Stem cell is one of the hot spot in the research area of biomedical engineering. Special attentions are drawn to the research and application of neural stem cells. Neural stem cells exist widely in central nervous system, which has the capacity of self-renewal and the potential to differentiate into other cells. The so-called engineered neural stem cell is constructed by using the technique of genetic engineering to make it be able to express various neural growth factors with high-performance and stability. The engineered neural stem cells have a great potential in the therapy of diseases of central nervous system, especially the spinal cord injury. This article reviews the research development of engineered neural stem cells, the problems confronted with it, and the trend for research in the future.

AIM: To explore the expression of CD14 in rat Kupffer cells (KCs). METHODS: In rat KCs induced by LPS or the mediators from KCs induced by LPS,the changes of CD14 expression were measured by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry.The expressions of TNF? mRNA?IL-6 mRNA or the concentrations of TNF??IL-6 were estimated by in situ hybridization and radioimmunoassay,respectively. RESULTS: LPS increased the expression of CD14 in KCs in a dose-dependent fashion (LPS,1 ?g/L-10 mg/L) and in a time-dependent fashion(0.5 h-24 h,peaked at 3-6 hours). While the expression of CD14 in KCs stimulated by the active mediators from KCs which had been exposed to LPS 1 hour were obviously increased. CONCLUSIONS: There was a close relationship between LPS or the active mediators from KCs induced by LPS and the expressions of CD14. It is implied that the increase in CD14 expression may be induced by LPS and the cytokines produced by KCs,it also reveals that there is a auto-regulated loop in CD14 expression.

Objective To investigate the operative technique and efficacy of PPH for severe hemorrhoids. Methods The clinical data of 153 cases of severe hemorrhoids treated by PPH, individualized according to size and nature of the piles, concomitant morbidities and conditions at the dentate line, and analysis of the relevance between operative technique and clinical efficacy as well as postoperative complications, were revieuled retropectively. Results All of the prolapsed tissue retracted immediately. Bleeding at the anastomotic site occurred in 49 cases, pulsatile bleeding in 12 cases, all of which were sutured under direct vision with cessation of bleeding. The width of excised-tissue was 2.1~4.6cm(average 3.5cm). The main symptoms of patients on the 1st post-operation day were abdominal distention caused by dysuria, pain, and tenesmus and burning sensation. At followup of 1-40 months, there was no stenosis of stoma, anal incontinence or recurrence of prolapse. After operation, a very satistactory result was achieved in 87 cases, satisfactory in 63 cases and mostly satisfactory in 3 cases. Conclusions In order to achieve ideal results with good retraction of tissues, avoidance of complications and improve patient satisfactory rate, the use of PPH for severe hemorrhords must be individualized and technical skill during operation are important.

Objective To investigate the clinical value of miRNA-34a,miRNA-34c,and miRNA-135a in the early diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD).Methods The patients were collected in the outpatient and inpatient of Neurology during Aug 2014 to May 2016.The levels of miRNA-34a,miRNA-34c,an dmiRNA-135a were detected with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).Results AD patients had higher level of miRNA-34a than the controls.The levels of miRNA-34c were higher in MCI and AD patients,while lower levels of miRNA-135a compared to the controls.Conclusions The miRNA 34a and miRNA-135a were likely to became the biomarker in early diagnosis of MCI and AD.

Objective To establish rSAG1-IgM-ELISA with purified rSAG1 fusion protein for immunodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis. Methods The rSAG1 fusion protein was purified by Ni 2+ column. The ELISA plate was coated with different concentrations of rSAG1, reacted with pooled positive and negtive human sera. Goat anti-human IgM conjugated to horseradish peroxidase was used as the second antibody. The appropriate detecting condition of the rSAG1-IgM-ELISA assay was determined by orthogonal experiment. The reproducibility, sensitivity and specificity of the assay were assessed. Thirty-five IgM-positive and 57 IgM-negative human sera detected by the imported IgM-ELISA kit were detected with the rSAG1-IgM-ELISA. Results The purity of rSAG1 was above 90%. The appropriate detecting condition was that the coated rSAG1 was 2 5 ?g/ml, the human serum was in 1∶100 dilution, and the second antibody was in 1∶4000 dilution. The coefficient of variation (CV) value of IgM-positive and IgM-negative pooled sera were 13 8% and 7 7% respectively. The inhibition rate of the assay was 62 0% The positive correspondence rate and negative correspondence rate were 82 9% (29/35) and 91 2% (52/57) respectively,the total correspondence rate was 88 0%, compared with the imported IgM-ELISA kit. Conclusions The rSAG1-IgM-ELISA has high sensitivity and specificity, and good correspondence rate with the imported IgM-ELISA kit. It indicates that rSAG1-IgM-ELISA has potential value for early diagnosis of toxoplasmosis.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of meropenem in Chinese patients, we conducted a study for the treatment of patients with lower respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections and other infections.

METHODSA total of 182 hospitalized patients were enrolled in the study. 90 patients received 500 mg meropenem every 12 hours (or 1 g every 12 hours if necessary) and 92 patients received imipenem/cilastatin 500 mg/500 mg every 12 hours (or 1 g every 12 hours if necessary) by intravenous infusion. The duration of treatment was 7 - 14 days for both groups.

RESULTSSeventy of 90 cases receiving meropenem and 70 of 92 cases receiving imipenem/cilastatin were assessable for clinical efficacy. The overall efficacy rates were 90% for the meropenem group and 87% for the imipenem/cilastatin group, and the bacterial eradication rates were 86% in both groups. 93 (76%) of 123 strains isolated from patients produced beta-lactamases. Adverse drug reactions were evaluated in 72 cases in the meropenem group and 70 cases in the imipenem/cilastatin group. The adverse drug reaction rates were 9.7% and 8.6%, respectively. The results showed that there were no statistical differences between these two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONMeropenem is effective and safe for the treatment of bacterial infections caused mainly by beta-lactamase-producing strains.

