Comparison of Th17 cells mediated immunological response among asthmatic children with or without allergic rhinitis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether there were differences in Th17 cells mediated immunological responses among asthmatics with or without allergic rhinitis. METHODS: A case-control comparison was conducted in a cohort of 67 children with asthma (AS), 50 children with allergic rhinitis (AR), 52 children with both AS and AR (ASR), 25 infectious rhinitis (IR), and 55 healthy controls (HC). The percentages of circulating Th17 cells were determined by flow cytometry. The Th2- and Th17-related cytokines in plasma and culture supernatants were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The effect of proinflammation cytokine IL-17E on Th2 cytokines production from human T helper (Th) lymphocytes was analyzed. RESULTS: (1) A inter-group comparison revealed that Th17 cells levels were highest in ASR group [(0.89% ± 0.27) %], following by AS group [(0.82 ± 0.29) %] and AR group[(0.78 ± 0.17) %] (P < 0.05). (2) After in-vitro stimulation with house dust mite (HDM) antigen, the levels of IL-4 and IL-17E in culture supernatants of PBMCs from allergic children (AS group, AR group and ASR group) were significantly enhanced. (3) The release of Th2 cytokines from IL-17E treated Th cells of allergic children (AS group, AR group and ASR group) were significantly induced, no similar result was observed in IR group and HC group. CONCLUSIONonclusion: Our findings preliminarily revealed that Th17 cell and its related cytokines might be involved in pathogenesis of airway inflammation diseases, and also presenting varying immunological characteristics among asthmatic children with or without allergic rhinitis.

Drop transport and positioning on lubricant-impregnated surfaces.

We demonstrate the transport and positioning of water droplets on macro-patterned lubricant-impregnated surfaces. The macro-patterning produces menisci features in the impregnating liquid layer which interact with a droplet via a capillary mechanism similar to the Cheerios effect. These interactions control the droplet motion and positioning on an otherwise completely slippery surface. We present experimental results using a V-shape channel geometry as a model system. The interaction between deformations on the lubricant layer induced by the droplet and the underlying V-shape geometry leads to both local and global equilibrium positions for the droplet within the channel. We present a mathematical model to quantify the transition from local equilibrium states to the global equilibrium state and show that the latter can be described on the basis of a force balance along the apparent contact line of the droplet. We highlight possible applications where lubricated macro-patterned surfaces can be used to control the motion and localisation of droplets.

The relationship between mass customization and sustainable performance: The role of firm size and global E-commerce.

The formation of mass customization competencies is crucial for the increasing number of manufacturing companies in modern times. This study assessed the relationship between mass customization capability and its determinants on sustainable performance. Additionally, it explores the mediating role of mass customization capability and sustainable performance, while also examining the moderating effects of firm size and cross-border eCommerce in these associations. The study used online survey data from 339 manufacturing small-to-medium-sized enterprises in China to test the hypothesized relationships. The collected data were analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling and necessary condition analysis. The results indicated that flexible manufacturing competencies, modular product architecture, and customer relationship management are significantly and positively connected to mass customization capability. Moreover, the study observed that mass customization capability and competitive pressure have a significant positive influence on the sustainable performance of Chinese manufacturing SMEs. The findings also revealed that firm size and cross-border e-commerce engagement have a negative and positive moderating effect, respectively, between mass customization capability on sustainable performance, which confirms a relatively higher effect of customization capability on sustainable performance among smaller firms and firms engaged in cross-border eCommerce. Fundamentally, these findings can lead to the development of a comprehensive framework to promote mass customization capability, cross-border e-commerce, and sustainable development of manufacturing small-to-medium-sized enterprises China.

