A method with ultra-high angular resolution for X-ray diffraction experiments.

In X-ray diffraction measurements, the angular resolution has a detection limit due to the receiving size of the detector. In many cases this detection limit is too large and must be breached to obtain the desired information. A novel method is proposed here by making the detector simultaneously measuring and moving. Using the deconvolution algorithm to remove the convolution effect, the pixel size limitation is finally broken. The algorithm used is not a common one, and suppresses signals at high frequencies, ensuring the reliability of the peak shape after restoration. The feasibility of this method is verified by successfully measuring the crystal truncation rod signal of SrTiO3 single crystal, and the resolution is nearly ten times higher than that of a single pixel. Moreover, this method greatly reduces the noise and improves the signal-to-noise ratio.

Rectal microbiomes and serum metabolomics reveal the improved effect of Artemisia ordosica crude polysaccharides on the lactation performance, antioxidant and immune responses of lactating donkeys.

This study is aimed at investigating the effects of dietary supplementation with Artemisia ordosica crude polysaccharides (AOCP) on lactation performance, antioxidant status, and immune status of lactating donkeys and analyzing rectal microbiomes and serum metabolomes. Fourteen lactating Dezhou donkeys with similar age (6.16 ± 0.67 years of BW ± SD), weight (250.06 ± 25.18 kg), days in milk (39.11 ± 7.42 d), and averaged parity of 3 were randomly allocated into 2 treatments: a control group (CON, basal diet) and an AOCP group (AOCP, basal diet with 1.0 g/kg DM AOCP). Ten weeks were allotted for the experiment, 2 weeks for adaptation, and 8 weeks for collecting data and samples. The results showed that supplementation of donkey diets with AOCP increased lactation performance, including dry matter intake, milking yield, estimated milk yield, solids-corrected milk, energy-corrected milk, milk fat yield, milk protein yield, milk lactose yield, milk total solids yield, and milk solid not fat yield. The digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, acid detergent fiber, and neutral detergent fiber was increased in the AOCP group compared with the CON group. The AOCP group increased the concentrations of immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin G, and immunoglobulin M, the activities of the superoxide dismutase, catalase and total antioxidant capacity in the serum. AOCP decreased the concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α, nitric oxide, reactive oxygen species, and malondialdehyde in the serum. Compared with the CON group, AOCP increased propionate, butyrate, isovalerate, and total VFA concentrations in rectal feces (P < 0.05). The addition of AOCP to increased diversity (Shannon index) and altered structure of the rectal microflora. As a result of AOCP supplementation, there has been a significant improvement in the colonization of beneficial bacteria, including Lactobacillus, Unclassified_f_Prevotellacea, Ruminococcus, and Fibrobacter genera. In contrast, a decrease in the colonization of the Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 bacterial genus and other pathogenic bacteria was observed. Meanwhile, metabolomics analysis found that AOCP supplementation upregulated metabolites L-tyrosine content while downregulating 9(S)-HODE, choline, sucrose, LysoPC (18:0), LysoPC (18:1(9Z), and LysoPC (20:2(11Z,14Z)) concentrations. These altered metabolites were involved in the PPAR signaling pathway, prolactin signaling pathway, glycerophospholipid metabolism, carbohydrate digestion and absorption, and tyrosine metabolism pathways, which were mainly related to antioxidant capacity, immune responses, and protein metabolism in the lactating donkeys. As a consequence of feeding AOCP diets, beneficial bacteria were abundant, and antioxidant and protein metabolism-related pathways were enriched, which may enhance lactation performance in donkeys. Therefore, supplementing AOCP diets is a desirable dietary strategy to improve donkey health and lactation performance.

[Application of PRAME immunohistochemistry in the differential diagnosis of primary endometrial and endocervical adenocarcinomas].

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic value of preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma (PRAME) immunohistochemical staining in differential diagnosis of primary endometrial and endocervical adenocarcinomas. Methods: Eighty-seven cases of endometrial adenocarcinoma and sixty-three cases of cervical adenocarcinoma were collected from May 2018 to November 2023 in the Department of Pathology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School and all the cases were subject to PRAME immunohistochemical staining. The difference of PRAME expression between endometrial and endocervical adenocarcinomas was analyzed. Results: In 87 cases of endometrial adenocarcinoma, patients' age ranged from 35 to 71 years (average 59 years, median 59 years); in 63 cases of cervical adenocarcinoma patients' age ranged from 28 to 80 years (average 49 years, median 47 years). Seventy-eight cases (78/87, 89.7%) of endometrial adenocarcinoma; 2 cases (2/63, 3.2%) of cervical adenocarcinoma showed positive PRAME staining, and both cases of cervical adenocarcinoma were clear cell carcinoma. The sensitivity and specificity of PRAME in distinguishing between endometrial and cervical adenocarcinoma in the cohort were 89.7% and 96.8%, while those in differentiating non-clear cell carcinoma of the uterus from that of the cervix reached up to 91% and 100%, respectively. Conclusions: Immunohistochemical staining for PRAME demonstrates statistically significant differences between endometrial and cervical carcinomas, making it a useful auxiliary diagnostic marker for differentiating cervical and endometrial adenocarcinoma, especially non-clear cell carcinoma.

