Does air pollution fuel irrational behaviors in stock investments?

This paper investigates the influence of air pollution on irrational behaviors in stock trading through behavioral experiments in laboratory, simulating air pollution by burning straw and mosquito coils. The results of this study show that air pollution significantly improves disposition effect and repurchase effect in an asymmetric way, which are thought as irrational behaviors in stock investments, making subjects prefer selling winning stocks (part of disposition effect) and repurchasing stocks that have fallen in price since the sale (part of repurchase effect). Furthermore, regret, a negative emotion, is the psychological mechanism by which air pollution influences the irrational behaviors.

Floquet Engineering the Exceptional Points in Parity-Time-Symmetric Magnonics.

Magnons serve as a testing ground for fundamental aspects of Hermitian and non-Hermitian wave mechanics and are of high relevance for information technology. This study presents setups for realizing spatiotemporally driven parity-time- (PT) symmetric magnonics based on coupled magnetic waveguides and magnonic crystals. A charge current in a metal layer with strong spin-orbit coupling sandwiched between two insulating magnetic waveguides leads to gain or loss in the magnon amplitude depending on the directions of the magnetization and the charge currents. When gain in one waveguide is balanced by loss in the other waveguide, a PT-symmetric system hosting non-Hermitian degeneracies [or exceptional points (EPs)] is realized. For ac current, multiple EPs appear for a certain gain-loss strength and mark the boundaries between the preserved PT-symmetry and the broken PT-symmetry phases. The number of islands of broken PT-symmetry phases and their extensions is tunable by the frequency and the strength of the spacer current. At EP and beyond, the induced and amplified magnetization oscillations are strong and self-sustained. In particular, these magnetization auto-oscillations in a broken PT-symmetry phase occur at low current densities and do not require further adjustments such as tilt angle between electric polarization and equilibrium magnetization direction in spin-torque oscillators, pointing to a new design of these oscillators and their utilization in computing and sensorics. It is also shown how the periodic gain-loss mechanism allows for the generation of high-frequency spin waves with low-frequency currents. For spatially periodic gain and loss acting on a magnonic crystal, magnon modes approaching each other at the Brillouin-zone boundaries are highly susceptible to PT symmetry, allowing for a wave-vector-resolved experimental realization at very low currents.

Does rDLPFC activity alter trust? Evidence from a tDCS study.

Trust plays an important role in the human economy and people's social lives. Trust is affected by various factors and is related to many brain regions, such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). However, few studies have focused on the impact of the DLPFC on trust through transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), although abundant psychology and neuroscience studies have theoretically discussed the possible link between DLPFC activity and trust. In the present study, we aimed to provide evidence of a causal relationship between the rDLPFC and trust behavior by conducting multiple rounds of the classical trust game and applying tDCS over the rDLPFC. We found that overall, anodal stimulation increased trust compared with cathodal stimulation and sham stimulation, while the results in different stages were not completely the same. Our work indicates a causal relationship between rDLPFC excitability and trust behavior and provides a new direction for future research.

Recombinant supercharged polypeptides for safe and efficient heparin neutralization.

Heparin is a widely used anticoagulant agent in the clinic. After application, its anticoagulant effect must be reversed to prevent potential side effects. Protamine sulfate (PS) is the only clinically licensed antidote that has been used for this purpose in the last 80 years, which, however, provokes severe adverse effects, such as systemic hypotension and even death. Herein, we demonstrate the potential of supercharged polypeptides as a promising alternative for protamine sulfate. A series of supercharged polypeptides with multiple positive charges was recombinantly produced, and the heparin-neutralizing performance of the polypeptides was evaluated in comparison with PS. It was found that increasing the number of charges significantly enhanced the ability to neutralize heparin and resist the screening effect induced by salt. In particular, the polypeptide bearing 72 charges (K72) exhibited an excellent heparin-neutralizing behavior that was comparable to that of PS. Further in vivo studies revealed that the heparin-triggered bleeding was almost completely alleviated by K72 while a negligible toxic effect was observed. Therefore, such recombinant supercharged polypeptides might replace protamine sulfate as heparin-reversal agents.

The effect of short-term training about depth predicting score on the diagnostic ability of invasion depth for differentiated early gastric Cancer among non-expert endoscopists.

