CD4/CD8 Ratio: An Independent Predictor of Herpes Zoster in Patients With Autoimmune Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases.

BACKGROUND: A higher incidence of herpes zoster (HZ) was found in people with decreased cell-mediated immunity. However, the relationship between cellular immunity and HZ infection in patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIRD) remains elusive. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of CD4/CD8 ratio in patients with AIRD and HZ. METHODS: This case-control study compared AIRD patients with and without HZ. We chose 70 AIRD patients with HZ as the experimental group and 140 AIRD patients without HZ as the control group. The clinical and laboratory findings were assessed in each trial participant. RESULTS: The CD4/CD8 ratio (odds ratio [OR], 0.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.10-0.49) was independently associated with the occurrence of HZ after adjusting for various confounders. Nonlinear analysis has unveiled a more profound nonlinear relationship between the CD4/CD8 ratio and the occurrence of HZ in patients with AIRD. The OR of HZ increased with a decreasing CD4/CD8 ratio before the turning point of 2. The adjusted regression coefficient was 0.14 (95% CI, 0.05-0.37, p<0.0001) for CD4/CD8 ratio less than 2. CONCLUSION: The CD4/CD8 ratio was expected to be a very promising quantitative biomarker for predicting the risk of developing HZ in patients with AIRD.

No genetic causal association between iron status and pulmonary artery hypertension: Insights from a two-sample Mendelian randomization.

To explore the genetic causal association between pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) and iron status through Mendelian randomization (MR), we conducted MR analysis using publicly available genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data. Five indicators related to iron status (serum iron, ferritin, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), and transferrin saturation) served as exposures, while PAH was the outcome. The genetic causal association between these iron status indicators and PAH was assessed using the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method. Cochran's Q statistic was employed to evaluate heterogeneity. We assessed pleiotropy using MR-Egger regression and MR-Presso test. Additionally, we validated our results using the Weighted median, Simple mode, and Weighted mode methods. Based on the IVW method, we found no causal association between iron status (serum iron, ferritin, TIBC, sTfR, and transferrin saturation) and PAH (p ß > 0.05). The Weighted median, Simple mode, and Weighted mode methods showed no potential genetic causal association (p ß > 0.05 in the three analyses). Additionally, no heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy was detected in any of the analyses. Our results show that there are no genetic causal association between iron status and PAH.

Effect of hydroxychloroquine blood concentration on the efficacy and ocular toxicity of systemic lupus erythematosus.

In the absence of evidence-based guidance on the impact of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) blood concentration on efficacy and ocular toxicity in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the clinical monitoring of HCQ blood concentration is not yet widely performed, which raised concerns about the necessity of conducting HCQ blood concentration monitoring. In this retrospective study, we consecutively enrolled 135 patients with SLE who received HCQ treatment for more than 6 months from July 2022 to December 2022. Ocular toxicity was evaluated by collecting relevant retinal parameters using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Therapeutic efficacy was evaluated using the SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) and relevant clinical parameters. HCQ blood concentration was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Spearman correlation analysis revealed that the cumulative dose of HCQ was positively correlated with the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) perimeter and FAZ area (r = 0.734, P < 0.001; r = 0.784, P < 0.001). Meanwhile, the treatment duration of HCQ was positively correlated with FAZ perimeter and FAZ area (r = 0.761, P < 0.001; r = 0.882, P < 0.001). The univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses indicated that HCQ blood concentration was associated with the disease activity of patients with SLE (odds ratio 0.994, 95% CI 0.990-0.999). HCQ blood concentration may be an important factor in assessing the therapeutic effectiveness of SLE patients. The HCQ-related ocular toxicity was a long-term effect related to long term exposure, rather than the blood concentration of HCQ at the time of testing. More importantly, when addressing HCQ-related ocular toxicity, it may be crucial to pay attention to the cumulative dose and treatment duration of HCQ.

Effects of Aloe Gel on Lactating Women with Nipple Trauma.

