Association of prealbumin with short-term and long-term outcomes in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Prealbumin is considered to be a useful indicator of nutritional status. Furthermore, it has been found to be associated with severities and prognosis of a range of diseases. However, limited data on the association of baseline prealbumin level with outcomes of patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are available. METHODS: We analyzed 2313 patients admitted for acute STEMI between October 2013 and December 2020. In-hospital outcomes and mortality during the 49 months (interquartile range: 26-73 months) follow-up period were compared between patients with the low prealbumin level (< 170 mg/L) and those with the high prealbumin level (≥ 170 mg/L). RESULTS: A total of 114 patients (4.9%) died during hospitalization. After propensity score matching, patients with the low prealbumin level than those with the high prealbumin level experienced higher incidences of heart failure with Killip class III (9.9% vs. 4.4%, P = 0.034), cardiovascular death (8.4% vs. 3.4%, P = 0.035) and the composite of major adverse cardiovascular events (19.2% vs. 10.3%, P = 0.012). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified that the low prealbumin level (< 170 mg/L) was an independent predictor of in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (odds ratio = 1.918, 95% CI: 1.250-2.942, P = 0.003). The cut-off value of prealbumin level for predicting in-hospital death was 170 mg/L (area under the curve = 0.703, 95% CI: 0.651-0.754, P < 0.001; sensitivity = 0.544, specificity = 0.794). However, after multivariate adjustment of possible confounders, baseline prealbumin level (170 mg/L) was no longer independently associated with 49-month cardiovascular death. After propensity score matching, Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed consistent results. CONCLUSIONS: Decreased prealbumin level closely related to unfavorable short-term outcomes. However, after multivariate adjustment and controlling for baseline differences, baseline prealbumin level was not independently associated with an increased risk of long-term cardiovascular mortality in STEMI patients.

PD-L1 blockade in mitigating severe acute pancreatitis induced pancreatic damage through modulation of immune cell apoptosis.

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a prevalent gastrointestinal disorder. The immune response plays a crucial role in AP progression. However, the impact of immune regulatory checkpoint PD-L1 on severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) remains uncertain. Hence, this study aimed to examine the influence of PD-L1 on SAP. We assessed PD-L1 expression in neutrophils and monocytes obtained from SAP patients. We induced SAP in C57BL/6J mice, PD-L1 gene-deficient mice, and PD-L1 humanized mice using intraperitoneal injections of cerulein plus lipopolysaccharide. Prior to the initial cerulein injection, a PD-L1 inhibitor was administered. Pancreatic tissues were collected for morphological and immunohistochemical evaluation, and serum levels of amylase, lipase, and cytokines were measured. Flow cytometry analysis was performed using peripheral blood cells. The expression of PD-L1 in neutrophils and monocytes was significantly higher in SAP patients compared to healthy individuals. Likewise, the expression of PD-L1 in inflammatory cells in the peripheral blood of SAP-induced C57BL/6J mice was notably higher than in the control group. In mice with PD-L1 deficiency, SAP model exhibited lower pancreatic pathology scores, amylase, lipase, and cytokine levels compared to wild-type mice. PD-L1 deletion resulted in reduced neutrophil apoptosis, leading to an earlier peak in neutrophil apoptosis. Furthermore, it decreased early monocyte apoptosis and diminished the peak of T lymphocyte apoptosis. Within the SAP model, administration of a PD-L1 inhibitor reduced pancreatic pathology scores, amylase, lipase, and cytokine levels in both C57BL/6J mice and PD-L1 humanized mice. These findings suggest that inhibiting PD-L1 expression can alleviate the severity of SAP.

Early left ventricular microvascular dysfunction in diabetic pigs: a longitudinal quantitative myocardial perfusion CMR study.

