Auxiliary Value Research Articles

Values of Serum Ferritin, Folic Acid and Vitamin B12 in Treatment of Multiple Myeloma with Bortezomib Combined with Chemotherapy

To investigate the value of serum ferritin, folic acid and vitamin B12 in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) with bortezomib combined with chemotherapy. Clinical data of 40 MM patients admitted to our hospital from January 2020 to August 2022 and 40 hematology outpatients during the same period were reviewed. All MM patients were treated with bortezomib combined with chemotherapy. The diagnostic efficacy of serum ferritin, folic acid and vitamin B12 on MM was analyzed by ROC curve. The changes of serum ferritin, folic acid and vitamin B12 in MM patients before and after treatment were compared. According to the mean values of serum ferritin, folic acid and vitamin B12, patients were divided into high and low expression groups, and the survival of patients between the groups was compared. Before treatment, the levels of serum ferritin and vitamin B12 in MM patients were significantly higher than those in control group, while folic acid was lower (all P <0.001). The area under the curve (AUC) of MM patients diagnosed with ferritin, folic acid and vitamin B12 were 0.928, 0.843 and 0.867, the specificity was 100%, 67.50% and 72.50%, and the sensitivity was 80.00%, 95.00% and 87.50%, respectively. After 4 cycles of chemotherapy, there were 9 cases of complete remission (CR), 19 cases of very good partial remission (VGPR), 6 cases of PR, 4 cases of stable disease (SD) and 2 cases of progression disease (PD) in 40 MM patients. In CR group, ferritin and vitamin B12 decreased but folic acid increased after treatment compared with before treatment (all P < 0.05). The overall survival (OS) rates of patients in low expression group of ferritin and vitamin B12 were significantly higher than those in high expression group (both P < 0.01). The OS rate of patients in high expression group of folic acid was significantly higher than that in low expression group (P < 0.01). Cox regression analysis showed that ferritin was an independent prognostic factor for MM patients (HR=8.850, 95%CI : 2.267-34.553, P =0.002). Serum ferritin, folic acid and vitamin B12 have some auxiliary value in the diagnosis and efficacy evaluation of MM, and ferritin is an independent prognostic factor for MM.

Automatic fault detection and stability management using intelligent hybrid controller

Microgrid allows the integration of remote sources and other flexible loads to raise security concerns. Thus, it is necessary to detect the type of fault to maintain the system's stability. Existing fault detection systems include limitations such as high detection times, inability to process noisy data and discretization issues. To address these issues, a spiking neural network with a self-organizing map is used to produce precise synaptic weights for fault detection in the microgrid. A feature exploration-based spiking neural network can accurately classify faults such as line-to-ground (LG), line-to-line (LL), double line-to-ground (DLG), and three-phase ground (TLG). To mitigate the impact of the fault, a voltage deviation estimation-based control method is used, which employs a three-degree of freedom fractional order proportional integral resonant (3DOF-FOPIR) controller. In order to stabilize the system frequency, the controller sends a control signal to the multi-level inverter based on the measured voltage deviation and fault auxiliary value. This ensures reduced distortions at the output voltage, and thus, it maintains the stability of the microgrid. As a result, when compared to graph-based convolution networks, the proposed method has a higher accuracy of 99.8 % and a lower error in system stability of 55.47 %.

Role of entomological evidence in criminal investigations

Domestic and foreign literary sources on the use of necrotic fauna in forensics are analyzed. The purpose of this article is to emphasize the importance of necrotic fauna research for practical forensics and highlight the influence of necrotic entomophiles on the time of death of a living object (depending on its species and environmental conditions) which biological and general scientific methods are applied for. A comparative analysis of the activity of necrotic fauna representatives is given. The need to use necrofauna in the systematic work of forensic biologists has been updated. The main application of forensic entomology as a branch of applied entomology is the study of the faunal complex of necrobiont arthropods on a discovered corpse to meet the needs of the investigation and the court. Entomological knowledge makes it possible to successfully perform classification, identification and diagnostic tasks that appear in forensic expert practice. Since the processes of corpse decay and the types of necrotic insects on it differ depending on the type of corpse and the type of biogeocenosis where this corpse was located, each of these features affects further forensic investigations. Obtained entomological data are a reliable source of information for finding out objective truth during pre-trial investigation and subsequent legal proceedings. At the same time, determining the time of death by cadaveric fauna can have only auxiliary value, since the appearance and development of insects is very variable. Prospects for further research are formulated, including improvement of entomological research methods (in particular, in different environmental conditions), the need for development of forensic biology as an integral component of forensic science is proven.

