Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Cryptosporidium bat genotype XXI and bat genotype XXII in fruit bats (Rousettus leschenaultii) inhabiting a tropical park in Hainan Province, China.

Bats stand as one of the most diverse groups in the animal kingdom and are key players in the global transmission of emerging pathogens. However, their role in transmitting Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Cryptosporidium spp. remains unclear.

Molecular prevalence and subtype distribution of Blastocystis spp. among children who have diarrheia or are asymptomatic in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.

Blastocystis sp., a significant zoonotic parasite with a global distribution, was the focus of this study, which aimed to investigate its prevalence and genetic diversity among diarrheic and asymptomatic children in Wenzhou, China. We collected 1,032 fecal samples from Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou, China, comprising 684 from children with diarrhea and 348 from asymptomatic children.

Bicanalicular-nasal silicone stent for deep canalicular laceration management.

We evaluated the efficacy and clinical outcomes of bicanalicular-nasal silicone stents for deep canalicular lacerations and their anatomical restoration advantages. This retrospective case series study included patients with deep canalicular lacerations who underwent bicanalicular-nasal silicone stent intubation between January 2010 and June 2021 at a Chinese tertiary hospital and two primary hospitals. Intra- and post-operative complications were recorded.

DIRICHLET-TREE MULTINOMIAL MIXTURES FOR CLUSTERING MICROBIOME COMPOSITIONS.

Studying the human microbiome has gained substantial interest in recent years, and a common task in the analysis of these data is to cluster microbiome compositions into subtypes. This subdivision of samples into subgroups serves as an intermediary step in achieving personalized diagnosis and treatment. In applying existing clustering methods to modern microbiome studies including the American Gut Project (AGP) data, we found that this seemingly standard task, however, is very challenging in the microbiome composition context due to several key features of such data.

Updating Urinary Microbiome Analyses to Enhance Biologic Interpretation.

Objective: An approach for assessing the urinary microbiome is 16S rRNA gene sequencing, where analysis methods are rapidly evolving. This re-analysis of an existing dataset aimed to determine whether updated bioinformatic and statistical techniques affect clinical inferences.

Methods: A prior study compared the urinary microbiome in 123 women with mixed urinary incontinence (MUI) and 84 controls.

Prevalence and characteristics of somatic symptom disorder in the elderly in a community-based population: a large-scale cross-sectional study in China.

Introduction And Objectives: The aging population is expected to reach 2 billion by 2050, but the impact of somatic symptom disorder (SSD) on the elderly has been insufficiently addressed. We aimed to clarify the prevalence of SSD in China and to identify physical and psychological differences between the elderly and non-elderly.

Methods: In this prospective multi-center study, 9020 participants aged (2206 non-elderly adults and 6814 elderly adults) from 105 communities of Shanghai were included (Assessment of Somatic Symptom in Chinese Community-Dwelling People, clinical trial number NCT04815863, registered on 06/12/2020).

Efferocytosis in the Central Nervous System.

The effective clearance of apoptotic cells is essential for maintaining central nervous system (CNS) homeostasis and restoring homeostasis after injury. In most cases of physiological apoptotic cell death, efferocytosis prevents inflammation and other pathological conditions. When apoptotic cells are not effectively cleared, destruction of the integrity of the apoptotic cell membrane integrity, leakage of intracellular contents, and secondary necrosis may occur.

Outcomes and Complications of Sutured Scleral-Fixated Foldable Intraocular Lens Implantation: A Retrospective Study of 5-Year Follow-Up.

Purpose: To evaluate long-term outcomes and complications of sutured scleral-fixated foldable intraocular lens (IOL) implantation.

Design: Retrospective study.

Methods: Patients who underwent sutured scleral-fixated foldable IOL implantation using 10-0 polypropylene suture were followed up for at least 5 years at one Chinese tertiary hospital and two primary hospitals.

The Urinary Microbiome in Postmenopausal Women with Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections.

Purpose: The etiology of postmenopausal recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) is not completely known, but the urinary microbiome is thought to be implicated. We compared the urinary microbiome in menopausal women with recurrent UTIs to age-matched controls, both in the absence of acute infection.

Materials And Methods: This is a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from 64 women enrolled in a longitudinal cohort study.

Decline of anterior cingulate functional network efficiency in first-episode, medication-naïve somatic symptom disorder and its relationship with catastrophizing.

The high prevalence of somatic symptom disorder (SSD) led to cumulative burdens to the medical system. However, the pathogenesis of this disease still remains unclear. Graph theoretical analysis discovered altered network topology across various psychiatric disorders, yet alteration in the topological structure of brain functional network in SSD patients is still unexplored.

Cardiac device implant wound closure with a novel low-density suture spacing single layer method.

Background: To establish a novel time-saving and safe suture method for cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) implantation.

Methods: From January 2017 to April 2020, a total of 1317 patients scheduled for CIED procedure were consecutively enrolled in this study. Wound closure of all patients were prospectively assigned either to low-density suture spacing single layer suture group (single-layer group) or traditional two layer suture group (two-layer group).

Identifying and measuring the severity of somatic symptom disorder using the Self-reported Somatic Symptom Scale-China (SSS-CN): a research protocol for a diagnostic study.

Introduction: The detection rate of somatic symptom disorder (SSD) in general hospitals is unsatisfactory. Self-report questionnaires that assess both somatic symptoms and psychological characteristics will improve the process of screening for SSD. The Somatic Symptom Scale-China (SSS-CN) questionnaire has been developed to meet this urgent clinical demand.

