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In the robust secure aggregation problem, a server wishes to learn and only learn the sum of the inputs of a number of users while some users may drop out (i.e., may not respond). The identity of the dropped users is not known a priori and the server needs to securely recover the sum of the remaining surviving users. We consider the following minimal two-round model of secure aggregation. Over the first round, any set of no fewer than $U$ users out of $K$ users respond to the server and the server wants to learn the sum of the inputs of all responding users. The remaining users are viewed as dropped. Over the second round, any set of no fewer than $U$ users of the surviving users respond (i.e., dropouts are still possible over the second round) and from the information obtained from the surviving users over the two rounds, the server can decode the desired sum. The security constraint is that even if the server colludes with any $T$ users and the messages from the dropped users are received by the server (e.g., delayed packets), the server is not able to infer any additional information beyond the sum in the information theoretic sense. For this information theoretic secure aggregation problem, we characterize the optimal communication cost. When $U\leq T$ , secure aggregation is not feasible, and when $U > T$ , to securely compute one symbol of the sum, the minimum number of symbols sent from each user to the server is 1 over the first round, and $1/(U-T)$ over the second round.

The compound secure groupcast problem is considered, where the key variables at $K$ receivers are designed so that a transmitter can securely groupcast a message to any $N$ out of the $K$ receivers through a noiseless broadcast channel. The metric is the information theoretic tradeoff between key storage $\alpha$, i.e., the number of bits of the key variable per message bit, and broadcast bandwidth $\beta$, i.e., the number of bits of the broadcast information per message bit. We have three main results. First, when broadcast bandwidth is minimized, i.e., when $\beta = 1$, we show that the minimum key storage is $\alpha = N$. Second, when key storage is minimized, i.e., when $\alpha = 1$, we show that broadcast bandwidth $\beta = \min(N, K-N+1)$ is achievable and is optimal (minimum) if $N=2$ or $K-1$. Third, when $N=2$, the optimal key storage and broadcast bandwidth tradeoff is characterized as $\alpha+\beta \geq 3, \alpha \geq 1, \beta \geq 1$.

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is still spread and has made a severe public health threat around the world. To improve disease progression, emerging Chinese herbal compounds were used in clinical practice and some agents have proven beneficial in treating COVID-19. Here, the relevant literature from basic researches to clinical application were identified and comprehensively assessed. A variety of Chinese herbal compounds have been reported to be effective in improving symptoms and outcomes in patients with COVID-19, particularly together with routine treatment strategy. The pharmacological activities were mainly attributed to the relief of clinical symptoms, inhibition of cytokine storm, and improvement of organ function. Besides, the development of novel antiviral drugs from medicinal herbs were further discussed. The updated laboratory and clinical studies provided the evidence of Chinese herbal compounds such as Lianhua Qingwen prescription, Shufeng Jiedu prescription, and Qingfei Paidu Tang for the relief of COVID-19. However, both of the randomized controlled trials and real world researches need to be done for supporting the evidence including the efficacy and safety in fighting COVID-19.

Background Surgery is the primary treatment for locally advanced thyroid cancer. For some cases, R0/R1 resection could not be achieved at initial diagnosis and neoadjuvant treatment would be an opt...

In this paper, we present a novel slot radiator to achieve a broadband and high-gain antenna array for millimeter-wave applications. The slot radiator composes of two C-shaped apertures to generate a pair of folded magnetic dipole radiations. From the obtained results, this slot radiator can produce a broadside radiation and have a wide impedance bandwidth of 39.8% with the reflection coefficient less than -10dB from 21.7 GHz to 32.5 GHz. Based the promising result from the antenna element, an 8W8 antenna array with a 1-to-64 full-corporate feed network is designed and constructed. The measured results prove that the proposed array achieves a wide impedance bandwidth of 37.1% from 21.3 to 31 GHz. Meanwhile, the gain of the array is from 26.4 to 28.3 dBi across the operating bandwidth, with an average radiation efficiency of 70.1%. This proposed antenna array has the wide bandwidth and the high directive gain, which is a good candidate for long-distance millimeter-wave communications and related applications.

The manufacturing industry is an important pillar of the national economy. It is of vital importance to develop statistical modellings in order to quantify the relationship between potential internal drivers and the trend of output values in the manufacturing industry. However, only a few statistical modellings have been established to investigate such associations. This study developed the correlation coefficient model and generalized linear model (GLM) to measure the single and interactive effects of the internal drivers on the changes of the output values. For the GLM, different predictive variables were developed to fit into the dataset, and the performance of the models were compared using fitness parameters. Furthermore, an industry survey dataset for 1,180 manufacturing enterprises in 2020 was used to validate the models. The use of the GLM combining land area, number of employees, scientific research input, and labor productivity may have a great potential to bolster capacity in monitoring and predicting the trend of output values in the manufacture industry.

This article presents a high-gain antenna array with the use of magnetoelectric (ME) dipole antenna elements operating at millimeter-wave frequencies. The proposed array achieves wide bandwidth, high gain, and low sidelobe level (SLL) in its planar structure. A highly efficient power divider consisting of pillbox transition and corporate feed network is introduced to produce equal phase but nonuniform power distributions to all array elements such that it can be for suppressing the SLL of the array. The radiating element is constituted by a cavity-backed slot-coupled ME dipole, which offers a wide impedance bandwidth and a stable radiation pattern. A prototype of the antenna array is fabricated and measured to verify the proposed design. The array achieves an impedance bandwidth of 20.8% (for the reflection coefficient $\le -10$ dB), covering the frequency range from 54.2 to 66.8 GHz. The average gain of the array is 28.5 dBi in its operating bandwidth, with a peak gain of 29.6 dBi at 65 GHz. The lowest E-plane SLL level over the entire bandwidth is −18 dB. This proposed antenna array has potential applications in long-distance millimeter-wave communications due to its merits of wideband, high gain, and low SLL features.

Background Lung cancer is the most prevalent cancer, and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in China. The aim of this study was to estimate the direct medical expenditure incurred for lung cancer care and analyze the trend therein for the period 2002–2011 using nationally representative data in China Methods This study was based on 10-year, multicenter retrospective expenditure data collected from hospital records, covering 15,437 lung cancer patients from 13 provinces diagnosed during the period 2002–2011. All expenditure data were adjusted to 2011 to eliminate the effects of inflation using China’s annual consumer price index. Results The direct medical expenditure for lung cancer care (in 2011) was 39,015 CNY (US$6,041) per case, with an annual growth rate of 7.55% from 2002 to 2011. Drug costs were the highest proportionally in the total medical expenditure (54.27%), followed by treatment expenditure (14.32%) and surgical expenditure (8.10%). Medical expenditures for the disease varied based on region, hospital level, type, and stage. Conclusion The medical expenditure for lung cancer care is substantial in China. Drug costs and laboratory test are the main factors increasing medical costs.