MRI-based clinical-radiomics nomogram model for predicting microvascular invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Preoperative microvascular invasion (MVI) of liver cancer is an effective method to reduce the recurrence rate of liver cancer. Hepatectomy with extended resection and additional adjuvant or targeted therapy can significantly improve the survival rate of MVI+ patients by eradicating micrometastasis. Preoperative prediction of MVI status is of great clinical significance for surgical decision-making and the selection of other adjuvant therapy strategies to improve the prognosis of patients. Established a radiomics machine learning model based on multimodal MRI and clinical data, and analyzed the preoperative prediction value of this model for microvascular invasion (MVI) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The preoperative liver MRI data and clinical information of 130 HCC patients who were pathologically confirmed to be pathologically confirmed were retrospectively studied. These patients were divided into MVI-positive group (MVI+) and MVI-negative group (MVI-) based on postoperative pathology. After a series of dimensionality reduction analysis, six radiomic features were finally selected. Then, linear support vector machine (linear SVM), support vector machine with rbf kernel function (rbf-SVM), logistic regression (LR), Random forest (RF) and XGBoost (XGB) algorithms were used to establish the MVI prediction model for preoperative HCC patients. Then, rbf-SVM with the best predictive performance was selected to construct the radiomics score (R-score). Finally, we combined R-score and clinical-pathology-image independent predictors to establish a combined nomogram model and corresponding individual models. The predictive performance of individual models and combined nomogram was evaluated and compared by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). Alpha-fetoprotein concentration, peritumor enhancement, maximum tumor diameter, smooth tumor margins, tumor growth pattern, presence of intratumor hemorrhage, and RVI were independent predictors of MVI. Compared with individual models, the final combined nomogram model (AUC: 0.968, 95% CI: 0.920-1.000) constructed by radiometry score (R-score) combined with clinicopathological parameters and apparent imaging features showed the optimal predictive performance. This multi-parameter combined nomogram model had a good performance in predicting MVI of HCC, and had certain auxiliary value for the formulation of surgical plan and evaluation of prognosis.

Virtual assets as a tool for legalization of property obtained through criminal means: a comparative legal aspect

The article deals with separate issues of legal evaluation and ways to counter dangerous practices of using virtual currencies in the course of legalizing property obtained through criminal means. The research analysis is based on the principle of interdisciplinary research with an active appeal to international and separately foreign experience of combating the legalization of criminal income through the use of transactions with cryptocurrencies.&#x0D; The position is argued, referring to specific examples of large-scale “financial-virtual” abuses, that Ukraine also needs to develop its own clear action plan regarding the legal regulation of the circulation of virtual assets, in particular by implementing effective national mechanisms to prevent (or at least reduce) money laundering practices of money obtained by criminal methods, taking into account the immediate threats to the financial system of Ukraine from the actions of a country that carries out armed aggression against our state.&#x0D; It was stated that although legal scholars traditionally have different approaches to the interpretation of the phenomenon of legalization of criminal income, there is still no complete understanding and definition of it, since money laundering can be considered as a multi-level phenomenon (as a crime, action, process, technology, stage, method and procedure, type of business activity, etc.), in scientific and practical circles, a common, established approach is to distinguish three main stages in the laundering of criminal proceeds: location, concealment and integration. It is shown that these stages cannot be equally applied to legalization schemes implemented using fiat or virtual currencies.&#x0D; In the final part of the article, the authors emphasized that the improvement of the domestic model of combating practices of legalization of money obtained by criminal methods should be implemented primarily by improving the regulatory framework and the system of organizational and legal measures to combat such practices by national regulators and individual departments of law enforcement agencies; at the same time, the criminal law component in the process of introducing proposed changes should have a conditionally secondary, auxiliary value.

