Calponin is an actin filament-associated regulatory protein expressed in smooth muscle and many types ofnonmuscle cells.Three calponin isoforms 1,2,and 3 are encoded by three homologous genes CNN1,CNN2 and CNN3 in vertebrate species with cell type-specific expression and functions.Besides modulating the activity of smooth muscle myofilaments and contractility,calponin also regulates the functions of actin cytoskeleton in non-muscle cells during cell proliferation,adhesion,migration,differentiation,phagocytosis and fusion.This review focuses on the evolution,tissue and cell type-specific expression,structure-function relationships,transcriptional regulation and relevant mechanisms.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Humans ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Oncogene Proteins, Viral ; genetics ; Papillomavirus E7 Proteins ; Plasmids ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Repressor Proteins ; genetics ; Transfection ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; biosynthesis ; genetics

Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Silicosis

Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Subclavian Vein ; abnormalities

Objective To investigate the relationship between pancreatic cancer and diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods Two hundreds and twenty patients with pancreatic cancer and 300 controls, who suffered from non-digestive tract, non-neoplastic or non-hormone-related disorders, were enrolled from 1997 to 2007. The incidence of diabetes between the two groups and the relationship between pancreatic cancer and diabetes were compared, pancreatic cancer patients with DM were compared with patients without DM for their gender, age, location and differentiate degree of the cancer. Results The incidence of DM in the two groups were 33.1% and 9.67%, respectively, and the difference was significant (P < 0.05). In the pancreatic cancer group, the proportion of patients with DM diagnosed within 2 years or for more than 10 years were 25.91% (57/73) and 3.18% (7/73), which were significant higher than those in the control group 6.0% (18/29) and 0.67% (2/29)) (χ2=46.15, P<0.01, 0R=6.07; χ2 =4.72, P<0.01, OR=4.90). In the pancreatic cancer group, the proportion of patients with DM diagnosed within 2～5 years or 5～10 years was not significant different when compared with that of the control group, and there was no significant difference in terms of gender, age and cancer location between the pancreatic cancer patients with DM and without DM. The majority of pancreatic cancer patients with DM had corpora mammillaria or well differentiated adenocarcinoma, and the majority of pancreatic cancer patients without DM had differentiated adenocarcinoma. Conclusions DM was closely related with pancreatic cancer and DM may be one of the presentations of pancreatic cancer, as well as a possible risk factor for the tumor.

Background:Irritable bowel syndrome(IBS)is a commonly seen functional intestinal disorder. Dietary factors are important factors affecting the abdominal symptoms of IBS patients. Aims:To investigate the effect of dietary factors on abdominal symptoms of IBS and the application of dietary adjustment strategy in patients lived in Xian,Shaanxi Province and the surrounding areas. Methods:Fifty-four outpatients with abdominal complaints who met the Rome Ⅲ criteria of IBS from Feb. 2015 to Jul. 2015 at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xian Jiaotong University were enrolled. Twenty healthy volunteers were served as controls. All subjects completed a questionnaire containing issues mainly on IBS symptoms, eating habits,dietary factors causing abdominal symptoms,and the patients’coping styles. Results:Compared with healthy controls,more rice and less spicy food,fatty food,raw/ cold food,acidic beverages and alcohol drinking were observed in diet of IBS patients(P all < 0. 05). Abdominal symptoms of IBS patients could be caused or exacerbated predominantly by cold food(55. 6% ),fatty food(55. 6% ),raw food(48. 1% ),meat(48. 1% )and spicy food (40. 7% ). More than half of the IBS patients(63. 0% ) adopted an elimination diet to minimize their abdominal symptoms. Spicy food(59. 3% ),raw food(48. 1% ),cold food(44. 4% ),fatty food(44. 4% )and meat(37. 0% ) were the most frequently eliminated classes of food. Conclusions:Dietary factors can affect the abdominal symptoms of IBS in patients lived in Xian,Shaanxi Province and the surrounding areas and elimination diet based on foods they perceive as problematic is widely used. The classes of food and eating habits causing abdominal symptoms are quite different between domestic and overseas IBS patients.

