The burden of upper motor neuron involvement is correlated with the bilateral limb involvement interval in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis:a retrospective observational study

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a rare neurodegenerative disease characterized by the involvement of both upper and lower motor neurons.Early bilateral limb involvement significantly affects patients'daily lives and may lead them to be confined to bed.However,the effect of upper and lower motor neuron impairment and other risk factors on bilateral limb involvement is unclear.To address this issue,we retrospectively collected data from 586 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients with limb onset diagnosed at Peking University Third Hospital between January 2020 and May 2022.A univariate analysis revealed no significant differences in the time intervals of spread in different directions between individuals with upper motor neuron-dominant amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and those with classic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.We used causal directed acyclic graphs for risk factor determination and Cox proportional hazards models to investigate the association between the duration of bilateral limb involvement and clinical baseline characteristics in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients.Multiple factor analyses revealed that higher upper motor neuron scores(hazard ratio[HR]=1.05,95%confidence interval[CI]=1.01–1.09,P=0.018),onset in the left limb(HR=0.72,95%CI=0.58–0.89,P=0.002),and a horizontal pattern of progression(HR=0.46,95%CI=0.37–0.58,P<0.001)were risk factors for a shorter interval until bilateral limb involvement.The results demonstrated that a greater degree of upper motor neuron involvement might cause contralateral limb involvement to progress more quickly in limb-onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients.These findings may improve the management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients with limb onset and the prediction of patient prognosis.

Spousal Involvement in the Workplace of Doctors: What Is Defined as Appropriate or Inappropriate

Background: Workers spend a significant amount of time in the workspace. Involvement of a spouse in a doctor’s workplace can take different forms and come with different intentions. Objectives: The survey aimed to determine the prevalence and extent of spousal involvement in physicians’ workplaces as well as the outcome of such involvement on doctor’ swell-being, productivity, and relationship with colleagues. Methods: This cross-sectional online survey on spousal involvement in the workplace of doctors was conducted among 83 responding doctors from July to August 2023. Results: Among the respondents, 60 (72.3%) had witnessed a doctor’s spouse being involved in the workplace. The most common reason for spousal involvement in the workplace was to protect the spouse from what they perceived as a threat 34 (54.0%). Spouse’s ignorance of boundaries in the workplace (OR: 6.09 (95% CI: 1.70, 21.79) P: 0.003) and exertion of control by the spouse (OR: 11.2 (95% CI: 2.26, 56.41) P: 0.002) were significantly associated with higher odds of inappropriate spousal involvement in the workplace, while expression of love for spouse with acts of kindness was significantly associated with a lowered odd of inappropriate spousal involvement (OR: 0.11 (95% CI: 0.03, 0.36) P: 0.0001). Conclusion: Spousal involvement in the workplace is relatively common. Ignorance of the boundaries of the workplace and exertion of control by the spouse were significant enablers of inappropriate spousal involvement in the workplace of doctors. The establishment of workplace policies that define the limits of spousal involvement in the doctor’s workplace can foster a healthy workspace environment, enhance doctors’ well-being, and improve patient care.

Corrigendum:Sorl1 knockout inhibits expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor:involvement in the development of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease

https://doi.org/10.4103/1673-5374.393108 In the article titled“Sorl1 knockout inhibits expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor:involvement in the development of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease”,published on pages 1602-1607,Issue 7,Volume 19 of Neural Regeneration Research(Zhao et al.,2024),the first author’s affiliations were incorrectly tagged.

State-Owned Capital Participation in Private Enterprises:A Perspective of Debt Financing

This study takes debt financing as the entry point and explores the impact of state-owned capital participation in private enterprises from the perspectives of“unarticulated rules”and“articulated rules”.The study finds that state-owned capital participation significantly reduces the debt financing costs of private enterprises and expands the scale of their debt financing.This conclusion remains valid after a series of endogeneity and robustness tests.Further analysis of the mechanism reveals that state-owned capital participation improves the debt financing of private enterprises through multiple channels:Enhancing their social reputation,mitigating the“statistical bias”they face,optimizing their information quality,and reducing the“shareholder-creditor”agency problems.This paper conceptualizes these benefits as the“complementary advantages of heterogeneous shareholders”.This not only constructs a theoretical framework for“reverse mixed-ownership reform”but also better narrates the Chinese story of“mixed-ownership reform”by adopting a more universally applicable theory of equity structure.Additionally,the paper supplements existing research on the macro-and meso-level relationship between the government and the market by exploring the government’s positive role at the micro-level.

