The Influence of Environmental Factors on Site Selection Augment Breeding Success in Honey Bees: An Insight of Honey Bee Genetic Resource Conservation.

Honey bee reproductive behavior involves a complicated mating system that embodies a number of factors, including environmental and human-induced factors. Controlled breeding in isolated mating stations is a prerequisite to maintain the genetic resources of honey bees through natural mating. The concept of controlled mating is a challenge in most beekeeping operations due to its low mating success rate. Therefore, a detailed investigation into the suitability of isolated mating stations is of interest. Thus, we bred two subspecies of honey bees (Apis cerana koreana and Apis mellifera L.) in isolated mating stations (island) from 2021 to 2023 and in an open breeding station in 2023. Our results demonstrate that the highest percentage of the mating success rate in isolated mating stations was recorded in the Wido Island, which had the highest percentage of bare land, coniferous forests, deciduous forests, fields, and mixed forests. The mating success rate was higher in the summer and spring for A. cerana and A. mellifera, respectively. The mating success rate was higher in open mating compared to controlled mating (Island) and did not vary between pure-breeding and cross-breeding lines. Our findings suggested that mating stations with mixed forest and fields are potential sites for the successful breeding of honey bees.

Where Microsurgical Tubal Reanastomosis Stands in the In vitro Fertilization Era.

Among various options of contraception, bilateral tubal ligation (BTL) remains the most frequently used method for women worldwide even at present. However, up to 30% of those who undergo BTL eventually change their minds and wish to conceive again for a variety of reasons, such as a change in marital status or simply wanting more children. In this case, we can either approach it surgically with tubal re-anastomosis (TA) or by in vitro fertilization (IVF)-embryo transfer. Despite the many advantages of TA which lead the American Society of Reproductive Medicine Committee Opinion to recommend it as the primary choice of treatment in posttubal ligation infertility in 2012, IVF is widely being chosen as the first-line treatment nowadays. This study will review the efficacy of TA in various aspects, including pregnancy rate, cost-effectiveness, feasibility, and accessibility, based on review of the literature and our experience. Through this study, we intend to provide a basis for gynecologists to consider TA as the first option in women who wish to conceive again after BTL in this day and age of IVF.

Effects of Perilla frutescens Var. Acuta in Busulfan-Induced Spermatogenesis Dysfunction Mouse Model.

PURPOSE: The leaves of Perilla frutescens var. acuta (PFA) are generally reported to have antioxidant, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor effects and commonly used as a traditional medicine in East Asia. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect and antioxidant activity of PFA on busulfan-induced testicular dysfunction, histological damage, oxidative stress (OS), sperm quality, and hormone levels using a mouse model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: C57BL/6 male mice were divided into four groups: control, busulfan-only treated, and varying concentrations of PFA (100 and 200 mg/kg) with busulfan. In the busulfan group, 40 mg/kg of busulfan was intraperitoneally injected to induce azoospermia. Mice were orally administered PFA for 35 consecutive days after busulfan administration. Samples were collected and assessed for testis/body weight, testicular histopathology, sperm quality, serum hormone levels, and OS to evaluate the effects of PFA treatment on spermatogenesis dysfunction induced by busulfan. RESULTS: The busulfan-induced testicular dysfunction model showed reduced testis weight, adverse histological changes, significantly decreased sex hormones and sperm quality, and attenuated OS. These results indicate that PFA treatment significantly increased testis weight, testis/body weight, epididymal sperm count, motility, and testosterone level compared with busulfan alone. PFA treatment also attenuated the busulfan-induced histological changes. Furthermore, compared with mice treated with busulfan alone, PFA supplementation upregulated the testicular mRNA expression of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase 1 (Sod1) and glutathione peroxidase 1 (Gpx1), with a decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) production and an increase in SOD and GPx activities. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that PFA exerts a protective effect against testicular damage by attenuating OS induced by busulfan. Our results suggest that PFA is a potentially relevant drug used to decrease the side effects induced by busulfan on testicular function and sperm during cancer chemotherapy.

Study of selenium enrichment metabolomics in Bacillus subtilis BSN313 via transcriptome analysis.

