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Background Cystoscopy plays an important role in bladder cancer (BCa) diagnosis and treatment, but its sensitivity needs improvement. Artificial intelligence has shown promise in endoscopy, but few cystoscopic applications have been reported. We report a Cystoscopy Artificial Intelligence Diagnostic System (CAIDS) for BCa diagnosis. Methods In total, 69 204 images from 10 729 consecutive patients from 6 hospitals were collected and divided into training, internal validation, and external validation sets. The CAIDS was built using a pyramid scene parsing network and transfer learning. A subset (n = 260) of the validation sets was used for a performance comparison between the CAIDS and urologists for complex lesion detection. The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the Clopper-Pearson method. Results The diagnostic accuracies of the CAIDS were 0.977 (95% CI = 0.974 to 0.979) in the internal validation set and 0.990 (95% CI = 0.979 to 0.996), 0.982 (95% CI = 0.974 to 0.988), 0.978 (95% CI = 0.959 to 0.989), and 0.991 (95% CI = 0.987 to 0.994) in different external validation sets. In the CAIDS vs urologists’ comparisons, the CAIDS showed high accuracy and sensitivity (accuracy = 0.939, 95% CI = 0.902 to 0.964; sensitivity = 0.954, 95% CI = 0.902 to 0.983) with a short latency of 12 seconds, much more accurate and quicker than the expert urologists. Conclusions The CAIDS achieved accurate BCa detection with a short latency. The CAIDS may provide many clinical benefits, from increasing the diagnostic accuracy for BCa, even for commonly misdiagnosed cases such as flat cancerous tissue (carcinoma in situ), to reducing the operation time for cystoscopy.

Objective The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis on the association between insomnia and the risk of developing into metabolic syndrome (including hypertension, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and obesity). Method We conducted our research according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses). After the search term was determined, we searched Pubmed and Embase databases until December 1, 2020 for the observational studies. We used random effects models to aggregate risk estimates for individual studies and the odds ratio (OR) as well as 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for pooled data. Heterogeneity in this study was assessed by using I2 statistic. Results 12 studies were eventually included in this meta-analysis which contained metabolic syndrome related symptoms (hypertension, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and obesity). The combined OR value and 95% CI of the hypertension group was 1.41 (1.19–1.67). The hyperglycemia group was 1.29 (1.11–1.50). The hyperlipidemia group was 1.12 (0.92–1.37) and the obesity group was 1.31 (1.03–1.67). Conclusion The risk of insomnia patients suffering from hypertension, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and obesity in metabolic syndrome was 1.41 times, 1.29 times and 1.31 times than people without insomnia respectively.

INTRODUCTION The efficacy of vitamin D for migraine remains controversial. We conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the influence of vitamin D versus placebo on treatment in migraine patients. METHODS We search PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Cochrane library databases through April 2020 for randomized controlled trials assessing the effect of vitamin D versus placebo on treatment efficacy in migraine patients. This meta-analysis is performed using the random-effect model. RESULTS Five randomized controlled trials are included in the meta-analysis. Overall, compared with control group in migraine patients, vitamin D treatment is associated with substantially reduced number of headache days (standard mean difference [SMD], -0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.83 to -0.23; P = 0.0006), frequency of headache attacks (SMD, -1.09; 95% CI, -1.86 to -0.32; P = 0.006), headache severity (SMD, -0.55; 95% CI, -0.91 to -0.19; P = 0.0003), and Migraine Disability Assessment score (SMD, -0.76; 95% CI, -1.11 to -0.40; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Vitamin D treatment is effective to alleviate migraine.

