Chalcone derivatives ameliorate lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury and inflammation by targeting MD2.

Acute lung injury (ALI) and its severe form acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are known as the common causes of respiratory failure in critically ill patients. Myeloid differentiation 2 (MD2), a co-receptor of toll like receptor 4 (TLR4), plays an important role in LPS-induced ALI in mice. Since MD2 inhibition by pharmacological inhibitors or gene knockout significantly attenuates ALI in animal models, MD2 has become an attractive target for the treatment of ALI. In this study we identified two chalcone-derived compounds, 7w and 7x, as new MD2 inhibitors, and investigated the therapeutic effects of 7x and 7w in LPS-induced ALI mouse model. In molecular docking analysis we found that 7w and 7x, formed pi-pi stacking interactions with Phe151 residue of the MD2 protein. The direct binding was confirmed by surface plasmon resonance analysis (with KD value of 96.2 and 31.2 µM, respectively) and by bis-ANS displacement assay. 7w and 7x (2.5, 10 µM) also dose-dependently inhibited the interaction between lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and rhMD2 and LPS-MD2-TLR4 complex formation. In mouse peritoneal macrophages, 7w and 7x (1.25-10 µM) dose-dependently inhibited LPS-induced inflammatory responses, MAPKs (JNK, ERK and P38) phosphorylation as well as NF-κB activation. Finally, oral administration of 7w or 7x (10 mg ·kg-1 per day, for 7 days prior LPS challenge) in ALI mouse model significantly alleviated LPS-induced lung injury, pulmonary edema, lung permeability, inflammatory cells infiltration, inflammatory cytokines expression and MD2/TLR4 complex formation. In summary, we identify 7w and 7x as new MD2 inhibitors to inhibit inflammatory response both in vitro and in vivo, proving the therapeutic potential of 7w and 7x for ALI and inflammatory diseases.

Clinical activity changes in the neurology department of Wenzhou during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the activity changes in neurology clinical practice that have occurred in tertiary public hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Outpatient and inpatient data from the neurology department were extracted from the electronic medical record system of three tertiary Grade A hospitals in Wenzhou. Data were analyzed across 5 months following the beginning of the pandemic (from January 13 to May 17) and compared with the same period in 2019. Data on reperfusion therapy for acute infarction stroke were extracted monthly from January to April. RESULTS: The number of outpatients declined from 102,300 in 2019 to 75,154 in 2020 (26.54%), while the number of inpatients in the three tertiary Grade A hospitals decreased from 4641 to 3437 (25.94%). The latter trend showed a significant drop from the 3rd week to the 7th week. The number of patients in these hospitals decreased significantly, and a significant drop was seen in the neurology department. As usual, stroke was the most common disease observed; however, anxiety/depression and insomnia increased dramatically in the outpatient consultation department. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study revealed the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the clinical practice of neurology in Wenzhou during the outbreak. Understanding the pandemic's trends and impact on neurological patients and health systems will allow for better preparation of neurologists in the future.

Research on the horizontal equity of inpatient benefits among NCMS enrollees in China: evidence from Shaanxi Province.

BACKGROUND: Equity is an important goal for countries in formulating relevant health policies, and research on the equity of health services is more important for China, where the gap between the rich and poor is widening. The aims of this study are to explore to what extent the benefit equity of New Rural Cooperative Medical System enrollees has been achieved and to determine the geographical disparities in Shaanxi province and thus provide suggestions for future policy formulations. METHODS: Data were obtained from the fifth Health Service Survey of Shaanxi province in 2013. A two-step mode was used to analyse the influencing factors of the inpatient benefit rate and inpatient compensation fee. Concentration indexes and concentration curves were applied to measure the inequity of the inpatient benefit rate and inpatient compensation fee. The decomposition method was employed to explore the source of inequity and horizontal inequity. RESULTS: Based on a sample of 38,032 enrollees, our results showed that there were pro-rich inequities in the inpatient benefit rate and compensation fee. The concentration index of the inpatient benefit rate and compensation fee in 2013 were 0.064 and 0.174, respectively. The economic level (224.62%), self-evaluated health status (- 25.89%) and occupation status (- 12.32%) were the primary three contributors to the inequity of the inpatient benefit rate, and the economic level (106.16%) and age (- 2.88%) were the first two contributors to the inequity of the compensation fee. There were regional differences in the sources of inequities. Moreover, pro-rich horizontal inequity remained after standardizing health care needs. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that there were pro-rich inequities in the inpatient benefit rate and compensation fee in the New Rural Cooperative Medical System. The economic levels of enrollees accounted for most of the existing inequity, followed by self-evaluated health scores and age. Efforts should be made to strengthen policies and programmes in the New Rural Cooperative Medical System to achieve basic health services equity, such as implementing hierarchical medical treatments and reducing extra inpatient benefits for the rich.

