The water extract of Amydrium sinense (Engl.) H. Li ameliorates Isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy through inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: Pathologic cardiac hypertrophy (PCH) is a precursor to heart failure. Amydrium sinense (Engl.) H. Li (AS), a traditional Chinese medicinal plant, has been extensively utilized to treat chronic inflammatory diseases. However, the therapeutic effect of ASWE on PCH and its underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. METHODS: A cardiac hypertrophy model was established by treating C57BL/6 J mice and neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs) in vitro with isoprenaline (ISO) in this study. The antihypertrophic effects of AS water extract (ASWE) on cardiac function, histopathologic manifestations, cell surface area and expression levels of hypertrophic biomarkers were examined. Subsequently, the impact of ASWE on inflammatory factors, p65 nuclear translocation and NF-κB activation was investigated to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. RESULTS: In the present study, we observed that oral administration of ASWE effectively improved ISO-induced cardiac hypertrophy in mice, as evidenced by histopathological manifestations and the expression levels of hypertrophic markers. Furthermore, the in vitro experiments demonstrated that ASWE treatment inhibited cardiac hypertrophy and suppressed inflammation response in ISO-treated NRCMs. Mechanically, our findings provided evidence that ASWE suppressed inflammation response by repressing p65 nuclear translocation and NF-κB activation. ASWE was found to possess the capability of inhibiting inflammation response and cardiac hypertrophy induced by ISO. CONCLUSION: To sum up, ASWE treatment was shown to attenuate ISO-induced cardiac hypertrophy by inhibiting cardiac inflammation via preventing the activation of the NF-kB signaling pathway. These findings provided scientific evidence for the development of ASWE as a novel therapeutic drug for PCH treatment.

Alternative polyadenylation profiles of susceptible and resistant rice (Oryza sativa L.) in response to bacterial leaf blight using RNA-seq.

BACKGROUND: Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is an important pattern of post-transcriptional regulation of genes widely existing in eukaryotes, involving plant physiological and pathological processes. However, there is a dearth of studies investigating the role of APA profile in rice leaf blight. RESULTS: In this study, we compared the APA profile of leaf blight-susceptible varieties (CT 9737-613P-M) and resistant varieties (NSIC RC154) following bacterial blight infection. Through gene enrichment analysis, we found that the genes of two varieties typically exhibited distal poly(A) (PA) sites that play different roles in two kinds of rice, indicating differential APA regulatory mechanisms. In this process, many disease-resistance genes displayed multiple transcripts via APA. Moreover, we also found five polyadenylation factors of similar expression patterns of rice, highlighting the critical roles of these five factors in rice response to leaf blight about PA locus diversity. CONCLUSION: Notably, the present study provides the first dynamic changes of APA in rice in early response to biotic stresses and proposes a possible functional conjecture of APA in plant immune response, which lays the theoretical foundation for in-depth determination of the role of APA events in plant stress response and other life processes.

SP1-Induced Upregulation of LncRNA AFAP1-AS1 Promotes Tumor Progression in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer by Regulating mTOR Pathway.

The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) actin fiber-associated protein-1 antisense RNA 1 (AFAP1-AS1) exerted oncogenic activity in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). We designed this study and conducted it to investigate the upstream regulation mechanism of AFAP1-AS1 in TNBC tumorigenesis. In this work, we proved the localization of AFAP1-AS1 in the cytoplasm. We elucidated the mechanism by which the transcription factor specificity protein 1 (SP1) modulated AFAP1-AS1 in TNBC progression, which has yet to be thoroughly studied. Dual luciferase reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay revealed a strong affinity of SP1 toward the promoter regions P3 of AFAP1-AS1, proving the gene expression regulation of AFAP1-AS1 via SP1 in TNBC. Additionally, SP1 could facilitate the tumorigenesis of TNBC cells in vitro and in vivo by regulating the AFAP1-AS1 expression. Furthermore, silenced AFAP1-AS1 suppressed the expression of genes in the mTOR pathway, such as eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4B (EIF4B), mitogen-activated protein kinase-associated protein 1 (MAPKAP1), SEH1-like nucleoporin (SEH1L), serum/glucocorticoid regulated kinase 1 (SGK1), and its target NEDD4-like E3 ubiquitin protein ligase (NEDD4L), and promoted the gene expression of s-phase kinase-associated protein 2 (SKP2). Overall, this study emphasized the oncogenic role of SP1 and AFAP1-AS1 in TNBC and illustrated the AFAP1-AS1 upstream interaction with SP1 and the downstream modulatory of mTOR signaling, thus offering insights into the tumorigenesis mechanism in TNBC.

