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Microglia-associated neuroinflammation plays an important role in the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke. Microglial activation and polarization, and the inflammatory response mediated by these cells play important roles in the development, progression and outcome of brain injury after ischemic stroke. Currently, there is no effective strategy for treating ischemic stroke in clinical practice. Therefore, it is clinically important to study the role and regulation of microglia in stroke. In this review, we discuss the involvement of microglia in the neuroinflammatory process in ischemic stroke, with the aim of providing a better understanding of the relationship between ischemic stroke and microglia.

The dynamic balance of cardiomyocytes and neurons is essential to maintain the normal physiological functions of heart and brain. If excessive cells die in tissues, serious Cardio-Cerebrovascular Diseases would occur, namely, hypertension, myocardial infarction, and ischemic stroke. The regulation of cell death plays a role in promoting or alleviating Cardio-Cerebrovascular Diseases. Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent new type of cell death that has been proved to occur in a variety of diseases. In our review, we focus on the critical role of ferroptosis and its regulatory mechanisms involved in Cardio-Cerebrovascular Diseases, and discuss the important function of ferroptosis-related inhibitors in order to propose potential implications for the prevention and treatment of Cardio-Cerebrovascular Diseases.

Cardio-Cerebrovascular Disease is a collective term for cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease, being a serious threat to human health. A growing number of studies have proved that the content of inflammatory factors or mediators determines the stability of vascular plaque and the incidence of cardio-cerebrovascular event, and involves in the process of Cardio-Cerebrovascular Diseases. Interleukin-6 is a widely used cytokine that causes inflammation and oxidative stress, which would further result in cardiac and cerebral injury. The increased expression of interleukin-6 is closely related to atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, heart failure and ischemic stroke. It is a key risk factor for these diseases by triggering inflammatory reaction and inducing other molecules release. Therefore, interleukin-6 may become a potential target for Cardio-Cerebrovascular Diseases in the future. This paper is aimed to discuss the expression changes and pathological mechanisms of interleukin-6 in Cardio-Cerebrovascular Diseases, and to provide a novel strategy for the prevention and treatment of Cardio-Cerebrovascular Diseases.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide. Previous studies have shown that inflammatory chemokines are involved in the physiological functions of cytoskeletal reorganization, cell migration, adhesion and immune responses. However, in the past decade, there have been studies showing that inflammatory chemokines play a key role in CVD. Importantly, CXC motif chemokine ligand 2 (CXCL2) has been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. CXCL2 exerts its effects on the cardiovascular system by mediating inflammatory responses, but the specific signaling pathways by which CXCL2 exerts its effects in CVD remain unknown and need to be further investigated. This review aims to investigate the expression changes of CXCL2 in acute myocardial infarction (AMI), atherosclerosis (AS), obesity, diabetes and ischemic stroke (IS) and its potential key role in cardiovascular disease in order to provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a critical and dangerous disease in cardiovascular system. Pulmonary vascular remodeling is an important pathophysiological mechanism for the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation, hypertrophy, and enhancing secretory activity are the main causes of pulmonary vascular remodeling. Previous studies have proven that various active substances and inflammatory factors, such as interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-8, chemotactic factor for monocyte 1, etc., are involved in pulmonary vascular remodeling in PH. However, the underlying mechanisms of these active substances to promote the PASMC proliferation remain to be elucidated. In our study, we demonstrated that PASMC senescence, as a physiopathologic mechanism, played an essential role in hypoxia-induced PASMC proliferation. In the progression of PH, senescence PASMCs could contribute to PASMC proliferation via increasing the expression of paracrine IL-6 (senescence-associated secretory phenotype). In addition, we found that activated mTOR/S6K1 pathway can promote PASMC senescence and elevate hypoxia-induced PASMC proliferation. Further study revealed that the activation of mTOR/S6K1 pathway was responsible for senescence PASMCs inducing PASMC proliferation via paracrine IL-6. Targeted inhibition of PASMC senescence could effectively suppress PASMC proliferation and relieve pulmonary vascular remodeling in PH, indicating a potential for the exploration of novel anti-PH strategies.

Hui Yang,* Lan Liu,* Gai Li, Yinchen Chen, Dong Jiang, Wei Wang, Tianyuan Wang, Jinshan Sun, Jianfang Che, Dongmei Gu, Meng Lu, Aiping Wang Department of Endocrinology, The Air Force Hospital from Eastern Theater of PLA, Nanjing 210029, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Aiping Wang; Meng LuDepartment of Endocrinology, The Air Force Hospital from Eastern Theater of PLA, 1 Malujie Road, Nanjing 210029, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-25-80865162Email wap454hospital@163.com; lumeng365@hotmail.comAim: To explore the growth-promoting effect of vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) during the healing processes of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs).Methods: From November 2018 to December 2019, 38 patients with unilateral DFUs were enrolled in this retrospective study. All patients were divided into two groups according to the use of VSD or not: the VSD group (n=20) and the control group (n=18). The following parameters were used to evaluate the healing process: changes in the mean areas of the ulcers; healing rate (HR); epithelial hyperplasia and angiogenesis as determined by hematoxylin-eosin staining (HE staining); and expression of CD34, CD68 and VEGF as assessed through immunohistochemistry. Perioperative side effects and complications were also recorded.Results: All patients received follow-up and eventually healed. The mean area of wounds was reduced in the VSD group compared to the control group (1.75± 0.64 cm2 vs 0.88± 0.54 cm2, P=0.031). The mean HR of the ulcers in the VSD group was significantly higher than that in the control group (35.23± 2.87% vs 28.78± 1.09%, P=0.017). HE staining showed that the amount of epithelial hyperplasia and angiogenesis increased significantly after VSD, and the immunohistochemistry results showed that the expression of CD34, CD68 and VEGF increased significantly in the VSD group.Conclusion: VSD could significantly accelerate the wound healing process, probably by enhancing the inflammatory response and promoting granulation and angiogenesis in DFUs.Keywords: vacuum sealing drainage, diabetic foot ulcers, wound healing, CD34, CD68, VEGF

