Author Correction: The dual role of anti-viral therapy in the treatment of Coronavirus disease 2019.

Correction to: European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences 2020; 24 (22): 11939-11944-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202011_23854-PMID: 33275267, published online 30 November, 2020. The authors state that "Figures 3 and 4 were used twice due to a careless mistake during the preparation of Figures". There are amendments to this paper.  The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/23854.

The dual role of anti-viral therapy in the treatment of Coronavirus disease 2019.

OBJECTIVE: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a worldwide public health emergency; unfortunately, there is currently no treatment for improving outcomes or reducing viral-clearance times in infected patients. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of interferon (IFN) with or without lopinavir and ritonavir as antiviral therapeutic option for treating COVID-19 infection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The present study enrolled 148 patients that received either standard care, treatment with IFN alfa-2b, or IFN alfa-2b combined with lopinavir plus ritonavir. Viral testing was performed using Reverse-Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the viral-clearance time at 28 days after treatment between patients receiving standard care and those receiving anti-viral treatments. However, the average viral-clearance time of patients receiving standard care (14 days) was shorter than that for patients receiving IFN alfa-2b or IFN alfa-2b combined with lopinavir plus ritonavir (15.5 or 17.5 days) (p<0.05). Patients treated with IFN alfa-2b within five days or IFN alfa-2b combined with lopinavir plus ritonavir after three days of symptoms exhibited shorter viral-clearance times than the other groups (p<0.05). Moreover, viral-clearance times were significantly longer in patients receiving standard care or anti-viral treatment 5 days after symptoms appeared than those of patients who received these treatments within five days of symptom onset (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Early symptomatic treatment is most critical for maximizing amelioration of COVID-19 infection. Anti-viral treatment might have complicated effect on viral-clearance.

[Normal values for solid state high resolution anorectal manometry in healthy adult volunteers].

Objective: To explore the normal values for two-dimension solid state high resolution anorectal manometry (HRAM) in healthy adult volunteers. Methods: The healthy adult volunteers were recruited by advertisement and underwent solid state HRAM in the left lateral position. Anorectal pressures and rectal sensation were recorded and analyzed. Results: (1) A total of 126 Chinese healthy adult volunteers (male: 50 cases (39.7%); age: (37.5±14.2) years old ) were recruited in this study. (2) Mean anal resting pressure (MERP) was (71.8±17.3) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa). Maximum anal resting pressure (MARP) was (79.3±17.8) mmHg, Maximum anal squeeze pressure (MSP) was (178.7±52.8) mmHg. Anal high pressure zone (HPZ) length was (3.4±0.6) cm. During simulated evacuation, residual anal pressure (RAP) was (63.8±20.5) mmHg, and anal relaxation rate (ARR) was (37.0±11.5)%. Rectal threshold volume for first sensation (FST), desire to defecate (DDT), urgency to defecate (UDT) and maximum discomfort (MDT) was (47.4±10.0) ml, (84.5±18.2) ml, (125.8±28.5) ml, and (175.5±36.1) ml, respectively. (3) Compared with female subjects, male subjects had higher MSP[(211.0±50.7) mmHg vs (157.5±42.5) mmHg], RAP[(71.6±18.1) mmHg vs (58.8±20.5) mmHg]and rectal MDT[(187.0±36.4) mmHg vs (168.0±34.1)mmHg], but lower ARR[(32.1±8.0)% vs (40.2±12.3)%], all P<0.01. (4) MERP, MARP, MSP and rectal MDT were higher in young group (≤40 years old), all P<0.05. Conclusions: These observations provide normal values for two-dimension solid state HRAM, which have significant difference between genders and different age groups.

Tonsillectomy and inflammatory bowel disease: a meta-analysis.

AIM: The pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases remains unclear. Genetic and environmental factors are involved. Studies of the association between tonsillectomy and inflammatory bowel disease have yielded conflicting results. METHOD: PubMed and EMBASE were searched to identify studies evaluating the association between tonsillectomy and inflammatory bowel disease [Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC)]. Odds ratios with 95% CI were calculated using a random- or fixed-effects model. The χ(2) test and I(2) test were used to assess homogeneity. Egger's test was used to evaluate publication bias. RESULTS: Thirteen observational case-control studies including 4122 patients (3035 UC/1087 CD) and 5103 controls were analysed. The summary odds ratio estimated for UC following a tonsillectomy was 0.932, 95% CI 0.819-1.062. The odds ratio for CD following a tonsillectomy was 1.194, 95% CI 0.992-1.437. Publication bias was not detected (Egger's test coefficient -3.50 to 1.55; P = 0.39). CONCLUSION: No obvious association between tonsillectomy and inflammatory bowel disease was identified in our meta-analysis.

Enhanced dielectric properties of nanocrystalline (Ba0.65Sr0.35)TiO3 thin films grown on CaRuO3 buffer layers.

Highly (100)-oriented and (110)-oriented (Ba0.65Sr0.35)TiO3 (BSTO) and (Ba0.65Sr0.35)TiO3/CaRuO3 (BSTO/CRO) heterostructure thin films, have been grown on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The structure and surface morphology of the films have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The dielectric constants of the films changes significantly with applied dc bias field and have high tunability of 76.3% and 78.1% at an applied field of 256.3 kV/cm, respectively for BSTO and BSTO/CRO thin films on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates. The tunability of the BSTO/CRO heterostructure thin films on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate was higher than that of the BSTO thin films on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate. The high tunability has been attributed to the (110) texture of the films and lager grain sizes.