Dermis-retained breast dermo-glandular flap: a new surgical approach for granulomatous lobular mastitis.

Background: Granulomatous lobular mastitis (GLM) is characterized by nonspecific chronic inflammation concentrated in breast lobules. Surgical resection is one of the most common treatment options for GLM. On the basis of our previous use of Breast Dermo-Glandular Flap (BDGF), we designed a new surgical approach for GLM, especially for cases where the focus is close to the nipple. Here we describe this new treatment approach. Methods: In Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) and Beijing Dangdai Hospital during January 2020-June 2021, we enrolled all 18 GLM patients who underwent surgery with the use of Dermis-Retained BDGF. All patients were women; most of the patients were 18-50 years old (88%); and the most common clinical manifestation of GLM was breast mass (60%). Then, we collected and analyzed data about the surgery and outcomes (drainage tubes moving time, relapse, patients' shape satisfaction). We regarded GLM recurrence on the same side as relapse. If there was no complication and the patient's satisfaction was excellent or good, we rated the surgery as successful. We recorded the occurrence of all common postsurgical complications of the breast. Results: The debridement area was 3-5.5 (4.3 ± 0.7) cm; surgery time was 78-119 (95.6 ± 11.6) min; and mean debridement time (27.8 ± 8.9 min) was shorter than the time to obtain and transplant the flap (47.5 ± 12.9 min). Blood loss was less than 139 ml. As for bacterial culture, two patients had positive results, but they had no symptoms. No surgery-related complications happened. In terms of the outcomes, all of the drainage tubes were removed in less than 5 days, and only one patient experienced relapse after 1 year of surgery during the follow-up. The patients' satisfaction with the breast shape was as follows: excellent (50%), good (22%), acceptable (22%), and poor (6%). Conclusion: For GLM patients refractory to conservative therapy or former unsatisfactory surgical management whose lesion is in the vicinity of the nipple and larger than 3 cm, Dermis-Retained BDGF is a suitable approach to fill the after-debridement defect below the nipple-areola and achieve a relatively satisfactory cosmetic outcome.

Aqueous extract of Amydrium sinense (Engl.) H. Li alleviates hepatic fibrosis by suppressing hepatic stellate cell activation through inhibiting Stat3 signaling.

Background: The present study aimed to investigate the protective effect of the water extract of Amydrium sinense (Engl.) H. Li (ASWE) against hepatic fibrosis (HF) and clarify the underlying mechanism. Methods: The chemical components of ASWE were analysed by a Q-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometer. In our study, an in vivo hepatic fibrosis mouse model was established via an intraperitoneal injection of olive oil containing 20% CCl4. In vitro experiments were conducted using a hepatic stellate cell line (HSC-T6) and RAW 264.7 cell line. A CCK-8 assay was performed to assess the cell viability of HSC-T6 and RAW264.7 cells treated with ASWE. Immunofluorescence staining was used to examine the intracellular localization of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3). Stat3 was overexpressed to analyse the role of Stat3 in the effect of ASWE on HF. Results: Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses showed that candidate targets of ASWE, associated with protective effects against hepatic fibrosis, were related to inflammation response. ASWE ameliorated CCl4-induced liver pathological damage and reduced the liver index and alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) levels. ASWE also decreased the serum levels of collagen Ⅰ (Col Ⅰ) and hydroxyproline (Hyp) in CCl4-treated mice. In addition, the expression of fibrosis markers, including α-SMA protein and Acta2, Col1a1, and Col3a1 mRNA, was downregulated by ASWE treatment in vivo. The expression of these fibrosis markers was also decreased by treatment with ASWE in HSC-T6 cells. Moreover, ASWE decreased the expression of inflammatory markers, including the Tnf-α, Il6 and Il1ß, in RAW264.7 cells. ASWE decreased the phosphorylation of Stat3 and total Stat3 expression and reduced the mRNA expression of the Stat3 gene in vivo and in vitro. ASWE also inhibited the nuclear shuttling of Stat3. Overexpression of Stat3 weakened the therapeutic effect of ASWE and accelerated the progression of HF. Conclusion: The results show that ASWE protects against CCl4-induced liver injury by suppressing fibrosis, inflammation, HSC activation and the Stat3 signaling pathway, which might lead to a new approach for preventing HF.

