LINC00313 suppresses autophagy and promotes stemness of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells through PTBP1/STIM1 axis.

BACKGROUND: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a kind of malignant head and neck tumor with high mortality. lncRNAs are valuable diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for various tumors. This study investigated the effects and mechanism of LINC00313 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. METHODS: Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and immunohistochemistry were used for assessing cell proliferation. The levels of autophagy-related proteins, and stem cell markers were detected. Immunofluorescence assay was used for LC3 detection. Methylated RNA Immunoprecipitation (meRIP) of LINC00313 in NPC cells was assessed. The localization of LINC00313 was verified by luorescence in situ hybridization (FIHS). The interaction between LINC00313 and the downstream targets were analyzed and confirmed by immunoprecipitation (RIP). Besides, the tumorigenesis roles of LINC00313 were confirmed in tumor growth mice model. RESULTS: LINC00313 was increased in NPC tissues and cells. LINC00313 knockdown enhanced autophagy, and decreased stemness and cell viability of NPC cells through regulating STIM1. METTL3/IGF2BP1-mediated m6A modification promoted the stabilization and up-regulation of LINC00313. LINC00313 activated AKT/mTOR pathway in NPC cells through PTBP1/STIM1 axis. Moreover, LINC00313 promoted tumor growth and metastasis in xenograft model. CONCLUSION: Upregulation of LINC00313 suppressed autophagy and promoted stemness of NPC cells through PTBP1/STIM1 axis.

Effectiveness of S100 calcium-binding protein A12 combined with modified early warning score in the clinical diagnosis of adult community-acquired pneumonia.

Background: Recent studies have found that S100 serum calcium-binding protein A12 (S100A12) has important significance in the expression of acute infectious diseases, and has high clinical application value in the differential diagnosis, prognosis and other aspects of acute infectious diseases. The accuracy of modified early warning score (MEWS) in evaluating the disease risk level of critically ill patients is comparable to Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II). Methods: Based on MEWS, 108 adult community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients were divided into the low-risk, intermediate-risk, and high-risk groups. The differences in invasive mechanical ventilation rate and mortality rate among each group were compared, and the differences of S100A12 in different levels of MEWS scores were compared through one-way analysis of variance. According to the prognosis after 30 days, the patients were divided into the death group and the survival group. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to study the influencing and independent factors of 30-day death in CAP patients. The sensitivity and specificity of S100A12, procalcitonin (PCT), and MEWS scores in predicting the 30-day death in CAP patients were evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, as well as the area under each indicator curve. Results: The serum S100A12 concentration increased with the increase in the MEWS stratification, and the mechanical ventilation and mortality rates also increased significantly. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to explore the factors influencing mortality in adult CAP patients after 30 days. The receiver-operating characteristics curve was used to analyze the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curves of serum S100A12, PCT, and MEWS in predicting mortality in CAP patients after 30 days. Conclusions: The serum S100A12, PCT, and MEWS can effectively predict the mortality risk in adult CAP patients after 30 days. Serum S100A12 combined with MEWS has a high clinical application value in evaluating the severity and prognosis of adult CAP.

Intraoperative Cardiac Arrest During Liposuction: A Case Report.

Background: With the popularity of liposuction surgery, more awareness should be obtained regarding complications. Liposuction has been thought of as a safe procedure with a very low incidence of major complications. However, life-threatening risks of liposuction have rarely been reported. Methods: We present a case of a 36-year-old woman who developed cardiac arrest during a liposuction procedure, and we present a literature review. Results: She was previously healthy and had no risk factors for pulmonary embolism. The diagnosis was made based on clinical presentation and the presence of an electrolyte disorder and a positive sign on computed tomography pulmonary angiogram (CTPA). Mild hypothermia treatment, symptomatic treatment, and supportive therapy were applied. As the respiratory and circulation were smooth, she was discharged to a rehabilitation hospital. Seven months after discharge, the patient was still in a coma with eye opening. Conclusions: Spinal anesthesia, pulmonary embolism, and hyperkalemia are the most probable contributors to the cardiac arrest observed during the liposuction procedure in this specific case. There is a heightened imperative to vigilantly monitor for critical incidents during these operations and to meticulously identify associated risk factors during liposuction.

