CDC20 expression in endometrial cancer and its effects on the proliferation and apoptosis of RL95-2 cells / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@#[摘 要] 目的：评估细胞分裂周期蛋白20（CDC20）在子宫内膜癌（EC）中的表达，探讨其对EC细胞RL95-2周期和凋亡的影响及可能的机制。方法：从癌症基因组图谱（TCGA）数据库获取EC的mRNA表达矩阵以及患者的临床信息，通过R语言分析CDC20 mRNA的差异表达情况及其与肿瘤分期的相关性，qPCR及WB法检测CDC20在RL95-2细胞中的表达；向RL95-2细胞转染sh-CDC20以敲减CDC20的表达，采用CCK-8法和流式细胞术检测敲减CDC20对RL95-2细胞增殖活力、细胞周期分布和凋亡的影响，WB法分析对Mcl-1/p-Chk1信号活性的影响；建立RL95-2细胞裸鼠移植瘤模型，评估敲减CDC20对肿瘤生长的抑制作用及对移植瘤组织中Mcl-1/p-Chk1信号轴和细胞凋亡的影响。结果：CDC20在EC组织及RL95-2细胞中呈高表达（均P<0.01），且CDC20的高表达与EC的分期有关联。敲减CDC20可显著降低RL95-2细胞增殖活力（P<0.01），阻滞细胞周期于G1期（P<0.01），促进细胞凋亡（P<0.01），抑制细胞中Mcl-1和p-Chk1的表达（P<0.05或P<0.01）。敲减CDC20可显著抑制RL95-2细胞裸鼠移植瘤的生长（P<0.01），降低移植瘤组织内Mcl-1和p-Chk1的表达（P<0.01），促进移植瘤细胞凋亡（P<0.01）。结论：CDC20在EC组织中呈高表达且与肿瘤分期有关联，敲减CDC20能够抑制RL95-2细胞及其裸鼠移植瘤的生长而促进凋亡，这可能与Mcl-1/p-Chk1信号轴有关。

Changes of serum HMGB1 and IDO levels in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and their clinical significance / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@#[摘 要] 目的：检测食管鳞状细胞癌（ESCC）患者血清中高迁移率族蛋白B1（HMGB1）和吲哚胺-2，3-双加氧酶（IDO）的表达水平并探讨两者与临床病理特征及淋巴细胞亚群的相关性。方法：选取2021年3月至2022年8月在河北医科大学第四医院初次住院治疗的95例ESCC患者作为ESCC组，另选取40例健康体检人群作为对照组。ELISA法检测全部研究对象的血清HMGB1和IDO水平及不同组ESCC细胞培养上清中HMGB1、IDO和p65水平，流式细胞术检测全部研究对象外周血淋巴细胞亚群水平。WB法检测仅敲低HMGB1基因表达或敲低HMGB1后再加入NF-κB信号通路激活剂对ESCC细胞HMGB1、IDO和p65表达的影响。结果：ESCC组患者血清HMGB1和IDO水平明显高于对照组（均P<0.01）；血清HMGB1和IDO表达水平升高是ESCC临床进展的独立危险因素（均P<0.01），二者联合检测对ESCC临床进展预测价值更高（P<0.01）；血清HMGB1和IDO与ESCC患者的T分期、N分期和临床分期有明显关联（均P<0.05）； ESCC组患者血清HMGB1与外周血CD3+ T细胞、CD4+ T细胞、B细胞和NK细胞绝对计数值呈显著负相关，而与Treg细胞百分率呈显著正相关（均P<0.05），血清IDO与外周血CD3+ T细胞百分率和绝对计数值、CD4+ T细胞百分率和绝对计数值、CD8+ T细胞和B细胞绝对计数值呈显著负相关，而与Treg细胞百分率呈显著正相关（均P<0.05）；血清HMGB1和IDO表达水平呈显著正相关（P<0.01）。si-HMGB1组KYSE30和ECA109细胞及其培养上清液中IDO和p65表达水平明显低于si-NC组和si-HMGB1+PMA组（均P<0.05）。结论：血清HMGB1和IDO与ESCC临床进展和机体免疫功能密切相关，具有成为ESCC肿瘤标志物和免疫治疗新靶点的潜力。HMGB1可能通过NF-κB信号通路促进IDO表达，进行双靶点联合治疗可能会取得更好的疗效。