An economy-ralated equity analysis of health service utilization by women in economically underdeveloped regions of western China.

BACKGROUND: The Chinese government has long been committed to eliminating the inequality in the utilization of health services; however, it still lacks an analysis or measurement of the economy-related inequality in the utilization of women's health services. METHODS: The economy-related utilization of health services in women aged 15 years and above was assessed by the horizontal inequity index of a two-week outpatient rate and annual inpatient rate from the 5th National Health Service Survey of Shaanxi Province. The concentration index of each factor was decomposed into the contribution of each factor to the economic-related inequality of health service utilization based on the Probit regression model. RESULTS: The horizontal inequity indexes of the two-week outpatient rate was 0.0493, and the horizontal inequity indexes of the annual impatient rate was 0.0869. The contributions of economic status to the two indexes were 190.71% and 115.80%, respectively. Economic status, age, basic medical insurance, educational status, marital status, urban/rural area, and self-rated health were the main impact factors that affected the inequality in women's health services utilization in Shaanxi. CONCLUSIONS: Health service utilization was different between women with different social demographic characteristics, and unequal health service utilization is evident among women in Shaanxi.

Exploring the nonlinear relationship between body mass index and health-related quality of life among adults: a cross-sectional study in Shaanxi Province, China.

INTRODUCTION: China is a country facing the "double burden" of both obesity and underweight. The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in adults from Shaanxi Province. METHODS: The data were derived from the fifth Health Service Survey of Shaanxi Province, which was part of China's National Health Service Survey (NHSS), conducted in 2013. The HRQOL was assessed using the three-level EQ-5D questionnaire and scored based on a recently developed Chinese-specific tariff. Semiparametric regression models were adopted to explore the non-linear relationship between continuous BMI and overall HRQOL scores. Logistic regression models were further undertaken to assess the relationship between categorized BMI and five dimensions of HRQOL. RESULTS: Among the study sample (n = 37,902), 77% of men and 75 % of women were assigned to normal weight, according to the WHO International classification. There were statistical significant nonlinear relationships between BMI and HRQOL, with optimal HRQOL achieved at a BMI of near 23 kg/m2 for men and 24 kg/m2 for women. Before BMI reached optimal HRQOL, the EQ-5D utility scores were increasing faster among men than the women, whilst after the BMI value reached the optimal utility scores, women showed a faster decline in utility scores than men. With adjustments for socio-demographic, physical activity and co-morbidities, obese respondents were more likely to suffer from physical rather than mental problems. Underweight respondents were significantly more likely to report having any problems in all five dimensions of the EQ-5D, whilst the magnitudes of odds ratios were consistently larger for men than women. CONCLUSION: There was an inverse U-shaped association between continuous BMI and overall HRQOL scores, meaning that both underweight and obesity were associated with lower HRQOL. The relationship between BMI and HRQOL varied between sexes. Underweight respondents had a higher risk of suffering from both physical and mental problems. Interventions aimed to tackle the prevalence of underweight should be put into action in Shaanxi Province.

