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Abstract Previous studies in small samples have identified inconsistent cortical abnormalities in major depressive disorder (MDD). Despite genetic influences on MDD and the brain, it is unclear how genetic risk for MDD is translated into spatially patterned cortical vulnerability. Here, we initially examined voxel-wise differences in cortical function and structure using the largest multi-modal MRI data from 1660 MDD patients and 1341 controls. Combined with the Allen Human Brain Atlas, we then adopted transcription-neuroimaging spatial correlation and the newly developed ensemble-based gene category enrichment analysis to identify gene categories with expression related to cortical changes in MDD. Results showed that patients had relatively circumscribed impairments in local functional properties and broadly distributed disruptions in global functional connectivity, consistently characterized by hyper-function in associative areas and hypo-function in primary regions. Moreover, the local functional alterations were correlated with genes enriched for biological functions related to MDD in general (e.g., endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitogen-activated protein kinase, histone acetylation, and DNA methylation); and the global functional connectivity changes were associated with not only MDD-general, but also brain-relevant genes (e.g., neuron, synapse, axon, glial cell, and neurotransmitters). Our findings may provide important insights into the transcriptomic signatures of regional cortical vulnerability to MDD.

Abstract Background The increasing prevalence of childhood obesity has become an urgent public health problem, evidence showed that intervention for childhood obesity bring enormous health benefits. However, an effective individualized intervention strategy remains to be developed, and the accompanying remission of related complications, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), needs to be assessed. This study aimed to develop an m-Health-assisted lifestyle intervention program targeting overweight/obese children and assess its effectiveness on indicators of adiposity and NAFLD. Methods This is a cluster-randomized controlled trial that conducted in children with overweight/obesity in Ningbo city, Zhejiang Province, China. Students in Grade 3 (8–10 years old) were recruited from six primary schools, with three be randomized to intervention group and three to usual practice group. The intervention program will last for one academic year and consists of health education, dietary guidance, and physical activity reinforcement. This program is characterized by encouraging four stakeholders, including School, Clinic, famIly, and studENT (SCIENT), to participate in controlling childhood obesity, assisted by m-Health technology. Assessments will be conducted at baseline and 3 months, 9 months, 24 months, and 36 months after baseline. The primary outcome will be the differences between the two groups in students’ body mass index and fatty liver index at the end of the intervention (9 months after baseline). During the implementation process, quality control methods will be adopted. Discussion The program will test the effectiveness of the m-Health-assisted lifestyle intervention on children with obesity and NAFLD. The results of this study will provide evidence for establishing effective lifestyle intervention strategy aimed at childhood obesity and NAFLD and may help develop guidelines for the treatment of obesity and NAFLD in Chinese children. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT05482191. Registered on July 2022.

AbstractContext Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists are potential therapeutic agents for ulcerative colitis (UC). Indirubin (IDR), which is a natural AhR ligand approved for leukemia treatment, ameliorates dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. However, the therapeutic mechanisms of IDR are unknown, limiting its application.Objective This study explores the therapeutic mechanisms of IDR in DSS-induced colitis using transcriptomic analysis.Materials and methods Male BALB/c mice were categorized to six groups: normal, DSS model (2% DSS), IDR treatment (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg), and sulfasalazine (520 mg/kg) groups. The drugs were intragastrically administered for 7 consecutive days. The disease activity index (DAI) was recorded. After euthanasia, the colon length was measured, and histopathological examination, immunohistochemistry staining using F4/80, and colonic transcriptomic analysis were conducted. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting (WB) were conducted to verify our findings.Results Compared with DSS, IDR treatment decreased the DAI score by 64.9% and increased colon length by 26.2%. Moreover, it alleviated mucosal injury and reduced macrophage infiltration. Transcriptomic analysis identified several downregulated genes (Igkvs and Nlrp3), as well as Nlrp3/Il1β and hemoglobin gene networks, after IDR treatment. The abundances of NF-κB p65, NLRP3, IL-1β, and HBA decreased by 69.1, 59.4, 81.1, and 83.0% respectively, after IDR treatment.Discussion and conclusion Apart from the well-documented NF-κB signalling pathway, IL-17A, and NLRP3-IL-1β, the suppression of haemoglobin-induced lipid peroxidation could be a previously unknown mechanism of IDR. Our study can help improve its application for UC treatment.

Abstract Beyond detecting brain lesions or tumors, comparatively little success has been attained in identifying brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Many machine learning algorithms to detect AD have been trained using limited training data, meaning they often generalize poorly when applied to scans from previously unseen scanners/populations. Therefore, we built a practical brain MRI-based AD diagnostic classifier using deep learning/transfer learning on a dataset of unprecedented size and diversity. A retrospective MRI dataset pooled from more than 217 sites/scanners constituted one of the largest brain MRI samples to date (85,721 scans from 50,876 participants) between January 2017 and August 2021. Next, a state-of-the-art deep convolutional neural network, Inception-ResNet-V2, was built as a sex classifier with high generalization capability. The sex classifier achieved 94.9% accuracy and served as a base model in transfer learning for the objective diagnosis of AD. After transfer learning, the model fine-tuned for AD classification achieved 90.9% accuracy in leave-sites-out cross-validation on the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI, 6,857 samples) dataset and 94.5%/93.6%/91.1% accuracy for direct tests on three unseen independent datasets (AIBL, 669 samples / MIRIAD, 644 samples / OASIS, 1,123 samples). When this AD classifier was tested on brain images from unseen mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients, MCI patients who converted to AD were 3 times more likely to be predicted as AD than MCI patients who did not convert (65.2% vs. 20.6%). Predicted scores from the AD classifier showed significant correlations with illness severity. In sum, the proposed AD classifier offers a medical-grade marker that has potential to be integrated into AD diagnostic practice.

