Background
: Endoscopic sclerotherapy is a widely used minimally invasive procedure for internal hemorrhoids, yet postoperative symptoms remain a concern. The purpose of this study is to investigate ...the postoperative adjuvant efficacy of
Lactiplantibacillus plantarum
.
Method
: In this study, patients (≥18 years) with internal hemorrhoids that conformed to Goligher's classification of grade I-III received administration of
L. plantarum
MH-301 for 4 weeks following endoscopic sclerotherapy. The primary clinical endpoint in this study was the improvement rate, which was defined as the percentage of patients whose
n
-HDSS score decreased to 0 following the procedure. Stools were collected for high-throughput sequencing analysis post operation.
Result
: A total of 103 participants (51 in the LP group and 52 in the C group) were recruited, with 96 completing the entire trial (49 in the LP group and 47 in the C group). The primary clinical endpoint showed a higher improvement rate in the LP group (87.8%
vs.
70.2%,
P
= 0.045). High-throughput sequencing analysis demonstrated that the LP group had a greater diversity of intestinal microbiota and a higher relative abundance of beneficial bacteria such as
Bifidobacterium
,
Megamonas
, and
Lactobacillus
. No significant difference in postoperative complications and adverse events was found. Conclusion: This paper concludes that the administration of
L. plantarum
MH-301 after endoscopic sclerotherapy can further increase the efficacy of the procedure and improve bowel movements. Regulation of intestinal microbiota may be the potential mechanism for the efficacy of
L. plantarum
MH-301.
Endoscopic sclerotherapy is a widely used minimally invasive procedure for internal hemorrhoids, yet postoperative symptoms remain a concern.
BACKGROUND:To assess the short-term outcomes after endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) plus endoscopic papillary balloon dilation (EPBD) versus EPBD alone and appropriate balloon dilation time in EPBD ...alone.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:A total of 413 patients with common bile duct stones (CBDSs) were included in the EST plus EPBD group and 84 were in the EPBD alone group. We retrospectively evaluated the safety and efficacy between EST plus EPBD and EPBD alone group. The patients in EPBD alone group were assigned to dilation time ≥5 minutes group (n=35) and time <5 minutes group (n=49). Further, we preliminarily discussed the influence of balloon dilation time on the procedure-related complications.
RESULTS:Compared with EST plus EPBD, the patients in EPBD alone group were younger 56.6 (range18 to 95) vs. 65.1 (24 to 92) y; P=0.006, had smaller diameter of the largest stone 10.4 (range3 to 20) vs. 12.3 (5 to 30) mm; P<0.001 and were lesser frequently performed with jaundice 22 (26.2%) vs. 189 (45.8%); P=0.001. The mean duration of postoperative hospital stay in EPBD alone group was significantly shorter than EST plus EPBD group 6.3 (range1 to 18) vs. 9.2 (1 to 44) d; P<0.001. The patients in EPBD alone group had higher risk of post endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis than EST plus EPBD group 11 (13.1%) vs. 22 (5.3%); P=0.009. Patients in the dilation time <5 minutes group had higher risk to suffer from postoperative pancreatitis than the EST plus EPBD group 9 (18.4%) vs. 22 (5.3%); P=0.002, while patients in the dilation time ≥5 minutes group had less procedure-related hemorrhage than the EST plus EPBD group 0 vs. 36 (8.7%); P=0.047.
CONCLUSION:Long balloon dilation time in EPBD alone is safe and effective in treating CBDSs.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Magnetic skyrmion tubes and bobbers are two types of different nanoscale spin configurations that can coexist in nanostructures of chiral magnets. They are then proposed to be utilized as binary bits ...to build racetrack memory devices. The ability to manipulate the two magnetic objects controllably by current in nanostructures is the prerequisite to realize the device. Here, we demonstrate by numerical simulations that a magnetic bobber and a skyrmion tube can be transformed to each other using spin-polarized current in nanostripes with stepped shape. We also show such stepped nanostructures can be readily applied as the write head for the skyrmion-bobber-based racetrack memory.
Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) was applied in this study to detect metabolite changes in the brain of post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) and normal volunteers. The levels of ...N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and creatinine (Cr) and in the frontal lobe, hippocampus and cingulate gyrus were measured to distinguish patients with post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) and normal control group (NC). The relationship between them and cognitive function was explored and a critical value of the metabolite ratio was predicted. This study may serve as a reference for the diagnosis of cognitive dysfunction after stroke.
A total of 46 patients with PSCI (PSCI group, all patients are unilateral cerebral infarction or intracerebral haemorrhage) were screened by the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), and 35 healthy volunteers were selected as normal control group (NC group). The general information of gender, age, and education level was matched between the two groups. Two groups of subjects were examined using MRS and evaluated for cognitive function using the MMSE test and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA). The correlation between MRS and neurobehavioral scale (MMSE test and MoCA scale) was analysed, and the possible demarcation points of the brain metabolism of PSCI were evaluated.