A case report of primary angiosarcoma of the breast.

Background: Breast Angiosarcoma can be divided into primary breast angiosarcoma (PBA) and second breast angiosarcoma (SBA). PBA is rare malignant breast cancer with poor outcomes. PBA usually occurs in women between 30-40 years old. PBA does not have a specific clinical manifestation. Clinically, PBA presents with a rapidly enlarging breast mass and skin involvement with skin color changes. Ultrasonography of PBA can be hypoechoic or hyperechoic, or mixed disordered areas. Microscopically, PBA can be classified into three grades according to the degree of differentiation, and the grade is related to the prognosis. And PBA can also express vascular endothelial markers. The main treatment for PBA is surgery, especially mastectomy. There are other treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but their effectiveness needs further confirmation. Targeted drugs may be helpful. Case Description: A 32-year-old woman with main clinical presentation of a rapidly growing mass located in the upper inner quadrant of the right breast with skin involvement. PBA was diagnosed with first extended local resection, and then the patient underwent a second right mastectomy. The patient is now undergoing chemotherapy. Conclusions: Since this is a rare form of breast cancer, we report this case to raise the attention of breast surgeons to avoid misdiagnoses.

Changed epidemiology of narcolepsy before, during, and after the 2009 H1N1 pandemic: a nationwide narcolepsy surveillance network study in mainland China, 1990-2017.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Increased incidence of narcolepsy was reported in children during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic following Pandemrix, a H1N1 flu vaccine. A link with A(H1N1) pdm09 infections remains controversial. Using nationwide surveillance data from China (1990 to 2017), the epidemiology of narcolepsy was analyzed. METHODS: Individual records of narcolepsy patients were collected from 15 of 42 hospitals across China known to diagnose cases. Incidence was estimated assuming the representativeness of these hospitals. Age-specific incidence, epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients were evaluated before, during, and after the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. Sensitivity analyses were conducted by including NT1 cases only and excluding the effect of the 2009 H1N1 vaccination. RESULTS: Average annual incidence was 0.79 per 100 000 person-years (PY) from 1990 to 2017 and 1.08 per 100 000 PY from 2003 to 2017. Incidence increased 4.17 (95% CI 4.12, 4.22) and 1.42 (95% CI 1.41, 1.44) fold during and after the 2009 H1N1 pandemic when compared to baseline. These results were robust in sensitivity analyses. Patients with the onset of narcolepsy during the pandemic period were younger (notably in 5-9-year-old strata), and the age shift toward younger children reversed to baseline following the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Increased incidence of narcolepsy was observed during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic period. This is likely to be associated with the circulation of the wild type A(H1N1)pdm09 virus. This observation should be considered for future influenza pandemic preparedness plans.

Post-operative cognitive dysfunction in patients following gastrointestinal endoscopic treatment.

We aimed to explore the changes in post-operative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) after gastrointestinal endoscopic treatment using detailed neuropsychological assessments. Patients hospitalized for gastrointestinal endoscopic polypectomy were recruited for neuropsychological evaluations, which included the Chinese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Auditory-Verbal Learning Test, Digit Span Test (DST), Trail Making Task (TMT), Verbal Fluency Test, Clock Drawing Test, and Stroop test. Cognitive assessments were performed twice: one day before and 24 h after treatment. Healthy control subjects participated in the neuropsychological assessment during the same intervals. Detailed cognitive assessments were performed for 40 patients and 60 control subjects. Based on the Z scores, the incidence of POCD 24 h after gastrointestinal endoscopic treatment was 20%. Patients with POCD had significant impairment in the post-operative MMSE, forward DST, TMT, and Stroop interference effect correct count tests (all p < 0.05). Our preliminary results showed that patients were not fully recovered, and 20% had impairment in multiple cognitive assessments 24 h after a gastrointestinal endoscopy. As attention was affected, safety while discharging those patients should be a concern.

