The relationship between online courses and mental health among Chinese children.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies on the association of online courses and mental health were mainly conducted in universities, and no study investigated the relationship between characteristics of online courses and children's mental health in primary and secondary school. This study aimed to explore the association of online courses and children's mental health in primary and secondary school. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted through an online survey among 540 primary and secondary school students and their parents in the eastern, central and western region of China from April to May in 2020. Children's mental health was assessed by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Borderline mental health problems (SDQ total difficulties score ≥ 16) and mental health problems (SDQ total difficulties score ≥ 20) were defined according to Goodman's standard. Multivariable linear and logistic regression models were used to examine the association between online courses and children's mental health. RESULTS: Compared with those who did not have problems of online courses, children having the difficulty in understanding the content of online courses had a higher SDQ total difficulties score [ß = 1.80, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.89, 2.71] and a higher risk of borderline mental health problems [odds ratio (OR) = 1.93, 95%CI: 1.07, 3.49], while device or internet connection problems were not significantly associated with children's mental health. Compared with children who had live courses, those having video-recorded courses had a higher SDQ total difficulties score (ß = 0.90, 95%CI: 0.01, 1.80). Children who spent more than 4 h on online courses had a higher SDQ total difficulties score than those of less than or equal to 4 h (ß = 0.95, 95%CI: 0.09, 1.81). CONCLUSION: We found that online courses with inappropriate characteristics were associated with children's mental health. The findings called for the efforts to optimize the online courses and improve children's mental health.

Analysis on oral medication rules of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions for prevention of COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the medication rules of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preventive oral prescriptions for COVID-19. METHODS: The preventive oral prescriptions for COVID-19 published by national and provincial health and wellness committees, administrations of TCM, medical institutions at all levels, medical masters and Chinese medicine experts were collected to establish a database, manual screening was carried out according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and frequency statistics, association rule analysis. The mutual information method, entropy hierarchical clustering and other methods were improved through Excel and the TCM inheritance auxiliary platform V2.5 to mine the rules and characteristics of medication. RESULTS: The selected 157 prescriptions contained a total of 130 TCMs. The top five TCMs with the highest use frequency were Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (86), Astragali Radix (80), Lonicerea Japonicae Flos (70), Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (62), Saposhnikoviae Radix (60). In accordance with TCM efficacy classification, most of them were medicines for qi-tonifying (279), followed by medicines for clearing heat and drying dampness (163), dispelling pathogenic wind-cold (126), resolving dampness (111), as well as dispelling pathogenic wind-heat (99). The characteristics of four-natures of the selected medicines are as follows: most of them were cold (59), followed by warm (38) and mild (21). In terms of five-taste, most of them were sweet (26) and acrid-and-bitter (24), followed by sweet-and-bitter (20), bitter (20) and acrid (15). For the meridian attribution, the five-zang organs and six-fu organs were all involved, most of them attributed to lung meridian (80), followed by stomach meridian (57) and spleen meridian (40). Based on association rule analysis, 12 commonly used medicine combinations with two or three TCMs were found. The commonly used medicinal pairs included Astragali Radix and Saposhnikoviae Radix (51), Astragali Radix and Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (46), Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and Saposhnikoviae Radix (43), Astragali Radix and Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and Saposhnikoviae Radix (38), Forsythiae Fructus and Astragali Radix (37), and so on. In addition, 14 core combinations of medicines were obtained by complex system entropy cluster analysis, on this basis, six new prescriptions were screened out based on unsupervised entropy hierarchical clustering analysis. According to The Catalogue of Edible Traditional Chinese Medicinal Materials, Traditional Chinese Medicinal Materials for Health Food, and New Resources of Food published by National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China, there are 35 species belonging to the group of edible traditional Chinese medicinal materials, 20 species belonging to the group of new resources of food, 31 species belonging to the group of traditional Chinese medicinal materials for health food, 19.11% of the preventive oral prescriptions for COVID-19 were composed of the medicines belonging to the above three groups. Besides, there are 11 toxic species, and 24.84% of the preventive oral prescriptions for COVID-19 contained toxic TCMs. CONCLUSION: We found that invigorating qi and resolving dampness were the main treatment used to prevent for COVID-19, combined with the methods for strengthening vital energy and eliminating pathogenic factors. Most of the preventive oral prescriptions for COVID-19 were treated in lung, spleen and stomach meridians. In the process of selecting prescriptions and using TCMs to prevent for COVID-19, the safety of preventive medicines was also emphasized. And the theory of "Preventive Treatment of Disease" was embodied in these preventive oral prescriptions for COVID-19. For the prescriptions containing toxic TCMs, special attention should be paid to their safety in clinical application.

