LncRNA ST7-AS1, by regulating miR-181b-5p/KPNA4 axis, promotes the malignancy of lung adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Growing evidence suggests that suppressor of tumorigenicity 7 antisense RNA 1 (ST7-AS1) is an oncogenic long noncoding RNA (lncRNA). However, little is known on its clinical significance, biological functions, or molecular mechanisms in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). METHODS: The expression of ST7-AS1 and miR-181b-5p were examined by qRT-PCR. The correlations between ST7-AS1 level and different clinicopathological features were analysed. In vitro, LUAD cells were examined for cell viability, migration and invasion by MTT, wound healing and Transwell assay, respectively. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) biomarkers were detected by Western blot. The regulations between ST7-AS1, miR-181b-5p, and KPNA4 were examined by luciferase assay, RNA immunoprecipitation, RNA pulldown. Both gain- and loss-of-function strategies were used to assess the importance of different signalling molecules in malignant phenotypes of LUAD cells. The in vivo effect was analysed using the xenograft and the experimental metastasis mouse models. RESULTS: ST7-AS1 was upregulated in LUAD tissues or cell lines, correlated with tumours of positive lymph node metastasis or higher TNM stages, and associated with shorter overall survival of LUAD patients. ST7-AS1 essentially maintained the viability, migration, invasion, and EMT of LUAD cells. The oncogenic activities of ST7-AS1 were accomplished by sponging miR-181b-5p and releasing the suppression of the latter on KPNA4. In LUAD tissues, ST7-AS1 level positively correlated with that of KPNA4 and negatively with miR-181b-5p level. In vivo, targeting ST7-AS1 significantly inhibited xenograft growth and metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: ST7-AS1, by regulating miR-181b-5p/KPNA4 axis, promotes the malignancy of LUAD cells. Targeting ST7-AS1 and KPNA4 or up-regulating miR-181b-5p, therefore, may benefit the treatment of LUAD.

[Thinking on development of Shanxi Astragali Radix industry].

Shanxi, a traditional production area to produce genuine Astragali Radix of high quality, has experienced major changes in the pattern of resources. This area once accounted for half of Astragali Radix industry, but now only serves as the largest supply area of traditional wild Astragali Radix. Furthermore, the strategic position of Shanxi Astragali Radix industry will become more prominent and more important to economic and social development in face of the diversity of market demands, especially for the strong demands of high-end Astragali Radix. In addition, Astragalus industry involves the simultaneous development of the first, second and tertiary industries in many areas, and it is typical and representative in the traditional Chinese medicine industry development. However, the application and industrial development of Shanxi Astragali Radix have been restricted due to the problems such as blind promotion of transplanting cultivation technology, and lack of science and technology including efficacy investigation, safety evaluation, standardization and controllability studies. Therefore, we would analyze the production history, resource structure, the current situation and progress of industry development, scientific research foundation and existing problem in this paper, and put forward countermeasures for development and technical innovation in order to make Astragali Radix industry bigger and stronger through innovation-driven and make benefits for demos. This thought provides a reference for the exploratory development of other large varieties of Chinese medicinal materials.

SMAL: A Resource of Spontaneous Mutation Accumulation Lines.

Mutation is the ultimate source of genetic variation and evolution. Mutation accumulation (MA) experiments are an alternative approach to study de novo mutation events directly. We have constructed a resource of Spontaneous Mutation Accumulation Lines (SMAL; http://cefg.uestc.edu.cn/smal), which contains all the current publicly available MA lines identified by high-throughput sequencing. We have relocated and mapped the mutations based on the most recent genome annotations. A total of 5,608 single base mutations and 540 other mutations were obtained and are recorded in the current version of the SMAL database. The integrated data in SMAL provide detailed information that can be used in new theoretical analyses. We believe that the SMAL resource will help researchers better understand the processes of genetic variation and the incidence of disease.

HortGenome Search Engine, a universal genomic search engine for horticultural crops.

