The effect of supplementing with Saccharomyces boulardii on bismuth quadruple therapy for eradicating Helicobacter pylori: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background and objective: It remains uncertain if the addition of Saccharomyces boulardii (S. boulardii) to bismuth quadruple therapy (BQT) recommended in the current guidelines can enhance the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication rate and decrease the incidence of adverse events. We therefore conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to address this issue. Methods: We performed comprehensive searches in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane library databases from the inception of the databases through to November 1, 2023. A meta-analysis was conducted to determine the pooled relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using a random-effects model. We utilized the revised Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool to assess the risk of bias of included studies. Results: A total of six RCTs (1,404 patients) included in this meta-analysis. The results of the intention-to-treat analysis showed that the combination of S. boulardii with BQT had a higher eradication rate than BQT alone (87.0% versus 83.3%), with a pooled RR of 1.05 (95% CI: 1.00-1.10, p = 0.03). In the per-protocol analysis, however, there was no statistical significance between the two groups in the eradication rate (93.7% versus 91.0%, RR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.00-1.06, p = 0.07). The combination of S. boulardii and BQT had a significantly lower rate of overall adverse events (22% vs. 39%, RR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.44-0.70, p < 0.00001), diarrhea (7.9% vs. 25.7%, RR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.17-0.48, p < 0.00001), constipation (2.9% vs. 8.4%, RR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.14-0.88, p = 0.03) and abdominal distention (4.9% vs. 12.7%, RR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.23-0.72, p = 0.002) than BQT alone. For the assessment of risk of bias, five studies were deemed to have some concerns, while one study was judged to have a low risk. Conclusion: Current evidence suggests that supplementation with S. boulardii in BQT may not have a major effect on the H. pylori eradication rate, but significantly reduces the incidence of overall adverse events, diarrhea, abdominal distention and constipation. Combining S. Boulardii with BQT can help alleviate symptoms, potentially improving patient adherence. Systematic review registration: https://osf.io/n9z7c.

Detection value of third-generation sequencing to identify the pathogenic organisms in prosthetic joint infection.

To compare the detection value of third-generation sequencing (TGS) with pathogenic microbial culture in prosthetic joint infection (PJI). Arthrocentesis was performed on 29 patients who underwent hip and knee revision surgeries. In the PJI group, TGS detected 85.71 % of positive cases, while pathogenic microbial culture detected only 42.85 %. TGS identified 17 different pathogenic microorganisms, including Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus lactis, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. In the loosening group, TGS was positive in one patient, while microbial culture was negative in all cases. TGS showed higher sensitivity (85.71 % vs. 42.85 %), comparable specificity (93.33 % vs. 100 %), and similar positive predictive value (92.31 % vs. 100 %) compared to culture.However, TGS had a higher negative predictive value (87.5 % vs. 65.22 %).Additionally, TGS provided faster results (mean time 23.8±3.6 h) compared to microbial culture (mean time 108.0±9.4 h).These findings suggest that TGS holds promise for detecting pathogenic microorganisms in PJI and has potential for clinical application.

