Evidence Supporting a Role of Alternative Splicing Participates in Melon (Cucumis melo L.) Fruit Ripening.

One key post-transcriptional modification mechanism that dynamically controls a number of physiological processes in plants is alternative splicing (AS). However, the functional impacts of AS on fruit ripening remain unclear. In this research, we used RNA-seq data from climacteric (VED, Harukei 3) and non-climacteric (PI, PS) melon cultivars to explore alternative splicing (AS) in immature and mature fruit. The results revealed dramatic changes in differential AS genes (DAG) between the young and mature fruit stages, particularly in genes involved in fruit development/ripening, carotenoid and capsaicinoid biosynthesis, and starch and sucrose metabolism. Serine/arginine-rich (SR) family proteins are known as important splicing factors in AS events. From the melon genome, a total of 17 SR members were discovered in this study. These genes could be classified into eight distinct subfamilies based on gene structure and conserved motifs. Promoter analysis detected various cis-acting regulatory elements involved in hormone pathways and fruit development. Interestingly, these SR genes exhibited specific expression patterns in reproductive organs such as flowers and ovaries. Additionally, concurrent with the increase in AS levels in ripening fruit, the transcripts of these SR genes were activated during fruit maturation in both climacteric and non-climacteric melon varieties. We also found that most SR genes were under selection during domestication. These results represent a novel finding of increased AS levels and SR gene expression during fruit ripening, indicating that alternative splicing may play a role in fruit maturation.

The stratified effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in upper limb motor impairment recovery after stroke: a meta-analysis.

Background: The recovery of upper extremity motor impairment after stroke remains a challenging task. The clinical effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), which is believed to aid in the recovery process, is still uncertain. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in Medline (Ovid), Cochrane and Embase electronic databases from March 28, 2014, to March 28, 2023. The inclusion criteria consisted of randomized controlled trials that assessed the effects of rTMS on the recovery of upper limb motor impairment among stroke patients. Various measurements, including the Fugl Meyer Assessment Upper Extremity Scale (FMA-UE), Brunnstrom recovery stage, Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), and Barthel index, were evaluated both before and after the intervention. Results: Nineteen articles with 865 patients were included. When considering only the rTMS parameters, both inhibitory and excitatory rTMS improved FMA-UE (MD = 1.87, 95% CI = [0.88]-[2.86], p < 0.001) and Barthel index (MD = 9.73, 95% CI = [4.57]-[14.89], p < 0.001). When considering only the severity of upper limb hemiplegia, both less severe (MD = 1.56, 95% CI = [0.64]-[2.49], p < 0.001) and severe (MD = 2.05, 95% CI = [1.09]-[3.00], p < 0.001) hemiplegia benefited from rTMS based on FMA-UE. However, when considering the rTMS parameters, severity of hemiplegia and stroke stages simultaneously, inhibitory rTMS was found to be significantly effective for less severe hemiplegia in the acute and subacute phases (MD = 4.55, 95% CI = [2.49]-[6.60], p < 0.001), but not in the chronic phase based on FMA-UE. For severe hemiplegia, inhibitory rTMS was not significantly effective in the acute and subacute phases, but significantly effective in the chronic phase (MD = 2.10, 95% CI = [0.75]-[3.45], p = 0.002) based on FMA-UE. Excitatory rTMS was found to be significantly effective for less severe hemiplegia in the acute and subacute phases (MD = 1.93, 95% CI = [0.58]-[3.28], p = 0.005) based on FMA-UE. The improvements in Brunnstrom recovery stage and ARAT need further research. Conclusion: The effectiveness of rTMS depends on its parameters, severity of hemiplegia, and stroke stages. It is important to consider all these factors together, as any single grouping method is incomplete.

