Immediate efficacy of auricular acupuncture combined with active exercise in the treatment of acute lumbar sprains in 10 minutes: Protocol of a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Acute lumbar sprain (ALS) is common musculoskeletal disorder characterized by severe low back pain and activity limitation, which significantly impacts the patient's work and life. Immediate relief of pain and restoration of mobility in a short period of time are the main needs of patients when they visit the clinic. This study aims to evaluate the immediate efficacy of this combined treatment for ALS within 10 minutes. METHODS: This is a single-center, prospective, randomized clinical trial. 128 eligible patients with ALS will be randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to either the auricular acupuncture (AA) group or the sham auricular acupuncture (SAA) group. All patients will receive a single 10-minute treatment. The primary outcome will be the change in pain intensity after 10 minutes of treatment. The secondary outcomes include changes in pain intensity at other time points (2, 5 minutes), changes in lumbar range of motion (ROM) at different time points, blinded assessment, treatment effect expectancy scale evaluation, and treatment satisfaction scale evaluation. All participants will be included in the analysis according to the intention-to-treat principle. DISCUSSION: This is the first randomized controlled trial to assess the immediate efficacy of AA combined with active exercise for ALS. The findings of this study are expected to provide a simple and rapid treatment for ALS in clinical. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2400083740. Registered 30 April 2024.

Decursin ameliorates neurotoxicity induced by glutamate through restraining ferroptosis by up-regulating FTH1 in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of neurodegeneration which currently has no effective treatment. Ferroptosis is a new style of programmed cell death and is widely implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of AD. Decursin has been shown widely neuroprotective effects but poorly understood about the underlying mechanisms between decursin and ferroptosis in AD. Here, the protective effect of decursin and the underlying mechanism under glutamate treatment in SH-SY5Y cells was investigated. SH-SY5Y cells were cultured with glutamate in the presence or absence of decursin. The safe concentrations of decursin on SH-SY5Y cells were measured via CCK-8. Furthermore, LDH content, antioxidant enzyme activities including GPx, CAT and SOD, MDA contents, GSH levels, ROS formation, MMP, mitochondria ultrastructure morphology change, and intracellular Fe2+ levels were measured to investigate the influence of decursin and Fer-1 on ferroptosis in glutamate-treated SH-SY5Y cells. Moreover, the expressions of ferroptosis-related proteins were determined by Western blot. As a result, glutamate-induced cell survival was markedly elevated and morphological change was improved by decursin administrated in SH-SY5Y cells. Furthermore, decursin could reversed the decreased antioxidant enzyme activities, GSH levels, GPX4n and FTH1 expression, as well as the increased iron levels, LDH, MDA, ROS formation, and MMP, which showed similar effects to Fer-1, the specific ferroptosis inhibitor. Therefore, the inhibitory effect of decursin on ferroptosis probably was partially governed by FTH1 expression to regulate the cellular iron homeostasis. Additionally, decursin facilitated the translocation of Nrf2 from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Taken together, our data for the first time suggest that decursin could ameliorate neurotoxicity induced by glutamate by attenuating ferroptosis via alleviating cellular iron levels by up-regulating FTH1 expression which is attributing to its promotion of Nrf2 translocation into the nucleus in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Hence, decursin might be a novel and promising therapeutic option for AD. In addition, our study also provided some new clues to potential target for the intervention and therapy of AD.

