Semaglutide mitigates testicular damage in diabetes by inhibiting ferroptosis.

Diabetes is linked to male infertility, but the mechanisms and therapeutic options remain unclear. This study investigates the effects of semaglutide on testicular function in a diabetes mouse model. Clinical data shows that diabetes affects blood glucose, lipid levels, and sperm quality. Single-cell and transcriptome analyses reveal changes in testicular tissue cell proportions and activation of ferroptosis pathways in diabetic patients/rats. In the diabetes mouse model, sperm quality decreases significantly. Treatment with semaglutide (Sem) and the ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) alleviates testicular damage, as evidenced by improved lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis markers. Moreover, the diabetes-induced decrease in the TM-3 cell line's vitality, increased lipid peroxidation, ROS, ferrous ions, and mitochondrial membrane potential damage are all improved by semaglutide and ferrostatin-1 intervention. Overall, these findings highlight semaglutide's potential as a therapeutic approach for mitigating diabetes-induced testicular damage through modulation of the ferroptosis pathway.

Factors affecting the compliance of hepatocellular carcinoma screening among high-risk populations: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer mortality. HCC has high morbidity, high mortality, and low survival rates. Screening is one of the most significant methods of lowering incidence and death while also increasing survival. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to identify the facilitators and barriers to participation in HCC screening among high-risk populations. METHODS: A comprehensive and systematic search was undertaken in PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, EMBACE, EBSCOhost and the Cochrane Library. A combination of synonyms of the keywords including HCC, screening, factors and adherence were used for searching. Studies addressing the facilitators and barriers to HCC screening compliance in at-risk individuals were included. Data were synthesized using Review Manager version 5.4. A random/fixed effects model meta-analysis was performed to estimate the pooled data and expressed with odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: A total of seven articles met the inclusion criteria. Qualitative (n = 1) and quantitative (n = 6) studies using various types of surgery were conducted. The most commonly mentioned barriers were insufficient knowledge and awareness of HCC screening, unawareness of the necessity for early detection of HCC and lack of physician recommendation. A meta-analysis of seven studies showed that individuals with a family history of HCC increased screening uptake by nearly three times (OR: 2.69, 95% CI: 1.93, 3.75). Other most frequently reported facilitators include age, education level, and perceived risk et al. CONCLUSIONS: Many barriers to HCC screening were found. Meanwhile, this review points out that improving the awareness of high-risk populations toward HCC screening is expected to enhance compliance, thereby promoting early diagnosis of liver cancer, reducing mortality, and alleviating the burden of HCC.

Comparative assessment of orthodontic clear aligner versus fixed appliance for anterior retraction: a finite element study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to conduct a comparative evaluation of different designs of clear aligners and examine the disparities between clear aligners and fixed appliances. METHODS: 3D digital models were created, consisting of a maxillary dentition without first premolars, maxilla, periodontal ligaments, attachments, micro-implant, 3D printed lingual retractor, brackets, archwire and clear aligner. The study involved the creation of five design models for clear aligner maxillary anterior internal retraction and one design model for fixed appliance maxillary anterior internal retraction, which were subsequently subjected to finite element analysis. These design models included: (1) Model C0 Control, (2) Model C1 Posterior Micro-implant, (3) Model C2 Anterior Micro-implant, (4) Model C3 Palatal Plate, (5) Model C4 Lingual Retractor, and (6) Model F0 Fixed Appliance. RESULTS: In the clear aligner models, a consistent pattern of tooth movement was observed. Notably, among all tested models, the modified clear aligner Model C3 exhibited the smallest differences in sagittal displacement of the crown-root of the central incisor, vertical displacement of the central incisor, sagittal displacement of the second premolar and second molar, as well as vertical displacement of posterior teeth. However, distinct variations in tooth movement trends were observed between the clear aligner models and the fixed appliance model. Furthermore, compared to the fixed appliance model, significant increases in tooth displacement were achieved with the use of clear aligner models. CONCLUSIONS: In the clear aligner models, the movement trend of the teeth remained consistent, but there were variations in the amount of tooth displacement. Overall, the Model C3 exhibited better torque control and provided greater protection for posterior anchorage teeth compared to the other four clear aligner models. On the other hand, the fixed appliance model provides superior anterior torque control and better protection of the posterior anchorage teeth compared to clear aligner models. The clear aligner approach and the fixed appliance approach still exhibit a disparity; nevertheless, this study offers a developmental direction and establishes a theoretical foundation for future non-invasive, aesthetically pleasing, comfortable, and efficient modalities of clear aligner treatment.

