Screening and diagnosis of cardiovascular disease using artificial intelligence-enabled cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is the gold standard for cardiac function assessment and plays a crucial role in diagnosing cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, its widespread application has been limited by the heavy resource burden of CMR interpretation. Here, to address this challenge, we developed and validated computerized CMR interpretation for screening and diagnosis of 11 types of CVD in 9,719 patients. We propose a two-stage paradigm consisting of noninvasive cine-based CVD screening followed by cine and late gadolinium enhancement-based diagnosis. The screening and diagnostic models achieved high performance (area under the curve of 0.988 ± 0.3% and 0.991 ± 0.0%, respectively) in both internal and external datasets. Furthermore, the diagnostic model outperformed cardiologists in diagnosing pulmonary arterial hypertension, demonstrating the ability of artificial intelligence-enabled CMR to detect previously unidentified CMR features. This proof-of-concept study holds the potential to substantially advance the efficiency and scalability of CMR interpretation, thereby improving CVD screening and diagnosis.

Association of Interleukin-17A and Interleukin-17F Gene Polymorphisms with Atopic Dermatitis in Chinese Children.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, recurrent inflammatory disease associated with an unbalanced immune response in the upper layers of the skin tissue, mostly starting in childhood. As important factors in gene expression regulation, polymorphisms in interleukin (IL)-17A and IL-17F may be associated with the susceptibility and severity of AD. Methods: Blood samples and clinical information were obtained from 132 patients with AD and 100 healthy children. Using multiplex polymerase chain reaction and next-generation sequencing, five potential single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of IL-17A and IL-17F were genotyped in all participants. The relationship between SNPs and susceptibility to or severity of AD was examined by analyzing haplotypes and genetic models. Results: The IL-17A rs3819025 polymorphism was substantially associated with higher AD risk in both the allele model (p = 0.03; odds ratio [OR] = 1.76; confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-2.95) and the dominant model (p = 0.04, OR = 1.85; CI: 1.03-3.33). There was no correlation between AD susceptibility and the IL-17A (rs2275913 and rs4711998) or IL-17F (rs763780 and rs12203736) SNPs (all p > 0.05). Additionally, the five IL-17A and IL-17F SNPs did not significantly differ across the mild-to-moderate and severe subgroups (all p > 0.05). Conclusions: The IL-17A/rs3819025 polymorphism was linked to the development of AD, whereas the IL-17F polymorphism was unrelated to the susceptibility to and severity of AD. The IL-17A polymorphism may provide valuable information to speculate on the susceptibility to AD in Chinese Han children.

Causal relationships between atopic dermatitis and psychiatric disorders: a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Observational studies have suggested the potential associations between atopic dermatitis (AD) and psychiatric disorders. However, the causal relationship between them remains uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate the potential bidirectional causal relationship between AD and psychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), major depressive disorder (MDD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder (BD), anorexia nervosa (AN), Tourette syndrome (TS), schizophrenia, and anxiety. METHODS: Bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) was employed to elucidate the causality between AD and psychiatric disorders, using summary statistics from the most comprehensive genome-wide association studies conducted on AD (Ncases = 60,653, Ncontrols = 804,329). Psychiatric disorders were derived from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium and were independent of AD data sources. The MR analysis entailed the implementation of multiple methods, including the inverse variance weighted method, MR-Egger regression method, weighted median method, simple mode method, and weighted mode method. RESULTS: Bidirectional two-sample MR analysis uncovered significant causal associations between AD and severe psychiatric disorders. Specifically, liability to AD was associated with increased risk of ADHD (OR = 1.116; 95% CI: [1.009, 1.234]; P = 0.033) and ASD (OR = 1.131; 95% CI: [1.023, 1.251]; P = 0.016). Additionally, evidence suggested that liability to ADHD (OR = 1.112; 95% CI: [1.094, 1.130]; P = 9.20e-40), liability to AN (OR = 1.1; 95% CI: [1.068, 1.134]; P = 4.45e-10) and liability to BD (OR = 1.067; 95% CI: [1.009, 1.128]; P = 0.023) were associated with an increased risk of AD. Only the causal association between AD and ASD was independent of the reverse effect bias. These causal associations were robust and not affected by biases of heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy. CONCLUSIONS: Our study emphasizes the significant causal association between AD and an increased risk of ASD, and also identifying BD and AN as risk factors for AD.

