FSGT capsule inhibits IL-1ß-induced inflammation in chondrocytes and ameliorates osteoarthritis by upregulating LncRNA PACER and downregulating COX2/PGE2.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacy and potential mechanism of Fengshi Gutong capsule (FSGTC) in osteoarthritis (OA) inflammation. METHODS: The impact of FSGTC on laboratory indicators of OA patients was explored using data mining technology and association rule analysis. Then, the OA cell model was constructed by inducing chondrocytes (CHs) with interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß). In the presence of FSGTC intervention, the regulatory mechanism of PACER/COX2/PGE2 in OA-CH viability and inflammatory responses was evaluated. RESULTS: Retrospective data mining showed that FSGTC effectively reduced inflammation indexes (ESR, HCRP) of OA patients. Cell experiments showed that LncRNA PACER (PACER) silencing inhibited the proliferation activity of OA-CHs, increased the level of COX2 protein, elevated the levels of PGE2, TNF-α, and IL-1ß, and decreased the levels of IL-4 and IL-10 (p < .01). On the contrary, FSGTC-containing serum reversed the effect of PACER silencing on OA-CHs (p < .01). After the addition of COX2 pathway inhibitor, the proliferation activity of OA-CHs was enhanced; the levels of PGE2, TNF-α, and IL-1ß were decreased while the levels of IL-4 and IL-10 were increased (p < .01). CONCLUSION: FSGTC inhibits IL-1ß-induced inflammation in CHs and ameliorates OA by upregulating PACER and downregulating COX2/PGE2.

Gibberellins regulate masculinization through the SpGAI-SpSTM module in dioecious spinach.

The sex of dioecious plants is mainly determined by genetic factors, but it can also be converted by environmental cues such as exogenous phytohormones. Gibberellic acids (GAs) are well-known inducers of flowering and sexual development, yet the pathway of gibberellin-induced sex conversion in dioecious spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) remains elusive. Based on sex detection before and after GA3 application using T11A and SSR19 molecular markers, we confirmed and elevated the masculinization effect of GA on a single female plant through exogenous applications of GA3, showing complete conversion and functional stamens. Silencing of GIBBERELLIC ACID INSENSITIVE (SpGAI), a single DELLA family protein that is a central GA signaling repressor, results in similar masculinization. We also show that SpGAI can physically interact with the spinach KNOX transcription factor SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (SpSTM), which is a homolog of the flower meristem identity regulator STM in Arabidopsis. The silencing of SpSTM also masculinized female flowers in spinach. Furthermore, SpSTM could directly bind the intron of SpPI to repress SpPI expression in developing female flowers. Overall, our results suggest that GA induces a female masculinization process through the SpGAI-SpSTM-SpPI regulatory module in spinach. These insights may help to clarify the molecular mechanism underlying the sex conversion system in dioecious plants while also elucidating the physiological basis for the generation of unisexual flowers so as to establish dioecy in plants.

Biomechanical and histomorphological analysis of the mandible in rats with chronic kidney disease.

The present study aimed to investigate the biomechanical and histomorphological features of mandibles in an adenine-induced chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD) rat model of CKD. A total of 14 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into the following two groups: control group and CKD group. At the end of the sixth week, all rats were euthanized, and serum was collected for biochemical marker tests. Macroscopic bone growth and biomechanical parameters were measured in the right hemimandible, while the left hemimandible was used for bone histomorphometric analysis. Compared to the control group, the CKD group showed a significant increase in serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and serum parathyroid hormone at the end of the sixth week. The biomechanical structural properties significantly decreased in the CKD group compared to the control group. Bone histomorphometric analysis indicated that the trabecular bone volume of rats in the CKD group was significantly lower than that of the control group. In the CKD groups, the bone formation parameters of the trabecular bone were significantly increased, while the bone mineralization apposition rates of both the trabecular bone and periosteal cortical bone were significantly increased. The rat CKD model showed deteriorated structural mechanics, low trabecular bone volume, high trabecular bone formation, increased trabecular bone mineralization apposition rate, and increased cortical bone mineralization apposition rate, which met the characteristics of osteitis fibrosa, indicating that this model is a useful tool for the study of mandible diseases in CKD patients.

Genome-wide analysis of transposable elements and satellite DNA in Humulus scandens, a dioecious plant with XX/XY1Y2 chromosomes.

