2023: A year of accomplishments for the 13 Science Citation Index Expanded- and Emerging Sources Citation Index-indexed Baishideng journals.

In 2023, Baishideng Publishing Group (Baishideng) routinely published 47 open-access journals, including 46 English-language journals and 1 Chinese-language journal. Our successes were accomplished through the collective dedicated efforts of Baishideng staffs, Editorial Board Members, and Peer Reviewers. Among these 47 Baishideng journals, 7 are included in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) and 6 in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI). With the support of Baishideng authors, company staffs, Editorial Board Members, and Peer Reviewers, the publication work of 2023 is about to be successfully completed. This editorial summarizes the 2023 activities and accomplishments of the 13 SCIE- and ESCI-indexed Baishideng journals, outlines the Baishideng publishing policy changes and additions made this year, and highlights the unique advantages of Baishideng journals.

Development of General Practice in Communities From the Perspective of Supply and Demand / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To put forward suggestions for improving the scheme of general practice for functional communities from the perspective of supply and demand,guide the efficient use of the resources of general practice by the communities,and incorporate the general practice of communities into hierarchical diagnosis and treatment management. Methods In July 2021,stratified random sampling was employed to conduct the questionnaire surveys of the young and middle-aged (demand side) and the general practitioners (supply side),respectively.SPSS 20.0 was used for data analysis. Results The two sides had the same cognition about the main reasons for not signing a contract with a family doctor,which were the lack of knowledge about general practitioners and the lack of face-to-face communication opportunities.They had the same response about the form of services,with high acceptance of medical services via WeChat,outpatient consultation,and the internet.There were differences in service content between the two sides.The top three demands of the young and middle-aged were appointment registration and referral in superior hospitals,medication guidance,and massage,acupuncture,and moxibustion.The top service self-rated by general practitioners was personalized guidance and report interpretation of physical examination,and the bottom was massage,acupuncture,and moxibustion. Conclusions The general practice varies between the demand and supply sides.General practitioners should be encouraged to enter and learn functional communities and provide personalized services,thus improving the general medical service in functional communities.

A comparative study for the efficacies of transaxillary non-inflatable endoscopic surgery versus traditional surgery for papillary thyroid carcinoma / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective: To compare the efficacies between open surgery and axillary non-inflatable endoscopic surgery in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 343 patients with unilateral PTC treated by traditional open surgery (201 cases) and transaxillary non-inflating endoscopic surgery (142 cases) from May 2019 to December 2021 in the Head and Neck Surgery of Sichuan Cancer Hospital. Among them, 97 were males and 246 were females, aged 20-69 years. 1∶1 propensity score matching (PSM) was performed on the enrolled patients, and the basic characteristics, perioperative clinical outcomes, postoperative complications, postoperative quality of life (Thyroid Cancer-Specific Quality of Life), aesthetic satisfaction and other aspects of the two groups were compared after successful matching. SPSS 26.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 190 patients were enrolled after PSM, with 95 cases in open group and 95 cases in endoscopic group. Intraoperative blood losses for endoscopic and open groups were [20 (20) ml vs. 20 (10) ml, M (IQR), Z=-2.22], postoperative drainage volumes [170 (70)ml vs. 101 (55)ml, Z=-7.91], operative time [135 (35)min vs. 95 (35)min, Z=-7.34], hospitalization cost [(28 188.7±2 765.1)yuan vs. (25 643.5±2 610.7)yuan, x¯±s, t=0.73], postoperative hospitalization time [(3.1±0.9)days vs. (2.6±0.9)days, t=-3.24], and drainage tube placement time [(2.5±0.8) days vs. (2.0±1.0)days, t=-4.16], with statistically significant differrences (all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in surgical complications (P>0.05). There were significant diffferences between two groups in the postoperative quality of life scores in neuromuscular, psychological, scar and cold sensation (all P<0.05), while there were no statistically significant differences in other quality of life scores (all P>0.05). In terms of aesthetic satisfaction 6 months after surgery, the endoscopic group was better than the open group, with statistically significant difference (χ2=41.47, P<0.05). Conclusion: Endoscopic thyroidectomy by a gasless unilateral axillary approach is a safe and reliable surgical method, which has remarkable cosmetic effect and can improve the postoperative quality of life of patients compared with the traditional thyroidectomy.

