Cryoablation vs. radiofrequency ablation for treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aims: Cryoablation is a promising alternative technique to RF ablation for treating paroxysmal AF with encouraging results. However, data about the efficacy and safety comparison between cryoablation and RF ablation is still lacking.

Methods And Results: We systematically search the PubMed, the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE and Google Scholar databases, and finally identify 16 eligible studies including 7195 patients (2863 for cryoablation; 4332 for RF ablation).

Initial Exploration on Temporal Branch of Facial Nerve Function Preservation in Plexiform Neurofibroma Resection.

Background: Large temporal plexiform neurofibroma (PNF) is an irritating problem that causes facial disfigurement. Surgical resection of PNF is the only effective way to remove the tumor as well as to improve the patient's facial appearance. However, temporal branch of the facial nerve (TBFN) in the tumor is prone to be destroyed during PNF removal.

[Clinical and genetic study of a child with mental retardation and multiple congenital anomalies and a 16p13.11 microdeletion].

Objective: To determine the genetic cause for a boy with development delay and multiple congenital anomalies.

Methods: Routine chromosomal banding was performed to analyze the karyotype of the patient and his parents. Single nucleotide polymorphism array (SNP array) was employed to investigate cryptic chromosome aberrations, and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) was used to confirm the result.

Cardiac arrest triggers hippocampal neuronal death through autophagic and apoptotic pathways.

The mechanism of neuronal death induced by ischemic injury remains unknown. We investigated whether autophagy and p53 signaling played a role in the apoptosis of hippocampal neurons following global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury, in a rat model of 8-min asphyxial cardiac arrest (CA) and resuscitation. Increased autophagosome numbers, expression of lysosomal cathepsin B, cathepsin D, Beclin-1, and microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3) suggested autophagy in hippocampal cells.

Systemic haemodynamics and regional tissue oxygen saturation after bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt: positive pressure ventilation versus spontaneous breathing.

Objectives: Spontaneous breathing has been shown to improve global haemodynamics in patients with bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt. What has not been evaluated, however, is the effect of spontaneous breathing on the distribution of cardiac output after bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt. We investigated the effects of extubation on systemic haemodynamics and regional tissue oxygen saturation, and determined whether redistribution of cardiac output is present after extubation in these patients.

Mechanical Ventilation After Bidirectional Superior Cavopulmonary Anastomosis for Single-Ventricle Physiology: A Comparison of Pressure Support Ventilation and Neurally Adjusted Ventilatory Assist.

We evaluated the effects of different respiratory assist modes on cerebral blood flow (CBF) and arterial oxygenation in single-ventricle patients after bidirectional superior cavopulmonary anastomosis (BCPA). We hypothesized that preserved auto-regulation of respiration during neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA) may have potential advantages for CBF and pulmonary blood flow regulation after the BCPA procedure. We enrolled 23 patients scheduled for BCPA, who underwent pressure-controlled ventilation (PCV), pressure support ventilation (PSV), and NAVA at two assist levels for all modes in a randomized order.

Concurrent adjuvant radiochemotherapy versus standard chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy in operable breast cancer after breast conserving therapy: A meta-analysis.

Background: To compare the efficacy of concurrent and sequential administration of radiotherapy and chemotherapy on patients with operable breast cancer after breast.conserving surgery. (BCS).

Combination of an anti-EGFRvIII antibody CH12 with Rapamycin synergistically inhibits the growth of EGFRvIII+PTEN-glioblastoma in vivo.

There are still unmet medical needs for the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM), the most frequent and aggressive brain tumor worldwide. EGFRvIII, overexpressed in approximately 30% of GBM, has been regarded as a potential therapeutic target. In this study, we demonstrated that CH12, an anti-EGFRvIII monoclonal antibody, could significantly suppress the growth of EGFRvIII+ GBM in vivo; however, PTEN deficiency in GBM reduced the efficacy of CH12 by attenuating its effect on PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

Axillary Staging of Early-Stage Invasive Breast Cancer by Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology: Which Ultrasound Criteria for Classifying Abnormal Lymph Nodes Should Be Adopted in the Post-ACOSOG Z0011 Trial Era?

