Cu@CuOx/WO3 with photo-regulated singlet oxygen and oxygen adatoms generation for selective photocatalytic aromatic amines to imines.

Photocatalysts can absorb light and activate molecular O2 under mild conditions, but the generation of unsuitable reactive oxygen species often limits their use in synthesizing fine chemicals. To address this issue, we disperse 1 wt% copper on tungsten trioxide (WO3) support to create an efficient catalyst for selective oxidative coupling of aromatic amines to imines under sunlight irradiation at room temperature. Copper consists of a metallic copper core and an oxide shell. Experimental and density functional theory calculations have confirmed that Cu2O is the primary activation site. Under λ < 475 nm, the light excites electrons of the valence bands in Cu2O and WO3, which activate O2 to superoxide radical •O2-. Then rapidly transforms into oxygen adatoms (•O) and oxygen anion radicals (•O-) species on the surface of Cu2O. Simultaneously, it is captured by holes in the WO3 valence band to generate singlet oxygen (1O2). •O bind to 1O2 promoting the coupling reaction of amines. When λ > 475 nm, intense light absorption due to the localized surface plasmon resonance excites numerous electrons in Cu to promote the oxidative coupling with the adsorbed O2. This study presents a promising approach towards the design of high-performance photocatalysts for solar energy conversion and environmentally-friendly oxidative organic synthesis.

Expert Consensus on Clinical Diseases Responding Specifically to Traditional Chinese Medicine： Pulmonary Nodules / 中国实验方剂学杂志

In recent years， the incidence of pulmonary nodules has kept rising. To give full play to the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） in the treatment of pulmonary nodules and identify the breakthrough points of integrating TCM with Western medicine， the China Association of Chinese Medicine organized medical experts in TCM and western medicine to carry out in-depth discussion regarding this disease. The discussion encompassed the modern medical advances， TCM theories of etiology and pathogenesis， the role and advantages of TCM in the whole course management of pulmonary nodules， contents and methods of research on pulmonary nodules， and science popularization work， aiming to provide a reference for clinical practice and scientific research. After discussion， the experts concluded that the occurrence of pulmonary nodules was rooted in the deficiency of the lung and spleen and triggered by phlegm dampness， blood stasis， and Qi stagnation. TCM can treat pulmonary nodules by controlling and reducing nodules， improving physical constitution， ameliorating multi-system nodular diseases， reducing anxiety and avoiding excessive diagnosis and treatment， and serving as an alternative for patients who are unwilling or unfit for surgical treatment. At present， the optimal diagnosis and treatment strategy for pulmonary nodules has not been formed， which needs to be further studied from multiple perspectives such as clinical epidemiology， biology， and evidence-based medicine. The primary task of current research is to find out the advantages， effective prescriptions， and target populations and determine the effective outcomes of TCM in the treatment of pulmonary nodules. At the same time， basic research should be carried out to explore the etiology and biological behaviors of pulmonary nodules. The expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary nodules with integrated TCM and Western medicine needs to be continuously revised to guide clinicians to conduct standardized， scientific， and accurate effective diagnosis and treatment.

Promoting Innovative Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine Case Report Based on China Clinical Cases Library of Traditional Chinese Medicine / 中国实验方剂学杂志

China Clinical Cases Library of Traditional Chinese Medicine is built to promote the establishment of a scientific and technological talent evaluation system oriented on innovative value， ability and contribution in the backgroud of breaking the four only and setting new standards required by the document jointly issued by several national administrations and commissions. In the process of the construction， in order to further consolidate the foundation and ensure the quality and authority of case reports， we need to fully understand the origin and development of Chinese medical cases. Therefore， we clarified the development situation of Chinese medical cases by combing the characteristics of ancient and modern case reports， comparing the differences between Chinese and western medical case reports in terms of content and writing requirements， finally formed the main points of systematic case report norms and quality evaluation system， aiming to fully explore the unique advantages of Chinese medical cases in the fields of discipline development， scientific research innovation， clinical practice and guidance， talent evaluation and training， so as to promote its innovative development in a broader direction.

Sexual dysfunction in Wilson disease: Prevalence and influencing factors.

