Leveraging a KRAS-based signature to predict the prognosis and drug sensitivity of colon cancer and identifying SPINK4 as a new biomarker.

KRAS is one of the leading mutations reported in colon cancer. However, there are few studies on the application of KRAS related signature in predicting prognosis and drug sensitivity of colon cancer patient. We identified KRAS related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. A signature closely related to overall survival was recognized with Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and univariate cox regression analysis. Then we validated this signature with overall expression score (OE score) algorithm using both scRNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq data. Based on this signature, we performed LASSO cox regression to establish a prognostic model, and corresponding scores were calculated. Differences in genomic alteration, immune microenvironment, drug sensitivity between high- and low-KRD score groups were investigated. A KRAS related signature composed of 80 DEGs in colon cancer were recognized, among which 19 genes were selected to construct a prognostic model. This KRAS related signature was significantly correlated with worse prognosis. Furthermore, patients who scored lower in the prognostic model presented a higher likelihood of responding to chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Furthermore, among the 19 selected genes in the model, SPINK4 was identified as an independent prognostic biomarker. Further validation in vitro indicated the knockdown of SPINK4 promoted the proliferation and migration of SW48 cells. In conclusion, a novel KRAS related signature was identified and validated based on clinical and genomic information from TCGA and GEO databases. The signature was proved to regulate genomic alteration, immune microenvironment and drug sensitivity in colon cancer, and thus might serve as a predictor for individual prognosis and treatment.

Electrophysiological assessment of radial shock wave therapy for carpal tunnel syndrome.

This study presents an electrophysiological assessment of radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy on patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Sixteen CTS subjects received radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy once a week for five consecutive weeks. Outcome performance was assessed using the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) and electrodiagnostic measurements including a nerve conduction study of the median nerve and a compound muscle action potential (CMAP) scan of the abductor pollicis brevis muscle. The BCTQ and the sensory conduction test measurements were all statistically improved after the treatment. However, the motor conduction test measurements were not significantly different before and after the treatment. The CMAP scan examination revealed MScanFit motor unit number estimation (MUNE) was significantly higher after the treatment, while no significant change was found in StairFit MUNE and step index. These results confirmed the effectiveness of shock wave therapy for treating CTS symptoms and the associated sensory property changes. The reasons for the inconsistencies from different CMAP scan processing methods are worthwhile targets for further investigation.

Sensitivity Analysis of CMAP Scan Step Index to Different Stimulation Parameters and Examination of Muscles Affected by Spinal Cord Injury.

Step index (STEPIX) is a recently developed compound muscle action potential (CMAP) scan method for evaluating motor unit loss and remodeling changes. This study investigates the influence of different stimulation parameters during CMAP scan on STEPIX and its examination of muscles affected by spinal cord injury (SCI). CMAP scan of the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle was performed using different stimulus pulse widths (0.1 ms, 0.2 ms) and different numbers of stimuli (500, 1000) in 12 neurologically intact subjects. STEPIX was derived from each CMAP scan of all subjects. A significantly higher STEPIX was obtained using 1000 stimuli than 500 stimuli, while no significant difference in STEPIX was observed using 0.1 and 0.2 ms stimulus pulse widths. STEPIX was further applied to process CMAP scans of the FDI muscle from 13 tetraplegia and 13 healthy control subjects using the same stimulation parameter setting (0.1 ms, 500 stimuli), along with other methods including MScanFit motor unit number estimation (MUNE) and D50. STEPIX was significantly lower for the SCI subjects compared with the healthy control subjects. STEPIX was significantly correlated with MscanFit MUNE and D50, but had a smaller relative width of the overlapping zone (WOZ%) between tetraplegic and healthy control groups compared with MScanFit MUNE and D50. The findings of the study highlight the importance of maintaining a consistent stimulation parameter setting in CMAP scan studies and confirm the usefulness of STEPIX as a convenient CMAP scan parameter for examination of motor unit number changes.

Compound muscle action potential (CMAP) scan examination of paretic and contralateral muscles reveals motor unit alterations after stroke.