Immediate efficacy of acupuncture combined with active exercise as 10 min rapid therapy for pain and movement disorders in patients suffering from acute stiff neck: protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Stiff neck is a condition mainly characterised by persistent pain and limited neck movement, which can substantially impact patients' daily lives during acute episodes. Accordingly, rapid pain relief and restoration of normal activities are the main needs of patients during doctor visits. This study aims to assess the immediate efficacy of acupuncture combined with active exercises in rapidly relieving pain and improving movement disorders within 10 min in patients with acute stiff neck (ASN). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This randomised controlled clinical trial is being conducted at a single centre in China. 120 participants diagnosed with ASN will randomly be assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to one of three groups: the acupuncture combined with active exercise group (group A), sham acupuncture combined with active exercise group (group B) and active exercise only group (group C). Each participant will undergo a single 10 min session. The primary outcome is the effective rate at 10 min of treatment. Secondary outcomes include the effective rate at other time points (0-1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 min), Visual Analogue Scale score and cervical range of motion. The intention-to-treat analysis will include all randomised participants. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine (2022-009). Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants before randomisation. The findings of this study will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and presentation at conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR2200066997.

Implications of liquid-liquid phase separation and ferroptosis in Alzheimer's disease.

Neuronal cell demise represents a prevalent occurrence throughout the advancement of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the mechanism of triggering the death of neuronal cells remains unclear. Its potential mechanisms include aggregation of soluble amyloid-beta (Aß) to form insoluble amyloid plaques, abnormal phosphorylation of tau protein and formation of intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), neuroinflammation, ferroptosis, oxidative stress, liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) and metal ion disorders. Among them, ferroptosis is an iron-dependent lipid peroxidation-driven cell death and emerging evidences have demonstrated the involvement of ferroptosis in the pathological process of AD. The sensitivity to ferroptosis is tightly linked to numerous biological processes. Moreover, emerging evidences indicate that LLPS has great impacts on regulating human health and diseases, especially AD. Soluble Aß can undergo LLPS to form liquid-like droplets, which can lead to the formation of insoluble amyloid plaques. Meanwhile, tau has a high propensity to condensate via the mechanism of LLPS, which can lead to the formation of NFTs. In this review, we summarize the most recent advancements pertaining to LLPS and ferroptosis in AD. Our primary focus is on expounding the influence of Aß, tau protein, iron ions, and lipid oxidation on the intricate mechanisms underlying ferroptosis and LLPS within the domain of AD pathology. Additionally, we delve into the intricate cross-interactions that occur between LLPS and ferroptosis in the context of AD. Our findings are expected to serve as a theoretical and experimental foundation for clinical research and targeted therapy for AD.

Immediate Efficacy of Contralateral Acupuncture on SI3 Combined with Active Exercise for Acute Lumbar Sprains: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose: Acute lumbar sprain (ALS) is a common clinical disease characterized by persistent intolerable low back pain and limitation of movement, and quick pain relief and restoration of mobility in a short time are the main needs of patients when they visit the clinic. This study aims to evaluate the immediate efficacy of contralateral acupuncture (CAT) on SI3 combined with active exercise in treating ALS. Methods and Analysis: This study is a randomized controlled trial which will recruit 118 eligible participants aged 18 to 55 years with ALS at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine between March 2024 and December 2026. Participants will be randomly assigned to the acupuncture group or the sham-acupuncture group in a 1:1 ratio. The acupuncture group will receive a 10-minute acupuncture treatment combined with active exercise, while the sham-acupuncture group will receive a 10-minute sham acupuncture treatment combined with active exercise. Randomization will use a computer-generated sequence with allocation concealed in opaque envelopes. The primary outcome will be the pain visual analogue scale (VAS) scores after 10 minutes of treatment. Secondary outcomes will include the pain VAS scores at other time points (2, 4, 6, and 8 minutes post-treatment), the lumbar range of motion (ROM) scores at various time points, blinded assessment, the treatment effect expectancy scale, and the rescue analgesia rate. The analysis will follow the intention-to-treat principle. The primary outcome will be analyzed using ANCOVA, and secondary outcomes with repeated measures ANOVA. The rescue analgesia rate will be assessed using either the χ2 test or Fisher's exact test. Discussion: This study is the first randomized controlled trial to assess the immediate efficacy of CAT in combination with active exercise for ALS. This study will provide a simple, rapid, and effective treatment for the clinical management of ALS.

