[Microwave ablation versus radiofrequency ablation for solid or predominantly solid benign thyroid nodules: a randomized controlled clinical trial].

Objective: To compare the short-term efficacy and the safety of microwave ablation (MWA) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in the treatment of benign thyroid nodules (BTNs). Methods: This prospective randomized controlled trial, performed from December 2019 to September 2021, included 36 patients with solid or predominantly solid BTNs who met the eligibility criteria and provided written informed consent at the Nanjing sub-center (Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine). Patients were assigned to either the MWA group or the RFA group (18 patients in each group) at a ratio of 1∶1 using a block randomization design and allocation concealment using sealed envelope randomization. The independent-sample t-test and χ2 test were used to compare the volume reduction rates (VRRs), effective rates (VRRs≥50%), cosmetic scores, and complication rates at 1, 3, and 6 months after treatment between the two groups. Results: The clinical characteristics of the two groups of patients were comparable. After ablation, the nodule volume was significantly reduced in both groups. At 1, 3, and 6 months, there was no significant difference in the volume between the two groups (all P>0.05). At 3 months, the RFA group had a larger VRRs than that in the MWA group (62.08%±12.46% vs. 46.90%±23.16%, t=-2.45, P=0.021). However, at 1 and 6 months, no statistical significance was observed (both P>0.05). No significant difference was observed in the effective rates at the last follow-up (14/18 vs. 18/18, P=0.104). However, the RFA group had a lower cosmetic score than that in the MWA group (1.78±0.43 vs. 2.17±0.51, t=-2.47, P=0.019). There was no statistically significant difference in the complication rates between the two groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions: Both MWA and RFA were effective and safe treatments for BTNs, with no significant differences in short-term efficacy and safety. In addition, the RFA group showed slightly more favorable outcomes than the MWA group in terms of cosmetic improvement.

The therapeutic effect of decitabine combined with HAG in acute myeloid leukemia: a retrospective case-control analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Explore the efficacy of decitabine combined with homoharringtonine + cytarabine + granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (HAG) in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of clinical data of 125 patients with AML was done. Of them, 61 patients received a simple HAG treatment (HAG group), and 64 received decitabine combined with an HAG regimen (combined group). Treatment efficacy, immune function before and after the treatment, levels of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and incidence of adverse reactions in the two groups were compared. RESULTS: The total response rate of the combined group (84.38%) was higher than that of the HAG group (65.63%) (p < 0.05). After the treatment, levels of CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ in both groups increased and were significantly higher in the combined group compared to the HAG group. Levels of CD8+, bFGF and VEGF decreased compared to pre-treatment levels and were significantly lower in the combined group than in the HAG group (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the rate of adverse reactions between the two groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to HAG treatment alone, the combination of decitabine and HAG in the treatment of AML is safe, can significantly improve the immune function of the patients, regulate bFGF and VEGF levels, and improve overall treatment efficacy.

