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Background: To compare and rank the clinical effects of different acupuncture and acupuncture-related therapies on patients with poststroke cognitive impairment. Methods: We evaluated the direct and indirect evidence from relevant studies using network meta-analysis. Eight databases were examined in order to find randomized controlled trials of acupuncture-related therapies for individuals with poststroke cognitive impairment. After 2 researchers independently scanned the literature, extracted the data, and assessed the risk of bias in the included studies, the data were analyzed using RevMan5.4, Stata15.0, and WinBUGS1.4.3 software. Results: We assess the benefits and drawbacks of various acupuncture-related therapies, rank the efficacy of various acupuncture-related therapies in the treatment of poststroke cognitive impairment, and describe the best acupuncture intervention approaches or combinations based on the available data. Conclusion: This study will contribute to the existence of data on the safety and efficacy of acupuncture-related therapies in the treatment of poststroke cognitive impairment, and it may aid clinical guideline makers in selecting the best acupuncture treatment for poststroke cognitive impairment. Registration Number: INPLASY2021120117.

Postpartum cerebral arterial dissections are rare, and the clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment approaches are not clear to many physicians. This study was to investigate the clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of postpartum cerebral arterial dissections. One patient with postpartum cerebral arterial dissections enrolled in our hospital was analyzed. All patients with postpartum cerebral arterial dissections retrieved from the PubMed were also included in this study and analyzed. A total of 45 patients with postpartum cerebral arterial dissections were retrieved including our case, with an age range of 24 to 44 years (mean 34). Thirty-six (80%) patients were older than 30 years of age (mean 35). There were 17 cases of cesarean section, 14 cases of natural labor, and 14 cases whose delivery modes were not reported. The clinical symptoms included headache in 35 cases (78%) and neck pain in 14 (31%). The symptoms occurred at a mean time of 11 days (range 0-53 days) following delivery. Among 45 patients, arterial dissections involved unilateral carotid or vertebral artery in 29 cases (64%), bilateral carotid or vertebral arteries in 8 (18%), 3 arteries in 3 (7%), and all bilateral carotid and vertebral arteries in 5 (11%). Fourteen (31%) patients were treated with antiplatelet agents, 27 (60%) with anticoagulation, 7 (16%) with both antiplatelet and anticoagulation medications, and only 2 (4%) with stent angioplasty. The prognosis was complete recovery in 30 (86%) patients and mild focal neurological symptoms in 5 (14%). Postpartum cerebral arterial dissections are rare, and correct diagnosis relies on imaging examination. Prognosis is usually favorable in patients with early diagnosis and prompt treatment.

Objective To explore the influencing factors of age at onset of pain and severe pain in patients with Hartofilakidis type I developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). Methods A retrospective study of 83 patients with DDH treated at our hospital from January 2017 to June 2021 was conducted. The age at onset of pain, patients’ demographic data, and radiographic parameters were collected. Multiple linear regression was used to determine the influencing factors of age at onset of pain. Cox regression analysis was used to determine the influencing factors of severe pain attacks. Results According to the results of multiple linear regression analysis, when the distance between the medial femoral head and the ilioischial line increased by one millimetre, the age at onset of pain decreased by 1.7 years (β = − 1.738, 95% CI − 1.914–[− 1.561], p β = − 0.334, 95% CI − 0.496–[− 0.171], p β]: = 0.947, 95% CI 0.898–0.999, p = 0.044). For each additional millimetre in the distance between the medial femoral head and the ilioischial line, the likelihood of severe pain increased by 2.4 times (Exp [β]: 2.417, 95% CI 1.653–3.533, p Conclusion Larger distances between the medial femoral head and the ilioischial line and sharp angle can lead to an earlier age at onset of pain in patients with DDH. Small LCEA and excessive distance between the medial femoral head and the ilioischial line are risk factors for severe pain.

