[Resources and utilization of medicinal plants in countries and regions involved in "the Belt and Road" Initiative].

The protection, development, and utilization of medicinal plant resources are important cornerstones of maintaining human health. However, due to factors such as the reduction of high-quality land resources, deterioration of ecological environments, and excessive and disorderly resource development, medicinal plant resources are becoming scarce, and some of them are insufficiently supplied. With the proposal of "the Belt and Road" Initiative, the cooperation between China and "the Belt and Road" partners(the countries and regions involved in "the Belt and Road" Initiative)is increasingly close, which provides a new opportunity for carrying out trade of medicinal plant resources and alleviating the problem of imbalance and relative inadequacy of medicinal plant resources in countries. This study first determined the distribution and species information of plant resources in countries and regions involved in "the Belt and Road" Initiative by investigating the database of plant distribution and that of medicinal plant resources. Then, according to the published data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora(CITES), this study identified the rare and endangered medicinal plants and the medicinal plants under trade control in countries and regions involved in "the Belt and Road" Initiative and finally sorted out the list of potential medicinal plant resources in countries and regions involved in "the Belt and Road" Initiative that can be used by China. This data resource can not only be used for the overall protection of important endangered species but also scientifically guide the development and utilization of medicinal resources, providing guidance and a theoretical basis for the sustainable development of medicinal plant resources in countries and regions involved in "the Belt and Road" Initiative.

PI3K/AKT mediated De novo fatty acid synthesis regulates RIG-1/MDA-5-dependent type I IFN responses in BVDV-infected CD8+T cells.

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) has caused massive economic losses in the cattle business worldwide. Fatty acid synthase (FASN), a key enzyme of the fatty acid synthesis (FAS) pathway, has been shown to support virus replication. To investigate the role of fatty acids (FAs) in BVDV infection, we infected CD8+T lymphocytes obtained from healthy cattle with BVDV in vitro. During early cytopathic (CP) and noncytopathic (NCP) BVDV infection in CD8+ T cells, there is an increase in de novo lipid biosynthesis, resulting in elevated levels of free fatty acids (FFAs) and triglycerides (TG). BVDV infection promotes de novo lipid biosynthesis in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with the FASN inhibitor C75 significantly reduces the phosphorylation of PI3K and AKT in BVDV-infected CD8+ T cells, while inhibition of PI3K with LY294002 decreases FASN expression. Both CP and NCP BVDV strains promote de novo fatty acid synthesis by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway. Further investigation shows that pharmacological inhibitors targeting FASN and PI3K concurrently reduce FFAs, TG levels, and ATP production, effectively inhibiting BVDV replication. Conversely, the in vitro supplementation of oleic acid (OA) to replace fatty acids successfully restored BVDV replication, underscoring the impact of abnormal de novo fatty acid metabolism on BVDV replication. Intriguingly, during BVDV infection of CD8+T cells, the use of FASN inhibitors prompted the production of IFN-α and IFN-ß, as well as the expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). Moreover, FASN inhibitors induce TBK-1 phosphorylation through the activation of RIG-1 and MDA-5, subsequently activating IRF-3 and ultimately enhancing the IFN-1 response. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that BVDV infection activates the PI3K/AKT pathway to boost de novo fatty acid synthesis, and inhibition of FASN suppresses BVDV replication by activating the RIG-1/MDA-5-dependent IFN response.

Efficacy and safety of CalliSpheres® microspheres drug-eluting beads transarterial chemoembolization in GCLM combined trans-arterial infusion therapy for treating primary focus of gastric cancer: a multi-center retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to observe the safety and efficacy of CalliSpheres microspheres drug-eluting beads (DEB) transhepatic arterial chemoembolization (CSM-TACE) for liver metastasis of gastric cancer (GCLM) combined with trans-arterial infusion therapy (TAIT) as the primary focus of gastric cancer. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Unresectable advanced GCLM patients were collected for retrospective analysis. Patients who progressed after chemotherapy or could not receive systematic chemotherapy were selected. CSM-TACE was used for GCLM treatment and oxaliplatin for TAIT of primary focus of gastric cancer. Adverse reactions, tumor reactions, survival rate, and survival time during treatment were recorded, and prognostic factors were analyzed. RESULTS: Forty-three patients from four oncology centers met inclusion criteria and were enrolled. CSM-TACE averaged (1.51 ± 0.51) times and TAIT averaged (4.58 ± 1.65) times. The follow-up time was 2.5-49 months, and the 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year survival rates were 86.0%, 72.1%, and 41.9%, respectively, with a median overall survival of 11.5 months. The adverse reactions during treatment were grade 1-3. The hazard ratio (HR) of combination therapy was 0.51 (P = 0.040), and the HR of TAIT frequency was 0.34 (P = 0.002), which were independent protective factors affecting prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: CSM-TAC for GCLM combined with TAIT for primary focus of gastric cancer is safe and efficacious, which is worthy of clinical promotion and application.

