A new model for dynamic mapping of effective connectivity in task fMRI.

Whole-brain dynamic functional connectivity is a growing area in neuroimaging research, encompassing data-driven methods for investigating how large-scale brain networks dynamically reorganize during resting states. However, this approach has been rarely applied to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data acquired during task performance. In this study, we first combined the psychophysiological interactions (PPI) and sliding-window methods to analyze dynamic effective connectivity of fMRI data obtained from subjects performing the N-back task within the Human Connectome Project dataset. We then proposed a hypothetical model called Condition Activated Specific Trajectory (CAST) to represent a series of spatiotemporal synchronous changes in significantly activated connections across time windows, which we refer to as a trajectory. Our finding demonstrate that the CAST model outperforms other models in terms of intra-group consistency of individual spatial pattern of PPI connectivity, overall representational ability of temporal variability and hierarchy for individual task performance and cognitive traits. This dynamic view afforded by the CAST model reflects the intrinsic nature of coherent brain activities.

Bowl effect of irreversible primary salinization driven by geology in Hetao irrigation area, China.

Agricultural irrigation areas around the world employ similar planting methods, but there are notable disparities in salinization mechanism and management strategies. Many scholars have focused on human activities as the main cause of secondary soil salinization, while neglecting the underlying issue of primary soil salinization caused by geological factors. This study takes the Hetao irrigation area in China as a case study, delving into the geological forces responsible for primary salinization. Using historical survey data on geological structure, lake evolution, and sedimentation to analyze the stratigraphic distribution and groundwater storage characteristic. Additionally, using groundwater hydrochemistry data from historical literatures to analyze the concentration, distribution patterns, and source issues of salt ions. The research results show that a novel concept called the "bowl effect" can explain the unique cause of primary salinization in Hetao irrigation area. The bowl effect effectively transforms Hetao irrigation area into an enclosed space, which significantly limits the movement of groundwater and hinders the dilution of highly saline or alkaline water. The bowl effect has broad applicability and can serve as a useful framework for studying primary salinization challenges in agricultural irrigation areas worldwide. This research provides a scientifically reference for selecting salinization control methods, and will benefit local stakeholders, government agencies, and water resource managers.

Efficacy and safety of intercostal nerve anastomosis in immediate subpectoral prosthetic breast reconstruction after nipple-areola-sparing mastectomy: a randomized, controlled, open-label clinical study.

Purpose: This aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of intercostal nerve anastomosis among breast cancer patients who undergo immediate subpectoral prosthetic breast reconstruction after nipple-areola-sparing mastectomy. Methods: From 2022 to 2023, female patients between the ages of 20 and 60 diagnosed with stage I-IIIA breast cancer, who required and were willing to undergo immediate subpectoral prosthetic breast reconstruction after nipple-areola-sparing mastectomy, were screened and assigned to take the operation with (treatment group) or without (control group) intercostal nerve anastomosis (the nerves with appropriate length and thickness were selected from the 2nd-4th intercostal nerves, which were then dissociated and anastomosed to the posterior areola tissue). A radial incision at the surface projection of the tumor location was used. The patients' breast local sensation was assessed using Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments before the operation as well as at 10 days, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively. Furthermore, the patients' quality of life was evaluated 6 months postoperatively using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire. Adverse events, operation duration, drainage volume, and the duration of drainage tube carrying time were also monitored and recorded. Results: Compared to the pre-operative period, a significant decrease in local sensation was observed 10 days after surgery in both groups. However, the control group showed a significant reduction in sensation at 3 and 6 months postoperatively, while the treatment group showed noticeable recovery. A statistically significant difference (P < 0.001) in local sensation between the pre-operative and post-operative periods was observed at the final follow-up in the two groups. By the time of 3 and 6 months postoperatively, a significant difference was seen in the local sensation between the two groups. Intercostal nerve anastomosis was found to significantly improve the patients' quality of life, including emotional (P = 0.01), physical (P = 0.04), and social functioning (P = 0.02) and pain (P = 0.04). There were no significant differences in general characteristics (such as age, BMI, and subtypes). Although intercostal nerve anastomosis increased the duration of operation by around 20 min (P < 0.001), it did not affect the volume or duration of postoperative drainage tube usage between the two groups. Conclusion: This study indicated that intercostal nerve anastomosis improved the local sensation and quality of life of patients who underwent immediate subpectoral prosthetic breast reconstruction after nipple-areola-sparing mastectomy. Clinical Trial Registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=42487, identifier ChiCTR1900026340.

