Analysis of clinical and biochemical characteristics and left ventricular hypertrophy in patients with indeterminate saline infusion test results.

Introduction: The clinical biochemical characteristics and target organ damage (TOD) in patients with plasma aldosterone concentrations (PAC) ranging from 50 to 100 ng/L after a saline infusion test (SIT) have not been fully studied.

Methods: A total of 611 hypertensive patients with an elevated aldosterone-to-renin ratio (ARR) who underwent a supine SIT at Henan Provincial People's Hospital were enrolled. The patients were divided into three groups according to their post-SIT PAC: <50 ng/L (control group), 50-100 ng/L (indeterminate post-SIT results group), and >100 ng/L (PA group).

Reversal of cardiac and renal damage in a teenager with hypertension: A case report.

The authors describe the case of a 16-year-old male who was incidentally found to have a blood pressure of 200/? mmHg 6 months previously due to blurred vision and was diagnosed with "high risk of hypertension grade 3, renal insufficiency, hypertensive encephalopathy, hypertensive heart disease, and fundus hemorrhage" after relevant examinations were performed. His blood pressure fluctuated around 120/90 mmHg after beginning antihypertensive treatment. While the diagnostic work-up of his hypertension was inconclusive, he had severe hypertension with brachydactyly type E and short stature on physical examination.

HIF-1α-PPARγ-mTORC1 signaling pathway-mediated autophagy induces inflammatory response in pancreatic cells in rats with hyperlipidemic acute pancreatitis.

Objective: The incidence of hyperlipidemic acute pancreatitis (HLAP) has rapidly increased in recent years in China. Autophagy has been implicated in the inflammatory response of pancreatic cells in HLAP, but the molecular mechanisms remain unclear.

Methods: In this study, the role of HIF-1α-PPARγ-mTORC1 pathway-mediated autophagy in the inflammatory response of pancreatic cells and the underlying molecular mechanism were investigated in a rat model of HLAP using immunohistochemistry, ELISA, electron microscopy, and western blot analysis.

A pan-cancer analysis of potassium channel tetramerization domain containing 12 in human cancer.

Abnormal expression of the potassium channel tetramerization domain containing 12 (KCTD12) is closely related to the occurrence and development of various tumors, but a pan-cancer analysis of KCTD12 has not yet been conducted. We explored the association between KCTD12 and more than 30 human malignancies using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. First, the mRNA and protein levels of KCTD12 were examined and their correlations with tumor stage and survival were explored.

Effects of four disease-controlling agents (chlorothalonil, CuCl, harpin, and melatonin) on postharvest jujube fruit quality.

Postharvest senescence and disease development can reduce the nutritional value of fresh jujube fruit. Herein, four different disease-controlling agents (chlorothalonil, CuCl, harpin and melatonin) were separately applied to fresh jujube fruit, and all improved postharvest quality (evaluated by disease severity, antioxidant accumulation and senescence) relative to controls. Disease severity was drastically inhibited by these agents, in the order chlorothalonil > CuCl > harpin > melatonin.

Application of Immersive Virtual-Reality-Based Puzzle Games in Elderly Patients with Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Study.

Background: The society is aging in China, and the cognitive level of elderly post-stroke patients gradually declines. Face-to-face cognitive functional training is no longer sufficient. Immersive virtual reality (IVR) is a promising rehabilitation training device.

Antiphosphatidylserine/prothrombin antibodies (aPS/PT) and risk of obstetric anti-phospholipid syndrome.

Objective: Assessment of the prevalence of anti-phosphatidylserine-prothrombin antibodies (aPS/PT) with OAPS and SN-OAPS in Chinese patients.

Methods: This retrospective study proceeded at Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai, China, from January 2019 to January 2020. Two hundred eleven OAPS, 68 SN-OAPS, 81 disease controls, and 30 healthy donors were enrolled.

Multi-Information Model for Large-Flowered Chrysanthemum Cultivar Recognition and Classification.

The traditional Chinese large-flowered chrysanthemum is one of the cultivar groups of chrysanthemum ( × Ramat.) with great morphological variation based on many cultivars. Some experts have established several large-flowered chrysanthemum classification systems by using the method of comparative morphology.

Associations between Upper Extremity Motor Function and Aphasia after Stroke: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study.

Methods: Patients with stroke were compared and correlated from overall and three periods (1-3 months, 4-6 months, and >6 months). Fugl-Meyer assessment for the upper extremity (FMA-UE) and action research and arm test (ARAT) were used to compare the UE motor status between patients with PSA and without PSA through a cross-sectional study among 435 patients. Then, the correlations between the evaluation scale scores of UE motor status and language function of patients with PSA were analyzed in various dimensions, and the language subfunction most closely related to UE motor function was analyzed by multiple linear regression analysis.

