Enzymatic Digestion Method Coupled with Artificial Intelligence Techniques in Forensic Drowning Diatom Detection / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

ObjectiveArtificial intelligence （AI） full smear automated diatom detection technology can perform forensic pathology drowning diatom detection more quickly and efficiently than human experts.However， this technique was only used in conjunction with the strong acid digestion method， which has a low extraction rate of diatoms. In this study， we propose to use the more efficient proteinase K tissue digestion method （hereinafter referred to as enzyme digestion method） as a diatom extraction method to investigate the generalization ability and feasibility of this technique in other diatom extraction methods. MethodsLung tissues from 6 drowned cadavers were collected for proteinase K ablation and made into smears， and the smears were digitized using the digital image matrix cutting method and a diatom and background database was established accordingly.The data set was divided into training set， validation set and test set in the ratio of 3：1：1， and the convolutional neural network （CNN） models were trained， internally validated， and externally tested on the basis of ImageNet pre-training. ResultsThe results showed that the accuracy rate of the external test of the best model was 97.65 %， and the area where the model features were extracted was the area where the diatoms were located. The best CNN model in practice had a precision of more than 80 % for diatom detection of drowned corpses. ConclusionIt is shown that the AI automated diatom detection technique based on CNN model and enzymatic digestion method in combination can efficiently identify diatoms and can be used as an auxiliary method for diatom detection in drowning identification.

Transsphenoidal surgery for prolactinomas in male patients: a retrospective study / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Male patients with prolactinomas usually present with typical hyperprolactinemia symptoms, including sexual dysfunction and infertility. However, clinical factors related to sexual dysfunction and surgical outcomes in these patients remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the outcomes of male patients with prolactinomas after transsphenoidal surgery and the risk factors affecting sexual dysfunction. This study was conducted on 58 male patients who underwent transsphenoidal surgery for prolactinomas between May 2014 and December 2020 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China. We evaluated the sexual function of patients before and after surgery through International Index of Erectile Function-5 scores, libido, and frequency of morning erection. Of the 58 patients, 48 (82.8%) patients had sexual intercourse preoperatively. Among those 48 patients, 41 (85.4%) patients presented with erectile dysfunction. The preoperative International Index of Erectile Function-5 scores in patients with macroprolactinomas were significantly higher than those in patients with giant prolactinomas (17.63 ± 0.91 vs 13.28 ± 1.43; P = 0.01). Postoperatively, the incidence of erectile dysfunction was 47.9%, which was significantly lower than that preoperatively (85.4%; P = 0.01). Twenty-eight (68.3%) patients demonstrated an improvement in erectile dysfunction. Tumor size and invasiveness were significantly correlated with the improvement of erectile dysfunction. Preoperative testosterone <2.3 ng ml-1 was an independent predictor of improvement in erectile dysfunction. In conclusion, our results indicated that tumor size and invasiveness were important factors affecting the improvement of sexual dysfunction in male patients with prolactinoma. The preoperative testosterone level was an independent predictor related to the improvement of erectile dysfunction.