Management of distal cholangiocarcinoma with arterial involvement: Systematic review and case series on the role of neoadjuvant therapy

BACKGROUND The use of neoadjuvant therapy(NAT)in distal cholangiocarcinoma(dCCA)with regional arterial or extensive venous involvement,is not widely accepted and evidence is sparse.AIM To synthesise evidence on NAT for dCCA and present the experience of a highvolume tertiary-centre managing dCCA with arterial involvement.METHODS A systematic review was performed according to PRISMA guidance to identify all studies reporting outcomes of patients with dCCA who received NAT.All patients from 2017 to 2022 who were referred for NAT for dCCA at our centre were retrospectively collected from a prospectively maintained database.Baseline characteristics,NAT type,progression to surgery and oncological outcomes were collected.RESULTS Twelve studies were included.The definition of“unresectable”locally advanced dCCA was heterogenous.Four studies reported outcomes for 9 patients who received NAT for dCCA with extensive vascular involvement.R0 resection rate ranged between 0 and 100%but without survival benefit in most cases.Remaining studies considered either NAT in resectable dCCA or inclusive with extrahepatic CCA.The presented case series includes 9 patients(median age 67,IQR 56-74 years,male:female 5:4)referred for NAT for borderline resectable or locally advanced disease.Three patients progressed to surgery and 2 were resected.One patient died at 14 months with evidence of recurrence at 6 months and the other died at 51 months following recurrence 6 months postoperatively.CONCLUSION Evidence for benefit of NAT is limited.Consensus on criteria for uniform definition of resectability for dCCA is required.We propose using the established National-Comprehensive-Cancer-Network®criteria for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Shared decision making in rural general practices:a qualitative exploration of older rural South Australians'perceived involvement in clinical consultations with doctors

Background:Shared decision-making(SDM)implementation is a priority for Australian health systems,including general practices but it remains complex for specific groups like older rural Australians.We initiated a qualitative study with older rural Australians to explore barriers to and facilitators of SDM in local general practices.Methods:We conducted a patient-oriented research,partnering with older rural Australians,families,and health service providers in research design.Participants who visited general practices were purposively sampled from five small rural towns in South Australia.A semi-structured interview guide was used for interviews and reflexive thematic coding was conducted.Results:Telephone interviews were held with 27 participants.Four themes were identified around older rural adults’involvement in SDM:(1)Understanding of"patient involvement";(2)Positive and negative outcomes;(3)Barriers to SDM;and(4)Facilitators to SDM.Understanding of patient involvement in SDM considerably varied among participants,with some reporting their involvement was contingent on the“opportunity to ask questions”and the“treatment choices”offered to them.Alongside the opportunity for involvement,barriers such as avoidance of cultural care and a lack of continuity of care are new findings.Challenges encountered in SDM implementation also included resource constraints and time limitations in general practices.Rural knowledge of general practitioners and technology integration in consultations were viewed as potential enablers..Conclusion:Adequate resources and well-defined guidelines about the process should accompany the implementation of SDM in rural general practices of South Australia.Innovative strategies by general practitioners promoting health literacy and culturally-tailored communication approaches could increase older rural Australians'involvement in general.

Determinants of Occipital Involvement in Males and Females with Pattern Hair Loss: A Retrospective Study

Background: Pattern hair loss (PHL) is the most common form of hair loss affecting both men and women. The occipital region, located at the back of the scalp, has been considered resistant to hair loss in PHL. It is often used as a donor site for hair transplantation procedures. However, evidence suggests that the occipital region may also be affected by PHL, although to a lesser extent compared to the frontal and vertex regions. Objective: To assess the levels and determinants of occipital involvement in PHL, focusing on gender and disease severity. Such data would enhance the comprehensive understanding of PHL progression and inform development of improved treatment strategies. Methods: This retrospective study involved 1993 adults (1000 males, 993 females) following for PHL at a specialized hair clinic in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Any patient who had hair transplantation in the past and any male who had balding areas (Hamilton-Norwood scales 4 to 7) at the initial consultation was excluded. The primary outcome was occipital involvement, defined as >10% thin hairs in the trichometry assessments of the occipital region. Additional data included patients age, treatment status, disease severity, and other trichometry parameters. Results: The prevalence of occipital involvement was found to be 23.8% overall, significantly more frequent in females (35.6%) than males with early PHL (Hamilton-Norwood scales 2 and 3) (12.1%) (p Conclusion: This study underscored the relevance of gender and disease severity in occipital involvement in PHL. Females had significantly higher rates of occipital involvement, suggesting that gender differences are critical in understanding PHL progression. Future research should aim to validate these findings, with an aim to refine therapeutic and surgical approaches to improve patient outcomes.

