Identification and expression analysis of flavonoid O-methyltransferases gene family in Artemisia argyi / 药学学报

italic>Artemisia argyi (A. argyi) is a Chinese herbal medicine in China. The main active components are volatile oils, flavonoids, and other compounds, which have various pharmacological activities. Methoxylated flavonoids are the main active ingredients in A. argyi. Flavonoid O-methyltransferase (FOMT) is a key enzyme in the O-methylation of flavonoids. In order to further understand the function and characteristics of FOMT proteins, this paper carried out the whole genome mining and identification of FOMT genes in A. argyi and performed phylogenetic, chromosomal localization, gene sequence characterization, subcellular localization prediction, protein structure, gene structure analysis, and expression pattern analysis. The results showed that a total of 83 FOMT genes were identified in the genome of A. argyi. The phylogenetic tree shows that FOMT genes are divided into two subgroups, CCoAOMT (caffeoyl CoA O-methyltransferase) subfamily (32 genes) and COMT (caffeic acid O-methyltransferase) subfamily (51 genes). Gene sequence analysis showed that the number of amino acids encoded by FOMT was 70-734 aa, the molecular weight was 25 296.55-34 241.3 Da, and the isoelectric point was 4.51-9.99. Compared with 32 members of the CCoAOMT subfamily, nearly 1/3 of the 51 members of the COMT subfamily were hydrophobic proteins and 2/3 were hydrophilic proteins. Subcellular localization prediction showed that more than 80% of CCoAOMT subfamily members were located in the cytoplasm, and 96% of COMT subfamily members were located in the chloroplast. COMT subfamily members have more motifs than CCoAOMT subfamily members. The N-terminal motifs of COMT subfamily proteins are relatively variable, while the C-terminal motifs are relatively conserved. Expression pattern analysis showed that CCoAOMT subfamily members were mainly expressed in roots, while COMT members were mainly expressed in leaves. Some FOMTs showed the tissue expression specificity by real-time quantitative PCR analysis, especially in leaves. In this study, we identified and analyzed the FOMT gene family in A. argyi, and provided a theoretical basis for further research on the function of FOMTs and the biosynthesis of methylated flavonoids in A. argyi.

Association of Perceived Stress With Depression Among Vaccinated Healthcare Workers During the SARS-CoV-2 Variant Outbreak: The Mediating Role of Compassion Fatigue

Objective@#Depression was common during coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, while the association of perceived stress with depression among vaccinated healthcare workers has not been investigated. This study aimed to address this issue. @*Methods@#We included a total of 898 fully vaccinated healthcare workers during the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Delta variant in Nanjing, 2021. Depression was ascertained by Patient Health Questionnaire-9, with a cut-off score of ≥5 indicative of mild-to-severe depression. Perceived stress, resilience, and compassion fatigue were assessed by Perceived Stress Scale-10, Resilience Scale-25, and Professional Quality of Life Scale version-5, respectively. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI), along with subgroup and mediation analyses. @*Results@#The prevalence of mild-to-severe depression was 41.1% in vaccinated healthcare workers. The odd of mild-to-severe depression was increased with higher perceived stress. Compared with vaccinated healthcare workers with the lowest tertile of perceived stress, those with the highest tertile had increased odds of mild-to-severe depression by 120% (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.46 to 3.31) after multivariable-adjustment. However, perceived stress was not associated with mild-to-severe depression in vaccinated healthcare workers with strong resilience, but was in those with weak resilience (pinteraction=0.004). Further analysis showed that compassion fatigue mediated the relationship between perceived stress and mild-to-severe depression, with a mediating effect of 49.7%. @*Conclusion@#Perceived stress was related to an increased odd of mild-to-severe depression in vaccinated healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic, and this relationship might be explained by compassion fatigue.