Analysis of risk factors of mortality in infants and toddlers with moderate to severe pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To identify the risk factors in mortality of pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS) in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Methods: Second analysis of the data collected in the "efficacy of pulmonary surfactant (PS) in the treatment of children with moderate to severe PARDS" program. Retrospective case summary of the risk factors of mortality of children with moderate to severe PARDS who admitted in 14 participating tertiary PICU between December 2016 to December 2021. Differences in general condition, underlying diseases, oxygenation index, and mechanical ventilation were compared after the group was divided by survival at PICU discharge. When comparing between groups, the Mann-Whitney U test was used for measurement data, and the chi-square test was used for counting data. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the accuracy of oxygen index (OI) in predicting mortality. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for mortality. Results: Among 101 children with moderate to severe PARDS, 63 (62.4%) were males, 38 (37.6%) were females, aged (12±8) months. There were 23 cases in the non-survival group and 78 cases in the survival group. The combined rates of underlying diseases (52.2% (12/23) vs. 29.5% (23/78), χ2=4.04, P=0.045) and immune deficiency (30.4% (7/23) vs. 11.5% (9/78), χ2=4.76, P=0.029) in non-survival patients were significantly higher than those in survival patients, while the use of pulmonary surfactant (PS) was significantly lower (8.7% (2/23) vs. 41.0% (32/78), χ2=8.31, P=0.004). No significant differences existed in age, sex, pediatric critical illness score, etiology of PARDS, mechanical ventilation mode and fluid balance within 72 h (all P>0.05). OI on the first day (11.9(8.3, 17.1) vs.15.5(11.7, 23.0)), the second day (10.1(7.6, 16.6) vs.14.8(9.3, 26.2)) and the third day (9.2(6.6, 16.6) vs. 16.7(11.2, 31.4)) after PARDS identified were all higher in non-survival group compared to survival group (Z=-2.70, -2.52, -3.79 respectively, all P<0.05), and the improvement of OI in non-survival group was worse (0.03(-0.32, 0.31) vs. 0.32(-0.02, 0.56), Z=-2.49, P=0.013). ROC curve analysis showed that the OI on the thind day was more appropriate in predicting in-hospital mortality (area under the curve= 0.76, standard error 0.05,95%CI 0.65-0.87,P<0.001). When OI was set at 11.1, the sensitivity was 78.3% (95%CI 58.1%-90.3%), and the specificity was 60.3% (95%CI 49.2%-70.4%). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for age, sex, pediatric critical illness score and fluid load within 72 h, no use of PS (OR=11.26, 95%CI 2.19-57.95, P=0.004), OI value on the third day (OR=7.93, 95%CI 1.51-41.69, P=0.014), and companied with immunodeficiency (OR=4.72, 95%CI 1.17-19.02, P=0.029) were independent risk factors for mortality in children with PARDS. Conclusions: The mortality of patients with moderate to severe PARDS is high, and immunodeficiency, no use of PS and OI on the third day after PARDS identified are the independent risk factors related to mortality. The OI on the third day after PARDS identified could be used to predict mortality.

Exploration and Practice of the "One Combination, Two Highlights, Three Combinations, Four in One" Innovative Talents Training Mode in Forensic Medicine / 法医学杂志

Talent is one of the basic and strategic supports for building a modern socialist country in all aspects. Since the 1980s, the establishment of forensic medicine major and the cultivation of innovative talents in forensic medicine have become hot topics in higher education in forensic medicine. Over the past 43 years, the forensic medicine team of Shanxi Medical University has adhered to the joint education of public security and colleges, and made collaborative innovation, forming a training mode of "One Combination, Two Highlights, Three Combinations, Four in One" for innovative talents in forensic medicine. It has carried out "5+3/X" integrated reform, and formed a relatively complete talent training innovation mode and management system in teaching, scientific research, identification, major, discipline, team, platform and cultural construction. It has made a historic contribution to China's higher forensic education, accumulated valuable experience for the construction of first-class major and first-class discipline of forensic medicine, and provided strong support for the construction of the national new forensic talent training system. The popularization of this training mode is conducive to the rapid and sustainable development of forensic science, and provides more excellent forensic talents for national building, regional social development and the discipline construction of forensic science.

Posterior cervical pedicle screw rod short-segment internal fixation for the treatment of atlantoaxial fracture and dislocation / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the clinical efficacy of posterior cervical pedicle screw short-segment internal fixation for the treatment of atlantoaxial fracture and dislocation.@*METHODS@#The clinical data of 60 patients with atlantoaxial vertebral fracture and dislocation underwent surgery between January 2015 and January 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into study group and control group according to different surgical methods. There were 30 patients in study group, including 13 males and 17 females, with an average age of (39.32±2.85) years old, were underwent short-segment internal fixation with posterior cervical pedicle screws. There were 30 patients in control group, including 12 males and 18 females, with an average age of (39.57±2.90) years old, were underwent posterior lamina clip internal fixation of the atlas. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative ambulation time, hospitalization time and complications between two groups were recorded and compared. The pain visual analogue scale(VAS), Japanese Orthopedic Association(JOA) score of neurological function, and fusion status were evaluated between two groups.@*RESULTS@#All patients were followed up for at least 12 months. The study group was better than control group in operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative off-bed activity time, and hospital stay (P=0.000). One case of respiratory tract injury occurred in study group. In control group, 2 cases occurred incision infection, 3 cases occurred respiratory tract injury, and 3 cases occurred adjacent segmental joint degeneration. The incidence of complications in study group was lower than that in control group (χ2=4.705, P=0.030). At 1, 3, 7 days after operation, VAS of study group was lower than that of control group(P=0.000). At 1, 3 months after operation, JOA score of study group was higher than that of control group(P=0.000). At 12 months after operation, all the patients in the study group achieved bony fusion. In control group, there were 3 cases of poor bony fusion and 3 cases of internal fixation fracture, the incidence rate was 20.00%(6/30). The difference between two groups was statistically significant (χ2=4.629, P=0.031).@*CONCLUSION@#Posterior cervical short-segment pedicle screw fixation for atlantoaxial fracture and dislocation has the advantages of less trauma, shorter operation time, fewer complications, and less pain, and can promote the recovery of nerve function as soon as possible.

