bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Process characterization for ethanol precipitation of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma using 1H NMR spectroscopy and chemometrics
Authors: Zhao Fang , Li Wen-zhu , Pan Jian-yang , Qu Hai-bin
Published: August 2020

Background

Quality control of the herbal medicines (HMs) still hits technical bottlenecks due to their complicated multi-step pharmaceutical processes. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy could serve as a powerful technique able to obtain comprehensive information of chemical compounds in the manufacturing process of HMs by a single analytical test. In this study, ethanol precipitation of Salvia miltiorrhiza Radix et Rhizoma (Danshen in China), a critical purification process of a particularly commonly used herbal medicinal material, was employed as the research subject.
Methods

Processed with different variables, including ethanol-material ratio, apparent ethanol concentration and moisture concentration of the raw material, 40 lab-scale experiments of ethanol precipitation were orchestrated by a full factor design with additional central composite circumscribed experiments. After 1H NMR tests, chemometrics methods, including orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), principle component analysis (PCA) and multiple linear regression (MLR), were applied to analyze the spectra of samples.
Results

16 metabolites were recognized as the most critical potential chemical markers in the process of Danshen ethanol precipitation by 1H NMR spectra and OPLS-DA, including γ-aminobutyrate, pyroglutamate, succinate, acetate, malonate, fructose, sucrose, raffinose, stachyose, mannotriose, danshensu, lithospermic acid, protocatechuic aldehyde, rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid A and B. PCA reasonably distinguished all the process intermediates as a function of different process variables adopted during the ethanol precipitation. MLR made the statistical interpretation by quadratic equations to characterize how do significant variables affect the chemical markers.
Conclusions

Our study indicates that NMR can track detailed potential chemical markers of ethanol precipitation process, which could promote the further understanding of ethanol precipitation process and open up possibilities to develop a more effective process quality control and consistency evaluation methodology of an HM, through providing a more in-depth and improved theoretical process understanding and characterization.
Electroacupuncture attenuates depressive disorder and gastrointestinal dysfunction in myocardial hypertrophy via upregulation of 5-HT on Rats
Authors: Li Jia , Lu Wei , Huang Wei , Wu Song , Fu Yimeng , Chen Jianyi , Huang Zhongsheng , Zhou Xiaohong , Wang Hua
Published: August 2020

Background: Acupuncture therapy has been described as a preventive and therapeutic technique with low or no risk for a number of conditions related to cardiovascular disease. However, its role in protecting against myocardial hypertrophy (MH) has not been elucidated. This study aimed to investigate whether electroacupuncture (EA) can attenuate MH by upregulating tryptophan 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) metabolism, depressive disorder and gastrointestinal dysfunction in MH rats model.Methods: We assessed the anti-myocardial ischemia effects of EA by using the isoproterenol hydrochloride (ISO)-induced myocardial hypertrophy (MH) rats model. Forty 3-month-old Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into normal, model, EA and sham EA groups, with ten rats in each group. Regression of MH was evaluated by ratio of heart weight/body weight (HW/BW) and ratio of left ventricular weight/body weight (LVW/BW). Ultrastructural observation and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining were evaluated to cardiac pathology. The sucrose preference test (SPT), open field test (OFT), and forced swim test (FSW) were conducted to examine the depression-like behavior. Gastric retention and intestinal transit were evaluated using the carbon powder labeling method, while immunohistochemical staining was used to detect 5-HT expression in the cerebral cortex and ileum.Key findings: EA therapy alleviates rats’ depression-like symptoms. For example, the rate of sucrose solution consumption was higher, the total and central distance traveled in the open field test were increased, and immobility time was decreased in these rats by EA therapy. Furthermore, swimming, struggling and latency to immobility were increased in the forced swim test as well. Expression of 5-HT was increased in the cerebral cortex and ileum after EA treatment.Conclusion: EA improved the ischemic and depressed symptoms, as well as gastrointestinal dysfunction of MH rats model induced by ISO, which may related with 5-HT metabolism.
Seven-day Fasting as a multimodal complex intervention for Adults with Type 1 Diabetes – Feasibility, Benefit and Safety in a Controlled Pilot Study
Authors: Berger Bettina , Jenetzky Ekkehart , Köblös Diana , Stange Rainer , Baumann Andrea , Michalsen Andreas , Schmelzer Kurt , Martin David D.
Published: August 2020

