Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (mTLE-HS) presents different clinical presentations from that with other lesions (OL). It is significant to investigate the neural mechanism underlying the different clinical presentations using neuroimaging study.Thirty mTLE patients with mTLE-HS, 30 mTLE patients with other lesions (mTLE-OL), and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were involved. Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) analysis-based resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) based morphometric MRI were employed to describing functional and structural imaging alterations in mTLE. Imaging parameters of ALFF and gray matter volume (GMV) were compared among groups and correlated with clinical variables and cognitive scores.For parameter of ALFF, both patient groups of mTLE-HS and mTLE-OL showed decrease in the frontal cortices relative to the healthy controls; mTLE-HS showed more decrease in the prefrontal and brain default regions relative to mTLE-OL. For GMV, both patient groups showed decrease in the frontal cortex, thalamus, and cerebellum; mTLE-HS showed more GMV decrease relative to the mTLE-OL, also mainly in the prefrontal and brain default regions. In both patient groups, the prefrontal regions showed negative correlation between GMV and epilepsy duration.This work revealed distinct alteration patterns of functional and structural brain organizations in mTLEs with different forms. MTLE-HS, despite with smaller lesion size of the pathological focus, presented more severe functional and structural damages in the extratemporal regions than mTLE-OL. The findings provided imaging evidence to support the proposal that mTLE-HS is a special epilepsy syndrome.

BCL7B plays a potential role in the progression of various cancers, while its role in sarcomas is unknown. We aimed to evaluate BCL7B's diagnostic and prognostic value, and potential BCL7B-related mechanisms in sarcomas based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. We collected patients with sarcoma from TCGA. Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare the expression of BCL7B in sarcoma samples with different clinical-pathologic features. Univariate Cox regression analysis and multivariate Cox regression analysis were used to evaluate prognosis factors for sarcoma. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was conducted to elucidate the significant functions and pathways associated with BCL7B. BCL7B was a potential biomarker for distinguishing normal and tumor tissues with the analysis of ROC curve (AUC = 0.588). Low BCL7B expression was significantly correlated with tumor multifocal (OR = 0.39 for yes vs no), larger residual tumor (OR = 0.40 for R1,R2 vs RO), male gender (OR = 0.48 for male vs female) and White race (OR = 0.29 for White vs Asian, Black or African American). High BCL7B expression was correlated with leiomyosarcoma histological type (OR = 6.08 for leiomyosarcoma vs dedifferentiated liposarcoma, pleomorphic sarcoma). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that low BCL7B expression was independently associated with poor overall survival (P = .008). GSEA showed that GPCR (G protein-coupled receptors) ligand binding, secreted factors, class A1 rhodopsin-like receptors, extracellular matrix organization, core matrisome, Fc epsilon receptor I mediated NF-κB activation, and WNT signaling pathway were differentially enriched in BCL7B low expression phenotype (|NES| > 1, adjusted P value <.05, and FDR value <0.25). BCL7B may play an important role in sarcoma progression and may be a potential biomarker for prognosis and diagnosis in sarcomas.

Infertility has troubled the world's 186 million people, and male infertility accounts for more than half. The literature of physical exercise related to semen quality has shown inconsistent results, and there is currently no systematic review to evaluate the effects of exercise on reproductive outcomes in male infertility patients. This study aims to assessing the effects of exercise interventions based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on semen quality and reproductive outcomes in male infertility.

Studies in generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) have reported both structural and functional alterations in the brain. However, changes in spontaneous neuronal functional organization in GTCS remain largely unknown.In this study, 70 patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy characterized by tonic-clonic seizures and 70 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were recruited. Here, functional connectivity density (FCD) mapping, an ultrafast data-driven method based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), was applied for the first time to investigate the changes of spontaneous functional brain activity caused by epilepsy.The results showed significantly decreased long-range FCD in the middle and inferior temporal, prefrontal, and inferior parietal cortices as well as increased long-range FCD in the cerebellum anterior lobe and sensorimotor areas. Negative correlation between duration of disease and reduced long-range FCD was found. In addition, most regions with reduced long-range FCD showed decreased resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) within default mode network.Negative correlation between duration of disease and long-range FCD may reflect an adverse consequence eventually from original. Furthermore, the observed FCD and rsFC alterations have been speculated to be associated with the social-cognitive impairments as well as motor control. Our study provided novel evidences to look into neuro-pathophysiological mechanisms underlying GTCS.