Research on Mixed Ownership Reform of State-Owned Enterprises from the Perspective of Marxist Political Economy

Under China’s socialist system,state-owned enterprises are key forces driving the economic trajectory and providing strong momentum.These enterprises not only bear the crucial responsibility of advancing the process of national modernization but also serve as the core of the national economic lifeline through their irreplaceable status and function amidst changing times.In the new era,with the advent of the technological revolution and the wave of globalization,state-owned enterprises face unprecedented opportunities and challenges.As a significant aspect of state-owned enterprise reform,the mixed ownership reform is not only a transformation in the structure of enterprise ownership but also a reflection of China’s broader,comprehensive reform efforts.By deeply advancing this reform,it will help optimize the allocation of state-owned assets and significantly boost technological and management innovation within state-owned enterprises,ensuring their competitiveness in the intense market environment.Therefore,this paper will conduct an in-depth analysis of the mixed ownership reform of state-owned enterprises from the perspective of Marxist political economy.

Internal Control Management and Risk Prevention Measures of State-Owned Enterprises

As an important pillar of national economic development,state-owned enterprises,their operational efficiency,and risk management ability are directly related to the stability and security of the national economy.As an important part of enterprise management,internal control management plays an irreplaceable role.Especially in the current domestic and international economic situation is complex and changeable,market competition is increasingly fierce environment,to strengthen the internal control management of state-owned enterprises and risk prevention measures is particularly important.This paper starts with the importance of internal control management and risk prevention for state-owned enterprises,and analyzes the problems and strategies in the internal control management and risk prevention of state-owned enterprises,in order to build a more comprehensive and efficient risk management system for state-owned enterprises to adapt to the ever-changing market environment and realize sustainable development.

Experienced Involvement (ExIn) in Social-Psychiatric Care of Germany-Challenges and Chances

This study explores the integration of Experienced Involvement(ExIn)in social-psychiatric care in Germany,emphasizing both the challenges and opportunities it presents.The European Leonardo da Vinci Project(2005-2007)established a curriculum for ExIn,promoting participatory structures in psychiatric services.While peer support is well-established in other European countries,Germany’s experience is still developing.This research uses a mixed methods design,combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews,to investigate the professional experiences of ExIn recovery companions and team colleagues in German clinics and support services.The findings reveal numerous benefits:for social-psychiatric services,ExIn enhances service quality,inclusivity,and accessibility;for team colleagues,it fosters reflexivity,hope,and trust,and improves self-care;for service users,it provides empowerment,easy access to support,trust,and hope,and offers credible role models.Despite these benefits,challenges such as stigmatization,lack of recognition,and financial constraints remain and require to be addressed.The study highlights the need and provides implications for a dedicated and inclusive approach to effectively implementing ExIn,ultimately enriching psychiatric care through experiential knowledge and reducing prejudice within mental health services.

Involvement Load Hypothesis and Senior Middle School Students' Vocabulary Retention

The purpose of the paper is to study retention of vocabulary acquired incidentally on task-induced involvement by senior middle school students. Grade two of senior middle students participated in the experiments, testing whether retention of vocabulary acquired incidentally is contingent on amount of task-induced involvement.Using short-and long term, namely immediate posttest and delayed posttest, retention of twelve unfamiliar words was investigated in three learning tasks (reading, reading plus fill-in and writing) with varying degrees of “involvement load”- various combinations of need, search and evaluation. The results of the experiment partially support the Involvement Load Hypothesis: retention in the writing group was higher than that in the reading plus fill-in group; retention in the reading plus fill-in group was higher than that in the reading group. The results are discussed in light of the construct of task-induced involvement.

