VESCL: an open source 2D vessel contouring library.

PURPOSE: VESCL (pronounced 'vessel') is a novel vessel contouring library for computer-assisted 2D vessel contouring and segmentation. VESCL facilitates manual vessel segmentation in 2D medical images to generate gold-standard datasets for training, testing, and validating automatic vessel segmentation. METHODS: VESCL is an open-source C++ library designed for easy integration into medical image processing systems. VESCL provides an intuitive interface for drawing variable-width parametric curves along vessels in 2D images. It includes highly optimized localized filtering to automatically fit drawn curves to the nearest vessel centerline and automatically determine the varying vessel width along each curve. To support a variety of segmentation paradigms, VESCL can export multiple segmentation representations including binary segmentations, occupancy maps, and distance fields. RESULTS: VESCL provides sub-pixel resolution for vessel centerlines and vessel widths. It is optimized to segment small vessels with single- or sub-pixel widths that are visible to the human eye but hard to segment automatically via conventional filters. When tested on neurovascular digital subtraction angiography (DSA), VESCL's intuitive hand-drawn input with automatic curve fitting increased the speed of fully manual segmentation by 22× over conventional methods and by 3× over the best publicly available computer-assisted manual segmentation method. Accuracy was shown to be within the range of inter-operator variability of gold standard manually segmented data from a publicly available dataset of neurovascular DSA images as measured using Dice scores. Preliminary tests showed similar improvements for segmenting DSA of coronary arteries and RGB images of retinal arteries. CONCLUSION: VESCL is an open-source C++ library for contouring vessels in 2D images which can be used to reduce the tedious, labor-intensive process of manually generating gold-standard segmentations for training, testing, and comparing automatic segmentation methods.

Visual supplementation is an effective tool in cataract surgery counselling by eye-care practitioners.

BACKGROUND: Informed consent constitutes an important aspect of eye care. However, patients often experience difficulties understanding and retaining information presented to them during consultations. This study investigates the efficacy of pictorial aids in supplementing preoperative counselling of patients undergoing cataract surgery. METHODS: Patients attending routine pre-cataract surgery counselling were randomized to receive either a standard verbal consultation (control) or a verbal consultation with a digitalized pictorial aid illustrating key surgical steps (intervention). Patients were assessed after the consultation on their knowledge, satisfaction, anxiety and preparedness using an anonymous questionnaire. RESULTS: Seventy-six patients were recruited and randomized into the control and intervention groups. The intervention group attained better Knowledge Scores (control: 5 [2-6] vs. intervention: 6 [6]), and more patients "strongly agreed" that they were more prepared (control: 78.9% vs. intervention: 97.4%, P=0.028). A higher proportion of patients in the control group either "disagreed" or "neither disagree nor agreed (neutral)" that they were less worried (control: 15.8% vs. intervention: 0.0%, Fisher's Exact Test P=0.025). Although the consultation duration was shorter in the intervention group (21±4mins vs. 27±6mins, P<0.001), the use of digital pictorial aids during consultation resulted in more effective counselling with increased patient knowledge, easier decision-making process and reduced patient anxiety. CONCLUSION: Pictorial aids add to the repository of tools available to eye-care practitioners and are low-cost, easy to implement, and can effectively augment existing preoperative counselling processes to ensure accurate and effective preoperative counselling of patients.

