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Objective: Early diagnosis and intervention of diabetic nephropathy (DN) is necessary to optimize therapy in order to delay the progression of diabetes. This research aimed to reveal the change of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) in patients with DN, and to assess possible correlations with glycated hemoglobin (HbAlc) values. Methods: The present study was a retrospective, single-center study conducted at a teaching hospital in the northeast China. A total of 120 patients were divided into proteinuria-positive group ( n = 40), the microalbuminuria group ( n = 40), and the high proteinuria group ( n = 40) according to the urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER), and 40 healthy volunteers were selected as the control group. The levels of VEGF, ET-1 and HbA1c were measured in all subjects and principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to classify and reveal correlations between VEGF, ET-1 and HbA1c. Results: Compared to the control group, a significant difference in the increase of HbA1c was detected in group I, II and III. A significant increase in the concentrations of serum VEGF and ET-1 was also observed. HbA1c in DN patients had proven to be positively correlated with VEGF (r = 0.7941; p < 0. 0001) and ET-1 (r = 0.8504; p < 0.0001) respectively. Conclusion: The elevated levels of VEGF and ET-1 in serum have been proposed as being able to supplement the additional information about the progression of DN. These data suggest that the decrease in endothelial function may be related to poor glycemic control.

Background: Diabetic foot ulcer infection (DFI) is a frequent complication of diabetes. Objective: The aim is to determine the clinical and microbiological profiles and the antibiotic resistance phenotype, analyze the DFIs risk factors. Methods: The present study is a retrospective, single-center study conducted at a teaching hospital in the northeast China. 242 cases of patients with diabetic foot disease Wagner grade 0–5 over 2 years were screened and the recovered data consisted of the clinical features, risk factors, etiology and drug resistant profiles. Results: The total percentage of Gram-negative rods (GNRs) and Gram-positive cocci (GPCs) was 138 (54.92%) and 113 (45.02%). The most common isolates were Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus , accounting for 22.37% and 19.74%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed that the duration of ulcer, duration of antibiotic use, Wagner classification and osteomyelitis were risk factors for multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria infection ( p

Bovine bone marrow is traditionally regarded as a highly nutritious food that has been widely used as a medicinal and health food for several decades in China. A large number of adulterated and counterfeit bone marrows from pigs and donkeys have been used in place of bovine bone marrow in commercial products, which are almost identical morphologically between species. Therefore, we explored the feasibility of multiplex PCR technology to differentiate bovine bone marrows from different domestic animals. Three pairs of specific primers for bovine, pig, and donkey were designed according to the conserved sequence in mitochondrial cytochrome b. A modified method was used to extract the genomic DNA from common domestic animals’ bone marrows. The optimal reaction conditions for triple PCR were optimized. A three-fold PCR detection assay was successfully established to identify three species of bovine, pig, and donkey. Three primers have good specificity and high sensitivity. Additionally, the assay sensitivity test confirmed that the extracted DNA concentration was the lowest in bovine bone marrow at 10°pg/μL. The assay also showed 100% specificity. Rapid authentication of bovine bone marrow and differentiation from nonbovine products can be achieved using an improved SDS alkali denaturation method and species-specific PCR assay. Both species-specific PCR methods described in this study can be potentially applied for the quality evaluation of functional food and drug resources.

Objective: Our aim is to demonstrate a rare cause of hemoperitoneum without vaginal bleeding resulting from the rupture of a uterine artery pseudoaneurysm after uncomplicated vaginal delivery. Case report: A 39-year-old woman who had experienced a normal vaginal delivery 8 days previously to being seen in our hospital, was presented to the emergency room with hypovolemic shock. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) showed massive internal bleeding and a ruptured pseudoaneurysm arising from the left uterine artery. The patient was successfully treated through transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE). Conclusion: A pseudoaneurysm is a rare disease which can occur during an uncomplicated vaginal delivery. The clinical presentation can vary from asymptomatic, vaginal bleeding or hemoperitoneum. The diagnosis can be made by using Doppler sonography, CTA or Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The use of TAE is now the most common treatment option and possesses a high success rate.