Influence of soil composition and environmental factors on the adsorption of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances: A review.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have garnered considerable scientific and regulatory scrutiny due to their widespread distribution across environments and their potential toxicological impacts on human health. The pedosphere serves as a vital reservoir for these chemicals, significantly determining their environmental trajectory and chemical transformations. This study offers a comprehensive synthesis of the current understanding regarding the adsorption mechanics of PFASs in soil matrices. Due to their unique molecular structure, PFASs predominantly engage in hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions during soil adsorption. This work thoroughly evaluates the influence of various factors on adsorption efficiency, including soil properties, molecular characteristics of PFASs, and the prevailing environmental conditions. The complex nature of soil environments complicates isolating individual impacts on PFAS behavior, necessitating an integrated approach to understanding their environmental destinies better. Through this exploration, we seek to clarify the complex interplay of factors that modulate the adsorption of PFASs in soils, highlighting the urgent need for future research to disentangle the intricate and combined effects that control the environmental behavior of PFAS compounds.

ß-hydroxybutyrate and ischemic stroke: roles and mechanisms.

Stroke is a significant global burden, causing extensive morbidity and mortality. In metabolic states where glucose is limited, ketone bodies, predominantly ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), act as alternative fuel sources. Elevated levels of BHB have been found in the ischemic hemispheres of animal models of stroke, supporting its role in the pathophysiology of cerebral ischemia. Clinically, higher serum and urinary BHB concentrations have been associated with adverse outcomes in ischemic stroke, highlighting its potential utility as a prognostic biomarker. In both animal and cellular models, exogenous BHB administration has exhibited neuroprotective effects, reduction of infarct size, and improvement of neurological outcomes. In this review, we focus on the role of BHB before and after ischemic stroke, with an emphasis on the therapeutic potential and mechanisms of ketone administration after ischemic stroke.

Interventions to Improve Endoscopic Screening Adherence of Cancer in High-Risk Populations: A Scoping Review.

Background: Colorectal, and gastric cancers have the second, and fourth mortality rates worldwide, respectively. Endoscopic screening is a crucial diagnostic tool for colorectal, and gastric cancers. Effective interventions can improve adherence to endoscopic screening in high-risk populations, which is important for cancer prevention and mortality reduction. This study aimed to identify interventions that could improve adherence to endoscopic screening for cancer in high-risk populations. Methods: Combination keywords including colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, screening adherence, and interventions were used to search for articles in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and MEDLINE Complete. The review methodology was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-SCR). Results: A total of 12 articles were included in this review: 9 randomized controlled trials(RCT) and 3 quasi-experimental studies(QEDs). Among the extracted studies, 11 were about colorectal cancer, and 1 was about gastric cancer. Most studies used lecture-based or Information Technology-based health education interventions. Narrative interventions have proven to be novel and effective approaches for promoting adherence to endoscopic screening. Health education interventions included cancer epidemiology, cancer risk factors, warning symptoms, and screening methods. Conclusion: All interventions involved were effective in increasing individual knowledge of cancer-related endoscopic screening, willingness to undergo screening, and screening behaviors. These findings provide a reference for designing endoscopy-related cancer screening interventions.

FeNi (oxy)hydroxides embedded with high-valence Mo atoms: A efficient and robust water oxidation electrocatalyst.

The incorporation of high-valence transition metal atoms into FeNi (oxy)hydroxides may be a promising strategy to regulate the intrinsic electronic states, thereby reducing the thermodynamic barrier and accelerating oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Here, a high-valence Mo atoms doping route is proposed by an efficient self-reconstruction strategy to prepare MoFeNi (oxy)hydroxides for efficient alkaline OER. By using borides (MoNiB) as sacrificial template and Mo source, FeNi (oxy)hydroxides nanoflakes embedded with high-valence Mo atoms (MoFeNi) is successfully synthesized, which can modulate the electron coordination to improve the intrinsic catalytic activity. Remarkably, the obtained MoFeNi exhibits extremely low overpotential (η100 = 252 mV and η500 = 288 mV) and small Tafel slope (18.35 mV dec-1). The robust catalyst can run stably for hours at 500 mA cm-2. Characterization results and theoretical calculations confirmed that the addition of high-valence Mo effectively modulated the intrinsic electronic structure of metal sites and optimized the adsorption/desorption energy of the intermediates, accelerating OER reactions kinetics. By coupling MoFeNi anode with Pt/C cathode, anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyser can operate stably at 500 mA cm-2 with about less than 2.2 V. This research introduces a novel approach to develop ideal electrocatalysts through the incorporation of high-valence molybdenum species.