[Effect of equal temperature bladder irrigation in patients with transurethral resection of prostate: A meta-analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of equal temperature bladder irrigation on bladder spasm, postoperative bleeding, vital signs and discomfort of chills in patients of transurethral resection of prostate using meta-analysis. METHODS: Several electronic databases included Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, VIP, China Biology Medicine (CBM) were searched systematically for published randomized controlled trial about equal temperature bladder irrigation in patients with transurethral resection of prostate before November 20, 2019. Two reviewers selected independently the literature in the light of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, assessed the risk of bias by quality assessment and extracted data which were consisted of clinical efficacy indexes, such as incidence of bladder spasm, severity of bladder spasm, incidence of tube plugging, amount of bladder flushing fluid, time of bladder flushing, heart rate, systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, and incidence of chills. Data were pooled using fixed-effects model or random-effects model, and the summary effect measure was calculated by risk ratio (RR) or mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI). Meta-analysis was performed by Review Manager 5.3 Software. RESULTS: In the study, 13 randomized controlled trails met the requirement with a total of 2 033 patients of transurethral resection of prostate were included, of whom 1 015 were carried out with equal temperature bladder irrigation and 1 018 with room temperature bladder irrigation. The results of meta-analysis showed that incidence of bladder spasm [RR=0.51, 95%CI (0.45, 0.57), P < 0.001], severity of bladder spasm [MD=-1.61, 95%CI (-2.00, -1.23), P < 0.001], incidence of urinary blockage [RR=0.29, 95%CI (0.19, 0.44), P < 0.001], dosage of bladder irrigation [MD=-6.75, 95%CI (-7.33, -6.17), P < 0.001], time of bladder rinse [MD=-7.60, 95%CI (-11.91, -3.29), P < 0.001], heart rate [MD=-13.68, 95%CI (-15.19, -12.17), P < 0.001], systolic pressure [MD=-29.26, 95%CI (-31.92, -26.59), P < 0.001], diastolic pressure [MD=-29.36, 95%CI (-31.75, -26.98), P < 0.001], incidence of chills and discomfort [MD=0.37, 95%CI (0.31, 0.44), P < 0.001] in equal temperature group of the patients with transurethral resection of prostate had significantly statistical difference compared with room temperature group. CONCLUSION: Based on current available evidence, equal temperature bladder irrigation reduced the incidence of bladder spasm and urinary blockage, relieved bladder spasm, reduced dosage and time of bladder irrigation, and hardly affected normal vital signs and increased the patient' s comfort.

Postoperative pulmonary complications in older patients undergoing elective surgery with a supraglottic airway device or tracheal intubation.

The two most commonly used airway management techniques during general anaesthesia are supraglottic airway devices and tracheal tubes. In older patients undergoing elective non-cardiothoracic surgery under general anaesthesia with positive pressure ventilation, we hypothesised that a composite measure of in-hospital postoperative pulmonary complications would be less frequent when a supraglottic airway device was used compared with a tracheal tube. We studied patients aged ≥ 70 years in 17 clinical centres. Patients were allocated randomly to airway management with a supraglottic airway device or a tracheal tube. Between August 2016 and April 2020, 2900 patients were studied, of whom 2751 were included in the primary analysis (1387 with supraglottic airway device and 1364 with a tracheal tube). Pre-operatively, 2431 (88.4%) patients were estimated to have a postoperative pulmonary complication risk index of 1-2. Postoperative pulmonary complications, mostly coughing, occurred in 270 of 1387 patients (19.5%) allocated to a supraglottic airway device and 342 of 1364 patients (25.1%) assigned to a tracheal tube (absolute difference -5.6% (95%CI -8.7 to -2.5), risk ratio 0.78 (95%CI 0.67-0.89); p < 0.001). Among otherwise healthy older patients undergoing elective surgery under general anaesthesia with intra-operative positive pressure ventilation of their lungs, there were fewer postoperative pulmonary complications when the airway was managed with a supraglottic airway device compared with a tracheal tube.

[Effects of caloric restriction and rope-skipping exercise on cardiometabolic risk factors in overweight or obese college students].

Objective: To explore the effect of three interventions including caloric restriction, rope-skipping exercise and caloric restriction combined with rope-skipping exercise on cardiometabolic risk factors in overweight or obese college students. Methods: This study was a pilot randomized controlled trial. Overweight or obese students who met the inclusion criteria were recruited at Sun Yat-sen University in September 2019 and were randomly divided into four groups: caloric restriction group (CR), rope-skipping group (RS), combined group (CR-RS) and control group (CT). The intervention in each group lasted 8 weeks, specifically: the daily energy intake of CR was 100% to 110% of the basal metabolic energy; RS was instructed to rope three times a week, and CR-RS combined caloric restriction with rope-skipping. At the baseline and end of 8-week intervention, basic information, anthropometric indicators and fasting vein blood of students were collected. Paired t test and Wilcoxon paired-samples signed rank test were used for comparison before and after intervention, and analysis of covariance was used for comparison between groups after intervention. Results: A total of 29 students completed the trial and were included in the final analysis (7, 9, 7 and 6 students in CR, RS, CR-RS and CT, respectively). The mean age of students were (19.00±1.00) years, including 11 males and 18 females. The baseline characteristics of four groups were comparable. After 8 weeks of intervention, compared with CT, there was an increase in the body fat percentage and fat mass index in CR and CR-RS (P<0.05). Insulin level decreased in CR-RS (P<0.05). Systolic blood pressure in CR and diastolic blood pressure in CR-RS were higher (P<0.05). Compared with baseline, fat mass index decreased in CR (P<0.05), while body weight, BMI, and fat mass index decreased in CR-RS (P<0.05). Conclusion: It is suggested that the caloric restriction alone and calorie restriction combined with rope-skipping exercise can benefit overweight or obese college students with cardiometabolic risk factors.

