Effects Of Short-term Treatment Research Articles

Short-term effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue treatment on leptin, ghrelin and peptide YY in girls with central precocious puberty.

To determine appetite-regulating hormone levels in girls with central precocious puberty (CPP) before and after 20weeks of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue (GnRH-A) treatment. Eighteen newly diagnosed CPP girls were enrolled. Body composition measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis and GnRH-A test were performed with fasting serum leptin, ghrelin and peptide YY (PYY) measurements at baseline (before) and after 20 weeks of GnRH-A treatment. Following GnRH-A treatment, all patients had prepubertal gonadotropin and estradiol levels. Mean (SD) fat mass index (FMI) was significantly increased from 4.5 (1.7) to 5.0 (1.8) kg/m2 after treatment. Also, median (IQR) serum leptin level was significantly increased from 6.9 (4.2-8.6) to 7.4 (5.3-13.1) ng/mL. FMI had a positive correlation with serum leptin level (r=0.64, p=0.004). In contrast, no significant changes of serum ghrelin and PYY levels were observed. Decreased estrogen following short-term GnRH-A treatment in CPP girls may cause an increase in appetite and consequently an elevation of FMI. Increased serum leptin may be a result of having increased FMI secondary to an increase in appetite.

Small Molecule Treatments Improve Differentiation Potential of Human Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells.

Human amniotic fluid stem cells (AFSC) are an exciting and very promising source of stem cells for therapeutic applications. In this study we investigated the effects of short-term treatments of small molecules to improve stem cell properties and differentiation capability. For this purpose, we used epigenetically active compounds, such as histone deacetylase inhibitors Trichostatin A (TSA) and sodium butyrate (NaBut), as well as multifunctional molecules of natural origin, such as retinoic acid (RA) and vitamin C (vitC). We observed that combinations of these compounds triggered upregulation of genes involved in pluripotency (KLF4, OCT4, NOTCH1, SOX2, NANOG, LIN28a, CMYC), but expression changes of these proteins were mild with only significant downregulation of Notch1. Also, some alterations in cell surface marker expression was established by flow cytometry with the most explicit changes in the expression of CD105 and CD117. Analysis of cellular energetics performed using Seahorse analyzer and assessment of gene expression related to cell metabolism and respiration (NRF1, HIF1α, PPARGC1A, ERRα, PKM, PDK1, LDHA, NFKB1, NFKB2, RELA, RELB, REL) revealed that small molecule treatments stimulate AFSCs toward a more energetically active phenotype. To induce cells to differentiate toward neurogenic lineage several different protocols including commercial supplements N2 and B27 together with RA were used and compared to the same differentiation protocols with the addition of a pre-induction step consisting of a combination of small molecules (vitC, TSA and RA). During differentiation the expression of several neural marker genes was analyzed (Nestin, MAP2, TUBB3, ALDH1L1, GFAP, CACNA1D, KCNJ12, KCNJ2, KCNH2) and the beneficial effect of small molecule treatment on differentiation potential was observed with upregulated gene expression. Differentiation was also confirmed by staining TUBB3, NCAM1, and Vimentin and assessed by secretion of BDNF. The results of this study provide valuable insights for the potential use of short-term small molecule treatments to improve stem cell characteristics and boost differentiation potential of AFSCs.

Short-Term Effect of Orthodontic Treatment with Clear Aligners on Pain and sEMG Activity of Masticatory Muscles.

Background and objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate mandibular elevator muscles activity and pain on palpation in the early stages of orthodontic treatment with clear aligners using surface electromyography (sEMG). Materials and methods: Surface electromyography (sEMG) activity and pain level on muscle palpation of masseter and anterior temporalis muscles were recorded in a sample of 16 adult subjects (aged 18–32 years; mean 22.5 +/− 3.5 SD) undergoing orthodontic treatment with clear aligners before the treatment (T0), after 1 month of treatment (two clear aligners) (T1), and after 3 months of treatment (T2) (six clear aligners). A chi-square test for nominal data, a Friedman test, and a Wilcoxon-signed rank test as post hoc analysis were applied. Results: No statistically significant differences in muscular pain were observed. At T1, the sEMG activity of masseter muscles at mandibular rest position showed a statistically significant reduction, but after 3 months (T2), the data appeared similar to T0 (p = 0.03 and p = 0.02). Conclusions: During the treatment with clear aligners, subjects could experience an initial reduction in the masseter basal activity after 1 month of treatment. This effect tends to decrease to baseline levels after 3 months of therapy.

