Preparation of COPs Mixed Matrix Membrane for Sensitive Determination of Six Sulfonamides in Human Urine.

In this study, TpDMB-COPs, a specific class of covalent organic polymers (COPs), was synthesized using Schiff-base chemistry and incorporated into a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymer for the first time to prepare COPs mixed matrix membranes (TpDMB-COPs-MMM). A membrane solid-phase extraction (ME) method based on the TpDMB-COPs-MMM was developed to extract trace levels of six sulfonamides from human urine identified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The key factors affecting the extraction efficiency were investigated. Under the optimum conditions, the proposed method demonstrated an excellent linear relationship in the range of 3.5-25 ng/mL (r2 ≥ 0.9991), with the low limits of detection (LOD) between 1.25 ng/mL and 2.50 ng/mL and the limit of quantification (LOQ) between 3.50 ng/mL and 7.00 ng/mL. Intra-day and inter-day accuracies were below 5.0%. The method's accuracy was assessed by recovery experiments using human urine spiked at three levels (7-14 ng/mL, 10-15 ng/mL, and 16-20 ng/mL). The recoveries ranged from 87.4 to 112.2% with relative standard deviations (RSD) ≤ 8.7%, confirming the applicability of the proposed method. The developed ME method based on TpDMB-COPs-MMM offered advantages, including simple operation, superior extraction affinity, excellent recycling performance, and easy removal and separation from the solution. The prepared TpDMB-COPs-MMM was demonstrated to be a promising adsorbent for ME in the pre-concentration of trace organic compounds from complex matrices, expanding the application of COPs and providing references for other porous materials in sample pre-treatment.

Network Security Problems and Countermeasures of Hospital Information System after Going to the Cloud.

In the current social context, information technology, network technology, and cloud computing have been widely used in all walks of life. The analysis of the specific application results of progressive technology shows that the use of technology has changed the working state of various industries and improved the work efficiency and quality of the industry. It should be noted that although the application of some technologies will bring many positive belongings, the potential risks brought by them cannot be ignored. As far as the hospital is concerned, the information system using cloud computing technology can make better use of the hospital's information data, but after the information system is on the cloud, new problems will appear in network security, resulting in the leakage of hospital patient information or research information. Based on this, in practice, it is necessary to analyze the network security problems after the hospital information system goes to the cloud and build and implement the corresponding strategies. The author analyzes and discusses the corresponding contents through work practice and combined with previous articles, in order to provide guidance and help for peers.

Effect of perioperative nursing for artificial knee replacement on patients with osteosarcoma of the distal femur.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical application of perioperative nursing care for patients with osteosarcoma of the distal femur who received artificial knee replacement. METHODS: A total of 80 patients with osteosarcoma of the distal femur admitted to our hospital from March 2019 to March 2020 were selected as research subjects and divided into the control group and the study group according to their admission sequence. The control group was given routine nursing care, while the study group was given perioperative nursing care. The negative emotions, sleep quality, limb function, pain, complication rate, and nursing satisfaction of the two groups of patients after nursing care were analyzed. RESULTS: After nursing care, (1) the Hamilton depression rating scale (HAMD) and Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) scores of the study group were both lower than those of the control group; (2) the sleep quality score of the study group was lower than that of the control group (P < 0.001); (3) the study group obtained higher limb function score and excellent-and-good rate than the control group (P < 0.05); (4) the pain score of the study group was lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05), and the time to functional exercise and length of hospital stay of the study group were shorter than those of the control group (P < 0.05); (5) patients in the study group had a lower complication rate than those in the control group (P=0.02); (6) the nursing satisfaction rating of the study group was higher than that of the control group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: For patients with osteosarcoma of the distal femur treated by artificial knee replacement, in addition to the amelioration of negative emotions and sleep quality, perioperative nursing also improves the patients' limb function and satisfaction and mitigates pain and complications.