Very High Frequency Ultrasonographic Features of Trichofolliculoma: An Observational Study.

Trichofolliculoma (TF) is a rare condition, and its imaging features have been inadequately studied, leading to frequent misdiagnoses in clinical practice. The aim of our study was to investigate the very high frequency (VHF) ultrasound characteristics of TF, identify features that could assist in the differential diagnosis of TF versus other benign and malignant lesions. We collected clinical data from 24 patients with histologically confirmed TF between February 2019 and June 2024. We retrospectively analyzed the VHF ultrasound image characteristics of the lesions, including their location, skin layers involved, size, shape, margin, boundary, internal echo characteristics, and blood flow patterns. The VHF ultrasound image features of the 24 TF cases showed that the lesions were located in the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue in 8 cases, in the dermis and subcutaneous tissue in 2 cases, and in the deep dermis and subcutaneous tissue in 14 cases. The maximum diameter was approximately 23.3×8.7 mm. The lesions were mostly regular in shape (75%), with predominantly inhomogeneous low echo (95.8%). Most lesions contained cystic echoes (70.8%), some had short linear strong echoes within (66.6%), and partial posterior echo enhancement was observed in some lesions (41.6%). Half (50%) of the lesions showed peripheral blood flow signals. The consistency analysis of the VHF ultrasound image features showed Kappa values greater than 0.7, indicating good agreement. The VHF ultrasound images of TF exhibit characteristic features. Specifically, the identification of the lesion's location, the involved skin layers, internal echo features, and blood flow patterns offers novel insights that enhance diagnostic accuracy and possesses significant auxiliary value in clinical diagnosis and treatment. This study contributes unique findings to the existing literature, further elucidating the VHF ultrasound characteristics of TF and underscoring its potential in improving clinical practice.

CT features combined with RECIST 1.1 criteria improve progression assessments of sunitinib-treated gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

To explore the auxiliary value of combining CT features with existing response evaluation criteria in the prediction of progressive disease (PD) in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) patients treated with sunitinib. Eighty-one patients with GISTs who received sunitinib were included in this retrospective multicenter study and divided into training and external validation cohorts. Progression at six months was determined as a reference standard. The predictive performance of the RECIST 1.1 and Choi criteria was compared. CT features at baseline and the first follow-up were analyzed. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine the most significant predictors and develop modified criteria. A total of 216 lesions showed a good response and 107 showed a poor response in 81 patients. The RECIST 1.1 criteria performed better than the Choi criteria in predicting progression (AUC, 0.75 vs. 0.69, p= 0.04). The expanded/intensified high-enhancement area, blurred tumor-tissue interface, and progressive enlarged vessels feeding or draining the mass (EVFDM) differed significantly between lesions with good and poor responses in the training cohort (p= 0.001, 0.003, and 0.000, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that the expanded/intensified high-enhancement area (p= 0.001), progressive EVFDM (p= 0.000), and RECIST PD (p= 0.000) were independent predictive factors. Modified RECIST (mRECIST) criteria were developed and showed significantly higher AUCs in the training and external validation cohorts than the RECIST 1.1 criteria (training: 0.81 vs. 0.73, p= 0.002; validation: 0.82 vs. 0.77, p= 0.04). The mRECIST criteria, combining CT features with the RECIST 1.1 criteria, demonstrated superior performance in the prediction of early progression in GIST patients receiving sunitinib. The mRECIST criteria, which combine CT features with the RECIST 1.1 criteria, may facilitate the early detection of progressive disease in GIST patients treated with sunitinib, thereby potentially guiding the timely switch to late-line medications or combination with surgical excision. • The RECIST 1.1 criteria outperformed the Choi criteria in identifying progression of GISTs in patients treated with sunitinib. • GISTs displayed different morphologic features on CT depending on how they responded to sunitinib. • Combining CT morphologic features with the RECIST 1.1 criteria allowed for the prompt and accurate identification of progressing GIST lesions.

Left ventricular myocardial motion tracking in cardiac cine magnetic resonance images based on a biomechanical model.

