Long-time Effects Research Articles

A deep learning-based method for ultra-short-term PV power prediction

Abstract With the rapid development of photovoltaic industry, the application accuracy of photovoltaic power prediction technology in the field of power system control, dispatching and operation is more precise. Due to the volatility and randomness of photovoltaic power in the ultra short term, high-precision prediction has more theoretical and practical significance. This paper presents an ultra short-term photovoltaic power prediction model based on dual attention mechanism and GRU, which realizes the high-precision prediction of photovoltaic power in ultra short term. Firstly, attention mechanism is introduced to realize the dual extraction of temporal and spatial features; Then, the power is predicted by combining the extracted features with the characteristics of GRU long-term memory ability and fast calculation. The time series attention mechanism is introduced to independently extract the information of historical key moments to improve the stability of long-time series prediction effect; The feature attention mechanism effectively calculates the correlation of each meteorological feature quantity, and alters the feature weight. Through the comparison experiment with the baseline model, it is verified that the proposed model has higher prediction accuracy, better generalization ability and robustness.

Precision and personalized medicine: new way for cancer management

Precision and personalized medicine (PPM) introduce to the tailoring of medical treatment to the individual characteristics of each patient. Cancer is one amongst the leading causes of death in India. Maximum chemotherapeutic agents are used for cancer patients, but lack of long-time effectiveness and severe side effects from these agents, to improve therapeutic outcome to developed new tool called PPM as follow. Better understanding of pharmacogenomics has been help to developed and the potential for customizing health care for cancers patients. Recently, PPM has mainly involved the systematic use of genetic or other information about an individual patient to select or optimize that patient’s preventative and therapeutic care. Information a couple of patient’s proteinaceous, genetic, and metabolic profile may be accustomed tailor treatment to it individual’s needs. A key attribute of this medical model is that the development of companion diagnostics, where by molecular assays that measure levels of proteins, genes, or specific mutations are wont to provide a specific therapy for an individual’s condition by stratifying disease status, selecting the right medication, and tailoring dosages there to cancer patient’s specific needs. In light of this, there is growing interest in the role of health care system or department of oncology to try to enhance a precision and personalized approach, underlining some recent successes. This review will focus on the existing and future technologies that could speed the development of PPM products for Treatment of resistant cancer in individual patients. Specifically, it will concentrate on reviewing the phenotypic (activity based) rather than genotypic (mechanism based) approach to develop PPM useful for cancers patient. This article is perspective, during which attention is targeted on the particular alterations of the tumor, has opened the door to precision and personalized treatment.

Immediate Outcomes and Benefits of 3D Printed Braces for the Treatment of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

Spinal bracing is a proven effective treatment for children with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Four factors have been reported to affect brace treatment outcome including (1) growth or curve-based risk, (2) the in-brace correction, (3) the brace wear quantity, and (4) the brace wear quality. The in-brace correction is impacted by spinal flexibility. The quality of brace design also affects the in-brace correction and comfort which indirectly affects the brace wear quantity and quality. A traditional polypropylene spinal brace is bulky and uncomfortable, and its manufacturing process is labor intensive. As 3D printing technology becomes more common and advanced, there is a potential to manufacture spinal braces using 3D printing technology. The objectives of this paper were to report the immediate effectiveness and benefits in using 3D printed brace to treat children with AIS. Six children with AIS (5F, 1M; 12.9 ± 1.4 years old; Cobb angle: 26° ± 7°), who were new to brace treatment, were recruited. Spinal flexibility and pressure pad locations were acquired using ultrasound assisted method to ensure braces were designed properly. To manufacture the braces, all participants were scanned by a handheld 3D scanner to obtain their body shapes. The 3D braces were then printed with Nylon 12 material. The average in-brace Cobb angle correction was 10 ± 4° (41 ± 18% correction). The 3D brace was 33% thinner, 26% lighter, 37% lower cost and required 3.7 h less labor time to manufacture when compared with the standard polypropylene brace. As a conclusion, the 3D printed brace had good immediate treatment effectiveness, but the long-time effect is still required time to explore.

Dynamic response of laser-welded corrugated sandwich panels subjected to plane blast wave

A plane blast wave with long-time effect was achieved inside an explosion container by experiment, and was applied to laser-welded corrugated sandwich panels to study the dynamic response characteristics. The deformation model of the panels was investigated, including the cores and faceplates. The results indicate that the deformation between the top and bottom face is not consistent in different directions, and the impact accelerations and deformation are not similar in relative variation with core height. Numerical simulations were applied to reproduce the experimental phenomenon. The consensus was reached that the simulation results were convincing. Based on the numerical simulation technique, a simplified analysis method using equivalence theory and three stages analysis under the plane blast wave was proposed. After comparing the calculated results, the applicable scope of the simplified method in the core height and pressure peak was also determined.

