Labdane-type diterpenoids with cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory activities from the aerial parts of Hypoestes purpurea (L.) R. Br.

Two new ent-labdane diterpenoids, hypoestesins A-B (1-2) and five new labdane diterpenoids, hypopurolides H-L (3-7), were isolated from the aerial parts of Hypoestes purpurea. All of the structures were fully determined based on extensive analysis of 1H, 13C, 2D NMR, and HRESIMS data. The absolute configurations of 1-3 was established through comparing the experimental and calculated ECD curves and the structure of 5 was confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction experiment. Compounds 5-7 were unusual C23 labdane diterpenoids having a γ-acetonyl-α, ß-unsaturated γ-lactone unit and each assigned as C-15 epimeric mixture. Furthermore, cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory activities of 3-7 were evaluated. The results showed that 3 had remarkable cytotoxic activity against HL-60, A549, SMMC-7721, MDA-MB-231, and SW480 cancer cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 2.35 to 17.06 µM. Compound 4 showed moderate cytotoxic activity against HL-60 and SMMC-7721 cancer cell lines with IC50 values of 15.12 ± 0.53 and 12.92 ± 0.60 µM, respectively. Furthermore, compound 4 was also found to exhibit inhibitory activity against NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophages with IC50 values of 23.56 ± 0.99 µM, compared to the positive control L-NMMA with an IC50 value of 41.11 ± 1.34 µM.

Structurally diverse diterpenoids from the seeds of Caesalpinia minax Hance and their bioactivities.

Eight previously undescribed diterpenoids, caesamins A-H (1-8), were separated and identified from the seeds of Caesalpinia minax Hance. Their structures were characterized by extensive spectroscopic data and X-ray crystallographic analysis. Structurally, caesamin A (1) is the first cassane-type diterpenoid with a C23 carbon skeleton containing an unusual isopropyl. Caesamin F (6) represents the first example of cleistanthane diterpenoid from the genus Caesalpinia. Caesamins B (2) and F (6) exhibited inhibitory activity against LPS-induced nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 macrophages with IC50 values of 45.67 ± 0.92 and 42.99 ± 0.24 µM, comparable to positive control 43.69 ± 2.62 µM of NG-Monomethyl-L-arginine. Furthermore, the chemotaxonomic significance of the isolates was discussed.

[Analysis of Regional Differences in Cadmium Ecological Risk in Surface Waters of the Yangtze River Basin].

This study primarily focused on the regional disparities in both water quality criteria and ecological risks attributed to cadmium presence within the surface waters of the Yangtze River Basin. In the initial phase, the long-term water quality criteria for cadmium were recalibrated in accordance with the guidelines outlined in China's "Water Quality Criteria for Freshwater Aquatic Organisms-Cadmium," accounting for the prevalent hardness distribution within the Yangtze River Basin's surface water. Subsequently, a more refined revision was undertaken considering the specific characteristics of the species residing within the Yangtze River Basin. This undertaking led to a comprehensive interpretation of the regional variations in both the distribution of long-term water quality criteria values and the risk quotient distribution of cadmium throughout the Yangtze River Basin. The incorporation of hardness and species-specific attributes resulted in a revised range of long-term water quality criteria for cadmium across different urban locales within the Yangtze River Basin. Notably, the recalibrated values ranged from 0.08 µg·L-1 as the lowest threshold to 0.75 µg·L-1 as the upper limit, signifying a tenfold differentiation. Correspondingly, the urban average annual risk quotient associated with cadmium exposure demonstrated a variation from 0.035 to 1.12, marking a significant 32-fold discrepancy between the lowest and highest values. It is essential to highlight that regions of paramount importance, such as the confluence area connecting the upper and middle stretches of the Yangtze River Basin and the intricate Dongting Lake system, exhibited noteworthy ecological risks attributed to cadmium presence. Consequently, further in-depth investigations into these critical regions are imperative for a comprehensive understanding of the associated risks.

A long non-coding RNA associated with H3K7me3 methylation negatively regulates OsZIP16 transcription under cadmium stress.