In this study, the transcriptome analysis was practiced to identify potential genes of probiotic Bacillus subtilis BSN313 involved in selenium (Se) enrichment metabolism. The transcriptomic variation of the strain was deliberated in presence of three different sodium selenite concentrations (0, 3, and 20 µg/mL). The samples were taken at 1 and 13 h subsequent to inoculation of selenite and gene expression profiles in Se metabolism were analyzed through RNA sequencing. The gene expression levels of the pre log phase were lower than the stationary phase. It is because, the bacteria has maximum grown with high concentration of Se (enriched with organic Se), at stationary phase. Bacterial culture containing 3 µg/mL concentration of inorganic Se (sodium selenite) has shown highest gene expression as compared to no or high concentration of Se. This concentration (3 µg/mL) of sodium selenite (as Se) in the medium promoted the upregulation of thioredoxin reductase expression, whereas its higher Se concentration inhibited the formation of selenomethionine (SeMet). The result of 5 L bioreactor fermentation showed that SeMet was also detected in the fermentation supernatant as the growth entered in the late stationary phase and reached up to 857.3 ng/mL. The overall intracellular SeMet enriched content in BSN313 was extended up to 23.4 µg/g dry cell weight. The other two selenoamino acids (Se-AAs), methyl-selenocysteine, and selenocysteine were hardly detected in medium supernatant. From this study, it was concluded that SeMet was the highest content of organic Se byproduct biosynthesized by B. subtilis BSN313 strain in Se-enriched medium during stationary phase. Thus, B. subtilis BSN313 can be considered a commercial probiotic strain that can be used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. This is because it can meet the commercial demand for Se-AAs (SeMet) in both industries.

Mechanism of Fufang Congrong Yizhi Capsules in treatment of mild cognitive impairment based on network pharmacology / 中国药理学通报

Aim To predict the mechanism of Fufang Congrong Yizhi Capsules (FCYC) in the treatment of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) by network pharmacology method, and further validate it in combination with cellular experiments. Methods TCMSP, Gene-Cards, OMIM and TTD databases, Chinese Pharmacopoeia and related literature were used to screen the active ingredients of FCYC and the targets of MCI treatment. The TCM-compound-target-disease network and PPI of intersection targets were constructed, and the GO and KEGG analysis were performed by the Ehamb bioinformation platform. GO and KEGG analysis were performed through Yihanbo biological information platform. Cell model of MCI was established by PC-12 injury induced by Aβ

Timing of hormone therapy and its association with cardiovascular risk and metabolic parameters in 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide-induced primary ovarian insufficiency mouse model.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of various initiation time points and durations of hormone therapy (HT) on cardiovascular and metabolic parameters of premenarche, primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) mouse model, induced by 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide. METHODS: A total of 50 mice at 4 weeks of age were developed into POI mouse model, further randomly categorized into 5 groups: control group without any intervention; no HT group with only high-fat diet (NT); group 1 with delayed estradiol treatment (T1); group 2 with on-time, continuous estradiol treatment (T2); and group 3 with on-time estradiol treatment but early stop (T3). Cardiovascular risk and metabolic parameters were measured. RESULTS: Presenting with similar body weights, blood glucose levels of T1, T2, and T3 were all significantly lower than NT (p < .001). Serum total cholesterol and insulin were also significantly lower in all HT groups than in NT, especially in T2 (p < .001). For serum low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, only T2 resulted in the statically lower level than those of NT, T1, and T3 (p < .001). Aortic thickness was significantly increased with aggravated fibrotic change of the intima in NT, and such consequence was significantly ameliorated in HT groups, mostly lowered in T2 (p < .05). Last, serum pro-inflammatory cytokines were significantly low in the HT groups than in NT, especially in T2 with the lowest level (p < .05). . CONCLUSIONS: On-time, continuous E2 treatment immediately after a biologic estrogen deprivation event significantly reduced metabolic and cardiovascular risks in young, pre-menarche female mouse models of POI, confirming decreased serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Computer simulation approach to the identification of visfatin-derived angiogenic peptides.

