Risk factors analysis for hyperuricemic nephropathy among CKD stages 3-4 patients: an epidemiological study of hyperuricemia in CKD stages 3-4 patients in Ningbo, China.

OBJECTIVE: Uric acid (UA) is a risk marker of CKD and SUA level in CKD 3-4 patients closely correlates with hyperuricemic nephropathy (HN) morbidity. This study was designed to evaluate the risk factors for HN in CKD 3-4 patients. METHODS: The 461 CKD 3-4 patients were recruited and all patients were divided into three groups (24 h UUA normal, underexeret, and overproduct type groups) according to the 24 h UUA level after receiving low purine food for five days. Clinical and biochemical characteristics of CKD patients were collected for the logistic regression analysis. Correlation analysis of the mRNA relative expression level of hUAT and hURAT1 with serum UA (SUA) level also was evaluated. RESULTS: There were significant increases in characteristics including average age, waist-to-height ratio (WHR), SUA levels, HN ratio, TG/HDL ratio, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), uNgal/Cr. ratio, and uKim-1/Cr. ratio in overproduct type group in comparison with the other two groups. Logistic regression analysis showed SUA, CHO, uKim-1/Cr. ratio and uNgal/Cr. ratio were independent and multiple risk factors for HN. Moreover, hUAT and hURAT1 mRNA relative expression levels were significantly correlated with SUA level in the underexeret type CKD 3-4 patients. CONCLUSIONS: These results showed SUA and other characteristics contributed to HN morbidity in CKD 3-4 patients.

Efficient Force Control Learning System for Industrial Robots Based on Variable Impedance Control.

Learning variable impedance control is a powerful method to improve the performance of force control. However, current methods typically require too many interactions to achieve good performance. Data-inefficiency has limited these methods to learn force-sensitive tasks in real systems. In order to improve the sampling efficiency and decrease the required interactions during the learning process, this paper develops a data-efficient learning variable impedance control method that enables the industrial robots automatically learn to control the contact force in the unstructured environment. To this end, a Gaussian process model is learned as a faithful proxy of the system, which is then used to predict long-term state evolution for internal simulation, allowing for efficient strategy updates. The effects of model bias are reduced effectively by incorporating model uncertainty into long-term planning. Then the impedance profiles are regulated online according to the learned humanlike impedance strategy. In this way, the flexibility and adaptivity of the system could be enhanced. Both simulated and experimental tests have been performed on an industrial manipulator to verify the performance of the proposed method.

Differentially Expressed miRNA in Inflammatory Mucosa of Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

Chronic sinusitis (chronic rhinosinusitis, CRS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, pathogenesis of which is not yet completely elucidated. MicroRNA has been shown to extensively be involved in immune response. To analyze the differential expression of miRNAs in chronic sinusitis, with or without nasal polyps (nasal polyps, NP), seven miRNAs (miR- 181b, miR-26b, miR-155, miR-146a, miR-125b, miR-124 and miR-92a) that are associated with inflammation were selected to be quantifying by RT-qPCR in 40 clinical samples and 5 controls. When compared to the normal control group, results showed that, in all patients with CRS, miR- 125b, miR-155 and miR-146a were up-regulated (P < 0.05), while miR-92a, miR-26b and miR- 181b were down-regulated (P < 0.05). MiR124 expression levels were not found to have significant changes. In relation to CRS without NP, miR-125b and miR-155 were significantly up-regulated while miR-92a, miR-26b, miR-181b were down-regulated in NP patients. Furthermore, the miR-92a and miR-26b expression levels were significantly reduced while miR-146a and miR124 expression levels had no significant changes in the NP samples. The RT-qPCR results indicate that the miRNAs were differentially expressed in CRS patients and various inflammation severities could lead to this difference. The results from this study may further reveal the relationship between miRNA expressions and inflammation. These results can also provide an important mechanism (primitive data) on the occurrence of chronic sinusitis and nasal polyps.