An investigation of the antidepressant-like effect of Jiaotaiwan in rats by nontargeted metabolomics based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Depression is a mental disorder characterized by persistent unhappiness, lack of interest, with cognitive and sleep disorders. Jiaotaiwan is a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of insomnia and depressive-like symptoms. In this study, the major chemical components in Jiaotaiwan were qualitatively analyzed using ultra high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and a model of depression in rats was subsequently established with chronic unpredictable mild stress followed by Jiaotaiwan intervention. Next, the metabolic profile of rat serum samples was analyzed using nontargeted metabolomics, wherein changes in the metabolites in serum samples before and after Jiaotaiwan administration were measured by multiple statistical approaches. Principal component analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis indicated that the Jiaotaiwan treatment improved the metabolic phenotype depression. Moreover, the heatmap analysis identified the most important ten biomarkers involved in depression. According to the pathway analysis, the therapeutic effect of Jiaotaiwan on depression may involve the regulation of amino acid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and energy metabolism. These findings help us understand the pathogenesis of depression in-depth, and discover targets for clinical diagnosis and treatment. And it also lays a foundation for the use of Jiaotaiwan as an antidepressant agent.

Effect of hypercholesterolemia alone or combined with hypertension on the degree of coronary artery stenosis in patients with coronary heart disease angina pectoris: A medical records based retrospective study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death globally. Angina pectoris is closely associated with coronary artery insufficiency, which seriously affects the quality of life and work of patients. Hypercholesterolemia and hypertension (HTN) are risk factors for CHD angina pectoris. The correlation between hypercholesterolemia with or without HTN and the severity of coronary arteries has not been clarified. OBJECTIVE: To explore the correlation between hypercholesterolemia and the degree of coronary artery stenosis (CAS) of CHD angina pectoris, and to further research the influence of HTN on total cholesterol level and CAS, so as to provide guidance for clinical prevention and treatment. METHODS: A multicenter, retrospective clinical study was conducted in the medical records management system of 6 hospitals in Tianjin. Patients who were suffered from CHD angina pectoris and aged from 35 to 75 years old are involved. They hospitalized in the Department of Cardiology between September 1, 2014, and September 1, 2019, and underwent coronary angiography. We divide patients into 3 groups based on the total cholesterol level, the degree of CAS is evaluated by Gensini score, and further divide them into 6 subgroups based on with or without HTN. Collect and analyze the demographics, laboratory information, clinical outcome data, and coronary angiographic data of patients. CONCLUSION: Through clinical research data, the study will help to provide guidance for the prevention and treatment of CHD angina pectoris complicated with diseases and promote further research.

Danlou tablet inhibits the inflammatory reaction of high-fat diet-induced atherosclerosis in ApoE knockout mice with myocardial ischemia via the NF-κB signaling pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Danlou tablet (DLT), a traditional herbal formula, has been used to treat chest discomfort (coronary atherosclerosis) in China. Although the anti-inflammatory activities of DLT have been proposed previously, the mechanisms of DLT in treating atherosclerosis with myocardial ischemia (AWMI) remain unknown. AIM OF THE STUDY: Atherosclerosis can result in heart disease caused by stenosis or occlusion of the lumen, resulting in myocardial ischemia, hypoxia, or necrosis. In recent years, changes in people's diets, increased stress, and secondary fatigue and obesity etc. have resulted in increases in the number of patients with atherosclerosis. In cases where the condition has further developed, patients may suffer from myocardial ischemia, hypoxia, or necrosis. Many traditional Chinese medicine compounds have been prescribed for the treatment of AWMI. DLT has been used to treat chest discomfort (coronary atherosclerosis) in China. Based on previous research, the aim of this study was to further investigate the effect of DLT on AWMI, and describe the underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To achieve this, an animal model of AWMI was established using apolipoprotein E (ApoE-/-) mice fed a high fat diet combined with isoprenaline (ISO) injection. For comparison, mouse models of only atherosclerosis and only myocardial ischemia were included. In the treatment groups, mice were treated daily with DLT at 700 mg/kg for four weeks. Echocardiographic evaluation, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, oil red O staining, ELISAs, Western blots, and immunohistochemical analyses were subsequently used to investigate the mechanism of DLT based on the NF-κB signaling pathway. RESULTS: The results indicate that the use of DLT is effective, to varying degrees, for the treatment of atherosclerosis, myocardial ischemia, and AWMI in mice. After DLT treatment, the left ventricular structure and morphology of the mice, the histopathology of cardiac tissue, and atherosclerotic plaques in the aortas all improved to varying degrees. DLT could play a therapeutic role by regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway related to inflammatory factors, including TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1ß, IL-8, MMP-1 and MMP-2, as well as protein expression of NF-κB p-50 and IκB-α, and positive cell expression of NF-κB p-50, IκB-α and phospho-NF-κB p-50 in the model mice. CONCLUSION: These preliminary results indicate that the therapeutic efficacy of DLT on high-fat diet-induced atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- mice with myocardial ischemia could be exerted at least in part by regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway.

microRNA-524-5p inhibits proliferation and induces cell cycle arrest of osteosarcoma cells via targeting CDK6.