Effect of CPAP on cognitive function in stroke patients with obstructive sleep apnoea: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment on cognitive function in stroke patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) by exploring randomised controlled trials (RCTs). METHODS: Published RCTs that assessed the therapeutic effects of CPAP on cognition in stroke patients with OSA, compared with controls or sham CPAP, were included. Electronic databases, including MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane library, were searched in October 2020 and October 2021. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane collaboration tools. A random effects or fixed effects model was used according to heterogeneity. The outcomes were global cognitive gain, improvement in cognitive domain and subjective sleepiness. RESULTS: 7 RCTs, including 327 participants, comparing CPAP with control or sham CPAP treatment were included. 6 RCTs with 270 participants reported results related to global cognition, and CPAP treatment had no significant effects on global cognitive gain in stroke patients with OSA (standardised mean difference (SMD), 0.18; 95% CI, -0.07 to 0.42; p=0.153). A subgroup analysis showed that an early start to (<2 weeks post stroke) CPAP treatment after stroke significantly improved global cognition (SMD, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.18 to 1.14; p=0.007), which was not found in the case of a delayed start to CPAP treatment. However, CPAP did not significantly help with memory, language, attention or executive function. Moreover, CPAP therapy significantly alleviated subjective sleepiness (SMD, -0.73; 95% CI, -1.15 to -0.32; p≤0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Early initiation of CPAP treatment might contribute to improvement in global cognition in stroke patients with OSA. This study had the following limitations: the sample size in each included study was relatively small; the scales related to cognitive assessment or subjective sleepiness were inconsistent; and the methodological quality was not high. Future trials should focus on including a greater number of stroke patients with OSA undergoing CPAP treatment. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020214709.

Speed and strength training methods in athletes / Métodos de treinamento de velocidade e força em atletas / Métodos de entrenamiento de la velocidad y de la fuerza en los atletas

ABSTRACT Introduction: In recent years, China has invested in many international athletics events, and sports development, including new training methods. Objective: Explore effective training methods for speed and strength of runners in track and field events. Methods: 20 runners from the national team were randomly selected into an experimental and control group. The 10 runners in the experimental group were trained by a combination of traditional strength training and core strength training. The control group performed traditional training. All of them were subjected to fitness indicators to perform the tests. Results: There were significant differences in the speed quality index of 60 meters, and 100 meters and the strength quality index of standing triple jump, long jump, and half squat; the experiment in the control group evidenced significant differences in the speed quality index of 30 meters, 60 meters, 100 meters, and the strength quality index of standing triple jump and standing long jump; significant differences between the experimental group and the control group were evidenced in the speed quality indexes of 60 meters, 100 meters and in the strength quality indexes of triple jump and standing half squat. Conclusion: The presented protocol can significantly improve the professional athletic ability of the national team runners, especially the indicators of strength and speed. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment outcomes.

RESUMO Introdução: Nos últimos anos, a China investiu em muitos eventos internacionais de atletismo, e o desenvolvimento esportivo, incluindo novos métodos de treinamento. Objetivo: Explorar métodos eficazes de treinamento para velocidade e força dos corredores em eventos de atletismo. Métodos: 20 corredores da equipe nacional foram selecionados aleatoriamente em grupo experimental e controle. Os 10 corredores do grupo experimental foram treinados por uma combinação de treinamento de força tradicional e treinamento de força central do abdome. O grupo de controle efetuou o treinamento tradicional. Todos eles foram submetidos a indicadores de aptidão física para realizar os testes. Resultados: Houve diferenças significativas no índice de qualidade de velocidade de 60 metros, 100 metros e no índice de qualidade de força de salto triplo em pé, salto em comprimento e meio agachamento; o experimento no grupo de controle evidenciou diferenças significativas no índice de qualidade de velocidade de 30 metros, 60 metros, 100 metros e no índice de qualidade de força de salto triplo em pé e salto em comprimento em pé. Diferenças significativas entre o grupo experimental e o grupo de controle foram evidenciadas nos índices de qualidade de velocidade de 60 metros, 100 metros e nos índices de qualidade de resistência de saltos triplos e meio agachamento em pé. Conclusão: O protocolo apresentado pode melhorar significativamente o nível da capacidade atlética profissional dos corredores da equipe nacional, especialmente os indicadores de força e velocidade. Nível de evidência II; Estudos terapêuticos - investigação dos resultados do tratamento.