Essential trace elements in patients with dyslipidemia: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Lipid metabolism is a complex process that includes lipid uptake, transport, synthesis, and degradation. Trace elements are vital in maintaining normal lipid metabolism in the human body. This study explores the relationship between serum trace elements and lipid metabolism Methods: In this study, we reviewed articles on the relationship between alterations in somatic levels of zinc, iron, calcium, copper, chrome, manganese, selenium, and lipid metabolism. In this systematic review and mate-analysis, databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang was searched for articles on the relationship published between January 1, 1900, and July 12, 2022. The meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager5.3 (Cochrane Collaboration). RESULTS: No significant association was found between serum zinc and dyslipidemia, while other serum trace elements (Iron, selenium, copper, chromium, and manganese) were associated with hyperlipidemia. CONCLUSION: The present study suggested that the human body's zinc, copper, and calcium content may be related to lipid metabolism. However, findings on lipid metabolism and Iron, Manganese have not been conclusive. In addition, the relationship between lipid metabolism disorders and selenium levels still needs to be further studied. Further research is needed on treating lipid metabolism diseases by changing trace elements.

Progress in the Relationship between Vitamin D Deficiency and the Incidence of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Children.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is an autoimmune disease, due to a large number of islet ß cells damaged, resulting in an absolute lack of insulin, ultimately relying on insulin therapy. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble sterol derivative that not only participates in calcium and phosphorus metabolism but also acts as an immunomodulatory role by binding to nuclear vitamin D receptors to regulate the expression of transcription factors. Increasing evidence has shown that vitamin D has immunoregulation and anti-inflammatory effects, and it may play a role in T cell regulatory responses due to downregulation in the expression of cathepsin G and inhibition of CD4+ T cell activation and protection of ß cells from immune attack and is beneficial in decreasing oxidative stress in T1DM patients. Epidemiologic evidence demonstrates involvement of vitamin D deficiency in T1DM pathogenesis, with the immune system improperly targeting and destroying its own islet ß cells. In addition, polymorphisms in genes critical for vitamin D metabolism may increase the risk of islet autoimmunity and T1DM. In this paper, the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and the molecular mechanism of T1DM was discussed.

Diagnostic accuracy of de-escalated surgical procedure in axilla for node-positive breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant systemic therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: More initial clinical node-positive breast cancer patients achieve axillary pathological complete response (ax-pCR) after neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST). Restaging axillary status and performing de-escalated surgical procedures to replace routine axillary lymph nodes dissection (ALND) is urgently needed. Targeted axillary lymph node biopsy (TLNB) is a novel de-escalated surgical strategy marking metastatic axillary nodes before NST and targeted dissection and biopsy intraoperatively to tailor individual axillary management. METHODS: This study provided a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the feasibility and diagnosis accuracy of TLNB. Prospective and retrospective clinical trials on TLNB were searched from Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane. Identification rate (IFR), false-negative rate (FNR), negative predictive value (NPV), and rate of ax-pCR were the outcomes of this meta-analysis. RESULTS: One thousand nine hundred and twenty patients attempted TLNB, with an overall IFR of 93.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 90.1%-96.2%). IFR of three nodal marking methods, namely iodine seeds, clips, and carbon dye, was 95.6% (95% CI 91.2%-98.7%), 91.7% (95% CI 87.3%-95.4%), and 97.1% (95% CI 89.1%-100.0%), respectively. Of them, 847 patients received ALND, with an overall FNR of 5.5% (95% CI 3.3%-8.0%), and NPV ranged from 90.1% to 96.1%. Regression analysis showed that the overlap of targeted and sentinel biopsied nodes might associate with IFRs and FNRs. CONCLUSION: TLNB is a novel, less invasive surgical approach to distinguish initial node-positive breast cancer that achieves negative axillary conversion after NST. It yields an excellent IFR with a low FNR and a high NPV. A combination of preoperative imaging, intraoperative TLNB with SLNB, and postoperative nodal radiotherapy might affect the future treatment paradigm of primary breast cancer with nodal metastases.

