Clinical, aetiological, and epidemiological studies of outpatient cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease in Chengdu, China, from 2019 to 2022: a retrospective study.

Background: The introduction of the Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) vaccine in China in 2016 has led to a considerable decline in severe hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) cases, with mild outpatient instances now representing the majority of HFMD cases in the country. Nevertheless, epidemiological investigations concerning mild outpatient cases remain scarce, resulting in inadequate descriptions of their clinical, etiological, and epidemiological characteristics. Our study aimed to analyze the clinical, etiological, and epidemiological characteristics of HFMD outpatients in Chengdu from 2019 to 2022 while identifying potential risk factors associated with the progression of outpatients requiring hospitalization.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease and risk of incident lung cancer: A large prospective cohort study in UK Biobank.

Background: Some pathogenic mechanisms suggest a potential relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and respiratory diseases. However, evidence regarding the association between GERD and lung cancer is mixed. We aim to explore this relationship based on data from the large-scale UK Biobank study.

Antioxidant response fail to rescue growth of Hermetia illucens L. larvae induced by copper accumulated during long-term exposure.

Antioxidant indices and hemocytes apoptosis in the 6th instar larvae of Hermetia illucens., and their correlation with larval growth were evaluated by exposing larvae to different concentrations of Cu for 1, 3 and 5 generations. Cu accumulated in larval hemolymph showed significant dose-dependent relationship with Cu concentrations in diets within a generation.

Unilateral high-riding vertebral artery is associated with asymmetric morphological changes of the atlantoaxial joint: a novel risk factor for atlantoaxial osteoarthritis.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the association between unilateral high-riding vertebral artery (HRVA) and morphological changes in the atlantoaxial joint (AAJ) and to determine whether unilateral HRVA is a risk factor for atlantoaxial osteoarthritis (AAOA).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 2496 patients admitted to our medical center between January 2020 and December 2022 who underwent CT imaging of the cervical spine. Two hundred and seventy-two patients with unilateral HRVA (HRVA group) were identified and a respective 2:1 age- and sex-matched control group without HRVA was built.

Application and progress of nanozymes in antitumor therapy.

Tumors remain one of the major threats to public health and there is an urgent need to design new pharmaceutical agents for their diagnosis and treatment. In recent years, due to the rapid development of nanotechnology, biotechnology, catalytic science, and theoretical computing, subtlety has gradually made great progress in research related to tumor diagnosis and treatment. Compared to conventional drugs, enzymes can improve drug distribution and enhance drug enrichment at the tumor site, thereby reducing drug side effects and enhancing drug efficacy.

Sub-gigahertz bandwidth all-optical tunable differentiator with high-energy efficiency based on a micro-ring resonator.

We propose and demonstrate a tunable fractional-order photonic differentiator (DIFF) that can process input pulses with a sub-gigahertz bandwidth. Our scheme utilizes the self-induced optical modulation effect observed in a silicon-on-insulator micro-ring resonator. Gaussian-like pulses with varying pulse widths between 7.

Long-term effects of compound passivator coupled with silicon fertilizer on the reduction of cadmium and arsenic accumulation in rice and health risk evaluation.

Cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) are precedence-controlled contaminants in paddy soils, that can easily accumulate in rice grains. Limestone and sepiolite (LS) compound passivator can obviously reduce Cd uptake in rice, whereas Si fertilizer can effectively decrease rice As uptake. Here, the synergistic effects of the LS compound passivator coupled with Si fertilizer (LSCS) on the soil pH and availability of Si, Cd, and As, as well as rice grain Cd and As accumulation and its health risk were studied based on a 3-year consecutive field experiment.

The association between unilateral high-riding vertebral artery and atlantoaxial joint morphology: a multi-slice spiral computed tomography study of 396 patients and a finite element analysis.

Background Context: A high-riding vertebral artery (HRVA) can deviate too medially, too posteriorly, or too superiorly to allow the safe insertion of screws. However, it is unknown whether the presence of a HRVA is associated with morphological changes of the atlantoaxial joint.

Purpose: To investigate the association between HRVA and atlantoaxial joint morphology in patients with and without HRVA.

Heparan sulfates and heparan sulfate binding proteins in sepsis.

Heparan sulfates (HSs) are the main components in the glycocalyx which covers endothelial cells and modulates vascular homeostasis through interactions with multiple Heparan sulfate binding proteins (HSBPs). During sepsis, heparanase increases and induces HS shedding. The process causes glycocalyx degradation, exacerbating inflammation and coagulation in sepsis.

Co-application of combined amendment (limestone and sepiolite) and Si fertilizer reduces rice Cd uptake and transport through Cd immobilization and Si-Cd antagonism.

Limestone and sepiolite combined amendment (LS) and silicon (Si) fertilizers are commonly applied for the remediation of Cd-polluted paddy soil. However, it is difficult to further decrease cadmium (Cd) accumulation in rice grains by the individual application of LS or Si fertilizer to heavily Cd-polluted paddy fields. Two seasons of continuous field experiments were conducted in heavily Cd-polluted soil to study how the co-application of LS and Si fertilizer (namely soil-applied Si and foliar-sprayed Si) influences Cd and Si bioavailability in soil and Cd uptake and transport in rice.

Using heparan sulfate octadecasaccharide (18-mer) as a multi-target agent to protect against sepsis.

Sepsis is a lethal syndrome manifested by an unregulated, overwhelming inflammation from the host in response to infection. Here, we exploit the use of a synthetic heparan sulfate octadecasaccharide (18-mer) to protect against sepsis. The 18-mer not only inhibits the pro-inflammatory activity of extracellular histone H3 and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), but also elicits the anti-inflammatory effect from apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I).

