[Multicenter retrospect analysis of early clinical features and analysis of risk factors on prognosis of elderly patients with severe burns].

Objective: To investigate the early clinical characteristics of elderly patients with severe burns and the risk factors on prognosis. Methods: This study was a retrospective case series study. Clinical data of 124 elderly patients with severe burns who met the inclusion criteria and were admitted to the 12 hospitals from January 2015 to December 2020 were collected, including 4 patients from the Fourth People's Hospital of Dalian, 5 patients from Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 22 patients from Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital of Jinan University, 5 patients from Heilongjiang Provincial Hospital, 27 patients from the First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, 9 patients from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 10 patients from Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, 9 patients from Tongren Hospital of Wuhan University & Wuhan Third Hospital, 12 patients from the 924th Hospital of PLA, 6 patients from Zhangjiagang First People's Hospital, 4 patients from Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, and 11 patients from Zhengzhou First People's Hospital. The patients' overall clinical characteristics, such as gender, age, body mass index, total burn area, full-thickness burn area, inhalation injury, causative factors, whether combined with underlying medical diseases, and admission time after injury were recorded. According to the survival outcome within 28 days after injury, the patients were divided into survival group (89 cases) and death group (35 cases). The following data of patients were compared between the two groups, including the basic data and injuries (the same as the overall clinical characteristics ahead); the coagulation indexes within the first 24 hours of injury such as prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time, D-dimer, fibrinogen degradation product (FDP), international normalized ratio (INR), and fibrinogen; the blood routine indexes within the first 24 hours of injury such as white blood cell count, platelet count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, monocyte count, red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and hematocrit; the organ function indexes within the first 24 hours of injury such as direct bilirubin, total bilirubin, urea, serum creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total protein, albumin, globulin, blood glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, alkaline phosphatase, creatine kinase, electrolyte indexes (potassium, sodium, chlorine, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus in blood), uric acid, myoglobin, and brain natriuretic peptide; the infection and blood gas indexes within the first 24 hours of injury such as procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, pH value, oxygenation index, base excess, and lactate; treatment such as whether conducted with mechanical ventilation, whether conducted with continuous renal replacement therapy, whether conducted with anticoagulation therapy, whether applied with vasoactive drugs, and fluid resuscitation. The analysis was conducted to screen the independent risk factors for the mortality within 28 days after injury in elderly patients with severe burns. Results: Among 124 patients, there were 82 males and 42 females, aged 60-97 years, with body mass index of 23.44 (21.09, 25.95) kg/m2, total burn area of 54.00% (42.00%, 75.00%) total body surface area (TBSA), and full-thickness burn area of 25.00% (10.00%, 40.00%) TBSA. The patients were mainly combined with moderate to severe inhalation injury and caused by flame burns. There were 43 cases with underlying medical diseases. The majority of patients were admitted to the hospital within 8 hours after injury. There were statistically significant differences between patients in the 2 groups in terms of age, total burn area, full-thickness burn area, and inhalation injury, and PT, APTT, D-dimer, FDP, INR, white blood cell count, platelet count, urea, serum creatinine, blood glucose, blood sodium, uric acid, myoglobin, and urine volume within the first 24 hours of injury (with Z values of 2.37, 5.49, 5.26, 5.97, 2.18, 1.95, 2.68, 2.68, 2.51, 2.82, 2.14, 3.40, 5.31, 3.41, 2.35, 3.81, 2.16, and -3.82, respectively, P<0.05); there were statistically significant differences between two groups of patients in whether conducted with mechanical ventilation and whether applied with vasoactive drugs (with χ2 values of 9.44 and 28.50, respectively, P<0.05). Age, total burn area, full-thickness burn area, serum creatinine within the first 24 hours of injury, and APTT within the first 24 hours of injury were the independent risk factors for the mortality within 28 days after injury in elderly patients with severe burns (with odds ratios of 1.17, 1.10, 1.10, 1.09, and 1.27, 95% confidence intervals of 1.03-1.40, 1.04-1.21, 1.05-1.19, 1.05-1.17, and 1.07-1.69, respectively, P<0.05). Conclusions: The elderly patients with severe burns had the injuries mainly from flame burns, often accompanied by moderate to severe inhalation injury and enhanced inflammatory response, elevated blood glucose levels, activated fibrinolysis, and impaired organ function in the early stage, which are associated with their prognosis. Age, total burn area, full-thickness burn area, and serum creatinine and APTT within the first 24 hours of injury are the independent risk factors for death within 28 days after injury in this population.

