Objective To study the anti-apoptotic effects of Levodopa on osteonecrosis of the femoral head induced by methylprednisolone (MPS).Methods Forty-four rabbits were randomly divided in to 3 groups.The model group (n=15) was injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS,10 μg/kg) and then MPS (20 mg/kg) was given 3 times with 24 h interval.The treatment group (n=1 5) was firstly treated by the same methods as the model group,then was administered Levodopa (0.4 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)) orally after the last injection of MPS.The control group (n=14) was injected with sodium chloride alone.On the 6th and 8th week after modeling,radiography and MR images were taken in 7 rabbits of each group,specimens taken from the femoral heads were observed by HE stain and TUNEL analysis was made.Blood samples were taken for detection of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) on the 8th week.Results On the 6th and 8th week,the average percentage of empty osteocyte lacunae in the treatment group (13.33‰±3.06‰,25.97‰±6.29‰) was significantly lower than that of the model group (21.44‰±4.77‰,33.86‰±8.38‰,P<0.01),and the average apoptosis index in the treatment group (74.93‰±14.32‰,120.67‰±13.13‰) was significantly lower than that of the model group (102.56‰±18.96‰,202.02‰±18.99‰.,P<0.01).On the 8th week,the level of IGF-1 in the treatment group was (14.78±2.37)ng/ml,which was higher than that of the model group obviously (10.12±2.49)ng/ml(P<0.01).Conclusion The Levodopa can decrease apoptosis of osteocytes and effectively prevent the progress of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

Objective To evaluate the preoperative nutritional status of patients with gastric carcinoma by using the European Nutritional Risk Screening 2002(NRS 2002)and its prediction for postoperative nutrition-related complications.Methods We prospectively evaluated the nutritional risk of 314 gastric cancer patients admitted in one center from 2004 to 2007 with NRS 2002 with China's normal body mass index(BMI),in terms of postoperative complications,mortality and hospital stay.Results NRS 2002 scoring system was applicable in 93.1% cases.Preoperatively 125 patients were of score≥3,accounting for 39.8% of this group.The postoperative complication rate(26.2%)was higher than 13.8% in those with normal preoperative nutritional scores(NRS 2002 score＜3)(P＜0.05);The odds ratio to develop a complication was 0.642 in patients with preoperative nutritional risk score(P＜0.05),and 1.596 in patients with clinicopathological stage of gastric cancer(P＜0.01).The correlation between length of hospital stay and nutritional risk was also assessed by Pearson correlation analysis.The Pearson coefficient was 0.177(P=0.002).Conclusion Preoperative nutrition score(NRS 2002)≥3 predicts higher postoperative complications and longer hospital stay.Preoperative nutritional support is necessary in patients with preoperative nutrition score(NRS 2002)≥3.

Objective To investigate the neuroprotective effects of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) expression controlled by five copies of the hypoxia-responsive elements after focal cerebral ischemia .Methods Three groups of rats re-ceived RV-5H-NT3, RV-5H-EGFP or saline injection .Three days after gene transfer , the rats underwent 90 min of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion ( tMCAO) , followed by 1-28 days of reperfusion .Immunohistostaining and western blotting were performed to detect ischemia/hypoxia-regulated expression of NT-3 controlled by HRE . The volume of brain infarction and the apoptosis were analysised by TTC and TUNEL staining .The neurological scoring was determined by neurological behavior tests .Results Three days after tMCAO , brain NT-3 expression was significantly increased in the RV-5HNT3-transduced animals compared with the RV-5H-EGFP or saline group (P<0.05), and brain infarct volume was smaller in the RV-5H-NT3-transduced group than the RV-5H-EGFP or saline group ( P<0.05 ) .The percentage of TUNEL-positive cells was reduced in RV-5 H-NT3-transduced brains compared with the RV-5 HEGFP or saline group 3 and 7 days after tMCAO ( P<0.05 ) .Furthermore , the neurolog-ical status of RV-5H-NT3-transduced rats was better than that of RV-5H-EGFP-or saline-transduced animals from 1 day to 4 weeks after tMCAO ( P<0.05 ) .Conclusions HRE may modulate NT-3 expression in the ischemic brain tissue and that the up-regulated NT-3 may effectively improve neurological status following tMCAO due to de-creased initial damage .

