Phonological processes in initial consonants of Putonghua in children in Jiangsu urban areas / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To explore the phonological processes in initial consonants of Putonghua-speaking children in Jiangsu urban areas. Methods: A status survey was applied. From December 2014 to September 2015, a stratified random sampling method was used to select 958 children aged 1 to 6 years with Putonghua as their mother tongue in the urban area of Nanjing, Changzhou, Yangzhou and Xuzhou to examine their phonological performance. Speech samples were collected by the method of picture naming. The children were divided into 9 age groups (1.5-<2.0, 2.0-<2.5, 2.5-<3.0, 2.5-<3.0, 3.0-<3.5, 3.5-<4.0, 4.0-<4.5, 5.0-<6.0, 6.0-<7.0 years). Descriptive analysis method was used to analyze the phonological processes in initial consonants at different age groups. Results: Among the 958 children, there were 482 boys and 476 girls. The age of the children was (3.8±1.4) years. The number of children in the 9 age groups (1.5-<2.0, 2.0-<2.5, 2.5-<3.0, 2.5-<3.0, 3.0-<3.5, 3.5-<4.0, 4.0-<4.5, 5.0-<6.0, 6.0-<7.0 years) is 100, 110, 110, 114, 114, 114, 111, 119, and 66, separately. The process of substitution was found in the speech of 701 children (73.2%), syllable structure simplification was found in 194 children (20.3%), distortion was found in 41 children (4.3%), and assimilation was found in 17 children (1.8%). Among these 4 types of processes, the occurrence of substitution was highest in all the age groups, ranging from 30.3% (20/66) to 94.5% (104/110). The occurrence of syllable structure simplification ranged from 27.3% (30/110) to 91.0% (91/100) in the age groups of 1.5-<3.0 years and 0.9% (1/114) to 7.9% (9/114) in the age groups of 3.0-<7.0 years. The occurrence of distortion ranged from 7.3% (8/110) to 19.1% (21/110) in the age groups of 1.5-<3.0 years and 0 (0/114) to 2.7% (3/111) in the age groups of 3.0-<7.0 years. The occurrence of assimilation was very low in all age groups, ranging from 0 (0/114) to 3.0% (3/100) among all age groups. For substitution, the occurrence order of mainly individual processes from high to low was listed as follows: retroflexion 35.4% (339/958), deretroflexion 31.6% (303/958), lateralization 27.9% (267/958), stopping 17.8% (171/958), backing 14.2% (136/958), palatalization 10.9% (104/958), fronting 10.6% (102/958), and nasalization 5.8% (56/958). From the 4.0-<4.5 years of age group onwards, the phonological processes in initial consonants all met suppression criteria (the occurrence of processes was reduced to<10%) except retroflexion, deretroflexion, and lateralization. Conclusions: The processes of syllable structure simplification and distortion mainly appears in the early stage of speech sound development, while substitution is the major form of phonological pattern in initial consonants found in developmental speech errors. By 4 years of age, phonological processes in initial consonants almost disappear. The remaining processes that persisted for a longer period of time are retroflexion, deretroflexion, and lateralization.

Enzalutamide and olaparib synergistically suppress castration-resistant prostate cancer progression by promoting apoptosis through inhibiting nonhomologous end joining pathway / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Recent studies revealed the relationship among homologous recombination repair (HRR), androgen receptor (AR), and poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase (PARP); however, the synergy between anti-androgen enzalutamide (ENZ) and PARP inhibitor olaparib (OLA) remains unclear. Here, we showed that the synergistic effect of ENZ and OLA significantly reduced proliferation and induced apoptosis in AR-positive prostate cancer cell lines. Next-generation sequencing followed by Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses revealed the significant effects of ENZ plus OLA on nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) and apoptosis pathways. ENZ combined with OLA synergistically inhibited the NHEJ pathway by repressing DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) and X-ray repair cross complementing 4 (XRCC4). Moreover, our data showed that ENZ could enhance the response of prostate cancer cells to the combination therapy by reversing the anti-apoptotic effect of OLA through the downregulation of anti-apoptotic gene insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor ( IGF1R ) and the upregulation of pro-apoptotic gene death-associated protein kinase 1 ( DAPK1 ). Collectively, our results suggested that ENZ combined with OLA can promote prostate cancer cell apoptosis by multiple pathways other than inducing HRR defects, providing evidence for the combined use of ENZ and OLA in prostate cancer regardless of HRR gene mutation status.

