Biomaterials and pore characteristics of tendon tissue engineering scaffolds / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:With the increasing number of tendon transplantation surgeries for tendon injuries,the demand for tendon tissue engineering scaffolds is increasing.Research has found that good pore size and porosity of implants contribute to tissue healing. OBJECTIVE:To review the types of materials currently published for tendon tissue engineering scaffolds and investigate the correlation between various tendon tissue engineering scaffold materials and pores. METHODS:Articles were retrieved on PubMed,Embase,and Web of Science databases,using keywords"tendon"or"ligament"and"tissue scaffold"as well as"porosity"or"permeability".A total of 84 articles meeting the criteria were included to summarize,discuss and anticipate future development directions. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The materials used in the research of tendon tissue engineering are mainly divided into two categories:natural tendon scaffold materials and artificial synthetic tendon scaffold materials.Natural scaffold materials include autologous tendons,allogeneic tendons,and xenogeneic tendons.Autogenous tendons and allogeneic tendons have been used in clinical practice for many years.During the preparation of allogeneic tendons and animal experiments,it was found that the process of acellular disinfection resulted in an increase in the pore size and porosity of both types of tendons,but the specific reasons and mechanisms have not been further studied.There are many types of artificial tendon scaffold materials currently being studied,among which artificial ligament products such as Leeds Keio and LARS(Ligament Advanced Reinforcement System)are still in use in some countries.Other materials have not been promoted in clinical practice due to immature technology and other issues.The pores and porosity of artificial tendon scaffold materials also show different trends due to their different materials and preparation techniques.

Mediating role of health education competency in the relationship between supportive communication and general self-efficacy among medical undergraduates / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective:To explore the factors influencing the supportive communication ability of medical undergraduates, and to propose strategies to improve supportive communication.Methods:By cluster sampling, we selected 388 medical undergraduates of grades 2017 and 2018 from Harbin Medical University for a questionnaire survey on supportive communication, general self-efficacy, and health education abilities. SPSS 22.0 was used for descriptive statistical analysis. AMOS 22.0 was used to construct a structural equation model to verify the relationship between the three variables. Mediating effects were also tested.Results:The students showed good supportive communication ability, with a total score of (74.28±10.84) points. The general self-efficacy score was (27.81±5.58) points, and the total score of health education ability was (25.50±4.76) points. General self-efficacy had direct positive effects on supportive communication and health education abilities ( β=0.75, 0.31, both P<0.001). Health education ability had a direct positive effect on supportive communication ability ( β=0.14, P<0.001). Health education ability played a significant mediating role in the influence of general self-efficacy on supportive communication ability (standardized mediating effect value=0.042, P<0.01), with the mediating effect accounting for 5.1%. Conclusions:The health education competency of medical undergraduates can mediate the effect of general self-efficacy on supportive communication ability. By strengthening medical humanities education to increase general self-efficacy and also emphasizing the cultivation of health education competency, the supportive communication ability of students can be improved.

Value of magnetic resonance imaging-proton density fat fraction in evaluating the degree and distribution characteristics of hepatic steatosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection / 临床肝胆病杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the value of magnetic resonance imaging-proton density fat fraction （MRI-PDFF） in evaluating hepatic steatosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus （HBV） infection. MethodsThe patients， aged >16 years， who visited the outpatient service or were hospitalized in Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital from January 2018 to December 2022 and were diagnosed with chronic HBV infection were enrolled， and all patients underwent MRI examination of the liver in our hospital. The patients were divided into groups based on the presence or absence of liver cirrhosis， and the consistency in PDFF between different hepatic segments was compared between groups. The Kappa consistency test and intraclass correlation coefficient （ICC） were used for consistency analysis. ResultsA total of 76 patients treated with nucleoside analogues were enrolled， among whom 23 （30.26%） had liver cirrhosis. For all patients， the simple arithmetic average of PDFF fluctuated between 1.49% and 30.93%. According to MRI-PDFF ≥5% as the diagnostic criterion for fatty liver disease， there were 29 patients （38.16%） with fatty liver disease among all patients. For all 76 patients， the simple arithmetic average of PDFF was lower than the weighted average of PDFF for the whole liver， and there was no significant difference between the simple arithmetic average of PDFF， the weighted average of PDFF， and the PDFF values of the left and right lobes of the liver （F=0.39， P=0.76）. The consistency test showed that the PDFF values of each hepatic segment and the left and right lobes of the liver had strong consistency with the weighted average and simple arithmetic average of PDFF， with an ICC of >0.75， but the consistency between the PDFF value of the right lobe and the weighted average of PDFF was higher than that between the PDFF value of the left lobe and the weighted average of PDFF. In the consistency test of differentiating fatty liver disease in patients with liver cirrhosis， there was poor consistency between the PDFF value of segment Ⅶ and the weighted average of PDFF （Kappa=0.39）， with moderate consistency for the left lobe and the Ⅰ， Ⅱ， Ⅲ， Ⅴ， Ⅵ， and Ⅷ segments. For the patients with liver cirrhosis， the lowest consistency was observed between the PDFF value of Ⅶ segment and the weighted average of PDFF for the whole liver， and the highest consistency was observed between the PDFF value of Ⅵ segment and the weighted average of PDFF for the whole liver. For the patients without liver cirrhosis， the lowest consistency was observed between the PDFF value of Ⅱ segment and the weighted average of PDFF for the whole liver， and the highest consistency was observed between the PDFF value of Ⅴ segment and the weighted average of PDFF for the whole liver. ConclusionMRI-PDFF is more comprehensive in evaluating hepatic steatosis in patients with chronic HBV infection， and for the patients with liver cirrhosis， there is poor consistency between the PDFF value of each segment and the weighted average of PDFF.

