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ABSTRACT Background Objective Methods Results Conclusions Whether pain, jaw function and quality of life are correlated with disc positions is controversial, and similar studies evaluating disc positions by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are very limited.This study evaluated the pain, mandibular function and quality of life of the temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) patients with different disc positions according to MRI, and the relationship among them.Three hundred and thirty‐five participants were included. Patients completed questionnaires included the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), Jaw Functional Limitation Scale 8‐item (JFLS‐8), the Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7‐item (GAD‐7), Patient Health Questionnaire 9‐item (PHQ‐9) and Oral Health Impact Profile for TMD (OHIP‐TMD). MRI was conducted to evaluate these diagnoses, resulting in the identification of three distinct categories: normal positioning (NP), disc displacement with reduction (DDwR) and disc displacement without reduction (DDwoR).Participants had the mean age of 28.55 ± 11.10 years (80.90% women). DDwR and DDwoR had a higher percentage of females compared with NP. Significant differences existed among patients in all questionnaires. The DDwoR group had significantly the highest pain, functional limitation and the worst quality of life. Moreover, they experienced the most difficulties in chewing tough foods, yawning, experiencing pain and psychological discomfort. Moreover, the multivariate regression showed that age, female gender, diagnosis as DDwoR, GAD‐7 and PHQ‐9 were significantly linked to higher functional limitation. Worse quality of life was associated with age, diagnosis as DDwoR, GAD‐7 and PHQ‐9.Among patients with different disc positions, DDwoR showed the highest pain, functional limitation and the worst quality of life. Also, NP showed a proportion of chronic pain. Physical pain, psychological discomfort and chewing tough food were regarded as the most impaired. Women who experience anxiety and depression tended to have a higher propotion of dysfunction and a lower quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sleep disorders are associated with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). Limited studies have focused on excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and its impact on jaw functions in TMD patients. Objective: The aim of the present investigation was to identify the impact of EDS on pain and jaw function in TMD patients. Methods: A total of 338 TMD patients (50 males and 288 females) was included. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) was used to classify patients into EDS group (score ≥ 10) and non‐EDS group (score < 10). The Jaw Functional Limitation Scale 8‐item (JFLS‐8) was used to assess the severity of jaw dysfunction. Pain intensity was evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Anxiety and depression were evaluated using the Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7‐item (GAD‐7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire 9‐item (PHQ‐9). All included patients were diagnosed with pain‐related TMD (PT), intra‐articular TMD (IT) or combined TMD (CT). Results: Compared with non‐EDS patients, EDS patients exhibited more severe jaw dysfunction, greater pain intensity and higher PHQ‐9 scores (p <.05). Multivariate analyses showed that EDS (B = 3.69), female gender (B = 3.69), and elevated GAD‐7 score (B = 0.73) were significantly associated with an increased score on the JFLS‐8 (p <.05). Moreover, bivariate logistic regression analysis indicated a significant relationship between EDS and PT (OR = 2.70, p =.007). Conclusion: The presence of EDS was more closely related to PT, but the causal relationship between them needs to be further confirmed. More concern and intervention to alleviate poor sleep quality might be highlighted during the treatment of TMD, especially PT subtype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Byline: Wei-Ming. Li, Yan-Bo. Sun, Yi-Jun. Li, Peng-Yuan. Xu, Qing-Wen. Xu, Li-Li. Ding Background: The incidence of ultrasound seromas has significantly increased after large hernial sac surgery. Several methods are [...]

In this paper, a single-tier beam-spring-damping system and a two-tier beam-spring-damping system are adopted to simulate the FT (fixed track) and FST (floating slab track) system, respectively. The tunnel is modeled as an infinitely long Euler—Bernoulli beam embedded in the layered saturated soil. By solving the governing equations of the saturated soil and employing the TRM (transmission and reflection matrices) method, the frequency response function of the tunnel-layered saturated soil model is obtained. Making use of the interaction between the tunnel and track systems, the track system is coupled with the tunnel-layered saturated ground model. The solutions for the dynamic response of the track system–tunnel-layered saturated ground model under moving loads in the time–space domain are obtained using the inverse Fourier integral transform. To evaluate