Room temperature operation of germanium-silicon single-photon avalanche diode.

The ability to detect single photons has led to the advancement of numerous research fields1-11. Although various types of single-photon detector have been developed12, because of two main factors-that is, (1) the need for operating at cryogenic temperature13,14 and (2) the incompatibility with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) fabrication processes15,16-so far, to our knowledge, only Si-based single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD)17,18 has gained mainstream success and has been used in consumer electronics. With the growing demand to shift the operation wavelength from near-infrared to short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) for better safety and performance19-21, an alternative solution is required because Si has negligible optical absorption for wavelengths beyond 1 µm. Here we report a CMOS-compatible, high-performing germanium-silicon SPAD operated at room temperature, featuring a noise-equivalent power improvement over the previous Ge-based SPADs22-28 by 2-3.5 orders of magnitude. Key parameters such as dark count rate, single-photon detection probability at 1,310 nm, timing jitter, after-pulsing characteristic time and after-pulsing probability are, respectively, measured as 19 kHz µm-2, 12%, 188 ps, ~90 ns and <1%, with a low breakdown voltage of 10.26 V and a small excess bias of 0.75 V. Three-dimensional point-cloud images are captured with direct time-of-flight technique as proof of concept. This work paves the way towards using single-photon-sensitive SWIR sensors, imagers and photonic integrated circuits in everyday life.

Global freshwater fish invasion linked to the presence of closely related species.

In the Anthropocene, non-native freshwater fish introductions and translocations have occurred extensively worldwide. However, their global distribution patterns and the factors influencing their establishment remain poorly understood. We analyze a comprehensive database of 14953 freshwater fish species across 3119 river basins and identify global hotspots for exotic and translocated non-native fishes. We show that both types of non-native fishes are more likely to occur when closely related to native fishes. This finding is consistent across measures of phylogenetic relatedness, biogeographical realms, and highly invaded countries, even after accounting for the influence of native diversity. This contradicts Darwin's naturalization hypothesis, suggesting that the presence of close relatives more often signifies suitable habitats than intensified competition, predicting the establishment of non-native fish species. Our study provides a comprehensive assessment of global non-native freshwater fish patterns and their phylogenetic correlates, laying the groundwork for understanding and predicting future fish invasions in freshwater ecosystems.

Adaptive evolution of mitochondrial genomes in Triplophysa cavefishes.

Extreme conditions in caves pose survival challenges for cave dwellers, who gradually develop adaptive survival features. Cavefishes are one of the most successful animals among cave dwellers. Triplophysa cavefishes are an important group of cavefishes, and they show remarkable adaptability to the extreme environments of caves. However, there is a limited understanding of their adaptation mechanisms. In this study, eight complete mitochondrial genomes of Triplophysa cavefishes were newly obtained, and their genomic characteristics, including the base composition, base bias, and codon usage, were analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis was carried out based on 13 mitochondrial protein-coding genes from 44 Nemacheilidae species. This showed that Triplophysa cavefishes and non-cavefishes separate into two reciprocally monophyletic clades, suggesting a single origin of the cave phenotype. Positive selection analysis strongly suggested that the selection pressure in cavefishes is higher than that in non-cavefishes. Furthermore, the ND5 gene in cavefishes showed evidence of positive selection, which suggests that the gene may play an important role in the adaptation of cavefishes to the cave environment. Protein structure analysis of the ND5 subunit implied that the sites of positive selection in cavefishes might allow them to acquire lower ND5 protein stability, compared to that in non-cavefishes, which might help the accumulation of nonsynonymous (mildly deleterious) mutations. Together, our study revealed the genetic signatures of cave adaptation in Triplophysa cavefishes from the perspective of energy metabolism.

Spatial heterogeneity of T cell repertoire across NSCLC tumors, tumor edges, adjacent and distant lung tissues.

