"Multi-in-One" Yolk-Shell Structured Nanoplatform Inducing Pyroptosis and Antitumor Immune Response Through Cascade Reactions.

Pyroptosis, a new mode of regulatory cell death, holds a promising prospect in tumor therapy. The occurrence of pyroptosis can trigger the release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and activate the antitumor immune response. Moreover, enhancing intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation can effectively induce pyroptosis. Herein, an integrated nanoplatform (hCZAG) based on zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) with Cu2+ and Zn2+ as active nodes and glucose oxidase (GOx) loading is constructed to evoke pyroptosis. GOx can effectively elevate intracellular hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) levels to regulate the unfavorable tumor microenvironment (TME). Cu2+ can be reduced to Cu+ by endogenous overexpressed GSH and both Cu2+ and Cu+ can exert Fenton-like activity to promote ROS generation and amplify oxidative stress. In addition, the accumulation of Cu2+ leads to the aggregation of lipoylated dihydrolipoamide S-acetyltransferase (DLAT), thus resulting in cuproptosis. Notably, the outburst of ROS induced by hCZAG activates Caspase-1 proteins, leads to the cleavage of gasdermin D (GSDMD), and induces pyroptosis. Pyroptosis further elicits an adaptive immune response, leading to immunogenic cell death (ICD). This study provides effective strategies for triggering pyroptosis-mediated immunotherapy and achieving improved therapeutic effects.

Effect of pre-drying and post-frying holding treatments on the oil absorption and quality of fried batter-coated peanuts.

In this study, the effect of pre-drying and post-frying holding treatments on the oil absorption and the quality of the fried batter-coated peanuts were explored. The results showed that hot air drying and microwave drying induced the gelatinization of starch in the batter before frying. The thermodynamic properties of starch in the batter after frying indicated that pre-drying could protect the orderliness of the starch. CLSM images showed that the pre-drying treatment reduced the number of large oil spots on the surface of batter of fried batter-coated peanuts. SEM observation revealed that the structure of the batter treated with pre-drying was denser and the number of large pores was reduced after frying. The post-frying holding treatment improved the color and texture of the batter-coated peanuts. In conclusion, the pre-drying and post-frying holding treatment can reduce the oil content and improve the fracturability of the fried batter-coated peanuts.

Investigating the Structure-property Relationships of Two Cd-based Hybrid Multifunctional Compounds with High Tc, Bright Fluorescence and Wide Band-gap.

Organic-inorganic hybrid multifunctional materials have shown significant application in lighting and sensor fields, owing to their prominent performance and diversity structures. Herein, we synthesized two multifunctional compounds: (propyl-quinuclidone)2 CdBr4 (1) and (F-butyl-quinuclidone)2 CdBr4 (2). By introducing light-emitting organic cation with flexible long chain, 1 and 2 exhibit excellent transition properties and bright blue-white fluorescence. Then, combine fluorescence lifetime and first-principal calculation, providing evidence for the electron transfer emission. Subsequently, investigated the impact of substituent carbon chain length (methyl to butyl), structural rigidity (C-C to C-F) and halide framework (Cl to I) on the fluorescence properties. Results indicate that Cd⋅⋅⋅Cd distance and structural rigidity play an important role in fluorescence. Overall, our research provides valuable insight and example for chemical modifications enhance compound performance.

The addition of resistant starch and protein to the batter reduces oil uptake and improves the quality of the fried batter-coated nuts.

The batter compositions can affect the oil uptake and texture of fried batter-coated nuts. In this study, the oil uptake and quality of fried batter-coated peanuts and sunflower seeds added with resistant starch and protein were investigated. The results demonstrated that the addition of resistant starch increased the batter hardness and fracturability of the fried batter-coated peanuts by 34.36 % and 33.73 %, respectively. The oil content of fried batter-coated peanuts and sunflower seeds were decreased by 17.98 % and 15.69 %, respectively, with the addition of protein. The microstructure and roughness of the batter revealed that the batter added with protein became denser and uniform. Furthermore, the protein in the batter added with 6 % soy protein isolate had a high surface hydrophobicity. In summary, the addition of resistant starch and protein in batter will be a promising strategy for reducing the oil content and improving the quality of fried batter-coated nuts.