[Survival analysis of malignant tumors in cancer registration areas of Hubei province in China, 2013 to 2015].

Objective: To analyze the survival of newly diagnosed malignant tumors in cancer registration areas of Hubei Province from 2013 to 2015. Methods: From January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2015, all newly diagnosed malignant tumors were collected from cancer registration areas in Hubei Province, and patients were followed up using a combination of active and passive methods. Cancer survival was analyzed using the strs package in Stata software. Observed and expected survival were calculated using the life table and Ederer Ⅱ methods, and the difference in survival rate of patients with different sex, age, urban and rural areas and different cancer species was compared. Results: From 2013 to 2015, 83 987 new malignant tumors were diagnosed in cancer registration areas in Hubei Province, including 45 742 males (54.46%) and 38245 females (45.54%). The overall 5-year relative survival rate was 41.46%, 34.43% for men and 49.63% for women. With the increase of age, the observed survival rate and relative survival rate of patients of different genders showed a decreasing trend. The 5-year relative survival rate of patients with malignant tumors was 47.58% in urban areas and 26.58% in rural areas. The observed survival rate and relative survival rate in rural areas were significantly lower than those in urban areas. The overall 5-year relative survival rates for common malignancies were 20.61% for lung cancer, 15.36% for liver cancer, 22.89% for esophageal cancer, 34.92% for gastric cancer, and 54.87% for colorectal cancer. In addition, the 5-year relative survival rates of common malignant tumors in women were 78.65% for breast cancer and 52.55% for cervical cancer. Conclusions: In Hubei Province, the survival rate of malignant tumors is different among different genders, regions, age groups and cancer species. Prevention and treatment and health education should be strengthened for malignant tumor patients in rural areas and those with high incidence and low survival rate such as liver cancer and lung cancer, and relevant strategies should be formulated according to the gender and age distribution characteristics of different cancer species.

[Regulative effects of endogenous sulfur dioxide on oxidant stress in myocardium of rat with sepsis].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the modulating effect of endogenous sulfur dioxide (SO2) on the ba-lance of oxidation/reduction in the cecal-ligation-and-puncture-induced septic rat myocardium. METHODS: Forty male Sprague Dawley rats were randomized into control group, SO2group, sepsis group and sepsis + SO2group. The levels of procalcitonin (PCT), creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB), cardiac troponin Ⅰ (cTn Ⅰ) and fatty acid binding protein (FABP) in plasma in each group of the rats were measured; The level of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), level of nitric oxide (NO), activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO), activity of hydroxyl free radical (·OH) and level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in myocardial tissue were measured; Total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), activity of catalase (CAT), level of cytochrome oxidase (CO), level of glutathione (GSH), level of glutathione oxidase (GSH-px) and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in myocardial tissue were measured. RESULTS: The level of PCT in plasma in the rats with sepsis increased from (0.93±0.26) µg/L to (2.45±0.52) µg/L (P < 0.01), and decreased to (1.58±0.36) µg/L after the intervention of sulfur dioxide donor (P < 0.01). In sepsis, the plasma CK-MB, cTn Ⅰ and FABP levels in the rats increased respectively from (14.46±6.48) µg/L, (151.25±30.14) ng/L and (2.72±0.65) µg/L to (23.72±7.72) µg/L, (272.78±52.70) ng/L and (5.22±1.01) µg/L (P all < 0.01), and decreased to (16.74±3.63) µg/L, (184.86±37.72) µg/L and (3.31±0.84) µg/L (all P < 0.05) after the intervention of sulfur dioxide donor. The level of H2O2, level of NO, activity of MPO, activity of ·OH and level of MDA in myocardial tissue in the rats with sepsis increased respectively from (67.26±8.77) mmol/g, (38.39±6.93) µmol/g, (358.25±68.12) U/g, (648.42±93.69) U/ mg and (4.55±0.96) µmol/g to (111.45±17.35) mmol/g, (51.04±5.91) µmol/g, (465.88±76.76) U/g, (873.75±123.47) U/mg and (7.25±0.86) µmol/g (all P < 0.01), and decreased respectively to (75.99±10.52) mmol/g, (39.39±7.80) µmol/g, (393.17±51.5) U/g, (710.54±106.33) U/mg and (5.16±0.65) µmol/g after the intervention of the sulfur dioxide donor (all P < 0.05). The activity of T-AOC, activity of CAT, level of CO, level of GSH, level of GSH-px and activity of SOD in myocardial tissue in the rats with sepsis increased respectively from (2.07±0.37) U/mg, (169.25±36.86) U/g, (1.35±0.32) µmol/g, (103.51±16.62) µmol/g, (38.40±7.97) µmol/g and (38.50±8.30) U/mg to (1.42±0.39) U/mg, (98.44±26.56) U/g, (0.96±0.21) µmol/g, (68.05±7.35) µmol/ g, (23.83±5.04) µmol/g and (23.11±4.63) U/mg (P all < 0.01), and increased respectively to (1.83±0.37) U/mg, (146.14±31.63) U/g, (1.28±0.20) µmol/g, (92.10±11.84) µmol/g, (37.16±3.01) µmol/g and (37.29±2.62) U/mg (P all < 0.05) after the intervention of the sulfur dioxide donor. CONCLUSION: Endogenous SO2 can protect rat myocardium in sepsis by modulating the ba-lance of oxidation and reduction.

