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BACKGROUND Patients with pudendal neuralgia (PN) experience long-lasting chronic pain, hyperalgesia, and comorbid emotional disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Treatment via conventional pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) current carries a significantly high rate of failure. OBJECTIVE To determine the safety and clinical efficacy of high-voltage, long-duration PRF application to the pudendal nerve in patients with PN. STUDY DESIGN Observational retrospective design, self before-after controlled clinical trial. MATERIALS AND METHODS We analyzed the records of 70 patients of our hospital with diagnosed PN. Treatment consisted of PRF application to the pudendal nerve, using computed tomography guidance to target the pudendal nerve at the level of the ischial spine or ischial tuberosity of the affected side. PRF was applied with the following parameters: temperature 42°C, frequency 2 Hz, pulse width 20 ms, field intensity ramped gradually from 40 to 90 V, duration 900 sec. The therapeutic effect was evaluated by collecting patient scores for the visual analog scale (VAS), SF-36 health survey questionnaire (SF-36), and patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) before treatment and at 1-, 4-, and 12-week follow-ups after PRF treatment. Data were analyzed by paired t-test with p

Background: Lung salivary-type tumors originating from bronchial submucosal glands are rare, only four types of salivary gland-type tumors are listed in 2015 WHO classification of lung tumors. Here, we report a rare case of oncocytic carcinoma (OC) in the right main bronchus. Case presentation: A 34-year-old man presented to our hospital with a two-month history of recurrent hemoptysis and with one month of inspiratory dyspnea. Pulmonary function tests showed mild restrictive ventilatory dysfunction and severe diffusion dysfunction. Furthermore, the flow volume loop showed a variable extra-thoracic obstruction. Computed tomography (CT) of the chest revealed that a polypiform nodule of 13 mm in diameter was at the proximal right main bronchus. Testing for purified protein derivative was positive (category 2). The nodule was resected under bronchoscopy. The bronchial aspirate was negative for mycobacterium tuberculosis and tumor cells. The biopsy sample showed a solid and acinar predominant pattern with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm. The bronchial mucosa was destroyed and replaced by tumor cells. The loose edematous stromal reaction could be seen in a local area. Immunohistochemically, tumor cells were positive for CK, EMA, Vimentin, CD117, CK7, S100, Mammaglobin and SOX10. Only scattered tumor cells were stained by basal cell markers, including CK5/6, P40 and P63. Electron microscopy revealed numerous swelling mitochondria with lacking mitochondrial cristae in tumor cells. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) testing for MAML2 and ETV6 rearrangement were negative. Next-generation sequencing analysis of 520 genes in the tissue biopsy specimen showed no somatic mutation. The diagnosis of OC was made. Subsequently, the patient underwent a right upper lobectomy with sleeve resection of the main bronchus and lymph dissection. No recurrent evidence was seen during two years of chest CT follow-up. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first case of primary OC in the bronchus. This patient has no recurrence during two years of follow-up, indicating that primary OC in the bronchus has the same favorable prognosis as in salivary glands. Moreover, complete excision and thorough sampling to know the invasive growth pattern is important to reach the correct diagnosis.

This paper presents the horizontal bearing characteristics of piles in coral sand and silica sand from comparative experimental studies. Six model piles with different diameters were tested. The horizontal bearing capacity, deformation characteristic, bending moment, p–y curve, change in soil horizontal pressure, as well as particle breakage behaviour of coral sand were investigated. The results show that, in the coral sand foundation, the horizontal bearing capacities of piles and the increments in soil horizontal pressures are obviously greater than those in silica sand. Accordingly, the lateral displacement, rotation of the pile head, bending moment, and corresponding distribution depth in coral sand are significantly smaller than those in silica sand. The p–y curves indicate that the horizontal stiffness of coral sand is greater than that of silica sand. Remarkably, the breakage behaviour of coral sand is mainly distributed in the range of 10 times the pile diameter depth and 5 times the pile diameter width on the side where the sand is squeezed by the pile. Furthermore, in coral sand, the influence of pile size is more pronounced, the squeezing force generated by the pile spreads further, and its influence range is larger compared to those in silica sand.

