In vivo evaluation of safety and performance of a tapered nitinol venous stent with inclined proximal end in an ovine iliac venous model.

A tapered stent with inclined proximal end is designed for fitting the iliac anatomically. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the safety and performance of the new stent in ovine left iliac veins. The experiment was performed in 30 adult sheep, and one nitinol-based VENA-BT® iliac venous stent (KYD stent) was implanted into each animal's left common iliac vein. Follow-up in all sheep consisted of angiographic, macroscopic, and microscopic examinations at Day 0 (< 24 h), Day 30, Day 90, Day 180 and Day 360 post-stenting (six animals per each time-point). 30 healthy ~ 50 kg sheep were included in this study and randomly divided into five groups according to the follow-up timepoint. All stents were implanted successfully into the left ovine common iliac vein. No significant migration occurred at follow-up. There is no statistically significant difference between the groups (p > 0.05), indicating no serious lumen loss occurred during the follow-up period. Common iliac venous pressure was further measured and the results further indicated the lumen patency at follow-up. Histological examinations indicated that no vessel injury and wall rupture, stent damage, and luminal thrombus occurred. There was moderate inflammatory cell infiltration around the stent in Day-0 and Day-30 groups with the average inflammation score of 2.278 and 2.167, respectively. The inflammatory reaction was significantly reduced in Day-90, Day-180 and Day-360 groups and the average inflammation scores were 0.9444 (p < 0.001, Day-90 vs Day-0), 1.167 (p < 0.001, Day-180 vs Day-0) and 0.667 (p < 0.001, Day-90 vs Day-0), respectively. The microscopic examinations found that the stents were well covered by endothelial cells in all follow-up time points. The results suggested that the KYD stent is feasible and safe in animal model. Future clinical studies may be required to further evaluate its safety and efficacy.

Stent Insertion for Inoperable Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma: Comparison Between Unilateral Radioactive Stent and Bilateral Normal Stent.

OBJECTIVE: To comparatively analyze the clinical efficacy and safety of unilateral radioactive stent (RS) insertion versus bilateral normal stent (NS) insertion in patients with inoperable hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with inoperable HC were treated in our hospital from January 2016 to December 2020. The treatment approach included the insertion of either unilateral RS or bilateral NS, evaluating the efficacy and safety of therapy in 2 distinct groups. RESULTS: A total of 58 individuals experienced the insertion of a unilateral RS, whereas 57 patients underwent the insertion of bilateral NS. No statistically significant difference between the unilateral RS and bilateral NS groups was seen in the technical success rates (98.3% vs 94.7%, P = 0.598) and clinical success rates (98.2% vs 100%, P = 0.514). While there is no statistically significant difference in the rates of stent restenosis (19.3% vs 9.3%, P = 0.132) between the two groups, the unilateral RS group demonstrated substantially longer stent patency (202 vs 119 d, P = 0.016) and overall survival (229 vs 122 d, P = 0.004) compared with the bilateral NS group. Moreover, 8 patients (14.0%) in the unilateral RS group and 14 patients (25.9%) in the bilateral NS group had postoperative complications with no significant difference ( P = 0.116). CONCLUSION: When inserting stents for inoperable HC, both unilateral RS and bilateral NS insertion procedures have demonstrated favorable therapeutic efficacy. Nevertheless, inserting a unilateral RS provided a longer duration of stent patency and overall survival than implantation of bilateral NS.

Berberine attenuates cognitive dysfunction and hippocampal apoptosis in rats with prediabetes.

