Conectar
by Hong Duo, Mengying Jin, Yanwei Yang, Rewaan Baheti, Yujia Feng, Zirui Fu, Yuyue Jiang, Lanzhuoying Zheng, Jing Wan, Huaqin Pan
BackgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may predispose patients to thrombotic disease in the venous and arterial circulations.
MethodsBased on the current debate on antiplatelet therapy in COVID-19 patients, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the effect of antiplatelet treatments. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science on February 1, 2023, and only included Randomized clinical trials. The study followed PRISMA guidelines and used Random-effects models to estimate the pooled percentage and its 95% CI.
ResultsFive unique eligible studies were included, covering 17,950 patients with COVID-19. The result showed no statistically significant difference in the relative risk of all-cause death in antiplatelet therapy versus non-antiplatelet therapy (RR 0.94, 95% CI, 0.83–1.05, P = 0.26, I2 = 32%). Compared to no antiplatelet therapy, patients who received antiplatelet therapy had a significantly increased relative risk of major bleeding (RR 1.81, 95%CI 1.09–3.00, P = 0.02, I2 = 16%). The sequential analysis suggests that more RCTs are needed to draw more accurate conclusions. This systematic review and meta-analysis revealed that the use of antiplatelet agents exhibited no significant benefit on all-cause death, and the upper bound of the confidence interval on all-cause death (RR 95% CI, 0.83–1.05) suggested that it was unlikely to be a substantiated harm risk associated with this treatment. However, evidence from all RCTs suggested a high risk of major bleeding in antiplatelet agent treatments.
ConclusionAccording to the results of our sequential analysis, there is not enough evidence available to support or negate the use of antiplatelet agents in COVID-19 cases. The results of ongoing and future well-designed, large, randomized clinical trials are needed.
by Songtao Bie, Qiuyue Mo, Chen Shi, Hui Yuan, Chunshuang Li, Tong Wu, Wenlong Li, Heshui Yu
Staphylococcus aureus is the main culprit, causing a variety of severe clinical infections. At the same time, clinics are also facing the severe situation of antibiotic resistance. Therefore, effective strategies to address this problem may include expanding the antimicrobial spectrum by exploring alternative sources of drugs or delaying the development of antibiotic resistance through combination therapy so that existing antibiotics can continue to be used. Plumbagin (PLU) is a phytochemical that exhibits antibacterial activity. In the present study, we investigated the in vitro antibacterial activity of PLU. We selected five antibiotics with different mechanisms and inhibitory activities against S. aureus to explore their interaction with the combination of PLU. The interaction of combinations was evaluated by the Bliss independent model and visualized through response surface analysis. PLU exhibited potent antibacterial activity, with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values against S. aureus of 1.73 μg/mL and 4 μg/mL, respectively. Synergism was observed when PLU was combined with nitrofurantoin (NIT), ciprofloxacin (CPR), mecillinam (MEC), and chloramphenicol (CHL). The indifference of the trimethoprim (TMP)-PLU pairing was demonstrated across the entire dose-response matrix, but significant synergy was observed within a specific dose region. In addition, no antagonistic interactions were indicated. Overall, PLU is not only a promising antimicrobial agent but also has the potential to enhance the growth-inhibitory activity of some antibiotics against S. aureus, and the use of the interaction landscape, along with the dose-response matrix, for analyzing and quantifying combination results represents an improved approach to comprehending antibacterial combinations.by Tao Feng, Xiaohuan Dong, Yueyun Wang
Digital transformation is an emerging development opportunity for enterprises in the digital economy and comprehensively reflects the application of digital technology to production, operation, and management strategies. This study used data on A-share listed enterprises in Shanghai and Shenzhen from 2007 to 2022 to examine the relationship between the digital transformation of enterprises and information efficiency of the capital market. Findings revealed that digital transformation can improve the information efficiency of the capital market and that environmental uncertainty plays a more significant regulatory role. The greater the environmental uncertainty, the more enterprises with a high degree of digital transformation can promote the information efficiency of the capital market. Additional analysis showed that the promotional effect of digital transformation on the information efficiency of the capital market is better for non-state-owned enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises. This study provides detailed insights into digital transformation and capital market information efficiency, which enriches the research related to the economic consequences of digital transformation and demonstrates the theoretical and practical value of corporate digital transformation.by Xiaoxing Huang, Yunlan Jiang, Yaxin Liu, Liyin Shen, Jing Pan, Yue Zhang
BackgroundThe incidence of falling has always been high among the elderly, and it was easy to cause injuries to the elderly and seriously affect their quality of life. There were many studies have been conducted on risk factors affecting the fall of the elderly, but the results widely, retirement institutions as a gathering place for the elderly, there was currently no comprehensive analysis of the factors related to elderly falls in pension institutions. This study aimed to explore the influencing factors of falls among older adults in Chinese nursing homes.
