Subgroup Γ0 Research Articles

The histological comparison of the effect of 50mW green and blue laser on the human eye at variable time intervals: an animal model.

To compare the effects of 50mW green and blue laser pointers on retinal tissue with different exposure durations. The experimental, histopathological study was conducted from November 2021 to April 2022 at the Postgraduate Laboratory of the Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, College of Medicine, Mustansiriyah University, Iraq, and comprised adult male mice. They were divided into green group G and blue group B. Group G was exposed to a 50mW green laser pointer with wavelength 532nm, while group B was exposed to a blue laser pointer with wavelength 415nm. The groups were subdivided with respect to duration of exposure. Subgroups G1 and B1 had exposure time 1min, G2 and B2 had exposure time 2min and G3 and B3 had exposure time 3min. Across the groups, the overall supplied power density was 130mW/cm2. Conventional Haemotoxylin and Eosin stain was used to assess the damage on the retinal tissues of the mice post-exposure. Data was analysed using SPSS 24. Of the 24 groups, 12(50%) were in each of the 2 groups, while each subgroup had 4(16.66%) mice. There was more retinal tissue damage in group G compared to group B (p<0.05). The damage increased significantly with increase in exposure duration in both groups (p<0.05). The traditional green laser pointers caused more damage to the retina of mice than the blue laser.

Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Acquisition for Evaluation of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors: A Meta-Analysis.

The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the diagnostic performance of EUS-FNA/B in patients with panNETs. We conducted a computerized search of the MEDLINE and Embase databases to identify relevant articles. The primary outcomes involved grading concordance rate, diagnostic rate, and correlation coefficient (Cohen's κ) for FNA/B samples compared with surgical specimens. Secondary outcomes included sample adequacy, mean number of passes, and adverse events. Forty-five studies involving 2978 patients were finally included. The pooled concordance rate between EUS-FNA/B and surgical grading was 0.77 (95% CI: 0.73-0.80; I2=48.2%). A significantly higher level of concordance was observed in G1 subgroup (0.88, 95% CI: 0.84-0.91), whereas the G2 subgroup revealed the lowest level of agreement (0.59, 95% CI: 0.52-0.65; P < 0.001). Pooled diagnostic rate for FNA/B sampling was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.79-0.86; I2=63.3%). In addition, FNB outperformed FNA in terms of sample adequacy (0.93 for FNB vs. 0.81 for FNA; P=0.007) and number of needle passes required (2.53 for FNB vs. 3.32 for FNA; P=0.013). Moreover, the overall level of agreement for grading was moderate (κ=0.59, 95% CI: 0.49-0.68; I2=84.5%). There were a limited number of adverse events that had minor influence on patient outcomes (0.03, 95% CI: 0.02-0.05; I2=19.2%). EUS-FNA/B is a reliable approach for the diagnosis and preoperative grading of panNET, with FNB demonstrating superior performance compared with FNA.

The prognosis of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors according to the WHO 2017 classification: The multi-center experience in Taiwan.

87 Background: The occurrence of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) remains infrequent, there is an upward trend in their diagnosis. Our retrospective study, conducted in Taiwan, focuses on exploring the interplay between clinical characteristics, treatment modalities, and prognosis in PanNET cases. Particularly, we aim to assess the implications of the updated WHO classification system on prognosis. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 176 PanNET cases from Chang Gung Medical Foundation, encompassing Linkou, Taoyuan, and Tucheng Hospitals, spanning the years 2009 to 2022. Pathology reports for all cases were reevaluated by pathologists according to the WHO 2017 classifications. Clinical features and overall survival outcomes were documented. Additionally, we examined the prognosis of distinct subgroups categorized by the WHO 2017 classification and their respective treatments. Results: The 5-year survival rate for all patients in the cohort stood at 58.7%. Among these, individuals diagnosed with NET G1 exhibited the highest survival rate (n = 78, 83.1%), followed by those with NET G2 (n = 57, 55.0%), NET G3 (n = 25, 14.6%), and NEC (n = 16, 9.4%). Univariate analysis highlighted several significant prognostic factors, including age, absence of symptoms at diagnosis, tumor size, lymph node involvement, distant metastasis, higher Ki-67 index, and cellular morphology. Comparative analysis between the WHO 2017 and WHO 2010 classifications revealed both systems as significant independent predictors of overall survival in PanNET cases. Notably, the 95% confidence interval for the WHO 2017 classification (2.892–9.703) showed a slight improvement in prognostic precision compared to the WHO 2010 classification (3.696–10.067). Under the WHO 2010 classification, NET G3 and NEC were combined, with NEC presenting higher rates of distant metastases, lymph node involvement, and Ki-67 index. Further investigation revealed that patients receiving somatostatin analogs, chemotherapy, or targeted therapy exhibited improved survival rates, particularly notable in NET G3 and NEC subgroups. Furthermore, NEC patients displayed extended treatment durations and higher objective response rates to first-line chemotherapy compared to the NET G3 group. Conclusions: Our retrospective analysis has illuminated the interrelation between prognostic factors and the overall survival rate. Furthermore, the updated WHO 2017 classification elucidates the distinctions between G3 and NEC, thus influencing the selection of clinical interventions.