The cognitive dysfunction caused by prediabetes causes great difficulties in human life, and the terrible thing is that the means to prevent the occurrence of this disease are very limited at present, Berberine has shown the potential to treat diabetes and cognitive dysfunction, but it still needs to be further explored to clarify the mechanism of its therapeutic effect. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects and mechanisms of Berberine on prediabetes-induced cognitive dysfunction. Prediabetes rat model was induced by a high-fat diet and a normal diet was used as a control. They were fed for 20 weeks. At week 13, the model rats were given 100 mg/kg Berberine by gavage for 7 weeks. The cognitive function of rats was observed. At the same time, OGTT, fasting blood glucose, blood lipids, insulin and other metabolic parameters, oxidative stress, and apoptosis levels were measured. The results showed that the model rats showed obvious glucose intolerance, elevated blood lipids, and insulin resistance, and the levels of oxidative stress and apoptosis were significantly increased. However, after the administration of Berberine, the blood glucose and lipid metabolism of prediabetic rats were significantly improved, and the oxidative stress level and apoptosis level of hippocampal tissue were significantly reduced. In conclusion, Berberine can alleviate the further development of diabetes in prediabetic rats, reduce oxidative stress and apoptosis in hippocampal tissue, and improve cognitive impairment in prediabetic rats.

Guijing2501 (Citrus unshiu) Has Stronger Cold Tolerance Due to Higher Photoprotective Capacity as Revealed by Comparative Transcriptomic and Physiological Analysis and Overexpression of Early Light-Induced Protein.

Cold is one of the major limiting factors for citrus production, particularly extreme cold waves. Therefore, it is of great importance to develop cold-tolerant varieties and clarify their cold tolerance mechanisms in citrus breeding. In this study, comparative transcriptomic and physiological analyses were performed to dissect the cold tolerance mechanism of Guijing2501 (GJ2501), a new satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu) variety with about 1 °C lower LT50 (the median lethal temperature) relative to Guijing (GJ). The physiological analysis results revealed that GJ2501 is more cold-tolerant with less photoinhibition, PSII photodamage, and MDA accumulation, but higher POD activity than GJ under cold stress. Comparative transcriptomic analysis identified 4200 DEGs between GJ and GJ2501, as well as 4884 and 5580 up-regulated DEGs, and 5288 and 5862 down-regulated DEGs in response to cold stress in GJ and GJ2501, respectively. "Photosynthesis, light harvesting" and "photosystem" were the specific and most significantly enriched GO terms in GJ2501 in response to cold stress. Two CuELIP1 genes (encoding early light-induced proteins) related to the elimination of PSII photodamage and photoinhibition were remarkably up-regulated (by about 1000-fold) by cold stress in GJ2501 as indicated by RT-qPCR verification. Overexpression of CuELIP1 from GJ2501 in transgenic Arabidopsis protected PSII against photoinhibition under cold stress. Taken together, the cold tolerance of GJ2501 may be ascribed to its higher photoprotective capacity under cold stress.

Poly(ethylene glycol) Hydrogels with the Sustained Release of Hepatocyte Growth Factor for Enhancing Vascular Regeneration.

The surface modification of biologically active factors on tissue-engineering vascular scaffold fails to fulfill the mechanical property and bioactive compounds' sustained release in vivo and results in the inhibition of tissue regeneration of small-diameter vascular grafts in vascular replacement therapies. In this study, biodegradable poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) was applied for scaffold preparation, and poly(ethylene glycol) (PG) hydrogel was used to load heparin and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). In vitro analysis demonstrated that the PCL scaffold could inhibit the heparin release from the PG hydrogel, and the PG hydrogel could inhibit heparin release during the process of PCL degradation. Finally, it results in sustained release of HGF and heparin from the PCL-PG-HGF scaffold. The mechanical property of this hybrid scaffold improved after being coated with the PG hydrogel. In addition, the PCL-PG-HGF scaffold illustrated no inflammatory lesions, organ damage, or biological toxicity in all primary organs, with rapid organization of the endothelial cell layer, smooth muscle regeneration, and extracellular matrix formation. These results indicated that the PCL-PG-HGF scaffold is biocompatible and provides a microenvironment in which a tissue-engineered vascular graft with anticoagulant properties allows regeneration of vascular tissue (Scheme 1). Such findings confirm the feasibility of creating hydrogel scaffolds coated with bioactive factors to prepare novel vascular grafts.

Drug-Coated Balloon Angioplasty of Infrapopliteal Lesions in Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia: Six-month Outcomes of PRIME-WIFI.