BACKGROUND: The depth-predicting score (DPS) was proposed based on conventional white-light imaging (C-WLI) endoscopic features of early gastric cancer (EGC) to determine the invasion depth of the neoplasm. However, the effect of DPS on training endoscopists remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of short-term DPS training on improving the diagnostic ability of EGC invasion depth and compare the training effect among non-expert endoscopists at different levels. METHODS: In the training session, the definitions and scoring rules of DPS were instructed, and classic C-WLI endoscopic example graphics were exhibited to the participants. Another C-WLI endoscopic images of 88 cases of histologically proven differentiated EGC were selected as an independent test dataset for evaluating the training effect. Each participant was tested, and the diagnostic accuracy rate of invasion depth was calculated differently one week before the training and after the completion of training. RESULTS: A total of 16 participants were enrolled and completed the training. Participants were divided into a trainee group and a junior endoscopist group according to the total number of C-WLI endoscopies performed. The total number of C-WLI endoscopies performed showed a significant difference between the trainee group and junior endoscopist group (350 vs. 2500, P = 0.001). No significant difference between the trainee group and junior endoscopist group was observed for pre-training accuracy. The overall diagnostic accuracy of invasion depth was improved significantly after completing DPS training compared with before (68.75 ± 5.71% vs. 61.58 ± 9.61%, P = 0.009). In the subgroup analysis, the post-training accuracy was higher than the pre-training accuracy, but significant improvement was observed only in the trainee group (61.65 ± 7.33% vs. 68.32 ± 5.71%, P = 0.034). In addition, no significant difference in post-training accuracy between the two groups was observed. CONCLUSION: Short-term DPS training can improve the diagnostic ability of the invasion depth of EGC and homogenize the diagnostic ability of non-expert endoscopists at different levels. The depth-predicting score was convenient and effective for endoscopist training.

The interplays among meteorology, source, and chemistry in high particulate matter pollution episodes in urban Shanghai, China.

High particulate matter (PM) pollution episodes still occur occasionally in urban China, despite of improvements in recent years. Investigating the influencing factors of high-PM episodes is beneficial in the formulation of effective control measures. We herein present the effects of weather condition, emission source, and chemical conversion on the occurrence of high-PM episodes in urban Shanghai using multiple online measurements. Three high-PM episodes, i.e., locally-accumulated, regionally-transported, and dust-affected ones, as well as a clean period were selected. Stagnant air with temperature inversion was found in both locally-accumulated and regionally-transported high-PM episodes, but differences in PM evolution were observed. In the more complicated dust-affected episode, the weather condition interacted with the emission/transport sources and chemical conversion, resulting in consecutive stages with different PM characteristics. Specifically, there were (1) stronger local accumulation in the pre-dust period, (2) dust-laden air with aged organic aerosol (OA) upon dust arrival, (3) pollutants being swept into the ocean, and (4) back to the city with aged OA. Our results suggest that (a) local emissions could be rapidly oxidized in some episodes but not all, (b) aged OA from long-range transport (aged in space) had a similar degree of oxygenation compared to the prolonged local oxidation (aged in time), and (c) OA aged over land and over the ocean were similar in chemical characteristics. The findings help better understand the causes and evolution of high-PM episodes, which are manifested by the interplays among meteorology, source, and chemistry, providing a scientific basis for control measures.

Modulating the activity of vmPFC alters altruistic behavior: A tDCS study.

For centuries, scientists have pondered why people would help others at a cost to themselves even in the absence of expectation for future benefit. While a growing body of neuroimaging studies has suggested that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) may be particularly critical for the regulation of altruistic behavior. However, evidence is still lacking in the field of neuroscience regarding the causal link between the region of vmPFC and pure altruistic behavior. In the present study, we designed a modified dictator game with a binary choice in the contexts of gain and loss that aimed to provide a simple and direct measure of participants' altruistic tendency. Using tDCS, we found that modulating the activity of vmPFC could significantly alter altruistic behaviors. Specifically, anodal stimulation of the vmPFC resulted in increasing altruistic choices compared with the cathodal stimulation, and the effect was found both in the gain and loss contexts. In addition, the subsequent inferences about others' altruistic behaviors were correlated with their own choices, and cathodal vmPFC stimulation resulted in a lower inference than sham stimulation in the gain context.