Application of biological maternal sounds stimulation in mechanically ventilated children with severe pneumonia / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of biological maternal sounds on blood gas analysis index, mechanical ventilation time, oxygen therapy time and hospital stay in mechanically ventilated children with severe pneumonia.Methods:This study was a randomized controlled trial. From June 2020 to November 2020, 128 mechanically ventilated children with severe pneumonia in Hunan Children′s Hospital were selected by convenient sampling method and divided into four groups with 32 cases in each group by random number table method. Group A was given routine nursing care, group B was given mother sounds, group C was given mother cardiotone, group D was given biological maternal sounds. Data of blood gas analysis index, mechanical ventilation duration, oxygen therapy duration, hospital stays were collected for comparative analysis.Results:Finally, group A, B, C, and D included 28, 30, 28 and 28 cases, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in PaO 2 among the four groups on the 1st to 2nd day after intervention ( P>0.05), but PaO 2 on the 3rd to 7th day after intervention were (75.57 ± 12.88), (77.71 ± 15.81), (78.21 ± 14.51), (78.64 ± 17.71), (79.04 ± 11.57) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), (81.71 ± 17.89), (82.93 ± 18.36), (82.68 ± 15.47), (83.25 ± 14.24), (83.77 ± 13.90) mmHg, (80.89 ± 18.78) (82.11 ± 13.34), (82.96 ± 14.20), (83.43 ± 14.37), (83.68 ± 12.64) mmHg, (84.54 ± 18.77), (86.29 ± 10.94), (86.96 ± 10.53), (87.46 ± 12.64), (89.08 ± 12.21) mmHg, with statistically significant differences ( F values were 41.17 - 332.68, all P<0.01). Further pairwise comparison revealed that PaO 2 in group B and group C were higher than those in group A on the 3rd to 7th day after intervention, while those in group D were higher on the 3rd to 7th day after intervention than those in group A, B, and C, with statistically significant differences( t values were 3.35- 4.75, all P<0.01). There was no statistically significant difference in PaCO 2 among the four groups on the 1st to 4th day after intervention ( P>0.05), but PaCO 2 on the 5th to 7th day after intervention was (47.31 ± 2.89), (46.18 ± 2.06), (41.94 ± 2.09) mmHg, (44.73 ± 1.76), (41.38 ± 1.30), (38.33 ± 1.16) mmHg, (44.81 ± 1.24), (41.23 ± 1.89), (38.73 ± 2.55) mmHg, (40.83 ± 1.78), (37.87 ± 1.43), (34.78 ± 2.05) mmHg, with statistically significant differences ( F=29.48, 36.12, 34.52, all P<0.05). Further pairwise comparison revealed that PaCO 2 in group B and group C were lower than those in group A on the 5th to 7th day after intervention, while PaCO 2 in group D were lower than those in groups A, B, and C, with statistically significant differences ( t values were 3.37-4.85, all P<0.01). During the analysis of PaO 2 and PaCO 2 in the four groups at different time points, the interaction effects were not statistically significant ( P>0.05). There was no significant difference in invasive mechanical ventilation duration, non-invasive mechanical ventilation duration and hospital stay among the four groups after intervention ( P>0.05). The oxygen therapy time of the four groups were (8.61 ± 6.40), (6.17 ± 4.80), (6.23 ± 2.75), and (3.75 ± 2.10) days, with statistically significant differences ( F=17.27, P<0.01). Further pairwise comparison revealed that the oxygen therapy time in group B and group C was shorter than that in group A, while group D was significantly shorter than that in groups A, B, and C, with statistically significant differences ( t values were 4.02-4.74, all P<0.01). Conclusions:Biological maternal sounds is superior to maternal sound and mother cardiotone in improve the blood gas analysis index, shorten the oxygen treatment time, which is worthy of clinical promotion in neonatal unaccompanied ward.

Association of Ego-depletion level with glycemic control and quality of life among adolescents with type 1 diabetes / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective:To investigate the ego-depletion level of adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and to explore its association with glycemic control and quality of life.Methods:This was a cross-sectional survey study. A total of 195 adolescents with T1DM were recruited from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from March to September 2022 by convenient sampling method. The Self-Regulatory Fatigue Scale (SRF-S) and Short Form of the Chinese version Diabetes Quality of Life for Youth Scale (C-DQOLY-SF) and the general information questionnaire were collected and the glycated hemoglobin (HbA 1c) value was detected. Results:The total score of self-regulatory fatigue for 195 adolescents with T1DM was (42.23 ± 9.94) points, with a scoring rate of 52.79%, which was at a medium level. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the total score of self-regulatory fatigue was positively correlated with HbA1c ( r = 0.25, P<0.01), and negatively correlated with quality of life ( r = -0.61, P<0.01). The hierarchical linear regression results showed that after controlling for demographic sociolagy and disease variables, ego-depletion had a positive predictive effect on HbA1c ( t = 3.69, P<0.01), while ego-depletion had a negative predictive effect on Quality of life ( t = -8.48, P<0.01). Conclusions:Ego-depletion of adolescents with T1DM may affect their blood glucose control and quality of life, which should be noticed by medical workers.

