The study examined the relationship between menopausal symptoms and sleep disturbances and the related influencing factors. Methods. We recruited women aged 40-65 years who attended the menopause clinic at Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Sixth People's Hospital from February 2011 to November 2019. The Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) was used to collect women's menopausal symptoms, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to evaluate the subjects' sleep condition. We used logistic regression models to identify the relationship between menopausal symptoms and sleep quality. Results. A total of 1341 participants were recruited in this study. The most frequent three symptoms assessed by MRS were fatigue (72.9%), sleep disturbance (67%), and hot flashes with night sweats (65%). Participants' age was significantly associated with the severity of menopausal syndrome (P < 0.01). According to the PSQI sleep evaluation, 66.9 percent of participants had sleep disturbances (PSQI > 5). Logistic regression analysis revealed that women with mild, moderate, or severe menopausal syndrome had a 3-, 7-, and 17-fold increased chance of having sleep disturbances compared to women without menopausal syndrome. Conclusion. Women aged 40-65 years were found to have a significantly higher risk of menopausal syndrome and sleep disturbances.

OBJECTIVE: Systematic evaluation of the efficacy of acupuncture combined with cognitive rehabilitation training in the treatment of upper limb spasm after cerebral apoplexy. METHODS: The data of CNKI, CBM, CQVIP, Wanfang, and the libraries of Pubmed and Cochrane were searched by computer, and the related literatures about acupuncture combined with cognitive rehabilitation training in the treatment of cognitive dysfunction after stroke were searched. The search time is from January 1, 1995 to January 1, 2022. All data segments were independently analyzed and extracted by two evaluators. After evaluating the quality of the methodology, meta-analysis was carried out by using the RevMan5.4 software. RESULTS: Finally, 11 studies were included, with a total of 789 subjects. The results of meta-analysis indicated that acupuncture combined with cognitive rehabilitation training was superior to simple cognitive rehabilitation training or drugs in the following aspects, the difference exhibited statistically significant, the total effective rate (RR = 1.58, 95% CI), latency of P300 (MD = -18.46, 95% CI), amplitude of P300 (MD = 1.23, 95% CI (0.82), P < 0.00001, 95% CI (0.31)), and activity of daily living (ADL), respectively, were significantly higher compared to the control group (P < 0.00001), and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Based on the results of systematic evaluation, the GRADE system recommendation classification method is used to evaluate the quality of evidence. The results show that the level of evidence is low and the intensity of recommendation is weak. CONCLUSION: The results of this meta-analysis suggest that the curative effect of acupuncture combined with cognitive rehabilitation training is better compared to simple cognitive rehabilitation training or drugs. However, due to the low quality of the original literature, it needs to be confirmed by multicenter, high-quality, large-sample randomized blind controlled trials in the future.

INTRODUCTION: Full-arch, implant-supported hybrid restorations, employing tilted implants, can offer an efficient way of treating edentulous patients. Several factors, such as the timing of implant placement and the inclination of the fixture, can have a detrimental effect on their stability. This retrospective study is aimed at discerning the role played by those factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients treated with full-arch, implant supported restorations were selected for this study; cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images, taken 3 months and 3 years after delivery of the final restoration, as well as peri-implant values, were obtained and compared; bone loss was measured on four sites for each implant and then averaged. These patients were recalled, and the OHIP-5 questionnaire was administered. RESULTS: 21 patients, with a mean age of 53 years, were included in the present analysis. 108 implants were placed, and 25 Toronto prostheses were delivered. According to a mixed-model analysis, tilted implants (0.51, p < 0.001) had a higher rate of bone loss, while implants placed in a healed ridge suffered less bone loss than immediate implants (-0.21, p < 0.001). Patient-level variables have a significant effect on this variable, as implants coming from the same subject share a similar risk of bone loss. The mean response to the self-administered OHIP-5 questionnaire was 1.53 ± 0.29; other variables did not have a statistically significant effect on this outcome. Discussion/Conclusions. The results of the present study show that Toronto bridges prostheses are an efficient procedure for treating edentulous patients, as their oral-related quality of life is reported as satisfactory even 7 years after delivery of the restoration. Tilted and immediate implants are more at risk of bone loss. Implants coming from the same subject share a similar risk of bone loss.

Primary spinal infection is a challenge for neurosurgeons. Here, for the first time, we introduced the vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) sponge into the intervertebral space for the primary thoracolumbar infection treatment. This study included 6 bedridden patients with thoracolumbar spondylodiscitis without deformity formation. All 6 patients were treated with the VSD in our hospital from June 30, 2018, to August 31, 2019. All 6 cases of thoracolumbar infection achieved clinical cure at 3-month follow-up, and no surgical-related mortalities occurred in our series. One patient died of acute cerebral infarction 5 months after surgery, and the remaining 5 patients completed a 12-month follow-up without recurrence. The JOA score of all 6 cases improved significantly after VSD treatment. VSD is feasible for safe and effective treatment for primary thoracolumbar infection. The short-term follow-up effect is definite.

BACKGROUND: The survival rate of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is only 50% due to a high incidence of metastasis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a crucial role in OSCC genesis and progression, although their potential role in the metastasis of OSCC remains unclear. METHODS: The transcriptome of 5 metastatic and 5 nonmetastatic OSCC samples were assessed by RNA sequencing. The biological functions and regulatory mechanisms of LEMD1-AS1 in OSCC were explored by in vitro and in vivo assays. RESULTS: We identified 487 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs) and 1507 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) in OSCC with cervical lymph node (LN) metastasis relative to the nonmetastatic samples. In addition, both LEMD1-AS1 and its cognate LEMD1 were up-regulated in metastatic OSCC compared to nonmetastatic OSCC. Gain-of-function, loss-of-function, and rescue experiments indicated that LEMD1-AS1 upregulated LEMD1 to increase OSCC migration and invasion in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, LEMD1-AS1 stabilized LEMD1 and increased its mRNA and protein levels, and consequently activated the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway to facilitate OSCC metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: We established the lncRNA-mRNA landscape of metastatic OSCC, which indicated that LEMD1-AS1 enhanced OSCC metastasis by stabilizing its antisense transcript LEMD1. Thus, LEMD1-AS1 is a potential biomarker for predicting metastasis, as well as a therapeutic target of OSCC.

Gut microbiota coevolve with humans to achieve a symbiotic relationship, which ultimately leads to physiological homeostasis. A variety of diseases can occur once this balance is disrupted. Helicobacter bilis (H. bilis) is an opportunistic pathogen in humans, triggering multiple diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD is a chronic immunologically mediated inflammation of the human gastrointestinal tract, and its occurrence is closely related to the gut microbiota. Several studies have demonstrated that H. bilis colonization is associated with IBD, and its mechanism is related to host immunity. However, few studies have investigated these mechanisms of action. Therefore, this article is aimed at reviewing these studies and summarizing the mechanisms of H. bilis-induced IBD from two perspectives: adaptive immunity and innate immunity. Furthermore, this study provides a preliminary discussion on treating H. bilis-related IBD. In addition, we also demonstrated that H. bilis played an important role in promoting the carcinogenesis of IBD and discussed its mechanism.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the independent prognostic factors that will influence the local tumor control/visual acuity (VA) preservation of optic pathway glioma (OPG) after Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKS) and to optimize the treatment strategy. METHODS: A cohort of 52 consecutive OPG patients who underwent GKS in our center between August 1997 and September 2020 was studied retrospectively. Risk factors such as age at GKS, gender, tumor subtype, tumor site, tumor volume, intratumoral cyst formation, and marginal dose were selected for the univariate and multivariate analysis. COX proportional hazard models were built to determine the independent prognostic factors of local tumor control/VA preservation, and the Kaplan-Meier (K-M) curves were plotted to compare the survival rate among subgroups. RESULTS: 52 OPG patients were included in this study, with a median age of 13.8 years (2-53 years); female outnumbered male at a ratio of 30 : 22; 7 patients (13.5%) had a history of surgical resection; 14 patients (26.9%) were categorized as neurofibromatosis type I (NFI) associated OPG and the rest as sporadic OPG; there were 6 patients (11.5%) with tumors located at hypothalamus/optic chiasm and the rest located in the orbit; the mean tumor volume was 4.36 ml (0.25-11.4 ml); 49 patients (94.2%) presented with VA impairment before GKS; 28 patients (53.8%) underwent single fraction GKS, and the rest underwent fractionated GKS (2-4 fractions); the mean marginal dose (represented with biologically effective dose, BED) was 66.6 Gy (13.3-126.0 Gy); the median follow-up time was 39 months (6-147 months); 11 patients were observed with tumor relapse, 33 with stable disease, and 8 with tumor regression; tumor relapse time varied from 30 to 76 months (mean 54 months); the 1-, 3-, and 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 100%, 92%, and 78%, respectively; 30 patients were included in the visual analysis; 7 patients were observed with VA deterioration, 19 with stable VA, and 4 with VA improvement; the 1-,3-, and 5-year VA preservation rates were 92%, 84%, and 77%, respectively. COX proportional hazard risk models showed that intratumoral cyst formation and marginal dose were the only two independent prognostic factors of local tumor control/VA preservation; fractionated GKS provided a higher VA preservation rate than single fraction GKS. Four patients were observed with conjunctive edema/conjunctive hyperemia in 1-4 weeks after GKS. CONCLUSIONS: GKS is a safe and effective treatment for OPG either as initial treatment or as salvage treatment after surgical resection, it provides good local tumor control and VA preservation, and fractionated GKS could be a preference for OPG patients with baseline VA ≥ 0.2.

BACKGROUND: The NLRP3 inflammasome is overactivated in the brains of APP/PS1 transgenic mice and AD patients, and mitophagy has an obvious negative regulatory role on NLRP3 inflammasome activation. The protective effect of melatonin in AD may be related to the regulation of mitophagy and NLRP3 inflammasome activity. TFEB plays a critical role in maintaining autophagy/mitophagy. Studies have found that TFEB plays a protective role in AD. METHODS: APP/PS1 transgenic mice were given melatonin in their drinking water for 3 months. Compared with mice without melatonin treatment, the mice given melatonin showed changes in the following features: (1) cognitive function, (2) mitophagy-related proteins in the brain, (3) ROS, (4) NLRP3 inflammasome and related proteins and the concentrations of inflammatory cytokines, and (5) Aβ deposition. In in vitro experiments, effects of melatonin on mitophagy, NLRP3 inflammasome activity, and TFEB in SH-SY5Y cells with Aβ 25-35 were observed. TFEB knockdown was implemented in combination with Aβ 25-35 and melatonin treatment, and the expressions of TFEB, Parkin, p62, IL-1β, caspase-1, ROS, and IL-18 were explored. RESULTS: Melatonin improved cognitive function in APP/PS1 transgenic mice and decreased ROS and senile plaques. Melatonin promoted mitophagy in SH-SY5Y cells with Aβ 25-35 and APP/PS1 transgenic mice. NLRP3 inflammasome activity was inhibited, and the concentrations of IL-18 and IL-1βwere clearly reduced. Compared with C57/BL6J mice, the amount of TFEB in the brain nucleus of APP/PS1 transgenic mice was decreased. Melatonin treatment increased the nuclear translocation of TFEB in SH-SY5Y cells. TFEB knockout was implemented in combination with Aβ 25-35 and MT treatment; the expressions of Parkin, p62, caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-18, and ROS were accelerated. CONCLUSIONS: Melatonin promotes mitophagy by inducing TFEB nuclear translocation, downregulates NLRP3 inflammasome activation, and exerts protective effects in SH-SY5Y cells and APP/PS1 transgenic mice.

BACKGROUND: Panoramic radiograph is the first and most commonly advised radiograph for screening of temporomandibular joints/condyles. Different shapes of the mandible have been discussed by various authors with no consensus for a definite classification for condyle shape. This study was conducted with the objective to observe various shapes of condyles, symmetry of bilateral condyles, and variations of condyle shapes among males and females. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on digital panoramic radiographs available at a tertiary center of Lalitpur from 25.12.2020 to 20.06.2021 after ethical approval from the institutional review board (reference no. 077/078/27). Panoramic radiographs were selected on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria, and various shapes of condyles were noted on HP 15 inch flat LED monitor (1280 × 1024). The collected data was analyzed using SPSS (chi-square test: a p value of < 0.05 was considered significant). Intra- and interobserver agreement was observed for condylar shapes. RESULTS: Among the selected 850 panoramic radiographs (1700 condyles), most of them, i.e., 1343 (79%), were round/oval, followed by flattened, i.e., 149 (8.76%), diamond/angled, i.e., 93 (5.47%), crooked finger shaped, i.e., 28 (1.6%), and mixed, i.e., 46 (2.7%), and the least common shape observed was bifid, i.e., 40 (2.3%) (18 (2.1%) left condyle and 22 (2.6%) right condyle). CONCLUSIONS: Six different types of condyle shapes were noted: type I, oval; type II, flat; type III, diamond; type IV, mixed; type V, bifid; and type VI, crooked finger among the study population of Lalitpur.

The objective of current study was to assess the trend in various luteal characteristics viz luteal size (LS), plasma progesterone (P4) concentration, and luteal blood flow (LBF) using color Doppler imaging (CDI) and power Doppler imaging (PDI) modes in pregnant and nonpregnant Nili-Ravi buffaloes. Lactating, cyclic, and healthy Nili-Ravi buffaloes (n = 09) without any reproductive abnormality were selected in present study. Buffaloes were synchronized using Ov-Synch, and fixed-time artificially insemination was performed (day = 0). Pregnancy was diagnosed on 30-day post-AI using B-mode ultrasonography based on presence or absence of embryonic heartbeat. Ovaries of all animals were scanned from day 5 till 21 post-AI using both B-mode and Doppler ultrasonography to measure LS and LBF. After each ovarian ultrasound examination, blood samples were collected via jugular venipuncture to determine plasma P4 concentration. According to results, LBF using CDI and PDI was significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) in pregnant buffaloes on days 13 and 15 post-AI, respectively. The mean LS and plasma P4 concentration did not differ (P ≥ 0.05) between pregnant and nonpregnant animals until day 15 post-AI. However, a significant difference (P ≤ 0.05) was noticed for both on day 17 and onwards. It is concluded that LBF is a more sensitive luteal character as compared to LS and P4 for earlier pregnancy diagnosis in Nili-Ravi buffaloes when ascertained through CDI.

With the continuous improvement of human living standards, people's demand for health has become an important international research hotspot. In recent years, 41.3% of the total incidence of multiple organ failure (MOF) caused by dysfunction of the intestinal screen was found every year. The mortality rate is 62%, which is more than twice that of developed countries. This paper is aimed at observing the microscopic effects of probiotics derived from dairy products using Caco-2 cells on intestinal barrier function. Based on the above background, the purpose of this study was to construct a Caco-2 cell model under microscope to study the effect of probiotics on intestinal barrier function. This study first describes the background knowledge of the integration of modern microscope technology and medical field and the correlation between them. The results showed that the relative adhesion rates of Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Streptococcus thermophilus were 4.67 ± 0.07%, 11.53 ± 0.06%, and 18.31 ± 0.08%, respectively, which were lower than those in the normal group. The production of antibacterial substances can inhibit intestinal pathogens and adjust the balance of intestinal flora.

The blockage of blood in the vessels results in heart attacks and cardiac arrests which are referred to as myocardial infarction. Early detection of such infarction is feasible through percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) based on electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring. The variations in blood flow and clot are precisely observed through periodic ECG monitoring and previous correlations. This article introduces a concentrated value assessment model (CVAM) for determining PCI levels in treating myocardial infarction. The ECG observations from the previous observation sessions are accumulated and organized for validating the infarction rate. This requires the accompanying concentrated data like a heartbeat, blood pressure, and flow rate observed in different sessions. Based on the session observation and normal data correlation, the PCI level is recommended for the patient. In this analysis process, the value shift due to blocks and high and low blood pressure is accounted for through the deep learning paradigm. This paradigm correlates the above factors with the ECG values for precisely determining PCI from the last known concentration. The learning paradigm is trained based on session and normal observation data through different intervals. This model is validated using the metrics precision, analysis rate, diagnosis recommendation, and complexity.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D has anti-inflammatory properties and the potential to increase the generation of antimicrobial peptides like cathelicidin and defensins that may have a good impact on oral health. Higher vitamin D consumption has also been linked to a reduced risk of periodontal disease progression. Hence, the primary objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the clinical and laboratory parameters of oral supplementation of vitamin D as an adjuvant to scaling and root planing and to assess the bone mineral density via qualitative ultrasound bone density scanner in chronic periodontitis patients. Methodology. This study included 40 patients with periodontitis categorized into 2 groups with twenty patients each, Group I comprising scaling and root planing (SRP) alone and Group II comprising SRP along with vitamin D supplementation. Plaque index, gingival index, probing pocket depth, and clinical attachment loss was measured as clinical parameters. Serum vitamin D levels were assessed before and after SRP at both baseline and 6 weeks. RESULTS: The intergroup comparison of clinical parameters (PI, GI, PPD, and CAL) at 6 weeks for both the groups showed statistical significance. Intragroup comparison of clinical parameters from baseline to 6 weeks showed a statistically significant reduction in both groups. The mean bone mineral density level in both the control and test groups demonstrated a mean T score of -1.3 and -1.21, respectively. The mean vitamin D levels were 27.8460 and 28.1020 for the test and control groups, respectively, which was statistically insignificant (p = 0.705) and those at six-week intervals improved to 31.3650 and 28.0240 which were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.001). CONCLUSION: It could be stated that a positive relationship exists between periodontitis and osteopenia which could aggravate periodontal destruction. All periodontitis cases should thus be evaluated for BMD and supplemented with vitamin D3 in an appropriate dosage and time frame to treat both these diseases.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a common virus worldwide that is an etiologic agent in the development of many diseases, including cancer. Recent reports have shown the association of EBV with tumorigenesis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Moreover, EBV has been reported to be present in tonsillar tissues, which suggests a close relationship between viral infections and tonsillar diseases, including chronic tonsillitis. The aim of the study was to analyze the prevalence of EBV DNA in 86 patients with HNSCC, in 70 patients with chronic tonsillitis, and in 144 healthy individuals (control group) and the associations between EBV infection and clinicopathological and demographic characteristics and the use of stimulants in all study groups. The objective of this study was also to analyze the prevalence of coinfection with human papillomavirus (HPV). After prior DNA isolation, EBV detection was performed using an EBV kit by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The prevalence of EBV infection in patients with HNSCC, patients with chronic tonsillitis, and the control group was 47.7%, 60%, and 24.3%, respectively. Compared to controls, a significantly higher prevalence of EBV in patients with chronic tonsillitis and HNSCC may suggest that EBV is a potential risk factor. No association was found between EBV infection and demographic or clinical data. Further studies are warranted due to inconclusive reports that were mainly related to geographic distribution, sample type, and detection technique. Considering the prevalence of the virus and the risk of serious diseases, attention should be paid to screening diagnosis and prevention of the infection.

The changes of intestinal microbiota are closely related to the growth and development of animals. The current study is aimed at exploring the composition of the microbial community of pigs at different growth stages. Fresh fecal samples of three-breed hybrid pigs at three developmental stages (60, 120, and 180 days of age) were collected. The microbial composition was analyzed based on the 16S rDNA gene of bacteria Illumina NovaSeq sequencing platform. The results showed that the intestinal microbiota of pigs was distributed in 22 phyla, 46 classes, 84 orders, 147 families, and 287 genera. Firmicutes, Bacteroides, Spirochaetae, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria were the dominant phyla. Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, SMB53, Oscillospira, and Prevotella were the dominant genera. Among them, the abundance of Lactobacillus and SMB53 increased first and then decreased, while the change of Oscillospira was opposite. In addition, the abundance of Streptococcus increased while that of Prevotella decreased gradually. Moreover, with the increase of time and body weight, the microbial diversity showed a decreasing trend. In conclusion, the intestinal microbial composition of the three-breed hybrid pigs was relatively stable during the fattening stage, but there were significant differences in abundance.

OBJECTIVES: The posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS) is an important anatomical landmark often involved in spinal manipulation and surgical bone harvest. Hence, knowledge of variations in the PSIS may be predictive and valuable in clinical settings. Taking the complex morphology into account, the study is aimed at proposing a classification of PSIS in the Chinese population. METHODS: An anatomical study was undertaken on 288 human ilia. First, the morphological features of variations in the PSIS were noted following visual inspection. Then, 12 variable anatomical parameters were measured in order to determine the differences based on morphology, side, and sex. RESULTS: Overall, four types of PSIS were found among 288 bones, including type I "V-shape" (106, 36.8%), type II "U-shape" (121, 42.0%), type III "W-shape" (36, 12.5%), and type IV "ossification-shape" (25, 8.7%). There were no significant sex or bilateral differences in the morphological distribution of the PSIS (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the measurements showed that type I was the narrowest and type III the broadest (p < 0.05). Moreover, female specimens had an overall larger distance and width of surrounding landmarks (p < 0.05), and a significant difference was found in the width of the PSIS between the left and right sides (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The PSIS samples displayed multiple morphological variations and could be classified into four types. In addition, sex-based or bilateral differences existed in the size and relative positions. It is thus likely that differences in the morphology and asymmetry of the PSIS provide references for palpation, bone harvest, and other clinical settings.

Leptin is a polypeptide hormone produced in the adipose tissue and governs many processes in the body. Recently, polymorphisms in the LEP gene revealed a significant change in body weight regulation, energy balance, food intake, and reproductive hormone secretion. This study considers its crucial role in the regulation of the economically important traits of sheep. Several computational tools, including SIFT, Predict SNP2, SNAP2, and PROVEAN, have been used to screen out the deleterious nsSNPs. Following the screening of 11 nsSNPs in the sheep genome, 5 nsSNPs, T86M (C → T), D98N (G → A), N136T (A → C), R142Q (G → A), and P157Q (C → A), were predicted to have a significant deleterious effect on the LEP protein function, leading to phenotypic difference. The analysis of proteins' stability change due to amino acid substitution using the I-stable, SDM, and DynaMut consistently confirmed that three nsSNPs (T86M (C → T), D98N (G → A), and P157Q (C → A)) increased protein stability. It is suggested that these three nsSNPs may enhance the evolvability of LEP protein, which is vital for the evolutionary adaptation of sheep. Our findings demonstrate that the five nsSNPs reported in this study might be responsible for sheep's structural and functional modifications of LEP protein. This is the first comprehensive report on the sheep LEP gene. It narrow downs the candidate nsSNPs for in vitro experiments to facilitate the development of reliable molecular markers for associated traits.

The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate newly improved, rapid, and reliable strategies based on real-time PCR to detect the most frequent beta-lactamase genes recorded in clinical Enterobacterales strains, particularly in Tunisia (blaSHV12 , blaTEM , blaCTX-M-15 , blaCTX-M-9 , blaCMY-2 , blaOXA-48 , blaNDM-1 , and blaIMP ) directly from the urine. Following the design of primers for a specific gene pool and their validation, a series of real-time PCR reactions were performed to detect these genes in 78 urine samples showing high antibiotic resistance after culture and susceptibility testing. Assays were applied to DNA extracted from cultured bacteria and collected urine. qPCR results were compared for phenotypic sensitivity. qPCR results were similar regardless of whether cultures or urine were collected, with 100% sensitivity and specificity. Out of 78 multiresistant uropathogenic, strains of Enterobacterales (44 E. coli and 34 K. pneumoniae strains) show the presence of the genes of the bla group. In all, 44% E. coli and 36 of K. pneumoniae clinical strains harbored the bla group genes with 36.4%, 52.3%, 70.5%, 68.2%, 18.2%, and 4.5% of E. coli having blaSHV-12 , blaTEM , blaCTX-M 15 , blaCTX-M-9 , blaCMY-2 , and blaOXA-48 group genes, respectively, whereas 52.9%, 67.6%, 76.5%, 35.5%, 61.8, 14.7, and 1.28% of K. pneumoniae had blaSHV-12 , blaTEM , blaCTX-M 15 , blaCTX-M-9 , blaCMY-2 , blaOXA-48 , and blaNDM-1 group genes, respectively. The time required to have a result was 3 hours by real-time PCR and 2 to 3 days by the conventional method. Resistance genes of Gram-negative bacteria in urine, as well as cultured bacteria, were rapidly detected using qPCR techniques. These techniques will be used as rapid and cost-effective methods in the laboratory. Therefore, this test could be a good candidate to create real-time PCR kits for the detection of resistance genes directly from urine in clinical or epidemiological settings.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating central nervous system disease caused by accidental events, resulting in loss of sensory and motor function. Considering the multiple effects of primary and secondary injuries after spinal cord injury, including oxidative stress, tissue apoptosis, inflammatory response, and neuronal autophagy, it is crucial to understand the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms, local microenvironment changes, and neural tissue functional recovery for preparing novel treatment strategies. Treatment based on cell transplantation has become the forefront of spinal cord injury therapy. The transplanted cells provide physical and nutritional support for the damaged tissue. At the same time, the implantation of biomaterials with specific biological functions at the site of the SCI has also been proved to improve the local inhibitory microenvironment and promote axonal regeneration, etc. The combined transplantation of cells and functional biomaterials for SCI treatment can result in greater neuroprotective and regenerative effects by regulating cell differentiation, enhancing cell survival, and providing physical and directional support for axon regeneration and neural circuit remodeling. This article reviews the pathophysiology of the spinal cord, changes in the microenvironment after injury, and the mechanisms and strategies for spinal cord regeneration and repair. The article will focus on summarizing and discussing the latest intervention models based on cell and functional biomaterial transplantation and the latest progress in combinational therapies in SCI repair. Finally, we propose the future prospects and challenges of current treatment regimens for SCI repair, to provide references for scientists and clinicians to seek better SCI repair strategies in the future.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic disease represented by insulin-causing pancreatic β-cell disruption and hyperglycemia. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a variety of animal models of diabetes to study the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of it. However, there are few reports on the use of beagle dogs to establish an animal model of type 1 diabetes. This study aimed to explore a simple and feasible modeling method to establish a long-term and stable type 1 diabetes model in beagle dogs. Forty adult beagle dogs were randomly divided into control group and model group. After 24 h of fasting, streptozotocin (20 mg/kg) and alloxan (20 mg/kg) were injected through the cephalic vein. The second intravenous injection was given on the 4th day after the first injection. Insulin release testing was performed on the 7th day after the last intravenous injection. Fasting blood glucose and body weight were recorded monthly. Four months after the last injection, the serum fructosamine content and the ratio of glycated hemoglobin were detected. Then, the pancreatic tissue was harvested for histopathological examination. The results showed that the level of fasting blood glucose of the 16 dogs in the model group was consistently higher than 11.1 mmol/L for 4 consecutive months. Moreover, compared with the control group, the insulin release curve of the model group was flat with no increase. The body weight of the model group was significantly reduced, and the ratios of blood glucose, fructosamine, and glycosylated hemoglobin were significantly higher than those in the control group. Meanwhile, histopathological examination of the pancreas showed that the islet beta cells appeared to have vacuoles or even necrosis. In the model group, pancreatic β-cells were damaged and insulin release was reduced. These results suggest that the above modeling methods can induce long-term and stable type 1 diabetes models in beagle dogs.

Due to the environment pollution by cadmium (Cd) near industrial metallurgic factories and the widespread use of phosphorus fertilizers, the problem of toxic Cd effect on plants is well discussed by many authors, but the phytotoxicity of Cd under iron (Fe) deficiency stress has not been sufficiently studied. The aim of the work was to study comprehensively the effect of Cd under Fe deficiency conditions on physiological, biochemical, and anatomical parameters of rice varieties, to identify varietal differences in plant response to the effect of double stress. Relative resistance and sensitivity to the joint effect of Cd and Fe deficiency stress rice varieties have been identified. Double stress decreased a linear growth and biomass accumulation of roots and shoots (by 36-50% and 33-46% and 32-56% and 32-48%, accordingly), content of photosynthetic pigments (Chla, Chlb, and carotenoids by 36-51%, 32-47%, and 64-78%, accordingly), and relative water content (by 18-26%). Proline content increased by 28-103% in all rice varieties, but to a lesser extent in sensitive varieties. The thickness of the lower and upper epidermis and the diameter of vascular bundles of leaves decreased by 18-50%, 46-60%, and 13-48%, accordingly. The thickness of the root endodermis and exodermis and diameter of the central cylinder mainly decreased. The thickness of the exodermis increased slightly by 7%, and the diameter of the central cylinder remained at the control level in resistant Madina variety while in sensitive Chapsari variety, these indicators decreased significantly by 50 and 45%, accordingly. Thus, the aggravation of adverse effect of Cd under Fe deficiency conditions and the varietal specificity of plants' response to double stress were shown. It creates the need for further study of these rice varieties using Fe to identify mechanisms for reducing the toxic effect of Cd on plants as well as the study of Fe and Cd transporter genes at the molecular level.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate efficacy and adverse events of ceftolozane/tazobactam in complicated UTI including acute pyelonephritis. METHOD: Databases that include PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and TRIP were searched. All randomized controlled trials and cohort studies were considered for the study. Statistical analysis was done using a fixed effects model, and results were expressed in proportion for dichotomous data and risk ratio for continuous data with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: A clinical cure of ceftolozane/tazobactam was found to be 92% with 95% CI of 90-94 while that of piperacillin/tazobactam was only 78% (95% CI, 74-82) in patients with complicated UTI. Microbiological eradication was still higher in the ceftolozane/tazobactam group (83%, 95% CI 81-88) when compared with piperacillin/tazobactam (63% 95% CI, 58.77-65.2). Ceftolozane/tazobactam was more effective in the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections other than acute pyelonephritis as compared to piperacillin/tazobactam (RR = 1.21, 95% CI, 1.07-1.23). Serious adverse events were found comparable in both groups (RR = 1.15, 95% CI, 0.64-2.09). CONCLUSION: The analysis showed that ceftolozane/tazobactam has better clinical outcomes including cure rates and low resistance for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infection.

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease of worldwide importance as it has brought enormous health problems to the world's population. The best-known way of transmission of the virus is through aerosolization. However, research is needed to explore other transmission routes. Researchers hypothesized that arthropods could transmit SARs-CoV-2. This study is aimed at reviewing research on arthropods as possible reservoirs and/or vectors of SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19. Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review using several electronic databases/academic searches with the search terms "arthropods," "coronavirus," and "transmission." A total of 64 unique articles were identified, of which 58 were included in the review. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is tiny and invisible to the naked eye, and its presence in stools, droplets, and surfaces was detected. One doubt is whether insects can transmit the virus from one place to another. Thus, a healthy carrier of the COVID-19 virus can be at the root of the contamination of their community or their family through the transport of the virus by insects from the interior (flies, cockroaches, etc.) from their feces and food surfaces. Hygiene care within communities and families becomes a prime factor. Coronavirus infection is a significant public health problem around the world. The prevention and control of outbreaks remain very important, even with the production of new vaccines. The main option to achieve this is the proper management of the transmission of the virus. The registry of infected people is currently the basis for the transmission of COVID-19. However, questions about the possibility of infection from other sources and its prevention are not receiving adequate attention. Numerous studies have shown the possibility that SARS-COV-2 fragments could have a longer life than shed respiratory droplets. Also, this virus is larger than those of other coronavirus families.

All organisms contain antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are a critical component of the innate immune system. These chemicals have the ability to suppress the growth of a variety of fungi, bacteria, and viruses. Because AMPs interact with structural components of the microbial cell membrane and have a wide range of cellular targets, bacteria are unlikely to be able to develop resistance to them in the short term. The underlying structure of AMPs is critical in determining the selectivity with which they target their respective targets. As far as we know, peptides have not been tested in a lab to see if they can fight bacteria, fungus, and viruses in real life. In this paper, we develop an artificial neural network (ANN) using a back propagation neural network (BPNN) that enables optimal classification of tendency of a peptide sequence that involves the activities of antifungal, antibacterial, or antiviral. The BPNN is trained on the datasets collected across different repositories and then the overfitting is avoided using particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. Hence, at the time of testing, the BPNN clearly finds the predicted samples belonging to the same classes and this avoids the problem of finding the false positives. The simulation is conducted to test the efficacy of the model against various metrics that includes accuracy, precision, recall, and f1-measure. The effectiveness of the BPNN-PSO model in classifying instances at a faster rate than other techniques is demonstrated by its performance. The principle is straightforward, it is not difficult to programme, it converges more quickly, and it generally offers a superior solution.

Pharmaceutical excipients derived from natural sources like resins are nowadays meritoriously used in the formulation of drugs. Resins of natural origin have many advantages over chemically synthesized substances; they are safer, nontoxic, less expensive, biodegradable, and widely available. To our knowledge, resins from plants have been not sufficiently explored for application in pharmaceutical formulations. Thus, in the present study, a resin isolated from Boswellia rivae Engl was characterized for its potential use as a pharmaceutical excipient. Method. The resin was extracted from the oleo gum resin of Boswellia rivae Engl, which involved the removal of volatile oils, gum, and Boswellic acid contents. The dried resin powder was then characterized for its micromeritic properties, heavy metal contents, moisture content, moisture absorption power, pH, solubility, swelling property, and acute toxicity profile. Moreover, the crystal nature and the chemical functionality of the resin were evaluated by using X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, respectively. Results. The yield of the neutral resin was 13.17%, and the powder was pale yellow and had irregular surfaces. The resin was freely soluble in organic solvents but almost insoluble in water. The moisture content of the dried extract was 2.5% while its moisture absorption capacity was 2.5%, 4%, and 5.47% at 40%, 60%, and 75% RH, respectively. Besides, the maximum swelling capacities of the resin observed were 40%, 37%, and 30% at 350C, 300C, and 250C, respectively. The bulk powder exhibited a 1.21 Hausner ratio, 36.497 angles of repose, and 17.03% Carr's index, indicating the fair flowability of the powder. Heavy metals such as zinc, chromium, and cobalt were detected at a low level while elements like copper, manganese, lead, and cadmium were absent. The X-ray diffraction study revealed that the crystallinity index of the powder was 42.7% with a crystal size of 994.5A. The Boswellia resin could be safe in mice up to 3 g/kg of their body weight. In conclusion, the physicochemical properties of the resin powder investigated reveal its potential application as pharmaceutical additives in the formulation of modified release solid dosages forms like tablets and microcapsules.

The incidence of diabetes is increasing year by year; among them, the rising trend of T2D is particularly obvious, and because it has many complications and poor prognosis, it has become one of the diseases that seriously endanger human health. Gegen Qinlian Decoction (GQD) has achieved good results in the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D). It can not only improve the anti-insulin effect of nude mice with type 2 diabetic, but also has the characteristics of small side effects and remarkable curative effect; it can improve the function of tissues and organs by multiple target spots and multiple ways. The method was to raise 30 nude mice with high fat and high sugar and inject small doses of streptozotocin (STZ). The treated nude mice were randomly divided into rosiglitazone group, Gegen Qinlian group, and model group, normally rearing 10 nude mice as a control group. The model group and the blank group were treated with 0.9% sodium chloride solution at 10 mL/kg, and the rosiglitazone group was intragastric administration with 3 mg/kg rosiglitazone solution. The GQD group was treated with 18.2 g/kg GQD, once a day, and lasting for 4 weeks. Use blood glucose meter to detect the FBG content in nude mice, use the radioimmunoassay to detect the amount of FINS, and calculate HOMA-IR. Use immunoenzyme linked assay method to detect the level of serum inflammatory factors. The experimental results showed that compared with the model group, the FBG of the rosiglitazone group mice was significantly decreased; the levels of the rosiglitazone group and the Gegen Qinlian group were significantly lower. Therefore, it is concluded that GQD can treat T2D in nude mice.

OBJECTIVE: Human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) are ideal seed cells for the regeneration of alveolar bone defects. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which is rich in growth factors, promotes tissue repair. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether PRP promotes the osteogenic differentiation of hADSCs and to perform high-throughput sequencing to explore the possible mechanism. METHODS: hADSCs were divided into the three following groups: CON group, OM group, and PRP group. Osteogenesis was detected by Alizarin Red staining on day 14. Total RNA was extracted from the OM and PRP groups for high-throughput sequencing. The target genes of the differentially expressed osteogenic-related miRNAs were predicted, and combined miRNA/mRNA analysis was then performed. The mRNA and protein expression levels of hsa-miR-212-5p, type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CNR1), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Runx2, osteocalcin (OCN), and collagen 1 A1 (COL1A1) in the OM and PRP groups were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot analyses. The binding between hsa-miR-212-5p and CNR1 was detected by a dual-luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS: Both the OM and PRP groups exhibited enhanced proliferation of hADSCs, and the differences at 48 h and 72 h were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The PRP group had significantly more calcium nodules than the CON group (P < 0.05). Through high-throughput sequencing analysis, differential miRNA and mRNA expression profiles were obtained. During hADSC osteogenesis, the expression of hsa-miR-212-5p was downregulated, and the expression of CNR1 was upregulated. hsa-miR-212-5p was found to bind directly to the 3' UTR of CNR1. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings indicated that downregulation of hsa-miR-212-5p and upregulation of CNR1 may be involved in the process by which PRP promotes the osteogenic differentiation of hADSCs.

In recent years, the popularity of sports has been increasing. In the high-intensity competition, many players have been injured; most of them are myocardial ischemia. With the development of medical science and technology, myocardial ischemia can be reperfusion. However, sometimes, the function of tissues and organs cannot be restored, but the dysfunction and structural damage of tissues and organs can be aggravated. Therefore, it is necessary to actively carry out intermittent exercise to protect players from myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. The purpose of this paper is to explore the protective effect of intermittent exercise on the myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury of players. 60 clean male Sprague Dawley (SD) old rats were selected as the research objects, which were divided into control group, ischemia/reperfusion model group, intermittent exercise + model group, and intermittent exercise + control group, and compared the parameters of heart function indexes of each group. The results showed that the creatine kinase (CK) content of control group was 0.577 ± 0.176 u/ml, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) content was 7.834 ± 1.507 u/ml, model group was 1.257 ± 0.113 u/ml, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) content was 14.441 ± 1.793 u/ml, intermittent exercise + model group was 0.987 ± 0.127 u/ml, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) content was 11.714 ± 3.017 u/ml, intermittent exercise + control group was 1.103 ± 0.125 u/ml, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) content was 14.647 ± 2.575 u/ml. It can be seen that intermittent exercise has a good protective effect on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. If the interval exercise method is integrated into the daily training of athletes, it can effectively improve the perfusion injury caused by myocardial ischemia.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate and discuss the predictive value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with polycythemia vera (PV) at the time of initial diagnosis, as well as its clinical significance in predicting the occurrence of thrombotic events and the progression of future thrombotic events during follow-ups, with the goal of providing a reference for the early identification of high-risk PV patients and the early intervention necessary to improve the prognosis of PV patients. METHOD: A total of 170 patients diagnosed with PV for the first time were enrolled in this study. The risk factors affecting the occurrence and development of thrombotic events in these patients were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: NLR (P = 0.030), WBC count (P = 0.045), and history of previous thrombosis (P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for thrombotic events at the time of initial diagnosis. Age ≥ 60 years (P = 0.004), NLR (P = 0.025), history of previous thrombosis (P < 0.001), and fibrinogen (P = 0.042) were independent risk factors for the progression of future thrombotic events during follow-ups. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curves) showed that NLR was more effective in predicting the progression of future thrombotic events than age ≥ 60 years, history of previous thrombosis, and fibrinogen. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed progression-free survival time of thrombotic events in the high NLR value group (NLR ≥ 4.713) (median survival time 22.033 months, 95% CI: 4.226-35.840), which was significantly lower compared to the low NLR value group (NLR < 4.713) (median overall survival time 66.000 months, 95% CI: 50.670-81.330); the observed difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001). The 60-month progression-free survival in the low NLR value group was 58.8%, while it was 32.8% in the high NLR value group. CONCLUSION: Peripheral blood NLR levels in patients with PV resulted as an independent risk factor for the occurrence of thrombotic events at the time of initial diagnosis and for the progression of future thrombotic events during follow-ups. Peripheral blood NLR levels at the time of initial diagnosis and treatment had better diagnostic and predictive value for the progression of future thrombotic events in patients with PV than age ≥ 60 years, history of previous thrombosis, and fibrinogen.