Cardiac cine magnetic resonance (CCMR) imaging plays an important role in the clinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) examination and evaluation. To accurately reconstruct the displacement field and describe the motion of the left ventricular myocardium (LVM), this study proposes and tests a new approach for tracking myocardial motion of the left ventricle based on a biomechanical model. CCMR imaging data acquired from 103 patients are enrolled, including two simulated and 101 clinical data. A non-rigid image registration method with a combination of a thin-plate spline function and random sample consensus is used to recover the observed displacement field of LVM. Next, a biomechanical model and a material matrix are introduced to solve the dense displacement field of LVM using a finite element framework. Then, the tracking precision and error of results for the two groups are analyzed. Displacement results of the simulated data show correlation coefficient≥0.876 and mean square error≤0.159, while displacement results of the clinical data show Dice≥0.97 and mean contour distance≤0.464. Additionally, the strain results show correlation coefficient≥0.717. This study demonstrates that the proposed new method enables to accurately track the motion of the LVM and evaluate strain, which has clinical auxiliary value in the diagnosis of CVD.

Impact of Digital Tools and Technologies on The Effectiveness of Financial Control

The article presents dwells on the legal consolidation of the principles of public financial control in the era of digitalization and used as part of the control of digital tools and technologies in the Russian legal field. The study materials include the Constitution of the Russian Federation, Russian and international legal acts (laws and standards), and the websites of Russian public authorities with powers in the field of financial control. To process such materials, the authors used technical and legal analysis as the main method. They conclude that the legal regulation of the principles of public financial control in the Russian Federation is fragmentary. Based on the study of network information resources of Russian public authorities, there is a set of digital tools and technologies used to organize and conduct financial and control activities in a non-contact form. This system includes three main blocks: information systems, personal accounts, and registers. According to the authors, the legal relations that arise in connection with the use of digital tools in financial control are heterogeneous: some are directly related to particular digital technologies (tools); others do not consider a digital product an object of legal relations and assign it an auxiliary value.

Specifics of the Application of Cybernetic Methods in Forensic Handwriting Examination

This article discusses the possibilities of applying cybernetic methods in the production of forensic handwriting examinations at the present stage. The authors describe the history, current state and development trends of this direction of mathematical modeling. Analyzes the practical experience of Western and African criminologists in this area of special knowledge application. The peculiarities of the application of methods that are most widely used in Eastern, Western Europe and Africa are described: GLOBALGRAF, CEDAR-FOX, Cybid Graphlog, FLASH ID, WANDA. The key functions and algorithms of the mentioned computer complexes and programs, certain advantages and disadvantages in relation to the traditional qualitative-descriptive method of identification forensic handwriting examination are disclosed. On the basis of the results formed the conclusion about the auxiliary value of cybernetic methods (techniques) and the need for their use in addition to the existing methodological tools through the application of a comprehensive methodology. This format will allow handwriting experts to determine some additional features of handwriting, to automate part of the stages and stages of expert examination, will contribute to its comprehensiveness and objectivization, as well as increase the scientific validity and reliability of the conclusions obtained.

Backward reachability approach to state-constrained stochastic optimal control problem for jump-diffusion models

AbstractIn this paper, we consider the stochastic optimal control problem for jump-diffusion models with state constraints. In general, the value function of such problems is the discontinuous viscosity solution of the associated Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation since the regularity cannot be guaranteed at the boundary of the state constraint. By adapting the stochastic target theory, we obtain an equivalent representation of the original value function by means of the backward reachable set. We then show that this backward reachable can be characterized by the zero-level set of the auxiliary value function for the unconstrained stochastic control problem, which includes two additional unbounded controls as a consequence of the martingale representation theorem. We prove that the auxiliary value function is the unique continuous viscosity solution of the associated HJB equation, which is the second-order nonlinear partial integro-differential equation (PIDE). Our paper provides an explicit way to characterize the original (possibly discontinuous) value function as a zero-level set of the continuous solution of the auxiliary HJB equation. The proof of the existence and uniqueness requires a new technique due to the unbounded control sets and the presence of the singularity of the corresponding Lévy measure in the nonlocal operator of the HJB equation.