Recent Advances in Metal-Organic Framework (MOF)-Based Photocatalysts: Design Strategies and Applications in Heavy Metal Control.

The heavy metal contamination of water systems has become a major environmental concern worldwide. Photocatalysis using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has emerged as a promising approach for heavy metal remediation, owing to the ability of MOFs to fully degrade contaminants through redox reactions that are driven by photogenerated charge carriers. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of recent developments in MOF-based photocatalysts for removing and decontaminating heavy metals from water. The tunable nature of MOFs allows the rational design of composition and features to enhance light harvesting, charge separation, pollutant absorptivity, and photocatalytic activities. Key strategies employed include metal coordination tuning, organic ligand functionalization, heteroatom doping, plasmonic nanoparticle incorporation, defect engineering, and morphology control. The mechanisms involved in the interactions between MOF photocatalysts and heavy metal contaminants are discussed, including light absorption, charge carrier separation, metal ion adsorption, and photocatalytic redox reactions. The review highlights diverse applications of MOF photocatalysts in treating heavy metals such as lead, mercury, chromium, cadmium, silver, arsenic, nickel, etc. in water remediation. Kinetic modeling provides vital insights into the complex interplay between coupled processes such as adsorption and photocatalytic degradation that influence treatment efficiency. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is also crucial for evaluating the sustainability of MOF-based technologies. By elucidating the latest advances, current challenges, and future opportunities, this review provides insights into the potential of MOF-based photocatalysts as a sustainable technology for addressing the critical issue of heavy metal pollution in water systems. Ongoing efforts are needed to address the issues of stability, recyclability, scalable synthesis, and practical reactor engineering.

Association of IL-4 and IL-18 genetic polymorphisms with atopic dermatitis in Chinese children.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease, adversely affecting nearly 20% of the pediatric population worldwide. Interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) are considered to be involved in the pathogenesis and development of AD. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of IL-4 and IL-18 gene polymorphisms with the susceptibility and severity of AD in Chinese children. Methods: Six candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in IL-4 and IL-18 genes were genotyped through multi-PCR combined with next-generation sequencing in 132 AD children and 100 healthy controls, and all the analyses were performed on blood genome DNA. Results: The frequencies of G allele, CG genotype and CG + GG genotype of IL-4 rs2243283, as well as the haplotype IL-4/GTT (rs2243283-rs2243250-rs2243248) were all significantly decreased in AD patients compared with the controls [G vs. C: P = 0.033, OR = 0.59; CG vs. CC: P = 0.024, OR = 0.47; CG + GG vs. CC: P = 0.012, OR = 0.49; GTT vs. CCT: P = 0.011, OR = 0.65]. Moreover, the frequencies of A allele, AA genotype and AG + AA genotype of IL-18 rs7106524, along with the haplotype IL-18/CAA (rs187238-rs360718-rs7106524) were statistically increased in the severe AD patients (A vs. G: P < 0.001, OR = 2.79; AA vs. GG: P = 0.003, OR = 5.51; AG + AA vs. GG: P = 0.036, OR = 2.93; CAA vs. CAG: P = 0.001, OR = 2.86). Conclusions: Our findings suggested that genetic variation in IL-4 rs2243283 such as G allele, CG genotype and CG + GG genotype might confer the reduced susceptibility to AD in Chinese children. Furthermore, A allele, AA genotype and AG + AA genotype of IL-18 rs7106524 explored the strong association with severity in Chinese AD children.

[Evaluation of the efficacy of Nd:YAG laser in the treatment of 80 patients with oral mucosal venous malformation].

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of Nd:YAG laser treatment for venous malformations. METHODS: Eighty patients with oral mucosal venous malformations underwent one or more Nd:YAG laser treatments, and photographs of the lesions before and after laser treatment were collected and compared, patients' satisfaction were assessed using visual analog scale (VAS). SPSS 22.0 software package was used for data analysis. RESULTS: A total of 58 cases were cured in 80 patients, 21 cases showed remarkable improvement. Nine patients(11.25%) experienced adverse effects after laser therapy, including atrophic scars in 2 patients, oral mucosal ulcers in 4 patients, transient hyperpigmentation in 2 patients, and transient hypopigmentation in 1 patient, which met the expected response to effective therapy, and the follow-up results showed that most patients achieved maximum satisfaction values. CONCLUSIONS: Nd:YAG laser is an effective and safe treatment for oral mucosal venous malformation with definite efficacy and few side effects, which is worthy of popularization and application.