[Effectiveness and safety of ultrasound-guided microwave ablation for the treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism in 12 patients with parathyroid adenoma].

To investigate the effectiveness and safety of ultrasound-guided microwave ablation (MWA) in treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). A total of 12 PHPT patients with parathyroid adenoma were treated with MWA in Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine from May 2019 to February 2021. The patients were followed up once every 3 months for 3-12 months. Levels of serum parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium and phosphorus were detected before and 20 min, 4h and 1day after ablation, and during follow-up period. The volume and volume reduction rate of parathyroid lesion were compared before the treatment and at the end of follow-up. The technical and clinical success of MWA were assessed as well. At the end of follow-up, median serum PTH [66.60 (42.21,80.03) ng/L vs.169.90 (89.01,396.50) ng/L] and calcium [2.39 (2.32,2.49) mmol/L vs. 2.75 (2.57,2.96) mmol/L] levels in 12 patients decreased significantly (all P<0.05). A complete response in terms of PTH and calcium levels was achieved in 6 of the 12 patients, while 4 of the patients had slightly elevated PTH levels just above the upper limit of normal reference range, and 2 of the patients remained abnormal PTH and calcium levels. The clinical cure rate was 50%. The volumes of all lesion after ablation were significantly decreased (P<0.05), with the technical success rate reaching 92.3%. No serious complications were observed. Ultrasound-guided MWA, thus, is safe and effective in the treatment of PHPT.

[The current situation of occupational burnout and its influencing factors among orphan child care workers in Nanjing].

Objective: To explore the status of job burnout of nurses for orphans and disabled children in Nanjing and its influencing factors, so as to provide reference for promoting the mental health of nurses for orphans and disabled children. Methods: From February to May, 2017, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 236 nurses working in social welfare institutions for orphans and disabled children in Nanjing, using Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI) and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) . It investigated the status of job burnout among nurses of orphans and disabled children, logistic regression analysis was used to explore the effect of occupational stress on the incidence of job burnout of nurses for orphans and disabled children. Results: The results showed that the incidence of job burnout was 67.37% (159/236) , the incidence of job burnout was negatively correlated with behavioral characteristics and family support, the incidence of emotional exhaustion was positively correlated with task control and job monotony (P<0.05) , and negatively correlated with role ambiguity and job satisfaction (P<0.05) . The incidence of depersonalization was negatively correlated with job monotony and peer support (P<0.05) . Conclusion: The nurses of orphans and disabled children have serious job burnout. Occupational stress factors, personality characteristics and relieving factors have influence on the incidence of job burnout.

[Study on occupational stress response of orphans and disabled children care workers in Nanjing].