BACKGROUND: Osteosarcoma (OS) is one of the most commonly diagnosed malignant tumors that mainly affects children and adolescents. The underlying molecular mechanisms that are responsible for the initiation and development of OS are still not clear. Increasing evidence suggested the tumor suppressor role of microRNA-524-5p in a variety of cancers via targeting key pathways involved in tumorigenesis. The aim of this study was to characterize the function of miR-524-5p in OS. METHODS: A total 50 paired OS tissues and adjacent normal tissues were collected from OS patients. The expression of miR-524-5p in OS tissues and cells was detected by RT-qPCR. The CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry and transwell assay were applied to determine the proliferation and invasion abilities of OS cells. The targets of miR-524-5p were predicted using the miRDB dataset and confirmed by luciferase reporter assay and western blot analysis. RESULTS: The expression of miR-524-5p was decreased in OS tissues and cell lines. OS patients with lymph node metastasis harbored relative lower level of miR-524-5p. Overexpression of miR-524-5p in OS cells significantly suppressed the proliferation, drove cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The mechanism investigation revealed that miR-524-5p bound the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of Cyclin Dependent Kinase 6 (CDK6) and repressed the expression of CDK6 in OS cells. Overexpressed CDK6 was found in OS tissues, which was inversely correlated with that of miR-524-5p. Moreover, forced expression of CDK6 significantly reversed the anti-cancer effects of miR-524-5p on the proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of OS cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our results identified the tumor-suppressive role of miR-524-5p in OS via targeting CDK6, which may lead to the identification of novel therapeutic target for the treatment of OS.

Adjuvant treatment of coronary heart disease angina pectoris with Chinese patent medicine: A prospective clinical cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) angina pectoris are in critical condition, which can cause sudden death, myocardial infarction, and other adverse events, and bring serious burden to families and society. Timely treatment should be given to improve the condition. Western medicine treatment of angina pectoris failed to meet the demand of angina symptom control. OBJECTIVE: It is hoped that the research method with higher evidential value will be adopted to compare the short-term, medium-term, and long-term effects of Chinese patent medicine combined with conventional western medicine and conventional western medicine alone in the treatment of CHD angina pectoris, so as to tap the clinical efficacy advantages of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and provide reliable data support for its clinical application. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted among patients with CHD angina pectoris who were treated with oral Chinese patent medicine and conventional western medicine. The patients were divided into exposed group and nonexposed group according to whether or not the patients with CHD angina pectoris were treated with Chinese patent medicine. The exposed group was treated with TCM combined with conventional western medicine, while the nonexposed group was treated with conventional western medicine alone. Patients need to be hospitalized for 2 weeks as the introduction period and whether to enter the group is determined according to the treatment and medication conditions of the patients. The follow-up time points were 0th, 4th, 12th, 24th, and 48th weeks. The main events and secondary events were used as the evaluation criteria for clinical efficacy of CHD angina pectoris. In the experimental study, we will use strict indicators to detect standard operation procedure for multinomics and bacterial flora detection. CONCLUSION: This study will provide evidence for the clinical efficacy advantages of Chinese patent medicine and reliable support for its clinical application through test data.

Anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects of Dan-Lou tablets in the treatment of coronary heart disease revealed by metabolomics integrated with molecular mechanism studies.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL EVIDENCE: The Dan-Lou tablet (DLT), a well-known Chinese prescription, has definitive clinical efficacy in the treatment of precordial discomfort and pain caused by coronary heart disease (CHD). However, the pharmacological mechanism of DLT in the treatment of CHD has not been clearly elucidated and needs to be further explored. AIM OF THE STUDY: We aimed to identify relevant biological pathways by assessing changes in biomarkers in response to DLT intervention in CHD to reveal the potential biological mechanism of DLT treatment for CHD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The major chemical components in DLT were qualitatively analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS), and a model of CHD in rats was subsequently established with a high-fat diet and left anterior coronary artery ligation (LADCA) followed by DLT intervention. Next, the metabolic profile of rat serum samples was analyzed using nontargeted metabolomics, wherein changes in the metabolites in serum samples before and after DLT administration were measured by PLS-DA, and two pathways of DLT treatment for CHD were predicted. Finally, predicted metabolomic pathways were verified by detecting and analyzing tissues from the rat model, revealing the mechanism of DLT in the treatment of CHD. RESULTS: Forty-five major chemical components were identified by the chemical characterization of DLT. In terms of metabolism, 17 biomarkers of CHD in rats were identified. Among these biomarkers, linoleic acid, γ-linolenic acid and lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs) were found to play an important role in energy metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism. Protein analysis revealed that EGFR phosphorylation was inhibited in CHD rats after DLT treatment, which lowered the expression of TNF-α, IL-6 and MMP9, decreased the expression levels of ox-LDL and MDA, and increased the expression of SOD. CONCLUSION: The mechanism of DLT in the treatment of CHD involves inhibiting the expression of EGFR and the activation of the MAPK signaling pathway by regulating glycerophospholipid metabolism (LPCs) and energy metabolism (linoleic acid and γ-linolenic acid). Therefore, inflammation-related (TNF-α, IL-6, MMP9) and oxidative stress-related (ox-LDL, MDA, SOD) indicators are affected, leading to the regulation of the oxidative stress state and anti-inflammatory effects.

MiR-323a-3p suppressed the glycolysis of osteosarcoma via targeting LDHA.

Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that there is critical involvement of miRNAs in the initiation and progression of cancers. Here, we showed that miR-323a-3p was significantly down-regulated in osteosarcoma (OS) tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of miR-323a-3p decreased the cell viability, colon formation and induced the apoptosis of OS cells. Using bioinformatics analysis, lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) was predicted as one of the down-steam targets of miR-323a-3p. Highly expressed miR-323a-3p significantly decreased both the mRNA and protein levels of LDHA. Inverse correlation between the expression of LDHA and miR-323a-3p was observed in OS tissues. Consistent with the function of LDHA in glycolysis of cancer cells, overexpression of miR-323a-3p attenuated the lactate production of OS cells. These results demonstrated that miR-323a-3p suppressed the growth of OS cells via targeting LDHA and inhibited the glycolysis of OS. This study provides insight into the molecular mechanism of miR-323a-3p in regulating OS.

BRCA1-Associated Protein-1 Suppresses Osteosarcoma Cell Proliferation and Migration Through Regulation PI3K/Akt Pathway.

BRCA1-associated protein-1 (BAP1) is an important nuclear-localized deubiquitinating enzyme. Dysregulation of BAP1 has been reported in many types of cancers. However, there are few articles on the role of BAP1 in osteosarcoma (OS) and the molecular mechanisms of BAP1 in OS remain largely unknown. In this study, we examined the expression of BAP1 in the tissue sample from OS patients and healthy control subjects, and then investigated the biological function and molecular mechanisms of BAP1 in OS. We found that BAP1 was significantly reduced in OS patients and OS cell lines. Then we found that BAP1 has a key role in OS cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. Furthermore, we found that BAP1 exerted its influence on the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and there was physical association between BAP1 and miR-125. In conclusion, our data highlight the important roles of BAP1 in the survival of OS. It may be a potential therapy for OS.

Antidepressant-like effects of the Radix Bupleuri and Radix Paeoniae Alba drug pair.

The Radix Bupleuri and Radix Paeoniae Alba drug pair plays a pivotal role in Xiaoyaosan, a famous Chinese herbal preparation that is popular in clinical medicine. To investigate the antidepressant-like effects and potential mechanism of action of the Radix Bupleuri and Radix Paeoniae Alba drug pair, we carried out the forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST), as the mouse models of depression; and the open field test (OFT) to exclude false-positive results. Subsequently, ptosis and hypothermia induced by reserpine were assessed. Finally, the concentrations of monoamine neurotransmitters and their metabolites, namely epinephrine (NE), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in the hippocampal and cortical tissues of mice were detected with HPLC with electrochemical detector. The Radix Bupleuri and Radix Paeoniae Alba (1:1) drug pair at low, medium, and high doses decreased immobility time in both the FST and TST, and counteracted hypothermia induced by reserpine in mice. After the administration of reserpine, the concentrations of 5-HT and NE in the hippocampal and cortical tissues were decreased; however, pre-treatment with the Radix Bupleuri and Radix Paeoniae Alba drug pair significantly elevated the concentrations of 5-HT and NE in the hippocampal and cortical tissues. The results suggested that, compared with single dose of fluoxetine and the drugs used individually, the Radix Bupleuri and Radix Paeoniae Alba drug pair had an excellent antidepressant-like effect. These data revealed a possible mechanism of action, as the regulation of the central monoaminergic neurotransmitter system in the hippocampal and cortical tissues.