[Regional CT value in prediction of proximal femoral fracture].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate CT values of cancellous bone in femoral neck in adults over 60 years with proximal femoral fractures. METHODS: From January 2020 to December 2020, a retrospective analysis was performed on 280 subjects aged 60 years or older who underwent bilateral hip CT examination, including 85 males and 195 females, 120 on the left side and 160 on the right side, aged 75 (66, 82) years old. One hundred thirty-six patients with proximal femoral fractures were included in study group and 144 patients without fractures were included in control group. GEOptima CT was used to scan and reconstruct horizontal, coronal and sagittal layers of proximal femur. CT values of cancellous bone in femoral neck were measured and compared between two groups. The relationship between CT values of cancellous bone of femoral neck and proximal femoral fracture was analyzed statistically. RESULTS: In terms of age, fracture group aged 79(73.3, 85.0) years old, non-fracture group aged 69.5 (64.0, 78.8) years old, and had significant difference in age between two groups (P<0.05). In terms of CT value, regional CT value in fracture group was 8.62(-3.62, 27.15) HU, which was lower than that in non-fracture group 34.31(-5.93, 71.74) HU(P<0.05). CT value on coronal view in fracture group was -8.48(-30.96, 17.46) HU, which was lower than that in non-fracture group 40.49(5.55, 80.71) HU (P<0.05). CT value on sagittal view in fracture group was -31.28(-54.91, -5.11) HU, which was lower than that in non-fracture group 7.74(-20.12, 44.54) HU (P<0.05). CT values on horizontal view in fracture group was 0.17(-23.13, 24.60) HU, which was lower than that in non-fracture group 46.40(10.42, 85.18) HU(P<0.05). The mean regional CT values among three planes in the fracture group were lower than those in the non-fracture group. Logistic regression analysis showed coronal CT value was influencing factors of proximal femoral fracture, and it could be written into regression equations that predict probability of fracture. CONCLUSION: In adults aged over 60 years old, CT values of cancellous bone of femoral neck decreased with increasing age. The smaller CT value of cancellous bone of femoral neck, the greater risk of proximal femoral fracture.

A novel risk variant block across introns 36-45 of CACNA1C for schizophrenia: a cohort-wise replication and cerebral region-wide validation study.

OBJECTIVES: Numerous genome-wide association studies have identified CACNA1C as one of the top risk genes for schizophrenia. As a necessary post-genome-wide association study (GWAS) follow-up, here, we focused on this risk gene, carefully investigated its novel risk variants for schizophrenia, and explored their potential functions. METHODS: We analyzed four independent samples (including three European and one African-American) comprising 5648 cases and 6936 healthy subjects to identify replicable single nucleotide polymorphism-schizophrenia associations. The potential regulatory effects of schizophrenia-risk alleles on CACNA1C mRNA expression in 16 brain regions (n = 348), gray matter volumes (GMVs) of five subcortical structures (n = 34 431), and surface areas and thickness of 34 cortical regions (n = 36 936) were also examined. RESULTS: A novel 17-variant block across introns 36-45 of CACNA1C was significantly associated with schizophrenia in the same effect direction across at least two independent samples (1.8 × 10-4 ≤ P ≤ 0.049). Most risk variants within this block showed significant associations with CACNA1C mRNA expression (1.6 × 10-3 ≤ P ≤ 0.050), GMVs of subcortical structures (0.016 ≤ P ≤ 0.048), cortical surface areas (0.010 ≤ P ≤ 0.050), and thickness (0.004 ≤ P ≤ 0.050) in multiple brain regions. CONCLUSION: We have identified a novel and functional risk variant block at CACNA1C for schizophrenia, providing further evidence for the important role of this gene in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.

Pleiotropic Association of CACNA1C Variants With Neuropsychiatric Disorders.

BACKGROUND: Neuropsychiatric disorders are highly heritable and have overlapping genetic underpinnings. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the gene CACNA1C have been associated with several neuropsychiatric disorders, across multiple genome-wide association studies. METHOD: A total of 70,711 subjects from 37 independent cohorts with 13 different neuropsychiatric disorders were meta-analyzed to identify overlap of disorder-associated SNPs within CACNA1C. The differential expression of CACNA1C mRNA in five independent postmortem brain cohorts was examined. Finally, the associations of disease-sharing risk alleles with total intracranial volume (ICV), gray matter volumes (GMVs) of subcortical structures, cortical surface area (SA), and average cortical thickness (TH) were tested. RESULTS: Eighteen SNPs within CACNA1C were nominally associated with more than one neuropsychiatric disorder (P < .05); the associations shared among schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and alcohol use disorder survived false discovery rate correction (five SNPs with P < 7.3 × 10-4 and q < 0.05). CACNA1C mRNA was differentially expressed in brains from individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and Parkinson's disease, relative to controls (three SNPs with P < .01). Risk alleles shared by schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, substance dependence, and Parkinson's disease were significantly associated with ICV, GMVs, SA, or TH (one SNP with P ≤ 7.1 × 10-3 and q < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Integrating multiple levels of analyses, we identified CACNA1C variants associated with multiple psychiatric disorders, and schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were most strongly implicated. CACNA1C variants may contribute to shared risk and pathophysiology in these conditions.

