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The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) had an impact with Dimorphos (a satellite of the asteroid Didymos) on 26 September 20221. Ground-based observations showed that the Didymos system brightened by a factor of 8.3 after the impact because of ejecta, returning to the pre-impact brightness 23.7 days afterwards2. Hubble Space Telescope observations made from 15 minutes after impact to 18.5 days after, with a spatial resolution of 2.1 kilometres per pixel, showed a complex evolution of the ejecta3, consistent with other asteroid impact events. The momentum enhancement factor, determined using the measured binary period change4, ranges between 2.2 and 4.9, depending on the assumptions about the mass and density of Dimorphos5. Here we report observations from the LUKE and LEIA instruments on the LICIACube cube satellite, which was deployed 15 days in advance of the impact of DART. Data were taken from 71 seconds before the impact until 320 seconds afterwards. The ejecta plume was a cone with an aperture angle of 140 ± 4 degrees. The inner region of the plume was blue, becoming redder with increasing distance from Dimorphos. The ejecta plume exhibited a complex and inhomogeneous structure, characterized by filaments, dust grains and single or clustered boulders. The ejecta velocities ranged from a few tens of metres per second to about 500 metres per second.
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The dwarf planet (1) Ceres, the largest object in the main asteroid belt with a mean diameter of about 950 kilometres, is located at a mean distance from the Sun of about 2.8 astronomical units (one astronomical unit is the Earth-Sun distance). Thermal evolution models suggest that it is a differentiated body with potential geological activity. Unlike on the icy satellites of Jupiter and Saturn, where tidal forces are responsible for spewing briny water into space, no tidal forces are acting on Ceres. In the absence of such forces, most objects in the main asteroid belt are expected to be geologically inert. The recent discovery of water vapour absorption near Ceres and previous detection of bound water and OH near and on Ceres (refs 5-7) have raised interest in the possible presence of surface ice. Here we report the presence of localized bright areas on Ceres from an orbiting imager. These unusual areas are consistent with hydrated magnesium sulfates mixed with dark background material, although other compositions are possible. Of particular interest is a bright pit on the floor of crater Occator that exhibits probable sublimation of water ice, producing haze clouds inside the crater that appear and disappear with a diurnal rhythm. Slow-moving condensed-ice or dust particles may explain this haze. We conclude that Ceres must have accreted material from beyond the 'snow line', which is the distance from the Sun at which water molecules condense.
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The current systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of iguratimod (IGU) combined with methotrexate (MTX) versus MTX alone in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Two independent investigators searched for original randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to the combination of IGU and MTX in RA published before November 1, 2019, in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), and WanFang Data. Additionally, we searched clinical trial registry websites. We assessed the methodological quality of the included trials using the Cochrane Collaboration tool and the seven-point Jadad scale. Statistical analyses were performed using Review Manager (RevMan) 5.3 (Copenhagen: The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration, 2014). Meta-regression and publication bias analyses were performed using Stata version 14 software (StataCorp., College Station, TX, USA). A total of 7 RCTs consisting of 665 participants, with 368 participants in the active arm and 297 in the placebo arm, were included in the meta-analysis. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) value was better in the IGUâ¯+ MTX group than in the MTX alone group, with a pooled relative risk (RR) for ACR20 (American College of Rheumatology 20% improvement criteria), ACR50, and ACR70 of 1.40 (95% CI, 1.13-1.74), 2.09 (95% CI, 1.67-2.61), and 2.24 (95% CI, 1.53-3.28), respectively. The results of the meta-analysis demonstrated that there was no statistical significance in adverse events (1.06 (95% CI, 0.92-1.23)). The combined treatment is an effective, safe, and economical treatment option for patients who do not respond well to methotrexate alone or for patients who cannot afford expensive biologics that have no confirmed efficacy.
