The correlation between hearing loss (HL) and physical performance in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) remains poorly investigated. This study explored the association between HL and physical performance in patients on MHD. Methods: This multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted between July 2020 and April 2021 in seven hemodialysis centers in Shanghai and Suzhou, China. The hearing assessment was performed using pure-tone average (PTA). Physical performance was assessed using the Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT), handgrip strength, and gait speed. Results: Finally, 838 adult patients (male, 516 [61.6%]; 61.2 ± 2.6 years) were enrolled. Among them, 423 (50.5%) had mild to profound HL (male, 48.6% and female, 53.4%). Patients with HL had poorer physical performance than patients without HL (p < 0.001). TUGT was positively correlated with PTA (r = 0.265, p < 0.001), while handgrip strength and gait speed were negatively correlated with PTA (r = –0.356, p < 0.001 and r = –0.342, p < 0.001, respectively). Physical performance in patients aged <60 years showed significant dose-response relationships with HL. After adjusting for confounders, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for HL across the TUGT quartiles (lowest to highest) were 1.00 (reference), 1.15 (0.73–1.81), 1.69 (1.07–2.70), and 2.87 (1.69–4.88) (p for trend = 0.005). Conclusion: Lower prevalence of HL was associated with a faster TUGT and a stronger handgrip strength in patients on MHD.

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the commonest cause of heart failure (HF), whereas pulmonary hypertension (PH) has not been established or reported in this patient population. Therefore, we assessed the prevalence, risk factors, and survival in CAD-associated HF (CAD-HF) complicated with PH. METHODS: Symptomatic CAD-HF patients were continuously enrolled in this prospective, multicenter registry study. Echocardiography, coronary arteriography, left and right heart catheterization (RHC), and other baseline clinical data were recorded. Patients were followed up and their survival was recorded. RESULTS: One hundred and eighty-two CAD-HF patients were enrolled, including 142 with HF with a preserved ejection fraction (heart failure with preserved ejection fraction [HFpEF]; left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] ≥50%) and 40 with a reduced ejection fraction (heart failure with reduced ejection fraction [HFrEF]; LVEF < 50%). PH was diagnosed with RHC in 77.5% of patients. Patients with PH showed worse hemodynamic parameters and higher mortality. HFrEF-PH patients had worse survival than HFpEF-PH patients. CAD-HF patients with an enlarged left ventricular end-diastolic diameter and reduced hemoglobin were at higher risk of PH. Nitrate treatment reduced the risk of PH. Elevated creatinine and mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP), diastolic pressure gradient (DPG) ≥7 mmHg, and previous myocardial infarction (MI) entailed a higher risk of mortality in CAD-HF patients with PH. CONCLUSIONS: PH is common in CAD-HF and worsens the hemodynamics and survival in these patients. Left ventricle enlargement and anemia increase the risk of PH in CAD-HF. Patients may benefit from nitrate medications. Renal impairment, elevated mPAP, DPG ≥7 mmHg, and previous MI are strong predictors of mortality in CAD-HF-PH patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02164526.
Coronary Artery Disease/epidemiology* ; Creatinine ; Heart Failure/complications* ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary/complications* ; Nitrates ; Prevalence ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies ; Registries ; Risk Factors ; Stroke Volume ; Ventricular Function, Left

Dysglycemia is independently associated with the mortality of critically ill patients. Therefore, the management of blood glucose plays an important role in comprehensive therapy. It is suggested that the same target value of blood glucose (7.8-10.0 mmol/L) should not be set for all critically ill patients. Instead, it should be individually set based on the causes of the patient's admission and the status of blood glucose before admission. For this reason, there is an urgent need for a convenient protocol and method to regulate the dosage of insulin. The first hospital of Jiaxing, collaborating with information engineers, developed a modified eProtocol-insulin for domestic population with mathematical modeling and developed an Application Software (APP), which is convenient for clinical use. This is the first eProtocol-insulin and smart device APP for critically ill patients in China.