Objective: To explore the status quo of occupational stress and its influencing factors of nursing staff for orphaned and disabled children in Nanjing, and to put forward measures for adverse reactions to occupational stress, so as to ensure the psychological health of this occupational population. Methods: From February to May 2017, 236 nursing assistants for orphans and disabled children in Nanjing social welfare home were selected by cluster sampling method. The occupational stress index(occupational stress indictor, OSI) was used to investigate occupational stress response and occupational stress factors. Partial correlation and multiple linear regression were used for statistical analysis. Results: The scores of job satisfaction, mental health and depressive symptoms in occupational stress reaction were (43. 99±6. 83) , (36. 09±4. 59) and (17. 31±2. 44) re- spectively. In terms of job satisfaction, work monotony, logic and compound change were the contributing fac- tors (P<0. 05) , task strategy and task control were negative factors (P<0. 05) ; on mental health, opportunities were raised and participation in decision-making Self-esteem, technology utilization, environmental control, time management, task strategy and support of colleagues as contributing factors (P<0. 05) , ambition and role conflicts as negative factors (P<0. 05) ; on depression, work input, participation Decision-making, promotion opportunities and behavioral characteristics were protective factors (P<0. 05 ) . Conclusion: Occupational stress among caregivers of orphans and disabled children cannot be ignored. Occupational stress reaction is serious. Occupational stress factors should be reduced and individual stress coping ability should be enhanced.

[Study on the sensitivity of multi-slice spiral CT in diagnosis of lymph node metastasis in different lymph node stations of gastric cancer].

Objective: To study the sensitivity of multi-slice spiral CT in the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis in different lymph node stations of gastric cancer. Methods: A retrospective series of case study was employed in the research. Inclusion criteria: (1) patients undergoing preoperative abdominal CT scan plus enhanced examination, and data in the image archiving and communication system of Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center; (2) patients undergoing total or subtotal gastrectomy plus D2 or D1+ lymphadenectomy, with more than 15 harvested lymph nodes and more than 1 metastatic lymph node confirmed by postoperative pathology; (3) WHO pathological classification defined as gastric adenocarcinoma; (4) no history of lymph node tuberculosis, giant lymph node hyperplasia, lymphoma or other diseases resulting in enlarged lymph nodes; (5) no history of gastrectomy; (6) no preoperative neoadjuvant therapy. Clinicopathologic data of gastric cancer patients at the Department of Gastric and Pancreatic Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from January 2009 to December 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. Using the pathologically positive lymph nodes as a reference, the sensitivity of CT-positive lymph nodes was calculated (total number of positive image lymph nodes/total number of positive pathological lymph nodes) and complete coincidence rate (number of case defined as complete coincidence/number of case with positive pathologic lymph nodes; complete coincidence indicated that the number of positive image lymph nodes was consistent with the number of positive pathologic lymph nodes in each lymph node station). The χ(2) test was used to compare the sensitivity of CT in the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis in each lymph node station. Results: A total of 228 patients with pathology-proven gastric cancer were enrolled in the study, including 147 male and 81 female. The overall sensitivity of CT in diagnosis of metastatic lymph nodes in gastric cancer was 68.7% (1769/2576). The sensitivity of CT in diagnosis of lymph node metastasis of groups 1 to 8 from high to low was group 3 [81.1% (506/624)], group 7 [73.9% (246/333)], group 2 [70.3% (111/158)], group 6 [68.7% (248/361)], group 4 [68.1% (262/385)], group 8 [60.4% (116/192)], group 1 [53.8% (155/288)], group 5 [47.1% (82/174)]. The CT diagnostic sensitivity of group 3 was significantly higher than the overall level (χ(2)=37.689, P<0.001). The CT diagnostic sensitivity of group 5 was significantly lower than the overall level (χ(2)=34.387, P<0.001). The CT diagnostic sensitivity of group 1 was also significantly lower than the overall level (χ(2)=25.918, P<0.001). Significant differences were not found in the CT diagnostic sensitivity of group 2, 4, 6, 7, 8 compared with the overall level (all P>0.05). The complete coincidence rate was 56.9% (536/942) between pathological positive lymph nodes and CT positive lymph nodes. The highest complete coincidence rate was observed in group 3 (68.0%, 123/181) and the lowest was in group 1 (41.4%, 46/111), whose difference was statistically significant (χ(2)=9.673, P=0.002). Conclusion: The sensitivity of CT in diagnosis of lymph nodes in different lymph node stations of gastric cancer is different.

[Analysis of occupational stress and occupational exhaustion of primary caregivers].

