DNA double-strand break repair capacity and its pathway gene variants predict the risk and prognosis of lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the association between DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) repair capacity, variations in DSBs-related genes, and the occurrence and prognosis of lung cancer in the Chinese population. METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were collected from 98 lung cancer patients and 60 healthy individuals. The individual DSBs repair capacity was assessed by measuring changes in γ-H2AX levels after treatment with etoposide. Exonic sequencing of 45 DSBs-related genes was performed on PBMC DNA. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between lung cancer risk and DSBs repair capacity as well as germlines gene variations. Survival analysis employed the Cox proportional hazards regression model, Kaplan-Meier method, and Log-rank test. RESULTS: Lower DSBs repair capacity predicted an increased risk of developing lung cancer (OR = 0.94, 95 %CI = 0.917-0.964, P＜0.001). Among lung cancer patients, higher DSBs repair capacity was associated with shorter progression-free survival (PFS) during first-line treatment (HR = 1.80, 95 %CI = 1.10-3.00, P = 0.031). Patients with BRCA1 mutations had shorter overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.92, 95 %CI = 1.12-3.28, P = 0.018). Patients with FOXO3 mutations had shorter PFS (HR = 4.23, 95 %CI = 1.44-12.36, P = 0.009). Analysis of patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) indicated that LIG4 mutations were associated with shorter PFS (HR = 2.90, 95 %CI = 1.00-8.10, P = 0.041). CONCLUSIONS: This study concludes that assessing DSBs repair capacity holds promise for predicting both lung cancer risk and prognosis in the Chinese population. Further large-scale studies and functional validation of specific gene mutations related to double-strand breaks are necessary for confirmation.

Mechanism of Wen Shen Xuan Bi Tang in treatment of osteoporosis based on network pharmacology and animal experimental verification / 中国药理学通报

Aim To predict and validate the mechanism of wenshen xuanbi tang(WSXBT) in treatment of osteoporosis (OP) based on network pharmacology, molecular docking techniques and in vivo experimental techniques. Methods Network pharmacology was used to screen the key ingredients and core targets of WSXBT for the treatment of osteoporosis. Metascape database was used for gene ontology (GO) biological process enrichment analysis and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) signaling pathway enrichment analysis of core targets. AutoDockTools 1. 5. 7 software was applied in molecular docking to simulate the binding activity of key active ingredients to core targets. To study the efficacy of WSXBT on rats with osteoporosis and to verify the related targets and pathways, rat models of osteoporosis were established by excising the bilateral ovaries of rats. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the serum OPG, PINP and RANKL content. Biomechanical tester was applied to test the biomechanics of rat femurs. Micro-CT was applied to detect the femoral bone density. Then, Western blot was employed to measure the protein expression levels of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B (Akt). Results A total of 156 active ingredients of WSXBT were screened, involving 229 potential targets, 23 core targets and 145 signaling pathways. The molecular docking results showed that five key ingredients, including quercetin, kaempferol, naringenin, isobavachin and licochalcone a, possessed good binding ability to the core targets of PIK3R1 and AKT1. The results of in vivo experiments showed that WSXBT could significantly increase bone density, improve bone tissue microstructure, enhance femur biomechanics and increase PINP expression and OPG/RANKL ratio in rats with osteoporosis. Results of WB showed that WSXBT significantly increased p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt ratios. Conclusions WSXBT could improve bone mineral density in postmenopausal osteoporotic rats through PI3K/ Akt signaling pathway and increasing OPG/RANKL ratio.

Influence factors of bone mineral density and its correlation with insulin resistance in obese children in Qianjiang area / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To explore the influencing factors of bone mineral density (BMD) in obese children in Qianjiang area and analyze the correlation between BMD and insulin resistance. Methods The data on pediatric cases from the outpatient department of Jianghan Oilfield General Hospital in Qianjiang from January 2018 to December 2022 were collected. A total of 183 obese children who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included in the study and selected in the observation group. A total of 352 children undergoing physical examination during the same period were selected as the control group. Results The body mass, waist circumference, waist to hip ratio, and BMI of obese children were significantly higher than those of the control group (P<0.001). Biochemical indexes including FBG, FINS, Home-IR, ALP, and LDL-C in obese children were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05), while bone mineral density, Ca, P, sOC and HDL-C were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.001). The bone mineral density of obese children was significantly correlated with their exercise intensity, sunshine exposure duration, sitting time, intake of milk and dairy products, intake of sweets, supplementation of trace elements, BMI, Home-IR, and sex (all P<0.05). BMI, Home-IR, sex, exercise intensity, and sunshine exposure length were independent risk factors affecting bone mineral density of obese children (all P<0.05). Bone mineral density was negatively correlated with BMI and Home-IR (P=0.028 and0.017, respectively), and positive correlation with exercise intensity and sunlight exposure (P=0.033). Conclusion BMD of obese children in Qianjiang area is affected by gender, body mass index, diet, vitamin intake, and physical activity, and is negatively correlated with insulin resistance. Home-IR can be used as a reference for screening BMD of obese children.

