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Transcutaneous electrical cranial-auricular acupoint stimulation (TECAS) is a novel non-invasive therapy that stimulates acupoints innervated by the trigeminal and auricular vagus nerves. An assessor-blinded, randomized, non-inferiority trial was designed to compare the efficacy of TECAS and escitalopram in mild-to-moderate major depressive disorder.468 participants received 2 TECAS sessions per day at home (n = 233) or approximately 10-13 mg/day escitalopram (n = 235) for 8 weeks plus 4-week follow-up. The primary outcome was clinical response, defined as a baseline-to-endpoint ≥50% reduction in Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score. Secondary outcomes included remission rate, changes in the severity of depression, anxiety, sleep and life quality.The response rate was 66.4% on TECAS and 63.2% on escitalopram with a 3.2% difference (95% confidence interval [CI], -5.9% to 12.9%) in intention-to-treat analysis, and 68.5% versus 66.2% with a 2.3% difference (95% CI, -6.9% to 11.4%) in per-protocol analysis. The lower limit of 95% CI of the differences fell within the prespecified non-inferiority margin of -10% (P ≤ 0.004 for non-inferiority). Most secondary outcomes did not differ between the two groups. TECAS-treated participants who experienced psychological trauma displayed a markedly greater response than those without traumatic experience (81.3% versus 62.1%, P = 0.013). TECAS caused much fewer adverse events than escitalopram.TECAS was comparable to escitalopram in improving depression and related symptoms, with high acceptability, better safety profile, and particular efficacy in reducing trauma-associated depression. It could serve an effective portable therapy for mild-to-moderate depression. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious injury to the central nervous system that causes significant physical and psychological trauma to the patient. SCI includes primary spinal cord injuries and secondary spinal cord injuries. The secondary injury refers to the pathological process or reaction after the primary injury. Although SCI has always been thought to be an incurable injury, the human nerve has the ability to repair itself after an injury. However, the reparability is limited because glial scar formation impedes functional recovery. There is a type of astrocyte that can differentiate into two forms of reactive astrocytes known as 'A1' and 'A2' astrocytes. A1 astrocytes release cytotoxic chemicals that cause neurons and oligodendrocytes to die and perform a harmful role. A2 astrocytes can produce neurotrophic factors and act as neuroprotectors. This article discusses ways to block A1 astrocytes while stimulating A2 astrocytes to formulate a new treatment for spinal cord injury.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of miR-504 in cervical cancer. Normal and cervical cancer tissue specimens derived from TCGA and GTEx databases were employed to analyze the miR-504 and PAICS (one of potential target gene of miR-504) expression. Kaplan–Meier strategy was applied to analyze the prognostic powers of miR-504 and PAICS. The proliferation, clonogenic ability, invasion, and migration of cervical cancer cells (C-33A and HeLa) were detected using Cell Counting Kit 8, colony formation, and transwell assays. Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between miR-504 and PAICS, which was confirmed using luciferase reporter assay. The mRNA and protein levels were detected by qRT-PCR and western blot, respectively. TCGA data revealed that miR-504 expression might be decreased in cervical cancer, which was correlated with unfavorable prognosis. Further experiments exhibited that abnormal miR-504 expression negatively affected malignant cellular behaviors in cervical cancer, including proliferation, colony formation, invasion, and migration. PAICS was identified as a putative target of miR-504, and negatively related with miR-504 expression. PAICS expression was increased in cervical cancer and its high-regulation-induced worse outcomes of patients with cervical cancer. Rescue experiments indicated that PAICS restricted the impacts of miR-504 in cervical cancer cells. Analysis of western blot suggested that overexpression of PAICS overturned the miR-504-induced EMT inactivation. Our observations elucidated that miR-504, acting as a suppressor for the progression of cervical cancer, inhibits cell proliferation, invasion and migration, and mediates EMT via negatively regulating PAICS.

Resistance to chemotherapy and hormonal therapy is a major clinical problem in breast cancer medicine, especially for cancer metastasis and recurrence. Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) affects drug resistance by an unknown mechanism of action. Here we analyzed breast cancer patients (N = 457) and found that Σ4MEHP (the sum of MEHP, MEHHP, MECPP and MEOHP concentrations) in urine was significantly higher (P = 0.018) in the recurrent breast cancer group compared with non-recurrent patients. Σ4MEHP-High was positively and significantly correlated with tumor stage (P = 0.005), lymph node status (P = 0.001), estrogen receptor status (P = 0.010), Her2/Neu status (P = 0.004), recurrence (P = 0.000) and tumor size (P = 0.002), as well as an independent prognostic marker (OR = 1.868; 95% CI = 1.424-2.451; P

Key message Elevated expression of nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat proteins led to closer vein spacing and higher vein density in rice leaves. Abstract To feed the growing global population and mitigate the negative effects of climate change, there is a need to improve the photosynthetic capacity and efficiency of major crops such as rice to enhance grain yield potential. Alterations in internal leaf morphology and cellular architecture are needed to underpin some of these improvements. One of the targets is to generate a “Kranz-like” anatomy in leaves that includes decreased interveinal spacing close to that in C4 plant species. As C4 photosynthesis has evolved from C3 photosynthesis independently in multiple lineages, the genes required to facilitate C4 may already be present in the rice genome. The Taiwan Rice Insertional Mutants (TRIM) population offers the advantage of gain-of-function phenotype trapping, which accelerates the identification of rice gene function. In the present study, we screened the TRIM population to determine the extent to which genetic plasticity can alter vein density (VD) in rice. Close vein spacing mutant 1 (CVS1), identified from a VD screening of approximately 17,000 TRIM lines, conferred heritable high leaf VD. Increased vein number in CVS1 was confirmed to be associated with activated expression of two nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat (NB-LRR) proteins. Overexpression of the two NB-LRR genes individually in rice recapitulates the high VD phenotype, due mainly to reduced interveinal mesophyll cell (M cell) number, length, bulliform cell size and thus interveinal distance. Our studies demonstrate that the trait of high VD in rice can be achieved by elevated expression of NB-LRR proteins limited to no yield penalty.