In the present work, four groups of spherical chromium carbide reinforced NiCrBSi hardmetal coatings were prepared on AISI 4145 steel by plasma transferred arc (PTA) technique. The corrosion behavior of the four as-received hardmetal coatings in 0.5 mol/L H2SO4 solution was investigated by polarization curve and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results revealed that more Cr-rich carbides (Cr3C2, Cr7C3 and M23(C, B)6) are formed in the chromium carbide reinforced coatings, while for the NiCrBSi hardmetal coating only Cr7C3 carbide was detected by XRD. The polarization results show that the chromium carbide reinforced NiCrBSi hardmetal coatings have positive corrosion potential and lower corrosion current, providing a better protective effect to the substrate metal. The combined effects of Cr-rich carbide ceramic phases and a more stable passive film of Cr2O3 greatly improved the corrosion resistances of the chromium carbide reinforced NiCrBSi hardmetal coatings. The coating with the highest spherical chromium carbide addition has more pores because of the thermal stress due to the difference of thermal expansion coefficient between the NiCrBSi bonding phase and chromium carbide reinforced phase. The negative effects of the pores weaken the corrosion resistance, and the coating with the 30% chromium carbide content shows the best corrosion resistance. For NiCrBSi hardmetal coatings with higher reinforced chromium carbide content, the repeatability of the corrosion current obtained by polarization fitting is not as good as that of coatings with lower chromium carbide content. The repeatability of polarization results becomes worse when the specimens keep in a more stable passive state.

Abstract The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is considered a hub of reward processing and a growing body of evidence has suggested its crucial role in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, inconsistent results have been reported by studies on reward network-focused resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). In this study, we examined functional alterations of the NAc-based reward circuits in patients with MDD via meta- and mega-analysis. First, we performed a coordinated-based meta-analysis with a new SDM-PSI method for all up-to-date rs-fMRI studies that focused on the reward circuits of patients with MDD. Then, we tested the meta-analysis results in the REST-meta-MDD database which provided anonymous rs-fMRI data from 186 recurrent MDDs and 465 healthy controls. Decreased functional connectivity (FC) within the reward system in patients with recurrent MDD was the most robust finding in this study. We also found disrupted NAc FCs in the DMN in patients with recurrent MDD compared with healthy controls. Specifically, the combination of disrupted NAc FCs within the reward network could discriminate patients with recurrent MDD from healthy controls with an optimal accuracy of 74.7%. This study confirmed the critical role of decreased FC in the reward network in the neuropathology of MDD. Disrupted inter-network connectivity between the reward network and DMN may also have contributed to the neural mechanisms of MDD. These abnormalities have potential to serve as brain-based biomarkers for individual diagnosis to differentiate patients with recurrent MDD from healthy controls.

AIM: To investigate the expression changes of Toll like recepter 9(TLR-9)and myeloid differentiation factor 88(MyD88)in retina of mice following optic nerve injury(ONI).METHODS: There were 36 male 8-week-old C57BL/6J mice randomly divided into 6 groups: blank control(no treatment), ONI 1d group(materials were taken at 1d after optic nerve injury), ONI 3d group(materials were taken at 3d after optic nerve injury), ONI 5d group(materials were taken at 5d after optic nerve injury), ONI 7d group(materials were taken at 7d after optic nerve injury), ONI 14d group(materials were taken at 14d after optic nerve injury). The mice optic nerve model was made by optic nerve gripping, and the mRNA and protein levels of Toll like recepter 9 and myeloid differentiation factor 88 in each retinal were measured by RT-qPCR and Western-blot.RESULTS: The mRNA and protein levels of Toll like recepter 9 and myeloid differentiation factor 88 in the retina of ONI 1d group were not significantly different from those of the blank control group(P>0.05), the mRNA and protein levels of TLR-9 and MyD88 in the retina of ONI 3d group, ONI 5d group, ONI 7d group and ONI 14d group were significantly increased compared with the blank control group, and the differences were statistically significant(P

BackgroundFrailty predicts an increased risk of postoperative morbidity and mortality. Comparison of the predictive performance between two deficit accumulation models of frailty, the modified frailty index (mFI) and the revised-Risk Analysis Index (RAI-rev), is poorly understood. This study compared the predictive abilities of the above two frailty indices in predicting life-threatening morbidity and mortality among older patients following elective high-risk abdominal surgery.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study extracted perioperative data of older patients (age ≥65 years) undergoing elective high-risk abdominal surgery at a single institution between January 2018 and December 2020. Preoperative frailty was screened by mFI and RAI-rev scoring systems. The primary outcome was the composite of postoperative life-threatening morbidity and mortality during hospitalization. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the association of the two frailty indices with the primary outcome. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was employed to test the predictive performances of the two frailty instruments in predicting the composite primary outcome. The difference between the area under the curves (AUCs) was assessed by DeLong’s test.Results1,132 older patients (mean age, 73.4 ± 6.2 years; 63.9% male) were included. Of these, 107 (9.5%) developed postoperative life-threatening morbidity and mortality. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, rising continuous frailty scores (mFI: adjusted OR 1.319 per 0.09-point increase in score, 95% CI 1.151–1.511, p

Is the brain at rest during the so-called resting state? Ongoing experiences in the resting state vary in unobserved and uncontrolled ways across time, individuals, and populations. However, the role of self-generated thoughts in resting-state fMRI remains largely unexplored. In this study, we collected real-time self-generated thoughts during “resting-state” fMRI scans via the think-aloud method (i.e., think-aloud fMRI), which required participants to report whatever they were currently thinking. We first investigated brain activation patterns during a think-aloud condition and found that significantly activated brain areas included all brain regions required for speech. We then calculated the relationship between divergence in thought content and brain activation during think-aloud and found that divergence in thought content was associated with many brain regions. Finally, we explored the neural representation of self-generated thoughts by performing representational similarity analysis (RSA) at three neural scales: a voxel-wise whole-brain searchlight level, a region-level whole-brain analysis using the Schaefer 400-parcels, and at the systems level using the Yeo seven-networks. We found that “resting-state” self-generated thoughts were distributed across a wide range of brain regions involving all seven Yeo networks. This study highlights the value of considering ongoing experiences during resting-state fMRI and providing preliminary methodological support for think-aloud fMRI.

