Therapeutic effect of manual massage on early postpartum rectus abdominis separation and postpartum depression

BACKGROUND Rectus abdominis separation(DRA)affects pelvic stability and body image.No studies have explored the effects of manual massage on early postpartum DRA and postpartum depression.AIM To analyze the curative effect of massage on early postpartum DRA and its impact on postpartum depression and thus its ability promote the overall psychosomatic rehabilitation of postpartum women.METHODS Data were retrospectively collected on 70 primiparous women with postpartum DRA who underwent rehabilitation at the Postpartum Rehabilitation Center of Huzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital from October 2022 to September 2023.The patients were divided into the Group S(35 cases,biomimetic electrical stimulation treatment)and Group L(35 cases,biomimetic electrical stimulation combined with manual massage treatment).Baseline data,the edinburgh postpartum depression scale(EPDS)score,and the visual analog scale(VAS)scores for rectus abdominis distance,waist circumference,and lower back pain before and after treatment were compared.RESULTS No significant differences were found in the baseline data,rectus abdominis distance,waist circumference,and VAS and EPDS scores between the two groups before treatment(P>0.05).After treatment,the distance between rectus abdominis and waist circumference in Group L were significantly smaller than those in Group S(P<0.05).Furthermore,lower back pain(VAS score)and the EPDS score in Group L were significantly lower than those in Group S(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Manual massage can significantly reduce early postpartum DRA,waist circumference,and back pain and improve the patient’s mental state and postpartum depression.

Small Extracellular Vesicles Secreted by Peri-urethral Tissues Regulate Fibroblast Function and Contribute to the Pathogenesis of Female Stress Urinary Incontinence

Objective:This study aimed to explore the existence of small extracellular vesicles(sEVs)in peri-urethral tissues and the role of abnormal expression of sEVs in the pathogenesis of female stress urinary incontinence(SUI).Methods:sEVs were extracted from peri-urethral vaginal wall tissues using differential centrifugation and were observed by transmission electron microscopy(TEM).The number of sEVs and their protein contents were compared between SUI and control groups using nanoparticle tracking analysis(NTA)and bicinchoninic acid(BCA)protein assay.Fibroblasts were cultured separately with SUI(SsEVs group)and normal tissue sEVs(NsEVs group).Proliferation and migration of fibroblasts were compared between groups using CCK-8 and wound healing assays,respectively.Expression levels of collagenⅠandⅢwere compared among blank control(BC),NsEVs,and SsEVs groups using real-time PCR.Protein mass spectrometry was used to test the differentially expressed proteins contained in sEVs between groups.Results:sEVs were extracted and found under the electron microscope.There were significantly more sEVs extracted from the SUI group compared to the normal group.Fibroblasts showed increased proliferative and decreased migratory abilities,and expressed more collagen in the SsEVs group compared to the NsEVs and BC groups.Protein spectrum analysis demonstrated several differentially expressed targets,including components of microfibrils,elastin polymer,and anti-inflammatory factors.Conclusion:sEVs were detected in the peri-urethral tissues.SUI tissues expressed more sEVs than control.The abnormal expression of sEVs and their protein contents may contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of SUI.

Chemerin Exacerbates Psoriasis by Stimulating Keratinocyte Proliferation and Cytokine Production

Objective Psoriasis is often combined with metabolic abnormalities,such as obesity and diabetes.The upregulation of chemerin,which is an essential protein produced primarily from white fat,is strongly correlated to the development of psoriasis.However,there is no clarification on its exact function and mechanism in disease pathogenesis.The present study aims to determine its function and mechanism in disease pathogenesis.Methods The present study used a psoriasislike inflammatory cell model and imiquimod(IMQ)-induced mouse model to confirm whether chemerin is upregulated in psoriasis patients.Results Chemerin enhanced the keratinocyte proliferation,inflammatory cytokine secretion,and activation of the MAPK signaling pathway.Crucially,the intraperitoneal injection of neutralizing anti-chemerin antibody(ChAb)diminished the epidermal proliferation and inflammation in the IMQ-induced mouse model.Conclusion The present results indicate that chemerin promotes keratinocyte proliferation,and enhances the production of inflammatory cytokines,thereby aggravating the psoriasis.Thus,chemerin can be a prospective target for the treatment of psoriasis.