Clinicopathological features of CD5-positive splenic marginal zone lymphoma.

AIMS: To investigate the clinicopathological features, immunophenotypes and differential diagnosis of CD5-positive splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL). METHODS: We retrospectively analysed 16 CD5-positive cases of SMZL. Assess their clinicopathological features and survival outcomes to evaluate their similarities and differences with a control group of 25 CD5-negative cases of SMZL. RESULTS: Compared with CD5-negative patients, CD5-positive SMZL tends to be more prone to B symptoms, peripheral lymphadenopathy and extranodal infiltration, high Ann Arbor stage, high International Prognostic Index scores, high serum lactic dehydrogenase and high rates of bone marrow involvement. The 5-year survival rate was significantly shorter than that of the CD5-negative group (52.1% and 81.8%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: There are many similarities between CD5-positive SMZL and classical CD5-negative SMZL in clinical presentations, morphology and immunohistochemistry, but the former may have a more aggressive clinical course with a poorer prognosis.

Phylogenetic analysis and expression profiles of jasmonate ZIM-domain gene family provide insight into abiotic stress resistance in sunflower.

Jasmonate ZIM-domain (JAZ) proteins act as inhibitory factors of the jasmonic acid (JA) pathway, which is involved in regulating plant development and defense responses. However, there are no extensive studies available on JAZ genes in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). In this study, the phylogenetic analysis of 139 putative JAZ genes from eight plants demonstrated that these JAZs could be divided into five groups (Groups I-V), and the 27 sunflower JAZs (HaJAZs) were classified into these five groups. All groups contained genes from both monocotyledons and dicotyledons, indicating that the emergence of JAZ genes predates the differentiation of monocotyledons and dicotyledons. Both segmental and tandem duplications contributed greatly to this gene family's expansion in sunflower, especially in Group II. Moreover, the expression profiles of HaJAZ genes under normal conditions, hormone treatments or abiotic stresses were analyzed based on RNA-seq data. HaJAZ2 may be undergoing pseudogenization as a nonfunctional gene because it was not expressed in any tissue. Many HaJAZ genes in roots upregulated their expression when involved in responding to exogenous hormones, especially methyl-jasmonate. The abiotic stress treatments of sunflower showed that HaJAZ5, HaJAZ15, HaJAZ17, HaJAZ20, and HaJAZ21 tend to be sensitive to certain abiotic stresses. HaJAZs from different groups may share similar functions but also exercise their unique functions when responding to abiotic stresses. We speculated that this gene family was conserved in sequence but varied in its expression among duplicated HaJAZ genes, which implies that they may confer neofunctionalization in the adaptation to abiotic stresses; this work provides insight into the resistance of sunflowers and their adaptation to diverse environmental conditions.