BACKGROUND: Microvascular pathology is one of the main characteristics of diabetic cardiomyopathy; however, the early longitudinal course of diabetic microvascular dysfunction remains uncertain. This study aimed to investigate the early dynamic changes in left ventricular (LV) microvascular function in diabetic pig model using the cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)-derived quantitative perfusion technique. METHODS: Twelve pigs with streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus (DM) were included in this study, and longitudinal CMR scanning was performed before and 2, 6, 10, and 16 months after diabetic modeling. CMR-derived semiquantitative parameters (upslope, maximal signal intensity, perfusion index, and myocardial perfusion reserve index [MPRI]) and fully quantitative perfusion parameters (myocardial blood flow [MBF] and myocardial perfusion reserve [MPR]) were analyzed to evaluate longitudinal changes in LV myocardial microvascular function. Pearson correlation was used to analyze the relationship between LV structure and function and myocardial perfusion function. RESULTS: With the progression of DM duration, the upslope at rest showed a gradually increasing trend (P = 0.029); however, the upslope at stress and MBF did not change significantly (P > 0.05). Regarding perfusion reserve function, both MPRI and MPR showed a decreasing trend with the progression of disease duration (MPRI, P = 0.001; MPR, P = 0.042), with high consistency (r = 0.551, P < 0.001). Furthermore, LV MPR is moderately associated with LV longitudinal strain (r = - 0.353, P = 0.022), LV remodeling index (r = - 0.312, P = 0.033), fasting blood glucose (r = - 0.313, P = 0.043), and HbA1c (r = - 0.309, P = 0.046). Microscopically, pathological results showed that collagen volume fraction increased gradually, whereas no significant decrease in microvascular density was observed with the progression of DM duration. CONCLUSIONS: Myocardial microvascular reserve function decreased gradually in the early stage of DM, which is related to both structural (but not reduced microvascular density) and functional abnormalities of microvessels, and is associated with increased blood glucose, reduced LV deformation, and myocardial remodeling.

[Cardiac Structural and Functional Features in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction:A Study Based on Propensity Score Matching].

Objective To investigate the cardiac structural and functional characteristics in the patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM),and predict the factors influencing the characteristics. Methods A total of 783 HFpEF patients diagnosed in the Department of Geriatric Cardiology,the First Hospital of Lanzhou University from April 2009 to December 2020 were enrolled in this study.Echocardiography and tissue Doppler technique were employed to evaluate cardiac structure and function.According to the occurrence of T2DM,the patients were assigned into a HFpEF+T2DM group (n=332) and a HFpEF group (n=451).Propensity score matching (PSM)(in a 1∶1 ratio) was adopted to minimize confounding effect.According to urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER),the HFpEF+T2DM group was further divided into three subgroups with UAER<20 µg/min,of 20-200 µg/min,and>200 µg/min,respectively.The comorbidities,symptoms and signs,and cardiac structure and function were compared among the groups to clarify the features of diabetes related HFpEF.Multivariate linear regression was conducted to probe the relationship of systolic blood pressure,blood glucose,glycosylated hemoglobin,and UARE with cardiac structural and functional impairment. Results The HFpEF+T2DM group had higher prevalence of hypertension (P=0.001) and coronary heart disease (P=0.036),younger age (P=0.020),and larger body mass index (P=0.005) than the HFpEF group,with the median diabetic course of 10 (3,17) years.After PSM,the prevalence of hypertension and coronary heart disease,body mass index,and age had no significant differences between the two groups(all P>0.05).In addition,the HFpEF+T2DM group had higher interventricular septal thickness (P=0.015),left ventricular posterior wall thickness (P=0.040),and left ventricular mass (P=0.012) and lower early diastole velocity of mitral annular septum (P=0.030) and lateral wall (P=0.011) than the HFpEF group.Compared with the HFpEF group,the HFpEF+T2DM group showed increased ratio of early diastolic mitral filling velocity to early diastolic mitral annular velocity (E/e') (P=0.036).Glycosylated hemoglobin was correlated with left ventricular mass (P=0.011),and the natural logarithm of UAER with interventricular septal thickness (P=0.004),left ventricular posterior wall thickness (P=0.006),left ventricular mass (P<0.001),and E/e' ratio (P=0.049). Conclusion The patients with both T2DM and HFpEF have thicker left ventricular wall,larger left ventricular mass,more advanced left ventricular remodeling,severer impaired left ventricular diastolic function,and higher left ventricular filling pressure than the HFpEF patients without T2DM.Elevated blood glucose and diabetic microvascular diseases might play a role in the development of the detrimental structural and functional changes of the heart.

