Effectiveness of acupuncture on urinary retention after radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Cervical cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide. Radical hysterectomy is the first choice for patients with early-stage cervical cancer. Studies have suggested that acupuncture may be a more effective therapy for the prevention and treatment of urinary retention after radical hysterectomy. Objective: To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture in the prevention and treatment of urinary retention after radical hysterectomy. Methods: We searched the Cochrane library, Web of science, PubMed, Embase, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Wanfang database, Wipu database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database and ClinicalTrials.gov with the time from inception until December 2023, to collect randomized controlled studies on the clinical efficacy of acupuncture for prevention and treatment of urinary retention after radical hysterectomy. Literature meeting criteria was screened for data extraction. Quality evaluation was performed according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. And meta-analysis was performed using RevMan5.3 and stata14.0 software. Results: 22 Randomized controlled trials with 1,563 patients, 854 in treatment group and 709 in control group, were included totally. Meta-analysis results showed that: the total effective rate in acupuncture group was higher than that in control group, with a statistically significant difference [relative risk (RR)] = 1.43, 95% confidence interval (CI 1.22, 1.68), p < 0.0001; the rate of urinary tract infection in acupuncture group was lower than that in control group, with a statistically significant difference [RR] = 0.23, 95% CI (0.07, 0.78), p < 0.05; the time of indwelling urinary catheter was reduced in acupuncture group compared with control group, with a statistically significant mean difference = -3.45, 95% CI (-4.30, -2.59), p < 0.00001; the incidence of urinary retention was lower in acupuncture group than in control group, and the difference was statistically significant [RR = 0.37, 95% CI (0.27, 0.50), p < 0.00001]; the residual urine volume was reduced in acupuncture group compared with control group, with a statistically significant mean difference = -50.73, 95% CI (-63.61, -7.85), p < 0.00001. Conclusion: Acupuncture treatment based on conventional therapy can better prevent and improve urinary retention after radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer, could be a better option for them. Systematic review registration: Registered by PROSPERO and the registration number is CRD42023452387.

Automatic detection of epilepsy from EEGs using a temporal convolutional network with a self-attention layer.

BACKGROUND: Over 60% of epilepsy patients globally are children, whose early diagnosis and treatment are critical for their development and can substantially reduce the disease's burden on both families and society. Numerous algorithms for automated epilepsy detection from EEGs have been proposed. Yet, the occurrence of epileptic seizures during an EEG exam cannot always be guaranteed in clinical practice. Models that exclusively use seizure EEGs for detection risk artificially enhanced performance metrics. Therefore, there is a pressing need for a universally applicable model that can perform automatic epilepsy detection in a variety of complex real-world scenarios. METHOD: To address this problem, we have devised a novel technique employing a temporal convolutional neural network with self-attention (TCN-SA). Our model comprises two primary components: a TCN for extracting time-variant features from EEG signals, followed by a self-attention (SA) layer that assigns importance to these features. By focusing on key features, our model achieves heightened classification accuracy for epilepsy detection. RESULTS: The efficacy of our model was validated on a pediatric epilepsy dataset we collected and on the Bonn dataset, attaining accuracies of 95.50% on our dataset, and 97.37% (A v. E), and 93.50% (B vs E), respectively. When compared with other deep learning architectures (temporal convolutional neural network, self-attention network, and standardized convolutional neural network) using the same datasets, our TCN-SA model demonstrated superior performance in the automated detection of epilepsy. CONCLUSION: The proven effectiveness of the TCN-SA approach substantiates its potential as a valuable tool for the automated detection of epilepsy, offering significant benefits in diverse and complex real-world clinical settings.

