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In this work, through the orthogonal design of two fluorophores and two recognition groups, a series of fluorescent probes were developed from the flavone derivatives for hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S). The probe FlaN-DN stood out from the primarily screening on the selectivity and response intensities. It could respond to H 2 S with both the chromogenic and fluorescent signals. Among the recent reported probes for the H 2 S detection, FlaN-DN indicated the most highlighted advantages including the rapid response (within 200 s) and the high response multiplication (over 100 folds). FlaN-DN was sensitive to the pH condition, thus could be applied to distinguish the cancer micro-environment. Moreover, FlaN-DN suggested practical capabilities including a wide linear range (0-400 μM), a relatively high sensitivity (limit of detection 0.13 μM), and high selectivity towards H 2 S. As a low cytotoxic probe, FlaN-DN achieved the imaging in living HeLa cells. FlaN-DN could detect the endogenous generation H 2 S and visualize the dose-dependent responses to the exogenous H 2 S level. This work provided a typical case of natural-sourced derivatives as functional implements, which might inspire the future investigations., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The present study systematically analyzed and evaluated the variations in chemical speciation, pollution assessment, and source identification of heavy metals in sediments of Huangpu River. The methods employed included heavy metal concentration, chemical speciation and Cu isotopic compositions analysis. Results showed that the chemical speciation of sediment-bound heavy metals, characterized by significant seasonal variation, shifted from non-residual fractions dominating in spring and summer to residual fractions dominating in autumn and winter. Precipitation was identified as an important factor influencing the chemical speciation of sediment-bound heavy metals. Furthermore, ratio of the secondary phase to the primary phase, RSP (=C non-residual /C residual ) values in Huangpu River sediments were higher than 1 in spring and summer, indicating that sediment-bound heavy metals in Huangpu River were mainly composed of non-residual fractions and could potentially be released into the river water. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that navigation, traffic, agricultural, and industrial activities could be the potential sources of heavy metal pollution. Notably, the δ 65 Cu values in Huangpu River sediments were observed to be isotopically lighter (from -0.37 to +0.18 ‰), suggesting that navigation might be the primary pollution source. These results will not only provide guidance in reducing heavy metal concentrations, but also serve as a crucial basis for policy making regarding heavy metal control., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Ferroptosis, a newly identified form of cell death, is characterized by iron overload and accumulation of lipid reactive oxygen species. Inactivation of pathways, such as glutathione/glutathione peroxidase 4, NAD(P)H/ferroptosis suppressor protein 1/ubiquinone, dihydroorotate dehydrogenase/ubiquinol, or guanosine triphosphate cyclohydrolase-1/6(R)-L-erythro-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobiopterin pathways, have been found to induce ferroptosis. The accumulating data suggest that epigenetic regulation can determine cell sensitivity to ferroptosis at both the transcriptional and translational levels. While many of the effectors that regulate ferroptosis have been mapped, epigenetic regulation in ferroptosis is not yet fully understood. Neuronal ferroptosis is a driver in several central nervous system (CNS) diseases, such as stroke, Parkinson's disease, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injury, and thus, research on how to inhibit neuronal ferroptosis is required to develop novel therapies for these diseases. In this review, we have summarized epigenetic regulation of ferroptosis in these CNS diseases, focusing in particular on DNA methylation, non-coding RNA regulation, and histone modification. Understanding epigenetic regulation in ferroptosis will hasten the development of promising therapeutic strategies in CNS diseases associated with ferroptosis., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Taipu River is a river spanning two provinces and one city in a demonstration area in the Yangtze River Delta on an ecologically friendly developmentand an important water source in the upper reaches of the Huangpu River in Shanghai. To understand the multi-media distribution characteristics, pollution status, and ecological risk of heavy metals in the Taipu River, the contents of heavy metals (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, and Zn) in the sediments of Taipu River were analyzed, and the pollution status and potential ecological risk were evaluated using the Nemerow comprehensive pollution index, geo-accumulation index, and potential ecological risk index methods. In addition, the health risk assessment model was used to assess the health risk of heavy metals in surface water of Taipu River. The results showed that the concentrations of Cd, Cr, Mn, and Ni in the surface water of Taipu River exceeded the class Ⅲ water limit at the upstream point in spring; the concentrations of Sb exceeded the class Ⅲ water limit at all points in winter; the average value of As exceeded the class Ⅲ water limit in overlying water during the wet season; and the average values of As and Cd exceeded the class Ⅲ water limit in pore water during the wet season. The health risk assessment of surface water implied that both adults and children had higher health risk in spring and lower health risk in other seasons. The health risk of children was significantly higher than that of adults, and it mainly came from chemical carcinogenic heavy metal elements As, Cd, and Cr. The average contents of Co, Mn, Sb, and Zn in Taipu River sediments in the four seasons all exceeded the Shanghai soil baseline; the average contents of As, Cr, and Cu in summer, autumn, and winter exceeded the Shanghai soil baseline; and the average contents of Cd, Ni, and Pb in summer and winter exceeded the Shanghai soil baseline. The evaluation results of the Nemerow comprehensive pollution index and geo-accumulation index showed that the pollution degree of the middle reaches of Taipu River was higher than that of the upper and lower reaches, and the Sb pollution was more serious. The potential ecological risk index method revealed that the Taipu River sediment was at a low risk. Cd had a high contribution in both the wet and dry seasons and could be regarded as the main heavy metal of potential ecological risk in the Taipu River sediment.

Neural progenitor cells (NPCs) capable of self-renewal and differentiation into neural cell lineages offer broad prospects for cell therapy for neurodegenerative diseases. However, cell therapy based on NPC transplantation is limited by the inability to acquire sufficient quantities of NPCs. Previous studies have found that a chemical cocktail of valproic acid, CHIR99021, and Repsox (VCR) promotes mouse fibroblasts to differentiate into NPCs under hypoxic conditions. Therefore, we used VCR (0.5 mM valproic acid, 3 μM CHIR99021, and 1 μM Repsox) to induce the reprogramming of rat embryonic fibroblasts into NPCs under a hypoxic condition (5%). These NPCs exhibited typical neurosphere-like structures that can express NPC markers, such as Nestin, SRY-box transcription factor 2, and paired box 6 (Pax6), and could also differentiate into multiple types of functional neurons and astrocytes in vitro. They had similar gene expression profiles to those of rat brain-derived neural stem cells. Subsequently, the chemically-induced NPCs (ciNPCs) were stereotactically transplanted into the substantia nigra of 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned parkinsonian rats. We found that the ciNPCs exhibited long-term survival, migrated long distances, and differentiated into multiple types of functional neurons and glial cells in vivo. Moreover, the parkinsonian behavioral defects of the parkinsonian model rats grafted with ciNPCs showed remarkable functional recovery. These findings suggest that rat fibroblasts can be directly transformed into NPCs using a chemical cocktail of VCR without introducing exogenous factors, which may be an attractive donor material for transplantation therapy for Parkinson's disease., Competing Interests: None

Background: Induction chemotherapy combined with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy has been recommended for patients with high-risk, locally advanced rectal cancer. However, the benefit of more intensive total neoadjuvant treatment (TNT) is unknown. This study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of induction chemotherapy combined with chemoradiotherapy and consolidation chemotherapy for magnetic resonance imaging-stratified high-risk rectal cancer., Methods: This was a single-center, single-arm, prospective Phase II trial in Peking University Cancer Hospital (Beijing, China). Patients received three cycles of induction oxaliplatin and capecitabine (CapeOX) followed by chemoradiotherapy and two cycles of consolidation CapeOX. The primary end point was adverse event rate and the second primary end points were 3-year disease-free survival rate, completion of TNT, and pathological downstaging rate., Results: Between August 2017 and August 2018, 68 rectal cancer patients with at least one high risk factor (cT3c/3d/T4a/T4b, cN2, mesorectal fascia involvement, or extramural venous invasion involvement) were enrolled. The overall compliance of receiving the entire treatment was 88.2% (60/68). All 68 patients received induction chemotherapy, 65 received chemoradiotherapy, and 61 received consolidation chemotherapy. The Grade 3-4 adverse event rate was 30.8% (21/68). Nine patients achieved clinical complete response and then watch and wait. Five patients (7.4%) developed distant metastasis during TNT and received palliative chemotherapy. Fifty patients underwent surgical resection. The complete response rate was 27.9%. After a median follow-up of 49.2 months, the overall 3-year disease-free survival rate was 69.7%., Conclusions: For patients with high-risk rectal cancer, this TNT regimen can achieve favorable survival and complete response rates but with high toxicity. However, it is necessary to pay attention to the possibility of distant metastasis during the long treatment period., Competing Interests: None declared., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press and Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University.)