Resuscitation effect of sodium bicarbonate Ringer's solution on traumatic hemorrhagic shock in patients / 中国基层医药

Objective:To investigate the resuscitation effect of sodium bicarbonate Ringer's solution on traumatic hemorrhagic shock in patients.Methods:A randomized controlled trial was conducted on 70 patients with traumatic hemorrhagic shock who were admitted to Yiwu Central Hospital between February 2021 and February 2022. The patients were randomly assigned to a control group ( n = 35) and an observation group ( n = 35) using the random number table method. Both groups received routine treatment. The control group was given adequate resuscitation by intravenous injection of a compound sodium chloride injection, while the observation group received restricted resuscitation with sodium bicarbonate Ringer's solution. Related clinical indicators, coagulation function, lactate levels, hemorheological indicators, and incidence of complications were compared between the two groups. Results:The blood oxygen saturation, shock index, pulse pressure difference, and urine output in the observation group were (76.53 ± 2.56)%, (0.43 ± 0.07), (38.56 ± 6.52) mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa), and (35.62 ± 4.21) mL/h, respectively. These values were all superior to those in the control group [(65.32 ± 3.21)%, (1.21 ± 0.13), (23.56 ± 4.23) mmHg, (23.65 ± 5.68) mL/h, t = 16.15, 31.25, 11.42, 10.06, all P < 0.001]. The prothrombin time, fibrinogen, activated partial thromboplastin time, and thrombin time in the observation group were (17.65 ± 0.83) seconds, (1.69 ± 0.89) g/L, (39.68 ± 0.52) seconds, and (17.86 ± 0.74) seconds, respectively. These values were significantly superior to those in the control group [(14.56 ± 0.86) seconds, (1.32 ± 0.23) g/L, (35.26 ± 0.16) seconds, and (16.02 ± 0.05) seconds, t = 15.30, 2.38, 48.06, 14.68, all P < 0.05]. The lactate level in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group [(2.24 ± 0.53) mmol/L vs. (2.94 ± 0.78) mmol/L, t = 4.39, P < 0.05]. The platelet cohesion, red blood cell deformability, and blood viscosity in each group were significantly reduced, and these indices in the observation group were superior to those in the control group ( t = 13.71, 5.64, 5.67, all P < 0.001). The incidence of complications in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (8.6% (3/35) vs. 60.0% (21/35), χ2 = 10.08, P < 0.05). Conclusion:Restricted resuscitation with sodium bicarbonate Ringer's solution can improve clinical indicators, coagulation function, and lactate levels in patients with traumatic hemorrhagic shock. It can effectively improve hemodynamic indicators and reduce the incidence of complications. It is worthy of clinical promotion.

Efficacy and safety evaluation of a novel domestic extracorporeal membrane oxygenation mainframe / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a novel domestic extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) mainframe in a porcine model, and to provide the basis for further clinical application.Methods:Five domestic healthy male white pigs, weighing (51±4) kg, were selected. The ECMO system was established by using a novel ECMO mainframe with imported membrane oxygenator and pipeline, and continued to run for 72 hours. ECMO parameters are as follows: veno-arterial ECMO, centrifugal pump speed 3 000-3 500 r/min, continuous infusion of heparin anticoagulation to maintain the activate clotting time (ACT) of 140-200 s. Real-time monitoring of speed, flow, pressure before pump, pressure after pump, pressure after membrane and other equipment parameters, and the equipment performance was scored. The changes of hemodynamics, blood lactic acid and blood routine were monitored dynamically. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare different time points within the group. At the end of the experiment, the thrombosis in the pump head and oxygenator was observed. The animals were sacrificed to obtain the tissue samples of the main organs for gross observation and pathological injury evaluation.Results:All animals successfully ran the ECMO system for 72 hours. (1) The centrifugal pump speed should be maintained at 3 029-3 483 r/min, the flow rate was maintained at 2.24-2.60 L/min, The pressure before the pump between minus 107.57 and minus 31.86 mmHg, the pressure after the pump was 197.50-282.43 mmHg, and the pressure after the membrane was 178.71-261.5 mmHg, all were in the normal range, and there was no significant difference between different time points (all P>0.05). The performance scores of the mainframe were all 4 points or above, indicating that the use requirements were met. (2) The heart rate of the animals was 50-80 beats /min, the mean arterial pressure was 85-115 mmHg, and the lactic acid was 0.996-2.25 mmol/L, all within the normal range, and there was no significant difference between different time points (all P>0.05). The free hemoglobin was 8.98-16.39 mg/L, and the hemoglobin was 6.58-7.52 g/L, both within a reasonable range, and there was no significant difference between different time points (all P>0.05). The platelet count was 69.6-231.6×10 9/L, and showed a continuous downward trend ( P<0.05). ACT was maintained at 135-169 s, which was within the target range, and there was no significant difference between different time points ( P<0.05). (3) At the end of the experiment, there was no obvious thrombosis in the pump head and oxygenator, no obvious thrombosis or infarction in the heart, brain, liver, lung and kidney, and no obvious hemorrhage or necrosis under the microscope. Conclusions:The ECMO established by the novel domestic ECMO mainframe combined with imported membrane oxygenator and pipeline ran smoothly for 72 hours, achieving the target of effect and safety.