Effect of aging and bleaching on the color stability and surface roughness of a recently introduced single-shade composite resin.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of aging and bleaching procedures on the color stability and surface roughness of a new single-shade composite versus multi-shade composite resins. METHODS: A single-shade composite resin (Charisma Diamond One, CDO) and 3 multi-shade composite resins (Tetric NCeram, Filtek Z350 XT, Clearfil Majesty Posterior) were tested. Thirty specimens of each material were subjected to one of the aging procedures respectively: immersion in distilled water (12 days/37 °C), immersion in coffee (12 days/37 °C), or water thermocycling (10,000 cycles/5-55 °C). All specimens underwent in-office bleaching after aging. Kruskal-Wallis tests and analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis (α=0.05). RESULTS: All materials exhibited a change of color (ΔE00), translucency (RTP), whiteness (WID) and surface roughness parameters (Sa,Sv) after aging and bleaching procedures. CDO showed the highest ΔE00 among all resins with the highest RTP value, regardless of the aging procedures. Immersion in coffee led to the significantly highest ∆E00 values and lowest RTP values for nearly all resins. Positive ΔWID1 (WID(bleaching)-WID(baseline)) values were found in distilled water immersion and thermocycling groups, while negative ΔWID1 values were found in the coffee immersion group for all materials. Besides, positive ΔWID2 (WID(bleaching)-WID(aging)) values were found in all aging groups for nearly all materials. All materials showed an increasing trend in Sa and Sv after bleaching. CONCLUSIONS: CDO showed more pronounced discoloration than multi-shade composite resins. Although the whiteness of all resins increased after bleaching, none was completely restored in the coffee immersion group. Bleaching significantly increased the surface roughness of all materials. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Charisma Diamond One is more susceptible to discoloration, which may affect its long-term success rate. Bleaching could partially reduce the color change of the composite resins but did not return them completely to their original state. The roughness of the resins increased after bleaching, prompting dentists to repolish them after bleaching.

Effects of Guizhi and Erxian Decoction on menopausal hot flashes: insights from the gut microbiome and metabolic profiles.

AIMS: To examine the influence of GED on the gut microbiota and metabolites using a bilateral ovariectomized (OVX) rat model. We tried to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of GED in the treatment of menopausal hot flashes. METHODS AND RESULTS: 16S rRNA sequencing, metabonomics, molecular biological analysis, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) were conducted to elucidate the mechanisms by which GED regulates the gut microbiota. GED significantly reduced OVX-induced hot flashes and improved disturbances in the gut microbiota metabolites. Moreover, FMT validated that the gut microbiota can trigger hot flashes, while GED can alleviate hot flash symptoms by modulating the composition of the gut microbiota. Specifically, GED upregulated the abundance of Blautia, thereby increasing l(+)-ornithine levels for the treatment of menopausal hot flashes. Additionally, GED affected endothelial nitric oxide synthase and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) levels in the hypothalamic preoptic area by changing the gut microbiota composition. CONCLUSIONS: Our study illuminated the underlying mechanisms by which GED attenuated the hot flashes through modulation of the gut microbiota and explored the regulatory role of the gut microbiota on HSP70 expression in the preoptic anterior hypothalamus, thereby establishing a foundation for further exploration of the role of the gut-brain axis in hot flashes.

Diterpenoid Alkaloids from Delphinium liangshanense.

Two new C19-diterpenoid alkaloids of the lycoctonine-type (liangshanine A and liangshanine B) and nineteen known compounds (3-21) were isolated from the whole plant of Delphinium liangshanense W. T. Wang, and all the compounds were identified by different spectroscopic analyses, such as IR, HR-ESI-MS and NMR. All the compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time and tested for the anti-proliferation effects on MH7 A and SF9 cells to figure their anti-rheumatoid arthritis and anti-insect activity, but none of them showed remarkable activity.

Effects of background color and restoration depth on color adjustment potential of a new single-shade resin composite versus multi-shade resin composites.

