Correlations between transepidermal water loss rates and stratum corneum hydration levels in healthy children / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective:To determine whether the transepidermal water loss rate (TEWL) is correlated with the stratum corneum (SC) hydration level.Methods:Healthy children aged ≤ 17 years were enrolled from Medical Center for Public Health of Puning, 2 kindergartens and 2 primary schools, from October 2021 to June 2022. TEWL and SC hydration levels were measured on the left forearm and right anterior shank using a device for measuring skin physiological funcitons. Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine the correlations between TEWL and SC hydration levels in children of different ages and genders.Results:A total of 1 396 healthy children were enrolled, aged from 1 month to 17 years. Among them, 783 were male children and 613 were female children. In children aged 1 to < 12 months, no correlation was observed between TEWL and SC hydration levels on the forearms of male children, while TEWL was positively correlated with SC hydration levels on the anterior shanks of male children, as well as on the forearm and anterior shanks of female children ( r = 0.283, 0.404, 0.420, respectively, all P < 0.05) . In children aged 1 to 2 years, positive correlations were observed between the above two indicators on the anterior shanks of male children and forearms of female children ( r = 0.370, 0.419, respectively, both P < 0.01) , while there were no correlations between the two indicators on the anterior shanks of female children or forearms of male children. Positive correlations were observed between TEWL and SC hydration levels on both the forearms and anterior shanks of female children and the forearms of male children aged 3 to 5 years and 6 to 11 years ( r values ranging from 0.172 to 0.293, all P < 0.05) , but not on the anterior shanks of male children aged from 6 to 11 years. The group aged 12 to 17 years exhibited significantly positive correlations between TEWL and SC hydration levels on both the anterior shanks and forearms of male and female children ( r values ranging from 0.269 to 0.485, all P < 0.001) . Conclusion:SC hydration levels are positively correlated with TEWL on the anterior shanks and forearms of healthy children, and the degree of correlation tends to increase with age.

Molecular mechanism and treatment strategy of colorectal cancer peritoneal metastasis / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Peritoneal metastatic colorectal cancer (pmCRC) is common and has been considered as the terminal stage. The theory of "seed and soil" and "oligometastasis" are the acknowledged hypotheses of pathogenesis of pmCRC. In recent years, the molecular mechanism related to pmCRC has been deeply researched. We realize that the formation of peritoneal metastasis, from detachment of cells from primary tumor to mesothelial adhesion and invasion, depends on the interplay of multiple molecules. Various components of tumor microenvironment also work as regulators in this process. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) have been widely used in clinical practice as an established treatment for pmCRC. Besides systemic chemotherapy, targeted and immunotherapeutic drugs are also increasingly used to improve prognosis. This article reviews the molecular mechanisms and treatment strategies related to pmCRC.

HIV-1 Subtype Diversity and Factors Affecting Drug Resistance among Patients with Virologic Failure in Antiretroviral Therapy in Hainan Province, China, 2014-2020 / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#This study aimed to determine the HIV-1 subtype distribution and HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) in patients with ART failure from 2014 to 2020 in Hainan, China.@*METHODS@#A 7-year cross-sectional study was conducted among HIV/AIDS patients with ART failure in Hainan. We used online subtyping tools and the maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree to confirm the HIV subtypes with pol sequences. Drug resistance mutations (DRMs) were analyzed using the Stanford University HIV Drug Resistance Database.@*RESULTS@#A total of 307 HIV-infected patients with ART failure were included, and 241 available pol sequences were obtained. Among 241 patients, CRF01_AE accounted for 68.88%, followed by CRF07_BC (17.00%) and eight other subtypes (14.12%). The overall prevalence of HIVDR was 61.41%, and the HIVDR against non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), and protease inhibitors (PIs) were 59.75%, 45.64%, and 2.49%, respectively. Unemployed patients, hypoimmunity or opportunistic infections in individuals, and samples from 2017 to 2020 increased the odd ratios of HIVDR. Also, HIVDR was less likely to affect female patients. The common DRMs to NNRTIs were K103N (21.99%) and Y181C (20.33%), and M184V (28.21%) and K65R (19.09%) were the main DRMs against NRTIs.@*CONCLUSION@#The present study highlights the HIV-1 subtype diversity in Hainan and the importance of HIVDR surveillance over a long period.