Purpose We conducted this meta-analysis to compare postoperative outcomes between meatal-based flap (Mathieu) and tubularized incised plate (TIP) techniques for distal hypospadias. Methods A comprehensive literature search of PUBMED, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library was conducted. Outcomes evaluated in this review were fistula, meatal stenosis, wound dehiscence and flap necrosis. We calculated odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidential interval (CI) to compare postoperative outcomes between Mathieu and TIP after data extraction and literature identification. All data were analyzed using Review Manager 5.2. In order to find potential affective factors, meta-regression and subgroup analyses were applied. Results 16 studies, 1386 patients, including 762 patients receiving Mathieu and 624 individuals subjected to TIP met the inclusion criteria. The synthetic data suggested that Mathieu and TIP were comparable in terms of fistula (OR = 0.93; 95% CI: 0.65 to 1.33; P = 0.70, I2 = 14%), wound dehiscence (OR = 0.89; 95% CI: 0.33 to 2.39; P = 0.81, I2 = 11%), and flap necrosis (OR = 1.9; 95% CI: 0.51 to 7.09; P = 0.20, I2 = 38%) without significant heterogeneity for each comparison group. Pooled estimates showed a significantly lower rate of meatal stenosis with Mathieu than with TIP (OR = 0.41; 95% CI: 0.24 to 0.73; P = 0.002, I2 = 4%). Subgroup analyses showed that the difference between Mathieu and TIP was more obvious in the studies published before 2013 in meatal stenosis. The modified Mathieu technique and a running suture for urethroplasty might be relevant to a lower rate of meatal stenosis in the data, although no statistical significance in the present effects model overall was found. One-way sensitivity analysis showed that the results were stable. There was no publication bias detected using both funnel plot and Egger's test. Conclusion This meta-analysis suggested that Mathieu and TIP technique were equivalent for primary distal hypospadias in terms of fistula, wound dehiscence, and flap necrosis. Pooled estimates indicated that there was a lower rate of meatal stenosis with Mathieu rather than with TIP significantly. The modified Mathieu technique and a running suture for urethroplasty might be relevant to a lower rate of meatal stenosis. Type of study Meta-analysis. Level of evidence IV

The gene encoding collagen like tail subunit of asymmetric acetylcholinesterase (COLQ) is responsible for the transcription of three strands of collagen of acetylcholinesterase, which is attached to the endplate of neuromuscular junctions. Mutations in the COLQ gene are inherited in an autosomal-recessive manner and can lead to type V congenital myasthenia syndrome (CMS), which manifests as decreased muscle strength at birth or shortly after birth, respiratory failure, restricted eye movements, drooping of eyelids, and difficulty swallowing. Here we reported three variants within COLQ in two unrelated children with CMS. An intronic variant (c.393+1G>A) and a novel missense variant (p.Q381P) were identified as compound heterozygous in a 13-month-old boy, with the parents being carriers of each. An intragenic deletion including exons 14 and 15 was found in a homozygous state in a 12-year-old boy. We studied the relative expression of the COLQ and AChE gene in the probands' families, performed three-dimensional protein structural analysis, and analyzed the conservation of the missense mutation c.1142A>C (p.Q381P). The splicing mutation c.393+1G>A was found to affect the normal splicing of COLQ exon 5, resulting in a 27-bp deletion. The missense mutation c.1142A>C (p.Q381P) was located in a conserved position in different species. We found that homozygous deletion of COLQ exons 14–15 resulted in a 241-bp deletion, which decreased the number of amino acids and caused a frameshift translation. COLQ expression was significantly lower in the probands than in the probands' parents and siblings, while AChE expression was significantly higher. Moreover, the mutations were found to cause significant differences in the predicted three-dimensional structure of the protein. The splicing mutation c.393+1G>A, missense mutation c.1A>C (p.Q381P), and COLQ exon 14–15 deletion could cause CMS.