Pollution characteristics, source analysis, and risk assessment of metal and metalloid in PM2.5 of Shijiazhuang city / 中华预防医学杂志

In 2020, the mass concentration of PM2.5 in Shijiazhuang urban area was(80.30±71.43)μg/m3. The Spearman correlation analysis between metals and metalloids showed that Sb with Cd, Pb, Ni, Se, Cd with Pb, Ni, Se, Pb with Ni, Se, Ni with Se, and Se with Tl were positively correlated, with a coefficient greater than 0.5. The main sources of metals and metalloids of PM2.5 were traffic emissions, fuel combustion, metal smelting and dust. The HQ values of Pb, Hg and Mn for each population were less than 1, with lower non-carcinogenic risk. The R values of carcinogenic risk of Ni and Cd in each population were less than 1×10-6, which could be acceptable risk level for the population. The R values of carcinogenic risk of As and Cr in different populations were between 1×10-6 and 1×10-4, with potential carcinogenic risk, particularly higher in adult males.

Effects of sperm DNA fragmentation index on semen parameters and pregnancy outcomes in intrauterine insemination / 中华男科学杂志

Objective@#To analyze the correlation of the sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) level with semen parameters and pregnancy outcomes of artificial insemination of the husband (AIH) in the cycle of intrauterine insemination (IUI).@*METHODS@#We collected the clinical data on 777 cases of IUI, including female clinical indicators, male semen parameters, sperm DFI and pregnancy outcomes. According to the DFI level, we divided the patients into three groups: DFI < 15%, 15% ≤ DFI < 30% and DFI ≥ 30%.@*RESULTS@#The sperm DFI level was significantly elevated with the increased age of the males (P = 0.002) and closely related to the total number of motile sperm (P = 0.002) and total sperm motility (P = 0.000) before treatment, as well as to sperm concentration (P = 0.000), total sperm motility (P = 0.001) and total number of progressively motile sperm (P = 0.000) after density gradient centrifugation. The rate of clinical pregnancy was decreased in the DFI ≥ 30% group. There were no statistically significant differences between sperm DFI and the rates of clinical pregnancy and abortion.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Male age significantly affects the sperm DFI level. Sperm DFI is closely related to sperm motility and total number of progressively motile sperm, but not to the rates of clinical pregnancy and abortion in patients undergoing IUI. IUI can be used as an effective method of assisted reproduction for male infertility./.

Synergistic effect on biosynthesis of Panax notoginseng saponins by overexpressing a transcription factor PnbHLH and RNA interference of cycloartenol synthase gene / 中国中药杂志

