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Uveitis, a complex ocular disorder with numerous etiologies, can result from infection, autoimmune, and various physicochemical and mechanical injury factors. The treatment of this disease is difficult, and failure to receive timely and effective treatment can often lead to blindness. With the deepening of people's understanding of uveitis and its related mechanisms, various new sustained-release drug delivery systems for uveitis have been studied. However, due to the existence of various anatomical and physiological barriers in the eye, there are multiple obstacles to the sustained release treatment of uveitis. In this paper, the main research results in this field in recent years are reviewed, and the innovations and limitations of various new sustained-release drug delivery systems are discussed in order to provide new ideas for the sustained-release drug delivery treatment of uveitis in the future. These new sustained-release drug delivery systems will help to completely change the traditional treatment mode of uveitis with side effects and poor compliance in the future, bringing longer targeted sustained release and less toxic reactions.
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Objective:To construct a double-layer bone-on-a-chip containing bone matrix, with which the process of osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation in vitro is stimulated, aiming to provide a new platform for the development of osteoporosis medications. Methods:Software WorkSoild was used to design the double-layer and double-channel bone-on-a-chip and the template was fabricated by photolithography. With polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as the raw material, the main body of the chip was prepared by mold fabrication. The inlets and outlets of the four channels of the culture room were separated with bovine cortex bones and sealed with liquid storage columns. In the chip verification experiment, chips were divided into osteogenic and osteoclastic induction groups and osteogenic and osteoclastic control groups. In the osteogenic and osteoclastic induction groups, precursor cells of mouse embryonic osteoblast, MC3T3-E1 and mouse macrophage RAW264.7 were inoculated on the chip separately. Osteogenic induction lasted 14 days and osteoclastic induction 7 days. MC3T3-E1 cells and RAW264.7 cells were not induced in the osteogenic and osteoclastic control groups. The following indicators were observed: (1) Appearance and sealing performance of the chip: After the chip was prepared, photos were taken to observe its appearance and sealing tests were conducted to observe its sealing performance. (2) Biocompatibility: At 3 days after MC3T3-E1 cells were inoculated onto the chip and cultured and at 1, 3 and 5 days after RAW264.7 cells were inoculated onto the chip and cultured, the cell survival was observed with calcein acetoxymethyl ester/propidium iodide (AM/PI) staining and Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK-8). (3) Osteogenic differentiation: Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining and alizarin red staining were performed on the cells in the osteogenic induction group to observe the osteogenic induction. RNA was collected from the osteogenic induction group and the osteogenic control group, the expression of osteoblast marker Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), osteocalcin (OCN) and type I collagen (COL1A1) was detected by real-time florescent quantitative PCR (qPCR), and the differentiation degree and osteogenic ability of osteoblasts were observed. (4) Osteoclast differentiation: tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining was performed on cells in the osteoclastic induction group to observe osteoclast differentiation. RNA was extracted from the osteoclastic induction group and the osteoclastic control group for qPCR of osteoclast differentiation-related genes, and the expression levels of the osteoclast marker gene TRAP, cathepsin K (CTSK) and dendritic cell specific transmembrane protein (DC-STAMP) were detected.Results:The double-layer bone-on-a-chip containing bone matrix was 3 cm×3 cm in size and transparent as a whole. The structure of the system on the chip system was compact and had no seepage. It was shown by calcein AM/PI staining that at 3 days after MC3T3-E1 cells and RAW264.7 cells were cultured, very few red fluorescent dead cells were found. CCK-8 test showed that within 5 days after being cultured, the cell viability was all above 90%, indicating that the biocompatibility of the chip was good and the cells could survive and proliferate normally. The results of ALP and alizarin red staining showed that MC3T3-E1 cells successfully differentiated into osteoblasts and produced calcified nodules in the osteogenic induction group at 14 days after the induction. The qPCR results showed that the relative expression level of RUNX2 in MC3T3-E1 cells in the osteogenic induction group was 4.98±0.74, which was significantly higher than that of the control group (0.99±0.03) ( P<0.01). The relative expression level of OCN in MC3T3-E1 cells was 7.98±0.76, which was significantly higher than that of the control group (1.00±0.06) ( P<0.01). The relative expression level of COL1A1 in MC3T3-E1 cells was 7.07±0.56, which was significantly higher than that of the control group (0.97±0.03) ( P<0.01). The TRAP staining results showed that the RAW264.7 cells in the osteoclastic induction group differentiated to giant multinucleated osteoclasts, and TRAP protein was expressed in large quantity in the osteoclasts. The results of qPCR showed that the relative expression level of TRAP in RAW264.7 cells in the osteoclastic induction group was 3.35±0.37, which was significantly higher than that of the control group (1.01±0.06) ( P<0.01). The relative expression level of CTSK in RAW264.7 cells was 3.46±0.79, which was significantly higher than that of the control group (1.01±0.05) ( P<0.01). The relative expression level of DC-STAMP in RAW264.7 cells was 1.92±0.12, which was significantly higher than that of the control group (0.98±0.08) ( P<0.01). Conclusions:The double-layer bone-on-a-chip containing bone matrix is compact in structure, can be cultured in vitro for a long time, has good biocompatibility and can be used for inducing osteogenic and osteoclast differentiation. Therefore, it is expected to provide a new research platform for exploring the mechanism of osteoporosis and medication screening.