[Resveratrol alleviates hyperglycemia-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy by maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis via enhancing SIRT1 expression].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether resveratrol alleviates hyperglycemia-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy by enhancing the expression of silent information regulation 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1) to maintain mitochondrial homeostasis. METHODS: Rat cardiomyocytes H9c2 cells with or without lentivirus-mediated mRNA interference of SIRT1 were cultured in high glucose (HG) and treated with resveratrol for 72 h. The changes in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, and relative surface of the cells were examined, and the mRNA expressions of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and protein expressions of SIRT1, mitochondrial fusion related proteins optic atrophy protein 1 (OPA1) and mitofusin 2, mitochondrial division related proteins dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) and fission protein 1 (FIS1), and mitophagy-related proteins BNIP3L and LC3 were detected using RT-qPCR and Western blotting. RESULTS: HG exposure significantly decreased SOD activity, increased MDA content, ROS production, relative cell surface, and the mRNA expressions of ANF and BNP in the cardiomyocytes; the protein expressions of SIRT1, OPA1, mitofusin 2 and BNIP3L and LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ ratio were all decreased and the protein expressions of DRP1 and FIS1 increased in HG-exposed cells (P<0.01). All these changes in HG-exposed cardiomyocytes were significantly alleviated by treatment with resveratrol (P<0.05). The protective effects of resveratrol against HG exposure in the cardiomyocytes were obviously attenuated by transfection of the cells with si-SIRT1 (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Resveratrol inhibits hyperglycemia-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy by reducing oxidative stress, the mechanisms of which involve enhancement of SIRT1 protein expression, regulation of mitochondrial fusion and division balance, and promoting BNIP3L-mediated mitophagy to maintain mitochondrial homeostasis in the cells.

Correlation between angiotensin and acute kidney injury in patients with sepsis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to analyze the changes in angiotensin (Ang) levels in patients with sepsis complicated with acute kidney injury (AKI) and evaluate the relationship between Ang and AKI. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Prospective research methods were used in this study. A total of 66 sepsis patients admitted to the Intensive care Unit (ICU) of the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University from October 2020 to January 2021 were enrolled. According to the occurrence of AKI, patients were divided into the sepsis-associated AKI (SA-AKI) group and the non-AKI group. The levels of Ang-1 and Ang-2 were compared between the two groups. The relationship between Ang and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in sepsis patients was studied by correlation analysis. RESULTS: Plasma Ang-1 in the SA-AKI group was significantly higher than that in the non-AKI group (0.39±1.05 ng/ml vs. 0.10±0.24 ng/ml, p=0.039). The Ang-2/Ang-1 in the SA-AKI group was lower than that in the non-AKI group with a significant difference (52.55±191.38 vs. 349.50±327.49, p=0.001). Correlation analysis indicated that Ang-1 was negatively correlated with GFR (r=-0.12, p=0.031), while Ang-2/Ang-1 was positively correlated with GFR (r=0.21, p<0.001). The Ang-2 was positively correlated with GFR (r=0.204, p<0.001) CONCLUSIONS: Plasma Ang-1 and Ang-2 levels are suggestive for assessing the risk of AKI in patients with sepsis.

[Guizhi Fuling Capsule inhibits migration and induces apoptosis of human ovarian cancer cells by regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway].

OBJECTIVE: To study the inhibitory effect of Guizhi Fuling Capsule (GFC) on migration of human ovarian cancer cells and explore the possible mechanism. METHODS: Sixty Wistar rats were randomized into 4 groups for daily gavage of saline or 4, 8, or 16 g/kg GFC suspension for 5 days to prepare blank and low-, medium- and high-dose GFC-medicated sera. Cisplatinresistant ovarian cancer SKOV3/DDP cells were treated with these sera with nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) inhibitor SN50 as the positive control, and the changes in migration ability and apoptosis of the cells were examined using scratch assay and flow cytometry, respectively; the changes in the mRNA and protein expressions of CDH1, CDH2, caspase 3 and NF- κB were detected using RT-qPCR and Western blotting. ATAC-seq was used to analyze the changes in expressions of CDH1, CDH2, caspase 3 and NF-κB genes in the open chromatin. RESULTS: Treatment with GFC-medicated sera dose-dependently inhibited the migration (P < 0.05), increased apoptosis (P < 0.01), inhibited CDH2 and NF-κB mRNA expression (P < 0.05), and enhanced caspase 3 and CDH1 mRNA expressions (P < 0.01) in SKOV3/DDP cells. The effects of high-dose GFC-medicated serum were comparable to those of SN50 (P>0.05), but its effect for enhancing DH1 protein expression was weaker than that of SN50 (P < 0.01). GFC-medicated sera significantly lowered the expressions of NF-κB and CDH2 and increased CDH1 expression in the open chromatin without obviously affecting caspase 3 expression. CONCLUSION: GFC- medicated sera inhibits the migration ability of SKOV3/DDP cells possibly by promoting cell apoptosis and caspase 3 and CDH1 expressions, inhibiting CDH2 and NF-κB expressions, and regulating the expressions of NF-κB, CDH2 and CDH1 in the open chromatin.