Recurrently and abnormally hypersynchronous discharge is a striking feature of idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging has revealed aberrant spontaneous brain synchronization, predominately in low-frequency range (<0.1 Hz), in individuals with IGE. Little is known, however, about these changes in local synchronization across different frequency bands. We examined alterations to frequency-specific local synchronization in terms of spontaneous blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) fluctuations across 5 bands, spanning 0 to 0.25 Hz. Specifically, we compared brain activity in a large cohort of IGE patients (n = 86) to age- and sex-matched normal controls (n = 86). IGE patients showed decreased local synchronization in low frequency (<0.073 Hz), primarily in the default mode network (DMN). IGE patients also exhibited increased local synchronization in high-frequency (>0.073 Hz) in a "conscious perception network," which is anchored by the pregenual and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, as well as the bilateral insular cortices, possibly contributing to impaired consciousness. Furthermore, we found frequency-specific alternating local synchronization in the posterior portion of the DMN relative to the anterior part, suggesting an interaction between the disease and frequency bands. Importantly, the aberrant high-frequency local synchronization in the middle cingulate cortex was associated with disease duration, thus linking BOLD frequency changes to disease severity. These findings provide an overview of frequency-specific local synchronization of BOLD fluctuations, and may be helpful in uncovering abnormal synchronous neuronal activity in patients with IGE at specific frequency bands.

HIV-positive individuals encounter a number of negative life events (NLEs). This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the association between NLEs and major depressive disorder (MDD) among HIV-positive individuals in Guangdong, China, about which little is known.HIV-positive individuals were recruited from the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control of Guangzhou, Zhongshan, and Yangjiang from September 2007 to September 2008. Data on NLEs were collected using a questionnaire. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR Axis I Disorders-Patient Edition (SCID-I/P) based on the DSM-IV criteria was used to diagnose MDD. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the association between NLEs and MDD.Among the 339 participants, 306 (90.27%) reported that one or more NLEs had ever occurred. Participants who reported NLEs that included HIV infection, financial problems, AIDS diagnosis, HIV/AIDS discrimination, conflict with spouse or lover, conflict with other family members, problems in childbearing, and conflict with nonfamily were at a higher risk of MDD. Participants who reported more NLEs in the last year had a higher risk of MDD (OR = 2.86, 95%CI: 1.76-4.65) than individuals who reported fewer NLEs. Individuals with higher chronic stress scores had a higher risk of MDD (OR = 4.36, 95%CI: 2.44-7.78) than individuals with lower chronic stress scores. However, acute stress was not associated with MDD.NLEs were common among HIV-positive individuals. MDD was associated with a greater number of NLEs and the increased chronic stress caused by the NLEs. Interventions should be tailored to those who reported NLEs to help reduce the risk of MDD and increase the quality of life among HIV-positive individuals.

Autoimmune liver disease (ALD) is a chronic liver disease caused by immune dysfunction in the body. However, no causative or curative medical treatment with proven efficacy exists to cure ALDs, and liver transplantation (LT) remains the only effective treatment available. However, the problem of recurrence of ALDs (rALDs) still remains after LT, which seriously affects the survival rate of the patients. Therefore, clinicians need to be aware of the risk factors affecting rALDs after LT. Therefore, this meta-analysis aims to define the risk factors for rALDs, which include the recurrence of primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis and autoimmune hepatitis.

Male fertility has gradually become a worldwide problem. Because of the limitation of treatment, many drugs have been used for improving sperm quality. Among them, alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), as a treatment of diabetic neuropathy, has been applied to improve the quality of sperm in clinical practice, with satisfactory effect. However, there is still no systematic review on the field of male infertility treating with oral ALA.

The incidence of male infertility is increasing worldwide, and has become an important problem that plagues many married couples. Half of the infertility cases have induced by male infertility. Wuzi Yanzong Pill is a traditional Chinese herbal formula used in treating spermatorrhea, premature ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, lumbago and male sterility widely. Therefore, in this systematic review, we design to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Wuzi-Yanzong Pill for the treatment of male infertility.

