Echocardiographic two-dimensional strain evaluation of right ventricular function in healthy adults / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: To explore the feasibility of using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography for measuring right ventricular strain and function in healthy adults, and to analyze the impact of age and gender. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional study. Healthy adults who underwent physical examination in the Physical Examination Center of Beijing Hospital from January 1, 2020 to January 1, 2021 were included. Two researchers independently measured various right ventricular longitudinal strain indices using the Echopac software, including (global longitudinal strain (GLS), apical longitudinal strain (ALS), midventricle longitudinal strain (MLS), basal longitudinal strain (BLS), free wall GLS (FWGLS), free wall ALS (FWALS), free wall MLS (FWMLS) and free wall BLS (FWBLS)) as well as tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and right ventricle-fraction of area change (RVFAC). The above indicators were taken as the average of two physicians. The consistency of the measurements by two physicians was evaluated by the within-group correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: A total of 233 subjects were included, including 137 males, aged (58.5±14.2) years. ICC values was all above 0.8 with excellent agreement. The values of FWGLS and GLS in healthy adults were -26.63% and -21.89%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in TAPSE ((2.06±0.41)cm vs. (2.10±0.39)cm, P=0.510) and RVFAC ((51.17±9.91)% vs. (50.89±8.65)%, P=0.826) between males and females. The values of various right ventricular long axis strain indicators (GLS, ALS, MLS, BLS, FWGLS, FWMLS, FWMLS, FWBLS) in females aged 18 to 40 and 41 to 65 years were higher than those in males of the same age (all P<0.05), while there was no statistically significant difference in the values of various right ventricular long axis strain indicators between the sexes in subjects aged 65 years and above (all P>0.05). In females, the right ventricular GLS, ALS, MLS, FWGLS, FWALS, FWMLS, and FWBLS values in the groups aged 18 to 40 and 41 to 65 years were significantly higher than those in the group aged 65 years and above (all P<0.05). In contrast, no significant differences were found in these indices among different age groups in males (all P>0.05). Conclusions: Using two-dimensional speckle tracking technology in echocardiography to measure right ventricular strain indicators is feasible and highly reproducible. Gender and age have an impact on right ventricular strain indicators.

Echocardiographic two-dimensional strain evaluation of right ventricular function in healthy adults / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: To explore the feasibility of using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography for measuring right ventricular strain and function in healthy adults, and to analyze the impact of age and gender. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional study. Healthy adults who underwent physical examination in the Physical Examination Center of Beijing Hospital from January 1, 2020 to January 1, 2021 were included. Two researchers independently measured various right ventricular longitudinal strain indices using the Echopac software, including (global longitudinal strain (GLS), apical longitudinal strain (ALS), midventricle longitudinal strain (MLS), basal longitudinal strain (BLS), free wall GLS (FWGLS), free wall ALS (FWALS), free wall MLS (FWMLS) and free wall BLS (FWBLS)) as well as tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and right ventricle-fraction of area change (RVFAC). The above indicators were taken as the average of two physicians. The consistency of the measurements by two physicians was evaluated by the within-group correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: A total of 233 subjects were included, including 137 males, aged (58.5±14.2) years. ICC values was all above 0.8 with excellent agreement. The values of FWGLS and GLS in healthy adults were -26.63% and -21.89%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in TAPSE ((2.06±0.41)cm vs. (2.10±0.39)cm, P=0.510) and RVFAC ((51.17±9.91)% vs. (50.89±8.65)%, P=0.826) between males and females. The values of various right ventricular long axis strain indicators (GLS, ALS, MLS, BLS, FWGLS, FWMLS, FWMLS, FWBLS) in females aged 18 to 40 and 41 to 65 years were higher than those in males of the same age (all P<0.05), while there was no statistically significant difference in the values of various right ventricular long axis strain indicators between the sexes in subjects aged 65 years and above (all P>0.05). In females, the right ventricular GLS, ALS, MLS, FWGLS, FWALS, FWMLS, and FWBLS values in the groups aged 18 to 40 and 41 to 65 years were significantly higher than those in the group aged 65 years and above (all P<0.05). In contrast, no significant differences were found in these indices among different age groups in males (all P>0.05). Conclusions: Using two-dimensional speckle tracking technology in echocardiography to measure right ventricular strain indicators is feasible and highly reproducible. Gender and age have an impact on right ventricular strain indicators.

