This assay was made to investigate the extractible properties of PDLLA under different extraction conditions. The ratio of test sample to extraction medium was 0.2 g to 1 ml. The distilled water, artificial saliva, Eagle's MEM and hexane were selected respectively as the extraction medium. The samples were extracted under 37 degrees C 24 h, 72 h, 1 w, 2 w and 3 w; 50 degrees C 72 h; 70 degrees C 24 h and 72 h; 121 degrees C 1 h. By use of gas chromatography, the ethyl alcohol, xylene and ethyl acetate content were measured. The results showed the ethyl alcohol content < 1.998 ug/ml, xylene contents was < 53.39 ug/ml and ethyl acetate content < 3.647 ug/m of PDLLA in distilled water, artificial saliva and Eagle's MEM under the condition of 37 degrees C from 24 h to 3 w. The ethyl alcohol content and xylene content in hexane were higher than those in the other three aqueous solutions. When the extracted temperature was increased, the contents of above three components were kept at the original level. There was almost no difference in the extractible properties of PDLLA among distilled water, artificial saliva and Eagle's MEM. The results did not change even if the extraction time and temperature were increased. It is a new concept to evaluate the safety of biomaterials by combining chemical and biological extraction tests, which will be significance in narrowing the gap between physical-chemical tests and biological tests for medical devices.
Biocompatible Materials ; chemistry ; Hexanes ; Lactic Acid ; chemistry ; Polyesters ; Polymers ; chemistry ; Saliva, Artificial ; Solubility ; Solutions ; Water

OBJECTIVETo analyze the relationship between the reference values of fibrinogen (FIB) in healthy Chinese adults and geographical factors to provide scientific evidences for establishing the uniform standard.

METHODSThe reference values of FIB of 10701 Chinese healthy adults from 103 cities were collected to investigate their relationship with 18 geographical factors including spatial index, terrain index, climate index, and soil index. Geographical factors that significantly correlated with the reference values were selected for constructing the BP neural network model. The spatial distribution map of the reference value of FIB of healthy Chinese adults was fitted by disjunctive kriging interpolation. We used the 5-layer neural network and selected 2000 times of training covering 11 hidden layers to build the simulation rule for simulating the relationship between FIB and geographical environmental factors using the MATLAB software.

RESULTSs The reference value of FIB in healthy Chinese adults was significantly correlated with the latitude, sunshine duration, annual average temperature, annual average relative humidity, annual precipitation, annual range of air temperature, average annual soil gravel content, and soil cation exchange capacity (silt). The artificial neural networks were created to analyze the simulation of the selected indicators of geographical factors. The spatial distribution map of the reference values of FIB in healthy Chinese adults showed a distribution pattern that FIB levels were higher in the South and lower in the North, and higher in the East and lower in the West.

CONCLUSIONWhen the geographical factors of a certain area are known, the reference values of FIB in healthy Chinese adults can be obtained by establishing the neural network mode or plotting the spatial distribution map.

Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; China ; Climate ; Environment ; Fibrinogen ; Geography ; Humans ; Neural Networks (Computer) ; Reference Values ; Software ; Temperature

Background: and Purpose To evaluate whether the thrombus enhancement sign (TES) can be used to differentiate embolic large vessel occlusion (LVO) from in situ intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS)-related LVO in the anterior circulation of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Methods: Patients with LVO in the anterior circulation who underwent both non-contrast computed tomography (CT) and CT angiography and mechanical thrombectomy were retrospectively enrolled. Both embolic LVO (embo-LVO) and in situ ICAS-related LVO (ICAS-LVO) were confirmed by two neurointerventional radiologists after reviewing the medical and imaging data. TES was assessed to predict embo-LVO or ICAS-LVO. The associations between occlusion type and TES, along with clinical and interventional parameters, were investigated using logistic regression analysis and a receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: A total of 288 patients with AIS were included and divided into an embo-LVO group (n=235) and an ICAS-LVO group (n=53). TES was identified in 205 (71.2%) patients and was more frequently observed in those with embo-LVO, with a sensitivity of 83.8%, specificity of 84.9%, and area under the curve (AUC) of 0.844. Multivariate analysis showed that TES (odds ratio [OR], 22.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 9.4–53.8; P<0.001) and atrial fibrillation (OR, 6.6; 95% CI, 2.8–15.8; P<0.001) were independent predictors of embolic occlusion. A predictive model that included both TES and atrial fibrillation yielded a higher diagnostic ability for embo-LVO, with an AUC of 0.899. Conclusion TES is an imaging marker with high predictive value for identifying embo- and ICAS-LVO in AIS and provides guidance for endovascular reperfusion therapy.