This study presents a novel compound muscle action potential (CMAP) examination of motor unit changes in paretic muscle post stroke. CMAP scan of the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle was performed bilaterally in 16 chronic stroke subjects. Various parameters were derived from the CMAP scan to examine paretic muscle changes, including CMAP amplitude, D50, step index (STEPIX) and amplitude index (AMPIX). A significant decrease in CMAP amplitude and STEPIX was observed in paretic muscles compared with contralateral muscles (CMAP amplitude: paretic (9.0±0.5) mV, contralateral (11.3±0.9) mV, P=0.024; STEPIX: paretic 101.2±7.6, contralateral 121.9±6.5, P=0.020). No significant difference in D50 and AMPIX was observed between the paretic and contralateral sides (P>0.05). The findings revealed complex paretic muscle changes including motor unit degeneration, muscle fiber denervation, reinnervation and atrophy, providing useful insights to help understand neuromuscular mechanisms associated with weakness and other functional deterioration post stroke. The CMAP scan experimental protocols and the applied processing methods are noninvasive, convenient, and automated, offering practical benefits for clinical application.

FOXD1 promotes chemotherapy resistance by enhancing cell stemness in colorectal cancer through ß­catenin nuclear localization.

Forkhead box D1 (FOXD1) serves a critical role in colorectal cancer (CRC). FOXD1 expression is an independent prognostic factor in patients with CRC; however, the molecular mechanism and signaling pathway of FOXD1 that regulates cell stemness and chemoresistance has not been fully characterized. The aim of the present study was to further validate the effect of FOXD1 on the proliferation and migration of CRC cells, and to delve into the possible potential of FOXD1 in the clinical treatment of CRC. The effect of FOXD1 on cell proliferation was assessed using Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK­8) and colony formation assays. The effect of FOXD1 on cell migration was assessed by wound­healing and Transwell assays. The effect of FOXD1 on cell stemness was assessed by spheroid formation in vitro and limiting dilution assays in vivo. The expression of stemness associated proteins, leucine rich repeat containing G protein­coupled receptor 5 (LGR5), OCT4, Sox2 and Nanog, and epithelial­mesenchymal transition associated proteins, E­cadherin, N­cadherin and vimentin, were detected by western blotting. Proteins interrelationships were assessed by a co­immunoprecipitation assay. Oxaliplatin resistance was assessed using CCK­8 and apoptosis assays in vitro, and using a tumor xenograft model in vivo. By constructing FOXD1 overexpression and knockdown stably transfected strains of colon cancer cells, it was revealed that the overexpression of FOXD1 increased CRC cell stemness and chemoresistance. By contrast, knockdown of FOXD1 produced the opposite effects. These phenomena were caused by the direct interaction between FOXD1 and ß­catenin, thus promoting its nuclear translocation and the activation of downstream target genes, such as LGR5 and Sox2. Notably, inhibition of this pathway with a specific ß­catenin inhibitor (XAV­939) could impair the effects induced by the overexpression of FOXD1. In summary, these results indicated that FOXD1 may promote cell stemness and the chemoresistance of CRC by binding directly to ß­catenin and enhancing ß­catenin nuclear localization; therefore, it may be considered a potential clinical target.

