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The COVID-19 infection adversely affects the cardiovascular system. Transthoracic echocardiography has demonstrated diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic utility. We report biventricular myocardial strain in COVID-19. Methods: Biventricular strain measurements were performed for 12 patients. Patients who were discharged were compared with those who needed intubation and/or died. Results: Seven patients were discharged and five died or needed intubation. Right ventricular strain parameters were decreased in patients with poor outcomes compared with those discharged. Left ventricular strain was decreased in both groups but was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Right ventricular strain was decreased in patients with poor outcomes and left ventricular strain was decreased regardless of outcome. Right ventricular strain measurements may be important for risk stratification and prognosis. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Burn injury leads to mitochondrial dysfunction and autophagy, also known as mitophagy. The alleviation of mitochondrial damage may be a potential method for the treatment of burn injury and complications. In this animal study, we analyzed the expression of mitochondrial damage- and mitophagy-related factors, specifically PINK1 and PRKN. The results showed mitochondria damage in the skin; compared with the normal control group, genes involved in the mitochondrial damage, such as Nrf-1, UQCRC2, CYC1, and NDUFA9, as well as in the mitophagy, including PINK1, PRKN, MFN1, and USP30, were differentially expressed. Furthermore, PINK1 interacted with PRKN and participated in mitophagy in the skin. In conclusion, our data reveal more about the mechanism underlying mitophagy in burns, providing a potential clinical treatment.

This study aims to show our institute’s experience in the treatment of HH and its associated facial deformities in adults and growing adolescents and to investigate condylar remodeling and volumetric changes and long-term stability of orthognathic surgery in adults. The study included consecutive patients with clinical and radiological features of HH who underwent high condylectomy with or without simultaneous orthognathic surgery from 2013 to 2018. The clinical outcomes were assessed based on functional activities, TMJ pain, and recurrence. Postoperative 3D condylar remodeling and orthognathic stability were evaluated with the use of ITK-Snap and 3D Slicer. Thirteen patients (8 females and 5 males) with a mean age of 26.3 ± 5.79 years (range; 13–34 years) were included with facial asymmetry as the chief complaint. The patients were followed up for a minimum of 12 months and a maximum of 4 years (mean; 16.85 ± 10.04). There were no postoperative complications, and all patients achieved a satisfactory functional and aesthetic outcome using a one-stage surgical procedure. There was no incidence of recurrence or further asymmetries, with long-term stability at the selected points showing a mean difference of less than ±1 mm. The affected condylar volume was significantly reduced following high condylectomy, with mean changes between T1 and T2 of −144. 80 mm3 (p = .012). However, the contralateral condylar volume remained stable, with a mean change of 2.54 mm3 (p = .881). One-stage high condylectomy and orthognathic surgery is a viable measure for the treatment of HH and associated deformities in adults. High condylectomy in early adolescence could result in termination of the disease, and aesthetic improvement with further constant orthodontist-surgeon follow-up is required.

Refractory MRSA infections seriously threaten human health, which compromises antibiotic efficacy. Although phototherapy has exhibited great feasibility in the fight against drug-resistant pathogens, a single-modal therapeutic agent without targeted performance has resulted in low drug utilization and obvious side effects. Herein, near-infrared (NIR) light-triggered theranostic nanoparticles (NDIA@PEG-Ce6/B NPs) were prepared by employing naphthalene diimide derivative NDIA as a photothermal agent, PEGylated chlorin e6 (PEG-Ce6) as a photosensitizer and PEGylated phenylboronic acid (PEG-B) as a bacteria-targeting agent. Upon laser irradiation, the singlet oxygen produced by Ce6 can efficiently kill bacteria through photodynamic therapy. Moreover, the fluorescence emission of Ce6 can be absorbed by the photothermal agent NDIA with a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) efficiency of 78% to reinforce the photothermal effect of NDIA, and the photothermal conversion efficiency of NDIA@PEG-Ce6/B NPs was up to 49.7%. In vitro and in vivo antibacterial experiments indicated that NDIA@PEG-Ce6/B NPs could targeted assembly and effectively destroy multidrug-resistant bacteria through synergistic photothermal and photodynamic therapy with 99.999% antibacterial efficacy under NIR light illumination. The study provides a nanosystem for the antibacterial treatment of synergistic photodynamic and photothermal therapy for subcutaneous abscesses, as well as a novel FRET strategy for further design of light-triggered antibacterial nanoplatforms.

In order to solve the increasingly serious environmental pollution and energy crisis as soon as possible, engineering of two-dimensional/two-dimensional (2D/2D) S-scheme heterojunctions is in the spotlight. Herein, two-dimensional/two-dimensional (2D/2D) S-scheme Fe2O3/Bi2MoO6 was designed and fabricated through a facile hydrothermal strategy, which constructed an advanced photocatalytic-Fenton coupling system. With the assistance of a low concentration of H2O2, the 2D/2D Fe2O3/Bi2MoO6 with an Fe2O3 weight ratio of 0.5% displayed significantly enhanced photo-Fenton catalytic activity toward tetracycline, which was 3.2 and 2.0 times that of Fe2O3 and Bi2MoO6, respectively. The markedly enhanced photo-Fenton catalytic activity was attributed to the large surface area and efficient charge transfer of 2D/2D S-scheme Fe2O3/Bi2MoO6, as well as the photo-Fenton system constructed by H2O2 and continuous Fe3+/Fe2+ conversion under visible light irradiation. According to the active species trapping experiments and photoluminescence spectra, a novel 2D/2D S-scheme charge transfer mechanism of Fe2O3/Bi2MoO6 was reasonably proposed. Fe2O3/Bi2MoO6 composites displayed a broad application prospect due to their recyclability demonstrated by the cycling experiments. This work provides strong evidence that 2D/2D S-scheme Fe2O3/Bi2MoO6 heterostructures are promising candidates for the photo-Fenton treatment of antibiotics.

