[Exosomes derived from miR-133a-3p engineered mesenchymal stem cells promote myocardial repair in rats after acute myocardial infarction].

Objective: To investigate the effects of exosome derived from miR-133a-3p engineered human umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cells (ucMSC) on myocardial repair after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in rats. Methods: UcMSC was amplified and cultured in vitro. Lentiviral carrying miR-133a-3p and negative control vectors were transfected into ucMSC. Exosomes secreted by the transfected ucMSC were named miR-133a-3p-Exo and miR-NC-Exo, respectively. The AMI model of rats was established by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. MiR-133a-3p-Exo or miR-NC-Exo were then injected into the border zone of the infarct area. Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography after twenty-eight days of intervention, and Masson staining was used to evaluate the area of myocardial fibrosis post-AMI. The myocardial apoptosis after infarction was evaluated by TUNEL staining and the angiogenesis after infarction was evaluated by immunofluorescence staining in the current study. Results: Compared with the miR-NC-Exo group, the left ventricular ejection fraction in the miR-133a-3p-Exo group was significantly increased ((47.4%±9.8%) vs. (64.2%±8.9%), P<0.05). While the myocardial fibrosis area ((31.2%±7.3%) vs. (18.0%±1.5%), P<0.01) and the percentage of apoptotic cardiomyocytes ((25.6%±3.6%) vs. (15.1%±4.4%), P<0.05) was significantly reduced in the miR-133a-Exo group. Besides, the expression of CD31 and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were also increased significantly in the miR-133a-3p-Exo group compared to the miR-NC-Exo group (CD31: (2.9±0.9) vs. (13.9±2.0), P<0.000 1, α-SMA: (3.5±0.9) vs. (11.0±1.6), P<0.000 1). Conclusion: Exosome derived from miR-133a-3p engineered ucMSC effectively inhibited myocardial apoptosis and promoted angiogenesis, thus improving the cardiac function after myocardial infarction in rats.

[Comparison of three dimensional CT venography and ascending phlebography based on propensity score matching in the evaluation of recurrent varicose veins].

Objective: To compare the efficacy of lower extremity three dimensional CT venography (CTV) and lower extremity ascending phlebography in evaluating recurrent varicose veins. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from 235 patients with unilateral recurrent varicose veins who were treated at the Department of Vascular Surgery,Beijing Shijitan Hospital,Capital Medical University, between January 2015 and December 2020.There were 112 males and 123 females, with an age of (62.5±11.4)years (range:24 to 75 years).Patients were stratified into two groups based on preoperative imaging examination:the CTV group (utilizing lower extremity venous ultrasound+lower extremity CTV) and the control group (employing lower extremity venous ultrasound+lower extremity ascending phlebography).The two groups were matched in a 1∶1 ratio using propensity score matching, resulting in 43 cases per group.Comparative analyses between the groups at the one-year postoperative follow-up were performed using independent sample t tests, Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, χ2 tests, and linear regression analysis. Results: One year post-surgery,the CTV group exhibited a lower venous clinical severity score (VCSS) compared to the control group(M(IQR),3.0(4.3) vs.4.0(5.8),Z=-2.038,P=0.040).Additionally, the chronic venous insufficiency patients' quality of life questionnaire (CIVIQ-20) scores were significantly higher in the CTV group than in the control group (89.0(8.0) vs.82.5(17.0), Z=-2.627, P=0.010).Patients in the CTV group also experienced a shorter ulcer healing time compared to the control group (4.0(4.0) weeks vs.12.0(7.0) weeks, Z=-3.217,P<0.01).Both groups showed no clinically symptomatic recurrent varicose veins or ulcers.However, they exhibited ultrasound-detectable varicose vein recurrence, with no statistically significant difference (χ2=0.453,P=0.500).The number of diseased vessels requiring management based on ultrasound supplemented by CTV was 16, while the number supplemented by ascending phlebography was 7,with a statistically significant difference (χ2=4.800,P=0.030).Linear regression analysis demonstrated that clinical-etiology-anatomy-pathology clinical grading and the preoperative imaging examination method exerted independent influences on VCSS and CIVIQ-20 during the one-year postoperative assessment. Conclusions: CTV-assisted ultrasound enables a direct and comprehensive evaluation and localization of diseased veins in patients with recurrent varicose veins.The utilization of lower extremity vein ultrasound combined with CTV-guided management of lower extremity vessels in minimally invasive treatment significantly improves patient prognosis, surpassing the assessment provided by ascending phlebography.

[Recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of psoriatic arthritis in China].

Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease, characterized by psoriasis skin lesions and inflammation of the spine and joint. It has complicated clinical manifestations and individual variations. Nearly half of the patients will have joints erosion in two years, which is crippling. The severity of the skin and joint disease frequently do not correlate with each other. Currently, the understanding of the disease is insufficient in China with the lack of standardized diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, researchers from the Chinese Rheumatology Association formulated this specification based on the diagnosis and management experience together with guidelines at home and abroad. The specification summarizes the present situation of domestic diagnosis and treatment, aiming to standardize the diagnosis process and treatment protocols of psoriatic arthritis. Furthermore, it can reduce misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis, as well as improve the prognosis.

Effects of ciprofol for the induction of general anesthesia in patients scheduled for elective surgery compared to propofol: a phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, comparative study.

OBJECTIVE: Ciprofol is a newly developed intravenous sedative-hypnotic drug. The objective of the study was to prove whether ciprofol was non-inferior to propofol for the successful induction of general anesthesia. The ideal post-induction sedation level was assessed by comparing patients' clinical symptoms and their hemodynamic effects in responding to noxious stimuli, mostly tracheal intubation and bispectral index (BIS) alterations following ciprofol/propofol administration. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this multi-center, randomized, double-blind phase 3 trial, selective surgery patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either ciprofol 0.4 mg/kg (n = 88) or propofol 2.0 mg/kg (n = 88) groups. The primary endpoint was the percentage of patients with successful anesthesia inductions. Secondary endpoints included the times to successful induction of general anesthesia and loss of the eyelash reflex, changes in BIS, as well as safety indicators. RESULTS: The anesthesia induction success rates for both ciprofol 0.4 mg/kg and propofol 2 mg/kg groups were 100.0%, with a 95% CI lower success limit of -4.18% difference between the two groups, indicating that ciprofol was non-inferior to propofol. For secondary outcomes, the average time to successful anesthesia and loss of the eyelash reflex were 0.91 min and 0.80 min for ciprofol and 0.80 min and 0.71 min for propofol, respectively. The pattern of BIS changes with ciprofol was similar to propofol and stable during the anesthesia maintenance period. Safety was comparable with 88.6% TEAEs in the ciprofol group compared to 95.5% in the propofol group. The incidence of injection pain was significantly lower in the ciprofol group compared to the propofol group (6.8% vs. 20.5%, p < 0.05). In addition, the patients treated with ciprofol had a lesser increase in blood pressure and heart rate, and fewer cases with BIS > 60 within 15 min of intravenous administration, which indicated that ciprofol may provide a better ideal sedation level during the post-induction period under an equivalent dosing regimen to propofol. CONCLUSIONS: Ciprofol for patients undergoing selective surgery is a new option for the induction of general anesthesia.

[Analysis of risk factors for hyperkalemia in hemodialysis patients and establishment and verification of risk assessment model of hyperkalemia].

Objective: To explore risk factors for hyperkalemia in hemodialysis (HD) patients, and establish and verify a risk assessment model of hyperkalemia in HD patients. Methods: The clinical data of HD patients who were admitted to the Department of Nephrology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between April 2020 and January 2021 were retrospectively collected and divided into training dataset and validation dataset by using the conversion-random number generator. In the training dataset, multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to screen the risk factors for hyperkalemia in HD patients and the factors were scored to establish the risk assessment model. The validation dataset was substituted into the model and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated to verify the effectiveness of the risk prediction model in predicting hyperkalemia. Results: A total of 502 HD patients were enrolled and further divided into training dataset (n=372) and validation dataset (n=130). There were 268 males and 234 females, with a mean age of (54±13) years. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that metabolic acidosis, high potassium diet, history of hyperkalemia, the change of electrocardiogram (ECG), disfunction of vascular access and time interval from last dialysis were risk factors for causing hyperkalemia in patients undergoing HD. Risk assessment model was established based on these risk factors. The AUC of the ROC curve was 0.799. Using 5 as the cut-off value, the sensitivity and specificity for predicting hyperkalemia events was 61.4% and 86.3%, respectively. Conclusion: The current study preliminarily established a risk assessment model for hyperkalemia in HD patients, which can help clinicians manage the potassium level of HD patients.