Practice and effect analysis of scientific research group-based model in a county-level hospital / 中华医学科研管理杂志

Objective:To explore the effect of scientific research group-based model on the improvement of nursing scientific research ability in a county-level hospital.Methods:A nursing research group was established, the composition of team members and work contents of the group were clarified, tiered focused scientific research training was implemented through progressive research content and flexible training methods, and individual and progressive research guidance was provided through research counseling application forms, while literature reading activities were conducted through article reports and literature debriefings. Retrospective analysis of the nursing research practice, the number of scientific research outputs, and research capacity were applied to evaluate the effect of the nursing research group-based model.Results:Within 2 years of the establishment of the nursing research group, 37 training programs were conducted, 33 scientific research materials were pushed to the WeChat public account, 23 scientific research projects were tutored, and 6 research projects were successfully declared. The scientific research ability score of nursing staff participating in literature reading debriefing increased from 44.24±19.12 to 53.57±13.86( P<0.001). Conclusions:The application of the nursing research group-based model can improve the nursing scientific research ability of the county-level hospital.

Using transporter to enhance the acid tolerance of Bacillus coagulans DSM1 / 生物工程学报

As the precursor of polylactic acid (PLA), optically pure l-lactic acid production is attracting increasing attention. The accumulation of lactic acid during fermentation inhibits strain growth. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the acid tolerance of lactic acid producers. In this study, comparative transcriptomic analysis was performed to investigate the effects of transporters on lactic acid tolerance of Bacillus coagulans DSM1, which is an l-lactic acid producer. The genes with more than two-fold up-regulation in transcriptional profile were further verified using real-time PCR. The transcriptional levels of RS06895, RS10595, RS10595, RS00500, RS00500, RS10635 and RS10635 were enhanced during lactic acid fermentation. Strain overexpressing RS10595 exhibited a retarded cell growth and low lactic acid production at pH 6.0, but an improved lactic acid production at pH 4.6. This study may facilitate the investigation of the acid tolerance mechanism in B. coagulans DSM1, as well as the construction of efficient lactic acid producers.

Analysis on the characteristics and patterns of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among sonographers in Guangdong Province / 中国职业医学