Introduction: To evaluate the potential predictive value of the Mayo Adhesive Probability (MAP) score combined with the RENAL score for intraoperative outcomes in retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) in an Eastern Asian population. Methods: An initial of 388 patients undergoing retroperitoneal laparoscopic NSS were identified. MAP and RENAL scores were calculated according to CT and a logistic regression model was adopted as a combination of the RENAL score and the MAP score. Results: A total of 293 patients were included. The overall intraoperative complication rate was 7.5% (21 cases). The MAP score was found to correlate with operation time (OT; r = 0.169), estimated blood loss (EBL; r = 0.318), and intraoperative complications (r = 0.242). The RENAL score was correlated with warm is­chemia time (r = 0.503), OT (r = 0.334), intraoperative complications (r = 0.178), and EBL (r = 0.218). The MAP score and the RENAL score were reliable predictors of overall intraoperative complications, with areas under the curve (AUC) of 0.728 and 0.759, respectively. After combination of these 2 scores, the AUC of overall intra-operative complications was improved with statistical significance (AUC = 0.847, combination vs. RENAL score: p = 0.044 < 0.05; combination vs. MAP score: p = 0.005 < 0.05). Conclusion: The MAP score is an important predictor of EBL, OT, and intraoperative complications in retroperitoneal laparoscopic NSS and its combination with the RENAL score showed a superior predictive value compared to a single score in overall intraoperative complications. The MAP score might be considered in preoperative radiologic aspects as regularly as the RENAL score.

Objective: The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of total tubeless percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) versus standard PCNL. Method: MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database were researched. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and clinically controlled trials (CCTs) comparing total tubeless PCNL (tubeless and stentless) versus standard PCNL were included in this review. The related studies that met the inclusion criteria were included in the meta-analysis. Two reviewers independently assessed the quality of each included studies and extracted data. RevMan 5.1. was used for meta-analysis. Outcome: Five RCTs and four CCTs were included, involving a total of 652 patients. All patients were divided into the total tubeless PCNL group and the standard PCNL group. The pooled results showed that the total tubeless PCNL group significantly reduced the hospital stay [weighted mean difference (WMD) −1....

PURPOSE To evaluate the effect of acute kidney injury (AKI) duration and severity on long-term renal functional outcomes in patients undergoing partial nephrectomy (PN). METHODS Altogether 292 consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic PN from 2010 to 2018 were identified in two medical centers. In addition, the AKI duration {transient AK [≤ 3d] or persistent AKI [> 3d]} was combined with AKI severity (stages) to elucidate their relationships with long-term functional results. Kaplan-Meier (KM) analysis was also used to compare among patients with no AKI, transient AKI, and persistent AKI. Moreover, the Cox-proportional hazards regression model was utilized to assess the risk factors for renal function deterioration. RESULTS Altogether 67 patients (22.9%) experienced postoperative AKI. 75% eGFR preserve rate during the follow-up was compared among patients with no AKI, transient AKI and persistent AKI using KM analysis and log-rank test, which revealed significant difference. After adjusting for age and warm ischemia time by multivariate model proportional hazards analysis, AKI duration and severity were identified as the risk factors (Stage 1-transient AKI vs. non-AKI: adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 4.361, 95% confidential interval (CI) [2.062-9.233], p

Highlights • This is the first study of dominant-negative PD-1 armored anti-CD19 CAR t cells on refractory b cell lymphoma, demonstrated that the modified CAR t cells were safe and tolerable without extra toxicity. • This study indicated that the efficacy of this new CAR t cell was promising for the management of transformed follicular lymphoma (FL) and early-relapsed FL. • It proved the possibility that CAR T-cell function could be improved by interrupting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis which was validated preliminarily in this clinical study., Refractory/relapsed B cell lymphoma patients who received the available anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells may still experience a short duration of remission. Here in this study, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of a novel dominant-negative programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) armored anti-CD19 CAR T cells. A total of 9 patients (including 4 diffuse large B cell lymphomas, DLBCL, 2 transformed follicular lymphomas, TFL, and 3 follicular lymphomas, FL) received the novel CAR T cells infusion at a dose of more than 1 × 106/kg. Grade ≥ 3 cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurotoxicity were observed in 11.1% (n = 1/9) and 11.1% (n = 1/9) of patients, respectively. The overall response rate (ORR) was 77.8% (n = 7/9) and complete response (CR) rate was 55.6% (n = 5/9). Two patients have ongoing CR (all at 20+ months). CAR T cells expanded after infusion and continued to be detectable at 12+ months in patients with ongoing CR. This novel CD19-CAR T cell was safe and effective with durable remissions in patients with refractory/relapsed B cell lymphoma.