Advances in the periodontal surgical flaps techniques to preserve gingival papilla / 中华口腔医学杂志

Papilla preservation in periodontal surgery is not only beneficial to maintain postoperative aesthetics and good oral hygiene but also contributes to obtaining good periodontal regeneration outcomes. Various periodontal flaps have been designed to preserve the gingival papilla, which constitutes the clinical basis for periodontal open flap debridement and periodontal regeneration surgery. A comprehensive understanding of their design purpose, indications, and technical key points will help clinicians to choose the optimal surgical plan, and thus improve the clinician's treatment levels, and obtain good clinical outcomes. Therefore, this article aims to introduce the design background, indications, and technical key points of various surgical flaps, such as papilla preservation technique, modified papilla preservation technique, simplified papilla preservation flap, etc.

Research progress and application prospect of stem cells in inflamed dental tissues on periodontal bone regeneration / 中华口腔医学杂志

Tissue engineering has become a research hotspot regarding periodontal bone regeneration in recent years. Generally, stem cells used in periodontal tissue engineering are derived from healthy dental tissues, while restricted due to the strict indication of tooth extraction and limited sources. Stem cells in inflamed dental tissues mainly derive from inflamed pulp, periapical and periodontal tissues. Stem cells in inflamed dental tissues are abundant and retain most of the basic characteristics of stem cell compared with the ones derived from healthy dental tissues, which can be a promising source of stem cells for periodontal bone regeneration. In this review, we summarize the current application and prospect of stem cells in inflamed dental tissues on periodontal bone regeneration, and then discuss their feasibility as seed cells, in order to provide a reference for future research and clinical application of stem cells in inflamed dental tissues.

MTUS1 is a promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: The morbidity and mortality of colorectal cancer (CRC) remain high, posing a serious threat to human life and health. The early diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of CRC are two major challenges in clinical practice. MTUS1 is considered a tumour suppressor and can play an important role in inhibiting cell proliferation, migration, and tumour growth. Moreover, the expression of MTUS1 is decreased in different human cancers, including CRC. However, the biological functions and molecular mechanisms of MTUS1 in CRC remain unclear. METHODS: In the present study, data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were analysed using R statistical software (version 3.6.3.) to evaluate the expression of MTUS1 in tumour tissues and adjacent normal tissues using public databases such as the TIMER and Oncomine databases. Then, 38 clinical samples were collected, and qPCR was performed to verify MTUS1 expression. We also investigated the relationship between MTUS1 expression and clinicopathological characteristics and elucidated the diagnostic and prognostic value of MTUS1 in CRC. In addition, the correlation between MTUS1 expression and immune infiltration levels was identified using the TIMER and GEPIA databases. Furthermore, we constructed and analysed a PPI network and coexpression modules of MTUS1 to explore its molecular functions and mechanisms. RESULTS: CRC tissues exhibited lower levels of MTUS1 than normal tissues. The logistic regression analysis indicated that the expression of MTUS1 was associated with N stage, TNM stage, and neoplasm type. Moreover, CRC patients with low MTUS1 expression had poor overall survival (OS). Multivariate analysis revealed that the downregulation of MTUS1 was an independent prognostic factor and was correlated with poor OS in CRC patients. MTUS1 expression had good diagnostic value based on ROC analysis. Furthermore, we identified a group of potential MTUS1-interacting proteins and coexpressed genes. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses showed that MTUS1 was involved in multiple cancer-related signalling pathways. Moreover, the expression of MTUS1 was significantly related to the infiltration levels of multiple cells. Finally, MTUS1 expression was strongly correlated with various immune marker sets. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that MTUS1 is a promising biomarker for predicting the diagnosis and prognosis of CRC patients. MTUS1 can also become a new molecular target for tumour immunotherapy.