Purpose: To investigate whether the combination scheme of deep learning score (DL-score) and radiomics can improve preoperative diagnosis in the presence of micropapillary/ solid (MPP/SOL) patterns in lung adenocarcinoma (ADC). Material and Methods: A retrospective cohort of 514 confirmed pathologically lung ADC in 512 patients after surgery was enrolled. The clinicoradiographic model (model 1) and radiomics model (model2) were developed with logistic regression. The deep learning model (model3) was constructed based on the deep learning score (DL-score). The combine model(model4) was based on DL-score and R-score and clincoradiographic variables. The performance of these models was evaluated with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and compared using DeLong's test. The prediction nomogram was plotted and clinical utility was depicted with decision curve. Results: The performance of model1, model2, model3 and model4 was supported by AUCs of 0.848, 0.896,0.906, 0.921 in the Testing set, respectively. These models existed statistical significance (model4 vs model3, P=0.016; model4 vs model1, P=0.009, respectively). The decision curve analysis (DCA) demonstrated that model 4 predicting the lung ADC with MPP/SOL structure would be more beneficial than the model 1 but comparable with the model2 and model3. Conclusion: The combined model can improve preoperative diagnosis in the presence of MPP/SOL pattern in lung ADC in clinical practice.

Ionizing radiation exposure is a great threat to human health. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to play an important role in radiation-induced biological effects. Here, we investigated plasma miRNA expression changes and differentially expressed miRNAs in radiotherapy patients exposed to cobalt-60 (Six patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) received continuous 5 gray (Gy) total body irradiation (TBI) twice. At 12 hours after irradiation, miRNA microarray was applied to screen for differentially expressed miRNAs, with some miRNAs confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. Bioinformatic analysis was carried out to identify the relevant target genes and biological function of the differentially expressed miRNAs.After radiotherapy patients were exposed to 5 Gy gamma radiation, the expression of 9 plasma miRNAs was significantly upregulated, and the expression of 2 miRNAs was downregulated. After irradiation with 10 Gy gamma radiation, the blood plasma of radiotherapy patients contained 18 differentially expressed miRNAs, of which 17 were upregulated and 1 was downregulated (P0.05). The expression of miR-4532, miR-4634, miR-4655-5p, miR-4763-3p, miR-4785, miR-6087, miR-6850-5p, and miR-6869-5p were significantly upregulated in both the 5-Gy and 10-Gy dose groups, showing a certain dose-response relationship. The RT-PCR results were consistent with the findings of high-throughput sequencing. In addition, the target genes of the differentially expressed miRNAs were mainly involved in RNA transcription and DNA damage. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis revealed that these miRNAs participated in phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT), Ras, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and other signaling pathways.The expression of differential plasma miRNAs of radiotherapy patients was associated with irradiation injury and showed a certain dose-effect relationship. These differentially coexpressed plasma miRNAs could be used as an early indicator for estimating radiation injury.

In order to obtain the products with high strength and ductility, the hot stamping technology of TRIP steel has been getting more attention in recent years. In this study, the effects of cooling rate on the mechanical properties of a typical TRIP780 steel used in hot stamping process were investigated with tensile tests, bending tests and impact tests. It was found that even though a lower cooling rate for the quenching of TRIP780 steel led to the formation of the bainite and ferrite mixture phases, the mechanical properties of the material containing these phases were similar to those of the material containing martensite only. TRIP780 steel exhibited twice the elongation with a similarly high strength as compared with the conventional boron steel, and its mechanical properties are insensitive to cooling rate, which was approved by the hot stamping experiment of a U-cap part.

Under the “going global” policy and the “the belt and road initiative” initiative, Chinese electrical enterprises have launched overseas markets one after another. However, due to political, economic, cultural and other reasons, Chinese electrical enterprises face a series of risks such as management, politics, law, finance and so on in the international market. This paper provides reference for Chinese electrical enterprises to “Going Global” by analyzing relevant risks.

This paper analyses the status, opportunities and challenges of China’s "going out" of power technology and equipment, points out the problems faced by export of China’s power technology. Based on the market analysis, a decision analysis model for the "going global" market of power technology and equipment for China’s power technology enterprises is designed, by combining the coefficient of variation method with the comprehensive index method.