[Effects of moderate dose rosuvastatin on carotid plaque in patients with diabetes mellitus evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging].

Objective: To observe the effect of lipid regulating therapy on carotid atherosclerotic plaque in diabetic patients. Methods: The REACH study, conducted between March 2009 and February 2012, enrolled asymptomatic patients with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed carotid atherosclerotic plaque, who had never taken lipid-lowering drugs. Patients were treated with a moderate dose of rosuvastatin for 24 months. Blood lipid levels were measured and carotid MRI was performed at baseline, 3 and 24 months after treatment. The volume of carotid wall and lipid-rich necrotic core (LRNC) were measured by image analysis software. This study retrospectively analyzed patients in the REACH study. Patients were divided into diabetes group and non-diabetic group. The changes of blood lipid level and MRI parameters of carotid atherosclerotic plaque were compared between the two groups and their correlation was analyzed. Results: A total of 38 patients with carotid atherosclerotic plaque were included in this study, including 13 patients (34.2%) in the diabetic group and 25 patients (65.8%) in the non-diabetic group. Baseline parameters were comparable between the two groups, except higher HbA1c level in diabetes group (P<0.05). Compared with baseline, the total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglyceride (TG) levels were significantly decreased at 3 and 24 months in both two groups (P<0.05). The change of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in diabetes group was not obvious, while it was significantly increased in non-diabetic group at 24 months ((1.38±0.33) mmol/l vs. (1.26±0.26) mmol/l, P<0.05). MRI results showed that the volume and percentage of LRNC remained unchanged at 3 months, slightly decreased at 24 months (64.86 (45.37, 134.56) mm3 vs. 75.76 (48.20, 115.64) mm3, P>0.05) and (15.84% (11.47%, 24.85%) vs. 16.95% (11.64%, 22.91%), P>0.05) in diabetic group. In non-diabetic group, the volume and percentage of LRNC were significantly decreased at 3 months (63.01 (44.25, 188.64) mm3 vs. 72.49 (51.91, 199.59) mm3, P<0.05) and (13.76% (8.81%, 27.64%) vs. 16.04% (11.18%, 27.05%), P<0.05) respectively. Both parameters further decreased to (55.63 (27.18, 179.40) mm3) and (12.71% (8.39%, 24.41%)) at 24 months (both P<0.05). Wall volume, lumen volume and percent wall volume (PWV) were not affected post therapy in both two groups(P>0.05). There were no correlations between the changes of plaque parameters including volume and percentage of LRNC, wall volume, lumen volume, PWV and the changes of blood lipid parameters (TC, LDL-C, HDL-C and TG) in 3 and 24 months (P>0.05). Conclusion: Lipid-lowering therapy possesses different effects on carotid atherosclerotic plaque in diabetic and non-diabetic patients, and the LRNC improvement is more significant in non-diabetic patients as compared to diabetic patients.

[Recommendations for the diagnosis and management of lupus nephritis in China].

Lupus nephritis (LN) refers to renal involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus and is characterized by hematuria, proteinuria, edema, hypertension and renal insufficiency. The complete remission rate of proliferative LN remains low using the current induction protocols and LN tends to flare. Scientific and standardized diagnosis and therapy are crucial for the treatment of LN. Therefore, based on the current international and domestic experiences and guidelines, the Chinese Rheumatology Association developed the recommendations of diagnosis and therapy for LN, with the purpose of enhancing efficacy, reducing flare, halting renal progression and improving outcome of LN.

RNA-sequencing reveals the metabolism regulation mechanism of sheep skeletal muscle under nutrition deprivation stress.

