BACKGROUND Several studies have reported that the walking trail making test(WTMT)completion time is significantly higher in patients with developmental coordination disorders and mild cognitive impairments.We hypothes...BACKGROUND Several studies have reported that the walking trail making test(WTMT)completion time is significantly higher in patients with developmental coordination disorders and mild cognitive impairments.We hypothesized that WTMT performance would be altered in older adults with white matter hyperintensities(WMH).AIM To explore the performance in the WTMT in older people with WMH.METHODS In this single-center,observational study,25 elderly WMH patients admitted to our hospital from June 2019 to June 2020 served as the WMH group and 20 participants matched for age,gender,and educational level who were undergoing physical examination in our hospital during the same period served as the control group.The participants completed the WTMT-A and WTMT-B to obtain their gait parameters,including WTMT-A completion time,WTMT-B completion time,speed,step length,cadence,and stance phase percent.White matter lesions were scored according to the Fazekas scale.Multiple neuropsychological assessments were carried out to assess cognitive function.The relationships between WTMT performance and cognition and motion in elderly patients with WMH were analyzed by partial Pearson correlation analysis.RESULTS Patients with WMH performed significantly worse on the choice reaction test(CRT)(0.51±0.09 s vs 0.44±0.06 s,P=0.007),verbal fluency test(VFT,14.2±2.75 vs 16.65±3.54,P=0.012),and digit symbol substitution test(16.00±2.75 vs 18.40±3.27,P=0.010)than participants in the control group.The WMH group also required significantly more time to complete the WTMT-A(93.00±10.76 s vs 70.55±11.28 s,P<0.001)and WTMT-B(109.72±12.26 s vs 82.85±7.90 s,P<0.001).WTMT-A completion time was positively correlated with CRT time(r=0.460,P=0.001),while WTMT-B completion time was negatively correlated with VFT(r=-0.391,P=0.008).On the WTMT-A,only speed was found to statistically differ between the WMH and control groups(0.803±0.096 vs 0.975±0.050 m/s,P<0.001),whereas on the WTMT-B,the WMH group exhibited a significantly lower speed(0.778±0.111 vs 0.970±0.053 m/s,P<0.001)and cadence(82.600±4.140 vs 85.500±5.020 steps/m,P=0.039),as well as a higher stance phase percentage(65.061±1.813%vs 63.513±2.465%,P=0.019)relative to controls.CONCLUSION Older adults with WMH showed obviously poorer WTMT performance.WTMT could be a potential indicator for cognitive and motor deficits in patients with WMH.展开更多
Background: To study the influence of blood lipid levels on hemorrhagic transformation(HT) and prognosis after acute cerebral infarction(ACI).Methods: Patients with ACI within 72 h of symptoms onset between January 1 ...Background: To study the influence of blood lipid levels on hemorrhagic transformation(HT) and prognosis after acute cerebral infarction(ACI).Methods: Patients with ACI within 72 h of symptoms onset between January 1 st, 2015, and December 31 st, 2016, were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into group A(without HT) and group B(HT). The outcomes were assessed after 3 months of disease onset using the modified Rankin Scale(m RS). An m RS score of 0–2 points indicated excellent prognosis, and an m RS score of 3–6 points indicated poor prognosis.Results: A total of 732 patients conformed to the inclusion criteria, including 628 in group A and 104 in group B. The incidence of HT was 14.2%, and the median onset time was 2 d(interquartile range, 1–7 d). The percentages of patients with large infarct size and cortex involvement in group B were 80.8% and 79.8%, respectively, which were both significantly higher than those in group A(28.7 and 33.4%, respectively). The incidence rate of atrial fibrillation(AF) in group B was significantly higher than that in group A(39.4% vs. 13.9%, P<0.001). The adjusted multivariate analysis results showed that large infarct size, cortex involvement and AF were independent risk factors of HT, while total cholesterol(TC) was a protective factor of HT(OR=0.359, 95% CI 0.136–0.944, P=0.038). With every 1 mmol/L reduction in normal TC levels, the risk of HT increased by 64.1%. The mortality and morbidity at 3 months in group B(21.2% and 76.7%, respectively) were both significantly higher than those in group A(8.0% and 42.8%, respectively). The adjusted multivariate analysis results showed that large infarct size(OR=12.178, 95% CI 5.390–27.516, P<0.001) was an independent risk factor of long-term unfavorable outcomes, whereas low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C) was a protective factor(OR=0.538, 95% CI 0.300–0.964, P=0.037). With every 1 mmol/L reduction in normal LDL-C levels, the risk of an unfavorable outcome increased by 46.2%. Major therapies, including intravenous recombinant human tissue plasminogen activator(r TPA), intensive lipid-lowering statins and anti-platelets, were not significantly related to either HT or long-term, post-ACI poor prognosis.Conclusions: For patients with large infarct sizes, especially those with cortex involvement, AF, or lower levels of TC, the risk of HT might increase after ACI. The risk of a long-term unfavorable outcome in these patients might increase with a reduction in LDL-C.展开更多