Transposable elements (TEs) and satellite DNAs, two major categories of repetitive sequences, are expected to accumulate in non-recombining genome regions, including sex-linked regions, and contribute to sex chromosome evolution. The dioecious plant, Humulus scandens, can be used for studying the evolution of the XX/XY1Y2 sex chromosomes. In this study, we thoroughly examined the repetitive components of male and female H. scandens using next-generation sequencing data followed by bioinformatics analysis and florescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The H. scandens genome has a high overall repetitive sequence composition, 68.30% in the female and 66.78% in the male genome, with abundant long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons (RTs), including more Ty3/Gypsy than Ty1/Copia elements, particularly two Ty3/Gypsy lineages, Tekay and Retand. Most LTR-RT lineages were found dispersed across the chromosomes, though CRM and Athila elements were predominately found within the centromeres and the pericentromeric regions. The Athila elements also showed clearly higher FISH signal intensities in the Y1 and Y2 chromosomes than in the X or autosomes. Three novel satellite DNAs were specifically distributed in the centromeric and/or telomeric regions, with markedly different distributions on the X, Y1, and Y2 chromosomes. Combined with FISH using satellite DNAs to stain chromosomes during meiotic diakinesis, we determined the synapsis pattern and distinguish pseudoautosomal regions (PARs). The results indicate that the XY1Y2 sex chromosomes of H. scandens might have originated from a centric fission event. This study improves our understanding of the repetitive sequence organization of H. scandens genome and provides a basis for further analysis of their chromosome evolution process.

Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport: The Molecular Machine for Ensuring Proper Mitosis.

Mitosis is a key step of eukaryote proliferation.Endosomal sorting complex required for transport, a protein complex closely associated with membrane shearing, is involved in endosome maturation, virus budding, and autophagy.The structural and functional abnormalities of the complex are associated with the occurrence and progression of cancer and other diseases.In this paper, we summarized the roles of the endosomal sorting complex required for transport in different stages of mitosis and reviewed the studies about the role of the complex in regulating mitosis in diseases.

Lineage-specific amplification and epigenetic regulation of LTR-retrotransposons contribute to the structure, evolution, and function of Fabaceae species.

BACKGROUND: Long terminal repeat (LTR)-retrotransposons (LTR-RTs) are ubiquitous and make up the majority of nearly all sequenced plant genomes, whereas their pivotal roles in genome evolution, gene expression regulation as well as their epigenetic regulation are still not well understood, especially in a large number of closely related species. RESULTS: Here, we analyzed the abundance and dynamic evolution of LTR-RTs in 54 species from an economically and agronomically important family, Fabaceae, and also selected two representative species for further analysis in expression of associated genes, transcriptional activity and DNA methylation patterns of LTR-RTs. Annotation results revealed highly varied proportions of LTR-RTs in these genomes (5.1%~68.4%) and their correlation with genome size was highly positive, and they were significantly contributed to the variance in genome size through species-specific unique amplifications. Almost all of the intact LTR-RTs were inserted into the genomes 4 Mya (million years ago), and more than 50% of them were inserted in the last 0.5 million years, suggesting that recent amplifications of LTR-RTs were an important force driving genome evolution. In addition, expression levels of genes with intronic, promoter, and downstream LTR-RT insertions of Glycine max and Vigna radiata, two agronomically important crops in Fabaceae, showed that the LTR-RTs located in promoter or downstream regions suppressed associated gene expression. However, the LTR-RTs within introns promoted gene expression or had no contribution to gene expression. Additionally, shorter and younger LTR-RTs maintained higher mobility and transpositional potential. Compared with the transcriptionally silent LTR-RTs, the active elements showed significantly lower DNA methylation levels in all three contexts. The distributions of transcriptionally active and silent LTR-RT methylation varied across different lineages due to the position of LTR-RTs located or potentially epigenetic regulation. CONCLUSION: Lineage-specific amplification patterns were observed and higher methylation level may repress the activity of LTR-RTs, further influence evolution in Fabaceae species. This study offers valuable clues into the evolution, function, transcriptional activity and epigenetic regulation of LTR-RTs in Fabaceae genomes.

Association between handgrip strength and heart failure in adults aged 45 years and older from NHANES 2011-2014.