Although the skeletal muscle is one of the main sites of metabolism, little is known about the molecular mechanisms involving its response to nutrition stress. The aim of the study was to screen the transcriptome of sheep muscle to identify the metabolism-related genes under nutrition deprivation stress. Ten healthy adult female Small-tailed Han sheep with similar age and weight were randomly divided into a normal group and fasted group. After 3 days, three sheep were randomly selected from each group and the semitendinosus samples were subjected to RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and a series of analyses and function annotations. Compared with the normal group, 391 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the fasted group that had obvious weight loss, including 278 down-regulated and 113 up-regulated genes. Gene Ontology enrichment annotation classified 228 DEGs in the metabolic process, 11 of which were new genes and only Sheep_newGene_4578 had been annotated by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway. The results of Clusters of Orthologous Groups annotation indicated that 11, 9, and 4 DEGs were respectively classified in lipid transport and metabolism, amino acid transport and metabolism, and carbohydrate transport and metabolism. In addition, KEGG enrichment analysis showed that there were not only pathways which were directly related to metabolisms such as protein digestion and absorption pathway, fatty acid metabolism pathway, and biosynthesis pathway of unsaturated fatty acids, but also PI3K-AKT pathway, AMPK pathway, MAPK pathway, and FoxO pathway which were important to metabolism among the top 20 pathways with the lowest significant Q value. The MCODE analysis of protein-protein interaction revealed that two identified subnetworks with top score were closely associated with metabolism. The correlation analysis showed that the mRNA levels of most of DEGs that might be related in the two subnetworks were significantly correlated respectively, and the mRNA levels of most of 10 metabolism-related DEGs including Sheep_newGene_4578 were significantly correlated. Finally, 16 random and 10 metabolism-related DEGs were chosen for confirmation by quantitative real-time PCR, demonstrating the same expression change as determined by RNA-seq. In conclusion, multiple interrelated metabolism-related DEGs in skeletal muscle contributed to the response of sheep to nutritional deprivation stress.

[Analysis of the effect of percutaneous vertebroplasty combined with (125)I seed implantation in the treatment of spinal metastatic epidural spinal cord compression].

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) combined with iodine-125 ((125)I) seed brachytherapy in the treatment of spinal metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC) and toassess the changes inthe grade of epidural spinal cord compression (ESCC) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: A total of 37 MESCC patients treated with PVP combined with (125)I seed brachytherapy in the interventional and vascular surgery department of Zhongda Hospital affiliated to Southeast University from January 2014 to June 2019 were retrospectively analyzed, including 23 cases of bilateral lower limbs paralysis. Total diseased vertebrae are 39 segments. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and paralysis of lower extremities were evaluated regularly before and after treatment, and VAS values at different follow-up time points were compared. At the same time, MRI was used to evaluate the changes of ESCC grade in the spinal canal and calculate the local lesion efficiency after operation. The postoperative local lesion efficiency at different follow-up times was compared. Results: PVP combined with (125)I seed implantation in all diseased vertebral bodies was successful. The average injection volume of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) was (3.2±1.3) ml/segment, the average number of (125)I seed implanted was (25.0±8.6) seeds/segment and the average radiation dose was (15.0±5.1) mCi/segment. The VAS before operation was 8.5, and postoperative VAS were respectively 3.6±1.3, 3.8±1.5, 3.4±1.4, 5.5±1.0, 5.9±1.4 at 5 days, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after operation. The differences between all follow-up time points and preoperative VAS values were statistically significant (all P<0.001). Compared with 5 days, 1 month and 3 months after operation, VAS increased significantly at 6 months and 1 year after operation, and the difference was statistically significant (all P<0.001); there was no significant difference between the VAS value at 6 months after operation and 1 year after operation (P=0.405). At a follow-up of 3 months, 22 of 23 patients with paralysis of bilateral lower limbs regained the functions of autonomous walking and voiding; the effective rates of MESCC local lesions evaluated by MRI at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and>1 year were 89.7%, 91.9%, 90.6%, and 94.7%, respectively, and there was no statistically significant differences among those follow-up time points (all P>0.05). Conclusions: PVP combined with (125)I seed brachytherapy in the treatment of MESCC has significant improvement in immediate pain relief and spinal cord function. After combined treatment, MRI showed that the tumors around the spinal cord regressed dramatically, which could considerably reduce the MESCC grade and remain stable for a long time.