The MMSE and MoCA scores of patients with PSCI were lower significantly when compared with those of the NC group (P < 0.05). The NAA/Cr values of the bilateral hippocampus, bilateral frontal lobe and bilateral anterior and posterior cingulate gyrus in the PSCI group were lower than those in the NC group (P < 0.05). The NAA/Cr cut-off value for the right frontal lobe was 1.533, and the NAA/Cr sensitivity, specificity and Youden index for the right frontal lobe were 0.943, 0.935, and 0.878.
NAA/Cr values in the MRS bilateral frontal, bilateral hippocampus and bilateral anterior and posterior cingulate gyrus were reduced in the cognitively impaired post-stroke patients compared to the normal control group. MRS was also found to be correlated with the score of neurobehavioral scale (MMSE test and MoCA scale) and the combination of the two could evaluate cognitive dysfunction more comprehensively and objectively. NAA/Cr value of the right frontal lobe < 1.533 indicated that PSCI may occur. In accordance with this cut-off point, PSCI could be detected as early as possible and timely intervention could be carried out.
Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the five fundamental principles of Islam, and it is obligatory for healthy Muslim adults and adolescents. During the fasting month, Muslims usually have ...two meals a day, suhur (before dawn) and iftar (after dusk). However, diabetic patients may face difficulties when fasting, so it is important for medical staff to educate them on safe fasting practices. Prolonged strict fasting can increase the risk of hypoglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis, but with proper knowledge, careful planning, and medication adjustment, diabetic Muslim patients can fast during Ramadan. For this review, a literature search was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar until May 2023. Articles other than the English language were excluded. Current strategies for managing blood sugar levels during Ramadan include a combination of patient education on nutrition, regular monitoring of blood glucose, medications, and insulin therapy. Insulin therapy can be continued during fasting if properly titrated to the patients’ needs, and finger prick blood sugar levels should be assessed regularly. If certain symptoms such as hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, dehydration, or acute illness occur, or blood glucose levels become too high (> 300 mg/dL) or too low (> 70 mg/dL), the fast should be broken. New insulin formulations such as pegylated insulin and medications like tirzepatide, a dual agonist of gastric-inhibitory peptideand glucagonlike-peptide 1 receptors, have shown promise in managing blood sugar levels during Ramadan. Non-insulin-dependent medications like sodium-glucose-cotransporter-2 inhibitors, including the Food and Drug Administration-approved ertugliflozin, are also being used to provide additional cardiovascular benefits in patients with type 2 diabetes.
The rapid development of modern science nowadays makes it rather challenging to pick out valuable ideas from massive scientific literature. Existing widely-adopted citation-based metrics are not ...adequate for measuring how well the idea presented by a single publication is developed and whether it is worth following. Here, inspired by traditional X-ray imaging, which returns internal structure imaging of real objects along with corresponding structure analysis, we propose Scientific X-ray, a framework that quantifies the development degree and development potential for any scientific idea through an assembly of ‘X-ray’ scanning, visualization and parsing operated on the citation network associated with a target publication. We pick all 71,431 scientific articles of citation counts over 1,000 as high-impact target publications among totally 204,664,199 publications that cover 16 disciplines spanning from 1800 to 2021. Our proposed Scientific X-ray reproduces how an idea evolves from the very original target publication all the way to the up to date status via an extracted ‘idea tree’ that attempts to preserve the most representative idea flow structure underneath each citation network. Interestingly, we observe that while the citation counts of publications may increase unlimitedly, the maximum valid idea inheritance of those target publications, i.e., the valid depth of the idea tree, cannot exceed a limit of six hops, and the idea evolution structure of any arbitrary publication unexceptionally falls into six fixed patterns. Combined with a development potential index that we further design based on the extracted idea tree, Scientific X-ray can vividly tell how further a given idea presented by a given publication can still go from any well-established starting point. Scientific X-ray successfully identifies 40 out of 49 topics of Nobel prize as high-potential topics by their prize-winning papers in an average of nine years before the prizes are released. Various trials on articles of diverse topics also confirm the power of Scientific X-ray in digging out influential/promising ideas. Scientific X-ray is user-friendly to researchers with any level of expertise, thus providing important basis for grasping research trends, helping scientific policy-making and even promoting social development.