MethodsChinese and English databases were searched for literature published from database inception to 5 April 2023 on the influencing factors of falls among older adults in Chinese nursing homes. Two reviewers independently screened articles, extracted data, and assessed the quality of the included studies. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software.
ResultsEleven studies involving 3503 participants were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled estimate of falls among older adults in Chinese nursing homes was 32% [95% confidence interval (95%CI) (24.0%, 39.0%)]. The main influencing factors for falls among older adults in Chinese nursing homes were age (Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.53), gender (OR = 5.50), visual impairment (OR = 2.30), sedative-hypnotics (OR = 2.36), fear of falling (OR = 2.95), hypertension (OR = 3.72), static balance (OR = 2.02), three or more chronic diseases (OR = 5.63), cognitive status (OR = 2.64), walking aid use (OR = 1.98), fall-related chronic diseases (OR = 2.48), self-awareness of abilities (OR = 2.43), and frequent reminders for fall prevention (OR = 0.10).
ConclusionFalls among older adults in Chinese nursing homes were common, and there were many influencing factors. Timely screening and intervention should be implemented to reduce the adverse consequences of falls on older adults.
Trial registrationRegistration number: CRD42023421099.
by Yuecheng Yang, Yunkui Zhang, Yonghong Tang, Jun Zhang
ObjectiveAnesthesia is correlated with the prognosis of cancer surgery. However, evidence from prospective studies focusing on breast cancer is currently limited. This systematic review aimed to investigate the effect of anesthesia-related interventions on oncological outcomes following breast cancer surgery in prospective studies.
MethodsLiterature searches were performed from inception to June. 2023 in the Pubmed, Web of Science, Embase, and ClinicalTrials databases. The main inclusion criteria comprised a minimum of one-year follow-up duration, with oncological outcomes as endpoints. Anesthesia-related interventions encompassed, but were not limited to, type of anesthesia, anesthetics, and analgesics. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool.
ResultsA total of 9 studies were included. Anesthesia-related interventions included paravertebral nerve block (3), pectoral nerve block (1), sevoflurane (2), ketorolac (2), and infiltration of lidocaine (1). Cancer recurrence, metastasis, disease-free survival, or (and) overall survival were assessed. Among all included studies, only infiltration of lidocaine was found to prolong disease-free survival and overall survival.
ConclusionRegional anesthesia and propofol did not improve oncological outcomes following breast cancer surgery. The anti-tumorigenic effect of ketorolac warrants future studies with larger sample sizes. Perioperative infiltration of lidocaine around the tumor may be a promising anti-tumorigenic intervention that can prolong overall survival in patients with early breast cancer.
by Xinzhi Wang, Kim Geok Soh, Shamsulariffin Samsudin, Nuannuan Deng, Xutao Liu, Yue Zhao, Saddam Akbar
ObjectiveThis study aims to meta-analyze the impact of high-intensity functional training on athletes’ physical fitness and sport-specific performance.
MethodsA systematic search was conducted in five well-known academic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, and the Cochrane Library) up to July 1, 2023. The literature screening criteria included: (1) studies involving healthy athletes, (2) a HIFT program, (3) an assessment of outcomes related to athletes’ physical fitness or sport-specific performance, and (4) the inclusion of randomized controlled trials. The Physical Therapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale was used to evaluate the quality of studies included in the meta-analysis.
Results13 medium- and high-quality studies met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review, involving 478 athletes aged between 10 and 24.5 years. The training showed a small to large effect size (ES = 0.414–3.351; all p Conclusion
High-intensity functional training effectively improves athletes’ muscle strength, power, flexibility, and sport-specific performance but has no significant impact on endurance and agility. Future research is needed to explore the impact of high-intensity functional training on athletes’ speed, balance, and technical and tactical performance parameters.
by Hong Gyu Yoon, Jin Hwan Cheong, Je Il Ryu, Yu Deok Won, Kyueng-Whan Min, Myung-Hoon Han
Background and purposeGlioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most devastating brain tumor with less than 5% of patients surviving 5 years following diagnosis. Many studies have focused on the genetics of GBM with the aim of improving the prognosis of GBM patients. We investigated specific genes whose expressions are significantly related to both the length of the overall survival and the progression-free survival in patients with GBM.
MethodsWe obtained data for 12,042 gene mRNA expressions in 525 GBM tissues from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Among those genes, we identified independent genes significantly associated with the prognosis of GBM. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine the genes significant for predicting the long-term survival of patients with GBM. Bioinformatics analysis was also performed for the significant genes.
ResultsWe identified 33 independent genes whose expressions were significantly associated with the prognosis of 525 patients with GBM. Among them, the expressions of five genes were independently associated with an improved prognosis of GBM, and the expressions of 28 genes were independently related to a poorer prognosis of GBM. The expressions of the ADAM22, ATP5C1, RAC3, SHANK1, AEBP1, C1RL, CHL1, CHST2, EFEMP2, and PGCP genes were either positively or negatively related to the long-term survival of GBM patients.