HIV-1 Transmission among Injecting Drug Users is Principally Derived from Local Circulating Strains in Guangxi, China / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#The mode of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission via injection drug use (IDU) still exists, and the recent shift in IDU-related transmission of HIV infection is largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to analyze the spatiotemporal sources and dynamics of HIV-1 transmission through IDU in Guangxi.@*METHODS@#We performed a molecular epidemiological investigation of infections across Guangxi from 2009 to 2019. Phylogenetic and Bayesian time-geographic analyses of HIV-1 sequences were performed to confirm the characteristics of transmission between IDUs in combination with epidemiological data.@*RESULTS@#Among the 535 subjects, CRF08_BC (57.4%), CRF01_AE (28.4%), and CRF07_BC (10.7%) were the top 3 HIV strains; 72.6% of infections were linked to other provinces in the transmission network; 93.6% of sequence-transmitted strains were locally endemic, with the rest coming from other provinces, predominantly Guangdong and Yunnan; 92.1% of the HIV transmission among people who inject drugs tended to be transmitted between HIV-positive IDUs.@*CONCLUSION@#HIV recombinants were high diversity, and circulating local strains were the transmission sources among IDUs in Guangxi. However, there were still cases of IDUs linked to other provinces. Coverage of traditional prevention strategies should be expanded, and inter-provincial collaboration between Guangxi, Yunnan, and Guangdong provinces should be strengthened.

Promotion effect of TGF-β-Zfp423-ApoD pathway on lip sensory recovery after nerve sacrifice caused by nerve collateral compensation / 国际口腔科学杂志·英文版

Resection of oral and maxillofacial tumors is often accompanied by the inferior alveolar nerve neurectomy, resulting in abnormal sensation in lower lip. It is generally believed that spontaneous sensory recovery in this nerve injury is difficult. However, during our follow-up, patients with inferior alveolar nerve sacrifice showed different degrees of lower lip sensory recovery. In this study, a prospective cohort study was conducted to demonstrate this phenomenon and analyze the factors influencing sensory recovery. A mental nerve transection model of Thy1-YFP mice and tissue clearing technique were used to explore possible mechanisms in this process. Gene silencing and overexpression experiments were then conducted to detect the changes in cell morphology and molecular markers. In our follow-up, 75% of patients with unilateral inferior alveolar nerve neurectomy had complete sensory recovery of the lower lip 12 months postoperatively. Patients with younger age, malignant tumors, and preservation of ipsilateral buccal and lingual nerves had a shorter recovery time. The buccal nerve collateral sprouting compensation was observed in the lower lip tissue of Thy1-YFP mice. ApoD was demonstrated to be involved in axon growth and peripheral nerve sensory recovery in the animal model. TGF-β inhibited the expression of STAT3 and the transcription of ApoD in Schwann cells through Zfp423. Overall, after sacrificing the inferior alveolar nerve, the collateral compensation of the ipsilateral buccal nerve could innervate the sensation. And this process was regulated by TGF-β-Zfp423-ApoD pathway.