Efficacy of treatment patterns based on concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with stage IIB cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: To assess survival of treatment patterns based on concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in patients with stage IIB cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with stage IIB CSCC receiving CCRT were investigated from June 2012 to June 2019 in Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital. Baseline characteristics and treatment patterns were described. Survival between treatment patterns were compared using Kaplan-Meier methods. RESULTS: A total of 232 patients were included: 39.7% of patients received CCRT alone, 6.5% of patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) + CCRT, 45.6% of patients received CCRT + adjuvant chemotherapy (AC), and 8.2% of patients received NACT + CCRT + AC. CCRT + AC showed similar overall survival (OS; hazard ratio [HR] = 0.95, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.41-2.17; P = 0.894) and locoregional-free survival (LRFS; HR = 2.39, 95% CI: 0.45-12.63; P = 0.303) compared with CCRT. However, CCRT + AC had a worse distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS; HR = 5.39, 95% CI: 1.14-25.57; P = 0.034). After propensity score matching, CCRT + AC had comparable OS (HR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.29-2.70; P = 0.833), LRFS (HR = 3.26, 95% CI: 0.30-35.38; P = 0.331), and DMFS (HR = 4.80, 95% CI: 0.55-42.26; P = 0.157) compared to CCRT. CONCLUSION: AC did not improve survival in patients with stage IIB CSCC receiving CCRT.

Global burden, trends, and inequalities of ischemic heart disease among young adults from 1990 to 2019: a population-based study.

Background: Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a major global health concern, and its burden among young adults aged 25-49 years remains underexplored. This study aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of the global burden and trends of IHD over the past 30 years (1990-2019) among this age group, as well as to analyze the health inequalities related to socioeconomic development. Methods: Data from Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 (GBD 2019) were utilized to analyze the prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rate of IHD among young adults globally. Joinpoint regression analysis was applied to examine the trends over the study period. Health inequality analysis was performed to investigate the disparities in IHD burden related to the Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) of countries. Results: According to GBD 2019 data, in 2019, the global numbers of young adults with IHD cases, deaths, and DALYs were 18,050,671 (95% UI, 15,551,940-21,254,746), 597,137 (548,250-647,778), and 28,692,968 (26,397,448-31,178,464), respectively, accounting for 9.15%, 6.53%, and 15.7% of the total global cases. Over the past 30 years, the mortality [AAPC = -0.4%, 95% CI (-0.7% to -0.1%)] and DALYs rate [AAPC = -0.3%, 95% CI (-0.6% to -0.1%)] of IHD among young adults decreased, while the prevalence rate [AAPC = 0.4%, 95% CI (0.4%-0.4%)] and YLDs rate [AAPC = 0.4%, 95% CI (0.3%-0.4%)] increased. Furthermore, countries with lower levels of socio-demographic index (SDI) disproportionately bore a higher burden of IHD among young adults. The inequality slope index for young adult IHD shifted from -56.6 [95% CI (-480.4-370.2)] in 1990 to -583.0 [95% CI (-996.8 to -169.2)] in 2019, and the concentration index moved from -8.2 [95% CI (-8.5 to -7.9)] in 1990 to -13.2 [95% CI (-13.9 to -12.4)] in 2019. Conclusions: While the mortality and DALYs rate of IHD among global young adults have decreased over the past 30 years, the degree of inequality related to SDI among countries has continued to increase. Decision-makers in various countries should allocate resources wisely and implement effective strategies to improve the burden of young adults IHD globally and address the health inequalities associated with it.

Facile Photoresponsive Actuators Based on Ferrocene-Doped Poly(butyl methacrylate).

This paper presents facile photoresponsive actuators comprising ferrocene as a guest chromophore and poly(butyl methacrylate) (PBMA) as a host matrix. The ferrocene-doped PBMA film exhibits mechanical expansion and contraction when a 445 nm laser is turned on and off, respectively. The photoresponsive film is attached by a commercially available acetylcellulose adhesive tape, which exhibits a bending motion that is controlled by turning the laser on and off. Thereafter, the double-layer film is employed to fabricate a table-shaped lifting machine (0.7 mg) that lifts a 10.5 mg object up and down by turning the laser on and off, respectively, and the mechanical force offered by the double-layer film is recorded. Additionally, the film is coated with gold and applied to an electric circuit that serves as a reversible photoresponsive switch. This film preparation technique is applied to other chromophores (e.g., Coumarin 343, Rhodamine 6G, Sudan Blue II, and Solvent Green 3) to independently control the motions of the films with 445, 520, and 655 nm lasers. The ferrocene-containing films also exhibit photoinduced healing from mechanical damage. Finally, the photoirradiation-accompanied morphological changes in the film are observed via small-angle X-ray scattering.

