Search

The association between frailty and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) or insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1) levels demonstrates sex differences with inconsistent conclusions. This study aims to explore the causal relationship between frailty and SHBG or IGF-1 levels through bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR). We conducted two-sample bidirectional sex-stratified MR analyses using summary-level data from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) to examine the causal relationship between frailty and IGF-1 or SHBG levels, as measured by frailty index (FI) and frailty phenotype (FP). We use the random-effects inverse-variance weighted (IVW), weighted median, MR-Egger, MR-Egger intercept, and leave-one-out approaches. The relationship between frailty and SHBG or IGF-1 levels is inversely related, with a significant decrease in SHBG levels in females. Specifically, SHBG levels significantly decrease with FI (β = −5.49; 95 % CI: −9.67 to −1.32; FDR = 0.02) and more pronounced with FP (β = −10.14; 95 % CI: −16.16 to −4.13; FDR = 0.01), as determined by the IVW approach. However, reverse analysis shows no significant effect of IGF-1 or SHBG levels on either FI or FP (p > 0.05). Our study indicates a negative correlation between frailty and the levels of SHBG and IGF-1. It is suggested that further research is required to establish cut-off values for SHBG and IGF-1 levels in the frailty population. This is particularly important for females at higher risk, such as those undergoing menopause, to enable comprehensive assessment and early prevention efforts. While the findings imply that reduced IGF-1 and SHBG levels may not directly contribute to frailty, it is important not to overlook the underlying mechanisms through which they may indirectly influence frailty. • Frailty has a more pronounced correlation with reduced IGF-1 and SHBG levels in females compared to males. • This study proposes a mechanism to explain why females experience a greater frailty burden compared to males of similar age. • There is no causal relationship between IGF-1 or SHBG levels and frailty, suggesting the existence of alternative mechanisms. • Emphasizes sex differences in tailored interventions and customized strategies for frail populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epidemiological studies have evaluated the association between the C7673T polymorphism in apolipoprotein B (apoB) gene and ischemic stroke (IS), but the results are still debatable even in the Chinese population. This meta-analysis was therefore designed to clarify these controversies.Methods: All of the relevant studies were identified from PubMed, Embase, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure database and Chinese Wanfang database up to 31 October 2014. Statistical analyses were conducted with Revman 5.2 and STATA 12.0 software. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) values were applied to evaluate the strength of the association. A fixed or random effect model was selected for pooling data based on the heterogeneity test. Publication bias was assessed by Begg's test and Egger's test.Results: A significant association was found between the C7673T polymorphism in apoB gene and IS under the heterozygous genetic model (OR = 1.868, 95% CI = 1.160–3.007) and the allelic genetic model (OR = 1.742, 95% CI = 1.294–2.346), respectively. In the subgroup analysis by the geographic region, T allele could increase the risk of IS in northern Chinese (OR = 2.359, 95% CI: 1.425–3.907), but not in southern Chinese individuals (OR = 1.485, 95% CI: 0.778–2.832). Further stratification for source of controls showed that statistical significance was found among the population-based studies.Conclusion: Our meta-analysis revealed that C7673T polymorphism in apoB gene was significantly associated with increased IS risk in the Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the northern China areas, the traditional heating methods are widely used in solar greenhouse, for example: electric heating, hot air heating, hot water heating, burning-cave heating etc. If copying the assuring building indoor environment of constant heating ways into solar greenhouse, it will further increase building energy consumption, thus improving the efficiency of energy utilization, establishing appropriate growing environment, and realizing the agricultural waste recycling are important ways of consistent with the Chinese conditions, construction of sustainable development, improving the efficiency of the greenhouse production. To solve the problem of traditional heating method for high heating energy consumption, the inharmonious between greenhouse air temperature and soil temperature, uneven soil temperature, the research build the burning cave hot water soil heating system of solar greenhouse experimental platform in accordance with principle of energy cascade utilization. This experiment platform will transfer burning cave internal heat into soil heating system. The soil is evenly heated by system. Through testing the actual operation effect of the burning cave hot water soil heating system of new solar greenhouse, electric heating system, no taking any heating measures system, burning cave hot water soil heating system of solar greenhouse can improve the soil average temperature 5 ∼ 6 °C. This research provides experimental basis for practical applications and promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural ventilation design strategy was an important means to effectively reduce energy consumption and improve indoor air quality. The indoor temperature prediction