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The median percentages of peripheral blood immunoglobulin-positive (Ig⁺) lymphocytes (8%, n = 46), CD8⁺ (12%, n = 49) and CD57⁺ cell numbers (5%, n = 37) of patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS) were significantly (p < 0.05) lower than the values of age- and sex-matched healthy individuals (Ig⁺ cells: 13%, n = 46; CD8⁺ cells: 17%, n = 49; CD57+ cells: 9%, n = 37). Comparison of calculations on decreased peripheral blood cell counts and increased brain cell counts in MS patients revealed that sequestration of blood cells into the MS brain is a possible explanation of these findings.

This paper employs the fragility function method to study the effects of dynamic fluid-structure interaction on seismic response of multi-span deep water bridges. Currently, two approaches are widely used to study the dynamic fluid-structure interaction effect of structures: the analytical ‘added mass’ method and full-scale two- or three dimensional finite element modeling. This paper offers a computationally economical yet adequate procedure. In this procedure, Morrison equation is employed to calculate the added mass for piles and columns, and a water-foundation coupling system is modeled to calculate the added mass for pile cap. In this water-foundation coupling system, a pile beam-element was adopted to avoid the thorough water domain modeling. A typical multi-span continuous composite girder bridge in China lying in deep water environment is used as a case study. The uncertainty of modeling parameters is considered using an experimental design method. The limit state functions are derived through a simple fuzzy model. Fragility functions of pier column and pile foundation are developed using nonlinear time history analysis. Fragility curves conditioned on different parameters in fuzzy models and different water depth are then compared to illustrate the effects of fuzziness and seismic hydrodynamic pressure. In general, for bridges with only pile surrounding water, the influence of water on potential damage of bridges is small and can be practically negligible. However, for the cases which the pile cap is under the water, increasing the water depth can generally increase the damage probability. It is concluded that for deep water bridges, the influence of dynamic fluid-structure interaction can be harmful to bridge responses, which aggravates with water depth by increasing the displacement of pile cap and introducing larger seismic demands on pier columns.

Osteosarcoma is a common malignant bone tumor characterized by the production of osteoid stroma by the tumor. However, effect of IGFBP4 and TAGLN on the survival of osteosarcoma is unclear. The GEO database was used to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between control samples and osteosarcoma. Genes for biological process (BP), cellular composition (CC), and molecular function (MF) were examined using DAVID, Metascape, and GSEA. GSE14359 and GSE36001 were downloaded in the GEO database. GEO2R was used to find DEGs between control samples and osteosarcoma. The cytoHubb also found the hub genes of IGFBP4 and TAGLN. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to analyze overall survival. A total of 134 patients with osteosarcoma were enrolled in this study. The RNA levels of IGFBP4 and TAGLN were evaluated by RT-qPCR. The correlation between IGFBP4 and TAGLN expression and their associations with clinical indicators were analyzed using Spearman's rho test and Pearson's Chi-squared test. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to determine the potential prognostic factors. And the animal model was used to verify the role of hub genes on the osteosarcoma by the RT-qPCR and immunofluorescence. Support Vector Machine (SVM) was performed to construct the correlation among the expression of IGFBP4, TAGLN, and osteosarcoma. Through bioinformatics, IGFBP4 and TAGLN were identified as the hub genes of osteosarcoma. And osteosarcoma patients with high expression levels of IGFBP4 (HR = 0.56, P = 0.013) and TAGLN (HR = 0.52, P = 0.012) had better overall survival times than those with low expression levels. The results showed that pathologic grade (P = 0.017), tumor metastasis (P < 0.001), and enneking stage (P < 0.001) were significantly correlated with IGFBP4. Also, pathologic grade (P = 0.002), tumor metastasis (P < 0.001), and enneking stage (P < 0.001) were significantly related to the TAGLN. Spearman’s correlation coefficient displayed that IGFBP4 were significantly correlated with the tumor metastasis (ρ = − 0.843, P < 0.001), enneking stage (ρ = − 0.500, P < 0.001), and TAGLN (ρ = 0.821, P < 0.001). IGFBP4 (HR = 0.252, 95% CI 0.122–0.517, P < 0.001) and TAGLN (HR = 0.155, 95% CI 0.089–0.269, P < 0.001) were significantly associated with overall survival. Based on the qPCR and immunofluorescence, IGFBP4 and TAGLN were down-regulated in the osteosarcoma tissue than the control group. And the SVM presented that there exists strong relationship among the expression of IGFBP4, TAGLN, and osteosarcoma. IGFBP4 and TAGLN may be attractive molecular targets for osteosarcoma, opening a new avenue for research into the disease.

Objective The incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) after femoral neck fracture is significantly higher in immunocompromised patients. This study was performed to explore the temporal changes of blood-related parameters in immunocompromised patients after femoral neck fracture repair and to determine the correlation between the platelet (PLT) count and SSI. Methods This study involved 101 immunocompromised patients who underwent repair of a femoral neck fracture from April 2018 to August 2019. SSI was confirmed by postoperative observation of the incision and B-mode ultrasound imaging examination. Blood parameter measurements and dynamic observation were performed 1, 3, 5, 7, and 14 days postoperatively. Results The procalcitonin concentration, D-dimer concentration, and PLT count were strongly correlated with temporal changes. The PLT count changes crossed between patients with and without SSI 3 to 5 days after surgery, and the PLT count increased in patients with SSI 3 to 5 days after surgery. The PLT count had high specificity and sensitivity for predicting SSI with a cut-off value of 167.5 × 109/L. Conclusion The temporal changes of the PLT count in immunocompromised patients who have undergone femoral neck fracture repair can serve as an early warning of SSI.