Abstract Background To adapt to life on land, Asiatic toads (Bufo gargarizans) must remodel their bodies and refine their chemical defenses in water. The full scope of the mechanisms underlying these processes has yet to be revealed. Bufadienolides (BDs) are chemical defense substances secreted by toads when they are in danger, and they have high medicinal value in treating heart failure, cancer, and hepatitis. However, the artificial breeding of toads to increase BDs has been...

Abstract Background Limited data are available on the effectiveness of inactivated and Ad5-nCoV COVID-19 vaccines in real-world use—especially against Omicron variants in SARS-CoV-2 infection-naïve population. Methods A matched case-control study was conducted among people aged ≥ 3 years between 2 December 2021 and 13 May 2022. Cases were SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals, individuals with severe/critical COVID-19, or COVID-19-related deaths. Controls were selected from consecutively test-negative individuals at the same time as cases were diagnosed and were exact-matched...

Abstract Object Scarlet fever is an acute respiratory infectious disease that endangers public health and imposes a huge economic burden. In this paper, we systematically studied its spatial and temporal evolution and explore its potential ecological drivers. The goal of this research is to provide a reference for analysis based on surveillance data of scarlet fever and other acute respiratory infectious illnesses, and offer suggestions for prevention and control. Method This research is based on...

Background:The surrogacy of progression-free survival (PFS) for overall survival (OS) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unelucidated. This study aimed to determine the validity of PFS as a surrogate endpoint for OS in ESCC patients treated with definitive radiotherapy or definitive chemoradiotherapy (dRT/dCRT), as well as characterize the prognostic factors and survival of such patients.Methods:A total of 3662 patients from 10 cancer centers were enrolled. One-, 2-, and 3-year PFS (PFS12, PFS24, and PSF36,...

Abstract Background Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors have been shown to improve cardiovascular outcomes when added to conventional statin therapy. This study aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of in-hospital initiation of PCSK9 inhibitors among patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) based on real-world experience. Methods and results Data were collected from the Biobank of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University between January 2016 and December 2020. A total of...

Abstract Background Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors have been shown to improve cardiovascular outcomes when added to conventional statin therapy. This study aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of in-hospital initiation of PCSK9 inhibitors among patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) based on real-world experience. Methods and results Data were collected from the Biobank of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University between January 2016 and December 2020. A total of...

Abstract Background Outliers and class imbalance in medical data could affect the accuracy of machine learning models. For physicians who want to apply predictive models, how to use the data at hand to build a model and what model to choose are very thorny problems. Therefore, it is necessary to consider outliers, imbalanced data, model selection, and parameter tuning when modeling. Methods This study used a joint modeling strategy consisting of: outlier detection and removal,...

Abstract Background Neutrophil infiltration accelerates the inflammatory response and is highly correlated to the development of acute lung injury (ALI). Budesonide (BUD) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) both inhibit the inflammatory response to alleviate ALI, so we further investigated whether their combination is better for ALI. Methods In this study, we investigated the effect and mechanism of Combined BUD and NAC therapy on LPS-induced ALI. Rat ALI model and neutrophil abnormal activation model were established by lipopolysaccharide...

We aim to evaluate the marginal effects of covariates on time-to-disability in the elderly under the semi-competing risks framework, as death dependently censors disability, not vice versa. It becomes particularly challenging when time-to-disability is subject to interval censoring due to intermittent assessments. A left truncation issue arises when the age time scale is applied. We develop a flexible two-parameter copula-based semiparametric transformation model for semi-competing risks data subject to interval censoring and left truncation. The...

Objective: Angina pectoris (AP), affecting over 523 million people, can be alleviated by corydalis rhizome (CR), usually combined with chuanxiong rhizome (CXR), angelica dahuricae radix (ADR), or astragali radix (AR) to enhance the effect. This study aims to distinguish the different mechanisms among 3 drug pairs to treat AP. Methods: The drug pair-disease intersection targets, compound targets, protein–protein interaction (PPI), and herb-compound-target-pathway network were obtained by Cytoscape, STRING, Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of...

Dispersed fringe sensor (DFS) is a phasing sensor based on principle of white-light double-slit interferometry. We theoretically and experimentally analyze characteristics of capture range of the DFS, propose mathematic description of capture range of the DFS and put forward a simple but practical strategy to maximize capture range of the DFS in our project. Finally, the experimental demonstration verifies validities of the mathematic description of capture range of the DFS and the strategy for optimizing...

Background:Misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis of pulmonary hypertension caused by fibrosing mediastinitis (PH-FM) are considerably prevalent due to unspecific symptoms and as well as the lack of awareness of this fatal disease.Objectives:The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the chest X-ray (CXR) for screening the patients with PH-FM from those with pulmonary hypertension (PH).Design:This was a retrospective observational cohort study.Methods:The patients with suspected PH were recruited between October 2014 and October 2020....

Infant neglect is a common type of child maltreatment. According to the Social Information Processing theory, maternal executive function (EF) and reflective function (RF) are assumed to be important contributing factors to infant neglect. However, empirical evidence about this assumption is sparse. This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 1010 eligible women participated. The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function—Adult Version, Parental Reflective Function Questionnaire, and Signs of Neglect in Infants Assessment Scale (SIGN)...

