DDoS Flood and Destination Service Changing Sensor.

In this paper, we aim to detect distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, and receive a notification of destination service, changing immediately, without the additional efforts of other modules. We designed a kernel-based mechanism to build a new Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) connection smartly by the host while the users or clients not knowing the location of the next host. Moreover, we built a lightweight flooding attack detection mechanism in the user mode of an operating system. Given that reinstalling a modified operating system on each client is not realistic, we managed to replace the entry of the system call table with a customized sys_connect. An effective defense depends on fine detection and defensive procedures. In according with our experiments, this novel mechanism can detect flooding DDoS successfully, including SYN flood and ICMP flood. Furthermore, through cooperating with a specific low cost network architecture, the mechanism can help to defend DDoS attacks effectively.

[Effect of Huangqi San on AMPK/ACC/CPT1 pathway in hyperlipidemia rats].

To investigate the mechanism of the treatment of hyperlipidemia rats induced by Huangqi San. The 40 male SD rats were randomly divided into normal group, model group, Huangqi San low and high dose group (1, 2 g·kg⁻¹), and positive lipitor group (2 mg·kg⁻¹). The normal group feeds on base feed, and other groups feed on high-fat feed. After 8 weeks, the hyperlipidemia model was successful. After intervention by drugs for 13 weeks, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol content of all rats were measured. The pathological changes of liver and skeletal muscle of rats were observed in rats. Real-time PCR and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of AMPK signaling pathway in the liver and skeletal muscles (AMPK, ACC, CPT1A, SREBP2, HMGCR). The degree of FPG, TC, TG and LDL-C were the highest in the model group, and the liver and skeletal muscle pathology were the most obvious. After intervention by Huangqi San and lipitor, a significant reduction in the blood sugar blood fat, liver, and skeletal muscle injury has improved significantly, except SREBF2 and HMGCR mRNA and protein expression of this enzyme is reduced, other AMPK pathway related mRNA and protein expression increased significantly. Huangqi San effect is superior to lipitor. Huangqi San may improve hyperlipidemia by regulating the AMPK signaling pathway, increasing the oxidation of fatty acids and inhibiting cholesterol synthesis.

[The effects of transgenic Cry1Ac+Cry2Ab cotton on cotton bollworm control and functional response of predators on whitefly].

In this study, we detected and clarified the roles of transgenic Cry1Ac+Cry2Ab cotton "639020" in controlling cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) during critical periods of bud stage (second generation of bollworm), flowering stage (third generation of bollworm) and bolling stage (fourth generation of bollworm) as well as the influences of 639020 cotton on functional response of the main predators (Chrysopa sinica larvae, Propylaea japonica, Orius and Erigonidium graminicola ) on whitefly using transgenic Cry1Ac cotton "CCRI41" and conventional cotton "CCRI49" as the control. Our results showed that the 639020 cotton well controlled the second and third generation of bollworm, and the level of insect resistance increased by 52.85% and 16.22% separately compared with that of CCRI41, with a significant effect on the second generation of bollworm. Moreover, the number of bollworm eggs in 639020 cotton field was lower than that in CCRI41 and CCRI49 cotton fields (except the second generation of bollworm) during the cotton bud, flowering and bolling stages. Although the number of bollworm larvae in 639020 cotton field was significantly lower than that in CCRI49 field, and both under the controlling index, it has no significant difference compared with that in CCRI41 cotton field. There were also no obvious changes in predator functions of Chrysopa sinica, Propylaea japonica, Orius and Erigonidium graminicola on bemisia tabaci between 639020, CCRI41 and CCRI49 cotton filed. This study evaluated the safety of new transgenic cotton on environment, anti-insect activity of exogenous gene and the safety of production and application prospect.

Single-port laparoscopic appendectomy using new surgical procedure versus conventional three-port laparoscopic appendectomy.