Background: The treatment of hypertensive spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage(ICH) is still controversial. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether minimally invasive puncture and drainage(MIPD) cou...Background: The treatment of hypertensive spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage(ICH) is still controversial. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether minimally invasive puncture and drainage(MIPD) could provide improved patient outcome compared with decompressive craniectomy(DC).Methods: Eligible, consecutive patients with ICH(≥30 ml, in basal ganglia, within 24 hours of ictus) were nonrandomly assigned to receive MIPD(group A) or to undergo DC(group B) hematoma evacuation. The primary outcome was death at 30 days after onset. Functional independence was assessed at 1 year using the Glasgow Outcome Scale(GOS, scores range from 1 to 5, score 1 indicating death, ≥4 indicating functional independence, with lower scores indicating greater disability). Results: A total of 198 patients met the per protocol analysis(84 cases in group A and 114 cases in group B), including 9 cases lost during follow-up(2 cases in group A and 7 cases in group B). For these 9 patients, their last observed data were used as their final results for intention-to-treat analysis. The mean age of all patients was 57.1 years(range of 31-95 years), and 114 patients were male. The initial Glasgow Coma Scale(GCS) score was 8.1±3.4, and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS) score was 20.8±5.3. The mean hematoma volume(HV) was 56.7±23.0 ml(range of 30-144 ml), and there was extended intraventricular hemorrhage(IVH) in 134 patients(67.7%). There were no significant intergroup differences in the above baseline data, except group A had a higher mean age(59.4±14.5years) than the mean age of group B(55.3±11.1 years, P=0.025). The total cumulative mortalities at 30 days and 1 year were 32.3% and 43.4%, respectively, and there were no significant differences between groups A and B(30 days: 27.4% vs. 36.0%, P=0.203; 1 year: 36.1% vs. 48.2%, P=0.112, respectively). However, the mortality for patients ≤60 years, NIHSS【15 or HV≤60 ml was significantly lower in group A than that in group B(all P【0.05). The total cumulative functional independence at 1 year was 26.8%, and the difference between group A(33/43, 39.3%) and group B(20/144, 17.5%) was significant(absolute difference 21.7%, odds ratio [OR] 0.329, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.171 to 0.631, P=0.001). For patient with severe IVH, the 30 days and 1 year mortality rates were significant lower in group B than those in group A(P=0.025, P=0.036). However, the number of favorable outcomes had no significant difference between groups at 1 year post ictus. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a favorable outcome after 1 year was associated with the difference in therapies(OR 0.280, 95% CI 0.104–0.752, P=0.012), age(OR 0.215, 95% CI 0.069–0.671, P=0.008), GCS(OR 1.187, 95% CI 1.010–1.395, P=0.037), HV(OR 0.943, 95% CI 0.906–0.982, P=0.005), IVH(OR 0.655, 95% CI 0.506–0.849, P=0.001) and PI(OR 0.211, 95% CI 0.071–0.624, P=0.001). Conclusions: Our results suggest that for patients with hypertensive spontaneous ICH(HV≥30 ml in basal ganglia), MIPD may be a more effective treatment than DC, as assessed by a higher rate of functional independence at 1 year after onset as well as reduced mortality in patients ≤60 years of age, NIHSS【15 or HV≤60 ml. For patients with HV 】60 ml, deep coma and severe IVH, the outcomes of the two therapies were similar.展开更多
Cryopreservation of few spermatozoa is still a major challenge for male fertility preservation. This study reports use a new micro-straw （LSL straw） for freezing few spermatozoa for intracytoplasmic sperm injection ...Cryopreservation of few spermatozoa is still a major challenge for male fertility preservation. This study reports use a new micro-straw （LSL straw） for freezing few spermatozoa for intracytoplasmic sperm injection （ICSI）. Semen samples from 22 fertile donors were collected, and each semen sample was diluted and mixed with cryoprotectant in a ratio of 1：1, and then frozen using three different straws such as LSL straw （50-100μl）, traditional 0.25 ml and 0.5 ml straws. For freezing, all straws were fumigated