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation and ≥ 14 hospital stays were 86.80 ng/mL, 84.92 ng/mL, 84.92 ng/mL and 60.29 ng/mL respectively. Conclusions Serum IL-17 on admission is positively associated with the severity and poor prognosis among CAP patients, revealing that IL-17 may implicate in the pathological process of CAP. Therefore, serum IL-17 may become an effective biomarker for diagnosis, prognosis and therapy for CAP patients.

Maxillofacial bone defects are common medical problems caused by congenital defects, necrosis, trauma, tumor, inflammation, and fractures non-union. Maxillofacial bone defects often need bone graft, which has many difficulties, such as limited autogenous bone supply and donor site morbidity. Bone tissue engineering is a promising strategy to overcome the above-mentioned problems. Osteoimmunology is the inter-discipline that focuses on the relationship between the skeletal and immune systems. The immune microenvironment plays a crucial role in bone healing, tissue repair and regeneration in maxillofacial region. Recent studies have revealed the vital role of immune microenvironment and bone homeostasis. In this study, we analyzed the complex interaction between immune microenvironment and bone regeneration process in oral and maxillofacial region, which will be important to improve the clinical outcome of the bone injury treatment.

Background: Cysteine-rich 61 (CYR61) and inflammation was upregulated in the lungs of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the association between CYR61 and inflammation was unclear in COPD patients. This study aimed to analyze the association of serum CYR61 with pulmonary inflammation and lung function indexes in COPD patients.Methods: One hundred and fifty COPD patients and 150 control subjects were enrolled. Serum and pulmonary CYR61 was detected. Lung function indexes were evaluated in COPD patients.Results: Serum CYR61 level was elevated and pulmonary CYR61 expression was upregulated in COPD patients. An increased CYR61 was associated with decreased pulmonary function indexes in COPD patients. Further analyses showed that nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65-positive nuclei was elevated in the lungs of COPD patients with high level of CYR61. Accordingly, serum monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1 and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), two downstream inflammatory cytokines of NF-κB pathway, were increased in parallel with CYR61, among which serum MCP-1 and TNF-α were the highest in COPD patients with high level of CYR61. Moreover, a positive correlation, determined by multivariate regression that excluded the influence of age, gender and smoking, was observed between serum CYR61 and inflammatory cytokines in COPD patients.Conclusion: These results provide evidence that an increased CYR61 is associated with pulmonary inflammation and COPD progression. Inflammatory cytokines may be the mediators between CYR61 elevation and COPD progression.

Aim To investigate the long-term changes of peripheral anterior synechia (PAS) after phacoemulsification with goniosynechialysis under an ophthalmic endoscope (Phaco-OE-GSL) in primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) assisted with viscoelastics alone or viscoelastics combined with iris repositor (viscoelastics-repositor). Method A retrospective study was conducted. Thirty-nine eyes of 31 PACG patients were included. The follow-up period was 36 months. The main outcomes of the study included the changes of PAS, intraocular pressure (IOP), and the success rate.Results Phaco-OE-GSL was performed assisted with viscoelastics-alone on 20 eyes, and viscoelastics-repositor on 19 eyes. The total recurrence rates of PAS were 62.5% in viscoelastics-alone group and 87.5% in viscoelastics-repositor group. In particular, the recurrence rate of PAS at the same location at which were separated intraoperatively were 37.3% and 75.0% respectively (P=0.033). The recurrence of PAS was observed in 2 eyes in viscoelastics-alone group and 12 eyes in viscoelastics-repositor group within 1-month follow-up (P0.05). The extent of postoperative PAS at final follow-up was positively correlated with the range of PAS preoperatively (P=0.036, r=0.356). The complete success rates were 85.0% and 89.5% of viscoelastics-alone group and viscoelastics-repositor group at 36-month follow-up respectively. Both the preoperative and postoperative distribution of PAS are mainly concentrated on the upper (84.6% and 95.8%) and nasal side (74.4% and 62.5%), followed by the inferior side, and the least on the temporal side. Conclusion In summary, although the recurrence rate of PAS was high in early postoperative period, the progression of PAS was rapidly resolved after 6 months postoperatively, and Phaco-OE-GSL is an effective treatment for the long-term control of IOP of PACG patients especially with large range of PAS (> 180°). Both preoperative and postoperative PAS are mainly concentrated on the upper and nasal side. Besides, our results suggested that mechanical separation may be easier to promote the progression of postoperative PAS than viscoelastics-alone separation.

