Elevated Levels of Naturally-Occurring Autoantibodies Against the Extracellular Domain of p75NTR Aggravate the Pathology of Alzheimer's Disease / 神经科学通报·英文版

The extracellular domain (p75ECD) of p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) antagonizes Aβ neurotoxicity and promotes Aβ clearance in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The impaired shedding of p75ECD is a key pathological process in AD, but its regulatory mechanism is largely unknown. This study was designed to investigate the presence and alterations of naturally-occurring autoantibodies against p75ECD (p75ECD-NAbs) in AD patients and their effects on AD pathology. We found that the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) level of p75ECD-NAbs was increased in AD, and negatively associated with the CSF levels of p75ECD. Transgenic AD mice actively immunized with p75ECD showed a lower level of p75ECD and more severe AD pathology in the brain, as well as worse cognitive functions than the control groups, which were immunized with Re-p75ECD (the reverse sequence of p75ECD) and phosphate-buffered saline, respectively. These findings demonstrate the impact of p75ECD-NAbs on p75NTR/p75ECD imbalance, providing a novel insight into the role of autoimmunity and p75NTR in AD.

Effects of Aneurysmal Neck Angle on Stent Displacement after Endovascular Repair of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm / 医用生物力学

Objective To study the effects of aneurysmal neck angle on stent displacement after endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Methods The CT images of 28 patients were selected to establish preoperative AAA model, postoperative AAA model and covered stent model respectively, and the models were divided into non-severe angulation group ( n = 14) and severe angulation group ( n = 14) according to the preoperative angle of tumor neck. The geometric shape of each model was measured, and the changes of AAA geometric parameters and postoperative stent displacements before and after surgery were analyzed. The displacement force of the model during the first follow-up was calculated by hemodynamic simulation. Results Significant differences were found in tumor length, maximum diameter, displacement force, tumor neck length and tumor volume between two groups of patients (P 0. 05). For the incidence of internal leakage, there were 2 cases in non-severe angulation group and 4 cases in severe angulation group (P>0. 05).Conclusions Severe neck angulation can lead to a significant increase in support displacement force and decrease in proximal anchorage zone, and thus increase the possibility of support displacement. It is suggested that doctors should strengthen postoperative follow-up for patients with severe neck angulation and be vigilant of the occurrence of long-term internal leakage in clinic.

Protective effects of total saponins from Panax japonicus against high-fat diet-induced testicular Sertoli cell junction damage in mice / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the protective effects of total saponins from Panax japonicus (TSPJ) against high-fat dietinduced testicular Sertoli cell junction damage in mice.@*METHODS@#Forty male C57BL/6J mice were randomized into normal diet group, high-fat diet group, and low-dose (25 mg/kg) and high-dose (75 mg/kg) TSPJ treatment groups (n=10). The mice in the normal diet group were fed a normal diet, while the mice in the other groups were fed a high-fat diet. After TSPJ treatment via intragastric administration for 5 months, the testes and epididymis of the mice were collected for measurement of weight, testicular and epididymal indices and sperm parameters. HE staining was used for histological evaluation of the testicular tissues and measurement of seminiferous tubule diameter and seminiferous epithelium height. The expression levels of ZO-1, occludin, claudin11, N-cadherin, E-cadherin and β-catenin in Sertoli cells were detected with Western blot, and the localization and expression levels of ZO-1 and β-catenin in the testicular tissues were detected with immunofluorescence assay. The protein expressions of LC3B, p-AKT and p-mTOR in testicular Sertoli cells were detected using double immunofluorescence assay.@*RESULTS@#Treatment with TSPJ significantly improved high-fat diet-induced testicular dysfunction by reducing body weight (P < 0.001), increasing testicular and epididymal indices (P < 0.05), and improving sperm concentration and sperm viability (P < 0.05). TSPJ ameliorated testicular pathologies and increased seminiferous epithelium height of the mice with high-fat diet feeding (P < 0.05) without affecting the seminiferous tubule diameter. TSPJ significantly increased the expression levels of ZO-1, occludin, N-cadherin, E-cadherin and β-catenin (P < 0.05) but did not affect claudin11 expression in the testicular tissues. Immunofluorescence assay showed that TSPJ significantly increased ZO-1 and β-catenin expression in the testicular tissues (P < 0.001), downregulated LC3B expression and upregulated p-AKT and p-mTOR expressions in testicular Sertoli cells.@*CONCLUSION@#TSPJ alleviates high-fat diet-induced damages of testicular Sertoli cell junctions and spermatogenesis possibly by activating the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and inhibiting autophagy of testicular Sertoli cells.