Tongxinluo Ameliorates Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury Mainly via Activating Parkin-Mediated Mitophagy and Downregulating Ubiquitin-Proteasome System / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the protective effects and mechanism of Chinese herbal compound Tongxinluo Capsule (, TXL) on the Parkin-mediated mitophagy and the ubiquitin-proteasome system in a rat model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI).@*METHODS@#Seventy adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 7 groups: sham group, MIRI group, low- and high-dose TXL (0.5 and 1 g·kg@*RESULTS@#Compared with the sham group, the MIRI group exhibited a larger infarcted area (27.13%±0.01%, P<0.01), a higher apoptotic index (34.33%±2.03% vs.1.81%±0.03%, P<0.01), and higher cTnI expression (14.18±1.01 vs. 7.96±0.32, P<0.01). The mitochondrial integrity was damaged in the MIRI group, while TXL and ATV alleviated the damage of MIRI. More autophagosomes were observed in the high-dose TXL group than in the MIRI group (7.00±0.58 vs. 4.33±1.15, P<0.05). More amounts of PTEN-induced putative kinase protein 1 (PINK1) and Parkin translocated onto the mitochondria were detected in the high-dose TXL group than in the MIRI group (P<0.05). The ubiquitin response was signifificantly downregulated in the high-dose TXL group relative to the MIRI group (P<0.05). CQ administration abolished the activation of autophagy flux and the PINK1/ Parkin pathway induced by high-dose of TXL.@*CONCLUSIONS@#TXL ameliorates MIRI via activating Parkin-mediated mitophagy in rats. The downregulation of the ubiquitin-proteasome system is also involved.

Research progress on bidirectional effect of microRNA on Alzheimer's disease and intervention with traditional Chinese medicine / 中国中药杂志

Alzheimer's disease(AD) is a chronic progressive neurodegenerative disease with recent memory impairment as the main clinical manifestation and senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles as the main pathological changes. In recent years, the effect of microRNAs on AD has attracted widespread attention. Patients with AD have abnormal expression of miRNA, which is closed related to regulation of AD pathophysiology-related genes. Therefore, this paper first elaborated neuroprotective and toxic effects of microRNA in AD, and then explored relevant traditional Chinese medicines that can regulate miRNA in the treatment of AD, so as to provide basis for revealing the pathogenesis relationship between miRNA and AD and provide ideas for further development of anti-AD traditional Chinese medicine.