methods could be well described the natural ventilation effect in the early design stage. Building thermal mass was the main influence factor of indoor temperature prediction of nature ventilation building through the literature review. The current simulation methods were difficult to achieve quick and accurate prediction coupled with building thermal mass. Therefore, most of the prediction methods were numerical solutions methods or prediction methods based on historical data. In order to obtain a feasible method for predicting the indoor temperature of natural ventilation building, this study put forward a simplified method based on the existing prediction methods. This study was verified by the experimental platforms with light and middle building thermal mass. The results showed that the maximum errors were about 1.5 °C between the measured values and simulated values. [Display omitted] • A natural ventilation building indoor temperature prediction method is proposed. • The building thermal mass was considered in this new prediction method. • This new method was verified by experiments during different seasons. • The performance comparison analysis with traditional methods was carried. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Co-culturing of neurons and NSCs simulates the cytotherapy for neuronal injury. [•] The OGD injured neurons are repaired by co-culturing with NSCs. [•] The co-cultured NSCs are induced to more differentiation. [•] Notch1 contributes to the NSCs fate determination in the co-culturing system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains the leading cause of injury-related death and disability. Brain edema, one of the most major complications of TBI, contributes to elevated intracranial pressure, and poor prognosis following TBI. Nerve growth factor (NGF) appears to be a viable strategy to treat brain edema and TBI. Unfortunately, due to its poor blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, the clinical application of NGF has been greatly limited. We previously demonstrated that intranasal NGF could bypass the BBB and distribute throughout the brain. Here we further studied whether intranasal NGF could attenuate TBI-induced brain edema and its putative mechanisms. TBI was produced by a modified weight-drop model. We found that intranasal administration of NGF (5μg/d) attenuated the brain edema, as assayed by hemisphere water content, at 12h, 24h and 72h after TBI induction. This attenuation was associated with a prominent decrease of the content of aquaporin-4, which plays a pivotal role in the formation of brain edema. By the use of RT-PCR and ELISA, we showed that intranasal NGF markedly inhibited the transcription and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL-1β and TNF-α. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) displayed a significant activation of nuclear factor-κB following TBI, which was, however, much lowered in the NGF-treated rats. Furthermore, upon intranasal NGF supplementation, mitochondria-mediated apoptosis following TBI was minimized, as indicated by upregulation of Bcl-2 and downregulation of caspase-3. Collectively, our findings suggested that intranasal NGF may be a promising strategy to treat brain edema and TBI. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To evaluate the effect of carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS) on postoperative cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) and its independent predictors. Methods: During July 2008 and September 2009, 37 patients undergone CAS were enrolled in this study. Breath holding tests using transcranial Doppler were performed for each patient before, 1 to 2 days, and 3 to 10 months after the procedure. CVR was evaluated by the breath holding index (BHI). Repeated measures analysis of variance was employed to detect the BHI changes after CAS. Multivariate linear regression was used to identify the independent predictors for BHI. Results: A significant improvement of the ipsilateral BHI values was observed after stenting (P < 0.05). The follow-up BHI values were positively correlated with those after procedures (β = 1.030, P < 0.001), while negatively correlated with tandem stenoses (β = -0.016, P = 0.002). Conclusions: CAS results in an immediate improvement and a gradual normalization of the ipsilateral CVR. Tandem stenoses are an independent predictor for CVR. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The typical meteorological year (TMY) is one of the key factors to accurately estimate building energy consumption and analysis indoor environment. Therefore, high-performance TMY is crucial. A new TMY generation method based on empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) in this paper was put forward for different climates of China. The results show that the proposed method effectively improves the representation of TMY compared with traditional methods, especially for solar radiation and wind speed data. Finally, this paper analyzed the impact of TMY using EEMD on the results of building environmental analysis. The simulation result has showed that the TMY generated by the EEMD effectively reduced the relative average deviation for the estimation of the building energy consumption compared with other methods. This study further uses the method to obtain the daily weather database for selected cities in different climate regions of China. • A new typical meteorological year generation method is proposed. • Ensemble empirical mode decomposition was used for the development of TMY. • The TMY database for selected cities in different climate zones was obtained. • The performance comparison analysis