Associations of physical activity intensity, frequency, duration, and volume with the incidence of sarcopenia in middle-aged and older adults: a 4-year longitudinal study in China.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) plays an important role in the process of several chronic diseases. It may be also associated with the incidence of sarcopenia. This study aimed to determine the association of PA from different components including frequency, duration, intensity, and volume with the incidence of sarcopenia in middle-aged and older adults. METHODS: This study used data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study in 2011 and 2015. A total of 3,760 individuals aged ≥ 40 years were involved in this study. Sarcopenia was diagnosed using muscle mass, strength and physical performance according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. PA information including frequency, duration, intensity, and volume was obtained by a self-reported questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was employed to examine the association between PA and the incidence of sarcopenia at 4-year follow-up. RESULTS: The incidence of sarcopenia was 5.9% during the 4-year follow-up. Compared to sedentary individuals, those taking 1-2 days or more per week, or a minimum of 10 min each time on vigorous-intensity PA (VPA) had a lower incidence of sarcopenia. Adults spending 3 days or more each week, a minimum of 30 min each time, or 150 min or more per week on moderate-intensity PA (MPA) had a lower presence of sarcopenia than sedentary adults. Adults taking 3 days or more per week, at least 30 min each time, or 150 min or more each week on light-intensity PA (LPA) tended to have a lower incidence of sarcopenia than sedentary individuals. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the findings after removing persons with hypertension, dyslipidemia, or diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the frequency, duration, and volume of VPA or MPA are negatively associated with the presence of sarcopenia. Participation in LPA tends to have a lower incidence of sarcopenia in middle-aged and older adults.

A nanopore-based cucumber genome assembly reveals structural variations at two QTLs controlling hypocotyl elongation.

The Xishuangbanna (XIS) cucumber (Cucumis sativus var. xishuangbannanesis) is a semiwild variety that has many distinct agronomic traits. Here, long reads generated by Nanopore sequencing technology helped assembling a high-quality genome (contig N50 = 8.7 Mb) of landrace XIS49. A total of 10,036 structural/sequence variations (SVs) were identified when comparing with Chinese Long (CL), and known SVs controlling spines, tubercles, and carpel number were confirmed in XIS49 genome. Two QTLs of hypocotyl elongation under low light, SH3.1 and SH6.1, were fine-mapped using introgression lines (donor parent, XIS49; recurrent parent, CL). SH3.1 encodes a red-light receptor Phytochrome B (PhyB, CsaV3_3G015190). A ∼4 kb region with large deletion and highly divergent regions (HDRs) were identified in the promoter of the PhyB gene in XIS49. Loss of function of this PhyB caused a super-long hypocotyl phenotype. SH6.1 encodes a CCCH-type zinc finger protein FRIGIDA-ESSENTIAL LIKE (FEL, CsaV3_6G050300). FEL negatively regulated hypocotyl elongation but it was transcriptionally suppressed by long terminal repeats retrotransposon insertion in CL cucumber. Mechanistically, FEL physically binds to the promoter of CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1a (COP1a), regulating the expression of COP1a and the downstream hypocotyl elongation. These above results demonstrate the genetic mechanism of cucumber hypocotyl elongation under low light.

Koumine ameliorates neuroinflammation by regulating microglia polarization via activation of Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

BACKGROUND: Gelsemium elegans (Gardner & Chapm.) Benth (G. elegans) has been widely used as a traditional folk medicine in China and Southeast Asia. As the most abundant alkaloid in G. elegans, Koumine (KM) has been revealed the effect of inflammatory attenuation modulating by macrophage activation and polarization. PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore the effect of KM on modulation of microglia polarization that led to the suppression of neuroinflammation and further improved neurodegenerative behavior. METHODS: Inflammatory mediators, microglia M1 and M2 phenotype markers and Nrf2/HO-1 pathway related protein were assessed in LPS-induced BV2 cells and LPS-treated mice by RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and Western blotting. Moreover, the learning and memory abilities of mice were evaluated by Morris water maze test, and the neuronal damage was evaluated by the Nissl staining. RESULTS: KM attenuated LPS-induced viability and morphological changes in BV2 microglial cells. Our findings showed that KM activated the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway to promote phenotypic switch from M1 to M2 phenotypes. This switch suppresses the release of inflammatory mediators in LPS-induced BV2 cells. Meanwhile, KM attenuated neuroinflammation through modulating microglia polarization and subsequently reversed the behavioral alterations in LPS-induced mice model of neuroinflammation. CONCLUSIONS: KM may alleviate neuroinflammation by regulating microglia polarization with the involvement of Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, resulting of the neuroprotective effect.