Angiogenesis plays an essential role in various normal physiological processes, such as embryogenesis, tissue repair, and skin regeneration. Visfatin is a 52 kDa adipokine secreted by various tissues including adipocytes. It stimulates the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and promotes angiogenesis. However, there are several issues in developing full-length visfatin as a therapeutic drug due to its high molecular weight. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop peptides, based on the active site of visfatin, with similar or superior angiogenic activity using computer simulation techniques.Initially, the active site domain (residues 181∼390) of visfatin was first truncated into small peptides using the overlapping technique. Subsequently, the 114 truncated small peptides were then subjected to molecular docking analysis using two docking programs (HADDOCK and GalaxyPepDock) to generate small peptides with the highest affinity for visfatin. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations (MD) were conducted to investigate the stability of the protein-ligand complexes by computing root mean square deviation (RSMD) and root mean square fluctuation(RMSF) plots for the visfatin-peptide complexes. Finally, peptides with the highest affinity were examined for angiogenic activities, such as cell migration, invasion, and tubule formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Through the docking analysis of the 114 truncated peptides, we screened nine peptides with a high affinity for visfatin. Of these, we discovered two peptides (peptide-1: LEYKLHDFGY and peptide-2: EYKLHDFGYRGV) with the highest affinity for visfatin. In an in vitrostudy, these two peptides showed superior angiogenic activity compared to visfatin itself and stimulated mRNA expressions of visfatin and VEGF-A. These results show that the peptides generated by the protein-peptide docking simulation have a more efficient angiogenic activity than the original visfatin.

Honey Bee Colonies (Apis mellifera L.) Perform Orientation Defensiveness That Varies among Bred Lines.

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) express complex behavioral patterns (aggressiveness) in defensive mechanisms for their survival. Their phenotypic expression of defensive behavior is influenced by internal and external stimuli. Knowledge of this behavior has recently become increasingly important, though beekeepers are still faced with the challenges of selecting defensive and less-defensive bred lines. Field evaluation of defensive behavior among bred lines of honey bees is required to overcome the challenges. Chemical cues (alarm pheromone and isopentyl acetate mixed with paraffin oil) and physical and visual stimuli (dark leather suede, colony marbling, and suede jiggling) were used to evaluate defensiveness and orientation among five bred lines of honeybee colonies. Our results showed that both chemical assays recruited bees, but the time of recruitment was significantly faster for alarm pheromone. Honeybees' response to both assays culminated in stings that differed among bred lines for alarm pheromone and paraffin when colonies were marbled. Honeybee orientation defensiveness varied among bred lines and was higher in more defensive bred lines compared to less-defensive bred lines. Our findings suggest that it is crucial to repeatedly evaluate orientation defensiveness at the colony level and among bred lines when selecting breeding colonies.

Arenobufagin-loaded PEG-PLA nanoparticles for reducing toxicity and enhancing cancer therapy.

Arenobufagin (ArBu) is a natural anticancer drug with good anti-tumor effects, but its clinical applications and drug development potential are limited due to its toxicity. The purpose of this study is to reduce the toxic side effects of ArBu and improve the efficacy of tumor treatment by incorporating it into poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly (lactide) co-polymer (PEG-PLA). ArBu@PEG-PLA micelles were prepared by a thin film hydration method. The optimized micelles were characterized by size, stability, drug loading, encapsulation rate, and drug release. The tumor-inhibition efficacy of the micelles was evaluated on A549 cells and tumor-bearing mice. The ArBu@PEG-PLA micelles have good drug-loading capacity, release performance, and stability. They can accumulate at the tumor site through the EPR effect. The micelles induce apoptosis through a mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Compared with the free ArBu, the ArBu@PEG-PLA micelles had lower toxicity and higher safety in the acute toxicity evaluation experiment. The in vivo anti-tumor experiment with tumor-bearing mice showed that the tumor-inhibition rate of ArBu@PEG-PLA micelles was 72.9%, which was 1.28-fold higher than that of free ArBu (57.1%), thus showing a good tumor treatment effect. This study indicates that ArBu@PEG-PLA polymeric micelles can significantly improve the toxicity and therapeutic efficacy of ArBu. These can lead to a new therapeutic strategy to reduce the toxicity of ArBu and enhance tumor treatment.