Microwave ablation versus laparoscopic resection as first-line therapy for solitary 3-5-cm HCC.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The study objective was to compare the effectiveness of microwave ablation (MWA) and laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) on solitary 3-5-cm HCC over time. APPROACH AND RESULTS: From 2008 to 2019, 1289 patients from 12 hospitals were enrolled in this retrospective study. Diagnosis of all lesions were based on histopathology. Propensity score matching was used to balance all baseline variables between the two groups in 2008-2019 (n = 335 in each group) and 2014-2019 (n = 257 in each group) cohorts, respectively. For cohort 2008-2019, during a median follow-up of 35.8 months, there were no differences in overall survival (OS) between MWA and LLR (HR: 0.88, 95% CI 0.65-1.19, p = 0.420), and MWA was inferior to LLR regarding disease-free survival (DFS) (HR 1.36, 95% CI 1.05-1.75, p = 0.017). For cohort 2014-2019, there was comparable OS (HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.56-1.30, p = 0.460) and approached statistical significance for DFS (HR 1.33, 95% CI 0.98-1.82, p = 0.071) between MWA and LLR. Subgroup analyses showed comparable OS in 3.1-4.0-cm HCCs (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.53-1.47, p = 0.630) and 4.1-5.0-cm HCCs (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.37-1.60, p = 0.483) between two modalities. For both cohorts, MWA shared comparable major complications (both p > 0.05), shorter hospitalization, and lower cost to LLR (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: MWA might be a first-line alternative to LLR for solitary 3-5-cm HCC in selected patients with technical advances, especially for patients unsuitable for LLR.

Structure and Function of Glycosyltransferase from Common Pathogenic Bacteria / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Glycosyltransferases (GTs) catalyze the transfer of sugar moieties from activated donormolecules to acceptors such as sugars, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Protein glycosylation is one ofthe most important post-translational modifications (PTMs). In recent years, increasing studies haveshown that glycosyltransferases are closely related to the virulence of pathogenic bacteria, and play a keyrole in adhesion, immune evasion, and host colonization. According to the features of three-dimensionalstructure, glycosyltransferases are classified into three groups (GT-A, GT-B and GT-C), among whichGT-A and GT-B folds are more common. Glycosyltransferases, which play a role in bacterial adhesion, adopt the GT-B or GT-C fold and glycosylate the surface proteins of pathogenic bacteria (adhesionproteins, autotransporters, etc.). It plays an important role in the adhesion of pathogenic bacteria, theformation of biofilm, and the virulence mechanisms. Glycosyltransferases take part in bacterial adhesionprocess of infection, and glycosyltransferases belonging to GT-A directly glycosylate host proteins andaffect host signal transduction, protein translation, and immune response. This review discusses thestructure of common pathogenic bacteria glycosyltransferases and the pathogenic mechanisms underlyingthese diseases of glycosylation. One kind of glycosyltransferases mainly modify their surface proteins, suchas the glycosyltransferase for specifically glycosylating high-molecular-weight(HMW) adhesion proteins, glycosyltransferases for glycosylation modification of serine-rich repeat proteins (SRRPs), bacterialautotransporter heptosyltransferase (BAHT) family, and N-linked protein system. The other kinds ofglycosyltransferases modulate host responses by directly modifying host proteins, such as Clostridium largecytotoxin, Legionella glycosyltransferase, and the NleB effector from enterobacteria. This review providesa reference for systematically revealing the pathogenic mechanism of glycosyltransferase in pathogenicbacteria, and contributes scientific knowledge in the development of pathogenic bacteria diagnosis, drugdesign, and vaccine development.

The complete chloroplast genome of Ormosia purpureiflora (Fabaceae).

Ormosia purpureiflora is endemic to China. It is named after its purple flowers. It is a small tree only up to 3 m. It has leathery leaves, racemose inflorescences. The seeds are elliptic and red in coat. It is only confined to Luofushan Provincial Nature Reserve in Huizhou of Guangdong Province. Herein, we first reported on its complete chloroplast genome sequence as genomic resource for conservation purposes. The chloroplast genome of O. purpureiflora was 173,364 bp in length, with a large single-copy region of 73,465 bp, a small single-copy region of 18,751 bp, and a pair of inverted repeat regions that were 40,574 bp each. A total of 90 protein-coding genes, 38 transfer RNA genes, and eight ribosomal RNA genes were predicted, while 106 simple sequence repeats were recorded throughout the genome. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that O. purpureiflora was sister to O. emarginata.

Prognostic Value of Combined Preoperative Carcinoembryonic Antigen and Prognostic Nutritional Index in Patients With Stage II-III Colon Cancer.