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In recent years, advancements in microfabrication technology and tissue engineering have propelled the development of a novel platform known as organoid-on-a-chip for drug screening and disease modeling. This platform integrates organoids and organ-on-a-chip technologies, emerging as a promising approach for in vitro modeling of human organs. Organ-on-a-chip leverages microfluidic device to simulate the physiological environment of specific organs, offering a more dynamic and flexible setting that can mimic a more comprehensive human biological context. However, the lack of functional vasculature has remained a major challenge in this technology. Vascularization is crucial for the long-term cultivation and in vitro modeling of organoids, which is of great significance in drug development and personalized medical approaches. The authors reviewed the research progress in the construction of vascularized organoid-on-a-chip including the methods for constructing in vitro vascularized models, vascularization of organoids, etc, which may serve as a reference for the construction of fully functional vascularized organoid-on-a-chip.
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Palliative care, as an emerging discipline, is rapidly advancing in China. However, progress in quality management has been relatively slow, hindering the homogeneity of palliative care services in a certain degree. This article takes the Shanghai Palliative Care Service Management Center as an example, outlines its practical model and achievements in the field of quality management since its establishment, and further analyzes the existing problems based on the city-wide palliative care service quality evaluation results. The article summarizes relevant experiences and offers corresponding insights, enriching research cases and practical support in the quality management of palliative care, which may have practical application value for enhancing the homogeneity of palliative care services in the region.
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@#Objective To investigate the accuracy of 18F-FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) combined with CT three-dimensional reconstruction (CT-3D) in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules. Methods The clinical data of patients who underwent pulmonary nodule surgery in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital from July 2020 to August 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The preoperative 18F-FDG PET/CT and chest enhanced CT-3D and other imaging data were extracted. The parameters with diagnostic significance were screened by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). Three prediction models, including PET/CT prediction model (MOD PET), CT-3D prediction model (MOD CT-3D), and PET/CT combined CT-3D prediction model (MOD combination), were established through binary logistic regression, and the diagnostic performance of the models were validated by ROC curve. Results A total of 125 patients were enrolled, including 57 males and 68 females, with an average age of 61.16±8.57 years. There were 46 patients with benign nodules, and 79 patients with malignant nodules. A total of 2 PET/CT parameters and 5 CT-3D parameters were extracted. Two PET/CT parameters, SUVmax≥1.5 (AUC=0.688) and abnormal uptake of hilar/mediastinal lymph node metabolism (AUC=0.671), were included in the regression model. Among the CT-3D parameters, CT value histogram peaks (AUC=0.694) and CT-3D morphology (AUC=0.652) were included in the regression model. Finally, the AUC of the MOD PET was verified to be 0.738 [95%CI (0.651, 0.824)], the sensitivity was 74.7%, and the specificity was 60.9%; the AUC of the MOD CT-3D was 0.762 [95%CI (0.677, 0.848)], the sensitivity was 51.9%, and the specificity was 87.0%; the AUC of the MOD combination was 0.857 [95%CI (0.789, 0.925)], the sensitivity was 77.2%, the specificity was 82.6%, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.001). Conclusion 18F-FDG PET/CT combined with CT-3D can improve the diagnostic performance of pulmonary nodules, and its specificity and sensitivity are better than those of single imaging diagnosis method. The combined prediction model is of great significance for the selection of surgical timing and surgical methods for pulmonary nodules, and provides a theoretical basis for the application of artificial intelligence in the pulmonary nodule diagnosis.