with liquid nitrogen, with temperature directly reducing to -130--140℃. Sperm concentration, progressive motility, morphology, acrosome integrity, and DNA fragmentation index were evaluated before and after freezing. After freezing-thawing, LSL straw group had significantly higher percentage of sperm motility than traditional 0.25 ml and 0.5 ml straw groups （38.5% vs 27.4% and 25.6%, P 〈 0.003）. Sperm motility and acrosomal integrity after freezing-thawing were significantly lower than that of before freezing. However, there was no significant difference in morphology, acrosome, and DNA integrity between the three types of straws （P 〉 0.05）. As LSL straws were thinner and hold very small volume, the freezing rate of LSL straw was obviously faster than 0.25 ml straw and 0.5 ml straws. In conclusion, LSL micro-straws may be useful to store few motile spermatozoa with good recovery of motility for patients undergoing ICSI treatment.展开更多
Adding thin compartmental plates near the internal walls of enclosures has been nttmerically modeled using the lattice Boltzmann method. This practice was found to be an effective way to fitrther suppress the disadvan...Adding thin compartmental plates near the internal walls of enclosures has been nttmerically modeled using the lattice Boltzmann method. This practice was found to be an effective way to fitrther suppress the disadvantageous effects of heat leak, along with the application of insulation materials on the external surfaces. A modified extrapolation scheme for handling the thermal boundary of the thin plate was proposed and verified by comparison with the conventional coupled boundary scheme. The simulation of the natural convection during the cooling down processes and at steady states in the enclosure indicates that the existence of the plates leads to a higher cooling rate and a more favorable temperature uniformity. For a typical case, the one with plates takes 6% less time to reach the halfway point of the steady state and has 26% less temperature variance. Effects by the plates＇ positions and sizes were parametrically investigated, in order to find an optimal geometrical configuration. In addition, the fluid＇s intrinsic characteristics and the relative heat leak by using the Raylcigh number and Nussclt number, respectively, have been discussed in detail through hydrodynamic and convective heat transfer analyses.展开更多
基金Supported by The Wu Jieping Medical Foundation,No.320.6750.18456.
文摘BACKGROUND Several studies have reported that the walking trail making test(WTMT)completion time is significantly higher in patients with developmental coordination disorders and mild cognitive impairments.We hypothesized that WTMT performance would be altered in older adults with white matter hyperintensities(WMH).AIM To explore the performance in the WTMT in older people with WMH.METHODS In this single-center,observational study,25 elderly WMH patients admitted to our hospital from June 2019 to June 2020 served as the WMH group and 20 participants matched for age,gender,and educational level who were undergoing physical examination in our hospital during the same period served as the control group.The participants completed the WTMT-A and WTMT-B to obtain their gait parameters,including WTMT-A completion time,WTMT-B completion time,speed,step length,cadence,and stance phase percent.White matter lesions were scored according to the Fazekas scale.Multiple neuropsychological assessments were carried out to assess cognitive function.The relationships between WTMT performance and cognition and motion in elderly patients with WMH were analyzed by partial Pearson correlation analysis.RESULTS Patients with WMH performed significantly worse on the choice reaction test(CRT)(0.51±0.09 s vs 0.44±0.06 s,P=0.007),verbal fluency test(VFT,14.2±2.75 vs 16.65±3.54,P=0.012),and digit symbol substitution test(16.00±2.75 vs 18.40±3.27,P=0.010)than participants in the control group.The WMH group also required significantly more time to complete the WTMT-A(93.00±10.76 s vs 70.55±11.28 s,P<0.001)and WTMT-B(109.72±12.26 s vs 82.85±7.90 s,P<0.001).WTMT-A completion time was positively correlated with CRT time(r=0.460,P=0.001),while WTMT-B completion time was negatively correlated with VFT(r=-0.391,P=0.008).On the WTMT-A,only speed was found to statistically differ between the WMH and control groups(0.803±0.096 vs 0.975±0.050 m/s,P<0.001),whereas on the WTMT-B,the WMH group exhibited a significantly lower speed(0.778±0.111 vs 0.970±0.053 m/s,P<0.001)and cadence(82.600±4.140 vs 85.500±5.020 steps/m,P=0.039),as well as a higher stance phase percentage(65.061±1.813%vs 63.513±2.465%,P=0.019)relative to controls.CONCLUSION Older adults with WMH showed obviously poorer WTMT performance.WTMT could be a potential indicator for cognitive and motor deficits in patients with WMH.
