Epinecidin-1 and lactic acid synergistically inhibit Aeromonas hydrophila through membrane disruption.

Epinecidin-1 (Epi-1) is an antimicrobial peptide originated from fish with various pharmacological activities but carries the risk of acquiring resistance with long-term use. In the present study, we use L-lactic acid to enhance the antibacterial activity of synthesized Epi-1 against the aquaculture and food pathogen Aeromonas hydrophila. The results showed that 5.5 mmol/L lactic acid increased the inhibitory and bactericidal activity of 25 µmol/L Epi-1 against two strains of A. hydrophila. The laser confocal images proved that lactic acid pre-treatment improved the attachment efficiency of Epi-1 in A.hydrophila cells. In addition, lactic acid enhanced the damaging effect of Epi-1 on the cell membrane of A. hydrophila, evidenced by releasing more nucleic acids, proteins, and transmembrane pH ingredients decrease and electromotive force dissipation. SEM images showed that compared with the single Epi-1 treatment, the co-treatment of Epi-1 and lactic acid caused more outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) and more severe cell deformation. These findings proved that lactic acid could enhance the efficiency of Epi-1 against A. hydrophila and shed light on new aspects to avoid resistance of pathogens against Epi-1.

Visual Recovery and Prognosis in the Treatment of Submacular Hemorrhage due to Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy and Retinal Arterial Macroaneurysm: A Retrospective Study.

Purpose: This study was carried out to evaluate the visual acuity (VA), complications, and prognosis of patients diagnosed with submacular hemorrhage (SMH) from polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and retinal arterial macroaneurysm (RAM) treated by pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), subretinal tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), and air tamponade in vitreous cavity. It facilitates the development of generic treatment methods that can be widely used to improve vision and treat potential complications in patients with SMH, regardless of the underlying pathophysiological condition, such as PCV or RAM. Methods: In this retrospective study, SMH patients were divided into two groups based on their diagnosis: (1) polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and (2) retinal arterial macroaneurysm (RAM). The visual recovery and complications of patients with PCV and RAM after PPV + tPA (subretinal) surgery were analyzed. Results: A total of 36 eyes of 36 patients were included: PCV (47.22%, 17/36) and RAM (52.78%, 19/36). The mean age of the patients was 64 years, and 63.89% of the patients (23/36) were female. The median VA was 1.85 logMAR before surgery, 0.93 and 0.98 logMAR at 1 and 3 months after surgery, respectively, indicating that most patients' vision improved after surgery. At the 1 and 3 months postoperative follow-up, each patient was diagnosed with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment at 1 month and 3 months postoperatively, and four patients had vitreous hemorrhage at 3 months postoperatively. Preoperatively, patients exhibited macular subretinal hemorrhage, retinal bulge, and exudation around the blood clot. Postoperatively, most patients showed dispersal of subretinal hemorrhage. Optical coherence tomography results revealed retinal hemorrhage involving the macula and hemorrhagic bulges under both the neuroepithelium and the pigment epithelium under the fovea preoperatively. After surgery, the air injected into the vitreous cavity was completely absorbed and the subretinal hemorrhage was dispersed. Conclusion: PPV combined with subretinal tPA injection and air tamponade in the vitreous cavity can facilitate modest visual recovery in patients with SMH due to PCV and RAM. However, some complications may occur, and their management remains challenging.