Safety and efficacy of lacrimal canalicular plug in the treatment of severe chronic ocular graft-versus-host disease / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of lacrimal canalicular plug in the treatment of severe chronic ocular graft-versus-host disease(coGVHD).METHODS: Retrospective study. A total of 9 patients with severe coGVHD admitted to the dry eye clinic of the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from June to September 2022 were included. All patients underwent binocular inferior lacrimal canaliculus plug. Ocular surface disease index(OSDI)score, tear meniscus height(TMH), corneal fluorescein staining(CFS)scores, conjunctival lisamine green staining(CLGS)score, noninvasive breakup time(NIBUT), Schirmer Ⅰ test(SⅠt)and the infiltration of Langerhans cells in the superficial corneal stroma tested by confocal corneal microscopy were observed before treatment and at 1 and 3 mo after treatment. At the same time, the complications related to lacrimal canalicular plug implantation were evaluated.RESULTS: The OSDI score decreased from 67.33±12.64 before treatment to 21.89±6.07 after 3mo of treatment(P&#x003C;0.01); TMH increased from 0.09±0.02mm to 0.21±0.03mm after 3mo of treatment(P&#x003C;0.05), and NIBUT increased from 2.24±0.68s before treatment to 6.77±2.05s after 3mo of treatment(P&#x003C;0.01). In addition, the CFS and CLGS also changed significantly, from 9.11±1.45 and 6.33±1.00 before treatment to 2.22±0.67 and 2.56±0.88 at 3mo after treatment, respectively(all P&#x003C;0.01). The density of Langerhans cells decreased from 140.22±38.18cells/mm2 before treatment to 39.67±9.75cells/mm2 3mo after treatment(P&#x003C;0.01). SⅠt showed no significant difference before and after treatment(F=0.059, P=0.943). During the whole follow-up period, no complications such as plug abscission were observed.CONCLUSION: Lacrimal canalicular plug is safe and effective in the treatment of severe coGVHD. It can significantly improve the symptoms and signs of dry eye patients and reduce inflammatory reaction.

Analysis of interleukin-36 expression in tears of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients and its correlation with the ocular surface microenvironment / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To detect the expression of interleukin(IL)-36(α, β, γ)in tears of patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(allo-HSCT), investigate its correlation with ocular surface microenvironment, and further analyze the relationship between its expression and ocular graft-versus-host disease(oGVHD).METHODS: Prospective study. A total of 35 patients(70 eyes)underwent allo-HSCT in the hematology department of our hospital in January 2020 were selected, and 35 healthy volunteers(70 eyes)with appropriate age and gender were selected as normal control group. The patients in the allo-HSCT group were followed up 3 times after operation once every 3mo. The subjects with postoperative ocular symptoms were divided into oGVHD and Non-oGVHD group.Ocular surface disease index(OSDI)questionnaire, Schirmer test, tear break-up time(TBUT), corneal fluorescein staining(FL), and conjunctival impression cytology(CIC)was conducted in three groups. Furthermore, the expression levels of IL-36(α,β,γ)in tears were detected by ELISA.RESULTS: In the normal control group, IL-36(α, β, γ)expression levels were 74.32±5.27, 70.02±8.43, 97.41±8.66 pg/mL, respectively; in the allo-HSCT group, IL-36(α, β, γ)baseline expression levels were 77.27±7.03, 74.53±7.53, 100.77±9.74 pg/mL, with no statistically significant differences between the two groups(t=1.648, 1.954, 1.262, all P&#x003E;0.05). There were no significant differences in IL-36α, IL-36β and IL-36γ in Non-oGVHD group at different time points(P&#x003E;0.05), while there were significant differences in IL-36α, IL-36β and IL-36γ in oGVHD group at different time points(P&#x003C;0.05). Compared with Non-oGVHD group, the levels of IL-36α and IL-36β at different time points were significantly increased in oGVHD group(all P&#x003C;0.05).IL-36(α, β, γ)of oGVHD group was positively correlated with OSDI score, FL and CIC, while it was negatively correlated with TBUT and Schirmer test(all P&#x003C;0.05).CONCLUSION: Evaluation of levels of tear IL-36(α, β, γ)can be of significance in diagnosing oGVHD after allo-HSCT. IL-36(α, β, γ)is highly expressed in the tears of oGVHD patients before the onset of ocular symptoms, and it is correlated with the ocular surface parameters.

