Objective To investigate the risk factors for bronchopulmonary dysplasia(BPD)in twin preterm infants with a gestational age of<34 weeks,and to provide a basis for early identification of BPD in twin preterm infants in clinical practice.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the twin preterm infants with a gestational age of<34 weeks who were admitted to 22 hospitals nationwide from January 2018 to December 2020.According to their conditions,they were divided into group A(both twins had BPD),group B(only one twin had BPD),and group C(neither twin had BPD).The risk factors for BPD in twin preterm infants were analyzed.Further analysis was conducted on group B to investigate the postnatal risk factors for BPD within twins.Results A total of 904 pairs of twins with a gestational age of<34 weeks were included in this study.The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that compared with group C,birth weight discordance of>25%between the twins was an independent risk factor for BPD in one of the twins(OR=3.370,95%CI:1.500-7.568,P<0.05),and high gestational age at birth was a protective factor against BPD(P<0.05).The conditional logistic regression analysis of group B showed that small-for-gestational-age(SGA)birth was an independent risk factor for BPD in individual twins(OR=5.017,95%CI:1.040-24.190,P<0.05).Conclusions The development of BPD in twin preterm infants is associated with gestational age,birth weight discordance between the twins,and SGA birth.

Hypertension is a risk factor for a variety of cardiovascular diseases, which is an important public health problem in the world today. MiRNAs are a class of highly conserved non-coding small RNAs. In recent years, studies have found that miRNAs are involved in the occurrence and development of hypertension through a variety of ways, causing damage to the important target organs of hypertension, such as heart, brain and kidney. This article reviews the research progress of miRNA in hypertension in recent years, in order to clarify its role in the process of hypertension and target organ damage, and provide ideas for exploring new therapeutic targets of hypertension.

Objective: To explore the performance of a self-made venous-venous bypass (VVB) device for liver transplantation based on the principle of magnetic levitation drive. Methods: Experimental study was conducted from August 2020 to January 2022. Eight Bama minipigs underwent VVB of hepatic portal vein-femoral vein-internal jugular vein after occlusion of hepatic portal vein and inferior vena cava. The animals were divided into two groups according to the VVB devices used during VVB. A self-made VVB device was used in group A(n=5),and an imported VVB device was used in group B(n=3). The hemodynamic changes of the two groups of animals were compared at 6 time points including before vascular occlusion, during vascular occlusion, 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes after the start of VVB, and 30 minutes after vascular opening. In addition,the changes of blood compatibility indexes,intestinal injury indexes,kidney injury indexes and internal environment indexes of the two groups of animals at each time point were compared. The independent samples t test was used for the quantitative data between the two groups with non-repeated measures,and the repeated measures analysis of variance was used for the quantitative data between the two groups with repeated measures. Results: During the VVB of the two devices,the venous drainage was sufficient,and the main manifestations were that the color of the intestine of the Bama miniature pig was ruddy, the peristalsis was normal, and the urine output was normal. There were no significant differences in hemodynamics,blood injure indexes,intestinal injury indexes,kidney injury indexes,neutropil gelatinase-associated lipocalin,and internal environment indexes(all P>0.05).The indexes at 30 minutes after vascular opening in the group A and the group B were as follows:mean arterial pressure were (71.0±7.7)mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) and (74.0±8.7)mmHg,central venous pressure were (7.0±1.4)cmH₂O(1 cmH₂O=0.098 kPa) and (7.7±0.6)cmH₂O,heart rate were (131±10) beats/minutes and (132±8)beats/minutes; red blood cell count were (6.43±0.89)×10¹²/L and (6.32±0.58)×10¹²/L,hemoglobin were (108.4±5.9)g/L and (110.0±3.5)g/L,free hemoglobin were (78.28±3.96)mg/L and (78.08±4.54)mg/L; intestinal fatty acid binding protein were (2.27±0.49)μg/L and (2.40±0.78)μg/L;creatinine were (68.30±9.77)μmol/L and (79.90±26.91)μmol/L,blood urea nitrogen were (3.94±1.39)mmol/L and (3.45±0.65)mmol/L;neutropil gelatinase-associated lipocalin were (4.02±0.53) μg/L and (3.86±0.23)μg/L;pH value were 7.27±0.04 and 7.23±0.03,lactic acid were (6.18±2.62)mmol/L and (4.30±0.50)mmol/L,concentrations of Na⁺ were (136.3±3.0)mmol/L and (137.6±1.6) mmol/L,concentrations of K⁺ were (3.89±0.42) mmol/L and (3.98±0.17)mmol/L,concentrations of Ca²⁺ were (1.40±0.03)mmol/L and(1.40±0.04)mmol/L;all indexes in the two group had no differences(all P>0.05). Conclusion: The self-made venous bypass device can be safely and effectively applied to VVB of Bama minipigs,and achieves the same performance as the imported venous bypass device.
Animals ; Creatinine ; Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins ; Gelatinases ; Lactic Acid ; Lipocalins ; Liver Transplantation ; Magnetic Phenomena ; Portal Vein/surgery* ; Swine ; Swine, Miniature

