The effect of siRNA-mediated Sox4 gene silencing on Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway of human malignant melanoma cell line A375 was investigated. Two types of dsRNA targeting Sox4 were constructed and transfected into A375 cells, and untreated cells and cells transfected with scramble RNA were used as blank control and negative control respectively. The expression levels of mRNA and protein of Sox4, Wnt3a, β-catenin and Wnt/β-catenin signaling target gene Survivin were detected after real-time PCR and Western blot respectively. MTT assay was used to measure cell proliferation after Sox4 knockdown. β-catenin/TCF transcription reporter assay was used for assessing Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway activity. Our results showed that the two types of Sox4 siRNA were transfected into A375 cells successfully. As compared with untreated cells, Sox4 siRNAs had no significant influence on Wnt3a expression, and Sox4 siRNAs led to the decrease of β-catenin at protein level. Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway activity was inhibited significantly. As a target of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, Survivin was decreased at both mRNA and protein levels, and cell proliferation was attenuated. Our study suggests that Sox4 may play an important role in Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in human malignant melanoma cells by regulating β-catenin protein level, indicating that Sox4 is involved in the progression of malignant melanoma through Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Thalassemia is a genetic disease with a high-incidence rate which has influenced the health condi-tions of newborns in south China. In this paper, we analyze the policy process of thalassemia prevention strategy in Guangxi based on John Kingdon’s policy stream theory, discussing the problem, policy and political flows of the strat-egy and analyzing how does the policy window open. We found that the thalassemia prevention policy was based on the deep understanding of the women and children’s health conditions, and the policy entrepreneur had made a pro-gram for alleviating to and eradicating the problem. In the condition of deepening health system reform, the thalasse-mia prevention policy in Guangxi had attracted the attention of policy makers. At a right political time for policy-mak-ing, the three above mentioned flows came in bond pushing the policy window open. As long as the thalassemia pre-vention policy process is analyzed based on the policy stream theory, it could be a good theoretical and practical ex-ample for other public health policy analysis in China.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture-moxibustion plusMEI Te-lan’s manipulations in treating lumbar intervertebral disc herniation (LIDH) due to blood stagnation.Method Totally 248 LIDH patients due to blood stagnation were randomized into a treatment group of 123 cases and a control group of 125 cases. The treatment group was intervened by acupuncture-moxibustion plusMEI Te-lan’s manipulations, while the control group was by acupuncture-moxibustion plus tuina at lower back. The short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were observed before and after intervention, and the clinical efficacies were compared between the two groups.Result The total effective rate and recovery-markedly effective rate were respectively 80.5% and 52.0% in the treatment group, versus 72.8% and 20.0% in the control group. There was a significant difference in comparing the recovery-markedly effective rate between the two groups (P<0.05). In the treatment group, the Pain Rating Index (PRI) score, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score, Present Pain Intensity (PPI) score, and ODI score were significantly changed after 3-day, 6-day, and 20-day treatment compared to the scores before treatment (P<0.05). After 20-day treatment, the PRI, VAS, PPI, and ODI scores of the treatment group were significantly different from that of the control group (P<0.05).Conclusion Acupuncture-moxibustion plusMEI Te-lan’s manipulations is an effective method in treating LIDH due to blood stagnation.

The expression of the interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF-4) and the IRF-4-binding protein (IBP) in psoriatic skin lesions was investigated. The expression of IRF-4 and IBP in skin lesions of 20 patients with psoriasis vulgaris were immunohistochemically dectected. Normal skin from 10 healthy people was used as normal control. The study showed that expression of IRF-4 was increased significantly in keratinocytes and inflammatory cells in the lesions of psoriasis vulgaris than that in the normal control. The detection revealed that IBP expression in keratinocytes, lymphocytes, hair follicles, and sebaceous glands in normal skin was significantly lower than that in the lesions of psoriasis vulgaris (P<0.05). Both IRF-4 and IBP might be involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis vulgaris.

