Corticothalamic input derived from corticospinal neurons contributes to chronic neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury.

Neuropathic pain is a significant and persistent issue for individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI), severely impacting their quality of life. While changes at the peripheral and spinal levels are known to contribute to SCI-related pain, whether and how supraspinal centers contribute to post SCI chronic neuropathic pain is poorly understood. Here, we first validated delayed development of chronic neuropathic pain in mice with moderate contusion SCI. To identify supraspinal regions involved in the pathology of neuropathic pain after SCI, we next performed an activity dependent genetic screening and identified multiple cortical and subcortical regions that were activated by innocuous tactile stimuli at a late stage following contusion SCI. Notably, chemogenetic inactivation of pain trapped neurons in the lateral thalamus alleviated neuropathic pain and reduced tactile stimuli evoked cortical overactivation. Retrograde tracing showed that contusion SCI led to enhanced corticothalamic axonal sprouting and over-activation of corticospinal neurons. Mechanistically, ablation or silencing of corticospinal neurons prevented the establishment or maintenance of chronic neuropathic pain following contusion SCI. These results highlighted a corticospinal-lateral thalamic feed-forward loop whose activation is required for the development and maintenance of chronic neuropathic pain after SCI. Our data thus shed lights into the central mechanisms underlying chronic neuropathic pain associated with SCI and the development of novel therapeutic avenues to treat refractory pain caused by traumatic brain or spinal cord injuries.

The Effect of ß-Sheet Secondary Structure on All-ß Proteins by Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

The effect of ß-sheet ratio and chain length on all-ß proteins was investigated by MD simulations. Protein samples composed of different repeating units with various ß-sheet ratios or a different number of repeating units were simulated under a broad temperature range. The simulation results show that the smaller radius of gyration was achieved by the protein with the higher proportion of ß-sheet secondary structure, which had the lower nonbonded energy with more HBs within the protein. The root mean square deviation (RMSD) and the root mean square fluctuation (RMSF) both increased with temperature, especially in the case of a longer chain. The visible period was also shown according to the repeated secondary structure. Several minimum values of RMSF were located on the skeleton of Cα atoms participating in the ß-sheet, indicating that it is a kind of stable secondary structure. We also concluded that proteins with a short chain or a lower ratio of ß-sheet could easily transform their oriented and compact structures to other ones, such as random coils, turns, and even α-helices. These results clarified the relationship from the primary level to the 3D structure of proteins and potentially predicted protein folding.

Ultrasound-Assisted Sagittal View for Retrograde Puncture of the P2 Segment of Popliteal Artery for Recanalization of Femoropopliteal Lesions.

BACKGROUND: To assess the safety and efficacy of ultrasound-assisted sagittal view for retrograde puncture of the P2 segment of popliteal artery (PA) for treating femoropopliteal lesions. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on consecutive patients who underwent retrograde puncture of the PA for the recanalization of femoropopliteal lesions. A retrograde access was made to either the P2 or P3 segment of the PA in 23 cases. In 10 cases (8 men; mean age 68 ± 9 years), ultrasound-guided retrograde PA (P2 segment) puncture using the long-axis in-the-plane approach was performed, and in 13 cases (11 men; mean age 69 ± 5 years), angiography-guided retrograde PA (P3 segment) puncture was performed. Clinical data was compared preintraoperatively and postoperatively in the 2 groups. RESULTS: All occluded lesions were successfully recanalized via dual channel intervention. Puncture success were 100% (10/10) in the P2 group compared with 92.3% (12/13) in the P3 group (P > 0.05). The mean puncture time in the P2 group was significantly shorter when compared to the P3 group (4.70 ± 0.95 mins vs 11.33 ± 6.37 mins; P < 0.05). There was no difference in mean hemostasis time between the 2 groups (6.11 ± 2.20 mins vs 8.46 ± 3.76 mins; P > 0.05). There were no in-hospital deaths in all patients. The occurrence of puncture-related complications in the P2 group was 10% compared with 15% in the P3 group (P > 0.05). A low-flow arteriovenous fistula was observed in one case in the P3 group. None of the patients reported any access-related complication at a mean follow-up of 11.3 ± 5.5 months. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound-assisted sagittal view for retrograde puncture of the P2 segment of PA is at least as safe as angiography-guided retrograde puncture of the P3 segment for femoropopliteal lesions. Furthermore, this technique appears to be more suitable for patients with tandem iliofemoral artery occlusion, as it allows for the creation of a retrograde access.