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt is effective in patients with chronic portal vein thrombosis and variceal bleeding

Background:Studies about treatment of patients with chronic portal vein thrombosis(CPVT)are still limited,especially in different types of CPVT.This study aimed to evaluate the effect of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)in all types of CPVT with variceal bleeding.Methods:Patients with CPVT who received TIPS treatment between January 2011 and June 2019 were divided into four types according to the extent of thrombosis.All patients had a history of variceal bleeding.The characteristics and clinical parameters were collected and recorded.Data on procedure success rate,variation in portal vein pressure,rebleeding,hepatic encephalopathy(HE),stent stenosis,and overall mortality were analyzed.Results:A total of 189 patients were included in this study(39 in type 1,84 in type 2,48 in type 3,18 in type 4).The TIPS procedure success rate was 86.2%.The success rate was significantly different among the four types(89.7%vs.88.1%vs.83.3%vs.77.8%,P=0.001).In the TIPS success group,portal vein pressure was significantly reduced from 27.15±6.59 to 19.74±6.73 mm Hg after the procedure(P<0.001)and the rebleeding rate was significantly lower than that of the fail group(14.7%vs.30.8%,P=0.017).In addition,there were no significant differences in HE rate(30.7%vs.26.9%,P=0.912)or overall mortality(12.9%vs.19.2%,P=0.403)between the TIPS success group and the fail group.In the TIPS success group,we found that the occurrence of HE was significantly different(P=0.020)among the four types,while there were no significant differences in rebleeding rate(P=0.669),stent stenosis rate(P=0.056),or overall mortality(P=0.690).Conclusions:TIPS was safe and effective in decreasing portal vein pressure and rebleeding rate in patients with CPVT.

Role of periostin and its antagonist PNDA-3 in gastric cancer metastasis

The extracellular matrix component periostin is a secreted protein that functions as both a cell attachment protein and an autocrine or paracrine factor that signals through the cell adhesion molecule integrins αvβ3 and αvβ5.Periostin participates in normal physiological activities such as cardiac development,but is also involved in pathophysiological processes in vascular diseases,wound repair,bone formation,and tumor development.It is of increasing interest in tumor biologybecause it is frequently overexpressed in a variety of epithelial carcinomas and is functionally involved in multiple steps of metastasis progression.These include the maintenance of stemness,niche formation,EMT,the survival of tumor cells,and angiogenesis,all of which are indispensable for gastric cancer metastasis.Periostin has been reported to activate the PI-3K/AKT,Wnt,and FAK-mediated signaling pathways to promote metastasis.Therefore,periostin represents a potentially promising candidate for the inhibition of metastasis.In this review article,we summarize recent advances in knowledge concerning periostin,its antagonist PNDA-3,and their influence on such key processes in cancer metastasis as maintenance of stemness,niche formation,epithelialto-mesenchymal transition,tumor cell survival,and angiogenesis.In particular,we focus our attention on the role of periostin in gastric cancer metastasis,speculate as to the usefulness of periostin as a therapeutic and diagnostic target for gastric cancer metastasis,and consider potential avenues for future research.

Idiopathic neonatal pneumoperitoneum with favorable outcome: A case report and review

Neonatal pneumoperitoneum is a surgical emergency indicative of gastrointestinal perforation that requires immediate treatment to prevent death. There have been non-surgical conditions secondary to neonatal pneumoperitoneum(e.g., mechanical ventilation, pulmonary diseases and pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis) that neonates were able to overcome without the need for abdominal exploration. Idiopathic pneumoperitoneum, although similar to perforation of the alimentary tract and the previously mentioned non-surgical conditions, is a more rare and benign condition that does not yet have a definite cause. Hence, inexperienced surgeons may have a difficult time providing the right treatment for idiopathic pneumoperitoneum. We report a case of a neonate with a massive pneumoperitoneum who obtained a favorable outcome without surgical intervention. Nonetheless, the cause of pneumoperitoneum remains unclear. We hypothesize that the right sized perforation(range: 2 mm to 4 mm in diameter) at the anterior wall of the stomach is needed for pneumoperitoneum to occur. As the baby cries(aerophagia), the air in the stomach accumulates until it can enter the intraperitoneal cavity through the leak compressed by gastric peristalsis, hence forming a large pneumoperitoneum. Small amounts of gastric juice are able to penetrate the gastric wall; therefore, no signs or symptoms of peritonitis occur. The gastric leak self-seals, preventing further passage of the air, allowing the intraperitoneal free gas to dissipate gradually. This case demonstrated that laparotomy can be avoided in neonates with idiopathic pneumoperitoneum if a timely diagnosis is established.