of TMY with traditional methods was carried. • The impact of the new TMY on building efficiency and thermal comfort is analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional typical meteorological year (TMY) based on continuous-year original meteorological records without considering abrupt climate changes (ACC) may not be able to represent a real "typical" climate properly. Consequently, building performance analyses and simulations based on TMY may be not accurate. Current research rarely tackles this issue in TMY development. This paper presents an innovative TMY development with the consideration of ACC in the original meteorological records. It is based on the Chinese standard weather database method (CSWD) with the meteorological records of six Chinese cities in different climate zones. It applies the Moving t-test method to identify and exclude ACC points and to refine the timescales for TMY development. It also depicts the development of individual typical meteorological months again with the ACC impact to improve the accuracy of TMY. The method has been verified in several building energy consumption and thermal comfort analyses. The results demonstrate that the analysis based on the new TMY climate datasets when considering ACC will end up with less energy consumption and better thermal performance compared to the analyses based on the conversion dataset without considering ACC. This experimental research will refine TMY development, and further improve building energy performance analysis and design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) has been demonstrated to have neuroprotective effects, but little is known concerning its role in vascular dementia (VaD). This study aimed to evaluate expression of IGF-1 signaling in hippocampus in rat model of VaD, and probe the underlying mechanisms. Permanent occlusion of bilateral common carotid arteries (2-VO) was used as VaD model. Learning and memory functions were declined significantly in 2-VO rats, and these impairments were further deteriorated with the prolongation of 2-VO treatment. IGF-1, IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R), total Akt and phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) were all measured at 1, 2 and 4 months following 2-VO injury. Compared with controls, IGF-1, IGF-1 mRNA and p-Akt expression were significantly decreased in hippocampus of 2-VO rats. However, changes of IGF-1R and total Akt levels were not significant. These results suggest that down-regulation of IGF-1 and p-Akt may contribute to the impairments of learning and memory functions after 2-VO. IGF-1/IGF-1R signaling system may involved in the onset and development of VaD. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Previous randomised trials have shown an overwhelming benefit of mechanical thrombectomy for treating patients with stroke caused by large vessel occlusion of the anterior circulation. Whether endovascular treatment is beneficial for vertebrobasilar artery occlusion remains unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of endovascular treatment of acute strokes due to vertebrobasilar artery occlusion.Methods: We did a multicentre, randomised, open-label trial, with blinded outcome assessment of thrombectomy in patients presenting within 8 h of vertebrobasilar occlusion at 28 centres in China. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to endovascular therapy plus standard medical therapy (intervention group) or standard medical therapy alone (control group). The randomisation sequence was computer-generated and stratified by participating centres. Allocation concealment was implemented by use of sealed envelopes. The primary outcome was a modified Rankin scale (mRS) score of 3 or lower (indicating ability to walk unassisted) at 90 days, assessed on an intention-to-treat basis. The primary safety outcome was mortality at 90 days. Secondary safety endpoints included the rates of symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage, device-related complications, and other severe adverse events. The BEST trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02441556.Findings: Between April 27, 2015, and Sept 27, 2017, we assessed 288 patients for eligibility. The trial was terminated early after 131 patients had been randomly assigned (66 patients to the intervention group and 65 to the control group) because of high crossover rate and poor recruitment. In the intention-to-treat analysis, there was no evidence of a difference in the proportion of participants with mRS 0-3 at 90 days according to treatment (28 [42%] of 66 patients in the intervention group vs 21 [32%] of 65 in the control group; adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1·74, 95% CI 0·81-3·74). Secondary prespecified analyses of the primary outcome, done to assess the effect of crossovers, showed higher rates of mRS 0-3 at 90 days in patients who actually received the intervention compared with those who received standard medical therapy alone in both per-protocol (28 [44%] of 63 patients with intervention vs 13 [25%] of 51 with standard therapy; adjusted OR 2·90, 95% CI 1·20-7·03) and as-treated (36 [47%] of 77 patients with intervention vs 13 [24%] of 54 with standard therapy; 3·02, 1·31-7·00) populations. The 90-day mortality was similar between groups (22 [33%] of 66 patients in the intervention vs 25 [38%] of 65 in the control group; p=0·54) despite a numerically higher prevalence of symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage in the intervention group.Interpretation: There was no evidence of a difference in favourable outcomes of patients receiving endovascular therapy compared