[Establishment of acute graft-versus-host disease model after non-myeloablative haploidentical peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in aged mice]

Objective: To establish an acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) model in aged mice after non-myeloablative haploidentical peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (haplo-PSCT). Methods: C57BL/6 (H-2b) male mice aged 6-8 weeks were used as donor mice, and CB6F1 (H-2b×d) female mice aged 14-16 months were used as recipient mice. The donor mice were injected subcutaneously with rehuman granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) 5 days before transplantation for hematopoietic stem cell mobilization.The recipient mice were divided into control group (CG), spleen cell low-dose group (SL), spleen cell medium-dose group (SM) and spleen cell high-dose group (SH) according to random number table method, with 16 rats in each group, all of which received total linear accelerator X-ray irradiation (TBI) with a total dose of 6 Gy. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and spleen cells of different doses (0.5×107/each, 1.0×107/each and 2.0×107/each in SL group, SM group and SH group, respectively) were transfused through the tail vein within 4 hours after TBI, and only the same amount of normal saline was transfused in CG group. After transplantation, the survival and weight changes of mice in each group were observed for 30 days, and the changes of blood routine were monitored regularly. Mice peripheral blood was collected 21 days after transplantation to detect the chimerism rate of the donor. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed on the skin, liver and colon of mice 21 days after transplantation to analyze the histopathological changes of aGVHD target organs. Results: All the mice in each group were successfully transplanted. After TBI, the weight and activity of mice in all groups decreased, and the phenomenon of bone marrow suppression appeared. During the observation period, all mice in CG group and SL group survived, 3 mice in SM group died with survival time of (26.0±5.8) days, and 6 mice in SH group died with survival time of (20.9±7.3) days. The body weight of mice in SH group was lower than that in CG group, SL group and SM group 21days after transplantation [(25.0±0.7), (25.5±0.4), (25.0±1.4) vs (20.8±0.8) g, all P<0.05]. Compared with CG group, SL group and SM group, the levels of leukocyte, erythrocyte, hemoglobin and platelet in SH group decreased 21 days after transplantation (all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in donor chimerism rate among SL group, SM group and SH group [(95.8%±0.8%), (95.5%±1.4%) and (95.1%±1.3%), respectively, all P>0.05]. Compared with CG group, SL group and SM group, the tissue structure of aGVHD target organs in SH group was severely damaged, with a large number of inflammatory cells infiltratedand higher histopathological scores than SL group and SM group (all P<0.05). Conclusion: For aging CB6F1 mice, after 6 Gy TBI pretreatment with linear accelerator X-ray, PBMC (1×107/each) and spleen cells (2.0×107/each) were injected to successfully induce aGVHD model after non-myelablative haplo-PSCT.

[17-year study on the curative effect of treatment to prevent the recurrence of hepatitis B in different risk groups after liver transplantation]

Objective: To observe the recurrence condition of hepatitis B in different risk groups after liver transplantation in an attempt to provide useful information on whether to discontinue hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) in the future at an early stage. Methods: The patient population was divided into high, low-risk, and special groups [especially primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)] according to the guidelines for the prevention and treatment of hepatitis B recurrence after liver transplantation. The recurrence condition and risk factors in this population were observed for hepatitis B. Measurement data were analyzed using a t-test and a rank-sum test. Count data were compared using a χ(2) test between groups. Results: This study finally included 532 hepatitis B-related liver transplant cases. A total of 35 cases had HBV recurrence after liver transplantation, including 34 cases that were HBsAg positive, one case that was HBsAg negative, and 10 cases that were hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA positive. The overall HBV recurrence rate was 6.6%. The recurrence rate of HBV was 9.2% and 4.8% in the high- and low-risk HBV DNA positive and negative groups before surgery (P = 0.057). Among the 293 cases diagnosed with HCC before liver transplantation, 30 had hepatitis B recurrence after surgery, with a recurrence rate of 10.2%. The independent related factors for the recurrence of hepatitis B in patients with HCC after liver transplantation were HCC recurrence (HR =181.92, 95%CI 15.99~2 069.96, P < 0.001), a high postoperative dose of mycophenolate mofetil dispersible tablets (MMF) ( HR =5.190, 95%CI 1.289~20.889, P = 0.020), and a high dosage of HBIG (HR = 1.012, 95%CI 1.001~1.023, P = 0.035). Among the 239 cases who were non-HCC before liver transplantation, five cases (recurrence rate of 2.1%) arouse postoperative hepatitis B recurrence. Lamivudine was used in all cases, combined with on-demand HBIG prophylaxis after surgery. There was no hepatitis B recurrence in non-HCC patients who treated with entecavir combined with HBIG after surgery. Conclusion: High-barrier-to-resistance nucleotide analogues combined with long-term HBIG have a good effect on preventing the recurrence of hepatitis B after liver transplantation. The discontinuation of HBIG may be considered at an early stage after administration of a high-barrier-to-resistance nucleotide analogue in low-risk patients. Domestically, the HBV infection rate is high, so further research is still required to explore the timing of HBIG discontinuation for high-risk patients, especially those with HCC.

[Short-term observation of electrical acoustic stimulation in patients with low frequency residual hearing after cochlear implant]

Objective: To analyze the effects of electrical acoustic stimulation (EAS) on speech and tone recognition as well as music perception in children with low-frequency residual hearing (LFRH) after cochlear implant (CI). Methods: A total of twelve Mandarin patients with LFRH who underwent unilateral CI from January 2017 to October 2020 were recruited, including 8 males and 4 females. There were 5 cases of pre-lingual deafness and 7 cases of post-lingual deafness. The median age at implantation was 12 years old (3-62 years). All patients had residual hearing (RH) before surgery, wore hearing aid (HA) timely, had an effective rehabilitation and the duration of use of electrical stimulation was 37.0±16.2 months. On the implanted side, the thresholds of 125 Hz and 250 Hz were less than and equal to 80 dB HL after implantation. A two-month follow-up clinical study was conducted with the EAS devices. The EAS effects were evaluated before, immediately after and 2 months after upgrade, including speech recognition rate, tone recognition and music tests. SPSS 23.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of ten patients completed a two-month clinical follow-up and efficiency evaluation. Compared to the electrical stimulation, the recognition rate of spondee word significantly decreased after the immediate use of EAS (71.7±4.3 vs 79.6±3.1, P=0.018). Compared to the electrical stimulation as well as immediate use of EAS, the results of sentence in noise, tone in noise, and SRT of sentence in noise were all significantly improved at 2 months after use of EAS (P<0.05). The pitch discrimination was significantly improved at 2 months after the use of EAS compared with that before the use of EAS (P=0.042). Compared with before (P=0.021) and immediately (P=0.017) use of EAS, the ability of rhythm resolution was significantly improved. There were no significant differences in other test results (P>0.05). Conclusions: The low-frequency acoustic information provided by EAS as well as the electrical-acoustic stimulation mode can provide rich auditory cues of speech perception in noise, tone recognition in noise, and musical discrimination for CI subjects. It can promote the improvement of complex listening ability of CI patients undergoing long-term electrical stimulation in a short time and comprehensively improve their hearing capacities.

[Characteristics of responsiveness of cochlear nerve to electrical stimulation in patients with cochlear nerve deficiency]

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the responsiveness of cochlear nerve to electrical stimulation in patients with cochlear nerve deficiency(CND), to compare their results with those measured in implanted children with normal-sized cochlear nerves, and to investigate the characteristics of the cochlear nerve injury of children with CND. Methods: Participants were children who underwent cochlear implantation at Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital from January 2012 to January 2020, including CND group and control group. The CND group included 51 subjects (male:20; female: 31) who were diagnosed with CND and had normal cochlea. For the CND group, four children had been bilaterally implanted, the mean implantation age was (2.7±1.5) years old. The control group included 21 subjects (male:10; femal:11) who had normal-sized cochlear nerve and normal cochlea. For the control group, all children had been unilaterally implanted except one, and the mean implantation age was (3.0±1.9)years old. Three subjects in the CND group used CI422 electrode arrays, and all the other subjects used CI24RECA/CI512 electrode arrays. The electrically evoked compound action potentials (ECAP) had been tried to record for each electrode using Custom Sound EP software (v. 4.3, Cochlear Ltd.) at least six months post first activation. Furthermore, ECAP amplitude growth functions (AGF) were measured at multiple electrode locations across the electrode array. Generalized linear mixed effect models with the subject group and electrode location as the fixed effects and subjects as the random effect were used to compare results of ECAP measurements. Results: In the control group, ECAP could been recorded at all electrodes (100%), but it could only be recorded in 71% (859/1 210) electrodes in the CND group. Additionally, the percentage of electrodes with measurable ECAP decreased from electrode 1 to electrode 22 in the CND group. Compared to the control group, the ECAP thresholds significantly increased, the ECAP amplitudes and AGF slopes significantly decreased, and the ECAP latency significantly increased in the CND group (P<0.01). GLMM showed that the stimulating site had a significant effect on the ECAP threshold, maximum amplitude, and AGF slope (P<0.01), but had no significant effect on the ECAP latency (P>0.05) in the CND group. However, the stimulating site had no significant effects on the ECAP measurements in the control group. Furthermore, the functional status of cochlear nerve varied greatly among CND group. From electrode 1 to electrode 22, the ECAP thresholds gradually increased, the ECAP maximum amplitudes and AGF slopes gradually decreased in the CND group. Conclusion: Compared with patients with normal-sized cochlear nerve, not only the number of residual spinal ganglion neurons reduce,but also the function of spinal ganglion neurons damages in CND patients. The degree of cochlea nerve deterioration varies greatly among CND patients. Generally, the deterioration of cochlear nerve tends to increase from the basal to the apical site of the cochlea.

[Population structure of food-borne Staphylococcus aureus in China]

Objective: To understand the population structure of food-borne Staphylococcus (S.) aureus in China. Methods: Whole genome sequencing was used to analyze 763 food-borne S. aureus strains from 16 provinces in China from 2006 to 2020. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST), staphylococcal protein A gene (spa) typing, and staphylococcal chromosome cassettemec (SCCmec) typing were conducted, and minimum spanning tree based on ST types (STs) was constructed by BioNumerics 7.5 software. Thirty-one S. aureus strains isolated from imported food products were also included in constructing the genome phylogenetic tree. Results: A total of 90 STs (20 novel types) and 160 spa types were detected in the 763 S. aureus isolates. The 72 STs (72/90, 80.0%) were related to 22 clone complexes. The predominant clone complexes were CC7, CC1, CC5, CC398, CC188, CC59, CC6, CC88, CC15, and CC25, accounting for 82.44% (629/763) of the total. The STs and spa types in the predominant clone complexes changed over the years. The methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) detection rate was 7.60%, and 7 SCCmec types were identified. The ST59-t437-Ⅳa (17.24%, 10/58), ST239-t030-Ⅲ (12.07%, 7/58), ST59-t437-Ⅴb (8.62%, 5/58), ST338-t437-Ⅴb (6.90%, 4/58) and ST338-t441-Ⅴb (6.90%, 4/58) were the main types in MRSA strains. The genome phylogenetic tree had two clades, and the strains with the same CC, ST, and spa types clustered together. All CC7 methicillin sensitive S. aureus strains were included in Clade1, while 21 clone complexes and all MRSA strains were in Clade2. The MRSA strains clustered according to the SCCmec and STs. The strains from imported food products in CC398, CC7, CC30, CC12, and CC188 had far distances from Chinese strains in the tree. Conclusions: In this study, the predominant clone complexes of food-borne strains were CC7, CC1, CC5, CC398, CC188, CC59, CC6, CC88, CC15, and CC25, which overlapped with the previously reported clone complexes of hospital and community-associated strains in China, suggesting that close attention needs to be paid to food, a vehicle of pathogen transmission in community and food poisoning.