Background: The association of serum retinol-binding protein (RBP) levels with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains controversial. Furthermore, few studies have investigated their relationship in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to explore the association between serum RBP levels and NAFLD in Chinese inpatients with T2DM.Methods: This cross-sectional, real-world study included 2,263 Chinese T2DM inpatients. NAFLD was diagnosed by abdominal ultrasonography. The subjects were divided into four groups based on RBP quartiles, and clinical characteristics were compared among the four groups. The associations of both RBP levels and quartiles with the presence of NAFLD were also analyzed.Results: After adjustment for sex, age, and diabetes duration, there was a significant increase in the prevalence of NAFLD from the lowest to the highest RBP quartiles (30.4%, 40.0%, 42.4%, and 44.7% for the first, second, third, and fourth quartiles, respectively, P

Objectives The aim of this study was to assess the value of the National Early Warning Score and Worthing Physiological Scoring System for predicting changes in the condition of critical cases during transfer from the emergency department to the intensive care unit. Methods This prospective single-centre study was conducted at a 1759-bed hospital in Beijing. We recorded the vital signs in the cases before leaving the emergency department and their changes in condition during transit. Results A total of 258 critically ill cases were included. Forty-four cases (17.05%) exhibited changes in their condition during transit. Compared with cases with NEWS ≤ 5, cases with NEWS > 5 were more likely to experience changes with an OR of 5.744 (95% CI 2.888–11.426). Compared with cases with WPS ≤ 2, cases with WPS > 2 were more likely to experience changes with an OR of 7.217 (95% CI 3.575–14.569). The difference between the areas under the curve of the NEWS (0.751 ± 0.045) and the WPS (0.736 ± 0.045) was not statistically significant (P = 0.4518). Conclusion In our study, the Worthing Physiological Scoring System and National Early Warning Score both exhibited good discriminatory power, but the Worthing Physiological Scoring System is simpler to use and more suitable for use in a busy emergency department.

Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT), a special type of adipose tissue, closely surrounds vascular adventitia and produces numerous bioactive substances to maintain vascular homeostasis. PVAT dysfunction has a crucial role in regulating vascular remodeling, but the exact mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we investigated whether and how obesity-induced PVAT dysfunction affected adventitia remodeling in early vascular injury stages. Mini pigs were fed a high sugar and fat diet for 6 months to induce metabolic syndrome and obesity. In the mini pigs, left carotid vascular injury was then generated using balloon dilation. Compared with normal mini pigs, obese mini pigs displayed significantly enhanced vascular injury-induced adventitial responses, evidenced by adventitia fibroblast (AF) proliferation and differentiation, and adventitia fibrosis, as well as exacerbated PVAT dysfunction characterized by increased accumulation of resident macrophages, particularly the M1 pro-inflammatory phenotype, increased expression of leptin and decreased expression of adiponectin, and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18. Primary AFs cultured in PVAT-conditioned medium from obese mini pigs also showed significantly increased proliferation and differentiation. We further revealed that activated nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and its downstream products, i.e., IL-1 family members such as IL-1β and IL-18 were upregulated in the PVAT of obese mini pigs; PVAT dysfunction was also demonstrated in preadipocytes treated with palmitic acid. Finally, we showed that pretreatment with IL-1 receptor (IL-1R) antagonist or IL-1R knockdown blocked AF proliferation and differentiation in AFs cultured in PVAT-conditioned medium. These results demonstrate that obesity-induced PVAT dysfunction aggravates adventitial remodeling after early vascular injury with elevated AF proliferation and differentiation via activating the NLRP3/IL-1 signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND There is a great need for a quality of sexual life questionnaire (QVS) in breast cancer survivors (BCSs) based on the Chinese social culture since the imported tools lack localization verification. To develop a QVS in BCSs and determine its validity and reliability. MATERIAL AND METHODS In the qualitative study, a total of 21 BCSs were interviewed by purposive sampling and snowball sampling; and in the quantitative study, a total of 249 BCSs, who were admitted and received outpatient follow-up, were investigated. Regarding construct validity, factor analysis was performed. The female sexual function index (FSFI), self-rating depression scale (SDS), and Locke-Wallace marital adjustment test (LWMAT) were used to evaluate criterion validity. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used as an index of internal consistency. To evaluate test-retest reliability, 50 patients were re-evaluated after 1 week. RESULTS We put 28 items in the factor analysis model: (1) 5 factors were extracted by exploratory factor analysis (EFA), with a cumulative contribution of 60.37%; (2) the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed that the path coefficients among the factors were all above 0.5, and the standardized load coefficients of the most items were above 0.5; (3) the Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.929 for the overall questionnaire, and ranged from 0.571 to 0.869 for the 5 factors; (4) the correlation coefficients between the overall questionnaire and the FSFI, SDS, and LWMAT were 0.582, -0.456 and 0.515, respectively (P