RESUMEN Introducción: En los últimos años, China ha invertido en muchos eventos internacionales de atletismo y en el desarrollo del deporte, incluyendo nuevos métodos de entrenamiento. Objetivo: Explorar métodos de entrenamiento eficaces para la velocidad y la fuerza de los corredores en las pruebas de atletismo. Métodos: Se seleccionaron aleatoriamente 20 corredores del equipo nacional en el grupo experimental y en el de control. Los 10 corredores del grupo experimental fueron entrenados mediante una combinación de entrenamiento de fuerza tradicional y entrenamiento de fuerza del núcleo. El grupo de control realizó un entrenamiento tradicional. Todos ellos fueron sometidos a indicadores de aptitud para realizar las pruebas. Resultados: Hubo diferencias significativas en el índice de calidad de la velocidad de 60 metros, 100 metros y en el índice de calidad de la fuerza del triple salto de pie, el salto de longitud y la media sentadilla; el experimento en el grupo de control evidenció diferencias significativas en el índice de calidad de la velocidad de 30 metros, 60 metros, 100 metros y en el índice de calidad de la fuerza del triple salto de pie y el salto de longitud de pie. Se evidenciaron diferencias significativas entre el grupo experimental y el grupo de control en los índices de calidad de velocidad de 60 metros, 100 metros y en los índices de calidad de fuerza de triple salto y media sentadilla de pie. Conclusión: El protocolo presentado puede mejorar significativamente el nivel de capacidad atlética profesional de los corredores del equipo nacional, especialmente los indicadores de fuerza y velocidad. Nivel de evidencia II; Estudios terapéuticos - investigación de los resultados del tratamiento.

Uncovering the Effect and Mechanism of Rhizoma Corydalis on Myocardial Infarction Through an Integrated Network Pharmacology Approach and Experimental Verification.

Background: Myocardial infarction (MI), characterized by reduced blood flow to the heart, is a coronary artery disorder with the highest morbidity and mortality among cardiovascular diseases. Consequently, there is an urgent need to identify effective drugs to treat MI. Rhizoma Corydalis (RC) is the dry tuber of Corydalis yanhusuo W.T. Wang, and is extensively applied in treating MI clinically in China. Its underlying pharmacological mechanism remains unknown. This study aims to clarify the molecular mechanism of RC on MI by utilizing network pharmacology and experimental verification. Methods: Based on network pharmacology, the potential targets of the RC ingredients and MI-related targets were collected from the databases. Furthermore, core targets of RC on MI were identified by the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and analyzed with Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. Molecular docking was used to validate the binding affinity between the core targets and the bioactive components. Oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) was performed on H9c2 cells to mimic MI in vitro. A Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was used to assess the cardioprotective effect of the active ingredient against OGD. Western blot analysis and RT-qPCR were used to measure the cell apoptosis and inflammation level of H9c2 cells. Results: The network pharmacology obtained 60 bioactive components of RC, 431 potential targets, and 1131 MI-related targets. In total, 126 core targets were screened according to topological analysis. KEGG results showed that RC was closely related to the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Protein kinase B (PKB, also called Akt) signaling pathway. The experimental validation data showed that tetrahydropalmatine (THP) pretreatment preserved cell viability after OGD exposure. THP suppressed cardiomyocyte apoptosis and inflammation induced by OGD, while LY294002 blocked the inhibition effect of THP on OGD-induced H9c2 cell injury. Moreover, the molecular docking results indicated that THP had the strongest binding affinity with Akt over berberine, coptisine, palmatine, and quercetin. Conclusion: THP, the active ingredient of RC, can suppress OGD-induced H9c2 cell injury by activating the PI3K/Akt pathway, which in turn provides a scientific basis for a novel strategy for MI therapy and RC application.

Intervention Effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine Hot Pressing Combined with Health Education on the Adolescent's Visual Fatigue.