Background The modified Dunn procedure has rapidly gained popularity as a treatment for slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) during the past few years. However, there is limited information regarding its safety and efficacy in severe slips with this procedure. The purpose of this study is to present clinical results and incidence of complications associated with the modified Dunn osteotomy in a consecutive series of severe SCFE cohort. Patients and methods We retrospectively assessed the outcomes of all twenty patients who had been treated with the modified Dunn procedure in our tertiary-care institution. According to the Loder and Fahey criteria, all cases were classified as severe slips; nineteen cases were stable, and one case was an unstable slip. All surgical procedures were performed by one senior orthopedic surgeon who had specific training in the modified Dunn procedure. Operative reports, outpatient records, follow-up radiographs, and the intraoperative findings were reviewed to determine the demographic information, type of fixation, final slip angle, presence of avascular necrosis (AVN), and any additional complications. The mean age of the patients was 13.2 ± 1.6 years (range, 10 to 17 years). Twenty patients (twenty-one hips) with a mean of 31.2 ± 14 months (range, 12 to 57 months) follow-up met the inclusion criteria. Pain and function were assessed by the modified Harris score and WOMAC score. Radiographic anatomy was measured using the slip angle and α-angle. The radiographic findings related to the anatomy of the femoral head-neck junction, as well as signs of early-onset of osteoarthritis (OA) and AVN, were evaluated pre- and postoperatively. Results Overall, nineteen patients had excellent clinical and radiographic outcomes with respect to hip function and radiographic parameters. One patient (5%) who developed implant failure at 3 months postoperatively had a poor outcome. The mean preoperative slip angle was corrected from 63.2 ± 8.1° (range, 51 to 84°) to a normal value of 7.5 ± 3.5° (range, 2 to 15°) (p < 0.01). The mean α-angle was improved from an average of 94.5 ± 21.1° (range, 61 to 123°) to postoperative 42 ± 6.4° (range, 25 to 55°) (p < 0.01). The mean modified Harris hip and WOMAC scores postoperatively were 96.7 ± 13.4 (range, 40 to 100) and 95.4 ± 10.6 (range, 38 to 100), respectively. There were no cases of the development of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and the progression of OA. We did not record any case of AVN, closure of the growth plate, heterotopic ossification (HO), trochanteric nonunion, or limb length discrepancy that occurred postoperatively either at the most recent follow-up. Conclusions Our series of severe SCFEs treated with the modified Dunn osteotomy demonstrated that the procedure is safe and capable of restoring more normal proximal femoral anatomy by maximum correction of the slip angle, minimizing probability of secondary FAI and early onset of OA. However, despite its lower surgical complication rate compared with alternative treatment described in the literature for SCFE, AVN can and do occur postoperatively which should always be concerned in every hip.

The effects of forming temperature on the formability and product properties of hot-stamping boron steel B1500HS were investigated. Based on the fractional cooling strategy, boron steel sheets were heated to achieve full austenitization before they were removed from the furnace and cooled to the forming temperature using different cooling methods. Subsequently,they were simultaneously press-formed and quenched inside the tool until the martensitic transformation was finished. A series of thermal tensile tests were conducted to study the effects of forming temperatures on the stamping performance indices, including elongation, yield ratio, and hardening exponent. Then, the mechanical properties and microstructures of the hot-stamped products were characterized. Finally, an irregular part was formed using different fractional cooling strategies, while its formability and springback phenomena were discussed. The results show that using a fast-cooling method to reach 650 °C as the forming temperature optimizes the formability of the tested B1500HS boron steel. The best mechanical properties and smallest springback values were achieved using this optimal strategy.

The formation control problem for underactuated unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) is addressed by a distributed strategy based on virtual leader strategy. The control system takes account of disturbance induced by external environment. With the coordinate transformation, the advantage of the proposed scheme is that the control point can be any point of the ship instead of the center of gravity. By introducing bio-inspired model, the formation control problem is addressed with backstepping method. This avoids complicated computation, simplifies the control law, and smoothes the input signals. The system uniform ultimate boundness is proven by Lyapunov stability theory with Young inequality. Simulation results are presented to verify the effectiveness and robust of the proposed controller.

The performance of two donor–π-bridge–acceptor type phenothiazine dyes bearing different π-bridges (furan and thiophene) was investigated by density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory to explore the reasons for the differences in DSSC efficiency. It was revealed that dye1 with furan showed higher short-circuit photocurrent density due to its larger driving force and better light harvesting efficiency compared with dye2. Moreover, a larger number of photo-injected electrons into TiO2 for dye1 leads to higher open-circuit photovoltage. Our results indicate that furan could be used as a promising π-bridge to improve the efficiency of PTZ dyes. We hope that our work can provide a theoretical basis and view for designing efficient dyes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs).

