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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease. Spreading pattern and time interval of spreading are getting more and more attention. The aim of present study was to investigate spreading pattern in bulbar onset ALS patients and to explore the relationship between time interval of spreading and survival. ALS patients with bulbar onset diagnosed at Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2015 to December 2018 were recruited. Clinical features including gender, onset age, diagnostic delay, the second involved region (SIR), time of symptoms beyond the bulbar region, forced vital capacity (FVC), ALSFRS-R score, electromyography results, and survival time were retrospectively collected. A total of 96 bulbar onset ALS patients were collected. Overall patients showed female predominance. Median age at onset was 56 years. Median diagnostic delay was 8.5 months. Median time of symptoms beyond the bulbar region (TBBR) was 7 months. Median ALSFRS-R score at baseline was 40. Fifty-six (58.3%) patients’ SIR were upper limb, 6 (6.3%) patients’ SIR were lower limb, 3 (3.1%) patients’ SIR were upper and lower limbs, and 5 (5.2%) patients’ SIR were thoracic region. Twenty-six (27.1%) patients did not report SIR. The median survival time of patients with TBBR ≥ 7 months was significantly longer than that with TBBR

Guozhong Ma,1 Liuqing Sun,2 Zhiwei Qie,3 Jinzhao He,1 Fang Cui2 1Department of Neurology, Heyuan People’s Hospital, Heyuan, Guangdong Province, 517000, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Neurology, Hainan Hospital of Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital, Sanya, Hainan Province, 572013, People’s Republic of China; 3Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, 100850, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Guozhong MaDepartment of Neurology, Heyuan People’s Hospital, No. 733 Wenxiang Road, Yuancheng District, Heyuan, Guangdong Province, 517000, People’s Republic of ChinaTel/Fax +86-0762-3185571Email guozhong-ma@hotmail.comFang CuiDepartment of Neurology, Hainan Hospital of Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital, Haitang District, Sanya, Hainan Province, 572013, People’s Republic of ChinaTel/Fax +86- 0898-37330625Email cuifanghaitang@hotmail.comPurpose: To investigate the prevalence of short- and long-term benzodiazepine and z-drugs (BZD) for the treatment of post-stroke subjective sleep disturbance (SSD) and to evaluate the risk factors associated with prolonged BZD treatment in this patient body.Patients and Methods: Between 1st January 2018 and 1st December 2018, we identified 542 inpatients suffering from acute stroke in Heyuan People’s Hospital. Of these, 290 inpatients were included in our final analysis. These patients were divided into three groups according to the treatment they received: non/occasional BZD (non-BZD), short-term BZD (short-term) and prolonged-term BZD (prolonged-term) treatment. We investigated the prevalence of each BZD treatment term and identified differences between the groups. Univariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify potential predictors for the prolonged use of BZD. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to assess the correlation between the prolonged use of BZD and potential predictors.Results: The prevalence of cases receiving short and prolonged BZD treatments were 40.35% and 31.72%, respectively; none of the patients received polysomnography (PSG) screening from obstructive sleep apnoea (OSP). Treatment strategies were limited to BZD and traditional Chinese medicine; none of the patients received cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) or other forms of treatment. Logistic regression analysis showed that the short-term use was associated with z-drugs (odds ratio [OR]: 2.189, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.419– 3.378), non-communication barriers (OR =0.535, 95% CI: 0.325– 0.880) and posterior circulation infarct (POCI) (OR =2.199, 95% CI: 1.112– 4.349). The prolonged-term use was associated with z-drugs (OR =3.012, 95% CI: 1.637– 5.542), non-communication barriers (OR =0.530, 95% CI: 0.307– 0.916), partial anterior circulation infarct (PACI) (OR =0.455, 95% CI: 0.250– 0.827), and non pain after stroke (OR =0.315, 95% CI: 0.207– 0.480).Conclusion: The status of BZD abuse for post-stroke SSD is worrying. Additional research attention and treatment options are needed for the treatment of post-stroke SSD. In particular, the potential combination of stroke and OSP appears to be underestimated and neglected. Post-stroke SSD patients should receive more comprehensive assessment and rigid follow-up to avoid the prolonged use of BZD. Additional and effective therapeutic strategies (such as positive pressure ventilation treatment or CBT) are urgently needed for cause-specific intervention.Keywords: benzodiazepine and z-drugs, BZD, prolonged-use, post-stroke, subjective sleep disturbance, SSD, risk factors, obstructive sleep apnea, OSP, China

This study aimed to explore the relationships among clinical insight, subjective memory complaints, and objective memory performance in patients with schizophrenia. We recruited 205 patients with schizophrenia and 221 healthy controls in this study. The participants were administered a subjective-report scale on memory (the Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire), and several objective memory tasks measuring verbal memory, visual memory, and working memory. Clinical insight was measured with an item in the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. We found that when patients with schizophrenia were divided into subgroups with good and poor insight, both subgroups showed impairment in memory performance compared with controls. The schizophrenia patients with good insight reported similar memory complaints as controls whereas patients with poor insight reported less memory complaints than did the controls. These findings suggest that clinical insight may be related to subjective memory complaints, but not objective memory performance.

Mutations in the SH3TC2 gene cause Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease type 4C (CMT4C), characterized by inherited demyelinating peripheral neuropathy. CMT4C is a common form of CMT4/autosomal recessive (AR) CMT1. This study examined the SH3TC2 variants, investigated genotype–phenotype correlations and explored the frequency of CMT4C in Chinese patients. A total of 206 unrelated patients of Chinese Han descent clinically diagnosed with CMT were recruited. All patients underwent detailed history-taking, neurological examination, laboratory workups, and electrophysiological studies. Genetic analysis was performed via high-throughput target sequencing (NGS). Three patients, one male and two females, were found to carry five SH3TC2 mutations: patient 1 (c.3154C > T, p.R1054X; c.929G > A, p.G310E); Patient 2 (c.2872_2872del, p.S958fs; c.3710C > T, p.A1237V) and Patient 3 (c.2782C > T, p.Q928X; c.929G > A, p.G310E). The c.2872_2872del, c.3710C > T and c.2782C > T variants were not reported before. CMT4C caused by SH3TC2 mutation is a very common type of CMT4/AR CMT1. Three novel mutations, c.2872_2872del, c.3710C > T and c.2782C > T, were found in this study. Combination of clinical phenotype, nerve conduction studies, genetic analysis and bioinformatics analysis are of vital importance in patients suspected as CMT.

In order to improve the marketing effect of e-commerce products, based on machine learning algorithms, this paper constructs an e-commerce product marketing model based on machine learning and SVM. Moreover, this paper studies the classic reinforcement learning algorithm Q-learning and proposes an improved Q-learning algorithm. In addition, this paper uses the method of mean standardization to reduce the noise impact of the reward signal caused by the unfixed time interval between decision points, further constructs a standardization factor for the deviation caused by the asynchronous update of the time interval in the iterative process of the Q value function and updates the standardization factor according to the update method of the value function, and proposes the Interval-Q algorithm. At the same time, in view of the fact that traditional reinforcement learning algorithms cannot effectively deal with the observable part of customer status in direct marketing scenarios, based on the deep reinforcement learning DQN model, this paper combines with the idea of hybrid model to propose a DQN model based on dual networks. Finally, this paper uses public data sets for model training and simulation environment construction and then evaluates the algorithm proposed in this paper from different angles and analyses model performance based on examples. From the research results, it can be seen that the precision marketing model constructed in this paper has a good effect and can be applied to practice.