Clinical efficacy and safety of adjunctive treatment of chronic ischemic heart failure with Qishen Yiqi dropping pills: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: Our study was to evaluate the effect of Qishen Yiqi Dropping Pills(QSYQ) on the prognosis of chronic ischemic heart failure(CIHF) and its safety. Methods: Databases including CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, CBM, PubMed, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library and EMbase were searched from their inception to April 2023 to screen relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Primary indicators included readmission rates, rates of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), and all-cause mortality rates. The quality of the literature was assessed according to the Cochrane Reviewers' Handbook 5.0 and the Modified Jadad Scale (with a score of 4-7 rated as high quality). Meta-analysis was performed using the meta-package created by R software version 4.2.3, continuous data were compared using SMDs, and dichotomous and ordered data were compared using ORs; and the I2 test was used to assess the heterogeneity. Results: Fifty-nine studies out of 1,745 publications were finally included, totalling 6,248 patients. Most studies were poorly designed and had some publication bias, with only 26 high-quality papers (Jadad score ≥4). Meta-analysis showed that the combined application of QSYQ was able to reduce the readmission rate [OR = 0.42, 95% CI (0.33, 0.53), P < 0.001], all-cause mortality rate [OR = 0.43, 95% CI (0.27, 0.68), P < 0.001], and the incidence of MACE [OR = 0.42, 95% CI (0.31, 0.56), P < 0.001]. Also, the treatment method can improve clinical effectiveness [OR = 2.25, 95% CI (1.97, 2.58), P < 0.001], increase 6-min walking distance (6MWD) [SMD = 1.87, 95% CI (1.33, 2.41), P < 0.0001] and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) [SMD = 1.08, 95% CI (0.83, 1.33), P < 0.0001], and decrease the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) scores [SMD = -2.03, 95% CI (-3.0, -1.07), P < 0.0001], BNP levels [SMD = -2.07, 95% CI (-2.81, -1.33), P < 0.0001] and NT-ProBNP levels [SMD = -2.77, 95% CI (-4.90, -0.63), P < 0.05]. A total of 21 studies (n = 2,742) evaluated their adverse effects, of which 13 studies reported no adverse effects and 8 studies reported minor adverse effects. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the combined application of QSYQ can further improve patients' cardiac function and exercise tolerance, improve their quality of life, and ultimately improve patients' prognosis with a favorable safety profile. Nonetheless, limited by the quality and high heterogeneity of the literature, we must be conservative and cautious about the present results. Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO (CRD42023449251).

Staging of laryngeal carcinoma: comparison of high-frequency sonography and contrast-enhanced computed tomography.

AIM: To evaluate the accuracy of high-frequency sonography on pretherapeutic T-staging in patients with laryngeal carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-six consecutive patients with laryngeal carcinoma undergoing surgical resection were included in this study. All patients underwent ultrasonographic examination and contrast-enhanced computed tomography before surgery. These imaging interpretations were evaluated independently and then compared with the reference of postoperative pathological examination. McNemar's test was used for comparing the data obtained separately from ultrasonography and computed tomography. RESULTS: There was one T2 stage tumour of an aryepiglottic fold undetected by sonography. Sonography failed to stage five tumours correctly; the T-staging accuracy was 83.3%. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography failed to stage four patients correctly; the T-staging accuracy was 88.8%. There was no difference between the pretherapeutic staging accuracy of ultrasonography and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (p=0.735). CONCLUSION: Ultrasonography has a reliable pretherapeutic staging accuracy of laryngeal carcinoma. It can be a non-invasive complementary technique for pretherapeutic staging of laryngeal carcinoma.

The Relationship of Urbanization and Performance of Activity and Participation Functioning among Adults with Developmental Disabilities in Taiwan.

Developmental disability is likely to be lifelong in nature and to result in substantial activity and societal participation limitations. The performance of individuals is related to the environment, supports, and urbanization of living cities. Most of the surveys for people with disabilities have not discussed the relationship between the cognitive impairment properties and performance of participation and activities functioning, and most cognitive impairments are regarded as having similar performance. The location of residence in childhood is mainly influenced by parents and main caregivers, but the factors related to the preferences of adults with cognitive impairment in the location of residence are more complicated. OBJECTIVE(S): The aim was to explore and compare the relationships of the urbanization degree of their living cities and the functioning performance of daily living in various domains among adults with intellectual disability (ID), autism, and concomitant communicative impairment (CCI). METHOD: The cross-sectional study was applied, and the data was collected face-to-face by professionals in all authorized hospitals in Taiwan. The participants were 5374 adults with ID (n = 4455), autism (n = 670), CCI (n = 110) and combination disabilities (n = 139) which were according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases 9th Revision (ICD-9) from a total of 167,069 adults with disabilities from the Disability Eligibility System (DES) in Taiwan between July 2012 and October 2013. The authors used the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0-36 item version of WHO (WHODAS 2.0-36 items) to measure performance and capability of daily living. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: There were significant differences in age, gender, disabled severity, and the urbanization between all subgroups (p < 0.05). After adjusting the age of all participators, the degree of urbanization just significantly affected the functioning score distribution in domain 1: cognition for an adult with ID, autism, and CCI; in domain 2, mobility for an adult with CCI and combination disability; in domain 3, self-care; domain 4, independent domains for ID (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between urbanization degree and functioning scores in all domains for adults with autism. All in all, only in groups with combination disability did we find that the worse the degree of impairment was, the lower the degree of urbanization of their place of residence was, and there was no such phenomenon in adults with autism and ID in our study.