[Influential factors of non-motor symptoms prognosis in Parkinson's disease patients undergoing deep brain stimulation].

Objective: To investigate the effects of electrode activated contact location, volume of tissue activated (VTA) and age on non-motor symptoms, such as emotional symptoms and cognitive function, in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with deep brain stimulation (DBS). Methods: PD patients who underwent DBS of subthalamic nucleus (STN) at the Department of Functional Neurosurgery of Beijing Tiantan Hospital from September 1, 2020 to August 31, 2022 were retrospectively enrolled. The International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and Mini-Mental State Examination Scales (MMSE) were used at the preoperative, 1-month and 12-month postoperative time points. In this study, patients were divided into middle-aged (age<60 years,n=39) and elderly (age≥60 years,n=62) groups to investigate the effect of age factor on the clinical outcome of surgery. Lead-DBS software was used to convert the patients' electrode reconstruction results into Montreal standard space, and the patients were divided into sensorimotor(n=43) and combined groups(n=53) according to the distribution of activation contact locations in the subzones of the STN. In addition, the patients were divided into a cognitive improvement group(n=57)and a cognitive deterioration group(n=44) based on the results of MoCA at 12 months. The positional information of the electrode activation contacts was collected and the VTA was calculated to analyze the effects on electrode activation electroshock location and activated tissue volume on patients' non-motor symptoms. Results: A total of 101 patients with PD were enrolled, including 46 males and 55 females, aged (62.6±8.4) years. Middle-aged patients had significantly higher MoCA scores, delayed recall scores, attention scores, and naming scores than older patients at 12 months postoperatively (all P<0.05). At 12-month follow-up, the improvement rate of MoCA score, HAMA score and HAMD score were -1.77%±20.36%, 39.65%±42.91% and 36.23%±45.45% respectively in sensorimotor group. At 12-month follow-up, the improvement rate of MoCA score, HAMA score and HAMD score was 11.69%±22.24%, 16.62%±68.10% and 2.30%±95.04% respectively in the combined group, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (MoCA: P=0.002; HAMA: P=0.040; HAMD: P=0.033) The distribution of VTA in the sensory motor area and marginal area of the left hemisphere STN in patients with improved cognitive function was significantly smaller than that in the deterioration group [(60.53±52.04)mm³vs (84.55±61.00)mm³, P=0.035; (41.81±33.36)mm³vs (59.05±45.46)mm³, P=0.030]. Conclusion: The effect of STN-DBS on emotional symptoms and cognitive function in PD patients is influenced by various factors and is closely related to the patient's age, electrode activation contact location and VTA.

[Pathological features and diagnostic significance of lung biopsy in occupational lung diseases].

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics of occupational lung diseases, to reduce the missed diagnoses and misdiagnoses of the diseases and to help standardize the diagnosis and treatment of these patients. Methods: A total of 4 813 lung biopsy specimens (including 1 935 consultation cases) collected at the Department of Pathology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing, China from January 1st, 2017 to December 31th, 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 126 cases of occupational lung diseases were confirmed with clinical-radiological-pathological diagnosis. Special staining, PCR and scanning electron microscopy were also used to rule out the major differential diagnoses. Results: The 126 patients with occupational lung diseases included 102 males and 24 females. All of them had a history of exposure to occupational risk factor(s). Morphologically, 68.3% (86/126) of the cases mainly showed pulmonary fibrotic nodules, dust plaque formation or carbon end deposition in pulmonary parenchyma. 16.7% (21/126) of the cases mainly showed welding smoke particle deposition in the alveolar cavity and lung interstitium while 15.1% (19/126) of the cases showed granulomas with fibrous tissue hyperplasia, alveolar protein deposition or giant cell interstitial pneumonia. The qualitative and semi-quantitative analyses of residual dust components in the lung under scanning electron microscope were helpful for the diagnosis of welder's pneumoconiosis and hard metal lung disease. Conclusions: The morphological characteristics of lung biopsy tissue are important reference basis for the clinicopathological diagnosis and differential diagnosis of occupational lung diseases. Recognizing the characteristic morphology and proper use of auxiliary examination are the key to an accurate diagnosis of occupational lung diseases on biopsy specimens.