Validation the clinical value of good outcome following attempted resuscitation scores in Chinese populations in predicting the prognosis of in-hospital cardiac arrest / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To verify the clinical value of the good outcome following attempted resuscitation (GO-FAR) score in predicting the neurological status of patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) in the Chinese population.Methods:The clinical data of patients with IHCA who were admitted to the Zigong Fourth People's Hospital from January 1 to December 31, 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Used Glasgow-Pittsburgh cerebral performance category (CPC) score 1 point as the end point, the subjects were divided into 4 groups according to the score: ≤ 0 group, 1-8 group, 9-20 group and ≥ 21 group. Taken the group which GO-FAR score ≤ 0 as the reference group, the odds ratio ( OR) of the other three groups compared with this group was calculated. The receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was performed to evaluate the predictive value of the GO-FAR score in favorable neurological outcome. A calibration curve was drawn for the Hosmer-Lemeshow test to analyze the degree of calibration of the GO-FAR score for predicting good neurological outcome. Results:A total of 230 IHCA patients were enrolled in the study, including 130 males, aged 74 (65, 81) years old, and 23 case (10.0%) had good neurological prognosis. There were statistically significant differences in GO-FAR-related variables, including age, a normal neurological function on admitted, acute stroke, metastatic cancer, septicemia, medical noncardiac admission, hepatic insufficiency, hypotension, renal insufficiency or dialysis, respiratory insufficiency, pneumonia, etc (all P < 0.05). Taken the GO-FAR score ≤ 0 group as the reference group, the OR values of good neurological prognosis in the GO-FAR score 1-8 group were 0.54 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 0.17-1.53, P = 0.250], 9-20 group were 0.17 (95% CI was 0.02-0.67, P = 0.009) and ≥ 21 group were 0.25 (95% CI was 0.05-0.85, P = 0.025). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the GO-FAR score for predicting favorable neurological outcome in IHCA patients was 0.653 (95% CI was 0.529-0.777, P = 0.015) and there was no significant difference in Hosmer-Lemeshow test ( P = 0.311). All these suggested that there was no significant difference between the predicted value and the actual value. Conclusions:GO-FAR score can be applied to predict neurological prognosis of IHCA patients in Chinese population. It can help clinicians to predict the prognosis of cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and propose critical recommendations in treatment for these patients or their families.

Does dry skin indicate defective epidermal permeability barrier? / 中华皮肤科杂志

It has been speculated that dry skin results from dysfunction of epidermal permeability barrier. But so far, there is no sufficient evidence to support this speculation. In fact, dry skin indicates low levels of stratum corneum hydration. Stratum corneum hydration levels are primarily determined by the content of natural moisturizers in the skin, while epidermal permeability barrier is mainly regulated by intercellular lipids and structural proteins in the stratum corneum. If dry skin is due to a defective permeability barrier, stratum corneum hydration levels should be inversely correlated with transepidermal water loss (TEWL) , an indicator of epidermal permeability barrier function. But no negative correlation has been demonstrated between stratum corneum hydration levels and TEWL in either normal human skin, ichthyoses lesions of patients, or sebaceous gland-deficient mice in a number of studies. In contrast, a positive correlation between stratum corneum hydration levels and TEWL was observed in normal human skin. Taken together, a line of evidence suggests that dry skin unlikely indicates epidermal permeability barrier dysfunction.

Effect of artesunate on intestinal ischemia/reperfusion-induced lung injury in mice and relationship with heme oxygenase-1 / 中华麻醉学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the effect of artesunate on intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced lung injury in mice and relationship with heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1).Methods:Twenty-four healthy SPF male C57BL/6 mice, aged 8-9 weeks, weighing 18-22 g, were divided into 4 groups ( n=6 each) using a random number table method: sham operation group (group Sham), intestinal I/R group (group I/R), artesunate group (group A), and artesunate plus HO-1 inhibitor Zinc protoporphyrin Ⅸ(ZnPP) group (group AS). The model of intestinal I/R injury was established by occluding the superior mesenteric artery for 45 min followed by 2 h reperfusion in anesthetized animals.Artesunate 40 mg/kg was injected via the tail vein at 1 h before ischemia in group A. ZnPP 7.5 mg/kg was injected via the tail vein at 12 h before ischemia, and artesunate 40 mg/kg was injected via the tail vein at 1 h before ischemia in group AS.The animals were sacrificed at the end of reperfusion, and the lung tissues were obtained for microscopic examination of the pathologic changes and for determination of the wet/dry lung weight (W/D) ratio, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) mRNA (by fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction) and apoptotic index (AI) (by TUNEL). The lung injury score was assessed. Results:Compared with group Sham, the lung injury score, W/D ratio, MPO activity, MDA content and AI were significantly increased, and the expression of IL-6 mRNA was up-regulated in group I/R ( P<0.05). Compared with group I/R, the lung injury score, W/D ratio, MPO activity, MDA content and AI were significantly decreased, and the expression of IL-6 mRNA was down-regulated in group A ( P<0.05). Compared with group A, the lung injury score, W/D ratio, MPO activity, MDA content and AI were significantly increased, and the expression of IL-6 mRNA was up-regulated in group AS ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Artesunate can alleviate intestinal I/R-induced lung injury, and the mechanism may be related to activation of HO-1 in mice.