Contralateral acupuncture for migraine without aura: a randomized trial protocol with multimodal MRI.

Introduction: Migraine is a common clinical disorder, ranks as the second most disabling disease worldwide, and often manifests with unilateral onset. Contralateral acupuncture (CAT), as a classical acupuncture method, has been proven to be effective in the treatment of migraine without aura (MWoA). However, its neural mechanisms have not been investigated using multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods and analysis: In this multimodal neuroimaging randomized trial, a total of 96 female MWoA participants and 30 female healthy controls (HCs) will be recruited. The 96 female MWoA participants will be randomized into three groups: Group A (CAT group), Group B [ipsilateral acupuncture (IAT) group], and Group C (sham CAT group) in a 1:1:1 allocation ratio. Each group will receive 30 min of treatment every other day, three times a week, for 8 weeks, followed by an 8-week follow-up period. The primary outcome is the intensity of the migraine attack. Data will be collected at baseline (week 0), at the end of the 8-week treatment period (weeks 1-8), and during the 8-week follow-up (weeks 9-16). Adverse events will be recorded. Multimodal MRI scans will be conducted at baseline and after 8-week treatment. Discussion: This study hypothesized that CAT may treat MWoA by restoring pathological alterations in brain neural activity, particularly by restoring cross-integrated functional connectivity with periaqueductal gray (PAG) as the core pathological brain region. The findings will provide scientific evidence for CAT in the treatment of MWoA. Ethics and dissemination: The Medical Ethics Committee of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine has given study approval (approval no. 2022-006). This trial has been registered with the Chinese Clinical Trials Registry (registration no. ChiCTR2300069456). Peer-reviewed papers will be used to publicize the trial's findings. Clinical trial registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/, identifier ChiCTR2300069456.

LINC00839 in Human Disorders: Insights into its Regulatory Roles and Clinical Impact, with a Special Focus on Cancer.

LINC00839 has captured significant attention within a spectrum of human disorders, including acute lung injury, osteoarthritis, and childhood obesity. Notably, aberrant expression patterns of LINC00839 have been observed across diverse cancer tissues and cell lines. LINC00839 emerges as an oncogenic factor in tumorigenesis and exerts a positive influence on tumor-associated behaviors. Its therapeutic potential for various cancers is underscored by its modulatory impact on pivotal signaling pathways, such as PI3K/AKT, OXPHOS, and Wnt/ß-catenin. Additionally, LINC00839's role in reducing sensitivity to drug and radiotherapy interventions presents opportunities for targeted intervention. Furthermore, elevated LINC00839 expression indicates advanced clinicopathological features and foretells unfavorable prognoses, as validated by publications and comprehensive analyses of tumor types using TCGA datasets. This review elucidates the multiple regulatory mechanisms and functional implications of LINC00839 in various diseases, especially malignancies, emphasizing its potential as a predictive biomarker and therapeutic target across multiple disease domains in humans.

Grey matter abnormalities in major depressive disorder patients with suicide attempts: A systematic review of age-specific differences.

Background: Previous studies have reported alterations in brain structure in major depressive disorder (MDD) patients with suicide attempts. However, age-related changes in suicidal MDD patients remain unclear. Methods: We performed a systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science were searched to identify relevant studies from inception to January 2023. All voxel-based and surface-based morphometry studies comparing suicidal MDD patients to MDD or healthy controls were included. Studies were then grouped by age range (old, middle-age, adolescent) and the commonalities and age-related structural brain alterations were summarized. The included studies were evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Results: A total of 17 studies met the inclusion criteria, including 3 of late-life depression (LLD) patients, 11 of middle-aged depression (MAD) patients, and 3 of adolescent depression (AOD) patients. The majority of studies had moderate to high NOS scores, indicating good quality. Patients in all three age groups exhibited extensive alterations in the lateral, medial, and orbital regions of the frontal lobes. Furthermore, suicidal MAD patients showed a specific decrease in the gray matter volume of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex compared to suicidal LLD patients. Cortical thickness and left angular gyrus volume were decreased in suicidal MAD and suicidal LLD patients, but increased in suicidal AOD patients. Conclusion: This systematic review summarizes structural brain changes in suicidal MDD patients at three age groups: elderly, middle-aged, and adolescent. These findings help elucidate the common circuitry of MDD related to suicide over the lifespan and highlight unique circuitry associated with different ages. These findings may help predict the risk of suicide in MDD patients at different ages.