Comparing suspension laryngoscopic mucosal dissection and plasma resection for laryngeal leukoplakia: prognostic outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: The current research was designed to compare the clinical efficacy of suspension laryngoscopic mucosal dissection and plasma resection in the management of laryngeal leukoplakia and their effects on patient prognosis. METHODS: Retrospective analysis was conducted on 184 laryngeal leukoplakia patients treated in Ningbo Beilun People's Hospital from January 2018 to October 2021. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 128 eligible patients were included, including 64 patients who underwent suspension laryngoscopic mucosal dissection (control group) and 64 patients who underwent cryolyrectomy (study group). The operative time, intraoperative bleeding volume, and time of pseudomembrane detachment in the two groups were recorded. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the serum concentrations of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and IL-17A at 24 hours after surgery. Postoperative follow-up was conducted for one year. Results of the noise acoustic testing and stroboscopic laryngoscopy, including noise/harmonic ratio, amplitude perturbation, fundamental frequency perturbation, vocal fold vibration symmetry, and vocal fold mucosal wave, were documented before treatment and three months after treatment. The cumulative recurrence rate of patients within one year after surgery was recorded, and the cumulative recurrence rate of patients within 1 year after surgery was compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Cryo-plasma resection significantly contributed to shorter operative time and less intraoperative bleeding volume as compared with suspension laryngoscopic mucosal dissection (both P<0.05), while time-lapse before postoperative pseudomembrane detachment was similar between the two groups (P>0.05). Patients with cryo-plasma resection exhibited significantly milder postoperative inflammatory response than those with suspension laryngoscopic mucosal dissection, as evinced by the lower serum concentrations of IL-2, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-17A at 24-h in patients with cryo-plasma resection after operation (P<0.05), while the levels of IL-4 and IL-10 were similar between the two groups (P>0.05). At 3 months after operation, cryo-plasma resection contributed to more significant reductions of noise/harmonic ratio, amplitude perturbation, fundamental frequency perturbation, vocal fold vibration symmetry, and vocal fold mucosal as compared with suspension laryngoscopic mucosal dissection (P<0.05). Cryo-plasma resection contributed to a significantly lower incidence of cumulative recurrence than suspension laryngoscopic mucosal dissection (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed no statistical difference in the impact of gender, age, smoking, and alcohol consumption on the recurrence and malignant transformation of laryngeal leukoplakia (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Both suspension laryngoscopic mucosal dissection and plasma resection can provide significant efficacy in the treatment of laryngeal leukoplakia, and cryo-plasma resection can contribute to a lower incidence of relapse, enhanced postoperative recovery, and superior short- and long-term outcomes than plasma resection.

Effect of lentiviruses carrying enhanced green fluorescent protein injected into the scala media through a cochleostomy in rats.

PURPOSE: The purposes of the current study were to assess the feasibility of post-auricular microinjection of lentiviruses carrying enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) into the scala media through cochleostomies in rats, determine the expression of viral gene in the cochlea, and record the post-operative changes in the number and auditory function of cochlear hair cells (HCs). METHODS: Healthy rats were randomly divided into two groups. The left ears of the animals in group I were injected with lentivirus carrying EGFP (n=10) via scala media lateral wall cochleostomies, and the left ears of the animals in group II were similarly injected with artificial endolymph (n=10). Prior to and 30 days post-injection, auditory function was assessed with click-auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing, EGFP expression was determined with cochlear frozen sections under fluorescence microscopy, and survival of HCs was estimated based on whole mount preparations. RESULTS: Thirty days after surgery, click-ABR testing revealed that there were significant differences in the auditory function, EGFP expression, and survival of HCs in the left ears before and after surgery in the same rats from each group. In group I, EGFP was noted in the strial marginal cells of the scala media, the organ of Corti, spiral nerves, and spiral ganglion cells. CONCLUSION: Lentiviruses were successfully introduced into the scala media through cochleostomies in rats, and the EGFP reporter gene was efficiently expressed in the organ of Corti, spiral nerves, and spiral ganglion cells.

Dissipativity-Based Consensus Tracking of Singular Multiagent Systems With Switching Topologies and Communication Delays.

This article, based on dissipativity theory, aims to tackle the consensus tracking issue for Lipschitz nonlinear singular multiagent systems (MASs) with switching topologies and communication delays. Rooted at the leader node, a directed spanning tree is assumed to be contained in the union of all possible interaction graphs. Within the framework of topology switching controlled by a Markov chain, communication delays encountered in the data transmission process are reasonably considered to be time-varying and dependent on Markovian jump modes. By using tools from the stochastic Lyapunov functional technique, algebraic graph theory, and strict (Q,S,R)-α -dissipativity analysis, the consensus controller collecting delayed in-neighboring agents' information is designed to ensure stochastic admissibility and strict dissipativity of the resulting consensus error system. The theoretical analysis is validated by numerical simulations.

Reachable Set Estimation for Markovian Jump Neutral-Type Neural Networks With Time-Varying Delays.

The reachable set estimation problem for a class of Markovian jump neutral-type neural networks (MJNTNNs) with bounded disturbances and time-varying delays is tackled in this article. With the aid of the delay partitioning method, a novel stochastic Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional containing triple integral terms is constructed in mode-dependent augmented form. To begin with, transition probabilities of the concerned Markovian jump neural networks (NNs) are considered to be completely known. By employing the integral inequality approach and reciprocally convex combination method, it is proved that all state trajectories which start from the origin by bounded inputs can be constrained by an ellipsoid-like set if a group of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) is feasible. Then, the free-connection weighting matrix technique is utilized to handle the case of partially known transition probabilities. As byproducts, some sufficient conditions are also obtained to guarantee the stochastic stability of the concerned NNs. The validity of the theoretical analysis is confirmed by numerical simulations.