Immunogenicity and safety of a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 inactivated vaccine in healthy adults: randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#The significant morbidity and mortality resulted from the infection of a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) call for urgent development of effective and safe vaccines. We report the immunogenicity and safety of an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, KCONVAC, in healthy adults.@*METHODS@#Phase 1 and phase 2 randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trials of KCONVAC were conducted in healthy Chinese adults aged 18 to 59 years. The participants in the phase 1 trial were randomized to receive two doses, one each on Days 0 and 14, of either KCONVAC (5 or 10 μg/dose) or placebo. The participants in the phase 2 trial were randomized to receive either KCONVAC (at 5 or 10 μg/dose) or placebo on Days 0 and 14 (0/14 regimen) or Days 0 and 28 (0/28 regimen). In the phase 1 trial, the primary safety endpoint was the proportion of participants experiencing adverse reactions/events within 28 days following the administration of each dose. In the phase 2 trial, the primary immunogenicity endpoints were neutralization antibody seroconversion and titer and anti-receptor-binding domain immunoglobulin G seroconversion at 28 days after the second dose.@*RESULTS@#In the phase 1 trial, 60 participants were enrolled and received at least one dose of 5-μg vaccine (n = 24), 10-μg vaccine (n = 24), or placebo (n = 12). In the phase 2 trial, 500 participants were enrolled and received at least one dose of 5-μg vaccine (n = 100 for 0/14 or 0/28 regimens), 10-μg vaccine (n = 100 for each regimen), or placebo (n = 50 for each regimen). In the phase 1 trial, 13 (54%), 11 (46%), and seven (7/12) participants reported at least one adverse event (AE) after receiving 5-, 10-μg vaccine, or placebo, respectively. In the phase 2 trial, 16 (16%), 19 (19%), and nine (18%) 0/14-regimen participants reported at least one AE after receiving 5-, 10-μg vaccine, or placebo, respectively. Similar AE incidences were observed in the three 0/28-regimen treatment groups. No AEs with an intensity of grade 3+ were reported, expect for one vaccine-unrelated serious AE (foot fracture) reported in the phase 1 trial. KCONVAC induced significant antibody responses; 0/28 regimen showed a higher immune responses than that did 0/14 regimen after receiving two vaccine doses.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Both doses of KCONVAC are well tolerated and able to induce robust immune responses in healthy adults. These results support testing 5-μg vaccine in the 0/28 regimen in an upcoming phase 3 efficacy trial.@*TRIAL REGISTRATION@#http://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx (No. ChiCTR2000038804, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=62350; No. ChiCTR2000039462, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=63353).

Research progress of microstrabismus / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#Microstrabismus is a kind of small angle strabismus, sometimes negative in cover test, accompanied by clinical characteristics such as abnormal retinal correspondence, eccentric fixation, amblyopia and rough stereopsis. Microstrabismus amblyopia treatment is very difficult, especially in eccentric fixation. In daily diagnosis and treatment, the microstrabismus often misdiagnosed due to the small squint degree and the negative coverage test, failed to be treated properly and in-time, the patient's eccentric fixation and fixation instability also been ignored, treated as normal amblyopia, while the result is not effective, sometimes even leads opposite effect, so it's important to recognize the microstrabismus.

Multifocal electroretinogram manifestation of strabismic amblyopia with eccentric central fixation / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#AIM: To explore the characteristic changes of multifocal electroretinogram(mfERG)in strabismic amblyopia eyes with eccentric fixation.<p>METHODS: A total of 20 patients with strabismus amblyopia and eccentric fixation visited our hospital from January 2018 to December 2020 were collected as the study group(4 patients with exotropia and 16 patients with esotropia), while 20 patients with ametropic amblyopia were collected as the control group. The mfERG was examined under the state of mydriasis, and the amplitude density and incubation period of P1 wave were recorded.<p>RESULTS: Compared with the fellow eyes, the first ring(<i>P</i>=0.001), the second ring(<i>P</i><0.001), the third ring(<i>P</i>=0.001), the fourth ring(<i>P</i>=0.009)and the fifth ring(<i>P</i>=0.026)of strabismus amblyopia eyes were reduced significantly. Compared with the control group, the first ring(<i>P</i>=0.033), the second ring(<i>P</i>=0.002), the third ring(<i>P</i><0.001)and the fourth ring(<i>P</i>=0.014)of strabismus amblyopia eyes were reduced significantly. The incubation period of amblyopia eyes in the strabismus group showed significantly shortened in the first ring(<i>P</i>=0.017)and the second ring(<i>P</i>=0.001)compared with the fellow eyes, and in the second ring(<i>P</i>=0.007)compared with the control group.<p>CONCLUSION: The amplitude density of mfERG P1 wave in strabismic amblyopia eyes with eccentric fixation reduced more with the closer to macular fovea, and reduced more significantly than that in the ametropic amblyopia eyes.