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Objective To explore the value of vesical imaging reporting and data system(VI-RADS)combined with absolute tumor-wall contact length(ABTCL)and actual tumor-wall contact length(ACTCL)in diagnosing muscle invasive bladder cancer(MIBC).Methods The MRI data of 113 patients with pathologically confirmed bladder cancer(BCa)were analyzed retrospectively.All patients underwent conventional MRI,diffusion weighted imaging(DWI)and dynamic contrast enhanced(DCE)MRI before sur-gery.Two radiologists independently evaluated MRI images based on VI-RADS score,and measured quantitative parameters,inclu-ding ABTCL and ACTCL.The Chi-square test was used to compare the difference of VI-RADS scores between MIBC and non-mus-cle invasive bladder cancer(NMIBC).Quantitative parameters between MIBC and NMIBC were compared by Mann-Whitney U test.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of VI-RADS,quantitative parameters and VI-RADS combined with quantitative parameters in the diagnosis of MIBC.Results VI-RADS,ABTCL and ACTCL had significant differences between MIBC and NMIBC(P<0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)for VI-RADS,ABTCL and ACTCL in diagno-sing MIBC were 0.89,0.76 and 0.77,respectively.There was no significant difference between the AUC for ABTCL and ACTCL(P>0.05).The AUC for VI-RADS combined with ABTCL or ACTCL in diagnosing MIBC was 0.93,higher than that of only VI-RADS(P<0.05).Conclusion The combination of VI-RADS with either ABTCL or ACTCL can effectively improve the diagnostic performance of MIBC.ABTCL obtainedby linear measurement is easier to implement in clinical practice than ACTCL obtained by curved measurement.
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The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare changes in explosive power between blood flow restriction training and traditional resistance training protocols. Searches of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and OVID Medline were conducted for studies. Inclusion criteria were: (a) healthy people; (b) randomized controlled or controlled trials; (c) outcome measures of explosive performance (peak power, rate of force development, jump performance, sprint performance, etc.); (d) involving a comparison between blood flow restriction training and traditional resistance training. Quality assessment was conducted using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. A total of 12 studies (262 subjects) were finally included for analysis. The PEDro scale score had a median of 5 of 10 points (range: 3-6 points). Significant small to moderate improvements were observed in blood flow restriction training [jump: standard mean difference (SMD) of 0.36 (95% CI: 0.02; 0.69); sprint: SMD of 0.54 (95% CI: 0.00; 1.07); power: SMD of 0.72 (95% CI: 0.17; 1.27)] when compared to traditional resistance training. The findings indicate that blood flow restriction training is more effective in improving explosive power of lower limbs compared to traditional resistance training in healthy people. In addition, blood flow restriction with a wide cuff (≥ 10 cm) during training improved explosive power better than with a narrow cuff or during the rest interval. Blood flow restriction training is very suitable for athletes in short competitive seasons and those who are not able to tolerate high loads (i.e., rehabilitators and the elderly).