Non pharmacological high-intensity ultrasound treatment of human dermal fibroblasts to accelerate wound healing

Inspired by the effectiveness of low-intensity ultrasound on tissue regeneration, we investigated the potential effect of short-term high-intensity ultrasound treatment for acceleration of wound healing in an in vitro wound model and dermal equivalent, both comprising human dermal fibroblasts. Short-term ultrasound of various amplitudes significantly increased the proliferation and migration of fibroblasts and subsequently increased the production of the extracellular matrix components fibronectin and collagen type I, both of which are important for wound healing and are secreted by fibroblasts. In addition, ultrasound treatment increased the contraction of a fibroblast-embedded three-dimensional collagen matrix, and the effect was synergistically increased in the presence of TGF-β. RNA-sequencing and bioinformatics analyses revealed changes in gene expression and p38 and ERK1/2 MAPK pathway activation in the ultrasound-stimulated fibroblasts. Our findings suggest that ultrasound as a mechanical stimulus can activate human dermal fibroblasts. Therefore, the activation of fibroblasts using ultrasound may improve the healing of various types of wounds and increase skin regeneration.

Short-Term Effects of Appropriate Empirical Antimicrobial Treatment with Ceftolozane/Tazobactam in a Swine Model of Nosocomial Pneumonia.

The rising frequency of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant (MDR/XDR) pathogens is making more frequent the inappropriate empirical antimicrobial therapy (IEAT) in nosocomial pneumonia, which is associated with increased mortality. We aim to determine the short-term benefits of appropriate empirical antimicrobial treatment (AEAT) with ceftolozane/tazobactam (C/T) compared with IEAT with piperacillin/tazobactam (TZP) in MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia. Twenty-one pigs with pneumonia caused by an XDR P. aeruginosa strain (susceptible to C/T but resistant to TZP) were ventilated for up to 72 h. Twenty-four hours after bacterial challenge, animals were randomized to receive 2-day treatment with either intravenous saline (untreated) or 25 to 50 mg of C/T per kg body weight (AEAT) or 200 to 225 mg of TZP per kg (IEAT) every 8 h. The primary outcome was the P. aeruginosa burden in lung tissue and the histopathology injury. P. aeruginosa burden in tracheal secretions and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, the development of antibiotic resistance, and inflammatory markers were secondary outcomes. Overall, P. aeruginosa lung burden was 5.30 (range, 4.00 to 6.30), 4.04 (3.64 to 4.51), and 4.04 (3.05 to 4.88) log10CFU/g in the untreated, AEAT, and IEAT groups, respectively (P = 0.299), without histopathological differences (P = 0.556). In contrast, in tracheal secretions (P < 0.001) and BAL fluid (P = 0.002), bactericidal efficacy was higher in the AEAT group. An increased MIC to TZP was found in 3 animals, while resistance to C/T did not develop. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) was significantly downregulated by AEAT in comparison to other groups (P = 0.031). In a mechanically ventilated swine model of XDR P. aeruginosa pneumonia, appropriate initial treatment with C/T decreased respiratory secretions' bacterial burden, prevented development of resistance, achieved the pharmacodynamic target, and may have reduced systemic inflammation. However, after only 2 days of treatment, P. aeruginosa tissue concentrations were moderately affected.