[The prognostic impact of preoperative PET-CT on postoperative recurrence for completely resected stage I non-small cell lung cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the prognostic impact of preoperative (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET-CT on postoperative recurrence in patients with completely resected stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: The clinic data of 182 patients with stage I NSCLC who underwent (18)F-FDG PET-CT scan before surgical resection between June 2005 and June 2012 were reviewed retrospectively. There were 121 male and 61 female patients, with an average age of 68 years (range from 34 to 85 years). The pathological stage was I A in 98 patients, I B in 84 patients; the histology were adenocarcinoma in 137 patients, squamous cell carcinoma in 35 patients, and others in 10 patients. Clinicopathological factors including gender, age, smoking history, SUV(max), surgical procedure, pathological features and adjuvant chemotherapy were evaluated to identify the independent factors predicting postoperative recurrences by univariate and multivariate analysis. The survivals were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method and differences in variables were analyzed by the Log-rank test. RESULTS: The postoperative recurrence rate was 15.9%. The univariate analysis identified that the SUV(max) (t=3.278, P<0.001), p-stage (χ² =5.204, P=0.026), blood vessel invasion (χ² =5.333, P=0.027) and visceral pleural invasion (χ² =7.697, P=0.009) are factors for predicting postoperative recurrence. Only SUV(max) was found to be a significant independent factor according to multivariate analysis (HR=1.068, 95%CI: 1.015 to 1.123, P=0.001). The study population was stratified into three groups by SUV(max), patients with SUV(max) > 5.0 had significantly higher risk of recurrence (23.9%) than those with 2.5 < SUV(max) ≤ 5.0 (15.0%) and SUV(max) ≤ 2.5 (7.3%) (P=0.043); patients with SUV(max) ≤ 2.5 had significantly better 5-year recurrence-free survival rate (90.9%) than those with 2.5 < SUV(max) ≤ 5.0 (82.7%) and SUV(max) ≤ 2.5 (71.0%) (P=0.030). There was a trend toward higher probability of blood vessel invasion (χ² =20.267, P < 0.001), visceral pleural invasion (χ² =6.185, P=0.045) and pathological stage I B (χ² =13.589, P=0.001) with increased SUV(max). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative SUV(max) of primary tumor is a predictor of postoperative relapse for stage I NSCLC after surgical resection. Therefore, it can contribute to the risk stratification for patients with the same pathological stage and selecting the optimal postoperative follow-up and therapeutic strategy.

Value of dual-phase (99m)Tc-sestamibi scintigraphy with neck and thoracic SPECT/CT in secondary hyperparathyroidism.

OBJECTIVE: Surgical intervention in the form of parathyroidectomy is generally considered only for severe secondary hyperparathyroidism (sHPT). However, correct location of the parathyroid glands before parathyroidectomy is a challenge. The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic value of early and delayed phase (99m)Tc-sestamibi SPECT/CT in the detection of parathyroid tissue to guide operative treatment of patients with sHPT. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Eighty patients with sHPT who were undergoing hemodialysis were evaluated preoperatively with dual-phase (99m)Tc-sestamibi SPECT/CT parathyroid scintigraphy to locate parathyroid tissue before parathyroidectomy. The scintigraphic results were classified as positive or negative. The accuracy of (99m)Tc sestamibi early and delayed phase SPECT/CT scintigraphy was determined. RESULTS: Early phase (99m)Tc-sestamibi SPECT/CT depicted 3.57 parathyroid glands (PTGs) and delayed phase (99m)Tc-sestamibi SPECT/CT depicted 3.55 PTGs per study. The specificity of both early and delayed phase (99m)Tc-sestamibi SPECT/CT in detecting PTGs was 100%. The (99m)Tc-sestamibi SPECT/CT images of 7 of 80 patients showed positive findings in the delayed phase and negative findings in the early phase. The (99m)Tc-sestamibi SPECT/CT images of 6 of 80 patients showed positive findings in the early phase and negative findings in the delayed phase. CONCLUSION: The results of our study indicate that both early and delayed phase (99m)Tc-sestamibi SPECT/CT should be performed in the preoperative evaluation of hemodialysis patients with sHPT due to chronic kidney disease. Performance of both early and delayed phase (99m)Tc-sestamibi SPECT/CT did not increase the radiation dose compared with the use of only the early or the delayed phase.