Value of the Prognostic Nutritional Index in Surgery for Crohn Disease in China and the Effects on Outcome: A Retrospective Study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the value of the Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) in the surgery of Crohn Disease and examine the ability of PNI to predict poor outcomes with surgery. METHODS: One hundred fifty-seven patients were divided into a good nutrition group (PNI ≥40) and a poor nutrition group (PNI <40). The retrospective univariate analysis, logistic regression multivariate analysis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were used to screen out independent risk factors for postoperative complications and postoperative recurrences that required reoperation. RESULTS: Penetrating behavior was an independent risk factor for postoperative complications. Emergency surgery, penetrating behavior, hypoalbuminemia, and low PNI were independent risk factors for reoperation. By the receiver operating characteristic analysis, low PNI was superior to hypoproteinemia in predicting postsurgical recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: PNI is a good marker for predicting surgical recurrence, but it cannot predict postoperative complications. The nutritional status in patients before elective surgery can be modified to improve PNI. It can reduce surgical recurrence to a minimum level.

Silencing hsa_circ_0049271 attenuates hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R)-induced myocardial cell injury via the miR-17-3p/FZD4 signaling axis.

Background: This study sought to explore the role and molecular mechanism of circ_0049271 in hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R)-induced cardiomyocyte injury. Methods: Significantly upregulated circular ribonucleic acids (circRNAs) in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) data sets were identified using a Venn diagram. A H9c2 (rat cardiomyocytes) cell model of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was induced by 1% H/R. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression levels of circ_0049271, miR-17-3p, and FZD4 in clinical blood samples and cells, and Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) was used to determine the proliferation rate of the cells in each group. Next, flow cytometry and Western blot were used to evaluate cell apoptosis. Biochemical tests and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were then used to determine the activities/levels of the cell damage markers [i.e., creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)], oxidative stress substances [i.e., malondialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and superoxide dismutase (SOD)], and inflammatory factors [i.e., interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, and IL-8]. In addition, intermolecular interactions were verified using dual-luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down experiments. Results: Circ_0049271 was significantly upregulated in both the blood of the AMI patients and the H/R-induced H9c2 cells. The knockdown of circ_0049271 increased the cell proliferation rate, decreased the apoptosis rate, inhibited oxidative stress (ROS and MDA were upregulated, and SOD was downregulated) and inflammatory responses (IL-1, IL-6, and IL-8 were downregulated), and relieved cell damage. However, the overexpression of circ_0049271 promoted H/R-induced H9c2 cell damage. Further experiments showed that miR-17-3p was a target of circ_0049271, and miR-17-3p was negatively correlated with circ_0049271 in the AMI blood samples. Additionally, miR-17-3p was found to target FZD4. A further exploration also revealed that miR-17-3p knockdown or FZD4 overexpression reversed the effects of si-circ_0049271 on the H/R-induced H9c2 cells; that is, miR-17-3p knockdown or FZD4 overexpression promoted H/R-induced injury in the H9c2 cells. Conclusions: Circ_0049271 promoted cellular function damage (e.g., proliferation inhibition, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation) in H/R-induced H9c2 cardiomyocytes via the miR-17-3p/FZD4 signaling axis.