Neutrophil extracellular trap-mediated impairment of meningeal lymphatic drainage exacerbates secondary hydrocephalus after intraventricular hemorrhage.

Rationale: Hydrocephalus is a substantial complication after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) or intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) that leads to impaired cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation. Recently, brain meningeal lymphatic vessels (mLVs) were shown to serve as critical drainage pathways for CSF. Our previous studies indicated that the degradation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) after ICH/IVH alleviates hydrocephalus. However, the mechanisms by which NET degradation exerts beneficial effects in hydrocephalus remain unclear. Methods: A mouse model of hydrocephalus following IVH was established by infusing autologous blood into both wildtype and Cx3cr1-/- mice. By studying the features and processes of the model, we investigated the contribution of mLVs and NETs to the development and progression of hydrocephalus following secondary IVH. Results: This study observed the widespread presence of neutrophils, fibrin and NETs in mLVs following IVH, and the degradation of NETs alleviated hydrocephalus and brain injury. Importantly, the degradation of NETs improved CSF drainage by enhancing the recovery of lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs). Furthermore, our study showed that NETs activated the membrane protein CX3CR1 on LECs after IVH. In contrast, the repair of mLVs was promoted and the effects of hydrocephalus were ameliorated after CX3CR1 knockdown and in Cx3cr1-/- mice. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that mLVs participate in the development of brain injury and secondary hydrocephalus after IVH and that NETs contribute to acute LEC injury and lymphatic thrombosis. CX3CR1 is a key molecule in NET-induced LEC damage and meningeal lymphatic thrombosis, which leads to mLV dysfunction and exacerbates hydrocephalus and brain injury. NETs may be a critical target for preventing the obstruction of meningeal lymphatic drainage after IVH.

Clinical outcomes, survival, and predictors in lower-risk myelodysplastic syndrome patients treated with cyclosporine A.

INTRODUCTION: Therapeutic options to improve myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)-related cytopenias in patients with lower-risk MDS are limited, and cyclosporin A (CSA) is an available option. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed the clinical data of 153 consecutive patients with lower-risk MDS at our institution from July 1997 to October 2017. Propensity score matching method was used to balance the influence of confounding factors between patients with MDS treated with CSA and other conventional treatments (excluding CSA), and 50 pairs of cases were successfully identified for the final analysis. We assessed response rates, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and factors affecting response and survival. RESULTS: Haematological improvement (HI) was observed in 35 (70%) patients treated with CSA and in 25 (50%) patients treated with conventional therapies (P < 0.05), respectively. Treatment with CSA was a favourable prognostic factor for HI in lower-risk MDS patients of both cohorts in univariate analysis [odds ratio (OR) 2.333, P < 0.05], but not in multivariate analysis. In the multivariate analysis, hypocellular marrow was the only independent prognostic factor for HI in the CSA group (OR 6.259, P < 0.05), and in the overall cohort (OR 3.102, P < 0.05).CSA treatment did not improve PFS or OS (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: CSA is a safe treatment and can significantly improve cytopenias in a substantial proportion of patients with MDS, especially in individuals with hypocellular bone marrow. However, CSA is not associated with PFS or OS.

Spectral and temporal atomic coherence interaction in Eu3+ : NaYF4 and Eu3+ : BiPO4.

We investigate the spectral and temporal atomic coherence interaction based on out-of-phase fluorescence (FL) and spontaneous parametric four-wave mixing (SFWM) from the hexagonal phase of Eu3+ : NaYF4 and different phases of Eu3+ : BiPO4. Spectral and temporal interactions are interrelated and reduced by about 2 times due to two-photon nested dressing in contrast to the sum of each laser excitation. As the lifetime of photons increases, off-resonance profile cross-interaction decreases because cross-interaction reverses the signal at the near time gate position and keeps it consistent at the far time gate position. Moreover, the thermal phonon dressing at 300 K exhibits 6 times more eminent and obvious temporal interaction than that at 77 K. In a different phase of Eu3+ : BiPO4, there are three dark dips having stronger self-interaction; however, Eu3+ : NaYF4 has two dark dips as Eu3+ : BiPO4 has two phonon dressing. Further, the pure hexagonal phase of Eu3+ : BiPO4 demonstrates the strongest cross-interaction and longest coherent time under the dressing effect due to the smallest dressing phonon detuning and off-resonance profile cross-interaction at PMT2 because the angle quantization is the strongest. Such results can be used for designing novel quantum devices and have potential applications in quantum memory devices.

