Correlation between circulating lipoprotein(a) levels and cardiovascular events risk in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: High circulatory lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] concentration promotes atherosclerosis; however, its efficacy in predicting the extent of atherosclerotic coronary heart disease (CHD) with coronary artery obstruction and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in diabetic patients remains questionable. This study aimed to examine whether elevated circulating Lp(a) levels exacerbate CHD and to assess their utility in predicting MACEs in individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: In total, 4332 patients diagnosed with T2DM who underwent coronary angiography (CAG) were included and categorized into two groups (CHD and non-CHD) based on the CAG results.

Efficacy of acellular fish skin graft in the management of chronic ulcer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The wounds failing to heal through a timely and orderly standard of care (SOC) treatment are considered as chronic wounds, which add significant burden to healthcare systems around the world. SOC treatment has been commonly applied for management of chronic wounds, but SOC alone may not be adequate to heal all ulcers effectively. Fish skin graft (FSG) is a xenogenic skin substitute which could be used for accelerating skin healing.

Association between serum PCSK9 and coronary heart disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background And Aims: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is considered a new biomarker for atherosclerosis, but its ability to predict cardiovascular outcomes has been controversial. This study aimed to address the lack of data on PCSK9, coronary heart disease (CHD) severity, and major cardiovascular events (MACEs) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: A total of 2984 T2DM patients underwent selective coronary angiography, and their serum PCSK9 levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

[Metabolomic changes of neonatal sepsis: an exploratory clinical study].

Objectives: To study the metabolic mechanism of neonatal sepsis at different stages by analyzing the metabolic pathways involving the serum metabolites with significant differences in neonates with sepsis at different time points after admission.

Methods: A total of 20 neonates with sepsis who were hospitalized in the Department of Neonatology, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, from January 1, 2019 to January 1, 2020 were enrolled as the sepsis group. Venous blood samples were collected on days 1, 4, and 7 after admission.

A novel prescribed performance controller for strict-feedback nonlinear systems with input constraints.

This paper is devoted to the prescribed performance control (PPC) for a class of strict-feedback nonlinear systems with input saturation constraints. With the help of an improved tuning function, the system can achieve the desired steady-state and transient performance in the pre-designed time. A new error transformation function is introduced, which has inherent robustness, so it does not need to use any approximation technique or calculate the analytical derivative.

Meta-Analysis of Preventive and Therapeutic Effects of Ligustrazine on Airway Remodeling in Asthmatic Rats.

Objective: To assess the effect of ligustrazine on airway remodeling in asthmatic rats.

Methods: To collect studies on the effects of ligustrazine on airway remodeling in asthmatic rat models, PubMed, Embase, CBM, Cochrane, Chinese Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP, and Wanfang data (WANFANG) were searched using a computer. Two investigators independently screened the literature, extracted the data, and assessed the methodological quality by complying with the inclusion criteria.

Elevated lipoprotein(a) and genetic polymorphisms in the LPA gene may predict cardiovascular events.

Elevated lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD), but there are few studies on the prediction of future cardiovascular events by Lp(a) and its LPA single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The aim of this study was to investigate whether elevated Lp(a) and its SNPs can predict cardiovascular events. We evaluated whether Lp(a) and LPA SNPs rs6415084 and rs12194138 were associated with the incidence rate and severity of CHD.

Disease-induced changes in plant microbiome assembly and functional adaptation.

Background: The plant microbiome is an integral part of the host and increasingly recognized as playing fundamental roles in plant growth and health. Increasing evidence indicates that plant rhizosphere recruits beneficial microbes to the plant to suppress soil-borne pathogens. However, the ecological processes that govern plant microbiome assembly and functions in the below- and aboveground compartments under pathogen invasion are not fully understood.

Elevated Serum Small Dense Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol May Increase the Risk and Severity of Coronary Heart Disease and Predict Cardiovascular Events in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Background: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a common and severe complication in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. Increased amount of circulatory small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (sdLDL-C) particles is known to be a sign of dyslipidemia and can result in atherosclerosis. However, the association between serum sdLDL-C levels and CHD in T2DM patients remains unclear.

[Dyspnea and ventilator dependence after birth in a full-term female infant].

A female infant, aged 43 days, had shortness of breath, cyanosis, groan, and dyspnea since birth. Physical examination showed cyanosis of lips and three-concave sign, and multiple lung imaging examinations showed diffuse ground-glass opacities in both lungs. The girl was given anti-infective therapy and continuous mechanical ventilation but there were no significant improvements in symptoms.

[Application of magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging in bilirubin-induced neurological dysfunction in neonates].

Objective: To study the value of fractional anisotropy (FA) of regions of interest (ROI) on magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in bilirubin-induced neurological dysfunction in neonates.

Methods: A total of 91 neonates with hyperbilirubinemia who were hospitalized from January 2017 to January 2018 were enrolled. According to the peak level of total serum bilirubin, they were divided into three groups: mild/moderate increase (n=45), severe increase (n=35), and extremely severe increase (n=11).

[A multicenter survey of antibiotic use in very and extremely low birth weight infants in Hunan Province].