Objective To compare the effects of different anesthesia techniques on early prognosis in patients undergoing hip joint replacement. Methods The demographic, preoperative and postoperative data of 478 patients, aged 18-95 yr, of American Society of Anesthesiologists physical statusⅠ-Ⅳ, who underwent elective unilateral hip joint replacement in Tongji Hospital from May 2014 to December 2016, were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into general anesthesia group (group GA, n=197), peripheral nerve block group ( group PNB, n=147) and peripheral nerve block combined with general an-esthesia group ( group PNB+GA, n=134) . The amount of crystalloid solution and colloid solution infused, consumption of sufentanil and requirement for vasoactive agents were recorded during operation. The dura-tion of anesthetic recovery room stay, length of hospital stay before and after operation and total length of hospital stay were recorded. The development of complications within 48 h after operation, therapy after ad-mission to intensive care unit and in-hospital fatality were also recorded. Results Compared with group GA, the intraoperative consumption of sufentanil was significantly decreased in group PNB+GA, and the a-mount of crystalloid solution infused, urine output, consumption of sufentanil, requirement for vasoactive agents and incidence of postoperative hypoxemia, pulmonary infection and acute cerebral infarction were significantly decreased in group PNB+GA ( P<0. 05) . Compared with group PNB+GA, the consumption of sufentanil, requirement for vasoactive agents and incidence of postoperative hypoxemia, pulmonary infec-tion and acute cerebral infarction were significantly decreased in group PNB (P<0. 05). Conclusion Compared with general anesthesia or with peripheral nerve block-general anesthesia, peripheral nerve block is more helpful in improving early prognosis in patients undergoing hip joint replacement.

Objective:To investigate the prevalence and molecular characteristics of Escherichia coli ( E. coli) producing a novel Shiga toxin 2k subtype in goat in Lanling county, Shandong province. Methods:In November 2019, 512 goat fecal samples were collected from different households in Lanling county, Shandong province. After enriched with EC broth, stx-positive samples were detected by PCR and inoculated in CHROMagar? ECC agar and CHROMagar? STEC agar. The whole genomes of stx-positive strains were sequenced. Based on the genomic senquences, the stx subtype, serotype, multi-locus sequence type and virulence genes of each strain were analyzed. Results:Eighty-six strains of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) were isolated from 512 goat fecal samples. Five stx subtypes were identified and 37 strains were positive for stx2k. The 86 STEC strains belonged to 20 O∶H serotypes and 18 different sequence types (STs). Conclusions:STEC strains circulating in goats in Lanling county, Shandong province were heterogeneous in stx subtypes, serotypes and virulence gene profiles, and a certain proportion of strains producing a novel Shiga toxin 2k subtype were detected.

Objective:To explore the safety of inactivating coronavirus disease 2019(covid-19)vaccine in liver transplantation(LT)recipients.Methods:Retrospective analysis was performed for clinical data of 151 LT recipients from March 2003 to October 2019.They had stable conditions and completed the course of covid-19 vaccine.Frequencies of pain at injection site, fatigue, headache and pruritus after vaccination were recorded.The safety profiles were compared between recipients with and without local and general adverse reactions after vaccination.At the same time, recipients completing two doses of covid-19 vaccines were grouped.According to vaccine companies, they were classified into Sinovac Biotech Ltd and Beijing Biological.Based upon more than or less than 60 years, they were grouped into <60 years and ≥60 years.The safety profiles of inactivating COVID-19 vaccine were compared in subgroups.Results:Among 151 eligible LT recipients, 98 of them were in group of age <60 years and 53 in group of age >60 years.The median period between vaccination and LT was 8.44(4.37, 12.39)years and the median concentration of tacrolimus 2.5(1.8, 3.9)ng/L.Eighty-three cases completed two doses of Sinovac Biotech Ltd(Sinovac Biotech Ltd group)and 40 cases Beijing Biological(Beijing Biological group); 14 cases had combined course of Sinovac Biotech Ltd and Beijing Biological, four recipients were vaccinated with inactivated vaccine from other companies and ten recipients did not know their inactivated vaccine' companies.After immunization, 24/151(15.9%)recipients had a local and general adverse reaction.The prevalence of pain at injection site, fatigue, headache and pruritus was 9.9%( n=15), 5.2%( n=8), 1.3%( n=2)and 0.7%( n=1)respectively.No significant differences existed in age( P=0.602), gender( P=0.752), period after LT( P=0.890), trough concentration of tacrolimus( P=0.377)or versions of covid-19 vaccine( P=0.582)between 24 cases with general adverse reaction and 127 without.Local and general reactions occurred in 16/83(19.3%)in Sinovac group and 5/40(12.5%)in Beijing Biological.There was no significant inter-group difference( P=0.769). There were 98 cases(64.9%)in <60 years group, 17 cases(17.3%)had local and general reaction, 53 cases(35.1%)in ≥60 years group and 7 cases(13.2%)had a local and systemic reaction.There was no significant inter-group difference( P=0.507). Conclusions:Covid-19 vaccine is safe for long-term survival LT recipients with normal liver function.Few participants present with mild fatigue and pain at injection site.