The effect of short-term strength intervention on muscle activity of shoulder girdle during simulated crawl in elite swimmers

Background: Specific strength intervention can influence muscle activity during swimming performance and can increase pain. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of strength intervention on muscle activity and pain during simulated crawl in elite swimmers. Methods: Fifteen elite Czech swimmers (4 females, 11 males) within the age of 22.8 &plusmn; 3.4 years participated in this study. At the baseline, muscle activity and pain evaluation was performed. For the shoulder joint pain assessment, the visual numeric scale (VNS) and the Swimmer's Functional Pain Scale (SFPS) questionnaires were used. Participants underwent surface electromyography (SEMG) examination of 8 evaluated muscles (trunk and upper arm) during simulated a 100 metres crawl race on swimming ergometer (VASA SwimErg, Essex Junction, Vermont, USA). After a 30 minutes long strength intervention, 100 metres crawl SEMG, VNS and SFPS were evaluated again. The smallest important change in muscle activation was set to 10%. Results: The effect of strength intervention on muscle activity was not significant in all muscles, however effect size evaluation showed small effect of intervention in biceps brachii (p = .311, d = 0.33), upper part of trapezius (p = .033, d = 0.46) and serratus anterior (p = .103, d = 0.22) and medium effect in lower part of trapezius (p = .053, d = 0.62). Magnitude-based decision analysis showed a highly increased muscle activity in biceps brachii. Also in serratus anterior muscle activity increased as well. Difference in shoulder joint pain before and after intervention of the dominant upper limb according to the SFPS questionnaire and VNS was not statistically significant. Conclusion: A 30 minutes long strength intervention had a significant effect on the muscle activity of the upper part of m. trapezius. There was no significant effect of the intervention on pain.

Ivabradine prevents deleterious effects of dopamine therapy in heart failure: No role for HCN4 overexpression

BackgroundExacerbations of chronic heart failure (CHF) are often treated with catecholamines to provide short term inotropic support, but this strategy is associated with long-term detrimental hemodynamic effects and increased ventricular arrhythmias (VA), possibly related to increased heart rate (HR). We hypothesized that ivabradine may prevent adverse effects of short-term dopamine treatment in CHF. MethodsRats with post-myocardial infarction CHF received 2-week infusion of saline, dopamine(D), ivabradine(I) or D&I; cardiac function was assessed using echocardiography and pressure-volume loops while VA were assessed using telemetric ECG recording. Expression of HCN4, a potentially proarrhythmic channel blocked by ivabradine, was assessed in left ventricular (LV) myocardium. HCN4 expression was also assessed in human explanted normal and failing hearts and correlated with VA. FindingsDopamine infusion had detrimental effects on hemodynamic parameters and LV remodeling and induced VA in CHF rats, while ivabradine completely prevented these effects. CHF rats demonstrated HCN4 overexpression in LV myocardium, and ivabradine and, unexpectedly, dopamine prevented this. Failing human hearts also exhibited HCN4 overexpression in LV myocardium that was unrelated to patient’s sex, CHF etiology, VA severity or plasma NT-proBNP. InterpretationHR reduction offered by ivabradine may be a feasible strategy to extract benefits of inotropic support in CHF exacerbations, avoiding detrimental effects on CHF biology or VA. Ivabradine may offer additional beneficial effects in this setting, going beyond pure HR reduction, however prevention of ventricular HCN4 overexpression is unlikely to play a major role.

Deferiprone Treatment in Aged Transgenic Tau Mice Improves Y-Maze Performance and Alters Tau Pathology.

The accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), which is composed of abnormally hyperphosphorylated tau aggregates, is the classic neuropathology associated with cognitive dysfunction in tauopathies such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, there is an emerging theory suggesting that dysregulation in cerebral iron may contribute to NFT formation. Iron is speculated to bind to tau and induce conformational changes of the protein, potentially leading to subsequent aggregation and cognitive decline. Deferiprone (DFP) is a clinically available iron chelator, which has demonstrated potential therapeutic advantages of chelating iron in neurodegenerative disorders, and is currently in clinical trials for AD. However, its effect on tau pathology remains unclear. Here, we report the effects of short-term DFP treatment (4weeks, 100mg/kg/daily, via oral gavage) in a mixed-gender cohort of the rTg(tauP301L)4510 mouse model of tauopathy. Our results revealed that DFP improved Y-maze and open field performance, accompanied by a 28% decrease in brain iron levels, measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and reduced AT8-labeled p-tau within the hippocampus in transgenic tau mice. This data supports the notion that iron may play a neurotoxic role in tauopathies and may be a potential therapeutic target for this class of disorders that can be modulated by the clinically available metal chelator DFP.