Objective To analyze the characteristics of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among sonographers in Guangdong Province, and to explore the disease pattern of the cases. Methods A total of 512 sonographers from 31 hospitals in Guangdong Province were selected as the research subjects using stratified cluster sampling method. The prevalence of WMSDs in the past year was investigated using the Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire, and the characteristics of WMSDs were analyzed. Latent class analysis was used to identify the disease pattern of WMSDs. Results The overall prevalence of WMSDs was 94.3%. The top five affected body parts were right shoulder, neck, right hand/wrist, lower back and right forearm/elbow, with the prevalence of 80.3%, 75.4%, 61.1%, 55.5% and 45.3%, respectively. The prevalence of WMSDs was higher on the right side for the shoulder, hand/wrist, forearm/elbow, hip/leg and knee compared with the left side (80.3% vs 31.3%, 61.1% vs 13.9%, 45.3% vs 10.0%, 17.4% vs 8.6%, 13.1% vs 8.4%, all P<0.05). The prevalence of WMSDs increased with work years, as well the prevalence of WMSDs in the top five affected body parts among the sonographers (all P<0.05). However, there were no statistical differences in prevalence of WMSDs between general hospitals and maternal and child health hospitals, tertiary hospitals and non-tertiary hospitals, Pearl River Delta hospitals and non-Pearl River Delta hospitals; there was also no statistical difference between different genders and age groups of the sonographers (all P>0.05). The best-fit latent disease pattern for sonographers WMSDs comprised three categories： symptom of neck-right shoulder, symptom of neck-lower back-right shoulder-right elbow-right hand/wrist, and symptom of multi-parts above the knees, with the latent probabilities of 0.438, 0.427 and 0.135, respectively. Conclusion The prevalence of WMSDs in sonographers is extremely high, with a dose-effect relationship with work years. The most common affected parts are neck, lower back and right shoulder, right hand/wrist, and right forearm/elbow. The prevalence of WMSDs in the right side of limb was higher than that in the left. WMSDs primarily occur in multiple parts simultaneously. The most common symptoms occur in the neck-right shoulder and neck-lower back-right shoulder-right elbow-right hand/wrist.

Content of bone morphogenetic protein 2 in demineralized bone matrix prepared from different long bones and study of the osteogenic properties in vitro / 中国修复重建外科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To measure the concentration of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) in demineralized bone matrix (DBM) prepared from different long bones and to evaluate the osteoinductivity of different DBM on MC3T3-E1 cells.@*METHODS@#Different bones from the same cadaver donor were used as the initial materials for making DBM, which were divided into ulna group (uDBM), humerus group (hDBM), tibia group (tDBM), and femur group (fDBM) according to the origins, and boiled DBM (cDBM) was taken as the control group. The proteins of DBM were extracted by guanidine hydrochloride, and the concentrations of BMP-2 were determined by ELISA assay. Then the DBM were co-cultured with MC3T3-E1 cells, the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells was observed by cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8) assay. The osteogenic differentiation ability of MC3T3-E1 cells was qualitatively observed by alizarin red, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and Van Gieson staining, and the osteogenic differentiation ability of MC3T3-E1 cells was quantitatively analyzed by ALP content. Linear regression was used to analyze the effect of BMP-2 concentration in DBM on ALP synthesis.@*RESULTS@#There were significant differences in the concentration of BMP-2 among the DBM groups (P<0.05). The concentrations of BMP-2 in the lower limb long bone were higher than those in the upper limb long bone, and the concentration of BMP-2 in the fDBM group was about 35.5 times that in the uDBM group. CCK-8 assay showed that the cells in each group continued to proliferate within 5 days of co-culture, and the absorbance (A) values at different time points were in the order of cDBM group<uDBM group<hDBM group<tDBM group<fDBM group. After co-culture for 14 days, the expressions of ALP, calcified nodules, and collagen fibers in each group were consistent with the distribution of BMP-2 concentration in DBM. The order of ALP content from low to high was cDBM group<uDBM group<hDBM group<tDBM group<fDBM group, and the differences between the groups were significant (P<0.05). Linear regression analysis showed that y

Evaluation of measuring vomer-palate diameters at 11-13 + 6 weeks of gestation and its diagnostic value for cleft lip and palate / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To investigate the reference range of the length and thickness of the fetal vomer-palate diameters at 11-13 + 6 weeks, and their role in the diagnosis of cleft lip and palate(CLP). Methods:From May 2020 to August 2021, 1 559 pregnant women who underwent ultrasound examination at 11-13 + 6 weeks in Guangdong Women and Children Hospital were selected, and the fetal vomer-palate in the median sagittal plane of the face was observed. The length and thickness diameters of the fetal were measured separately to establish the reference value range of normal fetal.The reference range was compared with the vomer-palate data of fetuses with confirmed CLP. Results:The 1 518 normal fetuses were divided into 11-13 + 6 weeks, 12-12 + 6 weeks and 13-13 + 6 weeks. The reference values of the long diameter of fetal vomer-palatine were 4.3-5.9 mm, 5.0-6.8 mm, 5.4-7.7 mm, and the reference values of the thick diameter were 2.0-2.9 mm, 2.2-3.4 mm, and 2.5-3.8 mm, respectively. The length and thickness of the fetal vomer-palatine were significantly positively correlated with the Crown-rump length ( rs=0.733, 0.634; all P<0.001). In the 1 559 fetals, 25 cases were diagnosed and confirmed with CLP, and the vomer-palate thickness diameters were smaller than the reference values in all cases, meanwhile, the vomer-palate length diameters of 22(88.0)% cases were smaller than the reference values. Conclusions:The reference range of fetal vomer-palate length and thickness at 11-13 + 6 weeks of gestation is valuable for the screening of fetal CLP.