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Objective:To study the clinical significance of alveolar-arterial oxygen gradients (P A-aO 2) for late preterm and full-term infants with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Methods:From January 2020 to June 2022, infants (gestational age ≥34 weeks) diagnosed with ARDS were admitted to the Neonatology Department of our hospital. The infants were assigned into the invasive group and the non-invasive group according to the ventilation mode. The infants with the same gestational age and diagnosed with neonatal wet lung were assigned into the control group. P A-aO 2 levels within 1 h after birth were compared among the three groups. The correlation of P A-aO 2 with ARDS, ventilation mode and duration were studied. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the predictive value of P A-aO 2 within 1 h after birth for ARDS and the need of invasive ventilation. Results:A total of 36 cases were enrolled in the invasive group, 19 cases in the non-invasive group and 50 cases in the control group. Within 1 h after birth, P A-aO 2 in the invasive group was significantly higher than the non-invasive group and the control group ( P<0.05), and the non-invasive group higher than the control group ( P<0.05). Correlation analysis showed that P A-aO 2 within 1 h after birth in the invasive group was positively correlated with the duration of invasive ventilation and total mechanical ventilation ( r=0.601, P<0.001; r=0.504, P=0.002); P A-aO 2 before successful withdrawal of invasive ventilation was not correlated with subsequent non-invasive ventilation duration; and no correlation existed between P A-aO 2 within 1 h after birth and the duration of non-invasive ventilation in the non-invasive group. The area under the ROC curve for P A-aO 2 within 1 h after birth to predict ARDS was 0.875, with a sensitivity of 87.3% and a specificity of 72.0% at a cutoff value of 50.0 mmHg. The area under the ROC curve for predicting the need for invasive ventilation in infants with ARDS was 0.851, with a sensitivity of 80.0% at a cutoff value of 73.3 mmHg and a specificity of 75.0%. Conclusions:Late preterm and full-term infants have a higher risk of ARDS at P A-aO 2>50.0 mmHg within 1 h after birth. Infants with ARDS are more likely to require invasive ventilation if P A-aO 2>73.3 mmHg. The higher the level of P A-aO 2, the longer the duration of invasive ventilation and total duration of mechanical ventilation.
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Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of insulin degludec/insulin aspart on type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients with poor efficacy of oral hypoglycemic drugs.Methods:A total of 100 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Tianfu Hospital of Chongqing Energy Investment Health Industry Company Limited from August 2020 to August 2021 were included in this study. They were randomly assigned to receive either insulin degludec/insulin aspart combined with Metformin (observation group, n = 50) or nsulin aspart 30 injection and Metformin (control group, n = 50). All patients were treated for 3 months. Changes in fasting plasma glucose level, 2-hour postprandial glucose level , and HbAlc after treatment relative to those before treatment as well as clinical efficacy were determined in each group. Results:Forty-eight patients in the observation group and forty-six patients in the control group completed the course of treatment. Fasting blood glucose level and 2-hour postprandial glucose level in the observation group were (6.24 ± 1.12) mmol/L and (8.34 ± 2.34) mmol/L, respectively and they were significantly lower than (6.91 ± 1.86) mmol/L and (10.72 ± 2.48) mmol/L, respectively in the control group ( t = 3.28, 4.76, both P < 0.05). The level of HbAlc was not significant between the two groups ( P > 0.05). The hypoglycemia rate in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group [2% (1/48) vs. 13% (6/46), χ2 = 4.09, P < 0.05]. The daily dose of insulin in the observation group was less than that in the control group [(13.5 ± 2.8) IU vs. (15.6 ± 3.1) IU, t = 3.28, P < 0.05)]. Conclusion:Compared with insulin insulin aspart 30, the insulin degludec/insulin aspart has a stronger hypoglycemic effect on fasting plasma glucose level and 2-hour postprandial glucose level in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients with poor efficacy of oral hypoglycemic drugs, leading to a less daily dose of insulin.
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@#The human gut microbiota regulates many host pathophysiological processes including metabolic, inflammatory, immune and cellular responses. In recent years, the incidence and mortality of lung cancer have increased rapidly, which is one of the biggest challenges in the field of cancer treatment today, especially in non-small cell lung cancer. Animal models and clinical studies have found that the gut microbiota of non-small cell lung cancer patients is significantly changed compared with the healthy people. The gut microbiota and metabolites can not only play a pro-cancer or tumor suppressor role by regulating immune, inflammatory responses and so on, but also be related with radiotherapy and chemotherapy of non-small cell lung cancer and the resistance of immunotherapy. Therefore, gut microbiota and related metabolites can be both potential markers for early diagnosis and prognosis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer and novel therapeutic targets for targeted drugs. This study will review the latest research progress of effect of gut microbiota on non-small cell lung cancer, and provide a new diagnosis and treatment ideas for non-small cell lung cancer.