Antimicrobial peptide HI-3 from Hermetia illucens alleviates inflammation in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 cells via suppression of the nuclear factor kappa-B signaling pathway.

Hermetia illucens-3 (HI-3), an active insect antimicrobial peptide extracted from H. illucens larvae, exerts antibacterial and anticancer activity. However, the inflammatory effects and their relative molecular mechanisms remain unclear.

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Regulated Intestinal Microbial Community and Cytokines to Inhibit Salmonella typhimurium Infection.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are recognized as food-grade safe microorganisms and have many beneficial effects. LAB could maintain the host intestinal homeostasis and regulate intestinal microbial community to exert antibacterial effects. In this study, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (L.

CT-based radiomics nomogram may predict local recurrence-free survival in esophageal cancer patients receiving definitive chemoradiation or radiotherapy: A multicenter study.

Background And Purpose: To establish and validate a contrast-enhanced computed tomography-based hybrid radiomics nomogram for prediction of local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) in esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) patients receiving definitive (chemo)radiotherapy in a multicenter setting.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study included 302 ESCC patients from Xijing Hospital receiving definitive (chemo)radiotherapy, which were randomly assigned to the training (n = 201) and internal validation sets (n = 101). And 74 and 21 ESCC patients from the other two centers were used as the external validation set (n = 95).

Thrombo-Inflammatory Prognostic Scores Improve BISAP-Based Risk Stratification in Acute Pancreatitis Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Purpose: The thrombo-inflammatory prognostic score (TIPS) and the bedside index for severity in acute pancreatitis (BISAP) are both scoring systems that enable the rapid prognostic assessment of early-stage acute pancreatitis (AP) patients, but the overall prognostic utility of these individual systems is limited. This study was thus developed to explore whether a combination of TIPS and BISAP scores would offer better insight to facilitate the risk stratification of AP patients.

Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort research evaluated AP cases referred to the emergency department from January 1, 2017 to September 30, 2017.

Analysis of the Value of the Blood Urea Nitrogen to Albumin Ratio as a Predictor of Mortality in Patients with Sepsis.

Purpose: At present, simple, accurate, and efficient prognostic tools for the evaluation of cases with early-stage sepsis in the emergency department (ED) are lacking. An increased blood urea nitrogen to albumin ratio (BAR) has previously been shown to be a valuable biomarker with predictive utility in several diseases. The relationship between BAR and sepsis patient outcomes, however, is not well-understood.

Development and Validation of a Novel Prognostic Score Based on Thrombotic and Inflammatory Biomarkers for Predicting 28-Day Adverse Outcomes in Patients with Acute Pancreatitis.

Background: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a multifactorial disease that is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Thrombosis and inflammation are involved in the development and progression of AP.

Aim: To develop and validate a novel and simple scoring system for predicting 28-day adverse outcomes in AP patients based on a thrombotic and an inflammatory biomarker.

The ratio of red blood cell distribution width to serum calcium predicts severity of patients with acute pancreatitis.

Background: Illness severity of patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) at early stage is crucial because the identified moderate and severe cases need early intensive care to reduce the risk of serious complications such as multi-organ failure. Although red blood cell distribution width(RDW)and serum calcium(Ca)alone can be used as predictors of the severity of AP, they have low sensitivity and specificity. Thus, this study is aimed at evaluating the value of the ratio of RDW to serum calcium, which can all be acquired on admission, in predicting the severity of AP.

Classification of unilateral cervical locked facet with or without lateral mass-facet fractures and a retrospective observational study of 55 cases.

This study describes a morphology-based unilateral cervical facet interlocking classification in an attempt to clarify the injury mechanism, instability, neurological deficits, radiological features, and determine optimum management strategies for these injuries. A total of 55 patients with unilateral cervical locked facet (UCLF) involving C3 to C7 were identified between January 1, 2012 and December 1, 2019. The injuries were classified into three types, and they were further divided into six subtypes using three-dimensional computed tomography.

Prognostic value of red blood cell distribution width in patients with acute pulmonary embolism: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Prior reports have suggested that the red blood cell distribution width (RDW) parameter could be measured as a prognostic indicator in pulmonary embolism (PE) patients, thereby helping to guide their care. However, no systematic analyses on this topic have been completed to date, and the exact relationship between RDW and PE remains to be fully clarified. We will therefore conduct a systematic literature review with the goal of defining the correlation between RDW and mortality in acute PE cases.

Advances in The Diagnosis and Treatment of Achalasia of The Cardia: a Review.

Idiopathic achalasia is an esophageal motor disorder characterized by the loss of the lower esophageal sphincter ganglion, resulting in impaired lower esophageal relaxation and absence of esophageal peristalsis. Patients commonly present with progressive dysphagia accompanied by reflux, heartburn, retrosternal pain, and severe weight loss. Diagnosis is primarily based on the patient's chief complaints, barium esophagography, and the most recent high-resolution manometry.

Stent placement to prevent strictures after esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is an important method for the treatment of early esophageal cancer. However, post-procedure stenosis is one of the most common long-term complications. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate whether stent placement is effective in the stenosis prevention, and which type of stent would be more effective.

Endoscopic full-thickness resection using an over-the-scope device: A prospective study.

Background: Endoscopic submucosal dissection to treat mucosal and submucosal lesions sometimes results in low rates of microscopically margin-negative (R0) resection. Endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR) has a high R0 resection rate and allows for the definitive diagnosis and treatment of selected mucosal and submucosal lesions that are not suitable for conventional resection techniques.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of EFTR using an over-the-scope clip (OTSC).