The aim of this study was to compare the clinic outcomes between new single-port laparoscopic appendectomy (NSLA) and conventional three-port laparoscopic appendectomy (CTLA) for patients with acute appendicitis. Patients who were diagnosed with acute appendicitis and underwent appendectomy were retrospectively collected from a single clinical center from September 2021 to June 2023. Baseline characteristics, surgical information, and postoperative information were compared between the NSLA group and the CTLA group. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to find out the predictors of overall complications. A total of 296 patients were enrolled from a single clinical medical center. There were 146 (49.3%) males and 150 (50.7%) females. There were 54 (18.2%) patients in the NSLA group and 242 (81.8%) patients in the CTLA group. After data analysis, we found the patients in the NSLA group had a shorter postoperative hospital stay (P < 0.01) than the CTLA group. The other outcomes including intraoperative blood loss (P = 0.167), operation time (P = 0.282), nature of the appendix (P = 0.971), and overall complications (P = 0.543) were not statistically different. After univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis, we found that age (P = 0.018, OR = 1.039, 95% CI = 1.007-1.072), neutrophil percentage (P = 0.018, OR = 1.070, 95% CI = 1.011-1.132), and fever (P = 0.019, OR = 6.112, 95% CI = 1.340-27.886) were the predictors of overall complications. However, the surgical procedure (NSLA versus CTLA) was not a predictor of overall complications (P = 0.376, OR = 1.964, 95% CI = 0.440-8.768). Compared with CTLA, there was no significant increase in postoperative overall complications with NSLA, making it a safe and feasible new surgical procedure. More studies are needed to evaluate the long-term results.

The impact of previous abdominal surgery on colorectal cancer patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery.

The current study aimed to investigate whether previous abdominal surgery (PAS) could affect the outcomes of colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery. We conducted the search strategy in three databases (PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library) from inception to May 26, 2022. The short-term and long-term outcomes were compared between the PAS group and the non-PAS group. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled up. Stata (V.16.0) software was used for data analysis. We included 34,827 patients from 14 studies in the current study. After pooling up all the data, we found that there were higher proportions of overall complications (OR = 1.12, I2 = 4.65%, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.23, P = 0.01), ileus (OR = 1.96, I2 = 59.74%, 95% CI 1.12 to 3.44, P = 0.02) and mortality (OR = 1.26, I2 = 0.00%, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.42, P = 0.00) in the PAS group than the non-PAS group. Patients with a history of PAS had higher risks of overall complications and death following CRC surgery. However, it did not appear to significantly affect the short-term outcomes apart from ileus. Surgeons should raise awareness of patients with a history of PAS, and take steps to reduce postoperative complications and mortality.

Predictive value of red blood cell distribution width and hematocrit for short-term outcomes and prognosis in colorectal cancer patients undergoing radical surgery.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported that low hematocrit levels indicate poor survival in patients with ovarian cancer and cervical cancer, the prognostic value of hematocrit for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients has not been determined. The prognostic value of red blood cell distribution width (RDW) for CRC patients was controversial. AIM: To investigate the impact of RDW and hematocrit on the short-term outcomes and long-term prognosis of CRC patients who underwent radical surgery. METHODS: Patients who were diagnosed with CRC and underwent radical CRC resection between January 2011 and January 2020 at a single clinical center were included. The short-term outcomes, overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were compared among the different groups. Cox analysis was also conducted to identify independent risk factors for OS and DFS. RESULTS: There were 4258 CRC patients who underwent radical surgery included in our study. A total of 1573 patients were in the lower RDW group and 2685 patients were in the higher RDW group. There were 2166 and 2092 patients in the higher hematocrit group and lower hematocrit group, respectively. Patients in the higher RDW group had more intraoperative blood loss (P < 0.01) and more overall complications (P < 0.01) than did those in the lower RDW group. Similarly, patients in the lower hematocrit group had more intraoperative blood loss (P = 0.012), longer hospital stay (P = 0.016) and overall complications (P < 0.01) than did those in the higher hematocrit group. The higher RDW group had a worse OS and DFS than did the lower RDW group for tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage I (OS, P < 0.05; DFS, P = 0.001) and stage II (OS, P = 0.004; DFS, P = 0.01) than the lower RDW group; the lower hematocrit group had worse OS and DFS for TNM stage II (OS, P < 0.05; DFS, P = 0.001) and stage III (OS, P = 0.001; DFS, P = 0.001) than did the higher hematocrit group. Preoperative hematocrit was an independent risk factor for OS [P = 0.017, hazard ratio (HR) = 1.256, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.041-1.515] and DFS (P = 0.035, HR = 1.194, 95%CI: 1.013-1.408). CONCLUSION: A higher preoperative RDW and lower hematocrit were associated with more postoperative complications. However, only hematocrit was an independent risk factor for OS and DFS in CRC patients who underwent radical surgery, while RDW was not.

