Value of a novel Y-Z magnetic totally implantable venous access port in improving the success rate of one-time needle insertion

Background and objectivesA totally implantable venous access port (TIVAP) is a commonly used intravenous infusion device for patients receiving chemotherapy or long-term infusion therapy. To improve the success rate of one-time insertion of the Huber needle, we developed a novel Y-Z magnetic TIVAP (Y-Z MTIVAP), which we produced using three-dimensional printing technology.Materials and methodsThe Y-Z MTIVAP includes a magnetic port body and a magnetic positioning device. For testing, we established four venous port implantation models using the two types of TIVAPs and two implantation depth ranges (≤5 mm and >5 mm). Twenty nurses performed Huber needle puncture with the four models, and we recorded the number of attempts required for successful needle insertion, the operation time, and the operator's satisfaction.ResultsThe success rate for one-time needle insertion with the Y-Z MTIVAP was significantly higher than that with the traditional TIVAP at either depth range (100% vs. 75% at ≤5 mm, p = 0.047; 95% vs. 35% at >5 mm, p < 0.001). With increasing implantation depth, the success rate for one-time insertion was significantly reduced with the traditional TIVAP (75% at ≤5 mm vs. 35% vs. >5 mm, p = 0.025), but the success rate with the Y-Z MTIVAP was not significantly affected (100% vs. 95%, p = 1.000). The operation time with the Y-Z MTIVAP was significantly shorter than that with the traditional TIVAP at either depth range (both p < 0.001), and 90% of operators reported that the Y-Z MTIVAP was superior to the traditional TIVAP.ConclusionsThe theoretical design of Y-Z MTIVAP is feasible, and the preliminary in vitro simulation experiment shows that it can significantly improve puncture success rate and shortened operation time

Vaccines targeting preS1 domain overcome immune tolerance in hepatitis B virus carrier mice

Strong tolerance to hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigens limits the therapeutic effect of the conventional hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) vaccination in both preclinical animal models and patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection. In contrast, we observed that clinical CHB patients presented less immune tolerance to the preS1 domain of HBV large surface antigen. To study whether targeting the weak tolerance of the preS1 region could improve therapy gain, we explored vaccination with the long peptide of preS1 domain for HBV virions clearance. Our study showed that this preS1-polypeptide rather than HBsAg vaccination induced robust immune responses in HBV carrier mice. The anti-preS1 rapidly cleared HBV virions in vivo and blocked HBV infection to hepatocytes in vitro. Intriguingly, vaccination of preS1-polypeptide even reduced the tolerized status of HBsAg, opening a therapeutic window for the host to respond to the HBsAg vaccine. A sequential administration of antigenically distinct preS1-polypeptide and HBsAg vaccines in HBV carrier mice could finally induce HBsAg/hepatitis B surface antibody serological conversion and clear chronic HBV infection in carrier mice. Conclusion: These results suggest that preS1 can function as a therapeutic vaccine for the control of CHB. (Hepatology 2017;66:1067-1082)

Are Primo Vessels (PVs) on the Surface of Gastrointestine Involved in Regulation of Gastric Motility Induced by Stimulating Acupoints ST36 or CV12?

Previous studies showed primo vessels (PVs), which were referred to as Bonhan ducts (BHDs) and a part of circulatory system by Kim, located in different places of the body. The BHDs system was once considered as the anatomical basis of classical acupuncture meridian but not clearly identified by other investigators. In the present study, we tried to address the relationship between PVs and meridians through detecting the modulation of gastric motility by stimulating the PVs on the surface of stomach or intestine, as well as acupoints Zusanli (ST36) and Zhongwan (CV12). The results showed electric stimulation of the PVs had no effect on the gastric motility. While stimulating CV12 inhibited gastric motility significantly in PVs-intact and PVs-cut rats, there is no significant difference between the inhibition rate of the PVS-intact and the PVS-cut rats. Stimulating at ST36 increased gastric motility significantly in both the PVs-intact and the PVs-cut rats, yet there was no significant difference between the facilitation rate of the both groups. Taken together, the PVs on the surface of stomach or intestine did not mediate the regulation of gastric motility induced by stimulating at the acupoints ST36 or CV12

Analysis of cognitive function and its related factors after treatment in Meniere’s disease

