A resonant high-pressure microsensor based on a composite pressure-sensitive mechanism of diaphragm bending and volume compression.

In this paper, a composite pressure-sensitive mechanism combining diaphragm bending and volume compression was developed for resonant pressure microsensors to achieve high-pressure measurements with excellent accuracy. The composite mechanism was explained, and the sensor structure was designed based on theoretical analysis and finite element simulation. An all-silicon resonant high-pressure microsensor with multiple miniaturized cavities and dual resonators was developed, where dual resonators positioned in two resonant cavities with suitably different widths are used to perform opposite characteristics in pressure and the same characteristics at different temperatures, which can improve pressure sensitivities and realize temperature self-compensation by differential frequency output. The microsensor was fabricated by microfabrication, and the experimental results showed that the sensor had an accuracy of ±0.015% full scale (FS) in a pressure range of 0.1~100 MPa and a temperature range of -10~50 °C. The pressure sensitivity of the differential frequency was 261.10 Hz/MPa (~2523 ppm/MPa) at a temperature of 20 °C, and the temperature sensitivities of the dual resonators were -1.54 Hz/°C (~-14.5 ppm/°C) and -1.57 Hz/°C (~-15.6 ppm/°C) at a pressure of 2 MPa. The differential output had an outstanding stability within ±0.02 Hz under constant temperature and pressure. Thus, this research provides a convenient solution for high-pressure measurements because of its advantages, namely, large range, excellent accuracy and stability.

Decision-making process of breastfeeding behavior in mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus based on health belief model.

BACKGROUND: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) threatens GDM mothers and their offspring's health and breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to decrease the risk. However, the prevalence of breastfeeding among GDM mothers is far from optimal and how GDM mothers develop their feeding behavior is still unclear. Thus, this study aimed to explore the formation of GDM mothers' breastfeeding behaviors based on the health belief model (HBM). METHODS: A questionnaire survey was conducted on 324 GDM mothers who have given birth within 6 months from January 1 to February 6, 2022. According to HBM, GDM mothers' knowledge, the perceived threat from GDM, the perceived value of breastfeeding, self-efficacy, social support and GDM mothers' breastfeeding behavior were measured. Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) was defined as an infant who received only breast milk in the past 24 h before the survey. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to explore how GDM mothers form their breastfeeding behaviors based on HBM. RESULTS: The prevalence of EBF among GDM mothers was 33.95%. GDM mothers had limited knowledge of GDM (average 63.14% correct answer to 7 questions), especially poor on the long-term effect of GDM (39.81%) and protective effect of breastfeeding (34.57%-45.99%). Although GDM mothers showed high perceived benefits (Mean: 3.35, SD: 0.46), high self-efficacy (Mean: 3.43, SD: 0.97) and high level of social support for breastfeeding (Mean: 3.74, SD: 0.74), the various barriers (Mean: 2.20, SD: 0.47) hindered their success in EBF. The SEM results showed that a higher level of social support and more self-efficacy of breastfeeding resulted in a higher likelihood of EBF, while the higher level of knowledge of GDM, perceived higher barriers and benefits of breastfeeding and higher susceptibility to GDM consequences led to less EBF. CONCLUSION: To promote EBF, physicians' education, emphasizing the protective effect of breastfeeding and how to correct breastfeeding, is highly recommended. In addition, social support for GDM mothers is also important to reduce their barriers to breastfeeding and help enhance self-efficacy in breastfeeding.

The vicious cycle of the public's irrational use of antibiotics for upper respiratory tract infections: A mixed methods systematic review.