Aims/Hypothesis: Intermittent as well as prolonged fasting are receiving considerable attention and appear favorable in conditions like the metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, rheumatic diseases and others. Fasting for people with type 1 diabetes is generally considered too risky. However, the ability and possibility to change from carbohydrate to ketone-based fuel supply may also be relevant for people with type 1 diabetes. The aim of this patient-led research was to investigate the feasibility, benefit and safety of a seven-day multimodal fasting intervention in people with type 1 diabetes. Methods: A non-randomized controlled pilot study, with 20 participants with and 10 without type 1 diabetes with data acquisition toking place prior, post and four months after the intervention and daily during intervention. Results: 29 of 30 participants finished the intervention. Mean ß-hydroxybutyrate as representative ketone body increased to 2.8 ± 1.9 mmol/L on day 7 while average glucose remained between 4.9 ± 1.5 to 7.5 ± 2.3 mmol/L89 [± 27 and 136 ± 40 mg/dL]. Fasting-related side effects were all temporary, and slightly more prevalent in those with type 1 diabetes. Mean daily insulin dose was adjusted from 24.4 (3-50) IU on the day before fasting to 7.6 (0-26.7) IU on day 7. Quality of life (WHO-5) normalized from 54.0 ± 4.4 to 68.8 ± 15.0 (p = 0.01) after fasting. The was a decrease from before until the follow -up four month late of weight from 77.6 ± 20.4 kg to 76.6 ± 20.9 kg (p = 0.023) and for the BMI from (27.68 ± 7.04) to (26.74 ± 7.15) kg/m2 (p = 0.008). Diastolic blood pressure increased from 69.75 ± 11.41 mmHg to 75.74 ± 8.42 mmHg (p = 0.028) and stayed in a healthy range on average. Conclusions/Interpretation: This study demonstrates the feasibility, benefits and safety aspects of a 7-day fast in adults with type 1 diabetes.
Texture indices of 4'-[methyl-11C]-thiothymidine uptakepredict p16 status in patients with newly diagnosed oropharyngealsquamous cell carcinoma: Comparison with 18F-FDG uptake
Authors: Ihara Ayumi , Norikane Takashi , Mitamura Katsuya , Yamamoto Yuka , Fujimoto Kengo , Takami Yasukage , Ibuki Emi , Kudomi Nobuyuki , Hoshikawa Hiroshi , Toyohara Jun , Nishiyama Yoshihiro
Published: August 2020

Background: In oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), human papillomavirus (HPV)/p16 status is important as a prognostic biomarker. Purpose: We evaluated the relationship between 4¢-[methyl-11C]thiothymidine (11C-4DST) and 18F-FDG PET texture indices and p16 status in patients with newly diagnosed OPSCC. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the collected data of 256 consecutive, previously untreated patients with primary head and neck tumors enrolled between November 2011 and October 2019. Complete data on both 11C-4DST and 18F-FDG PET/CT studies before therapy, patients with OPSCC, and p16 status were available for 34 patients. Six of them were excluded because they did not exhibit sufficient 11C-4DST and/or 18F-FDG tumor uptake to perform textural analysis. Finally, 28 patients with newly diagnosed OPSCC were investigated. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and 6 texture indices (homogeneity, entropy, short-run emphasis, long-run emphasis, low-gray-level-zone emphasis, and high-gray-level-zone emphasis) were derived from PET images. The presence of p16 expression in tumor specimens was examined by immunohistochemistry and compared with the PET parameters. Results: Using 11C-4DST, the expression of p16 was associated with a higher homogeneity (P = 0.012), lower short-run emphasis (P = 0.005), higher long-run emphasis (P = 0.009), and lower high-gray-level-zone emphasis (P = 0.042) values. There was no significant difference between 18F-FDG PET parameters and p16 status. Conclusion: Texture indices of the primary tumor on 11C-4DST PET, but not 18F-FDG PET, may be of value in predicting the condition’s p16 status in patients with newly diagnosed OPSCC.
Impulsive noise suppressing method in power line communication system using sparse iterative covariance estimation
Authors: Wang Yong , Li Youming , Qi Qinke , Yue Yin , Hu Wenfei , Tang Xiaobo
Published: August 2020

Power line communication is severely affected by impulsive noise, especially asynchronous impulsive noise with high power spectral density and short duration. This paper presents an asynchronous impulsive noise suppression method in power line communication system. Based on the component of the asynchronous impulsive noise and the background noise extracted from the received signal by using a null subcarrier matrix, a sparse iterative covariance estimation method is proposed. A optimization problem for estimating impulsive noise power is formed based on a minimum covariance matrix fitting criterion, and the impulsive noise power is then obtained by an iterative algorithm. After that, the impulsive noise is estimated by using the linear minimum mean square estimate method and subtracted from the received signal. Finally, simulation results show that the proposed method can achieve better performance in terms of bit error rate, and has lower computational complexity.
Adaptive transmission mode switching in downlink MISO-NOMA systems: sum rate maximization and the achievable rate region
Authors: Zhao Zhixin , Wang Dong , Zhang Hongwei , Sang Haitao
Published: August 2020

In this paper, the design of adaptive transmission mode switching (TMS) to maximize the sum rate for the downlink multiple-input-single-output based non-orthogonal multiple access (MISO-NOMA) systems is investigated. Firstly, the colsed-form expressions of the boundary of achievable rate region of two candidate transmission mode, i.e., NOMA-based maximum ratio transmission (NOMA-MRT) and minimum mean square error beamforming (MMSE-BF), are obtained. By obtaining the outer boundary of the union of the achievable rate regions of the two transmission mode, an adaptive switching method is developed to achieve a larger rate region. Secondly, based on the idea that the solution to the problem of weighted sum rate (WSR) optimization must be on the boundary of achievable rate region, the optimal solutions to the problem of WSR optimization for NOMA-MRT and MMSE-BF are obtained, respectively. Subsequently, by exploiting the optimal solutions aforementioned for two transmission modes and the high efficiency of TMS, a low-complexity Joint User pairing and Power Allocation algorithm (JUPA) is proposed to further improve sum-rate performance for the multi-user case. Compared with the Exhaustive Search based user Pairing and Power Allocation algorithm (ES-PPA), the proposed JUPA can enjoy a much lower computation complexity and only suffer a slight sum-rate performance loss, whereas outperforms other traditional schemes. Finally, numerical results are provided to validate the analyses and the proposed algorithms.
Construction and Analysis for Dysregulated lncRNAs and mRNAs in Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Porcine Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells
Authors: Zhang Jing , Xu Xin , Chen Hongbo , Kang Ping , Zhu Huiling , Ren Hongyan , Liu Yulan
Published: August 2020