Curcumin alleviates the manganese-induced neurotoxicity by promoting autophagy in rat models of manganism / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the protective effects of curcumin(CUR) and its mechanism on a rat model of neurotoxicity induced by manganese chloride (MnCl2), which mimics mangnism.@*METHODS@#Sixty male SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, with 12 rats in each group. Control group received 0.9% saline solution intraperitoneally (ip) plus double distilled water (dd) H2O intragastrically (ig), MnCl2 group received 15 mg/kg MnCl2(Mn2+ 6.48 mg/kg) intraperitoneally plus dd H2O intragastrically, CUR group received 0.9% saline solution intraperitoneally plus 300 mg/kg CUR intragastrically, MnCl2+ CUR1 group received 15 mg/kg MnCl2 intraperitoneally plus 100 mg/kg curcumin intragastrically, MnCl2+ CUR2 group received 15 mg/kg MnCl2 intraperitoneally plus 300 mg/kg CUR intragastrically, 5 days/week, 4 weeks. Open-field and rotarod tests were used to detect animals' exploratory behavior, anxiety, depression, movement and balance ability. Morris water maze (MWM) experiment was used to detect animals' learning and memory ability. ICP-MS was used to investigate the Mn contents in striata. The rats per group were perfused in situ, their brains striata were removed by brains model and fixed for transmission electron microscope (TEM), histopathological and immunohistochemistry (ICH) analyses. The other 6 rats per group were sacrificed. Their brains striata were removed and protein expression levels of transcription factor EB (TFEB), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), p-mTOR, Beclin, P62, microtubule-associated protein light chain-3 (LC3) were detected by Western blotting. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transterase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining was used to determine neurocyte apoptosis of rat striatum.@*RESULTS@#After exposure to MnCl2 for four weeks, MnCl2-treated rats showed depressive-like behavior in open-field test, the impairments of movement coordination and balance in rotarod test and the diminishment of spatial learning and memory in MWM (P < 0.05). The striatal TH+ neurocyte significantly decreased, eosinophilic cells, aggregative α-Syn level and TUNEL-positive neurocyte significantly increased in the striatum of MnCl2 group compared with control group (P < 0.05). Chromatin condensation, mitochondria tumefaction and autophagosomes were observed in rat striatal neurocytes of MnCl2 group by TEM. TFEB nuclear translocation and autophagy occurred in the striatum of MnCl2 group. Further, the depressive behavior, movement and balance ability, spatial learning and memory ability of MnCl2+ CUR2 group were significantly improved compared with MnCl2 group (P < 0.05). TH+ neurocyte significantly increased, the eosinophilic cells, aggregative α-Syn level significantly decreased in the striatum of MnCl2+ CUR2 group compared with MnCl2 group. Further, compared with MnCl2 group, chromatin condensation, mitochondria tumefaction was alleviated and autophagosomes increased, TFEB-nuclear translocation, autophagy was enhanced and TUNEL-positive neurocyte reduced significantly in the striatum of MnCl2+ CUR2 group (P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Curcumin alleviated the MnCl2-induced neurotoxicity and α-Syn aggregation probably by promoting TFEB nuclear translocation and enhancing autophagy.

Clinical effect of different maintenance doses of caffeine citrate in the treatment of preterm infants requiring assisted ventilation: a pilot multicenter study / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To explore the optimal maintenance dose of caffeine citrate for preterm infants requiring assisted ventilation and caffeine citrate treatment.@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of 566 preterm infants (gestational age ≤34 weeks) who were treated and required assisted ventilation and caffeine citrate treatment in the neonatal intensive care unit of 30 tertiary hospitals in Jiangsu Province of China between January 1 and December 31, 2019. The 405 preterm infants receiving high-dose (10 mg/kg per day) caffeine citrate after a loading dose of 20 mg/kg within 24 hours after birth were enrolled as the high-dose group. The 161 preterm infants receiving low-dose (5 mg/kg per day) caffeine citrate were enrolled as the low-dose group.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the low-dose group, the high-dose group had significant reductions in the need for high-concentration oxygen during assisted ventilation (P=0.044), the duration of oxygen inhalation after weaning from noninvasive ventilation (P<0.01), total oxygen inhalation time during hospitalization (P<0.01), the proportion of preterm infants requiring noninvasive ventilation again (P<0.01), the rate of use of pulmonary surfactant and budesonide (P<0.05), and the incidence rates of apnea and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (P<0.01), but the high-dose group had a significantly increased incidence rate of feeding intolerance (P=0.032). There were no significant differences between the two groups in the body weight change, the incidence rates of retinopathy of prematurity, intraventricular hemorrhage or necrotizing enterocolitis, the mortality rate, and the duration of caffeine use (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#This pilot multicenter study shows that the high maintenance dose (10 mg/kg per day) is generally beneficial to preterm infants in China and does not increase the incidence rate of common adverse reactions. For the risk of feeding intolerance, further research is needed to eliminate the interference of confounding factors as far as possible.

