A novel strategy for the quality control of carbonized Typhae pollen using colorimeter, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and efficacy evaluation coupled with multivariate statistical analysis.

In this study, a novel quality control strategy was proposed, aiming to establish a multivariate specification for the processing step by exploring the correlation between colors, chemical components, and hemostatic effects of the carbonized Typhae pollen (CTP) using multivariate statistical analysis. The CTP samples were stir-fried at different durations. Afterward, the colorimeter and LC-MS techniques were applied to characterize the CTP samples, followed by the determination of bleeding time and clotting time using mice to evaluate their hemostatic effect. Then, principal component analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis, and multi-block partial least squares were used for data analysis on colors, chemical components, and their correlation with the hemostatic effect. Consequently, 13 critical quality attributes (CQAs) of CTP were identified via multivariate statistical analysis-L*, a*, b*, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, azelaic acid, kaempferol-3-O-glucoside, quercetin, naringenin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin. The multivariate specification method involving the 13 CQAs was developed and visualized in the latent variable space of the partial least squares model, indicating that the proposed method was successfully applied to assess the quality of CTP and the degree of carbonization. Most importantly, this study offers a novel insight into the control of processing for carbonized Chinese herbal medicines.

The relationship between calcium (water) density and age distribution in adult women with spectral CT: initial result compared to bone mineral density by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

BACKGROUND: Calcium (water) density (DCa(Wa)) of gemstone spectral imaging by spectral computed tomography (CT) is a new method of evaluating bone structures. PURPOSE: To investigate age-related change of DCa(Wa) of a chosen lumbar vertebra in adult women with spectral CT and the correlation between the DCa(Wa) and bone mineral density (BMD) of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 305 adult women underwent spectral CT, 127 of whom simultaneously underwent DXA. All the patients were divided into 11 subgroups based on age. DCa(Wa) and BMD were measured at the second lumbar vertebra on the calcium (water)-based material decomposition images of spectral CT and DXA, respectively. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed for the difference of the measurements among adjacent age subgroups. Pearson correlation was used to assess the association between age and DCa(Wa), age and BMD, as well as DCa(Wa) and BMD. RESULTS: There was a significant negative correlation between DCa(Wa) and age (r = -0.719) as well as BMD and age(r = -0.851). The mean DCa(Wa) of L2 vertebral body was significantly different between the 40-44- and 45-49-, 45-49- and 50-54-, 55-59- and 60-64-, 65-69- and 70-74-year-old age subgroups. BMD was significantly different between the 35-39- and 40-44-, 45-49- and 50-54-, and 65-69- and 70-74-year-old age subgroups. There was a significant positive correlation between DCa(Wa) and BMD. CONCLUSIONS: The DCa(Wa) of lumbar vertebra by spectral CT demonstrated similar age distribution as BMD of DXA and could be used as a method of measuring the vertebral bone mineral density in adult women.

Virtual monochromatic spectral imaging for the evaluation of vertebral inconspicuous osteoblastic metastases from lung.

Background The diagnosis of inconspicuous osteoblastic metastases (OBMs) is a challenge in computed tomography (CT) images. The virtual monochromatic spectral (VMS) image of spectral CT is useful for the detection of the low-contrast lesions. Purpose To select the optimal monochromatic level for VMS images of spectral CT for detecting and diagnosing inconspicuous OBMs of the vertebra from lung cancer. Material and Methods Thirty-five patients underwent spectral CT for chest or abdomen. The CT number and standard deviation (SD) of lesions and adjacent normal bone and the SD value of subcutaneous fat were measured on the conventional polychromatic image (140 kVp) and 40-140 keV VMS images. The contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was compared among the 11 VMS images and 140 kVp images. The scores of two observers for different images and the inter-observer agreement were evaluated. The diameter and CNR of the detected and missed lesions were assessed. Results The lowest image noise was distributed in 70 and 140 keV images and the highest CNR was noted in 70 keV images. Good and moderate inter-observer agreement were identified for the evaluation of diagnostic ability, and the subjective scores of two observers for 60 and 70 keV images were increased compared with 140 kVp images ( P < 0.05). The diameter had no significant difference between the detected and missed lesions. The CNR of the missed lesions was reduced compared with detected lesions. Conclusion VMS images at 70 keV may be optimal for detecting and diagnosing inconspicuous OBMs from lung cancer.