Background: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria induces an intense inflammatory response in pigs. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as key regulators in inflammation and immunity. However, their functions and profiles in LPS-induced inflammation in pigs are largely unknown. In this study, we profiled global lncRNA and mRNA expression changes in porcine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) using lncRNA-seq technique. Result: Totally 43 differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs and 1082 DE mRNAs were identified in the porcine PBMCs after LPS stimulation. Functional enrichment analysis on DE mRNAs indicated that these genes were involved in inflammation-related signaling pathways, including cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, TNF, NF-κB, Jak-STAT and TLR signaling pathways. Additionally, co-expression network and function analysis identified the potential lncRNAs related to inflammatory response and immune response. The expression of eight lncRNAs (ENSSSCT00000045208, ENSSSCT00000051636, ENSSSCT00000049770, ENSSSCT00000050966, ENSSSCT00000047491, ENSSSCT00000049750, ENSSSCT00000054262 and ENSSSCT00000044651) was validated in the LPS- treated and non-treated PBMCs by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). In LPS-challenged piglets, we identified that three lncRNAs (ENSSSCT00000051636, ENSSSCT00000049770, and ENSSSCT00000047491) were significantly up-regulated in liver, spleen and jejunum tissues after LPS challenge, which revealed that these lncRNAs might be important regulators for inflammation .Conclusion: This study provides the first lncRNA and mRNA transcriptomic landscape of LPS-mediated changes in porcine PBMCs. These findings may provide potential insights into lncRNAs involved in regulating immune and inflammation in pigs.
An eHealth-based intervention against metabolic risks during pregnancy: learnings and challenges
Authors: Wang Xiaochun , Huang Nan , Hua Qiao , Zhang Dongtao , Li Guanghui , Fan Ling , Shi Gui , Liu Jun , Jin Yafang , Ma Hehe , Yuan Yana , Zhong Xuefeng
Published: August 2020

Background

Excessive gestational weight gain (eGWG) is one of the major metabolic risks for fetal macrosomia, maternal overweight, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and gestational hypertension during pregnancy, which also increase the risk of postpartum weight retention. Gestational weight gain (GWG) management is rising to be attractive during prenatal care, however, there is still lack of effective tools to assist health care providers (HCPs) to efficiently and continuously implement intervention and monitor from the early phase of pregnancy. The current study tested a prototype eHealth solution aiming to assist clinicians to prevent eGWG and associated gestational metabolic complications.
Methods

A randomized controlled study was conducted in a private hospital in Beijing, China, with control group (N = 181) and intervention group (N = 181) recruited in rolling fashion. The control group received standard prenatal care, while the intervention group was additionally provided with the integrated prenatal care eHealth solution, Pregnancy Butler, which includes mobile application-enabled on-line service and off-line consultation session. The prevalence of eGWG, associated metabolic health parameters, and final pregnancy outcome were evaluated.
Results

Although mostly with normal pre-pregnancy BMI, the incidence for eGWG was high among the study subjects, at 35%. Engagement with the eHealth platform of the intervention group was stable after initial phase, but less than desired. Pregnancy Butler intervention showed significant benefit (p-value = 0.0496) in preventing eGWG among obese and overweight subjects. And highly engaged active users in the intervention group had more favorable GWG classification (p-value = 0.022). The time-course data collected indicated that the metabolic risks were largely set early in the first trimester already.
Conclusions

Our preliminary results indicated that the effectiveness of the eHealth intervention considerably depend on each participant’s engagement level and baseline risk factors. In order to achieve more consistent and impactful outcome improvement, focusing on those with pre-existing metabolic risks, increasing engagement and adherence level, and emphasizing intervention from the first trimester could be promising directions.
Trial registration:

This study was retrospectively registered as “Pregnancy Butler for gestational weight gain management” (ChiCTR1800014647) under the China Clinical Trial Registry in 2018-Jan-26. http://www.chictr.org.cn/showprojen.aspx?proj=24171
The Assessment of General Movements in Term and Late-Preterm Infants Diagnosed with Neonatal Encephalopathy, As a Predictive Tool of Cerebral Palsy by Two Years of Age - A Scoping Review.
Authors: Seesahai Judy , Rotter Thomas , Luther Maureen , Maddalena Patricia , Church Paige Terrien , Asztalos Elizabeth , Banihani Rudaina
Published: August 2020