Horticultural crops comprising fruit, vegetable, ornamental, beverage, medicinal and aromatic plants play essential roles in food security and human health, as well as landscaping. With the advances of sequencing technologies, genomes for hundreds of horticultural crops have been deciphered in recent years, providing a basis for understanding gene functions and regulatory networks and for the improvement of horticultural crops. However, these valuable genomic data are scattered in warehouses with various complex searching and displaying strategies, which increases learning and usage costs and makes comparative and functional genomic analyses across different horticultural crops very challenging. To this end, we have developed a lightweight universal search engine, HortGenome Search Engine (HSE; http://hort.moilab.net), which allows for the querying of genes, functional annotations, protein domains, homologs, and other gene-related functional information of more than 500 horticultural crops. In addition, four commonly used tools, including 'BLAST', 'Batch Query', 'Enrichment analysis', and 'Synteny Viewer' have been developed for efficient mining and analysis of these genomic data.

Construction of lncRNA prognostic model related to cuproptosis in esophageal carcinoma.

Background: Esophageal carcinoma (ESCA) is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors in the world. The prognosis of patients has significantly improved with the development of surgery, targeted therapy and immunotherapy. But the 5-year survival rate of ESCA patients is still incredibly low. Cuproptosis is a type of mitochondrial cell death induced by copper. It is unclear how cuproptosis-related lncRNAs (CRLs) affect ESCA prognosis. Methods: In this study, we obtained the clinical data of ESCA patients, the transcriptome data from TCGA and identified CRLs by co-expression analysis, lasso regression, and cox regression analysis, to build a prognostic model. Then we validated the prognostic model using the Kaplan-Meier curve, cox regression analysis, and ROC, to create a nomogram based on risk score to forecast the prognosis of ESCA. Next, the immune escape of the CRLs was examined using the TIDE algorithm to assess its sensitivity to possible ESCA medications. Results: To predict the prognosis of ESCA patients, we created a predictive model using 6 CRLs (AC034199.1, AC125437.1, AC107032.2, CTBP1-DT, AL024508.1, and AC008610.1), validated by the Kaplan-Meier and ROC curves. The model has a higher diagnostic value compared to other clinical features. The 6 CRLs expressed high in TCGA and ESCA specimens. Enrichment analysis revealed CRLs largely contributed to the interaction between cytokines and their receptors as well as complement coagulation cascades. The immunity escape analysis demonstrated that immunotherapy had a worse effect in the low-risk group than in the high-risk group. Additionally, we screened out potential antineoplastic drugs according to the results of the immunoassay and obtained 5 drugs, including CP-466722, crizotinib, MS-275, KIN001-135, and CP-466722. Conclusion: The prognosis of patients with ESCA can be correctly predicted by the 6 CRLs chosen from this investigation. It lays the groundwork for more investigation into the ESCA mechanism and the identification of novel therapeutic targets.

A Bioinspired Adhesive-Integrated-Agent Strategy for Constructing Robust Gas-Sensing Arrays.

Gas sensors based on organic molecules are attractive for their tailored molecular structures and controllable functions, but weak interfacial adhesion between sensing materials and supporting substrates has severely hampered their practical applications, particularly in harsh environments. Here, inspired by the combined anchoring-recognizing feature of natural olfactory systems, an adhesive-integrated-agent strategy to integrate the adhesive unit (poly(dimethylsiloxane)) with the sensing unit (organoplatinum(II)) into one chemistry entity, creating robust and sensitive nanobelt array gas sensors is demonstrated. Systematic theoretical and experimental studies reveal that incorporating adhesive units significantly enhances the interfacial adhesion of the array sensors and gas-bridged super-exchange electronic couplings of sensing units ensure their efficient gas-sensing performance. The high shear strength of ≈7.05 × 106 N m-2 allows these arrays to resist aggressive ultrasonication, tape peeling, or repeated bending without compromising their sensing performance. This molecular engineering strategy opens a new guideline to develop robust gas sensors.

Chromosome translocation and its consequence in the genome of Burkholderia cenocepacia AU-1054.