Introduction The chronic neuropathic pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) can last for several months or even many years, seriously affecting the affected person’s work, sleep, mood, and daily life activities. In generaly, current treatments for PHN are at best limited and unsatisfactory, and adverse reactions are common, especially in elderly patients. Electroacupuncture (EA) is widely used clinically to manage painful diseases, but there remains a lack of evidence to support the effectiveness of EA on PHN. This study is designed to assess the efficacy and safety of EA on PHN, and to provide evidence-based medical evidence for EA treatment of PHN. Methods This multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled trial will recruit 448 patients with PHN at seven clinical centers. Multicenter stratified variable block randomization will be used, and the eligible patients will be randomly allocated in a ratio of 1:1 to the EA group or sham EA group. The EA group will receive 4 weeks of EA treatment, given as 30-min treatment sessions, once daily, 5 times per week, for a total of 20 treatments; the sham EA group will receive sham EA treatment under the same conditions. Planned Outcomes The primary outcome measure is the 11-point Numeric Rating Scale pain score at week 4. The secondary outcome measures, including mechanical pain threshold, pain area of PHN, average number of pain episodes, the short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire 2, Zoster Brief Pain Inventory, the Depression, Anxiety, and Positive Outlook Scale, Patient Global Impression of Change, safety of EA, and use of concomitant medications, among others. The primary analysis of the outcomes will be the mixed-effect model with repeated measurement between groups on an intent-to-treat population. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT04560361. Registered 23 September 2020 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04560361?term=NCT04560361&draw=2&rank=1). Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40122-021-00283-8.

Objective: To screen for differentially expressed serum microRNAs (miRNAs) in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) compared with healthy participants and explore the mechanism of acupuncture in the treatment of IBS-D based on miRNAs. Methods: IBS-D patients that met the Rome III diagnostic criteria and age- and sex-matched healthy participants were enrolled between April 2017 and December 2017. Serum miRNA levels were initially determined using a TaqMan low-density array (TLDA) in pooled samples. Markedly altered miRNAs in IBS-D patients were subsequently validated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) on individual samples. All IBS-D patients accepted the acupuncture therapy for 6 weeks. The disease severity was assessed using the IBS symptom severity scale (IBS-SSS) questionnaire before and after treatment. After acupuncture, the patients’ serum was re-analyzed for altered expression of the miRNAs by qRT-PCR. Results: TLDA and qRT-PCR analysis revealed six upregulated miRNAs (miR-1305, miR-575, miR-149-5p, miR-190a-5p, miR-135a-5p, and miR-148a-3p; P Conclusions: The over-expression or reduced expression of several miRNAs may contribute to IBS-D pathogenesis. Acupuncture might downregulate miR-148a-3p through multiple pathways to alleviate or relieve IBS-D symptoms. Trial registration number: ChiCTR-IOR-17010860 (Chinese Clinical Trials Registry)

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a common cardiovascular disease with high morbidity and mortality. In this study, we explored the role of interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 3 (IFIT3) in MI. MI was induced by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Lentivirus-mediated RNA interference of IFIT3 expression was performed by tail vein injection 72 h before MI modeling. Cardiac injury indexes and inflammatory response were examined 3 days after MI. Cardiac function indexes, infarct size, and cardiac fibrosis were assessed 4 weeks after MI. IFIT3 expression was upregulated in myocardial tissues at both 3 days and 4 weeks after MI. Knockdown of IFIT3 significantly relieved the myocardial injury, as evidenced by the decrease in serum levels of cTnI and CK-MB. In addition, IFIT3 knockdown significantly reduced the number of CD68+ macrophages and the levels of interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α, indicating that the inflammatory response was relieved. Moreover, IFIT3 silencing also significantly improved cardiac function and reduced infarct size, myocardial fibrosis, and collagen content in mice with MI. Mechanically, the present study showed that the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway was observed in myocardial tissues of MI mice, which was blocked by IFIT3 knockdown, as indicated by the decreased phosphorylation of JNK, p-38, and ERK. Collectively, our results revealed the role of IFIT3 in the inflammatory response and myocardial fibrosis after MI, indicating that IFIT3 might be a potential target for MI treatment.

PurposeThis paper proposes a systematic method to manage students to use limited seat resources in Chinese university libraries, with the aid of mobile phone app, at the same time, its use is being investigated.Design/methodology/approachUse mixed research methods, quantitative and qualitative research. Through observation, questionnaire and interview to achieve research purpose. The survey was conducted in the library of Nanjing agricultural university.FindingsThe result shows system can offer convenient, accurate, more personalized, mobility service to each user. Actual average seat usage rate is over 51.7% in a day, most of users are satisfied with the seat management system, students' satisfaction degree are 94.8%. It is also an extension of mobile phone library service.Originality/valueSeat management system innovate traditional people-oriented service mode of study room into smart, readers can browse usage information of seats anytime and anywhere, get what they want, service become fast and convenient. In period of COVID-19, the seat system also plays an important role, it is easy for librarians to control the number of students to enter, the trajectory of readers in the library can be tracked and the possible epidemic risk can be accurately prevented and controlled.

Shidong wang (SW): Please share with us the pandemic experience of Peking University and Oxford University. How has your university adapted its education and teaching to COVID-19 conditions?

Synergistically regulating carrier and phonon transport on the nanoscale is extremely difficult for all thermoelectric (TE) materials without cage structures. Herein BaFe12O19/Bi2Te25Se0.5 thermoelectromagnetic nanocomposites are designed and synthesized as a benchmarking example to simultaneously tailor the transport properties on the nanoscale. A magneto-trapped carrier effect induced by BaFe12O19 hard-magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) is discovered, which can lower the carrier concentration of n-type Bi2Te2.5Se0.5 matrix by 16%, and increase the Seebeck coefficient by 16%. Meanwhile, BaFe12O19 NPs provide phonon scattering centers and reduce the thermal conductivity by 12%. As a result, the ZT value of the nanocomposites is enhanced by more than 25% in the range of 300–450 K, and the cooling temperature difference increases by 65% near room temperature. This work greatly broadens the commercial application potential of n-type Bi2Te2.5Se0.5, and demonstrates magneto-trapped carrier effect as a universal strategy to enhance the electro-thermal conversion performance of TE materials with high carrier concentration.