Guided droplet transport on synthetic slippery surfaces inspired by a pitcher plant.

We show how anisotropic, grooved features facilitate the trapping and directed transport of droplets on lubricated, liquid-shedding surfaces. Capillary action pins droplets to topographic surface features, enabling transport along the feature while inhibiting motion across (or detachment from) the feature. We demonstrate the robustness of this capillary-based mechanism for directed droplet transport on slippery surfaces by combining experiments on synthetic, lubricant-infused surfaces with observations on the natural trapping surface of a carnivorous pitcher plant. Controlling liquid navigation on synthetic surfaces promises to unlock significant potential in droplet-based technologies. Our observations also offer novel insight into the evolution of the Nepenthes pitcher plant, indicating that the 'pitfall' trapping mechanism is enhanced by the lubricant-infused, macroscopic grooves on the slippery peristome surface, which guide prey into the trap in a way that is more tightly controlled than previously considered.

Construction and Application of Clinical Experience Knowledge Graph for Renowned TCM Doctors in Treating Coronary Heart Disease / 中国中医药信息杂志

Objective To build a knowledge graph;To visualize the knowledge structure relationships and clinical thinking in the treatment of coronary heart disease by renowned TCM doctors;To provide methodological reference for the inheritance of experience of renowned TCM doctors.Methods Medical records about treatment of coronary heart disease by renowned TCM doctors were retrieved from CNKI from the establishment of the database to 30th,Nov.2022.The characteristics of TCM diagnosis and treatment and the characteristics of the theoretical system of syndrome differentiation and treatment in TCM were analyzed.Concept types and relationships between concepts were sorted out and extracted to form a pattern layer of knowledge graph;based on the characteristics of the pattern layer,Python 3.11(PyCharm 2022.3.2)was used to write rules,and knowledge extraction and data import were implemented through the Pandas library,Openpyxl library and Py2neo library,which were stored in the graph database Neo4j-Community-5.2.0 to complete the construction of the knowledge graph.Implementing query application was realized through Cypher language.Results The data of 643 medical cases of 144 renowned TCM doctors were included,which were entered into the Neo4j graph database,forming a knowledge graph consisting of 2 744 nodes and 23 795 relationships under 8 concepts and 10 relationships,to achieve visual presentation and query application of the diagnosis and treatment process of coronary heart disease by renowned TCM doctors.Conclusion The knowledge graph can intuitively display the relationship of diseases-symptoms-syndromes-treatments-prescriptions-medicine in medical records,develop a knowledge system that is easy to retrieve,and improve the accessibility of domain knowledge,which can provide methodological reference for the inheritance of experience of renowned TCM doctors.

Inhibition of Fatty Acid β-Oxidation by Fatty Acid Binding Protein 4 Induces Ferroptosis in HK2 Cells Under High Glucose Conditions

Background@#Ferroptosis, which is caused by an iron-dependent accumulation of lipid hydroperoxides, is a type of cell death linked to diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Previous research has shown that fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) is involved in the regulation of ferroptosis in diabetic retinopathy. The present study was constructed to explore the role of FABP4 in the regulation of ferroptosis in DKD. @*Methods@#We first detected the expression of FABP4 and proteins related to ferroptosis in renal biopsies of patients with DKD. Then, we used a FABP4 inhibitor and small interfering RNA to investigate the role of FABP4 in ferroptosis induced by high glucose in human renal proximal tubular epithelial (HG-HK2) cells. @*Results@#In kidney biopsies of DKD patients, the expression of FABP4 was elevated, whereas carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1A (CP-T1A), glutathione peroxidase 4, ferritin heavy chain, and ferritin light chain showed reduced expression. In HG-HK2 cells, the induction of ferroptosis was accompanied by an increase in FABP4. Inhibition of FABP4 in HG-HK2 cells changed the redox state, sup-pressing the production of reactive oxygen species, ferrous iron (Fe2+), and malondialdehyde, increasing superoxide dismutase, and reversing ferroptosis-associated mitochondrial damage. The inhibition of FABP4 also increased the expression of CPT1A, reversed lipid deposition, and restored impaired fatty acid β-oxidation. In addition, the inhibition of CPT1A could induce ferroptosis in HK2 cells. @*Conclusion@#Our results suggest that FABP4 mediates ferroptosis in HG-HK2 cells by inhibiting fatty acid β-oxidation.