Birth weight curves of singleton neonates with a gestational age of 24-42 weeks and their regional differences in 11 cities of China: an analysis of 93 720 cases / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To develop the birth weight curve of singleton neonates with a gestational age of 24-42 weeks, and to investigate the regional differences of the birth weight curve.@*METHODS@#A total of 11 maternal and child health hospitals with more than 7 000 neonates delivered annually were selected in 11 cities of China (Haikou, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Liuzhou, Guilin, Quanzhou, Chongqing, Chengdu, Changsha, Ningbo, and Lianyungang), and all live singleton neonates delivered in the 11 hospitals from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2020 were enrolled for the development of birth weight curves.@*RESULTS@#A total of 93 720 singleton neonates with a gestational age of 24-42 weeks from the 11 cities were included in the study. The reference values of the 3rd-97th percentiles of birth weight of singleton neonates for the total of the 11 cities and for each of the 11 cities were established, and the birth weight percentile curves were drawn. The birth weight curve level of singleton neonates in Shenzhen and Quanzhou was almost the same as the average level of the 11 cities; the birth weight curve level of singleton neonates in Haikou, Guangzhou, Guilin, and Liuzhou was slightly lower than the average level of the 11 cities; the birth weight curve level of singleton neonates in Chongqing, Chengdu, and Changsha was slightly higher than the average level of the 11 cities; the birth weight curve level of singleton neonates in Ningbo and Lianyungang was higher than the average level of the 11 cities. The average birth weight curve level of singleton neonates in the 11 cities were very close to that of China Neonatal Cooperation Network in 2011-2014.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The reference values of the 3rd-97th percentiles of birth weight of singleton neonates for the total of the 11 cities and for each of the 11 cities are developed, which can be used as a reference for evaluating the intrauterine growth of singleton neonates in the region. The level of intrauterine growth of neonates in some cities is different from the national level.

Etiological diagnostic value of cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing in central nervous system infection / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective:To investigate the etiological diagnostic value of metagenomic sequencing in central nervous system (CNS) infectious diseases.Methods:A total of 170 patients with central nervous system infection admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2018 to June 2020 were selected as the study subjects according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. General clinical data and pathogen test results were collected. All included patients underwent routine examination and mNGS test, and were divided into the conventional method test group and mNGS test group according to the test results. The measurement data conforming to normal distribution were represented by ± s; The measurement data that did not conform to normal distribution were represented by median and interquartile range. The classification data were expressed by the number of cases and percentage( n,%), and were compared by χ2 test or Fisher's exact test. Consistency test was represented by Kappa value. The detection of pathogenic microorganisms by the two methods and the rule of pathogen spectrum were compared and analyzed. Results:The overall positive rate of mNGS in CNS infectious diseases was higher than that of conventional methods (58.23% vs. 18.82%), and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.01). Among the 20 samples which were both positive by the two methods, 10 cases were completely pathogenic, 5 cases were partially consistent and 5 cases were completely inconsistent. In the detection of tuberculous nervous system infection, the positive rates were 66.7%, 53.8%, 44.0%, 40.0%, 4.0% in blood T-SPOT, cerebrospinal fluid mNGS, ADA, Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA and tuberculous specific antibody, respectively. The positive rate of acid-fast staining was 0. The positive rate of mNGS combined with conventional method was 80.8%. Conclusions:The detection rate of mNGS in CNS infection is better than that of conventional methods. However, it does not show obvious superiority in the detection rate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis associated nervous system infection. In general, mNGS detection of pathogenic bacteria is more extensive, which is conducive to a thorough and comprehensive understanding of the bacterial characteristics of central nervous system infection. The combination of the two methods can make up for the deficiency of clinical routine detection to a certain extent, and can maximize the detection rate.

