Covert hepatic encephalopathy is associated with aggressive disease progression and poor survival in patients with cirrhosis.

Objectives: Covert hepatic encephalopathy (CHE) negatively affects the health-related quality of life and increases the risk of overt HE (OHE) in patients with liver cirrhosis. However, the impact of CHE on long-term patient outcomes remains controversial. This study aimed to explore the association between CHE and disease progression and survival among cirrhotic patients.

Sustained ameliorating effects and autonomic mechanisms of transcutaneous electrical acustimulation at ST36 in patients with chronic constipation.

Background And Aims: The treatment of chronic constipation is still a great challenge in clinical practice. This study aimed to determine the efficacy and sustained effects of transcutaneous electrical acustimulation (TEA) at acupoint ST36 on the treatment of chronic constipation and explore possible underlying mechanisms.

Methods: Forty-four patients with chronic constipation were recruited and randomly assigned to a TEA group or sham-TEA group.

Effects of Low-dose and High-dose Rifaximin in the Treatment of Covert Hepatic Encephalopathy.

Background And Aims: Rifaximin is effective in preventing and treating hepatic encephalopathy (HE). This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of different dosages of rifaximin in the treatment of cirrhotic patients with covert HE (CHE).

Methods: In this single-center, randomized, controlled, open-label study, CHE was diagnosed using a combination of the psychometric HE score and the EncephalApp Stroop test.

Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation Ameliorates Motion Sickness Induced by Rotary Chair in Healthy Subjects: A Prospective Randomized Crossover Study.

Objectives: Motion sickness (MS) is a common physiological response to real or virtual motion. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of transcutaneous electrical acustimulation (TEA) on MS and the underlying mechanisms in healthy subjects.

Materials And Methods: A total of 50 healthy participants were recruited and randomly assigned into two groups to complete two separate sessions in a crossover study.

The presence of NAFLD in nonobese subjects increased the risk of metabolic abnormalities than obese subjects without NAFLD: a population-based cross-sectional study.

Background: With lifestyle modification and over-nutrition, the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been increasing annually. Here we aimed to assess the updated prevalence of NAFLD, and to evaluate the association of NAFLD with metabolic abnormalities according to gender, body mass index and age.

Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Shanghai from December 2016 to July 2017.

Treatment of patients with Covid-19 with a high dose of ulinastatin.

Currently, there are no specific therapeutic agents available for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). The present study aimed to assess the efficacy of high-dose ulinastatin for the treatment of patients with Covid-19. A total of 12 patients hospitalized with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection were treated with a high dose of ulinastatin alongside standard care.

Low-dose rifaximin prevents complications and improves survival in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis.

Background And Aims: Rifaximin has been recommended as a prophylactic drug for hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). This study aims to explore whether low-dose rifaximin can prevent overall complications and prolong survival in cirrhotic patients.

Methods: In this multi-centre randomized open-labelled prospective study, 200 patients with decompensated cirrhosis were randomly assigned at a ratio of 1:1.

Combined Scores from the EncephalApp Stroop Test, Number Connection Test B, and Serial Dotting Test Accurately Identify Patients With Covert Hepatic Encephalopathy.

Background & Aims: The EncephalApp Stroop test is a high-sensitivity but low-specificity test that has been used to identify patients with covert hepatic encephalopathy (CHE). We aimed to develop a new strategy to detect CHE, combining EncephalApp Stroop test score with scores from subtests of the psychometric hepatic encephalopathy scoring system (PHES).

Methods: We performed a survey of 569 adult volunteers (229 men) in 9 communities in Shanghai, China, administering the EncephalApp Stroop test to determine the range of scores in the general population.

Serum Wisteria floribunda agglutinin-positive Mac-2-binding protein evaluates liver function and predicts prognosis in liver cirrhosis.

Objective: Wisteria floribunda agglutinin-positive Mac-2-binding protein (WFA -M2BP) is a novel glycobiomarker for evaluating liver fibrosis, but less is known about its role in liver cirrhosis (LC). This study aimed to investigate the utility of WFA -M2BP in evaluating liver function and predicting prognosis of cirrhotic patients.

Methods: We retrospectively included 197 patients with LC between 2013 and 2016.

New formula for predicting standard liver volume in Chinese adults.

Aim: To obtain a reference range of morphological indices and establish a formula to accurately predict standard liver volume (SLV) in Chinese adults.

Methods: Computed tomography (CT)-estimated total liver volume (CTLV) was determined in 369 Chinese adults. Age, sex, body weight, body height, body mass index, and body surface area (BSA) were recorded using CT.

The evaluation of non-invasive multi-slice spiral computed tomography-based indices for the diagnosis and prognosis prediction of liver cirrhosis.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate easily available computed tomography (CT)-based parameters for assessing the presence and severity of cirrhosis and predicting complications in Chinese patients with cirrhosis.

Methods: CT-based morphological indices were determined in 167 patients with cirrhosis and 244 healthy volunteers. The correlation of morphological indices with Child-Pugh score and cirrhotic complications was analyzed using Spearman's correlation analysis.