Background: The public's irrational use of antibiotics for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) is prevalent worldwide. This study aims to synthesize evidence on how people use antibiotics to treat URTIs, its prevalence and determinants. Methods: A mixed methods systematic review was conducted using a convergent segregated approach. Relevant studies were searched from PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science. A qualitative analysis was initiated, exploring the public's antibiotic use experience for URTIS based on the Consumer Behavior Model (CBM). This was followed by a quantitative synthesis, tapping into the prevalence and predictors of public behavior in antibiotic usage for URTIs. The segregated syntheses complemented each other and were further integrated. Results: A total of 86 studies were included: 48 quantitative, 30 qualitative, eight mixed methods studies. The included studies were conducted in Europe (n = 29), Asia (n = 27) and North America (n = 21), assessing the behaviors of patients (n = 46), their parents or caregivers (n = 31), or both (n = 9). Eleven themes emerged covering the six CBM stages: need recognition, information searching, alternative evaluation, antibiotic obtaining, antibiotic consumption, and post-consumption evaluation. The six stages reinforce each other, forming a vicious cycle. The high prevalence of the public's irrational use of antibiotics for URTIs is evident despite the high heterogeneity of the studies (ranging from 0.0 to 92.7%). The perceived seriousness of illness and misbelief in antibiotics were identified consistently across the studies as the major motivation driving the public's irrational use of antibiotics for URTIs. However, individual capacity (e.g., knowledge) and opportunity (e.g., contextual restriction) in reducing antibiotic use have mixed effect. Conclusion: Systemic interventions concerning both supply and demand sides are warranted. The public needs to be educated about the appropriate management of URTIs and health care providers need to re-shape public attitudes toward antibiotic use for URTIs through communication and prescribing practices. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero, identifier: CRD42021266407.

How breastfeeding behavior develops in women with gestational diabetes mellitus: A qualitative study based on health belief model in China.

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a condition in which women develop hyperglycemia during pregnancy, and is associated with long-term health burden on both mother and their offspring, such as future type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Although breastfeeding was expected to mitigate metabolic sequelae for both mothers and their newborns, the prevalence of breastfeeding in GDM mothers are sub-optimal worldwide. Objective: To explore the experience of disease among mothers with GDM and how they develop feeding behaviors. Methods: This study was conducted in three branches of an integrated tertiary hospital in the central area of China. Mothers who were diagnosed with GDM, had no other complications, and gave birth before no more than 6 months were approached based on a purposive sampling. GDM mothers' experience of the disease and breastfeeding were collected via in-depth interviews. A theory-driven thematic analysis based on Health Belief Model (HBM) was applied for data analysis. Inductive reasoning was used to identify emerging themes which were not included in HBM. Results: 16 GDM mothers were included in the current study, with nine using breastfeeding, six mixed feeding and one artificial feeding, respectively. Nine themes were identified, including: 1) GDM diagnosis and severity; 2) information searching and GDM knowledge;3) GDM management; 4) perceived susceptibility of future diabetes;5) perceived severity of future diabetes;6) perceived benefits of breastfeeding;7) perceived barriers of breastfeeding;8) decision making process of feeding and social support. Generally, mothers with GDM lack reliable sources of information, considered the disease as a minor and transient illness during pregnancy, and failed to realize the long-term risk of GDM and the protective effect of breastfeeding to themselves and their babies. They rarely considered GDM in their feeding decision. Instead, the formation of feeding behaviors depends on the balance between the benefits and barriers of breastfeeding as well as the level of social support. Conclusion: To promote breastfeeding, a multi-facet intervention targeted on healthcare providers (HCPs), GDM mothers and their networks was important to help GDM mothers better and correctly understand the disease and breastfeeding, and increase their capacity of breastfeeding.

