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This study aimed to explore the association between bone mineral density and physical frailty including nutrition, muscle mass, and oral function. We included participants aged 35-80 years and examined their bone mineral density, serum albumin level, body composition, and variance of hue (VOH) of two-colored gum. We also used the geriatric oral health assessment index (GOHAI). These data were used to calculate the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) and skeletal muscle index (SMI). Multinomial logistic regression was performed to assess the relationship between GNRI, SMI, VOH, GOHAI, and bone mineral density after adjusting for comorbidities, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and previous bone fracture. We included 228 participants and classified their bone mineral density as normal, osteopenic, or osteoporotic. Older age (odds ratio (OR) 1.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.08, 1.23]), low GNRI (OR 0.90, 95% CI [0.83, 0.98]), low SMI (OR 0.43, 95% CI [0.27, 0.68]), and high VOH (OR 1.08, 95% CI [1.01, 1.17]) were significantly associated with osteoporosis. Older age (OR 1.08, 95% CI [1.04, 1.11]) and low GNRI (OR 0.93, 95% CI [0.87, 0.99]) were significantly associated with osteopenia. GNRI, SMI, and VOH were significantly associated with osteoporosis among male participants. Although the multinomial logistic regression analysis indicated that GNRI, SMI, VOH, and GOHAI were not significantly associated with osteoporosis or osteopenia among female participants, the demographic distribution showed that older age, low GNRI, and low SMI were significantly associated with bone mineral density decline. Physical frailty, including nutritional decline, muscle mass loss, and poor oral status, is associated with low bone density. This easy-to-use tool can be used to detect osteoporosis early and to prevent osteoporosis and osteoporosis-related fractures.
Subject(s)
Bone Density , Frailty , Independent Living , Oral Health , Osteoporosis , Humans , Aged , Male , Female , Risk Factors , Frailty/epidemiology , Aged, 80 and over , Osteoporosis/epidemiology , Middle Aged , Adult , Geriatric Assessment/methods , Body CompositionABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the relationship between multidimensional factors, such as environment, health status, behavior, social support, and the well-being of middle-aged and older adults. METHODS: This study utilized data from 2 waves of the nationally representative Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging Survey Report (TLSA) conducted in 2015 and 2019. The TLSA assesses socioeconomic status, physical and health status, the 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5 index), and social support. Data regarding the degree of digital development were obtained from the 2020 Township Digital Development Report. We applied a generalized estimating equation (GEE) to analyze the influencing factors. RESULTS: This study included 4796 participants. Residing in areas with a higher degree of digital development, having a higher socioeconomic status, and experiencing better physical and mental health were significantly associated with well-being. Furthermore, emotional and attentive support mediated the association between physical and mental status and well-being. CONCLUSION: People's awareness of searching for and receiving social support and medical resources is important for enhancing their well-being. It is also crucial to pay attention to the living environment and maintain one's health status to promote well-being.
Subject(s)
Health Status , Mental Health , Social Support , Humans , Male , Female , Aged , Middle Aged , Longitudinal Studies , Taiwan/epidemiology , Social Class , Aged, 80 and over , Cohort Studies , Socioeconomic FactorsABSTRACT
Mitochondria are essential for energy supplementation and metabolic homeostasis of cancer cells. Using mitochondria transplantation to reduce the malignancy of gastric cancer (GC) cells is herein proposed. In our study normal human gastric mucous epithelium cell line (GES-1) showed a lower mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) compared to immortalized human vascular endothelial cell line (EAhy 926) and human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line (AGS). The transplantation of GES-1 mitochondria to AGS were confirmed both by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. After transplanting GES-1 mitochondria, the AGS showed a reduced cell migration, and invasion without affecting cell viability and apoptosis. Investigating the expression of proteins involved in epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT), transplanted GES-1 mitochondria reduced the expression of mesenchymal markers α-SMA, MMP-9, snail, vimentin and N-cadherin, whereas the epithelial markers E-cadherin and clauding-1 were not changed. The proteins implicated in the cell cycle such as cyclin B1 and D1 were decreased. In mice, inoculation with AGS carrying the transplanted GES-1 mitochondria resulted in smaller sized tumors. Further investigating the mitochondrial balance, the transplanted GES-1 mitochondria were more stably preserved compared to endogenous AGS mitochondria. The MMP, ATP production and mitochondrial mass decreased in GES-1 mitochondria and the mitophagic proteins LC3 II and PINK1 were up-regulated. In conclusion the decreased malignancy of AGS was a result of exogenous GES-1 mitochondria transplantation. This suggests for a therapy with low efficiency mitochondria transplantation in the treatment of cancer cells.