[Research advances on the prevention and treatment of burn infection in the elderly].

Infection is a common complication after burns and the major cause of death in patients suffering severe burn injury. The infection of the elderly after burns is more serious due to their decreased immune function that is complicated with factors such as multiple chronic diseases and dysfunction of various organs. In addition, the burn infection in the elderly lacks the specific symptoms and signs, which brings great challenges to its diagnosis and treatment. To effectively prevent and control infection is very important for the treatment of elderly burn patients. Combined the clinical characteristics of burn infection in the elderly, this paper summarized the research advances of prevention and treatment for burn infection in the elderly from fluid resuscitation, wound treatment, antibiotic using, organ protection, nutritional support, and infection prevention, aiming to provide reference for clinical practice.

[Research advances on severe burn infection and cytokine storm].

Mortality due to severe burns has always been at a high level. A large number of studies have shown that the rapid onset of infectious symptoms and rapid progression of severely burned patients are closely related to the occurrence of cytokine storm. However, in clinical practice, cytokine storm monitoring, early warning, and symptomatic treatment are still in exploratory stage. This article reviews the cytokine storm and its related cytokines, the mechanism, early warning, and treatment of cytokine storm induced by burn infection, aiming to provide clinical references for reducing infection and mortality in severely burned patients.

[Research advances on the role of complement system activation in post-burn immunity].

Immune activation is one of the major factors of secondary injury post burn, and is the main organismal response in the anti-infection process. As an important part of the innate immune response, the complement system is able to induce the activation of immune cells after burns, promote inflammation and mediate the breakdown of the immune barrier, and even engage in complex cross-linking with the coagulation cascade. This article reviews the role of complement system activation in post-burn immunity and its possibility of clinical translation from the perspectives of innate immunity, acquired immunity, and cross-linking of the complement system with the coagulation cascade.

[Impact of sinonasal anatomic changes after endoscopic anterior skull base surgery on nasal airflow and air conditioning: a computational fluid dynamics study].

Objective: To analyze the impact of the sinonasal anatomic changes after endonasal endoscopic anterior skull base surgery on the nasal airflow and heating and humidification by computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and to explore the correlation between the postoperative CFD parameters and the subjective symptoms of the patients. Methods: The clinical data in the Rhinology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from 2016 to 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients received the endoscopic resection of the anterior skull base tumor were selected as the case group, and the adults whose CT scans had no sinonasal abnormalities were chosen as the control group. The CFD simulation was performed on the sinonasal models after reconstructed from the patients' sinus CT images during the post-surgical follow-up. All the patients were asked to complete the Empty Nose Syndrome 6-Item Questionnaire (ENS6Q) to assess the subjective symptoms. The comparison between two independent groups and the correlation analysis were carried out by using the Mann-Whitney U test and the Spearman correlation test in the SPSS 26.0 software. Results: Nineteen patients (including 8 males and 11 females, from 22 to 67 years old) in the case group and 2 patients (a male of 38 years old and a female of 45 years old) in the control group were enrolled in this study. After the anterior skull base surgery, the high-speed airflow moved to the upper part of the nasal cavity, and the lowest temperature shifted upwards on the choana. Comparing with the control group, the ratio of nasal mucosal surface area to nasal ventilation volume in the case group decreased [0.41 (0.40, 0.41) mm-1 vs 0.32 (0.30, 0.38) mm-1; Z=-2.04, P=0.041], the air flow in the upper and middle part of the nasal cavity increased [61.14 (59.78, 62.51)% vs 78.07 (76.22, 94.43)%; Z=-2.28, P=0.023], the nasal resistance decreased [0.024 (0.022, 0.026) Pa·s/ml vs 0.016 (0.009, 0.018) Pa·s/ml; Z=-2.29, P=0.022], the lowest temperature in the middle of the nasal cavity decreased [28.29 (27.23, 29.35)℃ vs 25.06 (24.07, 25.50)℃; Z=-2.28, P=0.023], the nasal heating efficiency decreased [98.74 (97.95, 99.52)% vs 82.16 (80.24, 86.91)%; Z=-2.28, P=0.023], the lowest relative humidity decreased [(79.62 (76.55, 82.69)% vs 73.28 (71.27, 75.05)%; Z=-2.28, P=0.023], and the nasal humidification efficiency decreased [99.50 (97.69, 101.30)% vs 86.09 (79.33, 87.16)%; Z=-2.28, P=0.023]. The ENS6Q total scores of all patients in the case group were less than 11 points. There was a moderate negative correlation between the proportion of the inferior airflow in the post-surgical nasal cavity negatively and the ENS6Q total scores (rs=-0.50, P=0.029). Conclusions: The sinonasal anatomic changes after the endoscopic anterior skull base surgery alter the nasal airflow patterns, reducing the efficiency of nasal heating and humidification. However, the post-surgical occurrence tendency of the empty nose syndrome is weak.