Bisphenol A and its analogue bisphenol S exposure reduce estradiol synthesis via the ROS-mediated PERK/ATF4 signaling pathway.

As a kind of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, BPA may affect the human placenta. Due to consumer unease about BPA, many manufacturers are using alternatives to BPA, such as BPS. However, some reports suggest that BPS may produce similar results to BPA. To understand how BPA/BPS leads to reduced synthesis of placental estradiol (E2), we conducted studies using a human choriocarcinoma cell (JEG-3) model for research. In this study. Elisa assay revealed that both BPA/BPS exposures decreased E2 synthesis in JEG-3 cells. The results of RT-PCR showed that both BPA and BPS could reduce the mRNA expression of CYP19A1, a key enzyme for E2 synthesis in JEG-3 cells. In addition, Western blot assay showed that BPA/BPS-induced ER-stress PERK/eIF2α/ATF4 signaling protein expression was increased. The expression of ROS in cells after exposure to BPA/BPS was detected using the 2,7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCF-DA) method. The results of this experiment showed that BPA/BPS significantly induced an inhibition of ROS in JEG-3 cells. The present study concluded that, firstly, BPS exposure induced almost the same effect as BPA in reducing E2 synthesis in JEG-3 cells. Second, BPA/BPS exposure may reduce E2 synthesis in JEG-3 cells by increasing ROS levels and thus activating endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Investigation on the precipitate morphology and fraction characterization by atomic force microscopy.

Precipitate was typically characterized by the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) or scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to analyze the relationship between material property and precipitate fraction. However, these procedures tend to be are always time consuming because of the complicated sample preparation process involved and the observation course. Particularly, sometime the precipitate can't be highlighted solely from the images easily. In this study, atomic force microscopy (ATM) was performed to characterize the morphology and fraction of the precipitate in this paper. Five kinds of materials were selected and prepared by electropolishing or vibration polishing method to display the precipitates on the sample surface. The experiment results prove that different types of precipitates with higher values for height on a sample surface could be clearly observed by AFM, and the images quality is highly relied upon the surface quality. The precipitate fraction can be calculated using the AFM micrographs and image photo post treated software (IPP). It was turned out that AFM is found suitable for observation almost all kinds of precipitates, and the precipitates can be easily separated from the images. Not only vibration polishing but also electrolytic polishing could offer a smooth surface for observing nanosized precipitates by AFM. A comparison of the fraction result obtained by AFM and precise microchemical analysis proves that the fraction measurement result obtained by AFM is acceptable.

Discrepancy in ingroup bias among different self-construal individuals: The moderating role of group types.

Although ingroup bias is well confirmed in various groups, the extent of the bias is affected by culture. Using a point-assignment task and implicit association task (IAT) paradigm, we conducted research to explore the influence of independent/interdependent self-construal ingroup bias in live and minimal group situations from both explicit and implicit aspects. The results showed that no matter which construal style was used (independent or interdependent self-construal), participants showed ingroup bias in both live and minimal groups. In the minimal group condition, the ingroup bias of individuals with independent self-construal was significantly higher than that of individuals with interdependent self-construal. Conversely, in the live group condition, the ingroup bias of individuals with interdependent self-construal was significantly higher than that of individuals with independent self-construal. This study showed the influence of independent/interdependent self-construal on ingroup bias and group type is a moderating variable. Results indicate that group categorization may play an essential role in ingroup bias of different group types.