Clinical characteristics of 83 patients with acute glyphosate herbicide poisoning / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with acute glyphosate herbicide poisoning and the differences in the severity of poisoning.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on patients with acute glyphosate herbicide poisoning admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2014 to December 2020. The general information, exposure time, poisoning dose, poisoning cause, poisoning route, clinical manifestations, laboratory examination results during hospitalization, treatment measures, hospital stays and prognosis of the patients were collected. The patients were graded according to the poisoning severity scoring standard of Chinese Expert Consensus on Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute Poisoning in 2016. The highest severity score during hospitalization was used as the final grade. According to the final grade, asymptomatic and mild patients were included in the mild group, and moderate, severe and death patients were included in the severe group. The independent sample T test or Mann-Whitney U test was used for measurement data, and χ2 test or Fisher's exact test was used for counting data. The differences of general data and clinical data between the two groups were compared. Results:According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 83 patients with acute glyphosate herbicide poisoning were selected as the study subjects. All patients survived, mainly mild poisoning (56.6%), with a male to female ratio of 33∶50, and an average age of 39 years. The number of poisoning cases increased yearly (the highest in 2019), and most cases occurred in spring and summer. The main cause of poisoning was suicide (71.1%), direct oral administration (83.1%) was the primary route of poisoning, and the dominating clinical manifestations were digestive symptoms (71.1%). Laboratory tests showed increased white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil percentage (NEUT %) and D-dimer, and decreased hemoglobin and potassium. Compared with the mild group, patients in the severe group were older [(51±17) years vs. (35±19) years], had a higher proportion of suicide and direct oral administration, a longer hospital stay [8.0 (4.8, 12.0) d vs. 3.0 (2.0, 5.5) d], a higher dose of poisoning [200.0 (50.0, 200.0) mL vs. 30.0 (11.3, 57.5) mL], and higher NEUT % within 24 h of admission [(83.4±10.4) vs. (73.2±12.8)]. The increase of WBC, NEUT %, aspartate aminotransferase, prothrombin time, D-dimer and the decrease of serum potassium were more common in the severe group than the mild group, with statistical significance (all P<0.05). Conclusions:The number of patients with acute glyphosate herbicide poisoning is increasing yearly. Generally, the condition is mild and the prognosis is satisfying. The severity is more serious in the middle-aged and elderly patients andthose with direct oral administration, high toxic dose, and high NEUT % within 24 h of admission. Severe poisoning is more likely to cause changes in laboratory indicators.

Polysaccharide Krestin Prevents Alzheimer's Disease-type Pathology and Cognitive Deficits by Enhancing Monocyte Amyloid-β Processing / 神经科学通报·英文版

Deficits in the clearance of amyloid β protein (Aβ) by the peripheral system play a critical role in the pathogenesis of sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD). Impaired uptake of Aβ by dysfunctional monocytes is deemed to be one of the major mechanisms underlying deficient peripheral Aβ clearance in AD. In the current study, flow cytometry and biochemical and behavioral techniques were applied to investigate the effects of polysaccharide krestin (PSK) on AD-related pathology in vitro and in vivo. We found that PSK, widely used in therapy for various cancers, has the potential to enhance Aβ uptake and intracellular processing by human monocytes in vitro. After administration of PSK by intraperitoneal injection, APP/PS1 mice performed better in behavioral tests, along with reduced Aβ deposition, neuroinflammation, neuronal loss, and tau hyperphosphorylation. These results suggest that PSK holds promise as a preventive agent for AD by strengthening the Aβ clearance by blood monocytes and alleviating AD-like pathology.

