Interaction between adolescent sleep rhythms and gender in an obese population.

BACKGROUND: The obesity rate of adolescents is gradually increasing, which seriously affects their mental health, and sleep plays an important role in adolescent obesity. AIM: To investigate the relationship between sleep rhythm and obesity among adolescents and further explores the interactive effect of sleep rhythm and gender on adolescent obesity, providing a theoretical basis for developing interventions for adolescent obesity. METHODS: Research data source Tianjin Mental Health Promotion Program for Students. From April to June 2022, this study selected 14201 students from 13 middle schools in a certain district of Tianjin as the research subject using the convenient cluster sampling method. Among these students, 13374 accepted and completed the survey, with an effective rate of 94.2%.The demographic data and basic information of adolescents, such as height and weight, were collected through a general situation questionnaire. The sleep rhythm of adolescents was evaluated using the reduced version of the morningness-eveningness questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 13374 participants (6629 females, accounting for 49.56%; the average age is 15.21 ± 1.433 years) were analyzed. Among them, the survey showed that 2942 adolescent were obesity, accounting for 22% and 2104 adolescent were overweight, accounting for 15.7%. Among them, 1692 male adolescents are obese, with an obesity rate of 25.1%, higher than 18.9% of female adolescents. There is a statistically significant difference between the three groups (χ2 = 231.522, P < 0.000). The obesity group has the smallest age (14.94 ± 1.442 years), and there is a statistical difference in age among the three groups (F = 69.996, P < 0.000).Obesity rates are higher among individuals who are not-only-child, have residential experience within six months, have family economic poverty, and have evening-type sleep (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis shows a correlation between sleep rhythm and adolescent obesity. Evening-type sleep rhythm can increase the risk of obesity in male adolescents [1.250 (1.067-1.468)], but the effect on female obesity is not remarkable. Further logistic regression analysis in the overall population demonstrates that the interaction between evening-type sleep rhythm and the male gender poses a risk of adolescent obesity [1.122 (1.043-1.208)]. CONCLUSION: Among adolescents, the incidence of obesity in males is higher than in females. Evening-type sleep rhythm plays an important role in male obesity but has no significant effect on female obesity. Progressive analysis suggests an interactive effect of sleep rhythm and gender on adolescent obesity, and the combination of evening-type sleep and the male gender promotes the development of adolescent obesity. In formulating precautions against adolescent obesity, obesity in male adolescents with evening-type sleep should be a critical concern.

[Retracted] MicroRNA­378 regulates cell proliferation and migration by repressing RNF31 in pituitary adenoma.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.3892/ol.2017.7431.].

The importance of vitellogenin receptors in the oviposition of the pond wolf spider, Pardosa pseudoannulata.

Vitellogenin receptor (VgR) is crucial for vitellogenin (Vg) uptake by oocytes. VgR is less known in Arachnida, especially in spiders. Different from only one VgR in an arthropod species, two VgRs, VgR-1 and VgR-2, were found in the pond wolf spider, Pardosa pseudoannulata. Both VgRs had the typical domains of the low-density lipoprotein receptor family except for the absence of the ligand-binding domain 1 in VgR-2. Spatiotemporal expression profiles showed that two VgR genes were consistently highly expressed in females and their ovaries, but VgR-1 was 48-fold that of VgR-2 in ovaries. The transcriptional level of VgR-1 was significantly downregulated by RNAi, but it did not work for VgR-2 although several trials were performed. Vg-1 and Vg-2 might be the ligands of VgR-1 because their expressions were also decreased in the dsVgR-1-treated females. Silencing VgR-1 prolonged the pre-oviposition period by 56 h. The expression of VgRs and Vgs were upregulated by juvenile hormones (JHs), which suggested that JHs were the essential factors to vitellogenesis in the spider. The present study revealed the importance of VgR-1 in the spider oviposition, which will improve the understanding on VgR physiological functions in spiders.