Drug-eluting beads versus conventional transarterial chemoembolization for the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) consists of conventional TACE (cTACE) and drug-eluting beads TACE (DEB-TACE). The benefits of the 2 treatments remain controversial. We conduct this meta-analysis to assess the efficacy and safety of the 2 methods for the patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: In order to get a sound conclusion, we did thorough search all relevant studies with clear and stringent keyword criteria on the main databases. Objective tumor response rate, overall survival (OS) rate and adverse events were calculated and analyzed by RevMan 5.3 software. The random-effects or fixed-effects model was applied to pool the estimates according to Cochran Q test and I2 statistics. RESULTS: Twenty-four studies involving 2987 patients were eligible. DEB-TACE significantly improved objective tumor response rate (OR) (risk ratio [RR] = 1.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.08, 1.48]; P = .003). While as for 1-year, 2-year, 3-year, 5-year OS rates, there were no evidences to indicate that DEB-TACE was significantly better than cTACE (RR = 1.05, 95% CI [0.99, 1.11]; P = .08), (RR = 1.02, 95% CI [0.93, 1.11]; P = .68), (RR = 0.92, 95% CI [0.77, 1.10]; P = .37), (RR = 0.92, 95% CI [0.47, 1.80]; P = .81), respectively. Adverse events rate (AE) was also similar in both groups (RR = 1.11, 95% CI [0.99,1.26]; P = .08). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis demonstrates that DEB-TACE is not superior than cTACE regarding to OS and AE. However, DEB-TACE still be considered to provide a better objective tumor response rate for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Dermokine mutations contribute to epithelial-mesenchymal transition and advanced melanoma through ERK/MAPK pathways.

To discover vulnerabilities associated with dermokine (DMKN) as a new trigger of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) -driven melanoma, we undertook a genome-wide genetic screening using transgenic. Here, we showed that DMKN expression could be constitutively increased in human malignant melanoma (MM) and that this correlates with poor overall survival in melanoma patients, especially in BRAF-mutated MM samples. Furthermore, in vitro, knockdown of DMKN inhibited the cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of MM cancer cells by the activation of ERK/MAPK signaling pathways and regulator of STAT3 in downstream molecular. By interrogating the in vitro melanoma dataset and characterization of advanced melanoma samples, we found that DMKN downregulated the EMT-like transcriptional program by disrupting EMT cortical actin, increasing the expression of epithelial markers, and decreasing the expression of mesenchymal markers. In addition, whole exome sequencing was presented with p.E69D and p.V91A DMKN mutations as a novel somatic loss of function mutations in those patients. Moreover, our purposeful proof-of-principle modeled the interaction of ERK with p.E69D and p.V91A DMKN mutations in the ERK-MAPK kinas signaling that may be naturally associated with triggering the EMT during melanomagenesis. Altogether, these findings provide preclinical evidence for the role of DMKN in shaping the EMT-like melanoma phenotype and introduced DMKN as a new exceptional responder for personalized MM therapy.

Attenuation effects of ZVI/PDS pretreatment on propagation of antibiotic resistance genes in bioreactors: Driven by antibiotic residues and sulfate assimilation.

Sulfate radical-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) combined biological system was a promising technology for treating antibiotic wastewater. However, how pretreatment influence antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) propagation remains largely elusive, especially the produced by-products (antibiotic residues and sulfate) are often ignored. Herein, we investigated the effects of zero valent iron/persulfate pretreatment on ARGs in bioreactors treating sulfadiazine wastewater. Results showed absolute and relative abundance of ARGs reduced by 59.8%- 81.9% and 9.1%- 52.9% after pretreatments. The effect of 90-min pretreatment was better than that of the 30-min. The ARGs reduction was due to decreased antibiotic residues and stimulated sulfate assimilation. Reduced antibiotic residues was a major factor in ARGs attenuation, which could suppress oxidative stress, inhibit mobile genetic elements emergence and resistant strains proliferation. The presence of sulfate in influent supplemented microbial sulfur sources and facilitated the in-situ synthesis of antioxidant cysteine through sulfate assimilation, which drove ARGs attenuation by alleviating oxidative stress. This is the first detailed analysis about the regulatory mechanism of how sulfate radical-based AOPs mediate in ARGs attenuation, which is expected to provide theoretical basis for solving concerns about by-products and developing practical methods to hinder ARGs propagation.