Development of COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control policies in China / 复旦学报（医学版）

Since the World Health Organization(WHO)officially announced COVID-19 as a global pandemic in 2020,114 countries or regions in the world have been affected to varying degrees.The arrival of the post-epidemic era requires countries to take new epidemic prevention and control measures to deal with the problems and challenges that may arise in the future.In order to help China consolidate its epidemic prevention achievements over the years and gain a larger development window in the post-epidemic era,this study explored the changes in the global epidemic situation and the major national prevention and control policies in different countries,summarized the development and changes of China's epidemic prevention and control policies,and proposed new family-centered precision prevention and control measures that adapt to China's national conditions.

Research progress of nitrobenzoyl sesquiterpenoids as marine characteristic natural products / 药学学报

Sesquiterpenoids are widely found in nature, while nitrobenzoyl sesquiterpenoids are relatively rare. Twelve natural nitrobenzoyl sesquiterpenoids were all derived from marine Aspergillus fungi, which are typical natural products with marine characteristics. These natural products exhibit good antitumor, antiviral, and inhibition of osteoclast differentiation activity, especially in the treatment of osteoclast-related diseases, showing good medicinal development value. This article reviews the natural product sources, chemical structure, chemical synthesis, biosynthesis, bioactivity, and pharmacological mechanisms of nitrobenzoyl sesquiterpenoids and predicts and discusses their absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, toxicity (ADME/T), and drug-likeness, providing a comprehensive understanding of the natural products of nitrobenzoyl sesquiterpenoids from marine sources and their potential for pharmaceutical development.

Secondary metabolites and their α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of endophyte fungi from Orixa japonica / 中成药

AIM To identify the endophytic fungus G-(JK)-2 from Orixa japonica Thunb.and to study its secondary metabolites and their α-glucosidase inhibitory activities.METHODS Through the ITS sequence,the evolutionary tree that identifies the endophytic fungus G-(JK)-2 was established.Then 45 days rice solid medium of endophytic fungus G-(JK)-2 was extracted by methanol,and then by ethyl acetate.The ethyl acetate extract was separated and purified by silica gel chromatography,Sephadex LH-20,and semi-preparative HPLC.The structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.Their α-glucosidase inhibitory activities were evaluated by PNPG method.RESULTS The endophytic fungus G-(JK)-2 from O.japonica was identified as Fusarium nematophilum.Thirteen compounds were isolated and identified as p-hydroxybenzaldehyde(G1),4-hydroxyacetophenone(G2),anhydromevalonolactone(G3),flazine(G4),salicylic acid(G5),p-hydroxybenzoic acid(G6),di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate(G7),terephthalic acid bis(2-ethyl-hexyl)ester(G8),thymine(G9),uridine(G10),adenosine(G11),2′-deoxyuridine(G12),nicotinic acid(G13).The inhibitory effect of each compound on α-glucosidase was in sequence of G4>G11>G10>G13>G12.CONCLUSION All compounds are first isolated from the endophytic fungi of the O.japonica,and G10,G11,G13 are first isolated from the endophytic fungi of Fusarium.G4 and G11 have mild inhibition to α-glucosidase.

Work and lifestyle influencing factors for thyroid cancer among young and middle-aged patients with thyroid nodules / 环境与职业医学