Adult ; Aged ; Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; blood ; Cilastatin ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Imipenem ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; drug therapy ; Thienamycins ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Urinary Tract Infections ; drug therapy

ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate the expression and mechanism of microRNA (miRNA)-613 in breast cancer. Methods: A total of 91 specimens of breast cancer tissue were collected from Nanchong Central Hospital between May 2017 and May 2018. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to estimate miRNA-613 expression levels in breast cancer and adjacent tissues and breast cancer ( cells MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468, and MCF-7) and normal breast epithelial (HBL-100) cell lines. Based on these data, the relationship between miRNA-613 expression and clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis in breast cancer patients were analyzed using the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database. A dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to detect the binding of miRNA-613 to the 3'UTR of SOX9. Effects on cell proliferation and cell invasion and migration upon transfection of MDA-MB-231 cells with miRNA-613 mimics were detected by the CCK-8 assay and Transwell invasion and migration assays, respectively. In addition, Western blot was used to estimate the expression levels of SOX9, β-catenin, E-cadherin, and Vimentin in the transfected cells. Results: The expression of miRNA-613 in breast cancer tissues was significantly lower than that in adjacent tissues (P<0.05) and was found to be closely related to TNM stage and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). TCGA survival data showed that miRNA-613 expression was not related to the overall survival rate of breast cancer patients (P>0.05 ). The expression of miRNA-613 in breast cancer cell lines was significantly lower than that in the normal breast epithelial cell line (P<0.05). Similarly, the expression of miRNA-613 in highly invasive metastatic breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468) was significantly lower than that in the metastatic breast cancer cell line MCF-7 with lower invasion ability (P<0.05). The dual-luciferase reporter assay showed that miRNA-613 could specifically bind to the 3'UTR of SOX9. Upregulation of miRNA-613 expression could inhibit the proliferation, invasion, and migration of MDA-MB-231 cells (P<0.05). This was associated with the downregulated expression of SOX9, β-catenin, and Vimentin (P<0.05) and upregulation of E-Cadherin expression (P<0.05). Conclusions: The expression of miRNA-613 was decreased in breast cancer tissues and cell lines. MiRNA-613 may inhibit the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of breast cancer cells and epithelial-mesenchymal transition by regulating the SOX9 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways.

The Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) pertains to patients' subjective contentment concerning their physical, psychological, and social well-being throughout disease treatments. Predominantly employed HRQoL metrics in spinal metastases comprise the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), EuroQoL Five Dimensions Questionnaire (EQ-5D), European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G). In clinical applications, due to their broad application and diverse disease types, combined with the lack of specificity in the scale content and the prolixity of their questionnaires, these tools often fail to capture the nuanced experiences of patients, thereby compromising the reliability and validity of the results. The Spine Oncology Study Group Outcomes Questionnaire (SOSGOQ), developed by the Spine Oncology Study Group, offers a tailored metric for spinal metastases, encapsulating both specificity and inclusivity. Its proven robust reliability and validity make it invaluable for decision-making and therapeutic efficacy appraisals. The Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS), a novel metric suitable across many medical disciplines, facilitates cross-sector data acquisition, substantially augmenting the precision, sensitivity, and credibilityof assessments, and is pivotal in clinical investigations and interventions. As it continually evolves, PROMIS consistently outperforms traditional metrics in evaluative capacities, exhibiting impressive and consistent proficiency in prognostications, preoperative assessments, and therapeutic outcome evaluations within the spinal metastasis domain. Presently, Chinese research on the HRQoL of spinal metastasis patients remains scant, and choosing an apt, precise, and dependable metric holds significant clinical relevance. Drawing upon extant scholarly publications, this review concluded the current global HRQoL tools for spinal metastases, aiming to furnish insights for the clinical management and research pertaining to spinal metastases.

Objective:To explore the application and practice of "flipped classroom" in the teaching of general surgery interns.Methods:A total of 20 internship groups (3 to 5 people in each group) were randomly selected from the general surgery practice group in the Department of General Surgery of the Second Clinical Medical College of North Sichuan Medical College. They were randomly divided into the flipped group (45 people) and the traditional group (40 people), with 10 subgroups in each group. The flipped group adopted the flipped classroom teaching mode (students' self-study by handing out materials before class, students and teachers' discussion in class, and students and teachers' evaluation after class), while the control group adopted the current conventional teaching mode (students' preview before class, teachers' explanation in class, and teachers' question answering after class). At the end of the teaching, a questionnaire was used to evaluate the participation and completion of each student. The teaching effect was evaluated by medical history collection and case analysis. The participation, completion, and teaching effect between the two groups were compared and analyzed. SPSS 23.0 software was used for t-test and Chi-square test. Results:The participation of the flipped group was better than that of the traditional group [(17.45±1.83) vs. (15.57±1.52)], and the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the flipped group and the traditional group. There was no significant difference in medical history collection scores between the two groups. The case analysis of the flipped group was better than that of the traditional group [(87.30±6.06) vs. (81.50±5.88), P < 0.05]. The questionnaire shows that about 90% of the students think that flipped classroom can improve their interest in learning [96% (43/45)], improve their autonomous learning ability [89% (40/45)], and have better learning effect. At the same time, 78% (35/45) of students think that learning time is too long. Conclusion:The flipped classroom teaching model can improve the teaching participation of general surgery students, improve students' interest in learning, improve their self-learning ability, and improve students' thinking ability of medical record analysis.