Significant Differences In Intensity Research Articles

#751 Noninvasive evaluation of histopathology in immunoglobulin A nephropathy by contrast-enhanced ultrasonography

Abstract Background and Aims IgA nephropathy is a common primary glomerulonephritis. Renal pathology provides a visual reflection of renal lesions, but percutaneous renal biopsy carries risks This study explores a non-invasive method for evaluating the renal pathological changes in IgA nephropathy patients. We attempt to correlate contrast-enhanced ultrasonography parameters with IgA nephropathy pathological changes, discussing the potential value of this approach in assisting the assessment of IgA nephropathy renal pathology. Method This prospective study included 26 IgAN cases eventually confirmed through renal pathology. Prior to renal biopsy, patients underwent contrast-enhanced ultrasound examination and conventional renal ultrasound. Ultrasound contrast parameters, including time-intensity curve (TIC) peak intensity, time to peak, rise time, and mean transit time, were recorded. Correlation analyses were conducted between conventional ultrasound, contrast-enhanced ultrasound parameters, clinical data, and pathology scores. Results Significant differences in peak intensity were observed between different Oxford C scores, with significant statistical differences between C0 and C1, as well as C0 and C2 (P < 0.05). Quantitative analysis revealed correlations between peak intensity, time to peak, and C scores (r = −0.571, P < 0.05; r = 0.498, P < 0.05). Time to peak correlated with T scores (r = −0.445, P < 0.05). No correlations were found between other contrast-enhanced ultrasound parameters and Lee's grading, Oxford MEST-C M, E, or S scores. Conclusion Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography parameters, specifically time-intensity curve peak intensity and time to peak, correlate with renal pathology C scores. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound holds clinical significance in the non-invasive assessment of renal pathological changes in IgA nephropathy patients.

#2824 Use of proton pump inhibitors is not associated with post-dialysis fatigue and time of recovery after dialysis in patients on chronic hemodialysis

Abstract Background and Aims Chronic hemodialysis is often associated with post-dialysis fatigue (PDF), a condition characterized by extreme tiredness and lack of energy. PDF is a debilitating symptom that significantly impairs quality of life of hemodialysis patients. Furthermore, PDF is independently associated with the time to recover after dialysis (TIRD), which can be used as an indirect measure of PDF. Recent studies have shown that the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPI) is independently associated with the prevalence and severity of fatigue in kidney transplant recipients. The aim of this study is to determine whether the use of PPIs in patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis is associated with PDF prevalence and characteristics, as well as the TIRD. Method For this retrospective study, we recruited patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis and asked open-ended questions about their post-dialysis fatigue and time of recovery. Each patient was asked to rate the intensity, duration and frequency of their PDF on a scale of 1 to 5. We defined whether patients used a PPI (no PPI use or PPI use), the type of PPI used, the dose of PPI used, and the duration of the PPI use (<1 year or ≥1year). Results The study analysed 346 patients, of whom 259 used PPIs (55 used omeprazole, 63 esomeprazole, 54 pantoprazole, 87 lansoprazole, and 7 rabeprazole) and 87 did not. Among the patients, 232 reported suffering from PDF, while 114 did not. The median [min-max] TIRD was 210 minutes [0-1440]. The prevalence of PDF in PPI users and non-users was 67% and 68%, respectively (p= 0.878). There was no significant difference in the median [min-max] TIRD between PPI users and non-users (180 [0-1440] and 240 [0-1440], respectively; p=0.871). Additionally, there was no significant difference in the median PDF intensity, duration, frequency, and severity PPI users and non-users. The prevalence of PDF was similar among the different types of PPI used and did not differ with respect to PPI non-users. Duration of PPI exposure was <1 year in 42 patients and ≥1 year in 224 patients. There was no difference in prevalence of PDF between the two exposures. The correlation matrix showed no statistical significance between PPI equivalent dose, treatment duration, PDF frequency, PDF characteristics, and TIRD. Conclusion There is no association between the use of PPIs and PDF or time of recovery after dialysis in patients on chronic hemodialysis.