The objectives of this study was to evaluate the effects of background color and restoration depth on color adjustment potential of a new single-shade resin composite versus multi-shade resin composites. Two multi-shade resin composites (Spectrum TPH3 and Clearfil AP-X) marked A2 shade and a new single-shade resin composite (Charisma Diamond One) were tested. Four base shades (A1, A2, A3, and A3.5) of the same resin composite (Filtek Z250) were selected as different background colors. Dual specimens with 1-, 2-, and 3-mm restoration depth and single specimens of all materials were fabricated. CIE color coordinates were measured using a spectrophotometer, then color differences (∆E00) and translucency parameter (TP00) were calculated using the CIEDE2000 formula. Independent observers performed visual scoring. CAP-I and CAP-V values were calculated according to ΔE00 and visual scoring. The results revealed that CAP-I and CAP-V were significantly affected by resin composite type, background color, and restoration depth. CAP-I and CAP-V decreased as restoration depth increased at the same background color for all materials. Charisma Diamond One had the highest CAP-I and CAP-V values at all background colors and restoration depths, with the highest TP00 value. These findings demonstrated that color adjustment potential was dependent on resin composite type, background color, and restoration depth, so shade selection is indispensable for multi-shade resin composites. Charisma Diamond One exhibited the highest color adjustment potential and the most pronounced color shifting, contributing to simplifying the process of shade selection and improving the efficiency of clinical work.

Validating the role of PTGIS gene in colorectal cancer by bioinformatics analysis and in vitro experiments.

Prostaglandin I2 synthase (PTGIS) is a member of the cytochrome P450 family. Studies have revealed that differential expression of the PTGIS gene is closely related to the pathological and physiological processes of many diseases, including breast cancer, oral squamous cell carcinoma, and head and neck cancer. However, the mechanism of action of the PTGIS gene in colorectal cancer is not fully understood. This study explored the role of PTGIS in colorectal cancer through comprehensive bioinformatics analysis and in vitro experiments, and found that the expression of PTGIS gene in colorectal cancer tissue was significantly lower than that in normal colorectal tissue (P < 0.05), and high expression of PTGIS gene was associated with poor prognosis in patients (P < 0.05). The KEGG results showed that PTGIS-related genes were mainly enriched in metabolic pathways, arachidonic acid metabolism, steroid biosynthesis, and cancer pathways. The expression of PTGIS may be related to immune infiltration. Cell experiments showed that PTGIS was expressed at a lower level in cancer. Overexpression of PTGIS inhibited apoptosis and promoted proliferation, invasion, and migration ability of SW480 colorectal cancer cells. Analysis of the PTGIS gene in this study provides a theoretical basis for further exploring the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer and finding more accurate new targets for early screening and treatment of the cancer.

Differential diagnosis between dilated cardiomyopathy and ischemic cardiomyopathy based on variational mode decomposition and high order spectra analysis.

The clinical manifestations of ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) bear resemblance to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). The definitive diagnosis of DCM necessitates the identification of invasive, costly, and contraindicated coronary angiography. Many diagnostic studies of cardiovascular disease have tried modal decomposition based on electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. However, these studies ignored the connection between modes and other fields, thus limiting the interpretability of modes to ECG signals and the classification performance of models. This study proposes a classification algorithm based on variational mode decomposition (VMD) and high order spectra, which decomposes the preprocessed ECG signal and extracts its first five modes obtained through VMD. After that, these modes are estimated for their corresponding bispectrums, and the feature vector is composed of fifteen features including bispectral, frequency, and nonlinear features based on this. Finally, a dataset containing 75 subjects (38 DCM, 37 ICM) is classified and compared using random forest (RF), decision tree, support vector machine, and K-nearest neighbor. The results show that, in comparison to previous approaches, the technique proposed provides a better categorization for DCM and ICM of ECG signals, which delivers 98.21% classification accuracy, 98.22% sensitivity, and 98.19% specificity. And mode 3 always has the best performance among single mode. The proposed computerized framework significantly improves automatic diagnostic performance, which can help relieve the working pressure on doctors, possible economic burden and health threaten.

Interspecific differences in thermal tolerance landscape explain aphid community abundance under climate change.

