Stem cells are a group of self-renewal cells with the potential to differentiate into a variety of cell lineages. Embryonic stem cells can differentiate into more than 200 types of cell lineages belonging to endodermal, mesodermal and ectodermal tissues. Corneal epithelial cells derive from epidermal ectoderm during embryonic development. When the ocular surface is severely damaged, corneal epithelium with proliferation potential is essential for its reconstruction. Recent studies are focused on differentiation of bioactive corneal epithelial cells. This review summarizes signaling pathways including Notch, Wnt, bone morphogenetc protein or fibroblast growth factor pathways that are involved in regu?lating the development of embryonic ectoderm and corneal epithelial cells revealed in previous studies.

Objective To study the effects on inhibit tumor growth and enhance immune function of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide(GLP)combined with low-dose cisplatin in tumor-bearing mice.Methods 2 × 106 Lewis cells in 0.1 mL PBS were injected subcutaneously into the flanks of healthy female BALB/c nude mice (5～6 weeks old).When the tumor volume reached 100 mm3,mice were randomly assigned to 4 groups,control group (Oral gavage of 0.5 ml PBS and intraperitoneal injection of 0.5 ml),GLP group (gavage once every two days,40 mg/kg GLP in 0.5 ml),cisplatin group (intraperitoneal injection once every two days,2 mg/kg cisplatin in 0.5 ml) and the combination group (such as the above dose of cisplatin and GLP).After the treatment regimen was complete,the mice were sacrificed,and the tumors were removed,photographed,weighed,and prepared for histological analysis.The immune cells in spleen and peripheral blood were analyzed by flow cytometry.Results GLP can effectively increase anti-tumor effect of the small dose cisplatin,improve the survival of tumor-bearing mice,promote Th cells convert to Th1 in peripheral blood,increased the expression of CD 11c + on DC cell surface (GLP group 4.59％ VS the control group 1.06％,the combined group 7.21％ VS the cisplatin group 2.8％).Conclusion GLP can improve the immune function of tumor-bearing mice,had synergistic anti-tumor growth with low dose cisplatin,moreover,reduce renal toxic effects of cisplatin.

Objective To study the effects of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide (GLP) on PBMCs and the related immune mechanism.Methods PBMCs from cancer patients and healthy donors were isolated and treated with different doses of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides (10 ng/ml,50 ng/ml and 100 ng/ml).DC cell costimulatory molecules (HLA-DR,CD83,and CD11 c),Th1 (CD3 + CD8-IFN-γ+) cells,Th2 (CD3 + CD8-IL-4+) cells and NK (CD3-CD56+) were analyzed by FCM.Furthermore,The CD3+ CD4+ Th ceils were separated by immunomagnetic beads and stimulated with Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides at different concentrations in culture.After 24 h,the cytokine expression levels of Th1 and Th2were detected by RT-PCR.The expressions of Th1 differentiation-related transcription factor,STAT4,were analyzed by Western blot.Results Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides can significantly stimulate in vitro Thl cell differentiation (P＜0.01) in a dose depend manner.It correlates with an increased expression of STAT4 and the elevated mRNA expression levels of Th1 cytokineincluding IL-12,IFN-γ and TNF-α (P＜0.01).Conclusion Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides may promote Th1 differentiation and increase the secretion of Th1 cvtokines through the upregulation of STAT4.