Safety and efficacy of intense pulsed light in the treatment of severe chronic ocular graft-versus-host disease / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To investigate the safety and efficacy of intense pulsed light in the treatment of severe chronic ocular graft-versus-host disease.METHODS: Prospective randomized controlled study. A total of 35 cases(35 eyes), who had a history of allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(allo-HSCT), admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from January to September 2022 and were diagnosed by our hospital's hematology and ophthalmology departments with severe chronic ocular graft-versus-host disease(coGVHD)were selected. One eye was randomly selected for inclusion in the study if both eyes met the enrollment criteria, and the eye was selected if a single eye met the enrollment criteria. All patients were administrated with Dextran and Hypromellose eye drops 4 times a day and Cyclosporine eye drops twice a day. The experimental group was additionally treated with intense pulsed light, once every two weeks a week, for 4 times in total. The evaluation indicators were evaluated before treatment and 2wk, 1 and 2mo after treatment. The evaluation indicators include ocular surface disease index(OSDI)score, best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), intraocular pressure(IOP), tear meniscus height(TMH), non-invasive break-up time(NIBUT), conjunctival injection score(CIS), meibomian gland area proportion(MGAP), meibomian gland evaluation(MGE), cornea fluorescein staining(CFS), conjunctival lissamine green staining(CLGS), lid margin abnormality score(LMAS), and Schirmer's Ⅰ test(SⅠt).RESULTS: After treatment, OSDI score, TMH, NIBUT, BCVA, CFS, CLGS, and CIS improved in both groups compared with those before treatment(all P&#x003C;0.05), with NIBUT, CFS and CLGS showing more significant improvements in the test group. In the control group, MGAP, MGE of the upper and lower eyelids and LMAS did not change significantly before and after treatment(P&#x003E;0.05), while in the experimental group, MGAP of the lower eyelids, MGE of upper and lower eyelids and LMAS improved compared with those before treatment(P&#x003C;0.05), except for MGAP of the upper eyelids, which did not differ from that before treatment(P&#x003E;0.05). There was no difference in SⅠt and IOP between the two groups before and after treatment(P&#x003E;0.05). Patients did not experience adverse reactions such as skin burns, redness and swelling in the treated area and eyelash loss during the follow-up period.CONCLUSION: Intense pulsed light is safe and effective in the treatment of severe coGVHD, which can significantly improve the symptoms and signs of patients and enhance the stability of tear film.

Chemical constituents in different parts of Ixeris sonchifolia based on UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS~n / 中国中药杂志

The chemical constituents in stem leaf, root, and flower of Ixeris sonchifolia were identified by the ultra performance li-quid chromatography coupled with linear ion trap quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry(UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS~n). The separation was performed on an Acquity UPLC BEH C_(18) column(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.7 μm) with a mobile phase of water(containing 0.1% formic acid, A)-acetonitrile(B) with gradient elution. With electrospray ionization source, the data of 70% methanol extract from stem leaf, root and flower of I. sonchifolia were collected by high-resolution full-scan Fourier transform spectroscopy, data dependent acquisition, precursor ion scan, and selected ion monitoring in the negative and positive ion modes. The compounds were identified based on accurate molecular weight, retention time, fragment ions, comparison with reference standard, Clog P and references. A total of 131 compounds were identified from the 70% methanol extract of I. sonchifolia, including nucleosides, flavonoids, organic acids, terpenoids, and phenylpropanoids, and 119, 110, and 126 compounds were identified from the stem leaf, root and flower of I. sonchifolia, respectively. In addition, isorhamnetin, isorhamnetin-7-O-sambubioside and caffeylshikimic acid were discovered from I. sonchifolia for the first time. This study comprehensively analyzed and compared the chemical constituents in different parts of I. sonchifolia, which facilitated the discovery of effective substances and the development and application of medicinal material resources of I. sonchifolia.

Clinical analysis of P2Y2 receptor agonist in the treatment of diabetic dry eye / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of P2Y2 agonist diquafosol sodium(DQS)eye drops in the treatment of diabetic dry eye.METHODS: A total of 80 patients(160 eyes)with diabetic dry eye who admitted to our hospital from January 2022 to March 2022 were selected. They were randomly divided into study group and control group. A total of 40 patients(80 eyes)in the study group were treated with 3% DQS eye drops and 40 patients(80 eyes)in the control group were treated with 0.3% sodium hyaluronate eye drops. The ocular surface disease index(OSDI)score, non-invasive tear meniscus height(NITMH), first non-invasive tear film break-up time(NIBUTf), average non-invasive tear film break-up time(NIBUTav), tarsal gland loss score, lipid layer thickness grade and bulbar redness analysis(including conjunctival grade and ciliary grade), were examined before treatment and at 1wk, 1 and 3mo after treatment, respectively. Furthermore, corneal fluorescence staining and conjunctival lissamine green staining were analyzed based on the ocular surface staining score(OSS), and the conjunctival impression cytology and confocal microscopy were evaluated before and 3mo after treatment, respectively.RESULTS: There were no differences in OSDI score, tarsal gland loss score, conjunctival grade score and ciliary grade score between the two groups before and after treatment(P&#x0026;#x003E;0.05). OSS scores in the study group were lower than those in the control group, while NITMH, NIBUTf and NIBUTav were higher than those in the control group at 1 and 3mo after treatment(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05). After 3mo of treatment, the density of conjunctival goblet cells increased and corneal dendritic cells decreased in the study group compared with the baseline(all P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05), while there were no significant changes in the control group compared with the baseline(all P&#x0026;#x003E;0.05).CONCLUSION: 3% DQS eye drops were effective in treating diabetic dry eye without serious complications.

