Targeting high circDNA2v levels in colorectal cancer induces cellular senescence and elicits an anti-tumor secretome.

The efficacy of immunotherapy against colorectal cancer (CRC) is impaired by insufficient immune cell recruitment into the tumor microenvironment. Our study shows that targeting circDNA2v, a circular RNA commonly overexpressed in CRC, can be exploited to elicit cytotoxic T cell recruitment. circDNA2v functions through binding to IGF2BP3, preventing its ubiquitination, and prolonging the IGF2BP3 half-life, which in turn sustains mRNA levels of the protooncogene c-Myc. Targeting circDNA2v by gene silencing downregulates c-Myc to concordantly induce tumor cell senescence and the release of proinflammatory mediators. Production of CXCL10 and interleukin-9 by CRC cells is elicited through JAK-STAT1 signaling, in turn promoting the chemotactic and cytolytic activities of CD8+ T cells. Clinical evidence associates increased circDNA2v expression in CRC tissues with reductions in CD8+ T cell infiltration and worse outcomes. The regulatory relationship between circDNA2v, cellular senescence, and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes thus provides a rational approach for improving immunotherapy in CRC.

Differential mRNA profiles reveal the potential roles of genes involved in lactate stimulation in mouse macrophages.

Lactate is a glycolysis end product, and its levels are markedly associated with disease severity, morbidity, and mortality in sepsis. It modulates key functions of immune cells, including macrophages. In this investigation, transcriptomic analysis was performed using lactic acid, sodium lactate, and hydrochloric acid-stimulated mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (iBMDM), respectively, to identify lactate-associated signaling pathways. After 24 h of stimulation, 896 differentially expressed genes (DEG) indicated were up-regulation, whereas 792 were down-regulated in the lactic acid group, in the sodium lactate group, 128 DEG were up-regulated, and 41 were down-regulated, and in the hydrochloric acid group, 499 DEG were up-regulated, and 285 were down-regulated. Subsequently, clinical samples were used to further verify the eight genes with significant differences, among which Tssk6, Ypel4, Elovl3, Trp53inp1, and Cfp were differentially expressed in patients with high lactic acid, indicating their possible involvement in lactic acid-induced inflammation and various physiological diseases caused by sepsis. However, elongation of very long chain fatty acids protein 3 (Elovl3) was negatively correlated with lactic acid content in patients. The results of this study provide a necessary reference for better understanding the transcriptomic changes caused by lactic acid and explain the potential role of high lactic acid in the regulation of macrophages in sepsis.

Association between high-resolution magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging characteristics and recurrent stroke in patients with intracranial atherosclerotic steno-occlusive disease: A prospective multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: High-resolution magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging (HRMR-VWI) is a promising technique for identifying intracranial vulnerable plaques beyond lumen narrowing. However, the association between HRMR-VWI characteristics and recurrent stroke remains uncertain. AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the association between HRMR-VWI characteristics and recurrent ipsilateral stroke in patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic steno-occlusive disease (ICAS). METHODS: This multicenter, observational study recruited first-ever acute ischemic stroke patients attributed to ICAS (>50% stenosis or occlusion) within 7 days after onset. Participants were assessed by multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) including diffusion-weighted imaging, three-dimension time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography, and three-dimensional T1-weighted HRMR-VWI. The patients were recommended to receive best medical therapy and were systematically followed up for 12 months. The association between HRMR-VWI characteristics and the time to recurrent ipsilateral stroke was investigated by univariable and multivariable analysis. RESULTS: Two hundred and fifty-five consecutive patients were enrolled from 15 centers. The cumulative 12 month ipsilateral recurrence incidence was 4.1% (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.6-6.6%). Patients with recurrent ipsilateral stroke exhibited higher rates of intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH) (30.0% vs 6.5%) and eccentric plaque (90.0% vs 48.2%), and lower occurrence of occlusive thrombus (10.0% vs 23.7%). Plaque length (5.69 ± 2.21 mm vs 6.67 ± 4.16 mm), plaque burden (78.40 ± 7.37% vs 78.22 ± 8.32%), degree of stenosis (60.25 ± 18.95% vs 67.50% ± 22.09%) and remodeling index (1.07 ± 0.27 vs 1.03 ± 0.35) on HRMR-VWI did not differ between patients with and without recurrent ipsilateral stroke. In the multivariable Cox regression analysis, IPH (hazard ratio: 6.64, 95% CI: 1.23-35.8, p = 0.028) was significantly associated with recurrent ipsilateral stroke after adjustment.Conclusions:Our results suggest intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH) is significantly associated with recurrent ipsilateral stroke and has potential value in the selection of patients for aggressive treatment strategies. DATA ACCESS STATEMENT: Data from this study are available and can be accessed upon request.