Immediate analgesic effect of acupuncture intervention within 10 min during acute migraine attacks: protocol of a randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Migraine is a widespread neurological disorder characterised by recurrent moderate-to-severe headaches. These headaches can seriously affect patients' daily life and work, especially during acute attacks when patients often need immediate pain relief. This study aims to assess the immediate analgesic effect of acupuncture for 10 min during acute migraine attacks. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The study will randomly divide 80 participants into either the acupuncture group or the sham acupuncture group with an allocation ratio of 1:1. Each group will receive 10 min of treatment, and the post-treatment evaluation will be performed after 0, 0-2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 min of acupuncture. The primary outcome is the pain Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score assessed before and after treatment at 10 min. Additionally, secondary outcomes include the pain VAS score assessed at 0-2, 4, 6 and 8 min, blinding assessment and treatment effectiveness expectations scale. Data will be collected at baseline time and the end of treatment (after 10 min). Adverse events during each treatment period will be collected and recorded. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine (2022-008). All participants will provide written informed consent before randomisation. The results of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Chinese Clinical Trial Registration Center (ChiCTR2200066976).

Long-term Outcomes Following Endoscopic Transnasal Surgery for Optic Neuropathy Due to Craniofacial Fibrous Dysplasia.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility of endoscopic transnasal optic canal decompression (ETOCD) guided by a navigation surgical system (NSS) for vision recovery in patients with compressive optic neuropathy (CON) caused by craniofacial fibrous dysplasia (CFD), and to explore the underlying cause of visual impairment. METHODS: All patients underwent unilateral NSS-guided ETOCD and were followed up periodically for at least six months. Paired sample t-test and Pearson correlation analyses were used to compare continuous variables of the visual outcomes at the final review. A histopathological test of abnormal bone specimens was performed postoperatively. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients were finally included, and all surgeries were uneventful. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (logMAR units) decreased from 1.29 ± 0.80 preoperatively to 0.97 ± 0.78 at the last follow-up (p = 0.0012), improving in 28 patients (82.35%). The absolute value of mean defect (MD) significantly decreased (p < 0.001). Color vision was impaired in 17 patients preoperatively and improved in 6 patients. BCVA at the last follow-up was significantly correlated with preoperative BCVA, onset time, preoperative retinal nerve fibril layer thickness, and MD (all p < 0.05). Among 34 patients, 26 had a blunt bony process near the anterior foot of the optic chiasm. Of the total patients, 73.53% patients experienced bony fiber recurrence 6 months or earlier after surgery without visual loss. CONCLUSION: NSS-guided ETOCD appeared to be safe and effective for visual recovery in patients with CON due to CFD, and early surgical intervention was critical for long-term recovery. Unbalanced compression of the optic canal by the blunt bony process may be a major cause of visual impairment. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 133:1857-1866, 2023.

Cucurbitacin IIb Extracted from Hemsleya penxianensis Induces Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis in Bladder Cancer Cells by Regulating Cell Cycle Checkpoints and Mitochondrial Apoptotic Pathway.

