CONFIDENCE LEVEL OF A MOTION FEEDBACK SYSTEM FOR ANALYZING EXERCISE TRAINING EFFICACY

The increase in aged population is a global trend. Inculcating healthy behaviors such as regular exercises in the elderly has a significant impact on the financial and medical burden globally. Moreover, air pollution and the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pose a serious threat to public health. In order to improve the health conditions of the population, this study developed a motion feedback system named MoveV that can be used for several indoor training exercises. This system provides instant motion feedback by synchronizing exercise training videos on the website using a motion analysis algorithm that is applicable on smartphones, and a cloud database platform is used to record health behaviors. Feature extraction is performed based on force intensity, motion velocity, and exercise direction. The resultant accuracy of the motion feedback system was tested by a motion science expert and presented as the confidence level. For perfect movement, a confidence level of up to 90.5% was achieved, indicating that the MoveV system was able to record users’ exercise frequency and distinguish whether the user was performing well in the exercise movements. The proposed system is convenient and does not incur additional expenditure by purchasing any new device. Furthermore, it provides visual and voice feedback, companionship, and exercise motivation to the users, all of which are important factors when using online exercise platforms.

Systematic Survey of the Alteration of the Faecal Microbiota in Rats With Gastrointestinal Disorder and Modulation by Multicomponent Drugs

Gastrointestinal disorder (GID) is a global health disease which leads to heavy public medical burden. Disorders in the intestinal flora have been found in gastrointestinal disorder patients. However, the interaction between GID and the intestinal flora in faecal has not been studied comprehensively. In addition, multicomponent drugs represented by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are widely used for treating GID, but their modulation of the intestinal flora has not been investigated. Therefore, in this study, a high-throughput sequencing strategy was used to investigate alterations in the intestinal flora in a rat GID model, followed by an investigation of the modulation by a representative TCM, Xiaoerfupi (XEFP) granule. The results showed that in rats with GID, the relative abundances of Erysipelotrichaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Streptococcaceae increased and that of Ruminococcaceae decreased. At the macro level, the levels of LysoPC(16:0), LysoPC(20:2), LysoPC(15:0), LysoPC(20:2 (11Z, 14Z)), LysoPC(20:1), LysoPC(15:0), LysoPC(20:0) and LysoPE (0:0/20:0) in serum increased and levels of PC(36:4), PC(38:4), PC(o-36;4), PE (MonoMe(13,5)/MonoMe(11,5)) decreased. The imbalance of metabolites was restored by XEFP through ether lipid metabolism pathway. Increase in the phyla Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio of the GID rats was restored by XEFP as well. Moreover, XEFP can relief the symptoms of GID rats by increasing bacteria Ruminococcaceae and decreasing Streptococcaceae, Erysipelotrichaceae and Lachnospiraceae in faecal microbiota level. This study represents a comprehensive survey of the interaction between GID and the intestinal flora and a systematic evaluation of modulation by a multicomponent drug.

Bioinformatics Analysis for Identifying Pertinent Pathways and Genes in Sepsis

Purpose. Sepsis becomes the main death reason in hospitals with rising incidence, causing a growing economic and medical burden. However, the genes related to the pathogenesis and prognosis of sepsis are still unclear, which is a problem that needs to be solved urgently. Materials and Methods. Gene expression profiles of GSE69528 were obtained from the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Limma software package got employed to search for differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) were used for enrichment analysis. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was built by the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) database. Results. We screened 101 DEGs, containing 81 upregulated DEGs and 20 downregulated DEGs. GO analysis demonstrated that the upregulated DEGs were chiefly concentrated in negative regulation of response to interferon-gamma and regulation of granulocyte differentiation. KEGG analysis revealed that the pathways of upregulated DEGs were concentrated in prion diseases, complement and coagulation cascades, and Staphylococcus aureus infection. The PPI network constructed by upregulated DEGs contained 67 nodes (proteins) and 110 edges (interactions). Analysis of bioinformatics results showed that CEACAM8, MPO, and RETN were hub genes of sepsis. Conclusion. Our analysis reveals a series of signal pathways and key genes related to the mechanism of sepsis, which are promising biotargets and biomarkers of sepsis.