[Establishment and validation of a nomogram-based predictive model for idiopathic aldosteronism]

Objective: To establish and validate a nomogram-based predictive model for idiopathic hyperaldosteronism (IHA). Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with the collected clinical and biochemical data of patients with primary aldosteronism (PA) including 249 patients with unilateral primary aldosteronism (UPA) and 107 patients with IHA, who were treated at the Department of Endocrinology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from November 2013 to November 2022. Plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) and plasma renin concentration (PRC) were measured by chemiluminescence. Stepwise regression analysis was applied to select the key predictors of IHA, and a nomogram-based scoring model was developed. The model was validated in another external independent cohort of patients with PA including 62 patients with UPA and 43 patients with IHA, who were diagnosed at the Department of Endocrinology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. An independent-sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test, and χ² test were used for statistical analysis. Results: In the training cohort, in comparison with the UPA group, the IHA group showed a higher serum potassium level [M(Q₁, Q₃), 3.4 (3.1, 3.8) mmol/L vs. 2.7 (2.1, 3.1) mmol/L] and higher PRC [4.0 (2.1, 8.2) mU/L vs. 1.5 (0.6, 3.4) mU/L] and a lower PAC post-saline infusion test (SIT) [305 (222, 416) pmol/L vs. 720 (443, 1 136) pmol/L] and a lower rate of unilateral adrenal nodules [33.6% (36/107) vs. 81.1% (202/249)]; the intergroup differences in these measurements were statistically significant (all P<0.001). Serum potassium level, PRC, PAC post-SIT, and the rate of unilateral adrenal nodules showed similar performance in the IHA group in the validation cohort. After stepwise regression analysis for all significant variables in the training cohort, a scoring model based on a nomogram was constructed, and the predictive parameters included the rate of unilateral adrenal nodules, serum potassium concentration, PAC post-SIT, and PRC in the standing position. When the total score was ≥14, the model showed a sensitivity of 0.65 and specificity of 0.90 in the training cohort and a sensitivity of 0.56 and specificity of 1.00 in the validation cohort. Conclusion: The nomogram was used to successfully develop a model for prediction of IHA that could facilitate selection of patients with IHA who required medication directly.

The role of TLR4-mediated MyD88/TRAF6/NF-κB signaling and pIgR intestinal expression in chicks during Salmonella enteritidis infection

To observe the effect of Salmonella enteritidis (SE)-induced inflammation on pIgR expression in jejunum and ileum. Salmonella enteritidis was orally administered to 7-day old Hyline chicks, which were killed after 1d,3d,7d and 14d. The mRNA expression of TLR4,MyD88,TRAF6,NF-κB, and pIgR was detected by real-time RT-PCR, and pIgR protein was detected by Western blotting. The TLR4 signaling pathway was activated, the mRNA expression of the pIgR in jejunum and ileum was increased, and pIgR protein in jejunum and ileum was up-regulated by SE. In SE-treated chicks,the pIgR in jejunum and ileum was up-regulated on mRNA,and protein level,associated with activation of the TRL4-mediated MyD88/TRAF6/NF-κB signaling pathway, which identifies this as a novel pIgR-related pathway to TLR4 activation.

[The relationship between the characteristics of tears and the progression of Stanford type B aortic dissection after endovascular treatment]

Endovascular treatment of Stanford type B aortic dissection (type B dissection) has been widely used. There will be complications such as aortic dilatation, which will lead to poor prognosis of some patients. With more in-depth researches, it was found that there was a possible correlation between the prognosis of type B dissection and tears, such as the increasing of aortic diameter would be faster with longer tears, and the location of the tear will affect the thrombosis of the false lumen. Studies on hemodynamics have also found that different characteristics of tears of aortic dissection can cause changes in the pressure, blood flow rate and blood capacity in the true and false lumens recently. The hemodynamic changes can be used to predict the prognosis of type B dissection. The main characteristics of tears included the size, position, number of tears, residual tears and stent graft induced new entry. Describing the effect of tear characteristics on the development of type B dissection, can provide the basis for the clinical treatment and further research of type B dissection.

[A real-world study on the efficacy and safety analysis of paclitaxel liposome in advanced breast cancer]

Objective: To explore the application and efficacy of paclitaxel liposome in the treatment of advanced breast cancer among Chinese population in the real world. Methods: The clinical characteristics of patients with advanced breast cancer who received paclitaxel liposome as salvage treatment from January 1, 2016 to August 31, 2019 in 11 hospitals were collected and retrospectively analyzed. The primary outcome was progression free survival (PFS), and the secondary outcome included objective response rate (ORR) and safety. The survival curve was drawn by Kaplan-Meier analysis and the Cox regression model were used for the multivariate analysis. Results: Among 647 patients with advanced breast cancer who received paclitaxel liposome, the first-line treatment accounted for 43.3% (280/647), the second-line treatment accounted for 27.7% (179/647), and the third-line and above treatment accounted for 29.1% (188/647). The median dose of first-line and second-line treatment was 260 mg per cycle, and 240 mg in third line and above treatment. The median period of paclitaxel liposome alone and combined chemotherapy or targeted therapy is 4 cycles and 6 cycles, respectively. In the whole group, 167 patients (25.8%) were treated with paclitaxel liposome combined with capecitabine±trastuzumab (TX±H), 123 patients (19.0%) were treated with paclitaxel liposome alone (T), and 119 patients (18.4%) were treated with paclitaxel liposome combined with platinum ± trastuzumab (TP±H), 108 patients (16.7%) were treated with paclitaxel liposome combined with trastuzumab ± pertuzumab (TH±P). The median PFS of first-line and second-line patients (5.5 and 5.5 months, respectively) were longer than that of patients treated with third line and above (4.9 months, P<0.05); The ORR of the first line, second line, third line and above patients were 46.7%, 36.8% and 28.2%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that event-free survival (EFS) and the number of treatment lines were independent prognostic factors for PFS. The common adverse events were myelosuppression, gastrointestinal reactions, hand foot syndrome and abnormal liver function. Conclusion: Paclitaxel liposomes is widely used and has promising efficacy in multi-subtype advanced breast cancer.

[Diagnosis and treatment strategies of 56 cases of middle ear myoclonus]

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics and treatment of middle ear myoclonus. Methods: Fifty-six cases of middle ear myoclonus were enrolled in Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital, Shandong University from September 2019 to August 2021, including 23 males and 33 females. The age ranged from 6 to 75 years, with a median age of 35 years; Forty-seven cases were unilateral tinnitus, nine cases were bilateral tinnitus. The time of tinnitus ranged from 20 days to 8 years. The voice characteristics, inducing factors, nature (frequency) of tinnitus, tympanic membrane conditions during tinnitus, audiological related tests, including long-term acoustic tympanogram, stapedius acoustic reflex, pure tone auditory threshold, short increment sensitivity test, alternate binaural loudness balance test, loudness discomfort threshold, vestibular function examination, facial electromyography, and imaging examination were recorded. Oral carbamazepine and/or surgical treatment were used. The patients were followed up for 6-24 months and the tinnitus changes were observed. Results: Tinnitus was diverse, including stepping on snow liking sound, rhythmic drumming, white noise, and so on. The inducing factors included external sound, body position change, touching the skin around the face and ears, speaking, chewing and blinking, etc. Forty-four cases were induced by single factor and 9 cases were induced by two or more factors. There was no definite inducing factor in 1 case. One patient had tinnitus with epilepsy. One case of traumatic facial paralysis after facial nerve decompression could induce tinnitus on the affected side when the auricle moved. Tympanic membrane flutter with the same frequency as tinnitus was found in 12 cases by otoscopy, and the waveform with the same frequency as tinnitus was found by long-term tympanogram examination. There were 7 patients with no tympanic membrane activity by otoscopy, the 7 cases also with the same frequency of tinnitus by long-term tympanogram examination, but the change rate of the waveform was faster than that of the patients with tympanic membrane flutter. All patients with tinnitus had no change in hearing. One case of tinnitus complicated with epilepsy (a 6-year-old child) was treated with antiepileptic drug (topiramate) and tinnitus subsided. One case suffered from tinnitus after facial nerve decompression for traumatic facial paralysis was not given special treatment. Fifty-four cases were treated with oral drug (carbamazepine), of which 10 cases were completely controlled and 23 cases were relieved; 21 cases were invalid. Among the 21 patients with no effect of carbamazepine treatment, 8 patients were treated by surgery, 7 patients had no tinnitus after surgery, 1 patient received three times of operation, and the third operation was followed up for 6 months, no tinnitus occurred again. The other 13 cases refused the surgical treatment due to personal reasons. Conclusions: Middle ear myoclonus tinnitus and the inducing factors manifestate diversity. Oral carbamazepine and other sedative drugs are effective for some patients, and surgical treatment is feasible for those who are ineffective for medication.

[Research progress of mesenchymal stem cells in female reproductive medicine]

Stem cells have been a hot spot in medical research for a long time and have unique advantages in tissue repair, diagnosis and treatment of diseases. With the development of regenerative medicine, stem cells have been widely studied and applied in reproductive medicine, such as improving ovarian function and repairing endometrial damage. These efforts are achieved primarily through the use of mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) from a variety of sources. However, the application of stem cells also faces problems such as low cell retention rate and medical ethics. This article focuses on the research progress and clinical application of MSCs (not involving embryonic stem cells) in the field of female reproductive medicine.

[Analysis on infection risk in secondary close contacts of COVID-19 patients]

Objective: To study the infection rate of secondary close contacts of COVID-19 patients, and assess the infection risk in the contacts. Methods: COVID-19 patients' close contacts (with a clear exposure time to index case) with negative nucleic acid test results and secondary close contacts were surveyed in continuous isolation and medical observation in this prospective study. The dynamic nucleic acid test results of the close contacts and secondary contacts of COVID-19 patients were collected to assess their risk of infection. Results: A total of 4 533 close contacts were surveyed, in whom 14 were confirmed as COVID-19 patients with overall secondary attack rate of 0.31%, and 4 201 secondary contacts were tracked, in whom no subsequent infections occurred. Conclusion: Close contacts of COVID-19 patients entered in centralized isolation for medical observation with negative nucleic acid tese results,the secondary close contacts of COVID-19 patients have no risk of infection.