Objective To observe the therapeutic effect of acupuncture combined with rehabilitation on dysphagia after stroke at differentstage. Methods According to the randomized trial principle, 155 cases were divided into two groups: control group (n=80) and observationgroup (n=75). The control group was treated with rehabilitation training, and the observation group was treated with acupuncture and rehabilitationtraining, 5 times every week for 4 weeks. The two groups were assessed by TCM swallowing assessment scores and Kubota testbefore and after treatment. Results According to Kubota test, the total rate was 66.67% in the control group and 89.33% in the observationgroup with a significant difference between the groups (P<0.001). In the observation group, the total rate was 90.48% at acute stage and88.89% at the convalescence stage with a significant difference (P<0.01). According to TCM swallowing assessment, the total rate was64.00% in the control group and 74.67% in the observation group with no significant difference between the groups (P<0.05). In the observationgroup, the total rate was 90.48% at acute stage and 68.52% at the convalescence stage with a significant difference (P<0.001). ConclusionAcupuncture combined with rehabilitation facilitates to improve the swallowing function in stroke patients following dysphagia especiallyat acute stage.

The effect of siRNA-mediated Sox4 gene silencing on Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway of human malignant melanoma cell line A375 was investigated.Two types of dsRNA targeting Sox4 were constructed and transfected into A375 cells,and untreated cells and cells transfected with scramble RNA were used as blank control and negative control respectively.The expression levels of mRNA and protein of Sox4,Wnt3a,β-catenin and Wnt/β-catenin signaling target gene Survivin were detected after real-time PCR and Western blot respectively.MTT assay was used to measure cell proliferation after Sox4 knockdown.β-catenin/TCF transcription reporter assay was used for assessing Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway activity.Our results showed that the two types of Sox4 siRNA were transfected into A375 cells successfully.As compared with untreated cells,Sox4 siRNAs had no significant influence on Wnt3a expression,and Sox4 siRNAs led to the decrease of β-catenin at protein level.Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway activity was inhibited significantly.As a target of Wnt/β-catenin signaling,Survivin was decreased at both mRNA and protein levels,and cell proliferation was attenuated.Our study suggests that Sox4 may play an important role in Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in human malignant melanoma cells by regulating β-catenin protein level,indicating that Sox4 is involved in the progression of malignant melanoma thromgh Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

The expression of the interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF-4) and the IRF-4-binding protein (IBP) in psoriatic skin lesions was investigated.The expression of IRF-4 and IBP in skin lesions of 20 patients with psoriasis vulgaris were immunohistochemically dectected.Normal skin from 10 healthy people was used as normal control.The study showed that expression of IRF-4 was increased significantly in keratinocytes and inflammatory cells in the lesions of psoriasis vulgaris than that in the normal control.The detection revealed that IBP expression in keratinocytes,lymphocytes,hair follicles,and sebaceous glands in normal skin was significantly lower than that in the lesions of psoriasis vulgaris (P＜0.05).Both IRF-4 and IBP might be involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis vulgaris.

Objective To summarize the preliminary application results of ultrasound-guided biliary drainage tube replacement, present the corresponding technical points, and discuss the operation strategy and clinical application value. Methods The clinical data of 60 patients who underwent ultrasound-guided biliary drainage tube replacement in Qilu Hospital of Shandong University between August 2014 and August 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The operation procedure, clinical applications, and postoperative complications were summarized and analyzed. Results Fifty-eight of the 60 patients (96.67%) were successfully replaced with drainage tubes along the original sinus. Among them, dilated sinus tracts of 47 patients were placed with coarse-grade drainage tubes, and dilated sinus tracts of the remaining 11 patients were placed with the original type of drainage tubes, with the mean operation time of 15.8(12.0-19.0) min under local anesthesia. In total, bile was drained from 28 patients receiving PTCD drainage, 23 patients receiving gallbladder drainage, and 9 patients receiving T-tube drainage. The post-operation evaluation revealed that the drainage situation has improved, with a 100% effective rate. No obvious abnormality was found in the postoperative follow-up visit. Conclusion The replacement of drainage tube under ultrasound guidance is simple, safe and feasible, and it provides further promotion in clinical practice with sufficient data support.