Background The number of persons with thyroid nodules has increased rapidly in recent years, and thyroid cancer caused by malignant nodules has become a key problem endangering the health of young and middle-aged groups in China. Objective To explore work and lifestyle influencing factors for developing thyroid cancer among young and middle-aged patients with thyroid nodules. Methods The subjects with thyroid nodules were reported by routine physical examines ordered at the Huadong Sanatorium. We conducted a 1∶4 matched case-control study in which 232 patients diagnosed with thyroid cancer from 2012 to 2022 were matched to 928 controls by gender and age (±5 years). A validated questionnaire was used to collect data on work and lifestyle behaviors. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were applied to explore potential relationships between selected factors (including environment, working hours, stress, diet, exercise, and mental health) and thyroid cancer. Spearman rank correlation was used to analyze the correlations between variables. Results The results of univariate logistic regression showed a history of thyroid cancer reported among first-degree relatives (OR=6.059, 95%CI: 1.007, 36.473), obesity (OR=1.973, 95%CI: 1.296, 3.004), noise and vibration exposure (OR=1.988, 95%CI: 1.143, 3.456), frequent stress (OR=2.093, 95%CI: 1.231, 3.559), frequent depression (OR=2.034, 95%CI: 1.048, 3.947), frequent anger (OR=1.791, 95%CI: 1.066, 3.012), frequent fried food diet (OR=1.535, 95%CI: 1.026, 2.297), and frequent fast food diet (OR=1.836, 95%CI: 1.048, 3.215) were risk factors for reporting thyroid cancer developing from thyroid nodules, while regular meals (OR=0.245, 95%CI: 0.061, 0.989) and frequent exercise (OR=0.571, 95%CI: 0.342, 0.952) were protective factors for reporting no thyroid cancer. The results of Spearman correlation analysis showed that body mass index was positively correlated with frequent fried food, fast food, and sugary beverage diets (r=0.123, 0.083, 0.077, P<0.01), and negatively correlated with frequent depression and anger (r=−0.090, −0.070, P<0.05). The results of multiple logistic regression found that a history of thyroid cancer reported among first-degree relatives (OR=6.712, 95%CI: 1.071, 42.066), obesity (OR=2.032, 95%CI: 1.321, 3.125), noise and vibration exposure (OR=1.991, 95%CI: 1.089, 3.637), and frequent stress (OR=2.468, 95%CI: 1.417, 4.300) were associated with an elevated risk of reporting thyroid cancer developing from thyroid nodules patients. Regular exercise (frequency≥3 times·week−1, > 30 min per episode) (OR=0.516, 95%CI: 0.300, 0.890) was associated with a lowered risk of reporting thyroid cancer. Conclusions Multiple risk factors associated with reporting thyroid cancer among young and middle-aged groups with thyroid nodules are identified, such as obesity, noise and vibration exposure, frequent stress, and lack of exercise.

Advancing Clinical Trial Design for Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Despite recent drug development for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), few therapies have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and there remains an unmet clinical need. Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) supply issues underscore the importance of developing safe and effective drugs for NMIBC. OBJECTIVE: On November 18-19, 2021, the FDA held a public virtual workshop to discuss NMIBC research needs and potential trial designs for future development of effective therapies. METHODS: Representatives from various disciplines including urologists, oncologists, pathologists, statisticians, basic and translational scientists, and the patient advocacy community participated. The workshop format included invited lectures, panel discussions, and opportunity for audience discussion and comment. RESULTS: In a pre-workshop survey, 92% of urologists surveyed considered the development of alternatives to BCG as a high drug development priority for BCG-naïve high-risk patients. Key topics discussed included definitions of disease states; trial design for BCG-naïve NMIBC, BCG-unresponsive carcinoma in situ, and BCG-unresponsive papillary carcinoma; strengths and limitations of single-arm trial designs; assessing patient-reported outcomes; and considerations for assessing avoidance of cystectomy as an efficacy measure. CONCLUSIONS: The workshop discussed several important opportunities for trial design refinement in NMIBC. FDA encourages sponsors to meet with the appropriate review division to discuss trial design proposals for NMIBC early in drug development.

Effect of intensive blood pressure control after successful endovascular therapy on outcomes in patients with anterior circulation stroke: a multicentre, open-label, blinded-endpoint, randomized controlled trial / 国际脑血管病杂志