BACKGROUND The General Movements Assessment is a non-invasive and cost-effective tool with demonstrated reliability for identifying infants at risk for cerebral palsy. Early detection of cerebral palsy allows for implementation of early intervention, and is associated with better functional outcomes. No review to date has summarized the utility of the General Movements Assessment to predict cerebral palsy in term and late-preterm infants diagnosed with neonatal encephalopathy and so detect the research gaps. METHODS We conducted a systematic scoping review for data on sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and described the strengths and limitations of the results. We searched five databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsychINFO, Scopus and CINAHL). Two reviewers conducted all screening and data extraction independently. The articles were categorized according key findings and a critical appraisal performed.RESULTS From the electronic database search, only two studies, case series, met all of the inclusion criteria. The total number of participants were 60. Neither of the final eligible studies included late-preterm neonates. Both studies reported on sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive and negative predictive value. The newer study reported that in the time period between term and 4-5 months post-term, that any cramped synchronized movements in this time period had results of 100% sensitivity and variable results for specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value. Neither of the studies had infants that received therapeutic hypothermia for Neonatal Encephalopathy. CONCLUSIONS The finding of cramped synchronized General Movements is a strong predictor of cerebral palsy by two years of age in the term population. Neonatal encephalopathy has an effect on spontaneous movements in term infants, be it transient or persistent. The predictive ability of spontaneous movements is very accurate when assessed early but improves when done later (at 15-22 weeks of age). A deficit of research exists with regards to cerebral palsy prediction using general movements in term and late-preterm infant with encephalopathy, especially when therapeutic hypothermia is instituted. Systematic review registration Title registration with Joanna Briggs Institute. URL: http://joannabriggs-webdev.org/research/registered_titles.aspx
Massage Therapy in Infants and Children under 5 Years of Age: Protocol for an Overview of Systematic Reviews and A Systematic Review
Authors: CHEN Shucheng , Yu Juan , Yuen Sam Chun-Sum , Lam Jason Chun-Sing , Suen Lorna Kwai-Ping , Yeung WF
Published: August 2020

Introduction: Massage is a popularly used complementary and alternative therapy. Previous randomised controlled trials have examined the effects of massage on children, and several systematic reviews have been conducted to synthesise these data. This study aims to assess and summarise the current evidence from published systematic reviews of controlled clinical trials on the practice of paediatric massage, specifically in infants and children aged < 5 years. Methods and analysis: This protocol was developed based on the Cochrane Handbook of Systematic Reviews of Interventions and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols. The online databases MEDLINE, Embase, Health Technology Assessment Database, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, Allied and Complementary Medicine, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang Data will be searched from the inception to June 2020 for evidence of the treatment effects. We will include systematic reviews of randomised control trials in infants and children aged < 5 years. Two reviewers will independently screen the articles for inclusion as per the eligibility criteria. They will extract information from the included studies and assess the methodological quality of the included studies. In addition, a systematic review of the adverse effects of massage on infants and children aged < 5 years will be included in this overview. We will present the treatment effects and adverse effects narratively. The pooled effect estimates for meta-analysed outcomes from the included studies will be extracted when possible. Additionally, we will generate a figure to show the recommendation level of massage therapy for each condition included according to the evidence quality of the studies included in the systematic reviews.Discussion: This overview of systematic reviews will summarise the current evidence on massage, specifically for infants and children aged < 5 years. We will comprehensively present the positive effects and adverse effects of this intervention.Trial registration number: CRD42020186003
The Possible Roles of Long Non-Coding RNAs FOXD2-AS1 and LINC00968 in Breast Cancer: Case-Control Study and in Silico Analysis
Authors: Arabpour Maedeh , Layeghi Sepideh Mehrpour , Majidzadeh-A Keivan , bazzaz Javad Tavakkoly , Naghizadeh Mohammad Mehdi , Shakoori Abbas
Published: August 2020

Background: Breast Cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women worldwide. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are regulatory non-coding transcripts and longer than 200 nucleotides. lncRNAs can affect many biological and pathological processes and dysregulation of them is related and studied in many human diseases like, cancers. We performed this study to evaluate the probable functions of lncRNAs FOXD2-AS1 and LINC00968 in breast cancer. Methods: The tumor tissue and adjacent non-tumor tissue specimens of luminal A and B breast cancer (the most frequent subtypes of breast cancer) were used to analyze the expression of these two lncRNAs, using the qRT-PCR technique. Furthermore, two luminal A breast cancer cell lines, MCF7 and T47D, were used to evaluate the expression of FOXD2-AS1 and LINC00968 compared with control breast cell line, MCF10A. Because of the luminal subtypes are the most frequent subtypes of breast cancer and also the most common subtypes among breast cancer patients, the present study was generally focused on the luminal and breast cancer. Also, some in silico analyses were done according to some databases and software for better understanding about the potential functions of mentioned lncRNAs in breast cancer. Results: Our data indicated the significant upregulation and downregulation of FOXD2-AS1 and LINC00968, respectively, in tumor tissues and breast cancer cell lines (MCF7, T47D). The bioinformatic analyses confirmed the experimental results. FOXD2-AS1 expression was positively associated with p53 protein and LINC00968 expression was negatively associated with tumor stage and lymph node metastasis. According to our findings, LINC00968 might be function as a tumor suppressor gene in breast cancer and this lncRNA might function in some cellular signaling pathways, like PI3K/Akt and Ras signaling pathways based on the co-expressed genes, but more investigations are required. Conclusions: The two mentioned lncRNAs might play roles in breast cancer pathogenesis but more experimental studies are needed to explore the mechanisms of the functions of these two lncRNAs in breast cancer.
Diaphragm reconstruction by GORE DUALMESH in patients undergoing resection for thoracic malignancies
Authors: Sano Atsushi , Azuma Yoko , Sakai Takashi , Koezuka Satoshi , Otsuka Hajime , Iyoda Akira
Published: August 2020