[The changes of blood-labyrinth barrier in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss and the relationship with clinical features and prognosis]

Objective: To investigate the clinical features and prognosis in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) with blood-labyrinth barrier breakdown (BLB-B). Methods: Clinical data of patients with unilateral ISSNHL hospitalized from December 2017 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the results of 3D-FLAIR MRI and enhanced MRI scanning, these patients were divided into two groups, i.e., normal and abnormal inner ear groups. The patients in abnormal inner ear group were further divided into two subgroups: BLB-B and BLB-B with exudation. The differences and correlations among the groups in clinical characteristics, in terms of gender, age, deafness side, basic diseases, dizziness/vertigo, vestibular function, hearing loss degree, as well as classification of hearing curve, and prognosis were analyzed by statistical software SPSS 23.0. Results: Data were collected from 150 cases, in which 68 were male and 82 were female, aged (46.2±14.6) years, including 67 cases with normal inner ears and 83 cases with abnormal inner ears (13 cases with BLB-B; 70 cases with BLB-B and exudation). The dizziness/vertigo incidence, side ratio, hearing loss degree, classification of hearing curve, vestibular dysfunction (vestibular double temperature test, HIT and VAT) and therapeutic effect were different between normal and abnormal inner ear groups (P<0.05). The dizziness/vertigo incidence, side ratio, hearing loss degree, classification of hearing curve, vestibular dysfunction (vestibular double temperature test, o/cVEMP, HIT and VAT) and therapeutic effect were different among normal inner ear, BLB-B and BLB-B with exudation groups (P<0.05). Pairwise comparison between groups revealed that vestibular dysfunction (vestibular double temperature test, o/cVEMP, HIT and VAT) and therapeutic effect were different between normal inner ear and BLB-B groups (P<0.05); The dizziness/vertigo incidence, side ratio, hearing loss degree, classification of hearing curve, vestibular dysfunction (vestibular double temperature test, o/cVEMP, HIT and VAT) and therapeutic effect were different between normal inner ear and BLB-B with exudation groups (P<0.05). There was no significant different between BLB-B and BLB-B with exudation groups. Conclusion: BLB-B displayed by 3D-FLAIR MRI manifestation in ISSNHL patients indicates more serious cochlear and vestibular dysfunction, and worse therapeutic effect.

[The surgical management of benign tumors of the lateral skull base with intracranial invasion: experience from a single centre over ten years]

Objective: To investigate the clinical features, pathological types, imaging features, and surgical strategies of lateral skull base benign tumors with intracranial invasion. Methods: From January 2011 to March 2021, 36 patients of lateral skull base benign tumors with intracranial invasion were included in this retrospective study. Among the 36 patients, 14 cases were male, 22 cases were female, the aged range from 20-67, with the median age of 48. The clinical manifestations, characteristic imaging findings, pathological types, surgical approach selection, and prognosis were analyzed. Results: 36 cases of lateral skull base tumors with intracranial invasion were all accepted surgeries. 23 cases were neurogenic tumors, facial nerve tumors (n=8), neurogenic tumors in jugular foramen with unknown origin(n=6), hypoglossal schwannoma (n=3), transotic intralabyrinthine schwannoma (n=3), vestibular schwannoma involving the middle ear(n=2), vagal nerve schwannoma(n=1). Other types of tumors included meningioma (n=10) and paraganglioma (Di 1 or 2,n=3). Different pathological types of tumors had different clinical manifestations and imaging manifestations. Sixteen cases were subjected to primary resection, while, other 20 cases underwent staged operation. Among the patients with staged operation, 10 patients had completed the second stage operation, five patients were waiting for the second stage operation, the other five patient's residual intracranial tumor were significantly reduced and the space between tumor and brain tissues widened after the first stage operation, so, the following up with "wait and scan"policy was suggested. The total resection rate of tumors was related to the pathological nature, in which neurogenic tumors were 15/17, and meningiomas were 5/8. The main postoperative complications were cerebrospinal fluid leakage and infection in the operation area. There were two cases of postoperative intracranial infection, and three cases of cerebrospinal fluid leakage occurred in non staged operation cases. Conclusions: Lateral skull base tumors with intracranial invasion are rare. The most common pathological type is schwannoma, followed by meningioma and paraganglioma. For this type of tumor, if there is infection in the operation area and neck invasion is large, it is suggested to choose staged surgery, which can reduce the risk of intracranial infection and the incidence of cerebrospinal fluid leakage. Staged surgery strategy can also reduce the difficulty of second stage surgery, so the operation is much safer than non staged surgery.

Autophagy deficiency promotes lung metastasis of prostate cancer via stabilization of TWIST1

PURPOSE

The role of autophagy in prostate cancer metastasis remains controversial, and the effects of the autophagy-related gene ATG5 on prostate cancer metastasis are poorly understood. This study aims to explore the effects of ATG5 on prostate cancer metastasis and its molecular mechanism.

METHODS

The metastatic characteristics of LNCaP and DU145 cells were assessed by NOD/SCID mouse experiments, western blot, transwell assay, and wound-healing assay. Double membrane autophagic vesicle observation and the adenovirus-expressing mCherry-GFP-LC3B fusion protein were used to assess the autophagic characteristics of LNCaP and DU145 cells. The role of p62 in the accumulation of TWIST1 was confirmed by western blot under different conditions. The lentivirus particles of shATG5, NOD/SCID mice experiments, western blot, transwell assay, and wound-healing assay were used to confirm the role of ATG5 in TWIST1 accumulation and prostate cancer cell metastasis.

RESULTS

We identified a stabilizing effect of p62 on TWIST1 in the autophagic regulation of EMT and prostate cancer metastasis. The loss of ATG5 in DU145 cells resulted in autophagy deficiency and p62 accumulation, which stabilized TWIST1 and increased the TWIST1 level in prostate cancer cells, and eventually promoted EMT and metastasis. In comparison, LNCaP cells with regular ATG5 expression and autophagy status retained remarkable epithelial cell characteristics and had limited metastatic characteristics. Similar results were also found in wild-type LNCaP cells and LNCaP cells with stable ATG5 interference.

CONCLUSIONS

Our research revealed ATG5-mediated autophagy as a key mechanism that controls the metastasis of prostate cancer by regulating p62 abundance and TWIST1 stabilization.

[Analysis on infectivity of COVID-19 patients before and after last negative nucleic acid test]

Objective: To investigate the infection rate in close contacts of COVID-19 patients before and after the last negative nucleic acid test, evaluate the effect of dynamic nucleic acid test in determining the infectivity of COVID-19 patients. Methods: Dynamic nucleic acid test results of COVID-19 cases were collected in a retrospective cohort study. COVID-19 cases with negative nucleic acid test results before their first positive nucleic acid tests were selected as study subjects. Close contacts of the index cases and the secondary close contacts were kept isolation for medical observation to assess their risk of infection. Results: This study included 89 confirmed cases from two local COVID-19 epidemics in Ningbo. A total of 5 609 close contacts were surveyed, the overall infection rate was 0.20%. No close contacts of the COVID-19 cases before the last negative nucleic acid test were infected, and the infection rate in the close contacts of the COVID-19 cases after the last negative nucleic acid test was 1.33%, all of these close contacts lived together with the index cases. No secondary close contacts were infected. Conclusion: COVID-19 patient becomes infectious after the last nucleic acid is negative, and has no infectivity before the last nucleic acid negative.

[Correlation analysis of 3D-FLAIR MRI characteristics of the inner ear and vestibular function in the patients with vestibular neuritis]

Objective: The characteristics of 3D-FLAIR MRI images of the inner ear of patients with vestibular neuritis were preliminarily studied to explore the possible pathogenesis of vestibular neuritis, and the correlation analysis was conducted in combination with vestibular function to provide a basis for accurate diagnosis of vestibular neuritis. Methods: A total of 36 patients with vestibular neuritis (VN) from December 2019 to October 2020 were collected from the Vertigo Department of Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University. There were 36 cases (18 females, 18 males) with unilateral acute vestibular neuritis, 17 cases of left ear and 19 cases of right ear. According to the results of 3D-FLAIR MRI in the inner ears, the patients were divided into the enhanced group and the non-enhanced group (the health side served as the normal control group). The results of vestibular function examination in the two groups were compared. SPSS19.0 software was used for statistical processing to analyze the relationship between the vestibular function and the characteristics of 3D-FLAIR imaging in the inner ears. Results: Abnormal enhancement of 3D-FLAIR was found in 31 cases (86.1%) of the 36 cases, including 14 cases of both vestibular nerve and vestibular terminal organ enhancement, eight cases of superior vestibular nerve enhancement alone, seven cases of vestibular terminal organ enhancement alone, and two cases of cochlear enhancement alone. Observation of abnormal reinforcement of vestibular nerve showed: twenty-one cases of superior vestibular nerve reinforcement, one case of superior and inferior vestibular nerve reinforcement. No abnormalities were found in 3D-FLAIR of inner ear in 5 cases. According to the analysis of vestibular function results, there were 19 cases (52.8%) with total vestibular involvement, sixteen cases (44.4%) with superior vestibular involvement alone, and one case (2.8%) with inferior vestibular involvement alone. Comparison of vestibular function between the five cases (non-enhancement group) and the 31 cases (enhanced group) in the 3D-FLAIR group of the inner ears showed that the CP values of caloric tests in the enhanced group were higher (60.81±3.49 vs 34.12±7.37), with statistically significant difference (t=-2.898, P<0.01). Conclusion: In patients with vestibular neuritis, 3D-FLAIR MRI scan of the inner ear provides visual imaging evidence for clinical practice, considering that the lesion site of vestibular neuritis is not only in the vestibular nerve, but also in the vestibular end organ. Patients with 3D-FLAIR enhanced in the inner ear may have more significant vestibular function damage.