The value of dermoscopy and high-frequency ultrasound in staging morphea.

Morphea is an autoimmune disease characterized by skin sclerosis. According to the disease progression, morphea can be divided into inflammatory, sclerotic, and atrophic stages. Dermoscopy and high-frequency ultrasound (HF-US) have been applied in the noninvasive evaluation of many inflammatory diseases, but studies on the skin imaging features of the different stages of morphea are limited. To analyze the dermoscopic and HF-US features of the different stages of morphea and explore their auxiliary value in staging the disease, we followed 34 patients with histopathology-confirmed morphea between April 2018 and July 2021 who underwent dermoscopy and 50 and 20 MHz HF-US. Fisher's exact test was used to assess the differences in dermoscopic and HF-US features among patients with different stages of morphea. Seven patients were classified as the inflammatory stage, 20 as the sclerotic stage, and seven as the atrophic stage by histopathology. The most common dermoscopic features of inflammatory lesions were red structureless areas (100%) and linear curved vessels (85.7%). White clouds and shiny white streaks could be seen in 100% and 90% of sclerotic lesions, respectively. Among atrophic lesions, pigmentary structures (100%) and red structureless areas (85.7%) were the main features. In the HF-US examination, inflammatory lesions showed hypoechogenicity around the appendages (85.7%), a hypoechogenic dermis (71.4%), and an unclear boundary between the dermis and the subcutaneous fat (71.4%). Among lesions of the sclerotic stage, the main HF-US characteristics included a hyperechogenic dermis (85.0%), acoustic attenuation of the dermis (70.0%), and an unclear boundary between the dermis and the subcutaneous fat (85.0%). All atrophic lesions showed a hyperechogenic dermis, and 28.6% showed an unclear boundary between the dermis and the subcutaneous fat. Dermoscopy and HF-US can reveal the characteristic features of the different stages of morphea and show good correspondence with the histopathology. Dermoscopy and HF-US can provide important information for the staging of morphea.

Competitiveness of the value chain of distributed generation of photovoltaic energy in Brazil

This article diagnoses the competitiveness of the Brazilian value chain of photovoltaic (PV) distributed generation and identifies challenges and strategies to overcome them and strengthen the market. Literature analysis and interviews were conducted with 87 professionals from all value chain links. Results show that the competitiveness of the Brazilian PV industry is chiefly affected by the increased production costs, the high tax burden, and the lack of inspection and incentives for developing the production chain. Results also reveal the need to establish international collaborative arrangements to ensure agility in innovative processes and enable the country to increase its industrial photovoltaic competitiveness. Additionally, Brazil should intensify the connections between the links of main and auxiliary value chains to accelerate the development of the photovoltaic sector. The comprehensive diagnosis presented in this study helps to support academics, policymakers, regulators, and professionals involved in the PV value chain to develop investigations and actions to increase the sector's competitiveness and the participation of PV distributed generation in the national electricity matrix.

Deep learning-based fully automated differential diagnosis of eyelid basal cell and sebaceous carcinoma using whole slide images.

BackgroundThe differential diagnosis of eyelid basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and sebaceous carcinoma (SC) is highly dependent on pathologist’s experience. Herein, we proposed a fully automated differential diagnostic method, which used deep learning (DL) to accurately classify eyelid BCC and SC based on whole slide images (WSIs).MethodsWe used 116 haematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained sections from 116 eyelid BCC patients and 180 H&E-stained sections from 129 eyelid SC patients treated at the Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital from 2017 to 2019. The method comprises two stages: patch prediction by the DenseNet-161 architecture-based DL model and WSI differentiation by an average-probability strategy-based integration module, and its differential performance was assessed by the carcinoma differentiation accuracy and F1 score. We compared the classification performance of the method with that of three pathologists, two junior and one senior. To validate the auxiliary value of the method, we compared the pathologists’ BCC and SC classification with and without the assistance of our proposed method.ResultsOur proposed method achieved an accuracy of 0.983, significantly higher than that of the three pathologists (0.644 and 0.729 for the two junior pathologists and 0.831 for the senior pathologist). With the method’s assistance, the pathologists’ accuracy increased significantly (P<0.05), by 28.8% and 15.2%, respectively, for the two junior pathologists and by 11.8% for the senior pathologist.ConclusionsOur proposed method accurately classifies eyelid BCC and SC and effectively improves the diagnostic accuracy of pathologists. It may therefore facilitate the development of appropriate and timely therapeutic plans.