Expression of Long Non-Coding RNA (lncRNA) SNHG5 in Patients with Refractory Diabetic Macular Edema and Its Regulatory Mechanism.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to assess use of lncRNAs as biomarkers in serum and aqueous humor of patients with diabetic macular edema (DME). MATERIAL AND METHODS Optical coherence tomography and fundus photography were used to analyze the retinal features of the patients. RT-qPCR was used to analyze the differential expression of lncRNA snhg5 in patients who have idiopathic macular hole (MH), DME, or refractory DME. The relationship between SNHG5 and the clinical characteristics of the patients was analyzed. The effect of SNHG5 on the hyperplasia and apoptosis of human retino-microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs) and its mechanism were analyzed in vitro. RESULTS Patients with idiopathic MH developed retinal nerve epithelium rupture and retinal fundus thickening, and patients with DME or refractory DME showed significant macular edema with hemorrhaging. The refractory DME patients improved after treatment but still showed significant macular edema and multiple laser scarring. SNHG5 expression was not only low in the atrial fluid and plasma in DME patients, but also lower in the refractory DME group compared to the idiopathic MH patients. SNHG5 expression in the aqueous humor and plasma was negatively correlated with disease duration, body mass index, and levels of fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, proteinuria, and glycosuria. In the in vitro experiments, SNHG5 expression was significantly downregulated in high glucose-induced HMECs. After SNHG5 overexpression, cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and VEGF-A protein levels were distinctly downregulated. CONCLUSIONS SNHG5 correlates with the development of DME and is a potential target for therapy.

Successive Trajectory Privacy Protection with Semantics Prediction Differential Privacy.

The publication of trajectory data provides critical information for various location-based services, and it is critical to publish trajectory data safely while ensuring its availability. Differential privacy is a promising privacy protection technology for publishing trajectory data securely. Most of the existing trajectory privacy protection schemes do not take into account the user's preference for location and the influence of semantic location. Besides, differential privacy for trajectory protection still has the problem of balance between the privacy budget and service quality. In this paper, a semantics- and prediction-based differential privacy protection scheme for trajectory data is proposed. Firstly, trajectory data are transformed into a prefix tree structure to ensure that they satisfy differential privacy. Secondly, considering the influence of semantic location on trajectory, semantic sensitivity combined with location check-in frequency is used to calculate the sensitivity of each position in the trajectory. The privacy level of the position is classified by setting thresholds. Moreover, the corresponding privacy budget is allocated according to the location privacy level. Finally, a Markov chain is used to predict the attack probability of each position in the trajectory. On this basis, the allocation of the privacy budget is further adjusted and its utilization rate is improved. Thus, the problem of the balance between the privacy budget and service quality is solved. Experimental results show that the proposed scheme is able to ensure data availability while protecting data privacy.

The preliminary comparative results between Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 patients in Western China.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to investigate the comparative clinical characteristics of Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 patients. METHODS: Fifteen Covid-19 and 93 non-Covid-19 patients were included in RNA testing. All epidemiological and clinical data were collected and analyzed, and then comparative results were carried out. RESULTS: Covid-19 patients were older (46.40 ± 18.21 years vs 34.43 ± 18.80 years) and had a higher body weight (70.27 ± 10.67 kg vs 60.54 ± 12.33 kg, P < 0.05). The main symptoms that were similar between Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 patients, and Covid-19 patients showed a lower incidence of sputum production (6.67% vs 45.16%, P < 0.01) and a lower white-cell count (4.83 × 109/L vs 7.43 × 109/L) and lymphocyte count (0.90 × 109/L vs 1.57 × 109/L, P < 0.01). Although there were no differences, C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 were elevated in Covid-19 patients. The sensitivity and negative predictive value of CT images were 0.87 and 0.97, respectively. Covid-19 patients showed a higher contact history of Wuhan residents (80% vs 30.11%) and higher familial clustering (53.33% vs 8.60%, P < 0.001). Covid-19 patients showed a higher major adverse events (ARDS, 13.33%; death, 6.67%; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that Covid-19patients had a significant history of exposure and familial clustering and a higher rate of severe status; biochemical indicators showed lymphocyte depletion.