Background: A better understanding of T cells in lung cancer and their distribution across tumor-adjacent lungs and peripheral blood is needed to improve efficacy and minimize toxicity from immunotherapy to lung cancer patients. Methods: Here, we performed CDR3ß TCR sequencing of 136 samples from 20 patients with early-stage NSCLC including peripheral blood mononuclear cells, tumors, tumor edges (<1 cm from tumor), as well as adjacent lungs 1 cm, 2 cm, 5 cm, and 10 cm away from the tumor to gain insight into the spatial heterogeneity of T cells across the lungs in patients with NSCLC. PD-L1, CD4, and CD8 expression was assessed using immunohistochemical staining, and genomic features were derived by targeted sequencing of 1,021 cancer-related genes. Multiplex immunohistochemistry against PD-1, CTLA4, LAG3, and TIM3 was performed on four patients to assess T cell exhaustion. Results: Our study reveals a decreasing gradient in TIL Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes homology with tumor edge, adjacent lungs, and peripheral blood but no discernible distance-associated patterns of T cell trafficking within the adjacent lung itself. Furthermore, we show a decrease in pathogen-specific TCRs in regions with high T cell clonality and PD-L1 expression. Conclusions: Exclusion in T exhaustion cells at play across the lungs of patients with NSCLC may potentially be the mechanism for lung cancer occurrence.

Biotic resistance to fish invasions in southern China: Evidence from biomass, habitat, and fertility limitation.

Understanding the mechanisms underlying the invasion success or failure of alien species can help to predict future invasions and cope with the invaders. The biotic resistance hypothesis posits that diverse communities are more resistant to invasion. While many studies have examined this hypothesis, the majority of them have focused on the relationship between alien and native species richness in plant communities, and results have often been inconsistent. In southern China, many rivers have been invaded by alien fish species, providing an opportunity to test the resistance of native fish communities to alien fish invasions. Using survey data for 60,155 freshwater fish collected from five main rivers of southern China for 3 years, we assessed the relationships between native fish richness and the richness and biomass of alien fishes at river and reach spatial scales, respectively. Based on two manipulative experiments, we further examined the impact of native fish richness on habitat selection and the reproductive ability of an exotic model species Coptodon zillii. We found no apparent relationship between alien and native fish richness, whereas the biomass of alien fish significantly decreased with increasing native fish richness. In experiments, C. zillii preferred to invade those habitats that had low native fish richness, given evenly distributed food resources; reproduction of C. zillii was strongly depressed by a native carnivorous fish Channa maculata. Together, our results indicate that native fish diversity can continue to provide biotic resistance to alien fish species in terms of limiting their growth, habitat selection, and reproduction when these aliens have successfully invaded southern China. We thus advocate for fish biodiversity conservation, especially for key species, to mitigate against the population development and ecological impact of alien fish species.

CircLASP1 silence strengthens the therapeutic effects of MK-2206 on nasopharyngeal cancer through upregulating miR-625.

Therapeutic effects of MK-2206 are largely limited due to the complexity of the pathogenesis of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). Here, we aimed to investigate whether and how circLASP1 is involved in the therapeutic effects of MK-2206 on NPC. We showed circLASP1 was increased while miR-625 was decreased in NPC tissues and cell lines. CircLASP1 silence strengthened the therapeutic effects of MK-2206 via suppressing NPC cell proliferation and inducing autophagy and apoptosis in vitro. In mechanism analyses, we found that circLASP1 indirectly released AKT by directly binding to miR-625 in NPC cells, and miR-625 acted as a tumor suppressor in NPC and activated cell autophagy through inhibiting the AKT/mTOR pathway. Most importantly, knockdown of circLASP1 was revealed to enhance the therapeutic effects of MK-2206 on NPC in vivo. Our results suggest that the circLASP1/miR-625 axis is involved the therapeutic effects of MK-2206 on NPC by regulating autophagy, proliferation, and apoptosis through the AKT/mTOR pathway. miR-625 is involved in NPC tumorigenesis.