Sub-lethal Camphor Exposure Triggers Oxidative Stress, Cardiotoxicity, and Cardiac Physiology Alterations in Zebrafish Embryos.

Camphor is a terpene ketone with aromatic and volatile properties in nature derived from the bark of Cinnamomum camphora or synthesized from turpentine. Camphor exhibits various biological properties such as anti-microbial, anti-viral, anti-coccidial, and anti-cancer. It is also used as a form of topical medication for skin irritation, joint pain, and as a relief for itching from insect bites. However, even though the high dose of camphor has been documented to be toxic/lethal in humans in different studies, camphor's developmental toxicity has not yet been explored, and its extensive mechanism of action is still unclear. In the present study, we aimed to assess the toxic effects of camphor in zebrafish embryos in the initial developmental stages. The obtained results demonstrated that a sub-lethal dose of camphor caused a decrease in hatching rate, body length, and substantial elevation in malformation rate on zebrafish embryos. On further observation, in the following time frame, curved body and pericardial edema of zebrafish were also observed. Furthermore, exposure to a sub-lethal dose of camphor was also able to trigger cardiotoxicity in zebrafish larvae. Later, on subsequent biochemical analysis, it was found that the antioxidant capacity inhibition and oxidative stress elevation that occurred after camphor exposure might be associated with the inhibition of total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration. In addition, compared to the control group, several apoptotic cells in treated zebrafish were also found to be elevated. Finally, after further investigation on marker gene expressions, we conclude that the developmental toxicity of camphor exposure might be associated with apoptosis elevation and oxidative stress. Taken together, the current study provides a better understanding of the developmental toxicity of camphor on zebrafish, a promising alternative animal model to assess the developmental toxicity of chemical compounds.

Cardiotoxicity induced by Cochinchina momordica seed extract in zebrafish.

Momordica cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng is an indigenous South Asian edible fruit, and seeds of Momordica cochinchinensis have been used therapeutically in traditional Chinese medicine. Previous studies have shown that M. cochinchinensis seed (Momordicae Semen) has various pharmaceutical properties such as antioxidant and anti-ulcer effects as well as contains secondary metabolites with potential anticancer activities such as triterpenoids and saponins. Recent studies reported that water extract and ethanol extract of M. cochinchinensi seed were tested on mammals using an acute toxic classic method as OECD guidelines 420. No matter injected intravenously or intramuscularly, animals died within several days. In this study, zebrafish embryos were exposed to various doses of Cochinchina momordica seed extract (CMSE) from 2 dpf (days post fertilization, dpf) to 3 dpf. CMSE-induced cardiotoxicity such as pericardial edema, cardiac apoptosis, increased ROS production, cardiac neutrophil infiltration, decreased blood flow velocity, and reduced expression of three marker genes of cardiac functions were found in zebrafish roughly in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that CMSE may induce cardiotoxicity through pathways involved in inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis.

Association Between Low Serum Testosterone and the Development of Metabolic Syndrome in Elderly Taiwanese Men.