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of the frequency of bowel movement for the patients with chronic severe functional constipation treated with acupuncture so as to provide the evidence for the clinical decision. METHODS: In this study, 813 patients with chronic severe functional constipation treated with acupuncture in two previous randomized controlled trials were included. Through the anchor-based method (anchored by the item 28 "satisfaction with previous treatment" of the patient assessment of constipation-quality of life [PAC-QOL]) and the distribution-based method, the MCID of the weekly frequency of complete spontaneous bowel movement (CSBM) and spontaneous bowel movement (SBM) was analyzed statistically in the patients. RESULTS: The MCID of the mean weekly frequency of CSBM and SBM was 1.3 times and 1.6 times in patients with chronic severe functional constipation treated with acupuncture, respectively. CONCLUSION The mean increase of the weekly CSMB is ≥ 1.3 times and that of SBM is ≥ 1.6 times after treatment when compared with the baseline respectively, suggesting the clinical significance.
Humans ; Quality of Life ; Minimal Clinically Important Difference ; Treatment Outcome ; Constipation/therapy* ; Acupuncture Therapy

OBJECTIVE: To explore the transcriptional gene expression profile up-regulated in human macrophages stimulated by interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and the underlying intracellular signaling mechanisms. METHODS: RNA-seq was used to sequence and compare the differential gene expression profiles of human macrophage cell line U937 before and after IFN-γ stimulation, and the significantly up-regulated genes were screened out, which were verified by fluorescence-based real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in U937 and THP1 cell lines, respectively. JAK/STAT, MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKT pathway inhibitors were added to simultaneously to the cultured U937 cells upon IFN-γ priming to detect their effects on the expressions of the up-regulated genes to explore the key regulatory mechanisms. RESULTS: RNA-seq and qPCR results showed that, the well-recognized chemokines CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL11, the APOL family including APOL1, APOL2, APOL3, APOL4, APOL6 and GBP family GBP1, GBP2, GBP3, GBP4 and GBP5 as well were significantly up-regulated in IFN-γ-stimulated U937 cells. JAK/STAT3 pathway inhibitor inhibited the upregulation of APOL1, APOL4, GBP1, GBP4 and GBP5 genes induced by IFN-γ, while MAPK/ERK pathway inhibitor inhibited the upregulation of CXCL10 gene. PI3K/AKT pathway inhibitor inhibited the upregulation of APOL1,APOL4, APOL6, GBP1 and GBP5 genes induced by IFN-γ, all three signal pathway inhibitors could inhibit the upregulation of CXCL9 gene, and none of them could inhibit the upregulation of APOL3 gene. CONCLUSION Upon IFN-γ stimulation, some family molecules of APOL and GBP in macrophages are significantly up-regulated, and PI3K/AKT, JAK/STAT3 and MAPK/ERK pathways have positive regulation on their expressions, respectively.
Apolipoprotein L1/pharmacology* ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma/pharmacology* ; Macrophages/metabolism* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) fusions represent the second most common oncogenic driver mutation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). As the new class of 3rd generation of ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), lorlatinib has shown robust potency and brain-penetrant clinical activity against a wide spectrum of multiple resistance mutations within the ALK domain detected during crizotinib and 2nd generation ALK TKI treatment. Lorlatinib is generally well-tolerated with unique adverse drug reaction/adverse event, including hyperlipidemia and central nervous system effects, which are mostly mild to moderate severity and manageable through dosage modifications and/or standard medical intervention. For advanced NSCLC with ALK positivity, patients should be evaluated for baseline characteristics and pre-existing medication, informed of the potential toxicities, and periodically monitored to balance benefits and risks. Moreover, a multidisciplinary group of experts is essential to establish a comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic strategy.
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Aminopyridines ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology* ; China ; Consensus ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/genetics* ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Lactams ; Lactams, Macrocyclic/adverse effects* ; Lung Neoplasms/pathology* ; Protein Kinase Inhibitors/adverse effects* ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/genetics* ; Pyrazoles