Hereditary gingival fibromatosis (HGF) is a familial hereditary disease; while it is rare and usually benign, it is also characterized by the slow and progressive development of gingival tissue. This paper reports on the clinical examina-tion and history of HGF in a family of patients.
Fibromatosis, Gingival ; Gingiva ; Humans

BACKGROUNDRoux-en-Y gastric bypass (GBP) is the main surgical procedure used in type 2 diabetes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the different types of GBP in treatment of type 2 diabetes.

METHODSPatients with type 2 diabetes were randomly divided into two groups: those who underwent gastrojejunal loop anastomosis bypass and those who underwent gastrojejunal Roux-en-Y bypass. Blood glucose alterations, operation time, and operation complications were observed.

RESULTSGastrojejunal loop anastomosis bypass and gastrojejunal Roux-en-Y bypass were both effective in the treatment of selected patients with type 2 diabetes. Compared with gastrojejunal Roux-en-Y bypass, gastrojejunal loop anastomosis bypass had the advantages of easier implementation, shorter operation time, and fewer operation complications.

CONCLUSIONSGastrojejunal loop anastomosis is effective in treatment of type 2 diabetes. It is safe, easy to implement, and worthy of clinical popularization.

Adult ; Anastomosis, Roux-en-Y ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; blood ; surgery ; Female ; Gastric Bypass ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To evaluate the effect of an emollient containing Prinsepia utilis Royle oil extracts and other extracts on clinical symptoms and disease recurrence in children aged 2-12 years with atopic dermatitis (AD) in the remission period.Methods A multicenter,randomized,parallel-group,controlled clinical trial was conducted from December 2017 to September 2018.A total of 297 children aged 2-12 years with moderate AD were enrolled from 5 hospitals in China,and randomly divided into the test group (148 cases) and control group (149 cases).In the acute stage,the two groups were both topically treated with mometasone furoate cream once a day on the skin lesions,and with an emollient containing Prinsepia utilis Royle oil extracts and other extracts twice a day throughout the whole body for 2-4 weeks.The children would be enrolled into the remission stage if their Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) score was ≤ 1 at following visits.In the remission stage,the test group was only topically treated with the emollient twice a day throughout the whole body,while mometasone furoate cream and the emollient were both withdrawn in the control group.At weeks 4,8 and 12 in the remission stage,the recurrence of AD,eczema area and severity index (EASI),children's dermatology life quality index (CDQOL) and adverse events were evaluated.Statistical analysis was carried out with SAS 9.4 software by using t test for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups,chi-square test for comparison of unordered categorical data,Kaplan-Meier method for analysis of survival rates,Cox regression analysis for evaluating the effect of different therapies on AD recurrence in children in the remission stage,and Logistic regression analysis for analysis of odds ratio (OR) of EASI or CDQOL at week 4 in the remission stage between the test group and control group.Results Of the 297 children with AD,31 breached the clinical trial protocol,and 266 were included in the per protocol set (PPS),including 132 in the test group and 134 in the control group.In the PPS,114 and 106 patients completed the follow-up in the test group and control group respectively,and the recurrence rate was significantly lower in the test group (47,41.23％) than in the control group (84,79.25％;x2 =32.96,P ＜ 0.001).The time to recurrence was significantly longer in the test group(61.99 d ± 2.80 d)than in the control group(39.17 d ± 2.54 d,t =6.03,P ＜ 0.001),and the recurrence risk was significantly lower in the test group than in the control group (Log rank test,x2 =32.02,P ＜ 0.001).After adjustment for age and gender,Cox regression analysis showed that the recurrence risk in the test group was 0.35 times that in the control group (HR =0.35,95％ CI:0.24-0.51,P ＜ 0.01).At week 4 in the remission stage,the EASI score at P50-P75 and P75-P100 in the test group were 0.42,0.25 times that in the control group respectively (95％ CI:0.20-0.86,0.12-0.54 respectively;P =0.02,＜ 0.01respectively).Moreover,the CDQOL score at P75-P100 in the test group was 0.33 times that in the control group (95％ CI:0.17-0.65,P ＜ 0.01).No significant difference in the incidence of adverse events was observed between the two groups (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion Maintenance treatment with the emollient containing Prinsepia utilis Royle oil extracts and other extracts can markedly reduce the recurrence risk in AD children,improve clinical symptoms,and enhance the quality of life.