Background Central corneal thickness (CCT)is an important parameter to evaluate corneal healthy status and is crucial for surgical planning.However,clinical study found that the center of cornea does not correspond to the thinnest point of cornea.Thus,it is essential to characterize the minimum corneal thickness(MCT) and its location.Objective Present study was to determine the thickness and location of MCT and its relationship to the fellow eye using Pentacam High Resolution technique.Methods The 564 eyes from 282 Chinese myopic patients were reviewed in this study.The CCT,MCT,pupillary central corneal thickness(PCT) and x-y coordinate of thinnest point were bilaterally measured.Written informed consent was obtained prior to the ocular biomedical measurement.Results CCT was (540.07±31.78) μm in the right eyes and (539.24±31.06) μm in the lefi eyes; PCT was (540.25±30.75)μm in the right eyes and (539.48±31.00)μm in the left eyes.MCT was (537.87± 31.91)μm in the right eyes and (536.35±31.24)μm in the left eyes,showing significant differences in all the parameters between the right eyes and left eyes expect for PCT(CCT:P=0.046;PCT:P=0.065 ;MCT:P=0.000).The C CT,PCT and M CT were significantly correlated between the right eyes and left eyes (r =0.97,0.97,0.98,P＜ 0.01).Bland-Altman plot showed a good consistence between the both eyes.The mean distance from the center was (0.50±0.21) mm in the right eyes and (0.56±0.22)mm in the left eyes,showing a significant difference (P =0.000).The difference between CCT and MCT was approximately (2.20±1.74)μm in the right eyes and (2.88±1.75) μm in the left eyes.The location of MCT in both the right eyes and left eyes tended to symmetry along the vertical midline.The distance between the R (x,y) to transformed L (x,y) was (0.29 ± 0.17)mm and the angular distance was (28.28±28.21)degree.Conclusions This study offers a range of MCT and its location in Chinese myopic patients.The difference exists between the CCT and MCT in bilateral eyes.The location of the thinnest point tends to be symmetrical along the vertical midline between the both eyes.The changes of these parameters may be helpful for the diagnosis of some corneal diseases.

This study aims to establish a new method for quality evaluation of Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix by simultaneous determination of five iridoids (loganic acid, 6'-O-beta-D-glucopyranosylgentiopicroside, swertiamarin, gentiopicroside, sweroside), and to detect five iridoids in the root of eight species (Gentiana macrophylla, G. straminea, G. crassicaulis, G. dahurica, G. robusta, G. waltonii, G. lhassica, and G. tibetica). The separation was carried out on a Shiseido SPOLAR C18 (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) column eluted with mobile phase of water containing 0.04% formic acid (A) and acetonitrile (B) in a gradient program. The flow rate was 0.8 mL x min(-1). The detect wavelength was set at 240 nm. The column temperature was kept at 30 degrees C. The volume of injection was 5 microL. The five iridoids were well separated with ideal linear correlations. The average recoveries were 97.35% - 106.23%. All the five iridoids were detected in the root of eight species. The contents of same species changed in a somewhat wider range. The contents in root of G. dahurica were lower than that in other species.
China ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Gentianella ; chemistry ; Iridoid Glycosides ; analysis

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). More than one-third of patients with COVID-19 experience neurological symptoms, including confusion, headaches, and decreased/disordered taste. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a slowly progressive neurodegenerative disease and the most common type of dementia. Alzheimer's disease patients are at high risk and susceptible to infection with COVID-19, which may cause severe illness and even death. There appears to be an interaction between AD and COVID-19, and on the one hand, patients with COVID-19 seem to be more likely to develop AD. AD patients, on the other hand, may be more susceptible to severe COVID-19. Therefore, understanding the common link between COVID-19 and AD may help to develop treatment strategies. Risk factors common to AD and COVID-19 are aging, ApoE ε4 allele, β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), neuroinflammation, oxidative stress. Here, this article focuses on the relationship between COVID-19 and AD, explores common risk factors and potential pathogenesis, and provides help for early prevention, treatment and recovery.

Objective To describe a novel surgical technique for male long-segment urethral stric- ture after pelvic trauma using the intact and pedieled pendulous urethra to replace the bulbar and membra- nous urethra,and then reconstructing anterior urethra.Methods Three patients with long-segment post- traumatic bulbar and membranous urethral strictures with short left pendulous urethras who had undergone several failed previous surgeries were treated with staged pendulous-prostatic anastomotic urethroplasty fol- lowed by reconstruction of the anterior urethra.This procedure was divided into 3 stages.The first-stage sur- gery was mobilization of anterior urethra down to the coronary sulcus and then re-routing the prostatic urethra followed by pendulous-prostatic anastomotic urethroplasty with transposition of penis to perineum.The sec- ond-stage surgery was transecting the anterior urethra at the site of coronary sulcus 6 months later when it was re-vaseularized,then straightening the penis and performing urethroperineostomy.The third-stage surgery was reconstruction of anterior urethra 6 months later.Results Case 1 reported satisfactory voiding postopera- tively.Retrograde urethrography showed that the urethra was patent with no post-voiding residual urine (PVR),and bilateral vesicoureteral reflux almost disappeared.The Qmax was 18.8ml/s,and 18ml/s after the third stage surgery and at 2-year follow-up.Case 2 also had satisfactory voiding.A 22F urethral catheter could smoothly pass through the urethra,and Qmax was 19.5 ml/s with no PVR at 2-year follow-up.Case 3 underwent the first stage surgery through perineal and pubic routes.The urethrorectal and urethroperineal fis- tulas were excised and repaired simultaneously.After operation the fistulas healed,but the stenostomia resul- ting from wound infection needed further treatment.Conclusions This procedure is effective for men with complex long-segment post-traumatic bulbar and membranous urethral strictures,especially for those undergo- ing failed previous surgical treatment.