MiR-223-3p-loaded exosomes from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid promote alveolar macrophage autophagy and reduce acute lung injury by inhibiting the expression of STK39.

This study investigated the molecular mechanism by which bronchoalveolar lavage fluid exosomes (BALF-exo) alleviated acute lung injury (ALI). BALF-exo was isolated from mice. LPS was used to induce inflammation in rat alveolar macrophages (NR8383). NR8383 cell models were treated with BALF-exo or BALF-exo loaded with miR-223-3p mimics/inhibitors, or STK39 was overexpressed in NR8383 cells before LPS and BALF-exo treatment. These cells were subjected to apoptosis, autophagy, and inflammation assays. RNA immunoprecipitation and dual-luciferase reporter assay were conducted to verify the binding between miR-223-3p and STK39. LPS-induced ALI mouse models were treated with BALF-exo loaded with miR-223-3p mimics. miR-223-3p was lowly expressed in BALF-exo from LPS-treated mice. BALF-exo loaded with miR-223-3p mimics increased viability and autophagy and decreased apoptosis and inflammation in NR8383 cell models. Inhibition of miR-223-3p in BALF-exo or overexpression of STK39 in NR8383 cells repressed the therapeutic effect of BALF-exo in LPS-treated NR8383 cells. STK39 was a target gene of miR-223-3p. miR-223-3p shuttled by BALF-exo negatively regulated the expression of STK39 in NR8383 cells. BALF-exo loaded with miR-223-3p mimics also reduced lung injuries in ALI mice. In conclusion, miR-223-3p loaded in BALF-exo alleviates ALI by targeting STK39 in alveolar macrophages.

EchoNavigator virtual marker and Agilis NxT steerable introducer facilitate transseptal transcatheter closure of mitral paravalvular leak.

BACKGROUND: Paravalvular leak (PVL), also known as paravalvular prosthetic regurgitation, is not a rare complication after surgical valve replacement, and it may cause varying degrees of heart failure. The transcatheter closure of PVL is technically demanding and challenging. CASE SUMMARY: A 68-year-old man presented with degenerative mitral regurgitation with heart failure, New York Heart Association functional class 3. He received bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement in December 2019. PVL was noted at the location of the aorto-mitral curtain in transesophageal echocardiography without signs of endocarditis or dehiscence of the bioprosthetic valve. Transseptal transcatheter closure of the mitral PVL was performed efficiently using the EchoNavigator virtual marker and Agilis NxT steerable introducer. CONCLUSION: This case highlights that the EchoNavigator virtual marker and Agilis NxT steerable introducer can facilitate transseptal transcatheter closure of mitral PVL by reducing the procedure time and contrast media.

Environmental DNA metabarcoding primers for freshwater fish detection and quantification: In silico and in tanks.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques refer to utilizing the organisms' DNA extracted from environment samples to genetically identify target species without capturing actual organisms. eDNA metabarcoding via high-throughput sequencing can simultaneously detect multiple fish species from a single water sample, which is a powerful tool for the qualitative detection and quantitative estimates of multiple fish species. However, sequence counts obtained from eDNA metabarcoding may be influenced by many factors, of which primer bias is one of the foremost causes of methodological error. The performance of 18 primer pairs for COI, cytb, 12S rRNA, and 16S rRNA mitochondrial genes, which are all frequently used in fish eDNA metabarcoding, were evaluated in the current study. The ribosomal gene markers performed better than the protein-coding gene markers during in silico screening, resulting in higher taxonomic coverage and appropriate barcode lengths. Four primer pairs-AcMDB07, MiFish-U, Ve16S1, and Ve16S3-designed for various regions of the 12S and 16S rRNA genes were screened for tank metabarcoding in a case study targeting six freshwater fish species. The four primer pairs were able to accurately detect all six species in different tanks, while only MiFish-U, Ve16S1, and Ve16S3 revealed a significant positive relationship between species biomass and read count for the pooled tank data. The positive relationship could not be found in all species within the tanks. Additionally, primer efficiency differed depending on the species while primer preferential species varied in different fish assemblages. This case study supports the potential for eDNA metabarcoding to assess species diversity in natural ecosystems and provides an alternative strategy to evaluate the performance of candidate primers before application of eDNA metabarcoding in natural ecosystems.