BackgroundThe rapid development of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become a great threat to global health. Its mortality is associated with inflammation-related airway mucus hypersecretion and dysfunction of expectoration, and the subsequent mucus blockage of the bronchioles at critical stage is attributed to hypoxemia, complications, and even death. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has rich experience in expectorant, including treatment of COVID-19 patients with airway mucus dysfunction, yet little is known about the mechanisms. This study is aiming to explore the potential biological basis of TCM herbal expectorant for treating COVID-19.ObjectiveTo get core herbs with high used frequency applications in the actions of expectoration by using association rule algorithm and to investigate the multitarget mechanisms of core herbs in expectorant formulae for COVID-19 therapies.MethodsForty prescriptions for expectorant were retrieved from TCM Formulae. The ingredient compounds and targets of core herbs were collected from the TCMSP database, Gene-Cards, and NCBI. The protein interaction network (PPI) was constructed by SRING, and the network analysis was done by Cytoscape software. Bioconductor was applied for functional enrichment analysis of targets.ResultsThe core herbs of expectorant could regulate core pathways (MAP kinase activity, cytokine receptor binding, G-protein-coupled receptor binding, etc.) via interactions of ingredients (glycyrol, citromitin, etc.) on mucin family to eliminate phlegm.ConclusionTCM herbal expectorant could regulate MAPK and cytokine-related pathways, thereby modulating Mucin-family to affect mucus generation and clearance and eventually retarding the deterioration of COVID-19 disease.

Background Beta‐propeller protein‐associated neurodegeneration (BPAN) is a rare, X‐linked dominant neurodegenerative disease mainly characterized by developmental delay, intellectual disability, epilepsy in childhood and dystonia, parkinsonism, dementia in adulthood. BPAN is caused by variants in WD repeat domain 45(WDR45), which is characterized by iron accumulation in the basal ganglia, however, it may be atypical in early brain MRI. Methods Whole exome sequencing was performed for five parents‐offspring trios and phenotype‐driven data analyses were conducted. All candidate variants were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Results Here, we report five independent children presented variable degree of developmental delay, intellectual disability, and/or epilepsy. Five de novo variants of WDR45 including four novel truncating variants (one splicing variant, two nonsense variants, and one frameshift variant) were identified. Although their early brain MRI showed no obvious iron accumulation, multifocal spikes, or polyspikes in electroencephalograms (EEG) were observed in four patients. Conclusion Our study reports four patients with new variants in WDR45, which expands the mutation spectrum of WDR45. In addition, our findings provide an early and precise diagnosis basis of BPAN, which is helpful for accurate genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis., Our study reports five de novo variants with BPAN including four new variants in five independent non‐consanguineous Chinese families, which enlarges the mutation spectrum of WDR45. The application of trio exome sequencing contributes to the early detection of BPAN, which can help patients get timely genetic counseling preventing the disease from worsening and open the way for preimplantation genetic diagnosis and future prenatal check‐ups.

Objective: To compare the surgical feasibility, oncological and functional results between sutureless and suture techniques in retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephron-sparing surgery (LNSS). Materials...

In the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) era, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is still the most potential approach for cure of adult patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphocytic leukemia (Ph+ ALL). TKI plus chemotherapy has strikingly increased response rates and depth of response, and facilitated allo-HSCT, which decreases relapse and improves survival eventually. Meanwhile, for those with older age or comorbidities at diagnosis, TKI in combination with reduced-intensity chemotherapy or chemotherapy-free strategy reduces treatment-related mortality, deferred intensive chemotherapy increases molecular responses and reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) allo-HSCT improves survival finally. Of note, according to minimal residual disease (MRD) and BCR/ABL1 kinase domain mutation screening, prophylactic or preemptive maintenance therapy with a sensitive TKI decreases relapse further. Regarding transplantation-related mortality and impaired quality of life related to complications of allo-HSCT, autologous-HSCT (auto-HSCT) among those with early and persistent molecular remission and the most potent TKI ponatinib plus intensive chemotherapy has exhibited non-inferior survival to allo-HSCT. Even so, risk-adapted strategy isn't available now. Lastly, outcomes of relapse after allo-HSCT are dismal due to TKIs exposure, and new therapeutic interventions combined with TKIs shed light on this thorny problem.