As a family of transcription factors, the correlations between expression pattern of nine interferon regulatory factor (IRF) family members, the immune invasion pattern, and the associated patient survival rate in endometrial carcinoma (EC) remain to be elucidated. Based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), the expression profiles of the high and low IRF mRNA expression groups were analyzed using R (3.6.3) statistical software. Gene annotation and pathway analyses were performed using Metascape. GSEA was performed using the R package clusterProfiler (3.6.3). The single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) was used to quantify the relative tumor infiltration levels of immune cell types. Immunohistochemistry data provided by HPA database was used to study the expression of the IRF proteins. Using the GEPIA dataset, the correlation between the expression of IRFs and the tumor stage of EC was analyzed. The correlations between the different IRFs were analyzed using cBioPortal. The expression of IRF2, IRF3, IRF5, IRF6, IRF7, IRF8, and IRF9 was different when comparing EC and normal endometrial samples. IRF2, IRF6, IRF7, and IRF8 were indicated to be potential diagnostic markers for EC. In combination with receiver operating characteristic analysis results, IRF2, IRF6, IRF7, and IRF8 were indicated to be potential diagnostic markers for EC. Levels of individual IRFs were associated with alternate outcomes, with the expression of IRF3 being correlated with the stage of EC and high expression of IRF4 being positively correlated with overall survival (OS); conversely, high expression of IRF5 was negatively correlated with OS. Additionally, high expression levels of both IRF2 and IRF4 were positively correlated with the disease-specific survival rate, and high expression of IRF4 was positively correlated with the progression-free interval. These data suggest a role for IRF2, IRF4, and IRF5 in the prognosis of EC. The expression of IRFs is associated with immune infiltration.

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) consists of infusion of feces from a donor to a recipient patient in order to restore the resident microbial population. FMT has shown to be a valid clinical option for Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI). However, this approach shows several criticalities, such as the recruiting and screening of voluntary donors. Our aim was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of a synthetic bacterial suspension defined "Bacterial Consortium" (BC) infused in the colon of CDI patients. The suspension was composed by 13 microbial species isolated by culturomics protocols from healthy donors' feces. The efficacy of the treatment was assessed both clinically and by metagenomics typing. Fecal samples of the recipient patients were collected before and after infusion. DNA samples obtained from feces at different time points (preinfusion, 7, 15, 30, and 90 days after infusion) were analyzed by next-generation sequencing. Before infusion, patient 1 showed an intestinal microbiota dominated by the phylum Bacteroidetes. Seven days after the infusion, Bacteroidetes decreased, followed by an implementation of Firmicutes and Verrucomicrobia. Patient 2, before infusion, showed a strong abundance of Proteobacteria and a significant deficiency of Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia. Seven days after infusion, Proteobacteria strongly decreased, while Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia increased. Metagenomics data revealed an "awakening" by microbial species absent or low concentrated at time T0 and present after the infusion. In conclusion, the infusion of selected bacteria would act as a trigger factor for "bacterial repopulation" representing an innovative treatment in patients with Clostridioides difficile infections.

Previous studies have reported that lncRNA PVT1 was closely related to ischemic stroke. Here, the role of PVT1 in ischemic stroke and the underlying mechanism were investigated. OGDR-stimulated PC12 cells were used to construct a cell model to mimic ischemic stroke. si-PVT1, miR-214 mimic, inhibitor, or the negative controls were transfected into PC12 cells prior to OGDR treatment. PVT1, miR-214, and Gpx1 expression was measured by qRT-PCR and western blotting assays. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were tested by CCK-8 assay and western blotting. The expression levels of inflammatory factors were determined by ELISA Kit. Results showed that PVT1 was increased significantly in OGDR PC12 cells. PVT1 knockdown significantly enhanced cell viability and attenuated cell apoptosis, ROS generation, and inflammation in OGDR PC12 cells. More importantly, PVT1 or Gpx1 was a target of miR-214. Mechanistically, PVT1 acted as a competing endogenous RNA of miR-214 to regulate the downstream gene Gpx1. In conclusion, PVT1 knockdown attenuated OGDR PC12 cell injury by modulating miR-214/Gpx1 axis. These findings offer a potential novel strategy for ischemic stroke therapy.

BACKGROUND: Current studies on the relationship between XRCC3 rs861539 polymorphism and ovarian cancer risk have been inconsistent. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to explore their association. METHODS: Six electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and China Wanfang Database) were searched for relevant studies published before December 2021. Meta-analysis, subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias analysis were performed using Stata software 16.0. Trial sequential analysis (TSA) was performed using TSA 0.9.5.10 Beta software. RESULTS: A total of 12 studies were included in 9 literatures, comprising 4,634 cases of ovarian cancer and 7,381 controls. After Bonferroni correction, the meta-analysis showed an association between XRCC3 rs861539 polymorphism and ovarian cancer risk in the heterozygote model and the dominant model (GA vs. GG: OR = 0.88, 95%CI = 0.81-0.96, P = 0.003; GG vs. GA+AA: OR = 0.89, 95%CI = 0.82-0.96, P = 0.004). In an ethnically stratified subgroup analysis, XRCC3 rs861539 was shown to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer in Caucasian in the heterozygote model and the dominant model (GA vs. GG: OR = 0.88, 95%CI = 0.81-0.96, P = 0.004; GG vs. GA+AA: OR = 0.88, 95%CI = 0.81-0.96, P = 0.004). In the control source and detection method stratified subgroup analysis, hospital-based studies and PCR-RFLP-based studies were found to increase ovarian cancer risk (GG vs. AA: OR = 1.30, 95%CI = 1.05-1.62, P = 0.016; GG vs. AA: OR = 1.31, 95%CI = 1.06-1.62, P = 0.013). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis showed a significant association between XRCC3 rs861539 polymorphism and ovarian cancer risk, especially in Caucasians. Large-scale multicenter case-control studies in more different regions will be needed in the future.

OBJECTIVE: To compare hysterectomy by transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (VNOTES) versus transumbilical laparoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) as a minimal invasive technique. Materials and Method. The women undergoing hysterectomy for benign diseases by VNOTES and LESS from January 2020 to June 2021 in a tertiary hospital in Shanghai were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: 361 women were included in our study, with 228 in the VNOTES groups, 129 in the LESS groups, and 4 conversions from VNOTES to LESS technique. The length of a VNOTES hysterectomy was shorter than that of LESS (80.76 min versus 112.09 min; MD -31.34 min; 95% CI -40.24 to -22.43 min; P < 0.001). VNOTES hysterectomy has a quicker gas passage by the anus (18.80 versus 36.49 hours, MD -17.68 hours, 95% CI -20.23 to -15.14 hours, P < 0.001) and associated with a shorter length of hospital stay (2.31 versus 3.77 days, MD -1.46 days, 95% CI -1.75 to -1.17 days, P < 0.001), while with no increase in blood loss during the operation (median 50 versus 50 ml, P = 0.25). Besides, the VAS pain score in the 24th hour after the operation was lower (median 0 versus 0.5, P < 0.001) in the VNOTES group. Four unique phases of the learning curve were identified using cumulative analysis: the mean operation time of phase I was 82.81 ± 31.45 min (the initial learning curve of 43 cases), phase II was 72.48 ± 23.66 min (the acquisition of command of 91 cases), phase III was 103.77 ± 45.69 min (the further learning of 26 cases), and phase IV was 73.18 ± 26.89 min (postlearning in 68 cases). CONCLUSIONS: VNOTES is noninferior to LESS as a new minimal invasive procedure for hysterectomy, which also allows patients a faster recovery from surgery and to suffer less pain, and its efficiency and feasibility in large uterine need further exploring.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the exchange reaction taking place among the bovine serum albumin (BSA), 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid (ESSE), reduced glutathione, N-acetylcysteine, D-penicillamine (thiolates), and silver metal (AgI). For this purpose, stock solutions of BSA and Ellman's reagent were prepared by dissolving 264 mg of BSA in 5 ml of reaction buffer (0.1 M KH2PO4 at pH 7.8) and 23.8 mg of ESSE in 1.0 ml of reaction buffer which were mixed together. Mixture of BSA-AgI was prepared in a separate procedure by dissolving 0.17 mg of silver nitrate in 1 ml of reaction buffer and then dissolving BSA (200 mg) in the same solution of silver nitrate. Blocking of Cys-34 of BSA with AgI was confirmed by treating different dilutions of BSA-AgI (500 μM) solutions with the solutions of ESSE (85 μM) and ES- (85 μM) and recording the spectra (300-450) with a UV-visible spectrophotometer. The chromatographed AgI-modified BSA ((BSA-S)AgI)) samples (typically 500 μM) were subsequently mixed with thiolates (reduced glutathione, N-acetylcysteine, and D-penicillamine). AgI and modified BSA (typically 500 μM each) were treated with these low molecular weight thiolates and allowed to react overnight followed by chromatographic separation (Sephadex G25). The redox reactions of AgI-modified BSA with various low molecular weight thiols revealed a mechanically important phenomenon. In the case of reduced glutathione and N-acetylcysteine, we observed the rapid release of a commensurate amount of Ellman's anion, indicating that an exchange has taken place and low molecular weight thiols (RSH) substituted AgI species at the Cys-34 of BSA eventually forming disulfide (BSA-SSR) at Cys-34. It can be anticipated from the phase of study involving bovine serum albumin that low molecular weight thiolates (reduced glutathione and N-acetylcysteine) take off AgI which are attached to proteins elsewhere in the physiological system, making these toxic metals free for toxic action.

OBJECTIVE: Natural and synthetic chalcones played roles in inflammation and cancers. Chalcone 9X was an aromatic ketone that was found to inhibit cell growth of hepatic cancer and lung cancer cells. In this study, we wanted to investigate the functions of Chalcone 9X in glioma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Chemical Chalcone 9X was added in human glioma cell lines (U87 and T98G cells) and normal astrocyte cell lines (HA1800) with various concentrations (0 μmol/L, 20 μmol/L, 50 μmol/L, and 100 μmol/L). CCK-8 assay was used to measure cell viability. Flow cytometric assay was used to measure cell apoptotic rates. Wound healing assay and transwell assay were used to measure cell invasion. RT-PCR was used to detect relative mRNA expressions, and the protein expressions were detected by western blot (WB) and immunohistochemical staining (IHC). Finally, nude mouse xenograft assay was performed to prove the effects of Chalcone 9X in vivo. RESULTS: Results revealed that Chalcone 9X treatment suppressed cell viability and cell migration capacity; it could also induce cell apoptosis in U87 and T98G cells with dose dependence. However, it had little cytotoxicity to normal astrocyte HA1800 cells. Moreover, Chalcone 9X treatment could repress the mRNA and protein expressions of FOXM1 in human glioma cell lines, which was an oncogene that could promote the progression and malignancy of glioma. In addition, FOXM1 overexpression dismissed the Chalcone 9X effects on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration in human glioma cell lines. Finally, in vivo assay showed that Chalcone 9X treatment repressed the expression of FOXM1, which inhibited the tumor growth of a xenograft model injected with U87 in nude mice. CONCLUSIONS: In all, we found that Chalcone 9X could suppress cell proliferation and migration and induce cell apoptosis in human glioma cells, while it has little cytotoxicity to normal astrocyte cells. Therefore, we uncovered a novel way that Chalcone 9X could inhibit FOXM1 expression and repress the progression and biofunctions of glioma cells, which might be a potential therapeutic drug for treating human glioma.

Glucose metabolism reprogramming is an important reason for the functional remodeling, growth, and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). It is also an important basis for the occurrence and development of aortic dissection (AD), but the specific regulatory factors are not clear. Noncoding RNA activated by DNA damage (NORAD) is dysfunctional in many diseases, but the role of NORAD in AD etiology is unclear. We first established a vascular remodeling cell model of AD, and the expression of NORAD in VSMCs was significantly increased. Functional experiments showed that inhibition of NORAD could downregulate the proliferation and migration of VSMCs. Meanwhile, silencing NORAD could also inhibit the flux of glycolysis, suggesting that NORAD may aggravate AD by promoting glycolysis. In addition, mechanism studies have shown that NORAD can exert VSMCs-regulating function by recruiting LIN28B to bind to TGF-β mRNA, which subsequently facilitates the expression of TGF-β1 (transforming growth factor β1). The recovery experiment also showed that overexpression of TGF-β could reverse the inhibitory effect of NORAD knockdown on VSMCs in terms of proliferation, migration, and glycolysis. Collectively, these results indicated that the NORAD/LIN28B/TGF-β axis promoted cell proliferation and migration through regulating aerobic glycolysis in VSMCs. Therefore, NORAD may regulate the occurrence of AD by affecting the reprogramming of glucose metabolism, and NORAD can be recognized as a good target for VSMC phenotypic intervention and AD treatment.

Finasteride is considered the drug of choice for androgenic alopecia and benign prostate hyperplasia. The aim of the study was to formulate nanodrug carriers of finasteride with enhanced retentive properties in the skin. The finasteride was formulated as solid lipid nanoparticles that were decorated with different concentrations of chitosan for improved retentive properties. Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) were synthesized by "high-speed homogenization technique" using stearic acid as a solid lipid while PEG-6000 and Tween-80 were used as surfactants. The SLNs were evaluated for particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, drug entrapment efficiency, and drug release behavior. The mean particle size of SLNs was in the range of 10.10 nm to 144.2 nm. The PDI ranged from 0.244 to 0.412 while zeta potential was in the range of 8.9 mV to 62.6 mV. The drug entrapment efficiency in chitosan undecorated formulations was 48.3% while an increase in drug entrapment was observed in chitosan-decorated formulations (51.1% to 62%). The in vitro drug release studies of SLNs showed an extended drug release for 24 hours after 4 hours of initial burst release. The extended drug release was observed in chitosan-coated SLNs in comparison with uncoated nanoparticles. The permeation and retention study revealed higher retention of drug in the skin and low permeation with chitosan-decorated SLNs that ranged from 39.4 μg/cm2 to 13.2 μg/cm2. TEM images depicted spherical shape of SLNs. The stability study confirmed stable formulations in temperature range of 5°C and 40°C for three months. It is concluded from this study that the SLNs of finasteride were successfully formulated and chitosan decoration enhanced the drug retention in the skin layers. Therefore, these formulations could be used in androgenic alopecia and benign prostate hyperplasia to avoid the side effects, drug degradation, and prolonged use of drug with conventional oral therapy.

BACKGROUND: Septic cardiomyopathy is widespread during sepsis and has adverse effects on mortality. Diagnosis of septic cardiomyopathy now mainly depends on transthoracic echocardiogram. Although some laboratory tests such as troponin T and atrial brain natriuretic peptide play a role in the diagnosis, specific blood biochemistry biomarkers are still lacking. Objective and Methods. In our study, we sought to find potential biological markers from genes and pathways that are covariant in the blood and myocardium of septic patients. Bioinformatics and machine learning methods were applied to achieve our goal. Datasets of myocardium and peripheral blood of patients with sepsis were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were selected and received functional enrichment analysis. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis was performed to identify the subtypes of sepsis. Random forest, lasso regression, and logistic regression were used for variable screening and model construction. Internal and external validation sets were applied to verify the efficiency of the model in classifying disease and predicting mortality. RESULTS: By defining significance for genes using Student's t-test, we obtained 1,049 genes commonly changed in both myocardium and blood of patients with sepsis. The upregulated genes (LogFC >0) were related to inflammation pathways, and downregulated (LogFC <0) genes were related to mitochondrial and aerobic metabolism. We divided 468 sepsis patients into two groups with different clinical result based on the mortality-related commonly changed genes (104 genes), using unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis. In our validation datasets, a six-gene model (SMU1, CLIC3, SP100, ARHGAP25, DECR1, and TNS3) was obtained and proven to perform well in classifying groups and predicting mortality. CONCLUSION: We have identified genes that have the potential to become biomarkers for septic cardiomyopathy. Additionally, the pathophysiological changes in the myocardium of patients with sepsis were also reflected in peripheral blood to some extent. The co-occurring pathological processes can affect the prognosis of sepsis.

Autophagy plays a key role in ischemic stroke, but its mechanism remains to be elucidated. In order to explore the effect of autophagy on ischemic stroke, bibliometric analysis and view tools are used to identify the directions of the global research trends and construct full view of the autophagy in ischemic stroke from 2006 to 2022. The research hotspots of autophagy related to ischemic stroke are visually analyzed and generated various visual maps to display publications, authors, sources, countries, organizations, and keywords. By bibliometric analysis, it can be seen that the investigations of autophagy in ischemic stroke is focused on both brain injury and neuroprotection. The impact of a variety of inflammatory factors and signaling pathways on autophagy following an ischemic stroke is also studied. Autophagy plays an important role in all phases of ischemic stroke. It is of great significance to guide the development of treatment plans for ischemic stroke.

PURPOSE: The study aimed to evaluate the postrehabilitation changes in deep gray matter (DGM) nuclei, corticospinal tract (CST), and motor cortex area, involved in motor tasks in patients with ischemic stroke. METHODS: Three patients participated in this study, who had experienced an ischemic stroke on the left side of the brain. They underwent a standard rehabilitation program for four consecutive weeks, including transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), and occupational therapy. The patients' motor ability was evaluated by Fugl-Meyer assessment-upper extremity (FMA-UE) and Wolf motor function test (WMFT). Multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was acquired from the patients by a 3 Tesla machine before and after the rehabilitation. The magnetic susceptibility changes were examined in DGM nuclei including the bilateral caudate (CA), putamen (PT), globus pallidus (GP), and thalamus (TH) using quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM). Functional MRI (fMRI) in the motor cortex areas was acquired to evaluate the postrehab functional motor activity. The three-dimensional corticospinal tract (CST) was reconstructed using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and diffusion tensor tractography (DTT), and the fractional anisotropy (FA) was measured along the tract. Ultimately, the relationship between the structural and functional changes was evaluated in CST and motor cortex. RESULTS: Postrehabilitation FMA-UE and WMFT scores increased for all patients compared to the prerehabilitation. QSM analysis revealed increasing in susceptibility values in GP and CA in all patients at the ipsilesional hemisphere. By fMRI analysis, the ipsilesional hemisphere demonstrated an increase in functional activity in motor areas for all 3 patients. In the ipsilesional hemisphere, the fractional anisotropy (FA) was increased in CST in two patients, while the mean diffusivity (MD) was decreased in CA in a patient, in PT and TH in another patient, and in PT in two patients. CONCLUSION: This preliminary study demonstrates that the magnetic susceptibility may decrease at some ipsilesional DGM nuclei after tDCS, NMES, and occupational therapy for patients with ischemic stroke, suggesting a drop in the level of iron deposition, which may be associated with an increase in the level of activity in motor cortex after rehabilitation.

This study is aimed at assessing the sintilimab-based regimens' safety and efficacy for advanced esophageal cancer (EC) treatment in the real world. Cases of advanced EC treated with sintilimab-based regimens in the Anyang Tumor Hospital between 1 January 2020 and 1 August 2021 were retrospectively examined. Progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), disease control rate (DCR), objective response rate (ORR), and adverse events (AEs) were evaluated. Among the 50 included patients, the median PFS was 11.3 months (95% CI: 5.0-17.6 months), and the 1-year PFS rate was 49.2%. The median OS was not reached, and the 1-year OS rate was 67.1%. Complete response (CR), partial response (PR), stable disease (SD), and progressive disease (PD) were seen in 14% (n = 7), 46% (n = 23), 32% (n = 16), and 8% (n = 4) of the 50 patients, respectively. Therefore, the ORR and DCR were 60% (30/50) and 92% (46/50), respectively. The CR rate of patients with radiotherapy was higher than that without radiotherapy (25% vs. 3.8%, P = 0.031). The 1-year OS rate was higher in patients with radiotherapy than in patients without radiotherapy (85.9% vs. 53.2%, P = 0.020). The most observed AEs included anemia, decrease in white blood cell count, nausea/vomiting, and hypoproteinemia. Sintilimab-based regimens achieved good disease control and tolerance for treating advanced EC in the real world. Combined radiotherapy can improve the efficacy and deserves further study.

BACKGROUND: For severe soft tissue damage or open fracture, unilateral external fixation is one of the treatment choices. In the current study, a unilateral external fixator combined with a lateral auxiliary frame was used to treat tibia and fibula shaft fractures with poor soft tissue conditions to verify its feasibility for the ultimate treatment. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the patients with tibia and fibula shaft fractures who underwent unilateral external fixator combined with lateral auxiliary frame between December 2018 and October 2020. The clinical outcomes were recorded. RESULTS: 31 patients with tibia and fibula shaft fractures who received unilateral external fixator combined with lateral auxiliary frame were included in the current study. Among them, 23 cases had closed fractures with poor soft tissue and 8 cases had Gastilo type I open fractures. The average duration of hospital stay was 7.3 ± 2.3 days. The causes of injury were traffic accidents in 15 cases (48.4%), fall from height in 7 cases (22.6%), crush injury in 5 cases (16.1%), and other causes in 4 cases (12.9%). During follow-up, the clinical healing time was 3.0 ± 0.85 months. Additionally, the infection rate of pin-tract and reoperation rate was 12.9% and 3.2%. Fortunately, all patients achieved fracture healing and recovered well without joint dysfunction and obvious claudication. The Johner-Wruh scores showed that 27 cases (87.1%) were "excellent" and 4 cases (12.9%) were "good." CONCLUSIONS: The unilateral external fixator combined with lateral auxiliary frame is an effective option for ultimate treatment of the tibia and fibula shaft fractures with poor soft tissue conditions.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is a social health problem. Several risk factors threaten students, and schools can provide a suitable environment for managing and performing health promotion programs. Given the extensive spread of the disease and the existence of multilevel components affecting the adoption of preventive behaviors, understanding the views and opinions of the audience about the barriers and facilitators affecting the behavior using qualitative studies can be one of the ways to have a successful intervention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a qualitative study performed by a directed content analysis method while using the PRECEDE model (predisposing, reinforcing, enabling constructs in educational diagnosis and evaluation). In total, 38 individuals (teachers, parents, and students) were entered into the study using the purposive sampling method. Data were collected by semistructured interviews, and the implemented data were systematically classified into five stages (condensed meaning units, code, subcategory, category, and theme) and were arranged and analyzed. RESULTS: The findings are classified into three themes of predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors. In addition, perceived sensitivity, perceived intensity, mental beliefs, behavior outcome evaluation, and perceived power were considered as subcategories of predisposing factors, whereas normative beliefs and motivation for adherence to protocols were subcategories of reinforcing factors, and control beliefs were subcategories of enabling factors. CONCLUSION: Our findings could be used as a guide to design educational interventions aiming at promoting COVID-19 prevention behaviors in schools.

Global public awareness about fish-based diet and its health/nutritional benefits is on the rise. Fish nutritional profile projects promising bioactive and other compounds with innumerable health benefits for human wellbeing. As various reported researches involving fish/marine-derived molecules reveal promising attributes, and as the position of fish-based nutrients as nutraceuticals continue to strengthen, health challenges still confront communities worldwide, from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity to hypertension. Thus, further understanding of fish-based nutrient impact as functional foods remains crucial given the diverse prevailing compositional/nutraceutical merits. In this review, therefore, we provide important information regarding bioactive compounds and therapeutics obtained from fish, specific to the context of their suitability in functional foods to enhance human health. This contribution is hereby constructed as follows: (a) fish nutraceutical/therapeutic components, (b) constituents of fish-based nutrients and their suitability in functional foods, (c) fish antioxidant/bioactive compounds to help alleviate health conditions, (d) common human ailments alleviated by fish-based nutrients, and (e) role of fish in mental health and immune system. As increased fish consumption should be encouraged, the potential of the quality proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, and other compounds inherent in fish should steadily be harnessed.

The aim of the study is to investigate the mechanism of action of Disulfiram against colon cancer through a network pharmacology approach. The targets were then imported into the Cytoscape 3.7.2 software to construct a network of active ingredient targets and were imported into the STRING database to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and the Bisogenet plug-in in Cytoscape 3.7.2 was used for network topology analysis. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were performed on the potential targets of Yiqi and Baiyu Tang for colon cancer using the R-language Bioconductor platform, and the results were imported into Cytoscape 3.7.2 to obtain KEGG network relationship maps. Molecular docking software Autodock Vina was used to map the core targets to the active ingredients. A total of 119 chemical components and 694 disease targets were obtained, including 113 intersecting targets. The key targets included AKT1 and TP53, and GO functional analysis mainly related to ubiquitination and apoptosis, etc. KEGG analysis showed that the treatment of colon cancer with Ganchenzan mainly acted through cancer-related signaling pathways such as AGE-RAGE and P13K-Akt, and the molecular docking results showed the best binding performance with TP53.

Brain tumors are the brain diseases with the highest mortality and prevalence, and magnetic resonance imaging has high-resolution and multiparameter. As the basis for realizing the quantitative analysis of brain tumors, automatic segmentation plays a vital role in diagnosis and treatment. A new network model is proposed to improve the accuracy of convolutional neural network segmentation of brain tumor regions and control the parameter space scale of the network model. The model first uses a convolutional layer composed of a series of 3D convolution filters to construct a backbone network for feature learning of input 3D MRI image blocks. Then, a pyramid structure constructed by a 3D convolutional layer is designed to extract and fuse features of tumor lesions and context information of different scales and then classify the fused feature at the voxel level to obtain segmentation results. Finally, a conditional random field is used to postprocess segmentation results for structured refinement. By designing massive ablation experiments to analyze the sensitivity of the essential modules of the comparison network, the results confirm that our method can better solve the problems faced by the traditional fully connected convolutional neural network.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is aggressive and fatal. It is a thin layer of tissue that covers the majority of the patient's internal organs. The treatments are available; however, a cure is not attainable for the majority of patients. So, a lot of research is being done on detection of mesothelioma cancer using various different approaches; but this paper focuses on optimization techniques for optimizing the biomedical images to detect the cancer. With the restricted number of samples in the medical field, a Relief-PSO head and mesothelioma neck cancer pathological image feature selection approach is proposed. The approach reduces multilevel dimensionality. To begin, the relief technique picks different feature weights depending on the relationship between features and categories. Second, the hybrid binary particle swarm optimization (HBPSO) is suggested to automatically determine the optimum feature subset for candidate feature subsets. The technique outperforms seven other feature selection algorithms in terms of morphological feature screening, dimensionality reduction, and classification performance.

INTRODUCTION: The present study is carried out for the first time on Chamaerops humilis L. var. argentea Andre from the region of Taza using an ethnopharmacological survey, an experimental study of the mineralogical and chemical compositions, and evaluations of the antioxidant and antibacterial activities. METHODS: After conducting the ethnopharmacological survey, a mineralogical and phytochemical study involving the preparation of aqueous and organic extracts was done. Essential oils were also extracted by hydrodistillation. Subsequently, qualitative and quantitative chemical analyses were performed. In vitro evaluation of antioxidant activities was performed by five tests (H2O2, DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and RP) and antibacterial activities by the disc method and determination of MIC and MBC. A principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to visualize the different correlations. RESULTS: The different parts of the plant are used for the treatment of digestive disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. In addition, the leaves are rich in mineral compounds, catechic tannins, flavonoids, and sterols. However, they have some traces of essential oils. The quantitative analysis revealed that the ethanolic macerated had a higher content of total polyphenols (100.27 ± 1.95 mg EAG/g E) and catechic tannins (52.11 ± 1.02 mg EC/g E). This extract had a strong antioxidant capacity (H2O2 (37.34 ± 0.55%), DPPH (IC50 = 31.18 ± 0.66 μg/ml), ABTS (108.28 ± 1.29 mg E AA/g E), FRAP (148.85 ± 0.43 mg E T/g E), and RP (10.86 ± 0.01 mg E AA/g E). The same extract had a bactericidal effect against Staphylococcus aureus. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that antioxidant activity was highly correlated with the chemical composition of C. humilis leaves; a high correlation was recorded between the total polyphenol content and ABTS (r = 0.9779), FRAP (r = 0.9644), DPPH (r = 0.9418), and PR (r = 0.9271) tests. In addition, cathectic tannins were highly correlated with the tests of DPPH (r = 0.9753) and ABTS (r = 0.8843). Flavonoids were similarly correlated with DPPH (r = 0.8897) and ABTS (r = 0.7599) tests. CONCLUSION: These results could justify the traditional use of the leaves of Chamaerops humilis in the region of Taza for the treatment of some diseases.

BACKGROUND: Waste management has become a serious challenge in urban areas of developing countries. However, managing municipal solid waste generated is the most costly urban service and needs community engagement in management of municipal solid wastes. Therefore, this study determined willingness to join and pay for improving solid waste management services and associated factors among households of Gedeo zone, Southern Ethiopia. METHOD: We performed a community-based cross-sectional study design to assess willingness to join and pay for improved solid waste management and its predictors among residents in Gedeo zone, Southern Ethiopia. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was computed to identify the factors associated with willingness to join and pay for improved solid waste management services. An adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to report an association, and a p < 0.05 was used to declare a statistically significant association. RESULT: Of 552 study participants, 91.5% (95% CI: 89.2, 93.8) were willing to join and 86.3% (95% CI: 83.3, 89.4) of them were willing to pay for improving solid waste management services. Having a large family size, higher educational status, positive attitude, and good knowledge of waste management services, access to waste management services, and amount of waste generated per week were positively associated with willingness to support improved solid waste management services. In addition, we found that respondents with high educational status, monthly income, who had good knowledge of waste management, access to waste management services, and the amount of waste generated per week were significant predictors of willingness to pay for improved solid waste management. CONCLUSION: This study found that a significant number of the respondents were willing to support and pay for improved solid waste management services. A higher probability of willingness to support and pay for solid waste management services among residents who had access to waste management services and good knowledge of solid waste management was observed. Therefore, wide-range awareness creation through mini media should be used to address poor knowledge. In addition, establishing more temporary waste collection sites in every corner of cities is needed to encourage households to support and pay for improved solid waste management services.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common gastrointestinal malignancies. Ferroptosis is a new type of peroxidation-driven and iron-dependent cell death. However, the biological functions and exact regulatory mechanisms of ferroptosis in GC remain elusive. Here, we performed RNAi and gene transfection, cell viability assay, lipid peroxidation assay, reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay, glutathione assay, qRT-PCR, Western blotting, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to study ferroptosis in gastric cancer. The results revealed that silencing latent transforming growth factor β binding proteins (LTBP2) can significantly inhibit GC cell proliferation and decrease cellular GSH levels, reduce GPX4 activity, and increase ROS generation and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, leading to ferroptosis in GC cells. In addition, we demonstrate that suppression of LTBP2 could regulate the p62-Keap1-Nrf2 pathway, thereby downregulating the GPX4 and xCT expression and upregulating the PTGS2 and 4HNE expression. Our findings described a new role of LTBP2 in regulating ferroptosis, which heralds the prospect of ferroptosis-mediated cancer therapy.

Achai is a small size cattle breed, resilient to harsh and cold environment. Cryopreservation of Achai bull semen may help to improve its genetics and preserve the germplasm. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) affects the structural and functional integrity of the spermatozoa. During freezing and thawing processes, the ROS make changes in the spermatozoa quality parameters and reduce total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) of semen that is considered as marker of oxidative stress. This study was designed to determine the effect of glycine along with vitamin E on post-thawed spermatozoa quality and total antioxidant capacity in Achai cattle. The semen collection was done twice a week from four mature fertile Achai cattle bulls (n = 4). The glycine was utilized as 0 mM, 5 mM, 10 mM, 15 mM, and 20 mM along with vitamin E @ 2.3 mM added constantly in each concentration. The control group contained all extenders except glycine. The results revealed that post-thawed spermatozoa motility was found significantly higher (P < 0.05) at 10 mM as compared to 5 mM, 15 mM, and 20 mM. Compared with control group, glycine concentration at 10 mM and other concentrations increased progressive and fast motility (%), curvilinear, straight line, and average path velocity (μm/s). Moreover, beat cross frequency (Hz) was higher (P < 0.05), and post-thaw viability (%), plasma membrane integrity, and mitochondrial membrane potential were significantly higher (P < 0.05) at 10 mM of glycine concentration in comparison to control and other glycine concentrations. Besides, acrosome integrity (%) and DNA integrity (%) as well as post-thawed T-AOC were also significantly higher (P < 0.05) at 10 mM of glycine concentration as compared to other glycine concentrations and control group. It is concluded that 10 mM of glycine along with vitamin E @ 2.3 mM improved cryopreserved semen quality of Achai bull.

BACKGROUND: lncRNA AFAP1-AS1 has been linked to the pathogenesis of a wide range of tumors. Nevertheless, whether it plays a role in laryngeal carcinoma (LC) remains unclear. METHODS: Twenty-nine pairs of LC and related normal tissues were collected for the detection of lncRNA AFAP1-AS1 using qRT-PCR. Correlation of lncRNA AFAP1-AS1 level and clinicopathological characters was assessed by the chi-square test. Impacts of lncRNA AFAP1-AS1 silencing on LC phenotypes were tested in vitro via CCK-8, clone formation, EdU staining, wound healing, flow cytometry, and Transwell assay. RESULTS: Herein, a remarkable elevation of lncRNA AFAP1-AS1 was observed in LC patients. And higher lncRNA AFAP1-AS1 level was correlated to worse clinical pathological characteristics. Moreover, lncRNA AFAP1-AS1 silencing was revealed to repress TU212 malignant phenotypes. CONCLUSION: Our data suggested that lncRNA AFAP1-AS1 acts as an oncogene of LC in vitro.

The study of chondrogenic progenitor cells (CPCs) as seed cells has become a new focus of cartilage regeneration. The inflammatory environment of osteoarthritis (OA) inhibits the repair ability of CPCs. But the OA patients' CPCs showed an excellent regeneration ability with intermittent hydrostatic pressure (IHP). However, the mechanism is unclear. We compared the expression of the Hippo signaling effect factor YAP between OA and normal cartilages. Then, the relationship between the Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) score of OA and the rate of YAP-positive cells was analyzed. The changes of CPCs after IHP and IL-1β applications were observed. The OA model was established by cutting the anterior cruciate ligament of rats. The knee joint of the OA rats was distracted by hinged external fixator to create suitable IHP, named as the IHP group. The IHP group plus intra-articular injection of Verteporfin (VP) was named as the IHP+VP group, and the untreated rat group was named as the CON group. Four and 8 weeks after the operation, the reparative effect was evaluated by MASSON staining and immunohistochemical staining. Lower levels of YAP1 and higher expressions of p-YAP1 were found in the OA group as compared to the normal group. IHP inhibited the Hippo signaling in an inflammatory environment and promoted the proliferation of CPCs. The cartilage deterioration in the CON group progressed more significantly than that in the IHP+VP group. The best reparative effect was observed in the IHP group with increased expression of YAP1 and decreased p-YAP1. These results hint that mechanical stress can activate CPCs and promote cartilage repair in an inflammatory environment through inhibiting Hippo signaling.

In recent years, people's living standards are getting higher and higher, and life pressure is also increasing, and there are also many problems in eating habits. This is also the direct cause of colon cancer. The aim of this paper was to investigate whether anesthetic drugs could positively affect the proliferation and apoptosis of colon cancer cells. In this paper, the significance of anesthetic drugs is proposed, and an artificial neural network algorithm based on artificial intelligence is proposed. It is well known that artificial neural networks play an important role in medicine. The experimental results of this paper show that the incidence of colon cancer in 2020 will be in the range of 5%-35%, and the incidence of colon cancer in 2021 will be in the range of 7%-30%. While colon cancer rates in 2021 do not appear to be as high as colon cancer rates in 2020, they are generally much higher than colon cancer rates in 2020. It can be seen that as the population ages, the number of colon cancer patients is increasing due to the lack of emphasis on health. This also means that the incidence of colon cancer is getting higher and higher, and traditional drug chemotherapy has been unable to play a good role in inhibiting the proliferation of colon cancer cells. Therefore, this paper investigated the effects of anesthetic drugs on the proliferation and apoptosis of human colon cancer cells.

Observational studies and randomized controlled studies propose that vitamin D plays a significant role in preventing acute respiratory tract infection (RTI); however, results are inconsistent and the optimal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-D3) concentration remains unknown. This study explores the risk factors associated with acute RTI in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and analyzes its correlation with serum 25-OH-D3 levels, to provide appropriate preventive treatment measures for CKD patients complicated with acute RTI. Seventy cases of CKD patients treated in the department of nephrology of Jiangxi Provincial People's Hospital are recruited as the research objects and divided into a control group (CKD without RTI) and an observation group (CKD with RTI), with 35 cases in each group. The laboratory indexes and serum 25-OH-D3 levels are compared between the two groups. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) of 25-OH-D3 in the diagnosis of CKD patients complicated with RTI is 0.892, and the standard error is 0.038. The glomerular filtration rates (GFR) are 48.32 ± 9.87 mL/min and 50.18 ± 20.71 mL/min in the control group and the experimental group, respectively, with no statistical significance between the two groups (P > 0.05). The serum 25-OH-D3 content in the control group (35.08 ± 6.2 nmol/L) is dramatically higher than that in the observation group (20.71 ± 5.87 nmol/L) (P < 0.05). The proportion of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) in the control group and observation group is 25.71% and 68.57%, respectively, with a considerable difference (P < 0.05). In the control group and the experimental group, the proportion of patients with oral vitamin D receptor agonists is 54.29% and 11.43%, respectively, and the difference is significant (P < 0.05). Results show that the serum 25-OH-D3 level is highly correlated with the occurrence of RTI in CKD patients. In addition, it is related to patients' age, DM, and vitamin D receptor agonists.

Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS), bioactive compounds, are commonly used to treat ischemic heart and cerebral diseases in China and other Asian countries. Most previous studies of PNS have focused on the mechanisms underlying their treatment of ischemic cardiovascular diseases but not cerebral ischemic diseases. This study sought to explore the pharmacological mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of PNS in treating cerebral ischemic diseases. Different experimental cerebral ischemia models (including middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and the blockade of four arteries in rats, collagen-adrenaline-induced systemic intravascular thrombosis in mice, thrombosis of carotid artery-jugular vein blood flow in the bypass of rats, and hypoxia tolerance in mice) were used to investigate the mechanisms underlying the actions of PNS on cerebral ischemia. The results indicated that (1) PNS improved neurological function and reduced the cerebral ischemia infraction area in MCAO rats; (2) PNS improved motor coordination function in rats with complete cerebral ischemia (blockade of four arteries), decreased Ca2+ levels, and ameliorated energy metabolism in the brains of ischemia rats; (3) PNS reduced thrombosis in common carotid artery-jugular vein blood flow in the bypass of rats; (4) PNS provided significant promise in antistroke hemiplegia and hypoxia tolerance in mice. In conclusion, PNS showed antagonistic effects on ischemic stroke, and pharmacological mechanisms are likely to be associated with the reduction of cerebral pathological damage, thrombolysis, antihypoxia, and improvement in the intracellular Ca2+ overload and cerebral energy metabolism.

Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni), a foodborne pathogenic bacterium, is among the most prevalent causes of human gastroenteritis globally. We developed and evaluated a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method to detect C. jejuni. Outer primers and inner primers were designed based on the hipO gene. The ratio between the concentrations of the inner and outer primers and the reaction temperature were then optimized to achieve optimal assay conditions. The analytical specificity tests showed that, among 12 genera of 74 pure bacterial culture strains, only four C. jejuni isolates could be detected, whereas no amplification was observed in C. coli, C. lari, and the other 11 genera of foodborne pathogens (n = 70). Moreover, the LAMP assay showed a higher analytical sensitivity (34.2 fg μL-1) than the conventional PCR method (342 fg μL-1). The limit of detection of C. jejuni based on the LAMP assay was 103 CFU g-1 in the artificially spiked samples of chicken meat. In conclusion, the developed LAMP assay will be a powerful and practical tool for the fast, specific, and sensitive detection of C. jejuni.

OBJECTIVE: The E3 ubiquitin ligase LRSAM1 (LRSAM1) was involved in many cancers, but whether it exerts anti- or protumor efficacies on choriocarcinoma cellular structures remains unknown. We wanted to explore the efficacies of aberrant LRSAM1 expression on human choriocarcinoma cellular structures and the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: LRSAM1 mRNA expressions in choriocarcinoma lines of cells JEG-3 and JAR cellular structures, as well as HTR8/sev8 human trophoblastic cell line cellular structures, were assessed using assay analysis of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions. We compared cell proliferation, migratory flow, invasive force, adhesion, and apoptotic process between cellular structures infected with si-LRSAM1 plasmids versus negative controls using CCK-8, clone formation, Transwell, adhesion, and flow cytometry assays. Protein expressions of LRSAM1, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin (indicators of epithelial-mesenchymal transformation) and p53/p21 pathway components were quantitated using a Western blot assay. The morphology of tumor lesions was observed in xenografted nude mice using immunohistochemistry (IHC) analyses. RESULTS: LRSAM1 was markedly overexpressed within JEG-3 and JAR choriocarcinoma cellular structures compared to HTR8/sev8 trophoblast cellular structures. Compared to si-NC, LRSAM1 knockdown robustly restricted cell proliferating, migratory flow, invasive force, and adhesion and fueled apoptotic cell process in JEG-3 as well as JAR cellular structures and suppressed tumor growth, as evidenced by the reduction in tumor volume and weight in naked mice inoculated with transfected cellular structures. Compared to si-negative control (si-NC), si-LRSAM1 significantly decreased Ki67 (a proliferating indicator) and N-cadherin expressions but reduced E-cadherin expression in JEG-3 and JAR cellular structures. Blocking the p53/p21 pathway by pifithrin-a (a p53 restrictor) successfully reversed the anti-inhibitory effect of LRSAM1 depletion, resulting in enhanced proliferating and metastasis in JEG-3 and JAR cellular structures. CONCLUSION: LRSAM1 exerts tumorigenic roles in choriocarcinoma. Via the activating of the p53/p21 pathway of signaling and impediment of choriocarcinoma cell proliferating, migratory flow, and invasive force, LRSAM1 knockdown slows the course of the disease. For choriocarcinoma diagnosis and treatment, it serves as a new therapeutic target.

Often more than one category of lesions in patients' gastrointestinal tracts need to be found in the endoscopic examination. Therefore, there is a need to establish an efficient synchronous real-time computer-aided detection (CADe) system for multicategory lesion detection. This paper proposes to build a system with a multiclass detection model based on the YOLOv5 to detect multicategory lesions synchronously in real-time. Two joint detection CADe systems using multiple single-class detection models with the same structure in parallel or series are established for comparison. A retrospective dataset containing 31117 images from 3747 patients is used in this study. To train the model, various online data augmentation methods and multiple loss functions are used. The proposed CADe system can synchronously detect cancers, gastrointestinal stromal tumours, polyps, and ulcers from different quality input images with 98% precision, 89% recall, and 90.2% mAP. The detection speed is 47 frames per second with a 0.04 s latency on a PC workstation. Compared to the two joint detection CADe systems, the proposed system is more accurate with faster speed and lower latency. Two extra experiments indicated that the lesion detection model based on YOLOv5x could provide better performance than other common YOLO structures and that different accuracy metrics and lesion categories have different requirements for the number of training images. The proposed synchronous real-time CADe system with the multiclass detection model can detect multicategory lesions with high accuracy and speed and low latency on limited hardware. It expands the clinical application of CADe in endoscopy and uses expensive labelled medical images more efficiently than multiple single-category lesion models for joint detection.

Homocysteine is an amino acid present in plasma, which is an important intermediate product in the metabolism of methionine and cysteine. Acute cerebral infarction (CI) is called acute CI of stroke. It is one of the most common diseases in neurology and has a serious impact, affecting people's lives. This article is aimed at studying the effect of data mining algorithms based on medical big data and the improved apriori algorithm on the analysis of the correlation between collateral compensation and homocysteine levels in patients with acute CI. This article proposes that there are many factors in patients with acute CI, among which are collateral compensation and homocysteine levels that are not easily determined. From the data in the tables in the experiment of this article, it can be seen that the collateral circulation of patients with acute CI is 8%, and the collateral circulation of patients without acute CI is 35%. The results indicate that both collateral compensation and homocysteine levels affect patients with acute CI. The higher the homocysteine level, the greater the probability of acute CI, and the better the state of collateral circulation, the less likely it is to suffer from acute CI.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of 12-week core stability training on Cobb angle and the ratios of AEMG (averaged EMG) and IEMG (integral EMG) of paravertebral electromyography in thoracic and lumbar segments in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients and offer a practical-based evidence for the rehabilitation treatment for AIS patients. METHODS: 31 AIS female middle school students were randomly divided into an exercise group (n = 16, 12 weeks of core stability training, 3 times/week) and AIS group (n = 15). In addition, 15 female secondary school students without scoliosis were included as the normal group (the AIS group and normal group did not perform any regular physical exercise throughout the trial period and only receive regular evaluation and guidance). Before and after the experiment, the digital diagnostic equipment of Philips was used to examine the Cobb angle and Noraxon was used to measure the surface EMG signals of the back thoracic and lumbar paravertebral muscles. RESULTS: Compared with that before training, after 12 weeks of core stability training, the Cobb angle in the exercise group significantly decreased, and the ratio of AEMG (convex/concave) and IEMG (convex/concave) of paravertebral muscles in the thoracolumbar segment significantly decreased (P < 0.01, respectively); there was no significant difference in the above indicators in the AIS group before and after the experiment (P > 0.05, respectively). After 12 weeks of core stability training, compared with the AIS group, the Cobb angle decreased significantly (P < 0.01), and the ratio of AEMG (convex/concave) and IEMG (convex/concave) of paravertebral muscles in thoracolumbar segment decreased significantly (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Compared with the normal group, the ratio of AEMG and IEMG of paravertebral muscles in thoracolumbar segment significantly increased (P < 0.01) in the AIS group (P < 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The core stability training can significantly reduce the Cobb angle of AIS and correct the bad posture of scoliosis patients, which may be related to the balance of the electromyographic activities (convex concave side) of paravertebral muscles in AIS patients.

ALDH+ H1975 lung adenocarcinoma stem cells (LSCs) are a rare cell population identified in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). LSCs can self-renew, drive tumor initiation, growth, metastasis, and recurrence and are also the predominant cause of poor prognosis due to their intrinsic resistance to drugs and chemotherapy. Consequently, LSCs are a promising target for LUAD therapy. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), exert many significant regulatory functions in the pathogenesis of human cancers, showing the necessity for a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms that underlie lung carcinogenesis. Nonetheless, research on many known transcripts and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) has already generated new information. Unknown biomarkers in ncRNAs and systematic and comprehensive interrelation with unknown ncRNAs and mRNAs may provide further insights into the biology of LUAD. Herein, a set of novel ncRNAs that include miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs were identified, and differentially expressed patterns of ncRNAs and mRNAs in LSCs and ALDH-H1975 LUAD tumor cells (LTCs) were obtained using stringent bioinformatics pipelines. Through a meta-analysis of the identified landscapes, novel competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks were constructed to reveal the potential molecular mechanisms that regulate the hallmarks of LSCs and LTCs. This study presents a summary of novel ncRNAs and the fundamental roles of differentially expressed ncRNAs implicated in the activity of LSCs and LTCs. In addition, the study also provides a comprehensive resource for the future identification of diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic biomarkers in LUAD.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to explore the application of a very important person (VIP) intervention mode in patients with advanced tumors in the western region of China. METHODS: One hundred and sixty-three patients were randomly divided into a control and experimental groups. The control group received routine care, and the experimental group received VIP future care. The willingness to end-of-life treatment, decision-making certainty, and quality of life were compared between the two groups before intervention (T0), after intervention (T1), and 1 month after intervention (T2). RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the basic data of the two groups. Unlike the control group, the experimental group preferred palliative care at the end of T1 (P < 0.05), and the acceptance rate of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and mechanical treatment decreased significantly. After the VIP intervention, the patient was transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) (P < 0.05). After 1 month of intervention (T2), the results showed that the overall quality of life, physical discomfort, negative emotions, care and support, survival predicament, and lifetime value of the patients were significantly higher than those before the intervention (all P < 0.05). Decision certainty results showed that the differences between the T0, T1, and T2 time points and the interaction between groups and time were statistically significant, and the interaction was more significant at T2 (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: VIP future care can change patients' wishes for end-of-life care, improve patients' and quality of life, and increase patient decision-making certainty.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease, a neurodegenerative memory disease, primarily results from the formation of amyloid plaques (Aβ) that gradually inhibit neuron communications. The entire mechanism of Aβ production remains unclear to date, and it is of particular interest among scientists to find out the exact mechanism that leads to amyloid precursor protein (APP) cleavage through the amyloidogenic pathway so that effective treatments can be developed. METHOD: 2 sets of experiments with the use of human H4-N cell lines are proposed to fully investigate the validity of the hypothesis. All of the experiments would involve immunoblotting of Aβ using an anti-Aβ antibody, and the results would be analyzed with the assistance of an image analyzer. A significant amount of Aβ would be expected to be present in the cytoplasm of cells with herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) applied, as APP endocytosis would be induced by HSV-1, which leads to higher Aβ levels inside the cell. RESULTS: In this paper, a new hypothesis is presented on how HSV-1 infection initiates APP endocytosis and causes an increase in APP cleavage and Aβ production inside the cells. It is also hypothesized that increased Aβ peptides exit the cell via exocytosis, therefore, leading to the development of Alzheimer's disease. The findings will support the hypothesis if intracellular Aβ concentration is significantly higher after the introduction of dHSV-1 and subsequently if extracellular Aβ concentration becomes higher without TeNT exocytosis inhibition. CONCLUSION: The results of this study would provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's disease and open new scopes of research for its potential treatments. Further studies on virus infection and the development of memory diseases should be conducted to investigate possible correlations.

PURPOSE: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their derivant are among the promising treatments for intrauterine adhesion (IUA); they have been reported to repair the endometrial injury by proliferating endometrial cells. However, the signal pathways involved are not clear. This study investigated the role of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived conditioned medium (hUCMSC-CM) in relieving IUA to find out whether Wnt/β-catenin signaling was involved, and if so, to determine the possible ligands. METHODS: After endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) were treated with hUCMSC-CM, their proliferation and migration were measured by the CCK8 assay and the scratch assay. The activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling was measured by Western blots, fluorescent staining, and T-cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor (TCF/LEF) luciferase. A Wnt inhibitor (XAV393) was used to inhibit the proliferation effect of hUCMSC-CM in EECs. Wnt5a expression in hUCMSC was measured by Western blots and fluorescent staining, and Wnt5a in hUCMSC-CM was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), to further clarify the mechanism. RESULTS: As shown by the CCK8 assay, hUCMSC-CM promoted proliferation and migration of EECs. The expression of β-catenin, c-myc, and cyclin D1 increased in EECs after being treated with hUCMSC-CM. Moreover, hUCMSC-CM was found to promote β-catenin delivery into nuclei by Western blot and fluorescent staining; meanwhile, the inhibitor (XAV393) could restrain this process and inhibit the effect of hUCMSC-CM on EEC proliferation. Wnt5a was detected in hUCMSCs and hUCMSC-CM, which might be a potential therapeutic target. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that hUCMSC-CM promoted human endometrial cell proliferation through Wnt/β-catenin signaling, and Wnt5a might be a potential activator. This would be one of the activating signal pathways in the MSC-related treatment of IUA.

CDCA3 is an essential regulator in cell mitosis and can regulate many physiological and pathological processes in the human body by stimulating certain proteins such as cell cycle regulatory proteins, transcription factors, and signal transduction molecules. Although several studies have shown that dysregulation of CDCA3 is a common phenomenon in human cancers, no systematic pan-cancer analysis has been performed. In this study, we comprehensively investigated the role of CDCA3 in 33 human cancer types by utilizing multiple cancer-related databases and bioinformatics analysis tools, including TCGA, GTEx, GEPIA, TIMER, STRING, Metascape, and Cytoscape. Evidence from bioinformatics databases shows that CDCA3 is overexpressed in almost all human cancer types, and its overexpression is significantly associated with survival in patients with more than ten cancer types. CDCA3 expression positively correlates with immune cell infiltration levels in multiple human cancer types. Furthermore, the results of the GSEA analysis revealed that overexpression of CDCA3 may promote the malignant progression of cancer by activating various oncogenic signaling pathways in human cancers. In conclusion, our pan-cancer analysis provides a comprehensive overview of the oncogenic role of CDCA3 in multiple human cancer types, suggesting that CDCA3 may serve as a potential therapeutic target and prognostic biomarker in multiple human cancer types.

BACKGROUND: In total hip arthroplasty for the treatment of adult developmental dysplasia of the hip, there is considerable controversy regarding the placement of the acetabular cup, anatomic center, and upward in acetabular reconstruction. This article explores the efficacy of the anatomical center technique and high hip center technique in the treatment of adult developmental dysplasia of the hip. METHOD: By searching for articles in the Cochrane Library, PubMed, CNKI, and Wanfang databases, we collected the literature on the treatment of adult developmental dysplasia of the hip by anatomical center and high hip center technology and screened the literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool was used to assess the risk of bias of randomized controlled trials, the quality of the literature in retrospective cohort studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale, and the RevMan 5.4 software was used to analyze the extracted outcome indicators. RESULTS: Nine studies were finally included, including one prospective cohort study, eight retrospective cohort studies, two high-quality studies, and six moderate-quality studies. The meta-analysis results showed that the reconstruction of the acetabulum in two positions was significantly different in terms of operation time (WMD = -37, 95% CI: -45.25-28.74, P < 0.00001), intraoperative blood loss (WMD = -91.88, 95% CI: -108.57-75.19, P < 0.00001), postoperative drainage volume (WMD = 80.55, 95% CI: -140.56-301.66, P = 0.48), time to ground (WMD = -0.68, 95% CI: -1.37-0.0, P = 0.05), Harris score (WMD = -0.04, 95% CI: -0.91-0.82, P = 0.92), lower limb length difference (WMD = 0.21, 95% CI: -0.22-0.64, P = 0.33), WOMAC score (WMD = -1.24, 95% CI: -4.89-2.41, P = 0.51), postoperative complications (RD = -0.02, 95% CI: -0.06-0.02, P = 0.44), Trendelenburg sign (RD = -0.02, 95% CI: -0.02-0.05,P = 0.31), limb lengthening (WMD = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.61-1.09, P < 0.00001), prosthesis wear (WMD = 0.01, 95% CI: 0-0.02, P = 0.17), and prosthesis loosening (RD = 0.01, 95% CI: -0.02-0.04, P = 0.45). CONCLUSIONS: The high hip center technique can reduce operative time, intraoperative blood loss, and downtime. The anatomical center technique is superior to the high hip center technique in terms of limb lengthening. Compared with acetabular anatomical reconstruction, there was no significant difference in postoperative drainage, lower limb length difference, postoperative complications, Trendelenburg sign, and prosthesis survival or wear. For DDH patients who are not severely shortened in the lower limbs and have severe acetabular bone defects, joint surgeons can choose to reconstruct the acetabulum in the upper part to simplify the operation, reduce the trauma of the patient, and accelerate the recovery of the patient, and they can choose to adjust the length of the neck and the angle of the neck shaft to maintain the moment arm of the abductor muscle. A ceramic interface or a highly cross-linked polyethylene interface minimizes the effect of hip response forces. To further evaluate the efficacy of the anatomical center technique and the high hip center technique in the treatment of adult developmental dysplasia of the hip, more large-sample, high-quality, long-term follow-up randomized controlled trials are still needed for verification.

Weaning is one of the most stressful periods in yak growth. However, the impact of weaning on microbial diversity, structure, and potential function of yak feces is not clear. In this study, 12 Xinjiang yaks aged 3, 4, 5, and 6 months old were selected to collect fresh feces before and after weaning. Through 16S rRNA and ITS high-throughput sequencing, the dynamic distribution and potential function of yak fecal, bacterial, and fungal communities in each month were revealed. The study found that the richness of fungi had a significant impact on weaning. At the phylum level, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota, and at the genus level, 5-7N15, Oscillospira, Roseburia, Dorea, Preussia, Neoascochyta, Naganishia, and Sporormiella were enriched in yak feces of different months old. The abundance and proportion of bacteria Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, 5-7N15, and fungi Mucoromyceta changed significantly before and after weaning. With the increase of months, Verrucomicrobia and Akkermansia have shown a downward trend. Through the prediction and analysis of fecal microbial function, it was found that at the level of primary pathways, weaning has a significant impact on cellular processes, environmental information processing, genetic information processing, metabolism, and organismal systems. At the level of secondary metabolic pathways, weaning has a significant impact on cell motility, signal transduction, folding, sorting and degradation, translation, amino acid metabolism, glycan biosynthesis and metabolism, metabolism of terpenoids and polyketides, and xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism. In addition, by analyzing the differences in functional pathways and microbial composition between sample groups of different months, it was found that the differences in functional pathways were related to the abundance differences of some microorganisms. In general, the changes in the composition and structure of yak fecal microflora may reflect the adaptability of the intestinal microbiota.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose was to compare the accuracy of extraprostatic extension (EPE) grade on MRI predicting EPE with Partin tables, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center nomogram (MSKCCn), and combined models and to analyze the clinical incremental value of EPE grade. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 105 prostate cancer patients confirmed by pathology after radical prostatectomy in our hospital from 2017 to 2021 were selected. The clinical stage, PSA, Gleason score, number of positive biopsy cores, and percentage of positive biopsy cores were recorded. Evaluate EPE grade according to EPE grade criteria, and calculate the probability of predicting EPE with Partin tables and MSKCCn. EPE grade is combined with Partin tables and MSKCCn to construct EPE grade+Partin tables and EPE grade+MSKCCn models. Calculate the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity of EPE grade, Partin tables, MSKCCn, EPE grade+Partin tables, and EPE grade+MSKCCn and compare their diagnostic efficacy. The clinical decision curve was used to analyze the clinical net income of each prediction scheme. RESULTS: The AUC of EPE grade was 0.79, Partin tables was 0.50, MSKCCn was 0.78, the EPE grade+Partin table model was 0.79, and the EPE grade+MSKCCn model was 0.83. After EPE grade was combined with Partin tables and MSKCCn, the diagnostic efficiency of clinical model was significantly improved (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the diagnostic efficacy of the combined model compared with the single EPE grade (P > 0.05). The calibration curve of the combined model shows that it has a good calibration degree for EPE. In the analysis of the decision curve, the net income of the EPE grade is higher than that of Partin tables and MSKCCn and is equal to the EPE grade+Partin tables and is slightly lower than that of EPE grade+MSKCCn. The clinical net income of the combined model is obviously higher than that of individual clinical models. CONCLUSION: The accuracy of EPE classification in predicting prostate cancer EPE is high, and combined with the clinical model, it can significantly improve the diagnostic efficiency of the clinical model and increase the clinical benefit.

Since the early 1980s when MRI imaging technology was put into clinical use, the number of MRI clinical tests has steadily increased by more than 10% every year. At the same time, exogenous MRI contrast agents have also been developed with the development of MRI technology. However, there are still challenges in the preparation of contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging, such as how to prepare high-efficiency contrast agents with high stability and low biological toxicity. In order to study the contrast agent with simple preparation method, low cost, and good imaging effect, a magnetic resonance contrast agent was prepared by magnetic nanoparticles. By acting on magnetic resonance imaging detection method, and using polymer ligands to synthesize magnetic nanoparticles, experiments and tests of P(MA-alt-VAc) polymer ligand-modified magnetic nanoparticles were carried out. The experimental results showed that when nanoparticles containing different iron ion concentrations were incubated with DC 2.4 normal cells for 48 hours, the cell viability was still higher than 80% at concentrations up to 200 μm. It shows that the nanoparticle has high cell activity and good biological adaptability. The transverse relaxation (r 2) value of the nanoparticles in aqueous solution at 37°C and 1.5 T magnetic field is 231.1 m-1 s-1, which is much higher than that of PTMP-PMAA (r 2 = 35.1 mM-1 s-1), which is also more than five times the relaxation of SHU-555C (r 2 = 44 mM-1 s-1). It shows that the nanoparticles prepared in this paper have good effect and can be used as a contrast agent in human brain for magnetic resonance imaging.

BACKGROUND: Impingement syndrome was shown to be associated with shoulder pain in 44-70% of patients worldwide. It usually occurs due to imbalance and insufficient activation of the rotator cuff (RC) muscles. AIM: This study explores the relative effects of handgrip-strengthening exercises on shoulder function, pain, strength, and active range of motion as part of the treatment program for the patients with primary subacromial impingement syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 58 patients aged 18-50 years with primary subacromial impingement syndrome were randomly enrolled to participate in this single-blind randomized clinical trial. Out of them, only forty patients have eligibly matched the inclusion criteria and randomly assigned to one of two groups to undergo a standardized therapeutic program consisting of two sessions a week for 8 weeks. The control group prescribed ultrasound therapy, ice, and stretching exercises, while the experimental group followed the same program with the addition of handgrip-strengthening exercises (HGSE). Both patients of conventional therapy (control) and handgrip-strengthening exercises (experimental group) were advised to adhere also to stretching and HGSE exercises once a day at home for eight weeks. The outcomes were the shoulder function, pain intensity, muscle strength, and active range of motion of the shoulder joint. RESULTS: Patients treated with conventional interventions plus handgrip-strengthening exercises showed the significant improvement over time in shoulder pain and function, strength of rotator cuff muscles, and pain-free range of motion forward flexion, abduction, and external and internal rotation through eight weeks in the experimental group compared to control patient group treated with conventional interventions. In addition, patients of both control and experimental groups showed no significant difference in the adherence to respective home-based stretching and HGSE exercises once a day at home for eight weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Adding handgrip-strengthening exercises to conventional intervention increases the efficacy of treatment for patients with primary subacromial impingement syndrome in terms of shoulder function, pain, muscle strength, and active range of motion.

The incidence of cancer is increasing today, particularly lung and chest cancer. Employing novel methods to detect cancer in its earliest stages and discover painless, noninvasive treatments are urgently needed. The goal of the proposed study is to investigate the value of automated breast volume scanning (ABUS) in conjunction with contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in properly diagnosing breast cancer in its early stages and the effectiveness of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in treating the disease. For the research study, information on 98 patients who had NAC and surgery in the breast surgery department of the Shaanxi Provincial Cancer Hospital has been gathered. All patients have received four cycles of NAC and underwent conventional ultrasound (HUSS), CEUS, ABUS, and pathological examination. At the same time, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, single factor, multiple linear regression, and other methods have also been used to analyze the diagnostic efficacy of breast cancer and NAC efficacy evaluation results. The study of this paper is totally based on the data collected from Shaanxi Provincial Cancer Hospital. The statistical and computational analyses are performed on the data collected for drawing inferences. When the findings are compared to the results of the pathological examination, HUSS has demonstrated a significant distinction between benign and malignant diagnoses with a statistical value of P < 0.05.ABUS combined with CEUS has shown no considerable differences in correlation study. Except for negative likelihood ratio, the diagnostic performance indexes of CEUS+ ABUS are substantially higher than HHUS with P < 0.05. ROC curve analysis is also performed which shows that CEUS and ABUS combination has higher precision in the analysis of breast cancer. ABUS pooled with CEUS shows great application value in the judgment of breast cancer as per the results obtained from the statistical analysis on data of 98 patients.

Heat shock proteins (HSP) are highly conserved in their structure and released in case of stress. Increased metallothionein (MT) synthesis is associated with increased capacity for binding heavy metals. Healthy juveniles of grass carp were exposed to sublethal dose (1.495 mg L-1) of cadmium for 28 days. Simultaneously, a control group was also run to compare difference of total RNA expression levels in cadmium-treated and control groups. The cadmium levels in the tissues of treated fish recorded were 1.78 ± 0.10 mg L-1, 1.60 ± 0.04 mg L-1, and 2.00 ± 0.05 mg L-1, respectively. Several histological alterations including edema, hemorrhage, dilated sinusoids, hypertrophy, hyperplasia, congestion of central vein, and nuclear alterations were observed in cadmium-exposed fish. Stress gene (metallothionein and heat shock proteins) mRNA transcription levels were studied by mRNA extraction and cDNA preparation by using PCR. The expression level of heat shock protein gene was higher as compared to metallothionein and beta-2-microglobulin gene after cadmium exposure. This study reports various stress-related immune-responsive changes of immune proteins, heat shock proteins, metallothionein, and histopathological changes in fish due to cadmium toxicity that make the fish immunocompromised which may be considered as the biomarkers of cadmium toxicity in other experimental species.

Endoscopic spine surgery (ESS) advances the principles of minimally invasive surgery, including minor collateral tissue damage, reduced blood loss, and faster recovery times. ESS allows for direct access to the spine through small incisions and direct visualization of spinal pathology via an endoscope. While this technique has many applications, there is a steep learning curve when adopting ESS into a surgeon's practice. Two types of navigation, optical and electromagnetic, may allow for widespread utilization of ESS by engendering improved orientation to surgical anatomy and reduced complication rates. The present review discusses these two available navigation technologies and their application in endoscopic procedures by providing case examples. Furthermore, we report on the future directions of navigation within the discipline of ESS.

AIM: Salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC) is the second highest incidence of malignant salivary gland tumor. The purpose of this study was to establish nomograms combined with SACC patients based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. METHODS: Patients with SACC were included in the SEER∗Stat Database from 2004 to 2016. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression analysis was applied to filter potential prognostic clinical variables. Multivariate analysis from the Cox proportional hazards model was performed to determine the independent prognostic factors on overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS), applied to develop nomograms. The Schönfeld residual test verified the proportional hazard assumption. The discrimination and consistency of nomograms was assessed and validated according to concordance index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and calibration curves using an internal 1,000 times bootstrap resampling. The nomogram's net clinical benefit was assessed through decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULTS: A total of 658 patients with SACC were included. Age, T stage, N stage, M stage, histologic grade, and surgery were independent prognostic factors for OS and DSS. Based on these independent prognostic factors, nomograms were developed to predict 3-, 5-, and 10-year OS and DSS. In the validation of 1,000 times bootstrap resampling, the C-index and ROC curves had good discriminatory ability. The calibration curves indicated excellent consistency between the predicted and actual survival results in the nomograms. The DCA curves demonstrated that the nomograms had good clinical benefit and were superior to the TNM stage and other variables. CONCLUSIONS: Two nomograms developed in this study precisely predicted the 3-, 5-, and 10-year OS and DSS rates of patients with SACC in accordance with independent prognostic factors, and their clinical value is better than TNM staging, providing a prognostic reference for other SACC patients.

OBJECTIVE: Pendrin is encoded by SLC26A4, which is expressed in the apical membrane of inner ear epithelial cells and drives chloride reabsorption in the apical septum. In the inner ear, pendrin dysfunction and hypofunctional mutations lead to vestibular aqueduct (EVA) enlargement and sensory neural hearing loss. Mutations in SLC26A4 are a common reason of deafness. However, the underlying mechanisms of SLC26A4 mutants in hearing loss remain unknown. METHODS: In the present study, pEGFP-N1 carrying wild-type and mutant SLC26A4 (c.85G>A, c.2006A>T, and c.853G>A) were transfected into HEK-293T cells. GFP fluorescence and GFP levels were determined. SLC26A4 mRNA levels were examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Then, the expression of chloride intracellular channel 1 (CLIC1) and CLIC2 was measured by Immunofluorescence assay. Intracellular chloride concentration and apoptotic rate were analyzed by flow cytometry. The levels of membrane/cytoplasmic pendrin, apoptosis-associated proteins, and the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway members were determined by Western blot. RESULTS: Constructed SLC26A4 mutant 1 (c.85G>A), SLC26A4 mutant 2 (c.2006A>T), and SLC26A4 mutant 3 (c.853G>A). The wild-type and 3 mutations were stably expressed in HEK-293T. SLC26A4 mRNA expression was significantly increased after transfection with wild-type SLC26A4 and mutant SLC26A4 compared with the untransfected vector group (P < 0.01). Compared with the vector group, the expression levels of membrane pendrin, cytoplasmic pendrin, CLIC1, CLIC2, Bcl-2, p-PI3K, p-Akt, and p-mTOR were upregulated. Compared with the vector group, the chloride concentration, cell apoptotic rate, and the expression levels of caspase-3, caspase-9, and Bax were downregulated. Compared with the vector group, the above effects of SLC26A4 were reversed after the SLC26A4 mutant. CONCLUSION: After SLC26A4 mutation, pendrin was transferred from the membrane, the chloride intracellular channel function was reduced, and the excessive accumulation of chloride in the cytoplasm induced cell apoptosis by inhibited PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway phosphorylation.

In recent years, due to the increase in the incidence of traffic accidents, the number of people with limb injuries has also increased. At the same time, among the aging population, neurological diseases or cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases have caused many people to have limb hemiplegia. It has been clinically proven that the use of rehabilitation equipment can help patients with limb injuries to restore limb motor function. This paper takes wearable lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton as the research object, and its main contents are mechanical structure design, kinematics analysis, gait planning, virtual prototype simulation, and experimental verification and analysis. Based on the physiological characteristics of human body and the principle of comfortable and reliable wearing, this paper designs wearable exoskeleton for lower limb rehabilitation. Firstly, the physiological structure characteristics and movement mechanism of human lower limbs were studied and analyzed. By referring to the rotation range and height and size of each joint of human lower limbs, the overall scheme of wearable lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton was designed and the degree of freedom was allocated. At the same time, Solidworks was used to establish a three-dimensional model. On the basis of a 3D model, a kinematics model was established, and the forward kinematics solution was obtained by using homogeneous coordinate transformation. Since the inverse kinematics solution was relatively complicated, the inverse kinematics solution was conducted in this paper according to the geometric relations of the joints of the lower limbs. Kinematics analysis of the exoskeleton structure of wearable lower limb rehabilitation was carried out to lay a theoretical foundation for gait planning. The off-line gait planning was carried out by using the method based on ZMP stability criterion, and the gait planning was divided into five stages: squat, start, middle step, stop and rise, and the motion trajectory of the center of mass and ankle joint was planned. Based on the inverse kinematics formula, the function of the change of joint angle with time in walking process is derived. The virtual prototype is established in ADAMS, and the simulation of virtual prototype is carried out by using the function of gait planning's joint angle and time. The correctness of structural design and gait planning was verified by measuring the trajectories of the centroid and ankle joints in each gait stage and the functional relationship between the rotation angle of each joint and time. Then, using a 3D dynamic capture system to capture the human lower limb motion trajectory of each joint, each joint trajectory data output, using the MATLAB software to output data, gets the joint trajectory change over time function curve and is used to verify feasibility and applicability of human gait planning. Through the research and analysis of the joints of the lower limbs of the human body, it can be concluded that the hip joint and the knee joint have 3 degrees of freedom, respectively, and the knee joint has 1 degree of freedom.

Inadequate vitamin D status may increase the risk of developing multiple types of cancer. Epidemiological studies suggest an inverse association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) and malignancy, including colorectal cancer. Previous studies have suggested that MED28, a Mediator subunit involved in transcriptional regulation, is associated with the growth of colorectal cancer cells; however, its role in the progression of metastasis such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cell migration of colorectal cancer is unclear at present. The aim of this study was to investigate a potentially suppressive effect of calcitriol, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3), a bioactive form of vitamin D, and the role of MED28 in the progression of EMT in human colorectal cancer cells. Suppression of MED28 increased the expression of E-cadherin and reduced the expression of several mesenchymal and migration biomarkers and Wnt/β-catenin signaling molecules, whereas overexpression of MED28 enhanced the EMT features. Calcitriol suppressed the expression of MED28, and the effect of calcitriol mirrored that of MED28 silencing. Our data indicate that calcitriol attenuated MED28-mediated cell growth and EMT in human colorectal cancer cells, underlining the significance of MED28 in the progression of colorectal cancer and supporting the potential translational application of calcitriol.

Globally, around 2000 plant species are used against pest control. The utilization of botanicals is considered the most economic and biodegradable methods for the control of stored grains pests. Therefore, the current study was carried out to investigate the repellency potential of five botanicals against Callosbruchus maculatus F. in Haripur, Pakistan. The concentrations of Azadirachta indica L., Nicotiana tabacum L., Melia azedarach L., Nicotiana rustica L., and Thuja orientalis L. were, i.e., 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0% in four replicates to establish contact effects. The data were recorded after 1, 2, 3, 6, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours. The repellency effect of these plant species against C. maculatus were increased in both the time- and dose-dependent manner, and highest effect was observed at 72 h. In addition, the repellency effect was 91% for A. indica (class: V), 86% M. azedarach, 82%, N. tabacum (class: V), 79% N. rustica (class: IV), and 75% T. orientalis (class: IV) at 3% concentration against C. maculatus. Furthermore, following 96 hours' exposure to treatment the sensitivity response of insects decreases as the time interval increases, i.e., 86% A. indica (class: V) was followed by 71% M. azedarach (class: IV), 65% N. tabacum (class: IV), 61% N. rustica (class: IV), and T. orientalis 57% (class: III) repellency at highest concentration of 3%. The current study concluded that A. indica and M. azedarach can be incorporated for the management of C. maculatus and these plant species might be helpful in the productions of new biopesticides.

BACKGROUND: Viral hepatitis are considered as the cause of solemn health problem for the human kind, particularly among pregnant women in the 21th century. Therefore, this study is aimed at determining the seroprevalence of HBV and HCV infection among pregnant women attending at Borumeda General Hospital, Dessie, Northeast Ethiopia. METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Borumeda General Hospital from April to May, 2020. A consecutive total of 124 pregnant women who were attending at the antenatal clinic (ANC) of the hospital were included. A structured questionnaire was used to assess the associated factors and some sociodemographic characteristics. Five milliliters of venous blood was collected from each study participant, and a laboratory test using a rapid HBsAg and anti-HCV kit was done. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22. RESULTS: The mean age of the study subjects was 25.81 (±5.967) years. The overall seroprevalence of either HBV or HCV infections among the study participants was 14 (11.3%). HBsAg and anti-HCV were positive among 10 (8.1%) and 4 (3.2%) study participants, respectively. There was no coinfection result between HBV and HCV among pregnant women. Pregnant women who had abortion history [AOR 5.723; 95% CI 1.100-29.785, P value = 0.038] and hospitalization history with IV medication [AOR 6.939; 95% CI 1.017-47.322, P value = 0.048] exhibited statistically significant association with HBV infection. CONCLUSIONS: Seroprevalence of HBV and HCV infections among pregnant women was high, and the rate of HBV particularly can be considered in the high endemic category of the WHO classification scheme. Continuous screening of pregnant mothers, provision of hepatitis B vaccine for females at the child-bearing age, and health education to create awareness about HBV and HCV should be implemented.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study is to use deep learning and machine learning to learn and classify patients with cutaneous melanoma with different prognoses and to explore the application value of deep learning in the prognosis of cutaneous melanoma patients. METHODS: In deep learning, VGG-19 is selected as the network architecture and learning model for learning and classification. In machine learning, deep features are extracted through the VGG-19 network architecture, and the support vector machine (SVM) model is selected for learning and classification. Compare and explore the application value of deep learning and machine learning in predicting the prognosis of patients with cutaneous melanoma. RESULT: According to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under the curve (AUC), the average accuracy of deep learning is higher than that of machine learning, and even the lowest accuracy is better than that of machine learning. CONCLUSION: As the number of learning increases, the accuracy of machine learning and deep learning will increase, but in the same number of cutaneous melanoma patient pathology maps, the accuracy of deep learning will be higher. This study provides new ideas and theories for computational pathology in predicting the prognosis of patients with cutaneous melanoma.

Teeth loosening are caused by insufficient supporting tissue, inflammation of periodontal tissue, or occlusal trauma, which is one of the main clinical symptoms of periodontitis. A digital technique for fabricating resin-bonded splinting fixed partial dentures (S-FPDs) is presented. It restores the missing mandible anterior teeth and splints the adjacent periodontally mobile teeth of the patient at the same time. The S-FPDs is designed and fabricated by computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology with flexible PMMA material. The workflow is straightforward, convenient, and accurate. Meanwhile, the restoration can meet the esthetic requirements and help with the stability of adjacent loosening natural teeth spontaneously. It could be considered a medium-term provisional restorative treatment option, but further controlled investigations still be needed.

