Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs), such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), are thought to destabilize genomic imprints. Previous studies examining the association between ART and aberrant DNA methylation have been inconclusive.

The DNA methylation status of

and

was compared between newborns conceived through ART and those conceived naturally to evaluate the safety of ART. Placental tissues from 6 full-term, naturally conceived pregnancies (no gestational comorbidities) and six full-term ART pregnancies (no gestational complication) were collected. Genomic DNA (gDNA) and RNA were extracted from both groups. Real-time PCR was used to analyze the mRNA expression levels of

and

in the placenta for both groups. A whole-genome DNA methylation microarray was used to examine three placentas from full-term, naturally conceived pregnancies and three placentas from full-term IVF pregnancies.

The expression level of

in the IVF group was significantly higher than that in the natural pregnancy group, whereas the expression level of

was significantly lower in the ART group than in the natural pregnancy group. Also, human ART manipulation resulted in placental gDNA methylation modifications. Conclusion Abnormal methylation patterns were detected in phenotypically normal phenotype conceived by ART, which may occur due to imprinting errors in sperm/oocyte cells or side effects of

embryo culture procedures. Further investigation is necessary to determine whether imprinted gene expression and DNA methylation can be regulated through other mechanisms.

Assisted reproductive technology (ART); placenta; methylation; H19; KvDMR1.

Assisted reproductive technology (ART); placenta; methylation; H19; KvDMR1.

Systemic corticosteroid use is recommended before extubation in mechanically ventilated patients to prevent postextubation airway complications and reintubation. However, the adverse events associated with such use remain unclear. This study aimed to describe the incidence of adverse events associated with prophylactic corticosteroid use before extubation in mechanically ventilated adult patients.

This is a retrospective cohort study of 251 mechanically ventilated adults who received prophylactic corticosteroids in the intensive care units of four tertiary-care hospitals. The patients received 20 mg methylprednisolone at 12, 8, 4, and 0 hours before extubation (total dose, 80 mg) and were followed for 72 hours after extubation. The primary outcome was a clinically significant increase in blood glucose levels of ≥100 mg/dL within 24 and 72 hours after prophylactic corticosteroid administration.

Fifty-seven (23.1%) out of 247 patients and 73 (30.3%) out of 241 patients showed a clinically significant increase in blood glucose levels within 24 and 72 hours after receiving prophylactic corticosteroids, respectively. The clinically significant increase in blood glucose levels was significantly associated with underlying diabetes mellitus and was not significantly associated with hyperglycemia within 3 days before the initiation of prophylactic corticosteroids or with patient age. New-onset infections and delirium were also common, with incidences of 7.6% and 7.7%, respectively.

Prophylactic corticosteroid use before extubation was associated with adverse events, the most common of which was increased blood glucose levels. Lower doses of prophylactic corticosteroids may need to be considered in patients with diabetes mellitus or hyperglycemia.

Prophylactic corticosteroid use before extubation was associated with adverse events, the most common of which was increased blood glucose levels. Lower doses of prophylactic corticosteroids may need to be considered in patients with diabetes mellitus or hyperglycemia.

Oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the progress of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). Vitamin C (VC) is the most important antioxidant in plasma. However, the effects of an intravenous administration of high-dose VC and the mechanisms by which it exerts its antioxidant function in an experimental model of SAP have not been determined.

Sodium taurocholate was used to induce rat pancreatic injury and AR42J cells injury. After the establishment of SAP model, SAP rat and injured AR42J cells were treated with VC. For the injured AR42J cells, small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of NRF2 was conducted after VC treatment. The histopathological characteristics, the apoptosis of pancreatic acinar cells, oxidative stress markers and levels of enzymes, biochemical indicators, and inflammatory cytokines were examined

and

. Furthermore, the mortality of rats was assessed.

and

results demonstrated that VC treatment ameliorated apoptosis of pancreatic acinar cells, as evidenced by the increase in Bcl-2lity of SAP rats was 50%, which declined to 30% after VC treatment.

The present study suggests that high-dose of VC ameliorate pancreatic injury of SAP via the NRF2/NQO1/HO-1 pathway to inhibit oxidative stress.

The present study suggests that high-dose of VC ameliorate pancreatic injury of SAP via the NRF2/NQO1/HO-1 pathway to inhibit oxidative stress.

Gene polymorphism especially Ring Finger Protein 213 (RNF213) p.R4810K is one of the main cause of moyamoya disease (MMD) in Asian populations, especially among Japanese people. However, missense mutation may not explain the reduced frequency of MMD in Chinese patients. We performed a hospital based case-control study in a Chinese population to elucidate the possible underlying reasons.