Mechanism of Marsdenia tenacissima against ovarian cancer based on network pharmacology and experimental verification / 中国中药杂志

The present study aimed to explore the main active components and underlying mechanisms of Marsdenia tenacissima in the treatment of ovarian cancer(OC) through network pharmacology, molecular docking, and in vitro cell experiments. The active components of M. tenacissima were obtained from the literature search, and their potential targets were obtained from SwissTargetPrediction. The OC-related targets were retrieved from Therapeutic Target Database(TTD), Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man(OMIM), GeneCards, and PharmGKB. The common targets of the drug and the disease were screened out by Venn diagram. Cytoscape was used to construct an "active component-target-disease" network, and the core components were screened out according to the node degree. The protein-protein interaction(PPI) network of the common targets was constructed by STRING and Cytoscape, and the core targets were screened out according to the node degree. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of potential therapeutic targets were carried out with DAVID database. Molecular docking was used to determine the binding activity of some active components to key targets by AutoDock. Finally, the anti-OC activity of M. tenacissima extract was verified based on SKOV3 cells in vitro. The PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was selected for in vitro experimental verification according to the results of GO function and KEGG pathway analyses. Network pharmacology results showed that 39 active components, such as kaempferol, 11α-O-benzoyl-12β-O-acetyltenacigenin B, and drevogenin Q, were screened out, involving 25 core targets such as AKT1, VEGFA, and EGFR, and the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway was the main pathway of target protein enrichment. The results of molecular docking also showed that the top ten core components showed good binding affinity to the top ten core targets. The results of in vitro experiments showed that M. tenacissima extract could significantly inhibit the proliferation of OC cells, induce apoptosis of OC cells through the mitochondrial pathway, and down-regulate the expression of proteins related to the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. This study shows that M. tenacissima has the characteristics of multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway synergistic effect in the treatment of OC, which provides a theoretical basis for in-depth research on the material basis, mechanism, and clinical application.

Distribution of pathogenic bacteria in patients with pressure ulcer infection and therapeutic effect of trypsin / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective:To explore the distribution of pathogenic bacteria in patients with pressure ulcer infection, and observe the curative effect of trypsin.Methods:The clinical data of 120 patients with pressure ulcer infection in the Second Hospital of Baoding City from 2020 to 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 60 cases were treated with conventional treatment (control group), and 60 cases were treated with conventional treatment combined with trypsin (observation group). The distribution of pathogenic bacteria was recorded, and local negative conversion rate, curative effect and frequency of dressing change were compared between two groups.Results:A total of 71 strains of pathogenic bacteria were isolated from 120 patients, including 39 Gram-positive bacteria (54.93%), 28 Gram-negative bacteria (39.44%) and 4 fungi (5.63%). The total effective rate and local negative conversion rate of pathogens in observation group were significantly higher than those in control group: 96.67% (58/60) vs. 81.67% (49/60) and 75.00% (45/60) vs. 50.00% (30/60), the number of dressing changes was significantly lower than that in control group: (12.48 ± 2.10) times vs. (27.34 ± 3.21) times, and there were statistical differences ( P<0.01). Conclusions:The main pathogenic bacteria in patients with pressure ulcer infection are Gram-positive bacteria. Combined with trypsin treatment can significantly improve the curative effect and the local negative conversion rate, and reduce the number of dressing changes.

