The feasibility of indwelling ureteral stent for a short time after uncomplicated retrograde intrarenal stone surgery / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective:To study the feasibility of indwelling ureteral stent for a short time (72 hours) in patients after uncomplicated retrograde intrarenal stone surgery(RIRS).Methods:The clinical data of 58 patients who underwent uncomplicated flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy in Xuancheng People's Hospital from October 2020 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. According to indwelling time of ureteral stent after surgery, the patients were divided into two groups. There were 26 cases indwelling within 72 hours after operation, named as the observation group, and 32 cases indwelling for about 3 weeks after operation, named as the control group. There was no significant difference in gender [male/female: 14/12 vs. 21/11], age [(43.4 ± 10.2) vs. (43.9 ± 11.9) years old], affected side [left/right: 17/9 vs. 20/12], and maximum diameter of stones [(9.3 ± 1.8) mm vs. (9.7 ± 1.9) mm] between the observation group and the control group. All patients in the two groups underwent unilateral ureteroscopic lithotripsy under general anesthesia. The stone removal rate, recovery of water accumulation and incidence of postoperative complications in the first and third months after the surgery were compared.Results:There was no statistical difference between the observation group and the control group in the stone removal rate [100.0% (26/26) vs. 96.9% (31/32)] and recovery of hydronephrosis [100.0% (26/26) vs. 96.9% (31/32)] at the first month after surgery. All the stones were removed and all the hydronephrosis recovery in the two groups at the 3rd month after surgery. The rates of postoperative lumbar and abdominal pain [3.9% (1/26) vs. 28.1% (9/32)], carnal hematuria [3.9% (1/26) vs. 59.4% (19/32)], urinary tract infection [0 vs. 15.6% (5/32)], and bladder irritation [0 vs. 68.8% (22/32)] in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Indwelling a ureteral stent for a short time (72 hours) after uncomplicated RIRS does not affect the surgical effect and does reduce the risk of complications as well as promote rapid postoperative recovery.

Difference and consistency of corneal refractive power and astigmatism in cataract patients measured by CASIA2 and IOL Master 700 / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To compare the difference and consistency of corneal refractive power and astigmatism measured by CASIA2 and IOL Master 700 in patients with age-related cataract.METHODS: Retrospective study. A total of 153 patients(232 eyes)with age-related cataract admitted to Daping hospital from November to December 2021 were selected. The flat keratometry(Kf), steep keratometry(Ks), mean keratometry(Km), degree and axis of astigmatism(vector representation J0 and J45)of the anterior, posterior surfaces together with the total cornea from cataract patients were measured by CASIA2 and IOL Master 700, respectively. The difference, correlation and consistency of the two instruments were analyzed.RESULTS:There was no significant difference in J45 values of posterior corneal surface measured by CASIA2 and IOL Master 700(-0.006±0.038D vs. -0.005±0.044D, P&#x003E;0.05), but there were significant differences in other parameters(all P&#x003C;0.05). All parameters measured by the two instruments were significantly positive correlated(all r/rs&#x003E;0.7, P&#x003C;0.001); Bland-Altman analysis showed that the refractive power and astigmatism of the anterior cornea surface measured by the two facilities were in good consistency, while the refractive power of the posterior surface and the whole cornea showed poor consistency.CONCLUSION: CASIA2 and IOL Master 700 showed little differences and good consistency in the refractive power and astigmatism of the anterior, posterior and total corneal surface in cataract patients, which seems interchangeable. However, the refractive power of the posterior surface and the whole cornea has significant differences and poor consistency, which should not be interchange casually.

Electrochemical sensor for human norovirus based on covalent organic framework/pillararene heterosupramolecular nanocomposites.