The Etiological and Drug Resistance Characteristics of Multidrug-Resistant Pathogens in Patients Requiring Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Purpose: Infections induced by multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens are one of the most common and serious complications in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) patients. However, there is currently little research about "ECMO and MDR bacteria". The purpose of our study was to clarify the epidemiological characteristics of MDR bacteria and provide references for empiric antibiotic treatments according to the drug susceptibility tests for ECMO patients. Patients and Methods: There were 104 patients admitted to our department and receiving ECMO treatments between January 2014 and December 2022. Altogether, 61 veno-arterial ECMO (VA-ECMO) and 29 veno-venous ECMO (VV-ECMO) patients enrolled. The data on other intensive care unit (ICU) patients in our department in the same period are summarized. Results: A total of 82 MDR bacteria were detected from ECMO patients, and most of these were MDR Gram-negative bacteria (MDR-GNB). There were also 5559 MDR-GNB collected from other patients in our department in the same period. We found that the distribution of MDR-GNB in ECMO patients was different from other critical patients. The proportion of Klebsiella pneumoniae (MDR-KP) in VV-ECMO patients was higher than other critical patients (35.1% and 21.3%, respectively). Moreover, the proportions of MDR Acinetobacter baumannii (MDR-AB) of VA-ECMO and VV-ECMO were higher than other critical patients (54.6%, 43.2% and 30.5%, respectively). In addition, MDR-AB and MDR-KP in ECMO patients exhibited higher percentages of drug resistance to possibly appropriate antibiotics for other critical patients, but showed better sensitivity to colistin. Conclusion: Infections induced by MDR-GNB in ECMO patients were serious and exhibited higher degrees of drug resistance compared with other ICU patients. Colistin might be an option to consider if there is no medical contraindication. However, widespread use of broad spectrum antibiotics is something that should be discouraged, and alternative options are being explored.

Diagnostic Performance of Machine Learning-Derived Radiomics Signature of Pericoronary Adipose Tissue in Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography for Coronary Artery In-Stent Restenosis.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Coronary inflammation can alter the perivascular fat phenotype. Hence, we aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of radiomics features of pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) in coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) for in-stent restenosis (ISR) after percutaneous coronary intervention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 165 patients with 214 eligible vessels were included, and ISR was found in 79 vessels. After evaluating clinical and stent characteristics, peri-stent fat attenuation index, and PCAT volume, 1688 radiomics features were extracted from each peri-stent PCAT segmentation. The eligible vessels were randomly categorized into training and validation groups in a ratio of 7:3. After performing feature selection using Pearson's correlation, F test, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analysis, radiomics models and integrated models that combined selected clinical features and Radscore were established using five different machine learning algorithms (logistic regression, support vector machine, random forest, stochastic gradient descent, and XGBoost). Subgroup analysis was performed using the same method for patients with stent diameters of ≤ 3 mm. RESULTS: Nine significant radiomics features were selected, and the areas under the curves (AUCs) for the radiomics model and the integrated model were 0.69 and 0.79, respectively, for the validation group. The AUCs of the subgroup radiomics model based on 15 selected radiomics features and the subgroup integrated model were 0.82 and 0.85, respectively, for the validation group, which showed better diagnostic performance. CONCLUSION: CCTA-based radiomics signature of PCAT has the potential to identify coronary artery ISR without additional costs or radiation exposure.