Silencing of VEGF inhibits human osteosarcoma angiogenesis and promotes cell apoptosis via VEGF/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Osteosarcoma is a kind of highly malignant tumor and the growth and metastasis is closely related to angiogenesis. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an important angiogenesis-promoting factor. In the current study, we investigated the effects of suppressed VEGF on osteosarcoma and its molecular mechanism provided for a basis by targeting angiogenesis. MATERIAL/METHODS: We established bearing human osteosarcoma Wistar rats model by subcutaneous inoculation of human SaOS-2 cells and the adenovirus vector Ad-VEGF-siRNA was constructed for further study. We assessed the efficiency of VEGF silencing and its influence on SaOS-2 cells. The expression of mRNA and protein were detected by RT-PCR and western blotting, respectively. Intratumoral microvessel density (MVD), VEGF and CD31 were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. We detected the cell apoptotic rates by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Our results indicated that Ad-VEGF-siRNA could effectively suppressed the expression of VEGF expression, inhibited the proliferation capability and promoted apoptosis of SaOS-2 cells in vitro. Silencing of VEGF expression also suppress osteosarcoma tumor growth and reduce osteosarcoma angiogenesis in the Wistar rats model in vivo. Furthermore, We found that phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B (AKT) activation were considerably reduced while inhibition VEGF expression in SaOS-2 cells. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrated that VEGF silencing could suppress cells proliferation, promote cells apoptosis and reduce osteosarcoma angiogenesis through inactivation of VEGF/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

H19 Functions as a ceRNA in Promoting Metastasis Through Decreasing miR-200s Activity in Osteosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone sarcoma around the world. The poor prognosis and high recurrence rate of osteosarcoma are largely due to the high rate of pulmonary metastasis. H19 has been reported to play a potential role in osteosarcoma progression. However, the exact molecular mechanism of metastasis involving H19 remains unclear. In the present study, we performed gain- and loss-of-function assays and found that H19 promotes migration and invasion in osteosarcoma cells. Furthermore, we showed that H19 promotes metastasis through upregulation of ZEB1 and ZEB2 by competitively binding the miR-200 family. Thus, our findings suggest important roles of H19 in osteosarcoma metastasis and indicate its potential application in osteosarcoma therapy.

IGF1 3'UTR functions as a ceRNA in promoting angiogenesis by sponging miR-29 family in osteosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma is one of the most common malignant bone tumors in human worldwide. Angiogenesis is a pivotal process during osteosarcoma development. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) has been reported to promote angiogenesis. However, the role of 3' untranslational region (3'UTR) of IGF1 mRNA in angiogenic activity in osteosarcomas is still unknown. In the present study, we performed gain-of-function assays to investigate the role of IGF1-3'UTR in angiogenesis. For the first time, we demonstrated that IGF1 3'UTR increased VEGF expression and promotes angiogenesis in osteosarcoma cells. In addition, RNA-immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays showed that IGF1 3'UTR was a direct target of miR-29s. Our data also demonstrated that there existed a competition of miR-29s between IGF1-3'UTR and VEGF mRNA, and IGF1-3'UTR promoted angiogenesis at least in part via sponging miR-29s. Taken together, our study suggests that IGF1-3'UTR functions as a ceRNA in promoting angiogenesis by sponging miR-29s in osteosarcoma.

Plasma Adiponectin Levels Inversely Correlate to Clinical Parameters in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients with Macrovascular Diseases.

It has been shown that adiponectin (APN) and plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) are inversely involved in the regulation of atherosclerosis formation. However, the clinical impact of APN and PAI-1 in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with macrovascular diseases (MVD) has not been investigated. In the present study, we found that plasma APN levels were significantly lower in T2DM patients than healthy donors, with a further decrease in T2DM patients with MVD. In contrast, plasma PAI-1 levels were significantly higher in T2DM patients than healthy donors, with a further increase in T2DM patients with MVD. We observed that plasma APN levels negatively correlated to values of BMI, FBG, FINS, TG, and PAI-1 in T2DM patients. In patients with MVD, plasma APN levels were negatively associated with values of BMI, SBP, FBG, FINS, TG, and PAI-1. By multiple stepwise regression analysis, we found that values of BMI, FCP, PAI-1, and FBG independently related to plasma levels of APN in T2DM patients with MVD. Taken together, our results indicate that APN might be a promising biomarker in patients with T2DM, especially in those with MVD.