with those receiving standard medical therapy alone. Results might have been confounded by loss of equipoise over the course of the trial, resulting in poor adherence to the assigned study treatment and a reduced sample size due to the early termination of the study.Funding: Jiangsu Provincial Special Program of Medical Science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Molecularly imprinted polymers were used to encapsulate Ta2O5/Ag@MIL-101 (Fe), which can be used for the selective detection of real samples. • The octahedral structure of MIL-101 (Fe) was synthesised, with a pore structure and a large specific surface area, which can provide more active sites. • The addition of Ta2O5 allows the prepared sensors to have photocatalytic properties, broadening the application areas of the synthesised composites. In this work, a novel sensor for selective detection of 2,6-dichlorophenol (2,6-DCP) is developed by combining the selectivity of molecular imprinting technology (MIPs) with the sensitivity of SERS technology. In order to enhance SERS activity of the substrate, Ag nanoparticles are loaded on Ta 2 O 5 particles by means of photodeposition. The synthesized Ta 2 O 5 @Ag is combined with MIL-101 (Fe) to enrich more target molecules and reduce the limit of detection. Finally, Ta 2 O 5 /Ag/MIL-101(Fe)@MIPs (TAM@MIPs) is synthesized by precipitation polymerization for selective detection of 2,6-DCP. When the concentration of 2,6-DCP changes between the range of 10−2 ∼ 10−9 M, the Raman intensity and concentration present a good linear relationship. The correlation coefficient (R2) is 0.9969 and the limit of detection (LOD) of 2,6-DCP is 10−9 M. Furthermore, Under UV-irradiation, the TAM@MIPs also presents photocatalytic performance, which can effectively degrade the organic interfering molecule adsorbed on its surface and present high-efficiency reproducibility. This method broadens the application field of SERS detection and provides a new procedure for the phenolic pollutant detection. In this study, a SERS detection scheme for 2,6-dichlorophenol was developed which can be extended to complex real samples. The synthesis process and formation mechanism of TAM-MIPS is given in Scheme 1. Firstly, Ag NPs are loaded onto Ta 2 O 5 by photodeposition, and the composite Ta 2 O 5 /Ag is chemically bonded to MIL-101 (Fe) to prepare Ta 2 O 5 /Ag@MIL-101 (Fe) (TAM). Also, to take into account the complexity of the actual detection environment hair, the TAM surface was covered with an imprinted layer. TAM@MIPs were synthesised by precipitation polymerisation with the aid of AM, EGDMA and AIBN to achieve selective detection of the target analytes. 2,6-dichlorophenol achieved sensitive detection in the range of 10−2 ∼ 10−9 M, with an excellent linear relationship between SERS intensity and solution concentration at 1572 cm−1 with a correlation coefficient of 0.9969. Due to the addition of Ta 2 O 5 The addition of Ta 2 O 5 enabled the prepared sensor to have photocatalytic properties, enhancing the SERS activity while expanding new fields. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymorphisms ofCYP2C19have been associated with variant risk of subsequent cardiovascular events in survivors of myocardial infarction (MI) receiving clopidogrel. This study evaluated the impacts ofCYP2C19polymorphisms on stroke recurrence and other vascular events in a cohort of Chinese patients receiving clopidogrel. From Nanjing Stroke Registry Program, 625 consecutive patients with ischemic stroke were enrolled between May 2008 and April 2010.CYP2C19variants (*2, *3, and*17) were genotyped. Clinical outcomes were determined with three monthly follow-up. The primary endpoint was a composite of vascular death, non-fatal ischemic stroke, and non-fatal MI. The second endpoint was bleeding events. The median exposure to clopidogrel was 13.2 (interquartile range, 8.9–18.0) months. Primary endpoint was observed in 85 (13.6%) patients and secondary endpoint in 13 (2.1%) patients. Frequencies ofCYP2C19*1, *2, *3, and*17alleles were 61.2, 34.0, 3.8, and 1.0%, respectively, in this patient cohort.CYP2C19loss-of-function allele (*2and*3, LOF) carriers were observed with higher risk of subsequent vascular events compared with non-carriers (17.2 versus 8.1%, HR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.31–3.56,p = 0.003). After adjusted for age, sex, major cardiovascular risk factors, and drug agent,CYP2C19LOF carrier was independently associated with primary endpoint (HR = 2.31, 95% CI: 1.39–3.84,p = 0.001). No significant association betweenCYP2C19gain-of-function (*17, GOF) and clinical events was detected. In Chinese stroke survivors treated with clopidogrel, carriers ofCYP2C19LOF allele may have increased risk of recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background/Aims: Restenosis following extracranial artery stenting is a limitation that affects long-term outcomes. Effective and satisfying pharmacological strategies in preventing restenosis have not been established. This study aimed to evaluate whether argatroban, a direct thrombin inhibitor, could reduce the risk of in-stent restenosis after extracranial artery stenting. Methods: One hundred and fourteen patients hospitalized between August 2010 and August 2011 were enrolled. Patients were randomly assigned to argatroban (n = 58) and blank control groups (n = 56). The patients in the argatroban arm were treated with 10 mg of intravenous argatroban twice daily 2 days before and 3 days after the stenting procedures. Patients were followed for 12 months after the procedure. During follow-up, restenosis and target revascularization were analyzed. Recurrent