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Antirreumáticos , Artrite Reumatoide , Antirreumáticos/efeitos adversos , Artrite Reumatoide/tratamento farmacológico , China , Cromonas , Quimioterapia Combinada , Humanos , Metotrexato/efeitos adversos , Ensaios Clínicos Controlados Aleatórios como Assunto , Sulfonamidas , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
AIMS: Lewy body diseases are neuropathologically characterized by the abnormal accumulation of α-synuclein (α-syn) protein within vulnerable neurons. Although studies have evaluated α-syn in post mortem brain tissue, previous findings have been limited by typically employing pan-α-syn antibodies that may not recognize disease-relevant forms of protein. We investigated the presence of α-syn species present in post mortem brain tissues from Lewy body disease and Alzheimer's disease. METHODS: Soluble and insoluble/aggregated α-syn from frontal cortex of post mortem brain tissues form Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), Alzheimer's disease (AD) and aged control cases were sequentially extracted using buffers with increasing detergent concentrations. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to quantify the levels of total-, oligomeric- and phosphorylated-Ser129-α-syn (t-, o- and pS129-α-syn). ELISA data were validated by western blot and compared to histological data from the same region of the contralateral hemisphere. RESULTS: There was no difference in t-α-syn levels between groups in the aqueous-soluble, detergent-soluble or urea-soluble tissue fractions. However, aqueous-soluble non-phosphorylated o-α-syn was increased not only in PD and DLB but also in AD without neocortical Lewy bodies. In PD and AD, pS129-α-syn was increased in the detergent-soluble tissue fragment and, in AD, this was positively correlated with the burden of tau pathology. Increased levels of urea-soluble pS129-α-syn were demonstrated only in DLB tissue lysates but this did not correlate with Lewy body pathological burden. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these findings suggest that DLB have elevated levels of insoluble pS129-α-syn, but that increased levels of aqueous-soluble o-α-syn and detergent-soluble pS129-α-syn are also observed in PD and AD, suggesting different changes to α-syn across the spectrum of neurodegenerative proteopathies.
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Doença de Alzheimer/metabolismo , Córtex Cerebral/metabolismo , Doença por Corpos de Lewy/metabolismo , alfa-Sinucleína/metabolismo , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Doença de Alzheimer/patologia , Córtex Cerebral/patologia , Feminino , Humanos , Doença por Corpos de Lewy/patologia , Masculino , Fosforilação , Proteínas tau/metabolismoRESUMO
The surface of the asteroid Vesta has prominent near-infrared absorption bands characteristic of a range of pyroxenes, confirming a direct link to the basaltic howardite-eucrite-diogenite class of meteorites. Processes active in the space environment produce 'space weathering' products that substantially weaken or mask such diagnostic absorption on airless bodies observed elsewhere, and it has long been a mystery why Vesta's absorption bands are so strong. Analyses of soil samples from both the Moon and the asteroid Itokawa determined that nanophase metallic particles (commonly nanophase iron) accumulate on the rims of regolith grains with time, accounting for an observed optical degradation. These nanophase particles, believed to be related to solar wind and micrometeoroid bombardment processes, leave unique spectroscopic signatures that can be measured remotely but require sufficient spatial resolution to discern the geologic context and history of the surface, which has not been achieved for Vesta until now. Here we report that Vesta shows its own form of space weathering, which is quite different from that of other airless bodies visited. No evidence is detected on Vesta for accumulation of lunar-like nanophase iron on regolith particles, even though distinct material exposed at several fresh craters becomes gradually masked and fades into the background as the craters age. Instead, spectroscopic data reveal that on Vesta a locally homogenized upper regolith is generated with time through small-scale mixing of diverse surface components.
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Localized dark and bright materials, often with extremely different albedos, were recently found on Vesta's surface. The range of albedos is among the largest observed on Solar System rocky bodies. These dark materials, often associated with craters, appear in ejecta and crater walls, and their pyroxene absorption strengths are correlated with material brightness. It was tentatively suggested that the dark material on Vesta could be either exogenic, from carbon-rich, low-velocity impactors, or endogenic, from freshly exposed mafic material or impact melt, created or exposed by impacts. Here we report Vesta spectra and images and use them to derive and interpret the properties of the 'pure' dark and bright materials. We argue that the dark material is mainly from infall of hydrated carbonaceous material (like that found in a major class of meteorites and some comet surfaces), whereas the bright material is the uncontaminated indigenous Vesta basaltic soil. Dark material from low-albedo impactors is diffused over time through the Vestan regolith by impact mixing, creating broader, diffuse darker regions and finally Vesta's background surface material. This is consistent with howardite-eucrite-diogenite meteorites coming from Vesta.