Most bacterial genomes have one single chromosome. The species Burkholderia cenocepacia, a Gram-negative ß-proteobacterium, is one of the exceptions. Genomes of four strains of the species have been sequenced and each has three circular chromosomes. In the genus Burkholderia, there are another seven sequenced strains that have three chromosomes. In this paper, the numbers of essential genes and tRNA genes among the 11 strains of the genus Burkholderia are compared. Interestingly, it is found that the shortest chromosome of B. cenocepacia AU-1054 has much (over three times) more essential genes and tRNA genes than the corresponding chromosomes in the other 10 strains. However, no significant difference has been found on the two longer chromosomes among the 11 strains. Non-homologous chromosomal translocation between chromosomes I and III in the species B. cenocepacia is found to be responsible for the unusual distribution of essential genes. The present work may contribute to the understanding of how the secondary chromosomes of multipartite bacterial genomes originate and evolve. The computer program, DEG_match, for comparatively identifying essential genes in any annotated bacterial genomes is freely available at http://cobi.uestc.edu.cn/resource/AU1054/.

Two novel nornemoralisin-type diterpenoids from Aphanamixis polystachya (Wall.) R. Parker.

Two novel heptanornemoralisin-type diterpenoids nornemoralisins A (1) and B (2), together with two known compounds nemoralisin (3) and nemoralisin A (4), were isolated from the stem bark and leaves of Aphanamixis polystachya (Wall.) R. Parker. Their structures were established through comprehensive analyses of NMR spectroscopic data and high resolution mass spectrometric (HR-ESI-MS) data. The absolute configurations of carbon stereocenters were elucidated by circular dichroism (CD) analyses. The four compounds were tested for their potential cytotoxic effects against ACHN, HeLa, SMMC-7721, and MCF-7 cell lines. Nornemoralisins A (1) and B (2) exhibited significant cytotoxicity on ACHN with an IC50 value of 13.9 ± 0.8 and 10.3 ± 0.4 µM, respectively, and other compounds failed to reveal obvious cytotoxicity on the tested cell lines, compared to positive control vinblastine (IC50, 28.0 ± 0.9 µM).

Allicin alleviates inflammation of diabetic macroangiopathy via the Nrf2 and NF-kB pathway.

As diabetic macroangiopathy is becoming increasingly prevalent, it is urgent to explore preventive and therapeutic drugs and study the mechanism. Diabetic mice were induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ)for five consecutive days. Diabetic mice were divided into diabetic and allicin groups. After sacrifice, frozen aortic root sections were immunohistochemically stained for nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and inflammation cytokine-tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and the remaining aortic tissues were analyzed by Western blot for the expression of proinflammation genes. In vitro, Nrf2 and inflammatory relative protein expression levels in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs) were examined. HUVECs proliferation and apoptosis were measured. TNF-α expression was increased in diabetic group compared to that in control group; this effect was alleviated in allicin-treated mice. Inflammation relative protein expression of Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule 1(VCAM-1), Matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS), and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) was higher in the diabetic group than in the control group; however, allicin treatment inhibited these diabetes-induced increase. In vitro, allicin treatment reversed the hyperglycemia-induced reduction in proliferation, and decreased the apoptosis induced by high glucose. Inflammation relative protein expression was consistent with that in vivo. Additionally, the expression of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB)and Nrf2 was increased in both DM mice and HUVECs; allicin treatment induced a significant reduction in NF-κB level and improvement in Nrf2 level. Allicin alleviates inflammation caused by diabetic macroangiopathy, and the mechanism may occur via increasing Nrf2 and decreasing NF-κB.

Three-dimensional finite element modeling and mechanical analysis of knee joint in patients with mild knee osteoarthritis / 中国医学物理学杂志

Objective To establish a three-dimensional finite element model of knee joint in patients with mild knee osteoarthritis in the absence of CT and MRI with thin layer thickness,and to analyze the stress distributions of the tibial plateau.Methods A female patient with mild knee osteoarthritis was selected as the study object,and received serial CT scan from pelvis to distal tibia of fibula.The obtained files in DICOM format were imported into Mimics software for extracting the bony structures of knee joint through threshold segmentation,and then optimizing the extracted structures with Edit Masks,Cavity Fill and Region Grow.The generated model of bony structures was imported into 3-matic for smoothing and wrapping,and Geomagic Wrap was used for bony structure processing with mesh doctor inspection,surface defect repair and surface fitting.The cartilages,meniscus and ligaments were established by contour extension,and assembled with bony structures in SolidWorks in the way of origin coincidence.After defining material properties and contact relationships,meshing,and setting constraints and loads in ANSYS software,the stress distributions of the tibial plateau when standing with both legs were analyzed.Results A complete knee joint model including bony structure,cartilage and ligament was successfully established.When standing with two legs,the peak value of contact stress was about 1.21 MPa,and the maximum stress was 0.72 MPa at the medial middle of tibial plateau and lateral tibial plateau.The 62.7%and 37.3%of the total load were borne by the inner and outer compartments.Conclusion The model of the total knee joint is established with CT extraction and software rendering,and the finite element analysis results meet clinical expectations,indicating that the model established by the proposed method is reliable and can be used for follow-up research.