The pattern of alternative splicing and DNA methylation alteration and their interaction in linseed (Linum usitatissimum L) response to repeated drought stresses

BACKGROUND: Drought stress has significantly hampered agricultural productivity worldwide and can also result in modifications to DNA methylation levels. However, the dynamics of DNA methylation and its association with the changes in gene transcription and alternative splicing (AS) under drought stress are unknown in linseed, which is frequently cultivated in arid and semiarid regions. RESULTS: We analysed AS events and DNA methylation patterns in drought-tolerant (Z141) and drought-sensitive (NY-17) linseed under drought stress (DS) and repeated drought stress (RD) treatments. We found that the number of intron-retention (IR) and alternative 3' splice site (Alt3'SS) events were significantly higher in Z141 and NY-17 under drought stress. We found that the linseed response to the DS treatment was mainly regulated by transcription, while the response to the RD treatment was coregulated by transcription and AS. Whole genome-wide DNA methylation analysis revealed that drought stress caused an increase in the overall methylation level of linseed. Although we did not observe any correlation between differentially methylated genes (DMGs) and differentially spliced genes (DSGs) in this study, we found that the DSGs whose gene body region was hypermethylated in Z141 and hypomethylated in NY-17 were enriched in abiotic stress response Gene Ontology (GO) terms. This finding implies that gene body methylation plays an important role in AS regulation in some specific genes. CONCLUSION: Our study is the first comprehensive genome-wide analysis of the relationship between linseed methylation changes and AS under drought and repeated drought stress. Our study revealed different interaction patterns between differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and DSGs under DS and RD treatments and differences between methylation and AS regulation in drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive linseed varieties. The findings will probably be of interest in the future. Our results provide interesting insights into the association between gene expression, AS, and DNA methylation in linseed under drought stress. Differences in these associations may account for the differences in linseed drought tolerance.

Common Syndromes of Cerebral Infarction Patients in Rural Areas of Eastern Henan Based on Latent Structure Model and Factor Analysis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the common syndromes of patients with cerebral infarction in rural areas of eastern Henan based on latent structure model and factor analysis，and provide reference for clinical differentiation of cerebral infarction. MethodThe data samples of patients with cerebral infarction in rural areas in eastern Henan were preprocessed. With Lantern 5.0 of latent structure method and LTM-EAST algorithm of two-step latent tree analysis， the manifest variable latent structure model of related symptoms was built to interpret different latent nodes， and common syndromes of cerebral infarction were obtained via comprehensive cluster analysis. SPSS 20.0 was used for factor analysis and cluster analysis of related symptoms to infer the distribution of syndrome types. ResultThe data of 888 patients with cerebral infarction were included， involving symptoms， tongue and pulse （88 in total）. The 65 symptoms with a frequency of ≥5% were constructed into a latent structure model， and 31 latent variables were obtained. The Bayesian information criterion （BIC） score was -15 367.17. Based on professional knowledge， s6 common syndrome types were found， namely， syndrome of upward disturbance of wind-fire， Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome， syndrome of phlegm and blood stasis blocking collaterals， syndrome of phlegm-heat and fu-organ excess， syndrome of wind phlegm obstructing collaterals， and syndrome of stirring wind due to yin deficiency. In factor analysis， the symptoms with a frequency of >10% were selected， and 13 common factors were obtained and used for systematic cluster analysis. And 5 syndrome types were inferred： syndrome of wind phlegm obstructing collaterals， syndrome of phlegm-heat and fu-organ excess， Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome， syndrome of combined phlegm and blood stasis， and syndrome of yin deficiency and internal heat. According to the determination criteria of syndrome types in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， 6 common syndrome types of cerebral infarction were finally determined. ConclusionAccording to the severity of the disease， the common syndromes of patients with cerebral infarction in rural areas of Eastern Henan were divided into the following categories： apoplexy involving channel and collateral： syndrome of upward disturbance of wind fire， syndrome of wind phlegm obstructing collaterals， and syndrome of stirring wind due to yin deficiency. Apoplexy involving zang and fu-viscera： syndrome of phlegm-heat and fu-organ excess， and syndrome of phlegm and blood stasis blocking collaterals. Recovery period： Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome. This study was basically consistent with the syndrome law in TCM theory， and provided reference for further establishing syndrome diagnostic criteria of cerebral infarction.