This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and prognostic significance of monosomal karyotypes (MKs) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data for 498 patients with AML, of whom 233 (46.8%) had an abnormal karyotype, including 42 with MKs (8.4%) and 70 with a complex karyotype (CK) (14.1%).Patients with MKs were older (median age 62.5 vs. 52 years, p=0.003) and had lower median hemoglobin levels (62.5 vs. 77 g/L, p=0.009) and lower white blood cell counts (7.0×10MK is an independent risk factor for poor prognosis in AML patients.Amaç: Bu çalışmada akut myeloid lösemi (AML) hastalarında monozomal karyotipe (MK) sahip olmanın klinik özellikleri ve prognostik önemini araştırmak hedeflenmiştir. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Retrospektif olarak 498 AML hastasının klinik verileri incelenmiştir. Bu hastalardan 233’ünde (%46,8) anormal karyotip saptanmış olup, bunların da 42’sinde (%8,4) MK ve 70’inde kompleks karyotip (KK) bulunmuştur. Bulgular: Hastalardan MK’ya sahip olanlar daha yaşlı olup (ortanca 62,5 vs. 52 yıl; p=0,003), daha düşük ortanca hemoglobin düzeyine (62,5 vs. 77 g/L; p=0,009) ve daha düşük beyaz küre sayısına (7,0×109/L vs. 11,7×109/L, p=0,008) sahipti. Ünivaryant analizde MK ya da KK’ya sahip olan hastaların diğer hastalara göre toplam sağkalımı daha düşük bulundu. (MK için ortanca sağkalım süresi 7,3 vs. 26,3 ay, p0,001 ve CK için 14,8 vs. 26,3 ay, p0,001). Toplam sağkalım için yapılan, multivaryant analizde ise MK ve “National Comprehesnsive Cancer Network” prognostik grubu anlamlı bulunan faktörlerdi. Sonuç: AML’li hastalarda MK kötü prognoza işaret eden bağımsız bir risk faktörüdür.

This study aimed at exploring whether the time interval (TI) between prostate biopsy and surgery affect the outcomes of radical prostatectomy (RP). A comprehensive search of the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases was conducted to identify all eligible studies. After quality assessment and date extraction, a systematic review and meta-analysis was performed. A total of 9 studies with 8579 patients were included in our meta-analysis. Pooled data showed no significant differences between groups of TI ≤ 2 weeks and > 2 weeks in operative time, estimated blood loss, transfusion rate, bilateral nerve preservation, positively surgical margin, and complications. For comparison between TI ≤ 4 and > 4 weeks, shorter TI would be associated with significantly less estimated blood loss (p = 0.045) and lower rate of bilateral nerve preservation (p = 0.002). In addition, for TI ≤ 6 versus > 6 weeks, significantly less bilateral nerve preservation (p = 0.025) and more positive surgical margin (p = 0.020) could be found in the earlier surgery group. Sensitivity analysis indicated that TI had no impact on any outcomes of robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP). As shorter TI was associated with lower rate of bilateral nerve preservation and higher rate of positive surgical margin, it would be better to perform RP with a TI of 4 or 6 weeks after biopsy. While for RALP, shorter TI did not have any impact on outcomes of RALP, It is feasible and safe to perform RALP within 2, 4, or 6 weeks.