#1336 Serotonin levels in hemodialysis patients with Long COVID-associated cognitive impairment

Abstract Background and Aims Long COVID comprises a broad range of persistent symptoms that emerge after COVID-19 and can last for months or years and have a direct impact on daily life. Cognitive impairment and loss of short-term memory are examples of symptoms associated with long COVID. To date, there are neither generally agreed-upon diagnostic criteria nor effective treatments available. A recent study found an association of serotonin deficiency and long COVID in the general population [1], leading to vagal dysfunction and impaired cognition. In this study, we aimed to evaluate longitudinal serotonin levels in hemodialysis (HD) patients with or without cognitive symptoms associated with long COVID. Method We analyzed routinely collected serum samples (n = 102) from 16 HD patients collected between 60 days before and 60 days after a positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR. Metabolites were extracted using cold methanol and subjected to reverse phase liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS). Serotonin was identified by matching retention time, accurate mass, and fragmentation data against an in-house LC/MS library. Log2 of serotonin signal intensity was used for quantification. The COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale (C19-YRS) was administered shortly after positive RT-PCR test, as well as 1- and 6-months post-COVID. Patients were classified as having cognitive symptoms if they reported short-term memory loss or difficulties with concentration or communication problems as per C19-YRS. Unpaired t-test or Fisher's exact tests were performed to compare characteristics of patients with and without cognitive symptoms. We defined three study periods relative to the date of COVID-19 diagnosis: –60 to –15 days (baseline); –14 to +14 days (acute COVID); and +15 to +60 days (post-COVID). Differences in serotonin signal intensity (log2) between patients with and without cognitive symptoms were evaluated with unpaired t-tests. Linear mixed effects models with random intercepts were constructed to determine changes in serotonin levels over time with the baseline period as the comparator. This research was funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01DK130067). Results Demographic data are presented in Table 1a. Of the 16 patients, 7 (44%) were classified with cognitive symptoms associated with long COVID. There were no differences in age, sex, race, ethnicity, vintage, diabetes, and hypertension between patients with and without cognitive symptoms. Serotonin levels in patients with vs. without cognitive symptoms did not significantly differ at baseline and during acute COVID (Fig. 1). Of note, in the post-COVID phase, serotonin levels were significantly lower in the group with impaired cognition (p = 0.012) compared to symptoms-free patients (Fig. 1). Within each group, serotonin levels remained unchanged at acute-COVID or post-COVID periods compared to baseline (Table 1b). Conclusion We show that HD patients with impaired cognition have lower serotonin in the post-COVID phase compared to patients without cognitive symptoms. These results corroborate findings in the general population. Further investigation in a larger cohort is warranted to evaluate the potential of serotonin as a target for the prevention or as a marker of neurocognitive symptoms associated with long COVID.

Effect of partner presence on emotion regulation during parent-child interactions.

Having people around, especially if they provide social support, often leads to positive outcomes both physically and mentally. Mere social presence is especially beneficial when it comes from a loved one or romantic partner. In these studies, we aim to expand the understanding of how the presence of one's romantic partner affects emotion regulation in parental situations. Specifically, we examined how partner presence influences the parent's emotional intensity, emotion regulation, and interpretation of their child's emotion regulation. We examined these questions in parents of both non-autistic children (Study 1) as well as autistic children (Study 2), which we hypothesize leads to more intense emotional interactions. The parents of autistic children were better able to regulate their emotions when their partners were present compared to when they were absent. Furthermore, in both studies, parents' ratings of their children's ability to regulate their emotions were higher when their parent's partner was present compared to when the partner was absent. However, in both studies, we found no significant difference in the parents' emotional intensity when their partners were present compared to when their partners were absent during the emotionally charged interaction with their child. Our findings help highlight the impact of partner presence on parent and child emotion regulation.

Impact of breath sample collection method and length of storage of breath samples in Tedlar bags on the level of selected volatiles assessed using gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS)

The analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled air has attracted the interest of the scientific community because it provides the possibility of monitoring physiological and metabolic processes and non-invasive diagnostics of various diseases. However, this method remains underused in clinical practice as well as in research because of the lack of standardized procedures for the collection, storage and transport of breath samples, which would guarantee good reproducibility and comparability of results. The method of sampling, as well as the storage time of the breath samples in the polymer bags used for sample storage and transport, affect the composition and concentration of VOCs present in the breath samples. The aim of our study was to compare breath samples obtained using two methods with fully disposable equipment: a Haldane sampling tube intended for direct breath collection and breath samples exhaled into a transparent Tedlar bag. The second task was to monitor the stability of selected compounds of real breath samples stored in a Tedlar bag for 6 h. Gas chromatography coupled with ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) implemented in the BreathSpec® device was used to analyse exhaled breath. Our results showed a significant difference in the signal intensity of some volatiles when taking a breath sample with a Haldane tube and a Tedlar bag. Due to its endogenous origin, acetone levels were significantly higher when the Haldane tube sampler was used while elevated levels of 2-propanol and unidentified VOC (designated as VOC 3) in the Tedlar bag samples likely originated from contamination of the Tedlar bags. The VOC stability study revealed compound-specific signal intensity changes of the selected VOCs with storage time in the Tedlar bags, with some volatiles showing increasing signal intensity during storage in Tedlar bags. This limits the use of Tedlar bags only for very limited time and carefully selected purpose. Our results highlight the importance of careful design and implementation of experiments and clinical protocols to obtain relevant and reliable results.

Porphyrin-Based Self-Assembled Nanoparticles for PET/MR Imaging of Sentinel Lymph Node Metastasis.

Diagnosing of lymph node metastasis is challenging sometimes, and multimodal imaging offers a promising method to improve the accuracy. This work developed porphyrin-based nanoparticles (68Ga-F127-TAPP/TCPP(Mn) NPs) as PET/MR dual-modal probes for lymph node metastasis imaging by a simple self-assembly method. Compared with F127-TCPP(Mn) NPs, F127-TAPP/TCPP(Mn) NPs synthesized by amino-porphyrins (TAPP) doping can not only construct PET/MR bimodal probes but also improve the T1 relaxivity (up to 456%). Moreover, T1 relaxivity can be adjusted by altering the molar ratio of TAPP/TCPP(Mn) and the concentration of F127. However, a similar increase in T1 relaxivity was not observed in the F127-TCPP/TCPP(Mn) NPs, which were synthesized using carboxy-porphyrins (TCPP) doping. In a breast cancer lymph node metastasis mice model, subcutaneous injection of 68Ga-F127-TAPP/TCPP(Mn) NPs through the hind foot pad, the normal lymph nodes and metastatic lymph nodes were successfully distinguished based on the difference of PET standard uptake values and MR signal intensities. Furthermore, the dark brown F127-TAPP/TCPP(Mn) NPs demonstrated the potential for staining and mapping lymph nodes. This study provides valuable insights into developing and applying PET/MR probes for lymph node metastasis imaging.

A randomized controlled trial investigating the impact of a single flash cupping session on patients with chronic lower back pain using multichannel surface electromyographic assessment.

Chronic lower back pain (CLBP) is one of the most common disorders worldwide. Flash cupping has the ability to relieve CLBP; nevertheless, its impact on CLBP and the likely mechanism of action have not been studied. The goal of this study was to assess the impact of a single, brief cupping session on CLBP and low back muscle activity using multichannel surface electromyography (sEMG). In this randomized controlled trial, 24patients with CLBP were enrolled and randomly assigned to the control group (treated by acupuncture) and cupping group (treated by acupuncture and flash cupping). Acupuncture was applied on the shen shu (BL23), dachang shu (BL25), and wei zhong (BL40) acupoints in both the groups. A brief cupping treatment was applied to the shen shu (BL23), qihai shu (BL24), dachang shu (BL25), guanyuan shu (BL26), and xiaochang shu (BL27) acupoints on both sides of the lower back in the cupping group. The numeric rating scale (NRS) was used to assess therapy efficacy for lower back pain (LBP) before and after treatment. Surface EMG data collected during symmetrical trunk flexion-extension movements were utilized to measure lower back muscle activity and the effectiveness of LBP therapy. There was no statistically significant difference (P= 0.63) in pain intensity between the two groups before and after treatment. There was a statistically significant difference (P= 0.04) between the control group and the cupping group in the sEMG topographic map parameter CoGx-To-Midline. This study established a connection between the action mechanism of flash cupping and enhanced horizontal synchronization of lower back muscular activity.

