Antinuclear Antibodies in Erythema Multiforme: Transient Occurrence During Acute Illness.

BACKGROUND: Children with target lesions are frequently diagnosed with erythema multiforme (EM). EM was not previously thought to be associated with any specific autoimmune serological abnormality. METHODS: We report the case of a 7-year-old girl who developed rashes all over her body with target shaped lesions. Based on clinical appearance and medical history, she was diagnosed with severe erythema multiforme and treated with methylprednisolone. Relevant laboratory tests were performed at admission. RESULTS: At the height of her infection, the antinuclear antibody (ANA) test showed a positive ANA with a titer of 1:100 (speckled pattern) and positive anti-SSA and anti-Ro-52 antibodies. Then she was adjusted for medication. After a week, the infection was relieved, and the re-examination was negative for ANA, anti-SSA, and anti-Ro-52 antibodies. CONCLUSIONS: In previously reported EM cases, ANA is generally not considered to be present. The disappearance of ANA during the convalescent phase suggests that ANA is expressed during the acute phase of EM infection. Its correlation with infection severity warrants further research on the mechanism of autoantibody formation in EM.

Salidroside Alleviates Chronic Constriction Injury-Induced Neuropathic Pain and Inhibits of TXNIP/NLRP3 Pathway.

Neuropathic pain is one of the most common conditions requiring treatment worldwide. Salidroside (SAL), a phenylpropanoid glucoside extracted from Rhodiola, has been suggested to produce an analgesic effect in chronic pain. However, whether SAL could alleviate pain hypersensitivity after peripheral nerve injury and its mode of action remains unclear. Several studies suggest that activation of the spinal NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and its related proteins contribute to neuropathic pain's pathogenesis. This study investigates the time course of activation of spinal NLRP3 inflammasome axis in the development of neuropathic pain and also whether SAL could be an effective treatment for this type of pain by modulating NLRP3 inflammasome. In the chronic constriction injury (CCI) mice model, spinal NLRP3 inflammasome-related proteins and TXNIP, the mediator of NLRP3, were upregulated from the 14th to the 28th day after injury. The TXNIP and NLRP3 inflammasome-related proteins were mainly present in neurons and microglial cells in the spinal dorsal horn after CCI. Intraperitoneal injection of SAL at 200 mg/kg for 14 consecutive days starting from the 7th day of CCI injury could ameliorate mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity in the CCI model. Moreover, SAL inhibited the activation of the TXNIP/NLRP3 inflammasome axis and mitigated the neuronal loss of spinal dorsal horn induced by nerve injury. These results indicate that SAL could produce analgesic and neuroprotective effects in the CCI model of neuropathic pain.

A Rare Antinuclear Antibody Fluorescence Pattern Induced by Rodenticides: a Case Report.

BACKGROUND: Warfarin and superwarfarins, which belong to anticoagulants, are also widely used as rodenticides worldwide. Cases of accidental ingestion of these kinds of rodenticides often occur, and the patients usually have clinical symptoms of various systemic bleeding which are, in serious cases, life threatening. METHODS: We reported a 12-year-old boy poisoned by superwarfarins. He was initially diagnosed with coagulation disorder induced by rodenticides and was treated with vitamin K. A month after the onset of the disease, the patient was further treated in our hospital. We improved his relevant laboratory tests and found that his antinuclear antibody (ANA) and anti-SSA antibodies were positive. After the patient was cured and discharged, the result of ANA turned negative four months later. RESULTS: The ANA fluorescence pattern of the patient presented a rare cytoplasmic granular type with low titer, which appeared when the patient was poisoned and disappeared after cured. In the previously reported cases of rodenticides poisoning, ANA-positive individuals are rare, and this kind of fluorescence pattern has not been reported before. CONCLUSIONS: During the diagnosis and treatment of anticoagulant rodenticides poisoning patients, the monitoring of coagulation function is important, but other laboratory tests should also be considered to avoid missing some suggestive positive results.