Different types of percutaneous endovascular interventions for acute ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is the abrupt reduction of blood flow to a certain area of the brain which causes neurologic dysfunction. Different types of percutaneous arterial endovascular interventions have been developed, but as yet there is no consensus on the optimal therapy for people with AIS. OBJECTIVES: To compare the safety and efficacy of different types of percutaneous arterial endovascular interventions for treating people with AIS. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; Issue 4 of 12, 2022), MEDLINE Ovid (1946 to 13 May 2022), Embase (1947 to 15 May 2022), Science Citation Index Web of Science (1900 to 15 May 2022), Scopus (1960 to 15 May 2022), and China Biological Medicine Database (CBM; 1978 to 16 May 2022). We also searched the ClinicalTrials.gov trials register and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform to 16 May 2022. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing one percutaneous arterial endovascular intervention with another in treating adult patients who have a clinical diagnosis of AIS due to large vessel occlusion and confirmed by imaging evidence, including thrombo-aspiration, stent-retrieval thrombectomy, aspiration-retriever combined technique, and thrombus mechanical fragmentation. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently performed the literature searches, identified eligible trials, and extracted data. A third review author participated in discussions to reach consensus decisions when any disputes occurred. We assessed risk of bias and applied the GRADE approach to evaluate the quality of the evidence. The primary outcome was rate of modified Rankin Scale (mRS) of 0 to 2 at three months. Secondary outcomes included the rate of modified Thrombolysis In Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) of 2b to 3 postprocedure, all-cause mortality within three months, rate of intracranial hemorrhage on imaging at 24 hours, rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage at 24 hours, and rate of procedure-related adverse events within three months. MAIN RESULTS: Four RCTs were eligible. The current meta-analysis included two trials with 651 participants comparing thrombo-aspiration with stent-retrieval thrombectomy. We judged the quality of evidence to be high in both trials according to Cochrane's risk of bias tool RoB 2. There were no significant differences between thrombo-aspiration and stent-retrieval thrombectomy in rate of mRS of 0 to 2 at three months (risk ratio [RR] 0.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.82 to 1.13; P = 0.68; 633 participants; 2 RCTs); rate of mTICI of 2b to 3 postprocedure (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.95 to 1.07; P = 0.77; 650 participants; 2 RCTs); all-cause mortality within three months (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.74 to 1.37; P = 0.95; 633 participants; 2 RCTs); rate of intracranial hemorrhage on imaging at 24 hours (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.24; P = 0.73; 645 participants; 2 RCTs); rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage at 24 hours (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.49 to 1.68; P = 0.75; 645 participants; 2 RCTs); and rate of procedure-related adverse events within three months (RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.68 to 1.41; P = 0.90; 651 participants; 2 RCTs). Another two included studies reported no differences for the comparisons of combined therapy versus stent-retrieval thrombectomy or thrombo-aspiration. One RCT is ongoing. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: This review did not establish any difference in safety and effectiveness between the thrombo-aspiration approach and stent-retrieval thrombectomy for treating people with AIS. Furthermore, the combined group did not show any obvious advantage over either intervention applied alone.

Green merger and acquisition decision driven by environmental regulation and its impact on green innovation: evidence from Chinese heavily polluting listed enterprises.

How heavily polluting enterprises achieve sustainable development has become an urgent issue to be solved. Based on the data of Chinese heavily polluting listed enterprises during the period of 2010-2020, this paper adopts the probit method to examine how heterogeneous environmental regulations affect green merger and acquisition (GMA) decision, and propensity score matching and difference-in-differences method to explore innovation performance of GMA. The findings are as follows: (1) Command-and-control environmental regulation (CMCER) can promote GMA, while there exists a U-shaped relationship between market-based environmental regulation (MBER) and GMA; (2) from a dynamic perspective, it turns out that GMA can promote green innovation (GI) in the first and second post-acquisition year, but this effect disappears in the third year; (3) compared with CMCER, MBER has a more pronounced positive effect on the relationship between GMA and GI; (4) heterogeneous analysis indicates that the above GMA performance is more persistent when the acquirer is state-owned, with high media attention, with high internal control or engages in vertical GMA. The findings further enrich the literature on GMA driver and performance and provide references for optimizing ER policies and promoting corporate sustainable development.

Bacillus subtilis Promotes Cucumber Growth and Quality under Higher Nutrient Solution by Altering the Rhizospheric Microbial Community.

Bacillus subtilis was applied in peat-based soilless cultivation systems containing a mixed substrate (peat:vermiculite:perlite = 2:1:1, v/v/v) and irrigated by one-strength or four-strength Hoagland's nutrient solution to explore whether it can alleviate inhibition by higher-nutrient solutions (four-strength) and bring benefits to improvements of quality. The results showed that higher-nutrient solutions improved the flavor quality of cucumber fruit; especially, the contents of (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal and (E)-2-Nonenal were effectively increased, which are the special flavor substances of cucumber. B. subtilis K424 effectively improved growth performance, photosynthetic capacity, vitamin C content, soluble sugars, soluble protein, and total pectin in cucumber under higher nutrition solution conditions. Compared with the higher solution treatment, the bacterial diversity significantly increased, whereas the presence of fungi had no significant difference following the B. subtilis K424 application. Moreover, B. subtilis K424 reduced the relative abundance of Actinomadura and promoted that of the Rhodanobacter, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Devosiaceae, and Blastobotrys genera. Redundancy analysis showed that Bacillus, Rhodanobacter, and Blastobotrys were positively correlated with the substrate enzyme of sucrase, catalase, and urease. This study provides insight that B. subtilis K424 mitigated the deleterious effects of high levels of nutrition solution on cucumber growth and quality by improving the substrate enzyme, regulating the microbial community structure, and enhancing the photosynthetic capacity.

