Efficacy and safety of abrocitinib for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in adolescents and adults: Meta-analysis

Objective: This study aims to investigate the safety and efficacy of abrocitinib in treating moderate-to-severe AD in adolescents and adults.Methods: Pubmed, Cochrane, Embase, and Web of science data base were searched from inception to 9 August 2022. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy and safety of abrocitinib in moderate to severe AD were included in the meta-analysis.Results: This meta-analysis comprised 7 studies and found that 100 mg or 200 mg of abrocitinib significantly improved IGA {[RR = 2.44, 95% CI (1.93–3.08)] [RR = 3.16, 95% CI (2.52–3.96)]} and EASI-75{[RR = 2.18, 95%CI (1.78–2.67)] [RR = 3.04, 95%CI (2.22–4.16)]} responses compared to placebo. Following that, the population was divided into adolescent and adult groups. The abrocitinib improved IGA, EASI-75 responses, and it was still superior to placebo in both the adolescent and the adult groups. PP-NRS4 response index demonstrated that abrocitinib had a greater effect than placebo at 100 mg [RR = 2.22, 95% CI 1.80–2.72] and 200 mg [RR = 3.28, 95% CI 2.59–4.17]. Abrocitinib improved PSAAD, POEM, DLQI, CDLQI, and HADS more than a placebo.Conclusion: In conclusion, this meta-analysis preliminarily demonstrated that abrocitinib had higher efficacy and safety in the treatment of moderate-to-severe AD in adolescents and adults. In addition, abrocitinib could rapidly relieve itching, and effectively improve symptoms and signs, with a greater effect at the dosage of 200 mg than 100 mg

Ring-Pins combined with cable cerclage for the fixation of displaced inferior patellar pole fractures

ObjectiveThe study aimed to present the clinical results and complication rates of ring-pins with cable cerclage for treating the inferior pole of patella fracture.MethodA study that retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients of the displaced inferior pole of patella fracture (AO/OTA 34-A1) operated with a ring-pin tension band using cable cerclage between October 2015 and October 2017 was performed. The duration of surgery, motion range of the knee, function outcomes, and complications were recorded.ResultsThe average follow-up of 31 patients was 21 months. The mean operation time was 50 min. Fractures in all 31 patients healed at a mean duration of 8 weeks. There was no infection, no withdrawing of ring-pins, no implant breakage, and no loss of fracture reduction. The mean range of motion was 120°, and no patient complained of implant irritation at the final follow-up. The average Bostman score was 29.0 points, and 28 patients graded clinical outcomes excellent and 3 patients graded clinical outcomes good at the last follow-up.ConclusionsRing-pin combined with cable cerclage for treating the displaced inferior pole of patellar fracture is simple, and the postoperative internal fixation-related complication rate is low. It is a good choice for treating the displaced inferior pole of the patellar fracture

The Composition, Diversity and Predictive Metabolic Profiles of Bacteria Associated With the Gut Digesta of Five Sea Urchins in Luhuitou Fringing Reef (Northern South China Sea)

Sea urchins strongly affect reef ecology, and the bacteria associated with their gut digesta have not been well studied in coral reefs. In the current study, we analyze the bacterial composition of five sea urchin species collected from Luhuitou fringing reef, namely Stomopneustes variolaris, Diadema setosum, Echinothrix calamaris, Diadema savignyi, and Tripneustes gratilla, using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene-based pyrosequencing. Propionigenium, Prolixibacter, and Photobacterium were found to be the dominant bacterial genera in all five species. Interestingly, four sea urchin species, including S. variolaris, D. setosum, E. calamaris, and D. savignyi, displayed a higher mean total abundance of the three bacterial genera (69.72 ± 6.49%) than T. gratilla (43.37 ± 13.47%). Diversity analysis indicated that the gut digesta of sea urchin T. gratilla displayed a higher bacterial α-diversity compared with the other four species. PCoA showed that the four groups representing D. setosum, D. savignyi, E. calamaris, and S. variolaris were overlapping, but distant from the group representing T. gratilla. Predictive metagenomics performed by PICRUSt revealed that the abundances of genes involved in amino acid metabolism and metabolism of terpenoid and polyketide were higher in T. gratilla, while those involved in carbohydrate metabolism were higher in the other four sea urchin species. Therefore, our results indicated that the composition, diversity and predictive metabolic profiles of bacteria associated with the gut digesta of T. gratilla were significantly different from those of the other four sea urchin species in Luhuitou fringing reef