Efficacy of campus-based suicide gatekeeper training programs:a Meta analysis / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#This systematic review is performed to examine and summarize the effects of suicide gatekeeper training programs conducted in a school setting, with the aim to provide evidence for the construction of effective suicide prevention strategies on campuses.@*Methods@#The Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMbase, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database(CBM), CNKI, Wanfang and Vip datebases were searched for randomized controlled trials on the training of suicide gatekeepers. Two researchers screened the literature according to the inclusion criteria, extracted the data, evaluated the quality. Then a qualitative description or quantitative synthesis strategy was adopted.@*Results@#Among the 9 eligible studies, a number of different types of gatekeeper training programs were identified, including Question, Persuade and Refer(QPR), Sources of Strength(SOS) based on peer support, the Youth Aware of Mental Health Program(YAM), and Screening by Professionals(Prof Screen) and other training approaches. These training programs, to various degrees, have improved trainees knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy. And YAM was effective in reducing the number of suicide attempts and severe suicidal ideation in school-based adolescents.@*Conclusion@#The current studies mainly focused on the short-term effects of suicide gatekeeper training programs(knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy). Ideally future research should pay more attention to the long-term outcomes.

Analysis of treatment methods and prognostic factors in 354 cases of hilar cholangiocarcinoma: A cohort study

Context: Better management strategies are needed to improve the survival of patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HCCA). Aims: This study was designed to examine the effects of different treatment methods on survival and prognostic factors in HCCA. Settings and Design: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 354 patients with HCCA treated at our institution from 2003 to 2013. Materials and Methods: Patients were divided into three groups according to the treatment: the radical resection group, the nonradical resection group, and the biliary drainage-only group. Statistical Analysis Used: The Kaplan–Meier method was used to compare survival rates between the groups, and the independent prognostic factors were assessed using the Cox proportional hazards model. Results: There were 110 patients in the radical resection group, 93 patients in the nonradical resection group, and 151 patients in the biliary drainage-only group, and they showed differing survival rates: 1-year survival rates of 70.7%, 49.5%, and 31.3%; 2-year survival rates of 62.9%, 24.7%, and 9.0%; 3-year survival rates of 34.7%, 4.0%, and 0%; and median survival of 21.7 months, 13.6 months, and 8.7 months, respectively. The radical resection group had the longest overall survival (P< 0.001). Treatment method, albumin (ALB), total bilirubin (TBIL), postoperative pathological T-stage, and distant metastasis were identified as independent prognostic indicators of survival. Conclusions: Radical resection significantly increases survival in patients with HCCA, and an increase in ALB and a decrease in TBIL improve the prognosis of patients with HCCA

Transcriptome-wide identification and profiling of miRNAs in a stress-tolerant conifer Sabina chinensis

miRNAs are important regulatory components involving in many biological processes, including plantdevelopment, vegetative and reproductive growth, and stress response. However, identification and characterization of miRNAs still remain limited for conifer species. In this study, with deep sequencing, we obtained1,314,450 unique reads with 18–30 nt length from a stress-tolerant conifer, Sabina chinensis. We identified 37conserved and 103 novel miRNAs, their unique characteristics were further analyzed, and 10 randomlyselected were validated by qRT-PCR. Through miRNA target predictions and annotations, we found miRNAmay have several targets as well a target could be regulated by several miRNAs, and a total of 2,397 mRNAswere predicted to be targets of the 140 miRNAs. These targets included not only important transcription factorssuch as auxin response factors, but also indispensable non-transcriptional factor proteins. Pathway-basedanalysis showed that S. chinensis miRNAs are involved in 172 metabolic pathways, of which 3 were discovered in adaptation-related pathways, indicating their possible relevance to the species’ stress-tolerancecharacteristics. This study is expected to lay the foundation for exploring the regulative roles of miRNAs indevelopment, growth, and response to environmental stresses of S. chinensis.