Altered microRNA expression profiles of human spermatozoa in normal fertile men of different ages / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are mediators of the aging process. The purpose of this work was to analyze the miRNA expression profiles of spermatozoa from men of different ages with normal fertility. Twenty-seven donors were divided into three groups by age (Group A, n = 8, age: 20-30 years; Group B, n = 10, age: 31-40 years; and Group C, n = 9, age: 41-55 years) for high-throughput sequencing analysis. Samples from 65 individuals (22, 22, and 21 in Groups A, B, and C, respectively) were used for validation by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). A total of 2160 miRNAs were detected: 1223 were known, 937 were newly discovered and unnamed, of which 191 were expressed in all donors. A total of 7, 5, and 17 differentially expressed microRNAs (DEMs) were found in Group A vs B, Group B vs C, and Group A vs C comparisons, respectively. Twenty-two miRNAs were statistically correlated with age. Twelve miRNAs were identified as age-associated miRNAs, including hsa-miR-127-3p, mmu-miR-5100_L+2R-1, efu-miR-9226_L-2_1ss22GA, cgr-miR-1260_L+1, hsa-miR-652-3p_R+1, pal-miR-9993a-3p_L+2R-1, hsa-miR-7977_1ss6AG, hsa-miR-106b-3p_R-1, hsa-miR-186-5p, PC-3p-59611_111, hsa-miR-93-3p_R+1, and aeca-mir-8986a-p5_1ss1GA. There were 9165 target genes of age-associated miRNAs. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of the target genes identified revealed enrichment of protein binding, membrane, cell cycle, and so on. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis of age-related miRNAs for target genes revealed 139 enriched pathways, such as signaling pathways regulating stem cell pluripotency, metabolic pathways, and the Hippo signaling pathway. This suggests that miRNAs play a key role in male fertility changes with increasing age and provides new evidence for the study of the mechanism of age-related male fertility decline.

Muscone inhibits opening of mPTP to alleviate OGD/R-induced injury of HT22 cells / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to investigate the mechanism of muscone in inhibiting the opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pore(mPTP) to alleviate the oxygen and glucose deprivation/reoxygenation(OGD/R)-induced injury of mouse hippocampal neurons(HT22). An in vitro model of HT22 cells injured by OGD/R was established. CCK-8 assay was employed to examine the viability of HT22 cells, fluorescence microscopy to measure the mitochondrial membrane potential, the content of reactive oxygen species(ROS), and the opening of mPTP in HT22 cells. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to determine the level of ATP and the content of cytochrome C(Cyt C) in mitochondria of HT22 cells. Flow cytometry was employed to determine the Ca~(2+) content and apoptosis of HT22 cells. The expression of Bcl-2(B-cell lymphoma-2) and Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax) was measured by Western blot. Molecular docking and Western blot were employed to examine the binding between muscone and methyl ethyl ketone(MEK) after pronase hydrolysis of HT22 cell proteins. After the HT22 cells were treated with U0126, an inhibitor of MEK, the expression levels of MEK, p-ERK, and CypD were measured by Western blot. The results showed that compared with the OGD/R model group, muscone significantly increased the viability, mitochondrial ATP activity, and mitochondrial membrane potential, lowered the levels of ROS, Cyt C, and Ca~(2+), and reduced mPTP opening to inhibit the apoptosis of HT22 cells. In addition, muscone up-regulated the expression of MEK, p-ERK, and down-regulated that of CypD. Molecular docking showed strong binding activity between muscone and MEK. In conclusion, muscone inhibits the opening of mPTP to inhibit apoptosis, thus exerting a protective effect on OGD/R-injured HT22 cells, which is associated with the activation of MEK/ERK/CypD signaling pathway.

Role of histone posttranslational modifications in the regulation of ovarian function / 生理学报

The ovary is the reproductive organ of female mammals, which is responsible for producing mature eggs and secreting sex hormones. The regulation of ovarian function involves the ordered activation and repression of genes related to cell growth and differentiation. In recent years, it has been found that histone posttranslational modification can affect DNA replication, damage repair and gene transcriptional activity. Some regulatory enzymes mediating histone modification are co-activators or co-inhibitors associated with transcription factors, which play important roles in the regulation of ovarian function and the development of ovary-related diseases. Therefore, this review outlines the dynamic patterns of common histone modifications (mainly acetylation and methylation) during the reproductive cycle and their regulation of gene expression for important molecular events, focusing on the mechanisms of follicle development and sex hormone secretion and function. For example, the specific dynamics of histone acetylation are important for the arrest and resumption of meiosis in oocytes, while histone (especially H3K4) methylation affects the maturation of oocytes by regulating their chromatin transcriptional activity and meiotic progression. Besides, histone acetylation or methylation can also promote the synthesis and secretion of steroid hormones before ovulation. Finally, the abnormal histone posttranslational modifications in the development of two common ovarian diseases (premature ovarian insufficiency and polycystic ovary syndrome) are briefly described. It will provide a reference basis for understanding the complex regulation mechanism of ovarian function and further exploring the potential therapeutic targets of related diseases.