PURPOSE: To evaluate 6-month outcomes of drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty of infrapopliteal lesions in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI). METHODS: We analyzed 6-month follow-up data from the 10-center PRIME-WIFI prospective registry on 300 consecutive patients (33.000% female) with CLTI who underwent DCB angioplasty for infrapopliteal arterial lesions. The primary outcome was freedom from major adverse event (MAE), a composite of major amputation, all-cause death, and clinically-driven target limb reintervention (CD-TLR). Secondary outcomes included amputation-free survival (AFS), freedom from each primary outcome component, primary sustained clinical improvement, and quality of life (QOL) score. Independent risk factors of MAE were determined using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 409 infrapopliteal lesions in 312 limbs were treated with DCB, with 54.167% of the limbs being treated for isolated infrapopliteal lesions. By Kaplan-Meier analysis, at 6 months post- procedure (follow-up rate, 85.000%), freedom from MAE was 86.353%; AFS was 90.318%; and freedom from major amputation, all-cause death, and CD-TLR were 96.429%, 93.480%, and 95.079%, respectively. At 6-month follow-up, 83.590% of patients showed primary sustained clinical improvement, and QOL score (4.902±1.388) improved compared with that before procedure (2.327±1.109; p<0.001). Chronic renal insufficiency, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Rutherford grade, and postoperative infrapopliteal runoff score were independent risk factors for MAE within 6 months. CONCLUSION: In CLTI, DCB angioplasty of infrapopliteal lesions yields acceptable early efficacy and safety. CLINICAL IMPACT: This study evaluated the 6-month outcomes of DCB angioplasty in infrapopliteal lesions in CLTI patients by analyzing multicenter prospective data, showing that infrapopliteal DCB angioplasty can be performed with acceptable freedom from MAE rate, amputation-free survival rate, freedom from major amputation rate, survival rate, and freedom from CD-TLR rate. No patient experienced DCB-related intraoperative distal embolism. Chronic renal insufficiency, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Rutherford grade and postoperative infrapopliteal runoff score were independent risk factors for MAE within 6 months. Comparative real-world studies are needed.

A Novel Non-Specific Lipid Transfer Protein Gene, CmnsLTP6.9, Enhanced Osmotic and Drought Tolerance by Regulating ROS Scavenging and Remodeling Lipid Profiles in Chinese Chestnut (Castanea mollissima Blume).

Chestnut (Castanea mollissima Blume) is an important economic tree owing to its tasty fruit and adaptability to environmental stresses, especially drought. Currently, there is limited information about non-specific lipid transfer protein (nsLTP) genes that respond to abiotic stress in chestnuts. Here, a chestnut nsLTP, named CmnsLTP6.9, was identified and analyzed. The results showed that the CmnsLTP6.9 protein localized in the extracellular matrix had two splicing variants (CmnsLTP6.9L and CmnsLTP6.9S). Compared with CmnsLTP6.9L, CmnsLTP6.9S had an 87 bp deletion in the 5'-terminal. Overexpression of CmnsLTP6.9L in Arabidopsis enhanced tolerance to osmotic and drought stress. Upon exposure to osmotic and drought treatment, CmnsLTP6.9L could increase reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging enzyme activity, alleviating ROS damage. However, CmnsLTP6.9S-overexpressing lines showed no significant differences in phenotype, ROS content, and related enzyme activities compared with the wild type (WT) under osmotic and drought treatment. Moreover, lipid metabolism analysis confirmed that, unlike CmnsLTP6.9S, CmnsLTP6.9L mainly altered and upregulated many fatty acyls and glycerophospholipids, which implied that CmnsLTP6.9L and CmnsLTP6.9S played different roles in lipid transference in the chestnut. Taken together, we analyzed the functions of CmnsLTP6.9L and CmnsLTP6.9S, and demonstrated that CmnsLTP6.9L enhanced drought and osmotic stress tolerance through ROS scavenging and lipid metabolism.

Acute Paraplegia Result from Spinal Ischemia Nine Years After Hybrid Total Arch Repair with Frozen Elephant Trunk: A Case Report.