[Long-term efficacy of radiofrequency closure in the treatment of great saphenous vein varicose].

Objective: To examine the long-term efficacy of radiofrequency closure in the treatment of great saphenous vein varicose. Methods: The clinic data of 185 patients with varicose veins of lower limbs treated with radiofrequency closure admitted at Department of Vascular Surgery, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University from July 2016 to January 2017 was analyzed retrospectively. A total of 203 limbs were treated by radiofrequency closure. The long-term efficacy of radiofrequency closure was evaluated by analyzing the closure rate, clinical-etiology- anatomy-pathophysiology (CEAP) grading, venous clinical severity score (VCSS), chronic venous insufficiency questionnaire (CIVIQ) score, and complications, using repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: All procedures were successful. The closure rate was 98.0% (199/203) at one year and two years postoperative, which was still maintained at 97.5% (198/203) at 3 years of follow-up. Postoperative CEAP grading was significantly downgraded compared with that before the operation. Totally 88.4% (76/86) of C5 to C6 grade patients downgraded to C2 to C4 grade at 6 months, and 95.3% (82/86) downgraded to C0 to C2 garde at 3 years postoperative. VCSS and CIVIQ score in both groups significantly improved at all follow-up time points compared to preoperative scores (VCSS: F=1 064.7, P=0.003; CIVIQ score: F=2 984.3, P=0.001). The most common complication was subcutaneous blood stasis (10.8%), most of which disappeared within 1 month after the surgery. Other complications included pigmentation and thrombophlebitis (5.9% and 3.9%, respectively). Conclusion: The long-term efficacy of radiofrequency closure of the great saphenous vein is satisfactory.

Ion irradiation induced strain and structural changes in LiTaO3perovskite.

LiTaO3crystals irradiated with 3 MeV and 1.162 GeV Au ions were studied by single crystal x-ray diffraction and Raman scattering measurements. The maximum lattice strains after 3 MeV Au ion irradiation to a fluence of 1.2 × 1013 cm-2were 1.2% and 0.6% along thec- anda-/b-axes, respectively. Two effects were observed in 1.162 GeV Au ion irradiated samples: (i) the (0006) and (1120) Bragg peaks were split into doublets, which suggested a subtle structural change due to slight modification of chemical composition; and (ii) the pre-damaged 1.2% lattice strain along thec-axis was relaxed to 0.9% after subsequent irradiation with 1.162 GeV Au ions, while relaxation along thea- orb-axis was not obvious. A distinct change in the Raman spectrum of the 〈0001〉 oriented LiTaO3crystals was observed after 1.162 GeV Au ion irradiation, but no obvious change was observed in the 〈1120〉 oriented samples or in 3 MeV Au ion irradiated samples. Strain and structural changes in crystalline LiTaO3, with or without pre-existing defects, upon ion irradiation are delineated in its responding to inelastic ionization and elastic nuclear collisions.

Neuroprotective effect of DUSP14 overexpression against isoflurane-induced inflammatory response, pyroptosis and cognitive impairment in aged rats through inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome.