Noroviruses are the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis and food-borne diseases worldwide. Thus, a rapid, accurate, and easy-to-implement detection method for controlling infection and monitoring progression is urgently needed. In this study, we constructed a novel sandwich-type electrochemical biosensor integrated with two specific recognition elements (aptamer and peptide) for human norovirus (HuNoV). The electrochemical biosensor was fabricated using magnetic covalent organic framework/pillararene heterosupramolecular nanocomposites (MB@Apt@WP5A@Au@COF@Fe3O4) as the signal probes. The sensor showed high accuracy and selectivity. The detection method does not need the extraction and amplification of virus nucleic acid and has a short turn-around time. Intriguingly, the proposed biosensor had a limit of detection of 0.84 copy mL-1 for HuNoV, which was the highest sensitivity among published assays. The proposed biosensor showed higher sensitivity and accuracy compared with immunochromatographic assay in the detection of 98 clinical specimens. The biosensor was capable of determining the predominant infection strain of GII.4 and also GII.3 and achieved 74% selectivity for HuNoV GII group. This study provides a potential method for point-of-care testing and highlights the integrated utilization of Apt and peptide in sensor construction.

The SACT Template: A Human Brain Diffusion Tensor Template for School-age Children / 神经科学通报·英文版

School-age children are in a specific development stage corresponding to juvenility, when the white matter of the brain experiences ongoing maturation. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI), especially diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), is extensively used to characterize the maturation by assessing white matter properties in vivo. In the analysis of DWI data, spatial normalization is crucial for conducting inter-subject analyses or linking the individual space with the reference space. Using tensor-based registration with an appropriate diffusion tensor template presents high accuracy regarding spatial normalization. However, there is a lack of a standardized diffusion tensor template dedicated to school-age children with ongoing brain development. Here, we established the school-age children diffusion tensor (SACT) template by optimizing tensor reorientation on high-quality DTI data from a large sample of cognitively normal participants aged 6-12 years. With an age-balanced design, the SACT template represented the entire age range well by showing high similarity to the age-specific templates. Compared with the tensor template of adults, the SACT template revealed significantly higher spatial normalization accuracy and inter-subject coherence upon evaluation of subjects in two different datasets of school-age children. A practical application regarding the age associations with the normalized DTI-derived data was conducted to further compare the SACT template and the adult template. Although similar spatial patterns were found, the SACT template showed significant effects on the distributions of the statistical results, which may be related to the performance of spatial normalization. Looking forward, the SACT template could contribute to future studies of white matter development in both healthy and clinical populations. The SACT template is publicly available now ( https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/SACT_template/14071283 ).

Mapping Domain- and Age-Specific Functional Brain Activity for Children’s Cognitive and Affective Development / 神经科学通报·英文版

The human brain undergoes rapid development during childhood, with significant improvement in a wide spectrum of cognitive and affective functions. Mapping domain- and age-specific brain activity patterns has important implications for characterizing the development of children’s cognitive and affective functions. The current mainstay of brain templates is primarily derived from structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and thus is not ideal for mapping children’s cognitive and affective brain development. By integrating task-dependent functional MRI data from a large sample of 250 children (aged 7 to 12) across multiple domains and the latest easy-to-use and transparent preprocessing workflow, we here created a set of age-specific brain functional activity maps across four domains: attention, executive function, emotion, and risky decision-making. Moreover, we developed a toolbox named Developmental Brain Functional Activity maps across multiple domains that enables researchers to visualize and download domain- and age-specific brain activity maps for various needs. This toolbox and maps have been released on the Neuroimaging Informatics Tools and Resources Clearinghouse website (http://www.nitrc.org/projects/dbfa). Our study provides domain- and age-specific brain activity maps for future developmental neuroimaging studies in both healthy and clinical populations.

Quantifying the sharing of foliar fungal pathogens by the invasive plant Ageratina adenophora and its neighbours.