Growing evidence indicates that handgrip strength (HGS) is a conspicuous marker for assessing some diseases affecting middle-aged and elderly individuals. However, research regarding HGS and heart failure (HF) is sparse and controversial. Hence, we aimed to investigate the association between HGS and HF among adults aged 45 years and older in the United States. In this cross-sectional study, we included 4524 adults older than 45 years who were part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. A generalized additive model was used to estimate the association between HGS and HF. Age, gender, race, income, education, body mass index, smoking status, drinking status, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, vigorous physical activity, total energy intake, total protein intake, total sugars intake, and total fat intake covariates were adjusted using multiple regression models. And further subgroup analysis was conducted. We documented 189 cases of HF, including 106 men and 83 women. HGS was negatively associated with HF after adjusting for all the covariates (odds ratio = 0.97, 95% confidence interval = 0.96-0.99; P < 0.001). Compared with the lowest quintile, the highest quintile was associated with an 82% lower incidence of HF (odds ratio = 0.18, 95% confidence interval = 0.08-0.43; P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis showed that the results remained stable. In US adults older than 45, HGS was negatively associated with HF after adjusting for covariates. This finding had the potential to draw attention to the physiological and pathological effects of decreased muscle function on HF and may influence further prospective studies with intervention trials.

[Governor vessel moxibustion combined with wenyang yiqi qiwei decoction for erectile dysfunction with spleen-kidney deficiency and its effect on testosterone and vascular endothelial function].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effect of governor vessel moxibustion combined with wenyang yiqi qiwei decoction on erectile dysfunction (ED) with spleen-kidney deficiency and to explore the possible mechanism. METHODS: A total of 130 ED patients with spleen-kidney deficiency were randomized into an observation group (65 cases, 2 cases dropped off) and a control group (65 cases, 3 cases dropped off). The control group was given wenyang yiqi qiwei decoction orally, one dose daily. On the basis of the treatment in the control group, governor vessel moxibustion was applied from Dazhui (GV 14) to Yaoshu (GV 2) in the observation group, 110 min a time, once a day. The treatment of 4 weeks was required in both groups. Before and after treatment, 5-question international index of erectile function (IIEF-5) score, erection quality scale (EQS) score, erectile hardness assessment (EHS) score, TCM syndrome score, serum testosterone (T) level and vascular endothelial function indexes (prostaglandin I2 [PGI2], endothelin-1 [ET-1] and nitric oxide [NO] levels) were observed respectively, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated in both groups. RESULTS: After treatment, the scores of IIEF-5, EQS, EHS and serum levels of T, PGI2, NO were increased compared before treatment (P<0.01), the TCM syndrome scores and serum ET-1 levels were decreased compared before treatment (P<0.01) in the two groups; the scores of IIEF-5, EQS, EHS and serum levels of T, PGI2, NO in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.01, P<0.05), the TCM syndrome score and serum ET-1 level were lower than those in the control group (P<0.01, P<0.05). The total effective rate was 88.9% (56/63) in the observation group, which was superior to 74.2% (46/62) in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Governor vessel moxibustion combined with wenyang yiqi qiwei decoction can improve the erectile function and increase the erection hardness and quality in ED patients with spleen-kidney deficiency, its mechanism may relate to improving serum T level and vascular endothelial function.

Practice and effect of construction of rational drug use mode of PIVAS by the activities of quality control circle / 药学实践杂志

Objective To establish a rational drug use model of PIVAS and promote the rational drug use in clinical practices by enhancing the quality of prescription review by pharmacists. Methods The PIVAS physician orders received from 2014 to 2021 were extracted through the hospital information management (HIS) system. The types of irrational physician orders were statistically analyzed, the improvements were made by the method of quality control circle (QCC). Results The model of PIVAS rational drug use formed a standardized process. The proficiency of physician order review was improved. From 2014 to 2021, the number and proportion of unreasonable physician orders in PIVAS decreased year by year. Every type of unreasonable physician orders was improved year by year. Conclusion The professional and technical levels of pharmacist for physician order review at our hospital were improved by the model of PIVAS rational drug use. The quality of pharmaceutical service was significantly improved which ensured the safety of patients' medication.

Quantitative analysis for detection and grading of hepatocellular carcinoma: Comparison of diffusion kurtosis imaging, intravoxel incoherent motion and conventional diffusion-weighted imaging.