A single critical thermal limit is often used to explain and infer the impact of climate change on geographic range and population abundance. However, it has limited application in describing the temporal dynamic and cumulative impacts of extreme temperatures. Here, we used a thermal tolerance landscape approach to address the impacts of extreme thermal events on the survival of co-existing aphid species (Metopolophium dirhodum, Sitobion avenae and Rhopalosiphum padi). Specifically, we built the thermal death time (TDT) models based on detailed survival datasets of three aphid species with three ages across a broad range of stressful high (34-40 °C) and low (-3∼-11 °C) temperatures to compare the interspecific and developmental stage variations in thermal tolerance. Using these TDT parameters, we performed a thermal risk assessment by calculating the potential daily thermal injury accumulation associated with the regional temperature variations in three wheat-growing sites along a latitude gradient. Results showed that M. dirhodum was the most vulnerable to heat but more tolerant to low temperatures than R. padi and S. avenae. R. padi survived better at high temperatures than Sitobion avenae and M. dirhodum but was sensitive to cold. R. padi was estimated to accumulate higher cold injury than the other two species during winter, while M. dirhodum accrued more heat injury during summer. The warmer site had higher risks of heat injury and the cooler site had higher risks of cold injury along a latitude gradient. These results support recent field observations that the proportion of R. padi increases with the increased frequency of heat waves. We also found that young nymphs generally had a lower thermal tolerance than old nymphs or adults. Our results provide a useful dataset and method for modelling and predicting the consequence of climate change on the population dynamics and community structure of small insects.

Potent NKT cell ligands overcome SARS-CoV-2 immune evasion to mitigate viral pathogenesis in mouse models.

One of the major pathogenesis mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 is its potent suppression of innate immunity, including blocking the production of type I interferons. However, it is unknown whether and how the virus interacts with different innate-like T cells, including NKT, MAIT and γδ T cells. Here we reported that upon SARS-CoV-2 infection, invariant NKT (iNKT) cells rapidly trafficked to infected lung tissues from the periphery. We discovered that the envelope (E) protein of SARS-CoV-2 efficiently down-regulated the cell surface expression of the antigen-presenting molecule, CD1d, to suppress the function of iNKT cells. E protein is a small membrane protein and a viroporin that plays important roles in virion packaging and envelopment during viral morphogenesis. We showed that the transmembrane domain of E protein was responsible for suppressing CD1d expression by specifically reducing the level of mature, post-ER forms of CD1d, suggesting that it suppressed the trafficking of CD1d proteins and led to their degradation. Point mutations demonstrated that the putative ion channel function was required for suppression of CD1d expression and inhibition of the ion channel function using small chemicals rescued the CD1d expression. Importantly, we discovered that among seven human coronaviruses, only E proteins from highly pathogenic coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV and MERS suppressed CD1d expression, whereas the E proteins of human common cold coronaviruses, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-229E, HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-HKU1, did not. These results suggested that E protein-mediated evasion of NKT cell function was likely an important pathogenesis factor, enhancing the virulence of these highly pathogenic coronaviruses. Remarkably, activation of iNKT cells with their glycolipid ligands, both prophylactically and therapeutically, overcame the putative viral immune evasion, significantly mitigated viral pathogenesis and improved host survival in mice. Our results suggested a novel NKT cell-based anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic approach.

Dissecting the genetic basis of heterosis in elite super-hybrid rice.

Y900 is one of the top hybrid rice (Oryza sativa) varieties, with its yield exceeding 15 t·hm-2. To dissect the mechanism of heterosis, we sequenced the male parent line R900 and female parent line Y58S using long-read and Hi-C technology. High-quality reference genomes of 396.41 Mb and 398.24 Mb were obtained for R900 and Y58S, respectively. Genome-wide variations between the parents were systematically identified, including 1,367,758 single-nucleotide polymorphisms, 299,149 insertions/deletions, and 4,757 structural variations. The level of variation between Y58S and R900 was the lowest among the comparisons of Y58S with other rice genomes. More than 75% of genes exhibited variation between the two parents. Compared with other two-line hybrids sharing the same female parent, the portion of Geng/japonica (GJ)-type genetic components from different male parents increased with yield increasing in their corresponding hybrids. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the partial dominance effect was the main genetic effect that constituted the heterosis of Y900. In the hybrid, both alleles from the two parents were expressed, and their expression patterns were dynamically regulated in different tissues. The cis-regulation was dominant for young panicle tissues, while trans-regulation was more common in leaf tissues. Overdominance was surprisingly prevalent in stems and more likely regulated by the trans-regulation mechanism. Additionally, R900 contained many excellent GJ haplotypes, such as NARROW LEAF1, Oryza sativa SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE13, and Grain number, plant height, and heading date8, making it a good complement to Y58S. The fine-tuned mechanism of heterosis involves genome-wide variation, GJ introgression, key functional genes, and dynamic gene/allele expression and regulation pattern changes in different tissues and growth stages.