[The value of quantitative measurement of key structures of inner ear by HRCT in hearing evaluation of patients with congenital severe sensorineural deafness].

Objective:Study on the value of quantitative measurement of key structures of inner ear by high resolution computer tomography（HRCT） in hearing evaluation of patients with congenital severe sensorineural hearing loss（SNHL）. Methods:A total of 90 children with extremely severe SNHL diagnosed and treated in Beilun District People's Hospital from January 2018 to February 2021 were collected as the experimental group. In the same period, 90 children（180 ears） with normal inner ear structure and hearing were scanned because of head trauma and suspected temporal bone fracture. Logistic univariate and multivariate regression analysis were used to analyze the factors affecting the occurrence of extremely severe SNHL. Based on the results of multivariate analysis, a Nomogram prediction model was established. The model before and after internal correction was evaluated by the receiver working characteristic curve. Results:Inner ear malformation, SSCC bone island width, LSCC bone island width and cochlear height were independent risk factors for extremely severe SNHL. The results of Nomogram predictive model showed that cochlear height 34 points, LSCC bone island width 19 points, SSCC bone island width 22 points, inner ear malformation 37 points, the total score（112 points） corresponding to the incidence of extremely severe SNHL（0.3%）. The actual C-index value of Nomogram prediction model is 0.858, the C-index of internal verification is 0.851, and the C-index of external verification is 0.847. The coincidence of the model is good. It is suggested that the model can effectively predict the risk factors of congenital extremely severe SNHL and has high prediction accuracy. Conclusion:The standardized measurement of SSCC bone island width, LSCC bone island width and cochlear height by HRCT is of great value in the diagnosis of microinner ear malformation in children with extremely severe SNHL.

The biological function and diagnostic value of miR-762 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Low diagnostic efficiency and high metastasis and recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) result in bad survival. A novel diagnostic biomarker is of great importance for the improvement of NPC management. This study aimed to state the biological function and diagnostic values of miR-762 in NPC to provide a novel insight into the detection and therapy of NPC. METHODS: The expression of miR-762 in NPC and healthy samples was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and its diagnostic value was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The functional roles of miR-762 in the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NPC cells were assessed by CCK8 and Transwell assay. RESULTS: The significant upregulation of miR-762 was observed in NPC serum compared with healthy controls, which was associated with the TNM stage and lymph node metastasis of NPC patients. The ROC curve showed that miR-762 could be a diagnostic biomarker for NPC with high accuracy and specificity. Additionally, miR-762 served as a tumor promoter, which could promote cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of NPC. CONCLUSION: The upregulation of miR-762 in NPC is associated with the disease progression and diagnosis of NPC. miR-762 might be involved in the tumor progression of NPC, which provides a potential therapeutic target for the treatment and management of NPC.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms analysis of noise-induced hearing loss using three-dimensional polyacrylamide gel-based microarray method.

Noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a complex occupational hazard caused by an interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Millions of Chinese industrial people are daily exposed to high level of noise. Although the environmental risk factors have been studied extensively, the nature of the genetic factors contributing to HIHL has not yet been clarified. In this study, we investigated 15 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 6 candidate genes influence susceptibility to noise in Chinese noise-exposed workers. Data from 3-dimensional polyacrylamide gel-based microarray platforms were analyzed. 103 blood samples were collected from noise-exposed laborers in Ningbo, Zhejiang, China. Subsequently, the interaction between noise exposure and genotypes and their effect on NIHL were analysed using logistic regression. Two interesting results were observed between noise exposure levels and genotypes of three SNPs, hence confirming that they are NIHL susceptibility genes in Chinese population.

[Epidemiology investigation of allergic rhinitis in urban and rural areas of Ningbo and Yongzhou].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of allergic rhinitis (AR) in urban and rural areas of Ningbo and Yongzhou. METHOD: Fifteen fields in the two cities from October 2006 to June 2007 were randomly selected. Cases suspected with symptoms of AR by a self-administered and interview questionnaire were recommended to special examinations for confirmed diagnosis. RESULT: 1. A total of 9969 individuals from 3803 families were surveyed, of whom 303 suffered with AR. 2. The prevalence rate was 4.10% in Ningbo and 1.65% in Yongzhou (the sex-adjusted rate was 4.10% and 1.64% respectively, and the age-adjusted rate was 4.33% and 1.58%); the population of island inhabitants had the lowest prevalence rate of 0.73%. 3. The prevalence rate in patients with asthma and that with family genetic history was 8% and 12% respectively. CONCLUSION: It demonstrates that the prevalence rate is higher in Ningbo than in Yongzhou, in urban than in rural and in adolescent than in other ages. Allergic rhinitis may be associated with asthma and related to genetic factors. Allergic rhinitis may be curable.