Abstract Introduction: dysphagia is a common complication of stroke, and serum albumin is widely recognized as a strong prognostic marker of health and/or disease status. However, the correlation between dysphagia and serum albumin levels has not been established. Objectives: to observe the correlation between dysphagia and serum albumin levels and prognosis in patients with stroke. Methods: we performed a retrospective study of patients hospitalized between June 1, 2018, and June 1, 2022. A total of 1,370 patients were enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups: dysphagia and non-dysphagia. Binary logistic regression and multiple linear regression models were used to analyze the correlation between dysphagia, albumin, modified Rankin Scale (mRS), activities of daily living (ADL), and length of hospital stay (LOS). Results: after adjusting for confounding factors, the risk of pneumonia in the dysphagia group was 2.417 times higher than that in the non-dysphagia group (OR = 2.417, 95 % CI: 1.902-3.072, p = 0.000). The risk of mRS ≥ 3 and modified Barthel index (MBI) < 60 in patients with dysphagia was 3.272-fold (OR = 3.272, 95 % CI: 2.508-4.269, p < 0.001) and 1.670-fold (OR = 1.670, 95 % CI: 1.230-2.268, p < 0.001), respectively; and the risk of hypoproteinemia was 2.533 times higher (OR = 2.533, 95 % CI: 1.879-3.414, p = 0.000). Stepwise linear regression showed that dysphagia was significantly correlated with lower albumin levels and higher mRS, lower ADL, and longer LOS in patients with stroke (β = -0.220, β = 0.265, β = -0.210, and β = 0.147, respectively; p < 0.001). Conclusions: dysphagia in patients with stroke is associated with decreased albumin levels and has an impact on its prognosis.

Resumen Introducción: la disfagia es una complicación común del accidente cerebrovascular, y la albúmina sérica es ampliamente reconocida como un fuerte marcador pronóstico del estado de salud y/o enfermedad. Sin embargo, no se ha establecido la correlación entre la disfagia y los niveles de albúmina sérica. Objetivos: observar la correlación entre la disfagia y los niveles de albúmina sérica y el pronóstico en pacientes con accidente cerebrovascular. Métodos: realizamos un estudio retrospectivo de pacientes hospitalizados entre el 1 de junio de 2018 y el 1 de junio de 2022. Se inscribieron un total de 1.370 pacientes, los cuales fueron divididos en dos grupos: con disfagia y sin disfagia. Se utilizaron modelos de regresión logística binaria y de regresión lineal múltiple para analizar la correlación entre la disfagia, la albúmina, la escala de Rankin modificada (ERm), las actividades de la vida diaria (AVD) y el tiempo de estancia hospitalaria (TEH). Resultados: después de ajustar por factores de confusión, el riesgo de neumonía en el grupo de disfagia fue 2,417 veces mayor que en el grupo sin disfagia (OR = 2,417, IC 95 %: 1,902-3,072, p = 0,000). El riesgo de ERm ≥ 3 y el índice de Barthel modificado (MBI) < 60 en pacientes con disfagia se multiplicó por 3,272 veces (OR = 3,272, IC 95 %: 2,508-4,269, p < 0,001) y 1,670 veces (OR = 1,670, IC 95 %: 1,230-2,268, p < 0,001), respectivamente; el riesgo de hipoproteinemia fue 2,533 veces mayor (OR = 2,533, IC 95 %: 1,879-3,414, p = 0,000). La regresión lineal por pasos mostró que la disfagia se correlacionó significativamente con niveles más bajos de albúmina y ERm más altos, AVD más bajos y TEH más prolongados en pacientes con accidente cerebrovascular (β = -0,220, β = 0,265, β = -0,210 y β = 0,147, respectivamente; p < 0,001). Conclusiones: la disfagia en pacientes con accidente cerebrovascular se asocia a una disminución de los niveles de albúmina y repercute en su pronóstico.

Abstract Enzymatic hydrolysis of chlorella powder is a promising process to prepare high Fischer ratio oligopeptides (HFOPs). However, the relationship between Fischer ratios and enzymatic hydrolysis approaches remains poorly understood. In HFOPs production, directed enzymatic hydrolysis to release aromatic amino acids may be an effective way to increase Fischer ratio. The mutant carboxypeptidase from Aspergillus niger M00988 (cpAR), which has good specificity for hydrophobic amino acids in terminal peptidolysis, and commonly used papain and flavourzyme have been used to prepare HFOPs in this study. cpAR enzyme, flavourzyme The results show that the use of cpAR enzyme can increase the Fischer ratio. With chlorella powder as the raw material, alkaline protease and cpAR enzyme were used for two-step hydrolysis, and then activated carbon adsorption and ultrafiltration were used to prepare HFOPs. The Fischer ratio of oligopeptides reached 37.39, the length of the peptide chain was mainly distributed around 7-9 amino acids.