Murein hydrolase activity of surface layer proteins from Lactobacillus acidophilus against Escherichia coli.

The aim of this study was to investigate the murein hydrolase activities of the surface layer proteins (SLPs) from two strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus using zymography. The influence of these hydrolase activities on Escherichia coli ATCC 43893 was also evaluated by analysing their growth curve, cell morphology and physiological state. After the incubation of E. coli with SLPs, growth was inhibited, the number of viable cells was significantly reduced, examination by transmission electron microscopy showed that the cell wall was damaged and flow cytometry results indicated that the majority of the cells were sublethally injured. All of these results suggested that the SLPs of both L. acidophilus strains possessed murein hydrolase activities that were sublethal to E. coli cells.

Expression of TNF-α, IFN-γ, TGF-ß, and IL-4 in the spinal tuberculous focus and its impact on the disease.

To investigate the expression of TNF-α, IFN-γ, TGF-ß, and IL-4 in the spinal tuberculous focus and its relationship with the lesions type, severity, and bone destruction. The pathological samples of patients with spinal tuberculosis (TB) were divided into hyperplasia group and necrosis group according to their intra-operative and post-operative pathological findings. Normal bone tissues were taken as the control group. Pathology and expression of TNF-α, IFN-γ, TGF-ß, and IL-4 in different tissues were compared among these three groups using immunohistochemical staining, quantitative image analysis, and measurement of bone tissue. 286 granulomas observed in the 14 samples in the hyperplasia group, which included 84 necrotizing and 202 non-necrotizing granulomas. As for the 20 samples in the necrosis group, there were 356 necrotizing and 186 non-necrotizing granulomas among all the 542 granulomas. The proportion of necrotizing granulomas in the necrosis group was significantly higher than that of the hyperplasia group. By inter-group comparison, expression of TNF-α, IFN-γ of granulomas in the hyperplasia group was significantly higher than that of the necrosis group, while the expression of TGF-ß, IL-4 of granulomas in the necrosis group was significantly higher than that of the hyperplasia group. Also, expression of IFN-γ of non-necrotizing granulomas was significantly higher than that of necrotizing granulomas in the hyperplasia group, and expression of TGF-ß in necrotizing granulomas was significantly higher than that of non-necrotizing granulomas in the necrosis group. The lesions were mainly bone resorption in the hyperplasia group, whereas mostly necrotic bones accompanied by local fibrosis in the necrosis group. Expression levels of TNF-α, IFN-γ in the hyperplasia group have a positive correlation to bone loss, whereas expression levels of TGF-ß, IL-4 in the necrosis group have a positive correlation to the bone formation. The high expressions of TNF-α, IFN-γ in the spinal tuberculous focus were associated with protective immune cells. TGF-ß and IL-4 were related to allergic lesions, fibrosis and osteogenesis. Expression imbalance of TNF-α, IFN-γ, TGF-ß, and IL-4 might aggravate the allergy of TB.

Torsional energy levels of CH3OH⁺/CH3OD⁺/CD3OD⁺ studied by zero-kinetic energy photoelectron spectroscopy and theoretical calculations.

The torsional energy levels of CH3OH(+), CH3OD(+), and CD3OD(+) have been determined for the first time using one-photon zero kinetic energy photoelectron spectroscopy. The adiabatic ionization energies for CH3OH, CH3OD, and CD3OD are determined as 10.8396, 10.8455, and 10.8732 eV with uncertainties of 0.0005 eV, respectively. Theoretical calculations have also been performed to obtain the torsional energy levels for the three isotopologues using a one-dimensional model with approximate zero-point energy corrections of the torsional potential energy curves. The calculated values are in good agreement with the experimental data. The barrier height of the torsional potential energy without zero-point energy correction was calculated as 157 cm(-1), which is about half of that of the neutral (340 cm(-1)). The calculations showed that the cation has eclipsed conformation at the energy minimum and staggered one at the saddle point, which is the opposite of what is observed in the neutral molecule. The fundamental C-O stretch vibrational energy level for CD3OD(+) has also been determined. The energy levels for the combinational excitation of the torsional vibration and the fundamental C-O stretch vibration indicate a strong torsion-vibration coupling.