Spinal cord ischemia due to decreased cord perfusion is a devastating complication in patients with thoracoabdominal dissection following frozen elephant trunk (FET) repair surgery. However, rare occurrence of spinal cord ischemia leading to paraplegia after long-term follow-up of FET repair has been reported. Here, we describe a case of spinal cord ischemia resulting in paraplegia nine years after hybrid total arch repair with FET. Cerebrospinal fluid drainage and serial treatment were utilized to decrease intraspinal pressure and increase blood flow to the spinal cord. Three months after the onset of paraplegia and with treatment and rehabilitation, the patient recovered to walk.

Outcomes of covered stents versus bare-metal stents for subclavian artery occlusive disease.

Objective: To compare the clinical efficacy of covered stents and bare-metal stents in the endovascular treatment of subclavian artery occlusive disease. Methods: Between January 2014 and December 2020, 161 patients (112 males) underwent stenting of left subclavian arteries; CSs were implanted in 55 patients (34.2%) and BMSs in 106 (65.8%). Thirty-day outcomes, mid-term patency, and follow-up results were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier curves. Relevant clinical, anatomical, and procedural factors were evaluated for their association with patency in the two groups using Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: Mean follow-up was 45 ± 18 months. The primary patency was 93.8% (95% CI, 81.9%-98.0%) in the covered stent group and 73.7% (95% CI, 63.2%-81.6%; P = 0.010) in the bare-metal stent group. The primary patency in the total occlusion subcategory was significant in favor of CS (93.3%, 95% CI, 61.26%-99.0%) compared with BMS (42.3%, 95% CI, 22.9%-60.5%; P = 0.005). Cox proportional hazards regression indicated that the use of BMSs [hazard ratio (HR), 4.90; 95% CI, 1.47-16.31; P = 0.010] and total occlusive lesions (HR, 7.03; 95% CI, 3.02-16.34; P < 0.001) were negative predictors of patency, and the vessel diameter (HR, 3.17; 95% CI, 1.04-9.71; P = 0.043)) was a positive predictor of patency. Conclusion: Compared with bare stents, covered stents have a higher midterm primary patency in the treatment of subclavian artery occlusive disease.

Debulking plus drug-coated balloon angioplasty versus drug-coated balloon angioplasty alone for femoropopliteal Tosaka III in-stent restenosis lesions.

Introduction: Femoropopliteal (FP) Tosaka class III in-stent restenosis (ISR) lesions remain a significant clinical problem and optimal revascularization management including the use of drug-coated balloon (DCB) and debulking devices has the potential to improve the outcomes for these patients. Aim: To compare clinical outcomes of debulking plus DCB with DCB alone in Tosaka III FP-ISR treatment in a Chinese population. Material and methods: This was a single-center retrospective study of patients who underwent endovascular interventions of debulking plus DCB or DCB alone for Tosaka III FP-ISR lesions. One-year primary patency was the main outcome. Other outcome measures are 12-month freedom from clinical-driven target lesion revascularization (f-CD-TLR), technical success rate, and periprocedural complications. Results: A total of 80 patients with Tosaka III FP-ISR were included; 39 were treated with debulking plus DCB, among whom 22 were treated with laser atherectomy (LA) plus DCB and 17 were treated with rotational atherectomy (RA) plus DCB. 41 were treated with DCB alone. 12-month primary patency was significantly different between the debulking + DCB and DCB groups (87.2% vs. 65.9%, p = 0.039). in the subgroup comparison, no significant difference was found between the LA + DCB and RA + DCB groups (86.4% vs. 88.2%, p = 0.842). There were also no significant differences in the group and subgroup comparison of 12-month f-CD-TLR, technical success rate, and periprocedural complications. Conclusions: In this small preliminary experience, combined treatment with debulking and DCB angioplasty is correlated with better outcomes in 1-year primary patency for Tosaka III FP-ISR lesions.

Acute Paraplegia Result from Spinal Ischemia Nine Years After Hybrid Total Arch Repair with Frozen Elephant Trunk: A Case Report

ABSTRACT Spinal cord ischemia due to decreased cord perfusion is a devastating complication in patients with thoracoabdominal dissection following frozen elephant trunk (FET) repair surgery. However, rare occurrence of spinal cord ischemia leading to paraplegia after long-term follow-up of FET repair has been reported. Here, we describe a case of spinal cord ischemia resulting in paraplegia nine years after hybrid total arch repair with FET. Cerebrospinal fluid drainage and serial treatment were utilized to decrease intraspinal pressure and increase blood flow to the spinal cord. Three months after the onset of paraplegia and with treatment and rehabilitation, the patient recovered to walk.