We assessed the clinicopathological features and prognostic values of KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, and DNA mismatch repair status in colorectal cancer (CRC) to provide real-world data in developing countries. We enrolled 369 CRC patients and analyzed the correlation between RAS/BRAF mutation, mismatch repair status with clinicopathological features, and their prognostic roles. The mutation frequencies of KRAS, NRAS, and BRAF were 41.7%, 1.6%, and 3.8%, respectively. KRAS mutations and deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) status were associated with right-sided tumors, aggressive biological behaviors, and poor differentiation. BRAF (V600E) mutations are associated with well-differentiated and lymphovascular invasion. The dMMR status predominated in young and middle-aged patients and tumor node metastasis stage II patients. dMMR status predicted longer overall survival in all CRC patients. KRAS mutations indicated inferior overall survival in patients with CRC stage IV. Our study showed that KRAS mutations and dMMR status could be applied to CRC patients with different clinicopathological features., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Objective: To explore potential biomarkers indicating endometriosis (EM)., Materials and Methods: A proteomics method and combined quantitative transcriptomics were adopted to highlight markers in the EM. Venn analysis was used to integrate the ribonucleic acid sequencing (RNA-seq) and protein profiles. Promising candidate markers were tested by enzyme-related immunosorbent assay., Results: A sum of 979 mRNAs and 39 proteins were tested to be significantly differentially expression in the standard cluster compared with the EM cluster. Venn analysis showed a filtered signature of only two down-regulated molecules in the EM group, i.e. fetuin B (FETUB) and serpin family C member 1 (SERPINC1); the latter showed a big variance between the control category and the EM set in the authentication test., Conclusion: SERPINC1 may be a useful possible biomarker for the analysis of EM.

This study aimed to explore whether the combined application of desflurane and dexmedetomidine (Dex) reduces the occurrence of postoperative neurocognitive disorders (PND) in patients. We selected patients in our hospital who underwent surgery under general anesthesia, and divided them into two groups: Dex and desflurane (Dex + Des) and desflurane (Des) groups. The data of patients were collected and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score was used to assess cognitive status. The blood cell counts were determined preoperatively and on postoperative days 1, 3, and 6, and the percentage of neutrophils and lymphocytes were also recorded. The statistical methods used were the independent-samples t -test and the χ 2 test. Pearson's correlation was used to analyze the correlation between PND and inflammation. The incidence of PND in the Dex + Des group was lower than that in the Des group. The postoperative MMSE scores in the Dex + Des group were higher than those in the Des group ( p  = 0.032). The percentage of neutrophils in the Dex + Des group was significantly lower than that in the Des group on the first and third days after surgery ( p  = 0.007; p  = 0.028). The MMSE scores on the first day after surgery were negatively correlated with the multiple changes in white blood counts and the percentage of neutrophils ( r  = -0.3038 and -0.3330). Dex combined with Des reduced the incidence of PND and reduced the postoperative inflammatory cell counts., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Ibrain published by Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University and Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Classic paired associative stimulation can improve synaptic plasticity, as demonstrated by animal experiments and human clinical trials in spinal cord injury patients. Paired associative magnetic stimulation (dual-target peripheral and central magnetic stimulation) has been shown to promote neurologic recovery after stroke. However, it remains unclear whether paired associative magnetic stimulation can promote recovery of lower limb motor dysfunction after spinal cord injury. We hypothesize that the current caused by central and peripheral magnetic stimulation will converge at the synapse, which will promote synapse function and improve the motor function of the relevant muscles. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effects of paired associative magnetic stimulation on neural circuit activation by measuring changes in motor evoked and somatosensory evoked potentials, motor and sensory function of the lower limbs, functional health and activities of daily living, and depression in patients with spinal cord injury. We will recruit 110 thoracic spinal trauma patients treated in the Department of Spinal Cord Injury, China Rehabilitation Hospital and randomly assign them to experimental and control groups in a 1:1 ratio. The trial group (n = 55) will be treated with paired associative magnetic stimulation and conventional rehabilitation treatment. The control group (n = 55) will be treated with sham stimulation and conventional rehabilitation treatment. Outcomes will be measured at four time points: baseline and 4, 12, and 24 weeks after the start of intervention (active or sham paired associative magnetic stimulation). The primary outcome measure of this trial is change in lower limb American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale motor function score from baseline to last follow-up. Secondary outcome measures include changes in lower limb American Spinal Injury Association sensory function score, motor evoked potentials, sensory evoked potentials, modified Ashworth scale score, Maslach Burnout Inventory score, and Hamilton Depression Scale score over time. Motor evoked potential latency reflects corticospinal tract transmission time, while amplitude reflects recruitment ability; both measures can help elucidate the mechanism underlying the effect of paired associative magnetic stimulation on synaptic efficiency. Adverse events will be recorded. Findings from this trial will help to indicate whether paired associative magnetic stimulation (1) promotes recovery of lower limb sensory and motor function, reduces spasticity, and improves quality of life; (2) promotes neurologic recovery by increasing excitability of spinal cord motor neurons and stimulating synaptic plasticity; and (3) improves rehabilitation outcome in patients with spinal cord injury. Recruitment for this trial began in April 2021 and is currently ongoing. It was approved by the Ethics Committee of Yangzhi Affiliated Rehabilitation Hospital of Tongji University, China (approval No. YZ2020-018) on May 18, 2020. The study protocol was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration number: ChiCTR2100044794) on March 27, 2021 (protocol version 1.0). This trial will be completed in April 2022., Competing Interests: None

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a common pathological mechanism involved in many ocular diseases. I/R is characterized by microvascular dysfunction and neurodegeneration. However, the mechanisms of neurodegeneration induced by I/R remain largely unknown. This study showed that the expression of long non-coding RNA-CRNDE was significantly upregulated after retinal ischemia-reperfusion (RIR). LncRNA-CRNDE knockdown alleviated retinal neurodegeneration induced by RIR injury, as shown by decreased reactive gliosis and reduced retinal cells loss. Furthermore, lncRNA-CRNDE knockdown directly regulated Müller cell function and indirectly affected RGC function in vitro . In addition, lncRNA-CRNDE knockdown led to a significant reduction in the release of several cytokines after RIR. This study suggests that lncRNA-CRNDE is a promising therapeutic target for RIR., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Objective: To explore for a protocol for reprogramming rat embryonic fibroblasts (REFs) under hypoxic conditions (5% O 2 ) to form chemically induced rat neural progenitor cells (ciRNPCs)., Methods: The reprogramming of REFs into ciNPCs was done in two stages. The first stage involved chemical induction to generate intermediate cells. The REFs were cultured in KSR medium containing valproic acid, CHIR99021, and RepSox (VCR) and 10000 U/mL leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) for 15 days, under a physiological hypoxic condition. The formation of dense cell colonies, i.e., intermediate cells, were observed. The second stage involved the specific induction of ciRNPCs. The induced intermediate cells were digested with trypsin, seeded on a low adhesion plate, and cultured under normoxic condition to form ciRNPCs neurospheres. Then, after CM-DiI cell-labeling, the ciRNPCs were stereotactically transplanted into the substantia nigra (SN) of rats. The survival, migration, and differentiation of ciRNPCs in the host brain were examined with immunofluorescence assays., Results: After induction under hypoxic condition for 5 to 10 days, a clear trend of cell aggregation was observed. Compact cell colonies were observed in REFs treated with VCR for 15 days under a hypoxic condition. Approximately 30 colonies emerged from 1×10 5 cells, and most colonies were positive for AP staining. Moreover, when these cells were cultured further in suspension, free-floating neurospheres formed and stained positive for neural progenitor cell (NPC) markers, including Nestin, Sox2 and Pax6. These ciRNPCs could differentiate into glial cells and neurons, and express neurite marker Tuj1 and astrocyte marker GFAP. Eight weeks after transplantation, the cells could differentiate into GFAP + and Tuj1 + cells in the rat brain., Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that VCR, a small molecule compound, can directly induce, under a hypoxic condition, the reprogramming of REFs to form ciRNPCs with the potential to be induced for differentiation into glial cells and neurons in vivo and in vitro , laying the foundation for transplanting ciRNPCs to treat neurodegenerative diseases., (Copyright© by Editorial Board of Journal of Sichuan University (Medical Sciences).)