Biofeedback training can significantly improve dysphagia among stroke survivors / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective:To observe any effect of combining surface electromyography biofeedback with intensive pharyngeal ascending e-biofeedback training on dysphagia among stroke survivors.Methods:Sixty stroke survivors with dysphagia were randomly divided into a biofeedback group, a pharyngeal ascending group and a combination group, each of 20. In addition to routine swallowing training, the biofeedback group received 20 minutes of surface electromyographic biofeedback training daily while the pharyngeal ascending group did pharyngeal rising reinforcement training based on biofeedback for strength and skill training (BiSSkiT) theory. The combination group was given both. Before and after 4 weeks of the interventions, videofluoroscopy was used to evaluate everyone′s swallowing. The Swallowing Function Assessment Scale (SSA) and the Dysphagia Outcome and Severity Scale (DOSS) were also applied.Results:Significant improvement was observed in all 3 groups in terms of their average VFSS, SSA and DOSS scores. The average videofluoroscopy, SSA and DOSS results of the combination group were then significantly better than the other two groups′ averages, and those of the pharyngeal ascending group were significantly superior to those of the biofeedback group.Conclusion:Combining intensive pharyngeal ascending electronic biofeedback training with surface EMG biofeedback can significantly improve the swallowing function of stroke survivors.

Study on the extraction process of Xinyi Powder by ambi-extracting and the inclusion process of volatile oil / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:To screen the optimal process of ambi-extracting of Xinyi Powder and inclusion of volatile oil.Methods:Single factor experiment was used to optimize the extraction process of Xinyi Powder by taking crushing particle size, extraction times, the amount of water added and extraction time as the investigation factors. L 9(3 4) orthogonal test was used to optimize the inclusion process of volatile oil in Xinyi Powder. Results:The optimal extraction process of ambi-extracting of Xinyi Powder was as follows: the slices were not crushed, 10 times the amount of water was added, and extracted for 3 hours; the best inclusion process of volatile oil as follows: β-cyclodextrin:water=1:25, β-cyclodextrin:volatile oil=6:1, inclusion temperature 35 ℃, inclusion time 3 hours.Conclusion:The ambi-extracting process and volatile oil inclusion process are simple, stable and feasible.

Determination of pentachlorophenol in wooden chopping boards with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry / 预防医学

Objective@#To optimize the determination of pentachlorophenol in wooden chopping boards through pretreatment of miniaturized samples.@*Methods@# The pretreated wooden chopping board samples were subjected to ultrasound extraction (1 mL of 0.5 mol/L K2CO3 added in 5 mL extraction solution) in 8 mL acetone and 2 mL water, followed by derivatization with 0.3 mL acetic anhydride, extraction with n-hexane and separation with DB-5ms column (30 m×0.25 mm, 0.25 μm). Gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) was performed in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode with quantitative analysis using the internal standard method.@*Results@#The GC-MS/MS assay showed a good linear relationship within the range of 0.01 to 0.2 µg/mL (R2>0.999), with a 0.003 mg/kg limit of detection and 0.01 mg/kg limit of quantitation. The mean recovery rates were 84.2% to 96.7% at spiked concentrations of 0.003, 0.01 and 0.03 mg/kg, with relative standard deviation of 2.2% to 6.1%.@*Conclusions@#The established GC-MS/MS assay is easy to perform, environment-friendly, highly accurate and sensitivity, which is feasible for determination of pentachlorophenol in wooden chopping boards.

Health information needs of inpatients with chronic diseases and utilization of community health resources in the comprehensive hospitals in Shanghai / 上海预防医学

ObjectiveTo understand the health information needs of chronic disease inpatients and the current utilization of community health resources， and to analyze the influencing factors， so as to provide basis for personalized and high-quality health education for chronic disease inpatients and to guide them to make full use of community health resources. MethodsFrom November 2020 to February 2021， we conducted a face-to-face multi-center clinical epidemiological survey with paper questionnaire in three general hospitals of Shanghai. The study included 404 inpatients with diabetes， hypertension， coronary heart disease， chronic respiratory diseases， cancer and other chronic diseases. Results94.01% of the 404 respondents had different needs for disease or health related information， and there was no significant difference between patients of different ages， genders and educational backgrounds in their needs for health knowledge. Among these patients， only 39.11% of them participated in the establishment of a card for chronic disease management in the community or signed for a family doctor. The participation rate of male patients was lower than that of female patients （P<0.05）. ConclusionPatients with chronic diseases have a high demand for health related information， and we need to provide health information in multiple ways. We should increase investment in community health resources， improve service quality， and guide residents with chronic diseases to make full use of community health resources.

