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Background: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is one of the most common histological subtypes of renal tumors., Purpose: To identify high-risk subregions associated with synchronous distant metastasis., Methods: This study enrolled a total of 277 patients with ccRCC. Voxel intensity and local entropy values were compiled within the region of interest for all patients. Unsupervised k-means clustering yielded three subregions per tumor. Radiomic features were extracted, and random forest-based feature selection was conducted. The selected features were used in a multi-instance support vector machine (mi-SVM) model for training, and predictions were made on the validation cohort. Model performance was evaluated using five-fold cross-validation. The subregion with the highest score for patients with synchronous distant metastasis was identified across all cohorts., Results: The mi-SVM model yielded an average area under the curve (AUC) of 0.812 in the training cohort and 0.805 in the validation cohort. In the entire cohort of patients with synchronous distant metastasis, subregion 2, characterized by tumor periphery and intratumoral transitional components, accounted for the highest proportion (48.57%, 30.6/63) among all subregions. It represents a high-risk subregion for synchronous distant metastasis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma., Conclusion: The peripheral and intratumoral transition zones of clear cell renal cell carcinoma are high-risk subregions associated with synchronous distant metastasis., (© 2024 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.)

Background: To assess the clinical outcomes and identify the ideal indication for implementing dorsal distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) capsular imbrication after triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) repair in cases of DRUJ instability., Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on patients who underwent arthroscopic TFCC repair between 2016 and 2021. Inclusion criteria comprised a symptomatic ulna fovea sign for over 6 months and dorsal DRUJ subluxation on magnetic resonance imaging. A total of 225 patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 (135 cases) with a negative ballottement test after "Cross-form TFCC repair" (CR) and Group 2 (90 cases) with a positive ballottement test after "Cross-form TFCC repair" and augmented DRUJ stability through dorsal DRUJ capsular imbrication (CR + DCI). Pain visual analog scale score (VAS), grip strength, modified Mayo Wrist Score (MMWS), wrist range of motion (ROM), and patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) were assessed for a minimum of 3 years postoperatively., Results: Both groups showed significant improvements in pain VAS score, grip strength, wrist ROM, MMWS, and PROMs between the preoperative and postoperative periods (all P < 0.05). Recurrent DRUJ instability occurred in 3.7% and 1.1% of patients in the "CR" and "CR + DCI" groups, respectively, with a significant difference. Despite the "CR + DCI" group initially exhibiting inferior ROM compared with the "CR" group, subsequently, no significant difference was noted between them., Conclusions: Dorsal DRUJ capsular imbrication effectively reduces postoperative DRUJ instability rates, enhances grip strength, and maintains wrist ROM in patients with a positive intra-operative ballottement test after arthroscopic TFCC repair., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The hemolymph-testis barrier (HTB) is a reproduction barrier in Crustacea, guaranteeing the safe and smooth process of spermatogenesis, which is similar to the blood-testis barrier (BTB) in mammals. The MAPK signaling pathway plays an essential role in spermatogenesis and maintenance of the BTB. However, only a few studies have focused on the influence of MAPK on crustacean reproduction. In the present study, we knocked down and inhibited MAPK in Eriocheir sinensis . Increased defects in spermatogenesis were observed, concurrently with a damaged HTB. Further research revealed that es-MMP14 functions downstream of ERK and p38 MAPK and degrades junctional proteins (Pinin and ZO-1); es-CREB functions in the ERK cascade as a transcription factor of ZO-1. In addition, when es-MMP14 and es-CREB were deleted, the defects in HTB and spermatogenesis aligned with abnormalities in the MAPK. However, JNK impacts the integrity of the HTB by changing the distribution of intercellular junctions. In summary, the MAPK signaling pathway maintains HTB integrity and spermatogenesis through es-MMP14 and es-CREB, which provides insights into the evolution of gene function during barrier evolution.