Study on the influencing factors of emergency care nurses′ perceived self-competence in palliative care based on dominance analysis / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective:To explore the relative importance of palliative care knowledge, attitude towards palliative care and healthy work environment of emergency care nurses in predicting perceived self-competence in palliative care based on dominance analysis, and to provide empirical evidence for formulating the optimal training course to improve perceived self-competence in palliative care.Methods:Totally 415 emergency care nurses from 22 tertiary hospitals in Hubei province were conducted a cross-sectional survey to complete the general information questionnaire, the Palliative Care Nursing Self-Competence Scale, the Hospice Knowledge Quiz for Nurses, the Frommelt Attitudes Toward Care of the Dying Scale Form B, and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses Healthy Work Environment Assessment Tool from January to March 2021 using convenient sampling method. Dominance analysis was used for statistical analysis.Results:The total score of perceived self-competence in palliative care of 415 emergency care nurses was (225.48 ± 60.61) points, the total score of palliative care knowledge was (12.44 ± 3.83) points, the total score of palliative care attitude was (97.35 ± 9.07) points and the total score of healthy work environment was (72.00 ± 11.99) points. Perceived self-competence in palliative care was positively associated with palliative care knowledge ( r=0.181, P < 0.01), attitude towards palliative care ( r=0.232, P<0.01) and healthy work environment ( r=0.393, P<0.01). Dominance analysis revealed that the healthy work environment, palliative care attitude and palliative care knowledge accounted for 74.15%, 14.97% and 10.88% of the variance of perceived self-competence in palliative care, respectively. Conclusions:The largest degree of prediction for emergency care nurses′ perceived self-competence in palliative care is healthy work environment, attitude next and the third is knowledge. It suggests that promoting a healthy work environment is an important way to improve nurses′ perceived self-competence in palliative care, and improving knowledge level and cultivating positive attitudes also will be better.

Comparative Study of Two Common In Vitro Models for the Pancreatic Islet with MIN6

BACKGROUND@#Islet transplantation is currently considered the most promising method for treating insulin-dependent diabetes. The two most-studied artificial islets are alginate-encapsulated b cells or b cell spheroids. As three-dimensional (3D) models, both artificial islets have better insulin secretory functions and transplantation efficiencies than cells in twodimensional (2D) monolayer culture. However, the effects of these two methods have not been compared yet. Therefore, in this study, cells from the mouse islet b cell line Min6 were constructed as scaffold-free spheroids or alginate-encapsulated dispersed cells. @*METHODS@#MIN6 cell spheroids were prepared by using Agarose-base microwell arrays. The insulin secretion level was determined by mouse insulin ELISA kit, and the gene and protein expression status of the MIN6 were performed by Quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunoblot, respectively. @*RESULTS@#Both 3D cultures effectively promoted the proliferation and glucose-stimulated insulin release (GSIS) of MIN6 cells compared to 2D adherent cells. Furthermore, 1% alginate-encapsulated MIN6 cells demonstrated more significant effects than the spheroids. In general, three pancreatic genes were expressed at higher levels in response to the 3D culture than to the 2D culture, and pancreatic/duodenal homeobox-1 (PDX1) expression was higher in the cells encapsulated in 1% alginate than that in the spheroids. A western blot analysis showed that 1% alginate-encapsulated MIN6 cells activated the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/serine/threonine protein kinase (AKT)/forkhead transcription factor FKHR (FoxO1) pathway more than the spheroids, 0.5% alginate-, or 2% alginate-encapsulated cells did. The 3D MIN6 culture, therefore, showed improved effects compared to the 2D culture, and the 1% alginate-encapsulated MIN6 cells exhibited better effects than the spheroids. The upregulation of PDX1 expression through the activation of the PI3K/AKT/FoxO1 pathway may mediate the improved cell proliferation and GSIS in 1% alginate-encapsulated MIN6 cells. @*CONCLUSION@#This study may contribute to the construction of in vitro culture systems for pancreatic islets to meet clinical requirements.