Roles and mechanisms of miR-195-5p in human solid cancers.

Cancer persists as a worldwide disease that contributes to high morbidity and mortality rates. As a class of non-coding RNA, microRNAs (miRNAs) are one kind of important regulators in cancer and frequently implicated in tumor development and progression. Emerging experiments have suggested that miRNA-195-5p (miR-195-5p) can regulate neoplastic processes in many pathways. For instance, miR-195-5p can not only regulate proliferation, migration and invasion of tumor cells but also promote tumor cell apoptosis. Furthermore, low expression of miR-195-5p could induce drug resistance. Our review focuses on the expression of miR-195-5p in various tumors and elucidates the related mechanisms of which miR-195-5p participates in tumor biology, as well as summarizes the roles of miR-195-5p in tumor progression. We believe that miR-195-5p might have potential utility as a novel diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for cancer.

[Accuracy and safety of robot assisted pedicle screw placement].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the accuracy and safety of pedicle screw placement assisted by orthopedic robot and C-arm fluoroscopy. METHODS: The clinical data of 36 patients with spinal diseases underwent surgical treatment from January 2019 to August 2020 was retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 18 cases were implanted pedicle screws assisted by orthopaedic robot(observation group), including 12 males and 6 females, aged from 16 to 61 years with an average of (38.44±3.60) years;there were 1 case of adolescent scoliosis, 1 case of spinal tuberculosis, 7 cases of lumbar spondylolisthesis, 4 cases of thoracic fracture and 5 cases of lumbar fracture. Another 18 cases were implanted pedicle screws assisted by C-arm fluoroscopy(control group), including 10 males and 8 females, aged from 18 to 58 years with an average of (43.22±2.53) years;there were 1 case of adolescent scoliosis, 6 cases of lumbar spondylolisthesis, 6 cases of thoracic fracture and 5 cases of lumbar fracture. The intraoperative fluoroscopy times, nail placement time and postoperative complications were recorded in two groups. CT scan was performed after operation. The Gertzbein-Robbins standard was used to evaluate the accuracy of pedicle screw placement which was calculated. RESULTS: The number of intraoperative fluoroscopy in observation group was(6.89±0.20) times, which was significantly higher than that in control group(14.00±0.18)times(P<0.05). The placement time of each screw in observation group was(2.56±0.12) min, which was significantly different from that in control group(4.22±0.17) min (P<0.05). One case of incision infection occurred in control group after operation, and recovered after active dressing change. During the follow-up period, no serious complications such as screw loosening and fracture occurred in two groups, and there was no significant difference in complications between two groups(P>0.05). A total of 107 screws were placed in observation group, including 101 screws in class A, 4 in class B, 2 in class C, 0 in class D and 0 in class E, the accuracy rate of pedicle screw placement=[(number of screws in class A+B) / the number of all screws placed in the group] ×100%=98.1%(105/107); and a total of 104 screws were placed in control group, including 90 screws in class A, 4 in class B, 5 in class C, 5 in class D and 0 in class E, the accuracy rate of pedicle screw implantation=[(number of screws in class A+B/the number of all screws placed in the group]×100%=90.3% (94/104); there was significant difference between two groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Orthopaedic robot assisted pedicle screw placement has the advantages of less fluoroscopy times, shorter screw placement time and higher accuracy, which can further improve the surgical safety and has a broad application prospect in the orthopaedic.

Screening of the novel immune-suppressive biomarkers of TMED family and whether knockdown of TMED2/3/4/9 inhibits cell migration and invasion in breast cancer.