Fano-like Resonance due to Interference with Distant Transitions.

Narrow optical resonances of atoms or molecules have immense significance in various precision measurements, such as testing fundamental physics and the generation of primary frequency standards. In these studies, accurate transition centers derived from fitting the measured spectra are demanded, which critically rely on the knowledge of spectral line profiles. Here, we propose a new mechanism of Fano-like resonance induced by distant discrete levels and experimentally verify it with Doppler-free spectroscopy of vibration-rotational transitions of CO_{2}. The observed spectrum has an asymmetric profile and its amplitude increases quadratically with the probe laser power. Our results facilitate a broad range of topics based on narrow transitions.

[Research and development of an air sampling tube for chlorobenzene compounds and its supporting determination method].

Objective: To establish a GDH-3 air sample tube for simultaneous determination of twelve kinds of chlorobenzene compounds (CBs) in workplace air by gas chromatography. And to established a matching determination method. Methods: In October 2020, the vapor and aerosol CBs in workplace air were collected by GDH-3 air sampling tube, and desorption and elution with 3.00 ml toluene for 15 min, then the solution separated by DB-23 capillary column, and finally detected with microcell electron capture detector. Results: The quantitative determination ranges of twelve isomers of CBs were 0.71×10(-3)-2000.00 mg/L, with the correlative coefficients were 0.99967-0.99998. The minimum detectable concentrations were 0.04-112.63 µg/m(3), and the minimum quantification concentrations were 0.14-375.42 µg/m(3) (15.00 L sample, 3.00 ml sample solution) . The average elution efficiencies were 96.00%-104.00%. The within-run relative standard deviations (RSDs) were 2.54%-6.12%, and the between-run RSDs were 3.85%-7.87%. Sealed samples could be stable at room temperature for at least 15 days. Conclusion: GDH-3 air sample tube can be used for simultaneous determination of twelve kinds of CBs in workplace air by gas chromatography. The established supporting measurement method meets the measurement requirements of the occupational health standard detection method, and the it's suitable for the simultaneous determination of 12 kinds of CBS in the air.

[Outcomes at discharge of preterm infants born <34 weeks' gestation].