[Establishment and validation of prediction model of new-onset pelvic organ prolapse in early postpartum period]

Objective: To analyze the risk factors of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and to establish the prediction model. Methods: A study was conducted on the prevalence of POP among 2 247 parturient women at 6 weeks postpartum in Peking University People's Hospital from December 2018 to October 2019, and relevant influencing factors were analyzed to construct a prediction model of early postpartum POP using logsitic regression, which was validated internally. Data from November 2019 to December 2019 (403 parturient women) were collected for external validation of the prediction model. In addition, the obstetrical factors affecting the occurrence of early postpartum POP in 885 primiparas with vaginal delivery (from January 2019 to November 2019) were further discussed. Results: A total of 2 247 cases were included in the modeling group, and 403 cases were included in the external validation data set. POP accounted for 24.3% (545/2 247). Age, parity, body mass index before pregnancy, vaginal delivery and newborn birth weight were negative factors for early postpartum POP (all P<0.05). The nomogram was established based on the above factors, and internal and external verification indicated that the model had a good discrimination (C-index were 0.759 and 0.760, respectively). In addition, this study found that age and newborn birth weight were the main causes of early postpartum POP in primiparas with vaginal delivery (P=0.044, P=0.004). Conclusions: The incidence of early postpartum POP is high. The prediction model of POP constructed in this study could be used to guide clinical practice to a certain extent and give corresponding treatment suggestions to pregnant women scientifically, so as to provide theoretical support for primary prevention.

[Effect factors of collateral blood supply of patients with early trimester cesarean scar pregnancy]

Objective: To investigate the characteristics and effect factors of collateral blood supply of patients with early trimester cesarean scar pregnancy(CSP). Methods: This study was a multicenter case-control study, with 219 inpatients with CSP in First People's Hospital of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou Central Hospital, Third People's Hospital of Zhengzhou and Henan No3 Provincial People's Hospital from January 1, 2017 to June 30, 2020 who were selected to obtain their clinical data. Double-blind method was performed in digital subtraction angiography imaging analysis. The patients were divided into collateral blood supply group and non-collateral blood supply group, and the incidence of collateral blood supply of patients with early trimester CSP was calculated. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was performed to find the independent risk factors of collateral blood supply of patients with early trimester CSP. As well, clinical outcomes after uterine artery embolization (UAE) were compared between the two groups. Results: A total of 219 patients with early trimester CSP have average age of (32.4±5.0) years old and average pregnancy of (51.0±10.6) days. The incidence of collateral blood supply was 12.3% (27 cases), of which16 cases were on the left, 6 on the right and 5 in both sides. A total of 43 collateral vessels were found, with 1.59 vessels per patient on average. Bladder artery was the most common source of collateral blood supply, accounting for 74.4% (32/43), followed by internal pudendal artery for 18.6% (8/43). Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis showed that gestational weeks ≥8 weeks, maximum diameter of gestational sac ≥50 mm and rich blood supply of gestational sac are independent risk factors for collateral blood supply of patients with early trimester CSP, with OR (95%CI) 3.68 (1.06-12.76), 7.00 (1.52-32.19)、9.96 (3.59-27.58), respectively, all P<0.05. The success rates of UAE were 100% in both groups. The reduction in serum β-Human chorionic gonadotropin (β-HCG) level at 24 hours after UAE, vaginal bleeding during uterine curettage, hysterectomy and menstrual recovery time were not found to have significant difference between groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions: Early trimester CSP leads to a certain occurrence of collateral blood supply, which may have adverse impact on the efficacy of UAE and patient safety. Gestational weeks, the maximum diameter of gestational sac and the degree of vascularization of gestation sac have certain value in suggesting the collateral blood supply of patients with early trimester CSP, which is helpful for the complete embolization of gestational sac in the process of UAE.

Limonitum Ameliorates Castor Oil-Induced Diarrhoea in Mice by Modulating Gut Microbiota

Diarrhoea is a common clinical condition; its pathogenesis is strongly associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis. Limonitum is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine that exerts appreciable benefits regarding the amelioration of diarrhoea. However, the mechanism through which Limonitum ameliorates diarrhoea remains unclear. Here, the efficacy and underlying mechanism of Limonitum decoction (LD) regarding diarrhoea were explored from the aspect of gut microbiota. Castor oil (CO) was used to induce diarrhoea in mice, which were then used to evaluate the effects of LD regarding the timing of the first defecation, diarrhoea stool rate, degree of diarrhoea, diarrhoea score, intestinal propulsive rate, and weight of intestinal contents. The concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), including acetic, propionic, isobutyric, butyric and valeric acids, were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology was applied to evaluate changes in the gut microbiota under exposure to LD. LD was found to effectively ameliorate the symptoms of diarrhoea, and the diversity and relative abundance of gut microbiota were restored to normal levels following LD treatment. Additionally, LD significantly restored the observed reductions in SCFAs. These results provide strong evidence that LD can sufficiently ameliorate diarrhoea in mice by regulating their gut microbiota. The findings presented here highlight that Limonitum may constitute a prospective remedy for diarrhoea.

[Triptolide increases the radiosensitivity of lung cancer cells by inhibiting DNA repair and inducing apoptosis]

Objective: To investigate the effect of triptolide on radiosensitivity of lung cancer cells and its mechanism. Methods: The lung cancer cells H1299, A549, H157 and H838 were cultured. The strongest radio resistance cell line, H1299 was selected by cell clone formation experiment and for the subsequent experiments. 3-(4, 5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2H tetrazolium bromide (MTT) was used to detect the effect of different concentrations of triptolide on the proliferation of H1299 cells. The optimal concentration of triptolide was 50nmol/L, and the optimal treatment time was 48 hours. The H1299 cells were divided into the control group, triptolide group (50 nmol/L), 4 Gy group and triptolide+ 4 Gy group. Flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptosis rate of H1299 cell. Western Blot was used to detect the proteins expression levels of p-Chk2, p-ATM, p-p53, Bcl-2, Bax and cleaved-Caspase 3. Results: The apoptotic rate and protein levels of Bax, cleaved-Caspase 3, p-Chk2, p-ATM and p-p53 in the 4 Gy group were (12.38±1.34)%, 0.42±0.04, 0.38±0.04, 0.98±0.11, 0.73±0.08, 0.95±0.09, respectively, higher than (3.26±2.43)%, 0.22±0.02, 0.23±0.03, 0.32±0.03, 0.21±0.02, 0.25±0.03 in the control group (P<0.05). However, the protein level of Bcl-2 was (0.52±0.05), lower than (0.93±0.09) of the control group (P<0.05). The survival fraction (0.462) and protein level of Bcl-2 (0.44±0.04) in the triptolide group were lower than those of the control group (0.702 and 0.93±0.09, P<0.05). The apoptotic rate and the protein levels of Bax and cleaved-Caspase 3 in the triptolide group were (9.27±1.08)%, 0.45±0.05, 0.41±0.04, respectively, higher than (3.26±2.43)%, 0.22±0.02, 0.23±0.03 in the control group (P<0.05), and the sensitization ratio in the triptolide group was 1.579. The apoptosis rate, Bax and cleaved Caspase 3 protein expression levels in triptolide + 4 Gy group were (26.53±2.19)%, 0.91±0.09 and 0.79±0.08, respectively, higher than (12.38±1.34)%, 0.42±0.04 and 0.38±0.04 in 4 Gy group (P<0.05). The expression level of Bcl-2 protein was (0.21±0.02), lower than (0.52±0.05) in 4 Gy group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Triptolide increases the radiosensitivity of radiation-induced lung cancer cells by inhibiting DNA repair and inducing apoptosis.

[The imaging characteristics and prognosis of patients with cochlear implants whose cochlear nerves are not shown on MRI]

Objective: To analyze the temporal bone CT and inner ear magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of cochlear implant patients with no cochlear nerve display in the inner auditory canal under MRI. To retrospectively analyze the long-term hearing and speech rehabilitation effects of such patients after cochlear implant. And to analyze the correlation between the results of imaging examinations and the postoperative effects of cochlear implant patients with this type of cochlear nerve deficiency. Methods: A total of 88 children with cochlear nerve deficiency, who underwent cochlear implantation in Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital from May 2014 to October 2018, were enrolled. Patients with cochlear malformations were excluded,only the patients with cochlear nerve deficiency whose cochlear structure was normal and no cochlear nerve displayed in inner auditory canal under MRI were enrolled. There were 64 patients, including 4 bilaterally implanted, 68 ears in total, with an average age of (2.8±1.7) years (range 1-6 years) at the time of implantation. The implanted product was Cochlear, including 24RECA and 512 models. All patients underwent inner ear magnetic resonance imaging and temporal bone CT scan before operation. Auditory speech function assessments were performed at 12 months, 24 months, and 36 months after surgery, including categories of auditory performance (CAP), speech intelligibility rating (SIR) and hearing aid threshold test. The imaging evaluation content included the width of the cochlear nerve canal of temporal bone CT, the width of the internal auditory canal, the width of the auditory nerve at the cerebellopontine angle of the inner ear MRI, and the ratio of the facial nerve to the width of the auditory nerve at the cerebellopontine angle. The correlations between the results of postoperative hearing aid hearing threshold, CAP, SIR and imaging results were analyzed. Results: Among the 64 cases of cochlear nerve not shown under MRI, 56 ears with CT data showed that the width of the cochlear nerve canal in temporal bone CT was (0.72±0.30) mm (mean±standard deviation, the same below), and the width of the internal auditory canal was (4.07±1.10) mm; 66 ears with MRI data showed that the diameter of the auditory nerve at the cerebellopontine angle of the inner ear MRI was (1.58±0.27) mm, the diameter of the facial nerve was (1.57±0.27) mm, and the ratio of the diameter of the facial nerve to the auditory nerve was (1.02±0.23). The average hearing thresholds at 12, 24, and 36 months after surgery were (46.8±2.5) dB HL, (40.7±0.8) dB HL, and (36.8±1.5) dB HL, respectively. The preoperative and postoperative CAP scores at 12, 24 and 36 months were (1.0±1.0), (3.8±1.4), (4.5±1.4) and (5.1±0.7) points, respectively. The preoperative and postoperative SIR scores at 12, 24, and 36 months were (1.1±0.3), (1.9±0.9), (2.5±0.9), and (2.9±0.6) points, respectively. The hearing threshold at 24 months after surgery was negatively correlated with the width of the internal auditory canal of temporal bone CT (r=-0.349, P=0.037), and the hearing threshold at 36 months after surgery was positively correlated with the ratio of the diameter of the facial nerve to the auditory nerve at the cerebellopontine angle of the inner ear MRI (r=0.740, P=0.001). Conclusions: Children with cochlear implants whose cochlear nerves are not shown on MRI can benefit from cochlear implantation, and their speech and auditory functions can improve significantly after surgery. The width of the internal auditory canal in the temporal bone CT and the ratio of the diameter of the facial nerve to the auditory nerve at the cerebellopontine angle of the inner ear MRI may be related to the long-term hearing threshold after surgery.