The ab initio intra- and inter-molecular potential energy surfaces (PESs) for the H 2 O-Ne system that explicitly incorporate the intramolecular overtone state ( v OH = 2) of H 2 O are presented. The electronic structure computations have been carried out at the explicitly correlated coupled cluster theory [CCSD(T)-F12] level with an augmented correlation-consistent triple zeta basis set and an additional bond function. The vibrationally averaged three-dimensional intermolecular potentials for |00 + 〉, |02 + 〉, |02 - 〉 and |11 + 〉 are obtained analytically by fitting to the multi-dimensional Morse/Long-range potential function form. These fits to 46 980 points have a root-mean-square (RMS) discrepancy of 0.12 cm -1 for interaction energies less than 1000.0 cm -1 . With the vibrationally averaged PESs for the H 2 O-Ne, we employed the combined radial discrete variable representation/angular finite basis representation method and Lanczos algorithm to calculate rovibrational energy levels ( J = 0-10, n s ≤ 2). The predicted infrared transitions and intensities of the para - and ortho -H 2 O-Ne complex are in good agreement with the available experimental data for |02 - 〉 ← |00 + 〉, |02 + 〉 ← |00 + 〉 transitions. In particular, the RMS discrepancy for |02 - 〉∑ e (0 00 ,0) ← |00 + 〉∑ e (1 01 ,0), including P and R branch patterns, is only 0.045 cm -1 , which is comparable with the experimental values. These results will provide reliable theoretical guidance for the future infrared overtone spectroscopy of clusters.

Background: Sanghuangporus baumii is a traditional Chinese medicine with anti- cancer, anti-tumor, and anti-inflammatory effects. Triterpenoids are one of the main medicinal ingredients found in S. baumii. However, the dynamic changes of triterpenoids content and its molecular regulation mechanism are still unclear., Objective: Some studies have shown that Lanosterol synthase ( LS) is a key enzyme involved in the mevalonate pathway (MVA pathway) to produce lanosterol, which is a precursor for synthesizing S. baumii triterpenoids. Therefore, the study of LS gene and expression characteristics can provide clues for the further study of triterpenoids synthesis., Methods: The PCR, RACE PCR, RT-PCR, homologous recombination and prokaryotic expression technology were used to research the gene characteristic and dynamic changes of LS transcription level., Results: The S. baumii LS sequence included a 5'-untranslated region (129 bp), a 3'-untranslated region (87 bp), and an open reading frame (2,229 bp) encoding 734 amino acids. The S. baumii LS protein was expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3). The transcription start site of the S. baumii LS promoter sequence ranged from 1 740 bp to 1790 bp. The LS promoter contained 12 CAAT-boxes, 5 ABREs, 6 G-Boxes, 6 CGTCA-motifs, and so on. The LS transcription levels were the highest on day 11 in mycelia (1.6-fold), and the triterpenoids content also gradually increased. The transcription levels began to decrease on day 13, but the triterpenoids content still increased., Conclusion: The S. baumii LS was cloned and characterized to help to understand the mechanism of triterpenoids synthesis. In addition, we studied the relationship between LS transcription level and triterpenoid dynamic accumulation, and we found that they had a certain correlation., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Artificial intelligence technologies such as machine learning have been applied to protein engineering, with unique advantages in protein structure, function prediction, catalytic activity, and other issues in recent years. Screening better mutants is still a bottleneck in protein engineering. In this paper, a new sequence-activity relationship method was analyzed for its application in improving the thermal stability of Aspergillus terreus (R)- ω -selective amine transaminase. The experimental data from 6 single-point mutated enzymes were used as a learning dataset to build models and predict the thermostability of 2 6 mutants. Based on digital signal processing (DSP), this method digitized the amino acid sequence of proteins by fast Fourier transform (FFT) and then established the best model applying partial least squares regression (PLSR) to screen out all possible mutants, especially those with high performance. In protein engineering, the innovative sequence activity relationship (ISAR) method can make a reasonable prediction using limited experimental data and significantly reduce the experimental cost. The half-life ( T 1/2 ) of (R)- ω -transaminase was fitted with the amino acid sequence by the ISAR algorithm, resulting in an R 2 of 0.8929 and a cvRMSE of 4.89. At the same time, the mutants with higher T 1/2 than the existing ones were predicted, laying the groundwork for better (R)- ω -transaminase in the later stage. The ISAR algorithm is expected to provide a new technique for protein evolution and screening., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Li-li Jia et al.)

Objective: To investigate the difference of clinical features and outcomes between EM patients with and without AM after following up for at least 6 years after surgery. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 358 EM patients who had a minimum of 6 years follow-up after laparoscopic cystectomy, which was performed by one single doctor at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2009 to April 2013. All women were divided into AM group and non-AM group and analysis was performed in preoperative characteristics, surgical findings and postoperative outcomes during follow-up. Results: A total of 358 EM patients were recruited, of which 142 (39.7%) were in the AM group and the rest 216 (60.3%) in the non-AM group. Between the two group, the mean age was 34.6 vs. 32.2 years ( P < 0.001). The mean operating time in the AM and non-AM group was 73.2 vs. 61.9 min ( P < 0.001). According to the revised AFS classification, the mean score of the two group were 60.3 vs. 45.5 ( P < 0.001). At the end of the follow-up, though the AM group was with higher rate of disease relapse, yet no significant difference was found between the two groups in statistical comparison (34/142 [23.9%] vs. 34/216 [15.7%], P = 0.053). With a minimum follow-up of 6 years after laparoscopic cystectomy, failed and successful pregnancy were seen in 107/142(75.4%) and 35/142 (24.6%) patients in the AM group vs. 114/216(52.8%) and 102/216 (47.2%) patients in the non-AM group ( P < 0.05). As for the successfully pregnant patients, live births, including spontaneous pregnancy and IVF-ET, were seen in 34/35 (97.1) vs. 99/102 (97.1) patients between AM and non-AM groups, while others ended in spontaneous abortion. No significant associations were found between the two groups in infertility, leiomyoma presence, the size of ovarian endometrioma, type of deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) or type of recurrence ( P > 0.05). Conclusion: Compared with non-AM group, EM patients with concurrent AM may have higher age, longer mean operating time and higher mean AFS score. In terms of fertility outcomes, patients in the AM group were with lower likelihood of pregnancy after surgery during the long-time follow-up., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Sun, Li, Shi, Wu, Gu and Leng.)

Eucommiae Cortex is an authentic medicinal material with broad growing areas( such as Hunan and Sichuan provinces in China. It is well-known for its efficacy in tonifying liver and kidney,strengthening muscles and bones,and stabilizing fetus. It has also been proven in pharmacology to possess the functions such as lowering blood pressure and lipids. Hence,Eucommiae Cortex has attracted increasing attention. The current quality standards of Eucommiae Cortex vary in different countries or regions. The quality of Eucommiae Cortex products on the market is affected by mix-ups of non-medicinal parts and insufficient growth years. In view of these problems,this paper summarizes the current quality standards and research progress of Eucommiae Cortex in China and overseas,aiming to provide a reference for the establishment of the quality standards of Eucommiae Cortex.