Identification of Quantitative Trait Nucleotides and Development of Diagnostic Markers for Nine Fatty Acids in the Peanut.

The cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important oilseed crop worldwide, and fatty acid composition is a major determinant of peanut oil quality. In the present study, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for nine fatty acid traits using the whole genome sequences of 160 representative Chinese peanut landraces and identified 6-1195 significant SNPs for different fatty acid contents. Particularly for oleic acid and linoleic acid, two peak SNP clusters on Arahy.09 and Arahy.19 were found to contain the majority of the significant SNPs associated with these two fatty acids. Additionally, a significant proportion of the candidate genes identified on Arahy.09 overlap with those identified in early studies, among which three candidate genes are of special interest. One possesses a significant missense SNP and encodes a known candidate gene FAD2A. The second gene is the gene closest to the most significant SNP for linoleic acid. It codes for an MYB protein that has been demonstrated to impact fatty acid biosynthesis in Arabidopsis. The third gene harbors a missense SNP and encodes a JmjC domain-containing protein. The significant phenotypic difference in the oleic acid/linoleic acid between the genotypes at the first and third candidate genes was further confirmed with PARMS analysis. In addition, we have also identified different candidate genes (i.e., Arahy.ZV39IJ, Arahy.F9E3EA, Arahy.X9ZZC1, and Arahy.Z0ELT9) for the remaining fatty acids. Our findings can help us gain a better understanding of the genetic foundation of peanut fatty acid contents and may hold great potential for enhancing peanut quality in the future.

[Investigation about the present status of renal replacement therapy in department of intensive care unit in Tianjin].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the current state of renal replacement therapy (RRT) in intensive care unit (ICU) of Tianjin public hospital, and to provide scientific evidence and direction for homogenized management and overall level improvement of RRT in Tianjin. METHODS: The questionnaires were distributed to the chief or key staff of 33 ICUs from 32 public hospitals in Tianjin by clinical quality control center for critical care medicine of Tianjin and ICU of Tianjin Third Central Hospital. The RRT data of ICUs from January 2020 to December 2021 was collected, including the type and size of ICU, the number of patients undergoing RRT, reasons for initiating RRT, the RRT modes, the anticoagulation and the complications of RRT and so on. RESULTS: A total of 33 valid questionnaires were obtained, with a recovery rate of 100%. The result showed that there were 38 803 patients admitted to the selected ICUs during investigation, and 5 456 of them (14.06%) received RRT. In most ICUs, the reasons of initiating RRT were renal failure, sepsis and volume overload. The mode of RRT was mainly continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH), which was followed by continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF). Carbonate replacement fluid was the first choice. Heparin was the dominant anticoagulant, and there was an increasing trend in the use of citrate anticoagulation simultaneously. However, heparin-free anticoagulation used mostly in bleeding patients. Overall, the RRT modes and anticoagulation methods were single. Thrombosis was the main iatrogenic factor interrupting RRT in most ICUs, and also the reasons for complications related to catheter or circulation pipeline. It still showed an ineffective anticoagulation of RRT even after increasing the dosage of anticoagulants. CONCLUSIONS: RRT is an important organ support method in ICU, which has been widely carried out in ICUs of Tianjin and continues to expand. Despite the positive performance, it still needs to be improved and standarized in some aspects, such as the diversification of RRT modes, anticoagulation, and the complication prevention.