Prognostic significance of myocardial salvage assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance in reperfused ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Aims: Myocardial salvage index (MSI) is attracting increasing attention for predicting prognosis in acute myocardial infarction (AMI); however, the evaluation of MSI is mainly based on contrast agent-dependent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) scanning sequences. This study aims to investigate the prognostic value of MSI in reperfused ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) through the contrast agent-free CMR technique. Methods and results: Nighty-two patients with acute STEMI, who underwent CMR after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI), were finally enrolled. Patients were subcategorized into two groups according to median MSI. T1 and T2 mapping were conducted for measuring infarct size (IS) and area at risk (AAR). IS was significantly larger in < median MSI group than ≥ median MSI group (P < 0.001). AAR between the two groups showed no obvious differences (P = 0.108). Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was lower in < median MSI group than ≥ median MSI group (P = 0.014). There was an obvious inverse correlation between MSI and reperfusion time (R = -0.440, P < 0.001) and a strong inverse correlation between MSI and IS (R = -0.716, P = 0.011). As for the relationship LVEF, MSI showed positive but weak correlation (R = 0.2265, P < 0.001). Over a median follow-up period of 263 (227-238) days, prevalence of MACEs was significantly higher in the < median MSI group [HR: 0.15 (0.04-0.62); Log-rank P = 0.008]. The univariate Cox regression analysis revealed that LVEF, IS, and MSI were significant predictors for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) (all P < 0.05). In the stepwise multivariate Cox regression analysis, LVEF and MSI were identified as independent parameters for predicting MACEs (both P < 0.05). In the receiver-operating characteristic analysis, LVEF, IS, and MSI showed prognostic value in predicting MACEs with AUCs of 0.809, 0.779, and 0.896, respectively, all (P < 0.05). A combination of MSI with LVEF showed the strongest prognostic value of MACEs (AUC: 0.901, sensitivity: 77.78%, specificity: 98.80%, P < 0.001). Delong's test showed that the combination of LVEF with MSI had an incremental value than LVEF itself in predicting MACEs (P = 0.026). Conclusion: Contrast agent-free CMR technique provides a reliable evaluation of MSI, which contributes to assessing the efficacy of reperfusion therapy and predicting the occurrence of MACEs.

Microwave Synthesized 2D WO3 Nanosheets for VOCs Gas Sensors.

As an n-type semiconductor material, tungsten oxide (WO3) has good application prospects in the field of gas sensing. Herein, using oxalic acid (OA), citric acid (CA) and tartaric acid (TA) as auxiliary agents, three homogeneous tungsten oxide nanosheets were prepared by the rapid microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. The potential exhaled gases of various diseases were screened for the gas sensitivity test. Compared with WO3-OA and WO3-TA, WO3-CA exhibits significant sensitivity to formaldehyde, acetone and various alkanes. Photoluminescence (PL) chromatography and photoelectric properties show that its excellent gas sensitivity is due to its abundant oxygen vacancies and high surface charge migration rate, which can provide more preferential reaction sites with gas molecules. The experiment is of great significance for the sensor selection of the large disease exhaled gas sensor array.

Plant growth-promoting effect and genomic analysis of the P. putida LWPZF isolated from C. japonicum rhizosphere.

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria are a type of beneficial bacteria which inhabit in the rhizosphere and possess the abilities to promote plant growth. Pseudomonas putida LWPZF is a plant growth-promoting bacterium isolated from the rhizosphere soil of Cercidiphyllum japonicum. Inoculation treatment with LWPZF could significantly promote the growth of C. japonicum seedlings. P. putida LWPZF has a variety of plant growth-promoting properties, including the ability to solubilize phosphate, synthesize ACC deaminase and IAA. The P. putida LWPZF genome contained a circular chromosome (6,259,530 bp) and a circular plasmid (160,969 bp) with G+C contents of 61.75% and 58.25%, respectively. There were 5632 and 169 predicted protein-coding sequences (CDSs) on the chromosome and the plasmid respectively. Genome sequence analysis revealed lots of genes associated with biosynthesis of IAA, pyoverdine, ACC deaminase, trehalose, volatiles acetoin and 2,3-butanediol, 4-hydroxybenzoate, as well as gluconic acid contributing phosphate solubilization. Additionally, we identified many heavy metal resistance genes, including arsenate, copper, chromate, cobalt-zinc-cadmium, and mercury. These results suggest that P. putida LWPZF shows strong potential in the fields of biofertilizer, biocontrol and heavy metal contamination soil remediation. The data presented in this study will allow us to better understand the mechanisms of plant growth promotion, biocontrol, and anti-heavy metal of P. putida LWPZF.

The Combination of Feature Tracking and Late Gadolinium Enhancement for Identification Between Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and Hypertensive Heart Disease.