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic environmental pollutant, posing a high risk to crop production and human health. However, the genetic mechanisms for regulation of Cd accumulation in crops are poorly understood. In this study, we functionally identified a novel long non-coding RNA (lncRNA, TCONS_00502780) that repressed a locus encoding an uncharacterized metal transporter ZIP16 (ZRT/IRT-like Protein) in rice. LncRNA-OsZIP16 (L16) is resident in the antisense strand of OsZIP16. Both L16 and OsZIP16 were transcriptionally expressed during the life cycle, but under Cd stress the L16 transcription was repressed, whereas the OsZIP16 expression was upregulated. OsZIP16 is localized to the endoplasmic reticulum. Knocking out OsZIP16 by CRISPR-Cas9 (C16) resulted in Cd sensitivity, manifested by reduced plant growth and intense cellular damage with a slightly higher Cd translocation from roots to shoots, suggesting that OsZIP16 expression is required for rice growth and development under Cd stress. Conversely, OsZIP16 constitutive overexpression (OE16) lines displayed a growth phenotype compatible to the wide-type with lower Cd translocation ratio from roots to shoots. L16 knock-down lines by RNA interference (L16-R) showed a similar phenotype to the OE16 lines, while the L16 overexpression (L16-OE) lines were phenotypically similar to the C16 lines. The OsZIP16 transcription was upregulated in the L16-R lines but downregulated in the L16-OE lines. Using an antibody against the trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) followed by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), we found the reduced H3K27me3 methylation marks surrounding the OsZIP16 gene under Cd stress. Further examination of H3K27me3 in the L16-R lines revealed that the methylation levels were also significantly lower than those in WT. Taken together, these data suggest that the L16 could negatively regulate the OsZIP16 transcriptional expression through an epigenetic mechanism for rice adaption to Cd stress.

Clinical Effect of Jianpi Huoxue Prescription Combined with Acupuncture on Chronic Atrophic Gastritis with Gastric Blood Stasis and Its Impact on Inflammatory Indicators and Gastric Mucosal Function / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the application effect of Jianpi Huoxue prescription combined with acupuncture in patients with chronic atrophic gastritis （CAG） of gastric blood stasis type. MethodA total of 86 patients with CAG admitted to Wuhan First Hospital from November 2021 to March 2023 were selected and randomly divided into two groups. The control group was treated with conventional Western medicine， while the observation group was treated with Jianpi Huoxue prescription combined with acupuncture. The clinical efficacy， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome score， pathological score， negative conversion rate of Helicobacter pylori （Hp）， inflammatory indicators ［neutrophils/lymphocytes （NLR） and interleukin （IL）-1β］， changes in levels of gastric protease （PG） Ⅰ， PG Ⅰ/PG Ⅱ， and gastrin-17 （G-17）， and drug safety during treatment were observed after treatment in both groups. ResultAfter treatment， the total effective rate of the observation group ［95.35% （41/43）］ was significantly better than that of the control group ［79.07% （34/43）］， and the difference was statistically significant （χ2=5.108， P<0.05）. After treatment， the scores of the primary and secondary TCM syndromes in the observation group and the control group were significantly decreased （P<0.05）. After treatment， the scores of primary and secondary TCM syndromes in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group （P<0.05）. After treatment， the pathological scores of gastric mucosa atrophy， activity， chronic inflammation， intestinal metaplasia， and dysplasia were significantly lower in the observation group and control group （P<0.05）. After treatment， the pathological scores of gastric mucosa atrophy， activity， chronic inflammation， intestinal metaplasia， and dysplasia in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group （P<0.05）. After treatment， the Hp conversion rate in the observation group was significantly increased compared with the control group （P<0.05）. After treatment， the levels of inflammatory indicators NLR and IL-1β in the observation group and control group were significantly lower （P<0.05）， and the levels of inflammatory indicators NLR and IL-1β in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group （P<0.05）. After treatment， the levels of PGI and PGⅠ/PGⅡ in the observation group and control group were significantly higher （P<0.05）， and the levels of PGI and PGⅠ/PGⅡ in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group （P<0.05）. After treatment， the G-17 level of the observation group and the control group was different at different time points （P<0.05）， and the G-17 level of the observation group was higher at different time points than that of the control group （P<0.05）. The G-17 level of the observation group had an increasing trend compared with the control group （P<0.05）. There was no significant difference in the risk of adverse reactions between the two groups. ConclusionThe combination of Jianpi Huoxue prescription and acupuncture can effectively alleviate symptoms， increase Hp negative conversion rate， inhibit inflammation， and regulate PG and G-17 levels in CAG patients， thus controlling or even reversing gastric mucosal atrophy and reducing the probability of its progression to gastric cancer.

Successful treatment of near-fatal pulmonary embolism and cardiac arrest in an adult patient with fulminant psittacosis-induced severe acute respiratory distress syndrome after veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation rescue: A case report and follow-up.