(Z)-7,4'-Dimethoxy-6-hydroxy-aurone- 4-O-ß-glucopyranoside alleviates cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats associating with the regulation of JAK1/STAT1 signaling pathway.

Inflammatory responses have been demonstrated to contribute to the neuronal death following cerebral ischemia. This study was to investigate the repairing effects and potential mechanisms of (Z)-7,4'-dimethoxy-6-hydroxy-aurone-4-O-ß-glucopyranoside (DHAG), a compound with neuroprotective effects, on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats. Cerebral I/R model was established with middle cerebral artery occlusion method in Sprague Dawley rats and then rats were treated with DHAG (1 and 2 mg/kg) for 7 days. The volume of cerebral infarction was detected by triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. The apoptosis in ischemic brain tissues was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay. Oxidative stress markers and inflammatory factors were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Protein expression was detected by Western blot. DHAG treatment significantly alleviated the cerebral I/R injury and decreased apoptosis in brain tissues. Moreover, DHAG treatment significantly inhibited oxidative stress and reduced inflammatory responses, associating with decreasing the protein expression of phosphorylated Janus kinase 1/phosphorylated signal transducer and transcriptional activator 1. These results demonstrated neuroprotective properties of DHAG and highlighted it as a potential therapeutic agent against injury of cerebral IR.

A novel 'surgeon-dominated' approach to the design of 3D-printed patient-specific surgical plates in mandibular reconstruction: a proof-of-concept study.

Three-dimensionally (3D) printed patient-specific surgical plates have been proposed to facilitate mandibular reconstruction and are attracting extensive attention. We have recently reported the high accuracy of 3D-printed patient-specific surgical plates used in head and neck reconstruction. Based on this previous work, the current study proposes a novel 'surgeon-dominated' approach to the design of 3D-printed patient-specific surgical plates. The aim of this proof-of-concept study was to explore the workflow and technical procedures of the surgeon-dominated approach. The workflow includes virtual surgery, the design and printing of patient-specific surgical devices, and real surgery. The prototype of the patient-specific surgical plate was designed by surgeons and further optimized for 3D printing by engineers. Different types of mandibular defect were tested to confirm the wide applicability of this approach. Cases in which this approach was used were reviewed and the duration of time spent on each case studied. Based on a total of 16 patients, the time spent on virtual surgery and plate design was 18.83±13.19hours, and the time taken for 3D printing, post-processing, and product delivery was 162.9±55.15hours. Therefore, this novel surgeon-dominated approach is feasible and time-saving, which would likely promote the wide application of patient-specific surgical plates and lead to a new era of 'digitization and precision' in mandibular reconstruction. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT03057223.

Health- and oral health-related quality of life among preschool children with autism spectrum disorders.

PURPOSE: To assess the health-related quality of life (HrQoL) and oral health-related quality of life (OHrQoL) of preschool children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and to determine the associated factors. METHODS: A case-control study of preschool children with and without ASD was undertaken. H&OHrQoL were assessed employing Pediatric Quality-of-Life Inventory Version 4.0 (PedsQL™ 4.0) and Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS). Differences in PedsQL and ECOHIS scores were determined between groups and correlation between PedsQL and ECOHIS was explored. Regression analyses were conducted to determine key factors associated with H&OHrQoL. RESULTS: Parents of 510 children (253 cases and 257 controls) completed the H&OHrQoL questionnaire assessments. Significant difference in PedsQL (p < 0.001) and ECOHIS (p < 0.001) scores was apparent between children with and without ASD. There was a positive and weak correlation between PedsQL and ECOHIS scores (r = - 0.45, p < 0.01). In regression analyses, the presence of ASD was associated with an increased likelihood of having lower PedsQL (OR 0.10, 95% CI 0.06-0.15, p < 0.001) and higher ECOHIS scores (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.60-3.42, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Differences in H&OHrQoL exist among preschool children with and without ASD. There was a significant but weak correlation between children's H&OHrQoL. Both H&OHrQoL were associated with autism spectrum disorders.