Neuropathic pain remains the most frequent cause of suffering and disability worldwide. Paeoniflorin (PF), a water‑soluble monoterpene glycoside extracted from the roots of Paeonia lactiflora Pall, has a wide range of pharmacological functions. Although the neuroprotective effect of PF has been reported in animal models of neuropathology, no systematic investigation has reported on the analgesic properties of PF in neuropathic pain. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether PF can alleviate neuropathic pain and to examine its possible mechanism. Neuropathic pain was induced by chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve in rats. Following CCI surgery, the rats were administered with PF for 11 days. Mechanical withdrawal threshold and thermal withdrawal latency were assessed prior to surgery, and on days 3, 7 and 11 post‑surgery. The levels of interleukin (IL)‑1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‑α in the spinal cord were analyzed using enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assays. The activation of astrocytes and microglia were observed using immunostaining. In addition, the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen‑activated protein kinase (p‑p38MAPK) and nuclear factor‑κB (NF‑κB) were examined using western blot analysis. The results indicated that PF significantly attenuated CCI‑induced neuropathic pain and decreased the levels of TNF‑α and IL‑1β proinflammatory cytokines in the spinal cord. Furthermore, PF inhibited the over‑activation of microglia and reduced the elevated expression levels of p‑p38 MAPK and NF‑κB in the spinal cord. These results indicated that PF offers potential as a therapeutic agent for neuropathic pain, which merits further investigation.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber from waste plastic bottles is an environmentally friendly fiber that can improve the mechanical properties of wet-mix shotcrete. The main objective of this paper is to investigate the effects of PET fiber parameters on pumpability, shootability, and mechanical properties of wet-mix shotcrete. For this purpose, the orthogonal test based on three factors and three levels was conducted. The width, length, and content of PET fiber were selected as the experimental variables. The tests of wet-mix shotcrete reinforced by PET fibers were carried out, along with properties tests such as slump, pressure drop, build-up thickness, compressive strength, and splitting strength. The results showed the change trend of shotcrete performances with increasing PET fiber parameters (width, length, and content). According to the orthogonal test, PET fiber parameters were determined (1 mm width, 20 mm length, and 5 kg/m3 content). Furthermore, relationships between slump and pumpability and shootability were explored, as well as the relationships between pumpability, shootability, and mechanical properties. It was found that pressure drop and compressive strength had the strongest negative linear relationship among all fitting relationships. We hoped that this study could contribute the useful information for the application of wet-mix shotcrete mixed with PET fibers.

The thermomechanical behaviour of energy piles during heating and cooling through model tests was studied. These model tests were carried out both with and without a vertical load and dry sand was used. The axial load distribution, load-settlement of the pile head, pile and soil temperature, soil pressure at the pile tip, horizontal soil pressure, thermal stress and mobilised side shear stress were investigated. The magnitude of stress and displacement influenced by vertical load or no load was comparatively analysed. The results show that heating and cooling induced thermal stress in piles and residual thermal stress was introduced after a heating and cooling cycle. Horizontal soil pressure also varied and changes in soil pressure at the pile tip differed depending on whether or not a vertical load was applied. Moreover, the pile temperature and the temperature within one pile diameter of the pile axis varied noticeably in the condition of this paper. The heave under no load was 143% of that under a vertical load after heating, while the settlement under no load was only 64% of that under vertical load after cooling.

Necrosis of nipple-areola complex is one of the major complications of breast reduction in gigatomastia. We present a case study of a 32-year-old patient with severe gigantomastia, who required an immediate nipple reconstruction during breast reduction. The final reconstruction was satisfactory. No complications were observed within three months postoperatively.

In this paper, we proposed a novel model for raising the classification accuracy rate of EEG emotion recognition by combining empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and wavelet transform to extract the energy moment of EEG. Based on wavelet transform α` θ `β and γ rhythms in this paper were extracted at left and right prefrontal lobe (AF3, AF4), frontal lobe (F3,F4) and parietal lobe (FC5,FC6). Intrinsic mode function (IMF) was analyzed and exacted based on EMD. furthermore, energy moment of IMF was analyzed and obtained. The support vector machine was used to assess the state of emotion which supports the music therapy. The result proved that it is feasible for EEG emotion recognition by using IMF energy moment.

Using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) methods, three porphyrin dyes with different acceptors, such as carboxylic acid, cyanoacrylic acid, and 2-cyano-N-hydroxyacrylamide, have been designed. Compared to the best sensitizer (YD2-o-C8) so far, these designed dyes have small highest occupied orbital to lowest unoccupied orbital (HOMO–LUMO) band gaps, and wide absorptions with large oscillator strength at porphyrin Q bands. And the designed Dye1 is similar to YD2-o-C8 in electronic coupling with TiO2, while improved Dye2 and Dye3 are better than YD2-o-C8, thus, Dye2 and Dye3 will be much faster for electron injection in dye-sensitized solar cell systems based on their long-term stable and efficient anchor groups. All these features show that our designed dyes, especially Dye2 and Dye3, have better absorption performance and faster electron injection. In addition, our results point out that 2-cyano-N-hydroxyacrylamide is a new promising acceptor. This study is expected to assist the molecular design of new efficient dyes for the advancement of dye-sensitized solar cells.