Clinical application of positive urobilirubin as a rule of microscopic review of urinalysis / 中华检验医学杂志

Objective:To study the correlation between urobilirubin and urine cast, and further assess the accuracy of positive urobilirubin as a new microscopic review rule for urinalysis.Methods:505 inpatients′ urine samples were selected from Wuhan Union Hospital during October 2021 and April 2022, including 339 males and 166 females with an age range of 51.45±16.64 years. 202 samples with positive urobilirubin were selected as study objects and were divided into two groups, one group includes 70 samples with positive urine protein and another group includes 132 samples with negative urine protein. According to the clinical departments′ distribution of the study objects, 40 samples from the corresponding clinical departments with negative urobilirubin were selected as a control group. 200 samples were selected for verification test one without consideration of the clinical department distribution and the urinalysis results and another 63 samples with positive urobilirubin and negative positive urine protein were selected for verification test two. After the IQC of each instrument was passed, the liver and renal functions were detected and the urine samples were detected by dry chemical analysis, automated sediment analyzer, microscope exam after centrifugation, and urine β 2-MG and RBP quantitative detections. Two microscope review rules were defined, rule one: if any of WBC, RBC, PR0/CAST were different between the dry chemical system and urine sediments analyzer and the urine protein was positive by dry chemical analysis. Rule two: positive urobilirubin plus rule one. We estimated the accuracies of the two rules by Mann-Whitney U test and χ 2 test. Results:①The positive rates of the cast of study objects and patients with negative urine protein were 58.42% (118/202)and 55.30%(73/132) respectively, both higher than that of the control group(20%,8/40) (χ 2=19.74,15.36, P<0.01), and on univariate analysis, positive urobilirubin was found to be a significant predictor of urine cast when the urine protein was negative by dry chemical system[OR(95% CI):5.619(2.466-12.806), P<0.01].②Four protocols were used: positive urine protein by dry chemical method, positive cast result by UF-5000i, rule one and rule two. As for the study group, the total review rates of each protocol were 34.65%(70/202), 30.69%(62/202), 60.89%(123/202), and 100% (202/202)respectively, and the false negative rates of the cast were 35.64%(72/202), 30.20%(61/202), 12.87%(26/202)and 0 respectively. As for patients with positive urobilirubin and negative urine protein, the total review rates of each protocol were 0, 22.73%(30/132), 40.15%(53/132), and 100%(132/132) respectively and the false negative rates of the cast were 54.55%(72/132), 34.85%(46/132), 19.70%(26/132)and 0 respectively.③The results of verification test one showed there were no significant differences between the total review rates(50.50% vs 52.50%, χ 2=0.16, P>0.05) and the false negative rates of cast detection(4.50% vs 2.50%, χ 2=1.15, P>0.05)of rule one and rule two. The results of verification test two showed the total review rates of rule two was higher than that of rule one(100% vs 46.03%, χ 2=46.57, P<0.01), and the false negative rates of cast detection of rule two was significantly lower than that of rule one(0 vs 14.29%, χ 2=9.69, P<0.01). Conclusions:Positive urobilirubin can be used to predict urine cast when urine protein was negative by dry chemical method. And we recommended that positive urobilirubin should be considered as a rule of microscopic review of urinalysis to decrease the false negative rate of cast detection of samples with positive urobilirubin and negative urine protein dry chemical method.