Distribution characteristics and clinical significance of aeroallergen sensitization in children with airway allergic diseases / 国际儿科学杂志

Objective:To investigate the distribution characteristics and clinical significance of aeroallergen sensitization in children with airway allergic diseases.Methods:The information of children who were diagnosed with airway allergic diseases and performed with skin prick test(SPT)of aeroallergens was collected and retrospectively analyzed from Beijing Children′s Hospital from January to December, 2019.A total of 2557 patients were divided into ≤5 years of age group, 6-11 years of age group and ≥12 years of age group according to age, and allergic rhinitis group, asthma group, allergic rhinitis combined with asthma group according to diseases.The differences in the distribution of positive rates of 18 kinds of aeroallergens in age group and disease group were compared.Results:The positive rates of SPT in 2557 children from high to low were weeds pollens in summer and autumn, molds, trees pollens in spring, dust mites, etc..The top five strong positive rates from high to low were Artemisia pollen, Humulus pollen, Dermatophagoides farina, Betula pollen and Fraxinus pennsylvanica pollen.The positive rate was 71.5%(539/754)in the ≤5 years of age group, 78.5%(1241/1581)in 6-11 years of age group, and 81.1%(180/222)in ≥12 years of age group.The difference in positive rates of SPT among different age groups was statistically significant( χ2=16.825, P<0.05). In the group of ≤5 years of age group, the main aeroallergens were Chenopodium pollen(310/754, 41.1%), Alternaria alternate(307/754, 40.7%), Humulus pollen(295/754, 39.1%), Artemisia pollen(293/754, 38.9%)and Fraxinus pennsylvanica pollen(258/754, 34.2%). The main aeroallergens in the 6-11 years of age group were Chenopodium pollen(853/1581, 54.0%), Humulus pollen(769/1581, 48.6%), Artemisia pollen(768/1581, 48.6%), Alternaria alternate(751/1581, 47.5%)and Fraxinus pennsylvanica pollen(724/1581, 45.8%). The main aeroallergens in the ≥12 years of age group were Chenopodium pollen(131/222, 59.0%), Humulus pollen(119/222, 53.6%), Artemisia pollen(113/222, 50.9%), Alternaria alternate(112/222, 50.5%)and Dermatophagoides farina(103/222, 46.4%). The positive rate of allergic rhinitis group was 73.6%(1164/1582), asthma group was 72.4%(234/323), allergic rhinitis combined with asthma group was 86.0%(561/652). The positive rate of SPT was significantly different among different disease groups( χ2=43.408, P<0.05). The main aeroallergen of allergic rhinitis, asthma and allergic rhinitis combined with asthma was Chenopodium pollen.The positive rates of 18 kinds of aeroallergens were significantly different among the three disease groups(all P<0.05). The positive rate of each aeroallergen in allergic rhinitis combined with asthma was higher than that in single airway allergic disease. Conclusion:In children with airway allergic disease, the sensitization spectrum of aeroallergen varies among different age groups and disease groups.Clinicians should monitor allergens regularly and give preventive treatment to children with airway allergic disease.

Establishment and evaluation of liver fibrosis diagnosis model based on MRI and serological markers / 中国医师杂志

Objective:To detect the level of serological indexes in patients with chronic hepatitis B and carry out magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination at the same time, so as to construct a diagnostic model for liver fibrosis and evaluate its diagnostic value.Methods:A total of 267 patients with chronic hepatitis B in Fushun Central Hospital from January 2018 to June 2020 were selected as the research objects. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was measured by introvoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) magnetic resonance imaging, and the related serological indexes were detected; Pearson method was used to analyze the correlation among Frons index, aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI), fibrosis index based on the 4 factor (Fib-4), red blood cell volume distribution width to platelet ratio (RPR) and ADC; Logistic regression analysis was used to establish a new diagnosis model of hepatic fibrosis; receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the diagnostic value of liver fibrosis model.Results:The pathological examination of 267 patients with chronic hepatitis B showed that there were 35 cases in F0 stage, 47 cases in F1 stage, 58 cases in F2 stage, 66 cases in F3 stage and 61 cases in F4 stage. There were significant differences in platelet (PLT), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), prothrombin activity (PTA), collagen Ⅳ (CⅣ), laminin (LN), hyaluronic acid (HA), precollagen Ⅲ (PCⅢ), Frons index, aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI), fibrosis index based on the 4 factor(Fib-4), red blood cell volume distribution width to platelet ratio (RPR) and ADC in patients with mild liver fibrosis (F0-F1), moderate liver fibrosis (F2-F3) and severe liver fibrosis (F4) ( P<0.05). Pearson analysis showed that Frons index, APRI, Fib-4, RPR and ADC were positively correlated ( P<0.05). The comparison of value of logistic probability risk estimating (PRE) and Frons index, APRI, Fib-4, RPR in the diagnosis of chronic hepatitis B liver fibrosis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of Frons index, Fib-4 and APRI in the diagnosis of moderate liver fibrosis were higher than that of mild and severe liver fibrosis, with AUC of 0.903, 0.928 and 0.957, respectively; the AUC of RPR in the diagnosis of mild and moderate hepatic fibrosis was higher (0.861); the AUC of PRE in the diagnosis of mild, moderate and severe liver fibrosis was 0.860, 0.861 and 0.865, respectively; the sensitivity was 64.6%, 76.6%, 73.8%, and the specificity was 96.3%, 89.5% and 95.1%, respectively. Conclusions:Frons index, APRI, Fib-4, RPR and PRE liver fibrosis diagnostic models have certain diagnostic value. Among them, the liver fibrosis diagnostic model predicted by MRI and serological indexes has the best comprehensive efficiency. The best diagnostic scheme should be selected according to the actual situation.