This study cloned the transcription factor gene PnbHLH which held an open reading frame of 966 bp encoding 321 amino acids. This study constructed the overexpression vector of transcription factor PnbHLH of Panax notoginseng. The combination of PnbHLH overexpression and RNAi of the key enzyme gene PnCAS involved in the phytosterol biosynthesis was achieved in P. notoginseng cells, thus exploring the biosynthetic regulation of P. notoginseng saponins(PNS) by the synergistic effect of PnbHLH overexpression and PnCAS RNAi. The results showed that the PnbHLH transcription factor interacted with the promoters of key enzyme genes PnDS, PnSS and PnSE in the biosynthetic pathway of PNS, and then regulated the expression levels of key enzyme genes and affected the biosynthesis of saponins indirectly. Further study indicated that the synergistic effect of PnbHLH overexpression and PnCAS RNAi was a more effective approach to regulate the biosynthesis of saponins. Compared with the wild type and PnCAS RNAi cells of P. notoginseng, the contents of total saponins and monomeric saponins(Rd, Rb_1, Re, Rg_1 and R_1) were increased to some extent in the cell lines of PnbHLH overexpression and PnCAS RNAi. This indicated that the two ways of forward regulation and reverse regulation of saponin biosynthesis showed superposition effect. This study explored a more rational and efficient regulation strategy of PNS biosynthesis based on the advantages of multi-point regulation of transcription factors as well as the down-regulation of by-product synthesis of saponins.

Characterization of Lysine Monomethylome and Methyltransferase in Model Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 / 基因组蛋白质组与生物信息学报·英文版

Protein lysine methylation is a prevalent post-translational modification (PTM) and plays critical roles in all domains of life. However, its extent and function in photosynthetic organisms are still largely unknown. Cyanobacteria are a large group of prokaryotes that carry out oxygenic photosynthesis and are applied extensively in studies of photosynthetic mechanisms and environmental adaptation. Here we integrated propionylation of monomethylated proteins, enrichment of the modified peptides, and mass spectrometry (MS) analysis to identify monomethylated proteins in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (Synechocystis). Overall, we identified 376 monomethylation sites in 270 proteins, with numerous monomethylated proteins participating in photosynthesis and carbon metabolism. We subsequently demonstrated that CpcM, a previously identified asparagine methyltransferase in Synechocystis, could catalyze lysine monomethylation of the potential aspartate aminotransferase Sll0480 both in vivo and in vitro and regulate the enzyme activity of Sll0480. The loss of CpcM led to decreases in the maximum quantum yield in primary photosystem II (PSII) and the efficiency of energy transfer during the photosynthetic reaction in Synechocystis. We report the first lysine monomethylome in a photosynthetic organism and present a critical database for functional analyses of monomethylation in cyanobacteria. The large number of monomethylated proteins and the identification of CpcM as the lysine methyltransferase in cyanobacteria suggest that reversible methylation may influence the metabolic process and photosynthesis in both cyanobacteria and plants.

Sudan black B reducing the intestinal autofluorescence of rats and its application in immunofluorescence / 解剖学报

Objective To develop a feasible method to reduce the rat intestinal autofluorescence (AF). Methods Five rats were sacrificed. After cryostat section, intestinal AF was investigated by immunofluorescence (IF) before and after Sudan black B (SBB) treatment. Results The AF within the different rat intestinal segments was easily detected in both FITC- and TRITC- channel spectrum, which was not affected by serum blocking. After 0. 3% SBB treatment for 10 minutes, a significant reduction of AF was observed in the rat intestinal tissue. Moreover, the SBB treatment did not affect the expression of CD45 in the rat intestine detected by IF staining, but reduced the AF remarkedly. Conclusion The AF in rat intestinal frozen section can be effectively reduced with 0. 3% SBB treatment for 10 minutes.

Clinical Efficacy and Mechanism of Modified Erxian Decoction in Treating Osteoporosis with Yang Deficiency / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To observe the effect of modified Erxian decoction on the physical condition, pain in the lower back and joints, limb activity, bone density, bone metabolism and biochemical indexes in patients with osteoporosis caused by Yang deficiency, in order to explore the possible mechanism. Method::Totally 100 cases of osteoporosis with Yang deficiency were randomly divided into treatment group and control group, with 50 cases in each group. The control group was treated with basic anti-osteoporosis therapy, and the treatment group was give modified Erxian decoction combined with basic therapy for 6 weeks. Short physical performance battery (SPPB) scores of low back and joint pain and Yang deficiency symptom score before and after treatment were recorded and analyzed. before and after treatment, the changes of blood serum calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), L1-4, femoral neck bone mineral density(BMD), osteocalcin (BGP) and type I collagen peptide amino end level (P1NP) were measured. Result::The scores of lumbar back and joint pain, Yang deficiency symptom score, limb function and activity, lumbar spine 1-4 (L1-4), femoral neck BMD, Ca, P, BGP and P1NP between two groups before treatment had no statistically significant difference. After 6 weeks of treatment, limb activity score, L1-4, femoral neck BMD, serum Ca and P levels in treatment group were significantly higher than those in control group (P<0.05). The scores of the pain in the lower back and joints, Yang deficiency symptom score, BGP and P1NP in treatment group were significantly lower than those in control group (P<0.05). Conclusion::Modified Erxian decoction can significantly alleviate the pain in the lower back and joints of patients with osteoporosis caused by Yang deficiency, enhance the limb function and activity status, improve the physical condition and bone density of patients, reduce bone conversion, with a good effect in treating and alleviating symptoms of osteoporosis caused by Yang deficiency.