ConclusionsUsing a large-scale and open database, we found genes significantly associated with both the prognosis and long-term survival of patients with GBM. We believe that our findings may contribute to improving the understanding of the mechanisms underlying GBM.
by Xiaoxuan Zhao, Yijie Hu, Wenjun Xiao, Yiming Ma, Dan Shen, Yuepeng Jiang, Yi Shen, Suxia Wang, Jing Ma
ObjectivesUnexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA) remains an intractable reproductive dilemma due to the lack of understanding of the pathogenesis. This study aimed to evaluate the preclinical evidence for the mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) treatment for URSA.
MethodsA meticulous literature search was independently performed by two authors across the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and PubMed databases from inception to April 9, 2023. Each study incorporated was assessed using the Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory Animal Experimentation (SYRCLE) risk of bias tool. The amalgamated standardized mean difference (SMD) accompanied by 95% confidence interval (CI) were deduced through a fixed-effects or random-effects model analysis.
ResultsA total of ten studies incorporating 140 mice were subjected to data analysis. The MSC treatment yielded a significant reduction in the abortion rate within the URSA model (OR = 0.23, 95%CI [0.17, 0.3], PP = 0.01), IL10 (SMD 1.60, 95% CI [0.58, 2.61], P = 0.002), IFN-γ (SMD -1.66, 95%CI [-2.79, -0.52], P = 0.004), and TNF-α (SMD -1.98, 95% CI [-2.93, -1.04], PPP>0.05).
ConclusionsThe findings underscore the considerable potential of MSCs in URSA therapy. Nonetheless, the demand for enhanced transparency in research design and direct comparisons between various MSC sources and administration routes in URSA is paramount to engendering robust evidence that could pave the way for successful clinical translation.
by Kamonwan Chamchoy, Sirapapha Sudsumrit, Jutamas Wongwigkan, Songsak Petmitr, Duantida Songdej, Emily R. Adams, Thomas Edwards, Ubolsree Leartsakulpanich, Usa Boonyuen
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is an X-linked enzymopathy caused by mutations in the G6PD gene. A medical concern associated with G6PD deficiency is acute hemolytic anemia induced by certain foods, drugs, and infections. Although phenotypic tests can correctly identify hemizygous males, as well as homozygous and compound heterozygous females, heterozygous females with a wide range of G6PD activity may be misclassified as normal. This study aimed to develop multiplex high-resolution melting (HRM) analyses to enable the accurate detection of G6PD mutations, especially among females with heterozygous deficiency. Multiplex HRM assays were developed to detect six G6PD variants, i.e., G6PD Gaohe (c.95A>G), G6PD Chinese-4 (c.392G>T), G6PD Mahidol (c.487G>A), G6PD Viangchan (c.871G>A), G6PD Chinese-5 (c.1024C>T), and G6PD Union (c.1360C>T) in two reactions. The assays were validated and then applied to genotype G6PD mutations in 248 Thai females. The sensitivity of the HRM assays developed was 100% [95% confidence interval (CI): 94.40%–100%] with a specificity of 100% (95% CI: 88.78%–100%) for detecting these six mutations. The prevalence of G6PD deficiency was estimated as 3.63% (9/248) for G6PD deficiency and 31.05% (77/248) for intermediate deficiency by phenotypic assay. The developed HRM assays identified three participants with normal enzyme activity as heterozygous for G6PD Viangchan. Interestingly, a deletion in intron 5 nucleotide position 637/638 (c.486-34delT) was also detected by the developed HRM assays. G6PD genotyping revealed a total of 12 G6PD genotypes, with a high prevalence of intronic variants. Our results suggested that HRM analysis-based genotyping is a simple and reliable approach for detecting G6PD mutations, and could be used to prevent the misdiagnosis of heterozygous females by phenotypic assay. This study also sheds light on the possibility of overlooking intronic variants, which could affect G6PD expression and contribute to enzyme deficiency.by Tianli Feng, Jingruo Guo, Sarah-Eve Dill, Dongming Zhang, Yuchen Liu, Yue Ma, Lucy Pappas, Scott Rozelle
The home language environment is a critical point of investment in early language skills. However, few studies have quantitatively measured the home language environment of low-socioeconomic-status households in non-western settings. This mixed methods study describes the home language environment and early child language skills among households in a low-socioeconomic-status, peri-urban district of Chengdu, China, and identifies factors influencing parental investment in the home language environment. Audio recordings were collected from 81 peri-urban households with children ages 18–24 months and analysed using the Language Environment Analysis (LENATM) system. The Mandarin version of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory was administered to each child’s primary caregiver. The quantitative results revealed large variation in home language environments and child language skills among the sample, with relatively low average scores when compared to other Chinese samples. Qualitative interviews with a subset of 31 caregivers revealed that many caregivers face constraints on their knowledge of interactive parenting, compounded, in some households, by time constraints due to work or household responsibilities. The findings indicate a need for increased sources of credible parenting information for peri-urban caregivers of young children to promote investment in the home language environment.
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