Background Migraine is the second-leading cause of disability worldwide. It is often characterized by attacks of severe, mostly unilateral, pulsating headache associated with symptoms such as photophobia, phonophobia, nausea, vomiting, and cutaneous allodynia. Acupuncture therapy has been used worldwide for the treatment of migraine. However, no visual bibliometric analysis has been conducted on the effects of acupuncture on migraine over the past 20 years. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the current status and trends on the use of acupuncture in the treatment of migraine from 2000 to 2020. Purpose The objective of this study is to identify the current status and emerging trends of the global use of acupuncture on migraine from 2000 to 2020 using CiteSpace and VOSviewer. Methods Web of Science databases were searched for publications related to acupuncture therapy for treating migraine between 2000 and 2020. CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used to analyze the number of publications per year, countries, institutions, authors, journals, references, and keywords. Results A total of 572 publications were included in the final analysis. The total number of publications has continued to increase with some fluctuations over the past 20 years. The most productive country and institution in this field were the USA, and Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, respectively. The most active and cited authors were Liang FR and Linde K, respectively. Cephalalgia was the most productive, cited, and co-cited journal. The Linde K (2005) had the highest co-citation, citation number and centrality. The keywords "migraine" ranked first in frequency. The common type of migraine (tension-type headache), research method (randomized controlled trial, multicenter, double-blind), acupuncture's role (prophylactic, quality of life, pain), and evaluation (meta-analysis, systematic review) were the hotspots and frontier trends of acupuncture therapy on migraine between 2000 and 2020. Conclusion The present study examined the research-related trend in acupuncture therapy on migraine using bibliometric methods and identified the statement and research frontiers over the past two decades. This may help researchers to identify potential hotspots and new directions for future research in this field.

Objective To explore alterations in fecal short‐chain fatty acids (SCFA) and gut microbiota in patients with diarrhea‐predominant irritable bowel disease (IBS‐D) and their relationships with clinical manifestations. Methods We recruited 162 patients with IBS‐D and 66 healthy controls (HC). Their manifestations and psychological status were evaluated using the IBS severity scoring system and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Colorectal visceral sensitivity was evaluated using a barostat. Systemic inflammation was evaluated using plasma cytokine levels. Fecal SCFA were quantified using ultra‐performance liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry, and fecal microbiota communities were analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing. Results More men presented with IBS‐D than women in our patient cohort. Patients with IBS‐D had more severe manifestations, higher HADS score, and a higher rate of previous infectious enteritis than HC. Notably, female patients had significantly higher HADS scores than male patients. Male patients had significantly higher levels of plasma interleukin (IL)‐12, fecal propionate and colorectal visceral sensitivity than male HC, while no differences were observed between female patients and female HC. Fecal acetate, butyrate and valerate correlated with the initial visceral sensory threshold, stressors, and IL‐10 and IL‐12 levels. The propionate‐producing Prevotella 9 genus was significantly increased in male patients and positively correlated with fecal propionate. Conclusion Distinct sex‐based differences in clinical manifestations, fecal SCFA and microbiota richness are found in Chinese patients with IBS‐D, which may be used to diagnose dysbiosis in these patients., We found distinct sex differences in clinical manifestations, fecal short‐chain fatty acids (SCFA) and fecal microbiota in Chinese patients with diarrhea‐predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS‐D), indicating that there may be sex‐based differences in the pathophysiological mechanisms of the disease. Patient's sex should be considered when developing treatment strategies for Chinese patients.The changes in fecal SCFA may indicate whether there is dysbiosis in patients with IBS‐D.

Background Chemotherapy-induced diarrhea (CID) is one of the side effects of chemotherapy. Diarrhea not only affects the overall treatment effectiveness but also reduces patients’ quality of life. Severe diarrhea can lead to electrolyte imbalance and even be life-threatening. Although acupuncture has been widely used in clinical practice and its effectiveness for managing functional diarrhea has been recognized, there is no sound evidence of its efficacy in managing CID. Therefore, the aim of the proposed randomized controlled trial is to examine the effectiveness and potential risks of using acupuncture for the management of CID and to describe its protocol herein. Methods This trial will be conducted in a double-blinded manner and comprise two arms that will be investigated across multiple centers in parallel. The study cohort will comprise 168 outpatients who have CID from six Chinese hospitals. The patients will be randomly and equally divided between an intervention group (electroacupuncture) and a control group (micro-electroacupuncture). In the former, acupuncture will be performed with the conventional method to induce the de qi sensation, and in the latter group, acupuncture will be performed with a sham procedure that does not involve the insertion of needles. The acupoints ST25, SP14, SP6, and ST37 will be applied in the two methods. These procedures will be performed three times a week for four consecutive weeks. The number of days on which CID occurred, the incidence of CID, and fecal characteristics are considered as the primary outcomes, and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy for Patients with Diarrhea subscale score and the World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment are considered as secondary outcomes. The patients will be closely observed for complications and fluctuations in vital signs. Discussion If the findings from the trial demonstrate the effectiveness and safety of using acupuncture to treat CID, they could serve as evidence for the clinical application of acupuncture as a complementary treatment for cancer patients during chemotherapy. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2000035715, registered on August 16, 2020.

Introduction Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common solid tumor in children. Studies showed that long-chain noncoding RNA (lncRNA) HCP5 played an important role in tumorigenesis, but its role in NB remained unclear. This study aims to determine the role of HCP5 in NB and its possible molecular mechanism. Methods We analyzed the expression levels of miRNA-186-5p and HCP5 in neuroblastoma and neuroblastoma cell lines SHSY-5Y, Kelly, NBL-S and SK-N-AS, and explored their roles. Results We found that the HCP5 expression was up-regulated in NB tissues and cells. The higher the HCP5 expression in NB cells, the stronger the ability of clone formation. Down regulation of the HCP5 expression inhibited the proliferation of NB cells and the growth of subcutaneous transplanted tumor in nude mice. HCP5 could competitively bind miR-186-5p, while miR-186-5p could target the 3′-UTR of MAP3K2. The expression level of miR-186-5p was down regulated while the expression level of MAP3K2 was up-regulated in NB tissues. The expression level of HCP5 and miR-186-5p, the expression level of miR-186-5p and MAP3K2 were negatively correlated. The decreased proliferation of NB cells induced by down-regulation of HCP5 expression can be counteracted by miR-186-5p inhibitor or MAP3K2, and vice versa. Conclusion This study showed that lncRNA HCP5, as ceRNA, regulated MAP3K2 to promote NB progression through competitive binding of miR-186-5p. We revealed a new signaling pathway that mediates NB, which provided a new target for the diagnosis and treatment of NB.

Chief executive officers (CEOs) could use tax avoidance to reduce costs and hence increase firm profits. Nevertheless, the reputation of the firm could be harmed. Prior studies find that firms’ tax...