For resolving the problems of poor nitrogen removal efficiency and substandard effluent quality in wastewater treatment plants during winter, a cold-tolerant strain Glutamicibacter sp. WS1, with heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification ability, was isolated from activated sludge. The functional genes for nitrogen conversion of strain WS1 were amplified by PCR, and the nitrogen removal characteristics of the strain were verified under different nitrogen sources at 15℃. In addition, the effects of environmental factors on the aerobic denitrification performance of the strain were explored at low temperature. Finally, a reasonable nitrogen metabolism pathway of strain WS1 was resolved based on functional genes and nitrogen balance analysis. The results showed that strain WS1 contained functional genes related to nitrogen conversion, including amoA, napA, nirS, and nirK genes. Notably, nirS and nirK genes coexisted in the strain. At the low temperature of 15℃, with NH 4 + -N, NO 3 - -N, NO 2 - -N+NO 3 - -N, and NH 4 + -N+NO 3 - -N as nitrogen sources, the corresponding removal efficiencies of strain WS1 were 100%, 98.10%, 99.87%+100%, and 100%+94.92%, respectively. The optimal denitrification performance of the strain was achieved with sodium citrate as the carbon source, C/N of 16, pH of 8, DO of 4.5-6.8 mg·L -1 , and temperature of 30℃. In addition, the NO 3 - -N removal efficiency of strain WS1 reached 92.50% under low temperature (15℃) and low C/N (10) conditions. Based on the results of PCR amplification and nitrogen balance analysis, heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification/aerobic denitrification and assimilation were the main pathways for nitrogen substrate removal by strain WS1, in which most of the inorganic nitrogen (47%-56%) was converted to gaseous nitrogen through heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification/aerobic denitrification. Strain WS1 has broad application prospects in the treatment of low-temperature nitrogenous wastewater.

Background: The digital artery-based V-Y advancement flap is a widely used flap for soft tissue coverage in the treatment of flexion contracture of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint. A standard method for the flap design and a mathematical method to predict the advance distance have not been well established. In this study, we proposed a simplified method for the design of V-Y advancement flaps based on digital arteries and used a geometric model to predict the advance distance for the flexion contracture correction surgery., Methods: According to the general concept of hand flap design and law of cosine, we proposed three principles in the design of the digital artery-based V-Y advancement flap that should be followed. Since 2021 to 2022, finger geometric data of 120 fingers (index, middle, ring, and small fingers) from 30 healthy participants were collected and analysed to evaluate the necessary advance distance and flap tip angle for PIP flexion contracture correction of different fingers by our flap design method., Results: The middle finger needed a significantly longer advance distance compared to other fingers in the same degree flexion contracture correction. The ring finger had the largest length-to width ratio and smallest flap tip angle among the four fingers in the V-Y flap design. No vertical scar crossed the flexion creases and flap tip angle < 20° was found in the tentative V-Y flap design for the 120 fingers., Conclusions: Our flap design method provides a proper advance distance and flap length-to-width ratio without common skin complications in the flap design for PIP flexion contracture of index, middle, ring and small fingers. This geometric model provides a mathematical basis for prediction of advance distance and flap tip angle in the design of a digital artery-based V-Y advancement flap., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Context: Mulisan decoction (MLS) is a classic formula of traditional Chinese medicine for treating hyperhidrosis. The mechanism remains unclear., Objective: To investigate the antiperspirant effect and underlying mechanisms of MLS., Materials and Methods: Fifty rats were divided into control, model, and three doses of MLS intervention groups ( n  = 10). Rats except for control group were induced diseases features of the applicable scope of MLS via i.p. reserpine (0.5 mg/kg/d) for 10 days. From day 11, MLS groups were administrated orally MLS at 0.6, 3, and 15 g/kg once a day for 14 days, respectively. After the last administration, sweating was induced in all rats via s.c. pilocarpine (25 mg/kg), the right hind foot of rats was stained, and sweat point numbers were observed. Rat serum was collected to detect IL-2, IL-6, IFN-γ, and TNF-α. Rat plasma was collected for endogenous metabolite analysis via UPLC-QE-Focus-MS., Results: Rats treated with MLS presented a significant decrease in sweat point numbers (13.5%), increase in body weight (13.2%), and promotion in the balance of Th1/Th2 cytokine ratio via increasing IL-2 (38.3%), IFN-γ (20.1%), and TNF-α (22.0%) and decreasing IL-6 (24.7%) compared with the model group ( p  < 0.05). Plasma metabolomics disclosed 15 potential biomarkers related to model rats, of which two could be significantly reversed by MLS ( p  < 0.05). The involved pathways were pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis, and porphyrin metabolism., Conclusions: MLS demonstrated a good antiperspirant effect and metabolism improvement. These findings inspire more clinical study validation on immune improvement and antiperspirant effect.