Effects of astrocytes on the proliferation of neural stem cells in the hippocampal microenvironment of old and young adults / 解剖学报

Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of astrocytes on the proliferation of neural stem cells (NSCs) in adult and juvenile hippocampus microenvironment. Methods Hippocampal astrocytes were isolated and cultured from 5 female SD rats at day 1 and week 30 postnatal, respectively; Embryonic hippocampus NSCs was isolated and cultured from 1 SD rat at day 15 of gestation; Conditioned astrocyte culture medium(CM) was collected for NSCs culture; Flow cytometry and CCK-8 were used to detect the proliferation of NSCs cultured in CM. Colony stimulating factor 1 (CSF-1) with differential expression was screened by mass spectrometry after cultured astrocyte CM. Western blotting and ELISA were used to verify the result of mass spectrometry. Immunofluorescence, flow cytometry and CCK-8 were used to detect the proliferation of NSCs treated with different concentrations of CSF-1 recombinant protein (20 μg/ L, 100 μg/ L, 1 mg/ L and 5 mg/ L). Results Compared with the adult group, the CM of hippocampal astrocytes in the young group could promote the proliferation of NSCs(P<0. 01); Compared with the conditioned medium of hippocampal astrocytes in the juvenile group, the expression of CSF-1 in the hippocampus of the elder group was significantly up-regulated(P<0. 01); At 20 μg/ L, CSF-1 promoted the proliferation of NSCs(P<0. 01), and 5 mg/ L CSF-1 inhibited significantly the proliferation of NSCs(P<0. 01). Conclusion The secretion of CSF-1 by astrocytes in hippocampal microenvironment can regulate the proliferation of NSCs with the development of the times.

Ewing's sarcoma of central nervous system: a clinicopathological analysis of six cases / 中华病理学杂志

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics, pathological diagnosis of Ewing's sarcoma of the central nervous system. Methods: Six cases of Ewing's sarcoma of the central nervous system diagnosed at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China from 2015 to 2022 were collected. The clinical manifestations, histological morphology, immunophenotype and molecular genetics of these cases were analyzed. The related literature was reviewed. Results: There were four males and two females, with a male to female ratio of 2∶1. The onset age was 17-40 years, with a median age of 23 years. All 6 tumors were located in the spinal cord (2 cases of cervical vertebra, 1 case of thoracic vertebra, 2 cases of lumbar vertebra, and 1 case of sacral vertebra). The patients' clinical manifestations were mostly lumbago, weakness and numbness of lower limbs/limbs. In 1 case, the tumor recurred and metastasized to the suprasellar region and the third ventricle. Microscopically, the tumor showed diffuse infiltrative growth. In some cases, the tumor was closely related to the spinal meninges. The tumor cells were arranged in sheet, lobular, thin-rope, and nest-like patterns. Homer-Wright rosette was visible. The tumor cells were small to medium in size, and most of them had scant cytoplasm. A few cells had clear cytoplasm. Some areas were rhabdoid. The tumor cell nuclei showed focal mild pleomorphism. The chromatin was uniform and delicate while the nucleoli were not obvious. Mitosis was commonly seen. The tumor was separated by fibrous connective tissue and may be accompanied by mucinous degeneration. Immunohistochemistry showed that all tumors were positive for CD99, NKX2.2, Fli1, ERG. ATRX, H3K27me3, INI1 and BRG1 were all retained. Immunohistochemical stains for EMA, GFAP and Olig2 were negative. The Ki-67 proliferation index was 30%-70%. EWSR1 break-apart FISH test was positive. Conclusions: Ewing's sarcoma is rare in the central nervous system and needs to be distinguished from a variety of neoplasms with primitive undifferentiated small cell morphology. Immunohistochemistry and molecular genetics may be required for a proper diagnosis.