Effects of antenatal dexamethasone and postnatal pulmonary surfactant combined with respiratory support on lung fluid clearance in preterm rabbits / 中华围产医学杂志

Objective:To explore the effects of prenatal dexamethasone (DEX), postnatal pulmonary surfactant (PS) and respiratory support on the lung fluid clearance in premature rabbits at gestational age (GA) of 25-28 d (full term: 31 d) and their relationship with dynamic compliance of respiratory system (Cdyn), pulmonary morphology and other parameters.Methods:In our previous publications, premature rabbits were divided into four groups according to the intervention strategy: control group, PS-only group, DEX-only group and DEX+PS group in which data of several parameters including wet-to-dry lung weight ratio (W/D), Cdyn and volume density of alveoli (Vv) were retrieved and the lung tissue sections were scanned to recalculate the ratio of perivascular sheath to vascular sectional area (S/V) and lung injury scores-edema (LIS-E). W/D, LIS-E, S/V and Vv were adjusted for birth weight (BW) (divided by BW, represented as W/D/BW, LIS-E/BW, S/V/BW and Vv/BW) and mean Cdyn (Cdyn-m) was adopted. Based on the grouping of previous studies, the intervention groups in this study were divided as DEX group and non-DEX group, and PS group and non-PS group to analyze the influence of DEX and PS on the above parameters. Two independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance, LSD test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, Mann-Whitney U test and Pearson correlation analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results:A total of 196 newborn rabbits receiving mechanical ventilation after birth were included in this study. (1) Effects of DEX: compared with the non-DEX group, the DEX group showed increased W/D/BW (489±69 vs 421±113, t=－2.09), LIS-E/BW (188±57 vs 138±55, t=－2.61) and Vv/BW (20.1±4.9 vs 14.2±4.7, t=－3.60), but decreased S/V (0.33±0.23 vs 0.51±0.25, t=2.23) and S/V/W/D (0.05±0.03 vs 0.07±0.04, t=2.22) at 25 d of gestation; at 26 d of gestation, W/D/BW (472±76 vs 303±44, t=－8.75), LIS-E/BW (189±63 vs 106±36, t=－5.23), Cdyn-m [(0.16±0.07) vs (0.05±0.03) ml/(kg?cmH 2O), 1 cmH 2O=0.098 kPa; t=－7.29] and Vv/BW increased (22.4±5.0 vs 12.2±3.8, t=－7.46), while S/V (0.23±0.19 vs 0.62±0.38, t=4.10), S/V/BW (15.7±12.4 vs 25.7±17.3, t=2.20), S/V/W/D (0.03±0.03 vs 0.08±0.05, t=3.92) and propensity scores decreased [(12.5±1.2) vs (15.1±1.2) scores, t=7.00]; at 27 d of gestation, Cdyn-m increased [(0.23±0.12) vs (0.16±0.07) ml/(kg?cmH 2O), t=－2.43], but S/V (0.32±0.23 vs 0.57±0.39, t=2.57) and S/V/W/D decreased (0.05±0.04 vs 0.09±0.06, t=2.55); at 28 d of gestation, W/D/BW (270±64 vs 162±33, t=－8.09), LIS-E/BW (72±32 vs 35±20, t=－5.17), S/V (0.90±0.60 vs 0.59±0.48, t=－2.81), S/V/BW (34.0±23.6 vs 15.2±12.7, t=－3.77) and Vv/BW increased (16.9±4.3 vs 9.2±2.9, t=－8.04); the differences were all statistically significant (all P<0.05). (2) Effects of PS: compared with the non-PS group, the PS group had decreased LIS-E/BW at 25, 26 and 27 d of gestation, increased Cdyn-m and Vv/BW at 25 and 27 d of gestation and higher propensity scores at 25 d of gestation (all P<0.05). (3) The correlation between gestational age and each index: gestational age was positively correlated with S/V ( r=0.31, P<0.05), but negatively correlated with W/D/BW and LIS-E/BW ( r=－0.73 and－0.63, both P<0.05). Conclusions:The pharmacological action of prenatal DEX on lung fluid clearance is mainly confined to preterm rabbits at the GA of 28 d which is supported by mechanical ventilation. Prenatal treatment with DEX and/or postnatal PS can improve the early respiratory function in preterm rabbits between GA of 25-27 d, but had no substantial impact on lung fluid clearance. The GA-related lung maturation appears to play a crucial role, in comparison with medications, in lung fluid clearance.

Effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on the safety of laparoscopic D 2 radical resection and prognosis of patients with locally advanced gastric cancer / 中华消化外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on the safety of laparoscopic D 2 radical resection and prognosis of patients with locally advanced gastric cancer. Methods:The propensity score matching and retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 351 patients with locally advanced gastric cancer who underwent laparos-copic D 2 radical resection in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University from December 2016 to December 2021 were collected. There were 256 males and 95 females, aged (58±9)years. Of the 351 patients, 124 cases undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy were divided into the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group, 227 patients undergoing postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy were divided into the adjuvant chemotherapy group. Observation indicators: (1) propensity score matching and comparison of general data of patients between the two groups after matching; (2) effect evaluation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy; (3) intraoperative and postoperative situations; (4) postoperative histopathological examinations; (5) follow-up. Propensity score matching was done by the 1∶1 nearest neighbor matching method. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and comparison between groups was conducted using the t test. Measure-ment data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range) or M( Q1, Q3), and comparison between groups was conducted using the rank sum test. Count data were described as absolute numbers, and comparison between groups was conducted using the chi-square test. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw survival curves, and the Log-Rank test was used for survival analysis. Results:(1) Propensity score matching conditions and comparison of general data of patients between the two groups of patients after matching. Of 351 patients, 154 cases were successfully matched, including 77 cases in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group and 77 cases in the adjuvant chemotherapy group. The elimination of gender, age, preoperative body mass index, clinical T staging and clinical N staging confounding bias ensured comparability between the two groups after propensity score matching. (2) Effect evaluation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Of the 77 patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy, none of patient achieved complete response, 26 patients achieved partial response, 46 patients showed stable disease, 5 patients had progression of disease, showing the objective response rate as 33.8%(26/77) and the disease control rate as 93.5%(72/77). There were 15 males and 11 females sensitive to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, while 46 males and 5 females not sensitive, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=11.05, P<0.05). (3) Intra-operative and postoperative situations. The operation time, volume of intraoperative blood loss, cases with intraoperative blood transfusion, time to postoperative first flatus, time to postoperative first liquid food intake, duration of postoperative hospital stay, cases with postoperative immediate complications, cost of hospital stay were (308±71)minutes, 100(range, 20?600)mL, 5, 3.0(range, 2.0?10.0)days, 4.0(range, 2.0?12.0)days, 9.0(range, 4.0?31.0)days, 7, 7.96(7.37,8.58) ten thousand yuan in patients of the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group, versus (296±67)minutes, 100(range, 20?500)mL, 4, 3.5(range, 1.0?14.0)days, 4.0(range, 2.0?15.0)days, 8.0(range, 5.0?45.0)days, 11, 8.18(7.52,9.19) ten thousand yuan in patients of the adjuvant chemotherapy group, showing no signifi-cant difference in the above indicators between the two groups ( t=1.13, Z=?0.37, χ2=0.12, Z=?1.26, ?0.33, ?0.70, χ2=1.01, Z=?1.04, P>0.05). (4) Postoperative histopathological examinations. Results of postoperative histopatho-logical examinations showed that all 154 patients achieving R 0 resection. Cases with pathological T staging as stage T1, stage T2, stage T3, stage T4, cases with pathological N staging as stage N0, stage N1, stage N2, stage N3, number of positive lymph nodes, cases with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (negative, positive) were 3, 7, 5, 62, 27, 19, 19, 12, 1(range, 0?28), 59, 18 in patients of the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group, versus 0, 0, 2, 75, 17, 15, 21, 24, 3(range, 0?31), 44, 33 in patients of the adjuvant chemotherapy group, showing significant differences in the above indicators between the two groups ( Z=?3.39, ?2.55, ?3.12, χ2=6.60, P<0.05). (5) Follow-up. Of the 154 patients, 143 patients were followed up for 37(range, 5?69)months. The 3-year overall survival rate and 3-year disease-free survival rate was 72.1% and 70.0%, respectively, in patients of the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group, versus 74.8% and 76.6% in patients of the adjuvant chemo-therapy group, showing no significant difference in the above indicators between the two groups ( χ2=0.14, 0.60, P>0.05). Conclusions:Compared to postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, neoadjuvant chemotherapy does not bring additional surgical risks, but can reduce the tumor stage of patients who underwent laparoscopic D 2 radical resection for locally advanced gastric cancer. However, it does not show any advantage in improving survival of patients.