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AIM: To demonstrate the clinical value of prospective electrocardiography (ECG)-triggered cardiac computed tomography (CT) with low concentration contrast medium, low tube voltage, and adaptive statistic iterative reconstruction (ASIR) to reduce both radiation and contrast dose in examining infants with complex congenital heart disease (CHD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-four consecutive infants (19 male, 25 female, age: 8.06±4.33 months, weight: 7.31±1.36 kg) with complex CHD underwent prospective ECG-triggered low-dose cardiac CT using 80 kVp and 120 mA. The contrast agent was iodixanol (270 mg iodine/ml, Visipaque, GE Healthcare, Co. Cork, Ireland). Cardiac CT images were reconstructed with 70% ASIR. The quantitative CT image quality was assessed by image noise in adipose tissue and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) in the aorta. The qualitative image analysis was performed on a five-point grading scale by two independent reviewers and interobserver variability was calculated. The results of 32 CT examinations were also compared with the available surgical results for diagnostic accuracy evaluation. RESULTS: The effective dose was 0.55±0.10 mSv for the patient population. The iodine load was 3.95±0.73 g iodine. Image noise in adipose tissue was 16.24±1.42 HU and CNR in aorta was 21.90±7.10. All images were acceptable for diagnosis with an average score of 4.52±0.38 and good agreement between reviewers (kappa=0.75). Compared to the surgery results in 32 cases, CT was 97% and 88% accurate diagnosing extracardiac and intracardiac defects, respectively. CONCLUSION: Prospective ECG-triggered cardiac CT using 80 kVp, low-concentration iodinated contrast agent (270 mg iodine/ml) and 70% ASIR reconstruction provides excellent image quality and accurate diagnosis for complex congenital heart disease in infants with reduced contrast medium dose and low radiation dose.
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Meios de Contraste/administração & dosagem , Eletrocardiografia , Cardiopatias Congênitas/diagnóstico por imagem , Cardiopatias Congênitas/fisiopatologia , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios X , Ácidos Tri-Iodobenzoicos/administração & dosagem , Técnicas de Imagem Cardíaca , Feminino , Humanos , Processamento de Imagem Assistida por Computador , Lactente , Masculino , Estudos Prospectivos , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios X/métodosRESUMO
Setaria digitata is a filarial parasite that causes fatal cerebrospinal nematodiasis in goats, horses and sheep, resulting in substantial economic losses to livestock farmers. In the present study, the complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of S. digitata from China was determined, characterized and compared with that of S. digitata from Sri Lanka. The identity of the mt genomes was 98.3% between S. digitata from China and Sri Lanka, and the complete mt genome sequence of S. digitata from China was slightly shorter (25 bp) than that from Sri Lanka. For the 12 protein genes, this comparison revealed sequence differences at both the nucleotide (1.4%) and amino acid (2.2%) levels. The present study determined the complete mt genome sequence of S. digitata from China, providing novel genetic markers for the study of the population genetics and molecular epidemiology of S. digitata in animals.
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Búfalos/parasitologia , Genoma Helmíntico , Genoma Mitocondrial , Setaria (Nematoide)/genética , Setaríase/parasitologia , Animais , China , Setaria (Nematoide)/classificação , Setaria (Nematoide)/isolamento & purificação , Sri LankaRESUMO
This study aimed to summarize our experience in surgical treatment of mesh infection after repair of ventral hernia or defect. A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data of 22 patients who accepted surgical treatment of mesh infection after ventral hernia or defect repair. Included were 16 cases of infection after incisional hernia repair, 5 cases of infection after abdominal wall defect repair following abdominal wall tumor resection, and 1 case of infection with fistula caused by a parastomal hernia of an ileal neobladder repair with a prosthetic patch. All patients had received local dressing treatment for 2 to 24 months but were not healed. The affected mesh was removed successfully in all patients. Six patients had abdominal wall repair using the component separation technique; 4 patients were treated by strengthened repair with polypropylene mesh; 10 patients were repaired with human acellular dermal matrix; 1 patient received local dressing changes and vacuum sealing drain treatment without repair; and 1 patient received wound closure without strengthened repair. The postoperative hospital stay was 9-29 days (mean 16 days). After treatment, 19 patients recovered with primary wound healing and 3 patients recovered with secondary healing. All patients were followed up for 6-38 months (mean 26 months), and no ventral hernia or defect recurred except 1 case of lower abdominal bulge. Mesh infections after ventral hernia or defect repair are difficult to treat using prosthetic materials. For satisfactory results, surgery should be performed according to the specific condition of the individual.