Objective:To observe the recurrence condition of hepatitis B in different risk groups after liver transplantation in an attempt to provide useful information on whether to discontinue hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) in the future at an early stage.Methods:The patient population was divided into high, low-risk, and special groups [especially primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)] according to the guidelines for the prevention and treatment of hepatitis B recurrence after liver transplantation. The recurrence condition and risk factors in this population were observed for hepatitis B. Measurement data were analyzed using a t-test and a rank-sum test. Count data were compared using a χ2 test between groups. Results:This study finally included 532 hepatitis B-related liver transplant cases. A total of 35 cases had HBV recurrence after liver transplantation, including 34 cases that were HBsAg positive, one case that was HBsAg negative, and 10 cases that were hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA positive. The overall HBV recurrence rate was 6.6%. The recurrence rate of HBV was 9.2% and 4.8% in the high- and low-risk HBV DNA positive and negative groups before surgery ( P = 0.057). Among the 293 cases diagnosed with HCC before liver transplantation, 30 had hepatitis B recurrence after surgery, with a recurrence rate of 10.2%. The independent related factors for the recurrence of hepatitis B in patients with HCC after liver transplantation were HCC recurrence ( HR =181.92, 95% CI 15.99~2 069.96, P < 0.001), a high postoperative dose of mycophenolate mofetil dispersible tablets (MMF) ( HR =5.190, 95% CI 1.289~20.889, P = 0.020), and a high dosage of HBIG ( HR = 1.012, 95% CI 1.001~1.023, P = 0.035). Among the 239 cases who were non-HCC before liver transplantation, five cases (recurrence rate of 2.1%) arouse postoperative hepatitis B recurrence. Lamivudine was used in all cases, combined with on-demand HBIG prophylaxis after surgery. There was no hepatitis B recurrence in non-HCC patients who treated with entecavir combined with HBIG after surgery. Conclusion:High-barrier-to-resistance nucleotide analogues combined with long-term HBIG have a good effect on preventing the recurrence of hepatitis B after liver transplantation. The discontinuation of HBIG may be considered at an early stage after administration of a high-barrier-to-resistance nucleotide analogue in low-risk patients. Domestically, the HBV infection rate is high, so further research is still required to explore the timing of HBIG discontinuation for high-risk patients, especially those with HCC.