Quadrat sampling is one of the most widely accepted methods for conducting vegetation surveys over the world for centuries. However, it is difficult to determine an optimal size to adequately repre...

Aim. To investigate whether vitamin C performs well as a supplemental treatment for common cold.Method. After systematically searching through the National Library of Medicine (PubMed), Cochrane Library, Elsevier, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP databases, and Wanfang databases, 10 randomized controlled trials were selected for our meta-analysis with RevMan 5.3 software. Published in China, all 10 studies evaluated the effect of combined vitamin C and antiviral therapy for the treatment of common cold.Results. The total efficacy (RR=1.27, 95% CI (1.08, 1.48),P=0.003), the time for symptom amelioration (MD=−15.84, 95% CI (-17.02, -14.66),P<0.00001), and the time for healing (I, 95% CI (-14.98, -4.22),P=0.0005) were better with vitamin C supplementation than with antiviral therapy alone.Conclusions. Vitamin C could be used as a supplementary therapy along with antiviral regimens to relieve patients from the symptoms of common cold.

The GH (growth hormone)/IGFs (insulin-like growth factors) system has an important function in the regulation of growth. In this system, IGFBPs play a crucial regulatory role in IGF functions. As a member of the IGFBP family, IGFBP2 can bind to IGF and regulate IGF functions to regulate development and growth. In addition, IGFBP2 shows key regulatory functions in cell proliferation and metabolism. In this study, the igfbp2 gene was cloned from grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) liver. The ORF of grass carp igfbp2 is 834 bp long and encodes 277 amino acids. The tissue distribution results showed that igfbp2 is expressed in multiple tissues in grass carp and has a high expression level in the liver. In the OGTT, igfbp2 expression was significantly decreased in the liver and brain after 6 h of treatment with glucose. In vitro, igfbp2 expression in grass carp's primary hepatocytes was significantly suppressed by insulin after treatment for 6 and 12 h. Moreover, igfbp2 expression was markedly increased in a dose-dependent manner with glucagon incubation in grass carp's primary hepatocytes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report about Igfbp2 in grass carp. These results will provide a basis for the in-depth study of grass carp Igfbp2.

Introduction Early rehabilitation of mechanically ventilated patients is safe, feasible and beneficial to prevent ICU-AW and its consequences. However, there are no guidelines or evidence-based studies about the optimal protocol of early rehabilitation. There is traditional meta-analysis about the effect of simple protocol, such as active mobilization, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, in-bed cycling exercise, interactive video games and so on, but no studies to explore the effects of multiple protocols together. For the extensive clinical implementation, it is important to conduct a network meta-analysis to compare the effect of different protocols of early rehabilitation.Methods and analysis PubMed, Cochrane library, Web of Science, EMbase, grey literature and referent literature will be searched from inception to August 2019. Study selection, data extraction and quality assessment will be performed independently by two reviewers. The primary outcome is ICU acquired weakness (ICU-AW), secondary outcomes include the duration of mechanical ventilation and length of stay in ICU and hospital. Statistical analysis and graphical presentations will be conducted by R software (V.3.6.0). Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews (V5.1.0) will be used to conduct the quality assessment. The rank possibility will be performed by the histogram. Statistical inconsistency assessment, sensitivity analysis and publication bias will be performed.Discussion This protocol is prepared in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols guidelines. The protocol gives an insight into the scope and parameters for the systematic review to be carried out.Registration number PROSPERO CRD42020141901

Background Tracheostomy and endotracheal intubation can result in subglottic tracheal stenosis, and predisposition to keloid scar formation can increase stenosis risk after tracheal injury. This study aims to compare the incidence and severity of subglottic tracheal stenosis in keloid and non‐keloid patients following iatrogenic tracheal injury, in particular tracheostomy. Methods From 2012 to 2017, 218 573 patients were intubated for surgery; 2276 patients received tracheostomy in People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou University, China. Among these patients, 133 patients, who developed tracheal stenosis after intubation and/or tracheostomy, were divided into keloid or non‐keloid groups; their Myer and Cotton grading of tracheal stenosis, time‐to‐onset of airway stenosis, and treatment outcome were assessed and compared. Results The percentages of high grade (Myer and Cotton grading III/IV) tracheal stenosis were higher among keloid patients than non‐keloid patients (intubation: 83.3% vs 25.7%; tracheostomy: 77.7% vs 33.3%). Time‐to‐onset of airway stenosis following intubation (tracheostomy) was 27 ± 5 (38 ± 13) and 41 ± 7 (82 ± 14) days for keloid and non‐keloid patients, respectively (P

Helicoverpa armigera (cotton bollworm) is one of the most destructive pests worldwide. Due to resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis and conventional insecticides, an effective management strategy to control this pest is urgently needed. Spinosad, a natural pesticide, is considered an alternative; however, the mechanism underlying the developmental effects of sublethal spinosad exposure remains elusive. In this study, the mechanism was examined using an insect model of H. armigera. Results confirmed that exposure to sublethal spinosad led to reduced larval wet weight, delayed larval developmental period, caused difficulty in molting, and deformed pupae. Further investigation demonstrated that exposure to sublethal spinosad caused a significant decrease in 20E titer and increase in JH titer, thereby leading to the discordance between 20E and JH titers, and consequently alteration in the expression levels of HR3 and Kr-h1. These results suggested that sublethal spinosad caused hormonal disorders in larvae, which directly affect insect development. Our study serves as a reference and basis for the toxicity evaluation of spinosad on molting and pupation in insect metamorphosis, which may contribute to identifying targets for effective control of cotton bollworm.