A growing body of research recently suggested the association between vestibular dysfunction and cognitive impairment. Meniere’s disease (MD), a common clinical vestibular disorder, is usually accompanied by hearing loss and emotional stress, both of which may mediate the relationship between vestibule dysfunction and cognition. It is currently unknown whether the cognitive decline in MD patients could improve through treatment and how it relates to multiple clinical characteristics, particularly the severity of vertigo. Therefore, in the present study, the MD patients were followed up for 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment, and the cognitive functions, vertigo symptoms, and related physical, functional, and emotional effects of the patients were assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), aiming to explore the change in cognition before and after therapy and the correlation with various clinical features. It was found that cognitive decline in MD patients compared to healthy controls before therapy. Importantly, this cognitive impairment could improve after effective therapy, which was related to the severity of vertigo, especially in functional and physical impacts. Our results support the view that vestibular dysfunction is a potentially modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline

Associations of psychological wellbeing with COVID-19 hospitalization and mortality in adults aged 50 years or older from 25 European countries and Israel

BackgroundLower psychological wellbeing is associated with poor outcomes in a variety of diseases and healthy populations. However, no study has investigated whether psychological wellbeing is associated with the outcomes of COVID-19. This study aimed to determine whether individuals with lower psychological wellbeing are more at risk for poor outcomes of COVID-19.MethodsData were from the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) in 2017 and SHARE's two COVID-19 surveys in June–September 2020 and June–August 2021. Psychological wellbeing was measured using the CASP-12 scale in 2017. The associations of the CASP-12 score with COVID-19 hospitalization and mortality were assessed using logistic models adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, smoking, physical activity, household income, education level, and chronic conditions. Sensitivity analyses were performed by imputing missing data or excluding cases whose diagnosis of COVID-19 was solely based on symptoms. A confirmatory analysis was conducted using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA). Data analysis took place in October 2022.ResultsIn total, 3,886 individuals of 50 years of age or older with COVID-19 were included from 25 European countries and Israel, with 580 hospitalized (14.9%) and 100 deaths (2.6%). Compared with individuals in tertile 3 (highest) of the CASP-12 score, the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of COVID-19 hospitalization were 1.81 (95% CI, 1.41–2.31) for those in tertile 1 (lowest) and 1.37 (95% CI, 1.07–1.75) for those in tertile 2. As for COVID-19 mortality, the adjusted ORs were 2.05 (95% CI, 1.12–3.77) for tertile 1 and 1.78 (95% CI, 0.98–3.23) for tertile 2, compared with tertile 3. The results were relatively robust to missing data or the exclusion of cases solely based on symptoms. This inverse association of the CASP-12 score with COVID-19 hospitalization risk was also observed in ELSA.ConclusionThis study shows that lower psychological wellbeing is independently associated with increased risks of COVID-19 hospitalization and mortality in European adults aged 50 years or older. Further study is needed to validate these associations in recent and future waves of the COVID-19 pandemic and other populations

HRS1 Acts as a Negative Regulator of Abscisic Acid Signaling to Promote Timely Germination of Arabidopsis Seeds

In this work, we conducted functional analysis of Arabidopsis HRS1 gene in order to provide new insights into the mechanisms governing seed germination. Compared with wild type (WT) control, HRS1 knockout mutant (hrs1-1) exhibited significant germination delays on either normal medium or those supplemented with abscisic acid (ABA) or sodium chloride (NaCl), with the magnitude of the delay being substantially larger on the latter media. The hypersensitivity of hrs1-1 germination to ABA and NaCl required ABI3, ABI4 and ABI5, and was aggravated in the double mutant hrs1-1abi1-2 and triple mutant hrs1-1hab1-1abi1-2, indicating that HRS1 acts as a negative regulator of ABA signaling during seed germination. Consistent with this notion, HRS1 expression was found in the embryo axis, and was regulated both temporally and spatially, during seed germination. Further analysis showed that the delay of hrs1-1 germination under normal conditions was associated with reduction in the elongation of the cells located in the lower hypocotyl (LH) and transition zone (TZ) of embryo axis. Interestingly, the germination rate of hrs1-1 was more severely reduced by the inhibitor of cell elongation, and more significantly decreased by the suppressors of plasmalemma H+-ATPase activity, than that of WT control. The plasmalemma H+-ATPase activity in the germinating seeds of hrs1-1 was substantially lower than that exhibited by WT control, and fusicoccin, an activator of this pump, corrected the transient germination delay of hrs1-1. Together, our data suggest that HRS1 may be needed for suppressing ABA signaling in germinating embryo axis, which promotes the timely germination of Arabidopsis seeds probably by facilitating the proper function of plasmalemma H+-ATPase and the efficient elongation of LH and TZ cells