Indoor air pollution from solid fuels use, inflammation, depression and cognitive function in middle-aged and older Chinese adults.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have focused on the influence of indoor air pollution on depression and cognitive impairment; besides, the underlying mechanism is not well-established. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to fill the above gaps by exploring the underlying influence mechanism of solid fuel use, the major cause of indoor air pollution, with the risk of depression and cognitive impairment. METHODS: This data came from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) 2015 dataset. Self-reported household cooking fuels were collected and categorized as clean fuels and solid fuels. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cells (WBC) were used to measure inflammation. Depression and cognitive function were assessed by using standardized questionnaires. RESULTS: Respondents had an average Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10) scores of 7.68 (SD = 6.14) and cognitive function scores of 15.97 (SD = 4.84). In the whole sample, 36.4 % of respondents used solid fuels use, but this proportion was much greater among those living in rural areas (78.38 %). Compared with clean fuel users, solid fuel users had more depression and worse cognitive function. After adjusting for confounders, indoor air pollution was significantly associated with depression and cognitive function respectively (ß = -0.444, p < 0.001; ß = 0.656, p < 0.001). Indoor air pollution was significantly related to the WBC (ß = 0.170, p < 0.01), but not for the CRP. The WBC mediated the association between indoor air pollution and depression (ß = 0.026, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, solid fuel use was significantly associated with a higher risk of depression and cognitive impairment. Furthermore, we found that solid fuel use influences depression partly via the inflammatory profile.

Genome-wide CRISPR activation screen identifies novel receptors for SARS-CoV-2 entry

The ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been endangering worldwide public health and economy. SARS-CoV-2 infects a variety of tissues where the known receptor ACE2 is low or almost absent, suggesting the existence of alternative pathways for virus entry. Here, we performed a genome-wide barcoded-CRISPRa screen to identify novel host factors that enable SARS-CoV-2 infection. In addition to known host proteins, i.e. ACE2, TMPRSS2 and NRP1, we identified multiple host components, among which LDLRAD3, TMEM30A and CLEC4G were confirmed as functional receptors for SARS-CoV-2. All these membrane proteins bind directly to spikes N-terminal domain (NTD). Their essential and physiological roles have all been confirmed in either neuron or liver cells. In particular, LDLRAD3 and CLEC4G mediate SARS-CoV-2 entry and infection in a fashion independent of ACE2. The identification of the novel receptors and entry mechanisms could advance our understanding of the multiorgan tropism of SARS-CoV-2, and may shed light on the development of the therapeutic countermeasures against COVID-19.

Prevalence of stunting among students under the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students during 2012-2017 / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To analyze the prevalence of stunting among students received subsidies of the National Nutrition Improvement Program for rural Compulsory Education Students (NNIPRCES) during 2012-2017.@*Methods@#By using the data from 2012-2017 NNIPRCES survey, students aged 6-15 with valid height records were included. Stunting was defined according to the Screening Criteria of Malnutrition for School Age Children and Adolescents (WS/T 456—2014). To explore the association of the risk of stunting between different regions, gender or age groups in rural students.@*Results@#The prevalence of stunting among students aged 6-15 who received subsidies of NNIPRCES during 2012-2017 were 8.0%, 7.9%, 6.9%, 6.5%, 6.0% and 5.3%, declined by 2.7, 1.8, 4.0 percentage points in average, as well as in central and western region, respectively. The prevalence of stunting declined with 2.7 percentage points for boys and ,2.9 percentage points for girls. The prevalence of stunting declined most at the age of 13, with 4.0 percentage points.@*Conclusion@#The prevalence of stunting of students has declined after the implementation of NNIPRCES from 2012 to 2017. However, the total prevalence of stunting was still high and the development was unbalanced between central and western region, which requires more target intervening strategies to improve the nutritional status of students.

Changing trends in school-meal catering services as part of the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To analyze the usage of catering software and the creation of recipes by schools, as part of the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students (NIPRCES) 2013-2017.@*Methods@#In each county of the 699 trial counties across 22 provinces in central and western area of China under the NNIPRCES, no less than 10% of primary and junior middle schools were randomly selected according to their catering mode (i.e., school feeding, food packages, and family feeding). School questionnaires were used to collect information concerning the schools and the creation of recipes.@*Results@#From 2013 to 2017, the utilization rate of catering software was 11.7%, 8.0%, 17.8%, 16.9%, and 14.0%, respectively with significant differences(χ 2=345.09，P<0.01). The creators of school-meal recipes included schools, the Education Bureau, hospitals and colleges, the centers of disease prevention and control. Differences were observed in the proportion of recipe creators across school type, area, and catering mode, while annual trends also varied (P<0.01), as indicated by the following proportions: 74.9%, 20.0%, 3.7%, 1.3%, respectively. Food safety was identified as the main factor that needs to be considered when creating school recipes, the proportions of which were 58.0%, 78.4%, 70.6%, and 87.4% from 2014 to 2017.@*Conclusion@#From 2013 to 2017, the utilization rate and the frequency of catering software were both relatively low, and recipe creation was in need of professional guidance. It is necessary to strengthen the popularization of catering software and improve the nutritional knowledge and skills of canteen workers to ensure the quality of school meals.