Most main oilfields in China have already entered a "double high" development stage (high water cut, high recovery degree). To further enhance oil recovery in reservoirs after polymer flooding (RAPFs), an efficient activator formulation for promoting metabolism of endogenous microorganism was studied by aerogenic experiments, physical simulation experiments, electron microscopy scanning and pyrophosphate sequencing. Results show that the activator could activate the endogenous microorganisms in the injected water and make the pressurized gas reach 2 MPa after 60 d static culture of the activator in a high pressure vessel. The oil recovery efficiency of natural core physical simulation flooding can be improved by more than 3.0% (OOIP) in RAPFs when injected 0.35 PV activator with 1.8% mass concentration, and a lot of growth and reproduction of activated endogenous microorganism in the core was observed by electron microscopy scanning. Field trial with 1 injector and 4 producers was carried out in the east of south II block of Sa Nan in December 2011. By monitoring four effective production wells, changes of carbon isotope δ13C (PDB) content of methane and carbon dioxide were -45 per thousand to -54 per thousand and 7 per thousand to 12 per thousand. Compared with east II of Sa Nan block, the oil amount increased by 35.9%, water cut stabled at 94%. The incremental oil was 5 957 t during the three and a half years, which provides an alternative approach for further improving oil recovery in similar reservoirs.
Carbon Dioxide ; chemistry ; Carbon Isotopes ; analysis ; China ; Diphosphates ; chemistry ; Methane ; chemistry ; Oil and Gas Fields ; microbiology ; Polymers ; Water ; Water Microbiology

This study examined the potential antilithic effects of a traditional Chinese medicine Urtica dentata Hand (UDH) in experimental rats and screened the optimal extract of UDH as a possible therapeutic agent for kidney stones. The rat model of urinary calcium oxalate stones was induced by intragastric (i.g.) administration of 2 mL of 1.25% ethylene glycol (EG) and 1% ammonium chloride (AC) for 28 days and was confirmed by Color Doppler ultrasound imaging. The rats in different experimental groups were then intragastrically given petroleum ether extract (PEE), N-butanol extract (NBE), aqueous extract (AqE) of UDH, Jieshitong (positive control drug), and saline, respectively. Treatment with NBE significantly reduced the elevated levels of urinary calcium, uric acid, phosphate, as well as increased urinary output. Accordingly, the increased calcium, oxalate levels and the number of calcium oxalate crystals deposits were remarkably reverted in the renal tissue of NBE-treated rats. In addition, NBE also prevented the impairment of renal function to decrease the contents of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine. Taken together, these data suggest that NBE of UDH has a beneficial effect on calcium oxalate urinary stones in rats by flushing the stones out and protecting renal function.

Objective:To investigate the clinical manifestations and distribution characteristics of dry eye patients with ocular discomfort symptoms in Jilin Province, and to analyze the relationship between the risk factors associated with dry eye and its severity. Methods:The secondary or tertiary hospitals in Jilin Province were randomly selected and used as screening bases from July 2014 to August 2015.1 173 people initiative to the hospital for eye examinations after publicity were selected.Questionnaire was used to collect the subjective symptoms of dry eye.The breakup time(BUT) of tear film, corneal fluorescein staining, meibomian gland and tear secretion were examined and the detection rate and risk factors of dry eye of the dry eye patients with different clinical characteristics were analyzed.Results: A total of 1 122 people was actually surveyed, 896 individuals were diagnosed as dry eye, and the prevalence rate was 79.8%. The prevalence rate of the females was higher than of the males(χ2 =4.070,P<0.05).The prevalence of dry eye between different ages was statistically significant(χ2 =61.547,P<0.05).The multivariate Logistic regression analysis results showed that the age ≥40 years (40-49 years,OR =6.313,95% CI: 3.498-11.393;50-59 years,OR =6.919,95% CI: 3.876-12.351;60-69 years,OR =5.175,95% CI: 2.650-10.104;over 70 years,OR =9.508,95% CI: 3.608-25.061), moderate grade of meibomian gland dysfunction(MGD) (OR =2.123,95% CI: 1.186-3.803), and the patients with rheumatoid arthritis (OR =2.186,95% CI: 1.098-4.353) and eye surgery (OR =3.692,95% CI: 1.204-11.323) were the risk factors for dry eye. While the occupation of farmer was a protective factor for dry eye (OR =0.351, 95% CI: 0.135-0.917).Conclusion:Age, occupation, MGD grade, rheumatoid arthritis and eye surgery history affect the occurrence of dry eye to a certain extent. So enough attention and appropriate health guidance should be given to reduce the incidence of dry eye.