Introduction Mild encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion (MERS) is a clinical-radiologic syndrome presenting with a reversible lesion in the splenium of the corpus callosum. MERS is associated with many potential etiologies, including cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in children. We report an adult patient with CMV-associated MERS. Case report A previously healthy 25-year-old man was admitted with a 4-day history of fever, headache, and vomiting. Brain magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated an isolated lesion of the splenium of the corpus callosum with hyperintensity on T2 and diffusion-weighted sequences and reduced values on apparent diffusion coefficient maps. High throughput gene detection for pathogens in cerebrospinal fluid revealed infection with CMV. The splenial lesion resolved 4 weeks after onset. Conclusion This is the first report an adult patient with CMV-associated MERS. Recognition of this clinical-radiologic syndrome can guide diagnosis and management.

BACKGROUND Cadmium is a ubiquitous toxic heavy metal and environmental toxicant. Inflammation exerts central roles in the process of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, few epidemiological studies on the correlation between cadmium exposure and COPD are available. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlations among serum cadmium, inflammatory cytokines and pulmonary function in COPD patients. METHODS All 940 COPD patients were finally recruited in this study. Demographic characteristics and clinical information were extracted. Fasting serum was collected. Serum cadmium was detected through graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Serum inflammatory cytokines were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS All patients were classified into three groups according to the tertile division of serum cadmium concentration: low (

Organic light-emitting-diode (OLED) materials have exhibited a wide range of applications. However, further development and commercialization of OLEDs requires higher-quality OLED materials, including high thermal stability associated with the glass transition temperature (Tg) and decomposition temperature (Td). Experimental determinations of the two important properties genernally involve a time-consuming and laborious process. Thus, it is highly desired to develop a quick and accurate prediction tool. Motivated by the changelle, we explored machine learning based framework by constructing new dataset with more than one thousand samples collected from a wide range of literaturesm, throngh which ensemble learning models were explored. Models trained with the LightGBM algorithm exhibit the best prediction performance, where the values of MAE, RMSE, and R2 are 17.15 K, 24.63 K, and 0.77 for Tg prediction, 24.91 K, 33.88 K, and 0.78 for Td prediction. The prediction performance and the generalization of the machine learning models are further tested by out-of-sample dataset, also exhibiting satisfactory results. Experimental verification further demonstrates the reliability and the practical potential of the ML-based model. In order to extend the practice application of the ML-based models, an online prediction platform was constructed, including the optimal predition models and all the thermal stability data under study, which are freely available at http://oledtppxmpugroup.com. We expect that they will become a useful tool for experimental investigations on Tg and Td, in turn accelerating the design of the OLED materials with high performance.

Purpose To measure the changes of macular microcirculation in cases with unilateral acute primary angle closure (APAC) who were managed by phacoemulsification. Methods Patients with unilateral APAC and managed by phacoemulsification were enrolled. The contralateral unaffected eyes were served as fellow group, and normal individuals were recruited as control group. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) was performed to analyse the macular whole image vessel density (wiVD) and parafoveal vessel density (pfVD). The retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell complex (GCC) thicknesses were assessed using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Results A total of 36 APAC patients and 35 eyes from 35 normal individuals were recruited. In the APAC eyes, the mean wiVD (42.1% ± 3.7%) and pfVD (45.2% ± 3.8%) in the superficial layers (wiVD-SL and pfVD-SL) were both significantly reduced, compared to fellow eyes (45.7% ± 3.1%, 48.7% ±3.1%) and control eyes (44.4% ± 4.7%, 47.4% ± 5.1%) (P

Background: Overexpression of microRNA-93 (miR-93) predicted worse outcome in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and gastric cancer patients, yet the prognostic role of miR-93 in AML is still unclear.Methods: To further verify the prognostic significance of miR-93, the Cancer Genome Atlas database (TCGA) was screened and 161 AML patients with miR-93 expression information were included in our study.Results: Compared with the patients who received chemotherapy alone with lower miR-93 expression, those with higher miR-93 expression had significantly longer event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) (all P P Conclusion: our study proved that high miR-93 expression could predict favorable prognosis in AML, but its prognostic effect could be overcome by allo-HSCT.