Five gene polymorphism loci, namely, rs35692831, rs9916351, rs9913636, rs8074015 and rs112735431, were included. A total of 98 patients and 114 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Genomic DNA was genotyped by Mass Array methods.

A significant difference was observed between patients and healthy controls in rs9916351, rs9913636, and rs8074015 loci under three genotypes and allelic models (P<0.01). Logistic regression analysis revealed the significant differences under the dominant, recessive and additional model in rs9916351 [odds ratio (OR) =4.173, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.290-7.606, P<0.001; OR =3.152, 95% CI 1.585-6.267, P=0.001; OR =0.199, 95% CI 1.727-3.764, P<0.001; respectively] and rs8074015 (OR =0.359, 95% CI 0.206-0.627, P<0.001; OR =0.348, 95% CI 0.148-0.81, P=0.015; OR =0.208, 95% CI 0.311-0.703, P<0.001; respectively), even adjusting for age and gender. In addition, the haplotype rs9913636-rs8074015 under „GACG” showed significant association with MMD.

Our results had revealed the polymorphism of RNF213 rs9916351 and rs8074015 were significantly associated with MMD especially in Chinese population.

Our results had revealed the polymorphism of RNF213 rs9916351 and rs8074015 were significantly associated with MMD especially in Chinese population.

Ocular wavefront aberration is a crucial optical factor affecting retinal imaging. Internal aberrations contributed to compensation mechanism of ocular aberration. However, previous studies mainly focused on total and corneal higher order aberrations, and little is known about the profile of internal HOA (IHOA) in healthy subjects.

Participants with healthy crystalline lenses were prospective enrolled. The root mean square (RMS) of IHOAs for a pupil diameter of 4 mm were measured with an iTrace aberrometer. Lenticular parameters were measured with a swept source anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT). Regression analyses were used to determine factors associated with logarithmic IHOAs.

Sixty-six Chinese participants (132 eyes) ranging from 5 to 59 years were analyzed. Logarithmic IHOA was positively associated with axial length (AL) (coefficient =0.101, P=0.016), and negatively associated with ocular refraction (coefficient =-0.032, P=0.023). Logarithmic internal coma increased by 0.161/es and directions of higher-order aberrations follow certain rules, and their effects on visual function warrant further study.

Limited studies have reported the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of children infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This study aimed to provide the epidemiological characteristics of children with COVID-19 throughout China (outside of Hubei Province) based on public data.

This was an observational, cross-sectional study. We included a total of 279 diagnosed children based on the data of children infected with SARS-CoV-2 reported by the Health Commission in each province, autonomous region, municipality, or special administrative region in China (outside of Hubei Province) from January 24, 2020 to February 16, 2020.

The number of newborns (0 days ≤ age ≤28 days), infants (28 days < age ≤1 year), children (1 year < age ≤5 years), and children (5 years < age ≤18 years) accounted for 0.7%, 6.5%, 23.7%, and 69.2% of the total number of infected children, respectively. We found that from January 23, 2020, to January 31, 2020, infected children mainly came from Wuhan, China. After February 3, 2020, family clustering transmission became the main mode of transmission.

Family clustering transmission is currently the main model of transmission in children. Considering the mild symptoms in infected children, the possibility that children may be a source of the transmission should not be ignored.

Family clustering transmission is currently the main model of transmission in children. Considering the mild symptoms in infected children, the possibility that children may be a source of the transmission should not be ignored.There has been a significant increase in the utilisation of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices for the management of cardiogenic shock over recent years, with new devices being developed and introduced with the aim of improving outcomes for this group of patients. MCS devices may be used as a bridge to recovery or transplantation or intended as a destination therapy. Although these devices are not without their complications, good outcomes are achieved, but not without risk of significant complications. In this article, the complications of MCS devices have been reviewed, including the intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), Impella, TandemHeart, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and ventricular assist devices (VAD)-temporary and durable.Intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired weakness is a common and serious sequela of critical illness. There is a growing body of evidence supporting the use of early mobilization in the ICU to mitigate this adverse effect. Recent data suggest that such a strategy may be feasible in patients with the most severe forms of cardiopulmonary failure-those requiring temporary mechanical circulatory support (TCS) or extracorporeal life support (ECLS). Both the modality of mechanical support and patient-specific characteristics must be taken into consideration when determining the appropriateness of an early mobilization strategy. The purpose of this review is to explore the current understanding of and evidence for mobilization and rehabilitation of patients receiving TCS or ECLS, including the identification of factors that may predict greater success for early mobilization and potential risks and contraindications to active physical therapy. While it is not yet known which of these patients are most likely to benefit from physical rehabilitation, a common theme is the importance of an interprofessional team approach to ensure patient safety and maximize the likelihood of successful mobilization.