Association between airborne particulate matter（PM 2.5） concentration and the incidence of allergic rhinitis in Shanghai / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective:To explore the impact of PM 2.5 concentration in Shanghai on the incidence of allergic rhinitis（AR） in the population, and provide strategies for early warning and prevention of AR. Methods:Collect daily average concentrations of atmospheric pollutants monitored in Shanghai from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019, and clinical data of AR patients from five hospitals in Shanghai during the same period. We used a time-series analysis additive Poisson regression model to analyze the correlation between PM 2.5 levels and outpatient attendance for AR patients. Results:During the study period, a total of 56 500 AR patients were included, and the daily average concentration of PM 2.5 was（35.28±23.07）μg/m³. There is a correlation between the concentration of PM 2.5 and the number of outpatient attendance for AR cases. There is a positive correlation between the daily average number of outpatient for AR and levels of PM 2.5 air pollution（（P<0.05）） . We found that every 10 μg/m³ increase in PM 2.5, the impact of on the number of AR visits was statistically significant on the same day, the first day behind, and the second day behind, with the strongest impact being the exposure on the same day. Every 10 μg/m³ increases in PM 2.5, the number of outpatient visits increased by 0.526% on the same day（95%CI 1.000 50-1.010 04）. Conclusion:The atmospheric PM 2.5 concentration in Shanghai is positively correlated with the number of outpatient for AR, and PM 2.5 exposure is an independent factor in the onset of AR. This provides an important theoretical basis for AR.

Effects of Chronic Restraint Stress on Apoptosis of Amygdala Cells in Rats / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To explore the damage effects of chronic restraint stress (CRS) on amygdala cells through the rat CRS model.@*METHODS@#The rat CRS model was established, and the changes in body weight and adrenal mass in control group and CRS group were monitored at 1 d, 7 d, 14 d and 21 d. The behavior changes were evaluated by the percentage of retention time of open arms and open arm entries using the elevated plus maze (EPM). ELISA was used to detect the concentrations of rat's corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol. The changes of expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in amygdala were determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Ultrastructure changes of glial cell were observed by transmission electron microscopy. The apoptosis rate of amygdala was measured by flow cytometry.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the control group at the same time points, body weight of CRS 1 d, 7 d, 14 d and 21 d groups increased slowly, but adrenal mass increased significantly; the serum level of CRH, cortisol and ACTH increased significantly at 7 d, 14 d and 21 d respectively; the expression of GR in amygdala was increased while that of GFAP was decreased; EPM test suggested that the percentage of retention time of open arms and open arm entries decreased significantly after 14 d. The CRS group showed different degrees of glial cell damage in amygdala, and the apoptosis rate of glial cell was significantly increased in 21 d group.@*CONCLUSIONS@#This study successfully established a CRS model in rats, and anxiety-like behavioral changes in model rats may be caused by apoptosis of amygdala astrocytes.

Full-term delivery following spontaneous rupture of a giant fetal sacrococcygeal teratoma: a case report / 中华围产医学杂志

We describe a case of fetal sacrococcygeal teratoma detected by ultrasound at 14 gestational weeks. The tumor was classified as "type Ⅰ" by ultrasonography combined with MRI. The cystic part accounted for over 60% of the mass before 26 weeks and ruptured spontaneously at 28 weeks. The size of the tumor was 12.8 cm×9.7 cm×12.3 cm at 36 +5 gestational weeks. A female newborn was born through cesarean section at 37 weeks of gestation and had the tumor removed surgically on the postnatal day 4. Postoperative follow-up showed that the neonate had a good prognosis without physiological dysfunction.