Data on hematological parameters and generalized severe periodontitis in the United States.

This article describes an ensemble of datasets used to understand the relationship between generalized severe periodontitis and hematological parameters. This dataset combines public periodontal examination data, hematological parameters data, and demographic data from the National Center for Health Statistics from 2009 to 2014. The stage of periodontitis was identified by attachment loss conducted by dental examiners, who were dentists (D.D.S./ D.M.D.) licensed in at least one U.S. state, while matching current classification criteria from the American Academy of Periodontology and the European Federation of Periodontology. Based on the NHANES database, information on age, gender, education level (< 9th grade, 9-11th grade, high school, college, graduate), race/ethnicity (Mexican American, Hispanic, non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and other races), PIR (poverty income ratio) were acquired from the demographic data. Hematological parameters (including HB, HCT, mean cell volume, mean cell hemoglobin, mean cell hemoglobin concentration, red cell distribution width, platelet count, mean platelet volume, and red blood cell count) and glucose data had been obtained from laboratory data. Smoking data had been obtained from questionnaire data.

Functional Study of cAMP-Dependent Protein Kinase A in Penicillium oxalicum.

Signaling pathways play a crucial role in regulating cellulase production. The pathway mediated by signaling proteins plays a crucial role in understanding how cellulase expression is regulated. In this study, using affinity purification of ClrB, we have identified sixteen proteins that potentially interact with ClrB. One of the proteins, the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PoPKA-C), is an important component of the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway. Knocking out PoPKA-C resulted in significant decreases in the growth, glucose utilization, and cellulose hydrolysis ability of the mutant strain. Furthermore, the cellulase activity and gene transcription levels were significantly reduced in the ΔPoPKA-C mutant, while the expression activity of CreA, a transcriptional regulator of carbon metabolism repression, was notably increased. Additionally, deletion of PoPKA-C also led to earlier timing of conidia production. The expression levels of key transcription factor genes stuA and brlA, which are involved in the production of the conidia, showed significant enhancement in the ΔPoPKA-C mutant. These findings highlight the involvement of PoPKA-C in mycelial development, conidiation, and the regulation of cellulase expression. The functional analysis of PoPKA-C provides insights into the mechanism of the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway in cellulase expression in filamentous fungi and has significant implications for the development of high-yielding cellulase strains.

Phosducin-like protein PoPlp1 impacts cellulase and amylase expression and development in Penicillium oxalicum via the G protein-cAMP signaling pathway.