Hemodynamic Analysis of Redissection after Endovascular Repair for One Stanford Type B Aortic Dissection Case / 医用生物力学

Objective Based on hemodynamic analysis, to investigate the cause of distal re-entry tear in Stanford type B aortic dissection after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR).Methods A patient with type B aortic dissection was reexamined regularly with computed tomography angiography (CTA) at 1st month, 6th month, 12th month and 24th month after TEVAR. Based on the CTA images in each period, three-dimensional (3D) aorta models were reconstructed to perform morphological analysis and hemodynamic simulation.Results Compared with the diameter at 1st month after TEVAR, the diameter of true lumen at 12 months after TEVAR increased by 1.8 times and the global distortion of aorta increased by 16.67%. At postoperative 1st, 6th and 12th month, the maximum blood velocities at the new entry tear in systole were 69.6%, 33.7% and 92.1% higher than the average ones at distal landing zone, and the maximum wall shear stresses (WSSs) were 2.52, 2.32 and 3.52 times of the average WSSs respectively. In addition, the maximum time-averaged WSS (TAWSS) at 1st, 6th and 12th month after TEVAR were 1.88, 2.53 and 3.62 times of the mean TAWSS respectively.ConclusionsThe morphology of the aorta remodeled after TEVAR, and a sudden change in the diameter of true lumen occurred at distal anchoring zone and continued to increase. As a result, the blood flow velocity in this area accelerated, and the intima was continuously exposed to high WSS, leading to the redissection.

The Chinese version of the eating beliefs questionnaire in college students: reliability and validity test / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To examine the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the eating beliefs questionnaire (EBQ-18) with Chinese subjects.Methods:Totally 230 university students were recruited for the preliminary survey of the EBQ-18(224 valid questionnaires were recovered). The formal EBQ-18 was set through item analysis and exploratory factor analysis.Then, 690 university students were selected to complete the formal EBQ-18 for the confirmatory factor analysis and the internal consistency analysis(674 valid questionnaires were recovered). Adult eating behavior evaluation questionnaire(AEBEQ)were selected as the criterion measurement which to examine the association between eating beliefs and eating behavior.Test-retest reliability were examined by 260 participants randomly selected after two weeks.Data analysis was conducted by using SPSS 23.0 and AMOS 22.0 software.Results:The Chinese version of the EBQ-18 with 18 items had 3 dimensions, which were negative beliefs, positive beliefs and permissive beliefs.Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the Chinese version of the EBQ-18 had good structure validity(χ 2=333.82, df=132, RMSEA=0.08, NFI=0.91, CFI=0.92, GFI=0.90, PGFI=0.66). Cronbach α coefficient and the test-retest reliability were 0.91 and 0.87 for the total scale.The internal consistency coefficients were 0.87, 0.91, 0.86, and the test-retest reliability were 0.89, 0.84, 0.90 for the 3 factors. Conclusion:It suggests that the Chinese version of EBQ-18 is a reliable and valid assessment and can be used as an effective and reliable tool for assessing eating beliefs of university students in China.