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ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Jiedu Huoxue prescription in promoting the reendothelialization of injured vessels by regulating the nuclear factor (NF)-κB/NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3)/cysteine-aspartic acid protease (Caspase)-1-mediated pyroptosis. MethodA rat model of injured thoracic aorta was established by balloon injury, and 36 rats were assigned into shame surgery, model, low-, medium-, and high-dose Jiedu Huoxue prescription, and atorvastatin calcium tablet groups. The injured aortic segment was collected 28 days after surgery. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Evans blue staining were conducted to reveal the changes of vascular structural morphology and the reendothelialization of blood vessels, respectively. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to determine the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), interleukin (IL)-1β, and nitric oxide (NO) in the serum. Western blotting was employed to determine the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), NF-κB p65, phospho-NF-κB p65 (p-NF-κB p65), NLRP3, and Caspase-1 in the vascular tissue. ResultThe model group showed thickened endovascular membrane, proliferation and disarrangement of smooth muscle cells of the artery wall, obvious inflammatory cell infiltration, and narrowed luminal area. Jiedu Huoxue prescription and atorvastatin calcium tablets mitigated the pathological changes of the thoracic aorta in different degrees. After balloon injury, the endothelial coverage rate of the model group decreased significantly, while Jiedu Huoxue prescription and atorvastatin calcium tablets increased the reendothelialization rate (P<0.05). Compared with the shame surgery group, the model group showed elevated levels of TNF-α, ICAM-1, and IL-1β (P<0.01) and lowered NO level (P<0.01) in the serum. In addition, the model group presented down-regulated protein level of eNOS (P<0.01) and up-regulated phosphorylation of pyroptosis-associated proteins NLPR3, Caspase-1, and NF-κB p65 in the vascular tissue (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the model group, Jiedu Huoxue prescription and atorvastatin calcium tablets lowered TNF-α, ICAM-1, and IL-1β levels (P<0.05, P<0.01) and elevated the NO level in the serum (P<0.05, P<0.01). Moreover, the drugs up-regulated the expression of eNOS (P<0.01) and down-regulated the expression of NLRP3, Caspase-1, and NF-κB p65 (P<0.05, P<0.01) in the vascular tissue. ConclusionJiedu Huoxue prescription can promote the reendothelialization and inhibit the intimal hyperplasia of vessels after balloon injury by regulating the NF-κB/NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway to inhibit pyroptosis and reduce endothelial inflammatory injury.
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Objective:To design and construct a bone nonunion organoid on chip and explore the mechanism of aseptic bone nonunion.Methods:First a semi-open microfluidic chip was designed, on which human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSC), human fetal lung fibroblast 1, (HFL1) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were co-cultured, and a three-dimensional organ on chip system was established. Different proportions of HFL1 and HUVEC were co-cultured with BMSC, which were divided into the control group (HFL1∶HUVEC=1∶1), the fibrosis group (HFL1∶HUVEC=3∶1) and the vascularization group (HFL1∶HUVEC=1∶3). The osteogenic differentiation of BMSC was observed by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and Alizarin red staining. The transcription level of osteogenic marker genes SP7, RUNX2, ALPL, and BGLAP, and vascularization related genes KDR and VWF were analyzed by qPCR. The expression levels of RUNX2 and ALP were determined by Western Blot. Results:In the co-culture system of BMSCs, HFL1, and HUVECs, BMSCs exhibited normal growth and apparent biomineralization behavior. Endothelial cells were capable of forming structured vascular networks, confirming the successful establishment of the system. Compared to the baseline group, the fibrotic group showed no significant decrease in BMSC osteogenic differentiation. The relative expression levels of the mineralization marker genes ALPL and BGLAP were 0.55±0.19 ( P<0.001) and 0.42±0.27 ( P<0.001), respectively. Vascularization genes KDR and VWF were downregulated, with relative expression levels of 0.49±0.17 ( P<0.001) and 0.49±0.21 ( P<0.001). In contrast, in the vascularized group, BMSC osteogenic differentiation genes SP7, RUNX2, ALPL, and BGLAP were upregulated, with relative expression levels of 2.91±0.52 ( P<0.001), 3.83±1.87 ( P<0.001), 3.22±1.29 ( P<0.001), and 5.21±1.46 ( P<0.001), respectively. Vascularization genes KDR and VWF were also upregulated, with relative expressions of 8.24±2.84 ( P<0.001) and 5.32±1.67 ( P<0.001). Western blot results indicated increased expression of RUNX2 and ALP in the vascularized group and decreased expression in the fibrotic group. Conclusion:The bone nonunion organoid on chip could partially simulate the local microenvironment of bone nonunion. Fibrosis may lead to a significant decrease in bone formation ability and vascularization level, which might be an important reason for the occurrence of aseptic bone nonunion.