The evaluation of low cut-off index values of Elecsys® HIV combi PT assay in predicting false-positive results.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the results of different cut-off index (COI) values of Elecsys® HIV combi PT assay and to assess the role of COI in reducing the frequency of false-positive results. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of samples analyzed by Elecsys® HIV combi PT assay, a 4th-generation ECLIA, between 2016 and 2017. A total amount of 379 122 samples were collected for HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) screening. RESULTS: A total of 379 122 samples were analyzed. 2528 (0.67%) were positive by Elecsys® HIV combi PT. Of these, 468 were false-positive results, and most of them (94.87%) were in samples with 1 < COI < 15. The false-positive rate was 0.12%. Patients with false-positive samples were more distributed in elder (P < .001) and female (P < .001) than true-positive specimens. The median COI in true-positive specimens was (385.20), which is significantly higher than false-positive specimens (2.08). The consistency between Elecsys® HIV combi PT assay and 3rd-generation and positive predictive value (PPV) increased with higher COI values. Cancer, infection, and neurological diseases were considered the potential confounding factors of HIV false-positive results (19.44%, 11.11%, and 6.62%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Samples with low COI values, especially those contain confounding factors, need to be further scrutinized to determine whether the confounding factors may cause false-positive problem. In addition, the hypothesis that low COI values may predict false-positive results is valid.

[Influence of Meteorological Factors on HFMD and Construction of Prediction Model in Sichuan Province].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in Sichuan Province from 2013 to 2019. To study the correlation between meteorological factors and the incidence of HFMD and construct a prediction model. METHODS: The HMFD surveillance data and meteorological data from 2013 to 2019 in Sichuan Province were collected through the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the China Meteorological data Network. Spearman correlation was used to analyze the relationship between HFMD incidence and meteorological factors. Multiple regression model and support vector regression (SVR) model were used to construct HFMD incidence prediction models respectively. RESULTS: A total of 615 840 cases of HFMD and 81 deaths were reported from 2013 to 2019. The average annual incidence rate was 107.31/105, and the mortality rate was 0.16/106. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the monthly incidence rate of HFMD was correlated with monthly average relative humidity (r=0.342), monthly average temperature (r=0.284), monthly average water vapor pressure (r=0.304) and monthly average days of precipitation (r=0.259). The prediction effect of the SVR model (R2=0.836) was better than the multiple regression model (R2=0.375). The SVR model provided a good fit to the monthly incidence of HFMD from 2013 to 2018, and can predict the peak incidence of HFMD in 2019. CONCLUSION: Relative humidity has the greatest influence on the incidence of HFMD. The fitting value of SVR model is in good agreement with the actual value, which is valuable in predicting the incidence of HFMD in Sichuan Province.

Protective Effect of Alendronate on Lumbar Facet Degeneration in Ovariectomized Rats.

BACKGROUND Facet joint degeneration (FJD) is a potential source of lower back pain, and estrogen deficiency can accelerate FJD. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of alendronate (ALN) on FJD induced by ovariectomy (OVX) in rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS Thirty female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent either bilateral OVX (n=20) or sham surgery (n=10). The OVX rats subsequently received either subcutaneous ALN (70 µg/kg/week) or vehicle for 12 weeks. Subchondral bone mass and microarchitecture were evaluated by micro-computed tomography. Cartilage degradation was evaluated by toluidine blue staining and histological scoring. RESULTS Compared with the Sham group, the OVX group had significantly decreased bone mineral density, bone volume/trabecular volume, and trabecular thickness, significantly increased trabecular separation in subchondral bone, and significantly higher histological score for cartilage degeneration, particularly loss of cartilage thickness. ALN treatment significantly reversed the changes in subchondral bone, preserved cartilage thickness, and reduced the histological score. Immunohistochemical analyses showed significantly decreased expression of ADAMTS-4, MMP-13, and caspase-3 in the OVX+ALN group compared with the OVX group. CONCLUSIONS Treatment with ALN suppressed bone loss, subchondral bone architecture deterioration, and cartilage degeneration in OVX rats, which can be explained by roles of ALN in preservation of subchondral bone mass and microarchitecture, and counteraction of catabolism and chondrocyte apoptosis in cartilage.