Improvement of the nutritional support management system for patients in intensive care units.

BACKGROUND: Nutritional support for patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) is an important part of clinical treatment and care, but there are significant implementation difficulties. AIM: To introduce a modified nutritional support management system for ICU patients based on closed-loop information management and psychological counseling. METHODS: The division of functions, personnel training, system construction, development of an intelligent decision-making software system, quality control, and improvement of the whole process were carried out to systematically manage nutritional support for ICU patients. RESULTS: Following the implementation of the whole process management system, the scores of ICU medical staff's knowledge, attitudes/beliefs, and practices regarding nutritional support were comprehensively enhanced. The proportion of hospital bed-days of total enteral nutrition (EN) in ICU patients increased from 5.58% to 11.46%, and the proportion of EN plus parenteral nutrition increased from 42.71% to 47.07%. The rate of EN initiation within 48 h of ICU admission increased from 37.50% to 48.28%, and the EN compliance rate within 72 h elevated from 20.59% to 31.72%. After the implementation of the project, the Self-rating Anxiety Scale score decreased from 61.07 ± 9.91 points to 52.03 ± 9.02 points, the Self-rating Depression Scale score reduced from 62.47 ± 10.50 points to 56.34 ± 9.83 points, and the ICU stay decreased from 5.76 ± 2.77 d to 5.10 ± 2.12 d. CONCLUSION: The nutritional support management system based on closed-loop information management and psychological counseling achieved remarkable results in clinical applications in ICU patients.

Bortezomib congeners induce apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma via CIP2A inhibition.

CIP2A is an oncoprotein that upregulates p-Akt and promotes cancer cell proliferation and survival. The proteasome inhibitor bortezomib has been shown to reduce CIP2A and lead to cell apoptosis. Here; we modified the functional group of bortezomib to generate a series of novel compounds and conducted a structure-activity relationship (SAR) study. The results showed that compound 1 was able to repress CIP2A expression and cell apoptosis in the same manner as bortezomib, but with less potency in inhibition of proteasome activity. This finding provides a new direction for the design of CIP2A inhibitors.

The effect of carbon nanoparticles staining on lymph node tracking in colorectal cancer: A propensity score matching analysis.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of carbon nanoparticles staining (CNS) on colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery, lymph node tracing and postoperative complications using propensity score matching (PSM). Method: Patients who were diagnosed with CRC and underwent surgery were retrospectively collected from a single clinical center from Jan 2011 to Dec 2021. Baseline characteristics, surgical information and postoperative information were compared between the CNS group and the non-CNS group. PSM was used to eliminate bias. Results: A total of 6,886 patients were enrolled for retrospective analysis. There were 2,078 (30.2%) patients in the CNS group and 4,808 (69.8%) patients in the non-CNS group. After using 1: 1 ratio PSM to eliminate bias, there were 2,045 patients left in each group. Meanwhile, all of their baseline characteristics were well matched and there was no statistical significance between the two groups (P > 0.05). In terms of surgical information and short-term outcomes, the CNS group had less intraoperative blood loss (P < 0.01), shorter operation time (P < 0.01), shorter postoperative hospital stay (P < 0.01), less metastatic lymph nodes (P = 0.013), more total retrieved lymph nodes (P < 0.01), more lymphatic fistula (P = 0.011) and less postoperative overall complications (P < 0.01) than the non-CNS group before PSM. After PSM, the CNS group had less intraoperative blood loss (P = 0.004), shorter postoperative hospital stay (P < 0.01) and more total retrieved lymph nodes (P < 0.01) than the non-CNS group. No statistical difference was found in other outcomes (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Preoperative CNS could help the surgeons detect more lymph nodes, thus better determining the patient's N stage. Furthermore, it could reduce intraoperative blood loss and reduce the hospital stay.