Submaximal levels of effort are required for the performance of the most common daily tasks. Inaccuracy in modulating motor outputs during submaximal tasks has been reported as indicator of safety during daily activities in subjects with lower limb musculoskeletal disorders. The study is aimed at investigating performance modulation ability during motor and functional tasks in patients after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Sixteen patients with end-stage osteoarthritis undergoing TKA and twenty age-matched healthy participants performed isokinetic knee extension, sit-to-stand, and walking tasks at three levels of self-estimated effort (100%, 50%, and 25%) the day before (T0) and 4 days after surgery (T1). Maximum performance in terms of peak torque (PT-knee extension), overshoot (OS-sit-to-stand), and walking speed was evaluated. Subsequently, relative error (RE) between target and observed performance was computed for the submaximal tasks (RE50% and RE25%). Our results showed a decline of maximum performance after surgery, which resulted lower in patients compared to healthy subjects. RE50% and RE25% for knee extension (involved limb) (p < 0.001) and RE25% for sit-to-stand (p < 0.001) increased from pre- to postsurgery. At T0, knee extension RE25% and walking RE50% and RE25% were higher in patients. At T1, RE50% and RE25% were higher in patients for knee extension (involved limb), sit-to-stand, and walking. In conclusion, the ability to modulate motor and functional performance decreased after TKA and resulted impaired when compared to healthy age-matched subjects. Based on relationship between ability to modulate motor outputs and risk of falling, the role of modulation ability as indicator of readiness for discharge and safe return to daily activities deserves further investigations in patients in early phase after TKA.

OBJECTIVE: This study is aimed at determining two main points. First, if the Canary System™ (CS), initially used to assess caries, can measure a decalcification depth of bleached enamel quantitatively, and second, whether or not whitening has a harmful effect on enamel. This device can be considered a useful tool in the clinical assessment of the progression of demineralization after bleaching. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study collected sixty human premolars that are in a good state recently extracted for orthodontic reason. To properly disinfect and preserve the premolars, they were stored in a saline solution and later in distilled water for a period of two weeks to allow the premolars to rehydrate. Later, 24 hours before the experiment, the premolars were introduced into a solution of artificial saliva to acquire back their minerals. The mineral content of the teeth was measured by the Canary System™ before bleaching. The teeth were bleached with 30% hydrogen peroxide (fläsh HP 30%), 30 min per week and for 3 consecutive weeks to simulate the conditions of strong bleaching in the clinic. The extent of demineralized enamel was measured by the Canary System™ at three points on the enamel surface of each tooth. The data were averaged for each application of the bleaching product. The demineralization extent of the teeth was measured by the Canary System™ before and after bleaching. The significance level was set at 0.05, and SPSS version 26 was used. The data were analyzed by using Wilcoxon's and Student's tests. RESULTS: Mineral loss occurred after the first bleaching session; the Canary System™ detected a decalcification in the first bleaching session (532 ± 322 μm) compared to the other sessions (p ≤ 0.05), while no significant change was detected between the second and the third sessions (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Based on the findings of the present study, under in vitro conditions, it was possible to measure the demineralization extent of bleached enamel with the Canary System™.

AIM: To explore various immune cell-related causal pathways for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). METHODS: Immune cell-related pathway association study was conducted via integrative analysis of PSC GWAS summary and five immune cell-related eQTL datasets. The GWAS summary data of PSC was driven from 4,796 PSC cases and 19,955 healthy controls. The eQTL datasets of CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, B cells, natural killer cells (NK), monocytes, and peripheral blood cells (PB) were collected from recently eQTL study. The PSC GWAS summary dataset was first aligned with eQTL datasets of six blood cells to obtain the GWAS summary data at overlapped eQTL loci, separately. For each type of cell, the obtained PSC GWAS summary dataset of eQTLs was subjected to pathway enrichment analysis. 853 biological pathways from Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, BioCarta, and Reactome pathway databases were analyzed. RESULTS: We identified 36 pathways for B cells, 33 pathways for CD4+ T cells, 28 pathways for CD8+ T cells, 33 pathways for monocytes (MN), 35 pathways for NK cells, and 33 for PB cells (all empirical P values <5.0 × 10-5). Comparing the pathway analysis results detected 25 pathways shared by five immune cells, such as KEGG_CELL_ADHESION_MOLECULES_CAMS (P value <5.0 × 10-5) and REACTOME_MHC_CLASS_II_ANTIGEN_ PRESENTATION (P value <5.0 × 10-5). Several cell-specific pathways were also identified, including BIOCARTA_INFLAM_PATHWAY (P value <5 × 10-5) for B cell. CONCLUSION: Our study holds potential to identify novel candidate causal pathways and provides clues for revealing the complex genetic mechanism of PSC.

BACKGROUND: Zuo-Gui Yin Decoction (ZGYD), a traditional Chinese prescription, is mainly used in various kinds of andrology and gynecology diseases. However, the study on the interaction of ZGYD and drugs has not been reported. Therefore, evaluating the interaction between ZGYD and metabolic enzymes is helpful to guide rational drug use. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to explore the effects of ZGYD on the activity and mRNA expressions of six Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes in rats and to provide a basis for its rational clinical use. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control, ZGYD high, medium, and low-dose group (n = 6). The concentrations of six probe substrates in plasma of rats in each group were determined by UPLC-MS/MS. In addition, RT-PCR and Western blot were used to determine the effects of ZGYD on the expression of CYP450 isoforms in the liver. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the main pharmacokinetic parameters AUC(0-t), AUC (0~∞), of omeprazole, dextromethorphan, and midazolam in the high-dose group were significantly decreased, while the CL of these were significantly increased. The gene expressions of CYP2C11 and CYP3A1 were upregulated in the ZGYD medium, high-dose group. The protein expression of CYP2C11 was upregulated in the high-dose group, and the protein expression of CYP3A1 was upregulated in the medium, high-dose group. CONCLUSION: The results showed that ZGYD exhibited the induction effects on CYP2C11 and CYP3A1 (CYP2C19 and CYP3A4 in humans) in rats. However, no significant change in CYP1A2, CYP2B1, CYP2C7, and CYP2D2 activities was observed. It would be useful for the safe and effective usage of ZGYD in clinic.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate a deep learning reconstruction algorithm to reduce the time of synthetic MRI (SynMRI) scanning on the breast and improve the image quality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 192 healthy female volunteers (mean age: 48.1 years) underwent the breast MR examination at 3.0 T from September 2020 to June 2021. Standard SynMRI and fast SynMRI scans were collected simultaneously on the same volunteer. Deep learning technology with a generative adversarial network (GAN) was used to generate high-quality fast SynMRI images by end-to-end training. Peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), mean squared error (MSE), and structural similarity index measure (SSIM) were used to compare the image quality of generated images from fast SynMRI by deep learning algorithms. RESULTS: Fast SynMRI acquisition time is half of the standard SynMRI scan, and the generated images of the GAN model show that PSNR and SSIM are improved and MSE is reduced. CONCLUSION: The application of deep learning algorithms with GAN model in breast MAGiC MRI improves the image quality and reduces the scanning time.

METHODS: We thoroughly searched PubMed, Embase, and MEDLINE databases for the literature on stroke risk for immigrants and host populations by January 2022. Fourteen relevant cohort studies from eight countries met the inclusion criteria, and their data were included in this meta-analysis. Heterogeneity and publication bias were assessed. RESULTS: The results showed that the immigrant groups suffered from a lower incidence rate of stroke compared with the host populations (HR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.71-0.91, P = 0.001), but there was nonsignificant higher mortality of stroke in immigrants (HR = 1.07; 95% CI 0.84-1.36). However, the pooled adjusted incidence HR reduced to 0.67 (95% CI 0.60-0.75) after adjustment for publication bias. Immigrants had a lower stroke incidence compared to long-term residents, but the association varied with the country of origin, socioeconomic status, residence (urban vs. rural), and comorbid conditions. Discussion. The present systematic review and meta-analysis implicated that stroke risks are different for immigrants and the host populations; therefore, this knowledge may be useful for developing targeted stroke prevention strategies.

AIM: In mice with liver fibrosis produced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), the effects of olmesartan on intrahepatic angiogenesis and sinusoidal remodeling will be evaluated. METHODS: By injecting CCl4 into the peritoneal cavity, we established a mouse model of liver fibrosis. Using Sirius red and Masson trichrome staining, the extent of liver fibrosis in the animals was determined. Using immunohistochemical labeling and western blotting, the level of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression, a characteristic of hepatic stellate cell activation, was assessed. Electron microscopy was used to determine the effect of olmesartan on hepatic sinusoidal capillarization, and immunohistochemical labeling was used to determine the expression levels of endothelial and basement membrane proteins in mouse liver tissues. Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), IL-10, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and angiotensin II levels in mouse serum were measured by Luminex multifactor analysis and ELISA. Olmesartan's effect on the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) and the VEGF receptor (VEGFR) was evaluated using western blotting. RESULTS: Olmesartan reduced CCl4-induced inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen deposition to alleviate liver fibrosis. α-SMA expression was decreased, and HSC activation was inhibited in mouse liver tissues by olmesartan treatment. In addition, hepatic sinusoidal capillarization was improved under the action of olmesartan. The expression of collagen IV, fibronectin, CD31, and von Willebrand factor (VWF) in the olmesartan group was also markedly downregulated. In fibrotic mice, olmesartan medication decreased the levels of PDGF, VEGF, and angiotensin II, but it increased the level of IL-10. Moreover, olmesartan reduced the expression of VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2, and AT1R relative to CCl4-induced liver fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS: In mice with CCl4-induced fibrosis, olmesartan lowers angiogenesis and improves hepatic sinusoidal remodeling, according to our findings. By acting on the angiotensin II-AT1R-VEGF axis, this is achieved.

INTRODUCTION: The effect of sulodexide (SLX) on obstructive jaundice- (OJ-) induced acute lung injury (ALI) in rats was examined in this study. METHODS: In this study, 48 rats were randomly assigned to one of six groups: sham, OJ, OJ+saline, OJ+SLX (0.5 mg/ml/d), OJ+SLX (1 mg/ml/d), and OJ+SLX (2 mg/ml/d). The pathological lung injury was assessed by histological analysis and lung injury grading. ELISA kits were used to evaluate the expression of IL-6, IL-1, TNF-α, and syndecan-1 (SDC-1) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALFs). Commercial assay kits were performed to evaluate malondialdehyde (MDA) production and catalase (CAT) activity in lung tissues. The apoptosis was assessed by TUNEL assay. The lung microvascular permeability was investigated using Evans blue leakage, lung wet/dry weight (W/D) ratio, and lung permeability index (LPI). SDC-1, claudin-5, ZO-1, and VE cadherin expression levels in lung tissues were measured using Western blot. RESULTS: The OJ-induced ALI rats showed severe lung injury. The value of IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, and SDC-1 in BALFs was remarkedly increased in the OJ group. MDA content, apoptotic area, apoptotic molecules, and SDC-1 level were all higher in the OJ group's lung tissues than in the sham group. CAT activity, Evans blue leakage, W/D ratio, LPI, and expression of claudin-5, ZO-1, and VE cadherin were all lower in the OJ group compared to the sham group. The degenerative alterations in lung tissue improved after 7 days of treatment with 2 mg/ml SLX. The BALFs had lower amounts of IL-6, IL-1, TNF-α, and SDC-1. The SLX therapy reduced MDA levels while restoring CAT activity. In lung tissues, SLX reduced apoptotic area and SDC-1 expression. SLX reduced lung microvascular permeability by raising the expression of Claudin-5, ZO-1, and VE-cadherin in lung tissue when compared to the OJ group. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that SLX attenuates OJ-induced ALI in rats by protecting the pulmonary microvascular endothelial barrier.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the treatment and clinical efficacy of postoperative plate fracture and in situ fracture of the femoral stem. METHODS: We have retrospectively analyzed the clinical data, revised surgery information, and clinical efficacy of patients with postoperative plate fracture of the femoral stem in our hospital. A total of 33 cases were included whose original fractures were located in the upper and cadaveric femur and treated with paralleling intramedullary pins for revision surgery, as well as patients whose original fractures were located in the lower femur which were fixed with retrograde intramedullary nailing or anatomical locking and compression splints in the distal femur. For the selection of bone grafting, the original fracture site with Fernadez-Esteve scab grades I and II was treated with an autologous iliac bone graft. Postoperatively, patients were evaluated for fracture healing time, the clinical outcome of the affected limb, and complications in the iliac bone donor area. RESULTS: All patients were followed up until fracture healing, and all patients achieved clinical healing with a healing rate of 100% and a mean healing time of 6.3 months. No internal fixation failure such as rebreakage or loosening of the internal fixation occurred in all patients during the follow-up period. According to the Tohner-Wrnch criteria, 23 cases were excellent, 10 cases were good, and 0 cases were poor, with an excellent rate of 100%. Complications in the autologous iliac bone donor area amounted to 36.7%. CONCLUSION: For patients with original fractures located in the upper femoral segment or cadre, it is recommended to perform revision surgery with a paralleling intramedullary pin, while patients with original fractures located in the lower femoral segment are fixed with the retrograde intramedullary nailing or an anatomical type of distal femoral locking and compression splint. Patients with postoperative plate fractures of the femoral stem do not require routine autologous bone grafting for revision surgery.

Poor solubility is a global issue of copious pharmaceutical industries as large number of drugs in development stage as well as already marketed products are poorly soluble which results in low dissolution and ultimately dosage increase. Current study is aimed at developing a polyvinylpyrrolidone- (PVP-K30-) based nanogel delivery system for solubility enhancement of poorly soluble drug olanzapine (OLP), as solubilization enhancement is the most noteworthy application of nanosystems. Crosslinking polymerization with subsequent condensation technique was used for the synthesis of nanogels, a highly responsive polymeric networks in drug's solubility. Developed nanogels were characterized by percent entrapment efficiency, sol-gel, percent swelling, percent drug loaded content (%DLC), percent porosity, stability, solubility, in vitro dissolution studies, FTIR, XRD, and SEM analysis. Furthermore, cytotoxicity study was conducted on rabbits to check the biocompatibility of the system. Particle size of nanogels was found with 178.99 ± 15.32 nm, and in vitro dissolution study exhibited that drug release properties were considerably enhanced as compared to the marketed formulation OLANZIA. The solubility studies indicated that solubility of OLP was noticeably improved up to 36.7-fold in phosphate buffer of pH 6.8. In vivo cytotoxicity study indicated that prepared PVP-K30-based formulation was biocompatible. On the basis of results obtained, the developed PVP-K30-co-poly (AMPS) nanogel delivery system is expected to be safe, effective, and cost-effective for solubility improvement of poorly soluble drugs.

OBJECTIVE: To probe into the effect of LncRNA TUG1 on the healing of closed tibial fracture in mice. METHODS: The closed tibial fracture model of mice was established, selecting the mouse osteoblast line MC3T3-E1, with the cells separated into four groups. The expression levels of TUG1 and miR-221-3p were determined by RT-qPCR analysis, with the targeting relationship between TUG1 and miR-221-3p authenticated by dual luciferase reporter (DLR) assay, detection of cell migration (CM) ability based on Transwell cell migration (TCM) assay, and cell proliferation (CP) acquired by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8). RESULTS: Prediction results of the target gene by bioinformatics software showed that miR-221-3p had binding sites with the 3'-UTR of TUG1, and DLR assay authenticated the targeting relationship between LncRNA TUG1 and miR-221-3p. Downregulation of TUG1 inhibited osteoblast CP and CM and promoted osteoblast cell apoptosis (CA). Cell cycle analysis indicated that miR-221-3p provoked cell cycle arrest in G1 stage of MC3T3-E1 cells. The siLncRNA-NC group had higher anticyclin D1 and D3 levels than the siLncRNA TUG1 group, with a lower CA rate in the former, implying that miR-221-3p overexpression inhibited osteoblast CP and CM and LncRNA TUG1 inhibited CA. Downregulation of miR-221-3p partly reversed the retardation out of downregulating TUG1 on osteoblast CP and CM. Bcl-2 level was higher in the LncRNA TUG1 group compared to the siLncRNA TUG1 and miR-221-3p overexpression groups, with remarkably lower SDF-1 level in the miR-221-3p overexpression group than those in the control, miRNA-NC, and LncRNA TUG1 groups. CONCLUSION: The downregulation of miR-221-3p by LncRNA TUG1 can promote the healing of closed tibial fractures in mice.

Extensive studies have presented that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are closely implicated in the pathogenesis of various human malignancies, including lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). This study explored the biological role and the underlying mechanism of long intergenic nonprotein coding RNA 00174 (LINC00174) in LUSC. LINC00174 expression was measured by reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Both in vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to determine LINC00174 function in LUSC. Mechanical assays were performed to investigate the molecular mechanism involving LINC00174 and related genes. LINC00174 expression was high in LUSC cells. Silencing of LINC00174 could restrain LUSC cells proliferation, migration, and invasion while promoting cell apoptosis. Mechanically, LINC00174 could interact with miR-185-5p to upregulate nuclear factor IX (NFIX), which was the direct target gene of miR-185-5p. Notably, NFIX elevation could rescue the repressing effect of LINC00174 silence on LUSC cell malignant behaviors. Our data suggested that LINC00174 aggravated LUSC progression via serving as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to sponge miR-185-5p and ultimately upregulate NFIX, which offered a promising novel target for LUSC therapy.

PURPOSE: Effectively controlling the accumulation of adipose tissue can be a therapeutic strategy for treating obesity, which is a global problem. The present study was designed for comparative assessment of in vitro antiobesity activities of the Psoralea corylifolia-dichloromethane seed extract (DCME) and the isolated phytochemicals, bakuchiol, isopsoralen, and psoralen, through antiadipogenesis and pancreatic lipase (PL) inhibition assays. Material and Methods. In vitro pancreatic lipase activity was determined spectrophotometrically by measuring the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl butyrate (p-NPB) to p-nitrophenol at 405 nm, and adipogenesis was assayed in 3 T3-L1 adipocytes (by using Oil Red O staining) using P. corylifolia-dichloromethane seed extract (DCME) and individual compounds, isolated from the extract. RESULT: Antilipase as well as antiadipogenesis activity was displayed by both the DCME and the compounds. Maximum antilipase property was recorded in DCME (26.02 ± .041%) at 100 μg/ml, while, among the isolated compounds, bakuchiol exhibited a higher activity (24.2 ± 0.037%) at 100 μg/ml concentration, compared to other isolates. DCME was found to exhibit antiadipogenesis property, 75 ± 0.003% lipid accumulation, compared to the control at 100 μg/ml dose. Bakuchiol, isopsoralen, and psoralen inhibited the lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, 78.06 ± 0.002%, 80.91 ± 0.004%, and 80.91 ± 0.001%, respectively, lipid accumulation in comparison to control at 25 μM dose. CONCLUSION: The present study highlights the antiobesity potential of P. corylifolia and its active constituents. Thus, it can be concluded that P. corylifolia has the potential to treat obesity and related diseases; however, further research on dose standardization and clinical trials are required.

This study is aimed at exploring whether Xiaotan Sanjie decoction (XTSJ) inhibits gastric cancer (GC) proliferation and metastasis by regulating lncRNA-ATB expression. qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to analyze lncRNA-ATB and downstream-regulated genes/proteins in human GC cells. CCK8, Edu, and flow cytometry assays were used to detect the inhibitory effect of XTSJ on cell proliferation and apoptosis. Moreover, transwell and wound healing assays were used to detect the inhibitory effect of XTSJ on migration and invasion. qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect regulated genes and proteins levels. The HGC-27 cell line was used for follow-up analysis due to the high level of lncRNA-ATB and cell characteristics. XTSJ inhibited the proliferation and metastasis of HGC-27 in a dose-dependent manner. Further research found that XTSJ downregulated lncRNA-ATB, Vimentin, and N-cadherin, while it upregulated miR-200a and E-cadherin in a dose-dependent manner. XTSJ also upregulated Caspase 3, Caspase 9, Bax, and downregulated Bcl-2. Furthermore, XTSJ inhibited tumor growth in vivo and downregulated EMT signaling pathways. These results indicate that XTSJ may affect EMT and Bcl-2 signaling pathways by regulating lncRNA-ATB and miR-200a, thus inhibiting proliferation, migration, and invasion of HGC-27 cells. Therefore, XTSJ may be an effective treatment for the high levels of lncRNA-ATB in GC.

Steady-state somatosensory-evoked potential- (SSSEP-) based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have been applied for assisting people with physical disabilities since it does not require gaze fixation or long-time training. Despite the advancement of various noninvasive electroencephalogram- (EEG-) based BCI paradigms, researches on SSSEP with the various frequency range and related classification algorithms are relatively unsettled. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of classifying the SSSEP within high-frequency vibration stimuli induced by a versatile coin-type eccentric rotating mass (ERM) motor. Seven healthy subjects performed selective attention (SA) tasks with vibration stimuli attached to the left and right index fingers. Three EEG feature extraction methods, followed by a support vector machine (SVM) classifier, have been tested: common spatial pattern (CSP), filter-bank CSP (FBCSP), and mutual information-based best individual feature (MIBIF) selection after the FBCSP. Consequently, the FBCSP showed the highest performance at 71.5 ± 2.5% for classifying the left and right-hand SA tasks than the other two methods (i.e., CSP and FBCSP-MIBIF). Based on our findings and approach, the high-frequency vibration stimuli using low-cost coin motors with the FBCSP-based feature selection can be potentially applied to developing practical SSSEP-based BCI systems.

Electroacupuncture (EA) is a popular therapeutic therapy for premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). However, little has been known about the underlying processes of EA therapy. To investigate the benefit of EA and reveal the mechanism, thirty SD female rats were allocated into the control, model, sham, EA, and GnRHa groups at random. Vaginal smears were used to monitor the rats' estrous cycle. Serum liver and renal function (ALT, AST, BUN, and Cr), sex hormone (FSH, E2, and AMH), oxidative stress markers (SOD, GSH, and MDA), and inflammatory cytokine (IL6, IL1β, and TNFα) levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Their ovary morphology was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Transmission electron microscope was used to remark the ultrastructure of the granulocytes. Protein and gene expressions of Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway were detected by western blot and RT-PCR. Compared with the model group, in the EA group, the levels of serum sex hormones recovered to normal levels. Moreover, it reduced oxidative stress in rats, as demonstrated by increased SOD and GSH levels and decreased MDA levels. Meanwhile, Keap1 mRNA and protein expression dropped considerably in the EA group, while the mRNA and protein expressions of Nrf2 and HO-1 increased. We found that preventive EA might rescue rats with CTX-induced ovarian dysfunction. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidative stress properties of EA, which elevated the Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, might be the underlying mechanism. Furthermore, as compared to GnRHa, electroacupuncture did not raise the burden of the liver (ALT and AST) or the kidney (BUN and Cr). Electroacupuncture has a meaningful impact and a sufficient level of safety, making it useful for therapeutic setting in POI.

Microbial inoculants are an important tool for increasing arable land productivity and decreasing mineral fertilizer application. This study was aimed at isolating and identifying endophytic antagonistic bacteria from lily (Lilium davidii var. unicolor) roots grown in Northwestern China and at evaluating their antifungal activity and plant growth-promoting characteristics. For this purpose, endophytic bacteria were isolated from plant roots, and plant growth-promoting strains were identified. One bacterial strain, isolated from the root part, was identified as Bacillus halotolerans based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and was designated as LBG-1-13. The strain showed antagonistic activities against important plant pathogens of lily including Botrytis cinerea, Botryosphaeria dothidea, and Fusarium oxysporum. The highest percentage of growth inhibition, i.e., 71.65 ± 2.39%, was observed for LBG-1-13 against Botryosphaeria dothidea followed by 68.33 ± 4.70% and 48.22 ± 4.11% against Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium oxysporum, respectively. Meanwhile, the isolated strain also showed plant growth-promoting traits such as the production of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), siderophore, ACC deaminase, and phosphate solubilization activity. The strain showed ACC deaminase activity and was able to cleave 58.41 ± 2.62 nmol α-ketobutyrate (mg protein)-1 min-1. The strain exhibited tolerance to salt and drought stress in an in vitro experiment. The strain LBG-1-13 was able to grow in the presence of 10% NaCl and 20% polyethylene glycol (PEG) in the growth medium. Inoculation of Lilium varieties, Tresor and Bright Diamond, with LBG-1-13 enhanced plant growth under greenhouse and field conditions, respectively. All these results demonstrated that Bacillus halotolerans LBG-1-13 could be utilized as a good candidate in the biocontrol of lily disease and plant growth promotion in sustainable agriculture.

BACKGROUND: An imbalance of macrophage M1/M2 polarization significantly influences the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. Qingchang Wenzhong decoction (QCWZD) has a proven therapeutic effect on patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and can significantly inhibit the inflammatory response in mice with colitis. However, its effect on macrophages during IBD treatment remains nebulous. Aim of the Study. Explore the mechanism underlying QCWZD effects in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model in vivo and RAW264.7 cell in vitro by observing macrophage polarization dynamics. METHODS: The main active components of QCWZD were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. Surface marker expression on M1-type macrophages was analyzed using flow cytometry and immunofluorescence. The effect on inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) released by M1 type macrophages was determined using ELSA and RT-PCR. The expression of key proteins in the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway was analyzed using western blotting. QCWZD cytotoxicity in macrophages was measured using CCK8 and Annexin V-FITC/PI assays. RESULTS: The main active components of QCWZD were berberine chloride, coptisine chloride, epiberberine chloride, gallic acid, ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside Rb1, indigo, indirubin, notoginsenoside R1, palmatine chloride, and 6-curcumin. QCWZD markedly alleviated DSS-induced colitis in mice, as revealed by the rescued weight loss and disease activity index, attenuated the colonic shortening and mucosal injury associated with the inhibition of M1 macrophage polarization and expression of related cytokines, such as IL-6 and TNF-α, in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, QCWZD decreased the iNOS, JAK2, and STAT3 levels in vivo and in vitro, regulating the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: QCWZD administration improves intestinal inflammation by inhibiting M1 macrophage polarization. The JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway may mediate the effects of QCWZD on M1 macrophage polarization in colitis treatment. This study presents a novel macrophage-mediated therapeutic strategy for the treatment of IBD.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a medical system with a distinctive theoretical framework and extensive experience in identification and treatment acquired by the Chinese people in long-term medical practice and life practice. It is a complete, integrated, and complex knowledge system in epistemology. This study is aimed at exploring the clinical effectiveness of TCM called the Guizhi Shaoyao Zhimu Decoction in the treatment of hyperuricemia. A total of 100 patients with hyperuricemia at the Medical College of the Second Clinical College, Shandong, China, from January 2019 to January 2022 are selected as the research subjects and divided into group A and group B according to the random table method, with 50 cases in each group. Group A is treated with oral allopurinol tablets, 100 mg, 2 times a day, and group B is treated with the modified Guizhi Shaoyao Zhimu Decoction based on group A. For observation, serum uric acid (SUA) levels, urinary uric acid (UUA) levels, levels of serum inflammatory response factors (IL-6, CRP, and TNF-α), vascular endothelial function indexes (serum malondialdehyde (MDA) content, nitric oxide (NO) content), an acute attack of gout, and the incidence of adverse reactions are measured. Results show that after 2 w and 4 w of treatment, the levels of blood uric acid in each group gradually decreased compared with those before treatment, and group B is lower than group A (P < 0.05). After treatment, the vascular endothelial function indexes and inflammatory factor levels in each group are significantly improved compared with those before treatment, and the indexes in group B are better than those in group A. There is no significant difference in the incidence of related adverse reactions and acute attack of gout (P > 0.05). This shows that the TCM Guizhi Shaoyao Zhimu Decoction has a significant curative effect in the treatment of patients with hyperuricemia, which is worthy of clinical reference application.

METHODS: Cell viability, glycolytic activity, Annexin V-PE binding activity, reactive oxygen species levels, mitochondrial membrane potential, ATP content, Western blot analysis, and spheroid viability were measured for this study. RESULTS: Acidic pH-tolerant prostate cancer cells, PC-3AcT and DU145AcT, increased cytotoxicity with ERK1/2 inhibition in a curcumin concentration-dependent manner at concentrations that resulted in >90% cell viability in normal prostate epithelial HPrEC cells. ERK1/2 inhibition by curcumin and/or PD98059 suppressed cell growth, reduced glucose consumption, and downregulated the expression of key regulatory enzymes in glucose metabolism including hexokinases, phosphofructokinase, and pyruvate dehydrogenase. In addition, these compounds caused loss of mitochondrial membrane potential with increased intracellular ROS levels, decreased levels of complexes I, III, and IV in the mitochondrial electron transport chain, and cellular ATP depletion, leading to upregulation of marker proteins in apoptosis (cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved PARP) and necroptosis (p-MLKL and p-RIP3). The results of curcumin and/or PD98059 treatment in 3D cultures showed similar trends to those in 2D cultures. CONCLUSION: Taken together, the results provide mechanistic evidence for the antiglycolytic and cytotoxic roles of curcumin through inhibition of the MEK/ERK signaling pathway in prostate carcinoma cells preadapted to acidic conditions.

Sonneratia caseolaris is a widely distributed mangrove plant having much therapeutic importance in traditional medicine. This plant is reported for possessing numerous compounds that are already used for many therapeutic purposes. After finding the presence of antioxidant components in the qualitative antioxidative assay, we went to conduct quantitative tests where the total contents of phenolics, flavonoids, and tannins were estimated as 122 mg GAE/gm, 613 mg QE/gm, and 30 mg GAE/gm, respectively. In DPPH free radical, H2O2, and superoxide radical scavenging assay, the SC50 values were found to be 87, 66, and 192 μg/ml, respectively. In FeCl3 reducing power assay, the RC50 of SC extract and ascorbic acid were 80 and 28 μg/ml, respectively. This extract revealed a significant peripheral analgesic effect in the acetic acid-induced writhing model in mice by reducing the writhing impulse by about 21% and 39% at 250  and 500 mg/kg doses, respectively, and a central analgesic effect in the tail immersion method by elongating the time up to about 22% and 37% at the same doses. In the anti-inflammatory test in mice, this extract reduced the paw edema size over the observed period in a dose-dependent manner. It also showed a significant reduction in the elevated rectal temperature of mice in the observing period in Brewer's yeast-induced pyrexia model. In silico analysis revealed better binding characteristics of ellagic acid and luteolin among other compounds with various receptors that might be responsible for antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. From our observation, we suppose that SC fruits might be a potential source of drug leads for various inflammatory disorders.

Predicting the polyproline type II (PPII) helix structure is crucial important in many research areas, such as the protein folding mechanisms, the drug targets, and the protein functions. However, many existing PPII helix prediction algorithms encode the protein sequence information in a single way, which causes the insufficient learning of protein sequence feature information. To improve the protein sequence encoding performance, this paper proposes a BERT-based PPII helix structure prediction algorithm (BERT-PPII), which learns the protein sequence information based on the BERT model. The BERT model's CLS vector can fairly fuse sample's each amino acid residue information. Thus, we utilize the CLS vector as the global feature to represent the sample's global contextual information. As the interactions among the protein chains' local amino acid residues have an important influence on the formation of PPII helix, we utilize the CNN to extract local amino acid residues' features which can further enhance the information expression of protein sequence samples. In this paper, we fuse the CLS vectors with CNN local features to improve the performance of predicting PPII structure. Compared to the state-of-the-art PPIIPRED method, the experimental results on the unbalanced dataset show that the proposed method improves the accuracy value by 1% on the strict dataset and 2% on the less strict dataset. Correspondingly, the results on the balanced dataset show that the AUCs of the proposed method are 0.826 on the strict dataset and 0.785 on less strict datasets, respectively. For the independent test set, the proposed method has the AUC value of 0.827 on the strict dataset and 0.783 on the less strict dataset. The above experimental results have proved that the proposed BERT-PPII method can achieve a superior performance of predicting the PPII helix.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of an alginate-based gastric mucosal protective gel on the gastric ulcer. METHODS: (1) In the physical protection model, after GES-1 cell attachment add the gel to transwell chamber, add different concentrations of HCl to the gel. Absorbance was measured to assess proliferation and images of the cells migrating into the wound were taken; then the migration rate of the cells was quantified by comparing images. (2) In the gastric ulcer model, excise the gastric mucosal of SD rats; the gel and fixative were applied on the artificial ulcer immediately. Dissect rats after 10 days, and calculate the wound healing rate and analyzed histology changes. RESULTS: The effect of hydrochloric acid on cells in the lower layer was significantly reduced after the use of gastric mucosal protection gel. The protective gel had an isolation effect on different concentrations of acid. A number of GES-1 were significantly higher than those in the control group at 24 h to 72 h (P < 0.01). The migration was observed compared with the control group. The average healing rate of ulcer in the gel group was about 50%, and the control group was about 30%. Inflammation occurred in all wound regions after ten days. In the gel group, inflammatory infiltration depth was lower than that of the control, and part of SD rats' new muscle layer appeared without inflammatory infiltration. The connective tissue proliferation promoted tissue repair. In the control group, necrosis marginal, mucosal hyperplasia, marginal lymphocyte aggregation, and bleeding were observed. CONCLUSION: This novel gel mainly has an isolating and shielding effect to prevent the wound from being exposed to gastric acid for a long time, and it can reduce the inflammatory reaction on the wounds to promote the healing of the ulcer. The gastric mucosal protective gel cannot only promote the speed of wound healing but also improve the quality of wound healing.

The aim of this study is to predict the COVID-19 infection fifth wave in South Africa using the Gaussian mixture model for the available data of the early four waves for March 18, 2020-April 13, 2022. The quantification data is considered, and the time unit is used in days. We give the modeling of COVID-19 in South Africa and predict the future fifth wave in the country. Initially, we use the Gaussian mixture model to characterize the coronavirus infection to fit the early reported cases of four waves and then to predict the future wave. Actual data and the statistical analysis using the Gaussian mixture model are performed which give close agreement with each other, and one can able to predict the future wave. After that, we fit and predict the fifth wave in the country and it is predicted to be started in the last week of May 2022 and end in the last week of September 2022. It is predicted that the peak may occur on the third week of July 2022 with a high number of 19383 cases. The prediction of the fifth wave can be useful for the health authorities in order to prepare themselves for medical setup and other necessary measures. Further, we use the result obtained from the Gaussian mixture model in the new model formulated in terms of differential equations. The differential equations model is simulated for various values of the model parameters in order to determine the disease's possible eliminations.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) participate in development of malignancies through its active role as a "miRNA sponge." Their roles in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) pathogenesis are elusive. Here, the important role of circRNAs in T1DM was explored. circRNA profiling was performed for isolated CD4+ T cells from blood of T1DM and healthy volunteers. There were 257 differentially expressed circRNAs. Only three upregulated DEcircRNAs (hsa_circ_0000324, hsa_circ_0001853, and hsa_circ_0068797) were consistent with the GEO database. Through KEGG analyses, it was found that the three DEcircRNAs were associated with 11 miRNAs and 8 immune-related target genes (mRNA). Further analysis found that four miRNAs, two circRNAs, and four mRNAs were associated with nine circRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks. This confirmed the requirements of sponge mechanisms. The qRT-PCR analysis revealed that circRNA000324/miRNA675-5p/MAPK14 and circRNA000324/miRNA-675-5p/SYK may be potential mechanisms in regulation of differentiation and proliferation of CD4+ T cell in patients with T1DM. Therefore, targeting circRNA to regulate cellular immune responses by regulating CD4+ T cell differentiation may be a new strategy for the treatment of T1DM.

Challenges encountered in relapse of illness caused by resistance of microorganisms to antimicrobial agents (drugs) are due to factors of severe stress initiated by random use of antibiotics and insufficient beneficial approaches. These challenges have resulted to multiple drug resistance (MDR) and, subsequently, biofilm formation. A type of intercellular communication signal called quorum sensing (QS) has been studied to cause the spread of resistance, thereby enabling a formation of stable community for microorganisms. The QS could be inhibited using QS inhibitors (QSIs) called quorum-quenching (QQ). The QQ is an antibiofilm agent. Indole derivatives from plant sources can serve as quorum-quenching eradication approach for biofilm, as well as a promising nontoxic antibiofilm agent. In other words, phytochemicals in plants help to control and prevent biofilm formation. It could be recommended that combination strategies of these indoles' derivatives with antibiotics would yield enhanced results.

BACKGROUND: Natural killer (NK) cells are cytotoxic lymphocytes of the innate immune system, capable of killing viral-infected and cancerous cells. NK cell-mediated immunotherapy has remarkably changed the current paradigm of cancer treatment in recent years. It emerged as a safe and effective therapeutic approach for patients with advanced-stage leukemia. Several immune-escape mechanisms can be enacted by cancer cells to avoid NK-mediated killing. Exosomes released by NK cells that carry proteins and miRNAs can exert an antitumor effect. In the present study, we hypothesized that maybe exosomes derived from trained natural killer cells show more antitumor effect in comparison to non-trained one. METHODS: PBMC was separated by the Ficoll method and cultured with IL-2 for 21 days to expand NK cells. The NK cells were co-cultured with K562 for 72 hours and exosome-derived co-cultured (as trained) and natural killer cell-derived exosomes (as non-trained) were extracted by Exo kit. The exosomes were confirmed by dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), flow cytometry, and western blotting. The K562 cells were separately treated by trained and non-trained exosomes and MTT assay, apoptosis, and real-time PCR were performed. RESULTS: Based on flow cytometry, CD56 marker was 89.7% and 40.1% for NK cells and NK-derived exosomes, respectively. CD63 and CD9 were positive for exosomes by western blotting. The morphology of exosome was confirmed by TEM. Treated K562 cells by trained exosomes indicated the diminished cell viability and higher apoptosis. Furthermore, the trained exosomes showed up-regulation in both P53 and caspase3 genes as compared with non-trained sample. Discussion. Trained Exos showed a potent inhibitory effect on proliferation and induced apoptosis on K562 cell lines compared to the same dose of non-trained Exos. According to the results of qRT-PCR, trained Exos exerted an antitumor activity through up-regulation of caspase 3 and P53 in the apoptotic signaling pathway in tumor cells. Our findings indicate an effective action of trained Exos against cancer cells.

PURPOSE: To identify the potential key genes and molecular pathways associated with keratoconus and allergic disease. METHODS: The pubmed2ensembl database was used to identify the text mining genes (TMGs) collectively involved in keratoconus and allergic disease. The GeneCodis program was used to perform the Gene Ontology (GO) biological process and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis of TMGs. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the TMGs was established by STRING; the significant gene modules and hub genes of PPI were further performed using the Cytoscape software. The DAVID database was used to perform the GO and KEGG analyses of the significant module. RESULTS: In total, 98 TMGs collectively involved in keratoconus and allergic disease were identified. 19 enriched biological processes including 71 genes and 25 enriched KEGG pathways including 59 genes were obtained. A TMG PPI network was constructed, and 51 genes/nodes were identified with 110 edges; 3 most significant modules and 12 hub genes were chosen from the PPIs. GO enrichment analysis showed that the TMGs were primarily associated with collagen catabolic process, extracellular matrix organization and disassembly, cell adhesion and migration, collagen-containing extracellular matrix, extracellular matrix, and structure organization. KEGG pathway analysis showed that these DEGs were mainly involved in the IL-17 signaling pathway, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, allograft rejection, T cell receptor signaling pathway, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, and TNF signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: The results revealed that IL10, IL6, MMP9, MMP1, HGF, VEGFA, MMP3, MMP2, TGFB1, IL4, IL2, and IFNG were potential key genes involved in keratoconus. IL-17 signaling pathway was the potential pathways accounting for pathogenesis and development of keratoconus.