Background: Tumor status can affect patient prognosis. Prognostic nutritional index (PNI), as a nutritional indicator, is closely related to the prognosis of cancer. However, few studies have examined the combined prognostic value of CEA and PNI in patients. This study investigated the relationship between CEA/PNI and prognosis of colon cancer patients. Methods: A total of 513 patients with stage II-III colon cancer who underwent curative resection at two medical centers from 2009 to 2019 were included. Clinicopathological factors were assessed and overall survival (OS) was assessed in a cohort of 413 patients. Multivariate analysis was used to identify independent prognostic variables to construct histograms predicting 1-year and 3-year OS. Data from 100 independent patients in the validation group was used to validate the prognostic model. Results: The median OS time was 33.6 months, and mortality was observed in 54 patients. Multivariate analysis revealed that preoperative CEA/PNI, lymph node metastasis, peripheral nerve invasion, operation mode, and postoperative chemotherapy were independent factors for prognosis evaluation and thus were utilized to develop the nomogram. The C-index was 0.788 in the learning set and 0.836 in the validation set. The calibration curves reached favorable consensus among the 1-, 3-year OS prediction and actual observation. Conclusion: The combined use of CEA and PNI is an independent prognostic factor and thus can serve as a basis for a model to predict the prognosis of patients with stage II-III colon cancer.

Sitagliptin inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory response in human gingival fibroblasts by blocking nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway / 华西口腔医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#This study was performed to clarify the effects of sitagliptin on @*METHODS@#Healthy gingival samples were collected from the donors. HGFs were isolated with enzymic digestion method and identified. The effects of LPS and sitagliptin on cell viability were detected by cell-counting kit-8 (CCK8). The mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines, namely, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, C-C motif ligand 2 (CCL2), and superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), were evaluated by quantity real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure the secretion protein levels of IL-6, IL-8, and CCL2. Western blot analysis was used to further investigate the activation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling pathway. The effect of NF-κB pathway inhibitor BAY11-7082 on LPS-induced HGF inflammatory cytokines at the gene level was verified by qRT-PCR.@*RESULTS@#Low concentrations of sitagliptin (0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 µmol·L@*CONCLUSIONS@#Sitagliptin could significantly inhibit LPS-induced HGF inflammatory response by blocking the NF-κB signaling pathway activation.

Scenarios of energy reduction potential of zero energy building promotion in the Asia-Pacific region to year 2050.

Building energy consumption in the Asia-Pacific region continues to rise. It is important to understand the energy use and future trends of 21 members of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and to find more effective ways to achieve APEC's dual goals of reducing energy intensity by 45% of 2005 levels by 2035 and doubling the share of renewable energy in the energy mix between 2010 and 2030. Recently, promoting building toward ultra-low energy, nearly zero energy and zero energy is becoming a consensus trend. This paper aims to explore how zero energy building promotion could influence the total energy demand in the mid to long term. An EUPP (Economic, Urbanization, Population and Purchasing power parity) model was established to show the relationship between building energy consumption and its influencing factors, and the potential development path of building energy consumption in APEC was predicted by using the model. The results show that in the Business As Usual (BAU) model, building energy demand will increase from 1387.4 Mtoe in 2016 to 2456.8 Mtoe in 2050 while in the CAP model, building energy demand will be constrained to under 2000 Mtoe before 2050. In the ZEB promotion model, 897.8 to 1945.3 Mtoe could be saved separately. The share of end demand supplied by onsite renewable energy production could reach 11%-54%. The building sector has the potential to become the largest contributor to achieve the APEC energy goal and thus to the climate change goal.

CO Laser Moxibustion for Knee Osteoarthritis: Study Protocol for A Multicenter, Double-blind, Randomized Controlled Trial / 中国结合医学杂志

BACKGROUND@#Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a major cause of disability among the older adults. Few treatments are safe and effective. Moxibustion is commonly used in treating knee OA in Chinese medicine (CM). CO Laser moxibustion device is a substitute for traditional moxibustion, which mimics the effects of traditional moxibustion. More data are needed to support its application in knee OA.@*OBJECTIVE@#ObjectiveThe trial aims to assess the effect and safety of CO laser moxibustion in patients with knee osteoarthritis compared with a sham control.@*METHODS@#This is a protocol for a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. A total of 392 participants were recruited and assigned to the CO laser moxibustion group and sham laser moxibustion group with a 1:1 ratio at 6 outpatient clinics in Shanghai, China. Participants in both groups received treatment at the affected knee(s) at the acupuncture point Dubi (ST 35) and an Ashi point. There were 3 sessions per week for 4 weeks, and an additional 20-week follow-up. Primary outcomes were changes in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain scores at week 4. Secondary outcomes were WOMAC function score, stiffness score and overall score, VAS pain, Short-Form heath survey (SF-36), and patients' global assessment. The serum levels of cytokines involved in progress of knee OA were explored. Safety was assessed during the whole trial. Masking effectiveness was assessed by both participants and treatment providers.This is a protocol for a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. A total of 392 participants were recruited and assigned to the CO laser moxibustion group and sham laser moxibustion group with a 1:1 ratio at 6 outpatient clinics in Shanghai, China. Participants in both groups received treatment at the affected knee(s) at the acupuncture point Dubi (ST 35) and an Ashi point. There were 3 sessions per week for 4 weeks, and an additional 20-week follow-up. Primary outcomes were changes in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain scores at week 4. Secondary outcomes were WOMAC function score, stiffness score and overall score, VAS pain, Short-Form heath survey (SF-36), and patients' global assessment. The serum levels of cytokines involved in progress of knee OA were explored. Safety was assessed during the whole trial. Masking effectiveness was assessed by both participants and treatment providers.@*DISCUSSION@#CO laser moxibustion device, designed as a substitute for CM moxibustion, is easy to use and control with no choking smoke and smell, and is a plausible method for double-blind research. This study would provide rigorous evidence for the effect and safety of CO laser moxibustion in treating knee OA (Trial registration No.: ISRCTN15030019).