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Autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction is prevalent in end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients, carrying significant risks for morbidity and mortality. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a simple and non-invasive method to evaluate ANS functions and predict prognoses in specific patient populations. Since there is a lack of a clear understanding of the clinical significance of HRV in predicting prognoses in ESKD patients, an updated review on this topic is urgently warranted. The clinical significance of HRV in dialysis patients includes its associations with metabolic syndrome, nutritional status, intradialytic hypotension, vascular access failure, major adverse cardiovascular events, and mortality. These findings underscore the essential role of the autonomic reserve, which might denote the elevation of ANS activity as a response to external stimulus. Patients with a higher level of sympathetic activity at the resting stage, but who are unable to adequately elevate their sympathetic activity under stress might be susceptible to a worse outcome in critical circumstances. Further applications of HRV include HRV biofeedback, risk classification, and real-time HRV monitoring. Overall, HRV is an optimal tool for predicting prognoses in dialysis patients. Further study is encouraged in order to gain a clearer understanding of the clinical significance and application of HRV, and thereby enhance the care of ESKD patients.
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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is notable for its high mortality and high metastatic characteristics. The shear force generated by bloodstream provides mechanical signals regulating multiple responses of cells, including metastatic cancer cells, dispersing in blood vessels. We, therefore, studied the effect of shear flow on circulating CRC cells in the present study. The CRC cell line SW620 was subjected to shear flow of 12.5 dynes/cm2 for 1 and 2 h separately. Resulting elevated caspase-9 and -3 indicated that shear flow initiated the apoptosis of SW620. Enlarged cell size associated with a higher level of cyclin D1 was coincident with the flow cytometric results indicating that the cell cycle was arrested at the G1 phase. An elevated phosphor-eNOSS1177 increased the production of nitric oxide and led to reactive oxygen species-mediated oxidative stress. Shear flow also regulated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by increasing E-cadherin and ZO-1 while decreasing Snail and Twist1. The migration and invasion of sheared SW620 were also substantially decreased. Further investigations showed that mitochondrial membrane potential was significantly decreased, whereas mitochondrial mass and ATP production were not changed. In addition to the shear flow of 12.5 dynes/cm2, the expressions of EMT were compared at lower (6.25 dynes/cm2) and at higher (25 dynes/cm2) shear flow. The results showed that lower shear flow increased mesenchymal characteristics and higher shear flow increased epithelial characteristics. Shear flow reduces the malignancy of CRC in their metastatic dispersal that opens up new ways to improve cancer therapies by applying a mechanical shear flow device.
Subject(s)
Apoptosis , Cell Movement , Colorectal Neoplasms , Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition , Reactive Oxygen Species , Humans , Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology , Colorectal Neoplasms/metabolism , Cell Line, Tumor , Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism , Stress, Mechanical , Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial , Cyclin D1/metabolism , Oxidative Stress , Cadherins/metabolism , Nitric Oxide/metabolism , Caspase 9/metabolism , Caspase 3/metabolism , Zonula Occludens-1 Protein/metabolism , Twist-Related Protein 1/metabolismABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Benralizumab is indicated as add-on therapy in patients with uncontrolled, severe eosinophilic asthma; it has not yet been evaluated in a large Asian population with asthma in a clinical trial. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of benralizumab in patients with severe asthma in Asia. METHODS: MIRACLE (NCT03186209) was a randomized, Phase 3 study in China, South Korea, and the Philippines. Patients aged 12-75 years with severe asthma receiving medium-to-high-dose inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting ß2-agonists, stratified (2:1) by baseline blood eosinophil count (bEOS) (≥300/µL; <300/µL), were randomized (1:1) to benralizumab 30 mg or placebo. Endpoints included annual asthma exacerbation rate (AAER; primary endpoint), change from baseline at Week 48 in pre-bronchodilator (BD) forced expiratory volume in 1 second (pre-BD FEV1) and total asthma symptom score (TASS). Safety was evaluatedâ¯≤â¯Week 56. RESULTS: Of 695 patients randomized, 473 had baseline bEOS ≥300/µL (benralizumab nâ¯=â¯236; placebo nâ¯=â¯237). In this population, benralizumab significantly reduced AAER by 74% (rate ratio 0.26 [95% CI 0.19, 0.36], pâ¯<â¯0.0001) and significantly improved pre-BD FEV1 (least squares difference [LSD] 0.25 L [95% CI 0.17, 0.34], pâ¯<â¯0.0001) and TASS (LSD -0.25 [-0.45, -0.05], pâ¯=â¯0.0126) versus placebo. In patients with baseline bEOS <300/µL, there were numerical improvements in AAER, pre-BD FEV1, and TASS with benralizumab versus placebo. The frequency of adverse events was similar for benralizumab (76%) and placebo (80%) in the overall population. CONCLUSIONS: MIRACLE data reinforces the efficacy and safety of benralizumab for severe eosinophilic asthma in an Asian population, consistent with the global Phase 3 results.