To explore the intervention effect of traditional Chinese medicine hot pressing combined with health education in adolescents with asthenopia, 92 adolescents with asthenopia admitted to the outpatient department of Guangming Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital in Pudong New Area from October 2019 to January 2021 were selected and randomly divided into two groups: the control group and the test group, each with 46 cases. Both received health education. The control group was given sodium hyaluronate eye drops, and the test group was given traditional Chinese medicine hot ironing technique intervention. After 2 courses of treatment, the scores of visual fatigue symptoms, clinical curative effect, and eye refractive power of the two groups were observed. The satisfaction of treatment was compared between the two groups. The scores of asthenopia of the two groups were compared at 6 months after intervention. After the intervention, the scores of visual fatigue symptoms in the control group and the test group were reduced after one or two courses of treatment (control group: t = 4.167, 6.318, and P=0.027, 0.010; test group: t = 4.820, 6.834, and P=0.013, <0.001). The scores of asthenopia symptoms of the trial group after the intervention for one and two courses were significantly lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05); the total clinical effective rate of the trial group was 93.48%, which was significantly higher than that of the control group (80.43%). The difference between the groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05); the left and right eyes of the control group did not change significantly before and after the intervention (P > 0.05). After the intervention, the left and right eyes of the paper group were significantly reduced (P < 0.05). After the intervention, the difference of the two groups in the refractive power of the left and right eyes was statistically significant (P < 0.05). After treatment, the satisfaction of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). After 6 months, there was no significant change in the visual fatigue score of the experimental group, while the visual fatigue score of the control group increased significantly. The traditional Chinese medicine ironing combined with health education intervention can improve the symptoms of adolescents' asthenopia and improve the treatment efficiency. The method is safe, and the operation is convenient. It is worthy of clinical promotion.

Clinical characteristics and outcome of primary brain abscess: a retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with primary brain abscess often present with atypical symptoms, and the outcome varies. We investigated the demographic, laboratory, and neuroimaging features of patients with brain abscess at our hospital and identified factors associated with their outcomes. METHODS: We retrospectively collected the data of patients diagnosed with primary brain abscess at our hospital between January 2011 and December 2020. Their clinical characteristics, predisposing factors, laboratory and neuroimaging findings, treatment, and outcome were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 57 patients diagnosed with primary abscess, 51 (89.47%) were older than 40 years, and 42 (73.68%) were male. Only eight patients (14.04%) showed the classical triad of headache, fever, and focal neurological deficit. Fifteen patients (26.31%) had comorbidities, of which diabetes mellitus was the most common. Positive intracranial purulent material cultures were obtained in 46.15% of the patients, and gram-negative enteric bacteria were found in 33.33% of them, with Klebsiella pneumoniae being the most frequently observed. Surgical treatment, most commonly in the form of stereotactic drainage, was received by 54.39% of the patients. Good outcomes were achieved in 75.44% of the patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that patients with headaches were more likely to have a poor outcome (odds ratio 6.010, 95% confidence interval 1.114-32.407, p = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS: Male patients and those older than 40 years were more susceptible to brain abscess than female patients and those younger than 40 years, respectively. Only a few patients showed the classical triad of clinical symptoms. Diabetes mellitus was the most common comorbidity. Positive intracranial specimens' culture results were uncommon, with gram-negative enteric bacteria, especially Klebsiella pneumoniae, being the main organisms found. Most patients had a good outcome, and the presence of headache may influence the outcome.

Effect of Sleep-Disordered Breathing During Rapid Eye Movement Sleep and Non-Rapid Eye Movement sleep on Acute Ischemic Stroke.

OBJECTIVES: Sleep-disordered breathing adversely impacts stroke outcomes. We investigated whether sleep-disordered breathing during rapid eye movement sleep and non-rapid eye movement sleep differentially influenced stroke outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Acute ischemic stroke patients who finished polysomnography within 14 days of stroke onset from April 2010 to August 2018 were reviewed. Patients were divided into four groups according to apnea-hypopnea index during rapid eye movement sleep and non-rapid eye movement sleep. The modified Rankin Scale was used to evaluate short-term outcome. During January and April 2019, another follow-up was performed for long-term outcomes, including stroke-specific quality-of-life scale, modified Rankin Scale, stroke recurrence and death. RESULTS: Of 140 patients reviewed, 109 were finally recruited. Although patients with sleep-disordered breathing during non-rapid eye movement sleep only and with sleep-disordered breathing during both rapid eye movement sleep and non-rapid eye movement sleep had higher apnea-hypopnea indices and more disrupted sleep structures, short-term and long-term outcomes did not significantly different between four groups. In Logistic regression analysis, apnea-hypopnea index (p = 0.013, OR 1.023, 95%CI 1.005-1.042) was found independently associated with short-term outcome. Rapid eye movement sleep latency (p = 0.045, OR 0.994, 95%CI 0.987-1.000) was found independently associated with quality of life. Apnea-hypopnea indices during rapid eye movement sleep or non-rapid eye movement sleep were not significantly associated with short-term or long-term outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Apnea-hypopnea index is an independent risk factor of short-term outcome of acute ischemic stroke while sleep-disordered breathing during rapid eye movement sleep and non-rapid eye movement sleep do not affect stroke outcomes differently.