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a common musculoskeletal disorder characterized by progressive joint soreness and limited mobility. The aim of the present study was to investigate the pathological changes and inflammatory infiltration in the hypertrophic synovium of the hip joint associated with the progression of DDH. Synovial biopsies in the hip joint are obtained from patients with moderate DDH and severe DDH during surgery. These biopsies are processed for histological and immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis and investigation of the pathological processes in a synovium, including types of inflammatory cell infiltration, synovial angiogenesis and fibrosis, neuron endings and neuropeptide invasion. Correlation analysis was performed between the mean optical density (MOD) of each antibody, and Harris hip score (HHS) and visual analogue score (VAS) using the Spearman correlation test. Chronic inflammation in the synovium was observed via the positive IHC staining of inflammatory cells, such as T cells, B cells, macrophages and leukocytes. Excessive staining of vimentin and α smooth muscle actin in the synovium of severe DDH represented significant fibrosis and angiogenesis. These targets were also significantly correlated with HHS in severe DDH. The MOD levels of CD68 (indicators of macrophage) indicated apparent correlations with HHS and VAS in patients with severe DDH. The labels of nerve fibers and pain transmission indicators were as follows: Neurofilament‑200 and substance P. Calcitonin gene‑related peptide was upregulated in the synovium of severe DDH in contrast to that in the synovium of moderate DDH. The MOD levels of NF‑200, SP and CGRP were correlated with VAS in severe DDH. The pathology of DDH includes chronic inflammatory cell infiltration corresponding with nerve fibers and fibroblastic proliferation, which might contribute to arthritis progression and joint soreness in DDH.

The study was to access the association between resting heart rate (RHR) and one-year risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Patients with ACS after PCI ( n = 808) were prospectively followed-up for MACE. RHR was obtained from electrocardiogram. MACE was defined as a composite of cardiac death, nonfatal recurrent myocardial infarction, ischemic-driven revascularization, and ischemic stroke. The association between RHR and one-year risk of MACE was assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression model. Compared with patients with RHR >76 bpm, the adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) was 0.51 (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.23–1.14; P = 0.100) for patients with RHR 76 bpm were at higher risk of MACE during one-year follow-up compared with patients with RHR 61–76 bpm. An elevated RHR ≥ 61 bpm was associated with increased risk of one-year MACE in ACS patients.

Aims. The priority of Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) plus conventional treatment over conventional treatment alone for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was documented in the 5C trial (chictr.org number:ChiCTR-TRC-07000021). The study was designed to evaluate the 10-year effectiveness of CHMs plus conventional treatment versus conventional treatment alone with decision-analytic model for ACS after PCI.Methods and Results. We constructed a decision-analytic Markov model to compare additional CHMs for 6 months plus conventional treatment versus conventional treatment alone for ACS patients after PCI. Sources of data came from 5C trial and published reports. Outcomes were expressed in terms of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Sensitivity analyses were performed to test the robustness of the model. The model predicted that over the 10-year horizon the survival probability was 77.49% in patients with CHMs plus conventional treatment versus 77.29% in patients with conventional treatment alone. In combination with conventional treatment, 6-month CHMs might be associated with a gained 0.20% survival probability and 0.111 accumulated QALYs, respectively.Conclusions. The model suggested that treatment with CHMs, as an adjunctive therapy, in combination with conventional treatment for 6 months might improve the long-term clinical outcome in ACS patients after PCI.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the changes in the expression level of sRNA SpR19 and its potential target protein GroEL in clinical isolates of Streptococcus mutans with different cariogenicity exposed to different pH conditions and explore the possibility of using these molecules as biomarkers for assessing the cariogenicity of the bacteria. METHODS: The total RNAs were extracted from the clinical isolates of Streptococcus mutans with high (strain 17) and low cariogenicity (strain 5) for high-throughput sequencing for profiling of the differentially expressed sRNAs. The candidate sRNA, SpR19, was selected for further study on the basis of bioinformatics analysis considering the role of its potential target in the cariogenic process. The differential expression levels of SpR19 in the strains exposed to both pH5.5 and pH7 culture conditions were verified by quantitative real-time PCR. The expression of the potential target of SpR19, GroEL, was also investigated at both the protein and mRNA level using Western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS: Bioinformatic analysis suggested multiple potential target sites of SpR19 both in GroEL mRNA and in the upstream and downstream inter-genic regions. Under different pH conditions, the highly cariogenic strain 17 expressed consistently low levels of SpR19 as compared with the strain 5 with a low cariogenicity; GroEL showed a reverse expression pattern in the 2 strains. An inverse correlation was found between the expressions of SpR19 and GroEL. CONCLUSION: The highly cariogenic strain 17 expressed low levels of SpR19 and high levels of GroEL in both acidic and neutral culture conditions. SpR19 may negatively regulate the cariogenicity of Streptococcus mutants by targeting at GroEL.