Oral oligofructose challenge reduces expression of glucose transport-1 and 5'-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase in lamellar wall of Holstein heifer claw

The laminar tissue of bovine laminitis may undergo energy failure. The expression of glucose transport protein-1 (GLUT-1) and 5'-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) affects the energy metabolism of digital laminar tissue. This study aimed to determine the expression of glucose uptake and AMPK in laminar wall corium of Holstein heifer claw by oral administration of oligofructose. A total of twelve clinically healthy Holstein heifers were selected and divided into two groups, including control (CON, n = 6) and experimental (OF, n = 6) groups. The heifers of OF group were given 17 g/kg BW oligofructose dissolved in water (20 mL/kg BW) and the heifers of CON group were given water only (20 mL/kg BW). The laminar tissues were collected after euthanasia. The amount of protein and transcript expression of AMPK and GLUT-1 were determined by western blot and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), respectively. Expressions of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxy-kinase (PEPCK), receptor-c coactivator1-α (PGC-1α) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) were determined by qRT-PCR. The heifers of OF group showed no significant change in the expression and concentration of AMPK. The phosphor-(Thr172) AMPK and GLUT-1 were significantly decreased, while the gene contents of PPAR-γ and PGC-1α were significantly increased. The activation of AMPK and GLUT-1 in digital laminar tissues of heifers was inhibited, which may contribute to digital laminar tissue damage.

Current status and distribution of hip fractures among older adults in China

China is a middle-risk country for hip fracture at present, which differs from previous data that it was low-risk. By 2050, the total number of hip fractures in people older than 65 years is predicted to be 1.3 million.

INTRODUCTION

To assess hip fracture incidence in China and examine the heterogeneity of hip fracture in seven geographical regions of China.

METHODS

There were 238,230 hip fracture patients aged 65 years or older from 2013 to 2016 from a large national in-patients database (HQMS) involving 30.6 million hospitalizations. Taking into account the total national hospitalization rate per calendar year, we estimated the incidence of hip fracture per 100,000 residents older than 65 years in China overall and in seven geographical Chinese regions.

RESULTS

The proportion of men and women older than 65 years with hip fractures was 1.00:1.95. Between 2013 and 2016, the number of hip fractures per 100,000 people age 65+ was 278. China has vast territories; the number of hip fractures per 100,000 people over 65 years old was 202 in Northeast China and 374 in Northwest China. Northwest has higher altitude, lower population density, is less developed with lower urbanization than Northeast China which is low altitude, and highly urbanized.

CONCLUSIONS

China should no longer be regarded as a low-risk country for hip fracture. By 2050, the total number of hip fractures in people older than 65 years in China is predicted to be 1.3 million. Higher altitude areas had higher hip fracture rates than lower altitude, higher urbanized areas.

[Biocompatibility of extracellular matrix hydrogel with human iPSCs differentiated cardiomyocytes]

Objective: To observe the biocompatibility of porcine omental derived extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogel with human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) and the feasibility of ECM hydrogel as a delivery vector of cell transplantation. Methods: A series of chemical, physical and enzymatic methods were applied to acellularize the porcine omentum. Subsequently, the extracted ECM was prepared into thermosensitive hydrogel. The biochemical composition of the hydrogel was identified by histological staining. The microstructure was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The hydrogel was then injected into the myocardium of mice to observe its in situ gelation ability. Differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells into cardiomyocytes was achieved by small molecule induction, and then the obtained hiPSC-CMs were cultured. hiPSC-CMs cultured onto the prepared hydrogel were defined as the hydrogel group, while conventionally cultured hiPSC-CMs were defined as the control group. Cardiomyocyte viability and growth patterns were detected using live/dead staining, CCK-8 and phalloidin staining. Immunofluorescence staining and Western blot of cardiomyocytes were used to determine the survival and phenotypic maintenance markers of cardiomyocytes in materials. Results: The results of HE staining, oil red O staining and DAPI fluorescence staining showed that there was no significant cell debris, nucleus and lipid residue in the prepared ECM hydrogel. The Sirius red staining and Alcian blue staining showed that the hydrogel retained collagen and glycolaminoglycan, which were the main components of ECM. The prepared hydrogel behaves as a viscous liquid at 4 ℃ and as a gel state at 37 ℃. Scanning electron microscope results showed that the microstructure of the hydrogel was composed of irregular fibers and pores of different sizes. Under the guidance of ultrasound, the prepared ECM hydrogel could be successfully injected into the myocardium of mice. Immediately after the injection, the hyperechoic signal could be observed under ultrasound, suggesting that the hydrogel remained in the myocardium. HE staining of myocardial tissue evidenced that there was lump of gel in the injection area. The differentiated hiPSC-CMs were co-cultured with the prepared ECM hydrogel, and the results of live/dead staining showed that most of the hiPSC-CMs in the hydrogel group and the control group were alive, dead cells were scanty. The results of CCK-8 test showed that the absorbance values of the two groups were similar (P>0.05). The results of phalloidin staining showed that hiPSC-CMs could extend normally when co-cultured with ECM hydrogel. The cell morphology of the hydrogel group was similar with that of the control group, and there was no statistically significant difference in the F-actin coverage area per cell between the two groups (P>0.05). Immunofluorescence staining of cardiomyocyte markers showed that there was no significant difference in the coverage area of α-actinin and connexin-43 (Cx-43) per field between the hydrogel group and the control group (both P>0.05), the quantitative results of DAPI staining showed that there was no statistically significant difference in the number of cells between the two groups (P>0.05). Meanwhile, the results of Western blot showed that the expression levels of α-actinin and Cx-43 in cardiomyocytes in the hydrogel group were similar as those in the control group (both P>0.05). Conclusions: These results show that preparation of the ECM hydrogel from porcine omentum is successful. The hydrogel has good biocompatibility and no obvious cytotoxicity. Besides, the hydrogel can support the survival of hiPSC-CMs in vitro and maintain its phenotype. These properties make it a promising injectable cardiac tissue engineering material.

[Effects of neuromuscular exercise therapy on the joint stability of patients with knee osteoarthritis]

Objective: To evaluate the effects of neuromuscular exercise therapy on joint stability of knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients. Methods: One hundred and ten patients with knee OA were enrolled in this ongoing prospective cohort study at Arthritis Clinic and Research Center, Peking University People's Hospital from September 2017 to October 2018. The treatment consisted of six-week neuromuscular exercise therapy. The participants were followed up at 6 weeks and 3 months after the therapy. The stability of the joint was evaluated by the index of knee joint stability (IKJS), which was extracted by a novel knee-aiming task combined with the multiscale entropy (MSE) analysis of the complexity of the light spot trajectories. The secondary outcomes were pain on the visual analogue scale (VAS, 0-100), the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), quality of life on the Euro-quality of life-5 Dimensional (EQ-5D) VAS form, 30-second chair stand test and 40-meter walk test. One-way repeated measures ANOVA analysis was applied to compare the outcomes at baseline and 6 weeks and 3 months. Pearson partial analysis was used to investigate the correlation between the IKJS and the Kellgren-Lawrence (K/L) rate, pain and knee function. Results: Ninety-six participants ((65±8) years, 21 males, 75 females) completed 3-month follow-up. There was a significant improvement in IKJS at the 6-week visit compared with that at baseline (0.369, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.241-0.496, P<0.001). The IKJS dropped at 3-month visit compared with 6-week visit, but was still better than that at baseline (0.178, 95%CI: 0.042-0.314, P=0.008). The correlation between IKJS and K/L rate, severity of pain, WOMAC or knee function was not significant (r=-0.131, -0.059, -0.231, 0.124, all P>0.05). There was improvement in pain VAS, WOMAC, EQ-5D-VAS, 30-second chair stand test and 40-meter walk test at 6 weeks and 3 months (all P<0.05). Conclusion: The neuromuscular exercise therapy is effective in improving the joint stability of the knee OA patients. However, the effect gradually diminished over time. In addition, neuromuscular exercise can help relieve pain, improve the function and quality of life in patients with knee OA.

Diagnostic value of maximum signal intensity on T1-weighted MRI images for differentiating parotid gland tumours along with pathological correlation

AIM

To investigate the efficacy of the maximum signal intensity of tumour on T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images for differentiating Warthin's tumours (WTs) from pleomorphic adenomas (PAs) and malignant tumours (MTs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One hundred and fifty-four histopathologically confirmed parotid tumours, including 76 PAs, 45 WTs, and 33 MTs, were analysed. MRI results were compared with pathological findings. The maximum signal intensity of tumour and the average signal intensity of spinal cord were measured on T1-weighted images, then the tumour-to-spinal cord signal intensity ratio (T1-max-SIR) was calculated. The distribution of T1-max-SIRs among the three groups of tumours was analysed using the Mann-Whitney U-test. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated to assess the ability of T1-max-SIRs to differentiate parotid tumours. In addition, the interobserver agreement between readers was assessed using interclass correlation coefficient (ICC).

RESULTS

T1-max-SIRs were higher in WTs than in PAs (p<0.001) and MTs (p<0.001), and no significant difference was found between PAs and MTs (p=0.151). The area under the curve (AUC) of T1-max-SIRs for differentiating WTs from PAs was 0.901, with a sensitivity of 91.1% and a specificity of 82.9%. The AUC of T1-max-SIRs for differentiating WTs from MTs was 0.851, with a sensitivity of 88.9% and a specificity of 78.8%. Readers had excellent interobserver agreement on T1-max-SIRs (ICC = 0.989; 95% confidence interval, 0.985-0.992).

CONCLUSIONS

T1-max-SIRs can be useful for differentiating WTs from PAs and MTs with high diagnostic efficiency.

[Analysis of prognostic factors of low-frequency type of sudden sensorineural hearing loss]

Objective: To investigate the prognostic factors of patients with low-frequency type of sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Methods: From February 2017 to February 2019, adult patients with unilateral low-frequency type of sudden sensorineural hearing loss in Department of Otological Medicine, Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital, Shandong University were selected. All patients were examined by audiology, vestibular function evaluation, imaging examination and serum thyroid function test; the same treatment program was given, the curative effect was recorded and followed up for more than 3 months. SPSS 20.0 software was used to analyze concomitant symptoms (tinnitus, ear tightness, echo, rotatory vertigo), degree of deafness, inducement of deafness, basic disease, vestibular function (caloric test), electrocochleogram, inner ear gadolinium enhanced MRI radiography and thyroid function on prognosis of patients. Results: Among the 155 patients, 76 cases were cured (49.0%), 1 case was markedly effective (0.6%), 19 cases were effective (12.3%), and 59 cases were ineffective (38.1%). The total effective rate was 61.9%. Among them, 24 cases (15.5%) had hearing fluctuations during follow-up, and 1 case (0.6%) developed Meniere's disease. Univariate analysis showed that vestibular function, electrocochleogram and inner ear MRI were correlated with prognosis. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that ear tightness, vestibular function, electrocochleogram and inner ear MRI were correlated with the prognosis of the patients. The two analyses showed that tinnitus, echo, rotational vertigo, degree of deafness, predisposing factors and underlying diseases were not significantly correlated with the prognosis of the patients (all P>0.05). Rotational vertigo was closely related to gender, and women had a high incidence. There was a significant correlation between the degree of deafness and prognosis in patients with course of less than 1 week (P<0.05). The abnormal rate of vestibular function in patients with course of disease ≤ 1 week was significantly different from that>1-≤2 and>2-≤4 weeks (P<0.05). The rate of abnormal thyroid function was significantly higher than that of normal people (P<0.05), but there was no significant correlation between thyroid dysfunction and hearing prognosis (χ(2)=0.009, P=0.923) . Conclusions: The prognosis of low-frequency sudden sensorineural hearing loss is not related to clinical symptoms, inducements, underlying diseases and serological abnormalities of thyroid function, but the degree of deafness is positively related to the prognosis within 1 week from onset. Abnormal thyroid function is one of the risk factors of happening with low-frequency descending sudden deafness. Abnormal vestibular caloric test, electrocochleogram and endolymph hydrops are the factors of poor prognosis.