Abstract Background Limitations exist in available studies investigating effect of preoperative frailty on postoperative outcomes. This study was designed to analyze the association between composite risk index, an accumulation of preoperative frailty deficits, and the risk of postoperative complications in older patients recovering from elective digestive tract surgery. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study. Baseline and perioperative data of older patients (age ≥ 65 years) who underwent elective digestive tract surgery from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2018 were collected. The severity of frailty was assessed with the composite risk index, a composite of frailty deficits including modified frailty index. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of postoperative complications during hospital stay. The association between the composite risk index and the risk of postoperative complications was assessed with a multivariable logistic regression model. Results A total of 923 patients were included. Of these, 27.8% (257) developed postoperative complications. Four frailty deficits, i.e., modified frailty index ≥0.27, malnutrition, hemoglobin

Background and aimsFindings about the associations between transmembrane 6 superfamily member 2 (TM6SF2) rs58542926 and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease have not been consistently replicated, particularly in steatosis and fibrosis. The present study aimed to investigate the associations between the rs58542926T allele and the spectrum of NAFLD and its related metabolic phenotypes.MethodsSystematic literature research was performed to analyse the associations between rs58542926 and the spectrum of NAFLD and its related metabolic phenotypes. A random effects meta-analysis with a dominant genetic model was applied.ResultsData from 123,800 individuals across 44 studies were included in the current meta-analysis.rs58542926 T allele was associated with an increased risk of NAFLD in both adults (OR=1.62; 95% CI: 1.40, 1.86) and children (OR=2.87; 95% CI: 1.85, 4.46). Children had a stronger association with NAFLD (P=0.01). rs58542926 T allele was also positively associated with steatosis progression (mean difference=0.22; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.39) and fibrosis stage (OR=1.50; 95% CI: 1.20, 1.88) in adults. The TM6SF2 rs58542926 T allele was positively associated with ALT in both adults and children (both P

BackgroundNeuraxial analgesia is widely used to relieve labor pain; its effects on long-term neurodevelopment of offspring remain unclear. This study was designed to investigate the influence of maternal neuraxial labor analgesia on offspring mental development.MethodsThis was a predefined secondary analysis of a 2-year prospective longitudinal study. Nulliparous women with single-term cephalic pregnancy preparing for vaginal delivery self-selected neuraxial analgesia or not during labor. Mothers and their offspring were followed up 2 years later. children's mental development was assessed with the bayley scales of infant development. A multivariable logistic model was used to identify factors associated with below-average mental development (Mental Development Index

Abstract Introduction Erector spinae plane block (ESPB) is a novel inter-fascial plane block, which is applied more and more in postoperative pain control, especially in chest surgery. Regional block is advocated in order to decrease opioid consumption and improve analgesia in urological surgery. Therefore, we aimed to explore whether ESPB would have similar analgesia compared with thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) in laparoscopic nephroureterectomy. Methods and analysis This prospective, randomized, double-blinded, non-inferiority trial will enroll 166 patients undergoing laparoscopic nephroureterectomy. Participants will be randomly assigned 1:1 into receiving ESPB or TPVB before surgery. Both ultrasound-guided ESPB and TPVB will be performed with an injection of 0.375% ropivacaine 0.4 ml/kg before anesthesia induction. Standardized patients controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) will be applied for each patient. The primary endpoint is the joint of cumulative 24 h opioid (sufentanil) consumption and average pain score via numeric rating scale (NRS) at 24 h after surgery. Secondary endpoints include rescued analgesic demand, cumulative opioid consumption, and pain NRS scores at different preset timepoints within 48 h after surgery. Other predefined outcomes include clinical features of blockage, quality of recovery, subjective sleep quality, time to ambulation and diet, and adverse events, as well as length of stay in hospital and anesthesia cost. Discussion Previous studies investigating the analgesic efficacy of ESPB only concentrated on a single endpoint for postoperative pain evaluation, while studies focusing on the direct comparison between ESPB and TPVB in urological surgery are still lacking. Our study is the first trial in non-inferiority design of comparing ESPB and TPVB in patient undergoing laparoscopic nephroureterectomy, and the primary outcome is the joint endpoint of opioid consumption and pain NRS score. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR 2000031916 . Registered on 14 April 2020.

Background: Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have consistently identified MAP2K5 as an obesity susceptibility gene. To deepen our understanding of the potential causal genetic variants of this region, a fine-mapping study of MAP2K5 was conducted.Methods and Results: SNPs rs7175517 (G > A) and rs4776970 (T > A) were identified as the leading SNPs associated with BMI in both Chinese and the United Kingdom populations. Second, colocalization of GWAS and expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analyses and bioinformatic analyses indicated that rs7175517 is the functionally leading variant in the MAP2K5 gene region. Dual-luciferase assays indicated that the G allele of rs7175517 reduced the mRNA expression of MAP2K5 in HEK293T cells. The possible mechanism was that the G allele interacted with more RNA repressors from nuclei extracts, which was evidenced by electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs). Furthermore, the pathway enrichment analyses of the products from DNA pull-down and protein mass spectrometry demonstrated that the G allele of rs7175517 might interact with RNA catabolic or splicing transcription factors, which consequentially increased adiposity deposition.Conclusion: SNP rs7175517 of the MAP2K5 gene was the putative causal variant associated with BMI. More precisely designed in vitro or animal experiments are warranted to further delineate the function of MAP2K5 in adipogenesis.