OBJECTIVE: Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a common complication after general anesthesia in the elderly people. Dual-specificity phosphatase 14 (DUSP14, also known as MKP6) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various inflammatory diseases. However, the exact role and mechanism of DUSP14 in POCD remains unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An isoflurane exposure induced POCD aged rat model was successfully constructed. The pathological changes of hippocampal tissues of aged rats were detected by Nissl staining. Evaluation of learning and memory abilities in aged rats was measured using Morris water maze task test. The DUSP14 level was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay, quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot, respectively. Levels of brain injury markers [S-100ß and neuron specific enolase (NSE)] and inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-1ß (tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and IL-6] were detected using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) or qRT-PCR. The apoptosis of hippocampal nerve cells was assessed by Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Western blot assay was used to measure the expression of proteins related to apoptosis, pyroptosis and NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3)-Caspase-1 pathway. RESULTS: Isoflurane exposure led to brain injury, inflammatory response, cognitive dysfunction in aged rats and decreased the expression of DUSP14. Overexpression of DUSP14 could inhibit apoptosis, inflammation, pyroptosis, brain tissue damage, and improve cognitive dysfunction of aged rats after isoflurane anesthesia. Further mechanism studies revealed that DUSP14 may play a neuroprotective effect on POCD by regulating NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis. CONCLUSIONS: DUSP14 may effectively protect against isoflurane-induced neuro-inflammation, brain damage and cognitive dysfunction, indicating that DUSP14 may be a potential predictor and therapeutic target for POCD.

Carbachol alleviates myocardial injury in septic rats through PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of carbachol on myocardial injury in septic rats, and to further study its influence on the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 48 healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham group (n=16), model group (n=16), and carbachol group (n=16). The rat model of sepsis was established via cecal ligation and puncture. Carbachol was intraperitoneally injected (10 µg/kg) immediately after operation in carbachol group, and no cecal ligation was performed in sham group. At 48 h after operation, the survival rate of rats in each group was recorded, the activity of plasma creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) was detected, and the cardiac function in each group was determined. Moreover, the heart was isolated, and the myocardial tissues were taken to detect the apoptosis level using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) apoptosis kit. The content of inflammatory factors in myocardial tissues was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits, and the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway-related proteins were detected via Western blotting. RESULTS: Carbachol could significantly raise the survival rate of septic rats (p<0.01), remarkably decrease the activity of CK-MB (p<0.01), markedly reduce the left ventricular internal diameter at end-systole (LVIDs), and markedly increase the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF, %) and left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS, %). Besides, carbachol could evidently lower the apoptosis level of myocardial cells of septic rats (p<0.01), reduce the content of inflammatory factors including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and IL-6 (p<0.01), notably decrease the expression of Caspase-3 in myocardial tissues (p<0.01), remarkably increase the expression of Bcl-2/Bax (p<0.01), and distinctly inhibit the expressions of phosphorylated (p-)PI3K, p-AKT, Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), and Caspase-1 (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Carbachol can reduce the release of inflammatory factors in myocardial cells, the expression of apoptotic proteins and the apoptosis of myocardial cells, and improve the cardiac function and survival rate of septic rats by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Symmetry degeneration and room temperature ferroelectricity in ion-irradiated SrTiO3.

Polar phonon modes associated with room temperature ferroelectricity are observed in SrTiO3 single crystals irradiated with Ti ions. Quantitative strain analysis reveals that irradiation-induced out-of-plane strain drives the centrosymmetric cubic SrTiO3 to a tetragonal-like structure in the maximum damaged region. Energy transfer from ions to electrons during ion irradiation yields defects in SrTiO3 that also plays an important role for the room temperature ferroelectricity. Different from thin film techniques, the ferroelectricity in the ion irradiated SrTiO3 can occur for much larger thicknesses, depending on the energy and type of ion.

Variations in aggregate-associated organic carbon and polyester microfibers resulting from polyester microfibers addition in a clayey soil.