the damping effect of the FST system on the vibration of tunnel and soil, four damping coefficients are defined and the vibration results of the FT system–tunnel-layered saturated soil model are compared with those of the FST system–tunnel-layered saturated soil under different moving loads and soil conditions. The numerical results show that both the vibration displacement and acceleration amplitude are attenuated after using the FST system, and the damping coefficient of acceleration is about 30% greater than that of the displacement. In addition, the damping effect of the FST system on the ground surface vibration is associated with the embedded depth of the tunnel and the soil stiffness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the winter of 2022/2023, the national average temperature was -2.9°C, which was higher than the same period of the perennial value (1991-2020). The average precipitation in winter was 31.3mm, 20.4% less than that in the same period. The national average sunshine was close to perennial value, and the eastern part of Southwest China was more than the same period. Most regions of the winter wheat areas in the north have abundant light and heat conditions, within many large range of rain and snow weather, most of the moisture is suitable to wheat safe winter and turn green. Most regions of the southern is enough warm and sunshine hours for the growth and development of rape, wheat, winter crops and economic forest fruits. However, the phase of drought in Guizhou, southern of Sichuan and Yunnan and the phase of low temperature in regions south of the Yangtze River were not good to the steady growth of summer crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury (IIRI) is associated with high prevalence and mortality rate. Recently, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy attracted more attentions. However, the function and regulatory mechanism of MSC-derived exosomal miRNAs during IIRI remain largely uninvestigated. The in vitro and in vivo IIRI models were established. MSC were characterized by immunofluorescent staining and flow cytometry. Purified exosomes were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), flow cytometry, and western blot. The expression of key molecules was detected by western blot and qRT-PCR. CCK-8, TUNEL, and transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) assays were employed to assess cell viability, apoptosis, and intestinal integrity, respectively. Pre-miR-34A m6 modification was evaluated by methylated RNA immunoprecipitation (MeRIP)-qPCR. RNA pull-down and RIP were used to validate the direct association between pre-miR-34A and IGF2BP3. MSC-derived exosomal miR-34a-5p alleviated OGD/R-induced injury. In addition, MSC ameliorated OGD/R-induced injury through METTL3 pathway. Mechanistic study revealed that miR-34a-5p was modulated by METTL3/IGF2BP3-mediated m6A modification in MSC. The in vitro and in vivo functional experiments revealed that MSC secreted exosomal miR-34a-5p and ameliorated IIRI through METTL3/IGF2BP3-mediated m6A modification of pre-miR-34A. MSC promoted the secretion of exosomal miR-34a-5p and improved intestinal barrier function through METTL3/IGF2BP3-mediated pre-miR-34A m6A modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In winter of 2021/2022, mean temperature was -3.2 °C, closed to the normal, with temperature fluctuated significantly and the former winter was warmer and the latter colder. Precipitation in winter was 52.5mm less than 25 percent of normal. The time of sunshine approached usual, while the eastern Sichuan Basin was more than the normal. Warm and ample sunshine and good soil moisture benefited from widely rainfall stabilized or improved winter wheat in the Northern. Southern growing areas remained warm in the earlier winter, which provided positive production prospect for winter crops and fruit tree. From late January to February, seriously cold temperature and little illumination controlled the South. The average temperature was the lowest in the same period since 2009, and the precipitation had been the most since 1961. Regional continuously low temperature accompanied by rain, snow and freezing weather all were unfavorable to the growth of rapeseed and vegetable in the field. Therefore partial simple facilities greenhouse had damaged and crops frozen, vegetables and fruits ripening had also affected due to regional heavy to storm snows and 1-3 days of daily minimum temperature < 0°C frost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been demonstrated to be the cause of pneumonia. Nevertheless, it has not been reported as the cause of acute myocarditis or fulminant myocarditis. Case presentation: A 63-year-old male was admitted with pneumonia and cardiac symptoms. He was genetically confirmed as having COVID-19 according to sputum testing on the day of admission. He also had elevated troponin I (Trop I) level (up to 11.37 g/L) and diffuse myocardial dyskinesia along with a decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) on echocardiography. The highest level of interleukin-6 was 272.40 pg/ml. Bedside chest radiographs showed typical ground-glass