BackgroundWe used GORE DUALMESH for the reconstruction of diaphragms in patients with thoracic malignancies. Here, we report the results.MethodsBetween July 2015 and August 2017, diaphragm reconstruction using 2-mm GORE DUALMESH was performed in 7 patients undergoing surgical resection for thoracic malignancies. After resection of the diaphragm, the mesh was trimmed to the size of defect and placed with the smooth surface facing the chest cavity and the rough surface facing the abdomen. It was fixed with interrupted sutures consisting of synthetic monofilament nonabsorbable 1-0 to 2 threads.ResultsIndications for resection were malignant mesothelioma and primary lung cancer in 5 and 2 patients, respectively. Patients with malignant mesothelioma underwent pleurectomy with decortication; patients with primary lung cancer underwent lung lobectomy. Right and left diaphragm reconstruction was performed for 4 and 3 patients, respectively. Neither complications related to diaphragm reconstruction nor displacement of mesh occurred during a follow-up period ranging from 11 days to 37 months.ConclusionsGORE DUALMESH is a good synthetic material for diaphragm reconstruction, because its smooth surface prevents adhesions to the lung and its rough surface allows adherence to abdominal tissue.
Bariatric Orthopaedics: Impact of Obesity on Total Knee Replacement
Authors: Butt Ahsan , Zain-ur-Rehman Muhammad , Nawab Adeel , Hafeez Ahmad , Amjad Ali
Published: August 2020

Introduction: Total knee replacement is a reliable operation for reducing pain and improving function in severe osteoarthritis of the knee. As incidence of obesity is increasing worldwide, there is a debate about the role of Body Mass Index (BMI) in selection of patients requiring total knee replacement. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of body mass index on total knee replacement in terms of post-operative improvement in knee range of motion, patient satisfaction and complications.Material and methods: Out of 175 patients who suffered from advance knee osteoarthritis and were candidates for primary total knee replacement from January 2016 to March 2018, 155 patients fit the inclusion criteria. Group 1 included 66 patients who were overweight and class 1 obese while group 2 included 89 patients who were class 2 and 3 obese according to WHO Body Mass Index classification. All patients underwent total knee replacement according to the hospital guidelines. Pre and post-operative range of motion, patient satisfaction and complications were assessed and documented. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in improvements in post-operative knee range of motion between the two groups up to 2 years of follow up. [Mann-Whitney U test p= 0.069]. Similarly, Mann-Whitney U test showed that there is no significant difference between patient satisfaction levels (SF-12 scores) of the two groups (p= 0.09). Conclusion: There is no significant impact of obesity on outcomes after total knee replacement and BMI should not be used as a factor in selecting patients who qualify for total knee replacement.Level of Evidence: Level III
The Optimal Arthroscopic Release Plane of External Snapping Hip
Authors: Zhu Min , Xue Chao , Song Mengxiong , Cai Qiuchen , Cheng Biao , Chen FuBo , Wu Peng
Published: August 2020

Background: Some studies have reported arthroscopic release of external snapping hip(ESH). However, there is no research on the effect of different arthroscopic release plane for ESH. We will study the effect of release plane on arthroscopic surgery, and suggest an optimal release plane.Methods: From September 2017 to December 2018, 177 bilateral and 6 unilateral ESH patients who would receive arthroscopic release of ESH and agree to attend at this study were enrolled. One release plane was randomly offered for each operation hip out of 6 different arthroscopic release planes(referred to the apex of the great trochanter(GT), including planes of -2cm, 0cm, 2cm, 4cm, 6cm and 8cm groups). All patients received continuous follow-up, comparing preoperative and postoperative hip snapping, hip adduction and flexion angles and Harris Hip Scores(HHS). Results: There was no difference in age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and average operation time among different release plane groups (p>0.05). In terms of surgical success rate, the release plane group 4cm (98.33%)> 6cm (96.67%)> 2cm (95.00%)> 0cm (91.67%)> 8cm (8.33%)>-2cm (5.00%) (p<0.05). Although the hip adduction and flexion angles were improved in each group after operation (p<0.05), the improvement in the release plane -2cm and 8cm groups was significantly lower than that in the other four release plane groups (p<0.05). In addition, at 12 months of follow-up, all patients had significantly improved adduction and flexion angles and HHS (p<0.05). Conclusions: The arthroscopic release plane for ESH can affects the surgical effect, and the optimal arthroscopic release plane is 0-6 cm .
long-term results after the one-stage posterior-only surgical correction of thoraco-lumbar kyphoscoliosis in congenital spine deformity caused by two ipsilateral hemi-vertebrae
Authors: Xue Xuhong , Zhao Sheng , Miao Feng , Li Kai , Zhao Bin
Published: August 2020

Background

Two ipsilateral hemivertebrae is less common and presents severe growth imbalance produced by the vertebral anomalies. However, there is a paucity of reports regarding this double ipsilateral thoracolumber hemivertebrae. The purpose was to evaluate the long-term outcomes of the one-stage posterior-only surgical correction of thoraco-lumbar kyphoscoliosis caused by two ipsilateral hemi-vertebrae.
Methods

From 2006 to 2014, a total of 14 consecutive pediatric patients with congenital thoraco-lumbar kyphoscoliosis due to two ipsilateral hemivertebrae were treated by posterior excision of hemivertebrae with short segment fusion. The following parameters were measured: coronal segmental curve, cranial and caudal compensatory curve, segmental kyphosis, lumbar lodorsis, trunk shift, apical vertebra translation and sagittal vertical axis. These results were compared and evaluated in preoperative, immediately postoperative and at the final follow-up. All patients had a minimum of 5 years of follow-up period.
Results