To provide the anatomical basis of blood supply of brachial plexus for the clinical microsurgical treatment of brachial plexus injury. Thirteen adult anticorrosive cadaveric specimens (8 males, 5 females) were dissected in this study. 3 fresh cases (2 males, 1 female) were used to observe the zonal pattern of arteries supplying brachial plexus, and 10 cases (6 males, 4 females) were used to observe the source and distribution of the brachial plexus arteries under microscope. The brachial plexus is supplied by branches of the subclavian–axillary axis (SAA), and these branches anastomose each other. According to distribution feature, blood supply of the brachial plexus could be divided into three zones. The first zone was from the nerve roots of intervertebral foramina to its proximal trunks, which was supplied by the vertebral artery and the deep cervical artery. The second zone was from the distal nerve trunks of the brachial plexus, encompassing the divisions to its proximal cords, which was supplied by direct branches of the subclavian artery or by branches originating from the dorsal scapular artery. The third zone was from the distal portion of the cords to terminal branches of the brachial plexus, which was supplied by direct branches of the axillary artery. The zonal pattern of arterial supply to the brachial plexus is a systematic and comprehensive modality to improve anatomical basis for the clinical microsurgical treatment for brachial plexus injury.

To observe the clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) on Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A total of 50 AD patients were randomly allocated into a Western medication (WM) group (n=25) and an acupuncture plus medication (APM) group (n=25). Patients in the WM group took oral huperzine A capsules. In addition to huperzine A capsules, patients in the APM group also received EA at Shenting (GV 24), Baihui (GV 20), Dazhui (GV 14), Fengfu (GV 16), Mingmen (GV 4) and Yongquan (KI 1). The needles on the above points were connected to G6805-II electric stimulator [3 pairs: Shenting (GV 24) and Baihui (GV 20); Dazhui (GV 14) and Fengfu (GV 16); and bilateral Yongquan (KI 1)]. The needles were retained 25 min. The treatment was done once a day, and 10 times made up a course of treatment. The patients received a total of 3 treatment courses. There was a 3-day interval between two courses. The mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and Hasegawa dementia scale revised (HDS-R) were conducted before and after treatment. The clinical efficacies were evaluated when the treatment was completed. Before treatment, there were no between-group statistical differences in MMSE and HDS-R scores (both P>0.05). After treatment, the MMSE and HDS-R scores in the APM group were significantly higher than those in the WM group (both P

miR-126 may increase angiogenesis in patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) treated with maggot debridement therapy (MDT).Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect expression of miR-126 mRNA in the peripheral blood among the non-diabetic population, type 2 diabetes mellitus patients without DFU, and patients with DFUs of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The expression of miR-126 mRNA in the peripheral blood of patients with DFUs was observed before and after MDT. Finally, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were utilized to explore miR-126 mRNA expression with maggot excretions/secretions (ES).In the patients with DFUs, the miR-126 mRNA expression level in the peripheral blood was less than that type 2 diabetes mellitus patients without DFU, and much lower than that in the non-diabetic population (P0.001). The miR-126 expression level was significantly increased in those DFU patients treated with MDT (P0.05). Finally, using HUVEC co-cultured with ES, we showed the ES increased miR-126 expression in vitro (P0.001).MDT upregulates the miR-126 expression in the peripheral blood of patients with DFUs.

Aims The impaired angiogenesis is one of the main factors affecting the healing of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) wounds. Maggot debridement therapy (MDT) promotes granulation tissue growth and angiogenesis during DFU wound healing. Non-coding microRNAs can also promote local angiogenesis in DFU wounds by regulating wound repairing related gene expression. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanism of microRNAs in MDT promoting DFU wound angiogenesis. Methods In this study, we applied MDT to treat DFU wound tissue and detect the expression of the miR-17–92 cluster. In vitro experiments, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with maggot excretions/secretions (ES), the miR-17–92 cluster and the predicted target gene expression were measured. Tube formation assay and cell scratch assay were performed when inhibition of miR-18a/19a or overexpression of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) were used in this study. Results miR-18a/19a transcription significantly up-regulated and TSP-1 expression down-regulated in patients wound tissue and in HUVECs. Inhibition of miR-18a/19a or overexpression of TSP-1 partially blocked the migration and tube formation ability stimulated by ES. Conclusion Targeted activation of miR-18a/19a transcription levels and subsequent regulation of TSP-1 expression may be a novel therapeutic strategy for DFU.