Cucurbitacin IIb (CuIIb) extracted from Hemsleya penxianensis has been demonstrated anticancer activity in many malignancies, however, its effect against bladder cancer cells and the molecular mechanism remains unclear. Accordingly, in the present study, we evaluated the effect and further the underlying mechanism of CuIIb on bladder cancer cells. Cell viability and clonogenicity were examined to evaluate growth suppressive effect of CuIIb, alongside mechanism exploration was conducted based on RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). The results showed that CuIIb exposure inhibited the growth of T24 and UM-UC-3 bladder cancer cells as indicated by its obvious suppression on cell viability and clonogenicity. Mechanistic studies by RNA-seq and quantifying analysis of RNA-seq data by TMNP indicated cell cycle modulated by cell cycle checkpoints and apoptosis mediated by PI3K/Akt pathway might account for the anticancer activity of CuIIb. Consistently, results of flow cytometry and AO/EB staining demonstrated that the growth-suppressive effect of CuIIb was mediated by cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase and robust induction of cell apoptosis, which was further confirmed by immunoblotting and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) analysis. Collectively, the results presented herein indicated that CuIIb exhibited anticancer activity on bladder cancer which may be a potential candidate for improving bladder cancer outcomes.

Brain-Imaging Mechanisms on Female Abdominal Obesity Treated by "Shu-Mu" Acupoint Catgut Embedding and Compatibility Relation: Study Protocol for a 12-Week Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Acupoint catgut embedding (ACE) has been proven to be effective and safe in the treatment of obesity, but few studies have been conducted involving its central mechanisms. Our previous study has demonstrated the effectiveness of Shu-Mu ACE in the treatment of abdominal obesity (AO). However, the neurological mechanism of Shu-Mu ACE for weight loss has not yet been elucidated. The mechanism of the combination of the Shu and Mu acupoints may be related to the central integrative effects of the brain. This paper aims to explore the potential neural mechanisms of Shu-Mu ACE in female patients with AO. Methods and Analysis: A total of 100 eligible female AO patients and 20 healthy female subjects will be recruited for this study. 100 AO patients will be randomly allocated to five groups: Shu-Mu ACE (Group A), Shu ACE (Group B), Mu ACE (Group C), sham ACE (Group D), and waiting-list (Group E). Treatment will be administrated once every two weeks for 12 weeks. The body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), Visual Analog Scales (VAS) of appetite, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) will be utilized to evaluate the clinical efficacy. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline and at each time point of treatment. Multimodal MRI will be performed at baseline and after 12-week treatment and the results will be used to investigate the neural mechanisms of ACE for obesity. Neurological changes and clinical data will be analysed for correlation. Discussions: This study hypothesized that Shu-Mu ACE therapy has a synergistic effect and may treat AO by modulating the neuropathological alterations in the brain. Our findings will demonstrate the neurological mechanism of AO treated by "Shu-Mu" Acupoint Catgut Embedding and compatibility relation. Trial Registration: This trial is registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registration Center (No. ChiCTR2100048920).

[Current status and our consideration on clinical transformation of acupuncture research].

It has become one of the major strategic directions to develop translational medicine and realize the stride leap from basic research to clinical application in the national biomedical field. In recent years, both basic and clinical researches of acupuncture and moxibustion have made landmark progress. However, the transformation of acupuncture and moxibustion techniques still faced with many difficulties, such as low conversion rate and high difficulty of transformation. In this article, we mainly made a preliminary discussion on the current situations of acupuncture and moxibustion transformation from the aspects of basic research content, evidence-based medicine and clinical trials, evaluation criteria for the conclusion of scientific research projects and transformation mode, put forward some existing problems in the transformation process, and proposed some corresponding countermeasures to the problems.

Physiological and Full-Length Transcriptome Analyses Reveal the Dwarfing Regulation in Trifoliate Orange (Poncirus trifoliata L.).

