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Previous studies found that histamine H2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs) had blood pressure lowering and cardioprotective effects, but the impact of H2RAs on the survival outcomes of critically ill patients with essential hypertension is still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of H2RAs exposure with all‐cause mortality in patients with essential hypertension based on Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III database. A total of 17,739 patients were included, involving 8482 H2RAs users and 9257 non‐H2RAs users. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to improve balance between 2 groups that were exposed to H2RAs or not. Kaplan–Meier survival curves were used to compare the cumulative survival rates and multivariable Cox regression models were performed to evaluate the association between H2RAs exposure and all‐cause mortality. After 1:1 PSM, 4416 pairs of patients were enrolled. The results revealed potentially significant association between H2RAs exposure and decreased 30‐day, 90‐day, and 1‐year mortalities in multivariate analyses (HR = 0.783, 95% CI: 0.696‐0.882 for 30‐day; HR = 0.860, 95% CI: 0.778‐0.950 for 90‐day; and HR = 0.883, 95% CI: 0.811‐0.961 for 1‐year mortality, respectively). Covariate effect analyses showed that the use of H2RAs was more beneficial in essential hypertension patients with age ≥ 60, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2, coronary arteriosclerosis, stroke, and acute kidney failure, respectively. In conclusion, H2RAs exposure was related to lower mortalities in critically ill patients with essential hypertension, which provided novel potential strategy for the use of H2RAs in essential hypertension patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the flow pattern of the flow coating technology applied to substrates with a complex three-dimensional surface (the lens of an automotive lighting lamp) and the possible defects (mainly "wrinkles"), numerical simulation was used to simulate the coating implementation process. The complex geometric surface of the substrate was simplified and partitioned such that the simulation resources were significantly reduced. The k–ε realizable turbulence model and the volume of fluid multiphase model were used for the numerical solution. The flow pattern and moving contact line are analyzed by fluid dynamics, as well as the reasons for the formation of "wrinkles" and the "heel" phenomenon. It can be concluded from the comparison of the results and the actual experiments/videos that the method used in this study can effectively simulate the flow field in the implementation of the flow coating technology and predict the main defects of the flow field caused by the three-dimensional geometric characteristics of the substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/purpose: Salmonella Panama was considered an invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella (iNTS) serovar. Comprehensive clinical, microbiological, and genomic studies on S. Panama are scarce. We aimed to characterize the clinical and microbiological characteristics of S. Panama infection. Virulence mechanism of S. Panama and other iNTS serovars were also examined.Methods: Based on data from the longitudinal surveillance system for Salmonella deployed in Taiwan since 2004, a case-control study was undertaken to evaluate clinical characteristics of S. Panama infection during an outbreak in 2015-2016. Cellular experiments were conducted to compare pathogenicity of S. Panama and other iNTS with S. Typhimurium.Results: Most patients (41/44, 93.2%) infected by S. Panama were <5 years old (median, 1.3 years). The case-control study showed that 28 out of the 41 (68.3%) manifested as bacteremia, compared to S. Typhimurium (11.1%). Patients infected by S. Panama had longer durations of fever (P = 0.005) and hospitalization (P < 0.001). Genomic analyses split the isolates into three clades: two clones caused the outbreak, whereas another one accounted for the sporadic infections before 2015. Cellular experiments revealed that S. Panama and other iNTS serovars showed higher monolayer penetration and intracellular survival within macrophages, compared to S. Typhimurium.Conclusion: This study confirmed that S. Panama is a clinically invasive serovar. Different iNTS serovars express common virulence phenotypes, but they may acquire invasiveness through distinct expression or combinations of virulence genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiation-related nasopharyngeal necrosis (RRNN) is a rare and often fatal complication in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Currently, no standard treatments are recommended for RRNN. The effects of traditional conservative treatments are suboptimal, and surgery for RRNN cannot be performed by inexperienced doctors. In the present study, the use of Endostar in two patients with RRNN was evaluated. Two patients with RRNN were treated at the Department of Oncology, Panyu Central Hospital (Guangzhou, China). Endostar was administrated (15 mg/day from day 1 to day 7, every three weeks) intravenously for four and seven cycles in a male and a female patient, respectively. The effects of Endostar were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a nasopharyngoscope. The symptoms of RRNN in both patients were relieved after treatment with Endostar. MRI and nasopharyngoscope analysis revealed that necrosis of the nasopharynx was substantially decreased and nasopharyngeal ulcers were healed. Endostar has the potential to be a novel, effective therapy for the treatment of patients with RRNN. However, clinical trials are required to confirm the results of the present study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]