Anti-inflammatory effects of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease / 中西医结合学报

Numerous randomised controlled trials have suggested the positive effects of acupuncture on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the underlying therapeutic mechanisms of acupuncture for COPD have not been clearly summarized yet. Inflammation is central to the development of COPD. In this review, we elucidate the effects and underlying mechanisms of acupuncture from an anti-inflammatory perspective based on animal studies. Cigarette smoke combined with lipopolysaccharide is often used to establish animal models of COPD. Electroacupuncture can be an effective intervention to improve inflammation in COPD, and Feishu (BL13) and Zusanli (ST36) can be used as basic acupoints in COPD animal models. Different acupuncture types can regulate different types of inflammatory cytokines; meanwhile, different acupuncture types and acupoint options have similar effects on modulating the level of inflammatory cytokines. In particular, acupuncture exerts anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the release of inflammatory cells, inflammasomes and inflammatory cytokines. The main underlying mechanism through which acupuncture improves inflammation in COPD is the modulation of relevant signalling pathways: nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) (e.g., myeloid differentiation primary response 88/NF-κB, toll-like receptor-4/NF-κB, silent information regulator transcript-1/NF-κB), mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling pathways (extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, p38 and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase), cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, and dopamine D2 receptor pathway. The current synthesis will be beneficial for further research on the effect of acupuncture on COPD inflammation. Please cite this article as: Jiang LH, Li PJ, Wang YQ, Jiang ML, Han XY, Bao YD, Deng XL, Wu WB, Liu XD. Anti-inflammatory effects of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(6): 518-527.

Pattern of lip retraction according to the presence of lip incompetence in patients with Class II malocclusion / 대한치과교정학회지

Objective@#The aim of this retrospective study was to compare changes in hard tissue and soft tissue after the four first premolars were extracted with anterior teeth retraction according to the presence or absence of lip incompetence. @*Methods@#Patients who underwent the four first premolars were extracted with anterior teeth retraction were divided into competent (n = 20) and incompetent lip (n = 20) groups. Cephalometric measurements for hard tissue and soft tissue changes were performed pre-treatment and post-treatment. @*Results@#In the competent group, the upper and lower lips retreated by 2.88 mm and 4.28 mm, respectively, and in the incompetent group by 4.13 mm and 5.57 mm, respectively; the differences between the two groups were significant (p < 0.05).A strong positive correlation between retraction of the upper lip and upper incisors was observed in both groups (p < 0.05), whereas a correlation between retraction of the lower lip and lower incisors was only found in the incompetent group. A simple linear regression analysis showed that the pattern of lip retraction following the retraction of the anterior teeth was more predictable in the incompetent group than in the competent group. @*Conclusions@#These findings suggest that the initial evaluation of lip incompetence in patients with skeletal Class II is essential for the accurate prediction of the soft tissue changes following retraction of the anterior teeth in premolar extraction treatment. Therefore, sufficient explanation should be provided during patient consultations.

Impact of individual and combined assessment of age- and sex-specific brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity and pulse pressure on all-cause mortality / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: To evaluate the impact of individual and combined assessment of age- and sex-specific brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and pulse pressure (PP) on all-cause mortality. Methods: This study is a prospective cohort study. Individuals participated in the Kailuan Study and completed baPWV measurements between 2010 and 2016 were included in this study. After stratifying by sex, 75th percentile baPWV and PP values for different age group were calculated at five years interval. BaPWV and PP values below the 75th percentile were defined as normal, and those above or equal to the 75th percentile were defined as increased. The participants were allocated to four groups according to their PP and baPWV status: normal baPWV/PP group, high baPWV/normal PP group, normal baPWV/high PP group and high baPWV/PP group. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality during the follow-up period. Cox proportional hazards models were used to explore the impact of individual and combined assessment of baPWV and PP on all-cause mortality events. Results: A total of 39 339 participants were enrolled in this study, aged (49.3±12.8) years, of which 28 731 (73.03%) were males. There were 23 268, 6 025, 6 210 and 3 836 cases in the normal baPWV/PP group, high baPWV/normal PP group, normal baPWV/high PP group and high baPWV/PP group, respectively. The average follow-up duration was (4.98±2.53) years. During the follow-up period, all-cause mortality occurred in 998 individuals. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed increased risk of all-cause mortality in the high baPWV/normal PP group (HR=1.27, 95%CI 1.07-1.50), and in the high baPWV/PP group (HR=1.33, 95%CI 1.08-1.65) compared to the normal baPWV/PP group. Increased pulse pressure alone had no impcat on all-cause death (HR=1.06, 95%CI 0.87-1.29). Conclusions: The risk of all-cause mortality significantly increases with increased age-and sex-specific baPWV and PP values. BaPWV may be a better predictor of all-cause mortality than PP in this cohort.