[Breast schistosomiasis japonica: a case report]

A case with breast schistosomiasis japonica was reported.

[Application of directed acyclic graphs in identifying and controlling confounding bias]

Observational study has been viewed as the most convenient method in designing etiological studies. However, the presence of confounders always challenge the researchers in study design, since unadjusted confounders may lead to biased results. The traditional definition of a confounder is not intuitional in application and sometimes leading to inappropriate adjustment of nonexistent "confounders" which might induce new bias to merge. The use of directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) may identify confounders easier and more intuitional, as well as avoiding superfluous adjustment. It can also contribute to the identification of adjustment methods, and be useful in causal inference of observational studies.

[Effects of Prrx2 gene silencing on the proliferation of breast cancer and its molecular mechanisms]

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of silencing Paired related homoeobox 2 (Prrx2) expression on the proliferation of breast cancer and its molecular mechanisms. Methods: Short hairpin RNA knockdown of Prrx2 was used to examine cellular effects of Prrx2. The level of Prrx2 was verified by Western blot. MTT assay was used to analyze the proliferation of breast cancer cells in vitro. To investigate the effect of Prrx2 depletion on tumor growth in vivo, a nude mouse xenograft model was performed. Results: The expression of Prrx2 decreased 91.2% in MDA-MB-231 cells and 88.7% in MCF-7 cells after transfection with interfering vectors (P<0.05). MTT assay showed that the proliferation of cells in silenced Prrx2 expression group was significantly inhibited compared with the control group (P<0.05). Nude mice transplanted tumors showed that the growth of transplanted tumors was slow after silencing Prrx2 expression, and the weight of the tumors of silenced Prrx2 expression group were smaller than those of the control group ((160.2±26.3)mg vs (365.4±19.7)mg, P<0.05). Western blot showed that silencing Prrx2 expression inhibited the expression of β-catenin in breast cancer cell nucleus and down-regulated the activity of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Conclusions: Silencing Prrx2 expression can effectively inhibit the proliferation and growth of breast cancer, suggesting that Prrx2 may become a new target for the treatment of breast cancer.

[Meta-analysis on tetanus antibody protection rate of healthy population born after 1978 in China]

Objective: Meta-analysis was conducted on the tetanus antibody protection rate of healthy population born after 1978 in China (data from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan was excluded, the same below). Methods: Search the data on China's tetanus antibody level which were published in China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang data, VIP, SinoMed database, PubMed and the Cochrane Library. The Chinese search keywords were "Tetanus Antitoxin", "Tetanus Antibody", "Healthy Population" and "Mainland China". English search terms include "tetanus antitoxin", "tetanus vaccine", "tetanus vaccine", "general population" and "mainland of China". The time limit for inclusion in literature research was 2010-2019. Stata software was used to conduct meta-analysis on the protection rate of tetanus antibody. Results: A total of 24 articles were included. There was no obvious publication bias in the included articles. The total number of respondents was 23 530, the antibody protection rate was 49.5%-99.0%. A total of 20 817 people got effective antibody protection, which meant the antibody level reached and exceeded 0.1 IU/ml, and the combined protection rate was 78.6% (95%CI: 75.0%-88.2%). The combined protection rates of antibody in 0-7 years old and 8-15 years old groups were 88.9% (95%CI: 86.9%-91.0%) and 79.3% (95%CI: 72.9%-86.2%) respectively. The combined protection rates of antibodies in 16-20 years old, 21-30 years old and 31-40 years old groups were 58.9% (95%CI: 46.5%-71.2%), 47.7% (95%CI: 16.8%-78.7%) and 63.8% (95%CI:32.6%-95.1%) respectively. The combined protection rate of tetanus antibody for 0-15 years old people was 85.6% (95%CI: 83.1%-88.1%), and the combined protection rate of antibody for 16-40 years old people was 52.9% (95%CI: 39.3%-66.6%). Conclusion: With the increase of age, the protection rate of tetanus antibody among the healthy population aged 16-40 years in our country decreases. An individualized vaccination plan should be formulated according to the previous tetanus vaccination history and the tetanus antibody level when necessary.

[A preliminary study on optical coherence tomography of the lacrimal punctum in normal adults]

Objective: To study the imaging characteristics and accumulate data of optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the lacrimal punctum in normal adults. Methods: From September to November 2018, 59 healthy adults (90 eyes) with normal lacrimal punctum structure were enrolled in this cross-sectional study conducted at the Lacrimal Center of Ophthalmology, Third Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, including 21 males (34 eyes) and 38 females (56 eyes), aged 18-65 years. All the subjects were examined by slit lamp microscopy to measure the maximum transverse diameter. OCT was performed to observe the inferior lacrimal punctum, including the external punctal diameter, the punctal diameter at 100 μm and 200 μm depth. The difference in the diameter of different parts of the punctum was analyzed. Independent sample t test and single factor analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis. Results: In normal adults, the maximum transverse diameter under a slit lamp was (545.6±149.3) μm, the external punctal diameter on OCT images was (548.4±130.5) μm, and the punctal width at 100 μm and 200 μm depth on OCT images was (262.8±120.8) μm and (179.2±110.0) μm, respectively. There was no significant difference between the maximum transverse diameter of the punctum under a slit lamp microscope and the OCT outer diameter of the punctum (t=0.133, P=0.894). There were significant differences between the diameter of the lacrimal punctum in the different scanning sites of the OCT (F=213.237, P<0.01). There was significant difference between the punctal width at 100 μm and the external punctal diameter on OCT images (t=15.229, P<0.01). There was significant difference between the punctal width at 200 μm and the external punctal diameter on OCT images (t=20.517, P<0.01). There was significant difference between the punctal width at 100 μm and 200 μm depth on OCT images (t=4.855, P<0.01). Conclusion: The width of different parts of the lacrimal punctum in healthy adults is different on OCT images, and the punctal width at 200 μm depth is the narrowest. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2019, 55: 695-699).

[Association between polymorphisms of interleukin-17 genes and pneumoconiosis susceptibility]

Objective: To explore the relationship between polymorphisms of interleukin 17(IL-17) gene (rs4711998, rs763780) and the susceptibility of pneumoconiosis, and to provide a basis for prevention of high-risk groups of pneumoconiosis. Methods: A total of 219 pneumoconiosis patients and 242 workers without pneumoconiosis were enrolled in the study. All subjects were photographed with high undulating X-rays anterior chest radiographs, diagnosed according to diagnostic criteria for pneumoconiosis. We collected 3 ml of peripheral venous blood of the study subjects. Polymorphism in IL-17A rs4711998 and IL-17F rs763780 locus were evaluated by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Results: The IL-17A rs4711998 locus has AA, AG and GG genotypes, there was no the significant difference between case and control groups (P>0.05). IL-17F rs763780 had AA, AG and GG genotypes, there was a significant difference between case and control groups (P<0.05). Allele A and allele G were statistically significant difference between the case group and the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: No relationship was found between IL-17A gene polymorphisms at rs4711998 and silicosis. IL-17F rs763780 locus gene polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to pneumoconiosis. AG genotype and G allele may have a protective effect.

[Comprehensive rehabilitation of individualized exercise program for coal workers pneumoconiosis in Huaibei Coal Mine Group]

Objective: To explore the effect of comprehensive rehabilitation treatment of individualized exercise program on lung function, exercise ability, quality of life and biochemical indexes of coal workers' pneumoconiosis patients, and to provide scientific and effective methods for rehabilitation treatment of coal workers' pneumoconiosis. Methods: In Huaibei Coal Mine Occupational Disease Prevention and Control Hospital, the data of pneumoconiosis patients treated by pneumoconiosis department in the hospital were collected and sorted out. 80 patients were selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Using a random number table, they were randomly divided into two groups with 40 cases in each group. The data investigated in this study include the results before and after treatment. Pulmonary function index, BMI index, six-minute walking distance (6MWD) , quality of life questionnaire (SF-36) , hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) , st George's breathing questionnaire (sgrq) , c-reactive protein (CRP) and blood oxygen saturation (SpO(2)) were used to evaluate and compare the efficacy of the two groups. Results: The lung function indexes of the test group were significantly higher than those of the control group after treatment (P<0.05) , including forced vital capacity, forced vital capacity in the first second, maximum expiratory flow, expiratory flow when vital capacity was 75% and expiratory flow when vital capacity was 25%. The forced vital capacity, the first-second forced vital capacity and the maximum expiratory flow of the patients in the test group were higher after treatment than before (P<0.05) . The six-minute walking distance of the test group was greater than that of the control group after treatment (P<0.05) . After treatment, the scores of st George's breathing questionnaire in the test group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05) . The scores of quality of life questionnaire in the test group were higher than those in the control group after treatment (P<0.05) . Conclusion: The comprehensive rehabilitation treatment of individualized exercise program improved the endurance and exercise ability of pneumoconiosis patients, improved the respiratory status and quality of life of pneumoconiosis patients in Huaibei Coal Mine, improved the lung function of pneumoconiosis patients, and improved the forced vital capacity of patients, but the small airway function has not been significantly improved.

[Prediction of syncope with nonlinear dynamic analysis during head-up tilt in vasovagal syncope patients]

OBJECTIVE

To quantify the relationship between cerebral blood flow velocity and peripheral blood pressure during hypotension period, aiming to predict the brain hypotension before symptomatic occurrence.

METHODS

Twenty vasovagal syncope (VVS) patients who had a previous clinical history were selected in groups and 20 pair-matched control subjects underwent 70° tilt-up test. The subjects remained supine for 30 minutes before recordings when Doppler probes, electrodes and Finapres device were prepared. After continuous baseline recordings for 10 min, the subjects underwent head up tilt (HUT) test (70°), and were standing upright for 30 minutes or until syncope was imminent. For ethical reasons, the subjects were turned back to supine position immediately after SBP dropped to ≥20 mmHg, when their consciousness persisted. The point of syncope was synchronized for all the subjects by the point SBP reached the minima. Their beat-to-beat blood pressures (BP) were recorded continuously and bilateral middle cerebral artery (MCA) flow velocities were obtained with two 2 MHz Doppler probes from a transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) system. A nonlinear dynamic method--multimodal pressure flow (MMPF) analysis was introduced to access cerebral autoregulation during different time intervals. We introduced a new indicator--syncope index (SI), which was extracted from blood flow velocity (BFV) signal to evaluate the variation of cerebral vascular tension, and could reflect the deepness of dicrotic notch in BFV signal.