PURPOSE: To assess the association between serum testosterone (T) and metabolic syndrome (MS) in different age groups in Taiwanese men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male participants, regardless of age or any underlying disease, were identified from MJ Health Screening Center in Taiwan from 2007 to 2016 for this cross-sectional study. They were divided into three groups according to age, and further classified according to MS diagnosis. Basic patient characteristics with relevant parameters were obtained. One-way ANOVA of mean T values between different numbers of measures that exceeds the cut-off values of MS components was performed to assess the relationship of T and MS. Logistic regression analysis was also used to estimate the risk for MS with each increment in T, age, and BMI. RESULTS: A total of 4,931 men were included. The MS group had significantly lower serum T levels compared to the non-MS group in each age group. The one-way ANOVA found the mean value of T was significantly higher in patients without MS component (6.19±2.12 ng/mL) than those with 1-5 MS components (with one MS component: 5.48±2.13 ng/mL, two MS components: 4.93±2.03 ng/mL, three MS components: 4.37±1.60 ng/mL, four MS components: 4.13±2.89 ng/mL, five MS components: 3.74±1.27 ng/mL, and P<0.001). There was no significant difference between the patients with three components and the patients with four or five components. Logistic regression models with age stratification showed T with lower odds ratio (OR) for MS after adjusting for BMI in those ≥65 years old (OR=0.693; 95% CI=0.559-0.858; P<0.001); 50-64 years old (OR=0.868; 95% CI=0.802-0.940; P<0.001) and <50 years old (OR=0.810; 95% CI=0.758-0.865; P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Lower serum T was strongly associated with MS, with the predictive value increasing with age in Taiwanese men.

Genipin induces developmental toxicity through oxidative stress and apoptosis in zebrafish.

Genipin, an iridoid substance, is mainly derived from Gardenia jasminoides Ellis of the traditional Chinese medicine and is widely used in raw materials for the food additive gardenia blue and biological materials. The developmental toxicity of genipin has not been investigated, and its underlying mechanism is unclear. Therefore, in this study we attempt to investigate the potential developmental toxicity of genipin in zebrafish embryos/larvae. The results showed zebrafish embryos treated with 50 µg/ml dose of genipin display inhibited hatching rates and body length. The pericardial edema was observed. It was also found that genipin could induce cardio-toxicity, hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity in zebrafish larvae. After genipin treatment, the suppression of antioxidant capacity and increase of oxidative stress were showed for the triggered generation of ROS and MDA, and decreased activity of SOD. Compared with the 0.5% DMSO group, a number of apoptotic cells in zebrafish were increased after genipin exposure. By measuring marker gene expression with the using of qRT-PCR, we proposed that developmental toxicity after genipin treatment might be associated with oxidative stress and apoptosis increase. Our research offers a better understanding for developmental toxicity of genipin.

Analysis on oral medication rules of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions for prevention of COVID-19 / 中草药·英文版

Objective: To analyze the medication rules of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preventive oral prescriptions for COVID-19. Methods: The preventive oral prescriptions for COVID-19 published by national and provincial health and wellness committees, administrations of TCM, medical institutions at all levels, medical masters and Chinese medicine experts were collected to establish a database, manual screening was carried out according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and frequency statistics, association rule analysis. The mutual information method, entropy hierarchical clustering and other methods were improved through Excel and the TCM inheritance auxiliary platform V2.5 to mine the rules and characteristics of medication. Results: The selected 157 prescriptions contained a total of 130 TCMs. The top five TCMs with the highest use frequency were Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (86), Astragali Radix (80), Lonicerea Japonicae Flos (70), Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (62), Saposhnikoviae Radix (60). In accordance with TCM efficacy classification, most of them were medicines for qi-tonifying (279), followed by medicines for clearing heat and drying dampness (163), dispelling pathogenic wind-cold (126), resolving dampness (111), as well as dispelling pathogenic wind-heat (99). The characteristics of four-natures of the selected medicines are as follows: most of them were cold (59), followed by warm (38) and mild (21). In terms of five-taste, most of them were sweet (26) and acrid-and-bitter (24), followed by sweet-and-bitter (20), bitter (20) and acrid (15). For the meridian attribution, the five-zang organs and six-fu organs were all involved, most of them attributed to lung meridian (80), followed by stomach meridian (57) and spleen meridian (40). Based on association rule analysis, 12 commonly used medicine combinations with two or three TCMs were found. The commonly used medicinal pairs included Astragali Radix and Saposhnikoviae Radix (51), Astragali Radix and Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (46), Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and Saposhnikoviae Radix (43), Astragali Radix and Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and Saposhnikoviae Radix (38), Forsythiae Fructus and Astragali Radix (37), and so on. In addition, 14 core combinations of medicines were obtained by complex system entropy cluster analysis, on this basis, six new prescriptions were screened out based on unsupervised entropy hierarchical clustering analysis. According to The Catalogue of Edible Traditional Chinese Medicinal Materials, Traditional Chinese Medicinal Materials for Health Food, and New Resources of Food published by National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China, there are 35 species belonging to the group of edible traditional Chinese medicinal materials, 20 species belonging to the group of new resources of food, 31 species belonging to the group of traditional Chinese medicinal materials for health food, 19.11% of the preventive oral prescriptions for COVID-19 were composed of the medicines belonging to the above three groups. Besides, there are 11 toxic species, and 24.84% of the preventive oral prescriptions for COVID-19 contained toxic TCMs. Conclusion: We found that invigorating qi and resolving dampness were the main treatment used to prevent for COVID-19, combined with the methods for strengthening vital energy and eliminating pathogenic factors. Most of the preventive oral prescriptions for COVID-19 were treated in lung, spleen and stomach meridians. In the process of selecting prescriptions and using TCMs to prevent for COVID-19, the safety of preventive medicines was also emphasized. And the theory of “Preventive Treatment of Disease” was embodied in these preventive oral prescriptions for COVID-19. For the prescriptions containing toxic TCMs, special attention should be paid to their safety in clinical application.