BackgroundThe study aims to identify whether Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) combined with early physiotherapy has an advantage over PRP alone for rotator cuff injury patients, regarding pain release, function score, tear size, and quality of life improvement.MethodsThis is a single-center prospective non-randomized study implemented in July 2019 at the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University in Sichuan. Three hundred-forteen patients with rotator cuff injury aged over 18 years were recruited. Participants were assigned to the experiment group (PRP plus physiotherapy) or control group (PRP) by their desire. We used the Constant-Murley score to assess the shoulder function, the Visual Analogue Scale to evaluate shoulder pain, and the MOS Item Short-form Health Survey (SF-12) to measure the quality of life. MRI was applied to measure tear size, and the follow-up duration is 12 months.DiscussionOur findings will give information on the effects of PRP and physiotherapy on rotator cuff injuries. Physiotherapy might be added to improve the effects of PRP in patients with rotator cuff injuries.Trial registrationThis study was registered in the Chinese clinical trial registry on September 1st, 2019 (ChiCTR1900025563).

The calcium-sensitive receptor (CaSR) plays a role in several biological processes. However, its role in intestinal motility remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to determine the effect of electro-acupuncture (EA) at Shangjuxu (ST37) on CaSR in colonic dysplasia mice, and to explore the possible mechanism of EA regulating colonic movement. The mice were injected with nicardipine or hexamethonium bromide to induce colonic dysplasia. Intestinal transit function was assessed by twelve hours fecal granules and fecal water content percentage, while colonic slow wave was assessed by multi-channel physiological signal acquisition system, immunofluorescence and laser confocal microscopy were used to examine CaSR expression in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of the mice. We found that the number of fecal particles, the frequency and amplitude of colonic slow wave were disrupted after nicardipine or hexamethonium bromide injection. In addition, CaSR expression in control group was mainly distributed in intestinal epithelial cells, and the morphological structure of mucosal layer was regular. Compared with control group, the structure of mucosal layer in nicardipine group and hexamethonium bromide group were all disorderly, the expression and fluorescence intensity of CaSR in nicardipine group were visible, but in hexamethonium bromide group were weakened. After EA intervention, these disorders were ameliorated, which suggested that EA at ST37 could therefore regulate colonic motility disorders via the involvement of CaSR.

BACKGROUND In general, atlantoaxial dislocation is rare due to the stability of the C1-C2 complex. Traumatic atlantoaxial dislocations are usually anterior and accompanied by odontoid fractures. Posterior atlantoaxial dislocations are rare, and complete posterior dislocation without associated fracture is even more rare. A case of early recurrence of posterior atlantoaxial dislocation without fracture being in therapy of first closed reduction and then open reduction has not been previously reported. CASE SUMMARY A 45-year-old female presented with traumatic posterior atlantoaxial dislocation (TPAD) of C1-C2 without associated fractures, and Frankel Grade B spinal cord function. She was successfully managed by immediate closed reduction under skull traction. Unexpectedly, 17 d later, re-dislocation was discovered. On day 28, closed reduction was performed as before but failed. Then, open reduction and posterior internal fixation with autologous iliac bone grafts was performed. By 6 mo after surgery, atlantoaxial joint fusion was achieved, and neurological function had recovered to Frankel Grade E. At 12 mo follow-up, she had lost only 15° of cervical rotation, and atlantoaxial complex instability in joint flexing and extending were no longer observed under fluoroscopy. CONCLUSION Early assessment of transverse ligament is critical for TPAD without fracture avoiding re-dislocation after closed reduction.

Stroke is a lethal cerebral disease with severe sequelae and high mortality. Microglia, the main immune cell in the cerebrum, possess therapeutic potential for strokes as its specific anti-inflammatory phenotype can reduce inflammation and promote neuron regeneration. However, the on-demand anti-inflammatory polarization of microglia at the stroke site is uncontrollable for therapeutic application. Here, we develop a platelet hybrid microglia platform which can specifically polarize to the anti-inflammatory phenotype by ultrasound irradiation for targeted cerebrum repair after stroke. The engineered microglia have strong adherence to the injured cerebral vessels with platelet membrane fusion and realize on-demand anti-inflammatory polarization with ultrasound-responsive IL-4 liposome decoration. The intravenously injected microglia platform showed anti-inflammatory polarization at the stroke site with insonation, and accelerated the M2-type polarization of endogenous microglia for long-term stroke recovery. Satisfied prognoses were achieved with reduced apoptosis, promoted neurogenesis, and functional recovery, indicating the implications of the microglia platform for stroke therapy.

BACKGROUND Constipation as a most common non-motor symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD), has a higher prevalence compared to the general population. The etiologies of constipation in PD are diverse. In addition to physical weakness and other factors of disease, the lifestyles and eating habits are also important factors. Therefore, the prevalence and influencing factors of constipation may vary among different populations. AIM To determine the prevalence of constipation and analyze relative factors in a cohort of Chinese patients with PD. METHODS All the patients diagnosed with PD according to the movement disorders society criteria were consecutively collected by a self-developed questionnaire. Rome III diagnostic criteria were used to assess functional constipation and Wexner score was used to estimate the severity of constipation. Non-motor symptoms (NMS) were assessed with the non-motor symptoms assessment scale (NMSS). Unified Parkinson's disease Rating Scale III (UPDRS III) was used to evaluate the severity of motor symptoms. The modified Hoehn-Yahr stage was used to evaluate the severity of PD. Cognitive function was assessed using Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA). Depression and anxiety were rated with the Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) and the Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA). Quality of life was assessed using the Parkinson’s disease Questionnaire-39 items (PDQ-39). RESULTS Of 166 patients enrolled, 87 (52.41%) were accompanied with constipation, and 30 (34.48%) experienced constipation for 6.30 ± 5.06 years before motor symptoms occurred. Age, Hoehn-Yahr stage, disease duration, levodopa medication times, incidence of motor complications, the scores of UPDRS total, UPDRS III, NMSS, HAMD, HAMA, and PDQ-39 in the constipation group were higher than those in the non-constipation group (P < 0.05), but there was no difference in the scores of MoCA, clinical types, or medications between the two groups (P > 0.05). There was a higher incidence of depression in patients with constipation (P < 0.05), but there were no difference in the incidence of anxiety and cognitive impairment between the two groups (P > 0.05). As Hoehn-Yahr stages increased, the severity of constipation increased (P < 0.05), but not the incidence of constipation (P > 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that constipation was moderately positively correlated with age, Hoehn-Yahr stage, and scores of NMSS, UPDRS III, UPDRS total, PDQ-39, HAMD, and HAMA (r = 0.255, 0.172, 0.361, 0.194, 0.221, 0.237, 0.238, and 0.207, P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that only NMSS score was an independent risk factor for constipation (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Our findings confirm that constipation has a relatively high frequency in patients with PD. PD patients with constipation have a higher incidence of depression, which leads to worse quality of life.