Circulating primary bile acid is correlated with structural remodeling in atrial fibrillation.

Background: Circulating primary bile acid was involved in the regulation of cardiac ionic channel currents and ventricular myocyte apoptosis, but it was unknown whether or not it played a role in structural remodeling of AF. This study was aimed to testify the hypothesis that elevated chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) concentration correlated with left atrial low voltage area (LVA) and could induce apoptosis of atrial myocytes in AF.

Methods And Results: Serum concentrations of 12 types of bile acids were determined in patients with paroxysmal (n = 21), persistent AF (n = 20), and type A pre-excitation and paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) (n = 19) and were correlated with LVA in AF, which was obtained by electroanatomical mapping during ablation.

Simvastatin inhibits inflammatory response in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages through the microRNA-22/Cyr61 axis.

Simvastatin, a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor, has been shown to improve atherosclerosis (AS) via its anti-inflammatory activity. Recently, several studies have reported the involvement of macrophages in chronic inflammation associated with AS. However, it is unknown whether macrophages participate in the anti-inflammatory activity of simvastatin in AS.

Low voltage areas in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: The prevalence, risk factors and impact on the effectiveness of catheter ablation.

Background: The prevalence, risk factors of left atrial low voltage areas (LVA) in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) and the impact of LVA on the effectiveness of circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (CPVI) were not fully clarified.

Methods: One hundred fifty patients (mean age 64.7 years, 89 males) with PAF were consecutively enrolled to undergo CPVI.

Electrophysiological features and catheter ablation of symptomatic frequent premature atrial contractions.

Aims: Frequent premature atrial contractions (PACs) are associated with increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), stroke, and death. This study aimed to explore the electrophysiological features of PACs with and without inducing AF and to evaluate the effectiveness of catheter ablation for PACs.

Methods And Results: Thirty-five consecutive patients with symptomatic, frequent, and drug-refractory PACs in the absence of AF (group A) and 35 patients with PACs-induced AF (group B) were enrolled.

Image-guided left ventricular lead placement in cardiac resynchronization therapy for patients with heart failure: a meta-analysis.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a debilitating condition that affects millions of people worldwide. One means of treating HF is cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Recently, several studies have examined the use of echocardiography (ECHO) in the optimization of left ventricular (LV) lead placement to increase the response to CRT.

A new score system for predicting response to cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Background: The aim of this study was to establish a score system derived from clinical, echocardiographic and electrocardiographic indexes and evaluate its clinical value for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) patient selection.

Methods: Ninety-three patients receiving CRT were enrolled. A patient selection score system was generated by the clinical, echocardiographic and electrocardiographic parameters achieving a significant level by univariate and multivariate Cox regression model.

A novel individualized substrate modification approach for the treatment of long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation: preliminary results.

Background: The most effective approach for long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (LPAF) ablation remained undetermined. Our goal was to explore the heterogeneous left atrial substrate in patients with LPAF and to evaluate the effectiveness of a novel individualized substrate modification (ISM) approach in LPAF ablation.

Methods: One hundred and twenty-four patients with LPAF were randomized to ISM group (n=64) or stepwise ablation (SA) group (n=60).

Beneficial effects of catheter ablation of frequent premature ventricular complexes on left ventricular function.

Background: Frequent premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) are associated with a reversible form of LV dysfunction.

Objective: We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of catheter ablation on improvement of LV function in patients with frequent PVCs.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE for cohort studies of patients who underwent catheter ablation of frequent PVCs.

Timing of early angiography in non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome.

Objectives: We aimed to determine the best time period for an early invasive intervention in non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTEACS) patients.

Background: Studies assessing the timing of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with NSTEACS have failed to generate a consensus on when PCI should be performed in such patients.

Methods: Literature searches were conducted for randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) on NSTEACS from 1970 through September 2012.

A comparison of steep and shallow needle trajectories in blind axillary vein puncture.

Background: Previously developed techniques for pacemaker lead introduction usually require some form of image guidance to facilitate the axillary vein puncture process. The existing blind vein puncture methods have not gained widespread acceptance. We aimed to investigate whether our blind vein puncture approach is effective and safe.

Midterm effects and clinical benefits of left ventricular vs biventricular pacing in heart failure.

Background: Although left ventricular pacing (LVP) leads to a greater acute hemodynamic response than does biventricular pacing (BVP), the long-term effects are diverse. We aimed to assess the efficacy of LVP and BVP in patients undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy and determine which patients would benefit more from LVP or BVP.

Methods: Randomized controlled trials that compared left and biventricular pacing were retrieved from MEDLINE and analyzed for changes in cardiac function and dimensions, cardiac resynchronization therapy response, and electromechanical effects.

The effect of bone marrow-derived cells on diastolic function and exercise capacity in patients after acute myocardial infarction.

Background: The early- to mid-term impact of bone-marrow-derived stem cells (BMC) on diastolic function and exercise capacity after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains controversial. We performed a systematic analysis to assess whether BMC transfer is related to an early improvement in diastolic function and exercise capacity after AMI.

Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of BMC therapy after AMI were extracted from MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL and analyzed for a change in tissue Doppler annular early (Ea) and late diastolic (Aa) velocities, mitral inflow E velocity to tissue Doppler Ea (E/Ea) ratio, exercise time and exercise capacity.