Incidence, predictors and prognosis of acute kidney injury in acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients undergoing emergent coronary angiography/primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) after coronary angiography (CAG) and primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) is frequently observed, and often interpreted as contrast induced-AKI. This study aimed to investigate the incidence, predictors and outcomes of AKI in acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing emergent CAG/PPCI using the control group of STEMI patients who were not exposed to contrast agents within the first 72 h. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 1670 STEMI patients. Of them, 673 patients underwent emergent CAG/PPCI, and 997 patients treated with thrombolysis or no reperfusion therapy who were not exposed to contrast material during the first 72 h. AKI was defined as an increase of serum creatinine ≥ 44.2 mmol/L or ≥ 25% from baseline within 72 h. Patents were then followed up for the occurrence of all-cause mortality for 40 months (interquartile range: 24-55 months). RESULTS: After propensity score matching, 505 pairs of patients were matched. Overall, the incidence of AKI was 27.4%, and AKI rates were not significantly different in patients with and without emergent CAG/PPCI procedure (27.5% vs. 27.3%, P = 0.944). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified that the independent predictors of AKI were female, elevated interleukin-6 level, decreased lymphocyte count, left ventricular ejection fraction < 50% and use of diuretics in patients with emergent CAG/PPCI. Patients with AKI than those without AKI experienced higher incidence of acute heart failure with Killip class III (9.4% vs. 3.3%, P = 0.005; 15.2% vs. 6.8%, P = 0.003, respectively) and mortality (5.8% vs. 1.4%, P = 0.014; 12.3% vs. 4.6%, P = 0.002, respectively) in patients with and without emergent CAG/PPCI. Multivariate Cox regression analysis confirmed that AKI was independently associated with long-term mortality rate at 40 months follow-up in patients with and without emergent CAG/PPCI (HR = 1.867, 95% CI: 1.086-3.210, P = 0.024; HR = 1.700, 95% CI: 1.219-2.370, P = 0.002, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 27.0% of STEMI patients experience AKI, which is strongly associated with an increased short- and long-term mortality regardless of emergent CAG/PPCI procedure. The development of AKI is mainly related to female gender, inflammation reaction, heart failure and use of diuretics in STEMI patients undergoing emergent CAG/PPCI.

[Efficacy of noninvasive high-frequency oscillatory ventilation versus nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation as post-extubation respiratory support in preterm infants: a Meta analysis]. / æ— åˆ›é«˜é¢‘æŒ¯è¡é€šæ°”ä¸Žç»é¼»é—´æ­‡æ­£åŽ‹é€šæ°”ä½œä¸ºæ—©äº§å„¿æ‹”ç®¡åŽå‘¼å¸æ”¯æŒç–—æ•ˆæ¯”è¾ƒçš„Meta分析.

OBJECTIVES: To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of noninvasive high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (NHFOV) versus nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) as post-extubation respiratory support in preterm infants. METHODS: China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, Chinese Journal Full-text Database, China Biology Medicine disc, PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched for articles on NHFOV and NIPPV as post-extubation respiratory support in preterm infants published up to August 31, 2022. RevMan 5.4 software and Stata 17.0 software were used for a Meta analysis to compare related indices between the NHFOV and NIPPV groups, including reintubation rate within 72 hours after extubation, partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO2) at 6-24 hours after switch to noninvasive assisted ventilation, and the incidence rates of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), air leak, nasal damage, periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). RESULTS: A total of 9 randomized controlled trials were included. The Meta analysis showed that compared with the NIPPV group, the NHFOV group had significantly lower reintubation rate within 72 hours after extubation (RR=0.67, 95%CI: 0.52-0.88, P=0.003) and PCO2 at 6-24 hours after switch to noninvasive assisted ventilation (MD=-4.12, 95%CI: -6.12 to -2.13, P<0.001). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the incidence rates of complications such as BPD, air leak, nasal damage, PVL, IVH, and ROP (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with NIPPV, NHFOV can effectively remove CO2 and reduce the risk of reintubation, without increasing the incidence of complications such as BPD, air leak, nasal damage, PVL, and IVH, and therefore, it can be used as a sequential respiratory support mode for preterm infants after extubation.

Lipid-accumulated reactive astrocytes promote disease progression in epilepsy.

Reactive astrocytes play an important role in neurological diseases, but their molecular and functional phenotypes in epilepsy are unclear. Here, we show that in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and mouse models of epilepsy, excessive lipid accumulation in astrocytes leads to the formation of lipid-accumulated reactive astrocytes (LARAs), a new reactive astrocyte subtype characterized by elevated APOE expression. Genetic knockout of APOE inhibited LARA formation and seizure activities in epileptic mice. Single-nucleus RNA sequencing in TLE patients confirmed the existence of a LARA subpopulation with a distinct molecular signature. Functional studies in epilepsy mouse models and human brain slices showed that LARAs promote neuronal hyperactivity and disease progression. Targeting LARAs by intervention with lipid transport and metabolism could thus provide new therapeutic options for drug-resistant TLE.