High prevalence of syphilis, HBV, and HCV co-infection, and low rate of effective vaccination against hepatitis B in HIV-infected patients in West China hospital.

To investigate the epidemiological features and risk factors of HBV, HCV, and syphilis infection among HIV-infected patients in West China Hospital. A retrospective study was conducted with HIV-infected patients from 2014 to 2016 in West China hospital, SCU. Serum makers for HBV, HCV, and syphilis were detected. Among 894 HIV-infected patients, the prevalence of HIV/HBV, HIV/HCV, HIV/syphilis co-infections was 14.4%, 5.7%, and 18.9% respectively. HIV/HBV/HCV, HIV/HCV/syphilis, and HIV/HBV/syphilis triple co-infection was 7 (0.7%), 12(1.3%), 29(3.2%) respectively. The rate of effective vaccination against HBV was only 7.7% in HIV-infected patients. Age (OR = 0.243 95% CI: 0.114 -0.518), ethnicity (OR = 3.654 95% CI: 1.849-7.218) and education level (OR = 0.140 95% CI: 0.033-0.606) are risk factors affecting HIV/HCV co-infection. A high prevalence of HIV/syphilis, HIV/HBV, and HIV/ HCV co-infection can be observed in west China. The rate for HIV-infected patients who were effectively vaccinated against HBV was fewer than 10%.

Salmon Calcitonin Attenuates Degenerative Changes in Cartilage and Subchondral Bone in Lumbar Facet Joint in an Experimental Rat Model.

BACKGROUND Facet joint degeneration (FJD) is one of the common causes of low back pain (LBP), and estrogen deficiency is one of the triggers for FJD. Calcitonin may possess the potential for treating osteoarthritis, but to date the hormone has not been studied in the treatment of FJD. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of salmon calcitonin (sCT) on FJD induced by estrogen deficiency after ovariectomy (OVX). MATERIAL AND METHODS Thirty female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to 3 groups: the OVX group received bilateral OVX, the OVX + sCT group received subcutaneous administration of sCT (16 IU/kg/2 days) following bilateral OVX, and the Sham group received sham surgery. All rats were euthanized at 12 weeks post-OVX. Serum COMP level, cartilage degradation, and subchondral bone micro-architecture were evaluated. RESULTS sCT relieved cartilage surface lesions, reduced histological score, and significantly increased cartilage thickness. The OVX + sCT group exhibited significantly increased expression of aggrecan, as well as significantly decreased levels of ADAMTS-4, MMP-13, and caspase-3. The results of micro-computed tomography analysis revealed that the OVX + sCT group exhibited higher BMD, BV/TV, and Tb.Th values but a lower Tb.Sp value than that of the OVX group. Serum COMP concentrations were significantly correlated with histological score and cartilage thickness. CONCLUSIONS sCT can inhibit the progression of FJD in OVX rats, which is attributed to its inhibitory effects on cartilage metabolism imbalance, chondrocyte apoptosis, and subchondral bone remodeling. Serum COMP has diagnostic potential for FJD.

M2BPGi as a potential diagnostic tool of cirrhosis in Chinese patients with Hepatitis B virus infection.

BACKGROUND: M2BPGi is a novel serum glycobiomarker of liver fibrosis. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of M2BPGi for predicting liver fibrosis and disease progression in Chinese hepatitis B virus (HBV) infected patients. METHODS: We enrolled 228 HBV infected patients with different status of liver fibrosis diagnosed using FibroScan. We analyzed the diagnostic accuracy of M2BPGi, and compared it with AST-to-platelet ratio (APRI), FIB-4 index, AST to ALT ratio (AAR), and RDW to platelet ratio (RPR). We performed receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC) to evaluate the diagnostic performance of M2BPGi for significant fibrosis and cirrhosis. RESULTS: Median M2BPGi values in each fibrosis stage were: 0.88 cut-off index (COI) in F0-1, 1.165 in F2-3, and 1.92 in F4 (P<.01), respectively. For F≥2, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy of M2BPGi were 72.28%, 73.23%, 66.67%, while 55.07%, 93.71%, 82.02% for F≥4. For predicting significant fibrosis (≥F2), M2BPGi showed comparable performance to FIB4 index (P<.01), APRI (P<.01) and RPR (P<.01) with area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.788. M2BPGi was superior to other surrogate markers for diagnosing cirrhosis (F4) with the highest AUC of 0.811 (P<.01). CONCLUSIONS: M2BPGi levels increased with the progression of liver fibrosis in HBV infected patients. M2BPGi can be served as a potential glycobiomarker to assess the stage of liver fibrosis, especially for the diagnosis of cirrhosis.