Background: Transmembrane p24 trafficking protein (TMED) family members are implicated in several solid tumors, but their clinical relevance for breast cancer (BC) remains unclear. This study aimed to probe their prognostic values and relations with tumor immunity in BC. Methods: TMED family mRNA expression was assessed in five microarray datasets (GSE65212, GSE42568, GSE5364, GSE22820 and GSE45827) from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and invasive breast cancer (BRCA) cohort from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed to determine the predictive values of filtered members of the TMED family. The protein expressions of screen genes were validated by Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) data from University of ALabama at Birmingham CANcer data analysis portal (UALCAN) and detected in the clinical specimens by western blot assay. Clinicopathologic variables were analyzed with bc-GenExMiner, and patient prognostic data were obtained with Kaplan-Meier Plotter. In vitro wound healing and invasion assays were performed on siRNA-transfected BC cell lines. TIMER 2.0, SangerBox, and ImmPort were used to evaluate tumor immune infiltration, immune checkpoints, and other immune-related genes. CbioPortal, Metascape, Expression2kinases, and LinkedOmics were used to explore gene regulatory network. Results: BC tissues expressed TMED2/3/4/9 at a higher level than normal tissues, providing diagnostic potential. All the areas under the ROC curve for TMED2/3/4/9 were more than 0.7. TMED2/3/4/9 correlated with numerous clinical variables, including lymph node status, Scarff-Bloom-Richardson score (SBR), Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI), estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2), and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) status, and their high expression predicted the poor prognosis of BC patients. TMED2/3/4/9 knockdown drastically inhibited the migratory and invasive capacities of MDA-MB-231 and HCC1937 cells. TMED2/3/4/9 expressions correlated negatively with the infiltration of tumor-suppressive immune cells such as CD8+ T cells, dendritic cells, and natural killer cells, and was inversely related to a variety of immune checkpoint genes, including programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA4). A set of kinases, transcription factors, and microRNAs (miRNAs) may regulate TMED2/3/4/9 abnormalities at the genome level. Conclusions: TMED2/3/4/9 may serve as diagnostic, prognostic, and immune-suppressive biomarkers in BC.

[Clinical application of Orthopedic Tianji Robot in surgical treatment of thoracolumbar fracture].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical application of Orthopedic Tianji Robot in the treatment of thoracolumbar fractures with minimally invasive percutaneous pedicle screw internal fixation. METHODS: The clinical data of 46 patients with thoracolumbar fractures treated by minimally invasive percutaneous pedicle screw internal fixation from June 2018 to January 2020 in Gansu Provincial People's Hospital was retrospectively analyzed. According to the different aided equipments, the patients were divided into a C-arm X-ray plus robot assisted nail placement group (observation group) and simple C-arm X-ray assisted nail placement group (control group). Twenty-two patients in observation group, including 12males and 10 females, aged from 24 to 61 years old, with a mean of(40.23±12.19) years, 3 cases were T11 vertebrae fracture, 8 cases were T12, 9 cases were L1, and 2 cases were L2. And there were 24 cases in control group, including 15 males and 9 females, aged from 26 to 58 years old, with a mean of (42.88±10.31) years, 3 cases were T11 vertebrae fracture, 10 cases were T12, 7 cases were L1, and 4 cases were L2. The operation time, the number of intraoperative fluoroscopy, intraoperative blood loss, the days of hospitalization, and postoperative complications were recorded. Preoperative and postoperative VAS at 3 days, 1 week and 3 months were compared between two groups. The sagittal Cobb angle of the injured vertebral body and the percentage of the anterior edge height of the vertebral body were observed before and after operation, and evaluate the accuracy of nail placement according to the Gertzbein-Robbins classification criteria with collected postoperative CT images. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for 5 to 12 months with an average of (7.07±0.83) months. There was no significant differences in intraoperative blood loss, operation time and hospitalization days between two groups (P>0.05). The number of intraoperative fluoroscopy was (5.62±0.51) times in observation group and (12.54±0.52) in control group, the difference between two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). The VAS, the percentage of the height of the injured vertebra anterior edge and the Cobb angle of the injured vertebral plane at each time point after operation were improved(P<0.05), but the difference between two groups was not statistically significant (P>0.05). One case of postoperative incision infection occurred in the control group, which was cured after active dressing changes. There were no serious complications such as screw loosening and breakage in all patients, and there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of complications between two groups(P>0.05). The postoperative nail placement accuracy ratesof the observation group and the control group were 98.4% (126/128) and 90.3% (121/134), respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: In the surgical treatment of thoracolumbar fractures, compared with simple C-arm fluoroscopy, the pedicle screw placement assisted by Orthopedic Tianji Robot overcomes the shortcomings of surgeon's physiological tremor, fatigue and multiple intraoperative fluoroscopy, improves the accuracy of screw placement, and is a more accurate and safer way of pedicle screw placement for thoracolumbar fractures.