With the shaping of universal computing concept and the development of microelectronics technology, the mobile terminal devices have the strong functions of computing, storage and communication. The opportunistic social networks composed of a large number of terminal devices can be widely used in various scenarios by deploying them anytime and anywhere. One of its most important tasks is to collect data in order to communicate between people and things. The existing researches mainly focus on routing strategies that aim to improve the performance of data collection by optimizing the routing algorithm. However, the inherent characteristics of the opportunistic social networks such as the intermittent communication opportunities make it difficult to improve routing performance because nodes can not get global network topology information. In order to solve this problem, we should establish an efficient data collection mechanism based on wavelet multi-resolution to improve the efficiency of data collection from the source, which mainly studies the multi-resolution compression storage method of node data, the spatial multi-resolution data hierarchical storage framework, and the multi-resolution data management mechanism of mobile node. The experimental results show that the multi-resolution communication mode based on integer wavelet transform can greatly reduce the amount of data in the network and the energy consumption of nodes, and it is beneficial to the data collection of opportunistic social networks.

This study was designed to explore the impact of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) on inflammation and gut microbiota in mice with allergic asthma. Mice were divided into four groups: control group, OVA (ovalbumin) group, Con+LBP group, OVA+LBP group. After 28 days of LBP intervention, mice were euthanized and associated indications were investigated. Histopathological examination demonstrated that LBP reduced lung injury. The results of our current study provide evidence that supplementation with LBP in asthmatic mice decreases TNF, IL-4, IL-6, MCP-1, and IL-17A in plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Sequencing and analysis of gut microbiota indicated that compared with the OVA group, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium were increased, but Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Alistipes, and Clostridiales were decreased in the OVA+LBP group. We also found that gut microbiota were related to inflammation-related factors. Therefore, we speculate that LBP may improve allergic asthma by altering gut microbiota and inhibiting inflammation in mice.

Aiming at the problem that the robot de-palletizing task is difficult to accomplish under unstable ambient light, a two-step method is proposed to realize the localization of workpieces, which in this work are woven bags. To begin with, Region Growing method is used to extract the whole target region in the original image, and the relationship model between image intensity and the optimal Region Growing threshold is established. Then, Progressive Probabilistic Hough Transform(PPHT) is used to locate each woven bag. To improve the system performance, the optimal parameters of the PPHT function in different illumination intervals are determined. Finally, experiments are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. Experiment results demonstrate this method is robust and feasible.

Patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) consistently show prospective memory (PM) impairments, and the technique of implementation intentions has been shown to improve PM performance in these patients. PM is considered to have prospective and retrospective components. However, it remains unclear which component of PM is impaired in patients with SCZ and which component(s) is facilitated by implementation intentions (II). The present study aimed to examine these two issues. Forty-two patients with SCZ and 42 matched healthy controls were randomly assigned to an II group or a typical instruction group. All participants were administered a color-matching PM task. Results showed that, using a multinomial-modeling approach, patients with SCZ exhibited impairment in the retrospective component of PM. In addition, while II improved the prospective PM component in healthy controls, both prospective and retrospective PM components in patients with SCZ were improved. Together, our results shed light on the mechanism of PM impairment in SCZ patients and the mechanism of II in improving PM performance.

Background A previous study by our team reported the prevalence of primary headache disorders and factors associated with headache among nurses in three hospitals in North China. The aim of this cross-sectional survey was to learn more about how medical nurses in South China were affected by headache. Additionally, we determined the prevalence of headache and measured the impact of headache among doctors in mainland China for the first time. Methods Stratified random cluster sampling was used to select 280 physicians and 365 nurses from various departments in four hospitals in Sanya, which is one of southernmost cities in China. Information was collected on demographic data, occupational factors and headache characteristics by using a structured questionnaire. Results Among 645 medical staff, 548 (85%) responded (doctors = 240, nurses = 308). Among the medical staff, the 1-year prevalence of primary headache disorders was 50%, with 25.9% experiencing migraine and 24.1% experiencing tension-type headache (TTH). The prevalence of migraine in female doctors was higher than that in female nurses, although this difference was not significant (32.4% vs. 29.8%, P = 0.628). Multivariate analysis showed that being female and working in other specialties (Emergency Department & Radiology Department) remained independent risk factors for migraine in doctors (OR 2.314 and 3.223). In nurses, being married was a risk factor for migraine (OR 3.728), and job titles remained an independent risk factor for migraine and TTH (OR 2.294 and 4.695). Working more than 6 night-shifts per month was associated with an increased prevalence of migraine and TTH in doctors; the same was true in nurses for migraine, but not for TTH. Conclusion The prevalence of primary headache disorders in both nurses and doctors is higher than that in the general population in South China. Our study shows that occupation, geography and sex may play an important role. Further, female doctors are more susceptible than female nurses to migraine. The risk factors relevant to headache that were found in this study should provide an important reference for promoting occupational health in medical staff, especially female doctors in China.

A number of studies have demonstrated that decremental response to low frequency repetitive nerve stimulation (LF-RNS) is frequently observed in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, due to the small sample size involved in previous studies, large discrepancies exist about the positivity rates of LF-RNS tests and factors affecting decremental response. This retrospective study of 449 cases, the largest sample size ever reported, shows that the overall positivity rate of LF-RNS is 49.9%. 3Hz RNS delivered to the accessory nerve has the best sensitivity and highest positivity rate. It obviously increases in response to upper limb onset, disease progression rate < 0.5 score/month, definite ALS and electromyography positive(EMG(+)) in sternocleidomastoid muscle. There is a linear increase in the decrement percentage of CMAP amplitude at 3Hz RNS delivered to the accessory nerve in response to longer disease duration, longer MUP duration and greater MUP duration increment percentage. These findings substantially advance the understanding of RNS results in ALS patients and effectively instruct clinical application.

Objective: This retrospective study analyzed the clinical characteristics and prognosis of the elderly amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) population in a large sample. Methods: The study included 1,005 patients with sporadic ALS admitted to Chinese PLA General Hospital between March 2011 and March 2021. We stratified the ALS patients into young and old groups using 2 cutoffs for the age at disease onset (≥65 or ≥70 years old) and compared their demographic, clinical, and survival data. Results: The mean onset age of all patients was 52.79 ± 10.55 years, with 123 (12.24%) having a disease onset ≥65 years and 44 (4.38%) having an onset ≥70 years. There were 624 (62.1%) male patients. More bulbar-onset cases were in the late-onset group (p = 0.001). The sex distribution, time from onset to diagnosis, and the time of symptom spread from spinal or bulbar localization to a generalized localization did not differ between groups. Late-onset patients progressed more rapidly and had a significantly shorter survival. Conclusions: Chinese ALS patients have an earlier age at onset and a relatively smaller proportion of old onset than European and Japanese patients. Elderly patients are more likely to have bulbar onset, which is related to rapid progression and a shorter survival.