High-Temperature Ferroelasticity and Photoluminescence in a 2D Monolayer Perovskite Compound: (C5NH8Br)2PbBr4.

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites (HOIPs) have attracted much attention due to their excellent properties and easy synthesis. As far as we know, most documented ferroelastics mainly focus on the 3D (three-dimensional) perovskites, the 2D monolayer perovskite ferroelastics are rarely reported before. In this work, we synthesized a 2D lead-based perovskite (C5NH13Br)2PbBr4 (1) (C5NH13Br = 5-bromoamylamine cation) by introducing flexible chain organic cations. The evolution of ferroelastic domains observed by a polarized light microscope confirms that compound 1 undergoes a ferroelastic phase transition at 392/384 K. In addition, its direct band gap is 2.877 eV. Interestingly, the material emits an attractive blue light (quantum yield 5.06%) under UV light. Three structural descriptors are introduced to quantitatively analyze the relationship between structural distortion and the shape of emission peak. This work provides a way to design multifunctional perovskite-type materials.

[Clinical features of children with coronavirus disease 2019 in different age groups during the epidemic of Omicron variant]. / æ–°åž‹å† çŠ¶ç— æ¯’Omicronå˜å¼‚æ ªæµè¡ŒæœŸé—´ä¸åŒå¹´é¾„å„¿ç«¥æ„ŸæŸ“çš„ä¸´åºŠç‰¹å¾åˆ†æž.

OBJECTIVES: To study the differences in the clinical features of children with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in different age groups during the epidemic of Omicron variant. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 211 children with COVID-19 who were admitted to the Department of General Pediatrics, Zhongshan People's Hospital, from December 9, 2022 to January 8, 2023. According to their age, they were divided into 4 groups: 1 month-<1 year (n=84), 1-<3 years group (n=64), 3-<5 years (n=29), and ≥5 years (n=34). The above groups were compared in terms of general status, clinical features, ancillary examination results, treatment, and outcome. RESULTS: The children aged <3 years accounted for 70.1% (148/211) of all hospitalized children with COVID-19, and the 3-<5 years group and the ≥5 years group had a significantly higher proportion of children with underlying diseases than the 1 month-<1 year group and the 1-<3 years group (P<0.05). Compared with the other three groups, the 1 month-<1 year group had significantly higher incidence rates of dyspnea, nasal congestion/nasal discharge, diarrhea and significantly lower incidence rates of convulsion and nervous system involvement (P<0.05). Moreover, compared with the other three groups, the 1 month-<1 year group had significantly higher incidence rates of increases in bile acid and creatine kinase isoenzyme and significantly lower incidence rates of decreased platelet count, increased neutrophil percentage, and decreased lymphocyte percentage (P<0.05). The 1 month-<1 year group had a significantly higher incidence rate of mild COVID-19 than the 1-<3 years group and a significantly lower incidence rate of severe/critical COVID-19 than the other three groups (P<0.05). Compared with the other three groups, the 1 month-<1 year group had a significantly higher proportion of children receiving oxygen inhalation therapy (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Children with COVID-19 in different age groups have different clinical features during the epidemic of Omicron variant, especially between the children aged 1 month to <1 year and those aged ≥1 year.