An efficient and low-cost supported Pt catalyst for hydrogenation of niroarenes was prepared with colloid Pt precursors and α-Fe2O3 as a support. The catalyst with Pt content as low as 0.2 wt% exhibits high activities, chemoselectivities and stability in the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene and a variety of niroarenes. The conversion of nitrobenzene can reach 3170 molconv h−1 molPt−1 under mild conditions (30 °C, 5 bar), which is much higher than that of commercial Pt/C catalyst and many reported catalysts under similar reaction conditions. The spatial separation of the active sites for H2 dissociation and hydrogenation should be responsible for the high chemoselectivity, which decreases the contact possibility between the reducible groups of nitroarenes and Pt nanoparticles. The unique surface properties of α-Fe2O3 play an important role in the reaction process. It provides active sites for hydrogen spillover and reactant adsorption, and ultimately completes the hydrogenation of the nitro group on the catalyst surface.

Two new flavonoid glycosides named 6-hydroxy-3-methoxy-apigenin 7-O-��-��-rhamnopyranoside (1) and 3-hydroxyl-apigenin 8-C-��-���-xylopyranoside (2), along with five known compounds (3-7), were isolated from Xanthium strumarium. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic and physicochemical analyses. All compounds were evaluated for in vitro inhibitory activity against PTP1B. Among them, compounds 1 and 5 showed significant inhibitory activity on PTP1B with IC50 values of 11.3 �� 1.7 and 8.9 �� 0.7 ��M, respectively.

This paper describes a simple platform that employs coumarin dye-encapsulated semiconducting polymer dots as a fluorescent probe for ratiometric and sensitive fluoride anion detection, in which the sensing mechanism is based on the deprotection of the tert-butyldimethylsilyl group on coumarin to induce Forster resonance energy transfer.

Solitary neurofibroma of the heart is extremely unusual. Few reports of neurofibroma in the left ventricle have been published. In this case report, we present the results of transthoracic echocardiography, myocardial contrast echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and histopathologic examination of a patient with a neurofibroma of the heart. The patient had no evidence of any other metastasis or primary tumor in other organs, which is clinically rare.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH).DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sources and eligibility criteriaEmbase, Cochrane Library for clinical trials, PubMed and Web of Science were used to search studies from inception to 19 June, 2019. Studies using both TTE and right heart catheterisation (RHC) to diagnose PH were included.Main resultsA total of 27 studies involving 4386 subjects were considered as eligible for analysis. TTE had a pooled sensitivity of 85%, a pooled specificity of 74%, a pooled positive likelihood ratio of 3.2, a pooled negative likelihood ratio of 0.20, a pooled diagnostic OR of 16 and finally an area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.88. The subgroup with the shortest time interval between TTE and RHC had the best diagnostic effect, with sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve (AUC) of 88%, 90% and 0.94, respectively. TTE had lower sensitivity (81%), specificity (61%) and AUC (0.73) in the subgroup of patients with definite lung diseases. Subgroup analysis also showed that different thresholds of TTE resulted in a different diagnostic performance in the diagnosis of PH.ConclusionTTE has a clinical value in diagnosing PH, although it cannot yet replace RHC considered as the gold standard. The accuracy of TTE may be improved by shortening the time interval between TTE and RHC and by developing an appropriate threshold. TTE may not be suitable to assess pulmonary arterial pressure in patients with pulmonary diseases.PROSPERO registration numberPROSPERO CRD42019123289.

Background: Although much attention has been paid to the pharmacokinetics (PKs) of different factor VIII (FVIII) concentrates in persons with hemophilia A (HA), limited information is available in young boys with severe HA. In this study, we aimed to assess the PK parameters of FVIII products in boys with severe HA in China. Methods: A total of 36 boys (plasma-derived [pd]-FVIII, n = 15; recombinant [r] FVIII, n = 21) were enrolled between January 2015 and May 2016 in Beijing Children’s Hospital. PK characteristics of FVIII products were studied according to a reduced 4-sampling time point design (1 h, 9 h, 24 h, and 48 h postinfusion). Results: The mean FVIII half-life (t1/2) was 10.99 ± 3 .45 h (range 5.52- 20.02 h), the mean in vivo recovery (IVR) was 2.01 ± 0.42 IU/dl per IU/kg (range 1.24–3.02 IU/dl per IU/kg) and mean clearance (CL) of FVIII is 4.34 ± 1.58 ml·kg−1·h−1 (range 2.29–7.90 ml·kg−1·h−1). We also analyzed the influence of several parameters that potentially modulate FVIII PK. The age was closely associated with FVIII half-life (R2 = 0.32, P< 0.01). The t1/2 of FVIII increased by 0.59 h per year. Besides age, von Willebrand factor antigen (VWF:Ag) also was associated with FVIII half-life (R2 = 0.52, P< 0.01). Patients with blood Group O had a shorter FVIII half-life than patients with non-O blood group (9.40 ± 0.68 h vs. 12.3 ± 0.79 h, t = 2.70, P= 0.01). The FVIII IVR correlated with age (R2 = 0.21, P< 0.01) and VWF:Ag level (R2 = 0.28, P< 0.01). CL rates were faster in young patients and in those with low-VWF:Ag levels. CL rates of FVIII are higher in blood Group O versus non-blood Group O persons (5.02 ± 0.38 vs. 4.00 ± 0.32 ml·kg−1·h−1, t= 2.53, P= 0.02). Conclusions: Chinese boys with severe HA have similar PK values to other ethnic groups and large differences in FVIII PK between individual patients. Age, blood group, and VWF:Ag levels are important determining factors for FVIII CL. Key words: Boys; Factor VIII; Hemophilia A; Pharmacokinetics