Beneficial endophytes may enhance plant growth and stress tolerance. Yet, the plant health benefits of endophytes can be altered by biotic and abiotic factors and, thus, favour the inhibition of turmeric growth and curcumin production. The double petri dish method and greenhouse pot experiments were conducted to assess the biocontrol potential and impact of endophytes on the output, curcumin levels, and antioxidant activities of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.). The results showed that endophytes could control some disease-causing plant pathogens: 52% of all isolates have an antagonistic action against Fusarium oxysporum, 43% against Pythium myriotylum, 35% against Phytophthora megakarya, and 56% against Ralstonia solanacearum in vitro. Eight months after sowing, most endophyte isolates can increase the yield of turmeric rhizomes on a sterile substrate after inoculation, with yields ranging from 42 to 105% higher than the control and 3 to 50% higher than the urea treatment. In addition, 52% endophytes isolate significantly raised curcumin levels after 8 months of culture (from 2.1 to 3.1%) compared to control (1.7%) and urea treatment (1.8%). These endophytes promote an increase in the levels of reduced glutathione (22%), total thiols (26%), and carotenoids (91%) in turmeric. The study concludes that, in general, the endophytes-turmeric association can stimulate turmeric rhizome production, curcumin, and the antioxidant activities of the plant. They can also be used as biocontrol agents for plant pathogens.

Surgery is one of the larger wounds in conventional surgery, and patients often experience different pain and postural discomfort after surgery. With the ever-changing standards of medical care and patient care requirements, providing high-quality care to postoperative patients is an important measure to reduce complications and promote rapid recovery. However, in the traditional postsurgical nursing methods, there are often the phenomenon that wrong patients are connected, patient data is messy, and medicines are counted incorrectly, which directly leads to a rapid decline in nursing efficiency. In the context of the rapid development of artificial intelligence and big data, intelligent medical data analysis technology has gradually been integrated into the medical field. This paper analyzes and studies the application effect of intelligent medical data analysis technology in postoperative nursing. It is aimed at changing the traditional postoperative nursing methods and improving nursing efficiency, and it provides important suggestions for the development of postoperative nursing in the new era. Combining big data and Internet of Things technology, this paper builds a smart medical Internet of Things framework and an intelligent postoperative care system and uses machine learning algorithms to preprocess relevant medical data. The final experimental results show that the intelligent medical data analysis technology has a good effect in improving the nursing efficiency after surgery, and the nursing efficiency has increased by 6.9%.

To build a nomogram model for predicting the survival risk of teens and adults with osteosarcoma based on the TARGET database, patients with osteosarcoma were collected via the TARGET database, and the survival curves of the patients were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method in SPSS 24.0. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) univariate regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors that influence osteosarcoma survival. A model (nomogram) for predicting the survival risk of adolescent and adult patients with osteosarcoma was built or plotted using the rms26 package as implemented in R (ver. 3.5.3). The predictive accuracy and discriminating power of the nomogram were determined by the C-index and calibration curves. A total of 94 patients with osteosarcoma were included. Classification of cases based on the tumor site revealed 59 cases involving the femur (62.8%), 5 involving the fibula (5.3%), 6 humerus (6.4%), 2 radius (2.1%), 19 tibia (20.2%), and 3 ulna (3.2%). Classification of cases based on surgical method showed 81 cases involving limb sparing (86.2%), 9 cases of amputation (9.6%), and 4 without surgery (4.2%). Among the 94 cases, bone metastasis occurred in 3 cases (3.2%) and lung metastasis in 14 cases (14.9%). Among all survivors, the median rate of survival is 8.6 years (95% CI: 8.0210.92); the three-year and five-year survival rates are 64.6% and 52.6%, respectively. The LASSO regression analysis showed that metastasis site, definitive surgery, and histologic response were potential risk predictors. The C-index of the nomogram plotted was 0.729, and the C-index of the validated sample was 0.742. The nomogram used in this study allows physicians to objectively and accurately predict the prognosis and survival of osteosarcoma patients. In order to determine whether the method is applicable to other groups of patients, additional studies need to be conducted.

As an epidemic, COVID-19's core test instrument still has serious flaws. To improve the present condition, all capabilities and tools available in this field are being used to combat the pandemic. Because of the contagious characteristics of the unique coronavirus (COVID-19) infection, an overwhelming comparison with patients queues up for pulmonary X-rays, overloading physicians and radiology and significantly impacting the quality of care, diagnosis, and outbreak prevention. Given the scarcity of clinical services such as intensive care and motorized ventilation systems in the aspect of this vastly transmissible ailment, it is critical to categorize patients as per their risk categories. This research describes a novel use of the deep convolutional neural network (CNN) technique to COVID-19 illness assessment seriousness. Utilizing chest X-ray images as contribution, an unsupervised DCNN model is constructed and suggested to split COVID-19 individuals into four seriousness classrooms: low, medium, serious, and crucial with an accuracy level of 96 percent. The efficiency of the DCNN model developed with the proposed methodology is demonstrated by empirical findings on a suitably huge sum of chest X-ray scans. To the evidence relating, it is the first COVID-19 disease incidence evaluation research with four different phases, to use a reasonably high number of X-ray images dataset and a DCNN with nearly all hyperparameters dynamically adjusted by the variable selection optimization task.

Protein elicitors play a key role in signaling or displaying plant defense mechanism and emerging as vital tools for biocontrol of insects. This study was aimed at the characterization of the novel protein elicitor isolated from entomopathogenic fungi Lecanicillium lecanii (V3) strain and its activity against whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). The sequence of purified elicitor protein showed 100% similarity with hypothetical protein LEL_00878 (Cordyceps confragosa RCEF 1005) (GenBank accession no. OAA81333.1). This novel protein elicitor has 253 amino acid residues and 762 bp with a molecular mass of 29 kDa. Their combatant protein was expressed in Escherichia coli using pET-28a (+) plasmid. Bioassay was revealed to quantify the impact of numerous concentrations of protein (i.e., 58.32, 41.22, and 35.41 μg/ml) on the fecundity rate of B tabaci on cotton plants. Bioassay results exhibited a significant effect (P ≤ 0.001) of all the concentrations of protein on the fecundity rate of B. tabaci. In addition, the gene expression analysis found a significant upregulation of the major genes associated with salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) defense pathways in elicitor protein-treated plants. Our results showed that the potential application of novel protein elicitor derived from Lecanicillium lecanii will be used as future biointensive controlling approaches against whitefly, Bemisia tabaci.

The invention describes a deep learning-based technique for monitoring power grid information operation and maintenance. Based on the time series data information in the power grid information operation and maintenance monitoring system, this method obtains the cleaned time series data through appropriate data preprocessing technology. This also uses the long-term and short-term memory neural network to realize the prediction function of the time series data to be detected. The reason behind is to construct the normal behavior model of the time series. Additionally, the control chart based on an exponentially weighted moving average is employed to determine whether the time series to be discovered contains any anomalous and abnormal phenomena. In the area of power grid information operation and maintenance monitoring, the method of invention is designed to counter anomaly. This phenomenon is universal in nature and has significant scientific importance for guiding treatment after the anomaly is discovered. Additionally, it guards against serious faults that the abnormality might bring about.

The distinction between Keratoacanthoma (KA) and Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (cSCC) is critical yet usually challenging to discriminate clinically and histopathologically. One approach to differentiate KA from cSCC is through assessing the immunohistochemical staining patterns of the three indicators, β-catenin, C-Myc, and CyclinD1, which are critical molecules that play important roles in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Ki-67, as a proliferation biomarker for human tumor cells, was also assessed as an additional potential marker for differentiating KA from cSCC. In this report, these four indicators were analyzed in 42 KA and 30 cSCC cases with the use of the computer automated image analysis system. Computer automated image analysis is a time-based and cost-effective method of determining IHC staining in KA and cSCC samples. We found that C-Myc staining was predominantly localized in the nuclei of basal cells within KA patients, whereas cSCC staining was predominantly localized in the nuclei of diffuse cells. This C-Myc staining pattern has a sensitivity of 78.6% and a specificity of 66.7% for identifying KA. Moreover, positive rates of distinct expression patterns of C-Myc and Ki-67 may also serve as a means to clinically distinguish KA from cSCC. Taken together, our results suggest that these markers, in particular C-Myc, may be useful in differentiating KA from cSCC.

Tripartite motif (TRIM) protein family proteins contain more than 80 members in humans, and most of these proteins exhibit E3 ubiquitin ligase activity mediated through a RING finger domain. Their biological functions are very complex, and they perform diverse functions in cell evolution processes, such as intracellular signaling, development, apoptosis, protein quality control, innate immunity, autophagy, and carcinogenesis. Tripartite motif-containing protein 2 (TRIM2), a member of the TRIM superfamily, is an 81 kDa multidomain protein, also known as CMT2R or RNF86, located at 4q31.3. TRIM2 functions as an E3 ubiquitin ligase. Current studies have shown that TRIM2 can play roles in neuroprotection, neuronal rapid ischemic tolerance, antiviral responses, neurological diseases, etc. Moreover, based on some studies in tumors, TRIM2 regulates tumor proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, and drug resistance through different mechanisms and plays a critical role in tumor occurrence and development. This review is aimed at providing a systematic and comprehensive summary of research on TRIM2 and at exploring the potential role of TRIM2 as a biomarker and therapeutic target in many kinds of human diseases.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility and advantages of thoracoscopic resection of anterior mediastinal tumors through subxiphoid and lateral thoracic approaches. METHOD: 74 patients with anterior mediastinal tumors hospitalized in our hospital from January 2019 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into the lateral chest group (31 cases) and the infraxiphoid group (43 cases) according to different operation methods. The tumor size, operation time, intraoperative bleeding, postoperative pain score, postoperative complications, postoperative drainage tube removal time, and hospital stay were compared between the two groups. RESULT: The intraoperative bleeding and postoperative pain scores in the subxiphoid group were better than those in the lateral chest group. There was no significant difference in operation time and postoperative complications between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Compared with the lateral thoracic approach, the thoracoscopic subxiphoid approach can be more safe and effective in resectioning anterior mediastinal tumors.

INTRODUCTION: One of the most challenging issues in public health is preventing aggression and violent behavior, generally in the adolescent population. Intervention studies in this field, especially in Iran, were few. Moreover, their findings are controversial. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of educational intervention based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) on reducing aggression among male students. METHOD: This study used a randomized controlled trial design. The sample comprised 98 middle school students aged between 13 and 16 years (14.28 ± 0.7). Educational intervention for the experimental group consisted of five sessions of 45-60 minutes. Data were collected using two self-administered questionnaires to measure aggression and constructs of TPB. Data were analyzed using paired t-test, independent t-test, and chi-square test at a significance level of 0.05. RESULTS: After the intervention, the experimental group showed a significant increase in all TPB constructs except the subjective norms, compared to the control group (p < 0.001). After two months of intervention, the mean score of the aggression behaviors in students in the experimental group showed a remarkable improvement in the experimental group, while the control group showed no significant difference. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study showed that the theory-based educational intervention was effective on the improvement of aggressive behavior. To achieve a significant change in perceived mental norms, more training sessions are recommended, and emphasis is placed on educating parents, peers, and school staff.

The present study undertakes the extraction of a novel polysaccharide from Lepidium sativum (PLS) and the determination of its physicochemical composition and antioxidant properties, as well as its potential wound healing activity in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. This polysaccharide presented a lighter natural color, whose luminosity (L∗), red-green intensity (a∗), and blue-yellow intensity (b∗) were recorded at 63.26, 5.87, and 27.28, respectively. The PLS was structurally characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, UV spectrum, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC), nuclear resonance magnetic (NMR), and high-pressure gel filtration chromatography. The FT-IR and UV spectra showed the characteristic band of polysaccharides. According to HPLC, the crude PLS is a heteropolysaccharide composed of glucose, xylose, and galactose. Results obtained by 1H NMR indicated that PLS consisted of three monosaccharide residues with α and β anomers. This novel polysaccharide had an average molecular weight of 98.51 kDa and displayed potential antioxidant activities determined through three different assays: scavenging activity against 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging assay, and reducing power. These results strongly support the beneficial effects of the PLS to accelerate wound healing in diabetic rats. Indeed, its application significantly increased wound contraction percentage (98 ± 1.11%) after 14 days of experiment. Furthermore, the histological assessment of the PLS-treated group demonstrated complete reepithelialized wounds by accelerating collagen synthesis. In general, the findings affirmed that PLS is efficient on wound closure in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

BACKGROUND: Currently, there are few studies on biomarkers for predicting coronary heart disease (CHD) with anxiety disorders. OBJECTIVE: To explore risk factors and investigate the predictive value of common clinical peripheral blood indicators, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and homocysteine (Hcy) for CHD patients with anxiety disorders. METHODS: One hundred fifty-three hospitalized patients with chest pain as the main symptom and a Hamilton Anxiety Scale score > 14 were recruited from October 2020 to September 2021 in the hospital. Then, they were divided into an anxiety disorder with CHD group (observation group, n = 64) and a simple anxiety disorder group (control group, n = 89), according to coronary angiography (CAG) findings. Patients' demographic and clinical messages were collected and compared. Diabetes mellitus and hypertension, body mass index (BMI), and peripheral blood interleukin-6 (IL-6), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), homocysteine (Hcy), fibrinogen, D-dimer, cortisol, and norepinephrine expression levels were compared. Binary logistic regression analysis screened independent risk factors of CHD patients with anxiety disorders. The effectiveness of independent risk factors in predicting CHD with anxiety disorders was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: IL-6, hs-CRP, and Hcy levels of anxiety disorder in the CHD group were significantly higher than those in the simple anxiety disorder group. Binary multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that IL-6, hs-CRP, and Hcy were independent risk factors for CHD in patients with anxiety disorders. hs-CRP and Hcy levels were positively correlated with the Gensini score. ROC curve analysis indicated that the detection of hs-CRP or Hcy alone or the combined detection of the 2 had clinical predictive value for CHD in patients with anxiety disorders, and the area under the curve (AUC) of the combined detection of the 2 was significantly larger than that of any single factor alone (vs. hs-CRP, P = 0.045; vs. Hcy, P = 0.045). CONCLUSION: IL-6, hs-CRP, and Hcy are related to CHD with anxiety disorders. Serum levels of the combined detection of hs-CRP and Hcy have a high clinical predictive value for CHD in patients with anxiety disorders.

Polymorphisms have been identified to predispose to primary gouty arthritis (GA) and hyperuricemia (HUA). Here, we accessed the five polymorphisms of rs10754558, rs35829419, rs3738448, rs3806268, and rs7525979 in NLRP3 on GA and HUA susceptibility. We collected 1198 samples (314 GA, 377 HUA, and 507 controls) for this case-control study. Our data detected that the rs3806268 (GA vs. AA: OR = 0.65, p = 0.012) was significantly associated with the susceptibility to GA. The rs3738448 (TT vs. GG: OR = 2.05, p = 0.024) and rs7525979 (TT vs. CC: OR = 1.96, p = 0.037) were significantly associated with the susceptibility to HUA. The rs3806268 AG genotype presented decreased risk of GA among the hypertension (OR = 0.54, p = 0.0093), smoking (OR = 0.59, p = 0.018), and no obesity (OR = 0.60, p = 0.0097) subjects compared to the GG genotype group. The rs3738448 TT genotype demonstrated increased risk of HUA among the hypertension (OR = 4.10, p = 0.0056) and no drinking population (OR = 3.56, p = 0.016) compared to the GG genotype group. The rs7525979 TT genotype demonstrated increased risk of HUA among the hypertension (OR = 4.01, p = 0.0064) and no drinking population (OR = 3.24, p = 0.034) compared to the CC genotype group. Furthermore, a significant haplotype effect of rs10754558/C-rs35829419/C-rs3738448/G-rs3806268/A-rs7525979/C was found (OR = 1.60, p = 0.0046) compared with GCGAC haplotype. Bioinformatics analyses indicated that rs3738448, rs3806268, and rs7525979 might influence the gene regulation, while the T-allele of rs3738448 increased the stability of NLRP3-mRNA. Collectively, our case-control study confirms NLRP3 polymorphisms might participate in regulating immune and inflammation responses in GA and HUA.

PURPOSE: Lumbar fusion combined with lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) and percutaneous pedicle screws (PPS) is a widely used, minimally invasive surgical treatment, but studies on incidence and risk factors for subsequent adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) are limited. This study was aimed at investigating midterm incidence and reoperation rate of ASD after indirect decompression (IDD) with LLIF and PPS and at clarifying the impact of preexisting adjacent facet osteoarthritis on development of ASD after IDD. METHODS: Forty-one patients who underwent short-segment (1- or 2-level) lumbar fusion with LLIF and PPS with a minimum 5-year follow-up were analyzed. Cephalad adjacent facet osteoarthritis was classified as 1 (normal) to 4 (severe) by an established classification system on preoperative CT. ASD was diagnosed with plain radiographs taken preoperatively and up to 5 years postoperatively, and preoperative degree of facet osteoarthritis was compared between the ASD+ group and ASD- group (control). We also divided patients into two groups according to severity of facet degeneration, mild (grades 1-2) group and severe (grades 3-4) group, and investigated ASD-free survival of the groups by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: The incidence of ASD at 5 years postoperatively was 34.1%, and the reoperation rate for ASD was 4.9%. The degree of preexisting facet joint osteoarthritis was significantly different between the ASD+ and ASD- groups (grade 1/2/3/4: 0/29/64/7% and 29/62/29/10%, P = 0.008). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed the severe group to have significantly lower ASD-free survival than the mild group (P = 0.017) at 5 years postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Comparative analysis of the ASD+ versus ASD- group showed preexisting facet joint osteoarthritis to be a risk factor for ASD progression after IDD. Additional longitudinal studies with long-term follow-up are needed to understand the causal relationship between facet joint degeneration and progression of adjacent segment deterioration following IDD.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a continually spreading health problem in Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Despite this, up- to-date information on referral laboratory facility has been not yet reported. Therefore, this study was aimed at reporting up-to-date information about eight year's cutaneous leishmaniasis trend status. Data on referred cases from 2013 to 2020 were collected at Amhara Public Health Institute Parasitology department by reviewing log book. Of the 243 suspected cases, 114 (46.9%) were positive (confirmed) with microscope and cultured results showed that most of them were negatives. Most of the suspected cases were from 16 to 30 years and males by age and sex, respectively. Trend status by year depicted that largest numbers of suspected and confirmed cases were reported in 2013, 2015, and 2019 years. Finally, the trend status by zone showed that most cases were reported from South Gondar and Awi zones, respectively.

Lung cancer is a potentially lethal illness. Cancer detection continues to be a challenge for medical professionals. The true cause of cancer and its complete treatment have still not been discovered. Cancer that is caught early enough can be treated. Image processing methods such as noise reduction, feature extraction, identification of damaged regions, and maybe a comparison with data on the medical history of lung cancer are used to locate portions of the lung that have been impacted by cancer. This research shows an accurate classification and prediction of lung cancer using technology that is enabled by machine learning and image processing. To begin, photos need to be gathered. In the experimental investigation, 83 CT scans from 70 distinct patients were utilized as the dataset. The geometric mean filter is used during picture preprocessing. As a consequence, image quality is enhanced. The K-means technique is then used to segment the images. The part of the image may be found using this segmentation. Then, classification methods using machine learning are used. For the classification, ANN, KNN, and RF are some of the machine learning techniques that were used. It is found that the ANN model is producing more accurate results for predicting lung cancer.

With the increasing popularity of online foreign language teaching and learning practice, learners and teachers have developed a high demand for evaluation of teaching effectiveness. When we focus discussion on international Chinese teaching, which has been developed for a relatively short time and not experienced enough, online teaching effectiveness evaluation has become an important obstacle to the development of teaching. This paper introduces a hybrid technique based on fuzzy evaluation method, for determining and suggesting possible types of errors in international Chinese online listening and speaking instruction and giving suggestions for improvement. The system can help learners to identify and determine the types of errors in Chinese listening and speaking learning in a timely manner and make a more objective and comprehensive evaluation of learning performance; at the same time, it helps teachers to trace the effectiveness of teaching design and implementation in a targeted manner and make corresponding scientific decisions. This hybrid technology combines existing language teaching evaluation models, takes advantage of data from online education, and creates corresponding criteria through machine learning fuzzy algorithms and large data sample training, combined with the theory of effective teaching evaluation, which is beneficial for all participants of online Chinese listening and speaking teaching to improve their learning effectiveness.

PURPOSE: Aurantiamide acetate (AA) is a dipeptide derivative with complex pharmacological activities and remarkable effects on preventing and treating various diseases. In the current study, we aimed to investigate whether AA can exert protective effects in a mouse model of ALI induced by LPS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this model, mice were given intranasal LPS for 3 days prior to receiving AA (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg) via oral gavage. An assessment of histopathological changes was performed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE). Proinflammatory cytokines were detected in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALFs) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). The effects of AA on protein expression of NF-κB and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways were determined by Western blot. In addition, lung wet/dry (W/D) weight ratio, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, cell counts, and protein content were also measured. RESULTS: According to results, AA pretreatment significantly reduced lung pathological changes, W/D ratio, MPO activity, and protein content. Additionally, AA resulted in a significant reduction in the number of total cells, neutrophils, and proinflammatory cytokines in the BALF after LPS stimulation. The subsequent study revealed that pretreatment with AA dose dependently suppressed LPS-induced activation of NF-κB as well as PI3K/AKT phosphorylation. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that the AA had a protective effect on LPS-induced ALI in mice and could be a potential drug for ALI.

OBJECTIVE: Children's lifestyles, behaviors, and educational activities were affected by COVID-19. The preschool children struggled with the challenge of learning at home and avoiding a rapid decrease in physical activity (PA). This study tested the effectiveness of a family-based intervention that integrated the family and preschool based on a smartphone app to improve the moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and physical fitness of preschool children during COVID-19. METHODS: This 8-week study was conducted using a quasiexperimental pre- and posttest design with a comparison group. A total of 66 pairs of preschool children (30 boys) and their parents and 44 preschool children (24 boys) and their parents composed the experimental group (EG) and the control group (CG), respectively. PA was measured using a GENEActiv waveform triaxial accelerometer. Children's physical fitness was assessed using a battery test from the Chinese National Measurement Standards on People's Physical Fitness for preschool children. RESULTS: Preschool children and their parents in the EG participated in less sedentary (p < 0.01) and more light PA (p < 0.01) and MVPA (p < 0.01) compared with those in the CG at the late PA assessment. The EG significantly improved the mean performance of tennis ball throw (p < 0.05), balance beam walk (p < 0.01), and continuous jumping on both feet (p < 0.01) compared to the CG. CONCLUSIONS: The family parent-child PA intervention based on a smartphone app can effectively increase the MVPA of preschool children and their parents, reduce sedentary time, and improve preschool children's physical fitness. Overall, the family parent-child PA intervention model based on a smartphone app for preschool children designed in this study is feasible and effective.

Primary hypertension is understood as a disease with diverse etiology, a complicated pathological mechanism, and progressive changes. Gedan Jiangya Decoction (GJD), with the patent publication number CN114246896A, was designed to treat primary hypertension. It contains six botanical drugs; however, the underlying mechanism is uncertain. We utilized network pharmacology to predict the active components, targets, and signaling pathways of GJD in the treatment of primary hypertension. We also investigated the potential molecular mechanism using molecular docking and animal experiments. The Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), the Protein Database (UniProt), and a literature review were used to identify the active components and related targets of GJD's pharmacological effects. The GeneCards, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), Therapeutic Target Database (TTD), and DrugBank databases were utilized to identify hypertension-related targets. Based on a Venn diagram of designed intersection targets, 214 intersection targets were obtained and 35 key targets for the treatment of hypertension were determined using the STRING data platform and Cytoscape software. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis of key targets revealed that the relevant molecular action pathways of GJD in the treatment of hypertension include the Toll-like receptor, MAPK, PI3K-Akt, and renin-angiotensin signaling pathways. A GJD active ingredient-key target-pathway connection diagram was created using Cytoscape software, and 11 essential active components were selected. Molecular docking was then used to verify the binding activity of key targets and key active ingredients in GJD to treat primary hypertension. The results of this study indicate that AGTR1, AKT1 with puerarin, EDNRA with tanshinone IIA, MAPK14 with daidzein, MAPK8 with ursolic acid, and CHRM2 with cryptotanshinone had high binding activity to the targets with active components, whereas AGTR1 was selected as target genes verified by our experiment. HPLC was utilized to identify the five active ingredients. Experiments in high-salt rats demonstrated that GJD might decrease the expression of AGTR1 in the kidney and thoracic aorta while increasing the expression of eNOS by preventing the activation of the renin-angiotensin pathway, thereby reducing lowering systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Noncoding RNAs were discovered to control a variety of developmental mechanisms, including osteogenesis. According to emerging evidence, cryptochrome circadian-regulating (CRY) proteins have emerged as essential controllers of osteoblast differentiation. The linked processes, on the other hand, are still unknown. The specific process that underpins osteoblast differentiation and proliferation is yet unknown. This research gives a meta-analysis of CRY2's impact on mouse osteoblast differentiation via the control of the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathways. Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR were used to identify Cry2 expression levels, components in the osteoblast-associated signaling pathway, and osteoblast transcription markers. The osteogenic condition was measured utilizing alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and alizarin red (AR) staining, whereas cell growth rates were measured using CCK8 assays. An ectopic bone formation experiment was used to determine the osteogenic potential of osteoblasts. Cry2 stimulates the osteogenic development of mouse osteoblasts through canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling, according to the findings.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic osteoporosis (DOP) is a progressive osteoblast dysfunction induced by high glucose, which has negative impacts on bone homeostasis. Qizhi Kebitong formula (QKF) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula for treating DOP. However, its role in the protection of DOP has not been clarified yet. Here, we aimed to explore the potential mechanisms of QKF on DOP development via in vivo experiment. METHODS: Network pharmacology was used to detect the key targets and signaling pathways of QKF on DOP. The effects of QKF on DOP were examined by the phenotypic characteristics, micro-CT, and hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining. The predicted targets and pathways were validated by a streptozocin- (STZ-) induced mouse model. Subsequently, the levels of the selected genes and proteins were analyzed using qRT-PCR and Western blot. Finally, AutoDock and PyMOL were used for molecular docking. RESULTS: In this study, 90 active compounds and 2970 related disease targets have been found through network pharmacology. And QKF could improve the microstructures of femur bone mass, reduce inflammatory cell infiltration, and downregulate the levels of TNF-α, IKBKB, IL-6, and IL-1β. Moreover, the underlying effect of PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathways was also recommended in the treatment. CONCLUSION: Altogether, our findings suggested that QKF could markedly alleviate osteoblast dysfunction by modulating the key targets and PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacy, safety, and clinical value of 6-TG versus 6-MP when treating childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). METHODS: The study period was from January 2017 to June 2021. The subjects of this study were 100 children with ALL who were treated in our hospital. According to different intervention methods, the children who received 6-MP maintenance therapy were selected as the control group, with a total of 57 cases. Children with TG maintenance therapy were included in the research group, a total of 43 cases. The ICNS recurrence rate, non-ICNS recurrence rate, first remission mortality rate, secondary malignant tumor, and other indicators were compared. RESULTS: First of all, we compared the effective rate: complete remission (CR), partial remission, and nonremission in the study group, and the effective rate was 87.5%. In the control group, there were CR, partial remission, and no remission, and the effective rate was 65.5%. The effective rate of the study group was higher, and the difference between groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). There were 55 cases of failure in the study group, with an incidence of 21.91%. There were 42 cases of total failure events in the control group, the incidence rate was 18.02%, and there exhibited no remarkable difference (P > 0.05). In the study group, 6 cases died in the first remission, with a fatality rate of 2.39%, while there exhibited no death in the control group. The mortality in the first remission period in the study group was lower (P < 0.05). The overall recurrence rate of the study group was 5.57%, while that of the control group was 11.15%. The overall recurrence rate of the study group was lower, and the difference between groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The recurrence rate of ICNS was 2.14% in the study group and 2.98% in the control group, and there exhibited no remarkable difference (P > 0.05). The non-ICNS recurrence rate was 3.43% in the study group and 7.17% in the control group. There exhibited no remarkable difference (P > 0.05). The incidence of secondary malignant tumor events was 0.85% in the study group and 1.59% in the control group. There exhibited no remarkable difference (P > 0.05). The incidence of hepatic vein occlusive disease was 7.29% in the study group and 2.39% in the control group. The incidence of hepatic vein occlusive disease in the study group was higher, and the difference between groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Finally, we compared the incidence of adverse reactions. In the study group, there were 12 cases of oral mucosal damage, 7 cases of liver function damage, 6 cases of infection, 10 cases of myelosuppression, 9 cases of gastrointestinal reaction, and 4 cases of skin damage; the incidence rate was 23.17%. In the control group, there were 12 cases of oral mucosal damage, 7 cases of liver function damage, 6 cases of infection, 10 cases of myelosuppression, 9 cases of gastrointestinal reaction, and 4 cases of skin damage, with an incidence of 19.12%. There exhibited no remarkable difference in the incidence of adverse reactions (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: 6-TG maintenance therapy in children with ALL can enhance the overall effective rate, can reduce the first remission mortality and the total recurrence rate, and will not increase the overall incidence of adverse reactions, but the incidence of reversible or irreversible hepatic veno-occlusive disease is remarkably increased, which has a certain clinical value. BACKGROUND: Treatment-related hepatotoxicity and myelosuppression remain formidable challenges for clinicians. Pharmacokinetic studies found that 6-TG has a more direct intracellular activation pathway, shorter cytotoxic time, and stronger potency than 6-MP. Therefore, this study investigated the efficacy, safety, and clinical value of 6-TG and 6-MP in the treatment of children with ALL.

Numerous traditional medical imaging methods, including computed tomography with X-rays, positron emission tomography (PET), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are utilized frequently in medical settings to screen for illnesses, diagnose patients, and track the effectiveness of treatments. When examining bone protrusions, CT is preferred over MRI for scanning connective tissue. Although the picture quality of PET is inferior to that of CT and MR, it is outstanding for detecting the molecular markers and metabolic functions of illnesses. To give high-resolution structural pictures and improved ailment sensitivity and specificity within another image, multimodal data and substantial therapeutic influence on advanced diagnostics and therapeutics have been used. The goal was to evaluate the clinical significance of multimodal photoacoustic/ultrasound (PA/US) articular imaging scoring, a cutting-edge image technique that may show the microvessels and oxygen levels of rheumatoid arthritis-related inflamed joints (RA). The PA/US imaging technology analyzed seven tiny joints. The PA and power Doppler (PD) impulses were semiquantified using a 0-3 grading scale, and the averages of the PA and PD scores for the seven joints are computed. Three PA+SO2 types were found determined by the relative oxygen levels (SO2) measurements of the affected joints. Researchers evaluated the relationships between the disease activity ratings and the PA/US imaging ratings. The PA scores and medical ratings that reflect the extent of the pain have strong relationships with each other, as do the PA+SO2 combinations. PA may be clinically useful in assessing RA. Thus, the research evaluated the clinical symptoms of inflammatory arthritis using a multimodal photoacoustic image process.

Zika virus is a member of the Flaviviridae family and genus Flavivirus, which has a phylogenetic relationship with spondweni virus. It spreads to humans through a mosquito bite. To identify potential inhibitors for the Zika virus with biosafety, we selected natural antiviral compounds isolated from plant sources and screened against NS3 helicase of the Zika virus. The enzymatic activity of the NS3 helicase is associated with the C-terminal region and is concerned with RNA synthesis and genome replication. It serves as a crucial target for the Zika virus. We carried out molecular docking for the target NS3 helicase against the selected 25 phytochemicals using AutoDock Vina software. Among the 25 plant compounds, we identified NS3 helicase-ellagic acid (-9.9 kcal/mol), NS3 helicase-hypericin (-9.8 kcal/mol), and NS3 helicase-pentagalloylglucose (-9.5 kcal/mol) as the best binding affinity compounds based on their binding energies. To understand the stability of these complexes, molecular dynamic simulations were executed and the trajectory analysis exposed that the NS3 helicase-ellagic acid complex possesses greater stability than the other two complexes such as NS3 helicase-hypericin and NS3 helicase-pentagalloylglucose. The ADMET property prediction of these compounds resulted in nontoxicity and noncarcinogenicity.

PURPOSE: The exact effects of histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) inhibition in DR related retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) death remained unclear. This study is aimed at detecting the influence of HDAC3 on the high-glucose-induced retinal ganglion cell death. METHODS: The retinal HDAC3 expression in DR of different time points was analyzed by immunohistochemical assay and western blot. Besides, the expression of HDAC3 and both retinal thickness and RGC loss were analyzed. The effects of HDAC3 inhibitor on cell viability, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in high-glucose- (HG-) treated RGCs were analyzed. Both inflammatory and antioxidative factors were detected by ELISA. RESULTS: Advanced effects of HDAC3 inhibition on the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome were detected using western blots. High HDAC3 expression was detected only in the late DR mice (4 months of diabetes duration) but not early DR mice (2 months of diabetes duration). The immunohistochemical assay showed that HDAC3 expression was correlated with both retinal thickness and RCG contents. HDAC3 inhibitor significantly protected the HG-treated RGCs from damaged cell viability, severe apoptosis, and oxidative stress. Advanced pathway analyses showed that HDAC3 inhibition inactivated NLRP3 inflammasome and thus alleviated retinal inflammation. Conclusion. In conclusion, HDAC3 was involved in RGC loss and thus promoted the progression of neurodegeneration of DR. Besides, HDAC3 inhibitor demonstrated protective effects in neurodegeneration in DR through downregulation of NLRP3 activity. The effects of HDAC3 inhibitor in DR management should be confirmed in clinical trials.

Ondansetron tablets that are directly compressed using crospovidone and croscarmellose as a synthetic super disintegrant are the subject of this investigation. A central composite, response surface, randomly quadratic, nonblock (version 13.0.9.0) 32 factorial design is used to optimize the formulation (two-factor three-level). To make things even more complicated, nine different formulation batches (designated as F1-F9) were created. There were three levels of crospovidone and croscarmellose (+1, 0, -1). In addition to that, pre- and postcompressional parameters were evaluated, and all evaluated parameters were found to be within acceptable range. Among all postcompressional parameter dispersion and disintegration time, in vitro drug release experiments (to quantify the amount of medication released from the tablet) and their percentage prediction error were shown to have a significant influence on three dependent variables. Various pre- and postcompression characteristics of each active component were tested in vitro. Bulk density, tap density, angle of repose, Carr's index, and the Hausner ratio were all included in this analysis, as were many others. This tablet's hardness and friability were also assessed along with its dimension and weight variations. Additional stability studies may be conducted using the best batch of the product. For this study, we utilised the Design-Expert software to select the formulation F6, which had dispersion times of 17.67 ± 0.03 seconds, disintegration times of 120.12 ± 0.55 seconds, and percentage drug release measurements of 99.25 ± 0.36 within 30 minutes. Predicted values and experimental data had a strong correlation. Fast dissolving pills of ondansetron hydrochloride may be created by compressing the tablets directly.

Helical CT plain scan has high spatial and area resolution, which is beneficial to the extraction of CT features of pulmonary nodules, and is of great significance for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of pulmonary diseases. In order to deeply study the role of visual sensor image algorithm in CT image, this paper adopts clinical simulation method, data fusion method, and image acquisition method to collect images, analyze CT image features, and simplify the algorithm and create a CT model that can better diagnose secondary tuberculosis and lung cancer. We selected 45 patients with lung disease in this group, with an average age of 38 years. At the same time, the consistency analysis results of the diameter and plain CT value data of the five groups of cases measured by two observers are between 0.82 and 0.88, which has a good consistency. We could find that the nodule diameters of the five groups of cases were different (F =16.99, P < 0.01), and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.06), indicating that our data are not only accurate but also very reliable. ROC was used to analyze the precise value of CT values in the pulmonary tuberculosis group and lung cancer group, intrapulmonary lymph node group, and pulmonary hamartoma group to determine the cutoff value. The results showed that the AUC values of the pulmonary tuberculosis group and the lung cancer group were 0.788, and the middle was the largest, indicating that the values were guaranteed. The basic realization starts with visual sensor technology and designs a clinical model that can more accurately identify CT images and differential diagnosis.

For the treatment of various infections, a variety of antimicrobial drugs are formulated. Nevertheless, many bacterial infections now exhibit antibiotic resistance due to the widespread utilization antibiotics. Methicillin-resistant among the most dangerous multidrug-resistant bacteria is Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Vancomycin became a viable therapy option due to MRSA resistance to methicillin medicines. One of the well-informed antibacterial compounds with wideband antibacterial activity is silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). AgNPs are thus suitable candidates for usage in conjunction alongside vancomycin to increase its antibacterial effect. The goal of the present research work is to boost the antibacterial potency of the glycopeptide antibiotic vancomycin towards Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) but also Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria. The chemical reduction approach is used to create a colloidal solution of silver nanoparticles utilizing silver nitrate as a precursor in the environment of the ionic surfactant trisodium citrate that serves as covering including reducing reagent. Vancomycin was used to functionalize the synthesized nanoparticles and create the nanodrug complex (Van@AgNPs). The synergistic antibacterial potential of silver nanoparticles coated with vancomycin on both test pathogens was investigated using the agar well diffusion technique. The antibacterial potency for both classes of bacteria has significantly increased, according to the well diffusion test. It has been noted that this improvement is synergistic instead of additive.

OBJECTIVE: To research the influence of PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) process management on the incidence of needle injury and psychological anxiety of nursing interns. METHODS: This study belonged to the experimental study. A total of 180 nursing interns who practiced in the hospital from March 2020 to April 2022 were studied. A total of 135 interns from March 2020 to March 2021 were selected as the control group and 175 interns from April 2021 to April 2022 as the research group. PDCA process management was carried on in the research group. The control group did not make any intervention only following the routine teaching plan. The incidence of needle injury, theoretical knowledge, behavior score, self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), professional self-efficacy questionnaire score, and nursing practice satisfaction score were evaluated before and after 12 months of management. RESULTS: After management, the incidence of needle injury in the research group was lower compared to that in the control group, and there are statistically significant differences between groups (P < 0.05). The scores of theoretical knowledge, attitude, and behavior in the research group were higher compared to those in the control group, and there are statistically significant differences between groups (P < 0.05) after management. After 12 months of management, the SAS score of the research group was lower compared to that of the control group, and there are statistically significant differences between groups (P < 0.05). The score of occupational self-efficacy questionnaire in the research group was higher compared to that in the control group, and there are statistically significant differences between groups (P < 0.05) after PDCA process management. After 12 months of management, the satisfaction score of nursing practice in the research group was higher compared to that in the control group, and there are statistically significant differences between groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Through PDCA process management, we can keep abreast of the situation of needlestick injuries among nursing students in practice and analyze in more detail the root cause of each nursing student's occupational exposure and the outcome of treatment. The nursing students not only learn more practical knowledge in clinical practice but also feel that the hospital values and cares for them, which greatly increases their satisfaction.