A comprehensive evaluation of microplastic pollution in the Xiangshan Bay of China with special reference to seasonal variation.

Marine microplastic (MP) pollution has drawn global attention due to its potential risk to ecosystem. In the present study, we investigated MP pollution in surface water and sediment of a semi-closed bay: the Xiangshan Bay in the East China Sea in spring and summer. The results showed that MP abundance in surface water increased significantly in summer than spring (0.233 and 0.036 item/m3, respectively), while MP abundance in sediment was relatively steady. Meanwhile, the smaller size MPs (diameter < 1000 µm) and land-input fragment-shaped and film-shaped PP and PE increased in surface water in summer compared to spring. Surface microstructure of MPs showed that there were more cracks on MPs in summer comparing to spring. Based on diversity index, MP pollution in the Xiangshan Bay was at a low level and the composition was relatively uncomplicated. The source tracing analysis indicated main contributor of MPs were different in two seasons: textile industry was the dominate source of MPs in spring while fishery production were the dominate source in summer. Our results indicate that the pollution source of MPs could be various in different seasons due to the different climate and human activities, and provide a reference in the prevention and control of MP pollution in semi-closed bay ecosystems.

Differential physiological response of marine and freshwater microalgae to polystyrene microplastics.

Effects of microplastics on microalgae have not been compared from different habitat. To answer this question, three marine microalgae species (Chlorella marined, Nannochloropsis oculate, and Phaeodactylum tricornutum) and two freshwater species (Chlorella vulgaris and Tetradesmus obliquus) were selected and exposed to the environment relevant concentrations of polystyrene microplastics. The results indicated that microplastics have a significant concentration effect on the growth of microalgae. The attachment of microalgae to microplastics surface and the aggregation of microalgae with each other were observed. Under exposure of microplastics, the photosynthesis of microalgae was inhibited while the antioxidant system was activated, indicating that microplastics had a negative impact on microalgae. At the end of exposure, the oxidative stress status caused by microplastics in marine microalgae were alleviated, but the antioxidant system of freshwater microalgae was still at high levels, indicating a stress response. In addition, integrated biomarker response (IBR) indicated that the effects of microplastics on freshwater microalgae were severer than marine microalgae, which might relate to their differences in removing reactive oxygen species (ROS) effectively and membrane structure. Our study provides a reliable data for understanding the complex effects of microplastics on microalgae, and especially for comparing the differential effects of microplastics among different microalgae.

Cell-free protein synthesis of CD1E and B2M protein and in vitro interaction.

CD1E, one of the most important glycolipid antigens on T cell membranes, is required for glycolipid antigen presentation on the cell surface. Cell-based recombinant expression systems have many limitations for synthesizing transmembrane proteins such as CD1E, including low protein yields and miss folding. To overcome these challenges, here we successfully synthesized high-quality soluble CD1E using an E.coli cell-free protein synthesis system (CFPS) with the aid of detergent. Following purification by Ni2+ affinity chromatography, we were able to obtain CD1E with ≥90% purity. Furthermore, we used the string website to predict the protein interaction network of CD1E and identified a potential binding partner━B2M. Similarly, we synthesized soluble B2M in the E.coli CFPS. Finally, we verified the interaction between CD1E and B2M by using Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR). Taken together, the methods described here provide an alternative way to obtain active transmembrane protein and may facilitate future structural and functional studies on CD1E.

Inhibition of Wnt7b reduces the proliferation, invasion, and migration of colorectal cancer cells.