Ulcerative colitis is a recrudescent intestinal inflammation coupled with diarrhea, weight loss, pus, and blood stool, which seriously impacts the quality of patient life. d-Pinitol, which can be a food supplement isolated from the food plant-like soybeans, Ceratonia siliqua Linn and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, has been proved to show anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. However, the potential mechanism of d-pinitol still remains ill-defined contemporarily. In the current study, the therapeutic effect and potential mechanisms of d-pinitol against colitis were investigated. Oxidative stress and inflammation of experimental colitis were caused by 3% DSS treatment once daily for 7 days. During DSS treatment, the mice of the positive drug group and three other groups were orally administered SASP or d-pinitol once daily. Clinical symptoms were analyzed, and macroscopic scores were calculated. The levels of oxidative and inflammatory cytokines were measured using assay kits and RT-PCR. Additionally, the protein expression of the Nrf2/ARE pathway and PPAR-γ was measured by Western blot. Results showed that d-pinitol enormously alleviated DSS-induced bodyweight loss, colon shortening, and histological injuries, achieving a therapeutic efficacy superior to SASP. Moreover, the oxidative stress and colonic inflammatory response were mitigated. d-pinitol not only significantly activated the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway via facilitating the translocation of Nrf2 from sitoplazma to cytoblast, upregulating the protein expression levels of GCLC, GCLM, HO-1, and NQO1, but also improved the PPAR-γ level by binding to the active site of PPAR-γ, when suppressing NF-κB p65 and IκBα phosphorylation. In conclusion, d-pinitol exhibited a dramatic anti-colitis efficacy by activating the Nrf2/ARE pathway and PPAR-γ. Hence, d-pinitol may be a promising therapeutic drug against UC in the future.

Zheng-Yang Song, Han-Yun Ren, Yu-Jun Dong, Yuan Li, Yue Yin, Yu-Hua Sun, Qian Wang, Wei-Lin Xu, Wei Liu, Jin-Ping Ou, Ze-Yin Liang Department of Hematology, Peking University First Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Han-Yun Ren; Ze-Yin LiangDepartment of Hematology, Peking University First Hospital, No. 8 Xi Shi Ku Street, Xi Cheng District, Beijing 100034, People’s Republic of ChinaTel/Fax +86 10-83575082Email renhy0813@163.com; walzyaw@163.comPurpose: To explore the efficacy of low-dose rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG) in matched sibling donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (MSD-HSCT) for patients with acute leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome.Patients and Methods: We performed a retrospective study of 79 patients with hematologic malignancies who received MSD-HSCT. All patients received standard graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis comprising cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil and short-term methotrexate. Among them, 38 were administered 5 mg/kg rATG as part of GVHD prophylaxis. Clinical outcomes including overall survival (OS), GVHD and relapse were analyzed.Results: No graft failure occurred in the antithymocyte globulin (ATG) or non-ATG group. The cumulative incidences of grade 2– 4 and 3– 4 acute GVHD at day +100 were 13.3% versus 19.5% (p=0.507) and 5.7% versus 15.2% (p=0.196), respectively. The 2-year cumulative incidences of chronic GVHD (cGVHD) were 35.4% and 60.4% (p=0.039), and those of extensive cGVHD were 12.9% and 40.0% (p=0.015), respectively. In a multivariate analysis, the use of low-dose rATG was an independent protective factor for extensive cGVHD (hazard ratio [HR] 0.256; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.080 to 0.822, p=0.022). The 2-year OS was 88.1% and 68.4% (p=0.038), respectively, and the use of low-dose rATG was the only protective factor in the multivariate analysis (HR 0.216; 95% CI, 0.059 to 0.792, p=0.021). There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the 2-year cumulative incidence of relapse, leukemia-free survival or GVHD-free and relapse-free survival.Conclusion: Low-dose rATG used in MSD-HSCT as part of the conditioning regimen results in a reduced incidence of cGVHD and improves survival outcomes.Keywords: low-dose rATG, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, matched sibling donor, graft-versus-host disease

Background Airway humidification methods are commonly used in clinical practice, but no clear consensus exists on which particular method is best suited for specific clinical conditions. Methods In this retrospective study, we carried out a quantitative evaluation of three methods commonly used for patients with severe traumatic brain injury (STBI). We recruited 150 patients who received airway humidification after tracheotomy. Subjects were divided into three groups according to the humidification method they received which included oxygen atomizer (OA) group, heat and moisture exchangers (HMEs) group, and heated humidifiers (HHs) group. Variables including phlegm viscosity, humidification effects, phlegm formation rates, daily sputum inhalation times, airway spasm, secondary lung infections, daily nursing load, and evaluation of nurse job satisfaction levels were documented. Results Results indicated that the OA tended to cause either insufficient or excessive humidification, whereas phlegm scab formation was significantly reduced in HHs. HMEs and HHs displayed equal humidification effects, and a similar daily sputum induction and consequent nursing load. Airway spasm was a frequent occurrence in OA. The severity, but not the infection ratio, of secondary infection decreased significantly in HHs by the 30th day. The OA significantly reduced nursing load, but demonstrated the worst humidification effects. Conclusions Overall results suggested that the HHs is more suitable for airway nursing of STBI patients who are bedridden for extended periods.

Background Self-efficacy for appropriate medication use is an important construct when evaluating the optimal use of medications. However, no instrument that assesses this construct in elderly Chinese patients has been shown to have valid psychometric properties. Objective To investigate the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the self-efficacy for Appropriate Medication Use Scale in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes. Setting Geriatric patients were recruited from the endocrinology department of a tertiary hospital in Shanghai, China. Method Self-efficacy was assessed by the Chinese version of the Self-Efficacy for Appropriate Medication Use Scale in subjects who were at least 65 years old. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to develop a psychometrically sound model of the scale. Main outcome measures Internal and test-retest reliability; convergent and discriminant validity of the scale; model fit indices of the factor model. Results The two-factor model of the self-efficacy for Appropriate Medication Use Scale was not suitable for elderly patients with respect to both item factor loadings and model fit indices. Conceptually overlapping scale items emerged when the scale was used in these patients. The final model developed appeared to achieve an ideal model fit and presented acceptable convergent and discriminant validity. Conclusions This study presented a Chinese version of the self-efficacy for Appropriate Medication Use Scale with psychometrically sound properties that will enable pharmacists, nurses and physicians to prospectively evaluate the impact of medication self-efficacy on a variety of health outcomes in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background. Hasner valve incision has been recently introduced as a new treatment for ophthalmic patients with epiphora symptoms. The aim of this study was to examine whether surgical outcomes of Hasner valve incision for inferior nasolacrimal duct obstruction were different between pediatric and adult patients. Methods. A total of 53 eyes of 52 patients who underwent Hasner valve incision in the Beijing Tongren Hospital from October 2016 to November 2019 were retrospectively observed. Patients were divided into two groups, including pediatric group (23 eyes of 22 patients, 0.05). Conclusion. Hasner valve incision was effective for both adult and children with inferior nasolacrimal duct obstruction, with no difference in surgical outcomes between the two groups.