RESULTS

Compared with the syncope index of the baseline value at the beginning of the tilt test, SI in VVS group showed significantly lower when the VVS occurred (0.16±0.10 vs.0.27±0.10,P<0.01),while there was no significant difference in syncope index between the control group at the end of the tilt test and the baseline value at the beginning of the tilt test. For those VVS patients, pulse index and resistance index had no significant change. Syncope index decreased significantly 3 minutes before the point of syncope (0.23±0.07 vs.0.29±0.07,P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

Dynamic regulation is exhausted when vasovagal syncope occurred. Tension decrease of small vessels could have some relationship with loss of the cerebral autoregulation capability. The proposed syncope index could be a useful parameter in predicting syncope of VVS patients since it decreased significantly up to 3 minutes earlier from the point of syncope.

Emergence and complete genome of Senecavirus A in pigs of Henan Province in China, 2017

Senecavirus A (SVA) the only member of the Senecavirus genus within the Picornaviridae family, is an emerging pathogen causing swine idiopathic vesicular disease and epidemic transient neonatal losses. Here, SVA strain (CH-HNKZ-2017) was isolated from a swine farm exhibiting vesicular disease in Henan Province of Central China. A phylogenetic analysis based on complete genome sequence indicated that CH-HNKZ-2017 was closely related to US-15-40381IA, indica- ting that a new SVA isolate had emerged in China.

[Replication of 3D laparoscopic membrane anatomic radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer]

According to the current evidence-based medicine researches, the eastern and western countries have reached a consensus that D2 operation is a standardized procedure for advanced gastric cancer.However, the postoperative five-year survival rate is still not satisfactory. Professor Gong Jianping of Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical Gollege of Huazhong University of Science and Technology proposed a theory of membrane anatomy (the third element of surgical anatomy) and the concept of cancer leakage-an epoch-making concept in surgical anatomy. The Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University was honored to be selected as one of the first domestic replication units of 3D laparoscopic radical gastrectomy under membrane anatomy. Professor Gong Jianping has visited our hospital several times for surgical demonstration, explanation of membrane anatomy theory and replication training. Through the understanding of membrane anatomy theory, we found that 3D laparoscopic radical gastrectomy guided by membrane anatomy can achieve good results, e.g less bleeding, complete resection, complete lymph node dissection and avoidance of side damage, meanwhile the operation is simple and safe. At the same time, it can avoid the shedding of cancer cells, so as to reduce the iatrogenic leakage of cancer and improve the efficacy of radical gastrectomy. In addition, the standardized procedure of laparoscopic radical gastrectomy makes it scientific, reproducible and easy to be popularized.

[Patient reported outcome of tyrosine kinase inhibitor related side effects and their impact on daily life in Chinese patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in the chronic phase]

目的

评估中国慢性髓性白血病（CML）慢性期（CP）患者报告的酪氨酸激酶抑制剂（TKI）相关不良反应及其对日常生活的影响。

方法

2014年5月至11月在全国范围内向正在接受TKI治疗的成年CML患者发放无记名调查问卷。TKI不良反应对患者日常生活的影响程度采用自我报告的形式，以1分（没有影响）至5分（严重影响）进行评估。

结果

731例CML-CP受访者报告了TKI相关不良反应影响其日常生活评分，中位年龄41 (18~88）岁，男性407例（56%），560例（77%）确诊至TKI治疗时间< 1年。中位TKI治疗时间为3（<1~13）年，549例（75%）获得完全细胞遗传学反应，301例（41%）获得完全分子学反应。TKI最多见的不良反应依次为水肿（44%）、乏力（38%）、胃肠道不适（32%）、面部颜色改变（19%）、肌肉痉挛（19%）、皮疹（14%）、肝功能异常（12%）、体重增加（12%）和血细胞计数降低（8%）。多因素分析显示，TKI服药时间<4年是乏力的独立影响因素；女性、年龄≥40岁、服用一代TKI者容易发生水肿；服用一代TKI容易发生胃肠道不适；服用二代TKI容易出现皮疹及肝功能异常；女性容易出现体重增加；确诊至TKI治疗时间≥1年、服用一代TKI者较易出现肌肉痉挛；服用仿制品是血细胞计数降低的独立影响因素。患者自我报告TKI相关不良反应影响日常生活的评分显示218例（30%）没有影响（1分），375例（51%）受轻中度影响（2~3分），138例（19%）受严重影响（4~5分）。多因素分析显示，仅将人口学特征纳入分析时，女性、年龄≥40岁、服用仿制品、TKI服药时间<4年与受访者较高的日常生活受影响程度显著相关；将不良反应也纳入多因素分析后，未接受高等教育、TKI服药时间<4年、服用仿制品以及以下不良反应：水肿、乏力、胃肠道不适、面部颜色改变、皮疹和肝功能异常与较高的日常生活受影响程度相关。

结论

服用TKI的中国CML-CP患者中，水肿、乏力、胃肠道不适、皮疹、面部颜色改变和肝功能异常是最常见的、影响其日常生活的药物不良反应。女性、年龄≥40岁、未接受高等教育、服用仿制品和TKI治疗时间较短与患者日常生活受影响显著相关。

[Effects and safety of quadratus lumborum block in analgesia after hip arthroplasty]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of ultrasound guided quadratus lumborum block combined with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty. Methods: From January to June 2017, sixty American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status Ⅰ to Ⅲ patients, aged 55-75 yr, scheduled for total hip arthroplasty, were randomly divided into control group(group N) and quadratus lumborum block (group R). Ultrasound guided quadratus lumborum block was implemented on the affected side at the end of operation.Then 30 ml 0.33% ropivacaine were administrated in group R, while the control group did not receive the same block. A sufentanil patient-controlled analgesia pump was connected to the patient. The rest visual analogue score (VAS) were recorded at 0 h(T(0)), 3 h(T(1)), 6 h (T(2)), 12 h(T(3)), 24 h (T(4)), 36 h (T(5)) and 48 h(T(6)) after sugery, the VAS scores on movement were evaluated at T(4), T(5) and T(6) time points.The consumption of sufentanil within each period time were recorded.The maximal flexion and abduction degrees of the hip joint were evaluated at 12, 24, 36 and 48 h after operation. The number of patients for rescue pain relief by intravenous analgesia pump during 24 h and 48 h after surgery were counted in both groups. The postoperative adverse effects and overall satisfaction in the two groups were recorded. Results: The VAS at rest in group R were 0.8±0.4, 1.0±0.3, 1.2±0.5, 2.0±0.5, 1.7±0.4 , 1.6±0.5 at T(1), T(2), T(3), T(4), T(5), T(6) respectively, and those in group N were 3.0±0.7, 3.5±0.9, 3.8±0.9, 3.3±1.1, 3.3±0.7, 3.0±0.7 at the same time points. The VAS at rest were lower in group R than those in control group at all time points (F=203.090, 216.354, 203.956, 35.548, 96.332, 80.577, all P<0.01). The VAS on movement in group R were 2.7±0.9, 2.9±0.7 , 2.0±0.6 at T(4), T(5), T(6) respectively , and those in group N were 6.0±1.5, 5.8±1.1, 4.5±1.0. The VAS on movement were also lower in group R than those in control group(F=154.561, 143.224, 141.479, all P<0.01). The maximum flexion degrees in group R were (61±12)degrees, (64±10)degrees, (69±15)degrees and(78±19)degrees at 12, 24, 36, 48 h after operation, and those were (45±11) degrees, (49±10)degrees, (52±12)degrees and(60±14)degrees at the same time points. The maximum flexion degrees in group R were increased more than control group at 12, 24, 36, 48 h after operation(F=34.981, 35.575, 52.106, 41.681, all P<0.01). The abduction degrees in group R were(22±6)degrees, (26±6)degrees, (27±8)degrees and(28±7)degrees at 12, 24, 36, 48 h after surgery, and those in group N were (14±5) degrees, (17±6)degrees, (20±6)degrees and(20±5)degrees. The abduction degrees in group R were increased more than those in group N(F=58.974, 33.402, 19.151, 20.575, all P<0.01). The rates of rescue analgesia for pain relief were 10% and 16.7% at 24 h and 48 h after operation respectively in group R, and those were 100% and 100% in group N. Compared to group N, the rates of rescue analgesia for pain relief in group R were significantly decreased (χ(2)=49.091, 42.857, all P<0.01). The incidences of postoperative nausea and vomiting, pruritus in group R were 3.3% and 3.3% respectively, and those in group N were 23.3% and 20.0%. The incidences of nausea and vomiting, pruritus in group R were lower than those in group N (χ(2)=5.192, 4.875, all P<0.01). The overall satisfaction scores in group R (3.7 ± 1.0 ) were higher than those (1.9±0.7) in the group N(t=7.841, P<0.01). Conclusion: The quadratus lumborum block combined with parecoxib sodium for multimodal analgesia after total hip arthroplasty is effective and provides satisfactory analgesia.

[Clavien-Dindo classification and influencing factors analysis of complications after laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy]

Objective: To semi-quantify the postoperative complications occurred after laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy(LPD) using Clavien-Dindo score, thereafter exploring its impact factors. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, the clinical data of 124 patients who had undergone LPD for periampullary tumor from June 2016 to June 2017 at Department of Biliary Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology were collected.Malignancy was confirmed based on postoperative pathological reports.Postoperative complications were semi-quantitated using Clavien-Dindo score.Multivariable logistic regression model was applied to explore the factors related to severe complications(Clavien-Dindo Ⅲb-Ⅴ). Results: Of the 124 patients, there were 64 males(51.6%) and 60 females(48.4%), with age of 57 years(range, 23-82 years). In total, postoperative complications occurred in 30 patients(24.2%). Among the 30 patients, 4 patients suffered Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅰ, 18 patients(14.5%) suffered Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅱ, 6 patients(4.8%) suffered Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅲa, 1 patient(0.1%) suffered Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅳb, and 1 patient(0.1%) suffered Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅴ.Intraabdominal hemorrhage occurred in 8 patients, pancreatic fistula was found in 10 patients(7 patients had biochemical leakage and 3 of them had grade B pancreatic fistula), both biliary fistula and gastrointestinal fistula were found in 1 patient.Abdominal infection occurred in 10 patients, both liver failure and renal failure occurred in one patient.Moreover, arrhythmia was found in two patients, and mortality occurred in one patient.Five patients suffered multiple complications.Univariable analysis showed that postoperative complications were associated with body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists(ASA) score, intraoperative blood transfusion, and pancreatic texture(P<0.05). In multivariable logistic regression, ASA grade Ⅲ, intraoperative blood transfusion, and pancreatic softness were independently related to postoperative complications after LPD(P<0.05). Conclusions: Clavien-Dindo score is feasible to be applied in management of patients with LPD.ASA score, texture of pancreas, and intraoperative blood transfusion were independently associated with postoperative complications.