Objective: To investigate the current status of antibiotic use for very and extremely low birth weight (VLBW/ELBW) infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) of Hunan Province.

Methods: The use of antibiotics was investigated in multiple level 3 NICUs of Hunan Province for VLBW and ELBW infants born between January, 2017 and December, 2017.

Results: The clinical data of 1 442 VLBW/ELBW infants were collected from 24 NICUs in 2017.

[Twin girls infected with SARS-CoV-2].

This article reports the diagnosis and treatment of twin girls who were diagnosed with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in Hunan Province, China. The twin girls, aged 1 year and 2 months, were admitted on January 29, 2020 due to fever for one day and cough and sneezing for two days respectively. Both recovered after symptomatic treatment.

Differences of TNF-α, IL-6 and Gal-3 in lobar pneumonia and bronchial pneumonia caused by mycoplasma pneumoniae.

Objective: To investigate the differences of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and galectin-3 concentrations in lobar pneumonia and bronchopneumonia induced by mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) in children and to explore these related factors predicting the severity of MP.

Methods: A total of 148 children with mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) and 32 healthy controls were analyzed from March 2017 to August 2018 in our province. Clinical information was collected from the hospitalized MP patients.

MUC1 gene silencing inhibits proliferation, invasion, and migration while promoting apoptosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells.

The aim of the present study is to investigate the role of RNA interference in the inhibition of MUC1 gene expression in occurrence and metastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and its in-depth mechanisms. The OSCC and normal oral mucosa tissues, as well as normal oral epithelial cell line HOK and OSCC cell line SCC-4, Cal-27, TSCCA, Tca8113 were obtained to detect the expression of MUC1. Slug expression in OSCC and normal oral mucosa tissues was also determined.

The detection of bacterial infections in leukemia patients using procalcitionin levels.

Bacteremic infections are the most common complications in patients with leukemia. This study aimed to assess the value of procalctionin levels in the detection of bacterial infections in leukemia patients. Blood samples of in-patients with leukemia were collected.

[Current status and perspective on research against Fusarium head blight in wheat].

Wheat is one of the most important food crops in China and worldwide. Wheat production is facing the stresses of different diseases including Fusarium head blight (FHB) which is more and more serious recently and leading to highly concerns. Unremitting efforts have been made on Fusarium head blight resistance breeding and comprehensive control technology development.

Efficacy of combined orthodontic-periodontic treatment for patients with periodontitis and its effect on inflammatory cytokines: A comparative study.

Introduction: In this study, we aimed to investigate the efficacy of combined orthodontic-periodontic treatment in the treatment of patients with periodontitis and its effects on the levels of inflammatory cytokines.

Methods: A total of 117 patients with periodontitis were randomly assigned to the basic group (receiving basic periodontic treatment, n = 58) and the combined group (receiving combined orthodontic-periodontic treatment, n = 59). In addition, 52 healthy people without periodontal disease were selected as the normal group.

Serum anti-PLA2R antibody and glomerular PLA2R deposition in Chinese patients with membranous nephropathy: A cross-sectional study.

M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) is the major target antigen in primary membranous nephropathy (PMN). Previous studies have evaluated the diagnostic value of serum anti-PLA2R antibody. However, the correlation of serum anti-PLA2R antibody and glomerular PLA2R deposition, and their association with clinical characteristics need to be further evaluated.

Facilitating terminal discharge: fulfilling the hospitalised patient's wish for home death in the final hours.

Background: Terminal discharge (TD) is the rapid discharge of a hospitalised patient when death is imminent. Its time-limited nature makes it challenging, particularly for ward nurses.

Aim: To report the development of a structured TD framework, and determine if the framework can expedite TD processes and improve nurses' experience in conducting TDs.

gene expression and its methylation level in colorectal cancer tissues.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the gene expression and its methylation level in colorectal cancer tissues, as well as the association with colorectal cancer clinical data. In total, 54 cases of colorectal cancer tissue samples and normal adjacent tissue samples were collected between June, 2013 and July, 2014. RT-PCR and western blot analysis were used to detect the mRNA and protein levels of PAQR3 in colorectal samples, respectively.

Molecular Characterization of Three GIBBERELLIN-INSENSITIVE DWARF2 Homologous Genes in Common Wheat.

F-box protein is a core component of the ubiquitin E3 ligase SCF complex and is involved in the gibberellin (GA) signaling pathway. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of GA signaling in wheat, three homologous GIBBERELLIN-INSENSITIVE DWARF2 genes, TaGID2s, were isolated from the Chinese Spring wheat variety. A subcellular localization assay in onion epidermal cells and Arabidopsis mesophyll protoplasts showed that TaGID2s are localized in the nuclei.

[Risk factors for congenital anal atresia].

Objective: To investigate the risk factors for the development of congenital anal atresia in neonates.

Methods: A total of 70 neonates who were admitted to 17 hospitals in Foshan, China from January 2011 to December 2014 were enrolled as case group, and another 70 neonates who were hospitalized during the same period and had no anal atresia or other severe deformities were enrolled as control group. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the risk factors for the development of congenital anal atresia.