Effect of Recombinant Human Endostatin Injection Combined with Chemotherapy on Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Activated Circulating Endothelial Cells

To explore the clinical efficacy of recombinant human endostatin injection combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer and the influence on activated circulating endothelial cells in peripheral blood. A total of 100 non-small cell lung cancer patients were selected and divided into combination and chemotherapy group. Another 30 healthy volunteers were selected as healthy control group. The shortterm treatment effects, drug side effects during treatment and long-term quality of life were compared. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor. Flow cytometry was used to detect the expression of CD105 and CD146. The total effective rate, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, nausea/vomiting, peripheral neurotoxicity, cardiac injury and fever were significantly different between the two groups (p<0.05). The physical role, emotional, social and general health scores were significantly higher, and the fatigue, nausea and vomiting, pain, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, constipation, lung cancer specific modules and total symptom subscale score were significantly lower in combination group than those in chemotherapy group (p<0.05). The levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor in combination group were decreased and activated circulating endothelial cells were increased after treatment, while in the chemotherapy group, activated circulating endothelial cells only increased in the 4th cycle (p<0.05). Endo combined with chemotherapy has a significant short-term effect in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, which can reduce side effects and improve the quality of life.

Effects of Short-Term Unsupervised Exercise, Based on Smart Bracelet Monitoring, on Body Composition in Patients Recovering from Breast Cancer.

Objective:We aimed to investigate the effects of exercise, monitored and managed using smart bracelets, on body composition, and quality of life in breast cancer survivors.Methods:A before-and-after study was conducted in 109 patients who were in the recovery phase of breast cancer and attended the Breast Surgery Department of the Cancer Hospital of Fudan University up to December 2017. Patients were advised to adhere to at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, and a smart bracelet was issued to each participant to record their daily exercise data for 3 months. Bioelectrical impedance analysis was used to observe the effects of short-term unsupervised exercise intervention on body composition in patients recovering from breast cancer. Patients completed the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast to assess health-related quality of life.Results:Weight, body mass index (BMI), body fat mass (BFM), fat mass index (FMI), percent body fat (PBF), arm circumference (AC), arm muscle circumference (AMC), and visceral fat area (VFA) were lower than baseline after exercising for 3 months based on data from the wearable devices (P < .05). The only significant improvement was found in the “additional concerns about breast cancer” category among the quality-of-life assessments (P < .05). The average walking time was negatively associated with BFM, PBF, and FMI, while the average calorie consumption due to running was positively associated with fat free mass (FFM).Conclusion:In this study, we demonstrated that short-term exercise may be beneficial for postoperative breast cancer survivors. A wearable device could help patients track physical data easily and promote a healthier and more positive life.

Experiences of Patient-Centered Care Among Japanese and Australian Cancer Outpatients: Results of a Cross-Sectional Study.

There have been few international comparisons of patient-centered cancer care delivery. This study aimed to compare the experiences of patient-centered care (PCC) of Japanese and Australian radiation oncology patients. Participants were adults with cancer attending a radiotherapy appointment at a Japanese or Australian clinic. Participants completed a survey asking about 10 indicators of PCC. Overall, 259 Japanese and 285 Australian patients participated. Compared with Japanese participants, Australian participants were significantly more likely to report receiving information about: what the treatment is, and the short-term and long-term side effects of treatment. A higher proportion of Australian participants reported being asked whether they wanted a friend or family member present at the consultation. There were no differences in the frequency with which Japanese and Australian participants were asked by their clinicians about whether they were experiencing physical side effects or emotional distress. International differences highlight the (1) need to exercise caution when generalizing from one country to another; and (2) the importance of context in understanding PCC delivery and the subsequent design of quality improvement interventions.