The prognostic value of the ratio of standard uptake value of lymph node to primary tumor before treatment of locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the prognostic value of the ratio of the standard uptake value of the lymph node and primary tumor before the treatment of locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma and examine the prognostic value of the tumor metabolic parameters (SUVmax, MTV, and TLG) of the lymph node and primary tumor of locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. METHODS: A total of 180 patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma diagnosed pathologically from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2018 were selected, and the MEDEX system was used to automatically delineate the SUVmax, MTV, and TLG of the lymph node metastases and nasopharyngeal carcinoma primary tumor. In addition, the ratio of LN-SUVmax (SUVmax of the lymph node metastases) to T-SUVmax (SUVmax of the nasopharyngeal carcinoma primary tumor) was calculated, and a ROC curve was drawn to obtain the best cut-off value. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models were used for survival and multivariate analyses, respectively. RESULTS: The median follow-up period for participants was 32 (4-62) months. Univariate analysis showed that age (P = 0.013), LN-SUVmax (P = 0.001), LN-TLG (P = 0.007) and NTR (P = 0.001) were factors influencing the overall survival (OS). Factors affecting local progression-free survival (LPFS) were LN-SUVmax (P = 0.005), LN-TLG (P = 0.003) and NTR (P = 0.020), while clinical stage (P = 0.023), LN-SUVmax (P = 0.007), LN-TLG (P = 0.006), and NTR (P = 0.032) were factors affecting distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS). Multivariate analysis showed that NTR was an independent influencing factor of OS (HR 3.00, 95% CI 1.06-8.4, P = 0.038), LPFS (HR 3.08, 95% CI 1.27-7.50, P = 0.013), and DMFS (HR 1.84, 95% CI 0.99-3.42, P = 0.054). Taking OS as the main observation point, the best cut-off point of NTR was 0.95. Kaplan-Meier results showed that the 3-year OS (97.0% vs 85.4%, χ2 = 11.25, P = 0.001), 3-year LPFS (91.3% vs 82.1%, χ2 = 4.035, P = 0.045), and 3-year DMFS (92.3% vs 87.9%, χ2 = 4.576, P = 0.032) of patients with NTR < 0.95 were higher than those with NTR > 0.95. CONCLUSIONS: High NTR before treatment indicates a poor prognosis for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. This can serve as a reference value for the reasonable treatment and prognosis monitoring of such patients.

Evidence that the pituitary gland connects type 2 diabetes mellitus and schizophrenia based on large-scale trans-ethnic genetic analyses.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies on European (EUR) samples have obtained inconsistent results regarding the genetic correlation between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and Schizophrenia (SCZ). A large-scale trans-ethnic genetic analysis may provide additional evidence with enhanced power. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore the genetic basis for both T2DM and SCZ based on large-scale genetic analyses of genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from both East Asian (EAS) and EUR subjects. METHODS: A range of complementary approaches were employed to cross-validate the genetic correlation between T2DM and SCZ at the whole genome, autosomes (linkage disequilibrium score regression, LDSC), loci (Heritability Estimation from Summary Statistics, HESS), and causal variants (MiXeR and Mendelian randomization, MR) levels. Then, genome-wide and transcriptome-wide cross-trait/ethnic meta-analyses were performed separately to explore the effective shared organs, cells and molecular pathways. RESULTS: A weak genome-wide negative genetic correlation between SCZ and T2DM was found for the EUR (rg = - 0.098, P = 0.009) and EAS (rg =- 0.053 and P = 0.032) populations, which showed no significant difference between the EUR and EAS populations (P = 0.22). After Bonferroni correction, the rg remained significant only in the EUR population. Similar results were obtained from analyses at the levels of autosomes, loci and causal variants. 25 independent variants were firstly identified as being responsible for both SCZ and T2DM. The variants associated with the two disorders were significantly correlated to the gene expression profiles in the brain (P = 1.1E-9) and pituitary gland (P = 1.9E-6). Then, 61 protein-coding and non-coding genes were identified as effective genes in the pituitary gland (P < 9.23E-6) and were enriched in metabolic pathways related to glutathione mediated arsenate detoxification and to D-myo-inositol-trisphosphate. CONCLUSION: Here, we show that a negative genetic correlation exists between SCZ and T2DM at the whole genome, autosome, locus and causal variant levels. We identify pituitary gland as a common effective organ for both diseases, in which non-protein-coding effective genes, such as lncRNAs, may be responsible for the negative genetic correlation. This highlights the importance of molecular metabolism and neuroendocrine modulation in the pituitary gland, which may be responsible for the initiation of T2DM in SCZ patients.