Clinical features of acute kidney injury in patients with nephrotic syndrome and minimal change disease: a retrospective, cross-sectional study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Minimal change nephropathy (MCD) is a common pathological type of nephrotic syndrome and is often associated with acute kidney injury (AKI). This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and related factors of AKI in patients with MCD and nephrotic syndrome.@*METHODS@#Patients from Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital who were diagnosed with pathological renal MCD with clinical manifestations of nephrotic syndrome were included from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2017. Patients diagnosed with membranous nephropathy (MN) by renal biopsy from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2017 are included as a control population. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical and pathological characteristics of patients as well as the percentages and clinical characteristics of AKI in different age groups. We assessed the correlation of pathological characteristics with serum creatinine using multivariate linear regression analysis.@*RESULTS@#A total of 367 patients with MCD were included in the analysis, with a sex ratio of 1.46: 1 (male: female) and an age range of 6 to 77 years. Among all the patients, 109 developed AKI (29.7%), and of these patients, 85 were male (78.0%). In the 586 patients with MN, 27 (4.6%) patients developed AKI. The percentage of AKI in MCD patients was significantly higher than that in MN patients (χ2 = 41.063, P < 0.001). The percentage of AKI increased with age in the MCD patients. The percentage of AKI in patients aged 50 years or older was 52.9% (46/87), which was significantly higher than that [22.5% (63/280)] in patients under 50 years (χ2 = 6.347, P = 0.013). We observed statistically significant differences in age (43 [27, 59] years vs. 28 [20, 44] years, Z = 5.487, P < 0.001), male (78.0% vs. 51.4%, χ2 = 22.470, P < 0.001), serum albumin (19.9 ± 6.1 g/L vs. 21.5 ± 5.7 g/L, t = 2.376, P = 0.018), serum creatinine (129.5 [105.7, 171.1] μmol/L vs. 69.7 [57.7, 81.9] μmol/L, Z = 14.190, P < 0.001), serum urea (10.1 [6.2, 15.8] mmol/L vs. 4.7 [3.6, 6.4] mmol/L, Z = 10.545, P < 0.001), IgE (266.0 [86.7, 963.0] IU/ml vs. 142.0 [35.3, 516.5] IU/ml, Z = 2.742, P = 0.007), history of diabetes (6.4% vs. 1.2%, P = 0.009), and history of hypertension (23.9% vs. 5.1%, χ2 = 28.238, P < 0.001) between the AKI group and the non-AKI group. According to multivariate linear regression analysis, among the renal pathological features analyzed, renal tubular epithelial cell damage (β = 178.010, 95% CI: 147.888-208.132, P < 0.001) and renal interstitial edema (β = 28.833, 95% CI: 11.966-45.700, P = 0.001) correlated with serum creatinine values.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The percentage of AKI in MCD patients is significantly higher than that in MN patients. Patients over 50 years old are more likely to develop AKI. Renal tubular epithelial cell injury and renal interstitial edema may be the main pathological lesions that are associated with elevated serum creatinine in patients with MCD.