Diagnosis and treatment of 18 cases of Chiari malformation with hoarseness / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective: To investigate the diagnosis and treatment of Chiari malformation patients with hoarseness and other otorhinolaryngological symptoms. Methods: The clinical data of 18 patients of Chiari malformation with hoarseness were retrospectively collected, which was composed of 5 men and 13 women, aged 3-71 with median age of 52. All the patients were admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from January 1989 to January 2020. All patients underwent brain MRI and laryngoscopy. The patient's symptoms and first diagnosis department, diagnosis time, total course of disease, hoarseness course, diagnosis and treatment, and postoperative recovery time were summarized. Follow-up time was 3-16 years, with median follow-up time of 6.5 years. Descriptive methods were used for analysis. Results: The first visit departments of 18 patients included neurology (9 cases), otorhinolaryngology head and neck surgery (5 cases), pediatrics (2 cases), orthopedics (1 case) and respiratory department (1 case). Except for the 7 cases in neurology department, the other 11 patients were not diagnosed in time. The disease duration of 18 patients with Chiari malformation ranged from 2 months to 5 years, and hoarseness was present from 20 days to 5 years. After diagnosis, 9 patients underwent posterior fossa decompression surgery, and 1 of them underwent syrinx drainage at the same time. The symptoms of 8 cases improved significantly after operation, with the improvement time from 1 to 30 days. In addition, 9 patients chose conservative treatment, among whom 8 had no improvement in symptoms and 6 progressed. Conclusions: Posterior fossa decompression is an effective treatment for Chiari malformation, and the prognosis is good. Timely diagnosis and treatment can improve the prognosis of patients.

Comparison of curative effect between Tianji robot assisted screw placement and traditional cannulated screw internal fixation for femoral neck fracture / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the clinical efficacy and advantages of Tianji orthopedic robot assisted cannulated screw internal fixation for femoral neck fracture.@*METHODS@#The clinical data of 41 patients with femoral neck fracture who underwent internal fixation with cannulated screws from January 2019 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. According to different surgical methods, they were divided into Tianji robot group and traditional cannulated screw fixation group (traditional operation group). Among them, there were 18 patients in Tianji robot group including 8 males and 10 females with age of (56.00±4.22) years old, Garden typeⅠ (4 cases), type Ⅱ (11 cases), type Ⅲ (2 cases), and type Ⅳ (1 case). There were 23 patients in the traditional operation group, including 10 males and 13 females, aged (54.87±4.81) years old;there were 5 cases of Garden typeⅠ, 14 cases of type Ⅱ, 3 cases of type Ⅲ and 1 case of type Ⅳ. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, fluoroscopy times, guide needle placement times, operation costs and other indicators were observed and compared between two groups. Harris score was used to evaluate hip joint function 12 months after operation.@*RESULTS@#The wounds of all patients healed in Grade A without complications. There were significant differences between two groups in terms of operation time, times of intraoperative fluoroscopy, times of guide needle placement, amount of intraoperative bleeding, and operation cost (P<0.05). All 41 patients were followed up for at least 12 months. The fractures of both groups were healed. There was no infection, screw loosening, fracture displacement and femoral head necrosis in Tianji robot group during follow-up;Screw loosening occurred in 2 patients in the traditional operation group during follow-up. At 12 months after operation, Harris hip joint function score of Tianji robot group was higher than that of traditional operation group in daily activity, lameness, joint activity score and total score (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Tianji robot assisted nail placement is a better method for the treatment of femoral neck fracture, which improves the surgical efficiency, is more accurate, has higher success rate of one-time nail placement, shorter operation time, less radiation, and has better hip joint function recovery after surgery.

Systematic comparison of two kinds of Bufonis Venenum derived from different Bufo gargarizans subspecies based on metabolomics and antitumor activity / 中国中药杂志