Background: Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was successfully performed for the rescue of an adult patient with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) induced by fulminant psittacosis, and then a near-fatal pulmonary embolism (PE) and cardiac arrest (CA) of the same patient was cured through catheter-directed thrombolysis. Case presentation: A 51-year-old female patient was admitted to the hospital on September 10, 2021 due to slurred speech, weakness in lower limbs, dizziness, and nausea. Subsequently, she developed confusion and was transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU), where she received anti-shock, antibiotics, invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), and veno-venous ECMO due to the diagnosis of severe pneumonia, severe ARDS, and septic shock based on comprehensive physical examination, laboratory tests, and imaging findings. The metagenomic next-gengeration sequencing (m-NGS) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) suggested that the pathogen was chlamydia psittaci, so the antibiotics were adjusted to doxycycline combined with azithromycin. After withdrawal from ECMO, ultrasound (US) re-examination of the left lower limb revealed inter-muscular vein thrombosis, following which heparin was replaced by subcutaneous injection of 0.4ml enoxaparin sodium twice daily for anti-coagulation therapy. After withdrawal from IMV, the patient suffered sudden CA and successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and emergency pulmonary angiography (PA) was performed to show bilateral main pulmonary artery embolism. After immediate catheter-directed thrombolysis and placement of an inferior vena cava filter, the patient's condition gradually stabilized. Conclusions: Veno-venous ECMO can be successfully performed as an emergency life-saving treatment for patients with severe ARDS induced by fulminant psittacosis, and during ECMO regular examinations should be conducted to detect and manage thrombosis in time, thereby avoiding the occurrence of near-fatal PE and CA.

The main protease of SARS-CoV-2 cleaves histone deacetylases and DCP1A, attenuating the immune defense of the interferon-stimulated genes.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease 2019, constitutes an emerging human pathogen of zoonotic origin. A critical role in protecting the host against invading pathogens is carried out by interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), the primary effectors of the type I interferon (IFN) response. All coronaviruses studied thus far have to first overcome the inhibitory effects of the IFN/ISG system before establishing efficient viral replication. However, whether SARS-CoV-2 evades IFN antiviral immunity by manipulating ISG activation remains to be elucidated. Here, we show that the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) significantly suppresses the expression and transcription of downstream ISGs driven by IFN-stimulated response elements in a dose-dependent manner, and similar negative regulations were observed in two mammalian epithelial cell lines (simian Vero E6 and human A549). Our analysis shows that to inhibit the ISG production, Mpro cleaves histone deacetylases (HDACs) rather than directly targeting IFN signal transducers. Interestingly, Mpro also abolishes the activity of ISG effector mRNA-decapping enzyme 1a (DCP1A) by cleaving it at residue Q343. In addition, Mpro from different genera of coronaviruses has the protease activity to cleave both HDAC2 and DCP1A, even though the alphacoronaviruse Mpro exhibits weaker catalytic activity in cleaving HDAC2. In conclusion, our findings clearly demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 Mpro constitutes a critical anti-immune effector that modulates the IFN/ISG system at multiple levels, thus providing a novel molecular explanation for viral immune evasion and allowing for new therapeutic approaches against coronavirus disease 2019 infection.

Expression of fibrinogen-like protein 1 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma and its clinical significance / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To investigate the expression of fibrinogen-like protein 1 (FGL1) in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and its correlation with clinicopathological characteristics of patients with ccRCC.Methods:The clinicopathological data of 242 patients with ccRCC who were diagnosed and treated surgically from January 2015 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The cancerous tissues and paracancerous tissues (2 cm away from the edge of cancerous tissues) of patients were collected. The expression of FGL1 protein was detected by using immunohistochemistry, and the relative expression level of FGL1 mRNA was detected by using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Cox proportional risk model was used to make univariate and multivariate analysis of the influencing factors of progression-free survival (PFS).Results:The positive rate of FGL1 protein in ccRCC tissues was higher than that in paracancerous tissues [28.5% (69/242) vs. 2.1% (5/242)], and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2 = 65.34, P < 0.001); the relative expression level of FGL1 mRNA in ccRCC tissues was higher than that in paracancerous tissues (1.67±0.12 vs. 0.60±0.15), and the difference was statistically significant ( t = 25.33, P < 0.001). The expression of FGL1 was positively correlated with pathological staging ( r = 0.164, P = 0.011), renal vascular tumor thrombus ( r = 0.130, P = 0.043), regional lymph node metastasis ( r = 0.153, P = 0.018), and distant metastasis ( r = 0.160, P = 0.012). Univariate analysis showed that the tumor diameter, regional lymph nodes metastasis, pathological staging, distant metastasis, and FGL1 expression were factors influencing the PFS of ccRCC patients (all P < 0.05). Multivariate regression results showed that high expression of FGL1 ( HR = 11.679, 95% CI 7.432-15.673, P = 0.015), pathological staging of Ⅲ-Ⅳ ( HR = 13.654, 95% CI 8.765-18.761, P = 0.013), and distant metastasis ( HR = 11.387, 95% CI 7.662-14.831, P = 0.038) were independent risk factors for PFS in patients. Conclusions:FGL1 is highly expressed in ccRCC, which is correlated with pathological staging, renal vascular tumor thrombus, regional lymph nodes metastasis, and distant metastasis. The high expression of FGL1 is a risk factor affecting the prognosis of patients with ccRCC.