In this study, a phosducin-like protein, PoPlp1, was identified and functionally studied in the cellulase-producing strain Penicillium oxalicum 114-2. PoPlp1 was proven to participate in several biological processes, including mycelium development, conidiation, and expression of cellulases and amylases. With deletion of Poplp1, morphology and development varied significantly in ΔPoplp1. Colony growth, glucose utilization, and the hydrolysis capability of starch and cellulose were limited, whereas conidiation was enhanced. Based on detection of the levels of expression of transcription factors involved in asexual development, we conjectured that PoPlp1 is involved in conidiation via the major factor BrlA. We explored the effect of PoPlp1 on cellulase and amylase expression and observed that cellulase and amylase activity and major gene transcription levels were all dramatically reduced in ΔPoplp1. Deletion of PoPlp1 caused a decrease in intracellular cAMP levels, and the cellulase gene expression level of ΔPoplp1 was restored to a certain extent through external addition of cAMP. These findings demonstrate that PoPlp1 may affect cellulase and amylase expression by regulating cAMP concentration. To comprehensively explore the mechanism of PoPlp1 in regulating multiple biological processes, we performed a comparative transcriptomic analysis between strains P. oxalicum 114-2 and ΔPoplp1. The major cellulase and amylase genes were all downregulated, congrent with the results of real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. The genes involved in the G protein-cAMP signaling pathway, including several G-protein-coupled receptors, one regulator of G protein signaling, and two cAMP phosphodiesterases, were disrupted by deletion of PoPlp1. These results confirm the positive function of PoPlp1 in the G protein-cAMP signaling pathway. This functional analysis of PoPlp1 will be very beneficial for further study of the regulatory mechanisms of cellulase expression and other biological processes in P. oxalicum 114-2 via the G protein-cAMP signaling pathway.

Pharmacologic inhibition of IL11/STAT3 signaling increases MHC-I expression and T cell infiltration.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have discovered an emerging role of IL11 in various colitis-associated cancers, suggesting that IL11 mainly promotes tumor cell survival and proliferation in regulating tumorigenesis. Herein we aimed to reveal a novel function of IL-11 through STAT3 signaling in regulating tumor immune evasion. METHODS: AOM/DSS model in Il11-/- and Apcmin/+/Il11-/- mice were used to detect tumor growth and CD8+ T infiltration. STAT1/3 phosphorylation and MHC-I, CXCL9, H2-K1 and H2-D1 expression were detected in MC38 cells and intestine organoids treated with/without recombinant IL11 to explore effect of IL11/STAT3 signaling, with IL11 mutein used to competitively inhibit IL11 and rescue inhibited STAT1 activation. Correlation between IL11 and CD8+ T infiltration was analyzed using TIMER2.0 website. IL11 expression and survival prognosis was analyzed in clinical data of patient cohort from Nanfang Hospital. RESULTS: IL11 is highly expressed in CRC and indicates unfavorable prognosis. IL11 knockout increased CD8+ T cell infiltration and reduced intestinal and colon formation. Tumors were significantly suppressed while MHC-I and CXCL9 expression for CD8+ T infiltration were remarkably increased in the tumor tissues of Apcmin/+/Il11-/- mice or Il11-/- mice induced by AOM/DSS. IL11/STAT3 signaling downregulated MHC-I and CXCL9 by inhibiting IFNγ-induced STAT1 phosphorylation. IL11 mutein competitively inhibit IL11 to upregulate CXCL9 and MHC-I in tumor and attenuated tumor growth. CONCLUSIONS: This study ascribes for a new immunomodulatory role for IL11 during tumor development that is amenable to anti-cytokine based therapy of colon cancer.

How seasonality affects the environmental performance of fresh appetite: Insights from cherry consumption in China.

Urbanization and globalization are changing the conventional constraints of seasonality and geography on food consumption, such as that of fresh cherries. The rising demand for year-round cherry consumption in China is currently satisfied by open-field, greenhouse-produced, and imported products. This study conducted a spatial-temporal life cycle evaluation of the environmental performance of cherry consumption behaviors during different seasons of the year. Moreover, based on the definitions of global and local seasonality, the additional environmental costs of out-of-season cherry consumption were estimated. Results show that seasonality was an important factor affecting the environmental burdens of cherry consumption. Eating cherries imported from Chile by air in October resulted in the highest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 6.38 kg CO2-eq/kg, while eating domestic open-field cherries during May to July (the natural harvest season) was a relatively environmentally beneficial option. The total cherry consumption in China in 2019 generated GHG emissions of 126.99 × 104 t CO2-eq. Under the definitions of global and local seasonality, the out-of-season consumption led to additional environmental costs of 57.59 × 104 and 85.67 × 104 t CO2-eq, accounting for 45.35% and 67.46% of total emissions, respectively. Furthermore, the time-environment trade-off effect of cherry consumption illustrates the higher environmental costs are exchanged for satisfying the appetite for out-of-season fresh foods. Our findings emphasize the meaningful implications for developing a sustainable consumption pattern for all stakeholders involved in the entire food chain.