Dwarfing rootstocks are capable of high-density planting and are therefore urgently needed in the modern citrus cultivation system. However, little is known about the physiological relevance and molecular basis underlying citrus height. This study aimed to comprehensively analyze phytohormone, carbohydrate, and associated transcriptome changes in the stem of two weak growth rootstocks ('TO' and 'FD') relative to the vigorous 'CC' rootstock. The phenotypic observation revealed that the plant height, plant weight, and internode length were reduced in dwarfing rootstocks. Moreover, the contents of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), trans-zeatin (tZ), and abscisic acid (ABA), were higher in TO and FD rootstocks, whereas the gibberellin 3 (GA3) content was higher in the CC rootstocks. The carbohydrate contents, including sucrose, fructose, glucose, starch, and lignin significantly decreased in both the TO and FD rootstocks. The full-length transcriptome analysis revealed a potential mechanism regulating dwarfing phenotype that was mainly related to the phytohormone signaling transduction, sugar and starch degradation, lignin synthesis, and cellulose and hemicellulose degradation processes. In addition, many transcription factors (TFs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and alternative splicing (AS) events were identified, which might act as important contributors to control the stem elongation and development in the weak growth rootstocks. These findings might deepen the understanding of the complex mechanisms of the stem development responsible for citrus dwarfing and provide a series of candidate genes for the application in breeding new rootstocks with intensive dwarfing.

Does big data serve policy? Not without context. An experiment with in silico social science.

The DARPA Ground Truth project sought to evaluate social science by constructing four varied simulated social worlds with hidden causality and unleashed teams of scientists to collect data, discover their causal structure, predict their future, and prescribe policies to create desired outcomes. This large-scale, long-term experiment of in silico social science, about which the ground truth of simulated worlds was known, but not by us, reveals the limits of contemporary quantitative social science methodology. First, problem solving without a shared ontology-in which many world characteristics remain existentially uncertain-poses strong limits to quantitative analysis even when scientists share a common task, and suggests how they could become insurmountable without it. Second, data labels biased the associations our analysts made and assumptions they employed, often away from the simulated causal processes those labels signified, suggesting limits on the degree to which analytic concepts developed in one domain may port to others. Third, the current standard for computational social science publication is a demonstration of novel causes, but this limits the relevance of models to solve problems and propose policies that benefit from the simpler and less surprising answers associated with most important causes, or the combination of all causes. Fourth, most singular quantitative methods applied on their own did not help to solve most analytical challenges, and we explored a range of established and emerging methods, including probabilistic programming, deep neural networks, systems of predictive probabilistic finite state machines, and more to achieve plausible solutions. However, despite these limitations common to the current practice of computational social science, we find on the positive side that even imperfect knowledge can be sufficient to identify robust prediction if a more pluralistic approach is applied. Applying competing approaches by distinct subteams, including at one point the vast TopCoder.com global community of problem solvers, enabled discovery of many aspects of the relevant structure underlying worlds that singular methods could not. Together, these lessons suggest how different a policy-oriented computational social science would be than the computational social science we have inherited. Computational social science that serves policy would need to endure more failure, sustain more diversity, maintain more uncertainty, and allow for more complexity than current institutions support.

The value of a risk model combining specific risk factors for predicting postoperative severe morbidity in biliary tract cancer.

Purpose: Several surgical risk models are widely utilized in general surgery to predict postoperative morbidity. However, no studies have been undertaken to examine the predictive efficacy of these models in biliary tract cancer patients, and other perioperative variables can also influence morbidity. As a result, the study's goal was to examine these models alone, as well as risk models combined with disease-specific factors, in predicting severe complications. Methods: A retrospective study of 129 patients was carried out. Data on demographics, surgery, and outcomes were gathered. These model equations were used to determine the morbidity risks. Severe morbidity was defined as the complication comprehensive index ≥ 40. Results: Severe morbidity was observed in 25% (32/129) patients. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that four parameters [comprehensive risk score ≥1, T stage, albumin decrease value, and international normalized ratio (INR)] had a significant influence on the probability of major complications. The area under the curve (AUC) of combining the four parameters was assessed as having strong predictive value and was superior to the Estimation of Physiologic Ability and Surgical Stress System (E-PASS) alone (the AUC value was 0.858 vs. 0.724, p = 0.0375). The AUC for the modified E-PASS (mE-PASS) and Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the Enumeration of Mortality and Morbidity (POSSUM) in patients over the age of 70 was classified as no predictive value (p = 0.217 and p = 0.063, respectively). Conclusion: The mE-PASS and POSSUM models are ineffective in predicting postoperative morbidity in patients above the age of 70. In biliary tract cancer (BTC) patients undergoing radical operation, a combination of E-PASS and perioperative parameters generates a reasonable prediction value for severe complications.