Short-term Outcome of Straight vs Tapered Carotid Stenting for Symptomatic Carotid Artery Stenosis: A Prospective Study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the short-term outcomes and complications of straight vs tapered carotid stent placement for patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted to examine if tapered carotid stents (TCS) performed better than straight carotid stents (SCS) in terms of complications and outcomes in patients with a unilateral, symptomatic, internal carotid artery stenosis ⩾70%. Between January 2014 and January 2016, 236 patients were screened; 88 were excluded, leaving 148 patients for 1:1 randomization to carotid artery stenting with either SCS or TCS. The data were analyzed for differences between the groups in terms of complications (hemodynamic depression, cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome, puncture site sequelae) and endpoint events (stroke, myocardial infarction, and death) at 30 days and 6 months. RESULTS: Two patients in the TCS group underwent endarterectomy after allocation, leaving 72 patients (mean age 65.1±8.8 years; 59 men) in the TCS group for analysis vs 74 (mean age 65.0±7.9 years; 58 men) in the SCS group. The technical success was 100% in both groups. The incidence of hemodynamic depression (hypotension and bradycardia) after the procedures were higher in the SCS group (p=0.04), and the patients who underwent SCS procedures had longer hospital stays (p=0.01). There was no difference in the incidences of complications, myocardial infarction, mortality, or stroke at 30 days or 6 months between the SCS and TCS groups. The rates of restenosis (4% SCS vs 1% TCS) were similar (p=0.63); all restenoses were moderate (50%-70%). CONCLUSION: When compared to straight stents, tapered carotid stents significantly decreased hemodynamic complications and hospital stay.

Femoral Artery Closure Versus Surgical Cutdown for Endovascular Aortic Repair: A Single-Center Experience.

BACKGROUND To compare the outcome and complication rates of femoral artery closure and surgical cutdown for endovascular aortic repair procedures (EVAR). MATERIAL AND METHODS Patients underwent either percutaneous femoral artery closure (PA group) or surgical cutdown (SC group) for EVAR between July 2011 and June 2016 and EVAR procedures were used for all cases. Data on outcomes and complications were collected and compared. RESULTS The SC group contained 55 patients and the PA group contained 60 patients and the technical success rates were 100.0% and 98.0%, respectively. The mean operation time, time to ambulation, and postoperative hospital stay were significantly shorter in the PA group (P<0.01). The estimated intraoperative blood loss and wound pain scores were significantly higher in the SC group (P<0.01). However, the PA procedure was more expensive (P<0.01). The overall incidence rate of complications was higher in the SC group (P=0.026). CONCLUSIONS The PA technique had a high success rate, shorter operation time and hospital stay, and fewer wound complications compared to SC. Thus, PA might be the preferred choice for selected EVAR procedures.

Nephroprotective Effects of Saponins from Leaves of Panax quinquefolius against Cisplatin-Induced Acute Kidney Injury.

Although cisplatin is an anticancer drug that has activity against malignant tumor, it often causes nephrotoxicity. Previous reports have confirmed that the saponins from the leaves of P. quinquefolium (PQS) exerted many pharmacological activities. However, the renoprotective effects of PQS were still unknown. The purpose of the present research was to discuss renoprotective effect of PQS in a mouse model of cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury (AKI). The levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (CRE) were evidently increased in cisplatin-intoxicated mice, which were reversed by PQS. Renal oxidative stress, evidenced by increased malondialdehyde (MDA) level and decline of glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, was significantly alleviated by PQS pretreatment. The suppression of inflammatory response by PQS was realized through the decrease the mRNA expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) in kidney tissues, which were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Simultaneously, the overexpression of cytochrome P450 E1 (CYP2E1) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) were attenuated by PQS. Furthermore, the effects of Western blotting demonstrated that PQS administration significantly suppressed the protein expression levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase type 4 (Nox4), cleaved Caspase-3, cleaved Caspase-9, Bax, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), suggesting the inhibition of apoptosis and inflammation response. Overall, PQS may possess protective effects in cisplatin-induced AKI through suppression of oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis.

Based on the improved fuzzy analytic hierarchy and the TSE-MLR model energy consumption prediction of university: A case study.

