Impact of serial clinical swallow evaluations and feeding interventions on growth and feeding outcomes in children with long-gap esophageal atresia after anastomosis: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Children undergoing surgical anastomosis for long-gap esophageal atresia (LGEA) often suffer from complications related to delayed oral feeding, which may impair their early development. Clinical swallow evaluation (CSE) is an effective technique to improve feeding outcomes. However, there are limited evidences on the application of CSE in these children.

Reconstruction of Defects After Oral Cancer Surgery With the Superior Thyroid Artery Perforator Flap.

Objective: The superior thyroid artery perforator flap (STAPF) was previously presented as a type of locoregional pedicled flap for lateral facial and temple defects. In this study, we aimed to present our clinical experience with this flap for the reconstruction of soft tissue defects after oral cancer surgery.

Methods: From February 2019 to December 2022, 24 patients with oral cancers at the School and Hospital of Stomatology, Peking University were included.

Nerve Growth Factor/Tyrosine Kinase A Receptor Pathway Enhances Analgesia in an Experimental Mouse Model of Bone Cancer Pain by Increasing Membrane Levels of δ-Opioid Receptors.

Background: The role of nerve growth factor (NGF)/tyrosine kinase A receptor (TrKA) signaling, which is activated in a variety of pain states, in regulating membrane-associated δ-opioid receptor (mDOR) expression is poorly understood. The hypothesis was that elevated NGF in bone cancer tumors could upregulate mDOR expression in spinal cord neurons and that mDOR agonism might alleviate bone cancer pain.

Methods: Bone cancer pain (BCP) was induced by inoculating Lewis lung carcinoma cells into the femoral marrow cavity of adult C57BL/6J mice of both sexes.

Contribution of and the HLA Genes to Biliary Atresia Risk in Chinese.

Nonsyndromic biliary atresia (BA) is a rare polygenic disease, with autoimmunity, virus infection and inflammation thought to play roles in its pathogenesis. We conducted a genome-wide association study in 336 nonsyndromic BA infants and 8900 controls. Our results validated the association of rs17095355 in with BA risk (odds ratio (OR) = 1.

Association analysis and functional follow-up identified common variants of accounting for risk to biliary atresia.

Biliary atresia (BA) is a destructive, obliterative cholangiopathy characterized by progressive fibro-inflammatory disorder and obliteration of intra- and extrahepatic bile ducts. The () gene mutations have been found in some isolated BA cases. We aim to explore the association of common variants in with isolated BA risk in the Chinese Han population.

Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals the heterogeneity and microenvironment in one adenoid cystic carcinoma sample.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is one of the most common malignancy of the major salivary glands with a high recurrence rate and poor prognosis. Determining tumor heterogeneity and factors in the microenvironment may provide novel therapeutic targets for ACC. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing of one ACC sample and normal salivary gland tissues from a patient to analyze tumor heterogeneity, immunosuppressive landscape, and intercellular communication networks.

Transcriptomic insights into adenoid cystic carcinoma via RNA sequencing.

The aim of this study was to investigate the underlying mechanisms of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) at the transcriptome level. We obtained paired tumor and normal salivary gland tissues from 15 ACC patients, which were prepared for RNA sequencing. Gene enrichment analysis revealed that the upregulated pathways were mainly involved in axonogenesis, and the downregulated pathways were mainly related to leukocyte migration, the adaptive immune response, lymphocyte-mediated immunity, and the humoral immune response.

Sleep and academic performance among students in Hong Kong: Curvilinear relationship suggesting an optimal amount of sleep.

Objectives: This study aimed to elucidate the association between sleep and academic performance using standardized academic assessment in a large and representative sample of school children and adolescents in Hong Kong.

Methods: This school-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016. Students completed territory-wide standardized tests in Chinese, English, and Mathematics and a set of questionnaires covering sleep, academic anxiety and motivation.

A novel method for assessing cardiac function in patients with coronary heart disease based on wrist pulse analysis.

Background: The timely assessment of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) marking chronic heart failure risk in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) helps to reduce patients' mortality.

Objective: To evaluate the potential of wrist pulse signals for use in the cardiac monitoring of patients with CHD.

Methods: A total of 419 patients with CHD were assigned to Group 1 (BNP < 95 pg/mL, n = 249), 2 (95 < BNP < 221 pg/mL, n = 85), and 3 (BNP > 221 pg/mL, n = 85) according to BNP levels.

Deep learning-based two-step organs at risk auto-segmentation model for brachytherapy planning in parotid gland carcinoma.

Purpose: Delineation of organs at risk (OARs) represents a crucial step for both tailored delivery of radiation doses and prevention of radiation-induced toxicity in brachytherapy. Due to lack of studies on auto-segmentation methods in head and neck cancers, our study proposed a deep learning-based two-step approach for auto-segmentation of organs at risk in parotid carcinoma brachytherapy.