Previous studies have indicated that statins use is associated with risk of dementia, but presented controversial results. Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Database were searched update to November 2017 to identify the potential relationship between statins use and dementia. Thirty-one eligible studies involving a total of 3332,706 participants with 184,666 incident cases were included in this meta-analysis. Statins use was associated with dementia risk decrement (relevant risk [RR]: 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80-0.89). Subgroup analysis showed statins use was associated with Alzheimer disease (AD) (RR: 0.81; 95% CI, 0.73-0.89) and non-AD dementia (RR: 0.81; 95% CI, 0.73-0.89) risk decrement. Furthermore, statins use was associated with dementia risk decrement in female (RR: 0.89; 95% CI, 0.80-0.98) and male (RR: 0.88; 95% CI, 0.83-0.93). In addition, a dose-response showed per 1 year of duration of statins use incremental increase was associated with 20% dementia risk decrement (RR: 0.80; 95% CI, 0.73-0.87), and per 5-mg mean daily dose incremental increase in statins use was associated with 11% dementia risk decrement (RR: 0.89; 95% CI, 0.83-0.96). Statins use was associated with dementia risk decrement. The potency and the cumulative duration of statin utilized played critical roles.

The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization (THD) and stapled hemorrhoidectomy (SH) in the treatment of hemorrhoids by a meta-analysis.

Thyroid cancer (TC) is the most common endocrine malignancy that has rapidly increased in global incidence. Prunella vulgaris (PV) has manifested therapeutic effects in patients with TC. We aimed to investigate its molecular mechanisms against TC and provide potential drug targets by using network pharmacology and molecular docking.

In-stent restenosis (ISR) following intracranial artery stenting affects long-term clinical outcome. This randomized controlled trial sought to identify the long-term efficacy of exogenous tissue kallikrein (TK) for preventing ISR after intracranial stenting of symptomatic middle cerebral artery (MCA) atherosclerotic stenosis.Sixty-one patients successfully treated with intracranial stenting for symptomatic MCA M1 segment stenosis (>70%) were enrolled and randomized into 2 groups: control group and TK group. Patients in the TK group received human urinary kallidinogenase for 7 days, followed by maintenance therapy of pancreatic kallikrein for 6 months. The primary end point was angiographically verified ISR at 6 months, and secondary end points included vascular events and death within 12 months. Endogenous TK plasma concentrations of patients were measured before stenting and at the 6-month follow-up time-point.Patients in the TK group had lower occurrence rates of ISR and vascular events than patients in the control group. There was no difference in endogenous TK levels in plasma at 6 months postoperatively between the TK and control groups. Further subgroup analysis revealed that patients without ISR had higher endogenous TK levels at baseline and lower concentrations at 6 months postoperatively compared with patients who underwent ISR.Exogenous TK is effective for the prevention of ISR after intracranial stenting.

Aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence rate of depression in cancer patient caregivers and to identify factors affecting depression and quality of life of cancer caregivers.

Unintended pregnancy is popular all over the world, accounting for 40% to 50% of all pregnancies. The condition not only exerts pressure on the relationship of couples and severely impacts the quality of life, but also imposes a heavy burden on the health of women and child. Recently, more than 220 million couples have chosen to be sterilized to obtain contraception, 47.3% of married couples select sterilization, of which vasectomy accounts for 17.1%. Vasectomy is currently the most convenient and effective method of male contraception. We will perform the systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the correlation between vasectomy and male sex dysfunction and provide evidence-based evidence for the couple METHODS:: The electronic databases of MEDLINE, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Clinicaltrials.org., China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI), Wan fang Database, China Biology Medicine Database (CBM), VIP Science Technology Periodical Database, Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, and Cochrane Library will be retrieved before November 20, 2021. We will search English literature and Chinese literature with proper Medical Subject Heading or text key words. RevMan 5.3 and Stata 14.0 will be used for Systematic review and Meta-analysis. This protocol reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) statement, and we will report the systematic review by following the PRISMA statement.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common disease. It affects the quality of life of both husband and wife and becomes an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events. In China, Shugan Yiyang (SGYY) capsule has been increasingly reported in clinical trials for the treatment of ED and reported inconsistent findings. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a systematic review to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this drug for the treatment of ED.

This meta-analysis was conducted to compare the safety and diagnostic performance between computed tomography (CT)-guided core needle biopsy (CNB) and fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) in lung nodules/masses patients.