Objective: To investigate the occupation stress and job burnout of orphan child care workers in Nanjing and nursing staff in Yangzhong primary hospital, to compare the differences of occupational stress and job burnout between the two social service workers. Methods: From February to May 2017, a cross- sectional survey was conducted. Cluster sampling method was used to investigate the occupation stress and job burnout of orphan child care workers in Nanjing and nursing staff in Yangzhong primary hospital, totally 403 people, by a combination of the Internet of things assessment system of occupational stress and traditional questionnaire. Results: There were statistically significant differences of occupational stress and job burnout scores of both social service workers (P<0.05). Orphan child care workers in job control, technology utilization, job routinization, work risk, role ambiguity and participation decision-making, anxiety state, body complain, life attitude, behavior characteristics, ambition, anxiety trait, social support, logic, family-work relationship and depersonalization were higher than those of Yangzhong primary nurses (P<0.05); Primary nurses in Yangzhong in quantitative load and change, workload, role conflict, job prospects, promotion, depressive symptom, daily stress, self-esteem, task strategy, time management, work input, and personal accomplishment reduction scored higher than those of Orphan child care workers (P<0.05). The logistic regression analysis of the occupational depletion positive rate of the two social service personnel showed that the protective factors of the nursing staff of the orphans and disabled children had behavioral characteristics and family support(OR=0.877, P=0.044; OR=0.691, P=0.001) . The contributing factors of the primary nursing staff in Yangzhong were task control, workload, work psychological control source (OR=1.110, P=0.019; OR=1.128, P<0.001;OR=1.066, P=0.032) . The protection factors were technical utilization, opportunities for improvement, and mental health (OR=0.775, P=0.005; OR=0.765, P=0.006; OR=0.914, P=0.002) . Conclusion: The work content, the service object and the nature of the unit of primary caregivers influence the state of occupational stress and job burnout. The influencing factors of occupational stress and job burnout are not identical, Different social service personnel show occupational stress and occupational exhaustion in different aspects, and it is necessary to propose mitigation measures for two kinds of social service personnel.

MiR-485-5p inhibits metastasis and proliferation of osteosarcoma by targeting CX3CL1.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential effect of miR-485-5p on the development of osteosarcoma (OA) and its relevant mechanism. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expression level of miR-485-5p was detected in OA tissues and cells (MG-63) comparing with corresponding adjacent normal tissues and normal human osteoblastic cell lines (Hfob1.19), respectively. Luciferase assay was performed to evaluate the interaction between miR-485-5p and CX3CL1, the effects of miR-485-5p on MG-63 cells were determined by subsequent experiments including cell proliferation, expression level of CX3CL1, detection of invasion and migration capacities. RESULTS: In our present research, miR-485-5p was down-regulated in OA tissues and we got the same result in OA cells. In order to obtain potential target of miR-485-5p, we checked it in three publicly available algorithms, TargetScan, miRDB and microRNA. We found that CX3CL1 is a direct target of miR-485-5p, and Luciferase assays confirmed our hypothesis. The results showed that decreased expression of CX3CL1 resulting from the up-regulation of miR-485-5p could decelerate cell proliferation, invasion and migration in OA cells. CONCLUSIONS: We showed the suppressor function of miR-485-5p in OA by targeting CX3CL1, indicating that miR-485-5p/CX3CL1 axis might be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of OA.

[Effect of red blood cell transfusion on the oxygenation of mesenteric tissue in premature infants].

