Objective To evaluate the left ventricular(LV) torsion and rotation in normal subjects using vector velocity imaging.Methods LV basal and apical short-axis images were captured in 10 healthy individuals to estimate LV torsion and rotation using routine 2-dimensional echocardiography and vector velocity imaging. Results As viewed from LV apex,the systolic basal rotation was clockwise (negative value),and apical rotation was counterclockwise (positive Value). The apical peak systolic rotational velocity was significantly higher than the basal [endo:(150±62)°/s vs (114±65)°/s;epi:(81±40)°/s vs (55±28)°s,respectively,P＜0.01]. The peak systolic endocardial rotational velocity and rotation was significantly higher than epicardial rotational velocity and rotation[basal:(-114±65)°/s vs (-55±28)°/s,(-12±6)°vs (-4±1)°;apical:(150±62)°s vs (81±40)°s,(10±4)°vs(6±2)°,respectivelv,P＜0.05]. There were no significant differences in the time to peak systolic rotational velocity/rotation between basal endocardium/epicardium and apical endocardium/epicardium. Conclusions Vector velocity imaging can assess LV torsion and rotation non-invasively,and normal LV has a kind of characteristic motion of torsion.

Objective To investigate the effect of smoking and smoking cessation on the phosphorylation of IKK-β in type 2 diabetic rats. Methods Forty-two six-week-old Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: normal control(NC, n =7), diabetes control (DC, n =7), diabetes with smoking (DS, n = 14) and diabetes with smoking cessation(SC, n = 14). Rats in DS and SC groups were further assigned randomly into 8w and 12w subgroups. DS group was given passive smoking twice a day for 8 or 12 weeks, while SC group ceased passive smoking for 4 weeks after 8 or 12 weeks of smoking . Western blot method was used to detect the level of IKK-13 phosphorylation in skeletal muscle. Results Compared with the NC group,the phosphorylation of IKK-β protein in DC group was increased (0. 16±0. 05 vs 0. 30±0. 08, P < 0. 01). There was an increasing trend with the phosphorylation level of IKK-β in the DS (8w) subgroup, but there was no statistical difference between the DC group and SC(8w) subgroup (0. 40±0. 09 vs 0. 30±0. 08,0. 36±0. 10, P >0. 05). The phosphorylation level of IKK-β in DS(12w) group increased obviously, being significantly higher than that in the DC group and SC (12w) subgroup(0. 74 ± 0. 11 vs 0.30±0.08,0.35±0.07,P < 0.01). Conclusion With the prolongation of smoking duration, the phosphorylation of IKK-β in type 2 diabetic rats increased. After smoking cessation, the phosphorylation of IKK-β decreased. The phosphorylation of IKK-β may be involved in the mechanism by which smoking causes type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND:Increasingly studies report that the normal balance of bone metabolism may be destroyed in the case of postmenopausal osteoporosis or osteoarthritis. The concrete metabolic process of bone turnover could be revealed sensitively by measuring the bone turnover markers in the serum or urine.
OBJECTIVE:To study the bone density and bone metabolic index of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO), and to discuss the characteristics of bone density and bone metabolic index in KOA and PMO.
METHODS:A total of 248 postmenopausal women were detected for bone mineral density and knee X-ray. Final y 180 patients were included in this study and were divided into three groups:KOA group, PMO group, and control group. The levels of bone turnover markers (bone alkaline phosphatase, bone gla protein, col agen type I cross-linked C-telopeptide, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b) in serum from the participants were measured. The correlation between bone turnover markers and the disease progression was analyzed by Logistic regression analysis.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The bone mineral density in the KOA group was higher than the control group but col agen type I cross-linked C-telopeptide was lower. The levels of bone gla protein, col agen type I cross-linked C-telopeptide, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b in serum from PMO group were higher than the control group. The decrease of col agen type I cross-linked C-telopeptide was associated with the incidence of KOA, and the increases of bone gla protein, col agen type I cross-linked C-telopeptide, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b were associated with the incidence of PMO. The lower bone absorption can be seen in postmenopausal women with KOA. PMO patients showed a higher bone turnover rate. The difference of bone metabolism between patients with KOA and PMO led to negative relationship of bone mineral density. The serum levels of bone gla protein, col agen type I cross-linked C-telopeptide, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b can assist clinical diagnose and therapeutic effect detection of both KOA and PMO.