Objective:To investigate the risk factors of birth weight discordance in dichorionic diamniotic (DCDA) twins.Methods:This study retrospectively analyzed 1 757 cases of DCDA twin pregnancies from 11 Chinese hospitals from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2017. Birth weight discordance was defined as ≥ 20% difference between the twins. All cases were divided into two groups: the concordant group ( n=1 520) and discordant group ( n=237). General information was compared and the high-risk factors of birth weight discordance were analyzed. Mann-Whitney U test, Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression analysis were used as statistical methods. Results:Compared with the concordant group, the discordant group showed a higher incidence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy [24.5% (58/237) vs 12.8% (194/1 520), χ2=22.882, P<0.05], fetal structural malformations [4.2% (10/237) vs 1.0% (15/1 520), χ2=15.160, P<0.05], fetal distress [6.3% (15/237) vs 1.4% (21/1 520), χ2=22.602, P<0.05], umbilical cord abnormalities [3.8% (9/237) vs 1.2% (18/1 520), χ2=7.607, P<0.05] and abnormal placental cord insertion [3.8% (9/237) vs 1.4% (21/1 520), χ2=34.904, P<0.05], but lower incidence of premature rupture of membranes [11.0% (26/237) vs 16.5% (250/1 520), χ2=4.645, P=0.034]. Logistic regression analysis showed that the independent risk factors of birth weight discordance in DCDA twins were hypertensive disorders of pregnancy ( OR=2.258, 95% CI: 1.620-3.184, P<0.001), fetal structural malformations ( OR=4.268, 95% CI: 1.892-9.631, P<0.001), umbilical cord abnormalities ( OR=2.889, 95% CI: 1.245-6.705, P=0.014) and abnormal placental cord insertion ( OR=2.318, 95% CI: 1.012-5.311, P=0.047). Conclusions:Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, fetal structural malformations, umbilical cord abnormalities and abnormal placental cord insertion may be the risk factors of birth weight discordance in DCDA twins.

OBJECTIVETo explore the correlation between polymorphism of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) -765G>C and susceptibility to colorectal cancer.

METHODSAll eligible case-control studies published up to March 2013 were searched out from PubMed, EMABSE, CJFD, CBM, CNKI, VIP and WanFang databases, while 99 articles were concluded. Two reviewers independently identified the literature according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.1 and Stata 12.0 software.

RESULTSA total of eleven studies comprising 3432 cases and 5286 controls were finally included. The included studies showed good homogeneity in the three genetic models, except the model of GC/GG genotype (I(2) = 52%, P = 0.03). Overall, there were no significant association between polymorphism of COX-2-765G>C and the susceptibility to colorectal cancer (dominant model: (GC+CC)/GG: OR = 1.08, 95%CI:0.96-1.21; recessive model:CC/(GC+GG): OR = 1.09, 95%CI:0.76-1.56; GC/GG: OR = 1.05, 95%CI:0.87-1.28; CC/GG: OR = 1.11, 95%CI:0.77-1.60). In stratification analysis by ethnicity, we observed that the polymorphism of COX-2 -765G>C could increase the susceptibility to colorectal cancer among yellow populations ((GC+CC)/GG: OR = 1.41, 95%CI:1.15-1.75; GC/ GG: OR = 1.48, 95%CI:1.15-1.90), but there was no significant association found among Caucasian populations.

CONCLUSIONThis meta-analysis suggested that the polymorphism of COX-2 -765G>C may increase the susceptibility to colorectal cancer in the yellow population.

Case-Control Studies ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; genetics ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; genetics ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Risk Factors

Objective:To develop and validate a useful predictive model for large gestational age (LGA) in pregnancy using a machine learning (ML) algorithm and compare its performance with the traditional logistic regression model.Methods:Data were obtained from the National Free Preconception Health Examination Project in China, carried out in 220 counties of 31 provinces from 2010 to 2012, covering all rural couples with a planned pregnancy. This study included all teams of childbearing age who delivered newborns within 24-42 weeks of gestational age and their newborns. Ten different ML algorithms were used to establish LGA prediction models, and the prediction performance of these models was evaluated.Results:A total of 104 936 newborns were included, including 54 856 boys (52.3%) and 50 080 girls (47.7%). The incidence of LGA was 11.7% (12 279). The imbalance between the two groups was addressed by the under- sampling technique, after which the overall performance of the ML models was significantly improved. The CatBoost model achieved the highest area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve (AUC) value of 0.932. The logistic regression model had the worst performance, with an AUC of 0.555.Conclusions:In predicting the risk for LGA in pregnancy, the ML algorithms outperform the traditional logistic regression method. Compared to other ML algorithms, CatBoost could improve the performance, and it deserves further investigation.