Quality of life (QoL) post-stroke is an important health outcome. Physical deconditioning and physical inactivity are highly prevalent in stroke survivors. This study aimed to assess the long-term trends in QoL and to explore the effect of exercise on the QoL of ischaemic stroke patients.Data for this prospective study were collected at baseline using face-to-face interviews, and telephone follow-ups were completed every three months from 2010 through 2014. QoL was evaluated with the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12). The relationship between changes in exercise and QoL changes was analysed with a multi-level model.Exercise and QoL generally increased during the study period. After adjusting for covariates, the SF-12 Physical Component Summary (PCS) scores increased by 0.60 on average for each unit increase in exercise frequency and by 0.52 for each hour increase in weekly exercise time. For weekly exercise times ≤ 22.73 h, the PCS scores continued to increase with increasing exercise time. The Mental Component Summary scores increased by 0.51 on average for each unit increase in exercise frequency and by 0.35 for each hour increase in weekly exercise time. Furthermore, the standard deviations of exercise frequency and exercise time were inversely associated with changes in the PCS score.Exercise is an important modifiable behaviour. Long-term regular mild exercise should be recommended to improve QoL among stroke survivors.

BACKGROUND Current studies suggest that vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy can produce a certain effect for preterm birth (PTB), but there is no research showing whether vitamin D deficiency has a consistent effect in different pregnancies; thus, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 24 observational studies, grouping them according to the gestational age at the time of serum sampling, to investigate whether vitamin D deficiency in different periods of gestation has different effects on PTB and to provide an evidence-based basis for pregnant women to measure and supplement vitamin D. METHODS The databases PubMed-Medline, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EBSCO, CBM, and CNKI were searched until February 2020. Two researchers independently assessed the eligibility and quality of studies, and STATA 12.0 software was used for meta-analysis. RESULT Seven cohort studies, 13 case-control studies, and 4 cross-sectional studies were included from 2500 articles by inclusion and exclusion criteria. After adjusting for age, race, and other confounding factors, meta-analysis results showed that vitamin D deficiency in the first trimester, the second trimester, and the third trimester did not increase the risk of PTB (odds ratio (OR) = 1.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.88, 1.16), P = .867; OR = 1.12, 95%CI (0.92, 1.37), P = .249; OR = 1.05, 95%CI (0.87, 1.27), P = .602). However, there was moderate heterogeneity in the study of vitamin D deficiency in the second trimester, and subgroup analysis suggested that vitamin D deficiency in the second trimester may increase the risk of PTB (OR = 1.33, 95%CI (1.15, 1.54), P = .000). A sensitivity analysis of the second trimester showed that excluding any 1 study did not significantly change the results. CONCLUSIONS Vitamin D deficiency in early and late pregnancy may not be associated with PTB, while vitamin D deficiency in middle pregnancy is likely to have an important effect on PTB. Vitamin D levels should be measured in the second trimester of pregnancy, and vitamin D supplements should be provided if necessary.

Patients undergoing radical treatment particularly chemoradiotherapy for cancer of the upper aerodigestive tract frequently experience progressive deterioration in swallow during and immediately after treatment. It is important to identify patients at high risk of compromised feeding early, following diagnosis, so that alternate feeding routes, such as percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomies (PEGs), can be promptly and prophylactically instituted, in keeping with the UK Head and Neck Cancer Guidelines (2016).

In this study, a sensitive biosensing interface for protein was reported based on nonconductive insoluble precipitates (IPs) by the biocatalysis of manganese(III) meso-tetrakis (4-N-methylpyridiniumyl)-porphyrin (MnTMPyP), which was intercalated into formed double-strand DNA (dsDNA) scaffold triggered by hybridization chain reaction (HCR). In the proposed impedimetric aptasensor, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and its aptamer were used as testing model. PtPd nanowires (PtPdNWs) with large surface area and superior conductivity were employed as nanocarriers to greatly immobilize biomolecules (e.g. CEA aptamers). Then, two DNA hairpins H1 and H2 were introduced to trigger HCR with the assistance of DNA initiator, resulting in the formation of a long dsDNA scaffold. Meanwhile, mimicking enzyme MnTMPyP molecules were embedded into the resultant dsDNA, in situ generating the complex MnTMPyP-dsDNA with peroxidase-like activity. Under the biocatalysis of MnTMPyP-dsDNA, 3,3-diaminobenzidine (DAB) was oxidized to form nonconductive IPs. As a result, the electron transfer between electrode interface and redox probe was vastly hindered, leading to the significant amplification of electrochemical impedimetric signal. So, greatly improved analytical performances of the proposed aptasensor were achieved with a detection limit as low as 0.030pgmL(-1). And the successful assay of CEA in human serum samples enabled the developed biosensing platform to have promising potential in bioanalysis.

Herein, integrated with DNAzyme highly specific to metal ions, hemin@reduced graphene oxide (hemin@rGO) functionalized with flower-like MnO2 and hollow AuPd (hAuPd-fMnO2-hemin@rGO) was used as electroactive probe and electrocatalyst to construct a universal platform for metal ion detection (lead ion Pb(2+) as the model). The proposed strategy with generality was mainly based on two aspects. Firstly, the designed probe not only showed high stability and excellent peroxidase-like activity originating from hemin, fMnO2 and hAuPd, but also possessed intrinsic redox performance from hemin, which resulted in the promotion of electron transfer and the enhancement of the response signal readout. Secondly, due to the introduction of Pb(2+), Pb(2+)-dependent DNAzyme bound in the electrode surface could be specifically identified and cleaved by Pb(2+), and the remained fragment (its supplementary sequence is a single-strand DNA S3) captured the nanocomposites S3-hAuPd-fMnO2-hemin@rGO by the hybridization reaction. Therefore, combined the cooperative catalysis of fMnO2, hAuPd and hemin to H2O2 reduction with highly specific interaction of Pb(2+)-dependent DNAzyme, the proposed Pb(2+) biosensor showed significant improvement of electrochemical analytical performance, which was involved in wide dynamic response in the range of 0.1pM-200nM, low detection limit of 0.034pM, high sensitivity and high specificity. This could facilitate the universal strategy to be a promising method for detection of other metal ions, only changing the corresponding DNAzyme specific to them.

