Objective:To investigate the value of CT radiomic model based on analysis of primary gastric cancer and the adipose tissue outside the gastric wall beside cancer in differentiating stage T1-2 from stage T3-4 gastric cancer.Methods:This study was a case-control study. Totally 465 patients with gastric cancer treated in Affiliated People′s Hospital of Jiangsu University from December 2011 to December 2019 were retrospectively collected. According to postoperative pathology, they were divided into 2 groups, one with 150 cases of T1-2 tumors and another with 315 cases of T3-4 tumors. The cases were divided into a training set (326 cases) and a test set (139 cases) by stratified sampling method at 7∶3. There were 104 cases of T1-2 stage and 222 cases of T3-4 stage in the training set, 46 cases of T1-2 stage and 93 cases of T3-4 stage in the test set. The axial CT images in the venous phase during one week before surgery were selected to delineate the region of interest (ROI) at the primary lesion and the extramural gastric adipose tissue adjacent to the cancer areas. The radiomic features of the ROIs were extracted by Pyradiomics software. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator was used to screen features related to T stage to establish the radiomic models of primary gastric cancer and the adipose tissue outside the gastric wall beside cancer. Independent sample t test or χ2 test were used to compare the differences in clinical features between T1-2 and T3-4 patients in the training set, and the features with statistical significance were combined to establish a clinical model. Two radiomic signatures and clinical features were combined to construct a clinical-radiomics model and generate a nomogram. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the efficacy of each model in differentiating stage T1-2 from stage T3-4 gastric cancer. The calibration curve was used to evaluate the consistency between the T stage predicted by the nomogram and the actual T stage of gastric cancer. And the decision curve analysis was used to evaluate the clinical net benefit of treatment guided by the nomogram and by the clinical model. Results:There were significant differences in CT-T stage and CT-N stage between T1-2 and T3-4 patients in the training set ( χ2=10.59, 15.92, P=0.014, 0.001) and the clinical model was established. After screening and dimensionality reduction, the 5 features from primary gastric cancer and the 6 features from the adipose tissue outside the gastric wall beside cancer established the radiomic models respectively. In the training set and the test set, the AUC values of the primary gastric cancer radiomic model were 0.864 (95% CI 0.820-0.908) and 0.836 (95% CI 0.762-0.910), and the adipose tissue outside the gastric wall beside cancer radiomic model were 0.782 (95% CI 0.731-0.833) and 0.784 (95% CI 0.702-0.866). The AUC values of the clinical model were 0.761 (95% CI 0.705-0.817) and 0.758 (95% CI 0.671-0.845), and the nomogram were 0.876 (95% CI 0.835-0.917) and 0.851 (95% CI 0.781-0.921). The calibration curve reflected that there was a high consistency between the T stage predicted by the nomogram and the actual T stage in the training set ( χ2=1.70, P=0.989). And the decision curve showed that at the risk threshold 0.01-0.74, a higher clinical net benefit could be obtained by using a nomogram to guide treatment. Conclusions:The CT radiomics features of primary gastric cancer lesions and the adipose tissue outside the gastric wall beside cancer can effectively distinguish T1-2 from T3-4 gastric cancer, and the combination of CT radiomic features and clinical features can further improve the prediction accuracy.

Objective To study the influence of rosemary essential oil inhalation on the memory of mice experiencing sleep deprivation and to delineate the possible mechanisms involved.Methods C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into four experimental groups in this study:a control group(Con),a control group with rosemary essential oil inhalation(Con+REO),a sleep deprivation group(SD)and a sleep deprivation group with rosemary essential oil inhalation(SD+REO).A 72-hour sleep deprivation model was induced using the multiple platform water environment method,with the Con+REO and SD+REO groups exposed to rosemary essential oil inhalation.Cognitive function was evaluated through Y-maze and novel object recognition tests.The hippocampal tissue was analyzed for superoxide dismutase(SOD)activity and the concentrations of malondialdehyde(MDA)and glutathione(GSH).ELISA was used to determine the levels of norepinephrine(NE),dopamine(DA),and serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT)in the hippocampus.The expression levels of postsynaptic density 95(PSD95)and brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF)in the hippocampus were determined using immunoblotting techniques.Results Compared with the Con and Con+REO groups,the SD group demonstrated a significant reduction in the spontaneous alternation percentage in the Y-maze as well as the novel object recognition index.Additionally,there was a pronounced decrease in hippocampal SOD activity and GSH content,a substantial elevation in MDA levels,and a decrease in the levels of DA,NE,and 5-HT.The expressions of PSD95 and BDNF proteins also decreased.In comparison with the SD group,the SD+REO group exhibited a significant increase in the spontaneous alternation percentage in the Y-maze and the novel object recognition index.There was also a marked increase in hippocampal SOD activity and GSH content,a reduction in MDA levels and elevated levels of NE and DA.Moreover,the expressions of PSD95 and BDNF proteins were upregulated.Conclusion The inhalation of rosemary essential oil enhances the memory of sleep-deprived mice,and the underlying mechanism may involve the mitigation of oxidative stress within the hippocampal tissue,the modulation of neurotransmitter levels,and the facilitation of synaptic plasticity.