OBJECTIVE: Colorectal cancer is one of the most common gastrointestinal tumors. The role of Wnt7b as a ligand of the Wnt signaling pathway in colorectal cancer remains to be studied. Through bioinformatics online analysis, we found that Wnt7b is abnormally highly expressed in a variety of gastrointestinal tumors. This study mainly explored the effects of Wnt7b regulating the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of SW480 cells in colorectal cancer. METHODS AND RESULTS: Applying the TCGA data set, Wnt7b was found to be highly expressed in most gastrointestinal tumor samples. Real-time quantitative PCR(q-PCR), Western blotting(WB) results showed that Wnt7b was significantly higher expressed in colorectal cancer cell lines compared with normal intestinal epithelial cells. SW480 cells transfected with the sh-Wnt7b showed successful knockdown of Wnt7b. MTT colorimetry showed the proliferation ability of sh-Wnt7b group decreased significantly compared with the non-transfected group. The results of double staining flow cytometry showed that the sh-Wnt7b group had more apoptosis. Cell scratch test showed that the cell migration rate of sh-wnt7b group considerably reduced. The Transwell invasion experiment demonstrated that the number of cell invasions in the sh-Wnt7b group decreased significantly. After SW480 cells was transfected with sh-Wnt7b, the protein levels of ß-catenin, CCND1, and CD44 in this group of cells were detected to be reduced by WB, and the same results were obtained by q-PCR detection of mRNA. CONCLUSION: Wnt7b is highly expressed in colorectal cancer cells, which may affect the proliferation, migration, and invasion of colorectal cancer cells by activating the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

Circular RNA circ-AGFG1 contributes to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression and glutamine catabolism by targeting microRNA-497-5p/solute carrier family 1 member 5 axis.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been shown to play important regulatory roles in human malignancies. However, the role of circRNA ArfGAP with FG repeats 1 (circ-AGFG1) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) progression and its associated mechanism are still largely undefined. Cell proliferation was analyzed by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine assay. Cell apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry analysis. Transwell assay and wound healing assay were used to analyze cell invasion and migration abilities. The uptake of glutamine and the production of α-ketoglutarate and glutamate were analyzed using Glutamine Determination Kit, α-ketoglutarate Assay Kit and Glutamate Determination Kit. A xenograft tumor model was used to analyze the biological role of circ-AGFG1 in vivo . The interaction between microRNA-497-5p (miR-497-5p) and circ-AGFG1 or solute carrier family 1 member 5 (SLC1A5) was verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Circ-AGFG1 expression was upregulated in ESCC tissues and cell lines. Circ-AGFG1 silencing suppressed the proliferation, migration, invasion and glutaminolysis and triggered the apoptosis of ESCC cells. Circ-AGFG1 knockdown significantly slowed down tumor growth in vivo . Circ-AGFG1 acted as a sponge for miR-497-5p, and miR-497-5p interacted with the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of SLC1A5. miR-497-5p silencing largely abolished circ-AGFG1 silencing-induced effects in ESCC cells. miR-497-5p overexpression-mediated influences in ESCC cells were largely reversed by the addition of SLC1A5 expressing plasmid. Circ-AGFG1 could upregulate SLC1A5 expression by sponging miR-497-5p. In summary, circ-AGFG1 acted as an oncogene to elevate the malignant potential and promote the glutamine catabolism of ESCC cells by targeting the miR-497-5p/SLC1A5 axis.

Study on the Relationship Between Diet, Physical Health and Gut Microflora of Chinese College Students.

Many elements of a modern lifestyle influence the gut microbiota but few studies have explored the effect of physical health level. This study was aimed to explore the relationship between diet, physical health and gut microbiota in Chinese college students. A total of 69 college students were recruited, including 27 college athletes (AS group) and 42 healthy controls (HC group). Fecal samples were collected for 16S rRNA sequencing. According to National Standards for Students' Physical Health (2014 revision), physical fitness measurements, dietary intake and health-related data were collected via questionnaires. ①According to the physical fitness scores, the physical fitness level of AS group was significantly higher than that of HC group (P < 0.05), there were no significant differences between the two groups in the frequency of intake of food. The frequency and duration of physical activity in the AS group were higher than those in the HC group (P < 0.05); ②The proportion and relative abundances of microorganism composition is varying at two groups: on the phylum level, AS group had mainly increased Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and reduced Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria; on the genus level, AS group had mainly increased Faecalibacterium, Bifidobacterium and reduced Bacteroides; ③The associations with the 10 most abundant bacterial genera and physical fitness, dietary factors were investigated. Changes in the gut microbiota abundance can be sometimes reflective of a physical health status. Loss of the balance of gut microbial populations will lead to flora disorders and diseases. Therefore, further studies are needed to reveal the mechanisms behind the gut microbiota in its potential role.