Administrative-led urbanization and urban carbon emission intensity: Evidence from City–County merger in China

Cities in China are concentrated areas of energy consumption and carbon emission. Thus, controlling urban carbon emission intensity is the key to achieving “carbon neutrality” and “carbon peak” goals. Administrative urbanization, for which city–county merger (CCM) plays an important role, is yet to be examined to understand whether it intensified carbon emissions. This study uses panel data of 269 cities from 2008 to 2019 and staggered difference-in-differences method to analyze the impact of administration-led urbanization on urban carbon emission intensity. The results reveal that the CCM significantly increased urban carbon emission intensity. A mechanism test shows that the CCM can increase carbon emission intensity by inhibiting industrial structure upgrading and promoting urban infrastructure construction. Heterogeneity analysis shows that there is no significant regional difference in carbon intensity; however, regional difference has a more significant positive impact on carbon intensity of sub-provincial cities, general prefecture-level cities, and strong counties with districts.

A meta-analysis of probiotic interventions to mitigate ruminal methane emissions in cattle: implications for sustainable livestock farming

In recent years, the significant impact of ruminants on methane emissions has garnered international attention. While dietary strategies have been implemented to solve this issue, probiotics gained the attention of researchers due to their sustainability. However, it is challenging to ascertain their effectiveness as an extensive range of strains and doses have been reported in the literature. Hence, the objective of this experiment was to perform a meta-analysis of probiotic interventions aiming to reduce ruminal methane emissions from cattle. From 362 articles retrieved from scientific databases, 85 articles were assessed independently by two reviewers, and 20 articles representing 49 comparisons were found eligible for meta-analysis. In each study, data such as mean, SD, and sample sizes of both the control and probiotic intervention groups were extracted. The outcomes of interest were methane emission, methane yield, and methane intensity. For the meta-analysis, effect sizes were pooled using a fixed effect or a random effect model depending on the heterogeneity. Afterward, sensitivity analyses were conducted to confirm the robustness of the findings. Overall pooled standardized mean differences (SMDs) with their confidence intervals (CIs) did not detect significant differences in methane emission (SMD = −0.04; 95% CI = −0.18–0.11; P = 0.632), methane yield (SMD = −0.08; 95% CI = −0.24–0.07; P = 0.291), and methane intensity (SMD = −0.22; 95% CI = −0.50–0.07; P = 0.129) between cattle supplemented with probiotics and the control group. However, subgroup analyses revealed that multiple-strain bacterial probiotics (SMD = −0.36; 95% CI = −0.62 to −0.11; P = 0.005), specifically the combination of bacteria involved in reductive acetogenesis and propionate production (SMD = −0.71; 95% CI = −1.04 to −0.36; P = 0.001), emerged as better interventions. Likewise, crossbreeds (SMD = −0.48; 95% CI = −0.78 to −0.18; P = 0.001) exhibited a more favorable response to the treatments. Furthermore, meta-regression demonstrated that longer periods of supplementation led to significant reductions in methane emissions (P = 0.001), yield (P = 0.032), and intensity (P = 0.012) effect sizes. Overall, the results of the current study suggest that cattle responses to probiotic interventions are highly dependent on the probiotic category. Therefore, extended trials performed with probiotics containing multiple bacterial strains are showing the most promising results. Ideally, further trials focusing on the use of probiotics to reduce ruminal methane in cattle should be conducted to complete the available literature.

Preliminary study on the optical diagnosis of orbital rhabdomyosarcoma by Raman spectroscopy

To investigate the Raman spectral features of orbital rhabdomyosarcoma (ORMS) tissue and normal orbital tissue in vitro, and to explore the feasibility of Raman spectroscopy for the optical diagnosis of ORMS. 23 specimens of ORMS and 27 specimens of normal orbital tissue were obtained from resection surgery and measured in vitro using Raman spectroscopy coupled to a fiber optic probe. The important spectral differences between the tissue categories were exploited for tissue classification with the multivariate statistical techniques of principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). Compared to normal tissue, the Raman peak intensities located at 1450 and 1655 cm−1 were significantly lower for ORMS (p < 0.05), while the peak intensities located at 721, 758, 1002, 1088, 1156, 1206, 1340, 1526 cm−1 were significantly higher (p < 0.05). Raman spectra differences between normal tissue and ORMS could be attributed to the changes in the relative amounts of biochemical components, such as nucleic acids, tryptophan, phenylalanine, carotenoid and lipids. The Raman spectroscopy technique together with PCA-LDA modeling provides a diagnostic accuracy of 90.0%, sensitivity of 91.3%, and specificity of 88.9% for ORMS identification. Significant differences in Raman peak intensities exist between normal orbital tissue and ORMS. This work demonstrated for the first time that the Raman spectroscopy associated with PCA-LDA diagnostic algorithms has promising potential for accurate, rapid and noninvasive optical diagnosis of ORMS at the molecular level.