Association between weight-adjusted-waist index and depression: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Depression has become a multifaceted global health issue, with complex connections to obesity. Weight-adjusted-waist index (WWI) can effectively evaluate central obesity, but the relationship between WWI and depression has not been well studied. The study aims to investigate the potential correlation between these two health parameters. Methods: According to the data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, this cross-sectional study used multiple regression analysis, subgroup analysis, and smooth curve fitting to explore the relationship between WWI and depression. The assessment ability of WWI was evaluated and compared to other obesity indicators using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: This study analyzed 38,154 participants. Higher WWI is associated with higher depression scores (ß = 0.41; 95% CI, 0.36-0.47). After adjusting for various confounding factors, the positive correlation between WWI and depression remained significant (P for trend < 0.0001). Nonlinear positive correlation was detected with a breakpoint of 11.14. ROC analysis shows that compared to other obesity indicators (ROCWWI = 0.593; ROCBMI = 0.584; and ROCWC = 0.581), the correlation between WWI and depression has better discrimination and accuracy. DII mediated 4.93%, SII mediated 5.08%, and sedentary mediated 0.35% of the total association between WWI and depression. Conclusion: WWI levels were related to an increased likelihood of depression and showed a stronger relationship than BMI and waist circumference. Our findings indicated that WWI may serve as a simple anthropometric index to evaluate depression.

Response surface optimization of light conditions for organic matter accumulation in two different shapes of Arthrospira platensis.

Arthrospira platensis has attracted wide attention as a cyanobacteria with high nutritional value. In this research, the response surface method was used to study the effects of light cycle, light intensity and red-blue LED conditions on the growth and organic matter accumulation in spiral shaped strain A. platensis OUC623 and linear shaped strain A. platensis OUC793. The light conditions suitable for A. platensis OUC623 were as follows: growth (light time 12.01 h, light intensity 35.64 µmol/m2s, LED red: blue = 6.38:1); chlorophyll a (light time 12.75 h, light intensity 31.06 µmol/m2s, red: blue = 6.25:1); carotenoid (light time 13.12 h, light intensity 32.25 µmol/m2s, red: blue = 5.79:1); polysaccharide (light time 16.00 h, light intensity 31.32 µmol/m2s, blue: red = 6.24:1); protein (light time 12.18 h, light intensity 6.12 µmol/m2s, blue: red = 7.95:1); phycocyanin (light time12.00 h, light intensity 5.00 µmol/m2s, blue: red = 8.00:1). The light conditions suitable for A. platensis OUC793 were as follows: growth (light time 13.52 h, light intensity 40.22 µmol/m2s, red: blue = 5.98:1); chlorophyll a (light time 14.22 h, light intensity 44.96 µmol/m2s, red: blue = 5.94:1); carotenoid (light time 14.13 h, light intensity 44.50 µmol/m2s, red: blue = 6.02:1); polysaccharide (light time 16.00 h, light intensity 31.85 µmol/m2s, blue: red = 6.08:1); protein (light time12.00 h, light intensity 5.00 µmol/m2s, blue: red = 8.00:1); phycocyanin (light time12.01 h, light intensity 5.01 µmol/m2s, blue: red = 8.00:1). Under the theoretical optimal light conditions, compared with white LED, the growth rate, chlorophyll a, carotenoid, phycocyanin, protein and polysaccharide contents in strain 623 increased by 91.67%, 114.70%, 85.05%, 563.54%, 386.14%, 201.18%, and in strain 793 increased by 75.00%, 150.94%, 113.43%, 427.09%, 1284.71%, 312.38%, respectively. The two strains showed different advantages. Growth rate, chlorophyll a, polysaccharide, protein and phycocyanin content of strain 623 were higher than those of strain 793, while carotenoid was higher in strain 793. After optimization, both strains could reach a good growth state, and the growth rate and organic matter content were close. And then a 20 L photobioreactor was used to expand the culture of the two strains, validating the theoretical optimal light conditions of response surface method. This study laid the foundation for the establishment of optical conditions for organic matter accumulation in two different strains of A. platensis, which provided more options for meeting the industrialization needs of A. platensis.

Protective effect of isoflurane preconditioning on neurological function in rats with HIE.

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is an important cause of neonatal death and disability, which can lead to long-term neurological and motor dysfunction. Currently, inhalation anesthetics are widely used in surgery, and some studies have found that isoflurane (ISO) may have a positive effect on neuroprotection. In this paper, we investigated whether ISO pretreatment has a neuroprotective effect on the neurological function of HIE rats. Here, 7-day-old neonatal rats were randomly divided into a sham group, a hypoxic-ischemic (HI) group, and an ISO pretreatment (pretreatment) group. The pretreatment group was pretreated with 2% ISO for 1 h, followed by the HI group to establish an HI animal model. The HI­induced neurological injury was evaluated by Zea­Longa scores and triphenyltetrazolium (TTC) staining. Neuronal number and histomorphological changes were observed with Nissl staining and Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. In addition, motor learning memory function was evaluated by the Morris water maze (MWM), the Y-maze, and the rotarod tests. HI induced severe neurological dysfunction, brain infarction, and cell apoptosis as well as obvious neuron loss in neonatal rats. In the MWM, the rats in the pretreatment group showed a decrease in escape latency (p = 0.042), indicating that pretreatment with ISO could improve the learning ability of HI rats. The results of Nissl staining showed that in the HI group, there was an irregular arrangement of neurons and nuclear fixation; however, the cell damage was significantly reduced and the total number of neurons was increased after ISO pretreatment (p < 0.001). In conclusion, ISO pretreatment improved cognitive function and attenuated HI-induced reduction of Nissl-positive cells and spatial memory impairment, suggesting that pretreatment with ISO before HI modeling could reduce neuronal cell death in the hippocampus after HI.