Stroke incidence and cognitive outcomes of intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis: study protocol for a multicenter, prospective, observational cohort study.

Background: Intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS) is one of the leading causes of stroke worldwide. Current diagnostic evaluations and treatments remain insufficient to assess the vulnerability of intracranial plaques and reduce the recurrence of stroke in symptomatic ICAS. On the other hand, asymptomatic ICAS is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment. The pathogenesis of ICAS related cognitive decline is largely unknown. The aim of SICO-ICAS study (stroke incidence and cognitive outcomes of ICAS) is to elucidate the pathophysiology of stroke and cognitive impairment in ICAS population, comprehensively evaluating the complex interactions among life-course exposure, genomic variation, vascular risk factors, cerebrovascular burden and coexisting neurodegeneration. Methods: SICO-ICAS is a multicenter, prospective, observational cohort study. We aim to recruit 3,000 patients with symptomatic or asymptomatic ICAS (>50% or occlusion) who will be followed up for ≥12 months. All participants will undergo pre-designed magnetic resonance imaging packages, blood biomarkers testing, as well as detailed cognitive domains assessment. All participants will undergo clinical visits every 6 months and telephone interviews every 3 months. The primary outcome measurement is ischemic stroke or cognitive impairment within 12 months after enrollment. Discussion: This study will establish a large prospective ICAS cohort, hopefully discover new biomarkers associated with vulnerable intracranial plaques, identify subjects at high risk for incident ischemic stroke or cognitive impairment, and eventually propose a precise diagnostic and treatment strategy for ICAS population. Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trials Register ChiCTR2200061938.

Exosomal microRNA-133b-3p from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells inhibits angiogenesis and oxidative stress via FBN1 repression in diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common microvascular complication. Many studies have focused on the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in DR but not specifically on miR-133b-3p. Thus, this study is to unmask the mechanisms of miR-133b-3p in DR. KK/Upj-Ay mice (a spontaneous diabetic nephropathy model of DM, referred to as DR mice) were used in the study, and retinal tissues were collected. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were isolated and identified. High glucose (HG)-treated mouse retinal microvascular endothelial cells (mRMECs) were transfected or co-cultured with BMSCs-derived exosomes. Then, cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and oxidative stress were observed. MiR-133b-3p and FBN1 expression in tissues and cells was detected. MiR-133b-3p expression was reduced, and FBN1 expression was increased in retinal tissues of DR mice and HG-treated mRMECs. Up-regulating miR-133b-3p or down-regulating FBN1 or BMSCs-derived exosomes impaired oxidative stress, angiogenesis, proliferation, migration, and promoted apoptosis of HG-treated mRMECs. This study has elucidated that exosomal miR-133b-3p from BMSCs suppresses angiogenesis and oxidative stress in DR via FBN1 repression.

Increasing disparities in the embedded carbon emissions of provincial urban households in China.

In the context of carbon neutrality and the National Economic Circle Strategy, understanding regional disparities in carbon emissions from household consumption is conducive to regional coordination as well as high-quality and low-carbon development in China. In this study, a multiregional input-output (MRIO) model and structural decomposition analysis (SDA) are adopted to investigate the regional disparity change trends of embedded carbon emissions (ECEs) from urban households and the underlying drivers during the rapid economic development period from 2002 to 2012 in China. The results indicate that the eastern regions tended to have larger increments in total urban household ECEs, while the western regions tended to have faster growth rates. An increasing disparity and evident outsourcing pattern can be observed during the study period. The consumption level had a strong positive effect on urban household ECEs in all of the provinces, while the carbon efficiency, consumption pattern, production structure, and population size had differentiated offsetting effects on urban household ECEs in various provinces. The results obtained in this study are conducive to promoting joint efforts for carbon emission reduction and narrowing regional disparities.

Direct Tomography of High-Dimensional Density Matrices for General Quantum States of Photons.