Establishment of a risk model for severe adenovirus pneumonia and prospective study of the timing of intravenous immunoglobulin therapy in children / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To develop a risk prediction model for severe adenovirus pneumonia (AVP) in children, and to explore the appropriate timing for intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy for severe AVP.@*METHODS@#Medical data of 1 046 children with AVP were retrospectively analyzed, and a risk prediction model for severe AVP was established using multivariate logistic regression. The model was validated with 102 children with AVP. Then, 75 children aged ≤14 years who were considered at risk of developing severe AVP by the model were prospectively enrolled and divided into three groups (A, B and C) in order of visit, with 25 children in each group. Group A received symptomatic supportive therapy only. With the exception of symptomatic supportive therapy, group B received IVIG treatment at a dose of 1g/(kg·d) for 2 consecutive days, before progressing to severe AVP. With the exception of symptomatic supportive therapy, group C received IVIG treatment at a dose of 1 g/(kg·d) for 2 consecutive days after progressing to severe AVP. Efficacy and related laboratory indicators were compared among the three groups after treatment.@*RESULTS@#Age<18.5 months, underlying diseases, fever duration >6.5 days, hemoglobin level <84.5 g/L, alanine transaminase level >113.5 U/L, and co-infection with bacteria were the six variables that entered into the risk prediction model for severe AVP. The model had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.862, sensitivity of 0.878, and specificity of 0.848. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed good consistency between the predicted values and the actual observations (P>0.05). After treatment, group B had the shortest fever duration and hospital stay, the lowest hospitalization costs, the highest effective rate of treatment, the lowest incidence of complications, the lowest white blood cell count and interleukin (IL)-1, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 levels, and the highest level of tumor necrosis factor alpha (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The risk model for severe AVP established in this study has good value in predicting the development of severe AVP. IVIG therapy before progression to severe AVP is more effective in treating AVP in children.

Accuracy of Mean Value of Central Venous Pressure from Monitor Digital Display: Influence of Amplitude of Central Venous Pressure during Respiration / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

Background A simple measurement of central venous pressure (CVP)-mean by the digital monitor display has become increasingly popular. However, the agreement between CVP-mean and CVP-end (a standard method of CVP measurement by analyzing the waveform at end-expiration) is not well determined. This study was designed to identify the relationship between CVP-mean and CVP-end in critically ill patients and to introduce a new parameter of CVP amplitude (ΔCVP= CVPmax - CVPmin) during the respiratory period to identify the agreement/disagreement between CVP-mean and CVP-end.Methods In total, 291 patients were included in the study. CVP-mean and CVP-end were obtained simultaneously from each patient. CVP measurement difference (|CVP-mean - CVP-end|) was defined as the difference between CVP-mean and CVP-end. The ΔCVP was calculated as the difference between the peak (CVPmax) and the nadir value (CVPmin) during the respiratory cycle, which was automatically recorded on the monitor screen. Subjects with |CVP-mean - CVP-end|≥ 2 mmHg were divided into the inconsistent group, while subjects with |CVP-mean - CVP-end| < 2 mmHg were divided into the consistent group.Results ΔCVP was significantly higher in the inconsistent group [7.17(2.77) vs.5.24(2.18), P<0.001] than that in the consistent group. There was a significantly positive relationship between ΔCVP and |CVP-mean - CVP-end| (r=0.283, P <0.0001). Bland-Altman plot showed the bias was -0.61 mmHg with a wide 95% limit of agreement (-3.34, 2.10) of CVP-end and CVP-mean. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) of ΔCVP for predicting |CVP-mean - CVP-end| ≥ 2 mmHg was 0.709. With a high diagnostic specificity, using ΔCVP<3 to detect |CVP-mean - CVP-end| lower than 2mmHg (consistent measurement) resulted in a sensitivity of 22.37% and a specificity of 93.06%. Using ΔCVP>8 to detect |CVP-mean - CVP-end| >8 mmHg (inconsistent measurement) resulted in a sensitivity of 31.94% and a specificity of 91.32%.Conclusions CVP-end and CVP-mean have statistical discrepancies in specific clinical scenarios. ΔCVP during the respiratory period is related to the variation of the two CVP methods. A high ΔCVP indicates a poor agreement between these two methods, whereas a low ΔCVP indicates a good agreement between these two methods.