Nomogram based on CT texture analysis and morphological characteristics for differentiating Borrmann Ⅳ type gastric cancer from gastric diffuse large B-cell lymphoma / 中华放射学杂志

Objective:To explore the value in differentiating Borrmann Ⅳ type gastric cancer (BT4-GC) from gastric diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) using a nomogram based on CT texture analysis (CTTA) and morphological characteristics.Methods:From June 2011 to December 2020, a total of 60 patients with BT4-GC and 24 patients with DLBCL were retrospectively collected in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University. Morphological characteristics were evaluated, including major location, long axis range, circumferential range, mucosal line status, and perigastric enlarged lymph nodes. CTTA parameters were calculated using venous CT images with a manual region of interest. The morphological characteristics and CTTA parameters between BT4-GC and DLBCL were compared by χ 2 test, Fisher exact test or Mann-Whitney U test. The multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was used to filter factors into the diagnostic model and construct a nomogram. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of CTTA parameters and the diagnostic model in differentiating BT4-GC from DLBCL. Results:For morphological characteristics, mucosal line status showed a significant difference between BT4-GC and DLBCL (χ 2=12.99, P<0.001). For CTTA parameters, 16 parameters showed significant differences between BT4-GC and DLBCL (all P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 16 CTTA parameters in differentiating BT4-GC from DLBCL was 0.662-0.833. Percentile 90 showed the highest AUC of 0.833 (95%CI 0.736-0.906). The mucosal line status (OR 4.82, 95%CI 1.21-19.25, P=0.026) and percentile 90 (OR 1.09, 95%CI 1.04-1.15, P=0.001) were brought into the diagnostic model and constructed a nomogram. The AUC of the model in differentiating BT4-GC from DLBCL was 0.898 (95%CI 0.813-0.953), sensitivity was 0.833, and specificity was 0.817. Conclusions:The nomogram based on CTTA percentile 90 and morphological characteristics mucosal line status can effectively distinguish BT4-GC from DLBCL and shows high diagnostic efficacy.

Research progress on mechanism of TLR4 in carcinogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease / 中国药理学通报

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) compared with the general population. Currently the molecular mechanism of CRC occurrence in the context of IBD is not clear. The inflammation-atypical hyperplasia-cancer process has been widely accepted. Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4) is a key receptor for pathogen recognition and immune activation, and plays a crucial role in inflammatory and carcinogenic transformation of IBD. Therefore, this paper reviews the epidemiology of colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC) and the main mechanisms of TLR4 in the development of IBD to CAC, which will help to further understand the carcinogenesis of IBD, detect and better describe CAC at an earlier stage, and provide more effective prevention and treatment for CAC.

A study on the application of intraoral camera in the identification of oral anatomical landmarks / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To preliminarily explore the applicable scenarios of an intraoral camera to assist oral anatomical landmarks recognition, so as to improve the clinical diagnosis and treatment mode, cultivate the concept of caring for patients, strengthen doctor-patient communication, assist experts to teach, and improve the clinical diagnosis and efficacy rate.@*METHODS@#A new type of an intraoral camera was applied in the recognition of oral anatomy landmarks and four application scenarios were developed, namely: (1) clinical diagnosis and treatment scenarios, in which doctors used intraoral camera to conduct a comprehensive examination of patients in the mouth and take videos and photos; (2) doctor-patient communication scenarios, when the doctor told the patient about the treatment plan, the video or photo taken by the intraoral camera was displayed to the patient; (3) expert teaching scenarios, when the expert used an intraoral camera to teach in the patient's mouth, and the young doctor learned oral anatomical signs on the projection screen, with the study of theoretical lessons; (4) difficult case recording scenarios, in the process of clinical diagnosis and treatment, when encountering difficult cases, you could use intraoral camera to record and take photos for young doctors to discuss, and experts to comment and guide.@*RESULTS@#The application of intraoral camera could: (1) improve the clinical diagnosis and treatment mode and raise the clinical diagnosis and efficacy rate; (2) stimulate young doctors' interest in learning, use intraoral camera in assessments, and skillfully combine theoretical knowledge of anatomical landmarks with clinical practice, so as to improve the teaching effect; (3) cultivate, through self or mutual use, the concept of caring for patients and reinforce the importance of gentle operation; (4) strengthen doctor-patient communication. Doctors could communicate with patients more visually, so that the patients could better understand their own situation, and strengthen the patients' trust in the doctors.@*CONCLUSION@#Intraoral camera can assist oral clinical diagnosis and treatment, such as the recognition of oral anatomical landmarks. It plays a certain role in promoting the improvement of clinical diagnosis and treatment mode, stimulating learning interest, cultivating the concept of caring for patients, and enhancing doctor-patient communication.