Objective: To investigate the incidence and trend of short-term outcomes among preterm infants born <34 weeks' gestation. Methods: A secondary analysis of data from the standardized database established by a multicenter cluster-randomized controlled study "reduction of infection in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) using the evidence-based practice for improving quality (REIN-EPIQ) study". This study was conducted in 25 tertiary NICU. A total of 27 192 infants with gestational age <34 weeks at birth and admitted to NICU within the first 7 days of life from May 2015 to April 2018 were enrolled. Infants with severe congenital malformation were excluded. Descriptive analyses were used to describe the mortality and major morbidities of preterm infants by gestational age groups and different admission year groups. Cochran-Armitage test and Jonckheere-Terpstra test were used to analyze the trend of incidences of mortality and morbidities in 3 study-years. Multiple Logistic regression model was constructed to analyze the differences of outcomes in 3 study-years adjusting for confounders. Results: A total of 27 192 preterm infants were enrolled with gestational age of (31.3±2.0) weeks at birth and weight of (1 617±415) g at birth. Overall, 9.5% (2 594/27 192) of infants were discharged against medical advice, and the overall mortality rate was 10.7% (2 907/27 192). Mortality for infants who received complete care was 4.7% (1 147/24 598), and mortality or any major morbidity was 26.2% (6 452/24 598). The incidences of moderate to severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia, sepsis, severe intraventricular hemorrhage or periventricular leukomalacia, proven necrotizing enterocolitis, and severe retinopathy of prematurity were 16.0% (4 342/27 192), 11.9% (3 225/27 192), 6.8% (1 641/24 206), 3.6% (939/25 762) and 1.5% (214/13 868), respectively. There was a decreasing of the overall mortality (P<0.001) during the 3 years. Also, the incidences for sepsis and severe retinopathy of prematurity both decreased (both P<0.001). However, there were no significant differences in the major morbidity in preterm infants who received complete care during the 3-year study period (P=0.230). After adjusting for confounders, infants admitted during the third study year showed significantly lower risk of overall mortality (adjust OR=0.62, 95%CI 0.55-0.69, P<0.001), mortality or major morbidity, moderate to severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia, sepsis and severe retinopathy of prematurity, compared to those admitted in the first study year (all P<0.05). Conclusions: From 2015 to 2018, the mortality and major morbidities among preterm infants in Chinese NICU decreased, but there is still space for further efforts. Further targeted quality improvement is needed to improve the overall outcome of preterm infants.

[Retrospective analysis of 35 burn patients in different stages of pregnancy].

Objective: To summarize the clinical outcomes of burn patients in different stages of pregnancy and explore a rational therapeutic scheme for burns during pregnancy. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted. From June 2010 to June 2020, 21 patients who met the inclusion criteria were admitted to the Department of Burns of Wuhan Third Hospital and 14 patients who met the inclusion criteria were admitted to the Department of Burns of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. Based on the pregnancy period when patients suffered burns, the 35 patients were divided into early pregnancy group with 18 patients (aged (26±4) years, with 8 (4, 11) weeks of gestation), middle pregnancy group with 10 patients (aged (26±3) years, with 21 (14, 27) weeks of gestation), and late pregnancy group with 7 patients (aged (30±5) years, with 32 (29, 35) weeks of gestation). All the patients received treatment including fluid resuscitation, anti-infection, wound treatment, and multidisciplinary comprehensive managements. The burn-related complications during the treatment, maternal outcomes, fetal outcomes, fetal delivery mode, gestational weeks at delivery, and newborn weight of patients in the 3 groups were recorded. Data were statistically analyzed with one-way analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Fisher's exact probability test. Results: During the treatment, there were 4, 4, and 2 patients who suffered wound infections and 1, 3, and 2 patients who developed shock symptoms, respectively, in early pregnancy group, middle pregnancy group, and late pregnancy group. There were no statistically significant differences in them among the 3 groups (P>0.05). One patient in late pregnancy group developed into multiple organ dysfunction syndrome after debridement. At last, all the pregnant women survived, and no statistically significant difference existed among the 3 groups (P>0.05). In early pregnancy group, middle pregnancy group, and late pregnancy group, the survived fetus cases were 9, 8, and 6, respectively, and the differences between them were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Variables including stillbirth and full-term birth were close in patients in the 3 groups (P>0.05), while the preterm birth and miscarriage in patients in the 3 groups were statistically different (P<0.05 or P<0.01), with the early pregnancy group having the most miscarriage cases and the fewest preterm birth cases. There were no statistically significant differences in fetal delivery mode, gestational weeks at delivery, and newborn weight among the patients with survived fetus in 3 groups (P>0.05). Conclusions: For patients suffering burns during early, middle, and late pregnancy, superior rates of maternal and fetal survival can be achieved after timely and adequate treatments including fluid resuscitation, anti-infection, wound treatment, and multidisciplinary comprehensive managements.

