ACcoding: A graph-based dataset for online judge programming.

A well-designed educational programming dataset is a valuable asset for students and educators. Such a dataset enables students to improve their programming performances continuously, provides researchers with significant data sources to identify students' learning behaviours and enhance the quality of programming education. Several existing datasets for programming education are either limited by a small number of participating students or a short span of learning records, bringing great challenges to investigate students' learning patterns in programming. We present a graph-based large-scale dataset specialized in programming learning on Online Judge (OJ) platform. The dataset, named ACcoding, was built by a university teaching group. As of the submission date of the initial manuscript of this paper (May 6, 2022), the dataset contains 4,046,652 task-solving records submitted by 27,444 students on 4,559 programming tasks over a span of 6 years. The large size of the dataset, combined with rich functional features, empowers educators to trace students' programming progress and choose appropriate programming tasks for specific training purposes. We also presents examples of applications used by the dataset.

Fast track surgery for children with congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia: A prospective interventional study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of fast-track surgery combined with a clinical nursing pathway on the recovery and complications of congenital pseudarthrosis of tibia. METHODS: 82 children with congenital pseudarthrosis of tibia admitted from January 2019 to December 2020 were selected as the study subjects. The control group received routine clinical nursing pathway while the intervention group received a fast-track surgery combined with a clinical nursing pathway. The fasting and water deprivation time were arranged according to the pre operation time, and the accelerated rehabilitation nursing models such as progressive diet management, multi-functional analgesia, and early sequential functional exercise were given after the operation. After collecting data on perioperative diet, postoperative recovery, postoperative complications, and family satisfaction from both groups of patients in a large hospital in China, a comparative analysis was conducted. RESULTS: The retention time of negative pressure drainage tube, urinary catheter and hospital stay in the intervention group were shorter than those in the control group (P < 0.05); The incidence of complications in the intervention group (5%) was significantly lower than that in the control group (21.42%) (P = 0.029). The family satisfaction of the intervention group (95.00%) was higher than that of the control group (80.95%). CONCLUSION: Strengthening the concept of fast-track surgery nursing in the combined operation of congenital pseudarthrosis of tibia can shorten the hospitalization time of children, reduce the occurrence of postoperative complications and improve their family satisfaction.

Research on anterior minimally invasive approach in the treatment of children with developmental dysplasia of the hip.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of open reduction through anterior minimally invasive approach in the treatment of children with developmental dysplasia of the hip. METHOD: A total of 23 patients (25 hips) less than 2 years with developmental dysplasia of the hip treated by open reduction through anterior minimally invasive approach were treated in our hospital from August 2016 to March 2019. Through the anterior minimally invasive approach, we enter from the gap between sartorius muscle and tensor fasciae lata without cutting off rectus femoris muscle, which can effectively expose the joint capsule and reduce the damage to medial blood vessels and nerves. The operation time, incision length, intraoperative bleeding, hospital stay and surgical complications were observed. The progression of developmental dysplasia of the hip and avascular necrosis of the femoral head were evaluated by imaging examination. RESULT: All patients were performed with follow-up visit for an average of 22 months. The average incision length was 2.5 cm, the average operation time was 26 min, the average intraoperative bleeding was 12ml, and the average hospital stay was 4.9 days. All patients received concentric reduction immediately after operation, and no re-dislocation occurred. At the last follow-up visit, the acetabular index was (25.8 ± 6.4°). During the follow-up visit, X-ray showed avascular necrosis of the femoral head in 4 hips (16%). CONCLUSION: open reduction through anterior minimally invasive approach can achieve good clinical effect in the treatment of infantile developmental dysplasia of the hip.

Evaluation of the efficacy of ipsilateral fibular transfer for reconstruction of large tibial defects in children: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Reconstruction of large tibial defects is often a major challenge in limb salvage. This study aimed to evaluate initial follow-up results of ipsilateral fibula transfer for the treatment of large tibial defects in children. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed between September 2014 and April 2021. Ten children were identified as having large tibial defects. The children underwent ipsilateral fibula transfer. We then evaluated initial healing, tibial length discrepancy, ankle varus/valgus, fibular position, refracture, infection, and function. RESULTS: Five boys and five girls, with an average age of 7.2 years, were evaluated. The transferred fibula was united in the patients. The mean follow-up period after fibular transposition was 43 months. The patients achieved primary bone union; the mean time to union was 8.4 months (range, 4-18 months). Complications included refracture (30%), infection (40%), tibia malunion (30%), ankle varus (30%), sensory loss of toes (10%), and ankle valgus (10%). No other major complications were observed. All 10 patients were able to perform activities of daily living and return to their normal activities. CONCLUSION: Ipsilateral fibula transfer is a salvage surgery for the treatment of large tibial defects in children with congenital pseudoarthrosis of the tibia, traumatic nonunion of the tibia, and/or tibial defect after chronic osteomyelitis. However, long-term results still need to be followed up.

Glycosmisines A and B: isolation of two new carbazole-indole-type dimeric alkaloids from Glycosmis pentaphylla and an evaluation of their antiproliferative activities.

Two unique carbazole-indole-type dimeric alkaloids, glycosmisines A (1) and B (2), have been isolated from the stems of Glycosmis pentaphylla and their structures are elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR analyses, and their cytotoxicity against the growth of three cancer cell lines (A549, HepG-2 and Huh-7 cells) in culture was investigated using an MTT assay. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited significant levels of cytotoxicity against three human cancer cell lines, and these two compounds also induced apoptosis in the same cell lines, as evidenced by changes in the morphological features of cells treated with these compounds and their dose-dependent accumulation of a sub-G1 population.