changes indicative of viral pneumonia. Laboratory test results for viruses that cause myocarditis were all negative. The patient conformed to the diagnostic criteria of the Chinese expert consensus statement for fulminant myocarditis. After receiving antiviral therapy and mechanical life support, Trop I was reduced to 0.10 g/L, and interleukin-6 was reduced to 7.63 pg/mL. Moreover, the LVEF of the patient gradually recovered to 68%. The patient died of aggravation of secondary infection on the 33rd day of hospitalization. Conclusion: COVID-19 patients may develop severe cardiac complications such as myocarditis and heart failure. This is the first report of COVID-19 complicated with fulminant myocarditis. The mechanism of cardiac pathology caused by COVID-19 needs further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual reality (VR) offers an artificial, computer generated simulation of a real life environment. It originated in the 1960s and has evolved to provide increasing immersion, interactivity, imagination, and intelligence. Because deep learning systems are able to represent and compose information at various levels in a deep hierarchical fashion, they can build very powerful models which leverage large quantities of visual media data. Intelligence of VR methods and applications has been significantly boosted by the recent developments in deep learning techniques. VR content creation and exploration relates to image and video analysis, synthesis and editing, so deep learning methods such as fully convolutional networks and general adversarial networks are widely employed, designed specifically to handle panoramic images and video and virtual 3D scenes. This article surveys recent research that uses such deep learning methods for VR content creation and exploration. It considers the problems involved, and discusses possible future directions in this active and emerging research area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The final structure of heparan sulfate chains is strictly regulated in vivo , though the biosynthesis is not guided by a template process. N -deacetylase/ N -sulfotransferase (NDST) is the first modification enzyme in the HS biosynthetic pathway. The N -sulfo groups introduced by NDST are reportedly involved in determination of the susceptibility to subsequent processes catalyzed by C 5 -epimerse and 3- O -sulfotransferases. Understanding the substrate specificities of the four human NDST isoforms has become central to uncovering the regulatory mechanism of HS biosynthesis. Methods Highly-purified recombinant NDST-4 (rNDST-4) and a selective library of structurally-defined oligosaccharides were employed to determine the substrate specificity of rNDST-4. Results Full-length rNDST-4 lacks obvious N -deacetylase activity, and displays only N -sulfotransferase activity. Unlike NDST-1, NDST-4 did not show directional N -sulfotransferase activity while the N -deacetylase domain was inactive. Conclusion and general significance Individual NDST-4 could not effectively assume the key role in the distribution of N-S domains and N-Ac domains in HS biosynthesis in vivo . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capsule of Escherichia coli O5:K4:H4 is formed of a chondroitin-repeat disaccharide unit of glucuronic acid (GlcA)- N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc). This polysaccharide, commonly referred to as K4CP, is a potentially important source of precursors for chemoenzymatic or bioengineering synthesis of chondroitin sulfate. KfoA, encoded by a gene from region 2 of the K4 capsular gene cluster, shows high homology to the UDP-glucose-4-epimerase (GalE) from E. coli. KfoA is reputed to be responsible for uridine 5′-diphosphate- N-acetylgalactosamine (UDP-GalNAc) supply for K4CP biosynthesis in vivo, but it has not been biochemically characterized. Here, we probed the substrate specificity of KfoA by a capillary electrophoresis (CE)-based method. KfoA could epimerize both acetylated and non-acetylated substrates, but its k / K value for UDP-GlcNAc was approximately 1300-fold that for UDP-Glc. Recombinant KfoA showed a strong preference for acetylated substrates in vitro. The conclusion that KfoA is a higher efficiency UDP-GalNAc provider than GalE was supported by a coupled assay developed based on the donor-acceptor combination specificity of E. coli K4 chondroitin polymerase (KfoC). Furthermore, residue Ser-301, located near the UDP-GlcNAc binding pocket, plays an important role in the determination of the conversion ratio of UDP-GlcNAc to UDP-GalNAc by KfoA. Our results deepen the understanding of the mechanism of KfoA and will assist in the research into the metabolic engineering for chondroitin sulfate production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background& Aims: Early oral nutrition (EON) has been shown to improve recovery of gastrointestinal function, length of stay and mortality after abdominal surgery; however, early oral nutrition often fails during the first week after surgery. Here, a multi-modal early oral nutrition program is introduced to promote recovery of gastrointestinal function and tolerance of oral