Reducing Target Volumes of Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy After Induction Chemotherapy in Locoregionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Long-Term Results of a Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized Trial.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to estimate the long-term survival, late toxicity profile, and quality of life of patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with combined induction chemotherapy (IC) and concurrent chemoradiotherapy from a clinical trial focused on reducing the target volume of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). METHODS AND MATERIALS: This prospective, randomized clinical trial was conducted across 6 Chinese hospitals and included 212 patients with stage III-IVB NPC who were randomly allocated to a pre-IC or post-IC group. Eligible patients were treated with 2 cycles of IC + CCRT. All patients underwent radical IMRT. Gross tumor volumes of the nasopharynx were delineated according to pre-IC and post-IC tumor extent in the pre-IC and post-IC groups, respectively. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 98.4 months, 32 of 97 (32.9%) and 33 of 115 (28.7%) patients experienced treatment failure or died in the pre-IC and post-IC groups, respectively. None of the patients developed grade 4 late toxicity. Late radiation-induced toxicity predominantly manifested as grade 1 to 2 subcutaneous fibrosis, hearing loss, tinnitus, and xerostomia, whereas grade 3 late toxicity included xerostomia and hearing loss. The 5-year estimated overall, progression-free, locoregional recurrence-free, and distant metastasis-free survival rates in the pre-IC and post-IC groups were 78.2% versus 83.3%, 72.0% versus 78.1%, 90.2% versus 93.5%, and 78.1% versus 82.1%, respectively. The pre-IC group had a significantly higher incidence of xerostomia and hearing damage than the post-IC group. In terms of quality of life, compared with the pre-IC group, the post-IC group showed significant improvement in cognitive function (P = .045) and symptoms including dry mouth (P = .004), sticky saliva (P = .047), and feeling ill (P = .041). CONCLUSIONS: After long-term follow-up, we confirmed that reducing the target volumes of IMRT after IC in locoregionally advanced NPC showed no inferiority in terms of the risk of locoregional relapse and potentially improved quality of life and alleviated late toxicity.

Bavachinin Ameliorates Rheumatoid Arthritis Inflammation via PPARG/PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway.

Bavachinin (BVC) is a natural small molecule from the Chinese herb Fructus Psoraleae. It exhibits numerous pharmacological effects, including anti-cancer, anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and immunomodulatory properties. BVC may serve as a novel drug candidate for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Nevertheless, the effects and mechanisms of BVC against RA are still unknown. BVC targets were selected by Swiss Target Prediction and the PharmMapper database. RA-related targets were collected from the GeneCards, OMIM, DrugBank, TTD, and DisGeNET databases. PPI network construction and enrichment analysis were conducted by taking the intersection target of BVC targets and RA-related targets. Hub targets were further screened using Cytoscape and molecular docking. MH7A cell lines and collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice were used to confirm the preventive effect of BVC on RA and its potential mechanism. Fifty-six RA-related targets of BVC were identified through databases. These genes were primarily enriched in PI3K/AKT signaling pathway according to KEGG enrichment analysis. Molecular docking analysis suggested that BVC had the highest binding energy with PPARG. The qPCR and western blotting results showed that BVC promoted the expression of PPARG at both the mRNA level and protein level. Western blotting indicated that BVC might affect MH7A cell functions through the PI3K/AKT pathway. Furthermore, treatment with BVC inhibited the proliferation, migration, and production of inflammatory cytokines in MH7A cells and induced cell apoptosis to a certain extent. In vivo, BVC alleviated joint injury and inflammatory response in CIA mice. This study revealed that BVC may inhibit the proliferation, migration, and production of inflammatory cytokines in MH7A cells, as well as cell apoptosis through the PPARG/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for RA therapy.