The effect of hormone replacement therapy on nerve conduction studies in newly diagnosed hypothyroid patients

Background: Deficiency of thyroid hormone has been associated with mononeuropathy, myopathy, sensory neuropathies, and sensorimotor polyneuropathy. Nerve conduction studies (NCSs) are useful to evaluate the electric conduction in motor and sensory nerves and differentiate between axonal neuropathy or demyelination as well as localization of disorder. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) might restore the nerve function by reversing the biochemical abnormalities. Aims and Objectives: This study was conducted to observe the effects of hypothyroidism on peripheral nerves by NCS in newly diagnosed patients and effect of short-term (3 months) treatment with hormonal replacement therapy (thyroxine [T4]) on clinical features of peripheral nerve dysfunction and NCS. Materials and Methods: In this study, 40 patients with newly diagnosed hypothyroidism underwent complete neurological and nerve electrodiagnostic examination. After examination, the patients were provided HRT (T4) for 3 months. Then, neurological and nerve electrodiagnostic examinations were repeated in all the patients. Results: After 3 months of treatment, free triiodothyronine (FT3) and free T4 (FT4) were increased while thyroid-stimulating hormone was decreased and the results obtained were statistically significant. On diagnosis, carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) was found in 42.5% of patients and neuropathy in 25% of subjects. After treatment, improvement was seen in 77% of patients with CTS and 70% of patients with neuropathy. Latency of median, tibial, and peroneal motor nerve as well as latency of median and sural sensory nerve were decreased on treatment. Again, amplitude of curve and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) increased in median, tibial, and peroneal nerve on treatment. No significant effects were seen in latency, amplitude of curve, or NCV in ulnar motor and sensory nerve. Conclusion: The study suggests that abnormalities such as polyneuropathy and entrapment mononeuropathies can be reversed with appropriate treatment in many newly diagnosed hypothyroidism patients.

The effect of monoamine oxidase-B inhibitors on the alleviation of depressive symptoms in Parkinson's disease: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background:Depression is a major nonmotor symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, few treatments exist for PD depression. Monoamine oxidase-B inhibitors (MAOB-Is) provide symptomatic relief for the motor symptoms of PD and exert antidepressive effects. The present meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigated the effects of MAOB-Is on depressive symptoms in patients with PD.Methods:Articles on PD-management-related RCTs using one of three MAOB-Is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, that is, selegiline, rasagiline, and safinamide, were identified. The primary outcomes were the benefits of MAOB-Is for depressive symptoms. Subgroup analysis included the effects of MAOB-Is on patients in the early versus middle-to-late stages of PD and the effect of short-term versus long-term treatment.Results:Overall, six studies were included, four of which were conducted on patients with early stage PD. Overall, MAOB-Is significantly reduced the severity of depressive symptoms [standardized mean difference (SMD): −0.14, 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.21 to −0.06, p < 0.001]. Subgroup analysis indicated that the positive effect of MAOB-Is was significant in patients with early stage PD (SMD: −0.20, 95% CI: −0.31 to −0.09, p < 0.001), but not in those with middle-to-late-stage PD (SMD: −0.07, 95% CI: −0.17 to 0.03, p = 0.18). The antidepressive effect was significant for short-term treatment, that is, 90–120 days (SMD: −0.23, 95% CI: −0.35 to −0.10, p < 0.001), but not long-term treatment, that is, 24 weeks to 18 months (SMD: −0.08, 95% CI: −0.18 to 0.01, p = 0.09).Conclusion:In addition to the treatment of PD motor symptoms, MAOB-Is may help reduce the severity of depressive symptoms in PD, especially in patients with early stage PD. Considering the tolerability and simultaneous benefits of MAOB-Is, further RCTs are warranted to confirm their therapeutic effects in moderate-to-severe PD depression.

Impact of Air and Manual Scaling on Dental Anxiety and Blood Glucose Level among Diabetic Patients.