Feasibility of stem cell therapy for renal ischemia/reperfusion injury: A systematic review based on animal experiments / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: With the in-depth investigation of stem cells and better understanding of kidney ischemia/reperfusion injury, stem cell therapy for renal ischemia/reperfusion injury in animal experiments have been developed extensively, and have achieved certain advance. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a systematic evaluation to explore the specific efficacy of stem cell therapy for renal ischemia/reperfusion injury. OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the effects of stem cells on the function and structure of the kidney and the immune function of the body and the feasibility of transformation into clinical practice based on the animal experiments. METHODS: Databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CNKI, VIP and WanFang were searched by computer, and the search time was limited before May 2019. The literature was screened independently by two researchers, and the data were extracted. SYRCLE animal experiment bias risk assessment tool was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the study, and the evidence quality was evaluated using CERQual tool.

A hypothesis on the Q-markers based on characteristics of opposite-effect of herbs: an example of Sanqi / 药学学报

The quality definition of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a hot area in modern research of TCM. In recent years, the characteristics of one herb with multiple effects have been widely accepted and studied. The typical opposite-effect of herbs is considered as a special part of one herb with multiple effects, and was summarized in this paper. Sanqi was used as an example of opposite-effect herbs for developing the strategies and approaches on the Q-markers. The traditional opposite-effect should be studied by modern pharmacological research methods. The correlation of the chemical components with the opposite effects should be established in order to verify the material basis and evaluate the mechanism including targets and pathways. The unique characteristics of chemical components should be analyzed and defined. Finally, the Q-markers of the opposite effect herb will be confirmed. This paper provides a useful reference for the precise quality control of herbal opposite-effects.

Unsatisfactory Glucose Management and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in the Real World of Clinical Practice: A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Facing the increasing prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), this study aimed to evaluate the management of GDM and its association with adverse pregnancy outcomes. METHODS: The data of 996 inpatients with GDM who terminated pregnancies in our hospital from January 2011 to December 2015 were collected. Treatments during pregnancy and the last hospital admission before delivery were analyzed. Pregnancy outcomes of the GDM patients were compared with 996 nondiabetic subjects matched by delivery year and gestational age. The association between fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and adverse pregnancy outcomes was examined by logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The average prevalence of GDM over the 5 years was 4.4% (1330/30,191). Within the GDM patients, 42.8% (426/996) received dietary intervention, whereas 19.1% (190/996) received insulin treatment. Adverse outcomes were more likely to occur in patients with unsatisfactory control of blood glucose such as respiratory distress syndrome (RDS, χ2 = 13.373, P < 0.01). Elevated FPG was identified as an independent risk factor for premature birth (odds ratio [OR] = 1.460, P < 0.001), neonatal care unit admission (OR = 1.284, P < 0.001), RDS (OR = 1.322, P = 0.001), and stillbirth (OR = 1.427, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Management of GDM in the real world of clinical practice was unsatisfactory, which might have contributed to adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Unsatisfactory Glucose Management and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in the Real World of Clinical Practice: A Retrospective Study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>Background</b>Facing the increasing prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), this study aimed to evaluate the management of GDM and its association with adverse pregnancy outcomes.</p><p><b>Methods</b>The data of 996 inpatients with GDM who terminated pregnancies in our hospital from January 2011 to December 2015 were collected. Treatments during pregnancy and the last hospital admission before delivery were analyzed. Pregnancy outcomes of the GDM patients were compared with 996 nondiabetic subjects matched by delivery year and gestational age. The association between fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and adverse pregnancy outcomes was examined by logistic regression analyses.</p><p><b>Results</b>The average prevalence of GDM over the 5 years was 4.4% (1330/30,191). Within the GDM patients, 42.8% (426/996) received dietary intervention, whereas 19.1% (190/996) received insulin treatment. Adverse outcomes were more likely to occur in patients with unsatisfactory control of blood glucose such as respiratory distress syndrome (RDS, χ = 13.373, P < 0.01). Elevated FPG was identified as an independent risk factor for premature birth (odds ratio [OR] = 1.460, P < 0.001), neonatal care unit admission (OR = 1.284, P < 0.001), RDS (OR = 1.322, P = 0.001), and stillbirth (OR = 1.427, P < 0.001).</p><p><b>Conclusions</b>Management of GDM in the real world of clinical practice was unsatisfactory, which might have contributed to adverse pregnancy outcomes.</p>