Background: To investigate the efficacy of aloe gel in reducing pain and promoting wound healing in postpartum women with nipple trauma. Method: There were 80 postpartum women who took part in this study having developed nipple trauma during breastfeeding in the obstetrics department of a tertiary grade A hospital in Suzhou from January to December 2021. Postpartum women with nipple trauma whose hospital bed numbers ranged between 15 and 33 were included in the test group, whereas those whose hospital bed numbers ranged between 35 and 53 were included in the control group. Both groups received health education and breastfeeding guidance. The control group applied lanolin cream to their nipple trauma, whereas the test group used aloe gel. We used a nipple trauma severity assessment table to determine the severity of nipple trauma in lactating women and a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) to determine the level of nipple pain and referred to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Standard for Diagnosis and Therapeutic Efficacy for Diseases and Syndromes to determine the healing time of their wounds. Results: The test group scored 3.70 ± 1.24 and 1.65 ± 0.74 points on the VAS on the first and third days following the intervention, whereas the control group scored 4.30 ± 0.94 and 2.23 ± 1.07 points, respectively. It took 3.75 ± 1.08 days and 4.45 ± 1.15 days for the nipple pain to completely disappear in the test group and the control group, respectively. The healing period for nipple trauma was 5.28 ± 1.26 days for the test group and 6.03 ± 1.61 days for the control group. All of the aforementioned distinctions were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Aloe gel can significantly alleviate the pain associated with nipple trauma in lactating women, accelerate wound healing, and reduce the duration of nipple trauma.

Establishment and comparison of different procedures for modeling intrauterine adhesion in rats: A preliminary study.

The establishment of a stable animal model for intrauterine adhesion (IUA) can significantly enhance research on the pathogenesis and pathological changes of this disease, as well as on the development of innovative therapeutic approaches. In this study, three different modeling methods, including phenol mucilage combined mechanical scraping, ethanol combined mechanical scraping and ethanol modeling alone were designed. The morphological characteristics of the models were evaluated. The underlying mechanisms and fertility capacity of the ethanol modeling group were analyzed and compared to those of the sham surgery group. All three methods resulted in severe intrauterine adhesions, with ethanol being identified as a reliable modeling agent and was subsequently subjected to further evaluation. Immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR results indicated that the ethanol modeling group exhibited an increase in the degree of fibrosis and inflammation, as well as a significant reduction in endometrial thickness, gland number, vascularization, and endometrial receptivity, ultimately resulting in the loss of fertility capacity. The aforementioned findings indicate that the intrauterine perfusion of 95 % ethanol is efficacious in inducing the development of intrauterine adhesions in rats. Given its cost-effectiveness, efficacy, and stability in IUA formation, the use of 95 % ethanol intrauterine perfusion may serve as a novel platform for evaluating innovative anti-adhesion materials and bioengineered therapies.

Factors affecting different COVID-19 outcomes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus during the second pandemic wave of COVID-19 in China.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate characteristics associated with different COVID-19 outcomes of people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and COVID-19 during the second pandemic wave of COVID-19 in China. METHODS: In this retrospective study, people with SLE and COVID-19 who visited the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from December 2022 and February 2023 were subjected to this study. The three possible outcomes were listed in order of ordinal severity: (1) not hospitalized, (2) hospitalized but not receiving oxygenation, and (3) hospitalized with any ventilation or oxygenation. A multivariable ordinal logistic regression model was built to examine the association between COVID-19 severity and demographic traits, medications, comorbidities, and disease activity. Furthermore, among the 301 SLE patients included in our study, only two patients experienced mortality. In order to maintain statistical rigor, we have included these two deceased patients in the outcome measure of hospitalized with any ventilation or oxygenation. RESULTS: A total of 301 patients with SLE were enrolled in this study. The multivariate ordinal logistic regression analyses indicated that high SLE disease activity (vs remission; OR 39.04, 95% CI 3.08 to 494.44, p = .005) was associated with more severe outcomes. Three doses of COVID-19 vaccination (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.51, p = .001), glucocorticoids dose (1-5 mg/day 0.14, 0.03 to 0.73, p = .020, and 6-9 mg/day 0.12, 0.02 to 0.61, p = .010), and more intensive immunosuppression drugs (0.34, 0.12 to 0.97, p = .044) were associated with better outcomes. In age-adjusted and sex-adjusted models, telitacicept (6.66, 1.35 to 32.86, p = .020) and rituximab (7.81, 1.87 to 32.66, p = .005) were associated with more severe outcomes. Hydroxychloroquine (0.47, 0.25 to 0.88, p = .018) was associated with favorable outcomes. CONCLUSION: Different COVID-19 outcomes in people with SLE are mostly driven by COVID-19 vaccination, medications, and activity SLE. More importantly, three doses of COVID-19 vaccination may be associated with better outcomes.