Preoperative contrast-enhanced CT-based radiomics nomogram for differentiating benign and malignant primary retroperitoneal tumors.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the ability of a preoperative contrast-enhanced CT (CECT)-based radiomics nomogram to differentiate benign and malignant primary retroperitoneal tumors (PRT). METHODS: Images and data from 340 patients with pathologically confirmed PRT were randomly placed into training (n = 239) and validation sets (n = 101). Two radiologists independently analyzed all CT images and made measurements. Key characteristics were identified through least absolute shrinkage selection combined with four machine-learning classifiers (support vector machine, generalized linear model, random forest, and artificial neural network back propagation) to create a radiomics signature. Demographic data and CECT characteristics were analyzed to formulate a clinico-radiological model. Independent clinical variables were merged with the best-performing radiomics signature to develop a radiomics nomogram. The discrimination capacity and clinical value of three models were quantified by the area under the receiver operating characteristics (AUC), accuracy, and decision curve analysis. RESULTS: The radiomics nomogram was able to consistently differentiate between benign and malignant PRT in the training and validation datasets, with AUCs of 0.923 and 0.907, respectively. Decision curve analysis manifested that the nomogram achieved higher clinical net benefits than did separate use of the radiomics signature and clinico-radiological model. CONCLUSIONS: The preoperative nomogram is valuable for differentiating between benign and malignant PRT; it can also aid in treatment planning. KEY POINTS: • A noninvasive and accurate preoperative determination of benign and malignant PRT is crucial to identifying suitable treatments and predicting disease prognosis. • Associating the radiomics signature with clinical factors facilitates differentiation of malignant from benign PRT with improved diagnostic efficacy (AUC) and accuracy from 0.772 to 0.907 and from 0.723 to 0.842, respectively, compared with the clinico-radiological model alone. • For some PRT with anatomically special locations and when biopsy is extremely difficult and risky, a radiomics nomogram may provide a promising preoperative alternative for distinguishing benignity and malignancy.

Management equity incentives and corporate tax avoidance: Moderating role of the internal control.

Introduction: Under the modern enterprise system, the principal-agent relationship can cause a conflict of interest between the two power counterparts, thus affecting the degree of corporate tax avoidance. As a tool to align the interests of management and owners, management equity incentives can alleviate the conflict of interests brought about by the separation of powers and, therefore, may influence corporate tax avoidance. Objectives and methods: We examine the relationship between management equity incentives and corporate tax avoidance from both theoretical and empirical perspectives by using data from Chinese A-share listed companies from 2016 to 2020. Firstly, the effect of management equity incentives on tax avoidance is theoretically and normatively analyzed. Secondly, examine the effectiveness of moderating the effect of internal control and distinguishing the ownership of enterprises' nature through regression analysis. Results: (1) There is a positive relationship between management equity incentives and corporate tax avoidance which means, more the stock incentive offered to executives, the more likely corporations are to pursue tax avoidance strategies aggressively. (2) Internal control deficiencies enhance the positive relationship between equity incentives and enterprise tax avoidance behavior. Therefore, in Chinese enterprises, the lack of an internal control system and the failure of internal control measures are prevalent, and such loopholes can intensify the tax avoidance behavior that arises when executives are subject to equity incentives. (3) The influence of management equity incentives on enterprise tax avoidance behavior is greater in state-owned (SOE) than private enterprises. State-owned enterprises are more likely to increase enterprise tax avoidance behavior when management is subject to equity incentives for reasons such as strict performance requirements, lower regulatory oversight, and less interference from negative information. Finally, our findings have significant implications for policymakers/regulators, public companies, investors, standard setters, managerial labor markets, and the welfare of the overall economy.

Real-world applications of PARPi maintenance therapy for recurrent ovarian cancer: A single-center study in China.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the actual clinical application of poly (adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) maintenance therapy in Chinese patients with recurrent ovarian cancer, and to explore prognostic factors associated with progression-free survival (PFS). METHODS: We retrospectively assessed real-world clinical data from our hospital using the inclusion and exclusion criteria of representative randomized controlled trials, analyzed the prognosis, and performed univariate and multivariate analyses of prognostic factors. RESULTS: Between 2019 and 2022, the proportion of platinum-sensitive recurrence ovarian cancer patients who received PARPi maintenance therapy increased to 29.6%, 53.3%, 43.8% and 62.2%, respectively, each year. A total of 48 patients were included in the prognostic analysis, of which 32 and 16 received olaparib and niraparib, respectively. Using the criteria of the Study19 and SOLO2 studies, the olaparib group in our patients had coincidence rates of 56.3% and 18.8%, respectively. Using the criteria of the NOVA and NORA studies, the niraparib group had coincidence rates of 31.3% and 37.5%, respectively. Median PFS was 26.1 months (95% CI 20.2-32.1). Response to primary therapy was an independent prognostic factor for PFS (relative risk, 3.248; 95% CI 1.081-9.757, P = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: PARPi maintenance therapy was also effective in real world applications. Complete response (CR) to primary therapy was an independent factor favorably affecting PFS. Therefore, primary treatment choices aimed at optimal cytoreduction during primary surgery and improving the CR rate should still be considered, which positively affects the long-term prognosis of patients in the new treatment mode.