Quantum-state tomography is the conventional method used to characterize density matrices for general quantum states. However, the data acquisition time generally scales linearly with the dimension of the Hilbert space, hindering the possibility of dynamic monitoring of a high-dimensional quantum system. Here, we demonstrate a direct tomography protocol to measure density matrices of photons in the position basis through the use of a polarization-resolving camera, where the dimension of density matrices can be as large as 580×580 in our experiment. The use of the polarization-resolving camera enables parallel measurements in the position and polarization basis and as a result, the data acquisition time of our protocol does not increase with the dimension of the Hilbert space and is solely determined by the camera exposure time (on the order of 10 ms). Our method is potentially useful for the real-time monitoring of the dynamics of quantum states and paves the way for the development of high-dimensional, time-efficient quantum metrology techniques.

Confocal super-resolution microscopy based on a spatial mode sorter.

Spatial resolution is one of the most important specifications of an imaging system. Recent results in the quantum parameter estimation theory reveal that an arbitrarily small distance between two incoherent point sources can always be efficiently determined through the use of a spatial mode sorter. However, extending this procedure to a general object consisting of many incoherent point sources remains challenging, due to the intrinsic complexity of multi-parameter estimation problems. Here, we generalize the Richardson-Lucy (RL) deconvolution algorithm to address this challenge. We simulate its application to an incoherent confocal microscope, with a Zernike spatial mode sorter replacing the pinhole used in a conventional confocal microscope. We test different spatially incoherent objects of arbitrary geometry, and we find that the resolution enhancement of sorter-based microscopy is on average over 30% higher than that of a conventional confocal microscope using the standard RL deconvolution algorithm. Our method could potentially be used in diverse applications such as fluorescence microscopy and astronomical imaging.

Lacunar-like changes of the chorion: can it be a first-trimester ultrasound sign in predicting worse clinical outcome in cesarean scar pregnancy termination?

OBJECTIVE: To observe the lacunar-like changes in cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) ultrasonography in first trimester and to explore its relationship with clinical outcome in early pregnancy termination. METHODS: This is a retrospective case-control study. Patients who were diagnosed as CSP and chose to terminate pregnancy from January 2017 to April 2020 were enrolled. According to occurrence of lacunar-like change in chorion membrane, patients were divided into case and control group. The clinical manifestation, laboratory test, ultrasound data, and outcome were compared. RESULTS: Fifty-five CSP patients were enrolled with 20 (36.4%) in case group and 35 (63.6%) in control group. As for ultrasound features, the maximum outer diameter of gestational mass (5.6 ± 2.5 cm vs. 3.9 ± 1.5 cm), the maximum thickness of the chorion membrane (median number 1.1 cm vs. 0.7 cm), the longitudinal diameter of the implanting part of gestational mass in uterine lower segment (3.3 ± 1.8 cm vs. 1.2 ± 0.5 cm), uterine lower segment protrusion incidence (12, 60% vs. 2, 5.7%), and the crown-rump length of fetus (median number 1.7 cm vs. 0.7 cm) were bigger or higher in case group than that of the control group; the minimum thickness of the uterine lower segment myometrium (median number 0.08 cm vs. 0.20 cm) was significantly thinner in case group. CDFI grading of case group was different from control group with more cases in higher grades. As for clinical outcome, the patients of case group showed more frequency of CSP lesion resection under open surgery or laparoscopy (7, 35% vs. 1, 2.86%) rather than suction curettage, more blood loss in surgery (median number 35 ml vs. 20 ml) and more hospitalization days (median number 7.5 d vs. 3.5 d) than control group. CONCLUSIONS: Lacunar-like change of chorion can be detected in early gestation and may act as a predictor of complicated and worse clinical outcome.

High-fidelity spatial mode transmission through a 1-km-long multimode fiber via vectorial time reversal.