Snack consumption and the influencing factors of students participation in the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education in 2019 / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To evaluate snack consumption and the influencing factors associated with student participation in the Nutrition Improvement Program, and to provide a scientific basis for improving the program.@*Methods@#Among the 50 monitoring counties that implemented the Compulsory Education Student Nutrition Improvement Program, two primary schools and two junior schools were randomly selected according to different food supply patterns (i.e., school, company, and mix). This study randomly selected one or two classes from each grade, which ranged from grade 3 to grade 9. A questionnaire, which addressed snack consumption and choice, was distributed to 27 374 students.@*Results@#The findings revealed that 14.0% of students from poor rural areas in central and western regions consumed snacks two or more times per day, and 21.6% of students spent 3 yuan or more on snacks each day. The top three choices of snacks included fruit and vegetables (50.6%), biscuits and bread (50.1%), and puffed food (40.0%). Students who had mothers who worked outside the home, parents who worked outside the home, who consumed corporate meals, and who had access to a small shop on campus were more likely to consume snacks one or more times per day(OR=1.35，1.19，1.11，1.51，P<0.05).@*Conclusion@#The phenomenon of snack consumption among primary and middle school students from poor rural areas in central and western regions is common, and the selection of unhealthy snacks was identified as a problem. A health education system with comprehensive support and guidance from individuals, families, schools, and society should be established to guide students to opt for healthier snacks.

Estabishment and application of modified lung reperfusion injury animal model / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective:In this study, we established a reliable surgical procedure of lung ischaemia-reperfusion(IR) injury in rats. The research progress of different lung IR injury models and application value was also discussed.Methods:Twenty-eight adult SD rats were randomly divided into SHAM group and lung IR injury group(IR group), 14 rats in each group. In IR group, rats underwent tracheotomy under general anesthesia and received mechanical ventilation. Chest was opened in supine position, and pulmonary hilum was blocked for 30 minutes then the occlusion was removed. Samples were harvested after reperfusion for 45minutes. Rats in SHAM group received surgery and exposure of the right pulmonary artery, and experienced the same amount of time before the chest closed. Arterial blood gas was extracted postoperatively. Gross view of the lungs and pathological changes were observed, and the dry/wet ratio(W/D) was determined. Protein level of pro-inflammatory factors, markers in oxidative stress pathway, and endothelial functional markers in lung were tested by western blot analysis.Results:In IR group, there was pink foamy secretion in the airway, and the lungs exhibited signs of edema and congestion. In IR group, the alveolitis score was significantly increased, the W/D ratio was also increased, p38MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways were activated, and the expression of TNF-α was significantly increased, while the expression of eNOS was significantly decreased.Conclusion:Left hilum clamping and bilateral reperfusion injury in lung is a practical animal model, it is a simple, low-cost and repeatable animal model for further studies. No microsurgical instruments were required during the procedure. Lung IR injury is characterized by oxidative stress response, inflammatory response and endothelial cell dysfunction.