Ischemic stroke is a devastating central nervous disease associated with oxidative stress and NOX2 is the main source of ROS responsible for brain tissue. miRNAs are a class of negative regulator of genes in mammals and involves the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. This study aims to observe the role of target miRNA(miR-652) of NOX2 in ischemic stroke. A rat cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (CI/R) injury model and an SH-SY5Y cell hypoxia/reoxygenation(H/R) model were used to simulate ischemic stroke, and corresponding gene expression, biochemical indicators and pathophysiological indicators were measured to observe the role of miR-652. NOX2 significantly increased in brain tissues subjected to I/R or in SH-SY5Y cells subjected to H/R, while the expression level of miR-652(potential target of NOX2) significantly decreased in both brain tissues and plasma. Overexpression of miR-652 significantly suppressed NOX2 expression and ROS generation in H/R treated SH-SY5Y cells and reduced the relative luciferase activity of cells transfected with plasmid NOX2-WT (reporter gene plasmid). MiR-652 agomir significantly decreased the expression of NOX2 and ROS generation in brain tissues of CIR rats, as well as tissue injury. These data indicated that miR-652 protected rats from cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury by directly targeting NOX2, is a novel target for ischemic stroke therapy.

Background To investigate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of hypertension (HTN) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in newly diagnosed diabetes with ketosis-onset. Methods A cross-sectional study was adopted in 734 newly diagnosed diabetics including 83 type 1 diabetics with positive islet-associated autoantibodies, 279 ketosis-onset diabetics without islet-associated autoantibodies and 372 non-ketotic type 2 diabetics. The clinical characteristics of HTN and MetS were compared across the three groups, and the risk factors of them were appraised in each group. Results The prevalence of HTN and MetS were substantially higher in the ketosis-onset diabetics (34.4% for HTN and 58.8% for MetS) than in the type 1 diabetics (15.7% for HTN, P = 0.004; 25.3% for MetS, P

We present a scheme to construct a controlled phase-flip (CPF) gate deterministically with the dipole induced transparency (DIT) of a diamond nitrogen-vacancy center embedded in a photonic crystal cavity coupled to two waveguides. Further more, a SWAP gate between a photon and an NV center in cavity is presented with the same quantum system by using the CPF gate. We then show a quantum teleportation scheme between two remote NV centers. The fidelities and efficiencies of the gates can reach relatively high values even if cavity decay and leakage are considered.

To determine the role of maggot debridement therapy (MDT) on diabetic foot wound healing, we compared growth related factors in wounds before and after treatment. Furthermore, we utilized human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to explore responses to maggot excretions/secretions on markers of angiogenesis and proliferation. The results showed that there was neo-granulation and angiogenesis in diabetic foot wounds after MDT. Moreover, significant elevation in CD34 and CD68 levels was also observed in treated wounds. In vitro, ES increased HUVEC proliferation, improved tube formation, and increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 in a dose dependent manner. These results demonstrate that MDT and maggot ES can promote diabetic foot wound healing by up-regulating endothelial cell activity.

Aims Activation of hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF) is a hallmark in hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (HPH). microRNAs play a significant role in regulating proliferation of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) in pulmonary hypertension. Previous studies have shown that HIF-1β is a target of miR-103/107. In this present study, we aimed to investigate whether miR-103/107 regulate vascular remodeling in HPH via HIF-1β. Main methods The HPH model was built by hypoxia exposure in rats. Real-time PCR and Western blotting were used to determine the expression of miR-103/107 and HIF-1β. Proliferation of PASMCs was examined by 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation method. The functions of miR-103/107 on PASMCs proliferation, HIF-1α and HIF-1β expression were assessed by transfecting miR-103/107 mimics and inhibitors. Key findings Significant down-regulation of miR-103/107 was observed in remodeled intrapulmonary vascular in HPH rats and hypoxia-exposured PASMCs, whereas HIF-1α and HIF-1β expression were up-regulated. Hypoxia exposure induced significant proliferation of PASMCs, overexpression of miR-103/107 inhibited but miR-103/107 inhibitors exacerbated PASMCs proliferation. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments showed that miR-103/107 expression was inversely correlated with HIF-1β level. No significant changes of HIF-1α expression were observed under miR-103/107 mimic treatment. Significance Loss of suppression on HIF-1β by miR-103/107 may contribute to excess proliferation of PASMCs and vascular remodeling in hypoxic pulmonary hypertension.

To evaluate S1AI-S4AI screw channels with three-dimensional digital technology simulation analysis and to study the feasibility and applicable features of sacral alar-iliac screw fixation in adults.Forty (20 men and 20 women) normal adult's pelvic CT scan data sets were selected to reconstruct the three-dimensional pelvic model. The ideal S1AI-S4AI screw channels were simulated, followed by precise measurement of their parameters.The results showed that there were no significant differences in the transverse angles, sagittal angles, radiuses of the maximal inscribed circles, or lengths of the screw channels in S1AI-S2AI screws between genders (P 0.05). In contrast, the radiuses of the maximal inscribed circles on the left and right, respectively, were 5.93 ± 1.02 mm and 5.92 ± 1.04 mm in males and 4.64 ± 0.98 mm and 4.59 ± 0.95 mm in females, and there was a significant difference in S3AI screws between genders (P 0.05). With a radius of 2.50 mm considered to be standard, there were 25 cases (62.5%) with an S4AI screw channel radius ≤ 2.50 mm in 40 adults, and 15 cases (37.5%; 9 males and 6 females) with a radius 2.50 mm. Furthermore, the transverse angles, the sagittal angles, the lengths of the screw channels, and the radiuses of the maximal inscribed circles were significantly different between genders in 15 cases (P 0.05).Only one maximum ideal screw can be placed on one side at a time. With a radius of 2.50 mm considered to be standard, it is feasible to place S1AI-S3AI screws with a radius 2.50 mm in the entire adult population and S4AI screws with a radius 2.50 mm in some of the adult population. Furthermore, preoperative three-dimensional reconstruction and three-matic research software can effectively simulate the sacral alar-iliac screw channels, and they can provide accurate data for clinical applications.