Abstract Our study aimed to compare bone scintigraphy and dual-layer detector spectral CT (DLCT) with multiphase contrast enhancement for the diagnosis of osteoblastic bone lesions in patients with prostate cancer. The patients with prostate cancer and osteoblastic bone lesions detected on DLCT were divided into positive bone scintigraphy group (pBS) and negative bone scintigraphy group (nBS) based on bone scintigraphy. A total of 106 patients (57 nBS and 49 pBS) was included. The parameters of each lesion were measured from DLCT including Hounsfield unit (HU), 40–140 keV monochromatic HU, effective nuclear numbers (Zeff), and Iodine no water (InW) value in non-contrast phase (N), the arterial phase (A), and venous phase (V). The slope of the spectral curve at 40 and 100 keV, the different values of the parameters between A and N phase (A-N), V and N phase (V-N), and hybrid prediction model with multiparameters were used to differentiate pBS from nBS. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to compare the area under the curve (AUC) for differentiating the pBS group from the nBS group. The value of conventional HU values, slope, and InW in A-N and V-N, and hybrid model were significantly higher in the pBS group than in the nBS group. The hybrid model of all significant parameters had the highest AUC of 0.988, with 95.5% sensitivity and 94.6% specificity. DLCT with arterial contrast enhancement phase has the potential to serve as an opportunistic screening tool for detecting positive osteoblastic bone lesions, corresponding to those identified in bone scintigraphy.

Abstract Background The diagnostic process for fibrotic interstitial lung disease (F-ILD) is notably intricate, necessitating a multidisciplinary discussion to achieve consensus based on both clinical and radiological features. This study investigated the shared and distinctive long-term mortality predictors among the two primary phenotypes of F-ILD, namely idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD). Methods We included patients with F-ILD diagnosed from December 2018 to December 2019 and conducted follow-up assessments until February 2023. Age, gender, usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern, gender–age–physiology (GAP) score, modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea score, antifibrotic agent use, pulmonary function test parameters, and six-minute walking test (6MWT) parameters were recorded at baseline and used as mortality predictors in a multivariate Cox regression model. Results We enrolled 104 ILD patients. The survival rate of non-IPF patients was more than twice that of IPF patients (78.9% vs. 34%, p 2 (93.2% vs. 36.6%, p 2 (hazard ratio [HR]:16.7; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.28–85.14; p = 0.001) and definite UIP pattern (HR: 4.08; 95% CI 1.07–15.5; p = 0.039) were significantly associated with overall mortality. Conclusion The long-term mortality rate of IPF patients was higher than that of CTD-ILD patients. The GAP score and UIP patterns were significant mortality predictors for both IPF and CTD-ILD patients.

Abstract Background Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) stands out as one of the most aggressive forms of interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), currently without a definitive cure. Multidisciplinary discussion (MDD) is now considered a cornerstone in diagnosing and differentiating ILD subtypes. The Gender-Age-Physiology (GAP) score, developed to assess IPF prognosis based on sex, age, forced vital capacity, and diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO), is limited in not considering dyspnea and functional impairment during the walking test. We proposed a MDD-based clinical score for mortality prediction among those patients. Methods From December 2018 to December 2019, we enrolled ILD patients with IPF and non-IPF and followed-up them till December 2020. Based on DLCO, modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) Dyspnea Scale, and six-minute walking test (6MWT) distance, a functional score was developed for mortality prediction. Results We enrolled 104 ILD patients, 12 (11.5%) died by the one-year follow-up. In receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, DLCO (% predicted) was the most accurate variable predicting one-year mortality with an area under curve (AUC) of 0.88 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.80–0.94), followed by mMRC Dyspnea Score (AUC = 0.82 [95% CI = 0.73–0.89]), 6MWT distance (AUC = 0.80 [95% CI = 0.71–0.88]), and GAP score (AUC = 0.77 [95% CI = 0.67–0.84]). Only the GAP score (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.03–2.34, p = 0.0.37) and functional score (HR = 3.45, 95% CI = 1.11–10.73, p = 0.032) were significantly associated with one-year mortality in multivariable analysis. Conclusion The clinical score composite of DLCO, mMRC Dyspnea Scale, and 6MWT distance could provide an accurate prediction for long-term mortality in ILD patients, laying out a helpful tool for managing and following these patients.