Objective: The aim of this study was to measure both plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) and phosphorylated TDP-43 (pTDP-43) levels in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (sALS) patients, and to compare them with that of healthy controls. The correlation between plasma or CSF TDP-43/pTDP-43 and clinical indicators of ALS patients was assessed.Methods: Paired plasma and CSF TDP-43/pTDP-43 levels in 69 ALS patients and 59 healthy controls were measured by sandwich ELISA. Time to generalization (TTG), an indicator suggested that the time of symptoms spreading from spinal or bulbar localization to both, was evaluated in all patients screened for mutations in genes associated with ALS.Results: Both of the plasma TDP-43 and pTDP-43 levels were significantly higher in ALS patients than HCs (P < 0.001). The pTDP-43/TDP-43 ratios in plasma were significantly higher in HCs than ALS patients (P < 0.001). The area under the curve (AUC) value was 0.924 for plasma TDP-43 level, with a 91.3% sensitivity and 91.5% specificity. Moreover, the correlation between plasma and CSF TDP-43 was observed in each ALS patient (r = 0.195, P = 0.027). A correlation between CSF pTDP-43 levels and the ALSFRS-R (r = −0.245; P = 0.042) was established. A correlation was observed between plasma TDP-43 levels and TTG in ALS patients, which indicated that high levels of plasma TDP-43 correlated with prolonged TTG (r = 0.415; P = 0.004).Conclusion: The plasma TDP-43 and pTDP-43 levels might play an important role in diagnosis in the future study of ALS. The plasma TDP-43 might differentiate ALS and HC groups based on high sensitivity and specificity, and as an indicator of progression of disease.

Cortical T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR)-hyperintense lesions in anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-associated encephalitis with seizures (FLAMES) are mostly unilateral and rarely spread to the bilateral cortex and meninges. We describe a case of MOG-immunoglobulin G (IgG) associated disorder (MOGAD) in a 39-year-old male with bilateral meningo-cortical involvement. The patient was hospitalized for epilepsy, fever, and headache. The initial MRI revealed abnormalities in the sulci of the bilateral frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes. He was considered to have infectious encephalitis and given empiric antibiotic and antiviral therapy, which were ineffective. His condition rapidly improved after the patient was switched to high-dose immunoglobulin therapy. No tests supported the presence of central nervous system (CNS) infections or autoimmune encephalitis. The second and third MRI scans showed reduced but still clearly observable meningo-cortical lesions. The patient was discharged without a definite diagnosis, but reported severe left vision impairment 25 days later. A fourth MRI showed signs typical of demyelinating CNS disease in addition to the original meningo-cortical lesions. The patient's symptoms were initially relieved by low-dose corticosteroid therapy, but they eventually returned, and he was re-admitted. The original lesions were diminished on the fifth MRI scan, but new lesions had developed in the deep white matter. A positive cell-based assay for MOG-IgG in serum confirmed MOGAD. The patient received high-dose corticosteroid treatment followed by an oral methylprednisolone taper, and his visual acuity gradually improved. The sixth and final MRI showed substantial decreases in the original lesions without new lesion formation. This unique case presents the complete diagnosis and treatment process for MOGAD with bilateral meningo-cortical involvement and may provide a reference for prompt diagnosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal progressive neurodegenerative disease involving the upper and lower motor neurons of the spinal cord, brainstem, and cerebral cortex. At least 30 genes have been implicated in familial ALS (fALS) and sporadic ALS (sALS). Kaneb et al. (2015) first carried out a large-scale sequencing study in ALS patients and identified two loss-of-function (LOF) variants in the GLE1 gene. The LOF mutation-induced disruption of RNA metabolism through the haploinsufficiency mechanism is implicated in ALS pathogenesis. A total of 628 ALS patients and 522 individuals without neurodegenerative disorders were enrolled in this study to explore the GLE1 gene contribution to ALS in the Chinese population. All 16 exons and the flanking intron of GLE1 were screened by Sanger sequencing. In total, we identified seven rare GLE1 coding variants, including one novel nonsense mutation and six rare missense mutations in 628 ALS patients. The frequency of GLE1 LOF mutations was 0.16% (1/628) among Chinese sALS patients, implying that it is an uncommon genetic determinant of ALS in Chinese patients. Additionally, the rare missense variants in the hCG1-binding domain of GLE1 impairing the distribution of the hGle1B isoform at the nuclear pore complex (NPC) region may be involved in the pathogenesis of ALS.

Purpose This paper aims to present a one-shot gesture recognition approach which can be a high-efficient communication channel in human–robot collaboration systems. Design/methodology/approach This paper applies dynamic time warping (DTW) to align two gesture sequences in temporal domain with a novel frame-wise distance measure which matches local features in spatial domain. Furthermore, a novel and robust bidirectional attention region extraction method is proposed to retain information in both movement and hold phase of a gesture. Findings The proposed approach is capable of providing efficient one-shot gesture recognition without elaborately designed features. The experiments on a social robot (JiaJia) demonstrate that the proposed approach can be used in a human–robot collaboration system flexibly. Originality/value According to previous literature, there are no similar solutions that can achieve an efficient gesture recognition with simple local feature descriptor and combine the advantages of local features with DTW.

Background: It is important to determine prognostic factors for the outcome of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at an early stage. The time taken for symptoms to spread from spinal or bulbar regions to both (time to generalization; TTG) is considered a strong predictor of survival; however, this has rarely been studied in Asian populations. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate potential factors affecting prognosis in Chinese patients with sporadic ALS, with a focus on the association between TTG and overall survival. Methods: Seventy-one patients with sporadic ALS who were hospitalized at Chinese PLA General Hospital from 2009 to 2016 were followed up until December 2017. Survival analysis was performed using univariate Kaplan-Meier log-rank and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. The clinical data of the patients were recorded and analyzed. Variables studied were age at symptom onset, sex, site of symptom onset, diagnostic latency, TTG, diagnostic category, ALS Functional Rating Scale-revised score, percent predicted forced vital capacity (FVC%), and disease progression rate (DPR) at diagnosis. Results: The mean age at onset was 54 (SD = 10.2) years, and the median survival time from symptom onset was 41 months (95% confidence interval: 34–47). By univariate analysis, factors independently affecting survival were age at symptom onset (Log rank = 15.652, P < 0.0001), TTG (Log rank = 14.728, P < 0.0001), diagnostic latency (Log rank = 11.997, P = 0.001), and DPR (Log rank = 6.50, P = 0.011). In the Cox multivariate model, TTG had the strongest impact on survival time (hazard ratio = 0.926, P = 0.01). Conclusions: TTG can be used as an effective indicator of prognosis in patients with sporadic ALS. Key words: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Time to generalisation (TTG); Prognosis; Survival

The beneficial effect of implementation intentions (II) on prospective memory (PM) deficits in patients with schizophrenia has been reported. However, these studies were limited to brief interventions such that the transfer and long-term effects of II training remains unclear. This study examined whether a 10-session II programme could improve PM performance, social functioning and functional capacity in patients with schizophrenia immediately after training and at 3-month follow-up. Patients with schizophrenia (n = 42) recruited from the community were randomly assigned to II training (n = 21) or treatment as usual (TAU) (n = 21). Participants in the II group learned the verbal and imagery component of II and were encouraged to apply these strategies in their daily lives. We found that the II group performed better than the TAU group on computer-based PM tasks and a daily life PM task (telephone call at specified date and time) at post-treatment and at 3-month follow-up. The II group also exhibited better working ability than the TAU group at post-treatment. Our results suggest that the II intervention programme may have lasting beneficial effects in PM performance and significant transfer effects to functional capacity in schizophrenia patients.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare iron metabolic variables in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (sALS) with those o...