Triplophysa wulongensis, a new species of cave-dwelling loach (Teleostei, Nemacheilidae) from Chongqing, Southwest China.

We describe a new species of cave-dwelling loach, Triplophysa wulongensis sp. nov., based on specimens collected in a subterranean pool in a cave in Wulong County, Chongqing, Southwest China. The pool is connected to the Wujiang River drainage. Triplophysa wulongensis differs from its congeners by the following combination of characters: eyes present, caudal fin with 18 branched rays; posterior chamber of the air bladder degenerate; stomach U-shaped; intestine without bends or loops immediately posterior to stomach; body smooth and scaleless, and lateral line complete. The mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence differs from those of other published sequences of species of Triplophysa by 14.9-24.9% in K2P distance. Phylogenetic analysis based on cytochrome b gene sequences recovered T. wulongensis as sister taxon to all other cave-dwelling species of Triplophysa.

Long-term outcomes of intravascular ultrasound-guided drug-eluting stent implantation in patients with chronic kidney disease: ULTIMATE CKD subgroup analysis / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: To explore the long-term effect of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guidance on patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. Methods: Data used in this study derived from ULTIMATE trial, which was a prospective, multicenter, randomized study. From August 2014 to May 2017, 1 448 patients with coronary heart disease undergoing DES implantation were selected from 8 domestic centers and randomly divided into two groups in the ratio of 1∶1 (IVUS or coronary angiography guided stent implantation). A total of 1 443 patients with the baseline serum creatine available were enrolled. The patients were divided into CKD group and non CKD group. CKD was defined as the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) derived from Cockcroft Gault (CG) formula< 60 ml·min-1·1.73 m-2 for at least 3 months. Primary endpoint of this study was target vessel failure (TVF) at 3 years, including cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, and clinically-driven target vessel revascularization. Kaplan Meier method was used for survival analysis, and log rank test was used to compare the occurrence of end-point events in each group. Cox proportional hazards model was used to calculate HR and 95%CI, and interaction was tested. Multivariate Cox regression was used to analyze the independent influencing factors of TVF. Results: A total of 1 443 patients with coronary heart disease were enrolled in this study, including 349 (24.2%) patients in CKD group and 1 094 patients in non CKD group. In CKD group, IVUS was used to guide stent implantation in 180 cases and angiography was used in 169 cases; in non CKD group, IVUS was used to guide stent implantation in 543 cases and angiography was used in 551 cases. Three-year clinical follow-up was available in 1 418 patients (98.3%). The incidence of TVF in CKD group was 12.0% (42/349), which was higher than that in non CKD group (7.4% (81/1 094) (P = 0.01). The difference was mainly due to the higher cardiac mortality in CKD group (4.6% (16/349) vs. 1.5% (16/1094), P<0.001). In CKD group, the incidence of TVF in patients who underwent IVUS guided stent implantation was lower than that in angiography guided stent implantation (8.3% (15/180) vs. 16.0% (27/169), P = 0.03). There was no significant difference in the incidence of TVF between IVUS guided stent implantation and angiography guided stent implantation in non CKD group (5.9% (32/543) vs. 8.9% (49/551), P = 0.06), and there was no interaction (P = 0.47). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that IVUS guidance (HR = 0.56, 95%CI 0.39-0.81, P = 0.002), CKD (HR = 1.83, 95%CI 1.17-2.87, P = 0.010) and stent length (every 10 mm increase) (HR = 1.11, 95%CI 1.04-1.19, P = 0.002) were independent risk factors for TVF within 3 years after DES implantation. Conclusions: CKD patients undergoing DES implantation are associated with a higher risk of 3-year TVF. More importantly, the risk of TVF could be significantly decreased through IVUS guidance in comparison with angiography guidance in patients with CKD.