Influence of Sensitization Patterns on Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide in Asthmatic Children.

Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) has been suggested as a non-invasive biomarker of airway inflammation, which is increased in atopic subjects. Whether sensitization to particular allergens is a predictive factor for increased FeNO levels is not yet fully understood. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study. From October to December in 2015, the medical documents of 127 mild, steroid-naive asthmatic children and 34 healthy age-matched children were enrolled in this study. The results of the FeNO measurements, skin prick test, and the spirometry were collected for analysis. Sensitization patterns to the 18 aeroallergens (5 categories: mites, molds, animal dander, pollen, and other) were determined in study population. A significant increase in FeNO level was observed in poly-sensitized asthmatic children (34.7 part per billion, (ppb) [28.3-41.1 p.p.b]), compared with mono-sensitized asthmatics (30.7 p.p.b [18.3-43.2 p.p.b]) and with non-sensitized asthmatics (17.3 p.p.b [10.8-24.5 p.p.b]). With sensitization to perennial allergens (mites, mold, and animal dander), blood eosinophil counts were significantly associated with increased FeNO (p<0.05 for all). The highest FeNO level was identified in children sensitized to a combination of the perennial, seasonal, and other allergens, when compared with those sensitized to one category of allergen alone (p=0.004). Our study showed that variations in FeNO level were associated with individuals' sensitization patterns. Being sensitized to some particular allergens might contribute to prompt the airway inflammation.

Effect of Shenmai Injection on Long-Term Prognosis of Patients with Chronic Heart Failure: A Multicenter, Large Sample Capacity, Long-Term Follow-Up Retrospective Cohort Study / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the effect of Shenmai Injection (SMI) on the long-term prognosis of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).@*METHODS@#The Hospital Information System was used to extract data of CHF patients, and the retrospective cohort study was conducted for analysis. In non-exposed group, standardized Western medicine treatment and Chinese patent medicine or decoction were applied without combination of SMI while in the exposed group, SMI were applied for more than 7 days. Evaluation indicators are followed with New York Heart Association functional classification (NYHA classification), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide precursor (NT-ProBNP), cardiogenic death and heart failure (HF) readmission. Statistical analysis includes Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression which are used to explore the relationship between SMI and outcome events.@*RESULTS@#A total of 1,211 eligible CHF patients were involved and finally 1,047 patients were followed up successfully. After treatment, the cases of NYHA classification decline in the exposed and non-exposed groups accounted for 64.30% and 43.45%, respectively; the improvement values of LVEF were 8.89% and 7.91%, respectively; the improvement values of NT-ProBNP were 909 pg/mL and 735 pg/mL, respectively. After exposure on SMI, the rates of cardiogenic death and HF readmission reduced from 15.43% to 10.18% and 38.93% to 32.37%. According to Kaplan-Meier analysis, the log-rank P value of SMI and cardiogenic death was 0.014, while the counterpart of SMI and HF readmission was 0.025. Cox regression analysis indicated that for cardiogenic death, age, cardiomyopathy, diabetes, and NYHA classification were risk factors while β-blockers, aldosterone receptor antagonists, Chinese patent medicine/decoction and SMI were protective factors. Likewise, for HF readmission, age, cardiomyopathy, and NYHA classification were risk factors while SMI was a protective factor.@*CONCLUSION@#Combination with SMI on the standardized Western medicine treatment can effectively reduce cardiogenic mortality and readmission rate in CHF patients, and thereby improve the long-term prognosis.

Scavenging hagfish as a transport host of Anisakid nematodes.