Wilson disease is a rare neurogenetic disorder that receives significant attention due to its manifestations, such as jaundice, cirrhosis, tremor, dystonia, and others. However, the impact of Wilson disease on sexual function has been overlooked. In this study, we aimed to investigate current status of sexual dysfunction in Wilson disease. In this study, we investigated the sexual function status and possible influencing factors of 245 Wilson disease patients by questionnaire. Our study identified sexual dysfunction as a prevalent issue in Wilson disease patients, with an overall prevalence of 49.0 %, of which 33.9 % in males and 63.7 % in females, both higher than the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in the normal Chinese population. Compared with non-sexual dysfunction patients, sexual dysfunction was more common in the older age group, females, less educated, rural residence, no occupation, lower income, taking sedatives/antipsychotics, and high SIS scores (P < 0.05). Our binary logistic regression analysis revealed that older age (OR: 1.103, 95 %CI: 1.058-1.151, P < 0.001), being female (OR: 5.900,95 %CI: 2.966-11.736, P < 0.001), and the use of antipsychotics or sedatives (OR: 3.277,95 %CI: 1.065-10.077, P < 0.05) were all positively linked with an increased risk of sexual dysfunction. Despite the well-known symptoms of Wilson disease, sexual dysfunction is also a frequent issue in Wilson disease patients, necessitating further attention.

Microfluidic integrated D-shaped optical fiber SERS probe with high sensitivity and ability of multi-molecule detection.

In order to enhance the sensitivity, integration, and practical application capability of Raman detection systems, we propose a multi-channel microfluidic integrated D-shaped optical fiber SERS (Surface-enhanced Raman scattering) probe structure. Firstly, a microfluidic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) channel was fabricated using a self-designed multi-channel microfluidic template. Secondly, a uniform layer of silver nanoparticles was deposited on the D-shaped optical fiber using the liquid-liquid interface method. Finally, the D-shaped optical fiber was plasma-bonded to the multi-channel microfluidic channel and a cover glass, resulting in a microfluidic integrated D-shaped optical fiber SERS probe. The prepared sample exhibited excellent detection performance for R6G (rhodamine 6 G) with a detection limit as low as 10-11 mol/L and an enhancement factor of 1.14 × 109. Moreover, the multi-channel configuration enables simultaneous detection of multiple molecules, demonstrating excellent multi-channel multiplexing capability.

Joint polarization detection and degradation mechanisms for underwater image enhancement.

Light absorption and scattering exist in the underwater environment, which can lead to blurring, reduced brightness, and color distortion in underwater images. Polarized images have the advantages of eliminating underwater scattering interference, enhancing contrast, and detecting material information of the object in underwater detection. In this paper, from the perspective of polarization imaging, different concentrations (0.15 g/ml, 0.30 g/ml, and 0.50 g/ml), different wave bands (red, green, and blue), different materials (copper, wood, high-density PVC, aluminum, cloth, foam, cloth sheet, low-density PVC, rubber, and porcelain tile), and different depths (10 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm, and 40 cm) are set up in a chamber for the experimental environment. By combining the degradation mechanism of underwater images and the analysis of polarization detection results, it is proved that the degree of polarization images have greater advantages than degree of linear polarization images, degree of circular polarization images, S1, S2, and S3 images, and visible images underwater. Finally, a fusion algorithm of underwater visible images and polarization images based on compressed sensing is proposed to enhance underwater degraded images. To improve the quality of fused images, we introduce orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) in the high-frequency part to improve image sparsity and consistency detection in the low-frequency part to improve the image mutation phenomenon. The fusion results show that the peak SNR values of the fusion result maps using OMP in this paper are improved by 32.19% and 22.14% on average over those using backpropagation and subspace pursuit methods. With different materials and concentrations, the underwater image enhancement algorithm proposed in this paper improves information entropy, average gradient, and standard deviation by 7.76%, 18.12%, and 40.8%, respectively, on average over previous algorithms. The image NIQE value shows that the image quality obtained by this paper's algorithm is improved by about 69.26% over the original S0 image.

Case report: A Chinese patient with spinocerebellar ataxia finally confirmed as Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome with P102L mutation.

Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome (GSS) is a rare genetic prion disease caused by a mutation in the prion protein (PRNP) gene. It is typically characterized by progressive cerebellar ataxia and slowly progressive dementia. We present a case study of the GSS from China in which a 45-year-old male with a progressive gait and balance disorder developed cerebellar ataxia onset but was misdiagnosed as spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) for 2 years. The patient's clinical, electrophysiological, and radiological data were retrospectively analyzed. Examination revealed ataxia, dysarthria, muscle weakness, areflexia in lower limbs, including a pyramidal sign, whereas cognitive decline was insignificant. His late mother had a similar unsteady gait. An electroencephalogram (EEG) showed normal findings, and 14-3-3 protein was negative. A brain MRI was performed for global brain atrophy and ventricular enlargement. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) (18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose, FDG) images showed mild to moderate decreased glucose metabolism in the left superior parietal lobe and left middle temporal lobe. According to genetic testing, his younger brother also had the P102L variant in the PRNP gene. This single case adds to the clinical and genetic phenotypes of GSS.

A weighted cranial diffusion-weighted imaging scale for Wilson's disease.

Objectives: Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could be a crucial tool for the assessment for neurological symptoms in patients with Wilson's disease (WD). Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) hyperintensity reflects the acute brain injuries, which mainly occur in specific brain regions. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a weighted cranial DWI scale for patients with WD, with special focus on specific brain regions. Materials and methods: In total, 123 patients with WD were enrolled, 118 of whom underwent 1.5 T-MRI on admission. The imaging score was calculated as described previously and depended on the following sequences: one point was acquired when abnormal intensity occurred in the T1, T2, and fluid-attenuation inversion recovery sequences, and two points were acquired when DWI hyperintensity were found. Consensus weighting was conducted based on the symptoms and response to treatment. Results: Intra-rater agreement were good (r = 0.855 [0.798-0.897], p < 0.0001). DWI hyperintensity in the putamen was a high-risk factor for deterioration during de-copper therapy (OR = 8.656, p < 0.05). The high-risk factors for readmission for intravenous de-copper therapies were DWI hyperintensity in the midbrain (OR = 3.818, p < 0.05) and the corpus callosum (OR = 2.654, p < 0.05). Both scoring systems had positive correlation with UWDRS scale (original semi-quantitative scoring system, r = 0.35, p < 0.001; consensus semi-quantitative scoring system, r = 0.351, p < 0.001.). Compared to the original scoring system, the consensus scoring system had higher correlations with the occurrence of deterioration (OR = 1.052, 95%CI [1.003, 1.0103], p < 0.05) and readmission for intravenous de-copper therapy (OR = 1.043, 95%CI [1.001, 1.086], p < 0.05). Conclusion: The predictive performance of the consensus semi-quantitative scoring system for cranial MRI was improved to guide medication, healthcare management, and prognosis prediction in patients with WD. For every point increase in the neuroimaging score, the risk of exacerbations during treatment increased by 5.2%, and the risk of readmission to the hospital within 6 months increased by 4.3%.

Bioinformatics analysis identifies potential ferroptosis key genes in the pathogenesis of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Background: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a serious complication in Diabetes Mellitus (DM) patients and the underlying mechanism is yet unclear. Ferroptosis has been recently intensively researched as a key process in the pathogenesis of diabetes but there yet has been no related bioinformatics-based studies in the context of DPN. Methods: We used data mining and data analysis techniques to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and immune cell content in patients with DPN, DM patients and healthy participants (dataset GSE95849). These DEGs were then intersected with the ferroptosis dataset (FerrDb) to obtain ferroptosis DEGs and the associated key molecules and miRNAs interactions were predicted. Results: A total of 33 ferroptosis DEGs were obtained. Functional pathway enrichment analysis revealed 127 significantly related biological processes, 10 cellular components, 3 molecular functions and 30 KEGG signal pathways. The biological processes that were significantly enriched were in response to extracellular stimulus and oxidative stress. Key modules constructed by the protein-protein interaction network analysis led to the confirmation of the following genes of interest: DCAF7, GABARAPL1, ACSL4, SESN2 and RB1. Further miRNA interaction prediction revealed the possible involvement of miRNAs such as miR108b-8p, miR34a-5p, mir15b-5p, miR-5838-5p, miR-192-5p, miR-222-3p and miR-23c. Immune-environment content of samples between DM and DPN patients revealed significant difference in the levels of endothelial cells and fibroblasts, which further speculates their possible involvement in the pathogenesis of DPN. Conclusion: Our findings could provide insight for investigations about the role of ferroptosis in the development of DPN.