ObjectivesTo identify echocardiographic signatures featuring left ventricular longitudinal strain (LS) associated with genetic risk for cardiac amyloidosis (CA) due to theTTRVal142Ile (V142I) variant in African American (AA) and Hispanic/Latinx (H/L) individuals.BackgroundHereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (hATTR) can cause CA in ∼60-70% of older V142I carriers, but amyloid deposition progresses over many years. Disease-modifying therapy for CA is now available and early initiation is a priority for improving outcomes. Genomic screening programs and familial cascade genetic testing uncover pre-symptomatic V142I carriers, yet no guidelines exist for early CA detection.MethodsExome sequencing data linked to electronic health records (EHRs) of BioMebiobank participants were queried for AA or H/LTTR- andTTR+ (V142I) subjects without hATTR diagnoses and with prior echocardiograms suitable for retrospective LS analysis. Systemic “red flag” features of ATTR were extracted from EHRs ofTTR+ subjects. Speckle tracking echocardiography was retrospectively applied to determine global (GLS) and segmental LS. Relative apical sparing (RAS) was calculated.Results57TTR+ and 46TTR-age- and ancestry-matched subjects were included. GLS declined with age in females but not males, and was abnormal (TTR+ and 7 (15.2%)TTR-subjects (p = 0.066). Apical sparing was observed in 13 (22.8%)TTR+ and 11 (23.9%)TTR-subjects (p = 1.0). After adjusting for relevant demographic and echocardiographic covariates, neither GLS nor RAS was associated withTTR+ V142I status. Red flag features were not associated with GLS or RAS inTTR+ subjects.ConclusionsNeither GLS nor RAS were significantly different betweenTTR+ andTTR-subjects. Since >50% ofTTR+ subjects were ≥ 60 years old, penetrance of CA by echocardiography among unselected V142I carriers may be lower than previously estimated. These findings indicate that surveillance for CA in individuals at increased genetic risk due to V142I should not rely solely on echocardiography, even with LS.

Since discovery, glucagon biology has remained enigmatic. Studies have shown that glucagon may have physiological effects beyond glucose regulation by binding to its receptor (Gcgr). The potential roles of glucagon and its receptor in the crosstalk between glucose metabolism and immune function of fish remain to be investigated. In the present study, we sequenced and characterized gcgra and gcgrb in grass carp. Phylogenetic analysis showed that they were highly homologous with their counterparts in fish. The gcgra and gcgrb mRNAs were ubiquitously expressed in all the tissues examined. The gcgra mRNA was highly expressed in the liver and gcgrb was mainly expressed in the liver and brain regions of grass carp. Furthermore, the results of oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) showed that the expression levels of the two receptors were significantly increased at 12 h after treatment. In the hepatocytes, insulin inhibited gcgra and gcgrb mRNA expressions at 3−12 h and 6−12 h, respectively. While glucagon promoted their expressions at 3−12 h and 3 h, respectively. Intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) increased hepatic gcgra mRNA level at 6 h post treatment, and up-regulated gcgrb mRNA abundance in the liver at 24 h. In response to polyinosinic polycytidylic acid [poly (I:C)] stimuli, however, gcgra and gcgrb mRNA levels were decreased. These results suggested that glucagon receptors were affected by bacterial-like and virus-like infection beyond their roles in the glucose metabolism of grass carp.

COVID-19 infection can affect the cardiovascular system. We sought to determine if left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LVGLS) is affected by COVID-19 and if this has prognostic implications. Materials & methods: Retrospective study, with LVGLS was measured in 58 COVID-19 patients. Patients discharged were compared with those who died. Results: The mean LV ejection fraction (LVEF) and LVGLS for the cohort was 52.1 and -12.9 ± 4.0%, respectively. Among 30 patients with preserved LVEF(>50%), LVGLS was -15.7 ± 2.8%, which is lower than the reference mean LVGLS for a normal, healthy population. There was no significant difference in LVGLS or LVEF when comparing patients who survived to discharge or died. Conclusion: LVGLS was reduced in COVID-19 patients, although not significantly lower in those who died compared with survivors., Lay abstract COVID-19 infection can affect the cardiovascular system including the heart muscle. Myocardial strain measures the function of the heart muscle at cell level and can pick up unusual heart function before routine measurements. Ejection fraction (how hard the heart muscle is squeezing) can be seen with our own eyes, but strain cannot and needs special techniques to see it. In this study we wanted to find out what was the strain on COVID-19 patients and if there was a relationship between strain and the outcome of the patients (if they were able to recover from COVID-19). The important finding of our study is that strain was low in all patients with COVID-19 infection regardless of routine measurements when compared with patients without the infection. However, in this study we found no correlation between the low strain and the result of the infection for the COVID-19 patients.

Background: The relationship between cancer with body mass index has been extensively reported. However, association between urinary cancers with these risk factors remains unclear, with existing reports showing conflicting findings. The current review, therefore, sought to clarify the latter association by assessing the methodological and reporting quality of existing systematic reviews on the subject. Methods: We will screen PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases for relevant literature and subjected the resulting articles to meta-analysis. We will adopt the AMSTAR and PRISMA checklists for assessing methodological, and reporting quality, respectively. The association between BMI and different urinary cancers will be estimated by computing the pooled relative risk (RR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI), which will be calculated from the adjusted RR, odds ratio, or hazard ratio, and 95% CI offered in the studies. Heterogeneity between studies will be assessed with the I statistic as a measure of the proportion of total variation in estimates that is due to heterogeneity, where I values of 25%, 50%, and 75% correspond to cut-off points for low, moderate, and high degrees of heterogeneity. The random effects model will be used as the pooling method when significant heterogeneity existed and the fixed effect model will be used when no heterogeneity was observed. Possible publication bias will be tested by Begg and Egger test. Conclusion: Our evidence synthesis will provide a new commentary on the current systematic review evidence for the association between BMI and the risk of different urinary cancers. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42019119459.