Microplastics(MPs)have attracted growing attention worldwide as an increasingly prevalent environmental pollutant.In addition,chicken meat is currently the most widely consumed kind of poultry in the global market.Consumer demand for chicken is on the rise both at home and abroad.As a result,the safety of chicken raising has also received significant attention.The lungs play an essential role in the physiological activities of chickens,and they are also the most vulnerable organs.Lung injury is difficult to repair after the accumulation of contaminants,and the mortality rate is high,which brings huge economic losses to farmers.The research on the toxicity of MPs has mainly focused on the marine ecosystem,while the mechanisms of toxicity and lung damage in chickens have been poorly studied.Thus,this study explored the effects of exposure to polystyrene microplastics(PS-MPs)at various concentrations for 42 d on chicken lungs.PS-MPs could cause lung pathologies and ultrastructural abnormalities,such as endoplasmic reticulum(ER)swelling,inflammatory cell infiltration,chromatin agglutination,and plasma membrane rupture.Simultaneously,PS-MPs increased the expression of genes related to the heat shock protein family(Hsp60,Hsp70,and Hsp90),ER stress signaling(activating transcription factor 6(ATF6),ATF4,protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase(PERK),and eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 subunit α(eIF2α)),pyroptosis-related genes(NOD-,LRR-and pyrin domain-containing protein 3(NLRP3),apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain(ASC),interleukin-1β(IL-1β),cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase 1(Caspase1),and gasdermin-D(GSDMD)),and the inflammatory signaling pathway(nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB),inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS),and cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2)).The above results showed that PS-MP exposure could result in lung stress,ER stress,pyroptosis,and inflammation in broilers.Our findings provide new scientific clues for further research on the mechanisms of physical health and toxicology regarding MPs.

Objective To investigate the clinical value of 2 dimension late Gadolinium enhancement MRI (LGE-MRI) technique for the evaluation of atrial myocardial fibrosis in patients with atrial fibrillation. Methods Forty-nine cases of atrial fibrillation in our hospital from March 2015 to December 2016 were retrospectively collected. The LGE-MR was acquired by the Siemens 3.0 T MR machine before the catheter ablation.The findings of LGE-MR were evaluated by two experienced doctors. The left atrium(LA)were manually segmented into 8 regions in axial view.All patients were classified into 4 stages based on the extent of enhancement, stage 0: absence of enhancement, stage Ⅰ: enhancement appeared in minimal two consecutive slices in single region,stageⅡ:enhancement in two regions,stageⅢ:enhancement in three or more regions. All electroanatomic maps were obtained after electrical conversion during catheter ablation. The Kappa test was used to assess the consistency of LGE-MRI left atrial myocardial fibrosis and CARTO system of the left atrial endocardial voltage reconstruction. Results Forty-nine cases of atrial fibrillation with LGE-MRI and CARTO were included. There were 17 cases of atrial fibrosis stage 0,10 cases of stageⅠ,11 cases of stageⅡ,11 cases of stageⅢaccording to LGE-MRI findings;There were 17 cases of atrial fibrosis stage 0,19 cases of stageⅠ,12 cases of stageⅡ,11 cases of stage Ⅲ with reference to CARTO findings. The diagnostic accuracy of the LGE-MRI atrial fibrosis was 81.6%(40/49),of which the correlation was good(Kappa= 0.751,P<0.001). Conclusions LGE-MRI can accurately assess the degree of left atrial myocardial fibrosis in patients with atrial fibrillation,help to select the proper candidate and strategy in catheter ablation.