Understanding PRRSV Infection in Porcine Lung Based on Genome-Wide Transcriptome Response Identified by Deep Sequencing

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) has been one of the most economically important diseases affecting swine industry worldwide and causes great economic losses each year. PRRS virus (PRRSV) replicates mainly in porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) and dendritic cells (DCs) and develops persistent infections, antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE), interstitial pneumonia and immunosuppression. But the molecular mechanisms of PRRSV infection still are poorly understood. Here we report on the first genome-wide host transcriptional responses to classical North American type PRRSV (N-PRRSV) strain CH 1a infection using Solexa/Illumina's digital gene expression (DGE) system, a tag-based high-throughput transcriptome sequencing method, and analyse systematically the relationship between pulmonary gene expression profiles after N-PRRSV infection and infection pathology. Our results suggest that N-PRRSV appeared to utilize multiple strategies for its replication and spread in infected pigs, including subverting host innate immune response, inducing an anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory state as well as developing ADE. Upregulation expression of virus-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, adhesion molecules and inflammatory enzymes and inflammatory cells, antibodies, complement activation were likely to result in the development of inflammatory responses during N-PRRSV infection processes. N-PRRSV-induced immunosuppression might be mediated by apoptosis of infected cells, which caused depletion of immune cells and induced an anti-inflammatory cytokine response in which they were unable to eradicate the primary infection. Our systems analysis will benefit for better understanding the molecular pathogenesis of N-PRRSV infection, developing novel antiviral therapies and identifying genetic components for swine resistance/susceptibility to PRRS

Non-Standard Errors

In statistics, samples are drawn from a population in a data-generating process (DGP). Standard errors measure the uncertainty in estimates of population parameters. In science, evidence is generated to test hypotheses in an evidence-generating process (EGP). We claim that EGP variation across researchers adds uncertainty: Non-standard errors (NSEs). We study NSEs by letting 164 teams test the same hypotheses on the same data. NSEs turn out to be sizable, but smaller for better reproducible or higher rated research. Adding peer-review stages reduces NSEs. We further find that this type of uncertainty is underestimated by participants

Assessment of River Habitat Quality in the Hai River Basin, Northern China

We applied a river habitat quality (RHQ) assessment method to the Hai River Basin (HRB); an important economic centre in China; to obtain baseline information for water quality improvement; river rehabilitation; and watershed management. The results of the assessment showed that the river habitat in the HRB is seriously degraded. Specifically; 42.41% of the sites; accounting for a river length of 3.31 × 104 km; were designated poor and bad. Habitat in the plain areas is seriously deteriorated; and nearly 50% of the sites; accounting for a river length of 1.65 × 104 km; had either poor or bad habitats. River habitat degradation was attributable to the limited width of the riparian zone (≤5 m); lower coverage of riparian vegetation (≤40%); artificial land use patterns (public and industrial land); frequent occurrence of farming on the river banks and high volumes of solid waste (nearly 10 m3); single flow channels; and rare aquatic plants (≤1 category). At the regional scale; intensive artificial land use types caused by urbanization had a significant impact on the RHQ in the HRB. RHQ was significantly and negatively correlated with farmland (r = 1.000; p < 0.01) and urban land (r = 0.998; p < 0.05); and was significantly and positively correlated with grassland and woodland (r = 1.000; p < 0.01). Intensive artificial land use; created through urbanization processes; has led to a loss of the riparian zone and its native vegetation; and has disrupted the lateral connectivity of the rivers. The degradation of the already essentially black rivers is exacerbated by poor longitudinal connectivity (index of connectivity is 2.08–16.56); caused by reservoirs and sluices. For river habitat rehabilitation to be successful; land use patterns need to be changed and reservoirs and sluices will have to be regulated