Efficacy of noninvasive high-frequency oscillatory ventilation versus nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation as post-extubation respiratory support in preterm infants: a Meta analysis / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of noninvasive high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (NHFOV) versus nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) as post-extubation respiratory support in preterm infants.@*METHODS@#China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, Chinese Journal Full-text Database, China Biology Medicine disc, PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched for articles on NHFOV and NIPPV as post-extubation respiratory support in preterm infants published up to August 31, 2022. RevMan 5.4 software and Stata 17.0 software were used for a Meta analysis to compare related indices between the NHFOV and NIPPV groups, including reintubation rate within 72 hours after extubation, partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO2) at 6-24 hours after switch to noninvasive assisted ventilation, and the incidence rates of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), air leak, nasal damage, periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).@*RESULTS@#A total of 9 randomized controlled trials were included. The Meta analysis showed that compared with the NIPPV group, the NHFOV group had significantly lower reintubation rate within 72 hours after extubation (RR=0.67, 95%CI: 0.52-0.88, P=0.003) and PCO2 at 6-24 hours after switch to noninvasive assisted ventilation (MD=-4.12, 95%CI: -6.12 to -2.13, P<0.001). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the incidence rates of complications such as BPD, air leak, nasal damage, PVL, IVH, and ROP (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Compared with NIPPV, NHFOV can effectively remove CO2 and reduce the risk of reintubation, without increasing the incidence of complications such as BPD, air leak, nasal damage, PVL, and IVH, and therefore, it can be used as a sequential respiratory support mode for preterm infants after extubation.

Cardiac Structural and Functional Features in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction:A Study Based on Propensity Score Matching / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To investigate the cardiac structural and functional characteristics in the patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM),and predict the factors influencing the characteristics. Methods A total of 783 HFpEF patients diagnosed in the Department of Geriatric Cardiology,the First Hospital of Lanzhou University from April 2009 to December 2020 were enrolled in this study.Echocardiography and tissue Doppler technique were employed to evaluate cardiac structure and function.According to the occurrence of T2DM,the patients were assigned into a HFpEF+T2DM group (n=332) and a HFpEF group (n=451).Propensity score matching (PSM)(in a 1∶1 ratio) was adopted to minimize confounding effect.According to urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER),the HFpEF+T2DM group was further divided into three subgroups with UAER<20 μg/min,of 20-200 μg/min,and>200 μg/min,respectively.The comorbidities,symptoms and signs,and cardiac structure and function were compared among the groups to clarify the features of diabetes related HFpEF.Multivariate linear regression was conducted to probe the relationship of systolic blood pressure,blood glucose,glycosylated hemoglobin,and UARE with cardiac structural and functional impairment. Results The HFpEF+T2DM group had higher prevalence of hypertension (P=0.001) and coronary heart disease (P=0.036),younger age (P=0.020),and larger body mass index (P=0.005) than the HFpEF group,with the median diabetic course of 10 (3,17) years.After PSM,the prevalence of hypertension and coronary heart disease,body mass index,and age had no significant differences between the two groups(all P>0.05).In addition,the HFpEF+T2DM group had higher interventricular septal thickness (P=0.015),left ventricular posterior wall thickness (P=0.040),and left ventricular mass (P=0.012) and lower early diastole velocity of mitral annular septum (P=0.030) and lateral wall (P=0.011) than the HFpEF group.Compared with the HFpEF group,the HFpEF+T2DM group showed increased ratio of early diastolic mitral filling velocity to early diastolic mitral annular velocity (E/e') (P=0.036).Glycosylated hemoglobin was correlated with left ventricular mass (P=0.011),and the natural logarithm of UAER with interventricular septal thickness (P=0.004),left ventricular posterior wall thickness (P=0.006),left ventricular mass (P<0.001),and E/e' ratio (P=0.049). Conclusion The patients with both T2DM and HFpEF have thicker left ventricular wall,larger left ventricular mass,more advanced left ventricular remodeling,severer impaired left ventricular diastolic function,and higher left ventricular filling pressure than the HFpEF patients without T2DM.Elevated blood glucose and diabetic microvascular diseases might play a role in the development of the detrimental structural and functional changes of the heart.

Bibliometric study of soluble guanylate cyclase stimulators in cardiovascular research based on web of science from 1992 to 2021.