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The cotton-picking robot needs to locate the target object in space in the process of picking in the field and other outdoor strong light complex environments. The difficulty of this process was binocular matching. Therefore, this paper proposes an accurate and fast binocular matching method. This method used the deep learning model to obtain the position and shape of the target object, and then used the matching equation proposed in this paper to match the target object. Matching precision of this method for cotton matching was much higher than that of similar algorithms. It was 54.11, 45.37, 6.15, and 12.21% higher than block matching (BM), semi global block matching (SGBM), pyramid stereo matching network (PSMNet), and geometry and context for deep stereo regression (GC-net) respectively, and its speed was also the fastest. Using this new matching method, the cotton was matched and located in space. Experimental results show the effectiveness and feasibility of the algorithm.
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BACKGROUND: Dominant dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DDEB) is characterized by trauma-induced blisters and, in some individuals, intense pruritus. Precisely what causes itch in DDEB and optimal ways to reduce it have not been fully determined. OBJECTIVES: To characterize DDEB skin transcriptomes to identify therapeutic targets to reduce pruritus in patients. METHODS: Using bulk RNA sequencing, we evaluated affected and unaffected skin biopsy samples from six patients with DDEB (all with the very itchy pruriginosa subtype) and four healthy individuals. Single-cell transcriptomes of affected (n = 2) and unaffected (n = 1) DDEB skin and healthy skin (n = 2) were obtained. Dupilumab treatment was provided for three patients. RESULTS: The skin bulk transcriptome showed significant enrichment of T helper (Th)1/2 and Th17 pathways in affected DDEB skin compared with nonlesional DDEB skin and healthy skin. Single-cell transcriptomics showed an association of glycolytically active GATA3+ Th2 cells in affected DDEB skin. Treatment with dupilumab in three people with DDEB led to significantly reduced visual analogue scale (VAS) itch scores after 12 weeks (mean VAS 3.83) compared with pretreatment (mean VAS 7.83). Bulk RNAseq and quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that healthy skin and dupilumab-treated epidermolysis bullosa (EB) pruriginosa skin have similar transcriptomic profiles and reduced Th1/Th2 and Th17 pathway enrichment. CONCLUSIONS: Single-cell RNAseq helps define an enhanced DDEB-associated Th2 profile and rationalizes drug repurposing of anti-Th2 drugs in treating DDEB pruritus.