Hagfish are the most primitive craniates and scavengers, feeding on dead organisms as well as fish and invertebrates. Hagfish play an important ecological role in recycling nutrients, helping to recycle biomass from the upper water column. We investigated 265 specimens of four hagfish species, including Eptatretus burgeri, Eptatretus yangi, Eptatretus sheni and Eptatretus taiwanae from northeastern Taiwanese waters of the northwestern Pacific from November 2013 to June 2014. Eight species of Anisakid nematodes were identified: Anisakis pegreffii, Anisakis simplex s.s., a recombinant genotype of A. pegreffii and A. simplex s.s., Anisakis typica, Anisakis sp., Anisakis brevispiculata, Anisakis physeteris and Hysterothylacium amoyense. Anisakis sp. and H. amoyense represented new locality records. The prevalence, mean intensity and mean abundance of anisakid nematodes for all specimens were 21.51%, 5.39 larvae per fish and 1.16 larvae per fish, respectively. A. pegreffii was the most frequent species in E. burgeri, E. yangi and E. taiwanae, whereas in E. sheni, the dominant species was Anisakis sp. The number of nematodes was significantly related to the host length for E. burgeri and E. sheni, but was not related to the sex of the four hagfish species. This report of scavenging hagfish infected with Anisakid larvae suggests hagfish as a transport/paratenic host between cetaceans and piscivores. Anisakiasis may be caused by the consumption of infectious third-stage larvae in raw or undercooked hagfish.

Improvement of Quality Standard for Mongolian Medicine Juniperus rigida / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To provide scientifi c evidence for improving the quality standard of Mongolian medicine Juniperus rigida. METHODS ：Totally 10 batches of J. rigida from different places were taken as samples to observe their characters and identify them by microscope ；TLC method was adopted to qualitatively identify isoquercitrin ，quercitrin，amentoflavone， podocarpusflavone A and hinokiflavone ；the contents of total ash ，acid-insoluble ash ，ethanol-soluble extract and heavy metals were determined by related method stated in 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopeia （part Ⅳ）. The contents of above 5 components in samples were determined by HPLC. RESULTS ：The powder of J. rigida was green or yellowish green ，polygonal tracheids ， closely arranged in longitudinal with unequal stomatal ；epidermal cells were nearly rectangular ；sclerenchyma cells were quasi rectangular and the wall beadedly thickening. Results of TLC showed that the spots of the same color were found in the corresponding positions of chromatogram for test sample and substance control. The contents of total ash ，acid-insoluble ash and ethanol-soluble extract in 10 batches of samples were 7.37％-11.18％，0.75％-2.98％，16.55％-26.42％，respectively；average contents were 8.51％，1.27％，22.35％. The contents of lead ，arsenic，cadmium，mercury and copper were 2.00-5.44，0.65-1.65， 0.044-0.100，0.034-0.160，4.59-6.79 mg/kg，respectively；average conte nts were 3.73，0.97，0.078，0.061，5.23 mg/kg. The linear ranges of isoquercitrin ，quercitrin，amentoflavone，podocarpus- flavone A and hinokiflavone were 4.98-20.02，49.99-199.96， 19.94-99.96，9.99-40.00，20.20-159.98 μg/mL（all r＞0.999 7）； com RSDs of precision ，repeatability and stability （24 h） tests were all less than 3.00％（n＝6）；the average recoveries were 话：0993-2057878。E-mail：Tanghuishz@qq.com 100.62％-102.96％，RSDs were 1.21％-1.88％（n＝6）. Average contents of the above-mentioned 5 compounds in 10 batches of samples were 0.089-0.379，1.379-4.250，1.077-2.026，0.162-0.423， 0.016 9-0.117 0 mg/g，respectively. CONCLUSIONS ：The qualitative and quantitative analysis methods of Mongolian medicine J. rigida are established. It is preliminarily proposed that the total ash content shall not exceed 10.22％，the acid-insoluble ash content shall not exceed 1.53％，ethanol-soluble extract content shall not be less than 17.88％，heavy metal lead should not exceed 5 mg/kg，arsenic should not exceed 2 mg/kg，cadmium should not exceed 0.3 mg/kg，mercury should not exceed 0.2 mg/kg，copper should not exceed 20 mg/kg.