Differentiation therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma by inhibiting the activity of AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin axis and TGF-β induced EMT with sophocarpine.

Hepatocellular carcinoma progression is thought to be driven by cancer stem cells (CSCs). No clinical trial has, as yet, shown convincing long-term disease free survival results for the majority of patients in HCC. So it is important to discover new anti-cancer agents.

Does low-dose rifaximin ameliorate endotoxemia in patients with liver cirrhosis: a prospective study.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of different doses of rifaximin in Chinese patients with liver cirrhosis.

Methods: This random prospective study included a screening visit, a 2-week treatment period and a subsequent 4-week observation phase. Patients with liver cirrhosis were randomly assigned to a low-dose rifaximin group, a high-dose rifaximin group and the control group in a ratio of 1:1:1.

New proposal for the serum ascites albumin gradient cut-off value in Chinese ascitic patients.

Background: Serum ascites albumin gradient (SAAG) has been recognized as a reliable marker in the differential diagnosis of ascites. The etiological background of cirrhosis is rather different between western countries and eastern countries. The threshold of SAAG in Chinese ascitic patients has not been evaluated yet.

A new competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for determination of estrogenic bisphenols.

Bisphenol A and other hydroxylated diphenylalkanes (generally known as bisphenols) have been identified as potential estrogenic substances. In this paper, a specific polyclonal antibody was produced against these compounds by immunization of rabbits with a conjugate of 4,4-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) valeric acid and bovine serum albumin (BHPVA-BSA). The polyclonal antibody showed specific recognition of the bisphenol structure, while the cross reactions of other common phenolic compounds such as phenol, hydroquinol and p-hydroxybenzoic acid were all lower than 1%.

Thermosensitive and salt-sensitive molecularly imprinted hydrogel for bovine serum albumin.

A novel stimuli-responsive protein imprinted polymer for selective recognition of bovine serum albumin is presented. N-[3-(Dimethylamino)propyl]-methacrylamide, which is positively charged in neutral solution and is able to self-assemble onto the template protein through electrostatic interaction, was chosen as the functional monomer. Polymerization was carried out in the presence of N-isopropylacrylamide as an assistant monomer, which resulted in a stimuli-responsive protein imprinted polymer.

An efficient immunoaffinity chromatographic method for extraction and purification of papaverine from samples of pericarpium papaveris and food products.

A highly selective immunoaffinity column was obtained by coupling anti-papaverine polyclonal antibodies to CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B. It was found that the coupling efficiency and performance of the immunoaffinity column were greatly improved by prolonging the coupling reaction time from 3 h at 20 degrees C with shaking to incubation overnight at 4 degrees C after the 3 h shaking reaction. The pH and ionic strength were observed to be the most important factors that influence the binding of papaverine to the immunoaffinity column.

Molecularly imprinted polymer with salicylaldehyde-Cu(OAc)2 as template.

In the report molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) with salicylaldehyde-Cu(OAc)(2) as the template was synthesized and characterized by SEM, porosity and elemental analysis. Copper acetate was introduced since salicylaldehyde alone cannot display imprinting effect for its intramolecular hydrogen bond. The strong coordination interaction between salicylaldehyde and copper acetate made the complex have high retention on the HPLC column based on the SAD-Cu(OAc)(2) imprinted polymer.

Sulfamethoxazole-imprinted polymer for selective determination of sulfamethoxazole in tablets.

A sulfamethoxazole (SMO)-imprinted polymer (MIP) was prepared in acetonitrile using the mixture of acrylamide and 4-vinylpyridine as functional monomers. The molecular recognition properties of the polymer was evaluated in both acetonitrile and aqueous acetonitrile mobile phases. SMO contents in two kinds of tablets were determined satisfactorily using the MIP packed HPLC column with aqueous mobile phase.

The interaction of poly(ethylenimine) with nucleic acids and its use in determination of nucleic acids based on light scattering.

For the first time, poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) was used to determine nucleic acids with a light scattering technique using a common spectrofluorometer. The interaction of PEI with DNA results in greatly enhanced intensity of light scattering at 300 nm, which is caused by the formation of the big particles between DNA and PEI. Based on this, a new quantitative method for nucleic acid determination in aqueous solutions has been developed.

Pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of iv injection of polyphase liposome-encapsulated cisplatin (KM-1) in rats.

Aim: The pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of cisplatin encapsulated in polyphase liposome (KM-1) were compared with those of free drug in rats.

Methods: The platinum levels in serum and normal organs, after a single dose of iv injection of free or encapsulated cisplatin to rats, were determined by induced coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry.

Results: Serum platinum concentration-time curve after a single iv dose of KM-1 4.

Flow injection determination of gaseous sulfur dioxide with gas permeation denuder-based online sampling and preconcentration.

A simple and novel flow injection method for the determination of gaseous SO(2) is described based on gas permeation denuder (GPD) online sampling and preconcentration. The GPD is easily prepared with poly(vinylidene) difluoride microporous membrane as gas permeable material and two Perspex blocks with smooth and flat interface and rectangular engraved channels of mirror image. The sample gas is on one side of the membrane and phosphate buffer of pH 7.