Effects of transient receptor potential vanillic acid subtype 1 receptor and its modulators on neuropathic pain: research advances / 国际药学研究杂志

Neuropathic pain(NPP)has always been a problem that puzzles the medical community because of its unclear pathogenesis and poor drug treatment. With the development of molecular biology and electrophysiological techniques, studies have shown that the complex pathological mechanism of NPP may be related to the activation of transient receptor potential vanillic acid sub-type 1(TRPV1). TRPV1 receptors are mainly expressed in peripheral sensory neurons, which can detect harmful stimuli in the external and internal environment and transmit information to the central nervous system, thereby playing an important role in peripheral neuropathic pain. TRPV1 modulators exert analgesic effects by blocking the pain transmission function of TRPV1 and have become a potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of NPP. This article reviews TRPV1 receptor-mediated NPP models and the role of TRPV1 modulators in NPP treatment.

Effects of light quality on growth and icariin flavonoid content of Epimedium pseudowushanense under different light intensity / 中国中药杂志

In this study, the growth index including plant height, compound leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf water content, number of branches, and leaf biomass per plant and the icariin flavonoids such as epimedin A, epimedin B, epimedin C and icariin of Epimedium pseudowushanense were determined on 30 d and 60 d under light intensity(18.2±2.5) μmol·m~(-2)·s~(-1)(L1) and(90.9 ±2.5) μmol·m~(-2)·s~(-1)(L2), and white light as control, red light, blue light and yellow light were used as three light quality treatments, to study the effect of light quality on the growth and flavonoids accumulation of E. pseudowushanense. The E. pseudowushanense was sui-table for growth under L1 light intensity, the blue light treatment significantly reduced the leaf area, but had little effect on the stem height, the red light treatment and the yellow light treatment had no obvious effect on the stem height and leaf area, but the yellow light treatment significantly increased the germination of new branches, and had a sustained promoting effect, and the biomass was significantly higher than the white light treatment at 60 d. The content of icariin flavonoids in red light, blue light and yellow light treatment was higher than that in white light treatment at 30 d and 60 d under L1 light intensity, while yellow light treatment promoted the synthesis of icariin flavonoids to the largest extent, which was 1.8 and 1.9 times of white light treatment(30 d and 60 d).Under L2 light intensity, the effect of strong light on promoting stem germination became the main factor, while the yellow light treatment showed no significant effect on promoting stem germination, and the red light treatment exhibited a significant effect on reducing leaf area. Icariin flavonoids under red light, blue light and yellow light treatment were all lower than that under white light treatment, that is, the effect of white light treatment on the synthesis of icariin flavonoids is better than red light, blue light and yellow light treatment. When the time of strong light treatment was longer, the degradation range of icariin flavonoids in other light treatment appeared, while red light treatment promotes the synthesis of icariin flavonoids. Therefore, the influence of light quality on E. pseudowushanense is quite different under different light intensity, no matter from growth index or flavonoid content index. The results support that the biomass and icariin flavonoid content can be increased by providing appropriate red and yellow light.

Clinical Efficacy by Kidney Tonifying and Essence Strengthening Method in Regulating Pulse Wave Velocity to Delay Physiological Vascular Aging / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of kidney tonifying and essence strengthening method in delaying physiological vascular aging. Method: Sixty-two subjects who completed the study were randomly divided into experimental group (31 cases) and control group (31 cases) with the matching research method. The experimental group was treated with kidney tonifying and essence strengthening recipe orally for 24 weeks, while the control group was not interfered with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Score of TCM syndrome in kidney deficiency syndrome, pulse wave velocity, intima-media thickness, plasma homocysteine level and serum superoxide dismutase level were evaluated before and after treatment. Result: Compared with before treatment period, the score of TCM syndrome in kidney deficiency syndrome, pulse wave velocity and plasma homocystenine level decreased, while the serum superoxide dismutase level increased in the experimental group after treatment (PPPPPConclusion: The kidney tonifying and essence strengthening method may delay the aging of physiological blood vessels caused by aging.

Thymol Induces Conidial Apoptosis in Aspergillus flavus via Stimulating K+ Eruption.