[Research progress on natural products of fungi of Diaporthe sp.]

Diaporthe sp. fungi is one of the important sources of active natural products. Polyketides, alkaloids, terpenes, anthraquinones and other types of novel metabolic products are found from this genus, and many of them have significant anti-tumor, antibacterial, anti-hyperlipidemia, inhibition of pulmonary fibrosis, antioxidant and other biological activities. This paper reviewed source, structure and biological activity of natural products from Diaporthe sp. in the past two decades, and provided a reference for in-depth study of natural product of this genus fungus and innovative drug development.

Effects of different drying methods on the chemical constituents of Lilium lancifolium Thunb. based on UHPLC-MS analysis and antidepressant activity of the main chemical component regaloside A.

The Lilium lancifolium Thunb. is a herb with multiple functions in both medicine and food in China, and its extracts have shown antidepressant effects. In this study, fresh bulbs of Lilium lancifolium Thunb. were processed to study the effects of different drying processes on changes in its main chemical components. We found that different drying methods can affect the chemical constituents of the herb. Among these components, Regaloside A has been found as the characteristic component. Here, Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, and Western blotting were used to evaluate the neuroprotective antidepressant effects of Regaloside A. The results showed the cell survival rate was improved, the phosphorylation levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, tyrosine kinase receptor B, phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase, protein kinase B, and mammalian target of rapamycin were increased after Regaloside A treatment. In general, different drying methods have a significant influence on the chemical composition of the herb, and Regaloside A may be the main chemical component of the herb. It can alleviate the damage of corticosterone in SH-SY5Y cells, and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling mediated by brain-derived neurotrophic factor/tyrosine kinase receptor B may play an important role in the neuroprotective antidepressant effects of Regaloside A.

Finite Element Analysis of Insertion Angle of Absorbable Screws for the Fixation of Radial Head Fractures.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the biomechanical effects of different insertion angles of absorbable screws for the fixation of radial head fractures. METHODS: The finite element models used to simulate the fractures were created based on CT scans. Two absorbable screws were used to fix and maintain the stability of the fracture, and the angles between the screws were set to 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°, and 90°. A downward force of 100 N was applied at the stress point, which was coupled with the surface, and the distal radius was limited to six degrees of freedom. The direction and location of the applied force were the same in each model. The values of the von Mises stress and peak displacements were calculated. RESULTS: Under the applied load and different screw angles, the maximum von Mises stress in the screws was concentrated on the surface contacting the fracture surfaces. The maximum von Mises equivalent stress in the screw decreased when the angle increased from 0° (19.54 MPa) to 45° (13.11 MPa) and increased when the angle further increased to 90° (24.63 MPa). The peak displacement decreased as the angle increased from 0° (0.19 mm) to 45° (0.15 mm) and increased when the angle further increased to 90° (0.25 mm). CONCLUSION: The computational stress distribution showed that fixation with absorbable screws is safe for patients. Moreover, the minimum von Mises stress and displacements were generated when the angle between the screws was 45°; hence, this setting should be recommended for Mason type II radial fractures.

Automated microfluidic chip system for radiosynthesis of PET imaging probes.

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a powerful non-invasive molecular imaging technique for the early detection, characterization, and "real-time" monitoring of disease, and for investigating the efficacy of drugs (Phelps, 2000; Ametamey et al., 2008). The development of molecular probes bearing short-lived positron-emitting radionuclides, such as 18F (half-life 110 min) or 11C (half-life 20 min), is crucial for PET imaging to collect in vivo metabolic information in a time-efficient manner (Deng et al., 2019). In this regard, one of the main challenges is rapid synthesis of radiolabeled probes by introducing the radionuclides into pharmaceuticals as soon as possible before injection for a PET scan. Although many potential PET probes have been discovered, only a handful can satisfy the demand for a highly efficient synthesis procedure that achieves radiolabeling and delivery for imaging within 1-2 radioisotope half-lives. Only a few probes, such as 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (18F-FDG) and [18F]fluorodopa, are routinely produced on a commercial scale for daily clinical diagnosis (Grayson et al., 2018; Carollo et al., 2019).