Value of Elasticity Contrast Index of Ultrasonography in Differentiating Benign and Malignant Cervical Lymph Nodes / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of elasticity contrast index(ECI)in the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant cervical lymph nodes.Methods Cervical lymph nodes of 48 patients were examined by traditional ultrasound and ECI in Peking University Third Hospital between December 2016 and April 2017. Patients were further divided into free-hand group and non-free-hand group according to the use of manual compression or not. With pathological or clinical follow-up results as the gold standard,we compared the diagnostic values of traditional ultrasound,ECI,and their combination in the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant lymph nodes.Results Totally 138 lymph nodes were collected from 46 patients,among which 76 were benign and 62 were malignant. The ECI value of malignant lymph nodes(1.69±0.89)were significantly higher than that of benign lymph nodes(1.32±0.87)(t=-2.46,P=0.015).The area under receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve for traditional ultrasound in discrimination of malignant cervical lymph nodes with benign ones was 0.899,with an optimal cut-off value of 7,which had a sensitivity of 93.5% and a specificity of 84.2%. The area under ROC curve for ECI was 0.649,with an optimal cut-off value of 1.25,which had a sensitivity of 59.7% and a specificity of 60.5%. For their combination,the area under ROC curve was 0.724,with a sensitivity of 93.5% and a specificity of 51.3%. In the group without using free-hand technique,the mean ECI value was 1.77±0.94 for malignant nodes,which was significantly higher than that(1.26±0.81)for benign nodes(t=-3.09,P=0.003). In the group requiring free-hand technique,the ECI value for malignant nodes was 1.33(1.01,1.44),showing no significant difference with benign ones[1.32(0.78,2.18);z=-0.20,P=0.843].Conclusions Conventional ultrasound has higher diagnostic value than ECI and their combination in differentiating benign and malignant lymph nodes. The role of ECI in evaluating other organs requires further investigations.

Influence of Familiarity on Energy Intake and Plasma Gut Hormone Concentration in Lean and Overweight Young Male Students / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>This study is to examine the influence of familiarity on energy intake, eating behavior, and concentration of the plasma gut hormones in lean and overweight young male subjects.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-eight lean and twenty-eight overweight participants were recruited. Their food consumption was documented and analyzed when they had a test meal while they were paired with friends or strangers at the same weight stature. Their eating behavior was recorded with cameras hidden in the carton, and postprandial plasma gut hormone concentration were measured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with overweight strangers (OS), overweight friends (OF) had increased food consumption, prolonged and decreased number of chews per 10 g food. Compared with OS, postprandial plasma concentration of cholecystokinin-8 was significantly lower in OF group at 30, 60, and 90 min, whereas the concentration of glucagon-like peptide 1 was significantly lower at 60 and 90 min. Plasma ghrelin concentration was significantly higher in the OF group than that in the OS group at 90 and 120 min. No significant differences in gut hormone concentration were observed between lean strangers (LS) and lean friends (LF) groups at all time points.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Familiarity plays an important role in increasing energy intake and in changing of postprandial gut hormone concentration in overweight individuals.</p>

Study on prevention effect of Zishen Yutai pill combined with progesterone for threatened abortion in rats

OBJECTIVE@#To observe preventive and therapeutic effects and the mechanism of actions on Zishen Yutai pill combined with progesterone on threatened abortion in rats.@*METHODS@#After pregnancy, 50 SPF female SD rats were selected and divided into control group, model group, progesterone group, Zishen Yutai pill group, and progesterone plus Zishen Yutai pill group (combination group), with 10 rats in each group. The rats of control group and abortion model group were lavaged with 2 mL/kg normal saline on pregnancy day 1 for continuous 10 days. Rats in Zishen Yutai pill group were given 1.575 g/kg/d of Zishen Yutai pill for intragastric administration for continuous 10 days. Rats in progesterone group were given intramuscular injection treatment of 0.1 mL/d progestin, continuous for 10 days. Rats in combination group were given injection therapy of aqueous solution of Zishen Yutai pill for continuous 10 days, and other treatments were the same as previous two groups. Abortion model were established then and live births, numbers of abortion and average rate of abortion were compared between the five groups. Peripheral blood was collected to detect the estradiol (E2) and progestational hormone (P), and obtain ratio of Th1/Th2 cytokines (IL-2, INF-γ, IL-4, IL-10).@*RESULTS@#Significant more live births of rats were found in the control group compared with other four groups (P  0.05) but these levels in the control group and Zishen Yutai pill group were significant lower than that of progesterone group and joint group (P < 0.05). The maternal-fetal interface IL - 4/IL - 2, IL - 10/IL - 2 of model group were balanced deviating to Th1, while the IL-4/IL-2, IL-10/IL-2 of progesterone group, Zishen Yutai pill group and joint group were balanced deviating to Th2, and joint group' deviation was better than progesterone group and Zishen Yutai pill group (P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Zishen Yutai pill combined with progesterone has a significant control effect for threatened abortion, which can obviously increase contents of maternal serums E2 and P, and regulate the Th1/Th2 balance with a remarkable effect.