Effects of single nucleotide polymorphism of drug metabolizing enzyme cytochrome P450 on the efficacy of inhaled cortisol hormone in asthmatic children / 中国临床药理学与治疗学

AIM: To elucidate the relationship between childhood asthma susceptibility and clinical efficacy of inhaled glucocorticoids (ICS) in children with different genotypes of asthma by exploring rs776746 and rs15524 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of cytochrome P450 enzyme 3A5 (CYP3A5) gene in asthmatic children and healthy children. METHODS: The CYP3A5 gene rs776746 and rs15524 polymorphic sites were detected in 79 children (Case group) with asthma of Han nationality and 100 healthy children (Control group) who met the inclusion criteria admitted to the Northern Theater General Hospital in Northeast China from October 2016 to October 2020, and genotype, allele and linkage analysis were performed. The case group was given inhaled glucocorticoids by nebulised inhalation for 3 months, and lung function and exhaled breath nitric oxide (FeNO) were measured at entry and after treatment, and asthma control score C-ACT/ACT was done after treatment, so as to compare the prevalence of different genotypes and the differences in the above test index scores. RESULTS: There was complete linkage disequilibrium at rs776746 and rs15524 loci. There were three genotypes of T/T, T/C and C/C at rs776746 locus of CYP3A5 gene. There were significant differences in the frequency of different genotypes between the case group and the control group (χ

Screening of key targets for diabetic cardiomyopathy based on transcriptomics and proteomics / 中国药理学通报

Aim To explore a potential new target for the prevention and treatment of diabetic cardiomyopathy ( DCM) in mice. Methods The myocardial proteomics of normal and diabetic mice was studied. The GEO database GSE161931 dataset was analyzed using R language with P < 0.05 and I log

Regulation of gluconeogenesis in liver, kidney and intestine by glucagon / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the regulatory effect of glucagon on gluconeogenesis in liver, kidney and intes¬tine during different fasting periods and the underlying mechanism. Methods The 8-week-old male C57BIV 6J mice were randomly divided into six groups ( n = 6) :control group, control + glucagon group, fasting 18 h group, fasting 18 h + glucagon group, fasting 36 h group, and fasting 36 h + glucagon group. Glucose, triglyceride ( TG) and free fatty acids ( FFAs ) kits were used to detect their serum contents in mouse in-traperitoneal injection of glucagon at different fasting time points. Besides, liver/muscle glycogen assay kit and PAS staining were used to detect the glycogen con¬tents in liver tissue. RT-PCR method was used to observe the effects of glucagon on the gene expressions of peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor y coactivator la (PGC-1α), glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) and phosphoenol pyruvate carboxykinase 1 (PEPCK) in liver, kidney and intestine of mice at different fasting time. Western blot was employed to detect the protein expressions of PGC-1α, G6Pase, PEPCK, phosphoryl-ase protein kinase A ( p-PKA) , protlein kinase A (PKA) , phosphorylase cAMp-response element binding protein (p-CREB) and cAMp-response element binding protein (CREB) in liver, kidney and intestine of mice were. Results (1) Glucagon increased the serum glucose level, reduced serum TG and FFAs levels, and reduced the hepatic glycogen content. (2) Glucagon promoted gluconeogenesis via upregulation of PGC-1α. On the stimulation of glucagon, PGC-1α gene and protein expressions in liver were significantly raised by glucagon when the mice were fasted 18 h and 36 h, while the gene and protein expressions of PGC-1α in kidney were obviously up-regulated by glucagon after fasting 18 h. However, PGC-1α gene and protein expressions in intestine were significantly elevated by glucagon at 36 h after fasting. (3 ) Glucagon induced gene and protein expressions of gluconeogenesis-related enzymes G6Pase and PEPCK in liver, kidney and intestine after fasting. (4 ) Glucagon upregulated p-PKA/PKA and p-CREB/CREB in liver. Conclusions Glucagon shows temporal difference in the gluconeo-genic response of liver, kidney and intestine in mice. Glucagon promotes the gene and protein expressions of key gluconeogenic enzymes G6Pase and PEPCK by increasing PGC-1α gene and protein expression, and thus increasing fasting blood glucose. Besides, glucagon promotes hepatic gluconeogenesis via PKA/CREB signaling pathway.