This paper uses the mixed frequency vector autoregression model to explore the impact of economic fluctuations on infectious diseases mortality (IDM) from China perspective. We find that quarterly gross domestic product (GDP) fluctuations have a negative impact on the annual IDM, indicating that the mortality of infectious diseases varies counter-cyclically with the business cycle in China. Specifically, IDM usually increases with deterioration in economic conditions, and vice versa. The empirical results are consistent with the hypothesis I derived from the theoretical analysis, which highlights that economic fluctuations can negatively affect the mortality of infectious diseases. The findings can offer revelations for the government to consider the role of economic conditions in controlling the epidemic of infectious diseases. Policymakers should adopt appropriate and effective strategies to mitigate the potential negative effects of macroeconomic downturns on the mortality of infectious diseases. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, these analyses further emphasize the importance of promoting economic growth, increasing public health expenditure, and preventing and controlling foreign infectious diseases., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Sun, Tao, Su and Umar.)

Ovarian fibrosarcoma is an extremely rare and malignant sex cord-stromal tumor. Due to its low incidence and poor prognosis, until now, very few cases have been reported, and most of the reported cases have been sporadic. Therefore, the treatments and prognostic factors of ovarian fibrosarcoma are still debatable. Here, we report 5 cases of ovarian fibrosarcoma that presented at Peking Union Medical College Hospital over the past 20 years. The 5 patients were 41, 51, 54, 76, and 76 years of age when initial symptoms of pelvic mass or pain appeared. On ultrasound, this disease usually manifests as unilateral pelvic masses, within which uneven echo enhancement and some blood flow signals are observed. No significant increase was observed in the levels of preoperative tumor markers, such as serum CA125 and sex hormones. The final diagnosis depends on postoperative histopathological results since these tumors are easily misdiagnosed when intraoperative frozen sections are used for examination. Pathologic examinations showed that the tumor cells were spindle-shaped with moderate to severe atypia and high mitotic counts. The immunohistochemistry profile is not specific, but the positive rate of Ki-67 was consistent with the degree of malignancy and the prognosis of patients with this tumor. In addition, the tumor may also be positive for Vimentin, α-inhibin, SMA, estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor. Significant differences were observed in the surgical methods used, and no unified chemotherapy regimen has been established. The overall survival was > 15, >7, > 6, <1, and < 1 year for each patient. After reviewing the literature, evidence-based large-scale case studies were lacking. For treatments, complete cytoreductive surgery plus regimens typically used against malignant sex cord-stromal tumors, as described in the NCCN guidelines, are recommended. Due to its low incidence, both multicenter clinical studies and molecular studies are required to provide gynecologists with a better understanding and guidance for future management of patients with ovarian fibrosarcoma.

Background: Prognostic and pathologic risk factors typically guide clinicians and patients in their choice of surveillance or adjuvant chemotherapy when managing high-risk stage II colon cancer. However, variations in treatment and outcomes in patients with stage II colon cancer remain., Objective: This study aimed to assess the survival benefits of treatments concordant with suggested therapeutic options from Watson for Oncology, a clinical decision support system., Design: This is a retrospective observational study of concordance between actual treatment and Watson for Oncology therapeutic options., Setting: This study was conducted at a top-tier cancer center in China., Patients: Postoperative treatment data were retrieved from the electronic health records of 306 patients with high-risk stage II colon adenocarcinoma., Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcomes measured were the treatment patterns plus 3- and 5-year overall and disease-free survival for concordant and nonconcordant cases., Results: Overall concordance was 90%. Most nonconcordant care resulted from adjuvant chemotherapy use (rather than surveillance) in patients with high-level microsatellite instability and ≥70 years old. No difference in overall survival (p = 0.56) or disease-free survival (p = 0.19) was observed between concordance groups. Patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy had significantly higher 5-year overall survival than those undergoing surveillance (94% vs 84%, p = 0.01)., Limitations: This study was limited by the use of retrospective cases drawn from patients presenting for surgery, the lack of complete follow-up data for 58% of patients who could not be included in the analysis, and a survival analysis that assumes no unmeasured correlation between survival and censoring., Conclusions: Watson for Oncology produced therapeutic options highly concordant with human decisions at a top-tier cancer center in China. Treatment patterns suggest that Watson for Oncology may be able to guide clinicians to minimize overtreatment of patients with high-risk stage II colon cancer with chemotherapy. Survival analyses suggest the need for further investigation to specifically assess the association between surveillance, single-agent and multiagent chemotherapy, and survival outcomes in this population. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/B291. APOYO A LA DECISIÓN CLÍNICA DEL CÁNCER DE COLON EN ESTADIO II DE ALTO RIESGO: UN ESTUDIO DEL MUNDO REAL SOBRE LA CONCORDANCIA DEL TRATAMIENTO Y LA SUPERVIVENCIA: Los factores de riesgo pronósticos y patológicos generalmente guían a los médicos y pacientes en su elección de vigilancia o quimioterapia adyuvante cuando se trata el cáncer de colon en estadio II de alto riesgo. Sin embargo, las variaciones en el tratamiento y los resultados en pacientes con cáncer de colon en estadio II permanecen.Evaluar los beneficios de supervivencia de los tratamientos concordantes con las opciones terapéuticas sugeridas por "Watson for Oncology" (Watson para la oncología), un sistema de apoyo a la decisión clínica.Estudio observacional retrospectivo de concordancia entre el tratamiento real y las opciones terapéuticas de Watson para oncología.Un centro oncológico de primer nivel en China.Datos de tratamiento postoperatorio de registros de salud electrónicos de 306 pacientes con adenocarcinoma de colon en estadio II de alto riesgo.Patrones de tratamiento más supervivencia global y libre de enfermedad a 3 y 5 años para casos concordantes y no concordantes.La concordancia general fue del 90%. La mayoría de la atención no concordante resultó del uso de quimioterapia adyuvante (en lugar de vigilancia) en pacientes de alto nivel con inestabilidad de microsatélites y pacientes ≥70 años. No se observaron diferencias en la supervivencia global (p = 0,56) o la supervivencia libre de enfermedad (p = 0,19) entre los grupos de concordancia. Los pacientes que recibieron quimioterapia adyuvante tuvieron una supervivencia global a los 5 años significativamente más alta que los que fueron sometidos a vigilancia (94% frente a 84%, p = 0,01).Uso de casos retrospectivos extraídos de pacientes que se presentan para cirugía, falta de datos de seguimiento completos para el 58% de los pacientes que no pudieron ser incluidos en el análisis, y análisis de supervivencia que asume que no exite una correlación no medida entre supervivencia y censura.Watson para Oncología produjo opciones terapéuticas altamente concordantes con las decisiones humanas en un centro oncológico de primer nivel en China. Los patrones de tratamiento sugieren que Watson para Oncología puede guiar a los médicos para minimizar el sobretratamiento de pacientes con cáncer de colon en estadio II de alto riesgo con quimioterapia. Los análisis de supervivencia sugieren la necesidad de realizar mas investigaciónes para evaluar específicamente la asociación entre la vigilancia, la quimioterapia con uno solo o múltiples agentes y los resultados de supervivencia en esta población. Consulte Video Resumen en http://links.lww.com/DCR/B291. (Traducción-Dr. Gonzalo Hagerman).

Introduction: Ovarian endometriosis is the most common type of endometriosis (EM), affecting more than 40% of women with EM. Currently, surgical intervention is still controversial in infertile patients with ovarian endometriosis, especially in those with stage III-IV EM. Very few studies have been done to analyze long-term pregnancy results in patients with endometrioma more than 5 years after surgery. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the pregnancy outcomes and the related factors in patients with endometrioma and stage III-IV endometriosis during a long-term follow-up postoperatively., Methods: We collected 347 patients with ovarian endometriosis, which included 59 infertile patients with stage III-IV endometriosis who had a minimum of 5 years of postoperative follow-up after undergoing laparoscopic excision of ovarian endometriomas performed by a single doctor at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2009 to April 2013., Results: A total of 59 infertile patients were recruited. The mean age was 31.8 ± 3.6 years. The mean size of the endometriomas was 6.8 ± 3.3 cm. Before surgery, dysmenorrhea was present in 88.1% (52/59) of the cases, while chronic pelvic pain was reported in nine cases (15.3%). A total of 20.3% (12/59) of cases were concurrent with leiomyoma, 52.5% (31/59) with deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE), and 39.0% (23/59) with adenomyosis. During laparoscopy, 21 cases were diagnosed as stage III (35.6%) and 38 as stage IV (64.4%) EM according to the revised American Fertility Society (AFS) classification. After laparoscopic cystectomy, 38 (64.4%) patients became successfully pregnant by the 5th year. All the patients were divided into two groups according to the postoperative pregnancy outcomes. In univariate analysis, the higher mean age and concurrent diagnosis of adenomyosis were seen to be related to poor postoperative pregnancy outcomes (p < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, however, the mean age, chronic pelvic pain (CPP), and adenomyosis were independent risk factors of pregnancy outcomes between the two groups (p < 0.05). With a minimum follow-up of 6 years, 23.7% (14/59) of recurrence was observed in the entire study cohort., Conclusion: Infertile patients with endometrioma and stage III-IV EM may have lower pregnancy rates after laparoscopic cystectomy if they are older and present with CPP and adenomyosis. Our data showed a lower rate of recurrence but a higher rate of pregnancy after surgery.