Cerebral pseudoinfarction due to venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Neurological complications are common in the management of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO), with most patients requiring sedation and intubation, limiting the assessment of neurological function. There-fore, we must rely on advanced neuroimaging techniques, such as computed tomography angiography (CTA) and computed tomography perfusion (CTP). Because ECMO changes the normal blood flow pattern, it may interfere with the contrast medium in some special cases, leading to artifacts and ultimately mis-leading clinical decisions. CASE SUMMARY: A 61-year-old man presented to a local hospital with chest tightness and pain 1 d prior to presentation. The patient was treated with VA-ECMO after sudden car-diac and respiratory arrest at a local hospital. For further treatment, the patient was transferred to our hospital. The initial consciousness assessment was not clear, and routine CTP was performed to understand the intracranial changes, which suggested a large area of cerebral infarction on the right side; however, the cerebral oxygen was not consistent with the CTP results, and the reexamination of CTA still suggested a right cerebral infarction. To identify this difference, bedside transcranial Doppler was performed, and the blood flow on both sides was different. By reducing the ECMO flow, CTP reexamination showed that the results were normal and consistent with the clinical results. On day 3, the patient was alert and showed good limb movements. CONCLUSION: In patients with peripheral VA-ECMO, cerebral perfusion confirmed by CTP and CTA may lead to false cerebral infarction.

Phlorizin, a novel caloric restriction mimetic, stimulates hypoxia and protects cardiomyocytes through activating autophagy via modulating the Hif-1α/Bnip3 axis in sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory syndrome that can lead to multiple organ dysfunction and life-threatening complications. Sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction (SIMD) has been confirmed to be present in half of patients with septic shock, increasing their mortality rate to 70-90%. The pathogenesis of SIMD is complex, and no specific clinical treatment has yet been developed. Caloric restriction mimetics (CRM), compounds that simulate the biochemical and functional properties of CR, can improve cardiovascular injury by activating autophagy. This study investigated the effect of a new type of CRM which can induce hypoxia, the SGLT nonspecific inhibitor phlorizin on SIMD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In vivo, phlorizin was administered at 1 mg/kg/day intragastrically for 28 days. In vitro, AC16 was treated with 120 µM phlorizin for 48 h. Echocardiography was used to assess cardiac function. Myocardial injury markers were detected in serum and cell supernatant. Western blotting was employed to detect changed proteins associated with apoptosis and autophagy. Immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, co-immunoprecipitation, molecular docking, and other methods were also used to illustrate cellular changes. RESULTS: In vivo, phlorizin significantly improved the survival rate and cardiac function after sepsis injury, reduced markers of myocardial injury, inhibited myocardial apoptosis and oxidative stress, and promoted autophagy. In vitro, phlorizin alleviated the apoptosis of AC16, as well as inhibited oxidative stress and apoptotic enzyme activity. Phlorizin acts on autophagy at multiple sites through low energy (activation of AMPK) and hypoxia (release of Beclin-1 by Hif-1α/Bnip3 axis), promoting the formation and degradation of autophagosomes. CONCLUSION: We indicated for the first time that phlorizin could inhibit glucose uptake via GLUT-1 and conforms to the metabolic characteristics of CRM, it can induce the hypoxic transcriptional paradigm. In addition, it inhibits apoptosis and improves SIMD by promoting autophagy generation and unobstructing autophagy flux. Moreover, it affects autophagy by releasing Beclin-1 through the Hif-1α/Bnip3 axis.

The Elabela-APJ axis attenuates sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction by reducing pyroptosis by balancing the formation and degradation of autophagosomes.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a life-threatening severe inflammatory reaction caused by the host's dysregulated response to infection. Sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction (SIMD) has been confirmed to occur in 50 % of patients with septic shock. Currently, the pathophysiological mechanism of SIMD is complex, and there is no targeted treatment. Elabela is another endogenous ligand of Aplnr (APJ). The protective effect of APJ on the heart has been proven. Elabela (Ela) has been shown to have a variety of cardiovascular protective effects. However, there are no studies demonstrating the protective effect of Ela-APJ axis on SIMD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In vivo, C57BL/J mice were injected subcutaneously with 1 mg/kg/d Ela for 2 weeks, and in vitro, AC16 cells were treated with 1 µM Ela for 24 h. A 7-0 thread was used to ligate the distal end of the cecum, followed by puncture with a 20-gauge needle. Once a small amount of fluid leaks out, release the cecum back into the abdominal cavity. We measured the survival rates of the mice, performed ultrasound on their hearts, and evaluated the effects of the treatments. The serum and cell supernatant were extracted to detect myocardial injury markers and pyroptosis-related indicators. Western blotting was used to detect autophagy and pyroptosis-related protein. Molecular docking and other experiments were also used to detect changes in related proteins. RESULTS: In vivo, Ela significantly improved the survival rate of septic mice, improved cardiac function, and reduced the production of myocardial injury markers, oxidative stress and pyroptosis. In vitro, Ela unblocked autophagy flow by affecting TFEB transcription. Autophagy reduces inflammation and oxidative stress by selectively degrading inflammatory bodies and ultimately alleviates pyroptosis. CONCLUSION: We had demonstrated for the first time that in sepsis, Ela promoted the degradation of inflammasomes, reduced oxidative stress, and inhibited the occurrence of pyroptosis by unblocking autophagy flow.