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Hérnia Ventral/cirurgia , Doenças do Íleo/cirurgia , Infecção da Ferida Cirúrgica/cirurgia , Cicatrização , Adulto , Idoso , Feminino , Hérnia Ventral/microbiologia , Hérnia Ventral/patologia , Humanos , Doenças do Íleo/microbiologia , Doenças do Íleo/patologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Próteses e Implantes , Recidiva , Telas Cirúrgicas/microbiologia , Infecção da Ferida Cirúrgica/microbiologia , Infecção da Ferida Cirúrgica/patologiaRESUMO
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Decreasing mitochondrial coupling efficiency has been shown to be an effective therapy for obesity and related metabolic symptoms. Here we identified a novel mitochondrial uncoupler that promoted uncoupled respiration in a cell type-specific manner and investigated its effects on modulation of energy metabolism in vivo and in vitro. METHODS: We screened a collection of mitochondrial membrane potential depolarising compounds for a novel chemical uncoupler on isolated skeletal muscle mitochondria using a channel oxygen system. The effect on respiration of metabolic cells (L6 myotubes, 3T3-L1 adipocytes and rat primary hepatocytes) was examined and metabolic pathways sensitive to cellular ATP content were also evaluated. The chronic metabolic effects were investigated in high-fat diet-induced obese mice and standard diet-fed (SD) lean mice. RESULTS: The novel uncoupler, CZ5, promoted uncoupled respiration in a cell type-specific manner. It stimulated fuel oxidation in L6 myotubes and reduced lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes but did not affect gluconeogenesis or the triacylglycerol content in hepatocytes. The administration of CZ5 to SD mice increased energy expenditure (EE) but did not affect body weight or adiposity. Chronic studies in mice on high-fat diet showed that CZ5 reduced body weight and improved glucose and lipid metabolism via both increased EE and suppressed energy intake. The reduced adiposity was associated with the restoration of expression of key metabolic genes in visceral adipose tissue. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: This work demonstrates that a cell type-specific mitochondrial chemical uncoupler may have therapeutic potential for treating high-fat diet-induced metabolic diseases.
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Ingestão de Alimentos/fisiologia , Metabolismo Energético/fisiologia , Obesidade/metabolismo , Animais , Respiração Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Respiração Celular/fisiologia , Dieta Hiperlipídica/efeitos adversos , Ingestão de Alimentos/efeitos dos fármacos , Metabolismo Energético/efeitos dos fármacos , Células Hep G2 , Humanos , Hipoglicemiantes/uso terapêutico , Masculino , Potencial da Membrana Mitocondrial/efeitos dos fármacos , Potencial da Membrana Mitocondrial/fisiologia , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Obesidade/tratamento farmacológico , RatosRESUMO
Tibetan macaque (Macaca thibetana), an endangered primate species endemic to China, have been used as experimental animal model for various human diseases. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes play a crucial role in the susceptibility and/or resistance to many human diseases, but little is known about Tibetan macaques. To gain an insight into the MHC background and to facilitate the experimental use of Tibetan macaques, the second exon of Mhc-DQB1 gene was sequenced in a cohort of wild Tibetan macaques living in the Sichuan province of China. A total of 23 MhcMath-DQB1 alleles were identified for the first time, illustrating a marked allelic polymorphism at the DQB1 locus for these macaques. Most of the sequences (74%) observed in this study belong to DQB1*06 (9 alleles) and DQB1*18 (8 alleles) lineages, and the rest (26%) belong to DQB1*15 (3 alleles) and DQB1*17 (3 alleles) lineages. The most frequent alleles detected among these macaques were MhcMath-DQB1*15:02:02 (17.9%), followed by Math-DQB1*06:06, 17:03 and 18:01, which were detected in 9 (16.1%) of the monkeys, respectively. Non-synonymous substitutions occurred at a significantly higher frequency than synonymous substitutions in the peptide-binding region, suggesting balancing selection for maintaining polymorphisms at the MHC class II DQB1 locus. Phylogenetic analyses confirms the trans-species model of evolution of the Mhc-DQB1 genes in non-human primates, and in particular, the extensive allele sharing is observed between Tibetan and other macaque species.