Aim Acupuncture has benefits in the rehabilitation of neuropsychiatric sequelae of stroke. This study was aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of dense cranial electroacupuncture stimulation plus body acupuncture (DCEAS+BA) in treating poststroke depression (PSD), functional disability, and cognitive deterioration. Methods In this assessor- and participant-blinded, randomized controlled trial, 91 stroke patients who initially had PSD were randomly assigned to either DCEAS+BA (n = 45) or minimum acupuncture stimulation as controls (n = 46) for three sessions per week over 8 consecutive weeks. The primary outcome was baseline-to-end-point change in score of the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Secondary outcomes included the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale for depressive symptoms, the Barthel Index for functional disability, and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment for cognitive function. Results DCEAS+BA-treated patients showed strikingly greater end-point reduction than MAS-treated patients in scores of the three symptom domains. The clinical response rate, defined as an at least 50% baseline-to-end-point reduction in 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score, was markedly higher in the DCEAS+BA-treated group than that of controls (40.0% vs 17.4%, P = 0.031). Incidence of adverse events was not different in the two groups. Subgroup analysis revealed that DCEAS+BA with electrical stimulation on forehead acupoints was more apparent in reducing Barthel-Index-measured disability than that without electrical stimulation. Conclusion DCEAS+BA, particularly with electrical stimulation on forehead acupoints, reduces PSD, functional disability, and cognitive deterioration of stroke patients. It can serve as an effective rehabilitation therapy for neuropsychiatric sequelae of stroke.

Introduction: White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) were commonly seen in brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the elderly. Many studies found that WMHs were associated with cognitive decline and dementia. However, the association between WMHs in different brain regions and cognitive decline remains debated. Methods: We explored the association of the severity of WMHs and cognitive decline in 115 non-demented elderly (≥50 years old) sampled from the Wuliqiao Community located in urban area of Shanghai. MRI scans were done during 2009–2011 at the beginning of the study. Severity of WMHs in different brain regions was scored by Improved Scheltens Scale and Cholinergic Pathways Hyperintensities Scale (CHIPS). Cognitive function was evaluated by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) every 2 to 4 years during 2009–2018. Results: After adjusting for confounding factors including age, gender, education level, smoking status, alcohol consumption, depression, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, brain infarcts, brain atrophy, apoE4 status, and baseline MMSE score, periventricular and subcortical WMH lesions as well as WMHs in cholinergic pathways were significantly associated with annual MMSE decline ( p < 0.05), in which the severity of periventricular WMHs predicted a faster MMSE decline (–0.187 points/year, 95% confidence interval: –0.349, –0.026, p = 0.024). Conclusions: The severity of WMHs at baseline was associated with cognitive decline in the non-demented elderly over time. Interventions on WMH lesions may offer some benefits for cognitive deterioration.

Calcium-binding proteins play key roles in the signal transduction in the growth and stress response in eukaryotes. However, a subfamily of proteins with one EF-hand motif has not been fully studied in higher plants. Here, a novel small calcium-binding protein with a C-terminal centrin-like domain (CCD1) in rice, OsCCD1, was characterized to show high similarity with a TaCCD1 in wheat. As a result, OsCCD1 can bind Ca(2+) in the in vitro EMSA and the fluorescence staining calcium-binding assays. Transient expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged OsCCD1 in rice protoplasts showed that OsCCD1 was localized in the nucleus and cytosol of rice cells. OsCCD1 transcript levels were transiently induced by osmotic stress and salt stress through the calcium-mediated ABA signal. The rice seedlings of T-DNA mutant lines showed significantly less tolerance to osmotic and salt stresses than wild type plants (p

A disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain 33 (ADAM33) gene is a transmembrane glycoprotein that mediates changes in cell adhesion and plays an important role in cancer progression. Since bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates are epigenetically toxic, the purpose of this study was to examine whether BPA and phthalate metabolites, including monoethyl phthalate (MEP), mono‑n‑butyl phthalate (MBP), mono‑isobutyl phthalate (MIBP), mono(2‑ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono(2‑ethyl‑5‑hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), mono(2‑ethyl‑5‑carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP), and mono(2‑ethyl‑5‑oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), have an epigenetic impact on ADAM33 and the incidence of breast cancer. CpG islands of breast cancer microarray datasets obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were used to assess the ADAM33 methylation profile. We designed a case‑control study including 44 cases and 22 age‑matched controls to detect the methylation status of intron 1 in ADAM33 from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in blood, using BSP, nested PCR, and bisulfite sequencing, and measured the in vivo gene expression of ADAM33 and the urinary concentrations of endocrine‑disrupting chemicals (EDCs), using real‑time PCR, high‑performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC‑MS). Only one dataset, GSE32393, reached significance (P=0.016). ADAM33 expression and methylation frequencies at CpG site 3 in intron 1 were higher in the control group. We found a positive association between intron 1 methylation level and ADAM33 expression as well as urinary concentrations of MEHHP, MECPP, MEOHP and Σ4MEHP (the sum of MEHP, MECPP, MEHHP, and MEOHP) in the cases. This study suggests that metabolites of phthalate such as MEHHP, MECPP, MEOHP and Σ4MEHP may increase the intron 1 methylation level to elevate ADAM33 gene expression and have a protective effect on reducing the risk of breast cancer.