Differential expression analysis and regulatory network construction of miRNA and genes in osteoporosis / 医学研究生学报

ObjectiveMicroRNAs (miRNA) play an important role in the development and regression of osteoporosis. This study aims to screen for miRNAs and genes closely related to osteoporosis, and to complete the construction of a miRNA-mRNA regulatory network of osteoporosis.MethodsThe gene chip expression profile of osteoporosis was obtained through the GEO database, and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and miRNAs were analyzed and screened via GEO2R. We used volcanic maps to display differential genes and miRNAs, and completed the GO and KEGG pathway analysis through the David online database. The String online database is used to complete PPI protein network analysis. The TargetScan, miRTarBase and miRDB were used to predict the targeted genes. Finally, the PPI and miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks were visualized by Cytoscape software.ResultsWe obtained 15 differential miRNAs and 174 differentially expressed genes through screening. The GO enrichment analysis mainly focused on drug response, angiogenesis, ion transport, regulation of small GTPase mediated signal ransduction, adaptive immune response, etc. NF-κB signaling pathway and HIF-1 signal were obtained through KEGG enrichment analysis. We obtained 10 hub genes through the cytohubba plug-in. We also obtained 3065 targeted genes by processing of seven miRNAs, and then intersected them with 174 DEGs to obtain 44 intersection genes. Finally, we successfully constructed a regulation map of miRNA-mRNA network. The miR-194-5p is significantly up-regulated in osteoporosis.ConclusionThe miR-194-5p might play an important role in osteoporosis by regulating its target gene CDH2, which provides candidate targets for the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis.

Detection of Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Stenosis in High-Risk Individuals of Stroke Using a Machine-Learning Algorithm / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

Objective Asymptomatic carotid stenosis (ACS) is closely associated to the incidence of severe cerebrovascular diseases. Early identifying the individuals with ACS and its associated risk factors could be beneficial for primary prevention of stroke. This study aimed to investigate a machine-learning algorithm for the detection of ACS among high-risk population of stroke based on the associated risk factors.Methods A novel model of machine learning was utilized to screen the associated predictors of ACS based on 30 potential risk factors. The algorithm of this model adopted a random forest pattern based on the training data and then was verified using the testing data. All of the original data were retrieved from the China National Stroke Screening and Prevention Project (CNSSPP), including demographic, clinical and laboratory characteristics. The individuals with high risk of stroke were enrolled and randomly divided into a training group and a testing group at a ratio of 4:1. The identification of carotid stenosis by carotid artery duplex scans was set as the golden standard. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the efficacy of the model in detecting ACS.Results Of 2841 high risk individual of stroke enrolled, 326 (11.6%) were diagnosed as ACS by ultrasonography. The top five risk factors contributing to ACS in this model were identified as family history of dyslipidemia, high level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), low level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), aging, and low body mass index (BMI). Their weights were 11.8%, 7.6%, 7.1%, 6.1%, and 6.1%, respectively. The total weight of the top 15 risk factors was 85.5%. The AUC values of the model for detecting ACS with training dataset and testing dataset were 0.927 and 0.888, respectively.Conclusions This study demonstrated that the machine-learning algorithm could be used to identify the risk factors for ACS among high risk population of stroke. Family history of dyslipidemia may be the most important risk factor for ACS. This model could be a suitable tool to optimize the clinical approach for the primary prevention of stroke.

Optimization of medical educational objectives by improving summative assessment system / 生理学报

Summative assessment plays a decisive role in the educational assessment system, which is a yardstick to measure the cultivating goal of higher education. The rapid progress of modern society has put forward higher standard for higher medical education. Traditional summative assessment system with single dimension that focuses on evaluating the student's learning outcome via a standardized examination cannot meet the higher requirements for undergraduate medical education. We have improved the summative assessment system by optimizing the assessment content, criteria and method, as well as teachers' assessment skills and students' evaluation. The reform greatly increases the teaching quality and learning effect in our university.

Development and Application of Automatic Analysis and Surveillance Platform for Chrimerism in Donors and Recipients after Allo-HSCT / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To develop an automated chimeric analysis and reporting platform based on short tandem repeat (STR) and capillary electrophoresis methods for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) so as to improve work efficiency.@*METHODS@#Apache, MySQL, PHP and HTML5 were used to build the database and interface. The STR locus geno typing and chimeric analysis logic and flow were set up on the basis of STR rules and capillary electrophoresis. STR genotyping and 194 times of chimeric testing data of 100 patients after allo-HSCT were used to test the platform for automatic STR locus genotyping, chimeric calculation and report generation.@*RESULTS@#The established platform could realize the functions of STR locus customization, STR genotype determination, automatic chimeric analysis, and detection information database management, which can automatically generate an integrated report including multiple sequential chimeric results and trend graphs for the same patient and can be accessed and used simultaneously by different users through different browser interfaces. The results of automated analysis by the platform are completely consistent with that of manual analysis by experienced technicians, and the possibility of manual analysis error is reduced through automation. The time required for automatic analysis using this platform is approximately 1/6-1/5 of manual analysis.@*CONCLUSION@#The automatic analysis platform built in this study is operation stable and reliable in analysis results, which can improve work efficiency and report connotation, thus worthing popularized and applicable.