BACKGROUND: Pain and cartilage destruction caused by osteoarthritis (OA) is a major challenge in clinical treatment.Traditional intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid (HA) can relieve the disease, but limited by the difficulty of longterm maintenance of efficacy. METHODS: In this study, an injectable and self-healing hydrogel was synthesized by in situ crosslinking of N-carboxyethyl chitosan (N-chitosan), adipic acid dihydrazide (ADH), and hyaluronic acid–aldehyde (HA-ALD). RESULTS: This supramolecular hydrogel sustains good biocompatibility for chondrocytes. Intra-articular injection of this novel hydrogel can significantly alleviate the local inflammation microenvironment in knee joints, through inhibiting the inflammatory cytokines (such as TNF-a, IL-1b, IL-6 and IL-17) in the synovial fluid and cartilage at 2- and even 12-weeks post-injection. Histological and behavioral test indicated that hydrogel injection protected cartilage destruction and relieved pain in OA rats, in comparison to HA injection. CONCLUSION This kind of novel hydrogel, which is superior to the traditional HA injection, reveals a great potential for the treatment of OA.

BACKGROUND: Pain and cartilage destruction caused by osteoarthritis (OA) is a major challenge in clinical treatment.Traditional intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid (HA) can relieve the disease, but limited by the difficulty of longterm maintenance of efficacy. METHODS: In this study, an injectable and self-healing hydrogel was synthesized by in situ crosslinking of N-carboxyethyl chitosan (N-chitosan), adipic acid dihydrazide (ADH), and hyaluronic acid–aldehyde (HA-ALD). RESULTS: This supramolecular hydrogel sustains good biocompatibility for chondrocytes. Intra-articular injection of this novel hydrogel can significantly alleviate the local inflammation microenvironment in knee joints, through inhibiting the inflammatory cytokines (such as TNF-a, IL-1b, IL-6 and IL-17) in the synovial fluid and cartilage at 2- and even 12-weeks post-injection. Histological and behavioral test indicated that hydrogel injection protected cartilage destruction and relieved pain in OA rats, in comparison to HA injection. CONCLUSION This kind of novel hydrogel, which is superior to the traditional HA injection, reveals a great potential for the treatment of OA.

Objective To investigate the current distribution of ticks and predict the suitable habitats of ticks in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration in 2017, so as to provide insights into tick control and management of tick-borne diseases in these areas. Methods All publications pertaining to tick and pathogen distribution in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration were retrieved, and the geographical location of tick distribution was extracted. The effects of 19 climatic factors on the distribution of ticks were examined using the jackknife method, including the mean temperature of the wettest quarter, precipitation of the coldest quarter, mean temperature of the driest quarter, maximum temperature of the warmest month, precipitation of the driest month, minimal temperature of the coldest month, annual precipitation, mean daily temperature range, precipitation seasonality, annual temperature range, temperature seasonality, annual mean temperature, mean temperature of the warmest quarter, precipitation of the wettest quarter, isothermality, mean temperature of the coldest quarter, precipitation of the wettest month, precipitation of the driest quarter and precipitation of the warmest quarter. The distribution of ticks was analyzed in 2020 using the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model, and the potential suitable habitats of ticks were predicted in 2070 using the MaxEnt model based on climatic data. Results A total of 380 Chinese and English literatures were retrieved, and 148 tick distribution sites were extracted, with 135 sites included in the subsequent analysis. There were 7 genera (Haemaphysalis, Rhipicephalus, Ixodes, Dermacentor, Boophilus, Hyalomma and Amblyomma) and 27 species of ticks detected in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration. The climatic factors affecting the distribution of ticks in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration mainly included the mean temperature of the wettest quarter and the precipitation of the coldest quarter, with 26.1% and 23.6% contributions to tick distributions. The high-, medium- and low-suitable habitats of ticks were 20 337.08, 40 017.38 km² and 74 931.43 km² in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration in 2020, respectively. The climate changes led to south expansion of the suitable habitats of ticks in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration in 2070, and the total areas of suitable habitats of ticks was predicted to increase by 18 100 km². In addition, the high-, medium- and low-suitable habitats of ticks were predicted to increase to 24 317.84, 45 283.02 km² and 83 766.38 km² in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration in 2070, respectively. Conclusions Multiple tick species are widespread in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, and the future climate changes may lead to expansion of tick distribution in these areas.