Laser acupuncture combined with auricular acupressure improves low-back pain and quality of life in nurses: A randomized controlled trial / 中西医结合学报

BACKGROUND@#Low-back pain (LBP) in nurses is a major health concern that affects their quality of life and ability to work, with consequences for their economic status.@*OBJECTIVE@#This study evaluates the effect of low-level laser acupuncture combined with auricular acupressure (LAA) on pain intensity, pain interference and quality of life in nurses with LBP.@*DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS@#This randomized controlled trial recruited a convenience sample of hospital-based nurses from one teaching hospital in Taiwan, China. Participants were randomly assigned to the LAA group (n = 38) receiving low-level laser acupuncture and auricular acupressure for 4 weeks, and the control group (n = 38) receiving only sham laser acupuncture treatment without laser energy output.@*MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES@#Data were collected for the primary pain outcome using the Short Form of the Brief Pain Inventory, while the secondary outcome, quality of life, was evaluated using the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire. Both primary and secondary outcomes were scored before the intervention, and after 2-week and 4-week intervention. The rate of LBP recurrence was evaluated at the 4th week and 8th week after the end of intervention.@*RESULTS@#After controlling for prior pain, the result of linear mixed model analysis showed trends in significant between-group differences in the level of current pain occurring in week 4 (P < 0.001), worst pain in week 2 (P < 0.001) and week 4 (P < 0.001), least pain in week 2 (P = 0.032) and week 4 (P < 0.001), pain interference in week 2 (P = 0.009) and week 4 (P < 0.001), and in the life dysfunction in week 2 (P < 0.001) and week 4 (P < 0.001). Recurrence rates of LBP at the 4th and 8th weeks after the end of intervention were 0% and 36.89% in the LAA group, and 69.44% and 36.11% in the control group.@*CONCLUSION@#This study shows that 4-week LAA intervention reduced pain intensity and pain interference, and improved quality of life for hospital-based nurses with LBP. These effects were maintained continuously for at least 4 weeks after the intervention. The nonpharmacological intervention, LAA, may be another efficacious, feasible, noninvasive, analgesic intervention for LBP.@*TRIAL REGISTRATION@#This study is registered at Clinicaltrials.gov (registration number NCT04423445).

Time-integrated Cumulative Parameters Predictive of Radiographic Progression of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Real-world Data From a Prospective Single-center Cohort

Objective@#With many chronic inflammatory diseases, outcomes are determined by assessing both disease activity at presentation and cumulative activity over time. Here, we investigated whether cumulative activity better reflects the radiographic progression (RP) of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) than measurement of activity at a single time point. @*Methods@#From a prospective cohort of RA patients, most of whom were treated with anti-rheumatic drugs, we selected 117 subjects for whom laboratory, clinical, and radiographic parameters potentially influencing RP were monitored serially for more than 1 year. X-ray images of both hands and both feet were scored using the van der Heijde modified total Sharp score (mTSS). In addition to cross-sectional values at baseline, longitudinal and cumulative values for each parameter were calculated in a timeintegrated and averaged manner. @*Results@#Among the values measured at baseline, mTSS, but not the baseline erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) or C-reactive protein level, was associated with RP. By contrast, multivariate analyses identified cumulative values such as the cumulative ESR, cumulative tender joint count, cumulative swollen joint count (SJC), and cumulative Disease Activity Score 28-ESR as major determinants of RP. In particular, the cumulative SJC showed the best predictive performance for RP. @*Conclusion@#This study highlights the importance of cumulative indices for predicting progression of RA. Specifically, dynamic and cumulative values of RA activity-related factors, particularly the cumulative SJC, may be the major determinants of RP in the current practice.

Pharmacodynamic Mechanism of Kuanxiong Aerosol for Vasodilation and Improvement of Myocardial Ischemia / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the effect of Kuanxiong Aerosol (KXA) on isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial injury in rat models.@*METHODS@#Totally 24 rats were radomly divided into control, ISO, KXA low-dose and high-dose groups according to the randomized block design method, and were administered by intragastric administration for 10 consecutive days, and on the 9th and 10th days, rats were injected with ISO for 2 consecutive days to construct an acute myocardial ischemia model to evaluate the improvement of myocardial ischemia by KXA. In addition, the diastolic effect of KXA on rat thoracic aorta and its regulation of ion channels were tested by in vitro vascular tension test. The influence of KXA on the expression of calcium-CaM-dependent protein kinase II (CaMK II)/extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK) signaling pathway has also been tested.@*RESULTS@#KXA significantly reduced the ISO-induced increase in ST-segment, interventricular septal thickness, cardiac mass index and cardiac tissue pathological changes in rats. Moreover, the relaxation of isolated thoracic arterial rings that had been precontracted using norepinephrine (NE) or potassium chloride (KCl) was increased after KXA treatment in an endothelium-independent manner, and was attenuated by preincubation with verapamil, but not with tetraethylammonium chloride, 4-aminopyridine, glibenclamide, or barium chloride. KXA pretreatment attenuated vasoconstriction induced by CaCl2 in Ca2+-free solutions containing K+ or NE. In addition, KXA pretreatment inhibited accumulation of Ca2+ in A7r5 cells mediated by KCl and NE and significantly decreased p-CaMK II and p-ERK levels.@*CONCLUSION@#KXA may inhibit influx and release of calcium and activate the CaMK II/ERK signaling pathway to produce vasodilatory effects, thereby improving myocardial injury.