Although Trichoderma species are usually considered to be culture contaminants, an increasing number of case reports have demonstrated their pathogenicity. Current diagnostic tools, including fungal culture, radiology, histopathology, and direct microscopy examination, are often unable to differentiate the pathogenicity of 'fungal contaminants' such as Trichoderma species in patients. Accurate diagnostic tools for 'fungal contaminants' infection have become the urgent needs. To that end, we applicated laser capture microdissection (LCM) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to confirm T. longibrachiatum infection for the first time. A 57-year-old man presented with a cough and hemoptysis lasting for more than 40 days. Computed tomography scan revealed a mass at the left hilum. In addition to pulmonary spindle cell carcinoma, fungal hyphae were also detected in histopathological examination. The cultured fungus was identified as T. longibrachiatum using molecular procedures. The results from DNA sequencing of DNA obtained by LCM revealed the identical result. Antifungal susceptibility testing revealed resistance to itraconazole, fluconazole and flucytosine. The patient was managed with oral voriconazole for 4 months. No relapse of Trichoderma infection was observed at a year follow-up visit. Although there are potential disadvantages, LCM-based molecular biology technology is a promising diagnostic tool for 'fungal contaminants' infection., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology.)

In this study, we synthesized composite metal modified biochar using fruit shell biochar impregnated with ferric chloride and potassium permanganate. We investigated its potential to adsorb phosphorus at low concentrations. Results show that the adsorption of low-concentration phosphorus by Fe and Mn modified biochar was significantly better than by non-modified biochar. SEM and FT-IR spectra indicate that iron and manganese oxides or iron hydroxides might be present on the surface of Fe and Mn modified biochar. When the phosphorus concentration is 0.5 mg·L -1 at a temperature is 298 K and solid-to-liquid ratio (mg:L) of 500, the adsorption capacity of modified biochar is 0.96 mg·g -1 . When the pH of the solution is 4 to 10, a higher removal rate and adsorption capacity are realized. The biochar equilibrium data were fitted to the Freundlich equation, which indicated that the adsorption was a multimolecular layer adsorption. Adsorption thermodynamics studies showed that Δ G θ < 0, Δ H θ > 0, and Δ S θ > 0, indicating that the adsorption was a spontaneous, with positive entropy, and an endothermic process. The adsorption reached equilibrium after 60 min, and the adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model. This research provides basic data for the removal of low-concentration phosphorus from a water body and sewage treatment plant.

In order to study the pesticide residues of the medicinal Crataegi Fructus,this study aims to establish an analysis method for pesticide residues( mainly containing insecticides and fungicides) suitable for the actual situation of medicinal Crataegi Fructus based on the survey of the pesticides of the Crataegi Fructus base,combined with the blind screening results of the LC-ESI-MS/MS pesticide screening platform established by the research team in the early stage. Then,the pesticide residues in medicinal Crataegi Fructus from Shandong,Hebei,Henan,Shanxi,and Liaoning( main cultivation areas) were analyzed. The samples were pretreated by the modified Qu ECh ERS method,i.e.,extracted with acetonitrile-water( 9 ∶1),purified by PSA,C&#95;(18),GCB,silica gel. The detection of pesticides was performed by LC-MS/MS. The ion source was ESI with positive scanning mode,and the linearity of 11 kinds of pesticides in the range of 5-300 μg·kg~(-1) was acceptable( R~2&gt;0. 996 9). All the recoveries of pesticides were within 70. 02%~(-1)12. 0% in the low,medium and high levels,with RSD≤17%. The results showed that the detection rate of carbendazim,chlorpyrifos and difenoconazole is 79%,82%,56%,respectively. Besides,the prohibition pesticide carbofuran were detected in some of the batches,indicating the security risk. This study provides methodological references and basic data for risk assessment of Crataegi Fructus and government regulation.

Objectives: Since other genital infections enhance HIV susceptibility by inducing inflammation and evidence suggests that the vaginal microbiome plays a functional role in the persistence or regression of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infections, we investigated the relationship between the composition of the vaginal microbiota and the risk of high-risk HPV infection., Methods: The study included 151 healthy women (65 HPV-positive and 86 HPV-negative) aged 20-65 at enrollment. Total genome DNA from samples was extracted using the hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) CTAB method. The vaginal microbiota composition was determined by sequencing barcoded 16S rDNA gene fragments (V4) on Illumina HiSeq2500., Results: Of the 30 most abundant bacteria at the genus level, we found only six bacteria with a statistical difference between HPV-positive and HPV-negative women: Bacteroides , Acinetobacter , Faecalibacterium , Streptococcus , Finegoldia , and Moryella. Lactobacillus was the predominant genus and was detected in all women, but there was no significant difference between the two groups for L. iners , L. jensenii , and L. gasseri . Furthermore, we found 26 types of bacteria with a statistical difference at the species level between the two groups. Anaerobic bacteria such as Bacteroides plebeius , Acinetobacter lwoffii , and Prevotella buccae were found significantly more frequently in HPV-positive women, which is the most important finding of our study., Conclusion: Our findings suggest a possible role for the composition of the vaginal microbiota as a modifier of high-risk HPV infection, and specific microbiota species may serve as sensors for changes in the cervical microenvironment associated with high-risk HPV infection. The exact molecular mechanism of the vaginal microbiota in the course of high-risk HPV infection and cervical neoplasia should be further explored. Future research should include intervention in the composition of the vaginal microbiota to reverse the course of high-risk HPV infection and the natural history of cervical neoplasia., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© IGCS and ESGO 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: Erythromelalgia is highly disabling and treatment is often very challenging. There have been solitary case reports that it might benefit from sympathectomy. This study sought to evaluate the short-term and long-term efficacy of chemical lumbar sympathectomy (CLS) for treatment of recalcitrant erythromelalgia and try to identify a CLS-responsive subset., Methods: Patients with recalcitrant erythromelalgia were recruited from a tertiary hospital over a 10-year period. L3 to L4 CLS was performed using 5% phenol. The pain intensity score (visual analog scale [VAS] 0-10) was assessed before CLS and at 1 day, 1 week, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after CLS. A VAS decrease of 90%-100% is defined as complete response, 60%-89% as major partial response. Relapse was defined by a return of a VAS score of 5 or higher. SCN9A gene mutations were screened., Results: Thirteen patients were enrolled, with a median age of 15 years. The mean follow-up was 6.2 ± 3.8 years. SCN9A gene mutation was identified in five patients having family histories. The VAS was 8.2 ± 2.0 at baseline; it decreased to 4.9 ± 2.7 at 1 day and 1.9 ± 3.0 at 1 week after CLS. Nine patients (69.2%) achieved complete response at 1 week after CLS, including three patients with SCN9A gene mutation. Among the three complete response patients having the gene mutation, two reverted to major partial response and one relapsed at 2 years after CLS. Among the six complete response patients without mutation, five maintained complete response and one relapsed. Among the four patients who did not achieve complete response, one patient died at 3.5 months and one patient had an amputation performed at 4 months after CLS., Conclusions: CLS provides a valid option for the treatment of recalcitrant erythromelalgia. It takes about 1 week to achieve full efficacy. Relapse may occur, especially in patients with an SCN9A gene mutation., (Copyright © 2018 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To determine the immune responses elicited in BALB/c mice by vaccination with eukaryotic expression plasmid pcDNA3.1(+)-BmM29 containing Brugia malayi myosin 29(BmM29) epitode and prokaryotically expressed recombinant BmM2 protein(rBmM29) respectively., Methods: rBmM29 protein was expressed in E. coli strain BL21, purified as recombinant protein vaccine, and administered via multiple subcutaneous injections. The purified recombinant plasmid pcDNA3.1(+)-BmM29 was used as the nucleic acid vaccine and injected into the tibialis anterior muscle. Sixty BALB/c mice were randomized to receive three immunizations(with intervals of 2 weeks) with PBS (100 μg, group A), pcDNA3.1(+)/CpG (100 μg/30 μg, group B), pcDNA3.1(+)-BmM29/CpG (100 μg/30 μg, group C), rBmM29/CpG(50 μg/30 μg, group D), or pcDNA3.1(+)-BmM29/rBmM29/CpG (two injections of pcDNA3.1(+)-BmM29/CpG 100 μg/30 μg followed by a rBmM29/CpG 50 μg/30 μg). Serum was prepared through ophthalmectomy at week 4, 6, and 8 after primary immunization, and the serum IgG titer was determined by ELISA. The mice were sacrificed at week 8, splenocyte suspension cultured for 48 h, and levels of INF-γ and IL-4 in the supernatant detected by ELISA., Results: ELISA results showed that the A490 values of serum IgG in groups A-E were 0.038 ± 0.050,0.053 ± 0.009,0.360 ± 0.035,0.456 ± 0.025,0.370 ± 0.025 at week 4,0.045 ± 0.003,0.045 ± 0.005,0.510 ± 0.018,0.548 ± 0.010,0.552 ± 0.018 at week 6, and 0.041 ± 0.004,0.044 ± 0.009,0.606 ± 0.047,0.674 ± 0.042,0.770 ± 0.041 at week 8, significantly higher in groups C, D and E than in groups A and B (P < 0.05) at all time points, and significantly higher in group E than in groups C and D(P < 0.05) at week 8. The IFN-γ levels in splenocyte culture supernatant at week 8 after primary immunization were (47.72 ± 8.94),(50.43 ± 2.81),(304.78 ± 8.42),(242.28 ± 5.99), and(426.52 ± 6.76) pg/ml in groups A-E, respectively, significantly higher in groups C-D than in groups A and B(P < 0.05), and in group E than in groups C and D(P < 0.05). The IL-4 levels in splenocyte culture supernatant were(60.00 ± 11.14),(57.71 ± 15.95),(93.17 ± 12.56),(96.67 ± 11.48), and (101.17 ± 5.81) pg/ml, significantly higher in groups C-D than in groups A and B(P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Both the recombinant plasmid pcDNA3.19(+)-BmM29 and rBmM29 protein could elicit specific humoral and cellular immune responses in mice. Combined immunization with nucleic acid vaccine and protein vaccine is superior to each of the two alone.

