Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)is a non-coding RNA which lacks a complete open reading frame (ORF)and plays an important role in biological processes such as cell proliferation,differentiation and apoptosis. At present,expression of lncRNA has been found to be abnormal in inflammatory reaction and inflammatory diseases. It might be involved in the development and progression of inflammatory diseases via regulating the expression of multiple genes and activation of signaling pathways. This article reviewed the progress in study on relationship between lncRNA and inflammatory diseases.

Objective: To investigate the association of ambient fine particulate matters (PM_2.5) exposure with anxiety in middle-aged and elderly people in China. Methods: Using a stratified random sampling method, 5 997 middle-aged and elderly people (aged 40-89) who resided in the region for more than 2 years and had no hearing or language impairment were selected from 32 districts/counties in the key areas for air pollution prevention and control in China from October 10^th, 2017 to February 7^th, 2018. Information about demographic characteristics, socioeconomic factors and health status were collected by questionnaire survey and physical examination. The anxiety symptoms were assessed by 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scales. Three-year moving average concentrations of PM_2.5 were calculated to estimate exposure level. The multivariate logistic regression model was conducted to assess the association between PM_2.5 exposure and anxiety. The interaction of age, gender, overweight, education, smoking, drinking and chronic diseases was also analyzed by likelihood ratio test. Results: There were 2 995 (49.94%) males subjects, 4 092 (68.23%) subjects with education of secondary school or above and 2 576 (42.95%) subjects with self-reported chronic diseases among the 5 997 middle-aged and elder participants. The prevalence of anxiety was 6.64% (n=398). The mean±SD of 3-year moving average concentrations of PM_2.5, O₃ and SO₂ were (53.50±13.38), (90.58±13.26) and (40.29±12.56) μg/m³, respectively. PM_2.5 had significantly association with anxiety, and the corresponding OR value was 1.17 (95%CI: 1.05,1.31) with a 10 μg/m³ increment of 3-year moving average concentrations of PM_2.5. Compared with female (OR (95%CI)=1.07 (0.93,1.23)), those with no chronic diseases (OR (95%CI)=1.06 (0.93,1.20)) and those with primary school degree or below (OR (95% CI)=0.90 (0.75,1.09)), the association between PM_2.5 and anxiety was stronger among male (OR (95%CI)=1.35 (1.12,1.63)) and those with chronic diseases (OR (95%CI)=1.77 (1.31,2.38)), middle school education (OR (95%CI)=1.43 (1.22,1.67)), college education and above (OR (95%CI)=1.68 (1.05, 2.67)), all the P interaction values were <0.05. Conclusion PM_2.5 exposure has significantly positive association with anxiety. The associations are stronger in male, people with higher educational qualifications and patients with chronic diseases.

Objective:To summarize the construction of a technics system of aortic valve repair in adult patients with aortic regurgitation(AR).Methods:From March 2013 to May 2020, aortic valve repair was performed in 79 patients. In which 43 cases underwent simple technics such as subcommissural annuloplasty, leaflet plication etc. Cases done before May, 2018 were defined as A group, yet the other 36 cases underwent a routine repair technics system including annuloplasty, sinusplasty, cuspidplasty and sinotubularplasty after then as B group. The general data and the operation procedure, also the follow-up were analyzed.Results:In group A, there were 2 cases with simple aortic valve repair and 41 cases with other intracardiac operations. In group B, 23 patients had aortic valve repair alone and 13 patients had other intracardiac operations. Group A mostly adopts the technologies of subjunctional involution and ridge suspension. In group B, flap ring molding, flap leaf molding, sinus tube joint molding and other technologies were used. Postoperative reflux was reduced to moderate or mild in most patients in group A. In group B, postoperative reflux was reduced to mild in most patients. There were 7 cases of severe reflux in group A, and 2 cases of severe reflux were worse after repair than before surgery. In group B, 8 patients had no effective repair, and 3 patients continued to have satisfactory repair after the second turnaround. Aortic regurgitation at 1 year(or the last echocardiographic follow-up) after surgery: 15 patients in group A were mild, 17 were moderate, and 4 were severe; In group B, 2 patients underwent revalve replacement within 1 year, and the remaining 29 patients were moderate and mild, 20 cases were moderate, 7 cases were moderate, and 2 cases were severe.Conclusion:In some adult moderate and severe AR cases, a routine combined repair system can be applied to increase success rate of repair, and shows a good short and mid-term result.