Enhanced-Dose Statins for ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients after Emergency Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background: Acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a serious multiple acute cardiovascular disease. This study investigated the effect of statins on the efficacy and prognosis of STEMI patients after emergency PCI. Methods: From October 2019 to January 2021, 98 patients with STEMI in our hospital were selected and divided into study group and control group. The study group took atorvastatin 40 mg 2 hours before surgery, 40 mg/day after surgery, and 20 mg/day 1 week later. The control group received 20 mg of atorvastatin every night after admission. The cardiac output, left ventricular ejection fraction, blood flow classification, vagus nerve function, heart rate deceleration force and chemoreflex sensitivity were compared between the two groups, and recorded the incidence of adverse reactions before and after treatment and 3 months after treatment. The number of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) was also recorded. Results: Before treatment, there were no differences in CO, CI, and LVEF between the study and control groups. After treatment, CO, CI, and LVEF in the study group were significantly higher than those in the control group. Before treatment, there was no significant difference in TIMI blood flow classification among the groups, and after treatment, the study group was better than the control group. DC and ChRS were significantly higher in the study group than in the control group. There was no difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the study group and the control group. However, the incidence of MACE in the study group was lower than that in the control group. Conclusion: Enhanced-dose atorvastatin for STEMI patients improved PCI treatment effect, cardiac function, and vagus nerve function and reduced the incidence of adverse cardiac events. Thus, statins are safe and worth considering.

Poricoic Acid A Inhibits the NF-κB/MAPK Pathway to Alleviate Renal Fibrosis in Rats with Cardiorenal Syndrome.

Objective: To explore the potential and mechanism of action of poricoic acid A (PAA) in treatment of cardiorenal injury and fibrosis due to cardiorenal syndrome (CRS). Materials and Methods: A CRS rat model was established by transabdominal subtotal nephrectomy (STNx). The experimental group was treated by gavage of PAA (10 mg/kg/day). After 8 weeks of treatment, echocardiography was utilized for detecting heart-related indexes in rats. HE and Masson staining were conducted to detect the degree of pathological damage and fibrosis in rat kidney tissue, respectively. In addition, serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (SCr), and 24-hour urine protein were measured biochemically. Also, the levels of inflammatory factors (IL-1ß, IL-6, and IL-10) in rat kidneys were measured using ELISA. Western blot was used to examine the expression of NF-κB/MAPK pathway-related proteins. Results: In this study, a CRS rat model was successfully established by STNx surgery. PAA treatment could significantly alleviate the damage of heart and kidney function in CRS rats and reduce the pathological damage of kidney tissue and renal fibrosis. Meanwhile, PAA could also inhibit the renal inflammatory response through downregulating IL-1ß and IL-6 levels in the kidney tissue and upregulating IL-10 level. Further mechanism exploration showed that the NF-κB/MAPK signaling pathway was significantly activated in CRS rats, while PAA treatment could markedly inhibit the NF-κB/MAPK signaling pathway activity in CRS rats. Conclusion: PAA can obviously improve the pathological damage and fibrosis of renal tissue in CRS rats and maintain the function of the heart and kidney. The above functions of PAA may be achieved by inhibiting the NF-κB/MAPK signaling pathway activity. Briefly speaking, PAA can serve as a potential drug for CRS treatment.