Dominant dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DDEB) is a rare inherited skin disease that causes fragile skin that blisters easily, often triggered by minor injuries. These blisters are accompanied by intense itching, which can be distressing. The underlying cause of DDEB lies in genetic mutations in a gene called COL7A1. This gene encodes 'type VII collagen', a protein crucial for attaching the outer skin layer (epidermis) to the layer beneath (dermis). Although the genetic basis of DDEB is understood, the causes of itch are not known. As well as this, effective treatments for DDEB are lacking, which has driven scientists to explore innovative approaches like repurposing existing drugs. Drug repurposing involves using medications that have already been approved for other health conditions. One such drug is dupilumab, which is used for severe atopic dermatitis (eczema). Dupilumab targets immune cells called Th2 cells, which play a role in inflammation and allergies. While dupilumab has shown promise in relieving DDEB itching, the way it works in this condition is unclear. This study, carried out by a group of researchers in Taiwan, looked at gene expression in DDEB-affected and unaffected skin, and compared it to gene expression in healthy skin samples. We found heightened activity in Th2 immune cells and abnormal gene signals related to itching, similar to atopic dermatitis. These findings support using dupilumab and other anti-inflammatory drugs to alleviate itching in DDEB. Clinical trials will be crucial to evaluate the effectiveness of these drugs for managing DDEB symptoms. This research opens doors for enhanced treatment options and improving the quality of life of people living with DDEB.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized , Epidermolysis Bullosa Dystrophica , GATA3 Transcription Factor , Pruritus , Skin , Th2 Cells , Humans , Epidermolysis Bullosa Dystrophica/complications , Epidermolysis Bullosa Dystrophica/immunology , Epidermolysis Bullosa Dystrophica/genetics , Epidermolysis Bullosa Dystrophica/pathology , Pruritus/etiology , Pruritus/immunology , Pruritus/drug therapy , Pruritus/pathology , Th2 Cells/immunology , Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/pharmacology , Male , GATA3 Transcription Factor/metabolism , GATA3 Transcription Factor/genetics , Female , Skin/immunology , Skin/pathology , Adult , Transcriptome , Case-Control Studies , Middle Aged , Single-Cell AnalysisABSTRACT
The microbiological diagnosis of infection for hematological malignancy patients receiving chemotherapy or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) patients relies primarily on standard microbial culture, especially blood culture, which has many shortcomings, such as having low positive rates, being time-consuming and having a limited pathogenic spectrum. In this prospective observational self-controlled test accuracy study, blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples were collected from chemotherapy or allo-HSCT patients with clinical symptoms of infections who were hospitalized at Peking University First Hospital. Possible pathogens were detected by the method based on recombinant mannan-binding lectin (MBL) magnetic bead enrichment (M1 method) and simultaneously by a standard method. The analytical sensitivity of M1 method was close to that of standard culture method. Besides, the turn-around time of M1-method was significantly shorter than that of standard culture method. Moreover, the M1 method also added diagnostic value through the detection of some clinically relevant microbes missed by the standard method. M1 method could significantly increase the detection efficiency of pathogens (including bacteria and fungi) in immunocompromised patients. KEY POINTS: ⢠The detection results of M1-method had a high coincidence rate with that of standard method ⢠M1 method detected many pathogens which had not been found by standard clinic method.
Subject(s)
Mannose-Binding Lectin , Humans , Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid , Bacteria , Immunocompromised Host , Magnetic Phenomena , High-Throughput Nucleotide SequencingABSTRACT
Gynecologic tract melanoma is a malignant tumor with poor prognosis. Because of the low survival rate and the lack of a standard treatment protocol related to this condition, the investigation of the mechanisms underlying melanoma progression is crucial to achieve advancements in the relevant gynecological surgery and treatment. Mitochondrial transfer between adjacent cells in the tumor microenvironment regulates tumor progression. This study investigated the effects of endothelial mitochondria on the growth of melanoma cells and the activation of specific signal transduction pathways following mitochondrial transplantation. Mitochondria were isolated from endothelial cells (ECs) and transplanted into B16F10 melanoma cells, resulting in the upregulation of proteins associated with tumor growth. Furthermore, enhanced antioxidation and mitochondrial homeostasis mediated by the Sirt1-PGC-1α-Nrf2-HO-1 pathway were observed, along with the inhibition of apoptotic protein caspase-3. Finally, the transplantation of endothelial mitochondria into B16F10 cells promoted tumor growth and increased M2-type macrophages through Nrf2/HO-1-mediated pathways in a xenograft animal model. In summary, the introduction of exogenous mitochondria from ECs into melanoma cells promoted tumor growth, indicating the role of mitochondrial transfer by stromal cells in modulating a tumor's phenotype. These results provide valuable insights into the role of mitochondrial transfer and provide potential targets for gynecological melanoma treatment.
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Melanoma , Animals , Female , Humans , Endothelial Cells/metabolism , Macrophages/metabolism , Melanoma/metabolism , Mitochondria/metabolism , NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism , Tumor Microenvironment , MiceSubject(s)
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized , Hyperkeratosis, Epidermolytic , Leukocytes, Mononuclear , Humans , Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/therapeutic use , Leukocytes, Mononuclear/metabolism , Leukocytes, Mononuclear/drug effects , Hyperkeratosis, Epidermolytic/genetics , Hyperkeratosis, Epidermolytic/drug therapy , Hyperkeratosis, Epidermolytic/pathology , Transcriptome , Female , Male , AdultABSTRACT
Hexanal is considered as an important volatile compound indicator for the assessment of freshness and maturity of foods. Therefore, sensitive and stable monitoring of hexanal is highly desired. Herein, an efficient receptor immobilization strategy based on ZIF-8@ Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) and nanosomes-AuNPs/Prussian blue (PB) was proposed for the development of olfactory biosensors. ZIF-8@SWCNT as dual support materials provided a high density of active sites for nanosomes loading. Moreover, the co-electrodeposition of nanosomes-AuNPs and PB on the sensor interface effectively amplified the electrochemical signal and maintained the activity of the receptor. The combination of ZIF-8@SWCNT with AuNPs/PB imparts excellent sensing performance of the biosensor with a wide detection range of 10-16-10-9 M, a low detection limit of 10-16 M for hexanal, and a long storage stability of 15 days. These results indicate that our biosensor can be a powerful tool for versatile applications in food and other related industries.