Significance of aspergillus fumigatus-specific IgG in the diagnosis of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis

The data of 18 patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) who received aspergillus fumigatus-specific IgG detection from 2015 to 2021 in Peking University Third Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 11 were male and 7 were female, aged 18-79 years. All patients had a history of asthma or symptoms of cough and asthma, and aspergillus fumigatus-specific IgE was positive; 16 patients had total serum IgE>500 U/ml, of which 13 patients had total serum IgE>1 000 U/ml. Among other diagnostic indicators, peripheral blood eosinophils were >0.5×109/L in 16 cases; lung CT showed bronchiectasis in 15 cases; serum aspergillus fumigatus-specific IgG was positive (>120 AU/ml) in 10 cases. There was no significant difference in serum total IgE level, peripheral blood eosinophil count, and bronchiectasis ratio between positive and negative cases of aspergillus fumigatus-specific IgG (all P>0.05). In this study, the positive rate of aspergillus fumigatus-specific IgG in patients with ABPA was more than 50%, which has auxiliary value in the diagnosis of ABPA.

The Predictive Value of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Combined with Serum miR-124 Level in Acute Cerebral Infarction and Their Correlation with the Contrast Enhancement of Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaque.

ObjectiveTo investigate the predictive value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) combined with serum miR-124 level in acute cerebral infarction (ACI) and their association with the contrast enhancement of carotid atherosclerotic plaque.MethodsTotally 60 patients diagnosed with ACI and 60 controls were included in the study. All the subjects had carotid atherosclerotic plaques, and all of them were examined by CEUS and were tested for serum miR-124 levels.ResultsTime to peak (TTP) and mean transit time (MTT) in the ACI group were significantly shorter than those in the control group (P < 0.05), but the peak intensity ratio (PIR), the area under the curve (AUC), and relative expression levels of serum miR-124 were notably greater in the ACI group (P < 0.05). There were statistically significant differences in TTP, MTT, PIR, AUC, and serum miR-124 expression in patients with different cerebral infarct areas in the ACI group (P < 0.05). Besides, the sensitivity and specificity of serum miR-124 levels for the prediction of ACI were 71.67% and 90.00%, respectively, with a cut-off value of 1.52, and the sensitivity was 86.67% and specificity was 93.33% of CEUS combined with serum miR-124 in the prediction of ACI. The ACI group showed a higher proportion of grades 2 and 3 (P < 0.001). Pearson correlation analysis showed that the intraplaque contrast enhancement was negatively related to TTP and MTT but had a positive correlation with PIR, AUC, and serum miR-124 levels.ConclusionGrades 2 and 3 intraplaque contrast enhancement and serum miR-124 level of 1.52 had high sensitivity and specificity to predict ACI. Moreover, the CEUS parameters combined with serum miR-124 level could improve the performance in predicting ACI and had auxiliary value in evaluating the stability of carotid atherosclerotic plaques.

Stochastic optimal control in infinite dimensions with state constraints

We consider the state-constrained stochastic optimal control problem in infinite-dimensional separable Hilbert spaces, where the state process is driven by the Q-Wiener process and the (possibly unbounded) linear operator. By applying the stochastic target theory and the backward reachability approach, we show that the original (possibly discontinuous) value function can be represented by the zero-level set of the auxiliary (continuous) value function. The auxiliary value function is obtained from the penalized unconstrained stochastic control problem (in infinite dimensions) that includes an additional control variable as a consequence of the (infinite-dimensional) martingale representation theorem. We then prove that the auxiliary value function is a unique (continuous) viscosity solution to the associated Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman (HJB) equation in infinite dimensions. Note that the viscosity analysis developed in our paper generalizes that presented in the existing literature, since the corresponding infinite-dimensional HJB equation includes an additional operator-valued control variable in the Hamiltonian maximization and depends on an additional initial state variable.