The Prognostic Significance of Chronic Kidney Disease on the All-Cause Death of Ischemic Heart Failure in the Chinese Population: A Prospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: Our team tried to explore the impact of chronic kidney disease (CKD) on all-cause death among ischemic heart failure (IHF) patients. METHODS: From December 2015 to June 2019, IHF patients were continuously recruited in the Department of Cardiology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital. Participants were tracked through telephone interviews until October 15, 2020, or until the clinical endpoints appeared. The clinical endpoints were defined as all-cause death. The date of death or the last follow-up date minus the discharge date was used to calculate the follow-up time. RESULTS: A total of 1568 IHF patients (mean age 63.5 ± 11.0 years old, 85.8% male) were included in this study. Using the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 as the dividing line, IHF patients were divided into non-CKD group (n = 1,134) and CKD group (n = 434). After a median follow-up of 2.1 years, the all-cause death of non-CKD and CKD patients was 6.1/100 person-years and 13.7/100 person-years, respectively, and the incidence rate ratio was 2.24 (95% CI: 1.75-2.88; p value <0.001). The cumulative all-cause death of non-CKD and CKD patients were 19.4% and 40.7%, respectively (p value <0.001). CKD was an independent predictor of all-cause death in IHF patients (HR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.03-1.76, p value = 0.029). Among IHF patients, in 8 subgroups, the all-cause death of CKD patients was consistently higher than that of non-CKD patients. Among IHF patients, the risk of all-cause death gradually increased when eGFR gradually decreased. CONCLUSION: Among IHF patients, CKD is a significant risk factor for all-cause death.

[Application of porous tantalum Jumbo cup in revision of hip arthroplasty].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effect of porous tantalum Jumbo cup on acetabular reconstruction in revision of total hip arthroplasty. METHODS: From September 2014 to December 2017, 18 patients(18 hips) with acetabular defect were reconstructed by porous tantalum Jumbo cup technology, including 6 males and 12 females;the age ranged from 54 to 76 years old with an average of(63.8±15.3) years. There were 6 cases of paprosky typeⅡA, 8 cases of typeⅡB, 2 cases of typeⅡC and 2 cases of type Ⅲ a. Harris score and visual analogue scale (VAS) were performed before and after operation. Imaging examination was performed to evaluate the position of hip rotation center and prosthesis, and to judge whether acetabular loosening, displacement and complications existed. RESULTS: All cases were followed up for 13 to 49 months, with an average of 20.6 months. Harris score increased from 54.6±4.7 to 86.5±3.2 one year after operation(P<0.01), and VAS score decreased from 6.8±0.7 to 0.8±0.6 one year after operation (P<0.01). The transverse coordinate of hip rotation center was (3.52±0.72) cm before operation and (3.47±0.54) cm after operation (P>0.05). The longitudinal coordinate of hip rotation center was improved from (3.02±0.84) cm before operation to (2.35±0.53) cm after operation (P<0.01). During the follow-up period, the Jumbo cup was well fixed without loosening and displacement, the acetabular cup had bone ingrowth in varying degrees, and no light transmission line and osteolysis around the acetabular cup were found. No complications such as infection and nerve injury occurred. CONCLUSION: The method of reconstructing acetabular bone defect with porous tantalum Jumbo cup is simple and easy, the early stability of acetabulum is good, and the short-term follow-up effect is good.

Comparison of the clinical efficacy of penicillin and ceftriaxone sodium in the treatment of neurosyphilis with psychiatric symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical efficacy of penicillin and ceftriaxone sodium in the treatment of neurosyphilis with psychiatric symptoms. METHODS: 50 neurosyphilis with mental symptoms patients were randomly divided into penicillin group (4 million units, Q4h) and ceftriaxone sodium group (1 g, Q12h). The total treatment time was 14 and 15 days respectively.The activity of daily living scale (ADL), brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS) and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) were scored as the measurement of efficiency in living ability, mental symptoms and cognitive function. RESULT: There were no significant differences in ADL, MMSE and BPRS between the penicillin group and the ceftriaxone sodium treatment group (p > 0.05). After treatment, the score of BPRS and ADL decreased from baseline, while MMSE scores increased from baseline, having a main time effect (F=31.098,F=26.342,F= 79.916; p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Penicillin or ceftriaxone sodium are both effective in the aspect of mental symptoms, cognitive function and life ability among neurosyphilis with psychiatric symptoms patients.