Previous meta-analyses have examined the prevalence of sexual dysfunction among women with cancer, but there is no breast cancer (BC)-specific study. We therefore conducted a meta-analysis to examine the prevalence and severity of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) in women with BC. We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, WanFang Data, and VIP for relevant studies published between April 2000 and January 2017. Data were extracted from studies which assessed FSD prevalence and sexual function in women with BC using the female sexual function index (FSFI). Meta-analyses were performed by pooling the prevalence rates of FSD and total FSFI scores. Meta regression was performed to explore the sources of heterogeneity. We selected 19 published studies involving a total of 2684 women with BC. In this study population, overall FSD prevalence was 73.4% (95% confidence interval (CI) 64.0%, 82.8%), and the total FSFI score was 19.28 (95% CI 17.39, 21.16). Among Asian, American, and European women with BC, there were significant differences in FSD prevalence (P

Because of structural features and batch job requirements in automotive manufacturing line of automotive flange fork parts, the high requirement about its parts is made in the aspect of four positioning datum hole position degrees. Therefore, it is necessary to consider special fixture when designing and processing its parts to make sure batch production, and precision measurement to ensure product quality. In the actual processing, three generations of special fixtures for processing and production use are designed to make improvement for processing and contrasting, through the process of design, trial processing, size adjustment, fixture precision measure and adjustment. Special fixture size precision adjustment is completed, through modern precision measurement equipment using three-dimensional coordinate measurement, to satisfy the parts processing quality and requirements. At present, this production technology has reference significance to a certain extent in the manufacturing process of automotive fork similar products.

Aims: To investigate whether hyperuricemia and decreased urine uric acid excretion (UUAE) are associated with increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD), and whether the coexistence of hyperuricemia and low UUAE further increases the CKD risk in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: Based on serum uric acid (SUA) and UUAE levels, 2 846 T2DM inpatients were divided into patients with SUA and UUAE (group 1), normal SUA and low UUAE (group 2), hyperuricemia and normal UUAE (group 3), and hyperuricemia and low UUAE (group 4). Hyperuricemia was defined as SUA levels ≥ 420 μmol/L in men and ≥ 360 μmol/L in women. Low UUAE was defined as UUAE levels < the first UUAE quintiles (< 2161 μmol/24h in men and 1977 μmol/24h in women). Results: There was significantly increased trend of the prevalence of CKD (4.3%, 12.6%, 18.3% and 47.8%, p< 0.001), albuminuria (20.2%, 26.4%, 36.9% and 54.9%, p< 0.001), and macroalbuminuria (3.3%, 10.1%, 10.7% and 31.9%, p< 0.001) from group 1 to 4. After controlling for multiple confounding factors, the prevalence of CKD (p

In view of the fixed testing point and complex wiring in conventional piggery environment control, a new system based on wireless sensor network was designed. This system consisted of the control center with ARM-Linux, executing mechanism nodes and wireless sensor network containing the flexible sensor nodes which could be arbitrarily placed in piggery. In order to make reasonable use of the energy of Zigbee network and prolong the survival time, a improved zigbee tree routing algorithm was proposed. First of all, by analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of the Cluster-tree and AODVjr algorithm in the Zigbee protocol, the neighbor table was introduced into the improved algorithm. Secondly, the scope of the destination node was confirmed to control the radio range of the RREQ and prevented invalid RREQ flooding. Simulation results show that the improved algorithm optimized the overall energy consumption effectively, prolonged the time of the critical nodes, reduced the number of death nodes, balanced the network load and improved the overall performance of the network.

Objective To observe the differences in efficacy on treatment of fractures of the middle and lower 1/3 of the tibiofibula between cribriform splints plus electroacupuncture, warming needle and moxibustion only, and external fixation with traditional splints plus the administration of an herbal formula. Clinical efficacy and the effects on serum bone morphogenic protein −7 (BMP-7) and endothelin −1 (ET-1) were both measured. Method 600 patients with fractures of the middle and lower 1/3 of the tibiofibula were randomly divided into three groups according to andome number table: splint with electroacupuncture (group A), warm needling moxibustion group (group B) and splint with traditional Chinese medicine herb (Group C). Cribriform splints with electroacupuncture were used in group A, warming needling therapy were adopted in group B, and traditional splints with external fixation were used along with oral administration of musk bone capsules ( ) in group C. Clinical results for the three groups were compared, and ELISA method was used to detect the serum BMP-7 and ET-1 of patients in the three groups before and after treatment. Results Group A was better than group B and group C in terms of clinical healing days and delayed healing status (P Conclusion Electroacupuncture treatment with cribriform splints for fractures of the middle and lower 1/3 of the tibiofibula resulted in significantly shorter clinical healing time, and lower incidence of delayed healing compared to warm needling or splints with a traditional Chinese herbal formula. Its mechanism may be associated with greater regulation of serum BMP-7 and ET-1 through electroacupuncture.