Long-time memory effects in a localizable central spin problem

We study the properties of the Nakajima–Zwanzig memory kernel for a qubit immersed in a many-body localized (i.e. disordered and interacting) bath. We argue that the memory kernel decays as a power law in both the localized and ergodic regimes, and show how this can be leveraged to extract t → ∞ populations for the qubit from finite time (Jt ⩽ 102) data in the thermalizing phase. This allows us to quantify how the long-time values of the populations approach the expected thermalized state as the bath approaches the thermodynamic limit. This approach should provide a good complement to state-of-the-art numerical methods, for which the long-time dynamics with large baths are impossible to simulate in this phase. Additionally, our numerics on finite baths reveal the possibility for unbounded exponential growth in the memory kernel, a phenomenon rooted in the appearance of exceptional points in the projected Liouvillian governing the reduced dynamics. In small systems amenable to exact numerics, we find that these pathologies may have some correlation with delocalization.

Variation in Urban Forest Regulation of Air Particulate Matter Concentration

Urban forest was vital to adjusting Air Particulate Matter Concentration (APMC). The purpose of this study was designed to provide a more detailed analysis of the urban forest long-time scales effect on APMC. The paper assessed effect of forests (urban greening) on APMC in an urban environment, where an urban green center (nearly 2 km2) and a nearby (5 km away) bare-ground site (at a road intersection) in Yuhua District of Changsha, China, were chosen to delve into daily, seasonal, and annual variation of APMC in an urban forest and a non-forested site respectively. It was found that: (1) on a daily basis, APMC in both the urban forest and the non-forested site was high in the morning and evening, but low at noon, demonstrating a “two-peak-one-trough” or V-shaped pattern. Additionally, APMC in the morning was higher than evening. (2) in terms of season, APMC was high in spring and winter, but low in summer and fall. (3) the annual change of the APMC showed a “bimodal” annual trend in urban forest and non-forested site, with a peak concentration in the urban forest coming later than the non-forested site. (4) temperature and average wind speed composed main factors affecting APMC in Changsha’s ecotope. The paper characterized the change pattern in APMC in urban environment (forested and non-forested), suggested appropriate recreational periods in the urban forest, and gave insight in planning and construction of urban greening projects.

A new lattice model integrating the flux limit effect under V2X environment

Based on limiting flux problem of urban transportation, a new lattice model is constructed to restrain traffic jams by considering the flux limit effect under V2X environment. Also, traffic stability condition involving feedback gain of flux limit is obtained by applying the control theory. Moreover, numerical simulation is executed for the early time effect, the long-time effect, and the hysteresis loop to investigate the flux limit effect. It is found that the flux limit effect improves traffic system whether early time or long time and effectively curbs traffic congestions.

Migration of the Industrial Wastewater in Fractured Rock Masses Based on the Thermal-Hydraulic-Mechanical Coupled Model

Industrial wastewater may have a long-time effect on the environment and human life as it goes underground and causes serious pollution continuously. To have a well understanding of the migration of such wastewater is a basic task for industrial wastewater treatment as well as industrial design. To study the migration mechanism of industrial wastewater in rock formations, the governing equations such as mechanics, seepage, heat, and mass transfer are reviewed, referenced, and proposed. The thermal (T)-hydraulic (H)-mechanical (M) coupled model of the multimedia of matrix-fault and matrix-fracture-fault is established. The influence of the fault and the fractures on the pressure distribution and contaminant migration is analyzed. The influence of fault length, width, dip angle, permeability, and temperature of wastewater on contaminant migration is parametrically studied. The following results can be obtained. (1) The fracture quantitively affects the concentration distribution, while the fault dominates the concentration distribution and contaminant migration. (2) The migration of the contaminants can be geometrically divided into 3 zones along the direction of the fault: the saturation zone, the rapid diffusion zone, and the concentration decrease zone. (3) There is a peak of the concentration along the bottom of the model. The position of the peak is the projection of the endpoint of the fault. (4) The fault length has the most significant effect on contaminant accumulation. The temperature of the wastewater has the minimum effect on the contaminant accumulation. (5) The accumulation of concentrations can be divided into 2 stages, the slow growth stage (before 20 years) and the rapid growth stage (after 20 years). The main channel of contaminant migration in the slow growth stage is a fault. During the rapid growth stage, the contaminants penetrate through the rock matrix as well as the fault.