Establishment of a predictive equation for pulmonary ventilation function in school-aged children in northeast China: a prospective study. / ä¸œåŒ—åœ°åŒºå­¦é¾„æœŸå„¿ç«¥è‚ºé€šæ°”åŠŸèƒ½é¢„è®¡æ–¹ç¨‹å¼å»ºç«‹çš„å‰çž»æ€§ç ”ç©¶.

OBJECTIVES: To establish a predictive equation for commonly used pulmonary ventilation function parameters in children aged 6-<16 years in northeast China. METHODS: A total of 504 healthy children from Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang provinces of China were selected for the prospective study, among whom there were 242 boys and 262 girls. The JAEGER MasterScreen Pneumo spirometer was used to measure pulmonary ventilation function. With the measured values of 10 parameters, including forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC ratio, and back-extrapolated volume (BEV), as dependent variables and age, body height, and body weight as independent variables, the stepwise multivariate regression method was used to establish the regression equation for children of different sexes. The mean of relative prediction error was used to evaluate the applicability of the predictive equation. RESULTS: The boys aged 9-<10 years and 15-<16 years had significantly higher body height, FVC, and FEV1 than the girls of the same age (P<0.05), and the boys aged 9-<10, 10-<11, 11-<12, and 13-<14 years had a significantly lower FEV1/FVC ratio than the girls of the same age (P<0.05). The correlation analysis showed that all parameters, except FEV1/FVC ratio and BEV/FVC ratio, were significantly positively correlated with age, body height, and body weight (P<0.001). Further regression analysis showed that age and body height were the influencing factors for most parameters, while body weight was less frequently included in the regression equation. Compared with the predictive equations from previous studies, the regression equation established in this study had relatively good applicability in the study population. CONCLUSIONS: A new predictive equation for the main pulmonary ventilation function parameters has been established in this study for children aged 6-<16 years in northeast China, which provides a basis for accurate judgment of pulmonary function abnormalities in clinical practice.

[Clinical study of modified one stage posterior approach total en block spondylectomy and spinal reconstruction in the treatment of invasive thoracic vascular tumor].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the surgical method and safety of modified one stage posterior approach total en block spondylectomy combined with pedicle screw fixation and titanium mesh reconstruction for the treatment of invasive thoracic vascular tumor. METHODS: The clinical data of 12 patients with invasive thoracic vasculay tumor from December 2012 to May 2015 was retrospectively analyzed. There were 8 males and 4 females, aged from 40 to 62 years with an average of 51.2 years, the course of disease was 2 months to 8 years with an average of 3.4 years. The lesions involved vertebral bodies:1 case of T2, 4 cases of T4, 1 case of T5, 2 cases of T6, 2 cases of T8, and 2 cases of T10. According to Tomita classification, there were 3 cases of typeⅠ, 3 cases of typeⅡ, 1 case of type Ⅲ, and 5 cases of type Ⅳ. The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score was 8.0±2.7 before operation. One patient with T10 lesions had sensory dyskinesia below the umbilicus, and the muscle strength of both lower limbs was grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ, and the others 11 patients were grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ. All 12 patients underwent one stage posterior approach total en block spondylectomy and the pedicle screw fixation combined with titanium mesh reconstruction under general anesthesia and continuous motor evoked potential (MEP) spinal cord electrophysiological monitoring throughout the operation. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss and transfusion, postoperative pain and recovery of spinal cord function, bone graft fusion, tumor recurrence and other complications were followed up. RESULTS: All the operations were successful. The average operation time, intraoperative blood loss and blood transfusion were 5.5 h (4.5 to 6.0 h), 1 850 ml (1 650 to 2 500 ml), 1 050 ml (600 to 1 500 ml), respectively. All 12 patients were followed up for 5 months to 2.5 years with an average of 21 months. Local pain and lower limb muscle strength were improved to varying, and the nerve compression symptoms disappeared. The JOA score at 6 months after operation was 12.0±3.4, which was statistically significant difference compared with the preoperative 8.0±2.7 (t=3.20, P<0.05). Titanium mesh bone grafts were all fused in phaseⅠ, with an average fusion time of 4.5 months (3 to 7 months). During the follow-up period, there was no tumor recurrence, loosening or breaking of nails, sinking and displacement of titanium mesh. CONCLUSION: Modified one stage posterior approach total en block spondylectomy is an ideal surgical method for the treatment of invasive thoracic vascular tumors, which has a safe, reliable and long lasting efficacy.