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The most common metastatic sites of prostate cancer were bone, lymph nodes, liver, or thorax et al. This paper reported a 75-year-old patient who was initially diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. After 12 months Geraldine + Bicaluamide and six months of abiraterone therapy, imaging reexamination revealed malignant lesion in the left calyces. Then he developed severe abdominal pain and was diagnosed with acute renal rupture and bleeding. Emergent surgery of left kidney and ureter resection was performed and postoperative pathology confirmed renal calyceal and ureteral metastatic tumor from prostate cancer. One month after operation, PSA reduced to the lowest level of 2.7 ng/ml. When hydronephrosis occurs in patients with advanced prostate cancer, we should be highly vigilant that it might metastasize to the renal calyx, renal pelvis or proximal ureter.
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Objective:To apply knowledge maps to systematically evaluate problem-based learning (PBL) literatures from the past 50 years, so as to explore the law of development and related important documents.Methods:All peer-reviewed studies were retrieved from Web of Science (WOS) Citation Database on PBL of the year from 1970 to 2019. Bibliometrix package of R was used to analyze following items: annual growth law of PBL literature, literature cumulative growth law, literature citation status and top 30 important documents. Based on the results, the law of development of PBL research, important literatures and time nodes was analyzed.Results:After literature cleaning, 2 401 documents were finally included into the analysis. The analysis revealed that: in accordance with the law of development disciplines, PBL study experienced three periods, early birth (Period Ⅰ), PBL study early development (Period Ⅱ) and PBL large-scale development (Period Ⅲ). Now PBL is currently in a period of large-scale development. In the development process, 1983, 1986, 1993, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2012 and 2014 has become important research time nodes, and there have been five important documents promoting PBL development (ALBANESE MA, 1993, ACAD MED; VERNON DTA, 1993, ACAD MED; NORMAN GR, 1992, ACAD MED; BARROWS HS, 1986, MED EDUC; HMELO-SILVER CE, 2004, EDUC PSYCHOL REV).Conclusion:Nowadays, PBL theory and method has been perfected, which has been developed significantly, and it's an important period of application and promotion. The PBL has become an important method to cultivate clinical skills or other disciplines with strong practicality.