Therapeutic Potential of Sitafloxacin as a New Drug Candidate for Helicobacter Eradication in Korea: An In Vitro Culture-Based Study

Background: Increased prevalence of antibiotic resistance to Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection worldwide has driven the search for a new therapeutic candidate. Recently, sitafloxacin, a novel 4-quinolone agent, has emerged as a new therapeutic option for H. pylori eradication, in Japan. However, data on its efficacy for H. pylori eradication in Korea are limited. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of sitafloxacin as a first-line treatment for patients with Helicobacter infection through gastric tissue culture-based studies. Materials and Methods: We prospectively enrolled treatment-naïve patients with H. pylori infection who visited the Gil Medical Center between March 2015 and March 2018. After obtaining written informed consent from patients, a total of 121 H. pylori strains were collected. We tested the susceptibility of these strains to sitafloxacin, and other antibiotics for Helicobacter eradication, including clarithromycin (CLR), metronidazole (MTZ), amoxicillin (AMX), tetracycline (TET), levofloxacin (LEV), and ciprofloxacin (CIP) using the agar dilution technique. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of these antibiotics against H. pylori strains were determined. Results: None of the H. pylori strains obtained were resistant to sitafloxacin (MIC > 1, n = 0), while other conventional eradication drugs including CLR, MTZ, AMX, and TET showed 24.8% (n = 30), 30.6% (n = 37), 5.0% (n = 6), and 0.8% (n = 1) resistance, respectively. Compared to the resistance rates of other quinolones (LEV [36.4%, n = 44] and CIP [37.2%, n = 45]), sitafloxacin showed the best antibiotic performance against Helicobacter strains (0%, n = 0). Furthermore, sitafloxacin also inhibited the growth of 14 H. pylori strains (12.4%), which were resistant to both of clarithromycin, and metronidazole, and 27 strains (22.3%) with multidrug resistance. Conclusions: Sitafloxacin might be a new promising candidate for Helicobacter eradication where antibiotic resistance for Helicobacter is an emerging medical burden, such as in Korea.

Novel Microcrystal Formulations of Sorafenib Facilitate a Long-Acting Antitumor Effect and Relieve Treatment Side Effects as Observed With Fundus Microcirculation Imaging

The tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), including sorafenib, remain one first-line antitumor treatment strategy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, many problems exist with the current orally administered TKIs, creating a heavy medical burden and causing severe side effects. In this work, we prepared a novel microcrystalline formulation of sorafenib that not only achieved sustainable release and long action in HCC tumors but also relieved side effects, as demonstrated by fundus microcirculation imaging. The larger the size of the microcrystalline formulation of sorafenib particle, the slower the release rates of sorafenib from the tumor tissues. The microcrystalline formulation of sorafenib with the largest particle size was named as Sor-MS. One intratumor injection (once administration) of Sor-MS, but not Sor-Sol (the solution formulation of sorafenib as a control), could slow the release of sorafenib in HCC tumor tissues and in turn inhibited the in vivo proliferation of HCC or the expression of EMT/pro-survival–related factors in a long-acting manner. Moreover, compared with oral administration, one intratumor injection of Sor-MS not only facilitated a long-acting antitumor effect but also relieved side effects of sorafenib, avoiding damage to the capillary network of the eye fundus, as evidenced by fundus microcirculation imaging. Therefore, preparing sorafenib as a novel microcrystal formulation could facilitate a long-acting antitumor effect and relieve drug-related side effects.