[Treatment of degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis with minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion by microscope-assisted Zista channel].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy and advantage of minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion under microscope-assisted Zista channel in the treatment of degreeⅠandⅡdegenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis. METHODS: The clinical data of 18 patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis treated by microscope-assisted Zista channel MIS-TLIF operation from January 2017 to March 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. There were 10 males and 8 females with an average age of 59 years (48 to 70). The course of spondylolisthesis ranged from 6 months to 5 years with an average of 33 months. The segment of spondylolisthesis was L4 in 13 casesand L5 in 5 cases. According to Meyerding spondylolisthesis criteria, 11 cases were degreeⅠand 7 cases were degreeⅡ. The perioperative observation indexes were recorded. The VAS score and JOA score of lumbago and leg pain before and after operation were compared to evaluate the clinical efficacy. At 12 months after operation, the height of intervertebral space was measured by imaging data, the intervertebral fusion was evaluated by Brantigan-Steffee standard, and the curative effect was evaluated according to the modified Macnab standard. RESULTS: All the patients completed the operation successfully and were followed up more than 12 months after operation. Operation time was(160.45±34.98) min, intraoperative blood loss was (88.32±21.12) ml, postoperative drainage volume was (50.34 ±18.22)ml, and walking time after operation was (20.65±6.25) h. Preoperative and postoperative at 7 days, 3 months, 12 months, VAS score of low back pain was 7.81±2.16, 4.19±1.17, 2.25±0.62 and 1.53±0.58 respectively, VAS score of leg pain was 8.47± 2.21, 3.45±0.86, 2.31±0.73 and 1.43±0.47, JOA score was 12.01±2.33, 18.56±3.12, 23.54±3.31 and 26.34±2.65. There were significant differences in VAS and JOA scores between preoperative and postoperative (P<0.05). The height of intervertebral space increased from (4.46±0.72) mm preoperative to (10.24±1.48) mm at 12 months after operation (P<0.05). All operative segments got fusion (16 cases of grade E and 2 cases of grade D). According to Macnab standard, 15 cases obtained excellent results, 2 cases good, 1 case fair. CONCLUSION: MIS-TLIF under microscope-assisted Zista channel has obvious minimally invasive advantages in the treatment of degreeⅠandⅡdegenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis, and it is a safe and effective method.

Dark tea extracts: Chemical constituents and modulatory effect on gastrointestinal function.

Processing of dark tea varieties, such as Fu brick tea, Liupao tea, Qianliang tea, and Qing brick tea, includes solid-state fermentation involving microorganisms. In this study, we analyzed the major chemical constituents of dark tea extracts and evaluated their modulatory effect on the gastrointestinal function in normal mice, including the improvement of gastrointestinal transit and intestinal microbial, as well as the attenuation of intestinal microbial dysbiosis and intestinal pathological damage, and the adjustment of immune function in antibiotic-treated mice. Substantial differences in major chemical constituents, including total polyphenols, total organic acids, water extract content, 18 free amino acids, gallic acid, and six tea catechins, were observed among Fu brick tea, Qianliang tea, Qing brick tea, and Liupao tea extracts. Extracts from the four dark tea varieties significantly promoted gastrointestinal transit and colonization of beneficial Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, and inhibited the growth of harmful Escherichia coli and Enterococcus in normal mice. In addition, Qianliang tea, Qing brick tea, and Liupao tea extracts significantly accelerated the reversal of the ampicillin sodium-induced pathological damage in the ileum, intestinal bacterial dysbiosis (Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, E. coli, and Enterococcus), and low immunity.