Prediction, analysis and application of learning curve of tooth preparation for all ceramic crowns of maxillary central incisors / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To predict the learning curve of tooth preparation for all ceramic crowns of maxillary central incisors on phantom head simulators for graduate students participating in standardized dental resident training based on the modified Wright learning curve model, then to analyze and applicate the learning curve.@*METHODS@#Twelve graduate students participating in standardized dental resident training were selected to prepare the resin maxillary central incisors on phantom head simulators for all ceramic crowns 4 times. The results of preparation were evaluated by 3 prosthetic experts with at least 10 years' experience focusing on the reduction, contour, taper, shoulder, finish line, margin placement, adjacent tooth injury, and preparation time for tooth preparation. The learning rate of tooth preparation was calculated by scores of tooth preparation of 4 times. The learning curve of tooth preparation was predicted based on the modified Wright learning curve model. According to the criteria of standardized training skill examinations for dental residents in Beijing, 80 was taken as the qualified standard score. The minimum training times for tooth preparation to satisfy the qualified standard score (80) was calculated, to analyze the characteristics of learning curve and evaluate the effectiveness of tooth preparation.@*RESULTS@#The scores of 4 tooth preparation were 64.03±7.80, 71.40±6.13, 74.33±5.96, and 75.98±4.52, respectively. The learning rate was (106±4)%, which showed the learning curve an upward trend. There were no significant differences between the qualified standard score and the predicted scores of tooth preparation from the 5th preparation to the 13th preparation (P > 0.05). The predicted score of the 14th preparation was higher than the qualified standard score (P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The trend of the learning curve of tooth preparation for all ceramic crowns of maxillary central incisors on phantom head simulators for graduate students participating in standardized dental resident training is upward, which predicts the minimum training times higher than the qualified standard score is 14 times.

Preliminary study on three-dimensional morphological reconstruction method for external nose defect based on three-dimensional face template / 中华口腔医学杂志

Objective: To provide a new solution for the digital design of nasal prostheses, this study explores the three-dimensional (3D) facial morphology completion method for external nasal defects based on the non-rigid registration process of 3D face template. Methods: A total of 20 male patients with tooth defect and dentition defect who visited the Department of Prosthodontics, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology from June to December 2022 were selected, age 18-45 years old. The original 3D facial data of patients were collected, and the 3D facial data of the external nose defect was constructed in Geomagic Wrap 2021 software. Using the structured 3D face template data constructed in the previous research of the research group, the 3D face template was deformed and registered to the 3D facial data of external nose defect (based on the morphology of non-defective area) by non-rigid registration algorithm (MeshMonk program), and the personalized deformed data of the 3D face template was obtained, as the complemented facial 3D data. Based on the defect boundary of the 3D facial data of the external nose defect, the complemented external nose 3D data can be cut out from the complemented facial 3D data. Then the nasofacial angle and nasolabial angle of the complemented facial 3D data and the original 3D facial data was compared and analyzed, the ratio between the nose length and mid-face height, nose width and medial canthal distance of the complemented facial 3D data was measured, the edge fit between the edge curve of the complemented external nose 3D data and the defect edge curve of the 3D facial data of external nose defect was evaluated, and the morphological difference of the nose between the complemented external nose 3D data and the original 3D facial data was analyzed. Results: There was no significant statistically difference (t=-0.23, P=0.823; Z=-1.72, P=0.086) in the nasofacial angle (28.2°±2.9°, 28.4°±3.5° respectively) and nasolabial angle [95.4°(19.2°), 99.9°(9.5°) respectively] between the 20 original 3D facial data and the complemented facial 3D data. The value of the ratio of nose length to mid-face height in the complemented facial 3D data was 0.63±0.03, and the value of the ratio of nose width to medial canthal distance was 1.07±0.08. The curve deviation (root mean square value) between the edge curve of the complemented external nose 3D data and the defect edge curve of the 3D facial data of external nose defect was (0.37±0.09) mm, the maximum deviation was (1.14±0.32) mm, and the proportion of the curve deviation value within±1 mm was (97±3)%. The distance of corresponding nose landmarks between the complemented facial 3D data and the original 3D facial data were respectively, Nasion: [1.52(1.92)] mm; Pronasale: (3.27±1.21) mm; Subnasale: (1.99±1.09) mm; Right Alare: (2.64±1.34) mm; Left Alare: (2.42± 1.38) mm. Conclusions: The method of 3D facial morphology completion of external nose defect proposed in this study has good feasibility. The constructed complemented external nose 3D data has good facial coordination and edge fit, and the morphology is close to the nose morphology of the original 3D facial data.