Aim： To appraise the efficacy of Vam3 （Amurensis H）, a dimeric derivative of resveratrol, at inhibiting cigarette smoke-induced autophay. Methods： Human bronchial epithelial cells were treated with ...cigarette smoke condensates, and a chronic obstructive pulmonary dis- ease （COPD） model was established by exposing male BALB/c mice to cigarette smoke. The protein levels of the autophagic marker microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3 （LC3）, Sirtuin 1 （Sirtl）, and foxhead box 0 3a （FoxO3a） were examined using West- ern blotting and Immunohistochemistry. LC3 punctae were detected by immunofluorescence. The levels of FoxO3a acetylation were examined by immunoprecipitation. The level of intracellular oxidation was assessed by detecting ROS and GSH-Px. Results： Vam3 attenuated cigarette smoke condensate-induced autopha~ in human bronchial epithelial cells, and restored the expres- sion levels of Sirtl and FoxO3a that had been reduced by cigarette smoke condensates. Similar protective effects of Vam3, reducing autopha~b, and restoring the levels of Sirtl and FoxO3a, were observed in the COPD animal model. Additionally, Vam3 also diminished the oxidative stress that was induced by the cigarette smoke condensates. Conclusion： Vam3 decreases cigarette smoke-induced autophagy via up-regulating/restoring the levels of Sirtl and FoxO3a and inhibiting the induced oxidative stress.
•A novel FAK splicing mutation identified in breast tumor.•FAK-Del33 mutation promotes cell migration and invasion.•FAK-Del33 mutation regulates FAK/Src signal pathway.
Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) ...regulates cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, and survival. We identified a novel splicing mutant, FAK-Del33 (exon 33 deletion, KF437463), in both breast and thyroid cancers through colony sequencing. Considering the low proportion of mutant transcripts in samples, this mutation was detected by TaqMan-MGB probes based qPCR. In total, three in 21 paired breast tissues were identified with the FAK-Del33 mutation, and no mutations were found in the corresponding normal tissues. When introduced into a breast cell line through lentivirus infection, FAK-Del33 regulated cell motility and migration based on a wound healing assay. We demonstrated that the expression of Tyr397 (main auto-phosphorylation of FAK) was strongly increased in FAK-Del33 overexpressed breast tumor cells compared to wild-type following FAK/Src RTK signaling activation. These results suggest a novel and unique role of the FAK-Del33 mutation in FAK/Src signaling in breast cancer with significant implications for metastatic potential.
Reprogramming of somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) emerges as a prospective therapeutic angle in regenerative medicine and a tool for drug screening. Although increasing ...numbers of iPSCs from different sources have been generated, there has been limited progress in yield of iPSC. Here, we show that four Yamanaka factors Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc can convert human embryonic renal cortical cells (hERCCs) to pluripotent stem cells with a roughly 40-fold higher reprogramming efficiency compared with that of adult human dermal fibroblasts. These iPSCs show pluripotency in vitro and in vivo, as evidenced by expression of pluripotency associated genes, differentiation into three embryonic germ layers by teratoma tests, as well as neuronal fate specification by embryoid body formation. Moreover, the four exogenous genes are effectively silenced in these iPSCs. This study highlights the use of hERCCs to generate highly functional human iPSCs which may aid the study of genetic kidney diseases and accelerate the development of cell-based regenerative therapy.
Background
Arguments still exist on prognosis of late-onset SLE, especially their kidney function. The purpose of this study was to investigate long-term kidney outcomes in patients with late-onset ...lupus nephritis (LN).
Methods
A retrospective long-term cohort study was conducted in adult Chinese patients with LN. The patients were divided into late- (>50 years) and early-onset (<50 years) LN groups. The baseline characteristics, especially the kidney pathological characteristics, were compared. The cohort was followed-up for kidney outcome defined as doubling of serum creatinine or ESRD. Cox regression analysis was used to examine the association between late onset LN and its outcomes.
Results
A total of 1,264 patients were recruited, who were assigned to late-onset LN with 102 patients and early-onset LN with 1,162 patients. The late-onset LN group showed a worse baseline kidney function and more chronic pathological lesions than the early-onset LN group. During a follow-up time of 55 (3, 207) months, 114 (13.1%) deaths occurred, 107 (12.2%) had doubling of creatinine, and 80 (9.1%) developed end-stage kidney disease. The 5- and 10-year survival rates of the late-onset LN group were 67.6 and 50.5%, respectively, which were much worse than those of the early-onset LN group (89.8 and 84.6%, respectively). However, no significant difference was found on kidney survival (log-rank chi-square = 3.55,
p
= 0.06). Cox regression analysis showed that late-onset LN was an independent risk factor for patient survival (hazard ratio = 3.03, 95% CI (1.39, 6.58),
p
= 0.005). Increased baseline serum creatinine was an independent risk factor for kidney survival of patients with late-onset LN.
Conclusions
Patients with late-onset LN had milder active lesions but severer chronic lesions in kidney pathology. They have poorer overall outcome but relatively favorable kidney outcome.
Trial Registration
ClinicalTrials.gov
Identifier: NCT03001973, 22 December 2016 retrospectively registered.
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