Reduction of ventricular arrhythmias with synchronized LV pacing—fact,fiction, or fortuitous

Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology -     

CNS Maturation Process in Children and Adolescents in the Northern Region of the Russian Federation and Its Reflection in the Dynamics of Integral EEG Parameters

Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology - We present here results from analysis of the formation of brain bioelectrical activity in children and adolescents living in the northern region of Russia...     

Confounded association between proton pump inhibitor use and risk of biliary tract cancer: Result from three cohorts

Recent epidemiological studies suggested that proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use was associated with an increased risk of biliary tract cancer (BTC), however, confounders were not adequately controlled. Our study aimed to evaluate PPI use and subsequent risk of BTC and its subtypes in three well-established cohorts. We conducted a pooled analysis of the subjects free of cancers in UK Biobank (n = 463 643), Nurses' Health Study (NHS, n = 80 235) and NHS II (n = 95 869). Propensity score weighted Cox models were used to estimate marginal HRs of PPIs use on BTC risk, accounting for potential confounders. We documented 284 BTC cases in UK Biobank (median follow-up: 7.6 years), and 91 cases in NHS and NHS II cohorts (median follow-up: 15.8 years). In UK biobank, PPI users had a 96% higher risk of BTC compared to nonusers in crude model (HR 1.96, 95% CI 1.44-2.66), but the effect was attenuated to null after adjusting for potential confounders (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.60-1.49). PPI use was not associated with risk of BTC in the pooled analysis of three cohorts (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.60-1.43). We also observed no associations between PPI use with risk of intrahepatic (HR 1.00, 95% CI 0.49-2.04), extrahepatic bile duct (HR 1.09, 95% CI 0.52-2.27) and gallbladder cancers (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.26-1.66) in UK Biobank. In summary, regular use of PPIs was not associated with the risk of BTC and its subtypes.     

Bacterial and fungal co-infection is a major barrier in COVID-19 patients: A specific management and therapeutic strategy is required

Microbial co-infections are another primary concern in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), yet it is an untouched area among researchers. Preliminary data and systematic reviews only show the type of pathogens responsible for that, but its pathophysiology is still unknown. Studies show that these microbial co-infections are hospital-acquired/nosocomial infections, and patients admitted to intensive care units with invasive mechanical ventilation are highly susceptible to it. Patients with COVID-19 had elevated inflammatory cytokines and a weakened cell-mediated immune response, with lower CD4⁺ T and CD8⁺ T cell counts, indicating vulnerability to various co-infections. Despite this, there are only a few studies that recommend the management of co-infections.     

Comparison study of patient demographics and patient-related risk factors for peri-prosthetic joint infections following primary total shoulder arthroplasty

BackgroundWhile studies have demonstrated favorable outcomes in utilization of primary total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) for the treatment of glenohumeral osteoarthritis (OA), adverse events such as infections can still occur. Periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are associated with worse outcomes and patient morbidity. The purpose of this study was to: (1) compare patient demographics amongst TSA patients with and without PJIs following primary TSA; and (2) identify patient-related risk factors for PJIs following primary TSA.MethodsPatients undergoing primary TSA for the treatment of glenohumeral OA were identified using the Mariner administrative claims database by CPT code 23,472. Laterality modifiers were utilized to ensure PJIs were developing in the correct laterality as those patients undergoing primary TSA. Inclusion for the study group consisted of patients who developed PJIs within 2-years after the index procedure, whereas patients who did not develop PJIs served as the comparison cohort. Primary outcomes analyzed included patient demographics and patient-related risk factors for PJIs following primary TSA. A stepwise backwards elimination multivariate binomial logistic regression analyses was performed to determine the odds (OR) of PJIs in patients undergoing primary TSA. A P value less than .05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsThe query yielded 15,396 patients who underwent primary TSA for glenohumeral OA, of which 191 patients developed PJIs and 15,205 did not develop PJIs. The study found statistically significant differences amongst patients who did and did not develop PJIs following primary TSA with respect to age, sex, and presence of comorbid conditions. Risk factors associated with developing PJIs following primary TSA included: pathologic weight loss (OR: 2.06, P < .0001), obesity (OR: 1.56, P = .0001), male sex (OR: 1.52, P = .007), and peripheral vascular disease (OR: 1.46, P = .022).ConclusionAs the number of primary TSAs for the treatment of glenohumeral OA increase worldwide, identifying modifiable risk-factors to reduce the incidence of infection is critical. The study found various modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors associated with developing PJIs following primary TSA. This study is valuable to orthopedists in order to identify and risk-stratify patients with regard to PJI in the setting of primary TSA for OA.Level of EvidenceLevel III; Case-Control Study     

Correction to: Impact of smoking habit on adult-onset Still’s disease prognosis,findings from a multicentre observational study

Clinical Rheumatology -     

Microeconomics of intertemporal choice in zero-space during Covid-19: a behavioral economics perspective

The European Journal of Health Economics -     

黄连NRAMP3基因的克隆与生物信息学分析＊

目的 克隆黄连（Coptis chinensis Franch.）中自然抗性相关巨噬细胞蛋白（Natural Resistance-Associated Macrophage Protein，NRAMP）的编码基因，并进行生物信息学分析。方法 从黄连基因组中比对NRAMP3基因，并根据比对的基因序列设计特异性引物，经PCR扩增得到的黄连NRAMP3编码序列，进行克隆、测序和生物信息学分析，并利用qPCR技术对黄连NRAMP3基因进行时空表达分析。结果 得到黄连NRAMP3基因cDNA序列，全长1617 bp，编码538个氨基酸，通过与GenBank上的其他蛋白序列比对，将其命名为CcNRAMP3；序列分析显示，黄连NRAMP3基因编码的氨基酸序列包含一个典型的NRAMP结构域（PF01566），有12个跨膜结构域，亚细胞定位于液泡膜上，具有疏水性强的特点。二级结构中肽链构象主要包括α-螺旋与无规则卷曲两部分；三级结构模型具有葡萄球菌锰转运突变体（MntH）的晶体结构。利用系统进化关系分析推测它可能具有转运重金属元素Cd功能。对黄连NRAMP3基因的组织表达分析表明，CcNRAMP3基因在黄连叶片中表达量最高。在遭受镉胁迫时，在须根中表达量先升高后降低，该基因很可能主要在根部对镉进行响应并发挥作用。结论 本研究首次通过克隆得到黄连NRAMP3基因，并运用生物信息学方法对其理化性质、结构特征等进行了分析预测，这些结果将为黄连NRAMP3基因的功能研究以及其对镉转运的调控机制提供理论依据和基因资源。