Search

Background: Sarcoidosis is a systemic non-caseous necrotizing granulomatous disease with unknown etiology. It can involve multiple organs throughout the body, most commonly affecting lungs and/or bilateral hilar lymph nodes. Sjögren's syndrome is a multi-system autoimmune disease. The main clinical symptoms include dry mouth and dry eyes. The combination of the two diseases with the involvement of multiple systems is very rare, and the final diagnosis is mainly based on the comprehensive judgment of clinical history, imaging manifestations and pathological examination. Case presentation: We report a case of multiple sarcoidosis (lung, hilar, mediastinal, inguinal, liver, and spleen) with Sjögren syndrome. The patient had a dry mouth, dry eyes, and bilateral parotid gland enlargement. The first computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest and abdomen showed multiple nodules in the lungs, multiple enlarged lymph nodes, and low-density shadows in the liver and spleen. After a one-year interval, the re-examination showed that the lung lesions increased with bead-like changes, and the lymph nodes shrunk. Through pathological puncture and comprehensive judgment, considering the coexistence of the two diseases, the patient improved after hormone therapy and was finally diagnosed. Conclusion: Multisystem sarcoidosis combined with Sjögren's syndrome has rarely been reported in the literature. This case has multiple imaging examinations, pathological data and a follow-up review after treatment. The dynamic changes in different periods will help us to better understand the situation of sarcoidosis and explore the connection between the two diseases so as to reduce misdiagnosis.

Background: Peritoneal loose body (PLB) which is also called "peritoneal mouse" is a rare disease, with only a few cases reported. PLB is mostly found due to unplanned examination, surgery, or autopsy. With the increase in abdominal imaging examinations, it was gradually recognized by us. The diagnosis of PLB has three major characteristics: free movement, no blood supply, and pathological exclusion of other tumors. Case Presentation: We reported a 66-year-old male patient with an asymptomatic freely moving peritoneal loose body. The size of the lesion was about 4*4cm. The imaging data were complete including Ultrasound, Magnetic resonance (MR), Computed tomography (CT) plain scan and enhancement. Interestingly, changes in the location of the lesion were found on follow-up CT. The lesion showed concentric circles changes on CT without obvious enhancement. MR also appeared as a multi-layer signal of concentric circles. In addition, the imaging manifestations were compared with histological pathology in this article to explain imaging characteristics. Conclusion: PLB is an uncommon disease. Through the complete imaging examination of this case, we can further understand the mobility of the lesion by changing the position. The CT and MR have characteristic concentric circle changes without obvious enhancement. The diagnosis could be confirmed before surgery, which prompted the clinical early diagnosis of the disease, and an appropriate choice between surgery and conservative treatment.

Background: Robot-assisted arm training is generally delivered in the robot-like manner of planar or mechanical 3-dimensional movements. It remains unclear whether integrating upper extremity (UE) natural coordinated patterns into a robotic exoskeleton can improve outcomes. The study aimed to compare conventional therapist-mediated training to the practice of human-like gross movements derived from 5 typical UE functional activities managed with exoskeletal assistance as needed for patients after stroke. Methods: In this randomized, single-blind, noninferiority trial, patients with moderate-to-severe UE motor impairment due to subacute stroke were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive 20 sessions of 45-minute exoskeleton-assisted anthropomorphic movement training or conventional therapy. Treatment allocation was masked from independent assessors, but not from patients or investigators. The primary outcome was the change in the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity from baseline to 4 weeks against a prespecified noninferiority margin of 4 points. Superiority would be tested if noninferiority was demonstrated. Post hoc subgroup analyses of baseline characteristics were performed for the primary outcome. Results: Between June 2020 and August 2021, totally 80 inpatients (67 [83.8%] males; age, 51.9±9.9 years; days since stroke onset, 54.6±38.0) were enrolled, randomly assigned to the intervention, and included in the intention-to-treat analysis. The mean Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity change in exoskeleton-assisted anthropomorphic movement training (14.73 points; [95% CI, 11.43–18.02]) was higher than that of conventional therapy (9.90 points; [95% CI, 8.15–11.65]) at 4 weeks (adjusted difference, 4.51 points [95% CI, 1.13–7.90]). Moreover, post hoc analysis favored the patient subgroup (Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity score, 23–38 points) with moderately severe motor impairment. Conclusions: Exoskeleton-assisted anthropomorphic movement training appears to be effective for patients with subacute stroke through repetitive practice of human-like movements. Although the results indicate a positive sign for exoskeleton-assisted anthropomorphic movement training, further investigations into the long-term effects and paradigm optimization are warranted. Registration: URL: https://www.chictr.org.cn ; Unique identifier: ChiCTR2100044078.