Abstract Background The biological effects of cerium dioxide nanoparticles (CeO2NPs), a novel material in the biomedical field, have attracted widespread attention. Our previous study confirmed that exposure to CeO2NPs during pregnancy led to abnormal trophoblast invasion during early placental development, thereby impairing placental development. The potential mechanisms may be related to low-quality decidualization triggered by CeO2NPs exposure, such as an imbalance in trophoblast invasion regulators secreted by decidual cells. However, the intermediate link mediating the...

Abstract Background Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), are examples of complex and partially overlapping phenotypes that often lack definitive corroborating genetic information. ADHD and ASD have complex genetic associations implicated by rare recurrent copy number variations (CNVs). Both of these NDDs have been shown to share similar biological etiologies as well as genetic pleiotropy. Methods Platforms aimed at investigating genetic-based associations, such as high-density microarray...

Abstract Background Caloric restriction (CR) has been known to promote health by reprogramming metabolism, yet little is known about how the epigenome and microbiome respond during metabolic adaptation to CR. Results We investigate chromatin modifications, gene expression, as well as alterations in microbiota in a CR mouse model. Collectively, short-term CR leads to altered gut microbial diversity and bile acid metabolism, improving energy expenditure. CR remodels the hepatic enhancer landscape at genomic loci that are...

Abstract Background Standard treatment for drug-susceptible tuberculosis (DS-TB) includes a multidrug regimen requiring at least 6 months of treatment, and this lengthy treatment easily leads to poor adherence. There is an urgent need to simplify and shorten treatment regimens to reduce interruption and adverse event rates, improve compliance, and reduce costs. Methods ORIENT is a multicenter, randomized controlled, open-label, phase II/III, non-inferiority trial involving DS-TB patients to evaluate the safety and efficacy of short-term regimens...

Abstract Background Trace amines, such as tyramine, are endogenous amino acid metabolites that have been hypothesized to promote headache. However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain unknown. Methods Using patch-clamp recording, immunostaining, molecular biological approaches and behaviour tests, we elucidated a critically functional role of tyramine in regulating membrane excitability and pain sensitivity by manipulating Kv1.4 channels in trigeminal ganglion (TG) neurons. Results Application of tyramine to TG neurons decreased the A-type K+ current...

Abstract Background Trace amines, such as tyramine, are endogenous amino acid metabolites that have been hypothesized to promote headache. However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain unknown. Methods Using patch-clamp recording, immunostaining, molecular biological approaches and behaviour tests, we elucidated a critically functional role of tyramine in regulating membrane excitability and pain sensitivity by manipulating Kv1.4 channels in trigeminal ganglion (TG) neurons. Results Application of tyramine to TG neurons decreased the A-type K+ current...

Abstract Background In insects, the chemosensory system is crucial in guiding their behaviors for survival. Plagiodera versicolora (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is a worldwide leaf-eating forest pest in salicaceous trees. There is little known about the chemosensory genes in P. versicolora. Here, we conducted a transcriptome analysis of larvae heads in P. versicolora. Results In this study, 29 odorant binding proteins (OBPs), 6 chemosensory proteins (CSPs), 14 odorant receptors (ORs), 13 gustatory receptors (GRs), 8 ionotropic receptors...

Abstract Background Bovine milk is an important source of nutrition for human consumption, and its quality is closely associated with the microbiota and metabolites in it. But there is limited knowledge about the milk microbiome and metabolome in cows with subacute ruminal acidosis. Methods Eight ruminally cannulated Holstein cows in mid lactation were selected for a 3-week experiment. The cows were randomly allocated into 2 groups, fed either a conventional diet (CON; 40% concentrate; dry...

Abstract Background Bovine milk is an important source of nutrition for human consumption, and its quality is closely associated with the microbiota and metabolites in it. But there is limited knowledge about the milk microbiome and metabolome in cows with subacute ruminal acidosis. Methods Eight ruminally cannulated Holstein cows in mid lactation were selected for a 3-week experiment. The cows were randomly allocated into 2 groups, fed either a conventional diet (CON; 40% concentrate; dry...

Abstract Background Peri-hilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA) is a unique entity, and radical surgery provides the only chance for cure and long-term survival. But it is still under debate which surgical strategy (i.e., left-sided hepatectomy, LH or right-sided hepatectomy, RH) should be followed and benefitted. Methods We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to analyze the clinical outcomes and prognostic value of LH versus RH for resectable pCCA. This study followed the PRISMA and AMSTAR guidelines. Results...

Abstract Background Peri-hilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA) is a unique entity, and radical surgery provides the only chance for cure and long-term survival. But it is still under debate which surgical strategy (i.e., left-sided hepatectomy, LH or right-sided hepatectomy, RH) should be followed and benefitted. Methods We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to analyze the clinical outcomes and prognostic value of LH versus RH for resectable pCCA. This study followed the PRISMA and AMSTAR guidelines. Results...

Abstract Background Uterine fibroids are the most common benign neoplasm of the uterus and a major source of morbidity for women. We report an overview of trends in uterine fibroids of incidence rate, prevalence rate, years lived with disability (YLDs) rate in 204 countries and territories over the past 30 years and associations with age, period, and birth cohort. Methods The incident case, incidence rate, age-standardized rate (ASR) for incidence, prevalent case, prevalence rate, ASR...