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Alelos , Frequência do Gene , Antígenos de Histocompatibilidade Classe II/genética , Macaca/genética , Filogenia , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Evolução Biológica , Éxons , Antígenos de Histocompatibilidade Classe II/classificação , Antígenos de Histocompatibilidade Classe II/imunologia , Macaca/imunologia , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Filogeografia , Polimorfismo Genético , Alinhamento de Sequência , Análise de Sequência de DNA , TibetRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The novel short-acting benzodiazepine remimazolam besylate acts rapidly and is used to induce easily controlled sedation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of remimazolam besylate combined with alfentanil in patients undergoing fiberoptic bronchoscopy with preserved spontaneous breathing. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 192 patients undergoing painless fiberoptic bronchoscopy were randomly assigned to either propofol (P group) or remimazolam besylate (R group); both groups also received alfentanil 10 µg/kg. The respiratory rate was recorded during the inspection. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation (SpO2), Narcotrend values and Modified Observer's Assessment of Alertness and Sedation (MOAA/S) scores were recorded after entry to the operating room (T0), 1 min (T1), 2 min (T2) and 3 min (T3) after anesthesia, immediately after the bronchoscope entered the vocal cords (T4), when the bronchoscope reached the carina (T5), the patient's eyes opened (T6), and 30 min postoperatively (T7). Secondary outcomes included intraoperative hypotension and body movement grading, etc. RESULTS: There was less respiratory depression during the inspection in the R group than in the P group (p < 0.01). The rate of hypotension during the examination was higher in the P group than in the R group (p < 0.01). Narcotrend values in the P group were less for the R group at the T1-T5 time points (p < 0.01). No difference in the number of body movements ≥ grade 3 was found between the two groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Remimazolam besylate combined with alfentanil for painless fiberoptic bronchoscopy can better preserve the patient's spontaneous breathing and reduce the incidence of respiratory depression during the inspection than propofol.
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Hipotensão , Propofol , Insuficiência Respiratória , Humanos , Propofol/uso terapêutico , Alfentanil , Broncoscopia , Estudos Prospectivos , Benzodiazepinas , Hipnóticos e SedativosRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between common clinical immune indicators, disability degree, and cognitive impairment in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed lymphocyte subsets and routine parameters in the peripheral blood of 55 patients with NMOSD. We assessed the degree of disability using the Extended Disability Status Scale (EDSS). The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores were used to assess cognitive function. In addition, we also determined the cytokine levels in 33 patients with NMOSD. The relationships of these immunological indicators with disability and cognitive impairment were assessed using correlation and multiple linear regression analyses. RESULTS: The results of the multiple linear regression analysis suggested that for patients with NMOSD, the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (ß=0.072, p=0.034) and number of attacks (ß=0.131, p=0.03) were positively correlated with EDSS scores, whereas the number of attacks was positively correlated with MoCA scores. In addition, we also collected cytokine levels in 33 of these patients. The results of the study showed a positive correlation between IL-10 and EDSS scores and a negative correlation between IL-6 and MoCA scores. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that these immune cells and cytokines are, to some extent, associated with the degree of disability and cognitive impairment in patients with NMOSD. Closely monitoring these indicators may allow detecting changes in patients' disease courses and predicting the severity of their disease. In clinical practice, this may facilitate early intervention and appropriate treatment decisions, which may improve the management of patient prognosis.