The mean age at surgery was 11.1 ± 4.8 years (2yos to 17yos). The mean follow-up period was 80.2 ± 19.4 months (60mons to 117mons). There was a mean improvement of 74.2% in the segmental curve from a mean angle of 64.1° before surgery to 15.8° at the latest follow-up. The cranial and caudal curve improved of 69.8% and 69.0% from 25.6° to 7.7°, 26.9 to 8.2, respectively. The mean thoracolumbar kyphosis was 59.9° before and 13.6° after surgery, 20.8° at the final follow-up. Alignment in the coronal and sagittal plane was either maintained or improved within normal values in all patients.
Conclusions

Good correction and spinal balance can be achieved by posterior-only hemivertebrectomy in patients with thoracolumbar kyphocsoliosis caused by two ipsilateral hemivertebra. The complication of neurological injury is low but a technically demanding procedure. More attention should be paid in residual curve progression after surgery.
Olfactory Disorder is the Specific Symptom to Distinguish Eosinophilic from non-eosinophilic Nasal Polyps
Authors: Pan Xiaodan , Zhang Yuan , Wang Chengshuo , Zhang Luo
Published: August 2020

Background: Patients with eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (eCRSwNP) have poorer outcomes after endoscopic sinus surgery and a higher recurrence rate. This study aimed to investigate the profile of clinical symptoms of eCRSwNP and the related risk factors.Methods: We prospectively enrolled 298 CRSwNP inpatients from February 2019 to December 2019. Patients were divided into eCRSwNP and non-eCRSwNP groups based on the percentage of blood eosinophils. Clinical data on questionnaires, visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, and laboratory tests were collected. The differences in clinical symptoms, including nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, olfactory disorders, and head/facial pain, between the two groups were analyzed to identify the influential factors. Logistic analysis and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine the diagnostic benefit for the specific symptom in eCRSwNP patients.Results: Of the four major clinical symptoms, nasal congestion and olfactory disorders were significantly different between eCRSwNP and non-eCRSwNP groups. Patients with eCRSwNP more frequently complained about olfactory disorders (P = 0.002), while patients with non-eCRSwNP mostly had nasal congestion (P = 0.001). The logistic analysis showed that the primary risk factors for olfactory disorders of eCRSwNP were disease duration (P = 0.014) and alcohol intake (P = 0.012). Olfactory disorders were not associated with the disease course of eCRSwNP but were correlated with the disease duration of non-eCRSwNP (P = 0.008). When the clinical duration was less than 10 years, there was a significant difference in olfactory disorders between eCRSwNP and non-eCRSwNP groups (P < 0.01). However, when the clinical duration was over 10 years, the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.264). The VAS score of olfactory disorders of over 5.75 could be used to predict the diagnosis of eCRSwNP (area under the curve ＝0.674, 95% confidence intervals: 0.559–0.689, P = 0.000). Conclusions: Olfactory disorder was the major nasal symptom that could be used to distinguish eCRSwNP and non-eCRSwNP. ECRSwNP patients were more prone to have olfactory dysfunction. Our findings suggested that evaluation of nasal symptoms would help diagnose eCRSwNP and determine subsequent clinical treatment strategies.
Sphingolipid Profiling Reveals Different Extent of Ceramide Accumulation in Bovine Retroperitoneal and Subcutaneous Adipose Tissues
Authors: Leung Yue Hei , Baessler Sonja , Koch Christian , Scheu Theresa , Meyer Ulrich , Dänicke Sven , Huber Korinna , Kenéz Ákos
Published: August 2020

Background: Sphingolipids are bioactive lipids that can modulate insulin sensitivity, cellular differentiation, and apoptosis in a tissue-specific manner. Previous studies in dairy cattle reported that the retroperitoneal adipose tissue (RPAT) was more active than the subcutaneous adipose tissue (SCAT) in terms of insulin sensitivity, lipolytic activity, and pro-inflammatory signaling. Sphingolipids were discussed to be involved in inflammation, however, their comparative profiles in bovine RPAT and SCAT are currently unknown. We aimed to characterize the sphingolipid profiles using a targeted lipidomics approach and to assess whether potentially related sphingolipid pathways are different between SCAT and RPAT. Holstein bulls (n = 6) were slaughtered, and SCAT and RPAT samples were collected for sphingolipid profiling. A total of 70 sphingolipid species were detected, including 24 species of ceramide (Cer) and dihydroceramide (DHCer), 18 species of sphingomyelin (SM) and dihydrosphingomyelin (DHSM), 11 species of ceramide-1-phosphate (C1P) and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), 9 species of galactosylceramide (GalCer), glucosylceramide (GluCer), lactosylceramide (LacCer), and 8 species of sphinganine (DHSph) and sphingosine (Sph). The concentration of each sphingolipid was quantified by UPLC-MRM/MS. Results: Our results showed that sphingolipids of the de novo synthesis pathway such as DHSph, DHCer, and Cer, were more concentrated in RPAT than in SCAT. Sphingolipids of the salvage pathway and the sphingomyelinase pathway such as Sph, S1P, C1P, glycosphingolipid, and SM were more concentrated in SCAT. Our results indicate that RPAT had a greater extent of ceramide accumulation, and thereby increased the concentration of further sphingolipid intermediates in the de novo synthesis pathway.Conclusion: This distinctive sphingolipid distribution pattern in RPAT and SCAT can potentially explain the tissue-specific activity in insulin sensitivity, pro-inflammation, and oxidative stress in RPAT and SCAT.
A Simple Chart to Communicate Health-behaviors-associated Mortality
Authors: Setti Mounir Ould , Voutilainen Ari , Hantunen Sari , Virtanen Jyrki , Tuomainen Tomi-Pekka
Published: August 2020