Surveillance of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in a paediatric hospital in China revealed the dynamics of carbapenemase and the prevalence of ST2735 K. pneumoniae.

Background. Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) is increasingly isolated in paediatric wards, posing a severe threat to these vulnerable populations. This study investigated the clinical features, determinants of carbapenem resistance and clonal relatedness among CRKP in our hospital.Hypothesis. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae in paediatric patients differs from the strains isolated from adult patients in carbapenemase and predominant clones.Aim. To investigate the pattern of carbapenemase and the clonal relationships between carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in a paediatric hospital in Jiangxi Province.Methodology. Forty-five CRKP isolates were consecutively collected from October 2016 to October 2020. Medical records were reviewed to analyse clinical features. Detection of carbapenemase genes was used to determine CRKP resistance mechanisms and clonal relatedness among CRKP was identified through multi-locus sequence typing (MLST).Results. Forty-three (95.6 %) patients developed CRKP infection, and two (4.4 %) were colonized by CRKP in the urinary tract. The overall mortality rate was 13.3 %. In total, 42 (93.3 %) strains were positive for carbapenemase genes, and bla NDM (62.2 %) was the predominant gene. The MLST identified 24 different sequence types (STs) of CRKP, in which ST11 (n=8, 17.8 %) and ST2735 (n=8, 17.8 %) were the most common STs.Conclusion. The pattern of CRKP in paediatric patients reflects evolving changes. The ST2735 K. pneumoniae may present as a dangerous CRKP clone circulating in paediatric patients.

Analysing a Novel RNA-Binding-Protein-Related Prognostic Signature Highly Expressed in Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BRCA) is one of the most common cancers and the leading cause of cancer-related death in women. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) play an important role in the emergence and pathogenesis of tumors. The target RNAs of RBPs are very diverse; in addition to binding to mRNA, RBPs also bind to noncoding RNA. Noncoding RNA can cause secondary structures that can bind to RBPs and regulate multiple processes such as splicing, RNA modification, protein localization, and chromosomes remodeling, which can lead to tumor initiation, progression, and invasion. METHODS: (1) BRCA data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) databases and were used as training and testing datasets, respectively. (2) The prognostic RBPs-related genes were screened according to the overlapping differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from the TCGA database. (3) Univariate Cox proportional hazard regression was performed to identify the genes with significant prognostic value. (4) Further, we used the LASSO regression to construct a prognostic signature and validated the signature in the TCGA and ICGC cohort. (5) Besides, we also performed prognostic analysis, expression level verification, immune cell correlation analysis, and drug correlation analysis of the genes in the model. RESULTS: Four genes (MRPL13, IGF2BP1, BRCA1, and MAEL) were identified as prognostic gene signatures. The prognostic model has been validated in the TCGA and ICGC cohorts. The risk score calculated with four genes signatures could largely predict overall survival for 1, 3, and 5 years in patients with BRCA. The calibration plot demonstrated outstanding consistency between the prediction and actual observation. The findings of online database verification revealed that these four genes were significantly highly expressed in tumors. Also, we observed their significant correlations with some immune cells and also potential correlations with some drugs. CONCLUSION: We constructed a 4-RBPs-based prognostic signature to predict the prognosis of BRCA patients, and it has the potential for treating and diagnosing BRCA.

The Role of the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex in Public Good and Public Bad Games: Evidence From a tDCS Study.

Although humans constitute an exceptionally cooperative species that is able to collaborate on large scales for common benefits, cooperation remains a longstanding puzzle in biological and social science. Moreover, cooperation is not always related to resource allocation and gains but is often related to losses. Revealing the neurological mechanisms and brain regions related to cooperation is important for reinforcing cooperation-related gains and losses. Recent neuroscience studies have found that the decision-making process of cooperation is involved in the function of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC). In the present study, we aimed to investigate the causal role of the VMPFC in cooperative behavior concerning gains and losses through the application of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). We integrated cooperation-related gains and losses into a unified paradigm. Based on the paradigm, we researched cooperation behaviors regarding gains in standard public good games and introduced public bad games to investigate cooperative behavior regarding losses. Our study revealed that the VMPFC plays different roles concerning gains and losses in situations requiring cooperation. Anodal stimulation over the VMPFC decreased cooperative behavior in public bad games, whereas stimulation over the VMPFC did not change cooperative behavior in public good games. Moreover, participants' beliefs about others' cooperation were changed in public bad games but not in public good games. Finally, participants' cooperative attitudes were not influenced in the public good or public bad games under the three stimulation conditions.