[Impact of different diagnostic criteria for assessing mild micro-hepatic encephalopathy in liver cirrhosis: an analysis based on a prospective, multicenter, real-world study].

Objective: To compare the differences in the prevalence of mild micro-hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) among patients with cirrhosis by using the psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) and the Stroop smartphone application (Encephal App) test. Methods: This prospective, multi-center, real-world study was initiated by the National Clinical Medical Research Center for Infectious Diseases and the Portal Hypertension Alliance and registered with International ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05140837). 354 cases of cirrhosis were enrolled in 19 hospitals across the country. PHES (including digital connection tests A and B, digital symbol tests, trajectory drawing tests, and serial management tests) and the Stroop test were conducted in all of them. PHES was differentiated using standard diagnostic criteria established by the two studies in China and South Korea. The Stroop test was evaluated based on the criteria of the research and development team. The impact of different diagnostic standards or methods on the incidence of MHE in patients with cirrhosis was analyzed. Data between groups were differentiated using the t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and χ (2) test. A kappa test was used to compare the consistency between groups. Results: After PHES, the prevalence of MHE among 354 cases of cirrhosis was 78.53% and 15.25%, respectively, based on Chinese research standards and Korean research normal value standards. However, the prevalence of MHE was 56.78% based on the Stroop test, and the differences in pairwise comparisons among the three groups were statistically significant (kappa = -0.064, P < 0.001). Stratified analysis revealed that the MHE prevalence in three groups of patients with Child-Pugh classes A, B, and C was 74.14%, 83.33%, and 88.24%, respectively, according to the normal value standards of Chinese researchers, while the MHE prevalence rates in three groups of patients with Child-Pugh classes A, B, and C were 8.29%, 23.53%, and 38.24%, respectively, according to the normal value standards of Korean researchers. Furthermore, the prevalence rates of MHE in the three groups of patients with Child-Pugh grades A, B, and C were 52.68%, 58.82%, and 73.53%, respectively, according to the Stroop test standard. However, among the results of each diagnostic standard, the prevalence of MHE showed an increasing trend with an increasing Child-Pugh grade. Further comparison demonstrated that the scores obtained by the number connection test A and the number symbol test were consistent according to the normal value standards of the two studies in China and South Korea (Z = -0.982, -1.702; P = 0.326, 0.089), while the other three sub-tests had significant differences (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The prevalence rate of MHE in the cirrhotic population is high, but the prevalence of MHE obtained by using different diagnostic criteria or methods varies greatly. Therefore, in line with the current changes in demographics and disease spectrum, it is necessary to enroll a larger sample size of a healthy population as a control. Moreover, the establishment of more reliable diagnostic scoring criteria will serve as a basis for obtaining accurate MHE incidence and formulating diagnosis and treatment strategies in cirrhotic populations.

[Multimodal imaging features of acute macular retinopathy in patients with COVID-19].