Small molecules facilitate single factor-mediated sweat gland cell reprogramming

Background: Large skin defects severely disrupt the overall skin structure and can irreversibly damage sweat glands(SGs), thus impairing the skin’s physiological function. This study aims to develop a stepwise reprogramming strategy to convert fibroblasts into SG lineages, which may provide a promising method to obtain desirable cell types for the functional repair and regeneration of damaged skin.Methods: The expression of the SG markers cytokeratin 5(CK5), cytokeratin 10(CK10), cytokeratin 18(CK18), carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA), aquaporin 5(AQP5) and α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA) was assessed with quantitative PCR(qPCR), immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Calcium activity analysis was conducted to test the function of induced SG-like cells(iSGCs). Mouse xenograft models were also used to evaluate the in vivo regeneration of iSGCs.BALB/c nude mice were randomly divided into normal group, SGM treatment group and iSGC transplantation group.Immunocytochemical analyses and starch-iodine sweat tests were used to confirm the in vivo regeneration of iSGCs.Results: Ectodermal dysplasia antigen(EDA) overexpression drove human dermal fibroblast(HDF) conversion into i SGCs in SG culture medium(SGM). qPCR indicated significantly increased mRNA levels of the SG markers CK5, CK18and CEA in iSGCs, and flow cytometry data demonstrated(4.18±0.04)% of iSGCs were CK5 positive and(4.36±0.25)%of iSGCs were CK18 positive. The addition of chemical cocktails greatly accelerated the SG fate program. qPCR results revealed significantly increased mRNA expression of CK5, CK18 and CEA in iSGCs, as well as activation of the duct marker CK10 and luminal functional marker AQP5. Flow cytometry indicated, after the treatment of chemical cocktails,(23.05±2.49)% of iSGCs expressed CK5^(+) and(55.79±3.18)% of iSGCs expressed CK18^(+), respectively. Calcium activity analysis indicated that the reactivity of iSGCs to acetylcholine was close to that of primary SG cells [(60.79±7.71)% vs.(70.59±0.34)%, ns]. In vivo transplantation experiments showed approximately(5.2±1.1)% of the mice were sweat test positive, and the histological analysis results indicated that regenerated SG structures were present in iSGCs-treated mice.Conclusions: We developed a SG reprogramming strategy to generate functional iSGCs from HDFs by using the single factor EDA in combination with SGM and small molecules. The generation of iSGCs has important implications for future in situ skin regeneration with SG restoration.

The first mitochondrial genome for the butterfly family Riodinidae(Abisara fylloides) and its systematic implications

The Riodinidae is one of the lepidopteran butterfly families. This study describes the complete mitochondrial genome of the butterfly species Abisara fylloides, the first mitochondrial genome of the Riodinidae family. The results show that the entire mitochondrial genome of A. fylloides is 15301 bp in length, and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes and a 423 bp A＋T-rich region. The gene content, orientation and order are identical to the majority of other lepidopteran insects. Phylogenetic reconstruction was conducted using the concatenated 13 protein-coding gene （PCG） sequences of 19 available butterfly species covering all the five butterfly families （Papilionidae, Nymphalidae, Peridae, Lycaenidae and Riodinidae）. Both maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses highly supported the monophyly of Lycaenidae＋Riodinidae, which was standing as the sister of Nymphalidae. In addition, we propose that the riodinids be categorized into the family Lycaenidae as a subfamilial taxon.