Schizotypy, a subclinical group at risk for schizophrenia, has been found to show impairments in response inhibition. However, it remains unclear whether this impairment is accompanied by outright stopping (reactive inhibition) or preparation for stopping (proactive inhibition). We recruited 20 schizotypy and 24 non-schizotypy individuals to perform a modified stop-signal task with electroencephalographic (EEG) data recorded. This task consists of three conditions based on the probability of stop signal: 0% (no stop trials, only go trials), 17% (17% stop trials), and 33% (33% stop trials), the conditions were indicated by the colour of go stimuli. For proactive inhibition (go trials), individuals with schizotypy exhibited significantly lesser increase in go response time (RT) as the stop signal probability increasing compared to non-schizotypy individuals. Individuals with schizotypy also exhibited significantly increased N1 amplitude on all levels of stop signal probability and increased P3 amplitude in the 17% stop condition compared with non-schizotypy individuals. For reactive inhibition (stop trials), individuals with schizotypy exhibited significantly longer stop signal reaction time (SSRT) in both 17% and 33% stop conditions and smaller N2 amplitude on stop trials in the 17% stop condition than non-schizotypy individuals. These findings suggest that individuals with schizotypy were impaired in both proactive and reactive response inhibition at behavioural and neural levels.

The height of the fractured zone caused by coal mining is extremely significant for safely mining under water, water conservation, and gas treatment. At present, the common prediction methods of overburden fractured zone height are only applicable to thin and medium-thick coal seams, not suitable for thick and extra-thick coal seams. In order to determine the overburden fractured zone distribution characteristics of extra-thick seam mining, failure process analysis method of overlying strata was proposed based on key strata theory. This method was applied to 15 m coal seam of Tongxin coal mine, and fractured zone height was determined to be 174 m for 8100 panel. EH4 electromagnetic image system and borehole televiewer survey were also conducted to verify the theory results. The distribution of the electrical conductivity showed that the failure height was 150–170 m. Observation through the borehole televiewer showed that the fractured zone height was 171 m. The results of the two field test methods showed that the fractured zone height was 150–171 m, and it was consistent with the theory calculation results. Therefore, this failure process analysis method of overlying strata can be safely used for other coal mines.

Malign tumor is one of the leading causes of human death worldwide, and its incidence increased rapidly year by year. Thus, it is of great importance to improve the strategy of early diagnosis for malign tumors. Aptamers are single-stranded oligonucleotide ligands with excellent chemical properties such as high affinity, easy synthesis, controllable chemical modifications, low immunogenicity, high stability, and fast tissue penetration. Therefore, aptamers are regarded as chemical antibodies and exhibit untapped potential for clinical applications. In this chapter, we highlight the advantages and properties of aptamer-based methods for cancer diagnosis, including cancer biomarker discovery, biosensing, and tumor imaging. We focus on describing several analyses approaches for protein biomarkers, circulating tumor cells, and cancer-related exosomes. The recent imaging techniques for tumor visual measurement are briefly expounded. Furthermore, the challenges and perspectives for the clinical application of aptamer-based methods are discussed.

Background and AimsPrevious studies have demonstrated the anti-hypertensive effect of chronic intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (CIHH) in hypertensive rats. The present study investigated the anti-hypertensive effect of CIHH in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and the role of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in anti-hypertensive effect of CIHH.MethodsFifteen-week-old male SHR and WKY rats were divided into four groups: the SHR without CIHH treatment (SHR-CON), the SHR with CIHH treatment (SHR-CIHH), the WKY without CIHH treatment (WKY-CON), and the WKY with CIHH treatment (WKY-CIHH) groups. The SHR-CIHH and WKY-CIHH rats underwent 35-days of hypobaric hypoxia simulating an altitude of 4,000 m, 5 h per day. Arterial blood pressure and heart rate were recorded by biotelemetry, and angiotensin (Ang) II, Ang1–7, interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF)-α, and IL-10 in serum and the mesenteric arteries were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunohistochemistry, respectively. The microvessel tension recording technique was used to determine the contraction and relaxation of the mesenteric arteries. Hematoxylin and eosin and Masson’s staining were used to observe vascular morphology and fibrosis. Western blot was employed to detect the expression of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), ACE2, AT1, and Mas proteins in the mesenteric artery.ResultsThe biotelemetry result showed that CIHH decreased arterial blood pressure in SHR for 3–4 weeks (P < 0.01). The ELISA and immunohistochemistry results showed that CIHH decreased Ang II, but increased Ang1–7 in serum and the mesenteric arteries of SHR. In the CIHH-treated SHR, IL-6 and TNF-α decreased in serum and the mesenteric arteries, and IL-10 increased in serum (P < 0.05–0.01). The microvessel tension results revealed that CIHH inhibited vascular contraction with decreased Ang1–7 in the mesenteric arteries of SHR (P < 0.05–0.01). The staining results revealed that CIHH significantly improved vascular remodeling and fibrosis in SHR. The western blot results demonstrated that CIHH upregulated expression of the ACE2 and Mas proteins, and downregulated expression of the ACE and AT1 proteins (P < 0.05–0.01).ConclusionCIHH decreased high blood pressure in SHR, possibly by inhibiting RAS activity, downregulating the ACE-Ang II-AT1 axis and upregulating the ACE2-(Ang1-7)-Mas axis, which resulted in antagonized vascular remodeling and fibrosis, reduced inflammation, and enhanced vascular relaxation.

Background and aims Gut microbiota is related with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the relationship between the gut microbiota and the hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related HCC remains unclear. We aimed to characterize gut microbiome in HBV-related HCC patients and estimate the clinical potential of gut microbiome as biomarkers for HBV-related HCC. Methods We collected fecal and plasma samples from 20 health controls, 20 HBV-related cirrhosis and 20 HBV-related HCC in the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. The fecal samples were subjected to the V3-V4 region of 16S rRNA Miseq sequencing. Plasma samples were calculated for interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-2, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Then, we analyzed the correlation between the index and the gut microbiota. Results We have found that the bacterial richness of the liver cirrhosis group was lower than the HCC group. The bacterial diversities were in consistent with IL-2. The pro-inflammatory bacteria (Veillonella, Escherichia-shigella) have increased in the liver cirrhosis group. The random forest model has achieved an area under the curve value was 94% with 95% CI, 88-100% between the HCC group and the non-HCC group. The results revealed that IL-2 was highly associated with the whole gut bacterial communities of HCC and liver cirrhosis groups. ALT, AST and glutamyl transpeptidase have strongly elevated in liver cirrhosis and HCC groups, which were associated with gut microbiome. Conclusions It could be helpful to define the potential bacteria linking to pathological mechanisms of HBV-related HCC. The diagnosis potential of gut microbiome for early HBV-related HCC has been estimated.

The aim of our study was to clarify the cardioprotection of chronic intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (CIHH) and the underlying mechanism in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).Adult male rats were divided into normal blood pressure Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) control (WKY-CON), WKY rats with CIHH treatment (WKY-CIHH), SHR control (SHR-CON) and SHR with CIHH treatment (SHR-CIHH) groups. SHR-CIHH and WKY-CIHH rats were subjected to hypobaric hypoxia simulating 4000-m altitude for 35 days, 5 h per day. Arterial blood pressure and cardiac function parameters, including ejection fraction, fractional shortening and left ventricular (LV) wall thickness, were evaluated. Cardiac pathomorphology and myocardial fibrosis were determined. The expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), ACE2, Ang II, Ang1-7, AT1 receptor, Mas receptor, IL-6, TNF-α，IL-10, SOD and MDA were assayed in myocardium.CIHH significantly decreased arterial blood pressure, alleviated LV hypertrophy, and improved cardiovascular function in SHR (P 0.05-0.01). Also, CIHH protected SHR heart against morphological changes and fibrosis. In addition, CIHH significantly down-regulated the ACE/Ang II/AT1 receptor axis and up-regulated the ACE2/Ang1-7/Mas axis of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in SHR (P 0.05-0.01). CIHH significantly reduced IL-6, TNF-α, and MDA levels, but increased IL-10 and SOD in SHR myocardium (P 0.05-0.01).The CIHH treatment protected the heart of SHR against LV remodelling and myocardial fibrosis, which might be carried out through a balance in the ACE/Ang II/AT1 axis and the ACE2/Ang1-7/Mas axis of the RAS to reduce inflammation, and inhibit oxidative stress.