Proteotranscriptomic analyses of the midgut and Malpighian tubules after a sublethal concentration of Cry1Ab exposure on Spodoptera litura.

BACKGROUND: Cry1Ab has emerged as a bio-insecticide to control Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). However, the sublethal effects of Cry1Ab on the physiological changes and molecular level of S. litura have not been well documented. Our aims in this study were to assess the sublethal effect of Cry1Ab on S. litura, including midgut and Malpighian tubules as targets. RESULTS: After sublethal Cry1Ab exposure, distinct histological alterations were mainly observed in the midgut. Furthermore, the results of comparative RNA sequencing and tandem mass tag-based proteomics showed that, in the midgut, most differential expression genes (DEGs) were up-regulated and significantly enriched in the serine protease activity pathway, and up-regulated differential expression proteins (DEPs) were mainly associated with the oxidative phosphorylation pathway, whereas the down-regulated involved in the ribosome pathways. In the Malpighian tubules, DEGs and DEPs were significantly enriched in the ribosome pathway. We proposed that ribosome may act as a universal target in energy metabolism with other pathways via the results of protein-protein interaction analysis. Further, by verification of the mRNA expression of some Cry protein receptor and detoxification genes after Cry1Ab treatment, it was suggested that the ribosomal proteins (RPs) possibly participate in influencing the Bt-resistance of S. litura larvae under sublethal Cry1Ab exposure. CONCLUSION: Under sublethal Cry1Ab exposure, the midgut of S. litura was damaged, and the proteotranscriptomic analysis elucidated that Cry1Ab disrupted the energy homeostasis of larvae. Furthermore, we emphasized the potential role of ribosomes in sublethal Cry1Ab exposure. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

[A comparison of ventilation/perfusion single photon emission CT and CT pulmonary angiography for diagnosis of pulmonary embolism].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) single photon emission CT (SPECT) as compared to computed tomographic pulmonary angiography (CTPA) for pulmonary embolism (PE). METHODS: In this prospective multicenter study, 111 patients in whom acute or sub-acute PE was clinically confirmed or suspected were enrolled. The patients underwent one-day method V/Q lung scan (including SPECT and planar imaging) within 3 days before and after completion of CTPA. The European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) guidelines for ventilation/perfusion scintigraphy (2009) reference was used as the evaluation criteria of V/Q SPECT imaging. The refined modified prospective investigation of pulmonary embolism diagnosis (RM-PIOPED) criteria was used for evaluation of planar imaging. According to the direct and indirect signs of PE, the imaging of CTPA was evaluated. All patients were followed for at least 6 months. A diagnosis was finally made by consensus of respiratory physicians, radiologists and nuclear medicine physicians based on the clinical data, laboratory tests, imaging features and follow-up results. The difference among diagnostic methods was evaluated for significance using chi-square test. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn according to the results of the 3 diagnostic tests. The area under ROC curve (AUC) was calculated and compared. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Among the 111 patients, PE was confirmed in 80, and excluded in 31. The diagnostic sensitivity/specificity/accuracy of V/Q SPECT, planar imaging, and CTPA were 85.9%/93.5%/88.1%, 75.7%/92.9%/81.4%, and 85.5%/90.0%/86.8%, respectively. By ROC curve analysis, the AUC values of V/Q SPECT, planar imaging and CTPA were 0.898, 0.838, and 0.877, respectively; with 95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.831 to 0.966, 0.759 to 0.917, and 0.801 to 0.954, respectively. The area of the fitted smooth ROC curve was statistically significant (P < 0.05) as compared with the area under the reference line. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that SPECT V/Q imaging is superior to V/Q planar scan and CTPA in the diagnosis of PE.