Initiating pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour (pNET) screening in young MEN1 patients: results from the DutchMEN Study Group

Context Non-functioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (NF-pNETs) are highly prevalent and constitute an important cause of mortality in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1). Still, the optimal age to initiate screening for pNETs is under debate. Objective To assess the age of occurrence of clinically relevant NF-pNETs in young MEN1 patients. Patients and setting Pancreatic imaging data of MEN1 patients were retrieved from the DutchMEN Study Group database. Design Interval-censored survival methods were used to describe age-related penetrance, compare survival curves, and develop a parametric model for estimating the risk of having clinically relevant NF-pNET at various ages. Intervention(s) Not applicable. Main outcome measure(s) The primary objective was to assess age at occurrence of clinically relevant NF-pNET (size ≥20 mm or rapid growth); secondary objectives were the age at occurrence of NF-pNET of any size and pNET-associated metastasized disease. Results Five of 350 patients developed clinically relevant NF-pNETs before age 18, two of which subsequently developed lymph node metastases. No differences in clinically relevant NF-pNET-free survival were found for sex, timeframe, and type of MEN1 diagnosis or genotype. The estimated ages (median, 95% CI) at a 1%, 2.5% and 5% risk of having developed a clinically relevant tumour are 9.5 (6.5 – 12.7), 13.5 (10.2 – 16.9) and 17.8 years (14.3 – 21.4) respectively. Conclusion Analyses from this population-based cohort indicate that start of surveillance for NF-pNETs with pancreatic imaging at age 13–14 is justified. The psychological and medical burden of screening at a young age should be considered.

Aortic Dilatation in Patients With Bicuspid Aortic Valve

Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most common congenital cardiac abnormality. BAV aortic dilatation is associated with an increased risk of adverse aortic events and represents a potentially lethal disease and hence a considerable medical burden. BAV with aortic dilatation warrants frequent monitoring, and elective surgical intervention is the only effective method to prevent dissection or rupture. The predictive value of the aortic diameter is known to be limited. The aortic diameter is presently still the main reference standard for surgical intervention owing to the lack of a comprehensive understanding of BAV aortopathy progression. This article provides a brief comprehensive review of the current knowledge on BAV aortopathy regarding clinical definitions, epidemiology, natural course, and pathophysiology, as well as hemodynamic and clinically significant aspects on the basis of the limited data available.

Quantitative Assessment of Experimental Ocular Inflammatory Disease

Ocular inflammation imposes a high medical burden on patients and substantial costs on the health-care systems that mange these often chronic and debilitating diseases. Many clinical phenotypes are recognized and classifying the severity of inflammation in an eye with uveitis is an ongoing challenge. With the widespread application of optical coherence tomography in the clinic has come the impetus for more robust methods to compare disease between different patients and different treatment centers. Models can recapitulate many of the features seen in the clinic, but until recently the quality of imaging available has lagged that applied in humans. In the model experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU), we highlight three linked clinical states that produce retinal vulnerability to inflammation, all different from healthy tissue, but distinct from each other. Deploying longitudinal, multimodal imaging approaches can be coupled to analysis in the tissue of changes in architecture, cell content and function. This can enrich our understanding of pathology, increase the sensitivity with which the impacts of therapeutic interventions are assessed and address questions of tissue regeneration and repair. Modern image processing, including the application of artificial intelligence, in the context of such models of disease can lay a foundation for new approaches to monitoring tissue health.

Obesity and Gallstones

<b><i>Background:</i></b> The prevalence of obesity has been increasing globally and represents the main risk factor for the development of gallstone disease (GD). <b><i>Summary:</i></b> Excess body weight represents the main cause for the development of GD; nevertheless, there have been described multiple risk factors for its development, among them modifiable risk factors as diet, lifestyle, physical inactivity, and non-modifiable risk factors as ethnicity, female sex, advanced age, parity, and genetic mutations. Body mass index, abdominal perimeter, and waist-hip index have been used to determine the degree of adiposity of a person. Hence, central abdominal fat has been mostly associated with insulin resistance with the consequent increase in the hepatic cholesterol secretion; contributing as one of the multiple mechanisms associated with the development of gallstones. This disease has a low mortality; however, it has been associated with multiple diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, carotid atherosclerosis, metabolic associated fatty liver disease, and gallbladder cancer, probably because they share many of the risk factors. <b><i>Key Messages:</i></b> GD continues to be considered a disease with a high medical burden, in which it is sought to intervene in modifiable risk factors to reduce its development.