二语词汇间接学习与认知加工层次——评Laufer和Hulstijn的“Task-Induced Involvement”建构的提出

以Craik和Lockhart(1 972 )的认知加工层次理论为理论框架对二语词汇间接学习的必要性进行了详尽阐述。但由于认知加工层次不宜观察 ,难以操作、测量 ,间接学习也有其局限性。因此 ,依据Laufer和Hulstijn(2 0 0 1 )的“任务诱导型参与活动”建构 。

二语词汇伴随性学习与“Task-Induced Involvement”建构

本文以认知加工层次理论为理论框架 ,对二语词汇伴随性学习的必要性和局限性进行了详尽的阐述。但由于认知加工层次理论不宜观察、难以操作、无法测量 ,因此 L aufer & Hulstijn提出了“任务诱导型参与活动”建构 ,作者依据该建构对二语词汇伴随性学习理论进行了一些新的探讨。

Pulmonary involvement and allergic disorders in inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been associated with either clinical or subclinical airway and parenchymal lung involvement and interstitial lung complications. Several studies have reported that atopy has a high prevalence in IBD patients. Overlapping allergic disorders seem to be present in both the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. The purpose of this review is to update clinicians on recent available literature and to discuss the need for a highly suspicious approach by clinicians.

Crohn's disease with gastroduodenal involvement: Diagnostic approach

Crohn's disease(CD) is a chronic idiopathic inflammatory disease of gastrointestinal tract characterizedby segmental and transmural involvement of gastrointestinal tract. Ileocolonic and colonic/anorectal is a most common and account for 40% of cases and involvement of small intestine is about 30%. Isolated involvement of stomach is an extremely unusual presentation of the disease accounting for less than 0.07% of all gastrointestinal CD. To date there are only a few documented case reports of adults with isolated gastric CD and no reports in the pediatric population. The diagnosis is difficult to establish in such cases with atypical presentation. In the absence of any other source of disease and in the presence of nonspecific upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and histological findings, serological testing can play a vital role in the diagnosis of atypical CD. Recent studies have suggested that perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody and anti-Saccharomycescervisia antibody may be used as additional diagnostic tools. The effectiveness of infliximab in isolated gastric CD is limited to only a few case reports of adult patients and the long-term outcome is unknown.

Extranodal involvement in young patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma： distribution, prognostic value and treatment options

Objective： Extranodal involvement represents a peculiar presentation of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma（DLBCL）. Previous studies have suggested that older patients are more prone to extranodal involvement. This study retrospectively addressed the distribution, prognostic value and treatment options of extranodal involvement in young patients with DLBCL.Methods： A total of 329 patients were enrolled according to the inclusion requirements. The effects of gender,extranodal involvement, age-adjusted international prognostic index（aa IPI）, rituximab infusion and radiotherapy on patient outcomes were evaluated.Results： Among these patients, 59% presented extranodal involvement in 16 anatomic sites. More than one instance was linked to many poorer clinical characteristics and poorer survival compared with either nodal disease or one instance. In patients with one extranodal lesion, multivariate analysis revealed that the site of extranodal involvement, but not the aa IPI or rituximab infusion, was independently related to the outcome, and radiotherapy had a negative influence on survival.Conclusions： Extranodal involvement is common in younger patients and exhibits a ubiquitous distribution.The site of extranodal involvement is of strong prognostic significance. Radiotherapy for extranodal lesions does not improve patient outcomes.

Complete regression of myocardial involvement associated with lymphoma following chemotherapy

Cardiac involvement as an initial presentation of malignant lymphoma is a rare occurrence.We describe the case of a 26 year old man who had initially been diagnosed with myocardial infiltration on an echocardiogram,presenting with a testicular mass and unilateral peripheral facial paralysis.On admission,electrocardiograms(ECG)revealed negative T-waves in all leads and ST-segment elevation in the inferior leads.On twodimensional echocardiography,there was infiltration of the pericardium with mild effusion,infiltrative thickening of the aortic walls,both atria and the interatrial septum and a mildly depressed systolic function of both ventricles.An axillary biopsy was performed and reported as a T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma(T-LBL).Following the diagnosis and staging,chemotherapy was started.Twenty-two days after finishing the first cycle of chemotherapy,the ECG showed regression of T-wave changes in all leads and normalization of the ST-segment elevation in the inferior leads.A followup two-dimensional echo confirmed regression of the myocardial infiltration.This case report illustrates a lymphoma presenting with testicular mass,unilateral peripheral facial paralysis and myocardial involvement,and demonstrates that regression of infiltration can be achieved by intensive chemotherapy treatment.To our knowledge,there are no reported cases of T-LBL presenting as a testicular mass and unilateral peripheral facial paralysis,with complete regression of myocardial involvement.

