Background The measurement of corneal Q value is essential for corneal refractive surgery and calculation of intraocular lens during cataract surgery.Topolyzer was often used for the measurement of Q value,and recently Topcon KR-1W and iTrace were applied in ophthalmology.However,whether the measured values are interchangeable is unclear.Objective This study was to assess the difference and consistency of corneal Q values measured by Topcon KR-1W,iTrace and Topolyzer.Methods Corneal Q values were measured on 100 right eyes of 100 healthy subjects under the approval of Ethic Committee of the Sixth Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University and informed consent of each subject from November to December in 2014 with Topcon KR-1W,iTrace and Topolyzer.Three valid measurements were obtained for each device,and the average values from each device were calculated.The difference of the outcomes among the instruments was compared by repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA),and the consistency among the outcomes from different apparatus was analyzed by Bland-Altman plots.Results The mean corneal Q values were-0.184-±0.112,-0.117±0.167 and-0.269±0.117 from Topcon KR-1W,iTrace and Topolyzer,respectively,with a significant difference among them (P ＜ 0.001).The measured Q value by Topcon KR-1W was 0.085±0.010 larger than that by Topolyzer,and the Q values by iTrace was 0.152± 0.014 larger than that by Topolyzer,while the Q values obtained by Topcon KR-1W was 0.067±0.016 smaller than that by iTrace (all at P＜0.05).The 95％ confidence interval of the values between Topcon KR-1W and iTrace,Topcon KR-1W and Topolyzer,iTrace and Topolyzer were-0.106 to-0.028,0.060 to 0.109 and 0.118 to 0.186,respectively.Bland-Altman plots showed that 6％,6％ and 5％ values were outside of 95％ agreement of limit (LoA) between Topcon KR-1W and iTrace,iTrace and Topolyzer or KR-1W and Topolyzer,respectively,with the maximal differences of 0.28,0.43 and 0.38.Conclusions Corneal Q values measured by Topcon KR-1W and iTrace are larger than those measured by Topolyzer.Due to the poor agreements among the corneal Q values by the 3 kinds of devices,they are not interchangeable in clinical applications for the measurement of corneal Q value.

Objective To evaluate the prognostic significance of carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX) expression in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Methods CA IX expression in a cohort of 120 patients with ccRCC was evaluated by P-V immunohistochemistry with a rabbit CA IX polyclonal antibody. Twenty-five normal kidney tissues were used as a control. The relationship between CA IX expression and prognosis was analyzed by univariate and multiple-factor analysis (Cox regression model). The primary end point was cancer specific survival. Results One hundred and twelve (93.3%) patients were followed up with the median follow-up time of 45 months (range, 6 to 94 months). Seventy-five patients survived without evidence of tumor recurrence, 3 patients survived with tumor recurrence, and 34 patients died, 28 of the 34 died of cancer. CA IX expression was negative in all normal renal tissue. High CA IX expression was observed in 89 (74.2%) patients, among which 82 patients were followed up, and the disease free survival was 75.6% (62/82). Two (2.4%) patients survived with tumor recurrence, and 18 (22.0%) patients died, of which 13 (15.9%) died of cancer. Tumor recurrence and (or) metastasis occurred in 9 (11.0%) patients, with a median survival of 92 months in this high expression group. Low CA IX expression was observed in 31 (25.8%) patients, among which 30 patients were followed up, and the disease free survival was 43.3% (13/30). One (3.3%) patient survived with tumor recurrence, and 16 (53.3%) patients died, of which 15 (50.0%) died of cancer. Tumor recurrence and (or) metastasis occurred in 8 (26.7%) patients with a median survival of 53 months in this low expression group. Cancer specific survival between CA IX high expression group and low expression group was significantly different (P=0.000, χ2=15.950), and tumor relapse and (or) metastasis rates were significantly different (P=0.040, χ2=4.200). The 1, 3, 5 and 7 year cancer specific survival rates were 95.2%, 83.9%, 81.2% and 78.2% respectively in the high CA IX expression group, and 89.5%, 63.9%, 46.8% and 40.1% respectively in the low expression group. Multivariate analysis with Cox regression model showed that CA IX expression was a prognostic factor (RR=0.186). Conclusions High CA IX expression is negatively correlated with postoperative mortality, relapse and (or) metastasis in ccRCC. CA IX expression could be used as a prognostic biomarker in ccRCC.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HTPR) during clopidogrel treatment in patients with ischemic stroke.Methods:Patients with ischemic stroke who received maintenance dose of clopidogrel (75 mg/d) in the Department of Neurology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine from January 2017 to March 2021 were retrospectively included. The highest quartile (Q4) of the TyG index was defined as insulin resistance. Platelet reactivity was assessed by thromboelastogram and clopidogrel HTPR was defined as the clot strength induced by adenosine diphosphate (MA ADP) >47 mm. Multivariate regression model was used to analyze the independent correlation between TyG index and platelet reactivity. Results:A total of 83 patients were included. The TyG index showed a linear correlation with MA ADP. The patients were divided into 4 groups according to the quartile of TyG index. The incidence of clopidogrel HTPR increased significantly with the increase of the quartile of the TyG index ( Ptrend=0.017). Multivariate analysis showed that there was a significant independent correlation between insulin resistance and clopidogrel HTPR (odds ratio 4.597, 95% confidence interval 1.285-16.446; P=0.019). Conclusions:In patients with ischemic stroke treated with clopidogrel, the incidence of clopidogrel HTPR gradually increases with the increase of the quartile of the TyG index. The insulin resistance assessed by the TyG index is independently associated with clopidogrel HTPR.

