Aim
Gastroparesis is a common non‐motor system symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the mechanism responsible for the gastric motor abnormality is not clear. We previously reported on the ...impaired gastric motility in 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA) rats, which were treated with a bilateral microinjection of 6‐OHDA in the substantia nigra (SN). We hypothesize that the enhanced dopamine system and reduced acetylcholine (Ach) in gastric tissues might contribute to the delayed gastric emptying observed in PD.
Methods
A strain gauge force transducer, digital X‐ray imaging system, Western blot, immunofluorescence and Radio Immunoassay were used in this study.
Results
Dopaminergic neurones in the SN were greatly reduced following the bilateral microinjection of 6‐OHDA. 6‐OHDA rats exhibited impaired gastric motility and delayed gastric emptying, accompanied by increased dopamine content and the overexpression of D2 receptors in the stomach. The administration of the D2 receptor antagonist domperidone relieved gastric dysmotility in 6‐OHDA rats, but the D1 receptor antagonist SCH23390 failed to do so. Subdiaphragmatic vagotomy prevented the increase in the gastric dopamine content and D2 receptor expression and improved gastric dysmotility in 6‐OHDA rats.
Conclusion
Dopaminergic deficiency in the SN results in impaired gastric motility, possibly as a result of the enhanced activity of dopamine system and reduced Ach in gastric tissue. The vagus nerve plays an important role in peripheral gastric motility disorder.
Tuning the metal insulator transition (MIT) behavior of VO2 film through the interfacial strain is effective for practical applications. However, the mechanism for strain-modulated MIT is still under ...debate. Here we directly record the strain dynamics of ultrathin VO2 film on TiO2 substrate and reveal the intrinsic modulation process by means of synchrotron radiation and first-principles calculations. It is observed that the MIT process of the obtained VO2 films can be modulated continuously via the interfacial strain. The relationship between the phase transition temperature and the strain evolution is established from the initial film growth. From the interfacial strain dynamics and theoretical calculations, we claim that the electronic orbital occupancy is strongly affected by the interfacial strain, which changes also the electron–electron correlation and controls the phase transition temperature. These findings open the possibility of an active tuning of phase transition for the thin VO2 film through the interfacial lattice engineering.
Summary
There is accumulating evidence to support a hypothesis of the activation of the lectin complement pathway in immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). The glomerular deposition of mannose‐binding ...lectin (MBL), an initiator of the lectin pathway, has been identified, but its clinical significance has not been defined consistently. The aim of the present study was to investigate the value of glomerular MBL deposition as a useful histological biomarker in evaluating the severity and predicting the prognosis of IgAN. We included all consecutive patients with biopsy‐proven primary IgAN from December 2008 to July 2010. Renal deposition of MBL was detected by immunofluorescence. The biopsy material from 131 patients (72 men) was thus used for MBL staining. The deposition of MBL was observed in a predominantly mesangial pattern in 45 patients (34·35%), which presented as global or segmental deposition. Compared with the patients without glomerular MBL deposition, those with glomerular MBL deposition had more severe proteinuria, decreased renal function, lower levels of serum albumin and a greater possibility of hypertension at the time of renal biopsy; they had more severe histological changes according to the Oxford classification (i.e. mesangial hypercellularity, segmental glomerulosclerosis, endocapillary hypercellularity and tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis), and their ratio presented an increase as the histopathological phenotypes segregated according to Lee's classification; furthermore, the follow‐up data demonstrated that they had a lower renal remission rate. In conclusion, glomerular MBL deposition may predict a poor prognosis, and thus can be a new prognostic factor in IgA nephropathy.
Summary
This study described a modified quantitative morphometry (mQM) system adapted to specific reference values for Mainland Chinese population. The mQM system is validated using the Genant ...Semiquantative system and is sensitive for detecting vertebral height changes and predicting cement leakage after percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compressive fracture (OVCF).
Introduction
OVCF is a manifestation of osteoporosis. To improve clinical management of osteoporosis, the quantitative morphometry (QM) system has been widely used for the early diagnosis and precise classification of OVCF in developed countries. Here, we present an mQM system and validated its use in detecting OVCF in Mainland Chinese.
Methods
Using our mQM system, the pre- and post-operative values of vertebral heights were measured and evaluated in 309 Mainland Chinese who received percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) as OVCF treatment. Measurements and classification of fractures from the mQM system were validated by comparing to values obtained by the Genant semiquantative (SQ) method. Moreover, we evaluated the sensitivity of the mQM system by its ability to detect restoration of vertebral heights and predict cement leakage after PKP.
Results
The five classification of fractures, No deformity (ND), anterior wedge (AW), posterior wedge (PW), biconcavity (BC), and compression (CP), evaluated by the mQM method shared similar distribution characteristics compared to those obtained by the SQ method. In addition, mQM evaluation showed that the vertebra height of all fracture types showed significant restoration after PKP. The incidence of cement leakage was most common in CP (37.5%), followed by AW (31.6%), BC (26.5%), ND (23.7%), and PW (0.0%).