Research on rules of medication for diabetes mellitus based on analysis on 755 traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions / 中草药

To explore the rules of medication for diabetes and diabetic complications based on analysis on 755 traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescriptions. The information in 755 papers published from 1995 to 2016 was got including 755 herbal prescriptions, 367 herbs, 33 330 effective cases. Based on the above information, usage frequency of single herb, efficiency and the rules of formulating prescription for different types of diabetes were analyzed and compared using Microsoft Excel 2010 and Clementine 12.0 software. In the treatment of diabetes and its complications, the top four diabetes symptoms are about diabetes, diabetic neurological complications, diabetic nephropathy and diabetic cardiovascular complications, and accounting for 31.62%, 29.82%, 8.87%, and 6.47% of the total number of effective cases. Further analysis of the top four illnesses found that single herb commonly used in the treatment of diabetes was Astragali Radix, Dioscoreae Rhizoma, Rehmanniae Radix, Trichosanthis Radix, Ophiopogonis Radix, etc. The commonly used drugs categories were tonic herbs, heat-clearing herbs and blood activating herbs; The single medicine commonly used in the treatment of diabetic neurological complications was Astragali Radix, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Chuanxiong Rhizoma, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae et Rhizoma, Cinnamomi Ramulus, etc. The commonly used drugs categories were tonic herbs, blood activating herbs and heat-clearing herbs; The single herb commonly used in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy was Astragali Radix, Dioscoreae Rhizoma, Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix, Poria, Fructus Corni, etc., the commonly used drugs categories were tonic herbs, blood activating herbs and damp-clearing herbs. The single herb commonly used in the treatment of diabetic cardiovascular complications was Astragali Radix, Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Carthami Flos, Chuanxiong Rhizoma, etc., the commonly used drugs categories were blood activating herbs, tonic herbs and heat-clearing herbs. The rules of medication of TCM for diabetes, diabetic neurological complications, diabetic nephropathy and diabetic cardiovascular complications showed similar characteristics, tonic herbs were used the most frequently, supplemented by blood activating herbs, heat-clearing herbs and damp-clearing herbs. However, the principle of formula is a little different for different types of diabetes and diabetic complications, specifically. The prescriptions for diabetes and diabetic neurological complications consist of tonic herbs as the principal, supplemented by blood activating herbs and heat-clearing herbs; The prescriptions for diabetic nephropathy are composed of tonic herbs as the principal, supplemented by blood activating herbs and damp-clearing herbs, as well as tonic herbs and blood activating herbs were equal components in the prescriptions for diabetic cardiovascular complications, supplemented by heat-clearing herbs.

Lifespan Risk Exposure Measurement Instrument: a Feasible and Effective Tool for Life Course Epidemiology Research.