Abstract. Background:. Vasovagal syncope (VVS) greatly impairs quality of life. The therapeutic efficacy of oral rehydration saline (ORS) for unselected VVS patients is not satisfactory due to the diverse mechanisms of the disease. Body mass index (BMI) was demonstrated to reflect blood volume to a certain extent. Therefore, the present study explored the capability of BMI to predict the therapeutic response of children with VVS to ORS treatment. Methods:. Seventy-four children with VVS who visited the Syncope Unit of Pediatrics at Peking University First Hospital from November 2010 to June 2019 receiving ORS treatment were enrolled for this retrospective case-control study. A comparison of demographic, clinical, and hemodynamic characteristics was performed between responders and non-responders. The correlation between baseline BMI and response time was analyzed. To determine the value of baseline BMI in predicting the therapeutic efficacy of ORS in children with VVS, a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed. Results:. Fifty-two children were identified as responders, and the remaining 22 children were identified as non-responders. The baseline BMI of the responders was much lower than that of the non-responders (16.4 [15.5, 17.8] kg/m2vs. 20.7 ±e6 kg/m2, P

Abstract. Background. Despite the recent large number of studies comparing endoscopic and laparoscopic resection for small gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) (diameter ≤ 5 cm), the results remain conflicting. The objective of this work was to perform a cumulative meta-analysis to assess the advantages and disadvantages of endoscopic resection vs. laparoscopic resection. Methods. The meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. We searched medical databases up to January 2020. Meta-analytical random or fixed effects models were used in pooled analyses. Meta-regression, cumulative meta-analyses, and subgroup analyses were performed to improve the accuracy of the conclusion. Sensitivity analyses were applied to assess the robustness of the results. Results. A total of 12 cohort studies with 1383 participants comparing endoscopic resection and laparoscopic resection were identified, while three cohort studies with 167 participants comparing endoscopic resection and laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery were found. We found that endoscopic resection had shorter operation times (weighted mean difference [WMD] = –27.1 min, 95% confidence interval [CI]: –40.8 min to –13.4 min) and lengths of hospital stay (WMD = –1.43 d, 95% CI: –2.31 d to –0.56 d) than did laparoscopic resection. The results were stable and reliable. There were no significant differences in terms of blood loss, hospitalization costs, incidence of complications or recurrence rates. For tumor sizes 2 – 5 cm, endoscopic resection increased the risk of positive margins (relative risk [RR] = 5.78, 95% CI: 1.31 – 25.46). Although operation times for endoscopic resection were shorter than those of laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery (WMD = –41.03 min, 95% CI: –59.53 min to –22.54 min), there was a higher incidence of complications (RR = 4.03, 95% CI: 1.57 – 10.34). Conclusions. In general, endoscopic resection is an alternative method for gastric GISTs ≤ 5 cm. Laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery may work well in combination. Further randomized controlled trials are recommended to validate or update these results.

Abstract Background Preoperative intravenous rehydration for patients with pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGLs) is widely used in many medical centers, but its usefulness has not been well evaluated. The objective of this study was to compare the perioperative hemodynamics and early outcome between patients who received preoperative intravenous rehydration and those without for resection of PPGLs. Methods In this retrospective propensity score-matched cohort study, the data of patients who underwent surgery for PPGLs were collected. Patients were divided into two groups depending on whether they received or did not receive intravenous rehydration preoperatively. The primary endpoint was intraoperative hypotension, described as the cumulative time of mean arterial pressure

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) have been shown to be an essential component of the tumor microenvironment and facilitate the proliferation and invasion of a variety of malignancies. However, the contribution of TAMs to meningioma progression has not been characterized in detail. In this study, we aimed to discover a novel regulatory pathway by which exosome-mediated M2-polarized macrophages participate in meningioma tumorigenesis and progression. Methods. First, the distribution and functional phenotype of macrophages in meningioma tissues were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Macrophage-derived exosomes (MDEs) were characterized, and further cell coculture experiments were performed to explore the effects of M2-MDEs on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of meningioma cells. RNA sequencing was used to analyze the transcriptomic signatures in meningioma cells treated with M2-MDEs. Three-dimensional tumorspheres and xenograft tumor models were used to evaluate the effects of M2-MDEs on meningioma tumorigenesis and development. Results. We found that M2 macrophages were enriched in meningioma tissue. Coculture with meningioma cells induced the M2 polarization of macrophages. We also found that M2-MDEs were able to significantly promote cell proliferation, cell migration, cell invasion, and tumorigenesis in meningiomas. Bioinformatic analysis suggested that the TGF-β pathway was activated in meningioma cells treated with M2-MDEs. Functional experiments demonstrated that blocking the TGF-β signaling pathway could effectively reverse the tumor-promotive effects mediated by M2-MDEs. Conclusions. Overall, our study showed that M2-MDEs promoted meningioma development and invasion by activating the TGF-β signaling pathway. Targeting exosome-mediated intercellular communication in the tumor microenvironment may be a novel therapeutic strategy for meningioma patients.