Background: The diagnostic guideline of Gaming Disorder was a new category proposed in the draft of ICD-11 by WHO’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse (MSD) in 2018 and its reliability and clinical utility based on Chinese population has not been studied. The purpose of this field study is to clarify the reliability, clinical utility, and culture applicability of diagnostic guidelines of gaming disorder in ICD-11, and its comparability to the diagnostic guideline in DSM-5 in China. Methods: Participants included 21 pair clinical raters which constituted of seven psychiatrists and 200 gaming players aged from 15-18 years old with different risk level of Internet addiction based on the scores of Young’s Internet Addiction Test. Each participant received a semi-structured face-to-face interview by a paired clinical raters at the same time. Then clinical raters made the diagnoses and filled the clinical utility questionnaire independently within 30 minutes after the interview through an electronic platform according to the diagnostic guidelines for gaming disorder in both ICD-11 and DSM-5. In addition, two focus groups were conducted to inform the applicability, feasibility and preference of diagnostic guidelines for gaming disorder in ICD-11 in China. Outcomes: The diagnostic consistency coefficient (kappa value) between the paired clinical raters was 0∙545( p

Glucose transporter 2 (glut2) has been studied in mammals, aves, and several fish, while the comparative studies of glut2 in common carp are still lacking. In this study, glut2 was firstly isolated and characterized from the liver of common carp. The full-length cDNA of glut2 was 2351 bp with an open reading frame (ORF) of 1512 bp, encoding 503 amino acids. Alignment of glut2 amino acid sequences from different species revealed that common carp glut2 showed higher sequence identity with teleosts, and lower homology with mammals and amphibians. Tissue distribution demonstrated that glut2 mRNA level was mainly expressed in liver, foregut, and midgut. To investigate the actions of glut2 on glucose metabolism, the level of glut2 mRNA was detected after intraperitoneal injection of glucose, human insulin and glucagon (100 ng/g), respectively. Following glucose administration, glut2 gene expression was significantly upregulated at 3 h in the foregut. However, no change was found in hepatic glut2 mRNA level, indicating that glut2 may have a role in intestinal glucose uptake rather than in the liver. Following insulin treatment, the expression of glut2 was markedly downregulated at 3 h and 6 h in the liver, and at 3 h in the foregut, respectively. Furthermore, glut2 mRNA expression was unaffected by glucagon injection in the liver and foregut. These results suggested that the expression of glut2 regulated by pancreatic hormones was different. Taken together, our studies firstly revealed the structure of the glut2 gene and its potential functions in glucose metabolism of common carp.

This study aimed to evaluate whether ultrasound-guided techniques are superior compared to traditional palpation techniques in patients undergoing radial artery catheterization (RAC).Electronic databases of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The relative risks (RRs) or weighted mean differences (WMDs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to calculate the pooled effect estimates using the random effects model for categories and continuous data, respectively.A total of 19 RCTs comprising a total of 3220 individuals were selected for final analysis. The pooled RR suggested that ultrasound-guided techniques were associated with higher incidence of first attempt success than traditional palpation techniques (RR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.21-1.59; P 0.001). Moreover, we noted that ultrasound-guided techniques were associated with fewer mean attempts to success (WMD, -0.80 s; 95% CI, -1.35 to -0.25; P = 0.004) and a shorter mean time to success (WMD, -41.18 s; 95% CI, -75.43 to -6.93; P = 0.018) than traditional palpation techniques. Furthermore, individuals using ultrasound-guided techniques had a reduced risk of hematoma (RR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.22-0.72; P = 0.003).This study indicated that ultrasound-guided techniques were superior compared to traditional palpation techniques for RAC in terms of efficacy and complications.

This study aims to explore the potential benefits of antidepressant drugs related to metabolic enzyme and drug-targeted genes, identify the optimal treatment of major depression, and provide a reference for individualized medication selection. A prospective randomized single-blind investigation was conducted for 8 weeks. A pharmacogenomic-based interpretive report was provided to the treating physician in the guided group. Patients in this group were informed that their medication selection was directed by DNA testing. In the unguided group, treatment was provided based on the clinical experience of the physician without the guidance of pharmacogenomic testing. Pharmacogenomic-based interpretive report was not provided to these patients until treatment completion. The 17-item Hamilton depression scale (HAMD-17), Hamilton anxiety scale, and treatment emergent symptom scale were used to assess the clinical efficacy and side effects at baseline and after 2, 4, and 8 weeks of treatment. Among the 80 initially enrolled patients with depression, 71 participated in the full data analysis sets and were designated into guided (31) and unguided (40) groups, respectively. No significant difference (P > 0.05) in HAMD-17 total scores, response and remission rates was found between the guided and unguided groups at the end of the treatment. The incidence rate of adverse reaction was 55.56% in guided group and 57.89% in the unguided group. Our study suggested that pharmacogenomic testing might not considerably improve the clinical efficiency and safety for the guided group.

Colon cancer is the third most common malignancy and one of the leading causes of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. Neuronal pentraxin 1 (NPTX1) is associated with tumor progression in some types of tumors. However, its expression and role in colon cancer has not been yet reported. Here we observed that NPTX1 was down-regulated in colon cancer. Additionally, we explored the functional significance of NPTX1 in colon cancer. We found that over-expression of NPTX1 inhibited colon cancer cell growth by performing MTT, colony formation, Edu corporation assays, and cell cycle analysis. In vivo mouse experiments also confirmed the anti-proliferative role of NPTX1 in colon cancer. Further mechanistic study showed that over-expression of NPTX1 inhibited the expression of cyclin A2 and CDK2 in colon cancer cells, thereby regulating the Rb-E2F signaling. In summary, these findings reveal that NPTX1 suppress the colon cancer cell growth and might serve as a useful potential target for treatment of colon cancer.