Analysis of the effectiveness of the application of pelvic floor rehabilitation exercise and the factors influencing its self-efficacy in postoperative patients with cervical cancer.

Objective: To analyze the application effect of pelvic floor rehabilitation exercise in postoperative patients with cervical cancer and the factors influencing their self-efficacy. Methods: 120 postoperative patients with cervical cancer from January 2019 to January 2022 from the Department of Rehabilitation, Aeronautical Industry Flying Hospital, Bayi Orthopaedic Hospital and Southwest Medical University Affiliated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chengdu Seventh People's Hospital, and the Department of Oncology, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital were selected for the study. They were divided into routine group (n=44, applied routine care) and exercise group (n=76, applied routine care + pelvic floor rehabilitation exercise) according to the different perioperative care programs. The perioperative indicators, bladder function recovery rate and urinary retention incidence, urodynamic indicators, and pelvic floor distress inventory-short form 20 (PFDI-20) scores were compared between the 2 groups. The general data, PFDI-20 scores and broome pelvic muscle self-efficacy scale (BPMSES) scores of patients in the exercise group were investigated and analyzed individually to investigate the factors influencing the self-efficacy of patients with pelvic floor rehabilitation exercise after cervical cancer surgery. Results: The time of first anal exhaust, urine tube retention and hospitalization after surgery were shorter in the exercise group than in the routine group (P<0.05). The bladder function grade I rate after surgery was more in the exercise group than in the routine group, and the urinary retention incidence was lower than that in the routine group (P<0.05). At 2 weeks after exercise, bladder compliance and bladder detrusor systolic pressure were higher in both groups than before exercise, and they were higher in the exercise group than in the routine group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in urethral closure pressure within and between the two groups (P>0.05). At 3 months after surgery, the PFDI-20 scores were higher in both groups than before surgery, and the exercise group was lower than the routine group (P<0.05).The BPMSES score for the exercise group was (103.33 ± 9.16). Marital status, residence and PFDI-20 scores were influential factors in the self-efficacy level of patients undergoing pelvic floor rehabilitation exercise after cervical cancer surgery (P<0.05). Conclusion: Implementing pelvic floor rehabilitation exercise for postoperative patients with cervical cancer can speed up the recovery of pelvic organ function and reduce the occurrence of postoperative urinary retention. Marital status, residence and PFDI-20 scores were influential factors in the self-efficacy level of patients undergoing pelvic floor rehabilitation exercise after cervical cancer surger, medical staff need to incorporate these clinical features to provide targeted nursing interventions to enhance patient compliance with training and improve postoperative survival quality.

What affects the direct economic burden of non-communicable diseases on middle-aged and older adult people in Shaanxi Province?

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide. NCDs affect the health status and the quality of life. In addition, continuous NCDs treatment expenses place a heavy economic burden on families and cause huge economic losses to the society. The prevention and treatment of NCDs and reduction of their economic burden are key public health issues. Considering middle-aged and older adult people as the focus, their basic socio-demographic characteristics and health behavior status of this group, and a pooled cross-sections regression model was then used to analyze the main factors affecting the direct economic burden. The results showed that from 2013 to 2018, the prevalence of NCDs among the middle-aged and older adult people in Shaanxi province as well as the direct economic burden of NCDs increased. The effect factors primarily included sex, age, employment status, income level, type of medical insurance, urban or rural residency, level of the health care-providing institutions, visiting times of 2-week, and length of hospital stay. Several measures can be taken to control the onset of NCDs and reduce their direct economic burden.

Root distribution characteristics of monoculture and mixture of Pinus tabuliformis and Robinia pseudoacacia plantation.

