Nomograms predict prognosis and hospitalization time using non-contrast CT and CT perfusion in patients with ischemic stroke

BackgroundStroke is a major disease with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Currently, there is no quantitative method to evaluate the short-term prognosis and length of hospitalization of patients.PurposeWe aimed to develop nomograms as prognosis predictors based on imaging characteristics from non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) and CT perfusion (CTP) and clinical characteristics for predicting activity of daily living (ADL) and hospitalization time of patients with ischemic stroke.Materials and methodsA total of 476 patients were enrolled in the study and divided into the training set (n = 381) and testing set (n = 95). Each of them owned NCCT and CTP images. We propose to extract imaging features representing as the Alberta stroke program early CT score (ASPECTS) values from NCCT, ischemic lesion volumes from CBF, and TMAX maps from CTP. Based on imaging features and clinical characteristics, we addressed two main issues: (1) predicting prognosis according to the Barthel index (BI)–binary logistic regression analysis was employed for feature selection, and the resulting nomogram was assessed in terms of discrimination capability, calibration, and clinical utility and (2) predicting the hospitalization time of patients–the Cox proportional hazard model was used for this purpose. After feature selection, another specific nomogram was established with calibration curves and time-dependent ROC curves for evaluation.ResultsIn the task of predicting binary prognosis outcome, a nomogram was constructed with the area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.883 (95% CI: 0.781–0.985), the accuracy of 0.853, and F1-scores of 0.909 in the testing set. We further tried to predict discharge BI into four classes. Similar performance was achieved as an AUC of 0.890 in the testing set. In the task of predicting hospitalization time, the Cox proportional hazard model was used. The concordance index of the model was 0.700 (SE = 0.019), and AUCs for predicting discharge at a specific week were higher than 0.80, which demonstrated the superior performance of the model.ConclusionThe novel non-invasive NCCT- and CTP-based nomograms could predict short-term ADL and hospitalization time of patients with ischemic stroke, thus allowing a personalized clinical outcome prediction and showing great potential in improving clinical efficiency.SummaryCombining NCCT- and CTP-based nomograms could accurately predict short-term outcomes of patients with ischemic stroke, including whose discharge BI and the length of hospital stay.Key ResultsUsing a large dataset of 1,310 patients, we show a novel nomogram with a good performance in predicting discharge BI class of patients (AUCs > 0.850). The second nomogram owns an excellent ability to predict the length of hospital stay (AUCs > 0.800)

Observation of ηc→ωω\eta_c\to\omega\omega in J/ψ→γωωJ/\psi\to\gamma\omega\omega

Using a sample of $(1310.6\pm7.0)\times10^6$ $J/\psi$ events recorded with the BESIII detector at the symmetric electron positron collider BEPCII, we report the observation of the decay of the $(1^1 S_0)$ charmonium state $\eta_c$ into a pair of $\omega$ mesons in the process $J/\psi\to\gamma\omega\omega$. The branching fraction is measured for the first time to be $\mathcal{B}(\eta_c\to\omega\omega)= (2.88\pm0.10\pm0.46\pm0.68)\times10^{-3}$, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the third is from the uncertainty of $\mathcal{B}(J/\psi\to\gamma\eta_c)$. The mass and width of the $\eta_c$ are determined as $M=(2985.9\pm0.7\pm2.1)\,$MeV/$c^2$ and $\Gamma=(33.8\pm1.6\pm4.1)\,$MeV.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure

First observations of hc→h_c \to hadrons

Based on $(4.48 \pm 0.03) \times 10^{8}$ $\psi(3686)$ events collected with the BESIII detector, five $h_c$ hadronic decays are searched for via process $\psi(3686) \to \pi^0 h_c$. Three of them, $h_c \to p \bar{p} \pi^+ \pi^-$, $\pi^+ \pi^- \pi^0$, and $2(\pi^+ \pi^-) \pi^0$ are observed for the first time, with statistical significances of 7.4$\sigma$, $4.9\sigma$, and 9.1$\sigma$, and branching fractions of $(2.89\pm0.32\pm0.55)\times10^{-3}$, $(1.60\pm0.40\pm0.32)\times10^{-3}$, and $(7.44\pm0.94\pm1.56)\times10^{-3}$, respectively, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. No significant signal is observed for the other two decay modes, and the corresponding upper limits of the branching fractions are determined to be $B(h_c \to 3(\pi^+ \pi^-) \pi^0)<8.7\times10^{-3}$ and $B(h_c \to K^+ K^- \pi^+ \pi^-)<5.8\times10^{-4}$ at 90% confidence level.Comment: 17 pages, 16 figure