Silencing IKBKE inhibits the migration and invasion of glioblastoma by promoting Snail1 degradation

PurposeGlioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most common malignant brain tumors in adults and has high mortality and relapse rates. Over the past few years, great advances have been made in the diagnosis and treatment of GBM, but unfortunately, the five-year overall survival rate of GBM patients is approximately 5.1%. Inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase subunit epsilon (IKBKE) is a major oncogenic protein in tumors and can promote evil development of GBM. Snail1, a key inducer of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) transcription factor, is subjected to ubiquitination and degradation, but the mechanism by which Snail1 is stabilized in tumors remains unclear. Our study aimed to investigate the mechanism of IKBKE regulating Snail1 in GBM.MethodsFirst, we analyzed the correlation between the expression of IKBKE and the tumor grade and prognosis through public databases and laboratory specimen libraries. Second, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blot were used to detect the correlation between IKBKE and Snail expression in glioma samples and cell lines. Western blot and immunofluorescence (IF) experiments were used to detect the quality and distribution of IKBKE and Snail1 proteins. Third, In situ animal model of intracranial glioma to detect the regulatory effect of IKBKE on intracranial tumors.ResultsIn this study, Our study reveals a new connection between IKBKE and Snail1, where IKBKE can directly bind to Snail1, translocate Snail1 into the nucleus from the cytoplasm. Downregulation of IKBKE results in Snail1 destabilization and impairs the tumor cell migration and invasion capabilities.ConclusionOur studies suggest that the IKBKE-Snail1 axis may serve as a potential therapeutic target for GBM treatment.

[Prenatal pyrethroid pesticides exposure and neurodevelopment of 2-year-old children: a birth cohort study].

Objective: To investigate the influence and critical windows of prenatal exposure to pyrethroid pesticides (PYRs) on neurodevelopment of 2-year-old children. Methods: The subjects of this study were derived from the Xuanwei Birth Cohort. A total of 482 pregnant women who participated in the rural district of Xuanwei birth cohort from January 2016 to December 2018 were included. Maternal urinary concentrations of PYRs metabolites during 8-12 gestational weeks, 20-23 gestational weeks and 32-35 gestational weeks were measured with ultra high performance liquid chromatography system coupled with a tandem mass spectrometry detector. Child neurodevelopment was evaluated with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition at 2 years of age. Multivariate linear regression models and binary logistic regression models were used to assess the association between PYRs exposure during pregnancy and children's neurodevelopment. Results: A total of 360 mother-child pairs had complete data on maternal urinary PYRs metabolites detection and children's neurodevelopment assessment. The detection rate of any one PYRs metabolites during the first, second and third trimester were 93.6% (337/360), 90.8% (327/360) and 94.2% (339/360), respectively. The neurodevelopmental scores of Cognitive, Language, Motor, Social-Emotional, and Adaptive Behavior of 2-year-old children were (102.3±18.9), (100.2±16.3), (102.0±20.3), (107.8±23.3) and (85.8±18.6) points, respectively. After controlling for confounding factors, 4-fluoro-3-phenoxybenzoic acid (4F3PBA, one of PYRs metabolites) exposure in the first trimester reduced Motor (ß=-5.02, 95%CI: -9.08, -0.97) and Adaptive Behavior (ß=-4.12, 95%CI:-7.92, -0.32) scores of 2-year-old children, and increased risk of developmental delay of adaptive behavior (OR=2.07, 95%CI:1.13-3.82). Conclusion: PYRs exposure during the first trimester of pregnancy may affect neurodevelopment of 2-year-old children, and the first trimester may be the critical window.

[Comparative study of three scores in predicting the death risk of severe burn patients].