The aim of this study is to analyze the distribution characteristics of specific allergens based on the immunoglobulin E (IgE) test, performed using the sera of patients with allergic diseases in the Shanxi region of China. Sera from 3141 patients with allergic diseases were analyzed with immunoblotting for IgE antibodies specific to inhaled and ingested allergens. The distribution of allergens and association with factors such as disease profile, sex, age, and cosensitization of the patients who tested positive were analyzed. The most common positive rate of IgE specific to inhaled allergens was mugwort, followed by dust mite mix and common ragweed. The most common positive rate of IgE specific to ingested allergens was crab, followed by egg white and sea fish mix. When analyzed according to disease profile, mugwort was the most common allergen in asthma, rhinitis, and asthma combined with rhinitis. When analyzed by season, the allergens with the highest positive rates included tree mix (willow/poplar/elm), common ragweed, mugwort, and hop pollen from July through September. When analyzed by age, the allergens with the highest positive rates were tree mix, common ragweed, hop, house dust, cow’s milk, mutton/lamb, and peanut in participants aged 0–18 years and egg white in those aged ≥60 years. The radar charts showed cosensitization to multiple allergens. In the Shanxi region, the primary inhaled allergens were mugwort, dust mite mix (1: house dust mite/dust mite), and common ragweed. The primary ingested allergens were crab, egg white, and sea fish mix. There were differences in the positive rates of the allergens between genders, age groups, and seasons, and multiple allergens can cosensitize patients.

Background and objective: All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is only effective in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), but not in other subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Salinomycin targets tumor cells rather than non-tumorigenic cells, and WNT/β-catenin pathway inhibition is one of the mechanisms of its anti-tumor activity. There is a crosstalk between RA and WNT/β-catenin pathway. Here, we investigate the effect of the combination of salinomycin and ATRA (S+RA) in non-APL AML cells. Methods: Apoptosis was evaluated by cell viability and Annexin-V assay. Cell differentiation was analyzed by CD11c expression and morphology. To explore the underlying mechanisms, Western blot analysis and mitochondrial transmembrane potentials (m) were used. Results & Discussion: S+RA induced differentiation and apoptosis in AML cell lines and AML primary cells. S+RA inhibited the β-catenin signal pathway as determined by the decreased protein levels of β-catenin, the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related proteins 6 (LRP6), and its downstream proteins such as survivin, c-Myc, caspase-3/7, cdc25A and cyclinD1 and reduced phosphorylation level of GSK3β S9. S+RA also increased the protein levels of CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins (C/EBPs) and PU.1 and collapsed m. The above molecular and cellular changes induced by S+RA were inhibited by β-catenin specific activator and promoted by β-catenin specific inhibitor. Conclusion: S+RA induced differentiation by β-catenin-inhibition-mediated up-regulation of C/EBPs and PU.1 and suppression of c-Myc. S+RA triggered apoptosis through β-catenin-inhibition-regulated m collapse and caspase-3/7 activation. Taken together, our findings may provide novel therapeutic strategies for AML patients by targeting the WNT/β-catenin pathway.