Open nanocavity-assisted Ag@PDMS as a soft SERS substrate with ultra-sensitivity and high uniformity.

To achieve high sensitivity and uniformity simultaneously in a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate, this paper presents the preparation of a flexible and transparent three-dimensional (3D) ordered hemispherical array polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film. This is achieved by self-assembling a single-layer polystyrene (PS) microsphere array on a silicon substrate. The liquid-liquid interface method is then used to transfer Ag nanoparticles onto the PDMS film, which includes open nanocavity arrays created by etching the PS microsphere array. An open nanocavity assistant soft SERS sample, "Ag@PDMS," is then prepared. For electromagnetic simulation of our sample, we utilized Comsol software. It has been experimentally confirmed that the Ag@PDMS substrate with silver particles of 50 nm in size is capable of achieving the largest localized electromagnetic hot spots in space. The optimal sample, Ag@PDMS, exhibits ultra-high sensitivity towards Rhodamine 6 G (R6G) probe molecules, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 10-15 mol/L, and an enhancement factor (EF) of ∼1012. Additionally, the substrate exhibits a highly uniform signal intensity for probe molecules, with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of approximately 6.86%. Moreover, it is capable of detecting multiple molecules and can perform real detection on non-flat surfaces.

Plasmonic volcano-like fiber-optic probe for Raman enhancement.

Light-matter interaction is a fascinating topic extensively studied from classical theory, based on Maxwell's equations, to quantum optics. In this study, we introduce a novel, to the best of our knowledge, silver volcano-like fiber-optic probe (sensor 1) for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). We employ the emerging quasi-normal mode (QNM) method to rigorously calculate the Purcell factor for lossy open system responses, characterized by complex frequencies. This calculation quantifies the modification of the radiation rate from the excited state e to ground state g. Furthermore, we use and extend a quantum mechanical description of the Raman process, based on the Lindblad master equation, to calculate the SERS spectrum for the plasmonic structure. A common and well-established SERS probe, modified by a monolayer silver nanoparticle array, serves as a reference sensor (sensor 2) for quantitatively predicting the SERS performance of sensor 1 using quantum formalism. The predictions show excellent consistency with experimental results. In addition, we employ the FDTD (finite-difference time-domain) solver for a rough estimate of the all-fiber Raman response of both sensors, revealing a reasonable range of SERS performance differences compared to experimental results. This research suggests potential applications in real-time, remote detection of biological species and in vivo diagnostics. Simultaneously, the developed FDTD and quantum optics models pave the way for analyzing the response of emitters near arbitrarily shaped plasmonic structures.

Dauer larva-derived extracellular vesicles extend the life of Caenorhabditis elegans.

There is growing evidence that extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a functional role in tissue repair and anti-aging by transferring the contents of donor cells to recipient cells. We hypothesized that Dauer (C. elegans), known as "ageless" nematodes, can also secrete extracellular vesicles and influence the lifespan of C. elegans. Here, we isolated EVs of dauer larvae (dauer EVs). Dauer EVs were characterized using transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), and Western blot analysis. Wild-type C. elegans were fed in the presence or absence of dauer EVs and tested for a range of phenotypes, including longevity, mobility and reproductive capacity. Results showed that dauer EVs increased the average lifespan of nematodes by 15.74%, improved mobility, slowed age-related pigmentation as well as body length, and reduced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and lipids, while not impairing nematode reproductive capacity. These findings suggest that dauer EVs can extend the lifespan of C. elegans as well as the healthy lifespan by reducing ROS accumulation, with potential anti-aging capacity.

Male Infertility Responding Specifically to Traditional Chinese Medicine / 中国实验方剂学杂志