IL-17A-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction induces pyroptosis in colorectal cancer cells and promotes CD8 + T-cell tumour infiltration.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-17A (IL-17A), a proinflammatory cytokine primarily secreted by Th17 cells, γδT cells and natural killer T (NKT) cells, performs essential roles in the microenvironment of certain inflammation-related tumours by regulating cancer growth and tumour elimination proved in previous literature. In this study, the mechanism of IL-17A that induces mitochondrial dysfunction promoted pyroptosis has been explored in colorectal cancer cells. METHOD: The records of 78 patients diagnosed with CRC were reviewed via the public database to evaluate clinicopathological parameters and prognosis associations of IL-17A expression. The colorectal cancer cells were treated with IL-17A, and the morphological characteristics of those cells were indicated by scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. After IL-17A treatment, mitochondrial dysfunction was tested by mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and reactive oxygen species (ROS). The expression of pyroptosis associated proteins including cleaved caspase-4, cleaved gasdermin-D (GSDMD), IL-1ß, receptor activator of nuclear NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), apoptosis-associated speck like protein containing a card (ASC), and factor-kappa B was measured through western blotting. RESULTS: Positive IL-17A protein expression was observed in CRC compared to the non-tumour tissue. IL-17A expression indicates a better differentiation, earlier stage, and better overall survival in CRC. IL-17A treatment could induce mitochondrial dysfunction and stimulate intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Furthermore, IL-17A could promote pyroptosis of colorectal cancer cells and significantly increase the secretion of inflammatory factors. Nevertheless, the pyroptosis induced by IL-17A could be inhibited through the pre-treatment with Mito-TEMPO (a mitochondria-targeted superoxide dismutase mimetic with superoxide and alkyl radical scavenging properties) or Z-LEVD-FMK (caspase-4 inhibitor, fluoromethylketone). Additionally, after being treated with IL-17A, an increasing number of CD8 + T cells showed in mouse-derived allograft colon cancer models. CONCLUSION: IL-17A, as a cytokine mainly secreted by γδT cells in the colorectal tumour immune microenvironment, can regulate the tumour microenvironment in multiple ways. IL-17A could induce mitochondrial dysfunction and pyroptosis through the ROS/NLRP3/caspase-4/GSDMD pathway, and promote intracellular ROS accumulation. In addition, IL-17A can promote the secretion of inflammatory factors such as IL-1ß、IL-18 and immune antigens, and recruit CD8 + T cells to infiltrate tumours.

A Novel Analysis of Compound Muscle Action Potential Scan: Staircase Function Fitting and StairFit Motor Unit Number Estimation.

Compound muscle action potential (CMAP) scan provides a detailed stimulus-response curve for examination of neuromuscular disease. The objective of the study is to develop a novel CMAP scan analysis to extract motor unit number estimation (MUNE) and other physiological or diagnostic information. A staircase function was used as the basic mathematical model of the CMAP scan. An optimal staircase function fitting model was estimated for each given number of motor units, and the fitting model with the minimum number of motor units that meets a predefined error requirement was accepted. This yields MUNE as well as the spike amplitude and activation threshold of each motor unit that contributes to the CMAP scan. The significance of the staircase function fit was confirmed using simulated CMAP scans with different motor unit number (20, 50, 100 and 150) and baseline noise (1 µV, 5 µV and 10 µV) inputs, in terms of MUNE performance, repeatability, and the test-retest reliability. For experimental data, the average MUNE of the first dorsal interosseous muscle derived from the staircase function fitting was 57.5 ± 26.9 for the tested spinal cord injury subjects, which was significantly lower than 101.2 ± 16.9, derived from the control group (p < 0.001). The staircase function fitting provides an appropriate approach to CMAP scan processing, yielding MUNE and other useful parameters for examination of motor unit loss and muscle fiber reinnervation.

A Novel Analysis of CMAP Scans From Perspective of Information Theory: CMAP Distribution Index (CDIX).

OBJECTIVE: The compound muscle action potential (CMAP) scan is a useful technique for examination of neuromuscular disorders. The objective of this study is to develop a novel analysis of CMAP scans from the perspective of information theory. METHODS: A novel index parameter called CMAP distribution index (CDIX) was developed to characterize CMAP scan based on calculation of the information entropy. The performance of CDIX was evaluated using CMAP scan data from healthy control and spinal cord injury (SCI) subjects, and compared with D50 and MScanFit motor unit number estimation (MUNE). RESULTS: CDIX was significantly lower for the SCI subjects compared with the healthy control subjects (p < 0.001). A significant correlation ( R2 = 0.58, p < 0.001) was found between CDIX and MScanFit MUNE. Among all tested parameters (maximum CMAP, D50, MScanFit MUNE and CDIX), CDIX achieved the smallest relative width of the overlapping zone (WOZ%) between SCI and healthy control subjects. CONCLUSION: CDIX can be inferred as a useful index reflecting motor unit loss and muscle fiber reinnervation changes.

MScanFit motor unit number estimation of abductor pollicis brevis: Findings from different experimental parameters.