CCPG1 involved in corneal Aspergillus fumigatus infection

AIM: To investigate whether non-canonical autophagy transport receptor cell cycle progression 1(CCPG1) is involved in the corneal antifungal immune response.METHODS: Human corneal epithelial cells(HCECs) and human myeloid leukemia mononuclear cells(THP-1) macrophages stimulated by Aspergil us fumigatus(A. fumigatus) were used as cell models. The expression of CCPG1 m RNA was detected by q RT-PCR. Western blot was used to determine the protein expression of CCPG1 and interleukin-1β(IL-1β). The dectin-1 neutralizing antibody was used to detect the association between dectin-1 and CCPG1. Immunofluorescence was used to observe the colocalization of CCPG1 and C-type lectin-like receptor-1(CLEC-1) in THP-1 macrophages.RESULTS: The expression of CCPG1 started to increase at 4 h after infection and increased in a time-dependent manner in HCECs and THP-1 macrophages. With dectin-1 neutralizing antibody pretreatment, the expression of IL-1β was down-regulated. CCPG1 up-regulation in response to A. fumigatus infection was independent of dectin-1. Immunofluorescence showed the colocalization of CCPG1 and CLEC-1 in THP-1 macrophages.CONCLUSION: As a specific autophagy protein of noncanonical autophagy pathway, CCPG1 is involved in corneal infection with A. fumigatus.

Effects of direct ultrasonic treatment on microstructure and elongation of semi-solid Sn-62Bi alloy

A new direct ultrasonic treatment(DUT) setup with the ultrasonic horn placed in the horizontal direction was developed and used in the preparation of semi-solid Sn-62 Bi slurry. The influence of DUT temperature on microstructure and properties of Sn-62 Bi alloy were studied. The test results of XRD showed that the semi-solid Sn-62 Bi alloy obtained by the DUT process exhibits pronounced preferential orientation of Bi(2 0 2), Bi(-1 1 1), Bi(-2 0 1), Sn(1 1 0) and Sn(2 2 0) planes. Compared to the conventional liquid casting Sn-62 Bi alloy without DUT, it was discovered that the primary Bi blocks of semi-solid Sn-62 Bi alloy prepared with the DUT process distribute more homogeneously and are smaller. With the treatment by ultrasonic vibration in the semi-solid state for 120 s, the higher the primary Bi phase fraction in the slurry, the smaller the size of primary semi-solid Bi blocks formed after solidification. The average side length of the primary Bi blocks was from 30 μm to 80 μm. The elongation of Sn-62 Bi alloy treated by DUT for 120 s at 145 °C is 43.21%, reflecting a distinctly improvement by 129.10%, as compared to the conventional liquid casting Sn-62 Bi alloy without DUT. This indicates that DUT process could improve dramatically the ductility of Sn-62 Bi alloys content. The microstructure evolution mechanism of semi-solid Sn-62 Bi alloy slurry was also analyzed.

The first mitochondrial genome for the butterfly family Riodinidae(Abisara fylloides)and its systematic implications

The Riodinidae is one of the lepidopteran butterfly families.This study describes the complete mitochondrial genome of the butterfly species Abisara fylloides,the first mitochondrial genome of the Riodinidae family.The results show that the entire mitochondrial genome of A.fylloides is 15301 bp in length,and contains 13 protein-coding genes,2 ribosomal RNA genes,22 transfer RNA genes and a 423 bp A+T-rich region.The gene content,orientation and order are identical to the majority of other lepidopteran insects.Phylogenetic reconstruction was conducted using the concatenated 13 protein-coding gene(PCG)sequences of 19 available butterfly species covering all the five butterfly families(Papilionidae,Nymphalidae,Peridae,Lycaenidae and Riodinidae).Both maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses highly supported the monophyly of Lycaenidae+Riodinidae,which was standing as the sister of Nymphalidae.In addition,we propose that the riodinids be categorized into the family Lycaenidae as a subfamilial taxon.

Fluid simulation of the pulsed bias effect on inductively coupled nitrogen discharges for low-voltage plasma immersion ion implantation

Planar radio frequency inductively coupled plasmas（ICP） are employed for low-voltage ion implantation processes,with capacitive pulse biasing of the substrate for modulation of the ion energy. In this work, a two-dimensional（2D） selfconsistent fluid model has been employed to investigate the influence of the pulsed bias power on the nitrogen plasmas for various bias voltages and pulse frequencies. The results indicate that the plasma density as well as the inductive power density increase significantly when the bias voltage varies from 0 V to-4000 V, due to the heating of the capacitive field caused by the bias power. The N＋fraction increases rapidly to a maximum at the beginning of the power-on time, and then it decreases and reaches the steady state at the end of the glow period. Moreover, it increases with the bias voltage during the power-on time, whereas the N2-＋ fraction exhibits a reverse behavior. When the pulse frequency increases to 25 kHz and40 kHz, the plasma steady state cannot be obtained, and a rapid decrease of the ion density at the substrate surface at the beginning of the glow period is observed.

