Contributions of individual qSOFA elements to assessment of severity and for prediction of mortality.

Background: The quick sequential [sepsis-related] organ failure assessment (qSOFA) acts as a prompt to consider possible sepsis. The contributions of individual qSOFA elements to assessment of severity and for prediction of mortality remain unknown.

Methods: A total of 3974 patients with community-acquired pneumonia were recruited to an observational prospective cohort study.

Updating cut-off values of severity scoring systems for community-acquired pneumonia to orchestrate more predictive accuracy.

The assessment of severity is crucial in the management of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). It remains unknown whether updating cut-off values of severity scoring systems orchestrate improvement in predictive accuracy. 3,212 patients with CAP were recruited to two observational prospective cohort studies.

Transcriptome analysis highlights the role of ferroptosis in palmitic acid-induced endothelial dysfunction.

Background: Palmitic acid (PA) has a lipotoxic effect on blood vessels, leading to endothelial dysfunction and cell death. The underlying mechanisms are not yet fully understood.

Aim: We sought to investigate the effects of PA on endothelial cells, with an emphasis on ferroptosis.

LncRNA TUG1 promotes pulmonary fibrosis progression via up-regulating CDC27 and activating PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal interstitial lung disease with an unclear pathogenesis. This study aimed to elucidate the function and potential mechanisms of TUG1 in IPF progression. Cell viability and migration were detected by CCK-8 and transwell assays.

Icariside Ⅱ Attenuates Palmitic Acid-Induced Endothelial Dysfunction Through SRPK1-Akt-eNOS Signaling Pathway.

Endothelial dysfunction is commonly accompanied by a reduced capacity for nitric oxide (NO) production and decreased NO sensitivity, playing a central role in numerous vascular diseases. Saturated free fatty acids are known to reduce NO production and then induce endothelial dysfunction. Alternative splicing participates in the regulation of cellular and tissular homeostasis and is highly regulated by serine-arginine protein kinase (SRPK1).

Enhanced Strength and Plasticity of CoCrNiAlSi Medium Entropy Alloy via Deformation Twinning and Microband at Cryogenic Temperature.

The synthesis of lightweight yet strong-ductile materials has been an imperative challenge in alloy design. In this study, the CoCrNi-based medium-entropy alloys (MEAs) with added Al and Si were manufactured by vacuum arc melting furnace subsequently followed by cool rolling and anneal process. The mechanical responses of CoCrNiAlSi MEAs under quasi-static (1 × 10 s) tensile strength showed that MEAs had an outstanding balance of yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and elongation.

Proteomic analysis and miRNA profiling of human testicular endothelial cell-derived exosomes: the potential effects on spermatogenesis.

Testicular endothelial cells have been found to play an important role in spermatogenesis and fertility, but their mechanism is obscure. Exosomes released by various cells are recognized as cell-cell communication mediators during the initiation and progression of many diseases. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the protein and miRNA components of human testicular endothelial cell-derived exosomes (HTEC-Exos) and to explore their potential effects on spermatogenesis.

qSOFA predicted pneumonia mortality better than minor criteria and worse than CURB-65 with robust elements and higher convergence.

Background: Limited data are available on the discriminatory capacity of quick sequential [sepsis-related] organ failure assessment (qSOFA) versus IDSA/ATS minor criteria for predicting mortality in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Methods: An observational prospective cohort study of 2116 patients with CAP was performed. Construct validity was determined using Cronbach α.

[Spatio-temporal Evolution of PM Concentration During 2000-2019 in China].

An ensemble estimation model of PM concentration was proposed on the basis of extreme gradient boosting, gradient boosting, random forest model, and stacking model fusion technology. Measured PM data, MERRA-2 AOD and PM reanalysis data, meteorological parameters, and night light data sets were used. On this basis, the spatiotemporal evolution features of PM concentration in China during 2000-2019 were analyzed at monthly, seasonal, and annual temporal scales.

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation for cancer pain in children with osteosarcoma: A protocol of systematic review.

Background: This systematic review will assess the effectiveness and safety neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) for cancer pain (CP) in children with osteosarcoma.

Methods: This systematic review protocol will retrieve the following electronic databases from inception to June 1 in Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, CNKI, and VIP database. Manual head-searching of reference lists and conference proceedings will be performed to further examine the articles of interest.

Effectiveness of electroacupuncture (EA) for the treatment of urinary incontinence (UI) in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI): A protocol of systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Background: The objective of this study is to examine the effectiveness and safety of electroacupuncture (EA) in the treatment of urinary incontinence (UI) in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods: All potential studies will be retrieved from the electronic databases of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, Web of Science, CBM, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from origin of each database up to January 31, 2020. Additionally, we will check other resources, such as Google scholar, dissertations, conference proceedings, and reference lists of included studies.

Effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave for post-stroke shoulder-hand syndrome: A protocol for systematic review and meta analysis.

Background: Post-stroke shoulder-hand syndrome (PSSHS) is one of the most common sequelae in patients with stroke. Previous studies have reported that extracorporeal shock wave (EPSW) has been used to treat this condition effectively. However, its conclusions are still inconsistent.

Efficacy of intrathecal baclofen bolus on neuropathic pain in patients with spinal cord injury: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: This study will explore the efficacy and safety of intrathecal baclofen bolus (IBB) on neuropathic pain (NPP) in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods: All potential literatures of IBB on NPP in patients with SCI will be searched from the following electronic databases from inauguration to the January 31, 2020: PUBMED, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Chinese Scientific Journal Database Information, WANGFANG, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. In addition, we will search other sources, such as dissertations and reference lists of included trials.

Weighted Epworth sleepiness scale predicted the apnea-hypopnea index better.

Background: The relationship between the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) and the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) is uncertain and even poor. The major problem associated with the ESS might be a lack of consideration of weight in prediction in clinical practice. Would awarding different item-scores to the four scales of ESS items to develop a weighted ESS scoring system improve the accuracy of the AHI prediction? It is warranted to explore the intriguing hypotheses.

Effects of Deformation Texture and Grain Size on Corrosion Behavior of Mg-3Al-1Zn Alloy Sheets.

Effects of deformation texture and grain size on mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of the Mg-3Al-1Zn (AZ31) alloys were systematically investigated. The results revealed that the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and fracture elongation (FE) significantly increased from 232 to 273 MPa and 12.5 to 26.

Diagnostic Value of Galactomannan in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid for Chronic Respiratory Disease with Pulmonary Aspergillosis.

The objective of this study was to explore the diagnostic value of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid galactomannan (BALF GM) test for chronic respiratory disease with pulmonary aspergillosis and to establish the optimal cutoff value. Samples from a total of 309 chronic respiratory disease patients seen at the respiratory medicine department of Peking University Shenzhen Hospital from September 2016 to September 2019 were analyzed. According to the diagnostic criteria, we divided the patients into a case group ( = 79, comprising 25 proven cases and 54 probable cases) and a control group ( = 230).

Scored minor criteria for severe community-acquired pneumonia predicted better.

Background: Infectious Disease Society of America/American Thoracic Society (IDSA/ATS) minor criteria for severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) are of unequal weight in predicting mortality, but the major problem associated with IDSA/ATS minor criteria might be a lack of consideration of weight in prediction in clinical practice. Would awarding different points to the presences of the minor criteria improve the accuracy of the scoring system? It is warranted to explore this intriguing hypothesis.

Methods: A total of 1230 CAP patients were recruited to a retrospective cohort study.

Effect of Sn Content on the Microstructure, Mechanical Properties and Corrosion Behavior of Biodegradable Mg⁻x (1, 3 and 5 wt.%) Sn⁻1Zn⁻0.5Ca Alloys.

The microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of hot⁻rolled Mg⁻xSn⁻1Zn⁻0.5Ca (x = 1, 3 and 5 wt.%) alloys were investigated for possible application as biodegradable implants.

Priority for Treatment and Intensive Care of Patients With Non-Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia.

Background: The Infectious Disease Society of America/the American Thoracic Society (IDSA/ATS) minor criteria for severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) are of unequal weight in predicting mortality. It is unclear whether the patients with non-severe CAP meeting the minor criteria most strongly associated to mortality should have the priority for treatment and intensive care. It is warranted to explore this intriguing hypothesis.

[Effects of altitude on the reproductive characteristics of Saussurea przewalskii at the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, China.].

The paper studied the effects of altitude on reproductive characteristics in 12 populations of Saussurea przewalskii at the eastern Qinhai-Tibetan Plateau, China. The results showed that the size, reproductive organ biomass, vegetative organ biomass, capitulum number, and seed number of individual plant decreased with the increasing altitude, and the capitulum mass and hundred-grain mass increased continuously. S.

Modified IDSA/ATS Minor Criteria for Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia Best Predicted Mortality.

It is not clear whether the IDSA/ATS minor criteria for severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) could be simplified or even be modified to orchestrate improvements in predicting mortality.A retrospective cohort study of 1230 CAP patients was performed to simplify and to modify the scoring system by excluding 4 noncontributory or infrequent variables (leukopenia, hypothermia, hypotension, and thrombocytopenia) and by excluding these variables and then adding age ≥65 years, respectively. The simplification and modification were tested against a prospective 2-center validation cohort of 1409 adults with CAP.