TD-LSTM: Temporal Dependence-Based LSTM Networks for Marine Temperature Prediction.

Changes in ocean temperature over time have important implications for marine ecosystems and global climate change. Marine temperature changes with time and has the features of closeness, period, and trend. This paper analyzes the temporal dependence of marine temperature variation at multiple depths and proposes a new ocean-temperature time-series prediction method based on the temporal dependence parameter matrix fusion of historical observation data. The Temporal Dependence-Based Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) Networks for Marine Temperature Prediction (TD-LSTM) proves better than other methods while predicting sea-surface temperature (SST) by using Argo data. The performances were good at various depths and different regions.

Predictive Value of Hepatitis B Core-Related Antigen (HBcrAg) During the Natural History of Hepatitis B Virus Infection.

BACKGROUND: The natural history of HBV infection includes immune tolerance (IT), immune clearance (IC), HBeAg-negative inactive/quiescent carrier (ENQ), and HBeAg-negative hepatitis (ENH) phases. As the current biomarkers for discriminating the four phases still have some weaknesses, additional serological indicators are needed. Hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) encoded with the precore/core gene contains denatured HBeAg, HBV core antigen (HBcAg), and a 22-KDa precore protein (p22cr) and has been demonstrated to have a close association with the natural history of hepatitis B infection. However, no specific cutoff values and diagnostic parameters have been identified to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy. This study aimed to clarify the distribution of HBcrAg levels and evaluate the diagnostic performance during the natural history of HBV infection in a Western Chinese population. METHODS: In this study, 294 samples were collected from treatment-naive HBV infection patients in different phases (IT = 64; IC = 72; ENQ = 100, and ENH = 58). We detected the HBcrAg values and analyzed the relationship between HBcrAg and HBV DNA. HBsAg and other clinical parameters were quantitatively detected. RESULTS: The HBcrAg levels of IT, IC, ENQ, and ENH were 9.30 log U/mL, 8.80 log U/mL, 3.00 log U/mL, and 5.10 log U/mL, respectively (p < 0.0001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that the areas under the curves (AUCs) for HBcrAg and quantitative HBsAg at cutoff values of 9.25 log U/mL and 4.355 log IU/mL for distinguishing the IT phase from the IC phase were 0.704 and 0.694, with a sensitivity of 53.13% and 79.69% and specificity of 76.39% and 59.72%, respectively. AUCs of HBcrAg and quantitative HBsAg at cutoff values of 4.15 log U/mL and 2.395 log IU/mL for discriminating between the ENQ and ENH phases were 0.931 and 0.653, with a sensitivity of 87.93% and 91.38% and specificity of 84.00% and 39.00%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: HBcrAg levels varied significantly among the four natural phases of HBV infection and had higher predictive performance than quantitative HBsAg for distinguishing between ENQ-patients and ENH-patients and a similar performance as HBsAg for the discrimination between IT and IC phases, which indicated that HBcrAg could be a potential serological marker for HBV infection.

A Machine Learning Approach to Argo Data Analysis in a Thermocline.

With the rapid development of sensor networks, big marine data arises. To efficiently use these data to predict thermoclines, we propose a machine learning approach. We firstly focus on analyzing how temperature, salinity, and geographic location features affect the formation of thermocline. Then, an improved model based on entropy value method for the thermocline selection is demonstrated. The experiments adopt BOA Argo data sets and the experimental results show that our novel model can predict thermoclines and related data effectively.

Mitochondrial ferritin, a new target for inhibiting neuronal tumor cell proliferation.