Objective: To investigate the multimodal imaging characteristics of acute macular retinopathy (AMR) and/or parafoveal acute middle maculopathy (PAMM) in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: It was a cross-sectional study. Eight patients (15 eyes) diagnosed with AMN and/or PAMM, who presented for their initial visit at Kaifeng Eye Hospital between December 17 and December 31, 2022 and were also confirmed positive for COVID-19, were enrolled as the observation group. The patients were classified into four types based on swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) findings. Fifteen healthy volunteers (15 eyes) without ocular or systemic diseases were recruited as the healthy control group, and one eye was randomly selected for analysis. All participants underwent detailed ophthalmic examinations, including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), slit-lamp biomicroscopy, fundus photography (FP), intraocular pressure measurement, fundus infrared imaging, OCT and OCT angiography (OCTA). The foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area of the macular center was measured. General information and multimodal imaging findings were collected and analyzed. The superficial capillary plexus vessel density (SCP-VD) and deep capillary plexus vessel density (DCP-VD) were measured in circular areas with diameters of 1.0 mm, >1.0 mm and ≤3.0 mm, and>3.0 mm and ≤6.0 mm centered on the foveal center, recorded as SCP-VD1.0, 3.0, 6.0 and DCP-VD1.0, 3.0, 6.0. Statistical analyses were performed using t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and chi-square tests. Results: The observation group consisted of 6 males (11 eyes) and 2 females (4 eyes) with a mean age of (26.87±11.56) years. The healthy control group included 11 males (11 eyes) and 4 females (4 eyes) with a mean age of (28.75±12.30) years. There were no statistically significant differences in age and gender distribution between the two groups (all P>0.05). All patients in the observation group experienced high fever (≥39.0 ℃) and developed ocular symptoms during the febrile period or within 24 hours after fever resolution. Among all patients, there were 5 cases (7 eyes) of Type Ⅰ, 1 case (1 eye) of Type Ⅱ, 3 cases (4 eyes) of Type Ⅲ, and 2 cases (3 eyes) of Type Ⅳ. In Type Ⅲ and Ⅳ, 3 cases (4 eyes) exhibited weakly reflective cystic spaces in the outer plexiform or outer nuclear layers, and fundus photography revealed multiple gray or reddish-brown lesions in the macular region. One case (1 eye) showed retinal superficial hemorrhage. Cotton wool spots were observed in 2 cases (4 eyes). Fundus infrared imaging showed that Type Ⅰ manifested as weak reflectivity lesions in the parafoveal central zone, with the tip pointing towards the fovea. Type Ⅱ showed no apparent abnormalities in the macular region, while Type Ⅲ and Ⅳ displayed map-like weak reflective lesions spanning the foveal center. OCTA findings demonstrated that SCP-VD1.0 in the observation group was 6.93% (4.77%, 6.93%), significantly lower than the healthy control group's 10.66% (8.05%, 10.55%) (U=174.00, P=0.016). SCP-VD3.0 in the observation group was 37.14% (32.15%, 43.48%), also lower than the healthy control group's 43.06% (38.95%, 46.55%) (U=174.00, P=0.016). DCP-VD3.0 in the observation group was 48.20% (46.11%, 50.33%), lower than the healthy control group's 51.10% (50.04%, 53.02%) (U=188.00, P=0.009). DCP-VD6.0 in the observation group was 49.27% (47.26%, 51.67%), lower than the healthy control group's 52.43% (50.07%, 53.82%) (U=70.00, P=0.004). There were no significant differences in SCP-VD6.0 and DCP-VD1.0 between the two groups (both P>0.05). Conclusions: Acute macular retinopathy in patients with COVID-19 can involve all retinal layers and present as segmental hyper-reflectivity on SS-OCT. Fundus infrared imaging reveals weak reflectivity in the affected area, fundus photography shows multiple gray or reddish-brown lesions in the macular region, and OCTA demonstrates a decrease in SCP-VD and DCP-VD.

[Analysis of the prevalence of dyslipidemia and correlative factors in Tajik population in Pamir Plateau of Xinjiang].

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of dyslipidemia and the level of blood lipids among Tajik people in Pamir Plateau, Xinjiang, and explore the related factors of dyslipidemia. Methods: It is a retrospective cross-sectional study. A multi-stage cluster random sampling survey was conducted among 5 635 Tajiks over 18 years old in Tashkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, Xinjiang Province from May to October 2021. Data were collected through questionnaire survey (general information, medical history, and personal history), physical examination (height, weight, waist, and blood pressure) and blood test (total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density cholesterol (HDL-C)) to analyze the dyslipidemia and its risk factors among Tajiks. Results: The age of Tajik participants was (41.9±15.0) years, including 2 726 males (48.4%). The prevalence of borderline high TC, high LDL-C and high TG levels were 17.2%, 14.7% and 8.9%, respectively. The prevalence of high TC, high LDL-C, high TG and low HDL-C were 4.1%, 4.9%, 9.4% and 32.4%, respectively, and the prevalence of dyslipidemia was 37.0%. There is a positive correlation between male,higher education level, higher body mass index (BMI) value,waist circumference, living in town, smoking and dyslipidemia. Conclusions: The low prevalence of high TC, high LDL-C, high TG and high prevalence of low HDL-C was a major characteristic of Tajik people in Pamir Plateau of Xinjiang. The lower rates of overweight and obesity may be one of the reasons for the lower prevalence of dyslipidemia among Tajik.

[Mechanism of human airway epithelial cell injury induced by Candida albicans infection].

Objective: To investigate the immune mechanism of human airway epithelial cell injury induced by invasion of Candida albicans with different biofilm formation abilities. Methods: Twenty-five strains of Candida albicans isolated and cultured in General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from June to December 2019 were selected, and quality control strain SC5314 was used as the standard strain. An in vitro model of Candida albicans biofilm was established, and the biofilm formation ability of different Candida albicans was detected by crystal violet staining and enzyme plate method. The absorbance value at 570 nm (A570) was determined by enzyme plate method. A570≥0.5, 0.250.05). Conclusion: Strong biofilm Candida albican can inhibit cell proliferation, disrupt the integrity of epithelial cells and induce cell damage by down-regulating the expression of cell proliferation-related protein.

[The incidence and causes of Tapia syndrome after posterior cervical spine surgery under oral tracheal intubation general anesthesia].