Association Between Serum C1q Tumor Necrosis Factor-Related Protein 9 and the Clinical Characteristics and Prognosis of Ischemic Stroke.

Introduction: C1q tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related protein 9 (CTRP9) is a novel member of the C1q/TNF superfamily. According to our previous review, CTRP9 plays a vital role in the process of cardiovascular diseases, including regulating energy metabolism, modulating vasomotion, protecting endothelial cells, inhibiting platelet activation, inhibiting pathological vascular remodeling, stabilizing atherosclerotic plaques, and protecting the heart. We proposed that CTRP9 could play multiple positive and beneficial roles in vascular lesions in ischemic stroke (IS).

Blood-Based Biomarkers: A Forgotten Friend of Hyperacute Ischemic Stroke.

Ischemic stroke (IS) is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Multimodal neuroimaging techniques that have significantly facilitated the diagnosis of hyperacute IS are not widely used in underdeveloped areas and community hospitals owing to drawbacks such as high cost and lack of trained operators. Moreover, these methods do not have sufficient resolution to detect changes in the brain at the cellular and molecular levels after IS onset.

Prognostic analysis of antibody typing and treatment for antiphospholipid syndrome-related recurrent spontaneous abortion.

Objective: To determine the efficacy of antibody typing and treatment on live birth rate in Chinese patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS)-related recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA).

Methods: A retrospective study analyzed 4542 Chinese patients who experienced spontaneous abortion, of whom 314 had APS (272 primary and 42 secondary). Type of antibodies was tested.

Association between infectious burden and cerebral microbleeds: a pilot cross-sectional study.

Objective: Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) is a subtype of cerebral small vessel disease. Their underlying pathogenesis remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between infectious burden (IB) and CMBs.

Low-dose aspirin improves endometrial receptivity in the midluteal phase in unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss.

Objective: To evaluate differences in Doppler parameters and pregnancy outcomes, if any, and to determine the predictive accuracy of such indices, as well as the effects of low-dose aspirin (LDA) in unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (URPL).

Methods: An observational study was conducted at Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai, China, from May 2015 to December 2016. The endometrial thickness, and the pulsatility index (PI), resistive index (RI), and systolic-to-diastolic ratio (S/D) values of endometrial and uterine artery blood flow were collected.

Diagnostic value of serum pepsinogen I, pepsinogen II, and gastrin-17 levels for population-based screening for early-stage gastric cancer.

Objective: Diagnosing gastric cancer (GC) at early stages is important for reducing its mortality. This study evaluated the diagnostic value of serum pepsinogen (PG) I, PGII, and gastrin-17 (G17) levels in screening for early-stage GC.

Methods: Serum levels of PGI, PGII, and G17 were measured in patients with upper digestive tract symptoms or GC family histories, and the PGI to PGII ratio (PGR) was calculated.

Deep learning for image-based large-flowered chrysanthemum cultivar recognition.

Background: Cultivar recognition is a basic work in flower production, research, and commercial application. Chinese large-flowered chrysanthemum ( ×  Ramat.) is miraculous because of its high ornamental value and rich cultural deposits.

Prevalence of depression and anxiety in women with recurrent pregnancy loss and the associated risk factors.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and explore potential risk factors of depression and anxiety in patients with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL).

Methods: 1138 non-pregnant women aged 20-40 years old who attempted to conceive were invited to complete a questionnaire, including basic information, Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS).

Results: 782 RPL women, 218 women with one pregnancy loss and 138 women with no history of pregnancy loss were included in this study.

Spatial distribution of IL4 controls iNKT cell-DC crosstalk in tumors.

The spatiotemporal distribution of cytokines orchestrates immune responses in vivo, yet the underlying mechanisms remain to be explored. We showed here that the spatial distribution of interleukin-4 (IL4) in invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells regulated crosstalk between iNKT cells and dendritic cells (DCs) and controlled iNKT cell-mediated T-helper type 1 (Th1) responses. The persistent polarization of IL4 induced by strong lipid antigens, that is, α-galactosylceramide (αGC), caused IL4 accumulation at the immunological synapse (IS), which promoted the activation of the IL4R-STAT6 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 6) pathway and production of IL12 in DCs, which enhanced interferon-γ (IFNγ) production in iNKT cells.

Prediction of thrombophilia in patients with unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss using a statistical model.

Objective: To establish a statistical model to predict thrombophilia in patients with unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (URPL).

Methods: A retrospective case-control study was conducted at Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai, China, from March 2014 to October 2016. The levels of D-dimer (DD), fibrinogen degradation products (FDP), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), thrombin time (TT), fibrinogen (Fg), and platelet aggregation in response to arachidonic acid (AA) and adenosine diphosphate (ADP) were collected.