Local pathogens can accumulate as asymptomatic endophytes, making it difficult to detect the impacts of invasive species as propagators of disease in the invaded range. We used the invasive plant Ageratina adenophora to assess such accumulation. We intensively collected foliar fungal endophytes and leaf spot pathogens of A. adenophora and co-occurring neighbours and performed an inoculation experiment to evaluate their pathogenicity and host range. Ageratina adenophora harboured diverse necrotrophic pathogens; its communities of endophytes and leaf spot pathogens were different in composition and shared only a small number of fungal species. In the pathogen communities of local plant hosts, 21% of the operational taxonomic units (OTUs), representing 50% of strains, also occurred as leaf spot pathogens and/or endophytes of A. adenophora. The local pathogen community was more similar to the endophytes than to the pathogens of A. adenophora. The inoculation experiment showed that local pathogens could infect A. adenophora leaves asymptomatically and that local plant hosts were susceptible to both A. adenophora endophytes and pathogens. Ageratina adenophora is a highly competent host for local pathogens, and its asymptomatic latent pathogens are fungi primarily shared with local neighbours. This poses challenges for understanding the long-term ecological consequences of plant invasion.

Influence of the structure and composition of Fe-Mn binary oxides on rGO on As(III) removal from aquifers.

Fe-Mn binary oxide (FMBO) possesses high efficiency for As(III) abatement based on the good adsorption affinity of iron oxide and the oxidizing capacity of Mn(IV), and the composition and structure of FMBO play important roles in this process. To compare the removal performance and determine the optimum formula for FMBO, magnetic graphene oxide (MRGO)-FMBO and MRGO-MnO2 were synthesized with MRGO as a carrier to improve the dispersity of the adsorbents in aquifers and achieve magnetic recycling. Results indicated that MRGO-FMBO had higher As(III) removal than that of MRGO-MnO2, although the ratios of Fe and Mn were similar, because the binary oxide of Fe and Mn facilitated electron transfer from Mn(IV) to As(III), while the separation of Mn and Fe on MRGO-MnO2 restricted the process. The optimal stoichiometry x for MRGO-FMBO (MnxFe3-xO4) was 0.46, and an extraordinary adsorption capacity of 24.38 mg/g for As(III) was achieved. MRGO-FMBO showed stable dispersive properties in aquifers, and exhibited excellent practicability and reusability, with a saturation magnetization of 7.6 emu/g and high conservation of magnetic properties after 5 cycles of regeneration and reuse. In addition, the presence of coexisting ions would not restrict the practical application of MRGO-FMBO in groundwater remediation. The redox reactions of As(III) and Mn(IV) on MRGO-FMBO were also described. The deprotonated aqueous As(III) on the surface of MRGO-FMBO transferred electrons to Mn(IV), and the formed As(V) oxyanions were bound to ferric oxide as inner-sphere complexes by coordinating their "-OH" groups with Mn(IV) oxides at the surface of MRGO-FMBO. This work could provide new insights into high-performance removal of As(III) in aquifers.

One family with osteosclerosis caused by D111Y mutation in the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 gene / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective@#To investigate the clinical features and pathogenic genes of a family with osteosclerosis.@*Methods@#Six patients and six family members from a family in Jiangsu were tested for biochemical parameters, bone metabolic markers, bone mineral density, thoracolumbar anterior lateral slices, skull positive lateral radiographs, and pelvic plain films. Meanwhile, Sanger sequencing was performed to detect gene mutations of the proband and five other family members with high bone mass. The conformation of the mutational low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5) protein was predicted by SWISS-MODEL.@*Results@#Four adult patients (one male and three females) were tall, with mandibular enlargement and kyphosis in the center of the lower jaw, and none of the four had fractures. Their X ray examination revealed that the skull and long bone cortex was thickened, while the sella and mandible was enlarged. In addition, the absolute values of bone mineral density at each site of all patients were significantly higher as compared with the standard age- and sex-matched adults or adolescent mean reference values, with Z scores of L2-4, femoral neck and total hip being (6.31±4.03) SD, (6.56±2.36) SD, and (7.19±2.03) SD, respectively. The results of genetic sequencing revealed that all six patients carried a heterozygous mutation (c.331G>T; D111Y) in exon 2 of LRP5 gene, while other family members showed wild type (c.331G>G; D111D). Functional prediction indicated that this mutation was located at the amino acid terminal of exon 2 of LRP5 gene, which encodes the first β-helix-generating region of LRP5 protein.@*Conclusion@#The D111Y mutation in LRP5 gene leads to a clinical phenotype characterized by benign increased bone mineral density without increasing the risk of fracture. This mutation may further affect the downstream Wnt signaling pathway by altering the spatial structure of LRP5 protein, thereby promoting maturation and differentiation of osteoblasts and resulting in osteosclerosis.