Background: The differentiation between hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and hypertensive heart disease (HHD) is challenging due to similar myocardial hypertrophic phenotype. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of cardiovascular magnetic resonance feature tracking (CMR-FT) and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) to distinguish between HCM and HHD and the potential relationship between myocardial strain and cardiac functional parameters. Methods: One hundred and seventy subjects (57 HCM, 45 HHD, and 68 controls) underwent 3.0 T CMR, including steady-state free precession cines and LGE images. Global and segmental (basal, mid, and apical) analyses of myocardial radial, circumferential, longitudinal strain, and left ventricular (LV) torsion, as well as global and 16 segments of LGE were assessed. The multivariate analysis was used to predict the diagnostic ability by combining comprehensive myocardial strain parameters and LGE. Results: Global radial strain (GRS), global circumferential strain (GCS), and LV torsion were significantly higher in the HCM group than in the HHD group (GRS, 21.18 ± 7.52 vs. 14.56 ± 7.46%; GCS, -13.34 ± 3.52 vs. -10.11 ± 4.13%; torsion, 1.79 ± 0.69 vs. 1.23 ± 0.65 deg/cm, all P < 0.001). A similar trend was also seen in the corresponding strain rate. As for segmental strain analysis, basal radial strain (BRS), basal circumferential strain (BCS), basal longitudinal strain (BLS), mid-radial strain (MRS), and mid-circumferential strain (MCS) were higher in the HCM group than in the HHD group (all P < 0.001). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) results showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of LGE in the mid-interventricular septum (mIVS) was the highest among global and segmental LGE analyses. On the multivariate regression analysis, a combined model of LGE (mIVS) with GRS obtained the highest AUC value, which was 0.835 with 88.89% sensitivity and 70.18% specificity, respectively. In addition, for patients with HCM, GRS, GCS, and global longitudinal strain had correlations with LV ejection fraction (LVEF), maximum interventricular septum thickness (IVST max), and left ventricular mass index (LVMi). Torsion was mildly associated with LVEF. Conclusion: CMR-FT-derived myocardial strain and torsion provided valuable methods for evaluation of HCM and HHD. In addition, the combination of GRS and LGE (mIVS) achieved the highest diagnostic value.

TLR4 polymorphisms as potential predictors of atopic dermatitis in Chinese Han children.

BACKGROUND: Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is considered to be involved in the pathogenesis and progression of atopic dermatitis (AD). In the present study, we evaluated the relationship between TLR4 gene polymorphisms and the susceptibility or severity of AD among Chinese Han children. METHODS: A total of 132 AD patients and 100 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (rs19277914, rs11536891, rs7869402, and rs11536889) of the TLR4 gene were genotyped by multiplex PCR combined with next-generation sequencing. RESULTS: Our results showed that a significantly reduced risk for AD was associated with C allele [p = 0.008; odds ratio (OR) = 0.41, C vs. T], TC genotype (p = 0.022; OR = 0.41, TC vs. TT), and TC + CC genotype (p = 0.010; OR = 0.39, TC + CC vs. TT) of TLR4 rs11536891. The frequency of the haplotype GCCG (rs1927914-rs11536891-rs7869402-rs11536889) in AD patients was lower than that in the controls (p = 0.010; OR = 0.38). Moreover, the results indicated that a higher risk of severe AD was related to the T allele (p = 0.019; OR = 2.97, T vs. C) and the TC genotype (p = 0.021; OR = 3.34, TC vs. CC) of TLR4 rs7869402. A risk haplotype of TLR4 (GTTG) was found in severe AD patients (p = 0.010; OR = 5.26). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggested that TLR4 rs11536891 polymorphism was associated with the susceptibility to AD in Chinese Han children. And TLR4 rs7869402 might confer the severity of pediatric AD patients.

Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in Locating Axillary Sentinel Lymph Nodes in Patients with Breast Cancer: A Prospective Study.

The objective was to explore the clinical value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in locating the sentinel lymph node (SLN) in patients with early breast cancer. We screened 143 consecutive patients with breast cancer between July 2017 and August 2019. The number of SLNs identified by CEUS and dual labeling (blue dye and radiolabeled colloid) were recorded. The accuracy of CEUS plus fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) was assessed. The rate of identification of SLNs with CEUS was 84.0% (121/144), and that of dual labeling was 97.92% (141/144). There was no significant association between non-enhancement (p = 0.060) or inhomogeneous enhancement (p = 0.468) and lymph node metastasis. The sensitivity and specificity of CEUS-SLNs plus FNAC was 78.38% and 100%, respectively. The technique of CEUS is a promising method for locating the axillary SLN. But it is hard to identify lymph node metastasis with CEUS alone. CEUS-SLNs plus FNAC is a sound technique for diagnosis of the metastasis of SLN.