Mitochondrial ferritin (FtMt) has a significant effect on the regulation of cytosolic and mitochondrial iron levels. However, because of the deficiency of iron regulatory elements (IRE) in FtMt's gene sequence, the exact function of FtMt remains unclear. In the present study, we found that FtMt dramatically inhibited SH-SY5Y cell proliferation and tumor growth in nude mice. Interestingly, excess FtMt did not adversely affect the development of drosophila. Additionally, we found that the expression of FtMt in human normal brain tissue was significantly higher than that of neuroblastoma, but not higher than that of neurospongioma. However, the expression of transferrin receptor 1 is completely opposite. We therefore hypothesized that increased expression of FtMt may negatively affect the vitality of neuronal tumor cells. Therefore, we further investigated the underlying mechanisms of FtMt's inhibitory effects on neuronal tumor cell proliferation. As expected, FtMt overexpression disturbed the iron homeostasis of tumor cells and significantly downregulated the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen. Moreover, FtMt affected cell cycle, causing G1/S arrest by modifying the expression of cyclinD1, cyclinE, Cdk2, Cdk4 and p21. Remarkably, FtMt strongly upregulated the expression of the tumor suppressors, p53 and N-myc downstream-regulated gene-1 (NDRG1), but dramatically decreased C-myc, N-myc and p-Rb levels. This study demonstrates for the first time a new role and mechanism for FtMt in the regulation of cell cycle. We thus propose FtMt as a new candidate target for inhibiting neuronal tumor cell proliferation. Appropriate regulation of FtMt expression may prevent tumor cell growth. Our study may provide a new strategy for neuronal cancer therapy.

Protective effect of calcitonin on lumbar fusion-induced adjacent-segment disc degeneration in ovariectomized rat.

BACKGROUND: Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration and pathological changes in the spinal cord are major causes of back pain. In addition to its well-established anti-resorptive effect on bone, calcitonin (CT) potentially exerts protective effects on IVD degeneration in ovariectomized rats. However, possible therapeutic effects of CT on lumbar fusion-induced adjacent-segment disc degeneration (ASDD) have not been investigated yet. In this study, we examined the effects of CT on IVD degeneration adjacent to a lumbar fusion in ovariectomized rats. METHODS: Posterolateral lumbar fusion (PLF) at L4-5 was performed 4 weeks after ovariectomy (OVX) or sham surgery in female Sprague-Dawley rats. Following PLF + OVX, rats received either salmon CT (OVX + PLF + sCT, 16 IU/Kg/2d) or vehicle (OVX + PLF + V) treatment for 12 weeks; the remaining rats were divided into Sham + V, OVX + V, and PLF + V groups. Fusion status was analyzed by manual palpation and radiography. Adjacent segment disc was assessed by histological, histomorphometric, immunohistochemical analysis. L6 vertebrae microstructures were evaluated by micro-computed tomography. RESULTS: Histological analysis showed more severe ASDD occurred in OVX + PLF + V rats compared with the OVX + V or PLF + V groups. CT treatment suppressed the score for ASDD, increased disc height, and decreased the area of endplate calcification. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that CT decreased the expression of collagen type-I, matrix metalloproteinase-13, and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs-4, whereas it increased the expression of collagen type-II and aggrecan in the disc. Micro-computed tomography indicated that CT increased bone mass and improved the microstructure of the L6 vertebrae. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that CT can prevent ASDD, induce beneficial changes in IVD metabolism, and inhibit deterioration of the trabecular microarchitecture of vertebrae in osteoporotic rats with lumbar fusion.

Temporal changes in climatic variables and their impact on crop yields in southwestern China.