Subject(s)
Aldehydes , Biosensing Techniques , Ferrocyanides , Metal Nanoparticles , Gold/chemistry , Metal Nanoparticles/chemistry , Biosensing Techniques/methods , Electrochemical TechniquesABSTRACT
To tackle the challenge of localization failure due to traveling wave dispersion during a mid-line fault in a long high-voltage cable, this study conducts an in-depth analysis of the refraction characteristics of the cumulative three-phase sheath currents at cross commutation points and direct grounding points, facilitated by detailed theoretical derivation. We introduce the novel concept of a 'first traveling wave attenuation index,' which quantifies the peak of the initial faulted traveling wave. We strategically place distributed traveling wave detection devices solely in the first direct grounding box of each cross-interconnected main section, effectively segmenting the line into five distinct zones. These zones are identified based on the unique transient polarities exhibited by the first traveling wave of fault current at each impedance mismatch point along the cable. To overcome the issue of weak traveling wave signals collected at the first end measurement point, we propose an innovative peak detection method for the first wave. This method harnesses the power of empirical wavelet transform (EWT) and multi-resolution singular value decomposition (MRSVD), providing a significant boost in ranging accuracy compared to traditional wavelet methods. Simulation results validate the efficacy of our proposed fault location method, which accurately pinpoints the fault section by contrasting the polarity of the first wave peak of the sheath current detected at each measurement point. Notably, our method ensures safety and convenience as the equipment does not require direct contact with high voltage.
Subject(s)
Algorithms , Foreskin , Male , Humans , Computer Simulation , Electric Impedance , Refraction, OcularABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Nemaline myopathy, the most common of the congenital myopathies, is caused by various genetic mutations. In this study, we attempted to investigate the clinical features, muscle pathology and genetic features of 15 patients with nemaline myopathy. RESULTS: Among the 15 patients, there were 9 (60.00%) males and 6 (40.00%) females, and 9 (60.00%) of them came from three families respectively. The age of seeing a doctor ranged from 9 to 52 years old, the age of onset was from 5 to 23 years old, and the duration of disease ranged from 3 to 35 years. Ten out of the 15 patients had high arched palate and elongated face. Only one patient had mild respiratory muscle involvement and none had dysphagia. Muscle biopsies were performed in 9 out of the 15 patients. Pathologically, muscle fibers of different sizes, atrophic muscle fibers and compensatory hypertrophic fibers could be found, and occasionally degenerated and necrotic muscle fibers were observed. Different degrees of nemaline bodies aggregation could be seen in all 9 patients. The distribution of type I and type II muscle fibers were significantly abnormal in patients with nemaline myopathy caused by NEB gene, however, it was basically normal in patients with nemaline myopathy caused by TPM3 gene and ACTA1 gene. Electron microscopic analysis of 6 patients showed that nemaline bodies aggregated between myofibrils were found in 5(83.33%) cases, and most of them were located near the Z band, but no intranuclear rods were found. The gene analysis of 15 NM patients showed that three NM-related genes were harbored, including 11 (73.33%) patients with NEB, 3 (20.00%) patients with TPM3, and 1 (6.67%) patient with ACTA1, respectively. A total of 12 mutation sites were identified and included 10 (83.33%) mutations in exon and 2(16.67%) mutations in intron. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical phenotype of nemaline myopathy is highly heterogeneous. Muscle pathology shows that nemaline bodies aggregation is an important feature for the diagnosis of NM. NEB is the most frequent causative gene in this cohort. The splicing mutation, c.21522 + 3A > G may be the hotspot mutation of the NEB gene in Chinese NM patients.
