Activation, but not inactivation, of the medial or lateral orbitofrontal cortex impaired context-specific fear encoding.

In laboratories, classical fear conditioning and extinction procedures are commonly used to study the behavioral and neural mechanisms underlying fear regulation. Contextual fear conditioning involves the association of an aversive event with the environment where it occurs, which engages the hippocampus and its interactions with the amygdala. The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), divided into the lateral OFC (lOFC) and medial OFC (mOFC) subregions, plays a crucial role in integrating contextual information from the hippocampus and modulating behavioral responses based on the anticipated outcomes of the context.

Diagnostic value of liver stiffness measurement combined with risk scores for esophagogastric variceal bleeding in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis.

Purpose: To assess the predictive value of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and three bleeding risk scoring systems for esophagogastric varices bleeding (EGVB) in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis during hospitalization.

Methods: In this study, 210 patients who had hepatitis B cirrhosis were selected as the subjects. They were categorized into two groups based on whether EGVB occurred during hospitalization: a bleeding group (70 cases) and a non-bleeding group (140 cases).

Determining optimal ALT cut-off values for predicting significant hepatic histological changes in patients with normal ALT in the grey zone of chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

Background And Aims: We aimed to define gender-specific, optimal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) cut-off values for the prediction of significant liver histological changes (SLHC) in Chinese patients with grey zone (GZ) chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and normal ALT.

Methods: In a retrospective study, we included 1101 consecutive patients with GZ CHB and normal ALT assigned to training or internal validation cohorts. We included an independent cohort of 842 patients for external validation.

Development a novel nomogram model for predicting significant hepatic histological changes in chronic hepatitis B virus carriers.

A proportion of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers with normal alanine transaminase (ALT) present with significant liver histological changes (SLHC). To construct a noninvasive nomogram model to identify SLHC in chronic HBV carriers with different upper limits of normal (ULNs) for ALT. The training cohort consisted of 732 chronic HBV carriers who were stratified into four sets according to different ULNs for ALT: chronic HBV carriers I, II, III, and IV.

Liver Stiffness Measurement can Predict Liver Inflammation in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients with Normal Alanine Transaminase.

Background And Aims: To determine whether liver stiffness measurement (LSM) indicates liver inflammation in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) with different upper limits of normal (ULNs) for alanine aminotransferase (ALT).

Methods: We grouped 439 CHB patients using different ULNs for ALT: cohort I, ≤40 U/L (439 subjects); cohort II, ≤35/25 U/L (males/females; 330 subjects); and cohort III, ≤30/19 U/L (males/females; 231 subjects). Furthermore, 84 and 96 CHB patients with normal ALT (≤40 U/L) formed the external and prospective validation groups, respectively.

Ultrasound measurements for evaluation of changes in upper airway during anaesthesia induction and prediction difficult laryngoscopy: a prospective observational study.

Upper airway collapsibility after anaesthesia induction may be associated with unpredictable difficult airway. However, most works on airway anatomy are tended to morphological description before anaesthesia. This study aimed to evaluate the changes of upper airway after anaesthesia induction and using pre-anesthetic ultrasound measurements to predict Difficult Laryngoscopy (DL).

Gut microbiota of hepatitis B virus-infected patients in the immune-tolerant and immune-active phases and their implications in metabolite changes.

Background: The microbes and metabolomics of microbiota dysbiosis in the gut in the different phases of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are not fully understood.

Aim: To investigate the specific gut microbiota and metabolites of the immune-tolerant (IT) and immune-active (IA) phases of chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

Methods: Clinical fecal samples from healthy individuals and patients in the IT and IA phases of HBV infection were collected.

Advantages of a Novel Model for Predicting Hepatic Fibrosis in Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Carriers Compared with APRI and FIB-4 Scores.

Background And Aims: Aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) and fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4) are widely used to assess liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Currently, the definition of normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is controversial. We aimed to examine the diagnostic value of APRI and FIB-4 in chronic HBV carriers with different upper limits of normal (ULNs) for ALT.