This study investigates the impact of small water bodies on outdoor temperatures in their vicinity, using a campus located in the subtropical region of Taichung City, Taiwan, as the research subject. By employing on-site measurements and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, we examined their temporal and spatial influence, as well as comparisons between actual measurements and software predictions. Key findings include the following: (1) Small water bodies exhibit discernible temperature-regulating effects on their surrounding areas. While the influence diminishes with distance, this attenuation is not stark, and is potentially constrained by the water body’s patch size. (2) Regulatory effects vary between day and night. In summer, temperature reductions of up to 3.5 °C (simulated) and 3.2 °C (measured) were observed. Conversely, in winter, daytime temperatures around water bodies may rise by up to 3.9 °C. (3) Discrepancies between CFD simulations and actual measurements, influenced by fluctuations in Global Horizontal Irradiation (GHI), range from +2.5 °C to −1.8 °C. During high GHI periods, measured values surpass simulations, whereas during low or zero GHI conditions, simulations exceed measurements. Moreover, high regression analysis R2 values validate the feasibility of CFD simulations for predicting water body-induced temperature changes. Insights from this study offer valuable guidance for urban planners and policymakers seeking sustainable urban climate management strategies.

Based on the optical Raman lattice technique, we experimentally realize the Qi-Wu-Zhang model for the quantum anomalous Hall phase in ultracold fermions with two-dimensional (2D) spin-orbit (SO) coupling. We develop an experimental protocol of pump-probe quench measurement to probe, with minimal heating, the resonant spin flipping on a particular quasimomentum subspace called band-inversion surfaces. With this protocol we demonstrate Dirac-type 2D SO coupling in a fermionic system, and detect nontrivial band topology by observing the change of band-inversion surfaces as the two-photon detuning varies. The nontrivial band topology is also observed by slowly loading the atoms into optical Raman lattices and measuring the spin textures. Our results show solid evidence for the realization of the minimal SO-coupled quantum anomalous Hall model, which can provide a feasible platform to investigate novel topological physics including the correlation effects with SO-coupled ultracold fermions.

Cerebral ischemia induces oxidative brain injury via increased oxidative stress. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) exerts anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and metal chelation effects through its active polyphenol constituent. This study investigates whether EGCG protection against cerebral ischemia-induced brain cortex injury occurs through modulating lipid peroxidation, antioxidant activity, the essential elements of selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and copper (Cu), Zn/Cu ratio, and the hazardous metal lead (Pb). Experimentally, assessment of the ligation group was performed by occlusion of the right common carotid artery and the right middle cerebral artery for 1 h. The prevention group was intraperitoneally injected with EGCG (50 mg/kg) once daily for 10 days before cerebral ischemia. The brain cortex tissues were homogenized and the supernatants were harvested for biochemical analysis. Results indicated that cerebral ischemia markedly decreased SOD, CAT, Mg, Zn, Se, and Zn/Cu ratio and increased malondialdehyde (MDA), Fe, Cu, and Pb in the ischemic brain cortex. Notably, pretreating rats with EGCG before ischemic injury significantly reversed these biochemical results. Our findings suggest that the neuroprotection of EGCG in the ischemic brain cortex during cerebral ischemia involves attenuating oxidative injury. Notably, this neuroprotective mechanism is associated with regulating lipid peroxidation, antioxidant activity, essential elements, Zn/Cu ratio, and hazardous metal Pb.