Research progress on pathogenic genes and molecular mechanisms of nonsyndromic tooth agenesis / 口腔疾病防治

@#Tooth agenesis is a common tooth number deficiency that occurs in the tooth-forming process or earlier period of tooth germ development and has a serious impact on the maxillofacial development, aesthetics and masticatory function of patients. According to the presence or absence of systemic symptoms, tooth agenesis can be divided into syndromic tooth agenesis and nonsyndromic tooth agenesis. In recent years, the discovery of new related genes, new mutation sites and related molecular mechanisms has become a major direction of gene research. This article will review the current research progress of the signaling pathways related to nonsyndromic tooth agenesis, such as the WNT/beta-catenin pathway, TGF-β/BMP pathway, PAX9, MSX1, and the EDA/EDAR/NF-κb pathway, and their molecular mechanisms. The interaction between Pax9 activating the Wnt/β-catenin and TGF-β/BMP pathways, MSX1 activating the TGF-β/BMP pathway, and Wnt activating the EDA/EDAR/NF-κb pathway was also found, which provides a new theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of tooth agenesis. The molecular mechanism of nonsyndromic tooth agenesis is rarely studied; thus, the exploration of its mechanism will become one of the main research directions in the future.

Evaluation of glide path preparation and shaping ability of two nickel-titanium engine driven systems in moderate curved root canals / 上海交通大学学报（医学版）

Objective:To evaluate the clinical application effect of two nickel-titanium engine driven systems on moderate curved root canals. Methods:Ninety mesial root canals with moderate curvature of extracted human first mandibular permanent molar were randomly divided into three groups: M3 PRO Group, MTwo group and K group. The glide path was firstly prepared by using #10/04 file in M3 PRO group and MTwo group and #10 file in K group respectively.Then the preparation of root canals up to #25 was performed according to the instruction manual in each different group using standardized technique. All data including time required in glide path preparation, shaping preparation, total root canals preparation and changes of working length in root canal were recorded and analyzed statistically by using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and LSD-t tests (P<0.05). Results:Root canal glide path preparation time: MTwo group showed significantly less preparation time while M3 PRO group exhibited significantly the longest preparation time. There was significant difference between MTwo group and M3 PRO group (P=0.001). Root canal shaping preparation time: M3 PRO group showed significantly less preparation time while K group exhibited significantly the longest preparation time. Both MTwo group and M3 PRO group showed significantly less preparation time than K group (P=0.004, P=0.001), but there was no significant difference between MTwo group and M3 PRO group (P=0.573). Total root canal preparation time: MTwo group showed the shortest time while K group exhibited the longest time. There were significant differences between MTwo group, M3 PRO group and K group (P=0.004, P=0.033), but no significant difference between MTwo group and M3 PRO group (P=0.451). Changes of root canal working length: There were significant differences among the three groups (P=0.037, P=0.037, P=0.000). M3 PRO group showed a minimal change while K group exhibited significant changes. Conclusion:MTwo nickel-titanium engine driven system with #10/04 file preform a high efficiency in glide path preparation, whilst M3 PRO nickel-titanium engine driven system show less changes in working length. Under the circumstances where the total time required for root canal preparation is not significant, M3 PRO nickel-titanium engine driven system is more suitable for root canal preparation in moderate curved root canals.

Advances in research on NLRP3 pyroptosis in ophthalmology / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain(NOD)-like receptor family contains Pryrin domain protein 3(NLRP3)inflammasome, which is an intracellular protein complex. Large release of ROS can activate the production of intracellular NLRP3 inflammasome. It consists of NLRP3, a cysteine protease recruitment domain(ASC),and a pro-caspase-1 precursor, can activate caspase-1 while being assembled. Then, the cytokines interleukin-1 and interleukin-18(pro-Il-1/18)are cleaved into mature forms by caspase-1 to perform their pro-inflammatory functions. pyroptosis refers to the programmed cell death of Caspase-1-dependent cells mediated by inflammasome. This article reviews the structure and function of NLRP3 inflammasome, its relationship with pyroptosis, and the research progress in ophthalmic diseases.