This paper compared the differences between two kinds of Bufonis Venenum produced by Bufo gargarizans gargarizans and B. gararizans andrewsi, and verified the rationality of the market value orientation of Bufonis Venenum based on the zebrafish mo-del. Twenty batches of Bufonis Venenum from Jiangsu province, Hebei province, Liaoning province, Jilin province, and Liangshan, Sichuan province, including B. gargarizans gargarizans and B. gararizans andrewsi, were collected. The UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS combined with principal component analysis was used to compare the differences between two kinds of Bufonis Venenum. According to the limiting conditions of VIP>1, FC<0.5 or FC>2.0, and peak total area ratio>1%, 9 differential markers were determined, which were cinobufagin, cinobufotalin, arenobufagin, resibufogenin, scillaredin A, resibufagin, 3-(N-suberoylargininyl)-arenobufagin, 3-(N-suberoylargininyl)-marinobufagin, and 3-(N-suberoylargininyl)-resibufogenin. The content of 20 batches of Bufonis Venenum was determined according to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition) by high-performance liquid chromatography, and the 2 batches of Bufonis Venenum, CS7(8.99% of total content) and CS9(5.03% of total content), with the largest difference in the total content of the three quality control indexes of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(bufalin, cinobufagin, and resibufogenin) were selected to evaluate their anti-liver tumor activity based on the zebrafish model. The tumor inhibition rates of the 2 batches were 38.06% and 45.29%, respectively, proving that only using the quality control indexes of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia as the value orientation of Bufonis Venenum market circulation was unreasonable. This research provides data support for the effective utilization of Bufonis Venenum resources and the establishment of a rational quality evaluation system of Bufonis Venenum.

Eosinophil-to-neutrophil ratio predicts outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke receiving intravenous thrombolysis / 国际脑血管病杂志

Objective:To investigate the predicting value of eosinophil-to-neutrophil ratio (ENR) for outcomes at 3 months after intravenous thrombolysis in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).Methods:Patients with AIS received intravenous thrombolysis in the Department of Neurology, Huai'an First People's Hospital from July 2019 to July 2022 were included retrospectively. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to determine the independent correlation between ENR and outcomes at 3 months after intravenous thrombolysis. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of ENR levels for poor outcomes at 3 months after intravenous thrombolysis. Results:A total of 352 patients with AIS receiving intravenous thrombolysis were enrolled, including 240 men (68.1%), age 66.46±12.00 years old. The median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 8 (interquartile range, 5-13). At 3 months after onset, 215 patients (61.0%) had good outcomes, 137 (38.9%) had poor outcomes. Univariate analysis showed that the median ENR×10 2 level of the poor outcome group was significantly lower than that of the good outcome group ( Z= –7.305, P<0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that lower ENR×10 2 was an independent risk factor for poor outcomes at 3 months after intravenous thrombolysis (odds ratio 0.619, 95% confidence interval 0.514-0.745; P<0.01). ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve for ENR×10 2 predicting the poor outcomes after intravenous thrombolysis was 0.731 (95% confidence interval 0.678-0.784; P<0.01). The optimal cutoff value was 0.625 and the corresponding sensitivity and specificity were 94% and 40%, respectively. Conclusion:Lower ENR before intravenous thrombolysis in patients with AIS is independently associated with the poor outcomes at 3 months.

Systemic immune-inflammation index predicts hemorrhagic transformation after intravenous thrombolysis in patients with acute ischemic stroke / 国际脑血管病杂志

Objective:To investigate the predictive value of systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII) for hemorrhagic transformation (HT) and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) after intravenous thrombolysis in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).Methods:Patients with AIS received intravenous thrombolysis in the Department of Neurology, Huai’an First People’s Hospital from July 2019 to July 2022 were included retrospectively. The head CT was performed at 24 h after intravenous thrombolysis and determined whether HT existed. sICH was defined as brain parenchymal hematoma, and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores increased by ≥4 compared with the baseline, or the patient died within 36 h after onset. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent correlation between SII and HT and sICH after intravenous thrombolysis. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of SII for HT and sICH after intravenous thrombolysis. Results:A total of 352 patients with AIS received intravenous thrombolysis were enrolled, including 240 males (68.1%), aged 66.46±12.00 years. The median baseline NIHSS score was 8 (interquartile range, 5-13), and the median SII is 531.91×10 9/L (interquartile range, 351.20-896.91×10 9/L). HT occurred in 62 patients (17.6%) and sICH occurred in 27 patients (7.7%). Univariate analysis showed that the SII of the HT group was significantly higher than that of the non-HT group ( Z=–2.731, P=0.006), and the SII of the sICH group was significantly higher than that of non-sICH group ( Z=–4.125, P<0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the increased SII was the independent risk factor for HT (odds ratio [ OR] 1.001, 95% confidence interval [ CI] 1.000-1.001; P=0.004) and sICH ( OR 1.001, 95% CI 1.001-1.002; P<0.01). ROC curve analysis shows that the area under curve of SII predicting HT was 0.610 (95% CI 0.535-0.686; P=0.006), and the best cutoff value was 488.48×10 9/L. The corresponding sensitivity and specificity were 69% and 47% respectively. The area under the curve of SII predicting sICH was 0.739 (95% CI 0.636-0.842; P<0.01), and the best cutoff value was 846.56×10 9/L, the corresponding sensitivity and specificity were 70% and 77% respectively. Conclusion:The increased SII at admission can predict the risks of HT and sICH in patients with AIS after intravenous thrombolysis.