Influence of pre-stroke dependency on safety and efficacy of endovascular therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background and purpose: In the landmark trials studying endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), pre-stroke dependent (PSD) patients were generally excluded. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare the safety and efficacy of EVT between PSD and pre-stroke independent (PSI) patients. Methods: We searched CENTRAL, Embase, and Ovid MEDLINE up to 11 November 2021 for studies assessing PSD and PSI patients, which were separately defined as pre-stroke mRS score >2 or >1, and ≤2 or ≤1 accordingly. Two authors extracted data and assessed the risk of bias. A meta-analysis was carried out using the random-effects model. Adjusted OR and 95% CI were used to estimate adjusted pool effects. The main outcomes included favorable outcomes, successful recanalization, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, and 90-day mortality. Results: A total of 8,004 records met the initial search strategy, and ten studies were included in the final decision. Compared with PSImRS≤2, PSDmRS>2 had a lower favorable outcome (OR 0.51; 95% CI, 0.33-0.79) and higher 90-day mortality (OR 3.32; 95% CI, 2.77-3.98). No significant difference was found in successful recanalization and sICH. After adjustment, only 90-day mortality (aOR 1.99; 95% CI, 1.58-2.49) remained significantly higher in PSDmRS>2. Compared with PSImRS≤1, PSDmRS>1 had lower 90-day mortality (OR, 3.10; 95% CI, 1.84-5.24). No significant difference was found regarding the favorable outcome, successful recanalization, and sICH. After adjustment, no significant difference was found in a favorable outcome, but a higher rate of 90-day mortality (aOR, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.66-2.72) remained in PSDmRS>1. Conclusions: PSD does not innately influence the EVT outcomes regarding sICH and favorable outcomes but may increase the risk of 90-day mortality. Until further evidence is available, it is reasonable to suggest EVT for patients with PSD.

Diagnostic Utility of Cerebrospinal Fluid α-Synuclein in Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) can be difficult to distinguish clinically from some non-prion neurological diseases. Previous studies have reported markedly increased levels of α-synuclein in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of CJD patients, indicating that it is a potential diagnostic biomarker. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic power of CSF α-synuclein in discriminating CJD from non-prion disorders. METHODS: The Ovid MEDLINE, Cochrane, and Embase databases were searched for articles published on or before February 25, 2022, using the search term (prion diseases OR Creutzfeldt-Jakob syndrome) AND (synuclein OR α-synuclein). The difference in CSF α-synuclein levels between CJD and non-prion diseases was calculated using random-effects models (I2 > 50%) or fixed-effects models (I2 < 50%) in terms of standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). The publication bias was estimated using funnel plots and the Egger's test. RESULTS: Ten studies were included in this study. The concentrations of CSF α-synuclein were significantly higher in CJD patients compared to total non-prion controls (SMD = 1.98, 95% CI 1.60 to 2.36, p < 0.00001), tauopathies (SMD = 1.34, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.68, p < 0.00001), synucleinopathies (SMD = 1.78, 95% CI 1.11 to 2.44, p < 0.00001), or Alzheimer's (SMD = 1.14, 95% CI 0.95 to 1.33, p < 0.00001). CSF α-synuclein could distinguish CJD from non-prion diseases with overall sensitivity of 89% (95% CI 80-95%), specificity of 92% (95% CI 86-95%), and AUC of 0.96 (95% CI: 0.94-0.97). CONCLUSION: CSF α-synuclein has excellent diagnostic value in discriminating CJD from non-prion neurological diseases. Given the high heterogeneity among the included studies, further studies are needed to confirm its clinical utility.

Digital tools/eHealth to support CKD self-management: A qualitative study of perceptions, attitudes and needs of patients and health care professionals in China.

BACKGROUND: A growing body of evidence supports the potential effectiveness of electronic health (eHealth) self-management interventions in improving disease self-management skills and health outcomes of patients suffering from chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, current research on CKD eHealth self-management interventions has almost exclusively focused on high-income, western countries. OBJECTIVE: To inform the adaptation of a tailored eHealth self-management intervention for patients with CKD in China based on the Dutch Medical Dashboard (MD) intervention, we examined the perceptions, attitudes and needs of Chinese patients with CKD and health care professionals (HCPs) towards eHealth based (self-management) interventions in general and the Dutch MD intervention in specific. METHODS: We conducted a basic interpretive, cross-sectional qualitative study comprising semi-structured interviews with 11 patients with CKD and 10 HCPs, and 2 focus group discussions with 9 patients with CKD. This study was conducted in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in China. Data collection continued until data saturation was reached. All data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a framework approach. RESULTS: Three themes emerged: (1) experience with eHealth in CKD (self-management), (2) needs for supporting CKD self-management with the use of eHealth, and (3) adaptation and implementation of the Dutch MD intervention in China. Both patients and HCPs had experience with and solely mentioned eHealth to 'inform, monitor and track' as potentially relevant interventions to support CKD self-management, not those to support 'interaction' and 'data utilization'. Factors reported to influence the implementation of CKD eHealth self-management interventions included information barriers (i.e. quality and consistency of the disease-related information obtained via eHealth), perceived trustworthiness and safety of eHealth sources, clinical compatibility and complexity of eHealth, time constraints and eHealth literacy. Moreover, patients and HCPs expressed that eHealth interventions should support CKD self-management by improving the access to reliable and relevant disease related knowledge and optimizing the timeliness and quality of patient and HCPs interactions. Finally, suggestions to adaptation and implementation of the Dutch MD intervention in China were mainly related to improving the intervention functionalities and content of MD such as addressing the complexity of the platform and compatibility with HCPs' workflows. CONCLUSIONS: The identified perceptions, attitudes and needs towards eHealth self-management interventions in Chinese settings should be considered by researchers and intervention developers to adapt a tailored eHealth self-management intervention for patients with CKD in China. In more detail, future research needs to engage in co-creation processes with vulnerable groups during eHealth development and implementation, increase eHealth literacy and credibility of eHealth (information resource), ensure eHealth to be easy to use and well-integrated into HCPs' workflows.