[Early prediction of severe COVID-19 in patients with Sjögren's syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the predictive value of blood cell ratios and inflammatory markers for adverse prognosis in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (PSS) combined with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: We retrospectively collected clinical data from 80 patients with PSS and COVID-19 who visited the Rheumatology and Immunology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from December 2022 to February 2023. Inclusion criteria were (1) meeting the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria for Sjögren's syndrome; (2) confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction or antigen testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2); (3) availability of necessary clinical data; (4) age > 18 years. According to the clinical classification criteria of the "Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (trial the 10th Revised Edition)", the patients were divided into the mild and severe groups. Disease activity in primary Sjögren' s syndrome was assessed using the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Sjögren' s syndrome disease activity index (ESSDAI). Platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), C-reactive protein-lymphocyte ratio (CLR), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and other laboratory data were compared between the two groups within 24-72 hours post-infection. RESULTS: The mild group consisted of 66 cases with an average age of (51. 52±13. 16) years, and the severe group consisted of 14 cases with an average age of (52.64±10.20) years. Disease activity, CRP, platelets, PLR, and CLR were significantly higher in the severe group compared with the mild group (P < 0.05). Univariate analysis using age, disease activity, CRP, platelets, PLR, and CLR as independent variables indicated that disease activity, CRP, PLR, and CLR were correlated with the severity of COVID-19 (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis further confirmed that PLR (OR=1.016, P < 0.05) and CLR (OR=1.504, P < 0.05) were independent risk factors for the severity of COVID-19 in the critically ill patients. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) for PLR and CLR was 0.708 (95%CI: 0.588-0.828) and 0.725 (95%CI: 0.578-0.871), respectively. The sensitivity for PLR and CLR was 0.429 and 0.803, respectively, while the highest specificity was 0.714 and 0.758, respectively. The optimal cutoff values for PLR and CLR were 166.214 and 0.870, respectively. CONCLUSION: PLR and CLR, particularly the latter, may serve as simple and effective indicators for predicting the prognosis of patients with PSS and COVID-19.

Breast-conserving surgery is an appropriate procedure for centrally located breast cancer: a population-based retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The evidence of breast-conserving therapy (BCT) applied in centrally located breast cancer (CLBC) is absent. This study aims to investigate the long-term survival of breast-conserving therapy (BCT) in centrally located breast cancer (CLBC) compared with mastectomy in CLBC and BCT in non-CLBC. METHODS: Two hundred ten thousand four hundred nine women with unilateral T1-2 breast cancer undergoing BCT or mastectomy were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were assessed via log-rank test. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance baseline features, and the multivariable Cox model was used to estimate the adjusted hazard ratio [HR] and its 95% confidence interval [CI] for breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 91 months, the BCSS and OS rates in patients who received BCT were greater than those patients treated with mastectomy in the entire CLBC set. Multivariable Cox analyses showed that CLBC patients who received BCT had better BCSS (HR = 0.67, 95%CI: 0.55-0.80, p < 0.001) and OS (HR = 0.78, 95%CI: 0.68-0.90, p = 0.001) than patients who received a mastectomy, but there were no significant differences of BCSS (HR = 0.65, 95%CI: 0.47-0.90, p = 0.009) and OS (HR = 0.82, 95%CI: 0.65-1.04, p = 0.110) after PSM. In patients treated with BCT, CLBC patients had a similar BCSS (HR = 0.99, 95%CI: 0.87-1.12, p = 0.850) but a worse OS (HR = 1.09, 95%CI: 1.01-1.18, p = 0.040) compared to that of the non-CLBC patient, but there was no significant difference both BCSS (HR = 1.05, 95%CI: 0.88-1.24, p = 0.614) and OS (HR = 1.08, 95%CI: 0.97-1.20, p = 0.168) after PSM. CONCLUSION: Our findings revealed that BCT should be an acceptable and preferable alternative to mastectomy for well-selected patients with CLBC.