Exergoeconomic Analysis of Corn Drying in a Novel Industrial Drying System.

The improvement of the design and operation of energy conversion systems is a theme of global concern. As an energy intensive operation, industrial agricultural product drying has also attracted significant attention in recent years. Taking a novel industrial corn drying system with drying capacity of 5.5 t/h as a study case, based on existing exergoeconomic and exergetic analysis methodology, the present work investigated the exergetic and economic performance of the drying system and identified its energy use deficiencies. The results showed that the average drying rate for corn drying in the system is 1.98 gwater/gdry matter h. The average exergy rate for dehydrating the moisture from the corn kernel is 345.22 kW and the exergy efficiency of the drying chamber ranges from 14.81% to 40.10%. The average cost of producing 1 GJ exergy for removing water from wet corn kernels is USD 25.971, while the average cost of removing 1 kg water is USD 0.159. These results might help to further understand the drying process from the exergoeconomic perspective and aid formulation of a scientific index for agricultural product industrial drying. Additionally, the results also indicated that, from an energy perspective, the combustion chamber should be firstly optimized, while the drying chamber should be given priority from the exergoeconomics perspective. The main results would be helpful for further optimizing the drying process from both energetic and economic perspectives and provide new thinking about agricultural product industrial drying from the perspective of exergoeconomics.

Developing an Online Measurement Device Based on Resistance Sensor for Measurement of Single Grain Moisture Content in Drying Process.

The online measurement of moisture content for grains is an essential technology to realize real-time tracking and control, improve drying quality and reduce energy consumption of the drying process. To improve the measurement accuracy and reliability of the dynamic measurement process as well as expand the application scope of the device, the present work constructed an experimental equipment for determining dynamic resistance characteristics of a single grain. The relations between moisture content and real-time resistance waveform were revealed, and an analytical calculation method of peak value and peak area of waveform was proposed, which correctly revealed the electrical measurement properties of grain. The results demonstrated that the gap width between the electrodes had large influence on the sensor's performance. Moreover, an online measuring device was developed based on the experimental analysis and calculation method, and the test results in both lab and field for different grains showed that online real-time absolute measurement error are within ±0.5% in the varied moisture content (10-35%w.b.) and the temperature (-20-50 °C). The main results and the developed device might provide technical support for developing intelligent grain drying equipment.

Traditional Chinese Medicine in Depression Treatment: From Molecules to Systems.

Depression is a multigenetic or multifactorial syndrome. The central neuron system (CNS)-orientated, single target, and conventional antidepressants are insufficient and far from ideal. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has historically been used to treat depression up till today, particularly in Asia. Its holistic, multidrug, multitarget nature fits well with the therapeutic idea of systems medicine in depression treatment. Over the past two decades, although efforts have been made to understand TCM herbal antidepressants at the molecular level, many fundamental questions regarding their mechanisms of action remain to be addressed at the systems level in order to better understand the complicated herbal formulations in depression treatment. In this Mini Review, we review and discuss the mechanisms of action of herbal antidepressants and their acting targets in the pathological systems in the brain, such as monoamine neurotransmissions, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, neurotropic factor brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) cascade, and glutamate transmission. Some herbal molecules, constituents, and formulas are highlighted as examples to discuss their mechanisms of action and future directions for comprehensive researches at the systems level. Furthermore, we discuss pharmacological approaches to integrate the mechanism of action from the molecular level into the systems level for understanding of systems pharmacology of TCM formulations. Integration of the studies at the molecular level into the systems level not only represents a trend in TCM study but also promotes our understanding of the system-wide mechanism of action of herbal antidepressant formulations.