Cyclic mimetics of kinase-inhibitory region of Suppressors of Cytokine Signaling 1: Progress toward novel anti-inflammatory therapeutics.

Herein we investigated the structural and cellular effects ensuing from the cyclization of a potent inhibitor of JAK2 as mimetic of SOCS1 protein, named PS5. The introduction of un-natural residues and a lactam internal bridge, within SOCS1-KIR motif, produced candidates that showed high affinity toward JAK2 catalytic domain. By combining CD, NMR and computational studies, we obtained valuable models of the interactions of two peptidomimetics of SOCS1 to deepen their functional behaviors. Notably, when assayed for their biological cell responses mimicking SOCS1 activity, the internal cyclic PS5 analogues demonstrated able to inhibit JAK-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT1 and to reduce cytokine-induced proinflammatory gene expression, oxidative stress generation and cell migration. The present study well inserts in the field of low-molecular-weight proteomimetics with improved longtime cellular effects and adds a new piece to the puzzled way for the conversion of bioactive peptides into drugs.

Control Study of Short-Term Aftereffect in Diving Exposure Related Pulmonary Ventilation Function

Objective: Ventilation attenuation often happened in professional divers due to long-term cumulative effects in diving exercises. By case-control experiments, we observed the immediate effects of pulmonary ventilation before and after the exposure of 12m-depth underwater for 20 min to discuss the relationships between the short-term and long-time effects caused by diving environment. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned into the Experimental Group (EG) who stayed for 20 min under 12-m water environment or the Control Group (CG) who stayed in hyperbaric chamber under the pressure of 2.2ATA. Pulmonary ventilation function parameters including VC, FVC, MVV and MV were detected respectively before and after hyperbaric exposure by the Spirometer. Immediate effects of pulmonary ventilation before and after diving were compared by paired t test to reveal the different influence caused by environmental pressure. Results: The value of VC appears to rise while the MV, MVV were detected decreased after the exposure of 2.2ATA of environment pressure for 20min in the two groups. VC increased more significantly in the CG (t=-1.26, p=0.23) after hyperbaric exposure, that leads to the FEV1.0%t (=FEV1.0/VC %) increase in EG (t=-0.73, p=0.48) while decrease in CG (t=0.42, p=0.17). The same trend in VC, MV and MVV after high pressure exposure in the two groups mainly due to the effect of common factors –the pressure. In addition to the impact of the pressure itself, EG members also face diving related immersion effect, influence of diving equipment load and water under low temperature. The FVC is detected decreased in EG (t=1.21, P =0.25) while it increased in CG (t=-0.42, P =0.68) , but the differences are not significant and couldn’t affect the measured FEV1.0% (=FEV1.0/FVC %) values showed both increasing in EG (t=-1.48, P =0.16) and in CG (t=-0.23, P =0.82). The expiratory flow rate including PEF, FEF25-75, MEF75, MEF50 increased in EG (t are -0.72, -0.69, -0.87 and -0.36 respectively with P all greater than 0.05) while decreased in CG (t are 1.67, 0.50, 1.53 and 0.71 respectively with P all greater than 0.05). MEF25 is the expiratory flow index of not affected by respiratory muscle force and the measured values of MEF25 increased in the EG (t=-0.68, P =0.51) and in the CG (t=-0.36, P =0.72). Conclusion: Water immersion and water temperature during diving exposure could cause and accelerate hemodynamic changes in pulmonary circulation induced pulmonary interstitial edema and led to the increase of external respiratory work. Instant effects of diving exposure in the study are quite consistent with the long-term cumulative effect of professional divers in previous research, which is FVC reduced because small airway become narrower. The results illustrate even the small depth of short-range diving exercise have definite influences on pulmonary ventilation, which mainly comes from the environmental factor but not the pressure increases.