A novel HBsAg-based model for predicting significant liver fibrosis among Chinese patients with immune-tolerant phase chronic hepatitis B: a multicenter retrospective study.

Background: Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in the immune-tolerant (IT) phase is significantly associated with high risk for hepatocellular carcinoma, suggesting requirement for antiviral therapy, particularly for those with histological liver injury. This study aimed to establish a non-invasive panel to assess significant liver fibrosis in IT chronic hepatitis B.

Patients And Methods: One hundred and thirteen IT-phase CHB patients were retrospectively recruited and divided into two histopathological groups according to their histological profiles: necroinflammatory score <4 (N <4)/fibrosis score ⩽1 (F0-1), and necroinflammatory score ⩾4 (N ⩾4)/fibrosis score ⩾2 (F2-4).

Effect of liver inflammation on accuracy of FibroScan device in assessing liver fibrosis stage in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

Background: Transient elastography (FibroScan) is a new and non-invasive test, which has been widely recommended by the guidelines of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) management for assessing hepatic fibrosis staging. However, some confounders may affect the diagnostic accuracy of the FibroScan device in fibrosis staging.

Aim: To evaluate the diagnostic value of the FibroScan device and the effect of hepatic inflammation on the accuracy of FibroScan in assessing the stage of liver fibrosis in patients with HBV infection.

Serum ceruloplasmin can predict liver fibrosis in hepatitis B virus-infected patients.

Background: The presence of significant liver fibrosis in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected individuals with persistently normal serum alanine aminotransferase (PNALT) levels is a strong indicator for initiating antiviral therapy. Serum ceruloplasmin (CP) is negatively correlated with liver fibrosis in HBV-infected individuals.

Aim: To examine the potential value of serum CP and develop a noninvasive index including CP to assess significant fibrosis among HBV-infected individuals with PNALT.

Novel predictive models using serum ceruloplasmin levels for hepatic steatosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection.

Aims: To evaluate the significance of serum ceruloplasmin (CP) to diagnosis hepatic steatosis (HS) in Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.

Methods: A total of 360 CHB patients with HS (n = 136) or without HS (n = 224) were included. Relationships between CP and HS degrees were analyzed by Spearman rank correlation.

Ceruloplasmin, a reliable marker of fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B virus patients with normal or minimally raised alanine aminotransferase.

Aim: To develop a non-invasive model to evaluate significant fibrosis and cirrhosis by investigating the association between serum ceruloplasmin (CP) levels and liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with normal or minimally raised alanine aminotransferase (ALT).

Methods: Serum samples and liver biopsy were obtained from 193 CHB patients with minimally raised or normal ALT who were randomly divided into a training group ( = 97) and a validation group ( = 96). Liver histology was evaluated by the METAVIR scoring system.

Noninvasive models for assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

There are approximately 240 million patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection worldwide. Up to 40% of HBV-infected patients can progress to liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma or chronic end-stage liver disease during their lifetime. This, in turn, is responsible for around 650000 deaths annually worldwide.

A Retrospective Study on the Significance of Liver Biopsy and Hepatitis B Surface Antigen in Chronic Hepatitis B Infection.

To investigate changes in the HBV replication level along with the natural course of chronic HBV infection and to examine the accuracy of the immune tolerant phase defined by the serological profile.A total of 390 chronic HBV-infected patients were retrospectively recruited for this study. They were classified into immune-tolerance (IT), immune-clearance (IC), low-replicative (LR), and HBeAg-negative hepatitis (ENH) phases according to serological profiles (single-standard, SS) or dual-standard (DS) with the inclusion of liver histology.

[Validation study of prediction models of hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma].