Aspergillus flavus is a notorious foodborne fungus, posing a significant risk to humans in the form of hepatocellular carcinoma or aspergillosis. Thymol, as a food preservative, could efficiently kill conidia of A. flavus. However, the underlying mechanisms by which thymol kills A. flavus are not completely understood. With specific fluorescent dyes, we detected several apoptotic hallmarks, including chromatin condensation, phosphatidylserine externalization, DNA damage, mitochondrial depolarization, and caspase 9 activation in conidia exposed to 200 µg/mL of thymol, indicating that thymol induced a caspase-dependent conidial apoptosis in A. flavus. Chemical-protein interactome (CPI) and autodock analyses showed that KCNAB, homologue to the ß-subunit of the voltage-gated potassium channel (Kv) and aldo-keto reductase, was the potential target of thymol. Following studies demonstrated that thymol could activate the aldo-keto reductase activity of KCNAB in vitro and stimulate a transient K+ efflux in conidia, as determined using a Port-a-Patch. Blocking K+ eruption by 4-aminopyridine (a universal inhibitor of Kv) could significantly alleviate thymol-mediated conidial apoptosis, indicating that activation of Kv was responsible for the apoptosis. Taken together, our results revealed a K+ efflux-mediated apoptotic pathway in A. flavus, which greatly contributed to the development of an alternative strategy to control this pathogen.

Quantitative evaluation of fibrosis by geometrical characteristics of hepatic capsule based on ultrasonic images:an experimental study / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective To explore the feasibility of quantitative evaluation in fibrosis by geometrical characteristics of hepatic capsule based on computer technology . Methods Fifty-nine rabbits models of fibrosis were established and then were divided into four groups according to the results of pathologic examination:S0-S1 ,S2 ,S3 and S4 groups . Two-dimensional high-frequency ultrasound images of hepatic capsule of the rabbits were collected at 6th week ,12th week and 18th week . All the images were collected to obtain the contour line of the capsule and its shape control points by combining manual monitoring and gradient optimization methods . Subsequently ,the mean value and variance of angles between adjacent seed points and the number of continuous segments of the contour line ,were extracted to evaluate the smoothness and continuity of the contour line of the hepatic capsule . Results With aggravating fibrosis ,the mean value and variance of the angles were gradually increased ,and the differences between S0-S1 and other 3 groups were all statistically significant( P <0 .05) . Similarly ,the number of segments required to make the sum of lengths of continuous segments reach up to 80％ of the total width of the imaging section was gradually increased . The differences between S0-S1 and S4 group( P =0 .025) ,S2 and S4 group( P =0 .004) were also statistically significant . Conclusions Analysis of geometrical characteristics of the hepatic capsule partially indicates the presence of early-stage fibrosis ,and is expected to provide a quantitative method for non-invasive assessment of fibrosis .

Research on photosynthetic and eco-physiological characteristics of Epimedium pseudowushannense in different growing age / 中国中药杂志

Epimedium is a widely used medicinal plants. Due to excessive use of wild resources and resource constraints, artificial cultivation is the only way to achieve sustainable use of resources. E. pseudowushannense is intended to achieve the first cultivated species, but plant production technology is not yet fully mature.The diurnal variation of photosynthetic and eco-physiological characteristics of E. pseudowushannense in different growing age was studied by the CI-340 Portable Photosynthesis System under natural conditions. The net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (C), intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), relative humidity (RH), air temperature (Ta), apparent mesophyll conductance (ALMC), transpiration rate (E), leaf temperature (Tl), water use efficiency (WUE) and other photosynthetic physiological factors and environmental factors were measured. The obtained data was analyzed by correlation analysis, path analysis and stepwise multiple-regression analysis to explore the relationship between net photosynthetic rate and physiological and ecological factors. The results show that： ①The daily variation of the Pn, E, ALMC, C of E. pseudowushannense in different growing age took on"two peak type", the Pn was with an obvious midday depression phenomenon at noon.②The Pn, ALMC and C of annuals' were significantly higher than biennial or three-year; but the Ci was basically a three-year > biennial> annual.③The correlation analysis, path analysis and stepwise regression analysis showed that ALMC, Ci, Ta might played important role in the Pn and ranked as ALMC>Ci>Ta.