Association between serum albumin level and prognosis in patients with scleroderma-associated interstitial lung disease / 中华全科医师杂志

Objective:To examine the association between baseline serum albumin level and short-term, long-term outcomes in patients with systemic sclerosis associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD).Methods:A total of 259 patients with SSc-ILD who were hospitalized in West China Hospital of Sichuan University from January 2008 to December 2018 were enrolled. The data of serum albumin, demographic characteristics, peripheral blood hemoglobin at admission, and treatment plan were obtained from the hospital information management system, and the survival of the patients were followed up to June 1, 2019. The mean baseline serum albumin of 259 patients was 37.67 g/L, there were 118 patients with serum albumin ≤37.67 g/L (low protein group) and 141 patients with serum albumin>37.67 g/L (high protein group).Results:There were 64 males and 195 females with a mean age of 50.0(41.0, 61.0) years. The follow-up time was 627(61, 1 426) days. Compared to high protein group, the low protein group had higher proportion of male patients [30.5%(36/118) and 19.9%(28/141),χ 2=3.92, P=0.048], and higher levels of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate [45.0(27.0,69.0) vs. 29.0 (19.0,46.0)mm/1 h,χ 2=4.07, P<0.001], neutrophil percentage [71.50(63.35,77.13) vs. 65.60(59.50,72.50)%,χ 2=3.65, P<0.001], platelet [196(140,273) vs. 172(126,240)×10 9/L,χ 2=1.99, P=0.046], nutrophil/lymphocyte ratio [33.85(2.53,5.28) vs. 2.61(1.97,3.83),χ 2=4.57, P<0.001], platelet/lymphocyte ratio [149.0(112.0,216.8) vs. 113.5(72.76,158.8),χ 2=4.98, P<0.001], aspartate aminotransferase [27.0(21.0,39.0) vs. 23.0 (19.5,30.0) IU/L,χ 2=2.93, P=0.003], globulin [31.20(26.90,36.83) vs. 29.50(25.65,32.80) g/L,χ 2=2.28, P=0.023], serum cystatin C[1.14(0.98,1.33) vs. 1.02(0.88,1.16) mg/L,χ 2=3.80, P<0.001], IgA[2 710 (1 965,3 505) vs. 2 460 (1 862,3 105) mg/L,χ 2=2.13, P=0.033], IgG[15.05(12.83,21.08) vs. 13.60(11.53,17.23)g/L,χ 2=3.24, P=0.001], IgE[60.44(24.92,197.99) vs. 34.82(14.72,85.04) kIU/L,χ 2=3.33, P=0.001] and circulating immune complex [0.13(0.08,0.19) vs. 0.10(0.08,0.13)O.D,χ 2=2.60, P=0.009]; and lower levels of hemoglobin [121.5(101.8,132.0) vs. 129.0(119.0,142.0) g/L,χ 2=5.05, P<0.001], albumin [(33.28±3.49) vs.(41.34±2.95) g/L,χ 2=20.17, P<0.001] and IgM[1 320 (932,1 745) vs.1 560(1 170,2 030) mg/L, χ 2=2.63, P=0.009]. The utilization rate of antibiotics was higher in the low protein group (60 vs. 43 cases, χ 2=11.10, P=0.001). The number of patients followed up to 1, 5, and 10 years were 248, 245, and 244, respectively. The 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year cumulative survival rates of patients in low protein group and high protein group were(91.0% vs. 98.4%, χ 2=6.23, P=0.013;87.0% vs. 97.1%, χ 2=6.15, P=0.013; 81.6% vs. 97.1%, χ 2=7.00, P=0.008) respectively. Conclusions:Patients with scleroderma-associated interstitial lung disease have an increased risk of poorer prognosis when serum albumin ≤37.67 g/L.