Conclusions
Our mQM system is suitable for classification of fractures, detection of vertebral height restoration, and correlation of cement leakage after PKP in Mainland Chinese population.
This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate factors that influence the likelihood of syphilis infection from risk-taking behaviours and medical conditions. A retrospective case-control study was ...conducted by enrolling 664 syphilis inpatients (excluding 11 congenital syphilis patients) and 800 sex- and age-matched controls. Medical histories, clinical data and patient interview data were collected and subjected to logistic regression analyses. The prevalence of syphilis in the study population was 3·9% (675/17 304). By univariate analysis, syphilis infection was associated with migration between cities, marital status, smoking, reproductive history, hypertension, elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) (P < 0·05). A high rate of syphilis-HBV co-infection was observed in HIV-negative patients and further research revealed an association between syphilis and specific HBV serological reactivity. Syphilis was also associated with the frequency, duration and status of tobacco use. Multivariate analysis indicated that syphilis infection was independently associated with migration between cities adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1·368, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·048–1·785, current smoking (aOR 1·607, 95% CI 1·177–2·195), elevated BUN (aOR 1·782, 95% CI 1·188–2·673) and some serological patterns of HBV infection. To prevent the spread of infectious diseases, inpatients and blood donors should be tested for HIV, syphilis, HBV and HCV simultaneously.
The One-Child Policy led to the imbalance of the sex ratio at birth (SRB) in China. After that, Two-Child Policy was introduced and gradually liberalized at three stages. If both the husband and wife ...of one couple were the only child of their parents, they were allowed to have two children in policy (BTCP). If only one of them was the only child, they were allowed to have two children in policy (OTCP). The Universal Two-Child Policy (UTCP) allowed every couple to have two children. The objective of this study was to explore the changing trend of SRB at the stages of Two-Child Policy, to analyze the effect of population policy on SRB in terms of maternal age, delivery mode, parity, maternal education, delivery hospital, and to figure out what factors have greater impact on the SRB.
The data of the study came from Hebei Province Maternal Near Miss Surveillance System, covered the parturients delivered at 28 gestation weeks or more in 22 hospitals from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2017. We compared the SRB at different policy stages, analyzed the relationship between the SRB and population policy by logistic regression analysis.
Total 270,878 singleton deliveries were analyzed. The SRB, 1.084 at BTCP, 1.050 at OTCP, 1.047 at UTCP, declined rapidly (χ
= 15.97, P < 0.01). With the introduction of Two-Child Policy, the percentage of parturients who were 30-34, ≥35 years old rose significantly, and the percentage of multiparous women increased significantly (40.7, 47.2, 56.6%). The neonatal mortality declined significantly (8.4‰, 6.7‰, 5.9‰, χ
= 44.49, P < 0.01), the mortality rate of female infant gradually declined (48.2, 43.7, 43.9%). The logistic regression analysis showed the SRB was correlated to the three population policy stages in terms of maternal age, delivery mode, parity, maternal education, delivery hospital.
The SRB has declined to normal level with the gradually liberalizing of Two-Child Policy in China. Advanced maternal age, cesarean delivery, multiparous women, middle level education, rural hospital are the main factors of effect on the decline of the SRB.
In Alzheimer's disease (AD), neurodegenerative signals such as amyloid-beta (Aβ) and the precursors of neurotrophins, outbalance neurotrophic signals, causing synaptic dysfunction and ...neurodegeneration. The neurotrophin receptor p75 (p75NTR) is a receptor of Aβ and mediates Aβ-induced neurodegenerative signals. The shedding of its ectodomain from the cell surface is physiologically regulated; however, the function of the diffusible p75NTR ectodomain (p75ECD) after shedding remains largely not known. Here, we show that p75ECD levels in cerebrospinal fluid and in the brains of Alzheimer's patients and amyloid-beta precursor protein (APP)/PS1 transgenic mice were significantly reduced, due to inhibition of the sheddase-tumor necrosis factor-alpha-converting enzyme by Aβ. Restoration of p75ECD to the normal level by brain delivery of the gene encoding human p75ECD before or after Aβ deposition in the brain of APP/PS1 mice reversed the behavioral deficits and AD-type pathologies, such as Aβ deposit, apoptotic events, neuroinflammation, Tau phosphorylation and loss of dendritic spine, neuronal structures and synaptic proteins. Furthermore, p75ECD can also reduce amyloidogenesis by suppressing β-secretase expression and activities. Our data demonstrate that p75ECD is a physiologically neuroprotective molecule against Aβ toxicity and would be a novel therapeutic target and biomarker for AD.
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