In recent years，with the change in lifestyle and social environment and the increase in pressure in both life and work，male fertility has decreased significantly in China，and the incidence of male infertility has increased year by year，which has brought great challenges to andrologists. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has a definite curative effect in the treatment of male infertility and is widely applied in clinical practice. In order to clarify the role of TCM in different types and each stage of male infertility，the China Association of Chinese Medicine （CACM） invited outstanding young andrologists in the clinic of TCM and western medicine to discuss topics such as idiopathic oligospermia and teratospermia，abnormal semen liquefaction，varicocele，immune infertility，improving success ratio of assisted reproductive technology，and ameliorating depression or anxiety. They conducted in-depth discussions on the advantages，characteristics，disadvantages，diseases responding specifically，and advantageous aspects of TCM treatment. The causes of male infertility and related links of treatment were summarized. Due to the unclear etiology and complex pathogenesis of male infertility，western medicine cannot achieve a good curative effect，while TCM，taking the holistic view as the core，specializes in improving functional diseases and can correspond to multiple targets and factors，with comprehensive treatments such as internal treatment and external treatment. This study summarized the advantageous diseases and advantageous stages of TCM treatment alone and integrated TCM and western medicine treatment and put forward suggestions for the treatment of the diseases by TCM and western medicine in order to promote the therapeutic effects and advantages of TCM among andrologists，increase mutual learning and communication between TCM and western physicians，provide patients with excellent and personalized treatment plans in clinical practice，and improve the curative effect of male infertility and fertility of males in China.

Radix Tetrastigme Polysaccharide Promotes Antitumor Immune Response in Lewis Lung Cancer Mice / 中国肺癌杂志

BACKGROUND@#Lung cancer has a high incidence and mortality rate, but the treatment of lung cancer still lacks low toxicity and efficient anti-tumor drugs. Polysaccharide from radix tetrastigme has development value in anti-tumor treatment methods. This study was to observe the effect of polysaccharide from radix tetrastigme on immune response of Lewis lung cancer mice and explore its molecular mechanism.@*METHODS@#Lewis lung cancer mouse models were established and randomly grouped. The spleen polypeptide group was intragastric with 50 mg/kg spleen polypeptide, and the radix tetrastigme polysaccharide low, medium and high dose groups were intragastric with 62.5, 125 and 250 mg/kg radix tetrastigme polysaccharide, respectively, and the model group and the control group were intragastric with equivolume normal saline. Tumor formation and metastasis were compared. Haematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the pathological changes of tumor cells. Macrophage phagocytosis, apoptosis, M1/M2 polarization, T cell subsets and cytokine levels in peripheral blood were detected by flow cytometry. The proliferation activity of macrophages was detected by methyl thiazolyldiphenyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. Dendritic cell (DC) antigen presenting function was detected by chlorophenol red-β-D-galactopyranoside (CPRG) method. Tumor tissue differentiation antigen cluster 47 (CD47) mRNA and protein expression and macrophage signal regulatory protein α (SIRRP α) expression were detected by real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot (WB).@*RESULTS@#The tumor inhibition rates and anti-metastasis rates in the 3-dose radix tetrastigme polysaccharide group and the spleen polypeptide group were higher than those in the model group, and the pathological injury of tumor tissue were severer, and the positive rate of phagocytosis of ink by macrophages and the efficiency of phagocytosis of tumor cells were increased; the apoptosis rate of macrophages was decreased; the proliferation activity of macrophages, polarization ratio of macrophages to M1 type, DC antigen presenting ability, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ levels were increased; the level of serum tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and the expression of tumor tissue CD47, macrophage SH2-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 1 (SHP-1), SH2-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 (SHP-2), and phosphorylation signal regulatory protein α (p-SIRPα) were decreased, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the above indexes between low-dose radix tetrastigme polysaccharide group and spleen polypeptide group (P>0.05), and the effects of radix tetrastigme polysaccharide were dose-dependent.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Radix tetrastigme polysaccharide can inhibit tumor growth, metastasis and immune response in Lewis lung cancer mice, and its mechanism may be related to inhibiting SIRP/CD47 signaling pathway.

Dual (pH- and ROS-) Responsive Antibacterial MXene-Based Nanocarrier for Drug Delivery.

In this study, a novel MXene (Ti3C2Tx)-based nanocarrier was developed for drug delivery. MXene nanosheets were functionalized with 3, 3'-diselanediyldipropionic acid (DSeDPA), followed by grafting doxorubicin (DOX) as a model drug to the surface of functionalized MXene nanosheets (MXene-Se-DOX). The nanosheets were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and zeta potential techniques. The drug-loading capacity (17.95%) and encapsulation efficiency (41.66%) were determined using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The lateral size and thickness of the MXene nanosheets measured using AFM were 200 nm and 1.5 nm, respectively. The drug release behavior of the MXene-Se-DOX nanosheets was evaluated under different medium conditions, and the nanosheets demonstrated outstanding dual (reactive oxygen species (ROS)- and pH-) responsive properties. Furthermore, the MXene-Se-DOX nanosheets exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against both Gram-negative E. coli and Gram-positive B. subtilis.