Objective: To explore the predictive values of the modified Baux score, Belgian Outcome in Burn Injury score, and Ryan score on the death risk of severe burn patients. Methods: A retrospective case series study was conducted. From February 2018 to November 2019, 260 severe burn patients who met the inclusion criteria were admitted to the Department of Burns of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, including 158 males and 102 females, aged 36 (3, 53) years. According to the final outcome, the patients were divided into survival group (n=229) and death group (n=31). Data of patients were compared and statistically analyzed with chi-square test or Mann-Whitney U test between the two groups, including the gender, age, cause of burn, site of burn, total burn area, depth of burn, combined inhalation injury, and combined underlying diseases on admission, and the modified Baux score, Belgian Outcome in Burn Injury score, and Ryan score calculated based on part of the aforementioned data. The Kendall tau-b coefficient method was used to analyze the consistency of the above-mentioned three scores in 260 severe burn patients. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of the above-mentioned three scores predicting the death risk of 260 severe burn patients were drawn, and the area under the curve (AUC), the optimal threshold, and the sensitivity and specificity under the optimal threshold were calculated. The quality of AUC of the above-mentioned three scores was compared by Delong test. Results: The gender, site of burn, and depth of burn of patients between the two groups were all similar (P>0.05). The age, total burn area, proportion of flame burn, proportion of combined inhalation injury, and proportion of combined underlying diseases of patients in death group were significantly higher than those in survival group (with Z values of 5.53 and 17.78, respectively, χ2 values of 16.23, 15.89, and 17.78, respectively, P<0.01); the modified Baux score, Belgian Outcome in Burn Injury score, and Ryan score of patients in death group were 142 (115, 155), 7 (5, 7), 2 (2, 3), all significantly higher than 64 (27, 87), 1 (0, 3), 0 (0, 1) in survival group (with Z values of 7.91, 7.64, and 7.61, respectively, P<0.01). In 260 severe burn patients, the results between the modified Baux score and Ryan score, modified Baux score and Belgian Outcome in Burn Injury score, Ryan score and Belgian Outcome in Burn Injury score were significantly consistent (with Kendall tau-b coefficients of 0.75, 0.71, and 0.86, respectively, P<0.01). The AUCs of ROC curves of the modified Baux score, Belgian Outcome in Burn Injury score, and Ryan score for predicting the death risk of 260 severe burn patients were 0.92, 0.89, and 0.85, respectively (with 95% confidence intervals of 0.86-0.98, 0.83-0.95, and 0.78-0.93, respectively, P<0.01); the optimal thresholds were 106.5, 4.5, and 1.5 points, respectively; the sensitivity under the optimal threshold were 88.5%, 76.9%, and 73.1%, respectively, and the specificity under the optimal threshold were 88.5%, 87.2%, and 86.3%, respectively. The modified Baux score was similar to Belgian Outcome in Burn Injury score in the AUC quality (z=1.25, P>0.05), which were both significantly better than the AUC quality of Ryan score (with z values of 2.35 and 2.11, respectively, P<0.05). Conclusions: The modified Baux score, Belgian Outcome in Burn Injury score, and Ryan score have good ability in predicting the death risk of severe burn patients. From the perspective of clinical practice, the modified Baux score is more suitable as a predictive tool for the prognosis of severe burn patients.

Genetic analyses of blood ß-hydroxybutyrate predicted from milk infrared spectra and its association with longevity and female reproductive traits in Holstein cattle.