Objective:To compare the effects of intensive and standard blood pressure control on the outcomes of patients with acute ischemic stroke in the anterior circulation who have successfully recanalized after endovascular therapy (EVT).Methods:A multicenter, open-label, blinded-endpoint, randomized controlled design was used. Patients with anterior circulation stroke received EVT and successfully recanalized in Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University and several branch hospitals from July 2020 to October 2022 were prospectively included. They were randomly divided into the intensive blood pressure control group (target systolic blood pressure [SBP] 100-120 mmHg) or the standard blood pressure control group (target SBP 121-140 mmHg). The blood pressure of both groups needs to achieve the target within 1 h and maintain for 72 h. The primary outcome endpoint was outcome at 90 d, and the good outcome was defined as a score of 0-2 on the modified Rankin Scale. Secondary outcome endpoints included early neurological improvement, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) within 24 h, and death and serious adverse events within 90 d.Results:A total of 120 patients were included, including 63 in the intensive blood pressure control group and 57 in the standard blood pressure control group. There was no statistically significant difference in baseline characteristics between the two groups. The SBP at 72 h after procedure was 122.7±8.1 mmHg in the intensive blood pressure control group and 130.2±7.4 mmHg in the standard blood pressure control group, respectively. There were no significantly differences in the good outcome rate (54.0% vs. 54.4%; χ2=0.002, P=0.963), the early neurological improvement rate (45.2% vs. 34.5%; χ2=1.367, P=0.242), the incidence of sICH (6.3% vs. 3.5%; P=0.682), mortality (7.9% vs. 14.0%; χ2=1.152, P=0.283) and the incidence of serious adverse events (12.7% vs. 15.8%; χ2=0.235, P=0.628) at 90 d between the intensive blood pressure control group and the standard blood pressure control group. Conclusion:In patients with anterior circulation stroke and successful revascularization of EVT, early intensive blood pressure control don’t improve clinical outcomes and reduce the incidence of sICH.

Value of Repeat Colonoscopy During Colorectal Polypectomy in Improving Detection of Missed Polyps / 胃肠病学

Background:Identifying missed diagnoses of polyps is significant in reducing the incidence of colorectal cancer.Until now,the role of repeat colonoscopy during colorectal polypectomy in reducing themissed diagnoses of polyps is sparsely studied.Aims:To analyze the value of repeat colonoscopy during colorectal polypectomy in reducing themissed diagnoses of polyps.Methods:One hundred and forty-six patients in the first affiliated hospital of Ningbo University who underwent polypectomy were consecutively recruited for repeat colonoscopy from January 2020 to January 2021.The number,size,and location of missed polyps were recorded and analyzed during colorectal polypectomy.Univariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the independent risk factors of missed polyps.Results:There were 86 males and 60 females among the 146 enrolled patients,which aged(55.54±10.51)years.The overall missed polyps'rate was 27.17%.We found that all missed polyps were sessile polyps and<10 mm in size,the difference was significant in the left colon.Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that the endoscopist' experience was an independent risk factor for missed polyps.Conclusions:Endoscopist'experience was an independent risk factor for missed polyps.Repeat colonoscopy could reduce the missed polyps.

Effects of different anesthesia methods on anesthesia quality, postoperative recovery, cognitive status and visual analogue scale score in patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective:To explore the effects of different anesthesia methods on anesthesia quality, postoperative recovery, cognitive status and pain in patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy.Methods:A prospective study was conducted among 98 patients who underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy in Donghai County People′s Hospital of Jiangsu Province from July 2020 to December 2022. According to different anesthesia methods, the subjects were divided into group A (48 cases, intravenous-inhalation combined anesthesia) and group B (50 cases, intravenous general anesthesia and epidural anesthesia). The recovery quality, cognitive status and VAS scores before operation (T 0), at 12 h after operation (T 1), 24 h after operation (T 2) and 48 h after operation (T 3) were compared between the groups. The total incidence rates of adverse reactions in the two groups were recorded. Results:The extubation time, respiratory recovery time and awakening time in group B were shorter than those in group A: (5.69 ± 0.75) min vs. (10.02 ± 1.26) min, (4.52 ± 0.65) min vs. (6.59 ± 1.04) min, (8.65 ± 1.12) min vs. (13.52 ± 1.45) min ( P<0.05). The two groups had similar mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scores and VAS scores at T 0 ( P>0.05). MMSE scores of the two groups were lower at T 1-T 3 than T 0. Group B had higher scores than group A at T 1-T 3: (23.14 ± 1.85) scores vs. (20.36 ± 2.15) scores, (25.18 ± 2.47) scores vs. (22.31 ± 2.35) scores, (27.05 ± 1.18) scores vs. (26.31 ± 1.01) scores, P<0.05. VAS scores of the two groups were higher at T 1-T 3 than T 0. Group B had lower scores than group A: (5.17 ± 0.54) scores vs. (6.21 ± 0.75) scores, (4.42 ± 0.51) scores vs. (5.63 ± 0.62) scores, (2.58 ± 0.34) scores vs. (3.14 ± 0.42) scores, P<0.05. The total incidence rates of adverse reactions in the two groups had no statistical difference ( χ2 = 0.17, P>0.05). Conclusions:Compared with intravenous-inhalation combined anesthesia, general anesthesia combined with epidural anesthesia has better anesthesia quality in patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy, which can improve postoperative cognitive function and relieve pain. The two anesthesia methods are both safe.