[Occlusal changes before and after orthodontic treatment in patients with aggressive periodontitis].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of occlusal improvement in the labial fixed orthodontic treatment in aggressive periodontitis patients and to explore the relationship between occlusal improvement and inflammation control. METHODS: Twenty-two aggressive periodontitis patients who underwent combined periodontal-orthodontic treatment were included in this study. The patient's photos were matched to the dental models and digital three dimentional models were acquired using 3Shape R700 laser scanner. The occlusal force distribution maps were generated in the OrthoAnalyzer software. The newly established occlusal force distribution score (OFDS) and proximal contact score (PCS) were used to evaluate the occlusal distribution changes before and after labial fixed orthodontic treatment for assessing the effectiveness of orthodontic treatment. The multi-level linear regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between the probing depth changes and OFDS or PCS changes to screen out the favorable orthodontic strategy for inflammation control, which would provide clinical strategy for combined periodontal-orthodontic treatment in aggressive periodontitis patients. RESULTS: At the patient level, OFDS was improved significantly after orthodontic treatment compared with the score before orthodontic treatment (84.5±20.9 vs.105.3±22.6, P <0.001) and PCS was improved significantly after orthodontic treatment compared with the score before orthodontic treatment (68.9±9.1 vs. 83.7±6.3, P <0.001).At the tooth level, the OFDS was significantly increased in the maxillary anterior teeth (P <0.001) while the PCS of the anterior teeth in both maxillary and mandible arches were significantly increased significantly (P <0.01). No significant changes were found in other tooth positions. The multilevel linear regression model showed that no significant correlation was found between age and gender and probing depth decrease (P >0.05). The baseline probing depth,OFDS improvements and PCS improvements (P <0.001) were positively correlated with probing depth decrease. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the distribution of occlusal force was more reasonable and the proximal contacts were more ideal in aggressive periodontitis patients. Orthodontic treatment was effective in improving occlusal force distribution by the above two ways. Especially, the OFDS and PCS improvements were both positively correlated with probing depth decrease, indicating that in the combined periodontal-orthodontic treatment for aggressive periodontitis patients, occlusal force distribution and proximal contact should be improved in order to facilitate periodontal improvement.

Probiotic and hepatoprotective activity of lactobacillus isolated from Mongolian camel milk products.

The improving-intestinal-microbial-balance properties of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are well known. Thus, LAB could play a vital role in the pathogenesis of liver diseases. In the present study, 107 LAB strains were isolated from Mongolian camel milk products and identified to species, then screened for their probiotic properties. As a result, we identified 71 Lactobacillus bacteria belonging to 9 different species, and 36 Lactococcus bacteria belonging to 8 different species. Among them, six strains of LAB with strong tolerance and adhesion ability were further studied for their protective effect on acute liver injury induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/D-galactosamine (D-GalN). These six strains of LAB were fed to mice for 7 weeks, and on the final day of the experiment, LPS/D-GalN were used to induce acute liver injury. After challenging, the degree of liver pathological changes, secretion of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in serum and liver, and the expression of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 in the liver and intestines were observed and quantified. The results showed that the degree of liver pathological changes in mice fed with the six LAB strains were relieved to varying degrees compared with the LPS/D-GalN-induced model group, and the expressions of AST, ALT, IL-6, and TNF-α factor were also significantly decreased. Moreover, the expression levels of these factors in mice pretreated with Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei WXD5 were significantly decreased compared with other experimental groups. This suggests the probiotic potential and pharmacological value of L. paracasei subsp. paracasei as a liver injury inhibitor in the intervention of inflammation-based liver disease.

[Cement augmentation for vertebral osteolytic metastatic lesions: an evaluation on postoperative CT].