Background Obesity, a risk factor for many chronic diseases, is a potential independent risk factor for iron deficiency. Evidence has shown that chronic intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (CIHH) has protective or improved effects on cardiovascular, nervous, metabolic and immune systems. We hypothesized that CIHH may ameliorate the abnormal iron metabolism in obesity. This study was aimed to investigate the effect and the underlying mechanisms of CIHH on iron metabolism in high-fat-high-fructose-induced obese rats. Methods Six to seven weeks old male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with different diet for 16 weeks, and according to body weight divided into four groups: control (CON), CIHH (28-day, 6-h daily hypobaric hypoxia treatment simulating an altitude of 5000 m), dietary-induced obesity (DIO; induced by high fat diet and 10% fructose water feeding), and DIO + CIHH groups. The body weight, systolic arterial pressure (SAP), Lee index, fat coefficient, blood lipids, blood routine, iron metabolism parameters, interleukin6 (IL-6) and erythropoietin (Epo) were measured. The morphological changes of the liver, kidney and spleen were examined. Additionally, hepcidin mRNA expression in liver was analyzed. Results The DIO rats displayed obesity, increased SAP, lipids metabolism disorders, damaged morphology of liver, kidney and spleen, disturbed iron metabolism, increased IL-6 level and hepcidin mRNA expression, and decreased Epo compared to CON rats. But all the aforementioned abnormalities in DIO rats were improved in DIO + CIHH rats. Conclusions CIHH improves iron metabolism disorder in obese rats possibly through the down-regulation of hepcidin by decreasing IL-6 and increasing Epo.

Background CMT2D is a rare subtype of axonal CMT, caused by the mutation of glycyl-tRNA synthetase (GARS) gene which is also a disease-causing gene of distal spinal muscular atrophy type V (dSMA-V) or hereditary motor neuropathy 5A (HMN5A). There were only several case reports in China, and no epidemiological study of CMT2D/ HMN5A yet.Methods We recruited the patients of Chinese Han descent clinically diagnosed with inherited peripheral neuropathy (IPN) from the Department of Neurology at Chinese PLA General Hospital (Beijing, China) from December 20, 2012 to July 31, 2019. All patients underwent a detailed medical history, neurological examination, laboratory examination, electrophysiological studies, and genetic testing.Results A total of 206 unrelated patients underwent genetic analysis, and we found four mutations of GARS from four different families, including c.794C>T (p.S265F), c.374A>G (p.E125G), c.1000A>T (p.I334F) and c.781T>G (p.Y261D), the first three of them were considered pathogenic. As for the three pathogenic mutation carriers, one patient was diagnosed as CMT2D, two patients were diagnosed as HMN5A.Conclusion GARS mutation is a rare cause of inherited peripheral neuropathy and the phenotype tends to be CMT2D or HMN5A. There might be a relatively higher mutation frequency in Asian population compared with Caucasians. Combination of clinical phenotype, auxiliary tests and genetic evidence to assess the pathogenicity of genetic variants in patients suspected as IPN is of vital importance.

Hourly river flow pattern monitoring and simulation is the indispensable precautionary task for river engineering sustainability, water resource management, flood risk mitigation, and impact reduction. Reliable river flow forecasting is highly emphasized to support major decision-makers. This research paper adopts a new implementation approach for the application of a river flow prediction model for hourly prediction of the flow of Mary River in Australia; a novel data-intelligent model called emotional neural network (ENN) was used for this purpose. A historical dataset measured over a 4-year period (2011–2014) at hourly timescale was used in building the ENN-based predictive model. The results of the ENN model were validated against the existing approaches such as the minimax probability machine regression (MPMR), relevance vector machine (RVM), and multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) models. The developed models are evaluated against each other for validation purposes. Various numerical and graphical performance evaluators are conducted to assess the predictability of the proposed ENN and the competitive benchmark models. The ENN model, used as an objective simulation tool, revealed an outstanding performance when applied for hourly river flow prediction in comparison with the other benchmark models. However, the order of the model, performance wise, is ENN > MARS > RVM > MPMR. In general, the present results of the proposed ENN model reveal a promising modeling strategy for the hourly simulation of river flow, and such a model can be explored further for its ability to contribute to the state-of-the-art of river engineering and water resources monitoring and future prediction at near real-time forecast horizons.

Objectives: This study compared neurofilament light chain (NFL) levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (sALS) with levels in patients with other neurological diseases and healthy controls and assessed correlations between NFL levels and clinical indicators of sALS. Methods: We used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to determine the NFL levels in the CSF of 45 patients with sALS, 21 patients with other central nervous system diseases (OCNSDs), 18 with immune-mediated peripheral neuropathy (IMPN), 14 with non-immune-mediated peripheral neuropathy (NIMPN), and 19 healthy controls (HCs). Results: The median NFL levels in the CSF of the sALS, OCNSD, IMPN, NIMPN, and HC groups were 6510, 5372, 4320, 1477, and 756 pg/mL, respectively. The CSF NFL levels did not differ significantly among the sALS, IMPN, and OCNSD groups, but were significantly higher than those of the NIMPN and HC groups. The NFL CSF levels were significantly higher in the NIMPN group than the HCs. There was a negative correlation between the NFL level and ALS function score (ALSFRS-R), and a positive correlation with the disease progression rate in patients with sALS. Conclusion: CSF NFL may not be sufficient to distinguish ALS from other central nervous system diseases or peripheral neuropathy, but it predicts ALS severity and progression.

Background: Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is an autosomal dominant neuromuscular disease characterized by muscle weakness and multisystemic impairments, which significantly impact the quality of life. There is currently an increasing consensus on the necessity of a multidisciplinary assessment in patients with DM1, to improve the management of the disease. Methods: To analyze the prevalence and pairwise relationships between various organs involved, we performed a retrospective study by reviewing demographic and clinical information of DM1 patients including age, disease duration, clinical history, muscular impairment rating scale score (MIRS), results of blood biochemistry, electrocardiogram, echocardiography, and ophthalmologic examination. Results: Ninety three DM1 patients (60 males and 33 females), aged 34.7 ± 12.6 (mean ± standard deviation) years were recruited. Of which, two congenital cases were of maternal and paternal inheritance, respectively. In the other 91 patients, cataract was found in 44.1% of patients, followed by hypogonadism (40.8%), frontal balding (40.7%), and cardiac abnormalities (34.5%). Thyroid dysfunction and insulin insensitivity were relatively uncommon. Age (p < 0.001) is independently correlated with cataract, and MIRS correlates positively with cardiac abnormalities (p = 0.005) and frontal balding (p = 0.015). Male patients more frequently had frontal balding (Risk ratio, 3.98; 95% confidence interval, 1.493-10.611) compared with female patients. Male patients with cataract presented more frequent cardiac abnormalities (Risk ratio, 4.40; 95% confidence interval, 1.055-18.358) compared with non-cataract male patients. Hypogonadism in male patients was characterized as decreased testosterone level, accompanied by elevated levels of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone. Conclusions: In Chinese patients with DM1, we conclude that (1) cataract, hypogonadism, frontal balding and cardiac abnormalities are frequently observed; (2) age is an independent indicator to cataract and MIRS is the only predictor for cardiac abnormalities and frontal balding; (3) a positive correlation between ophthalmologic and cardiac impairments in male patients is found; (4) endocrine abnormalities show diverse manifestations and hormone tests are recommended; (5) particular attention should be given to patients with older age and higher MIRS score.