The aim of the present study was to compare the diagnostic performance of the main parameters derived from diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) regarding the detection and grading of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A total of 78 patients diagnosed with HCC by biopsy were prospectively enrolled in the present study, and underwent routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), DWI, IVIM, DKI and contrast-enhanced MRI prior to surgery. Measurements, including mean diffusivity (MD), mean diffusional kurtosis (MK), true diffusion coefficient (D), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D*), perfusion fraction (f) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), were compared with grading HCC using one-way ANOVA followed by the Student-Neuman-Keuls-q post-hoc test. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between each parameter and pathological grade, while the diagnostic efficiency was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The 78 patients enrolled in the present study were grouped into highly (n=22), moderately (n=41) or poorly (n=15) differentiated HCC groups according to the criteria of Pathology and Genetics Tumors of the Digestive System. MK values differed significantly between different grades and decreased gradually with the degree of tumor differentiation. The MD, D and ADC values in the highly differentiated HCC group were significantly higher than those in the moderately or poorly differentiated HCC groups (all P<0.001), whereas no significant differences were observed in D* or f (P=0.502 and P=0.853, respectively). A significant correlation was observed between MK, MD, D and ADC, and HCC grades (r=0.705, r=0.570, r=0.423 and r=0.687, respectively). The comparison of the ROC curves of MK, MD, D, ADC, D* and f values for predicting highly differentiated HCC suggested that MK and D were the best indicators for predicting highly differentiated HCC, as the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of MK and D was significantly higher than that of ADC (Z=2.247 and 2.428, P=0.025 and 0.016, respectively), whereas non-statistically significant differences were observed in the AUC values between MK and D (Z=0.072; P=0.942). The DKI-derived MK and IVIM-derived D values had a similar diagnostic performance and were superior to ADC in discriminating the histological grade of HCC. In addition, the combination of MK and D values exhibited an improved diagnostic performance.

Impact of LTR-Retrotransposons on Genome Structure, Evolution, and Function in Curcurbitaceae Species.

Long terminal repeat (LTR)-retrotransposons (LTR-RTs) comprise a major portion of many plant genomes and may exert a profound impact on genome structure, function, and evolution. Although many studies have focused on these elements in an individual species, their dynamics on a family level remains elusive. Here, we investigated the abundance, evolutionary dynamics, and impact on associated genes of LTR-RTs in 16 species in an economically important plant family, Cucurbitaceae. Results showed that full-length LTR-RT numbers and LTR-RT content varied greatly among different species, and they were highly correlated with genome size. Most of the full-length LTR-RTs were amplified after the speciation event, reflecting the ongoing rapid evolution of these genomes. LTR-RTs highly contributed to genome size variation via species-specific distinct proliferations. The Angela and Tekay lineages with a greater evolutionary age were amplified in Trichosanthes anguina, whereas a recent activity burst of Reina and another ancient round of Tekay activity burst were examined in Sechium edule. In addition, Tekay and Retand lineages belonging to the Gypsy superfamily underwent a recent burst in Gynostemma pentaphyllum. Detailed investigation of genes with intronic and promoter LTR-RT insertion showed diverse functions, but the term of metabolism was enriched in most species. Further gene expression analysis in G.pentaphyllum revealed that the LTR-RTs within introns suppress the corresponding gene expression, whereas the LTR-RTs within promoters exert a complex influence on the downstream gene expression, with the main function of promoting gene expression. This study provides novel insights into the organization, evolution, and function of LTR-RTs in Cucurbitaceae genomes.

Platinum clusters anchored on sulfur-doped ordered mesoporous carbon for chemoselective hydrogenation of halogenated nitroarenes.

Chemoselective hydrogenation of unsaturated organic compounds is a significant research topic in the catalysis field. Herein, a sulfur-doped ordered mesoporous carbon (SMC) material was prepared to anchor ultrafine platinum (Pt) clusters for the chemoselective hydrogenation of halogenated nitroarenes. The confinement effect of the ordered pores and the strong metal-support interaction caused by Pt clusters and sulfur atoms, efficiently suppress the aggregation and regulate the electronic states of the ultrafine Pt clusters. Thus, the hydrogenation of parachloronitrobenzene (p-CNB) shows high selectivity catalyzed by the ultrafine Pt clusters with electron-rich states. Meanwhile, the catalytic performance of the hydrogenation reaction catalyzed by Pt/SMC is capable of being maintained after at least 5 cycles, and the catalytic universality can also be applied to different halogenated nitroarenes hydrogenation. Therefore, this study may promote the research into the construction of noble metal-based catalysts for chemoselective hydrogenation reactions in green and sustainable chemical processes.