Abstract The modified atmosphere packages (MAP) was used to preserve the fresh noodles and the effect of atmosphere ratio (N2: CO2 = 0:100, 20:80, 30:70, 40:60 or 50:50) on noodle quality was investigated with normal packages as control. The results showed that the MAP could significantly extend the shelf life of fresh noodles up to at least 7 d, compared with the control. On the 7th day of storage, the elasticity and hardness gradually decreased with the increase of N2: CO2 ratio (P > 0.05) even if the MAP group were poor than the control (P > 0.05). In terms of water content, on the 7th day of storage, the decrease of 0:100 group and 20:80 group was less than that of control group (P < 0.05), and the effect of water retention was better. On the 7th day of storage, pH in the MAP group decreased less than that in the control group (P < 0.05). During the same storage period, the inhibition effect of the 0:100 group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05), while the L* values decreased less in the 0:100 and 30:70 groups than in the control group (P < 0.05).

RESUMO Objetivo: Determinar a discrepância na morfologia coroa-raiz de dentes anteriores, utilizando tomografia computadorizada de feixe cônico (TCFC), e fornecer parâmetros para a expressão apropriada do torque. Método: No total, 200 tomografias elegíveis foram importadas para o software Invivo 5.4 para obtenção das secções médias vestibulolinguais dos dentes anteriores. Osoftware AutoCAD 2007 foi usado para medir a angulação coroa-raiz (ângulo Collum) e o ângulo formado por uma tangente ao centro da superfície vestibular da coroa e o longo eixo da coroa (ângulo da superfície vestibular). O software SPSS 18.0 foi utilizado para as comparações estatísticas das duas medições, com nível de significância de p< 0,05, e a análise de correlação de Pearson foi aplicada para investigar a associação entre as duas medições. Resultados: O valor do ângulo Collum do incisivo central superior foi próximo a 0°. Foram detectados valores significativamente negativos para o ângulo Collum nos incisivos laterais e caninos superiores, mas valores positivos nos caninos inferiores (p< 0,001). O ângulo da superfície vestibular no canino foi significativamente maior do que nos incisivos intra-arcada (p< 0,001), e nenhuma diferença significativa foi detectada entre incisivos centrais e laterais (p> 0,05). Também foi observada uma correlação positiva significativa entre as duas medições. Conclusões: As angulações coroa-raiz foram muito diferentes entre os dentes anteriores. Os caninos superiores e inferiores apresentaram considerável curvatura na superfície vestibular, associada a uma evidente angulação coroa-raiz. Consequentemente, desvios durante a colagem de braquetes podem desencadear maior erro na expressão de torque e aumentar o risco de fenestração alveolar e deiscência, sendo necessária uma avaliação antes da colagem.

ABSTRACT Objective: To determine the discrepancy of crown-root morphology of anterior teeth, using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), and to provide a guidance for proper torque expression. Methods: A total of eligible 200 CBCT were imported into Invivo v. 5.4 software, to obtain the middle labio-lingual sections of anterior teeth. AutoCAD 2007 software was applied to measure the crown-root angulation (Collum angle) and the angle formed by a tangent to the center of the labial surface and the long axis of the crown (labial surface angle). SPSS 18.0 was used for statistical comparisons of the two measurements, at the level of p< 0.05, and the Pearson correlation analysis was applied to investigate the association between the two measurements. Results: The value of Collum angle in maxillary central incisor was close to 0°. Significantly negative Collum angle in lateral incisors and maxillary canine, and positive value in mandibular canine were detected (p < 0.001). The labial surface angle in canine was significantly greater than the intra-arch incisors (p< 0.001), and no significant difference was detected between the central and lateral incisors (p > 0.05). Notably, there was also a significant positive correlation between the two measurements. Conclusions: The crown-root angulations were greatly different among anterior teeth. Accompanying the obvious crown-root angulations, the canines both in maxillary and mandibular arches presented considerable labial surface curvatures. Hence, equivalent deviation during bracket bonding might cause greater torque expression error and increase the risk of alveolar fenestration and dehiscence.