Objective: To investigate the effect of red blood cell transfusion on the oxygenation of mesenteric tissue in premature infants. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, preterm infants with gestational age <37 weeks who were treated with red blood cell transfusions were enrolled from June 2017 to March 2018 in Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University. The infants were categorized into feeding intolerance group and feeding tolerance group according to the feeding intolerance standard. Near-infrared spectroscopy was applied to continuously monitor intestinal oxygen saturation from 2 h before red blood cell transfusion to 48 h after red blood cell transfusion. Intergroup differences of basic conditions were analyzed with t test, Mann-Whitney U test and χ(2) test. Mixed linear model was used to compare intragroup and intergroup differences in intestinal oxygen saturation over time. Results: A total of 73 cases with gestational age <37 weeks were enrolled, of whom 41 were males and 32 were females, with mean gestational age of (30±4)weeks and mean birth weight of (1 543±688)g; there were 33 cases in feeding intolerance group and 42 cases in feeding tolerance group. The average intestinal oxygen saturations at 2 h before blood transfusion, during blood transfusion, 2, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h after transfusion were 0.50±0.07, 0.52±0.07, 0.52±0.08, 0.51±0.08, 0.51±0.07, 0.51±0.08, and 0.51±0.07 respectively in feeding intolerance group and were 0.51±0.04, 0.55±0.04, 0.57±0.05, 0.57±0.04, 0.56±0.04, 0.56±0.04, and 0.56±0.05 respectively in feeding tolerance group. Compared with 2 h before transfusion, intestinal oxygen saturation were increased during transfusion in both group (feeding intolerance group t=4.992, P=0.000; feeding tolerance group t=9.615, P=0.000), however this effect lasted until 48 h after transfusion in feeding tolerance group (t=5.519, 12.409, 10.033, 9.133, 7.983, all P=0.000). Additionally, the increasement of intestinal oxygen saturation over time were lower in feeding intolerance group(F=8.876, P=0.000). Besides, the level of intestinal oxygen saturation was positively correlated with postmenstrual age (PMA)(F=4.863, P=0.031). In infants with PMA<30 weeks, particularly in feeding intolerance group, the level of intestinal oxygen saturation significantly decreased at 2 h after transfusion (t=23.063, P=0.002). Conclusions: Feeding status and PMA may play a role in development of transfusion-associated necrotizing enterocolitis. Red blood cell transfusion may increase the risk for mesenteric ischemia and is more likely to cause necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants with PMA <30 weeks as well as feeding intolerance. Clinical Trail: Children's Hospital of Fudan University, NCT02544100.

Surgical management of pulsatile tinnitus secondary to jugular bulb or sigmoid sinus diverticulum with review of literature.

INTRODUCTION: Jugular bulb and sigmoid sinus anomalies are well-known causes of vascular pulsatile tinnitus. Common anomalies reported in the literature include high-riding and/or dehiscent jugular bulb, and sigmoid sinus dehiscence. However, cases of pulsatile tinnitus due to diverticulosis of the jugular bulb or sigmoid sinus are less commonly encountered, with the best management option yet to be established. In particular, reports on surgical management of pulsatile tinnitus caused by jugular bulb diverticulum have been lacking in the literature. OBJECTIVES: To report two cases of pulsatile tinnitus with jugular bulb and/or sigmoid sinus diverticulum, and their management strategies and outcomes. In this series, we describe the first reported successful case of pulsatile tinnitus due to jugular bulb diverticulum that was surgically-treated. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Two patients diagnosed with either jugular bulb and/or sigmoid sinus diverticulum, who had presented to the Otolaryngology clinic with pulsatile tinnitus between 2016 and 2017, were studied. Demographic and clinical data were obtained, including their management details and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Two cases (one with jugular bulb diverticulum and one with both sigmoid sinus and jugular bulb diverticula) underwent surgical intervention, and both had immediate resolution of pulsatile tinnitus post-operatively. This was sustained at subsequent follow-up visits at the outpatient clinic, and there were no major complications encountered for both cases intra- and post-operatively. CONCLUSION: Transmastoid reconstruction/resurfacing of jugular bulb and sigmoid sinus diverticulum with/without obliteration of the diverticulum is a safe and effective approach in the management of bothersome pulsatile tinnitus arising from these causes.

[The influence of demographic characteristics on occupational stress of orphan child care workers].