The generation of functional sperm relies on spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) as they can maintain a stem cell pool for continuous generation of functional spermatozoa. The maintenance of SSCs is regulated by several factors. In this paper, we summarize the niche and intrinsic factors in regulating SSC self-renewal and proliferation. GDNF regulates SSC self-renewal through Ras-ERK1/2, SFC, PI3K/Akt and MEK/ERK-mTOR signaling pathways. FGF activates MAPK2K1, ERK and Akt pathways and EGF activates ERK and Akt pathways to induce SSC proliferation. Wnt ligands regulate SSC self-renewal and proliferation through both β-catenin dependent and independent pathways. SCF1 and CXCL12 are also found to have roles in SSC maintenance. As for intrinsic factors in SSCs, ETV5, Bcl6b, Lhx1, ID4 and Nanos2 are regulated by niche factors. They act as the downstream factors of niche factors in regulating SSC self-renewal and proliferation. Transcriptional factors OCT4 and PLZF, as well as FOXO1 in SSCs can directly regulate SSC self-renewal and proliferation. Although we have identified the factors, the detailed mechanism of these factors in regulating SSC fate determination is largely unknown. Here, we summarize factors which have roles in SSC fate determination and hope it will be beneficial for further study and treatment of male infertility., (©The Author(s) 2022. Open Access. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons CC-BY International License.)

The PI3K/AKT signaling pathway is one of the most crucial regulatory mechanisms in animal cells, which can mainly regulate proliferation, survival and anti-apoptosis in cell lines. In the seminiferous epithelium, most studies were concentrated on the role of PI3K/AKT signaling in immature Sertoli cells (SCs) and spermatogonia stem cells (SSCs). PI3K/AKT signaling can facilitate the proliferation and anti-apoptosis of immature Sertoli cells and spermatogenic cells. Besides, in mature Sertoli cells, this pathway can disintegrate the structure of the blood-testis barrier (BTB) via regulatory protein synthesis and the cytoskeleton of Sertoli cells. All of these effects can directly and indirectly maintain and promote spermatogenesis in male testis., (©The Author(s) 2022. Open Access. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons CC-BY International License.)

Purpose: To evaluate the outcomes of "tent form" triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) repair combined with dorsal distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) capsule imbrication for posttraumatic chronic DRUJ instability., Methods: All patients treated with arthroscopic "tent form" TFCC repair and DRUJ capsule imbrication from 2016 to 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. The inclusion criteria were symptomatic chronic DRUJ instability for >6 months and dorsal DRUJ subluxation on magnetic resonance imaging. The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score, Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation, grip strength, Modified Mayo Wrist Score, range of motion, and distal radioulnar joint stability were assessed for a minimum of 2 years postoperatively., Results: Thirty-eight patients were included in the final analysis. The average follow-up duration was 35.6 months (range, 24-48 months). The 24-month postoperative grip strengths and 3-dimensional motions of wrist were not significantly different from that of the nonoperated wrist. Compared with their preoperative status, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score, Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation, and Modified Mayo Wrist Score indicated the significant improvement with P values of .001, .001, and .002, respectively., Conclusions: In chronic DRUJ instability with a loosening dorsal capsule, "tent form" TFCC transcapsular repair combined with DRUJ capsule imbrication restored the integrity of TFCC and dorsal DRUJ capsule and achieved a promising outcome. We recommend this procedure as an option of treatment for patients with posttraumatic chronic DRUJ instability., Level of Evidence: IV, case series., (Copyright © 2022 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Abstract: Metacarpal shaft fractures are common hand fractures. Although bone plates possess strong fixation ability, they have several limitations. The use of headless compression screws for fracture repair has been reported, but their fixation ability has not been understood clearly.This study aimed to compare the fixation ability of locked plate with that of headless compression screw for metacarpal fracture repair.A total of 14 artificial metacarpal bones (Sawbones, Vashon, WA, USA) were subjected to transverse metacarpal shaft fractures and divided into 2 groups. The first group of bones was fixed using locked plates (LP group), whereas the second group was fixed using headless compression screws (HC group). A material testing machine was used to perform cantilever bending tests, whereby maximum fracture force and stiffness were measured. The fixation methods were compared by conducting a Mann-Whitney U test.The maximum fracture force of the HC group (285.6 ± 57.3 N, median + interquartile range) was significantly higher than that of the LP group (227.8 ± 37.5 N; P < .05). The median of the HC group was 25.4% greater. However, no significant difference in stiffness (P > .05) was observed between the HC (65.2 ± 24.6 N/mm) and LP (61.7 ± 19.7 N/mm) groups.Headless compression screws exhibited greater fixability than did locked plates, particularly in its resistance to maximum fracture force., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interests to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

