Medicine
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Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) has become one of most frequent chronic disease worldwide with aging population. Eucommia ulmoides cortex (EU), a traditional Chinese medicine, has long since been used to treat PMOP. The aim of this study is to explore pharmacological mechanisms of EU against PMOP through using network pharmacology approach. ⋯ Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes enrichment analysis revealed several pathways, such as PI3K-AKT pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, hypoxia-inducible factors-1 pathway, tumor necrosis factor pathway, and interleukin-17 pathway that might be involved in regulating the above biological processes. Through the method of network pharmacology, we systematically investigated the mechanisms of EU against PMOP. The multi-targets and multi-pathways identified here could provide new insights for further determination of more exact mechanisms of EU.
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Review Case Reports
Survival of umbilicus on a superiorly based flap after fleur-de-lis abdominoplasty: A case report.
Massive weight loss patients have a midline excess of abdominal adipose and skin tissue that contributes to an increased abdominal girth. This excess of tissue in these patients is not resolved with traditional techniques of abdominoplasty and usually the fleur-de-lis abdominoplasty technique is employed. ⋯ In this case report we review our experience treating a massive weight loss patient using a fleur-de-lis abdominoplasty technique without preserving the umbilicus blood supply via the inferior epigastric artery and median umbilical ligament. We eventually relied on the collateral blood supply from ligamentum teres and superior epigastric collaterals, something that proved advantageous both in the survival of the umbilicus on the long run despite cutting off the main blood supply, and, the removal of further excess adipocutaneous tissue for a better aesthetic outcome.
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Omicron, the new Covid-19 variant, has already become dominant in many countries and is spreading at an unprecedented speed. The objective of this study was to review the existing literature on Omicron's transmissibility, immune evasion, reinfection, and severity. A literature search was performed using "PubMed," "Web of Science," "Scopus," "ScienceDirect," "Google Scholar," "medRxiv," and "bioRxiv." Data were extracted from articles that reported at least one of the following: transmissibility, immune evasion, reinfection, and severity related to Omicron. ⋯ Despite Omicron's higher potential to evade immunity, vaccines and booster shots were found to be still significantly effective in protecting against severe Covid-19 infections. Omicrons may be less severe than other variants of concern. However, its immune evasiveness and rapid spread pose an enormous threat to the global healthcare system.
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This single-center, retrospective study aimed to describe the anatomic and clinical characteristics of extracranial carotid artery aneurysms (ECAAs) and to compare various ECAA management strategies in terms of outcomes.A total of 41 consecutive patients, who underwent treatment for ECAAs between November 1996 and May 2020, were included in this study. The ECAAs were anatomically categorized using the Attigah and Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) classifications. The possible study outcomes were restenosis or occlusion of the ipsilateral carotid artery after treatment and treatment-associated morbidity or mortality.The 41 patients were stratified into three groups according to the management strategies employed: surgical (n = 25, 61.0%), endovascular (n = 10, 24.4%), and conservative treatment (n = 6, 14.6%). A palpable, pulsatile mass was the most common clinical manifestation (n = 16, 39.0%), and degenerative aneurysms (n = 29, 65.9%) represented the most common pathogenetic or etiological mechanism. According to the Attigah classification, type I ECAAs (n = 24, 58.5%) were the most common. Using the PUMCH classification, type I ECAAs (n = 26, 63.4%) were the most common. There was a higher prevalence of Attigah type I ECAAs among patients who underwent surgical treatment compared with those who underwent endovascular treatment (64.0% vs 40.0%, P = .09), whereas patients with PUMCH type IIa aneurysms were more likely to receive endovascular treatment (12.0% vs 30.0%). False aneurysms were more likely to be treated using endovascular techniques (20% vs 70%, P = 0.02). Except for two early internal carotid artery occlusions (one each among patients who underwent surgical and endovascular treatments, respectively), there were no early or late restenoses or occlusions during follow-up. Cranial nerve injuries were noted in three patients after surgical treatment, and late ipsilateral strokes occurred in two patients (one each among patients who underwent endovascular and conservative treatment, respectively). There were no other treatment-associated complications or deaths during the study period. ⋯ Both surgical and endovascular treatments could be performed safely for ECAAs with good long-term results according to anatomic location and morphology.
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Review Case Reports
Glioneuronal tumor with neuropil-like islands in the spinal cord: A case report and literature review.
Glioneuronal tumor with neuropil-like islands (GTNI) is a distinctive neoplasm located in the cerebrum. Moreover, spinal GTNI is extremely rare. Herein, we present a case of spinal GTNI and review the related literature. ⋯ GTNI in the spinal cord is a highly rare neoplasm with poor prognosis. Therefore, clinicians and pathologists should differentiate GTNI from other benign glioneuronal tumors, and long-term follow-up of patients with spinal GTNI is necessary.