Syngeneic mouse model of YES-driven metastatic and proliferative hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a disease of high unmet medical need that has become a global health problem. The development of targeted therapies for HCC has been hindered by the incomplete understanding of HCC pathogenesis and the limited number of relevant preclinical animal models. We recently unveiled a previously uncharacterized YES kinase (encoded by YES1)-dependent oncogenic signaling pathway in HCC. To model this subset of HCC, we established a series of syngeneic cell lines from liver tumors of transgenic mice expressing activated human YES. The resulting cell lines (referred to as HepYF) were enriched for expression of stem cell and progenitor markers, proliferated rapidly, and were characterized by high SRC family kinase (SFK) activity and activated mitogenic signaling pathways. Transcriptomic analysis indicated that HepYF cells are representative of the most aggressive proliferation class G3 subgroup of HCC. HepYF cells formed rapidly growing metastatic tumors upon orthotopic implantation into syngeneic hosts. Treatment with sorafenib or the SFK inhibitor dasatinib markedly inhibited the growth of HepYF tumors. The new HepYF HCC cell lines provide relevant preclinical models to study the pathogenesis of HCC and test novel small-molecule inhibitor and immunotherapy approaches.

Molecular Characterization of Feline Parvovirus from Domestic Cats in Henan Province, China from 2020 to 2022.

Carnivore protoparvovirus-1, feline parvovirus (FPV), and canine parvovirus (CPV) continue to spread in companion animals all over the world. As a result, FPV and CPV underwent host-to-host transfer in carnivorous wild-animal hosts. Here, a total of 82 fecal samples of suspected cat FPV infections were collected from Henan Province from 2020 to 2022. The previously published full-length sequence primers of VP2 and NS1 genes were used to amplify the targeted genes of these samples, and the complete gene sequences of 11 VP2 and 21 NS1 samples were obtained and analyzed. Analysis showed that the amino acid homology of the VP2 and NS1 genes of these isolates was 96.1-100% and 97.6-100%, respectively. The phylogenetic results showed that the VP2 and NS1 genes of the local isolates were mainly concentrated in the G1 subgroup, while the vaccine strains were distributed in the G3 subgroup. Finally, F81 cells were inoculated with the local endemic isolate Luoyang-01 (FPV-LY strain for short) for virus amplification, purification, and titer determination, and the pathogenesis of FPV-LY was detected. After five generations of blind transmission in F81 cells, cells infected with FPV-LY displayed characteristic morphological changes, including a round, threadlike, and wrinkled appearance, indicative of viral infection. The virus titer associated with this cytopathic effect (CPE) was measured at 1.5 × 106 TCID50/mL. Subsequent animal regression tests confirmed that the virus titer of the PFV-LY isolate remained at 1.5 × 106 TCID50/mL, indicating its highly pathogenic nature. Cats exposed to the virus exhibited typical clinical symptoms and pathological changes, ultimately succumbing to the infection. These results suggest that the gene mutation rate of FPV is increasing, resulting in a complex pattern of gene evolution in terms of host preference, geographical selection, and novel genetic variants. The data also indicate that continuous molecular epidemiological surveillance is required to understand the genetic diversity of FPV isolates.

Increased Semantic Memorization in Children with ADHD during a Paradigm of Motor Priming: Exploratory Findings.