The accurate prediction of building energy consumption on university campuses is a significant research area. Current studies often focus on predicting the energy consumption of specific building areas or individual equipment, and typically consider only one factor, limiting the accuracy and applicability of the predictions. This study introduces the Time Segmented Energy-Multiple Linear Regression (TSE-MLR) prediction model, which integrates the improved fuzzy analytic hierarchy and the multiple linear regression algorithm. The model is compared with traditional (MLR, BP) and advanced (RNN) models, and their various indexes are discussed and analyzed. By collecting meteorological and energy consumption data from the study site over the past 12 years, the key factors affecting energy consumption on the university campus were identified using the improved fuzzy analytic hierarchy. Subsequently, the TSE-MLR model was trained using energy consumption data from 2010 to 2016 and validated using data from 2017 to 2019. The prediction results of the TSE-MLR model were compared with those obtained through Multiple linear regression, BP neural networks, and RNN. The results demonstrated that the TSE-MLR model significantly reduced the prediction error by 13.8 % and exhibited higher accuracy compared to the other models. Therefore, the TSE-MLR model introduced in this study offers a new and effective approach to predicting university energy consumption and supporting energy management using existing data from university building operations across different periods.

Sustainable agriculture in the digital era: Past, present, and future trends by bibliometric analysis.

The digital era is reshaping agricultural practices, opening new avenues for sustainable growth, and proving indispensable in global challenges like food security and environmental conservation. However, a comprehensive understanding of this evolving landscape remains paramount. This research evaluates 344 papers from the Web of Science database to delve into sustainable agriculture's historical and current patterns in the digital era through bibliometric analysis and project future domains. Specifically, citation analysis identified influential papers, journals, institutions, and countries, while co-authorship analysis verified the interactions between authors, affiliations, and countries. Co-citation analysis found four hotspot clusters: prosperity and challenges in agricultural sustainability, digital information and agricultural development, innovations for sustainable agriculture, and geospatial analysis in environmental studies. The co-occurrence of keywords analysis revealed four main clusters for future studies: smart agriculture and biodiversity conservation, digitalization and sustainable agriculture, technologies and agricultural challenge management, and digital intelligence and farmer adoption. The study pioneers the use of bibliometric analysis to explore sustainable agriculture in the digital era. It presents invaluable insights into the evolving landscape of this field, summarizing its hotspots and suggesting future trajectories.

Comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of KLRB1-CLEC2D pair and identification of small molecule inhibitors to disrupt their interaction.

The interplay between immune checkpoints KLRB1 and CLEC2D is crucial for tumor progression and immune evasion, yet the interaction dynamics are not fully understood. This study aims to elucidate the interaction across various cancers and identify small molecule inhibitors that can disrupt it. We perform a comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of the KLRB1-CLEC2D pair, including mRNA expression patterns, pathological stages, survival outcomes, and single-cell omics, immune infiltration, copy number variations, and DNA methylation profiles. Our findings reveal a consistently higher CLEC2D/KLRB1 ratio in most cancer types compared to normal tissues, and this ratio also increased with advancing pathological stages. Lower KLRB1 expression correlated with higher mortality in most cancers, opposite to CLEC2D. Expression variations were attributed to differential lymphocyte infiltration, CNV, and DNA methylation. Structure-based virtual screening analysis identified compounds including forsythiaside A and RGD peptides as effective inhibitors of the KLRB1-CLEC2D interaction, validated through microscale thermophoresis. This research advances understanding of the KLRB1-CLEC2D interaction within the tumor microenvironment and introduces novel therapeutic strategies to modulate this interaction.

Vaccination reduces viral load and accelerates viral clearance in SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant-infected patients.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate vaccine effectiveness in relieving symptoms in patients with the SARS-CoV-2 delta (B.1.617.2) variant. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 31 patients did not receive any vaccine (non-vaccination, NV), 21 patients received 1-dose of inactivated vaccine (one-dose vaccination, OV), and 60 patients received at least 2-dose inactivated vaccine (two-dose vaccination, TV). The baseline data, clinical outcomes and vaccination information were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Patients in the OV group were younger than those in the other two groups (p = 0.001), but there was no significant difference in any of the other baseline data among the three groups. The TV group showed higher IgG antibody levels and cycle threshold values of SARS-CoV-2 than the NV and OV groups (p < 0.01), and time to peak viral load was shorter in the TV group (3.5 ± 2.3 d) than in the NV (4.8 ± 2.8 d) and OV groups (4.8 ± 2.9 d, p = 0.03). The patients in the TV group (18%) showed a higher recovery rate without drug therapy (p < 0.001). Viral clearance time and hospital stay were significantly shorter in the TV group than in the NV and OV groups (p < 0.01), and there were no significant differences in these parameters between the OV and NV groups, but IgG values were higher in the OV group (p = 0.025). No severe complications occurred in this study. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that 2-dose vaccination can reduce viral load and accelerate viral clearance in patients with the delta variant and enhance the protection afforded by IgG antibodies in vivo.Key MessagesIn this study, our results shows that two-dose vaccination can reduce viral loads and accelerate viral clearance, and two-dose vaccination enhance the protection of IgG antibodies in vivo; however, one-dose vaccination did not confer protective effectiveness.