PIWI proteins play important roles in germline development in the mammals. However, the functions of PIWIs in crustaceans remain unknown. In the present study, we identified three Piwis from the testis of Eriocheir sinensis (E. sinensis). Three Piwi genes encoded proteins with typical features of PIWI subfamilies and were highly expressed in the testis. Three PIWIs could be detected in the cytoplasm of spermatocytes and spermatids, while in spermatozoa, we could only detect PIWI1 and PIWI3 in the nucleus. The knockdown of PIWIs by dsRNA significantly affected the formation of the nuclei in spermatozoa, which resulted in deviant and irregular nuclei. PIWI defects significantly inhibited the apoptosis of abnormal germ cells through the caspase-dependent apoptosis pathway and p53 pathway. Knockdown of PIWIs inhibited the expression of caspase (Casp) 3, 7, 8, and p53 without affecting Bcl2 (B-cell lymphoma gene 2), Bax (B-cell lymphoma-2-associated X), and BaxI (B-cell lymphoma-2-associated X inhibitor), which further significantly increased abnormal spermatozoa in the knockdown-group crabs. These results show a new role of PIWI proteins in crustaceans that is different from that in mammals. In summary, PIWIs play roles in the formation of the germline nucleus and can maintain apoptosis in abnormal germ cells to remove abnormal germ cells in E. sinensis.

Spermatocyte (spc) formation from spermatogonia (spg) differentiation is the first step of spermatogenesis which produces prodigious spermatozoa for a lifetime. After decades of studies, several factors involved in the functioning of a mouse were discovered both inside and outside spg. Considering the peculiar expression and working pattern of each factor, this review divides the whole conversion of spg to spc into four consecutive development processes with a focus on extracellular cues and downstream transcription network in each one. Potential coordination among Dmrt1, Sohlh1/2 and BMP families mediates Ngn3 upregulation, which marks progenitor spg, with other changes. After that, retinoic acid (RA), as a master regulator, promotes A1 spg formation with its helpers and Sall4. A1-to-B spg transition is under the control of Kitl and impulsive RA signaling together with early and late transcription factors Stra8 and Dmrt6. Finally, RA and its responsive effectors conduct the entry into meiosis. The systematic transcription network from outside to inside still needs research to supplement or settle the controversials in each process. As a step further ahead, this review provides possible drug targets for infertility therapy by cross-linking humans and mouse model., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: To explore the potential role of the platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) as a prognostic marker in septic patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) and to provide theoretical evidence for the epidemiological study of the prognosis of patients with septic AKI in its early stage., Methods: A pilot study was conducted. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to screen the risk factors, and the selected factors were performed using multiple logistic regression analysis; a Receiver Operating Characteristic curve was used to determine the optimal cutoff value of the PLR and then to calculate the sensitivity and specificity of the PLR ratio., Results: Mechanical ventilation, platelet count, PLR, and arterial blood lactate concentration have a correlation with sepsis (p < 0.05). An elevated PLR is significantly associated with a worse prognosis of sepsis-induced AKI (higher mortality)., Conclusion: The PLR might be an effective factor in predicting a worse prognosis of septic AKI patients.

The TGF-beta superfamily is widely involved in cell events such as cell division and differentiation, while bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) belong to one of the subgroups. Their functions in crustacean spermatogenesis are still unknown. In this study, we first identified the bone morphogenetic protein 2 (bmp2) from Eriocheir sinensis (E. sinensis) testis. The es-BMP2 shows high expression in E. sinensis testis. We found that es-BMP2 is expressed in spermatids. The successfully knockdown of es-BMP2 through in vivo RNAi are used for functional analysis. Compared with the control group, the proportion of abnormal nuclear cup morphology in mature spermatozoa increased significantly after es-bmp2 RNAi, suggesting that es-BMP2 plays an important role in mature sperm morphogenesis. Immunofluorescence results confirm this finding. In order to study the specific mechanism of es-BMP2 involved in spermiogenesis, we tested kinesin-14 KIFC1, which functions in the nucleus formation of spermatozoa in E. sinensis. The results showed that knockdown of es-BMP2 caused a significant decrease of es-KIFC1 expression. We further performed es-bmp2 knockdown in vitro in primary cultured testis cells. es-KIFC1 expression was significantly reduced after es-bmp2 RNAi. The above results indicate that es-BMP2 participates in maintaining the spermiogenesis of E. sinensis by regulating es-KIFC1 expression., 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 © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Lung cancer has the highest morbidity and mortality in the world and novel treatment strategies are still needed. Haimufang decoction (HMF) is a patented clinical prescription of traditional Chinese medicine for lung cancer treatment. HMF is composed of four herbs and has been applied clinically in advanced cancer patients. However, its therapeutic mechanisms are still unclear. This study aims to elucidate the possible mechanisms of HMF for the treatment of lung cancer., Methods: 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide assay was applied for evaluating the proliferative effect of HMF in lung cancer cells and monocyte macrophage RAW264.7 cells. Flow cytometer was used to detect the effects of HMF on cell cycle and apoptosis, and western blotting was employed to explore the potential apoptotic mechanisms of HMF on lung cancer cells. For immunomodulatory effect, co-culture system was used to detect the activation of macrophage RAW264.7 cells when treated with HMF, and neutral red assay was used to measure the effect of HMF on the phagocytosis of the activated macrophages. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, flow cytometer, and immunofluorescence staining method were employed for the investigation on the underlying mechanisms of the immunomodulatory effect on RAW264.7 induced by HMF., Results: HMF inhibited the proliferation, induced S phase cell cycle arrest, and stimulated apoptosis in lung cancer NCI-H1975 cells, while had negligible cytotoxicity on macrophage RAW264.7 cells. Moreover, HMF could activate macrophage RAW264.7 cells and promote the inhibition activity of RAW264.7 cells against lung cancer cells. And also, HMF activated macrophages and increased their phagocytic activity in a concentration-dependent manner. HMF increased the expression of macrophage activation marker CD40, the level of nitric oxide, the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species, as well as M1 macrophages cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, interleukin 12 p70, and interleukin 6. Further investigation showed that HMF induced M1 but not M2 phenotype polarization in RAW264.7 cells., Conclusions: HMF can mainly exert anticancer activity via (1) cytotoxicity to human lung cancer cells by proliferation inhibition, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis induction; and also via (2) immunomodulation via macrophage cells activation and M1 phenotype polarization induction.