Knowledge of variability in climatic variables changes and its impact on crop yields is important for farmers and policy makers, especially in southwestern China where rainfed agriculture is dominant. In the current study, six climatic parameters (mean temperature, rainfall, relative humidity, sunshine hours, temperature difference, and rainy days) and aggregated yields of three main crops (rice: Oryza sativa L., oilseed rape: Brassica napus L., and tobacco: Nicotiana tabacum L.) during 1985-2010 were collected and analyzed for Chongqing-a large agricultural municipality of China. Climatic variables changes were detected by Mann-Kendall test. Increased mean temperature and temperature difference and decreased relative humidity were found in annual and oilseed rape growth time series (P<0.05). Increased sunshine hours were observed during the oilseed rape growth period (P<0.05). Rainy days decreased slightly in annual and oilseed rape growth time series (P<0.10). Correlation analysis showed that yields of all three crops could benefit from changes in climatic variables in this region. Yield of rice increased with rainfall (P<0.10). Yield of oilseed rape increased with mean temperature and temperature difference but decreased with relative humidity (P<0.01). Tobacco yield increased with mean temperature (P<0.05). Path analysis provided additional information about the importance and contribution paths of climatic variables to crop yields. Temperature difference and sunshine hours had higher direct and indirect effects via other climatic variables on yields of rice and tobacco. Mean temperature, relative humidity, rainy days, and temperature difference had higher direct and indirect effects via others on yield of oilseed rape.

Experimental study on the effects of different exposure conditions and contrast agent concentrations on spectral computed tomography virtual non-contrast images.

Background: The early diagnosis of thrombosis and fat embolism is important for subsequent treatment regimens. Spectral computed tomography (CT) virtual non-contrast (VNC) scanning can not only accurately diagnose thrombosis and medium fat embolism but can also reduce the radiation dose and scanning time. However, there is a relative paucity of studies on what contrast concentration and exposure conditions are best for the quality of VNC images. To address this issue, this study aimed to investigate the effects of different exposure conditions and contrast concentrations on the quality of VNC images of low-density substances in spectral CT. Methods: Four solution groups [i.e., groups A (15 mgI/mL), B (10 mgI/mL), C (5 mgI/mL), and D (the control group)] were matched with normal saline and contrast agent groups. Four groups of solution, duck blood clots, and fat were injected into four sections of the pig large intestine, respectively. CT scans with different exposure amounts were performed under the condition of 120 KV. Comparing the true non-contrast (TNC) image based on solution D group with the VNC images of the other three solution groups. The differences in the CT values, standard deviation (SD) values, and contrast noise ratio (CNR) values of the duck blood and fat under different iodine concentrations and exposures were compared. The image quality was evaluated using a three-point method and the Kappa consistency test was performed. The consistency of the tissue CT values in the TNC and VNC images was analyzed by drawing Bland-Altman scatter plots. Results: The CT values of the duck blood in the VNC20mAs and VNCC groups were lower than those in the TNC groups (P<0.05). Under different exposures and contrast agent concentrations, the CT value of the fat in the VNC group was higher than that in the TNC group (P<0.05). The SD values of the duck blood and fat in three groups (i.e., groups A, B, and C) were lower than those in the TNC group (P<0.05). The CNR value of the duck blood in the VNC20mAs group was lower than that in the TNC group (Z=-2.10, P=0.04), and the CNR values of the duck blood and fat in the VNC group were higher than those in the TNC groups in the remaining different exposure and concentration groups (P<0.05). The CT values of the lesions in the two groups were consistent, and there were no statistically significant differences between the subjective scores of the TNC and VNC images (z=-1.34, P=0.18); the subjective evaluations of the two physicians had good consistency (K=0.80). Conclusions: Under the conditions of higher contrast agent concentrations and proper exposure conditions, the VNC images were better able to restore the CT values of the blood clots, reduce the SD values of the blood clots and fat. In addition, and improve the CNR values of the blood clots and fat. In addition, the quality of the two images was similar.

Parathyroid hormone (1-34) retards the lumbar facet joint degeneration and activates Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway in ovariectomized rats.