Purpose This study aimed to develop a simple nomogram based on the Mayo Adhesive Probability (MAP) score combined with the RENAL nephrometry score (RNS) to predict intraoperative complications before partial nephrectomy (PN) in Asian populations. Materials and methods This study retrospectively collected patients undergoing PN at three medical centers. Each component of the MAP score and the RNS (6 variables) was evaluated to assess its association with intraoperative complications by multivariable logistic regression with backward elimination. Results A total of 46 cases (7.2%) with intraoperative complications were identified among 637 patients. After backward elimination, three variables, including tumor diameter (4-7 cm vs. ≤4 cm: odds ratio [OR], 4.339; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.943-9,692; ≥7 cm vs. ≤4 cm: OR, 8.434; 95% CI, 1.225-58.090), nearness to the collecting system (4-7 mm vs. ≥7 mm: OR, 2.988; 95% CI, 1.293-6.907; ≤4 mm vs. ≥7 mm: OR, 21.394; 95% CI, 6.122-74.756), and perirenal fat stranding type (type 1 vs. no stranding: OR, 3.119; 95% CI, 1.079-9.017; type 2 vs. no stranding: OR, 18.722; 95% CI, 6.757-51.868), were retained. The predictive power (measured by area under the curve [AUC]) of the nomogram was observed to be superior to the RNS or MAP score alone (RNS: 0.686, MAP score: 0.729, the nomogram: 0.837), but comparable to their combination (0.813). Conclusions The simple nomogram contains fewer components than the combination of the RNS and MAP scores yet demonstrates equivalent predictive power for intraoperative complications.

Objective To compare the safety and efficacy of percutaneous nephrolithotripsy (PCNL) in supine versus prone position for patients with renal or upper ureteral calculi. Methods A systematic search of Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials was performed to identify all eligible studies. All included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were evaluated based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. After quality assessment and date extraction, a meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software. Results A total of 15 RCTs with 1474 patients were included in our meta-analysis. Pooled data showed that PCNL in supine position could significantly reduce the operative time [weighted mean difference (WMD) −12.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) −20.49 to −3.54, p = 0.005] and rate of fever [risk ratio (RR) 0.67, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.97, p = 0.03] compared to prone position. In addition, no significant differences could be found between groups in stone-free rate (p = 0.31), hospital stay (p = 0.59) and rate of overall complications (p = 0.11), mainly including urinary leakage (p = 0.83), pleural effusion (p = 0.74) and blood transfusion (p = 0.58). Conclusions The current study found comparable stone-free rate and significant lower rate of postoperative fever in supine PCNL compared with prone PCNL. PCNL in supine position could be a safe and efficient choice for patients with renal or upper ureteral calculi.

Objective To establish a rat model of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) manifesting the Chinese medicine syndrome pattern of both qi and yin deficiency for evaluating the efficacy of a Chinese herbal formula (CHF), integrative medicine (IM), and pioglitazone (PIO) on T2DM indicators in the animal model. Methods The rat model was induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ, 30 mg/kg). CHF (3.4 g/kg), PIO (2.7 mg/kg), and IM (3.4 g CHF + 2.7 mg PIO) were administered to rats once daily for 14 days. Related laboratory parameters were observed. Results Diabetic rats showed unsmooth fur, alopecia, reduced activity, huddling, somnolence, depression, pale or reddened tongue, damp/dark red tail, and high levels of water and food intake, urine volume, and stool weight, but weakened grip strength. Low levels of serum SOD, Na + -K + -ATPase, cAMP/cGMP, and a high level of iNOS were observed. Hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, high levels of serum glucagon/IDE and pancreatic amylin, and low serum and pancreatic SS levels were evident as well. Conclusions A rat model of T2DM with both qi and yin deficiency was successfully replicated. CHF appeared to be more efficacious than IM and PIO in the rat model of qi and yin deficiency pattern of T2DM, though IM and PIO were each found to have their merits and drawbacks in attenuating T2DM indicators in the rat model.

L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria is a genetic metabolic disorder. Its clinical features include elevated levels of hydroxyglutaric acid in body fluids and abnormal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the subcortical white matter, which are affected by the accumulation of L-2-hydroxyglutaric acid. A boy with psychomotor retardation and progressive ataxia accompanied by abnormal brain MRI findings was tested using whole-exome sequencing. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) revealed two novel compound heterozygous frameshift mutations, c.407 del A (p.K136SfsTer3) and c.699_c700 ins A (p.D234RfsTer42), in the L-2-hydroxyglutarate dehydrogenase (L2HGDH) gene, leading to premature termination codons and truncated FAD/NAD(P)-binding domain of L2HGDH protein. Further laboratory testing revealed an increase in the 2-hydroxyglutaric acid level in the urine. The results suggested that NGS could provide clues for identifying patients with abnormal neuroradiological findings in the subcortical white matter.