Objective: To investigate the occupation stress of orphan child care workers in Nanjing, to explore the influence of different demographic characteristics on occupational stress of orphan child care workers and propose measures. Methods: Cluster sampling method was used to investigate the occupation stress of 236 people of orphan child care workers in Nanjing by a combination of the Internet of things assessment system of occupational stress and traditional questionnaire. Results: The scores of workload, job prospects, participation decision-making, anxiety and logical in different age groups among orphan child care workers were statistically different (P<0.05) ; The scores of organizational loyalty in different education groups among orphan child care workers were statistically different (P<0.05) ; The scores of task control, resource control, workload, job prospects, job satisfaction, mental health, anxiety and ambition were statistically different among orphan child care workers with different job titles (P<0.05) ; The scores of role conflict, role ambiguity, job satisfaction, mental health, anxiety, self-esteem, colleague support, family support and task strategy were statistically different orphan child care workers in different classes (P<0.05) . Conclusion: Different demographic characteristics will have certain influence on occupational stress of orphan child care workers.

[Current status of nurses' perceived professional benefits and influencing factors in 3A-level hospitals in Tianjin].

Objective: To investigate the current status of nurses' perceived professional benefits in 3A-level hospitals in Tianjin, and analyze its influencing factors. Methods: A total of 421 clinical nurses from five 3A-level hospitals in Tianjin were recruited for investigation on perceived professional benefits by Nurses'Perceived Professional Benefits Scale. Results: The total score of nurses' perceived professional benefit was 110.50±14.24, the score index was 77.34%. Among five dimensions, the highest scores index was 84.80% for personal development, the lowest was 71.57% for identification by relatives and friends. Multiple linear regression analysis showed the three variables, such as department, teaching and cooperative relation between doctors and nurses entered the model, higher perceived professional benefits was observed in medical nurses, teaching nurses, and those with better cooperative relation between doctors and nurses (P<0.05) . Conclusion: The investigated nurses in 3A-level hospitals in Tianjin show upper-moderate level of perceived professional benefits. Nursing managers should develop targeted interventions based on the factors affecting the perceived professional benefits of the nurses and further enhance their perceived professional benefits.

[Introduction to Bayesian variable selection methods in high-dimensional omics data analysis].

With the rapid development of genome sequencing technology and bioinformatics in recent years, it has become possible to measure thousands of omics data which might be associated with the progress of diseases, i.e."high-dimensional data" . This type of omics data have a common feature that the number of variable p is usually greater than the observation cases n, and often has high correlation between independent variables. Therefore, it is a great statistical challenge to identify really meaningful variables from omics data. This paper summarizes the methods of Bayesian variable selection in the analysis of high-dimensional data.

Tetramethylpyrazine-2'-O-sodium ferulate attenuates blood-brain barrier disruption and brain oedema after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion.

Disruption of blood-brain barrier (BBB) and subsequent oedema are major causes of the pathogenesis in ischaemic stroke with which the current clinical therapy remains unsatisfied. In this study, we examined the therapeutic effect of tetramethylpyrazine-2'-O-sodium ferulate (TSF)-a novel analogue of tetramethylpyrazine in alleviating BBB breakdown and brain oedema after cerebral ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R). Then, we explored the potential mechanism of the protection on BBB disruption in cerebral I/R rat models. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (250-300 g) were subjected to 120 min middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), followed by 48 h reperfusion. TSF (10.8, 18 and 30 mg kg-1) and ozagrel (18 mg kg-1) were administrated by intravenous injection immediately for the first time and then received the same dose every 24 h for 2 days. We found that TSF treatment significantly attenuated the cerebral water content, infarction volume and improved neurological outcomes in MCAO rats compared to I/R models. Moreover, we investigated the effect of TSF on the BBB for that cerebral oedema is closely related to the permeability of the BBB. We found that the permeability of BBB was improved significantly in TSF groups compared to I/R model group by Evans blue leakage testing. Furthermore, the expressions of tight junction (TJ) proteins junction adhesion molecule-1 and occludin significantly decreased, but the protein expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and aquaporin 4 (AQP4) increased after cerebral I/R, all of which were alleviated by TSF treatment. In conclusion, TSF significantly reduced BBB permeability and brain oedema, which were correlated with regulating the expression of TJ proteins, MMP-9 and AQP4. These findings provide a novel approach to the treatment of ischaemic stroke.

Sperm cryopreservation in different grouper subspecies and application in interspecific hybridization.