Phaseoloideside E, a novel natural triterpenoid saponin identified from Entada phaseoloides, induces apoptosis in Ec-109 esophageal cancer cells through reactive oxygen species generation.

Phaseoloideside E (PE), a new oleanane-type triterpene saponin, was isolated from the seed kernels of Entada phaseoloides (Linn.) Merr. PE had strong cytotoxic activity against an array of malignant cells. Typical morphological and biochemical features of apoptosis were observed in PE-treated Ec-109 cells. PE induced a dose-dependent increase in the sub-G1 fraction of the cell cycle and DNA fragmentation. Decreases in the mitochondrial membrane potential, SOD activity, and GSH content were also observed. Further investigations revealed that PE reduced the ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax and increased the activities of caspase-3 and -9, but this was prevented by Z-VAD-fmk. PE also induced a decrease of the sub-G1 fraction. Furthermore, PE-induced apoptosis was mediated by up-regulating cellular ROS, which was suppressed by cotreating the cells with N-acetylcysteine (NAC). NAC also attenuated the ratio of sub-G1, the generation of DNA fragmentation and the expression of Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3, and caspase-9. Interestingly, PE did not up-regulate ROS or induce cell death in untransformed cells. These data showed that PE induces cell death through up-regulation of cellular ROS production. Our investigation provides the scientific basis for the traditional application of this herb and suggests the possibility that PE may be used for a treatment of esophageal carcinoma. [Supplementary materials: available only at http://dx.doi.org/10.1254/jphs.12193FP].

[Phaseoloideside E induces human hepatoma HepG2 cells apoptosis].

OBJECTIVE: To study in vitro anti-tumor activity of phaseoloideside E (PE) with human hepatoma HepG2 cells as the objective. METHOD: MTT assay was adopted to detect the cytotoxic effect of PE of different concentrations on HepG2 cells after being processed for 48 h. Changes in morphology of PE-processed cells were observed under an optical microscope and fluorescence microscope. DNA agrose gel electrophoresis was used to detect the DNA ladder, an important characteristic of cell apoptosis. The expression levels of Bax and Bcl-2 were determined by western blot assay. RESULT: PE dramatically repressed the viability of HepG2 cells. Typical morphological changes of apoptosis had been detected by both direct microscopic observation and Hoechst 33,258 staining. Typical DNA Ladder was also observed by agarose gel electrophoresis in the administration group, but it did not exist in the control group. Western blot showed that the expression of Bax was up-regulated and Bcl-2 was down-regulated. CONCLUSION: Above data demonstrates that PE can induce apoptosis in human hepatoma HepG2 cells, and indicate that PE-induced expression level changes of Bax and Bcl2 may be related to the apoptosis-induction effect.

[Preliminary study on mechanisms of total saponins from Entada phaseoloides against diabetes].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of total saponins from Entada phaseoloides (TSEP) on islet morphology and skeletal muscle PI3K pathway-related protein expression of type 2 diabetic rats. METHOD: Type 2 diabetic rats were induced by high-fat diet and low-dose streptozotocin and then randomly divided into 5 groups, i.e. the normal control, the model group, the positive control drug (200 mg x kg(-1) metformin), the low-dose TSEP (25 mg x kg(-1)) group and the high-dose TSEP (50 mg x kg(-1)). Three weeks later, the islet morphology of rat pancreas were observed by HE staining, and protein expressions of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B (PTP-1 B) and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) in rat skeletal muscle were detected by Western blot. RESULT: Compared with the modal group, TSEP administration groups showed relatively normal structures, clear pancreatic cells and intact capsula structures in pancreatic tissue pathological sections, with the number of pancreatic islets close to the normal control group. Meanwhile, above TSEP administration groups showed increased IRS-1, PI3K and GLUT4 protein expressions in their skeletal muscle tissues and decreased PTP-1B protein expression compared with the model group. CONCLUSION: TSEP has an effect on protecting pancreatic tissues of type 2 diabetic rats and intervening in abnormal expression of proteins in skeletal muscle tissues.

Antidiabetic effect of total saponins from Entada phaseoloides (L.) Merr. in type 2 diabetic rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The seed of Entada phaseoloides (L.) Merr. (Entada phaseoloides) has been long used as an effective herb for the treatment of Diabetes mellitus by Dai people, one of the Chinese ethnic minorities. Saponin is an abundant type of secondary metabolic products in the seed of this plant. The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential therapeutic effects of total saponins from Entada phaseoloides (TSEP) in experimental type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: T2DM rats were induced by high-fat diet and low-dose streptozotocin (STZ). Then different oral doses of TSEP (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg) were administrated to T2DM rats for 21 days. For comparison, a standard antidiabetic drug, metformin (200 mg/kg), was used as a positive control drug. Then the relative biochemical analysis and histopathological examination were made to evaluate the antidiabetic effect of TSEP. RESULTS: TSEP dramatically reduced fasted blood glucose and serum insulin levels and alleviates hyperglycemia associated oxidative stress in T2DM rats. Moreover, a significantly hypolipidemic effect and an improvement in tissue steatosis could be observed after TSEP administration. Further investigations revealed a possible anti-inflammation effect of TSEP by examining serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and C-reactive protein (CRP). The effects of TSEP exhibited a dose-dependent manner and were comparable to metformin. CONCLUSION: Our present study demonstrates both hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activities of TSEP in T2DM rats, which support its antidiabetic property. This work also implies a possibility that TSEP exerts its therapeutic effect through repressing chronic inflammation responses.