Retrospective analysis of the effect of oral nutritional supplements during labor on delivery outcomes in low-risk pregnant women / 中华临床营养杂志

Objective:To explore the effect of oral nutritional supplements (ONS) during labor on delivery outcomes in low-risk pregnant women and the risk factors of cesarean section.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted in a total of 206 full-term pregnant women with singleton and cephalic presentation at the delivery center in our hospital from March 15th to May 15th, 2022. Standard diet education was given to all those women by midwives. Pregnant women who received the enteral nutrient solution prepared by the Department of Clinical Nutrition during labor were in the ONS group ( n = 110), while those who did not were in the control group ( n = 96). The baseline characteristics and delivery outcomes were compared between the two groups, and the risk factors of cesarean section were also analyzed. Results:There were no significant differences in terms of maternal age, height, baseline weight, baseline body mass index (BMI), weight gain during pregnancy, prenatal BMI, gestational week, intraspinal labor analgesia, oxytocin, gastrointestinal intolerance, neonatal length, and weight between the two groups ( P > 0.05). However, the total oral energy intake during labor in the ONS group was significantly higher than that in the control group ([1 349.99± 569.51] kJ vs [249.59 ± 455.19] kJ, P < 0.01). The rate of vaginal delivery in the ONS group was significantly higher than that in the control group (93.6% vs 81.3%, P = 0.01), and the duration of the first stage of labor ([487.06 ± 232.94] min vs [416.17 ± 191.13] min, P = 0.03) was also significantly longer in the ONS group. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the duration of the second and third stages of labor, perineal laceration, cervical laceration, vaginal laceration, amount of bleeding, hospital stay, and Apgar score after birth ( P > 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that maternal age was a risk factor for changing to cesarean section in women with low-risk pregnancies ( OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.40, P = 0.02), while ONS during labor ( OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.85, P = 0.02) and intraspinal labor analgesia ( OR 0.10, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.26, P < 0.01) were protective factors. Conclusions:ONS during labor can significantly increase the vaginal delivery rate, without increasing the incidence of gastrointestinal intolerance in low-risk pregnant women. Maternal age is a risk factor for cesarean section while ONS during labor and intraspinal labor analgesia are protective factors in women with low-risk pregnancies.

Effect of calorie-restricted diet combined with intestinal microecological preparation on clinical outcomes in overweight/obese infertile patients / 中华临床营养杂志

Objective:To investigate the effects of calorie-restricted diet (CRD) combined with intestinal microecological preparation on the clinical outcomes in overweight/obese infertile patients undergoing frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycle.Methods:252 overweight/obese infertile patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included and divided into overweight intervention group, overweight control group, obese intervention group and obese control group, according to body mass index (BMI) and whether or not they received nutritional intervention. Clinical outcome indexes and changes in anthropometry and body composition before and after intervention were compared across all groups.Results:Body mass, BMI, body fat percentage, waist-to-hip ratio and visceral fat grade were significantly decreased after nutritional intervention in both overweight and obese intervention groups (both P<0.001). Among overweight patients, follicle count [(17.89±4.97) vs. (16.22±5.41), P=0.027], live births [(0.64±4.77) vs. (0.36±8.61), P=0.005] and the rate of live birth (47.19% vs. 30.19%, P=0.005) were significantly increased in the intervention group compared with the control group. Among obese patients, live births [(0.89±3.79) vs. (0.48±3.69), P=0.040] and the rate of live birth (64.29% vs. 37.93%, P=0.047) were significantly increased in the intervention group. Conclusion:In overweight and obese infertile patients undergoing FET cycle, the nutritional intervention of CRD combined with complex intestinal microecological preparation can help reduce weight and body fat, and may be beneficial to improving the success rate of assisted reproductive technology.