Identification and binding characterization of three odorant binding proteins and one chemosensory protein from Apolygus lucorum (Meyer-Dur).

For the sucking insect, Apolygus lucorum, taste is essential for finding host plants and oviposition sites. In A. lucorum, taste relies largely on the sensory system located within its proboscis. In this study, we constructed a cDNA library from A. lucorum proboscises and conducted preliminary analysis of 1554 ESTs. From this collection, we identified three putative odorant-binding proteins (AlucOBP3, AlucOBP4, AlucOBP6) and one chemosensory protein (AlucCSP1). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to study the expression pattern of these four genes. All four were expressed mainly in antennae, proboscises and legs, suggestive of roles in olfaction and gustation. We expressed and purified recombinant versions of AlucOBP3, AlucOBP4, AlucOBP6, and AlucCSP1 in a prokaryotic expression system. The ligand-binding specificities of the four proteins then were investigated in competition assays using 4,4'-dianilino-1,1'-binaphthyl-5, 5'-sulfonic acid (bis-ANS) as a probe. Of the 58 small organic compounds and five cotton secondary metabolites tested, plant volatiles cannot effectively displace bis-ANS from any of the four proteins. In contrast, most of the cotton secondary metabolites have high affinities for the three OBPs and AlucCSP1, indicating that these binding proteins more likely play a role in gustation than in olfaction.

Determination of critical power in trained rowers using a three-minute all-out rowing test.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the hyperbolic relationship between power output and time to exhaustion (work - time and power - [1/time] models) could be estimated from a modified version of a three-minute all-out rowing test (3-min RT), and to investigate the test-retest reliability of the 3-min RT. Eighteen male rowers volunteered to participate in this study and underwent an incremental exercise test (IRT), three constant-work rate tests to establish the critical power (CP) and the curvature constant (W'), and two 3-min RTs against a fixed resistance to estimate the end-test power (EP) and work-done-above-EP (WEP) on a rowing ergometer. Peak VO(2max) and maximal VO(2max) oxygen uptakes were calculated as the highest 30 s average achieved during the 3-min RT and IRT tests. The results showed that EP and WEP determinations, based on the 3-min RT, have moderate reproducibility (P = 0.002). EP (269 ± 39 W) was significantly correlated with CP (work - time, 272 ± 30 W; power - [1/time], 276 ± 32 W) (P = 0.000), with no significant differences observed between the EP and CP values (P = 0.474). However, WEP did not significantly correlate with W' (P = 0.254), and was significantly higher than the W' values. There was a significant correlation between the VO(2max) (60 ± 3 ml kg(-1) min(-1)) and VO(2max) (61 ± 4 ml kg(-1) min(-1)) (P = 0.003). These results indicate that the 3-min RT has moderate reliability, and is able to appropriately estimate the aerobic capacity in rowers, particularly for the CP and VO(2max) parameters.

A meta-analysis of the relationship between NAT2 polymorphism and colorectal cancer susceptibility.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Although the association between N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) polymorphism and colorectal cancer (CRC) susceptibility in humans has been extensively investigated, the results are contradictory. The aim of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of published studies to quantitatively summarize the association between NAT2 polymorphism and risk of CRC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Relevant studies that had investigated NAT2 polymorphism and CRC susceptibility were identified through a comprehensive search of Pubmed, EMBASE, Medline, Biosis, Wiley-Blackwell, ISI Web of Knowledge, CNKI, and Chinese Biomedicine Database until October 2011. After selection based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the relevant data were extracted from each study, and finally a meta-analysis was performed. RESULTS: Eight phenotype studies (791 cases and 1158 controls) and 45 genotype studies (13 875 cases and 18 879 controls) were included in the present meta-analysis. The pooling of phenotype studies showed no significant association between the NAT2 acetylator status and CRC susceptibility (rapid acetylator, OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 0.92-1.89, P=0.14; slow acetylator, OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.53-1.09, P=0.14). The combined ORs for rapid and slow acetylator status and CRC risk in genotype studies were 1.01 (95% CI, 0.94-1.08; P=0.86) and 0.99 (95% CI, 0.93-1.06; P=0.86), respectively. In the subgroup analysis by regions, no increased risks were found in Asians, Europeans, Americans, or Australasians. Pooling studies were also conducted on the groups of gender, specific tumor sites, and smoking status, but no significant association in genotype distribution between CRC and control was found as well. CONCLUSIONS: These results of our meta-analysis suggest that there is no overall association between NAT2 polymorphism and CRC susceptibility.