Subject(s)
Muscular Diseases , Myopathies, Nemaline , Male , Female , Humans , Child , Adolescent , Young Adult , Adult , Middle Aged , Myopathies, Nemaline/genetics , Myopathies, Nemaline/pathology , Muscle, Skeletal/pathology , Mutation , ChinaABSTRACT
Objective To explore the application value of CT texture analysis for evaluating Ki-67 expression in patient with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.Methods Sixty-one cases of pathologically confirmed esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients were selected to obtain the Ki-67 protein expression status of the patients'pathological tissues,and the patients were divided into a high-expression group and a low-expression group.All patients underwent plain and enhanced chest CT within two weeks before surgery.Lesions delineation and texture feature extraction of esophageal cancer were obtained via Omni-Kinetics software.The texture parameters included Min Intensity,Max Intensity,Median Intensity,Mean Intensity,Deviation,Skewness,Kurtosis,Entropy,Energy,Correlation,Haralick,short run high grey level emphasis(SRHGLE),short run low grey level emphasis(SRLGLE),long run high grey level emphasis(LRHGLE),long run low grey level emphasis(LRLGLE),Grey Level Nonuniformity,Run Length Nonuniformity.The differences of texture features among different Ki-67 expression groups were compared,and the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the predictive value of Ki-67 expression in patient with esophageal cancer.Results In plain CT images,the SRHGLE and Grey Level Nonuniformity of the high expression group were significantly higher than those of the low expression group(P=0.010,0.002,respectively).In enhanced CT images,the Mean Intensity,Entropy and Grey Level Nonuniformity of the high expression group were significantly higher than those of the low expression group(P=0.026,0.037,0.001,respectively),and SRHGLE and LRHGLE of the high expression group were significantly lower than those of the low expression group(P=0.016,0.010,respectively).The area under the curve(AUC)of texture features in plain CT were 0.676-0.740,and the AUC of combined diagnosis reached 0.770[95%confidence interval(CI):0.645,0.868],and sensitivity and specificity was 0.921,0.565,respectively.In enhanced CT,the AUC of texture features were 0.629-0.750,the AUC of combined diagnosis increased to 0.903(95%CI:0.799,0.964),and sensitivity and specificity was 0.816,0.826,respectively.Conclusion CT texture analysis can early and non-invasively predict Ki-67 expression in patient with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma,it can be used as an imaging marker to evaluate the proliferative activity of esophageal cancer cells,and may provide diagnosis and treatment information for clinical decision-making of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
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Objective To analyze the current status and trends of TCM regulation of microRNA(miRNA)using visualization methods.Methods The literature related to the TCM regulation of miRNA was retrieved from CNKI,VIP and Wanfang Data from the establishment of the databases to May 31,2022.Excel 2019,VOSviewer 1.6.18,and CiteSpace 5.8.R3 software were applied to visualize and analyze the year of publication,journal source,author and keywords of the included literature.Results A total of 787 articles were included,and the number of publications continued to rise.Source journals with more publications includes Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulas,China Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy,Chinese Archives of Traditional Chinese Medicine,etc.Research teams were formed with Wang Jie,Liu Xide,Diao Limei,etc.as the representatives,and the cooperation among the teams was not very close.Analysis on the keywords in the literature showed that the studies mainly focused on apoptosis,miRNA-21,electroacupuncture,atherosclerosis,proliferation and other related fields;TCM intervention that accounted for the most research were extracts of Chinese materia medica,with 42%of the studies;there were 24 miRNAs studied≥3 times,and the most studied miRNA was miRNA-21.Conclusion The research hotspots of TCM regulation of miRNA are mainly the molecular mechanism of various TCM therapeutic tools to improve cell autophagy,apoptosis,inflammatory response and other pathways through regulation of miRNAs.The trend of research is to study the mechanism of empirical prescriptions of famous TCM practitioners based on precise therapeutic strategies.