Ocular surface flora in obese patients before and after dietary intervention / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective:To investigate the changes of ocular surface microbiota in obese patients before and after dietary intervention.Methods:From November 1, 2020 to May 1, 2021, 35 obese patients in the obesity management center of the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases of Henan Provincial People′s Hospital were selected for a 4-week low-calorie dietary intervention of 1 600-1 800 kcal/day. The body weight, body mass index(BMI), body composition(body fat, body fat percentage, visceral fat grade, total body water, and skeletal muscle) were observed before and after dietary intervention. The characteristics of ocular surface flora in obese patients before and after intervention were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing.Results:The body weight, BMI, body fat, percentage of body fat, visceral fat grade and total body water decreased significantly after 4 weeks( P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in skeletal muscle( P>0.05). There was no significant difference of ocular surface flora α and β in diversity( P>0.05). Opportunistic pathogens Pseudomonas and Cutibacterium decreased significantly, while Faecalibacterium, Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group, Oscillospiraceae UCG 002, and Blautia, which producing short chain fatty acids, increased significantly( P<0.05). Functional prediction analysis showed that the metabolic pathways such as degradation related pathways and insulin signaling pathways of volatile organic compounds(VOCs) were significantly enriched. Conclusion:After dietary intervention, opportunistic pathogenic bacteria decreased and short chain fatty acid producing bacteria increased in obese patients. The altered ocular surface flora may be related to the degradation of VOCs and the improvement of insulin sensitivity.

Study of dynamic neuromuscular stabilization technique on balance and walking function of patients with Parkinson’s disease / 中风与神经疾病杂志

@#Objective　To explore the effects of dynamic neuromuscular stabilization techniques on the exercise capacity,balance function and walking function of Parkinson’s patients.Methods　A total of 46 Parkinson’s disease patients were selected and divided into control group (n=23) and study group (n=23) using a random number table method.The control group was given conventional drugs and rehabilitation training,30 min/time,1 d/time,5 d/week;the study group was treated with dynamic neuromuscular stabilization technology on the basis of the control group,30 min/time,1 d/time,5 d/week.Before treatment,4 weeks after treatment,and 8 weeks after treatment,the third part of the Unified Parkinson’s Comprehensive Rating Scale (UPDRS-Ⅲ),the peak torque of the back muscles (PT),and the forward and backward movement distance of the trunk pressure center (AP-SD),timed up-walking test (TUGT) were evaluated.Results　Before treatment,there was no significant difference in UPDRS-Ⅲ,PT,AP-SD and TUGT between the two groups (P>0.05).The UPDRS-Ⅲ,PT,AP-SD,and TUGT groups of the two groups improved after 4 weeks of treatment and 8 weeks of treatment compared with those before treatment,and the experimental group had UPDRS-Ⅲ ［(18.76±3.59) points］ at 8 weeks of treatment,PT ［(128.09±23.74)N·m］,AP-SD［(60.68±18.63) mm］,TUGT［(22.71±3.43) S］ improved significantly (P<0.05).Conclusion　DNS can effectively improve the motor dysfunction of Parkinson’s patients,improve the patient’s back muscle strength,balance function and walking ability.

Value of high-frequency ultrasound combined with alpha-fetoprotein in accurate qualitative diagnosis of pediatric testicular tumors / 中国医师杂志

Objective:To explore the value of high frequency ultrasound combined with serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in the accurate qualitative diagnosis of pediatric testicular tumors.Methods:The ultrasound characteristics (physical properties, calcification, alder blood flow classification) and AFP levels of 47 testicular tumors confirmed by operation and pathology were analyzed retrospectively. The tumors were further divided into two ways: malignant tumor group and benign tumor group, yolk sac tumor group and non yolk sac tumor group. The characteristics of ultrasound and the accurate qualitative diagnosis efficiency of AFP in testicular tumors were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC).Results:18 cases of yolk sac tumor showed solid or almost solid mass, which may be accompanied by several small anechoic areas without calcification. The Alder blood flow grade were grade 3. 29 cases of nonyolk sac tumor showed cystic, solid or mixed mass, most of them have calcification and some of them showed honeycomb echo. Alder blood flow grade were 0-3 grade. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve, sensitivity and specificity of the ultrasound characteristics and AFP in the diagnosis of pediatric testicular malignancies were: solid or almost solid mass (0.894, 83.3%, 95.5%), and no calcification (0.904, 94.4%, 86.4%), Alder blood flow level 3 (0.941, 88.9%, 95.5%), AFP by best cut-off value 18.8 ng/ml (0.972, 100%, 95.5%), ultrasound features combined with AFP (0.992, 100%, 90.9%). All the testicular malignancies, such as yolk sac tumor, immature teratoma, teratoma combined with yolk sac tumor, can be identified by ultrasound features combined with AFP. Further analysis showed that the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnosis of yolk sac tumor with combined solid or almost solid and no calcification were both 100.0%, which can accurately distinguish all cases of yolk sac tumor.Conclusions:Pediatric testicular yolk sac tumor has specific ultrasound performance, high-frequency ultrasound can make a relatively accurate diagnosis, combined with serum AFP can further make a relatively accurate qualitative diagnosis of other malignant tumors of the testis in children.