Objective: To observe the incidence of Tapia syndrome after posterior cervical spine surgery under oral tracheal intubation general anesthesia and to explore the risk factors for its occurrence. Methods: The data of patients suffered from Tapia syndrome after posterior cervical spine surgery under oral tracheal intubation general anesthesia from June 2018 to May 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. The type of procedure, surgeon, age and gender were selected as matching factors, 4 patients without Tapia syndrome were selected as control group for each case. The radiological parameters including mandibular-vertebral distance, thyroid-vertebral distance, thyroid cartilage-vertebral distance, and C2-C7 lordotic Cobb angle were measured on lateral radiographs of the cervical spine. The above parameters were measured on neutral, over-flexion and over-extension radiographs. The difference between the Tapia group and the control group were analyzed. Results: There were 9 patients (0.37%) suffered from Tapia syndrome after posterior cervical spine surgery under oral tracheal intubation general anesthesia in 2 431 patients, and it happened in 0.67 days (0-2 days) after the operation. There were 3 males and 6 females with a mean age of (61±5) years. The clinical manifestations was tongue extension deviation in 8 cases (88.9%), dysarthria in 6 cases (66.7%), dysphagia in 3 cases (33.3%), tongue stiffness in 3 cases (33.3%), hoarseness in voice and pharyngeal discomfort in 1 case (11.1%). All of the symptoms were relieved in all patients at 3 months postoperative follow-up. In neutral position, the mandibular-vertebral distance was (7.19±3.96) mm in the control group and it was (3.98±3.01) mm in Tapia group (P<0.05). From neutral position to hyperflexion position, the distance between mandible and vertebral body was reduced from 3.98 mm to 1.95 mm in the Tapia group and decreased for 51.0%, and it decreased from 7.19 mm for 31.8% to 4.90 mm in the control group. Conclusions: The incidence of Tapia syndrome after posterior cervical spine surgery under oral tracheal intubation general anesthesia is low. A smaller mandibular-vertebral distance on pre-operative cervical spine lateral view radiograph maybe a risk factor for Tapia syndrome after posterior cervical surgery under oral tracheal intubation general anesthesia.

[Comparative study of hypersensitive quantitative fecal immunochemical test and qualitative fecal occult blood test for colorectal cancer and advanced adenoma].

Objective: To evaluate the screening performance of hypersensitive quantitative fecal immunochemical test (hs-qFIT) and qualitative fecal occult blood test (FOBT) for colorectal cancer and advanced adenoma. Methods: Consecutive participants scheduled to undergo colonoscopy from April 2020 to April 2021 in Qilu Hospital of Shandong University were included in the study. All the participants were 50-75 years old and at moderate to high risk for colorectal cancer. Participants completed hs-qFIT and two kinds of qualitative FOBTs (colloidal gold method and chemical-immunization method) before colonoscopy. The sensitivities and specificities of hs-qFIT and two qualitative FOBTs for colorectal cancer and advanced adenoma were compared. Results: A total of 910 participants were enrolled in the study, including 451 males and 459 females, aged (59.6±6.4) years. There were 22 cases (2.4%) of colorectal cancer, 61 cases (6.7%) of advanced adenoma, 276 cases (30.3%) of non-advanced adenoma, 194 cases (21.3%) of non-adenomatous polyp, 85 cases (9.3%) of other colorectal lesion and 272 cases (29.9%) of non-colorectal lesion. The sensitivities of hs-qFIT for detecting colorectal cancer increased from 72.7% (95%CI: 49.6%-88.4%) to 100% (95%CI: 81.5%-100%) with cut-off value decreasing from 200 ng/ml to 10 ng/ml, and the sensitivities of both colloidal gold method and chemical-immunization method were 63.6% (95%CI: 40.8%-82.0%) (P=0.008). The detection stability of hs-qFIT for colorectal cancer was higher than colloidal gold method (P=0.016) and chemical-immunization method (P=0.031). The sensitivity for detecting advanced adenoma of hs-qFIT at 10 ng/ml was 52.5% (95%CI: 39.4%-65.2%), which was significantly higher than that of colloidal gold method (13.1%, 95%CI: 6.2%-24.8%, P<0.001) and chemical-immunization method (6.6%, 95%CI: 2.1%-16.7%, P<0.001). Conclusions: The sensitivity and detection stability of hs-qFIT for detecting colorectal cancer was higher than qualitative FOBT. Moreover, the sensitivity for detecting advanced adenoma can be further improved using a lower cut-off value.

[A deep learning segmentation model for detecting caries in molar teeth].

This study aimed to build a home use deep learning segmentation model to identify the scope of caries lesions. A total of 494 caries photographs of molars and premolars collected via endoscopy were selected. Subsequently, these photographs were labeled by physicians and underwent segmentation training by using DeepLabv3+, and then verification and evaluation were performed. The mean accuracy was 0.993, the sensitivity was 0.661, the specificity was 0.997, the Dice coefficient was 0.685, and the intersection over union (IoU) was 0.529. Therefore, the present deep learning segmentation model can identify and segment the scope of caries.

Surfactin inhibits the growth of Propionibacterium acnes by destroying the cell wall and membrane.