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting for vertebral artery stenosis.

BACKGROUND: Vertebral artery stenosis (narrowing of the vertebral artery) is an important cause of posterior circulation ischaemic stroke. Medical treatment (MT) e.g. controlling risk-factors and drug treatment, surgery, and endovascular treatment (ET) are the prevailing treatment strategies for symptomatic vertebral artery stenosis. ET consist s of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (balloon catheter through the skin), with or without stenting. However, optimal management of people with symptomatic vertebral artery stenosis has not yet been established. OBJECTIVES: To assess the safety and efficacy of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, with or without stenting, combined with MT, compared to MT alone, in people with episodes of cerebral ischaemia due to vertebral artery stenosis. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Stroke Group, MEDLINE, Embase, BIOSIS, and two other indexes in Web of Science, China Biological Medicine Database, Chinese Science and Technique Journals Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang Data, as well as ClinicalTrials.gov trials register and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform to 23 July 2021. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included all randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared ET plus MT with MT alone in treating people aged 18 years or over with symptomatic vertebral artery stenosis. We included all types of ET modalities (e.g. angioplasty alone, balloon-mounted stenting, and angioplasty followed by placement of a self-expanding stent). MT included risk factor control, antiplatelet therapy, lipid-lowering therapy, and individualised management for people with hypertension or diabetes. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently screened potentially eligible studies, extracted data, and assessed trial quality and risk of bias.  We applied the GRADE approach to assess the certainty of evidence. The primary outcomes were 30-day post-randomisation death/stroke (short-term outcome) and fatal/non-fatal stroke after 30 days post-randomisation to completion of follow-up (long-term outcome).  MAIN RESULTS: We included three RCTs with 349 participants with symptomatic vertebral artery stenosis with a mean age of 64.4 years. The included RCTs were at low risk of bias overall. However, all included studies had a high risk of performance bias because blinding of the ET was not feasible. There was no significant difference in 30-day post-randomisation deaths/strokes between ET plus MT and MT alone (risk ratio (RR) 2.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.77 to 7.07; 3 studies, 349 participants; low-certainty evidence). There were no significant differences between ET plus MT and MT alone in fatal/non-fatal strokes in the territory of the treated vertebral artery stenosis after 30 days post-randomisation to completion of follow-up (RR 0.51, 95% CI 0.26 to 1.01; 3 studies, 349 participants; moderate-certainty evidence), ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke during the entire follow-up period (RR 0.77, 95% CI 0.44 to 1.32; 3 studies, 349 participants; moderate-certainty evidence), death during the entire follow-up period (RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.37 to 1.62; 3 studies, 349 participants; low-certainty evidence), and stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) during the entire follow-up period (RR 0.65, 95% CI 0.39 to 1.06; 2 studies, 234 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: This Cochrane Review provides low- to moderate-certainty evidence indicating that there are no significant differences in either short- or long-term risks of stroke, death, or TIA between people with symptomatic vertebral artery stenosis treated with ET plus MT and those treated with MT alone.