Comparative single-cell multiplex immunophenotyping of therapy-naive patients with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, and systemic lupus erythematosus shed light on disease-specific composition of the peripheral immune system.

Systemic autoimmune diseases (SADs) are a significant burden on the healthcare system. Understanding the complexity of the peripheral immunophenotype in SADs may facilitate the differential diagnosis and identification of potential therapeutic targets. Single-cell mass cytometric immunophenotyping was performed on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy controls (HCs) and therapy-naive patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), progressive systemic sclerosis (SSc), and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Immunophenotyping was performed on 15,387,165 CD45+ live single cells from 52 participants (13cases/group), using an antibody panel to detect 34 markers. Using the t-SNE (t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding) algorithm, the following 17 main immune cell types were determined: CD4+/CD57- T cells, CD4+/CD57+ T cells, CD8+/CD161- T cells, CD8+/CD161+/CD28+ T cells, CD8dim T cells, CD3+/CD4-/CD8- T cells, TCRγ/δ T cells, CD4+ NKT cells, CD8+ NKT cells, classic NK cells, CD56dim/CD98dim cells, B cells, plasmablasts, monocytes, CD11cdim/CD172dim cells, myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs), and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). Seven of the 17 main cell types exhibited statistically significant frequencies in the investigated groups. The expression levels of the 34 markers in the main populations were compared between HCs and SADs. In summary, 59 scatter plots showed significant differences in the expression intensities between at least two groups. Next, each immune cell population was divided into subpopulations (metaclusters) using the FlowSOM (self-organizing map) algorithm. Finally, 121 metaclusters (MCs) of the 10 main immune cell populations were found to have significant differences to classify diseases. The single-cell T-cell heterogeneity represented 64MCs based on the expression of 34 markers, and the frequency of 23 MCs differed significantly between at least twoconditions. The CD3- non-T-cell compartment contained 57 MCs with 17 MCs differentiating at least two investigated groups. In summary, we are the first to demonstrate the complexity of the immunophenotype of34markers over 15 million single cells in HCs vs. therapy-naive patients withRA, SSc, and SLE. Disease specific population frequencies or expression patterns of peripheral immune cells provide a single-cell data resource to the scientific community.

Maximum Likelihood Deconvolution of Beamforming Images with Signal-Dependent Speckle Fluctuations

Ocean Acoustic Waveguide Remote Sensing (OAWRS) typically utilizes large-aperture linear arrays combined with coherent beamforming to estimate the spatial distribution of acoustic scattering echoes. The conventional maximum likelihood deconvolution (DCV) method uses a likelihood model that is inaccurate in the presence of multiple adjacent targets with significant intensity differences. In this study, we propose a deconvolution algorithm based on a modified likelihood model of beamformed intensities (M-DCV) for estimation of the spatial intensity distribution. The simulated annealing iterative scheme is used to obtain the maximum likelihood estimation. An approximate expression based on the generalized negative binomial (GNB) distribution is introduced to calculate the conditional probability distribution of the beamformed intensity. The deconvolution algorithm is further simplified with an approximate likelihood model (AM-DCV) that can reduce the computational complexity for each iteration. We employ a direct deconvolution method based on the Fourier transform to enhance the initial solution, thereby reducing the number of iterations required for convergence. The M-DCV and AM-DCV algorithms are validated using synthetic and experimental data, demonstrating a maximum improvement of 73% in angular resolution and a sidelobe suppression of 15 dB. Experimental examples demonstrate that the imaging performance of the deconvolution algorithm based on a linear small-aperture array consisting of 16 array elements is comparable to that obtained through conventional beamforming using a linear large-aperture array consisting of 96 array elements. The proposed algorithm is applicable for Ocean Acoustic Waveguide Remote Sensing (OAWRS) and other sensing applications using linear arrays.