Objective:To study the association between non-syndrome cleft lip and palate (NSCL/P)and MAFB (rs6072081, rs6065259,rs17820943,rs11696257)gene polymorphism in NingXia Hui and Han population.Methods:512 cases of NSCL/P,258 case of Hui nationality and 254 of Han,174 cases of complete 3 core family members(patients and their parents),142 cases of single parents families(patients and their single parents),were collected in patient group.505 cases of healthy newborns were collected in control group.The MAFB gene SNPs were determined with TaqMan SNPs genotyping methods and the data were analyzed by case-con-trol analysis,transmission disequilibrium test(TDT)and family based association test(FBAT).Results:Case-control analysis found that,there was a statistical significance of the genotypes and allele frequency between patients and the controls in MAFB of the 4 locus (P <0.05);but all of the 4 locus showed no difference in patients with cleft palate(P >0.05).Conclusion:The 4 locus single nucle-otide polymorphism was associated with NSCL/P in Ningxia population.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between the expression levels of chemokines in serum of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) and the progression of DTC.Methods:From January to April in 2017, blood samples of 76 patients (25 males, 51 females, median age: 39 years) with DTC after surgery in Nuclear Medicine Department of Tenth People′s Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University were collected retrospectively for detecting the expression levels of 40 chemokines. Patients were divided into different groups according to (1) with or without metastasis: the non-metastasis group ( n=13) and the metastasis group ( n=63); (2) degree of gradual dedifferentiation: without metastasis group ( n=13), lymph node metastasis group ( n=48), highly malignant group ( n=11) and radioactive iodine refractory (RAIR) with distant metastasis group ( n=4); (3) frequency of 131I treatment in follow-up for nearly 2 years: single treatment group ( n=51) and multiple treatment group ( n=25). Differences in chemokine levels among groups were compared. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the predictive value of differential chemokines′ levels on DTC metastasis and multiple 131I treatment. Independent-sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test and one-way analysis of variance were used to analyze the data. Results:Compared with the non-metastatic group, the expression levels of Eotaxin-3 ((25.94±6.05) vs (21.76±5.71) ng/L), interferon-γ (IFN-γ; (116.04±28.98) vs (98.71±26.18) ng/L), macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC; (1 468.08±401.74) vs (1 082.94±423.30) ng/L) and thymus expressd chemokine (TECK; (505.22(419.80, 563.36) vs 402.89(347.43, 442.97) ng/L) in metastatic group were decreased, and the differences were statistically significant ( t values: 2.376, 2.131, 3.007, U=215.000, all P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve of IFN-γ+ MDC+ TECK for predicting DTC metastasis was 0.844(95% CI: 0.755-0.932, P<0.001), and the sensitivity was 79.37%(50/63). Only the differences of MDC among without metastasis group, lymph node metastasis group, highly malignant group and RAIR with distant metastasis group were significant ((1 468.08±401.74), (1 121.59±454.20), (976.07±281.04), (922.68±342.41) ng/L; F=3.564, P<0.05), and the expression was gradually decreased with the degree of dedifferentiation. Only IL-8 was significantly increased in the multiple treatment group compared with the single treatment group (28.20(23.22, 32.51) vs 30.51(26.98, 35.57) ng/L; U=801.000, P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve of IL-8 for predicting multiple 131I treatment was 0.648(95% CI: 0.523-0.773, P<0.05), and the sensitivity was 100%(25/25). Conclusions:Decreased expression of IFN-γ, MDC and TECK may be potential markers for predicting metastasis in DTC. MDC is likely to be a potential molecular target for detecting the dedifferentiation degree of DTC, decreased expression of which may indicate the increased malignancy of tumor. IL-8 may be used to predict whether patients need multiple 131I treatments.