Boosting of Hepatitis B Virus-Specific T Cell Responses After Pegylated-Interferon-α-2a Therapy for Hepatitis B e Antigen-Positive Pediatric Patients.

Treatment of chronic hepatitis B with pegylated-interferon-α-2a (PegIFNα) in pediatric patients can lead to a higher rate of hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) loss than in adults. However, the mechanism of underlying immune response is not clear. The aim of this study was to explore innate and adaptive immunity, especially HBV-specific T cell responses in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive pediatric patients, who have experienced HBsAg loss. Isolated lymphocytes of 20 HBeAg-positive pediatric patients were collected every 12 weeks until treatment was stopped. The phenotype of T/natural killer (NK) cells and function of HBV-specific T cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. The frequency of CD69 and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) expressed on T cells and TRAIL on CD56hi NK cells in patients with HBsAg loss was remarkably higher compared with nonresponse patients. Furthermore, in vitro peptide stimulation of HBV-specific T cell responses was increased in patients with HBsAg loss when compared with week 0 and 48, and correlated with decline of viral load. The PegIFNα therapy in pediatric patients triggered T/NK cell activation and HBV-specific T cell responses, thereby contributing to successful viral control.

Impact of polymorphism on the optoelectronic properties of a low-bandgap semiconducting polymer.

Polymorphism of organic semiconducting materials exerts critical effects on their physical properties such as optical absorption, emission and electrical conductivity, and provides an excellent platform for investigating structure-property relations. It is, however, challenging to efficiently tune the polymorphism of conjugated polymers in aggregated, semi-crystalline phases due to their conformational freedom and anisotropic nature. Here, two distinctly different semi-crystalline polymorphs (ß1 and ß2) of a low-bandgap diketopyrrolopyrrole polymer are formed through controlling the solvent quality, as evidenced by spectroscopic, structural, thermal and charge transport studies. Compared to ß1, the ß2 polymorph exhibits a lower optical band gap, an enhanced photoluminescence, a reduced π-stacking distance, a higher hole mobility in field-effect transistors and improved photocurrent generation in polymer solar cells. The ß1 and ß2 polymorphs provide insights into the control of polymer self-organization for plastic electronics and hold potential for developing programmable ink formulations for next-generation electronic devices.

Effect of anesthesia on the recurrence and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma / 国际肿瘤学杂志

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer death. There is a high risk of recurrence and metastasis after surgery. Anesthesia methods, anesthesia-related drugs and intraoperative anesthesia management can affect the biological behavior of HCC cells or the body's immunity, thus affecting the recurrence and metastasis of HCC. Paying attention to the effect of anesthesia on recurrence and metastasis of HCC and optimizing anesthesia management are expected to improve the long-term survival of patients.

Effect of Proactive and Reactive Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Infliximab on Prognosis of Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease / 胃肠病学