One family with osteosclerosis caused by D111Y mutation in the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 gene / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical features and pathogenic genes of a family with osteosclerosis.Methods:Six patients and six family members from a family in Jiangsu were tested for biochemical parameters, bone metabolic markers, bone mineral density, thoracolumbar anterior lateral slices, skull positive lateral radiographs, and pelvic plain films. Meanwhile, Sanger sequencing was performed to detect gene mutations of the proband and five other family members with high bone mass. The conformation of the mutational low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5) protein was predicted by SWISS-MODEL.Results:Four adult patients (one male and three females) were tall, with mandibular enlargement and kyphosis in the center of the lower jaw, and none of the four had fractures. Their X ray examination revealed that the skull and long bone cortex was thickened, while the sella and mandible was enlarged. In addition, the absolute values of bone mineral density at each site of all patients were significantly higher as compared with the standard age- and sex-matched adults or adolescent mean reference values, with Z scores of L2-4, femoral neck and total hip being (6.31±4.03) SD, (6.56±2.36) SD, and (7.19±2.03) SD, respectively. The results of genetic sequencing revealed that all six patients carried a heterozygous mutation (c.331G>T; D111Y) in exon 2 of LRP5 gene, while other family members showed wild type (c.331G>G; D111D). Functional prediction indicated that this mutation was located at the amino acid terminal of exon 2 of LRP5 gene, which encodes the first β-helix-generating region of LRP5 protein.Conclusion:The D111Y mutation in LRP5 gene leads to a clinical phenotype characterized by benign increased bone mineral density without increasing the risk of fracture. This mutation may further affect the downstream Wnt signaling pathway by altering the spatial structure of LRP5 protein, thereby promoting maturation and differentiation of osteoblasts and resulting in osteosclerosis.

Research progress on the mutual effects between brown adipose tissue and bone / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) increases energy consumption by directly dissipating stored energy in the form of heat through the role of uncoupling protein (UCP1). Recent studies have found that brown adipocytes may also regulate metabolism through autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine mechanisms. A growing body of evidences have shown that the BAT has a close relationship with bone metabolism, in which BAT secretes a variety of factors to regulate bone metabolism, while bone also secretes a variety of bioactive substances to control BAT function. In addition, BAT may indirectly participate in bone metabolism through muscle-mediated regulation or SNS activity and improvement of body metabolism, thus forming a BAT-skeletal axis. In this paper, we try to explain the relationship between brown adipose tissue and bone, and to discuss their interactive mechanisms.

Application of blended learning mode based on SPOC in teaching diseases screening session for preventive medicine / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective Based on small private online course (SPOC), the flipped classroom that integrates various teaching models can combine the advantages of different methods, which needs to be further discussed and practiced in the university classroom, especially in medical education. Methods This study took two classes of grade three majoring in clinical medicine as targets to apply the team-based learning and flipped classroom based on SPOC in the course of diseases screening for preventive medicine. We prepared teaching video, proposed questions, assigned student discussions, and carried out online communications before the classes. During the classes, we organized small tests, and applied team-based reports, discussions and teachers' evaluation. The responses of students were collected by questionnaires after the classes. We evaluated the teaching effectiveness basing on questionnaire results. Chi-square test and Fisher exact test were performed in the analysis of impact factors on students' preferred learning mode. Results We received 81 effective questionnaires. A total of 75.31％ students (61/81) thought the blended learning mode was interesting. Majority (93.83％, 76/81) of them believed this type of learning was helpful to understand the concept. Comparing with traditional classroom, students who felt interesting were more likely to choose the blended learning mode, and the difference was of statistical significance ( χ2=6.01, P=0.028). Students who felt helpful and spent less time in preparation preferred the blended learning mode. Conclusion Blended learning mode avoids many disadvantages of traditional classroom and can improve learners' interest, motivation and sense of participation, providing an effective way to improve the quality of medical education.