HIV self-testing and related factors in men who have sex with men in Shijiazhuang / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To understand HIV self-testing and related factors in men who have sex with men (MSM) in Shijiazhuang. Methods: From August to September 2020, convenient sampling was used to recruit MSM in Shijiazhuang. Online questionnaires were used to collect information about their demographic characteristics, sexual behaviors and HIV self-testing. logistic regression model was used to analyze the related factors associated with HIV self-testing. Results: In the 304 MSM respondents, 52.3% (159/304) had HIV self-testing in the past 6 months, and 95.0% (151/159) used fingertip blood HIV detection reagent. Self-purchase was the main way to obtain HIV testing reagents (45.9%, 73/159), followed by supply from MSM social organization (44.7%, 71/159). The reasons for having HIV self-testing were non-specific testing time (67.9%, 108/159) and privacy protection (62.9%,100/159), the reasons for having no HIV self-testing included inability of using (32.4%, 47/145), being unaware of HIV self-testing reagent (24.1%, 35/145), and worry about inaccurate self-testing results (19.3%, 28/145). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that being 18-29 years old (aOR=2.68, 95%CI: 1.20-5.94), obtaining free HIV self-testing kits in recent 6 months (aOR=8.61, 95%CI: 4.09-18.11) and making friends through Internet and social software (aOR=2.68, 95%CI: 1.48-4.88) were positive factors for having HIV self-testing. Conclusion: HIV self-testing is a more flexible and convenient way to detect HIV in MSM, and the promotion of HIV self-testing in MSM should be strengthened to further increase the HIV detection rate in this population.

Skip metastasis at the esophageal resection margin in radical gastrectomy: clinical characteristics of 30 cases / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective: To summarize the clinical characteristics of patients with skip metastasis at esophageal resection margin during radical gastrectomy. Methods: This is a descriptive study of case series. Relevant data from 2006 to 2022 were collected from two major gastric cancer consultation and treatment centers: Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital and Jinling Hospital.Characteristics, surgical approach, number of dissected lymph nodes, immunohistochemical staining, and pathological staging were summarized and analyzed. The distribution of residual tumor cells at the esophageal margins was further analyzed at the cellular and tissue levels. Skip metastasis at the esophageal resection margin was defined as a negative esophageal margin with a positive margin in the cephalad donut. Results: Thirty (0.33%, 30/8972) eligible patients, 24 (80.0%) of whom were male, were identified in the two centers. The mean age was 63.9±11.0 years. Seventeen (56.7%) of these patients had papillary or tubular adenocarcinomas, including 13 (43.3%) poorly- and four (13.3%) moderately-differentiated tumors; four (13.3%) had signet-ring cell carcinomas; four (13.3%) mucinous adenocarcinomas; three (10.0%) mixed adenocarcinomas, including two with poorly-differentiated tubular adenocarcinomas mixed with signet-ring cell carcinoma and mucinous adenocarcinoma; and one had a poorly differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma mixed with signet-ring cell carcinoma. Two patients (6.7%) had other types of cancer, namely adenosquamous carcinoma in one patient and undifferentiated carcinoma in the other one. The predominant tumor sites were the lesser curvature (n=26, 86.7%) and the cardia (n=24, 80.0%). The mean tumor diameter was 6.6 cm, mean distance between tumor and esophageal resection margin was 1.5 cm, and proportions of tumor invasion into the dentate line, nerves, and vessels were 80.0% (24/30), 86.7%(26/30), and 93.3% (28/30), respectively. The mean number of lymph nodes resected was 20.4±8.9. The pathological stage was mainly T4 (n=18, 60.0%) and N3 (n=21, 70.0%), the median Ki67 was 52.7%, and the rates of positivity for HER2, EGFR, VEGFR, E-cadherin and PD-L1 were 40.0% (12/30), 46.7% (14/30), 80.0% (24/30), 86.7% (26/30) and 16.7% (5/30), respectively. At the cellular level, cancer cells were mainly distributed in small focal areas, as cell masses, or as tumor thrombi; large numbers of widely distributed atypic cells were seldom observed. At the tissue level, cancer cells were located in the mucosal layer in seven patients (23.3%), in the submucosal layer in 18 (60.0%), and in the muscular layer in five (16.7%); no cancer cells were identified in the outer membrane. Five of the seven tumors were located in the lamina propria, two in the muscularis mucosae, and none in the mucosal epithelium. Conclusion: Patients with skip metastasis at the esophageal resection margin at radical gastrectomy have unfavorable tumor biology and a high proliferation index, are at a late pathological stage, and the residual cancer is mostly located in the submucosa.

