Efficacy of the WINROP algorithm for retinopathy of prematurity screening in Southern China

AIM:To evaluate the predicting efficacy of severe retinopathy of prematurity(ROP)by the WINROP algorithm(http://winrop.com)in Southern China.METHODS:All preterm infants with the gestational age(GA)less than 32 wk were included.Their ROP screening results and serial postnatal body weight were analysed retrospectively.Weekly body weight was entered into and measured by the WINROP system.The outcomes were analysed,and the sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value and negative predictive value(NPV)were calculated.RESULTS:Totally 432 infants with a median GA of 30.0(24.0-31.9)wk,and a median birth weight(BW)of 1360(540-2700)g were included.Among these 432 infants,50 were diagnosed as type 1 ROP but only 28 were identified by the WINROP algorithm.The sensitivity was 56%(28/50)and the NPV was 92%(252/274).However,for infants with BW<1000g or GA<28 wk,the sensitivity was 93.8%(15/16)and 93.3%(14/15),respectively.Meanwhile,with several postnatal complications added as additional risk factors,the sensitivity was increased to 96%(48/50).CONCLUSION:The sensitivity of the WINROP algorithm from the Southern Chinese cohort is not as high as that reported in developed countries.This algorithm is effective for detecting severe ROP from extremely small or preterm infants.Modification of the algorithm with additional risk factors could improve the predictive value for infants with a GA>28 wk in China.

Effect of electroacupuncture at Jiaji (EX-B2) points on the expression of microRNA-21 and neuronal apoptosis in rats with acute spinal cord injury

Objective:To observe the effect of electroacupuncture at Jiaji (EX-B2) points on the expression of microRNA-21 and neuronal apoptosis in rats with acute spinal cord injury. Methods:SD rats were randomly divided into sham-operated group, model group, electro-acupuncture group and methylprednisolone group. The model of acute spinal cord injury was reproduced by modified Allen's method. Each group was given corresponding intervention treatment 2 hours after modeling. The electroacupuncture group was treated with electro-acupuncture at Jiaji (EX-B2) points in T8 to T12, the methylprednisolone group was given intraperitoneal injection of 30 mg/kg methylprednisolone sodium succinate, and the sham operation group and model group were not treated. After treatment, BBB scores were observed to evaluate the motor function of posterior limb in each group, and the injured spinal cord tissues were taken. The pathological changes of spinal cord neuropathy were observed by Nissl staining. The expression of microRNA-21 was detected by RT-qPCR, and the expression of apoptotic proteins (Bax, Bcl-2 and cleaved-Caspase-3) was detected by Western-Blot. Result:Compared with sham operation group, BBB, neuron survival rate and expression of microRNA-21 were significantly lower, apoptotic rate of neurons was significantly higher, expression of Bax, Bcl-2, cleaved Caspase-3 protein and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio were significantly increased in model group (P< 0.05). Electroacupuncture could significantly increase BBB score, neuron survival rate and expression of microRNA-21, reduce apoptotic rate of neurons and the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2, and inhibit the expression of Bax, Bcl-2 and cleaved Caspase-3 protein in tissues, which were significantly different from those of model group (P< 0.05). Conclusions: Electroacupuncture at Jiaji (EX-B2) points can significantly promote the recovery of neurological function in rats after ASCI, and its mechanism may be closely related to the up-regulation of the expression of microRNA-21 in tissues and the inhibition of the activation of Bax/Bcl-2/cleaved Caspase-3 signaling pathway.

Chitin-derived fibrous carbon microspheres as support of polyamine for remarkable CO_(2) capture

Supported polyamines are promising candidates for the chemical adsorption of CO_(2),the performance of which is highly dependent on the porous structure of supports.In this work,we synthesized a kind of fibrous carbon microspheres(FCMs)from environmentally friendly and low-cost chitin.The synthesized FCMs have microspheric morphology and fibrous sub-architecture,and the carbon fibers interweave to form pores with large diameters.The flexibility of the pores formed by the interweaving of carbon fibers also enable the supporting of high quantity of polyamines.Given these features,pentaethylenehexamine(PEHA)was physically dispersed in the pores of FCMs to prepare PEHA/FCMs adsorbents,which were systematically characterized and investigated for CO_(2) capture performance.It is found that PEHA/FCMs adsorbents show excellent ability for CO_(2) adsorption,with the highest CO_(2) capacity of 3.90 mmol g^(-1) at 75℃ when using 10 vol%of CO_(2) for determinations.The reversibility of PEHA/FCMs adsorbents for CO_(2) adsorption is also fairly good,and PEHA/FCMs adsorbents have strong ability for the selective adsorption of low-content CO_(2) from N_(2).