Abstract Background Intraoperative hypotension is associated with increased morbidity and mortality after surgery. We hypothesized that intraoperative hypotension might also be associated with worse long-term survival after cancer surgery. Herein, we analyzed the correlation between intraoperative hyper−/hypotension and overall survival after lung cancer surgery. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, 676 patients who received lung cancer surgery between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2009 were reviewed. Intraoperative hyper- and hypotension were defined according to their correlation with long-term survival. The primary endpoint was overall survival. The association between episodes of intraoperative hyper−/hypotension and overall survival was analyzed with multivariable Cox proportional hazard models. Results Long-term follow-ups were completed in 515 patients with a median duration of 5.2 years. The estimated 5-year survival rates were 66.5, 61.3, 56.5, and 41.2% in patients with only hypertension (systolic blood pressure > 140 mmHg for ≥5 min), with both hyper- and hypotension (systolic blood pressure

Abstract Background Accurate diagnosis of delirium is very important for prevention and treatment. Present study was designed to validate the 3-Minute Diagnostic Interview for CAM-defined Delirium Chinese version (3D-CAM-CN) in surgical ICU patients. Methods In this prospective diagnostic study, the 3D-CAM was translated into Chinese with culture adaption. Two interviewers (Roles A and B) independently administrated 3D-CAM-CN assessment in adult patients from postoperative days 1 to day 3. At the meantime, a panel of psychiatrists diagnosed delirium according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-fifth edition as the reference standard. The sensitivity and specificity were calculated to analyze the diagnostic character of the 3D-CAM-CN. Kappa coefficient was used to evaluate interrater reliability. Results Two hundred forty-five adult patients were assessed for at least 2 days, resulting a total of 647 paired-assessments. When compared with the reference standard, the sensitivity and specificity of the 3D-CAM-CN assessment were 87.2 and 96.7%, respectively, by Role A and 84.6 and 97.4%, respectively, by Role B, with good interrater reliability (Kappa coefficient = 0.82, P

Abstract Background Ultrasound-guided lateral transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block can provide definite analgesia to the anterior abdominal wall. However, whether this method is useful in renal surgery through the lateral abdominal wall pathway remains unknown. The study aimed to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of lateral TAP block for retroperitoneoscopic partial or radical nephrectomy. Method In this prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, eligible patients were randomized into two groups. After anaesthesia induction, ultrasound-guided lateral TAP block was performed with either 30 ml of 0.4% ropivacaine (Group T) or an equivalent volume of normal saline (Group C). The primary outcomes were opioid consumption during surgery and in the first 24 h after surgery. Secondary outcomes included postsurgical pain intensity immediately awakening from anaesthesia and at 0.5, 1, 2, 6, 12, and 24 h after surgery, as well as recovery variables including the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), sleep quality, time to first ambulation, drainage and length of hospital stay. Results A total of 104 patients were enrolled and randomized (53 in Group T and 51 in Group C). Laparoscopic surgery was converted to open surgery in one patient of Group T; this patient was excluded from the outcome analysis. The opioid consumption during surgery (intravenous morphine equivalent dose: median 35.0 mg [interquartile range 18.0, 49.6] in Group C vs. 40.3 mg [20.9, 59.0] in Group T, P = 0.281) and in the first 24 h after surgery (10.8 mg [7.8, 21.7] in Group C vs. 13.2 mg [8.0, 26.6] in Group T, P = 0.311) did not differ significantly between groups. There were no significant differences between groups regarding the pain intensity at all time points after surgery and the recovery variables (all P > 0.05). Conclusions Our results showed that, in patients undergoing retroperitoneoscopic renal surgery, preoperative lateral TAP did not decrease intra- and postoperative opioid consumption, nor did it relieve pain intensity or promote postoperative recovery in the first 24 h after surgery. However, the trial might be underpowered. Trial registration This study was registered on November 4, 2017, in the Chinese Clinical Trail Registry with the identification number ChiCTR-INR-17013244.

Abstract Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication following non-cardiac surgery with adverse short- and long- term morbidity and mortality. Evidence shows that hypoalbuminemia is associated with increased AKI risk in patients with infectious diseases and cancer and following cardiac surgery and transplant surgery. However, little evidence is available on non-cardiac surgery population. Thus, we investigated the association between preoperative hypoalbuminemia and AKI following non-cardiac surgery. Methods We retrospectively assessed perioperative risk factors and preoperative serum albumin concentration in 729 consecutive adult patients who underwent non-cardiac surgery from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2018. Each patient was categorized according to maximal Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes criteria based on creatinine changes and urine output within the first week after surgery. Multivariate Logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between preoperative hypoalbuminemia and postoperative AKI. Results Of 729 patients, 188 (25.8%) developed AKI. AKI incidence was higher in patients with preoperative serum albumin

The Janus kinases (JAKs) are intracellular tyrosine kinases involved in a broad variety of inflammatory cascades participating in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Diffuse non-scarring alopecia is one of the most frequent cutaneous manifestations in SLE, resulting in devastating psychosocial consequences. Although recent studies have shown promising outcomes of the JAK inhibitors in SLE treatment, the efficacy of tofacitinib in diffuse non-scarring alopecia due to SLE has never been reported. Here we present a 29-year-old SLE patient with a 10-year history of refractory severe diffuse non-scarring alopecia who experienced dramatic hair regrowth with tofacitinib. Furthermore, we have made a systematic review regarding the potential effectiveness of tofacitinib in systemic and cutaneous lupus erythematosus. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case study depicting an SLE patient with refractory alopecia who experienced impressive hair regrowth with the JAK1/3 inhibitor tofacitinib therapy, which contributes to expanding the field of possible uses of tofacitinib in SLE patients with difficult-to-treat cutaneous involvement, including severe alopecia.