Objective:To investigate the clinical imaging features and prognosis of von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome associated with pancreatic lesions.Method:The retrospective case-control study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 161 patients with VHL syndrome who were admitted to Peking University First Hospital from September 2010 to August 2022 were collected. There were 83 males and 78 females, with age of onset as 27.0(range, 8.0-66.0)years. Observation indicators: (1) imaging results of VHL syndrome associated with pancreatic lesions; (2) clinical characteristics of VHL syndrome associated with pancreatic lesions; (3) comparison of clinicopathological factors in patients with VHL syndrome associated with pancreatic cystic lesions; (4) comparison of clinicopathological factors in patients with VHL syndrome associated with pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (pNENs). (5) Treatment and prognosis of patients with VHL syndrome associated with pancreatic lesions. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and comparison between groups was conducted using the independent sample t test. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range), and comparison between groups was conducted using the non-parameter test. Count data were described as absolute numbers, and comparison between groups was conducted using the chi-square test. Results:(1) Imaging results of VHL syndrome associated with pancreatic lesions. Of the 161 patients with VHL syndrome, there were 151 patients associated with pancreatic lesions and 10 patients not associated with pancreatic lesions. Of the 151 patients with VHL syndrome associated with pancreatic lesions, there were 136 patient with pancreatic cystic lesions and 34 patients with pNENs, 22 patients with both pNENs and pancreatic cystic lesions, and the type of pancreatic lesions could not be accurately determined in 3 cases. (2) Clinical characteristics of VHL syndrome associated with pancreatic lesions. The age of onset in 151 patients with VHL syndrome associated with pancreatic lesions was 33.0(range, 14.0-68.0)years. Cases with gene site mutation of exon 1, exon 2, exon 3 and other types of gene site was 51, 16, 43 and 41, respectively. There were 116 patients of VHL type 1 and 35 patients of VHL type 2. There were 92 patients with family history of VHL syndrome and 59 patients without family history of VHL syndrome. There were 127 patients combined with renal cell carcinoma, 112 patients combined with central nervous system lesions, 46 patients combined with retinal hemangioblastoma. Patients may combined with multiple lesions. (3) Comparison of clinicopathological factors in patients with VHL syndrome associated with pancreatic cystic lesions. The age of onset, VHL syndrome type (VHL1 type, VHL2 type) and cases combined with renal cell carcinoma were 32.5(range, 14.0-68.0)years, 110, 26 and 115 in 136 patients with VHL syndrome associated with pancreatic cystic lesions, versus 22.0(range, 8.0-64.0)years, 13, 12 and 14 in 25 patients with VHL syndrome not associated with pancreatic cystic lesions, showing significant differences in the above indicators between them ( Z=-3.384, χ2=9.770, 10.815, P<0.05). (4) Comparison of clinicopathological factors in patients with VHL syndrome associated with pNENs. The age of onset, gene mutation sites (exon 1, exon 2, exon 3, other types of gene site) and VHL syndrome type (VHL1 type, VHL2 type) were 33.5(range, 14.0-64.0)years, 12, 5, 14, 3 and 18, 16 in 34 patients with VHL syndrome associated with pNENs, versus 27.0(range, 9.0-66.0)years, 41, 12, 32, 42 and 105, 22 in 127 patients with VHL syndrome not associated with pNENs, showing significant differences in the above indicators between them ( Z=-4.030, χ2=8.814, 13.152, P<0.05). (5) Treatment and prognosis of patients with VHL syndrome associated with pancreatic lesions. Of the 161 patients with VHL syndrome, 3 patients underwent surgical treatment, and the remaining patients were followed up. All 161 patients with VHL syndrome were followed up for 6 (range, 1-12)years, in which 15 patients died and 146 patients alive during the follow-up. The follow-up time of 3 patients undergoing surgical treatment was 4, 14, 9 years, respectively, and all of them were alive. Conclusions:The clinical imaging features of pancreatic lesions related to VHL syndrome are cystic lesions and pNENs, which with the characteristics of multiple lesions and benign tumors. Such patients usually do not requiring surgical treatment and have good prognosis.

Objective:To evaluate the mid-term outcomes of patients with rheumatic heart disease who underwent aortic valve repair surgery in a prospective cohort.Methods:From January 2016 to December 2020, a total of 54 patients with rheumatic heart disease underwent aortic valve repair surgery in Beijing Anzhen Hospital, with an average age of (50.61±13.29) years, including 29 females (53.7%). There were 31 patients (57.4%) had pure aortic insufficiency, 2 patients (3.7%) had pure aortic stenosis and 21 patients (38.9%) had mixed lesion. During the same period, 43 patients (80.0%) underwent mitral valve surgery, 36 patients (66.7%) underwent tricuspid valve surgery, and 20 patients (37.0%) underwent atrial fibrillation radiofrequency ablation.The follow-up period was from 1 month to 61 months (median follow-up was 25 months). Paired rank-sum test was used to compare the differences in continuous variables among subjects, and Kaplan- Meier method was used to analyze the clinical outcomes during the follow-up period. Results:Proportion of moderate and severe aortic regurgitation Preoperatively was higher than that of discharge data, aortic valve orifice maximum velocity and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter were significantly lower than discharge data (all P<0.05). The 5-year survival rate was (96.1±2.7)% (2 patients died). The 5-year freedom from reoperation after aortic valve repair was (89.5±4.5)%(5 patients underwent redo surgery). The 5-year freedom from valvular-related complications was (91.3±4.2)%(3 patients suffered from complications). Conclusion:Aortic valve repair surgery for rheumatic aortic valve disease is feasible and has excellent early and mid-term results, it can be a reliable treatment option.