Applying machine learning technology to automatic image analysis and auxiliary diagnosis of whole slide image (WSI) may help to improve the efficiency, objectivity, and consistency of pathological diagnosis. Due to its extremely high resolution, it is still a great challenge to directly process WSI through deep neural networks. In this paper, we propose a novel model for the task of classification of WSIs. The model is composed of two parts. The first part is a self-supervised encoding network with a UNet-like architecture. Each patch from a WSI is encoded as a compressed latent representation. These features are placed according to their corresponding patch's original location in WSI, forming a feature cube. The second part is a classification network fused by 4 famous network blocks with heterogeneous architectures, with feature cube as input. Our model effectively expresses the feature and preserves location information of each patch. The fused network integrates heterogeneous features generated by different networks which yields robust classification results. The model is evaluated on two public datasets with comparison to baseline models. The evaluation results show the effectiveness of the proposed model.

BACKGROUND: Kangai injection is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) mixed by extracts from astragalus, ginseng, and kurorinone with modern technology. It is a commonly used antitumor injection in China, but the mechanism of Kangai injection in the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) is still unclear. The purpose of this study is to explore the mechanism of Kangai injection against CRC using network pharmacology and molecular docking technology. METHODS: Targets of Kangai injection in CRC were predicted by SwissTargetPrediction and DisGeNET databases. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) were performed by using the DAVID database. A component-disease-target gene-pathway network was constructed by Cytoscape 3.8.0 software. RESULTS: 114 overlapping targets of Kangai injection and CRC were used to construct a PPI network, and the top 10 hub targets of Kangai injection were rated from high to low as TP53, VEGFA, EGFR, TNF, ESR1, STAT3, HSP90AA1, HDAC1, AR, and MMP9. The ingredient-target-disease interactive network was constructed, which included 22 compounds and 114 overlapping targets with 161 nodes and 707 edges. Entries of enrichment analysis were obtained based on P value (<0.05), which included 19 of GO-MF, 217 of GO-BP, 8 of GO-CC, and 13 KEGG. Molecular docking analysis showed that Kangai injection strongly interacted with top 10 hub target proteins. CONCLUSION: Network pharmacology intuitively showed the multicomponent, multiple targets, and multiple pathways of Kangai injection in the treatment of CRC. The molecular docking experiment verified that compounds of Kangai injection had good binding ability with top 10 hub target proteins as well.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac fibrosis is a risk factor leading to various cardiac diseases, and its mechanism has not been clarified. However, long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) can mediate the pathological process of cardiac fibrosis. OBJECTIVE: This study is aimed at determining the pathological role of lncRNA Vgll3 in cardiac fibrosis and explore its potential mechanism. METHODS: Myocardium fibroblasts (CFs) were isolated from mice and stimulated with angiotensin II (Ang-II). The expression of Vgll3 and transforming growth factor-β3 (TGF-β3) were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qPCR). Double luciferase reporter gene and western blot analysis (WB) were used to detect the effect of Vgll3 on TGF-β3 expression. The qPCR and WB were used to detect TGF-β3 pathway markers such as TGF-β3 and SMAD4, as well as cardiac fibrosis markers such as α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), fibronectin (Fn), and type I collagen (Col1). The proliferation of CFs in mice was analyzed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) and 5-bromo-2-deoxyuracil (EdU) method. RESULTS: Upregulation of Vgll3 promoted the expression of TGF-β3 and its downstream molecules in mouse CFs, while silencing of Vgll3 inhibited the TGF-β3 pathway. Upregulation of Vgll3 significantly promoted the activation and proliferation of mouse CFs cells. It promoted the mRNA and protein levels of α-SMA, Fn, Col1, and Col3, while silencing the expression of Vgll3 had the opposite effect. The above effects of upregulation of Vgll3 were counteracted by TGF-β3 knockdown intervention. CONCLUSION: Vgll3 can promote the activation and proliferation of CFs in mice by activating TGF-β3-related pathway.

OBJECTIVE: This work is aimed at evaluating the efficacy and safety of general anesthesia (GA) combined with spinal anesthesia (SA) (GA+SA) in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods and Material. 50 elderly COPD patients were rolled randomly into a control group (simple GA) and observation group (GA+SA). The differences in operation time, postoperative recovery time (PRT), language expression time (LET), anesthetic dosage (AD), catheter extubation time (CET), respiratory circulation indicators (mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), SaO2, and PaO2), postoperative VRS score, pulmonary function (forced vital capacity (FVC)), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)/FVC and forced expiratory flow (FEF 25%~75%), serum inflammatory factors (IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α), Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ) score, and the incidence of respiratory system events were analyzed. RESULTS: The results showed that the PRT, LET, AD, and CET of the observation group were all shorter (P < 0.05). The postoperative MAP, HR, SaO2, and PaO2 levels of patients who received GA+SA were much higher than those who received simple GA (P < 0.05). The postoperative VRS score of the observation group was better than that of the controls (P < 0.05). The postoperative pulmonary function of patients in the observation group was better compared with that in the control group (P < 0.05). The postoperative serum inflammatory factors in the observation group were lower in contrast to the patients who received simple GA (P < 0.05). The postoperative cognitive function SPMSQ score of patients who received GA+SA was lower compared with the score of patients who received simple GA (P < 0.05). However, the probability of respiratory system events in the observation group was lower (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, GA+SA could significantly shorten the PRT and improve the recovery quality of elderly COPD patients. It can also reduce the postoperative inflammatory response and strengthen the pulmonary function and cognitive function. It also enhances the analgesic which is beneficial to patients' postoperative recovery. Therefore, GA+SA was a highly effective and safe anesthesia method for elderly patients with COPD, and it was worthy of clinical application.

PURPOSE: Single-period segmentation is one of the important steps in time-domain analysis of pulse signals, which is the basis of time-domain feature extraction. The existing single-period segmentation methods have the disadvantages of generalization, reliability, and robustness. METHOD: This paper proposed a period segmentation method of pulse signals based on long short-term memory (LSTM) network. The preprocessing was performed to remove noises and baseline drift of pulse signals. Thus, LabelMe was used to label each period of the pulse signals into two parts according to the location of the starting point of main wave and the dicrotic notch, and the dataset of the pulse signal period segmentation was established. Consequently, the labeled dataset was input into the LSTM for training and testing, and the results were compared with sum slope function method. RESULT: The remarkable result with the whole period segmentation accuracy of 92.8% was achieved for the segmentation of seven types of pulse signals. And the segmentation accuracies of the systolic phase, diastolic phase, and whole period using this method were higher than those of the sum slope function method. CONCLUSION: LSTM-based pulse signal segmentation method can achieve outstanding, robust, and reliable segmentation effects of the systolic phase, diastolic phase, and whole period of pulse signals. The research provides a new idea and method for the segmentation of pulse signals.

Campylobacter jejuni is a major cause of gastroenteritis in humans. It has been reported that the pathogenesis of C. jejuni is closely related to the formation, adhesion, and invasion of flagella toxin in host epithelial cells. A putative transcriptional regulator, known as cj0440c, is thought to be involved in the regulation of flagellar synthesis. However, confirmation of this hypothesis requires deep insight into the regulation mechanism of cj0440c and its possible relationship with different antibiotics. Therefore, the study explained here was designed to determine the relationship and function (phenotypically and genotypically) of cj0440c in the flagellar synthesis of C. jejuni NCTC11168. The study determined the mode of expression of cj0440c and flagella-related genes under exposure to various drugs. To verify the involvement of cj0440c protein in the metabolic pathway of thiamine, an enzymatic hydrolysis experiment was performed and analyzed through the application of mass spectrometry. The overexpression vector of C. jejuni NCTC11168 was also constructed to find out whether or not target genes were regulated by cj0440c. The findings of the study showed that cj0440c and other flagella-related genes were expressed differentially under the influence of various antibiotics including erythromycin, tylosin, azithromycin, gentamicin, etimicin, enrofloxacin, gatifloxacin, tetracycline, and tigecycline. The analysis showed that the cj0440c protein did not catalyze the degradation of thiamine. In conclusion, the study aids in the understanding of the inter-relationship between the regulatory mechanism of flagella genes and the thiamine metabolic pathway.

Weighted MR images of 421 patients with nasopharyngeal cancer were obtained at the head and neck level, and the tumors in the images were assessed by two expert doctors. 346 patients' multimodal pictures and labels served as training sets, whereas the remaining 75 patients' multimodal images and labels served as independent test sets. Convolutional neural network (CNN) for modal multidimensional information fusion and multimodal multidimensional information fusion (MMMDF) was used. The three models' performance is compared, and the findings reveal that the multimodal multidimensional fusion model performs best, while the two-modal multidimensional information fusion model performs second. The single-modal multidimensional information fusion model has the poorest performance. In MR images of nasopharyngeal cancer, a convolutional network can precisely and efficiently segment tumors.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the function and mechanism of Sirt-1 in fluorine-induced liver injury. METHOD: Fluorosis rats were first established. The fluorine content, pathological structure, collagen fibers, and fibrosis in liver tissues were tested through the fluoride ion selective electrode method, H&E, Masson, and Sirius red staining; alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), interleukin 18 (IL-18), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels in rat serum were also analyzed using ELISA kits. Then, the fluorosis cell model was built, which was also alleviated with NaF, Sirt-1 siRNAs, or endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) alleviator (4-PBA). CCK-8 also assessed cell proliferation; RT-qPCR or Western blots detect sirtuin-1 (Sirt-1), protein kinase R- (PKR-) like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and apoptosis-related protein levels in liver tissue. RESULTS: Our results uncovered that fluorine exposure could aggravate the pathological damage and fibrosis of rat liver tissues and increase indicators related to liver injury. And fluoride exposure also could downregulate Sirt-1 and upregulate ERS-related proteins (PERK, 78-kD glucose-regulated protein (GRP-78), and activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6)) and apoptosis-related protein (caspase-3 and C/EBP-homologous protein (CHOP)) in rat liver tissues. Besides, we proved that fluoride exposure could suppress proliferation and enhances ERS and apoptotic pathways in AML12 cells by downregulating Sirt-1. Moreover, we revealed that ERS alleviator (4-PBA) could induce proliferation and prevent ERS and apoptosis in fluorine-exposed AML12 cells. CONCLUSIONS: We suggested that fluorine exposure can induce hepatocyte ERS and apoptosis through downregulation of Sirt-1.

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the major reason for women's low fertility and the most frequent endocrine disorder in women of childbearing age. Homocysteine is an amino acid that contains sulfur that has been negatively correlated with the reproductive outcome of polycystic women treated with IVF/ICSI. However, the impact of blood homocysteine levels on the outcome of artificial insemination in polycystic ovary syndrome women is unknown. The goal of this study is to examine the impact of serum homocysteine on the result of intrauterine insemination in females who have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). METHODS: 96 infertile women (129 cycles) treated with artificial insemination were collected, including 66 cases (87 cycles) in the case group (PCOS group) and 30 cases (42 cycles) in the control group (male factor infertility). The differences in general data amongst two groups, such as BMI, Hcy, and age, were compared. The case group has been classified into two groups based on serum Hcy level: LHcy group (Hcy < 15) and HHcy group (Hcy ≥ 15). The relationship among pregnancy and serum Hcy level outcome in PCOS women was compared. RESULTS: The PCOS group had substantially increased serum homocysteine levels in comparison to the control group (P = 0.019). Among PCOS women, the clinical pregnancy rates of artificial insemination in the HHcy group and LHcy group were 14.29% and 37.88%. The difference among the two groups was substantial (P = 0.044). Artificial insemination frequency, ovulation induction, BMI, infertility years, AMH, serum testosterone, HOME IR, TSH, TPOAb, hCG, daily follicle size, intimal thickness, and other factors did not differ greatly between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Serum homocysteine levels are increased in women having PCOS. Their levels above the threshold will lower the clinical pregnancy rate of intrauterine insemination in PCOS women.

BACKGROUND: The effect of chemotherapy induction on the pancreatic in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia is not described in Ethiopia. The study determined the chemotherapy drug-induced pancreatitis in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. METHOD: A preexperimental study (pretest and posttests) was conducted in forty patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. For some skewed data, a log transformation was computed. The back transformation was then calculated. Descriptive statistics and a mixed-model ANOVA were used to analyze the data. A post hoc Bonferroni test was used. A p value < 0.05 was declared statistically significant. RESULTS: In this study, no clinically significant acute pancreatitis occurred. Elevated amylase and lipase levels, indicating grade 2 acute pancreatitis, were observed in 25% and 17.5% of patients, respectively. Amylase enzyme levels in children differed significantly from preinduction to the second week of induction (p = 0.001) and fourth week of induction (p = 0.001), as well as between the second and fourth weeks of induction (p = 0.033), but adults' amylase enzyme levels did not differ significantly (p = 0.2). Lipase levels in adults are nearly identical in all three measures, implying that there is no statistically significant difference (p = 0.775). However, the level of lipase enzyme in children was significantly higher from baseline to two and four weeks of induction (p = 0.007) but not between two and four weeks of induction (p = 0.129). CONCLUSION: Clinically significant acute pancreatitis did not occur, but patients experienced mild (grade 2) acute pancreatitis. Amylase and lipase enzymes responded significantly to chemotherapy induction in children. Chemotherapy drugs should be given without altering pancreatic enzymes, specifically in children.

It makes no difference whether a person is male or female when it comes to neurodegenerative disorders; both sexes are equally susceptible to their devastating effects. Sometimes, it is unclear why a person in their life got a condition that is well-known in the world, such as Parkinson's disease. Other times, it is evident why the individual obtained the ailment (PD). In modern times, a variety of cutting-edge algorithms that are based on treatment protocols have been developed for the purpose of diagnosing Parkinson's disease. The approach that is presented in this article is the most current one; it was created using deep learning, and it can predict how severely Parkinson's disease would affect a patient. In order to diagnose this condition, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive medical history, a history of any past treatments, physical exams, and certain blood tests and brain films. Because they are less time-consuming and costly, diagnoses are becoming an increasingly important part of medical practice. The diagnosis of Parkinson's disease by the physician is supported by the findings of the present research, which analyzed the voices of 253 participants. Preprocessing is done in order to get the most accurate results possible from the data. In order to carry out the technique of balancing, a methodical sampling approach was used to choose the data that would afterwards be evaluated. Using a feature selection approach that was determined by the magnitude of the label's influence, many data groups were created and organized. DT, SVM, and kNN are three methods that are used in classification algorithms and performance assessment criteria. The model was developed as a result of selecting the classification method and data group that had the greatest performance value. This decision led to the creation of the model. During the process of building the model, the SVM technique was used, and data comprising 45% of the original data set were utilized. The information was arranged in descending order of significance, beginning with the most pertinent. In addition to achieving exceptional outcomes in every other aspect of the project, the performance accuracy target was successfully met at 86 percent. As a consequence of this, it has been decided that the physician will be provided with medical decision support with the assistance of the data set obtained from the speech recordings of the individual who may have Parkinson's disease and the model that has been developed. This has led to the conclusion that medical decision support will be offered to the physician.

This study aimed to conduct a compendious review of root canal morphology of "permanent mandibular teeth in different regions of Saudi Arabia" to obtain a large sample representing the total population. A detailed search through the databases Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. The data were analyzed based on the following inclusion criteria: original full-length original articles that reported the variables of interest "(number of roots, number of canals, Vertucci's classification system and C-shaped canals or mid-mesial canals)" of the mandibular teeth and conducted on Saudi subjects. The retrieved data were presented as frequencies and percentages. The results revealed that 56.6% of mandibular central incisors had one canal and Vertucci type I (56.6%), while 57.4% of the mandibular lateral incisors had one canal, with Vertucci types I and III most frequent. In mandibular canines, 91.8% had one canal and 8.2% had two canals. Most of the mandibular first premolars had one root (86.6%), while almost all mandibular second premolars (91.5%) had one canal, and 96.9% had Vertucci type I configuration. Among the mandibular first molars, three and four canals were prevalent in 58.7% and 40.6%, respectively. The majority of mesial roots had Vertucci type IV (60.6%), and most of distal roots had Vertucci type I (72.2%). Most of the mandibular second molars had three canals (87.3%) and showed Vertucci type IV (39.4%) canals for mesial roots and Vertucci type I (95.6%) for distal roots. The C-shaped canals were seen in 8% of first premolars and 9.8% of second molars. The middle mesial canal was found in 4.2% and 0.4% of first and second molars, respectively. This review could represent "the population of Saudi Arabia as the included samples were combined from different regions of the country." Some variations were noticed within the same group of teeth from different regions. However, the overall results of combined samples were comparable to the other international studies.

BACKGROUND: As a traditional Chinese exercise, Qigong has potential benefits for the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This overview is aimed at assessing the existing evidence for the intervention of Qigong in COPD so as to provide scientific guidance for clinical decision-making. METHODS: The systematic reviews (SRs)/meta-analyses (MAs) of Qigong for the treatment of COPD were obtained from 7 electronic databases with the search date set at April 5, 2022. Two researchers independently assessed the methodological quality, reporting quality, and evidence quality for the included SRs/MAs using the following tools: the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2), the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 (PRISMA 2020), and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. RESULTS: A total of 13 SRs/MAs were included in this overview. All SRs/MAs assessed by AMSTAR-2 had more than one critical defect, so all SR/MAs were rated very low. Regarding the assessment of reporting quality, the results of PRISMA 2020 showed that none of the SRs/MAs were fully reported. In addition, the results of the GRADE assessment of the quality of evidence indicated that only 3 outcomes were rated as high quality across all SRs/MAs. CONCLUSION: Current evidence suggests that Qigong is effective and safe for the management of patients with COPD. However, the high risk of bias in the original clinical studies and the low quality of the SRs/MAs reduced the reliability of the results.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of bioactive compounds from black plum peels was optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). Temperature (35-55°C), time (15-45 min), and ethanol concentration (50-90%) were selected as independent extraction parameters, whereas total anthocyanin content (TAC), total phenolic content (TPC), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) inhibition were kept as response variables. The optimized extraction conditions were determined by RSM as extraction at 49°C for 37 min with 68% ethanol, which corresponded to TAC, TPC, and DPPH inhibition values of 5.42 ± 0.61 mg/g, 6.217 ± 0.76 mg GAE/g, and 89 ± 2.13%, respectively. Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and gas chromatography mass spectrometer (GCMS) were used for chemical characterization of optimized plum peel extract (PPE). Optimized PPE was further evaluated for antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer, and food preservation potential. PPE showed 92.31% DPPH inhibition with IC50 value of 360.6 μg/ml. Optimized PPE extract was effective in the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation and migration, and IC50 values were in the range 1.85-3.96 mg/ml for different human cancer cell lines. Major phenolics identified in PPE were ferulic acid (47.87 mg/kg), sinapic acid (9.15 mg/kg), quercetin (7.44 mg/kg), gallic acid (3.24 mg/kg), m-coumaric acid (2.59 mg/kg), and vanillic acid (1.12 mg/kg). PPE extract inhibited the growth of various foodborne bacterial pathogens and increased the shelf life of PPE coated fresh grapes. PPE due to antibacterial, anticancer, antioxidant, and food preservation potential can be used in developing functional food and pharmaceutical products.

This study is aimed at evaluating the flexural strength (FS), fracture toughness (FT), and diametral tensile strength (DTS) of three resin-modified glass-ionomer cements (RMGICs): Ketac Nano, Riva Light Cure, and Fuji II LC. One hundred twenty specimens were prepared from the RMGIC materials (n = 10). The cements were mixed and inserted into different mould sizes according to the test performed: FS: rectangular Teflon mould (32 mm × 3.15 mm × 2 mm); FT: notchless triangular prism (NTP) Teflon mould (6 mm × 6 mm × 6 mm × 12 mm); and DTS: ring road stainless steel mould (6 mm × 3 mm). Specimens were light cured for 20 seconds on each surface and stored in distilled water at 37°C ± 2°C for seven days prior to tests. To evaluate the influence of storage in the mechanical properties of the RMGIs, specimens tested for DTS were stored in distilled water at 37°C ± 2°C for 32 days prior to test. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey's test (α = 0.05). Fuji II LC presented significantly higher values for all tests employed when compared to Ketac Nano and Riva LC RMGIs. There was no significant difference on DTS before and after the 32-day storage for each material. Fuji II LC presented superior mechanical properties when compared to Ketac Nano, and Riva LC storage showed no influence on the mechanical properties of the RMGI materials tested.

Most of the people all over the world pass away from complications related to lung cancer every single day. It is a deadly form of the disease. To improve a person's chances of survival, an early diagnosis is a necessary prerequisite. In this regard, the existing methods of tumour detection, such as CT scans, are most commonly used to recognize infected regions. Despite this, there are certain obstacles presented by CT imaging, so this paper proposes a novel model which is a correlation-based model designed for analysis of lung cancer. When registering pictures of thoracic and abdominal organs with slider motion, the total variation regularization term may correct the border discontinuous displacement field, but it cannot maintain the local characteristics of the image and loses the registration accuracy. The thin-plate spline energy operator and the total variation operator are spatially weighted via the spatial position weight of the pixel points to construct an adaptive thin-plate spline total variation regular term for lung image CT single-mode registration and CT/PET dual-mode registration. The regular term is then combined with the CRMI similarity measure and the L-BFGS optimization approach to create a nonrigid registration procedure. The proposed method assures the smoothness of interior of the picture while ensuring the discontinuous motion of the border and has greater registration accuracy, according to the experimental findings on the DIR-Lab 4D-CT public dataset and the CT/PET clinical dataset.

BACKGROUND: The aging process can induce a change in the surface microstructure of materials, the chemical compositions of matrices, and the filler particles of resin composites. This study is aimed at evaluating the effects of accelerated artificial aging (AAA) on the color change, translucency parameter (TP), and surface hardness of resin composites. METHODS: Five resin composite materials (Tetric N-Ceram, Filtek Z250, Charisma Smart, Herculite Classic, and Escom100) were evaluated. A spectrophotometer was used for color measurements (L∗, a∗, and b∗). TP and color changes (ΔE 00) were calculated using the CIEDE2000 formula. The resin materials were subjected to aging for 300 hours. The hardness and TP values were measured before and after AAA. One- and two-way ANOVA and the Tukey test were used. The significance level was accepted as p < 0.05. RESULTS: Escom100 had significantly higher ΔE 00 values than the other resin composites, and Charisma Smart had significantly lower ΔE 00 values than the other tested materials (p < 0.05). Before and after AAA, Charisma Smart had the lowest TP values, and Filtek Z250 exhibited the highest hardness values (p < 0.05). For TP and surface hardness, the effect size value of the composite material was found to be higher than that of AAA. CONCLUSIONS: After AAA, the investigated resin composites had ΔE 00 values that were above clinically acceptable thresholds. After aging, the tested materials generally exhibited decreases in L∗ values and a∗ values, while increases in b∗ values were observed. The ΔTP values of the resin composites were similar. AAA significantly increased the surface hardness of the tested materials.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Up to June 2022, literature searches were performed using the internet search engines Medline, Google Scholar, and Embase: Ankaferd. PRISMA flow diagram described the Ankaferd search. RESULTS: ABS have important effects in several cellular processes, like control of the cell cycle, apoptosis, angiogenesis, signal transduction, inflammation, immunologic, and metabolic mechanisms. The molecular basis of antineoplastic roles of ABS depends on its proteomics, metabolomics, and transcriptomics features. ABS has antineoplastic effects on solid tumors like colon, bladder, breast, and osteosarcoma cancer cells. Also, ABS effects renal tubular apoptosis and has antitumoral roles on malign melanoma cells. ABS inhibits hematological tumors like myeloma and lymphoid cells. ABS induces apoptosis in retinal cells and has inhibitory effects on mesenchymal stem cells. It has an antiproliferative role on gastrointestinal tumors like hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Moreover, ABS has a treatment supportive role in cancer since it can prevent oxidative DNA damage and decrease the intestinal damage in necrotizing enterocolitis. Furthermore, it has chemopreventive and hepatoprotective features and can be used for prophylaxis and treatment of oral mucositis. CONCLUSION: ABS alters cell metabolism and cell cycle. ABS has antineoplastic role on cancer cells. The expanding context of ABS compromises anti-infective, antineoplastic, and wound healing features. ABS may also be used for the palliative, adjuvant, neoadjuvant, or supportive use by interventional radiology procedures for the treatment of solid tumors. Future controlled studies are necessary to clarify the pleiotropic role of ABS like antineoplastic, antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-infective, antifungal, and antioxidative effects.

Lornoxicam is a potent oxicam-class nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) with analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic effects. Its impacts on many biological functions are not fully understood. We measured various biomarkers in male albino rats provided an oral aqueous ginger extract before IM administration of therapeutic and 2× the therapeutic doses of lornoxicam. The aqueous ginger plant extract was characterized by mass spectroscopy, and its effects were determined by examining free radical scavenging activity, blood parameters, renal and hepatic function, semen quality, proinflammatory cytokines, antioxidant markers, and histopathology. Rats administered lornoxicam had significantly higher liver and kidney function biomarker values, TNF-α, interleukin-6, and sperm abnormalities than the control rats. The overall erythrocyte count, packed cell volume, prostaglandin, and sperm counts were all considerably lower in the experimental animals. Histological changes were found in the liver, spleen, and testes of rats administered lornoxicam alone. In rats, pretreatment with ginger extract reduced the majority of the negative effects of conventional and high dosages of lornoxicam.

Exercise can improve people's physical health and strengthen their body bones. But the physique of college students is generally too poor. The enhancement of College Students' physique cannot be completed in a day. This study aims to explore the best sports nutrition intervention scheme for strengthening college students' physique from the construction of sports nutrition dynamic intervention mechanism, so as to provide theoretical reference for public physical education teaching and students' independent exercise. In this study, 100 full-time associate students in our university were selected as the research objects. Before the experiment, the subjects' body shape, body function, and physical quality were tested. Based on the random mathematical method, the full-time associate students were randomly divided into four groups: control group, exercise intervention group, nutrition intervention group, and sports nutrition intervention group, with 25 people in each group. After the experiment, the body shape, body function, and physical quality of the four groups were tested. The results show that exercise and nutrition intervention have little effect on college students' height, but have great influence on body mass index, vital capacity and 800 meter running. Especially after the experiment, the vital capacity of the exercise group and the sports nutrition group increased by nearly 250 ml and 500 ml, respectively, and the 800 m running time increased by nearly 10 s and 18 s, respectively. Strengthening exercise and increasing nutritional intake can effectively improve the institutional health of college students.

Traditional lung-protective ventilation strategies (LPVS) are currently used to reduce the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs), including low tidal volume (VT), positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), low inspiratory plateau pressure (Pplat), permissive hypercapnia, and recruitment maneuver (RM). However, a meta-analysis showed that high driving pressure was closely associated with the incidence of PPCs, but not with PEEP or VT, which led to the driving pressure-guided ventilation strategy. Some studies have proved that the driving pressure-guided ventilation strategy is superior to the traditional LPVS in reducing the incidence of PPCs. The purpose of this review is to present the current research progress and application of driving pressure-guided ventilation strategy.

Medical computed tomography (CT), nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and other imaging facility produce a large amount of medical image data which has great diagnosis value. Traditional three-dimensional reconstruction of medical images has high requirements for graphics acceleration hardware and the processing speed. In this study, VxWorks embedded real-time process feature is used for CT or MRI DICOM data to real restoration and establishment of virtual three-dimensional model for realizing volume reconstruction, maximum density projection, multiplane reconstruction, dynamic interactive cutting of any surface, dynamic display of three-dimensional model and two-dimensional sectional image, surgical path planning and interactive surgical simulation, and determine the best surgical scheme. The practical application shows that the virtual simulation environment supports the seamless transplantation of code, function debugging, and interaction and solves the issue of high requirements for hardware. It can meet the needs of scientific research and teaching for clinicians and medical imaging workers and can be widely used in the training of virtual surgical anatomy for medical students.

Telerehabilitation offers an alternative healthcare delivery remotely in a patient's environment at a lower cost, better accessibility, and equivalent quality to the standard approach. Several studies had examined the effectiveness of telerehabilitation inpatients with musculoskeletal disorders, and although there is evidence that it is at least equally effective as the standard care, the patient and rehabilitation professional satisfaction with the delivery method is not conclusive. A systematic review was conducted to study the patients' and rehabilitation professionals' satisfaction with telerehabilitation for musculoskeletal disorders. A search for relevant studies on 29 April 2021 was carried out in Medline/PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (WOS). The search terms included "telerehabilitation," AND "satisfaction" AND "musculoskeletal disorders," "telehealth," "telemedicine," "patient experience," and "pain". Fifteen eligible studies with 12,341 patients were included in this systematic review. A report was included if it (a) assessed the satisfaction of patients or professionals or both as one of the outcomes of a telerehabilitation intervention, (b) included adults 18 years and above with musculoskeletal disorders, and (c) is an intervention study using a quantitative approach. The quality of studies was assessed using the critical appraisal checklist tool developed by Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). Most of the studies reported that patients were satisfied with both telerehabilitation and face-to-face intervention. However, few studies reported that patients were more satisfied with telerehabilitation compared to face-to-face of intervention. Patients in one study had preferred the incorporation of telerehabilitation and face-to-face sessions. Two of three studies had reported overall satisfaction with telerehabilitation by the professionals. Overall, there is evidence that patients and rehabilitation professional are satisfied with telerehabilitation compared to face-to-face consultation.

Prenatal heart disease, generally known as cardiac problems (CHDs), is a group of ailments that damage the heartbeat and has recently now become top deaths worldwide. It connects a plethora of cardiovascular diseases risks to the urgent in need of accurate, trustworthy, and effective approaches for early recognition. Data preprocessing is a common method for evaluating big quantities of information in the medical business. To help clinicians forecast heart problems, investigators utilize a range of data mining algorithms to examine enormous volumes of intricate medical information. The system is predicated on classification models such as NB, KNN, DT, and RF algorithms, so it includes a variety of cardiac disease-related variables. It takes do with an entire dataset from the medical research database of patients with heart disease. The set has 300 instances and 75 attributes. Considering their relevance in establishing the usefulness of alternate approaches, only 15 of the 75 criteria are examined. The purpose of this research is to predict whether or not a person will develop cardiovascular disease. According to the statistics, naïve Bayes classifier has the highest overall accuracy.

Herbal and chemical products are used for oral care and biofilm treatment and also have been reported to be controversial in the massive trials conducted in this regard. The present review is aimed at evaluating the potential of relevant herbal and chemical products and comparing their outcomes to conventional oral care products and summarizing the current state of evidence of the antibiofilm properties of different products by evaluating studies from the past eleven years. Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX), essential oils (EOs), and acetylpyridinium chloride were, respectively, the most commonly studied agents in the included studies. As confirmed by all systematic reviews, CHX and EO significantly control the plaque formation and gingival indices. Fluoride is another interesting reagent in oral care products that has shown promising results of oral health improvement, but the evidence quality needs to be refined. The synergy between natural plants and chemical products should be targeted in the future to accede to the formation of new, efficient, and healthy anticaries strategies. Moreover, to discover their biofilm-interfering or biofilm-inhibiting activities, effective clinical trials are needed. In this review article, therapeutic applications of herbal/chemical materials in oral biofilm infections are discussed in recent years (2010-2022).

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a potentially fatal pneumonia caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), especially those of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants and infection has affected over 700 million people globally. METHODS: This retrospective, descriptive study included 118 patients admitted with SARS-CoV-2 infection as confirmed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The median duration of detectable SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with high ALT, AST, and PLT/LYMPH, or low CD4+, CD8+, and PLT/MONO was considerably longer. In the risk factor model, multivariate analysis was performed for the estimation of ALT (HR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.36-0.81), AST (HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.34-0.93), CD4+ (HR,0.77; 95% CI, 0.48-1.24), CD8+ (HR,0.64; 95% CI, 0.37-1.11), PLT/LYMPH (HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.76-1.77), and PLT/MONO (HR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.43-0.94). CONCLUSIONS: The longer viral RNA duration was associated with a higher International Prognostic Index score (p = 0.0013), demonstrating for the first time that multivariate features of the bioindicators closely associated with SARS-CoV-2-infected patients clear the virus.

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is often used in restorative dentistry for its easy fabrication, aesthetics, and low cost for interim restorations. However, poor mechanical properties to withstand complex masticatory forces are a concern for clinicians. Therefore, this study aimed to modify a commercially available PMMA-based temporary restorative material by adding TiO2 and ZrO2 nanoparticles in different percentages as fillers and to investigate its physio-mechanical properties. Different percentages (0, 0.5, 1.5, and 3.0 wt%) of TiO2 and ZrO2 nanoparticles were mixed with the pristine PMMA resin (powder to liquid ratio: 1 : 1) and homogenized using high-speed mixer. The composites obtained were analyzed for their flexural strength (F.S.), elastic modulus (E.M.), Vickers hardness (H.V.), surface roughness Ra, morphology and water contact angle (WCA). The mean average was determined with standard deviation (SD) to analyze the results, and a basic comparison test was conducted. The results inferred that adding a small amount (0.5 wt%) of TiO2 and ZrO2 nanoparticles (NPs) could significantly enhance the physio-mechanical and morphological characteristics of PMMA interim restorations. EM and surface hardness increased with increasing filler content, with 3.0 wt.% ZrO2 exhibiting the highest EM (3851.28 MPa), followed by 3.0 wt.% TiO2 (3632.34 MPa). The WCA was significantly reduced from 91.32 ± 4.21° (control) to 66.30 ± 4.23° for 3.0 wt.% ZrO2 and 69.88 ± 3.55° for 3.0 wt.% TiO2. Therefore, TiO2 and ZrO2 NPs could potentially be used as fillers to improve the performance of PMMA and similar interim restorations.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by sacroiliac joint lesions and spinal ascending involvement. The aim of this work was at investigating the gut microbiota profile and proinflammatory cytokines in AS patients. Gut microbiota of AS patients was clearly different from that of healthy human controls. 16S rRNA sequencing analysis demonstrated a changed microbial diversity in the AS patients, and there was a significant increase in the abundance of Cyanobacteria, Deinococcota, Patescibacteria, Actinobacteriota, and Synergistota at a phyla level increased in AS, while the relative abundance of Acidobacteriota, Bdellovibrionota, Campylobacterota, Chloroflexi, Gemmatimonadota, Myxococcota, Nitrospirota, Proteobacteria, and Verrucomicrobiota declined in AS patients. ELISA results for the markers of inflammation in the AS patients revealed increased concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-23, IL-17, and IFN-γ. Our findings support the fact that the intestinal microbiota are altered in AS with an inflammatory status, which indicates that gut microbiota should be a potential target for ankylosing spondylitis therapy.

Brain tumor has the foremost distinguished etiology of high morality. Neoplasm, a categorization of brain tumors, is very operative in distinguishing and determining the tumor's exact location in the brain. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an efficient noninvasive technique for the anatomical examination of brain tumors. Growth tissues have a distinguishable look in MRI pictures in order that they are unit-wide used for brain tumor feature extraction. The existing research algorithms for brain tumors have some limitations such as different qualities, low sensitivity, and diagnosing the tumor at its stages. In this particular piece of research, an innovative method of optimization known as the procedure for lightning attachment algorithm (PLA) is used, and for the purpose of classification, a CNN model known as DenseNet-169 is applied. PLA was used in order to optimize the growth, and a network model known as the DenseNet-169 model was utilized in order to extract the various growth-optimization choices. First, the MR images of the brain were preprocessed to remove any outliers. Next, the Dense Net-169 CNN model was used to extract network choices from the MR images. In addition, it is used to execute the function of a classifier in order to identify the growth as either an aberrant growth or a traditional growth. In addition, the publicly benchmarked datasets that are widely utilized have validated the algorithmic rule that was granted. The planned system demonstrates the satisfactory accuracy in getting ready to on the dataset and outperforms many of the notable current techniques.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to explore the gender discrepancy in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS: A retrospective analysis of Qatar Trauma Registry (QTR) was conducted among patients (age ≥14y) who were hospitalized with TBI. Data were collected and analyzed based on the gender and age. RESULTS: Over 5 years (2014-2019), 9, 309 trauma patients (90% males and 10% females) were admitted to the trauma center. Of these, 1, 620 (17.4%) patients were hospitalized with TBI (94% males and 6% females). Motor vehicle crash was the main mechanism of injury (MOI) in females, and fall from height was predominant among males. Subdural hematoma (SDH) was the more frequent type of TBI in both genders, but it was more prevalent in male patients ≥55 years. Injury severity score, Glasgow coma scale, and head abbreviated injury score were comparable between males and females. The length of stay in the ICU and hospital and mortality were similar in both genders. However, mortality was higher among males ≥55 years when compared to 14-54 years within the same gender (21% vs. 12%, p = 0.002). The crude and adjusted odds ratio did not show that gender is a significant predictor of mortality among TBI patients. CONCLUSIONS: Although the incidence and MOI of TBI show significant differences between male and female patients, the severity and outcomes are comparable.

In recent years, the rate of residents suffering from cardiovascular disease (CVD), disability, and death has risen significantly. The latest report on CVD in China shows that it still has the highest mortality rate of all diseases in that country. Different from linear RNA, circular RNA (circRNA) is a covalently closed transcript, mainly through reverse splicing so that the 3'end and the 5'end are covalently connected to form a closed loop structure. It is structurally stable and abundant and has distinct tissue or cell specificity, and it is widely distributed in eukaryotes. Although circRNAs were discovered many years ago, researchers have only recently begun to slowly discover their extensive expression and regulatory functions in various biological processes. Studies have found that some circRNAs perform multiple functions in cells more used as RNA binding protein or microRNA sponge. In addition, accumulating evidence shows that the first change that occurs in patients with various metabolic diseases such as hypertension and cardiovascular disease is dysregulated circRNA expression. For cardiovascular and other related blood vessels, circRNA is one of the important causes of various complications. These findings contribute to a more comprehensive understanding and grasp of CVD, and the related molecular mechanisms of CVD should be further analyzed. Here, we review the new understanding of circRNAs in CVD and explain the role of these innovative biomarkers in the analysis and determination of other related cardiovascular events such as coronary heart disease. Thus, this study is aimed at providing new ideas and proposing more feasible medical research strategies based on circRNA.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between TERC gene and cell proliferation and migration of oral squamous cell carcinoma. METHODS: By comparing the traditional surgical treatment with the minimally invasive treatment of digital technology, the influence of Shengxin analysis method on the proliferation and migration of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells was analyzed. RESULTS: Digital technology minimally invasive treatment has a great impact on the operation and survival rate of patients. TERC has a significant impact on the proliferation and migration of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. Digital technology minimally invasive treatment can prevent TERC from great changes. CONCLUSION: TERC under the minimally invasive treatment of digital technology has little effect on the proliferation and migration of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. It can promote the proliferation of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. The inhibitors of migration and invasion can play an effective role in antiproliferation.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disorders affect an individual's mental and physical health and vice versa. Sleep medicine is underrecognized as a specialty; therefore, many sleep disorders go undiagnosed. This study is aimed at assessing the knowledge of medical students toward circadian neuroscience and sleep disorder based on biomedical diagnosis. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in both male and female medical colleges from the third to the sixth year. A self-administered structured questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic data and the Assessment of Sleep Knowledge in Medical Education (ASKME) survey assessed the students' general knowledge and attitude towards sleep disorder and sleep medicine. Chi-square/Fisher exact tests were used to analyse the participants' knowledge level toward specific sociodemographic data. Also, for two-level continuous variables, the Wilcoxon two-sample test was used. RESULTS: The total number of participants was 296, with 154 female and 142 male participants. The prevalence of inadequate knowledge was considerable with 96.62% of students, compared to adequate knowledge with only 3.38%. The students' attitude to sleep medicine was negative 14.53% and positive among 85.47%. We found that gender was significantly associated with attitude with a p value = 0.0057. The specific interest in sleep medicine had a significant association with knowledge and attitude, p value of 0.0522 and 0.0059, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study concluded that medical students possess inadequate knowledge regarding sleep medicine, yet they have a positive attitude towards it.