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of cement augmentation on the osteolytic lesion in patients with vertebral metastasis. Methods: A total of consecutive 132 patients with 268 vertebral metastatic lesions treated with PVP from January 2008 to December 2016 in Zhongda Hospital were enrolled in this study. Retrospective analysis of preoperative, postoperative 3 days, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months and ≥ 18 months imaging data on CT, the local control and progression of the tumor were evaluated by MDA response criteria. The local control rates were compared between the groups with the different rate of cement filling by Chi2-test. Results: Vertebroplasty procedures were performed successfully in all 268 vertebrae under DSA guidance, and the mean volume of PMMA injected in each vertebra was 0.7-8.5(3.9±1.5)ml.The rate of local control at 3 months, 6 months, 12 months and ≥18 months after PVP was respectively 98.9%, 95.1%, 91.8%, and 85.2%, the difference was statistically significant(all P<0.05). The local control rate showed a statistically significant relationship to the groups with the rate of cement filling at 6 months, 12 months and ≥18 months after PVP, but there was no statistical difference at postoperative 3 months. The rate of local control was higher in 68 patients with lung or gastrointestinal cancer than in 17 patients with liver or kidney cancer at 3 months, 6 months and 12 months, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: Cement augmentation has a local anti-tumor effect on vertebral osteolytic metastatic lesion, and the anti-tumor effect will decrease as the follow-up time extended.

Lactobacillus paracasei HD1.7 used as a starter modulates the bacterial community and metabolome profile during fermentation of Chinese cabbage.

The effects of Lactobacillus paracasei HD1.7 on the bacterial community and metabolome profile during the fermentation of pickled Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa var. pekinensis) were investigated using high-throughput sequencing and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The HD1.7-inoculated samples showed a consistently higher acidity and larger colony forming units until the middle stage of fermentation. The operational taxonomic units and bacterial richness and diversity declined. Lactobacillus was consistently the most abundant followed by Lactococcus, while Lactococcus was initially dominant and then replaced by Lactobacillus in control samples. The HD1.7 starter significantly promoted the growth of more acid-resistant Lactobacillus, inhibited the growth of pathogens and accelerated and enhanced the consumption of free sugars. Eleven categories and 109 kinds of metabolites were identified using GC-MS. Esters and aldehydes were the most abundant categories. Principal component analysis plots showed a similar metabolome shift route but a faster fermentation process due to HD1.7 inoculation. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Pickled Chinese cabbage is a very traditional and popular food in Asia and where Asians migrate. High-throughput sequencing and GC-MS have been used to investigate the effects of Lactobacillus paracasei HD1.7 as a starter on the bacterial community and metabolome during pickled Chinese cabbage fermentation. Lactobacillus paracasei HD1.7 accelerated acidification and resulted in server acidity. Lactobacillus dominated the entire fermentation process. Lactobacillus paracasei HD1.7-inoculated fermented cabbage had several advantages over naturally fermented cabbage, including a shorter fermentation process, fewer pathogens and more plentiful flavours. This research suggested that L. paracasei HD1.7 would be a desirable starter in the fermentation of other vegetables.

[A preliminary research on the exosome influenced by virus infection in the renal transplantation recipients].

Objective: Virus infection is a common complication of transplantation.With the research and application of exosome is becoming more popular, this study focused on whether the virus particles and nucleic acids exist in the exosomes extracted from the plasma of recipients with virus infection after renal transplantation. Methods: A total of 10 independent transplantation recipients at Institute of Organ Transplantation, 309th Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army from January 2015 to July 2017 were studied in this study.5 cases of positive or suspected positive in granulocytes HCMV pp65 antigen detection and positive in plasma HCMV DNA test, and the other 5 cases of positive results in plasma BK DNA test were adopted.Exosomes were extracted from the collected plasma samples with SBI kit.Electron microscopy and nanoparticles tracing analyzer (NTA) were used for exosome analysis.Quantitative real-time PCR method was used to inspect and compare virus DNA copies number in plasma, exosome and effluent. Results: Typical exosome-like vesicle structure was observed.NTA put forward the sample concentration data from 1.2 to 4.5×10(12) particles/ml, and the particle diameters were 30-200 nm.In the qRT-PCR assays, the viral DNA quantitative results of exosome samples are lower but on the same magnitude compared with that of the plasma, and sharply decreased in effluent. Conclusions: Virus DNAs in exosome samples of recipients with viral infection after transplantation were detected in great quantities.This not only hints the spread of the virus may take advantage of the biological formation process of exosomes, but also warns that the limitation of the existing way to extract exosmes from virus infected population may be a bottleneck in research.