The ketogenic diet(KD) treatment program planned for a 2 years old and 5 months boy suffered from severe cerebral complications after ependymoma operation in the Children′s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University at December 2018 was analyzed retrospectively.The patient developed various complications, including cerebral hemorrhage, hydrocephalus and hernia after the operation of ependymoma, with coma, fever and convulsion, and 1 month of anti-infection and antiepileptic treatment was ineffective.After 2 weeks of 4∶1 KD, fever and convulsion were effectively relieved without obvious side effects.One month later, the patient regained consciousness, demonstrating that KD can be applied to treat severe cerebral complications after ependymoma operation.

ObjectiveTo investigate the value of interleukin-32 (IL-32) combined with Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) in predicting the prognosis of patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF). MethodsA total of 92 patients with HBV-ACLF who were hospitalized in The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2015 to December 2018 were enrolled, and according to the follow-up results at 3 months after diagnosis, the patients were divided into survival group with 40 patients and death group with 52 patients. ELISA was used to measure the serum level of IL-32. Clinical data of the patients were collected, including age, sex, underlying diseases, major complications, white blood cell count (WBC), platelet count (PLT), hematocrit (HCT), total bilirubin (TBil), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), albumin (Alb), serum creatinine (SCr), prothrombin time (PT), international normalized ratio (INR), and HBV DNA. The t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups; a Pearson correlation analysis was performed for IL-32 and other variables; a binary logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the independent risk factors for the prognosis of patients with HBV-ACLF. The receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve(AUC) was used to evaluate the value of IL-32 combined with MELD score in predicting the prognosis of patients with HBV-ACLF. The normal Z test was used for comparison of AUC. ResultsThere were significant differences between the two groups in HCT, PLT, TBil, SCr, PT, INR, HBV DNA, IL-32, and MELD score (all P＜0.05). IL-32 was positively correlated with TBil (r=0.952, P＜0.001) and MELD score (r=0850, P＜0.001). IL-32 (odds ratio ［OR］=1.137, 95% confidence interval ［CI］: 1040-1243, P=0.005) and MELD score (OR=1.055, 95% CI: 1.001-1.109, P=0.025) were independent risk factors for the death of HBV-ACLF patients. IL-32 combined with MELD score had the highest value in predicting the prognosis of patients with HBV-ACLF (AUC=0.992, 95% CI: 0.981-1000), with a significantly higher AUC than IL-32 (0.992 vs 0.984, Z=2.265, P＜0.05) and MELD score (0.992 vs 0877, Z=3182, P＜0.05). ConclusionBoth IL-32 and MELD score can predict the prognosis of patients with HBV-ACLF, and the combination of these two indicators has a better predictive value.

High-voltage-activated (HVA) Ca channels are widely expressed in the nervous system. They play an important role in pain conduction by participating in various physiological processes such as synaptic transmission, changes in synaptic plasticity, and neuronal excitability. Available evidence suggests that the HVA channel is an important therapeutic target for pain management. In this review, we summarize the changes in different subtypes of HVA channel during pain and present the currently available evidence from the clinical application of HVA channel blockers. We also review novel drugs in various phases of development. Moreover, we discuss the future prospects of HVA channel blockers in order to promote "bench-to-bedside" translation.

Objective To explore the effect of super fine thoracic drainage tube on the treatment of patients with video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy (VATS).Methods Clinical materials of 78 NSCLC patients with VATS were analyzed retrospectively.Fifty cases in the experimental group were treated with super fine drainage tube and thick drainage tube for closed thoracic drainage,and 37 cases in the control group were treated with conventional modified thoracic drainage tube.Effect of thoracic drainage and the scores of VAS were compared.Results The total drainage volume of pleural effusion in the experimental group from 1 st to 4th day was significantly higher than that in the control group (P ＜ 0.05),but there was no significant differences in total drainage volume and indwelling time of drainage tube from 1 s,to 10th day between two groups (P ＞ 0.05).There was no significant difference between the two groups in VAS score at 12 h after operation (P ＞ 0.05),but the difference of VAS score from 24 to 72 h at resting and coughing were significant between two groups (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion After VATS,assisted super fine drainage tube is effective in closed thoracic drainage.