MiR-148a inhibits the proliferation and migration of glioblastoma by targeting ITGA9.

Glioblastoma is a common malignant primary intracranial tumor characterized by rapid invasive growth and a high recurrence rate after surgery. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, and abnormal miRNA expression is associated with the occurrence and progression of various tumors, including glioblastomas. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of miR-148a and integrin subunit alpha 9 (ITGA9) in glioblastoma tissues and cells and their involvement in cancer cell proliferation and migration. Glioblastoma tissues from 19 patients and two glioblastoma cell lines (U87 and LN229) were used in this study. The effects of miR-148a on cell viability, proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion were assessed. Glioblastomas were xenografted in nude mice to examine the effects of miR-148a overexpression on tumor growth in vivo. Levels of ITGA9 mRNA and protein in glioblastoma tissues were detected by quantitative reverse transcription PCR and western blot analysis, respectively. The interaction between miR-148a and ITGA9 was determined by a dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. We found that the overexpression of miR-148a decreases the proliferation, clustering, migration, and invasiveness of U87 and LN229 cells and inhibits the tumorigenicity of xenografted glioblastomas. We confirmed that ITGA9 is the target of miR-148a. Restoration of ITGA9 expression reversed the decreased viability, migration, and invasiveness of glioblastoma cells induced by miR-148a overexpression. Our findings indicate that miR-148a can suppress the malignant phenotype of glioblastoma by targeting ITGA9 and identify ITGA9 as a potential therapeutic target for glioblastoma.

MicroRNA-378 regulates cell proliferation and migration by repressing RNF31 in pituitary adenoma.

MicroRNA-378 (miR-378) is dysregulated in multiple malignancies and is associated with tumor progression. However, the expression and mechanism of miR-378 in pituitary adenoma (PA) remains to be elucidated. In the present study, the role and mechanism of miR-378 in PA tumorigenesis and development was investigated. It was revealed that the levels of miR-378 expression were markedly downregulated in PA tissues. CCK-8 and wound healing assays revealed that transfection with miR-378 mimics was able to markedly inhibit the proliferation and migration of GH3 cells. Furthermore, quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis demonstrated that ring finger protein 31 (RNF31) was upregulated in PA specimens and the levels of RNF31 expression was negatively regulated by miR-378. In addition, knockdown of RNF31 markedly suppressed cell proliferation and migration in GH3 cells. In conclusion, the present study provides a molecular basis for the function of miR-378/RNF31 in the progression of human PA, indicating a potential novel target for the treatment of PA.

Vitamin D insufficiency correlates with peripheral B10 cells in patients with pituitary tumours.

The mechanism of pituitary gland tumour (PGT) is unclear. Aberrant immune tolerance is associated with the pathogenesis of tumour. Vitamin D and vitamin D receptor (VDR) are involved in the immune regulation. Interleukin (IL)-10 is one of the important immune regulatory molecules. This study aims to elucidate the role of VDR in the regulation of IL-10 in peripheral B cells of PGT patients. In this study, the peripheral blood samples were collected from PGT patients and healthy subjects. B cells were purified from the blood samples and analysed by RT-qPCR and Western blotting. The correlation between the expression of IL-10 and VDR in the B cells was assessed. We observed that the serum VitD levels were negatively correlated with IL-10 expression in peripheral B cells of patients with PGT. Low levels of VDR expression were found in peripheral B cells of PGT patients. Exposure to VitD suppressed the expression of IL-10 in B cells. The VDR bounds the transcription factor of IL-10 to interfere with the expression of IL-10 in B cells. The VDR agonists inhibited IL-10 expression in B cells from PGT patients. In conclusion, modulation of the expression of VDR can regulate the expression of IL-10 in peripheral B cells of PGT patients, which may contribute to the treatment of PGT.