Demographic characteristics, family environment and psychosocial factors affecting internet addiction in Chinese adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Internet addiction of adolescents has aroused social concern recently. The present study aims to identify predicting factors of internet addiction on adolescents. METHODS: The demographic characteristics and psychological characteristics of 50, 855 middle school students were investigated through Internet Gaming Disorder Scale- Short Form(IGDS9-SF), Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Scale (SABAS), Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire-students (SDQS), 16-Item Version of the Prodromal Questionnaire (PQ-16), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7), Multidimensional Peer Victimization Scale (MPVS), Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS), and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC10) were used to analyze factors associated with internet addiction by Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple hierarchical regression. RESULTS: IGDS9-SF, SABAS and BSMAS are positively correlated with SDQS, PQ-16, PHQ-9, GAD-7 and MPVS (r-values ranging from 0.180 to 0.488, p < 0.01). IGDS9-SF, SABAS and BSMAS are negatively correlated with WEMWB and CD-RISC (r-values ranging from -0.242 ~ -0.338, p < 0.01). Multiple hierarchical regression shown gender, one-child, twins, left-behind, rural, education (father), drink (father), smoke (father), CD-RISC-10, SDQS, PQ-16, PHQ-9, GAD-7 and MPVS predicted 32.7 % of the variance in internet gaming disorder (IGD) (F = 1174.949, p < 0.001). Group (junior and senior), Gender, Age, One-Child, Twins, Village, Education (father), Drink (father), Drink (mother), Smoke (father), WEMWBS, CD-RISC-10, SDQS, PQ-16, PHQ-9, GAD-7 and MPVS predicted 28.9 % of the total variance in social media addiction (SMA) (F = 982.932, p < 0.001). Fifteen variables [Gender, Age, Twins, Left-behind, Residence, Residence, Education (mother), Drink(father), Drink (mother), Smoke (father), WEMWBS, CD-RISC-10, PHQ-9, GAD-7 and MPVS] predicted 30.7 % of the variance in smartphone addiction (SA) (F = 1076.02, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The present study found that demographic characteristics, family environment and psychosocial factors were associated with internet gaming addiction, social media addiction and smartphone addiction. Negative psychological factors (such as anxiety and depression) play an important role in different behavioral addictions.

Association of CHUK gene polymorphism and ischemic stroke in the Han Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: Recently, the pivotal role of component of inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B kinase complex (CHUK) in lipid levels and blood pressure has been reported, and hypertension and hyperlipidemia are common risk factors of ischemic stroke (IS). However, the association between CHUK and IS has not yet been explored. This study aims at evaluating the relationship of CHUK polymorphisms (rs3808916, rs2230804 and rs3808917) and IS risk as well as IS-related risk factors. METHODS: CHUK mRNA expression was detected between 53 IS patients and 53 healthy controls using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). A total of 816 IS patients and 816 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were genotyped using the Sequenom MassARRAY iPLEX platform. RESULTS: CHUK mRNA was highly expressed in IS patients compared with healthy subjects (P＜0.001). No significant associations were observed between rs3808916, rs2230804, rs3808917 and IS susceptibility (P＞0.05). Moreover, haplotype analysis showed that no haplotype of CHUK polymorphisms was associated with IS (P > 0.05). However, rs2230804 was related to diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of IS patients (P = 0.035), while rs3808917 was associated with triglyceride (TG) levels (P = 0.046). CONCLUSIONS: The CHUK expression is involved in the development of IS. CHUK variants rs2230804, and rs3808917 may affect blood pressure and lipid levels of IS patients. However, CHUK rs3808916, rs2230804 and rs3808917 polymorphisms are not associated with IS risk.