To provide the anatomical basis of brachial plexus roots for the diagnosis and treatment of brachial plexus root avulsion injury. The morphological features of brachial plexus roots were observed and measured on 15 cervicothoracic spine of adult cadavers. The relationship of brachial plexus nerve roots and the surrounding tissues also were observed, as well as the blood supply of anterior and posterior roots of the brachial plexus. Origination of the nerve roots in the dorsal–ventral direction from the midline was fine-tuned at each level along the spinal cord. The minimum distance of the origin of the nerve root to midline was 2.2 mm at C 5, while the maximum was 3.1 mm at T 1. Inversely, the distance between the origin of the posterior root and the midline of the spinal cord gradually decreased, the maximum being 4.2 mm at C 5 and minimum 2.7 mm at T 1. Meanwhile, there was complicated fibrous connection among posterior roots of the brachial plexus. The C 5–6 nerve roots interlaced with tendons of the scalenus anterior and scalenus medius and fused with the transverse-radicular ligaments in the intervertebral foramina. However, these ligaments were not seen in C 7–8, and T 1. The blood supply of the anterior and posterior roots of the brachial plexus was from the segmental branches of the vertebral artery, deep cervical artery and ascending cervical artery, with a mean outer diameter of 0.61 mm. The systematic and comprehensive anatomic data of the brachial plexus roots provides the anatomical basis to diagnose and treat the brachial plexus root avulsion injury.

Elevated serum uric acid is closely associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the association of urine uric acid excretion (UUAE) with NAFLD has not been investigated. Our aims were to explore the associations between UUAE and NAFLD and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).This cross-sectional study included 2042 Chinese inpatients with T2DM. UUAE was determined enzymatically using a single 24-h urine collection. The subjects were stratified into quartile based on UUAE levels. NAFLD was determined by ultrasonography. Elevated ALT level was defined with an ALT value65U/L.There was an obvious increase in both NAFLD prevalence (26.3%, 34.6%, 43.8%, and 56.2%, respectively, p0.001 for trend) and ALT value [16 (12-24), 17 (13-27), 20 (14-30), and 24 (15-38) U/L, respectively, p0.001 for trend] across the UUAE quartiles after controlling for confounders. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed independent associations between UUAE and NAFLD (p=0.002) and elevated ALT level (p0.001). Compared with the patients in the first quartile of UUAE, those in the second, third and fourth quartiles had 1.528-, 1.869-, and 1.906-fold risk of NAFLD, and 3.620-, 6.223-, and 10.506-fold risk of elevated ALT level in T2DM, respectively.Increased UUAE levels were significantly associated with the presence of NAFLD and increase of ALT in T2DM. UUAE may be a clinically significant measure in assessing the risk of NAFLD in T2DM.

Background Iron deficiency in infancy is associated with a range of clinical and developmentally important issues. Currently, it is unclear what is the optimal timing to administer prophylactic enteral iron supplementation in preterm and very low birth weight infants. The objective of this meta-analysis was to evaluate early compared with late iron supplementation in low birth weight infants. Methods PubMed and Cochrane Library databases were searched up to May 10, 2014 for studies that compared the benefit of early and late iron supplementation in infants of low birth weight. Sensitivity analysis was carried out using the leave one-out approach and the quality of the included data was assessed. Results The data base search and detailed review identified four studies that were included in the meta-analysis. The number of included patients was 246 (n = 121 for early supplementation and n = 125 for late supplementation) and the majority were premature infants. Across studies, early supplementation ranged from as early as enteral feeding was tolerated to 3 weeks, and late supplementation ranged from 4 weeks to about 60 days. Early treatment was associated with significantly smaller decreases in serum ferritin and hemoglobin levels (P bell stage 2) (P = 0.646). Sensitivity analysis indicated no one study overly influenced the findings and that the data was reliable. Conclusion In conclusion, early iron supplementation resulted in less a decrease in serum ferritin and hemoglobin levels in infants with low birth rate. However, caution should be used when treating infants with iron so as not to result in iron overload and possibly negative long-term effects on neurodevelopment.

Purpose: To study the expression of angiogenin-2 (Ang-2) and its receptor Tie-2 in colorectal cancer and discuss the possible mechanisms behind this process. Materials and Methods: Using the streptavidin-peroxidase (SP) immunohistochemical method, paraffin sections from 100 colorectal cancer samples and 10 samples from tumor-adjacent normal tissue (> 2 cm from the edge of the gross tumor) were tested for protein expression of Ang-2, Tie-2, PI3K, and AKT. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blots were further used to measure expression of the 4 genes and proteins in 20 freshly-resected colorectal cancer samples and tumor-adjacent normal tissues. Results: In colorectal cancer tissues, the expression of the Ang-2, Tie-2, PI3K, and AKT genes and their proteins was significantly higher than in tumor-adjacent normal tissues. Protein expression in poorly-differentiated adenocarcinoma was higher than that in well and moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. According to Duke’s classification, the protein expression in Stages C and D was significantly higher than that in Stages A and B. In the group with lymphatic metastasis, the protein expression was higher than that without lymphatic metastasis. Conclusions: In colorectal cancer, the expression of the Ang-2, Tie-2, PI3K, and AKT genes and their proteins is markedly higher than those in tumor-adjacent normal tissues. No correlation was observed between protein expression and gender, location, or histologic type. Correlations did exist between protein expression and differentiation level, stage of Duke’s classification, and lymphatic metastasis; in colorectal cancer tissues with lower differentiation levels, higher stages of Duke’s classification, and lymphatic metastasis, the expression of all 4 proteins was higher. The study of their expression patterns and relationships with aggression and metastasis will provide a valuable experimental foundation for assessing prognosis and targeted therapy of colorectal cancer.