Modulating OFC Activity With tDCS Alters Regret About Human Decision-Making.

Regret is a common emotion in daily life. Humans always regret their decision-making choices if the chosen outcome is bad. Neuroscientific studies suggest that the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) influences feelings of regret. We used a transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) device to study the role of regret in participants' decision-making by modulating the activity of the OFC. The two-wheel-of-fortune gamble task was used in our experimental design, and we asked the participants to rate their feelings of regret after the computer presented the obtained and unobtained outcomes. The experimental results revealed that the effect of stimulation type was significant, which indicated that the influence of the OFC in regret was modulated by tDCS. Furthermore, based on post hoc analyses (Bonferroni), regret was lower in those who received left anodal/right cathodal stimulation than in those who received sham stimulation, which revealed that modulating the activity of the OFC reduced the emotional intensity of regret. In addition, an inverted U-shaped curve characterized the mean ratings of regret over time.

Modulating the Activity of the VMPFC With tDCS Alters the Social Framing Effect.

Numerous experimental studies have replicated the social framing effect-the observation that people's decisions related to economic benefits and feelings depend on the method of presentation. Previous neuroimaging studies have shown that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) plays a part in the influence of framing and how individuals think about the feelings of others. Based on this, we used transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to modulate neuronal activity in the VMPFC to determine the likelihood of a direct association between VMPFC activity and the social framing effect. Subsequently, in three stimulation treatments, we assessed the presence of the social framing effect, as demonstrated by a disparity between harm degree and help degree. The findings revealed a social framing effect in the participants in the control group and the sham treatment but no social framing effect in the participants in the anodal or cathodal treatments. Furthermore, sex differences were observed in the sham treatment's social framing effect, whereas no sex differences were observed in the anodal or cathodal treatments. The participants tended to harm the victim after receiving anodal or cathodal tDCS over the VMPFC and did not change their helping behaviour in any stimulations. Consequently, a clear causal link between the behaviour of the VMPFC and the social framing effect was found in the present research.

Single versus dual elastic nails for closed reduction and antegrade intramedullary nailing of displaced fifth metacarpal neck fractures.

Closed reduction and internal fixation with antegrade intramedullary nails is a feasible and effective treatment for displaced fifth metacarpal neck fractures (FMNFs). The present study aimed to compare clinical and radiological outcomes in patients with displaced FMNFs after treatment with single or dual antegrade elastic intramedullary nails (AEIMNs). Thirty-three patients were treated with a single 2.0 mm AEIMN and 34 patients were treated with two 1.5 mm AEIMNs. Clinical and radiological outcomes included grip strength, active range of motion (ROM), active flexion and extension of the fifth metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint, dorsal angulation loss, and metacarpal shortening of the fifth metacarpal at 12 months after treatment. No significant difference was observed between the two groups with respect to grip strength, ROM or flexion of the fifth MCP joint. The average values of dorsal angulation loss, metacarpal shortening, and extension of the fifth MCP joint of the dual nails group were better than those of the single nail group (dorsal angulation loss, 2.79 ± 1.93° vs. 4.05 ± 1.59°, P = 0.009; metacarpal shortening, 1.66 ± 0.80 mm vs. 2.12 ± 0.88 mm, P = 0.028; extension of the fifth MCP joint, 7.71 ± 4.43° vs. 4.82 ± 4.09°, P = 0.012). In conclusion, dual AEIMNs fixation provided better MCP extension and radiological outcomes than single AEIMN fixation.

A new low-profile anatomic locking plate for fixation of comminuted, displaced greater tuberosity fractures of the proximal humerus.

