Helicobacter pylori and rheumatoid arthritis: Investigation of relation from traditional Chinese medicine.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune condition that predominantly affects synovial joints, manifesting with joint swelling, pain, and stiffness. In advanced stages, unchecked inflammation can inflict damage on bone and cartilage, resulting in disabilities and deformities of the joints. Additionally, systemic and extra-articular complications may arise due to the consequences of uncontrolled inflammation.

Renal venous flow in different regions of the kidney are different and reflecting different etiologies of venous reflux disorders in septic acute kidney injury: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent complication of sepsis. While impaired renal venous reflux indicates renal congestion, the relationship between AKI outcomes and hemodynamic parameters remains debated. This study aimed to investigate the utility of renal venous flow patterns in various regions of septic patients and to explore the association between hemodynamic parameters and renal function prognosis.

How I do it: far-lateral approach using a linear incision.

Background: The far-lateral approach, frequently employed by skull base surgeons, targets lesions in the ventrolateral region of the craniovertebral junction (CVJ). Although various incisions can be utilized, the linear incision is notably less invasive and more efficient. Despite its advantages, the literature lacks a comprehensive description of the technical steps involved in this approach.

A new management strategy for Hemimasticatory spasm.

Background: Hemimasticatory spasm (HMS) is an uncommon movement disorder of the trigeminal motor rootlet characterized by unilateral, involuntary, and paroxysmal contractions of the muscles of mastication. The mechanisms for HMS are still unclear, and an efficient treatment strategy still needs to be developed. This study aims to investigate the clinical features and surgical treatment of HMS.

Microvascular decompression for abducens nerve palsy associate with neurovascular conflict.

Abducens nerve palsy caused by neurovascular conflicts is rare and requires further exploration. This study aimed to investigate the clinical features and surgical outcomes of abducens palsy caused by neurovascular conflict. Twenty-six patients with abducens palsy caused by neurovascular conflict were included in present study.

Threonine attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced intestinal inflammatory responses in rabbits.

Purpose: Threonine (Thr) can be involved in the synthesis of immunoglobulins, which play the role of immune regulation, Thr also has to improve intestinal morphology, adjust the sticky protein synthesis, maintain the intestinal barrier function, etc. The experiment aimed to investigate the effects of diets supplemented with different levels of Thr on growth performance and intestinal health of rabbits under lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stress conditions.

Methods: A total of 180 healthy 35-day-old weaned New Zealand White rabbits were randomly assigned in a 2 × 3 factorial design to receive an intraperitoneal injection of 100 µg/kg BW LPS or saline and three diets with different levels of digestible threonine (0.

Advancing bamboo fiber reinforcement: A novel approach using eco-friendly plant ash alkali treatment.

This study aimed to enhance the engineering performance of bamboo fibers for use in composite materials by employing a sustainable plant ash alkali treatment. The primary objective was to improve the tensile strength, crystallinity, and thermal stability of bamboo fibers, which are known for their high specific strength, low density, and biodegradability but suffer from poor compatibility with hydrophobic matrices. The study involved treating bamboo fibers with varying concentrations of plant ash solutions (5 %, 10 %, 20 %, and 30 % by mass fraction) and comparing the results with those from conventional NaOH treatment (5 % and 10 %).

Adhesive, Stretchable, and Photothermal Antibacterial Hydrogel Dressings for Wound Healing of Infected Skin Burn at Joints.

Dressings for infectious skin burn wounds at joints should have therapeutic functions as well as high tissue-adhesion, stretching, and self-healing properties. This makes it difficult for most hydrogel dressings to simultaneously meet the above-mentioned requirements. In this study, poly(vinyl alcohol), anhydrous sodium borax, epigallocatechin gallate, and copper chloride were used to prepare a hydrogel dressing (PBEC) for the infected burn wound healing at joints.

A Qualitative Investigation into the Determinants of Unfulfilled Needs in Caregivers of Patients with Phenylketonuria.

Objective: To conduct an in-depth exploration of the factors influencing unfulfilled needs in caregivers of patients with phenylketonuria.

Methods: A rapid qualitative analysis approach was used to conduct semi-structured interviews with 16 caregivers of patients with phenylketonuria undergoing specialized dietary interventions, along with 5 medical professionals, within a designated phenylketonuria diagnosis and treatment center in Shanxi Province. Interview data were systematically organized, analyzed, and thematically extracted.

Interpreting Step-Drawdown Pumping Test Undergoing Confined-Unconfined Conversion with Well Loss.

The step-drawdown pumping test often experiences a transition from confined to unconfined conditions due to the continuously increasing pumping rate. However, the current well hydraulics model has not accurately interpreted this phenomenon. In this study, we developed an analytical solution to address the confined-unconfined conversion in step-drawdown pumping tests based on Girinskii's potential and superposition theory.

Flexible generation of azimuthally/radially polarized beams and hybrid polarized vortex beams using a thinned helical fiber grating.

An efficient method allowing the flexible generation of the azimuthally/radially polarized (AP/RP) beam and the hybrid polarized vortex (HPV) beam has been proposed and experimentally demonstrated by using a thinned helical fiber grating (T-HFG) with an intermediate period. This is the first time, to the best of our knowledge, that such three kinds of cylindrical vector beams can be flexibly generated by using only one fiber component. The proposed method provides the potential application of the HFG to not only the laser processing but also the optical manipulator and the optical tweezer.

Taurine reduces glycolysis of pig skeletal muscle by inhibiting HIF-1α signaling.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of taurine on skeletal muscle glycolysis in pigs. The results showed that dietary supplementation of taurine significantly reduced the activities of hexokinase (HK), phosphofructose kinase (PFK), and pyruvate kinase (PK) in finishing pigs. Meanwhile, taurine reduced the protein and mRNA expression levels of hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and the mRNA expression of glycolytic enzyme related genes (such as HK type II, HK Ⅱ; pyruvate kinase M2, PKM2; lactate dehydrogenase A, LDHA).

Anticancer effects of tanshinone IIA in bladder urothelial carcinoma by down-regulating aurora A, HIF-1α and Bcl-2 both in vitro and in vivo.

The mechanisms of the anticancer effect of Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) on Bladder urothelial carcinoma (BUC) remain mostly unknown. In this study, BUC T24 cells were treated with Tan IIA at different concentrations and durations. The apoptosis, proliferation and invasion of T24 cells were evaluated using MTT assays, Annexin V-FITC Staining, Hoechst staining and Trans well assay.