The large number of spatial modes supported by standard multimode fibers is a promising platform for boosting the channel capacity of quantum and classical communications by orders of magnitude. However, the practical use of long multimode fibers is severely hampered by modal crosstalk and polarization mixing. To overcome these challenges, we develop and experimentally demonstrate a vectorial time reversal technique, which is accomplished by digitally pre-shaping the wavefront and polarization of the forward-propagating signal beam to be the phase conjugate of an auxiliary, backward-propagating probe beam. Here, we report an average modal fidelity above 80% for 210 Laguerre-Gauss and Hermite-Gauss modes by using vectorial time reversal over an unstabilized 1-km-long fiber. We also propose a practical and scalable spatial-mode-multiplexed quantum communication protocol over long multimode fibers to illustrate potential applications that can be enabled by our technique.

Compensation-free high-dimensional free-space optical communication using turbulence-resilient vector beams.

Free-space optical communication is a promising means to establish versatile, secure and high-bandwidth communication between mobile nodes for many critical applications. While the spatial modes of light offer a degree of freedom to increase the information capacity of an optical link, atmospheric turbulence can introduce severe distortion to the spatial modes and lead to data degradation. Here, we demonstrate experimentally a vector-beam-based, turbulence-resilient communication protocol, namely spatial polarization differential phase shift keying (SPDPSK), that can reliably transmit high-dimensional information through a turbulent channel without the need of any adaptive optics for beam compensation. In a proof-of-principle experiment with a controllable turbulence cell, we measure a channel capacity of 4.84 bits per pulse using 34 vector modes through a turbulent channel with a scintillation index of 1.09, and 4.02 bits per pulse using 18 vector modes through even stronger turbulence corresponding to a scintillation index of 1.54.

Dynamic transcriptome landscape in the song nucleus HVC between juvenile and adult zebra finches.

Male juvenile zebra finches learn to sing by imitating songs of adult males early in life. The development of the song control circuit and song learning and maturation are highly intertwined processes, involving gene expression, neurogenesis, circuit formation, synaptic modification, and sensory-motor learning. To better understand the genetic and genomic mechanisms underlying these events, we used RNA-Seq to examine genome-wide transcriptomes in the song control nucleus HVC of male juvenile (45 d) and adult (100 d) zebra finches. We report that gene groups related to axon guidance, RNA processing, lipid metabolism, and mitochondrial functions show enriched expression in juvenile HVC compared to the rest of the brain. As juveniles mature into adulthood, massive gene expression changes occur. Expression of genes related to amino acid metabolism, cell cycle, and mitochondrial function is reduced, accompanied by increased and enriched expression of genes with synaptic functions, including genes related to G-protein signaling, neurotransmitter receptors, transport of small molecules, and potassium channels. Unexpectedly, a group of genes with immune system functions is also developmentally regulated, suggesting potential roles in the development and functions of HVC. These data will serve as a rich resource for investigations into the development and function of a neural circuit that controls vocal behavior.

Critical biodegradation process of a widely used surfactant in the water environment: dodecyl benzene sulfonate (DBS).

Sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (DBS) is a widely used surfactant that is now found extensively in water bodies because of anthropogenic emissions. Since the degradation of DBS in the environment mainly relies on microorganisms, it is essential to study the mechanism by which DBS is biodegraded. In this study, Chlorella vulgaris was used to research the biodegradation process of DBS. The C. vulgaris suspension was centrifuged to remove the supernatant, then secondary deionized water and DBS were added to the C. vulgaris. And the intermediate products were detected in real time by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Some novel intermediate products, including 4-sodium sulfophenyldodecanoate acid and its homologs, were detected that had not been mentioned in previous studies. In this work, the process of DBS degradation was indicated, which consisted of three main steps: chain-shorting oxidation, ring-opening oxidation of benzene rings, and degradation of small molecules. By investigating the process of DBS degradation by C. vulgaris, we were able to propose a preliminary mechanism of DBS biodegradation, which is of great significance for research on the migration and conversion of surfactants in the environment.

The clinical and ultrasound-based comparison between cesarean scar pregnancy and other lower uterine segment pregnancies with a history of cesarean section.