Background/Aims: Chemotherapy is still the main strategy used to prevent the relapse of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). As the most abundant stromal component in bone marrow (BM), marrow adipocytes have been previously shown to promote leukaemogenesis. The present study was designed to further validate whether marrow adipocytes exert synergistic effects on strengthening chemotherapeutic efficacy and evaluate the underlying mechanism. Methods: A retrospective study of BM biopsies from 80 patients with AML in remission and 71 control subjects was applied to quantitatively analyse the marrow adipocyte volume. Toxicity tests were used to assess the effect of chemotherapy drugs on BM cells. The possible mechanisms by which chemotherapy regulated the reduced marrow adipocyte content were investigated using antibody neutralization experiments, with an emphasis on growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15). Results: In our study, the marrow adipocyte content was obviously reduced in the AML- complete remission (CR) group compared with the control group (P

Objective: To summarize the nursing treatment of patients who underwent implantation of a blood flow diverter to treat complex intracranial aneurysms. Methods: Data from 22 patients with complex aneurysms, diagnosed at an interventional center for blood flow diverter implantation between February 2015 and February 2016, treated in the Henan Provincial People’s Hospital (Zhengzhou, China), were retrospectively analyzed. Nursing methods, including preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care, were analyzed. Results: All 22 patients underwent successful surgery, with no related complications or hospital mortality, and were cured in hospital. Conclusion: Interventional flow diverter therapy for patients with complex intracranial aneurysms is a new technology, and involves intensive care by nursing staff and appears to be a promising new treatment method. Keywords: Intracranial aneurysm, Flow diverter, Retrospective, Nursing

Sodium (Na+) channels are the basis for action potential generation and propagation, which play a key role in the regulation of neuronal excitability. SCN3A is a gene encoding for sodium channel protein type 3 subunit alpha (or known as Nav1.3). This study aimed to explore SCN3A genetic variants in a cohort of childhood absence epilepsy (CAE) via whole exome sequencing. A novel SCN3A missense variant (c.A1816G, p.Ser606Gly) was identified in a patient with CAE. This variant had not been reported in both 1000G and ExAC databases. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that this variant was pathogenic and could transform the protein structure of Nav1.3. The reported phenotypes of SCN3A-related central nerve system disorders included multiple seizure types, polymicrogyria and different degrees of developmental delay/intellectual disability. The patient with p.Ser606Gly variant exhibited typical absence seizures. The MRI and CT scan results were normal, and EEG showed that 3-Hz spike-slow wave discharges. In conclusion, our findings not only broaden the pathogenic spectrum of SCN3A, but also extend the clinical phenotypes of SCN3A-related CAE.

Background Xingnao Kaiqiao acupuncture involves needling of the Neiguan (PC6), Renzhong (DU26), and Sanyinjiao (SP6) acupoints. The technique has a significant clinical effect in many neurological diseases. In the present report, we have developed a protocol for a scientific trial to analyze whether Xingnao Kaiqiao can be used to treat gastrointestinal dysfunction after laparoscopic surgery. In this context, we intend to execute a double-blind, randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy and safety of Xingnao Kaiqiao acupuncture via intradermal needling. Methods/design This will be a single-center, double-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial. It has been designed on the basis of the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT 2010) guidelines and the Standards for Reporting Interventions in Controlled Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA). The subjects will be recruited from among inpatients scheduled for laparoscopic surgery at the Department of Minimally Invasive Surgery, Tianjin Nankai Hospital, Tianjin, China. Using random numbers generated in SPSS 19.0, the recruited subjects will be allocated to either the “Xingnao Kaiqiao” group or the sham stimulation group. A specially appointed investigator will be in charge of the randomization. Xingnao Kaiqiao via intradermal needling (or sham needling) will be administered 6 h after laparoscopic surgery, and then every 12 h for a total of six sessions, each of which will last 3 min. The subjects will undergo their first evaluation shortly before the first treatment (6 h after laparoscopic surgery); evaluations will be repeated every 12 h until a total of seven evaluations have been completed. The primary outcome will be the time until the first postoperative flatus. The secondary outcomes will be: the time until the first postoperative defecation; levels of abdominal pain, abdominal distension, and nausea; blood ghrelin level; occurrence of vomiting; psychological status; and quality of life. Discussion This upcoming randomized clinical trial was designed as a standardized method to assess the efficacy and safety of Xingnao Kaiqiao acupuncture using intradermal needles on PC6, DU26, and SP6 in the treatment of gastrointestinal dysfunction after laparoscopic surgery. We aim to provide evidence and thus improve the clinical application of this technique. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-IOR-17010763. Registered on 2 March 2017. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-017-2319-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Landfill leachate is characterized by complex composition and difficult degradation. In this paper, we compared the effects of advanced treatment of ultraviolet (UV) system, persulfate (PS) system and ultraviolet/persulfate (UV/PS) system on landfill leachate. The results showed that the UV/PS system had the best removal efficiency. When the initial concentration of humic acid was 200 mg/L, the dosing of PS was 25 mmol/L, and the initial pH was 4, the maximum removal rates of UV254 and TOC were 89.62% and 76.17%. Namely, the value of SUVA254 decreased to 7.6603 L/(m ⋅ mg). It follows that the UV/PS system is effective in the removal of humic acid in the landfill leachate. In addition, this paper investigated the effects of temperature, initial pH and dosing ratio of chemicals on the treatment of leachate by UV/PS system. It was found that the optimal process conditions were 35 °C, pH = 4, dosing ratio = 2, and 24 h of operation. Under these conditions, the maximum removal rates of COD and TOC were 82.64% and 66.69%. The removal capacity of the system was in accordance with the pseudo-second-order kinetic equation. Therefore, this paper can provide a reference for the advanced treatment of landfill leachate.