Treatment of double-column acetabular fractures with open reduction and internal fixation through a single lateral rectus abdominis approach / 中华创伤杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of open reduction and internal fixation for the treatment of double-column acetabular fractures by lateral rectus abdominis approach.Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted to analyze the data of 44 patients with double-column acetabular fractures admitted to Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University from June 2015 to June 2019. There were 29 males and 15 females, with the age of 21-72 years [(41.3±8.4)years]. All patients were treated by open reduction and internal fixation through a single lateral rectus abdominis approach. Operation time, intraoperative blood loss and fracture healing time were recorded. The quality of fracture reduction was assessed according to the Matta reduction criteria, and hip function by the modified Merle D'Aubigne and Postel score at last follow-up. Postoperative complications were observed.Results:A total of 40 patients were followed up and 4 patients were lost to follow-up. The follow-up time was 12-46 months [(30.5±6.4)months]. The operation time ranged from 45 to 150 minutes[(111.2±20.6)minutes], and the intraoperative blood loss was 200-1 200 ml [(398.5±78.5)ml]. The fractures were healed, with the healing time of 10 to 16 weeks [(11.8±3.3)weeks]. At last follow-up, according to the Matta criteria, the results were excellent in 29 patients, good in 7, fair in 3, poor in 1, with the excellent and good rate of 90%. At last follow-up, according to the Merle D'Aubigne and Postel score, the results were excellent in 27 patients, good in 6, fair in 6, poor in 1, with the excellent and good rate of 83%. One patient had heterotopic ossification with no impact on hip function, and no special treatment was given. One patient with the reaction of foreign body was finally controlled by anti-infection treatment, and the internal fixation was removed again one year after operation. Three patients with mild osteoarthritis were relieved by oral anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs. Two patients with deep venous thrombosis of lower extremities were cured by anti-coagulation therapy such as low molecular weight heparin.Conclusions:The single rectus abdominis approach for open reduction and internal fixation of double-column acetabular fractures can take into account the anterior column, quadrilateral body and posterior column. Meanwhile, this approach has advantages of satisfactory acetabular reduction and functional recovery, and less postoperative complications, suggesting an alternative procedure for treatment of double-column acetabular fractures.

Correlation between corneal neuropathy and ocular surface flora in type 2 diabetes / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective:To explore the changes of corneal neuropathy and ocular surface flora in patients with type 2 diabetes, and the correlation between corneal neuropathy and ocular surface flora changes.Methods:According to the results of fundus fluorescein angiography, 65 patients with type 2 diabetes (130 eyes in total) who were treated with insulin alone and without comorbid retinopathy in the Department of Endocrinology, Henan People′s Hospital from March to June 2019 were selected. Sixty-five age-matched normal glucose tolerance subjects (130 eyes in total) were also enrolled. Confocal microscopy was performed and conjunctival sac secretions were collected. Through 16S rRNA analysis and sequencing and PICRUSt bacterial gene function prediction, the relationship between patients with type 2 diabetes and the difference in the degree of corneal neuropathy and the composition of ocular surface flora and function prediction in healthy people were explored, and the correlation between corneal neuropathy and ocular surface flora was analyzed as well.Results:Compared with healthy people, patients with type 2 diabetes have more severe corneal neuropathy, and it was related to the changes in ocular surface flora. Brevibacillus and paenibacillus were significantly positively correlated with the degree of corneal neuropathy ( P<0.05), and enhydrobacter and proteobacteria were significantly negatively correlated with the degree of corneal neuropathy ( P<0.05). PICRUSt analysis showed that the degree of enrichment of metabolism-related genes in the ocular surface flora of patients with type 2 diabetes was significantly changed compared with healthy people. Conclusion:Patients with type 2 diabetes present with more severe corneal neuropathy. The diversity of ocular surface flora and metabolic function have significant changes. The degree of severity corneal neuropathy is related to brevibacillus, paenibacillus, enhydrobacter, and proteobacteria.