Sol–gel dip-coating technique can be used to fabricate SiO2–TiO2 composite film with self-cleaning and anti-reflectance properties from low-cost SiO2 colloid solution and Ti(OC4H9)4. The physical and structural properties have been investigated by UV–visible spectrophotometer, contact angle meter, XRD, FT-IR, FESEM. UV–vis spectra and methyl orange photodegradation experiments showed that the SiO2–TiO2 composite film had high light transmittance and photocatalytic activity.

Aims.To evaluate the efficacy of Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) plus conventional treatment in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Methods and Results.Participants (n=808) with ACS who underwent PCI from thirteen hospitals of mainland China were randomized into two groups: CHMs plus conventional treatment group (treatment group) or conventional treatment alone group (control group). All participants received conventional treatment, and participants in treatment group additionally received CHMs for six months. The primary endpoint was the composite of cardiac death, nonfatal recurrent MI, and ischemia-driven revascularization. Secondary endpoint was the composite of readmission for ACS, stroke, or congestive heart failure. The safety endpoint involved occurrence of major bleeding events. The incidence of primary endpoint was 2.7% in treatment group versus 6.2% in control group (HR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.21 to 0.87;P=0.015). The incidence of secondary endpoint was 3.5% in treatment group versus 8.7% in control group (HR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.21 to 0.72;P=0.002). No major bleeding events were observed in any participant.Conclusion.Treatment with CHMs plus conventional treatment further reduced the occurrence of cardiovascular events in patients with ACS after PCI without increasing risk of major bleeding.

Neuropathic pain remains as the most frequent cause of suffering and disability around the world. The isomers paeoniflorin (PF) and albiflorin (AF) are major constituents extracted from the roots ofPaeonia (P.) lactifloraPall. Neuroprotective effect of PF has been demonstrated in animal models of neuropathologies. However, only a few studies are related to the biological activities of AF and no report has been published on analgesic properties of AF about neuropathic pain to date. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of AF and PF against CCI-induced neuropathic pain in rat and explore the underlying mechanism. We had found that both PF and AF could inhibit the activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) pathway in spinal microglia and subsequent upregulated proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1β(IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)). AF further displayed remarkable effects on inhibiting the activation of astrocytes, suppressing the overelevated expression of phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinases (p-JNK) in astrocytes, and decreasing the content of chemokine CXCL1 in the spinal cord. These results suggest that both PF and AF are potential therapeutic agents for neuropathic pain, which merit further investigation.

Background Cholesterol pneumonitis or endogenous lipoid pneumonia (ELP) result from the accumulation of endogenous cholesterol esters in the lungs, leading to a fibroblastic interstitial inflammatory process, and may be complicated by a secondary bacterial or fungal infection. Striking features were cholesterol clefts in the alveolar and interstitial spaces and alveolar wall-thickening with lymphocytic infiltrations, which was called pulmonary interstitial and intra-alveolar cholesterol granulomas (PICG). Case Presentation We report a case of pneumothorax with diffuse lung cysts and pulmonary interstitial cholesterol in a 26-year-old woman. Our case is unique because development of PICG or ELP has been observed in children, but rarely in adult. Most cases could be linked to exogenous sources like inhalation of lipid material or gastroesophageal reflex (GER). In our case, no signs of GER could be discovered. Diffuse lung cysts coexisting with pulmonary interstitial cholesterol crystals are never reported. Additionally, no multinucleated giant cells or granuloma are found pathologically, which make the diagnosis of PICG or lipoid pneumonia difficult. Conclusions Pulmonary interstitial cholesterol crystals may develop gradually and evenly distributed throughout the entire lung and resulted in severe distortion of the native structure of the lung.