MicroRNA-197 inhibits cell proliferation by targeting GAB2 in glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma is the most common type of primary brain tumor in adults, and is usually fatal in a short duration. Acquiring a better understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms of glioblastoma is essential to the design of effective therapeutic strategies. Grb2-associated binding protein 2 (GAB2) is a member of the daughter of sevenless/Gab family of scaffolding adapters, and has been reported to be important in the development and progression of human cancer. Previously, it has been reported that GAB2 is expressed at high levels in glioma, and may serve as a useful prognostic marker for glioma and a novel therapeutic target for glioma invasion intervention. Elucidating why GAB2 is overexpressed in glioma, and investigating how to downregulate it will assist in further understanding the pathogenesis and progression of the disease, and to offer novel targets for therapy. The present study used in situ hybridization to detect microRNA (miR)­197 expression levels and Targetscan to predict that the 3'-UTR of GAB2 was targeted by miR-197. Northern blotting and reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction were also conducted in the current study. miR-197 is downregulated in glioblastoma tissues, compared with adjacent normal tissues, however it involvement continues to be detected in the disease. The results of the present study demonstrated that miR­197, as a tumor suppressor gene, inhibited proliferation by regulating GAB2 in glioblastoma cells. Furthermore, GAB2 was not only upregulated in glioma, but its expression levels were also associated with the grades of glioma severity. In addition, overexpression of GAB2 suppressed the expression of miR­197 in glioblastoma cells. Therefore, restoration of miR­197 and targeting GAB2 may be used, in conjunction with other therapies, to prevent the progression of glioblastoma.

Correlation between CYP4F2 gene rs2108622 polymorphism and susceptibility to ischemic stroke.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a meta-analysis for the correlation between cytochrome P450 4F2 (CYP4F2) rs2108622 (V433M) gene polymorphism and ischemic stroke. METHODS: We retrieved the case-control studies on the correlation between CYP4F2 V433M polymorphism and ischemic stroke included in domestic and international databases before January 2015 and selected the best genetic model, using RevMan 5.2 software for meta-analysis. According to the heterogeneity test results of selected literature, the effect model of consolidated data was selected, and the combined OR and 95% CI were calculated. RESULTS: A total of six documents were included. Recessive model (VM + MM vs. VV) was selected as the best genetic model. The combined results showed that: compared with wild-type VV, there are significant association between ischemic stroke and CYP4F2 polymorphism (OR merge = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.21~1.54, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: CYP4F2 V433M may be the susceptibility gene for ischemic stroke.

[Study on Chemical Constituents from Ethyl Acetate Extraction of Sanicula lamelligera].

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents from ethyl acetate extraction of Sanicula lamelligera. METHODS: Compounds were isolated and purified by silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatographic method, and their structures were identified by using spectroscopic analysis. RESULTS: Nine compounds were isolated and identified as angelicin (I), isoferulaldehyde (II), 12- hydroxybakuchiol (III), 22-angeloyl-R1-barrigenol (IV), 5,6,7,8,4'-pentamethoxyflavone (V),3,5,6,7,8,3',4'-heptamethoxyflavone (VI), isobavachin (VII), isoliquiritigenin (VIII) and furano (2",3",7,6) 4'-hydroxyflavanone (IX). CONCLUSION: All compounds are isolated from this plant for the first time.

Retrospective Analysis of Cushing's Disease with or without Hyperprolactinemia.