Combining biofeedback based on virtual reality technology with transcranial magnetic stimulation aids the recovery of dysphagic stroke survivors / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective:To observe the effect of combining biofeedback therapy (BFT) based on virtual reality technology with repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on dysphagia among stroke survivors.Methods:Eighty patients were randomly divided into a control group, an rTMS group, a BFT group and a combined treatment group, each of 20. In addition to routine dysphagia rehabilitation, the rTMS and BFT groups were given those treatments, while the combined treatment group was given both for 4 weeks. Swallowing function was evaluated before and after the treatment using the standardized swallowing assessment (SSA) and the functional oral intake scale (FOIS). Videofluoroscopy was used to quantify the subjects′ oral and pharyngeal phases and their aspiration status.Results:Significant improvement was observed in the average FOIS and SSA scores, as well as in the average oral and pharyngeal phases and in aspiration. The combined treatment group′s results were significantly better in all those aspects than those of the other 3 groups.Conclusion:The combined application of biofeedback therapy based on virtual reality technology and repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation can improve the swallowing function of stroke survivors with dysphagia. It is worthy of clinical promotion.

High-level soluble expression of phospholipase D from Streptomyces chromofuscus in Escherichia coli by combinatorial optimization

BACKGROUND: Phospholipase D (PLD) is used as the biocatalyst for phosphatidylserine (PS) production. In general, PLD was expressed in insoluble form in Escherichia coli. High-level soluble expression of PLD with high activity in E. coli is very important for industrial production of PLD. RESULTS: Streptomyces chromofuscus PLD coding gene was codon-optimized, cloned without signal peptide, and expressed in E. coli. The optimal recombinant E. coli pET-28a+PLD/BL21(DE3) was constructed with pET-28a without His-tag. The highest PLD activity reached 104.28 ± 2.67 U/mL in a 250-mL shake flask after systematical optimization. The highest PLD activity elevated to 122.94 ± 1.49 U/mL by feeding lactose and inducing at 20 C after scaling up to a 5.0-L fermenter. Substituting the mixed carbon source with 1.0 % (w/v) of cheap dextrin and adding a feeding medium could still attain a PLD activity of 105. 81 ± 2.72 U/mL in a 5.0-L fermenter. Fish peptone from the waste of fish processing and dextrin from the starch are both very cheap, which were found to benefit the soluble PLD expression. CONCLUSIONS: After combinatorial optimization, the high-level soluble expression of PLD was fulfilled in E. coli. The high PLD activity along with cheap medium obtained at the fermenter level can completely meet the requirements of industrial production of PLD.

Construction and identification of recombinant adenovirus vector and observation of its transfecting rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To construct and identify adenovirus vector co-expressing hBMP2 and hVEGF165 fusion protein which labeled with green fluorescence protein, and laying the foundtion of the effect of hBMP2 and hVEGF165 gene inducing BMMSCs differentiation to osteoblast and bone defect repaired in the body.@*METHODS@#BMP2 and VEGF165 gene was amplified from cDNA library by PCR and inserted to the polyclonal site of adenovirus shuttle plasmid pAd-MCMV-GFP. Ad-BMP2- VEGF165 was recombinated and propagated in HEK293 cells by co-transfecting with the constructed recombinant shuttle plasmid pAd-MCMV-BMP2-VEGF165 and adenovirus helper plasmid pBHGloxΔ E1, 3Cre. The recombinant adenovirus was purified and virustiter was determined, and then to research GFP expression and to calculate the adenovirus transfection rate in rabbit BMMSCs.@*RESULTS@#The recombinant adenovirus vector Ad-BMP2-VEGF165 was successfully constructed by the methods of gene analyzing, colony PCR, Western blotting and observing GFP expression, and the titer of the adenovirus was 1×10@*CONCLUSION@#Recombinant adenovirus vector containing hBMP2 and hVEGF165 gene was successfully constructed and its high titer was obtained.