Background: Several studies have shown that soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulators have cardiovascular (CV) benefits. However, few bibliometric analyses have examined this field systematically. Our study aimed to examine the publications to determine the trends and hotspots in CV research on sGC stimulators. Methods: Publications on sGC stimulators in CV research were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. VOSviewer and CiteSpace visualization software were used to analyze publication trends, countries (regions) and institutions, journals and cited journals, authors and cited references, as well as keywords. Results: A total of 1,212 literatures were obtained. From its first appearance in 1992-2021 (based on WOSCC record), the overall volume of publications has shown a gradual increasing trend. Nearly one-third were authored by American scholars, and most were published in Circulation, Circulation Research, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Bayer Agency in Germany was the leading driving force, and has a high academic reputation in this field. Stasch JP has published the most related articles and been cited most frequently. Half of the top 10 co-cited references were published in the leading highly co-cited journal Circulation and New England Journal of Medicine. "NO," "allosteric regulation" and "free radicals" were the focus of previous research, "chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension," "pulmonary hypertension" and "heart failure" were the main research hotspots. The key words "chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension," "Pulmonary hypertension," "preserved ejection fraction" and "heart failure" appeared most recently as research frontiers. Conclusion: The research in the CV field of sGC stimulators was relatively comprehensive, and there was a close relationship among countries, research institutions and authors, but it is still in the exploratory stage in the treatment of CV disease. At present, most studies focus on the results of clinical trials. sGC stimulators in the treatment of heart failure, especially heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, may be the hotpots and Frontier at present and in the future, and should be closely monitored.

[Expression and Role of PD-L1 in a Mouse Model of Necrotizing Enterocolitis].

Objective: To investigate the expression and role of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) in a mouse model of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Methods: A total of 20 wild-type C57 BL/6 J mice were randomly assigned to the control and the model groups. Mice in the control group were breastfed, while mice in the model group were given lipopolysaccharide, formula feeding, hypoxia, and cold stimulation for NEC induction. Then, the intestines of the mice were collected in order to assess the pathological changes through HE staining, to examine PD-L1 expression and localization with immunofluorescence co-localization, and to evaluate intestinal PD-L1 expression with Western blot. Peripheral blood was collected for flow cytometry to examine leukocyte subpopulations and their PD-L1 expression. On the other hand, 14 PD-L1 (+/+) mice and 14 PD-L1 (-/-) mice were randomly divided into their respective genotype control groups and model groups. The same induction method as was already mentioned was adopted for the model groups. The intestines of the mice were collected for HE staining to evaluate the pathological change and peripheral blood was collected to examine the expression of inflammatory factors. Results: The NEC mouse model was successfully constructed. PD-L1 was widely expressed in enterocytes and inflammatory cells in the mouse intestines and in T cells, monocytes, and neutrophils in peripheral blood. The expression of PD-L1 in NEC mouse intestines increased in comparison with that of the control group. In the peripheral blood of NEC mice, the proportion of T cells and monocytes and their PD-L1 expression showed no significant changes compared with those of the control group, while the proportion of neutrophils and their PD-L1 expression increased by about 140% and 150%, respectively, in comparison with those of the control group ( P<0.05). According to the results of the PD-L1 gene mouse experiment, the control groups of PD-L1 (+/+) mice and PD-L1 (-/-) mice showed no significant difference in their intestinal conditions and serum inflammatory factor levels, while the PD-L1 (-/-) NEC mouse had worse intestinal pathological changes and increased mean pathological scores compared with those of PD-L1 (+/+) NEC mouse ( P<0.05). In addition, serum interleukin (IL)-10 in PD-L1 (-/-) NEC mouse decreased by about 44% compared with that of PD-L1 (+/+) NEC mice, and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1/IL-6/IL-1ß all increased by more than 25% (all P<0.05). Conclusion: PD-L1 is widely expressed in inflammatory cells and enterocytes in mice. Knocking out PD-L1 aggravates the degree of NEC inflammation and intestinal pathological changes. PD-L1 plays a protective role by reducing inflammation in the pathogenesis of NEC, the mechanism of which may be related to the regulation of neutrophils/enterocytes.

Niche overlap in rodents increases with competition but not ecological opportunity: A role of inter-individual difference.