Shenqi Fuzheng Injection () Combined with Chemotherapy for Acute Leukemia: A Meta-Analysis / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate to the efficacy and safety of Shenqi Fuzheng Injection (, SFI) combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of acute leukemia (AL) by meta-analysis.@*METHODS@#PubMed, Cochrane library, Embase, SinoMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Journal Integration Platform, Wanfang Database were searched from establishment to November 1, 2018. The randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of SFI combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of AL were included. The Cochrane risk assessment form (RevMan 5.1) was used to evaluate the quality of included studies.@*RESULTS@#A total of 14 RCTs and 1,088 patients was included. The quality evaluation were mostly low risk or unclear. Meta-analysis showed that compared with chemotherapy alone, SFI combined with chemotherapy can improve the total clinical effective rate in patients with AL (RR=1.15, 95% CI: 1.056-1.177; P=0.0001), and relieve adverse reactions caused by chemotherapy drugs, including infection (RR=0.561, 95% CI: 0.397-0.792; P=0.001), nausea and vomiting (RR=0.662, 95% CI: 0.524-0.835; P=0.001), bleeding (RR=0.548, 95% CI: 0.39-0.768; P=0.0001), cardiotoxicity (RR=0.230, 95% CI: 0.080-0.660; P=0.006) and hyperhidrosis (RR=0.348, 95% CI: 0.208-0.581; P=0.0001). The incidence rates of adverse reactions in SFI combined with chemotherapy group were significantly lower than that of the chemotherapy alone group (P<0.01).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Shenqi Fuzheng Injection combined with chemotherapy has good efficacy and safety for AL, and it can alleviate the adverse reactions caused by chemotherapy. However, subject to the limitations of the methodological quality of the literature, the conclusions of this study need to be further verified by large-scale and multi-center RCTs.

Effects of Xiangqin Jiere Granules on lipid metabolism and chronic inflammation in different obesity model mice / 中国中药杂志

This paper aims to study the effect of Xiangqin Jiere Granules(XQ) on lipid metabolism and chronic inflammation in different obesity model mice. The monosodium glutamate(MSG) obese mouse model was established by subcutaneous injection of MSG in newborn mice, and the high fat diet(HFD) obese mouse model was established by feeding adult mice with HFD. The normal mice were assigned into the control group; the MSG obese mice were assigned into MSG model group, XQ4.5 group(Xiangqin Jiere Granu-les, 4.5 g·kg~(-1)), XQ22.5 group(Xiangqin Jiere Granules, 22.5 g·kg~(-1)); the HFD obese mice were assigned into HFD model group, XQ4.5 group, and XQ22.5 group. The mice were intragastrically administrated with saline or XQ for 5 weeks. After that, the body weight, visceral fat mass, liver and thymus weight, and the organ indexes in each group were measured. The levels of triglyceride(TG), total cholesterol(TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-c) in serum and liver tissue were detected by the kits. The mRNA expression levels of acetyl CoA carboxylase 1(ACC1), fatty acid synthetase(FAS), diacylgycerol acyltransferase 1(DGAT1) and hepatic lipase(HTGL) involved in lipid metabolism in mouse liver tissue were detected by quantitative real-time PCR(qPCR). The protein levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and interleukin-6(IL-6) in serum were detected by ELISA, and the mRNA levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in liver tissue were detected by qPCR. Compared with the control group, MSG and HFD mice showed increased body weight, abdominal circumference, Lee index and visceral fat mass as well as elevated levels of TG, TC, and LDL-c in serum. The model mice had up-regulated gene levels of ACC1, FAS and DGAT1 while down-regulated gene level of HTGL in the liver. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein levels of IL-6 increased in the model mice. Compared with the model mice, XQ treatment decreased the body weight, abdominal circumference, Lee index, and visceral fat mass, lowered the levels of TG, TC, and LDL-c in se-rum, down-regulated the gene levels of ACC1, FAS, and DGAT1 in liver tissue, up-regulated the gene level of HTGL, and down-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of IL-6. To sum up, XQ has good therapeutic effect on different obesity model mice. It can improve lipid metabolism and reduce fat accumulation in obese mice by regulating the enzymes involved in lipid metabolism, and alleviate obesity-related chronic low-grade inflammation.