Organic carbon is an essential element for sustainable soil management. While the effects of microplastics on soil physical and biological properties are presenting, it remains unclear whether the organic carbon dynamics of soil are altered by increased microplastic accumulation. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the influences of different polyester microfiber (PMF 0, 0.1% and 0.3% of soil dry weight) and organic material (OM 0, 1%, 2% and 3% of soil dry weight) addition levels on soil organic carbon and to determine the PMF distribution in aggregates from a pot experiment. After 75 days of incubation under 6 wet-dry cycles, the concentrations of soil total organic carbon did not differ significantly between the PMF (9.7 ± 6.6 g kg-1) and control (9.7 ± 6.9 g kg-1) treatments. However, PMF addition significantly reduced the organic carbon concentration in the large (>2 mm) macro-aggregates compared to the control treatment (10.6 ± 4.8 g kg-1 vs. 11.7 ± 4.4 g kg-1), but the results were opposite in the small (2-0.25 mm)macro-aggregates (10.2 ± 4.9 g kg-1 vs. 8.4 ± 3.8 g kg-1). In this study, less than 30% of added PMFs were incorporated into soil aggregates. In addition, the abundance and average length of aggregate-associated PMF in the large (2210 ± 180 particles per g aggregate and 2.08 ± 0.17 mm) and small (1820 ± 150 particles per g aggregate and 1.68 ± 0.11 mm) macro-aggregates were significantly greater than those in the micro-aggregates (1010 ± 70 particles per g aggregate and 0.72 ± 0.05 mm). Our results demonstrate that the distribution of organic carbon in soil macro-aggregates is affected by PMFs addition. Thus, we propose that the behavior of microplastics inside soil aggregates should be further explored to clarify their effects on the physical protection of soil organic carbon.

Local structure of Ni80X20 (X: Cr, Mn, Pd) solid-solution alloys and its response to ion irradiation.

The local structure of Ni80X20 (X: Cr, Mn, Pd) solid-solution alloys was investigated with x-ray absorption and total scattering x-ray diffraction methods. Atomic pair distribution function (PDF) analysis indicated that the local lattice distortion is strongly relevant to the atomic size mismatch, and the local lattice distortion in Ni80Pd20 alloy is obviously larger than that in other solid-solution alloys. The bond length of different atomic pairs was derived from the fitting of extended x-ray absorption fine structure spectra. Quantitative analysis of the local bonding environment in Ni80Cr20 during Ni ion irradiation suggested that Cr atoms tend to form clusters in Ni80Cr20 with the increase of ion dose.

Effect of lncRNA GAS5 on rats with acute myocardial infarction through regulating miR-21.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of long non-coding ribonucleic acid (lncRNA) growth arrest specific 5 (GAS5) on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) model rats and to explore its regulatory mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The rat model of AMI was established by subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol (ISO). 30 Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into three groups, including Control group, Model group, and lncRNA GAS5 inhibitor [small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) GAS5] group. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was used to detect the pathological damage of myocardial tissues in rats of each group. Myocardial cell apoptosis in each group determined via terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. The levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 in the serum of rats in each group were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was adopted to measure the expression level of miR-21 in rat myocardial tissues. RESULTS: Compared with Control group, rats in Model group had significantly poor cardiac function, serious pathological damage of myocardial tissues, as well as increased apoptosis rate of myocardial cells. Meanwhile, the levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were significantly elevated in serum of Model group, while miR-21 level was down-regulated. In comparison with Model group, rats in siRNA GAS5 group exhibited significantly improved cardiac function, alleviated pathological damage to myocardial tissues, as well as decreased apoptosis rate of myocardial cells. Furthermore, the levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 decreased significantly in serum of siRNA GAS5 group, whereas the expression level of miR-21 in myocardial tissues was down-regulated. CONCLUSIONS: SiRNA GAS5 can enhance the cardiac function of AMI model rats, relieve pathological damage, reduce myocardial cell apoptosis, and inhibit the occurrence of myocardial fibrosis. The possible underlying mechanism may be associated with up-regulation of miR-21.

LncRNA KCNQ1OT1 is overexpressed in non-small cell lung cancer and its expression level is related to clinicopathology.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the expression of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) KCNQ1OT1 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and to elucidate its clinical significance. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression of lncRNA KCNQ1OT1 in NSCLC tissues and para-cancer tissues (5 cm or above away from the tumor). The relation between lncRNA KCNQ1OT1 expression and the clinical-pathological data was analyzed by the multivariate logistic regression analysis. Furthermore, the survival analysis was performed by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: The expression of lncRNA KCNQ1OT1 increased significantly in NSCLC tissues than that of in para-cancer tissues. According to the median expression of lncRNA KCNQ1OT1, NSCLC patients were divided into two groups, including high expression group and low expression group. Meanwhile, the lncRNA KCNQ1OT1 expression was correlated with tumor size, tumor node metastasis (TNM) staging, and lymph node metastasis of NSCLC patients. Both univariate analysis and multivariate analysis indicated that the high expression of lncRNA KCNQ1OT1 was closely related to TNM staging and lymph node metastasis. In addition, the Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the overall survival and progression-free survival time of patients with higher lncRNA KCNQ1OT1 expression were significantly worse than those with lower lncRNA KCNQ1OT1 expression. CONCLUSIONS: LncRNA KCNQ1OT1 might contribute to the development of NSCLC.