Analysis of 43 cases of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis misdiagnosed as mental disorder / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical features of patients with anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis misdiagnosed as mental disorder, improve the early diagnosis rate and reduce misdiagnosis.Methods:The clinical data of patients with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis diagnosed at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from 2012 to 2018 were collected. Patients misdiagnosed as mental disorders were screened out. Their psychiatric symptom characteristics, disease course characteristics, imaging and laboratory findings, treatment and prognosis were retrospectively analyzed.Results:A total of 121 cases of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis were collected, and 43 cases of mental disorders were screened out. Sixteen of the 43 patients (37.2%) had prodromal symptoms, and all the patients had psychiatric behavioral abnormalities (100%), including 32 cases (74.4%) of seizures, 13 cases (30.2%) of decreased level of consciousness, 21 cases (48.8%) of involuntary movements, 15 cases (34.9%) of decreased memory, 8 cases (18.6%) of speech dysfunction, and 8 cases (18.6%) of other neurological symptoms (central hyperventilation, autonomic dysfunction). Memory loss was observed in 15 cases (34.9%), speech dysfunction in 8 cases (18.6%), other neurological symptoms (central hypoventilation, autonomic dysfunction) in 8 cases (18.6%), and various symptoms may appear simultaneously or successively in the same patient. Thirty-eight cases had complete resolution of symptoms or only minor physical impairment, and 5 cases had recurrent admissions with mental abnormalities and seizures. The recurrence rate accounted for 11.6% (5/43).Conclusions:The clinical manifestations of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis are complex and varied. Most of them have mental behavior abnormalities as the first symptom, which is easily misdiagnosed as mental disorder and delayed treatment will lead to prolonged disease course and poor prognosis.

Effect of total saponins from Panax japonicus on non-alcoholic steatohepatitis by regulating autophagy / 中国中药杂志

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH) was induced by high-sugar and high-fat diet in mice to investigate the intervention effect of total saponins from Panax japonicus(TSPJ) and explore its possible mechanism. Mice were fed with high-sugar and high-fat diet to establish NASH model, and intervened with different doses of TSPJ(15, 45 mg·kg~(-1)). The animals were fed for 26 weeks. The histomorphology and pathological changes of liver tissues were observed by HE staining. The transcriptional expression levels of miR-199 a-5 p, autophagy related gene 5(ATG5) and inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6(IL-6), interleukin-1β(IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α) in mouse liver were measured by quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR). Western blot was used to detect the expression of autophagy-related proteins ATG5, P62/SQSTM1(P62), and microtubule-associated protein light chain 3(LC3)-I/Ⅱ proteins in mouse liver. The expression of P62 protein was detected by immunofluorescence staining. In order to verify the targeting regulation relationship between miR-199 a-5 p and ATG5, miR mimic/inhibitor NC and miR-199 a-5 p mimic/inhibitor were transfected into Hepa 1-6 cells, and the expression of ATG5 mRNA and protein was detected. pMIR-reportor ATG5-3'UTR luciferase reporter gene plasmid was constructed and co-transfected with miR mimic/inhibitor NC and miR-199 a-5 p mimic/inhibitor into Hepa 1-6 cells to detect luciferase activity. In vivo, HE staining in the model group showed typical fatty degeneration and inflammatory infiltration, with increased expression of miR-199 a-5 p and decreased expression of ATG5 mRNA and protein. The expression of autophagy-associated protein P62 increased significantly, the ratio of LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ decreased, and the transcriptional expression of inflammatory factors increased significantly. After the intervention by TSPJ, the pathological performance of liver tissue was significantly improved, the expression of miR-199 a-5 p decreased and the expression of ATG5 mRNA and protein increased, the expression of autophagy-associated protein P62 decreased significantly, the ratio of LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ increased, and the transcriptional expression of inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α decreased significantly. In vitro, it was found that the expression of ATG5 mRNA and protein and luciferase activity decreased significantly in miR-199 a-5 p overexpression cells, while after inhibition of miR-199 a-5 p expression, the expression level of ATG5 mRNA and protein and luciferase activity increased. The results showed that TSPJ can improve NASH in mice fed with high-sugar and high-fat diet, and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of miR-199 a-5 p/ATG5 signal pathway, the regulation of autophagy activity and the improvement of inflammatory response of NASH.