Background:Therapeutic drug monitoring(TDM)has emerged as the important method for managing loss of response to infliximab.The effect of reactive and proactive TDM on clinical outcomes in inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)is uncertain.Aims:To evaluate the effect of proactive and reactive TDM of infliximab on the prognosis of patients with IBD.Methods:Clinical data of 99 IBD patients treated with IFX from January 2017 to October 2021 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Military Medical University were retrospectively analyzed,including 34 patients with proactive TDM and 65 patients with reactive TDM.The rate of treatment failure,IBD-related surgery or hospitalization were compared between the two groups.Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent risk factors of treatment failure.Results:The median follow-up of the patients was 21(13,32)months.The rate of treatment failure,IBD-related hospitalization rate of proactive TDM group were significantly lower than those of reactive TDM group(P<0.05),however,no significant difference in IBD-related surgery rate was found between two groups(P=0.081).Univariate analysis showed that ileocolonic resection before TDM,antibodies to infliximab(ATI)and reactive TDM might be correlated with treatment failure(P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that reactive TDM(OR=5.829,95%CI:1.070-31.754,P=0.042)was the risk factor of treatment failure,and ileocolonic resection before TDM(OR=0.119,95%CI:0.019-0.736,P=0.022)was the protective factor of treatment failure.Conclusions:Compared with reactive TDM group,proactive TDM can significantly decrease the rate of treatment failure and IBD-related hospitalization rate.Reactive TDM is the risk factor of treatment failure,and ileocolonic resection before TDM is the protective factor of treatment failure.

Analysis of circRNA in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma based on high-throughput sequencing data / 国际肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To analyze circRNAs specifically differentially expressed in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) based on high-throughput sequencing data.Methods:Six patients with pathologically confirmed ESCC in Tangdu Hospital of Air Force Medical University from March 2018 to March 2019 were selected as the research subjects, among which 3 were stage Ⅰ ESCC and 3 were stage Ⅲ ESCC. High-throughput sequencing technology was used to analyze the difference in the expression of circRNA in cancer tissues and adjacent tissues of patients. GO enrichment analysis, KEGG enrichment analysis and Venn analysis were performed on differentially expressed genes. The circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was constructed using Cytoscape software. The most significantly differentially expressed genes in cancer tissues were verified in cells and tissues, and the relationships between circRNAs and clinical pathological indicators of patients were analyzed.Results:A total of 553 differentially expressed circRNAs were screened in paracancerous tissues and cancer tissues of 3 stage Ⅰ ESCC patients, of which 413 were up-regulated and 140 were down-regulated in cancer tissues; A total of 425 differentially expressed circRNAs were screened in paracancerous tissues and cancer tissues of 3 stage Ⅲ ESCC patients, of which 276 were up-regulated and 149 were down-regulated in cancer tissues. GO enrichment analysis showed that the host genes of differential circRNAs in patients with stage Ⅰ ESCC were mainly enriched in cell cycle-related biological processes such as mitotic G 2/M transition. The host genes of differential circRNAs in patients with stage Ⅲ ESCC were mainly enriched in biological processes related to cell division and tumor development, such as mitotic spindle checkpoint and cell matrix adhesion. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the differential circRNAs in cancer tissues of stage Ⅰ and stage Ⅲ ESCC patients were mainly enriched in cancer-related biological pathways such as cell adhesion. The results of Venn analysis showed that in stage Ⅰ ESCC patients and stage Ⅲ ESCC patients, 2 and 8 circRNAs that were only specifically expressed in paracancerous tissues and had significant differences were screened out respectively, and were only specifically expressed in cancer tissues with significant differences were 11 and 14 respectively. The circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network showed that the cancer tissue-related circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network in stage Ⅰ ESCC patients consisted of 7 circRNA nodes, 10 miRNA nodes and 28 mRNA nodes, and the cancer tissue-related circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network in stage Ⅲ ESCC patients consisted of 7 circRNA nodes, 9 miRNA nodes and 49 mRNA nodes. The most significantly differentially expressed hsa-circ-0060927 and hsa-circ-0109301 in cancer tissues of patients with stage Ⅰ ESCC and stage Ⅲ ESCC were selected for cytological and histological verification. The results showed that the relative expression levels of hsa-circ-0060927 in ESCC cell lines TE1, TE13, KYSE30, KYSE170, and human normal esophageal epithelial cell line HEEC were 7.82±1.96, 12.69±2.68, 12.78±2.74, 7.53±1.75, and 2.43±0.17, respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( F=4.68, P=0.004). The relative expression levels of hsa-circ-0060927 in ESCC cell lines TE1, TE13, KYSE30, and KYSE170 were higher than that in human normal esophageal epithelial cell line HEEC, with statistically significant differences ( P=0.009; P=0.003; P=0.003; P=0.007). The relative expression levels of hsa-circ-0109301 in ESCC cell lines TE1, TE13, KYSE30, KYSE170, and human normal esophageal epithelial cell line HEEC were 5.16±1.32, 6.28±1.57, 4.89±1.13, 8.92±2.12, and 22.56±4.13, respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( F=4.31, P=0.022). The relative expression levels of hsa-circ-0109301 in ESCC cell lines TE1, TE13, KYSE30, and KYSE170 were lower than that in human normal esophageal epithelial cell line HEEC, with statistically significant differences ( P=0.027; P=0.015; P=0.024; P=0.008). The expression level of hsa-circ-0060927 in cancer tissues of 13 early ESCC patients was 12.89±2.67, significantly higher than 5.73±1.18 in paracancerous tissue, and there was a statistically significant difference ( t=15.02, P<0.001) ; the expression level of hsa-circ-0109301 in cancer tissues of 19 patients with advanced ESCC was 7.78±2.17, significantly lower than 16.32±3.15 in paracancerous tissue, and there was a statistically significant difference ( t=9.73, P<0.001). The expression of hsa-circ-0109301 was related to the degree of tumor differentiation in advanced ESCC patients ( P=0.023) . Conclusion:One circRNA (hsa-circ-0060927 and hsa-circ-0109301) with the most significanty differential expression is selected in early and advanced ESCC patients respectively, in which hsa-circ-0060927 is highly expressed in ESCC cancer tissues and hsa-circ-0109301 is lowly expressed in ESCC cancer tissues, and the expression of hsa-circ-0109301 is correlated with the degree of tumor differentiation.