Niche variation at population level mediates niche packing (i.e. patterns of species' spread within the niche space) and species coexistence at community level. Competition and ecological opportunity (resource diversity) are two of the main mechanisms underlying niche variation. Dense niche packing could occur through increased niche partitioning or increased niche overlap. In this study, we used stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data of 635 individual rodents from four species across nine sites in the montane region of a subtropical island to test the effects of competition and ecological opportunity on population isotope niche size, inter-individual niche difference within population and interspecific niche overlap within community. We used the Bayesian Standard Ellipse Area (SEAB, the ellipse area enclosed by carbon and nitrogen isotope values of organisms on a bi-plot) to estimate population niche size and interspecific niche overlap. Inter-individual niche difference within population was quantified as isotopic divergence and isotopic uniqueness. We used rodent abundance (the number of unique individuals captured) to measure competition and plant isotope niche size (plant SEAB) to measure ecological opportunity. The rodents experienced competition as evidenced by a negative relationship between population change rate and conspecific abundance. Rodent population niche size increased with ecological opportunity but not competition. The inter-individual niche difference (isotopic uniqueness) increased with competition (interspecific competition only) but not ecological opportunity. At community level, interspecific niche overlap (herbivore-omnivore pair only) increased with competition (the combined abundance of the pair) but not ecological opportunity. This study demonstrated that isotope niche variation of the rodents could be hierarchically influenced by ecological opportunity and competition, with the former setting the limit of population niche size across communities and the latter shaping inter-individual niche difference and interspecific niche overlap within communities. Under strong intraspecific competition and limited ecological opportunity for niche expansion, individuals may choose to increase their isotopic uniqueness from conspecifics at the cost of overlapping with heterospecifics of different trophic roles within the community niche space as overall competition increases. Denser niche packing of these rodent communities might be achieved through increased niche overlap.

Mechanism of antiplatelet aggregation of active fraction from sorghum roots / 中国药理学通报

Aim To study the mechanism of anti-plate- let aggregation of sorghum root active parts. Methods The effects of active fraction (WEAE-M 30%) from sorghum roots on platelet aggregation induced by collagen, thrombin and adenosine diphosphate were investigated in vitro. Western blot, enzyme-linked immunoas-say, flow cytometry and fluorescence techniques were used to explore the mechanism of the antiplatelet aggregation effect of WEAE-M 30% . Results WEAE-M 30% had a significant inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation induced by the three agonists mentioned above. The inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation induced by collagen was the most significant, with an inhibitory rate of (72. 91 ±2. 42)%. It was found that WEAE-M 30% had a significant inhibitory effect on the collagen- mediated platelet (IPVI signaling pathway protein Src, MAPK signaling pathway protein p38 and ERK phosphorylation. It also significantly inhibited the levels of ATP, P-selection and Ca2+ in platelets. Conclusions It is suggested that the mechanism of WE-AE-M 30% antiplatelet aggregation may be related to the inhibition of platelet activation pathway GPV1, MAPK and the release of typical platelet representative particles.

Pre-injection of Zebrafish (Danio rerio) tnfb Polyclonal Antibody Decreases the Mortality of Vibrio vulnificus Infected Zebrafish.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) plays an important role in an inflammatory cytokine storm. Over-secretion of TNF by the host in response to infection aggravates the disease. TNF expression level is positively correlated with the mortality caused by some bacterial infections. Therefore, using TNF antibody may alleviate the inflammation to resist bacterial infections. The function of fish TNF-b antibody in bacterial infection is still unclear. In this study, infection models of Vibrio vulnificus FJ03-X2 strain with high pathogenicity and strong virulence were established in zebrafish (Danio rerio) fibroblast cell line (ZF4 cells) and zebrafish. Zebrafish tnfb (Zetnf-b) gene was cloned and expressed by Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), and Zetnf-b polyclonal antibody was prepared. Pre-injection of Zetnf-b polyclonal antibody and AG-126 before infecting with V. vulnificus could increase the survival rate of zebrafish by 36.6 and 46.7%, respectively. Pre-injection of Zetnf-b polyclonal antibody could effectively decrease the mortality of zebrafish infected by V. vulnificus. Thus, TNF polyclonal antibody therapy could be considered as an effective strategy to control V. vulnificus in fish.

Directional Transportation in a Self-Pumping Dressing Based on a Melt Electrospinning Hydrophobic Mesh.