Material And Methods: Computed tomography images of 200 patients with parotid gland carcinoma were used to train and evaluate our in-house developed two-step 3D nnU-Net-based model for OARs auto-segmentation.

Emergency remote teaching technology and pedagogy at covid outbreak: different perspectives of students, parents, and teachers in Hong kong.

With the COVID-19 outbreak, emergency remote teaching - an unprepared distant mode of education became the only possible alternative for schools. The present large-scale survey with 3,672 Grade 3 and 9 students, their parents, and 863 teachers/principals was conducted in the metropolitan city of Hong Kong after half a year of school lockdown. Results showed teachers, principals, and parents were worried about students' inability to concentrate and learn without teachers' explanations.

An oligosaccharide marker for rapid authentication of edible bird's nest.

Edible bird's nest (EBN) is a popular and expensive food material. The limited supply and great demand result in the use of adulterants. The authenticity concern is raised due to the lack of appropriate quality markers.

Comparative genomic analysis of the genus Marinomonas and taxonomic study of Marinomonas algarum sp. nov., isolated from red algae Gelidium amansii.

Members of the genus Marinomonas are known for their environmental adaptation and metabolically versatility, with abundant proteins associated with antifreeze, osmotic pressure resistance, carbohydrase and multiple secondary metabolites. Comparative genomic analysis focusing on secondary metabolites and orthologue proteins was conducted with 30 reference genome sequences in the genus Marinomonas. In this study, a Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, non-flagellated and strictly aerobic bacterium, designated as strain E8, was isolated from the red algae (Gelidium amansii) in the coastal of Weihai, China.

Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Ejiao-Related Animal Gelatins through Peptide Markers Using LC-QTOF-MS/MS and Scheduled Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) by LC-QQQ-MS/MS.

Donkey-hide gelatin, also called Ejiao (colla corii asini), is commonly used as a food health supplement and valuable Chinese medicine. Its growing popular demand and short supply make it a target for fraud, and many other animal gelatins can be found as adulterants. Authentication remains a quality concern.

Image fusion technique for target volume delineation in I seed implant brachytherapy for parotid gland cancers.

Purpose: Variability in volume delineation is a possible error source in brachytherapy. This study assessed the interobserver variations in clinical target volume (CTV) delineation in postoperative adjuvant I seed implant brachytherapy after parotid gland cancer surgical resection and evaluated the image fusion technique for target volume delineation.

Material And Methods: Five radiation oncologists delineated gross tumor volume (GTV) and CTV in 20 patients using conventional delineation and image fusion methods.

Oceanisphaera pacifica sp. nov., isolated from the intestine of Trichiurus japonicus.

A Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, non-flagellated, oxidase- and catalase-positive, rod-shaped marine bacterium, designated strain DM8, was isolated from the intestine of Trichiurus japonicus in Weihai, China. The strain optimally grew at 25-35℃, with 1.0-4.

Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Edible Bird's Nest Based on Peptide Markers by LC-QTOF-MS/MS.

Edible bird's nest (EBN) is an expensive health food. There are many adulterants in the market. It remains challenging to discriminate EBN from its adulterants due to a lack of high-specificity markers.

Pulsed Electric Field Treatments with Nonlethal Field Strength Alter the Properties of Bacterial Spores.

Abstract: Pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment, an alternative to thermal processing in the food industry, is insufficient to inactivate bacterial spores. Although spores that have been treated in this manner remain alive, specific understanding of their physiological properties is limited. The purpose of this study is to describe the morphology, viability, and germination behavior of Bacillus atrophaeus spores treated with PEF.

WNK3-PER1 interactions regulate the circadian rhythm in the suprachiasmatic nucleus in rats.

PER1 is a core component of the internal time-keeping system. In the suprachiasmatic nucleus, it serves as the primary circadian pacemaker in mammalian brains. PER1 functions with other clock components to generate a feedback loop involving the transcriptional repression of gene expression to produce a circadian rhythm with an approximately 24-hour cycle.

Reconstruction and analysis of the aberrant lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network based on competitive endogenous RNA in adenoid cystic carcinoma of the salivary gland.

Background: The aim of this work was to investigate the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network in adenoid cystic carcinoma of the salivary gland (SACC).

Methods: Differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs), miRNAs (DEmiRNAs), and mRNAs (DEmRNAs) between cancer tissues and normal salivary gland (NSG) in ACC were identified using data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Functional annotation and pathway enrichment analysis of DEmRNAs were performed using the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases.

Identifying Coronary Artery Lesions by Feature Analysis of Radial Pulse Wave: A Case-Control Study.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases have been always the most common cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Health monitoring of high-risk and suspected patients is essential. Currently, invasive coronary angiography is still the most direct and accurate method of determining the severity of coronary artery lesions, but it may not be the optimal clinical choice for suspected patients who had clinical symptoms of coronary heart disease (CHD) such as chest pain but no coronary artery lesion.