nutrition.Methods: Consecutive patients scheduled for abdominal surgery were randomized to the multimodal EON group or a group receiving conventional care. The primary endpoint was the time of first defecation. The secondary endpoints were outcomes and the cost-effectiveness ratio in treating infectious complications. The rate of infectious-free patients was regarded as the index of effectiveness.Results: One hundred seven patients were randomly assigned to groups. Baseline characteristics were similar for both groups. In intention-to-treat analysis, the success rate of oral nutrition during the first week after surgery in the multimodal EON group was 44 (83.0%) versus 31 (57.4%) in the conventional care group (P = 0.004). Time to first defecation, time to flatus, recovery time of bowel sounds, and prolonged postoperative ileus were all less in the multimodal EON group (P < 0.05). The median postoperative length of stay in the multimodal EON group was 8 days (6, 12) versus 10 days (7, 18) in the conventional care group (P < 0.001). The total cost of treatment and nutritional support were also less in the multi-modal early oral nutrition group (P < 0.001). The effectiveness was 84.9 and 79.9% in the multimodal EON and conventional care group, respectively (P = 0.475). However, the cost-effectiveness ratio was USD 537.6 (506.1, 589.3) and USD 637.8 (593.9, 710.3), respectively (P < 0.001).Conclusion: The multi-modal early oral nutrition program was an effective way to improve tolerance of oral nutrition during the first week after surgery, decrease the length of stay and improve cost-effectiveness after abdominal surgery.Trial Registration: Registration number: ChiCTR-TRC-14004395 . Registered 15 March 2014. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the association between hypertriglyceridemic waist (HTGW) phenotype and arterial stiffness in a Chinese population without hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.Methods: A total number of 3028 subjects aged 40 years and over were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. All participants provided a clinical history and underwent a physical examination. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) was used to evaluate arterial stiffness. HTGW phenotype was defined as the simultaneous presence of waist circumference ≥90/80 cm and triglycerides ≥2.0/1.5 mmol/L in men/women.Results: The prevalence of HTGW phenotype was 7.5% among healthy participants in China (Beijing), 7.4% in men and 7.5% in women. Women with HTGW phenotype had a higher level of baPWV compared with normal WC and normal triglyceride (NWNT) group (P < 0.05), but no significant difference was observed in men (P > 0.05). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed HTGW phenotype was significantly associated with baPWV after controlling for multiple factors in women. However, no significant relationship was observed in men.Conclusions: The present study supports that HTGW phenotype is associated with increased arterial stiffness in women but not in men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the impact of nutritional support on clinical outcomes in patients at nutritional risk who receive nutritional support that meets guideline standards and those who do not.Methods: This prospective cohort study enrolled hospitalized patients from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University from February 2010 to June 2012. The research protocols were approved by the university's ethics committee, and the patients signed informed consent forms. The clinical data were collected based on nutritional risk screening, administration of enteral and parenteral nutrition, surgical information, complications, and length of hospital stay.Results: During the study period, 525 patients at nutritional risk were enrolled in the cohorts. Among patients who received nutritional support that met the guideline standards (Cohort 1), the incidence of infectious complications was lower than that in patients who did not meet guideline standards (Cohort 2) (17.1 % vs. 26.9 %, P = 0.01). Subgroup analysis showed that individuals who received a combination of parenteral nutrition (PN) and enteral nutrition (EN) for 7 or more days had a significantly lower incidence of infectious complications (P = 0.001) than those who received only PN for 7 or more days or those who received nutritional support for less than 7 days or at less than 10 kcal/kg/d. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that, after adjusting for confounding factors, nutritional support that met guideline standards for patients with nutritional risk was a protective factor for complications (OR: 0.870, P < 0.002).Conclusions: In patients at nutritional risk after abdominal surgery, nutritional support that meets recommended nutrient guidelines (especially regimens involving PN + EN ≥ 7 days) might decrease the incidence of infectious complications and is worth recommending; however, well-designed trials are needed to confirm our findings. Nutritional support that does not meet the guideline standards is considered clinically undesirable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]