Advances in the study of natural small molecules to protect the intestinal epithelial tight junction barrier in inflammatory bowel disease / 中国药理学通报

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as an idiopathic inflammatory disease of the intestinal tract, consisting mainly of Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis, which can involve the rectum, colon and ileum, and whose pathogenesis is still not fully understood. The initiation of intestinal inflammation associated with IBD and its chronieity begins with increased intestinal permeability caused by intestinal epithelial barrier disruption. The anti-permeability of the intestinal epithelial barrier is maintained by tight junction in the apical region of the intestinal epithelial cells, and disruption of the tight junction structure is closely associated with intestinal epithelial barrier damage and the development of IBD. Therefore, it is significant to find drugs for the prevention and treatment of IBD using tight junctions as regulatory targets. In recent years, many small molecules of natural product origin have been reported to improve the effects of IBD. In particular, we review the compounds that have the function of repairing intestinal epithelial barrier and protecting tight junction structure, in order to provide research ideas for the design and development of new drugs for the prevention and treatment of IBD.

Medication Rules and Academic Experience of Professor WANG Xingkuan in Treatment of Chest Stuffiness and Pain Based on Data Mining / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo study the medication rules of Professor. WANG Xingkuan and inherit his academic experience in the treatment of chest stuffiness and pain with the aid of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Inheritance Computing Platform V3.0 （TCMICS V3.0）. MethodThe original medical records of patients with angina pectoris in coronary heart disease （CHD） diagnosed and treated by Prof. WANG in the outpatient department of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine from 2017 to 2020 were collected and entered into the TCMICS V3.0. The rules of prescriptions and drugs were analyzed by the software. ResultA total of 1 044 prescriptions of Prof. WANG for the treatment of chest stuffiness and pain were collected. Most of the drugs were sweet and bitter in flavor and mainly acted on the lung meridian， followed by heart， spleen， liver， stomach， and kidney meridians. Among the prescriptions， Shengmaisan was the most commonly used classic prescription， and Xintongling No. Ⅲ was the top experienced prescription. High-frequency drugs mainly included Ophiopogonis Radix， Pinelliae Rhizoma， Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma， Trichosanthis Pericarpium， Coptidis Rhizoma， Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus， and Bupleuri Radix. The common doses of drugs were 3， 5， 10， and 15 g. The analysis of formulation rules revealed 129 combinations of common drugs， 58 combinations with confidence > 0.99， and the core drugs of common syndromes. Six core drug combinations were obtained by drug clustering. ConclusionProfessor WANG treats chest stuffiness and pain based on syndrome differentiation following the principles of benefiting Qi， nourishing Yin， eliminating phlegm， resolving stasis， soothing liver， and promoting bile secretion， reflecting his academic idea of "regulation of multiple organs and comprehensive treatment". The core prescriptions can be used for reference by clinical practitioners， but further clinical and experimental studies are still needed to verify their efficacy.

Surveillance of adverse events following immunization with combined attenuated live measles, mumps and rubella vaccines in Huzhou City from 2015 to 2021 / 预防医学

Objective@#To monitor the adverse events following immunization (AEFI) with combined attenuated live measles, mumps and rubella vaccines (MMR) in Huzhou City from 2015 to 2021, so as to provide insights into the implementation of the MMR immunization strategy.@*Methods@#All AEFI caused by MMR immunization in Huzhou City from 2015 to 2021 were captured from the AEFI Monitoring Information Management System of the Immunization Planning System of Chinese Disease Control and Prevention Information System, and the incidence, clinical features and epidemiological features of AEFI were analyzed descriptively.@*Results@#The reported incidence of AEFI caused by MMR immunization appeared a tendency towards a rise in Huzhou City from 2015 to 2021 (χ2trend=124.126, P<0.001). Totally 324 386 doses of MMR vaccines were immunized, and 317 cases with AEFI were reported, with an reported incidence rate of 9.77/104 doses. Following two-dose immunization, the reported incidence of AEFI caused by two-dose MMR immunization was significantly lower than by one-dose immunization (6.01/104 doses vs. 25.43/104 doses; χ2=113.692, P<0.001). The incidence rates of general reactions, abnormal reactions and coincidental events were 6.20/104 doses, 3.42/104 dose and 0.15/104 doses, respectively. Fever and allergic rash were predominant clinical manifestations of AEFI, and no vaccine quality accident, inoculation accident or psychogenic reaction were reported. There were 246 (77.60%) cases with AEFI within 24 hours following vaccination, and among children with AEFI, there were 173 boys (54.57%), and 200 children (63.09%) age ages of less than one year (63.09%). AEFI was reported in each quarter, and 99 cases (31.23%) were reported in the fourth quarter. The largest number of children with AEFI was reported in Wuxing District (78 cases, 24.61%).@*Conclusions@#The safety of MMR vaccination is high in Huzhou City. General reaction is the predominant AEFI, which mainly occurs within 24 hours following vaccination. Two-dose MMR vaccination does not increase the risk of AEFI.