Ketosis is one of the most prevalent and complex metabolic disorders in high-producing dairy cows and usually detected through analyses of ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) concentration in blood. Our main objectives were to evaluate genetic parameters for blood BHB predicted based on Fourier-transform mid-infrared spectra from 5 to 305 d in milk, and estimate the genetic relationships of blood BHB with 7 reproduction traits and 6 longevity traits in Holstein cattle. Predicted blood BHB records of 11,609 Holstein cows (after quality control) were collected from 2016 to 2019 and used to derive 4 traits based on parity number, including predicted blood BHB in all parities (BHBp), parity 1 (BHB1), parity 2 (BHB2), and parity 3+ (BHB3). Single- and multitrait repeatability models were used for estimating genetic parameters for the 4 BHB traits. Random regression test-day models implemented via Bayesian inference were used to evaluate the daily genetic feature of BHB variability. In addition, genetic correlations were calculated for the 4 BHB traits with reproduction and longevity traits. The heritability estimates of BHBp, BHB1, BHB2, and BHB3 ranged from 0.100 ± 0.026 (± standard error) to 0.131 ± 0.023. The BHB in parities 1 to 3+ were highly genetically correlated and ranged from 0.788 (BHB1 and BHB2) to 0.911 (BHB1 and BHB3). The daily heritability of BHBp ranged from 0.069 to 0.195, higher for the early and lower for the later lactation periods. A similar trend was observed for BHB1, BHB2, and BHB3. There are low direct genetic correlations between BHBp and selected reproductive performance and longevity traits, which ranged from -0.168 ± 0.019 (BHBp and production life) to 0.157 ± 0.019 (BHBp and age at first calving) for the early lactation stage (5 to 65 d). These direct genetic correlations indicate that cows with higher BHBp (greater likelihood of having ketosis) in blood usually have shorter production life (-0.168 ± 0.019). Cows with higher fertility and postpartum recovery, such as younger age at first calving (0.157 ± 0.019) and shorter interval from calving to first insemination in heifer (0.111 ± 0.006), usually have lower BHB concentration in the blood. Furthermore, the direct genetic correlations change across parity and lactation stage. In general, our results suggest that selection for lower predicted BHB in early lactation could be an efficient strategy for reducing the incidence of ketosis as well as indirectly improving reproductive and longevity performance in Holstein cattle.

Silencing IKBKE inhibits the migration and invasion of glioblastoma by promoting Snail1 degradation.

PURPOSE: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most common malignant brain tumors in adults and has high mortality and relapse rates. Over the past few years, great advances have been made in the diagnosis and treatment of GBM, but unfortunately, the five-year overall survival rate of GBM patients is approximately 5.1%. Inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase subunit epsilon (IKBKE) is a major oncogenic protein in tumors and can promote evil development of GBM. Snail1, a key inducer of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) transcription factor, is subjected to ubiquitination and degradation, but the mechanism by which Snail1 is stabilized in tumors remains unclear. Our study aimed to investigate the mechanism of IKBKE regulating Snail1 in GBM. METHODS: First, we analyzed the correlation between the expression of IKBKE and the tumor grade and prognosis through public databases and laboratory specimen libraries. Second, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blot were used to detect the correlation between IKBKE and Snail expression in glioma samples and cell lines. Western blot and immunofluorescence (IF) experiments were used to detect the quality and distribution of IKBKE and Snail1 proteins. Third, In situ animal model of intracranial glioma to detect the regulatory effect of IKBKE on intracranial tumors. RESULTS: In this study, Our study reveals a new connection between IKBKE and Snail1, where IKBKE can directly bind to Snail1, translocate Snail1 into the nucleus from the cytoplasm. Downregulation of IKBKE results in Snail1 destabilization and impairs the tumor cell migration and invasion capabilities. CONCLUSION: Our studies suggest that the IKBKE-Snail1 axis may serve as a potential therapeutic target for GBM treatment.

[Research advances on pharmacological interventions for hypertrophic scar].

Hypertrophic scar is an abnormal fibrous proliferative disease that occurs after deep cutaneous injury, which not only affects aesthetics and function but also has negative psychological effects on the patients. However, the mechanism of hypertrophic scar formation has not been fully elucidated, and its clinical treatment is complex with a high rate of recurrence and no radicle cure. Intervention based on molecular targets will likely be the future direction for the prevention and treatment of hypertrophic scar. In this article, we review the specific roles and mechanisms of drug-targeted interventions in hypertrophic scar formation, including general drugs, cytokines, immunomodulators, herbal extracts, exosomes, and nanomaterials, in the context of advances in both basic and clinical research at home and abroad.

[Correlation of preoperative reconstruction of foramen ovale parameters and intraluminal balloon pressure during percutaneous balloon compression for trigeminal neuralgia].