Impact of preoperative renal function classification on outcomes of total arch replacement for acute type A aortic dissection / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective:To analyse the effect of preoperative renal function classification on early outcomes for patients with acute type A aortic dissection(AAAD) and to estimate the risk factors of postoperative major adverse events.Methods:From January 2012 to December 2019, 226 patients with AAAD who underwent total arch replacement at our institution were retrospectively analysed, including 146 males and 80 females, aged(54.4±12.5) years old. Stages of preoperative renal function were defined as follows: Normal[estimated glomerular ltration rate(eGFR)≥90 ml·min -1·1.73 m -2, 68 cases], Mild(eGFR 60-89 ml·min -1·1.73 m -2, 73 cases); Moderate(eGFR 30-59 ml·min -1·1.73 m -2, 57 cases), Severe(eGFR<30 ml·min -1·1.73 m -2, 28 cases). The independent risk factors for postoperative death were analyzed by logistic regression analysis. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to assess the efficiency of eGFR for predicting the postoperative hemodialysis. Results:In-hospital death occurred in 24(10.6%) cases. Major complications included postoperative hemodialysis in 49(21.7%) cases, stroke in 19(8.4%) cases and tracheotomy in 15(6.6%) cases. The best cut-off value of the eGFR for predicting postoperative hemodialysis was 36.5 ml·min -1·1.73 m -2(area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.793). The following variables were found to be risk factors of in-hospital mortality in multivariate logistic regression analysis: serum creatinine, eGFR<30 ml·min -1·1.73 m -2, neural malperfusion, bowel malperfusion, postoperative stroke and hemodialysis. Conclusion:Total arch replacement can be safely performed in patients with AAAD and mild renal dysfunction. Preoperative renal dysfunction is a risk factor for postoperative hemodialysis, and eGFR is useful for predicting the requirement for hemodialysis after total arch replacement. The severity of preoperative renal dysfunction could greatly influence the outcomes after total arch replacement for AAAD. More importance should be attached to the assessment of preoperative renal function during clinical risk assessment.

Application of a 3D printed trabecular block cage in treatment of patients with basilar invagination and atlantoaxial dislocation / 中华创伤骨科杂志

Objective:To explore the short-term outcomes of a 3D printed trabecular block cage to assist posterior internal fixation for the treatment of patients with basilar invagination and atlantoaxial dislocation.Methods:Between June 2017 and February 2019, 12 patients with basilar invagination and atlantoaxial dislocation underwent atlantoaxial distraction and posterior internal fixation at Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital to Zhengzhou University. They were 5 males and 7 females, aged from 34 to 62 years (average, 45.6 years). 3D printed cages were inserted intraoperatively between the joints of the atlantoaxial lateral mass. The atlanto-dental interval interval (ADI), cervico-medullary angle (CMA) and distance from tip of the odontoid process to Chamberlain's line (DOCL) and the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scale were compared between preoperation and 12 months postoperation to observe the fusion of the joints of the atlantoaxial lateral mass.Results:Operation went on uneventfully in all the 12 patients. Operation time averaged 116.5 min (from 85 to 190 min), fluoroscopy frequency 9.4 times (from 6 to 21 times), and intraoperative bleeding 82.3 mL (from 50 to 210 mL). No such postoperative complications occurred as cerebrospinal leak, cerebral infarction, or breakage, displacement or loosening of implants. All patients were followed up for 18 to 42 months (mean, 26.3 months). Their preoperative JOA, ADI, CMA and DOCL [8.33±0.98, (8.66±1.64) mm, 119.63°±4.15° and (9.66±2.15) mm] were significantly improved to 14.17±1.03, (2.63±0.59) mm, 153.76°±7.88° and (2.07±0.69) mm ( P<0.05) at 12 months postoperation. Bony fusion was achieved in all the operative segments. Conclusion:In the treatment of patients with basilar invagination and atlantoaxial dislocation, a 3D-printed trabecular block cage can be used to assist posterior internal fixation to achieve satisfactory reduction and maintain the height of joint space, leading to satisfactory short-term outcomes.