Comparison of heart failure and COVID-19 in chest CT features and clinical characteristics / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: To identify the characteristics including clinical features and pulmonary computed tomography (CT) features of heart failure and COVID-19. Methods: This study was a retrospective study. A total of 7 patients with heart failure and 12 patients with COVID-19 in the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University between December 1, 2019 and February 15, 2020 were enrolled. The baseline clinical and imaging features of the two groups were statistically analyzed. Results: There was no significant difference in age and sex between the two groups(both P>0.05), but the incidence of epidemiological contact history, fever or respiratory symptoms in the COVID-19 group was significantly higher than that in the heart failure group (12/12 vs. 0, P<0.001; 12/12 vs. 4/7, P=0.013). While the proportion of cardiovascular diseases and impaired cardiac function was significantly less than that of the heart failure group(2/12 vs.7/7, P<0.001；0 vs.7/7, P<0.001). For imaging features, both groups had ground-glass opacity and thickening of interlobular septum, but the ratio of central and gradient distribution was higher in patients with heart failure than that in patients with COVID-19 (4/7 vs. 1/12, P=0.04). In heart failure group, the ratio of the expansion of pulmonary veins was also higher (3/7 vs. 0，P=0.013), and the lung lesions can be significantly improved after effective anti-heart failure treatment. Besides, there were more cases with rounded morphology in COVID-19 group（9/12 vs. 2/7, P=0.048）. Conclusions: More patients with COVID-19 have epidemiological history and fever or respiratory symptoms. There are significant differences in chest CT features, such as enlargement of pulmonary veins, lesions distribution and morphology between heart failure and COVID-19.

Effect of Jingui Shenqiwan Combined with Fracture Three-stage Syndrome Differentiation on Recovery of Patients with Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures After Operation / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the short-term and long-term efficacy of Jingui Shenqiwan combined with three-stage syndrome differentiation on osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) after operation, and its regulatory effect on biomarkers of bone metabolism. Method:One hundred and thirty-five patients were randomly divided into control group (67 cases) and observation group (68 cases) by random number table. A total of 58 patients in control group completed the treatment (4 patients were exfoliated, 2 patients were lost to follow-up, 3 patients were eliminated); and 60 patients in observation group completed the treatment (3 patients were exfoliated, 2 patients were lost to follow-up, 3 patients were eliminated). Both groups patients were given calcitonin injection through intramuscular injection, 20 u/time, 1 time/week, for 12 weeks, calcium carbonate D3 chewable tablets (Ⅱ), 1 tablet/time, 2 times/day, and alendronate sodium tablets, 70 mg/time, 1 time/week. Patients in control group got Bushen Jiangu capsule, 4 grains/time, 3 times/day. And patients in observation group got modified Jingui Shenqiwan combined with fracture three-stage symptom differentiation, 1 dose/day. The courses of treatment in the two groups were 24 weeks, and a 24 week follow-up was provided. Before the operation and at the 12th and 24th week after operation, the short-term efficacy indexes, such as back pain, lumbar function, traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes and complications, were recorded. And the long-term efficacy indexes, such as recovery of responsible vertebral body, lumbar function, bone density and quality of life and incidence of 48 week re-fracture, were also recorded. Before and after operation, levels of bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP), osteocalcin (BGP), tartrate resistant acid phosphatase-5b (TRAP-5b), type I collagen carboxy terminal prepeptide (PICP), type I collagen cross-linked C-terminal peptide (β-CTX) and N-MID-OT were detected, and the safety was evaluated. Result:The comprehensive efficacy in observation group was superior to that in control group (Z=2.026, P<0.05). At the 12th and 24th week after operation, scores of back pain, lumbar function and TCM syndromes were all lower than those in control group (P<0.01), and score of lumbar function at the 48th week after operation was also lower than that in control group (P<0.01). Bone density was higher than that in control group at the 24th and 48th week after operation, and score of quality of life was lower than that in control group (P<0.01). At the 24th and 48th week after operation, Cobb angles were less than those in control group, and heights of responsible centrums (anterior, central, posterior) were higher than those in control group. Cumulative incidence of complications in control group was 51.72% (30/58), which was higher than 26.67% (16/60) in control group (χ2=7.784, P<0.01). The levels of BGP were higher than those in observation group at the 24th and 48th week after operation, and the levels of BALP, TRAP-5b, PICP, β-CTX and N-MID-OT were all lower than those in control group (P<0.01). And there was no side effect relating to Jingui Shenqiwan. Conclusion:Modified Jingui Shenqiwan combined with fracture three-stage symptom differentiation can reduce the symptoms of back pain and promote the recovery of lumbar function, with a significant short-term comprehensive efficacy. In the long term, it can improve the strength of responsible centrums, restore the anatomical structure of injured centrums, increase the bone density of centrums, further improve the lumbar function, reduce the occurrence of complications, regulate the markers of bone metabolism, and improve osteoporosis.