Background Primary dysmenorrhoea (PD), defined as painful menses in women with normal pelvic anatomy, is one of the most common gynaecological syndromes. Acupoint-stimulation could potentially be an effective intervention for PD. Our aim was to determine the effectiveness of acupoint-stimulation compared with Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NASIDs) in the treatment of PD. Methods Six databases were searched to December 2014. Sixteen studies involving 1679 PD patients were included. We included randomized controlled trials that compared acupoint-stimulation with NASIDs for the treatment of PD. The main outcomes assessed were clinical effectiveness rate, symptom score, visual analogue score, variation in peripheral blood prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) and side effects. All analyses were performed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis statistical software. Results (1) The total efficacy was better than control group: odds ratio = 5.57; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 3.96, 7.83; P

Recent advances in neuroendocrinology and immunology have provided an entry to understand acupuncture. Here, we highlight these progresses and use endometriosis as an example to provide a perspective in how to effectively engage acupuncture into modern biomedicine. Endometriosis is a common chronic inflammatory disease in which endometrial tissue progressively grows outside the uterine cavity and into the pelvic region, including the fallopian tubes and ovaries. Also, estrogen promotes the endometriosis progression through on-site inflammation. Current treatments for endometriosis involve hormonal therapy and surgical procedures, however, they both may induce several side effects. Several studies have shown that the administration of exogenous dopamine agonists can significantly suppress endometriosis progression. Acupuncture is multivalent in which it can simultaneously stimulate the secretion of endogenous dopamine to modulate the GnRH neuroendocrine pathway in CNS and the COX-2 inflammatory pathway in PNS. Hence, acupuncture can smoothly manage endometriosis without the side effects of exogenous dopamine. The endometriosis management by acupuncture provides us an example of how to incorporate acupuncture into current biomedical systems. Acupuncture may provide a convenient, physiological method to regulate the neuroendocrine system in an integrative, systematic means.

The development of new non-mercury based catalysts for the vinyl chloride industrial production has attracted recently the attention of many researchers. In spite of the good activity of Au-based supported catalysts reported so far, the high cost of gold impedes future use of such catalysts. In the present work, an environmentally friendly non-precious transition metal coordinated N-doped carbon material as a catalyst for acetylene hydrochlorination reaction was developed, which shows good catalytic performance. The catalyst was characterized by Transmission Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (TEM-EDX), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The obtained results indicated that Co-N-AC catalyst can significantly improve the adsorption of HCl. And XPS result demonstrated the presence of Co-N x , which plays a major role in acetylene hydrochlorination reaction.

Endometriosis has many hypothesized etiologies. Known risk factors include genetic predisposition, uterine outflow abnormalities, and iatrogenic causes. Of increasing concern is prenatal environmental exposures. However, the findings of studies investigating the relationships between prenatal environmental exposures and the development of endometriosis have not always been conclusive, and therefore, the relationships are debatable. This review presents a summary and analysis of the current studies that investigated the effects of prenatal environmental exposures on the development of endometriosis in female offspring. Prenatal exposureto estrogenic substances (such as ethinyl estradiol and diethylstilbestrol) and environmental toxins (such as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, polychlorinated biphenyls, and bisphenol A) may increase the incidence of endometriosis in female offspring. However, exposure to cigarette smoke may protect againstthe development of endometriosis in female offspring mainly because of its antiestrogenic effects. Certain prenatal environmental exposures might result in the development of endometriosis in female offspring. In addition to known environmental exposures that predispose the development of endometriosis in adulthood, such as dioxin and radiation exposure (animal modeis), prenatal exposures are of increasing concern.

This study aimed to investigate the clinical efficacy of oxcarbazepine and lamotrigine combined with escitalopram in treating patients with epilepsy and depressive disorder, and their influence on the prognostic quality of life. A total of 108 patients with epilepsy and depression were selected as research participants. Among them, 53 patients were treated by oxcarbazepine combined with escitalopram (group A) and 55 patients were treated by lamotrigine combined with escitalopram (group B). Following six-month treatment, efficacy, epilepsy frequency and duration, Hamilton Depression Rating (HAMD) and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating (MADRS) scores, adverse reactions, improvement of electroencephalogram (EEG) epileptic discharge, quality of life, 1-year drug retention rate and withdrawal reasons of the two groups were compared. There was no remarkable difference in the total efficacy rate between both groups. The number and duration of epileptic seizures, improvement of EEG epileptic discharge and quality of life in the two groups significantly improved after treatment, with no marked difference. HAMD and MADRS scores of patients from group B were significantly lower after treatment compared with those of patients from group A. The incidence rate of adverse reactions in group B was dramatically lower compared with group A, and the 1-year drug retention rate of group B was dramatically higher compared with that in group A. Both oxcarbazepine and lamotrigine combined with escitalopram exhibited good efficacy in patients with epilepsy and depressive disorder, and they may effectively improve the prognostic quality of life of patients. Lamotrigine combined with escitalopram presented with a better antidepressant effect and safety, with higher patient tolerance.

Wearable electrochemical biosensors for sweat analysis present a promising means for noninvasive biomarker monitoring. However, sweat-based sensing still poses several challenges, including easy degradation of enzymes and biomaterials with repeated testing, limited detection range and sensitivity of enzyme-based biosensors caused by oxygen deficiency in sweat, and poor shelf life of sensors using all-in-one working electrodes patterned by traditional techniques (e.g., electrodeposition and screen printing). Herein, a stretchable, wearable, and modular multifunctional biosensor is developed, incorporating a novel MXene/Prussian blue (Ti3 C2 Tx /PB) composite designed for durable and sensitive detection of biomarkers (e.g., glucose and lactate) in sweat. A unique modular design enables a simple exchange of the specific sensing electrode to target the desired analytes. Furthermore, an implemented solid-liquid-air three-phase interface design leads to superior sensor performance and stability. Typical electrochemical sensitivities of 35.3 µA mm-1 cm-2 for glucose and 11.4 µA mm-1 cm-2 for lactate are achieved using artificial sweat. During in vitro perspiration monitoring of human subjects, the physiochemistry signals (glucose and lactate level) can be measured simultaneously with high sensitivity and good repeatability. This approach represents an important step toward the realization of ultrasensitive enzymatic wearable biosensors for personalized health monitoring.