Comparison of the Nerve Regeneration Capacity and Characteristics between Sciatic Nerve Crush and Transection Injury Models in Rats / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#To provide useful information for selecting the most appropriate peripheral nerve injury model for different research purposes in nerve injury and repair studies, and to compare nerve regeneration capacity and characteristics between them.@*METHODS@#Sixty adult SD rats were randomly divided into two groups and underwent crush injury alone (group A, n = 30) or transection injury followed by surgical repair (group B, n = 30) of the right hind paw. Each group was subjected to the CatWalk test, gastrocnemius muscle evaluation, pain threshold measurement, electrophysiological examination, retrograde neuronal labeling, and quantification of nerve regeneration before and 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after injury.@*RESULTS@#Gait analysis showed that the recovery speed in group A was significantly faster than that in group B at 14 days. At 21 days, the compound muscle action potential of the gastrocnemius muscle in group A was significantly higher than that in group B, and the number of labeled motor neurons in group B was lower than that in group A. The number of new myelin sheaths and the g-ratio were higher in group A than in group B. There was a 7-day time difference in the regeneration rate between the two injury groups.@*CONCLUSION@#The regeneration of nerve fibers was rapid after crush nerve injury, whereas the transection injury was relatively slow, which provides some ideas for the selection of clinical research models.

Prevention of knee joint injuries in winter sports training / Prevenção de lesões articulares do joelho no treino dos esportes de inverno / Prevención de las lesiones articulares de la rodilla en el entrenamiento de los deportes de invierno

ABSTRACT Introduction: With the 2022 Winter Olympic Games launch, ice and snow sports have come into the spotlight, receiving government incentives to encourage their practice. Objective: Examine the causes of knee injury in skiers, proposing preventive measures for joint injury. Methods: The current situation of joint injury in skiers' knees, joint movement in skiing, the cause of joint injury, and the prevention of joint injury were analyzed, and scientific prevention and corresponding treatment plan were developed according to the results of the analysis. Results: The injury rate among skiers is high. Ligament injury, tendon injury, and muscle strain are the three main types of injury. There are 57 mild injuries of various types to the knee joint - 53.27% of all injuries; 41 moderate injuries, representing 38.32% of all injuries; 9 serious injuries, representing 8.41% of all injuries, with minor injuries. Conclusion: This article examines knee motion and the causes of knee injury in skiers and proposes preventive measures for joint injury. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment outcomes.

RESUMO Introdução: Com o lançamento dos Jogos Olímpicos de Inverno de 2022, os esportes de gelo e neve entraram em evidência, recebendo incentivos governamentais para encorajamento de sua prática. Objetivo: Examinar as causas da lesão no joelho em esquiadores, propondo medidas preventivas para a lesão articular. Métodos: Foram analisadas a situação atual de lesão articular nos joelhos dos esquiadores, o movimento articular no esqui, a causa das lesões articulares e a prevenção de lesões articulares, além de um plano de prevenção científica e tratamento correspondente, de acordo com os resultados da análise. Resultados: A taxa de lesões em esquiadores é alta. Lesão ligamentar, lesão tendinosa e tensão muscular são os três principais tipos de lesão. Há 57 lesões leves de vários tipos na articulação do joelho - 53,27% de todas as lesões; 41 lesões moderadas, representando 38,32% de todas as lesões; 9 lesões graves, representando 8,41% de todos os ferimentos, com ferimentos menores. Conclusão: Este artigo examina o movimento do joelho e as causas da lesão no joelho em esquiadores, e propõe medidas preventivas para lesão articular. Nível de evidência II; Estudos terapêuticos - investigação dos resultados do tratamento.