Carcinoma-associated fibroblast-derived lysyl oxidase-rich extracellular vesicles mediate collagen crosslinking and promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition via p-FAK/p-paxillin/YAP signaling / 国际口腔科学杂志·英文版

Carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the main cellular components of the tumor microenvironment and promote cancer progression by modifying the extracellular matrix (ECM). The tumor-associated ECM is characterized by collagen crosslinking catalyzed by lysyl oxidase (LOX). Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) mediate cell-cell communication. However, the interactions between sEVs and the ECM remain unclear. Here, we demonstrated that sEVs released from oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC)-derived CAFs induce collagen crosslinking, thereby promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). CAF sEVs preferably bound to the ECM rather than being taken up by fibroblasts and induced collagen crosslinking, and a LOX inhibitor or blocking antibody suppressed this effect. Active LOX (αLOX), but not the LOX precursor, was enriched in CAF sEVs and interacted with periostin, fibronectin, and bone morphogenetic protein-1 on the surface of sEVs. CAF sEV-associated integrin α2β1 mediated the binding of CAF sEVs to collagen I, and blocking integrin α2β1 inhibited collagen crosslinking by interfering with CAF sEV binding to collagen I. CAF sEV-induced collagen crosslinking promoted the EMT of OSCC through FAK/paxillin/YAP pathway. Taken together, these findings reveal a novel role of CAF sEVs in tumor ECM remodeling, suggesting a critical mechanism for CAF-induced EMT of cancer cells.

Computer Vision in Medical Imaging and its Impact on the Rare Musculoskeletal Diseases / 罕见病研究

There are over 6000 rare diseases in the world, affecting more than 300 million people. Early and precise diagnosis of rare diseases has always been the goal in clinical medicine. Emerging computer vision technology now greatly enhance medicine and healthcare and shows the potential in assisting the diagnosis and treatment for rare diseases. The technology can be a useful tool for extracting disease-relevant patterns from medical imaging. However, the effectiveness of its application depends on the complexity of the medical cases. In this paper, we summarize the challenges and emerging solution for the application of computer vision in diagnosis, rehabilitation as well as management of rare musculoskeletal diseases.

Mechanism of NLRP3 Inflammasome Mediated Pyroptosis in Acute Pancreatitis - related Lung Injury / 胃肠病学

Background: Pyroptosis is involved in the occurrence of acute pancreatitis, but its role in remote organ injury remains unclear. Aims: To investigate the role and mechanism of NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent pyroptosis in acute pancreatitis- related lung injury. Methods: Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: control group, severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) group, Z-WEHD-FMK (caspase-1 inhibitor) group and disulfiram (GSDMD inhibitor) group. Experimental SAP was constructed by using 5% sodium taurocholate in the latter 3 groups. Serum levels of amylase, lipase, procalcitonin, and the myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were determined; the severity of pancreatic and lung injuries was assessed by histopathology and lung wet/dry weight ratio; serum levels of pyroptosis-related inflammatory cytokines and the expressions of proteins involved in pyroptosis pathway in lung tissue were measured by ELISA method and immunohisto- chemistry and Western blotting, respectively. Results: Compared with the control group, the serum biochemical indices, MPO activity, and interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-18 levels in SAP group were significantly increased with aggravated pancreatic and lung tissue injuries; meanwhile, the expressions of NLRP3, caspase-1 and GSDMD in lung tissue were significantly up- regulated (all P<0.05). Pretreatment with caspase-1 or GSDMD inhibitors reduced the severity of pancreatic and lung tissue injuries, improved the serum biochemical indices and MPO activity, and ameliorated the increased pyroptosis - related inflammatory cytokines and pyroptosis pathway - related proteins (all P<0.05). Conclusions: NLRP3/caspase - 1/GSDMD pathway mediated pyroptosis plays an important role in acute pancreatitis-related lung injury, and inhibition of pyroptosis pathways might be a new direction for its treatment.