Core stability training applying the sling exercise therapy pattern can significantly improve the balance of stroke survivors / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective:To observe the impact of core stability training in the sling exercise therapy pattern on the balance of stroke survivors.Methods:Sixty stroke survivors were randomly divided into a control group ( n=30) and an experimental group ( n=30). In addition to routine rehabilitation training, the control group received traditional core stability training, while the experimental group underwent core stability training applying the sling exercise therapy pattern. Before and after 4 weeks of training, the standing balance of both groups was evaluated using the Prokin balance trainer, with the length and area of motion recorded when performing the balance test with the eyes open and closed. Surface electromyography was used to record the average EMG (AEMG) values of the bilateral erector spinae and multifidus muscles during the balance testing. Results:After the 4 weeks of training the length and the area of progression of the center of the pressure were both significantly smaller for both groups than before the training with the eyes both open and closed. The average length and area in the experimental group were significantly less than among the controls. The AEMG values recorded during the balance tests were significantly higher than those before the intervention for both groups, with the multifidus muscle averages on the affected side significantly greater in the experimental group than among the controls when performing the balance test with the eyes closed.Conclusion:Core stability training in the sling exercise therapy pattern is superior to conventional core stability training because it can better improve the balance of stroke survivors.

Isolation and identification of two new compounds from Semen Persicae / 药学学报

Five compounds were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction of Semen Persicae by using various chromatographic methods, including ODS, Sephadex LH-20, HPLC and semipreparative HPLC. Their structures were identified by 1D-NMR, 2D-NMR, HR-ESI-MS, UV, IR, circular dichroism (CD) and ECD calculation techniques: (2R,3R)-5,7,4′-trihydroxy-3′-methoxy-3-formylflavan-3-ol-5-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (1), (7R,8S)-dihydrodehydrodiconiferyl 6″-benzoyl alcohol-9-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), (7R,8S)-dihydrodehydrodiconiferyl alcohol-9-β-O-D-glucopyranosid (3), 2-methoxy-4-(2-propenyl)-phenyl-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (4), 2-[4-(3-hydroxypropyl)-2-methoxyphenoxy]-propane-1,3-diol (5). Compound 1 and 2 are new compounds, and compounds 3-5 were obtained from Prunus davidiana (Carr.) Franch. for the first time.

Two new terpene glycosides from the Alpiniae Oxyphyllae Fructus / 药学学报

Two undescribed terpene glycosides and two compounds were isolated from the n-butanol fraction of Alpiniae Oxyphyllae Fructus by using various chromatographic methods, including MCI Gel, Sephadex LH-20, ODS, silica gel and semi-preparative HPLC. The structures of the isolated compounds were identified by spectroscopy methods (1D, 2D NMR, UV, IR, MS, etc.), and the absolute configuration of the compound 1 was determined by ECD calculation and acid hydrolysis. Compounds 1 and 2 are new compound, and compounds 3 and 4 were isolated from Alpiniae Oxyphyllae Fructus for the first time.

Study on the relationship between the age at natural menopause and postmenopausal metabolic syndrome / 中华预防医学杂志