hMex-3A is associated with poor prognosis and contributes to the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma

Background:HMex-3A,an RNA-binding protein,was found to be associated with tumorigenesis.However,the roles of h Mex-3A in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)progression remained unclear.Methods:The different expression of h Mex-3A between HCC tissues and non-tumor tissues was evaluated using The Cancer Genome Atlas database.Thereafter,the h Mex-3A expression was evaluated in HCC tissues using Western blotting and q RT-PCR.Immunohistochemistry was performed to investigate the association between h Mex-3 A level and clinicopathological features including prognosis in HCC patients.In addition,we used si-h Mex-3A to knockdown h Mex-3A in HCC cells to test Cell Counting Kit-8,colony formation,cell migration and invasion.Results:The h Mex-3A expression was significantly elevated in HCC tissues.Analysis of the clinicopathological parameters suggested that h Mex-3A expression was significantly associated with pathological grade(P=0.019)and TNM stage(P=0.001)in HCC.Moreover,univariate and multivariate Coxregression analyses revealed that high h Mex-3A expression(HR=1.491,95%CI:1.107–2.007;P=0.009)was an independent risk factor for overall survival in HCC patients.Finally,we confirmed that si-h Mex-3A could significantly inhibit HCC cell proliferation,migration,and invasion in vitro.Conclusions:HMex-3A may contribute to the progression of HCC and might be used as a novel therapeutic target and prognostic marker in HCC.

Effect of radio frequency bias on plasma characteristics of inductively coupled argon discharge based on fluid simulations

t A fluid model is employed to investigate the effect of radio frequency bias on the behavior of an argon inductively coupled plasma(ICP).In particular,the effects of ICP source power,single-frequency bias power,and dual-frequency bias power on the characteristics of ICP are simulated at a fixed pressure of 30 mTorr(1 Torr=1.33322×102 Pa).When the bias frequency is fixed at 27.12 MHz,the two-dimensional(2D)plasma density profile is significantly affected by the bias power at low ICP source power(e.g.,50 W),whereas it is weakly affected by the bias power at higher ICP source power(e.g.,100 W).When dual-frequency(27.12 MHz/2.26 MHz)bias is applied and the sum of bias powers is fixed at 500 W,a pronounced increase in the maximum argon ion density is observed with the increase of the bias power ratio in the absence of ICP source power.As the ratio of 27.12-MHz/2.26-MHz bias power decreases from 500 W/0 W to 0 W/500 W with the ICP source power fixed at 50 W,the plasma density profiles smoothly shifts from edge-high to center-high,and the effect of bias power on the plasma distribution becomes weaker with the bias power ratio decreasing.Besides,the axial ion flux at the substrate surface is characterized by a maximum at the edge of the substrate.When the ICP source power is higher,the 2D plasma density profiles,as well as the spatiotemporal and radial distributions of ion flux at the substrate surface are characterized by a peak in the reactor center,and the distributions of plasma parameters are negligibly affected by the dual-frequency bias power ratio.

A microblog recommendation algorithm based on social tagging and a temporal interest evolution model

Personalized microblog recommendations face challenges of user cold-start problems and the interest evolution of topics. In this paper, we propose a collaborative filtering recommendation algorithm based on a temporal interest evolution model and social tag prediction. Three matrices are first prepared to model the relationship between users, tags, and microblogs. Then the scores of the tags for each microblog are optimized according to the interest evolution model of tags. In addition, to address the user cold-start problem, a social tag prediction algorithm based on community discovery and maximum tag voting is designed to extract candidate tags for users. Finally, the joint probability of a tag for each user is calculated by integrating the Bayes probability on the set of candidate tags, and the top n microblogs with the highest joint probabilities are recommended to the user. Experiments using datasets from the microblog of Sina Weibo showed that our algorithm achieved good recall and precision in terms of both overall and temporal performances. A questionnaire survey proved user satisfaction with recommendation results when the cold-start problem occurred.