BACKGROUND: The cardiomyocyte apoptosis is considered as one of major contributions to cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI). Numerous studies find that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play pivotal roles in a variety of biological functions. However, the role of circ_0068655 in MI and human induced pluripotent stem-derived cardiomyocytes (HCMs) remains unknown. METHODS: The expression of circ_0068655, miR-498, and PRKC apoptosis WT1 regulator (PAWR) in human MI heart tissues and hypoxia subjected HCMs was evaluated with qRT-PCR and Western blot. The effects of circ_0068655 on hypoxia-induced apoptotic death and cell migration in HCMs were evaluated with qRT-PCR, cell viability, cell death ELISA (POD), and Caspase-3 activity assay, and Trans-well assay, respectively. Furthermore, luciferase assay, qRT-PCR, biotin-labeled miRNA pulldown assay, and Western blot were employed in the functional studies. RESULTS: We found that the expression of circ_0068655 and PAWR was enhanced in MI patients and hypoxia subjected HCMs; by contrast, the expression of miR-498 decreased. Inhibited expression of circ_0068655 in HMCs counteracted hypoxia-induced apoptotic death and impaired cell migration, in sharp contrast to circ_0068655 knockdown. We identified that circ_0068655 sponged an endogenous miR-498 to sequester and inhibit its activity, leading to the increased PAWR expression. CONCLUSIONS Our findings reveal that the expression of circ_0068655 can promote cardiomyocyte apoptosis through the modulation of miR-498-PAWR axis in vitro, which highlights the diagnostic and therapeutic value of circ_0068655 in patients with MI.

BACKGROUND: The cardiomyocyte apoptosis is considered as one of major contributions to cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI). Numerous studies find that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play pivotal roles in a variety of biological functions. However, the role of circ_0068655 in MI and human induced pluripotent stem-derived cardiomyocytes (HCMs) remains unknown. METHODS: The expression of circ_0068655, miR-498, and PRKC apoptosis WT1 regulator (PAWR) in human MI heart tissues and hypoxia subjected HCMs was evaluated with qRT-PCR and Western blot. The effects of circ_0068655 on hypoxia-induced apoptotic death and cell migration in HCMs were evaluated with qRT-PCR, cell viability, cell death ELISA (POD), and Caspase-3 activity assay, and Trans-well assay, respectively. Furthermore, luciferase assay, qRT-PCR, biotin-labeled miRNA pulldown assay, and Western blot were employed in the functional studies. RESULTS: We found that the expression of circ_0068655 and PAWR was enhanced in MI patients and hypoxia subjected HCMs; by contrast, the expression of miR-498 decreased. Inhibited expression of circ_0068655 in HMCs counteracted hypoxia-induced apoptotic death and impaired cell migration, in sharp contrast to circ_0068655 knockdown. We identified that circ_0068655 sponged an endogenous miR-498 to sequester and inhibit its activity, leading to the increased PAWR expression. CONCLUSIONS Our findings reveal that the expression of circ_0068655 can promote cardiomyocyte apoptosis through the modulation of miR-498-PAWR axis in vitro, which highlights the diagnostic and therapeutic value of circ_0068655 in patients with MI.

BACKGROUND:It has become a hotspot to prepare the bone repair material that exhibits natural bone structure and is used in combination with biological factors. OBJECTIVE:To prepare the recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2)/bone repair material, and to evaluate its capacities of release, activity and ectopic osteoinduction. METHODS:A collagen-binding domain was added to the N-terminal of native rhBMP-2 that allowed bind to collagens in the bone repair material. Then, rhBMP-2/bone repair material was obtained through freeze-dried method. The releasing ability of rhBMP-2 in vitro was assayed by ELISA. C2C12 cell lines were loaded to the composite material with 0.25, 0.5 and 1 μg rhBMP-2, respectively. Afterwards, alkaline phosphatase activity was detected at 72 hours. The composite materials with 0, 2, 5 and 10 μg rhBMP-2 were implanted into the quadriceps of Sprague-Dawley rats, respectively. Alkaline phosphatase activity and the newly formed bone were detected at 2 and 4 weeks after implantation. The CY-7-labeled composite material was implanted into the quadriceps of Sprague-Dawley rats to observe its stability. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Substantial y no rhBMP-2 from the rhBMP-2/bone repair material was released within 45 days. The alkaline phosphatase activity of C2C12 was in a rise with the increased concentration of rhBMP-2. The stability of the composite material in vivo was better, the alkaline phosphatase activity and ectopic bone formation increased as the concentration of rhBMP-2 rose. To conclude, the rhBMP-2/bone repair material preserves the stability of rhBMP-2, and improves ectopic osteoinduction ability.

Adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the features of high plasticity and low immunogenicity, and hold promise for wide clinical application. This article reviews the basic research on MSCs in bone marrow and umbilical cord blood and their clinical application in liver diseases to lay a theoretical foundation and provide support for their clinical application in liver cirrhosis, and to provide more technical measures for the treatment of end-stage liver disease. However, the safety and efficacy in clinical application still need further studies.

Objective To explore clinical efficacy of local random flap in reconstruction of facial skin and softtissue defects caused by lesions resection and injury.Methods Forty-six cases with facial skin and soft-tissue defects were cured by constructing and transplanting different local random flap that is designed according to parts,shapes and sizes of defect between July of 2008 and June of 2013.Results All the cases obtained satisfactory effects for full survivorship of flap,one-stage healing of wound,tiny scar and pigmentation,and good appearance by following up from 3 months to 6 months after operation.Conclusions Using local random flap in repair of facial skin defect could get satisfactoried functional and aesthetic efficacy,and it is worth being applicatied in the clinic.