Comparison of clinical efficacy between percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal discectomy and coblation nucleoplasty in the treatment of inclusive lumbar disc herniation / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To observe clinical efficacy of percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal discectomy (PETD) and target radioffrequency thermal coblation nucleoplasty(CN) on inclusive lumbar disc herniation(LDH) in different age groups, and provide a basis for clinical formulation of precise and individualized treatments.@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis of 219 patients with lumbar disc herniation treated with PETD and CN between January 2018 and June 2021 was performed, in which 107 patients were treated with PETD and 112 with CN. Patients were stratified by age into young group(≤45 years old), middle-aged group(>45 years old and <60 years old) and older group(≥60 years old). Before treatment, 3 days, 1 month and 6 months after treatment, visual analogue scale (VAS), Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, infrared thermal imaging temperature difference (△T) and lumbar range of motion (ROM) were evaluated and clinical efficacy were compared in the different age groups between two treatment methods.@*RESULTS@#①VAS and JOA score outcomes, in the same age group and the same treatment method, the VAS and JOA scores at different time points postoperatively were obviously improved (P<0.05). For the same age group and the different treatment methods, the older group had lower VAS and higher JOA scores after PETD than after CN (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference between the young group and middle-aged group (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in VAS and JOA scores at the same time between age groups by PETD treatment (P>0.05). The VAS was higher and the JOA score was lower in older group than in young group and middle-aged group at 1, 6 months after CN treatment(P<0.05). ②△T and ROM outcomes, in the same age group and same treatment method, postoperative △T and ROM at different time points were obviously improved(P<0.05). There was no significant difference in △T between two methods of PETD and CN at the same age(P>0.05), there was no significant difference in ROM between young group and middle-aged group(P>0.05), ROM was higher after PETD treatment than after CN treatment(P<0.05). There was no significant difference in △T and ROM at the same time between age groups by PETD treatment(P>0.05). There was no significant difference in △T between age groups by CN treatment, but the ROM was smaller in older group than in young group and middle-aged group after CN treatment(P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Both PETD and CN for inclusive LDH have good efficacy, the curative benefit for older patients receiving PETD within 6 months after surgery more than CN, and CN is more appropriate for young and middle-aged patients.

Application of multiplex PCR capillary electrophoresis and analysis of distribution characteristics of HPV infection subtypes / 中华预防医学杂志

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the distribution of HPV subtypes in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, and to explore the application evaluation of multiple PCR capillary electrophoresis fragment analysis for HPV typing test. Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 434 women (age range 17 to 74 years old, 260 patients and 174 physical examinations) included from May to August 2022 in Hebei General Hospital. HPV typing was detected by multiple PCR-capillary electrophoresis fragment analysis. Using the multiple fluorescence quantitative PCR kit as a reference, Chi-square test was used to analyze the diagnostic effect of multiple PCR-capillary electrophoresis fragment analysis, and the consistency was analyzed by Kappa value. Results: The total HPV infection rate was 45.85%(199/434), including 35.48% (154/434) of high-risk HPV (HR-HPV), 3.92% (17/434) of low-risk HPV (LR-HPV), 6.45% (28/434) of HR-HPV and LR-HPV mixed infection, 27.88% (121/434) of single type HPV and 17.97% (78/434) of multi type HPV. HPV52 (9.68%, 42/434), HPV16 (6.91%, 30/434), and HPV58 (6.91%, 30/434) are common HPV subtypes. The positive rate of physical examination was 45.40% (79/174), which was slightly lower than that of patients 46.15% (120/260), there was no significant difference (χ2=0.024,P>0.05). The highest infection rate in the 17-30 age group was 54.76% (46/84), and there was no statistical difference among the age groups(χ2=4.123,P>0.05). The sensitivity and specificity of multiplex PCR capillary electrophoresis fragment analysis were 92.96% and 94.04%, respectively, and Kappa value was 0.870, with the multiplex fluorescent quantitative PCR as the reference. Conclusion: HPV infection may appear younger, and the positive rate of HR-HPV infection is the highest, with HPV52, 16, 58 as the main infection subtypes. The detection results of multiplex PCR capillary electrophoresis fragment analysis method are highly consistent with those of multiplex fluorescent quantitative PCR method, which is suitable for HPV DNA typing.