The Chinese consensus for surgical treatment of traumatic rib fractures 2021 (C-STTRF 2021) / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

Rib fracture is the most common injury in chest trauma. Most of patients with rib fractures were treated conservatively, but up to 50% of patients, especially those with combined injury such as flail chest, presented chronic pain or chest wall deformities, and more than 30% had long-term disabilities, unable to retain a full-time job. In the past two decades, surgery for rib fractures has achieving good outcomes. However, in clinic, there are still some problems including inconsistency in surgical indications and quality control in medical services. Before the year of 2018, there were 3 guidelines on the management of regional traumatic rib fractures were published at home and abroad, focusing on the guidance of the overall treatment decisions and plans; another clinical guideline about the surgical treatment of rib fractures lacks recent related progress in surgical treatment of rib fractures. The Chinese Society of Traumatology, Chinese Medical Association, and the Chinese College of Trauma Surgeons, Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized experts from cardiothoracic surgery, trauma surgery, acute care surgery, orthopedics and other disciplines to participate together, following the principle of evidence-based medicine and in line with the scientific nature and practicality, formulated the Chinese consensus for surgical treatment of traumatic rib fractures (STTRF 2021). This expert consensus put forward some clear, applicable, and graded recommendations from seven aspects: preoperative imaging evaluation, surgical indications, timing of surgery, surgical methods, rib fracture sites for surgical fixation, internal fixation method and material selection, treatment of combined injuries in rib fractures, in order to provide guidance and reference for surgical treatment of traumatic rib fractures.

Excessive Internet and game use among children with different household registration in Shanghai / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To explore the status and related factors of excessive Internet and game use among primary and junior high school students with different household registration in Shanghai, and to provide a reference for creating healthy digital media usage family environment among children.@*Methods@#A questionnaire survey was conducted among 2 324 students and their parents from 4 primary schools, 4 middle schools in Shanghai. The sociodemographic characteristics, Internet Addiction Test, Game addiction scale and Family APGAR Index were investigated.@*Results@#Excessive internet use rate and the excessive game use rate was 16.1% and 9.4%, respectively. Low family economic status( OR =2.07), motivation type of Internet use to maintain emotional arousal ( OR =5.44) or to satisfy social function( OR =8.72), peer all the time gaming use( OR =2.21), peer gaming invitation( OR =1.85, 2.56, 2.53), family dysfunction above moderate( OR =2.62, 2.68) were positively associated with excessive internet use( P <0.05). Lack of confidence in their studies( OR =2.11, 4.14), motivation type of Internet use to maintain emotional arousal( OR = 4.82 ) or to satisfy social function( OR =6.09), peer often( OR =2.84) or all the time gaming use( OR =3.92), family dysfunction above moderate( OR =2.57, 2.16) were associated with excessive game use( P <0.05).@*Conclusion@#There is no significant difference in the excessive Internet and game use among children with different household registration.It is suggested that should attach importance to peer influence and family function, advocate schools and families to create a good environment for children s digital media use, and promote children s healthy development.

Influences of Renal Artery Stenosis Morphology on its Hemodynamics / 医用生物力学

Objective To investigate the hemodynamic effects of morphological parameters on renal artery stenosis （RAS）, so as to provide theoretical references for clinical practice. Methods The idealized models of RAS were established, then the hemodynamic effects from morphological parameters of stenosis including its area, symmetry, length and shape on renal artery was explored using computational fluid dynamics （CFD） method. Results The renal perfusion, pressure drop and wall shear stress (WSS) distributions in renal artery were significantly correlated with area stenosis (AS). When the stenosis area increased from 50% to 70%, all hemodynamic parameters changed significantly. In addition, an asymmetrical stenosis resulted in a significant increase of abnormally high WSS and length of recirculation flow in renal artery, but the change of stenosis length or shape only led to marginal changes in hemodynamics. Conclusions Although AS is still the most significant factor to influence hemodynamics in RAS, other morphological parameters, especially asymmetric stenosis, cannot be neglected. Therefore, it is suggested that clinical treatment plans should be a comprehensive evaluation based on these morphological parameters.