Telomerase-initiated three-dimensional DNAzyme motor for monitoring of telomerase activity in living cells.

Telomerase (TE) is recognized as a potential biomarker for early diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of cancer. At present, most of the methods for TE detection are only applicable to in vitro assays, and unsuitable for in vivo applications. Though a few intracellular probes have been reported to have good specificity for TE, they do not involve signal amplification, which hinders their applicability in scenarios requiring high sensitivity. It is rather challenging to develop highly sensitive biosensors for intracellular TE detection due to the difficulty in design TE probes with both high specificity and compatibility with signal amplification in living cells. Herein, a highly sensitive and selective three-dimensional DNAzyme motor for monitoring of TE activity in living cells was developed by innovatively integrating TE-mediated chain replacement reaction with a three-dimensional DNA walker. Specifically, the DNAzyme motor was constructed by assembling both DNAzyme substrates and swing arms made up of a hairpin-structured DNAzyme and a telomeric primer onto gold nanoparticles. TE in cells can activate the DNAzyme motor to carry out continuous chain replacement and substrate cutting reactions, and hence realize signal amplification in living cells. The DNAzyme motor was successfully utilized to monitor the dynamic changes of TE activity in four types of cells. Due to the advantages of simple synthesis, good biocompatibility and high sensitivity and specificity for TE, the proposed DNAzyme motor is expected to have great application potential in the early diagnosis of cancer.

A comparison of the protective effect of vaccination and clinical features between the SARS-CoV-2 wild-type strain and Delta (B.1.617.2) variant.

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the clinical features and vaccine effectiveness of patients with the SARS-CoV-2 wild-type strain and the Delta variant. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients with the SARS-CoV-2 wild-type strain and the Delta variant. Results: The Delta-variant group showed a higher infection rate in minors, who had higher incidence of anosmia or dysgeusia and shorter incubation period. Unvaccinated patients had a 15.59-fold higher risk of severe classification than vaccinated patients. The viral clearance time was significantly shorter in the Delta-variant group. Conclusions: The Delta-variant group show higher transmissibility, and vaccination reduces the incidence of severe classification and promotes viral clearance.

Clinical characteristics of primary pars plana vitrectomy combined with air filling for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

To detect the prognostic factors associated with initial reattachment after primary pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with air tamponade for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). We retrospectively reviewed 92 eyes of 92 patients with RRD. All eyes underwent PPV with air tamponade and a follow-up of at least 6 months. Initial anatomical success was defined as reattachment of the retina by a single operation. We performed univariate analysis to detect the presence of any difference between eyes with a successful initial reattachment and those that failed. We also performed multivariate logistic regression analysis to assess the influence of each preoperative factor on initial success. The rate of initial reattachment success was 93.5%. The percentage of retinal detachment involving the inferior quadrants in the initial success group was less than that in the initial failure group, and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.043). There were no significant differences noted for other factors, such as symptom duration (P = 0.078) or location of retinal breaks (P = 0.065). Multiple logistic regression analysis using preoperative factors indicated that older age (odds ratio, 0.90; 95% confidence interval, 0.82-0.97; P = 0.010) and non-involvement of inferior quadrants (odds ratio, 9.90; 95% confidence interval, 1.36-71.92; P = 0.023) were significantly associated with initial success. PPV combined with air may be an effective treatment for some simple RRDs (proliferative vitreoretinopathy [PVR] grade ≤ C1). Non-involvement of the inferior quadrants and older age at presentation are associated with a greater likelihood of anatomic success. The volume of air in the eye after surgery is also very important, which may also affect the reduction of retinal detachment.