Development of a Recombinase-aided Amplification Combined With Lateral Flow Dipstick Assay for the Rapid Detection of the African Swine Fever Virus / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#To establish a sensitive, simple and rapid detection method for African swine fever virus (ASFV) B646L gene.@*METHODS@#A recombinase-aided amplification-lateral flow dipstick (RAA-LFD) assay was developed in this study. Recombinase-aided amplification (RAA) is used to amplify template DNA, and lateral flow dipstick (LFD) is used to interpret the results after the amplification is completed. The lower limits of detection and specificity of the RAA assay were verified using recombinant plasmid and pathogenic nucleic acid. In addition, 30 clinical samples were tested to evaluate the performance of the RAA assay.@*RESULTS@#The RAA-LFD assay was completed within 15 min at 37 °C, including 10 min for nucleic acid amplification and 5 minutes for LFD reading results. The detection limit of this assay was found to be 200 copies per reaction. And there was no cross-reactivity with other swine viruses.@*CONCLUSION@#A highly sensitive, specific, and simple RAA-LFD method was developed for the rapid detection of the ASFV.

Correlation of intraocular pressure changes and the surgical parameters after SMILE for high myopia / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To analyze the correlation of changes in non-contact intraocular pressure(IOPNCT)and the surgical parameters after femtosecond laser small incision lenticule extraction(SMILE)for high myopia.MOTHODS:A retrospective analysis, the clinical data of 98 patients(196 eyes)with high myopia were operated SMILE in the optometric center of Gansu Provincial Hospital from January 2018 to July 2019 were analyzed. The change of IOPNCT before and after operation was observed, and recorded the optical zone(OZ), lenticule thickness(LT), cap thickness(CT)and residual stromal thickness(RST)and the correlation with the change value of IOPNCT(△IOPNCT, △IOPNCT=IOPpreoperative-IOP postoperative at 6mo).RESULTS:After operation at 1d, 1wk, 1,3 and 6mo, the group of patients with IOPNCT(10.84±2.14,11.00±2.19,10.65±2.43,10.45±2.04,10.61±1.39mmHg)and the preoperative(16.79±1.65mmHg)comparison have a difference(P<0.001).The optical zone and lenticule thickness were positively correlated with △IOPNCT respectively(r=0.1537, 0.8161, all P<0.05). The cap thickness and residual stromal thickness were negatively correlated with △IOPNCT respectively(r=-0.8362, -0.3351, all P<0.0001). Introduce the above related factors into a multiple linear regression analysis model. The regression coefficients of variables are statistical significane. The regression equation was Y=16.189+0.227X1+0.032X2-0.083X3-0.007X4(Y=△IOPNCT, X1=OZ, X2=LT, X3=CT, X4=RST). The equation was statistically significant(F=195.704, P<0.001), and the regression model coefficient of determination R2=0.901.CONCLUSION:The intraocular pressure changes after SMILE with high myopic were correlated with optical zone, lenticule thickness, cap thickness and residual stromal thickness. The regression equation would provide reference to evaluation the real intraocular pressure after SMILE in clinic.

A potential mating-type biomarker to detect pathogenic Ganoderma species

Aims@#The basal stem rot disease in oil palm is caused by the pathogenic Ganoderma boninense, which is infectious after mating and forming dikaryotic hyphae. This study was aimed to generate a mating-type biomarker for the detection of pathogenic Ganoderma species.@*Methodology and results@#Mating-type region of Ganoderma was amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and primers flanking the mating-type region of other basidiomycetes. Amplified fragments were sequenced and were identified as the Ganoderma pheromone receptor gene of matB locus called the gprb2 gene. Using this biomarker, the pheromone receptor gene was detected in a total of 107 pathogenic Ganoderma spp. while the gene was not detected in the non-pathogenic Ganoderma lucidum. Phylogenetic tree analyses of the gene fragment encoding the partial amino acid sequence of gprb2 showed clades of close evolutionary relationship among the 107 pathogenic Ganoderma spp. Phylogenetic analyses using deduced amino acid sequences of the Ganoderma pheromone receptor b2 gene, gprb2 with homologous pheromone receptors of other basidiomycetous fungi revealed high conservation of this pheromone receptor within their respective taxonomy.@*Conclusion, significance and impact of study@#A potential mating-type biomarker was successfully identified that could detect pathogenic Ganoderma spp. The research findings will be helpful in oil palm screening to detect pathogenic Ganoderma spp. and gain further insight into the role of the mating-type loci of Ganoderma towards its pathogenesis in causing the basal stem rot disease of oil palm.