Spicy food consumption is associated with cognition and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of Alzheimer disease / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Recent studies suggest that a healthy diet helps to prevent the development of Alzheimer disease (AD). This study aimed to investigate whether spicy food consumption is associated with cognition and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of AD in the Chinese population.@*METHODS@#We enrolled 55 AD patients and 55 age- and gender-matched cognitively normal (CN) subjects in a case-control study, as well as a cohort of 131 participants without subjective cognitive decline (non-AD) in a cross-sectional study. Spicy food consumption was assessed using the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). Associations of FFQ scores with cognition and CSF biomarkers of AD were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#In the case-control study, spicy food consumption was lower in AD patients than that in CNs (4.0 [4.0-8.0] vs. 8.0 [4.5-10.0], P < 0.001); FFQ scores were positively associated with Mini-Mental Status Examination scores in the total sample (r = 0.218, P = 0.014). In the cross-sectional study, the association between spicy food consumption and cognition levels was verified in non-AD subjects (r = 0.264, P = 0.0023). Moreover, higher FFQ scores were significantly associated with higher β-Amyloid (1-42) (Aβ42) levels and lower phospho-tau/Aβ42 and total tau/Aβ42 ratios in the CSF of non-AD subjects (P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Spicy food consumption is closely related to higher cognition levels and reversed AD biomarkers in the CSF, suggesting that a capsaicin-rich diet might have the potential to modify the cognitive status and cerebral pathologies associated with AD.

Cloning and bioinformatic analysis of β-AS gene from Panax japonicus / 中草药

Objective: The key enzyme of triterpene saponin metabolism was cloned and its sequence, structure and function were analyzed by bioinformatics. Methods: RNAs were extracted from the leaves of Panax japonicus The full-length cDNA sequences of β-AS were cloned by utilizing RT-PCR method, and the sequence was connected to the pMDTM18-T for cloning and sequencing.β-AS protein characteristics in transplanted species and cultivated species of P. japonicus were predicted and compared by bioinformatics analysis and the phylogenetic tree of β-AS protein was constructed. Results: The β-AS sequences in transplanted species and cultivated species of P. japonicus were obtained, which had 2 286 bp ORF and encoded 761 amino acids. There were little differences between the two varieties of β-AS proteins in physicochemical properties, secondary structure, tertiary structure, and phosphorylation sites, which may lead to show difference in catalytic activity. Conclusion: This work also obtained the full-length of cDNA sequence of β-AS gene in transplanted and cultivated varieties of P. japonicus, and provided a systemic sequence analysis of β-AS proteins, which can provide the useful information for β-AS studies in the future.

The application and prospects of 3D printing model in the teaching of vascular surgery / 中华医学教育探索杂志

3D printing technology has been widely applied in the field of clinical education in vascular surgery due to the advantage of 100% reduction of objects. Vascular surgeons with different levels benefit from 3D printing application in anatomy structure, operation plan, skill training with simulator. At present, the application of 3D printing model in vascular surgery is still in the initial stage with some limitations. This paper reviews the application, limitations, and prospects of 3D printing model in clinical teaching of vascular surgery.

The role of elevated blood amylase in the assessment of diabetic ketoacidosis / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective:To investigate therole of serum amylase elevation in the evaluation of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) patients and the related factors affecting serum amylase (AMS) levels in patients with diabetic ketoacidosis.Methods:A total of 249 patients with DKA who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from November 2011 to August 2018 were selected for this retrospective study. The patients were divided into the normal group ( n=176) and the elevated group ( n=73) according to the AMS level measured by fasting venous blood samples. The enumeration data such as sex, type of DM, diabetic vascular complications, number of deaths, number of ICU monitoring, and number of acute pancreatitis (AP) after discharge were analyzed by chi-square test or Fisher test, and the measurement data such as age, pH, HbA1c, CO 2CP, Ca 2+, BUN, and Scr were analyzed by independent sample t test to compare the difference between the two groups. Results:The intensive care unit (ICU) monitoring rate was 50.7%, the median length of stay in ICU was 4 days, the median length of hospital stay was 14 days, and the median treatment cost was 28 000 yuan, which were higher in the elevated group than those in the normal group ( P<0.05). There were no significant differences in mortality, AP during hospitalization, and the probability of AP after discharge between the elevated group and the normal group ( P>0.05). The duration of diabetes, the number of previous DKA, the incidence of diabetic vascular complications, HbA1c, pH, BUN, and Scr in the elevated group were all higher than those in the normal group ( P<0.01 or P<0.05). Conclusions:DKA patients with elevated AMS are more likely to be admitted to ICU, and the length of stay in ICU, total length of hospital stay and total cost of treatment are all increased. Where as the overall mortality rate during hospitalization and the likelihood of AP after discharge are not increased.