Effect of 3-Dimensional Interstitial High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy With Regional Metastatic Lymph Node Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy in Locally Advanced Peripheral Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: 5-Year Follow-up of a Phase 2 Clinical Trial.

PURPOSE: We aimed to reveal the 5-year clinical outcomes of 3-dimensional (3D) interstitial high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy with regional metastatic lymph node intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for locally advanced peripheral non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which has been shown to have low toxicity and improved 2-year survival rates in patients with this disease. METHODS AND MATERIALS: In this phase 2, single-arm, open-label clinical trial, 83 patients with locally advanced peripheral NSCLC were enrolled (median follow-up [range], 53.7 [4.3-120.4] months). All eligible patients received 3D interstitial HDR brachytherapy with regional metastatic lymph node IMRT. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints were local recurrence-free survival, regional recurrence-free survival, progression-free survival, distant metastasis-free survival, toxicities, and quality of life. RESULTS: The final analysis included 75 patients (19 [25.3%] females, 56 [74.7%] males; median [range] age, 64 [44-80] years; stage IIIA, 34 [45.3%]; stage IIIB, 41 [54.7%]). At the latest follow-up, 32 (42.7%) patients had survived. The median OS was 38.0 months (5-year OS, 44.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 33.8%-58.6%). Local recurrence-free survival, recurrence-free survival, and distant metastasis-free survival at 5 years were 79.2% (95% CI, 68.5%-91.5%), 73.6% (95% CI, 61.5%-88.1%), and 50.3% (95% CI, 38.3%-66.1%), respectively. The dominant failure pattern was distant disease, corresponding to 40% (30 of 75) of patients and 65.2% (30 of 46) of all failures. Two (2.7%) patients developed grade 1 acute pneumonitis. Grade 2 and 3 acute esophagitis occurred in 11 (14.7%) and 4 (5.3%) patients, respectively. No late radiation-related grade ≥2 late adverse events were observed. CONCLUSIONS: 3D interstitial HDR brachytherapy with regional metastatic lymph node IMRT for locally advanced peripheral NSCLC shows significant OS and has a low toxicity rate. Additional evaluation in a phase 3 trial is recommended to substantiate these findings.

Clinical features of children with coronavirus disease 2019 in different age groups during the epidemic of Omicron variant / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the differences in the clinical features of children with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in different age groups during the epidemic of Omicron variant.@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 211 children with COVID-19 who were admitted to the Department of General Pediatrics, Zhongshan People's Hospital, from December 9, 2022 to January 8, 2023. According to their age, they were divided into 4 groups: 1 month-<1 year (n=84), 1-<3 years group (n=64), 3-<5 years (n=29), and ≥5 years (n=34). The above groups were compared in terms of general status, clinical features, ancillary examination results, treatment, and outcome.@*RESULTS@#The children aged <3 years accounted for 70.1% (148/211) of all hospitalized children with COVID-19, and the 3-<5 years group and the ≥5 years group had a significantly higher proportion of children with underlying diseases than the 1 month-<1 year group and the 1-<3 years group (P<0.05). Compared with the other three groups, the 1 month-<1 year group had significantly higher incidence rates of dyspnea, nasal congestion/nasal discharge, diarrhea and significantly lower incidence rates of convulsion and nervous system involvement (P<0.05). Moreover, compared with the other three groups, the 1 month-<1 year group had significantly higher incidence rates of increases in bile acid and creatine kinase isoenzyme and significantly lower incidence rates of decreased platelet count, increased neutrophil percentage, and decreased lymphocyte percentage (P<0.05). The 1 month-<1 year group had a significantly higher incidence rate of mild COVID-19 than the 1-<3 years group and a significantly lower incidence rate of severe/critical COVID-19 than the other three groups (P<0.05). Compared with the other three groups, the 1 month-<1 year group had a significantly higher proportion of children receiving oxygen inhalation therapy (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Children with COVID-19 in different age groups have different clinical features during the epidemic of Omicron variant, especially between the children aged 1 month to <1 year and those aged ≥1 year.