Four-year changes in central fatness, risk of diabetes, and metabolic control in older adults: a cohort study with mediation analysis

Background/Aims@#Older adults are vulnerable to central obesity, while the association of changes in central fatness with risk of diabetes and metabolic control has not been investigated among this particular population. This study was aimed to address these issues. @*Methods@#A total of 1,815 adults aged ≥ 60 years without diabetes at baseline were followed for 4 years. Incident diabetes was ascertained based on plasma glucose, hemoglobin A1c, medical history, and/or the use of anti-diabetic drugs. Central fatness was assessed by waist circumference (WC), waist-height ratio (WHtR), and body roundness index (BRI). Logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association of changes in central fatness with risk of diabetes, along with dose-response and mediation analyses. @*Results@#During the 4-year follow-up, 177 participants developed diabetes. The risk of diabetes was increased by 42%, 41%, and 40% per 1 standard deviation increases in WC, WHtR, and BRI, respectively, in multivariable-adjusted models (all p < 0.01). Moreover, these relationships were all linearly-shaped (all pnonlinearity ≥ 0.11). Increases in WC, WHtR, and BRI correlated with increases in hemoglobin A1c, triglycerides-and-glucose index, triglycerides, white blood cell, and C-reactive protein (all p ≤ 0.04). Yet only changes in hemoglobin A1c and triglycerides-and-glucose index were identified as the possible mediators for risk of diabetes, with their mediating effect being about 35% and 21%, respectively. @*Conclusions@#Increases in central fatness were related to elevated risk of diabetes, and this association might be partly explained by the worsening of glycemic control and insulin resistance in older adults.

Development of Nasal Continuum Minimally Invasive Surgical Robot System / 中国医疗器械杂志

In order to improve the operation difficulties in the narrow space of the nasal maxillary sinus, the nasal continuum minimally invasive surgical robot system is designed. The ball-and-socket joints and NiTiNol tubes are used as the main body of the continuum structure to improve the degree of freedom. The hardware systems and software systems are designed. The security control policies are planned. Finally, the robot confirmed prototype experiments are conducted and the feasibility of continuum robot confirmed through master-slave control experiment and animal experiment.

A scoping review of exercise in patients with inflammatory bowel disease / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective:Scope review of exercise-related research in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), while pointing out the limitations of existing research, and providing references for future studies in this area.Methods:We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of science, Cochrane databases, China Biology Medicine, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wan Fang Data, and Chinese Science Journal Database for studies related to exercise intervention in patients with IBD from January 1974 to July 2020. We extracted data from the included studies. Then we summarized and presented the results.Results:16 articles were finally included, of which 14 were randomized controlled trials and 2 were quasi-experimental studies. Results show that exercise methods can be divided into four categories: aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, flexibility exercise and mixed exercise. The intensity of exercise was mostly low to moderate. The frequency of exercise was mostly 3 times/week, lasting for 30-60 minutes per session. The results showed that exercise had positive effects on physical fitness, bone density, anxiety and depression, quality of life among patients with IBD. However, the effect of exercise on disease activity are diverse.Conclusion:exercise is beneficial to the mental and physical health among this group, but the existing studies have small sample sizes, short exercise intervention period, neglect of individualization in exercise prescription design, low exercise compliance, non-uniformity of exercise effect evaluation indicators.

Effect of advanced glycation end products on autophagic ability in osteoblasts / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVES@#Excessive production of AGEs in diabetic patients will affect the normal function of osteoblasts, and this process may be related to autophagy of osteoblasts. This study aims to explore the effect of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) on autophagic activity during osteogenic differentiation in rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs).@*METHODS@#BMSCs were isolated and cultured in vitro, treated with different concentrations (0, 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg/L) of AGEs for different time (3, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h). The proliferation activity was detected by CCK-8 method. The mRNA and protein expression levels of Beclin1 and LC3 in cells were detected by real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively.The autophagic vacuoles were observed under the transmission electron microscope. The cells were treated with autophagy promoter rapamycin or autophagy inhibitor 3MA. After 7 days of osteogenic induction, we performed alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining and real-time PCR to detect the mRNA expression levels of osteogenesis-related genes.@*RESULTS@#In the low-concentration groups, the proliferation activity in BMSCs was increased (@*CONCLUSIONS@#Low concentration of AGEs can enhance the proliferative activity of BMSCs and promote osteogenic differentiation by accelerating autophagy. High concentration of AGEs can suppress the proliferation of BMSCs and inhibit osteogenic differentiation by reducing autophagy.