Objective. We compared the characteristics of patients with Cushing's disease alone with those of patients with Cushing's disease and hyperprolactinemia. Methods. Eighty-four patients were enrolled between 2002 and 2011, in a hospital in China. Clinical, endocrinological, and histopathological data, MRI scans, and surgical outcomes were reviewed throughout the follow-up period. Results. Patients with Cushing's disease and hyperprolactinemia had a younger age at diagnosis (30.28 ± 14.23 versus 36.08 ± 10.91 years; P = 0.037) and a larger adenoma maximal diameter (2.44 ± 1.32 versus 1.44 ± 1.05 cm; P < 0.001) than patients with Cushing's disease alone. Menstrual disorders (P = 0.027) and visual field defects (P = 0.021) were more common and progressive obesity (P = 0.009) and hypertension (P < 0.001) were less common in patients with Cushing's disease and hyperprolactinemia. The rate of normalization of hormonal levels was lower (41.7% versus 91.7%; P < 0.001) and the recurrence rate was higher (36.1% versus 8.3%; P < 0.001) in patients with Cushing's disease and hyperprolactinemia. Conclusions. Careful long-term follow-up is needed of patients with Cushing's disease and hyperprolactinemia.

Genome-wide association study identifies a susceptibility locus for schizophrenia in Han Chinese at 11p11.2.

To identify susceptibility loci for schizophrenia, we performed a two-stage genome-wide association study (GWAS) of schizophrenia in the Han Chinese population (GWAS: 746 individuals with schizophrenia and 1,599 healthy controls; validation: 4,027 individuals with schizophrenia and 5,603 healthy controls). We identified two susceptibility loci for schizophrenia at 6p21-p22.1 (rs1233710 in an intron of ZKSCAN4, P(combined) = 4.76 × 10(-11), odds ratio (OR) = 0.79; rs1635 in an exon of NKAPL, P(combined) = 6.91 × 10(-12), OR = 0.78; rs2142731 in an intron of PGBD1, P(combined) = 5.14 × 10(-10), OR = 0.79) and 11p11.2 (rs11038167 near the 5' UTR of TSPAN18, P(combined) = 1.09 × 10(-11), OR = 1.29; rs11038172, P(combined) = 7.21 × 10(-10), OR = 1.25; rs835784, P(combined) = 2.73 × 10(-11), OR = 1.27). These results add to previous evidence of susceptibility loci for schizophrenia at 6p21-p22.1 in the Han Chinese population. We found that NKAPL and ZKSCAN4 were expressed in postnatal day 0 (P0) mouse brain. These findings may lead to new insights into the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.

Transsphenoidal pseudocapsule-based extracapsular resection for pituitary adenomas.

BACKGROUND: In the past several years, increasing attention has been paid to the utility of a pseudocapsule in transphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenomas. However, prior studies focused more on the histological structure of the pseudocapsule and surgical technique. The objective of this study was to evaluate the overall therapeutic effectiveness of transsphenoidal pseudocapsule-based extracapsular resection for pituitary adenomas. METHODS: Between January 2004 and October 2007, 78 patients with pituitary adenomas underwent transsphenoidal pseudocapsule-based extracapsular removal surgery (extracapsular resection group, ER group). During the same period, 64 patients underwent transsphenoidal intracapsular resection operations (intracapsular resection group, IR group). RESULTS: Complete resection rates were achieved in 90.6%, 84.6% and 65.5%, 52.6% of modified Hardy types II and III in the ER and IR groups, showing a significant difference (both P < 0.05). Statistical significance in the remission rates was also found between the two groups with modified Hardy types II and III, respectively (both P < 0.05). Complications occurred in 29.5% of the ER group and 26.6% of the IR group, with no difference between groups (P > 0.05). The recurrence rate of the ER group (2.56%) was lower than that of the IR group (14.06%). CONCLUSION: The transsphenoidal pseudocapsule-based extracapsular resection approach provides a more effective and safe alternative compared to the traditional intracapsular one because of its higher tumor removal and remission rates, and lower recurrence rate.

[A study on image processing of digital radiography and measure of material micro-density directly].