Short-Term Effect of Reduction in Forced Vital Capacity After Diving Exposure

To discuss whether there is relationship between short-term and long-time attenuation effects of ventilation caused by diving activity. The ventilation observed before and after hyperbaric exposure for 20min by case-control experiments. Participants of the experimental group (EG) stayed for 20min under 12-m underwater and the control group (CG) stayed in hyperbaric chamber under pressure of 2.2ATA. Immediate effects of pulmonary ventilation detected by the Spirometer and compared by paired T test to reveal the different caused by environmental pressure. The Vital Capacity (VC) rises while the Minute Ventilation (MV), Maximal Voluntary Ventilation (MVV) decreases after the exposure for 20min in both groups. The Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) is detected decreased significantly in EG (t=1.21, P =0.25) while it slightly increased in CG (t=-0.42, P =0.68). The ratio of Forced Expiratory Volume in one second to VC (FEV1.0/VC %) increase in EG (t=-0.73, P=0.48) while decrease in CG (t=0.42, P=0.17). The Ratio of FEV1.0 to FVC (FEV1.0 %) values increase obviously in EG (t=-1.48, P =0.16) and a bit in CG (t=-0.23, P =0.82). High pressure is the common factor in both groups that leads the changes in the same trend in VC, MV and MVV. Extra factors as immersion effect, loading of diving equipment and low temperature underwater, would encounter EG participants. Instant reduced effects of FVC under diving exposure in the study are quite consistent with the long-term cumulative effect of professional divers in previous research, which illustrated even small depth of short-range diving exercise have definite influences on ventilation.

The Quest for System-Theoretical Medicine in the COVID-19 Era.

Precision medicine and molecular systems medicine (MSM) are highly utilized and successful approaches to improve understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of many diseases from bench-to-bedside. Especially in the COVID-19 pandemic, molecular techniques and biotechnological innovation have proven to be of utmost importance for rapid developments in disease diagnostics and treatment, including DNA and RNA sequencing technology, treatment with drugs and natural products and vaccine development. The COVID-19 crisis, however, has also demonstrated the need for systemic thinking and transdisciplinarity and the limits of MSM: the neglect of the bio-psycho-social systemic nature of humans and their context as the object of individual therapeutic and population-oriented interventions. COVID-19 illustrates how a medical problem requires a transdisciplinary approach in epidemiology, pathology, internal medicine, public health, environmental medicine, and socio-economic modeling. Regarding the need for conceptual integration of these different kinds of knowledge we suggest the application of general system theory (GST). This approach endorses an organism-centered view on health and disease, which according to Ludwig von Bertalanffy who was the founder of GST, we call Organismal Systems Medicine (OSM). We argue that systems science offers wider applications in the field of pathology and can contribute to an integrative systems medicine by (i) integration of evidence across functional and structural differentially scaled subsystems, (ii) conceptualization of complex multilevel systems, and (iii) suggesting mechanisms and non-linear relationships underlying the observed phenomena. We underline these points with a proposal on multi-level systems pathology including neurophysiology, endocrinology, immune system, genetics, and general metabolism. An integration of these areas is necessary to understand excess mortality rates and polypharmacological treatments. In the pandemic era this multi-level systems pathology is most important to assess potential vaccines, their effectiveness, short-, and long-time adverse effects. We further argue that these conceptual frameworks are not only valid in the COVID-19 era but also important to be integrated in a medicinal curriculum.

The potential neurological effect of the COVID-19 vaccines: A review.

The coronavirus disease 2019 caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has become a pandemic with people infected in almost all countries. The most efficient solution to end this pandemic is a safe and efficient vaccine. Classic platforms are used to develop vaccines including live‐attenuated vaccine, inactivated vaccine, protein subunit vaccine, and viral vector. Nucleic acid vaccine uses next‐generation platforms for their development. Vaccines are now rushing to the market. Eleven candidates are in advance development. These comprise inactivated vaccines, viral vector vaccine, nucleic acid vaccine, and the protein subunit vaccine platform, which are now quite advanced in trials in various geographic and ethnic populations. The reported severe adverse effects raised the worries about their safety. It becomes critical to know whether these vaccines will cause neurologic disorders like previously recognized vaccine‐related demyelinating diseases, fever‐induced seizure, and other possible deficits. We reviewed the most promising COVID‐2 vaccines with a particular interest in mechanism(s) and adverse effect(s). We exemplify potential neurological problems these vaccines could cause by looking at previous studies. The current evidence indicated a minor risk of the acute neurological disorders after the application. The observation of the long‐time effect is still needed.