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Objective:To analyze the effects of the main drug resistance mutations in the integrase (IN) region on the resistance of HIV-1 CRF01_AE strains, and compare the differences with subtype B strains.Methods:Seven IN region mutations or combined mutations (T66K, F121Y, Q148K, N155H, G118R, R263K, Q148K/N155H) were selected from the HIV drug resistance database of Stanford University in the United States, and introduced to the IN region of HIV-1 B subtype infectious clone pNL4-3 and CRF01_AE infectious clone pGX002 by seamless cloning, homologous recombination and point mutation. The mutant plasmids were transfected into 293T cells for virus packaging. The culture was expanded in MT2 cells and infectious titers were detected. Half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC 50) of four integrase inhibitors (INSTIs), raltegravir (RAL), elvitegravir (EVG), dolutegravir (DTG) and bictegravir (BIC), against 14 mutant viruses were detected and compared with the IC 50 against the wild-type viruses. Results:B subtype and CRF01_AE plasmids carrying seven IN region mutations or combined mutations were successfully constructed, and 14 recombinant viruses were packaged with an infectious titer of 10 4-10 6 median tissue culture infective dose (TCID 50)/ml. The recombinant viruses replicated efficiently in MT2 cells. The concentrations of HIV-1 p24 antigen contained in the supernatants of cell culture reached 830-2 700 ng/ml. Five mutations or combined mutations (T66K, F121Y, Q148K, N155H, Q148K/N155H) caused CRF01_AE and B subtype strains to be highly resistant to RAL and EVG, resulting in an increase in the IC 50 by 200 times and 2 000 times or more as compared with the IC 50 against the wild-type viruses. The same mutation-caused fold changes of IC 50 of RAL and EVG against CRF01_AE were significantly lower than that of subtype B ( P<0.01). Q148K/N155H mutation caused B subtype and CRF01_AE to be highly resistant to DTG and BIC, with IC 50 increased by more than 50 times. Other mutations had little effects on the sensitivity to DTG and BIC. Conclusions:Fourteen HIV-1 strains carrying seven INSTI resistance mutations based on B subtype and CRF01_AE were constructed. Five mutations resulted in high resistance to RAL and EVG, and there was a high level of cross-resistance. Resistance to RAL and EVG caused by the same mutation was higher in B subtype than in CRF01_AE. The combined mutation of Q148K and N155H was associated with greater resistance to DTG and BIC, indicating that the genetic barrier of DTG and BIC resistance was high. DTG and BIC could effectively inhibit the strains carrying INSTI resistance mutations without obvious subtype difference.
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[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2021.04.022.].
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Objective:To investigate the protective effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy(HBOT)on myocardial fibrosis and oxidative stress induced by D-galactose(D-gal)in senescent model mice and its possible mechanism.Methods:Three-month-old male Kunming mice(n=27)were randomized into control, D-gal, and D-gal + HBOT groups.The control group received subcutaneous sterilized saline(5 ml · kg -1· d -1)for 8 weeks; the remaining 2 groups received subcutaneous D-gal(200 mg · kg -1· d -1)for 8 weeks. The D-gal + HBOT group underwent HBOT intervention at week 7~8.At the end of the experiment, the histopathological changes were analyzed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining, and the fibrosis changes were analyzed by Masson staining and Sirius red staining.Oxidative stress kit was used to detect catalase(CAT), total superoxide dismutase(T-SOD)activity and malon-di-aldehyde(MDA)content in serum of mice.Western blotting was used to detect the expression levels of the aging-related proteins p53 and p16 in mouse heart tissue, the heart-function-related proteins atrial natriuretic peptide(ANP)and brain natriuretic peptide(BNP), and the oxidative stress-related protein superoxide dismutase 1(SOD1), superoxide dismutase 2(SOD2)and catalase(CAT). Results:Cardiac morphologic staining indicated that as compared with the control group, mice of D-gal group exhibited features of senescence and the increased fibrosis area, and senescence and fibrosis were obviously improved after HBOT intervention as compared with the D-gal group.The findings of the oxidative stress kit measurement indicated that as compared with the control group, the D-gal group had markedly decreased activities of CAT and T-SOD, significantly increased MDA content in the serum.After HBOT treatment, as compared with d-gal group, serum CAT and T-SOD activities were increased, while MDA content was decreased( F=126.85, 32.89, 157.50, all P<0.05).Furthermore, as compared with the control group, the D-gal group had obviously increased contents of p53, p16, ANP and BNP, while the content of CAT, SOD1 and SOD2 were obviously decreased.After HBOT intervention, as compared with the D-gal group, the contents of p53, p16, ANP、BNP were reduced, while the content of CAT, SOD1 and SOD2 were increased( F=36.37, 14.81, 23.28, 58.41, 12.79, 80.08, 6.63, all P<0.05). Conclusions:HBOT intervention could protects against cardiac injury in aging mice, which may be related to attenuating myocardial fibrosis, inducing the expression of antioxidant enzymes, and reducing oxidative stress.