MScanFit motor unit number estimation (MUNE) based on the recording of the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) scan has wide applications. This study evaluated the effect of different CMAP scan settings on MScanFit MUNE. CMAP scan of the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) muscle was performed in 10 healthy subjects at a United States (US) research center using different stimulus pulse widths (0.1, 0.2 ms) and total number of stimuli or steps (500, 1,000), and in 12 healthy subjects at a China research center using a 0.1 ms pulse width and 500 steps. MScanFit MUNE was derived using the default model parameters. A significantly higher MUNE was obtained using the shorter than longer pulse width; 84.70 ± 21.56 (500 steps) and 77.90 ± 27.62 (1,000 steps) at a pulse width of 0.1 ms vs. 67.60 ± 18.72 (500 steps) and 62.20 ± 15.82 (1,000 steps) at a pulse width of 0.2 ms (p < 0.05). However, MUNE was unrelated to the number of steps (500 vs. 1,000, p > 0.1). MUNE was significantly higher in persons studied in the China center (136.42 ± 32.46) than the US center (84.70 ± 21.56) despite each center using the same pulse widths and steps (p < 0.001). After excluding the ethnicity, age and experimenter factors, this significant difference is speculated to be partly related to different electrode size used in the two centers. The findings suggest that CMAP scan experimental parameters should remain consistent, so the MScanFit MUNE will not be compromised by non-physiological factors.

Efficacy and safety of Fuzheng Huayu tablet on persistent advanced liver fibrosis following 2 years entecavir treatment: A single arm clinical objective performance criteria trial.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Antiviral therapy can alleviate liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B, but it has a limited effect on advanced liver fibrosis/cirrhosis. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), particularly FuZheng HuaYu (FZHY) tablet, appears to have an antifibrotic effect, but its improving resolution of hepatitis b virus (HBV) -associated advanced fibrosis and experienced anti-viral treatment has not been investigated. AIM OF THE STUDY: To observe the safety and efficacy of adjunctive FZHY on the HBV-associated cirrhosis patients who received 2 years of entecavir but still with advanced fibrosis. METHODS: An open-label, multicentre, single arm trial. 251 patients were included and treated with TCM consisted of FZHY tablets 1.6 g and granules, three times a day in addition to entecavir 0.5 mg daily for an additional 48 weeks. Primary outcome was regression of fibrosis (the proportion of patients with a 1-point decrease in the Ishak liver fibrosis score from baseline to week 48). RESULTS: Fibrosis regression occurred in 94 of 184 patients with paired liver biopsy (51.09%, 95% CI: 43.9～58.0). In 132 compensated cirrhosis patients (Ishak score ≥5), 56.06% (74/132, 95% CI: 47.5～64.2) showed fibrosis regression and reached the goal of 54% (15% more than entecavir mono-therapy). 10 patients occurred adverse reaction, most of them were mild, and all recovered or achieved remission. CONCLUSIONS: The combination therapy of FZHY, TCM granules and ETV could regress the liver fibrosis in the patients with HBV cirrhosis, who experienced 2 years of ETV treatment, and it is safe and well tolerated.

The FnBPA from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus promoted development of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common tumor in the oral cavity. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were highly detected in OSCC patients; however, the interactions and mechanisms between drug-resistant bacteria (MRSA) and OSCC are not clear. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the promotion of MRSA on the development of OSCC. Methods: MRSA and MSSA (methicillin-susceptible) strains were employed to investigate the effect on the proliferation of OSCC in vitro and vivo. Results: All of the MRSA strains significantly increased the proliferation of OSCC cells and MRSA arrested the cell cycles of OSCC cells in the S phase. MRSA activated the expression of TLR-4, NF-κB and c-fos in OSCC cells. MRSA also promoted the development of squamous cell carcinoma in vivo. The virulence factor fnbpA gene was significantly upregulated in all MRSA strains. By neutralizing FnBPA, the promotions of MRSA on OSCC cell proliferation and development of squamous cell carcinoma were significantly decreased. Meanwhile, the activation of c-fos and NF-κB by MRSA was also significantly decreased by FnBPA antibody. Conclusion: MRSA promoted development of OSCC, and the FnBPA protein was the critical virulence factor. Targeting virulence factors is a new method to block the interaction between a drug-resistant pathogen and development of tumors.