Background

Unhealthy behaviors are trending towards the increase. This study aimed to develop a risk chart for personalized risk communication, which can induce a positive health behavioral change.
Methods

2235 middle-aged men were followed-up for a median time of 28 years. Participants were assessed for their smoking status, quality of diet expressed in Healthy Nordic Diet (HND) index, and alcohol drinking. After controlling for age, Body Mass Index (BMI), physical activity, and comorbidities, the variables’ association with all-cause mortality was analyzed.
Results

Smoking, quality of diet, and alcohol drinking were associated to mortality risk with hazard ratios (HRs) of 2.72 [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.22–3.33], 0.88 (95% CI 0.82–0.94), and 1.13 (95% CI 1.10–1.17) respectively. Based on the analysis model [area under the curve (AUC) 72.8, 95% CI 70.8–74.9], a risk chart was presented allowing risk comparison across different predictors and for different combinations of health behaviors. A dysergic BMI-smoking interaction was found, suggesting that the individual effects of smoking and high BMI on mortality were lower when they co-existed. The combined effects of obesity (BMI > 30), smoking, poor quality diet (HND 1), and high level of alcohol consumption (475 g/week) associated with nearly 10 folds the mortality risk of a normal weight individual engaged in healthy behavior regardless of age, and a loss of 20 years in median survival.
Conclusion

The risk chart can be used as a tool to offer personalized risk communication and improve individuals’ perception of the risk associated to their health behaviors.
Health Behaviors, Life Skills, Mental Health, and Demographic Factors Associated with Mental Health among University Students in a Developing Country. 
Authors: Maddah Diana , Kabakian Tamar , Zeidan Rouba , Elsaady Nathalie , Alami Nael , Salameh Pascale
Published: August 2020

University students in developing countries may be at high risk for mental health disorders due to many financial, political, and social stressors. In the present study, we intended to explore the association of mental health with health behaviors and life skills. Participants included 2789 university students in Lebanon. Bivariate and multivariate regression analysis were performed. Results suggested that the risk for mental health disorders is associated with the socio-demographic factors of being a first year university student, being female, and living in rural areas. Also, consumption of high-calorie dietary pattern, low physical activity, and high level of risky behaviors associated with higher occurrence of mental health disorders. Life Skills are associated with less occurrence of mental health disorders in our data. Sociodemographic factors such as gender, university year, and area of residence (rural vs. urban), healthy behaviors, and life skills showed to be strongly associated with university students’ mental health. Life skills based interventions addressing the aforementioned mental health determinants would benefit university students in developing countries.
Clinical Features and Outcomes in Imported and Non-Imported Patients With COVID-19: A Retrospective, Multi-centre, Descriptive Study
Authors: Wang Jing , Yuan Guodan , Chen Shaoyun , Li Jianrong , Zhu Xiaoqian , Shi Junwei , Xu Lingfang , Gao Wanchun , Xu Liyong , Song Yuyan , Jiang Depeng
Published: August 2020

Background: Global outbreak of novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) continues to constitute a public health emergency of international concern. However, few studies have directly compared the differences of clinical features and outcomes between imported and non-imported COVID-19 patients. We aimed to directly compare the differences of clinical features and outcomes between imported and non-imported COVID-19 patients.Methods: we enrolled 275 patients (53 imported and 222 non-imported cases) with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 from four designated hospitals in Chongqing, China. Epidemiological, demographic, clinical, laboratory, treatment, and outcome data were collected and analyzed. Independent samples t- test, Mann- Whitney U test, Wilcoxon test,χ2 test, or Fisher’s exact test were adopted to compare the difference between imported and non-imported groups where appropriateResults: The imported group had a higher proportion of asymptomatic patients (18.9% vs. 3.8%, p=0.016), lower lymphocyte count (1.1×109/L vs. 1.5×109 /L, p=0.018), higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (2.6 vs. 2.3, p=0.0237), higher proportion of CD4+ T cells reduction (70% vs. 44.6%, p=0.043), longer duration of viral shedding (20 days vs. 18 days, p = 0.0416) than the non-imported group. The symptomatic non-imported group had a lower lymphocyte count (1.3×109/L vs. 1.6×109 /L, p=0.003), lower CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, longer viral shedding (20 days vs.13 days, p< 0.001) and hospital stay (17 days vs.14 days, p=0.015) than the asymptomatic non-imported group. Furthermore, when compared with imported group, asymptomatic non-imported group showed higher lymphocyte count (1.6×109/L vs. 1.1×109 /L, p< 0.001) and CD4+ T cells(567 vs.375, p=0.029), while the symptomatic non-imported group showed no difference in lymphocyte count, CD4+ or CD8+ T cells (p ≥ 0.0894).Conclusion: Our results indicated that when compared with imported patients, damage to the immune system by SARS-Cov-2 in non-imported patients was milder, and this might be mainly due to its higher asymptomatic proportion.Clinical trial registration: ChiCTR2000033980. Registered 19 June 2020 - Retrospectively registered, http:// www.chictr.org.cn.
Single Investigation of the Role of APC2 in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Jiao Yingwei , Liu Qiang , Zhao Hongbo , Hu Xianzhen , Sun Jinlong , Fang Yujie
Published: August 2020