Bronchial asthma is a common chronic inflammatory disease of the respiratory system. Asthma primarily manifests in reversible airflow limitation and airway inflammation, airway remodeling, and persistent airway hyperresponsiveness. PM2.5, also known as fine particulate matter, is the main component of air pollution and refers to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤2.5 μm. PM2.5 can be suspended in the air for an extensive time and, in addition, can contain or adsorb heavy metals, toxic gases, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, bacterial viruses, and other harmful substances. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that, in addition to increasing the incidence of asthma, PM2.5 exposure results in a significant increase in the incidence of hospital visits and deaths due to acute asthma attacks. Furthermore, PM2.5 was reported to induce glucocorticoid resistance in asthmatic individuals. Although various countries have implemented strict control measures, due to the wide range of PM2.5 sources, complex components, and unknown pathogenic mechanisms involving the atmosphere, environment, chemistry, and toxicology, PM2.5 damage to human health still cannot be effectively controlled. In this present review, we summarized the current knowledge base regarding the relationship between PM2.5 toxicity and the onset, acute attack prevalence, and steroid sensitivity in asthma.

Nrf2 plays a key role in the antioxidant system, and many antioxidants can activate the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway and alleviate oxidative stress. However, the underlying mechanisms of antioxidants, such as proanthocyanidin- (PC-) induced Nrf2 activation, remain poorly understood. In this study, PC was used on MODE-K cells at different concentrations (0, 1, 2.5, and 5 μg/mL) and different times (0, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h); then, immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, and Western blotting were performed to test Nrf2, Bach1, Keap1, HO-1, and NQO1 protein expressions in MODE-K cells. Results showed that PC increased Nrf2, HO-1, and NQO1 protein expressions, decreased Keap1 and Bach1 protein expressions, and enhanced ARE gene activity. PC also decreased the ubiquitinated degradation of the Nrf2 protein, increased Nrf2 protein stability, and increased Nrf2 protein expression by inhibiting Keap1-dependent Nrf2 protein degradation, promoted Nrf2 entry into the nucleus, competed with Bach1, and activated ARE elements, which in turn initiated the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway. Thus, we conclude that PC activates the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway in intestinal epithelial cells by inhibiting the ubiquitinated degradation of Nrf2, increasing Nrf2 protein stability and expression, and then regulating key antioxidant enzymes such as HO-1 and NQO1 to initiate cytoprotective effects.

BACKGROUND: Different factors are involved in the incidence, etiology, metastasis, diagnosis, and treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma, including apoptosis inhibitor proteins. Baculoviral IAP repeat containing protein 6 (BIRC6) is one of the apoptosis inhibitor proteins contributing to cancer cells' survival in many cancer types with diagnostic and treatment importance. This study is aimed at assessing the serum level of BIRC6 in oral squamous cell carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, 60 serum samples were collected from 45 male and 15 female patients with a mean age of 61 years as the case group and 28 serum samples of healthy people as a control group. The serum samples were analyzed using a commercial sandwich ELISA kit. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between BIRC6 serum levels in patients and healthy subjects. Moreover, we did not observe any significant relationships between BIRC6 serum levels and the patients' demographic or clinical characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in serum BIRC6 levels in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma and healthy individuals. Its use in determining the prognosis of squamous cell carcinoma or considering it a determinant marker in this type of cancer may not have a place. More in-depth studies for evaluating BIRC6 serum levels in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients are recommended for better insight into this protein's role in diagnosing, progression, and prognosis of the disease.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to understand multiple sexual partners and related factors among male college students who exhibited sexual behaviour to provide a scientific basis for formulating HIV/AIDS prevention measures among college students. METHODS: A stratified cluster random sampling method was conducted among 2665 male students who had sexual behaviour and were informed of the number of sexual partners from 13 colleges/universities in 11 cities in Zhejiang Province in 2018. Demographic characteristics, sexual attitudes, sexual behaviour, interventions, and related information were collected using a homemade online questionnaire. The chi-square test or univariate logistic regression in different groups was conducted for multiple sexual partners, and a logistic regression model was used in the related factor analysis. RESULTS: A total of 2665 college students who engaged in sexual behaviour were involved in the research; among them, 485 students (18.20%) had multiple sexual partners. The results of multivariate analysis showed that the participants whose sexual orientation was homosexual (adjusted OR = 4.10, 95%CI = 2.89 - 5.80), those who had received school education about HIV testing in the previous year (adjusted OR = 1.55, 95%CI = 1.20 - 1.99), those who had accepted one-night stands (adjusted OR = 3.29, 95%CI = 2.43 - 4.47), those who had accepted commercial sex (adjusted OR = 1.89, 95%CI = 1.44 - 2.48), and those who were very confident in a condom use measure of self-efficacy (adjusted OR = 1.78, 95%CI = 1.31 - 2.41) were more likely to have multiple sexual partners. The participants who were senior students (adjusted OR = 0.51, 95%CI = 0.31 - 0.84), those whose monthly living expenses were 1001-1500 renminbi (adjusted OR = 0.69, 95%CI = 0.51 - 0.93), those who had known that "daily life and study contact cannot spread HIV" (adjusted OR = 0.59, 95%CI = 0.43 - 0.80), and those who knew that the CDC provides HIV testing (adjusted OR = 0.66, 95%CI = 0.46 - 0.95) were less likely to have multiple sexual partners. CONCLUSION: Multiple sexual partners were quite common among male college students who engaged in sexual behaviour. They had a separation of HIV/AIDS knowledge and action and a low rate of HIV testing. Further health education and intervention, including informing friends of strategies, are needed to guide students in correct sexual attitudes, safe sexual behaviour, and prevention of the spread of disease.

BACKGROUND: To explore whether salivary inflammatory mediators and periodontal indices at different gestational stages can be taken as indicators of preterm birth (PTB). METHODS: This nested case-control study enrolled systemically healthy pregnant women at 9 to 36 weeks of gestation. Periodontal indices were measured at the enrollment date, and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in the saliva were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The birth outcome was recorded. RESULTS: PTB occurred in 26 women. A total of 104 matched women with full-term birth (FTB) were used as controls. The PTB women enrolled at 24-28 gestational weeks displayed a significantly greater bleeding index (BI), probing pocket depth (PD), PD ≥ 4 mm sites (%), saliva-TNF-α, and saliva-PGE2 (P < 0.05). BI and PGE2 in the saliva were found to be positively associated with PTB (OR = 4.79, P = 0.048, 95%CI = 1.014 to 22.628; OR = 1.07, P = 0.04, 95%CI = 1.004 to 1.135, respectively). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) of BI and saliva-PGE2 were 0.82 and 0.78, respectively, and that of the combined detection was 0.91, which was larger than either marker alone, although the differences were not significant (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of BI and PGE2 in saliva at 24-28 gestational weeks could be a predictor of PTB in asymptomatic women. However, the results should be further explored with larger sample size.

Dihuang Yinzi, as a classical Chinese medicine prescription, plays an important role for the treatment of ischemic stroke. Gut microbiota play a functional role for the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory cytokines, which further affect central nervous system and change brain function. Our research confirmed that Dihuang Yinzi can exert brain protection by inhibiting inflammatory reaction. Dihuang Yinzi can significantly decrease the contents of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-17 (IL-17) in brain, serum, and colon tissues and increase the contents of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion model rats. The results of 16s rRNA high-throughput sequencing showed that Dihuang Yinzi had a significant effect on microbiome in rats. The firmicutes, bacteroidetes, and proteobacteria were dominant in Dihuang Yinzi group. The content of firmicutes increased with the increase of dosage of Dihuang Yinzi. Especially, the content of actinomycetes in the high-dose group was higher than other groups. At the genus level, the number of bacteroides in the antibiotic groups was significantly higher than that in the other treatment groups. The results suggest that Dihuang Yinzi may play important roles in treatment of ischemic stroke by regulating the gut microbiota and the inflammatory reaction in the colon tissues, serum, and brain of the model rats, to verify the scientific nature of this prescription in relieving brain inflammatory reaction and brain injury by this way and to reveal the brain-gut related mechanism of Dihuang Yinzi in treating ischemic stroke.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the genotoxicity of metformin on planarian with different concentrations and exposure times. METHODS: The planarians were treated, respectively, with 10 mmol/L and 50 mmol/L metformin for 1, 3, and 5 days, and then, the comet assay and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis were performed. 13 random primers were used for PCR amplification with the genomic DNAs as templates. Planarians cultured in clear water were used as the control. Genomic template stability (GTS) was calculated by comparing and analyzing the RAPD patterns of the control group and the treatment groups. RESULTS: In the comet assay, DNA damage of planarians treated with 10 mmol/L metformin for 1, 3, and 5 days was 10.2%, 25.4%, and 36.8%, respectively, and that of planarians treated with 50 mmol/L metformin was 40.6%, 62.8%, and 65.4%, respectively. GTS values of planarians exposed to 10 mmol/L metformin for 1, 3, and 5 days were 64.1%, 62.8%, and 52.6%, respectively, and those of planarians exposed to 50 mmol/L metformin for 1, 3, and 5 days were 52.6%, 51.3%, and 50%, respectively. DNA damage increased and GTS values decreased with the increasing metformin exposure concentration and exposure time. CONCLUSION: Metformin has certain genotoxicity on planarian in a dose- and time-related manner. The comet assay and RAPD analysis are highly sensitive methods for detecting genotoxicity with drugs.

In light of the growing emphasis on classifying stroke patients for different levels of monitoring intensity and emergency treatments, we conducted a systematic review of a wide range of clinical studies, according to the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, with no restrictions on the language or publication date, to analyze the potential of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as an early neurological deterioration (END) risk predictor. A comprehensive search was carried out in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases from the inception to March 13, 2022. Nine articles were included in our study. Stroke patients with END had significantly higher NLR levels than the those without END (SMD = 0.73; CI 95% = 0.42-1.05, P value < 0.001). In the subgroup analysis, according to ethnicity, East Asian patients with END had elevated levels of NLR compared to those without END (SMD = 0.79; CI 95% = 0.52-1.06, P value < 0.001). However, the difference in the Caucasian group was not significant (SMD = 0.60; CI 95% = -0.50-1.70, P value = 0.28). In the subgroup analysis according to the type of stroke, the NLR levels in patients with hemorrhagic stroke who developed END were similar to those without END (SMD = 0.84, CI 95% = -0.10-1.77, P value = 0.07). Vice versa, in the ischemic stroke group, patients with END had elevated levels of NLR compared to those without END (SMD = 0.67, CI 95% = 0.38-0.96, P value < 0.001). NLR is a unique inflammatory biomarker whose increase in END suggests an immune system dysfunction in the pathogenesis of the disease.

PURPOSE: To access the incidence and predictors of Gleason grade group upgrading from cognitive MR-targeted fusion prostate biopsy to radical prostatectomy in a Chinese cohort. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included 199 patients in our institution between January 2016 and June 2021. Multivariable logistic regression model and nomograms were utilized to analyze the collected data. RESULTS: The concordance rate of biopsy Gleason grade group and radical prostatectomy was 50.3% (100 in 199). Upgrading occurred in 80 (40.2%) patients and 37 (68.5%) patients have an upgrading Gleason grade group when the biopsy Gleason grade group was 1. Multivariable logistic regression models were established to analyze the incidence and predictors of Gleason grade group upgrading from cognitive MR-targeted fusion prostate biopsy to radical prostatectomy. Biopsy Gleason grade group, prostate volume, and patient year were confirmed to be individual predictors of upgrading. Based on the logistic regression models, nomograms for predicting probability of prostate Gleason grade group upgrading were generated. CONCLUSIONS: We established a logistic regression model to predict the accuracy of prostate biopsy GG and provide the probability of upgrading. Clinicians should be more cautious when deciding the treatment strategy especially for prostate cancer biopsy GG1 patients. Future studies should expand the sample size and include more variables to improve the accuracy of predicting upgrading and prostate cancer early screening program is urgently needed in our city in China.

BACKGROUND: Obesity, especially severe obesity, is associated with a higher risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) morbidity and mortality. Bariatric surgery is a durable and effective weight loss therapy for patients with severe obesity and weight-related comorbidities. Elevated plasma levels of lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)) are causally associated with ASCVD. The aim of this meta-analysis was to analyze whether bariatric surgery is associated with Lp(a) concentrations. METHODS: A literature search in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science was performed from inception to May 1st, 2021. A random-effects model and the generic inverse variance weighting method were used to compensate for the heterogeneity of studies in terms of study design, treatment duration, and the characteristics of the studied populations. A random-effects metaregression model was used to explore the association with an estimated effect size. Evaluation of funnel plot, Begg's rank correlation, and Egger's weighted regression tests were used to assess the presence of publication bias in the meta-analysis. RESULTS: Meta-analysis of 13 studies including 1551 patients showed a significant decrease of circulating Lp(a) after bariatric surgery (SMD: -0.438, 95% CI: -0.702, -0.174, p < 0.001, I 2: 94.05%). The results of the metaregression did not indicate any significant association between the changes in Lp(a) and duration of follow-up after surgery, reduction in body mass index, or baseline Lp(a) concentration. The reduction in circulating Lp(a) was robust in the leave-one-out sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSION: Bariatric surgery significantly decreases circulating Lp(a) concentrations. This decrease may have a positive effect on ASCVD in obese patients.

Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is a prevalent problem in gynecologic clinics among adolescents and women of reproductive age. Several therapy modalities, including traditional Chinese medicine, are deemed adequate (TCM) and have been in practice for a long time. In China, Dingkundan (DKD), a multicomponent gynecological treatment, has been used to treat PD for centuries. However, the fundamental process remains poorly understood. Comparing plasma samples acquired from DKD-treated and oral contraceptive- (OC-) treated subjects, we performed an integrated plasma metabonomic analysis utilizing the UPLC-MS technology to study the therapeutic mechanisms of DKD in PD patients. Thirty possible biomarkers and metabolic pathways were discovered, primarily steroid hormone production, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and bile secretion. The results suggested that DKD may have therapeutic benefits for PD patients via modulation of various metabolic pathways. This study is envisaged to provide detailed metabolite information regarding the etiology of PD, an assessment of the efficacy of DKD, and a comparison of DKD and OC.

With various social pressures and the lack of knowledge about physical health, students have poor physical education quality and insufficient knowledge acquisition about physical health. Traditional physical health teaching is a process in which the teacher tells the theory of physical health and students passively accept it, which leads to physical health problems such as low learning efficiency of students' physical health knowledge and low interest in learning physical health knowledge. With the emphasis on physical health teaching and the development of technologies such as machine learning, machine learning is used to analyze the problems of physical health teaching and help students to learn physical health better to improve the efficiency of physical health teaching. The results of this paper show that the machine learning-based physical education and traditional physical education can reduce the injury rate of students' sports by 7.7% compared with traditional physical education, make students' interest in physical education and health learning reach 53.3%, and improve the efficiency of physical education and health learning. There is a degree of students' acquisition of physical health knowledge. The change from traditional physical health teaching ideology to machine learning-based physical education ideology can improve the teaching efficiency of physical health teaching, allow students to acquire more physical health knowledge, and effectively reduce the risk of students' injuries in sports.

Honey has recently been rediscovered as an antibacterial and wound-healing natural product. The medicinal properties of honey originate from the floral source used by bees. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of Sudanese crude acacia bee honey and its solvent extracts regarding its biological activity and chemical characterization. To verify the nature of the antibacterial agent(s) of honey, sample (A) Sudanese crude unprocessed acacia bee honey obtained from west of Sudan (Nyala) during October 2019 was tested in vitro for antibacterial activity against 10 standard microorganisms Enterobacter aerogenes: ATCC: 13048, Enterococcus faecalis: ATCC: 29212, Escherichia coli: ATCC: 25922, Klebsiella pneumoniae: ATCC: 700603, Pseudomonas aeruginosa: ATCC: 27853, Serratia marcescens: ATCC: 8100, Staphylococcus aureus: ATCC: 29213, Staphylococcus epidermidis: ATCC: 12228, Staphylococcus Methicillin Sensitive MSSA: ATCC: 29213, and Staphylococcus Methicillin-Resistant MRSA: ATCC: 23591. Extraction of honey sample was carried out by petroleum ether followed by ethyl acetate using liquid/liquid extraction technique, using separating funnels. All organic extracts in addition to their aqueous residue were tested in vitro for antibacterial activity against the10 standard microorganisms. Ethyl acetate extract was subjected to gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) for chemical characterization. Sudanese crude unprocessed acacia honey showed inhibitory effects against the 10 standard microorganisms. Petroleum ether extract showed no antibacterial activity against the tested organisms, while its water residue exhibited remarkable activity. The ethyl acetate extract exhibited strong antibacterial activity against the tested organisms, while its aqueous residue showed no activity. Ethyl acetate extract subjected to gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) showed twenty-one chemical constituents. The GC-MS showed twenty-one chemical compounds, and phenolic compound was the highest concentration. Ethyl acetate extract exhibited strong antibacterial activity which can be formulated as topical dressing for wounds and burns. The usage of honey in a professional context should be taken into consideration while treating burns and wounds.

Ovarian cancer is the second common cancer among the gynecological tumors. It is difficult to be found and diagnosed in the early stage and easy to relapse due to chemoresistance and deficiency in choices of treatment. Therefore, future exploring the biomarkers for diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis prediction of ovarian cancer is significant to women in the world. We downloaded data from TCGA and GTEx and used R "limma" package for analyzing the differentially expressed immune-related lncRNA in ovarian cancer and finally got 7 downregulated and 171 upregulated lncRNA. Then, we paired the differentially expressed immune-related lncRNA and constructed a novel lncRNA pairing model containing 7 lncRNA pairs. Based on the cut-off point with the highest AUC value, 102 patients were selected in high-risk group and 272 in low-risk group. The KM analysis suggested that the patients in the low-risk group had a longer overall survival. Future analysis showed the correlations between risk scores and clinicopathological parameters and infiltrating immune cells. In conclusion, we identified an immune-related lncRNA pairing model for predicting the prognosis and immune-infiltrating cell condition in human ovarian cancer, which thus further can instruct immunotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (HP) is a causative factor for several gastrointestinal diseases. A HP seropositive antibody titer (i.e., ≥10 U/mL), a threshold indicating an HP infection, is known to be associated with changes in lipid metabolism. There is evidence that HP infection can be found in some individuals with HP antibody titer of between 3 and 9.9 U/mL (termed as "negative-high titer"). However, it is unknown about the relationship between HP negative-high titer and lipid metabolism. The present study aimed to quantify the association between HP negative-high antibody titer and lipid profiles. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We surveyed 2,478 people who underwent a Ningen Dock examination and had serological HP antibody data, from May 2016 to December 2020 at National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. Multiple regression models were used to quantify the association between HP antibody titer and serum lipid levels. RESULTS: The adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval [CI]) for dyslipidemia in HP negative-high and positive titer was 1.24 (0.96, 1.79) and 1.36 (1.10, 1.68), respectively, compared with HP negative-low titer; p trend =0.005. The adjusted mean (95% CI) of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in HP negative-low, negative-high, and positive titer was 58.78 (57.86-59.71), 55.30 (53.70-56.91), and 53.76 (52.90-54.63) mg/dL, respectively; p trend <0.001. Higher HP antibody titers were also associated with higher ratio of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) to HDL-C, but not triglycerides, or total cholesterols. CONCLUSION: The present cross-sectional study suggests that a HP negative-high antibody titer may be associated with dyslipidemia, HDL-C, and LDL-C to HDL-C ratio among Japanese Ningen Dock's participants.

Nanoscience has developed various greener approaches as an alternate method for the synthesis of nanoparticles and nanocomposites. The present study discusses the efficacy of berries extract for the synthesis of ZnO nanocomposites. Characterization of synthesized nanocomposite were done by SEM, UV/VIS spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and XRD techniques. The crystalline nature of the synthesized nanoparticles was verified by XRD pattern in the range of 10-80 nm. The UV absorption peak of Elaeagnus umbellata (ZnO-EU) nanocomposite at 340 nm, Rubus idaeus (ZnO-Ri) nanocomposite at 360 nm, and Rubus fruticosus (ZnO-Rf) nanocomposite at 360 nm was observed. The nanocomposites were analyzed for their antimicrobial activity and found to be effective against three phytopathogens. The antimicrobial activity of ZnO nanocomposites showed good results against Escherichia coli (341), Staphylococcus aureus (345B), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5994 NLF). This study presents a simple and inexpensive approach for synthesizing zinc oxide nanocomposites with effective antibacterial activity.

The BolA gene family member (BOLA1-3) plays an important role in regulating normal and pathological biological processes including liver tumorigenesis. However, their expression patterns as prognostic factors in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients have not to be elucidated. We examined the transcriptional expressions and survival data of BolA family member in patients with HCC from online databases including ONCOMINE, TCGA, UALCAN, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), Kaplan-Meier plotter, SurvExpress, cBioPortal, and Exobase. Network molecular interaction views of BolA family members and their neighborhoods were constructed by the IntAct web server. In our research, we had found that the expression levels of BolA /2/3 mRNA were higher in HCC tissue than in normal liver tissues from TGCA databases. Moreover, the BolA family gene expression level is significantly associated with distinct tumor pathological grade, TMN stage, and overall survival (OS). The BolA family can be considered as prognostic risk biomarkers of HCC. A small number of BolA gene-mutated samples were detected in the HCC tissue. IntAct analysis revealed that BolA1/2/3 was closely associated with the GLRX3 expression in HCC, which is implicated in the regulation of the cellular iron homeostasis and tumor growth. Furthermore, prognostic values of altered BolAs and their neighbor GLRX3 gene in HCC patients were validated by SurvExpress analysis. In conclusion, the membrane BolA family identified in this study provides very useful information for the mechanism of hepatic tumorigenesis.

INTRODUCTION: Ethiopia has made significant efforts to enhance family planning services despite variations in the community's use of modern contraception in different parts of the country. Various studies have reported the proportion and determinant factors of adolescents' contraceptive uptake in Ethiopia. These studies are not consistent in terms of size, scope, and geographic coverage, and the results need to be systematically collated to inform policies. Therefore, this review was aimed at analyzing the findings of those primary studies to obtain more representative evidence of adolescents' contraceptive uptake in Ethiopia. METHODS: Five databases (MEDLINE via PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and CINAHL) were searched for papers published from January 2000 up to June 2022 in English. Of thirty eligible studies, eight papers were included in this meta-analysis. Between-study heterogeneity was evaluated by the forest plot and inconsistency index (I 2). A random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled estimates of adolescents' contraceptive uptake. RESULTS: The overall pooled proportion of adolescents' contraceptive uptake was 40% (I 2 = 99.70, p ≤ 0.001; 95%CI = 19, 61). Adolescents' usage of contraception was influenced by a number of factors: individual-, sociocultural-, knowledge- (about contraceptive methods), and healthcare service-related factors. Individual-related factors include the educational status of adolescents, being of young age, and the income status of adolescents' families. Sociocultural-related factors comprise discussion with the family/relatives, parent disapproval and pressure from partners, and being married or having a partner. Healthcare service-related factors include the availability of youth clubs and inconvenient service hours for SRH services. Knowing contraceptive methods and SRH services was also positively associated with adolescents' contraceptive utilization. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of adolescents who used contraception in Ethiopia was 40%. Adolescents' use of contraceptives was influenced by a variety of factors: individual-, sociocultural-, healthcare-, and knowledge-related factors. Hence, integrated interventions targeted at tackling barriers to contraceptive uptake may be helpful to improve adolescents' contraceptive utilization in Ethiopia.

This study is aimed at investigating the efficacy of intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in patients suffering from glaucoma through meta-analysis of the previously published research. For this purpose, different literature databases were searched for identification of clinical studies published between January 2000 and January 2022 on evaluating IOL's efficacy in treating glaucoma. RevMan 5.3 was used to conduct a meta-analysis of the pertinent data. The central anterior chamber depth (ACD), corneal endothelial cell counts, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), anti-glaucoma medications (AGM), and axial length (AL) changes were compared, and the incidence of postoperative complications was thoroughly evaluated. The Cochran chi-square test was used to examine the heterogeneity of the evaluation results. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 20 studies included 948 glaucomatous eyes. IOP was significantly lower than before treatment (MD = 8.64, 95 CI: 5.75-11.53; Z = 5.86, P < 0.0001), while ACD increased significantly (MD = -1.38, 95 percent CI: -1.74-1.02; Z = 7.49, P < 0.0001). The corneal endothelial cell counts were homogeneous (MD = 225.08, 95% CI: -64.17 to -514.33; Z = 1.53, P = 0.20). AGM utilisation decreased (MD = 1.43, 95% CI: 0.752.12, Z = 4.09, P < 0.0001). AL decreased significantly (MD = 0.31; 95% CI: 0.09-0.54; Z = 2.71; P = 0.007). The incidence of complications remained insignificant after IOL treatment (OR = 1.05, 95% CI: 0.42 to 2.60; Z = 0.10, P = 0.92; P = 0.92). These findings indicate that IOL treatment can significantly reduce intraocular pressure, glaucoma drug use, and aqueous level (AL) in glaucoma patients while increasing the depth of the central anterior chamber. This study offers a theoretical foundation for selecting glaucoma treatment methods.

Detecting mismatch-repair (MMR) status is crucial for personalized treatment strategies and prognosis in rectal cancer (RC). A preoperative, noninvasive, and cost-efficient predictive tool for MMR is critically needed. Therefore, this study developed and validated machine learning radiomics models for predicting MMR status in patients directly on preoperative MRI scans. Pathologically confirmed RC cases administered surgical resection in two distinct hospitals were examined in this retrospective trial. Totally, 78 and 33 cases were included in the training and test sets, respectively. Then, 65 cases were enrolled as an external validation set. Radiomics features were obtained from preoperative rectal MR images comprising T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging (T1WI), and combined multisequences. Four optimal features related to MMR status were selected by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method. Support vector machine (SVM) learning was adopted to establish four predictive models, i.e., ModelT2WI, ModelDWI, ModelCE-T1WI, and Modelcombination, whose diagnostic performances were determined and compared by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and decision curve analysis (DCA). Modelcombination had better diagnostic performance compared with the other models in all datasets (all p < 0.05). The usefulness of the proposed model was confirmed by DCA. Therefore, the present pilot study showed the radiomics model combining multiple sequences derived from preoperative MRI is effective in predicting MMR status in RC cases.

The development of neuroimaging technology and molecular genetics has produced a large amount of imaging genetics data, which has greatly promoted the study of complex mental diseases. However, because the feature dimension of the data is too high, the correlation measure assumes that the data obey Gaussian distribution, and traditional algorithms often cannot explain these two types of data well. This article mainly studies image genetics analysis and its application based on neural network. In this paper, based on the theory and application technology of neural network, the tree structure is established by prior knowledge, that is, each SNP site is used as a leaf node of the tree, and the LD block and genome formed by the linkage imbalance of multiple SNP sites are used as intermediate nodes. Then, the hierarchical relationship of features was introduced. On this basis, a sparse learning method based on tree structure guidance is used to select features from multiple features of multiple SNPs locus regression candidate brain regions. Finally, the identification of SNPs in feature selection is used to predict quantitative traits of brain regions. The distribution of the typical vector values obtained by the algorithm in the experimental data is basically consistent with the distribution of the median of the actual data, and the correlation coefficient obtained is closest to the actual correlation coefficient in the data set. The average correlation coefficient of the algorithm reaches 82.3%, which is about 4.2% higher than the control algorithm. Experimental results show that this method can not only significantly improve the regression performance but also detect the risk gene SNPs loci with spatial clustering features and functional interpretation significance. It is practical and effective to use it in clinical trials.

With the continuous development of big data and the continuous improvement of people's living standards, increasingly attention is paid to physical health. Swimming in this sport is effective in preventing the occurrence of arthritis. This paper analyzes the prevention and exploration of arthritis and relies on the traditional method of retrieving clinical literature on the treatment of knee osteoarthritis with traditional Chinese medicine and internal medicine, which requires a lot of manpower and material resources. At this time, the role of data mining technology is brought into play. This article analyzes the prevention of arthritis by swimming. If you rely on the traditional retrieval of clinical literature on the treatment of knee osteoarthritis with traditional Chinese medicine and internal medicine, you will find a lot of disordered data. It takes a lot of manpower and material resources to sort out the summary, and at this time, the role of data mining (DM) technology is brought into play. In this paper, the relevant information of the literature that meets the requirements is established in an Excel database, and the data of the relevant information is entered. Through sorting and analysis, the TCM syndrome types of knee osteoarthritis are summarized. Then, DM technology was used to carry out statistical analysis of frequency and prescription, to summarize the distribution characteristics of the corresponding knee osteoarthritis, TCM syndrome types, and the weight of each syndrome type, and to make a preliminary discussion at the same time. Finally, it is concluded that there are better prevention methods for arthritis in the research methods of traditional Chinese medicine. DM technology has been increasingly applied to all aspects of traditional Chinese medicine. DM technology has improved its research efficiency by 38% and achieved great results, which will play a greater role in promoting the research process of TCM syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the global literature on nutritional deficiencies in bariatric surgery (BS) since January 1, 1985, and to discuss the current status of research, research hotspots, and new development trend and treatment of nutritional deficiency in bariatric surgery. It provides ideas and basis for promoting the development of bariatric surgery and new alternative therapy or treatment protocols. METHODS: The Web of Science (WOS) database core collection was used as the data source, and VOSviewer 1.6.17 software was used to search the literature on the topic of "nutritional deficiencies in bariatric surgery." The number of published literature, the distribution of authors, institutions, and countries, keyword cooccurrences, and journal cocitations were visualized and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 1015 relevant publications was obtained after searching and screening, and the overall trend of literature published was on the rise. The most published countries, institutions, and authors were USA, University of Sao Paulo, Ramalho, Andrea; Obesity Surgery has been the most frequently cited journal (7943 citations), and the top 10 journals had high impact factors. Keyword cooccurrence analysis showed that "bariatric surgery" and "nutritional deficiencies" are the hot topics of research in this field. CONCLUSION: There is an urgent need for bariatric surgery issuing institutions and authors to strengthen cross-institutional, cross-team, and multicenter and multidisciplinary cooperation, to promote and facilitate the exchange and cooperation in the field of bariatric surgery between developed countries in Europe and America and developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, to draw the attention of developing countries to the health problems caused by obesity, and to encourage and support the development of developing countries in this field. Bariatric surgery, obesity, weight loss, Y-type gastric bypass, gastric bypass, and nutritional deficiency are the hot research topics in the field of nutritional deficiency in bariatric surgery, and metabolic surgery, single anastomosis gastric bypass, micronutrient supplementation, micronutrient deficiency, intestinal microbiology, and guidelines are the new trends in this field.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the optical properties of translucent zirconia with different thickness during multiple firings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three different types of translucent zirconia (Vita YZ HT (HT), Vita YZ ST (ST), Vita YZ XT (XT)) with thickness of 0.5, 1, and 1.5 mm were used in the study. 180 disk-shaped specimens (n = 10) were prepared from preshaded and nonshaded blocks. The coloring liquid (A2, Vita Shade Liquid) was applied with a synthetic nylon brush in the nonshaded group. Then, the specimens were then subjected to 1, 3, and 5 firing times. After consecutive firings, color differences (ΔE) and translucency parameter (TP) were measured. Statistical analysis was carried out by using repeated measure ANOVA followed by Tukey test. RESULTS: ANOVA analysis reveals that TP and ΔE were significantly affected by the repeated firings. The highest TP was seen in 0.5 mm XT specimen. For all specimens, TP decreases from 1st to 3rd firing cycles, despite TP increases from 3rd to 5th firing cycles. Although there is a significant change in TP values in 0.5 mm thickness, there is no significant change between firing cycles for 1 and 1.5 mm thickness specimens. The highest ΔE value was observed for shaded specimens between 1st and 5th firings. ΔE values were not significantly different between 1 and 3 firings. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in thickness and repeated firings of zirconia specimens affected final color and translucency of zirconia specimens. HT blocks are more affected by consecutive firings than ST and XT blocks. ΔE increased as the thicknesses decreased for both types of translucent zirconia specimens tested.

V̇O2max, a gold standard for evaluating cardiorespiratory fitness, can be enhanced by training and will gradually decrease when training stops. This study, which followed the Cochrane Collaboration guidelines, is aimed at assessing the effect of short- and long-term detraining on trained individuals' V̇O2max through a systematic review and meta-analysis and performed a subgroup analysis to evaluate the effects of different ages, detraining formats, and training statuses on V̇O2max variation between short- and long-term training cessation. Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, PubMed, and Scopus, four databases, were searched, from which 21 of 3315 potential studies met the inclusion criteria. Significant decreases in V̇O2max were identified after short-term training cessation (ES = -0.62 [95% CI -0.94; -0.31], p < 0.01; within-group I 2 = 35.3%, Egger's test = -1.22, p = 0.335) and long-term training cessation (ES = -1.42 [95% CI -1.99; -0.84], p < 0.01; within-group I 2 = 76.3%, Egger's test = -3.369, p < 0.01), which shows that the detraining effect was found to be larger on V̇O2max in long-term training cessation than in short-term training cessation (Q = 6.5, p = 0.01). However, there was no significant difference regarding V̇O2max change between 30-90 days detraining and larger than 90 days detraining (Q = 0.54, p = 0.46) when conducting subgroup analysis. In addition, younger (<20) individuals showed a greater reduction in V̇O2max after long-term detraining than adult individuals (Q = 5.9, p = 0.05), and athletes with higher trained-state V̇O2max showed a significant decline in V̇O2max after long-term detraining compared with the lower trained-state group (Q = 4.24, p = 0.03). In conclusion, both short- and long-term training cessation have a detrimental effect on V̇O2max, and a greater impact on V̇O2max was found in long-term training cessation compared to short-term training cessation; however, there was no significant change in V̇O2max when the duration of training cessation was more than 30 days. To buffer the detrimental effects of detraining, especially long-term training cessation, performing some physical exercise during training cessation can effectively weaken detraining effects. Thus, to prevent athlete's V̇O2max from decreasing dramatically from detraining, athletes should continue performing some physical exercise during the cessation of training.

BPA is a known endocrine-disrupting agent that is capable of binding to the estrogen receptor and has exhibited adverse effects in many laboratory animal and in vitro studies. Moreover, it also been shown to have estrogenic, antiandrogenic, inflammatory, and oxidative properties. The widespread presence of BPA in the environment presents a considerable threat to humans. BPA has been shown to be leached into the human ecosystem, where it is commonly found in food products consumed by humans. Although the concentration is relatively low, its prolonged consumption may cause a variety of deleterious health effects. The liver is an important organ for metabolizing and detoxifying toxic metabolites to protect organisms from potentially toxic chemical insults. BPA that is ingested will be eliminated by the liver. However, it has also induced hepatoxicity and injury via various mechanisms. To find research demonstrating the effects of BPA on kidney, a number of databases, including Google Scholar, MEDLINE, PubMed, and the Directory of Open Access Journals, were searched. Thus, this review summarizes the research on the relationship between BPA and its effects on the liver-derived from animals and cellular studies. The underlying mechanism of liver injury caused by BPA is also elucidated.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a debilitating condition for which no definitive treatment has yet been identified. Notably, it influences other tissues through inflammatory reactions and metabolic disturbances. Therefore, fingolimod (FTY-720), as an FDA-approved inflammatory modulator, would be promising. In the present study, nanocarriers with two distinct monodisperse particle sizes of 60 (nF60) and 190 (nF190) nm were prepared via low-(stirring) and high-energy (probe ultrasound) emulsion oil in water (O/W) methods. Larger nanocarriers showed higher EE% and sustained-release profile than smaller nanocarriers. Neural stem cell (NSC) viability and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release were studied in the presence of nanocarriers and free FTY-720. The results indicated that nanocarriers and free FTY-720 enhanced NSC viability compared with the control group. However, nF190 induced significantly less cell membrane damage than nF60. Nanocarriers and free FTY-720 enhanced motor neuron recovery in SCI rats, while body weight and return to bladder reflux by nF190 were significantly higher than those in the nF60 group. Return to bladder reflux might be due to the role of FTY-720 in the regulation of detrusor muscle tone and preservation of the integrity of vessels by acting on endothelial cells. Moreover, nF190 gained higher soleus muscle weight than the free drugs; probably decreasing proinflammatory cytokines in the soleus diminishes muscular atrophy in SCI rats. In summary, it might be said that larger nanocarriers with sustained-release profile and less cell membrane damage seem to be more efficient than smaller ones to manage SCI and enhance bladder reflux. These data will help pharmaceutical companies select the correct particle size for nanodrugs and develop more efficient drug formulations to treat SCI.

Mitochondrial dysfunction, which can be regulated by mitophagy, plays a central role in diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP). Mitophagy that was involved in nerve damage-induced neuropathic pain has been reported. Hyperglycemia and cellular hypoxic were the two main characters of diabetes. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α subunit (HIF-1α) plays a vital role in mitochondrial homeostasis under hypoxia. However, it remains unclear whether mitophagy was changed and could be regulated by HIF-1α in DNP. In this study, the results showed that mitophagy was activated and HIF-1α was upregulated in the spinal cord of diabetic mice. HIF-1α agonist dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG) could further elevate HIF-1α and Parkin protein, enhance mitophagy, decrease mitochondrial dysfunction, and hyperalgesia. Furthermore, Park2 (encoding Parkin) knockout aggravated hyperalgesia and mitochondrial dysfunction in diabetic mice. Furthermore, mitophagy could not be activated and induced by HIF-1α agonist DMOG in Park2-/- diabetic mice. In this study, we first demonstrated that HIF-1α could upregulate mitophagy in the spinal cord of mice with DNP through modulating the Parkin signaling pathway, promoting new insights into the mechanisms and research of treatment strategies for patients with DNP.