Abstract Frailty is a geriatric syndrome that predicts the onset of disability, morbidity and mortality in elderly people; it is a state of pre-disability and is reversible. This review aimed to assess the impact of dietary supplementation interventions in frail older adults. A systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases was performed to collect randomized controlled trials of dietary supplements for the treatment of frailty in the elderly published before March 2022. The frailty score, muscle mass, muscle strength and physical performance of the frail elderly were extracted for analysis. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager Version 5.4 and Stata version 15.0. Totally, 18 studies met the inclusion criteria, with 1204 participants (603 experiment group vs. 601 control group). Compared to control group, multi-nutrient nutrition intervention can significantly improve the frailty score of the elderly (MD = -0.19, 95% CI: -0.38 to -0.01, P = 0.04, I2 = 0). Protein supplementation intervention significantly improved body weight (MD = 4.86, 95% CI: 1.21 to 8.52, P = 0.009), muscle mass [lean mass (MD = 2.73, 95% CI:1.26 to 4.20, P = 0.0003)], muscle strength (MD = 1.90, 95% CI: 0.68 to 3.12, P = 0.002), and physical performance [chair stand test (MD = -2.15, 95% CI: -3.21 to -1.10, P < 0.0001)] in frail older adults compared to control. This meta-analysis and systematic review suggests that dietary supplements interventions positively influence in older people with frailty.

ABSTRACT A closed-form analytical solution to rheological phenomena is obtained based on Hoek-Brown (HB) yield criterion and the generalized Bingham model. Once the circular tunnel is excavated, an initial plastic region is formed. When the total stresses fulfil the yield condition, the initial plastic region steps into the viscoplastic region, in which the displacement develops with time. The one-dimensional constitutive equation of the generalized Bingham model is transformed into a three-dimensional expression in polar coordinates by combining the plane strain condition. With the help of equilibrium differential equation, geometric equation and boundary condition, the stress and displacement in the initial plastic region can be expressed. At the moment of t, the stresses and displacements are described similar to the solutions of the elasto-plastic state. The stresses, strains and displacements after transformation can be expressed in the viscoplastic region. The proposed solution was verified by the closed-form solution of circular tunnels in elastic-brittle-plastic rock mass.

Abstract: The aim of this study was to assess brown rust resistance in 60 new sugarcane varieties bred by the China Sugarcane System in recent years and in 34 major varieties cultivated in sugarcane growing areas in China. The resistance of these sugarcane varieties to brown rust was investigated in the field, and molecular markers were used to detect the brown rust-resistance gene Bru1. The results of the field survey showed that 66 (70.21%) of the 94 sugarcane varieties were highly resistant to moderately resistant, and 28 (29.79%) were susceptible to highly susceptible. The Bru1 gene was detected in 54 (57.45%) of the 94 sugarcane varieties. Seven highly resistant varieties and five resistant varieties did not carry Bru1, suggesting that they carry other genes associated with brown rust resistance. This study provides a scientific basis and identifies disease-resistant germplasm for selection of plants for sugarcane production.

Abstract Ginkgo biloba leaves are commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine. Owing to its wide distribution across China with varying geographical environments and climatic characteristics, G. biloba leaf products have different active ingredients and degrees of activities, which poses a challenge for quality control and standardization. We aimed to identify the key factors contributing to the quality of G. biloba based on assessment of anti-aging and antioxidative components. G. biloba leaf samples collected from 14 different regions in China were analyzed for antioxidant activities by the 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) free radical scavenging assay, and the levels of terpene lactones and flavonoids were quantified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy and high performance liquid chromatography. Correlation analysis attributed the antioxidant activity of G. biloba leaf samples of different origins to isoginkgetin and ginkgetin, which also affected the matrix metalloproteinase-1 levels of fibroblasts, determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Therefore, appropriate quality control of a collected G. biloba sample could be achieved by determining the levels of isoginkgetin and ginkgetin as anti-aging and antioxidant components. The results further provide a foundation for the application of G. biloba leaves as an antioxidant raw material.

ABSTRACT Although urological diseases are not directly related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), urologists need to make comprehensive plans for this disease. Urological conditions such as benign prostatic hyperplasia and tumors are very common in elderly patients. This group of patients is often accompanied by underlying comorbidities or immune dysfunction. They are at higher risk of COVID-19 infection and they tend to have severe manifestations. Although fever can occur along with urological infections, it is actually one of the commonest symptoms of COVID-19; urologists must always maintain a high index of suspicion in their clinical practices. As a urological surgeon, how we can protect medical staff during surgery is a major concern. Our hospital had early adoption of a series of strict protective and control measures, and was able to avoid cross-infection and outbreak of COVID-19. This paper discusses the effective measures that can be useful when dealing with urological patients with COVID-19.