OBJECTIVEThis study aimed to investigate the expression and correlation of secreted frizzled-related protein 1 (SFRP1) and β-catenin in gingival tissues of patients with chronic periodontitis (CP). The role of the classical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in the development of periodontitis was also explored.

METHODSTwenty-eight patients with CP (CP group) were enrolled in this study. Among them, 16 cases were moderate CP, and 12 demonstrated severe CP. Twelve healthy cases comprised the controls (normal group). Gingival tissue was collected, and the probing depth, bleeding index, and clinical attachment loss were recorded. The expression levels of SFRP1 and β-catenin were detected by immunohistochemistry, and staining intensity was evaluated by double scoring method. SPSS 19.0 was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTSThe staining strength scores of SFRP1 and β-catenin were 2.16±0.65 and 1.12±0.51 in the normal group, 3.57±0.45 and 2.36±0.49 in the CP group, 3.61±0.40 and 2.30±0.44 in the moderate CP group, and 3.52±0.52 and 2.45±0.55 in the severe CP group, respectively. The expression of SFRP1 and β-catenin in the CP group was higher than that in the normal group (P<0.01). A significant difference was noted between the normal group and the moderate and severe CP groups (P<0.01) but none between the moderate and severe CP groups (P>0.05). A positive correlation was found between the expression of SFRP1 and β-catenin (r=0.657, P<0.01). The expression levels of β-catenin and SFRP1 were related to periodontal indexes. The correlation between the expression of SFRP1 and probing depth was most significant (r=0.723, P<0.01), as well as that between β-catenin and bleeding index (r=0.697, P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSPatients with CP exhibit elevated expression of SFRP1 and β-catenin in gingival tissues, and this event is related to the degree of periodontal destruction. Abnormal expression of SFRP1 and β-catenin may promote the development of periodontitis.

The neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) was first found to be a membrane protein that maternal antibodies transmitted to fetuses and newborns, and also expressed in multiple organs and tissues for whole life in adults. It plays a significant role to central regulate the lifespan of immunoglobulin G and serum albumin, as well as its involvement in innate and adaptive immune responses. In modern biopharmaceuticals, FcRn is a great potential drug delivery target and a highlighted subject for current research. This paper briefly describes the basic biological properties and action mechanism of FcRn, as well as the commonly used drug carrier design strategies of FcRn, especially the functional applications of prolonging half-life, targeted drug delivery, transmembrane and antigen presentation and so on. We propose that these distribution in different tissues and the diverse biological activities may have significant implications of targeting FcRn for novel drug delivery systems and immunotherapy.

Cortical GABAergic inhibitory neurons are composed of three major classes, each expressing parvalbumin (PV), somatostatin (SOM) and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 3A (Htr3a), respectively. Htr3a
Animals ; Interneurons/metabolism* ; Mice ; Neurons/metabolism* ; Parvalbumins/metabolism* ; Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT3/genetics* ; Serotonin ; Somatostatin/metabolism*

Astrocytes are a heterogenous group of macroglia present in all regions of the brain and play critical roles in many aspects of brain development, function and disease. Previous studies suggest that the B-cell lymphoma-2 associated X protein (BAX)-dependent apoptosis plays essential roles in regulating neuronal number and achieving optimal excitation/inhibition ratio. The aim of the present paper was to study whether BAX regulates astrocyte distribution in a region-specific manner. Immunofluorescence staining of SOX9 was used to analyze and compare astrocyte density in primary somatosensory cortex, motor cortex, retrosplenial cortex and hippocampus in heterozygous and homozygous BAX knockout mice at age of six weeks when cortical development has finished and glia development has reached a relatively steady state. The results showed that astrocyte density varied significantly among different cortical subdivisions and between cortex and hippocampus. In contrast to the significant increase in GABAergic interneurons, the overall and region-specific astrocyte density remained unchanged in the cortex when BAX was absent. Interestingly, a significant reduction of astrocyte density was observed in the hippocampus of BAX knockout mice. These data suggest that BAX differentially regulates neurons and astrocytes in cortex as well as astrocytes in different brain regions during development. This study provided important information about the regional heterogeneity of astrocyte distribution and the potential contribution of BAX gene during development.
Animals ; Astrocytes ; Hippocampus ; Interneurons ; Mice ; Neurons ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein/genetics*