Fabrication of CuO/Au Nanowires on a Copper Substrate for Ultra-Sensitive SERS Sensors

To optimize the surface-enhanced Raman (SERS) phenomenon on the surface of noble metals, gold nanoparticles were synthesized on the surface of nano-sized copper wires to enhance the dispersion of gold particles on the research surface. A simple experimental procedure was carried out in two stages. First, the thin copper substrate was lightly oxidized with ammonium persulfate in an alkaline environment, then incubated at 200oC for 3 hours to form copper nanowires that exist stably on the substrate surface. Immediately afterward, highly uniform CuO/Au nanowires were formed by the chemical reduction of HAuCl4 on the surface of the oxidized copper plate. The results show that gold nanoparticles of about 5 nm were attached to CuO nanowires with a length of up to 10 µm and a diameter between 100 and 300 nm. The X-ray energy dispersive spectrum demonstrated a uniform distribution of gold particles. The CuO/Au structure was used as a SERS substrate to detect methylene blue at a low concentration of 10 pM corresponding to 2 signals at the peaks 1395 cm−1 and 1625 cm−1 as the C-H and C-C deformation vibrations of the aromatic ring. The logarithms of the methylene blue concentrations were linearly proportional to their SERS signal intensity of methylene blue at the peak of 1625 cm-1 with a value R2 = 0.96. The signals of SERS for methylene blue at twelve different points on the material sample showed no significant differences in both intensity and shape of the spectrum, with an RSD value of 5.9%.&#x0D;

In vivo assessment of bladder cancer with diffuse reflectance and fluorescence spectroscopy: A comparative study.

The aim of this work is to assess the performance of multimodal spectroscopic approach combined with single core optical fiber for detection of bladder cancer during surgery in vivo. Multimodal approach combines diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), fluorescence spectroscopy in the visible (405 nm excitation) and near-infrared (NIR) (690 nm excitation) ranges, and high-wavenumber Raman spectroscopy. All four spectroscopic methods were combined in a single setup. For 21 patients with suspected bladder cancer or during control cystoscopy optical spectra of bladder cancer, healthy bladder wall tissue and/or scars were measured. Classification of cancerous and healthy bladder tissue was performed using machine learning methods. Statistically significant differences in relative total haemoglobin content, oxygenation, scattering, and visible fluorescence intensity were found between tumor and normal tissues. The combination of DRS and visible fluorescence spectroscopy allowed detecting cancerous tissue with sensitivity and specificity of 78% and 91%, respectively. The addition of features extracted from NIR fluorescence and Raman spectra did not improve the quality of classification. This study demonstrates that multimodal spectroscopic approach allows increasing sensitivity and specificity of bladder cancer detection in vivo. The developed approach does not require special probes and can be used with single-core optical fibers applied for laser surgery.

Virtual Facades: Exploring the Relationship Between Self-Presentation on Facebook and Social Anxiety Among Egyptian Generation Z Users

This study investigates the correlation between the ‘false-self’ – the persona presented to the public that may not accurately reflect one’s true identity – and social anxiety among Generation Z Facebook users in Egypt. An integrated methodology approach was used to explore the connection between Facebook usage, false self-presentation and social anxiety levels. Data were collected by administering a questionnaire targeting 420 Facebook users belonging to Egypt’s Generation Z demographic. The study findings demonstrate a strong positive correlation between higher Facebook usage intensity and false self-presentation. Furthermore, false self-presentation was found to be positively correlated with social anxiety. Significant gender differences in self-congruence on Facebook were revealed, supported by theories related to social norms and gender roles. These findings illustrate the potential influence of social media on gender identity and self-presentation, underscoring the need to take gender differences into account when studying the effects of social media on mental health. Additionally, significant differences in Facebook intensity and attachment between genders were revealed. This study adds to our understanding of the intricate relationship between social media use, self-presentation and mental health outcomes among Generation Z by providing insight into the risks associated with false self-presentation and high Facebook usage intensity.

A multi-dimensional assessment of internet gaming disorder in children and adolescents: A case-control study.

