Differential Clinical Significance of FENO and CANO in Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and Asthma-COPD Overlap (ACO).

Purpose: To investigate the differential clinical significance of fractional concentration of exhaled nitric oxide measured at a flow rate of 200 mL/s (FENO) and concentration of nitric oxide in alveolar (CANO) in asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma-COPD Overlap (ACO).

Methods: A total of 178 patients were included, with 82 patients in asthma group, 47 patients in COPD group and 49 patients in ACO group. Data for demographic data, spirometry and exhaled nitric oxide were collected for comparative analysis, correlation analysis and discriminant canonical analysis.

Predictors of urinary heavy metal concentrations among pregnant women in Jinan, China.

Background: Toxic heavy metal exposure and insufficiency or excess of essential heavy metals may have negative effects on pregnant women's health and fetal growth. To date, the predictors of pregnant women's heavy metal exposure levels remain unclear and vary with different regions. The study intended to explore potential predictors of exposure to heavy metals individually and high co-exposure to heavy metal mixtures.

Pyruvate kinase deficiency and gene mutations: Insights from molecular dynamics simulation analysis.

Pyruvate kinase deficiency is a rare hereditary erythrocyte enzyme disease caused by mutations in the pyruvate kinase liver and red blood cell gene. The clinical presentations of pyruvate kinase deficiency are significantly heterogeneous, ranging from just mild anemia to hemolytic crisis or even death. The proband in our study was a 2-year-old girl for severe skin and scleral icterus with progressive aggravation.

Isolated dysarthria as the sole manifestation of myasthenia gravis: a case report.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an acquired autoimmune disease. Its clinical manifestations comprise ptosis, diplopia, dysarthria, dysphagia, limb weakness, and in severe cases, respiratory muscle involvement. Dysarthria as an exclusive initial and primary complaint in MG is rare and seldom reported.

HRCT quantitative analysis of airway remodeling and airway trapping in the small airway asthma phenotype and its correlation with pulmonary function.

Objectives: We aimed to explore whether large airway remodeling and small airway structural changes exist in subjects with small airway asthma phenotype and to evaluate the relationships between quantitative high-resolution computed tomography (qHRCT) parameters and lung function.

Methods: We enrolled 15 subjects with small airway asthma phenotype and 18 healthy controls. The two groups were matched by age, sex and body square area (BSA) with propensity score matching (PSM).

Clinical efficacy and imaging evaluation of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator thrombolytic therapy in patients with wake up stroke: A randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: Wake up stroke starts in sleep and is a more common form of ischemic stroke. At present, it is still controversial whether wake up stroke can be treated with thrombolytic therapy. Therefore, this study will combine imaging techniques to assess the onset time of wake up stroke patients, and to analyze the imaging characteristics of wake up stroke patients and patients suitable for thrombolytic therapy within the time window.

Listeria rhombencephalitis mimicking acute disseminated encephalomyelitis in a patient without predisposing medical conditions.

Listeria rhombencephalitis (L. rhombencephalitis) is an uncommon form of central nervous system infection caused by Listeria monocytogenes (LM). It often occurs to immunocompetent individuals.

MicroRNA‑21‑5p promotes epithelial to mesenchymal transition by targeting SRY‑box 17 in endometrial cancer.

MicroRNA (miRNA/miR)‑21‑5p has been proposed as an oncogenic miRNA in human tumors; however, the exact role of miR‑21‑5p has not been fully determined in endometrial cancer. SRY‑box 17 (SOX17) is associated with endometrial cancer development and progression; however, the regulatory mechanisms underlying SOX17 expression in endometrial cancer remain unclear. In the present study, tumor samples were collected from 160 postmenopausal women with endometrial cancer.

Neural stem cell-conditioned medium ameliorates Aβ25-35-induced damage in SH-SY5Y cells by protecting mitochondrial function.

Inhibition of amyloid β (Aβ)-induced mitochondrial damage is considered crucial for reducing the pathological damage in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We evaluated the effect of neural stem cell-conditioned medium (NSC-CDM) on Aβ25-35-induced damage in SH-SY5Y cells. An in vitro model of AD was established by treating SH-SY5Y cells with 40 µM Aβ25-35 for 24 h.

Neural Stem Cell-Conditioned Medium Ameliorated Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Rats.

Introduction: Our previous study suggested that NSC-CM (neural stem cell-conditioned medium) inhibited cell apoptosis . In addition, many studies have shown that neurotrophic factors and microparticles secreted into a conditioned medium by NSCs had neuroprotective effects. Thus, we hypothesized that NSC-CM had the capacity of protecting against cerebral I/R injury.

miR-101-3p induces autophagy in endometrial carcinoma cells by targeting EZH2.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of miR-101-3p on autophagy in endometrial carcinoma (EC) cells and the connection between miR-101-3p and EZH2.

Methods: The expression levels of miRNAs were analyzed by microarray. The expression level of autophagy related proteins was measured by western blot.

The Synergistic Neuroprotective Effects of Combined Rosuvastatin and Resveratrol Pretreatment against Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury.

Background: It is well accepted that both rosuvastatin and resveratrol exert neuroprotective effects on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury through some common pathways. Resveratrol has also been demonstrated to protect against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury through enhancing autophagy. Thus, we hypothesized that combined rosuvastatin and resveratrol pretreatment had synergistic effects on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Agrypnia excitata and obstructive apnea in a patient with fatal familial insomnia from China: A case report.