ABSTRACTAims:The current study aimed at describing the short-term effect of nonsurgical periodontal treatment on dental anxiety and blood glucose level change among diabetic patients.Materials and Methods:One hundred and fifty patients with diabetes participated in a cross-sectional study design. All of them were divided into two groups, with 75 patients in each group. The first group was treated with air scaling, whereas the second group was treated with manual scaling. The determination of treatment needs and the evaluation of periodontal health status were achieved by using Community Periodontal Index for Treatment Need (CPITN). The level of dental anxiety was assessed by using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The glucose change was calculated by subtracting the glucose level before treatment from the glucose level straight after treatment.Results:No significant difference in glucose level was observed between manual scaling and air scaling after treatment (P = 0.076), and the level of glucose was significantly lower after scaling treatment within the treatment groups (P = 0.000). The level of glucose change between the groups was significantly lower for the manual scaling treatment group (P = 0.013), and it was significantly correlated with VAS (P = 0.000). Multiple regression analysis showed a significant association between the treatment groups (P = 0.007).Conclusions:Scaling reduced blood glucose and dental anxiety levels in patients with diabetes. Manual scaling was associated with reduced glucose level change less than air scaling after treatment.

Effect and Safety of Calorie Restriction and Complex Herbal Medicine Short-term Treatment (‘Oil-rescue’ Program) for Weight Reduction of Obesity or Overweight Patients: A Practice Based Research

Effect and Safety of Calorie Restriction and Complex Herbal Medicine Short-term Treatment (‘Oil-rescue’ Program) for Weight Reduction of Obesity or Overweight Patients: A Practice Based Research

Short Term Efficacy of Entecavir in the Treatment of Decompensated Chronic Hepatitis B Cirrhosis

Objective: To explore the effect of entecavir on patients with decompensated chronic hepatitis B cirrhosis. Methods: From October 2007 to December 2019, 100 patients with decompensated chronic hepatitis B cirrhosis who were treated in our hospital were selected to carry out this study. The clinical data of the patients were analyzed. According to whether entecavir treatment was carried out, 100 patients were divided into two groups, 50 cases in the control group and 50 cases in the observation group. The control group was treated with conventional drugs, and the observation group was treated with entecavir. Liver function indexes, liver fibrosis indexes, HBV-DNA negative conversion rate and incidence of adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. Results: Compared with the control group, the liver function indexes of the observation group were lower, P &lt; 0.05; Compared with the control group, the observation group was better, P &lt; 0.05; The negative rate of HBV-DNA in the observation group was lower than that in the control group (P &lt; 0.05); There was no difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups, P &gt; 0.05. Conclusion: Entecavir can not only improve the liver function, but also enhance the short-term treatment effect, without increasing adverse reactions, and has high safety, which is worthy of recommendation.

The Acute Effect of Foam Rolling on Eccentrically-Induced Muscle Damage.

Previous studies have shown significant improvement in muscle soreness and muscle function loss after 300-s foam rolling intervention two days after intense exercise. However, this duration is assumed to be too long, so investigating the effect of short-term duration foam rolling intervention on an eccentrically-damaged muscle is needed. This study aimed to eccentrically induce muscle damage in the leg extensors, and to detect the acute effect of 90-s foam rolling on muscle soreness and muscle function of the quadriceps muscle. We enrolled 17 healthy and nonathlete male volunteers. They performed a bout of eccentric exercise of the knee extensors with the dominant leg and received 90-s foam rolling intervention of the quadriceps two days after the eccentric exercise. The dependent variables were measured before the eccentric exercise (baseline), and before (preintervention) and after foam rolling intervention (postintervention), two days after the eccentric exercise. The results show that the preintervention muscle soreness and muscle strength values were significantly increased, compared with the baseline values, whereas the postintervention values were significantly decreased, compared with the preintervention values. Furthermore, 90-s of foam rolling intervention could improve muscle soreness and muscle function loss.

Short-, medium- and long-term results of the sling operations effectiveness and safety for urinary incontinence in women