Роль нейро-кардиального соединения в симпатической регуляции сердца

A one of the important mechanisms of heart regulation is realized via sympathetic innervation of cardiac myocytes. Axons of the sympathetic neurons branch out and form along their length extensions (varicosities), which contain synaptic vesicle filled out with a main neurotransmitter (norepinephrine) and co-neurotransmitters. The varicosities come closely to cardiomyocytes and can form the neuro-cardiac junction, having synapse-like organization, i.e. pre- and postsynaptic regions divided by narrow gap. These synaptic structures are subject to plasticity and the neurotransmitter release from the presynaptic varicosities are tightly regulated, including due to autoreceptors. Neuromuscular transmission via the neuro-cardiac junctions have fast chronotropic and inotropic effects and also regulate tropic processes, which determine a size of cardiomyocytes and architecture of cardiac wall. Different subtypes of postsynaptic adrenoceptors are involved in the short- and long-time effects of the neuro-cardiac interactions. Numerous common disorders (heart failure, arrythmia, hypertension) are frequently accompanied by changes in cardiac neurotransmission which contribute to the disease progression. In this review we have systematized and summarized evidences supporting hypothesis about cardiac quasi-synaptic transmission that could have a pivotal meaning for brain-heart communication.

Psychological stresses among Chinese university students during the COVID-19 epidemic: The effect of early life adversity on emotional distress

BackgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is leading to numerous psychological outcomes, especially emotional distress. Individuals with early life adversity (ELA) may be more susceptible to those psychological stresses during this epidemic. AimsTo measure the effect of the ELA on acute stress reactions, anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 epidemic, and to examine whether specific trauma types and frequencies of exposure are associated with a more severe acute stress reaction and increased risk of anxiety and depressive symptoms. MethodThis investigation was performed at college students in a comprehensive University of China. The online self-report questionnaire included ELA experiences, exposure to epidemic-related events, acute stress reactions, and anxiety and depression symptoms during the COVID-19 epidemic. Logistic regression and stepwise regression were used to assess the associations and interactions among these variables. ResultsParticipants with ELA reported more exposure to epidemic-related events and more severe stress reactions during the epidemics than did those with no ELA. The experience of ELA is associated with acute stress reactions, anxiety and depression in early adulthood. Furthermore, experiencing more ELA during childhood may not only increase the risk of anxiety and depression episode in early adulthood but also lead to more severe acute stress reactions during the epidemic. ConclusionRegardless of specific ELA types, ELAs have longer time effects on individual's susceptibility to stress. Under this epidemic, the mental health in young adults with ELA needs more attention.

Effects of hepatitis B vaccine boosters in different levels of epidemic areas on anti-HBs-negative children after primary vaccination.

Introduction. The widespread of hepatitis B virus is a severe global public problem, and the infant hepatitis B vaccine has been proved effective. But the failure of the immune response was reported in studies, and boosters were recommended. There were few studies about the effect of hepatitis B vaccine boosters in different levels of the epidemic area.Hypothesis. Booster immunization is recommended because there may be a lack of immunization in infants vaccinated with the hepatitis B vaccine. In order to verify the effectiveness of booster immunization, this study hypothesized that it worked well in different levels of endemic areas.Aim. To evaluate the effects of hepatitis B vaccine boosters on children from the areas with different prevalence of hepatitis B whose hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) were negative (<10 mIU ml-1).Methodology. A total of 940 children were initially enrolled in screening; however, 421 were excluded. The participants were divided into three groups according to the different areas they come from: group I, low epidemic area; group II, middle epidemic area; and group III, high epidemic area. In total, 519 subjects were administered three doses of booster hepatitis B vaccine (0-1-6 months, 10 µg). The antibody titre changes were examined at four time points: 1 month after dose 1, 1 month, 1 year and 5 years after dose 3.Results. The protective seroconversion rates in three groups were 96.30, 97.16, 96.63% at 1 month after dose 1, and 100.00, 100.00, 100.00% at 1 month after dose 3, and 97.79, 100.00, 98.50% at 1 year after dose 3, and 90.77, 93.67, 93.59% at 5 years after dose 3 (P>0.05).Conclusions. This study demonstrates that three doses of booster vaccination have a longtime effect, no matter whether it is in low, middle or high prevalence areas in which subjects live.

On discrete time Prabhakar-generalized fractional Poisson processes and related stochastic dynamics

Recently the so-called Prabhakar generalization of the fractional Poisson counting process attracted much interest for his flexibility to adapt to real world situations. In this renewal process the waiting times between events are IID continuous random variables. In the present paper we analyze discrete-time counterparts: Renewal processes with integer IID interarrival times which converge in well-scaled continuous-time limits to the Prabhakar-generalized fractional Poisson process. These processes exhibit non-Markovian features and long-time memory effects. We recover for special choices of parameters the discrete-time versions of classical cases, such as the fractional Bernoulli process and the standard Bernoulli process as discrete-time approximations of the fractional Poisson and the standard Poisson process, respectively. We derive difference equations of generalized fractional type that govern these discrete time-processes where in well-scaled continuous-time limits known evolution equations of generalized fractional Prabhakar type are recovered. We also develop in Montroll–Weiss fashion the “Prabhakar Discrete-time random walk (DTRW)” as a random walk on a graph time-changed with a discrete-time version of Prabhakar renewal process. We derive the generalized fractional discrete-time Kolmogorov–Feller difference equations governing the resulting stochastic motion. Prabhakar-discrete-time processes open a promising field capturing several aspects in the dynamics of complex systems.