Relationship between Postmortem Interval and FTIR Spectroscopy Changes of the Rat Skin / 法医学杂志

Objective To infer postmortem interval （PMI） based on spectral changes of the dorsal skin of rats within 15 days postmortem using Fourier transform infrared （FTIR） spectroscopy. Methods The rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation after anesthesia, and then placed at 25 ℃ and relative humidity of 50%. The FTIR spectral data collected from the dorsal skin at PMI points were modeled with machine learning technique. Results There was no significant difference of absorption peak location among all the PMI groups but their peak intensities changed as a function of PMIs. The model for PMI estimation was constructed using partial least squares （PLS） regression, reaching a R2 of 0.92 and a root mean square error （RMSE） of 1.30 d. As shown in variable importance for projection （VIP）, four spectral bands including 1 760-1 700 cm-1, 1 660-1 640 cm-1, 1 580-1 540 cm-1 and 1 460-1 420 cm-1 were determined as important contributions to model prediction. Conclusion Application of the FTIR technique to detect postmortem spectral changes of the rat skin provides a novel proposal for PMI estimation.

Effect of Jianpi Yangzheng Recipe on Apoptosis and EMT of HCT116 Cells in Colorectal Cancer by Inhibiting Aerobic Glycolysis Regulated by PKM2 / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the mechanism of Jianpi Yangzheng recipe in inhibiting aerobic glycolysis by down-regulating the expression of pyruvate kinase isoenzyme M2 (PKM2) protein, in order to promote apoptosis and inhibite epithelial-mesenchymal transition（EMT）in HCT116 cells of colorectal cancer. Method:The effect of different concentrations of Jianpi Yangzheng recipe on HCT116 cell proliferation was detected by methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide（MTT）colorimetry. Flow cytometry was used to detect the effect of different concentrations of Jianpi Yangzheng recipe（2.0, 4.0, 8.0 g·L-1） on HCT116 cell apoptosis. The effect of Jianpi Yangzheng recipe（2.0, 4.0, 8.0 g·L-1） on the migration and invasion ability of HCT116 cells was observed by cell scratch and cell invasion assay (Transwell). The effect of different concentrations of Jianpi Yangzheng recipe（2.0, 4.0, 8.0 g·L-1） on glycolysis metabolism of HCT116 cells were detected by lactic acid (LD) test kit and glucose assay kit, respectively. Western blot was used to detect the expressions of apoptosis-related proteins, like B lymphocyte tumor-2 gene (Bcl-2), Bcl-2 related X protein (Bax) and EMT-related proteins, like epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin)，neurogenic cadherin（N-cadherin）, Vimentin, and PKM2, the key protein of glycolysis, in each group. Result:MTT assay showed that, compared with the blank group, HCT116 cells were treated with Jianpi Yangzheng recipe for 48 h. With the increase of drug concentration, the inhibitory effect of Jianpi Yangzheng recipe on the proliferation of HCT116 cells was also increased; and when the concentration was 4.0 g·L-1, the inhibition rate of HCT116 cells was about 53.87%. Therefore, 2.0，4.0，8.0 g·L-1 were selected as low, medium and high-dose groups for the study. The cell flow cytometry results indicated that, compared with the blank group, the low, medium and high-dose groups all significantly induced the apoptosis of HCT116 cells (P<0.05), and the effect in inducing apoptosis was more obvious with the increase of drug concentration (P<0.05). Cell scratch and Transwell showed that, compared with the blank group, all the groups had an inhibitory effect on migration and invasion of HCT116 cells (P<0.05), and the effect was more significant with the increase of drug concentration (P<0.05). The determination of lactic acid and glucose indicated that compared with the blank group, with the increase of drug concentration, the amount of lactic acid produced by cells in each group gradually decreased (P<0.05), while the glucose dosage also gradually decreased (P<0.05). Western blot showed that, compared with the blank group, the protein expressions of E-cadherin and Bax were up-regulated in groups with different concentrations, whereas the protein expressions of N-cadherin, Vimentin, Bcl-2 and PKM2 were down-regulated (P<0.05). Conclusion:Jianpi Yangzheng recipe can effectively induce the apoptosis of HCT116 cells and inhibit EMT in colorectal cancer. The possible mechanism may be related to the inhibition of aerobic glycolysis pathway of HCT116 cells by down-regulating PKM2 protein expression.