Current status of job burnout and its influence on working capability of miners in a copper-nickel mine in Xinjiang Municipality / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current status of job burnout and working capability in miners of a copper-nickel mine of Xinjiang Municipality and explore the relationship between miners′ job burnout and working capability.METHODS: A total of 1 254 miners in a copper-nickel mine were selected as study subjects by stratified cluster sampling method. The Chinese Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Work Ability Index Questionnaire were used to investigate their job burnout and working capability.RESULTS: The total score of male miners′ job burnout was higher than that of female miners(P<0.05). The total score of high school educated miners′ job burnout was higher than that of junior middle school and below, junior college, undergraduate and above education groups(P<0.05). The total score of smelting miners′ job burnout was higher than that of mining and ore dressing miners(P<0.05). College degree group, unmarried group, intermediate professional title or above group, monthly income of 4 000-yuan group and mineral processing unit group had higher working capability(P<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that education level, type of jobs and job burnout level independently affect the miners′ working capability(P<0.01). The miners′ working capability decreased with decreasing education level and the increasing job burnout level(P<0.01). The working capability of ore dressing miners was higher than that of mining and smelting miners(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The working capability of copper-nickel miners is negatively correlated with their job burnout. Reducing job burnout can improve the working capability of miners.

Toxicity and related mechanisms of dihydroartemisinin on porcine oocyte maturation in vitro.

Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), the main active metabolite of artemisinin, has been used to treat malaria and has anticancer activities. Previous work has shown that DHA has negative impacts on embryos in rodents and primates. However, whether DHA has adverse effects on oocyte maturation is unknown. In the present study, we evaluated the toxic effects and possible mechanisms of DHA on porcine oocyte maturation. The results showed that exposure to DHA inhibited porcine oocyte polar body extrusion, and blocked cell cycle progression. Meanwhile, early embryo development after parthenogenetic activation was also impaired. DHA disturbed spindle morphology and actin assembly in porcine oocytes by reducing phosphorylation levels of MAPK. Moreover, the ROS content was increased and the mitochondrial membrane potential decreased in oocytes treated with DHA. DHA also increased the levels of intracellular and mitochondrial calcium. Furthermore, Annexin V-FITC staining showed that early apoptosis occurred in DHA-treated oocytes. The mRNA levels of apoptosis-related genes BAX and CASP3 were increased, and the anti-apoptotic gene BCL2 was decreased in oocytes exposed to DHA. Taken together, these results indicate that DHA exposure impairs porcine oocyte maturation in vitro via mechanisms involved in cytoskeleton dynamics, oxidative stress, calcium homeostasis, and apoptosis.