Fractional q-deformed chaotic maps: A weight function approach.

The fractional derivative holds long-time memory effects or non-locality. It successfully depicts the dynamical systems with long-range interactions. However, it becomes challenging to investigate chaos in the deformed fractional discrete-time systems. This study turns to fractional quantum calculus on the time scale and reports chaos in fractional q-deformed maps. The discrete memory kernels are used, and a weight function approach is proposed for fractional modeling. Rich q-deformed dynamics are demonstrated, which shows the methodology's efficiency.

Learning Curve and One-Year Outcome of XEN 45 Gel Stent Implantation in a Swedish Population.

PurposeEvaluation of 1-year-outcome of XEN 45 gel stent surgery in a Swedish cohort with regard to clinical success, complications, and learning curve.Patients and MethodsThis was a retrospective study of glaucoma patients undergoing glaucoma XEN-stent surgery alone or combined with phacoemulsification between December 2015 and May 2017. Intraocular pressure (IOP), number of medical agents, and adverse events were assessed. Clinical success rate was defined as achieving individual target pressure with/without medication.ResultsA total of 113 eyes were included in the final statistics. Mean age was 70.8±11.8 years. Primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) accounted for 46.9% and exfoliative glaucoma (PEXG) for 40.7%. Mean preoperative IOP was 23.8±6.2 mmHg and mean number of agents 3.4. After 1 year, mean IOP was reduced to 16.1±4.7 mmHg and medication to 1.34 substances on average. Failure rate at 1-year follow-up was 34% with no significant difference between POAG and PEXG. There was a trend of higher success rate for combined cases (P=0.116). Stents with malpositioned or curved appearance had significantly worse outcome. The failure rate of the most productive surgeon dropped from 33% to 10% from the first implantations. Temporary hypotony (19.5%) and choroidal detachment (9.7%) were the most common complications. Blockage of the inner stent lumen was common (8.8%), with a high proportion of failure.ConclusionXEN-stent surgery is a surgical option in uncontrolled glaucoma in both POAG and PEXG. A XEN-stent can reduce both IOP and the number of antiglaucoma medications needed. The learning curve is significant and stent positioning is crucial for optimal results. Combined XEN-cataract surgery is not inferior to stand-alone procedures. The long-time effectiveness is still to be proven.

New therapy for chemotherapy-induced hepatic failure in leukemia; a randomized double-blind clinical trial study

Introduction: Hepatotoxicity is usual toxicity after chemotherapy in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients. Conventional treatment methods such as supportive care did not have an effective role in the improvement of hepatotoxicity. Objectives: In this study clinical efficacy of milk thistle in contrast with placebo was compared in leukemia patients with chemotherapy-induced hepatotoxicity. Patients and Methods: In this double-blind study, 93 ALL patients with chemotherapy-induced hepatotoxicity were randomized to a clinical trial with milk thistle or placebo. Liver enzymes level evaluated during 70 days. We divided patients randomly into two groups. Milk thistle at dosage of 7 mg/kg daily was prescribed in the intervention group while in the control group, placebo pills similar to milk thistle in shape and color were prescribed daily. Results: At day 35 and day 70 of the study, in the milk thistle arm ALT and AST mean serum levels were lower than the placebo group (P&lt;0.001). In the milk thistle group there was a significant reduction in mean of AST and ALT during the first 35 days in patients who were taking livergol in comparison to next 35 days that patients stopped taking it. Children’s age was between 3-15 years. Conclusion: Based on our results, milk thistle improves liver function in chemotherapy-induced hepatotoxicity and there was no need for dose reduction or discontinuation of chemotherapy. Future clinical trials should be conducted to explore longtime effect of livergol in leukemia patients and to determine if there is any need for prophylactic administration of antioxidants. Trial Registration: This clinical trial has been approved by the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials at 2018-02-14 (identifier: IRCT20170821035831N2; http://en.irct.ir/trial/26957).