Islanding detection is of great importance for normal operation of distributed generation system. In this paper, Active Frequency Drift (AFD) method is chosen to illustrate its operation principle and concrete performance procedure in detail. On this basis, an improved method based on adaptive chopper factor is proposed to reduce the impact of the load property on AFD. The improved method can automatically change chopper factor according to different load properties to eliminate non-detected zone (NDZ)and accelerate islanding detection. Detailed analysis is included in this paper, finally simulations are carried out in Matlab to verify the proposed method.

Objective Mutations in polymerase gamma gene (POLG) are believed to be an important cause of early and juvenile onset of non-syndromic intractable epilepsy. The aim of this study is to investigate the incidence/prevalence of POLG pathogenic variants in epilespy patients of Han population through sequencing it.Methods Han Chinese patients with seizures prior valproic acid (VPA) exposure at Shanghai Children's Hospital were collected from 2015 to 2019. The clinical diagnosis was based on the 2014 Consensus Statement of Epilepsy by the International League against Epilepsy (ILAE). Blood sampling were performed before VPA treatment. The POLG gene DNA was sequenced by either the first or the next generation sequencing (NGS). The POLG variant burden was illustrated. Liver functions were tested to describe whether they experienced VPA toxicity.Results Totally 216 Han Chinese patients were included, aged from 1 month to 15 years old, 102 were male and 114 were female. The onset age was 1 month old to 13 years old, and the epilepsy course ranged from 2 weeks to about 3 years. VPA treatment was delivered for the generalized or intractable partial seizures at standard dosage. No patient experienced hepatic toxicity following VPA exposure. DNA sequencing data showed no patient had either a homozygous mutation or compound heterozygous mutation of POLG. Single heterozygous mutations of c.1150G>T and p.D384Y were found in 2 patients, and single heterozygous mutation of c.156_158dupGCA was found in 1 patient. None of these variants showed clinical significance.Conclusions Functional modifying POLG homozygous mutations and compound heterozygous mutations were not detected and VPA toxicity was not seen in the current study. POLG mutation frequency might be rare in Han Chinese, and standard VPA therapeutic dosage might be safe for Han Chinese patients.

Background/aim: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and debilitating inflammatory autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that affects the myelinated axons in the CNS. Incomplete remissions occur more commonly with increasing duration of disease. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) has various functions as an immune modulator via macrophage activation. Clinical trials of immunoglobulin demonstrated remarkable clinical effects in several types of MS, especially in relapsing-remitting type. It is an approved method for the treatment of relapsing-remitting MS that can be used as a supportive therapy. Our study involves the case of a ten year old female patient with relapsing-remitting MS. This study was undertaken to examine the effects of IVIg used almost every 6 months in a patient with relapsing-remitting MS. Results: This case study demonstrated that treatments of IVIg used almost every 6 months in a patient with relapsing-remitting MS have potent therapeutic actions with early beneficial responses. Conclusion: IVIg used almost every 6 months shows a potential positive therapeutic treatment for relapsing-remitting MS and more large-scale clinical studies are required.

The effects of vasectomy on the reproductive organs in various species are controversial. This study investigated the morphological change and apoptosis of the testis, epididymis, and vas deferens in beagle dogs 12 months after vasectomy. The male beagles were divided into two groups: vasectomized and sham-operated groups (n=5 in each). Histopathological, ultrastructural, and TUNEL evaluation of the changes in the testis, epididymis, and ductus deferens of each animal were conducted 12 months after surgery. The mean lumen diameter, cellular thickness, mean interstitial distance, and lumen area fraction of each seminiferous tubule and ductus epididymis were measured by stereological analysis. The results showed that, compared with the sham-operated group, the seminiferous tubular epithelial cells of the testes in the vasectomized group were disorderly arranged and scattered. Significant atrophy and apoptosis were found in the endothelial cells, and a range of ultrastructural variations were observed in the cells of testes, epididymis, and vas deferens in vasectomized group. It was concluded that complete obstruction of the vas deferens as a traditional contraception method is not absolutely safe in terms of the reversal of fertility in the long run. Techniques of relieving the inner pressure in the vas deferens while maintaining the efficacy of male contraception need to be explored.