The aim was to evaluate the effect of body actions on learning process, particularly semantic memory capabilities in drug-naïve children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Thirty children had to listen to a story which was repeated three times in a row and then a fourth time five minutes later. After each listen, the child was asked what she/he remembered from the story. The whole sample was split randomly into three subgroups of equal IQ (mean 102.2 ± 12.7), age (mean age 8 ± 0.6 years), sex (ratio female to male 1:5) and severity of ADHD symptoms (34.2 ± 7.4); a G1 "Freeze" subgroup, which implied listening to the story while sitting on a chair without moving; a G2 "Minimal" subgroup, which implied listening to the story while sitting on a chair but free movement was allowed; a G3 "Prescribed movement" subgroup, which implied listening to the story standing up, while copying the experimenter movements that mimicked the actions told in the story. Although our sample was limited in size, interestingly, children in the G3 subgroup showed the highest short-term semantic memory retention compared to G1. In all subgroups, repetition allowed an increase in performance. Our exploratory findings stress the positive role of movement in children with ADHD to increase semantic memorization. Hyperactivity may counteract the deficit of memorization related to attention impairment in children with ADHD. Our results may encourage parents or teachers to allow children with ADHD to move around during short-term memory-retention tasks.

Multimodal artificial intelligence models from baseline histopathology to predict prognosis in HR+ HER2- early breast cancer: Subgroup analysis.

101 Background: Prognostic assessment in HR+ HER2- early breast cancer (EBC) remains challenging given relatively low rates of disease progression. Modern artificial intelligence (AI)-based techniques have already provided substantial medical progress, particularly in prostate cancer. We have leveraged ArteraAI’s multimodal artificial intelligence (MMAI) platform to develop a research-level prognostic model in HR+ HER2- EBC, based on the WSG PlanB and ADAPT trials. Here, we quantify the value added by MMAI within clinically relevant subgroups. Methods: Histopathology image data was generated from pre-treatment breast biopsy and surgical hematoxylin and eosin (H&amp;E) slides from the WSG PlanB and ADAPT trials. Patients with available images and complete data (n=5259) were allocated (stratified by trial, randomization arm and distant recurrence (DR)) to development (60%) and validation (40%) cohorts. An MMAI-based model using image data combined with clinical prognostic variables (age, T and N stage, tumor size) was developed to predict risk of DR. Univariable and multivariable Fine-Gray models were used to assess performance in the validation cohorts; subdistribution hazard ratios (sHR) refer to validation cohorts and are reported per standard deviation increase of the model scores (image-alone or combined). Pre-specified prognostic subgroups for analysis were defined by nodal status, menopausal status, and central tumor grade. All statistical tests were 2-sided at .05 significance. Results: The trained MMAI score was significantly associated with risk of DR in the validation cohort (sHR [95% CI] = 2.3 [2.0-2.8]) as a whole and in all considered subgroups. The score remained significant (sHR [95%CI] = 2.2 [1.7-2.8]) after adjusting for clinical prognostic factors. Moreover, the MMAI image component alone had significant prognostic value (sHR [95%CI] = 1.6 [1.3 - 1.9]) in the validation cohort. Remarkably, the MMAI image component alone had significant prognostic value separately within the G2 and G3 sub-groups, with sHR of about 1.5 per standard deviation increase, and also in most of the other predefined clinical subgroups. Conclusions: Preliminary results from the current MMAI breast model provide evidence that ArteraAI MMAI technology can be leveraged for outcome prediction in HR+ HER2- EBC using H&amp;E-stained images to further personalize breast cancer management. The ability of image-only AI models to provide significant prognostic value within grade subgroups suggests that self-supervised AI has identified some novel image features with prognostic value beyond grade. To put the results into the clinical context, comprehensive validation analyses will be presented at the meeting.

Relationship between the Residual Cesium Body Contents and Individual Behaviors among Evacuees from Municipalities near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