Background: Whether occupation has an impact on contact heat evoked potential (CHEP) results has not been investigated. In this study, we investigated the difference of CHEP parameters between knowledge workers and unskilled labors. Methods: A total of 137 healthy participants were recruited between November 20, 2014 and December 31, 2016. All participants underwent neurologic examination, laboratory examination, and nerve conduction studies. CHEP was performed on four body sites: the upper border of the distal third of the volar forearm, the upper border of the distal third of the lateral leg, the spinous process of seventh cervical vertebrae (C7), and the spinous process of 12th thoracic vertebrae (T12). Independent t test and nonparametric test were performed using SPSS software to compare the difference of the CHEP parameters between knowledge workers and unskilled labors. Results: The "N2 latency/height" (Z = -2.290, P = 0.022) and "P2 latency/height" (Z = -2.020, P = 0.043) on the volar forearm of unskilled labors significantly increased than those of knowledge workers. The "N2 latency/height" (F = 6.348, P = 0.016) and "P2 latency/height" (F = 5.920, P = 0.018) in the distal leg of unskilled labors significantly prolonged than those of knowledge workers. The N2-P2 amplitude (F = 5.797, P = 0.020) in the distal leg of unskilled labors significantly decreased than those of knowledge workers. Conclusions: Our study found that significantly prolonged N2 latency and P2 latency and significantly decreased N2-P2 amplitude in the distal leg and the volar forearm in unskilled labors as to knowledge workers. Key words: Contact heat evoked potential; Occupation; Nerve conduction studies

Aim Our previous study demonstrated that chronic intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (CIHH) can confer hepatic protection by reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) in high-fat-high-fructose induced metabolic syndrome (MS) rats. It is known that there is a functional coupling between autophagy and ERS. This study aimed to investigate the effect of CIHH on autophagy function and adenosine mono-phosphate-activated protein kinase-mammalian target of rapamycin (AMPKα-mTOR) signaling pathway in hepatic tissue of MS rats. Main methods 6-week old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into: control (CON), CIHH (treated with hypobaric hypoxia simulating 5000-m altitude for 28 days, 6 h daily), MS (induced by 16-week high fat diet and 10% fructose water feeding), and MS + CIHH groups (exposed to CIHH after 16-week MS model). Food and water intakes, body weight, Lee's index, fat coefficient, systolic arterial pressure, blood biochemicals, and histopathology of liver were measured, the expression of phosphorylated (p)-AMPK, p-mTOR, autophagy-related and ERS-related proteins were assayed in hepatic tissue. Key findings The MS rats displayed obesity, hypertension, polydipsia, glucose and lipids metabolism disorders, increased inflammatory cytokine, hepatic tissue morphological and functional damage, and the up-regulated expressions of ERS-related, autophagy-related proteins and p-mTOR, and the down-regulated expression of p-AMPKα. All aforementioned abnormalities in MS rats were ameliorated in MS + CIHH rats. Significance In conclusion CIHH confers hepatic protection through activating AMPK-mTOR signaling pathway and the autophagy function, thus inhibiting ERS in hepatic tissue.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) often results in permanent functional loss due to a series of degenerative events including cell death, axonal damage, and the upregulation of inhibitory proteins that impede regeneration. Repulsive Guidance Molecule A (RGMa) is a potent inhibitor of axonal growth that is rapidly upregulated following injury in both the rodent and human central nervous system (CNS). Previously, we showed that monoclonal antibodies that specifically block inhibitory RGMa signaling promote neuroprotective and regenerative effects when administered acutely in a clinically relevant rat model of thoracic SCI. However, it is unknown whether systemic administration of RGMa blocking antibodies are effective for SCI after delayed administration. Here, we administered elezanumab, a human monoclonal antibody targeting RGMa, intravenously either acutely or at 3 h or 24 h following thoracic clip impact-compression SCI. Rats treated with elezanumab acutely and at 3 h post-injury showed improvements in overground locomotion and fine motor function and gait. Rats treated 24 h post-SCI trended towards better recovery demonstrating significantly greater stride length and swing speed. Treated rats also showed greater tissue preservation with reduced lesion areas. As seen with acute treatment, delayed administration of elezanumab at 3 h post-SCI also increased perilesional neuronal sparing and serotonergic and corticospinal axonal plasticity. In addition, all elezanumab treated rats showed earlier spontaneous voiding ability and less post-trauma bladder wall hypertrophy. Together, our data demonstrate the therapeutic efficacy of delayed systemic administration of elezanumab in a rat model of SCI, and uncovers a new role for RGMa inhibition in bladder recovery following SCI.

Objectives Interleukin-37 (IL-37) has been identified as a potent inhibitor of the immune response. This study aimed to examine IL-37 expression in patients with chronic active hepatitis B (CAHB), and explore its possible regulatory role during inflammation. Methods Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected from control (n = 20) and CAHB patients (n = 30) before and after treatment with entecavir (EVT) for 24 weeks. The PBMCs were cultured with lipopolysaccharide and IL-37 expression was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction and flow cytometry. The mRNA and protein concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in PBMCs were also measured. Results Levels of IL-37, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α were significantly increased in the supernatant of PBMCs from patients with CAHB. IL-37 significantly reduced the expression of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. EVT resulted in regression of intraocular inflammation in patients with CAHB, associated with decreased production of IL-37. Conclusion These results suggest that increased expression of IL-37 was associated with the suppression of the inflammatory response in patients with CAHB. Furthermore, EVT treatment of CAHB was also correlated with downregulation of IL-37, indicating that EVT may partially alleviate the immune response by modulating IL-37 production.

Gesture recognition has remained a challenging problem in the fields of human robot interaction. With the development of depth sensors such as Kinect, different modalities become available for gesture recognition while its advantages have not been fully exploited. One of the critical issues for multi-modal gesture recognition is how to fuse features from different modalities. In this article, we present a unified framework for multi-modal gesture recognition based on dynamic time warping. The 3D implicit shape model is applied to characterize the space-time structure of the local features extracted from different modalities. And then, all votes from the local features are incorporated into a common probability space which is then used for building the distance matrix. Meanwhile, an upper-bounding method UB_Pro is proposed to speed up dynamic time warping. The proposed approach is evaluated on the challenging ChaLearn Isolated Gesture Dataset, showing comparable performance in comparison to the state-of-the-art approaches for multi-modal gesture recognition problem.

Complex datasets can be routinely produced from modern analytical platforms in metabonomics surveys, which brings enormous challenges to existing chemometrics tools. In the current study, inspired by the characteristic of classification tree (CT) in automatically selecting the most informative variables and measuring their importance, the potential of bagging in improving the reliability and robustness of a single model, and the promising modeling performance of radial basis function network (RBFN), we designed a new chemometrics tool, i.e., bagging classification tree-radial basis function network (BAGCT-EBFN), for metabonomics data analysis. In BAGCT-RBFN, a series of parallel CT models were firstly established based on the idea of bagging (BAGCT). The informative variables can be successfully spied via inspecting the variable importance values over all CTs in BAGCT. Then, RBFN was utilized to relate the identified informative variables to the class memberships. To demonstrate the practical application of BAGCT-RBFN in metabonomics, an H-1 NMR-based metabonomics dataset associated with lung cancer was applied. The results showed that BAGCT-RBFN can find a shortlist of discriminatory variables with reliability while attain more satisfactory classification accuracy than traditional CT and RBFN.