Measurements of Weak Decay Asymmetries of Λc+→pKS0\Lambda_c^+\to pK_S^0, Λπ+\Lambda\pi^+, Σ+π0\Sigma^+\pi^0, and Σ0π+\Sigma^0\pi^+

Using $e^+e^-\to\Lambda_c^+\bar\Lambda_c^-$ production from a 567 pb$^{-1}$ data sample collected by BESIII at 4.6 GeV, a full angular analysis is carried out simultaneously on the four decay modes of $\Lambda_c^+\to pK_S^0$, $\Lambda \pi^+$, $\Sigma^+\pi^0$, and $\Sigma^0\pi^+$. For the first time, the $\Lambda_c^+$ transverse polarization is studied in unpolarized $e^+e^-$ collisions, where a non-zero effect is observed with a statistical significance of 2.1$\sigma$. The decay asymmetry parameters of the $\Lambda_c^+$ weak hadronic decays into $pK_S^0$, $\Lambda\pi^+$, $\Sigma^+\pi^0$ and $\Sigma^0\pi^+$ are measured to be $0.18\pm0.43(\rm{stat})\pm0.14(\rm{syst})$, $-0.80\pm0.11(\rm{stat})\pm0.02(\rm{syst})$, $-0.57\pm0.10(\rm{stat})\pm0.07(\rm{syst})$, and $-0.73\pm0.17(\rm{stat})\pm0.07(\rm{syst})$, respectively. In comparison with previous results, the measurements for the $\Lambda\pi^+$ and $\Sigma^+\pi^0$ modes are consistent but with improved precision, while the parameters for the $pK_S^0$ and $\Sigma^0\pi^+$ modes are measured for the first time

Measurement of proton electromagnetic form factors in e+e−→ppˉe^+e^- \to p\bar{p} in the energy region 2.00-3.08 GeV

The process of $e^+e^- \rightarrow p\bar{p}$ is studied at 22 center-of-mass energy points ($\sqrt{s}$) from 2.00 to 3.08 GeV, exploiting 688.5~pb$^{-1}$ of data collected with the BESIII detector operating at the BEPCII collider. The Born cross section~($\sigma_{p\bar{p}}$) of $e^+e^- \rightarrow p\bar{p}$ is measured with the energy-scan technique and it is found to be consistent with previously published data, but with much improved accuracy. In addition, the electromagnetic form-factor ratio ($|G_{E}/G_{M}|$) and the value of the effective ($|G_{\rm{eff}}|$), electric ($|G_E|$) and magnetic ($|G_M|$) form factors are measured by studying the helicity angle of the proton at 16 center-of-mass energy points. $|G_{E}/G_{M}|$ and $|G_M|$ are determined with high accuracy, providing uncertainties comparable to data in the space-like region, and $|G_E|$ is measured for the first time. We reach unprecedented accuracy, and precision results in the time-like region provide information to improve our understanding of the proton inner structure and to test theoretical models which depend on non-perturbative Quantum Chromodynamics

Search for the decay J/ψ→γ+invisibleJ/\psi\to\gamma + \rm {invisible}

We search for $J/\psi$ radiative decays into a weakly interacting neutral particle, namely an invisible particle, using the $J/\psi$ produced through the process $\psi(3686)\to\pi^+\pi^-J/\psi$ in a data sample of $(448.1\pm2.9)\times 10^6$ $\psi(3686)$ decays collected by the BESIII detector at BEPCII. No significant signal is observed. Using a modified frequentist method, upper limits on the branching fractions are set under different assumptions of invisible particle masses up to 1.2 $\mathrm{\ Ge\kern -0.1em V}/c^2$. The upper limit corresponding to an invisible particle with zero mass is 7.0$\times 10^{-7}$ at the 90\% confidence level

Observation of D+→f0(500)e+νeD^+ \to f_0(500) e^+\nu_e and Improved Measurements of D→ρe+νeD \to\rho e^+\nu_e