Propionibacterium acnes plays a major role in acne vulgaris. In the pre-experiment, the growth of P. acnes was inhibited effectively using surfactin; however, the antibacterial mechanism has not been described. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate antibacterial activity and analyse the mechanism of surfactin against P. acnes. Minimum inhibitory concentration, time-killing kinetics and scanning electron microscopy were used to evaluate the activity of surfactin against P. acnes, which showed that 128 µg ml-1 effectively inhibited growth. Cell wall permeability was evaluated by detecting the extracellular alkaline phosphatase activity, which increased to 1·83- and 2·32-fold after incubating with 128 and 256 µg ml-1 of surfactin for 10 h, respectively. Propidium iodide fluorescence, leakage of nucleic acid, protein, K+ , and Ca2+ , membrane potential and the leakage of calcein from small unilamellar vesicles all increased after incubation with surfactin, indicating that its strong biological activities act mainly by altering membrane integrity. In a mouse model of acne, surfactin significantly reduced P. acnes-induced epidermal swelling and erythema. These results indicate that surfactin effectively inhibited the growth of P. acnes by destroying the cell wall and membrane, and is a potential candidate for acne treatment.

Live birth rate from euploid blastocysts is not associated with infertility etiology or oocyte source following frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET): analysis of 4148 cycles reported to SART CORS.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether live birth rates from euploid blastocyst frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles are associated with infertility diagnosis or oocyte source. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of FET cycles reported to SART CORS in 2014. METHODS: Data from fresh IVF cycles with preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A), linked to the first FET cycles, were collected from the 2014 SART CORS database for autologous and donor oocyte cycles. Inclusion criteria were patients undergoing FET with euploid embryos (n = 4148). Demographic data including age, BMI, prior fertility, and etiology of infertility were collected from the retrieval cycle and analyzed. Patients with uterine anomalies, preimplantation genetic testing-mutation (PGT-M) for genetic diseases, gender selection, HLA determination, or systemic and immunologic disorders were excluded. The primary outcome measure was live birth (LB) rate. Potential confounders such as age, prior fertility, and maximum baseline FSH values were analyzed with regression models as indicated. RESULTS: Though age, maximum baseline FSH, and infertility diagnosis were significantly different, LB was similar between patients undergoing autologous or donor oocyte FET cycles. Etiology of infertility was not significantly associated with LB in autologous cycles (p = 0.95). Potential confounders such as maternal age, prior fertility, and maximum baseline FSH were not associated with outcomes; however, maternal BMI was inversely related to LB in autologous cycles, with an odds ratio of 0.97 (95% CI: 0.96-0.98 (rho = - 0.08, p < 0.01)). CONCLUSIONS: After controlling for confounding variables, a euploid embryo derived from a donor or autologous oocyte results in similar LB in women with different infertility diagnoses.

Analysis of plant secondary metabolism using stable isotope-labelled precursors.

INTRODUCTION: Analysis of biochemical pathways typically involves feeding a labelled precursor to an organism, and then monitoring the metabolic fate of the label. Initial studies used radioisotopes as a label and then monitored radioactivity in the metabolic products. As analytical equipment improved and became more widely available, preference shifted the use stable 'heavy' isotopes like deuterium (2 H)-, carbon-13 (13 C)- and nitrogen-15 (15 N)-atoms as labels. Incorporation of the labels could be monitored by mass spectrometry (MS), as part of a hyphenated tool kits, e.g. Liquid chromatography (LC)-MS, gas chromatography (GC)-MS, LC-MS/MS. MS offers great sensitivity but the exact location of an isotope label in a given metabolite cannot always be unambiguously established. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) can also be used to pick up signals of stable isotopes, and can give information on the precise location of incorporated label in the metabolites. However, the detection limit for NMR is quite a bit higher than that for MS. OBJECTIVES: A number of experiments involving feeding stable isotope-labelled precursors followed by NMR analysis of the metabolites is presented. The aim is to highlight the use of NMR analysis in identifying the precise fate of isotope labels after precursor feeding experiments. As more powerful NMR equipment becomes available, applications as described in this review may become more commonplace in pathway analysis. CONCLUSION AND PROSPECTS: NMR is a widely accepted tool for chemical structure elucidation and is now increasingly used in metabolomic studies. In addition, NMR, combined with stable isotope feeding, should be considered as a tool for metabolic flux analyses.

[Correlation analysis of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio and central cervical lymph node metastasis of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma].