Altitudinal variations and seasonal dynamics of near-surface and soil temperatures in subtropical forests of Mt. Guanshan, Jiangxi Province, China.

Temperature lapse rate (TLR), measured as the degree of temperature change along an altitudinal gradient, is a key indicator of multiple ecological processes of mountain systems. Although many studies have examined temperature changes of open air or near-surface along altitudes, we know little about altitudinal variations of soil temperature, which play an important role in regulating growth and reproduction of organisms, as well as ecosystem nutrient cycling. Based on temperature data of near-surface (15 cm above ground) and soil layers (8 cm below ground) from 12 sampling sites of subtropical forest along an altitudinal gradient (300-1300 m) in Jiangxi Guan-shan National Nature Reserve from September 2018 to August 2021, we calculated the lapse rates of mean, maximum, and minimum temperatures, as well as accumulated temperatures by using simple linear regression for both near-surface and soil temperature. The seasonal dynamics of aforementioned variables were also evaluated. The results showed that there were large differences among mean, maximum, and minimum lapse rates for annual near-surface temperature, which were 0.38, 0.31 and 0.51 ℃·(100 m)-1, respectively. But little variation was documented for soil temperature which were 0.40, 0.38 and 0.42 ℃·(100 m)-1, respectively. The seasonal variations of temperature lapse rates for near-surface and soil layers were minor except for minimum temperature. The lapse rates of minimum temperature were deeper in spring and winter for near-surface and in spring and autumn for soil layers. For growing degree days (GDD), the accumulated temperature under both layers were negatively correlated with altitude, and the lapse rates of ≥5 ℃ were 163 ℃·d·(100 m)-1 for near-surface and 179 ℃·d·(100 m)-1 for soil. The ≥5 ℃ GDD in soil were about 15 days longer than that in near-surface at the same altitude. The results showed inconsistent patterns of altitudinal variations between near-surface and soil temperature. Soil temperature and its lapse rates had minor seasonal variations compared with the near-surface counterparts, which was related to the strong buffering capacity of soil.

Overexpression of regulatory T cells in patients with unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss: friend or foe?

Background: This study aimed to investigate the role of regulatory T cells in patients with unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (URPL). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 136 women who had experienced two or more miscarriages before 24 weeks of gestation for no obvious reason from May 2018 to October 2021. The basic clinical data of the patients and expression of lymphocyte subsets such as regulatory T cells (Tregs) and natural killer cells (NKs) by flow cytometry were collected to explore the risk factors of pregnancy outcome in URPL patients. Results: A total of 136 URPL patients were enrolled in this study. Eventually, 50 patients attained clinical pregnancy. The median age was 31.8 ± 4.6 years in patients with clinical pregnancy. The univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses indicated that Tregs was associated with the pregnancy outcomes of patients with URPL (odds ratio 0.63, 95% confidence interval 0.50-0.80). More importantly, a U-shaped association was found between Tregs and pregnancy outcome (p < 0.001), with either higher or lower Tregs levels adversely affecting pregnancy outcome. Conclusion: Tregs levels that are either too high or too low can harm pregnancy outcomes. It was expected to be a very promising quantitative biomarker for predicting pregnancy outcomes in URPL patients.