Effect of water immersion on a dental self-healing and antibacterial resin composite / 华西口腔医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#This investigation aimed to develop a novel self-healing and antibacterial dental resin composite. The effects of water immersion on its properties were also evaluated.@*METHODS@#Microcapsules filled with healing agent of triethylene glycol dimethacrylate were synthesized on the basis of previous studies. Antibacterial resin composite contained nano-antibacterial inorganic fillers that were modified by quaternary ammonium salt with long-chain alkyl. Microcapsules were incorporated into antibacterial resin composite at mass fraction of 7.5%. A commercial resin composite named Tetric N-Ceram was used as control. The resin samples were immersed in 37 °C distilled water for different periods. A flexural test was used to measure the mechanical properties of the novel resin composite. A single-edge V-notched beam method was used to measure fracture toughness and self-healing efficiency. A dental plaque microcosm biofilm model with human saliva as inoculum was formed. Colony-forming units (CFU) and lactic acid production of biofilm on the novel resin composite were calculated to test the antibacterial property.@*RESULTS@#Mechanical properties and fracture toughness decreased significantly after the composite was immersed in water for 30 days (P0.05). Water immersion did not weaken the self-healing capability of the composite (P>0.05), and self-healing efficiency of 64% could still be obtained even after 270 days. The antibacterial resin composite showed a strong inhibition effect on the biofilm metabolic activity versus water immersion time from 1 day to 270 days. Therefore, the composite could still have a promising antibacterial property even after being immersed in water (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Water immersion could weaken the mechanical properties of the novel self-healing and antibacterial resin composite, but it insignificantly affected the self-healing and antibacterial properties of the composite.

Screening and the degradation conditions of DBP-degrading bacterium / 预防医学

Objective To identify a strain screen which utilize dibutyl phthalate (DBP) as the sole carbon source and to explore the optimal conditions for the degradation of DBP. Methods The solid leachate was inoculated in minimal salt medium (MSM) supplemented with DBP as the sole carbon and energy source to isolate the targeted strain. The strain was identified through colony phenotype, transmission electron microscope and 16SrDNA gene sequence analysis. The targeted strain was inoculated to the above medium with different pH and temperature. The optimal temperature and pH of the microbial degradation of DBP were studied with determination of the DBP residue and bacterial biomass. Results One bacterial strain named L6 was isolated from the solid with adding DBP as the sole carbon source. Based on its morphology, physiochemical characteristics, and 16SrDNA sequence, the strain was identified as Methylobacterium sp. The optimal pH and temperature for its biodegradation activities were 7 and 30℃, respectively. The targeted strain could degrade 85% of 800 mg/L DBP within 120 hours. Conclusion Based on the high removal rate, the isolated Methylobacterium sp. L6 has a potential for bioremediation technology of DBP pollution.

Anatomical and biomechanical characteristics of sternoclavicular joint / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: The clinical experience of the treatment of the sternoclavicular joint dislocation and peripheral fracture is relatively lacking, but its incidence is increasing yearly. At present, there are few studies on the anatomy and biomechanics of the sternoclavicular joint in and outside China, and no systematic anatomical measurements of the sternoclavicular joint are reported. OBJECTIVE: To provide a biological reference for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of sternoclavicular joint dislocation or peripheral fractures by studying the anatomy and biomechanics of the sternoclavicular joint. METHODS: (1) A total of 16 specimens (32 sides) of adult antiseptic and moist cadaveric specimens were selected. The complete manubrium, bilateral clavicle and surrounding tissues of sternoclavicular joint were anatomically separated, and repair to bone-ligament-bone specimen models. (2) The areas of manubrium articular surface and the medial clavicular articular surface of all specimens were measured by the ink pattern combined with grid counting method. (3) The morphological features of the anterior and posterior sternoclavicular ligaments of the specimens in this group were observed, and the length, width and thickness were measured and analyzed statistically. (4) The left and right sternoclavicular joints of each specimen were randomly paired into A and B groups. Group A received simply cutting of anterior sternoclavicular ligament. Group B received simply cutting of posterior sternoclavicular ligament. Before and after cuting off the ligament, the anterior and posterior load experiments were performed on the anatomical sites with the same force arm length and perpendicular to the distal clavicle. The angles of joints and load-angle regression line slopes were compared between the two groups in the anterior and posterior directions load. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) The area of articular surface of manubrium (239.00±28.78 mm2) was smaller than the area of medial articular surface of the clavicle (482.56±44.89 mm2), and the difference was statistically significant (t=-40.105, P < 0.001). (2) The length, width and thickness of the anterior sternoclavicular ligament were (17.56±1.94 mm), (15.54±1.42 mm) and (1.93±0.32 mm), and the length, width and thickness of the posterior sternoclavicular ligament were (17.21±1.86 mm), (15.97±1.17 mm), and (2.07±0.29 mm) respectively;there was no significantly statistical difference in the length, width and thickness between them (P > 0.05). (3) Before cutting the ligaments, when the loads were 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 N, the angle backwards of joint caused by loads in the forward direction was less than the angle of forwards of joints caused by loads in the backward direction, but only when the loads were 6, 8, and 10 N, the difference between them was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The slope of the regression line of load-angle for the loads in the forward direction was less than the slope of the regression line of load-angle for the loads in the backward direction, with statistical difference (F=31.413, P < 0.001). After the ligaments were cut, when the loads were 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 N in the forward direction in group A and group B, the backward angulation of joint in group A was less than that in group B (P < 0.05). The slope of the load-angled regression line in group A was less than that in group B (F=52.224, P <0.001). When the loads in the backward direction in group A and group B were 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 N, the forward angulation of joint in group A was greater than that in group B (P < 0.05), and the slope of the load-angled regression line in group A was greater than that in group B (F=12.503, P=0.008). (4) These results suggest that contact area between the articular surface of the medial clavicle and the articular surface of the manubrium is narrow, which determines the instability of the joint itself. The sternoclavicular ligament is extremely important for maintaining the joint stability. The forward angulation of joint restriction effect of sternoclavicular ligament was weaker than that of the backward angulation, also because of the joint in the anatomical position of the natural forward angulation, so the sternoclavicular joint was prone to anterior dislocation. It is necessary to pay attention to the repair and reconstruction of sternoclavicular ligament when sternoclavicular joint dislocation or peripheral fractures are treated by operations.