Application of mind mapping teaching of gastroenterology in the standardized training for general practitioners / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective:To explore the effect of mind mapping teaching of gastroenterology in the standardized training for general practitioners, and provide new ideas for general practice education.Methods:A total of 65 physicians who were enrolled in the standardized training of general practice from January to December 2017 were collected as the control group, and the traditional teaching method was adopted; another 58 physicians from January to December 2018 were selected as the experimental group, and the mind mapping was adopted based on the traditional teaching method. The learning effect (theoretical and operational results) and the satisfaction questionnaire of trainees and teachers were used as evaluation indicators. SPSS 21.0 was used for t test and chi-square test. Results:The theory exam and clinical skills examination results of experimental group (80.80±5.30, 82.66±5.90) were significantly higher than those of the control group (71.60±5.20, 75.72±4.57), and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the experimental group had better understanding of knowledge points of this discipline, clinical thinking ability, higher learning interest, teamwork ability, innovation ability and teacher satisfaction, with statistical significance ( P<0.05). Conclusion:The mind mapping has more advantages than traditional teaching methods in the standardized training for general practitioners, which can be further extended.

Application of "three-dimensional knowledge-objective" teaching combined with immersive clinical experience in nursing practice teaching in the operating room of department of ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngology / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective:To investigate the application of "three-dimensional knowledge-objective" teaching combined with immersive clinical experience in nursing practice teaching in the operating room of department of ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngology.Methods:A total of 86 nursing students who received practice teaching in the operating room of Department of Ophthalmology and Otorhinolaryngology in our hospital were selected as research subjects and were divided into control group and observation group using a simple random number table, with 43 students in each group. The students in the control group received traditional teaching, and those in the observation group received "three-dimensional knowledge-objective" teaching and immersive clinical experience. The two groups were assessed in terms of the effectiveness of classroom teaching, nursing quality score, and the score of the ability to handle nurse-patient dispute. SPSS 22.0 was used to perform the chi-square test and the t-test. Results:After training, both groups had significant increases in the scores of basic nursing, specialized nursing, equipment management, equipment coordination ability, patrol coordination ability, and document recording ability and the total score of all dimensions, and the observation group had significantly higher scores than the control group ( P<0.05). After training, both groups had significant increases in the scores of dispute identification ability, the ability of emergency response to dispute, nurse-patient communication skills, the awareness of nursing laws and regulations, and psychological stress adjustment ability and the total score of all dimensions, and the observation group had significantly higher scores than the control group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:In the nursing practice teaching in the operating room of the department of ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngology, "three-dimensional knowledge-objective" teaching combined with immersive clinical experience can improve the effectiveness of classroom teaching, enhance nursing quality, and strengthen the ability to handle nurse-patient dispute.