Plasma levels of interleukin-8 and response to paroxetine in patients with major depressive disorder.

OBJECTIVES: Immune dysregulation plays a key role in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, little is known about the complicated involvement of various interleukins in MDD. This study was performed to investigate the correlation between plasma interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels and treatment outcome of paroxetine (a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) in patients with MDD. METHODS: A total of 115 hospitalized patients (36 males and 79 females), aged from 18 to 72 years, were enrolled. Plasma levels of IL-8 were measured before treatment initiation (baseline) and at 8 weeks after oral paroxetine treatment. Efficacy of paroxetine was evaluated by use of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17). Baseline IL-8 levels were compared between responders and non-responders to paroxetine treatment. RESULTS: Plasma IL-8 levels decreased significantly after an 8-week antidepressant treatment in responders, in association with a dramatic decrease in HAMD-17 scores. In non-responders, plasma IL-8 levels did not change significantly at 8 weeks after antidepressant treatment. Baseline plasma IL-8 levels were found to be significantly lower in responders than in non-responders, showing a correlation between IL-8 and antidepressant response to paroxetine. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that plasma IL-8 levels were related to treatment outcome of paroxetine, and therefore suggest that IL-8 could be a promising predicator of treatment response in individual patients with MDD.

Association among calf circumference, physical performance, and depression in the elderly Chinese population: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Depression and sarcopenia are common diseases in the elderly population. However, the association between them is controversial. Based on the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) database, a cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the relationship of calf circumference and physical performance with depression. METHODS: From the 8th wave of CLHLS conducted in 2018, data on calf circumference, physical performance, depressive symptoms, and demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related characteristics were collected. Multiple logistic regression was conducted to explore the impact of calf circumference, physical performance and their combination on depressive symptoms. RESULTS: We enrolled a total of 12,227 participants aged 83.4 ± 11.0 years, including 5689 (46.5%) men and 6538 (53.5%) women. Patients with depression were more likely to have low calf circumference (2274 [68.2%] vs. 5406 [60.8%], p<0.001) and poor physical performance (3[0, 6] vs. 1[0, 4], p<0.001). A significant multiplicative interaction was found between calf circumference and physical performance in their effect on depression. After adjusting for confounding factors, multiple logistic regression showed that a significant inverse correlation persisted between physical performance and depressive symptoms in normal (odds ratio [OR] = 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15-1.26, p<0.001) and low (OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.11-1.18, p<0.001) calf circumference group, while the association between calf circumference and depression disappeared. Participants with low calf circumference and poor physical performance were 2.21 times more likely to have depression than those with normal calf circumference and physical performance. All results were found to be robust in sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Physical performance was significantly associated with depression in the elderly Chinese population. Attention should be paid to assess depressive symptoms in patients with poor physical performance.

[FU Wen-bin's experience in treatment of depression complicated with obsessive-compulsive disorder from perspective of heart and gallbladder].

Based on the thinking of integrative and holistic acupuncture and moxibustion, FU Wen -bin proposes to treat depression complicated with obsessive-compulsive disorder from perspective of heart and gallbladder. In clinical practice, the treatment pattern of "acupuncture at the top priority, followed by moxibustion, and consolidation at the end" is applied, acupuncture, refined moxibustion, intradermal needle and other therapies are comprehensively adopted, acupoints on the heart meridian, pericardium meridian and gallbladder meridian are selected or back-shu points and front-mu points of the heart, gallbladder and pericardium are matched, and the acupoints on the conception vessel and governor vessel and with the functions of tonifying kidney and regulating qi are added to calm the heart and tranquilize the mind, so as the symptoms of depression and obsessive-compulsive can be effectively relieved.