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Disfunção Cognitiva , Neuromielite Óptica , Humanos , Neuromielite Óptica/complicações , Estudos Retrospectivos , Prognóstico , Citocinas , Disfunção Cognitiva/complicações , Aquaporina 4RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy (FURSL) and mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (mPCNL) in the treatment of 2-3 cm renal calculi in women. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Clinical data of 186 patients who underwent mPCNL (n=96) and FURSL (n=90) surgery in our hospital from June 2018 to February 2023 were collected. Several parameters were assessed and compared between the two groups, including operation duration, length of hospital stay, cost of hospitalization, pain intensity measured by the visual analogue scale (VAS), patient comfort assessed using the Bruggrmann Comfort Scale (BCS), decrease in hemoglobin levels, changes in blood urea nitrogen (BUN), fluctuations in serum creatinine (Scr), hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels, complication rates, immediate post-operative stone-free rate (RSFR), and long-term stone-free rate (LSFR). RESULTS: The comparative analysis of patient age, body mass index (BMI), stone size, computed X-ray tomography (CT) value of stones, number of stones, and comorbidities revealed no statistically significant differences between the mPCNL and FURSL groups (p>0.05). The mPCNL cohort exhibited a markedly lower duration of operation (p<0.001) and BCS score (p<0.001) compared to the FURSL cohort. Nonetheless, the mPCNL cohort demonstrated significantly higher hospitalization expenses (p<0.001), length of hospital stay (p<0.001), VAS score for pain (p<0.001), and level of hemoglobin decrease (p<0.001) in comparison to the FURSL cohort. Moreover, the immediate post-operative stone-free rate (RSFR) was significantly higher in the mPCNL group (p=0.007). The long-term stone-free rate (LSFR), however, showed no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.160). Furthermore, the FURSL group exhibited significantly fewer overall complications in contrast to the mPCNL group (p=0.006). CONCLUSIONS: mPCNL and FURSL are both safe and effective surgical methods for treating 2-3 cm renal calculi in women. However, FURSL holds distinct advantages, including minimally invasive procedure, accelerated recovery, reduced cost, and lower incidence of complications.
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Cálculos Renais , Litotripsia , Nefrolitotomia Percutânea , Humanos , Feminino , Nefrolitotomia Percutânea/efeitos adversos , Nefrolitotomia Percutânea/métodos , Ureteroscopia/efeitos adversos , Ureteroscopia/métodos , Cálculos Renais/cirurgia , Litotripsia/métodos , Hemoglobinas , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
Superoxide dismutase (SOD) has extensive clinical applications for protecting organisms from toxic oxidation. In this study, the integrated iron-superoxide dismutase gene (fe-sod) coding sequence of Nostoc commune stain CHEN was cloned from genomic DNA and compared to sods from other reported algae. These analyses of immunology and phylogenetics indicated that this Fe-SOD is considerably homologous with SODs from lower prokaryotes (Fe-SOD or Mn-SOD) but not those from higher animals (Cu/Zn-SOD). In addition, the N. commune Fe-SOD shows 67 to 93% protein sequence identity to 10 other algal Fe-SODs (or Mn-SODs) and 69 to 93% gene sequence identity. Rare nonsynonymous substitutions imply that algal SODs are being subjected to strong natural selection. Interestingly, the N. commune Fe-SOD enzyme molecule has a compact active center that is highly conserved (38.1% of residues are absolutely conserved), and 2 loose ends localized outside the molecule and inclined to mutate (only 11.5% of residues are absolutely conserved). Based on associative analyses of evolution, structure, and function, this special phenomenon is attributed to function-dependent evolution through negative natural selection. Under strong natural selection, although the mutation is random on the gene level, the exterior region is inclined to mutate on the protein level owing to more nonsynonymous substitutions in the exterior region, which demonstrates the theoretical feasibility of modifying Fe-SOD on its ends to overcome its disadvantages in clinical applications.
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Evolução Molecular , Nostoc commune/enzimologia , Superóxido Dismutase/química , Superóxido Dismutase/genética , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Clonagem Molecular , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Mutação/genética , Filogenia , Estrutura Terciária de Proteína , Alinhamento de SequênciaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the neurodegenerative diseases. Galectin-1 (Gal-1) is expressed in the central nervous system. Our study sought to explore the neuroprotective effect of Gal-1 in 1methyl4phenyl pyridine ion (MPP+)-induced cytotoxicity on SH-SY5Y cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SH-SY5Y cells were cultured in vitro, pretreated with Gal-1, and then exposed to MPP+. Thereafter, the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in SH-SY5Y cells was investigated. The effects of Gal-1 on DNA breakage, cell damage (release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)), viability, and apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells were examined by comet assay, LDH assay, WST-1 assay, and flow cytometry, respectively. Additionally, the regulatory effect of Gal-1 on Nrf2 expression was examined by western blot. Zebrafish embryos were pretreated with Gal-1 and then exposed to MPP+. The locomotor ability of zebrafish larvae was then investigated. RESULTS: MPP+ induced the production of ROS in cells, which can be alleviated by pretreatment with Gal-1. Gal-1 protected cells from MPP+-induced cytotoxicity by preventing DNA breakage and cell injury. Gal-1 inhibited apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells. The neuroprotective effect of Gal-1 could be abolished when Nrf2 expression knockdown. Moreover, exposure to MPP+ decreased the locomotor activity of zebrafish, which was attenuated by pretreatment with Gal-1. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that the administration of Gal-1 could protect neurons from cellular stress by preventing apoptosis and eliminating ROS. Moreover, the neuroprotective effect of Gal-1 in neuronal cells could be related to the activation of Nrf2 expression. Therefore, Gal-1 could be a promising strategy for treating PD.