Using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.93~fb$^{-1}$ recorded by the BESIII detector at a center-of-mass energy of $3.773$ GeV, we present an analysis of the decays $\bar{D}^0\to\pi^+\pi^0 e^-\bar{\nu}_e$ and $D^+\to\pi^-\pi^+ e^+\nu_e$. By performing a partial wave analysis, the $\pi^+\pi^-$ $S$-wave contribution to $D^+\to\pi^-\pi^+ e^+\nu_e$ is observed to be $(25.7\pm1.6\pm1.1)$% with a statistical significance greater than 10$\sigma$, besides the dominant $P$-wave contribution. This is the first observation of the $S$-wave contribution. We measure the branching fractions $\mathcal{B}(D^{0} \to \rho^- e^+ \nu_e) = (1.445\pm 0.058 \pm 0.039) \times10^{-3}$, $\mathcal{B}(D^{+} \to \rho^0 e^+ \nu_e) = (1.860\pm 0.070 \pm 0.061) \times10^{-3}$, and $\mathcal{B}(D^{+} \to f_0(500) e^+ \nu_e, f_0(500)\to\pi^+\pi^-) = (6.30\pm 0.43 \pm 0.32) \times10^{-4}$. An upper limit of $\mathcal{B}(D^{+} \to f_0(980) e^+ \nu_e, f_0(980)\to\pi^+\pi^-) < 2.8 \times10^{-5}$ is set at the 90% confidence level. We also obtain the hadronic form factor ratios of $D\to \rho e^+\nu_e$ at $q^{2}=0$ assuming the single-pole dominance parameterization: $r_{V}=\frac{V(0)}{A_{1}(0)}=1.695\pm0.083\pm0.051$, $r_{2}=\frac{A_{2}(0)}{A_{1}(0)}=0.845\pm0.056\pm0.039$

Precise Measurements of Branching Fractions for Ds+D_s^+ Meson Decays to Two Pseudoscalar Mesons

We measure the branching fractions for seven $D_{s}^{+}$ two-body decays to pseudo-scalar mesons, by analyzing data collected at $\sqrt{s}=4.178\sim4.226$ GeV with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider. The branching fractions are determined to be $\mathcal{B}(D_s^+\to K^+\eta^{\prime})=(2.68\pm0.17\pm0.17\pm0.08)\times10^{-3}$, $\mathcal{B}(D_s^+\to\eta^{\prime}\pi^+)=(37.8\pm0.4\pm2.1\pm1.2)\times10^{-3}$, $\mathcal{B}(D_s^+\to K^+\eta)=(1.62\pm0.10\pm0.03\pm0.05)\times10^{-3}$, $\mathcal{B}(D_s^+\to\eta\pi^+)=(17.41\pm0.18\pm0.27\pm0.54)\times10^{-3}$, $\mathcal{B}(D_s^+\to K^+K_S^0)=(15.02\pm0.10\pm0.27\pm0.47)\times10^{-3}$, $\mathcal{B}(D_s^+\to K_S^0\pi^+)=(1.109\pm0.034\pm0.023\pm0.035)\times10^{-3}$, $\mathcal{B}(D_s^+\to K^+\pi^0)=(0.748\pm0.049\pm0.018\pm0.023)\times10^{-3}$, where the first uncertainties are statistical, the second are systematic, and the third are from external input branching fraction of the normalization mode $D_s^+\to K^+K^-\pi^+$. Precision of our measurements is significantly improved compared with that of the current world average values

Development of microspheres for biomedical applications: a review

An overview of microspheres manufactured for use in biomedical applications based on recent literature is presented in this review. Different types of glasses (i.e. silicate, borate, and phosphates), ceramics and polymer-based microspheres (both natural and synthetic) in the form of porous , non-porous and hollow structures that are either already in use or are currently being investigated within the biomedical area are discussed. The advantages of using microspheres in applications such as drug delivery, bone tissue engineering and regeneration, absorption and desorption of substances, kinetic release of the loaded drug components are also presented. This review also reports on the preparation and characterisation methodologies used for the manufacture of these microspheres. Finally, a brief summary of the existing challenges associated with processing these microspheres which requires further research and development are presented

Regulation of pH During Amelogenesis

During amelogenesis, extracellular matrix proteins interact with growing hydroxyapatite crystals to create one of the most architecturally complex biological tissues. The process of enamel formation is a unique biomineralizing system characterized first by an increase in crystallite length during the secretory phase of amelogenesis, followed by a vast increase in crystallite width and thickness in the later maturation phase when organic complexes are enzymatically removed. Crystal growth is modulated by changes in the pH of the enamel microenvironment that is critical for proper enamel biomineralization. Whereas the genetic bases for most abnormal enamel phenotypes (amelogenesis imperfecta) are generally associated with mutations to enamel matrix specific genes, mutations to genes involved in pH regulation may result in severely affected enamel structure, highlighting the importance of pH regulation for normal enamel development. This review summarizes the intra- and extracellular mechanisms employed by the enamel-forming cells, ameloblasts, to maintain pH homeostasis and, also, discusses the enamel phenotypes associated with disruptions to genes involved in pH regulation