Novel and robust auxiliary indicators to ankle-brachial index using multi-site pulse arrival time and detrended fluctuation analysis for peripheral arterial disease assessment

The ankle-brachial index (ABI) test is a common tool used for screening peripheral arterial disease (PAD), but its accuracy has been doubted especially in patients with incompressible arteries attributed to calcification. Advanced wearable sensing technologies have potential to offer novel solutions for PAD assessment. This study investigated several novel indicators using the Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA) on beat-to-beat RR interval (RRI) and pulse arrival time (PAT) from the four limbs of 7 young healthy and 7 elderly PAD subjects in supine and sitting postures. The auxiliary value of these indicators in addition to ABI for PAD assessment was also studied using a binary logistic regression model. The results showed that the short-scale DFA coefficients (α1) of RRI, α1 of PATs of fingers and α1_ratio of PAT (the ratio of α1 of PAT between the ipsilateral finger and toe) in supine posture, were significantly different between the PAD and healthy groups (1.26 ± 0.24 vs 0.76 ± 0.21, 1.03 ± 0.30 vs 0.68 ± 0.19, and 0.84 ± 0.20 vs 1.42 ± 0.47, respectively, p < 0.05), and the α1 of RRI and α1_ratio of PAT were not significantly influenced by postural change. Moreover, using ABI together with the supine α1_ratio of PAT was more sensitive in detecting PAD (sensitivity = 92.9%) than ABI alone (78.6%) with the same specificity of 100%. The short-scale DFA coefficients of multi-site PAT in supine posture, which can be measured by wearable devices, is an auxiliary to ABI for detecting PAD.

Expression and Predictive Value of Serum NLR, PLR Combined with SAA in Patients with Different Stages of Colorectal Cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the major causes of death in the world, and has become a serious threat to human life. The prognosis of CRC patients in different pathological stages is quite different, so it is necessary to evaluate the clinical stages of CRC patients before surgery. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), serum amyloid A (SAA) and other indicators have been widely proved to play the role of early diagnosis and prognosis monitoring in chronic inflammatory diseases and cancers. In this study, we collected clinical data of 103 patients with CRC confirmed by pathology in Yiwu Central Hospital from January 2019 to December 2021. In addition, it aims to explore the expression and predictive value of NLR, PLR combined with SAA in patients with different stages of CRC, so as to provide reference for patients to choose a reasonable treatment plan. The results show that serum NLR, PLR combined with SAA can predict CRC staging effectively, which has certain auxiliary value for clinical decision-making.

A Contemporary Insight of Metabolomics Approach for Type 1 Diabetes: Potential for Novel Diagnostic Targets.

High-throughput omics has been widely applied in metabolic disease, type 1 diabetes (T1D) was one of the most typical diseases. Effective prevention and early diagnosis are very important because of infancy and persistent characteristics of T1D. The occurrence and development of T1D is a chronic and continuous process, in which the production of autoantibodies (ie serum transformation) occupies the central position. Metabolomics can evaluate the metabolic characteristics of serum before seroconversion, the changes with age and T1D complications. And the addition of natural drug metabolomics is more conducive to the systematic and comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of T1D. This paper reviewed the metabolic changes and main pathogenesis from pre-diagnosis to treatment in T1D. The metabolic spectrum of significant abnormal energy and glucose-related metabolic pathway, down-regulation of lipid metabolism and up-regulation of some antioxidant pathways has appeared before seroconversion, indicating that the body has been in the dual state of disease progression and disease resistance before T1D onset. Some metabolites (such as methionine) are closely related to age, and the types of autoantibodies produced are age-specific. Some metabolites may jointly predict DN with eGFR, and metabolomics can further contribute to the pathogenesis based on the correlation between DN and DR. Many natural drug components have been proved to act on abnormal metabolic pathways of T1D and have a positive impact on some metabolic levels, which is very important for further finding therapeutic targets and developing new drugs with small side effects. Metabolomics can provide auxiliary value for the diagnosis of T1D and provide a new direction to reveal the pathogenesis of T1D and find new therapeutic targets. The development of T1D metabolomics shows that high-throughput research methods are expected to be introduced into clinical practice.