Progress of effects of light on plant flavonoids / 中国中药杂志

As an important secondary metabolites of medicinal plant, flavonoids plays a very important role on itself including light protection and antioxidant. Light is one of the important environmental factors which impacts the secondary metabolites of plant and has a significant impact on biological synthesis of flavonoids. This paper reviews the recent progress of the effects of light on flavonoids on the plants focusing from light intensity and light quality, and summarizes briefly functions of the phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) in plant secondary metabolism and the upstream key enzyme chalcone synthase (CHS) in flavonoid biosynthetic pathway.

Microwave ablation for simultaneous treatment of thyroid adenoma and liver cavernous hemangioma: A preliminary experience / 第二军医大学学报

Objective To investigate the feasibility and significance of joint microwave ablation for simultaneous treatment of two or more benign neoplasms originating from different organs which are conventionally managed in different disciplinary offices. Methods We treated a middle-aged female patient suffered with a large thyroid adenoma and a huge liver cavernous hemangioma with microwave ablation under local anesthesia and general anesthesia consecutively in one treatment session. The safety of operation and dynamic therapeutic effect were assessed. Results The thermal ablation procedures were both successful and eventful. The total operation time was about 90 minutes. The patient was discharged on the third day after ablation. During the follow-up, ultrasonography revealed a significant shrinkage of thyroid adenoma and liver hemangioma and recovery of the perinodular thyroid or liver tissue. The laboratory tests showed functional abnormalities of neither the thyroid, nor the liver and kidney. Conclusion: Joint microwave ablation for simultaneously treating large thyroid adenoma and huge liver cavernous hemangioma was verified safe, efficacious and medical resources sparing. This innovative therapeutic concept is worth of further investigation and promotion.

Salidroside induces the differentiation of mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into neuron-like cells mediated by calcium/calmodulin signaling pathway / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:Our previous studies have shown that salidroside can induce bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells directly into neuron-like cells, and Ca2+signal is one important way to achieve its biological signal transduction. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the role and mechanism of the calcium/calmodulin (Ca 2+/CaM) signaling pathway inducing bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to differentiate into nerve cells. METHODS:Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were divided into two groups:control groups and salidroside groups. Salidroside groups were induced with different concentrations of salidroside (5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 mg/L) for 24 hours and 100 mg/L salidroside was added to culture cells for different time (12, 24, 48 and 72 hours). Western blot assay was used to detect the expression levels of neural cellmarker, microtubule-associated protein 2, and the important protein of Ca2+/CaM signaling pathway:CaM and calmodulin dependent kinase II (CaMK II). Then Ca2+/CaM signaling pathway specific blockers were applied to cells respectively for 30 minutes, including 500 μmol/L EGTA (Ca 2+chelator), 1 mmol/L Nifedipine(L-type Ca2+channel blocker) and 10 mmol/L LY294002 (PI3K inhibitor). Then, 100 mg/L salidroside was added and cultured for 24 hours. Western blot assay was used to detect the expression of neuron-specific enolase and CaM in the Ca2+/CaM signaling pathway. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) After inducing with salidroside, the expression of microtubule-associated protein 2 were upregulated (P<0.01), indicating that salidrosid can induce the neuronal differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. (2) After different concentrations of salidrosid induced bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells for 24 hours, the expressions of CaM and CaMK II were significantly upregulated in the 10 mg/L group ( P<0.01);For the 100 mg/L salidrosid that was added for cellinduction for different time, the expressions of CaM and CaMK II were significantly downregulated in 72-hour group (P<0.01). (3) After blocking extracellular Ca2+and PI3K signaling pathway, the expressions of neuron-specific enolase and CaM were higher than those in salidrosid groups (P<0.05). These results suggest that salidrosid can induce bone marrow mesenchymal stem cellto directly differentiate into nerve cells by inhibiting the Ca2+/CaM signaling pathway.