Treatment of multiple adjacent RT 1 gingival recessions with the modified coronally advanced tunnel (MCAT) technique and a collagen matrix or palatal connective tissue graft: 9-year results of a split-mouth randomized clinical trial

Clinical Oral Investigations - To evaluate t he long-term outcomes following treatment of RT 1 multiple adjacent gingival recessions (MAGR) using the modified coronally advanced tunnel (MCAT) with...     

Opposing patterns in self-reported and measured physical activity levels in middle-aged adults

Physical activity brings significant health benefits to middle-aged adults, although the research to date has been focused on late adulthood. This study aims to examine how ageing affects the self-reported and accelerometer-derived measures of physical activity levels in middle-aged adults. We employed the data recorded in the UK Biobank and analysed the physical activity levels of 2,998 participants (1381 men and 1617 women), based on self-completion questionnaire and accelerometry measurement of physical activity. We also assessed the musculoskeletal health of the participants using the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurements provided by the UK Biobank. Participants were categorised into three groups according to their age: group I younger middle-aged (40 to 49 years), group II older middle-aged (50 to 59 years), and group III oldest middle-aged (60 to 69 years). Self-reported physical activity level increased with age and was the highest in group III, followed by group II and I (P?<?0.05). On the contrary, physical activity measured by accelerometry decreased significantly with age from group I to III (P?<?0.05), and the same pertained to the measurements of musculoskeletal health (P?<?0.05). It was also shown that middle-aged adults mostly engaged in low and moderate intensity activities. The opposing trends of the self-reported and measured physical activity levels may suggest that middle-aged adults over-report their activity level as they age. They should be aware of the difference between their perceived and actual physical activity levels, and objective measures would be useful to prevent the decline in musculoskeletal health.

     

基于文献的老年人群常见证候分布特征研究＊

目的 了解我国老年人中医证候分布特征，为中医药辨治老年人提供参考依据。方法 系统检索中国知识基础设施（CNKI）、中文科技期刊数据库（CCD）、万方数据资源系统数据库（CSPD），纳入研究对象为老年人的临床流行病学调查研究文献，对其调查目的、调查疾病及调查结果等进行描述统计。结果 ①最终纳入168篇文献，其中2010至2020年之间发表138篇（82.14%）；调查地区涵盖全国28个省市自治区，共纳入43948例老年人，累计覆盖340个研究中心；②主要研究结果显示，老年人中医证候阴虚阳亢证（10.05%）>血瘀证（9.5%）>痰浊（湿）证（8.91%）>阴阳两虚证（4.98%）>痰瘀互结证（4.96%）；单元证分布阴虚证（14.70%）>痰证（11.22%）>气虚证（7.15%）>肾虚证（4.72%）>血瘀证（4.18%）；涉及病变脏腑肾>肝>脾>肺>心。结论 根据统计结果，可以看出老年人证候分布虚证多于实证，虚证中又以阴虚证、气虚证最为多见，实证常见血瘀证、痰浊（湿）证等，且多见痰瘀互结证；老年人五脏皆损，其中又以肾、肝、脾功能失调最为突出。     

Comment on “Outcomes of curative liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with cirrhosis”

The present letter to the editor is in response to the research “Outcomes of curative liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with cirrhosis” by Elshaarawy et al in World J Gastroenterol 2021; 13(5): 424–439. The preoperative assessment of the liver reserve function in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with cirrhosis is crucial, and there is no universal consensus on how to assess it. Based on a retrospective study, Elshaarawy et al investigated the impact of various classical clinical indicators on liver failure and the prognosis after hepatectomy in HCC patients with cirrhosis. We recommend that we should strive to explore new appraisal indicators, such as the indocyanine green retention rate at 15 min.     

A systematic review of the methodological quality of economic evaluations in genetic screening and testing for monogenic disorders

PurposeUnderstanding the value of genetic screening and testing for monogenic disorders requires high-quality, methodologically robust economic evaluations. This systematic review sought to assess the methodological quality among such studies and examined opportunities for improvement.MethodsWe searched PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, and Web of Science for economic evaluations of genetic screening/testing (2013-2019). Methodological rigor and adherence to best practices were systematically assessed using the British Medical Journal checklist.ResultsAcross the 47 identified studies, there were substantial variations in modeling approaches, reporting detail, and sophistication. Models ranged from simple decision trees to individual-level microsimulations that compared between 2 and >20 alternative interventions. Many studies failed to report sufficient detail to enable replication or did not justify modeling assumptions, especially for costing methods and utility values. Meta-analyses, systematic reviews, or calibration were rarely used to derive parameter estimates. Nearly all studies conducted some sensitivity analysis, and more sophisticated studies implemented probabilistic sensitivity/uncertainty analysis, threshold analysis, and value of information analysis.ConclusionWe describe a heterogeneous body of work and present recommendations and exemplar studies across the methodological domains of (1) perspective, scope, and parameter selection; (2) use of uncertainty/sensitivity analyses; and (3) reporting transparency for improvement in the economic evaluation of genetic screening/testing.     

Resiniferatoxin reduces cardiac sympathetic nerve activation to exert a cardioprotective effect during myocardial infarction

Background and objective: Myocardial infarction (MI) is a common critical disease of the cardiovascular system. The process of MI is often accompanied by the excessive activation of cardiac sympathetic nerves, which leads to arrhythmia. Resiniferatoxin (RTX) is a transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), involved in the cardiac sympathetic afferent reflex. However, whether RTX can reduce the occurrence of arrhythmia and exert a cardioprotective effect by inhibiting the sympathetic reflex during MI is still unknown. Methods: The left anterior descending artery of cardiac was clamped to construct a model of MI. RTX (50 μg/ml) was used by epicardial application in MI rats. Ventricular electrophysiologic properties were continuously monitored by a body surface ECG. Yrosine hydroxylase (TH) and growth associated protein 43 (GAP43) were detected by Immunofluorescence staining. Connexin43 and transforming growth factor beta receptor 1 (TGF-β1) were detected by western blot. Norepinephrine (NE) and BNP levels in blood and tissue were determined by ELISA. Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography. Results: The ERP, APD90, QRS, QT and the Tend-Tpeak intervals in MI rats were all prolonged, but decreased after RTX treatment (n = 3, P<0.05). In contrast, the RR interval was shortened in the MI group, but prolonged in the MI+RTX group (n = 3, P<0.05). RTX treatment significantly reduced ventricular arrhythmias after MI. TH- and GAP43-positive nerve densities and TGF-β1, and cx-43 protein expression were up-regulated in the MI group compared to the sham group, and they were decreased in the MI+RTX group compared to the MI group (n = 3, P<0.05). RTX can decrease serum and tissue NE and BNP levels (n = 3, P<0.05). RTX pretreatment significantly decreased heart rate, HW/BW ratio and LVIDS, and increased LVEF andLVFS values (n = 3, P<0.05). Conclusion: RTX improved cardiac dysfunction, ventricular electrophysiologic properties, and sympathetic nerve remodeling in rats with MI by inhibiting the excessive cardiac sympathetic drive.