Life course epidemiology should practically illustrate how risk exposures and their dynamic changes influence the occurrence, development and prognosis of chronic diseases from early life to the elderly. This paper develops the lifespan risk exposure measurement instrument (LREMI) in the framework of retrospective study to collect lifestyle, diet, physical activity information across subjects'life courses from 18-years-old to current age. Through a pilot study, the result of the test-retest analysis demonstrated the reliability of LREMI. In Shandong Multicenter Cohort, the LREMI showed its feasibility, for it could measure the exposure spectrum on both individuals and population with different life experiences. Moreover, it had good differentiation ability for identifying cases versus controls in population-based case-control study. However, further studies should be conducted in an already available prospective cohort to ascertain that our results could match prospective data.

Lifespan Risk Exposure Measurement Instrument: a Feasible and Effective Tool for Life Course Epidemiology Research / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

Life course epidemiology should practically illustrate how risk exposures and their dynamic changes influence the occurrence, development and prognosis of chronic diseases from early life to the elderly. This paper develops the lifespan risk exposure measurement instrument (LREMI) in the framework of retrospective study to collect lifestyle, diet, physical activity information across subjects'life courses from 18-years-old to current age. Through a pilot study, the result of the test-retest analysis demonstrated the reliability of LREMI. In Shandong Multicenter Cohort, the LREMI showed its feasibility, for it could measure the exposure spectrum on both individuals and population with different life experiences. Moreover, it had good differentiation ability for identifying cases versus controls in population-based case-control study. However, further studies should be conducted in an already available prospective cohort to ascertain that our results could match prospective data.

Synergistic Effect of Mesoporous Silica and Hydroxyapatite in Loaded Poly(DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid) Microspheres on the Regeneration of Bone Defects.

A microsphere composite made of poly(DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN), and nanohydroxyapatite (nHA) (PLGA-MSN/nHA) was prepared and evaluated as bone tissue engineering materials. The objective of this study was to investigate the synergistic effect of MSN/nHA on biocompatibility as well as its potential ability for bone formation. First, we found that this PLGA-MSN/nHA composite performed good characteristics on microstructure, mechanical strength, and wettability. By cell culture experiments, the adhesion and proliferation rate of the cells seeded on PLGA-MSN/nHA composite was higher than those of the controls and high levels of osteogenetic factors such as ALP and Runx-2 were detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Finally, this PLGA-MSN/nHA composite was implanted into the femur bone defect in a rabbit model, and its ability to induce bone regeneration was observed by histological examinations. Twelve weeks after implantation, the bone defects had significantly more formation of mature bone and less residual materials than in the controls. These results demonstrate that this PLGA-MSN/nHA composite, introducing both MSN and nHA into PLGA microspheres, can improve the biocompatibility and osteoinductivity of composite in vitro and in vivo and had potential application in bone regeneration.

Effects of Artificial Ligaments with Different Porous Structures on the Migration of BMSCs.

Polyethylene terephthalate- (PET-) based artificial ligaments (PET-ALs) are commonly used in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery. The effects of different porous structures on the migration of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on artificial ligaments and the underlying mechanisms are unclear. In this study, a cell migration model was utilized to observe the migration of BMSCs on PET-ALs with different porous structures. A rabbit extra-articular graft-to-bone healing model was applied to investigate the in vivo effects of four types of PET-ALs, and a mechanical test and histological observation were performed at 4 weeks and 12 weeks. The BMSC migration area of the 5A group was significantly larger than that of the other three groups. The migration of BMSCs in the 5A group was abolished by blocking the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway with Y27632. The in vivo study demonstrated that implantation of 5A significantly improved osseointegration. Our study explicitly demonstrates that the migration ability of BMSCs can be regulated by varying the porous structures of the artificial ligaments and suggests that this regulation is related to the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway. Artificial ligaments prepared using a proper knitting method and line density may exhibit improved biocompatibility and clinical performance.

Effects of graphene modification on the bioactivation of polyethylene-terephthalate-based artificial ligaments.