An independent, replicable, functional and significant risk variant block at intron 3 of CACNA1C for schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVES: Genome-wide association studies have identified a significant risk gene, CACNA1C, for schizophrenia. In this study, we comprehensively investigated a large set of CACNA1C single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to identify the replicable risk alleles for schizophrenia and explore their biological functions. METHODS: One Jewish (1044 cases vs 2052 controls), one European (1350 cases vs 1378 controls) and one exploratory African American samples (98 cases vs 20 controls) were analyzed to identify replicable single-nucleotide polymorphism-schizophrenia associations. The regulatory effects of risk alleles on CACNA1C messenger RNA expression were examined. The most robust risk tagSNP (rs1006737) was meta-analyzed on 17 studies (74,122 cases vs 109,062 controls), and associated with the gray matter volumes of seven subcortical structures in 38,258 Europeans, and the surface areas and thickness of 34 cortical regions in 33,992 Europeans and 2944 non-Europeans. RESULTS: Forty-seven replicable risk single-nucleotide polymorphisms, including a 20-single-nucleotide polymorphism haplotype block, were identified in our samples (1.8 × 10-4 ⩽ p ⩽ 0.049). This variant block was consistently associated with schizophrenia across four independent Psychiatric Genomics Consortium cohorts (79,645 cases vs 109,590 controls; 2.5 × 10-17 ⩽ p ⩽ 0.017). This block showed significant expression quantitative trait loci in three independent European brain cohorts (5.1 × 10-12 ⩽ p ⩽ 8.3 × 10-3) and could be tagged by the most significant risk single-nucleotide polymorphism rs1006737. The minor allele A of rs1006737 significantly increased risk for schizophrenia across the Jewish and European samples (p = 0.029 and 0.004, respectively), and this association was highly significant in the meta-analysis (p = 1.62 × 10-42). This allele also significantly altered the CACNA1C messenger RNA expression in five brain regions (5.1 × 10-12 ⩽ p ⩽ 0.05), decreased the gray matter volume of thalamus (p = 0.010), the surface area of isthmus cingulate cortex (p = 0.013) and the thickness of transverse temporal and superior temporal sulcus cortexes (0.005 ⩽ p ⩽ 0.043). CONCLUSION: We identified an independent, replicable, functional, and significant risk variant block at CACNA1C for schizophrenia, which could be tagged by the most robust risk marker rs1006737, suggesting an important role of CACNA1C in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.

Effective intervention in domestic violence in Chinese communities: an eight-year prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Domestic violence is increasing in China. To explore the effective intervention, we intervened three large independent Chinese communities with different approaches over an eight-year period from 2005 to 2012, with a fourth independent community as a peer control. METHODS: The intervention approaches included the psychological intervention with traditional Chinese culture characteristics, the social governance and the poverty relief. The statistical analysis was performed in 2017. RESULTS: We found that while the prevalence of domestic violence kept growing in the control community, it significantly declined in the other three target communities. Among these intervention approaches, the social governance was the most effective, whereas it resulted in the lowest happiness index. CONCLUSION: This continuous, long-period, prospective and large-scale study showed that these approaches could significantly reduce domestic violence.