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is emerging as a global health threat and shows a higher risk for men than women. Thus far, the studies on andrological consequences of COVID-19 are limited. To ascertain the consequences of COVID-19 on sperm parameters after recovery, we recruited 41 reproductive-aged male patients who had recovered from COVID-19, and analyzed their semen parameters and serum sex hormones at a median time of 56 days after hospital discharge. For longitudinal analysis, a second sampling was obtained from 22 of the 41 patients after a median time interval of 29 days from first sampling. Compared with controls who had not suffered from COVID-19, the total sperm count, sperm concentration, and percentages of motile and progressively motile spermatozoa in the patients were significantly lower at first sampling, while sperm vitality and morphology were not affected. The total sperm count, sperm concentration, and number of motile spermatozoa per ejaculate were significantly increased and the percentage of morphologically abnormal sperm was reduced at the second sampling compared with those at first in the 22 patients examined. Though there were higher prolactin and lower progesterone levels in patients at first sampling than those in controls, no significant alterations were detected for any sex hormones examined over time following COVID-19 recovery in the 22 patients. Although it should be interpreted carefully, these findings indicate an adverse but potentially reversible consequence of COVID-19 on sperm quality.
Adult ; Asthenozoospermia/virology* ; COVID-19/physiopathology* ; China ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones/blood* ; Humans ; Male ; Progesterone/blood* ; Prolactin/blood* ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Semen/physiology* ; Semen Analysis ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa/physiology* ; Time Factors

Urea transporters (UT) play a vital role in the mechanism of urine concentration and are recognized as novel targets for the development of salt-sparing diuretics. Thus, UT inhibitors are promising for development as novel diuretics. In the present study, a novel UT inhibitor with a diarylamide scaffold was discovered by high-throughput screening. Optimization of the inhibitor led to the identification of a promising preclinical candidate,

Objective To understand the prevalence and risk factors of Blastocystis hominis infection in inpatients in Jiangjin District, Chongqing City. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in a community hospital in Jiangjin District, Chongqing City, and the inpatients were surveyed by questionnaires. After obtaining the informed consent from the inpatients or legal guardians, the stool and blood samples were collected and examined by microscopy and PCR from April 17 to May 1, 2018. The univariate analysis and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the risk factors of the B. hominis infection. Results A total of 198 hospitalized patients were investigated, and the infection rate of B. hominis was 10.61% (21/198), and the infection rate of the females (12.10%) was higher than that of the males (8.11%), but the difference was not statistically significant. The highest rate of infection was 19.23% in the age group of 10 to 20 years, followed by 17.74% in the age group of 60 years and above, and the lowest rate was 2.38% in the age group of 20 to 40 years. The difference in infection rates of B. hominis among the different age groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The infection rate of B. hominis in the people who used dry pail latrines was 33.30%, which was higher than that of the people who used water flush toilets (9.10%) (P < 0.05). The genotypes of B. hominis were ST1, ST3, ST6 and ST7, and ST6 and ST3 being the most predominant genotypes which accounted for 47.62% (10/21) and 38.10% (8/21) respectively, and among the infected males, the genotypes were only ST3 and ST6. The multiple logistic regression analysis showed that among the factors affecting B. hominis infection, only keeping pets was a risk factor [OR = 3.798, 95% CI (1.245, 11.581), P < 0.05]. Conclusion A high prevalence of B. hominis infection is found in the inpatients in Jiangjin District, Chongqing City, the predominant genotypes are ST6 and ST3, and keeping pets may be one of the main risk factors.

Objective To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of Blastocystis hominis infections among patients with HIV/AIDS in Fuyang City, Anhui Province. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Fuyang City, Anhui Province in 2016. The demographic and socioeconomic status, and the lifestyle and production style were collected using a questionnaire survey. B. hominis DNA was detected in subjects’stool samples using a PCR assay, and the CD4+ T lymphocyte count and HIV viral load were measured in the subjects’ blood samples. The risk factors of B. hominis infections among patients with HIV/AIDS were identified using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results A total of 398 HIV/AIDS patients were enrolled in this study, with a mean age of 49.3 years, a mean body weight of 55.9 kg and a mean height of 164.4 cm. The prevalence of B. hominis infection was 6.78% in the study subjects, and no gender- (χ² = 1.589, P = 0.207), education level- (χ² =0.508, P = 0.776), marital status- (χ² = 0.419, P = 0.811) or occupation-specific prevalence (χ² = 2.744, P = 0.615) was detected. Among the patients with HIV/AIDS, there were no significant differences in the age (t = 0.370, P = 0.712), height (t = 1.587, P =0.113), body weight (t = 0.516, P = 0.606), CD4⁺ T lymphocyte count (t = 1.187, P = 0.230) or HIV viral load (t = 0.193, P =0.496) between B. hominis-infected and uninfected individuals. Dinking non-tap water [OR = 6.554, 95% CI: (1.876 to 22.903)] and keeping dogs [OR = 5.895, 95% CI: (2.017 to 17.225)] were identified as risk factors for B. hominis infection in patients with HIV/AIDS. Conclusion The prevalence of B. hominis infection is high in HIV/AIDS patients, and drinking non-tap water and keeping dogs are risk factors for B. hominis infection among HIV/AIDS patients.