Objective: To investigate the correlation between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) in patients with cN0 papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC). Methods: The clinicopathological data of PTMC patients confirmed by surgery and pathology in the 81st Military Hospital of People's Liberation Army from 2016 to 2019 were collected, and the relationship between preoperative NLR, PLR levels and postoperative PTMC CLNM were analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was used for multivariate analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the cutoff value of NLR and PLR. The interaction relative excess risk was used to analyze the relationship between NLR, PLR and CLNM. Results: Among 220 patients with cN0 stage PTMC, 92 were CLNM. The ROC curve showed that when the cutoff value of NLR was 2.5 and the cutoff value of PLR was 175, the highest Youden index was 0.318 and 0.264, respectively. NLR and PLR were both related to CLNM (P<0.05). The tumor long diameter, multifocality, NLR≥2.5 and PLR≥175 were independent impact factors of CLNM (P<0.05). The results of the interaction showed that the relative excess risk of the interaction was 5.531 (95%CI: 0.160, 10.901, P=0.016), the attribution ratio was 0.512 (95%CI: 0.230, 0.794, P=0.009), and the synergy index was 2.294 (95%CI: 1.492, 4.579, P=0.022), suggested that NLR and PLR had an interactive effect, and these two synergistically promoted CLNM. Conclusions: NLR and PLR are independent risk factors for cN0 stage PTMC CLNM. When NLR≥2.5 and PLR≥175, preventive central lymph node dissection should be routinely performed.

[Correlation analysis of Ki67, Ck19 with clinicopathological features and apparent diffusion coefficient value of hepatocellular carcinoma].

Objective: To investigate the expression of cell proliferating nuclear antigen (Ki67) and cytokeratin 19 (Ck19) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and correlation with the clinicopathological features and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: The data of 203 newly diagnosed HCC patients in the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2014 to October 2019 were retrospectively collected, and the expression of Ki67 and Ck19 and ADC values in all patients were analyzed. The relationship between Ki67 and Ck19 and the clinical pathological characteristics of the patient, and calculate the difference and correlation with the ADC value was analyzed. Results: There were statistically significant differences in tumor vascular tumor thrombus, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), postoperative tumor recurrence, lymph node metastasis, and HCC differentiation between Ki67 positive and negative groups (χ²=5.156, 12.741, 29.925, 3.963, 77.408, all P<0.05),and negatively correlated with ADC value (r=-0.214, P=0.002). The average ADC value of HCC in the low Ki67 group was significantly higher than that of the high Ki67 group (1 089±280 vs 1 009±212, P<0.05). There were statistically significant differences in tumor vascular tumor thrombus, AFP, postoperative tumor recurrence, and lymph node metastasis between Ck19 positive and negative groups (χ²=9.058, 27.034, 4.053, 14.187, all P<0.05), but not correlated with ADC value (r=0.062, P=0.380). The expression differences of Ki67 and Ck19 in different HCC recurrence time groups were statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: The positive expression of Ki67 and Ck19 in HCC was associated with the prognosis and recurrence of HCC. CK19 was not correlated with the ADC value, while Ki67 was negatively correlated with the ADC value, indicating that ADC value could provide certain imaging information for the biological characteristics of preoperative HCC.

[Diagnostic value of serum amyloid A and C-reactive protein for predicting acute aortic dissection].

Objective: To explore the diagnostic value of serum amyloid A (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) for predicting acute aortic dissection (AAD). Methods: One hundred and seventy-five AAD patients and 160 patients with acute coronary syndrome (disease control group) who were admitted to Cardio-cerebrovascular Disease Hospital of General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from January 2018 to June 2020 were retrospectively selected. Meanwhile, 148 healthy subjects (healthy control group) who underwent physical examination were also enrolled. The latex-enhanced immunoturbidimetric assay and the latex immunoturbidimetric assay were used to determine the serum SAA and CRP levels of all subjects, and related clinical data were collected and analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to analyze the independent risk factors, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to calculate the diagnostic value of SAA and CRP for predicting AAD. Results: The levels of SAA and CRP in the AAD patient group ((165.7±7.4) mg/L and (76.0±4.0)mg/L) were significantly higher than those of the healthy control group ((6.5±0.4) mg/L and (3.9±0.2) mg/L) and the disease control group ((27.2±1.3) mg/L and (9.4±3.2) mg/L), with significant differences (all P<0.05). Compared with patients less than 60 years, levels of SAA and CRP in AAD patients over 60 years old decreased ((150.6±12.7) mg/L and (73.9±7.3) mg/L), and there were significant differences (both P<0.05). Likewise, SAA levels in AAD patients with high-risk pain characteristics over 6 h increased compared to those with pain less than 6 h, and there was a significant difference (P<0.05). SAA was positively correlated with CRP (r=0.053 4, P<0.05). ROC analysis showed that SAA and CRP levels were independently related to the risk of AAD (P=0.001), and the ROC curve of SAA for predicting AAD showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of type A aortic dissection (TAAD) and type B aortic dissection (TBAD) were 0.997 and 0.995, respectively (both P<0.001). And the ROC curve of CRP for predicting AAD demonstrated that the AUC of TAAD and TBAD were 0.998 and 0.991, respectively (both P<0.001). The best cut-off values of SAA and CRP for predicting AAD were 175.17 mg/L and 72.96 mg/L, respectively. Conclusion: Increased levels of SAA and CRP have high predictive value for AAD, and SAA combined with CRP is expected to serve as a laboratory marker to assist the diagnosis of AAD.