A Novel Diamine Containing Ester and Diphenylethane Groups for Colorless Polyimide with a Low Dielectric Constant and Low Water Absorption.

In this study, a novel diamine monomer containing ester and phenyl moieties, 1,2-diphenylethane-1,2-diyl bis(4-aminobenzoate) (1,2-DPEDBA), was synthesized through a three-step reaction. Using this diamine, a novel polyimide (PI) film was prepared with 4,4'-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride (6-FDA) as a counter dianhydride through a typical two-step chemical imidization. For comparison, poly(pyromellitic dianhydride-co-4,4'-oxydianiline) (PMDA-ODA PI) was also synthesized via thermal imidization. The resulting 6-FDA-DPEDBA PI film was not only soluble in common polar solvents with high boiling points, such as N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), but also soluble in common low-boiling-point polar solvents, such as chloroform (CHCl3) and dichloromethane (CH2Cl2), at room temperature. The resulting novel PI showed a 5% weight loss temperature (T5d) at 360 °C under a nitrogen atmosphere. The resulting PI film was colorless and transparent with a transmittance of 87.1% in the visible light region ranging from 400 to 760 nm. The water absorption of the novel PI film was of 1.78%. The PI film also possessed a good moisture barrier and hydrophobicity. Furthermore, the resulting PI film displayed a low dielectric constant of 2.17 at 106 Hz at room temperature. In conclusion, the novel PI film exhibited much better optical transparency, lower moisture absorption, and a lower dielectric constant as well as better solubility than the PMDA-ODA PI film, which is insoluble in any solvent, although its thermal stability is not better than that of PMDA-ODA PI.

Hardware optical correlation method for dynamic detection of micrometer gaps with sub-nanometer resolution.

Surface plasmon lithography breaks through the diffraction limit with surface plasmon effect and achieves high-resolution imaging below sub-wavelengths. The dynamic detection and control of the working distance between the mask and the substrate is particularly important for the quality of the lithography samples. In this paper, the mask-substrate gap sensing mechanism is analyzed, and a mask-substrate gap absolute distance measurement model is established based on the principle of white light interference. We design a Fizeau interferometer demodulation system based on a hardware optical correlation method, and focus on analyzing the influence of the sub-nanometer surface profile of the optical wedge on the resolution. Finally, we propose a data processing method for extracting the dynamic gap value by SSA (singular spectrum analysis). The experimental results show that the system shows high performance with a gap detection range of 3.0∼6.0 µm, the stability of ±0.12 nm, and the resolution of better than 0.30 nm.

Vascular endothelial growth factor induces inflammatory injury of pancreatic tissue by activating autophagy in hyperlipidemic acute pancreatitis rats / 生理学报

This study was to investigate the changes of autophagy in pancreatic tissue cells from hyperlipidemic acute pancreatitis (HLAP) rats and the molecular mechanism of autophagy to induce inflammatory injury in pancreatic tissue cells. Male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were intraperitoneally injected with caerulein to establish acute pancreatitis (AP) model and then given a high fat diet to further prepare HLAP model. The HLAP rats were treated with autophagy inducer rapamycin or inhibitor 3-methyladenine. Pancreatic acinar (AR42J) cells were treated with caerulein to establish HLAP cell model. The HLAP cell model were treated with rapamycin or transfected with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) siRNA. The inflammatory factors in serum and cell culture supernatant were detected by ELISA method. The histopathological changes of pancreatic tissue were observed by HE staining. The changes of ultrastructure and autophagy in pancreatic tissue were observed by electron microscopy. The expression levels of Beclin-1, microtubule- associated protein light chain 3-II (LC3-II), mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), and VEGF were measured by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. The results showed that, compared with control group, the autophagy levels and inflammatory injury of pancreatic tissue cells from HLAP model rats were obviously increased, and these changes were aggravated by rapamycin treatment, but alleviated by 3-methyladenine treatment. In HLAP cell model, rapamycin aggravated the autophagy levels and inflammatory injury, whereas VEGF siRNA transfection increased mTORC1 protein expression, thus alleviating the autophagy and inflammatory injury of HLAP cell model. These results suggest that VEGF-induced autophagy plays a key role in HLAP pancreatic tissue cell injury, and interference with VEGF-mTORC1 pathway can reduce the autophagy levels and alleviate the inflammatory injury. The present study provides a new target for prevention and treatment of HLAP.