Transcriptome analyses of the Dof-like gene family in grapevine reveal its involvement in berry, flower and seed development

The Dof(DNA-binding with one finger)protein family spans a group of plant transcription factors involved in the regulation of several functions,such as plant responses to stress,hormones and light,phytochrome signaling and seed germination.Here we describe the Dof-like gene family in grapevine(Vitis vinifera L.),which consists of 25 genes coding for Dof.An extensive in silico characterization of the VviDofL gene family was performed.Additionally,the expression of the entire gene family was assessed in 54 grapevine tissues and organs using an integrated approach with microarray(cv Corvina)and real-time PCR(cv Pinot Noir)analyses.The phylogenetic analysis comparing grapevine sequences with those of Arabidopsis,tomato,poplar and already described Dof genes in other species allowed us to identify several duplicated genes.The diversification of grapevine DofL genes during evolution likely resulted in a broader range of biological roles.Furthermore,distinct expression patterns were identified between samples analyzed,corroborating such hypothesis.Our expression results indicate that several VviDofL genes perform their functional roles mainly during flower,berry and seed development,highlighting their importance for grapevine growth and production.The identification of similar expression profiles between both approaches strongly suggests that these genes have important regulatory roles that are evolutionally conserved between grapevine cvs Corvina and Pinot Noir.

Large-conductance Ca^2＋-activated K^＋ channel involvement in suppression of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury after electroacupuncture at Shuigou(GV26) acupoint in rats

Excess activation and expression of large-conductance Ca^2＋-activated K^＋ channels（BKCa channels） may be an important mechanism for delayed neuronal death after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. Electroacupuncture can regulate BKCa channels after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, but the precise mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we established a rat model of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. Model rats received electroacupuncture of 1 m A and 2 Hz at Shuigou（GV26） for 10 minutes, once every 12 hours for a total of six times in 72 hours. We found that in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury rats, ischemic changes in the cerebral cortex were mitigated after electroacupuncture. Moreover, BKCa channel protein and m RNA expression were reduced in the cerebral cortex and neurological function noticeably improved. These changes did not occur after electroacupuncture at a non-acupoint（5 mm lateral to the left side of Shuigou）. Thus, our findings indicate that electroacupuncture at Shuigou improves neurological function in rats following cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, and may be associated with down-regulation of BKCa channel protein and m RNA expression. Additionally, our results suggest that the Shuigou acupoint has functional specificity.

Challenges and facilitators for patient and public involvement in England;focus groups with senior nurses

The concepts of patient and public involvement (PPI) have been recognized and linked with quality in health services internationally and in Europe. In England, for more than a decade, NHS policies have increasingly quoted patient-centred services. Limited evidence exists about the implementation of PPI policies and strategies within organisations;three studies only have explored health professionals’ perceptions of PPI. Although nurses’ positive support for patient and public involvement has been noted, comparatively little is known about senior nurses’ experiences of embedding PPI. A national consultation utilising three focus groups aimed to explore senior nurses’ perceptions of challenges and facilitators for PPI implementation. Four Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs) and eleven Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in England, with fifteen senior nurses with leadership roles and direct PPI experience, participated. Nurses’ perceptions on patient and public involvement, challenges and facilitators for its implementation were discussed. Focus groups were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim;anonymised transcripts were validated by participants and analysed with thematic analysis. Limited resources, patient representation and recruitment, complexities of implementing PPI and national policy changes were challenging. Commissioning limitations, lack of feedback on patient experience, limited staff awareness, negative attitudes, management of patients and public expectations constituted further challenges. Nursing role characteristics and informal involvement activities, PPI policy and cultural change, commissioning PPI competencies, related service frameworks, providing feedback on patient experiences to staff and recognition of involvement benefits were recognised as facilitators. Findings provided new insights into senior nurses’ experiences and evidence that progress towards meaningful, effective PPI remains slow. However, recognition of existing nursing role characteristics and potential delivery problems created by expanded nursing roles, informal PPI practice and internal organisational sharing of patient feedback may bring an “emerging productive partnership” with nurses enabling and contributing to effective PPI.