Objective: To validate two previously published models (REACH-B score and CU-HCC score) for predicting the risk of developing hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: In-patients of the Liver Center of First Affiliated Hospital Fujian Medical University who tested positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg;more than 6 months) and were admitted for treatment between October 1,2004 and May 1,2014 were enrolled for study. The 627 study participants were grouped according to presence of HCC (151 in the HCC case group, and 476 in the non-HCC control group).

HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis patients should be monitored more strictly: a cross-sectional retrospective study on antiviral treatment-naïve patients.

Aim: To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) negative/treatment naïve subjects with low hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels (<10(4)  copies/ml) and low alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels (<2 × upper limit of normal) in patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: A total of 226 treatment naïve patients diagnosed with HBV-related HCC, divided into five Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stages, were enrolled and retrospectively analyzed. Virological parameters including hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), HBeAg, HBV DNA levels, and laboratory parameters including ALT and aspartame aminotransferase were accessed at the time of HCC was diagnosed.

Hepatitis B surface antigen in late hepatitis B infection.

Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) levels are used to evaluate and monitor clinical phases of chronic hepatitis B infection but their clinical significance is unclear in the late complications, cirrhosis of the liver and hepatocellular carcinoma. This study aimed to evaluate HBsAg levels across the whole natural history of hepatitis B virus infection, including late complications. This retrospective, cross-sectional study enrolled 838 treatment-naive patients diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B infection at First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University between 2009 and 2012.

Serum HBsAg and HBeAg levels are associated with liver pathological stages in the immune clearance phase of hepatitis B virus chronic infection.

The association between hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B 'e' antigen (HBeAg) levels and liver inflammation and fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in the immune clearance (IC) remains elusive. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether HBsAg and HBeAg levels were associated with liver inflammation and fibrosis in CHB patients during the IC phase. Kendall's rank correlation analysis and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine the correlation between HBsAg, HBeAg and liver pathological stages.

Exploring the kinetics of ordered silicon nanowires with the formation of nanogaps using metal-assisted chemical etching.

Actual dimension control of silicon (Si) nanowire arrays was conducted using metal-assisted chemical etching on Si patterned by electron beam lithography. The appearance of nanogaps at the edge of each nanowire provides the diffusion pathways of reactants for Si dissolution, predominantly causing distinct etching rates that depend upon the spacings of nanogaps.

Alpha-fetoprotein level as a biomarker of liver fibrosis status: a cross-sectional study of 619 consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a serious public health problem worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels and pathological stages of liver biopsy in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

Methods: The study included 619 patients who were diagnosed with CHB from March 2005 to December 2011.

A new model for predicting liver cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis B virus carriers with low serum alanine transaminase activity.

Objectives: To develop a cirrhosis-predicted model in chronic hepatitis B virus carriers with alanine transarninase (ALT) less than two times the upper limit of normal (ULN).

Methods: Treatment-naive patients (n=278), who had undergone liver biopsies, were randomly divided into two groups - a training group and a validation group. Thirteen bio-clinical parameters were analyzed.

Serum ceruloplasmin levels correlate negatively with liver fibrosis in males with chronic hepatitis B: a new noninvasive model for predicting liver fibrosis in HBV-related liver disease.

Aims: This study aimed to investigate associations between ceruloplasmin (CP) levels, inflammation grade and fibrosis stages in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and to establish a noninvasive model to predict cirrhosis.

Methods: Liver biopsy samples and sera were collected from 198 CHB patients randomized into a training group (n=109) and a validation group (n=89). CP levels were determined using nephelometric immunoassays.

[Relation between HBsAg levels during the immune clearance phase of hepatitis B virus infection and liver pathological stages of chronic hepatitis B].

Objective: To investigate whether the level of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) represents the status of inflammation and stages of fibrosis in livers of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) during the immune clearance phase (IC).

Methods: Liver biopsy samples and sera were collected from 165 consecutive patients (136 males; 29 females) with CHB in IC who were treated in our hospital between March 2009 and June 2011. Routine biochemical tests were carried out to measure indicators of liver function.