Role of cannabinoid type 2 receptor in sevoflurane postconditioning-induced reduction of intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats / 中华麻醉学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the role of cannabinoid type 2 receptor (CB2R) in sevoflurane postconditioning-induced reduction of intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats.Methods:Twenty-four clean-grade healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 8-10 weeks, weighing 220-270 g, were divided into 4 groups ( n=6 each) using a random number table method: sham operation group (group Sham), intestinal I/R group (group I/R), intestinal I/R+ sevoflurane postconditioning group (group Sevo) and intestinal I/R+ sevoflurane postconditioning+ CB2R antagonist AM630 group (group AM). The model of intestinal I/R injury was established by occluding the superior mesenteric artery for 45 min followed by 2 h reperfusion.In the group Sevo, 2% sevoflurane was inhaled immediately at the beginning of reperfusion for 30 min.In the group AM, CB2R antagonist AM630 3 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected at 1 h before ischemia, and the other treatments were similar to those previously described in group Sevo.At 2 h of reperfusion, the animals were sacrificed after anesthesia, and small intestinal tissues were obtained for microscopic examination of the pathologic changes which was scored according to Chiu and for determination of wet/dry weight ratio (W/D ratio), for detection of malondialdehyde (MDA) content (by thiobarbituric acid colorimetry), for determination of myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity (by MPO assay) and cleaved caspase-3 protein expression (by Western blot). Results:Compared with group Sham, the Chui score, W/D ratio, MDA content and MPO activity in the intestinal tissues were significantly increased, cleaved caspase-3 expression was up-regulated in group I/R ( P<0.05). Compared with group I/R, the Chui score, W/D ratio, MDA content and MPO activity in the intestinal tissues were significantly decreased, cleaved caspase-3 expression was down-regulated in group Sevo ( P<0.05). Compared with group Sevo, the Chui score, W/D ratio, MDA content and MPO activity were significantly increased, cleaved caspase-3 expression was up-regulated in group AM ( P<0.05). Conclusion:CB2R is involved in the process of sevoflurane postconditioning-induced reduction of intestinal I/R injury in rats.

Syndrome Distribution of 9 323 Cough Cases in Ancient Chinese Medical Books Based on Latent Structure Model and Logistic Regression Analysis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the syndrome distribution of cough cases in ancient Chinese medical books. Method:A total of 9 323 cough cases in the database of lung diseases in ancient Chinese medical books were extracted. Lantern 5.0 was used to construct the latent structure model for the 100 manifest variables based on the first 50 symptoms and 50 Chinese herbal medicines， and different latent nodes were interpreted. The syndrome differentiation patterns of syndromes with symptoms and Chinese herbal medicine （formula） were quantitatively revealed by the comprehensive clustering weights of latent structure. The correlation of diseases with syndromes was fitted through the binary Logistic regression analysis. Result:There were 204 syndromes involved in 9 323 cough cases with 18 syndromes showing a frequency higher than 100. As demonstrated by the model established on the first 50 symptoms and 50 Chinese herbal medicines， 35 latent variables， 98 latent classes， and 10 comprehensive clustering models were obtained， where <italic>Z</italic>5<italic> </italic>was the highest in the threshold value （6.7）， <italic>Z</italic>6 in the information coverage of productive cough （52%）， and <italic>Z</italic>7 in the score （19）. The binary Logistic regression model fitted the correlation between different disease types and five syndromes， where the dominance ratio of external wind to the syndrome of wind-heat invading lung reaching up to 88.919， those of syndrome of phlegm-heat accumulating in lung to diseased heat and sputum 51.594 and 15.861， and those of the syndrome of phlegm-dampness obstructing lung to dampness， phlegm， and fluid retention 31.415， 34.370， and 4.936， respectively. Conclusion:The newly discovered cough syndromes included lung heat and yin deficiency， external cold and internal fluid retention， weakness of spleen and stomach， and phlegm and blood stasis in lung. In most cases， multiple syndromes were observed clinically， such as syndrome of deficiency of both Qi and Yin in lung combined with yin deficiency in lung and kidney. Since differentiation of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome is subjective， the weight can indicate the difference in the contributions of different symptoms to the syndrome， which is of guiding significance for syndrome inference. The latent structure model combined with Logistic regression analysis can solve the problem of quantification in TCM syndrome differentiation and can be used to explore the syndrome distribution of diseases.