Evaluation of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in myopic juveniles / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#AIM:To investigate the influence of myopia on peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness(RNFLT)using Cirrus optical coherence tomography(OCT)in myopic juveniles aged 12-18 years.<p>METHODS: Cross-sectional observational study. High-definition(HD), spectral-domain Cirrus OCT(Cirrus HD-OCT; Carl Zeiss, Dublin, CA)was used to analyze RNFLT in 145 healthy juveniles(145 eyes). The data for left eye were selected for analysis. The magnification effect was adjusted by the modified axial length method. The subjects were divided into four groups by spherical equivalent(SE): normal group(52 eyes, -0.25-+0.25D), low myopia group(60 eyes, -0.5--3.0D), moderate myopia group(25 eyes, -3.25--6.0D)and high myopia group(8 eyes,-6.25--12.0D). The correlations between RNFLT and axial length(AL)or SE was tested with linear regression analysis.<p>RESULTS: The older the age, the longer the eye axis length, the higher the degree of myopia. Comparison of adjusted RNFLT among the four groups: after adjustment, the average RNFLT of the low myopia group and the moderate myopia group were thicker than those of the normal control group(<i>P</i><0.05). The adjusted RNFLT of temporal quadrant in the moderate myopia group and the high myopia group were significantly thicker than those in the normal group and the low myopia group, as well as the adjusted RNFLT of nasal quadrant in the low, moderate myopia group were significantly thicker compared with those in the normal group(<i>P</i><0.05). There were statistically significant difference of adjusted RNFLT at 1-4 o'clock, 6 o'clock, 7 o'clock and 9 o'clock among multiple groups(<i>P</i><0.05). The adjusted values of RNFLT at 1-4 o'clock all showed positively correlated with AL(<i>r</i>=0.220, 0.259, 0.356, 0.237, 0.335, all <i>P</i><0.01)and negatively correlated with SE(<i>r</i>=-0.386, -0.276,-0.307, -0.254, -0.260, all<i> P</i><0.01); The adjusted RNFLT at 6, 7 o'clock showed negatively correlated with AL(<i>r</i>=-0.296,-0.327, all<i> P</i><0.01)and positively correlated with SE(<i>r</i>=0.245,0.295, all<i> P</i><0.05).<p>CONCLUSION: Teenagers' eyeballs are still in the shaping stage. When judging RNFLT in myopic juveniles, effects of ocular magnification effect, AL and SE should be considered. When adjusted temporal RNFLT at 1-4 o'clock are thinner than normal, glaucoma should be considered.

Dynamic changes in peripheral type Ⅱ innate lymphoid cell (ILC2) subpopulation and its clinical significance in children with hay fever during the pollen season / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Objective@#To analyze the dynamic changes in the expression and function of peripheral type Ⅱ innate lymphoid cell (ILC2) subpopulation and the activity of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT6) in children with hay fever during pollen season.@*Methods@#A total of 10 patients with hay fever, 10 patients with house dust mite (HDM)-sensitized asthma and 12 healthy controls (HC) were enrolled in this study. Changes in peripheral ILC2 and the intracellular expression of Th2-related cytokines were detected by flow cytometry during and outside the pollen season. Peripheral Lin- cell population was isolated from each group and cultured with the presence of IL-25 or IL-33 for 7 d. The concentrations of IL-5 and IL-13 in culture supernatants were measured by ELISA. Expression of phospho-STAT6 at protein level was quantified by Western blot.@*Results@#Within the pollen season, the percentage of peripheral ILC2 cells was significantly higher in children with hay fever [(23.09±7.86)%] than in children with HDM-sensitized asthma [(6.84±3.85)%, P<0.05] and healthy children[(1.69±0.87)%, P<0.05]. In the non-pollen season, the peripheral ILC2 cells in children with hay fever presented a decreasing trend [(11.30±2.45)%], but was still higher than that in HDM-sensitized asthmatics [(3.76±1.96)%, P<0.05] and HC [(1.32±0.91)%, P<0.05] at the same time point. Moreover, peripheral IL-13+ ILC2 cells in children with hay fever [(6.94±3.16)% vs(4.17±1.98)%, P<0.05] and in HDM-sensitized asthmatics [(1.89±0.70)% vs(1.44±0.55)%, P<0.05] during the pollen season were significantly higher than those in the non-pollen season. After the in vitro stimulation with IL25 or IL-33, the levels of IL-5 and IL-13 in culture supernatants were both increased in children with hay fever and HDM-sensitized asthmatics, and a synergistic action was observed when IL25 and IL-33 were used in combination. Meanwhile, the protein level of phospho-STAT4 in Lin- cells was significantly up-regulated in the hay fever group after stimulation with IL25 and IL-33.@*Conclusions@#During the pollen season, the abnormal number and function of ILC2 subpopulation in children with hay fever might be another cause of the occurrence of clinical symptoms in a short period of time or acute exacerbation.