Development and validation of nomograms for predicting survival in patients with de novo metastatic triple-negative breast cancer.

Metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) is a heterogeneous disease with a poor prognosis. Individualized survival prediction tool is useful for this population. We constructed the predicted nomograms for breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) and overall survival (OS) using the data identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. The Concordance index (C-index), the area under the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and the calibration curves were used for the discrimination and calibration of the nomograms in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. 1962 mTNBC patients with a median follow-up was 13 months (interquartile range, 6-22 months), 1639 (83.54%) cases died of any cause, and 1469 (74.87%) died of breast cancer. Nine and ten independent prognostic factors for BCSS and OS were identified and integrated to construct the nomograms, respectively. The C-indexes of the nomogram for BCSS and OS were 0.694 (95% CI 0.676-0.712) and 0.699 (95% CI 0.679-0.715) in the training cohort, and 0.699 (95% CI 0.686-0.712) and 0.697 (95% CI 0.679-0.715) in the validation cohort, respectively. The AUC values of the nomograms to predict 1-, 2-, and 3-year BCSS and OS indicated good specificity and sensitivity in internal and external validation. The calibration curves showed a favorable consistency between the actual and the predicted survival in the training and validation cohorts. These nomograms based on clinicopathological factors and treatment could reliably predict the survival of mTNBC patient. This may be a useful tool for individualized healthcare decision-making.

Abnormal expression and clinical significance of surface receptors on natural killer cells in the peripheral blood of patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Natural killer (NK) cells typically function as frontline lymphocytes against cancer although little is known about their engagement in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study compared the performance and activity of NK cells and their subsets in the peripheral blood of NSCLC sufferers and healthy participants. In total, 67 healthy controls (40 males; 59.7%) and 56 patients with NSCLC (35 males; 62.5%) were included (mean age, 66.6 years). Flow cytometry identified NK cells and their subpopulations in external blood, and the total number, proportion, activity, surface activating, and inhibitory receptor expression levels were determined. Results showed that NK cell surface receptors CD107a, IFN-γ, and TNF-α activity were markedly reduced in lung cancer patients compared to healthy controls. The number and ratio of NK cells within the lymphocyte population were decreased in patients. The concentration of the inhibitory receptors TIGIT, TIM-3, CD96, PD-1, and Siglec-7 were increased in patients, whereas the expression level of the activating receptor NKP30 was decreased. Moreover, the expression levels of IFN-γ, TIGIT, CD96, PD-1, and TIM-3 were correlated with the clinical phase of NSCLC. These findings suggest that surface receptors from NK cells are likely to be involved in the evolution of NSCLC.

Silibinin inhibits ethanol- or acetaldehyde-induced ferroptosis in liver cell lines.

Alcoholic liver disease has become one of the main causes of liver injury, and its prevention and cure are important medical tasks. Silibinin, a natural flavonoid glycoside, is a conventional hepatic protectant. This study elucidates the modulation of ferroptosis in silibinin's protective effects on ethanol- or acetaldehyde-induced liver cell damage by using human carcinomatous liver HepG2 cells and immortalized liver HL7702 cells. Our results show that ferroptosis is induced in the cells treated with ethanol or acetaldehyde, as evidenced by the increased ROS stress and iron level. Silibinin resolves the oxidative stress and reduces iron level. Ferroptosis induced by ethanol- or acetaldehyde involving nuclear receptor co-activator 4 (NCOA4)-dependent autophagic degradation of ferritin, a protein for storing iron is rescued by silibinin. PINK1 and Parkin-mediated mitophagy is arrested in ethanol- or acetaldehyde-treated cells but reversed by silibinin. Ferritin degradation and ROS level are further increased when PINK1 or Parkin is silenced in the cells treated with ethanol or acetaldehyde. Collectively, our study reveals that silibinin inhibits ethanol- or acetaldehyde-induced ferroptosis in two liver cell lines, HepG2 and HL7702 cells, providing new therapeutic strategies for alcoholic liver injury.