Rationale: Fatal familial insomnia (FFI) linked to a D178N/129M haplotype mutation in the PRNP gene is the most common genetic prion disease in the Han Chinese population. Here, we describe a Han Chinese patient with FFI who exhibited agrypnia excitata and obstructive apnea.

Patient Concerns: A 46-year-old man displayed involuntary movements during sleep time, snoring, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, cognitive deficit, brainstem symptoms, myoclonus and ataxia in order within 8 months.

[Comparison of functional parameters of small airways between patients with typical asthma and cough-variant asthma].

Objective: To compare the functional parameters of the small airways and clinical characteristics between patients with typical asthma (TA) and cough-variant asthma (CVA).

Methods: Forty-three newly diagnosed asthmatic patients were enrolled, including 15 with TA and positive bronchial provocation test [TA BPT(+)], 12 with TA and positive bronchial dilation test [TA BDT(+)] and 16 with CVA, and 27 healthy subjects served as the control group. All the subjects were required to complete data acquisition, asthma control test, asthma control test scale, fractional exhaled nitric oxide, airway resistance and pulmonary function tests, BPT or BDT.

Looks like Tuberculous Meningitis, But Not: A Case of Rhinocerebral Mucormycosis with Garcin Syndrome.

Rhinocerebral mucomycosis (RCM) as an emerging opportunistic, angioinvasive, and devastating fungi infection with high mortality is difficult to be diagnosed early because of the lack of specific clinical features or manifestations. Garcin syndrome is more often caused by skull base and rhinopharyngeal tumors or metastases, and basal meningitis. We reported that an aged diabetic man, involved nearly all cranial nerves (Garcin syndrome), who was at first suspected to be suffered from tuberculous meningitis, ultimately developed typically progressing RCM.

Carotid endarterectomy versus carotid angioplasty for stroke prevention: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of carotid endarterectomy (CE) compared with carotid angioplasty (CA) in preventing stroke. Whether the use of CE is more efficient in preventing stroke than CA is a matter of debate.

Methods: Data were gathered from randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effect of CE compared with CA on the risk of stroke.

Resveratrol Pretreatment Protected against Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rats via Expansion of T Regulatory Cells.

Background: It is well accepted that repetitive resveratrol (RV) pretreatment (PRC) exerts neuroprotective effect on ischemic stroke. RV was shown to be able to enhance the production of T regulatory cells (Tregs) in autoimmune diseases whereas Tregs are considered to be the cerebroprotective immunomodulator in ischemic stroke. Thus, we hypothesized whether Tregs contributed to PRC-induced neuroprotection against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury.

[Effects and significance of methacholine bronchial provocation tests and salbutamol bronchial dilation test on measurements of fractional exhaled nitric oxide in patients with asthma].

Objective: To study the effects and significance of methacholine (Mch) bronchial provocation tests and salbutamol bronchial dilation test on measurements of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) in patients with asthma.

Methods: This was a prospective study conducted between November 2014 and August 2015. A total of 135 patients with asthma visiting the respiratory clinic of Zhujiang Hospital were enrolled.

Significance of decreased serum interleukin-10 levels in the progression of cerebral infarction.

Anti-inflammatory cytokine and its serological detection may have an important role in the process of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. We investigated whether serum interleukin-10 (IL-10) is associated with cerebral infarction or not in the general population. Identified comprehensive searching was performed covering PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CISCOM, CINAHL, Google Scholar, China BioMedicine, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases.

Poor outcome of experimental ischemic stroke in type 2 diabetic rats: impaired circulating endothelial progenitor cells mobilization.

Background: It is well accepted that type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) results in the poor outcome of ischemic stroke. However, the mechanisms by which T2DM causes aggravated cerebral ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) injury are not clear. Recently, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are considered to be related with the outcome of ischemic stroke.

Targeted delivery of extracellular matrix protected against neurologic defects after focal ischemia reperfusion in rats.

Ischemic stroke is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide and characterized by defective angiogenesis. The functional sequences (RGDs, GRGDSPASSPISC) derived from fibronectin have been confirmed to augment angiogenesis in vivo and in vitro. However, delivery of peptides into the brain parenchyma has been hampered by the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB).

Theoretical investigation for the cycle reaction of N2O (x1∑+) with CO (1∑+) catalyzed by IrO(n)+ (n = 1, 2) and utilizing the energy span model to study its kinetic information.

The mechanisms of the reactions between N(2)O and CO catalyzed by IrO(n)(+) (n = 1, 2) have been investigated using B3LYP and CCSD(T) levels of theory. Spin inversion among three reaction profiles corresponding to the quintet, triplet, and singlet multiplicities was discussed by using spin-orbit coupling (SOC) calculations. The probability of electron hopping in the vicinity of the (MECP) has been calculated by the Landau-Zener-type model.

Inhibition of latrunculin-A on dexamethasone-induced fibronectin production in cultured human trabecular meshwork cells.

Aim: To determine the effects of a low dose latrunculin (LAT)-A on dexamethasone (Dex)-induced upregulation of extracellular matrix proteins fibronectin (FN) in cultured human trabecular meshwork (HTM) cells.

Methods: HTM cells were cultured to confluent and incubated with 0.4µmol/L Dex and/or 0.

Protective effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor on intracerebral hemorrhage in rat.

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a member of the cytokine family of growth factors that can protect the neurons from focal cerebral ischemia-induced injuries. The intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) has been widely observed in the clinic; however, the protective effect of G-CSF on ICH is still elusive. We found in the present study that the intraperitoneal injection of G-CSF for 5 days could improve the ICH-induced neuronal behavioral impairment measured by limb placement assay.