Effectiveness of intraoperative cell salvage combined with a modified leucocyte depletion filter in metastatic spine tumour surgery.

BACKGROUND: To compare the effectiveness of intraoperative cell salvage (IOCS) combined with a modified leucocyte depletion filter (MLDF) with IOCS combined with a regular leucocyte depletion filter (RLDF) in eliminating tumour cells from blood salvage during metastatic spine tumour surgery (MSTS). METHODS: Patients with a known primary epithelial tumour who underwent MSTS were recruited for this study. Blood samples were collected in 5 stages: from the patients' vein before anaesthesia induction (S1), from the operative field at the time of maximum tumour manipulation (S2), and from the operative blood after IOCS processing (S3) and after IOCS+RLDF (S4) and IOCS+MLDF (S5) processing. The polyploids of tumour cells in the blood samples were collected and counted with immunomagnetic separation enrichment and fluorescence in situ hybridization. RESULTS: We recruited 20 patients. Tumour cells were detected in 14 patients (70%) in S1, 16 patients (80%) in S2, 13 patients (65%) in S3, and 12 patients (60%) in S4. MLDF was added in 8 patients. Tumour cells were detected in only 1 of 8 patients in S5 (12.5%). There were significantly fewer tumour cells in the samples collected after MLDF processing (S5) than in the samples collected after RLDF (S4) and around the tumour (S2) (P = 0.016 and P = 0.039, respectively). Although no significant difference was observed between S4 and S1, a downward trend was observed after IOCS+RLDF processing. CONCLUSIONS: Tumour cells could be removed by IOCS combined with RLDF from blood salvaged during MSTS, but residual tumour cells remained. The findings support the notion that MLDF eliminates tumour cells more effectively than RLDF. Hence, this technique can be applied to MSTS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR1800016162 Chinese Clinical Trial Registry.

Inhibition of visfatin alleviates sepsis-induced intestinal damage by inhibiting Hippo signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to investigate role of Visfatin, one of the pro-inflammatory adipokines, in sepsis-induced intestinal injury and to clarify the potential mechanism. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice underwent cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) surgery to establish sepsis model in vivo. Intestinal epithelial cells were stimulated with LPS to mimic sepsis-induced intestinal injury in vitro. FK866 (the inhibitor of Visfatin) with or without XMU-MP-1 (the inhibitor of Hippo signaling) was applied for treatment. The expression levels of Visfatin, NF-κB and Hippo signaling pathways-related proteins were detected by western blot or immunohistochemistry. The intestinal cell apoptosis and intestinal injury were investigated by TUNEL staining and H&E staining, respectively. ELISA was used to determine the production of inflammatory cytokines. RESULTS: The expression of Visfatin increased in CLP mice. FK866 reduced intestinal pathological injury, inflammatory cytokines production, and intestinal cell apoptosis in sepsis mice. Meanwhile, FK866 affected NF-κB and Hippo signaling pathways. Additionally, the effects of FK866 on inflammatory response, apoptosis, Hippo signaling and NF-κB signaling were partly abolished by XMU-MP-1, the inhibitor of Hippo signaling. In vitro experiments also revealed that FK866 exhibited a protective role against LPS-induced inflammatory response and apoptosis in intestinal cells, as well as regulating NF-κB and Hippo signaling, whereas addition of XMU-MP-1 weakened the protective effects of FK866. CONCLUSION: In short, this study demonstrated that inhibition of Visfatin might alleviate sepsis-induced intestinal injury through Hippo signaling pathway, supporting a further research on Visfatin as a therapeutic target.

Motor Unit Number Estimation of the Second Lumbrical Muscle in Human Hand.

The number of motor units of the lumbrical muscles in human hand has not been explored. The objective of this study was to fill this gap by estimating the number of motor units in the second lumbrical muscle. Compound muscle action potential scan of the second lumbrical muscle was performed in 12 healthy subjects, with 10 of them being tested on two separate occasions. Motor unit number estimation (MUNE) was derived from the MScanFit program. The average MUNE of the second lumbrical muscle was 41.6 ± 2.1 (mean ± standard error) from 12 subjects in the first test, and 42.0 ± 2.2 from 10 of the 12 subjects in the retest, demonstrating excellent measurement reliability. Findings of the study provide novel information about the motor unit number of the second lumbrical muscle in human hand. The relatively low motor unit number in the muscle can facilitate motor unit investigations, especially at high level muscle activation.