Research progress of nervous system damage in Pompe disease / 中国当代儿科杂志

Pompe disease, also known as glycogen storage disease type Ⅱ, is a rare autosomal recessive disease. With the application of enzyme replacement therapy, more and more patients with Pompe disease can survive to adulthood, and nervous system-related clinical manifestations gradually emerge. Nervous system involvement seriously affects the quality of life of patients with Pompe disease, and a systematic understanding of the clinical manifestations, imaging features and pathological changes of nervous system injury in Pompe disease is of great significance for the early identification and intervention of Pompe disease. This article reviews the research progress of neurological damage in Pompe disease.

Effects of orientation and distance of goats on blast lung injury characteristics on a plateau above 4500-meter / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

PURPOSE@#High explosives are used to produce blast waves to study their biological effects. The lungs are considered as the critical target organ in blast-effect studies. The degree of lung hemorrhaging is related to both the explosive power and the increased lung weight. We studied the characteristics of the biological effects from an air explosion of a thermobaric bomb in a high-altitude environment and the lethality and lung injury severity of goats in different orientations and distances.@*METHODS@#Goats were placed at 2.5, 3, 4, and 5 m from the explosion center and exposed them to an air blast at an altitude of 4700-meter. A group of them standing oriented to the right side and the other group seated facing the explosion center vertically. The lung injuries were quantified according to the percentage of surface area contused, and using the pathologic severity scale of lung blast injury (PSSLBI) to score the 4 injury categories (slight, moderate, serious and severe) as 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. The lung coefficient (lung weight [g]/body weight [kg]) was the indicator of pulmonary edema and was related to lung injury severity. Blast overpressure data were collected using blast test devices placed at matching locations to represent loadings to goats. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS, version 26.0, statistical software (SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).@*RESULTS@#In total, 127 goats were involved in this study. Right-side-standing goats had a significantly higher mortality rate than those seated vertical-facing (p < 0.05). At the 2.5 m distance, the goat mortality was nearly 100%, whereas at 5 m, all the goats survived. Lung injuries of the right-side-standing goats were 1 - 2 grades more serious than those of seated goats at the same distances, the scores of PSSLBI were significantly higher than the seated vertical-facing goats (p < 0.05). The lung coefficient of the right-side-standing goats were significantly higher than those of seated vertical-facing (p < 0.05). Mortality, PSSLBI, and the lung coefficient results indicated that the right-side-standing goats experienced severer injuries than the seated vertical-facing goats, and the injuries were lessened as the distance increased. The blast overpressure was consistent with these results.@*CONCLUSION@#The main killing factors of the thermobaric bomb in the high-altitude environment were blast overpressure, blast wind propulsions and burn. The orientation and distances of the goats significantly affected the blast injury severity. These results may provide a research basis for diagnosing, treating and protecting against injuries from thermobaric explosions.

Sex Estimation of Medial Aspect of the Ischiopubic Ramus in Adults Based on Deep Learning / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To investigate the reliability and accuracy of deep learning technology in automatic sex estimation using the 3D reconstructed images of the computed tomography (CT) from the Chinese Han population.@*METHODS@#The pelvic CT images of 700 individuals (350 males and 350 females) of the Chinese Han population aged 20 to 85 years were collected and reconstructed into 3D virtual skeletal models. The feature region images of the medial aspect of the ischiopubic ramus (MIPR) were intercepted. The Inception v4 was adopted as the image recognition model, and two methods of initial learning and transfer learning were used for training. Eighty percent of the individuals' images were randomly selected as the training and validation dataset, and the remaining were used as the test dataset. The left and right sides of the MIPR images were trained separately and combinedly. Subsequently, the models' performance was evaluated by overall accuracy, female accuracy, male accuracy, etc.@*RESULTS@#When both sides of the MIPR images were trained separately with initial learning, the overall accuracy of the right model was 95.7%, the female accuracy and male accuracy were both 95.7%; the overall accuracy of the left model was 92.1%, the female accuracy was 88.6% and the male accuracy was 95.7%. When the left and right MIPR images were combined to train with initial learning, the overall accuracy of the model was 94.6%, the female accuracy was 92.1% and the male accuracy was 97.1%. When the left and right MIPR images were combined to train with transfer learning, the model achieved an overall accuracy of 95.7%, and the female and male accuracies were both 95.7%.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The use of deep learning model of Inception v4 and transfer learning algorithm to construct a sex estimation model for pelvic MIPR images of Chinese Han population has high accuracy and well generalizability in human remains, which can effectively estimate the sex in adults.