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@#Objective To explore the application value of machine learning models in predicting postoperative survival of patients with thoracic squamous esophageal cancer. Methods The clinical data of 369 patients with thoracic esophageal squamous carcinoma who underwent radical esophageal cancer surgery at the Department of Thoracic Surgery of Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital from January 2014 to September 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 279 (75.6%) males and 90 (24.4%) females aged 41-78 years. The patients were randomly divided into a training set (259 patients) and a test set (110 patients) with a ratio of 7 : 3. Variable screening was performed by selecting the best subset of features. Six machine learning models were constructed on this basis and validated in an independent test set. The performance of the models' predictions was evaluated by area under the curve (AUC), accuracy and logarithmic loss, and the fit of the models was reflected by calibration curves. The best model was selected as the final model. Risk stratification was performed using X-tile, and survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test. Results The 5-year postoperative survival rate of the patients was 67.5%. All clinicopathological characteristics of patients between the two groups in the training and test sets were not statistically different (P>0.05). A total of seven variables, including hypertension, history of smoking, history of alcohol consumption, degree of tissue differentiation, pN stage, vascular invasion and nerve invasion, were included for modelling. The AUC values for each model in the independent test set were: decision tree (AUC=0.796), support vector machine (AUC=0.829), random forest (AUC=0.831), logistic regression (AUC=0.838), gradient boosting machine (AUC=0.846), and XGBoost (AUC=0.853). The XGBoost model was finally selected as the best model, and risk stratification was performed on the training and test sets. Patients in the training and test sets were divided into a low risk group, an intermediate risk group and a high risk group, respectively. In both data sets, the differences in surgical prognosis among three groups were statistically significant (P<0.001). Conclusion Machine learning models have high value in predicting postoperative prognosis of thoracic squamous esophageal cancer. The XGBoost model outperforms common machine learning methods in predicting 5-year survival of patients with thoracic squamous esophageal cancer, and it has high utility and reliability.
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The window period of HIV infection refers to the time between HIV exposure and quantified and consistent detection of viral markers. The seroconversion window period is the interval between HIV infection and the first detection of antibodies. The eclipse period is the initial phase from HIV infection to reliable detection of HIV RNA. Understanding the window period is the basis for HIV test counseling, helping to provide key information about how soon after HIV exposure the tests and repeat tests should be offered and when the HIV infection can be excluded after negative test results are obtained. It has guiding significance for formulating post-exposure testing algorithm, selecting tests and interpreting test results. This paper introduced the definition of window period, emphasized the main points for accurately understanding the concept, analyzed the factors affecting the window period, especially the impact of antiretroviral drugs on viral marker response and detection, and proposed the follow-up method and post-exposure test strategy based on the length of window period, aiming to provide reference for the diagnosis of acute HIV infection.
ABSTRACT
Background/Aims@#Metabolic risk factors could accelerate hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related mortality; however, their impacts on disease severity in HBV-related acute on chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) patients remain unexplored. In this study, we assessed the effects of metabolic risk factors on the outcome of HBV-ACLF patients. @*Methods@#This study retrospectively enrolled antiviral therapy naïve HBV-ACLF patients from a single center in China. Patients were evaluated according to Child-Turcotte-Pugh score, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, 30-day, 90-day mortality and survival rate to estimate the prognosis of HBV-ACLF. The impacts of different metabolic risk factors were further analyzed. @*Results@#A total of 233 patients, including 158 (67.8%) with metabolic risk factors and 75 (32.2%) without metabolic risk factors, were finally analyzed. Patients with metabolic risk factors had significantly higher MELD score (22.6±6.1 vs 19.8±3.8, p<0.001), 90-day mortality rate (56.3% vs 38.7%, p=0.017), and shorter median survival time (58 days vs 75 days: hazard ratio, 1.553; 95% confidence interval, 1.061 to 2.274; p=0.036) than patients without them. Moreover, metabolic risk factors were independently associated with patients’ 90-day mortality (hazard ratio, 1.621; 95% confidence interval, 1.016 to 2.585; p=0.043). Prediabetes/diabetes and hypertension were related to higher rates of infection and worse renal function in HBV-ACLF patients. @*Conclusions@#HBV-ACLF patients with metabolic risk factors, especially prediabetes/diabetes or hypertension, could have more severe disease and lower survival rates. In addition, the existence of metabolic disorder is an independent risk factor for HBV-ACLF patients’ 90-day mortality.