Clinical observation of different surgical methods for metaphyseal sequelae of ulna / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effect and safety of ulnar osteochondroma resection, ulnar minimally invasive osteotomy, external fixation and ulnar lengthening in the treatment of forearm deformity of metaphyseal extension of ulna.@*METHODS@#From August 2005 to December 2013, there were 20 cases of ulnar metaphyseal sequelae, including 15 males and 5 females, aged from 7 to 13(10.00±2.34) years, the course of disease ranged for 6 to 11(8.10±1.52) months. The clinical manifestations were shortening of the affected forearm and bending to the ulnar side. The postoperative evaluation included pain, activities of daily living, orthopedic effect and the range of motion of wrist, elbow and forearm. The radiological evaluation included ulnar length, radial joint inclination angle and wrist epiphysis growth.@*RESULTS@#All patients healed without infection. The only operation related to complications was ulnar lengthening, including 1 case of nonunion, 2 cases of ulnar lengthening callus fracture and 1 case of temporary radial nerve palsy. All patients were followed up for 4 to 7.5 years, with an average of (6.03±1.33) years. There were statistically significant differences in changes of wrist radial deviation, ulnar deviation, forearm pronation and supination in all cases (@*CONCLUSION@#Ulnar lengthening is not beneficial to prevent the development of long-term deformity. Simple resection of osteochondroma of distal ulna is beneficial to prevent the development of deformity. Patients with limited rotation of wrist joint and forearm and strong demand for improvement of appearance can be actively treated.

Roles of PTBP1 in alternative splicing, glycolysis, and oncogensis / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Polypyrimidine tract-binding protein 1 (PTBP1) plays an essential role in splicing and is expressed in almost all cell types in humans, unlike the other proteins of the PTBP family. PTBP1 mediates several cellular processes in certain types of cells, including the growth and differentiation of neuronal cells and activation of immune cells. Its function is regulated by various molecules, including microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and RNA-binding proteins. PTBP1 plays roles in various diseases, particularly in some cancers, including colorectal cancer, renal cell cancer, breast cancer, and glioma. In cancers, it acts mainly as a regulator of glycolysis, apoptosis, proliferation, tumorigenesis, invasion, and migration. The role of PTBP1 in cancer has become a popular research topic in recent years, and this research has contributed greatly to the formulation of a useful therapeutic strategy for cancer. In this review, we summarize recent findings related to PTBP1 and discuss how it regulates the development of cancer cells.