PURPOSE: Facet joint degeneration (FJD) is a major cause of low back pain. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) (1-34) is commonly used to treat osteoporosis. However, little is known about its effects on FJD induced by estrogen deficiency. This study aims to investigate the effects of PTH (1-34) on FJD induced by estrogen deficiency and the underlying pathogenesis of the disease. METHODS: Forty 3-month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: 30 received bilateral ovariectomy (OVX) followed by 12 weeks of treatment with normal saline, PTH (1-34) or 17ß-estradiol (E2), and 10 received sham surgery followed by administration of normal saline. Status and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling activity in the cartilage and subchondral bone of the L4-L5 FJs and serum biomarkers were analyzed. RESULTS: Administration of PTH (1-34) and E2 ameliorated cartilage lesions, and significantly decreased MMP-13 and caspase-3 levels and chondrocyte apoptosis. PTH (1-34) but not E2 significantly increased cartilage thickness, number of chondrocytes, and the expression of aggrecan. PTH (1-34) significantly improved microarchitecture parameters of subchondral bone, increased the expression of collagen I and osteocalcin, and decreased RANKL/OPG ratio. E2 treatment significantly increased the OPG level and decreased the RANKL/OPG ratio in the subchondral bone of ovariectomized rats, but it did not significantly improve the microarchitecture parameters of subchondral bone. Wnt3a and ß-catenin expression was significantly reduced in the articular cartilage and subchondral bone in OVX rats, but PTH (1-34) could increase the expression of these proteins. E2 significantly increased the activity of Wnt/ß-catenin pathway only in cartilage, but not in subchondral bone. The restoration of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling had an obvious correlation with the improvement of some parameters associated with the FJs status. CONCLUSION: Wnt/ß-catenin signaling may be a potential therapeutic target for FJD induced by estrogen deficiency. PTH (1-34) is effective in treating this disease with better efficacy than 17ß-estradiol, and the efficacy may be attributed to its restoration of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling.

Neurosyphilis Presenting as Psychiatric Symptoms at Younger Age: A Case Report.

Neurosyphilis is a central nervous system infection caused by Treponema pallidum that imitates various neurological and mental disorders. Therefore, patients with this disease are prone to misdiagnoses. Here, we report a case of neurosyphilis with a psychotic disorder as the main manifestation. A young girl exhibited mental and behavioural abnormalities after a heartbreak, which manifested as alternating low mood, emotional irritability, and a lack of interest in social relations, followed by memory loss. The cerebrospinal fluid protein - Treponema pallidum particle agglutination test was positive, the toluidine red unheated serum test titre was 1:4, the white blood cell count was 5 × 10^6/L, the cerebrospinal fluid protein level was 0.97 g/L, and the brain CT was abnormal. After admission, the possibility of neurosyphilis was considered and the patient received intravenous penicillin G treatment. The patient's clinical symptom ms improved. This case emphasises that doctors should maintain clinical suspicion of Treponema pallidum infection in adolescent patients with mental abnormalities.

Effects of different afforestation years on soil moisture and nutrient content in Maxian Mountain of the Loess Plateau.

In the area of "returning farmland to forest" on the Loess Plateau in China, it is difficult to cultivate artificially planted trees into forests. In the current study, abandoned cultivated land after 10 years of natural restoration served as controls (CK), while the treatments included afforestation periods of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 years. Soil samples were collected from various depths: 0-20, 20-40, 40-60, 60-80, to 80-100 cm. The findings revealed that with increasing years of artificial afforestation, soil pH gradually increased, and soil moisture content rose in the 0-20 cm layer while declining in deeper layers (20-100 cm) in the Maxian Mountain region of the Loess Plateau. Moreover, the total carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content initially increased and then decreased with the duration of artificial afforestation, reaching peak values after 8 years. Contents of organic matter, ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium in the same soil layer increased with each year of afforestation. However, upon reaching 10 years of artificial afforestation, the effective nutrient content in the 60-80 and 80-100 cm soil layers exhibited a decrease. The values of Integrated Fertility Index (IFI) in different afforestation years were ranked as follows: 8 years > 6 years > 10 years > 4 years > 2 year, but all of them were significantly smaller than those of natural restoration plot CK (P < 0.05). Overall, soil fertility in the Maxian Mountain area of the Loess Plateau increases with each additional year of artificial afforestation. However, when the artificial afforestation period is 10 years, soil fertility decreases and marking a shift from enhancement to decline beyond this duration.