Objective: To compare the clinical and ultrasound characteristics of cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) and other lower uterine segment pregnancies (LUSPs) to enable differential diagnosis of the two pathologies in the first trimester.Methods: A retrospective analysis of early pregnancies with a gestational sac located in the lower uterine segment with cesarean section history in our hospital from December 2011 to February 2018 was performed. According to the diagnoses, the patients were divided into the CSPs group and the other LUSPs group. The clinical and ultrasound features were compared.Results: A total of 38 patients were enrolled with 16 (42.1%) CSPs and 22 (57.9%) other LUSPs. Compared to the other LUSPs group, the CSPs group had thinner lower uterine myometrium (0.16 ± 0.11 cm versus 0.32 ± 0.14 cm, p = .000), larger maximum diameter of the gestational sac (5.14 ± 2.08 cm versus 3.77 ± 1.24 cm, p = .028); the distribution of the villous chorion sites (p = .001) and the main blood supply sites (p = .000) of the gestational sac were different between the two groups. Surgical bleeding volume during the termination of gestation was higher in the CSPs group than in the other LUSPs group (p = .028).Conclusion: Patients with CSPs and other LUSPs have different imaging characteristics on ultrasound. The prognosis of these patients also differs. Ultrasound feature is very useful in the differential diagnosis of these two clinical-mimicking pathologies.

[Therapeutic effect of herb-separated moxibustion at Jinsuo (GV 8)-eight-diagram points on diarrhea-type irritable bowel syndrome of liver stagnation and spleen deficiency].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical therapeutic effect of herb-separated moxibustion at Jinsuo (GV 8)- eight-diagram points on diarrhea-type irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) of liver stagnation and spleen deficiency as compared with oral administration of pinaverium bromide tablets and Chinese herbal decoction, tongxieyaofang. METHODS: A total of 126 patients with IBS-D of liver stagnation and spleen deficiency were randomized into a herb-separated moxibustion group (moxibustion group), a western medication group and a Chinese herbal medication group, 42 cases in each one. In the moxibustion group, the herb-separated moxibustion was applied to Jinsuo (GV 8)-eight-diagram points. The herbs in tongxieyaofang (fried rhizoma atractylodis macrocephalae, fried radix paeoniae alba, pericarpium citri reticulatae and radix saposhnikoviae) were ground into herbal paste and the paste was put on Jinsuo (GV 8)-eight-diagram points. The suspending moxibustion was exerted over the points for 40 min, once daily. In the western medication group, pinaverium bromide tablets were taken orally, 50 mg each time, three times a day. In the Chinese herbal medication group, the decoction of tongxieyaofang was taken orally, one dose a day, taking separately in two times. The duration of treatment was 8 weeks in each group. Before and after treatment, the symptom score of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), gastrointestinal (GI) symptom score, the score of IBS symptom severity scale (IBS-SSS) and the score of IBS quality of life (IBS-QOL) scale were observed in patients of each group separately. The clinical therapeutic effect was evaluated. RESULTS: After treatment, the scores of TCM symptoms, GI symptom scores and IBS-SSS scores were all obviously reduced in each group (P<0.05). Each of the scores in the moxibustion group was lower than the western medication group and the Chinese herbal medication group respectively (P<0.05). After treatment, the scores of each of eight subscale structures of IBS-QOL scale, named dysphoria, interference with activity, body image, health worry, food avoidance, social reaction, sexual intercourse and relationship, were all increased obviously in each group (P<0.05). The scores of each of eight subscale structures in the moxibustion group were higher than the western medication group and the Chinese herbal medication group respectively (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 92.9% (39/42) in the moxibustion group, higher than 71.4% (30/42) in the western medication group and 73.8% (31/42) in the Chinese herbal medication group respectively (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Herb-separated moxibustion at Jinsuo (GV 8)-eight-diagram points remarkably relieves gastrointestinal symptoms and improves the quality of life in patients of diarrhea-type irritable bowel syndrome of liver stagnation and spleen deficiency, and its clinical therapeutic effect is superior to oral administration of either pinaverium bromide tablets or tongxieyaofang.