Objective To explore the expression differences of serum muscle enzymes among different types of myopathies and viral hepatitis. Methods This study enrolled 578 patients with myopathies and 51 patients with viral hepatitis from January to September 2018. Serum muscle enzymes [creatine kinase (CK), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and AST/ALT ratio] were detected in all patients, and the expression differences of serum muscle enzymes were compared among different types of myopathies, and between myopathies and viral hepatitis. Results In myopathy patients, there were significant differences on the values of CK (χ2 =107.710, P = 0.000), LDH (χ2 = 36.832, P = 0.000), AST (χ2 = 47.608, P = 0.000) and ALT (χ2 = 31.722, P = 0.000) among different types of myopathies. Patients with muscular dystrophy had significantly higher expression of CK and LDH than inflammatory myopathy (Z = 9.297, P = 0.000; Z = 2.475, P = 0.040) and metabolic myopathy (Z = 6.765, P = 0.000; Z = 5.983, P = 0.000), higher expression of AST than metabolic myopathy (Z = -5.363, P = 0.000), and higher ALT than inflammatory myopathy (Z = 5.619, P = 0.000). The value of LDH in metabolic myopathy patients was significantly higher than that in inflammatory myopathy (Z = 4.590, P = 0.000). Compared with patients with viral hepatitis, myopathy patients had significantly increased CK (Z = -10.975, P = 0.000), LDH (Z = -6.967, P = 0.000) and AST/ALT ratio (Z = -5.605, P = 0.000), and decreased ALT (Z = 3.949, P = 0.000). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed the area under the curve (AUC) of CK, LDH, AST, ALT and AST/ALT ratio were 0.943 (95% CI: 0.919-0.966, P = 0.000), 0.818 (95%CI: 0.756-0.881, P = 0.000), 0.446 (95%CI: 0.350-0.542, P = 0.217), 0.323 (95% CI: 0.224-0.422, P = 0.000), 0.745 (95% CI: 0.671-0.819, P = 0.000), respectively. In the differential diagnostic test between myopathies and viral hepatitis, the sensitivity of CK and ratio of AST/ ALT was 0.880 and 0.512, the specificity of which was 0.961 and 0.882, the maximum Youden index of which was 0.841 and 0.394. Conclusions The serum muscle enzymes spectrum in different types of myopathies were different, but there existed some rules, which could provide clues for clinical classification of myopathies. The ratio of AST/ALT had suggestive values in the differential diagnoses between myopathies and viral hepatitis. For patients with increased transaminase of unknown reasons, serum CK should be detected. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2019.05.006

Background: Adult T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a rare hematological malignancy and significantly linked to poor outcomes. Early T-cell precursor (ETP) leukemia is a unique subtype of T-ALL. The aim of this study is to compare the differences between ETP and non-ETP ALLs in China.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the records of 122 adult T-ALL patients diagnosed and treated at our center between January 2014 and June 2019. All the patients enrolled were categorized into ETP and non-ETP ALL by immunophenotype, and further statistical analyses about clinical data and prognostic factors were performed.Results: Among the 122 cases, the male-to-female ratio was 2.8:1, and the median age is 29 (range, 16–82) years. Except for 10 patients with insufficient immunophenotyping results, 47.3% (53/112) are ETP and 52.7% (59/112) are non-ETP. Compared with non-ETP patients, ETP-ALL patients had lower white blood cell counts and lactate dehydrogenase levels, while they were older and had higher platelet counts and fibrinogen levels (all p < 0.05). Complete remission (CR) was achieved in 68.0% (83/122) of patients, 64.2 and 76.3% in ETP and non-ETP, respectively (p = 0.160). In total, 44.6% (37/83) of patients relapsed. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) was successfully performed in 36.1% (44/122) of patients, of which 79.5% (35/44) were in CR1. With a median follow-up of 9.1 (range, 0.5–70.3) months, the estimated 2-year overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) rates for the cohort were 38.0 ± 5.1 and 39.1 ± 6.3%, respectively. In the ETP group, the 2-year OS rate was 40.7 ± 8.2% and the RFS rate was 47.2 ± 10.7%, while in the non-ETP group, the 2-year OS rate was 37.9 ± 7.0% and the RFS rate was 39.2 ± 8.3% (both p > 0.05). In the landmark analysis of CR1 patients who had a survival of more than 6 months, the allo-SCT group had significantly better survival outcomes than the chemotherapy group, and the 2-year OS rates and RFS rates were 80.1 ± 7.3 vs. 28.4 ± 8.4% and 68.9 ± 8.8 vs. 12.8 ± 7.2%, respectively (both p < 0.0001). A multivariate analysis suggests that allo-SCT acts as an independent prognostic factor for both OS and RFS.Conclusions: Our results revealed that ETP accounted for a high proportion of T-ALL in Chinese. There are no CR rates and prognosis differences between ETP and non-ETP. Allo-SCT in CR1 can significantly improve patients' survival.

BackgroundThe current worldwide pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has posed a serious threat to global public health, and the mortality rate of critical ill patients remains high. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that early predict the progression of COVID-19 from severe to critical illness.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study included adult patients with severe or critical ill COVID-19 who were consecutively admitted to the Zhongfaxincheng campus of Tongji Hospital (Wuhan, China) from February 8 to 18, 2020. Baseline variables, data at hospital admission and during hospital stay, as well as clinical outcomes were collected from electronic medical records system. The primary endpoint was the development of critical illness. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify independent factors that were associated with the progression from severe to critical illness.ResultsA total of 138 patients were included in the analysis; of them 119 were diagnosed as severe cases and 16 as critical ill cases at hospital admission. During hospital stay, 19 more severe cases progressed to critical illness. For all enrolled patients, longer duration from diagnosis to admission (odds ratio [OR] 1.108, 95% CI 1.022-1.202; P = 0.013), pulse oxygen saturation at admission ConclusionsHigher neutrophil count and lower lymphocyte count at admission were early independent predictors of progression to critical illness in severe COVID-19 patients.