Objectives: Ultrasound (US)-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is able to identify patients with extensive node involvement before surgery. In this study, we aimed to establish the optimal US criterion to identify abnormal lymph nodes on US-guided FNAC for detection of patients with 3 or more metastatic axillary nodes.

Methods: A total of 445 axillae from 443 patients with histologically confirmed invasive breast cancer (cT1-2 cN0) were examined with US at Ruijin Hospital from August 2013 to August 2014.

Inhibition of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β (GSK-3β) as potent therapeutic strategy to ameliorates L-dopa-induced dyskinesia in 6-OHDA parkinsonian rats.

Levodopa (L-dopa) is the dominating therapy drug for exogenous dopaminergic substitution and can alleviate most of the manifestations of Parkinson's disease (PD), but long-term therapy is associated with the emergence of L-dopa-induced dyskinesia (LID). Evidence points towards an involvement of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β (GSK-3β) in development of LID. In the present study, we found that animals rendered dyskinetic by L-dopa treatment, administration of TDZD8 (2mg/kg) obviously prevented the severity of AIM score, as well as improvement in motor function (P < 0.

Is repair of the protruded meninges sufficient for treatment of meningocele?

Purpose: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between meningocele and tethered cord syndrome, diagnosis of meningocele associated with tethered cord syndrome, and when to perform surgery and the best surgical procedure.

Methods: Sixty-nine children with meningocele who were admitted to Shanghai Children's Medical Center were analyzed. The relationship between meningocele and other lesions causing tethered cord syndrome was studied by combining magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and intraoperative findings.

[Phenotypic and genetic analysis of a patient presented with Tietz/Waardenburg type II a syndrome].

Objective: To determine the genetic cause for a patient featuring decreased pigmentation of the skin and iris, hearing loss and multiple congenital anomalies.

Methods: Routine chromosomal banding was performed to analyze the karyotype of the patient and his parents. Single nucleotide polymorphism array (SNP array) was employed to identify cryptic chromosome aberrations, and quantitative real-time PCR was used to confirm the results.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for the treatment of depression in Parkinson disease: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials.

The objective of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for the treatment of depression in patients with Parkinson disease in order to arrive at qualitative and quantitative conclusions about the efficacy of rTMS. We included randomized controlled trials examining the effects of rTMS compared with sham-rTMS or selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The quality of included studies was strictly evaluated.

Efficacy comparison between cryoablation and radiofrequency ablation for patients with cavotricuspid valve isthmus dependent atrial flutter: a meta-analysis.

We perform this meta-analysis to compare the efficacy and safety of cryoablation versus radiofrequency ablation for patients with cavotricuspid valve isthmus dependent atrial flutter. By searching EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed and Cochrane electronic databases from March 1986 to September 2014, 7 randomized clinical trials were included. Acute (risk ratio[RR]: 0.

Targeting rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor ARHGEF5/TIM with auto-inhibitory peptides in human breast cancer.

The oncogenic protein ARHGEF5/TIM has long been known to express specifically in human breast cancer and other tumors, which is an important member of Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors that activate Rho-family GTPases by promoting GTP/GDP exchange. The activation capability of TIM is auto-inhibited by a putative helix N-terminal to Dbl homology (DH) domain, which is stabilized by intramolecular interaction of Src homology 3 domain with a poly-proline sequence that locates between the helix and DH domain. Here, we attempted to target TIM DH domain using the modified versions of its auto-inhibitory helix.

Bortezomib enhances the therapeutic efficacy of dasatinib by promoting c-KIT internalization-induced apoptosis in gastrointestinal stromal tumor cells.

Dasatinib-based therapy is often used as a second-line therapeutic strategy for imatinib-resistance gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs); however, acquired aberrant activation of dasatinib target proteins, such as c-KIT and PDGFRβ, attenuates the therapeutic efficiency of dasatinib. Combination therapy which inhibits the activation of dasatinib target proteins may enhance the cytotoxicity of dasatinib in GISTs. Bortezomib, a proteasome inhibitor, significantly inhibited cell viability and promoted apoptosis of dasatinib-treated GIST-T1 cells, whereas GIST-T1 cells showed little dasatinib cytotoxicity when treated with dasatinib alone, as the upregulation of c-KIT caused by dasatinib itself interfered with the inhibition of c-KIT and PDGFRβ phosphorylation by dasatinib.