Objective To explore the effect of super fine thoracic drainage tube on the treatment of patients with video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy (VATS).Methods Clinical materials of 78 NSCLC patients with VATS were analyzed retrospectively.Fifty cases in the experimental group were treated with super fine drainage tube and thick drainage tube for closed thoracic drainage,and 37 cases in the control group were treated with conventional modified thoracic drainage tube.Effect of thoracic drainage and the scores of VAS were compared.Results The total drainage volume of pleural effusion in the experimental group from 1 st to 4th day was significantly higher than that in the control group (P ＜ 0.05),but there was no significant differences in total drainage volume and indwelling time of drainage tube from 1 s,to 10th day between two groups (P ＞ 0.05).There was no significant difference between the two groups in VAS score at 12 h after operation (P ＞ 0.05),but the difference of VAS score from 24 to 72 h at resting and coughing were significant between two groups (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion After VATS,assisted super fine drainage tube is effective in closed thoracic drainage.

PURPOSE: c-Met and its ligand, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), play a critical role in oncogenesis and metastatic progression. The aim of this study was to identify inhibited enzymogram and to test the antitumor activity of SIM-89 (a c-Met receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor) in non-small cell lung cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Z′-LYTE kinase assay was employed to screen the kinase enzymogram, and mechanism of action (MOA) analysis was used to identify the inhibited kinases. Cell proliferation was then analyzed by CCK8 assay, and cell migration was determined by transwell assay. The gene expression and the phosphorylation of c-Met were examined by realtime-PCR and western blotting, respectively. Finally, the secretion of HGF was detected by ELISA assay. RESULTS: c-Met, activated protein kinase (AMPK), and tyrosine kinase A (TRKA) were inhibited by SIM-89 with the IC₅₀ values of 297 nmol/L, 1.31 µmol/L, and 150.2 nmol/L, respectively. SIM-89 exerted adenosine triphosphate (ATP) competitive inhibition on c-Met. Moreover, the expressions of STAT1, JAK1, and c-Met in H460 cells were decreased by SIM-89 treatment, and c-Met phosphorylation was suppressed in A549, H441, H1299, and B16F10 cells by the treatment. In addition, SIM-89 treatment significantly decreased the level of HGF, which accounted for the activation of c-Met receptor tyrosine kinase. Finally, we showed cell proliferation inhibition and cell migration suppression in H460 and H1299 cells after SIM-89 treatment. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, SIM-89 inhibits tumor cell proliferation, migration and HGF autocrine, suggesting it's potential antitumor activity.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; Blotting, Western ; Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung* ; Cell Movement ; Cell Proliferation ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Gene Expression ; Hepatocyte Growth Factor ; Lung Neoplasms ; Phosphorylation ; Phosphotransferases ; Protein Kinases ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases

Objective To investigate the feasibility of subtraction coronary computed tomography angiography (Sub-CCTA) for the diagnosis of coronary heart disease in the segment with severe calcification.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 27 patients who underwent clinically indicated digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and CCTA using a 320-detector row CT.Compared with the results of DSA,sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,negative predictive value and accuracy of Con-CCTA and Sub-CCTA were calculated.The clinical diagnostic accuracy of the two imaging methods was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.The stenosis of coronary segments was divided into four grades (Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ,Ⅳ).Kappa coefficient was used to measure agreement between two imaging methods.Image quality of 4-scale grade scoring method was used and t test was conducted.Results A total of 52 segments with severe calcification were evaluated.The scores of image quality in Con-CCTA and Sub-CCTA were 2.8 ± 0.5 and 3.4 ± 0.7,respectively.There was significant difference between them (t =5.9,P ＜ 0.05).Compared with the result of DSA as the golden standard,the Kappa coefficients were 0.55 and 0.81 respectively in Con-CCTA and Sub-CCTA for the quantitative evaluation of the severe calcified segments.The sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value and negative predictive value and accuracy of Con-CCTA were 81.0％,63.1％,63.1％,81.1％ and 70.8 ％;and for Sub-CCTA they were 90.5 ％,85.2％,82.1 ％,92.0％ and 87.5 ％ respectively.Compared with Con-CCTA,the area under the ROC curve of Con-CCTA and Sub-CCTA were 0.84 (95％CI:0.70-0.93) and 0.96 (95％ CI:0.86-1.00),respectively,and the difference was statistically significant (P =0.03).Conclusions Sub-CCTA can improve the diagnostic accuracy of coronary artery stenosis in severe calcified segment.Application of subtraction technique in CCTA can reduce or even eliminate the artifacts caused by severe calcified plaque,and has a good clinical application prospect.