Background: There is an increasing trend for researchers to combine mirror therapy with another rehabilitation therapy when treating the upper extremity of patients with stroke.Objective: To evaluate the synergistic effect of combined mirror therapy (MT) on the upper extremity in patients with stroke and to judge efficacies of four combined mirror therapy subgroups [EMGBF group: electromyographic biofeedback (EMGBF) + MT; MG group: mesh glove (MG) + MT; AT group: acupuncture (AT) + MT; ES group: EMG-triggered electrical stimulation (ES) + MT].Methods: CNKI, Wan Fang, VIP, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, PubMed, OVID LWW, and Cochrane were used. We searched these databases for randomized controlled trials published from January 2013 to August 2019, which presented results of combining mirror therapy with other rehabilitation therapies. Quality assessments were performed using the Cochrane Handbook criteria in order to accurately review interventions. The primary outcomes were measured by the Fugl-Meyer Assessment-upper extremity (FMA-UE).Results: Ten trials, with a total of 444 patients whose upper limb functions were damaged after stroke, were included in the meta-analysis. Compared with the control group, a remarkable effect of combined mirror therapy [all: weight mean difference in random effects model (WMD): 8.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 5.87, 10.26] on functional recovery of the upper limb was detected. However, a high value of heterogeneity (χ 2 = 20.09, df = 9; I 2 = 55%) was found. The subgroup analysis (EMGBF group: WMD = 8.95, 95% CI 6.33, 11.58; ES group: WMD = 10.14, 95% CI: 5.67, 15.01) showed moderate improvement in functional recovery of the upper extremity in patients with stroke when mirror therapy was combined with conventional therapy. Furthermore, no difference in efficacy on upper extremity in patients with stroke was observed between the EMGBF group and the ES group. Conclusion:Despite the heterogeneity, the results indicate that combining mirror therapy with another rehabilitation therapy on the upper extremity in patients with stroke Luo et al.Combined Mirror Therapy is better than single rehabilitation therapy. However, more randomized controlled clinical trials and larger sample sizes are required for an in-depth meta-analysis.

The Steering Group's collaboration was made possible by agreement among the senior management of the member agencies. Anita George (World Bank) and Fatih Birol (IEA), with Rohit Khanna (ESMAP), oversaw the development of the Global Tracking Framework.The technical team was managed by Vivien Foster (World Bank) and Dan Dorner (IEA).Gabriela Elizondo Azuela (World Bank) coordinated inputs from multi-agency working groups and led the preparation of the report.The chapter on access to energy (chapter 2) was prepared by a working group comprising World Bank/ESMAP and IEA, Practical Action, UNDP, UN Foundation, and WHO.

This study aimed to investigate the potential roles of circRNAs in regulating osteoarthritis (OA)-related ghrelin synthesis, autophagy induction, and the relevant molecular mechanisms. Results showed that Col2a1, Acan, ghrelin, and autophagy-related markers expression were downregulated, while matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 5 (ADAMTS5) expressions increased in both IL-1β-induced rat chondrocytes and cartilage tissues of OA rats. A total of 130 circRNAs and 731 mRNAs were differentially expressed in IL-1β-induced rat chondrocytes. Among them, we found that circPan3 expression was significantly decreased in both cellular and animal OA models. CircPan3 directly targeted miR-667-5p. CircPan3 overexpression promoted Col2a1, Acan, ghrelin, beclin 1, and LC3-II expression but reduced MMP13 and ADAMTS5 expression in rat chondrocytes, whereas overexpression of miR-667-5p exhibited opposite effects on the above markers. Furthermore, we found that miR-667-5p bound directly to the 3′-UTR sequence of ghrelin gene. Moreover, the circPan3-induced alterations in chondrocytes were antagonized by miR-667-5p overexpression. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that circPan3 promotes ghrelin synthesis and chondrocyte autophagy via targeting miR-667-5p, protecting against OA injury. This study provided experimental evidence that circPan3/miR-667-5p/ghrelin axis might serve as targets of drug development for the treatment of OA.

With rapid economic development, the problem of air pollution has become increasingly prominent. Countries have paid attention to PM2.5, one of the main air pollutants, and have gradually addressed this issue. Based on the 2015–2019 air quality data, meteorological data, and aerosol optical depth data from Harbin, China, this study investigated the relationship between PM2.5, a number of influencing factors, and their temporal changes using a machine-learning method. It can be seen from the analysis that the random forest model can predict PM2.5 concentration. In this model, the mean RH and AOD have a high impact on PM2.5 concentration, but there was negligent correlation with PM2.5. The results indicated that the level of PM2.5 pollution continuously decreased from 2015 to 2019, and there were significant seasonal differences in PM2.5 concentration and its variations. In 2019, due to the impact of heating and adverse meteorological conditions, PM2.5 pollution during the heating period increased significantly. This study provides theoretical and data support for the analysis of PM2.5 pollution in Harbin and formulation of air pollution control policies.

BackgroundPatients with diabetes have an increased risk of developing vulnerable plaques (VPs), in which dyslipidemia and chronic inflammation play important roles. Non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) have emerged as potential markers of both coronary artery VPs and cardiovascular prognosis. This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of non-HDL-C and NLR for coronary artery VPs in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).MethodsWe retrospectively enrolled 204 patients with T2DM who underwent coronary computed tomography angiography between January 2018 and June 2020. Clinical data including age, sex, hypertension, smoking, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HDL-C, triglyceride, non-HDL-C, glycated hemoglobin, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, NLR, and platelet count were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the association between non-HDL-C, NLR, and coronary artery VPs. Receiver operating curve analysis was performed to evaluate the value of non-HDL-C, NLR, and their combination in predicting coronary artery VPs.ResultsIn our study, 67 patients (32.84%) were diagnosed with VPs, 75 (36.77%) with non-VP, and 62 (30.39%) with no plaque. Non-HDL-C and NLR were independent risk factors for coronary artery VPs in patients with T2DM. The areas under the ROC curve of non-HDL-C, NLR, and their combination were 0.748 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.676–0.818], 0.729 (95% CI: 0.650–0.800), and 0.825 (95% CI: 0.757–0.887), respectively.ConclusionEither non-HDL-C or NLR could be used as a predictor of coronary artery VPs in patients with T2DM, but the predictive efficiency and sensitivity of their combination would be better.