CircRNA_100876 promote proliferation and metastasis of breast cancer cells through adsorbing microRNA-361-3p in a sponge form.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate the expression level of circRNA_100876 in breast cancer (BC) tissues or cells, and to further explore whether it can promote cell metastasis and proliferative capacity via targeting microRNA- 361-3 p. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to examine the expression of circRNA_100876 in 50 pairs of BC tissue specimens and corresponding adjacent ones, and the correlation between circRNA_100876 expression and prognosis of patients with BC was analyzed. Meanwhile, qRT-PCR was further performed to verify circRNA_100876 level in BC cell lines. In addition, circRNA_100876 knockdown model was constructed using lentivirus and transfected in BC cells. Subsequently, the impact of circRNA_100876 on BC cell function was analyzed using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), transwell and clone formation assays. The interplay between circRNA_100876 and microRNA- 361-3 p was verified using the Luciferase reporter gene assay and cell reverse experiment. RESULTS: QRT-PCR results showed that circRNA_100876 level in BC tissues was conspicuously higher than that in the adjacent tissues, and the patients with distant metastasis had higher expression than those without. Moreover, patients with a high expression of circRNA_100876 had a relatively lower overall survival rate. Compared with the NC group, the cell proliferation and invasion ability of circRNA_100876 knockdown group was conspicuously decreased. QRT-PCR revealed that microRNA-361-3p and circRNA_100876 showed a negative correlation in the expression level of genes in BC tissues. In addition, the results of the Luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed that circRNA_100876 can be targeted by microRNA-361-3p through their binding site. CONCLUSIONS: High expression of circRNA_100876 is conspicuously positively relevant to poor prognosis of BC patients. Additionally, circRNA_100876 is able to promote BC metastasis as well as proliferative capacity by modulating microRNA-361-3p expression.

Adiponectin improves isoflurane-induced cognitive dysfunction in elderly rats via inhibiting p38-MAPK signal pathway in hippocampus.

OBJECTIVE:   To investigate the intervention of exogenous adiponectin in the elderly rats with cognitive dysfunction induced by isoflurane through mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway in hippocampus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 60 healthy elder Sprague Dawley (SD) rats aged 15-20 months and weighing 400-500 g were selected. These rats were randomly divided into four groups, i.e., the control group, the anesthetic group, adiponectin intervention group, and p38-MAPK antagonist group, in which the rats in the control group were treated through inhalation of pure oxygen for 4 h at a rate of 4 L/min, while the rats in the other 3 groups were treated through inhalation of isoflurane for 4 h. During the inhalation of isoflurane, the concentration of isoflurane was 3.5% at the beginning and decreased to 2.2% at 1 h, and 1.7% between 2 h and 4 h. Then, the intraperitoneal injection of 0.5 mL normal saline was performed for the rats in the control group and the anesthetic group, while adiponectin (300 mg/kg) was injected into the rats in the adiponectin intervention group and p38-MAPK antagonist group. Simultaneously, the antagonist (20 mg/kg) diluted to 0.5 mL was given to the rats in the p38-MAPK antagonist group, once/day for 3 days. Morris water maze test was carried out respectively in the 1st, 3rd, and 7th day, and 5 rats participated in the test at each time point, during which we recorded the escape latency, as well as the length of the swimming route of rats. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting were employed to detect the mRNA and protein expressions of p38 in the hippocampus. RESULTS: The escape latency and the length of the swimming route at any time point after the intervention in the anesthetic group were significantly longer than those in the control group (p<0.05), and they were significantly shorter in the adiponectin intervention group than those in the anesthetic group (p<0.05), but there were no differences between the p38-MAPK antagonist group and the anesthetic group (p>0.05). The mRNA and protein expressions of p38 at any time point after intervention in the anesthetic group were higher than those in the control group (p<0.05), and they were significantly lower in the adiponectin intervention group than those in the anesthetic group (p<0.05), but there were no differences between the p38-MAPK antagonist group and the anesthetic group (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Exogenous adiponectin can improve the cognitive dysfunction of the elderly rats after anesthesia using isoflurane, possibly by inhibiting the p38-MAPK signal pathway in hippocampus.