Evolving of treatment paradigms and challenges in acute promyelocytic leukaemia: A real-world analysis of 1105 patients over the last three decades.

Although acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) is a highly curable disease, challenges of early death (ED) and relapse still exist, and real-world data are scarce in the ATRA plus ATO era. A total of 1105 APL patients from 1990 to 2020 were enrolled and categorized into three treatment periods, namely ATRA, ATRA plus ATO, and risk-adapted therapy. The early death (ED) rate was 20.2%, 10.1%, and 7.0%, respectively, in three periods, while there was no significant decline in the 7-day death rate. Consistently, the overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of APL patients markedly improved over time. Despite the last two periods exhibiting similar DFS, the chemotherapy load was substantially lower in Period 3. Notably, leveraging older age and higher WBC count (especially > 50 × 109/L), we could identify a small group of extremely high-risk patients who had a very high ED rate and poor prognosis, while those with NRAS mutations and higher WBC tended to relapse, both representing obstacles to curing all patients. In conclusion, the evolvement of treatment paradigms can reduce the ED rate, improve clinical outcomes, and spare patients the toxicity of chemotherapy. Special care and innovative agents are warranted for the particularly high-risk APL.

Reconstruction of distal radius by fibula following excision of grade III giant cell tumour: follow-up of 18 cases.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term results of vascularised fibular graft for reconstruction of the wrist after excision of grade III giant cell tumour in the distal radius. From January 1998 to September 2003, 18 patients with wrist defects due to distal radius grade III giant cell tumour resection were treated with vascularised fibular graft and were followed-up. The limb function was restored to an average 80% of normal function and bone union was achieved within six months in 18 patients with vascularised fibular graft. MSTS score averaged 25.6 and ranged between 21 and 29; Mayo wrist score averaged 56 with a range from 40 to 65. It is appropriate to use the head of the fibula as a substitute for the distal radius. The healing of vascularised fibular graft is very quick and without bone resorption. Thus, in the procedure for reconstruction and limb salvage after bone tumour resection of distal radius, the free vascularised fibular graft with fibular head is an ideal substitute.

AdipoR2 inhibits human glioblastoma cell growth through the AMPK/mTOR pathway.

BACKGROUND: AdipoR2, which belongs to the seven-transmembrane-domain receptor family, has been shown to play an important role in the development of human tumours, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. In this study, we found that AdipoR2 expression correlates with glioma grade. In addition, we also investigated the mechanisms behind the antiproliferative effects of AdipoR2 in U251 cells (a human glioma cell line) using colony formation and WST-8 growth assays. METHODS: The U251 cell line was cultured in vitro. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of relevant proteins. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to detect AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 expression. Flow cytometry was used to detect cell cycle assay results. The gene expression profiles of glioma samples from the CGGA database were analysed by MATLAB and GSEA software. RESULTS: The AMPK/mTOR pathway plays a central role in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation and migration and may promote tumorigenesis. Therefore, we can control cancer progression by modulating the AMPK/mTOR pathway. However, there is no information on the relationship between AdipoR and AMPK/mTOR in central nervous system tumours such as GBM. In this study. We found 648 upregulated genes and 436 downregulated genes correlated with AdipoR2 expression in 158 glioma samples. GSEA suggested that AdipoR2 is a cell cycle-associated gene. The results of the flow cytometry analysis indicated that AdipoR2 induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in U251 cells. Furthermore, we identified the AMPK/mTOR signalling axis to be involved in AdipoR2-induced cell cycle arrest. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that AdipoR2 may represent a novel endogenous negative regulator of GBM cell proliferation. These findings also suggest that AdipoR2 may be a promising therapeutic target in GBM patients.

Cervical disc prosthesis replacement and interbody fusion: a comparative study.

The purpose of this paper is to compare the new functional intervertebral cervical disc prosthesis replacement and the classical interbody fusion operation, including the clinical effect and maintenance of the stability and segmental motion of cervical vertebrae. Twenty-four patients with single C5-6 intervertebral disk hernias were specifically selected and divided randomly into two groups: One group underwent artificial cervical disc replacement and the other group received interbody fusion. All patients were followed up and evaluated. The operation time for the single disc replacement was (130 +/- 50) minutes and interbody fusion was (105 +/- 53) minutes. Neurological or vascular complications were not observed during or after operation. There was no prosthesis subsidence or extrusion. The JOA score of the group with prosthesis replacement increased from an average of 8.6 to 15.8. The JOA score of the group with interbody fusion increased from an average of 9 to 16.2. The clinical effect and the ROM of the adjacent space of the two groups showed no statistical difference. The short follow-up time does not support the advantage of the cervical disc prosthesis. The clinical effect and the maintenance of the function of the motion of the intervertebral space are no better than the interbody fusion. At least 5 years of follow-up is needed to assess the long-term functionality of the prosthesis and the influence on adjacent levels.