Ru nanoparticles anchored on porous N-doped carbon nanospheres for efficient catalytic hydrogenation of Levulinic acid to γ-valerolactone under solvent-free conditions.

The catalytic transformation of the biomass platform compound levulinic acid (LA) to γ-valerolactone (GVL) is a vital reaction to produce related renewable chemicals and fuels. Developing stable catalysts with highly dispersed and accessible ultrafine metal nanoparticle (NP) active sites for the hydrogenation of LA under solvent-free conditions is still a major challenge. Herein, a versatile nano-emulsion self-assembly method was employed to fabricate N-doped carbon nanospheres with a high specific surface area and hierarchically porous structure. Ultrafine Ru NPs were successfully anchored on the hierarchal porous N-doped carbon nanospheres (HPNC) with high dispersion. The obtained Ru/HPNC catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic performance for LA hydrogenation to GVL under solvent-free conditions with outstanding reusability. In contrast, Ru NPs embedded in other supports (including activated carbon and carbon nanotubes) were observed to be less effective under the same reaction conditions. The superior catalytic performance of the Ru/HPNC catalyst is due to the hierarchically porous catalyst structure, and accessible ultrafine Ru active sites which can promote the activation of CO bonds and H2 absorption during the catalytic process. The reaction pathway of LA hydrogenation to GVL is clearly researched by theoretical calculations. Thus, the current work provides a facile strategy for the synthesis of highly dispersed ultrafine metal NP-based catalysts for an important biomass transformation.

Dual-energy CT with virtual monoenergetic images to improve the visualization of pancreatic supplying arteries: the normal anatomy and variations.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a malignancy with poor prognosis, appropriate surgical resection and neoadjuvant therapy depend on the accurate identification of pancreatic supplying arteries. We aim to evaluate the ability of monoenergetic images (MEI [+]) of dual-energy CT (DECT) to improve the visualization of pancreatic supplying arteries compared to conventional polyenergetic images (PEI) and investigate the implications of vascular variation in pancreatic surgery and transarterial interventions. RESULTS: One hundred patients without pancreatic diseases underwent DECT examinations were retrospectively enrolled in this study. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) at 40-keV MEI (+) were significantly higher than those of PEI (p < 0.05). All subjective MEI (+) scores were significantly higher than those of PEI (p < 0.05). The visualization rates were significantly higher for posterior superior pancreaticoduodenal artery (PSPDA), anterior and posterior inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery (AIPDA, PIPDA), anterior and posterior pancreaticoduodenal arcade (APAC, PPAC), transverse and caudal pancreatic artery (TPA, PCA) at 40-keV MEI (+) than those of PEI (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences for visualizing anterior superior pancreaticoduodenal artery (ASPDA), inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery (IPDA), dorsal and magnificent pancreatic artery (DPA, MPA) between 40-keV MEI (+) and PEI (p > 0.05). Four types of variations were observed in the origin of DPA and three to five types in the origin of PSPDA, AIPDA and PIPDA. CONCLUSIONS: 40-keV MEI (+) of DECT improves the visualization and objective and subjective image quality of pancreatic supplying arteries compared to PEI. Pancreatic supplying arteries have great variations, which has important implications for preoperative planning of technically challenging surgeries and transarterial interventions.

Microwave ablation vs. cryoablation for treatment of primary and metastatic pulmonary malignant tumors.

At present, minimally invasive surgery is one of the primary strategies for the treatment of malignant pulmonary tumors. Although, there are some comparative studies between microwave ablation and radiofrequency for the treatment of malignant pulmonary tumors, there are few studies that have investigated the comparison between microwave ablation and cryoablation. The aim of the study was to retrospectively compare the efficacy and complications of microwave ablation (MWA) and cryoablation in the treatment of malignant pulmonary tumors. A retrospective analysis was performed on 48 patients with malignant lung tumors treated with MWA or cryoablation in The Third Hospital of Mianyang and The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College between June 2014 and June 2018. Of these patients, 29 received MWA and 19 received cryoablation. Intraprocedural pain was evaluated by using the visual analog scale (VAS). The intraprocedural pain, response rates, overall survival (OS) and complications rates were compared between the MWA group and cryoablation group. The results showed that the patients in the MWA group experienced more pain than those in cryoablation group as the MWA group VAS scores were much higher than those in cryoablation group (P<0.001). The overall response rate of the MWA group [21/29 (72.41%)] was not significantly different from the cryoablation group [14/19 (73.68%)] (P=0.92). The 6-, 12-, 24- and 36-month OS rates in the MWA group and cryoablation group were 92.72, 81.28, 64.54 and 54.91%, and 94.07, 81.13, 57.33 and 43.04%, respectively. No significant differences were found in the OS rate between the two groups (P=0.79). The complication rates in the MWA and cryoablation groups were 34.48 and 36.84%, respectively; there was no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.59). No patients died during the perioperative period. Cryoablation had a similar therapeutic effect compared with MWA in the treatment of pulmonary malignant tumors, but was associated with less pain.