Objective: To assess the effect and mechanism of compound Xiansu capsule ( ), (XSC) combined with chemotherapy in treating gastric carcinoma of mid-late stage.Methods: Sixty-one patients of the test group were treated by XSC combined with chemotherapy and 30 patients of the control group treated with chemotherapy alone. The effect of treatment and cell mediated immunity of patients were observed.Results: The effective rate of the test group and the control group was 32.8% and 13.3% respectively (P < 0.05), the toxic reaction occurrence caused by chemotherapy was less in the former than that in the latter group (P < 0.01). The CD8 level of patients in the test group decreased, and CD4/CD8 level was raised obviously, which suggested that XSC had immuno-regulating effect on T-cell.Conclusion: XSC could enhance the efficacy and reduce the toxic and side-effect of chemotherapy. To regulate the cell mediated immunity of patients is possibly its mechanism.

Aim We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the application of activated autologous monocytes/macrophages (Mo/Mp) on wound healing in diabetic rats. Methods Sixty male SD rats were equally divided into the following: control group (normal, nondiabetic), PBS-treated diabetic group, and tumor necrotic factor alpha (TNF-α) plus interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-stimulated or unstimulated Mo/Mp-treated diabetic group. Full-thickness round wounds (1 cm × 1 cm) were created in the right hind foot of rats and the wounds were treated with PBS or Mo/Mp on day 1 after injury. In the following 14 days, the percentage of wound contraction was measured, histologic examination was performed with hematoxylin and eosin staining, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the wound was evaluated by Western blot analysis. Results Diabetic rats exhibited impaired wound healing with delayed angiogenesis and VEGF expression. The early application of TNF-α plus IFN-γ-stimulated autologous Mo/Mp to diabetic wounds significantly improved the delayed wound healing through the stimulation of angiogenesis and re-epithelization, as well as restoring the defect in VEGF expression. Conclusions Mo/Mp activated by TNF-α and IFN-γ promotes diabetic wound healing and normalizes the defect in VEGF regulation associated with diabetes-induced skin-repair disorders.

Background Percutaneous cervical pedicle screw fixation has been proven to be an effective method of cervical screw instrumentation, which has the advantages of less invasiveness and low blood loss. Emerging evidence has indicated that the cervical spinous process plays an important role in percutaneous spine surgery. However, there is a limited amount of information on the fundamental research of pedicle and its associated imaging parameter measurement. The purpose of this study was to measure the anatomic data of the pedicle screw channel (PSC) using reverse engineering and three-dimensional reconstruction, and also to discuss the three-dimensional relationship between the cervical spinous process and the pedicle screw channel. Methods Twenty adult subjects (10 males, 10 females, age range 19–46 years) were studied using the method of three-dimensional CT reconstruction and reverse engineering. The centrum was divided into 10 equal parts from front to back. The bisectors were defined as borderline depths of the centrum, from front to back, 100%, 90%, 80%, 70%, 60%, 50%, 40%, 30%, 20%, 10%, 0% of borderline depths were presented. Then, a 3D coordinate system was constructed to measure all the data, including the radius of the inscribed circle, the length of the PSC, the insertion angle, the distances from entry point to cervical spinous process and skin depth. All the indexes were measured from 70% to 90% borderline depth. Results The radius of the inscribed circles from C3 to C7 at 90% borderline depth were 2.94 ± 0.55 mm, 3.04 ± 0.40 mm, 3.15 ± 0.36 mm, 3.28 ± 0.47 mm, 3.89 ± 0.54 mm, respectively. The lengths of the PSC were between 25 and 32 mm. The insertion angles for 70% to 90% borderline depth were 28.33°, 34.28°, 37.92°, respectively. The relationship between the PSC and spinous process was measured as the distance from the entry point to the end of the spinous process, which were, respectively, 26.91 mm, 28.18 mm, 30.03 mm, 35.67 mm, 41.99 mm from C3 to C7.The distance from the skin to the entry point of C3-7 increased gradually. Conclusions The measurements of this study could provide detailed information for percutaneous cervical screw fixation. The data of the relationship between the cervical spinous process and the pedicle screw channel present valuable technical information for the design, optimization and clinical application of the aiming device for percutaneous cervical pedicle screw fixation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This paper presents an adaptive control algorithm for a new type of discrete-time system that is unknown and is sampled unevenly. Such systems are obtained by unevenly sampling the unknown continuous time plant with two sequential sampling periods (T1 and T2), and are therefore referred to as unknown S(T1, T2) systems. This paper discusses their representation and stability when that system incorporates a known time delay. A generalized causal adaptive one-step-ahead controller is developed and it is shown to be able to stabilize the unknown S(T1, T2) system with respect to a uniformly bounded signal. The application to a typical S(T1, T2) system: the cross-directional basis weight control system in a paper making process, is described. Desirable results are obtained.