Acupuncture point selection for prevention and treatment of generalized anxiety disorder from the perspective of Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis / 国际中医中药杂志

Disorders of the gut flora (GF) affect the level of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in the brain of patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and influence the development of the disease. Most of the acupuncture points selected for GAD are based on the principles of local acupuncture points and acupuncture points following the distant channels of the meridians, regarding Baihui (DU 20), Fengchi (GB 20), and Yintang (GV 29) as the main acupuncture points, and the acupuncture points selected for the regulation of GF are Zhongwan (CV 12), Tianshu (ST 25), and Guanyuan (RN 4) and Zusanli (ST 36). Recently, many studies have been conducted on the mechanism of action of acupuncture in the treatment of GAD from the perspective of GF, but few have investigated the theoretical of acupuncture points used to prevent and treat GAD. This paper discusses the theoretical basis of acupuncture to regulate the "microbiota-gut-brain axis" (MGBA) for the prevention and treatment of GAD, and proposes the method of "regulating the internal organs and calming the mind and relieving anxiety" through analyzing the researches on the regulation of GF and GAD.

Clininal evaluation of a novel China original liquid pulsation system for meibomian gland dysfunction / 中华实验眼科杂志

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a China original liquid pulsation system for the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD).Methods:A non-randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted.Twenty-two patients (44 eyes) diagnosed with MGD in Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University from February to August 2022 were enrolled.The patients were assigned into two groups according to their willingness.Of the 22 patients (44 eyes), 10 patients (20 eyes) in single liquid pulsation system group were treated with single liquid pulsation system for 12 minutes, and 12 patients (24 eyes) in intense pulsed light (IPL) group were treated with a course (4 times) of IPL, warm compresses and meibomian gland massage at three-week intervals.There was no difference in age and other baseline clinical indexes between the two groups (all at P<0.05). The meibum grading, quality grading of tear film lipid layer, Symptom Assessment Questionnaire in Dry Eye (SANDE) questionnaire score, first and average tear breakup time (BUT), corneal fluorescein sodium staining (CFS) score, tear meniscus height (TMH), and the area of meibomian gland loss were determined at baseline, 1 and 3 months after treatment.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki.The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University (No.2021069). Written informed consent was obtained from each patient before any medical examination. Results:Statistically significant group effects and time effects were found in the quality of tear film lipid layer ( Hgroup=4.39, P=0.036, Htime=6.30, P=0.043) and average BUT ( Fgroup=4.41, P=0.038; Ftime=4.08, P=0.049) in the two groups.The meibum grading, first BUT and TMH 1 and 3 months after treatment were significantly better than before treatment in single liquid pulsation system group (all at P<0.05). Compared with before treatment, there was no significant improvement in the meibum grading, distribution of tear film lipid, first BUT and TMH at 1 and 3 months after treatment in IPL group (all at P>0.05). In both groups, the SANDE and CFS scores 1 and 3 months after treatment were better than those before treatment, showing statistically significance (all at P<0.05). In terms of safety, neither instrument-related adverse events nor extra complaints of discomfort were reported in the single liquid pulsation system group.In both groups, the number of patients with positive CFS staining significantly decreased, and no new cases with positive CFS appeared after treatment. Conclusions:This China original liquid pulsation system is a safe and effective physical therapy in improving tear film dysfunction and ocular surface symptoms of MGD patients within 3 months after treatment.

Analysis of independent risk factors and establishment and validation of a prediction model for in-hospital mortality of multiple trauma patients / 中华创伤杂志