KTN1 Variants Underlying Putamen Gray Matter Volumes and Parkinson's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Selective loss of dopaminergic neurons and diminished putamen gray matter volume (GMV) represents a central feature of Parkinson's disease (PD). Recent studies have reported specific effects of kinectin 1 gene (KTN1) variants on the putamen GMV. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship of KTN1 variants, KTN1 mRNA expression in the putamen and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), putamen GMV, and PD. METHODS: We examined the associations between PD and a total of 1847 imputed KTN1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in one discovery sample [2,000 subjects with PD vs. 1,986 healthy controls (HC)], and confirmed the nominally significant associations (p < 0.05) in two replication samples (900 PD vs. 867 HC, and 940 PD vs. 801 HC, respectively). The regulatory effects of risk variants on the KTN1 mRNA expression in putamen and SNc and the putamen GMV were tested. We also quantified the expression levels of KTN1 mRNA in the putamen and/or SNc for comparison between PD and HC in five independent cohorts. RESULTS: Six replicable and two non-replicable KTN1-PD associations were identified (0.009 ≤ p ≤ 0.049). The major alleles of five SNPs, including rs12880292, rs8017172, rs17253792, rs945270, and rs4144657, significantly increased risk for PD (0.020 ≤ p ≤ 0.049) and putamen GMVs (19.08 ≤ ß ≤ 60.38; 2.82 ≤ Z ≤ 15.03; 5.0 × 10-51 ≤ p ≤ 0.018). The risk alleles of five SNPs, including rs8017172, rs17253792, rs945270, rs4144657, and rs1188184 also significantly increased the KTN1 mRNA expression in the putamen or SNc (0.021 ≤ p ≤ 0.046). The KTN1 mRNA was abundant in the putamen and/or SNc across five independent cohorts and differentially expressed in the SNc between PD and HC in one cohort (p = 0.047). CONCLUSION: There was a consistent, significant, replicable, and robust positive relationship among the KTN1 variants, PD risk, KTN1 mRNA expression in putamen, and putamen volumes, and a modest relation between PD risk and KTN1 mRNA expression in SNc, suggesting that KTN1 may play a functional role in the development of PD.

STING is an essential regulator of heart inflammation and fibrosis in mice with pathological cardiac hypertrophy via endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress.

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy is characterized by myocyte enlargement and cardiac dysfunction. However, the pathogenesis for this disease is still poorly understood. Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) could meditate inflammation and immune response in various kinds of diseases. In this work, we demonstrated that STING was critical for pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy. Results showed that STING expression was up-regulated in human and mouse hypertrophic hearts. STING knockout attenuated cardiac hypertrophy induced by aortic banding (AB). The effects of STING deficiency on the improvement of cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction were associated with the restrained macrophage infiltration, inflammatory response and fibrosis. Moreover, ER stress was detected in hearts of AB-operated mice, as evidenced by the increased expression of phospho-protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), phospho-eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2α) and phospho-inositol-requiring kinase (IRE)-1α. Importantly, these proteins were restrained in mice with STING knockout after AB surgery. What's more, angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced STING could be accelerated by ER stress activator, while being markedly abolished by the ER stress inhibitor. We then found that whether co-treated with or without transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-ß1), cardiac fibroblasts cultured in the conditional medium (CM) from Ang II-incubated cardiomyocytes with STING knockdown exhibited significantly reduced fibrosis, as displayed by the clearly down-regulated expression of α-SMA, Collagen type I (Col I) and Collagen type III (Col III). Therefore, we defined STING as an important signal contributing to cardiac hypertrophy closely associated with ER stress.

Bioconversion of fructus sophorae into 5,7,8,4'-tetrahydroxyis oflavone with Aspergillus aculeatus.

A fungus identified as Aspergillus aculeatus was used to biotransform genistein and glycosides to polyhydroxylated isoflavones. The strain was identified on the basis of colony morphology features and ITS rDNA sequence analysis. Phylogenetic tree was constructed to determine its taxonomic status. Genistein and glycosides were transformed by Aspergillus aculeatus to 5,7,8,4'- tetrahydroxyisoflavone. The chemical structure of the product was identified by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC), liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC/MS), Infrared spectroscopy (IR) and NMR spectrometer methods. The ITS rDNA sequence of the strain had 100% similarity with Aspergillus. Furthermore, it was ultimately identified as Aspergillus aculeatus. The metabolite of genistein and glycosides was identified as 5,7,8,4'-tetrahydroxyisoflavone. 120 mg 5,7,8,4'-tetrahydroxyisoflavone was made from 20 g fructus sophorae, which was bioconverted unconditionally by Aspergillus aculeatus for 96 h, and the purity was 96%. On the basis of the findings, Aspergillus aculeatus was a novel strain with specific ability to convert genistein and glycosides into 5,7,8,4'-tetrahydroxyisoflavone which had potential applications.