[Cochlear implantation and early outcomes in children with incompletely partition type Ⅲ malformation]

Objective:To analyze the early effect of the cochlear implantation (CI) in children with cochlear incompletely partition type Ⅲ malformation (IP-Ⅲ). Method:Ten children with IP-Ⅲ malformation who underwent CI were recruited in this study. The hearing characteristics, preoperative speech performance and surgery were analyzed retrospectively. The aided hearing threshold with CI, the categories of auditory performance (CAP) score, speech intelligibility rating (SIR) score and speech perception were designed to access the benefits of CI. Ten children with normal cochlea were also enrolled as the control group. Demographic information of children in the control group including hearing loss and speech level before implantation, age at implantation, hearing aids using history, duration with CI were matched with those in the IP-Ⅲ group. The hearing threshold, CAP score and SIR score in the IP-Ⅲ group were compared with the control group using the SPSS 20.0 software. Result:The computed tomography of temporal bones showed typical IP-Ⅲ malformation in all patients. The electrode arrays were properly and totally implanted in all children. Cerebrospinal fluid gusher occurred intra-operatively, and no other complications in all patients. The pure tone average (PTA) threshold at the 3rd, 6th, 9th and 12th month after implantation were (40.8±8.5) dB HL, (36.1±9.1) dB HL, (32.5±6.8) dB HL and (33.0±7.3) dB HL, respectively. The PTA thresholds in the IP-Ⅲ group were similar to those in the control group at all tested time points (P>0.05). At the 3rd, 6th, 9th and 12th month after implantation, the CAP scores in the IP-Ⅲ group were lower than those in the control group, but there was no significantly difference (P>0.05). Furthermore, the SIR scores were lower than those in the control group, and there were significantly difference at the 6 th, 9 th and 12 th month after implantation (P<0.05). Conclusion:CI was an effective treatment for children with IP-Ⅲ malformation. Surgery on IP-Ⅲ was challenging, however, seldom complication would occur with excellent surgical skills. Though the CI was benefit for IP-Ⅲ, the development of hearing and speech ability were slower than children with normal cochlea.

Impact of meteorological and geographical factors on the distribution of Phlebotomus chinensis in northwestern mainland China

Phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera: Phlebotomidae) are vectors of the zoonotic disease leishmaniasis. To better understand the distribution of phlebotomine sandflies in order to facilitate control of leishmaniasis transmission, the present study explored the impacts of climate and landscape on local abundances of Phlebotomus chinensis in northwestern mainland China. Identification records were used to create a geodatabase for the locations at which P. chinensis had been collected in the region, and a regional-scale map was developed to show the distribution of P. chinensis. Location data and data on environmental factors during the years in which the samples were collected were incorporated, and a presence-only modelling method was used to evaluate the species' habitat preferences and to predict its potential distribution in northwestern mainland China. Jackknife analysis revealed that several meteorological variables, including maximum temperature in the warmest quarter, precipitation in the driest month, daily average temperature and daily precipitation, significantly affected the presence of this species. Moreover, the presence of P. chinensis was significantly associated with grassland and shrubland. Probability distributions using maximum entropy were used to map the distribution ranges of P. chinensis based on suitable habitats in northwestern mainland China. The models generated can be used to develop detailed strategies for the prevention and control of leishmaniasis.

[Sleep quality analysis in patients with unilateral idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss]

Objective:To analyze the characteristics of sleep quality and its correlation with the clinical features and hearing curative effects in patients with unilateral idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL). Method:Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) was applied to evaluate the sleep quality of unilateral ISSHL patients in our department. Patient group is divided into poor sleep quality subgroup (total PSQI score>7 points) and normal sleep subgroup (total PSQI score≤7 points). The differences of Patient group and two subgroups between hearing curative effect in the 30 days after treatment and sleep quality scores were compared and analyzed. Questionnaire survey was applied to control group, which contained 70 healthy people with normal hearing level and age matched. Result:A total of 75 cases were collected. To compare with control group, there were statistical difference in the scores of subjective sleep quality, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance and PSQI before treatment and in the score of habitual sleep efficiency after the treatment for 30 d (P<0.05). The sleep quality between poor sleep quality subgroup and normal sleep subgroup, total therapeutic effect after treatment for 30 d was no significant difference (P>0.05). The proportion for poor sleep quality were no statistically significant differences in the different efficacy of two subgroups (P>0.05). Two subgroups before treatment, in addition to sleep duration, there were statistically significant in all the sleep quality dimensions (P<0.05); after treatment for 30 d, in addition to subjective sleep quality, sleep duration, all have statistical difference (P<0.05). The poor sleep quality subgroup in the case group compared before and after treatment for 30 d, there was statistically significant in subjective sleep quality (P<0.05). The sleep disturbance before treatment, the sleep duration and PSQI scores after treatment for 30 d were associated with clinical features in patients with unilateral ISSHL (P<0.05). Conclusion:The sleep quality of patients with Unilateral SSNHL was significantly lower than that of normal hearing patients, the sleep quality had no significant effect on the general efficacy of unilateral SSNHL, but some sleep quality dimensions are associated with the clinical features before and after treatment.

[Dynamic investigation of nutritional risk in patients with malignant tumor during hospitalization]

Objective: To prospectively investigate the changes in nutritional status of patients with malignant tumors during hospitalization by using nutritional risk screening (NRS2002), and to analyze the correlation between the nutritional status and clinical outcomes . Methods: This was a prospective and parallel research done by multi-center collaboration from 34 hospitals in China from June to September 2014.Hospitalized patients with malignant tumors inthese departments (Department of Gastroenterology, respiratory medicine, oncology, general surgery, thoracic surgery and geriatrics)were investigated. Only the patients with age≥ 18 years and hospitalization time between 7-30 days were included. During hospitalization, the physical indexes of human bodywere measured, and the NRS 2002 scores, and monitored the nutritional support at the time points of admission and 24 hours before discharge were recorded.And whether there was a nutritional risk in hospitalized patients and its association with clinical outcomes were investigated. Results: A total of 2 402 patients with malignancies were enrolled in this study. Seventy fourpatients who did not complete NRS2002 were eliminated, and 2 328 patients were included. The number of the main diseases was the top five, including 587 cases of colorectal cancer, 567 cases of lung cancer, 564 cases of gastric cancer, 146 cases of esophageal cancer, and 119 cases of liver tumor. At the time of discharge, compared with admission, the BMI, body weight, grip and calf circumferences of patients with malignant tumor were significantly decreased (P<0.05). The total protein, albumin, prealbumin and hemoglobin were significantly lower than those at admission (P<0.05). In 2 328 patients who were completed nutritional risk screening, the rate of malnutrition at admission was 11.1% (BMI =18.5, 258/2 328) and the rate of malnutrition at discharge was 10.9% (BMI =18.5, 254/2 328), there were no significant differences (χ(2)=0.019 7, P=0.888). There were 1 204 patients with nutritional risk at admission (51.7%, NRS2002 score≥3)and 1 352 patients with nutritional risk at discharge (58.1%, NRS2002 score≥3), with significant differences (χ(2)=49.9, P<0.001). The incidence of nutritional risk in patients with colorectal, stomach, and lung tumors at discharge was significantly higher than that at admission (P<0.05). The infective complications and other complications of patients with nutritional risk were significantly greater than those without nutritional risk at admission and at discharge.ICU hospitalization stay of patients with nutritional risk was increased significantly than those without nutritional risk at admission(P=0.042). Hospitalization expenses of patients with nutritional risk was increased significantly than those of patients without nutritional risk at discharge(P<0.01). Conclusion: The patients with malignant tumor have a higher incidence rate of malnutrition at both admission and discharge and malnutritionhas correlation with adverse clinical outcomes.The aboveindicators did not improve significantly at discharge.Doctors should pay more attention to the nutritional status (screening and evaluation)of patients before discharge and use appropriate and adequate nutrition support in order to prevent the weight loss and improve the life quality of patients.

Modeling of Li diffusion in nanocrystalline Li-Si anode material

To quantify the Li diffusion behavior in nanocrystalline anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), a hybrid model of the first principles calculation and diffusion kinetics was developed. The dependence of the Li diffusion on the electronic structure, solute concentration, grain size and temperature was described for the nanocrystalline Li-Si system. In contrast to conventional polycrystalline materials in which the activation barrier for Li diffusion decreases with the increase of concentration before amorphization, there exists a coordination effect of the solute concentration and grain size on the Li diffusion in nanocrystalline materials. A maximum diffusion coefficient can be obtained in the nanocrystalline Li-Si by a combination of the concentration and grain size, which is increased by two orders of magnitude from that in the coarse-grained counterpart. The present work advanced the understanding of the Li diffusion mechanisms during lithiation/delithiation of LIBs and may facilitate the development of nanocrystalline anode materials.

Effect of early embryonic deletion of huntingtin from pyramidal neurons on the development and long-term survival of neurons in cerebral cortex and striatum

We evaluated the impact of early embryonic deletion of huntingtin (htt) from pyramidal neurons on cortical development, cortical neuron survival and motor behavior, using a cre-loxP strategy to inactivate the mouse htt gene (Hdh) in emx1-expressing cell lineages. Western blot confirmed substantial htt reduction in cerebral cortex of these Emx-htt^KO mice, with residual cortical htt in all likelihood restricted to cortical interneurons of the subpallial lineage and/or vascular endothelial cells. Despite the loss of htt early in development, cortical lamination was normal, as revealed by layer-specific markers. Cortical volume and neuron abundance were, however, significantly less than normal, and cortical neurons showed reduced brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression and reduced activation of BDNF signaling pathways. Nonetheless, cortical volume and neuron abundance did not show progressive age-related decline in Emx-htt^KO mice out to 24 months. Although striatal neurochemistry was normal, reductions in striatal volume and neuron abundance were seen in Emx-htt^KO mice, which were again not progressive. Weight maintenance was normal in Emx-htt^KO mice, but a slight rotarod deficit and persistent hyperactivity were observed throughout the lifespan. Our results show that embryonic deletion of htt from developing pallium does not substantially alter migration of cortical neurons to their correct laminar destinations, but does yield reduced cortical and striatal size and neuron numbers. The Emx-htt^KO mice were persistently hyperactive, possibly due to defects in corticostriatal development. Importantly, deletion of htt from cortical pyramidal neurons did not yield age-related progressive cortical or striatal pathology.