Prescriptions and Syndromes of 9 323 Cough Cases in Ancient Chinese Medical Books Based on Rules of Latent Structure Differentiation / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore cough cases recorded in ancient traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) books based on the Rules of Latent Structure Differentiation. Method:The 9 323 cough cases in the database of ancient TCM books and pulmonary diseases were extracted. At first, Lantern 5.0 software was used to construct the top 120 TCM hidden structure model with the frequency>100. Then, the obtained hidden variables were comprehensively clustered and interpreted. Result:The 46 hidden variables and 114 hidden classes were obtained through the modeling of 120 traditional Chinese medicines. According to the bayesian information measure (BIC) score, the model score was -161 242.92. The model diagram was formed with Y0, Y5, Y7, Y13, Y35 and Y38 as the cores, and Y36, Y38, Y24, Y19 and Y17 involved 4 hidden classes. Ten comprehensive clustering models were summarized according to the hidden structure flow chart, among which the highest score of Z5 external cold and internal decoction syndrome was 8.4, indicating that the result of syndrome differentiation rules of Z5 had a high degree of support, and the highest mutual information degree and information coverage of Pinellia sinensis were 0.31 and 63%. Z2 had a low score for the syndrome of deficiency of lung qi and Yin, which was -2， and Schisandra had the lowest score of -15, indicating that the syndrome differentiation rules of Z2 was less supportive. Forsythia and Notopterygium both had the highest score of Z6 wind-heat attack lung syndrome and Z10 phlegm and blood-stasis pulmonary syndrome, which was 19.1, indicating that these two TCMs had a great contribution to it. According to the test, the common syndromes of cough were cold and dryness attacking the lung, kidney-Yin deficiency, kidney-Yin deficiency of the lung, cold and internal decoction, wind heat invading the lung, liver fire invading the lung, lung heat burning, phlegm-dampness blocking the lung, phlegm-stasis blocking the lung. The newly discovered cough syndromes were external cold and internal rheum syndrome and phlegm-stasis blocking the lung syndrome. Conclusion:Based on the syndrome differentiation rules of hidden structure, the improved classification of cough syndromes provides ideas for the demonstration of tacit knowledge of TCM and methodological reference for the improvement of syndromes of other diseases, and is conducive to the development of valuable new prescriptions.

Study of venipuncture angle based on remote sensing monitor / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective:To explore the relationship between their proficiency, needle penetration angle and the success rate of puncture by using a self-developed venipuncture angle monitor based on remote sensing technology, and measured the needle penetration angle of people with different venipuncture proficiency levels.Methods:A total of 30 sophomore medical school undergraduates without venipuncture experience and 30 nurses with more than 3 years of clinical experience each were recruited. Volunteers performed punctures on a rubber puncture model of the arm. The result of each puncture, the volunteer′s estimated insertion angle, and the actual insertion angle measured by the monitor were recorded and analyzed.Results:The puncture success rate of the nurse group was 96.7% (58/60), and the puncture success rate of the student group was 51.7% (31/60). The puncture success rate of the nurse group was higher than that of the student group( χ2 value was 29.4, P<0.05); The estimated difference of the average angle of the nurse group was (5.2 ± 1.9) °, and the estimated difference of the average angle of the student group was (8.9 ± 2.6) °. The estimated difference of the nurse group was less than the student group ( Z value was -7.10, P<0.05); the most suitable venipuncture angle range for beginners was (31.6 ± 6.4)°. Conclusions:There is a correlation between the success rate of venipuncture and the puncture angle, and optimum puncture angle for beginners in the controlled model was (31.6±6.4)°. At both skill levels, operator estimates of the puncture angle were commonly larger than the actual angle. The angle monitor based on remote sensing technology makes the precise study of venipuncture possible.

Doxorubicin-loaded bacterial outer-membrane vesicles exert enhanced anti-tumor efficacy in non-small-cell lung cancer

More efficient drug delivery system and formulation with less adverse effects are needed for the clinical application of broad-spectrum antineoplastic agent doxorubicin (DOX). Here we obtained outer-membrane vesicles (OMVs), a nano-sized proteoliposomes naturally released by Gram-negative bacteria, from attenuated and prepared doxorubicin-loaded O0MVs (DOX-OMV). Confocal microscopy and distribution study observed that DOX encapsulated in OMVs was efficiently transported into NSCLC A549 cells. DOX-OMV resulted in intensive cytotoxic effects and cell apoptosis as evident from MTT assay, Western blotting and flow cytometry due to the rapid cellular uptake of DOX. In A549 tumor-bearing BALB/c nude mice, DOX-OMV presented a substantial tumor growth inhibition with favorable tolerability and pharmacokinetic profile, and TUNEL assay and H&E staining displayed extensive apoptotic cells and necrosis in tumor tissues. More importantly, OMVs' appropriate immunogenicity enabled the recruitment of macrophages in tumor microenvironment which might synergize with their cargo DOX . Our results suggest that OMVs can not only function as biological nanocarriers for chemotherapeutic agents but also elicit suitable immune responses, thus having a great potential for the tumor chemoimmunotherapy.