Observation on Effect of Atractylodesin Ⅱ on Gastric Cancer Cells Based on Macrophage Polarization / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the anti-tumor effect mechanism of atractylenolide Ⅱ by studying its effect on macrophage polarization. Method:Phorbol myristate acetate （PMA） was used to induce THP-1 cells differentiation into macrophages， and methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide（MTT）colorimetric assay was used to detect the effect of different concentrations of atractylenolide Ⅱ on macrophage growth at different time points to screen out the safe concentration of atractylenolide Ⅱ. The macrophages were treated with different concentrations of atractylenolide Ⅱ for 24 hours and then were co-cultured with gastric cancer cells. The survival of the two types of cells was observed under light microscope. The proliferation of gastric cancer cells was detected by MTT assay to determine the effective administration concentrations of atractylenolide Ⅱ. Cells were divided into blank group， model group， atractylenolide Ⅱ high dose group （200 mg·L-1）， atractylenolide Ⅱ medium dose group （100 mg·L-1）， and atractylenolide Ⅱ low dose group（50 mg·L-1）. Wound healing assay was carried out to observe the effects of different concentrations of atractylenolide Ⅱ on the migration and morphology of gastric cancer cells. The expression levels of M1 and M2 macrophage surface markers CD86 and CD206 were detected by flow cytometry analysis（FCM）. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR）and Western blot were used to detect M1， M2 macrophage-associated tumor necrosis factor （TNF） -α， human leukocyte antigen 2 （HLA-DRA）， CD80， transforming growth factor （TGF）-β， interleukin （IL） -10 and IL-6 genes and protein expression. Western blot was used to detect intracellular phosphatidyl inositol kinase （PI3K） and p-PI3K protein expression in macrophages. Result:When the concentration of atractylenolide Ⅱ was 1， 10， 50， 100， 200 mg·L-1， it showed no inhibition on macrophage growth. As compared with the model group， macrophages treated with 50， 100， 200 mg·L-1 atractylenolide Ⅱ significantly inhibited tumor cell proliferation （P<0.01）. As compared with the model group， the migration rate of tumor cells in the atractylenolide Ⅱ （200，100 mg·L-1） groups decreased （P<0.05）. The expression levels of CD86 on M1 macrophage surfacen in the atractylenolide Ⅱ （200，100，50 mg·L-1） groups were increased（P<0.05，P<0.01）， and the expression levels of CD206 on M2 macrophagen in the atractylenolide Ⅱ （200 mg·L-1） group were decreased （P<0.05）. The expression levels of M1 macrophage-associated cytokines TNF-α， HLA-DRA， CD80 mRNA in the atractylenolide Ⅱ （200，100 mg·L-1） groups were increased（P<0.05，P<0.01）， and TNF-α protein expression in the atractylenolide Ⅱ （200 mg·L-1） group was increased （P<0.05）， M2 type macrophage-associated cytokine TGF-β mRNA expression levels in the atractylenolide Ⅱ （50 mg·L-1） group were decreased， and IL-10， IL-6 protein expression levels in the atractylenolide Ⅱ （200 mg·L-1） group were decreased （P<0.05，P<0.01）. The expression levels of p-PI3K protein in the atractylenolide Ⅱ （200，100 mg·L-1） groups were also decreased（P<0.05，P<0.01）. Conclusion:Atractylenolide Ⅱ could induce the polarization of macrophages to M1 type by reducing the expression of p-PI3K in macrophages and inhibiting the proliferation and migration of gastric cancer cells.