INTRODUCTION: Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) and Alzheimer’s disease are the most common cognitive impairment diseases in the elderly. This study aimed to apply the Repeatable Battery for Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) scale to evaluate VCI in elderly patients and analyze its reliability and validity. METHODS: We enrolled 278 VCI patients admitted to our hospital, from June 2017 to June 2018. The basic clinical information of each patient was documented, and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the RBANS scales were suggested to complete. RESULTS: We found significant correlations between the RBANS total score and age, diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease and years of education. The internal consistency of the RBANS scale Cronbach αsuggested a good agreement with the total score and the single score at two time points. Moreover, the RBANS total score and the score of each dimension in the RBANS scale were positively correlated with the MMSE immediate memory, calculation ability, delayed memory, commanding ability, reading comprehension ability, command execution, sentence making, and pattern duplicating ability. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the RBANS has good reliability and validity for the assessment of cognitive dysfunction in elderly VCI patients. It can be used as a routine clinical and research tool, for the simplicity in operation and superior acceptance.

Background. Hypertensive vascular remodeling (HVR) is the pathophysiological basis of hypertension, which is also an important cause of vascular disease and target organ damage. Treatment with Fructus Tribuli (FT), a traditional Chinese medicine, has a positive effect on HVR. However, the pharmacological mechanisms of FT are still unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to reveal the potential mechanisms involved in the effects of FT on HVR based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. Materials and Methods. We selected the active compounds and targets of FT according to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) and the Swiss Target Prediction database, and the targets of HVR were collected from the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), GeneCards, and DrugBank databases. The protein-protein interaction network (PPI) was established using the STRING database. Moreover, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses and network analysis were performed to further explore the potential mechanisms. Finally, molecular docking methods were used to evaluate the affinity between the active compounds and the main target. Results. Seventeen active compounds of FT and 164 potential targets for the treatment of HVR were identified. Component-target and PPI networks were constructed, and 12 main active components and 33 main targets were identified by analyzing the topological parameters. Additionally, GO analysis indicated that the potential targets were enriched in 483 biological processes, 52 cellular components, and 110 molecular functions. KEGG analysis revealed that the potential targets were correlated with 122 pathways, such as the HIF-1 signaling pathway, ErbB signaling pathway, and VEGF signaling pathway. Finally, molecular docking showed that the 12 main active components had a good affinity for the top five main targets. Conclusion. This study demonstrated the multiple compounds, targets, and pathway characteristics of FT in the treatment of HVR. The network pharmacology method provided a novel research approach to analyze potential mechanisms.

Background: Previous studies have reported that physical therapy (PT) can be used for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, its effectiveness is still inconclusive. This systematic review will aim to assess its effectiveness and safety for the treatment of patients with COPD. Methods: All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) literatures of PT for COPD will be searched from the databases of Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), EMBASE, MEDILINE, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Information, and Wanfang Data from inception to the present without any language restrictions. Two reviewers will independently perform the study selection, data extraction, and methodological quality assessment. A third reviewer will be invited to resolve any disagreements occurred between 2 reviewers. Results: The primary outcome is lung function. The secondary outcomes include symptoms, health-related quality of life, mortality, and adverse events. The outcome data will be pooled by using the models of random-effects or fixed-effects according to the detected heterogeneity. Conclusion: The findings of this study will provide up-todated summary evidence for assessing the effectiveness and safety of PT for COPD.