Dephosphorylation of T517 on Hemocyanin Is Required for Antibacterial Activity in Penaeus vannamei.

Posttranslational modifications expand the functions of immune-related proteins, especially during infections. The respiratory glycoprotein, hemocyanin, has been implicated in many other functions, but the role of phosphorylation modification in its functional diversity is not fully understood. In this study, we show that Penaeus vannamei hemocyanin (PvHMC) undergoes phosphorylation modification during bacterial infection. Dephosphorylation of PvHMC mediated by P. vannamei protein phosphatase 2A catalytic increases its in vitro antibacterial activity, whereas phosphorylation by P. vannamei casein kinase 2 catalytic subunit α decreases its oxygen-carrying capacity and attenuates its in vitro antibacterial activity. Mechanistically, we show that Thr517 is a critical phosphorylation modification site on PvHMC to modulate its functions, which when mutated attenuates the action of P. vannamei casein kinase 2 catalytic subunit α and P. vannamei protein phosphatase 2A catalytic, and hence abolishes the antibacterial activity of PvHMC. Our results reveal that phosphorylation of PvHMC modulates its antimicrobial functions in penaeid shrimp.

The efficacy and safety of using pyrotinib combined with capecitabine as neoadjuvant therapy in elderly patients with HER2-positive breast cancer: a single-arm prospective clinical trial.

Background: Pyrotinib combined with capecitabine has been approved for the treatment of patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer in China. To date, the management of early-stage or locally advanced HER2-positive breast cancer in the clinic remains challenging. We conducted this trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of pyrotinib combined with capecitabine as neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) in elderly patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. Due to the stimulation of blood vessels by chemotherapy drugs, the elasticity of blood vessels in the elderly decreases, and then chemotherapy infusion is more likely to lead to phlebitis. Both pyrotinib and capecitabine can be taken to facilitate home treatment for elderly patients with HER2-positive breast cancer (BC). Methods: From January 2020 to March 2021, patients aged between 70 and 81 years old with stage IIA-IIIB HER2-positive breast cancer were screened, enrolled, and assigned to receive six cycles of pyrotinib (320-400 mg, orally, once daily) plus capecitabine (1,250 mg/m2, orally, twice daily) on days 1-14 in every 21-day cycle. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR). Adverse events (AEs) were assessed in every neoadjuvant cycle. Surgery was performed after the last cycle, and the total pathological complete response (tpCR) was evaluated postoperatively. Results: Of the 23 patients enrolled, the ORR was 100% (23/23; 95% confidence intervals: 85 to 100). All patients underwent surgery with a tpCR rate of 43.5% (10/23; 95% confidence intervals: 23 to 66). The most common AE was diarrhea, occurring in 19 of 23 patients (82.6%); most of these patients sustained mild diarrhea (Grade 1 or Grade 2) and only three had moderate diarrhea (Grade 3). The incidences of other AEs, including weakness, loss of appetite, leukopenia, nausea, vomiting, hand-foot syndrome, etc., were low and the symptoms were mild. No severe AEs (Grade 4 or 5) were observed throughout the treatment. Conclusion: In our study, pyrotinib combined with capecitabine as neoadjuvant therapy in elderly women with HER2-positive breast cancer is safe and showed efficacy in this population, which may be widely used as a protocol for clinical neoadjuvant therapy.

In Situ Polymerized 1,3-Dioxolane Electrolyte for Integrated Solid-State Lithium Batteries.

Solid-state lithium batteries are promising and safe energy storage devices for mobile electronics and electric vehicles. In this work, we report a facile in situ polymerization of 1,3-dioxolane electrolytes to fabricate integrated solid-state lithium batteries. The in situ polymerization and formation of solid-state dioxolane electrolytes on interconnected carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and active materials is the key to realizing a high-performance battery with excellent interfacial contact among CNTs, active materials and electrolytes. Therefore, the electrodes could be tightly integrated into batteries through the CNTs and electrolyte. Electrons/ions enable full access to active materials in the whole electrode. Electrodes with a low resistance of 4.5â€…Ω â–¡-1 and high lithium-ion diffusion efficiency of 2.5×10-11  cm2 s-1 can significantly improve the electrochemical kinetics. Subsequently, the batteries demonstrated high energy density, amazing charge/discharge rate and long cycle life.