文摘Background: To study the influence of blood lipid levels on hemorrhagic transformation(HT) and prognosis after acute cerebral infarction(ACI).Methods: Patients with ACI within 72 h of symptoms onset between January 1 st, 2015, and December 31 st, 2016, were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into group A(without HT) and group B(HT). The outcomes were assessed after 3 months of disease onset using the modified Rankin Scale(m RS). An m RS score of 0–2 points indicated excellent prognosis, and an m RS score of 3–6 points indicated poor prognosis.Results: A total of 732 patients conformed to the inclusion criteria, including 628 in group A and 104 in group B. The incidence of HT was 14.2%, and the median onset time was 2 d(interquartile range, 1–7 d). The percentages of patients with large infarct size and cortex involvement in group B were 80.8% and 79.8%, respectively, which were both significantly higher than those in group A(28.7 and 33.4%, respectively). The incidence rate of atrial fibrillation(AF) in group B was significantly higher than that in group A(39.4% vs. 13.9%, P<0.001). The adjusted multivariate analysis results showed that large infarct size, cortex involvement and AF were independent risk factors of HT, while total cholesterol(TC) was a protective factor of HT(OR=0.359, 95% CI 0.136–0.944, P=0.038). With every 1 mmol/L reduction in normal TC levels, the risk of HT increased by 64.1%. The mortality and morbidity at 3 months in group B(21.2% and 76.7%, respectively) were both significantly higher than those in group A(8.0% and 42.8%, respectively). The adjusted multivariate analysis results showed that large infarct size(OR=12.178, 95% CI 5.390–27.516, P<0.001) was an independent risk factor of long-term unfavorable outcomes, whereas low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C) was a protective factor(OR=0.538, 95% CI 0.300–0.964, P=0.037). With every 1 mmol/L reduction in normal LDL-C levels, the risk of an unfavorable outcome increased by 46.2%. Major therapies, including intravenous recombinant human tissue plasminogen activator(r TPA), intensive lipid-lowering statins and anti-platelets, were not significantly related to either HT or long-term, post-ACI poor prognosis.Conclusions: For patients with large infarct sizes, especially those with cortex involvement, AF, or lower levels of TC, the risk of HT might increase after ACI. The risk of a long-term unfavorable outcome in these patients might increase with a reduction in LDL-C.
基金supported by grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81070948)
文摘Background: The treatment of hypertensive spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage(ICH) is still controversial. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether minimally invasive puncture and drainage(MIPD) could provide improved patient outcome compared with decompressive craniectomy(DC).Methods: Eligible, consecutive patients with ICH(≥30 ml, in basal ganglia, within 24 hours of ictus) were nonrandomly assigned to receive MIPD(group A) or to undergo DC(group B) hematoma evacuation. The primary outcome was death at 30 days after onset. Functional independence was assessed at 1 year using the Glasgow Outcome Scale(GOS, scores range from 1 to 5, score 1 indicating death, ≥4 indicating functional independence, with lower scores indicating greater disability). Results: A total of 198 patients met the per protocol analysis(84 cases in group A and 114 cases in group B), including 9 cases lost during follow-up(2 cases in group A and 7 cases in group B). For these 9 patients, their last observed data were used as their final results for intention-to-treat analysis. The mean age of all patients was 57.1 years(range of 31-95 years), and 114 patients were male. The initial Glasgow Coma Scale(GCS) score was 8.1±3.4, and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS) score was 20.8±5.3. The mean hematoma volume(HV) was 56.7±23.0 ml(range of 30-144 ml), and there was extended intraventricular hemorrhage(IVH) in 134 patients(67.7%). There were no significant intergroup differences in the above baseline data, except group A had a higher mean age(59.4±14.5years) than the mean age of group B(55.3±11.1 years, P=0.025). The total cumulative mortalities at 30 days and 1 year were 32.3% and 43.4%, respectively, and there were no