The calibration transfer between instruments is mainly aimed at the calibration transfer between normal spectrometers. There are few studies on the calibration transfer of soil nutrient concentration from a hyperspectral camera to a normal spectrometer. In this paper, 164 soil samples from three regions in Qingdao, China, were collected. The spectral data of normal spectrometer and hyperspectral camera and the concentration of total carbon and nitrogen were obtained. And then, the models of soil total carbon and nitrogen content were established by using the spectral data of a normal spectrometer. The hyperspectral data were transferred by a variety of methods, such as single conventional calibration transfer algorithm, combination of multiple calibration transfer algorithms, and calibration transfer algorithm after spectral pretreatment. The transferred hyperspectral data were predicted by the total carbon and total nitrogen concentration model established by using a normal spectrometer. The absolute coefficients Rt2 and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) were used to evaluate the prediction performance after calibration transfer. After trying many calibration transfer methods, the prediction performance of calibration transfer by the Repfile-PDS and Repfile-SNV methods was the best. In the calibration transfer of the Repfile-PDS method, when the number of PDS windows was 27 and the number of standard data was 40, the Rt2 and the RMSEP of TC concentration were 0.627 and 2.351. When the number of PDS windows was 25 and the number of standard data was 100, the Rt2 and the RMSEP of TN concentration were 0.666 and 0.297. In the calibration transfer of the Repfile-SNV method, when the number of TC and TN standard data was 120, the Rt2 was the largest, 0.701 and 0.722, respectively, and the RMSEP was 2.880 and 0.399, respectively. After the hyperspectral data were calibration transferred by the above algorithms, they could be predicted by the soil TC and TN concentration model established by using a normal spectrometer, and better prediction results can be obtained. The solution of the calibration transfer of soil nutrient concentration from the hyperspectral camera to the normal spectrometer provides a powerful basis for rapid prediction of a large number of image information data collected by using a hyperspectral camera. It greatly reduces the workload and promotes the application of hyperspectral camera in quantitative analysis and rapid measurement technology.

AIM: To build a clinical diagnostic model of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) using the normal probability chart of frequency-domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT). METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study. Total 133 eyes from 133 healthy subjects and 99 eyes from 99 early POAG patients were included in the study. The retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness parameters of optic nerve head (ONH) and RNFL3.45 scan were measured in one randomly selected eye of each subject using RTVue-100 FD-OCT. Then, we used these parameters to establish the diagnostic models. Four different diagnostic models based on two different area partition strategies on ONH and RNFL3.45 parameters, including ONH traditional area partition model (ONH-T), ONH new area partition model (ONH-N), RNFL3.45 traditional area partition model (RNFL3.45-T) and RNFL3.45 new area partition model (RNFL3.45-N), were built and tested by cross-validation. RESULTS: The new area partition models had higher area under the receiver operating characteristic (AROC; ONH-N: 0.990; RNFL3.45-N: 0.939) than corresponding traditional area partition models (ONH-T: 0.979; RNFL3.45-T: 0.881). There was no statistical difference among AROC of ONH-T, ONH-N, and RNFL3.45-N. Nevertheless, ONH-N was the simplest model. CONCLUSION: The new area partition models had higher diagnostic accuracy than corresponding traditional area partition models, which can improve the diagnostic ability of early POAG. In particular, the simplest ONH-N diagnostic model may be convenient for clinical application.

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and its characteristic symptoms have been associated with physical and psychological issues in women of reproductive age. The current study was conducted in response to the dearth of systematic research related to psychological functioning and quality of life in patients with PCOS in Southwest China, and to determine whether patients with PCOS exhibit poorer mental health (MH) compared to healthy women of the same age and living in the same region, without a PCOS diagnosis. Methods: We enrolled 120 outpatients with PCOS and 100 healthy controls in this study. Standardized questionnaires were administered to assess general MH conditions (General Health Questionnaire-12-item version), anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), depression (Beck Depression Inventory), as well as health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measured using the 36-item short-form health survey. The independent samples t-test was conducted for continuous study variables. For categorical variables, the Pearson Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression were performed. Results: The prevalence of anxiety (13.3% vs. 2.0%) and depression (27.5% vs. 3.0%) was higher in patients with PCOS compared to the controls (both P< 0.05). Patients with PCOS had decreased HRQoL. Patients with PCOS who had fertility requirements were more likely to be anxious and depressed than those without fertility requirements (anxiety: 22.6% [12/53] vs. 5.9% [4/67], χ2 = 7.117, P = 0.008; depression: 37.7% (20/53) vs.19.4% (13/67), χ2 = 4.988, P = 0.026). Conclusions: PCOS and related symptoms may be risk factors for depression and anxiety. Professionals should be concerned with the MH of women with PCOS, and psychological therapy should be considered.