The mechanism of rapamycin in promoting asthmatic regulatory T cell differentiation and function / 浙江大学学报·医学版

To investigate the mechanism of rapamycin in promoting asthmatic regulatory T cell differentiation . Asthma model was prepared by sensitization and challenge of ovalbumin in mice. Spleen CD4CD25 T cells were sorted from the asthmatic mice and normal mice by ultrahigh speed flow cytometer, and divided into three groups. Transforming growth factor-β and interleukin-2, or combined with rapamycin (final concentration of 500 nmol/L) were given in the model group or the rapamycin group. The levels of Treg cells and CD4CD25 T cells were detected by flow cytometry. The phosphorylation level of downstream proteins of S6 and Akt in the mTORC1/2 signaling pathway were examined by Western blotting. Compared with the model group, the differentiation level of Treg cells in the rapamycin group was significantly increased, the proliferation level of CD4CD25 T cells was decreased, and the phosphorylations of the mTORC1/2 substrates, S6 protein and Akt were decreased （all <0.05）. Rapamycin can promote the differentiation and function of Treg cells via inhibition of the mTORC1/2 signaling pathway.

Differential expressions of miRNAs in peripheral blood of neonatal rats in the hypoxia-ischemia injury with self-resuscitation model / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective:To assess the changes in profiles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in peripheral blood of neonatal Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats with hypoxia-ischemia(HI) injury with self-resuscitation.Methods:Neonatal rats of 3 pregnant rats were divided into 3 groups according to their nests, in which group A was the blank control group, group B was the HI group, and group C was the alternative group.The expression profiles of miRNAs in periphe-ral blood of neonatal rats in group A and B by high-throughput sequencing was compared.Bioinformatics analysis was applied to investigate these differentially expressed miRNAs.Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed to screen out enriched signaling pathways and functions.Target genes of miRNAs and those correlated with hypoxia-ischemia brain damage were predicted using miRBaseData (miRBD) software.HE staining was performed to observe the pathological changes of rat brain tissues.Results:A total of 1 049 mature reliable miRNAs in peripheral blood of neonatal rats were identified, including 525 miRNAs in group A, and 524 in group B. There were 27 differentially expressed miRNAs between group A and B, and their types were highly correlated.A total of 38 dysregulated miRNAs were screened out in group B, involving 21 upregulated miRNAs and 17 downregulated ones.GO and KEGG analyses showed that the identified differentially expressed miRNAs were mainly enriched in the glutamatergic synapse pathway, myelin lipid metabolism, neural activity ligand-receptor interaction and the vascular epithelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling pathway, all of them were significantly correlated with HIBD and over-activated.Cortex and subcallosal white matter lesions, enlarged ventricles, disordered arrangement of gray matter neurons, and obvious apoptosis in rat brain tissues of group A and B were not observed in HE staining.Conclusions:Differential expression of miRNAs in peripheral blood of HI self-resuscitated rats suggests that miRNAs has a positive response to hypoxia and ischemia.Differentially expressed miRNAs, including miR-200, miR-471, miR-429, miR-216 and miR-871 families, in peripheral blood of neonatal rat with HI showed their active response after HIBD.They are related to the molecular mechanisms of the nervous system damage, and are expected to become novel diagnostic markers for HIBD or HI.Differentially expressed miRNAs are conductive to the development of therapeutic targets of HI.

Advances in neuroimaging studies of apathy in Parkinson′s disease / 中华神经科杂志

As one of the essential non-motor symptoms in Parkinson′s disease（PD）, apathy is associated with both motor symptoms and other non-motor symptoms and contributes significantly to the prognosis of PD. Apathy is thought to be related to dopaminergic dysfunction in prefrontal-basal ganglia circuits. However, its precise neural bases remain unclear. Many neuroimaging studies using different analyses have been conducted to study the underlying neural mechanisms of apathy in PD. This review will describe the current understanding of the structural and functional changes associated with apathy in PD patients.

Serological Responses to Human Virome Define Clinical Outcomes of Italian Patients Infected with SARS-CoV-2

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the pandemic respiratory infectious disease COVID-19. However, clinical manifestations and outcomes differ significantly among COVID-19 patients, ranging from asymptomatic to extremely severe, and it remains unclear what drives these disparities. Here, we studied 159 hospitalized Italian patients with pneumonia from the NIAID-NCI COVID-19 Consortium using a phage-display method to characterize circulating antibodies binding to 93,904 viral peptides encoded by 1,276 strains of human viruses. SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with a marked increase in individuals immune memory antibody repertoires linked to trajectories of disease severity from the longitudinal analysis also including anti-spike protein antibodies. By applying a machine-learning-based strategy, we developed a viral exposure signature predictive of COVID-19-related disease severity linked to patient survival. These results provide a basis for understanding the roles of memory B-cell repertoires in COVID-19-related symptoms as well as a predictive tool for monitoring its clinical severity.