Jing Wu,1,&ast; Jiaqi Wang,1,&ast; Yiyan Wang,1 Wenjing Fan,1 Husheng Li,1 Hengjing Wu2 1School of Nursing, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 2Clinical Center for Intelligent Rehabilitation Research, Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Hengjing Wu, Clinical Center for Intelligent Rehabilitation Research, Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), School of Medicine, Tongji University, 2209 Xing Guang Road, Shanghai, 201613, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8615821525700, Email whjdata@126.comBackground: Impaired left ventricular (LV) relaxation is indicative of grade I diastolic dysfunction, which is mainly assessed by late diastolic transmitral flow velocity (E/A ratio). Although the E/A ratio has important diagnostic and prognostic implications with cardiac outcomes, the causal link between abnormal E/A ratio and left ventricle remodeling (LV remodeling) remains unclear.Methods: A longitudinal analysis of 869 eligible women aged ≥ 45 years, who had received echocardiography scans as well as 5-year follow-up assessments between 2015 and 2020. Women with pre-existing cardiac abnormalities including grade II/III diastolic dysfunction as diagnosed by echocardiography, or structural heart disease were excluded. E/A abnormality was defined as baseline E/A ratio < 0.8. The classification of LV remodeling was based on the measurements of left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and relative wall thickness (RWT). Logistic and linear regression models were used.Results: Among the 869 women (60.71± 10.01 years), 164 (18.9%) had developed LV remodeling after the 5-year follow-up. The proportion of women with E/A abnormality versus non-abnormality was also significantly different (27.13% vs 16.59%, P=0.007). Multivariable-adjusted regression models showed that E/A abnormality (OR: 4.14, 95%Cl:1.80– 9.20, P=0.009) was significantly associated with higher risk of concentric hypertrophy (CH) after follow-up. No such association was found in either concentric remodeling (CR) or eccentric hypertrophy (EH). Higher baseline E/A ratio was correlated with lower ΔRWT during the 5-year follow-up (β=− 0.006 m/s, 95% CI: − 0.012 to − 0.002, P=0.025), which was independent of demographics and biological factors.Conclusion: E/A abnormality is associated with a higher risk of CH. Higher baseline E/A ratio may be associated with decreased relative changes in RWT.Keywords: diastolic dysfunction, middle-aged women, left ventricular remodeling, echocardiography, heart failure

Quercus dentata Thunb., a dominant forest tree species in northern China, has significant ecological and ornamental value due to its adaptability and beautiful autumn coloration, with color changes from green to yellow into red resulting from the autumnal shifts in leaf pigmentation. However, the key genes and molecular regulatory mechanisms for leaf color transition remain to be investigated. First, we presented a high-quality chromosome-scale assembly for Q. dentata. This 893.54 Mb sized genome (contig N50 = 4.21 Mb, scaffold N50 = 75.55 Mb; 2n = 24) harbors 31 584 protein-coding genes. Second, our metabolome analyses uncovered pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside, cyanidin-3-O-arabinoside, and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside as the main pigments involved in leaf color transition. Third, gene co-expression further identified the MYB-bHLH-WD40 (MBW) transcription activation complex as central to anthocyanin biosynthesis regulation. Notably, transcription factor (TF) QdNAC (QD08G038820) was highly co-expressed with this MBW complex and may regulate anthocyanin accumulation and chlorophyll degradation during leaf senescence through direct interaction with another TF, QdMYB (QD01G020890), as revealed by our further protein–protein and DNA–protein interaction assays. Our high-quality genome assembly, metabolome, and transcriptome resources further enrich Quercus genomics and will facilitate upcoming exploration of ornamental values and environmental adaptability in this important genus.

PurposeConsidering the unique characteristics of equity crowdfunding platforms including the removal of stringent structural barriers (e.g. lack of co-location), high visibility and traceability of investor characteristics, large pool of available investors and simplified transaction process, the authors aim to examine how the two most prevalent mechanisms (i.e. homophily and repeated ties) unfold in this context by incorporating the contextual characteristics. The authors theorize an inverted U-shaped relationship between leader-backer similarity and the likelihood of co-investment in a syndicate on equity crowdfunding platforms. In addition, a leader–backer dyad is more likely to form new syndicates if the students have more prior co-investment ties.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical study is based on data from the AngelList syndicate platform and a linear probability model (LPM) with fixed effects is adopted to estimate the syndicate formation.FindingsThe authors find that the similarity between a leader and a backer has an inverted U-shaped relationship with the leader and backer's likelihood of co-investment in a syndicate, which is different from the dominant homophily-based tie formation in venture capital (VC) syndicates and other digital platform contexts. Although equity crowdfunding platforms encourage the possibility of exploring new partners, investors are more likely to co-invest with others who have stronger prior ties.Originality/valueThis research theoretically contributes to the scant literature of equity crowdfunding syndicates by contextualizing two most prevalent mechanisms (i.e. homophily and repeated ties) driving tie formation in VC syndicates and digital platforms.