BACKGROUND:Patients after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) often develop moderate to severe pain. This study compared the analgesic effect of low-dose epidural morphine vs. a comparable saline injection in patients following TKA surgery. METHODS:This randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled trial was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Beijing between July 1, 2017 and May 30, 2018. One hundred and ten patients following TKA under combined spinal-epidural anesthesia were randomized to receive either epidural morphine (2 mg diluted to 5 ml normal saline, the epidural morphine group) or placebo (5 ml normal saline, the placebo group). For all patients, single-injection femoral nerve block was performed, and a supplementary patient-controlled intravenous analgesia pump was provided. The severity of pain was assessed with the numerical rating scale (NRS, an 11-point scale where 0 = no pain and 10 = the worst pain) at 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours after surgery. The primary endpoint was moderate to severe pain (NRS pain score ≥4) within 48 hours after surgery. RESULTS:The percentage with moderate to severe pain within 48 hours was lower in the epidural morphine group than in the placebo group (58.2% [32/55] with epidural morphine vs. 76.4% [42/55] with placebo; OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.19-0.98; p = 0.042). Furthermore, the cumulative morphine consumption within 48 hours was lower (18.4±6.1 mg vs. 22.4±7.3 mg; p = 0.002) whereas the mental component summary score of 30-day quality of life was higher (63.8±2.9 vs. 61.9±4.2; p = 0.008) in the epidural morphine group than in the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS:For patients following TKA, the addition of epidural morphine to single-injection femoral nerve block improves the quality of analgesia within 48 hours, without increasing adverse events. TRIAL REGISTRATION:ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03203967.

Background: Studies of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-6 in the exhaled breath condensate (EBC) of asthmatic patients are limited. This study was to determine the effect of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) treatment on IL-4 and IL-6 in the EBC of asthmatic patients. Methods: In a prospective, open-label study, budesonide 200 μg twice daily by dry powder inhaler was administered to 23 adult patients with uncontrolled asthma (mean age 42.7 years) for 12 weeks. Changes in asthma scores, lung function parameters (forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1], peak expiratory flow [PEF], forced expiratory flow at 50% of forced vital capacity [FEF50], forced expiratory flow at 75% of forced vital capacity, maximum mid-expiratory flow rate) and the concentrations of IL-4 and IL-6 in EBC were measured. Results: Both asthma scores and lung function parameters were significantly improved by ICS treatment. The mean IL-4 concentration in the EBC was decreased gradually, from 1.92 ± 0.56 pmol/L before treatment to 1.60 ± 0.36 pmol/L after 8 weeks of treatment (P < 0.05) and 1.54 ± 0.81 pmol/L after 12 weeks of treatment (P < 0.01). However, the IL-6 concentration was not significantly decreased. The change in the IL-4 concentration was correlated with improvements in mean FEV1, PEF and FEF50values (correlation coefficients −0.468, −0.478, and −0.426, respectively). Conclusions: The concentration of IL-4 in the EBC of asthmatic patients decreased gradually with ICS treatment. Measurement of IL-4 in EBC could be useful to monitor airway inflammation in asthmatics.

Although visible-near-infrared spectroscopy can rapidly and accurately determine soil nutrients without sample destruction, some problems remain unresolved, such as the mismatch of the established spectral model with different types of samples, limiting the wide application of this technology. Here, we took riverside and mountain soils as examples to explore the calibration transfer between two different types of soils by the WMPDS-S/B algorithm (wavelet multiscale piecewise direct standardization combined with Slope/Bias correction method) and by adding new samples. The predicted TN and TC concentrations improved significantly after being transformed. Compared with adding new samples, the WMPDS-S/B algorithm obtained more accurate results. The average relative errors dropped from 440.2% (without transformation) to approximately 6% for TN and from 342.0% to approximately 7% for TC. The maximum relative errors were reduced from 538.1% to less than 20% for TN and from 403.7% to less than 20% for TC. The RMSEP decreased from 2.42 to approximately 0.04 for TN and from 15.74 to approximately 0.4 for TC. The WMPDS-S/B algorithm had advantages in selecting fewer known samples and obtaining better prediction results. In contrast to past studies, which resolved the calibration transfer between different spectrometers and the measurement environment for the same samples, our study resolved the calibration transfer between different types of samples under the same spectrometer and the measurement environment. The former could only be used for correction among instruments, while the latter fundamentally solved the problem of model sharing across different samples.

BACKGROUND:Delirium is a frequent complication after cardiac surgery and its occurrence is associated with poor outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of perioperative dexmedetomidine administration on the incidence of delirium in elderly patients after cardiac surgery. METHODS:This randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled trial was conducted in two tertiary hospitals in Beijing between December 1, 2014 and July 19, 2015. Eligible patients were randomized into two groups. Dexmedetomidine (DEX) was administered during anesthesia and early postoperative period for patients in the DEX group, whereas normal saline was administered in the same rate for the same duration for patients in the control (CTRL) group. The primary endpoint was the incidence of delirium during the first five days after surgery. Secondary endpoints included the cognitive function assessed on postoperative days 6 and 30, the overall incidence of non-delirium complications within 30 days after surgery, and the all-cause 30-day mortality. RESULTS:Two hundred eighty-five patients were enrolled and randomized. Dexmedetomidine did not decrease the incidence of delirium (4.9% [7/142] in the DEX group vs 7.7% [11/143] in the CTRL group; OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.23 to 1.65, p = 0.341). Secondary endpoints were similar between the two groups; however, the incidence of pulmonary complications was slightly decreased (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.26 to 1.00, p = 0.050) and the percentage of early extubation was significantly increased (OR 3.32, 95% CI 1.36 to 8.08, p = 0.008) in the DEX group. Dexmedetomidine decreased the required treatment for intraoperative tachycardia (21.1% [30/142] in the DEX group vs 33.6% [48/143] in the CTRL group, p = 0.019), but increased the required treatment for postoperative hypotension (84.5% [120/142] in the DEX group vs 69.9% [100/143] in the CTRL group, p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS:Dexmedetomidine administered during anesthesia and early postoperative period did not decrease the incidence of postoperative delirium in elderly patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery. However, considering the low delirium incidence, the trial might have been underpowered. TRIAL REGISTRATION:ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02267538.