The combination of current velocity and water depth influences stream flow conditions, and fish activities prefer particular flow conditions. This study develops a novel optimal flow classification method for identifying types of stream flow based on the current velocity and the water depth using a genetic algorithm. It is applied to the Datuan stream in northern Taiwan. Fish were sampled and their habitat investigated at the study site during the spring, summer, fall and winter of 2008–2009. The current velocity, water depth and maps of the presence probability of fish were estimated by ordinary and indicator kriging. The optimal classification results were compared with the classification results obtained using the Froude number and empirical methods. The flow classification results demonstrate that the proposed optimal flow classification method that considers depth–velocity and optimally identified criteria for classifying flow types, yields a current velocity and water depth of 0.32 (m/s) and 0.29 (m), respectively, and classifies the flow conditions in the study area as pool, run, riffle and slack. The variography results of the current velocity and the water depth data reveal that seasonal flows are not spatially stationary among seasons in the study area. Kriging methods and a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model (River 2D) with empirical and optimal flow classification methods are more effective than the Froude number method in classifying flow conditions in the study area. The flow condition classifications and probability maps were generated by River 2D, ordinary kriging and indicator kriging, to quantify the flow conditions preferred by Sicyopterus japonicus in the study area. However, the proposed optimal classification method with kriging and River 2D is an effective alternative method for mapping flow conditions and determining the relationship between flow and the presence probability of target fish in support of stream restoration.

Biological and physical processes operate collaboratively through spatial or temporal scales to form ecological patterns, which are considered as a key element for understanding the natural liens within an ecosystem. Given the importance of scaling in ecological inference, this study elucidates how physical and biological variables under or within scales interact with each other. Density of Sicyopterus japonicus and environmental variables are examined and quantified at 70 stream sections distributed among 14 reaches in the Datuan stream catchment of northern Taiwan during the fall and winter of 2007, as well as the spring and summer of 2008. Hierarchical linear regression analysis indicates that S. japonicus density and habitat features are related on two levels, i.e., sections within reaches and reaches within streams throughout the year. Moreover, parameter uncertainty is represented by the confidence interval, which is calculated by the variance-covariance matrix of hierarchical linear model (HLM) parameters. According to HLM results, environmental variables at the section level (water depth and current velocity) and the reach level (stream width, water temperature, stream slope, soil erosion index) influence S. japonicus density. Although S. japonicus density varies significantly among reaches and sections within reaches, cross-level interaction may not always influence the distribution, processes and activities of S. japonicus throughout the year. The HLMs of S. japonicus density associated with stream features describe thoroughly multiple processes and the activities of S. japonicus across scales and within scales during different seasons. The annual HLM results represent the overall biological and physical patterns of the Datuan stream annually, explaining why they do not reflect seasonal associations or explain S. japonicus-related activities and environmental features of the stream.

Adenoma miss rate (AMR) has been calculated in several tandem colonoscopy studies, but it costs overmuch to carry out a clinical trial.We aimed to put forward AMR by taking advantage of retrospective data, and to judge the comparability between AMRs from prospective and retrospective data.Data of the patients accepting repeated colonoscopies during January to September 2016 was retrospectively collected and analyzed. Information was recorded, including bowel preparation quality of the first colonoscopy, size, location, histology and whether missed within the first colonoscopy of each single adenoma. AMR was compared by different risk factors through χ test and multivariable logistic regression.Around 267 adenomas were detected during 309 pairs of repeated colonoscopies, of which 66 were missed during the first colonoscopies. AMRs of the lesions small in size, nonadvanced in histology, in poor bowel preparation context and located in the proximal colon, were significantly higher than the opposite ones, and old age and male were related to adenoma missing (P < .05). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, adenoma-related factors (diminutive in size, poor bowel preparation and located in ascending colon, transverse colon or sigmoid colon), and patient-related factors (older than 60 years, male and poor bowel preparation) were found to be independently associated with missing adenomas (P < .05).AMR of retrospective data is comparable to that of tandem studies. Several risk factors influence AMR dramatically, which should be paid attention to.