The Role of Gender in Cost-Related Medication Nonadherence Among Patients with Diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: Under 50% of type 2 diabetic patients achieve the recommended glycemic control. One barrier to glycemic control is patients' cost-related nonadherence to medications. We hypothesize gender differences in medication nonadherence due to costs among diabetic patients. METHODS: US National Health Interview Survey (2011 to 2014) data yielded 5260 males and 6188 females with diabetes for over a year. We applied 2 analytic methods (A and B below) across multiple outcome measures (1 to 4) of medication nonadherence due to cost. The key independent variable was participant's gender. RESULTS: Across methods and measure, females consistently report significantly higher rates of medication nonadherence due to costs. Pearson's χ2 showed that female patients were more likely to (1) skip medication (13.5%-10.2%; P < .001), take less than prescribed medication (13.9%-10.5%; P < .001), delay filling prescriptions (16.8%-12.5%; P < .001), and ask doctors to prescribe lower-cost alternative medications (31.8%-28.0%; P < .001). Controlling for covariates, logistic regression models found females more likely to skip medication (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.09-1.55), take less than prescribed medication (OR, 1.26; 95%, CI, 1.06-1.50), delay filling prescriptions, (OR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.11-1.50), and request lower-cost medication (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.04-1.32). Our results report other factors that influence medication adherence, including socioeconomic and health status variables. CONCLUSIONS: A significant gender-based disparity exists on cost-related nonadherence of medication among diabetic patients. Health care providers and policy-makers should pay close attention to find ways to address cost-related nonadherence of medication among patients with chronic illness, especially among female patients.

Association of characteristics of HBV quasispecies with hepatitis B surface antigen seroconversion after pegylated interferon-α-2a treatment in child patients.

BACKGROUND: The correlation between hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroconversion and the characteristics of HBV quasispecies (QS) before and during pegylated interferon-α-2a (PEG-IFN-α-2a) treatment in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) children has not yet been reported. METHODS: 35 patients, including 18 HBsAg seroconverters (SS) and 17 non-seroconverters (SN), were enrolled. Serum samples were collected before treatment and at weeks 12 and 24 of treatment. Sequences within the basal core promoter/pre-core (BCP/PC) and S/reverse transcriptase (S/RT) region were analysed by next-generation sequencing. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the baseline diversity of HBV QS (Shannon entropy [Sn]; Hamming distance [HD]) in either region between the two groups. The baseline mutations A1762T/G1764A, C1913A, and T2003A/G or C2004T were correlated with non-response to therapy (P=0.025, P=0.036, P=0.032, respectively). After 24 weeks of therapy, HBV diversity within the BCP/PC region in the SS group notably declined (Sn: P=0.002; HD: P=0.011), while that of the SN group was nearly unchanged. As for the S/RT region, 24 weeks of treatment made no significant difference on QS diversity in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrated that the baseline viral mutations and dynamic changes in HBV QS diversity within the BCP/PC region were closely related to HBsAg seroconversion in HBeAg-positive CHB children treated with PEG-IFN-α-2a.

Association between serum uric acid level and multiple system atrophy: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Lower serum uric acid (UA) levels are considered to be related to the risk to develop many neurodegenerative disorders. However, the association between serum UA level and multiple system atrophy (MSA) remains controversial. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the relationship between serum UA level and MSA. PATIENTS AND METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were searched for eligible studies. Standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated in a fixed-effects model or a random-effects model when appropriate. Subgroup analyses were carried out based on gender. A total of 6 eligible studies involving 547 MSA patients and 637 healthy individuals were identified. RESULTS: Meta-analysis results revealed that individuals with MSA had lower sera levels of UA as compared with healthy controls (pooled SMD is -0.51, 95%CI: -0.88 to -0.14; p = 0.006). The subgroup analysis to detect sex differences showed that the pooled SMD was -0.61 (95% CI: -0.82 to -0.40; p < 0.0001) for males and -0.22 (95% CI: -0.55 to 0.10; p = 0.18) for females compared with healthy controls. CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis revealed that lower serum level of UA is associated with an increased risk of MSA and the relationship is significant in men but not in women.