Inverted internal limiting membrane flap technique for retinal detachment due to macular holes in high myopia with axial length ≥ 30 mm.

To compare the efficacy of internal limiting membrane (ILM) flap covering to that of ILM flap insertion for the treatment of macular hole retinal detachment (MHRD) in highly myopic eyes with axial length (AL) ≥ 30 mm. We retrospectively analysed the medical records of 48 MHRD patients with high myopia (AL ≥ 30 mm). According to different surgical methods, the patients were divided into a covering group (23 eyes) and an insertion group (25 eyes). The rate of retinal reattachment and MH closure were compared between the two groups, and the related factors affecting the initial anatomical results were analysed. After primary vitrectomy and single silicone oil removal, there were 18 eyes (78.3%) in the covering group, and 20 eyes (80.0%) in the insertion group had retinal reattachment (P = 1.000). Moreover, 16 eyes (69.6%) in the covering group and 17 eyes (68.0%) in the insertion group had their MHs sealed (P = 0.907). The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at 12 months and the improvement in BCVA postoperatively in the two groups were not statistically significant (P = 0.543, 0.955). Logistic regression analysis showed that elongated AL (OR = 1.844, 95% CI 1.037-3.280, P = 0.037) and higher choroidal atrophy (OR = 2.986, 95% CI 1.011-8.821, P = 0.048) were risk factors affecting initial anatomical success. For extremely high-myopia MHRD with AL ≥ 30 mm, ILM flap covering and insertion can both effectively seal the MH and promote retinal reattachment, but the visual function improvement may still be limited. The longer the AL and the higher the choroidal atrophy, the greater is the risk of initial anatomical failure.

Effects of Low-dose Splenic Irradiation on T lymphocyte Immune Function.

ABSTRACT: Relevant studies have confirmed that the stimulation of spleen function caused by low-dose splenic irradiation can have positive effects on tumors and other diseases. This study aimed to determine radiation-induced changes in spleen index, lymphocyte subsets, spleen cell apoptosis, and pathological features of the spleen in mice. The mouse model was established by irradiating the spleen at different doses. The mice were divided into the following groups: blank control, low-dose, low-dose fractionated irradiation, and challenge dose irradiation. The mice were sacrificed under humanitarian conditions, and spleen tissue and peripheral blood were collected. The spleen index was calculated, and flow cytometry was used to analyze spleen T lymphocyte subsets and spleen apoptosis. The pathological changes in the spleen were determined by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. The spleen index of mice in the low-dose fractionated irradiation group was significantly increased compared with that in the blank control group. The spleen indexes of the low-dose irradiation and low-dose fractionated irradiation groups were much higher than that of the challenge dose irradiation group. Compared with the blank control group, the percentage of CD3+ and CD4+ T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood and spleen tissues in the low-dose irradiation and low-dose fractionated irradiation groups was significantly increased, whereas that from the challenge dose irradiation group was obviously decreased. CD8+ T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood and spleen tissues in the low-dose irradiation, low-dose fractionated irradiation, and challenge dose irradiation groups were significantly lower than those in the blank control group. The apoptosis rate of the spleen in the challenge dose irradiation group was significantly higher than that in the blank control, low-dose irradiation, and low-dose fractionated irradiation groups. H&E staining analysis of the spleen showed pathological changes in the different irradiation groups compared with the blank control group. Low-dose irradiation and low-dose fractionated irradiation can change the T lymphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood and spleen of mice, which can promote immune excitation and improve immune effects.

Expression of microRNA-155-5p in patients with refractory diabetic macular edema and its regulatory mechanism.