To support estimations of early individual internal doses to residents who suffered from the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP), we have sought to use whole-body counter (WBC) measurement results of subjects who lived in municipalities neighboring the FDNPP at the time of the accident. These WBC measurements started several months after the accident; the targeted radionuclides were 134Cs and 137Cs. Our previous study had analyzed the relationship between the residual Cs contents of individuals and evacuation behaviors in the period immediately after the accident for residents of Namie-town, one of the most radiologically affected municipalities. Those results suggested that the first major release event at the FDNPP on 12 March 2011 caused significant exposure, particularly to those who delayed evacuation on that day. The present study expanded its scope to include subjects from four towns neighboring the FDNPP (Namie, Futaba, Okuma, and Tomioka) to gather additional evidence of the exposure that took place on 12 March 2011. Additionally, we investigated the relationship between individual cesium doses and subjects' destinations following the largest release event on 15 March 2011. The study population was 1,145 adults. We first divided the subjects into two evacuation groups depending on the distance from the FDNPP and their evacuation whereabouts (25-km boundary) as of 15:00 on 12 March 2011: the G1 group (≥25 km) and the G2 group (<25 km). We further divided these two subject groups into seven subgroups based on the subjects' destinations as of 0:00 on 16 March 2011. Our four main findings are as follows. (1) The 137Cs detection rate was significantly different between the G1 and G2 groups of Namie-town and Futaba-town but not for those of Okuma-town and Tomioka-town. This result corresponds to the plume passage (flowing toward the northwest to the north) in the afternoon of 12 March 2011 and supports our previous study. (2) The upper-percentile committed effective doses (CEDs) of the G2 groups were higher than those of the G1 groups for all four towns, although the between-group difference varied with the town. The highest CEDs were found in the G2 group of Futaba-town, and the lowest CEDs were in the Namie-town G1 group: 0.16 mSv and 0.04 mSv at the 90th percentile, respectively. The CEDs for both the G1 and G2 groups were relatively high for Okuma-town and Tomioka-town compared to those of the G1 group of Namie-town, although the former subjects were expected to be less exposed on 12 March 2011 and then evacuated to remote places, as did the residents of the other towns. (3) The CEDs of the G1 subgroup that evacuated outside Fukushima Prefecture were extremely low, suggesting that these subjects were little exposed on both 12 and 15 March 2011. However, the CEDs of the same G1 subgroup were rather higher than those of the corresponding G2 subgroup for Futaba-town and Okuma-town. We thus speculate that the WBC measurements were likely to have been affected by the contamination occurring in the second-round temporary re-entry (except for the Namie-town residents). (4) The analyses of the Namie-town evacuees indicated that the area including the middle and northern parts of Fukushima Prefecture was relatively more affected by the major release event on 15 March 2011. In conclusion, the early cesium intake due to the FDNPP accident remained detectable in the WBC measurements of certain present subjects; however, further analyses of the available data are necessary for a full understanding of the WBC measurement results.

PD-L1 expression in resected lung adenocarcinoma: prevalence and prognostic significance in relation to the IASLC grading system.

Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression is a predictive biomarker for adjuvant immunotherapy and has been linked to poor differentiation in lung adenocarcinoma. However, its prevalence and prognostic role in the context of the novel histologic grade has not been evaluated. We analysed a cohort of 1233 patients with resected lung adenocarcinoma where PD-L1 immunohistochemistry (22C3 assay) was reflexively tested. Tumour PD-L1 expression was correlated with the new standardized International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) histologic grading system (G1, G2, and G3). Clinicopathologic features including patient outcome were analysed. PD-L1 was positive (≥1%) in 7.0%, 23.5%, and 63.0% of G1, G2, and G3 tumours, respectively. PD-L1 positivity was significantly associated with male sex, smoking, and less sublobar resection among patients with G2 tumours, but this association was less pronounced in those with G3 tumours. PD-L1 was an independent risk factor for recurrence (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 3.25, 95% confidence intervals [CI] = 1.93-5.48, P < 0.001) and death (adjusted HR = 2.69, 95% CI = 1.13-6.40, P = 0.026) in the G2 group, but not in the G3 group (adjusted HR for recurrence = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.64-1.40, P = 0.778). PD-L1 expression differs substantially across IASLC grades and identifies aggressive tumours within the G2 subgroup. This knowledge may be used for both prognostication and designing future studies on adjuvant immunotherapy.