Self-pumping wound dressings with directional water transport ability have been widely studied for their function of directional extraction of excessive biofluid from wounds while keeping the wound in a moderately humid environment to realize rapid wound healing. However, the existing solutions have not paid close attention to the fabrication of a nonirritating hydrophobic layer facing the wounds, which may cause irritation to wounds and thereby further worsen inflammation. Herein, a flexible and elastic thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) hydrophobic microfiber mesh (TPU-HMM) produced by melt electrospinning (MES) is reported. The TPU-HMM was compounded to a hydrophilic nanofiber membrane, which was fabricated by blending with polyamide 6 and poly(ethylene glycol) (PA6-PEG) to form a composite self-pumping dressing, for which the breakthrough pressure in a reverse direction was 12.8 times than that in a positive direction and the forward water transmission rate was increased by 700%. It shows good directional water transport ability and is expected to absorb excessive biofluid of the wounds. This solvent-free and easy-process TPU-HMM provides a new strategy for the development of functional self-pumping textiles, and the solvent-free fabrication method for fibers, which eliminates the potential toxicity brought by solvent residues, offers more possibilities for its applications in biomedicine.

[Application of Deep Learning Reconstruction Algorithm in Low-Dose Thin-Slice Liver CT of Healthy Volunteers].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical feasibility of applying deep learning (DL) reconstruction algorithm in low-dose thin-slice liver CT examination of healthy volunteers by comparing the reconstruction algorithm based on DL, filtered back projection (FBP) reconstruction algorithm and iterative reconstruction (IR) algorithm. METHODS: A standard water phantom with a diameter of 180 mm was scanned, using the 160 slice multi-detector CT scanning of United Imaging Healthcare, to compare the noise power spectrums of DL, FBP and IR algorithms. 100 healthy volunteers were prospectively enrolled, with 50 assigned to the normal dose group (ND) and 50 to the low dose group (LD). IR algorithm was used in the ND group to reconstruct images, while DL, FBP and IR algorithms were used in the LD group to reconstruct images. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the liver CT values, the liver noise, liver signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast noise ratio (CNR) and figure of merit (FOM) of the images of ND-IR, LD-FBP, LD-IR and LD-DL. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to analyse subjective scores of anatomical structures. RESULTS: The DL algorithm had the lowest average peak value of noise power spectrum, and its shape was similar to that of medium-level IR algorithm. Liver CT values of ND-IR, LD-FBP, LD-IR and LD-DL did not show statistically significant difference. The noise of LD-DL was lower than that of LD-FBP, LD-IR and ND-IR ( P<0.05), and the SNR, CNR and FOM of LD-DL were higher than those of LD-FBP, LD-IR and ND-IR ( P<0.05). The subjective scores of anatomical structures of LD-DL did not show significant difference compared to those of ND-IR ( P >0.05), and were higher than those of LD-FBP and LD-IR. The radiation dose of the LD group was reduced by about 50.2% compared with that of the ND group. CONCLUSION: The DL algorithm with noise shape similar to the medium iterative grade IR commonly used in clinical practice showed higher noise reduction ability than IR did. Compared with FBP, the DL algorithm had smoother noise shape, but much better noise reduction ability. The application of DL algorithm in low-dose thin-slice liver CT of healthy volunteers can help achieve the standard image quality of liver CT.

Hepatitis E virus prevalence among blood donors in Dali, China.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a nonenveloped RNA virus causing hepatitis E worldwide. The increase in transfusion-transmitted cases of HEV infections from asymptomatic blood donors causing serious illnesses among immunosuppressed recipients has been reported in the past few years. China is one of the most prevalent regions of HEV; as a result, it is important to evaluate the risk of transfusion-transmitted HEV. METHODS: A total of 1864 serum samples (including demographic characteristics) from blood donors were randomly collected from February to March 2018 in Dali city. Anti-HEV IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies and HEV antigen were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). HEV RNA was detected by real-time PCR. Multivariable logistic regression modelling was used to examine the risk factors associated with HEV prevalence. RESULTS: Overall, the positive rates of anti-HEV IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies were 13.36% (249/1864), 1.13% (21/1864), and 1.82% (34/1864), respectively. However, none of the 1864 serum samples were HEV antigen positive or HEV RNA positive. Females (16.69%) had a significantly higher HEV seroprevalence than males (13.04%) (odds ratio [OR] 1.34 [95% CI, 1.02-1.75]). Bai (18.85%) donors had a significantly higher HEV seroprevalence than Han (12.21%) blood donors (odds ratio [OR], 1.65 [95% CI, 1.24-2.19] for Bai). CONCLUSIONS: HEV showed a seroprevalence among blood donors in Yunnan Province, some of which were even recent infections, indicating a threat to the safety of blood transfusions. Whether to formulate a strategy for HEV screening in blood centres needs further research.