Progress of researches on the use of ultrasound in the diagnosis and treatment of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

The patients with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis have unapparent early symptoms due to invasive and slow growth, and the disease is usually at an advanced stage upon diagnosis, which has a poor prognosis. Early diagnosis of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis is therefore of great importance. The advances in the ultrasound techniques continues to improve the accuracy for the diagnosis of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis, and ultrasound plays a critical role in the treatment and assessment of therapeutic efficacy for hepatic alveolar echinococcosis. This paper mainly reviews the application of ultrasound in the diagnosis and treatment of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis.

Knowledge, behavior and psychological status regarding COVID-19 in elementary and secondary school teachers / 上海预防医学

Objective To evaluate the knowledge, behavior and psychological status regarding COVID-19 epidemic in elementary and secondary school teachers, and to provide a reference for disease prevention and control at schools as well as for preparation of school returning. Methods A survey in 2 338 teachers was conducted using self-designed questionnaires about COVID-19. Results The overall awareness rate of COVID-19 knowledge was 88.79%, knowledge score was 10.65±1.09, and the school health teachers had higher score than other school staff (F＝23.87, P=0.000 1).Respondents with IP address in Hubei had higher score than those in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai(F＝10.69, P=0.014).The top three knowledge resources were news apps (Toutiao, Tencent) (87.25%), WeChat (78.06%) and telecast (74.94%).The overall healthy behavior score was 43.59±3.12, and school doctors again had higher score than other school staff (F=11.48, P=0.02).Respondents with IP address in Hubei had higher score than those in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai (F=17.08, P=0.000 7). During the epidemic, 100% respondents wore masks when taking public transportation, the highest rate of wearing masks, while 90.93% wore masks at family and friends gathering, the lowest rate of wearing masks.The top three types of masks being used were disposable medical masks (89.14%), surgical masks (43.63%) and N95 medical protective masks (34.09%).The highest rate of hand washing behavior was 99.83% for washing hands after going to toilet, while the lowest was 75.92% for washing hands after touching hair, ears and nose.The highest rate of other healthy behaviors was 94.14% for reducing family and friend gatherings, while the lowest was 71.60% for covering mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing. The correlation between health behavior and knowledge was statistically significant (r=0.081, P < 0.001).Correlation analysis showed that the degree of concern was related to the degree of teaching influence (r=0.768, P=0.0002), and the degree of anxiety was related to the degree of teaching influence (r=0.175, P < 0.001), while there was no correlation between the degree of concern and the degree of anxiety. Conclusion Elementary and secondary school teachers generally have high score in the COVID-19 knowledge test, and behaved well in wearing masks.Hand hygiene education should be further improved.There are concerns about the impact of COVID-19 epidemic on teaching.

Intervention with thumbtack needling on spinal low back pain in Air Force crew: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the clinical effect on spinal low back pain (SLBP) in Air Force crew treated with novel thumbtack needling therapy and to analyze the relevant factors of the therapeutic effect.@*METHODS@#A total of 120 Air Force crew with SLBP were randomized into a thumbtack needling group (40 cases), an external treatment group (40 cases, 1 case dropped off ) and a combined treatment group (40 cases, 1 case dropped off ). In the thumbtack needling group, the thumbtack needling therapy was adopted. The novel thumbtack needles were inserted at the lower No.6 region of the wrist-ankle acupuncture, Yaotongdian (EX-UE 7), Yaoyangguan (GV 3), etc. Each point was pressed and kneaded for 1 min each time, 3 or 4 times a day. The treatment for 3 days was taken as one course. At the interval of 2 days, 3 courses were required totally. In the external treatment group, @*RESULTS@#Compared with the values before treatment, McGill scores and ODI scores were reduced (@*CONCLUSION@#The thumbtack needling therapy is significantly effective on spinal low back pain in Air Force crew and is of the safety. Hence, this therapy is applicable to be promoted in the primary care army hospital.