A novel recombination porcine epidemic diarrhea virus isolated from Gansu, China: Genetic characterization and pathogenicity

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is an acute and highly contagious porcine enteric coronavirus. It has caused serious economic losses of pig industry in China. Here we insolated a current PEDV field strain named GS2022, analyzed the characters of genetic variation and pathogenicity. The results demonstrated that the GS2022 strain was belong to a newly defined subgroup G2 d, forming an independent branch which mainly contains strains isolated in China from 2017 to 2023. Notably, there are multiple mutations and extensive N-glycosylation compared to CV777 strain and PT-P5 strain, therefore the structure of GS2022 strain is different from 6U7K and 7W6M. Animal pathogenicity test showed that GS2022 strain could cause severe clinical signs and the high level of virus shedding in 7-day-old piglets. But recovery of diarrhea after 5 days, and no pathological damage to important organs. Further study on 3-day-old piglets also indicated GS2022 strain have pathogenicity. In this study no piglets died, which make it possible for that GS2022 strain become a candidate vaccine. These results are helpful to understand the epidemiology, molecular characteristics, evolution, and antigenicity of PEDV circulating in China. It also provides reference for designing effective vaccines against PEDV.

Analyzing the Ability of Various Chosen Medicinal Herbs to Cure Wounds in African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus, Burchell 1822)

Phytomedicines are affordable, safe, and offer great potential for treating and controlling wounds. The effects of herbal supplements on Clarias gariepinus wound healing was investigated. Twenty-four fish (146.4±0.74g) randomised into four paired sub-groups: G1 and G2, G3 and G4, G5 and G6, G7, and G8 were fed formulated rations containing no herbal additive (0.0g/kg), 5.0g/kg of Allium sativum, 10.0g/kg of Chromolaena odorata and 10.0g/kg of Talinum triangulare as feed additive respectively at 5% body weight. On the 21st day, a sterile incision measuring 45.0 mm by 1.0 mm was made on the dorsolateral side of each fish. Subgroups G2, G4, G6, and G8 were intraperitoneally inoculated with 0.1 ml of pathogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa that had been predetermined (1.4 x106 bacteria/ml), while G1, G3, G5, and G7 were not inoculated. Post-incision, macroscopic parameters (measurements), given as percentage healing rates on days 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15, were used to evaluate the wound closure. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA at α0.05. On day 3, there were significant differences between the control and treatment groups in the healing pattern (P &lt; 0.05). On day 15 post-incision, G7 had the best healing rate in both inoculated (86.7 percent) and uninoculated (100 percent) fish, while G1 had the lowest healing rate (0.0 percent) and maximum healing rate (64.4 percent), respectively. The findings indicated that Talinum triangulare at a concentration of 10.0 g/kg was the optimum feed additive for promoting wound healing in Clarias gariepinus.

Influence of the dental arch and number of cutting-off and rescanning mesh holes on the accuracy of implant scans in partially edentulous situations

ObjectivesTo evaluate the influence of the dental arch and cutting-off and rescanning procedures on the accuracy of complete-arch implant scans in partially edentulous arches. Material and methodsA maxillary and a mandibular partially edentulous typodont with implant abutment analogs placed in the right and left first molar and right central incisor sites were digitized to create reference models by using an industrial optical scanner (7 Series Desktop Scanner; Dentalwings). Two experimental groups were scanned using an intraoral scanner (IOS) (TRIOS 4; 3Shape A/S): the Maxillary group (Mx) and the Mandibular group (Mb). Four subgroups were generated depending on the number of rescanned mesh holes: No holes (Mx-G0, Mb-G0), 1 hole (Mx-G1, Mb-G1), 2 holes (Mx-G2, Mb-G2) and 3 holes (Mx-G3, Mb-G3). A 3-dimensional metrology software (Geomagic Control X; 3D Systems) was used to measure the difference between the reference and the experimental scans computing the root mean square (RMS) error calculation. Two-way ANOVA and a post-hoc Tukey test were used to analyze the trueness data (α=0.05). Levene test was used to evaluate the prevision (α=0.05). ResultsThe Mx group obtained a trueness mean value of 54 ± 17 µm and a mean precision value of 54 ± 17 µm, while the Mb group presented a trueness mean value of 67 ± 23 µm and a mean precision value of 66 ± 22 µm. The Mx group demonstrated significantly better trueness than the Mb group (P<.001). The G0 and G1 subgroups had the highest trueness values among the subgroups tested. No significant difference was observed between G0 and G1, G1 and G2, and G2 and G3 subgroups in trueness and precision. However, the G0 had significantly better trueness and precision values compared to G2 and G3 subgroups. In addition, the G1 had significantly better trueness values than the G3 subgroup. However, the Levene test revealed no difference in the precision mean values among the subgroups tested. ConclusionsImplant scanning trueness was affected by the dental arch and the number of rescanned mesh holes using the IOS tested. A higher number of rescanned mesh holes decreased the scanning trueness. The stitching algorithm of the IOS software tested after the mesh hole scan demonstrated a significant error, especially when multiples mesh holes are involved in the same arch. Clinical significanceGiven that cutting-off and rescanning techniques can reduce trueness, clinicians should consider whether these techniques are necessary in complete digital workflows. This is particularly important when fabricating multiple single implant-supported restorations in the same arch.