Objective - The effects of vasectomy on testes and related structures are disputable. The aim of this study was to determine whether the reproductive organs of rabbits were influenced after 12 months vasectomy. Study design – Bilateral vasectomy was performed on 10 male adult New Zealand Big Eared White Rabbits (another 10 rabbits set as sham operated group) and tissue samples were examined by light microscopy after 12 months treatment. The histologic alterations were observed and analyzed by stereology method. Cell apoptosis by Terminal Deoxynucleotidyl Transferase Mediated dUTP Nick End Labeling (TUNEL) assay were employed. Result - Bilateral vasectomy for 12 months affected the morphology of testis, epididymis and vas deferens tissues. Significant changes were noted in the histological stereology analysis. The apoptosis of the cells on the testis, epididymis and vas deferens increased compared with the sham operated group. Conclusion - Our findings suggest that the reproductive tissues of rabbits were influenced in a relatively longer term vasectomy.

A multichannel waveform recorder is raised to solve the puzzling problem of failures of aircraft ground power sources. The hardware system is established with embedded single-board computer PC/104 and multichannel parallel data acquisition card, etc. Windows XP Embedded and LabVIEW are used in software architecture. Strategies for automatic segmentation of massive data block are proposed. System testing is done on the medium frequency electric power source. Testing results show that this multichannel waveform recorder is easy to operate, accurate in measurement, and has good stability and portability. It can be used to monitor power supply of aircraft ground electric power source for a longtime, and thus is of high practical value and economic significance.

In the present study, we tested the efficacy and safety of Huperzine A in treatment of mild to moderate vascular dementia (VaD). This was a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study with 78 patients with mild to moderate VaD. The participants were randomized to receive either vitamin C (100-mg bid) as placebo (n = 39) or Huperzine A (0.1-mg bid) (n = 39) for 12 consecutive weeks. The mini-mental state examination (MMSE), clinical dementia rating (CDR), and activities of daily living (ADL) scores were used for the assessment of cognition. The assessments were made prior to treatment, and 4, 8, and 12 weeks of the treatment. The adverse effects of the treatment were also recorded. After 12 weeks of treatment, the MMSE, CDR, and ADL scores significantly improved in the Huperzine A group (P0.01 for all comparisons), whereas the placebo group did not show any such improvement (P0.05 for all comparisons). No serious adverse events were recorded during the treatment.Huperzine A can significantly improve the cognitive function in patients with mild to moderate vascular dementia. Further, the medicament is safe.

This paper deals with the design and analysis of codebook optimization for MIMO-OFDM systems. We present a capacity based codebook construction algorithm under a specific average power and BER constraint. We also derive the close form solution of optimal transmission scheme on capacity sense. Simulation results show that the capacity based codebook construction algorithm with hybrid design of power allocation and multi-mode beamforming can achieve higher capacity than that of equal power allocation based codebook.

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of transrectal high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), serial studies were conducted in 150 BPH patients before and 30 min, 1, 2, 6 and 12 month(s) after Sonablate-500™ HIFU treatment. A silicon-coated indwelling 16F latex catheter was placed during the determination of the therapy zone. Preoperative and postoperative evaluations were made by using the international prostate symptom score (IPSS), quality of life (QOL), uroflowmetric findings and transrectal ultrasound, and incidence of complications. The cystourethrography was done in 23 patients within 1 year postoperatively. The results showed that after HIFU treatment, IPSS and QOL scores were significantly decreased at 1, 2, 6 and 12 month(s) (P

Here we report a highly sensitive single-axis membrane-type paper accelerometer. The accelerometer is consisted of a suspended parallel-plate sensing capacitor prepared by cost-effective nano ink printing technologies on a flexible paper substrate. The proof mass and suspension bridge structures of the accelerometer are designed based on the simulation results for the optimization of sensitivity. Vertical acceleration sensitivity of the optimized design with long ellipse-shaped bridges and round-shaped proof mass can reach 20 fF/g at z-axis acceleration of 1–10 g.