[Noise Reduction Effect of Deep-learning-based Image Reconstruction Algorithms in Thin-section Chest CT].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the noise reduction effect of deep learning-based reconstruction algorithms in thin-section chest CT images by analyzing images reconstructed with filtered back projection (FBP), adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR), and deep learning image reconstruction (DLIR) algorithms. METHODS: The chest CT scan raw data of 47 patients were included in this study. Images of 0.625 mm were reconstructed using six reconstruction methods, including FBP, ASIR hybrid reconstruction (ASIR50%, ASIR70%), and deep learning low, medium and high modes (DL-L, DL-M, and DL-H). After the regions of interest were outlined in the aorta, skeletal muscle and lung tissue of each group of images, the CT values, SD values and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the regions of interest were measured, and two radiologists evaluated the image quality. RESULTS: CT values, SD values and SNR of the images obtained by the six reconstruction methods showed statistically significant difference ( P<0.001). There were statistically significant differences in the image quality scores of the six reconstruction methods ( P<0.001). Images reconstruced with DL-H have the lowest noise and the highest overall quality score. CONCLUSION: The model based on deep learning can effectively reduce the noise of thin-section chest CT images and improve the image quality. Among the three deep-learning models, DL-H showed the best noise reduction effect.

[The Application Value of Artificial Intelligence-based Filtering and Interpolated Image Reconstruction Algorithm in Abdominal Magnetic Resonance Image Denoising].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the noise reduction performance of conventional filtering and artificial intelligence-based filtering and interpolation (AIFI) and to explore for optimal parameters of applying AIFI in the noise reduction of abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: Sixty patients who underwent upper abdominal MRI examination in our hospital were retrospectively included. The raw data of T1-weighted image (T1WI), T2-weighted image (T2WI), and dualecho sequences were reconstructed with two image denoising techniques, conventional filtering and AIFI of different levels of intensity. The difference in objective image quality indicators, peak signal-to-noise ratio (pSNR) and image sharpness, of the different denoising techniques was compared. Two radiologists evaluated the image noise, contrast, sharpness, and overall image quality. Their scores were compared and the interobserver agreement was calculated. RESULTS: Compared with the original images, improvement of varying degrees were shown in the pSNR and the sharpness of the images of the three sequences, T1W1, T2W2, and dual echo sequence, after denoising filtering and AIFI were used (all P<0.05). In addition, compared with conventional filtering, the objective quality scores of the reconstructed images were improved when conventional filtering was combined with AIFI reconstruction methods in T1WI sequence, AIFI level≥3 was used in T2WI and echo1 sequence, and AIFI level≥4 was used in echo2 sequence (all P<0.05). The subjective scores given by the two radiologists for the image noise, contrast, sharpness, and overall image quality in each sequence of conventional filtering reconstruction, AIFI reconstruction (except for AIFI level=1), and two-method combination reconstruction were higher than those of the original images (all P<0.05). However, the image contrast scores were reduced for AIFI level=5. There was good interobserver agreement between the two radiologists (all r>0.75, P<0.05). After multidimensional comparison, the optimal parameters of using AIFI technique for noise reduction in abdominal MRI were conventional filtering+AIFI level=3 in the T1WI sequence and AIFI level=4 in the T2WI and dualecho sequences. CONCLUSION: AIFI is superior to filtering in imaging denoising at medium and high levels. It is a promising noise reduction technique. The optimal parameters of using AIFI for abdominal MRI are Filtering+AIFI level=3 in the T1WI sequence and AIFI level=4 in T2WI and dualecho sequences.

Age-related differences of genetic susceptibility to patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Inherited predispositions to acute lymphoblastic leukemia have been well investigated in pediatric patients, but studies on adults, particularly Chinese patients, are limited. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide association study in 466 all-age Chinese patients with Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 1,466 non-ALL controls to estimate the impact of age on ALL susceptibility in the Chinese population. Among the 17 reported loci, 8 have been validated in pediatric and 1 in adult patients. The strongest association signal was identified at ARID5B locus and gradually decreased with age, while the signal at GATA3 exhibited the opposite trend and significantly impact on adult patients. With genome-wide approaches, germline variants at 2q14.3 rank as the top inherited predisposition to adult patients (e.g., rs73956024, P = 4.3 × 10-5) and separate the genetic risk of pediatric vs. adult patients (P = 3.6 × 10-6), whereas variants at 15q25.3 (e.g., rs11638062) have a similar impact on patients in different age groups (overall P = 2.9 × 10-7). Our analysis highlights the impact of age on genetic susceptibility to ALL in Chinese patients.