Primary malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour of the trachea: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours (MPNSTs) of the trachea are extremely uncommon neoplasms with unknown genetic and clinical profiles. Only individual cases have been reported in the literature to date. CASE PRESENTATION: Here, we present a rare case of a 61-year-old female patient with a primary MPNST of the trachea who complained of irritating cough and progressively increasing breathlessness for 4 weeks. This patient initially underwent intraluminal resection of the mass and was misdiagnosed with clear cell sarcoma. Less than a year later, the mass relapsed, and the obstructive symptoms reappeared and gradually worsened. Debulking of the endotracheal tumour mass was performed once again, and an MPNST was definitively diagnosed. Open sleeve tracheal resection and tracheoplasty were later performed with curative intent. This patient was alive without recurrence at her six-month postoperative follow-up. We also compared the clinical outcomes of previously reported cases of MPNSTs and our case. CONCLUSIONS: This paper emphasizes that thoracic surgeons should be aware that malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours of the trachea can be misdiagnosed in clinical practice and must be included in the differential diagnosis of tracheal neoplasms.

Standards for Methods Utilizing Environmental DNA for Detection of Fish Species.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques are gaining attention as cost-effective, non-invasive strategies for acquiring information on fish and other aquatic organisms from water samples. Currently, eDNA approaches are used to detect specific fish species and determine fish community diversity. Various protocols used with eDNA methods for aquatic organism detection have been reported in different eDNA studies, but there are no general recommendations for fish detection. Herein, we reviewed 168 papers to supplement and highlight the key criteria for each step of eDNA technology in fish detection and provide general suggestions for eliminating detection errors. Although there is no unified recommendation for the application of diverse eDNA in detecting fish species, in most cases, 1 or 2 L surface water collection and eDNA capture on 0.7-µm glass fiber filters followed by extraction with a DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit or PowerWater DNA Isolation Kit are useful for obtaining high-quality eDNA. Subsequently, species-specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays based on mitochondrial cytochrome b gene markers or eDNA metabarcoding based on both 12S and 16S rRNA markers via high-throughput sequencing can effectively detect target DNA or estimate species richness. Furthermore, detection errors can be minimized by mitigating contamination, negative control, PCR replication, and using multiple genetic markers. Our aim is to provide a useful strategy for fish eDNA technology that can be applied by researchers, advisors, and managers.

Melatonin inhibits endogenous glucose via activation of akt in insulin resistant hepg2 cells / 中国药理学通报

Aim To study the effects of melatonin on glucose output in insulin resistant HepG2 cells and the related mechanism. Methods Insulin resistant HepG2 cells were induced by high glucose and insulin (HGI) (25 mmol • L"1 and 1 (irnol • L"1 respectively) co-culture for 24 h,and then melatonin (10 nmol • L"1) was supplied. The glucose uptake and the gly-cogen content were measured. Levels of protein p-Akt, p-FoxOl as well as p-GSK-30 were evaluated by Western blot. The nuclear export of FoxOl and its intracellular localization were detected by immunofluorescence. Results HGI incubation led to significant decrease in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and glyco-gen synthesis in HepG2 cells (P < 0. 0( ). However, melatonin reversed these inhibitory effects by increasing glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis significantly (P<0. 01). The results also showed that melatonin not only up-regulated levels of protein p-GSK-3 (3, p-Akt and p-FoxOl but also promoted cytoplasm translocation of FoxOl. Conclusions Melatonin could regulate glycogenesis and gluconeogenesis ih insulin resistant HepG2 cells via Akt/GSK-3(3 and Akt/FoxOl pathway. It thus suppresses the endogenous glucose output and improves the glucose metabolism.