Detection and evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid contamination in corona virus disease 19 ward surroundings and the surface of medical staff's protective equipment / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To determine the environmental contamination degree of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) wards, to offer gui-dance for the infection control and to improve safety practices for medical staff, by sampling and detecting SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid from the air of hospital wards, the high-frequency contact surfaces in the contaminated area and the surfaces of medical staff's protective equipment in a COVID-19 designated hospital in Wuhan, China.@*METHODS@#From March 11 to March 19, 2020, we collected air samples from the clean area, the buffer room and the contaminated area respectively in the COVID-19 wards using a portable bioaerosol concentrator WA-15. And sterile premoistened swabs were used to sample the high-frequency contacted surfaces in the contaminated area and the surfaces of medical staff's protective equipment including outermost gloves, tracheotomy operator's positive pressure respiratory protective hood and isolation clothing. The SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid of the samples were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. During the isolation medical observation period, those medical staff who worked in the COVID-19 wards were detected for SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid with oropharyngeal swabs, IgM and IgG antibody in the sera, and chest CT scans to confirm the infection status of COVID-19.@*RESULTS@#No SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid was detected in the tested samples, including the 90 air samples from the COVID-19 wards including clean area, buffer room and contaminated area, the 38 high-frequency contact surfaces samples of the contaminated area and 16 surface samples of medical staff's protective equipment including outermost gloves and isolation clothing. Moreover, detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid by oropharyngeal swabs and IgM, IgG antibodies in the sera of all the health-care workers who participated in the treatment for COVID-19 were all negative. Besides, no chest CT scan images of medical staff exhibited COVID-19 lung presentations.@*CONCLUSION@#Good ventilation conditions, strict disinfection of environmental facilities in hospital wards, guidance for correct habits in patients, and strict hand hygiene during medical staff are important to reduce the formation of viral aerosols, cut down the aerosol load, and avoid cross-infection in isolation wards. In the face of infectious diseases that were not fully mastered but ma-naged as class A, it is safe for medical personnel to be equipped at a high level.

Expression of plasma Dickkopf-1 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and its correlation with peripheral blood T cell subsets / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To detect the levels of Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) in the plasma of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to analyze their correlation with peripheral blood T cell subsets and clinical indicators.@*METHODS@#Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect plasma DKK-1 levels in 32 RA patients and 20 healthy controls, and to record the various clinical manifestations and laboratory indicators of the RA patients, and flow cytometry to detect peripheral blood T cell subsets in the RA patients (Including Treg, nTreg, aTreg, sTreg, Teff, Tfh, CD4+CD161+T, CD8+T, CD8+CD161+T cells). The plasma DKK-1 levels between the two groups were ompared, and its correlation with peripheral blood T cell subsets and clinical indicators analyzed.@*RESULTS@#(1) The plasma DKK-1 concentration of the RA patients was (124.97±64.98) ng/L. The plasma DKK-1 concentration of the healthy control group was (84.95±13.74) ng/L. The plasma DKK-1 level of the RA patients was significantly higher than that of the healthy control group (P < 0.05), and the percentage of CD8+CD161+T cells in the peripheral blood of the RA patients was significantly higher than that of the healthy control group (P < 0.05). (2) The plasma DKK-1 level was positively correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r=0.406, P=0.021), DAS28 score (r=0.372, P=0.036), immunoglobulin G(r=0.362, P=0.042), immunoglobulin A(r=0.377, P=0.033); it had no correlation with age, course of disease, C-reactive protein, rheumatoid factor, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody, immunoglobulin M, complement C3, complement C4, white blood cell, neutrophil ratio. (3) The plasma DKK-1 level in the RA patients was positively correlated with the percentage of peripheral blood CD161+CD8+T cells (r=0.413, P=0.019);it had no correlation with Treg, nTreg, aTreg, sTreg, Teff, Tfh, CD4+CD161+T, CD8+T cells. (4) The percentage of CD161+CD8+T cells was negatively correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r=-0.415, P=0.004), C-reactive protein (r=-0.393, P=0.007), DAS28 score(r=-0.392, P=0.007), rheumatoid factor (r=-0.535, P < 0.001), anti-citrullinated protein antibody (r=-0.589, P < 0.001), immunoglobulin G(r=-0.368, P=0.012) immunoglobulin M (r=-0.311, P=0.035); it had no correlation with age, disease course, immunoglobulin A, complement C3, complement C4, white blood cell, and neutrophil ratio.@*CONCLUSION@#RA patients' plasma DKK-1 levels and the percentage of CD8+CD161+T cells in T cell subsets in peripheral blood increase, which may be related to the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines in patients; DKK-1 is involved in the regulation of bone homeostasis and can be used as a marker of bone destruction in RA.