[Effect of Huangqi gegen decoction (HGD) on TGF-beta1/Smad3 pathway in diabetic cardiomyopathy rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of HGD on diabetic cardiomyopathy and its mechanism. METHODS: The T2-DM rats model was established by combining high fat diet with STZ. The blood glucose, insulin, myocardial fibrosis and TGF-beta1/Smad3 signaling pathway were observed; TGF-beta1 and Smad3 mRNA expression were detected by RT-PCR method, protein expression detected by immunohistochemical method. RESULTS: HGD obviously reduced fasting blood glucose, insulin, improved insulin resistance, reduced myocardial hydroxyproline contents, lowered cardiac index, significantly inhibited over-expression of TGF-beta1/SMAD3 mRNA and protein in diabetic rats cardiac. CONCLUSION: HGD can obviously prevent experimental diabetic myocardial fibrosis through the regulation effect on TGFbeta1/Smad3 signaling pathway.

Does Chronic Kidney Disease Really Affect the Complications and Prognosis After Liver Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma? A Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to analyze whether chronic kidney disease (CKD) affected the complications and prognosis after liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched from inception to 22 February 2022 to find eligible studies. Complications, overall survival (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS) were collected, and this meta-analysis was performed with RevMan 5.3. Results: A total of nine studies including 6,541 patients were included in this meta-analysis. After pooling all baseline information, the CKD group had a higher rate of Child-Pugh grade B than the Non-CKD group (OR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.3 to 1.93, P < 0.00001). As for surgery-related information, the CKD group had larger blood loss (MD = -404.79, 95% CI = -509.70 to -299.88, P < 0.00001), and higher rate of blood transfusion (OR = 2.47, 95% CI = 1.85 to 3.3, P < 0.00001). In terms of complications, the CKD group had a higher rate of overall complications (OR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.57 to 2.81, P < 0.00001) and a higher rate of ≥ grade III complications (OR = 2.04, 95% CI = 1.57 to 2.81, P = 0.0002). The CKD group had poor OS compared with the non-CKD group (HR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.1 to 1.49, P = 0.001). However, in terms of DFS, no significant difference was found (HR = 1.11, 95% CI = 0.96 to 1.28, P = 0.16). Conclusion: Preexisting CKD was associated with higher ratio of complications and poor OS.

Explore the Relationship Between Short-Term Ambient Air Pollution Exposure and Daily Outpatient Visits for Metabolic Related Fatty Liver.

Background: Many studies have shown that the pollution of fine particles in the air is related to the incidence of chronic diseases. However, research on air pollution and metabolism-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is limited. Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between short-term ambient air pollution and daily outpatient visits for metabolic-related fatty liver. Methods: We used a quasi-Poisson regression generalized additive model to stratify analyses by season, age, and gender. Results: From January 1, 2017, to August 31, 2019, 10,562 confirmed MAFLD outpatient visits were recorded. A 10 µg/m3 increase of fine particular matter (PM10and PM2.5) and NO2 concentrations corresponding with percent change were 0.82 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.49-1.15), 0.57 (95% CI, 0.18-0.98), and 0.86 (95% CI, 0.59-1.13) elevation in MAFLD outpatient visits. In terms of season, the impact estimates of NO2 and PM2.5% change were 3.55 (95% CI, 1.23-5.87) and 1.12 (95% CI, 0.78-1.46) in the hot season and transition season, respectively. Compared with the warm season, the impact estimates of PM10were more significant in the cool season: 2.88 (95% CI, 0.66-5.10). NO2 has the greatest effect in the transition season, whereas PM10 has the greatest highest effect in the cool and hot seasons. Compared with other pollutants, PM2.5 has the greatest impact in the age stratification, which percent change are 2.69 (95% CI, 0.77-5.61) and 2.88 (95% CI, 0.37-6.40) respectively. The impact values of PM2.5 in male and female percent change were 3.60 (95% CI, 0.63-6.57) and 1.65 (95% CI, 1.05-2.25), respectively. Conclusion: This study shows that the air pollutants are related to the number of outpatient visits for MAFLD. The effects of different air pollutants on MAFLD outpatient visits were different by season, ages, and gender.