Objective. To comprehensively compare the effects of conventional therapy combined with intravenous vitamin C and conventional therapy on viral myocarditis in children through a meta-analysis. Methods. Relevant articles including clinical trials of normal treatment combined with intravenous vitamin C and conventional therapy for viral myocarditis in children that were published between January 2000 and February 2018 were selected from PubMed, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal Database, and WANFANG database. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane systematic review method (version 5.1.0); data quality was evaluated by two independent researchers. The total effective rate; LDH, CK, and CK-MB levels; and other indicators were analyzed using Rev Man 5.3 software. Results. Eight studies were eligible for this meta-analysis, which included a total of 426 patients in the treatment group and 363 patients in the control group. The meta-analysis results of six studies showed that the total effective rate of intravenous vitamin C combined with conventional therapy was higher than that of conventional therapy alone [Z = 5.46, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21 (1.13 to 1.30), P < 0.00001]; that of five studies showed that LDH levels were lower in children receiving intravenous vitamin C combined with conventional therapy than in those receiving conventional therapy alone [Z = 3.70, 95% CI: −1.88 (−2.88 to −0.88), P = 0.0002]; that of three studies showed that CK levels were lower in children receiving intravenous vitamin C combined with conventional therapy than in those receiving conventional therapy alone [Z = 4.21, 95% CI: −0.55 (−0.81 to −0.30), P < 0.0001]; that of four studies showed that CK-MB levels were lower in children receiving intravenous vitamin C combined with conventional therapy than in those receiving conventional therapy alone [Z = 13.64, 95% CI: −1.44 (−1.65 to −1.24), P < 0.00001]; that of two studies showed that CD3 levels were higher in children receiving intravenous vitamin C combined with conventional therapy than in those receiving conventional therapy alone [Z = 2.45, 95% CI: 0.41 (0.08–0.73), P = 0.01]; that of two studies showed no significant difference in changes in CD4 levels between children receiving intravenous vitamin C combined with conventional therapy and those receiving conventional therapy alone [Z = 0.28, 95% CI: −0.21 (−1.69 to 1.28), P = 0.78]; and that of two studies showed no significant difference in changes in CD4/CD8 between children receiving intravenous vitamin C combined with conventional therapy and those receiving conventional therapy alone [Z = 0.07, 95% CI: −0.03 (−0.73 to 0.67), P = 0.94]. Conclusion. The meta-analysis results showed that intravenous vitamin C combined with conventional therapy is better than the simple, conventional therapy for the treatment of viral myocarditis in children in terms of the total effective rate and LDH, CK, and CK-MB levels.

A 38-year-old man with a history of resistant hypertension for more than 10 years underwent laparoscopic-based perivascular unilateral renal sympathetic nerve denervation in 2012. After the operation, the patient’s blood pressure has been controllable while the antihypertensive drug intake has decreased over 6 years. Laparoscopic-based perivascular unilateral renal sympathetic nerve denervation may be a potentially feasible and effective option in treating patients with resistant hypertension.

Adiponectin plays critical roles in energy metabolism and immunity of mammals by binding to its receptors (AdipoR1 and AdipoR2). However, they have not been fully understood in fish. The present study examined the distribution of adiponectin receptors (AdipoRs) mRNA in grass carp, and the changes of their expressions under glucose load, insulin or glucagon stimulation, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid [poly (I:C)] challenge. As for glucose load, fish were orally administrated with glucose (1.67 mg/g BW) for 1, 3, 6, 12 h. For insulin or glucagon stimulation, the primary hepatocytes of grass carp were incubated with 0, 10, 100, 1000 nM insulin or glucagon for 1, 3, 6, 12 h. In the immune challenge experiment, grass carp were intraperitoneally injected with LPS or poly (I:C) (5 μg/g BW) for 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 h. Finally, AdipoRs mRNA expression in all experiments was detected by Real-time quantitative PCR. The results showed that AdipoRs mRNA was widely expressed in various tissues of grass carp. The adipoR1a mRNA was highly expressed in the brain regions, and the highest level of adipoR2 mRNA was observed in the adipose tissue. Glucose load up-regulated adipoR1b and adipoR2 mRNA expressions in the liver at 6 h post administration and decreased adipoR1a expression in the muscle at 3 h. Insulin significantly enhanced adipoR1b and adipoR2 mRNA expressions in the hepatocytes at 1–12 h, and promoted adipoR1a mRNA expression at 1, 3 and 12 h, while glucagon had little effect on their expressions. LPS and poly (I:C) stimuli induced AdipoRs expression in the liver at 6 and 12 h, and their expressions in the muscle were decreased slightly or remained unchanged. In addition, LPS promoted AdipoRs expression in the kidney and spleen, whereas poly (I:C) only induced adipoR1a mRNA expression in the kidney, and increased adipoR2 mRNA level in the spleen. These results suggest that AdipoRs may act as one of the targets of insulin and immune response in grass carp, but whether they are direct target remains to be further studied.