Application of antibody-conjugated small intestine submucosa to capture urine-derived stem cells for bladder repair in a rabbit model.

The need for bladder reconstruction and side effects of cystoplasty have spawned the demand for the development of alternative material substitutes. Biomaterials such as submucosa of small intestine (SIS) have been widely used as patches for bladder repair, but the outcomes are not fully satisfactory. To capture stem cells in situ has been considered as a promising strategy to speed up the process of re-cellularization and functionalization. In this study, we have developed an anti-CD29 antibody-conjugated SIS scaffold (AC-SIS) which is capable of specifically capturing urine-derived stem cells (USCs) in situ for tissue repair and regeneration. The scaffold has exhibited effective capture capacity and sound biocompatibility. In vivo experiment proved that the AC-SIS scaffold could promote rapid endothelium healing and smooth muscle regeneration. The endogenous stem cell capturing scaffolds has thereby provided a new revenue for developing effective and safer bladder patches.

Protective effects of silibinin against ethanol- or acetaldehyde-caused damage in liver cell lines involve the repression of mitochondrial fission.

Silibinin is a natural polyphenolic flavonoid, isolated from the seeds of the milk thistle of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. Silibinin has been widely used clinically as a traditional medicine for liver diseases. This study investigated the protective role of silibinin in ethanol- or acetaldehyde-induced apoptosis in human carcinomatous liver HepG2 cells and immortalized liver HL7702 cells, focusing on elucidation of the underlying mechanism in vitro. The toxicity of ethanol or acetaldehyde was evaluated by MTT assay. Apoptosis-related proteins, mitochondrial fission-associated proteins and mitochondrial fusion-associated proteins were analyzed by western blotting and immunofluorescence microscopy. Present experimental results demonstrated that silibinin improved cell viability, reduced the enzyme activities of AST/ALT and ALDH/ADH, inhibited apoptosis and recovered mitochondrial function in ethanol- or acetaldehyde-treated HepG2 or HL7702 cells. Silibinin reduced the expression of mitochondrial fission-associated proteins, dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1), but increased mitochondrial fusion-associated proteins, optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) and mitofusin 1 (MFN1). Accordingly, inhibition of DRP1 activity with its pharmacological inhibitor or siDRP1 efficiently attenuated ethanol- or acetaldehyde-induced apoptosis, whereas activation of DRP1 by using staurosporine (STS) further increased apoptosis in ethanol- or acetaldehyde-treated HepG2 or HL7702 cells. The results show that silibinin protects cells against ethanol- or acetaldehyde-induced mitochondrial fission that results in apoptosis.

Stem cell-based therapy for ameliorating intrauterine adhesion and endometrium injury.

Intrauterine adhesion refers to endometrial repair disorders which are usually caused by uterine injury and may lead to a series of complications such as abnormal menstrual bleeding, recurrent abortion and secondary infertility. At present, therapeutic approaches to intrauterine adhesion are limited due to the lack of effective methods to promote regeneration following severe endometrial injury. Therefore, to develop new methods to prevent endometrial injury and intrauterine adhesion has become an urgent need. For severely damaged endometrium, the loss of stem cells in the endometrium may affect its regeneration. This article aimed to discuss the characteristics of various stem cells and their applications for uterine tissue regeneration.

Hydrogel from acellular porcine adipose tissue promotes survival of adipose tissue transplantation.