[Monitoring of gastrointestinal dysfunction by near-infrared spectroscopy in children with sepsis: a prospective study]. / åº”ç”¨è¿‘çº¢å¤–å ‰è°±æŠ€æœ¯ç›‘æµ‹è„“æ¯’ç—‡æ‚£å„¿èƒƒè‚ åŠŸèƒ½éšœç¢çš„å‰çž»æ€§ç ”ç©¶.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the incidence and mortality of gastrointestinal dysfunction in children with sepsis, the application of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in monitoring mesenteric regional tissue oxygen saturation (rSO2), and the association between rSO2 and gastrointestinal dysfunction. METHODS: In this prospective study, 79 children with sepsis in the pediatric intensive care unit (sepsis group) and 40 children who underwent physical examination in the Department of Child Healthcare (healthy control group) from January to December, 2021 were enrolled as subjects. The related medical data were collected, including general information on admission and at discharge, treatment during hospitalization, and laboratory examination results. NIRS was used to measure mesenteric rSO2. Clinical characteristics were compared between the patients with and without gastrointestinal dysfunction. RESULTS: For the 79 children with sepsis, the incidence rate of gastrointestinal dysfunction was 49% (39/79), and the mortality rate of the children with gastrointestinal dysfunction was 26% (10/39). The children with gastrointestinal dysfunction had a longer duration of mechanical ventilation and a higher 28-day mortality rate (P<0.05). The children with gastrointestinal dysfunction had a significantly lower median rSO2 (64%) than the children without gastrointestinal dysfunction (72%) and the healthy control group (78%) (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There are high incidence and mortality rates of gastrointestinal dysfunction in children with sepsis, and the reduction in rSO2 may be associated with the development of gastrointestinal dysfunction.

Early versus Late Surgical Decompression for Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury on Neurological Recovery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This study aimed to investigate whether early surgical decompression was associated with favorable neurological recovery in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI). We searched PubMed and Embase from the database inception through December 2020 and selected studies comparing the impact of early versus late surgical decompression on neurological recovery as assessed by American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) for adult patients sustaining tSCI. We pooled the effect estimates in random-effects models and quantified the heterogeneity by the I2 statistics. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression analysis was conducted to identify significant outcome moderator. We included 26 studies involving 3574 patients in the meta-analysis. The pooled results demonstrated significant association between early surgical decompression and an improvement of at least one AIS grade (odds ratio [OR], 1.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.41-2.41; I2, 48.06%). The benefits of early surgical decompression were consistently observed across different subgroups, including patients with cervical or thoracolumbar injury and patients with complete or incomplete injury. The meta-regression analysis indicated that cut-off timing defining early versus late decompression was a significant effect moderator, with early decompression performed before post-tSCI 8 or 12 h associated with greatest benefits (OR, 3.37; 95% CI, 1.74-6.50; I2, 53.52%). No obvious publication bias was detected by the funnel plot. In conclusion, early surgical decompression was associated with favorable neurological recovery for tSCI patients. However, there was a lack of high-quality evidence and the results need further examination.

Identification of prognostic tumor-infiltrating immune cells in endometrial adenocarcinoma.

ABSTRACT: To identify prognostic tumor-infiltrating immune cells of endometrial adenocarcinoma.The gene expression profiles of endometrial adenocarcinoma were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The abundance of tumor-infiltrating immune cells in endometrial adenocarcinoma samples was calculated by CIBERSORT algorithm. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to identify prognostic tumor-infiltrating immune cells.This study identified 22 kinds of tumor-infiltrating immune cells. Macrophages M0 and CD8 T cells were prognostic factors of endometrial adenocarcinoma. The abundance of macrophages M0 (P = .038) was significantly correlated with better prognosis of endometrial adenocarcinoma. In contrast, the abundance of CD8 T cells (P = .049) was associated with poor prognosis of endometrial adenocarcinoma.Tumor-infiltrati macrophages M0 and CD8 T cells were prognostic factors of endometrial adenocarcinoma.

A review on partial-wave dynamics with chiral effective field theory and dispersion relation.