OBJECTIVE: The clinical value of intestinal flora balance therapy based on probiotic support in improving cognitive function and symptoms of patients with Alzheimer's disease was to systematically evaluate, so as to provide evidence-based medicine basis for the promotion and use of this therapy. METHODS: The randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched for the improvement of cognitive function and symptoms of patients with Alzheimer's disease by intestinal flora balance therapy supported mainly by probiotics in PubMed, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, China Knowledge Network Database (CNKI), China VIP database, Wanfang database, and China Biomedical Literature Database (CBM) online database (RCT). Data were extracted independently by two researchers, and the literature was assessed for risk of bias according to the Cochrane Handbook 5.1.0 criteria. The data were meta-analyzed using RevMan 5.4 statistical software. RESULTS: Finally, 5 randomized controlled trials were included, with a total sample size of 386 cases. The results of meta-analysis showed that Chi2 = 13.14, df = 2, P = 0.001, and I 2 = 85% showed significant heterogeneity in the inclusion of the study data. Probiotic-supported intestinal microflora balance therapy improves cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Through meta-analysis of transient memory scores, it is concluded that intestinal flora balance therapy based on probiotic support can improve transient memory in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Meta-analysis of ADAS-COG score showed that intestinal flora balance therapy supported by probiotics could improve the cognitive function of patients with Alzheimer's disease. The ADL score was analyzed by meta, and the heterogeneity test result was Chi2 = 0.79, df = 1, P = 0.37 > 0.05, and I 2 = 0%, indicating that the intestinal flora balance therapy supported by probiotics can improve the ability of daily living of patients with Alzheimer's disease. CONCLUSION: Intestinal flora balance therapy based on probiotic support can effectively improve cognitive function, instantaneous memory, and ability of daily life in patients with Alzheimer's disease. However, more studies and long-term follow-up studies with higher methodological quality are needed to further verify.

Numerous COVID-19 vaccines are being administered to people around the world. Adverse events following immunization (AEFI) with COVID-19 vaccines have been reported by health care workers as well as surveillance bodies. A wealth of information on the efficacy and safety of vaccines exists in the literature, and the knowledge in this sector is growing exponentially. A narrative literature review was conducted on sources accessed from PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Review from March 2021 to July 2021. This review is aimed at describing AEFI associated with currently available COVID-19 vaccines, with an emphasis on narrating probable AEFI, and at assisting in a better understanding of the COVID-19 vaccines.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to investigate the impact of TAK-242 on the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88)/nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) signal transduction pathway in rats with hepatic fibrosis (HF) using the liver gut axis and to investigate the molecular mechanism of its intervention on HF. METHODS: SPF grade SD male rats were randomly allocated to the control, model, and TAK-242 groups. For 8 weeks, the model and TAK-242 groups received 3 mL·kg-1 (the initial dose 5 mL·kg-1) intraperitoneal injections of 40% CCL4 olive oil solution. TAK-242 (5 mg·kg-1) was administered once a day for 5 days after modeling. The pathological alterations of liver and small intestine tissues in each group were observed using H&E and Masson staining. ELISA was used to measure serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), direct bilirubin (DBIL), total bilirubin (TBIL), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). RT-qPCR was utilized to identify the mRNA expression level of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB in rat liver and small intestine tissues. The protein level of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB protein in rat liver and small intestine tissues was determined utilizing Western blot and IHC. RESULTS: TAK-242 significantly reduced AST, ALT, TBIL, and DBIL expression in HF rats' serum (P < 0.01) and alleviated liver tissue injury. Hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and Masson staining revealed inflammatory cell infiltration and fibrous proliferation in the liver and small intestine tissue in the model group and partial cell swelling in the TAK-242 group, which indicated a considerable improvement compared to the model group. RT-qPCR, Western blot, and IHC data indicated that TAK-242 reduced the IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB expression in the liver and small intestine tissues of HF rats. CONCLUSION: TAK-242 might downregulate the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signal pathway through the liver-gut axis, suppress the inflammatory response, and eventually alleviate HF in rats.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused negative impacts on people's lifestyles, as well as considerable indirect social impacts, which has even overshadowed the direct impact of virus infection itself. This study is aimed at examining the changes in physical health-related indexes of Chinese college students before and after the COVID-19 lockdown. The data of this study are from the National Physical Health Testing Program, covering 43 college students (male: 22) from a class of a Chinese university. Paired t-tests were performed on the physical health test data separately collected in November 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic and October 2020 after the COVID-19 lockdown was lifted. As shown by the test results, compared to the prelockdown data, college students had an increased body mass index (BMI) (0.43 (SD 0.94) P = 0.004), decreased vital capacity (VC) (-128.98 (SD 310.13) ml P = 0.009), and lowered performance in the 800/1000 m endurance (-6.21 (SD 8.81) points P < 0.001) and standing long jump tests (-2.44 (SD 7.37) points P = 0.036) after the lockdown, and the differences in these regards all were significant. In addition, for the students in the overweight/obese group, their pre- and postlockdown physical fitness test results were found to have no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05), but the students in the control group showed a significantly increased BMI, as well as significantly decreased vital capacity and performance in the 800/1000 m endurance and standing long jump tests (P < 0.05). The findings of this study are expected to help government departments and policymakers better understand the impacts of school closures and online learning on the physical health of adolescents, while providing a basis for the formulation of measures that are aimed at reversing adolescents' physical health decline.

OBJECTIVES: PRISM (Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self-Measure) is a simple visual tool that has been successfully used as a visual metaphor in medicine. In this pilot study, PRISM was used for the first time to test its potential to support self-reflection and expectations of learning in dental students. METHODS: Dental student volunteers (25 3rd year, 10 4th year, and 10 5th year) participated. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, PRISM interviews were compared with a numerical scale in assessing learning objectives concerning theoretical knowledge, practical skills, interest, and training need in the field of conservative dentistry. RESULTS: Overall, 71% of total student group stated that they would draw personal consequences for their studies due to participating in the PRISM interviews. Compared to the numeric scales, PRISM was rated as more helpful regarding appraisal of students' theoretical knowledge (p = 0.02), practical skills (p < 0.01), training needs (p < 0.01), importance of dental subspecialties (p < 0.01), and facilitating self-reflection (p = 0.02). In focus groups, students commented that PRISM fostered the development of a trusting relationship with their teacher. Strengths of PRISM mentioned by the students included being able to observe and manipulate a visual summary of their individual learning needs and seeing their different learning needs in relation to one another. CONCLUSION: In this pilot study, dental students evaluated PRISM to be superior against numeric scales. Furthermore, it ameliorated the communication with teachers. The PRISM task is both simple and brief and warrants further exploration as a useful tool for self-reflection in dental education.

The effect of titanium scaffold geometry on the bone regeneration ability of the scaffold remains unclear. Here, selective laser melting as a 3D printing technology was used to create porous titanium alloy scaffolds with two unit structures: a hollow hexagonal prism (group A) and a hollow triangular prism (group B). The structures and morphologies of the scaffolds were characterized before mechanical properties were simulated. Cell adhesion behaviors, osteoblast activity and proliferation, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity were evaluated, in addition to in vivo testing in an animal model. The results showed that the two scaffolds made of Ti6Al4V had compression moduli similar to that of human cortical bone (116.91 ± 0.01 and 174.29 ± 2.21 MPa vs. 89-164 MPa). The two scaffolds were nontoxic to cells and had good biocompatibility, while group A scaffolds facilitated cell adhesion. The number of cells increased gradually in culture. The ALP activity of cells on group A scaffolds demonstrated higher osteogenic ability than that of group B scaffolds. The in vivo tests showed that all scaffolds retained their shape well after implantation, and no obvious inflammatory reaction or infection in surrounding tissues was found. Based on fluorescence staining, mature new bone formation was found at week 12. Group A scaffolds showed better bone integration ability compared with group B scaffolds. The percentage of new bone area in group A (7.5%) was higher than that in group B (6.5%). This research suggests that the hollow hexagonal prism structure of porous scaffolds can promote osteogenic differentiation and osseointegration better than the triangular prism structure.

The cell cycle is composed of a series of ordered, highly regulated processes through which a cell grows and duplicates its genome and eventually divides into two daughter cells. According to the complex changes in cell structure and biosynthesis, the cell cycle is divided into four phases: gap 1 (G1), DNA synthesis (S), gap 2 (G2), and mitosis (M). Determining which cell cycle phases a cell is in is critical to the research of cancer development and pharmacy for targeting cell cycle. However, current detection methods have the following problems: (1) they are complicated and time consuming to perform, and (2) they cannot detect the cell cycle on a large scale. Rapid developments in single-cell technology have made dissecting cells on a large scale possible with unprecedented resolution. In the present research, we construct efficient classifiers and identify essential gene biomarkers based on single-cell RNA sequencing data through Boruta and three feature ranking algorithms (e.g., mRMR, MCFS, and SHAP by LightGBM) by utilizing four advanced classification algorithms. Meanwhile, we mine a series of classification rules that can distinguish different cell cycle phases. Collectively, we have provided a novel method for determining the cell cycle and identified new potential cell cycle-related genes, thereby contributing to the understanding of the processes that regulate the cell cycle.

Erratum for Biomed Res Int. 2021 Dec 13;2021:7640314.

Glioma is the most common intracranial malignancy. TP53 is a crucial tumor suppressor gene that plays an essential regulatory role in cell growth, apoptosis, and DNA repair. The TP53 rs1042522 C>G polymorphism has been reported to be strongly associated with various tumor risks. To assess the TP53 rs1042522 C>G polymorphism with glioma risk in Chinese children, we determined the genotypes of the TP53 rs1042522 C>G polymorphism in 171 glioma patients and 228 cancer-free controls by Taqman assay. We assessed the association of the polymorphism with glioma risk using odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) generated by logistic regression models. We also performed stratified analyses by age, gender, tumor subtypes, and clinical stages, but no significant association was detected between TP53 rs1042522 C>G polymorphism and childhood glioma risk. These results suggest that the TP53 rs1042522 C>G polymorphism is not associated with glioma risk in Chinese children. Subsequent studies with a larger sample size are needed to validate our results.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the biomechanical stability of two-level PLIF constructs with unilateral and bilateral pedicle screw fixations. METHODS: Six cadaveric lumbar segments were evaluated to assess biomechanical stability in response to pure moment loads applied in flexion-extension (FE), lateral bending (LB), and axial rotation (AR). Each specimen was tested in six sequential configurations: (1) intact baseline; (2) facetectomy; (3) unilateral pedicle screws (UPS); (4) bilateral pedicle screws (BPS); (5) unilateral pedicle screws and cage (UPSC); and (6) bilateral pedicle screws and cage (BPSC). RESULTS: Significant reductions in motion were observed when comparing all instrumented conditions to the intact and facetectomy stages of testing. No significant differences in motion between UPS, BPS, UPSC, or BPSC were observed in response to FE range of motion (ROM) or neutral zone (NZ). ROM was significantly higher in the UPS stage compared to BPS in response to LB and AT loading. ROM was significantly higher in UPSC compared to BPSC in response to LB loading only. Similarly, NZ was significantly higher in UPSC compared to BPSC in response to only LB loading. In response to AT loading, ROM was significantly higher during UPS than BPS or BPSC; however, no significant differences were noted between UPSC and BPSC with respect to AT ROM or NZ. CONCLUSION: BPS fixation is biomechanically superior to UPS fixation in multilevel PLIF constructs. This was most pronounced during both LB loading. Interbody support did contribute significantly to immediate stability.

Erratum for Biomed Res Int. 2021 Aug 25;2021:9912094.

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis is a common clinical disease with frequent occurrence. More and more studies have shown that external therapies such as acupuncture and massage are beneficial to the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTS) was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture and massage combined with treatment of KOA and to provide some reference for clinical treatment of KOA. METHODS: Network meta-analysis was used to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture combined with massage in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, Chinese Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), VIP, and Wanfang were searched by computer for randomized controlled trials on acupuncture combined with massage in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. All researchers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and evaluated quality, and studies that met the quality criteria were analyzed using Stata16.0 software. RESULTS: A total of 3076 articles were retrieved, and finally, 49 studies involving 10 acupuncture combined with massage methods were included. The total sample size was 4458, including 2182 in the experimental group and 2276 in the control group. The results of network meta-analysis showed the following: in terms of effective rate, the optimal first three interventions were floating needle+massage, needle knife+massage, and silver needle+massage; in terms of reducing VAS score, the optimal first three interventions were common acupuncture+massage, needle knife+massage, and warm needle+massage; in terms of improving total Lysholm index score, the optimal first three interventions were silver needle+massage, electroacupuncture+massage, and needle knife+massage; in terms of reducing total WOMAC score, the optimal first three interventions were silver needle+massage, electrothermal needle+massage, and common acupuncture+massage; in terms of reducing WOMAC stiffness score, the optimal first three interventions were warm needle+massage, silver needle+massage, and common acupuncture+massage; and in terms of reducing WOMAC joint function score, the optimal first three interventions were silver needle+massage, warm needle+massage, and common acupuncture+massage. CONCLUSION: The results showed that acupuncture combined with massage could improve the clinical therapeutic effect of patients with knee osteoarthritis. Limited by the quality of the included studies, the conclusions obtained still need to be further validated.

OBJECTIVE: Glioblastoma is one of the most common and fatal malignancies in adults. Current treatment is still not optimistic. Glioblastoma (GBM) transports RNA to platelets in the blood system via microvesicles, suggesting that platelet RNA can be a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target. The roles of specific platelet RNAs in treatment of GBM are not well understood. METHODS: Platelet RNA profiling of 8 GBM and 12 normal samples were downloaded from the GEO database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between tumors and normal samples. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed to elucidate the functions of up- and downregulated genes. miRNA was predicted by miRTarBase, TargetScan, and miRDB databases. circBase and circBank were used for circRNA prediction. ceRNA (circRNA-mRNA-miRNA) network was constructed to investigate the potential interactions. RESULTS: 22 genes were upregulated and 9 genes were downregulated. There are only two genes (CCR7 and FAM102A) that connect to miRNAs (hsa-let-7a-5p, hsa-miR-1-3p). We assessed the overall survival rates by Kaplan-Meier plotter, and relative expression of GBM and subtypes for overlapped mRNA (CCR7 and FAM102A) were evaluated, and further, we obtained circRNAs (has-circ-0015164, hsa-circ-0003243) by circBank and circBase and bind sites through the CSCD database. Finally, a ceRNA network (circRNA-mRNA-miRNA) was constructed based on 2 miRNAs, 2 mRNAs, and 2 circRNAs by Cytoscape. This study focused on potential mRNA and ceRNA biomarkers to targeted treatment of GBM and provided ideas for clinical treatment through the combination of hematology and oncology. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study contribute to better understand the relationship between GBM and the blood system (platelets) and might lay a solid foundation for improving GBM molecule and gene diagnosis and prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Malaria is endemic in tropical and subtropical regions and causes up to one million deaths each year. It mostly affects sub-Saharan African countries including Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, it was estimated that about 75% of the land and 68% of the population are exposed to malaria. The aim of the current study was to determine malaria cases, its impact on the level of hemoglobin, and parasitemia and predisposing factors among febrile patients who visited Sibu Sire Health Care centers. METHODS: Institution-based cross-sectional study was undertaken from May to October, 2020. Febrile patients who visited Sibu Sire Health Care centers were purposefully selected as the target population for the present study. Blood samples were collected and thick and thin smears stained with Giemsa. Hemoglobin level was determined using HemoCue Hb 301. Structured questionnaire and SPSS statistical software were used to collect and analyze data. P value < 0.05 was stated as statistically significant. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of malaria was 168/979 (17.2%) out of which Plasmodium falciparum was 132/168 (78.5%), Plasmodium vivax was 27/168 (16.1%), and mixed infection was 9/168 (5.4%). To assess factors associated with dependent variable and determine the strength of association, binary logistic regression was used at adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. The associations between malaria cases, hemoglobin levels, and parasitemia were estimated to evaluate the impacts of malaria on hemoglobin levels and parasitemia level. Out of 979 febrile patients (male 453 and female 526), 168 (male 99 and female 69) individuals were infected with Plasmodium species and Plasmodium falciparum were the predominant parasites. The majority of the study participants 144/168 (85.7%) were from rural residences. Highest malaria-infected patients 74/168 (44%) were aged between 15 and 30 years old. The level of hemoglobin and parasitemia was highly associated with malaria cases; hence, in this study area, intensities of hemoglobin and parasitemia are significantly associated with Plasmodium species. CONCLUSION: There was a moderate prevalence of malaria parasitemia and hemoglobin level among patients visiting Sibu Sire Health Care center; however, it needs further intervention to prevent and control malaria transmission in this malaria hotspot area.

BACKGROUND: Bladder cancer (BCa) is one of the most prevalent cancers occurring in the urinary system. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), in recent years, have emerged as crucial regulators in various biological processes of tumors. AIM: To identify the role of MIR4435-2 host gene (MIR4435-2HG) and uncover its molecular mechanism in BCa. METHODS: Firstly, quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis was used to examine MIR4435-2HG expression in BCa cells. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), wound healing, and transwell assays were implemented to identify the role of MIR4435-2HG in BCa. RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP), RNA pull down, and luciferase reporter assays were applied to explore the potential mechanism of MIR4435-2HG in BCa. RESULTS: MIR4435-2HG was highly expressed in BCa. Moreover, MIR4435-2HG silencing abrogated BCa cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. In terms of underlying mechanism, MIR44352HG acted as a microRNA-2467-3p (miR-2467-3p) sponge to control the expression of IQ motif containing GTPase activating protein 3 (IQGAP3) and cell division cycle associated 5 (CDCA5), resulting in activation of the rat sarcoma virus (Ras)/rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma (Raf)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways. CONCLUSION: MIR4435-2HG involves in the progression of BCa, which might provide novel insights for BCa treatment.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of mortality and long-lasting disability globally. Although novel treatment options have been investigated, no effective therapeutic opportunities for TBI exist. Accumulating studies demonstrated that the paracrine mechanisms of stem cells may allow them to orchestrate regenerative processes after TBI. So far, very little attention has been paid to the beneficial effects of human neural stem cells (hNSCs) in comparison to their exosomes as a paracrine mechanism. This study is aimed at comparing the effect of hNSCs with their exosomes in a TBI model. For in vitro assessments, we cultured hNSCs using the neurosphere method and isolated hNSC-derived exosomes from culture supernatants. For in vivo experiments, male rats were divided into three groups (n = 8/group): TBI group: rats were subjected to a unilateral mild cortical impact; hNSC group: rats received a single intralesional injection of 2 × 106 hNSCs after TBI; and exosome group: rats received a single intralesional injection of 63 μg protein of hNSC-derived exosomes after TBI. Neurological assessments, neuroinflammation, and neurogenesis were performed at the predetermined time points after TBI. Our results indicated that the administration of exosomes improved the neurobehavioral performance measured by the modified neurological severity score (mNSS) on day 28 after TBI. Furthermore, exosomes inhibited the expression of reactive astrocytes as a key regulator of neuroinflammation marked by GFAP at the protein level, while enhancing the expression of Doublecortin (DCX) as a neurogenesis marker at the mRNA level. On the other hand, we observed that the expression of stemness markers (SOX2 and Nestin) was elevated in the hNSC group compared to the exosome and TBI groups. To sum up, our results demonstrated that the superior effects of exosomes versus parent hNSCs could be mediated by improving mNSS score and increasing DCX in TBI. Considerably, more work will need to be done to determine the beneficial effects of exosomes versus parent cells in the context of TBI.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the application of pulmonary ultrasound in visual nursing of artificial airway in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). METHODS: Seventy-eight ARDS patients with mechanical ventilation admitted from February 2021 to January 2022 were included and divided into the intervention group and the control group. The control group was given routine airway nursing, and the intervention group was given visual airway nursing management through lung ultrasound. The arterial blood gas analysis indexes, mechanical ventilation time, ICU treatment time, total hospitalization time, aspiration, and the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment, PaO2, PaCO2, SPO2, and oxygenation indexes were significantly improved compared with those before treatment, and the indexes in the intervention group were better than those in the control group after treatment, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The mechanical ventilation time (5.39 ± 0.68 vs. 7.92 ± 0.59 days), ICU treatment time (8.05 ± 1.14 vs. 10.71 ± 1.16 days), and total hospitalization time (12.05 ± 2.20 vs. 15.68 ± 2.18 days) in the intervention group were significantly shorter than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The incidences of aspiration (2.56% vs. 15.38%) and VAP (5.13% vs. 20.51%) in the intervention group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The application of visual artificial airway management assisted by lung ultrasound in ARDS patients can shorten the treatment time and hospitalization time of mechanical ventilation, reduce the incidence of aspiration and VAP, and improve the prognosis of patients.

AIM: To investigate the mechanism of progesterone inhibiting the scorch death of SH-SY5Y cells induced by exogenous adenosine triphosphate (ATP). METHODS: SH-SY5Y cells with good logarithmic growth were used in the experiment. The cells were randomly divided into 5 groups: normal control group, DMSO group, BBG group, ATP group, and ATP+progesterone group. The cell survival rate of each group was measured by CCK-8 method. The expressions of P2X7 receptor, caspase-1, caspase-11, and IL-1β were detected by western blotting. RESULTS: (1) After SH-SY5Y cells were treated with ATP at different concentrations (1, 3, 6, and 9 mmol/L) for 2 hours, the cell survival rate decreased in a concentration-dependent manner compared with the normal blank group. The results showed that the optimal lethal concentration of ATP was 6 mmol/L. SH-SY5Y cells were preincubated with progesterone at different concentrations (3, 10, 30, and 100 nmol/L) for 30 minutes and then incubated with 6 mmol/L ATP. The cell survival rate of this group was significantly improved (P < 0.01). The optimal concentration of progesterone to improve cell survival and inhibit cell death was 30 nmol/L. (2) Compared to the control group, there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in P2X7 receptor, caspase-1, caspase-11, and IL-1β with the DMSO group (0.001% DMSO, 24 h) and BBG group (bbg1 mmol/L, 24 h). (3) In the ATP group, the expression of P2X7 receptor and caspase-1 (the key protein of classical cell death pathway) increased significantly (P < 0.01), which was related to inflammatory factor IL-1β with consistent performance (P < 0.01). There was no significant change in caspase-11 (the key protein of nonclassical focal death pathway) (P > 0.05). (4) The expression of P2X7 receptor, caspase-1, and inflammatory factor IL-1β in the progesterone+ATP group was significantly downregulated (P < 0.01). There was no significant change in caspase-11 (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Certain dose of progesterone can inhibit the focal death of SH-SY5Y cells induced by extracellular high concentration ATP. It can reduce the expression of P2X7 receptor, inhibit the conduction pathway of cell death, reduce the release of inflammatory factor IL-1β, and improve cell survival.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most important causes of cancer-related deaths and remains a major public health challenge worldwide. Considering the extensive heterogeneity of HCC, more accurate prognostic models are imperative. The circadian genes regulate the daily oscillations of key biological processes, such as nutrient metabolism in the liver. Circadian rhythm disruption has recently been recognized as an independent risk factor for cancer. In this study, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) were compared and 248 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of the circadian rhythm were identified. HCC was classified into two subtypes based on these DEGs. The prognostic value of each circadian rhythm-associated gene (CRG) for survival was assessed by constructing a multigene signature from TCGA cohort. A 6-gene signature was created by applying the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression method, and all patients in TCGA cohort were divided into high- and low-risk groups according to their risk scores. The survival rate of patients with HCC in the low-risk group was significantly higher than that in the high-risk group (p < 0.001). The patients with HCC in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) cohort were also divided into two risk subgroups using the risk score of TCGA cohort, and the overall survival time (OS) was prolonged in the low-risk group (p = 0.012). Based on the clinical characteristics, the risk score was an independent predictor of OS in the patients with HCC. The Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses showed that multiple metabolic pathways, cell cycle, etc., were enhanced in the high-risk group. Using the metabolic pathway single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA), it was found that the metabolic pathways in the high- and low-risk groups between TCGA and GEO cohorts were altered essentially in the same way. In conclusion, the circadian genes play an important role in HCC metabolic rearrangements and can be further used to predict the prognosis the patients with HCC.

To evaluate the effect of the methylation of osteoprotectin (OPG)/receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL)/receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (RANK) pathway on aortic valve calcification, the aortic valve tissue was collected from 38 aortic stenosis (AS) patients who underwent valve replacement. OPG and RANKL gene methylation, RT-PCR, and ELISA were performed. Hematoxylin-eosin staining (HE), alizarin red-S staining, and immunohistochemically staining of OPG, RANKL, and CD68 were simultaneously performed. The patients were divided into noncalcified group (n = 21) and calcified group (n = 17). The methylation rate of OPG gene in noncalcified group was higher than that in calcified group (P = 0.027). The methylation degree of RANKL gene was generally lower, but the noncalcified group was still higher than that in the calcified group (P = 0.025). RT-PCR analysis showed that the mRNA expression of OPG and RANKL was higher in calcified group than in noncalcified group (P = 0.007 and P = 0.036, respectively), and the mRNA expression was negatively correlated with the gene methylation rate. The protein expression of OPG and RANKL was detected by immunohistochemistry and ELISA, showing significantly increased in calcified group (P = 0.004 and P = 0.042, respectively). Soluble RANKL (sRANKL) in CD68-positive group was significantly different from that in negative group (0.1243 ± 0.0321 vs 0.0984 ± 0.0218 pg/mL, P = 0.007). There was no significant difference in OPG value between positive group (1.9411 ± 0.4554 ng/mL) and negative group (1.8422 ± 0.5218 ng/mL, P = 0.587). In conclusion, the degree of methylation of OPG and RANKL genes may play an important role in regulating valve calcification in AS patients.

Breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer that can strike at any age; the higher the age, the greater the risk. The presence of malignant tissue has become more frequent in women. Although medical therapy has improved breast cancer diagnostic and treatment methods, still the death rate remains high due to failure of diagnosing breast cancer in its early stages. A classification approach for mammography images based on nonsubsampled contourlet transform (NSCT) is proposed in order to investigate it. The proposed method uses multiresolution NSCT decomposition to the region of interest (ROI) of mammography images and then uses Z-moments for extracting features from the NSCT-decomposed images. The matrix is formed by the components that are extracted from the region of interest and are then subjected to singular value decomposition (SVD) in order to remove the essential features that can generalize globally. The method employs a support vector machine (SVM) classification algorithm to categorize mammography pictures into normal, benign, and malignant and to identify and classify the breast lesions. The accuracy of the proposed model is 96.76 percent, and the training time is greatly decreased, as evident from the experiments performed. The paper also focuses on conducting the feature extraction experiments using morphological spectroscopy. The experiment combines 16 different algorithms with 4 classification methods for achieving exceptional accuracy and time efficiency outcomes as compared to other existing state-of-the-art approaches.

METHODS: A total of 1134 examinations with Optomap 200Tx were performed for 318 children who were clinically diagnosed with RB in the Ophthalmology Department of Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, China, between July 2015 and July 2017, and achieved stable disease lasting for more than 6 months after combined treatment. The children received examinations every 1-12 months (mean 4 months), initially at 31 months to 15 years of age (mean 51 months), and were given a full eye examination under anesthesia (EUA) immediately if recurrent tumor, recurrent vitreous seeding (VS), or recurrent subretinal seeding (SRS) was detected, or in the next follow-up visit if no abnormality was detected, and early treatment was performed when the lesion was confirmed. RESULTS: Recurrence was detected in 4 children in the examination with Optomap 200Tx, including 2 cases of recurrent vitreous seeding (VS) and 2 cases of recurrent subretinal seeding (SRS), which were confirmed by EUA and well controlled after early treatment. CONCLUSION: The use of Optomap 200Tx in the long-term following up of patients with RB reduces the number of eye examinations under general anesthesia (EUA), increases the time between EUAs, and protects children from exposure to the adverse effects of general anesthetics. Optomap 200Tx can detect recurrent tumor and recurrent seeding, allowing for early treatment which produces better outcomes.

Macrophages are widely distributed in various tissues and organs. They not only participate in the regulation of innate and adaptive immune response, but also play an important role in tissue homeostasis. Dysregulation of macrophage function is closely related to the initiation, development and prognosis of multiple diseases, including infection and tumorigenesis. Forkhead box transcription factor O1 (FoxO1) is an important member among the forkhead box transcription factor family. Through directly binding to the promoter regions of downstream target genes, FoxO1 is implicated in cell proliferation, apoptosis, metabolic activities and other biological processes. In this review, we summarized the regulatory role of FoxO1 in macrophage phagocytosis, migration, differentiation and inflammatory activation. We also emphasized that macrophage reciprocally modulated FoxO1 activity via a post-translational modification (PTM) dominant manner.

The five-year survival rate of lung squamous cell carcinoma is significantly lower than that of other cancer types. It is therefore urgent to discover novel prognosis biomarkers and therapeutic targets and understand their correction with infiltrating immune cells to improve the prognosis of patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma. In this study, we employed robust rank aggregation algorithms to overcome the shortcomings of small sizes and potential bias in each Gene Expression Omnibus dataset of lung squamous cell carcinoma and identified 513 robust differentially expressed genes including 220 upregulated and 293 downregulated genes from six microarray datasets. Functional enrichment analysis showed that these robust differentially expressed genes were obviously involved in the extracellular matrix and structure organization, epidermis development, cell adhesion molecule binding, p53 signaling pathway, and interleukin-17 signaling pathway to affect the progress of lung squamous cell carcinoma. We further identified six hub genes from 513 robust differentially expressed genes by protein-protein interaction network and 10 topological analyses. Moreover, the results of immune cell infiltration analysis from six integrated Gene Expression Omnibus datasets and our sequencing transcriptome data demonstrated that the abundance of monocytes was significantly lower in lung squamous cell carcinoma compared to controls. Immune correlation analysis and survival analysis of hub genes suggested that three hub genes, collagen alpha-1(VII) chain, mesothelin, and chordin-like protein 1, significantly correlated with tumor-infiltrating monocytes as well as may be potential prognostic biomarkers and therapy targets in lung squamous cell carcinoma. The investigation of the correlation of hub gene markers and infiltrating monocytes can also improve to well understand the molecular mechanisms of lung squamous cell carcinoma development.

The objective of the current study was to look at the levels of blood micro ribonucleic acid- (miR-) 497, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen (CA) 24-2, and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), as well as the clinical importance of these markers in CRC patients. The serum levels of miR-497, CEA, CA24-2, and HBsAg were compared between 60 patients with CRC (observation group) and another 60 patients with colorectal polyps (control group). The 4 indicators in patients with lymph node metastasis and liver metastasis were compared. The diagnostic effects of 4 detection methods and the combined detection were analyzed, and the influence of 4 indicators on the 5-year cumulative survival rate of patients was discussed. The results showed that the serum levels of miR-497 and HBsAg were lower, and the levels of CEA and CA24-2 were higher in the observation group (P < 0.05). The combined detection had the best diagnostic effect, and CEA alone had the best prediction effect. The serum level of miR-497 was significantly lower in patients with lymphatic metastasis, with the significantly higher levels of CEA and CA24-2 (P < 0.05). The HBsAg level of patients with liver metastases was greatly lower than that of patients without liver metastases (P < 0.05). The 5-year cumulative survival rate of patients with high levels of CEA and CA24-2 was significantly lower than that of patients with low level of CEA. The 5-year cumulative survival rate was lower in patients with low level of HBsAg, but the difference was small. The 5-year cumulative survival rate of patients with elevated serum miR-497 was observably lower. In conclusion, combined detection could diagnose CRC more accurately. Serum miR-497, CEA, and CA24-2 were important in the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis of CRC. HBsAg did a better job of predicting liver metastases in CRC patients. High level of CEA significantly reduced the cumulative survival rate of CRC patients and could predict the long-term survival rate of patients. Serum levels of miR-497, CEA, CA24-2, and HBsAg played a positive role in the diagnosis and evaluation of CRC and could identify lymph node and liver metastases, having a high clinical guidance value.

Pharmaceutical excipients are compounds or substances other than API which are added to a dosage form, these excipients basically act as carriers, binders, bulk forming agents, colorants, and flavouring agents, and few excipients are even used to enhance the activity of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and various more properties. However, despite of these properties, there are problems with the synthetic excipients such as the possibility of causing toxicity, inflammation, autoimmune responses, lack of intrinsic bioactivity and biocompatibility, expensive procedures for synthesis, and water solubility. However, starch as an excipient can overcome all these problems in one go. It is inexpensive, there is no toxicity or immune response, and it is biocompatible in nature. It is very less used as an excipient because of its high digestibility and swelling index, high glycemic index, paste clarity, film-forming property, crystalline properties, etc. All these properties of starch can be altered by a few modification processes such as physical modification, genetic modification, and chemical modification, which can be used to reduce its digestibility and glycemic index of starch, improve its film-forming properties, and increase its paste clarity. Changes in some of the molecular bonds which improve its properties such as binding, crystalline structure, and retrogradation make starch perfect to be used as a pharmaceutical excipient. This research work provides the structural modifications of native starch which can be applicable in advanced drug delivery. The major contributions of the paper are advances in the modification of native starch molecules such as physically, chemically, enzymatically, and genetically traditional crop modification to yield a novel molecule with significant potential for use in the pharmaceutical industry for targeted drug delivery systems.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to explore pathological mechanisms of bone fragility in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. METHODS: Identifying common genes for T2DM and osteoporosis by taking the intersection is shared by the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD), DISEASES, and GeneCards databases. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and the differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were identified by analyzing the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets (GSE35958, GSE43950, and GSE70318). FunRich and miRNet were applied to predict potential upstream transcription factors and downstream target genes of candidate DEMs, respectively. The Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed to explore potential mechanisms using Metascape. Eventually, a miRNA-gene network was constructed by Cytoscape software. RESULTS: 271 common targets and 35 common DEGs between T2DM and osteoporosis were screened out in the above databases, and a total of ten DEMs were obtained in the GSE70318. SP1 was predicted to potentially regulate most of the DEMs. Enrichment analysis showed the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications may play an important role in diabetic skeletal fragility. Two genes (NAMPT and IGFBP5) were considered as key genes involving in the development of diabetic osteoporosis. Through the construction of the miRNA-gene network, most of the hub genes were found to be potentially modulated by miR-96-5p and miR-7-5p. CONCLUSION: The study uncovered several important genes, miRNAs, and pathological mechanisms involved in diabetic skeletal fragility, among which the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications may play important roles.

The second largest cause of mortality worldwide is breast cancer, and it mostly occurs in women. Early diagnosis has improved further treatments and reduced the level of mortality. A unique deep learning algorithm is presented for predicting breast cancer in its early stages. This method utilizes numerous layers to retrieve significantly greater amounts of information from the source inputs. It could perform automatic quantitative evaluation of complicated image properties in the medical field and give greater precision and reliability during the diagnosis. The dataset of axillary lymph nodes from the breast cancer patients was collected from Erasmus Medical Center. A total of 1050 images were studied from the 850 patients during the years 2018 to 2021. For the independent test, data samples were collected for 100 images from 95 patients at national cancer institute. The existence of axillary lymph nodes was confirmed by pathologic examination. The feed forward, radial basis function, and Kohonen self-organizing are the artificial neural networks (ANNs) which are used to train 84% of the Erasmus Medical Center dataset and test the remaining 16% of the independent dataset. The proposed model performance was determined in terms of accuracy (Ac), sensitivity (Sn), specificity (Sf), and the outcome of the receiver operating curve (Roc), which was compared to the other four radiologists' mechanism. The result of the study shows that the proposed mechanism achieves 95% sensitivity, 96% specificity, and 98% accuracy, which is higher than the radiologists' models (90% sensitivity, 92% specificity, and 94% accuracy). Deep learning algorithms could accurately predict the clinical negativity of axillary lymph node metastases by utilizing images of initial breast cancer patients. This method provides an earlier diagnostic technique for axillary lymph node metastases in patients with medically negative changes in axillary lymph nodes.

INTRODUCTION: The importance of women's health and the quality of life after menopause is a critical issue. To prevent disability and menopause complications as well as avoid the side effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), in this study, licorice hydroalcoholic extract (Glycyrrhiza uralensis roots) was evaluated as a natural remedy. METHODS: Seventy-two female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into six groups: control group, Sham-operated group, Glycyrrhiza (Gly) 30% group, and ovariectomized group as well as two ovariectomized groups treated with Gly 10% and Gly 30%. Normal saline and different treatments were administered orally for 8 weeks. At the end of the study, calcium, alkaline phosphatase, estrogen, and progesterone levels in the ovariectomized rats were determined. Moreover, the stereological and histopathological changes in uterine tissue in all groups were determined. Phytochemical analyses were also performed to determine the total phenolic content and antioxidant potential of the extract. RESULT: The hydroalcoholic extract of licorice root exhibited considerable effect to improve calcium, estrogen, and progesterone levels in the ovariectomized rats. Also, hydroalcoholic extract of licorice root successfully decreases the amount of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level. The stereological and histopathological findings confirmed the therapeutic potential of this extract. The considerable effects of hydroalcoholic extract of licorice root could be due to high amounts of phytoestrogens with similar estrogen-like structures. Considerable total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were also seen in licorice root extract. CONCLUSION: Hydroalcoholic extract of licorice root due to containing high amounts of phytoestrogens with similar chemical structures to estradiol notably improves biochemical parameters as well as stereological and histopathological markers of uterine tissues in ovariectomy rats, so it could be a potential agent for prevention and/or treatment as hormone replacement therapy in healthy middle-aged and/or older women.

This study attempts to address the issue that present cross-modal image synthesis algorithms do not capture the spatial and structural information of human tissues effectively. As a consequence, the resulting photos include flaws including fuzzy edges and a poor signal-to-noise ratio. The authors offer a cross-sectional technique that combines residual modules with generative adversarial networks. The approach incorporates an enhanced residual initial module and attention mechanism into the generator network, reducing the number of parameters and improving the generator's feature learning capabilities. To boost discriminant performance, the discriminator employs a multiscale discriminator. A multilevel structural similarity loss is included in the loss function to improve picture contrast preservation. On the ADNI data set, the algorithm is compared to the mainstream algorithms. The experimental findings reveal that the synthetic PET image's MAE index has dropped while the SSIM and PSNR indexes have improved. The experimental findings suggest that the proposed model may maintain picture structural information while improving image quality in both visual and objective measures. The residue initial module and attention mechanism are employed to increase the generator's capacity for learning, while the multiscale discriminator is utilized to improve the model's discriminative performance. The enhanced method in this study can maintain the structure and contrast information of the picture, according to comparative experimental findings using the ADNI dataset. The produced picture is hence more aesthetically similar to the genuine print.

Miniscrew has been used widely as an effective orthodontic anchorage with reliable stationary quality, ease of insertion and removal techniques, immediate or early loading, flexibility in site insertion, less trauma, minimal patient cooperation, and lower price. Nonetheless, it is not free of complications, and they could impact not only the miniscrew success rate but also patients' oral health. In this article, literature was searched and reviewed electronically as well as manually to evaluate the complications of orthodontic miniscrew. The selected articles are analyzed and subcategorized into complications during and after insertion, under loading, and during and after removal along with treatment if needed according to the time. In addition, the noteworthy associated factors such as the insertion and removal procedures, characteristics of both regional and local anatomic structures, and features of the miniscrew itself that play a significant role in the performance of miniscrews are also discussed based on literature evidence. Clinicians should notice these complications and their related factors to make a proper treatment plan with better outcomes.