Clinical and Metabolic Characteristics of Hyperuricemia with Risk of Liver Fibrosis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The role of serum uric acid (SUA) in the role of advanced fibrosis is not fully explored. The study assesses the risk of advanced fibrosis according to SUA in an Asian population with a total of 3612 subjects enrolled in one health management center between 2006 and 2008. The fibrosis-4 score was used for the prediction of the high risk of advanced fibrosis. SUA scores higher than 7.6 mg/dL in men and 6.6 mg/dL in women were defined as hyperuricemia. A proportional odds model was used to assess cumulative risks of advanced fibrosis. The prevalence of high risk of advanced fibrosis was 2.5% in the hyperuricemia group and 0.6% in the normal SUA group (p < 0.001). After adjustment for confounding factors, the odds ratios (OR) for more severe advanced fibrosis were 1.37 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07−1.78) in the hyperuricemia group. Hyperuricemia only increased the risk of advanced fibrosis in the non-T2DM group (OR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.74) instead of T2DM group (OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 0.97 to 3.53). SUA is a risk factor for a higher risk of advanced fibrosis, with the disease likely progressing from a steatotic to a fibrotic picture. The focus should be more emphasized in non-T2DM groups.

Effect of the traditional Chinese herb Helminthostachys zeylanica on postsurgical recovery in patients with ankle fracture: A double-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Helminthostachys zeylanica (HZ), which is also called "Dao-Di-U-Gon" in Taiwan, has anti-inflammatory and antiedema effects and is commonly used to treat edema in patients with fractures. The ugonin K component of HZ can induce osteogenesis and promote bone mineralization, its therapeutic effect, however, its therapeutic effect remains unclear. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of HZ on functional recovery in patients with ankle fractures requiring surgical treatment. METHODS: A double-blinded, randomized, controlled study was conducted. A total of 45 patients with ankle fractures requiring surgical treatment were assigned to either the control group (n = 23 patients), which received the oral administration of HZ placebo 1.0 g t.i.d. for 42 days continuously, or to the treatment group (22 patients), which received HZ for 42 days. RESULTS: The serum amino-terminal propeptide of type 1 procollagen (PINP) levels were similar in the first assessment (V1) between the control (45.90 ± 16.31 ng/mL) and treatment groups (52.61 ± 21.02 ng/mL; p = 0.240); the differences in PINP level between the third assessment (V3) and V1 were greater in the treatment group (35.84 ± 24.56 ng/mL) than in the control group (16.34 ± 11.97 ng/mL; p = 0.002). Radiographic healing time (RHT) was 9.09 ± 1.15 weeks in the treatment group, which was shorter than the 9.91 ± 0.79 weeks (p = 0.012) in the control group. CONCLUSION: Oral administration of HZ for 42 days can increase serum PINP level and reduce the RHT. Therefore, HZ can be used to treat patients with ankle fractures requiring surgical treatment. However, a larger sample size is needed in future studies.

Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on the medical emergency calls and calls for cardiovascular diseases in Hangzhou, China.

AIMS: We aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on emergency and cardiovascular disease-related calls in Hangzhou, China. METHODS: We conducted a single-center retrospective study, collecting data on emergency calls to the Hangzhou Emergency Center (HEC) during the COVID-19 epidemic (January 20, 2020, to March 15, 2020). Data were compared with the same period in 2019. RESULTS: Compared to 2019, the number of emergency calls has dropped by 21.63%, ambulance calls by 29.02%, rescue calls by 22.57%, and cardiovascular disease-related emergency calls by 32.86%. The numbers of emergency, ambulance, and rescue calls in 2020 were significantly lower than in 2019. CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID-19 epidemic in Hangzhou, the numbers of emergency and cardiovascular disease-related calls have decreased significantly. These results point to a severe social problem that requires the attention of the medical community and the government.