O-arm real-time guidance in cervical pedicle screw fixation / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the technical aspects of the accuracy of cervical pedicle screw placement with O-arm guidance.@*METHODS@#The clinical data of 21 patients who underwent cervical pedicle screw fixation by O-arm real-time guidance from December 2015 to January 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. There were 15 males and 6 females, aged from 29 to 76 years old with an average of (45.3±11.5) years. The postoperative CT scan was utilized to evaluate the placement of the pedicle screw and classified according to the Gertzbein and Robbins classification.@*RESULTS@#A total of 132 pedicle screws were implanted in 21 patients, 116 at C3-C6 and 16 at C1 and C2. According to Gertzbein & Robbins classification, the overall breach rates were found to be 11.36% (15/132) with 73.33% (11 screws) Grade B, 26.67% (4 screws) Grade C, and no Grade D or E screw breaches. There were no pedicle screw placement related complications at final follow-up.@*CONCLUSION@#The application of O-arm real-time guidance technology can make cervical pedicle screw placement reliable. High accuracy and better intra-operative control can increase surgeon's confidence in using cervical pedicle instrumentation. Considering the high-risk nature of anatomical area around cervical pedicle and the possibility of catastrophic complications, the spine surgeon should have sufficient surgical skills, experience, ensures stringent verification of the system, and never relies solely on the navigation system.

Causes of asymptomatic side limb pain after minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate possible causes and preventive measures for asymptomatic pain in the limbs after minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion(MIS-TLIF).@*METHODS@#Clinical data from 50 patients with lumbar degenerative disease who underwent MIS-TLIF between January 2019 and September 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The group included 29 males and 21 females aged from 33 to 72 years old, with an average age of (65.3±7.13) years. Twenty-two patients underwent unilateral decompression, and 28 underwent bilateral decompression. The side(ipsilateral or contralateral) and site(low back, hip, or leg) of the pain were recorded before surgery, 3 days after surgery, and 3 months after surgery. The pain degree was evaluated using the visual analogue scale(VAS) at each time point. The patients were further grouped based on whether contralateral pain occurred postoperatively (8 cases in the contralateral pain group and 42 in the no contralateral pain group), and the causes and preventive measures of pain were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#All surgeries were successful, and the patients were followed up for at least 3 months. Preoperative pain on the symptomatic side improved significantly, with the VAS score decreasing from (7.00±1.79) points preoperatively to (3.38±1.32) points at 3 days postoperatively and (3.98±1.17) points at 3 months postoperatively. Postoperative asymptomatic side pain (contralateral pain) occurred in 8 patients within 3 days after surgery, accounting for 16% (8/50) of the group. The sites of contralateral pain included the lumbar area (1 case), hip(6 cases), and leg (1 case). The contralateral pain was significantly relieved 3 months after surgery.@*CONCLUSION@#More cases of contralateral limb pain occur after unilateral decompression MIS-TLIF, and the reason may include contralateral foramen stenosis, compression of medial branches, and other factors. To reduce this complication, the following procedures are recommended: restoring intervertebral height, inserting a transverse cage, and withdrawing screws minimally.

Control of Emotion and Wakefulness by Neurotensinergic Neurons in the Parabrachial Nucleus / 神经科学通报·英文版

The parabrachial nucleus (PBN) integrates interoceptive and exteroceptive information to control various behavioral and physiological processes including breathing, emotion, and sleep/wake regulation through the neural circuits that connect to the forebrain and the brainstem. However, the precise identity and function of distinct PBN subpopulations are still largely unknown. Here, we leveraged molecular characterization, retrograde tracing, optogenetics, chemogenetics, and electrocortical recording approaches to identify a small subpopulation of neurotensin-expressing neurons in the PBN that largely project to the emotional control regions in the forebrain, rather than the medulla. Their activation induces freezing and anxiety-like behaviors, which in turn result in tachypnea. In addition, optogenetic and chemogenetic manipulations of these neurons revealed their function in promoting wakefulness and maintaining sleep architecture. We propose that these neurons comprise a PBN subpopulation with specific gene expression, connectivity, and function, which play essential roles in behavioral and physiological regulation.