Due to the high influents of the device itself and the surrounding environment, the background brightness of the digital radiography image is uniform and the image shows big noise. Therefore, in order to identify digital radiography images precisely, a further image processing is necessary. In this study, adaptive filtering, histogram equalization techniques and difference image methods were used for image processing and the results show that these techniques were useful to denoise, to intensify brightness and to rectify the background. In order to verify the feasibility of these techniques, poplar wood samples of heterogeneous material were used as experimental materials and Micro-density was measured directly by applying the linear relationship between grey scale of DR image and penetrate material density and contrasted with the result of microdensitometer. The results show these techniques were feasible and even gave a more precise measurement on wood micro-density compared to microdensitometer.

[Diagnosis and treatment of chronic expanding intracerebral hematoma].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the diagnosis, therapeutic strategy, and pathogenetic mechanism of chronic expanding intracerebral hematoma (CEICH). METHODS: The clinical presentation, radiological characteristics, d pathology, and treatment of 22 cases of CEICH, 15 males and 7 females, aged 29. 3, all treated with craniotomy and removal of the wall of the capsule and hematoma, were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: The clinical presentation and radiological characteristics of CEICH were atypical. After surgery, 18 patients recovered quite well, 3 patients suffered from hemiplegia, and 1 patient died from rebleeding. The diagnosis of CEICH of all the cases was confirmed by intraoperative finding and pathological results. CONCLUSION: CEICH can be found in any part of the brain that has 2 major characteristics: its clinical symptoms always develop slowly, and the typical radiological characteristic is intracerebral hematoma-form image. Surgery to evacuate the hematoma and remove the capsule is necessary and can be with good outcome.

[Microsurgical treatment of proximal anterior cerebral artery aneurysms].

OBJECTIVE: To explore clinic characteristics of proximal anterior cerebral artery aneurysms and analyzed operative techniques. METHODS: A review was performed of a total of 362 patients whose aneurysms were surgically treated from June 1995 to December 2003, the morbidity of A(1) aneurysms was 2.2%. To reviewed clinical data of 8 proximal anterior cerebral artery aneurysms patients. RESULTS: All of the aneurysms developed at the takeoff point of perforating arteries, the recurrent artery of Heubner in three cases, the medial proximal lenticulostriate artery in five cases. Six cases aneurysms projected posteriorly, two cases projected inferiorly in the surgical field. The shape of the aneurysms was saccular in all cases and diameter no larger than 5 mm in six cases. Patients were clipped satisfactorily, excellent condition in 7 patient, good condition in one. CONCLUSION: It is important to preserve the perforating arteries and use suitable clip by avoiding cerebral ischemia.

A high-throughput continuous sample introduction interface for microfluidic chip-based capillary electrophoresis systems.

The development of efficient sample introduction and pretreatment systems for microfluidic chip-based analytical systems is important for their application to real-life samples. In this work, world-to-chip interfacing was achieved by a novel flow-through sampling reservoir featuring a guided overflow design. The flow-through reservoir was fabricated on a 30 x 60 x 3 mm planar glass chip of crossed-channel design used for capillary electrophoresis separations. The 20-microL sample reservoir was produced from a section of plastic pipet tip and fixed at one end of the sampling channel. Sample change was performed by pumping 80-microL samples sandwiched between air segments at approximately 0.48 mL/min flow rate through the flow-through reservoir, introduced from an access hole on the bottom side of the chip. A filter paper collar wrapped tightly around the reservoir guided the overflowing sample solution into a plastic trough surrounding the reservoir and then to waste. The performance of the system was demonstrated in the separation and determination of FITC-labeled arginine, glycine, phenylalanine, and glutamic acid with LIF detection, by continuously introducing a train of different samples through the system without electrical interruption. Employing a separation channel of 4 cm (2-cm effective separation length) and 1.4-kV separation voltage, maximum throughputs of 80/h were achieved with <4.1% carryover and precisions ranging from 1.5% for arginine to 2.6% RSD (n = 11) for glycine. The sampling system was tested in the continuous monitoring of the derivatizing process of amino acids by FITC over a period of 4 h, involving 166 analytical cycles. An outstanding overall precision of 4.8% RSD (n = 166) was achieved for the fluorescein internal standard.