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) leads to social disturbances and isolation, neglect of daily responsibilities, behavioral disorders, and physical impairments. This study aimed to investigate the effect of IGD on spine biomechanics, range of motion in the neck and low back, and lung functions and respiratory muscle strength in children and adolescents. Sixty-four children and adolescents with IGD (Group I) and 41 healthy controls (Group II) were included in the study. The outcomes were assessed with the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Internet Addiction Scale, active range of motion (AROM) in the neck and lumbar spine, posture and spinal alignment, lung function tests, and respiratory muscle strength. There is a significant difference in pain intensity at rest, during activity, and daily sitting time between groups (p < 0.05). Craniovertebral angle, shoulder asymmetry, thoracic kyphosis angle, cervical extension and rotation, and right lumbar rotation significantly decreased in Group I than in Group II (p < 0.05). Besides, the PEF, FEF 25-75%, and respiratory muscle strength were lower in Group I than in Group II (p < 0.05). With a multiple linear regression model, MEP, FEV1, and weekly time spent playing online games were significant predictors of internet addiction intensity (R2 = 0.28; p = 0.02, p = 0.01, and p < 0.001, respectively). Postural misalignment and increased sedentary time cause physical health deterioration and negatively affect lung functions in children and adolescents with IGD. Consequently, considering both psychological and physical health is necessary to assess the problematic nature of internet gaming. A comprehensive assessment and multidisciplinary team approach is essential to managing the IGD.

Immunohistochemical Evaluation of E- Cadherin in Oral Epithelial Dysplasia and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

ABSTRACT Background: Cancers arising in the oral cavity are more commonly of squamous cell carcinomas. E-cadherin is a calcium-dependant transmembrane glycoprotein of the type-1 cadherin superfamily is an invasion/tumor suppressor gene, which plays a vital role in epithelial cell–cell adhesion. Epithelial E-cadherin expression loss increases tumor invasiveness and metastasis. Aim: To determine the expression of E-cadherin in oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Materials and Methods: Analysis of E-cadherin expression in 10 cases of normal mucosa, 15 cases of various grades of OED, 15 cases of OSCC. Statistical Analysis: The data were calculated using Chi-square test and analysis of variance test (ANOVA). Results: An intragroup comparison of staining intensity and staining location for OED showed a highly significant difference between mild and moderate grade (P &lt; 0.001). A significant difference of staining intensity was noted among well and moderately differentiated grades, and well and poorly differentiated grades of OSCC. A comparison of staining location among well and poorly differentiated grades of OSCC was found to be significant. Conclusion: Expression loss is observed as the severity of the lesion progresses in both OSCC and OED. The increased loss of expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma poorer the prognosis.

Characteristics of Vehicle Tire and Road Wear Particles’ Size Distribution and Influencing Factors Examined via Laboratory Test

With the implementation of strict emission regulations and the use of cleaner fuels, there has been a considerable reduction in exhaust emissions. However, the relative contribution of tire wear particles (TWPs) to particulate matters is expected to gradually increase. This study conducted laboratory wear experiments on tires equipped on domestically popular vehicle models, testing the factors and particle size distribution of TWPs. The results showed that the content of tire wear particle emission was mainly ultrafine particles, accounting for 94.80% of particles ranging from 6 nm to 10 μm. There were at least two concentration peaks for each test condition and sample, at 10~13 nm and 23~41 nm, respectively. The mass of TWP emission was mainly composed of fine particles and coarse particles, with concentration peaks at 0.5 μm and 1.3–2.5 μm, respectively. Both the number and mass of TWPs exhibited a bimodal distribution, with significant differences in emission intensity among different tire samples. However, there was a good exponential relationship between PM10 mass emissions from tire wear and tire camber angle. The orthogonal experimental results showed that the slip angle showed the greatest impact on TWP emission, followed by speed and load, with the smallest impact from inclination angle.