Objective: The treatment of Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) with moderate proteinuria remains controversial. We retrospectively analyzed the efficacy of immune suppressants, with a particular emphasis on mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). Methods: Ninety-five HSP patients with moderate proteinuria (1.0–3.5 g/24 h) after at least three months of therapy with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) were divided into three groups: an MMF group (n=33) that received MMF 1.0–1.5 g/d combined with prednisone (0.4–0.5 mg/(kg·d)), a corticosteroid (CS) group (n=31) that received full-dose prednisone (0.8–1.0 mg/(kg·d)), and a control group (n=31). Patients in the MMF and CS groups continued to take ACEI or ARB at the original dose. The patients in the control group continued to take ACEI or ARB but the dose was increased by (1.73±0.58)-fold. The patients were followed up for 6–78 months (median 28 months). Results: The baseline proteinuria was higher in the MMF group ((2.1±0.9) g/24 h) than in the control group ((1.6±0.8) g/24 h) (P=0.039). The proteinuria decreased significantly in all groups during follow-up, but only in the MMF group did it decrease significantly after the first month. At the end of follow-up, the proteinuria was (0.4±0.7) g/24 h in the MMF group and (0.4±0.4) g/24 h in the CS group, significantly lower than that in the control group ((0.9±1.1) g/24 h). The remission rates in the MMF group, CS group, and control group were respectively 72.7%, 71.0%, and 48.4% at six months and 72.7%, 64.5%, and 45.2% at the end of follow-up. The overall number of reported adverse events was 17 in the MMF group, 30 in the CS group, and 6 in the control group (P

In this work, a sensitive electrochemical aptasensor for thrombin (TB) based on synergetic catalysis of enzyme and porous Au@Pd core-shell nanostructure has been constructed. With the advantages of large surface area and outstanding catalytic performance, porous Au@Pd core-shell nanostructures were firstly employed as the nanocarrier for the immobilization of electroactive toluidine blue (Tb), hemin/G-quadruplex formed by intercalating hemin into the TB aptamer (TBA) and glucose oxidase (GOx). As a certain amount of glucose was added into the detection cell, GOx rapidly catalyzed the oxidation of glucose, coupling with the local generation of H2O2 in the presence of dissolved O2. Then, porous Au@Pd nanoparticles and hemin/G-quadruplex as the peroxidase mimics efficiently catalyzed the reduction of H2O2, amplifying the electrochemical signal and improving the sensitivity. Finally, a detection limit of 0.037pM for TB was achieved. The excellent performance of the aptasensor indicated its promising prospect as a valuable tool in simple and cost-effective TB detection in clinical application.

INTRODUCTION As the pharmacokinetics (PK) of factor VIII (FVIII) is individualized in children with haemophilia A (HA), PK parameters may be indicators of patients' bleeding phenotype and instruction for their personalized replacement program. AIM The aim of this study was to investigate the possible relationship between PK/FVIII level and bleeding frequency in Chinese paediatric patients with severe (HA). METHODS A total of 24 patients were enrolled in Beijing Children's Hospital from February to October 2015, all of whom were given 50 IU/kg of FVIII concentrates after a 72-hours washout period. Samples' activities (FVIII:C) were tested at 5 time points, using WinNonlin software for PK testing, and then the individual half-life(t1/2 ) and the time (h) of FVIII concentrations

The so-called water flooding characteristic curve refers to the oilfield water injection (or natural water drive) development process, a relationship between curve cumulative oil production, cumulative water production and accumulation of fluid production. These curves have been widely used for water injection development of dynamic and recoverable reserves forecast. After many years of practical application, summed up the four kinds of water drive characteristic curve, they have a good practical significance. Recoverable reserves are important indicators of field development is the main basis for planning and design, the application of waterflooding characteristic curve can be predicted oil recoverable reserves. Four water flooding characteristics discussed above curve is mainly applied in high-permeability oil field, which did not consider starting pressure, but should consider the impact of low permeability oilfield actuating pressure gradient on the moisture content.

In order to develop remanufacturing industry in China, building a perfect system of remanufacturing standard is an urgent need, which can ensure the stable and reliable quality of remanufacturing product. In this paper, a system framework of remanufacturing standard was put forward, based on the demands of remanufacturing industry development in China. Remanufacturing standards were divided into three levels, such as generic technology standards of cross-industry, important industry and major products. And then the remanufacturing standard system was analyzed and explained.

ObjectivesSoluble urokinase plasminogen activated receptor (suPAR) is a biomarker that may predict the occurrence of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS); however, there is still controversy about whether suPAR can predict FSGS. In this study, we performed a systematic evaluation and meta-analysis to prove whether suPAR can predict FSGS, and to detect a threshold concentration of suPAR that can be used to diagnose FSGS. In addition, a threshold concentration of suPAR for the diagnosis of FSGS was proposed.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesWe systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and China Biology Medicine databases for studies published from the inception dates to 1 December 2018.Eligibility criteria(1) Data involving the suPAR level were from blood samples; (2) FSGS was diagnosed by biopsy; and (3) randomised controlled trials, cohort studies, case–control studies and cross-sectional studies.Data extraction and synthesisInitially, a total of 364 studies were searched, among which 29 studies were finally included. In addition, seven studies described the cut-off value of suPAR, which ranged from 2992.6 to 5500 pg/mL.ResultsThe results showed that the suPAR levels in the primary FSGS group were significantly higher when compared with that in the normal control group (p<0.001; standard mean difference (SMD): 2.56; 95% CI 1.85 to 3.28), and significant differences were observed in the secondary FSGS and in the normal control group (p<0.001; SMD: 1.68; 95% CI 1.37 to 1.98). A suPAR concentration of 3000 pg/mL may be the best threshold for the diagnosis of primary FSGS (sensitivity=0.72; specificity=0.88; area under the curve=0.85).ConclusionOur results suggested that suPAR might be a potential biomarker for predicting primary and secondary FSGS. In addition, our data showed that a suPAR concentration of 3000 pg/mL might be used as a threshold for the diagnosis of FSGS.Trial registration numberCRD42019120948.

Strain Galactomyces sp. M-2 from activated sludge was used as parent strain and then UV mutation breeding was performed. Finally we obtained a quality strain UVM8 suitable for the production of bioflocculant which flocculating activity is 92.8%. It showed there is excellent stable flocculating activity for stain UVM8 in the flocculating stability experiment. Further studies showed the best flocculation effect was obtained when C/N ration is 20:2 and pH is 8 in the initial culture medium.