Postoperative venous thromboembolism after surgery for stage IA non-small-cell lung cancer: A single-center, prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common postoperative complication of lung cancer, but the incidence and risk stratification of postoperative VTE in stage IA non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients remains unclear, therefore we conducted a single-center prospective study. METHODS: A total of 314 consecutive patients hospitalized for lung cancer surgery and diagnosed with stage IA NSCLC from January 2017 to July 2021 were included. The patients were divided into the VTE group and the non-VTE group according to whether VTE occurred after the operation. The patient's age, operation time, D-dimer (D-D) value, tumor pathology, and Caprini score were recorded. The different items were compared and included in logistic regression analysis to obtain independent risk factors, and the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) was calculated. RESULTS: The incidence of VTE was 7.3%. Significant differences in age, operation time, preoperative and postoperative day 1 D-D value, neuron-specific enolase value, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, maximum ventilation, carbon monoxide diffusion capacity, and pathological diameter were noted between the two groups. Age (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.056-1.216) and postoperative day 1 D-D value (95% CI 1.125-1.767) were independent risk factors. The incidence of VTE in the low-, medium-, and high-risk groups with Caprini scores was 0%, 7.3%, and 11.5%, respectively. The AUC of the Caprini score was 0.704 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of postoperative VTE in patients with stage IA NSCLC was 7.3%. Age and postoperative day 1 D-D value were independent risk factors for VTE. The Caprini score has a certain value in the diagnosis of postoperative VTE of stage IA NSCLC.

Proteomic Analysis of the Antibacterial Effect of Improved Dian Dao San against Propionibacterium acnes.

Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) is a major pathogen of acne vulgaris. The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) compound prescription, Dian Dao San (DDS), is effective for treating P. acnes. Previous clinical work by our team demonstrated that improved Dian Dao San (IDDS) has better antibacterial effects. However, the mechanism of IDDS inhibition of P. acnes is still unknown. Hence, the isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) technology was applied to explore the antibacterial mechanism of IDDS against P. acnes. Our results suggested that the antibacterial mechanism of IDDS was related to the glycolytic pathway. gap, pgk, and tpiA enzymes were found to be potential target proteins in the bacterial glycolytic pathway as an antibacterial mechanism of inhibition. In addition, SEM and TEM analyses revealed that IDDS may destruct bacterial plasma membrane and cell wall. The results provide a reliable, direct, and scientific theoretical basis for wide application of IDDS.

Research on the reflection-type ELC-based optomechanical metamaterial.

In this paper, we propose a new kind of optomechanical metamaterial based on a planar ELC-type absorbing structure fabricated on the low-loss flexible substrate. The nonlinear coupling mechanism and nonlinear response phenomenon of the proposed optomechanical metamaterial driven by electromagnetic induced force are analyzed theoretically. The mechanical deformation/displacement and the mechanical resonance frequency shift of the metamaterial unit deposed on the flexible substrate are also numerically and experimentally demonstrated to reveal the coupling phenomenon of electromagnetic field and mechanical field. These results will help researchers to further understand the multi-physics interactions of optomechanical metamaterials and will promote the developments of new type of metasurface for high-efficiency dynamic electromagnetic wave controlling and formatting.

Effectiveness of motor imagery for improving functional performance after total knee arthroplasty: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to appraise the effects of motor imagery on the functional performance improvement among total knee arthroplasty patients systematically. We hypothesized a relatively greater recovery in the motor imagery group. METHODS: Medline (Ovid), Embase and Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials (CENTRAL) were searched from inception to October 1st, 2021. We included randomized controlled trials evaluating the effects of motor imagery on the functional recovery among total knee arthroplasty patients. Measurements included range of motion, strength intensity, Visual Analogue Scale, Time Up and Go Test, Oxford Knee Score, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, all of which were evaluated before and after intervention. Mean differences (MD) or standard mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to assess the risk of bias. RESULTS: Six studies with 168 patients were included for the meta-analysis. The SMD of strength intensity was increased (SMD = 0.90, 95% CI = [0.47]-[1.32], P < 0.001). The SMD of Visual Analogue Scale was reduced (SMD = - 0.91; 95% CI = [- 1.29]-[- 0.52], P < 0.001). The SMD of Time Up and Go Test was reduced (SMD = - 0.56, 95% CI = [- 0.94]-[- 0.19], P = 0.003). The MD of Oxford Knee Score was slightly increased (MD = 0.79-point, 95% CI = [- 0.31]-[1.88], P = 0.159). The outcomes of range of motion, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index were described according to the original data. CONCLUSION: Compared with control therapy, motor imagery in the intervention group achieved an effective treatment for strength enhancement, pain reduction and physical activities improvement. More large-scale, prospective researches are needed in the future. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The PROSPERO trial registration number is CRD42021250996.