The objective is to develop a model based on risk stratification to predict delirium among adult critically ill patients and whether early intervention could be provided for high-risk patients, which could reduce the incidence of delirium.We designed a prospective, observational, single-center study. We examined 11 factors, including age, APACHE-II score, coma, emergency operation, mechanical ventilation (MV), multiple trauma, metabolic acidosis, history of hypertension, delirium and dementia, and application of Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride. Confusion assessment method for the intensive care unit (CAM-ICU) was performed to screen patients during their ICU stay. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to develop the model, and we assessed the predictive ability of the model by using the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC).From May 17, 2016 to September 25, 2016, 681 consecutive patients were screened, 61 of whom were excluded. The most frequent reason for exclusion was sustained coma 30 (4.4%), followed by a length of stay in the ICU < 24 hours 18 (2.6%) and delirium before ICU admission 13 (1.9%). Among the remaining 620 patients (including 162 nervous system disease patients), 160 patients (25.8%) developed delirium, and 64 (39.5%) had nervous system disease. The mean age was 55 ± 18 years old, the mean APACHE-II score was 16 ± 4, and 49.2% of them were male. Spearman analysis of nervous system disease and incidence of delirium showed that the correlation coefficient was 0.186 (P < .01). We constructed a prediction model that included 11 risk factors. The AUROC was 0.78 (95% CI 0.72-0.83).We developed the model using 11 related factors to predict delirium in critically ill patients and further determined that prophylaxis with Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride in delirious ICU patients was beneficial. Patients who suffer from nervous system disease are at a higher incidence of delirium, and corresponding measures should be used for prevention., Trial Registration: ChiCTR-OOC-16008535.

1. The objective of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetics, excretion, and metabolic fate of cycloastragenol (CA) in rats. 2. An LC-MS method was developed and used to quantify CA in biological samples. Rats were orally administrated with CA at 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg or intravenously administrated at 10 mg/kg to determine pharmacokinetic parameters of CA. For excretion experiment, urine, feces, and bile were collected at 24 h after oral administration (40 mg/kg), also at 12 h after intravenous administration (10 mg/kg). An LC-MS/MS method was developed to identify the metabolites of CA. 3. The results showed that the oral bioavailability of CA was about 25.70% at 10 mg/kg. CA was excreted through bile and feces and eliminated predominantly by the kidney in rats. It also might exist an enterohepatic circulation of CA in rats. CA could be metabolized widely in vivo in rat, seven, six, and one phase I metabolites were found in feces, urine, and bile samples respectively, but no phase II metabolite was found. 4. In summary, this study defined pharmacokinetics characteristics of CA, described its excretion, and established its in vivo metabolism in rats.