First, we researched permanent infiltrating fluid of horizontal well of the bottom water reservoir using the method of the mirror reflex ion and the potential superposition principle, so we obtained productivity formula of bottom water reservoir in the condition of monophase flow; On the basis of monophase flow, with the horizontal well productivity of monophase flow as the initial production, we deduced horizontal well productivity formula of two-phase flow of bottom water drive reservoir using the potential superposition principle and the method of equivalent filtrational resistance. This formula fit in with the field data in the practical application, therefore the theoretical study of this article has a certain guiding significance to the research and application on bottom water drive reservoir oil-water two phase flow.

In this paper, the micro-nanopowder of ancient Sea rock was used as core material to filter tap water. With this method, the healthy-drinking water has been prepared successfully with the property of weak alkaline, small molecule clusters, rich of trace elements contributing to health. Its properties were characterized by high-resolution superconducting NMR spectrometer, inductively-coupled plasma spectrometer, far infrared radiation rate tester, pH acidity meter and redox potential instrument. The results showed that the pH value of this water was 7.2~7.8, and the region of ORP was 124mV; FWHM of 17O-NMR spectrum was 56.39Hz, It is a kind of water with small molecules; It also contains a variety of macro and micro elements which human needed; The filtered water is beneficial to human health and longevity with a good immune function. Keywords: Ancient Sea rock, Function water, Health, Longevity

The volume tendency of in-use and second-hand computers in China were analyzed, the emerging danger of second-hand computers by incorrect treatment was summarized, the integration disposal technologies based on remanufacture and reuse technology aiming at monitors, electronic devices, metals, plastics materials, and overall computers were put forward, the economic and social benefits were also analyzed. The results show that the integration disposal process of second-hand computer is an optimum approach to save the resource of electromechanical products. Remanufacturing and disposal 100 thousands second-hand computers per year could create profits about ￥10 millions and provide employment for 300 persons. It can be deduced that there are great potential opportunities for the second-hand computers disposal industry containing recycle, remanufacture and reuse engineering.

Based on the foreign remanufacturing mode, the new remanufacturing rapid forming technology, which relies mainly on Surface Repair and Performance Improving Method has been explored and practiced. The aim of remanufacturing forming is to renew the original size of the waste components rapidly, and then improve their service performance. The advanced rapid forming technology, especially the high density heat source surface forming technology, is the important technique to carry out rapid forming. Based on the arc heat source, plasma heat source and laser heat source, three kinds of high density heat source remanufacturing forming technologies, such as high speed arc spraying forming technology, micro-arc plasma forming technology, and laser cladding forming technology, have been developed.

AimTo compare the efficacy and safety of intravaginal misoprostol 200 µg, 400 µg and gemeprost regimens for second-trimester termination of pregnancy (TOP).MethodsA three- armed randomi sed controlled trial (Clinical Trial Certificate 1100015) where 116 women undergoing second-trimester TOP were given intravaginal misoprostol 200 µ g (n=37), misoprostol 400 µg (n=40) or gemeprost 1 mg (n=39) at 4- hour intervals until abortion occurred with a maximum of five doses.ResultsThe misoprostol 400 µg group had the highest incidence of successful abortions (92.5%) compared to the misoprostol 200 µg (70.3%;p=0.017) and gemeprost 1 mg (74.4%;p=0.037) within 48 hours. There was no significant difference in abortion rate between misoprostol 200 µg and gemeprost. The misoprostol 400 µg group had the highest incidence of fever (70.0%) compared to misoprostol 200 µg (24.3%;pp=0.041). The gemeprost group had the highest incidence of diarrhoea (38.5%) compared to misoprostol 400 µg (10.0%;p=0.004) and misoprostol 200 µg (8.1%;p=0.003) groups.ConclusionsIntravaginal misoprostol 400 µ g at 4- hour intervals was the most effective regimen but was associated with a high incidence of fever. Misoprostol 200 µg demonstrated similar effectiveness as gemeprost and had lower incidence of diarrhoea. Gemeprost should not be first line for medical therapy given the cost, storage requirements and lower efficacy.

Introduction: The objective of this paper is to construct a Bayesian model for re-analyzing the results of several published meta-analyses concerning the impact of Bone Marrow Cell Therapy (BMC) on Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) in adult patients with heart diseases. Method: The pooled mean difference in LVEF between BMC and the control group is the outcome of interest. With the help of the Gibbs sampler, the proposed Bayesian model combined the data from 6 cohort studies (prior) with the results collated from 54 well-cited randomized controlled trials published from 2004 to 2013 (likelihood) for generating the posterior distribution for meta-analysis. Results: The conventional model showed that BMC could bring modest but statistically significant effect to patients with heart diseases. The pooled effect of mean difference in LVEF was +3.12% (95% C.I.: 2.20-4.03) in favour of BMC, according to the objective Bayesian model. Sensitivity analyses showed that the priors had little influence on the posterior results. Discussion/Conclusion: More RCTs are needed before further conclusion can be made about the impact of BMC on LVEF. The Bayesian model has provided more insights to the problem and the nature of data selected for meta-analysis. Keywords: Bone marrow cell therapy; Left ventricular ejection fraction; Objective bayesian meta-analysis