Objective:To analyze and summarize the clinical effects of 3D printed porous titanium-alloy prosthesis implantation in the treatment of long bone defects of lower extremities.Methods:We retrospectively studied the clinical cases with lower extremity bone defect treated by 3D printed porous titanium prostheses from December 2017 to November 2021. 18 patients who were followed up for more than 12 months were included in this study. The enrolled patients included 12 males and 6 females, with an average of 48.9±22.5 years (range, 13-79 years), and an average body mass index of 23.1±4.3 kg/m 2 (range, 17.2-27.1 kg/m 2). There were 14 osteomyelitis-derived bone defects and 4 nonunion-derived bone defects. The bone defect locations included 10 cases of femur and 8 cases of tibia. The average bone defect distance was 13.9±9.7 cm (range, 5.8-31.2 cm), and the proportion of the defect length to the long bone (femur of tibia) was average 33.7%±16.8% (range, 15.0%-63.0%). The clinical efficacy was comprehensively evaluated through gross observation, imaging evaluation, changes in the total length of lower extremities and long bones, femorotibial angle (FTA) measurement, lower extremity functional scale (LEFS), satisfaction, complications and other indicators, focusing on the stabilization mechanism of the prosthesis and the regeneration of new bone. Results:All 18 patients were followed up for 12-35 months, with an average of 16.3 months. Postoperative X-rays at 1, 3, 12 and 24 months showed that new bone could gradually creep along the prosthesis surface. The preoperative bone defect length of long bone and total length of lower limb were respectively 39.4±4.0 cm and 80.5±5.7 cm, which were different from those of the healthy side by 1.6±1.0 cm and 1.5±1.1 cm. One week after implantation, the length of long bone and lower limb was 39.9±3.5 cm and 80.9±6.2 cm, respectively, and the average difference was 1.0±0.6 cm and 0.9±1.1 cm compared with the healthy side. At the last follow-up, the length of long bone and lower limb was 39.7±3.6 cm and 80.9±7.8 cm, with an average difference of 1.8±1.1 cm and 1.0±0.7 cm from the healthy side. There were no significant differences in the length of long bone and lower limbs at the three time points before surgery, one week after surgery and the last follow-up ( F=0.12, 0.04; P>0.05). The average FTA of the affected limb was 174.7° (173.9°, 175.5°), 175.2°(173.5°, 176.4°), and 175.0°(173.5°, 176.3°) at three time nodes, before surgery, one week after surgery and the last follow-up, respectively, and there was no significant statistical difference in pairwise comparison ( Z=0.01, P>0.05). Patients had a mean LEFS score of 50 (46, 51) at the last follow-up, significantly higher than the preoperative score of 20 (17, 21) ( Z=-5.56, P<0.001). The mean satisfaction score of the 18 patients at the last follow-up was 9.7. Two patients (11.1%) had screw fractures but all 3D printed porous titanium alloy prostheses remained stable without significant loosening or displacement. Two patients (11.1%) had nail channel infection of external fixator, all patients with channel infection were cured by intravenous antibiotics combined with local disinfection and dressing change. Conclusion:The implantation of 3D printed porous titanium-alloy prosthesis could efficiently and safely repair the long bone defects of the lower extremities. The prosthesis could maintain stable in the early and middle postoperative period. The length of the long bones and lower limbs did not change significantly with the weight-bearing and functional exercise of the limbs. The new bone could gradually crawl and grow from both ends of the defect, and the patient's limb function recovered significantly, and the patient's satisfaction was high.

Objective To develop a diagnostic model based on deep neural network for intelligent discrimination of thyroid function. Methods A total of 1616 patients ( 283 males, 1333 females, average age:52 years) who underwent thyroid imaging between May 2016 and June 2018 were selected. According to the clinical diagnosis, the 1616 cases included 299 normal thyroid cases, 876 hyperthyroidism cases and 441 hypothyroidism cases. Feature extraction and learning training were performed on 1000 training set sam-ples by two deep neural network models ( AlexNet;deep convolution generative adversarial networks ( DCGAN) ) using deep learning algorithm. Performance verifications were implemented on 616 test set samples. The con-sistency between the verification results of the two models and the clinical diagnosis was analyzed by Kappa test. Meanwhile, the time advantage of the intelligent diagnosis models was analyzed. Results The average diagnostic time of AlexNet model was 1 s/case, and the classification accuracy for normal thyroid, hyperthy-roidism, hypothyroidism were 82.29％(79/96), 94.62％(369/390), 100％(130/130), respectively. The Kappa value between results of AlexNet model and clinical diagnosis was 0.886 ( P<0.05) . The average di-agnostic time of DCGAN model was 1 s/case, and the classification accuracy for normal thyroid, hyperthy-roidism, hypothyroidism were 85.42％(82/96), 95.64％(373/390), 99.23％(129/130), respectively. The Kappa value between results of DCGAN model and clinical diagnosis was 0.904 ( P<0.05) . Conclusion The deep neural network intelligent diagnosis model can quickly determine the functional status of thyroid gland in thyroid imaging, and it has a high recognition accuracy, thus providing a new method for thyroid image review.

【Objective】 To explore the effect of Genistein on the proliferation and cell cycle regulation of ovarian cancer cells. 【Methods】 Ovarian cancer OVCAR-5 cells were treated with Genistein. Cell counting and MTS assays were performed to determine the alterations of cell proliferation. Real-time PCR and Western blotting were conducted to examine the expression changes of key cell cycle regulators. 【Results】 Genistein significantly promoted the proliferation and viability of OVCAR-5 cells. After Genistein treatment, cellular mRNA and protein expression levels of cell cycle activators such as PCNA, Cyclin D1 and CDK4 were increased, but those of cell cycle inhibitors such as p21 and p27 were decreased. 【Conclusion】 Genistein can upregulate the proliferation and G1-S transition of ovarian cancer OVCAR-5 cells. The discrepancy may be caused by diverged experimental conditions and/or different ER expression patterns of cell lines. The findings may provide basic information for in-depth analysis of the role(s) and mechanisms by which genistein confers its effect on ovarian cancer cells.