BackgroundAPC2 is as a homolog of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) that has comparable functions in cancer, and is located on chromosome 19p13.3. It is an important signaling pathway protein in many cancers and diseases. For example, in ovarian cancer, APC2 serves as an important tumor suppressor through the induction of the WNT signaling pathway, inhibiting tumor invasion and growth. In colorectal cancer, APC2 was shown to be an important protein for inhibiting tumor invasion and metastasis. In the present study, APC2 was shown to be an important regulatory pathway protein that cooperates with microRNA bidirectional regulation to induce phenotypic changes in colorectal cancer.MethodsThrough measurements in colorectal cancer tissue samples (RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry), we found that the APC2 gene may play a role in the occurrence and development of colorectal cancer patients. We selected colorectal cancer cell lines as the research carrier of the APC2 gene. We changed the expression of APC2 gene in colorectal cancer cell lines by silencing the APC2 gene and up-regulating the APC2 gene, and then used cell cycle, MTT and western blot methods to measure its possible effects on colorectal cancer mechanisms.ResultWe found that the expression of APC2 in normal mucosal tissues in colorectal cancer tissues is was than that of matched colorectal cancer tissues, both at the protein and mRNA levels. We then tested colorectal cancer cell lines for gene silencing and up-regulation. We found that silencing the expression of the APC2 gene effectively advanced the cycle in colorectal cancer cells. In subsequent protein testing, we found that the proteins of the relevant cycle checkpoints changed accordingly. We found the opposite in cell lines after up-regulating the expression of the APC2 gene. By contrast, the SW480 cell line with k-ras mutation in the key pathway did not produce relevant changes by up-regulating the expression of the APC2 gene.ConclusionLow expression levels of the APC2 gene in colorectal cancer inhibit the progression of colorectal cancer cell lines through the RAS signaling pathway and hinders the occurrence and development of colorectal cancer.
Can Sex be A Predictor of Survival and Treatment Benefit in T1-3N0M0 colorectal Cancer Patients? A Population-Based Analysis
Authors: Ma Bin , Li Yongmin , Meng Qingkai
Published: August 2020

Background: Our aim was to assess predictive effect of sex on survival and treatment benefit of T1-3N0M0 CRC.Methods: This study population was assembled from the SEER dataset. Between 2004 and 2016, patients diagnosed with malignant primary CRC who underwent primary tumour resection were included.Results: First, we found that females had better OS than males and that sex could be an independent factor of survival in T1-3N0M0 colon cancer (regardless of right/left-sided tumour) and T1-2N0M0 rectal cancer (each HR<1, each P<0.05). In addition, though a significant OS benefit was not observed in T3N0M0 rectal cancer in the overall analysis (P=0.183), females benefited more than males among T3N0M0 rectal cancer patients who underwent postoperative chemotherapy (P<0.001). However, there was no significant OS difference between male and femaleT3N0M0 rectal cancer patients among those who did not receive postoperative chemotherapy (P=0.634). In subgroup analyses of T3N0M0 patients, a similar tendency of survival and the effect of postoperative chemotherapy were observed regardless of whether preoperative radiotherapy was performed. Furthermore, we found that females had a survival benefit over males at all ages, among patients of the white race and among T1-T3 adenocarcinoma CRC patients (each HR<1, each P<0.001).Conclusion: Sex was proven to be an independent prognostic factor in T1-3N0M0 colon cancer and T1-2N0M0 rectal cancer. Females are more likely to benefit from postoperative chemotherapy than males with T3N0M0 rectal cancer. Our research suggests that sex could be considered a factor in practical clinical treatment and prognosis evaluation for T1-3N0M0 rectal cancer.
Marital Status and Its Correlation with Age, Race and Gender in Prognosis of Tonsil Squamous Cell Carcinomas
Authors: Li yujiao , Hu Chaosu
Published: August 2020

Background: To assess the impact of marital status on tonsil squamous cell carcinomas (TSCC) prognosis and to analyze whether the impact is correlated with gender, age and race.Methods: We examined the clinicopathological variables using Chi-squared tests and we evaluated the association between survival and different variables using the methods of Kaplan-Meier. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the effects of each variable on survival.Results: A total of 10720 patients were analyzed. The rate of being married was higher among Asian or Caucasian, and this rate decreased with higher tumor stage. While both married male and female survivors benefit from their marital status, we found a differential in CSS based on gender, with males benefitting more than females (p < 0.05). Patients who were divorced/separated/single (DSS) (male HR =1.733, 95% CI: 1.548-1.940; female HR = 1.157, 95% CI: 0.887-1.507) and widowed (male HR = 2.052, 95% CI: 1.597-2.637; female HR =1.890, 95% CI: 1.374-2.599) had increased hazard of OS compared with married/partnered patients. The same results were found in OS. Subgroups analysis shows that the protective effect of marriage was consistent in all patients except for N3 groups (all, p<0.05).Conclusion: While there are survival benefits for married patients with TSCC, married/partnered males may benefit more than females. Age, race, and gender could affect the correlation between marital status and survival. However, when considering patients affected by more aggressive disease(N3 disease), the effect of marital status would be vanished.