Drinking behavior among government employees in Changsha and its influencing factors / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVES@#To analyze the prevalence and influencing factors for drinking behavior and heavy drinking among government employees in Changsha and provide a basis for carrying out interventions for drinking behaviors and formulating public health promotion plans for government employees.@*METHODS@#Government employees were recruited consecutively from the Health Management Center of a general hospital in Changsha between December 2017 and December 2018. Information on sociodemograpic characteristics, drinking behaviors, life events, and psychosocial characteristics was collected using a standard set of questionnaire. Drinking behavior was defined as drinking once or more per week for the past 12 months. The differences in drinking rates and excessive drinking rates among groups with different characteristics were compared. Multivariate analysis was performed to analyze the associated factors of drinking behaviors and heavy drinking for government employees.@*RESULTS@#A total of 6 190 people completed this investigation. The overall drinking rate of government employees in Changsha was 21.9%, and the rate of drinking was higher in males than that in females (44.7% vs 4.0%, @*CONCLUSIONS@#The drinking and heavy drinking rates of government employees are high in Changsha. Marital status, physical exercise, and frequency of social intercourse are the common influencing factors of male drinking behavior and female drinking behavior. The life events stimulation is the influencing factor of heavy drinking.

Analysis and evaluation of volatile oil content in leaves of different Artemisia argyi germplasm resources / 中国中药杂志

Volatile oil is the main effective component and an important quality indicator of Artemisia argyi leaves. In this study, 100 germplasm resources of A. argyi were collected from all the related habitats in China. The total volatile oils in A. argyi leaves were extracted by steam distillation and the content was determined by GC-MS. The result demonstrated that the content of total volatile oils was in the range of 0.53%-2.55%, with the average of 1.43%. A total of 39 chemical constituents were identified from the volatile oils, including 13 shared by the 100 germplasm resources. Clustering analysis of the 39 constituents showed that the 100 A. argyi samples were categorized into groups Ⅰ(9), Ⅱ(2), Ⅲ(66) and Ⅳ(23), and group Ⅲ had the most volatile medicinal components, with the highest content. Five principal components(PCs) were extracted from 13 shared constituents, which explained 73.454% of the total variance. PC1, PC2, and PC3 mainly reflected the pharmacological activity of volatile oils and the rest two the aroma information. The volatile oils identified in this study lay a foundation for variety breeding of and rational utilization of volatile oils in A. argyi leaves.

Morphological comparison of glandular and non-glandular trichomes between Artemisia stolonifera and A. argyi / 中国中药杂志

The basic features of glandular and non-glandular trichomes on leaves of Artemisia argyi( germplasms from Qichun,Ningbo,Tangyin,and Anguo,respectively) and related species A. stolonifera were observed by scanning electron microscopy( SEM)and compared. There were significant differences in trichome characteristics of leaves at all parts of A. argyi and A. stolonifera,which were closely related to the difference in chemical components. The length of non-glandular trichomes and size of glandular trichomes on middle leaves were the stablest. A. argyi and A. stolonifera can be distinguished by the density of glandular trichome. Additionally,the four germplasms of A. argyi can be discriminated via the density and curvature of non-glandular trichome. The density of non-glandular trichomes was the highest in A. stolonifera. For A. argyi,the germplasm from Qichun had the highest density of non-glandular trichomes on the abaxial surfaces of upper leaves and that from Ningbo had the largest non-glandular trichome curvature. With regard to the germplasm from Anguo,the T-shaped non-glandular trichomes of long stalks on the adaxial surfaces of the middle leaves were lodging-susceptible,and those with slender heads were wave-like. Statistics results of A. argyi and A. stolonifera are as follows: largest glandular trichomes on the adaxial and abaxial surfaces and highest glandular trichome density on the abaxial surfaces of the lower leaves in A. argyi germplasm from Ningbo,highest density of non-glandular trichomes on the abaxial surfaces of upper leaves in A. stolonifera,and highest density of glandular trichomes and non-glandular trichomes on the adaxial surfaces of the upper leaves in A. argyi germplasm from Qichun. According to the observation result under fluorescence microscope( FM),flavonoids were closely related to the size and density of non-glandular trichomes and size of glandular trichomes. The fluorescence intensity was the strongest and fluorescence area was the largest for flavonoids in A. argyi germplasms from Qichun and Tangyin,while the fluorescence for flavonoids was the weakest in A. stolonifera. It was the first time to observe and analyze the trichome ultrastructure of A. argyi leaves at different positions by SEM and FM. This study clarifies the differences between A. stolonifera and four famous A. argyi germplasms,which provides new evidence for the microscopic identification of A. argyi and its related species and serves as a reference for the study of the relationship of A. argyi structure with its components and functions.