Annual rotary tillage can often create a compacted plough pan and shallow arable layer which hampers the high crop yield in Huang-Huai-Hai region. A brand new farming method named Vertically Rotary Tillage was introduced to solve this problem. One short-term field experiment was conducted to explore the effect of deep vertically rotary tillage on soil physical properties and photosynthetic characteristics at flowering stage of winter wheat. Two tillage treatments were designed including subsoiling tillage with 20 cm depth (SS 20 , CK) and deep vertically rotary tillage with 30 cm depth (DVR 30 ). The result showed that compared with SS 20 treatment, DVR 30 treatment could thoroughly break the plow pan and loose the arable layer. The soil bulk density at 10-20 cm and 20-30 cm layers under DVR 30 treatment was decreased by 9.5% and 11.2% respectively than that under SS 20 treatment. Meanwhile, the penetration resistance at 20-30 cm layer under DVR 30 treatment was also decreased by 42.3% than that under SS 20 treatment. Moreover, water infiltration under DVR 30 treatment and the soil water storage in the deep soil layers was then increased. The mass water content of soil increased significantly with the increase of soil depth. There was significant difference of mass water content of 30-40 cm 40-50 cm between SS 20 and DVR 30 . The mass water content 30-40 cm and 40-50 cm layers under DVR 30 treatment was increased by 16.9% and 10.6% compared with SS 20 treatment, respectively. Furthermore, DVR 30 treatment promoted the improvement of the photosynthetic capacity of wheat which could contribute to the dry matter accumulation of winter wheat. The net photosynthesis rate and SPAD at flowering stage of winter wheat leaves under DVR 30 treatment were increased by 1.3% and 15.5% respectively than that under SS 20 treatment, thereby the above and underground dry matter accumulation of winter wheat under DVR 30 was increased significantly. Due to all the superiority of DVR 30 treatment over SS 20 treatment showed above, the winter wheat yield under DVR 30 treatment was increased by 12.4% than that under SS 20 . It was concluded that deep vertically rotary tillage could provide a new and effective way to break up the compacted plough pan, build a reasonable soil structure and increase crop yield.

Rats were continuously given different doses of water extract of Polygonum multiflorum (1, 10 g x kg(-1)) for 7 days to prepare liver microsomes. Cocktail in vitro incubation approach and Real-time quantitative PCR technology were used to observe the effect of water extract of P. multiflorum on CYP450 enzymatic activities and mRNA expressions in rat liver. Compared with the blank control group, both 1, 10 g x kg(-1) water extract of P. multiflorum treated groups showed significant inhibitions in CYP2E1 enzymatic activities and mRNA expressions (enzymatic activities of CYP2E1, P < 0.01; mRNA expression of CYP2E1, P < 0.05 in 1 g x kg(-1) group, P < 0.01 in 10 g x kg(-1) group). They revealed a significant increase in the enzymatic activity of CYP3A1 (P < 0.01), but without significant change in mRNA expressions. The 10 g x kg(-1) group showed a significant inhibition in CYP1A2 enzymatic activities and mRNA expressions in rat livers (P < 0.01).

Objective: To establish an HPLC method for determination of four flavonoids in rat plasma after oral Ecliptae Herba extract., Methods: HPLC separation was carried out in a Neocleodur 100-5 C18 column (250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm) with mobile phase A (consisting of methanol-0.2% phosphoric acid = 50:50) and mobile phase B (acetonitrile)with gradient elution at the flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The detection wavelength was 350 nm and the column temperature was maintained at 40 degrees C., Results: There were good linear relationships between concentration and peak area ratio of luteolin, apigenin, scutellarein and diosmetin in the ranges of 0.02-50 microg/mL with the recovery rates of 71.5%-90.2%., Conclusion: This method is rapid, accurate and reproducible for determination of luteolin, apigenin, scutellarein and diosmetin in rat plasma and study on pharmacokinetics of Ecliptae Herba extract.

Great achievements have been made in the development of integrative medicine (IM). Some hot issues of IM are discussed in this article. The essence of syndrome is the key of syndrome differentiation and combination of disease identification and syndrome typing, and it is the core factor for assimilating Western medicine (WM) and Chinese medicine (CM). Take Pi deficiency syndrome (PDS) as an example. PDS is a condition featured as dysfunction and disorder of absorbance, digestion, movement, nutrition and metabolism in the digestive system. The formation laws and material bases of PDS should be explored by taking the viewpoint of systems biology as the starting point and taking confirmed syndrome types of various diseases as the breakthrough point in the future. Nutritional support therapy is a great advance in the medicine field in the 20th century. It can significantly improve clinical outcomes of patients suffering from various kinds of diseases. There are some similarities between Pi-Wei theory and the treatment principle of regulating Pi and Wei in CM and nutritional support therapy in modern medicine. The organic combination of them will be worthy of further research. In the IM field, the consensuses of diagnosing and treating more than 10 kinds of digestive diseases have been reached. But it is necessary to elevate the organic combination of WM and CM. These medical guidelines should be widely used and tested in clinical practice to get more evidence, thus continually completing established medical guidelines.