significant differences between groups A and B(30 days: 27.4% vs. 36.0%, P=0.203; 1 year: 36.1% vs. 48.2%, P=0.112, respectively). However, the mortality for patients ≤60 years, NIHSS【15 or HV≤60 ml was significantly lower in group A than that in group B(all P【0.05). The total cumulative functional independence at 1 year was 26.8%, and the difference between group A(33/43, 39.3%) and group B(20/144, 17.5%) was significant(absolute difference 21.7%, odds ratio [OR] 0.329, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.171 to 0.631, P=0.001). For patient with severe IVH, the 30 days and 1 year mortality rates were significant lower in group B than those in group A(P=0.025, P=0.036). However, the number of favorable outcomes had no significant difference between groups at 1 year post ictus. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a favorable outcome after 1 year was associated with the difference in therapies(OR 0.280, 95% CI 0.104–0.752, P=0.012), age(OR 0.215, 95% CI 0.069–0.671, P=0.008), GCS(OR 1.187, 95% CI 1.010–1.395, P=0.037), HV(OR 0.943, 95% CI 0.906–0.982, P=0.005), IVH(OR 0.655, 95% CI 0.506–0.849, P=0.001) and PI(OR 0.211, 95% CI 0.071–0.624, P=0.001). Conclusions: Our results suggest that for patients with hypertensive spontaneous ICH(HV≥30 ml in basal ganglia), MIPD may be a more effective treatment than DC, as assessed by a higher rate of functional independence at 1 year after onset as well as reduced mortality in patients ≤60 years of age, NIHSS【15 or HV≤60 ml. For patients with HV 】60 ml, deep coma and severe IVH, the outcomes of the two therapies were similar.
文摘Cryopreservation of few spermatozoa is still a major challenge for male fertility preservation. This study reports use a new micro-straw （LSL straw） for freezing few spermatozoa for intracytoplasmic sperm injection （ICSI）. Semen samples from 22 fertile donors were collected, and each semen sample was diluted and mixed with cryoprotectant in a ratio of 1：1, and then frozen using three different straws such as LSL straw （50-100μl）, traditional 0.25 ml and 0.5 ml straws. For freezing, all straws were fumigated with liquid nitrogen, with temperature directly reducing to -130--140℃. Sperm concentration, progressive motility, morphology, acrosome integrity, and DNA fragmentation index were evaluated before and after freezing. After freezing-thawing, LSL straw group had significantly higher percentage of sperm motility than traditional 0.25 ml and 0.5 ml straw groups （38.5% vs 27.4% and 25.6%, P 〈 0.003）. Sperm motility and acrosomal integrity after freezing-thawing were significantly lower than that of before freezing. However, there was no significant difference in morphology, acrosome, and DNA integrity between the three types of straws （P 〉 0.05）. As LSL straws were thinner and hold very small volume, the freezing rate of LSL straw was obviously faster than 0.25 ml straw and 0.5 ml straws. In conclusion, LSL micro-straws may be useful to store few motile spermatozoa with good recovery of motility for patients undergoing ICSI treatment.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （No. 51176112）
文摘Adding thin compartmental plates near the internal walls of enclosures has been nttmerically modeled using the lattice Boltzmann method. This practice was found to be an effective way to fitrther suppress the disadvantageous effects of heat leak, along with the application of insulation materials on the external surfaces. A modified extrapolation scheme for handling the thermal boundary of the thin plate was proposed and verified by comparison with the conventional coupled boundary scheme. The simulation of the natural convection during the cooling down processes and at steady states in the enclosure indicates that the existence of the plates leads to a higher cooling rate and a more favorable temperature uniformity. For a typical case, the one with plates takes 6% less time to reach the halfway point of the steady state and has 26% less temperature variance. Effects by the plates＇ positions and sizes were parametrically investigated, in order to find an optimal geometrical configuration. In addition, the fluid＇s intrinsic characteristics and the relative heat leak by using the Raylcigh number and Nussclt number, respectively, have been discussed in detail through hydrodynamic and convective heat transfer analyses.