BackgroundPrevious studies indicated the calcium-binding protein S100A12 to be involved in the pathophysiology of pulmonary inflammatory diseases. However, the role of S100A12 has remained elusive in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Therefore, the purpose of this prospective cohort study was to evaluate the association between serum S100A12 with severity and prognosis in CAP patients.MethodsTwo groups with either 239 CAP patients or 239 healthy controls were enrolled in our study. Fasting blood and clinical characteristics were collected. On admission, serum S100A12 was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).ResultsSerum S100A12 was increased in CAP patients compared to control subjects. Furthermore, serum S100A12 was elevated according to the severity of CAP. Correlative analysis suggested that the level of serum S100A12 was associated with blood routine indices, renal function markers, inflammatory cytokines and other clinical parameters among CAP patients. Additionally, linear and logistical regression analyses indicated that serum S100A12 was positively associated with CAP severity scores in CAP patients. In addition, the association of high serum S100A12 and prognosis was accessed using a follow-up research. Elevated serum S100A12 on admission increased the risk of death and hospital stay in CAP patients during hospitalization.ConclusionsElevated serum S100A12 on admission is positively associated with the severity and adverse prognosis in CAP patients, suggesting that S100A12 may involve in the pathophysiological process of CAP. The titre of serum S100A12 may be used as a biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis among CAP patients.

BackgroundResistin is an endogenous ligand of Toll-like receptor 4 that activates several inflammatory signals. But the physiological function of resistin in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains unknown. The goal of this research was to explore the associations between serum resistin and the severity and prognosis in CAP patients through a retrospective cohort study.MethodsAll 212 CAP patients and 106 healthy cases were enrolled. Demographic characteristics were extracted. Serum resistin was determined via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The prognosis was tracked in CAP patients.ResultsSerum resistin on admission was raised in CAP patients compared with control cases. The level of resistin was gradually increased in parallel with CAP severity scores in CAP patients. Pearson and Spearman analyses revealed that serum resistin was positively correlated with CAP severity scores, white blood cells, urea nitrogen, creatinine, and inflammatory cytokines among CAP patients. There were negative relationships between resistin and hematocrit and albumin in CAP patients. Besides, linear and logistic regression analyses further indicated that serum resistin on admission was positively associated with CAP severity scores among CAP patients. Follow-up research revealed that serum resistin elevation on admission prolonged hospital stay in CAP patients.ConclusionSerum resistin on admission is positively correlated with the severity and hospital stay in CAP patients, indicating that resistin may be involved in the physiological process of CAP. Serum resistin may be a potential biomarker in the diagnosis and prognosis for CAP.

BackgroundSeveral studies demonstrate that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is involved in the process of bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA), a bile acid with chaperone properties, is an inhibitor of ER stress. This study aimed to investigate the preventive effects of TUDCA on BLM-induced EMT and lung fibrosis.MethodsThe model of lung fibrosis was established by intratracheal injection with a single dose of BLM (3.0 mg/kg). In TUDCA + BLM group, mice were intraperitoneally injected with TUDCA (250 mg/kg) daily.ResultsBLM-induced alveolar septal destruction and inflammatory cell infiltration were alleviated by TUDCA. BLM-induced interstitial collagen deposition, as determined by Sirius Red staining, was attenuated by TUDCA. BLM-induced elevation of pulmonary α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and reduction of pulmonary E-cadherin were attenuated by TUDCA. BLM-induced pulmonary Smad2/3 phosphorylation was suppressed by TUDCA. BLM-induced elevation of Ki67 and PCNA was inhibited by TUDCA in mice lungs. In addition, BLM-induced elevation of HO-1 (heme oxygenase-1) and 3-NT (3-nitrotyrosine) was alleviated by TUDCA. Finally, BLM-induced upregulation of pulmonary GRP78 and CHOP was attenuated by TUDCA.ConclusionsThese results provide evidence that TUDCA pretreatment inhibits Smad2/3-medited EMT and subsequent lung fibrosis partially through suppressing BLM-induced ER stress and oxidative stress.