Lipofilling is a popular technique for soft tissue augmentation, limited by unpredictable graft survival. This study aimed at exploring the effect of hydrogel from acellular porcine adipose tissue (HAPA) on angiogenesis and survival of adipose tissue used for lipofilling. The effect of HAPA on adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) proliferation, adipogenic differentiation, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion were evaluated in hypoxia and normoxiain vitro. For thein vivostudy, adipose tissue with phosphate buffered saline, ADSCs, and HAPA (with or without ADSCs) were co-injected subcutaneously into nude mice. HAPA-ADSCs mixture (tissue engineering adipose tissue) was also grafted. Gross observation, volume measurement, and ultrasound observation were assessed. For histological assessment, hematoxylin and eosin, perilipin, cluster of differentiation 31 (CD31), Ki67, and transferase-mediated d-UTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) staining were performed. HAPA improved ADSCs proliferation, VEGF secretion, and adipogenic differentiation under normoxia and hypoxia conditionsin vitrostudy. For thein vivostudy, HAPA showed improved volume retention and angiogenesis, and reduced cell apoptosis when compared to ADSCs-assisted lipofilling and pure lipofilling. In conclusion, HAPA could maintain ADSCs viability and improve cell resistant to hypoxia and might be a promising biomaterial to assist lipofilling.

Repair of a severe palm injury with anterolateral thigh and ilioinguinal flaps: A case report.

BACKGROUND: In daily life and work, there are more and more patients with trauma to the hand, which often results in skin and soft tissue defects. Although there are many repair methods, the function and appearance of the fingers will be adversely affected if the repair is inadequate. CASE SUMMARY: In the present report we describe an 18-year-old male patient whose right hand was mangled by a machine. X-ray imaging showed that a right hand bone (middle finger) was absent and the alignment was poor. After hospitalization, he was diagnosed with a severe right hand injury, skin and soft tissue defects, partial finger defects, and a skin degloving injury. He underwent reconstructive surgery with anterolateral thigh and ilioinguinal flaps. After two repair operations, satisfactory results were obtained, including good fracture healing, good skin flap shape, and good wrist joint function. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the good effect of anterolateral thigh and ilioinguinal flaps repair technique on severe palm injury.

Placental weight and size in relation to fetal growth restriction: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: Reductions in placental weight and size have been associated with reduced fetal growth. However, few studies have examined the association of placental weight and size with the risk of fetal growth restriction (FGR). METHODS: We enrolled 121 mother-newborn pairs, including 54 FGR cases and 67 healthy controls, from our previous case-control study. The weight, surface area, and thickness of the placenta were measured by medical professionals. RESULTS: Reduced placental weight and surface area were found to be associated with decreased birth weight. A 10-unit decrement in placental weight (g) and surface area (cm2) was associated with 33.9 (ß = 33.9, 95% CI, 22.1-45.7) and 24.3 (ß = 24.3, 95% CI, 11.2-37.5) g decrease in birth weight, respectively. Those associations varied by infant gender and the magnitudes of effect were larger among male fetuses. Moreover, reduced placental weight and surface area were associated with increased odds of FGR. A 10-unit decrease in placental weight and surface area were associated with 21% (OR = 1.21, 95% CI, 1.08-1.44) and 19% (OR = 1.19, 95% CI, 1.06-1.41) increase in the odds of FGR. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that fetuses with lower placental weight and smaller surface area are at higher risk of developing FGR.

Life history of aggression in Anastatus disparis (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) with extreme male-male combat.

Aggressive behaviour is common in animals and typically has lifetime consequences. As younger males have higher residual reproductive value than older males and lose more from injuries than older males do, the propensity for fighting tends to increase with age in many empirical reports and species. However, fighting patterns in those empirical reports cannot confirm the hypothesis that individuals cannot readily inflict injuries on their opponents. To address this shortcoming, a parasitoid wasp species, Anastatus disparis (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae), was used as an experimental model to explore the characteristics of aggression from a life-history perspective; this wasp exhibits extreme fighting, resulting in contestants experiencing injury and death. Results showed that the energetic costs of fighting to injury significantly shortened life and caused the loss of most mating ability. Inconsistent with general predictions, the frequency and intensity of fighting in A. disparis significantly decreased with male age. Further study results showed significantly more young males were received by and successfully mated with virgin females, and most genes related to energy metabolism were downregulated in aged males. Our study provided supporting evidence that young A. disparis males show more aggression likely because of their resource holding potential and sexual attractiveness decline with age.