MScanFit motor unit number estimation of human anconeus muscle.

INTRODUCTION/AIMS: Motor unit number estimation (MUNE) studies of the anconeus muscle are very limited, although the information they provide is useful for neurophysiological investigations. The objective of this study was to estimate the number of motor units in the anconeus muscle. METHODS: Compound muscle action potential scans of the anconeus muscle were recorded from 11 healthy participants, all of whom were tested on two occasions. MUNE was determined from the MScanFit program. RESULTS: The average MUNE of the anconeus muscle was 55.09 ± 3.27 (mean ± standard error of the mean) for the first test and 54.64 ± 3.70 for the retest, demonstrating excellent measurement reliability, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.90. DISCUSSION: A relatively low motor unit number is found in the anconeus, a muscle not comprehensively studied in literature.

A single center report of MScanFit motor unit number estimation in five muscles of healthy subjects.

The objective of this study was to estimate the number of motor units in 5 muscles from healthy individuals using the MScanFit program based on compound muscle action potential (CMAP) scan recordings. The examined muscles included first dorsal interosseous (FDI), abductor pollicis brevis (APB), abductor digiti minimi (ADM), second lumbrical (SL), and abductor hallucis (AH). CMAP scans were recorded from a total of 24 healthy participants. Motor unit number estimation (MUNE) values were derived from the MScanFit program. The average MUNE was 136.1 ± 31.1 (mean ± standard deviation) for the FDI, 134.9 ± 37.4 for the APB, 127.3 ± 32.3 for the ADM, 39.6 ± 8.3 for the SL, and 143.9 ± 28.9 for the AH muscles. Findings of the study provide useful information of the MScanFit MUNE for the examined muscles of healthy subjects from a single center.

Respiratory Muscle Training Reduces Respiratory Complications and Improves Swallowing Function After Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether respiratory muscle training is capable of reducing the occurrence of respiratory complications and improving dysphagia (swallowing or cough function) after stroke. DATA SOURCES: Cochrane Library, Excerpta Medical Database (EMBASE), PUBMED, and Web of Science were searched for studies published in English; the China Biology Medicine (CBM), China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang Database were searched for studies published in Chinese up to August 10, 2021. STUDY SELECTION: Eleven randomized control trials (RCTs) (N=523) met the inclusion criteria were included in this systematic review. DATA EXTRACTION: Data and information were extracted by two reviewers independently and disagreements was resolved by consensus with a third coauthor. Primary outcome was the occurrence of respiratory complications, secondary outcomes would be represented by swallowing and cough function. The quality of each included RCT were assessed by Cochrane risk-of-bias criteria and the GRADE evidence profile was provided to present information about the body of evidence and judgments about the certainty of underlying evidence for each outcome. DATA SYNTHESIS: Respiratory muscle training reduced the risk of respiratory complications (relative risk, 0.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.28-0.93; I2=0%; P=.03; absolute risk difference, 0.068; number need to treat, 14.71) compared with no or sham respiratory intervention. It also decreased the liquid-type Penetration-Aspiration Scale scores by 0.81 (95% CI, -1.19 to -0.43; I2=39%; P<.0001). There was no significant association between respiratory muscle training and Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) scores, cough function: increased FOIS scores by 0.47 (95% CI, -0.45 to 1.39; I2=55%; P=.32), decreased peak expiratory cough flow of voluntary cough by 18.70 L per minute (95% CI, -59.74 to 22.33; I2=19%; P=.37) and increased peak expiratory cough flow of reflex cough by 0.05 L per minute (95% CI, -40.78 to 40.87; I2=0%; P>.99). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis provided evidence that respiratory muscle training is effective in reducing the risk of respiratory complications and improving dysphagia by reducing penetration or aspiration during swallowing liquid bolus after stroke. However, there was no sufficient evidence to determine that respiratory muscle training improves cough function. Additional multicenter studies using larger patient cohorts are required to validate and support these findings. Furthermore, long-term follow-up studies should be performed to measure outcomes, while avoiding bias due to confounding factors such as heterogeneity of the etiologies of dysphagia.