Background and aim This study aimed to clarify health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with colorectal precancer and colorectal cancer (CRC) in China and to better understand related utility scores. Methods A hospital-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in precancer and CRC patients from 2012 to 2014, covering 12 provinces in China. HRQoL was assessed with EuroQol 5-Dimensions 3-Levels. Utility scores were derived using Chinese value set. A multivariate regression model was established to explore potential predictors of utility scores. Results A total of 376 precancer (mean age 58.7 years, 61.2% men) and 2470 CRC patients (mean age 58.6 years, 57.6% men) were included. In five dimensions, there was a certain percentage of problem reported among precancer (range: 12.0% to 36.7%) and CRC (range: 32.4% to 50.3%) patients, with pain/discomfort being the most serious dimension. Utility scores of precancer and CRC patients were 0.870 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.855-0.886) and 0.751 (95% CI, 0.742-0.759), both of which were lower than those of general Chinese population (0.960 [95% CI, 0.960-0.960]). Utilities for patients at stage I to stage IV were 0.742 (95% CI, 0.715-0.769), 0.722 (95% CI, 0.705-0.740), 0.756 (95% CI, 0.741-0.772), and 0.745 (95% CI, 0.742-0.767), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that therapeutic regimen, time point of the interview, education, occupation, annual household income, and geographic region were associated with utilities of CRC patients. Conclusion Health-related quality of life of both precancer and CRC patients in China declined considerably. Utility scores differed by sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, and findings of these utilities may facilitate implementation of further cost-utility evaluations.

Objective Compared with Occident's data, the incidence of Human papillomavirus (HPV)‐driven oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCCs) had been reported as relatively low in Mainland China. The objective of this study was to report the integrated prevalence of HPV and Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV), and further evaluate the different behaviors of HPV‐positive and ‐negative OPSCCs in eastern China. Methods In a cohort of 170 nonmetastatic OPSCCs treated from January 2007 to July 2019, p16 protein expression, HPV genotypes, and Epstein‐Barr virus‐encoded RNA (EBER) were determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridization (ISH). The clinical and pathologic findings were further collected and analyzed to comprehensively reveal the behaviors of Chinese OPSCCs. Results Out of the 170 tumor tissues evaluated, 57.6% (98) samples had positive p16 expressions. A total of 65.1% (99/152) samples had positive HPV genotypes, besides HPV16 (92/152), HPV11, 18, 33, 53, and 58 were also detected. The positive rate of EBER was 7.2% (9/124), and the co‐infection rate of EBV/HPV was 4.0%. Related to the unequal distributions of p16 expression, HPV‐related tumors arisen from tonsillar and non‐tonsillar accounted for 68.8% (75/109) and 37.7% (23/61) of their cases, respectively (P, HPV‐positive OPSCC in China resembled with Western countries. EBV infection and co‐infection of HPV/EBV were low in OPSCC. The prognosis of HPV‐positive OSPCC was more favorable.

Background Introducing deep learning approach to medical images has rendered a large amount of un-decoded information into usage in clinical research. But mostly, it has been focusing on the performance of the prediction modeling for disease-related entity, but not on the clinical implication of the feature itself. Here we analyzed liver imaging features of abdominal CT images collected from 2019 patients with stage I – III colorectal cancer (CRC) using convolutional neural network (CNN) to elucidate its clinical implication in oncological perspectives. Results CNN generated imaging features from the liver parenchyma. Dimension reduction was done for the features by principal component analysis. We designed multiple prediction models for 5-year metachronous liver metastasis (5YLM) using combinations of clinical variables (age, sex, T stage, N stage) and top principal components (PCs), with logistic regression classification. The model using “1st PC (PC1) + clinical information” had the highest performance (mean AUC = 0.747) to predict 5YLM, compared to the model with clinical features alone (mean AUC = 0.709). The PC1 was independently associated with 5YLM in multivariate analysis (beta = − 3.831, P Conclusion The imaging features combined with clinical information improved the performance compared to the standardized prediction model using only clinical information. The liver imaging features generated by CNN may have the potential to predict liver metastasis. These results suggest that even though there were no liver metastasis during the primary colectomy, the features of liver imaging can impose characteristics that could be predictive for metachronous liver metastasis.

Objective To evaluate the effect and safety of acupuncture for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) through comparisons with those of polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000 and pinaverium bromide. Patients and Methods This multicenter randomized controlled trial was conducted at 7 hospitals in China and enrolled participants who met the Rome III diagnostic criteria for IBS between May 3, 2015, and June 29, 2018. Participants were first stratified into constipation-predominant or diarrhea-predominant IBS group. Participants in each group were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive acupuncture (18 sessions) or PEG 4000 (20 g/d, for IBS-C)/pinaverium bromide (150 mg/d, for IBS-D) over a 6-week period, followed by a 12-week follow-up. The primary outcome was change in total IBS-Symptom Severity Score from baseline to week 6. Results Of 531 patients with IBS who were randomized, 519 (344 in the acupuncture group and 175 in the PEG 4000/ pinaverium bromide group) were included in the full analysis set. From baseline to 6 weeks, the total IBS-Symptom Severity Score decreased by 123.51 (95% CI, 116.61 to 130.42) in the acupuncture group and 94.73 (95% CI, 85.03 to 104.43) in the PEG 4000/pinaverium bromide group. The between-group difference was 28.78 (95% CI, 16.84 to 40.72; P Conclusion Acupuncture may be more effective than PEG 4000 or pinaverium bromide for the treatment of IBS, with effects lasting up to 12 weeks. Trial Registration Chinese Clinical Trials Register, ChiCTR-IOR-15006259.

The severity of failure consequences of turbine blades, e.g., aero engine turbine blades, is critical which calls for comprehensive reliability analysis as a basis of that to ensure safe operations. Hence, in order to analyze the fatigue reliability of turbine blades subjected to combined high and low cycle fatigue (CCF), a fatigue reliability analysis is conducted in this study. Initially, the uncertainties related are considered by determining the distributions of strength as well as load parameters. Subsequently, a dynamic reliability model is established by using strength damage interaction method from fatigue accumulation perspective, in which the load spectrum of CCF test is applied. The validation of the proposed method is carried out by a numerical example of turbine blades. The results indicate that the model proposed is capable for quantitatively analyzing the effects of variation in stress and strength parameters on fatigue reliability of turbine blades.