Use of community health workers to manage and prevent noncommunicable diseases: policy options based on the findings of the COACH study

The Asia Pacific Observatory on Health Systems and Policies is a collaborative partnership which supports and promotes evidence-based health policy making in the Asia Pacific Region. Based in WHO’s Regional Office for South-East Asia, it brings together governments, international agencies, foundations, civil society and the research community with the aim of linking systematic and scientific analysis of health systems in the Asia Pacific Region with the decision-makers who shape policy and practice.

Exposure to Radon and Kidney Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Observational Epidemiological Studies / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the possible association between radon exposure and kidney cancer.@*METHODS@#We performed a systematic review and a meta-analysis based on random effect models to provide a pooled association measure.@*RESULTS@#We subjected 8 studies (overall relative risks and 95% confidence intervals: 1.01, 0.72 to 1.43, I2 = 64.4%) to meta-analysis. Subgroup analysis revealed a marginally significant association between radon exposure and kidney cancer in studies conducted in Europe. Two population-based studies provided no evidence for the increased risk of kidney cancer in the general population.@*CONCLUSION@#The association between radon and kidney cancer remains unclear but cannot be excluded because of its biological plausibility and the limited number and quality of existing studies. Additional data from the general population and well-designed miner cohort studies are needed to reveal the real relationship between radon exposure and kidney cancer.

Frequent heteroplasmy and recombination in the mitochondrial genomes of the basidiomycete mushroom Thelephora ganbajun.

In the majority of sexual eukaryotes, the mitochondrial genomes are inherited uniparentally. As a result, individual organisms are homoplasmic, containing mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from a single parent. Here we analyzed the mitochondrial genotypes in Clade I of the gourmet mushroom Thelephora ganbajun from its broad geographic distribution range. A total of 299 isolates from 28 geographic locations were sequenced at three mitochondrial loci: the mitochondrial small ribosomal RNA gene, and the cytochrome c oxidase subunits I (COX1) and III (COX3) genes. Quantitative PCR analyses showed that the strains had about 60-160 copies of mitochondrial genomes per cell. Interestingly, while no evidence of heteroplasmy was found at the 12S rRNA gene, 262 of the 299 isolates had clear evidence of heterogeneity at either the COX1 (261 isolates) or COX3 (12 isolates) gene fragments. The COX1 heteroplasmy was characterized by two types of introns residing at different sites of the same region and at different frequencies among the isolates. Allelic association analyses of the observed mitochondrial polymorphic nucleotide sites suggest that mtDNA recombination is common in natural populations of this fungus. Our results contrast the prevailing view that heteroplasmy, if exists, is only transient in basidiomycete fungi.

Prevalence and determinants of left ventricular geometric abnormalities in hypertensive patients: A study based on the updated classification system of left ventricular geometry.

OBJECTIVE: This study was to determine whether different risk factors were associated with different type of left ventricular (LV) geometric abnormalities. METHODS: This retrospective analysis included 2290 hypertensive participants without other cardiovascular disease, valve disease and with ejection fraction ≥50%. The type of LV geometric abnormality was defined on the basis of the new classification system. RESULTS: LV geometric abnormalities were detected in 1479 subjects (64.6%), wherein concentric LV remodeling is the most common LV geometric abnormality (40.3%). Large waist circumference (WC) and neck circumference (NC) were positively associated with concentric LV remodeling, whereas body mass index (BMI) [odds ratio (OR) 0.89, 95% CI 0.85∼0.92, P ＜ 0.001] and systolic blood pressure (SBP) (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.98∼0.99, P = 0.018) were inversely associated with concentric abnormalities. SBP and age were positively associated with eccentric dilated LVH, while male was inversely associated with eccentric dilated left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Age was the strongest risk factor for eccentric dilated LVH (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.03∼1.07, P ＜ 0.001). Age, NC, SBP, hyperuricemia, and alcohol use were positively associated with concentric LVH, whereas BMI (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.90∼0.99, P = 0.033) and male (OR 0.12, 95% CI 0.07∼0.18, P ＜ 0.001) were negatively associated with concentric LVH. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of hypertensive LV geometric abnormality in rural area of Southern China was obvious higher. Compared with eccentric LV geometric abnormalities, there were more risk factors, including large WC and NC, age, NC, SBP, hyperuricemia, alcohol use, BMI and gender, which were associated with concentric LV geometric abnormalities.