Genetic polymorphisms in serine protease inhibitor Kazal-type 5 and risk of atopic dermatitis: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the role of serine protease inhibitor Kazal-type 5 (SPINK5) polymorphisms (Asn368Ser, Asp386Asn and Glu420Lys) and the risk of atopic dermatitis (AD). METHODS: Studies associated with SPINK5 mutations and AD risk were searched from three databases, including PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library, with a retrieval deadline of April 22, 2019. An odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was chosen as the effect size. Egger's linear regression test was enrolled to assess the level of publication bias. RESULTS: Overall, 6 studies met the inclusion criteria for meta-analysis. Significantly statistical differences were calculated between patients with AD and healthy individuals on Asn368Ser polymorphism in the allele model (G vs A: OR = 1.2643, 95% CI = 1.0666-1.4987, P = .0069), co-dominant model (GG vs AA: OR = 1.6609, 95% CI = 1.1736-2.3505, P = .0042; GA vs AA: OR = 1.5448, 95% CI = 1.1263-2.1189, P = .0070), and dominant model (GG+GA vs AA: OR = 1.5700, 95% CI = 1.1656-2.1146, P = .0030). However, no statistically significant difference was found in the recessive model for Asn368Ser and other genetic models for Asp386Asn and Glu420Lys (all P > .05). No significant publication bias was found. CONCLUSION: The SPINK5 Asn368Ser polymorphism may be a risk factor for AD.

Parental knowledge of moisturizers and their application to infants with eczema in Hangzhou, China.

Parental knowledge regarding the role of moisturizers in restoring the skin barrier, as well as regular and long-term use of moisturizers, is critical in the treatment of infantile eczema and the prevention of relapse.The parents of children with eczema were enrolled in this study. Their knowledge of the role, use, and effect of moisturizers on their children, as well as their concerns regarding moisturizers were surveyed.A total of 350 parents were enrolled in this study. Two hundred fifty-two parents (72%) knew that eczema requires moisturizers to restore the skin barrier. Among these 252 parents, 175 parents (50.0%) knew that moisturizers can restore the skin barrier. Only 27 parents (27/175, 15.4%) of them knew that moisturizers can improve eczema. Overall, 69.4% used moisturizers; of these, 75.3% used only moisturizers on the face, 87.2% on dry areas of face and other body parts, and only 6.6% on the entire body. Furthermore, 13.2% used topical moisturizers in the long-term; 62.6% used moisturizers 1 to 2 times per day, while 5.4% used moisturizers once every few days. A total of 80.7% discontinued moisturizers immediately after improvement in dryness, and 75.3% reported skin dryness despite moisturizer usage. Among parents of children who used moisturizers, 16.5% were worried about the side effects of moisturizers.Despite a fair level of knowledge about moisturizers, parents of children with eczema are using them inadequately. Pediatrician should be more patient to educate parents the information on the importance of moisturizers for the improvement of eczema and prevention of recurrence.

Efficacy of health education on treatment of children with atopic dermatitis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) seriously affects the quality of life of children and their families. This meta-analysis aimed to comprehensively analyze health education on the treatment of children with AD and the quality of life of the patient's family. A comprehensive search of reference lists in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Wanfang, CNKI, and VIP databases from inception until April 2018 was performed. The weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated. A total of eight randomized controlled trials studies were included in the analysis. The heterogeneity among enrolled studies was statistically significant, and the random effects model was used. The meta-analysis showed that the health education group had significantly lower SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) (WMD = 7.57 [95% CI 2.77, 12.36], P = 0.002 at 3 months; WMD = 6.88 [95% CI 2.68, 11.08], P = 0.001 at 6 months; WMD = 8.67 [95% CI 3.67, 13.67], P = 0.0007 at 12 months), objective SCORAD (WMD = 7.60 [95% CI 1.37, 13.83], P = 0.02 at 6 months; WMD = 5.15 [95% CI 1.89, 8.41], P = 0.002 at 12 months), and Infants' Dermatology Quality of Life Index (WMD = 0.96 [95% CI 0.06, 1.86], P = 0.04 at 3 months, and WMD = 1.50 [95% CI 0.33, 2.67] at 6 months, P = 0.01) scores compared with the non-health education group. Health education could improve the treatment of children with AD and promote disease control.