Enhancement degree of brain metastases: correlation analysis between enhanced T2 FLAIR and vascular permeability parameters of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the correlation between enhancement degrees of brain metastases on contrast-enhanced T2-fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (CE-T2 FLAIR) and vascular permeability parameters of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI). METHODS: Thirty-nine patients with brain metastases were prospectively collected. They underwent non-enhanced T2 FLAIR, DCE-MRI, CE-T2 FLAIR, and contrast-enhanced three-dimensional brain volume imaging (CE-BRAVO). Quantitative parameters of DCE-MRI were evaluated for all lesions, which included volume transfer constant (Ktrans), rate constant (Kep), and fractional volume of the extracellular extravascular space (Ve). Contrast ratio (CR) and percentage increase (PI) values of all lesions on CE-T2 FLAIR were also measured. The tumor enhancement degree on CE-T2 FLAIR in relation to CE-BRAVO was visually classified as higher (group A), equal (group B), and lower (group C). RESULTS: A total of 82 brain metastases were evaluated, including 31 in group A, 19 in group B, and 32 in group C. The Ktrans and Kep were negatively correlated with the CR (ρ = - 0.551, p < 0.001 and ρ = - 0.708, p < 0.001, respectively) and PI (ρ = - 0.511, p < 0.001 and ρ = - 0.621, p < 0.001, respectively). The Ktrans and Kep of group A were significantly lower than those of group C (both p < 0.001). No significant difference was found in Ve among the groups (p = 0.327). CONCLUSIONS: The enhancement degree of brain metastases on CE-T2 FLAIR is negatively correlated with Ktrans and Kep values, which indicate that vascular permeability parameters may play an important role in explaining the difference in enhancement between CE-T2 FLAIR and CE-BRAVO. KEY POINTS: • The enhancement degree on CE-T2 FLAIR was negatively correlated with Ktrans and Kep values. • The vascular permeability of brain metastasis accounted for the difference in enhancement degree between CE-T2 FLAIR and CE-BRAVO. • CE-T2 FLAIR is useful for detecting brain metastases with mild disruption of the blood-brain barrier.

Degradation of diclofenac sodium using Fenton-like technology based on nano-calcium peroxide.

A nano-calcium peroxide (nCaO2) powder with a purity of 89.1% was prepared using an improved traditional method. Then, the as-prepared nCaO2 was used as the source of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for the Fenton-like degradation of diclofenac sodium (DCF). The results showed that nCaO2 performed better for DCF removal when compared to nCaO2 prepared by a conventional method and commercial calcium peroxide (CaO2). Further experimental results indicated that 97.5% of DCF could be removed in 180 min at a nCaO2/Fe2+-EDTA/DCF molar ratio of 16/8-8/1, which was more efficient than in the H2O2/EDTA-Fe2+/DCF and nCaO2/Fe2+/DCF systems. The best removal rate of DCF was at pH 6.0, unlike previous claims that stated that the lower the pH in the buffer system, the better the degradation of DCF. In addition, the influence of water quality parameters, such as Cl-, NO3-, SO42-, HCO3-, and humic acid (HA), on DCF removal were evaluated. A free radical masking experiment revealed the existence of hydroxyl radical (OH), superoxide radical (O2-) and singlet oxygen (1O2), and indicated that the degradation of DCF was mainly due to oxidation caused by OH. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies for different systems and different active oxygen species were carried out, and it was further confirmed that OH radicals have high intensity in the Fenton-like system based on nCaO2. EPR results also showed that the addition of EDTA can promote the production of OH. According to the identification of the dominant reactive species and GC-MS, the possible theoretical DCF degradation pathways were proposed.