Levodopa/benserazide microsphere (LBM) prevents L-dopa induced dyskinesia by inactivation of the DR1/PKA/P-tau pathway in 6-OHDA-lesioned Parkinson's rats.

L-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-dopa) is the gold standard for symptomatic treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD), but long-term therapy is associated with the emergence of L-dopa-induced dyskinesia (LID). In the present study, L-dopa and benserazide were loaded by poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) microspheres (LBM), which can release levodopa and benserazide in a sustained manner in order to continuous stimulate dopaminergic receptors. We investigated the role of striatal DR1/PKA/P-tau signal transduction in the molecular event underlying LID in the 6-OHDA-lesioned rat model of PD.

Flexible intramedullary nailing had better outcomes than kirschner wire fixation in children with distal humeral metaphyseal-diaphyseal junction fracture: a retrospective observational analysis.

The effectiveness evaluation of flexible intramedullary nailing (FIN) and kirschner wire fixation (K-wire) used for MDJ fractures fixation have been described in multiple reports. But there have been few reports about comparison between FIN and K-wire in children with distal humeral MDJ fracture. In our retrospective study, Nineteen children received K-wire and twenty children received FIN, during the follow-up, six children in the K-wire group and one children in the FIN group was found to have postoperative cubitus varus; fixation method was an independent risk factor for postoperative cubitus varus (P = 0.

Interactions of CaMKII with dopamine D2 receptors: roles in levodopa-induced dyskinesia in 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned Parkinson's rats.

Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II is a synapse-enriched kinase in mammalian brains. This kinase interacts with various synaptic proteins to regulate expression and function of interacting proteins and thereby modulates synaptic transmission. CaMKII and its interacting partners are also believed to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of various neurological and neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's disease (PD).

Progesterone receptor status and Ki-67 index may predict early relapse in luminal B/HER2 negative breast cancer patients: a retrospective study.

Purpose: Few studies has documented early relapse in luminal B/HER2-negative breast cancer. We examined prognostic factors for early relapse among these patients to improve treatment decision-making.

Patients And Methods: A total 398 patients with luminal B/HER2-negative breast cancer were included.

Presence of CHD1L over-expression is associated with aggressive tumor biology and is a novel prognostic biomarker for patient survival in human breast cancer.

Background: The chromodomain helicase/adenosine triphosphatase DNA binding protein 1-like gene (CHD1L) is a recently identified oncogene localized at 1q21. CHD1L protein over-expression in primary hepatocellular carcinoma is correlated with enhanced apoptosis inhibition, reduced chemosensitivity and shortened patient survival. However, CHD1L protein status or mRNA expression in breast cancer and its clinical significance remain obscure.

Continuous dopaminergic stimulation (CDS)-based treatment in Parkinson's disease patients with motor complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify randomized trials involving continuous dopaminergic stimulation (CDS) in PD patients with motor complications. Difference between n groups was assessed by partitioning heterogeneity and using the χ2 distribution with n-1 degrees of freedom, where n equals the number of groups. We looked for publication bias using funnel plotting, Egger's test and Begg's test.

Exome sequencing identifies a novel MYH7 p.G407C mutation responsible for familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), characterized by myocardial hypertrophy, is the most common cause of sudden cardiac arrest in young individuals. More than 270 mutations have been found to be responsible for familial HCM to date; mutations in MYH7, which encodes the β-myosin heavy chain (β-MHC) and MYBPC3, which encodes the myosin binding protein C, are seen most often. This study aimed to screen a pathogenic mutation causing HCM in a large family and assess its possible impact on the function of the specific protein.

Analysis and forecast for multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Infections among liver transplant recipients.

Background: Acinetobacter baumannii (Ab) has become an important pathogenic bacterium with specific epidemic features in the intensive care unit. We explored the epidemiology of multidrug-resistant Ab infections among liver transplant recipients at the Liver Transplantation Center, 1st Affiliated Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Methods: Seventeen multidrug-resistant Ab strains were isolated from the sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid specimens of 249 liver transplant recipients from January 2007 to December 2009.