BACKGROUND High- and low-risk endometrial cancer (EC) differ in whether lymphadenectomy is performed. Assessment of high-risk EC is essential for planning surgery appropriately. PURPOSE To develop a radiomics nomogram for high-risk EC prediction preoperatively. STUDY TYPE Retrospective. POPULATION In all, 717 histopathologically confirmed EC patients (mean age, 56 years ± 9) divided into a primary group (394 patients from Center A), validation groups 1 and 2 (146 patients from Center B and 177 patients from Centers C-E). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE 1.5/3T scanners; T2 -weighted imaging, diffusion-weighted imaging, apparent diffusion coefficient, and contrast enhancement sequences. ASSESSMENT A radiomics nomogram was generated by combining the selected radiomics features and clinical parameters (metabolic syndrome, cancer antigen 125, age, tumor grade following curettage, and tumor size). The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operator characteristic was used to evaluate the predictive performance of the radiomics nomogram for high-risk EC. The surgical procedure suggested by the nomogram was compared with the actual procedure performed for the patients. Net benefit of the radiomics nomogram was evaluated by a clinical decision curve (CDC), net reclassification index (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). STATISTICAL TESTS Binary least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression, linear regression, and multivariate binary logistic regression were used to select radiomics features and clinical parameters. RESULTS The AUC for prediction of high-risk EC for the radiomics nomogram in the primary group, validation groups 1 and 2 were 0.896 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.866-0.926), 0.877 (95% CI: 0.825-0.930), and 0.919 (95% CI: 0.879-0.960), respectively. The nomogram achieved good net benefit by CDC analysis for high-risk EC. NRIs were 1.17, 1.28, and 1.51, and IDIs were 0.41, 0.60, and 0.61 in the primary group, validation groups 1 and 2, respectively. DATA CONCLUSION The radiomics nomogram exhibited good performance in the individual prediction of high-risk EC, and might be used for surgical management of EC. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 2 J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2020;52:1872-1882.

Background Several studies have employed animal models to explore the association between microbiota and interleukin (IL) 10 signaling; however, limited information is available about the human microbiome. Aim To characterize the microbiome in patients with IL10RA mutations and to explore the association between gut dysbiosis and disease severity. Methods Fecal samples were collected from patients who were diagnosed with loss-of-function mutations in the IL10RA gene between January 2017 and July 2018 at the Children's Hospital of Fudan University. Age-matched volunteer children were recruited as healthy controls. Patients with Crohn's disease (CD) were used as disease controls to standardize the antibiotic exposure. Microbial DNA was extracted from the fecal samples. All analyses were based on the 16S rRNA gene sequencing data. Results Seventeen patients with IL10RA mutations (IL10RA group), 17 patients with pediatric CD, and 26 healthy children were included. Both patients with IL10RA mutations and those with CD exhibited a reduced diversity of gut microbiome with increased variability. The relative abundance of Firmicutes was substantially increased in the IL10RA group (P = 0.02). On further comparison of the relative abundance of taxa between patients with IL10RA mutations and healthy children, 13 taxa showed significant differences. The IL10RA-specific dysbiosis indices exhibited a significant positive correlation with weighted pediatric CD activity index and simple endoscopic score for CD. Conclusion In patients with IL10RA mutations and early onset inflammatory bowel disease, gut dysbiosis shows a moderate association with disease severity.

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare and aggressive hematologic malignancy arising from plasmacytoid dendritic cell precursors. The disease typically manifests in the skin, but it also evolves into a leukemic phase or can be complicated by other myeloid malignancies, especially myelomonocytic tumors. The association between these neoplasms is not fully elucidated. We report a case of BPDCN with a history of cytopenia that was supposed to be chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. The patient received intensive chemotherapy and achieved complete remission, but soon relapsed. The successive occurrence of myelomonocytic neoplasm and BPDCN is in accordance with the fact that they evolve from a common cell origin with a multilineage potential for myelomonocytic and plasmacytoid dendritic cell differentiation. This case may shed further light on the mystery of biology and the histogenesis of BPDCN.

Background We aimed to obtain a set of health state utility scores of patients with esophageal cancer (EC) and precancerous lesions in China, and to explore the influencing factors of health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Methods A hospital-based multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted. From 2013 to 2014, patients with EC or precancerous lesions were enrolled. HRQoL was assessed using a European quality of life-5 dimension (EQ-5D-3L) instrument. Multivariable linear regression analysis was performed to explore the influencing factors of the EQ-5D utility scores. Results A total of 2090 EC patients and 156 precancer patients were included in the study. The dimension of pain/discomfort had the highest rate of self-reported problems, 60.5% in EC and 51.3% in precancer patients. The mean visual analog scale (VAS) score for EC and precancer patients were 68.4 ± 0.7 and 64.5 ± 3.1, respectively. The EQ-5D utility scores for EC and precancer patients were estimated as 0.748 ± 0.009 and 0.852 ± 0.022, and the scores of EC at stage I, stage II, stage III, and stage IV were 0.693 ± 0.031, 0.747 ± 0.014, 0.762 ± 0.015, and 0.750 ± 0.023, respectively. According to the multivariable analyses, the factors of region, occupation, household income in 2012, health care insurance type, pathological type, type of therapy, and time points of the survey were statistically associated with the EQ-5D utility scores of EC patients. Conclusions There were remarkable decrements of utility scores among esophageal cancer patients, compared with precancer patients. The specific utility scores of EC would support further cost-utility analysis in populations in China.

Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) is an autosomal recessive inherited disorder that affects the degradation of branched-chain amino acids and is associated with acute and chronic brain dysfunction. This study presents 11 new patients with MSUD and describes the clinical characteristics and gene mutations reported in Chinese individuals. During 2011–2018, 11 pedaitric patients with MSUD from 11 Chinese families were analyzed based on clinical characteristics and mass spectrometry, with confirmation via gene sequencing. Novel mutations affecting protein function were predicted with Mutation-Taster, PolyPhen-2, CADD and SIFT software. 3D models of the mutated proteins were generated by using the SWISS-MODEL online server, and the models were visualized in PyMOL. The characteristics and gene mutations in patients with MSUD were analyzed retrospectively. Seventeen mutations in the BCKDHA, BCKDHB and DBT genes were found, 8 of which are novel: c.55C>/T, c.349C>T, c.565C>T, c.808G>A, c.859C>G, and c.1270dupC in BCKDHA; c.275-2A>G in BCKDHB; and c.1291C>T in DBT. Eight patients died. Two patients had severe mental retardation and were physically handicapped. One patient with the intermediate type had relatively good prognosis, with mild psychomotor retardation and adiposity. Four mothers underwent amniocentesis for prenatal diagnosis during their second pregnancy; two fetuses were wild type, and two were carriers of one heterozygous mutation. Eight novel mutations were associated with MSUD in Chinese patients. Prenatal diagnosis was successfully performed by genetic analysis. Mutations in the BCKDHB gene were found in the majority of Chinese patients with MSUD.