Background The receptor tyrosine kinase FLT3 with internal tandem duplications within the juxtamembrane domain (FLT3-ITD) is a poor prognostic factor; however, the prognostic significance of missense mutation in the tyrosine kinase domain (FLT3-TKD) is controversial. Furthermore, the accompanying mutations and fusion genes with FLT3 mutations are unclear in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Methods We investigated FLT3 mutations and their correlation with other gene mutations and gene fusions through two RNA-seq based next-generation sequencing (NGS) method and prognostic impact in 207 de novo AML patients. Results FLT3-ITD mutations were positive in 58 patients (28%), and FLT3-TKD mutations were positive in 20 patients (9.7%). FLT3-ITD was associated with a higher white blood cell count (WBC, mean 72.9 × 109/L vs. 24.2 × 109/L, P = 0.000), higher bone marrow blasts (mean 65.9% vs. 56.0%, P = 0.024), and NK-AML (normal karyotype) (64.8% vs. 48.4%, P = 0.043). NPM1 and DNMT3A mutations were enriched in FLT3-ITD (53.5% vs. 15.3%, P = 0.000; 34.6% vs. 13%, P = 0.003). However, the mutations of CEBPA were excluded in FLT3-AML (3.8% vs. 0% vs. 19.8%, P = 0.005). Mutations of Ras and TP53 were unlikely associated with FLT3-ITD (1.9% vs. 20.6%, P = 0.006; 0% vs. 6.1%, P = 0.04). The common fusion genes (> 10%) in FLT3-ITD had MLL-rearrangement and NUP98-rearrangement, while the common fusion genes in FLT3-TKD had AML1-ETO and MLL-rearrangement. Two novel fusion genes PRDM16-SKI and EFAN2-ZNF238 were identified in FLT3-ITD patients. Gene fusions and NPM1 mutation were mutually excluded in FLT3-ITD and FLT3-TKD patients. Their patterns of mutual exclusivity and cooperation among mutated genes suggest that additional driver genetic alterations are required and reveal two evolutionary patterns of FLT3 pathogenesis. Patients with FLT3-ITD had a lower CR (complete remission) rate, lower 3-year OS (overall survival), DFS (disease-free survival), and EFS (event-free survival) compared to FLT3wtAML. NK-AML with FLT3-ITD had a lower 3-year OS, DFS, and EFS than those without, while FLT3-TKD did not influence the survival in whole cohort and NK-AML. Besides, we found that FLT3-ITD/TET2 bimutation defined a poor prognostic subgroup. Conclusions Our study offers deep insights into the molecular pathogenesis and biology of AML with FLT3-ITD and FLT3-TKD by providing the profiles of concurrent molecular alterations and the clinical impact of FLT3-ITD and FLT3-TKD on AML patients.

Background Previous studies found that S100A9 may involve in the pathophysiology of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). However, the role of S100A9 was unclear in the CAP. The goal was to explore the correlations of serum S100A9 with the severity and prognosis of CAP patients based on a prospective cohort study. Methods A total of 220 CAP patients and 110 control subjects were recruited. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Serum S100A9 and inflammatory cytokines were measured. Results Serum S100A9 was elevated in CAP patients on admission. Serum S100A9 was gradually elevated parallelly with CAP severity scores. Additionally, inflammatory cytokines were increased and blood routine parameters were changed in CAP patients compared with control subjects. Correlation analysis found that serum S100A9 was positively associated with CAP severity scores, blood routine parameters (WBC, NLR and MON) and inflammatory cytokines. Further, logistic regression analysis demonstrated that there were positive associations between serum S100A9 and CAP severity scores. Besides, the prognosis of CAP was tracked. Serum higher S100A9 on the early stage elevated the death of risk and hospital stay among CAP patients. Conclusion Serum S100A9 is positively correlated with the severity of CAP. On admission, serum higher S100A9 elevates the risk of death and hospital stay in CAP patients, suggesting that S100A9 may exert a certain role in the pathophysiology of CAP and regard as a serum diagnostic and managing biomarker for CAP.