Dynamic changes in peripheral type Ⅱ innate lymphoid cell ( ILC2 ) subpopulation and its clinical significance in children with hay fever during the pollen season / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Objective To analyze the dynamic changes in the expression and function of peripher-al typeⅡinnate lymphoid cell (ILC2) subpopulation and the activity of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT6) in children with hay fever during pollen season. Methods A total of 10 patients with hay fever, 10 patients with house dust mite ( HDM)-sensitized asthma and 12 healthy controls ( HC) were enrolled in this study. Changes in peripheral ILC2 and the intracellular expression of Th2-related cyto-kines were detected by flow cytometry during and outside the pollen season. Peripheral Lin- cell population was isolated from each group and cultured with the presence of IL-25 or IL-33 for 7 d. The concentrations of IL-5 and IL-13 in culture supernatants were measured by ELISA. Expression of phospho-STAT6 at protein level was quantified by Western blot. Results Within the pollen season, the percentage of peripheral ILC2 cells was significantly higher in children with hay fever [(23. 09±7. 86)％] than in children with HDM-sen-sitized asthma [(6. 84±3. 85)％, P<0. 05] and healthy children[(1. 69±0. 87)％, P<0. 05]. In the non-pollen season, the peripheral ILC2 cells in children with hay fever presented a decreasing trend [(11. 30±2. 45)％], but was still higher than that in HDM-sensitized asthmatics [(3. 76±1. 96)％, P<0. 05] and HC [(1. 32±0. 91)％, P<0. 05] at the same time point. Moreover, peripheral IL-13+ILC2 cells in children with hay fever [(6. 94±3. 16)％ vs(4. 17±1. 98)％, P<0. 05] and in HDM-sensitized asthmatics [(1. 89 ±0. 70)％ vs(1. 44±0. 55)％, P<0. 05] during the pollen season were significantly higher than those in the non-pollen season. After the in vitro stimulation with IL25 or IL-33, the levels of IL-5 and IL-13 in culture supernatants were both increased in children with hay fever and HDM-sensitized asthmatics, and a synergis-tic action was observed when IL25 and IL-33 were used in combination. Meanwhile, the protein level of phospho-STAT4 in Lin-cells was significantly up-regulated in the hay fever group after stimulation with IL25 and IL-33. Conclusions During the pollen season, the abnormal number and function of ILC2 subpopula-tion in children with hay fever might be another cause of the occurrence of clinical symptoms in a short period of time or acute exacerbation.

Analysis of anxiety and depression in patients undergoing radiotherapy during COVID-19 epidemic period / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To investigate the anxiety and depression of cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy during the epidemic of COVID-19.Methods:By using self-rating anxiety scale and self-rating depression scale, a cross-sectional survey was conducted during the COVID-19 epidemic period.Results:During the COVID-19 epidemic period, the incidence of anxiety and depression in cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy was 15.8% and 27.7% respectively, of which 12.9% suffered from both anxiety and depression. The average scores of anxiety and depression were 49.4(25/76) and 46.4(25/83), respectively, which were higher than those of the domestic norm. Age is a contributing factor for anxiety, and patients living in urban are more likely to experience depression.Conclusions:The prevalence of anxiety and depression of cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy are higher than healthy people during the COVID-19 outbreak. We should pay more attention to the psychological states of the cancer patients.

Proliferation, Differentiation and Immunoregulatory Capacities of Brown and White Adipose-Derived Stem Cells from Young and Aged Mice

Background and Objectives@#Adipose tissue is a source of mesenchymal stem cells, which have the potential to differentiate into various types of cells. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are now recognized as an accessible, abundant, and reliable stem cells suitable for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. However, few literatures gave a comprehensive report on the capacities of ADSCs harvested from different sites. Especially, the capacities of ADSCs from aged mice remained unclear. In this study, we investigated several main capacities of brown adipose derived stem cells (B-ADSCs) and white adipose derived stem cells (W-ADSCs) from both young and aged mice. @*Methods@#and Results: When isolated from young mice, B-ADSCs showed a stronger proliferation rate and higher osteogenic, adipogenic and myocardial differentiation ability than W-ADSCs. Carboxy fluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE) labeling test suggested no significant difference in immunosuppression capacity between B-ADSCs and W-ADSCs. Similarly, no difference between these two were found in several immune related molecules, such as programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), intercellular cell adhesion molecule (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin 10 (IL10), and suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (socs1). When isolated from aged mice, B-ADSCs also showed a stronger proliferation rate and higher osteogenic, adipogenic and myocardial differentiation ability than W-ADSCs; however, it demonstrated an attenuated immunosuppression capacity compared to W-ADSCs. @*Conclusions@#In summary, our data showed that ADSCs’ characteristics were tissue source dependent and changed with age. It provided evidence for choosing the right tissue-specific ADSCs for clinical application and fundamental research.