Polygraph Accuracy of Control Question Test in Criminal Cases.

ABSTRACT: Objective To explore polygraph accuracy of Control Question Test （CQT）and whether it could be influenced by examinee's education level and type of violation of law. Methods Real cases of CQT （n=104） and the data from MAO （n=296） were collected. The polygraph accuracy of CQT was calculated. Variance analysis on three groups of different education levels was used to compare their age, and then the chi-square test was employed to compare polygraph accuracy among the groups. Independent sample t test was used to compare the age of subjects in the two groups of different types of violation of law, and then chi-square test was used to compare the true positive rate and true negative rate of lie detection after integration. Results In CQT lie detection of criminal cases, the true positive rate was 87.00%, the false negative rate was 13.00%, the true negative rate was 82.20%, and the false positive rate was 17.80%. There was no statistical significance in the differences between the true positive rate and the true negative rate （P>0.05）. In CQT lie detection of the groups of different education levels, there was no statistical significance in the differences between the true positive rates （P>0.05） while the differences between the true negative rates had statistical significance （P<0.05）. There was no statistical significance in the differences of both the true positive rates and the true negative rates between the violent violation of law and non-violent violation of law （P>0.05）. Conclusion There is no significant difference between the efficiency of CQT lie detection of identifying criminals and excluding innocents. However, a comparatively high false positive rate and false negative rate still exist. The efficiency of CQT lie detection identifying criminals may not influenced by the examinee's education level and type of violation of law, but its efficiency of excluding innocents may be influenced by the examinee's education level.

Effects of polyester microfibers on soil physical properties: Perception from a field and a pot experiment.

Understanding soil physical properties is essential for soil quality management and sustainable land use. With the growing accumulation of microplastics in soils, a better understanding of the impact of microplastics on soil physical properties is crucial to conserve and manage soil quality. This study explored the effects of polyester microfiber (PMF) concentrations (0, 0.1% and 0.3%) on bulk density, porosity, aggregation and hydraulic conductivity of a clayey soil from a field experiment (1 year) and a pot experiment (6 wet-dry cycles). Polyester microfibers significantly increased the volume of >30 µm pores and reduced the volume of <30 µm pores compared to the control treatment. However, there were no detectable changes in the soil bulk density and saturated hydraulic conductivity between the PMF treatments and the control treatment. Interestingly, we observed that polyester microfibers significantly increased the contents of water stable large macroaggregates (>2 mm) in the 0.3% PMF (44%) and 0.1% PMF (39%) treatments compared to the control treatment (31%) in the pot experiment, but this was not true in the field experiment. The efficient interaction between polyester microfibers and fine soil particles and the frequent wet-dry cycles enhanced the formation and stability of macro-aggregates induced by polyester microfibers in the pot experiment. Overall, our results provide valuable evidence for microplastic influences on soil physical properties. Because microplastics are long-term anthropogenic contaminants, it is necessary to further study the impacts of microplastics on soil quality for terrestrial ecosystem sustainability.

Anesthetic management for cesarean delivery in a patient with uncorrected pulmonary atresia, ventricular septal defect and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries.

Pulmonary atresia witha ventricular septal defect and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries is an extremely rare congenital disorder characterized by a high risk of maternal mortality. We present the case of a 24-year-old primigravid woman with uncorrected pulmonary atresia, ventricular septal defect and major aortopulmonary collateral arterieswho presented at 35+5 weeks' gestation. Based on the pathophysiology of the congenital cardiac lesion, cesarean delivery was performed under epidural anesthesia under management by a multidisciplinary team. This report highlights the anesthesia management of a rare uncorrected congenital cardiac lesion for cesarean delivery.