BACKGROUND: Although various implants exist for the fixation of isolated greater tuberosity fractures, few implants are specifically designed for such fractures. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical and radiologic outcomes of open reduction-internal fixation with a low-profile anatomic locking plate for comminuted greater tuberosity fractures of the proximal humerus. METHODS: From November 2012 to February 2018, 24 patients with displaced and comminuted isolated greater tuberosity fractures were treated with the new low-profile anatomic locking plate. To determine clinical outcomes, we evaluated active range of motion; the visual analog scale pain score; the Constant-Murley score; the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score; radiographs; and complications. RESULTS: In all cases, a mean follow-up period of 29.3 months (range, 18-48 months) was completed. All patients achieved bone union with a mean healing time of 11.3 weeks (range, 8-16 weeks). The mean Constant-Murley score was 91.1 points (range, 69-100 points), with a rate of good to excellent results of 95.8%. The average Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score was 9.9 points (range, 2-25 points), and the mean visual analog scale pain score was 1.1 points (range, 0-4 points). Mean active forward flexion, abduction, external rotation, and internal rotation (level) were 157°, 152°, and 40°, and T11, respectively. Postoperatively, 1 patient had persistent shoulder stiffness, and 1 patient had recurrence of shoulder dislocation because of a falling injury during badminton. No serious complications such as subacromial impingement, malunion, nonunion, loss of reduction, or implant failure occurred. CONCLUSIONS: The new low-profile anatomic locking plate was useful for the treatment of comminuted isolated greater tuberosity fractures as it provided reliable stability and satisfactory radiographic and functional results. The described technique is a simple and effective method and provides a new reliable option for the treatment of isolated greater tuberosity fractures.

Hybrid Hydrogel Composed of Hyaluronic Acid, Gelatin, and Extracellular Cartilage Matrix for Perforated TM Repair.

A novel series of composite hydrogels, built from the three components 1), hyaluronic acid methacryloyl (HAMA); 2), gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA), and 3), extracellular cartilage matrix (ECM), was prepared and studied regarding the possible utility in the surgical repair of damaged (perforated) tympanic membrane (TM). Noteworthy is component 3), which was harvested from the ribs of α-1,3-galactosidyltransferase-knockout (α-1,3 GalT-KO) pigs. The absence of α-1,3-galactosyl glycoprotein is hypothesized to prevent rejection due to foreign-body immunogenicity. The composite hydrogels were characterized by various aspects, using a variety of physicochemical techniques: aqueous swelling, structural degradation, behavior under compression, and morphology, e.g., in vitro biocompatibility was assessed by the CCK-8 and live-dead assays and through cytoskeleton staining/microscopy. Alcian blue staining and real-time PCR (RT-PCR) were performed to examine the chondrogenic induction potential of the hydrogels. Moreover, a rat TM defect model was used to evaluate the in vivo performance of the hydrogels in this particular application. Taken together, the results from this study are surprising and promising. Much further development work will be required to make the material ready for surgical use.

Expression and clinical significance of circular RNAs hsa_circ_0000175 and hsa_circ_0008410 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel class of RNAs that may be used as biomarkers in clinical blood samples. However, the role of circRNAs in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has not been extensively investigated. In the present study, six circRNAs, including hsa_circ_0082689, hsa_circ_0087798, hsa_circ_0000175, hsa_circ_0008410, hsa_circ_0049356 and hsa_circ_0032959 levels were determined in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) collected from 24 patients with RA and 24 healthy controls (HC) by reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT­qPCR) analysis. Hsa_circ_0000175 and hsa_circ_0008410 were selected for further evaluation in an independent cohort consisting of 63 patients with RA, 50 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 24 with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and 21 HC. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between these two circRNAs and the clinical characteristics of RA, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to evaluate their value in RA diagnosis. Multivariate analysis (logistic regression) was used to analyze the risk factors. Of the six selected circRNAs, the expression of hsa_circ_0000175 was found to be significantly reduced and the expression of hsa_circ_0008410 was significantly elevated in PBMCs from patients with RA compared with their levels in HC. The expression of hsa_circ_0000175 in patients with RA was correlated with anti­citrullinated protein antibodies, white blood cell count, lymphocyte count, lymphocyte percentage, neutrophil count, neutrophil percentage and neutrophil­to­lymphocyte ratio. Furthermore, the expression of hsa_circ_0008410 was correlated with tender joint count, disease duration, platelet count and plateletcrit, indicating the activity and severity of RA. ROC curve analysis suggested that hsa_circ_0000175, hsa_circ_0008410, and the combination of hsa_circ_0000175 and hsa_circ_0008410 have significant value in the diagnosis of RA. Hsa_circ_0000175 and hsa_circ_0008410 also differed significantly between patients with RA, and those with SLE and AS. Moreover, logistic regression analysis revealed that the expression of PBMC hsa_circ_0000175 and hsa_circ_0008410 were risk factors for RA. Therefore, PBMC hsa_circ_0000175, hsa_circ_0008410, and the combination of PBMC hsa_circ_0000175 and hsa_circ_0008410 may improve the diagnostic accuracy for RA. In addition, the expression levels of PBMC hsa_circ_0000175 and hsa_circ_0008410 were associated with disease activity and severity of RA.