Objective:To explore the independent risk factor for in-hospital mortality of patients with multiple trauma, and to construct a prediction model of risk of death and validate its efficacy.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was performed to analyze the clinical data of 1 028 patients with multiple trauma admitted to Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University from January 2011 to December 2021. There were 765 males and 263 females, aged 18-91 years[(53.8±12.4)years]. The injury severity score (ISS) was 16-57 points [(26.3±7.6)points]. There were 153 deaths and 875 survivals. A total of 777 patients were enrolled as the training set from January 2011 to December 2018 for building the prediction model, while another 251 patients were enrolled as validation set from January 2019 to December 2021. According to the outcomes, the training set was divided into the non-survival group (115 patients) and survival group (662 patients). The two groups were compared in terms of the gender, age, underlying disease, injury mechanism, head and neck injury, maxillofacial injury, chest injury, abdominal injury, extremity and pelvis injury, body surface injury, damage control surgery, pre-hospital time, number of injury sites, Glasgow coma score (GCS), ISS, shock index, and laboratory test results within 6 hours on admission, including blood lactate acid, white blood cell counts, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet counts, hemoglobin, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen, D-dimer and blood glucose. Univariate analysis and multivariate Logistic regression analysis were performed to determine the independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality in patients with multiple trauma. The R software was used to establish a nomogram prediction model based on the above risk factors. Area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC), calibration curve and clinical decision curve analysis (DCA) were plotted in the training set and the validation set, and Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test was performed.Results:Univariate analysis showed that abdominal injury, extremity and pelvis injury, damage control surgery, GCS, ISS, shock index, blood lactic acid, white blood cell counts, NLR, platelet counts, hemoglobin, APTT, fibrinogen, D-dimer and blood glucose were correlated with in-hospital mortality in patients with multiple trauma ( P<0.05 or 0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that GCS≤8 points ( OR=1.99, 95% CI 1.12,3.53), ISS>25 points ( OR=7.39, 95% CI 3.50, 15.61), shock index>1.0 ( OR=3.43, 95% CI 1.94,6.08), blood lactic acid>2 mmol/L ( OR=9.84, 95% CI 4.97, 19.51), fibrinogen≤1.5 g/L ( OR=2.57, 95% CI 1.39,4.74) and blood glucose>10 mmol/L ( OR=3.49, 95% CI 2.03, 5.99) were significantly correlated with their in-hospital mortality ( P<0.05 or 0.01). The ROC of the nomogram prediction model indicated that AUC of the training set was 0.91 (95% CI 0.87, 0.93) and AUC of the validation set was 0.90 (95% CI 0.84, 0.95). The calibration curve showed that the predicted probability was consistent with the actual situation in both the training set and validation set. DCA showed that the nomogram prediction model presented excellent performance in predicting in-hospital mortality. In Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test, χ2 value of the training set was 9.69 ( P>0.05), with validation set of 9.16 ( P>0.05). Conclusions:GCS≤8 points, ISS>25 points, shock index>1.0, blood lactic acid>2 mmol/L, fibrinogen≤1.5 g/L and blood glucose>10 mmol/L are independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality in patients with multiple trauma. The nomogram prediction model based on these 6 predictive variables shows a good predictive performance, which can help clinicians comprehensively assess the patient′s condition and identify the high-risk population.

Analysis of reproductive outcomes in the first IVF-ET cycle after laparoscopic treatment in patients with endometriosis / 中华妇产科杂志

Objective:To explore the effect of endometriosis (EM) on reproductive outcomes of young patient with EM after laparoscopic treatment in the first in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycle.Methods:The clinical data and reproductive outcomes of 394 infertile patients with EM after laparoscopic treatment (EM group) and 3 242 infertile patients caused by gamete transport disorder (control group) in the first IVF-ET cycle were collected in Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children from January 2016 to June 2021. The information included baseline characteristics, oocyte retrieval, embryo development, clinical pregnancy, miscarriage, and live birth. Propensity score matching (PSM) method was used to perform 1∶2 matching between EM group and control group. The impact of EM on reproductive outcomes was analyzed in the retrospective observational study.Results:In the initial data, compared with control group, the number of two pronucleus (2PN) zygotes (9.7±4.8 vs 9.0±4.4), the number of transferable embryos (6.2±3.6 vs 5.5±3.4) and the rate of transferable embryos (64.0% vs 60.8%) on the third day were significantly lower in EM group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). After PSM was performed, there were 394 and 787 cases in EM group and control group, respectively. Compared with control group, the number of 2PN zygotes (9.7±4.9 vs 9.0±4.4), the 2PN fertility rate (77.1% vs 75.3%), the number of transferable embryos on the third day (6.2±3.6 vs 5.5±3.4), the transferable embryos rate on the third day (63.8% vs 60.8%) were significantly lower in EM group, and the differences were statically significant (all P<0.05). The study did not find the effect of EM on embryo implantation rate, pregnancy rate, early miscarriage rate, live birth rate and preterm birth rate (all P>0.05). Conclusions:EM might interfere with the development of oocytes and embryos. Obtaining top-quality embryos may be an effective way to improve the prognosis of patients with EM after laparoscopic treatment.