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Objective The serum levels of iron, zinc, copper and vitamin D in severe early childhood caries (S-ECC) patients were investigated and analyzed to provide reference for primary prevention and diagnosis of S-ECC children. Methods A total of 184 children were enrolled in the Children Health Department of Xinjiang Medical University Health Management Center from June 2018 to June 2019. They were divided into the caries-free (CF) group (n=89) and S-ECC group (n=95). The contents of iron, zinc, copper and vitamin D were detected. Results The serum iron content of the CF group and S-ECC group was (8.36 ± 0.42) mmol/L and (8.13 ± 0.44) mmol/L, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (t=3.50, P < 0.001); the serum content of zinc was (83.18 ± 7.28) μmol/L and (79.23 ± 6.38) μmol/L, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (t=3.92, P < 0.001); the serum content of 25-hydroxyvitamin D was (86.72 ± 15.83) nmol/L and (77.75 ± 11.38) nmol/L, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (t=4.42, P < 0.001). The serum copper content of CF group and S-ECC group was (20.18 ± 4.84) μmol/L and (19.49 ± 4.62) μmol/L, but the difference was not statistically significant (t=0.97, P=0.33). Conclusion The contents of iron, zinc and vitamin D in the serum of S-ECC patients are low, suggesting that iron, zinc and vitamin D supplementation should be emphasized in the prevention and treatment of S-ECC.

Objective To investigate the effect of miR-214 on the osteogenic differentiation of dental follicle cells (DFCs). Methods Purified DFCs were cultured in vitro by bidirectional differential passage, with the untransfected DFCs as the control group (DFCs group). The expression of miR-214-3p in DFCs was upregulated and downregulated by transfection of miR-214-3p(miR-214 mimics group) or miR-214-3p inhibitors(miR-214 inhibitor group) into DFCs. The expression levels of miR-214, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteonectin (OSN) and runt-related transcription factor-2(RUNX-2) were detected by qRT-PCR after 7 days of osteogenesis induction, the protein expression levels of RUNX-2 and β-catenin were detected by western blot, and the formation of mineralized nodules was observed with alizarin red staining after 14 days of osteogenesis induction. Results Compared with the DFCs group, in the miR-214 mimics group, the expression of miR-214 was upregulated after 7 days of osteogenesis induction. The mRNA expression of ALP, OSN and RUNX-2 in the miR-214 mimics group was lower than that in the DFCs group, but only ALP in the two groups was statistically significant (P > 0.05); the mRNA expression of ALP, OSN and RUNX-2 in the miR-214 inhibitor group was higher than that in the DFCs group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The protein expression of RUNX-2 and β-catenin in the miR-214 mimics group was lower than that in the miR-214 inhibitor group. The number of calcified nodules in the miR-214 mimics group was significantly less than that in the DFCs group, while that in the miR-214 inhibitor group was significantly higher than that in the DFCs group. Conclusion The upregulation of miR-214 can downregulate the expression of β-catenin, can inhibit the expression of ALP, OSN and RUNX-2 related to osteogenesis, and can inhibit osteogenic differentiation. The downregulation of miR-214 demonstrated the opposite results; miR-214 may downregulate the expression of β-catenin and inhibit the osteogenic differentiation of DFCs.

Background: Preoperative lung cancer with mediastinal lymph nodes metastasis can be diagnosed by vedio mediastinoscopy (VM) and CT. This study was to explore the value of VM and CT in the diagnosis of N staging of preoperative lung cancer, and to discuss the difference between the two methods., Methods: Forty-eight cases diagnosed of lung cancer by CT or PET-CT were examined by VM. The sensitivity, specificity, validity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of VM and CT were speculated according to the postoperative pathological reports, and the difference between VM and CT in the diagnosis of lung cancer with mediastinal lymph nodes metastasis was discussed., Results: (1)Under the examination of VM, 31 patients with the negative outcome received the direct operation; 14 patients with N2 received 2 courses of neoadjuvant chemotherapy before operation; 3 patients with N3 received chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. (2)Forty-one cases with final diagnosis of lung cancer were used as samples to speculate the sensitivity, specificity, validity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of VM. They were 93.3%, 100%, 97.6%, 100%, 96.3%, which of CT were 66.7%, 53.8%, 58.5%, 45.5%, 73.7% (Chi-square=4.083, P=0.039), the difference between VM and CT was statistically significant. (3)In this group, the complications of VM incidence rate was 2.08% (1/48), and the case was pneumothorax., Conclusions: VM is superior to CT in the diagnosis of N staging of preoperative lung cancer; Due to its safety and effectiveness, VM will be wildly used in the field of thoracic surgery.

Pollen grains, petal, corolla tube and stigma of two species of Flos Lonicerae from 11 habitats in China were examined by the light microscope (LM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The difference between the species, Lonicera japonica and L. hypoglauca, existed in the pollen grains, colporates, exines and the omamentations. Characteristics obviously varied in different species and were closely related to geographic distribution among the species. The results might provide a scientific basis for the quality evaluation of Genuine Crude Drug, and for the identification of varieties.