Number of Metastatic Lymph Nodes and Ratio of Metastatic Lymph Nodes to Total Number of Retrieved Lymph Nodes Are Risk Factors for Recurrence in Patients With Clinically Node Negative Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

OBJECTIVES: The number of metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) and the ratio between the number of metastatic LNs and the total number of retrieved LNs (the LN ratio [LNR]) have been proposed as risk factors for recurrence of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). However, the significance of the number of LNs and the LNR in patients with clinically node negative PTC has not been clearly determined. The purpose of this study is to evaluate their significance. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 382 patients with PTC who had undergone total thyroidectomy with prophylactic central neck dissection (CND) between January 2000 and December 2010. We excluded patients with lobectomy, concurrent lateral compartment neck dissection, a follow-up period less than at least 2 years, number of harvested central LNs less than or equal to one, clinically positive LN, distant metastasis, recurrent cancer or other types of malignancy. The correlations between recurrence and various clinicopathologic characteristics including tumor size, extrathyroidal extension (ETE), stage, number of metastatic central LNs, and the LNR were investigated. RESULTS: After a mean follow-up period of 82.2±26.4 months, recurrence occurred in 14 patients (3.7%). Tumor size ≥20 mm, maximal ETE, presence of central LN metastasis, number of metastatic LNs ≥2, and LNR ≥0.31 correlated with recurrence in the univariate analysis. However, tumor size ≥20 mm, maximal ETE, number of metastatic LNs ≥2, and LNR ≥0.31 were significantly associated with recurrence in the multivariate analysis (hazard ratio=6.61, 7.17, 3.43, and 11.23, respectively). CONCLUSION: The LNR and the number of metastatic LNs are independent prognostic risk factors for recurrence in patients with clinically node negative PTC, and these factors can be used to guide postoperative adjuvant therapy and follow-up strategy after prophylactic CND.

Protective Effect of Trimetazidine against Autophagy-induced Myocardial Ischemia-reperfusion Injury in Rats / 中国医科大学学报

Objective To observe the protective effects of trimetazidine against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats and relationship with the autophagy-related protein,microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 protein-Ⅱ (LC3-Ⅱ) and another autoclaved marker sequestosome 1 (p62) as well as to investigate the mechanism of action.Methods Fifty-four male SD rats were randomly divided into three groups with 18 rats in each group:sham group,myocardial I/R group,and TMZ plus myocardial I/R group.The rats in each group were sacrificed at model completion,and 4 and 8 weeks later.RT-PCR and Western blotting were performed to determine the levels of LC3-Ⅱ and p62.The morphological changes in the myocardium were observed by HE staining.Results Compared with the sham group,the I/R group demonstrated increased expression of LC3-Ⅱ and p62 (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with that in the I/R group,the expression of LC3-Ⅱ and p62 in the I/R + TMZ group decreased (P ＜ 0.05).The expression of LC3-Ⅱ and p62 increased at week 4 (P ＜ 0.05).At week 8,the expression levels of LC3-Ⅱ and p62 decreased in cardiomyocytes (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Intervention with trimetazidine may protect the myocardium of rats against ischemia-reperfusion injury by regulating autophagy and the effect is maintained for a certain period.