Effect of Tiaoshen Kaiqiao acupuncture in the treatment of ischemic post-stroke depression: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Tiaoshen Kaiqiao acupuncture in the treatment of ischemic post-stroke depression. METHODS: This research was a single-blind, positive-controlled trial done in a single entity. Totally 58 patients with ischemic post-stroke depression were randomly divided into two groups. The acupuncture group was given Tiaoshen Kaiqiao acupuncture therapy and placebo starch tablets treatment, while the control group was treated with fluoxetine tablets and body acupuncture treatment. Evaluated the clinical efficacy of the two groups with Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), Anti Depression Drug Side Effects Rating Scale (SERS), Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI) respectively before treatment, the fourth weekend of treatment, the eighth weekend of treatment, the twelfth weekend of treatment. The adverse reactions in two groups were observed and documented. RESULTS: The HAMD scale scores of the two groups in different treatment period were significantly decreased compared with that before treatment (P < 0.05); the score reduction of HAMD scale between the two groups had no significant differences (P > 0.05). There was significant difference between the SERS scores of two groups (P < 0.05); the control group had more adverse reactions, and the score would be increased with the extension of treatment time. Effect index (EI) of CGI in the acupuncture group is better than that of control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The effects of Tiaoshen Kaiqiao acupuncture and fluoxetine in the treatment of ischemic post-stroke depression were similar, but the former had no obvious adverse reaction and side effects.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the edible Basidiomycete mushroom Thelephora ganbajun.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the edible fungus Thelephora ganbajun was determined using Illumina sequencing. This mitogenome is a circular molecule of 52,857 bp in length with a GC content of 25.73%. Gene prediction showed that the mitogenome codes 28 tRNAs, 2 pseudo-tRNAs, and 21 known and 7 hypothetical proteins. The evolutionary relationships between Th. ganbajun and other representative species based on the mitogenome are consistent with those based on nuclear genes. The mitogenome information of Th. ganbajun should contribute to our understanding of the diversity and evolution of Thelephorales.

Acupuncture with different acupoint combinations for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture is beneficial for controlling chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). However, the effect of different acupoint combinations on controlling CINV remains unknown. This study aims to compare the effects of distal-proximal point association and local distribution point association on controlling CINV. METHODS/DESIGN: The study is a single-center, randomized controlled trial. A total of 240 participants will be randomly divided into four groups. The control group will receive standard antiemetic only, whereas three acupuncture groups will receive four electro-acupuncture treatments once a day with the standard antiemetic. Acupuncture group I and II will receive distal-proximal point association ("Neiguan (PC6) and Zhongwan (CV12)", and "Zusanli (ST36) and CV12", respectively); Acupuncture group III will receive local distribution point association ("Shangwan (CV13) and CV12"). The primary outcome measures are the frequency and distress of nausea and vomiting. The secondary outcome measures are the grade of constipation and diarrhea, electrogastrogram, quality of life, etc. Assessment is scheduled from the day before chemotherapy to the fifth day of chemotherapy. Follow-ups are performed from the sixth day to the twenty-first day of chemotherapy. DISCUSSION: Results of this trial will help in evaluating the efficacy and safety of electro-acupuncture with different acupoint combinations in the management of CINV. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02478047 .