Objective To explore the characteristics of distribution of TCMsyndrome elements of disease nature between active stage and stationary stage of patients with hepatitis cirrhosis,and to study the corre-lation between the TCMsyndrome elements and serum level of homocysteine (Hcy).Methods By using Information Collection Form ofHepatitis Cirrhosis drafted by our research team,a national multicenter and cross-sectional epidemiological survey was conducted to collect the general condition,symptoms,and blood samples from which the serum Hcy levels were obtained.In accordance with Standard ofHepatitis Cirrhosis Syndrome Elements Differentiation,the TCM syndrome elements of nature of the patients were determined.Then the correlation of the TCMsyndrome elements and the serum levels of Hcy was investi-gated at active stage and stationary stage.Results Altogether 715 patients were included.The frequen-cy of all syndrome elements in patients of active stage were higher than those in patients of stationary phase,in which the element of blood stasis,yin deficiency,qi deficiency,yang deficiency and water re-tention showed statistical differences (P <0.05).The serum level of Hcy in patients of active stage was higher significantly than that of stationary stage (P <0.05).The Hcy level of patients with yin deficiency pattern was lower than that of patients without yin deficiency pattern,the same as element of damp heat, qi stagnation and yang deficiency;however,the situations of element of blood stasis,qi deficiency and water retention were quite the reverse.In the patients of stationary stage,the serum levels of Hcy showed significant difference between qi stagnation group and non qi stagnation group (P <0.05).In the pa-tients of active stage,the levels of Hcy showed difference between yin deficiency group and non yin defi-ciency group,as well as the element of qi deficiency (P <0.05).Conclusion The frequency of TCM syndrome elements and the serum Hcy level in patients of active stage higher than those of patients of sta-tionary stage,reflected the degree of hepatic inflammation and severity of disease.That the correlation between the Hcy level and the TCMsyndrome elements of nature could provide the evidence for pathologi-cal basis and standardization study of TCMsyndrome elements in patients with hepatitis cirrhosis.

Objective To analyze the distribution of diseases with TCMpattern of spleen-stomach damp-ness-heat (SSDHP)and the prescriptions and Chinese herbal medicines involved,so as to guide TCM clinical practice and further research on SSDHP.Methods Taking “SSDHP”(Chinese:脾胃湿热证) as subject term or title /keyword,the databases of China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),Wan-fang Data Knowledge Service Platform and VIP Information were systematically retrieved,from the begin-ning of the databases to 31 December,2015.The articles related to treatment on SSDHP were collected, and the database was established by using Microsoft Excel 2010,on which data were descriptively statisti-cal analyzed.Results 109 articles were eligible from total 1 681 retrieved ones.The top two diseases with SSDHP were digestive system disorders (86.41%)and dermatoses (5.83%).The common formu-la directed at clearing heat and dampness including Pingwei Powder,Huopu Xialing Decoction,and Sanren Decoction,combined with specific medications for exact symptoms.The common Chinese herbal medications with frequency more than 1 percent were listed as the following:Golden Thread (Huangli-an),Pinellia Tuber(Banxia),Official Magnolia Bark(Houpu),Liquorice Root (Gancao),Dried De-coctionerine Peel (Chenpi),Baical Skullcap Root (Huangqin),Indian Bread (Fuling),Dandelion (Pugongying),Agastache Rugosus (Huoxiang),Atractylodes Rhizome (Cangzhu),Coix Seed (Yiy-iren),Round Cardamon Fruit (Baidoukou),Largehead Atractylodes Rhizome (Baizhu),Orange Fruit (Zhiqiao),Immature Orange Fruit (Zhizi ),Corydalis Rhizoma (Yanhusuo ),White Peony Root (Baishao),Medicinal Evodia Fruit (Wuzhuyu),Dried Ginger (Ganjiang),Bamboo Shavings (Zhu-ru),Virgate Wormwood Herb (Yinchen),Grassleaf Sweetflag Rhizome (Shichangpu),Turmeric Root Tuber (Yujin),Immature Orange Fruit (Zhishi),Chinese Thorowax Root(Chaihu),Common Bletilla Tuber (Baiji),Danshan Root (Danshen),Bitter Apricot Seed (Kuxingren),Villous Amomum Fruit (Sharen),Common Aucklandia Root (Muxiang),Finger Citron (Foshou),Talc (Huashi).Conclu-sion Now,the diseases with SSDHP were most common in digestive system,but also in other systems. And the prescription and Chinese herbal medicines should be applied by holistic conception,combination of disease and pattern and pattern differentiation and treatment.Classic herbal formulas in TCM ancient books are still playing the strictly key roles in clinical practice,but proved formulas of modern outstand-ing senior traditional Chinese practitioners and Hospital Preparations also are paid more attention by re-searchers.