To explore the relationship between the early or delayed age at natural menopause and metabolic syndrome (MS) in women. A total of 4 734 natural menopausal women who completed the baseline survey from November 2017 to January 2020 in the Guangzhou Middle-aged and Elderly Chronic Disease Prospective Cohort Study were selected in this cross-sectional study. Data on general demographic characteristics, disease history and female physiological health indicators were collected. Logistic regression model and restricted cubic spline curve were used to analyze the relationship between the age at natural menopause and MS. The results showed that the mean age of the subjects was (60±6) years old. The median (Q1,Q3) age at natural menopause was 50 (49, 52) years old, and the prevalence of MS was 14.8%(699/4 734). After adjusting for confounders, the age at natural menopause was closely related to MS in an approximate"U"shape. Compared with the group of normal age at natural menopause, the early age at menopause (OR=1.52, 95%CI: 1.12-2.06) and delayed age at menopause (OR=1.77, 95%CI: 1.36-2.30) had a higher risk of MS. In the group with time since menopause ≤6 years and 7-9 years, the risk of MS in the group with delayed age at menopause was 2.40 times (95%CI: 1.54-3.75) and 2.19 times (95%CI: 1.11-4.31) higher than that in the group with normal menopausal age, respectively. In conclusion, the early and delayed age at natural menopause increased the risk of MS. The increased risk of MS in delayed age at natural menopause mainly occurred within 10 years since menopause.

Novel variants in DNAH6 cause male infertility associated with multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF) and ICSI outcomes / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Variations in the dynein axonemal heavy chain gene, dynein axonemal heavy chain 6 (DNAH6), lead to multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella. Recent studies have reported that these deficiencies may result in sperm head deformation. However, whether DNAH6 is also involved in human acrosome biogenesis remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate DNAH6 gene variants and their potential functions in the formation of defective sperm heads and flagella. Whole-exome sequencing was performed on a cohort of 375 patients with asthenoteratozoospermia from the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University (Hefei, China). Hematoxylin and eosin staining, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were performed to analyze the sperm morphology and ultrastructure. Immunofluorescence staining and Western blot analysis were conducted to examine the effects of genetic variants. We identified three novel deleterious variants in DNAH6 among three unrelated families. The absence of inner dynein arms and radial spokes was observed in the sperm of patients with DNAH6 variants. Additionally, deficiencies in the acrosome, abnormal chromatin compaction, and vacuole-containing sperm heads were observed in these patients with DNAH6 variants. The decreased levels of the component proteins in these defective structures were further confirmed in sperm from patients with DNAH6 variants using Western blot. After intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment, the partner of one patient with a DNAH6 variant achieved successful pregnancy. Overall, novel variants in DNAH6 genes that contribute to defects in the sperm head and flagella were identified, and the findings indicated ICSI as an effective clinical treatment for such patients.

Evolution, gene expression, and protein‒protein interaction analyses identify candidate CBL-CIPK signalling networks implicated in stress responses to cold and bacterial infection in citrus.

BACKGROUND: Cold is a major abiotic stress and Huanglongbing and citrus canker disease are two devastating bacterial diseases for citrus. The Ca2+-CBL-CIPK network is known to regulate different types of stress signalling in plants. How do CBL-CIPK signalling networks function in response to cold and infection by CLas or Xcc in citrus? RESULTS: Eight calcineurin B-like proteins (CBLs) and seventeen CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs) were identified from the cold-tolerant satsuma mandarin 'Guijing2501' (Citrus. unshiu) and CLas/Xcc-sensitive sweet orange (C. sinensis). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that both CBL and CIPK family members in citrus were classified into an ancient and a recent clade according to their conserved domain characteristics and/or intron/exon structures. Genome duplication analysis suggested that both tandem and segmental duplications contributed to the amplification of the CBL and CIPK gene families in citrus under intense purifying selection, and the duplication events only existed in the recent clades. Expression comparison of the duplicated gene pairs indicated that the duplicated CBL and CIPK genes underwent functional differentiation. Further expression analysis identified that CBL1, 5, 6, and 8 and CIPK2, 8, 12, 15, 16, and 17 were significantly regulated by multiple stresses, including cold, Xcc infection and/or CLas infection, in citrus, whereas CBL2/7 and CIPK1/4/5/11/13/14 were independently highly regulated by cold and CIPK3 was uniquely responsive to Xcc infection. The combination analyses of targeted Y2H assay and expression analysis revealed that CBL6-CIPK8 was the common signalling network in response to cold and Xcc infection, while CBL6/CBL8-CIPK14 was uniquely responsive to cold in citrus. Further stable transformation and cold tolerance assay indicated that overexpression of CuCIPK16 enhanced the cold tolerance of transgenic Arabidopsis with higher POD activity and lower MDA content. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, evolution, gene expression and protein‒protein interaction analyses of citrus CBLs and CIPKs were comprehensively conducted over a genome-wide range. The results will facilitate future functional characterization of individual citrus CBLs and CIPKs under specific stresses and provide clues for the clarification of cold tolerance and disease susceptibility mechanisms in corresponding citrus cultivars.