Objective Increasing evidence has revealed that mechanical stress and elevated mechanical signals promote malignant tumor transformation and metastasis. This study aimed to explore the function of the mechanically activated ion-channel Piezo1 in the colon cancer metastasis and its potential regulatory mechanism. Methods First, we examined the expression levels of Piezo1 and mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) both in colon cancer tissues and assessed the prognostic value of Piezo1 and MCU in a colon cancer cohort (n = 110). Second, functional assays were performed to investigate the effects of Piezo1 and MCU on colon cancer cell migration, invasion, and mitochondrial membrane potential. Third, we analyzed the expression of Piezo1, MCU, and HIF-1α by overexpressing/silencing each other’s expression. Results We found that Piezo1 was up-regulated and MCU was down-regulated in colon cancer tissues. Piezo1 and MCU were both correlated with poor prognosis of patients with colon cancer. Overexpressing Piezo1 and silencing MCU could promote colon cancer cell migration and metastasis, reduce mitochondrial membrane potential, and promote each other’s expression. We also found that HIF-1α was up-regulated in colon cancer tissues. Additionally, silencing Piezo1 inhibited the expression of HIF-1α and VEGF, which was contrary to MCU silencing. Intriguingly, Piezo1-overexpressing cells did not regain their migration behaviors when HIF-1α expression was inhibited, which was accompanied with the re-expression of MCU and VEGF. Conclusion In our study, Piezo1 is involved in colon cancer cell metastasis. Furthermore, our findings indicated a possible Piezo1-MCU-HIF-1α-VEGF axis, which still need further exploration.

BACKGROUND This study aimed to assess the relationship between the use of dexmedetomidine and the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in septic shock patients undergoing mechanical ventilation and reveal the potential mechanism. METHODS Septic shock patients undergoing mechanical ventilation were included. Patients were randomized into two groups including propofol group and dexmedetomidine group. Plasma samples were obtained from veins at 0, 12, 24, 72 and 120 h after receiving mechanical ventilation in ICU. RESULTS Cohorts with septic shock after mechanical ventilation in ICU had similar baseline and demographic characteristics. Serum creatinine (SCr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) was lower in dexmedetomidine group (P

Previous epidemiological studies focusing on the association between liver disease and atrial fibrillation (AF) show interesting but inconsistent findings. Patients with liver disease have a higher AF risk; however, it is unknown whether the liver fibrosis index can predict AF risk. The medical records of a healthy population undergoing routine health examinations at Healthcare System Gangnam Center, Seoul National University Hospital, were reviewed retrospectively. After excluding subjects with a history of liver disease and known cardiovascular disease, 74,946 subjects with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were evaluated. The mean age was 51 ± 11 years, and 71.9% were male. AF was found in 380 (0.5%) subjects. Using univariate analyses, age, male sex, body mass index, hypertension, and diabetes were significantly associated with AF. The fibrosis 4 index (FIB 4) showed significant correlations with AF [unadjusted odds ratio (OR) 3.062 and 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.605–3.600, p = 0.000; adjusted OR 2.255 and 95% CI 1.744–2.915, p = 0.000, with cardiometabolic risk factors adjusted]. In conclusion, NAFLD subjects with higher FIB 4 were associated with increased AF risk. The noninvasive determination of liver fibrosis indices can have clinical implications on the early identification of NAFLD in patients at risk for AF.

Cr2FeSi and CrMn2Si Heusler compound films were experimentally prepared on Si (100) substrate by alternating evaporation method with post-annealing process. The samples have a cubic structure with a space group of Pm3n (223), and the crystallinity is dependent on the Fe (Mn) contents. The exchange bias effect in the bilayer samples confirmed the AFM state of the CrMn1.95Si and Cr1.92FeSi. Analysis of magnetic and transport properties revealed that both Cr2FeSi and CrMn2Si Heusler compound films are highly conductive antiferromagnetic semiconductor with band gap of 0.4–0.5 eV and might have broad half-metallic temperature region. These features suggest that CrMn2Si and Cr2FeSi films could be good candidates in an application of antiferromagnetic spintronics in commercial semiconductor industry, in view of the good structural compatibility between Heusler compound and the mainstream zinc-blende structured semiconductor substrate.

This work demonstrates the potential of machine learning (ML) method to predict catalytic activity of transition metal complex precatalyst toward ethylene polymerization. For this purpose, 294 complexes and 15 molecular descriptors were selected to build the artificial neural network (ANN) model. The catalytic activity can be well predicted by the obtained ANN model, which was further validated by external complexes. Boruta algorithm was employed to explicitly decipher the importance of descriptors, illustrating the conjugated bond structure, and bulky substitutions are favorable for catalytic activity. The present work indicates that ML could give useful guidance for the new design of homogenous polyolefin catalyst.

Pathogenic Leptospira species are the causative agents of leptospirosis, a world-spreading zoonotic infectious disease. The pathogens possess a powerful invasiveness by invading human body through mucosal/skin barriers, rapid entry into bloodstream to cause septicemia, diffusion from bloodstream into internal organs and tissues to cause aggravation of disease, and discharge from urine through renal tubules to form natural infectious sources. Leptospirosis patients present severe inflammatory symptoms such as high fever, myalgia and lymphadenectasis. Hemorrhage and jaundice are the pathological features of this disease. Previous studies revealed that some outer membrane proteins of Leptospira interrogans, the most important pathogenic Leptospira species, acted as adherence factors to binding to receptor molecules (fibronectin, laminin and collagens) in extracellular matrix of host cells. Collagenase, metallopeptidases and endoflagellum contributed to the invasiveness of L. interrogans. Except for lipopolysaccharide, multiple hemolysins of L. interrogans displayed a powerful ability to induce pro-inflammatory cytokines and hepatocyte apoptosis. vWA and platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase-like proteins from L. interrogans could induce severe pulmonary hemorrhage in mice. L. interrogans utilized cellular endocytic recycling and vesicular transport systems for intracellular migration and transcellular transport. All the research achievements are helpful for further understanding the virulence of pathogenic Leptospira species and pathogenesis of leptospirosis. Keywords: Leptospira, Virulence, Pathogenic mechanism, Leptospirosis, Pathogenesis