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is a rare disease in children, and its clinical severity varies. To better understand disease manifestation and treatment outcome, we analyzed 68 children diagnosed as AIHA for clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, and treatment outcomes. Data show that primary AIHA accounted for 39.7% of all patients, whereas secondary AIHA accounted for 60.3%. Among them, Evans syndrome (ES) accounted for 20 cases (29.4%). Average hemoglobin was lower in the 1-year or below age group than in the above 1-year age group, combined-antibody group than single-antibody group, and IgM-contained group than non-IgM-contained group (P

The present study aimed to explore the function of miR‑34b promoter methylation in cell proliferation in children's acute leukemia. Quantitative PCR and methylation‑specific PCR were performed to measure the levels of miR‑34b and its promoter methylation in normal cells, eight leukemia cell lines as well as primary leukemic cells isolated from patients newly diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and mixed lymphocytic lymphoma. miR‑34b levels in leukemia cell lines and primary leukemic cells were significantly lower than those in normal cells. The miR‑34b promoter was found to be methylated in all leukemia cell lines, 24 of 31 ALL patients and 8 of 19 AML patients, but not in the 23 normal controls. miR‑34b expression and methylation of its promoter were not associated with most clinical parameters assessed; however, miR‑34b levels in prednisone‑sensitive ALL were significantly different from those in insensitive ALL. A cell counting kit‑8 assay showed that transfection of miR‑34b mimics into K562 cells inhibited their proliferation. Furthermore, treatment with the demethylating agent 5‑aza‑2‑deoxycytidine significantly enhanced miR‑34b expression levels and decreased the methylation status of its promoter in HL‑60 and K562 cells. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicated that in pediatric leukemia cells and leukemia cell lines, the expression of miR‑34b is inhibited by methylation of its promoter, which impairs the restraining effects of miR‑34b on cell proliferation. It was also indicated that the expression of miR‑34b in ALL patients may affect their response to early treatments.

Ligustrazine is a principal ingredient of chuanxiong. Concerns regarding the evaluation of the effectiveness of ligustrazine in the treatment of UA have resulted in a meta-analysis combined with recent clinical evidence. Seven computer databases that included the China hospital knowledge database (CHKD), Wanfang Med Online, the Chinese medical journal database (CMJD), PubMed, Cochrane, Embase (Ovid), and Medline (Ovid) were systematically searched. We included randomized controlled trials and quasi-randomized controlled trials. Our systematic review identified 16 RCTs that met our eligibility criteria. Ligustrazine combined with conventional medicine was associated with an increased rate of marked improvement in symptoms and an increased rate of marked improvement of ECG compared with conventional Western medicine alone. Additionally, the use of ligustrazine was associated with significant trends in the reduction of the consumption of nitroglycerin and the level of fibrinogen when compared with conventional Western medicine alone. No firm results were found between the intervention and the control method groups in the reduction of the time of onset or the frequency of acute attack angina due to the high level of heterogeneity. In conclusion, our meta-analysis found that ligustrazine was associated with some benefits for people with unstable angina.

Autophagy is required for hematopoietic stem cell multilineage differentiation, but the underlying mechanism is unknown. Using a conditional mouse model and human leukemia cells, we uncovered a mechanistic link between autophagy and hematopoietic stem cell differentiation. Loss of autophagy in mouse hematopoietic stem cells diminished the bone marrow generation of functional blood cells, in particular lymphocytes, and resulted in a leukemic phenotype and elevated Notch signaling. Physiological autophagy activity in mice was inversely correlated with Notch signaling during adult hematopoietic stem cell differentiation, while pathologically low autophagy was associated with upregulated Notch signaling in dysfunctional hematopoietic stem cells of acute leukemia patients. Furthermore, we show that autophagy directly degraded intracellular Notch, the active form of Notch receptor cleaved from the full-length Notch molecule by γ-secretase. Finally, we show that hematopoietic multilineage differentiation potential was restored in autophagy defective hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells when their Notch signaling was abrogated either pharmacologically with γ-secretase inhibitor DAPT or genetically with RNA interference of Notch effector RBPJ. Hence, we propose that autophagy sustains hematopoiesis by direct targeting Notch.

IGFBPs play a pivotal role in regulating the physiological function of IGFs (insulin-like growth factors). As an important member of IGFBPs, IGFBP3 is involved in the regulation of physiological functions of IGFs. To investigate the functional role of Igfbp3 in a herbivorous fish species, grass carp igfbp3 (GenBank accession no. MN251843) was isolated from the liver by molecular cloning. The ORF of grass carp igfbp3 was 882 bp, which encoded 293 amino acids, and the first 22 amino acids comprised the signal peptide. The predicted molecular weight of grass carp Igfbp3 is 31.95 kDa, and the theoretical isoelectric point is 8.32. Grass carp Igfbp3 displayed a high identity with its counterparts of common carp and zebrafish. And phylogenetic tree analysis showed that the grass carp Igfbp3 was clustered into the Igfbp3 subgroups of common carp and zebrafish. Tissue distribution study showed that igfbp3 was ubiquitously expressed in all tissues examined in the present study. High expression level of igfbp3 was detected in the heart, brain and fat of grass carp. The OGTT demonstrated that igfbp3 mRNA expression was significantly elevated in the liver of grass carp in response to glucose treatment. In vitro study showed that insulin could markedly stimulated igfbp3 mRNA expression in primary grass carp hepatocytes. Moreover, igfbp3 mRNA levels were also regulated by glucagon in grass carp primary hepatocytes. These results may provide the theoretical foundation for investigating the role of Igfbp3 in fish metabolism.

The left ventricle (LV) compensates for the increased afterload encountered in severe aortic stenosis (AS) through hypertrophy. However, a decreased left ventricular ejection fraction LVEF

Pathogenic gene variants in transthyretin ( TTR ) can cause heritable amyloidosis (hATTR) and confer a 60% risk of heart failure. Echocardiography with global longitudinal strain (GLS) discriminates fully manifest cardiac amyloid (CA) but its ability to detect preclinical CA is unknown. We