The present study established and confirmed an efficient technology for groupers: giant grouper Epinephelus lanceolatus, orange-spotted grouper E. coioides, seven-band grouper, E. septemfasciatus, and kelp grouper E. moara sperm cryopreservation and successfully applied the cryopreserved E. lanceolatus sperm into interspecific hybridization with E. coioides. For both E. lanceolatus and E. coioides, the best motility of postthaw sperm were achieved using 6% to 10% DMSO, 6% to 16% propylene glycol, and 6% ethylene glycol as cryoprotectants. Furthermore, we have successfully applied this method into the other two species of E. septemfasciatus (74.56 ± 5.45%) and E. moara (71.67 ± 5.10%) sperm cryopreservation and obtained high motility, respectively. Computer-assisted sperm motion analysis showed that the postthaw sperm of the four species of grouper could keep 30 to 35 minutes motile state in nature seawater. And the freezing-thawing process decreased the sperm motility, speed, and longevity but did not significantly change the sperm movement pattern, and the progressive linear motion still was the dominant movement pattern. For the four species of grouper, the ultrastructural analysis showed 70% to 80% of the spermatozoa had intact morphology with a little of swelling; 20% to 30% were damaged, such as swelling or rupture of head, midpiece, and tail region; and 10% to 20% were severely damaged. Whereas, by the microscopic observation, more than 90% of the postthaw sperm presented normal morphology. In the artificial insemination and hybridization experiment, high fertilization rates and hatching rates were achieved when using 10% DMSO (88.7 ± 5.3%, 85.3 ± 7.4%) and 10% propylene glycol (86.8 ± 3.3%, 83.1 ± 6.6%), with no significant difference in comparison with control (92.2 ± 1.4%, 87.9 ± 4.2%). In addition, we found the embryos from postthaw sperm of E. lanceolatus and E. coioides eggs developed and grew normally as reported in previous study on hybridization of groupers (E. coioides × E. lanceolatus) using cryopreserved sperm. The results of the present study further validated the safety of the cryopreserved sperm in breeding production by assessing the fertilization capacity, embryo development, and larval growth.

Effects of antibacterial peptide on cellular immunity in weaned piglets.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of antibacterial peptide (ABP) sufficiency on cellular immune functions by determining the spleen cell cycle and apoptosis, peripheral blood T cell subsets, and T cell proliferation function in weaned piglets. A total of 90 piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) of both sexes were randomly allotted to 5 dietary treatments. Each treatment consisted of 3 replicates with 6 piglets per replicate. The dietary treatments consisted of the negative control (NC; basal diet), positive control (PC; basal diet supplemented with 400 mg/kg Astragalus polysaccharide), and ABP (basal diet mixed with 250, 500, and 1,000 mg/kg ABP). The experimental lasted for 28 d. Two piglets from each replicate were selected randomly for blood samples extraction from the jugular vein to obtain peripheral blood T cell subsets, and T cell proliferation function analysis was performed on d 32, 39, 46, and 53. Two piglets from each replicate were selected and euthanized to observe the spleen cell cycle and apoptosis on d 39 and 53. In ABP-sufficient piglets, the G0/G1 phase of the spleen cell cycle was much lower (P < 0.05) and the S and G2 + M phases and proliferation index (PI) were greater (P < 0.05) than in NC piglets. The percentage of apoptotic cells in the spleen significantly decreased under ABP sufficiency (P < 0.05). The proliferation function of peripheral blood T cells increased (P < 0.05) in ABP-sufficient piglets. Percentages of CD3 (+) and CD3 (+)CD4 (+) ratios (d 39, 46, and 53) and CD4 (+)CD8 (+) ratios (d 32, 39, 46, and 53) increased remarkably (P < 0.05) under ABP sufficiency compared with NC. These results suggest that ABP sufficiency could increase the T cell population and proliferation function of T cells and could induce decreased percentages of apoptotic cells. Overall, the cellular immune function was evidently improved in weaned piglets. We suggest optimal dosages of 500 mg/kg ABP for 4-wk addition and 1,000 mg/kg ABP for 2-wk addition.