We aimed to assess the accuracy of self-assessment for acute stroke patients via mobile phone application-based scales and determine the value and prospect of clinical use. A cross-sectional study was designed and acute stroke patients were enrolled. We pushed the modified Rankin scale (mRS) and activities of daily living (ADL) scale to patients via mobile phone application for self-assessment on the day before they were out of hospital. We compared the results from nurse assessment and self-assessment. Around 50 patients with the average age 51.72 ± 12.40 completed the self-assessment. A total of 27 patients self-assessed the scales, while caregivers of other 23 patients completed the assessment. In comparison with patient assessment and nurse assessment, significant difference was found in ADL score (P = .004), but was not found in mRS score (P > .05). When comparing caregiver assessment with nurse assessment, no significant difference could be found either in ADL score (P > .05) or in mRS score (P > .05). The kappa value for self-assessment and nurse agreement of ADL was 0.720 (P = .000), with sensitivity 96.8% and specificity 82.0%. The kappa value for self-assessment and nurse agreement of mRS was 0.718 (P = .000), with sensitivity 97.6% and specificity 92.4%. In summary, mobile phone application-based scales are generally accurate, economical and convenient for self-assessment of acute stroke patients with acceptable reliability in our small scale study. Caregivers can serve as the proper assessor when patients are out of hospital. Therefore, it is promising but still need to be further confirmed how practical to use this application in extended care and follow-up.

In this study, rat models of acute kidney injury (AKI) induced by renal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) and HK-2 cell models of hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R) were established to investigate the expression of inhibitor of DNA binding 1 (ID1) in AKI, and the regulation relationship between ID1 and hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α). Through western blot, quantitative real-time PCR, immunohistochemistry, and other experiment methods, the induction of ID1 after renal I/R in vivo was observed, which was expressed mainly in renal tubular epithelial cells (TECs). ID1 expression was upregulated in in vitro H/R models at both the protein and mRNA levels. Via RNAi, it was found that ID1 induction was inhibited with silencing of HIF-1α. Moreover, the suppression of ID1 mRNA expression could lead to decreased expression and transcription of HIF-1αduring hypoxia and reoxygenation. In addition, it was demonstrated that both ID1 and HIF-1αcan regulate the transcription of twist. This study demonstrated that ID1 is induced in renal TECs during I/R and can regulate the transcription and expression of HIF-1α.

High soils salinity is a main factor affecting agricultural production. Studying the function of salt-tolerance-related genes is essential to enhance crop tolerance to stress.Rab7is a small GTP-binding protein that is distributed widely among eukaryotes. Endocytic trafficking mediated byRab7plays an important role in animal and yeast cells, but the current understanding ofRab7in plants is still very limited. Herein, we isolated a vesicle trafficking gene,OsRab7, from rice. Transgenic rice over-expressingOsRab7exhibited enhanced seedling growth and increased proline content under salt-treated conditions. Moreover, an increased number of vesicles was observed in the root tip ofOsRab7transgenic rice. TheOsRab7over-expression plants showed enhanced tolerance to salt stress, suggesting that vacuolar trafficking is important for salt tolerance in plants.

A key feature of TGF-β signaling activation in cancer cells is the sustained activation of SMAD complexes in the nucleus; however, the drivers of SMAD activation are poorly defined. Here, using human and mouse breast cancer cell lines, we found that oncogene forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) interacts with SMAD3 to sustain activation of the SMAD3/SMAD4 complex in the nucleus. FOXM1 prevented the E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase transcriptional intermediary factor 1 γ (TIF1γ) from binding SMAD3 and monoubiquitinating SMAD4, which stabilized the SMAD3/SMAD4 complex. Loss of FOXM1 abolished TGF-β–induced SMAD3/SMAD4 formation. Moreover, the interaction of FOXM1 and SMAD3 promoted TGF-β/SMAD3–mediated transcriptional activity and target gene expression. We found that FOXM1/SMAD3 interaction was required for TGF-β–induced breast cancer invasion, which was the result of SMAD3/SMAD4-dependent upregulation of the transcription factor SLUG. Importantly, the function of FOXM1 in TGF-β–induced invasion was not dependent on FOXM1’s transcriptional activity. Knockdown of SMAD3 diminished FOXM1-induced metastasis. Furthermore, FOXM1 levels correlated with activated TGF-β signaling and metastasis in human breast cancer specimens. Together, our data indicate that FOXM1 promotes breast cancer metastasis by increasing nuclear retention of SMAD3 and identify crosstalk between FOXM1 and TGF-β/SMAD3 pathways. This study highlights the critical interaction of FOXM1 and SMAD3 for controlling TGF-β signaling during metastasis.