Noninvasive diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is very attractive. This study investigated the single strand DNA (ssDNA) acquisition method from H. pylori in dental plaque, and the integration of our previously developed 43-mer H. pylori DNA biosensor with the obtained target ssDNA (tDNA). Dental plaque samples were collected from 34 patients/volunteers, whose gastric H. pylori infection statuses were tested with the 13C urea breath test (UBT). The samples were treated with colony polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to obtain double strand DNA (dsDNA) of 104 basepairs (bp) long. A blocker ssDNA was designed and used in thermal treatment of the dsDNA to release the 104-mer tDNA, which contains the 43-mer DNA sequence in the middle. PCR primers were designed, and the tDNA releasing and detection conditions with the biosensor were optimized. The limit of detection with the biosensor was 12 fM dsDNA. The dental plaque detection results correlated quite well with the UBT results, with a sensitivity of 100%, and specificity of 97%. These results indicate that the residence of H. pylori in dental plaque is highly associated with gastric H. pylori infection, and detection of dental plaque samples with our DNA biosensor is promisingly applicable in noninvasive diagnosis of H. pylori infection.

Background: Nowadays, it is widely known that decremental responses in low-frequency repetitive nerve stimulation (LF-RNS) are frequently observed in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The pathological mechanism of this phenomenon remains unknown. This study aimed to illuminate the features of RNS in Chinese patients with ALS. Methods: Clinical and electrophysiological data of 146 probable and definite ALS patients who underwent RNS were retrospectively enrolled and analyzed. LF-RNS (3 Hz) was performed in trapezius, deltoid, abductor digiti minimi (ADM), quadriceps femoris, and tibialis anterior. High-frequency RNS (HF-RNS, 10 Hz) was performed only in ADM. The two-sample t-test and Chi-squared test were used for statistical analysis. Results: Decremental responses to LF-RNS (≥10%) in at least one muscle were detected in 83 (56.8%) of the cases and were most commonly seen in trapezius and deltoid. The incidence of decremental response was higher in patients with upper limb onset. Incremental responses to HF-RNS (≥60%) in ADM were observed in 6 (5.6%) of the cases. In 106 muscles with decremental response, 62 (57.4%) muscles had a continuous decremental pattern, more than a U-shape pattern (37 cases, 34.3%). Nineteen cases showed definite decrements in LF-RNS tests in trapezius, while no abnormalities were found in the electromyography and neurological examination of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, supplied by the accessory nerve as well. Conclusions: Decremental responses in the RNS are commonly observed in ALS patients. The findings regarding the trapezius indicated that some ALS onsets could be initiated by a "dying back" process, with destruction of neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) before motor neurons. Incremental responses in the ADM implied damage of the NMJs involved both the post and presynaptic membranes. Key words: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; Decremental Response; Dying Back; Repetitive Nerve Stimulation

Objective: To explore the distribution of drug metabolic enzymes CYP2C19 genetic polymorphism in coronary heart disease (CAD) patients of Chongqing. Methods: We have done genotyping to 179 CAD patients taking clopidogrel by gene chip method, analyzed the distribution of genotype and metabotropic phenotype. Results: In this study, a total of six different CYP2C19 genotypes and three metabotropic phenotypes were detected. The frequency of the homozygous extensive metabolizer phenotype was 32.96% (59/179), the heterozygous extensive metabolizer phenotype was 53.07% (95/179) and the poor metabolizers was 13.96% (25/179). Among the CAD patients in Chongqing, there is no significant statistical difference between these CYP2C19 genotypes and reports in other studies Conclusion: The CYP2C9 gene existed genetic polymorphism in CAD patients in Chongqing, and the distributions of allele frequency and metabolic phenotype frequency are similar to other districts in China.

Objective: The study aimed to aim to detect the type of Candida species isolated from the urine samples of older patients. Methods: We collected the urine samples of 102 older patients. We divided the patients into 2 groups (the control group and the experimental group) randomly. The control group used the agglutination detection. The experiment group used the Quantitative Real-time PCR detection. We detected and analysis the data in the groups. Results: The positive ratio of the experimental group was 80.39 % (41/51), on the other side, the positive ratio of the Experiment group was 68.62%(35/51). The positive ratio of the experimental group was higher than the control group (P

Purpose: To investigate effects of neuro-immuno-modulation on wound healing by observing changes of cytokines and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hormones in acute stress reaction in rats with wound and combined local radiation injury. Methods: Sixty female Wistar rats (weighting 200 ± 20 g) were randomly divided into normal control group, wound group and combined wound-local radiation (CWR) group (25 Gy local radiation post wound), 20 rats in each group. Contents of IL-1β, IL-6 and IFN-γ and IL-4 in serum were measured and changes of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and glucocorticoid (GC) in serum were analyzed by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and radioimmunologic assay, respectively at different time points post wound and radiation. Results: (1) The level of IFN-γ, one of the Th1 cell cytokines increased significantly at 14 d post CWR, which was markedly higher than that in control group and wound group. However, the level of IL-4, IL-1β and IL-6, one of the Th2 cell cytokines, did not show obvious change. (2) Ratio of Th1/Th2 (IFN-γ/IL-4) in wound group and CWR group increased significantly at 7 d after wound and radiation, which suggested that Th1/Th2 balance drifted to Th1 immune response. The ratio of Th1/Th2 in wound group returned to the normal level up to 14 d after the wound and radiation, while the Th1/Th2 ratio in CWR group increased persistently and was much higher than that in control and wound groups. (3) Level of serous ACTH and GC in CWR group increased at 3 d post wound and radiation, and among them, level of GC showed statistically significant increase, which was much higher than that in control and wound groups. Conclusion: Level of serous neurohormone GC in rats increased significantly immediately after wound and radiation; while the level of IFN-γ showed significant increase only up to 14 d after wound and radiation, and the Th1/Th2 imbalance sustained till 28 d post wound and radiation. In order to reduce acute damage caused by CWR, organic immune system and nerve system showed up a marked regulate effects simultaneously and mutually. Nonetheless, the excessive stress induced by CWR causes disturbance of immunoregulation, which is one of the key reasons for delayed wound healing in CWR. Keywords: Radiation, Combined wound, Stress, Hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis, Cytokines

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) causes a cascade of degenerative events including cell death, axonal damage, and the upregulation of inhibitory molecules which prevent regeneration and limit recovery. Repulsive guidance molecule A (RGMa) is a potent neurite growth inhibitor in the central nervous system, exerting its repulsive activity by binding the Neogenin receptor. Here, we show for the first time that inhibitory RGMa is markedly upregulated in multiple cell types after clinically relevant impact-compression SCI in rats, and importantly, also in the injured human spinal cord. To neutralize inhibitory RGMa, clinically relevant human monoclonal antibodies were systemically administered after acute SCI, and were detected in serum, cerebrospinal fluid, and in the injured tissue. Rats treated with RGMa blocking antibodies showed significantly improved recovery of motor function and gait. Furthermore, RGMa blocking antibodies promoted neuronal survival, and enhanced the plasticity of descending serotonergic pathways and corticospinal tract axonal regeneration. RGMa antibody also attenuated neuropathic pain responses, which was associated with fewer activated microglia and reduced CGRP expression in the dorsal horn caudal to the lesion. These results show the therapeutic potential of the first human RGMa antibody for SCI and uncovers a new role for the RGMa/Neogenin pathway on neuropathic pain.