miR-124a inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion of rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibro-blasts by tar-geting AKT2 gene / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective@#To investigate the effects of miR-124a on proliferation, migration and invasion in rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts (RASFs) and the underlying mechanisms.@*Methods@#RASFs were isolated and cultured from synovial tissue, then qRT-PCR was used to detect the levels of AKT2 mRNA and miR-124a in RASFs. Western blot was applied to determin the expression level of AKT2 protein. RASFs were transfected with miR-124a, anti-miR-124a, si-AKT2 or pcDNA-AKT2 to up-regulate or down-regulate the expression level of miR-124a or AKT2 protein. The cells were divided into normal group of normal synovial tissue, control NC group, miR-con group, miR-124a group, si-con group, si-AKT2 group, miR-124a+pcDNA group and miR-124a+pcDNA-AKT2 group. MTT assay was carried out to measure the proliferation of RASFs. Transwell assay was carried out to detect the migration and invasion cell number of RASFs. Dual-luciferase reporter assay system was implemented to verify the relationship between miR-124a and AKT2. Independent sample t-test and one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test (square deviation) were used for statistical analysis.@*Results@#① Compared with normal group, the expression of miR-124a (0.92±0.19) decreased significantly (t=5.788, P<0.01), AKT2 mRNA (3.15±0.63) increased significantly (t=-3.486, P=0.025), AKT2 protein (2.09±0.64) increased significantly (t=-2.959, P=0.042). ② Ccompared with NC group and miR-con group, miR-124a expression (4.17±0.46) increased significantly (F=131.830, P<0.01), migration cell number (34±6) decreased significantly, invasion cell number (14.5±3.1) decreased significantly (F1=35.788, F2=27.211, P<0.01). ③ Compared with mir-con group (1.02±0.18), WT-AKT2 in miR-124a group showed a significant decrease in its relative activity (0.31±0.11) (t=5.830, P<0.01). ④ Compared with NC group and si-con group, the expression of AKT2 protein (0.97±0.03) in si-AKT2 group decreased significantly (F=128.056, P<0.01), the number of migrating cells (32±4), and the number of invasive cells (18.6±2.2) (F1=-70.082, F2=36.524, P<0.01) were decreased significantly. ⑤ Compared with miR-con group, AKT2 protein expression in miR-124a group decreased significantly (0.21±0.03); compared with miR-124a+pcDNA group, AKT2 protein expression in miR-124a+pcDNA-AKT2 group was increased significantly (F=52.487, P<0.01). ⑥ Compared with miR-con group, the number of RASFs migrating cells (30±5) and invasive cells (12.5±1.8) in miR-124a group were significantly decreased; compared with miR-124a+pcDNA group, the number of RASFs migrating cells (71±4) and invasive cells (26.4±4.5) in miR-124a+pcDNA-AKT2 group were significantly increased (F1=30.957, F2=49.960, P<0.01).@*Conclusion@#MiR-124a can inhibite the proliferation, migration and invasion of RASFs by targeting AKT2 gene. MiR-124a is expected as a molecular target for diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Effects of zinc gluconate carbon dots in cell imaging and inducing osteoblastic differentiation in vitro / 吉林大学学报(医学版)