Nanomaterials in Scaffolds for Periodontal Tissue Engineering: Frontiers and Prospects.

The regeneration of periodontium represents important challenges to controlling infection and achieving functional regeneration. It has been recognized that tissue engineering plays a vital role in the treatment of periodontal defects, profiting from scaffolds that create the right microenvironment and deliver signaling molecules. Attributable to the excellent physicochemical and antibacterial properties, nanomaterials show great potential in stimulating tissue regeneration in tissue engineering. This article reviewed the up-to-date development of nanomaterials in scaffolds for periodontal tissue engineering. The paper also represented the merits and defects of different materials, among which the biocompatibility, antibacterial properties, and regeneration ability were discussed in detail. To optimize the project of choosing materials and furthermore lay the foundation for constructing a series of periodontal tissue engineering scaffolds, various nanomaterials and their applications in periodontal regeneration were introduced.

The Relationship Between Unexplained Chest Pain in Children and Head-Up Tilt Test.

Background: To explore the relationship between unexplained chest pain in children and head-up tilt test (HUTT). Materials and Methods: A total of 825 children with the main symptom of unexplained chest pain were admitted to the Specialist Outpatient Clinic of Children's Cardiovascular Disease from October 2000 to November 2021 at The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University. Among them, 473 were male and 352 were female, with a mean age of 10.61 ± 2.21 years. The control group included 58 cases, comprising 35 males and 23 females, with a mean age of 10.26 ± 2.66 years. The detailed history, physical examinations, conventional 12-lead electrocardiogram, chest X-ray, echocardiography, myocardial enzymes, electroencephalogram, and blood series were all examined. Disorders of the chest wall, lung, heart, mediastinum, and esophageal reflux, as well as drug effects, were ruled out. All the children underwent HUTT. Demographic description, univariate analysis, and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to explore the possible linear or non-linear relationships between the children's unexplained chest pain and HUTT. Results: Among the 825 chest pain cases, 301 (36.48%) were HUTT positive and 524 (63.52%) were HUTT negative. HUTT-positive patients were older than HUTT-negative patients (11.04 ± 2.03 vs. 10.34 ± 2.31 years, P < 0.001). The logistic regression results showed that each year of age increased the probability of being HUTT positive by 17.90% (P < 0.000), and females were 91.30% more likely to be HUTT positive than males (P < 0.000). Conclusion: Clinically unexplained chest pain in children is mainly caused by unbalanced autonomic nervous function. HUTT can help clear the cause of unexplained chest pain.

Feature Extraction of the Brain's Dynamic Complex Network Based on EEG and a Framework for Discrimination of Pediatric Epilepsy.

Most of the current complex network studies about epilepsy used the electroencephalogram (EEG) to directly construct the static complex network for analysis and discarded the dynamic characteristics. This study constructed the dynamic complex network on EEG from pediatric epilepsy and pediatric control when they were asleep by the sliding window method. Dynamic features were extracted and incorporated into various machine learning classifiers to explore their classification performances. We compared these performances between the static and dynamic complex network. In the univariate analysis, the initially insignificant topological characteristics in the static complex network can be transformed to be significant in the dynamic complex network. Under most connectivity calculation methods between leads, the accuracy of using dynamic complex network features for discrimination was higher than that of static complex network features. Particularly in the imaginary part of the coherency function (iCOH) method under the full-frequency band, the discrimination accuracies of most machine learning classifiers were higher than 95%, and the discrimination accuracies in the higher-frequency band (beta-frequency band) and the full-frequency band were higher than that of the lower-frequency bands. Our proposed method and framework could efficiently summarize more time-varying features in the EEG and improve the accuracies of the discrimination of the machine learning classifiers more than using static complex network features.