Effect of Shenmai Injection on Long-Term Prognosis of Patients with Chronic Heart Failure: A Multicenter, Large Sample Capacity, Long-Term Follow-Up Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of Shenmai Injection (SMI) on the long-term prognosis of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). METHODS: The Hospital Information System was used to extract data of CHF patients, and the retrospective cohort study was conducted for analysis. In non-exposed group, standardized Western medicine treatment and Chinese patent medicine or decoction were applied without combination of SMI while in the exposed group, SMI were applied for more than 7 days. Evaluation indicators are followed with New York Heart Association functional classification (NYHA classification), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide precursor (NT-ProBNP), cardiogenic death and heart failure (HF) readmission. Statistical analysis includes Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression which are used to explore the relationship between SMI and outcome events. RESULTS: A total of 1,211 eligible CHF patients were involved and finally 1,047 patients were followed up successfully. After treatment, the cases of NYHA classification decline in the exposed and non-exposed groups accounted for 64.30% and 43.45%, respectively; the improvement values of LVEF were 8.89% and 7.91%, respectively; the improvement values of NT-ProBNP were 909 pg/mL and 735 pg/mL, respectively. After exposure on SMI, the rates of cardiogenic death and HF readmission reduced from 15.43% to 10.18% and 38.93% to 32.37%. According to Kaplan-Meier analysis, the log-rank P value of SMI and cardiogenic death was 0.014, while the counterpart of SMI and HF readmission was 0.025. Cox regression analysis indicated that for cardiogenic death, age, cardiomyopathy, diabetes, and NYHA classification were risk factors while ß-blockers, aldosterone receptor antagonists, Chinese patent medicine/decoction and SMI were protective factors. Likewise, for HF readmission, age, cardiomyopathy, and NYHA classification were risk factors while SMI was a protective factor. CONCLUSION: Combination with SMI on the standardized Western medicine treatment can effectively reduce cardiogenic mortality and readmission rate in CHF patients, and thereby improve the long-term prognosis.

Development and Validation of a Random Forest Risk Prediction Pneumothorax Model in Percutaneous Transthoracic Needle Biopsy.

BACKGROUND Computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (PTNB) is an effective means for diagnosing various thoracic diseases. Pneumothorax is the most common complication, and when it becomes life-threatening, urgent medical intervention is required. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a model that can be used to predict postoperative pneumothorax following CT-guided PTNB. MATERIAL AND METHODS We enrolled 245 patients who completed CT-guided PTNB to develop the model. A random forest (RF) model was built using 15 risk factors (15-RFs). The 7 most critical risk factors (7-RFs) were extracted by feature selection and used to build a new model. The independent external validation data contained 97 patients. Logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), and decision tree (DT) models were also developed using both 15-RFs and 7-RFs, and their performance was compared with the RF models. RESULTS The length of the aerated lung traversed was identified as the most important risk factor for developing pneumothorax, followed by angle of pleural puncture, lesion depth, lesion size, age, procedure time, and sex. The RF model demonstrated better performance in the development and validation datasets when compared with the LR, SVM, and DT based on 15-RFs and 7-RFs. According to DeLong's test for difference in ROC curves, the RF models based on the 15-RFs and 7-RFs achieved similar classification performance (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated the feasibility of using the 7-RFs RF model for predicting postoperative pneumothorax before patients undergo CT-guided PTNB.