Protocol on transcranial alternating current stimulation for the treatment of major depressive disorder: a randomized controlled trial / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) offers a new approach for adult patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). The study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tACS treating MDD.@*METHODS@#This is an 8-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Ninety-two drug-naive patients with MDD aged 18 to 65 years will receive 20 daily 40-min, 77.5-Hz, 15-mA sessions of active or sham tACS targeting the forehead and both mastoid areas on weekdays for 4 consecutive weeks (week 4), following a 4-week observation period (week 8). The primary outcome is the remission rate defined as the 17-item Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS-17) score ≤7 at week 8. Secondary outcomes are the rates of response at weeks 4 and 8 and rate of remission at week 4 based on HDRS-17, the proportion of participants having improvement in the clinical global impression-improvement, the change in HDRS-17 score (range, 0-52, with higher scores indicating more depression) over the study, and variations of brain imaging and neurocognition from baseline to week 4. Safety will be assessed by vital signs at weeks 4 and 8, and adverse events will be collected during the entire study.@*DISCUSSION@#The tACS applied in this trial may have treatment effects on MDD with minimal side effects.@*TRIAL REGISTRATION@#Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1800016479; http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=22048.

Analysis of Human Herpes Viruses-Activated Infection Spectra in Patients with Various Immunodeficiencies / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the epidemiologic characteristics of human herpes virus (HHV) activated infection in the diseases of blood system and patients received allo-HSCT by statistically analyzing the screening results of 8 human herpes viruses (HHVs) of 4164 patients in Hebei Yanda LU Dao-Pei Hospital from 2012 to 2017.@*METHODS@#PCR was used to screen 8 HHVs.@*RESULTS@#Two thousand and fifty-two patients (49.28%) were HHV-positive among 4164 patients screened. Among these patients screened, the infection spectra of 8 human HHVs in hematological diseases as well as patients received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation of totally 2994 patients were summarized as follows: the positive rate of EBV (29.49%) was the highest, that of HCMV (23.15%), HHV-6 was 18.77% and HHV-7 was 17.64%, while the remaining 4 HHVs all≤2.1%. The rate of co-infection of various HHVs was significantly higher than that of single infection of HHV among all these disease groups except familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, for which single EBV infection was the most common. The differences of positive rates among these 8 human HHVs in hematological diseases as well as patients received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation were statistically significant by Chi-square test of R*C tables (χ=54.99, P＜0.05). For each HHV, the differences of positive rates among the above-mentioned disease groups were also statistically significant except HHV-8 (P＜0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The patients with various blood diseases have different activated infection spectra of HHVs. EBV, HCMV, HHV-6 and HHV-7 are most common in HHVs infection. Different HHVs infections correlate with different hematologion diseases.

Comparative Toxicity of Nanomaterials to Air-blood Barrier Permeability Using an In Vitro Model / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#To comparatively study the toxicity of four metal-containing nanoparticles (MNPs) and their chemical counterparts to the air-blood barrier (ABB) permeability using an in vitro model.@*METHODS@#ABB model, which was developed via the co-culturing of A549 and pulmonary capillary endothelium, was exposed to spherical CuO-NPs (divided into CuO-40, CuO-80, and CuO-100 based on particle size), nano-Al2O3 (sheet and short-rod-shaped), nano-ZnO, nano-PbS, CuSO4, Al2(SO4)3, Zn(CH3COO)2, and Pb(NO3)2 for 60 min. Every 10 min following exposure, the cumulative cleared volume (ΔTCL) of Lucifer yellow by the model was calculated. A clearance curve was established using linear regression analysis of ΔTCL versus time. Permeability coefficient (P) was calculated based on the slope of the curve to represent the degree of change in the ABB permeability.@*RESULTS@#The results found the increased P values of CuO-40, CuO-80, sheet, and short-rod-shaped nano-Al2O3, Al2(SO4)3, and Pb(NO3)2. Among them, small CuO-40 and CuO-80 were stronger than CuO-100 and CuSO4; no difference was observed between Al2(SO4)3 and sheet and short-rod-shaped nano-Al2O3; and nano-PbS was slightly weaker than Pb(NO3)2. So clearly the MNPs possess diverse toxicity.@*CONCLUSION@#ABB permeability abnormality means pulmonary toxicity potential. More studies are warranted to understand MNPs toxicity and ultimately control the health hazards.