Diversity of Artemisia argyi germplasm resources based on agronomic and leaf phenotypic traits / 中国中药杂志

In this study, in order to evaluate the phenotypic diversity of Artemisia argyi germplasm resources and improve its efficiency of cultivation and breeding, 100 accessions of A. argyi germplasm resources from 58 regions in China were collected, 20 agronomic traits and leaf phenotypic traits were observed and described. The data were used for phenotypic diversity analysis, correlation analysis, principal component analysis and cluster analysis. The result showed that the genetic diversity index of 20 traits ranged from 0.82 to 4.37, among which the largest was the base depth and the smallest was the leaf width; the coefficient of variation of the 12 quantitative traits ranged from 10.55% to 41.47%. the highest coefficient of variation was the height of dead leaves, and the smallest was the content of chlorophyll, except for the angle of branches, all the quantitative characters tended to be normal distribution. The correlation analysis showed that 28 pairs of traits had significant correlation(P<0.01), and 13 pairs had significant correlation(P<0.05). According to principal component analysis, 20 traits were simplified into 9 principal components, and the cumulative contribution rate was 73.414%, nine traits including plant height, dead leaves heigh, stem diameter, symmetry of leave base, stipule, leaf tip shape, depth of the first pair of lobes, depth of the second pair of lobes and leaf yield were selected as key indexes for evaluating agronomic traits and leaf phenotypic traits of A.argyi germplasm resources. With cluster analysis, 100 accessions of A.argyi were classified into 3 groups, the groupⅠincluded the dwarf plants with thick stem and large leaf, the groupⅡincluded high plants with wide leaf and high yield, the group Ⅲ included dwarf plants with thin stem and flat bottom shape of leaf, which could provide the basis for cultivation identification and variety breeding of A.argyi germplasm resources.

Extraction of exosome by gel electrophoresis microfluidic chip and determination of miRNA-21 in exosome of human plasma / 生物工程学报

We developed a high-efficiency microfluidic chip for extracting exosomes from human plasma. We collected peripheral blood from normal human, designed and fabricated a microfluidic chip based on nanoporous membrane and agarose gel electrophoresis to isolate exosomes. The extracted exosomes were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, nanosight and Western blotting, the morphology, concentration and particle size of exosomes were identified and analyzed. Meanwhile, we used ultracentrifugation and microfluidic chip to isolate exosomes separately. The particle size and concentration of the exosomes extracted by two methods were compared and analyzed, and their respective extraction efficiency was discussed. Finally, the expression level of miRNA-21 in exosomes was analyzed by RT-PCR. The microfluidic chip isolated (in 1 hour) high-purity exosomes with size ranging from 30-200 nm directly from human plasma, allowing downstream exosomal miRNA analysis. By comparing with ultracentrifugation, the isolation yield of microfluidic chip was 3.80 times higher than ultracentrifugation when the volume of plasma sample less than 100 μL. The optimized parameters for exosome isolation by gel electrophoresis microfluidic chip were: voltage: 100 V; concentration of agarose gel: 1.0%; flow rate of injection pump: 0.1 mL/h. The gel electrophoresis microfluidic chips could rapidly and efficiently isolate the exosomes, showing great potential in the research of exosomes and cancer biomarkers.

Research progress of the effect of Salvia miltiorrhiza on VEGF/VEGFR in angiogenesis / 国际中医中药杂志

The signal transduction pathway of VEGF combing with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) is not only key pathway to regulate angiogenesis, but also the focus of basic research and important target of clinical treatment. Salvia miltiorrhiza extract and its main compound salvianolic acid B also have two-way regulative effect on VEGF/VEGFR signal pathway in different diseases. Tanshinone Ⅰ , tanshinone Ⅱ A and cryptotanshinone could inhibit the angiogenesis throughthis pathway, and sodium tanshinone ⅡA sulfonate could promote the angiogenesis through this pathway.