Risk Stratification of Early Breast Cancer (HR +/HER 2–) by CanAssist Breast and Its Corelation with Other Online Prognostic Tools: Experience from a Single Center

Abstract Introduction Risk assessment by various methods for HR +/HER2– early-stage breast cancer (EBC) patients help clinicians stratify risk and tailor individual treatment. Multiple prognostic tests are available, both free and expensive. Free prognostic tools, the Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI), and modified Adjuvant Online (mAOL) rely on clinical parameters. CanAssist Breast (CAB) considers both clinical parameters and tumor biology for assessing the risk of recurrence. Objectives The objective is to assess risk by CAB, NPI, and mAOL and discern the differences in the risk stratification in the EBC cohort of Bhagwan Mahaveer Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Methods Study cohort comprises 100 patients. Risk concordance was assessed by the kappa correlation coefficient and restratification analysis between risk groups of CAB, NPI, and mAOL was assessed using a two-sided p-value. Results Cohort was predominated by patients aged above 50, with T2/N0/G2 tumors. Low-risk (LR) and high-risk (HR) proportions by CAB, NPI, and mAOL were 67:33, 19:81, and 14:86, respectively. Across both age groups, CAB stratified more patients as LR compared with NPI and mAOL. In subgroups of patients with N0, G2, and T2 tumors, CAB identified significantly (p &lt; 0.0001) higher (3–8 times) patients as LR than NPI and mAOL. In patients with T1/G1 tumors, risk proportions were similar by all three tools. Interestingly, CAB LR (57%) was four times that of NPI (14%) in the N1 subgroup. In G3 tumors CAB LR was 13%. mAOL failed to identify LR in the N1 and G3 subgroups and NPI in the G3 subgroup. There was poor agreement between CAB and NPI/mAOL (k 0.14 [95% confidence interval: 0.03–0.24]/0.11 [0.02–0.20]). Up to 11% of mAOL/NPI LR were detected as HR by CAB and up to 63% of mAOL and NPI HR as LR by CAB. Conclusion Prognostication by tools that use clinical parameters alone might be inadequate. Prognostication using CAB that integrates critical biomarkers indicative of tumor biology along with clinical parameters could be significant. The earlier published data on CAB across various ethnic cohorts and its comparable performance with Oncotype DX makes CAB a relevant prognostic test in HR +/HER2– EBC to make decisions on chemotherapy use.

High Prevalence, Genetic Diversity, and Recombination of Porcine Sapelovirus in Pig Farms in Fujian, Southern China.

Porcine sapelovirus (PSV) is a ubiquitous virus in farmed pigs that is associated with SMEDI syndrome, polioencephalomyelitis, and diarrhea. However, there are few reports on the prevalence and molecular characterization of PSV in Fujian Province, Southern China. In this study, the prevalence of PSV and a poetical combinative strain PSV2020 were characterized using real-time PCR, sequencing, and bioinformatics analysis. As a result, an overall sample prevalence of 30.8% was detected in 260 fecal samples, and a farm prevalence of 76.7% was observed in 30 Fujian pig farms, from 2020 to 2022. Noteably, a high rate of PSV was found in sucking pigs. Bioinformatics analysis showed that the full-length genome of PSV2020 was 7550 bp, and the genetic evolution of its ORF region was closest to the G1 subgroup, which was isolated from Asia and America; the similarity of nucleotides and amino acids to other PSVs was 59.5~88.7% and 51.7~97.0%, respectively. However, VP1 genetic evolution analysis showed a distinct phylogenetic topology from the ORF region; PSV2020 VP1 was closer to the DIAPD5469-10 strain isolated from Italy than strains isolated from Asia and America, which comprise the G1 subgroup based on the ORF region. Amino acid discrepancy analysis illustrated that the PSV2020 VP1 gene inserted twelve additional nucleotides, corresponding to four additional amino acids (STAE) at positions 898-902 AAs. Moreover, a potential recombination signal was observed in the 2A coding region, near the 3' end of VP1, owing to recombination analysis. Additionally, 3D genetic evolutionary analysis showed that all reference strains demonstrated, to some degree, regional conservation. These results suggested that PSV was highly prevalent in Fujian pig farms, and PSV2020, a PSV-1 genotype strain, showed gene diversity and recombination in evolutionary progress. This study also laid a scientific foundation for the investigation of PSV epidemiology, molecular genetic characteristics, and vaccine development.