Background: In small fiber neuropathy (SFN), thinly myelinated Aδ and unmyelinated C fibers are primarily affected, resulting in sensory and/or autonomic symptoms. Various etiologies have been shown to be associated with SFN. This study was aimed to analyze a variety of features in peripheral neuropathy (PN) with small fiber involvement, and to compare disease severity among patients with idiopathic PN, PN associated with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and metabolic syndrome (MS) PN. Methods: Thirty-eight PN patients with small fiber involvement were enrolled from December 20, 2013 to May 31, 2016. Patients were divided into idiopathic PN, IGT-related PN, and MS-related PN groups. Detailed medical history and small fiber neuropathy were investigated, and symptom inventory questionnaire was conducted, as well as the visual analog scale. Nerve conduction studies and skin biopsies were also performed. The differences among the groups were analyzed using analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: Eight patients were diagnosed with pure SFN. Intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) weakly correlated with motor conduction velocity (MCV) ( r = 0.372, P = 0.025), and proximal ( r = 0.383, P = 0.021) and distal ( r = 0.358, P = 0.032) compound muscle action potential (CMAP) of the tibial nerve. IENFD also weakly correlated with MCV of the peroneal nerve ( r = 0.399, P = 0.016). IENFD was shown to be significantly different among all groups ( χ 2 = 9.901, P = 0.007). IENFD was significantly decreased ( χ 2 = 23.000, P = 0.003) in the MS-related PN group compared to the idiopathic PN group. The MCV of the tibial nerve was significantly different among all groups ( χ 2 = 8.172, P F = 4.336, P = 0.021) and distal ( F = 3.262, P = 0.049) CMAP of the tibial nerve was also significantly different among all groups. Conclusions: IENFD of patients included in the present study weakly correlated with various electrophysiological parameters. Small and large fibers are more involved in patients with MS-related PN than in patients with idiopathic PN.

An efficient scheme is proposed to generate broadband supercontinuum spectra and isolated attosecond laser pulses by suppressing multiple rescatterings with plasmon-enhanced laser fields. High-order harmonic generation from helium atoms in long wavelength is theoretically investigated. It is found that a quantum path interference and a multiple rescatterings interference are two fundamental limitations against the smooth degree of harmonic spectra. Numerical results show that the coherent superposition state in combination with plasmon-enhanced laser fields is robust for broadband supercontinuum generation. Then an isolated 78-as pulse can be directly generated.

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) lacks validated biomarkers to predict the prognosis and treatment response. This study investigated whether circulating tumor cells (CTCs) detectable could reminder high risk of distant metastasis, provide prognostic information, and early indicate the response to the conventional therapy in patients with advanced NSCLC. In this single-center prospective study, blood samples for CTC analysis were obtained from 59 patients with previously untreated, stage III or IV NSCLC both before and after administration of two cycles of chemotherapy. CTCs took in peripheral blood were measured by Cell Search detect technique. Carcino-embryonic antigen and count of metastatic sites were positively related to CTC count analyzed by multiple linear regression (P

The effect of leptin on ulcerative colitis (UC) has been controversial. The present study aimed to investigate the role of leptin and its receptor ob‑R in UC and the underlying mechanism of this role. The level of serum leptin and the protein expression of the leptin receptor ob‑R in the colonic mucosa were determined in patients with UC. Experimental colitis was induced through intrarectal administration of 2,4,6‑trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) in leptin receptor‑deficient Zucker rats (LR‑D). The body weight, disease activity index, colon length, and macroscopic and histopathological appearance were evaluated. Furthermore, the myeloperoxidase (MPO) enzyme activity and cytokine levels in colon tissues were also determined. The expression of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), phosphorylated STAT3 (p‑STAT3), nuclear factor (NF)‑κB‑p65, and Ras homolog gene family member A (RhoA) proteins in colon tissues was assessed. The results revealed that the expression of the leptin receptor ob‑R was increased in the colonic mucosa but the serum leptin level was not altered in patients with UC compared with healthy volunteers. The severity of experimental colitis, represented by body weight loss, disease activity index, colon length, and macroscopic and histological changes, was ameliorated in LR‑D rats compared with the wild‑type (WT) rats. Moreover, the MPO activity; levels of cytokines including interleukin (IL)‑1β, IL‑6, and tumor necrosis factor‑α; and expression of p‑STAT3, NF‑κB, and RhoA proteins were reduced in colon tissues of LR‑D rats compared with WT rats. In conclusion, activation of the leptin receptor ob‑R is an important pathogenic mechanism of UC, and leptin receptor deficiency may provide resistance against TNBS‑induced colitis by inhibiting the NF‑κB and RhoA signaling pathways.

Based on the 10-year wind speed data, geographic data and grid data of Fujian Province, a wind disaster model of transmission and distribution lines including disaster-causing factor, disaster-embedded environment, disaster-bearing body and anti-disaster capability, is established. The geographical information system (GIS) technology is used to vectorize the wind disaster risk index of the transmission and distribution lines, and the distribution map of the wind disaster risk index based on the map of Fujian Province is obtained. The results show that the risk of wind disasters from coastal to inland is gradually decreasing. The risks from Fuzhou to Ningde and Xiamen to Quanzhou are the highest, and the maximum disaster index is 0.69 in Fuzhou.

Objective. To research the clinical characteristics and risk factors of lung cancer-associated acute ischemic stroke (LCA-AIS). Methods. Patients diagnosed with LCA-AIS, simple lung cancer, and simple AIS were enrolled. The primary information, laboratory results, tumor histopathology, neurological deficits, and survival time of the patients were collected and analyzed. Results. (1) In the LCA-AIS group, the pathology of 69.56% patients were adenocarcinoma, and the proportion of poorly differentiated patients was significantly more than that in moderately differentiated or highly differentiated. The number of stage IV lung cancer patients in the LCA-AIS group was significantly more common than in other stages. (2) 56.52% of patients with lung cancer were diagnosed before AIS, and the peak of AIS attack was 1–6 months after the diagnosis of lung cancer. (3) The independent risk factors of LCA-AIS were CYFRA-211 (OR 1.070; 95% confidence interval 1.005, 1.139; p=0.035), TT (OR 1.275; 95% confidence interval 1.089, 1.493; p=0.003), and Hct (OR 0.878; 95% confidence interval 0.779, 0.990; p=0.034), making ROC curve, suggesting the area under the curve is 0.871. (4) The neurological deficit of patients in the LCA-AIS group was similar to the simple AIS group and could not be identified by the severity of neurological deficits. (5) The median survival time of LCA-AIS group patients was five months (95% confidence interval 3.796, 6.204). There were statistical differences in survival time between LCA-AIS group and simple AIS group patients (p<0.001).Conclusions. The interaction between lung cancer and AIS may shorten patients’ life expectancy and worsen their quality of life.

After reviewing the diagnosis and treatment process of a patient with active cancer who experienced wake-up stroke, we have summarized the clinical manifestations, laboratory examination results, imaging features, pathological results, and treatment in this report. Patients with active cancer who experience wake-up stroke often have mild neurological deficits at the time of onset. For the patient in this study, laboratory test results were mainly characterized by abnormal coagulation function and elevated tumor markers. The brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images were characterized by involvement of both the arterial and venous systems. Thrombolytic therapy during the window period can improve the symptoms of neurological deficits. Overall, anticoagulation therapy was safe and effective in our patient.