The use of free vascularized nerve grafts requires an intimate and accurate knowledge of the blood supply of peripheral nerve. This study was designed to compare the advantages and disadvantages of three methods employed to reveal the blood supply of the peripheral nerve, and to provide morphological basis for vascularized nerve grafts.The blood supply of brachial plexus and its main branches (ulnar, median, radial, musculocutaneous and axillary nerve) were observed using three vascular injection techniques: three specimens were injected with red latex through the thoracic aorta; two side specimens were injected with a Chinese ink solution, through the subclavian artery, for diaphanization and histology; one fresh cadaver was injected with the gelatin-lead oxide mixture through the femoral artery for radiography.The blood supply of the brachial plexus and its main branches was well examined using the three different vascular injection techniques. Perfusion with red latex exposed the extrinsic blood supply. Diaphanization and histology showed the intrinsic blood supply, while gelatin-lead oxide injection technique interactively displayed both the intrinsic and extrinsic blood supply to the peripheral nerve.The standard method for the study of the extrinsic blood supply to the peripheral nerve is the red latex perfusion; diaphanization and histology are very suitable to study the intrinsic blood supply of the peripheral nerve; while gelatin-lead oxide technique is the standard for visualization of the integral topography of the blood supply of the peripheral nerve.

Objective : Few studies have identified factors as predictors of clinical prognosis of patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), especially of Chinese patients. In this study, we assessed the prognostic factors of Chinese patients with DFUs. Methods and materials: This was a retrospective study (January 2009 - January 2011) of 194 DFUs conducted in an inpatient population at PLA 454 Hospital in Nanjing, China, to determine the prognostic influential factors of DFUs in Chinese patients. All of the studied patients were grouped into an amputation group, a non-healing group, and a cured group, according to the clinical prognosis. Patient parameters, including gender, age, smoking habits, education level, family history of diabetes mellitus, medical history, duration of foot lesions and complications, ankle-brachial index (ABI), transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcPO2), urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (Alb/Cr), fundus oculi, electrocardiogram, DFU characteristics, bacterial nature, and neuropathy, were cross-studied among the three groups. Results : Compared with the other two groups, the amputation group showed a higher number of males, older in age, lower ABI and TcPO2 levels, higher Wagner wound grading and size, and significantly higher urinary Alb/Cr ratio, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, white blood cell count, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Compared to the cured group (162 patients), more patients with an older age, smoking, family history of diabetes mellitus, medical history of foot ulcerations, lower ABI and TcPO2 levels, higher urine Alb/Cr ratio, and serum creatinine were found in the non-healing group. Regression analysis was used to study the correlation between various factors and clinical prognosis, and the results were as follows: age,Wagner wound classification, and heel ulcerations were negatively correlated to the DFU prognosis, whereas the female population, ABI, and TcPO2 were positively correlated with DFU prognosis. Conclusion : In this retrospective study, we conclude that the DFU prognosis may be related to age, gender, wound location (heel), Wagner wound classification, ABI, and TcPO2 levels in the Chinese population. Keywords : Chinese; diabetic foot ulcers; prognosis; ankle brachial index; Wagner wound classification (Published: 11 March 2014) Citation: Diabetic Foot & Ankle 2014, 5 : 22936 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/dfa.v5.22936

AIM: Pituitary tumor transforming gene (PTTG1) is overexpressed in a variety of tumors, including carcinomas of the lung, breast, colon, as well as in leukemia, lymphoma and pituitary adenomas. However, there is little information on its expression in gastric carcinoma. We sought to investigate the expression of PTTG1 in gastric carcinoma and to explore the relationship between its expression and clinicopathological factors. METHODS: We studied 75 primary human gastric adenocarcinomas, including 17 mucosal carcinomas, 21 submucosal infiltrative carcinomas, 12 carcinomas invading proprial muscle layers, 6 carcinomas reaching the subserosa, and 19 carcinomas penetrating the serosal surface. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed using paraffin-embedded sections of gastric adenocarcinomas. RESULTS: PTTG1 was expressed heterogeneously in carcinomas. Positive PTTG1 staining was observed in 65.3% of the carcinomas (49 of 75). Its expression did not correlate significantly with either the histological type or the depth of infiltration of the gastric carcinomas. However, a statistical analysis showed significant differences between the primary adenocarcinomas and the associated metastatic lymph nodes. CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrate that PTTG1 expression is enhanced in metastatic lymph nodes in comparison to that in primary carcinomas. We suggest that PTTG1 may contribute to lymph node metastases in gastric carcinoma.

Background The associations between urine uric acid excretion (UUAE) and chronic kidney disease (CKD)/atherosclerosis have not been investigated. Our aims were to investigate the relationships between UUAE and CKD and carotid atherosclerotic lesions in hospitalized Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods This was a cross-sectional study that was conducted with 2627 Chinese inpatients with type 2 diabetes. UUAE was determined enzymatically using a single 24-h urine collection. The subjects were stratified into quartiles according to their UUAE levels. Carotid atherosclerotic lesions, including carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), plaque and stenosis, were assessed by Doppler ultrasound. Both CKD and carotid atherosclerotic lesions were compared between the UUAE quartile groups. Results After adjustment for confounding factors, there was a significant decrease in the prevalence of CKD in the patients with type 2 diabetes across the UUAE quartiles (16.9%, 8.5%, 5.9%, and 4.9%; p