RESUMO OBJETIVOS A HOXB2 é um novo indicador prognóstico para o câncer de pulmão. Mas não está claro se a HOXB2 tem algum efeito na progressão do glioblastoma (GBM). O objetivo deste artigo foi sondar as influências da HOXB2 na patogênese do GBM. MÉTODOS Foram analisados o nível de expressão e o poder prognóstico da HOXB2 em pacientes com GBM. Em seguida, os níveis de expressão proteica e mRNA da HOXB2 em linhagens de células de GBM foram testados por qRT-PCR e western blotting. A proliferação, a invasão e migração celular foram determinadas por CCK8 e ensaios transwell, várias vezes. Os níveis proteicos das proteínas associadas à via PI3K/AKT foram analisados pelo método western blotting. RESULTADOS Os resultados indicaram que havia uma clara superrexpressão da HOXB2 em pacientes com GBM e que a alta expressão da HOXB2 estava relacionada a um prognóstico negativo. Além disso, a expressão da HOXB2 foi mais elevada em todas as linhagens de células do GBM U251, U-87MG, GOS-3 do que nas células HEB (controle normal). Entretanto, a diminuição da expressão de P-PI3K e p-AKT foi identificada após a redução da expressão da HOXB2. CONCLUSÕES Esses dados demonstram que a HOXB2 desempenha um papel vital na progressão do GBM, podendo ser um alvo promissor para o tratamento do GBM.

SUMMARY OBJECTIVES HOXB2 is a new prognostic indicator for lung cancer. But it is unclear whether HOXB2 holds an effect in glioblastoma (GBM) progression. The purpose of this article was to probe the influences of HOXB2 on GBM pathogenesis. METHODS HOXB2 expression level and prognostic power in GBM patients were analyzed. Then the mRNA and protein expression levels of HOXB2 in GBM cell lines were tested by qRT-PCR and western blotting. Cell proliferation, invasion, and migration were determined by CCK8 and transwell assay, severally. The protein levels of PI3K/AKT-pathway associated proteins were analyzed by western blotting. RESULTS The results indicated that HOXB2 was distinctly overexpressed in GBM patients and high expression of HOXB2 was related to a poor prognosis. Moreover, the expression of HOXB2 was higher in all GBM cell lines U251, U-87MG, GOS-3 than that in HEB cells (normal control). Meanwhile, decreased expression of p-PI3K and p-AKT were identified after HOXB2 knockdown. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrated that HOXB2 had a vital role in GBM progression and could serve as a promising target for GBM treatment.

Wound scarring remains a major challenge for plastic surgeons. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β plays a key role in the process of scar formation. Previous studies have demonstrated that truncated TGF-β type II receptor (t-TGF-βRII) is unable to continue signal transduction but is still capable of binding to TGF-β, thereby blocking the TGF-β signaling pathway. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a multifunctional growth factor that promotes tissue regeneration and wound healing. Theoretically, the combination of HGF and t-TGF-βRII would be expected to exert a synergistic effect on promoting wound healing and reducing collagen formation. In the present study, lentivirus-mediated transfection of the two genes (t-TGF-βRII/HGF) into fibroblasts in vitro and in a rat model in vivo was used. The results demonstrated that the expression of t-TGF-βRII and HGF in NIH-3T3 cells was successfully induced. The expression of both molecules significantly reduced collagen I and III expression, and also inhibited fibroblast proliferation. Furthermore, histological examination and scar quantification revealed less scarring in the experimental wound in a rat model. Moreover, on macroscopic inspection, the experimental wound exhibited less visible scarring compared with the control. Therefore, the present study demonstrated that the combination gene therapy of t-TGF-βRII and HGF promoted wound healing, with less scarring and more epithelial tissue formation, not only by suppressing the overgrowth of collagen due to its antifibrotic effect, but also by promoting tissue regeneration.

Abstract The potential astringency of eight grape cultivars was evaluated based on polyphenol/protein binding. The parameters such as weights, sizes, total phenols, flavanols and tannins of different grape tissues were determined, and the polyphenol/protein binding was analyzed by SDS-PAGE and spectroscopy. The Cabernet Sauvignon had the highest skin proportion, while the Blue French had the highest seed proportion. The Blue French seeds had the highest total phenolic content, while the Cabernet Sauvignon skins had the highest total phenolic content. SDS-PAGE showed that the seed extracts had a better affinity than skin extracts for saliva proteins, but fluorescence spectra demonstrated that the interactions of skin polyphenols with protein were more complex. These results may provide some useful information on grape potential astringency’s evaluation and wine-making in China.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate the roles of miRNA in the development of ovarian follicles in sows with high ovulation rate. The miRNA expression profiles in middle-size ovarian follicles between Meishan and Duroc sows were characterized by Affymetrix miRNA GeneChip. Seven differentially expressed miRNA were identified. KEGG pathways analyzed the predicted target genes of differentially expressed miRNA by using the DAVID website. The MAPK signaling pathway may affect the process of ovarian follicle development. Our study suggested that miR-21, miR-199a, miR-708, and miR-4334 might play a vital role in the development of ovarian follicles of sow.