This study attempts to determine the scale-dependent hierarchical spatial variation and longitudinal distributions of Sicyopterus japonicus year round. The distribution of S. japonicus in the Datuan Stream in northern Taiwan was surveyed during the fall and winter 2007, as well as the spring and summer of 2008. The spatial structure of S. japonicus density was modeled using geostatistics. The longitudinal distributions of S. japonicus density were then estimated using kriging and hydrology distance with nested variogram models. Variography results indicate that nested variogram models could reflect the hierarchical structure in the spatial variation of seasonal S. japonicus density, with the small, median, and large ranges representing three nested scales. Models for the four seasons were consistent in that they shared the same shape of variogram models with various ranges and sill values. This model shape consistency implies stationary spatial correlations in the longitudinal fish distribution across the four seasons. The Kriging geostatistical method based on the multiple scales nested variogram models also provided robust estimates of S. japonicus densities at unsampled sections. We conclude that S. japonicus densities exhibit hierarchical patterns and variation in the four seasons along the study stream. Geostatistical methods with a nested variograms and hydrological distance are a highly effective means of delineating the hierarchical structure in longitudinal patterns of S. japonicus density in each season, providing estimates of the S. japonicus density for hierarchically structured spatial distributions and expanding knowledge of S. japonicus beyond the limits imposed by spatial and temporal scales.

Cellular immunity is a very important part of insect innate immunity. It is not clear if hemocytes entering the hemolymph require a maturation process to become competent. The establishment of a tissue culture system for the insect hematopoietic organs would enable physiological function assays with hemocytes newly emerged from hematopoietic organs. To this end, we established a hematopoietic organ culture system for the purebred silkworm pnd pS and then studied the physiological functions of the newly emerged hemocytes. We found that Grace's medium supplemented with 10% heated silkworm larval plasma was better for culturing the hematopoietic organs of pnd pS. Newly emerged hemocytes phagocytosed propidium iodide-labeled bacteria and encapsulated the Iml-2 coated nickel beads as well as pupal tissue debris. This culture system is therefore capable of generating physiologically functional hemocytes. These hemocytes can be used to study the mechanisms of the hemocyte immune response among others.

Objective: To observe the effect of paeoniflorin (PF), albiflorin (AF) on the hemogram, visceral index and hematopoiesis cytokine in the rats of syndrome of stagnation of liver qi and blood deficiency, and to discuss the material base and mechanism of effect of nourishing blood and smoothing the liver of Baishao (Radix Paeoniae Alba). Methods: Male SD rats were randomly divided into groups according to the sucrose preference test and body weight (n = 12). Except the normal control, the other groups were treated with the chronic stress stimulation combined with radiation respectively to establish the model of syndrome of stagnation of liver qi and blood deficiency. The body weight, visceral index and the quantity of Leucocyte, Red Blood Cells, Hemoglobin in peripheral hemogram were monitored, then plasma and serum were separated. Radioimmunoassay was used to analyze the levels of Lnterleukin-3, Granulocyte-macrophage Colony-stimulating Factor, Lnterleukin-6 and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α in plasma. Results: Compared with that of model group, 30 mg•kg-1 PF and 30 mg•kg-1 AF of the weight, spleen index, quantity of Leucocyte were increased significantly (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The results of Radioimmunoassay showed that the levels of Interleukin-3 increased (P < 0.05, P < 0.05) and the levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α decreased in both 30 mg•kg-1 PF and 30 mg•kg-1 AF groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.05). Conclusion: The effect of PF and AF on the regulation of bone marrow hematopoietic system and immune system play a role in the blood of rats with syndrome of stagnation of liver qi and blood deficiency, which suggests that both of them are the main active ingredients of nourishing blood and smoothing the liver of Baishao.

This study applies variogram analyses of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) images derived from SPOT HRV images obtained before and after the ChiChi earthquake in the Chenyulan watershed, Taiwan, as well as images after four large typhoons, to delineate the spatial patterns, spatial structures and spatial variability of landscapes caused by these large disturbances. The conditional Latin hypercube sampling approach was applied to select samples from multiple NDVI images. Kriging and sequential Gaussian simulation with sufficient samples were then used to generate maps of NDVI images. The variography of NDVI image results demonstrate that spatial patterns of disturbed landscapes were successfully delineated by variogram analysis in study areas. The high-magnitude Chi-Chi earthquake created spatial landscape variations in the study area. After the earthquake, the cumulative impacts of typhoons on landscape patterns depended on the magnitudes and paths of typhoons, but were not always evident in the spatiotemporal variability of landscapes in the study area. The statistics and spatial structures of multiple NDVI images were captured by 3,000 samples from 62,500 grids in the NDVI images. Kriging and sequential Gaussian simulation with the 3,000 samples effectively reproduced spatial patterns of NDVI images. However, the proposed approach, which integrates the conditional Latin hypercube sampling approach, variogram, kriging and sequential Gaussian simulation in remotely sensed images, efficiently monitors, samples and maps the effects of large chronological disturbances on spatial characteristics of landscape changes including spatial variability and heterogeneity.