In this study, we analyzed the vertical distribution characteristics of root biomass density, root length density, root surface area density in monoculture and mixture of Pinus tabuliformis and Robinia pseudoacacia plantations in Caijiachuan small watershed of Jixian County, Shanxi. We examined their relationships with soil physical and chemical properties in different stand types. The results showed that the total root biomass density of P. tabuliformis and R. pseudoacacia in mixture was more than 75% higher than that in monoculture. Root system of P. tabuli-formis mainly distributed in shallow layer (0-40 cm), while that of R. pseudoacacia was deeper (40-80 cm). Fine roots were predominant in different diameter classes. Length density and surface area density of fine roots were in the order of R. pseudoacacia in mixture > P. tabuliformis in mixture > R. pseudoacacia stand > P. tabuliformis stand. Root biomass density of fine roots was in the order of P. tabuliformis in mixture ＞ R. pseudoacacia in mixture ＞ P. tabuliformis stand ＞ R. pseudoacacia stand. In vertical profile, the total root and fine root biomass, root length and root surface area density of P. tabuliformis stand, R. pseudoacacia stand, P. tabuliformis in mixture and R. pseudoacacia in mixture showed a rule of decreasing with the increases of soil depth. Under different stand types, fine root length density, root biomass density and total root length density were positively correlated with soil total nitrogen, soil organic carbon, and soil water contents. Total root surface area density was significantly positively correlated with soil organic carbon, soil water content, and soil total nitrogen. The distribution of roots in pure and mixed stands of P. tabuliformis and R. pseudoacacia showed different patterns. Compared with the pure stand, the mixed stand had higher root biomass, soil nutrient contents, and soil water content.

Effect of thinning intensity on natural regeneration of Larix principis-rupprechtii.

We analyzed the impacts of thinning intensity on the natural regeneration of Larix principis-rupprechtii in Shanxi Pangquangou Nature Reserve, with an experiment of five thinning intensities (5%, 25%, 45%, 65% and 85%). We constructed a structural equation model of thinning intensity-understory habitat-natural regeneration by using correlation analysis. The results showed that the regeneration index of moderate thinning (45%) and intensive thinning (85%) stand land was significantly higher than that of other thinning intensities. The constructed structural equation model had good adaptability. The effects of thinning intensity on each factor were as follows: soil alkali-hydrolyzable (-0.564) > regeneration index (0.548) > soil bulk density (-0.462) > average height of seed tree (-0.348) > herb coverage (-0.343) > soil organic matter (0.173) > undecomposed litter layer thickness (-0.146) > total soil nitrogen (0.110). Thinning intensity had a positive impact on the regeneration index, which was mainly through adjusting height of the seed tree, accelerating litter decomposition, improving soil physical and chemical properties, and thus indirectly promoting the natural regeneration of L. principis-rupprechtii. Tending thinning could effectively improve the survival environment of regeneration seedlings. From the perspective of natural regeneration of L. principis-rupprechtii, moderate thinning (45%) and intensive thinning (85%) were more reasonable in the follow-up forest management.

Exosomal miR-27b-3p secreted by visceral adipocytes contributes to endothelial inflammation and atherogenesis.

Obesity, particularly increased visceral fat, positively correlates with various metabolic challenges, including atherosclerosis, but the mechanism is not fully understood. The aim of this study is to determine the role of visceral-fat-derived exosomes (Exo) in endothelial cells and atherosclerosis. We show that obesity changes the miRNA profile of visceral adipose exosomes in mice. Importantly, exosomal miR-27b-3p efficiently enters into the vascular endothelial cells and activates the NF-κB pathway by downregulating PPARα. Mechanistically, miR-27b-3p binds directly to the CDS region of PPARα mRNA, thereby promoting mRNA degradation and suppressing translation. In ApoE-deficient mice, administration of miR-27b-3p mimic increases inflammation and atherogenesis, while overexpression of PPARα protects against atherosclerosis. Thus, obesity-induced exosomal miR-27b-3p promotes endothelial inflammation and facilitates atherogenesis by PPARα suppression. We reveal an exosomal pathway by which obesity aggravates atherosclerosis and proposed therapeutic strategies for atherosclerosis in people with obesity.

Bone morphogenetic protein 4 in perivascular adipose tissue ameliorates hypertension through regulation of angiotensinogen.