Objective: To synthesize the zinc gluconate carbon dots (Zn-CDs) by one-step hydrothermal method, and to investigate their effects on the cell imaging and inducing osteoblastic differentiation of preosteoblasts in the mice. Methods: The Zn-CDs were synthesized by one-step hydrothermal method, and the characteristics were observed and detected by transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier transform-infrared spectrum (FT-IR) and fluorescence spectrometer. The MC3T3-E1 cells were divided into blank control group and experimental groups; different concentrations (0.01, 0.10, 1.00, 10.00, 100.00, 1 000 mg middot; L-1) of Zn-CDs were added into the cells in experimental groups, and nothing was added into the cells in blank control group. MTT assay was used to determin the relative growth rate (RGR) of MC3T3-E1 cells in various groups; the imaging characteristics of MC3T3-E1 cells were observed under confocal microscope; the relative expression levels of Runt-relateed transcription factor-2 (Runx2), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OC) mRNA in the MC3T3-E1 cells in various groups were detected by qRT-PCR; the number of calcified nodules was detected by alizarin red staining. Results: The TEM results showed that the particle size of Zn-CDs was about 5. 25 nm. The fluorescence spectrometer results showed that the Zn-CDs had the fluorescence properties of 360 nm ultraviolet excited light and 450 nm blue emission light, and the Zn-CDs showed the characteristics of excitation wavelength dependence. The FT-IR results showed that the surface of Zn-CDs was mainly composed of carboxyl groups and hydroxyl groups. Compared with blank control group, the RGR of MC3T3-E1 cells in 1 000. 00 mg middot; L-1 Zn-CDs group was decreased significantly at 24 h after co-culture (P<0. 01). The results of fluorescence imaging showed that the blue, green and red fluorescence in the MC3T3-E1 cells, the outline was clear, and the fluorescence intensity of the cytoplasm was stronger than that of the nucleus after co-cultured with Zn-CDs. The qRT-PCR results showed that the relative expression levels of Runx2, ALP and OC mRNA were significantly increased with the increasing of Zn-CDs concentration. The alizarin red staining results showed that the number of calcium deposits in the MC3T3-E1 cells in different concentrations of Zn-CDs groups were more than that in blank control group after induced for 21 d. Conclusion: Zn-CDs can effectively perform the fluorescence imaging in the MC3T3-E1 cells, and Zn-CDs have a certain ability to promote the osteoblastic differentiation of the MC3T3-E1 cells.

Tooth loss and multivariable analysis after 5-year non-surgical periodontal treatment on molars with furcation involvement / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the tooth loss status of mandibular molars with furcation involvements after 5-year non-surgical periodontal treatment, and to analyze the factors that affected the tooth loss.@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was conducted in 79 patients with chronic periodontitis, who had received non-surgical periodontal treatment and 5 years of periodontal maintenance treatment in Department of Periodontology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology from 1988 to 2012. Their clinical indexes, including probing depth (PD), bleeding index (BI), furcation index (FI) and tooth mobility were both evaluated before treatment and at the last time of the maintenance treatment. Bone resorption at furcation area was measured at the first visit by periapical radiographs taken by professional doctors of medical imaging. The status of tooth loss after 5-year non-surgical periodontal treatment on mandibular molars with furcation involvement, and the factors that affected the tooth loss were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#(1) Non-surgical treatment was significantly effective on the changes of PD in the patients of chronic periodontitis with furcation involvement, while the presence of furcation involvement could affect the improvement of PD here. (2) PD at the furcation area, tooth mobility, vertical bone resorption, and bone resorption area were all significant risk factors of mandibular molar missing (P<0.001), and the same with FI=3 and FI=4 (P=0.017, P=0.007), while age (P=0.703), gender (P=0.243) and smoking history (P=0.895) were not related to the tooth loss in this study. (3) The risk of tooth loss in mandibular molars with FI≥3 were significantly higher than those with FI≤2, and the survival rate of the former was less than 50%.@*CONCLUSION@#The loss of mandibular molars with furcation involvement was related to the furcation involvement, meanwhile the degree of furcation involvement and bone resorption can significantly increase the risk of tooth loss.

Maxillary first premolar with four canals: a case report / 华西口腔医学杂志

This article presented a case of discovering and diagnosing three roots with four canals of the maxillary first premolar. We found and located the extra root canal by clinical diagnosis, careful observation during the operation, and multiangle X-ray. We further confirmed the existence of the three roots with four canals with the help of cone-beam computed tomography. Finally, we verified the success of the high-quality root-canal therapy through root optical microscopy.