Objective: To explore the relationship between the anatomic parameters of foramen ovale and intraluminal pressure during percutaneous balloon compression (PBC) in the treatment of primary trigeminal neuralgia. Methods: Twenty patients diagnosed with primary trigeminal neuralgia in the Department of Pain Medicine of the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University between November 2020 and April 2021 were enrolled. Three-dimensional (3D) high-resolution CT reconstruction of skull base was performed preoperatively to evaluate the parameters of foramen ovale. The intraluminal balloon pressure was continuously recorded during the PBC procedure. Correlation analysis was conducted between intraluminal pressure and foramen ovale parameters. Results: Eighteen patients had complete pain relief, 1 had obvious relief, and 1 had partial relief after PBC. The maximum cross-sectional length of the foramen ovale was (7.8±1.7) mm. The peak intraluminal pressure (PM) during PBC was (194±27) kPa. The intraluminal pressure was (164±28) kPa at initial compression (P0), and (135±20) kPa after compression for 120 seconds respectively. Correlation analysis showed that the P0 was positively and significantly correlated with the length of foramen ovale (r=0.56, P<0.05), but not with the width of foramen ovale (r=0.24, P>0.05), the area of foramen ovale (r=0.36, P>0.05) and the degree of balloon filling (r=-0.09, P>0.05). Similarly, P120 was significantly correlated with the length of foramen ovale (r=0.54, P<0.05). No significant correlation was observed between P120 and the width of the foramen ovale (r=0.18, P>0.05), the area of the foramen ovale (r=0.28, P>0.05) or the width of balloon filling (r=-0.13, P>0.05). Conclusions: The length of foramen ovale correlates with the intraluminal pressure during PBC procedure in trigeminal neuralgia patients. Parameters of foramen ovale obtained via preoperative high-resolution CT reconstruction of skull base may provide reference for predicting targeted intraluminal balloon pressure during PBC.

[Assessment of heart's changes of elite Chinese male weightlifter by speckle tracking echocardiography].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the changes of heart structure and function in elite Chinese weightlifters by spot tracking technique. METHODS: Chinese elite male weightlifters (weightlifter group, n=16) and age-matched healthy men (control group, n=16) were included as subjects. Transthoracic echocardiography and speckle-tracking automatic functional imaging were used for two-dimensional myocardial strain measurements. RESULTS: The thickness of septum and left ventricular (LV) posterior wall and the myocardial mass index of LV were all higher than those of the control group [(9.3±1.3) mm vs. (8.0±0.4) mm, (9.2±0.8) mm vs. (8.0±0.8) mm, (77.8±12.8) g/m2 vs. (67.8±11.2) g/m2, all P < 0.05]. Although the LV ejection fraction (LVEF) and global long axis strain value (LVGLS) were not significantly different from those in the control group, the LV mean Sm and Em reflecting the systolic and diastolic functions of the LV were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Further myocardial strain analysis showed that the absolute value of the long axial strain of the basal anteroseptal and mid-inferoseptal segments of the weightlifters were significantly lower than those of the control group [|(-15.1±4.2)%|vs.|(-18.7±3.0)%|, |(-18.8±2.6)%|vs.|(-21.3±2.8)%|, all P < 0.05]. There was no significant difference in other segments. The athletes were divided into two groups according to their best performance in the National Youth Games. The athletes were divided into two sub-groups according to their performance in the National Youth Games. The thickness of the septum in the sub-group with better performance (who ranked the 1st to 8th) was larger [(10.2±1.1) mm vs. (8.5±1.0) mm, P < 0.05], and the absolute value of the long-axis strain in the mid-inferoseptal segment was lower [|(-17.1±2.1)%|vs.|(-20.4±2.1)%|, P < 0.05]. CONCLUSION: The thickening of septum is more obvious in the excellent weightlifters, accompanied by the decrease of myocardial systolic function. The speckle-tracking technique of echocardiography can identify the changes of the heart structure and function of elite athletes at an early stage, which may provide a basis for sports medicine supervision and the selection of excellent talents.