Directional atherectomy and drug-coated balloon angioplasty vs. bare nitinol stent angioplasty for femoropopliteal artery lesions.

Background: The present study evaluated the prognosis of directional atherectomy (DA)+drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty for femoropopliteal artery lesions compared with bare nitinol stent (BNS). Patients and methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients with femoropopliteal artery lesions who underwent percutaneous endovascular surgery between January 2016 and June 2019. The primary outcome was the primary patency rate after 12, 24, and 36 months; the secondary outcomes comprised incidence of flow-limiting dissections, technical success, limb salvage, and all-cause death. Results: During the study period, 110 (44%) patients underwent DA+DCB, and 140 (56%) patients underwent bare nitinol stent (BNS). There were no differences in the 12- and 24-month patency rates of the two groups (98.2% vs. 93.6% and 68.2% vs. 60.0%, both p>.05). The 36-month primary patency rate in the DA+DCB group was significantly higher than that of the BNS group (27.3% vs. 15.7%, p=.003). The technical success rate and all-cause death were similar between groups (p>.05). Flow-limiting dissections occurred more frequently in the BNS group than in the DA+DCB group (27.9% vs. 10.9%, p=.033). After adjustment for potential confounders, such as sex, smoking, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, ABI after surgery, TASC II B, lesion length ≥15 cm, two-vessel runoff, and three-vessel runoff, the HR for primary patency rate comparing BNS to DA+DCB was 2.61 (95%CI: 1.61-4.25). Conclusions: In this retrospective cohort study, DA+DCB was associated with a higher 30-month primary patency rate and a lower flow-limiting dissection incidence than BNS.

The Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio Is Positively Correlated with Aggression in Schizophrenia.

To find biomarkers to assess the risk of aggression, we looked at the association between aggression and levels of body inflammation in patients with schizophrenia. The Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS) score was used to divide the aggressive (n = 72) and nonaggressive (n = 141) groups. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) is a tool for determining the severity of a patient's condition. After measuring the number of inflammatory cells in the peripheral blood, the platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) were estimated. We investigated the relationship between aggressive behavior, bodily inflammation, and BPRS. Before therapy, the aggressive group's BPRS score, white blood cell (WBC) count, neutrophil count, monocyte count, NLR, and MLR were considerably more significant than the nonaggressive group's. After therapy, statistically significant variations in total BPRS score and neutrophil count between the two groups. According to correlation analysis before and after treatment, aggressive behavior was positively connected with neutrophil count, NLR, and BPRS score. The presence of aggressive behavior in schizophrenic patients indicates the severity of the disorder to some degree. NLR can be used as an objective biomarker to quickly assess the risk of aggression in schizophrenic patients.

Internal valvuloplasty combined with sleeve wrapping in the treatment of severe deep venous incompetence: A case report.

BACKGROUND: The main cause of severe chronic venous insufficiency is deep venous incompetence. Deep venous reconstructive surgeries are reserved for cases that do not show a good response to conservative therapies. METHOD: We present the case of a 68-year-old man presenting with swelling, pain, and pigmentation in his left lower limb for 14 years and ulcers for 10 years. Descending venography identified a Kistner's grade IV reflux in the deep vein of the left lower limb. Internal valvuloplasty was performed following Kistner's method. Meanwhile, external wrapping with a 1-cm-wide polyester-urethane vascular patch was performed to strengthen the vein wall in the venospasm condition. RESULTS: Symptoms were immediately relieved postoperatively. Refractory ulcers healed five months after the procedure. At the six-month follow-up, color duplex ultrasound of the deep vein of the left lower limb showed no reflux in the proximal segment of the femoral vein. CONCLUSION: Internal valvuloplasty combined with sleeve wrapping is feasible in the treatment of severe deep venous incompetence with good short-term results.