[Full endoscopic I See technique for the treatment of single-segment degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy and advantages of the full endoscopic I See technique for the single-segment degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis. METHODS: The clinical data of 38 patients with the single-segment degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis treated by full endoscopic I See technique from January 2017 to March 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. There were 16 males and 22 females, aged from 35 to 79 years with an average of(53.45±12.56) years. Five cases were L3,4, 23 cases were L4,5, 10 cases were L5S1. The clinical efficacy was evaluated by VAS, ODI and Macnab scores. RESULTS: All the patients were followed up for more than 12 months after operation. The length of operation was from 55 to130 (86.0± 17.5) min. Intraoperative blood loss was ranging from 10 to 50 (17±6) ml, and the hospitalization length was from 3 to 7 days with an average of 4.6 days. The VAS scores of low back pain assessed before operation, and 3 d, 3 months, 12 months post operation were 6.67 ±1.25, 3.87 ±1.35, 2.55 ±1.21, 2.05 ±0.97, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05);VAS scores of leg pain at these time points were 7.85±2.62, 3.31±1.42, 2.02±1.13, 1.85±0.86, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05);ODI scores were 40.32±5.38, 25.76±4.81, 12.66±4.64, 9.32±2.91, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Tevaluate the lumbar vertebrae function according to the Macnab criteria, 15 cases obtained excellent results, 19 cases were good, and 4 cases were fair. CONCLUSION: Full endoscopic I See technique is effective in the treatment of single-segment degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis, with the advantages of less trauma, shorter hospital stay, and faster recovery.

Detection of varicella-zoster virus from cerebrospinal fluid using advanced fragment analysis in a child with encephalitis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Varicella zoster virus (VZV) encephalitis is an infectious inflammatory disease of brain that can cause irreversible mental damage without timely treatment. In fact, many viruses can cause encephalitis, and the viral loads in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the early stage of the disease are usually too low to be detected. Here we report a case of VZV encephalitis diagnosed by advanced fragment analysis (AFA), which could potentially to contribute to early diagnosis of VZV central nervous system (CNS) infections with a small volume of CSF samples. CASE PRESENTATION: A 10-year-old boy was admitted to the hospital with obvious neurological symptoms of headache, dizziness and vomiting for one day. Physical examination showed left facial paralysis. Complete blood count (CBC) test only showed an unspecific inflammation, and the culture of cerebrospinal fluid and microscopic staining examination were all negative. AFA was performed to screen the common 18 encephalitis related pathogens in CSF. Obvious VZV DNA fragments were observed by capillary electrophoresis at 160 nt, suggesting the existence of VZV CNS infection in children. The results were consistence with real-time quantitative PCR and concomitant symptoms in the acute stage of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: We report a case of acute VZV encephalitis in a child without obvious skin manifestations, which was rapidly diagnosed by AFA. Overall, we would recommend the use of AFA analysis as the rapid screening system for the identification and differentiation of encephalitis pathogens in children.

lncRNA 430945 promotes the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells via the ROR2/RhoA signaling pathway in atherosclerosis.

The proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are major cellular events in hypertension­induced vascular remodeling, which is closely involved in the progression of atherosclerosis (AS). Although long non­coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are gaining recognition as novel regulators of VSMCs, their functioning and role in AS remain to be elucidated. In the present study, the role of lncRNA ENST00000430945 (lncRNA 430945) in AS was investigated. VSMCs transfected with a small interfering RNA (siRNA; si­430945) and a negative control (si­NC) were used. Cell Counting Kit­8, wound­healing and Transwell migration arrays were performed to determine whether lncRNA 430945 influenced VSMC proliferation and migration. Furthermore, the study examined whether a correlation exists between lncRNA 430945 and the receptor tyrosine kinase­like orphan receptor 2 (ROR2) signaling pathway. It was found that the expression of lncRNA 430945 was high in human AS tissues, which in turn promoted angiotensin II (AngII)­induced VSMC proliferation. Reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT­qPCR) and western blot analyses showed that lncRNA 430945 mediated the AngII­induced upregulation of ROR2. In addition, the microarray and RT­qPCR results showed that the expression of lncRNA 430945 was increased considerably in AS tissues. The downregulation of lncRNA 430945 significantly suppressed AngII­induced VSMC proliferation and migration. In addition, ROR2 levels in VSMCs transfected with si­430945 were markedly lower than those cells transfected with si­NC. Additionally, western blotting showed that lncRNA 430945 activated the signaling pathways associated with ROR2 and Ras homolog gene family member A (RhoA). The upregulation of lncRNA 430945 in AS promoted the proliferation and migration of VSMCs via activation of the ROR2/RhoA signaling pathway. Therefore, targeting ROR2 or RhoA may be a promising technique in developing therapeutic strategies for treating AS.