The description of strong interaction physics of low-lying resonances is out of the valid range of perturbative QCD. Chiral effective field theories (EFTs) have been developed to tackle the issue. Partial wave dynamics is the systematic tool to decode the underlying physics and reveal the properties of those resonances. It is extremely powerful and helpful for our understanding of the non-perturbative regime, especially when dispersion techniques are utilized simultaneously. Recently, plenty of exotic/ordinary hadrons have been reported by experiment collaborations, e.g. LHCb, Belle, and BESIII, etc. In this review, we summarize the recent progress on the applications of partial wave dynamics combined with chiral EFTs and dispersion relations, on related topics, with emphasis onππ,πK,πNandK̄Nscatterings.

Primary diaphragmatic closure following diaphragmatic resection and cardiophrenic lymph node dissection during interval debulking surgery for advanced ovarian malignancy.

•Gaining trans-diaphragmatic access to thoracic cavity during de-bulking laparotomy.•Assessment and dissection of bulky cardiophrenic lymph nodes to achieve optimal cytoreduction.•Technique for primary closure of diaphragm following radical resection.

Neoadjuvant pyrotinib plus nab-paclitaxel, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide for HER2-positive locally advanced breast cancer: a retrospective case-series study.

BACKGROUND: The anti-tumor activity of pyrotinib has been confirmed in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer. This study investigated the effect of pyrotinib plus nab-paclitaxel, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide as neoadjuvant therapy in patients with HER2-positive locally advanced breast cancer. METHODS: In this single-center retrospective study, female patients with HER2-positive locally advanced breast cancer received pyrotinib 320 mg orally once a day and the TAC regimen (nab-paclitaxel 260 mg/m2, liposomal doxorubicin 20 mg/m2, and cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2) on day 1 of each 21-day cycle. Surgery was performed after 4-6 cycles of neoadjuvant therapy. The outcomes included total pathological complete response (tpCR, ypT0/Tis ypN0) rate, objective response rate (ORR) after neoadjuvant therapy, progression-free survival, overall survival, and the incidence of adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: Between March 2019 and January 2020, a total of 22 patients were included. The median age was 48 years (range, 32-60). The ORR was 100% after the completion of neoadjuvant therapy. Ten (45.5%) patients achieved tpCR, including four of ten (40.0%) patients with positive hormone receptor, and six of 12 (50.0%) patients with negative hormone receptor. As at December 2020, no disease recurrence, progression, or death occurred. All patients suffered AEs after neoadjuvant therapy, most of which were grade 1-2. Grade ≥3 AEs included diarrhea [4 (18.2%)], rash [2 (9.1%)], and hand-foot syndrome [1 (4.5%)]. CONCLUSIONS: Neoadjuvant pyrotinib combined with the TAC regimen showed promising clinical benefit in patients with HER2-positive locally advanced breast cancer, with an acceptable safety profile.

Phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate dependent Rac exchange factor 1 is a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate dependent Rac exchange factor 1 (P-Rex1) was reported to be a risk factor in several cancers, including breast cancer, lung cancer, and melanoma, but its expression and role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not yet been fully studied. AIM: To explore the expression of P-Rex1 in HCC, and further evaluate its potential application in the diagnosis and prognosis of HCC, especially in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related patients. METHODS: P-Rex1 expression in HCC was evaluated by real-time-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The expression of P-Rex1 was subjected to correlation analysis with clinical features, such as lymph node invasion, distant metastasis, HBV infection, patient's age and gender. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to examine the potential role of P-Rex1 as a diagnostic biomarker in HCC. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to determine the association between P-Rex1 expression and overall survival, progression-free survival and relapse-free survival. Bioinformatic analysis was used to validate the clinical findings. RESULTS: P-Rex1 expression was significantly increased in HCC tumors than adjacent tissues. The expression of P-Rex1 was higher in HCC patients with lymph node invasion, distant metastasis, HBV infection and positive alpha-fetoprotein, respectively. The receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that P-Rex1 was a diagnostic biomarker with a higher area under the curve value, especially in patients with HBV infection. Survival analysis showed that patients with higher P-Rex1 expression had a favorable survival rate, even in early-stage patients. CONCLUSION: P-Rex1 expression was highly increased in HCC, and the expression level of P-Rex1 was positively correlated with tumor progression. P-Rex1 has a higher efficiency in the diagnosis of HBV-related HCC, and could also be used as a favorable prognostic factor for HCC patients.