We report a rare case of subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis caused by Cladosporium cladosporioides. A 21-year-old man was presented to our clinic with the history of cysts and nodules on his face and neck for 5 years. He was diagnosed subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis according to the finding of fungal elements in histopathological examination and direct microscopic examination of cyst pus, which was confirmed by positive culture of the cyst pus. The isolate grown on culture was identified as C. cladosporioides on the basis of morphological characters and sequence of the ITS region of ribosomal DNA. After treatment with oral itraconazole, he almost completely resolved the inflammatory lesions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of C. cladosporioides infection presented with multiple cysts and nodules like acne.

Aims: To investigate the situations of abnormal glucose metabolism and dysfunction of pancreatic islet beta cells in subjects of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) with cirrhosis., Methods: 106 hepatitis B virus (HBV) positive subjects with liver cirrhosis as well as with different grade of Child-Pugh and 37 healthy subjects were included in this study. The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), C-peptide and insulin release test were detected. Plasma glucose and insulin levels were analyzed periodically for 2 h after oral glucose loading., Results: There was no significant difference in the level of fasting plasma glucose and C-peptide between cirrhosis group and control group (P>0.05). The levels of OGTT 2 h glucose, insulin and C peptide were significantly higher in cirrhosis group than control group (P<0.01). Peak plasma glucose levels were obtained at 60 min in normal group and cirrhosis group. The peak insulin and C-peptide response occurred at 60 min in normal group, whereas it was delayed to 120 min in cirrhosis group. There was a significant difference between two groups in the pattern of plasma glucose levels at corresponding time points (P<0.05). The OGTT 2 h glucose and insulin levels were positively correlated with Child-Pugh Score (r1 = 0.389, r2 = 0.508, P<0.01)., Conclusion: These findings implied that there was a certain degree of insulin resistance and abnormal glucose metabolism in the patients with liver cirrhosis.

In the past two decades, Cu-doped inorganic semiconductors with near-infrared (NIR) emitting have garnered stupendous research interest. Nevertheless, the incompatibility between the NIR emitting and high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of the Cu-doped fluorescent probes restricted the extensive application in biological imaging. Herein, the water soluble Cu + doped CdS quantum dots (Cu + :CdS QDs) were prepared by using a one step synthesis method in a N 2 atmosphere. The d-dots possessed an ultra small size (∼5 nm), a high QY (25.6%), NIR emission (∼700 nm) and a low cytotoxicity because of which they were used as fluorescence probes. Besides, the study of the Cu d state and the mechanism of emission proposed the explanation for the fluorescence enhancement compared with previous reports. Moreover, the optimal conditions of dopants, stabilizers, sulfur ion concentration, pH, heating time and reflux temperature were also studied systematically to acquire best-quality Cu-doped nanocrystals. Due to the excellent optical properties and favourable biocompatibility, the Cu + :CdS QDs as fluorescence probes were successfully applied to label living 3T3 cells.

Objective: To study cellular and humoral immune status on prophase of severe hepatitis B (PSHB)., Methods: 56 cases of PSHB patients, 40 cases of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and 20 cases of healthy volunteers were enrolled for detection of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and CD3-/CD19+ (B cells) lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood by flow cytometry. Serum IgG and complement C3 was detected by immunoturbidimetry and analyzed statistically., Results: Compared with CHB group and healthy control group, percentage of lymphocyte subsets CD8+ were significantly lower in PSHB group (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). While the percentage of lymphocyte subsets CD4+ and ratio of CD4+/CD8+ in PSHB group was obviously higher than those in CHB group (P < 0.+01 or P < 0.05). In addition, There was no significant difference on the percentage of B cell and level of serum IgG between PSHB group and CHB group (P > 0.05, while the level of serum complement C3 in PSHB group were significantly lower than those in CHB group and healthy control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05)., Conclusion: PSHB has a certain degree of cellular immune dysfunction, which characterized by cellular immune function hyperfunction and humoral immune suppression.

Objective: To describe the incidence trends and to access the histological changing patterns of thyroid cancer in urban areas of Beijing., Methods: Total of 4883 new cases diagnosed as thyroid cancer in 1995-2010 in urban areas of Beijing were extracted from the population-based data base of Beijing cancer registry, among which 1185 were males and 3698 were females with a coverage population of 56 143 454 person-years and 54 430 655 person-years, respectively. Incidence, age adjusted incidence, annual percentage change (APC) and gender specific incidence change of different histology patterns during last 16 years were calculate., Results: There were 4883 cases diagnosed as thyroid cancer during 1995 - 2010 with the sex ratio of 1:3 (1185 males and 3698 females). Incidence rate of thyroid cancer in urban areas of Beijing increased dramatically from 1.55/100 000 (97/6 245 016) in 1995 to 9.90/100 000 (768/7 758 759) in 2010 with an increase rate of 538.71%. After adjusted by world population, the standardized incidence rate increased from 1.27/100 000 in 1995 to 6.96/100 000 in 2010 with a 12.12% annual percentage change (APC = 12.12%, P < 0.05). Among males, incidence rate increased from 0.85/100 000 (27/3 185 669) to 4.58/100 000 (179/3 912 458) with an increase rate of 438.82%. After adjusted by world population, the standardized incidence rate of males increased from 0.68/100 000 in 1995 to 3.19/100 000 in 2010 with an 11.09% annual percentage change (APC = 11.09%, P < 0.05). Among females, the incidence rate increased from 2.29/100 000 (70/3 059 347) to 15.31/100 000 (589/3 846 301) with an increase rate of 568.56%. After adjusted by world population, the standardized incidence rate of females increased from 1.89/100 000 in 1995 to 10.82/100 000 in 2010 with a 12.48% annual percentage change (APC = 12.48%, P < 0.05). Incidence rate ranked 18th and 12th in 1995 among males and females, respectively; while it ranked 14th and 5th in 2010 respectively. Among 4883 cases, 4594 cases were confirmed histologically as primary tumor accounting for 94.08% of total cases. Papillary carcinoma was the most common subtype accounting for 77.31% (3775/4883) of total cases. Among all the pathological types of thyroid cancer, the proportion of papillary carcinoma has risen from 51.55% (50/97) in 1995 to 87.63% (673/768) in 2010. However, the proportion of the follicular carcinoma decreased from 5.15% (5/97) to 1.69% (13/768)., Conclusion: Incidence of thyroid cancer in urban areas of Beijing keeps increasing which is mainly due to the rising of papillary carcinoma. Risk factors of papillary thyroid cancer should be focused on when strategies for thyroid cancer prevention and control are conducted.