The objective of this study was to investigate whether surface coating with graphene could enhance the surface bioactivation of PET-based artificial ligaments to accelerate graft-to-bone healing after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. In an in vitro study, the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells and their differentiation on the scaffolds were quantified via 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and real-time polymerase chain reaction assays. The significantly higher optical-density values and transcription levels of osteoblast-specific genes indicated that graphene modification could promote the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells and accelerate their specific differentiation into osteogenic lineages on scaffolds. In an in vivo test, rabbits were used to establish an extra-articular graft-to-bone healing model. At 4, 8, and 12 weeks after surgery, biomechanical tests, microcomputed tomography analysis, and histological observations were performed. The final results demonstrated that the microstructural parameters, the average mineral apposition rate of the bone, and the biomechanical properties of the graphene-coated polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-based artificial ligament (G-PET-AL) group were significantly higher than those of the PET-AL graft group (P < 0.05). The results of Van Gieson staining indicated that in the G-PET-AL group, there was more newly formed bone than there was in the group in which nongraphene-coated PET-ALs were used. In conclusion, graphene exhibits considerable potential for enhancing the surface bioactivation of materials.

miR-21 as an independent biochemical recurrence predictor and potential therapeutic target for prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: Abnormal miRNA expression is associated with prostate cancer progression. However, the relationship between miRNA and biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy is not well established. Thus, we evaluated the miRNA miR-21 as a biomarker to predict the risk of biochemical failure, and as a potential drug target for prostate cancer therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: miR-21 levels were assayed using locked nucleic acid in situ hybridization coupled with tissue microarray techniques in 169 radical prostatectomy tissue samples. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to analyze miR-21 expression as an independent predictor of biochemical recurrence. The association of miR-21 with recurrence was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. miR-21 was also evaluated as a potential drug target for prostate cancer therapy. RESULTS: miR-21 expression in prostate cancer tissue samples was significantly associated with pathological stage, lymph node metastasis, capsular invasion, organ confined disease, Gleason score, biochemical recurrence and patient followup. Multivariate analysis also indicated that miR-21 expression could be an independent predictor of biochemical recurrence. The 5-year recurrence-free probability for patients positive vs negative for miR-21 expression was 33.9% vs 44.5%. In vivo treatment with antagomir-21 also repressed the tumor growth of DU145 cells in nude mice. CONCLUSIONS: Positive miR-21 expression was associated with poor biochemical recurrence-free survival and predicted the risk of biochemical recurrence in patients with prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy. Accordingly gene therapy using miR-21 inhibition strategies may prove useful for prostate cancer therapy.

Long-term follow-up study of dilation with temporary cardia stent in different diameters for achalasia / 介入放射学杂志

Objective To determine the curative effect of dilation for achalasia with temporary cardia stent in different diameters based on a long-term follow-up.Methods The study cohort was comprised of 135 patients of achalasia.Among them differentiated by stent diameters as followings:30 patients were treated under fluoroscopy with dilation of temporary cardia stent in 20 mm diameter(group A), 30 patients with dilation of temporary eardia stent in 25 mm diameter(group B),and 75 patients with dilation of temporary cardia stent in 30 mm diameter(group C).135 cardia stents were temporarily placed in the 135 patients and withdrawn after 3 -5 days via gastroscopy.All the stents were inserted and withdrawn successfully.The follow-up in all groups lasted 6-128 months.Results Six(20.0%)out of 30 patients,6(20.0%)out of 30 patients,5(22.7%)out of 22 patieuts,6(37.5%)out of 16 patients,5 out of 9 patients,3 out of 3 patients in group A exhibited dysphagia relapse during 6 months,1 year,3 years,5 years,8 years,and 10 years follow-up,respectively. Four(13.3%)out of 30 patients,4(13.3%)out of 30 patients,3(13.0%)out of 23 patients,4(22.2%)out of 18 patients,5(45.5%)out of 11 patients,and 3 out of 4 patients in group B exhibited dysphagia relapse during 6 months,1 year,3 years,5 years,8 years,and 10 years follow-up,respectively.No(0.0%)out of 75 patients, 1(1.5%)out of 66 patients,4(8.3%)out of 48 patients,6(18.2%)out of 33 patients,6(33.3%)out of 18 patients,2 out of 5 patients in group C exhibited dysphagia relapse during 6 months,1 year,3 years,5 years,8 years,and 10 years follow-up,respectively.Conclusion Dilation with temporary cardia metal stent in 30 mm diameter is the best dilation for achalasia in long-term follow-up.