cerebrovascular and cardiovascular events and deaths were also compared between the groups. Results: One patient in the stenting group withdrew immediately after the procedure due to unsuccessful stenting. Restenosis occurred in 4 patients (7.4%) in the argatroban group and in 11 patients (21.6%) in the control group during the 6- to 9-month angiographic follow-up period (p = 0.032). Nine months after the procedures, argatroban-treated patients had a trend towards a lower incidence of target revascularization compared with the controls (5.4 vs. 13.7%, p = 0.188). No major bleeding events or other adverse events occurred in the argatroban group. Conclusion: This pilot clinical trial is the first that uses argatroban to prevent restenosis in ischemic cerebrovascular disease, and suggests that intravenous administration of argatroban is effective and safe in preventing restenosis after extracranial artery stenting. Larger randomized controlled clinical trials are warranted. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Cell therapy is emerging as a viable neurorestorative therapy for stroke. [•] Various cell sources have displayed the feasibility and therapeutic efficacy in stroke. [•] Cell-instructed bystander effects presumably underlie the improvement in functional outcome. [•] Several genetic or pharmaceutical pretreatment may enhance the efficacy of cell therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Body temperature decreased spontaneously after MCAO in mouse. [•] Postischemic warming process increased success rate of mouse MCAO model. [•] Postichemic warming increased infarct volume and neurological deficits. [•] We achieved higher success rate by using a simple incubator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of stereotactic aspiration combined with subsequent thrombolysis in treating moderate thalamic hemorrhage (TH). Methods: A total of 105 patients with TH were nonrandomly assigned to the conservative treatment group (n = 60) or to the aspiration group (n = 45). Patients in the aspiration group were treated with stereotactic aspiration plus subsequent thrombolysis for removal for their hematomas. Results: The 30-day mortality in the conservative group was significantly higher than that in the aspiration group (28.3% (17/60) vs. 11.2% (5/45), P = 0.032). The rank of the 30-day Glasgow outcome scale in the conservative group was significantly lower than that in the aspiration group (P = 0.041), and the mean 30-day National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of the survivors in the conservative group was significantly higher than that in the aspiration group (16.5 ± 4. 2 vs. 14.2 ± 3.9, P = 0.012). There were a greater reduction in TH volume in the aspiration group than in the conservative group from day 1 to day 3 (-0.24% and 39.28%, respectively, P < 0.0001) and from day 1 to day 7 (26.58% and 63.26%, respectively, P < 0.0001). The rank of 90-day Glasgow outcome scale was significantly lower in the conservative group than that in the aspiration group (P = 0.015). Eighteen of 60 patients (30.0%) had a favorable outcome in the conservative group, whereas 23 of 45 patients (51.1%) had a favorable outcome in the aspiration group, and this difference was significant (P = 0.028). The 90-day cumulative mortality rate in the conservative group was significantly higher than that in the aspiration group (33.3% (20/60)) vs. 15.6% (7/45), P = 0.039). Conclusions: Stereotactic aspiration plus subsequent thrombolysis is effective and safe for moderate TH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The effect of neurotrophic factors in enhancing stroke-induced neurogenesis in the adult subventricular zone (SVZ) is limited by their poor blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability.Intranasal administration is a noninvasive and valid method for delivery of neuropeptides into the brain, to bypass the BBB. We investigated the effect of treatment with intranasal transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) on neurogenesis in the adult mouse SVZ following focal ischemia. The modified Neurological Severity Scores (NSS) test was used to evaluate neurological function, and infarct volumes were determined from hematoxylin-stained sections. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) labeling was performed at 7 days after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Immunohistochemistry was used to detect bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and neuron- or glia-specific markers for identifying neurogenesis in the SVZ at 7, 14, 21, 28 days after MCAO.Results: Intranasal treatment of TGF-beta1 shows significant improvement in neurological function and reduction of infarct volume compared with control animals. TGF-beta1 treated mice had significantly less TUNEL-positive cells in the ipsilateral striatum than that in control groups. The number of BrdU-incorporated cells in the SVZ and striatum was significantly increased in the TGF-beta1 treated group compared with control animals at each time point. In addition, numbers of BrdU- labeled cells coexpressed with the migrating neuroblast marker doublecortin (DCX) and the mature neuronal marker neuronal nuclei (NeuN) were significantly increased after intranasal delivery of TGF-beta1, while only a few BrdU labeled cells co-stained with glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP).Conclusion: Intranasal administration of TGF-beta1 reduces infarct volume, improves functional recovery and enhances neurogenesis in mice after stroke. Intranasal TGF-beta1 may have therapeutic potential for cerebrovascular disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]