In this work, a sensitive electrochemical biosensing to Pb2+ was proposed based on the high specificity of DNAzymes to Pb2+. The response signal was efficiently amplified by the catalytic hairpin assembly induced by strand replacement reaction and the formation of dendritic structure DNA (DSDNA) by layer-by-layer assembly. Firstly, in the presence of Pb2+, the substrate strand (S1) of the Pb2+-specific DNAzymes was specifically cleaved by Pb2+. Secondly, one of the two fragments (rS1) introduced into the electrode surface was hybridized with a hairpin DNA (H1) and further replaced by another hairpin DNA (H2) by the hybridization reaction of H1 with H2. The released rS1 then induced the next hybridization with H1. After repeated cycles, the catalytic recycling assembly of H2 with H1 was completed. Thirdly, two bioconjugates of Pt@Pd nanocages (Pt@PdNCs) labeled with DNA S3/S4 and electroactive toluidine blue (Tb) (Tb-S3-Pt@PdNCs and Tb-S4-Pt@PdNCs) were captured onto the resultant electrode surface through the hybridization of S3 and H2, S3 and S4, resulting in the formation of DSDNA triggered by layer-by-layer assembly. This formed DSDNA greatly facilitated the immobilization of manganese(III) meso-tetrakis (4-N-methylpyridiniumyl)-porphyrin (MnTMPyP) as mimicking enzyme. Under the synergistic catalysis of Pt@PdNCs and MnTMPyP to H2O2 reduction, the effective signal amplification of the developed Pb2+ biosensor was achieved. As a result, the sensitive detection of the proposed electrochemical strategy for Pb2+ was greatly improved in the range of 0.1pM-200nM with a detection limit of 0.033pM.

This article analyzes the level and variability of abstract models in geophysical data acquisition system, and designs a cross-platform and reusable geophysical data acquisition software framework using the pipe-filter pattern and abstract factory pattern, based on the modern software engineering, and improves the efficiency of such software development. The framework has been firstly applied in the wide filed electromagnetic system and got a good result. It has a great prospect and application value.

We conducted a case-control study to determine the prevalence of the CALHM1 P86L polymorphism (rs2986017) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the Chinese population of mainland China, and also to clarify whether this polymorphism is a risk factor for AD. Fourteen heterozygous P86L carriers were identified among 198 AD patients. One control subject was also found to be a P86L heterozygous carrier. The allelic frequencies of the AD patients and control subjects were found to be significantly different. Our study indicates that the CALHM1-P86L polymorphism is associated with AD in the ethnic Chinese Han.

4. Through the development of computer program, environment surveillance monitoring procedure is highly-efficient. Also, the establishment of standards of testing specimen can avoid contamination. Conclusions: Most departments are highly satisfied with the program because of increased work efficiency. In future, this program can be considered to contribute to inspect test results of epidemic outbreak and do ‘quality assurance’ of the medical practice directly related to infection control as well as consistent monitoring will be needed.

To investigate the benefits of endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) before stent placement by meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Science Citation Index databases up to March 2014 were searched. The primary outcome was incidence of post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis (PEP) and successful stent insertion rate. The secondary outcomes were the incidence of post-ERCP bleeding, stent migration and occlusion. The free software Review Manager was used to perform the meta-analysis.Three studies (n = 338 patients, 170 in the EST group and 168 in the non-EST group) were included. All three studies described a comparison of baseline patient characteristics and showed that there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups. Three RCTs, including 338 patients, were included in this meta-analysis. Most of the analyzed outcomes were similar between the groups. Although EST reduced the incidence of PEP, it also led to a higher incidence of post-ERCP bleeding (OR = 0.34, 95%CI: 0.12-0.93, P = 0.04; OR = 9.70, 95%CI: 1.21-77.75, P = 0.03, respectively).EST before stent placement may be useful in reducing the incidence of PEP. However, EST-related complications, such as bleeding and perforation, may offset this effect.

An economical, convenient portable drug delivery system combining osmotic pump with subcutaneous infusion was developed, which was composed of three primary components: water chamber, osmotic pump chamber and support base. Ceftriaxone sodium (CRO) was selected as the model drug and osmotic pump tablets were prepared. The influence of osmotic agents on drug release profiles was evaluated. As the adjustment made by the osmotic agents was limited, the compositions of semipermeable membrane were investigated to determine significant associations of factors based on orthogonal design. The in vitro release profiles of the optimum formulation achieved to the predetermined value (15 ± 3 min for the initial release time T(i) and 5.75 ± 0.25 h for the extent release time T(e)). The pharmacokinetic profiles of this drug delivery system were evaluated in Beagle dogs. In vivo results demonstrated that the osmotic pump subcutaneous infusion administration was equivalent to intravenous injection administration in terms of bioavailability. Moreover, constant drug plasma levels with minimized fluctuations could be achieved with this osmotic pump subcutaneous infusion system, compared with intravenous injection.

AIM: To compare outcome of stapled hemorrhoidopexy (SH) vs LigaSure hemorrhoidectomy (LH) by a meta-analysis of available randomized controlled trials (RCTs). METHODS: Databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and the Science Citation Index updated to December 2012, were searched. The main outcomes measured were operating time, early postoperative pain, postoperative urinary retention and bleeding, wound problems, gas or fecal incontinence, anal stenosis, length of hospital stay, residual skin tags, prolapse, and recurrence. The meta-analysis was performed using the free software Review Manager. Differences observed between the two groups were expressed as the odds ratio (OR) with 95%CI. A fixed-effects model was used to pool data when statistical heterogeneity was not present. If statistical heterogeneity was present (P < 0.05), a random-effects model was used. RESULTS: The initial search identified 10 publications. After screening, five RCTs published as full articles were included in this meta-analysis. Among the five studies, all described a comparison of the patient baseline characteristics and showed that there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Although most of the analyzed outcomes were similar between the two operative techniques, the operating time for SH was significantly longer than for LH (P < 0.00001; OR= -6.39, 95%CI: -7.68 - -5.10). The incidence of residual skin tags and prolapse was significantly lower in the LH group than in the SH group [2/111 (1.8%) vs 16/105 (15.2%); P = 0.0004; OR= 0.17, 95%CI: 0.06-0.45). The incidence of recurrence after the procedures was significantly lower in the LH group than in the SH group [2/173 (1.2%) vs 13/174 (7.5%); P = 0.003; OR= 0.21, 95%CI: 0.07-0.59]. CONCLUSION: Both SH and LH are probably equally valuable techniques in modern hemorrhoid surgery. However, LigaSure might have slightly favorable immediate postoperative results and technical advantages.

Diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) and functional diarrhea (FD) are highly prevalent, and the effectiveness of acupuncture for managing IBS-D and FD is still unknown. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of electroacupuncture with loperamide. It was a prospective, randomized, parallel group controlled trial. A total of 448 participants were randomly assigned to He electroacupuncture group (n = 113), Shu-Mu electroacupuncture group (n = 111), He-Shu-Mu electroacupuncture group (n = 112), or loperamide group (n = 112). Participants in the 3 acupuncture groups received 16 sessions of electroacupuncture during a 4-week treatment phase, whereas participants in the loperamide group received oral loperamide 2 mg thrice daily. The primary outcome was the change from baseline in stool frequency at the end of the 4-weeks treatment. The secondary outcomes were the Bristol scale, the MOS 36-item short form health survey (SF-36), the weekly average number of days with normal defecations and the proportion of adverse events. Stool frequency was significantly reduced at the end of the 4-week treatment in the 4 groups (mean change from baseline, 5.35 times/week). No significant difference was found between the 3 electroacupuncture groups and the loperamide group in the primary outcome (He vs. loperamide group [mean difference 0.6, 95% CI, –1.2 to 2.4]; Shu-Mu vs. loperamide group [0.4, 95% CI, –1.4 to 2.3]; He-Shu-Mu vs. loperamide group [0.0, 95% CI, –1.8 to 1.8]). Both electroacupuncture and loperamide significantly improved the mean score of Bristol scale and increased the weekly average number of days with normal defecations and the mean scores of SF-36; they were equivalent in these outcomes. However, the participants in electroacupuncture groups did not report fewer adverse events than those in the loperamide group. Similar results were found in a subgroup analysis of separating patients with IBS-D and FD patients. Electroacupuncture is equivalent to loperamide for reducing stool frequency in IBS-D and FD patients. Further studies on cost effectiveness of acupuncture are warranted.

Background: Asthma is a common chronic inflammatory respiratory disease. Previous studies have suggested that the pathogenesis of asthma may be affected by epigenetic regulation. The purpose of this study is to characterize the effect of the methylation of each CpG site in the ADAM33 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 33) gene in adult asthma. Methods: A human CpG island microarray was used to examine 4 asthmatic cases and 4 healthy controls, and the results suggested that there might be differences in methylation within exon 9 of the ADAM33 gene. Therefore, we designed a case-control study with 50 asthmatic patients and 50 age- and sex-matched healthy controls to examine the relationship between the CpG methylation of the ADAM33 gene and asthma using bisulfite deoxyribonucleic acid modification and sequencing. Results: Bisulfite sequencing experiments showed that the 14 CpG sites in exon 9 of the ADAM33 gene were highly methylated (100%) in all individuals. The proportions of methylation of the 14 CpG sites in ADAM33 in the case group were not different from those of the control group. The methylation of exon 9 of this locus was not associated with age, sex, IgE levels, or lung function. This study found no association between the methylation of CpG sites in exon 9 of the ADAM33 gene and adult asthma. Conclusions: The 14 CpG sites were highly methylated in the case and control groups. Further investigation of exon 9 in ADAM33 in a larger population is needed to evaluate its role in asthma.

To evaluate the clinical significance of pretreatment levels of plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA (pEBV DNA) on prognoses in pediatric nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. Eighty-nine patients aged 21 years old or younger with nonmetastatic NPC were evaluated to determine the effect of pEBV DNA levels on progression-free survival (PFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and overall survival (OS). Survival probabilities in patient groups that were segregated by clinical stage or pEBV DNA load (low or high) were compared. The median pretreatment concentrations of pEBV DNA were 3440 copies/mL in 35 patients with stage III disease and 14,900 copies/mL in 50 patients with stage IV disease (P = 0.059). The median concentration of pEBV DNA was 34,500 copies/mL in 17 patients with relapse, which was higher than the concentration in 72 patients without relapse, who had a median level of 4985 copies/mL (P = 0.057). Further study showed that pretreatment pEBV DNA load was an independent prognostic indicator in pediatric NPC patients. High pEBV DNA was associated with adverse clinical outcomes, including PFS [3-year PFS rate = 80.5% versus 95.8%, hazard ratio (HR) = 5.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.00-25.00; P = 0.050], DMFS (3-year DMFS rate = 80.5% versus 95.8%, HR = 5.20, 95% CI = 1.04-26.00; P = 0.045), and OS (3-year OS rate = 82.9% versus 95.8%, HR = 5.41, 95% CI = 1.08-27.22; P = 0.040). Pretreatment pEBV DNA load was an independent prognostic indicator for PFS, DMFS, and OS in pediatric patients with NPC. Prospective studies, however, are needed to validate these results.

Several previous studies on the relationship between the insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) gene and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have connected certain genetic variants to late-onset AD, in the absence of the apolipoprotein E (APOE)e4 allele. However, the conclusions of these studies remain controversial. We investigated the association between two polymorphisms of IDE with AD in the Chinese population and found that the T/A genotype of rs4646958 had an important role in AD (adjusted p = 0.007, odds ratio [OR] = 2.796, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.330–5.878), under the co-dominant genetic model. The T/C genotype of rs1887922 was also significantly associated with AD compared to the T/T genotype (adjusted p = 0.003, OR = 2.644, 95% CI = 1.407–4.970). The C allele of rs1887922 conferred a higher risk of AD under the dominant genetics model (adjusted p = 0.001, OR = 2.719, 95% CI = 1.472–5.022). Compared with the two other variant genotypes, the T/T genotype showed a protective effect in both polymorphisms (adjusted p = 0.007, OR = 0. 358, 95% CI = 0.170–0.752 for rs4646958; adjusted p = 0.001, OR = 0. 368, 95% CI = 0.199–0.679 in rs1887922). In the context of APOEe4-negative status, both variants were significantly associated with AD in some genetic models.