Objective: To explore the effect of nursing intervention on the prevention of burns in warm needling moxibustion., Methods: Two hundred patients received warm needling treatment were collected from January to December 2011 and were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 100 cases veceived ten hundreds of treatment in each group. In the control group, the routine nursing was applied in warm needling moxibustion. In the observation group, on the basic method as the control group, the nursing intervention was used. The burns incidence and the satisfaction of patients in warm needling moxibustion were recorded in the patients of the two groups., Results: The burns incidence was 0.6% (6/1000) in the observation group, which was lower apparently than 1. 5% (15/1000) in the control group (P<0. 05). The satisfaction of patients in warm needling moxibustion was 99.0% (99/100) in the observation group, which was higher obviously than 88.0% (88/100) in the control group (P<0. 01)., Conclusion: The nursing intervention prevents effectively from burns in warm needling moxibustion, reduces medical injuries, avoids the pains of patients and plays the active role in the patient satisfaction.

Objective: To optimize the freeze-dried powder preparation technology of recombinate hirudin-2 (rHV2) nanoparticle which has bio-adhesive characteristic for nasal delivery, also to investigate its stability and permeability through nasal membrane in vitro., Methods: Taking the appearance, rediffusion of nanoparticle and rHV2 encapsulation efficiency as the evaluation indexes. Cryoprotector, the preparative technique and the effect of illumination and high temperature factors on its stability for rHV2 freeze-dried powder were investigated. Using Fraze diffusion cell technique, the permeability of rHV2 across rabbit nasal mucous membrane in chitosan solution, chitosan nanoparticle, and nanoparticle frozen-dried powder were compared with that in normal saline solution., Results: The optimized preparation of rHV2 nanoparticle freeze-dried powder was as follows: 5% trehalose and glucose (1:1) was used as cryoprotector, nanoparticle solution was freezed for 24 h in vacuum frozen-dryer after being pre-freezed for 24 h. The content of rHV2 in the freeze-dried powder was 1.1 ug/mg. Illumination had little effect on the appearance, rediffusion and encapsulation efficiency of the rHV2 freeze-dried powder. High temperature could obviously influence the appearance of nanoparticle freeze-dried powder. The permeability coefficient (P) of nanoparticle was 5 times more than that in chictonson solution. It was indicated that chitosan nanoparticle has effect on increasing the permeability of rHV2., Conclusion: The freeze-dried powder of chitosan nanoparticle can be a good nasal preparation of rHV2.

To study the mechanism of metabolic interaction between Coptis chinensis and Scutellaria baicalensis. Rats were given C. chinensis and S. baicalensis for 7 days to produce hepatic microsomal enzyme. Cocktail probe substrate and liver microsome in vitro temperature incubation method were adopted. Meanwhile, the metabolic elimination percentages of the five probe substrates were detected with HPLC, in order to evaluate the effect of each administration group on the enzymatic activity of rat liver microsome CYP450. Compared with the blank group, C. chinensis obviously inhibited CYP2D6 and CYP1A2, and S. baicalensis remarkably inhibited CYP1A2, CYP2E1 and CYP2C9. The compatibility of C. chinensis and S. baicalensis with the ratio of 1:1 not only inhibited CYP1A2, but also remarkably activated CYP2D6 and CYP3A4. However, their activation effect disappeared under the ratio of 2: 1, and turned into the inhibitory effect on CYP1A2 and CYP2C9. The results showed that C. chinensis and S. baicalensis had an inhibitory effect on CYP450, but their compatibility with certain ratio resulted in double effects of activation and inhibition, which was related to their compatibility ratio. It is speculated that the inhibitory and inducing effects of C. chinensis and S. baicalensis on metabolic enzymes are among causes for their attenuation and synergistic effects.

Previous studies have shown that Wnt signaling is involved in postnatal mammalian myogenesis; however, the downstream mechanism of Wnt signaling is not fully understood. This study reports that the murine four-and-a-half LIM domain 1 (Fhl1) could be stimulated by β-catenin or LiCl treatment to induce myogenesis. In contrast, knockdown of the Fhl1 gene expression in C2C12 cells led to reduced myotube formation. We also adopted reporter assays to demonstrate that either β-catenin or LiCl significantly activated the Fhl1 promoter, which contains four putative consensus TCF/LEF binding sites. Mutations of two of these sites caused a significant decrease in promoter activity by luciferase reporter assay. Thus, we suggest that Wnt signaling induces muscle cell differentiation, at least partly, through Fhl1 activation.