Objective:To compare the preliminary clinical effect of mitral valve replacement and mitral valvuloplasty on hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy with mitral regurgitation.Methods:From January 2010 to December 2013, the patients undergoing cardiac surgery at Bakulev Cardiovascular Surgery Research Center in Russia were randomly divided into two groups: Forty-one patients received left ventricular outflow tract hypertrophy myocardial resection (Morrow operation) combined with mitral valve replacement (MVR) as MVR group; Forty-seven patients received Morrow surgery combined with mitral valve repair (MVr) as MVr group.The primary end point: death, secondary end point: thrombosis complications (cerebral infarction, peripheral arterial embolism), recurrence of mitral regurgitation and left ventricular outflow tract pressure difference were compared between the two groups.Results:In the MVr group, 6 cases were converted to MVR and were excluded from the study.The survival rates of MVR group and MVR group were 78.9% and 96.6%, respectively , and the thromboembolic free survival rates of MVR group and MVr group were 83.2% and 100%, respectively. The differences were statistically significant( P=0.034, 0.026, respectively). There was no significant difference in mitral regurgitation and left ventricular outflow tract pressure difference between MVR group and MVR group 24 months after operation( P=1.000, 0.934, respectively). Conclusion:Operation combined with MVR or MVr is an effective method to relieve left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and mitral regurgitation. Morrow operation combined with MVr can improve survival rate and reduce thrombosis complications.

In recent years, the petroleum-based plastic pollution problem has been causing global attention. The idea of "degradation and up-cycling of plastics" was proposed for solving the environmental pollution caused by non-degradable plastics. Following this idea, plastics would be firstly degraded and then reconstructed. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) can be produced from the degraded plastic monomers as a choice to recycle among various plastics. PHA, a family of biopolyesters synthesized by many microbes, have attracted great interest in industrial, agricultural and medical sectors due to its biodegradability, biocompatibility, thermoplasticity and carbon neutrality. Moreover, the regulations on PHA monomer compositions, processing technology, and modification methods may further improve the material properties, making PHA a promising alternative to traditional plastics. Furthermore, the application of the "next-generation industrial biotechnology (NGIB)" utilizing extremophiles for PHA production is expected to enhance the PHA market competitiveness, promoting this environmentally friendly bio-based material to partially replace petroleum-based products, and achieve sustainable development with carbon-neutrality. This review summarizes the basic material properties, plastic upcycling via PHA biosynthesis, processing and modification methods of PHA, and biosynthesis of novel PHA.
Polyhydroxyalkanoates ; Plastics ; Biotechnology ; Petroleum ; Carbon

Objective    To summarize the clinical result of a combined technical system for bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) repair. Methods    Patients who diagnosed as BAV and sever aortic regurgitation (AR) underwent a strategy of combined repair technics including annuloplasty, sinus plasty, leaflet plasty, sinus-tubular junction (STJ) plasty depending on anatomy pathological characteristics between October 2019 and January 2021 were enrolled. The clinical data of the patients were analyzed. Results    A total of 17 patients were enrolled. There were 11 males and 6 females with an average age of 18-49 (32.4±13.6) years. Fifteen patients had typeⅠand 2 patients had typeⅡBAV according to Sievers classification. Annuloplasty was applicated in 13 patients, sinus plasty in 8 patients, leaflet plasty in 17 patients, and STJ plasty in 11 patients, respectively. The cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time was 95 (84, 135) min, aortic cross-clamping time was 68 (57, 112) min, and the ICU stay time was 17 (12, 25) h. After the operation, mild AR was presented in 14 patients, moderate AR in 1 patient and severe AR in 2 patients. The latter 3 patients underwent second operation under CPB, after then, 1 patient had mild AR and 2 patients had moderate AR. The follow-up time was 13.1±4.6 months. At the latest follow-up, 12 patients had mild AR and 5 patients had moderate AR, and no patient had reoperation. Conclusion    A combined technical system for BAV repair can be used effectively and safely with an acceptable short and middle-term result.