[Effects of Artesunate Combined with Arsenious Acid on Proliferation and Apoptosis of Multiple Myeloma Cells via PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of artesunate and arsenous acid and their combination on the proliferation and apoptosis of human multiple myeloma cells and their mechanism. METHODS: Human multiple myeloma cell line RPMI 8226 cells were cultured and treated with 0, 1, 2, 4, 8 nmol/L arsenous acid and 0, 40, 80, 160, 320 µmol/L artesunate, respectively. The inhibition of cell growth was detected by CCK-8 assay. The apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry. QPCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of cell proliferation and apoptosis-related factors. The expression of cell proliferation, apoptosis-related factors and PI3K/AKT pathway protein were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: CCK-8 assay showed that the growth of multiple myeloma cells was inhibited by arsenous acid and artesunate. The IC50 of arsenous acid was 1.96 nmol/L, and artesunate was 153.96 µmol/L. Flow cytometry showed that arsenous acid, artesunate, and their combination could significantly increase the apoptosis of multiple myeloma cells. QPCR and Western blot showed that the arsenous acid, artesunate, and their combination treatment could inhibit the expression of mRNA and protein of cell proliferation-related factors interleukin-6 and vascular endothelial growth factor (P<0.05), inhibit apoptosis-related factor BCL-xl and promote the expression of mRNA and protein of Bax (P<0.05), and reduce the protein expression of p-PI3K and p-AKT in PI3K/AKT signaling pathway (P<0.05). Moreover, the combination effect of the two drugs on cell apoptosis and the above mentioned factors was obviously stronger than that of the two drugs alone. CONCLUSION: Artesunate combined with arsenous acid inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis of tumor cells through PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, and is superior to the effect of two drugs alone.

DNA methylation is involved in sexual differentiation and sex chromosome evolution in the dioecious plant garden asparagus.

DNA methylation is a crucial regulatory mechanism in many biological processes. However, limited studies have dissected the contribution of DNA methylation to sexual differentiation in dioecious plants. In this study, we investigated the variances in methylation and transcriptional patterns of male and female flowers of garden asparagus. Compared with male flowers, female flowers at the same stages showed higher levels of DNA methylation. Both male and female flowers gained DNA methylation globally from the premeiotic to meiotic stages. Detailed analysis revealed that the increased DNA methylation was largely due to increased CHH methylation. Correlation analysis of differentially expressed genes and differentially methylated regions suggested that DNA methylation might not have contributed to the expression variation of the sex-determining genes SOFF and TDF1 but probably played important roles in sexual differentiation and flower development of garden asparagus. The upregulated genes AoMS1, AoLAP3, AoAMS, and AoLAP5 with varied methylated CHH regions might have been involved in sexual differentiation and flower development of garden asparagus. Plant hormone signaling genes and transcription factor genes also participated in sexual differentiation and flower development with potential epigenetic regulation. In addition, the CG and CHG methylation levels in the Y chromosome were notably higher than those in the X chromosome, implying that DNA methylation might have been involved in Y chromosome evolution. These data provide insights into the epigenetic modification of sexual differentiation and flower development and improve our understanding of sex chromosome evolution in garden asparagus.

Meigs' syndrome caused by granulosa cell tumor accompanied with intrathoracic lesions: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Meigs' syndrome is regarded as a benign ovarian tumor accompanied by pleural effusion and ascites, both of which resolve after removal of the tumor. Patients often seek treatment in the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine or other internal medicine departments due to symptoms caused by ascites or hydrothorax. Here, we report a rare case of Meigs' syndrome caused by granulosa cell tumor accompanied with intrathoracic lesions. CASE SUMMARY: A 52-year-old women was admitted to the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine due to coughing and expectoration accompanied with shortness of breath. Chest X-ray and chest computed tomography showed a modest volume of pleural fluid with pleural thickening in the right lung. The carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) concentration was 150.8 U/mL (normal, 0-35 U/mL) and no tumor cells were observed in pleural fluid. Nodules and a neoplasm with a fish meat-like appearance in the parietal pleura and nodules with a 'string of beads'-like appearance in the diaphragm were found by thoracoscopic examination. Furthermore, pelvic magnetic resonance revealed a pelvic mass measuring about 11.6 cm × 10.0 cm × 12.4 cm with heterogeneous signal intensity and multiple hypointense separations. Total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral adnexectomy, and separation of pelvic adhesion were performed under general anesthesia. The pathology results showed granulosa cell tumor. At the 2-mo follow-up after the surgery, the hydrothorax subsided, and the CA125 level returned to normal. CONCLUSION: For postmenopausal women with unexplained hydrothorax and elevated CA125, in addition to being suspected of having gynecological malignancy, Meigs' syndrome should be considered.