Diabetic macular edema (DME) is the main cause of visual impairment in diabetic patients, but its pathogenesis remains unclear. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the expression of microRNA (miR)-155-5p in patients with DME and its regulatory mechanism. A total of 72 patients diagnosed with DME and 17 with idiopathic macular hole (MH) were recruited. Among samples from patients with DME, 45 were DME and 27 were refractory DME, whereas patients with idiopathic MH served as the control group. Optical coherence tomography and fundus photograph analysis revealed that part of the retina in the fundus of patients with DME was thickened, with macular edema occurring simultaneously. In refractory patients with DME, macular edema was associated with bleeding and a dark cavity between retinal layers. Through reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis, miR-155-5p was highly expressed in the aqueous humor (AH) and plasma of patients with DME compared with that in patients with MH, and this was even higher in the refractory DME group. Upon analyzing patient clinical data, the difference in miR-155-5p expression in the AH and plasma was positively associated with disease course, body mass index, fasting blood-glucose, glycated hemoglobin, proteinuria and glycosuria. The expression of miR-155-5p was not significantly different based on hemoglobin, intraocular pressure and sex. The aforementioned results indicate that miR-155-5p might promote the development of DME. To further study the molecular mechanism, human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs) were cultured and treated with high glucose in vitro. The results showed that miR-155-5p expression was significantly upregulated in HRMECs induced by high glucose. After inhibiting the expression of miR-155-5p, cell proliferation, angiogenesis and VEGF protein levels were significantly downregulated, whereas miR-155-5p mimics had the opposite effect. In summary, miR-155-5p is closely associated with DME and is a potential target for refractory DME treatment.

Label-free microRNA detection through analyzing the length distribution pattern of the residual fragments of probe DNA produced during exonuclease III assisted signal amplification by mass spectrometry.

Biosensors based on various spectroscopic techniques discriminate the target microRNA (miRNA) from non-target ones with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) according to the differences in signal intensities which can be caused by other factors besides SNPs. As a result, they are liable to produce false positive results. Herein, we report an attempt to develop a false-positive resistance, sensitive and reliable mass spectrometric platform for miRNA detection. In the proposed platform, the qualitative and quantitative information of the target miRNA was obtained through analyzing mass spectral responses of the multiply charged ions of the residual fragments of the probe DNA produced during exonuclease III assisted signal amplification reaction using an advanced data analysis method. The proposed platform could achieve sensitive and accurate quantitative results for the target miRNA (e.g., miRNA-141) in complex medium with a detection limit of about 1 pM, and unambiguously identify non-target miRNAs with SNPs based on the length distribution patterns of residual fragments of probe DNA. The findings obtained in this study might open an avenue for the design of new miRNA detection methods based on mass spectrometry in combination with various nuclease assisted signal amplification strategies.

Effect of vascular simulation training on practice performance in residents: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the teaching effect of vascular simulation training (ST) in rotating vascular residents. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 95 vascular residents were included from 2015 to 2018 in a university affiliated centre western China, and divided into an ST group and a conventional training (CT) group. The ST group received ST and CT, and the CT group only received CT. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Theoretical scores were assessed, and the technique parameters, complications and radiation damage of the procedures were analysed. RESULTS: The mean scores (8.74±1.09 vs 8.13±1.31) and the rate of willingness for retraining (93.62% vs 79.17%) in residents were higher in the ST group than in the conventional training (CT) group (p<0.05). The success rate of arterial puncture was significantly higher in the ST group (78.72% vs 58.33%, p=0.03); however, the incidence of complications was similar between the two groups (p>0.05). The time of the puncture procedure was significantly lower (9.56±5.24 vs 12.15±6.87 min), and the comfort score of the patient (5.49±1.72 vs 4.71±1.57) was higher in the ST group than in the CT group (p<0.05). At the end of the assessment, the learning time for angiography (3.65±0.64 vs 4.07±0.77 months) and the complete procedure time (33.81±10.11 vs 41.32±12.56 min) were lower in the ST group than in the CT group (p<0.01). The fluo time for angiography (489.33±237.13 vs 631.47±243.65 s) and the cumulative air kerma (401.30±149.06 vs 461.16±134.14 mGy) were significantly decreased in ST group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The application of a vascular simulation system can significantly improve the clinical performance of residents and reduce the radiation damage from a single intervention procedure in patients.