Fast hashing to [formula omitted] on pairing-friendly curves with the lack of twists

Pairing-friendly curves with the lack of twists, such as BW13-P310 and BW19-P286, have been receiving attention in pairing-based cryptographic protocols as they provide fast operation in the first pairing subgroup G1 at the 128-bit security level. However, they also incur a performance penalty for hashing to G2 simultaneously since G2 is totally defined over a full extension field. Furthermore, the previous methods for hashing to G2 focus on pairing-friendly curves admitting a twist, which can not be employed for our selected curves.In this paper, we propose a general method for hashing to G2 on curves with the lack of twists. More importantly, we further optimize the general algorithm on curves with non-trivial automorphisms, which is certainly suitable for BW13-P310 and BW19-P286. Theoretical estimations show that the latter would be more efficient than the former. For comparing the performance of the two proposed algorithms in detail, high speed software implementation over BW13-P310 is also provided on a 64-bit processor. Experimental results show that the general algorithm can be sped up by up to 88% if the computational cost of cofactor multiplication for G2 is only considered, while the improved method is up to 71% faster than the general one for the whole process.

Bladder cancer grading using the four-tier combination of the World Health Organization (WHO) 1973 and WHO 2004 classifications.

To investigate the impact of grading in urothelial bladder cancer (UBC) stages Ta and T1, comparing the World Health Organization (WHO) grading classifications of 1973 (WHO73) and 2004 (WHO04) and a combination of these (WHO73/04). All patients with primary Ta and T1 UBC in the Östergötland region, Sweden, between 1992 and 2007 were included. From 1992, we introduced a new programme for management and follow-up of UBC, including prospectively performed registration of all patients, a systematic description of the location and size of all tumours, primary resection and intravesical treatment in the case of recurrence. All tumour specimens were retrospectively reviewed in 2008 and graded according to the WHO73 and WHO04. A combination of WHO73/04, Grade 1 (G1), Grade 2 low grade (G2LG), Grade 2 high grade (G2HG) and Grade 3 (G3) was analysed in relation to clinical variables and outcomes. There were 769 patients with a median age of 72 years and a median follow-up duration of 74 months. Recurrence was noted in 484 patients (63%) and progression in 80 patients (10%). Recurrence was more common in multiple tumours, larger tumours and in tumours of higher grade (G2LG, G2HG and G3). Progression was more common in tumours classified as larger, T1 and G2HG and G3. Notably, in tumours classified as G2HG, recurrence and progression were more common than in the G2LG group. Harrell's concordance index for the WHO73/04 was higher for recurrence and progression than in the WHO73 or WHO04. In the four-tier combined WHO73/04 for urothelial cancer, we observed two G2 sub-groups, G2HG and G2LG. There was a better outcome in the latter group, and the importance of G1 and G3 tumours could be fully evaluated. The WHO73/04 had greater accuracy for recurrence and progression than either the WHO73 or WHO04.

A construction of G2-manifolds from K3 surfaces with a [formula omitted]-action

A product of a K3 surface S and a flat 3-dimensional torus T3 is a manifold with holonomy SU(2). Since SU(2) is a subgroup of G2, S×T3 carries a torsion-free G2-structure. We assume that S admits an action of Z22 with certain properties. There are several possibilities to extend this action to S×T3. A recent result of Joyce and Karigiannis allows us to resolve the singularities of (S×T3)/Z22 such that we obtain smooth G2-manifolds. We classify the quotients (S×T3)/Z22 under certain restrictions and compute the Betti numbers of the corresponding G2-manifolds. Moreover, we study a class of quotients by a non-abelian group. Several of our examples have new values of (b2,b3).