Differences in Emotional Preferences toward Urban Green Spaces among Various Cultural Groups in Macau and Their Influencing Factors

This study explores the diversity in emotional tendencies and needs toward urban green spaces (UGSs) among people from different cultural backgrounds in the wave of cultural integration. We utilized social media data as research tools, gathering a wide range of perspectives and voices. Utilizing geolocation data from 176 UGSs in Macau, we collected 139,162 social media comments to analyze the emotional perceptions of different cultural groups. Furthermore, we conducted regression analysis on the number of posts and emotional intensity values from four linguistic groups—Chinese, English, Southeast Asian languages, and Portuguese—in UGSs, correlating them with ten locally relevant landscape features. Our findings reveal diverse attitudes, emotional inclinations, and functional and design needs of different linguistic groups toward UGSs, as follows: (1) there were significant differences in emotional intensity and tweet counts across 176 UGSs; (2) Chinese and Portuguese speakers showed a more positive attitude toward plazas and natural ecological areas, whereas English- and Southeast-Asian-language speakers tended to favor recreational areas and suburban parks; (3) Chinese speakers exhibited a more positive emotional intensity toward sports facilities, while English speakers placed more emphasis on green space areas, architecture, sports infrastructure, and plant landscapes; (4) there was no specific landscape feature preference for Portuguese- and Southeast-Asian-language speakers. This research not only deepens our understanding of the emotional perceptions and preferences of UGSs among different cultural groups but also explores the association between these groups and various urban landscape features. This provides important theoretical and practical insights for future UGS planning, construction, and promoting multicultural coexistence for sustainable urban development.

Abstract 5184: Biomarker results from PEVENAZA, a randomized phase 2 study of venetoclax and azacitidine +/- pevonedistat in newly diagnosed AML patients unfit for intensive chemotherapy: Increased efficacy in a subset of patients with IDH1/2 mutations and other observations

Abstract Background: Many newly diagnosed patients with AML are ineligible for intensive chemotherapy due to pre-existing comorbidities and older age. VIALE-A, a phase-3 trial with venetoclax (ven) and azacitidine (aza) established this combination as a new standard of care (SOC) for this patient population. The addition of pevonedistat (pevo) to this combination was evaluated in the same patient population in the current trial (NCT04266795). Here we present results of biomarker analyses from baseline and on-treatment bone marrow samples. Methods: Molecular mutational analysis was performed using a next generation sequencing (NGS) panel on baseline bone marrow samples. Combining this data with cytogenetics allowed centralized assignment of risk category based on ELN2017 guidelines. Longitudinal bone marrow aspirate samples were also examined by multi-color flow cytometry for expression of select surface antigen expression and to identify AML leukemic stem cells (LSCs) from the blast population. Results: Eleven genes were selected for analyses based on prevalence and scientific interest, including DNMT3A, ASXL1, TET2, FLT3, and IDH1/2. In contrast to other genes and ELN risk categories, we observed a statistically significant increase (p-value 0.013) in CR+CRi rates for IDH1/2 mutant patients when treated with pevo + ven + aza (95%, n=21) compared to ven+aza control arm (62%, n=21). In addition, we evaluated the prevalence of CD33, CD123 and CLEC12a, targets of current AML developmental therapeutics, in both the blast and LSC populations at baseline. The median (n=120 pts) % blast cells expressing CD33, CD123, or CLEC12a were 89.8%, 63.2%, and 66.0%, respectively. The median (n=78 pts) % LSCs expressing CD33, CD123, or CLEC12a were 48.2%, 90.9%, and 32.0%, respectively. Importantly, we did not see any significant difference in median fluorescence intensity (MFI) or % expression in any of the three proteins after treatment with ven and aza (+/- pevo). Finally, no strong associations were observed between expression levels and either mutations or ELN risk categories. Conclusions: Analyses of biomarker samples as part of the PEVENAZA trial resulted in several insights for not only the pevonedistat program but also for other AML therapeutics in development. The observation that newly diagnosed patients with IDH1/2 mutations may benefit from the addition of pevo to ven+aza is certainly hypothesis-generating but would require further follow-up with higher patient numbers. In addition, baseline CD33, CD123, and CLEC12a expression levels were in line with published studies. Here we have also shown they remain similar after SOC treatment (ven+aza) supporting the development of agents that target these proteins in both first and second line settings for AML. Citation Format: Radha Ramesh, Xiang Fang, Shuli Li, Sharon Friedlander, Farhad Sedarati, Lionel Adès, Nicholas Short, Cristina Papayannidis, Tammie Yeh. Biomarker results from PEVENAZA, a randomized phase 2 study of venetoclax and azacitidine +/- pevonedistat in newly diagnosed AML patients unfit for intensive chemotherapy: Increased efficacy in a subset of patients with IDH1/2 mutations and other observations [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 5184.