Quality evaluation of Bolbostemmatis Rhizoma by UPLC fingerprint combined with QAMS / 中国中药杂志

The present study was performed to establish the UPLC fingerprints of Bolbostemmatis Rhizoma and determine the contents of three saponins by quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker(QAMS), and provide basis for quality evaluation of Bolbostemmatis Rhizoma. The analysis was carried out on an analytical column of Waters Cortecs T3(2.1 mm×100 mm,1.6 μm)with gradient elution by acetonitrile-0.1% phosphoric acid solution, at a flow rate of 0.3 mL·min~(-1). The detection wavelength was 203 nm, the column temperature was 30 ℃ and the injection volume was 1 μL. The UPLC fingerprints of Bolbostemmatis Rhizoma were established and evaluated by similarity calculation, cluster analysis and principal component analysis. The relative calibration factors of toberoside B and toberoside C were determined with toberoside A as internal reference. The content was calculated by relative calibration factors to develop a method of QAMS. Comparing the results of QAMS with those of ESM, the accuracy and feasibility of one-eva-luation and multi-evaluation can be determined. RESULTS:: showed that the fingerprints of 19 batches of Bolbostemmatis Rhizoma have four common peaks with similarities ranging from 0.754 to 1.000. Cluster analysis and principal component analysis classified 19 batches of Bolbostemmatis Rhizoma into three categories, which was consistent with the similarity evaluation results. The relative deviation between the content of tubeicosides B and C in 19 batches of Bolbostemmatis Rhizoma determined by QAMS and ESM is less than 5.0%, indicating that there was no significant difference between the two methods. Therefore, the UPLC fingerprints combined with QAMS and similarity evaluation can be effectively used to evaluate the quality of Bolbostemmatis Rhizoma.

Chemical components and pharmacological effects for Guizhi Fuling Prescription and predictive analysis on quality marker (Q-marker) / 中草药

Guizhi Fuling Prescription is a classic prescription for promoting blood activation and resolving stasis. It has the functions of improving blood rheology, regulating endocrine, anti-inflammation, anti-cancer, and analgesia. In ancient times, it was used to treat women’s bleeding during pregnancy, abdominal pain, and postpartum lochia. It is also often used to treat gynecological diseases in modern clinics, such as uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, dysmenorrhea, endometriosis and so on. This paper reviewed the research progress of chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, clinical application, and quality control of Guizhi Fuling Prescription in recent years. On the basis of this, the quality markers of Guizhi Fuling Prescription are predicted and analyzed based on the “five principles” of quality markers of Chinese materia medica in order to provide reference for the study of quality control of Guizhi Fuling Prescription.

Pancreatic gastrointestinal stromal tumors: A report of four cases and literature review / 中国实用外科杂志

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinicopathological features, prognosis and genes mutations of pancreatic gastrointestinal stromal tumors. METHODS: Four cases of pancreatic gastrointestinal stromal tumors were analyzed retrospectively. The cases were diagnosed in Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from May 2010 to October 2018. PubMed and main domestic databases were searched to retrieve the domestic and foreign literatures for literature review. RESULTS: Including our 4 cases, 59 cases were reported, with 30 males and 29 females. The most common initial symptoms were abdominal pain or discomfort(38 cases, 64.4%), abdominal mass(10 cases, 16.9%) or health examination finds(11 cases, 18.7%). A total of 53 cases were composed of complete imaging and histological type data. CT examination showed that the tumors were more uneven and low-density shadow, with solid-cystic(21 cases,39.7%), solid(20 cases, 37.7%) or cystic(12 cases, 22.6%). The most common histological types were spindle cell type(44 cases, 83.0%), mixed type(7 cases, 13.2%) or epithelioid cell type(2 cases, 3.8%). The rates of 5-year overall survival(OS) and disease-free survival(DFS) were 79.7% and 39.3% respectively. By univariate and multivariate analysis, the main indicator for adverse outcome was mitoses >5/50 HPF(P5/50 HPF is an independent influencing factor of prognosis.Usually, the size of tumor is large and risk is high. C-kit gene mutations are common.