Circulating Inflammatory Cytokine Associated with Poor Prognosis in Moyamoya Disease: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Inflammation is a key factor in the development of moyamoya disease. However, the cytokine distribution in moyamoya disease and its impact on prognosis remain unclear. A total of 204 patients with moyamoya disease were enrolled in this study. The peripheral blood was analyzed for baseline data and cytokines, which included IL-6, IL-1β, IL-2R, IL-8, and TNF-α. Patients with the RNF213 mutation and those without the mutation were compared in terms of their differences in cytokines. A mRS score ≥2 was defined as a poor prognosis, and a mRS score <2 was described as a good prognosis, and differences in cytokines were compared between the two groups. Regression analysis was performed to identify markers affecting prognosis. TNF-α and IL-6 levels were higher in the group without the RNF213 mutation compared to the mutation group. Multivariate stepwise regression analysis indicated that the G3 subgroup of IL-6 and the G4 subgroup of TNF-α were the independent risk factors for adverse prognosis in adults with moyamoya disease (OR 3.678, 95% CI [1.491, 9.074], p = 0.005; OR 2.996, 95% CI [1.180, 7.610], p = 0.021). IL-6 and TNF-α were associated with poor prognosis in adult patients with moyamoya disease.

Evaluation of transcriptomic molecular classification, biological behavior, and clinicopathological features in hepatocellular carcinoma

ABSTRACT Background Studies in France, Korea, and Singapore found that G1-G6 transcriptomes are involved in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) carcinogenesis. However, the suitability of this method in Chinese HCC patients has remained unknown. Methods The correlation between the G1–G6 molecular classification and clinicopathological features were analyzed in 107 Chinese HCC patients through the retrospective cohort study. RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were performed to screen related targets and molecular signaling pathways. Results We found that the G1–G3 subgroups were associated with high serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, high copy number of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA, complex histopathological structure, macrovascular invasion. The G1 subgroup was mainly related to liver cancer stemness, and G3 subgroup showed the worst prognosis. The G5 and G6 subgroups were associated with activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Compared with the G4–G6 group, the G1–G3 group showed significantly higher expression levels of regenerating family member 1 beta (REG1B), regenerating family member 3 gamma (REG3G), and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor type 1 (ITPR1), and enriched calcium signaling pathway. Conclusions This study enhances our understanding of the heterogenicity of China HCC and indicates that the G1–G6 signatures can be used to identify predictive biomarkers against HCC patients in China.

Relationship between MAN2B1 genotype/subcellular localization subgroups, antidrug antibody detection, and long-term velmanase alfa treatment outcomes in patients with alpha-mannosidosis.

Alpha-mannosidosis (AM), an autosomal recessive disorder caused by pathogenic biallelic variants in the MAN2B1 gene, leads to lysosomal alpha-mannosidase deficiency and accumulation of mannose-rich oligosaccharides. Velmanase alfa (VA), a recombinant human lysosomal alpha-mannosidase, is the first enzyme replacement therapy for non-neurological symptoms of AM. Previously, a potential relationship was identified between three MAN2B1 genotype/subcellular localization subgroups (G1, G2, and G3) and AM disease severity. In VA-treated patients with AM, it is unknown if a relationship exists between MAN2B1 genotype/subcellular localization subgroups, antidrug antibodies (ADAs), and infusion-related reactions (IRRs). This pooled analysis evaluated data from 33 VA-treated patients with AM to investigate this relationship. Overall, 10 patients were positive for ADAs, 4 of whom had treatment-emergent ADAs (G1: 3/7 [43%]; G2: 1/17 [6%]; G3: 0/9). Treatment-emergent ADA-positive patients with relatively high titers (n=2; G1: 1012 U/ml and G2: 440 U/ml) experienced mild/moderate IRRs that were well-managed; patients with lower titers (n=2) experienced no IRRs. Overall, changes from baseline in serum oligosaccharides and immunoglobulin G levels did not vary between ADA-positive and ADA-negative patients, suggesting a similar effect of VA treatment regardless of ADA status in most patients. Clinical outcomes (3MSCT and 6MWT) were also similar in most patients regardless of ADA status. While further studies are needed, these data suggest a relationship between MAN2B1 genotype/subcellular localization subgroups and ADA development, with G1 and G2 subgroups more likely to develop ADAs and IRRs. Regardless, this study suggests that ADAs have limited effect on the clinical impact of VA in most patients with AM.