The fundamental mechanism of gastrointestinal diseases is the imbalance between the attack factor and the protective factor of stomach mucous membrane. It can not outbreak if the protective factor is stronger than the attack factor; otherwise, it will. Attack and protective function inside the stomach are mediated by various factors. These related factors interaction constitutes a complicated network system. This kind of outbreak theories of imbalance in Western medicine is same as that, "The sense of right saves inside, the evil can't do" and "Evil is competing with right, all diseases occur", in Chinese medicine. So, it is the key which points to futher study the interaction between gastrointestinal attack factors and protective factors by traditional Chinese medicine, thus improving the clinical effect.

Objective: To make an epidemiological investigation on echinococcosis in Darlag County, Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai Province., Methods: Local participants were screened for echinococcosis using B ultrasound from August to September in 2007. IHA was carried out to detect antibody in human sera. Indirect ELISA using recombinant-AgB and Em18 antigen was conducted to further diagnose the human alveolar echinococcosis (AE) and cystic echinococcosis (CE) . The prevalence of echinococcosis in wild rodents, yaks, sheep and dogs was examined either by dissection or through slaughterhouses. Adult worms and hydatid cysts were detected by PCR-RFLP to discriminate 3 Echinococcus species and genotype of Eg. Dog feces were tested by double antibody sandwich ELISA method to confirm the coproantigen positive rate., Results: 1723 people were examined by ultrasound and 236 were clinically diagnosed as hydatid diseases with an overall morbidity of 13.7%, of which 5.5% were CE and 8.2% were AE. Prevalence in males and females was 11.6% and 15.6% respectively with a statistically significant difference (chi2=7.0, P< 0.05) . Prevalence in herdsmen and monks/nuns was as high as 23.0% and 13.2%, respectively. Adult worms were found in 5 out of 9 stray dogs by necropsy. 27 of 239 pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) were infected by E. shiquicus (11.3%). CE prevalence in sheep and yaks was 26.4% and 5/16 respectively. The Eg genotype was G1 (sheep strain)., Conclusion: Three species of Echinococcus, e.g. E. granulosus, E. multilocularis and E. shiquicus are all prevalent in Darlag County. The prevalence of both AE and CE in human population is high in the area. Domestic dogs are the primary definitive host for both E. granulosus and E. multilocularis.

Pediatric deaths due to community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus are rare. We describe the case of 2-y-old boy with fever and cough followed by comatose state with deteriorated respiration; the boy died of severe sepsis and necrotizing pneumonia. The etiological agent was community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, carrying a type IV staphylococcal mecA gene cassette and the Panton-Valentine Leukocidin gene.

The relationship between "Spleen" and muscles was explored by determining the amount of muscular glycogen to indicate the stored energy in muscles. The amount of muscular glycogen in normal rats was 6.34 +/- 0.20 mg/g muscles, it was much more than that in Spleen deficiency rats caused by rhubarb (4.27 +/- 0.40 mg/g muscles). In order to observe the effects of Jian Pi Yi Qi decoction on Spleen deficiency, the Spleen deficiency rats were divided into two groups, one of which was treated with Jian Pi Yi Qi decoction as experimental group, the other with distilled water as control. After one week, the amount of muscular glycogen in experimental group was 5.35 +/- 0.16 mg/g muscles and in control 4.63 +/- 0.15 mg/g muscles. It showed that the rising of the amount of muscular glycogen in experimental group was more than that in control with statistic significance but it was still lower than that in normal rats.

According to "Spleen-Stomach" theory, the effect of Jianpi Yiqi prescription (JPYQ) was observed clinically and studied experimentally. 168 cases manifested as Spleen-Qi ( ) deficiency including chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer (84 cases), chronic glomerulonephritis (44 cases) and vomitus gravidarum-edema of pregnancy (40 cases) were treated with JPYQ. Estimation were made based on their clinical conditions. Serum gastrin, serum cholyglycine, blood acetylcholine and cholinesterase, blood 5-HT and histamine were measured before and after treatment. The overall effective rate was 92.9% in gastritis and peptic ulcer group, 86.3% in nephritis group and 100% in pregnancy group respectively. A marked increase of serum glycocholic acid level was shown in gastritis and peptic ulcer and vomitus gravidarum groups. That was considered as the result of the secretion of cholic acid by this prescription. Clinical improvement was also obtained in nephritis group accompanying disappearance of albuminuria in 36.4%. Blood level of 5-HT and histamine lowered to some extent and tended to be normal. Besides, this prescription markedly inhibited electric stimulated excitement on isolated longitudinal muscle strip of guinea pig's ileum. The mechanism could be the inhibition of release of acetylcholine from Auerbach's plexus by this prescription.