RESUMEN Introducción: Con la puesta en marcha de los Juegos Olímpicos de Invierno de 2022, los deportes de hielo y nieve han pasado a ser el centro de atención, recibiendo incentivos gubernamentales para fomentar su práctica. Objetivo: Examinar las causas de las lesiones de rodilla en los esquiadores, proponiendo medidas preventivas de las lesiones articulares. Métodos: Se analizó la situación actual de las lesiones articulares en las rodillas de los esquiadores, el movimiento articular en el esquí, la causa de las lesiones articulares y la prevención de las mismas, y se elaboró un plan científico de prevención y tratamiento correspondiente según los resultados del análisis. Resultados: El índice de lesiones en los esquiadores es alto. Las lesiones de ligamentos, las lesiones de tendones y las distensiones musculares son los tres tipos principales de lesiones. Hay 57 lesiones leves de diversos tipos en la articulación de la rodilla, el 53,27% de todas las lesiones; 41 lesiones moderadas, que representan el 38,32% de todas las lesiones; 9 lesiones graves, que representan el 8,41% de todas las lesiones, con lesiones leves. Conclusión: Este artículo examina el movimiento de la rodilla y las causas de las lesiones de rodilla en los esquiadores, y propone medidas preventivas para las lesiones articulares. Nivel de evidencia II; Estudios terapéuticos - investigación de los resultados del tratamiento.

Protective effects and mechanisms of Lizhong decoction against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in a rat model.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effects and molecular mechanisms of Lizhong decoction (, LZD) against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: Male Wistar rats were fed a high-fat diet for four weeks to induce NAFLD, and were administered LZD by gavage for four weeks. Potential therapeutic targets for NAFLD were analyzed using network pharmacology. Liver pathology was evaluated using Oil Red O and hematoxylin-eosin staining. Furthermore, mitochondrial function, lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, and inflammatory response were examined. RESULTS: Rats with NAFLD exhibited high levels of hepatic damage and cholesterol deposition. Moreover, apoptosis was increased, superoxide dismutase and glutathione content were reduced, malondialdehyde content was increased, and the protein expression of inflammatory cytokines and p-c-Jun N-terminal kinase was increased. The LZD treatment ameliorated mitochondrial dysfunction, reduced liver damage, inhibited oxidative stress and inflammatory response, upregulated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ expression, and suppressed dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) expression in the liver. CONCLUSION: It was found that LZD alleviates NAFLD by activating PPAR-γ and inhibiting DPP4.

Spirocyclohexadienone-Type Neolignans with Neuroprotective and Neurite Outgrowth Enhancing Activities from Magnolia liliiflora.

Three rare spirocyclohexadienone-type neolignans, magnoflorins A-C (1-3), and three known analogs (4-6), were isolated from the leaves of Magnolia liliiflora. Magnoflorin D (4) was obtained from natural resources for the first time. The chemical structures and absolute configurations of 1-4 were elucidated through detailed analysis of HR-ESI-MS, IR, 1 H, 13 C, and 2D NMR, and ECD experiments. The absolute configuration of 5 were characterized by X-ray crystallography in present study. Moreover, compounds 4 and 5 displayed moderate neuroprotective activity against corticosterone-induced PC12 cells injury at 20 µM with cell viability of 71.5±0.99 % and 73.0±1.42 %, respectively, compared to the model group with 60.83±0.93 %. Compound 6 could enhance neurite outgrowth of nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced PC12 cells at 10 µM with the differentiation rate of 11.98 %, compared with 20.49 % of 50 ng/ml NGF.

Dysregulation of Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses in Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection with Delayed Viral Clearance.

Asymptomatic infection with SARS-CoV-2 is a major concern in the control of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many questions concerning asymptomatic infection remain to be answered, for example, what are the differences in infectivity and the immune response between asymptomatic and symptomatic infections? In this study, based on a cohort established by the Wuchang District Health Bureau of Wuhan in the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan in 2019, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the clinical, virological, immunological, and epidemiological data of asymptomatic infections. The major findings of this study included: 1) the asymptomatic cohort enrolled this study exhibited low-grade but recurrent activity of viral replication; 2) despite a lack of overt clinical symptoms, asymptomatic infections exhibited ongoing innate and adaptive immune responses; 3) however, the immune response from asymptomatic infections was not activated adequately, which may lead to delayed viral clearance. Given the fragile equilibrium between viral infection and host immunity, and the delayed viral clearance in asymptomatic individuals, close viral monitoring should be scheduled, and therapeutic intervention may be needed.