Early detection of Y chromosome microdeletions in infertile men is helpful to guide clinical reproductive treatments in southwest of China.

The microdeletions of azoospermia factor (AZF) genes in Y chromosome are greatly associated with male infertility, which is also known as the second major genetic cause of spermatogenetic failure. Accumulating studies demonstrate that the different type of AZF microdeletions in patients reflect different clinical manifestations. Therefore, a better understanding of Y chromosome microdeletions might have broad implication for men health. In this study, we sought to determine the frequency and the character of different Y chromosome microdeletion types in infertile men in southwest of China.In total, 1274 patients with azoospermia and oligozoospermia were recruited in southwest of China and screening for Y chromosome microdeletions in AZF regions by multiplex polymerase chain reaction.The incidence of AZF microdeletions in southwest of China is 12.87%, which is higher than the national average. Further investigations unveiled that azoospermia factor c (AZFc) is the most frequent type of all the AZF microdeletions. Additionally, the number and also the quality of sperm in patients with AZFc microdeletion is decreasing with the age. Therefore, it is conceivable that the early testing for Y chromosome microdeletions in infertile men is crucial for fertility guidance.The early detection of Y chromosome microdeletions in infertile men can not only clearly explain the etiology of oligzoospermia and azoospermia, but also help for the clinical management of both infertile man and his future male offspring.

[Application of total en bloc spondylectomy in spinal tumors].

Total en bloc spondylectomy is a surgical technique cutting off tumors of spine and its satellite. Previous studies have shown that this technique could reduce postoperative recurrence rate of spinal tumor, but surgical indications are not unified. Wide application of spinal tumor surgical staging and life expectancy system make it more clear for surgery. However, it is difficult to carry out extensive operation for the characteristics of more bleeding, great difficulty and high risk. As for continuous improvement of TES technology, application of endoscopy and appearance of 3D printing artificial vertebral body could push the operation becoming mature.

A simple method for removing low-density granulocytes to purify T lymphocytes from peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

OBJECTIVE: Low-density granulocytes (LDGs) can form neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) spontaneously and excessively. When peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are used for studying T lymphocytes, LDGs contained in the PBMCs may decrease the threshold of activating T lymphocytes by forming NETs. This study focused on the profiles of LDGs in common autoimmune diseases and methods for removing LDGs from PBMCs. METHODS: The percentages of LDGs in PBMCs from 55 patients with dermatomyositis (DM), 15 with polymyositis (PM), 42 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 25 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and 19 healthy controls were determined by flow cytometry. Three methods of removing LDGs were explored and compared. After removal, PBMCs from six patients with positive T-SPOT.TB were tested again to find out if LDGs contained in the PBMCs could influence T lymphocyte reactions. RESULTS: Significantly higher LDG percentages were found in PBMCs from patients with DM ((8.41±10.87)%, P<0.0001), PM ((8.41±10.39)%, P<0.0001), RA ((4.05±6.97)%, P=0.0249), and SLE ((7.53±11.52)%, P=0.0006), compared with the controls ((1.28±0.73)%). The T-SPOT.TB values significantly decreased after LDGs were removed. Increasing relative centrifugal force (RCF) within a limited range can decrease the LDG percentage from an initial high level, but not markedly increase the LDG clearance rate. Compared with the whole blood sediment method, the PBMC adherence method can significantly remove LDGs yet scarcely influence the T lymphocyte percentage in PBMCs. CONCLUSIONS: The LDG percentage in PBMCs is significantly increased in patients with SLE, DM, PM, and RA. The influence of LDGs on T lymphocytes cannot be ignored in PBMC cultures. The adherence method is a simple and easy-to-use method for removing LDGs and purifying T lymphocytes from PBMCs.