Characterization of the transcriptional profiles in common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) under PEG-mediated drought stress

BACKGROUND: Common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) is an important staple food crop in southwest China, where drought stress is one of the largest limiting factors that lead to decreased crop production. To reveal the molecular mechanism of common buckwheat in response to drought stress, we performed a comprehensive transcriptomics study to evaluate gene expression profiles of common buckwheat during PEG-mediated drought treatment. RESULTS: In total, 45 million clean reads were assembled into 53,404 unigenes with an average length of 749 bp and N50 length of 1296 bp. A total of 1329 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by comparing wellwatered and drought-treated plants, out of which 666 were upregulated and 663 were downregulated. Furthermore, we defined the functional characteristics of DEGs using GO and KEGG classifications. GO enrichment analysis showed that the DEGs were significantly overrepresented in four categories, namely, "oxidoreductase activity," "oxidation­reduction process," "xyloglucan:xyloglucosyl transferase activity," and "apoplast." Using KEGG pathway analysis, a large number of annotated genes were overrepresented in terms such as "plant hormone signal transduction," "phenylpropanoid biosynthesis," "photosynthesis," and "carbon metabolism." Conclusions: These results can be further exploited to investigate the molecular mechanism of common buckwheat in response to drought treatment and could supply with valuable molecular sources for abiotic-tolerant elite breeding programs in the future.

Inhibitory effect of reduced graphene oxide-silver nanocomposite on progression of artificial enamel caries

Abstract The use of antimicrobial agents is an efficient method to prevent dental caries. Also, nanometric antibacterial agents with wide antibacterial spectrum and strong antibacterial effects can be applied for prevention of dental caries. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory effect of reduced graphene oxide-silver nanoparticles (rGO/Ag) composite on the progression of artificial enamel caries in a Streptococcus mutans biofilm model. Material and Methods: Enamel specimens from bovine incisors were divided into eight treatment groups (n = 13), as follows: group 1 was inoculated with S. mutans grown in Brain Heart Infusion containing 1% sucrose (1% BHIS), as negative control; groups 2-4 were inoculated with S. mutans grown in the presence of different rGO/Ag concentrations (0.08, 0.12, 0.16 mg/mL) + 1% BHIS; group 5-7 were inoculated with S. mutans grown in the presence of different agents (0.16 mg/mL reduced graphene oxide, 0.16 mg/mL silver nanoparticles, 10 ppm NaF) + 1% BHIS; group 8 was mixed with 1% BHIS, without inoculation. Artificial enamel carious lesions were produced by S. mutans biofilm model for 7 days. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to analyze roughness and morphology of the enamel surface. Polarized light microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy were employed to measure the lesion depth and the relative optical density (ROD) of the demineralized layer. Results: Compared with the control groups, the rGO/Ag groups showed: (a) reduced enamel surface roughness; (b) much smoother and less eroded surfaces; (c) shallower lesion depth and less mineral loss. Conclusion: As a novel composite material, rGO/Ag can be a promising antibacterial agent for caries prevention.

Effect of Modified Wuzi Yanzong Pill () on Tip60-Mediated Apoptosis in Testis of Male Rats after Microwave Radiation / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effect of a modified Wuzi Yanzong Pill (, WZYZP) on the male rats' testis after microwave radiation, as well as its potential mechanism.@*METHODS@#Forty-five male rats were randomly assigned to three groups: the control group, the radiation group, and the WZYZP group. The rats in the radiation group and WZYZP group were exposed to microwave radiation for 15 min once, while the rats in the control group were not exposed to any radiation. The rats in the WZYZP group were given a modified of WZYZP by gavage daily for 7 days. Apoptosis in the testis was evaluated using terminal-deoxynucleoitidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Histopathological alterations of the testis were observed by haematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Tat-interactive protein, 60kD (Tip60) and p53 expressions were determined by Western blotting.@*RESULTS@#The apoptosis index (AI) in the radiation group was higher than that of the WZYZP group and control group on day 1 (D1), day 7 (D7) day 14 (D14) after radiation (P<0.05). The seminiferous tubules were of normal morphology in the control group. In the radiation group, the partial seminiferous tubules were collapsed, basement membranes of the seminiferous epithelia became detached. WZYZP could restore the morphological changes. There was no expression of Tip60 among the three groups on D7 and D14. The expression of p53 was higher in the radiation group than in the control group (P<0.05). WZYZP could down-regulate the rising p53 induced by radiation on D7 and D14 (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#A modified WZYZP may affect germ cells, and its protective effects may partly result from its ability to intervene in Tip60 mediated apoptosis.