Objective: To analyze the incidence and mortality trends of female breast cancer in urban and rural areas of Beijing from 2004 to 2008., Methods: The incidence and mortality data of female breast cancer from 2004 to 2008 were sorted from Beijing Cancer Registry Database, including 15 527 new diagnosed cases and 3219 deceased cases in total, covering population 29 351 258 person years; among which 11 065 new cases and 2378 deceased cases were from urban areas, covering 17 877 128 person years and 4462 new diagnosed cases and 841 deceased cases were from rural areas, covering 11 474 130 person years. The incidence cases aged 25 and above were divided into 13 age groups by 5 years. The cases under 49 years (≤ 49) and over 49 years (> 49) were separately defined as premenopausal group and postmenopausal group. Incidence and mortality rates in each year, age-specific incidence and mortality rates in urban and rural areas in Beijing were calculated. The annual standard incidence and mortality rates were adjusted by world population constitution; and the incidence rates ratio in different years related to the place of residence, urban or rural were calculated. JoinPoint software was applied to analyze the incidence trend and calculated the annual percentage of changing (APC)., Results: The age of female breast cancer patients in urban Beijing in 2004 was (55.83 ± 13.01), while it changed to (56.10 ± 12.80) in 2008, increasing by 0.27 years old. The proportion of the patients who were under 49 years declined from 38.32% (732/1910) in 2004 to 34.02% (894/2628) in 2008. While the average age of the patients in rural areas have improved 0.21 year old, from (52.15 ± 11.33) years old in 2004 to (52.36 ± 11.59) years old in 2008; and the proportion of the patients under 49 years also declined from 45.44% (314/691) in 2004 to 43.40% (454/1046) in 2008. From 2004 to 2008, the incidence and mortality rate of female breast cancer in urban areas of Beijing separately rose from 55.43/100 000 (1910/3 445 812) and 10.65/100 000 (367/3 445 812) to 70.70/100 000 (2628/3 717 436) and 15.01/100 000 (558/3 717 436). And in rural areas, those rates separately rose from 30.60/100 000 (691/2 257 953) and 5.54/100 000 (125/2 257 953) in 2004 to 44.78/100 000 (1046/2 336 040) and 7.49/100 000 (175/2 336 040) in 2008. After adjusting by world population constitution, the difference showed no statistical significance in mortality trend of female breast cancer in rural areas of Beijing (P > 0.05). In year 2004, the female breast cancer incidence rate ratio of urban to rural areas in Beijing fluctuated between 1.34 and 4.47, with the average ratio value at 1.81. In year 2008, the ratio value fluctuated between 1.15 and 2.37, with the average ratio value at 1.57. During 2004 and 2008, the peak age group of the female breast cancer incidence in urban areas was in 60 - 64 years old group, with the rate of 126.92/100 000 (998/786 300) whereas the mortality rate was increasing within aging. In rural areas the peak age groups of the incidence and mortality were separately in 50 - 54 and 80 - 84 years old groups, with the rate of 80.63/100 000 (793/983 516) and 29.17/100 000 (40/137 132) respectively., Conclusion: The incidence and mortality of breast cancer in urban areas in Beijing, as well as the incidence of breast cancer in rural areas in Beijing showed increasing trend annually. The gap in breast cancer incidence between rural and urban areas in Beijing was narrowing, while the incidence rate among different aging groups and the peak mortality rate showed significant difference between urban and rural areas in Beijing.

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of immunocompetent cells in peripheral blood on prophase of severe hepatitis B (PSHB)., Methods: 48 cases of PSHB patients, 35 cases of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and 20 cases of healthy volunteers were enrolled for detection of CD3+, CD3+/ CD4+, CD3+/CD8+ and CD4+/CD25+/CD45+ lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood by flow cytometry. The absolute numbers of each lymphocyte subset were calculated and analyzed statistically. Results Compared with CHB group and healthy control group, The absolute numbers of circulating CD3+, CD8+ T cells and CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) were significantly lower in PSHB group( P < 0. 01 or P < 0.05). There was no significant difference on the absolute numbers of circulating CD4+ T cells between PSHB group and CHB group (P > 9.05), while the percentage of lymphocyte subsets CD4+ in PSHB group was significantly higher than that in CHB group (P < 0.05). In addition, CD4+/CD8+ ratio in PSHB were significantly higher than those in the CHB group and healthy control group (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05)., Conclusion: PSHB has a certain degree of cellular immune dysfunction, which characterized by CD4+ T cells dominated and the decline of absolute numbers of CD8+ T cells and CD4+ CD25+ Tregs.

Objective: To evaluate the results of the active follow-up among registered cancer patients in 2002 - 2005 in urban areas of Beijing., Methods: A number of 63 997 cancer patients diagnosed during 2002 - 2005 were selected from the surveillance database of Beijing Office for Cancer Prevention and Control. By matching the identity information of the patients with the death surveillance database built by the vital statistic department in Beijing, 29 223 patients were confirmed to be alive.1149 cases were removed from the study due to lack of exact key variables, such as address and telephone numbers. 28 074 patients were, at last, included in the active follow-up study. The investigators and the inspectors, who accepted standard training program, investigated each patient's status of census register and survival condition by phone calling, household interview and visits at local police station or residential committee. The loss ratio of follow-up and the constituent ratio of the withdrawal reasons were calculated., Results: Among the 28 074 patients selected in active follow-up, 21 696 patients were followed successfully; 1453 of whom didn't have the census register of Beijing, which accounted for 6.70%. Out of the other 20 243 Beijing residents, 4715 patients (23.29%) were already dead and 84.22% (3971/4715) of them replenished the failure to report by passive follow-up. Among all the 4715 dead cases, 4405 (93.43%) patients were died from cancer. The follow-up study helped to replenish the vital statistics in different districts, the ratio ranged from 4.87% and 8.85%. 6378 patients were withdrawn from the study. The loss ratio was 22.72% (6378/28 074), and the total loss ratio was 12.03% ((6378 + 1149)/(63 997 - 1453)). Of these withdrawal cases, 3041 (47.68%) were lost to follow-up in that the investigators can't find the patients or the relatives of the patients according to the registered phone number or address information. The other reasons included: the patients removed to other areas (1199 cases, 18.80%), the patients and their family members were temporarily not at home (127 cases, 1.99%), the patients and their family members rejected to answer the interview (292 cases, 4.58%), and other reasons (1719 cases, 26.95%)., Conclusion: The method of active follow-up towards registered cancer patients can replenish the missing information which could not be collected from passive follow-up procedure; and therefore effectively improve the quality of data in cancer registration.

Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa pruriginosa (DEB-Pr) is a rare variant of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB) due to dominant or recessive mutations in the COL7A1 gene. More than 40 mutations in COL7A1 have been described in DEB-Pr. The aim of this study was to understand the genotype-phenotype correlation in Chinese patients with DEB-Pr. Three Chinese families with typical clinical features of DEB-Pr were studied. The results were analysed in association with the eight Chinese DEB-Pr patients reported in the literature. In the three Chinese families with DEB-Pr, we found two dominant cases with G1773R and c.6900+1G>C mutations, and one case with heterozygous G2701W mutation of uncertain inheritance mode. In the 10 Chinese patients with dominant type of DEB-Pr, 7 glycine substitutions and three splicing site mutations of exon 87 skipping were identified. Glycine substitution mutations in the triple helix region and exon 87 skipping, leading to the in-frame deletion of 23 amino acid residues in the triple-helix, are often seen in Chinese patients with dominant DEB-Pr, although the glycine substitutions are also frequently present in dominant DEB.

Objective: To examine the association of activation of calcium-sensing receptors (CaSR) with apoptosis in cardiomyocytes under simulated ischemia/reperfusion., Methods: Ventricular cardiomyocytes of neonatal rats were incubated in ischemia-mimetic solution for 2 h, then re-incubated in normal culture medium for 24 h to establish a model of simulated ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Cell apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL assay). The expression of CaSR mRNA was detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The expression of Caspase -3 and Bcl-2 was detected by Western blotting., Result: The simulated I/R enhanced the expression of CaSR and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. GdCl(3), a specific activator of CaSR, further increased the expression of CaSR and cardiomyocyte apoptosis, along with upregulation of Caspase-3 and downregulation of Bcl-2., Conclusion: CaSR is associated with I/R injury and apoptosis in neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes via suppressing Bcl-2 and promoting Caspase -3 expression.

Objective: To measure lutein, zeaxanthin and β-carotene level in foods commonly consumed in Beijing, and compare the content difference between raw and cooked food., Methods: Forty-six commonly consumed foods of 8 classes were collected in Haidian district of Beijing from September to October in 2009. A high performance liquid chromatography method was used to determine the content of lutein, zeaxanthin and β-carotene in both raw and cooked samples., Results: Lutein was abundant in cucurbitaceous and solanaceous, allium and nuts, especially in Chinese chive (18 226.9 µg/100 g) and pumpkin (13 265.2 µg/100 g). Major sources of zeaxanthin included round pumpkin, green garlic shoot, corn and eggs, whose level of zeaxanthin were 444.6, 283.5, 279.7, 118.6 - 377.9 µg/100 g, respectively. Zeaxanthin level of those cooked foods changed to 483.9, 239.3, 279.1, 149.5 - 594.7 µg/100 g, respectively. The zeaxanthin level of cooked Chinese chive reached 1081.2 µg/100 g, while we did not detect any zeaxanthin in raw Chinese chive. β-carotene was present in a wide variety of vegetables and fruits. Carrot (17 234.3 µg/100 g) was a good source of β-carotene, while its level in cooked carrot was 17 013.5 µg/100 g., Conclusion: Consuming the proper kinds of foods and changing the method of food processing were beneficial to increase the intake of lutein, zeaxanthin and β-carotene.

Primary erythermalgia (PEM) is recalcitrant and long-term remission is difficult to achieve. Favorable results of treatment using carbamazepine or mexiletine have been identified in some PEM patients with SCN9A gene mutations. However, no therapeutic studies regarding patients without pathogenic SCN9A gene mutation have been reported. Here we present a PEM case with R1150W polymorphism in SCN9A and a five-year remission was achieved by chemical lumbar sympathectomy (CLS). A 15-year-old girl with severe PEM attacks in both feet and lower legs was treated with CLS and followed up for five years. The encoding exons and their flanking sequences in the SCN9A gene were amplified and sequenced. A 50% immediate pain reduction was achieved after CLS. Burning pain, erythema and swelling in the lower legs disappeared in four days, and all ulceration healed in a month. The patient resumed normal exercise five months after CLS. There were no relapses in the following five years. R1150W polymorphism in SCN9A was detected in the patient and her healthy father. Long-term remission was achieved after CLS in this PEM case with R1150W polymorphism in SCN9A. The effectiveness of CLS and phenotype/genotype of PEM should be further studied in larger samples.

We have previously reported the second familial ichthyosis hystrix strongly resembling Lambert type in clinical features, now this family has expanded to three generations, including three patients and five unaffected individuals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the molecular basis of this family. Paraffin-embedded skin sections were stained using keratin 1 (K1), K2, K10, K5+14 and loricrin antibodies. Genomic DNA isolated from blood samples was used to carry out a polymerase-chain-reaction. Immunohistochemistry showed that the distributions, but not the densities of K1/K2/K10 were dramatically changed in the patients. Unlike normal expression of K1/K10 from suprabasal layers and K2 from upper spinous layers, K1/K10 was expressed later from upper spinous layers and K2 was expressed earlier from basal layers; and they were densely aggregated around the nucleus rather than the normal regular distribution in the cytoplasm. DNA sequencing did not reveal any pathogenic mutations in candidate genes (KRT1, KRT2, KRT10 and plakoglobin) in keratin gene clusters. Linkage analysis also excluded the possibility of causative mutations in the epidermal differentiation complex on 1q, desmoplakin gene on 6p and desmosomal cadherin gene cluster on 18q regions. Other genes encoding proteins interacting with keratins might be pathogenic in this rare disease and should be studied further.

In the title centrosymmetric binuclear complex, [Cd(2)(NO(2))(4)(C(11)H(9)N(5))(2)], the unique Cd(II) ion is in a distorted dodeca-hedral CdN(3)O(5) coordination environment. The two inversion-related Cd(II) ions are separated by 3.9920 (6) Å and are bridged by two O atoms from two nitrite ligands. There are two types of π-π stacking inter-actions involving symmetry-related pyrazole rings, with centroid-centroid distances of 3.445 (2) and 3.431 (2) Å.

In the title crystal structure, [Cd(NCS)(NO(3))(C(11)H(9)N(5))](n), the unique Cd(II) ion is coordinated in a distorted penta-gonal-bipyramidal environment. The axial thio-cyanate ligands act in a μ(1,3)-bridging mode to connect symmetry-related Cd(II) ions into one-dimensional chains along [010]. In addition, there are inter-molecular C-H⋯O contacts between chains.

In the crystal structure of the title complex, [Cd(NCS)(2)(C(7)H(5)ClN(4))(2)](n), the Cd(II) atom lies on a crystallographic inversion center and assumes a distorted octa-hedral geometry. The 2-chloro-6-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)pyridine mol-ecule acts as a terminal ligand. The thio-cyanate ligands function as μ(1,3)-bridging units connecting adjacent Cd(II) atoms with a separation of 5.7525 (11) Å, forming a one-dimensional chain along the a axis.

Objective: To study the conditions and parameters of roller compaction of Banlangen effervsce tablet., Method: The experimentation adopts L9 (3(4)) orthogonal experiment to study the conditions and parameters of roller compaction of Banlangen effervsce tablet; studied factors that included roller pressure, roller speed and moisture content of power, which influence the result of granule yield and granule friability., Result: The optimal technique is: roller pressure at 1.5 MPa; roller speed at 15 Hz; moisture content of power at 1.5%., Conclusion: The study of roller compaction technique of Banlangen effervsce tablets provides some technicial consults of its research and production.

Effervescent technique, which can accelerate drug disintegration and dissolution, is usually applied in quick release preparations. Along with the development of pharmaceutical technique and theory, effervescent technique is used more and more extensively to adjust the behavior of drug release, such as in sustained and controlled release preparations, pulsatile drug delivery systems, and so on. This review demonstrated the new applying of effervescent technique in effervescent tablets, stomach floating forms, osmotic pump tablets and pulsatile drug delivery systems, adding to the critical common technique of effervescent forms in drug research. This will be benefit for the further research and development of effervescent technique.

Objective: To investigate the clinical effects of the maxillary molar distalization with modified Distal-Jet appliance., Methods: 15 patients (average age 12.3 year-old) with maxillary molars shifting mesially were selected as the subjects. Maxillary molars of all patients were distalized with modified Distal-Jet appliance., Results: All patients achieved good occlusion, normal overjet and overbite with modified Distal-Jet appliance., Conclusion: Modified Distal-Jet appliance can distalize maxillary molars effectively.