Effect of Kuanxiong Aerosol () on Patients with Angina Pectoris: A Non-inferiority Multi-center Randomized Controlled Trial / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the effect and safety of Kuanxiong Aerosol (, KA) on patients with angina pectoris.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Block randomization was performed to randomly allocate 750 patients into KA (376 cases) and control groups (374 cases). During an angina attack, the KA group received 3 consecutive sublingual sprays of KA (0.6 mL per spray). The control group received 1 sublingual nitroglycerin tablet (NT, 0.5 mg/tablet). Log-rank tests and Kaplan-Meier estimations were used to estimate the angina remission rates at 6 time-points after treatment (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and >5 min). Logistic regression analysis was performed to observe the factors inflfluencing the rate of effective angina remission, and the remission rates and incidences of adverse reactions were compared for different Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) classes of angina.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The 5-min remission rates in the KA and control groups were not signifificantly different (94.41% vs. 90.64%, P>0.05). The angina CCS class signifificantly inflfluenced the rate of remission (95% confidence interval = 0.483-0.740, P<0.01). In the CCS subgroup analysis, the 3-and 5-min remission rates for KA and NT were similar in the CCSII and III subgroups (P>0.05), while they were signifificantly better for KA in the CCSI and II subgroups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Furthermore, the incidence of adverse reactions was signifificantly lower in the KA group than in the control group for the CCSII and III subgroups (9.29% vs. 26.22%, 10.13% vs. 20.88%, P<0.05 or P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>KA is not inferior to NT in the remission of angina. Furthermore, in CCSII and III patients, KA is superior to NT, with a lower incidence of adverse reactions. (Registration No. ChiCTRIPR-15007204).</p>

Clinical efficacy of a two-year oral health programme for infants and toddlers in Singapore

INTRODUCTION@#Dental caries, which is prevalent in Singapore preschoolers, is a disease that has a major impact on children's health and places a high cost on the society and health services. Oral health programmes for young children implemented in some parts of the world have been shown to be effective in the prevention of dental caries. We aimed to examine the clinical efficacy of a two-year oral health programme for infants and toddlers in Singapore.@*METHODS@#90 children and their caregivers participated in the programme, and 64 children, who were 24 months older than the intervention group at the initial visit, were recruited as controls in a quasi-experimental study design. We evaluated the presence of severe early childhood caries (SECC) and dmfs in the control group at the initial visit and in the intervention group after the completion of the two-year programme.@*RESULTS@#Some children in the intervention (7.8%) and control (31.3%) groups (p < 0.001) had SECC (difference 23.5%, 95% confidence interval 11%-36%). A higher percentage of children in the intervention group had dmfs = 0 and habits associated with low risk for caries. The odds of SECC in the control group were three times higher than that for the intervention group, and the effect was significant (p = 0.037) after adjustment for other significant risk factors.@*CONCLUSION@#The preventive oral health programme in Singapore was successful in reducing SECC among infants and toddlers when targeted behaviour modifications were implemented.

Strategies of interventing complications in hemodialysis with classical prescriptions from clinical cases / 中国中药杂志

There are 400 thousand patients with long-term hemodialysis in China nowadays. Hemodialysis, as the most common alternative to renal replacement therapy, prolongs the life span of patients with end stage renal failure. However, there are still many complications of hemodialysis treatment. These complications reduce the quality of life of patients and may even endanger their life, and sometimes they are difficult to deal with. Classical prescriptions, commonly referred to as classical effective prescriptions in modern medicine, mainly indicating the formulas recorded in Treatise on Febrile Diseases and Synopsis of Golden Chamber, were relative to contemporary prescriptions emerging after Song and Yuan dynasties. Prescriptions corresponding to syndromes means one-to-one correspondence between syndromes and prescriptions, with many advantages and that is the key of clinical efficacy. Many complications of hemodialysis patients have typical clinical manifestations, which can match the syndromes corresponding to classical prescriptions, thus quickly relieving the symptoms of patients in clinical application. Six clinical cases of dialysis muscle spasm, disequilibrium syndrome, restless legs syndrome, uremic encephalopathy, post dialysis arrhythmia, and secondary hyperparathyroidism were used in this paper, to explore the intervention strategies for hemodialysis related complications.