Introduction. Sling urethropexy is considered the «gold standard» surgical treatment for stress urinary incontinence in women. However, the long-term results of such operations have not yet been fully studied.Purpose of the study. To evaluate the results of using various options for sling operations at different periods of postoperative follow-up.Materials and methods. In 698 women aged 42 - 68 years (median — 54 years) suffering stress incontinence were used 4 variants of sling operations according to the database of the S.P. Botkin City Clinical Hospital: TVT retropubic technique; transobturator technique TVT-O («inside-out»); transobturator technique TOT («outside-in»); mini sling system. The period of postoperative follow-up was 6 - 139 months (median 79 months). Evaluation of treatment results was carried out according to the following periods of postoperative follow-up: short-term (up to 1 year inclusive); mediumterm (a period from 1 to 5 years inclusive); long-term (over 5 years). The success of the treatment was determined by the criterion of the absence of urine involuntary loss during the cough test and the 1-hour pad test.Results. Treatment success in the entire sample of patients was 96.1% (671 / 698) for the short-term criterion, 93.1% (591 / 635) for the medium-term criterion and 86.2% for the long-term criterion (467 / 642). The effectiveness of short-term treatment after TVT was 97%, TVT-O — 95.8%, TOT — 96.2%, mini-sling system — 95.5%, in medium-term — 92.2%, 93.1%, 90.9% and 92.3%, respectively, for long-term — 87.1%, 86.2%, 85.2% and 85%, respectively. There were no significant differences between the indicated variants of sling operations in terms of treatment efficacy for all observation periods (p &gt; 0.05). Intra and early postoperative complications were noted in 51 (7.3%) cases, late — in 79 (11.3%). There were no significant differences in the incidence of both categories of complications between the surgical techniques used (p &gt; 0.05). Only surgical experience significantly affects the risk of recurrent urinary incontinence after surgery, early and late postoperative complications.Conclusions. The success of surgical treatment for stress urinary incontinence in women does not significantly depend on the type of sling surgery but depends mainly on the surgical experience. Therefore, it is advisable to use sling operations in hospitals with extensive experience in this area.

Effect of different short-term tillage management on nitrogen-fixing bacteria community in a double-cropping paddy field of southern China.

Soil nitrogen (N)-fixing bacteria community plays an important role in the N cycling process in soil, but there is still limited information about how the soil microbes that drive this process to respond to combined application of tillage and crop residue management under the double-cropping rice (Oryza sativa L.) paddy field in southern of China. Therefore, the effects of 6-years short-term tillage treatment on soil N-fixing bacteria community under the double-cropping rice paddy field in southern China were studied by using the polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis method. The field experimentincluded four tillage treatments: conventional tillage with crop residue incorporation (CT), rotary tillage with crop residue incorporation (RT), no-tillage with crop residue retention (NT), rotary tillage with crop residue removed as control (RTO). The results showed that the diversity index and richness index of cbbLR and nifH genes with CT, RT, and NT treatments were increased, compared with RTO treatment. Compared with RTO treatment, the abundance of cbbLR gene with CT, RT, and NT treatments were increased by 6.54, 4.73, and 2.78 times, respectively. Meanwhile, the abundance of nifH gene with CT, RT, and NT treatments were 5.32, 3.71, and 2.45 times higher than that of RTO treatment. The results also indicated that soil autotrophic Azotobacter and nitrogenase activity with CT and RT treatments were significantly higher (p < .05) than that of RTO treatment. There was an obvious difference in characteristic of soil N-fixing bacteria community between the application of crop residue and without crop residue input treatments. In summary, the results indicated that the abundance of N-fixing bacteria community in the double-cropping rice paddy field increased with conventional tillage and rotary tillage practice.

Utility-Value Intervention in School: Students’ Migration and Parental Educational Backgrounds as Moderators

A growing body of research suggests that utility-value interventions can promote students’ academic motivation and achievement. Moreover, there is evidence that minimal interventions are particularly useful for ethnic minority and first-generation students at college. Whether this is also the case with high school students belonging to minorities and having low parental educational background, is unclear. In a double-blind randomized field experiment with N = 439 academic-track students from 9th grade in Germany, we investigated whether a short version of an established utility-value intervention (i.e., quotations evaluation intervention) would promote the students’ utility, attainment, and intrinsic values in math and their math test performance after the intervention. Moreover, we investigated if such short-term intervention effects were moderated by students’ migration background and parental educational background. We found significant positive main effects of the intervention on the students’ utility and attainment values in math compared to a control group. The effect on attainment value was especially pronounced for students with migration background whose parents held no university entrance certificate. We discuss the practical relevance of these findings and highlight challenges for future research in this field.