Reduced cortical arousability to nocturnal apneic episodes in patients with wake-up ischemic stroke.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Sleep breathing disorders (SBD) have been linked to wake-up stroke (WUS). Respiratory arousals have an important role in responding to danger during sleep, yet currently no studies have investigated respiratory arousability in WUS. In this study, we used a clinical tool to predict low respiratory arousal threshold (ArTH), and then compared respiratory arousability in patients with WUS and non-WUS. METHODS: We enrolled 119 patients with acute ischemic stroke and assigned them into WUS (n = 34) and non-WUS (n = 85) groups. All participants underwent polysomnography (PSG) during the acute phase of stroke. The respiratory ArTH predictive tool assigns one point for each of the following: apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) < 30/h, nadir oxygen saturation (SaO2) > 82.5%, and fraction of hypopneas > 58.3%. An ArTH score ≥2 represents low respiratory ArTH. RESULTS: Our results reconfirmed the association between moderate-to-severe sleep apnea syndrome and WUS (OR 2.879, 95% CI 1.17-7.089, p = 0.021). Significantly fewer participants with obstructive sleep apnea (AHI ≥ 5/h) had low respiratory ArTH in the WUS group than in the non-WUS group (34.8% vs. 68.1%, respectively, p = 0.008). High respiratory ArTH was independently associated with WUS (OR 5.556, 95% CI 1.959-15.761, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The correlation between SBD and WUS suggests that sleep apnea might induce acute physiological changes that trigger the onset of stroke. We show that reduced respiratory arousability is associated with WUS, and hypothesize that reduced cortical capability to generate respiratory arousal may have a role in triggering stroke during sleep.

Facile synthesis of Mn-doped MoS2 nanosheets on carbon nanotubes as efficient electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction.

As a substitute of Pt-based catalysts, MoS2-based catalysts have been widely used in hydrogen evolution reaction, but the inherent low conductivity, limited active edges, self-stacking and agglomeration still hinder their activities. In this work, Mn-doped MoS2 nanosheets were vertically anchored on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by the one-step hydrothermal reaction, in which Mn-O-C/Mo-O-C was considered as a bridge between Mn-MoS2 and CNTs. The doping of the Mn element enables the spreading of MoS2 on CNTs and the rapid escape of hydrogen bubbles from the electrode, while conductive CNTs with hydrophilicity can accelerate the electron transport process between the electrolyte and the material. With an overpotential of 150 mV at a current density of -10 mA cm-2 and a Tafel slope of 39 mV dec-1, this material exhibited excellent catalytic hydrogen evolution activity, which could open the path for designing commercial electrocatalysts.

Association of homocysteine, folate, and white matter hyperintensities in Parkinson's patients with different motor phenotypes.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of homocysteine (Hcy), folate, and white matter hyperintensities in Parkinson's disease (PD) with different motor phenotypes. METHODS: Of the PD patients, 176 were included. Based on the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, the PD patients were classified into postural instability gait disorder (PIGD) and non-PIGD phenotypes. According to the Fazekas score, patients were divided into the none/mild white matter hyperintensity (WMH) group and the moderate/severe WMH group. The relationship of Hcy, folate, and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), and the motor phenotype of PD were analyzed. RESULTS: PD-PIGD patients had higher proportion of moderate/severe WMHs, Hcy levels, and lower folate levels than PD-non-PIGD patients (p all ≤ 0.001). In the subgroup analysis, patients with both PD-PIGD and moderate/severe WMHs had the highest Hcy and lowest folate levels compared with others. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that age, folate, and Hcy were independent risk factors for WMHs. In an a priori-determined stratified analysis, after adjustment for confounding factors, the odds ratio of WMHs was 8.01 (95% CI 2.700-23.767, p trend = 0.001) in the patients with Hcy levels in the highest quintile compared with the lowest quintile and 16.81 (95% CI 4.74-59.65, p trend < 0.001) in the patients with folate levels in the lowest quintile compared with the highest quintile. CONCLUSIONS: Our data showed a close association between WMHs and Hcy, folate especially in PD-PIGD patients. It can be speculated that higher Hcy and lower folate probably played important roles in the development of WMHs and motor heterogeneity in PD.