Background: Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT), an active endocrine organ, exerts direct effect on vascular tone through paracrine. Activation of PVAT metabolism plays an inhibitory role in atherosclerosis via secreting relaxing factors. The present studies were designed to investigate the role of PVAT metabolism in regulation of hypertension. Materials and methods: Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) knockout mice with BMP4 knockout in adipose tissue or brown adipose tissue (aP2-DKO or UCP1-DKO, respectively) were used for exploring the role of impaired PVAT metabolism in hypertension. Vascular function was assessed using wire myography. The potential regulatory factor of vascular function was explored using qPCR and ELISA and further confirmed in perivascular fat cell line. Results: Knockout of BMP4 either in adipose tissue or specifically in BAT aggravates high-fat diet (HFD, 40% fat)-induced hypertension and endothelial dysfunction in ApoE-/- mice. In the meanwhile, deficiency of BMP4 also aggravates Ang II (angiotensin II) -induced hypertension and vascular remodeling in ApoE-/- mice. Moreover, deficiency of BMP4 inhibits NO release and induces ROS production. In vitro system, aortic rings pretreated with PVAT extracts from BMP4-DKO mice showed increased vasoconstriction and reduced endothelial-dependent relaxation compared with the controls. We further demonstrated that PVAT of BMP4-DKO mice expressed higher level of angiotensinogen (AGT) and Ang II compared with the controls. Conclusion: Impaired PVAT metabolism aggravates hypertension, and this effect is dependent on the activation of local renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). The results of this study first demonstrate the regulatory role of PVAT metabolism in hypertension.

Moxibustion for primary dysmenorrhea: Protocol for a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is one of the most common gynecological complaint among menstruating females. Acupuncture has been employed to relieve the pain-based symptoms and to avoid the side effects of conventional medication, especially, moxibustion has confirmed as an effective, convenient, and safe treatment for various types of menstrual pain. The purpose of this study is to systematically assess the effect and safety of moxibustion for treating PD. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The following databases will be searched from their inception to December 2019: PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Wan-Fang Databases, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Citation Information by National Institute of Informatics, Chinese Scientific Journal Database. Two reviewers will search these databases, select data and evaluate the quality of studies separately. The methodological quality will be measured by the Cochrane risk of bias tool. The primary outcome is the pain degree evaluation including visual analog scale, numerical visual scale, verbal rating scale, Cox retrospective symptom scale, or any other scale used to evaluate the level of pain. And the response rate involved overall reduction in symptoms. The adverse effects, quality of life will be assessed as secondary outcomes. Risk ratio for dichotomous data and mean differences with a 95% confidence interval for continuous data will be adopted to express the effect and safety of moxibustion for PD. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD42019130141.

Predictors of the Prevalence of Dyslipidemia and Influencing Factors for Young Health Examination Cohort: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of dyslipidemia and associated influencing factors in young adults in the southeastern coastal area of China. Methods: This study adopted a cross-sectional survey and included 7,859 young people who underwent examinations at three hospitals in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. All subjects completed a questionnaire in the form of face-to-face interviews and underwent anthropometric measurements and biochemical tests. The continuous data are presented as the means ± standard deviations and were compared using Student's t-tests. The categorical variables are presented as proportions. The influencing factors associated with dyslipidemia were evaluated through a multivariate logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of dyslipidemia among young adults aged 18-45 years in the southeastern coast of China was high with 7.1, 15.0, 22.9, and 4.0% for high-total cholesterol (TC), high-triglyceride (TG), low-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and high-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Among those with dyslipidemia, a statistically significant difference in sex was observed, and all types of dyslipidemia were associated with smoking and alcohol consumption. However, those with high-TG, high-LDL, and low-HDL levels did not significantly differ in education level or occupation. The presence of dyslipidemia was significantly associated with increased age, the male sex (OR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.39-2.21), smoking (OR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.98-2.13), alcohol consumption (OR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.16-1.63), overweight or obesity (OR: 2.01, 95% CI: 1.79-2.41), and intellectual work (OR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.11-1.72). Conclusion: The prevalence of dyslipidemia among young adults aged 18-45 years in the southeastern coast of China was high. To prevent dyslipidemia at an early age, it is essential to conduct effective intervention programs targeting risk factors and to implement routine screening programs.