[Normativity of overview report of the systematic review of acupuncture and moxibustion at home and abroad based on PRIO-harms scale].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the normativity of overview report of systematic review (Overviews) of acupuncture and moxibustion at home and abroad so as to further improve the report quality of Overviews of acupuncture and moxibustion in China and provide reliable evidences. METHODS: The articles relevant with Overviews of acupuncture and moxibustion at home and abroad were retrieved by computer from the databases of CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, China BioMedical Literature database (SinoMed), PubMed, Embase and Conchrane Library, dated from the time of establishment to February 12, 2019. The preferred reporting items for Overviews (PRIO-harms) was adopted to evaluate their normativity and make the comparison of the articles between China and foreign countries. RESULTS: A total of 13 articles of Overviews of acupuncture and moxibustion were included, 9 articles of them were of Chinese version and the rest were of English version. The results of PRIO-harms indicated that the proportions of the item numbers related to adequate, partial and inadequate adherence of Chinese version were 3.7%, 63.8% and 32.5%, and those of English version were 12.0%, 57.4% and 30.6% respectively. The reports on the item 10 "additional search for primary studies", the item 12 "data items" and the item 26 "Dual/(co-)authorship" were inadequate adherence by 100% in the articles of both Chinese and English version. CONCLUSION: The overall information of English article report is better than Chinese one, but the reports of either Chinese or English articles are not so satisfactory. It is suggested that the Overviews report should be in reference to the specification in PRIO-harms and the Chinese researchers should study the advantages of English article report and improve the normalization and report quality so as to obtain the high-quality evidences in evidence-based medicine.

Research Progress on lncRNA Functions and Mechanisms in Pituitary Adenomas.

Despite being the most common human neuroendocrine tumor, the pathogenesis of pituitary adenomas (PAs) is still unclear. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is involved in a variety of physiological and pathological processes, and has been shown to play a key role in the process of tumor instigation and development by affecting the proliferation, migration, invasiveness, and metastasis of tumor cells. Therefore, lncRNAs may be used as diagnostic and prognostic markers of tumors. In this paper, the effect of lncRNA on the onset and progression of PAs is reviewed so as to provide a profound understanding of its pathogenesis and clinical reference for the early diagnosis of PAs.

Remote ischemic conditioning combined with intravenous thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) combined with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). METHODS: Patients with AIS who underwent IVT were enrolled and 1:1 randomized to the RIC group and sham-RIC group in this study. RIC (or sham-RIC) was performed twice within 6-24 h of IVT. The subjects in the two groups were followed up for 90 days. The safety outcome included the ratio of hemorrhagic transformation (HT), adverse events during the follow-up, blood pressure within the first 24 h after IVT, and laboratory tests 24 h after IVT. The efficacy outcome included the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score, National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score during the follow-up, and level of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) tested 24 h after IVT. RESULTS: Forty-nine patients (24 in the RIC group and 25 in the sham-RIC group) were recruited. No significant difference was observed in the ratio of HT, adverse events, blood pressure, coagulation function or liver function between groups. In addition, there was no significant difference in mRS score and NIHSS score during the follow-up between groups. However, patients in the RIC group exhibited a significant lower level of hs-CRP compared with the control group (P = 0.048). INTERPRETATION: RIC combined with IVT is safe in the treatment of AIS. The neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of this therapy warrant further study on a larger scale.

Wind tunnel experiments for dynamic modeling and analysis of motion trajectories of wind-blown sands.

The hazards associated with travelling on highways in desert regions arise mainly from wind-borne sand disasters, such as complete or partial burial of the road surface by sand particles, and from erosion of the roadbed by the particles. To simulate the damage process caused by sand particles on roads in the desert, scaled-down tests were performed in a wind tunnel whereby sand particles of differing diameters and roadbed models of different gradients were tested and the impact trajectories of the sand particles were captured using a high-speed camera. The results showed that the impact trajectories may be classified into four types, and the proportion of each type is essentially stable with the statistical curves for the trajectories being similar to the Poisson distribution. The diameters of the sand particles and the slopes of the roadbed model influenced the impact trajectories, which also impacted the statistical values for each particle type. Owing to the Magnus force, the direction of rotation and the angular velocity of the sand particles controlled the nature of the collision trajectories; however, the direction of rotation did not remain in a fixed plane and the rotation speed only reached about 20% of the value of the first critical speed. The wind tunnel experiments enable a better understanding of the motion trajectories, rotation speed, force situation, and collision trajectories, providing a useful benchmark for research on wind-induced disasters on roads in desert regions.