Research on a hole filling algorithm of a point cloud based on structure from motion.

A point cloud can be obtained from three-dimensional measurement reconstruction based on fringe projection. However, there are holes in a point cloud due to objects with complicated shapes and the defect of the method. The holes have a profound impact on the subsequent data processing. A fitting approach to fill the holes based on structure from motion (SFM) is proposed in this paper. First, fringe projection with a two-dimensional phase is used to extract the hole boundary. Second, the registration of the SFM point cloud and the fringe projection point cloud is carried out. Then supplementary points are extracted. Third, the holes are filled based on a radial basis function on the point cloud added with the supplementary points. This method has been proven to be robust by experiments, and information of complex surface holes can be restored sufficiently.

Influence of Medial Support Screws on the Maintenance of Fracture Reduction after Locked Plating of Proximal Humerus Fractures.

BACKGROUND: Technical aspects of the correct placement of medial support locking screws in the locking plate for proximal humerus fractures remain incompletely understood. This study was to evaluate the clinical relationship between the number of medial support screws and the maintenance of fracture reduction after locked plating of proximal humerus fractures. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 181 patients who had been surgically treated for proximal humeral fractures (PHFs) with a locking plate between September 2007 and June 2013. All cases were then subdivided into one of four groups as follows: 75 patients in the medial cortical support (MCS) group, 26 patients in the medial multiscrew support (MMSS) group, 29 patients in the medial single screw support (MSSS) group, and 51 patients in the no medial support (NMS) group. Clinical and radiographic evaluations included the Constant-Murley score (CM), visual analogue scale (VAS), complications, and revision surgeries. The neck-shaft angle (NSA) was measured in a true anteroposterior radiograph immediately postoperation and at final follow-up. One-way analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis test was used for statistical analysis of measurement data, and Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test was used for categorical data. RESULTS: The mean postoperative NSAs were 133.46° ± 6.01°, 132.39° ± 7.77°, 135.17° ± 10.15°, and 132.41° ± 7.16° in the MCS, MMSS, MSSS, and NMS groups, respectively, and no significant differences were found (F = 1.02, P = 0.387). In the final follow-up, the NSAs were 132.79° ± 6.02°, 130.19° ± 9.25°, 131.28° ± 12.85°, and 127.35° ± 8.50° in the MCS, MMSS, MSSS, and NMS groups, respectively (F = 4.40, P = 0.008). There were marked differences in the NSA at the final follow-up between the MCS and NMS groups (P = 0.004). The median (interquartile range [IQR]) NSA losses were 0.0° (0.0-1.0)°, 1.3° (0.0-3.1)°, 1.5° (1.0-5.2)°, and 4.0° (1.2-7.1)° in the MCS, MMSS, MSSS, and NMS groups, respectively (H = 60.66, P < 0.001). There were marked differences in NSA loss between the MCS and the other three groups (MCS vs. MMSS, Z = 3.16, P = 0.002; MCS vs. MSSS, Z = 4.78, P < 0.001; and MCS vs. NMS, Z = 7.34, P < 0.001). There was also significantly less NSA loss observed in the MMSS group compared to the NMS group (Z = -3.16, P = 0.002). However, there were no significant differences between the MMSS and MSSS groups (Z = -1.65, P = 0.225) or the MSSS and NMS groups (Z = -1.21, P = 0.099). The average CM scores were 81.35 ± 9.79, 78.04 ± 8.97, 72.76 ± 10.98, and 67.33 ± 12.31 points in the MCS, MMSS, MSSS, and NMS groups, respectively (F = 18.68, P < 0.001). The rates of excellent and good CM scores were 86.67%, 80.77%, 65.52%, and 43.14% in the MCS, MMSS, MSSS, and NMS groups, respectively (χ2 = 29.25, P < 0.001). The median (IQR) VAS scores were 1 (0-2), 1 (0-2), 2 (1-3), and 3 (1-5) points in the MCS, MMSS, MSSS, and NMS groups, respectively (H = 27.80, P < 0.001). Functional recovery was markedly better and VAS values were lower in the MCS and MMSS groups (for CM scores: MCS vs. MSSS, P < 0.001; MCS vs. NMS, P < 0.001; MMSS vs. MSSS, P = 0.031; and MMSS vs. NMS, P < 0.001 and for VAS values: MCS vs. MSSS, Z = 3.31, P = 0.001; MCS vs. NMS, Z = 4.64, P < 0.001; MMSS vs. MSSS, Z = -2.09, P = 0.037; and MMSS vs. NMS, Z = -3.16, P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Medial support screws might help enhance mechanical stability and maintain fracture reduction when used to treat PHFs with medial metaphyseal comminution or malreduction.

[Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases-1 inhibitor MRL-45696 alleviates DNA damage after myocardial ischemia-reperfusion in diabetic rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the protective effect of MRL-45696, an inhibitor of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1), against DNA damage after myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) in diabetic rats. METHODS: Rat models of type 2 diabetes mellitus were established by high-fat feeding and a single peritoneal dose of streptozotocin. Forty diabetic rats were randomized equally into diabetic group, sham-operated group, sham-operated group with MRL-45696 treatment, I/R injury model group and I/R injury group with MRL-45696 treatment. The rats in MRL-45696-treated groups were subjected to daily intragastric administration of MRL-45696 (50 mg/kg) for 7 consecutive days, after which sham operation was performed or myocardial I/R injury was induced by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery for 30 min followed by reperfusion for 120 min. The range of myocardial infarction, plasma cardiac troponin I (cTnI), serum creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and cardiac myocyte apoptosis were detected. The levels of γ-H2AX, cleaved caspase-3, PARP-1, and PAR were detected with Western blotting, and the level of NAD was detected using colorimetry. RESULTS: The infarct size was significantly smaller in MRL-45696 treatment group than in I/R injury group (P < 0.05). In I/R model group, the levels of cTnI, CK, and LDH in the plasma or serum and MDA, γ-H2AX, cleaved caspase-3 and apoptotic rate in the cardiac myocytes were significantly higher than those in the other groups (P < 0.05), and SOD activity was significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Compared with I/R model group, the rats with MRL- 45696 treatment showed significantly decreased levels of cTnI, CK, LDH, MDA, γ-H2AX, cleaved caspase-3, PARP- 1, PAR expression and cell apoptosis with significantly increased levels of SOD and NAD (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: MRL-45696 can inhibit excessive activation of PARP-1, increase intracellular level of NAD and inhibit cardiac myocyte apoptosis to alleviate myocardial I/R-induced DNA damage and reduce myocardial infarct size in diabetic rats.

Elevated expression of PD­1 on T cells correlates with disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis.

It is well known that lymphocytes are important in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Programmed cell death-1 (PD­1) is one of the immunosuppressive costimulatory molecules, which mediates an inhibitory effect. However, its role in RA remains to be fully elucidated. In the present study, the expression levels of PD­1 on T cells in the peripheral blood (PB) and synovial fluid (SF) were determined using flow cytometry. In addition, the expression levels of PD­1 on T cells in the PB and SF of patients with RA were further analyzed to determine correlation with markers of the autoimmune response, inflammation and disease activity in RA. Compared with healthy controls, the expression of PD­1 on T cells in the PB was significantly elevated in patients with RA (P<0.0001). The expression of PD­1 on T cells in the SF of patients with RA was significantly increased, compared with that in the autologous PB (P<0.0001). It was also found that the expression of PD­1 on T cells in the PB of patients with RA was increased significantly in subjects with a high rheumatoid factor titer, high levels of inflammatory markers and a high disease activity score 28 (DAS28). The expression of PD­1 on T cells in the SF of patients with RA was increased significantly in subjects with a high DAS28. These data showed that the expression of PD­1 on T cells was elevated in patients with RA and was correlated with the disease activity.