Evidence of association between nucleosome occupancy and the evolution of transcription factor binding sites in yeast.

BACKGROUND: Divergence of transcription factor binding sites is considered to be an important source of regulatory evolution. The associations between transcription factor binding sites and phenotypic diversity have been investigated in many model organisms. However, the understanding of other factors that contribute to it is still limited. Recent studies have elucidated the effect of chromatin structure on molecular evolution of genomic DNA. Though the profound impact of nucleosome positions on gene regulation has been reported, their influence on transcriptional evolution is still less explored. With the availability of genome-wide nucleosome map in yeast species, it is thus desirable to investigate their impact on transcription factor binding site evolution. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of the role of nucleosome positioning in the evolution of transcription factor binding sites. RESULTS: We compared the transcription factor binding site frequency in nucleosome occupied regions and nucleosome depleted regions in promoters of old (orthologs among Saccharomycetaceae) and young (Saccharomyces specific) genes; and in duplicate gene pairs. We demonstrated that nucleosome occupied regions accommodate greater binding site variations than nucleosome depleted regions in young genes and in duplicate genes. This finding was confirmed by measuring the difference in evolutionary rates of binding sites in sensu stricto yeasts at nucleosome occupied regions and nucleosome depleted regions. The binding sites at nucleosome occupied regions exhibited a consistently higher evolution rate than those at nucleosome depleted regions, corroborating the difference in the selection constraints at the two regions. Finally, through site-directed mutagenesis experiment, we found that binding site gain or loss events at nucleosome depleted regions may cause more expression differences than those in nucleosome occupied regions. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates the existence of different selection constraint on binding sites at nucleosome occupied regions than at the nucleosome depleted regions. We found that the binding sites have a different rate of evolution at nucleosome occupied and depleted regions. Finally, using transcription factor binding site-directed mutagenesis experiment, we confirmed the difference in the impact of binding site changes on expression at these regions. Thus, our work demonstrates the importance of composite analysis of chromatin and transcriptional evolution.

Exploring the Pattern of Early COVID-19 Transmission Caused by Population Migration Based on 14 Cities in Hubei Province, China.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Relevant studies show that population migration has a great impact on the early spread of infectious diseases. Therefore, it is important to explore whether there is an explicit relationship between population migration and the number of confirmed cases for the control of the COVID-19 epidemic. This paper mainly explores the impact of population migration on early COVID-19 transmission, and establishes a predictive nonlinear mathematical model to predict the number of early cases. METHODS: Data of confirmed cases were sourced from the official website of the Municipal Health Committee, and the proportions of migration from Wuhan to other cities were sourced from the Baidu data platform. The data of confirmed cases and the migration proportions of 14 cities in Hubei Province were collected, the COVID-19 cases study period was determined as 10 days based on the third quartile of the interval of the incubation period, and a non-linear mathematical model was constructed to clarify the relationship between the migration proportion and the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases. Finally, eight typical regions were selected to verify the accuracy of the model. RESULTS: The daily population migration rates and the growth curves of the number of confirmed cases in the 14 cities were basically consistent, and Pearson's correlation coefficient was 0.91. The specific mathematical expression of 14 regions is . In each of the fourteen cities, The nonlinear exponential model structure is as follows:. It was found that the R 2 values of the fitted mathematical model were greater than 0.8 in all studied regions, excluding Suizhou (p < 0.05). The established mathematical model was used to fit eight regions in China, and the correlations between the predicted and actual numbers of confirmed cases were greater than 0.9, excluding that of Hebei Province (0.82). CONCLUSION: The study found that population migration has a positive and significant impact on the spread of COVID-19. Modeling COVID-19 risk may be a useful strategy for directing public health surveillance and interventions. Restricting the migration of the population is of great significance to the joint prevention and control of the pandemic worldwide.