A Novel Analysis of Compound Muscle Action Potential Scan: Staircase Function Fitting and StairFit Motor Unit Number Estimation.

Compound muscle action potential (CMAP) scan provides a detailed stimulus-response curve for examination of neuromuscular disease. The objective of the study is to develop a novel CMAP scan analysis to extract motor unit number estimation (MUNE) and other physiological or diagnostic information. A staircase function was used as the basic mathematical model of the CMAP scan. An optimal staircase function fitting model was estimated for each given number of motor units, and the fitting model with the minimum number of motor units that meets a predefined error requirement was accepted. This yields MUNE as well as the spike amplitude and activation threshold of each motor unit that contributes to the CMAP scan. The significance of the staircase function fit was confirmed using simulated CMAP scans with different motor unit number (20, 50, 100 and 150) and baseline noise (1 µV, 5 µV and 10 µV) inputs, in terms of MUNE performance, repeatability, and the test-retest reliability. For experimental data, the average MUNE of the first dorsal interosseous muscle derived from the staircase function fitting was 57.5±26.9 for the tested spinal cord injury subjects, which was significantly lower than 101.2±16.9, derived from the control group (p < 0.001). The staircase function fitting provides an appropriate approach to CMAP scan processing, yielding MUNE and other useful parameters for examination of motor unit loss and muscle fiber reinnervation.

Measurement of morphological features of Oncomelania hupensis shells in Yunnan Province / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To investigate the morphological variation of Oncomelania hupensis shells in Yunnan Province, so as to provide insights into the understanding of O. hupensis genetic evolution and control. Methods According to the O. hupensis density, geographical location, altitude, water system and environmental type, 12 administrative villages were sampled from 10 schistosomiasis-endemic counties (districts) in 3 prefectures (cities) of Yunnan Province as snail collection sites. From December 2021 to January 2022, about 200 snails were collected from each collection site, among which thirty adult snails (6 to 7 spirals) were randomly selected from each site, and the 11 morphological indexes of snail shells were measured and subjected to cluster analysis and principal component analysis. Results Of O. hupensis snails from 12 localities of Yunnan Province, the longest shell (7.33 mm) was detected in snails from Yongle Village, Eryuan County, with the shortest (4.68 mm) in Dongyuan Village, Gucheng District, and the largest angle of apex (59.47°) was measured in snails from Caizhuang Village, Midu County, with the smallest (41.40°) in Qiandian Village, Eryuan County. The mean coefficient of variation was 9.075% among O. hupensis snails from 12 localities of Yunnan Province, with the largest coefficient of variation seen in the thickness of the labra brim (29.809%). Among O. hupensis snails from 12 localities of Yunnan Province, the mean Euclidean distance was 2.26, with the shortest Euclidean distance seen between O. hupensis snails from Qiandian Village of Eryuan County and Wuxing Village of Dali City (0.26), and the largest found between O. hupensis snails from Caizhuang Village of Midu County and Cangling Village of Chuxiong County (8.17). Cluster analysis and principal component analysis classified O. hupensis snails from 12 localities of Yunnan Province into three categories, including the O. hupensis snail samples from Caizhuang Village of Midu County, O. hupensis snail samples from Cangling Village of Chuxiong County, and O. hupensis snail samples from Qiandian Village of Eryuan County, Wuxing Village of Dali City, Yangwu Village of Yongsheng County, Xiaoqiao Village of Xiangyun County, Yongle Village of Eryuan County, Xiaocen Village of Dali City, Anding Village of Nanjian County, Dongyuan Village of Gucheng District, Lianyi Village of Heqing County, and Dianzhong Village of Weishan County. The variations in these three categories of snail samples were mainly measured in the principal component 2 related to the angle of apex and the thickness of the labra brim. Conclusions The variations in the Euclidean distance and morphological features of shells of O. hupensis from 12 localities of Yunnan Province gradually rise with the decrease in the latitude of the collection sites. The angle of apex is an indicator for the growth of O. hupensis whorl.