Essential palatal tremor is relatively rare in clinical practice, which manifests involuntary and rhythmic contraction of soft-palate along with auditory click. The cause is unknown and there is no specific treatment at present. This article reports a female patient with essential palatine tremor, who presented with involuntarily beating of soft palate, disappeared during sleep, had sensory tricks, and gradually developed mental and psychological problems such as anxiety disorders. After treatment with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine, the symptoms improved. The clinical features of the case were analyzed, relevant literature was reviewed, and the possible etiology and characteristics of the disease were explored, so as to provide reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of emodin on focal cerebral ischemia in rats based on myeloid differentiation factor 88(MyD88)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase(ERK)pathway and nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)nuclear translocation.Methods SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group,model group and emodin group,with six rats in each group.The rat model of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion(tMCAO)was established by middle cerebral artery embolization.Rats in the emodin group were given 40 mg·kg-1 emodin by gavage for three times at 72,48 and 24 hours before modeling.At 24 hours after modeling,the neurological function of rats was scored.TTC staining was used to detect the area of cerebral infarction.HE staining was used to observe the morphological changes of brain tissue.The mRNA expression levels of MyD88 and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in brain tissue were detected by RT-qPCR.The expression levels of MyD88,ERK,p-ERK and TNF-α in brain tissue were detected by Western Blot.The protein expression of NF-κB in brain tissue was detected by immunofluorescence.Results Compared with the sham operation group,the neurological function score of the model group was significantly increased(P＜0.01),and the cerebral infarction area was significantly increased(P＜0.01).In the cortical area of the ischemic penumbra,cell necrosis,abnormal cell morphology,nuclear fragmentation and atrophy,and the number of cells decreased significantly;the mRNA expression levels of MyD88 and TNF-α in brain tissue were significantly increased(P＜0.01,P＜0.001),the protein levels of MyD88,p-ERK/ERK and TNF-α were significantly increased(P＜0.05,P＜0.01,P＜0.001),and the proportion of NF-κB into nuclear cells was significantly increased(P＜0.001).Compared with the model group,the neurological function score of rats in the emodin group was significantly decreased(P＜0.05),and the area of cerebral infarction was significantly reduced(P＜0.05).The number and morphology of neurons in the ischemic penumbra cortex were restored to a certain extent.The mRNA expression levels of MyD88 and TNF-α in brain tissue were significantly decreased(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),the protein levels of MyD88,p-ERK/ERK and TNF-α were significantly decreased(P＜0.05),and the proportion of NF-κB into nuclear cells was significantly decreased(P＜0.001).Conclusion Emodin has a preventive and protective effect on rats with focal cerebral ischemia,which may be related to its inhibition of MyD88 activation,ERK phosphorylation and NF-κB nuclear translocation,and then down-regulation of inflammatory cascades and secretion of pro-inflammatory factors such as TNF-α,thereby exerting anti-inflammatory effects.

Zuoguiwan， one of the classic formulas of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， has the effects of nourishing genuine Yin， supplementing essence， and replenishing marrow， and it is widely used in the clinical treatment of diseases caused by congenital essence deficiency. This article systematically reviewed the ancient books involving congenital deficiency and the modern research reports on the treatment of congenital deficiency with Zuoguiwan. From the formulation principle of Zuoguiwan and the TCM concept of congenital deficiency， this article discussed the theoretical basis of treating congenital deficiency with Zuoguiwan based on the modern research results. Ancient physicians have discovered that the deficiency of parents can lead to abnormal physical development and weakness of the offspring. ZHANG Jingyue divided congenital essence Qi into genuine Yin and primordial Yang and formulated Zuoguiwan based on the principle of Yin-Yang mutual assistance for supplementing congenital genuine Yin. Experimental studies have shown that Zuoguiwan can up-regulate the expression of connexin 43 （Cx43） protein and improve gap junction intercellular communication （GJIC） function to promote osteogenic differentiation and maturation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and ameliorate abnormal bone development caused by congenital essence deficiency. Zuoguiwan can enhance the expression and activity of Reelin to ameliorate abnormal brain development. It can upregulate the expression of Cx43 protein to intervene in the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt） pathway， thus repairing the reproductive functions. Zuiguiwan can promote the development and maturation of T cells and activate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in the thymus to improve immune functions. In addition， it can promote the expression of β-catenin and inhibit the expression of microtubule-associated proteins 1 light chain 3 （LC3） to attenuate skin dysfunctions. Moreover， Zuoguiwan can guide the differentiation of stem cells via the correlation between essence and vitality in TCM. Zuoguiwan has demonstrated significant therapeutic effects on some diseases in the pediatric， andrological， gynecological， geriatric， internal medicine， orthopedic and skin disease departments. On the basis of the results of experiments and clinical applications， this paper analyzes the specific connotation of congenital deficiency proposes that congenital deficiency should be subdivided into the four aspects of essence， Qi， Yin， and Yang. Congenital essence deficiency as the deficiency of genuine Yin can lead to deficiency of kidney essence in the offspring and dysfunction of kidney storing essence. Pharmacological studies have discovered that Cuscutae Semen， Lycii Fructus， and Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix in Zuoguiwan contain active components such as quercetin and kaempferol， which act on the targets such as recombinant prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase 2 （PTGS2）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， mitogen-activated protein kinases （MAPK14）， tumor necrosis factor （TNF）， TP53， Vascular permeability factor A （VEGFA）， and albumin （ALB） to play a role in reproductive system development and hormone responses. Zuoguiwan has unique advantages over Liuwei Dihuangwan in nourishing congenital genuine Yin in the kidney and can achieve better therapeutic effects on the syndromes and diseases caused by congenital essence deficiency. This review is expected to enrich the knowledge about the efficacy and clinical application of Zuoguiwan， provide new perspectives and methods for the prevention and treatment of congenital deficiency and congenital essence deficiency， and give insights into the application of Zuoguiwan in modern healthcare， especially in the nurturing of offspring.