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Fármacos Neuroprotetores , Doença de Parkinson , 1-Metil-4-fenilpiridínio/toxicidade , Animais , Apoptose , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Sobrevivência Celular , Galectina 1/genética , Galectina 1/metabolismo , Galectina 1/farmacologia , Fator 2 Relacionado a NF-E2/metabolismo , Fármacos Neuroprotetores/farmacologia , Estresse Oxidativo , Doença de Parkinson/tratamento farmacológico , Doença de Parkinson/genética , Espécies Reativas de Oxigênio/metabolismo , Peixe-Zebra/metabolismoRESUMO
AIM: The aim of the present study was to explore the epidemiological characteristics and treatment of traumatic dental injuries of primary dentition (TDI-p) in Xi'an, China. MATERIALS: Data of children with TDI-p admitted between January 2018 and December 2019 at the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Xi'an Jiaotong University Stomatology Hospital were retrospectively analysed. The epidemiological distribution characteristics and related treatment information of TDI-p were described. CONCLUSION: Compared with permanent dentition, TDI-p has its particularities, such as type of trauma, treatment procedure, and behavioural management. More attention should be paid to TDI-p by both dentists and guardians.
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Traumatismos Dentários , Criança , China/epidemiologia , Dentição Permanente , Humanos , Estudos Retrospectivos , Traumatismos Dentários/epidemiologia , Traumatismos Dentários/terapia , Dente DecíduoRESUMO
Two of the instruments onboard the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, the MapCam color imager and the OVIRS visible and infrared spectrometer, observed the surface of asteroid (101955) Bennu in partially overlapping wavelengths. Significant scientific advances have been enabled by using data from these two instruments in tandem, but a robust statistical understanding of their relationship is needed for future analyses to cross-compare their data as accurately and sensitively as possible. Here we present a cross-instrument comparison of data acquired by MapCam and OVIRS, including methods and results for all global and site-specific observation campaigns in which both instruments were active. In our analysis, we consider both the absolute radiometric offset and the relative (normalized) variation between the two instruments; we find that both depend strongly on the photometric and instrumental conditions during the observation. The two instruments have a large absolute offset (>15%) due to their independent radiometric calibrations. However, they are very consistent (relative offset as low as 1%) when each instrument's response is normalized at a single wavelength, particularly at low phase angles where shadows on Bennu's rough surface are minimized. We recommend using the global datasets acquired at 12:30 pm local solar time for cross-comparisons; data acquired at higher phase angles have larger uncertainties.
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Tumour necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK), a member of the tumour necrosis factor (TNF) family, has been implicated as a proinflammatory cytokine in many types of autoimmune and infectious diseases. However, information about TWEAK in dermatological diseases is limited. Herein, we investigated the role of TWEAK in patients with Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) and the ability of TWEAK on chemokine production in the human dermal microvascular endothelial cell line (HMEC-1). Serum TWEAK levels in patients with HSP, together with patients with psoriasis vulgaris (PV) and atopic dermatitis (AD), were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). HMEC-1 cells were treated with TWEAK at concentrations ranging from 1 ng/ml to 100 ng/ml. Serum levels of TWEAK were elevated in patients with HSP in the acute stage but not in patients with PV or AD. Moreover, TWEAK levels were correlated with the severity of HSP. TWEAK markedly induced CCL5 and CXCL8 production at both mRNA and protein levels in HMEC-1 cells. In addition, TWEAK-stimulated HMEC-1 supernatant enhanced HL-60 or human acute monocytic leukaemia cell line (THP-1) cell migration. Finally, Western blot data revealed that TWEAK can induce rapid phosphorylation of inhibitor of κB-α (IκBα) in HMEC-1 cells. In conclusion, we show that serum levels of TWEAK were elevated in patients with acute stage HSP. TWEAK may act as a regulator of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation and chemokine production in human dermal microvascular endothelial cells, thus promoting leucocyte migration in cutaneous vasculitis.