Cutaneous nodules and a novel GNAS mutation in a Chinese boy with pseudohypoparathyroidism type Ia: A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Pseudohypoparathyroidism type Ia (PHP Ia) is a rare hereditary syndrome, and patients with early PHP Ia are generally not diagnosed based on the presentation of cutaneous nodules as the main clinical feature. Here, we describe a Chinese boy with PHP Ia in whom the main clinical feature was cutaneous nodules, and the patient exhibited a novel GNAS mutation. CASE SUMMARY: A 5-year-old boy presented with a 5-year history of cutaneous nodules scattered over his entire body. The patient had a short stature, round face, short neck, and slightly flattened nose; he also had multiple hard papules and cutaneous nodules scattered over his entire body. The patient had a significantly elevated parathyroid hormone level. His serum calcium level was reduced, while his serum phosphorus level was increased and his serum thyroid-stimulating hormone level was elevated. Skin biopsy showed osteoma cutis in subcutaneous tissue. Sanger sequencing revealed a frameshift mutation, c.399delT (p.Ser133Argfs*2) in exon 5 of the GNAS gene. The patient was diagnosed with PHP Ia and subclinical hypothyroidism. He was given 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, calcium carbonate, and synthetic L-thyroxine. After 3 months of treatment, the patient's parathyroid hormone level decreased, and his serum calcium and serum phosphorus levels were normal. Moreover, his thyroid-stimulating hormone level decreased. CONCLUSION: These findings can help dermatologists to diagnose PHP Ia in patients with cutaneous nodules as the main early clinical feature.

Strain histograms used for differential diagnosis of breast masses according to hardness percentage.

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of percentage of hard component (PHC) versus strain ratio (SR) in focal breast lesion diagnosis.Ultrasonography and elastography images of 245 malignant and 255 benign breast lesions were obtained and analyzed according to the Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System of the American College of Radiology. PHC and SR were measured for each lesion and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate and compare the diagnostic performance of conventional ultrasound (CU) only, PHC with CU, and SR with CU.Mean PHC differed significantly between malignant (90.46 ±â€Š13.29) and benign (62.03 ±â€Š25.61) lesions. Mean SR differed significantly between malignant (4.61 ±â€Š1.75) and benign (2.34 ±â€Š1.80) lesions. ROC curve threshold values were 82.45 for PHC and 2.69 for SR. The area under the curve values for CU, SR with CU, and PHC with CU were 0.956, 0.960, and 0.956, respectively, with no significant differences among them (P < .05).PHC was comparable to SR for differentiating malignant from benign breast masses and may be an auxiliary tool for breast lesion stiffness evaluation. ROC data for CU, SR with CU, and PHC with CU were statistically similar.

Yield, Nutritional Content, and Antioxidant Activity of Pleurotus ostreatus on Corncobs Supplemented with Herb Residues.

Improper disposal of herb residues in China has caused severe problems to the surrounding environment and human safety. Three herb residues, i.e., compound Kushen injection residues (CKI) and part one and part two of Qizhitongluo Capsule residues (QC1 and QC2, respectively), were used for the cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus. The effect of the supplementation of corncobs (CC) with different herb residues on yield, nutritional composition, and antioxidant activity of P. ostreatus was investigated. Compared to the control, the higher mycelial growth rate was observed on substrates CC +30% CKI and CC +30% QC1, while the higher yield was obtained from substrates CC +30% QC2 and CC +30% CKI. Moreover, chemical analysis of fruit bodies revealed that the addition of herb residues to CC significantly increased proteins, amino acids, ashes, minerals (Na and Ca), and total phenolic contents but significantly reduced carbohydrates and IC50 values of DPPH radicals. In addition, no heavy metals (Pb, Cd, and As) were detected in the fruiting bodies harvested from different substrate combinations. These results demonstrated that mixtures of CC with herb residues might be utilized as a novel, practical, and easily available substrate for the cultivation of P. ostreatus, which is beneficial for the effective management of herb residues.