The pathogenesis of the Brucella-induced inflammatory response in the bovine placenta is not completely understood. In this study we evaluated the role of the B. abortus Type IV secretion system and the anti-inflammatory factor BtpB in early interactions with bovine placental tissues. Transcription profiles of chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) explants inoculated with wild type (strain 2308), ΔvirB2 or ΔbtpB Brucella abortus were compared by microarray analysis at 4 hours post infection. Transcripts with significant variation (>2 fold change; P

The serine protease thrombin activates G protein signaling systems that lead to Ras activation and, in certain cells, proliferation. Whereas the steps leading to Ras activation by G protein-coupled receptors are not well defined, the mechanisms of Ras activation by receptor tyrosine kinases have recently been elucidated biochemically and genetically. The present study was undertaken to determine whether common signaling components are used by these two distinct classes of receptors. Here we report that the adaptor protein Shc, is phosphorylated on tyrosine residues following stimulation of the thrombin receptor in growth-responsive CCL39 fibroblasts. Shc phosphorylation by thrombin or the thrombin receptor agonist peptide is maximal by 15 min and persists for > or = 2 h. Following thrombin stimulation, phosphorylated Shc is recruited to Grb2 complexes. One or more pertussis toxin-insensitive proteins appear to mediate this effect, since (i) pertussis toxin pre-treatment of cells does not blunt the action of thrombin and (ii) Shc phosphorylation on tyrosine can be stimulated by the muscarinic m1 receptor. Shc phosphorylation does not appear to involve protein kinase C, since the addition of 4-beta-phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate has no effect. Rather, thrombin-induced Shc phosphorylation is enhanced in cells depleted of phorbol ester-sensitive protein kinase C isoforms. Expression of mutant Shc proteins defective in Grb2 binding displays a dominant-negative effect on thrombin-stimulated p44 MAP kinase activation, gene induction and cell growth. From these data, we conclude that Shc represents a crucial point of convergence between signaling pathways activated by receptor tyrosine kinases and G protein-coupled receptors.

We aimed to evaluate the influence of mammographic breast density at diagnosis on the risk of cancer recurrence and survival outcomes in patients with invasive breast cancer after modified radical mastectomy. This case-control study included 121 case-control pairs of women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 2004 and 2009, and who had undergone modified radical mastectomy and had mammographic breast density measured before or at diagnosis. Women with known locoregional recurrence or distant metastasis were matched by pathological disease stage, age, and year of diagnosis to women without recurrence. Locoregional recurrence was defined as recurrence in the ipsilateral chest wall, or axillary, internal mammary, or supraclavicular nodes. The median follow-up duration was 84.0 months for case patients and 92.9 months for control patients. Patients with heterogeneously dense (50–75% density) and extremely dense (>75% density) breasts had an increased risk of locoregional recurrence (hazard ratios 3.1 and 5.7, 95% confidence intervals 1.1–9.8 and 1.2–34.9, p = 0.043 and 0.048, respectively) than did women with less dense breasts. Positive margins after surgery also increased the risk of locoregional recurrence (hazard ratio 3.3, 95% confidence interval 1.3–8.3, p = 0.010). Multivariate analysis that included dense breasts (>50% density), positive margin, no adjuvant radiotherapy, and no adjuvant chemotherapy revealed that dense breasts were significant factors for predicting locoregional recurrence risk (hazard ratio 3.6, 95% confidence interval 1.2–11.1, p = 0.025). Our results demonstrate that dense breast tissue (>50% density) increased the risk of locoregional recurrence after modified radical mastectomy in patients with invasive breast cancer. Additional prospective studies are necessary to validate these findings. The study is retrospectively registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02771665 , on May 11, 2016.