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Objective To observe the effects of electroacupuncture on intestinal flora and serum inflammatory factors in rabbit model with rheumatoid arthritis(RA);To explore the mechanism of its therapeutic effect on RA.Methods RA model rabbits were established by ovalbumin induction combined with Freund's complete adjuvant,and the rabbits after successful modeling were randomly divided into model group,probiotic group and electroacupuncture group,with 6 rabbits in each group.Another 6 rabbits were set as the normal group.The electroacupuncture group received electroacupuncture at the bilateral"Zusanli"and"Dubi"for 30 minutes,the probiotic group was given probiotic capsules solution(14.5 mg/kg)by gavage,once a day,for two consecutive weeks.The knee joint circumference and pain threshold of rabbits were measured,histopathological morphological changes of colonic tissue and synovial tissue ws observed by HE staining,16S rDNA sequencing was used to analyze structural changes of intestinal flora,the contents of TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6 in serum were detected by ELISA.Results Compared with the normal group,the circumference of knee joint of rabbits in the model group increased significantly,the pain threshold was significantly decreased(P<0.01);the colonic mucosal damage was serious,the goblet cells were missing,a large number of inflammatory cells were infiltrate;the joint capsule synovial surface was rough,the synovial cell layer was hyperplasia and thickening,the synovial tissue inflammatory cell infiltration was obvious;the number and evenness of gut microbiota species decreased,while the relative abundance of Proteobacteria,Firmicutes,and Bacteroidetes decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01),the relative abundance of Desulfobacteria increased(P<0.01),while the relative abundance of Campylobacter,Lawsonella,and Pseudomonas increased(P<0.01),while the relative abundance of Heshanomonas and Herbaspirillum decreased(P<0.01);the contents of serum TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6 increased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the knee joint circumference of the probiotic group and the electroacupuncture group decreased,the pain threshold increased(P<0.01,P<0.05);the degree of intestinal mucosal damage was reduced,the goblet cells were basically arranged neatly,the inflammatory cell infiltration was reduced;synovial cells proliferation and thickening decreased,with a small amount of inflammatory cell infiltration;the number and evenness of gut microbiota species increased,while the relative abundance of Proteobacteria,Firmicutes,and Bacteroidetes increased(P<0.05,P<0.01),the relative abundance of Desulfobacteria decreased(P<0.01),while the relative abundance of Campylobacter,Lawsonella and Pseudomonas decreased(P<0.01),the relative abundance of Heshanomonas and Herbaspirillum increased(P<0.05,P<0.01);the contents of serum TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6 significantly decreased(P<0.01).Conclusion Electroacupuncture can significantly improve the symptoms of RA rabbits and reduce the inflammatory reaction in synovial tissue of joint,and the mechanism may be related to the regulation of intestinal flora structure.
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Natural products are important sources for the discovery of anti-tumor drugs. Evodiamine is the main alkaloid component of the traditional Chinese herb Wu-Chu-Yu, and it has weak antitumor activity. In recent years, a number of highly active antitumor candidates have been discovered with a significant progress. This article reviews the research progress of evodiamine-based antitumor drug design strategies, in order to provide reference for the development of new drugs with natural products as leads.
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ObjectiveTo observe the effects of the kidney-tonifying and blood-activating prescription on the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and uterine spiral artery remodeling in a mouse model of recurrent miscarriage and to explore its underlying mechanism. MethodA mouse model of normal pregnancy was established by mating CBA/J mice with BALB/c mice. A mouse model of recurrent miscarriage was established by mating CBA/J mice with DBA/2 mice. The modeled mice of recurrent miscarriage were randomized into model, dydrogesterone, and low- and high-dose Chinese medicine groups. The mice in normal pregnancy were used as the control group. Each group consisted of 10 mice, and the drug administration lasted for 14 days. After the treatment, the embryo absorption rate of each group was recorded. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was employed to observe the pathological morphology of the uterine decidua, and the physiological transformation rate of spiral arteries (SPA) was evaluated. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) and Western blot were performed to determine the mRNA and protein levels, respectively, of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2, MMP-9, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. ResultCompared with the control group, the model group presented increased embryo absorption rate (P<0.05), decreased physiological transformation rate of uterine SPA (P<0.05), cellular swelling, degeneration, and disordered arrangement in the uterine decidua tissue, and down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of key factors involved in SPA remodeling (MMP-2, MMP-9, VEGF) and the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway (Wnt2, β-catenin, Cyclin D1, c-Myc) (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, both the low- and high-dose Chinese medicine reduced embryo absorption rate (P<0.05), increased SPA physiological transformation rate (P<0.05), improved uterine decidua tissue morphology, and increased decidua vessel count. Furthermore, they up-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of MMP-2, MMP-9, VEGF, and proteins in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway (P<0.05). ConclusionRecurrent miscarriage is associated with impaired uterine spiral artery remodeling. The kidney-tonifying and blood-activating prescription can promote uterine spiral artery remodeling by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and promoting the expression of VEGF, MMP-2, and MMP-9, thus treating recurrent miscarriage.