Therapeutic effects of the extract of Sancao Formula, a Chinese herbal compound, on imiquimod-induced psoriasis via cysteine-rich protein 61 / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE@#Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease that is prone to recurrence, and the proinflammatory factor, cysteine-rich protein 61 (Cyr61), is important in its pathophysiology. Long-term clinical practice has shown that Sancao Formula (SC), a Chinese herbal compound, is effective in the treatment of psoriasis, but the precise mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we investigate the mechanism by which SC extract alleviates imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis.@*METHODS@#The expression of Cyr61 in psoriatic lesions and normal healthy skin was detected using immunohistochemical analysis to investigate the biological role of Cyr61 in models of psoriatic inflammation. A psoriatic mouse model was established by topical application of IMQ, and the effect of topical application of SC extract was evaluated using the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score, hematoxylin-eosin staining, and histopathological features of the skin. Next, a HaCaT cell inflammation model was established using interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and the effect of SC extract on the mRNA and protein levels of Cyr61 and intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) was confirmed using Western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses.@*RESULTS@#Immunohistochemical staining showed that the expression of Cyr61 in psoriatic lesions was higher than that in normal skin samples (78.26% vs 41.18%, P < 0.05), and the number of Cyr61-positive cells in psoriatic lesions was also significantly higher than in normal skin (18.66 ± 2.51 vs 4.33 ± 1.52, P < 0.05). Treatment in mice with IMQ-induced psoriasis showed that SC extract could significantly improve the inflammatory phenotype, PASI score (10.875 ± 0.744 vs 3.875 ± 0.582, P < 0.05), and pathological features compared with those in IMQ model group; SC treatment was also associated with decreased levels of Cyr61 and ICAM-1. In the IFN-γ-induced inflammatory cell model, the mRNA and protein levels of Cyr61 and ICAM-1 were upregulated, while the SC extract downregulated the levels of Cyr61 and ICAM-1.@*CONCLUSION@#The results provide a theoretical basis for the involvement of Cyr61 in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, and suggest that SC should be used to target Cyr61 for the prevention of psoriasis recurrence.

Advantages of Chinese Medicine in Treating Dominant Disease： Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia / 中国实验方剂学杂志

China Association of Chinese Medicine organized specialists in andrology of Chinese and western medicine to explore the population and treatment stage of benign prostatic hyperplasia （BPH） with Chinese medicine as the leading therapy. Chinese medicine has great advantages in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. However， it is necessary to make clear the stage when Chinese medicine or modern medical treatment can be used as the leading therapy， and the conditions under which Chinese and western medicine can be combined to achieve the best treatment efficacy. The specialists agreed Chinese medicine as the leading therapy for the treatment of BPH in the following populations or conditions： the elderly and weak patients with basic diseases， BPH symptoms， and cannot tolerate anesthesia and surgery， the patients with BPH symptoms and cannot tolerate the adverse reactions or the possible adverse reactions of western medicine； the patients with mild ［international prostatic symptom score （IPSS） ≤ 7］ or moderate lower urinary tract symptoms （IPSS ≥ 8） and the quality of life not significantly affected， the patients with bladder detrusor hypofunction， bladder dysfunction and cannot be treated surgically， or with incomplete bladder emptying after surgical treatment； the BPH patients with prostatitis as the main clinical manifestation， the patients with non-acute complications after operation. BPH is one of the dominant diseases in urology and andrology of Chinese medicine， and the symptoms， complications， and prognosis of BPH patients need to be fully considered during the clinical treatment. When Chinese medicine is taken as the leading therapy， it is essential to regularly review the serum level of prostate-specific antigen to exclude the possibility of prostate cancer， and apply Chinese medicine for full treatment course and cycle. At the same time， Chinese and western medicine can be combined to achieve the most effective， convenient， economical， and satisfactory treatment， which can carry forward the advantages of Chinese medicine in treating this disease.