Water scarcity and accessibility remain persistently amongst the most prominent global challenges. Although there is a wide agreement among international organizations that Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and water governance are key to overcome water-related challenges, global assessments of the progress made by cities is lacking. This paper for the first time analyses the challenges of water, wastewater, municipal solid waste and climate change in cities. We used empirical studies (125 cities) based on the City Blueprint Approach and developed a statistical estimation model to estimate IWRM performances of another 75 cities. These 200 cities in total represent more than 95% of the global urban population. This comprehensive global picture enables us to evaluate the existing gaps in achieving water-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) and SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities). The best performing cities were Amsterdam and Singapore. Unfortunately, most cities do not yet manage their water resources wisely and are far from achieving the SDGs. For instance, targets regarding drinking water supply are still a challenge for many cities in Africa and Asia and challenges regarding sanitation are high in cities in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The same holds for solid waste management, climate adaptation, and people living in informal settlements. In another paper we will address the solution pathways to these global challenges.

Online novels have achieved a certain degree of success in the foreign dissemination of Chinese culture. The research on the translation of online novels is conducive to the decoding on the success of cultural communications abroad. This paper takes the translation of Battle Through the Heavens by Kong Xuesong as an example from the perspective of the theory of reception aesthetics to discuss the translator's translation strategies and study how to provide a better translation through the analysis of the characteristics of network novels and the current situation of translation.

Qi Wu,1,&ast; Xingxing Wu,1,&ast; Mao Wang,2,&ast; Kexin Liu,1 Yuge Li,1 Xiaoyu Ruan,1 Lin Qian,1 Lingchang Meng,3 Zhiting Sun,3 Lei Zhu,1 Jing Wu,3 Genglin Mu3 1Gastroenterology Department, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 2Ethics Committee, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 3Institute of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Drum Tower Clinical Medicine College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Jing Wu; Genglin Mu, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Drum Tower Clinical Medicine College of the Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 321, Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13451825475, Email wujing@njucm.edu.cn; glyydwsj@163.comBackground: Baicalin is an important active flavonoid isolated from the roots of Scutellaria baicalensis (S. baicalensis), a well-known traditional Chinese herb used in treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The objectives of this study were to assess the potential benefit of baicalin in experimental colitis, as well as to investigate metabolic biomarkers of experimental colitis in conjunction with network pharmacology.Methods: Using a widely utilized network pharmacology technique, baicalin’s targets and pathways were predicted. Simultaneously, experimental colitis was induced by intrarectal administration of TNBS. Histopathology examinations were performed to confirm pathological changes. Plasma samples were examined by using an untargeted metabolomics technique based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) to screen differential metabolites and associated metabolic pathways. Additionally, network pharmacology and integrated analysis of metabolomics were used to identify the primary targets.Results: Through network pharmacology research, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin 6 (IL6), serine/threonine-protein kinase (AKT1), and other 7 proteins were found to be the main targets of baicalin against IBD. The untargeted metabolomics results showed that 47 metabolites in glycerophospholipids and sphingolipid metabolism were involved as key pathways in the experimental colitis model group. 19 metabolites, including Sphingomyelin (SM d42:2, SM d42:1, SM d34:1), Lysophosphatidic acids (LPA 18:4), 1-Palmitoylglycerophosphocholine, and 17(18)-EpETE were demonstrated as key metabolites for baicalin to exert effects. Moreover, udp-glucose ceramide glucosyltransferase (UGCG), sphingomyelin synthase 1 (SGMS1), and sphingosine kinase (SPHK1) were predicted as sphingolipids-linked targets of baicalin against experimental colitis by integrative analysis.Conclusion: Based on these results, it implies that sphingolipid metabolism and sphingolipid signaling pathway might be acted as therapeutic mechanism for baicalin against experimental colitis.Keywords: baicalin, inflammatory bowel disease, sphingolipid metabolism, metabolomics, network pharmacology, inflammation

This paper studies the bicriteria problem of scheduling n jobs on a parallel-batching machine to minimize maximum cost and makespan simultaneously. A parallel-batching machine is a machine that can handle up to b jobs in a batch. The jobs in a batch start and complete respectively at the same time and the processing time of a batch is equal to the largest processing time of jobs in the batch. We consider the unbounded case. For the above bicriteria scheduling problem, we present an O(n3)-time algorithm, which improved the best known O(n4)-time algorithm, and the time complexity is the same as the special case in which maximum cost is maximum lateness. Meanwhile, our algorithm can also solve the single-criterion unbounded parallel-batching scheduling problem to minimize maximum cost in O(n3) time, which improved the best known O(n4)-time algorithm.