A report on the follow-up of 14 patients with familial thallium poisoning after 9 years / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective:To investigate the recovery of patients with acute thallium poisoning after 9 years.Methods:A group of 14 patients with familial thallium poisoning who were admitted to our hospital in 2010 were followed up for 9 years.Results:Among the 14 patients with acute thallium poisoning, one patient died on the 14th day after poisoning, and all the other survivors were followed up 9 years later. The general condition of all the patients was significantly better than that of poisoning 9 years ago. The alopecia of all cases disappeared, the newborn hair grew normally, without gastrointestinal symptoms, numbness, pain in the limbs and mental symptoms. All the patients returned to normal intelligence and physical strength and had a normal life. One patient (No. 5) gave birth to 2 children successively after discharge. The first child was 6 years old and the second child was 2 years old. Both growth and intelligence were not different from those of the same age. Currently, the third pregnancy was more than 7 months. No.6 and No.10 patients were poisoned in their teenage and were currently all studying in university. No.6 patient suffered from Hashimoto's thyroiditis 7 years after poisoning, and he has been taking thiamazole tablets for two years. Poisoned infants, No.7, 8 ,11 and 12, were school-age children with normal growth, mental development and excellent academic performance. Among the 13 surviving patients, blood and urine samples from No. 1, No. 3, and No. 4 patients were collected, and no thallium concentration was detected, and biochemical examina-tion and neurological examination were all normal.Conclusions:Patients with acute thallium poisoning have a favorable prognosis according to the follow-up after 9 years. All patients have no obvious sequelae and have normal labor ability. Young women have normal fertility, and children have normal growth and mental development.

Effect of Wuzi Yanzong Fang in Promoting Spermatogonial Stem Cells Proliferation in Aging Rats by Regulating miR-let-7-Imp Axis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To explore the effect and mechanism of Wuzi Yanzong Fang (WZ) on proliferation of spermatogonial stem cells in aging rats by regulating miR-let-7-Imp axis.Method: A total of 40 18-month-old male SD rats were randomly divided into aging model group, and low, middle and high-dose WZ groups, with 10 rats in each group. Ten 2-month old rats were used as young control group. Low, middle and high-dose WZ groups were given by gastric WZ 0.4, 0.8, 1.6 g·kg-1 respectively. Young control group and aging model group were given normal saline for 4 months, which was suspended for 2 days every week. Rats were put to death after the final treatment with WZ, and then the testes were quickly removed from rats. The relative mRNA expression levels of miR-let-7 and Imp were detected by Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR). The expressions and localization of p-JAK2/JAK2, phosphate(p)-signal transduction and transcriptional activators3 (STAT3)/STAT3 signaling pathway proteins were detected by Western blot and immunofluorescence. The numbers of spermatogonial stem cells and the expression levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were detected by immunofluorescence. The testicular tissue morphology was observed using htoxylin eosin (HE) staining.Result: Compared with young control group, the expression levels of miR-let-7 mRNA were significantly increased, while the expression levels of Imp mRNA were decreased in the aging model group(PPPPPPPConclusion: WZ effectively promote the proliferation of spermatogonial stem cells by regulating miR-let-7-imp axis in testis.